Next up on my whirlwind tour is another event I'm particularly excited about: HEROES CON! JUNE 4-6, 2010 Charlotte Convention Center 501 S. College St. Charlotte, NC

I'll be at TABLE 519 IN INDIE ISLAND!

I'm honored to be one of the guests in Indie Island, because from everything I've heard, this is the coolest place to be. I'll be surrounded by friends and artists I admire. Please come by for a book, a sketch, or a chat! I've wanted to visit North Carolina for years (probably because of a certain obsession with Ben Folds Five...), but for whatever reason, it hasn't happened until now. Heroes Con is said to be one of the most laid-back, family-friendly conventions out there, so I can think of no better way to greet the south.

The convention hours are as follows:

Friday: 11.00 am - 7.00 pm Saturday: 10.00 am - 6.00 pm Sunday: 11.00 am - 6.00 pm

Update: PANEL SCHEDULE!

Friday, June 4 3.00 PM VOCATIONAL COMICS: Comics As Career Room 207BCD Tom Spurgeon of The Comics Reporter meets with some of the brightest stars in the comic firmament to discuss how they learned to handle the age-old question: what do you do when comics becomes your livelihood? Joining Tom will be Jill Thompson (Scary Godmother), Meredith Gran (Octopus Pie ), Jim Rugg (Afrodisiac), Ed Piskor (Wizzywig) and Raina Telgemeier (Smile).

Sunday, June 6 3.00 PM AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL COMICS: What To Leave In, What To Leave Out Room 208AB Autobio comics have long been one of comics' greatest and most idiosyncratic genres, focusing on the lives and memories of cartoonists and using comics as an immersive tool. Moderator Dustin Harbin discusses autobio comics and what makes them work (and not work) with Erika Moen (Dar), Ken Dahl (Monsters), and Raina Telgemeier (Smile).

Extreme thanks are due to Dustin Harbin, Heroes Employee Extraordinaire (and fellow dental drama buddy!), and Shelton Drum, owner of Charlotte's own Heroes Aren't Hard To Find comic book store, for inviting Dave and I to be a part of this wonderful event.

From everything I heard about last year's inaugural MECAF, I'm pretty excited about this event. Saturday is programming-only, and the festival is working in conjunction with the Portland Public Library to present a free day of panels and discussions! The following day, Sunday, join us for the one-day festival itself.

Panels and Programming (Free!) Portland Public Library Main Branch, 5 Monument Square Saturday, May 22

Cartooning Styles, 12:30 PM A humorous presentation about art styles, featuring images of popular cartoon characters like Sponge Bob Squarepants and Mickey Mouse, and how different artists interpret them. Raina Telgemeier and Dave Roman will talk about designing characters, and then give an interactive drawing demo, in which the audience will instruct Raina in creating characters and images. Age range: 5 – 12

Live Comics Reading: Smile & Astronaut Elementary, 2:30 PM Raina Telgemeier and Dave Roman will read (and perform) chapters from their all-ages graphic novels, as the illustrated panels are projected onto a large screen for all to see. They’ll also ask for some volunteers from the audience to play some of the characters. Age range: 5 and up

Sunday, May 23 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM, MECAF (Kids 12 and Under are Free!) Ocean Gateway (Directions)

I'll post my table information as soon as I have it, but the show is small and chances are I'll be in front of a certain Smile banner! This is where you can find me with lots of copies of Smile for sale, along with Baby-sitters Club graphic novels, artwork, t-shirts, and mini-comics! Have a book you would like me to sign? Bring it along!

-----

I've got three private events (two in NYC and one in Pittsburgh) between now and the 22nd, so no rest for me! TCAF, in Toronto last weekend, was also brilliant and I wish I had time to thank everyone who made my time there so wonderful. So much going on lately, and more to come!

