Confessions of a Pop Fan

Monday, October 23, 2006

GENTLEMAN TAKE POLAROIDS...COMICS PEOPLE DO SOMETHING ELSE

FOR IMMEDATE RELEASE

GALLERY SHOW MARKS THE RELEASE OF 12 REASONS GRAPHIC NOVEL

This October, Oni Press will be releasing 12 Reasons Why I Love Her, the debut graphic novel by creative team Jamie S. Rich and Joëlle Jones. A love story told in twelve interlinking vignettes, it follows the ups and downs of a relationship, looking at all the things that drive men and women crazy about one another. To mark the release, Rich and Jones will be making appearances in Portland, Oregon, their current base of operations.

First, they will have a table at the Stumptown Comics Fest. The convention for alternative comics will take place at the Oregon Convention Center on October 27 and 28. Rich and Jones will have a table connected to Oni Press, along with copies of 12 Reason Why I Love Her. For more information: http://www.stumptowncomics.com/

The following week, on November 2, the creative pair will be teaming up with new comic book store Floating World Comics to present pages from 12 Reasons as part of First Thursday. This gallery show will double as the grand opening for Floating World's new downtown location. "I've known Jason Leivian, the owner of Floating World, from back when he worked at another comic book shop," Rich said, "and it's exciting to see him finally running his own store. It's been too long since we've had a comic book store on the west side."

"This is a nice converging of events," Leivian added. "A new store and a new book are both good excuses to celebrate. I'd like to offer a different kind of comic book experience with Floating World, and Jamie and Joëlle have definitely created a different kind of romance comic with 12 Reasons Why I Love Her."

"Since the book is crafted in various styles across its twelve chapters," Rich continued, "Joëlle uses a variety of techniques. This lends itself well to a showing of this kind. It's not just a graphic novel you'll want to read, but one you'll want to pause and linger on individual pages of. And that's exactly what you'll be able to do when the pages are hung on a wall."

Jamie S. Rich has been a Portland-based author for over a decade, working as a writer for various arts weeklies and as an editor for both Dark Horse Comics and Oni Press. Though he has published three novels and has worked on an ongoing comic book series for Oni, 12 Reasons Why I Love Her marks his first time doing a stand-alone comics volume. Joëlle Jones attended the Pacific Northwest College of Art and illustrated a short story in the Dark Horse anthology Sexy Chix. This is also her full-length comics debut.

Floating World Comics is located at 20 NW 5th Ave #100, Portland, OR 97209; (503)241-0227; www.floatingworldcomics.com. Contact jason@floatingworldcomics.com

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