Tag Archives: chester brown

Paying for It is coming to theaters soon so we check out Chester Brown’s graphic novel it’s based on

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Paying for It was the most talked-about and controversial graphic novel of 2011, a critical success so innovative and complex that it received two rave reviews in The New York Times. Chester Brown‘s eloquent, spare artwork stands out in this new paperback edition, tied to the release of the film adaptation co-written and directed by Sook-Yin Lee, Brown’s longtime friend and the director of Year of the Carnivore and Octavio is Dead!

Paying for It offers an entirely unvarnished exploration of sex work through Brown’s own life story, showing him as a timid john who rides his bike to his escorts, wonders how to tip so as not to offend, and reads Dan Savage for advice. The book demystifies an experience that is so often sensationalized, revealing a world of online reviews, seemingly willing participants, and clean apartments devoid of clichéd street corners, drugs, or pimps. In it, Brown combines the personal and sexual aspects of his autobiographical work (I Never Liked You, The Playboy) with the polemical drive of Louis Riel, as he explores one of the most hotly debated issues in the world and advocates for the importance of legalizing sex work.

Now with an introduction by Lee, expanded notes discussing the film adaptation, movie stills and behind the scenes shots, as well as a new cover by Brown and artwork that he created for the production, Paying for It: The Film Edition is an unmissable edition for fans of Brown and film-making alike.

Story: Chester Brown
Art: Chester Brown

Get your copy now! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.

Bookshop
Amazon

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Paying For It, based on Chester Brown’s graphic novel, Comes to Theaters January 30

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Chester, a cartoonist, and Sonny, a TV host – are a long-term, committed romantic couple. When Sonny introduces the idea of opening up their relationship, Chester begins sleeping with sex workers, forcing him to face his issues with intimacy and romance in the process.

Celebrating the vibrant underground comic and zine era through the experiences of cartoonist Brown, Paying For It connects the past with the present by bringing together emerging comic actors, performance artists, authors, activists and multimedia creators in front of and behind the camera, and it has resonated for festival audiences and critics alike. 

Based on the best-selling graphic novel by acclaimed alternative-cartoonist Chester Brown, Paying For It is a personal take on romance and relationships. From writer/director Sook-Yin Lee the film comes to theaters January 30, 2026.

Directed by: Sook-Yin Lee
Written by: Sook-Yin Lee, Joanne Sarazen
Cast: Dan Beirne, Emily Lê, Andrea Werhun
Produced by: Matt Code, Sonya Di Rienzo, Aeschylus Poulos
Co-produced by: Natalie Urquhart, Sook-Yin Lee
Executive Produced by: John Cameron Mitchell, Dan Beirne
Cinematography by: Gayle Ye

Peep Show #15 is a weird, vulnerable, and impeccably rendered swan song

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Peep Show #15

In a huge plot twist from the universe, Fantagraphics released one final issue of Joe Matt’s autobiographical comic Peep Show one year after his untimely passing and 18 years after Peep Show #14. (I may have purchased the only physical copy in the Nashville metro area.) This comic deals with much of the same material as all of Matt’s previous works, including his addiction to pornography, fetishization of Asian women, frugality, and relationship with Canadian cartoonists, Seth and Chester Brown. But there is some wrinkles thrown in like moving to Los Angeles to pitch Peep Show as a television show to HBO, his relationship with fans of his work, and constant struggles with art block. (We also know the names and details of every woman that Joe Matt has had sex with from youth to 2003 or so.) There’s a real sense of finality to Peep Show #15 that reaches its peak when Seth does a toast at Matt’s farewell dinner, and even though the stories of his relationship with a female American artist named Maggie and his work with HBO ends with “To be continued”, we know they break up and, of course, that Peep Show never got made into a TV show. (It did inspire the name of a hilarious British sitcom though.)

