Page by Paige

Page by Paige: Honors and Reviews

2012-02-06T06:45:00.000-08:00

My graphic novel Page by Paige made it onto the YALSA reading list! Yay!
And I've gotten some other recent honors I thought I'd compile together in the name of forced self promotion...

Honors:

YALSA great graphic novels for teens reading list 2012 (Young Adult Library Services Association)
Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List 2012 (Texas Library Association)
Finalist for the 2011 Cybils Award for Young Adult Graphic Novels (Children and Young Adult Bloggers' Literacy Awards)
Honorable mention in the Publishers Weekly Comics World Critic’s Poll 2011
Top 10 book of 2011 by 60Second Recap
Top 10 best graphic novel of 2011 by Comics Worth Reading
Top 10 graphic novel of 2011 by Kit Lit Frenzy
Runner up best YA Graphic Novel 2011 by Teach Mentor Texts

I've also been collecting book reviews since when I first posted the initial ones in my blog.
So here's a recap of online reviews since May!

Reviews:

"Gulledge has crafted a protagonist who’s introspective with a capital I, and she conveys her character’s thoughts and emotions in ways that are fresh but never feel forced...That same easy, organic quality is found in the book’s design: the story panels and Paige’s sketches blend and interact effortlessly. It all makes for a truly fresh coming-of-age—graphic—novel."
--HORN BOOK REVIEW

"An excellent crossover suggestion for a wider range of readers than just graphic-novel fans...Gulledge's art is a delight: metaphor and simile are intertwined visually with realistic scenes."
--BOOKLIST

“Far more philosophical than you have a right to expect, Gulledge is the real deal for all the teens who will embrace this book; I hope she's in YA to stay.”
--BOOKSLUT

"Skeptical about graphic novels? Page by Paige may well make you a believer. Oh, to draw like Laura Lee Gulledge!...A fresh, funky spin on the “Who am I?” story sounds appealing"
--60SECOND RECAP

“Gulledge is a superb story teller who excels, through her art, at taking the reader into the mind of main character Paige and showing us exactly what she is thinking and/or feeling.”
--BOOKS4YOURKIDS

"Their relationships are charming and they each come across as believable individuals; no cookie-cutter characters here"
--LOVE YA LIT

"I was most impressed this year, visually, by the way Gulledge assembles her pages and the artistic choices she makes in this semi-autobiographical story of a young artist finding herself. This is the kind of book you can return to year after year and find new insight and inspiration."
--COMICS WORTH READING

"She turns the comic format into one that is strongly artistic and very visual...Get this in the hands of tween and teen artists and step back. A truly inspiring read"
--WALKING BRAIN CELLS

"I think this would appeal quite a bit to the female audience, but even as a male, I enjoyed it. The conflicts are all internal, and the story is sweet, but not syrupy. I hope to see some more comics work from Laura Lee in the future. She has a unique talent and a great eye for layout"
--LAUGHING OGRE

"What follows is part diary, part sketchbook, and entirely wonderful as Paige progresses from shy, secretive, and angsty to brave, funny, and creative. Based on Laura Lee Gulledge’s own adolescence, the reader is taken on a very real journey as Paige learns to challenge herself to do the things that scare her most and to trust both herself and the people around her."
--CYBILS

"For those people who scoff at graphic novels and say that they keep the reader from having to use their own imaginations, well then they need to read a book like this."
--A FOODIE BIBLIOPHILE IN WANDERLUST

"I'd give this book to...(someone) who likes Linda Barry's book about creativity, "What It Is," because this seems like a great fictional counterpoint to her thoughts and encouragement."
--UNSHELVED BOOK CLUB

"With a story we can all relate to and a storytelling device that adds new poignancy to a familiar tale, I would highly recommend Page by Paige to anyone looking for a sweet, heartwarming story either for yourself or for any teen in your life."
--SPANDEXLESS

"Not only is the artwork fabulous, the book deals quite realistically with the challenges artists (and writers) face when looking at a blank page or deciding when to go public with a piece of work. I look forward to using parts of this graphic novel in beginning-of-the-year writing minilessons."
--NEXT BEST BOOK

"There's a real tension between going out and living, sometimes and sitting back and letting life live around you, and Gulledge captures that strongly in both the words she's written and in the illustrations that heighten those words."
--STACKED

"In many ways, the book reads more like a long-form poem—quiet and reflective—than a typical teen novel."
--PORTLAND BOOK REVIEW

"I loved loved loved Page by Paige. When I tweeted about it, I used exclamation points. Two of them. And that from a girl who rarely emotes. This is a book that I needed when I was a teen. It's just too bad no one wrote it until this year."
--GUERILLA LIBRARIAN

"(Paige's) budding romance with Gabe is especially lovely: their kindness to each other is what you really want to see in a teen relationship, or in any relationship, really."
--BOOK AUNT

"Not fast paced or even full of any kind of intense conflict, but the creativity of the illustrations is something not to be missed. Watching this young girl struggle to find herself, I often found pieces of me instead."
--THE SECRET ADVENTURES OF A WRITER GIRL

"Most comics about teen life are either so stylized that they can't tell the truth, or intentionally un-pretty, rough, awkward. Page by Paige seems happy to take neither path; with her affable lines, her apparent ease, and her restraint, Laura Lee Gulledge makes Paige's milieu a pleasure to visit, but she also gets it right. It's the kind of teen story that goes with an indie-pop soundtrack, two-thirds we've-all-been-there and one-third you'll-wish-you-met-her....Not just a book about a girl who makes pictures, Page by Paige reminds us what pictures can do, how they can earn our trust, lead us to one another, or let us rebuild ourselves."
--RAINTAXI

Holiday Specials: Books & Prints for sale!

2011-11-28T08:24:00.001-08:00

Please help support me as I start my second book by

Purchasing a copy of Page by Paige!

The holiday special:

**Inside each book is a sticker, fun permission slip, and artistic license.
**I'll sign each book and personalize it for the recipient with a little doodle.
**Please order by December 15th to receive before Christmas.
**FREE GIFT WRAPPING upon request! (non-denominational)

Buy Page by Paige:

*I also have PRINTS AVAILABLE!*

Here are all the different prints I have in stock for $12! They're on nice watercolor paper, signed, and mailed safely in a packing tube. Heres a photo of the "Brooklyn Sky" print to give you an idea of scale.

Buy a Large Print:

Here are the other pieces that are available! (Click to see larger) Be warned, quantities are limited.

There's also a smaller sized print of my "Let's Make Rainbows" drawing that's available for $5!

Buy a Small Print:

Which Artwork?

(Shipping just in the US, sorry)

*I also have products available on SOCIETY6!*

There are Ipod & laptop skins and such. These are items that THEY print and I get a small percentage from, so I don't have these items on hand myself.

*And ORIGINAL DRAWINGS are available!*

Original illustrations/drawings/paintings are up for grabs as well as original pages from Page by Paige. Just email me about which one you are interested in! My prices are quite reasonable. ($30-150 plus shipping)

{PS--I just made these paypal buttons and I'm not very savvy with this sort of thing, so I apologize in advance if I hit an unanticipated snag!!}

Children's Book Festival @ Brooklyn Museum

2011-11-24T07:14:00.000-08:00

This weekend I took part in the 5th annual Children's book Festival

at the BROOKLYN MUSEUM!

Most of the authors there had multiple titles so I was especially thankful to be included. I did really well, having some great conversations and selling all my books with just two copies leftover!
I shared a table with the lovely writer Colleen Venable who was selling copies of her Guinea Pig Pet Shop Private Eye series!
Colleen had little guinea pig comic strips for kids to fill in, so I did one myself...
One supporter who stopped by was my friend and absurdly talented comic artist Simon Fraser who picked up books by both Colleen and I!
Afterwards I checked out their current exhibition "Youth and Beauty: Art of the American Twenties" which is a particular period that directly inspired me aesthetically in school. It's up until January 29th and I highly recommend it!

Currently Reading: My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf

Brooklyn Museum THIS SATURDAY!

2011-11-14T19:56:00.000-08:00

This Saturday I'm pleased to announce that I'll be one of participating in the...

Brooklyn Museum: Children's Book Fair!

Saturday, November 19, 2011 at 12:00–4:00 p.m.
Brooklyn Museum: 200 Eastern Parkway (at Washington Avenue) Brooklyn, NY 11238
Martha A. and Robert S. Rubin Pavilion, 1st Floor
Visit Web Site Free with museum admission

Over 30 Brooklyn authors and illustrators will join us at this year's fair, featuring story books, picture books, and graphic novels. Come enjoy author readings, a game for children, and café service.

Please come by and say hello! It's perfect for combining with exploring Prospect Park or one of the wonderful exhibits. (Have you not seen The Dinner Party housed in their Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art?!)

In other news....

Holiday Windows COMING SOON!

Next week I'll be DONE with all these holiday windows that have been keeping me busy since July! I'll keep you posted here with pics from behind the scenes as well as the finished products. Pics and video. But you can see the past 4 years of windows I've worked on here in my very special Christmas window blog: ItNeedsMoreGlitter. Stay tuned! We're livin' the dream...

Latest appearance, interview, and press!

2011-11-09T17:41:00.000-08:00

**Page by Paige is This Week's Pick on 60second Recap!**

Check out the video review by book critic Jenny Sawyer, who normally isn't really into graphic novels so that makes it an extra special honor to be featured. Doubly awesome!!!

**Latest Long Island library appearance!**

Today I was just the guest speaker at the Suffolk County YA Librarian event "Put Art in It" out in Ronkonkoma. Special thanks to Barbara Moon for being so supportive of me and my work. And this was really quite a great workshop that she put together!

**Audio interview on Geeking Out About... !**

The lovely Trisha Lynn interviewed me at my table at NY Comic Con, I'm in the 13:30-17:30 minute mark in the recording. So you can hear the little pitch I gave everyone who came by my table! And I actually sound pretty articulate, too...

Currently Listening: Eddie Vedder...Ukulele Songs

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T09:25:00.000-07:00

Last weekend BUSHCRAFT got together for some pumpkin carving and here are the results!

I made a Death Star pumpkin, Diana made the classic vomiting pumpkin, Jasmina made a Darth Vader mask, Bishop carved one of his characters (Bangels), and Josh carved a Clockwork Orange face. This is our Breakfast Club inspired pose on the roof! (Thanks for taking the photo, Kurt)

Here's a close up of my Death Star-O-Lantern!

Then last night for square dancing and pub songs at The Drink I dressed up as Cursed Pirate Girl! (I simply had to give a shout out...) It's an AMAZING COMIC by Jeremy Bastian which I learned about at Baltimore Comic Con and highly highly recommend. Aye, matey!

Currently Listening: Wilco...The Whole Love

My apartment is in Time Out!

