Monday, December 23, 2013

Leslie Riddle, on a t-shirt!

 


Just a reminder that Danger Room Comics in Olympia, Wa, one of the stores that's really been behind the Carter Family book, also has t-shirts made from my drawing of Lesley Riddle --which can be ordered by contacting the store. 360-705-3050. I get lots of compliments when I wear mine. 
 
 
 

Merry Christmas!

Someone has posted the Johnny Cash Christmas Special...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHuFslG6JAQ

The complete show.  Watch it before it disappers...

Sunday, December 15, 2013

A.P. Carter's birth anniversary / Happy holidays!


Today, December 15th, being the anniversary of the birth of Alvin Pleasant (A.P.) Carter, we felt it was a good day to reproduce the Christmas page from our book, in which A.P. is walking his children over the mountains so they can spend the holiday with their aunt and uncle, and their estranged mother, Sara...

Click on each strip to enlarge the view:

 
 
 

It's been an amazing year since the book came out.  Frank and I are grateful to everyone who's read it and come out to see us at signings and conventions and told us how much they enjoyed it.  That's meant a lot to us. 

Happy holidays!



Friday, November 8, 2013

Heaven's Radio...

http://wildamericanradio.com/country-music-legends--2

For those of you who love old country music, I am pleased to recommend this Internet radio show: Country Music Legends, with host Cheri Lynn...

http://wildamericanradio.com/country-music-legends--2

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Eisner Award!


As Frank mentioned in an earlier post, it was a wonderful surprise to win an Eisner Award in the category of "Best Reality-Based Work" (in a tie with Joseph Lambert's "Annie Sullivan and the Trials of Helen Keller").   

Here's a photo of Frank and I with our trophies:


(The globes actually spin!)

We were so thrilled to receive this honor!  There was an amazing group of graphic novels in the reality-based category, and all deserve mention here:
"A Chinese Life,"
by Li Kunwu and P. Ôtié (Self Made Hero),
"The Infinite Wait and Other Stories,"
by Julia Wertz (Koyama Press),
"Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo & Me,"
by Ellen Forney (Gotham Books),
"You’ll Never Know, Book 3: A Soldier’s Heart,"
by C. Tyler (Fantagraphics).

Toonie Award!

 

It was such a busy summer, I've been extremely slow to post the news that Frank and I won the Golden Toonie Award for "Carter Family: Don't Forget This Song", awarded by Cartoonists Northwest. 



Here's Frank and I with Cartoonists Northwest President, Georgia Ball.  We were honored and touched to have our book celebrated by our colleagues out here in the Pacific Northwest!

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Awards In Retrospect

Well, as you kind folks may know, David and I won the Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Project, back in July. We didn't get beyond nomination stage at the Harvey Awards, but a nomination is still a great thing, and a strong recognition that we achieved something worthy in our years of hard work on the Carter Family graphic novel.

David has recently become a comics goodwill ambassador to Eastern Europe. He's got lots of photos and stories from his trips to Belgrade and Russia, and I'm sure he'd be happy to share some of all-of-the-above here, if you kind folks are interested.

Here's a photo of the Eisner Award that I won (David got one just like it):


Wednesday, July 17, 2013

San Diego Comic Con


David Lasky (that's me) will be travelling to San Diego to attend the Eisner Awards ceremony, and sign books at the Abrams booth (#1216).  If you're attending, come say hi!

FRIDAY, JULY 19, 3:30pm, Booth #1216David Lasky signing The Carter Family and William Stout signing Legends of the Blues

I will also be on a panel with William Stout! 
FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2:00–3:00pm, Room 32ABMusic and Comics with William Stout (Legends of the Blues) and David Lasky (The Carter Family)

Sounds good, yes?

 Beyond that, I will be walking around, taking photos, maybe escaping to the beach if the crowds get to me... 

Monday, July 15, 2013

2013 Harvey Award nomination for Best Original Graphic Novel!

We just learned that our book is nominated in the Best Graphic Album Original category for the 2013 Harvey Awards. These awards are creator-chosen, so this is a heart-warming nod from our fellow comics-makers... thanks to everyone who cast their vote for our book!

Friday, July 5, 2013

Carter Family in Papua New Guinea

 


Thanks to Beth Harrington's husband Andy (who is a vulcanologist), "The Carter Family: Don't Forget This Song" made it all the way to the South Pacific, where a copy was given to Andy's colleague Ima, who runs one of the volcano institutes in Papua New Guinea! 