No rest for the author with a new book out! On Saturday and Sunday, May 8 and 9, I will be in Toronto, Ontario, Canada for The Toronto Comic Arts Festival, otherwise known as TCAF! Location: Toronto Reference Library 789 Yonge St., Toronto, Canada When: May 8, 9-5 PM; and May 9, 11-5 PM. Admission to TCAF is Free!!

Dave and I will be at Table 128, right next to our friends Frank Cammuso and Diana Tamblyn! Here's a floormap of the show; we seem to be near the Library Info Desk. Look for my big ol' Smile banner to find me (hint: it looks like this)!

Update: Panels and Programming!

Comics For Kids: What’s Next? SATURDAY, May 8th, 2:45 – 3:30pm, Learning Center 1 Following the initial burst of graphic novels created and marketed specifically to young readers, where will the industry go? Find out from a panel of experts including editors, creators, teachers and librarians what’s working for young readers, what’s not working, who are reading these books and what’s next. Panelists include Raina Telgemeier (Smile), Frank Cammuso (Knights of the Lunch Table), Clayton Hamner (CTON’s Super A-maze-ing Year of Crazy Comics!), Eva Volin (Librarian), Karen Li (Editor, Kids Can Press) and Diana Maliszewski (Teacher), moderated by Scott Robins (Blogger, SLJ’s Good Comics For Kids)

KidsDraw: Turn Your Life Into Comics SUNDAY, May 9th, 12:30pm-1:00pm, Novella Room The inspiration for Raina Telgemeier’s newest book, Smile comes from her own life as a young girl. Get tips from her on how to get ideas from your own life to create your own autobiographical comics and watch her draw live.

The New Graphic Novelists: New Creators Transforming the Medium SUNDAY, May 9th, 2:15 – 3:15pm, Learning Center 1 There is a pantheon of great graphic novelists — folks who started thinking about comics as singular, book-bound creations. But that concept has shifted since its conceptualization, and a collection of young creators are pushing the medium in fantastic new ways. Creators Joshua Cotter, Colleen Frakes, Ryan North, Dash Shaw, and Raina Telgemeier will discuss their experiences producing comics that alternately defy and embrace the term ‘graphic novel”. Moderated by Eva Volin.

Canadian friends, I hope to see you this weekend!

++Chicago++ ++Portland++ ++ALL THE PHOTOS++

WOW. What a wonderful time we had in both Chicago and Portland...there is so much to say, and so many people to thank, but it'll have to wait for another post. In the meantime, I want to tell you about an event I've got on Saturday, May 1!

I'm taking part in a fun teen and tween author event at Books of Wonder, one of the best independent bookstores I've ever visited! Here is a rundown of the details:

Teen and Tween Author Event With Deborah Wiles, Daniel Ehenhaft, and Raina Telgemeier Saturday, May 1 Noon - 2 PM Books of Wonder 18 West 18th Street New York, NY

We'll be speaking panel-style, talking about our respective works, and signing books! There will be plenty of copies of Smile for one and all. After you get your book signed, stick around and have a cupcake from the store's adjoining Cupcake Cafe!

I'm still in Chicago, enjoying the last few hours of our visit here. Our time here has been great, and we still have our event at Challengers this evening, from 7-9. Looking forward to it! Then, it's back on a plane and we head to Portland, Oregon for... The Stumptown Comics Fest! I haven't been to Portland (or Stumptown, for that matter) since 2008, so it will be nice to return. Dave and I will be at Table 102 at the festival, and we'll have a ton of stuff, including shiny hardcover volumes of Smile! Please come and say hello!

I'll be on one panel during the weekend:

Saturday, April 24, 2:00-2:45pm in the Oregon Room: Comics for Young Readers — Comics and graphic novels for kids, teens, and tweens are quickly gaining popularity among readers. Join creators Hope Larson (Chiggers, Mercury), Raina Telgemeier (Smile, Baby-sitters Club), and Alexis Fajardo (Kid Beowulf).for a discussion on their work, their audience, and their influences. Moderated by author and librarian Sara Ryan (The Rules for Hearts). All ages welcome!