2011-10-27T09:16:00.000-07:00

My apartment is featured in the current issue if TIME OUT NEW YORK!

Kurt and I are absurdly ridiculous in this! With the rainbow colors, the awful haircut I had just given Kurt before this photo was taken, and how they play up our romance, this article definitely makes me smile. How did we get in? I simply emailed them after seeing a blurb in the magazine asking people with cool apartments to contact them. I said, "I have a fun apartment! Here are some photos!" Easy peasy.

Here it is in the print magazine...

Then when you go online, you can see us on the main page for Time Out NYC! That's just crazy.

And when you click on the story there are DOZENS of photos in the gallery capturing everything from our cat to the shower curtain to our matching tattoos. With lots of info on all our stuff and lots of shout outs.

And finally they include some stores we recommend...

Love the look? Get it here!

Desert Island (540 Metropolitan Ave between Union Ave and Lorimer St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn; 718-388-5087, desertislandbrooklyn.com)
“It’s great for random artwork,” enthuses Christenson. “It’s a comic-book store, but they sell all sorts of prints from Adrian Tomine, Peter Bagge and Charles Burns.”

Dick Blick Art Materials (1-5 Bond St between Broadway and Lafayette St; 212-533-2444, dickblick.com)
The artsy couple purchases the majority of their frames and art supplies from this bi-level resource. “Most art stores in this city let me down because I’m always looking for random supplies—from airbrush paint to cheap picture frames,” says Gulledge. “But Dick Blick is always organized and always has what I’m looking for. Plus, the staff is lovely.”

Junk (197 North 9th St between Bedford and Driggs Aves, Williamsburg, Brooklyn; 212-260-1851, motherofjunk2.blogspot.com)
“The title says it all,” states Christenson. “A lot of places would overcharge for something like a typewriter, but at Junk you could probably get it for $50, and it would look nice.”

Pearl River Mart (477 Broadway between Broome and Grand Sts; 212-431-4770, pearlriver.com)
“You can get things to help fill up space for not a lot of money,” notes Gulledge of this Soho staple for festive, stylish Asian decor. “It’s the best bang for your buck.”

Drawings about not drawing

2011-10-23T15:00:00.000-07:00

In recent months, between working on the Christmas windows 6 days a week and other things like New York Comic Con, there has been no time to make any of my personal self-art-therapy drawings. But here are a few fast drawings I managed to crank out this week...all about NOT HAVING TIME TO DRAW. (Click image to see larger)

In this drawing I am quietly imploding. A side effect of not having my creative outlet. (I drew this at my table at Comic Con)There's so much I have not been saying because there just hasn't been time to get into it. (Usually my art helps with this problem) Sometimes it's easier to lie and act like everything is fine, because it's just too exhausting to open up about it with people.
When I get drawing ideas I need to make them right away, because if I let the idea sit around too long then I lose the desire to create it. So when there is no time to draw them, they end up just getting tossed out. Which makes me sad.

Currently Reading: Doctor Who: The Forgotten...by Tony Lee & Pia Guerra

NY Comic Con Recap

2011-10-19T19:39:00.000-07:00

Here's the recap from my first Artist Alley table at New York Comic Con!

I got the table last minute because someone else cancelled, so I was thankful to even get a spot. I sat next to illustrator Elliot Hernandez, and was happy to get to know him and his lovely wife Tara over the three days of the convention.

I sold some drawings & prints but mostly I sold a TON of copies of Page by Paige. It was amazing how positive everyone was! A bunch of different people even walked up to my table who had already read my book and told me how much they enjoyed it. And I was randomly interviewed on the spot a bunch of times. It's just so surreal to see someone connecting to artwork I was making back in a motel room apartment back in Virginia when my art didn't belong anywhere and I was just pushing myself to keep drawing anyway. Crazy! Anyway...

I did some commissioned sketches, including an unusual request on a purse...

And Gowanus Pete made a guest appearance!

This is actually the costume I made for Kurt to use for promoting his new digital comic Power Play. (Yes, Kurt is inside the costume.) I'm thrilled with how it turned out, especially since I never sew anything.
Then on Sunday I signed books and did some live drawing at the Abrams booth!

Including a couple silly impromptu drawings for these lovely ladies...
Thank you everyone who stopped by my table, and those of you who have been supporting in spirit. I still can't believe I had a table at New York Comic Con!

Scribble Press Gust Judge

2011-10-17T04:28:00.000-07:00

I'm the guest judge this month for Scribble Press!

It's a fun studio (located in NY & LA) where kids can write, draw, and post their own original e-books. Each month they have a Faber-Castell Scribble Your Story contest where children submit their books for a prize package of art supplies. I was given the five finalist books to choose from, and it was really difficult to chose a winner! They were all so adorable, but I ended up picking "My Little Unicorn" by Sadie as the winner! (You can read it online)

Here's my review of "My Little Unicorn"...

I love tales with journeys and quests, so I was immediately drawn into “My Little Unicorn.” The unicorn travels through different lands, picking up other animal friends along the way. They are all different and looking for where they fit in, which is something that I think everyone can relate to. Because everyone feels like they don’t belong sometimes! In the story the characters include a unicorn who has a rainbow tail, the skunk who is albino, and the redbird who is blue. Even though they see themselves as “wrong” because they are colored differently than everyone else, I think they are each more unique and beautiful because they are different. What could be more fun than a unicorn with a rainbow tail?? The drawings themselves were very colorful, vibrant, and fun to look at. My favorite drawing was on the second page with the green trees and flowers. The unicorn in the center of the page really pops! Sadie should be really proud; she did a great job with this book.

Congrats, Sadie!

Getting Ready for NY Comic Con!

2011-10-13T06:39:00.000-07:00

Counting down to New York Comic Con...tomorrow!

My kitty Rory has been assisting me as I've been getting everything prepared. Here he is "helping" me paint my sign, which will be a big variation of the Page by Paige book cover.
And he helped me cut up Artistic Licenses and Fun Permission Slips to give away. Then Rory helped me finish a costume that my boyfriend Kurt Christenson will be using to help promote his new comic Power Play at Comic Con. It's a character named Gowanus Pete who is half man half squid!
I've also made some simple block prints so I can offer up some human printmaking like I've done before at FIGMENT and other events. Rory couldn't help out with this part, it require fine motor skills.
Here's where my table will be located amid all the comic-y chaos. I hope you can stop by my table, I'll be there tomorrow thru Sunday!

Come see me at New York Comic Con!

2011-10-05T09:16:00.000-07:00

Breaking news! This just in!
...I'm gonna be in artist alley at NEW YORK COMIC CON!

I'll be at Table S4 in artist alley all day Friday-Sunday.
Then Sunday at 1pm I'll be signing books at the Abrams table.

**You can add me to your NYCC show planner here.**

I'll be selling copies of Page by Paige, showing my sneak peak of my new characters for my upcoming project Will & Whit, selling prints and original drawings, giving away stickers and fun permission slips, and doing some fun human printmaking. I'll also be giving away goody filled agents of whimsy inspired easter eggs with each purchase. (And if you're very lucky, there might be shrinky dink wares up for grabs!)

If you're gonna be at Comic Con, please stop by and see me! It'll be intense few days for me on top of all these hours I've been working overtime painting Christmas windows, so I'll definitely appreciate all the familiar faces I can get. And hugs. And snacks.

Specifics...

Dates: Friday October 14th-Sunday Oct 16th
Tickets: $35 single day pass (Saturday is sold out) or $65 three day pass
Hours:10-7:00 Friday & Saturday, 10-5:00 Sunday
Where: Javits Convention Center

Bushcraft: Shrinky Dinks!

2011-09-26T19:20:00.000-07:00

Just like my comic alter ego, I love hanging out with my creative friends. And after having way too many conversations with people saying that "we should hang out and make stuff just for fun sometime," my friend Bishop and I decided to start a little monthly artsy gathering at his studio in Bushwick.

Hence the birth of...BUSHCRAFT!

For our kick-off adventure, we decided to make shrinky dinks. Because we're grown ups.
First we drew out/traced our images onto the shrinky dinks with markers and colored pencils...
Just to show you how small it gets, here's how big the shrinky dink was before...
...and how big it is after baking!
They curl up in the oven all crazy-like before flattening back out.
It's very suspenseful and exciting watching them in the oven. See? Just look at Alyson's face!
Here's most of the shrinky dinks we made as a group...And this is my favorite of the ones I made. I'm gonna make it into a necklace...
Oh, and we were also celebrating BIRTHDAYS! Kurt, Bishop, and myself all have birthdays this same week. Yay cupcakes!
Back at home...Rory wasn't sure about another ginger cat in the house, but he's adjusting!If you'd like to try this at home, I highly recommend it! You can buy refill packs online and it costs about $5 for a pack of 6 blank sheets.

Comics Quick Draw! @ Brooklyn Book Festival

2011-09-22T19:19:00.000-07:00

Here's the recap from the Comics Quick Draw event
at the Brooklyn Book Festival this weekend!

I drew live on stage with the lovely comic creators Dave Roman (Astronaut Academy) and Raina Telgemeier (Smile). We were featured in the Publishers Weekly blog about Comics and Graphic Novels at the Brooklyn Book Festival, as well as a Publishers Weekly article Children’s Books at the 2011 Brooklyn Book Festival: A Photo-Essay. You can see all our individual drawings here on Pop Culture Spectrum!
We had a GREAT crowd who gave us bizarre and entertaining suggestions for things to draw.
We had just 3 minutes to draw each picture, and it went by fast! We had time to do 7 rounds...

We talked about the drawings after each round, and at the end we gave all the drawings away to the kids. Then we signed books!
Let's see, here's my giant powered donut being bombarded with sprinkles...
And here's is my version of an elastic man (I thought he should be playing basketball)...

Finally, here's a collaborative one we all did of a dragon and a hippo on a catwalk. (I drew the dragon, Dave the hippo, Raina the crowd)

Thanks everyone who came out! I hope everyone had as much fun as we did.

Currently Reading: Habibi by Craig Thompson (Birthday gift for myself! It's amazing....)

New Drawing & 2nd Book Update

2011-09-18T18:47:00.000-07:00

So what's the update on my 2nd graphic novel? Well, last week I finished the pitch and sent it along to the higher ups. Hooray! So we'll see what happens.

The working title is Will & Whit, and it revolves around the characters I introduced in my blog back in June. Here is the short summary...
"As lamp-building teen Willy wraps up another summer in her mountain town, she longs for unplugged adventures with her fellow creative friends Autumn, Noel, and Reese. Little does she know that she will get her wish in the form of a whimsical arts carnival and blackout thanks to a hurricane named Whitney, which forces Willy to face her fear of darkness and the living shadows that shed light on her true self."

***

With these new characters, I thought I'd start drawing some short little comics so I can get to know them better! (And play around with style) This one is called "Willy the Dude."
Here are the individual panels so it's easier to read!

