First Second Books - Doodles and Dailies

:01 Around the Internet

First, read an excerpt.  Then, an author interview.  Then, read or listen to some commentary. 

Richard Sala.  "There's nothing on the shelves quite like his work."  [read about it]

Read people talking about Refresh, Refresh. 

"Nothing short of a triumph," says SLJ.  Knights and princesses and dragons and comics triumphant!  Yay!

Plus!  Our editor, Calista Brill, is totally awesome.  How do you know?  The Graphic Novel Reporter tells you so: "Calista Brill doesn't disappoint."  [go, read]

Joann Sfar's GAINSBOURG movie

Appetizing morsels, courtesy of The World of Kane blog — some concept art from Joann Sfar, connected in some ways to his upcoming movie GAINSBOURG... From what I can gather, it's due to release in January, at least in France. I can't wait to see Joann's film directing debut, which promises to add new dimensions in his creative universe.

For French speakers, there's a delightful 15 minute video interview at Le Figaro online which hints at some glorious movie pleasures to come...

Richard Sala and the Cartoon Art Museum

On the list of 'Things to Do If/When You're in San Francisco.'

Richard Sala has a spotlight at the Cartoon Art Museum! 

Andrew Farago, their curator and gallery manager, has been kind enough to send us some pictures.  This show looks wonderful!  And as people who have had the priviledge to actually lay hands on Richard Sala's original artwork, we can testify that it only gets better when you see it in person. 

(click for larger)

(Richard Sala not enough of an incentive to get you to CAM?  The other show they have up now is 'Once Upon a Dream: The Art of Sleeping Beauty.'  It looks amazing!  Richard Sala and Sleeping Beauty -- that has to be a museum-attendance-worthy combination.)

Brooklyn Book Festival

Perhaps you have not heard of the Brooklyn Book Festival?  It happens every year at Brooklyn's Borough Hall, and really, it is kind of awesome.  There are speakers and books for sale (of both the new and old and comics and prose varieties) and the Spirit of Brooklyn is everywhere!

You should especially come to these two programs, which are full of both comics excellence and First Second-ness. 

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1:00 p.m. Comics Jam with Jessica Abel and Matt Madden A jam comic is an improvised collaborative comic. One person draws a single panel and then passes it on to the next person, who draws a new panel that continues the story. Get ready to draw and collaborate!  For teens and adults.  Participation limited to 25. Held at the Borough Hall Conference Room. 

3:00 p.m. Love, War and Adventures in Babysitting…Transforming Stories into Comics. How does a comic artist take a favorite story and make it new? Three new stars in the literary comics cosmos shine the light on their process, adapting award-winning fiction, found historical materials and one of the most popular teen series of all time into graphic novels. Raina Telgemeier (The Babysitters Club graphic novel series), Danica Novgorodoff (Refresh, Refresh) and George O’Connor (Journey into Mohawk Country) in conversation with :01 Editor Calista Brill.  Held at the Youth Stage. 

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If you are not convinced to come by the sheer awesomeness that is First Second, the full schedule of programming is here.  There will be lots of extraordinary comics people there, including the folks from D&Q. 

Last year my trip to the festival yielded a book entirely about accomplishing bank robberies!  How is that not worth a trip to Brooklyn?

the artist as miracle worker

A dazzling piece of art magic, expressed in sand and time and passion...

Kseniya Simonova

:01 Around the Internet

Go, Look!

Ball Peen Hammer excerpt in PW Comics Week. 

First Second signs up new projects!  It is impossible not to be excited about working with awesome people like Gene Yang, Thien Pham, Dave Roman, and Lucy Knisley. 

CWR really likes Kim Dong Hwa's Color trilogy.  "If you’d told me before I started that reading 900 pages of a man’s take on his mother’s memoirs on growing up in rural Korea would captivate me as much as the COLOR trilogy did . . . I’d have accused you of being drunk, insane, or over-medicated."

ICv2 likes Cat Burglar Black.  "The story reads like a Tintin/Oliver Twist hybrid."