Prior to the convention, I'll also be attending the west coast iteration of Drink and Draw Like a Lady, Friday evening at the Secret Society. I am also planning to eat a couple of those meals they call "brunch." Mmmm, I can't wait...

Well! MoCCA was a grand old time...until I came down with the flu. Luckily, the germs held off until the con was over, but I've been stuck in bed ever since. This coming weekend, I plan on feeling 100% better, because I'll be attending the inaugural C2E2 Convention in Chicago, IL! I haven't been to Chicago in years, and I'm looking forward to revisiting the charms of the windy city. And Dave has never been, so I look forward to introducing him to authentic deep dish pizza!

We'll be set up this weekend in C2E2's Artist Alley, at Table K6. We'll have a plethora of goodies for sale, including hardcover editions of Smile, BSC graphic novels, mini-comics, t-shirts, original art, and all of Dave's comics, too!

Our schedules for the con are as follows:

Friday 12:15 - 1:15: Dave will be on the panel, The Magic of Reading from the Creator’s Perspective. Room E352.

Saturday 6:10: I'll be participating in the Iron Artist Tournament, on the Variant Stage. There will be three rounds of 4 cartoonists each starting at 6:10, 6:50 and 7:30. Each round will involve 3 “art challenges” where they’ll be given 10 minutes to put their own unique spin on an idea suggested by our audience. I'm up at 6:10; please come watch me draw and cheer me on!

Sunday 11:00: Dave is on an Avatar panel! If you love the TV show Avatar: The Last Airbender as much as we do, you'll want to attend this one. The panel title is Avatar: The Last Airbender - Beginning and Beyond, and it takes place in room E350.

Sunday 12:30: I'll be speaking on the panel Graphic Novel Events for Your School/Library. Should be interesting! Room E267.

Sunday 2-2:30: SMILE, LIVE ON STAGE!! I'll be performing a scene from Smile, live on stage, with a few other actors reading different parts. On the Variant Stage.

Beyond that, we should be at our table all weekend. Please come by and say hello! We love meeting new people!

----

We're going to be in town for a few days beyond the con. I'm doing a private school visit on Monday afternoon, and then on Tuesday evening, we hope you'll join us for...

Audiovisual Audacity with Raina Telgemeier and Dave Roman!

@ Challengers Comics + Conversation 1845 N. Western Ave. 2R Chicago, IL Tuesday, April 20 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

KIDS OF ALL AGES: Do we have an event for you! Straight from New York, we've got authors RAINA TELGEMEIER (Smile, Babysitters Club) and DAVE ROMAN (Astronaut Elementary, Agnes Quill) giving an exciting sight-and-sound heavy presentation for young and old alike. HEAR Dave and Raina read from two of their all-ages graphic novels! SEE accompanying slideshows of both books! TASTE some cool snacks! SOME ACTION that signifies getting copies of SMILE and ASTRONAUT ELEMENTARY signed by the authors!

It's going to be a fun night, so bring the whole family!

And after that, it's on to Portland, OR, for the Stumptown Comics Fest...which I'll talk about in its own post. What a crazy month!

My crazy spring is officially underway, and this weekend hails the return of the MoCCA Art Festival, one of my favorite small press conventions of the year. Here's where you can find me and what I'll be up to this weekend. ----

I'll be set up with the Comics Bakery at Table E3, which is to the left of the convention's entrance. We're sitting near our friends Hope Larson, Soda Pop Comics, and Ryan Sias, so we're in for a good time! I will have both hardcover and softcover editions of Smile, as well as all four volumes of the Baby-sitters Club graphic novels, X-Men: Misfits, Outreach, and Take-Out. I'll have some original art, some fun promotional items, and TOOTHBRUSHES with me, too! Dave, John, and Marion will also be selling a wide selection of their wares, including the newest issue of Life Meter. Please come by and say hello!

I'll be in a few places during the con. On Saturday, April 10, from 4:00 - 4:30, you can find me at the MoCCA table, doing sketches! The idea is, you make a donation to the museum, and I make you a drawing, either a headshot or a full-body pose. Please be sure to bring reference if you'd like me to draw a specific character.