Currently Reading: Unwritten: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity...by Mike Carey and Peter Gross

This weekend! Brooklyn Book Festival

2011-09-12T03:54:00.000-07:00

THIS WEEKEND I will be at the Brooklyn Book Festival!

I'll be taking part in a DRAW-OFF with the amazing (and super-nice) Raina Telgemeier and Dave Roman, hosted by Calvin Reid from Publisher's Weekly Comics World. Since I've been working on Christmas windows so much lately rather than comics, I'm feeling a bit rusty with my drawing! So it'll definitely be interesting.

It's Sunday September 18th at 11:00am. It is FREE and will be at Brooklyn Borough Hall: 209 Joralemon Street. (Subways: ACF Jay Street, R Court Street, 2345 Borough Hall)

Currently Reading: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (audiobook)

Now available for SCHOOL VISITS

2011-09-05T11:44:00.000-07:00

I am officially available for hire to give school presentations, lead creative workshops, and design/collaborate on murals!

You can see the specifics on my website, but here's the jist of it...

Presentations:

I open by playing the video trailer for Page by Paige, introducing myself, and introducing my graphic novel. I briefly run through my journey from nerdy student to teacher to artist, accompanied by embarrassing photos. I bring one of my sketchbooks, which were the core of my artistic development, to share in person. I run through my creative process of turning a raw emotion into a metaphorical drawing through visuals that show each step.

I discuss my unexpected discovery of graphic novels. I share my early attempts at sequential storytelling, show how my visual style evolved, and what I struggled with. (Like drawing hands!) I explain my intention in making Page by Paige, which was to share how creative expression can teach life lessons and encourage self discovery as it did for me.

Students receive artistic licenses and sign fun permission slips. Then a few student volunteers participate in a live reading of a excerpt from Page by Paige accompanied by the corresponding comic panels. I wrap up by answering questions from the students. In addition...Students also get a Paige-inspired sketchbook activity guide, teachers will receive a Page by Paige discussion guide, I will create a Paige-inspired chalk drawing in front of the school during my visit, and a signed copy of Page by Paige will be donated to the school library.

Workshops:

With smaller groups I can do workshops rather than or in combination with a presentation. These are designed to promote introspection and reflection through creativity rather than technical production skills:
The Art of Sketchbooks: Students either learn how to make their own sketchbook or simply try one of my go-to sketchbook activities.
Mirror Self Portraits: Students reveal who they really see when they look in the mirror by drawing on actual mirrors with wax pencils.
Reprogram Yourself Self Portraits: Students work on changing one of their own perceptions of themselves by creating a drawing completely out of words.
How are You? Self Portraits: Students will identify some of THEIR own personal symbols so they can draw a simple self portrait using their own metaphor.

Murals:

I can draw a mural out for your school and paint it personally, or simply design it with the intention for the students to paint it collaboratively. Fee would depend on size, complexity, and time frame to execute. I have extensive experience doing large scale painting from working as a freelance muralist/scenic painter since 2004. (Portfolio here)

If you have any questions or if you are interested in bringing me to your school, please send me an email: lauraleegulledge@gmail.com

Discussion Guide

2011-09-01T03:43:00.001-07:00

For all you educators and literary types out there...I've written a discussion guide for Page by Paige! Why? Because I want to help promote bringing graphic novels into the classroom as an emerging literary form. Because there are some really exciting similarities and differences between graphic novels and prose novels. So let's help teachers out with more educational tools!

Note: I'm trained as an art teacher, so I hope none of you legit language arts teachers out there take offense if I act like I'm the literary expert. Because I'm not! I just hope that this guide be helpful in starting conversations with students. If you don't like it, here's a silly photo of me in Ghana to make up for it!

Page by Paige Discussion Guide

**Literary Analysis**

Graphic Novels as a Format:
Graphic novels continue to be a source of debate in language arts classrooms. Since Page by Paige relies heavily on illustrating Paige’s internal world, how would it have been a different reading experience if it was made as a prose novel instead? What makes visual storytelling different than prose storytelling? Some scenes don’t have any words and let the pictures do the talking, so is that still considered literature? You can discuss the format more at large by asking the question if reading comics and graphic novels develops literacy skills. This can also be a good topic for a class debate. Or you can use this as a segway to discuss other forms of visual storytelling, such as Trajan’s Column or German woodcut wordless books.

Metaphors:
Page by Paige is simply swimming in metaphors, because it’s how Paige translates her experiences and processes feelings so she understands them. Select an example and have students describe the image visually, what they think is being expressed, and if it can be interpreted different ways. For example, an image of being submerged in water could be interpreted as calming or terrifying depending on the individual reader’s point of view. Did you notice any reoccurring motifs, and what do you think it symbolized? Students can also be invited to come up with their own examples of how Paige would illustrate a scene from their own life.

Similes:
Some of the drawings in Page by Paige illustrate specific common expressions, making them more of a simile than a metaphor. For example, instead of writing that she feels so vulnerable it’s like she’s walking on a tightrope, Paige is actually walking on a tightrope. After analyzing examples in the book, invite students to illustrate a saying they use themselves. (Such as “walking on eggshells” or “being an open book.”)

Personification:
Continuing on the theme of figurative language, you can also follow a similar process of analyzing personification in Page by Paige. Have students look for an example of when an object or abstract idea comes to life with human characteristics to interact with Paige. (Such as Paige’s heart or paintings at the museum that talk to her.) What do you think is the deeper meaning? What does the object in the scene symbolize for Paige?

**Visual Analysis**

Nonverbal Communication:
Since the characters are drawn, the reader can interpret a character’s thoughts and feelings through more visual cues. Select a scene from Page by Paige and discuss what you can learn about a character through their facial expressions and body language. (Such as when Jules confronts Paige about their friendship or whenever Paige interacts with her Mom.) Does this sometimes contradict with what the character is saying verbally?

Style Duality:
The look of Paige’s inner world and external world are drawn differently. Why do you think the artist drew it this way? Have students articulate the difference in their appearances such as the shading, imagery, tone, and composition. How does the layout/composition influence the pacing? How does the line quality and shading style create a tone? Ask students if they themselves sometimes retreat into their own head, and what their mental realm is like. Is it a loud, colorful, dark, quiet, cluttered, etc? Does this contradict how they act and/or their physical environment in the real world? Is it an escape or a prison?

Word Art:
Sometimes Paige uses words visually to express what she isn’t saying out loud. For example, when she begins her new school she imagines the signs with words of encouragement on them as a sort of pep talk. Is there anything that you tell yourself when things are rough, like a personal mantra? Then in other moments of Page by Paige, her imaginary words express her doubts and fears. They literally cloud her head. Are these things real issues or has she simply built them up in her head? Why does Paige doubt herself? What would your doubt clouds say?

Creativity:
Like many introverts, Paige has two sides: who she presents to the world and then who she is inside her head. She uses a creative outlet to merge the two more together. Do you feel like two different people sometimes? When you pour your heart into something private such as a journal, diary, instrument, or sketchbook is that a substitute for friendship? Is Paige’s sketchbook a character in the story?

**Other Themes for Discussion**

Relationships:
Parents...Paige censors herself in front of her mother and avoids sharing her sketchbook with her until the end of the story. Why does she distance herself? Do you think she is acting out of anger? Ask students if they do the same thing with their parents.
Friends...Paige’s friends all reflect back different qualities of herself. How does each friend help her? What traits, qualities, and skills do your friends bring out in you?

Home:
Throughout the story, Paige struggles to adjust to life in a big city and makes the city feel more like home by hanging up drawings of trees. Do you think she has evolved into a city girl or will she always be a country girl at heart? What are the benefits and drawbacks of living in the big city versus a small town? If you have moved to a new town yourself, what did you do to make it feel more like home?

Street Art:
Street art has grown to be more accepted by the art world, but still stirs up controversy. Would you consider wheatpastes like the ones hung by Paige to be vandalism or is it art? What’s the difference between Paige’s street art trees and graffiti tags? This can be a good opportunity to introduce students to other street artists such as Banksy and Swoon, or to perhaps have a class debate.

Online Criticism:
Paige struggles with criticism of her artwork when she posts it online, taking the comments very personally. Have you ever had a drawing criticized in an art class? How would that feel different than having your art criticized by a stranger online? Do you think it’s easier to be mean online since you don’t have to see the other person face to face?

Currently Listening: The Naked and Famous...Passive Me, Aggressive You

Discussion Guide

2011-08-31T18:58:00.001-07:00

For all you educators and literary types out there...I've written a discussion guide for Page by Paige! Why? Because I want to help promote bringing graphic novels into the classroom as an emerging literary form. Because there are some really exciting similarities and differences between graphic novels and prose novels. So let's help teachers out with more educational tools!

Note: I'm trained as an art teacher, so I hope none of you legit language arts teachers out there take offense if I act like I'm the literary expert. Because I'm not! I just hope that this guide be helpful in starting conversations with students. If you don't like it, here's a silly photo of me in Ghana to make up for it!

Page by Paige Discussion Guide

**Literary Analysis**

**Visual Analysis**

**Other Themes for Discussion**

Currently Listening: The Naked and Famous...Passive Me, Aggressive You

New Society6 schwag! And LoLcats.

2011-08-29T03:47:00.000-07:00

I've posted some of my artwork on Society6! Here you can check out my new store. So you buy the products through them, and I get some proceeds from each item sold. I've posted a handful of pieces that I thought would be appealing.

There are prints and stretched canvases...
Ipod/phone skins and Iphone cases...
T-Shirts and Hoodies...
And laptop skins, which are my personal favorite!
If there is a piece of mine that you think should be turned into one of these products, please let me know! I just picked these at random and would love some feedback.

***

Oh, and I have to share the BEST REVIEW OF PAGE BY PAIGE EVER. This girl Rie wrote a review in her blog using only LoLcats! (She also wrote, "In all seriousness, this is the best graphic novel I’ve read in a while. " Double happy!)

So I couldn't resist sharing a few of the images. You can see the rest of them in her blog "Friend of Dorothy Wilde!"

Baltimore Comic Con!

2011-08-24T19:22:00.000-07:00

Here's my recap from BALTIMORE COMIC CON!

It was my first time having a table in an Artist Alley at ANY comic book convention, and I was super nervous. I've been working too much lately and fighting off a cold, so I was thankful I didn't lose my voice!

I sold out of ALL the copies of Page by Paige that I brought with me, almost all on the first day! I also sold out of my zines along with selling a ton of original drawings. Everyone was very complimentary and encouraging, so overall I'd say it was a huge success! Me and my set-up ended up looking quite patriotic...

I must thank Kurt Christenson for helping me learn the ropes and being so supportive! You should check out his new digital comic Power Play which he's created with Marvel artist Reilly Brown...the preview is available for free on Comixology!