Although it lacks the formal experimentation of his early work, Peep Show #15 delivers the trademark Joe Matt storytelling style, which is precise lines and mark making and overindulgence with his dialogue and balloon placement. He was the perverted love child of Charles Schulz and R. Crumb, and both cartoonists are mentioned in this issue in very different contexts. Matt compares himself to Charlie Brown in a long winded monologue directed at an HBO exec, and then, the comic wraps up with him comparing his work negatively to Crumb and also thinking about selling a copy of Book of Genesis (And Soprano screener DVDs.) to pay the rent. But, self-deprecation aside, Joe Matt is one of the most fluid visual storytellers ever. You can follow an issue of Peep Show just through its protagonist’s facial expressions, and he uses all the classic cartooning short hand like sweat beads (And its drool variant.), speed lines, and lots of negative space and sound effects to make for a pleasant reading experience with an unpleasant protagonist. Also, for better or worse, the supporting characters of Peep Show have a unique look and body type that feeds into how they interact with Matt.

Peep Show #15

Peep Show #15 (and Joe Matt’s whole ouevre) is full of strange, frankly meme-worthy moments that make it stand out from other autobiographical comics. There’s an early sequence where a rabid Matt fangirl shows up to San Diego Comic Con dressed like Seth and does a mini strip-tease while quoting the names of Peep Show collection volumes and putting prop urine jars (One of Joe Matt’s grosser habits to save money on the water bill.) on his table before she’s called away to Stan Lee’s table. Along with this strangeness, there’s his obsessive hatred for River Cuomo even though they could definitely find common ground in the type of women they’re attracted to. Matt as cult figure is something that’s explored throughout the Peep Show run with him initially being more famous than Seth and Chester Brown, but eventually being eclipsed by them because they actually finished their comic projects. He’s respected by Grammy Award winning artists and Emmy winning writers, but lives in poverty and put out four single issue comics in the 21ste century because of his perfectionism and the mismatch of his writing and art style.

Peep Show #15 is a weird, vulnerable, and impeccably rendered swan song to the comics creator, Joe Matt. Matt wasn’t afraid to spend an entire comic making himself the butt of the joke and putting his idiosyncrasies on display. I enjoyed his interactions with his new friend Brian who reminds a lot of us book and comic hoarders to actually read and savor the gems in our collection instead of letting them pile up. For all his proclivities, Joe Matt loved comics, especially classic comic strips, with a depth and passion that was transferred over to his meticulous work so it’s fitting that the front cover of the book shows him reading a comic on the toilet and the back cover is him flirting with Olive Oyl from Popeye.

Story/Art: Joe Matt Additional lnks: Chester Brown 
Story: 8.0 Art: 10.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

Purchase: Zeus Comics

Around the Tubes

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It’s one of two new comic days! What are you all getting? What are you excited for? Sound off in the comments below. While you decide on that, here’s some comic news from around the web to start the day.

The Beat – Sook-Yin Lee is adapting Chester Brown’s 2011 graphic novel PAYING FOR IT for a movie – Another comic coming to the screen.

The Beat – A Year of Free Comics: Zombies and unicorns?! Check out HOOVES OF DEATH – Free comics!

CBR – Arrowverse Over? The CW Cancels The Flash With a Shortened Season 9 – Had to end at some point.

Kotaku – TwitchCon Doesn’t Care That The Pandemic Is Still Happening – SDCC was strict and there was still a good outbreak. Be careful, the pandemic isn’t over.

Paying for It

D+Q Fall events with Bagge, Barry, Brown, Castree, Hanawalt, Hernandez, Katin, Modan, Nilsen, Ralph, Seth, Shapton, Spiegelman, Tomine, ROOKIE!

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D+Q authors and cartoonists are taking over North America this Fall at an event near you! Check out below to find where these creators will be over the coming months.

