Ben Towle: Cartoonist, Educator, Hobo

When my last book, Midnight Sun, came out I made a point of posting links to all of the reviews it received.  I noticed eventually, though, that most of the more substantive reviews wound up getting links from ComicsReporter and/or Journalista, so I vowed that with whatever book I did next, I’d stop posting review links.  Curiously, though, with Amelia, a lot of the reviews so far don’t seem to be getting picked up by the comics news sites.  This is, I think, probably tied in somehow with Amelia being from a big, primarily prose publisher–rather than a dedicated comics and graphic novels house.  At some point I’m going to a post about the various differences between doing a book for a company like SLG vs. a big trade publisher.  There are certainly some interesting differences.  In the meantime, though, here’re a few appearances of Amelia-related stuff around the interwebs:

• At Winged Victory: The Women in Aviation Webzine
• A  great review at the School Library Journal
• A nice mention from “The Goddess of YA Literature”
• Review from the Rutgers University Project on Economics and Children
• A nice writeup from Vermont’s Valley News, primarily a profile of Amelia writer, Sarah Stewart Taylor
• From Through the Looking Glass Children’s Book Reviews
• Another solid review, this time from Graphic Novel Reporter
• A Metrokids recommendation for Women’s History Month
• And a similar recommendation from Between the Covers.

…And yet a few more Count of Monte Cristo sketches, this time of Haydee.  She’s a character who often gets cut, or at least diminished, in film/TV versions but I’d definitley find a way to keep her front and center if possible.  I’m not really happy with either of these designs, but you gotta start somewhere.

Yet more noodling on The Count of Monte Cristo–this time, The Count himself.  The main thing I’m going for here is to (unlike any film or TV version I’ve seen) really play up the Orientalist nature of the book, and The Count in particular. I don’t know that these two images do that entirely, but it’s a start…

Amelia Earhart – This Broad Ocean has been “in the wild” for a bit now, and some reviews and write-ups are starting to appear.  First, another (!) starred review, this time from ALA’s Booklist.  Booklist online is a pay site, but here’s an excerpt from the review:

“This is a true sequential art narrative, requiring the reader to attend to the visual as well as the verbal components; but it is also a well-told story of an episode in Earhart’s life that has particular appeal to readers looking for insight on how celebrity is both made and misunderstood, and how it matures.”

Over at Comic Book Resources, there’s a fairly extensive interview with me, conducted by Alex Dueben:

“The book’s artist, Eisner-nominated Ben Towle, has the perfect background to interpret this material. He has written and illustrated two graphic novels, both published by Slave Labor Graphics, “Farewell, Georgia” and “Midnight Sun,” about an Italian airship expedition to the North Pole in 1928. We talked with the philosophy major and rock musician turned cartoonist about Amelia Earhart, his interest in historical fiction, collaborating with writer Sarah Stewart Taylor and layout artist and series editor Jason Lutes on the book, and take a look at the two projects he’s working on now. ( more… )

Also:

• The Times Argus Online has a general writeup about the book itself as well as  the upcoming book launch in Vermont.
• An early post on the book I missed by writer Paul Gravett
• A review from comics blogger Ralph Mathieu
• Another review by children’s/YA librarian Stacy Dillon
• And a slightly ho-hum review from ComicsReporter’s Tom Spurgeon. (Hey, it happens to the best of us!)

Reminder: If you’re in or near White River Junction, VT this Friday, or Chapel Hill, NC this Sunday come by and see me!  Click on those dates on my calendar for times.

More sketchbook ruminations on character designs from The Count of Monte Cristo.  This time it’s Fernand, shown here on the left as the young Fernand Mondego, and on the right as “The Count de Morcerf,” a title he purchases with ill-gotten spoils of war.

I don’t know if anything will come of this Count of Monte Cristo thing, but it’s at least something fun to work on in my sketchbook.  This is another rumination on the character of Danglars (shown young and old here), who hits me as a real nouveau riche type who would probably be decked out in the latest fashion, no matter how ridiculous.

Amelia Earhart – This Broad Ocean is available in bookstores today, and will be in comics shops on Wednesday.  I’m not actually sure what the status of the book is as far as the “big box” stores go, but Borders for whatever reason has not carried my stuff in-store in the past, whereas Barnes & Noble has, but I’ll update when I find out the skinny.  In the meantime, here are a couple of recent starred (!) reviews to note:

The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Kirkus Reviews – I can’t actually link to the review since it’s behind a pay wall, but here’s the obvious pull quote: ” Coupled with the rich prose, Towle’s detailed art truly makes this stellar book a visual feast. Like Earhart herself, this book ought to soar exuberantly into the hearts of its readers.”

