Notes from Comic-Con

I’m in the San Diego airport, waiting until it’s time for me to check in for my flight in five hours or so. (For various reasons, this made more sense than the alternatives).

So: Some random, tired notes about Comic-Con:
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Which cover design do you like best?

These are possible covers for a short self-published comic I might have with me at Comic-Con. Please let me know which design you like best.

Thanks!

UPDATE: And a fifth option (variation on the first option):

UPDATE AGAIN: Option number six (variant on #4)

Mini-interview of Barry from TCAF

I’ve been quiet lately because I’m in Canada. I’ll post a bit about this trip once I’m home, but meanwhile here’s a short interview from last month’s trip to Canada, when I attended the Toronto Comics Arts Fest. Thanks to Good Comics for Kids for making this video!

The graphic novels I recommend in this video are:

* I Kill Giants, by Joe Kelly and J.M. Ken Nimura
* Smile, by Raina Telgemeier
* Locas, by Jaime Hernandez

Librarians and Teachers — Please vote in the Eisner Awards

Teachers and Librarians, I have a favor to ask. The favor is, please vote in the Eisner Awards.

Voting for the Eisner Awards is going on right now (voting ends Monday). The Eisner Awards, in case you don’t know, are the single most important award for comic books. Any librarian or educator who has ever worked with graphic novels in their profession is eligible to vote.

For the teen and kid categories, it’s vitally important that more librarians and educators participate, even if they vote for something other than Hereville. The “best publication for kids” category is at the bottom of page 1 (it’s item #6), and the “best publication for teens” category is at the top of page 2 (it’s item #7). If a graphic novel you think is deserving came out in 2010 and isn’t listed, it’s fine to write it in, too.

(You’re not required to vote in every category — it’s fine to vote in only one or two.)

Hereville is nominated in the “Best Publication for Teens” category (page 2 of the ballot, or item #7). If you’re a Hereville fan, I hope you’ll consider voting for Hereville.

Finally, if you’re willing to spread the word to any librarians or educators you know who you think might vote, I’d really appreciate it. You can register to vote in the Eisners here.

Wacky face from my sketchbook

Just because.

2011 Eisner Nominations – No big deal.

The 2011 Eisner nominations are out… This is no big deal. I can take it or leave it. I mean, it’s only the comic book industry’s biggest award, and Will Eisner is only one of my favorite artists EVER, and I DID take Eisner’s class at SVA, but it’s not like I care or any–

What’s that?

Hereville made the nom list, you say?

Oh.

Well.

No biggie.

Er, pardon me just a moment.

As I was saying, nothing to get excited about.

Hereville in the Jewish Daily Forward

Nice article about Hereville in the Jewish Daily Forward, one of the preeminent Jewish publications in the USA. Here’s a quote from the article:

Mirka’s life as a Hasidic Jew is a fundamental part of her character, but no superfluous attention is called to her religion.

“I definitely don’t want to write a textbook, but painlessly without lecturing people, give readers the impression of how Mirka’s life feels to Mirka,” Deutsch explained.

One of the most effective ways he accomplishes this is with the inclusion of Shabbat in the story.
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Immediately after being charged with her quest, rather than set out, Mirka rushes home to celebrate Shabbat. For the next nine pages the action of the book is completely halted and the Sabbath is observed; its traditions described in detail. “The reason I have the story line pretty much stop dead and then pick up like snap when Shabbos is over,” Deutsch explained, “is because you’re supposed to put away your weekday concerns and not let them interfere with Shabbos, and I thought it was the most direct way of communicating that to the reader.”

“It’s a break from the other things going on and hopefully a really joyful break because of how special Shabbos time is to Mirka.”

Mirka’s sense of religious duty and the joy she takes in it, combined with her adventure-seeking personality, makes her a compelling character in children’s literature.

The catch line on “Hereville”’s cover reads, “Yet Another Troll-Fighting 11-Year-Old Orthodox Jewish Girl.” Though meant to be tongue-in-cheek, in many ways Deutsch’s character is just that.

By normalizing the rhythm and values of Jewish life, rather than singling them out as a topic for discussion, he manages to make Mirka just another adventure seeking pre-teen … who just so happens to be Jewish.

Read the whole article here.

Many thanks to Laurie Kamens, the author of the article, who was a delight to talk to.

Bank Street College’s Best Children’s Books Of The Year List

Bank Street College of Education Children’s Book Committee has released its annual Best Children’s Books Of The Year list. I’m happy to say that not only is Hereville on the list, it’s one of the relatively few to receive a starred listing, for “outstanding merit.”

Another Portland Opera Drawing: The Bewitched Child

As I said in yesterday’s post, Portland Opera was kind enough to let me and other area cartoonists view their latest production, a double bill of The Spanish Hour and The Bewitched Child.

My previous drawing was from The Spanish Hour; this one is from The Bewitched Child.

To see what other cartoonists at the Opera have done, search on twitter for #pdxoperacomics.

(You can see previous Portland Opera illustrations I’ve done here.)

Portland Opera Comics — first illustration from The Spanish Hour

Once again, Portland Opera graciously hosted me and a gaggle of other cartoonists to see the dress rehearsal of one of their productions, this time a double bill of The Spanish Hour and The Bewitched Child.

Here’s the first drawing I’ve done as a result, of a man hiding in a clock. (The Spanish Hour is the sort of comedy in which a lot of men hide in a lot of clocks.)

To see what other cartoonists at the Opera have done, search on twitter for #pdxoperacomics.

(You can see previous Portland Opera illustrations I’ve done here.)