WOMANREBEL.cover

PETER BAGGE

Join Peter Bagge for the launch of his dazzling, accessible biography, Woman Rebel: The Margaret Sanger Story! He will be presenting a slideshow and signing on his US tour:

BALTIMORE Atomic Books Friday September 13th
BETHESDA Small Press Expo September 14th and September 15th
SEATTLE Town Hall Thursday September 26th
MINNEAPOLIS Magers & Quinn Wednesday October 16th
IOWA CITY Prairie Lights Friday October 18th
CHICAGO Quimby’s Saturday October 19th
BOSTON Brookline Booksmith Monday October 21st
PHILADELPHIA Locust Moon Tuesday October 22nd
NYC MANHATTAN Book Culture Wednesday October 23rd
NYC BROOKLYN Word Thursday October 24th
TORONTO IFOA Saturday October 26th
MIAMI Miami Book Fair November 17th-24th

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LYNDA BARRY

Seeing Lynda Barry in person is a once in a life time experience, do not miss her at the National Book Fest. Get her to sign her latest book, Freddie Stories!

WASHINGTON National Book Festival
Sunday, September 22nd

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CHESTER BROWN

A special, expanded edition of Chester Brown’s celebrated biography of the Canadian rebel Louis Riel!

“While rereading this graphic novel, I thought, ‘Why is this book not given to every schoolchild in Canada? … [H]as Canadian history ever been portrayed with more lyrical space, beauty, complexity, and drama…?” –The Globe and Mail

WINNIPEG McNally Robinson
for Louis Riel’s 169th birthday! Tuesday October 22nd
TORONTO Art Gallery of Ontario
McCready Leacture: an illustrated talk of Brown’s past and current work. Introductions by Andrew Hunter and Seth.
Chester’s original artwork from Louis Riel will be on display in the gallery. Wednesday November 13th

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GENEVIÈVE CASTRÉE

A trans-Canadian exploration of identity from a multitalented artist and musician!

“With mesmerizing honesty Castrée resurrects the obscenely disorienting turning points of a childhood, the ones that haunt a person for a lifetime. After reading the last page I closed the book and wept a little bit about its simple, perfect ending.”
–Miranda July, author of It Chooses You and No One Belongs Here More Than You

VICTORIA Open Words, University of Victoria
September 17th and September 18th

ROOKIE2_SM

TAVI GEVINSON x ROOKIE

OAK PARK Unity Temple Book Launch Tuesday October 1st
TORONTO Magic Pony Saturday, October 26th
LOS ANGELES Skylight Thursday, November 7th
PORTLAND Reading Frenzy Friday, November 8th
SEATTLE Vera Project Saturday, November 9th
CHICAGO MCA Sunday, December 8th

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LISA HANAWALT

“For years I’ve encountered Lisa Hanawalt’s comics and illustrations piecemeal — in various magazines and periodicals. They’re always a pleasant jolt. Now, they’ve been assembled into one thick, blazing bludgeon. I envy you getting walloped by them all for the first time. This is a Hanawalt assault. Succumb.”–Patton Oswalt

BETHESDA Small Press Expo September 14th and 15th
NYC Brooklyn Book Festival Sunday September 22nd

MARBLEcase

GILBERT HERNANDEZ

“Mr. Hernandez captures the wonder of childhood”
—_New York Times_

As resonant with the children of today as the children of the sixties, Marble Season is the all-new semi-autobiographical novel by acclaimed cartoonist Gilbert Hernandez. The evocative story masterfully explores the redemptive and timeless power of storytelling and role play in childhood.

WASHINGTON National Book Fair Sunday, September 22nd

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MIRIAM KATIN

Katin is a master storyteller in Letting It Go, an insightful and serious but also wry account of the myriad ways trauma infects daily existence, both for survivors and for their families.

“Katin eschews the use of panel borders for her gorgeously expressive color-pencil drawings, giving the narrative an irresistible flow. This… nuanced and inward-looking tale is an even greater testament to Katin’s remarkable storytelling abilities.”—_Booklist Starred Review_

NEW YORK Brooklyn Book Fest Sunday September 22nd
MIAMI Miami Book Fair November 17th-November 24th

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RUTU MODAN

Savvy and insightful, elegant and subtle, The Property is a triumph of storytelling that explores the absurdity of people’s behaviour and the complex consequences of their sacrifices.

