Christian Lipski’s Many Articles About Hereville

I’ve been neglecting the Hereville blogging for the last few weeks, and I have a bunch of articles to link to!

Today, I’ll link to a series of four (!) articles by Christian Lipski in The Portland Examiner. First, there’s Christian’s detailed report of the Premiereville event at Powell’s on Hawthorne. (I posted some photos of the event here.)

Although he got 100 details right, Christian did get one small fact wrong — my friend Jenn Frederick, who read the part of Gittel at Premiereville, isn’t my sister. But Christian’s article has made me realize that when I eventually do a reading in Ithaca, New York, I have got to make my real-life older sister Allison Andersen read the part of Mirka’s older sister Gittel!

The Portland Examiner also published a three-part interview Christian conducted with me. Unlike most interviewers, who interview me by email (thus saving themselves the transcribing work), Christian interviewed me by phone — he says that the results of phone interviews are extra-lively enough to justify the extra work.

Part one of the interview (entitled “An Unfinished End“), in which we discuss how Hereville was sold, can be found here. Part two, about Hereville and sexism, and also about the joy of huge open mouths, can be found here. And part three, about the perils of using photo reference when drawing, and about the next Hereville book, can be found here.

Here’s a little bit from part two:

…in Hasidic culture, the boys and girls are so separated there are so many years where essentially, other than their immediate male family, they’re growing up in an all-girl society. Everyone they socialize with other than their brothers and their father is female. Stephanie Levine, an anthropologist, wrote a book about the lives of teen Hasidic girls, and argues that kind of as a result of this separation they are incredibly spirited and in some ways more free than girls growing up in mainstream society. The point where having a boyfriend becomes important and you’re dressing and acting in a certain way so that the boys like you gets stalled for years in Hasidic culture.

A big thank you for Christian Lipski for all this writing about Hereville!

Seattle Appearance, November 11th

I will be appearing at Mockingbird Books in Seattle tomorrow (Thursday the 11th) at 6:30pm. I’ll be presenting a slideshow about Hereville (including a reading), answering questions, and signing books. If you’re in Seattle, please come out and see me.

Photos Of Premiereville! Including the first Hereville Cosplayers!

The Hereville premiere at Powell’s — or “Premiereville,” as Sara Ryan dubbed it on twitter — went very well. Almost 40 people came (which the Powell’s employees told me was very good for a first-time author), people seemed to enjoy the slideshow, and happily my head did not explode at any point during the proceedings.

Jennifer Frederick and Dan Pooley were nice enough to take photos, which Jenn has posted on Facebook. Here are some of the pictures!

Here I am, talking to a whole bunch of people. Notice, again, that my head has not exploded. This was a matter of some concern before the event.

Being very lazy, I asked a few of my friends to play parts during the reading portion of the show. (It’s hard to see in this photo, but panels were being projected on screen to go with the reading). Sydney (nearly 7 years old) read Zindel’s lines, Jenn (aka Bean, somewhat over 7 years old) read Gittel’s lines, and Flora, who volunteered from the audience to read Rochel’s lines (9 years old). Not in this photo: Brad Rosman (wise beyond his years) read the part of the pig with panache, and I (barely 18 years old! Really!) read Mirka’s lines. All the guest readers did a great job!

Sydney prepared for the reading by memorizing all her lines! We were all very impressed. She also contributed a crackerjack impression of a squeaking gate. Flora did a wonderful job reading, and only stumbled over one word, “gentile.” Her mom quipped from the audience “she’s never heard that word before because we’re Jewish.”

More pics — including photos of the cosplayers — after the jump!

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The Official Hereville Premiere Event! November 4th, 7:30pm

When: Thursday, November 4th, 7:30pm
What: The official premiere of the Hereville graphic novel. Cartoonist Barry Deutsch will narrate a slideshow about Hereville, to be followed by a book signing. Colorist Jake Richmond will also attend.
Where: Powell’s on Hawthorne in Portland, Oregon.

“What do you get when you cross Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Isaac Bashevis Singer?”

—The Washington Post on Hereville

Hereville, a new hardcover, color graphic novel is officially being released by Abrams on November 1st. The official premier event will take place at Powell’s on Hawthorne on November 4th.

Hereville is the story of Mirka, an 11-year-old girl being raised in an extremely traditional Jewish community. But all Mirka wants to do is fight monsters — which isn’t so traditional for a girl in her community. Hereville is about Mirka’s magical adventures (she meets a witch, a troll, and an extremely grumpy pig), and also about Mirka’s family and community. And reviewers are saying that Hereville is one of the best graphic novels of the year.

Hereville was originally a webcomic, and then a self-published floppy comic, with a first run of 100 copies. When the self-published comic was premiered at Stumptown Comics Fest, Hereville received serious interest from two different publishers and an agent. Two years later, the graphic novel of Hereville — much expanded and redrawn from the earlier comic — is finally in stores.

FOUR STARS for Hereville:

“Mirka is the heroine that girlhood dreams are made of… Hereville is pure enchantment.” —School Library Journal (starred review)

“Undoubtedly one of the cleverest graphic novels of the year.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“A terrific story, told with skill and lots of heart, that readers of all ages will enjoy.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“An elegant, subtle examination into the gender roles, deep religious roots, and everyday cultural elements of an Orthodox Jewish society, while also being a witty, enormously clever adventure quest featuring a girl who will happily and firmly inform you that she is, indeed, hero material.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)

For further information about Hereville… please explore this website.

Barry Will Be At APE This Weekend

I’ll be appearing at APE this weekend, with lots of copies of the Hereville graphic novel to sell! If you’re in San Francisco, please come by and say hi. I’ll be at table #652, along with Jonathan Dalton.

Stumptown Comics Fest Today and Tomorrow

I’ll be appearing at the Stumptown Comics Fest today and tomorrow, sharing a table with Jenn Lee of the wonderful (but grown-up) science-fiction comic Dicebox. If you’re going to be there, please drop by and say hi.

I can’t wait until after November, when I’ll be able to bring the new book with me to cons!