Whew, this month is flying by— but here are 3 upcoming events I’m doing— Louisville KY, Norfolk VA, and East Lansing MI. I hope to see you there— more info and links to all here!
New interview & comic for Scholastic Art magazine!
This month I’ve got the cover-feature interview in Scholastic Art magazine, in which I discuss my path through comics! This magazine is used in most grade levels by teachers nationwide. I also made a mini-”Understanding Comics” spread to help show the language and tools of cartooning, in the hopes that more young people will take a chance at expressing themselves through the art form. (There’s also a giant poster-size version of this spread available from Scholastic!)
The interview is definitely condensed, so if you’re interested in a slightly more in-depth version, Scholastic has a video excerpt from our interview session up at their site, as well as teacher resources about comics and about the interview itself.
This March, I’ll be the keynote speaker at the National Art Education Association conference in Louisville, KY, and I believe everyone there will receive a copy of the issue to boot. I look forward to seeing you there, if you’ll be attending!
More 2025 events will be posted here on my site very soon. In the meantime, stay free, speak up, and speak out against fascism and its deathblows to democracy. This is not a drill.
'LIES' roundup + upcoming September events!
September has been very hectic, so I’ll catch up— here’s a little more praise for my adaptation of James Loewen’s Lies My Teacher Told Me (available everywhere from The New Press, distributed by Ingram and Diamond— please ask your comics shop or bookstore to order some!):
Brigid Alverson included LMTTM in last week’s list of new graphic novels satisfying highly specific itches! (As a side note, this book will be a perfect holiday gift for many people— you can order a signed copy directly from me here.)
This video review at Comics Are Dope declares LMTTM as “the most important graphic novel of 2024”— well, daaaamn!
I’m back from a whirlwind trip to SPX, in which I sold out of both new books and sold all remaining copies of the now-very-out-of-print Come Again within two hours. A highlight was getting to meet and share a panel discussion with the talented & haunting cartoonist Laura Perez— I highly recommend her books Ocultos and Totem from Fantagraphics!
I’ll be doing several events in the next two weeks:
This Sunday, September 22nd at 3pm ET, I’ll be on a virtual panel for Brooklyn Book Festival titled “The Sounds of Subversion,” discussing Fall Through alongside Bianca Xunise (Punk Rock Karaoke), Walter Greason & Tim Fielder (Graphic History of Hip Hop), moderated by Whit Taylor! Register here at the link.
I’ll be back in Little Rock, AR for the Six Bridges Book Festival on September 26th, discussing my two new books Fall Through and Lies My Teacher Told Me in a joint author interview with illustrator Sally Nixon, moderated by Omaya Jones. It’ll be at Ron Robinson Theater (100 River Market Ave.) at 7:30pm, with a signing to follow. Register at the above link— See you there!
I’ll be returning to the beloved Cartoon Crossroads Columbus this year as a special guest— selling my usual jams at table 47 all weekend.
Panels & special signings:
Saturday 3:30-4:30pm: “Processing Our Modern World Through Comics and Activism” panel w/ Ben Passmore and Cole Pauls (moderated by Rob Lee), 1st floor auditorium.
Sunday 2:00-3:00pm: “Nonfiction Comics & History: Youth Explosion” panel w/ Derf Backderf and Chris Oliveros (moderated by Andy Kunka), Room 1A on the first floor.
Sunday 3:00-3:30pm: I’ll be signing at the official CXC signing tables (107-108), then back to my booth for the rest of the afternoon.
That’s all for now— much more brewing behind the scenes, and many more events throughout the fall here. See you out in comicsland!
SPX!
I’ll be returning to the beloved Small Press Expo in North Bethesda, MD this September 14-15— it’s at the Marriott Bethesda North Hotel & Conference Center (5701 Marinelli Rd.).
I’ll be slangin books all weekend at table H14.
Here are my deals: My two new books, Fall Through and Lies My Teacher Told Me, are $25 each or $42 for both. March boxed sets are $40. Limited signed & numbered Fall Through prints are $15 each or $25 for both. I’ll also have the very last copies of my Eisner-nominated 2018 book Come Again at the show— it’s probably gonna be a few years before this favorite is back in print, so don’t sleep on it.
Panels I’ll be on:
"Altered Realities" with Christi Furnas, Peter Kuper, and Laura Perez, moderated by Rob Clough— Sunday 9/15, 2:00-3:00pm in the White Flint Auditorium.
"Big Ideas in Non-Fiction" with Glynnis Fawkes, Bill Campbell, and Dan Nott, moderated by Jonathan W. Gray—Sunday 9/15, 3:30-4:30pm in the White Oak Room.
See you there!
New interview video up w/ Athenaeum Comic Art
My original artwork is available through the excellent Sean at Athenaeum Comic Art, and for Athenaeum’s third birthday I discussed my work, process, and path in a video interview last night. You can watch it here— enjoy!
