New Books Signed by Michael Tisserand and Patrick McDonnell

Call me an old-timer if you like. I've now been living in the Princeton area long enough to have missed public appearances by Mutts comics creator Patrick McDonnell twice. To make matters worse, this time it was a joint appearance at Labyrinth Books with Michael Tisserand, author of the acclaimed Krazy: George Herriman, A Life in Black and White. Fortunately, I was still able to pick up a couple of signed books a few days later at the bookstore, but it just isn't the same thing as being there. Under the bylaws of the town, should I miss a third appearance of Mr. McDonnell, I will need to move out of the municipality and surrender my blog to the Town Clerk.

Michael Tisserand, Krazy: George Herriman, A Life in Black and White, 2016

Signed by Michael Tisserand

Patrick McDonnell, Year of Yesh, 2016

Signed by Patrick McDonnell

Book Trailer for Krazy: George Herriman, A Life in Black and White

(HarperCollins, 2016)

The Virtual Memories Show #199

Gil Roth Interviews Michael Tisserand

Patrick McDonnell of Mutts Comics Draws Earl

Attempted Bloggery's quick links:

George Herriman

Patrick McDonnell

Signed Books

Attempted Bloggery's Krazy Index

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Woody Guthrie and the Dust Bowl Ballads Signed Print by Nick Hayes

"We are all Woody's children."
                           —Pete Seeger

In 2016 as in previous years, MoCCA Fest was largely a venue for independent comic artists, but there were also some big publishing houses in attendance offering beautifully-made books with outstanding production values. Abrams Comic Arts, for example, offered the brand new Woody Guthrie and the Dust Bowl Ballads (2016), a gorgeous volume by Nick Hayes in distinctive sepia tones. A signed promotional print was included with the book.

Nick Hayes, Woody Guthrie and the Dust Bowl Ballads, New York:  Abrams Comic Arts, 2016

Nick Hayes, Woody Guthrie and the Dust Bowl Ballads
Signed print, 2016

 Woody Guthrie and the Dust Bowl Ballads

Abrams Books

Note:  Nick Hayes is new to this blog. Welcome.

Attempted Bloggery's quick links:

The MoCCA Arts Festival

Signed Prints

Pete Seeger

Attempted Bloggery's Tuneful Index

02024

Mary Astor's Purple Diary Signed by Edward Sorel

Last month I attended a book launch event at the Corner Bookstore in Manhattan for Mary Astor's Purple Diary by Edward Sorel. Mr. Sorel related the story of Mary Astor and how he learned of her now-forgotten sex scandal of 1936. George S. Kaufman, John Barrymore, and Samuel Goldwyn are among those figures involved. After his talk he signed copies of the book.

The Corner Bookstore October 21, 2016 event

http://cornerbookstorenyc.com/event/edward-sorel-launches-mary-astors-purple-diary/

Inscribed "For Stephen, With every good wish/Edward Sorel"

Mary Astor's Purple Diary by Edward Sorel

Image added November 14, 2016

https://www.societyillustrators.org/events/evening-ed-sorel

Note:  Of the several books featured on this blog that Edward Sorel has signed, all are inscribed, but none have original drawings. I would like to hear from anyone fortunate enough to own an original Sorel drawing in a book, if such a thing exists. As with other New Yorker artists, original drawings published and otherwise are welcome here as well. Help me meet my content quota.

The last time I attended an event at the Corner Bookstore, I met Thomas Vinciguerra. Read all about it.


Attempted Bloggery's essential links:

Edward Sorel

Samuel Goldwyn

George S. Kaufman

Signed Books

Attempted Bloggery's Scandalous Index

02016

A Retrospective: Ralph Steadman Signed by Ralph Steadman

Illustrator Stephen Kroninger graciously provides us with these three photographs showing his prized copy of A Retrospective: Ralph Steadman (2016) signed just two weeks ago by the artist at the Society of Illustrators in New York. The inscription is unusual in that it is executed in both wash, above, and in ink. This inscription is accompanied by an original drawing of a cartoon face. The last photograph shows Mr. Steadman in the process of either diluting his ink or cleaning his pen.

Ralph Steadman, A Retrospective:  Ralph Steadman (2016)

Inscribed "For Stephen from Ralph Steadman" with a sketch of a cartoon face

Ralph Steadman signing at the Society of Illustrators

Note:  Thanks to Stephen Kroninger for furnishing these wonderful photographs. Be sure to check out his website and please also note that his work has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. You see, he's just my typical blog reader...

Over the past two weeks, as you might have observed, I've featured signed books here by Ralph Steadman, many containing original sketches. These have been inscribed to Stephen Parr and now to Stephen Kroninger as well. A reasonable person might thereby conclude that Mr. Steadman inscribes books only to people named Stephen. Does anyone have a problem with that? Whatever the recipient's name, I would still love to publish images of other books that have been sketched upon, inscribed, and otherwise bespattered by Mr. Steadman.

"A Retrospective:  Ralph Steadman" is being exhibited at the Society of Illustrators through October 22. Small world.

Attempted Bloggery's quick links:

Ralph Steadman

Stephen Kroninger

Books Signed to Stephen Parr by Ralph Steadman

All Signed Books with Original Drawings

Attempted Bloggery's  Retrospective Index

01976

New 2016 Calendars: The New Yorker and Edward Gorey

The new wall calendars for 2016 have arrived. They are probably on sale just about everywhere by now but I came across them over the weekend at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The New Yorker's 2016 entry calls itself The New Yorker Covers Poster Calendar 2016 which is nearly as awkward to read to yourself as it is to say out loud. The calendar's cover reproduces the 2012 Innovators Issue magazine cover "The Cloud" by Bob Staake. On the calendar's back cover, we get to see the magazine describe itself as "Iconic design. Iconic New Yorker." Apparently they left out the part about humble. Calendar covers are by Mark Ulriksen, Charles E. Martin, Maira Kalman, Jacques de Loustal, Birgit Schössow, Adolph K. Kronengold, Garrett Price, Christoph Niemann, Eric Drooker, Arthur Getz, Jorge Colombo, and once again Bob Staake. Helpful advice is offered for those who wish to "First hang it as a calendar--then frame it as art!" Let's face it: you could do worse.

The New Yorker Covers Poster Calendar 2016

The New Yorker Covers Poster Calendar 2016

Now the Edward Gorey 2016 Calendar describes the artist as "famous for masterful pen-and-ink cross-hatched drawings and ironic, offbeat humor."  While I might quibble a bit with the use of "cross-hatched" to describe the great variety of detailed pen-and-ink work for which Edward Gorey is acclaimed, I nevertheless find this calendar's blurb to be pretty accurate and without pretense. The cover illustration is a wonderful set-piece called "An Exhibition." I certainly would have no quibbles about gazing at an image of this quality every month.

Edward Gorey 2016 Calendar

Edward Gorey 2016 Calendar

Note:  You're in luck! This blog has a few posts on many of these artists:

Arthur Getz

Edward Gorey

Maira Kalman

Jacques de Loustal

Charles E. Martin

Christoph Niemann

Garrett Price

Bob Staake

Mark Ulriksen

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