The Comics Reporter Interview, Oct 2012

For any readers who may have missed this in 2012, I'm happy to re-present our interview with Tom Spurgeon of The Comics Reporter:
http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/resources/interviews/41379/

Listen to Amanda Sue Winterhalter

In November of last year, The Bushwick Book Club of Seattle performed songs inspired by "The Carter Family: Don't Forget This Song." It was a wonderful one time event. The highlight, for me, was Amanda Sue Winterhalter's "Sugar Water." The song describes the travails of Sara Carter, with references to the tree that A.P. planted, and was sung in an acapella  mountain style reminsicent of Sara Carter's. The performance and the song gave me chills!

Now you can hear the song too. It's the final track on Amanda Sue's debut album, OLEA, and you can hear it (and order it if you like it) on the bandcamp website. See if "Sugar Water" doesn't give you chills as well!

PASTE!

It's so nice to see "Carter Family: Don't Forget This Song" in such good company on Paste Magazine's list of Five Great Musical Biographies as Graphic Novels. 

Little Anita Carter's Acrobatics

It's been written that when Life Magazine photographer Eric Schaal visited the Carters in Maces Spring in 1941, the girls did cartwheels and handstands to show off for him. Frank and I depicted it briefly in our graphic novel, "The Carter Family: Don't Forget This Song." But until now, I didn't think Schaal had taken any photos of the girls. I thought I'd seen all of his shots, via Life Magazine's online photo archive.

Well, imagine my surprise today when web searching for photos from the shoot, and there is Anita Carter (credited as June, but I think it's Anita) doing a handstand! There were two others featuring her acrobatics. All featured in a gallery with a TIME article on the Carter Family from last year. What a fun surprise!

And here is how we depicted the moment in our graphic novel...

Rest in peace, Dr. Ralph Stanley

In June, the world lost one of its great musicians and singers, Ralph Stanley. To honor his memory, I've chosen his haunting rendition of the Carters' "Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone."

Dr. Stanley, yes, me are missing you.

"Winding Stream" now streaming and on DVD!

I heard from Beth Harrington today that her film "The Winding Stream: The Carters, The Cashes, and the Course of Country Music" is NOW available for streaming and on DVD!!!  If you're a Carter Family fan, or simply someone who enjoyed our graphic novel "The Carter Family: Don't Forget This Song", I can tell you that you'll love this movie!  And now everyone with access to the Internet has a chance to see this movie...

Here is Beth's announcement:

NOW AVAILABLE! THE WINDING STREAM! Dear Friends – The wait is over! The Winding Stream – The Carters, the Cashes and the Course of Country Music is available today! Our award-winning, critically-lauded, audience-beloved film about the foundational family at the heart of Americana music is finally out! It’s available for download on iTunes or on DVD through Amazon.com or wherever DVDs are sold! As you might imagine, we’re incredibly excited. For those of you who have not yet seen the film at festivals or in your local theater, we sincerely hope you enjoy the film. We are grateful for how supportive and patient you’ve been. As of today, also note that you can get the DVD, companion book and soundtrack CD on The Winding Stream website as a bundle (or separately). Hope you’ll also spread the word about this new development to your music-loving friends! Thanks, Beth and The Winding Stream Team * * * * * More praise for The Winding Stream  “Wonderful interviews, transcendent music, a heartfelt emotional story…among the greatest of all music documentaries, an instant American classic.” - Gerald Peary, The Arts Fuse “…a real crowd-pleaser about American roots music royalty…” - Loren King, The Boston Globe “…a gift to anyone interested in our musical roots…” - Michael Mechanic, Mother Jones “…extremely enchanting…” - Richard Thompson, Bluegrass Today “…a pure delight” - Volkmar Richter, Vancouver Observer “… a marvelous, meandering journey through American musical history that you will never forget.” - Larry Carlin, California Bluegrass Association News

Arhoolie acquired by Smithsonian Folkways

Arhoolie Records was crucial to the "Carter Family" graphic novel having a CD of music included with each copy. I am happy to hear that the legendary label has been acquired by The Smithsonian!

The NYT reports on it too.

Today is the birth anniversary of Maybelle Carter...

On this day in 1909, Maybelle Carter, one of the most important musicians in American music was born in Nickelsville, Virginia. Thanks, David Steward, for linking me to this Writer's Almanac page which marks the occasion and describes Maybelle's role in the historic Bristol Sessions.

This image of Maybelle at the Bristol Sessions is actually the color layer (without the usual inked linework on top of it), exquisitely created by Frank M. Young, from our graphic novel "The Carter Family: Don't Forget This Song."

-DL

A.P. Carter and Spiderman (and Pizza)

Emerald City Comic Con has taken over the WA State Convention Center this weekend, and to mark the occasion, Seattle pizza chain Pagliacci has interviewed me about superheroes in their newsletter. (Yes, it's a pizza restaurant with its own newsletter!)  Writer Louis Whitford and I got pretty deep talking about superheroes as part of the culture... and of course we also talked about The Carter Family.  It may be the first time A.P. Carter has ever been compared with Spiderman!

Pagliacci's online newsletter

Johnny Cash, Born on This Day in 1932

I am honored to announce that I was asked by one of the world's greatest radio stations, KEXP, to create a short comic about Johnny Cash on the anniversary of his birth, and event they have named International Cash Day. June Carter is of course a character in "The Carter Family: Don't Forget This Song", and she and Johnny appear in the coda of the book. I am excited to have continued the story...

You can read the two pages as one long scroll by clicking here.

Thanks KEXP for making this possible!

#InternationalCashDay