Ryan Thames, one of the plaintiffs in Amanda Jones’s defamation suit in Louisiana, posted an apology admitting that his previous statements about Jones “were not true”; an annotated Gender Queer to be published in 2026; and more.

Amanda Jones gets an apology

Amanda Jones has always said that all she wanted from her defamation lawsuits against two Louisiana men was $1 and an apology. Over the weekend, the middle school librarian and 2021 School Librarian of the Year got just that from one of them.

Ryan Thames, sued by Jones for defamation, posted a video on his? Facebook page.

“My name is Ryan Thames. I want to publicly apologize to Amanda Jones, a school librarian. I said that she advocates for giving age-inappropriate materials to children. I said that she advocated for the teaching of anal sex to 11-year-olds. Those statements were not true. Miss Jones has agreed to settle her lawsuit against me for $1 and an apology. I am grateful for the opportunity that she’s given me to resolve this issue. I genuinely apologize for the mental and physical pain my statements have caused her or her family. Thank you.”

In an Instagram post on Sunday, Jones wrote: Ryan Thames has issued a formal apology to me. This was never about money—it was about integrity. I’m grateful that the false statements have been publicly corrected and that the truth is now clear. I hope this outcome serves as a reminder that words carry weight and that accountability matters. I’ll share more thoughts and background on how this came about at a later time. For now, I’m going to enjoy my Sunday.”

The defamation suit continues against Citizens for a New Louisiana and Michael Lunsford (who has not apologized). Jones also has a separate federal lawsuit pending against Dan Kleinman of New Jersey.

Annotated edition of Gender Queer to publish next year

Oni Press will publish an annotated hardcover edition of Maia Kobabe’s 2019 graphic memoir, Gender Queer, in 2026.

“For fans, educators, and anyone else who wants to know more, I am so excited to share Gender Queer: The Annotated Edition,” Kobabe said in a statement. “Queer and trans cartoonists, comics scholars, and multiple people who appear in the book as characters contributed their thoughts, reactions, and notes to this new edition. There are comments on the color design process, on comics craft, on family, on friendship, on the touchstone queer media that inspired me and countless other people searching for meaningful representation, and on the complicated process of self-discovery.”

The new edition features commentary from Kobabe as well as annotations from fellow cartoonists, including Jadzia Axelrod (Galaxy: The Prettiest Star), Ashley R. Guillory (Queers at the Table), Justin Hall (No Straight Lines: Four Decades of Queer Comics), Kori Michele Handwerker (Tiny Book Science), Shannon Watters (Lumberjanes), and more. It will also include commentary from academics, including Sandra Cox (professor of English at Southwest Missouri State University), Ajuan Mance (professor of illustration, California College of Arts), and Matthew Noe (Lead Collection & Knowledge Management Librarian at Harvard Medical School).

“I’m extremely happy that Gender Queer has been included on so many college syllabi in the years since its publication. I’ve seen it taught in English classes, Women and Gender Studies, Comics, Memoir Writing, Graphic Medicine, and more,” Kobabe told ComicsBeat. “One of my hopes for this annotated edition is that it will offer an even richer resource for students and teachers studying the text in class, as well as anyone else interested in a close reading of the book.”

Rebellion 1776 wins Grateful American Book Prize

Laurie Halse Anderson’s Rebellion 1776 has won the 2025 Grateful American Book Prize, which is awarded annually for “high-quality, 7th to 9th grade level historical fiction, nonfiction, and biographies that explore the personalities and events which have shaped the United States since its founding.”

The award comes with a $13,000 cash award—which commemorates the original 13 colonies—a lifetime membership at the New York Historical, and a silver medallion. Honorable Mention awardees receive $500 and a medallion.

There were two honor titles named: Dear Miss Perkins: A Story of Frances Perkins’s Efforts to Aid Refugees from Nazi Germany by Rebecca Brenner Graham and A Dangerous Idea: The Scopes Trial, the Original Fight over Science in Schools by Debbie Levy.

Artist and illustrator Keturah A. Bobo dies after long illness

Keturah A. Bobo, who illustrated Grace Byers’s I Am Enough and I Believe I Can, among other titles, died in October after a long illness. Her family posted the following statement to her Instagram account.

“Her work uplifted and shined light on those who are far too often underrepresented,” publisher Harper Kids posted. “Keturah’s iconic covers and art have touched and affirmed countless readers.”