Then on Sunday, April 11, I will be on a really awesome panel at 4:30 PM: YA? Why not! Young Adult graphic novels are swiftly gaining popularity among librarians, teachers, and most importantly, young readers! Join Hope Larson (Chiggers, Mercury), Jillian Tamaki (Skim), Raina Telgemeier (Smile, Baby-sitters Club), and Tracy White (How I Made it to Eighteen) for a discussion about their work, their influences, and their audience.
Moderated by The Beat’s Heidi MacDonald. (All panels are located downstairs in the main panel room.)

----

The con itself isn't all that's going on, of course. On Friday evening, April 9, all women who are involved with comics in any capacity are invited to join me at:

Drink & Draw Like a Lady EAST April 9 7:30 - 10:30 PM Location: 192 Books 192 Tenth Avenue (& 21st St.) New York, NY

This is a ladies-only evening of comics, camaraderie, conversation, and networking! I helped put together the inaugural DDLL last year, and it was a great time, although a bit too loud and in too small of a location. The new location, 192 Books, is a cozy, independent book store with loads of charm. All ages are welcome!

I'm really looking forward to this weekend, and I hope to see you then!

(Here's where to find me all weekend!)

Tomorrow, Saturday, April 3, why not join me at the Graphic Novelists' Literary Cafe at the New York Public Library? Women in Comics: Female Graphic Novelists Writing with Kids and Teens in Mind

Join a distinguished panel of three of the finest women writing comics for kids today as they discuss the field, their new books, and how they came to the format in the first place. Featuring Colleen AF Venable (Hamster and Cheese), Raina Telegemeier (Smile), and Tracy White (How I Made it to Eighteen).

New York Public Library Stephen A. Schwarzman Building The Berger Forum (2nd Floor) 5th Avenue & 42nd Street New York, NY 10018 2:00 PM FREE!

My new friends at Arkham Comics, a lovely comic book store in Paris, France, have a series of videos they created to talk about books they recommend & what they're reading. I was thrilled to learn they made a video talking about Smile! Here it is:
Arkham Comics présente le comic de la semaine #27

...Of course, it's in French. And I don't speak French! So a very kind reader, Annie Rodrigue, offered to translate for me! Her transcription is below (and I would put it behind a cut, but I don't know how to do that in Wordpress). Thank you so much, Annie!

00:45- 1:30: Of course they start presenting the book with title and author! And also mention that it’s a very good book! He says that is chief editor picked the book for him (the critique) They start by saying that it was insane (they say the word “mortelle” which could be translate to mortal, but in France, when they say that, it REALLY means that it was extremely good! Ahahah)

1:30-2:30 : They give a resume of the book. They explain that this is also an auto-biography. When they flip the pages they actually explain what starts the whole story (the accident). They also explain that it’s a story about a girl that goes through high-school while dealing with the whole issue of self-image. How it explains about the evolution of the character through the story.

2:30-2:52: They explain, that it’s not cynical or violent in content. That it’s well presented and that the storytelling is fabulous. They mention that you’ve worked in the animation industry and that it really shows in your work. [Actually, I've never worked in animation, although a lot of people make this assumption, because in the book I mention wanting to become and animator. Nope, it's been all comics for me! --RT] They specifically talk about how your lines flow in the pages and how rich the colors are in the book. Very enjoyable!

2:52-3:40 : From here they are showing scenes that they really liked. They first show the nice dentist. Then skip to the scene about the Little Mermaid movie. There they take the time to show the page, because they are pretty much saying it’s one of the very favourite panels in the book. And then explain that this is when the character decides about their future career! =)

3:40-4:06 : Here they start explaining how since the accident, friends start showing their true faces to the main character. And how those friends start calling her a nerd. From there they quickly flip through to show that the character grows up and goes to high school later on.