Abrams didn't have a table, but they had lots of books nominated for the Harvey Awards being held there. Here's me with Abrams ComicArts Editor Charlie Kochman and his wife...

I was also commissioned to do some sketches, so I' thought I'd share a couple! Here's a self portrait of myself as my own superhero: The Incredible Sulk, complete with kleenex box utility belt and chocolate bar of justice...

And for a Doctor Who themed sketchbook, I drew my alter ego Paige as Amy Pond...

(Photos were by Kurt Christenson! Except for the first one, which is from Valerie D'Orazio's coverage for MTV.)

Page by Paige...MOTION COMIC!

2011-08-24T19:21:00.000-07:00

At the Page by Paige book launch party I debuted a short MOTION COMIC trailer by filmmaker Nathan Luppino...and it's finally online! Please check it out.

The song is "Thankless" by the Charlottesville band (my lovely friends) All of Fifteen.

Great Neck Library Event

2011-08-24T19:20:00.000-07:00

Last week was a visiting author at the Great Neck Library out in Long Island!

It was the finale event of their Teen Summer Program, and everyone was quite welcoming. I spoke about my art, shared one of my sketchbooks, talked about how it evolved into Page by Paige, and answered lots of really good questions from the audience. Afterwards there was a signing and snacks. Thank you everyone who came out! And special thanks to Courtney Greenblatt for inviting me.

The event was mentioned beforehand in the local papers! This article from the Great Neck Record now hangs on my mom's fridge. Moms LOVE clippings.

Next I'm working on my blog post about BALTIMORE Comic Con! To be continued...

Gatekeepers Post Interview

2011-07-27T03:36:00.001-07:00

I was recently interviewed by Jeff Rivera for the Gatekeepers Post about Page by Paige! It's is a social media community that focuses on book publishing with a ton of great interviews and articles.

We talked about inspiration, writing, ebooks, and promotion. Some of which I knew what I was talking about! Click here to read the interview. And please like/tweet if you feel so inclined.

Book Signing at the Gulledge House

2011-07-05T06:44:00.001-07:00

Over the holiday weekend I had a Page by Paige book signing party at my parents' house in Woodbridge, Virginia! (All the photos are on Flickr)

There were some blasts from the past! Such as color guard friends from the JMU marching band...

Fellow survivors of Osbourn Park High School.

Another former Kappa Pi (art fraternity) president.

As well as neighbors and friends of the family.

And we made some NEW friends as well.

We gave out door prizes and goody bags, and I signed books of course.

Thank you everyone for coming out! And a big-whopping-extra-super-sized thank you to my family for hosting and feeding and photographing everyone so wonderfully! (Mom and Brian made the food, Dad took the pics) THANK YOU!

Now I'm headed back to New York! In the fall when school is back in session I'll be lining up some Page by Paige events/workshops here in Virginia, so stay tuned!

New comic characters! And new kitty!

2011-06-25T12:48:00.000-07:00

I've been scheming up a BRAND NEW YOUNG ADULT GRAPHIC NOVEL! And it's with a totally new cast of characters! I first met my new main character when I doodled this in my sketchbook ages ago...

It's taken me a year and a half to get to know her, and I only just began to work on her friends. They're all brand new and still evolving, so who knows how they will transform as I work on writing out the story.

WILLY
Short for Willemena, named after my great grandmother. She makes lamps out of found objects and has an old-fashioned steampunk tinged style. You can see I'm playing around with her hair, whether to have it looser or done more tightly braided. She represents a side of my personality just like Paige does, so there's some physical continuity with her strawberry blonde hair and freckles. Oh, and her shadows are alive.

AUTUMN
She is Willy's best friend, from an Indian-American family. She makes rad puppets.

NOAH
He completes this trio of longtime friends. He's sweet natured and into cooking.

REESE
She is Noah's little sister. She's a little tweeny hipster who idolizes Noah's friends.

Now it's time to hammer out the plot for these characters! If you have feedback on these characters, I'd love to hear it! Please comment or shoot me an email: lauraleegulledge@gmail.

And speaking of new characters...
I've adopted a kitten! His name is Rory, AKA Roary like a lion cub. (the name is also in reference to a Doctor Who character) He was found a few blocks from where I live here in Brooklyn, and we're guessing he's about 6 months old. He's a real life party cat! He sleeps on his back like this all the time, it's waaay too cute.

Currently Reading: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Paige's Art Rules

2011-06-07T18:36:00.000-07:00

Do you need some creative encouragement? Some inspiration to keep drawing? Then print this out!

Paige's rules for being an artist:

These are some of my personal rules that I've come up with as I've figured out how to be an artist over the years. These were also the chapters in "Page by Paige." (But I tweaked the origin of the rules, so that these rules come from Paige's grandmother instead.) I found these ideas important in particular because they were lessons not only to be applied to art, but also my life! And there are a lot more lessons where these came from.

If you have a rule that guides you on your creative journey, I'd love to hear it! Please send me an email: lauraleegulledge@gmail.com

Sound Waves: Longo's music pick!

2011-06-07T07:31:00.000-07:00

I thought It'd be fun to share new fun music that corresponds with the musical tastes of the different characters in Page by Paige. And this week it's Longo's turn!

If you are into electro-pop music like Longo is, then you should check out French Horn Rebellion. It's a Brooklyn based brother duo, David and Robert Perlick-Molinari. (Yes, one brother plays the french horn. I do love fellow former band nerds!) I saw them live recently with Kurt at Glasslands here in Brooklyn and had a blast, we danced our butts off! The brother David actually produced MGMT’s Time To Pretend, so you can see some stylistic similarities.

Their music videos are simple-silly-fun in case you feel like checking out more on their Youtube channel.

WORD drawings @ WORD Books

2011-06-06T09:29:00.000-07:00

This weekend I held my last scheduled workshop for the summer, at WORD Books! (I'll be lining up more events in the Fall) In the spirit of the space I decided it would be appropriate to make drawings out of WORDS.

It was a very art therapy sort of lesson, and since we were a small group we were able to get more personal which was nice. First I shared different ways that I've used text in my artwork and in "Page by Paige," especially as a way to articulate inner fears.

Then we shared the negative things that we each tell ourselves, named the underlying fears, and decided what positive phrase we could ingrain in our head to override the original negative one. Then we made drawings out of the new words, because drawing it/writing it can help new ideas stick in our head.

Since these were all pretty personal I'll just share mine rather than everyone's! My inner fear was that I am a fraud, that people will discover that I'm not that cool or talented or clever and that my graphic novel was a fluke. So the positive phrase I need to "reprogram" in my head is that "I have something to offer."

And congrats Daniel and Annie for winning a copy of my "Be a Revelationary" poster!

Book Expo America: Author Speed Dating

2011-06-02T11:05:00.000-07:00

Last week I attended BOOK EXPO AMERICA where I took part in the event "Speed Dating With Children's Authors!"

19 different authors (including myself) moved from table to table, spending time chatting at each table with over 100 librarians, book store owners, and other book professionals from across the country. It was a lot of fun, even though I had to talk my way into the event because I didn't have a badge! I was shocked to hear that many of the attendees had already read my book. Now if only I can save enough money to do a proper book tour...

Publishers Weekly posted a complete article about the event here. And I'd like to say a special thanks Kurt for passing out my stickers and such until I ran out!

In other news...
Abrams art director Chad Beckerman posted a nice blog entry about my event at BookCourt! Complete with a bunch of new photos. Thanks, Chad!

And FINALLY...
This Saturday 4-5:00 is my last event in New York for a while! At WORD Books in Greenpoint. We'll be making portraits out of WORDS. Click here for more info!

The Reviews of "Page by Paige"

2011-05-31T06:28:00.000-07:00

Now that "Page by Paige" has been out for a month (wow!), I thought I'd share the REVIEWS so far! Overall people have been very positive and encouraging, which as a first-time author makes me feel unbelievably grateful. So....THANK YOU!

“Gulledge's b&w illustrations are simple but well-suited to their subject matter; the work as a whole is a good-natured, optimistic portrait of a young woman evolving toward adulthood.”
--PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY

"A sweet coming-of-age graphic novel about an artistic introvert. Paige’s sketches are soft and expressive, and Gulledge does an admirable job of providing insight into Paige’s musings, creating a very intimate ambiance for this well-fleshed-out character. The artist masterfully commands her piece, creating a cohesive and fluid work that cascade smoothly along. Teens are sure to relate to this wallflower who blooms—gloriously"
--KIRKUS BOOK REVIEWS

“Gulledge’s literal depictions of metaphors are quite beautiful, and the story is eminently relatable.”
--PASTE MAGAZINE

“Page by page, ahem, we are treated to inventive layouts and designs as we get insightful glimpses into Paige’s conscious mind....Gulledge is an honest artist, laying out her fears and dreams out for all of us to examine...This comes highly recommend to people seeking something fresh and different.”
--COMIC MIX

“I immediately wanted to find people around me to share the images. I can't wait to start giving this out as gifts or sharing it with teens that I know. Page by Paige is a wonderful debut by Gulledge and I certainly look forward to future work from her. “
--KID LIT FRENZY

“ The themes Gulledge tackles in the flowing text and the revealing illustrations are complex and mature. So while many teens will definitely relate to Paige's feelings of isolation, older readers will also find something to love about this imaginative tale.”
--RT BBOOK REVIEWS

“The story is warm, charming and full of sugary sweetness, inspiration, trust and caring of friends, a budding relationship and tons of feel good moments... Gulledge (is) not afraid to take the readers on a visual stroll that is engaging and distracting at the same time, much like an amusement park...Not only for young readers and one I am sure will easily make it onto my personal “best of” list of 2011.”
--BURNT WEINERS

“A funny, charming and very touching coming of age story. I loved Paige and I hope she has more of her story to tell.”
--GREEN BEAN TEEN QUEEN

“This was a fun, quick read with enough depth to make me go back and re-read it again.”
--MRS. P’s BOOK REVIEWS

“It’s astounding...This is a book that could only be done as a comic, and it makes full use of the medium.”
--COMICS WORTH READING

“Anyone who's ever felt like a fish out of water, anyone who's ever felt like they don't measure up, anyone who's ever felt alone will relate to Paige. She is so fully realized, with all of her teenage highs and lows, it makes you want to cheer when she ultimately works up the courage to share her art with the world.”
--READING EVERYWHERE

“I am a 30 year old, white male who enjoys metal music and mixed martial arts. Why the disclosure? Because I simply loved this book...I am honestly blown away with how much I enjoyed the artwork in the book, spending a lot of time staring at the same page, picking out all the little details.”
--AMAZON customer review: John

“I would rate this book five stars: I loved it.”
— SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL teen review: Madison (Age 12)

