Miami Book Fair this weekend.

I’ll be at Miami Book Fair this weekend to discuss my two newest book, Fall Through and Lies My Teacher Told Me! Here are my panels:

Saturday, November 23rd I’ll be discussing Fall Through and my magical realist fiction alongside writer extraordinaire Brian Michael Bendis and moderator/editor Charlie Kochman for the “Fantasy World: Survival, Spells & Sorcery” panel, with Q&A and a signing afterward! 12pm in the MAGIC screening room (Building 8, Room 1).

Sunday, November 24th I’ll be discussing Lies My Teacher Told Me in the “Taking Another Look: Rethinking Historical Narratives” panel alongside David F. Walker, Marcus Kwame Anderson, and Tim Wendel, with Q&A and signing afterward. 2:30pm in the MAGIC screening room as well.

See you there!

Bloomington book fair Nov. 2nd + 'LIES' roundup + work in progress.

If you’re in Bloomington this Saturday, Nov. 2nd, I’ll be selling and signing books from 10-3 at the Bloomington Local Author Book Fair at the Monroe County History Center, just a block from the library.

For some inexplicable reason, there is also a Bloomington Book Festival happening that day via the great folks at Morgenstern’s Books featuring some exciting authors. I have no idea why these events were not coordinated and combined, and have nothing to do with it— I encourage you to attend both! This is not a big town, so please consider them to be part of the same thing on Saturday. It would be ridiculous to do otherwise. See you there!

I’m officially halfway done with the finished pages for Diana, my character-centered prequel to Fall Through— 152 pages done of 304 total in the last six months. I’ve been script-tweaking, lettering, inking, coloring, adding a few pages and re-penciling the first batch of many pages on defective paper as I go.

This book means a lot to me, and feels like a big leap forward as a writer and graphic novelist. It’s also one of the only reassuring things in life right now offering joy, nuance, ambiguity and vulnerability. Diana will also tie my 2018 book Come Again (which debuted the main characters within its pages) firmly together with these books, making these books the Free Space trilogy. When it’s all done, the reading order will be Come Again, then Fall Through, then Diana, and then Fall Through a second time (as Diana will retroactively make Fall Through read as a different book).

In news for my other still-new book Lies My Teacher Told Me, here’s a great writeup in School Library Journal, and the book is also referenced in this CBR piece on the graphic adaptation of A People’s Indigenous History of the United States.

'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!

New essay about making 'LIES MY TEACHER TOLD ME' up at Lit Hub

I’ve got a new essay up at Lit Hub about my process and considerations in adapting James Loewen’s Lies My Teacher Told Me, as well as the book’s decades-long relationship to the moment we’re caught in today as we defend our democracy from reality-averse book-ban movements. Thanks for reading!

You can order signed & sketched copies of Lies My Teacher Told Me directly from me here.

If you’ll be at San Diego Comic Con this coming weekend, I’ll be discussing this book and Save It For Later on the “Nonfiction Comics” panel Saturday, July 27th at 2:30pm in Room 10, with a signing immediately afterward at Silver Sprocket booth 1718, and another signing Sunday 11:00am-1:00pm at Autograph Area table 10. See you there!

San Diego Comic Con schedule.

I don’t have a ton of stuff going on at SDCC this year, and I feel this marks a turning point in how I approach larger conventions. Maybe next year I’ll try the expensive risk of exhibiting in my own booth. I’m not sure.

Anyway, here’s my schedule:

Saturday, July 27:

• “Nonfiction Comics: The Future of History-Based Storytelling” panel w/ Joel Christian Gill, Amy Chu, Sarah Myer, and David F. Walker, moderated by Andrew Aydin— 2:30 pm, Room 10.

• Lies My Teacher Told Me signing immediately after the panel (TBC) at Silver Sprocket booth 1718.

Sunday, July 28:

• Fall Through signing (& whatever else)— 11:00 am-1:00 pm, Autograph Pavillion Table 10.

• Please buy Fall Through at Abrams booth 1216— thank you so much!

Special Guest at CXC this September!

I’m pleased to announce I’ll be returning to the beloved Cartoon Crossroads Columbus this year as a special guest!

I’ve got plenty to discuss regarding my new books Fall Through and Lies My Teacher Told Me— I’ll be selling copies at my own table, and panels/programming will be announced as they’re finalized.

CXC is one of the very best comics events in North America— and free to the public! I hope to see you there.

'FALL THROUGH" & 'LIES' in Top 5 new graphic novels at Washington Post

What an honor to have both of my new graphic novels, Fall Through and Lies My Teacher Told Me, in Michael Cavna’s roundup of five of the year’s best new graphic novels over at the Washington Post!