“Modan is masterful at creating complex motivations, exploring the confusion her characters create in each other and, more fundamentally, in themselves.”—_LA Times_

On tour from Tel Aviv!
BETHESDA Small Press Expo September 14th and 15th
WASHINGTON Politics & Prose
Monday September 16th (by Toon Books)
NY Society of Illustrators Tuesday September 17th
NY Bookcourt Thursday September 19th (by Toon Books)
NY New York Art Book Fair Saturday September 21st

RAGE.casewrap-web

ANDERS NILSEN

Rage of Poseidon is devastating, insightful, and beautifully hewn; it’s a wry triumph in an all-new style from a masterful artist.

BETHESDA Small Press Expo
Saturday September 14th and Sunday September 15th
CHICAGO Brainframe Friday September 20th
NYC BROOKLYN Brooklyn Book Festival
Sunday September 22nd
SAN FRANCISCO Alternative Press Expo
Saturday October 12th and Sunday October 13th

REGGIE12web

BRIAN RALPH

Reggie-12 is a hilarious pop-culture send-up of the infalliable boy hero in Brian Ralph’s trademark stye, told with episodic wit and structure of the contemporary American sitcom. Laughs explode from the page! Brian will be celebrating the launch of Reggie-12 with a rollicking slideshow:

SEATTLE Fantagraphics Bookstore
Saturday, September 7th
PORTLAND Floating World Sunday, September 8th
SAN FRANCISCO Mission: Comics and Art
Tuesday, September 10th
LOS ANGELES Secret Headquarters
Wednesday, September 11th
BETHESDA SPX September 14th & 15th

PV21.cover_full

SETH

Continuing the new semi-annual hardcover format for Palookaville in volume 21, Seth presents a lushly designed three-part collection: a sketchbook memoir from his childhood in small-town Ontario; pages from the comic strip diary he has kept for almost a decade; an the the continuation of Part Four of the ongoing Clyde Fans serial.

NEW YORK Adam Baumgold Gallery
Original art from It’s A Good Life If You Don’t Weaken
Tuesday September 10th
*please note that Seth will not be attending the opening.

BETHESDA Small Press Expo
September 14th and September 15th

TORONTO IFOA
Saturday October 26th

SNM_cover

LEANNE SHAPTON

Originally collected on the New York Times Opinion Page, Leanne Shapton’s Sunday Night Movies is a dreamy, beautiful collection of remembered classics.

In New York this September!

Brooklyn Book Festival Sunday, September 22nd
Paris Review Thursday, September 26th

COMIX-frontcover

ART SPIEGELMAN

A comprehensive career overview of the legendary Pulitzer-Prize winning cartoonist! Spiegelman has been a leader of, and an inspiration for, alternative comics artists throughout the past three decades, and readers are now able to trace the evolution of this multifaceted artist throughout his storied career. Includes rare material and reproductions of out-of-print comics!

In New York this September!
Greenlight slideshow and signing
Wednesday, September 18th
Brooklyn Book Festival in conversation with Jules Feiffer
Sunday, September 22nd
Housing Works in conversation with Dan Nadel
Tuesday, September 24th

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ADRIAN TOMINE

Acclaimed cartoonist Adrian Tomine (New York Drawings, Shortcomings) returns with a dazzling new issue of his two-decade-long comic book series! Tomine channels contemporary zeitgeist and vernacular to produce flawlessly designed, compellingly readable stories.

BETHESDA Small Press Expo
September 14th and September 15th
BROOKLYN Brooklyn Book Festival
Sunday, September 22nd

Vote For Chester Brown’s LOUIS RIEL in CANADA READS! By This Sunday Night!

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Official Press Release

VOTE FOR CHESTER BROWN’S LOUIS RIEL in CANADA READS
POLL CLOSES SUNDAY AT MIDNIGHT

“It has the thoroughness of a history book yet reads with the personalized vision of a novel.”–Time

“If you love to read a gripping story, if you are awed by the talent of an artist, then look no further: Chester Brown’s Louis Riel is comix history in the making, and with it, history never looked so good.”–The Globe and Mail Book Review

“The starkly told story of a crucial figure in Canada’s history–yet one whom most Americans have probably never heard of. It’s a credit to Brown’s plainspoken artistry and flair for narrative that it’s a page-turner till the end.”–The Boston Phoenix

“This is an ingenious comic and a major achievement.” –Publishers Weekly Starred Review

Chester Brown reinvents the comic book medium to create the critically acclaimed historical biography LOUIS RlEL, winning the Harvey Awards for best writing and best graphic novel for his compelling, meticulous, and dispassionate retelling of the charismatic, and perhaps insane, nineteenth-century Metis leader. Brown coolly documents with dramatic subtlety the violent rebellion on the Canadian prairie led by Riel, who some regard a martyr who died in the name freedom, while others consider him a treacherous murderer.