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Happy Birthday, Beth Harrington!

 

Our friend Beth Harrington, who has been working for years on what seems likely to be the definitive Carter Family documentary, celebrates her birthday today.  Have a great day, Beth!  We look forward to watching "The Winding Stream" one day very soon...


Wednesday, June 12, 2013

We Love You, Third Place Books!

Third Place Books has always proven a great way to obliterate two or three hours in happy browsing. I was delighted when my friend Paul Tumey shared these photos of their prominent placement (with kind employee review) of the Carter Family book.


Thanks, Owen, for your kind words! And sorry if that photograph shows up sideways...

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Some Pictures From Our Recent Book Event at the Ballard Public Library

On May 20th of this year, we did a pleasant presentation and book-signing event for the Carter Family book at the Ballard branch of the Seattle Public Library. Hannah Parker of the SPL sent us a couple of photographs from the event. First, here's us smiling at the book-signing table:

And here are the wonderful Laurel Bliss and Cliff Perry, who serenaded the audience with gorgeous renditions of Carter Family songs. I wish they'd had an extra hour to sing and play! It was a most pleasant, all too brief evening. Thanks to everyone who attended!

Monday, May 20, 2013

Hooded Utilitarian Mention


Ng Suat Tong kindly mentions "Carter Family" in his article "Opera as Drama as Comics" on the Hooded Utilitarian website...
http://hoodedutilitarian.com/2013/04/opera-as-drama-as-comics/


Sunday, May 12, 2013

The Surprise of my Life: Meeting Robert Crumb for the first time...


So I was waiting around at Time Tested Books in Sacramento, where I was scheduled to do a signing in support of the “Carter Family: Don't Forget This Song” graphic novel. It was April 18, 2013, and I was a half hour early. I had asked the legendary cartoonist/musician Robert Armstrong to come and play a few Carter Family songs at the event. I was waiting for him to show up, in the mostly empty store, to see if he needed help setting up. A few minutes before starting time, he walked into the store, and right behind him came a bearded man in spectacles, looking very much like Robert Crumb. I quickly looked away and thought: “That can’t be Robert Crumb!” He lives in France after all. But then again, he and Armstrong used to play together in The Cheap Suit Serenaders. I looked back and found that the bearded man was indeed Robert Crumb, a man many consider to be the world's greatest living cartoonist. He shook my hand and asked if Frank (Young) was going to be there. I told him that Frank would have been there, had he known that his pen-pal R. Crumb was going to attend.

I had requested that Armstrong play few Carter Family songs, then a few old time songs of his choosing. The two of them played a lot more than I’d expected, and treated the audience of 25-30 people to what felt like an hour’s worth of music. The Carter Family songs sometimes had gaps in the lyrics; Mr. Armstrong (on a Gibson L5 guitar, Mr. Crumb on Banjo) apologized, explaining that he’d had to “cram” to learn some of these songs, to meet my request. In the second half, with some instrument changes, they played material they were more familiar with, and the musical sparks started to fly.
 

My father was in attendance, and whispered to me: “Is that really R. Crumb?” “Yes,” I answered. “What’s he doing here?” – “I don’t know.” - “Well, you didn’t give him much of an introduction.” I had nervously introduced “The Two Bobs” and after reading a few prepared remarks about Bob Armstrong (creator of Mickey Rat), simply said: “And this is Bob Crumb, who I’m sure you all know.” So, during an instrument change, I cited my father’s admonishment and tried to give a more proper introduction… “He normally lives in France, but is making a rare appearance here tonight. He’s a comics legend, and he’s my hero; this is a big night for me.”
Crumb interrupted: “Your hero?! Harold Gray is your hero.”
I agreed and added Frank King to my short list of cartooning heroes.  


 

As things wound down, they asked the audience for a request. Someone said: “How about a train song?” Someone else: “I’ve Been Workin’ on the Railroad!” Crumb jumped into "Workin' on the Railroad" and played the whole song beautifully. Armstrong commented something to the effect of: “That’s the last word in Cornball Americana.” They closed with a smokin’ instrumental.
When the fun was over, I managed to sign a few books and chat with some old friends who came to the event, two from my high school, one from college, and two Pulse Magazine alums (Jackson Griffith and cartoonist Michael King). Patrons talked with Crumb and Armstrong, and I got to meet cartoonist/musician Christine Shields as well. My father talked politics with Crumb (who showed us his French medical card – “I can get treated and when I leave [the doctor’s office] there is no charge.”). My dad concluded that now it was up to us younger folks to fix all the problems. And so ended one of the best evenings of my life.



