MARCH: BOOK THREE signed pre-orders w/ free ERIN TOBEY "Middlemaze" download!

MARCH: BOOK THREE will be debuting at San Diego Comic Con on July 21st, and will be available everywhere on August 2nd!

I'm taking orders NOW for signed mailorder copies directly from me-- and for the rest of the summer, ALL book orders will include a free digital download of the fantastic Erin Tobey's landmark Middlemaze album-- hands-down, the best album of 2016!

Erin is an immensely talented and inspiring creative force, one of the best friends and finest people I've ever known-- she's also been involved with the design and production end of some of my comics work, and is a great cartoonist herself (and for comics trivia, is the person after whom Ruth from Swallow Me Whole is physically modeled). I'm so proud to team up with her on both of our new endeavors, and hope to spread her album far and wide. (If you're interested, she's also made tons of music in the bands Brenda's Friend, Full Sun, Vollmar, Fat Shadow, Tammar, Pink Razors, Mt. Gigantic, and Abe Froman.)

You can also get a digital copy directly from Erin here, and order LP/cassette copies from Let's Pretend Records here.

Book orders will be shipping out as soon as the books arrive from the printer in mid-July. Also debuting at SDCC will be the limited-edition MARCH trilogy slipcase edition-- I won't be selling any copies directly, but you can order them from Top Shelf/IDW here.

Thanks, spread the word, and see you in San Diego! Stay tuned for an updated Team MARCH schedule of events and signings for the rest of the year.

San Diego Comic Con schedule & CBLDF artwork auction!

I'm just about to join 97% of my cartoonist peeps in San Diego for Comic-Con International 2015-- I'll generally be found at Top Shelf's booth (#1721), signing copies of two new books-- You Don't Say and March: Book Two-- along with all the rest.

Here's my schedule of signings/panels/goings-on:

THURS 7/9: at Top Shelf booth all day.

FRI 7/10: at Top Shelf booth most of the day, plus discussing You Don't Say and March: Book Two at the Top Shelf spotlight panel from 12-1pm in Room 23ABC.

SAT 7/11: 
   *March panel (with John Lewis & Andrew Aydin). 10-11am, Room 23ABC.
   *March signing (with John Lewis & Andrew Aydin). 11:15am-1pm, Top Shelf booth (#1721).
   *March signing (with JL & AA). 3-4:30pm, IDW booth (#2743).

SUN 7/12:
   *March signing (with JL & AA), 10:30-11:30am, Top Shelf booth.
   *March event off-site at Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation (w/ JL & AA), 3:30-4:45pm.

I'll also have this page from The Silence Of Our Friends (written by Mark Long & Jim Demonakos; First Second, 2012) up for auction to benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. It'll be Saturday, July 11th from 8-10pm at the Bayfront Hilton. 

See you there!

San Diego Comic-Con 2014!

I'll be in San Diego at Comic-Con International this Thursday through Sunday, selling and signing books at the Top Shelf booth (#1721). 

March: Book One is nominated for 3 Eisner Awards (Best Artist, Best Publication For Teens, Best Reality-Based Work)-- come out to the awards ceremony on Friday night, and wish us good luck!

I'll also be discussing the forthcoming March: Book Two and You Don't Say at the Top Shelf spotlight panel, Friday from 12:00-1:00 pm in Room 32AB. See you there!

MARCH nominated for 3 Eisner Awards!

I'm honored to find that March: Book One, my collaboration with John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, has been nominated for three Eisner Awards: Best Reality-Based Work, Best Publication For Teens, and Best Penciller/Inker!

This year's list has a really solid line-up of nominees-- congratulations to all my other comics homies including Cecil Castellucci, Becky Cloonan, Jeff Lemire, Scott Snyder, Jeffrey Brown, Ed Piskor, Zander Cannon, Faith Erin Hicks, Luke Pearson, Gene Yang, Paul Pope, Sheila Keenan, Nathan Fox, Ben Katchor, Jeff Smith, Judith Vanistendael, and lots more! The winners will be announced at a ceremony this July at Comic-Con International in San Diego.