Here’s your chance to make a difference! Vote in CBC Reads True Stories for the first Canadian graphic novel to turn the medium on its head in Canada and become the country’s first graphic novel bestseller, as well invigorate the biographical comic genre around the world. Vote for the book that made people around the world understand just who is Canada’s folk hero — Louis Riel!

Small Press Expo 2011

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Small Press ExpoWith such huge names as Chester Brown, Craig Thompson, Matthew Thurber and Sarah Glidden to name just a few, this past weekend’s Small Press Expo, held each year just North of Washington, DC continued to show off why it’s one of the best comic book shows in the nation.  The intimacy of the setting and quality of not just the guests, but also the panels makes it one of the few conventions in which you can shake hands with your favorite writers and artists but also be educated along the way.

This year continued the convention’s growth seeing record crowds that cause traffic jams in the aisles on Saturday.  But the best part of the show was watching comic book fans buying books from independent creators trying to get their materials into the hands of fans.  Much of the work here you won’t find at comic book stores and you’d have to dig on the web.  This is one of those few opportunities where you can really see true independent artists and talk to them directly.

What’s great in this setting is the fact that you indeed can talk to the creator of the book you just purchased.  It’s more than just simply getting an autograph or a sketch after handing over your money, you also get a chance to pick their brain or hear them directly tell you about their work.  There’s a connection that’s often missed at larger shows where an assembly line mentality takes over to turn and burn autographs to get through the crowds.

Even after the show door closes you’re able to head to the hotel bar and continue the schmoozing with fans, publishers, artists and writers well into the night.  It provides an experience like no other show I’ve been too.

The buzz of the show was BOOM! Studio‘s first ever attendance with the focus on their BOOM! Town and kaboom! line of comic books.  Roger Langridge was their to represent his new graphic novel The Show Must Go On which is being published but the company.  Some questions were raised if this set a bad precedent, but their being there was not only appropriate but welcomed.  There’s numerous types of “small press” and “independent press” and BOOM! absolutely qualifies.  Many of the artists and writers who attended have had books sold by major publishers like Vertigo, and there was no question as to their right to attend.  Overall, it seemed to be more about snootiness and taste than an actual issue.  Here’s hoping BOOM! will be back next year.

While my pile of books wasn’t as big as last year, there’s some quality material here (and at the show in general).  I walked away with numerous ashcans left out on tables for free, but also purchased were:

  • Freedom – Seamus Heffernan debuted his Xeric Grant backed comic book at the show.  It explores a world in which the British won the War for Independence.
  • Forever Winter – There’s those comics you hold in your hand and have to get, this was that one.  It started off as a webcomic, the art is solid and haunting with what looks to be an excellent story about serial killer and the backdrop of a world of dark clouds and endless snow.
  • Americans UK – The crazy series’ latest issue was at the show for purchase. Not only did I grab it, but also a dirt cheap t-shirt with the comic’s logo.
  • American Terrorist – The full graphic novel will debut at New York Comic Con in a month but the sketchbooks that give you a good taste of the comic were on hand for purchase.
  • A Home for Mr. Easter – Brooke A. Allen’s comic about a young girl who finds the real life Easter bunny is cute, funny and a great read.

The worst part now is it’s another year until we get together again.

Small Press Expo Announces Programming Slate for SPX 2011

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Official Press Release

Bethesda, Maryland; August  11, 2010 – The Small Press Expo (SPX), the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comics, graphic novels and alternative political cartoons, is pleased to announce its slate of programming for SPX 2011. SPX is proud to have earned a reputation for offering some of the most insightful, stimulating public interviews and panel discussions in comics today, assembled by comics educator and curator Bill Kartalopoulos.