 One final note: The owner of Time Tested Books, Peter Keat, had told Crumb and Armstrong that the Cheap Suit Serenaders had played at his wedding about 30 years ago. Crumb and Armstrong asked the same question that was on my mind: “Has the marriage lasted?” “Yes,” said Mr. Keat, “the marriage has lasted all these years.” Crumb breathed a sigh of relief… “You managed to avoid the curse of the Cheap Suit Serenaders.”

More photos from the event are posted here.

 

Mission Comics Recap


I am getting caught up on things I should have blogged a few weeks ago.  I was in Northern California in mid-April for my father's 75th birthday, and also did two signings, in SF and Sacramento.  Here's my recap of the SF signing, at Mission Comics and Art...

http://dlasky.livejournal.com/210128.html


Thursday, May 9, 2013

Golden Toonie Nomination


Frank and I are honored by the nomination of "Carter Family" for a Golden Toonie at Cartoonists Northwest's Toonie Awards.  It shares the nomination with graphic novels by Donna Barr, Ellen Forney, and Mark Rahner.  We'll be attending the ceremony on Saturday in Seattle.
http://www.cartoonistsnorthwest.com/toonies/

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Stumptown Comics Fest

I'll be in Portland, OR on Saturday for the Stumptown Comics Fest, signing copies of "Carter Family: Don't Forget This Song" to benefit the CBLDF at 1pm, then participating in the Remembering Dylan Williams panel at 5pm.  The rest of the time, I will be walking around looking at all the comics.  (At the Oregon Convention Center).

-David

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Don't Forget This Song Receives Two Eisner Award Nominations! Yahoo!

This just announced: our Carter Family graphic novel is nominated for two 2013 Eisner Awards, according to Comic Book Resources' website (click on the link to see their article.)

The book is nominated for Best Reality-Based Work (and is up against stiff competition from Ellen Forney and Carol Tyler) and for Best Writer (Frank M. Young, who shares this nomination 50/50 with co-creator David Lasky). Again, we're up against a big name--Ed Brubaker--but we're the only non-mainstream figure in that category, so who knows what'll happen?

Receiving these nominations is an enormous honor, and gives us a strong sense of "thumbs up" from our contemporaries in the comics world. Whether we win or not, this is a big deal to us--thank you so much to everyone who voted for us!

(And, since this post bumped David's recent announcement--if you are in the SF area and would like to meet David and get your book signed, please read the posting immediately below. David will be in SF on Thursday, along with legendary underground cartoonist/musician Robert Armstrong. Show your love for David, San Francisco!)

Sunday, April 14, 2013

David Lasky will sign "Carter Family" graphic novel in Sacramento on Thursday, with music by Robert Armstrong


If you're in the Sacramento area, please come get your Carter Family: Don't Forget This Song graphic novel signed by David, and listen to Robert Armstrong (of the Cheap Suit Serenaders) play and sing Carter Family and related songs.   April 18th at 7pm.  This event is free.

[Armstrong is a legendary cartoonist as well, and one of my favorites.]

http://timetestedbooks.blogspot.com/

 
 
 
[I wish I was going to be there on the 21st when Time Tested remembers Sacramento-based PULSE! Magazine, which was one of the first publications to hire me as a cartoonist and illustrator! -David]

Time Tested Books
1114 21st Street (between L and K streets)
Sacramento, CA 95811
Phone: 916-447-5696


 

Saturday, April 13, 2013

David in San Francisco at Mission Comics on Wednesday


David is travelling to Northern California in the week ahead.  You can find him at San Francisco's Mission: Comics and Art on Wednesday evening, April 17, where he will present a slide talk about the Carter Family book & then will sign copies...
https://www.facebook.com/MissionComics/posts/257291421075172



Trivia: In the summer of 1991, David lived in the Mission District, on the same street as Mission: Comics and Art, just 12 blocks east. (I'm excited to see how the neighborhood has changed.)

First Aid Kit


Today I'm listening to the Swedish duo First Aid Kit, and I thought I'd share with you their lovely song "Emmylou", which mentions June and Johnny...


Thursday, April 4, 2013

Saturday, March 30, 2013

More mentions...