The complete list can be viewed here.

Judith Vanistendael

2014 schedule of events, conventions, and signings

Here's my master list of upcoming events in 2014-- this includes presentations, signings, and comic conventions at which I'll be tabling. This list will be consistently updated as new events and information are confirmed. 


Fri, Feb 21-- East Lansing MI-- signing at Hollow Mountain Comics (611 E. Grand River Ave.). 4:30-6:30 pm.

Sat, Feb 22-- East Lansing MI-- tabling at MSU Comics Forum (Snyder/Phillips Hall), 11am-5pm.

Wed, March 12-- Worcester MA-- presentation at Clark University w/ Andrew Aydin (details and programming TBA)

April 12-13-- Columbus OH-- SPACE (Ramada Plaza hotel, 4900 Sinclair Rd.)

April 25-26-- Little Rock AR-- Arkansas Literary Festival w/ John Lewis and Andrew Aydin (details and programming TBA)

Sat, May 3-- Fayetteville AR-- Fayetteville Public Library (details and programming TBA)

May 10-11-- Toronto, ON-- TCAF (at Top Shelf booth)

May 31- June 1-- Chicago IL-- CAKE

June 21-22-- Charlotte NC-- Heroes Con (at Top Shelf booth)

July 24-27-- San Diego CA-- Comic Con International (at Top Shelf booth #1721)

Sept 13-14-- North Bethesda MD-- SPX

October 10-12-- New York NY-- NYCC (at Top Shelf and Hyperion booths-- debut of The Lost Hero!)

Recap from MARCH debut at San Diego Comic Con!

The grand debut of March: Book One went better than any of us could've hoped for! We sold out of all the limited hardcover copies in the first couple of days, and nearly sold out of our softcover stock as well. Folks were beyond stoked to meet John Lewis, and he loved the inclusive atmosphere generally felt at the Con. At our presentation on the book, Congressman Lewis' introduction was cut off after one sentence-- by a lengthy standing ovation from the overcrowded ballroom.

Here are video excerpts from our standing-room-only panel discussion about March-- couldn't dig up any of my section, but here are some from John Lewis and Andrew Aydin.

A first for the Top Shelf booth-- the Con threatened to shut us down at one point because of the insane line for the MARCH signing!

Virtually every major news outlet did features on the book, including CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN, NPR, PBS, Roll Call, UT San Diego, Publishers Weekly, ColorLines, and Huffington Post.

In addition, in the days leading up to Comic-Con, Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Patrick Leahy held up a copy of March in the Committee hearing on the gutted Voting Rights Act, saying "it will be seen by all five of my grandchildren." It should be noted that the Senate Judiciary Committee is the very same that held those infamous 1954 comic book hearings on the heels of Dr. Wertham's Seduction Of The Innocent, crippling the American comics industry.

Amidst an NPR interview with John Lewis, Andrew, and I.

Dr. Neil Degrasse Tyson arranged a special meeting with us to get signed copies for himself and his father!

Alia Shawkat from Arrested Development!

I'll post more as it becomes available, of course-- just wanted to get all this stuff up here. Thank you everyone for a truly incredible experience at San Diego Comic Con this year, and thanks to my Top Shelf family for being excellent human beings!

San Diego Comic Con schedule-- signings & panels!

If you'll be at the gargantuan mind-shredder that is Comic Con International next week, I'll see you there! Come see me anytime at the Top Shelf booth (#1721)-- Brand-new copies of March: Book One will be there, and I'll also have the rest of my books and a ton of original artwork for sale.

