Smash Pages Q&A: Eleanor Davis on ‘You & A Bike & A Road’

The creator of ‘How To Be Happy’ discusses her latest book from Koyama Press, which details her cycling trip from Arizona to Georgia.

In 2014, Fantagraphics published How To Be Happy, a collection of short comics by Eleanor Davis, which immediately established the cartoonist as one of the major figures of her generation. In the book, Davis jumped between styles and approaches, telling different kinds of stories ranging from the fantastic to realistic. Since then she made a children’s book with Drew Weing, Flop To The Top, for Toon Books. She also made the comics novella Libby’s Dad, which came out last fall from Retrofit Comics, and was recently awarded the Slate Book Review 2017 Cartoonist Studio Prize for Best Print Comic.

Davis’ new book, out now from Koyama Press, is You & A Bike & A Road. The book is a series of comics about a bike trip that Davis undertook from Tucson, Arizona, where she grew up, to her home in Athens, Georgia. We spoke recently about the book, the journey, agitprop and more.

Continue reading “Smash Pages Q&A: Eleanor Davis on ‘You & A Bike & A Road’”

Comics Lowdown: RIP James Vance

The man who finished ‘Omaha the Cat Dancer’ passes away, Frank Quitely finally gets that degree, and more.

James Vance

Passings: James Vance, the author (with artist Dan Burr) of the graphic novels Kings in Disguise and On the Ropes, died on June 5 at the age of 64. Kings in Disguise was first published as a limited series by Kitchen Sink Press in 1988 and in 1989 won the Eisner and Harvey awards for Best New Series, and the first issue won the Eisner for Best Single Issue. W.W. Norton published a collected edition in 2006, with an introduction by Alan Moore. The sequel, On the Ropes, was published by Norton in 2013. Vance was married to Omaha the Cat Dancer writer Kate Worley from 1994 to 2004, and many years later he collaborated with Omaha artist Reed Waller to complete the story, which was left unfinished at Worley’s death; it was published in 2013. Vance, who was also a playwright, talked about his work with Alex Dueben at CBR in 2013. His illness and death leaves his family in a difficult financial situation, so a GoFundMe has been set up to help.

Continue reading “Comics Lowdown: RIP James Vance”

Dustin Harbin covers 10 years of Koyama Press history

Annie Koyama’s publishing venture celebrates a milestone with this special poster by one of the creators associated with the publisher.

Annie Koyama founded Koyama Press 10 years ago, and ever since the former documentary producer has been introducing the world to talented creators.

To celebrate Koyama’s big anniversary, artist Dustin Harbin — whose Diary Comics Koyama published a couple years back — has created a poster featuring some of the creators Koyama has published. Check out the poster below.

Continue reading “Dustin Harbin covers 10 years of Koyama Press history”

Comics Lowdown: Creator Eleanor Davis arrested in Georgia protest

Get today’s comics news and updates in new feature here at Smash Pages.

Cartoonist Eleanor Davis was one of eight people arrested at a Georgia Board of Regents meeting on May 16 for protesting the board’s policies with regard to undocumented immigrants. The University of Georgia does not allow undocumented immigrants to attend its five best schools and requires them to pay out-of-state tuition at the others. The protestors, described by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as “a mix of faith leaders and current and former University System of Georgia students,” were taken to the Fulton County Jail. Davis’s husband, Drew Weing, reported on his Facebook page that she had been released after the Georgia Civil Disobedience Fund paid her bail. Davis’s newest book, You & a Bike & a Road, has just been published by Koyama Press, and Slate ran an excerpt on Tuesday—showing a man being arrested at the border.

Continue reading “Comics Lowdown: Creator Eleanor Davis arrested in Georgia protest”

TCAF: Koyama Press announces Fall 2017 titles

New books announced by Connor Willumsen, Sophia Foster-Dimino and more.

As Brigid mentioned earlier today, Annie Koyama’s Koyama Press is celebrating its 10th year at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival. As part of that celebration, the publisher announced its Fall 2017 line of graphic novels.

Continue reading “TCAF: Koyama Press announces Fall 2017 titles”

Comics’ coming-of-age party at TCAF this weekend

My, how we’ve grown! This year’s Toronto Comic Arts Festival, which takes place this weekend in the Toronto Reference Library, will include a number of significant anniversaries.

Continue reading “Comics’ coming-of-age party at TCAF this weekend”

Koyama Press debuts on comiXology

‘Blobby Boys,’ ‘Drinking at the Movies,’ ‘Fata Morgana’ and more now available via the digital comics service.

Just in time for the annual Small Press Expo, 12 titles from Koyama Press debuted on comiXology this weekend, including material from Chris Eliopoulos, Julia Wertz, Britt Wilson and Jon Vermilyea.

Continue reading “Koyama Press debuts on comiXology”