Louisville, KY-- in conversation with Molly Ostertag on June 8th!
Molly Ostertag is a brilliant cartoonist and a creative kindred spirit, and I’ve loved every one of her books. Her new graphic novel, The Deep Dark, is a 500-page masterpiece out this week!
I’ll be in Louisville, KY on Saturday, June 8th to discuss this new book (as well as the Witch Boy trilogy, The Girl From The Sea, and more!) with Molly at the public library (301 York St.)— 6pm. See you there!
New 'FALL THROUGH' interview up at RiYL Podcast
I discussed Fall Through, underground music, working on March, and all the rest with Brian Heater at RiYL podcast— you can catch it here via Apple, Spotify, ACast, or however else people listen to these things.
Fall Through is still brand new, and it’s my favorite book I’ve ever done— you can order signed copies directly from me here. Thanks!
Praise for 'LIES' & a new 'FALL THROUGH' podcast interview!
What an honor to recieve a 4.5-star review from The Slings & Arrows for Lies My Teacher Told Me: “Powell takes a landmark book (and its updates) and presents a version maintaining its integrity while making it more accessible. It’s important and it’s magnificent.”
Lies My Teacher Told Me will be released this Tuesday, April 16th, and is already available in comics shops! You can also order them both (as well as most of my other books) from me directly, signed & sketched here.
My other brand-new graphic novel Fall Through is still hot off the presses, and here’s a new podcast interview I did with Ryan Zlomek from Meditations podcast.
If you’re in Indiana, I’ll be doing a double-book-release signing for both Fall Through and Lies My Teacher Told Me this Saturday, April 20th at Vintage Phoenix Comics (114 E. 6th) from 2-4pm. See you there!
'FALL THROUGH' excerpt up at Publishers Weekly & interview at 'The Substance'
There’s a fresh excerpt of a DIY-recording scene from Fall Through up today at Publishers Weekly’s “Panel Mania”— check it out, and you can order copies of Fall Through directly from me here, or through all the usual outlets linked here at Abrams.
I also recently did an interview for The Substance podcast, covering the breadth of my work but also focusing on Fall Through.
'FALL THROUGH' featured in New York Times + weekly roundup
It’s great to see a write-up of Fall Through in this week’s New York Times, in which it’s referred to as “devastating and gorgeous”— the print edition will be published on the 18th!
Also from this week: a Fall Through video review from Graphic Policy, a very thoughtful piece about the book from Matthew Teutsch via Medium, a write-up of my book release talk at Indiana Daily Student, and an interview about the book at Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s Northwest edition.
Thanks for supporting my work— and I have yet another new book coming out April 16th from The New Press: my full comics adaptation of James Loewen’s Lies My Teacher Told Me. Final copies just arrived at my house, and they look fantastic!
I’ll be doing talks, signings, and slangin books here in the next week or so:
Feb. 17th: Indianapolis IN @ Chapstick Zine Fest, Ujamaa Bookstore (2424 MLK) @11am-5pm
Feb. 18th: Bloomington IN @ Monroe County Public Library, downstairs Room 1B @ 2pm
Feb. 22nd: St. Louis MO @ Left Bank Books (399 N. Euclid), in conversation with Steenz @ 6:30pm
Feb. 23rd: Little Rock AR @ Wordsworth Books (5920 R St.) @ 6:30pm
Feb. 24th: Fayetteville AR @ Fayetteville Public Library @ 2pm
Feb. 25th: Evansville IN @ Your Brother’s Bookstore (504 Main St.) @ 4pm
See you there!
First 'LIES MY TEACHER TOLD ME' interview.
Thanks, everyone, for helping Fall Through have a strong week for its release!
Switching gears, here’s a new interview at Booklist— my first for the forthcoming book, Lies My Teacher Told Me, which’ll be out April 16th from The New Press. Find more info and preorder options here, or you can preorder a signed/sketched copy directly from me here.
'FALL THROUGH' day 1 roundup
Here’s a release-day interview I did about Fall Through for Comic Book Club podcast.
Here’s a guest blog I wrote about Fall Through at Barnes & Noble!
And it’s typically behind a paywall, but here’s a press-reader version of an interview I did about Fall Through and Arkansas underground punk for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. (Here’s the subscriber version.)
And this Friday, Feb. 9th in Bloomington: I’ll be discussing & signing for the release of Fall Through at Morgenstern’s Books (849 S. Auto Mall Rd.) at 6:30pm— see you there!
'FALL THROUGH' interview at Off Panel podcast
My first full interview about Fall Through (out Feb. 6th— order here!) is up at SKTCHD’s “Off Panel” podcast— our conversation was really enjoyable, with thoughtful questions and quieter details. Enjoy!
Also of note: I’ve assembled a for-fun soundtrack accompaniment to Fall Through here as a YouTube playlist— it’s missing the Fat Shadow song “Haven” (which doesn’t have a YT entry— please download their stellar album on Bandcamp at the link), but there it is for context and a further glimpse into the world between these pages.