Here are the special panels and signings I'll be doing as well:

THURSDAY, JULY 18:

5:00-7:00 pm: Drawing with tons of other artists on The Blank Page Project, with artwork auctioned off later to benefit The Hero Initiative (helping take care of our fellow creators, as many of us have no safety net, pension, retirement, health resources, etc.). This will happen outside in the back of the Vela restaurant at the San Diego Hilton Bayfront hotel (next door to the convention center).

SATURDAY, JULY 20:

10:00-11:00 am: March panel with John Lewis and Andrew Aydin. Room 23ABC.

12:00-1:00 pm: Top Shelf spotlight panel w/ Leigh Walton, Chris Ross, Shannon Wheeler, Mark Russell, Jeffrey Brown, Zander Cannon, Kevin Cannon, Andrew Aydin, and Rob Harrell. Room 4.

2:30-4:15 pm: signing at Top Shelf booth with John Lewis and Andrew Aydin.

4:30-5:30 pm: "Comics And Prose: The Graphic Novel Hybrid" panel with Jeffrey Brown, Cecil Castellucci, Tom King, Jim Pascoe, and Janet Tashjian. Room 26AB.

SUNDAY, JULY 21:

10:30 am-12:00 pm: signing at Top Shelf booth with John Lewis and Andrew Aydin.

1:00-3:00 pm: signing at Top Shelf booth with John Lewis and Andrew Aydin.

4:00-5:00 pm: signing at Top Shelf booth with John Lewis and Andrew Aydin.

Limited signed-and-numbered hardcover edition of MARCH!

There's a super-limited hardcover version of March: Book One coming out-- signed, numbered, and limited to just 500 copies. We'll have some for sale at San Diego Comic Con next week (Booth #1721), but otherwise you should definitely pre-order one from Top Shelf, as they'll disappear pretty quickly.

ORDER HERE!

Original artwork for sale at San Diego Comic Con!

I'm gearing up for next week's insanity at Comic Con International, and will be selling lots of original pages and artwork there at the Top Shelf booth (#1721).

If you're interested in buying a specific page, please email me at seemybrotherdance@yahoo.com with the info, or a picture of the page, and I'll be sure to pack it with me. Thanks!

MARCH is a Staff Pick in the Diamond catalog!

 
March: Book One, written by John Lewis & Andrew Aydin and drawn by me, is now available for orders in the Diamond catalog, and is a Staff Pick in Previews!

It'll be available at San Diego Comic Con ONLY from July 18-21, then in book stores everywhere August 13th, comic book stores on August 14th, and is available for pre-order on Amazon for delivery on the 13th as well. Expect BIG surprises around the corner-- more updates as I'm cleared to share the exciting info!

Upcoming conventions/appearances for the spring & summer!

Hey there-- here's what I'll be up to over the next several months:

* April 5-7: Denver, CO-- Artwork from March will be on display at the National Conference For Media Reform.

* April 13-14: Columbus, OH-- SPACE. 

* April 14: "Memoir Comics" panel at SPACE w/ John Porcellino, Tom Hart, Chris Monday, and Dara Naraghi. 1 pm.

* May 11: Fort Wayne, IN-- Appleseed Con (120 W. Jefferson Blvd). 10am-6pm.

* June 7: Bloomington IN-- new exhibit up at The Owlery for all of June. Opening reception on the 7th from 10pm-1am!

* June 11: Washington DC-- Search For Common Ground panel w/ John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and others TBA. More info soon!

* June 29-30: Chicago IL-- ALA Annual Conference. I'll be presenting with Congressman John Lewis and Andrew Aydin as keynote speakers, and will have other presentations and signings throughout the weekend as well. More info soon!

* July 18-21: San Diego CA-- Comic-Con International, at the Top Shelf booth (#1721). It's the grand debut of March: Book One! More events/panels TBA.

* August 13: March: Book One is available at bookstores everywhere, and at comic book stores on the 14th!

There's a ton of stuff in the works for the rest of 2013-- updates as they are confirmed!

Pilgrimage to Alabama's civil rights landmarks with John Lewis.

Photo by Sandi Villarreal.

