I'm delighted to announce that I created this year's poster for SPX, one of my very favorite small press comic conventions! Here it is: (Click to view larger)

Every year, after the Ignatz Awards ceremony, the con staff rolls out one of the best parts of the weekend: a huge chocolate fountain, and a mountain of awesome things to dip in it: fruit, cake, marshmallows, brownies, the works. Everyone stands around and eats junk food and talks comics and it's just lovely. I wanted to incorporate that feeling into the poster. You'll be able to buy prints of the poster at the convention, and the money goes back into supporting SPX itself.

The convention will be held September 11-12 in Bethesda, MD. I'll be exhibiting with the Comics Bakery at Table G15-16, right as you walk into the front of the hall past registration.

I'll be on one panel, here are the details:

Comics for Younger Readers Saturday, Sept. 11 5:00 PM Brookside Conference Room

Book-length comics for younger readers are increasingly following graphic novels for adults into the bookstore and library shelves. Johanna Draper Carlson will discuss the pleasures and challenges of creating comics for younger readers with the collaborative duo Metaphrog, Aaron Renier, Raina Telgemeier, and Drew Weing.

Can't wait to see everyone in Bethesda! Hooray for comics!

Wednesday, September 1, I'm joining a bunch of other amazing creators for a Carousel event at the Chatham Square Branch of the NYPL!

What's a Carousel, you ask? It's basically a live reading of a comic. The images are projected onto a screen, and the artist reads the dialogue to the audience. I do this all the time in my presentations, but the person who originated the idea, R. Sikoryak, is a master of both the cartooning medium and the performance itself! I'll be joined by R., Dave Roman, Aaron Renier, George O'Connor, and Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan--each and every one of them creators of brilliant books I've not only read, but loved.

The event: Wednesday, September 1 4 PM NYPL Chatham Square Branch 33 East Broadway, NY NY

I hope you'll join us!

Another new comic is up! This one's 5 pages long, and is about one of my less-than-proud childhood moments. In my defense, I was in kindergarten, and playground rules are different than normal ones! At any rate: please don't try this at home.

Also, hey! I'm doing a signing this Friday at Forbidden Planet in New York City, in honor of the brand-new Reading With Pictures anthology! I've got a short story in the book, so come on down, grab a copy, and support a great cause.

Friday, August 13 Forbidden Planet 840 Broadway NYC 7:30 - 8:15 PM

I added a new short comic to the webcomics section of the site: this one is called Can I Try an Eskimo Pie?

I wrote up a con report about our wonderful time at San Diego Comic-con, which was this past weekend, over on my Livejournal! Click here to read. (It was a bit too long to put here on my site, which I don't know how to code cuts for!)

And if you just like looking at pictures, you can do so on Dave's and my Flickr page. =)

Oh boy! I missed it last year, but this year I'll be returning to San Diego for... COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL!!

I'll be around all weekend (July 21-25), exhibiting primarily at the Flight Booth, #2235. Joining me will be some of the other Graphix creators: Kazu Kibuishi and Jake Parker, of Amulet and Missile Mouse, respectively. And of course, the whole Flight crew will be on hand with a brand-new volume of the anthology! The Flight booth is where you'll be able to find SMILE at Comic-Con this year, so if you'd like to buy a copy or have your copy signed, stop by! I'll also have some original art and a few other goodies as well.

While I'll be stationed at the Flight booth most of the time, I'll be appearing in a few other places over the course of the con...

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Friday, July 23 Signing at the Cartoon Art Museum Booth for their annual Sketch-A-Thon! A $10 donation toward the museum gets you a drawing by me! 3 - 4 PM Booth #1930

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Saturday, July 24 Panel: Comics in the Library 11 AM - 12 PM Room 8

How are comics used in libraries? This panel discusses the variety of ways that libraries around the countries have begun to integrate comics into their collections and programming. Special attention is paid to the following subjects: comics for early readers; nonfiction comics, comics for adult readers. Presented by Francisca Goldsmith (Infopeople), Merideth Jenson-Benjamin (Glendale Public Library), JoAnn Jonas (San Diego County Library), Tuan Nguyen (Texas Maverick Graphic Novel List), Jill Patterson (OC Public Libraries), and comics creator Raina Telgemeier (Smile). Moderated by John Hogan (The Graphic Novel Reporter).

