Scott McCloud: Tour of England

To celebrate the release of The Sculptor, his first graphic novel in nearly a decade,Scott McCloud will embark on a tour of England that will take in talks at the University of Cambridge, the British Library and Leeds Town Hall, as well as signings at Waterstones’ flagship Piccadilly branch and some the finest comic shops across the land: Orbital Comics (London), Page 45 (Nottingham), OK Comics (Leeds) and Nostalgia and Comics (Birmingham).

Here’s what’s happening in early March:

Scott McCloud in Conversation with John Lennard, a Q&A at the University of Cambridge, Room G06/07, Faculty of English, 9 West Road, Cambridge, CB3 9DP. Time: 18.00-19.30. This event is free to attend and open to students and the public alike.

“Scott McCloud: The Sculptor”, a talk at The British Library, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB. Time: 18.30-20.00. Includes a Q&A with Paul Gravett. Tickets available here. (Book now to avoid disappointment: they’re selling fast!) This event coincides with the birthday of comics legend Will Eisner and is a part of Will Eisner Week, a worldwide series of events celebrating Eisner’s legacy. Visit www.WillEisner.com.

“Meet: Scott McCloud”, a signing at Waterstones Piccadilly, 203-206 Piccadilly, London, W1J 9HD. Time: 14.00-16.00.

Signing: Orbital Comics, 8 Great Newport Street, London WC2H 7JA. Time: 19.00-21.00

Signing: Page 45, 9 Market Street, City Centre, Nottingham NG1 6HY. Time: 14.00-16.00. More info here. Interesting fact: Page 45 was named after the 45th page of McCloud’s Understanding Comics. That was twenty years ago.

Signing: OK Comics, 19 Thornton’s Arcade, Briggate, Leeds LS1 6LQ. Time: 16.00-17.30.

“An Evening with Scott McCloud”, a Q&A at Leeds Town Hall, The Headrow, Leeds, LS1 3AD. Time: 18.30-19.30. Followed by a book signing. Tickets are free but must be booked in advance here. This event is co-hosted by Travelling Man and Thought Bubble.

Signing: Nostalgia & Comics(Forbidden Planet International), 14-16 Smallbrook Queensway, Birmingham, B5 4EN. Time: 17.00-18.00.

ABOUT THE SCULPTOR

The Sculptor, the first full-length fictional graphic novel by the author of Understanding Comics, has been hailed as “an instant classic” by Cory Doctorow, and Neil Gaiman has said of the book, “The Sculptor is the best graphic novel I’ve read in years. It’s about art and love and why we keep on trying. It will break your heart.” It follows the story of a young sculptor who, after making a deal with Death, is given the ability to sculpt anything he can imagine with his bare hands. The catch: he is given just 200 days left to live. McCloud wrote the book on how comics work; now, he’s vaulted into breathtaking, funny and unforgettable fiction. Here’s a selection of the spectacular early review coverage:

“A masterclass in graphic storytelling. If Understanding Comics was the research,The Sculptor is the finished thesis – far more than the sum of its parts, and a wonderful testament to the power of comics.” The Independent

“What a brilliant and gripping book. As absorbing as a Victorian novel.” The Observer (Graphic Novel of the Month)

“Everything in these delicate monochrome panels has been considered; every angle calculated, every expression caught… There’s a master at work here, and you can feel it on every page.” The Telegraph