The book went to press earlier this month, and will be out in the spring. I can’t wait for you to see it. Crockett Johnson’s Barnaby Volume 1 is truly a thing of beauty. If you read any books published by Fantagraphics, this last sentence will not surprise you. But in case you are not
After a failed stage adaptation and one failed radio version, Crockett Johnson’s Barnaby headed for the stage a second time. Adapted for children’s theatre by Robert and Lilian Masters, this Barnaby made its debut in Terre Haute, Indiana, in May 1948. Looking ahead to the publication (in February 2013, I am told) of The Complete
David Johnson Leisk was born 106 years ago in an apartment at 444 East 58th Street, New York City. If you’re in New York today, you might give yourself a walking tour (aided by the subway) of where the creator of Harold and the Purple Crayon (1955) and Barnaby (1942-1952) grew up. Dave Leisk –
It’s hard to put into words what it means to spend over a dozen years on a book, and then be able to talk about it with smart, talented people whose work I admire. Saturday’s panel at the Small Press Expo – featuring Daniel Clowes, Mark Newgarden, Chris Ware, Eric Reynolds, and myself – was
Do you like comics? Any chance you’ll be in the vicinity of Bethesda, MD this weekend? If so, then come to the Small Press Expo! On Saturday the 15th, you can hear Daniel Clowes, Mark Newgarden, Chris Ware, Eric Reynolds, & me talk about Crockett Johnson‘s Barnaby. Here’s the panel description: Crockett Johnson’s Barnaby and the
Here is a mix to celebrate the publication of my new biography, Crockett Johnson and Ruth Krauss: How an Unlikely Couple Found Love, Dodged the FBI, and Transformed Children’s Literature (2012). Its official publication date is today (Sept. 1st), though it’s actually been available for a few weeks now. Given my own interest in music, it’s
Greetings, faithful readers. I am pleased to report that Crockett Johnson and Ruth Krauss: How an Unlikely Couple Found Love, Dodged the FBI, and Transformed Children’s Literature – a book that was twelve years in the making – now exists in both hardcover and paperback. I received my author copies today, which means that it should
Graphic genius Chris Ware designed the cover for my Crockett Johnson and Ruth Krauss: How an Unlikely Couple Found Love, Dodged the FBI, and Transformed Children’s Literature (due this September from the University Press of Mississippi). The front cover is above. The full, wrap-around cover is below. Click on it for a larger image. Trust me:
But the wild things cried, “Oh, please don’t go– We’ll eat you up–we love you so!” And Max said, “No!” –Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are (1963) In June 2001, I went to hear Maurice Sendak speak at Yale University. A couple of years earlier, I’d started working on a biography of Crockett Johnson,
On April 21, 1950, the FBI’s New York Division reported that Crockett Johnson was one of “400 concealed Communists.” In June, the New Haven office began compiling a file on him. These are the first 15 pages. (Clicking on each page will yield a larger image.) This (above) is one of the less accurate pages