Congressman Lewis on what it meant to be a Freedom Rider

Click to view a video excerpt from his Fantom Comics appearance in which Rep. John Lewis discusses being beaten while standing up for his civil rights.

Congressman John Lewis and Andrew Aydin's remarks on March vol. 2 at Fantom Comics

This past Sunday, Fantom Comics on Dupont Circle had Congressman John Lewis and Andrew Aydin's in to sign their book on civil rights, March vol. 2. This recording is of their introductory remarks.

Jan. 25: Lewis & Aydin at Fantom Comics

Rep. John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, co-authors of the March graphic novel series based on Lewis' experiences as a leader in the early days of the civil rights movement, will be signing the just-released second volume of the book at Fantom Comics (Dupont Circle) Jan. 25 from 1-3 p.m. Visit the Facebook event page for more info.

Newsarama did a Q&A with Lewis earlier this week.

Andrew Aydin on Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story

The comic book that changed the world

Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story's vital role in the Civil Rights Movement

by Andrew Aydin

Creative Loafing Atlanta August 1 2013

http://clatl.com/atlanta/the-comic-book-that-changed-the-world/Content?oid=8807186

 The whole issue relates to Rep. Lewis and March.

PR: Critics agree: MARCH is outstanding! Now get a signed copy at Comic-Con!

A book in which 2 out of 3 of the authors are Washingtonians.

Critics agree: MARCH is outstanding! Now get a signed copy at Comic-Con! Critics agree: MARCH is outstanding! Now that we're a month away from the official release date, major reviews are starting to come in. As you may or may not know, all the top book-industry review journals issue "starred reviews" for titles they consider outstanding in their field. One starred review is lovely… more than one, and you've got something really special on your hands. So, how does MARCH stack up? See for yourself: "Dazzling... a grand work." — Booklist (starred review) "A powerful tale of courage and principle igniting sweeping social change, told by a strong-minded, uniquely qualified eyewitness... the heroism of those who sat and marched... comes through with vivid, inspiring clarity." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Lewis's remarkable life has been skillfully translated into graphics... Segregation's insult to personhood comes across here with a visual, visceral punch. This version of Lewis's life story belongs in libraries to teach readers about the heroes of America." — Library Journal (starred review) That's right, we're three for three so far! But now it's time for the verdict from those who really matter -- YOU, the readers. Which leads to our next item… MARCH comes to Comic-Con! Comic-Con International in San Diego is the biggest show in America -- so when Congressman Lewis said he wanted to come, we moved heaven & earth to get the book ready in time. As a result, we're very pleased to confirm the special debut of MARCH: BOOK ONE at Comic-Con next week, along with all three creators: Congressman John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell. Come by the Top Shelf booth (#1721), meet a true American icon, and be the first to scoop up a signed copy of this piece of history! What's more, we'll also have copies of a limited HARDCOVER edition, as well as a limited SIGNED & NUMBERED HARDCOVER edition of MARCH: BOOK ONE, available exclusively from Top Shelf. PLUS: don't miss the MARCH team's feature presentation, Saturday morning at 10AM in room 23, as they share the story of MARCH and how it came to be! America's libraries go wild for MARCH! Finally, we have to share some memories of the MARCH team's triumphant visit to the American Library Association's annual conference. It was as huge a success as the BookExpo, with librarians scooping up our March Teacher's Guide, packing the auditorium for a feature presentation by Congressman Lewis and the boys, and standing in long lines for a chance to meet the authors and get a signed preview booklet. Andrew spoke about the history of comics in the civil rights movement, Nate walked audiences through his creative process, and they all signed until their hands just about fell off! The result? A lot of empty boxes! We can't wait to share this magnificent graphic novel with you, and bring Congressman Lewis' incredible story to life for a new generation. March (Book One), a deluxe softcover graphic novel with french flaps and black & white interiors, 6.5" x 9.5", 128 pages, ISBN 978-1-60309-300-2, $14.95 US. Released worldwide: August 13, 2013. Special debut with Congressman John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell at Comic-Con. For more information and a 14-page preview, visit http://www.topshelfcomix.com/march. See y'all at Comic-Con! Your friend thru comics, Chris Staros Top Shelf Productions PO Box 1282 Marietta GA 30061-1282 USA chris@topshelfcomix.com www.topshelfcomix.com

