Scott McCloud heads to the UK to promote “The Sculptor”

By John Freeman on February 20, 2015

Photo of comics author/artist Scott McCloud at a book signing in Montreal, Quebec. Photo: Simon Law

Scott McCloud, the award-winning author of Understanding Comics, will embark on a tour of UK in March to promote his latest graphic novel, The Sculptor, published here by SelfMadeHero which is getting well-deserved critical acclaim (some Guardian writers excluded).

After an evening talk at the British Library on Friday 6th March, he will sign at Waterstones Piccadilly and Orbital Comics in London before heading to Nottingham, Leeds and Birmingham for further appearances.

In The Sculptor, David Smith is giving his life for his art – literally. Thanks to a deal with Death, the young sculptor gets his childhood wish: to sculpt anything he can imagine with his bare hands. But now that he only has 200 days to live, deciding what to create is harder than he thought, and discovering the love of his life at the eleventh hour isn’t making it any easier. This is a story of desire taken to the edge of reason and beyond; of the frantic, clumsy dance steps of young love; and a gorgeous, street-level portrait of the world’s greatest city. It’s about the small, warm, human moments of everyday life…and the great surging forces that lie just under the surface.

Scott McCloud wrote the book on how comics work; now he vaults into breathtaking, funny, and unforgettable fiction.

“A masterclass in graphic storytelling,” enthused The Independent in its review, feelings I can echo. “If Understanding Comics was the research, The Sculptor is the finished thesis – far more than the sum of its parts, and a wonderful testament to the power of comics.”

Scott is appearing at the following venues:

Friday 6th March 2015

Lecture: “Scott McCloud: The Sculptor”, at the British Library. Followed by a Q&A

Venue: The British Library Conference Centre, 96 Euston Road, NW1 2DB

Time: 18.30-20.00

More info: http://www.bl.uk/events/scott-mccloud-the-sculptor

Tickets: https://boxoffice.bl.uk/category_details.php?pgto=cat

Friday 7th March 2015

“Meet: Scott McCloud”, a signing at Waterstones Piccadilly

Venue: Waterstones, 203-206 Piccadilly, London, W1J 9HD

Time: 14.00-16.00

More info: http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/events/

Signing: Scott McCloud at Orbital Comics

Venue: Orbital Comics, 8 Great Newport Street, London WC2H 7JA

Time: 19.00-21.00 (Includes refreshments)

More info: http://www.orbitalcomics.com/events/

Sunday 8th March 2015

Signing: Scott McCloud at Page 45, Nottingham

Venue: Page 45, 9 Market Street, City Centre, Nottingham NG1 6HY

Time: 14.00-16.00

More info: http://www.page45.com/world/2015/02/scott-mccloud-signing-the-sculptor-at-page-45/

Note: Page 45, one of the UK’s leading independent comic shops, was named after the 45th page of Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics. It celebrated its 20th birthday last year.

Monday 9th March 2015

Signing: Scott McCloud at OK Comics, Leeds

Venue: 19, Thornton’s Arcade, Briggate, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS1 6LQ

Time: 16.00-17.30

“An Evening with Scott McCloud”, a Q&A at Thought Bubble HQ

Venue: Thought Bubble HQ, 107 Kirkgate, Leeds, LS1 6DP

Time: 18.30-20.00 (including a book signing)

Note: This event is co-hosted by SelfMadeHero, Travelling Man and Thought Bubble, the UK’s finest annual comic book festival.

Tuesday 10th March 2015Signing: Scott McCloud at Nostalgia & Comics (Forbidden Planet International), Birmingham Venue: Nostalgia & Comics, 14-16 Smallbrook Queensway, Birmingham, B5 4EN Time: 17.00-18.00

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.