“ Her character seemed well developed and real, and the supporting characters also have very vibrant personalities.”
— SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL teen review: Katie (Age 16)

“If I could go back in time I would hand this book to my 16 year old self. Who would I become? Most definitely an Agent of Whimsy!!”
--GOODREADS review: Wendy

“The artwork is quite wonderful, and makes the book feel like you are reading a journal/sketchbook instead of a graphic novel written by an adult.”
--GOODREADS review: Matthew

“Laura Lee Gulledge is truly a talented artist....Just shows how important teaching kids how to express themselves is, because it can save them from bottling things up inside of them.”
--GOODREADS review: Kellee

“ This is an awesome graphic novel that I would recommend as a way to get those who draw to read.”
--GOODREADS review: Lori

“ Though the tale is written from a teenage female perspective, I still find myself (30-something male) able to relate to her trials and tribulations...Gulledge's work here flows like a song. “
--GOODREADS review: Kent

“I loved how Paige slowly coaxes herself out of her shell. Great themes of friendship and finding your own place in the world.”
--GOODREADS review: Kelly

“I loved how Paige's artistic explorations were reflected in the changing styles of the art in the book--inked and non-inked, panels and no panels, markery and watercolory--but they all fit together as the work of one artist's personality.
--GOODREADS review: Tessa

“Many interesting elements here, but most profoundly expressed are the insecurities of a creative, introspective young teenager, who is willing to face her fears and grow into the young, capable and honest artist she is meant to discover, becoming a friend to herself and to others along the way.”
--GOODREADS review: Teresa

“ Paige's head is filled with so many thoughts and doubts, in a way that I remember vividly from my own teen years, and the illustrations bring to life her emotions.”
--GOODREADS review: Joy

“DON'T MISS THIS ONE! Wait. I yelled that. Okay. Yes. I would yell this from the rooftops. You have kids that will absolutely love this!”
--GOODREADS review: Paul

Next Week: Workshop @ WORD Books!

2011-05-26T13:30:00.000-07:00

Next Saturday I'll be holding my last scheduled book event for a while...and it will be at the wonderful WORD Books in Greenpoint!

Saturday June 4th 4-5:00pm
WORD: 126 Franklin Street
Closest Subway: Greenpoint Avenue G Stop
RSVP on Facebook

What words come to mind when you look at yourself? Do you ever wish you could change who you are? In this workshop, I will help you “reprogram” your perceptions of yourself by creating a self portrait completely out of WORDS! You will work sheets of paper using a variety of drawing tools. No special artistic skills are necessary!

I will be raffling off a signed copy of my "Be a Revelationary" poster! And I'll have my original sketchbooks on hand for you to flip through.

Currently Reading: Lewis & Clark by Nick Bertozzi

Mirror Portraits @ BookCourt

2011-05-24T18:11:00.000-07:00

This Sunday I held a signing and workshop at BookCourt here in Brooklyn! I talked about my artwork and invited folks to make mirror self portraits, which was an activity based on my introspective style of art-making portrayed in Page by Paige.

People drew what/who they saw when they looked in the mirror using china markers...

And here is a sampling of the finished ones! People drew themselves as a pirate, an artist, a princess, a baby, etc.

How about me? Well, I drew myself under construction...

Thank you everyone who braved the non-running-subway-schedule and came out on Sunday! And you folks at BookCourt for being supper supportive of the event. You can see more pics from this in my Flicker gallery.

Sound Waves: Jules' music pick!

2011-05-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd start sharing new fun music that corresponds with the musical tastes of the different characters in Page by Paige...starting with Jules!

If you are into strong female vocalists like Jules is, then you should check out The Boxettes, who my boyfriend Kurt actually turned me onto.

They are a London-based "all-female beatbox vocal group led by Bellatrix, the World Female Beatbox Champion. Their five members combine to enormous effect, generating a sound that takes in hip-hop, drum n bass, soul, funk- and is as visceral as it is delicate."

All vocals and no instruments?! They're pretty badass.

Book Soundtrack

2011-05-19T07:25:00.000-07:00

I like music. So in "Page by Paige" I decided to reference a lot of bands though the t-shirts my characters wear and the posters on their walls, giving the book a sort of soundtrack.

It features a lot of the music I was listening to while making the book, a heavy dosage of Brooklyn bands (since that's where the story is set), and then some bands whose names tied in with a scene. For example (click to see larger)...

Here the tree in the Sigur Ros poster in Paige's room turns into a real tree:

I couldn't help but insert a Badly Drawn Boy self-deprecating reference:

Grizzly Bear vs. Frightened Rabbit? That captures how Paige feels vulnerable in NYC:

Musicians who I'm personally friends with are are featured on flyers:

"PAGE BY PAIGE" SOUNDTRACK:
I like how these songs reflect the musical tastes of the different characters...
Scythian Empires - Andrew Bird
Summertime Clothes - Animal Collective
I and Love and You - The Avett Brothers
Everybodys Stalking - Badly Drawn Boy
Ibi Dreams of Pavement - Broken Social Scene
Golden Years - David Bowie
The Clockwise Witness - DeVotchKa
40 Day Dream - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Ragged Wood - Fleet Foxes
Pavement Tune - The Frames
I'll Be Better - Francis and the Lights
Hannah - Freelance Whales
Swim Until You Can't See Land - Frightened Rabbit
Southern Point - Grizzly Bear
Carpetbaggers - Jenny Lewis
Do You Wanna Touch Me - Joan Jett
Easy - Joanna Newsom
All my friend - LCD Soundsystem
Animal - Miike Snow
This Year - The Mountain Goats
Exo-Politics - Muse
Age Of Consent - New Order
Know - Nick Drake
Dancing with Myself - Nouvelle Vague
Better - Regina Spektor
Gobbledigook - Sigur Rós
Infinity Guitars - Sleigh Bells
I'm Waiting for the Man - The Velvet Underground
Cheated Hearts - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

SECOND SOUNDTRACK: MY MUSICIAN FRIENDS
These are mostly friends I met back in Virginia, but there are a few NYC kids...
Thankless - All Of Fifteen
Going Through Changes - Army Of Me
In Flight - Centric
Golden Days - The Damnwells
Gravity - The Dirty Dishes
Ten Ton Cheese - The Falsies
Take My Brothers - Justin Storer and the Working Effective
We Will Become Ourselves Reborn - Ki:Theory
Invite Them Up - Marcellus Hall
Rules of the Game - MoneyPenny
Sweat Nectar - Natti Vogel
Shine On - Navel
Soberano - New Madrid
The Other Side of Love 2 - Phoenix Noir
Purple Weather Girl - Samuel Stiles
Up Against Life - Small Town Workers
Broken Bottles - Sons of Bill
Something Face - Sun Domingo
Worst in Me - The Threads
Tide March - Thrum
Rearview - Travis Elliott

If you would like to DOWNLOAD THESE MIXES, go to box.net and log in as me. (Please just don't mess with the account while you're in there!) My username is "lauraleegulledge@gmail.com" and password is "Paigelikesmusic."

Workshop SUNDAY at BookCourt!

2011-05-17T09:39:00.000-07:00

Come to BOOKCOURT this weekend where I will be signing copies of my debut YA graphic novel "Page by Paige," sharing fun freebies, bringing original sketchbooks for you to flip through, and leading a short workshop!

When: Sunday, May 22nd 11:00am - 2:00pm
Where: 163 Court Street (between Pacific & Dean) Brooklyn, NY 11201
Closest subways: Bergen St. FG, Hoyt-Schermerhorn ACG, MNRW2345 Court St./Borough Hall
Here's the Facebok Event.

Mirror Self Portraits Workshop:
Who do you REALLY see when you look in the mirror? Perhaps you have a secret identity, hide behind a mask, or imagine yourself living out your dreams?... In this workshop, Laura Lee helps you reveal you true self by drawing on ACTUAL MIRRORS with wax pencils. No special artistic skills are necessary!

This is a new lesson I've created and I can't wait to try it out! It should be a lot of fun, so if you were not able to make it to the recent launch party then I hope you can swing by on Sunday!

Currently Reading: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Meet the real Longo!

2011-05-15T17:30:00.000-07:00

The character Longo is based on my real friend Jason Longo, who I've always simply called Longo. He was pretty much my first friend in New York when I moved here in 2007, and just like his character, when I met him he was a talented comic artist with a fabulous sense of humor.

Originally from Connecticut, he currently lives in Brooklyn not too far from me. He works as an art director for Mud Puddle Books and loves to have cook-outs. He's worked on various illustration & comic projects, ranging from the webcomic We Make Clouds to being one of the initial artists featured on Zuda Comics. I'll always be grateful that he loaned me the second graphic novel I ever read, "Blankets," which had a big influence on me.

This is an old pic of him back as a teenager!

Here we are at a house party of his...

And here we are rocking out at a Harry and the Potters show...

And this is us with my friend Juliet who was the original inspiration for the Jules character...but more on her later!

On to the art! This is a drawing Longo made of us in 2007:

Which I referenced in Page by Paige:

This is another one of his drawings where I appear as a character:

And a couple more fun drawings of his...

And finally, this was the original character sketch I made for Longo back when I first wrote out the book script. He definitely evolved as I drew him over and over!

Recap: Brooklyn Comics & More

2011-05-15T17:27:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I was at Brooklyn Comics & More helping them celebrate FREE COMIC BOOK DAY! (It's a day each year when comic book stores nationwide give away a ton of free new comics)

I signed copies of Page by Paige and brought chalk to draw on the sidewalk...except it was raining most of the time I was there! So, sadly I only got to draw a little bit before I left. (Next time I'd be awesome to get more kids involved!)

Create: Your handwriting font

2011-05-10T19:01:00.000-07:00

Before Page by Paige, I had only done hand lettering here and there before. And only a tiny bit at that. So for a project this daunting and with rounds of editing, I decided it would be easier to make a font out of my handwriting. But...HOW DO YOU DO THAT?!

Well...there are multiple websites online that allow to to make your own font, like Fontifier and Handfont for example. I ended up using YourFonts for the font you see in my graphic novel, and it cost $10 for a font. (Which I found was an average price.) I used it for my whole book...

It was pretty easy! First you go to their website and download a blank template.

You print out the template and following their guidelines you draw in your letters. I used pencil first and then went over in pen. Try to make the letters a consistent height and width so they will line up uniformly when you type them combined. Then you scan it, upload it on their website, and preview it for free before you have to pay. So if you don't like the preview, you can redraw out your letters.

I wanted mine to be perfect since I knew it'd be used in my book, so it actually took me three times to get it right...

Ta-da! I hope this was helpful.

"Page by Paige" Book Launch Party!

2011-05-08T10:17:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from the "Page by Paige" launch party at Powerhouse Arena last weekend! (You can check out all the pics on Flickr and on Facebook.)