Audiences at this year’s festival will have the opportunity to enjoy spotlight presentations and question-and-answer sessions with many of SPX’s headline guests, including Chester Brown, Roz Chast, Anders Nilsen, Diane Noomin, Johnny Ryan, Alex Robinson, Ann Telnaes, Craig Thompson, and Jim Woodring.

This year’s programming will also include a number of thoughtful panel discussions such as:

– “Inside The New Yorker,” featuring Roz Chast and Kate Beaton in conversation.
– “Narrative Logic: Surreal and Obscure,” with Marc Bell, Matthew Thurber, and Jim Woodring.
– “The Secret History of Women in Comics” with Jessica Abel, Diane Noomin and others, moderated by Heidi MacDonald.
– “Comics in the Library,” a round-table discussion with Sara Duke from the Library of Congress, Charles Brownstein, and representatives of two local library systems.
– “Navigating the Contemporary Publishing Landscape” with Mike Dawson, Meredith Gran and Julia Wertz.
– “Images of the Body” with Robyn Chapman, Jennifer Hayden, Gabby Schulz, and Jen Vaughn.

Additional programming events will include a slideshow presentation by Kim Thompson about the works of French comics giant Jacques Tardi and a hands-on cartooning workshop open to all attendees.

This year’s panels and spotlight sessions will be moderated by a bevy of critics, scholars, and other experts including Johanna Draper Carlson, Rob Clough, Craig Fischer, Martha H. Kennedy, Sean T. Collins, Joe McCulloch, and many more.

The complete schedule of programming is available on the SPX web site at http://www.spxpo.com/programming.

SPX Programming Coordinator Bill Kartalopoulos teaches classes about comics at Parsons The New School for Design. He also co-organizes the Brooklyn Comics Graphics Festival, reviews comics for Publishers Weekly, and has curated several comics-related exhibits including “Cartoon Polymaths” at the Sheila C. Johnson Design Center. He recently assisted Art Spiegelman on the production of MetaMaus, a book and DVD about the making of Maus.

SPX will be held Saturday, September 11 from 11AM – 7PM and Sunday, September 12, noon – 6PM at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Convention Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Admission is $10 for a single day and $15 for both days.

D+Q at SDCC 2011: Beaton, Brown, Clowes, Ralph, Nilsen & More!!

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Official Press Release

DRAWN & QUARTERLY AT SAN DIEGO COMICON JULY 20-24TH, BOOTH 1629

CONVENTION DEBUTS INCLUDE CLOWES’ S&N THE DEATH-RAY, BEATON’S S&N HARK! A VAGRANT, RALPH’S DAYBREAK & NILSEN’S BIG QUESTIONS

LIMITED NUMBER OF PRESS-POP’S DEATH-RAY DOLL ON SALE

CHESTER BROWN, BRIAN RALPH & ANDERS NILSEN SIGNING

If you are attending Comic-con Interntional in San Diego from July 20-24th, stop by Drawn & Quarterly Booth #1629 to see our three attending authors: Chester Brown (special guest, kind courtesy of the festival), Brian Ralph and Anders Nilsen (also a special guest). We will be debuting Ralph’s September Daybreak & Nilsen’s August Big Questions at the show, and have plenty of the year’s most talked about graphic novel, Paying For It, on hand. Chester will be signing every day, so if you have questions about the Gospels, Ed The Happy Clown, or anything else, come to booth #1629 and ask away. Anders & Brian will be signing every day, too

Oh and what else will be debuting at the show….Hmmmmm….just a signed and numbered debut of the October book Daniel Clowes‘ The Death-Ray!!!!! And to make this debut even more special, our kind friends at Press Pop are sending a handful of the The Death-Ray action figure for us to sell. Seriously people if you want either of these, get to booth 1629 ASAP! We will be releasing more Death-Ray news next week, so keep your eyes open!

And what else are we debuting? Only a signed and numbered debut of the September Kate Beaton book HARK! A VAGRANT !!!

