Crown Signs Graphic Title on 2008 Election
This story originally appeared in PW Comics Week on February 20, 2007 Sign up now!
by Trevor Soponis, PW Comics Week -- Publishers Weekly, 2/20/2007
Crown Publishing editor Sean Desmond wanted to tell an old story—the political campaign narrative—in a new way. After signing on illustrator Dan Goldman and writer Michael Crowley, he can: the first graphic book detailing the race for the Democratic and Republican nominations for president of the United States. The book will be published by Three Rivers, the paperback imprint of Crown, in late summer 2008, after the political party conventions.
"As a longtime fan of campaign narratives—from Ted White's The Making of the President series, to Boys on the Bus by Tim Crouse to Trail Fever by Michael Lewis, I wanted to find a new way to tell this story," explained Desmond in an e-mail interview with PWCW. "So I came up with the idea for this book and shared it with agents Bob Mecoy and Gail Ross. Bob helped me attach Goldman and Gail helped me attach Crowley."
The graphic medium is not the only innovative plan for the book. The 160-page b&w story will be designed to be a two-in-one book. The book will have 80 pages on the Democratic race and the resultant nominee on one side. Turn the book over on the back and there's 80 pages on the Republicans and their nominee. Desmond touted the project as "a piece of serious nonfiction on a political campaign, done in a new medium and published before the November election to act as a kind of voter's guide for readers."
"Nothing like this has been done before in comics," asserted artist Dan Goldman in a telephone interview. Goldman, a founding member of the online comics studio ACT-I-VATE, is known for illustrating the critically acclaimed Web comic Shooting War, currently being adapted for a book version due out in November by Warner Books. [the new book] "hits a couple of notes that haven't been heard before, and that makes me proud."
Michael Crowley, a columnist and senior editor for the New Republic, who writes about politics, history and current affairs, admits that comics are "a medium I love." After growing up reading Spider-Man and Mad magazine, Crowley has been excited about the project since he first heard about it. "It's a fresh way to get at something that has saturation coverage." While not planning to live on the trail, Crowley plans to follow the candidates closely during primary season.
"While I've not done anything quite like this, I have worked on illustrated books before," Desmond said. "I'm a huge comics fan."
Asked about the ability of graphic art to detail a serious political race, Desmond cites last year's bestselling illustrated 9/11 Report as evidence that the medium can cover serious issues. "Graphic nonfiction is a growing genre, and I think it's telling that this is the first book to be signed up about the coming 2008 election."
