(Why) Does Graphic Storytelling Matter?

I was recently asked by the New York Times Book Review to do a strip in answer to the above question. The first piece below is the sketch they accepted. A finished, colored version is at their site, here, also with entries by Jillian Tamaki, Rutu Modan and Ariel Schrag among others. The other three are further ruminations on the subject. Thanks to Parul Sehgal.

Bell/Nilsen Tour Diary 2015 parts 1-4

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Sweaty Batman

So here's another entry from the "recent happenings in the press" file, as well as a few more pictures from the "what I did on my summer vacation" files, in case anyone is keeping track.

When I was at ComicCon in July I did an interview with Brian Heater for his podcast RIYL. It was a great conversation ranging from questions of authenticity and the artist's sketchbook to how brains work to what it means to make art from grief. Also there's a parade of pedi-cabs and cosplayers going by the whole time, a few of which we describe for the listener. Peter Pan with a lightsaber? Check. Sweaty Batman? Well... he came later. More images from ComicCon below. 

Michael Deforge wasn't in costume, but he did have rabbit ears that he could move using his brain waves.

As an aside, this last picture notwithstanding, I noticed more gender-bending in the cosplay this year than I have before. There were several lady Captain Americas, a lady Han Solo and a lady Spiderman (not the same as 'Spiderwoman', that's a different character/costume, if I remember my Marvel Universe correctly). I noticed little or no crossover in the opposite direction (maybe next year?) but it was cool to see, and bodes well (maybe?) for where the culture is headed.

Happenings in the press

BOOOOOOOM just put up a little interview with me on their site and they managed to make my book look very attractive. I think I might start requiring people to gather a nice rock, some tea and a bit of crochet before reading my work. Also there has to be a bit of sun coming in the window. How good does that look? Damn. They are also giving away a couple of copies of the book to people who leave a favorite poem in the comments section. I managed to shout out some favorite people in Chicago and elsewhere, and work in a little thing about how Benjamin Franklin supposedly had to be naked to get any writing done.

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I'm doing a reading next Tuesday

at the Ridgedale Library in Minnetonka, Minnesota. September 29th, 7pm.

I'll be talking about Poetry is Useless and reading from some of the memoir-ish/travelogue pieces from that book and talking a bit about how my sketchbooks fit into my work, generally speaking.