We had a great turnout! I'm so lucky to be surrounded by such supportive people...

I did a live reading of a section from the book...

I brought my original sketchbooks for people to flip through...

I debuted a new short motion comic trailer by filmmaker Nathan Luppino...

Jules-like musician Alyson Greenfield performed on keyboard, guitar, and glockenspiel...

I raffled off signed copies of the book, signed zines, copies of the book soundtrack, and an original drawing from the book (which was set in DUMBO where the party was)...

Guests got goody bags containing one of my smiley plastic easter eggs, an artistic license, fun permission slip, business card, sticker, candy, and list of upcoming events...

I signed A LOT of books...

And people had their cartoon-voice-bubble portrait taken, using a handmade whiteboard sign that my dad helped me make! Here are a just a few...

This pretty much sums up how I felt about seeing my book finally make its debut...

Thanks for coming, everyone! And extra thanks to Kurt Christenson, Diana Arge, Reid Harris Cooper, and Robert Feliciano for taking great photos...

On a final note...I haveNEWS!
"Page by Paige" has been nominated for YALSA's Great Graphic Novels for Teens list! (YALSA stands for Young Adult Library Services Association) This is such an honor! OMG indeed!

New Street Art: Wheat Pastes!

2011-05-04T17:53:00.000-07:00

Two years ago I started doing street art under the street artist alias Karat, and just recently I decided to get back into it because in Paige in my book does wheat pastes! (You can see all new and old work in Karat's Flickr Gallery.)

These are all drawings of mine which I xeroxed and slapped up on walls using wheat paste. (Hence they're called wheat pastes.) If my fictional alter ego can do it, then so can I!

DESIGN 1
In "Page by Paige" my character hangs wheat pastes of dogwood trees around New York to make it feel more like her old home in Virginia. So I thought I would follow suit! This is the original drawing...

...and here is how it looks as a wheat paste!

I hung one in Charlottesville, Virginia...

Then the rest are in New York. SOHO, Manhattan...

These are in Willimsburg, Brooklyn...

Buchwick, Brooklyn...

And in Chelsea, Manhattan...

DESIGN 2
The next drawing made is a propaganda inspired poster, but different in tone because I'm encouraging people to be creative REVELATIONaries instead of REVOLUTIONaries. I'm actually selling prints of this image in my Etsy Store! ($15 for a 13x19 in. signed print on watercolor paper)

Here's how it looks as a wheat paste! It now hangs in Buchwick...

Williamsburg...

Chelsea...

The Meat Packing District...

And SOHO...

DESIGN 3
The next image was of a Fun Permission Slip, which is a drawing I turned into an etching a couple years ago. And I included it in the last chapter of "Page by Paige!"

I hung a lot of these because they're so small! There's one in Bushwick...

Williamsburg...

SOHO...

Chelsea...

The Meat Packing District...

And across my street in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn...

DESIGN 4:
And finally, my first wheat paste was here in my Brooklyn neighborhood (Clinton hill) of an altered vision chart. Now there is one in Bushwick...

And SOHO...

I'd like to say a big THANK YOU to my lovely assistants Kurt, Diana, Jim, Anton and Daniel! And next up I'll be sharing pics of the brass etchings I've slowly been hanging up, so stay tuned.

RT Book Reviews: Video Interview!

2011-05-03T19:42:00.000-07:00

Back in February I was interviewed by the lovely Morgan Doremus from RT BOOK REVIEWS in their fancy-pants studio with a fancy-pants backdrop! It was all very fancy-pants.

So this was my first such interview, and I can't even bring myself to watch it...ack! So maybe you should for me...
http:

And here is their accompanying review of my book...

Brooklyn Comics & More event this Saturday

2011-05-02T19:44:00.000-07:00

THANK YOU everyone who came to my book launch on Sunday at Powerhouse! It was a big success! But more into and pics from that later. If you were NOT able to make it, I have a few more events coming up this month which may interest you!

This Saturday I'll be at BROOKLYN COMICS & MORE signing books and bringing sidewalk chalk for us to play outside! We'll be doing Paige-inspired chalk drawings on the streets of Park Slope (my old neighborhood!) if the weather cooperates.

Saturday May 7th
4:00-5:30pm
Brooklyn Comics & More
493 7th Ave in Park Slope
(Closest subway is the 15th St/Prospect Park FG stop)

And I'll be publicizing these other two events more, but for now you can mark your calendar:

Sun May 22nd 11:00am
*Book Court* (63 Court St in Boerum Hill)
We’ll be drawing “reflective” self portraits on actual mirrors! (And I'll be signing books or course.)

Sat June 4th 4:00pm
*WORD Books* (126 Franklin St in Greenpoint)
We’ll be making introspective self portraits out of only WORDS! (And signing books...)

Launch Party SUNDAY

2011-04-28T05:25:00.000-07:00

Normally I don't plug the same event more than once, but hey...
this is my FIRST BOOK AND I'M REALLY EXCITED! So here are 8 reasons you should come to my book launch party.

1. The amazing Alyson Greenfield will perform live music, including a NEW SONG inspired by "Page by Paige!" You have to see this girl, seriously.

2. We'll debut a NEW TRAILER made by Portland Filmmaker Nathan Luppino! Even I have not seen it yet.

3. Laura Lee will do her first LIVE READING from her book! There will be blushing.

4. A cigarette girl will be applying BLOCK PRINTS on people!

5. You can have your fill-in-the-voice-bubble COMIC PORTRAIT taken! (It'll make sense when you see it...)

6. FREE GOODIES! Nibbles, surprise-filled easter eggs, fun permission slips, and more.

7. FREE RAFFLE! Prizes include signed copies of "Page by Paige," book soundtrack CDs, zines, and (gasp!) an ORIGINAL DRAWING from the book!

8. The weather looks like it should be nice, so afterwards we can go hang out in BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK! (bring a blanket and discreet refreshments if you wish)

******This Sunday. 4:00 sharp. Powerhouse Arena. DUMBO*****
Check out the event on the Powerhouse website and on Facebook.

Artistic License

2011-04-26T06:46:00.000-07:00

Do you need some creative encouragement? Well...here, sign an ARTISTIC LICENSE! You can draw up your own, or you can print this one off. Either way, you can put it on your desk or in your wallet to remind you to stop thinking so much and get back to making stuff.

If you print off this one, it's the size of a regular business card: 3.5 x 2 inches. Or you can print off a while sheet if you want to share it:

Egg follow-up

2011-04-25T09:23:00.000-07:00

This weekend I hid about 200 eggs just in time for Easter, with my lovely assistants Diana, Daniel, and Anton. (Real life Agents of Whimsy!) The eggs ended up in Bushwick, Williamsburg, Park Slope, SOHO, Chelsea, the Meatpacking District, and a mixture of subway stations such as Rockefeller Center & Bedford/Nostrand. All over the place!

Anton and I put lot in the Highline Park since there were lots of families out enjoying Easter Sunday...

Here are some women finding an egg. I overheard one comment as she walked past me that she thought it was so cynical of her that she immediately thought it was trash at first rather than something nice. I wonder what other people thought when they found them...

Check out this nice email I received:
"I found a blue egg and it certainly made my day! It was sitting on the iron gate that surrounds a subway station entrance/exit on the street level...I’m an anthropologist and just had to pick it up and see what was inside. I’ve always been curious about these kinds of artifacts and hoped it would be something thoughtful in a meaningful way and not chewed gum or something worse. Thank you so much!"
Martha
Nutley, New Jersey

Keeps your eyes peeled for eggs, I'm sure there are still many hidden out there! And if you do find one, I'd love to hear about it. (lauraleegulledge@gmail.com)

Easter Egg Caper

2011-04-22T08:20:00.000-07:00

Life imitating art!

In my graphic novel "Page by Paige" the characters (Together known as the Agents of Whimsy) fill plastic easter eggs with surprises and leave them around for people to discover.

This was inspired by something my friends and I did back in college in Virginia, but I thought it would be fun to try this here in New York! I've stuffed over 400 plastic eggs, I'll be placing many of them around New York this weekend just in time for Easter. Then I'll be giving the rest away at my upcoming book events.

Inside each smiley-face adorned egg is a star sticker, an encouraging fortune, an eraser for making mistakes, a life saver, and a postage-stamp-sized card with my website.

If you ended up at this website because YOU found an egg, I hope it brightened your day! And if you'd like to comment on the circumstances when/how you found it, I would love to hear about it: lauraleegulledge@gmail.com

Kids CC Recap/ Launch Party Next Week!

2011-04-21T06:15:00.000-07:00

*KIDS COMIC CON*

This past weekend I trekked up to the Bronx to take part in Kids Comic Con! I did a small workshop, and the fact that everyone left with some new drawing ideas inspired by MY process made me very happy. (Hooray thinking in metaphors!) I also had some great conversations with other comic artists, such as Raina Telgemeier and Yuko Ota.

*PAGE BY PAIGE - BOOK LAUNCH PARTY*

It's time to say THANK YOU for all you folks who have supported/ encouraged/ inspired me while making this book come to life! (If you can't make it, don't fret! I'll be doing a bunch of workshops at different NYC bookstores over the next month.)

Sunday, May 1st
Powerhouse Books
37 Main Street (DUMBO) Brooklyn, NY
Facebook Event

4:00-5:00
There will be a short reading and then a live musical performance by glockenspiel-yielding-quirky-rapper Alyson Greenfield! She's writing an original song just for the occasion. Don’t be late or you won’t receive a raffle ticket for some goodies...including an original DRAWING from the book!

5:00-6:00
We'll finish the formal stuff and hang out....You can have a Paige-inspired block print stamped on you by a cigarette girl, nibble on light refreshments, snag freebies, and have your fill-in-the-voice-bubble cartoon portrait taken! And of course I'll be signing copies of the book.

After 6:00ish
We'll either head across the street into Brooklyn Bridge Park for the best waterside view of Manhattan OR we'll head over to Rebar for drinks. (Depending on the weather and what folks are in the mood for.)

Currently Reading: Peanut Butter & Jeremy's Best Book Ever! by James Kochalka

Kids Comic Con Tomorrow

2011-04-15T06:58:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I'll be promoting Page by Paige at Kids Comic Con!

TOMORROW Saturday April 15th!
I'll be at the Abrams table 12-5:00.(And doing a short workshop sometime in there...)
At Bronx Community College: Colston Hall, 181st Street & University
Closest subway is 4 Train: 181st Street
Under 18: free, Over 18: $5

Debut at MOCCA Fest!

2011-04-14T07:24:00.000-07:00

"Page by Paige" premiered at the MOCCA Fest this past weekend here in New York!

The Abrams table was in a prime location right by the front entrance.

While signing the books I doodled picture frames, birds, and tulips inside the front cover. Everyone who came by was super kind and complimentary!

