Monte Schulz Tours in Support of "The Last Rose of Summer"

MONTE SCHULZ TOURS WEST COAST IN MARCH TO PROMOTE THE RELEASE OF THE NEW NOVEL, THE LAST ROSE OF SUMMER

Last Rose Of Summer

By: Monty Schultz
Release Date: March 15, 2011
Price: $29.99 • ISBN: 978-1606994016

SEATTLE, WA, FEB. 2, 2011 --- This March, Fantagraphics Books will publish The Last Rose of Summer, a novel by Monte Schulz. To support the release, the author will tour several cities on the West Coast in late-February and March:

Sat., Feb. 26, 4PM • Tecolote Book Shop, Santa Barbara, CA
Tues., March 1, 7:30PM • Warwick’s Books, La Jolla, CA
Thurs., March 3, 6:30PM • Bay Books, Coronado, CA
Fri., March 4, 6PM • Latitude 33 Bookshop, Laguna Beach, CA
Sun., March 6, 5PM • Skylight Books, Los Angeles, CA
Sat., March 19, 4PM • Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery, Seattle, WA
Wed., March 23, 7PM • Tsunami Books, Eugene, OR
Sat., March 26, 1PM • The Book Seller, Grass Valley, CA

"Beautifully written and thoroughly researched, a veritable time-machine that whirled me through time to the dirty back roads of the American midwest in the year before the Depression. … Did I mention how good the writing is? The writing is excellent… a masterpiece of setting and storytelling…" – Cory Doctorow, BOINGBOING

With the Great Depression looming and about to define America’s next decade, three strong-minded women related by marriage form an uneasy household in the summer of 1929. Forced by her husband Harry to uproot their two small children from Illinois and take up residence in East Texas, Marie Hennesey struggles to find a place not only within her mother-in-law’s home but in a Southern town whose troubling unfamiliarities compound her marital woes and homesickness.

Maude Hennesey has little patience for Marie and her children, and even less for her own pretty but petulant daughter, Rachel, who fights and flirts with a dashing pilot from New Orleans. Colliding issues of faith and sexual mores, racial proprieties and class distinctions, fuel a constant bickering through the narrow corridors of the house, all three women heedless of the love that has brought them together. Maude seems cold and distant except toward the ladies of her club; Rachel’s affection for her doting aviator rises and falls capriciously; and Marie seeks to understand an absent husband, while deciding how to receive her employer’s slow seduction.

As summer wears on, the conflicts among these women are exacerbated by a child murder that sends shockwaves of fear and mistrust throughout the community, particularly between the town’s white residents and a black shantytown across the river. An ever-increasing sense of dread culminates in the arrival of a terrible storm whose aftermath reveals poignant and unexpected truths about these three women living at a time when America was poised on the brink of economic catastrophe.

In The Last Rose of Summer, Monte Schulz has created a story about three women and their interior and exterior lives, each of whom symbolize quintessential American notions of family, love and community. In so doing, he reminds us all where we come from and how we got here. With an elegiac voice that evokes an era in its final bloom, and a thoughtful rendering of the public and private contentions that ruled the day, The Last Rose of Summer becomes an instant American classic.

Monte Schulz published his first novel, Down By The River, in 1990, and spent the next twelve years writing a tapestry of the Jazz Age, of which The Last Rose of Summer and 2009’s This Side of Jordan are two of three parts. He received his M.A. in American Studies from the University of California at Santa Barbara, where he continues to reside. He is the eldest son of Charles M. Schulz (Peanuts).

For more information or to arrange an interview with Monte Schulz, contact Eric Reynolds, Associate Publisher, Fantagraphics Books: 206.524.1967 x218 or reynolds@fantagraphics.com.


SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 4PM
Tecolote Book Shop
1470 E Valley Rd.
Santa Barbara, CA 93108
805.969.4977

TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 7:30PM
Warwick’s
7812 Girard Ave.
La Jolla, CA 92037
858.454.0347
http://www.warwicks.com/

THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 6:30PM
Bay Books
1029 Orange Ave.
Coronado, CA 92118-3405
619.435.0070
http://www.baybookscoronado.com/

FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 6:00PM
Latitude 33 Bookshop
311 Ocean Ave.
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
949.494.5403
http://www.latitude33bookshop.com/

SUNDAY, MARCH 6, 5PM
Skylight Books
1818 N. Vermont Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90027
323.660.1175
http://www.skylightbooks.com/

SATURDAY, MARCH 19, 4PM
Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery
1201 S. Vale St. (at Airport Way S.)
Seattle, WA 98108
206.658.0110
http://www.fantagraphics.com/

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 7PM
Tsunami Books
2585 Willamette Street
Eugene, OR 97405
541.345.8986
http://www.myspace.com/tsunamibooks

SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 1PM
The Book Seller
107 Mill St.
Grass Valley, CA 95945
530.272.2131
http://www.grassvalleybooks.com/