4:06-5:00 : They mention how the graphics are very fluid. And so is the story. Divided in chapters, and also a webcomic. They also mention that it’s from Scholastic, which usually doesn’t publish comics, but is starting to slowing add graphic novels to their list of books. And then they say Spoiler Alert, and go to the last page, and say: we don’t want to give away anything but look at the bio pic: her teeth are fabulous!

5:00-6:15 : From here, they talk about you a little more, mention that you were part of the Flight Anthologies and the X-Men comic story that you worked on with your husband in manga style. They also mention about the illustration work that you do for children’s books and also events and classes that you give for young adults to introduce them to comics and such.

6:15-End : When they show the book they say: a great book that might not change your life, but that will be a nice change from superhero comics. And that it will make you smile. He then says that he loves to read about this period (the 80s) and to see how some lived through it in America. And say thank you to everyone and thanks to you also, the author! And hello from Paris!

Merci beaucoup to Pierre and Pierre at Arkham, for introducing a bunch of new people to my work. :)

April is going to be a month chock-full of coast-to-coast travel, comics, books, and friends! Here's where you'll be able to find me in the next month. Click the event links for full details, locations, and directions! Saturday, April 3, 2:00 PM NYPL Literary Cafe: Graphic Novelists New York Public Library 42nd Street between 5th & 6th Avenues New York, NY

Join me, Tracy White, and Colleen A.F. Venable, for a discussion about graphic novels for kids, tweens and teens. (As part of the NYPL's Literary Cafe series, this is an adults-only forum.)

-----

April 10-11 MoCCA Art Fest New York, NY Exhibiting w/ the Comics Bakery: I'll have hardcover and paperback versions of Smile, original art, BSC books, and minicomics.

I'll be on a panel, Sunday April 11 at 4:30 PM: YA? Why Not! Join me, Hope Larson, Tracy White, and Jillian Tamaki as we discuss the YA and kids comics market, libraries, schools, and our work. Moderated by The Beat's Heidi MacDonald. Downstairs in the main panel room.

-----

April 16-18 C2E2 (Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo) Chicago, IL Find me in the Artist Alley! I'll have copies of Smile, original artwork, BSC books, t-shirts and minicomics!

Panel and presentation information coming soon!

-----

Tuesday, April 20 Challengers Comics + Conversation Store signing and reading (with Dave Roman) Chicago, IL 7 - 9 PM

Join Dave and I for a fun evening of live comics readings, music, books, and snacks!

-----

Thursday, April 22 Multnomah County Library Event Kenton Branch 8226 N. Denver Ave. Portland, OR 97217 (503) 988-5370

Time and details coming soon!

-----

April 24-25 Stumptown Comics Fest Portland, OR I'll be set up with copies of Smile, BSC books, minicomics, and original art!

Panel information coming soon!

-----

(And just for good measure...) Saturday, May 1 Books of Wonder Smile Signing and Reading! 18 West 18th St. New York, NY Noon - 2 PM

Come by BoW for a book reading with myself and a couple of other authors! May 1 is also Free Comic Book Day, so be sure to stop by your favorite local comic shop too!

Check out this amaaaaazing store window display! (Click to view larger.) This is from the Broadway location of Kidsbooks, an awesome store in Vancouver, BC. I wish I could see this in person! Thanks, Kidsbooks!

Plenty going on for me this week and next, but it's all events that aren't open to the public. My next public appearance will be on Saturday, April 3: I'm participating in a New York Public Library Literary Cafe event with two graphic novelists who also happen to be friends of mine: Colleen A.F. Venable, and Tracy White. Join us at 2 PM for a discussion on graphic novels for kids, tweens, and teens!

Saturday, April 3, 2:00 PM New York Public Library 42nd Street between 5th & 6th Avenues New York, NY (This is an adults-only event)

The following weekend, I'll be exhibiting at the MoCCA Art Fest April 10-11 here in New York. Look for me at the Comics Bakery table. Then, I'm hitting the road for Chicago, followed by Portland, OR! It's going to be a busy spring!