A couple of the Abrams folks would be holding up my book to get the attention of the passing people. (Doesn't he look thrilled?! Haha...)

I got to sign books next to the legendary Jerry Robinson, who was the creator of the Joker! He was there promoting his new book, "Jerry Robinson: Ambassador of Comics."

I also got to sit with Michael Uslan who is known for producing the Batman films. He also writes Archie, so was there promoting his new book "Archie Marries..."

We sold all the copies of "Page by Paige" but ONE! Hooray! The Abrams team really did a great job.

And I just had to share this photo of Kurt and I taken by Andrea Sparacio. Because comics couples are cute.

My first wheat paste

2011-04-11T07:02:00.000-07:00

A couple years ago I hung up some street art under the name Karat (brass etchings!) and I've been meaning to get back into it. I thought I'd start by hanging up drawings with wheat paste, especially since the main character in "Page by Paige" embarks on doing wheat pastes herself!

I made an altered vision chart which is actually to scale so you CAN use it to check your vision. I made it for Kurt, it reads: "I do see you love adore cherish I'm sorry the fears sometimes interfere Remember our hears unwavering I trust you to see me too."

I hung it directly across the street from our stoop so we could see it when we're coming and going.

Unfortunately I made the paste in a rather slap-dash fashion, so it ended up not taking to the wall. Ack! Now I'm remaking the paste (more attentively this time) and I'll be testing it out some more.

I have a bunch of other wheat pastes and etchings ready to hang, so there will be lots of pics of street art coming!

Currently Listening: We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions...Bruce Springsteen

You've got mail!

2011-04-05T18:01:00.001-07:00

Five and a half years ago while living in an old motel room in Virginia, I decided that my art needed to be published somehow as a book. But I thought it would resemble something like Sabrina Ward Harrison or Maira Kalman's illustrative books...the term graphic novel was not even in my vocabulary.

Flash forward to now, where I am living in Brooklyn and receiving two boxes in the mail from the printer with copies of Page by Paige. MY BOOK.

These are the paperbacks...

And the hardcover version...

When I picked up the first one and opened it up, I just started to cry. Because it finally sunk in that this was for-real-no-joke-actually happening. This was my book!

I love how it looks without the dust jacket...

And how can YOU get your hands on a copy? Well, it comes out on MAY 1st so you can either preorder it on a site like Amazon or come to one of my upcoming events. Details to come!

Currently reading: Potential by Ariel Schrag

Behind the Scenes: Photo Diary

2011-04-04T12:10:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd share a little BEHIND-THE-SCENES PHOTO DIARY!

Making this book has been a very special/challenging/inspiring experience for me, so it's been weird not to share a lick of it with anyone. To be alone and isolated the whole time. It's been really hard. The thought of sharing what has become my daily routine makes it feel somehow, less lonely. So here are some pictures from my life as hermit...

This is where I spend all my time. It's surrounded by old props I've painted from the Macy's windows. Every morning I'd pull out my quota for the day (3/4 pages) that I'd be penciling or inking.

This Macy's prop says it all! I've never had to push myself so hard, keeping myself working passionately 7 days a week totally unsupervised for 7 months straight. It's been an exercise in self-discipline.

"Getting ready for work" for me has meant rolling out of bed, brushing my teeth and putting on a bra. And ta-da...I'm ready!

My dad made me an adjustable hinged drafting table which I use to keep my neck problems at bay. And I use an egg timer to make me get up from my desk every hour.

I've used this same plastic palette since 7th grade. And I use my Grandma's old paint brushes for painting with ink.

I went through a lot of blue pencils.

The mammoth pile of 192 pages occupied one side of my sofa like my roommate. Or a 7 month houseguest.

Besides my book for company, I have Creepy Squirrel Baby to talk to. I expect that this obvious hunger for companionship properly explains why I'm on FACEBOOK so very much.

I've kept myself sane by keeping my ears occupied. I've plowed through tons of music, podcasts (Mostly This American Life & Stuff You Should Know), many audiobooks (including all 7 Harry Potter books...TWICE), and live radio. However, my main audio-companion has been John Richards on KEXP. I listen to his show every single weekday morning.

I take breaks in the afternoon to ride my bike around Prospect Park, which is only 2 blocks away.

Or I'd bike over to the studio for the afternoon to work around my studiomates in Outpost 51.

I'd flatten the pages I made each day under a big pile of books sitting on the floor of my room. Fancy.

While inking my book, I decided I couldn't draw hands. So each morning I'd erase all the hands that I was supposed to ink that day and I'd redraw them, usually using photo reference. Hence I have hundreds of photos on my computer of my hands! This is my favorite one.

Paige is up for preorder! And other news...

2011-01-06T08:18:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

So WHAT IS UP with that book I made last year? Here's the skinny...

Pre-production galley copies of Page by Paige are being sent out to bookstores and such, and I've already been getting really great feedback and some glowing reviews. (Thank you!) I only have a few copies myself, so alas I have none to give away...

It's now on the Abrams website, available for PRESALE! $10, comes out May 1st.

Pssst--On the Abrams page you can "like" my book on Facebook. Please do!

I was featured as an Indie highlight on PREVIEWS, an influential comic trade site. This is really amazing that they even chose me, the totally unknown author!

And how crazy is it that I discover someone else has made a TRAILER for my book? What?! Watching this was all sorts of surreal. Now I need to get moving on making my OWN trailer!

Currently Reading: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

First Book Charity Event

2010-12-21T08:18:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago I attended my first fancy-schmancy event as a representative of Abrams! (They're the publisher of my upcoming book) It was a charity event for First Book, which is an amazing organization that provides new books to children in need. Abrams works with them to contribute books, so I was happy to be introduced to the cause.

It was held at the legendary Waldorf Astoria hotel...

Galley copies of MY BOOK were out on all the tables for guests to take home. My book?! Surreal!

Abrams Spring Catalog

2010-11-24T08:17:00.000-08:00

Lookie! The Abrams Spring 2011 catalog! (I'ts online here.)

And look who's on page 26-27! In a TWO PAGE SPREAD!

Every year I make little personalized name-place-holders for my family for Thanksgiving dinner, and here are the ones I made this year! (there are words in the leaves) My parents Patty & Maurice, and brother Brian are up here in New York sharing the holiday with me and my 'new family members' Kurt and Diana.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

"Bored to Death" comic con extra

2010-11-15T08:16:00.000-08:00

Back in May I was an extra for the HBO show Bored to Death, where they set up a fake comic con at Brooklyn Lyceum. (Yup, where King Con was last weekend!) The episode "Super Ray is Mortal" finally aired, so you can see me in the background! (Click to see larger)

And here is a pic of me and my comic-tablemate Maja Szychowska with our friend Dean Haspiel, who is the basis of Zach Galifianakis' character! He also does all the comic art for the show and recently got a creative emmy for his work on the opening credits.

The crew got Bored to Death wine. And yes, it tastes good!

More pics from the set (including me with Zach) and our viewing party are on Facebook.

King Con All Girl Panel

2010-11-15T08:15:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos from King Con (Brooklyn's comic con) at Brooklyn Lyceum last weekend!

I made my comic panel debut an all female panel called "Hips, Lips, & Pencil Tips: The Sexual Female as Feminist Focal Point." We discussed topics such as how sexuality plays into our work, why comics serve as a suitable medium to express these topics, our experience as women in the comics industry, etc. We represented a good variety of backgrounds and aesthetics, so I think that fostered an especially colorful discussion!

It was moderated by erotica writer Rachel Kramer Bussel...

The panel included comics artist & writer Jennifer Hayden...

Comic artist & booth babe Paige Pumphrey...

Comic book writer & editor Valerie D'Orazio...

And yours truly...

One of the directors Regan Jaye Fishman spoke to BUST MAGAZINE about our panel! Read the article here.

And our panel got a shout-out in TIME OUT NYC.

Blue Ridge Art Show

2010-11-02T08:14:00.000-07:00

Sorry it took me so long to post these photos from my ART SHOW at Blue Ridge Community College! (Technical difficulties...) The show is still up for another couple weeks if you'd like to catch it, but otherwise here are the pictures!

I hung illustrations that inspired scenes in my graphic novel "Page by Paige" as well as pages from the book showing how those drawings were adapted. They gave me a lot of wall space and I was quite determined to fill it. (Click to see larger)

I also gave a couple ARTIST TALKS to the students and faculty, discussing how my experiences have influenced my process and how my little art-therapeutic-sketchbooks evolved into a graphic novel. Everyone was incredibly lovely and seemed to forgive me for my rambling tangents!

My Comic Con Debut

2010-10-12T08:13:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I made my premiere at NEW YORK COMIC CON!

Abrams rush-printed a bunch of galleys (a pre-publication version) of "Page by Paige" which I signed and gave out to visitors at the Abrams ComicArts Table.

Firstly, I was simply ecstatic to see the book in printed form. To hold it, flip through it...I couldn't believe I made an actual book. A REAL BOOK. I've been wanting this for years, so it took a moment to sink in...

Then I couldn't believe the positive feedback from people! It was so very encouraging. Here's a picture of me with my art director Chad Beckerman and my editor Maggie Lehrman...

The title is actually misspelled on the title page (oopsie!) so as I signed each copy I corrected it with a grin. Yup, this is definitely MY book.

And THEN to top it off I'm mentioned (with a photo!) in a Publishers Weekly article about kids comics at NYCC. I can tell this is the beginning of what is sure to be an interesting journey...

Rocktown Weekly Cover Story

2010-09-11T08:11:00.000-07:00

I'M THE COVER STORY THIS WEEK IN ROCKTOWN WEEKLY!

You can read the article "A Real Page-Turner" here. (My character in my graphic novel is named Paige Turner)

This newspaper is based out of Harrisonburg, Virginia, where (in case you didn't know) I attended James Madison University. I also held an art show there at the Artful Dodger back in 2006 while I was living on the other side of the mountain in Charlottesville.

The article is in anticipation of my UPCOMING ART SHOW at Blue Ridge Community College! (October 1st - Nov 15th) More details to come.

Currently Listening: Silverchair...Diaroma

Book. Is. Done.

2010-08-16T08:09:00.000-07:00

In case I forgot to mention this fact earlier...."PAGE BY PAIGE" IS DONE! Hooray!

Now all that's left is the oh-so-essential-cover and some copy-editing. In the meantime, I'm working on some NEW fun project ideas which I'm very excited about. Scheme, scheme, scheme.

Here are some of the finished pages with the lettering done! (click to see larger) I picked these three pages totally at random...

Currently Listening: Kele...The Boxer

Comic Creationizm

2010-07-24T08:08:00.000-07:00

COMIC CREATIONIZM

I helped host this fun comic-themed event at HiChristina! along with my friend Matt Mikas, where all the attendees collaborated to create a single comic book in one evening! We worked together to come up with characters, props, and themes...and in the end ended up with a very dada-ist 13 page comic! (One page was on my back) You can see more pics on Flickr.