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Shojo Manga "Oresama Teacher" to Debut March 1st

PLENTY OF LAUGHS ARE IN STORE WHEN A HIGH-SCHOOL BAD GIRL TRIES TO BE GOOD IN THE NEW VIZ MEDIA MANGA SERIES ORESAMA TEACHER

New Shojo Beat Series Follows A Reformed Teenage Delinquent As She Tries To Lead A Normal And Peaceful High School Life

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, brings the hilarious high-school hijinks of Izumi Tsubaki’s manga (graphic novel) series, ORESAMA TEACHER, to North American audiences on March 1st. The new title will be published under the Shojo Beat imprint, is rated ‘T’ for Teens, and will carry an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

Mafuyu is the no-nonsense, take-charge and hard-hitting leader of her high school gang. But when she gets expelled for being a delinquent, her mother, fed up with her daughter’s wayward ways, sends Mafuyu to an isolated school far off in the country. Determined to make the best of the situation and make her mother proud, Mafuyu decides to turn over a new, feminine, well-behaved leaf. But her fighting spirit can’t be kept down, and the night before school starts she finds herself defending some guy who’s getting beaten up. One slip wouldn’t have been a problem, except the guy is…her teacher?! How can Mafuyu learn to be a good girl if her teacher won’t let her forget her wicked past?

“Mafuyu is going to have to try very hard to be the well-behaved, ultra-shiny, super-feminine high school student she longs to become,” says Pancha Diaz, Editor. “But along the way, she will have to contend with a homeroom teacher who blackmails her, an unruly classmate who likes to fight, and her own tendency to still find trouble. We invite readers to jump into her latest story and follow Mafayu as she strives to live like a normal high school girl.”

Izumi Tsubaki began drawing manga during her first year of high school. She was soon selected to be among the top ten of Hana to Yume's HMC (Hana to Yume Mangaka Course), and she subsequently won Hana to Yume's Big Challenge contest. Her debut title, Shrink the Distance, ran in 2002 in Hana to Yume magazine. In addition to THE MAGIC TOUCH (published in North America by VIZ Media), she is working her current manga series ORESMA TEACHER (I'm The Teacher).

For more information on ORESAMA TEACHER, or other shojo titles from VIZ Media, please visit http://www.shojobeat.com/.


About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), is one of the most comprehensive and innovative companies in the field of manga (graphic novel) publishing, animation and entertainment licensing of Japanese content. Owned by three of Japan’s largest creators and licensors of manga and animation, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media is a leader in the publishing and distribution of Japanese manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and South Africa and is a global ex-Asia licensor of Japanese manga and animation. The company offers an integrated product line including the popular monthly manga anthology SHONEN JUMP magazine, graphic novels, and DVDs, and develops, markets, licenses, and distributes animated entertainment for audiences and consumers of all ages. Contact VIZ Media at 295 Bay Street, San Francisco, CA 94133 and website at http://www.viz.com/.

Rodney Ramos Brings Buffy Print to Wizard World Miami

Oh, Baby, It's COLD Outside! Time to get to Wizard Miami and a Hot new Buffy VIP Print!

 

Miami-Fl-- Oh, baby, it's cold outside in some parts of the country.... but NOT in Miami. What better place to be than at a Wizard World show this weekend in the sunshine state?

 

And for a bit more incentive, other than keeping your feet warm, that is, how about this:

Renowned artist and writer Michael Golden will be appearing both days of the South bound show, and is offering his one hour class in storytelling for the event. Be sure to visit his table for a look at new prints and books, as well, including the best selling "Excess: The Art of Michael Golden," and "Manga Bucky O'Hare."

Also as a special exclusive with Wizard World, artist Rodney Ramos is providing a limited Buffy print for the event--limited to only 250 copies! This print is free to Buffy VIP members and is also available for purchase. A great opportunity to get the print signed by not only the artist but the actors as well.

In that regard, for the Buffy Brigade, on hand from the TV show will be Nicholas Brendon, Mercedes McNab, Mark Metcalf and Clare Kramer!

Here's a peek: http://www.wizardworld.com/bumicoconli.html

Artist Mark Texeira is also joining the event, and will be debuting some new prints himself. Currently finishing a Punisher mini-series for Marvel, Mark's work can be seen on groundbreaking issues of "Ghost Rider," "Black Panther," "Wolverine," and much more, as he brings his fine art style to sequential art.

And finally, from Eva Ink Artist Group, writer and publisher Renee Witterstaetter will have copies of her new books at the convention, including "Joe Jusko: Savage Beauty," "Mark Texeira: Nightmares and Daydreams," "Michael Golden: MORE Heroes and Villains," and her new children's book, "Kerry and The Scary Things."

Other creators and celebrities at the show include: Bill Sienkiewicz, Jim Starlin, J. David Spurlock, Adam West, Burt Ward, Ray Park, Billy Dee Williams, Tommy Castillo, Greg Horn, David Mack, Arthur Suydam, Mike Grell, and many more.