The Peschel Report (which is a great site for links to articles on books and litereature - and graphic novels and comics) honored us by linking to our Seattle Times review...
http://planetpeschel.com/peschel_report/review-carter-family-graphic-novel-rocks/


The wonderful folklife website Boiled Down Juice wrote a nice review:
http://boileddownjuice.com/dont-forget-this-song-a-history-of-the-carter-family-in-the-form-of-a-graphic-novel/
And this week they are highlighting Leslie Riddle as well!

Readers continue to write good reviews in GoodReads.  So glad you're all enjoying it!!

Cartoonists Northwest wrote up a nice review of the talk Frank and I presented at their meeting in January...
http://www.cartoonistsnorthwest.com/meetings/lasky-and-young-draw-history/

We were honored to have a page of original art featured in an exhibition at Rice University.  Curator Robert Boyd provided a description of the project along with a photo of the page on display...
And if you're a fan of comics art, take a look at the rest of the exhibition:
http://emergencyroomcomics.blogspot.com/
(Or visit in person if you live near Houston).



Visit Seattle blogger David Newman kindly mentioned our mention on the NPR site.

The Copacetic Comics Company gave our book a very nice writeup...
http://www.copaceticcomics.com/comics/the-carter-family-don-t-forget-this-song
Please shop there whenever you're in Pittsburg (or every day, if you live in Pittsburgh).



"...Young and Lasky’s writing and art nearly makes up for the fact that no one’s figured out time travel yet"


Thank you, Lucy Boyes, for writing such a nice review on your blog about comics that are sad...
http://www.consequential.net/2012/sad-comics-reviewed-the-carter-family-dont-forget-this-song/

I think this might be our first review from the UK, but I'm not sure.

Friday, March 22, 2013

The Definitive CF Documentary


Beth Harrington has been working for over a decade on what promises to be the definitive documentary film on The Carter Family.  She and her crew are very close to completion.  If you're on Facebook, be sure to "like" The Winding Stream...



Monday, March 18, 2013

When travelling The Crooked Road, find our book at Heartwood


We're very pleased that our book is available (alongside House of Cash) at Heartwood, in Abingdon, VA, on the legendary Crooked Road.  Heartwood is a gathering place for music, crafts, food, and culture of the region, and I look forward to visiting someday...



Thanks to Douglas Jackson for taking these photos!

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Jewel to play June Carter Cash


Well, I'm a little late with this news, but maybe it will be new to you, dear reader...  Singer Jewel Kilcher is going to play June Carter Cash in a Lifetime bio pic called "Ring of Fire," which is based on the book "Anchored in Love" by John Carter Cash (the son of June Carter and Johnny Cash).  I don't have high expectations, but I'll probably watch it if I get the chance.  Here's a photo of Jewel made up to look like June...


Other cast members:
John Doe (of the bands X and The Knitters) plays A.P. Carter!
The Peasall Sisters (from O Brother Where Art Thou?) play the young Carter Sisters.
Matt Ross plays Johnny Cash.
Frances Conroy (Six Feet Under) plays Maybelle Carter. 
Andy Stahl plays Ezra "Eck" Carter. 

I cannot find an air date, so I guess they're still figuring that out.

If you've been a regular reader here, then you know there is also a documentary on the Carters and Cashes coming out later this year...
"The Winding Stream." 
What a good year for Carter Family fans!

In Portland, find the book at Powell's


Alas, Portland's Reading Frenzy has closed its doors for the time being. 
But Portlandians can still obtain the "Carter Family" graphic novel a  number of ways, including shopping at Powell's City of Books, a book lover's paradise, the largest used and new bookstore in the world...


(photo by Luke Shea)

Monday, March 11, 2013

Bezango Speaks to Frank and Jim!






Click on the picture above to see a brief excerpt from a two-hour interview done with Ron Austin and Louise Amandes. The discussion touched on The Carter Family GN, and on colorful aspects of Northwest comics life.

Here, Jim and Frank discuss the importance of the ZAPP (Zine Archive and Publishing Project) library at Seattle's wonderful Richard Hugo House.

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Sneaky Dragon interviews Mr Lasky


I was interviewed by two old friends from BC (Canada!) recently for their pod-cast which they call "Sneaky Dragon".  They asked me about my career in comics and we spoke about the Carter Family graphic novel.  And David and Ian (the hosts) spoke at length about The Carpenters for some reason. 
http://www.sneakydragon.com/sneaky-dragon-episode-66.html

I like how they've doctored the "Carter Family" cover...