Dustin Harbin's journey to love for Gus & His Gang.  "When Gus came out, with its garish safety-orange cover, and its Wild-West subject matter, I looked forward to reading it but wasn’t really peeing myself or anything."

Let this image serve as a PSA for Tiny Tyrant: The Ethelbertosaurus.  It has adorable artwork and mutant rats!  What more could you ask for in a book?

Comics Themes on iGoogle

How awesome is this?  Or this or this or this or this or this or this?

First Second's San Diego Doings

So, you're going to the San Diego Comic-Con, and you're thinking to yourself, 'however shall I put myself in a position to encounter the people at First Second Books?'  Here is a quick and easy guide. 

Technique 1: Come to our booth!  We can pretty much guarantee that whenever the floor is open, there will be someone from First Second at our booth.  It is number 1323. 

Technique 2: Come to one of the many programs our authors and Editorial Director are on!  Here is a helpful schedule to aid you in accomplishing this goal.  (There are a number of wonderful, awesome people [who do not make books for First Second] on many of these programs that we have not chosen to include in this schedule in an attempt at brevity. Sorry, wonderful, awesome people.) 

THURSDAY, JULY 23rd:

2:30 – 3:30 Spotlight on Gene Yang (Room 10)

FRIDAY, JULY 24th:

1:00 – 2:00 Booth Signing: Gene Yang and Derek Kirk Kim

4:00 – 5:00 The Graphic Novel (panel with Derek Kirk Kim, Lewis Trondheim, and Gene Yang: Room 8)

6:30-7:30 Four-Color Reality (panel with Gene Luen Yang: Room 3)

 

SATURDAY, JULY 25th:

10:00 – 11:00 Spotlight on Lewis Trondheim (Room 8)

11:30 – 12:30 Booth Signing: Lewis Trondheim

SUNDAY, JULY 26th:

10:00 - 11:00 Kids Graphic Novels (panel with Derek Kirk Kim, Lewis Trondheim, and Gene Yang: Room 3)

2:00 – 3:00 Kids Write (interactive drawing session with Gene Yang: Room 30 CDE)

 

Technique 3: Avalanche!  Artificially engineering an avalanche that collapses the San Diego Convention Center and drives all the attendees out into the sea will guarantee that you meet someone at First Second, if only through the power of coincidence.  It is clear that this plan has no flaws. 

See you in San Diego!

PRINCE OF PERSIA

First Second at BEA

If you happen to be attending this year's Book Expo America (at the Javits Center in New York City) and are hoping to stumble upon a First Second author, here's a handy guide to aid you in your quest!

Friday, May 29th:

:01 Editorial Director Mark Siegel will be participating in the YA Buzz Panel, talking about one of our forthcoming young adult titles, Refresh, Refresh, by Danica Novgorodoff. 
[Panel info: 1:30 - 3:15, in room 1E15)

James Sturm, Andrew Arnold, and Alexis Frederick-Frost will be signing copies of their new book, Adventures in Cartooning. 
[Signing info: 2:00 - 2:30, at Autographing Area Table 10]

George O'Connor and Adam Rapp will be signing copies of their forthcoming book, Ball Peen Hammer.
[Signing info: 4:00 - 4:30, at Autographing Area Table 10]

Saturday, May 30th:

James Sturm, Andrew Arnold, and Alexis Frederick-Frost will be participating in the Speed Dating with Childrens' Authors program, meeting as many booksellers as possible within an hour and a half period.  Coloring activities included!
[Speed Dating info: 11:00 - 12:30, at room 1A10]

Adam Rapp will be participating in an author stage program called 'From Stage to Page' about the transition from writing plays to writing comics. 
[Author Stage info: 12:00 - 1:00 at the Downtown Stage]

Danica Novgorodoff will be discussing her forthcoming graphic novel, Refresh, Refresh, in the YA Authors of YA Editor's Buzz program. 
[Author Stage info: 2:00 - 3:00 at the Downtown Stage]

We hope to see you there!