MARCH gets The Colbert Bump!


Congressman John Lewis appeared on The Colbert Report last night to discuss our new graphic novel March: Book One-- in case you missed it, here's the two-part video clip:

PART ONE

 PART TWO

We got a ton of press on release day, and have broken into Amazon's Top 100 books (reaching #2 so far on the graphic novel charts). Here are some reviews and interviews from The Washington Post, USA Today, The New York Times, and Comic Book Resources.

Thanks, everyone, for responding so powerfully and sincerely!




John Lewis on THE COLBERT REPORT tonight for the debut of MARCH!


The day has arrived-- March: Book One is available in bookstores everywhere today, and will be in comic book stores tomorrow!

To kick things off, Congressman John Lewis will be a special guest on The Colbert Report tonight (on Comedy Central, 11:30 pm EST) to discuss our book! Tune in if you can, and spread the word!

Lots of travel and events on the horizon, starting with a big kickoff signing at the Buckhead Barnes & Noble in Atlanta this Saturday, August 17th, from 1-3 pm. John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and I will all be there.

More soon!

Wizard World Chicago this weekend!

If you're in the Chicago area, I'll be at Wizard World Chicago (Donald E. Stephens convention center in Rosemont, IL) this Saturday and Sunday, August 10-11! Come see me at Booth B10-- I'll be selling books (including March, a few days ahead of its release date) and selling original artwork (including originals from March).

I'll also be participating in the "Pitfalls Of Writing" panel (alongside Steven Grant, Scott Snyder, Jay Bonansinga, and Chloe Neill), Saturday at noon in Room 34.

See you there!

Art exhibit opening August 9th at The Owlery in Bloomington IN!

If you're in the Bloomington area, I have an exhibit of original artwork going up at The Owlery (118 W. 6th St.) for the month of August. The opening reception is Friday, August 9th from 10pm-1am.

HERE'S THE FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE.

Knock a few back, eat a corn dog, buy some artwork, and get copies of MARCH: BOOK ONE before its official release date! Original pages of March will also be available for sale as a part of this exhibit.

See you there!
 

MARCH: BOOK ONE review at Comics Bulletin!

Here's a new review of March: Book One up at Comics Bulletin.

An excerpt:

"Powell has always been a master at emotion, but March is perhaps his greatest work yet, full of vitality and righteousness and passion, as well as terrifying acts of inhumanity that test the will of the activists. Lewis' story is in many ways the ultimate American experience, an examination of how an intense devotion to a dream can often overcome even the most profound obstacles and Powell is the perfect artist to showcase Lewis' journey. Despite being a relatively young white man, Powell appears to have a telepathic link to Lewis, his depictions of the era so expressive they make it remarkably easy to become fully immersed in the work."

 

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.

Starred review in The Library Journal for MARCH: BOOK ONE!

Here's a new starred review for March: Book One from The Library Journal:

"Lewis’s remarkable life has been skillfully translated into graphics... Segregation’s insult to personhood comes across here with a visual, visceral punch. This version of Lewis’s life story belongs in libraries to teach readers about the heroes of America."

And a starred review from Kirkus:

"A powerful tale of courage and principle igniting sweeping social change, told by a strong-minded, uniquely qualified eyewitness... the heroism of those who sat and marched... comes through with vivid, inspiring clarity."

As well as a starred review from Booklist:

"Dazzling... a grand work."

Now filling direct pre-orders for MARCH: BOOK ONE!

 
March: Book One will be in stores everywhere on August 13th, but I'm taking direct orders for them NOW-- signed, sketched-in, and in your mailbox weeks before they're available anywhere else!

ORDER HERE! 

or order from my Etsy site!

Or send a check for $15 to Nate Powell/ PO Box 3382/ Bloomington IN 47402.

Copies should arrive here this week, and I'll start sending them out as soon as they're here. Thanks-- spread the word!

ALA Annual Conference in Chicago this weekend!

 
John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and I will be in Chicago this Saturday and Sunday (June 29-30) at the American Library Association's Annual Conference, gearing up for the big release of March: Book One next month. We'll be signing free preview excerpts of March, and I'll have copies of Any Empire and Swallow Me Whole for sale as well!

Come see us at the following events:

Sat. 6/29-- Andrew Aydin presentation, 12:00-1:00 pm at the Graphic Novel stage

Sat. 6/29-- Signing with John Lewis & Nate Powell
     1:00-2:30 pm, Top Shelf Booth (#2646)

Sat. 6/29-- Keynote Presentation with John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, & Nate Powell-- 3:30-4:30 pm, Grand Center Ballroom (S100)

Sat. 6/29-- Signing with John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, & Nate Powell
     4:30-5:30 pm, Lobby outside Ballroom (S100)

Sun. 6/30-- John Lewis, special guest at the Coretta Scott King Awards Breakfast-- 7:00-9:30 am, Radisson Blu Atlantic Ballroom

Sun. 6/30-- Signing with John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, & Nate Powell
     10:00-11:00 am, Top Shelf Booth (#2646)

Sun. 6/30-- Nate Powell presentation (covering all my work), 11:00 am-12:00 pm at the Graphic Novel stage

 Sun. 6/30-- John Lewis keynote address at the Spectrum Scholarship luncheon-- 12:00- 1:00 pm, Sheraton Chicago Superior A/B Room

Sun. 6/30-- Signing with John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, & Nate Powell
     1:30-3:00 pm, Top Shelf Booth (#2646)

* In addition to this, I'll be at the Top Shelf booth most other times to sign/sell books.

See you there!