The Post on Annie; Weldon on Modan; CBR on March; and Fantagraphic's early U of MD years

Engaging documentaries offer glimpses of life’s ‘Homegoings’ and ‘Hard-Knocks’ [in print as On PBS, death has a whole lot of life]
By Hank Stuever,
Washington Post June 24 2013

and note Annie: It's the Hard-Knock Life, From Script to Stage (one hour) airs Friday at 9 p.m. on WETA.

Weldon, Glen. 2013.
Women Find More Than They Bargained For In 'The Property' [Rutu Modan].
NPR.org (June 25)


Congressman John Lewis Recalls the Civil Rights Movement in "March".
Alex Dueben,
Comic Book Resources June 18th, 2013, updated: June 21st, 2013


Panel on the Origin of Fantagraphics: Excerpt
Comics Journal (June 24 2013): http://vimeo.com/69051716

Kim Thompson, Gary Groth and Mike Catron discuss the earliest days of Fantagraphics and The Comics Journal at the 2001 Comic-Con International: San Diego.

Dembicki at ALA this weekend

I'll be at the annual American Library Association convention this weekend in Chicago. I'll have a table in Artist Alley (booth 2356), along with free promo posters for the comics anthology Wild Ocean, due out in spring 2014 from Fulcrum Publishing. Plus, the original art for the promotional poster (below) will be in a silent auction as an ALA scholarship fundraiser!

I'll also be a one-man panel to talk about District Comics and what's coming down the pike for the project!

Other comics-related events at ALA: Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) will be one of the featured speakers, promoting the first book of his three-volume graphic novel March (Top Shelf Productions).
There's also a slew of events centered around comics all weekend, with panels featuring Gail Simone, Paul Pope and Jeffrey Brown, among others.

PR: Small Press Expo Announces Congressman John Lewis as a Special Guest at SPX 2013

Bethesda Maryland; June 12, 2013 – Small Press Expo is pleased to announce civil rights icon and first-time graphic novelist Congressman John Lewis, as a special guest at SPX 2013, to be held Saturday September 14 and Sunday September 15.  Congressman Lewis will be in addition to previously announced guests Seth, Lisa Hanawalt, Gary Panter, Frank Santoro and Gene Yang. SPX is honored that a sitting member of Congress will be attending the show. Congressman Lewis will be promoting his first graphic novel, March (Book One), published by Top Shelf Productions. The book was co-written with Andrew Aydin and drawn by the award-winning graphic novelist Nate Powell. For more information on the book (the first in a planned trilogy), visit http://www.topshelfcomix.com/march.    JOHN LEWIS is the U.S. Representative for Georgia's fifth congressional district and an American icon widely known for his role in the civil rights movement. He first joined the movement as a seminary student in Nashville, organizing sit-ins and participating in the first Freedom Rides, which challenged illegal segregation at bus stations across the South. He soon became the chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and one of the "Big Six" national leaders of the movement, alongside such figures as Martin Luther King, Jr. and A. Philip Randolph. As SNCC chairman, Lewis was an architect of, and the youngest featured speaker, at the historic 1963 March on Washington, and was a key figure in the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer. Together with Hosea Williams, he led the landmark 1965 Selma–Montgomery March (known as "Bloody Sunday"), where police brutality spurred national outrage and hastened passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Despite physical attacks, serious injuries, and more than 40 arrests, John Lewis has remained a devoted advocate of the philosophy of non-violence. His subsequent career has included voter registration activism, service on the Atlanta City Council, and over 25 years in Congress. Lewis was awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2011, and was the first recipient of the John F. Kennedy "Profile in Courage" Lifetime Achievement Award. His 1998 book Walking with the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement, called "the definitive account of the civil rights movement" (The Washington Post), won numerous honors, including the Robert F. Kennedy, Lillian Smith, and Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards. His most recent book, Across that Bridge: Life Lessons and a Vision for Change, received the NAACP Image Award. About SPX Small Press Expo (SPX) is the pre-eminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comics, graphic novels, and alternative political cartoons. SPX is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit that brings together more than 400 artists and publishers to meet their readers, booksellers, and distributors each year. Graphic novels, mini comics, and alternative comics will all be on display and for sale by their authors and illustrators. The festival will also feature a series of panel discussions and interviews with this year's guests. The Ignatz Award is a festival prize held every year at SPX, with the winners chosen by attendees at the show. As in previous years, profits from the SPX will go to support the SPX Graphic Novel Gift Program, which funds graphic novel purchases for public and academic libraries, as well as the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF), which protects the First Amendment rights of comic book readers and professionals. For more information on the CBLDF, visit their website at http://www.cbldf.org. SPX also supports the Small Press Expo Collection at the Library of Congress, which preserves the history of both the artistic output of the creators who come to SPX, as well as the art that SPX itself generates as part of its yearly festival. It the first program of its type by a major institution in the United States to preserve the works of the indie comics community. For more information on the Small Press Expo, please visit http://www.spxpo.com.