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EDITED TO ADD: Sunday, July 25 Panel: Kids Draw! 12 - 1 PM Room 30CDE

Dave Roman, John Green and I will be doing an interactive comics drawing panel for kids! All ages welcome.

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And if you spot me walking the floor, please say hello! I love meeting readers and fellow comics creators. I look a little something like this...

Cool stuff keeps on happening! Here are a few links... Slate.com reviews SMILE!

Recently, I was a guest on two episodes of the Art & Story Podcast! One is an hour-long meditation on comics storytelling, memoir writing, and craft, using SMILE as a jumping-off point, and the other is a 20-minute chat with the same guys about how I ripped off one of my toenails last month, and whether stories about modern kids and teens need to include technology like cell phones. Thanks to Jerzy, Mark, and Kevin for having me on.

The A&S guys are giving away a free hardcover copy of SMILE--details are here! The deadline is Wednesday, July 14, so get your entries in soon.

Finally, and this really blew me away: New York Times editor Julie Just appeared on a recent episode of ABC News Now, in a segment on Great Summer Reads--and not only did she recommend SMILE, but the Baby-sitters Club graphic novels, as well!! This is really exciting! And yes, they pronounced my name correctly...but spelled it wrong onscreen. These things happen. :)

I've got some original pieces in a neat gallery show, STORYTIME!, at the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco!

Here's the official info from the press release:

Storytime! Graphic Novels for Kids of All Ages June 26 - November 14, 2010 Cartoon Art Museum 655 Mission Street San Francisco, CA

Over the past decade, graphic novels have exploded in popularity with children and teenagers. The Cartoon Art Museum’s latest exhibition, Storytime! Graphic Novels for Kids of All Ages, features the work of ten influential cartoonists whose work broke new ground in bookstores and libraries. Their graphic novels are promoted as product for the children and young adult marketplace but these innovative graphic novels are captivating to readers of all ages. Co-curators Andrew Farago and Larry Marder have placed a special emphasis on the creative processes used by the individual artists. Visitors are invited to peek over the shoulders of the creators and follow along from the first sketchbook doodles all the way to the printed page.

I've got five original pages from SMILE in the show (the very San Franciscan Loma Prieta earthquake sequence, in fact), and they appear alongside the work of some true comics luminaries: Jeff Smith, Stan Sakai, Mo Willems, Irving Tripp, Virginia Hubbell, Lark Pien, Dave Roman, Hope Larson, and Larry Marder! The show shines a special spotlight on process and technique, so you can see plenty of thumbnails, writing samples, and sketches alongside the final artwork.

If you're in San Francisco and would like to see how my work looks in person, I heartily recommend stopping by the Cartoon Art Museum, a wonderful place to visit anytime. I'll be doing an artist-in-residence program there in October, and the show will be up through mid-November.

I'm enjoying a bit of downtime, now that my 12-week run of spring events is over. Of course, it's only a couple of weeks till Comic-Con International in San Diego, but I'm trying to get a bunch of work done before that! Never a dull moment around here! See you soon.

Imagine my surprise when I discovered that today's Cul de Sac featured Petey reading a copy of SMILE--it's not every day that my book shows up in my CURRENT FAVORITE COMIC STRIP!!

Seriously, I got into comics because of comic strips in the first place. CdS is by FAR my favorite strip currently in print, and in my top 5 of all time strips, joining the ranks of Calvin and Hobbes and For Better or For Worse. Richard Thompson is a swell guy and a brilliant cartoonist, and I had the distinct pleasure of not only talking shop with him at Heroes Con earlier this month, but also doing an art trade! I gave him one of my original Baby-sitters Club pages, and in return got to come home with a beautiful CdS original. It's going to get a nice frame job, and then it'll join the growing collection of artwork on my living room walls.

