You can help "The Winding Stream"

Even longer than Frank Young and I have been working on our Carter Family graphic novel, Beth Harringson has been working to make the definitive documentary on the Carter Family, The Carter Sisters, and Johnny Cash.  She has launched a campaign on kickstarter.com to raise funds for post-production.  Please watch the video on her page and see if you don't get chills like I did...
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thewindingstream/the-winding-stream-phase-2-post-production-carter

Abrams Comic Arts Fall 2012 Brochure

Frank and I were honored to learn that images from our Carter Family graphic novel appear on the cover of Abrams' Fall 2012 Comic Arts Brochure. 
See the brochure online by clicking here.

The Sampler Booklet is Out...

David and I each got a bundle of 68-page, full color sampler editions of CARTER FAMILY COMICS: DON'T FORGET THIS SONG from our publisher, Abrams Comicarts this week.

If you're at a comics convention this spring or summer, or if you attend any events at The Museum of Cartoon Art in New York, you'll be able to lay hands on a complementary copy of this uncorrected proof edition!

This book presents the first third of the graphic novel in full color, including an introduction I wrote, our bibliography and thank-you acknowledgments from David and myself to all the wonderful people who have cheered us on during the sometimes-rocky road of this book's creation!

The preview is printed on newsprint, and the effect is different than that of the final hardcover book. It's a blast to see these pages printed on comic-book paper, nonetheless.

Trainspotters will want to hang onto this preview edition--it has little bits of art and dialogue you won't see in the final hardcover version. This is mostly due to some information we got, late in the game, mostly pertaining to recording technology of the late 1920s.

David has made several small but important changes to the artwork since this preview went to press. I've also fine tuned some of the dialogue and color. So this booklet may be a future collector's item!

Here's a quick scan of a page from the sampler:

This page, from Chapter 10 of the book, stands alone. It shows the moment when the idea of recording truly gets into A.P. Carter's head. He also meets a future ally, record retailer Cecil McLister. The top panel is one of the many labor-of-love moments throughout the book. It took David considerable time to render all those distinct figures in the panel--on top of the many other elements therein. Ditto, it was time-consuming (but fun) for me to color them, the buildings, A.P.'s horse cart, etc.

Kim Deitch kindly offered a rave reaction to our book, when it was still in the production stage. Abrams excerpted his enthusiastic words on the back cover of the sampler:

This sampler brings us--and the book--one significant step closer to publication! As said, keep your eyes out for this free proof. We'll keep you updated on the book's progress, as the street date of October, 2012 approaches...

The Endpapers--Last New Art For The Carter Family Graphic Novel!

Altho' these are crummy iPod pictures (see Corin See's much higher-rez shot, taken minutes after I took these, on Facebook), they offer a candid look at David--at work on the last piece of significant line art for Don't Forget This Song.

These lo-rez pix don't do justice to this stunning endpaper art. This is one of two ultra-detailed, distinctive pieces of endpaper artwork the book will have.

The book is going to press for a proof printing this week. We'll have a slim window of time to make a few needed changes, and then it's off to the press for real.

Here's David putting nib to bristol board, plus two shots of the art-in-progress...

More soon, friends!

Coloring Completed for DFTS! Whew!!!

I can relate to A.P. Carter's need to sit down in an easy chair, catch his breath, and maybe take a nap!
I just turned in the last color pages for our long-in-progress graphic novel Carter Family Comics: Don't Forget This Song!
David should have the book's decorative endpapers completed today as well.

If I weren't stone broke, I'd go out and celebrate!

The work isn't completely done. There's some tweaking and fixing-up left to do... but the big major effort is COMPLETED!

While we complete the last filigrees and lily-gildings of this project, and as we wait for the book to come into print, we'll present excerpts and behind-the-scenes stuff  here, to whet your appetite for the published book--which is scheduled to ship in October!

In the meantime--hey, "Doc," don't mind me! I'm slouching down in the armchair right beside you (not pictured in comics panel above--but believe me, it's there...)

AT LAST! Basic Artwork Completed For DFTS!!!

It only took us about 3.5 years--and many unforeseen obstacles--but David has completed the basic line art for this graphic novel!

Here are a couple of snapshots I took of the pencil work to the next-to-last chapter of the book, as they sat on David's drawing table at the time. They're all inked and they look beautiful!

Now to finish coloring the book... David is helping out on the coloring. We hope to get this last burst of work done quickly--and well. More updates soon!

Old Time Songs

I am working hard (furiously) to ink the last few pages of the book....

Meanwhile, if you're a fan of old time music, I'd like to point you toward Martha Burns' kickstarter campaign...
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1226502260/martha-burns-solo-cd-of-old-time-songs
Her voice reminds of me Iris Dement's.

-David