…And a big thanks to Tom over at ComicsReporter.com for a great shout-out in this week’s “New and Notable Releases” section!

Yikes… It’s only January and my calendar is already filling up. (I’ve, in fact, added a calendar widget to the blog.)  Right on the heels of my barnstorming Amelia weekend in February, I’ll be appearing at the second annual ACME Comics “March Madness” event March 6th in nearby Greensboro, NC.  This’ll be my first in-store event at ACME and I’m really looking forward to it.  Matt Kindt’s an all-around nice guy whom I’ve run into at various conventions and his Superspy is one of my favorite books of the last few years.  I don’t know Michael Watkins’s work yet, but I’m looking forward to hanging out.

Hey, check out what arrived the mail on Friday: my membership card and official newsletter for the Crogan Adventure Society.  If you’re not in the know, the Crogan Adventure books are a series of all-ages graphic novels about the adventures of the men of the fictional Crogan family.  The first book, Crogan’s Revenge, was about a pirate and the newly-published Crogan’s March is about Legionnaires in North Africa.  You can join the society over at Crogan cartoonist Chris Schweizer’s site.  The initial newsletter contains–among other very cool things–a drawing of some of the Crogan’s March characters done by none other than Stan Sakai of Usagi Yojimbo fame.

I’ve added one further event to my already busy Amelia weekend extravaganza.  Before hitting Chapel Hill Books for a signing there on Sunday the  21st of February, I’ll be appearing in White River Junction, Vermont at the Center for Cartoon Studies, along with Amelia Earhart – This Broad Ocean’s writer, Sarah Stewart Taylor, for a book launch on the 19th.  This will be my second visit to CCS and I’m really looking forward to it.  Here’s the official press release:

Amelia Earhart Returns
to White River Junction

Announcing the arrival of a graphic novel
celebrating an American icon

White River Junction, Vermont – Seventy-five years ago, Amelia Earhart visited Vermont for the first time, her plane touching down at the airport just minutes from where The Center for Cartoon Studies (CCS) campus now resides. Earhart is returning to White River Junction, this time as the star of the fourth of a five book graphic novel series by CCS featuring the lives of remarkable Americans.

Novelist Sarah Stewart Taylor and cartoonist Ben Towle will launch Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean at The Center for Cartoon Studies, 94 South Main Street, White River Junction, Vermont on Friday, February 19, 4pm. The creative team will discuss the life of Amelia Earhart and the process of producing a graphic novel. Original sketches and drawings will be on display. All ages are welcome. A book signing will follow.

In Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean, Taylor and Towle focus on Earhart’s triumphant crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in 1928, offering a glimpse at her relentless ambition and tireless will to promote women’s rights. But above all, author and illustrator leave us with a sense of her deep-rooted desire to touch the sky.

“All of CCS’s graphic novels are well researched and beautifully produced, but most importantly they get kids immersed in history by telling exciting stories” says CCS director James Sturm. “Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean is an important and inspiring chapter of Amelia’s storied life.”

Sarah Stewart Taylor was born in 1971 and was educated at Middlebury College and Trinity College, Dublin. Her first novel, O’ Artful Death (2003) was nominated for an Agatha Award. In addition to writing mystery novels, she teaches at The Center for Cartoon Studies. She lives with her husband, Matt Dunne, and their two sons in Hartland, Vermont.

Ben Towle had an early interest in comics as a kid, but it wasn’t till after he studied philosophy, joined a rock band and toured the South, before he committed himself to comics. He made his debut with Farewell, Georgia (2003) and the graphic novel Midnight Sun (2007). Ben Towle now lives and works in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Published by Hyperion/Disney Book Group, CCS’s award-winning line of graphic novels are celebrated by librarians, educators, and young readers and have featured Houdini, Satchel Paige, and Thoreau.

For more information, visit: cartoonstudies.org

The Center For Cartoon Studies is America’s premiere cartooning school and studio, located in the historic village of White River Junction, Vermont. Faculty and visiting artists include many of today’s most celebrated cartoonists. CCS has been featured in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, LA Times, and The Washington Post. CCS is a driving force behind the recent revitalization of White River Junction, bringing jobs, students, and art to the village.