Anyway, to wake up to this surprise this morning was a real treat. I think someone else colors the CdS dailies, not Richard himself, so that would explain the orange color on the cover. Richard did confirm, however, that that is indeed my SMILE in Petey's hands.

I can't believe my 12-week run of events is almost over! I've got one more good one before I wrap up things for a bit, though: The American Library Association's Annual Conference, in Washington, DC!

I'll only be at ALA for one day, Monday, June 28, but I plan to make the most of it. Here's the event I'll be doing:

Monday, June 28 1:00PM - 2:00PM

Authors on the Pavilion: A Conversation With Raina Telgemeier,
Smile (Scholastic) Moderated by Brigid Alverson
(Good Comics for Kids/School Library Journal) Graphic Novel Pavilion Stage

(located on the map where you see booths 2264 thru 2267)

Brigid will be interviewing me about Smile, and my earlier work, and we'll be showing some slides and images from my career. After that, I will be signing copies of Smile, so if you don't have one yet, come and get one from me there!

The other graphic novel-centric programming can be found at this link.

Librarians and attendees, if you'd like to meet up or chat at some point on Monday, please drop me a line! I'll be at the conference all day, and while there are a couple of panels I plan to attend, I'll have some free time, too.

And after ALA, I've got a few weeks off! My next event forthcoming is San Diego Comic-Con International, which I'll make a big post about soon. In the meantime, enjoy the summer!

Some VERY exciting news: SMILE was recently named as an Honor Book in the 2010 Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards for Excellence in Children’s Literature!! This is the first time a graphic novel has made it onto the list, and I'm extremely humbled to share the short list with such an amazing group of talented authors. You can read the full press release here.

I'll be traveling up to Boston in October for the awards ceremony, and look forward to meeting and congratulating the other winners and honorees!

Michigan was a blast, and I'm only home for two days this week before I jet off to Canada...here's what I'll be up to, up there:

Friday June 18th Ladies' Night at Strange Adventures 5262 Sackville Street Downtown Halifax, NS 6pm to 9pm

This will be a lot of fun! Halifax's own comic shop, Strange Adventures, is throwing a ladies-only party, so us girls can talk comics with other girls in a friendly, welcoming environment. I'll have copies of Smile, the BSC books, and X-Men: Misfits. There will be prizes! And snacks! And I get to hang out with my friend Faith Erin Hicks, who is the event's other special guest! I am told guys can hang out at the pub next door! :)

Saturday June 19 Grand Opening of Dartmouth Strange Adventures 101 Portland Street Downtown Dartmouth, NS Noon to 6pm

The next day, come celebrate the opening of Strange Adventures' second store branch, in Dartmouth, NS--you can take a ferry to get there! Dave and I will both be signing and hanging out from 1-3. Everyone is welcome at this event, so I hope you'll come by and say hello.

I'm looking forward to finally seeing the Maritimes--after our trip to Maine a few weeks ago, I'm craving more sea breezes and harbor views.

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I'll post more about this next week, but: I'm going to be at the ALA Annual Conference in Washington DC, on Monday, July 28! I've got a panel & signing in the Graphic Novel Pavillion from 1-2. Librarians, I'd love to meet you and sign a copy of Smile for you!

I'm back from a fabulous time in North Carolina for Heroes Con (Friendly Southerners! Hot weather! The best cornbread I've ever had!) and am now gearing up for this coming weekend's Kids Read Comics event in Dearborn, Michigan.

KRC is a free event taking place at the Henry Ford Centennial Library in Dearborn, June 12 and 13. The weekend will feature hands-on workshops, panels, and presentations for kids, families, and educators. You can see the programming schedule here; I'm involved in the following events:

Panel Discussion - Drawing From Life Sat, June 12, 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM Not every comic tells a made up story about costumed adventurers, fantasy princesses or rodents dressed in human clothes. There are many engaging comics memoirs, histories, biographies and more that explore real people and real events. Join Dave Roman, Raina Telgemeier, Ryan Estrada, Jim Ottaviani, and Stephanie Mannheim as they talk with moderator Paul Storrie about how they’ve brought real life to life in comics form. All Ages.