Tomorrow, Wednesday, March 10, please join me for a presentation at the Flushing Branch of the Queens Library. Here are the vitals: 41-17 Main Street Flushing, NY 11355 (718) 661-1200 3:30 - 4:30 PM

I'll be showing slides, talking about making comics, and doing some drawings. I'll have books for sale, too!

Tomorrow, March 3, I will be on a panel at the New York Public Library! Please join myself and Barry Lyga for the Professional Panel--part of a week-long series devoted to teen readers, fandom, and everything manga/music/games/books. Our panel is at 4 PM, in the Community Room of the Grand Central branch (46th Street between Lexington and 3rd). It's located next to Teen Central on the 2nd floor. Admission is free and all are welcome!

Don't forget--there's a SMILE GIVEAWAY CONTEST going on right now! The deadline (Sunday, February 28) is quickly approaching, so get your entries in soon. The contest is simple: Tell us your most embarrassing dental story! It can be true or false, and you can submit in just about any format you wish: an essay, a comic, a drawing, a video...check out the link for complete rules. I'm judging this contest along with blogger Little Willow, and I look forward to commiserating with your tales. The winner will receive a free copy of Smile!

A huge 'thank you' to everyone who attended my book release party Saturday--it was an unprecedented success, and I had an absolute blast. Special thanks to Alex and Elsbeth at Rocketship; Marion, Michele, and Alex for the photos; Steve and Matt for providing soundtrack help; Gina for bringing cookies; and Dave for helping me run everything smoothly (and doing all the other voices during my reading!).

Braces-friendly food: applesauce, blue Jell-O, ice cream, smile-shaped cookies, and Smile French Fries!

The live reading and presentation, in front of a packed house.

The past couple of weeks have been amazing: thanks to everyone who has emailed me, blogged, Tweeted, Facebooked, linked to my site, sent text messages and photos, written reviews on Amazon and Goodreads; bought the last copy at their local store; asked store owners to order the book; lent their book to a friend; or simply told me they enjoyed it. I'm blown away by the response so far, and can't wait to share Smile with more new readers. Thank you.

Really...I can't say it enough!

Just a reminder: THIS SATURDAY AFTERNOON, my book release party goes down in Brooklyn, NY!

Smile Book Release Party! Saturday, February 13, 2010 4-6 PM

Rocketship 208 Smith Street Brooklyn, NY

Visit Rocketship's website for more information.

*Live visual reading, with an embarrassing Valentine’s theme! *Braces-friendly food! *90s tunes!

All ages are most welcome. I've come up with some fun surprises for all the party guests, so please come by, get your book signed, see my presentation, and have a good time!

To celebrate the release of SMILE, I drew an exclusive comic strip for Scholastic's Ink Splot Blog, about novocaine! Click here to read. Novocaine is something almost everyone is familiar with, but for some reason, I never drew a page of the actual book talking about how weird it feels.

Another fun thing I did this week was participating in my very first Hourly Comic Day, where you draw a short comic for every hour of the day you're awake. It was a challenge! HCD fell on the day right before SMILE's release, so I was excited and busy and nervous about it. Enjoy.

SMILE is in book stores today!! I've heard from sources 'round the US and Canada that it's definitely stocked in Borders, Barnes & Noble, Chapters, and Indigo. Check the kids' graphic novels and manga sections. If you can't find it, ask someone to help you! Online orders are now listed as "In Stock," so if you ordered a copy online, it should ship right away. One of the best things you can do, as a reader, is leave some feedback on sites like Amazon, B&N, Goodreads, of even your own blog! Word of mouth is the very best way for a book like SMILE to succeed. I appreciate every word, and every bit of feedback.

So exciting. I'm going to hit a couple of stores in New York today, and see if I can get photos...

Presenting: A video trailer we made to promote Smile! It was compiled and animated by my good friend Alison Wilgus, with music by Harry and the Potters--enjoy!

One week till the book is in stores...