On Fall Through: “As artist and storyteller, Powell is a master of colorful chord progressions that accompany the thump of a punk-rock heart.”

On Lies My Teacher Told Me: “Powell’s visual depth beautifully adds visceral layers to Loewen’s efforts to undercut scholastic elisions.”

Signed/sketched copies of all my books are available directly from me here. Thanks!

'LIES' talk/signing at Bloomington library this Sunday

Bloomington! I’m doing a talk/Q&A/signing for my new adaptation of Lies My Teacher Told Me this Sunday, May 19th at the downtown library. 2pm in Room 1B— please spread the word, and I hope to see you there!

New 'LIES MY TEACHER TOLD ME' piece up at CBR

There’s a great new piece on the effectiveness of Lies My Teacher Told Me through the medium of comics over at CBR— check it out here!

I’ll be in Louisville KY this evening, discussing Fall Through and Lies My Teacher Told Me at Carmichael’s Bookstore (2720 Frankfort) at 7pm. Check my events page for updated talks & signings— in the next few weeks I’ll be doing stuff here in Bloomington, as well as in Ann Arbor and Detroit!

May 10th book event in Lousiville!

If you’re around Louisville, I’ll be at Carmichael’s (2720 Frankfort Ave.) on Friday, May 10th to discuss my two new books, Fall Through and Lies My Teacher Told Me— with Q&A and signing too. Please spread the word— see you there!

Columbus, Ohio: SPACE this weekend!

This weekend I’ll be in Columbus, Ohio at SPACE— the Small Press & Alternative Comics Expo— at the Rhodes Center (Ohio State Fair & Expo Grounds) 10am-6pm Saturday and 10am-5pm Sunday. I’ll have both new books, Fall Through and Lies My Teacher Told Me, as well as a limited quantity of both signed/numbered Fall Through prints ($20 each, or $30 for both).

I’ll also be doing a talk/slideshow/Q&A on Saturday at 2pm about my work on Lies My Teacher Told Me, and my approach back & forth between fiction and nonfiction over the years.

See you there!

'LIES MY TEACHER TOLD ME' is out today!

Today’s the day!

Four years ago I was locked down in my house just like you, starting work on my adaptation of Lies My Teacher Told Me— utterly uncertain what kind of world the book would be released into. It’s out everywhere today, more relevant and crucial than ever before. My thoughts and gratitude are with the late, great James Loewen for trusting me with his work!

Get a copy from your local book/comics shop, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Powell’s, Amazon, or signed/sketched copies directly from me— and my other brand-new graphic novel Fall Through is still hot off the presses too!

Thanks, everybody.

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!

One week until 'LIES MY TEACHER TOLD ME' hits shelves!

My full comics adaptation of the late, great James Loewen’s Lies My Teacher Told Me will be out in just a week!

You can grab one via your local shop, Bookshop, Powells, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, or order signed/sketched copies directly from me here. And while you’re at it, pick up a copy of my still-brand-new graphic novel Fall Through, which has enjoyed a tremendous reader response over the last two months!

If you’re in Bloomington, I’ll be doing a double book-release signing at Vintage Phoenix Comics (114 E. 6th) on Saturday, April 20th from 2-4pm. See you there!

Double book-release signing on 4/20

If you’re around Bloomington, I’ll be doing a double book-release signing for Lies My Teacher Told Me (out April 16th from The New Press) and Fall Through (out now from Abrams) at my local shop, Vintage Phoenix Comics (114 E. 6th)— Saturday, April 20th from 2-4 pm. If you’re downtown for Record Store Day, come hop over two blocks and grab some books!

I’ll also have a limited quantity of my Fall Through 16”x20” prints at the signing. See you there!

'LIES' starred review from Publishers Weekly

I’m very pleased to find a starred review for my adaptation of Lies My Teacher Told Me at Publishers Weekly— it’ll be out April 16th from The New Press!

“Powell’s characteristically fluid art lends new depth to revisited figures including Helen Keller, known by most Americans solely for her disabilities and not for her radical activism, and abolitionist John Brown, condemned by U.S. history books as a mentally disturbed violent extremist rather than a dedicated social progressive. Long a favorite of radical educators, Loewen’s original text receives the vital and accessible adaptation it deserves.”

'LIES MY TEACHER TOLD ME' direct mailorders shipping now!

A huge shipment of Lies My Teacher Told Me just arrived at my house, and I’m shipping out signed mailorders starting in the next few days! The book will be available everywhere on April 16th— you can also preorder it via your local bookstore, comics shop, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon.

It’s wild to have two new books out in two months— Fall Through is still hot off the presses, and the response has been incredible! You can order that one directly from me as well, or through your local shop, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon.

Stay tuned for updated events throughout the year for both of these new books— thanks as always for your warm reception and support!

'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!