Every few months I’m I’ll do a reading with slides of my comics. This is quite common with cartoonists and authors in the NYC area. Mostly I’ve done them in Carousel hosted by R. Sikoryak. Over the years I feel I’ve improved as a performer doing these, adding sound effects and music and sometimes audience participation. Though still nervous, I’m actually more confident in front of an audience than a conversation one-on-one. If I have a script to follow I don’t easily get as tongue-tied, and as an introvert I don’t need to interact with anyone.
I’m doing Carousel for Kids next week (see info above) and what makes this different from ones I’ve done in years past is the book I’ve been plugging actually exists now. It probably won’t be here in time for this but told it will be available at Comic Arts Brooklyn the next week (info to come). Scene But Not Heard, a collection of the work I did for Nickelodeon magazine from 1993 to 2009, was finished four years ago, and has been in limbo all this time for many reasons beyond my control. All this time I’ve plugged the book myself, only to be embarrassed by it not being here when I said it would be. I vowed not to mention it again until I actually had a copy for myself in my hands. The picture of it being read by my publisher’s son is proof enough for now. I know he wouldn’t have the time to fake it in Photoshop, nor am I that paranoid.
Now there’s still yet another obstacle/excuse for it not hitting stores yet. The book was printed in Asia and has to go through U.S. Customs. As you know, Customs employees were furloughed for two weeks, thus holding up the book. Now in addition to saying “20 Years in the making” (true), “overshadowed by the more important Civil Rights Movement” (my publisher has done the memoirs of Rep. John Lewis, obviously my work is inconsequential by comparison. And if he can wait 50 years to tell his story, I can wait 20), I can now add “Held up by U. S. Customs” to things I can brag about.
I should also add that the book is safe for everyone. It doesn’t have profanity or nudity like some of my other work. Now kids that grew up with these strips have kids of their own so there’s something they can enjoy too.
