Three Thieves, Two Generals, SJCAF

The third Three Thieves book, 2012's The Captive Prince, is back in print and in stores TODAY, thanks to my friends at Papercutz.

Dessa and her friends are still on the run, but she’s also growing up…is there time to indulge her first crush? I wrote this story years before the term “romantasy” was coined, but it’s definitely of that genre. And the last bit of childhood fun before the series takes a decidedly darker turn.

This new edition also contains part 3 of an exhaustive interview with comics editor/scholar/critic Irene Velentzas about the creation of the series, as well as behind-the-scenes sketchbook images, etc. Get one for the young fantasy lover in your life, and one for yourself. If you can support a local indie bookstore or comics shop at the same time, all the better.

TWO GENERALS 15th ANNIVERSARY

Speaking of my older books, October 26th was the 15th anniversary of Two Generals, my 2010 graphic biography of my grandfather Law Chantler, the Battle of Normandy, and its aftermath.

Still in print after all these years, still taught in universities and high schools all over the country, still making complete strangers tell me how much it wrecked them. It launched me out of the relatively niche comic book market and into the wider literary world, which is probably what’s allowed me to still have a career after all this time. My profound thanks to everyone who’s ever supported it over the years, and to every reader it’s touched.

We've pretty well lost the WWII generation at this point, so books that keep their voices and experiences alive are going to be more important than ever. Can we do another fifteen years? Let's try it.

ST. JOHN'S COMIC ARTS FESTIVAL

As the final leg of my recent Wayward Travelers Tour of eastern Canada, I was honoured to help kick off the inaugural St. John's Comic Arts Festival on September 6th-7th. I did a couple of talks and signings, including a September 5th nighttime kick-off event at St. John's impressive combined gallery/museum/archive/event space The Rooms, where I enjoyed a great on-stage conversation with the festival's director, cartoonist Georgia Webber.

While it's not the easiest to get to, Newfoundland has a passionate local comics scene and a number of really talented creators live there (Mike Feehan! Paul Tucker!) so it seems like a good place for its own artist-driven festival. I'm eager to see where the show goes in the future. Thanks to Georgia and all of the other organizers and volunteers for bringing me out, and for an inspiring and fun weekend.