Demo - Cartooning Styles Sun, June 13, 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM Join cartoonists Dave Roman and Raina Telgemeier for a humorous interactive presentation about art styles, featuring images of popular cartoon characters like Sponge Bob Squarepants and Mickey Mouse, and how different artists interpret them. Explore character design, followed by an interactive drawing demo, in which you, the audience, will instruct Raina in creating characters and images! All Ages.

Live Reading - Raina Telgemeier and Dave Roman Sun, June 13, 3:00 PM to 3:30 PM Raina Telgemeier and Dave Roman will read (and perform) chapters from their all-ages graphic novels as the illustrated panels are projected onto a large screen for all to see. They’ll also ask for some volunteers from the audience to play some of the characters. All Ages.

As I said, this event is totally free and open to the public, so you've got no excuse not to come. Bring the family! See you there!

Next up on my whirlwind tour is another event I'm particularly excited about: HEROES CON! JUNE 4-6, 2010 Charlotte Convention Center 501 S. College St. Charlotte, NC

I'll be at TABLE 519 IN INDIE ISLAND!

I'm honored to be one of the guests in Indie Island, because from everything I've heard, this is the coolest place to be. I'll be surrounded by friends and artists I admire. Please come by for a book, a sketch, or a chat! I've wanted to visit North Carolina for years (probably because of a certain obsession with Ben Folds Five...), but for whatever reason, it hasn't happened until now. Heroes Con is said to be one of the most laid-back, family-friendly conventions out there, so I can think of no better way to greet the south.

The convention hours are as follows:

Friday: 11.00 am - 7.00 pm Saturday: 10.00 am - 6.00 pm Sunday: 11.00 am - 6.00 pm

Update: PANEL SCHEDULE!

Friday, June 4 3.00 PM VOCATIONAL COMICS: Comics As Career Room 207BCD Tom Spurgeon of The Comics Reporter meets with some of the brightest stars in the comic firmament to discuss how they learned to handle the age-old question: what do you do when comics becomes your livelihood? Joining Tom will be Jill Thompson (Scary Godmother), Meredith Gran (Octopus Pie ), Jim Rugg (Afrodisiac), Ed Piskor (Wizzywig) and Raina Telgemeier (Smile).

Sunday, June 6 3.00 PM AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL COMICS: What To Leave In, What To Leave Out Room 208AB Autobio comics have long been one of comics' greatest and most idiosyncratic genres, focusing on the lives and memories of cartoonists and using comics as an immersive tool. Moderator Dustin Harbin discusses autobio comics and what makes them work (and not work) with Erika Moen (Dar), Ken Dahl (Monsters), and Raina Telgemeier (Smile).

Extreme thanks are due to Dustin Harbin, Heroes Employee Extraordinaire (and fellow dental drama buddy!), and Shelton Drum, owner of Charlotte's own Heroes Aren't Hard To Find comic book store, for inviting Dave and I to be a part of this wonderful event.

From everything I heard about last year's inaugural MECAF, I'm pretty excited about this event. Saturday is programming-only, and the festival is working in conjunction with the Portland Public Library to present a free day of panels and discussions! The following day, Sunday, join us for the one-day festival itself.

Panels and Programming (Free!) Portland Public Library Main Branch, 5 Monument Square Saturday, May 22

Cartooning Styles, 12:30 PM A humorous presentation about art styles, featuring images of popular cartoon characters like Sponge Bob Squarepants and Mickey Mouse, and how different artists interpret them. Raina Telgemeier and Dave Roman will talk about designing characters, and then give an interactive drawing demo, in which the audience will instruct Raina in creating characters and images. Age range: 5 – 12

Live Comics Reading: Smile & Astronaut Elementary, 2:30 PM Raina Telgemeier and Dave Roman will read (and perform) chapters from their all-ages graphic novels, as the illustrated panels are projected onto a large screen for all to see. They’ll also ask for some volunteers from the audience to play some of the characters. Age range: 5 and up

Sunday, May 23 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM, MECAF (Kids 12 and Under are Free!) Ocean Gateway (Directions)

I'll post my table information as soon as I have it, but the show is small and chances are I'll be in front of a certain Smile banner! This is where you can find me with lots of copies of Smile for sale, along with Baby-sitters Club graphic novels, artwork, t-shirts, and mini-comics! Have a book you would like me to sign? Bring it along!