Friday, March 1, 2013

Lasky in Olympia tonight!

 
 
If you're in Olympia, WA, or its environs, come to the Olympia-Timberland Regional Library tonight at 7pm to see David Lasky give a presentation on the making of "Carter Family: Don't Forget This Song!"  It's free. 
(And so is a comics workshop for teens at 3pm at the library.) 

http://www.trl.org/About/PressReleases/OL%20Carter%20family%20graphic%20novel%200213.pdf

I have to pinch myself every time I read this...
Art Spiegelman, Pulitzer Prize–winning writer/artist of Maus, said: "Frank Young and David Lasky have spun a work of visual music that will replay in your head and heart well after you've finished reading it."



Monday, February 25, 2013

Early Lasky

When I started work on the "Carter Family" graphic novel, I had already been drawing comics as a semi-pro for nearly 20 years.  Some of my work has been made available again via the Wow Cool website:
https://wowcool.com/David-Lasky/

Thanks, Wow Cool!

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Original Art now available


Many readers have asked me if the original art from "Carter Family: Don't Forget This Song" is available for purchase.  Frank and I are dividing evenly between ourselves.  I will be periodically posting the art I have for sale on my Etsy shop.  Feel free to take a look! 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/LaskyArt

"Carter Family" short-listed for Slate Studio Prize


Frank and I have been speechless from the news that our book, "The Carter Family: Don't Forget This Song", has been short-listed for the Slate Studio Prize alongside graphic novels such as "Building Stories" and "Goliath".  What a great honor! 



UPDATE: Congratulations to Chris Ware on a well-deserved win!

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Cash to be on a Stamp

Exciting news: The post office is honoring Johnny Cash with a postage stamp! It will be issued later this year...


source

The original Carter Family was honored with a stamp twenty years ago, back in 1993...


On Seattle's Capitol Hill...


"The Carter Family: Don't Forget This Song" graphic novel can be found at The Elliott Bay Book Company, one of America's great bookstores which has been called something like "a cathedral of books". It's such an honor to see my book in their graphic novel section (and in the highlighted books section near the entrance!).


Also available at Elliott Bay: "Marbles" by Ellen Forney, and "Calling Dr. Laura" by Nicole Georges.  Here they are socializing with the ladies of Short Run after Nicole's reading...

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

In Pittsburgh


If you're in Pittsburgh, you can find "Carter Family: Don't Forget This Song" at The Copacetic Comics Company...



Monday, January 28, 2013

Staff Pick at Third Place Books Ravenna


Thanks, Meredith Li-Vollmer, for snapping this photo at Third Place Books in Seattle!


And thanks, Owen, for the nice recommendation!!

Friday, January 25, 2013

On the RF Bestseller List!



Reading Frenzy is a store in Portland, OR that specializes in zines, comics, graphic novels, paper art, and small press publications (and it is perhaps the greatest store in the world).  It was the locatin of the Portland reading/signing that Frank and I did last fall. Today I learned that "Carter Family: Don't Forget This Song" made the Reading Frenzy list of Top 25 Bestsellers for 2012! Such an honor.  Thanks to everyone at RF for making it happen!!


Photo of Reading Frenzy sign by Jeff Johnston, used with permission.  Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hishma/8070788200/in/photostream/

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Two Carter Family Tributes

Fran Leadon and Leigh Anderson of Brooklyn, NY are on a mission to record every single Carter Family song -- in chronological order!  Here they have covered one of my very favorite CF tunes, "You are My Flower."

It has been noted here earlier, but Markly Morrison has put together a fine tribute album, drawing mainly from artists here in the Northwest.  It was my honor to draw the cover art, which Frank colored...


"America Salutes The Carter Family" is available on cassette!

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

We're #1 on Amazon (sort-of)...





For the nonce, the Carter Family graphic novel has topped the charts of Amazon.com's Best Sellers among country music books. That's gotta count for something!

The Seattle Times Covers The Carter Family Graphic Novel!

Since many of our friends, fans and followers can't lay hands on the print edition of The Seattle Times, here's a large scan I Frankensteined together for your reading enjoyment! The online version can be found HERE.

Thanks to Mary Ann Gwinn for this very nice piece on our book! It's great to get some hometown coverage. As David and I have each lived in Seattle for over two decades, it certainly qualifies as our current hometown!

Monday, January 14, 2013

Cousin Zack



My cousin Zack reads the "Carter Family" graphic novel at home in McLean, VA.