DTWOF episode #503

January 31st, 2007

Sorry I disappeared. Here’s the next strip. Read the rest of this entry »

Angoulême

January 26th, 2007

It’s late and I’m nearly hallucinating with exhaustion. But here are just a few items from my day.

A film clip of my TGV ride from Tours to Angoulême, where I’m attending this giant international comics festival. Check it out! I didn’t speed up the film. That’s how fast we were going. I wish we had trains like this in our godforsaken gridlocked country.

I spent a somewhat bewildering day at the Festival International de la Bande Desinée, doing interviews, signing books, and wandering around in a sleep-deprived stupor. My job is to hang around my publisher’s booth, see photo. That’s my editor Jean-Luc, and Marie.

I did a signing, and made little awkward sketches in peoples’ books, because that’s what you’re supposed to do at comics festivals. But lemme tell ya, I felt a little ridiculous sitting next to this guy Hippolyte, a fucking genius who created these elaborate watercolors for everyone of the Robert Louis Stevenson pirate story he illustrated.
Here I am following Jean-Luc through the throng. I’m happy to say that I saw no one dressed in a spandex superhero costume.

But I did spot the Dark Knight himself.

After a lovely (but in the  French style, very late and lingering) dinner with some people from my publisher and the amazing autobiographical cartoonist Fabrice Neaud, whose work has inexplicably not been translated into English, and with whom I’m doing an event with tomorrow–I have retired to my very non-Ritz Carlton, ultra-budget French chain motel. I don’t care. I’m so fried I could probably sleep in the town square. Not that I’m anywhere near the lovely, medieval town square. Then must have thought that as an American I’d be more comfortable out here among the car dealerships and the Buffalo Grill, which is right next door.

bunch of things

January 26th, 2007

I’ve been so crazed lately what with this trip to the Angouleme festival and trying to get work done before I left that I’ve neglected to mention some important stuff.

Fun Home won the Stonewall Book Award-Israel Fish Nonfiction Award from the American Library Association’s GLBT Round Table. This is a really great honor. As you may know, I have a bit of a librarian fetish. So what could be better than winning a prize from a bunch of them?

FH has also been nominated for a GLAAD Media Award in the comic book category.

And I also just won an Alice B. Reader’s Appreciation Medal. It’s a prize awarded to lesbian fiction writers. The committee decided cartoons could count.

And if you live in Vermont, I have some work in a show called FineToon: The Art of Vermont Cartoonists at the Helen Day Art Center in Stowe. It opens today, and it looks like a really interesting show. There’s stuff by my fellow (and I do mean fellow) Vermonters Ed Koren, James Kochalka, Harry Bliss, Frank Miller… I had no idea Frank Miller lived in Vermont. Huh.

Tours

January 26th, 2007

This is just a quick note. I have to rush to catch my train to Angouleme.

Here, at last, is a photo of the famous Maoist orange cake, being displayed by Helene Tison. Her girlfriend Ghanima made it.

Here’s the classroom full of patient people at the University of Tours yesterday, waiting while we sorted out our Powerpoint Problems.

Here’s Fritz the elephant, a Barnum circus elephant who died on tour in Tours. A long time ago.

Here’s a little movie of an interview I did on Wednesday in Paris. Just so you can get a sense of what it’s like here. LIght up a cigarette for the full effect.

Thursday morning in Paris

January 25th, 2007

I just went out to buy a couple jars of this amazing mustard I had when I was in Paris last fall. Lemon and garlic mustard! Isn’t that a brilliant idea? I brought my camera along, and discovered a theme of mishaps. Read the rest of this entry »

off to France

January 23rd, 2007

My local airport has free wifi! God, I love Vermont.

I’m waiting for my turbo prop plane to take me to JFK, where I’ll catch my flight to Paris. And instead of doing something productive, like reading a book, here I am fiddling on my computer. And eating this rather indifferent cinnamon roll. And adjusting to suddenly having nothing particular to do after spending the past 48 hours racing around like a madwoman getting ready to leave. That abrupt shift can sometimes induce a sudden zen flash of What It’s All About. But not, apparently, if you immediately plug in and start blogging.

DTWOF episode 502

January 21st, 2007

My first post-Julia episode. Read the rest of this entry »

Cakeblog!

January 21st, 2007

AnnaP, thank you for giving that frickin’ orange cake a blog of its own, FAQs and all. Now all we need is a picture of the cake. Or better yet a YouTube 360 degree view.

Thanks for correcting my misspelling of junco. And I’m sorry to disappoint all you composting fiends, but I basically use that thing as a big garbage can/raccoon feeder. I never turn it, and I never use the compost.

And yes, AnotherOregonian, there is new strip out. I’ve been meaning to put it up, and will do so immediately.

Oh, and get this. Fun Home is a finalist for a National Book Critics Circle Award, in the memoir category. Uh…finalist? Nominee? Holly my publicist said I was a finalist, but this article says nominee. The mechanics of awards selection–from long list to short list to winner–are very confusing to me for some reason. But whatever the proper term is, I’m on the list. Do I sound smug? I am.

snow

January 19th, 2007

It’s a lovely snowy afternoon, and the birds have been busy at the feeder. I find this such a soothing and concentration-inducing atmosphere that I’m compelled to share it with you via this very slapdash little movie.

Sketch diary 1/16. Winter Exercise Don’ts

January 17th, 2007

That cartoon about the bugs in my bathroom was almost my last.
Read the rest of this entry »