News broke last Friday that Scott McCloud is moving to First Second, where he will publish his next two books, including his next graphic novel tentatively scheduled for 2013. So you have plenty of time to save up. McCloud’s last few books came out thruogh HarperCollins. Over on his LJ, McCloud commented on the announcement:
A few weeks ago, I visited the Manhattan offices of our friends at First Second books to discuss my plans for an original graphic novel that I’ve been dreaming of for more than two decades, and which, in the last couple of years, has become a full-blown obsession.
The three of us—myself, First Second, and the book—got along so well together, that we’ve decided to get hitched for the above linked-to two-book deal. This means that I’ll be working with a great comics-savvy team and a whip-smart editor, but perhaps best of all, it means that when I travel to New York (which I’ll be doing often since the graphic novel takes place in Manhattan) I get to visit their offices in the frickin’ FLATIRON building.
Full text of press release below:
First Second Books announced today that it will publish two upcoming works by Scott McCloud, the award-winning author of the widely-acclaimed Understanding Comics and its followups, Reinventing Comics and Making Comics. A new work of graphic fiction, tentatively titled “The Sculptor,” is slated for publication in Spring 2013 and will be followed by a non-fiction book.
First Second’s Editorial Director Mark Siegel says, “Scott McCloud’s accomplishments are considerable: as spokesman and champion of the medium of comics, as its great explainer and theorist, as its dedicated practitioner. Scott has now tasked himself with an ambitious pole-vault into adult fiction—a great American graphic novel.”
Understanding Comics, McCloud’s seminal work, was published in 1993 and was translated into 16 languages. Reinventing Comics (2000) and Making Comics (2006) cemented his reputation as one of the most in-demand experts on the medium. McCloud’s U.S. author tour in support of Making Comics covered all 50 states, and tens of thousands have attended his lively speaking appearances at universities, corporations, and media.
McCloud has won the grand-slam of Eisner, Harvey, Inkpot and Kirby Awards (the highest awards in the comics industry), and he has been recognized by both his peers and critics as one of the most respected voices in the field. His international reputation has earned him the Alph Art Award (critics prize) at the prestigious annual Comics Festival in Angouleme, France, England’s coveted Eagle Award, and the Finnish Lempi International Award. In 2002 the Association of Educational Publishers awarded McCloud its Distinguished Achievement Award, and in 2007, Making Comics won the Quill Award for Graphic Novels.
Of this new editorial partnership, McCloud commented: “I’m thrilled to be working with First Second. I’ve been in contact with Mark Siegel since the line launched and have watched with admiration as their catalog has grown in depth, breadth and quality, including some of my favorite new artists working on upcoming projects. This is a forward-looking team that understands comics, and can match my enthusiasm for its endless possibilities.”
The deal was brokered by Scott McCloud’s agent Judy Hansen of the Hansen Literary Agency, who feels that McCloud and First Second “will be an impressive match.” Film agent for the Hansen Agency, Nick Harris of Rabineau Wachter Sanford & Harris adds, “We’ve no doubt this will be a hugely commercial film property, as well—one that Hollywood is already taking notice of.”
Tags: Scott McCloud, First Second
“This means that I’ll be working with a great comics-savvy team and a whip-smart editor, but perhaps best of all, it means that when I travel to New York (which I’ll be doing often since the graphic novel takes place in Manhattan) I get to visit their offices in the frickin’ FLATIRON building.”
First Second is a great company and their publishinng philosophy would seem to dovetail nicely with McCloud’s aware, thoughtful artistry. But if the publisher’s offices in the Flatiron Building was a selling point, it’s a good thing he’s getting to do so now, before the Italian company that just bought a majority stake in the building makes good on its plans to wait out tenant leases to turn the place into a luxury hotel.
http://tinyurl.com/bugrr9
Feh to luxury hotels. But hooray for McCloud!
Yeah, I heard about that too.
Needless to say, they’d be a great company no matter where they’re headquartered, but I hope I get to visit that wonderful old building for awhile at least. :-)
The only minus here is having to wait until 2013!