Featured in "Mishaps and Adventures"

2010-07-01T08:06:00.000-07:00

My art director at Abrams Books, Chad Beckerman, just featured me in his kick-ass publishing blog "Mishaps and Adventures: Dedicated to the process and exploration of children's and young adult book design." Please check it out and comment if you feel so inclined...it features NEW drawings from "Page by Paige!"

You can see it here.

Currently eating: lemon Italian ice.

One month to go...

2010-06-13T08:05:00.000-07:00

ONE MORE MONTH...and then I'll be finished* with my graphic novel!

(*fingers crossed)

Right now I'm wrapping up the digital shading part of the process, and finally I'll tackle the lettering. Here are a few random unfinished pages to show you how things are coming along in Paige's little world. (click to enlarge)

Currently Listening: Band of Horses...Infinite Arms

First Teaser Panels

2010-05-03T08:03:00.000-07:00

Here are some more teaser panels from my graphic novel! I've basically finished inking all the pages so now I'm going through the whole thing and polishing them so I can scan/digitally shade/letter. (Anyone want to be my intern?) Click to see larger.

And finally, here's a picture of me inking a page while waiting to see the cast of Doctor Who at the Apple store a couple weeks ago. This is as nerdy as it gets!

Currently Listening: Seu Jorge...The Life Aquatic Soundtrack

NYU Comix Culture Video

2010-04-26T08:02:00.000-07:00

Lookie lookie!
I'm featured in this video story about New York Comix Culture, along with other Brooklyn artists like Dean Haspiel! It aired on NYU last week and apparently it's getting vetted by CNN on ireport soon. Written and produced by Lisa Qiu. And please excuse the fact I'm wearing a very unprofessional-looking tube top! I had a terrible sunburn and was dousing myself in aloe...

I'll post some more drawings next week, I promise!

Currently Reading: (audiobook) Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

...and more inking!

2010-04-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

How is my graphic novel coming? Well, I'm...

(Click images to see larger)

Currently Listening: Jónsi...Go

"La Repubblica" article

2010-03-28T07:59:00.000-07:00

Sono in un giornale italiano! Eccellente!

Recently Italian writer Anna Lombardi, who writes for Roman paper "La Repubblica," interviewed me along with some of my studiomates in Brooklyn (via Dean Haspiel) concerning the New York comic scene. Most the artists in the article are also featured on the website Graphic NYC, which profiles working comic artists along with living legends. Chris Irving (my studiomate) does the interviews and the talented photographer Seth Kushner takes the portraits.

Here's what Anna wrote about me, courtesy of Google Translate...

"Laura Lee Gulledge, however: 30 years, newcomer of the group, is finishing his first novel, Paige, (self-) portrait of a provincial landed in New York. "A stroke of fortuna.Sono went to a blind date with this guy and to break the ice I showed him my drawings, without asking him what he did. Between us the spark is not taken, but a month later he called me a publishing house. That boy was the art director. And two months later I had a contract. "

Unfortunately, Anna got most of the information about me WRONG! Besides the name of my book being incorrect, I do NOT show my artwork to break the ice on dates, the art director and I didn't talk about a possible project until 7 months later (not 1), and then it was another 7 months before there was a contract (not 2). Making a 14 month process sound like 3 months sure makes it sound easier than it really was.

You can read the whole article "La città dei graphic novelist" online here. (I hope your Italian is buono) But if you just wanna see the pretty pretty pictures, click on these to see larger...

And here's a larger version of Seth's photo of me...

Currently Reading: Ex Machina, Vol. 3: Fact v. Fiction...by Brian K. Vaughan

Halfway Done Inking!

2010-03-26T07:58:00.000-07:00

Click to see bigger...

Yes, the inking of my book has been going well! At the end of April I'll start scanning all 192 pages, doing some digital shading, and adding the lettering. Phew!

And here's a full page teaser, since you all are so wonderful. (This one is about creativity)

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Currently Listening: Them Crooked Vultures (self titled)

Now the inking begins...

2010-03-06T07:58:00.000-08:00

Yes, I've been spending a lot of time with myself...both literally and on paper! I've been busy plugging away, so far inking 40 pages already. I've only scanned a couple of them, so here is something to keep you entertained! They still need work (like lettering) but you get the idea. (Click to see full size)

Currently Listening: Have One on Me...Joanna Newsom

The Final Inking Style

2010-02-23T07:57:00.000-08:00

I wanted to follow up on my previous blog entry showing sample inked pages for my book....so here's the style I've settled on! (Click to see larger)

I decided that in Paige's imagination NOT to use solid black, just sticking to greytones. And to use much more delicate outlines. And I'll be improving the font later of course.

2 inked pages down, 190 more to go!

Currently Listening: Midlake...The Courage of Others

Playing with Shading...

2010-02-15T07:56:00.000-08:00

I've spent the past few days making sample pages for Page by Paige before I ink/ shade/ letter my final drawings...you know, since I'll be doing this for the next 4 months. (Click on the image to see a bigger size)

First I needed to figure out how to shade Paige's reality versus Paige's imaginary world since they're in two different styles. First I played around with a contrast between digital shading and pencil, which I didn't like...

I liked using ink washes instead. More depth, dreamier...

NEXT I did a couple pages from the first chapter that blend both Paige's worlds to see how they two styles look together...

FINALLY I did a couple more pages that were focused on depicting just one of Paige's worlds...and refined the speech bubbles and played with text...

It's been quite a humbling learning process, but as I keep seeing vast improvements (especially since my initial samples a year ago) I can't help but feel encouraged.

I know I need to make the font (made from my handwriting) thicker and easier to read, and I need to improve my drawings of hands, so besides that your feedback and constructive criticism would be greatly greatly appreciated! Please drop me a line.

Currently Reading: Ghost World by Daniel Clowes

Penciling is done!

2010-02-15T07:55:00.000-08:00

I finished drawing out "Page by Paige" in pencil! Hooray! Here's a picture that my art director Chad Beckerman took of me going through the drawings with my editor Maggie Lehrman in the Abrams office. Next I'll work on inking and shading all 190 pages...

Currently Listening: Beach House...Teem Dream

"Her" Video Profile

2010-01-30T07:54:00.000-08:00

VIDEO PROFILE
The lovely and talented filmmaker Rebekah Frimpong recently filmed me as part of her upcoming film project "Her." The film is about determined women who chase their dreams and don't worry about failing...so I was pretty darn flattered when she asked me to take part! This is the link to her 4 minute VIDEO OF ME in my studio working and rambling about myself. I'm the 2nd video down!

Currently listening: The Mountain Goats...Sunset Tree

Some Penciled Pages

2010-01-30T07:52:00.000-08:00

As you might already know, I'm working full time 7 days a week on my first graphic novel. It's called "Page by Paige" and it's for Abrams books. I'll finish it by July and it'll come out Spring 2011.

I've been drawing out all 190 pages in pencil first, and I'm almost done! Just one more chapter to go. Here's what the pile of completed drawings looks like so far, it's pretty massive...

I wanted to share samples of what I've drawn out so far, but the blue pencil lines are SO faint that they didn't even register on my scanner! So I apologize for...
* The poor quality of these photographs here.
* Most of the people don't have their clothes defined yet, since I'm tweaking the wardrobes last.
* None of these images show a whole page layout, for when I tried it was terribly out of focus!

Please click on each image to see the full size.

Here's Paige, my 16-year old main character shamelessly based on myself.

Here's Paige with her new NYC friends...

Paige and Longo, the cartoonist of the bunch...

Here's Jules, the spunky singer...

Here's Paige with Gabe, the writer and romantic interest (blush) of the story...

And here's Diana, Paige's friend from back home...

Here Paige is installing a message-in-a-bottle tree...

And here she is interacting with her Mom...

And where do I spend all my time working on this? I usually work at my desk at home in the mornings and at night...

...then in the afternoons I work at my desk in the studio I share with 5 other artists. We've just named our studio Outpost 51, and I'll share our new blog with you once I finish setting it up.

Once I start inking it I'll definitely post some samples up here for show and tell. Thanks everyone for your support as I've been acclimating to this new world of comics, I've been needing all the encouragement I can get!

Currently listening: Spoon....Transference

Character Sneak Peek

2009-07-27T07:48:00.000-07:00

Here is a SNEAK PEEK at the characters from my graphic novel Page by Paige! Since I'll be drawing this out over the next year, it'll be interesting to see how the characters evolve. Each character was based on a couple different people, but some of their personalities have taken unexpected turns. This first panel shows my 16-year-old-alter-ego Paige with the Virginia-rooted characters: her parents and Diana. Diana is on the phone because in the book she is the friend left behind in Virginia when Paige and her family move to NYC. (Click on image to see full view)

This panel shows Paige with the friends she makes in NYC: Gabe (the writer), Longo (the cartoonist), and Jules (the songwriter). I'll be introducing you to these characters in more depth in the coming months, as I get to know them better myself!

Currently Reading: The Man in the Ceiling by Jules Feiffer

BOOK DEAL!

2009-06-25T07:47:00.000-07:00

BIG. NEWS.

A lot of you folks probably already know this, but...I GOT A BOOK DEAL WITH ABRAMS! (I got the offer 2 months ago but I needed to wait until the contract was all done and signed before I could officially announce it.)

I'm writing and drawing a young adult graphic novel geared towards girls called PAGE BY PAIGE. It's about a redheaded 16-year old named Paige, who moves to NYC with her family from Virginia. (Sound familiar?) Feeling alone in this new city, she decides to cope by learning how to be an artist. But she finds that the lessons she learns on paper spill over into her real life. The more she becomes an artist, the more the line between her imaginary self and her real self begin to blur. The whole book is rooted in my own experiences, so it's quite a personal project for me. And I'm THRILLED to find a publisher brave enough to take on a new author like myself.

At a whopping 192 pages it'll take me the next year to draw, and it will be released in SPRING 2011 by Amulet Books. (The YA division of Abrams) This is why I recently joined a comic studio in Gowanus, so I won't have to spend the next year drawing this totally isolated in my apartment!

I must say THANK YOU to everyone who bought one of my little sketchbooks back in Virginia or picked up one of my zines here in NYC. And thanks to my editor Maggie Lehrman, my agent Maya Rock over at Writer's House, and my friend Chad Beckerman who passed along my name to Maggie in the first place. It's been 9 months since when I first started talking to Abrams, so I'm grateful for my friends and family who have put up with me rattling on about this project for so long. (And, um, sorry, but you'll have to keep hearing about it for a while! But I promise it will be amazing...)

Currently Listening: Camera Obscura...My Maudlin Career