Author John Allison
First published 2013
Publisher Oni Press
Two groups of teenage sleuths solve mysteries and negotiate friendships in the town of Tackleford, where strangely supernatural things keep happening.
Story
Two rival groups of teenagers investigate mysteries in a fictional West Yorkshire town.
Why we chose it
A modern web based comic story with great dialogue from distinctive characters who look and sound like teenagers you would like to meet.
Where it came from
Bad Machinery was a continuation of John Allison’s previous comic, Scary Go Round. It was launched on the same website before being published as full-colour paperback in 2013.
The title comes from the title of a song by the band Let’s Active.
Where it went next
Publishers Weekly listed Bad Machinery's first volume, The Case of the Team Spirit, among its best children’s books of 2013.
Associated stories
Giant Days by John Allison, Lisa Trenton and Max Sarin is a comic story for older readers about three girls starting college for the first time.
Author John Allison
First published 2013
Publisher Oni Press