In early March, I had the honor of participating in a pilgrimage to historic civil rights landmarks throughout Alabama, hosted by John Lewis and organized by the Faith & Politics Institute. It was a very powerful and at times revelatory experience (and it was really nice to see prominent lawmakers put their bullshit aside), and here's my collection of photos from that journey.

John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and I are collaborators on Lewis' graphic novel memoir trilogy, March-- the first book will be released at San Diego Comic Con this July, and will be available everywhere on August 13th.  

Official announcement for MARCH trilogy with John Lewis!

Here's today's official announcement from Top Shelf-- that March (written by Rep. John Lewis & Andrew Aydin, and drawn by me) will be a graphic novel trilogy, with March: Book One debuting at San Diego Comic-Con on July 18th, and available in stores everywhere August 13th.

Lots of events, signings, discussions, and artwork exhibits are in the works too-- more updates as they come in!

Publishers Weekly piece on MARCH!

Here's a new piece from Publishers Weekly on Congressman John Lewis, his activism and dedication, and our forthcoming graphic novel March (co-written with Andrew Aydin, published by Top Shelf this August.)

Congressman Lewis, Andrew, and I will be appearing at a number of events and conferences throughout 2013-- details to be released next week.

Panels & signings at San Diego Comic Con!

San Diego's very own Comic-Con International is next week (July 11-15)-- prepare yourself for the throngs of humanity! Most of the time you can find me at the Top Shelf booth (#1721), where I'll be selling books, original comic pages, and a promotional minicomic for a forthcoming graphic novel I can finally announce at the Con. Lots of new projects are in the works!

Here's a list of additional panels, presentations, and signings I'll be doing throughout the week:

THURS. JULY 12:

3-4 pm-- "Graphic Novels: The Bookstore Crowd" panel w/ Alison Bechdel, Kate Beaton, Brecht Evens, Jennifer and Matt Holm, and Jason Shiga. Moderated by Tom Spurgeon. (Room 23ABC) 

FRI. JULY 13:

11 am-12 pm-- The Silence Of Our Friends signing at First Second booth (#1323).

2-3 pm -- Artist Spotlight panel (a presentation, Q&A and discussion about my work, and announcement about forthcoming projects!). (Room 9)

SAT. JULY 14:

1-2 pm-- Top Shelf panel w/ Eddie Campbell, Jeff Lemire, Ed Piskor, James Kolchalka, and Chris Ross. Moderated by Leigh Walton. (Room 4)

2:30-3 pm-- The Silence Of Our Friends signing at First Second booth (#1323).

SUN. JULY 15:

10 am- 12 pm-- The Year Of The Beasts signing at MacKids booth (#1220).

12:15- 1:45 pm-- CBLDF Benefit Rock Art Jam w/ Gabriel Ba & Fabio Moon! Original artwork done live, projected, and auctioned to benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. (Room 5AB)
 
See you there!

new COMETBUS book, new interviews & video!

Hey everybody! Back from San Diego Comic Con, and TCB'in. .

* I did a bunch of all new illustrations for the new Cometbus collection, Add Toner, which is out now! I have some copies for $12 each-- you can paypal me at harlanrecords@yahoo.com, and the store will be updated soon.

* I just did an interview with Comic Book Resources' Robot 6 about my new book, Any Empire. You can read it here.

* Here's some video of a presentation I did in April in my hometown as part of the Arkansas Literary Festival, courtesy of Mark Barnes. Thanks Mark!

* San Diego ruled again this year, though I miss not getting out to the Adventure Time beach party. Thanks, everybody, for stopping by the booth to meet and talk and pick up the new tome!

SAN DIEGO COMIC CON throwdown this week!

See you in San Diego for Comic Con International! I'll be at the Top Shelf booth (#1721) all weekend, selling copies of my brand new book Any Empire! I'll also be part of the following panel presentations:

* Comics For Teens with Cecil Castellucci, Hope Larson, and Gene Luen Yang! Thursday July 21st, 4:30-5:30pm in Room 26AB.