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I've got three private events (two in NYC and one in Pittsburgh) between now and the 22nd, so no rest for me! TCAF, in Toronto last weekend, was also brilliant and I wish I had time to thank everyone who made my time there so wonderful. So much going on lately, and more to come!

No rest for the author with a new book out! On Saturday and Sunday, May 8 and 9, I will be in Toronto, Ontario, Canada for The Toronto Comic Arts Festival, otherwise known as TCAF! Location: Toronto Reference Library 789 Yonge St., Toronto, Canada When: May 8, 9-5 PM; and May 9, 11-5 PM. Admission to TCAF is Free!!

Dave and I will be at Table 128, right next to our friends Frank Cammuso and Diana Tamblyn! Here's a floormap of the show; we seem to be near the Library Info Desk. Look for my big ol' Smile banner to find me (hint: it looks like this)!

Update: Panels and Programming!

Comics For Kids: What’s Next? SATURDAY, May 8th, 2:45 – 3:30pm, Learning Center 1 Following the initial burst of graphic novels created and marketed specifically to young readers, where will the industry go? Find out from a panel of experts including editors, creators, teachers and librarians what’s working for young readers, what’s not working, who are reading these books and what’s next. Panelists include Raina Telgemeier (Smile), Frank Cammuso (Knights of the Lunch Table), Clayton Hamner (CTON’s Super A-maze-ing Year of Crazy Comics!), Eva Volin (Librarian), Karen Li (Editor, Kids Can Press) and Diana Maliszewski (Teacher), moderated by Scott Robins (Blogger, SLJ’s Good Comics For Kids)

KidsDraw: Turn Your Life Into Comics SUNDAY, May 9th, 12:30pm-1:00pm, Novella Room The inspiration for Raina Telgemeier’s newest book, Smile comes from her own life as a young girl. Get tips from her on how to get ideas from your own life to create your own autobiographical comics and watch her draw live.

The New Graphic Novelists: New Creators Transforming the Medium SUNDAY, May 9th, 2:15 – 3:15pm, Learning Center 1 There is a pantheon of great graphic novelists — folks who started thinking about comics as singular, book-bound creations. But that concept has shifted since its conceptualization, and a collection of young creators are pushing the medium in fantastic new ways. Creators Joshua Cotter, Colleen Frakes, Ryan North, Dash Shaw, and Raina Telgemeier will discuss their experiences producing comics that alternately defy and embrace the term ‘graphic novel”. Moderated by Eva Volin.

Canadian friends, I hope to see you this weekend!

++Chicago++ ++Portland++ ++ALL THE PHOTOS++

WOW. What a wonderful time we had in both Chicago and Portland...there is so much to say, and so many people to thank, but it'll have to wait for another post. In the meantime, I want to tell you about an event I've got on Saturday, May 1!

I'm taking part in a fun teen and tween author event at Books of Wonder, one of the best independent bookstores I've ever visited! Here is a rundown of the details:

Teen and Tween Author Event With Deborah Wiles, Daniel Ehenhaft, and Raina Telgemeier Saturday, May 1 Noon - 2 PM Books of Wonder 18 West 18th Street New York, NY

We'll be speaking panel-style, talking about our respective works, and signing books! There will be plenty of copies of Smile for one and all. After you get your book signed, stick around and have a cupcake from the store's adjoining Cupcake Cafe!

