The Beach Beneath the Street

A few years ago I started collaborating with the scholar McKenzie Wark (Chair of Culture and Media at the New School) on a "graphic essay" about the Situationist International, the European revolutionary art movement. The idea was to "détourn" some the writing (selected by Ken) with comics. One manifestation of our efforts, focusing on the Letterists, is now appearing as a nifty fold out poster on the back of the jacket for Ken's new book, "The Beach Beneath The Street: The Everyday Life and Glorious Times of the Situationist International" published by Verso. I designed the jacket as well, nodding a bit to Ken and my mutual affection for the design of the Zone books of years ago.

Final Cover Sketch

"A Secret Mercy" has now become "Take What You Can Carry" and the cover sketch and design is approved. I like the new title much better. It will hit the stores next winter.

WW3 30th press

Today is the last day of the Exit show but it is slated to travel. Thanks to the staff at Exit Art and Peter, Seth and Susan for all the hard work putting together the show. Here's a collection of the press:

New York Times

East Village Local

Comixology

Steve Brodner

Drawger

New York Going

Freedom Funnies

Six Chix (1st article) (2nd article)

Imprint

Drawger

Performance at Exit Art

I'll be showing slides and speaking at
Exit Art
475 Tenth Ave
New York, NY 10018
Wednesday, January 26, 2011 / 7-9pm
Milk Not Jails
With artist talks by Sabrina Jones and Kevin Pyle
Milk Not Jails is a consumer campaign to mobilize New York residents to support the dairy industry and the long-term sustainability of the rural economy. It advocates for criminal justice and agriculture policy reform to bring about positive economic growth. (LINK)

NYTimes Graphic Radicals Review

Holland Cotter at the New York Times gave the WW3 show at Exit a fine write up. Here's an excerpt: "Best of all, World War 3 Illustrated, like Exit Art, is still alive and well. A new issue, called “The Food Chain,” is out. As always it mixes newcomers and veterans, emphasizes content over style (but has plenty of style), keeps that content accessible and critical, and pays its printers and distributors but no one else.

If it had nothing more than that kind of dedication to recommend it, it would be invaluable. But it has much, much more."
(LINK)

"A Secret Mercy" to be in color

My next book, "A Secret Mercy," is turned in to Henry Holt for Young Readers. It has two interlocking stories that take place in two different time periods. I'm excited that they decided to go for color so I could use it as a storytelling tool.

WW3 illustrated Thirty Years Old!

And there's an exhibit and celebration:
opening: Tuesday, December 7th, 7 to 9pm
Exit Art
475 10th Avenue
New York, NY
(link)