So, what's stopping you! Leave that coat at home, and get to Miami!

Wizard World Miami takes place February 26th and 27th at the Miami Airport Convention Center.

For more information visit: http://www.wizardworld.com/

Toriko: Sunny!!

I read Toriko, Vol. 4: Sunny!!

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has FREE smart phone apps).

Leroy Douresseaux on THE ORIGINAL JOHNSON Book One

THE ORIGINAL JOHNSON BOOK ONE

IDW

 

CARTOONIST: Trevor Von Eeden

ADDITIONAL INKS: Don Hillsman II
COLORS: George Freeman
LETTERS: John Workman, Marc Fishman, Glenn Hauman, and Carrie Wright
EDITOR/INTRODUCTION: Mike Gold
ISBN: 978-1600106385; paperback
128pp, Color, $19.99 US

Boxing aficionados know the name John Arthur “Jack” Johnson (1878-1946). Jack Johnson was an American boxer, and he was the first Black man to be the “World Heavyweight” champion, a title he won in 1908 and held until 1915.

Others may be familiar with Jack Johnson through Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson, which was Ken Burns’ Emmy-winning, 2005 PBS documentary about Johnson. The documentary was based upon the 2004 book by Geoffrey C. Ward of the same title. Some readers may have even seen the 1970 film, The Great White Hope, starring James Earl Jones, which was a fictional account of Johnson’s life.

The Original Johnson is a webcomic originally published by the website, Comicmix. Written and drawn by longtime comics veteran, Trevor Von Eeden, The Original Johnson is a biographical graphic novel about the life of Jack Johnson.

IDW has published Von Eeden’s 240-page graphic novel, The Original Johnson, in two paperback volumes. The Original Johnson Book One depicts Johnson’s life, mostly from the age of 13 to 22. Von Eeden portrays Johnson’s early encounters with physical violence, his teenage wanderlust, his introduction to boxing, and the virulent racism he saw and experienced during his travels, particularly in and around his hometown of Galveston, Texas during the late 19th century.

Von Eeden’s narrative, at least the first half, is not just about Johnson’s life. The Original Johnson, Book One juxtaposes the young Jack Johnson’s struggle to define himself as a man of accomplishment with the desire of white racists to destroy any sense of accomplishment on the part of black people. Von Eeden presents Johnson’s youth as metaphor for a black awakening to the possibilities of what being strong and independent could bring black folk.

Von Eeden makes The Original Johnson more than just a straight biography or historical document about racism. A veteran of superhero comics, Von Eeden presents Johnson’s journey and the setting in which that journey takes place as a heroic epic, so he uses the visual language and graphic cues of superhero comic books. He combines the compositional raw power and majestic figure drawing of Jack Kirby with the enthusiastic page design of Neal Adams. In that way, Von Eeden can emphasize passion, emotion, and symbolism. In this way, he can also draw the reader into the narrative by presenting the elements he wants to emphasize in visual appealing ways.

That is the one thing that I can say for certain at this halfway point in The Original Johnson: for all the ways that Von Eeden tells this story, he presents this in a comic book language that is familiar to readers. This is a good and interesting way to introduce a historical figure, especially someone like Jack Johnson, a transformative figure in American history. This is a superhero story about a man who, in hindsight, was a hero to many.

A-

http://www.trevorvoneeden.com/
http://www.comicmix.com/

Library Wars Meet the Parents

I read Library Wars: Love & War, Vol. 4

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin (which has FREE smart phone apps).

My Funny/Silly Dwayne McDuffie Story

While watching the news this morning, I caught the back end of a news scroll saying that Dwayne McDuffie had died.  Born in Detroit, the 49-year-old McDuffie wrote comic books for DC Comics and Marvel, where he was also an editor.  McDuffie apparently died Monday following complications from surgery.

He legacy will probably be as one of the founders of Milestone Media, a company which wanted to bring diversity to superhero comics books, especially to introduce more African-American superheroes.  Milestone Comics, an imprint of DC Comics, produced such series as Blood Syndicate, Hardware, and Icon, but the most famous Milestone character is probably Static, which gave birth to the animated series, Static Shock.

McDuffie was also a writer/producer of animated television series and features.  His recent work included Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths and the just-released All-Star Superman.

Yahoo Entertainment News via the Associated Press has this obit.  Comic Book Resources broke the news of McDuffie's death and posted another article with statements from his colleagues and friends.

My story:  Years ago, I saw McDuffie at a Mid-Ohio Con.  I walked through the room where many of the creators had tables, including McDuffie.  We did that head nod to each other a couple of times, but I was too afraid to speak to him.  As someone who wanted to create African-American superhero comic books, he was like a prophet/spiritual leader to me.  He intimidated me.  How ridiculous of me. I wish I had at least said hello to him.

McDuffie was supposed to make an appearance at Golden Apple Comics in Los Angeles this evening.  Now, it will be a memorial.