A2CAF event added: panel w/ Thien Pham & Raina Telgemeier!
I’ll be discussing my nonfiction, historical & memoir work on this “Comics Out Of Life: Conversations With Our Past” panel, alongside Thien Pham and moderator Raina Telgemeier— as a part of A2CAF in Ann Arbor, Michigan!
The panel will be on June 9th at 2pm, at the Koessler Room, Michigan League (911 N. University). Check here for more details, and here for more info on A2CAF, where I’ll be tabling all weekend.
June: Arkansas & Michigan book events, and a Trusty tribute show!
I’m coming out of my cave next month!
Back in my hometown of North Little Rock, Arkansas: It’s a major joy to announce that part of my Soophie family will be reuniting on June 3rd to cover a few Trusty songs during Mutants of the Monster Fest— a tribute show for one of the most formative bands of my life, and as a memorial for beloved Trusty drummer Bircho, who passed away in 2020.
Our unit will be covering songs from Trusty’s self-titled 1990 LP, a four-piece with members of Deadbird, Pallbearer, Universe, Tem Eyos Ki, R.I.O.T.S., and half of Soophie Nun Squad! This is my first show in 12 years, and I’m already running through songs in my sleep each night.
And Trusty themselves are playing, with Marcus Lowe on drums!
This tribute will be immediately following a book event I’m doing with fellow author Kim Kelly (Fight Like Hell: The Untold History of American Labor)— both at Refuge Church in North Little Rock; book talk at 2:30 pm, show at 4 pm. This will be my first time to ever discuss my forthcoming graphic novel, Fall Through— which is appropriate, since it revolves around the 1990s Arkansas punk underground. See you there!
CORRECTION: I’ve updated the text of this post with the correct event times— please disregard the times stated on the flyers above. Turns out the show must end by 5pm— thanks!
Then on June 10-11, I’m a guest at A2CAF at the Ann Arbor District Library— I’ll be slangin books there at my table, as well as doing a panel/interview. Athenaeum Comic Art will also be at my table during a two-hour window TBD, selling some of my original artwork if anyone’s interested. More details to be added to the events page!
April roundup: podcast interview & cartooning workshop video
It’s been a few weeks, so here’s a quick roundup of recent stuff while I keep my head down to finish drawing Lies My Teacher Told Me by the end of the year— both that book AND Fall Through will be released in 2024!
Here’s a recently-published interview I did last year with the thoughtful Chauncey Devega about my work (specifically Save It For Later, “About Face”, and the March trilogy) and how it intersects with our world.
March was recently included on this great list of “22 of the Best Graphic Novels of All Time” over at Book Riot!
Here’s a video recording of a recent class I hosted at Sequential Artists Workshop— the theme is “Crossing Senses: Conveying Sound, Smell, Taste, Touch, and the Spidey-Sense Visually.”
Thanks for checking in!
New interview up at WFIU's "Inner States"
Here’s a brand-new interview I did with Kayte Young of WFIU’s Inner States about my work on Save It For Later, the March trilogy, and how they’ve interwoven with my life as a dad and as someone who shows up to fight for and against numerous conditions. Enjoy!
New local interview about 'SAVE IT FOR LATER'
Here’s a new interview today with the Herald-Times about the experiences and processes involved making Save It For Later— if you’re in the Bloomington area, see you this evening at 6:30pm for a talk & signing at Morgenstern Books!
'SAVE IT FOR LATER'-- new expanded paperback edition out today!
Today marks the release of a new, expanded paperback edition of Eisner Award-nominated Save It for Later, with 16 new pages of post-2020 conversation between Derf Backderf and myself (including citations), a recommended reading list of work which informed or influenced my book, some creative process images of formative thumbnail and script, and more.
You can learn more and order through many outlets here, or you can order via Bookshop, IndieBound, Powell’s, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon here.
If you’re in Indiana tomorrow (August 10th), I’ll be having a book-launch discussion with Erin Tobey moderating, followed by a signing— Morgenstern Books (849 S. Auto Mall Rd.) at 6:30 pm. See you there!
New "About Face" interview for Gear Patrol
I was honored to speak with Evan Malachosky for this Gear Patrol piece about the infiltration of “tactical” paramilitary aesthetic into every corner of our consumer lives, and how that relates to our social and political reality— it’s a thorough and nuanced look into the history of many outdoor and tactical equipment companies as well as their marketing considerations, and I encourage everyone to read it! I learned a lot along the way.
It remains a profound honor that my comics essay “About Face” has continued to serve such a crucial role in our larger cultural discussion about the crisis of mainstreamed fascism— and how our lives as consumers play into this nightmare. “About Face” is the central chapter of my essay/memoir hybrid Save It For Later, which was an Eisner Awards nominee for Best Graphic Memoir this year. Please pick up a copy if you haven’t yet— thanks!