Here is our signing and programming schedule!

Wednesday, July 20
Chester Brown signs

Thursday, July 21
12:00-3:00 Chester Brown signing at D+Q booth 1629

1:00-5:00 Anders Nilse & Brian Ralph signing at D+Q booth 1629

3:30-4:30 True Stories— Chester Brown (Paying for It), Tom Devlin (creative director of D&Q),Peter Kuper (Stop Forgetting to Remember), Leland Myrick (Feynman), and Thomas LeBien (publisher of Hill & Wang’s Novel Graphics line) discuss the ins and outs of nonfiction graphic novel stories. What are the lines between truth and fiction when images are involved in a story? Moderated by Scott McCloud (Understanding Comics). Room 26AB

5:00-6:00 Epic Literary Adventures— Jeff Smith (RASL, Bone), Anders Nilsen (Big Questions), Brian Ralph (Daybreak & SCAD professor), and moderator Tom Devlin (Drawn & Quarterly creative director) discuss the overlap between literary and fantasy, the science and art of creating an imaginary world, building a story that is serialized over several years, and carving a unique fantastical niche in an industry mostly known for either autobio or superhero. Room 9

5:00-7:00 Chester Brown signing at D+Q booth 1629

Friday, July 22
11:00-1:00 Chester Brown signing at D+Q booth 1629

12:00-3:00 Brian Ralph & Anders Nilsen signing at D+Q booth 1629

1:30-2:30 Spotlight on Chester Brown— Louis Riel, Yummy Fur, and Ed The Happy Clown cartoonist — and Comic-Con special guest — Chester Brown has been one of the most influential and acclaimed alternative cartoonists for the past 20 years. His 2011 graphic novel Paying for It: A Comic-Strip Memoir About Being a John is easily the most talked about book of the year and was praised in the New York Times. Join him on his panel as he performs his acclaimed slideshow, reading from his North American book tour for Paying for It. The slideshow will be followed by a Q&A. Ask anything you wanted to know about the most controversial book of the year. Room 8

4:00-7:00 Chester Brown signing at D+Q booth 1629

5:00-7:00 Brian Ralph & Anders Nilsen signing at D+Q booth 1629

Saturday, July 23
11:00-2:00 Chester Brown signing at D+Q booth 1629

1:00-2:00 Spotlight on Anders Nilsen— Comic-Con special guest Anders Nilsen debuts his magnum opus, the 800+-pageBig Questions, which he began self-publishing over 10 years ago and which quickly placed Nilsen at the forefront of alternative cartoonists. He is part of the Chicago comics collective The Holy Consumption with Jeffrey Brown, John Hankiewicz, and Paul Hornscheimer and was recently featured in the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. Join him as he presents a slideshow of his work from his haunting postmodern fable. Room 4

2:30-6:30 Anders Nilsen & Brian Ralph sign at D+Q booth 1629

2:30-3:30 The Art of the Graphic Novel— Andrew Farago (curator, Cartoon Art Museum) talks with graphic novelists Chester Brown (Paying for It), Seymour Chwast (Dante’s Divine Comedy), Eric Drooker (Blood Song), Joyce Farmer (Special Exits, A Memoir), Joëlle Jones (Troublemaker), Jason Shiga (Empire State: A Love Story (Or Not)), and Craig Thompson (Habibi) about their work in the genre that has elevated comics to mainstream bookstores all over the world. Room 24ABC

3:30-5:30 Chester Brown signing at D+Q booth 1629

5:30-6:30 Everyone’s Favorite Red Head, Little Orphan Annie— No, not Archie, but Annie! Famed cartoonist Chester Brown, Dean Mullaney (creative director, The Library of American Comics), Brian Doherty (senior editor of Reason magazine and author of Radicals for Capitalism), and Tom Devlin (Drawn & Quarterly creative director) discuss the importance of the legendary comics strip Little Orphan Annie and the profound influence and life of the strip’s creator, cartoonist Harold Gray. Room

Sunday, July 24th
10:00-12:00 Brian Ralph signing at booth 1629

11:00-2:00 PM Chester Brown & Anders Nilsen signing at booth 1629

Chester Brown’s Paying For It: Chi, NYC, Mtl, Van & Seattle

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Official Press Release

CHESTER BROWN’S PAYING FOR IT IN STORES NOW

NORTH AMERICAN TOUR STARTS TOMORROW!