PR: Congressman John Lewis wows BookExpo crowds with MARCH: BOOK ONE!

	Congressman John Lewis wows BookExpo crowds with MARCH: BOOK ONE!

BookExpo America, held a week ago in New York, is the American book industry's biggest  trade show -- and also happened to be the first event in our long promotional tour with Congressman John Lewis for his graphic novel with Andrew Aydin & Nate Powell,   March: Book One! And judging from the reaction, we're off to a fantastic start. Rep. Lewis and Andrew Aydin first turned heads with an "early bird" booth appearance on Friday, welcoming a continuous line of fans to get their free 24-page MARCH excerpt booklets signed, before rushing off to the Huffington Post studio for a live interview on HuffPost Live! This feature, hosted by rising star Alicia Menendez, featured insightful questions from both Menendez and viewers at home, as Lewis and Aydin expressed their hope that MARCH could pass on the lessons and tools of the 1960s to young activists fighting for equality today.  Watch it now! Then came the big day: Saturday! It began with perhaps BEA's flagship event, the Author Breakfast, featuring host Chris Matthews together with Helen Fielding (Bridget Jones), Congressman Lewis, and Diana Gabaldon (Outlander).  Rep. Lewis kept the crowd of 1,000  industry pros spellbound, alternating between stories of his rural childhood, memories of the  civil rights movement, and passionate calls to action. After another short video interview, we were off to another stage for the "Road to a Bestseller" panel featuring Rep. Lewis and acclaimed debut novelist Jason Mott (The Returned) -- two generations of African-American authors with huge books this year. At last, we came to the official signing -- this one with a line stretching "down the block"! (P.S. Did we mention a camera crew from Bill Moyers & Company had been following us since breakfast?) After two straight hours (and a few drained markers), it was time to call it a day. Andrew and Rep. Lewis said goodbye to BEA, exhausted but energized... Just in time to see the starred review in Booklist, the official review journal of the American Library Association, calling March "a grand work," and see it featured in the Washington Post's "Summer Reading  List: Eight Books to Make You Smarter"! Thanks to everyone who came out to see us, to the BEA staff for making it happen, and to the March co-authors for their generosity and stamina... See you next time (ALA in Chicago June 29, Comic-Con in San Diego July 20-21, and beyond)! March (Book One), a deluxe softcover graphic novel with french flaps and black & white interiors, 6.5" x 9.5", 128 pages -- ISBN 978-1-60309-300-2 -- $14.95 US -- Release Date: August 13, 2013. For more information and a 14-page preview, visit http://www.topshelfcomix.com/march.

	Your friend thru comics, Chris Staros Top Shelf Productions PO Box 1282 Marietta GA 30061-1282 USA