I'm still in Chicago, enjoying the last few hours of our visit here. Our time here has been great, and we still have our event at Challengers this evening, from 7-9. Looking forward to it! Then, it's back on a plane and we head to Portland, Oregon for... The Stumptown Comics Fest! I haven't been to Portland (or Stumptown, for that matter) since 2008, so it will be nice to return. Dave and I will be at Table 102 at the festival, and we'll have a ton of stuff, including shiny hardcover volumes of Smile! Please come and say hello!

I'll be on one panel during the weekend:

Saturday, April 24, 2:00-2:45pm in the Oregon Room: Comics for Young Readers — Comics and graphic novels for kids, teens, and tweens are quickly gaining popularity among readers. Join creators Hope Larson (Chiggers, Mercury), Raina Telgemeier (Smile, Baby-sitters Club), and Alexis Fajardo (Kid Beowulf).for a discussion on their work, their audience, and their influences. Moderated by author and librarian Sara Ryan (The Rules for Hearts). All ages welcome!

Prior to the convention, I'll also be attending the west coast iteration of Drink and Draw Like a Lady, Friday evening at the Secret Society. I am also planning to eat a couple of those meals they call "brunch." Mmmm, I can't wait...

Well! MoCCA was a grand old time...until I came down with the flu. Luckily, the germs held off until the con was over, but I've been stuck in bed ever since. This coming weekend, I plan on feeling 100% better, because I'll be attending the inaugural C2E2 Convention in Chicago, IL! I haven't been to Chicago in years, and I'm looking forward to revisiting the charms of the windy city. And Dave has never been, so I look forward to introducing him to authentic deep dish pizza!

We'll be set up this weekend in C2E2's Artist Alley, at Table K6. We'll have a plethora of goodies for sale, including hardcover editions of Smile, BSC graphic novels, mini-comics, t-shirts, original art, and all of Dave's comics, too!

Our schedules for the con are as follows:

Friday 12:15 - 1:15: Dave will be on the panel, The Magic of Reading from the Creator’s Perspective. Room E352.

Saturday 6:10: I'll be participating in the Iron Artist Tournament, on the Variant Stage. There will be three rounds of 4 cartoonists each starting at 6:10, 6:50 and 7:30. Each round will involve 3 “art challenges” where they’ll be given 10 minutes to put their own unique spin on an idea suggested by our audience. I'm up at 6:10; please come watch me draw and cheer me on!

Sunday 11:00: Dave is on an Avatar panel! If you love the TV show Avatar: The Last Airbender as much as we do, you'll want to attend this one. The panel title is Avatar: The Last Airbender - Beginning and Beyond, and it takes place in room E350.

Sunday 12:30: I'll be speaking on the panel Graphic Novel Events for Your School/Library. Should be interesting! Room E267.

Sunday 2-2:30: SMILE, LIVE ON STAGE!! I'll be performing a scene from Smile, live on stage, with a few other actors reading different parts. On the Variant Stage.

Beyond that, we should be at our table all weekend. Please come by and say hello! We love meeting new people!

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We're going to be in town for a few days beyond the con. I'm doing a private school visit on Monday afternoon, and then on Tuesday evening, we hope you'll join us for...

Audiovisual Audacity with Raina Telgemeier and Dave Roman!

@ Challengers Comics + Conversation 1845 N. Western Ave. 2R Chicago, IL Tuesday, April 20 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

KIDS OF ALL AGES: Do we have an event for you! Straight from New York, we've got authors RAINA TELGEMEIER (Smile, Babysitters Club) and DAVE ROMAN (Astronaut Elementary, Agnes Quill) giving an exciting sight-and-sound heavy presentation for young and old alike. HEAR Dave and Raina read from two of their all-ages graphic novels! SEE accompanying slideshows of both books! TASTE some cool snacks! SOME ACTION that signifies getting copies of SMILE and ASTRONAUT ELEMENTARY signed by the authors!

It's going to be a fun night, so bring the whole family!

And after that, it's on to Portland, OR, for the Stumptown Comics Fest...which I'll talk about in its own post. What a crazy month!