* Top Shelf Panel with Robert Venditti, Kagan McLeod, James Kolchalka, Mike Huddleston, and Leigh Walton! Saturday July 23rd, 4:30-5:30pm in Room 8.

I'll have tons of original art for sale over the weekend, including pages from Any Empire.

See you there!

ANY EMPIRE is off to the printer!

After a few years of scribblin', my forthcoming graphic novel Any Empire is en route to the printer. It'll debut at Comic Con International in San Diego, July 21-24, but you can pre-order it now via Top Shelf and Amazon!

springtime jams

Hey there! It's been a while since I've given a general update-- here's what's in the works:

* After two years, Any Empire and The Silence Of Our Friends are both done! Any Empire will be out in July for Comic-Con International.

* I just got started with the drawing chores for Cecil Castellucci's Year Of The Beasts, due out in 2012 from Roaring Brook Press.

* Check out the February 2011 issue of Oxford American magazine for a weird illustration.

* I have a comics story called "Conjurers" in the forthcoming YA fiction anthology What You Wish For, which is a benefit for building an educational center in Darfur. Bookwish Foundation is releasing it with Putnam Books, and it will feature work by Nikki Giovanni, R.L. Stine, Joyce Carol Oates, Alexander McCall Smith, Francisco X. Stork, Naomi Shihab Nye, Sofia Quintero, Jeanne Duprau, Karen hesse, Cornelia Funke, Ann M. Martin, Marilyn Nelson, Meg Cabot, Jane Yolen, Gary Soto, Cynthia Voigt, and me. It'll be out in Fall 2011!

* I just finished a bunch of illustrations for the forthcoming Cometbus book Add Toner, collecting issues #46-53. (And if you haven't yet, check out #54, featuring a tour diary of traveling across Asia with Green Day-- it's a spectacular issue.)

* I'll be doing album artwork for Band Of Beards' new LP/CD, Fuerteventura. Should be out in the spring!

*If you're around the Bloomington area, come to Boxcar Books' Rock 'N Roll Prom at The Bluebird on April 9th. It's a benefit for the Midwest Pages to Prisoners Project. I'll be in the Black Sabbath cover band Supernaut (as sweet sweet Ozzy) with Jarod from Universe/Morrow, Mike from Universe/Good Luck, and Benny from Gourmet Scum/Butt Piss! Bring it on!

Here are my upcoming comics-related events for the year:

* March 19-20 SPACE in Columbus, OH
* April 11-12 Presentations/workshops at Pulaski Technical College in North Little Rock, AR
* April 12 Arkansas Literary Festival presentation/Q&A at Pulaski Tech (more info soon!)
* April 13 presentation/Q&A at Fletcher Library (823 N. Buchanan St.), Little Rock AR. 6pm.
* May 7-8 TCAF in Toronto, Ontario
* June 4 mini-con at Kankakee, IL public library (201 E. Merchant St.). 10a-5p.
* July 20-24 Comic-Con International in San Diego, CA-- Any Empire debuts!!!
* August 11-14 Wizard World Chicago in Rosemont, IL.
* Sept 10-11 Small Press Expo in North Bethesda, MD.
* Dec 5-Feb 10 solo exhibition at Arkansas Historical Museum, Little Rock AR

see you there!

SWALLOW ME WHOLE is an Eisner winner!

Hi! I just returned from the San Diego Comic Con, and am thrilled to announce that Swallow Me Whole won the 2009 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Novel! Holy Shit! All I can remember is getting kissed on the cheek by a member of the Go-Go's upon receiving the award.
Thanks, all readers and supporters of comics-- I'm honored beyond words.
It was a wonderful weekend, and I made some sweet friendships with other Top Shelfers and non-Top Shelfers alike. Go, Comic Book Summer Camp!