SLIDE SHOW, CONVERSATION & SIGNING
ON THE MOST TALKED ABOUT GRAPHIC NOVEL OF 2011

WEDNESDAY MAY 11 | CHICAGO | QUIMBYS | 7 PM
THURSDAY MAY 12 | NYC | THE STRAND | 7 PM
WITH TRACY QUAN & BENJAMEN WALKER
SATURDAY MAY 14 | MONTREAL | D+Q LIBRAIRIE | 7 PM
WEDNESDAY MAY 18 | VANCOUVER | VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY | 7 PM WITH LUCKY’S
THURSDAY MAY 19 | SEATTLE | ELLIOTT BAY | 8 PM
JULY 22-25 | SAN DIEGO | COMIC-CON INTL
SEPT 10-11 | BETHESDA | SPX

“Brown’s subject is inherently fascinating—who’s not a little curious about other people’s sex lives?—and his cartooning skills are as sharp as ever.”–ONION AV CLUB

“[Paying for It] registers less as a memoir than as a thoughtful, if contentious, treatise.”–WALRUS

“[Paying for It] somehow manages to be about more than just its author’s journey into john-dom, wrangling with issues such as the nature of love and sexual attraction, all thanks to Brown’s almost-fiendish command of the medium.”–GLOBE & MAIL

“Chester Brown’s graphic novel Paying For It is that rare thing, a john testifying outside of the courtroom.”–NATIONAL POST

“PAYING FOR IT is as personal as you can get. It’s a clear-eyed, not-even-slightly-erotic, compulsively
readable, sometimes painfully honest account of his time, reasons and experiences paying for sex…
PAYING FOR IT is the kind of book that will engage your mind and force you to think about things in ways you may never have done before.”–NEIL GAIMAN

“In PAYING FOR IT, Chester Brown not only makes a compelling case for the decriminalization of sex work but he also seems like an excellent client. Sex workers and sex worker rights advocates couldn’t ask for a better ally. A must read in the canon of sensible and sensitive voices making a case against prurient ideology-based rhetoric about consensual sexual behaviour.” –SASHA (Nationally syndicated sex columnist)

“Chester Brown is perhaps the most transparent, honest and relevant voice remaining in contemporary comics, and this is, to my mind, his most powerful and affecting work to date. PAYING FOR IT explores life in the world’s oldest customer-base, and does so with heart, intelligence, and a complete lack of sentiment or self-justification. Rewarding repeated readings, this book will love you long time.” –ALAN MOORE

“PAYING FOR IT is a great comic book, maybe Chester Brown’s best work to date.” –R. CRUMB

Chester Brown has never shied away from tacking controversial subjects in his work. In his 1992 book, THE PLAYBOY, he explored his personal history with pornography. His bestselling 2003 graphic novel, LOUIS RIEL, was a biographical examination of an extreme political figure. The book won wide acclaim and cemented Brown’s reputation as a true innovator. Featuring an introduction by R. Crumb, PAYING FOR IT is a natural progression for Brown as it combines the personal and the sexual aspects of his autobiographical work with the polemical drive of LOUIS RIEL. Brown calmly lays out the facts for us of how he became, not only a willing participant, but a vocal proponent of one of the world’s most hot button topics —prostitution. While this may appear overtly sensational and just plain implausible to some, Brown’s story stands for itself. PAYING FOR IT offers an entirely contemporary exploration of sex work from the timid john who rides his bike to his escorts, wonders how to tip so as not to offend, and reads Dan Savage for advice, to the modern day transactions complete with online reviews, seemingly willing participants, and clean apartments devoid of cliché depictions of street corners, drugs, or pimps. Complete with a surprise ending, PAYING FOR IT provides endless debate and conversation about sex work and will be the most talked about graphic novel of 2011.

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