Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
Illustrator Charles Vess, a winner of the World Fantasy Award and the Eisner Award as well as a long-time collaborator with author Neil Gaiman, makes a trip to Asheville this weekend. Check out the author/illustrator as he appears at Malaprop’s, signing his new book, The Cats of Tanglewood Forest (a collaboration with fantasy author Charles de Lint), and also presenting a short digital slideshow on how the book was made.
Charles Vess photo by David Shane Odum
Looks like fun for fans and artists alike. I met Vess at the wonderful, sold-out Unchained Tour event last year, and found him a likeable, down-to-earth and friendly person–who’s a fan of Asheville (he’s from nearby Virginia) and a frequent visitor.
Support Malaprop’s, local indie business, and Vess’ world-class fantasy art:
CHARLES VESS is a world-renowned artist and a three-time winner of the World Fantasy Award, among several others. His work has appeared in magazines, comic books, and novels including The Coyote Road–Trickster Tales, Peter Pan, The Book of Ballads, and Stardust, written by Neil Gaiman and made into an acclaimed film by Paramount Pictures in 2007. Vess has also illustrated two picture books with Gaiman (Instructions and Blueberry Girl) that were New York Times bestsellers. His art has been featured in several gallery and museum exhibitions across the United States as well as in Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and Italy. He lives on a small farm and works from his studio, Green Man Press, in southwest Virginia.
The Vess event is at 7 p.m. Arrive early to get a good parking spot.
Malaprop’s event link.
The Cats of Tanglewood Forest, an illustrated picture book with words by de Lint and art by Vess, will be published on March 12. From Amazon:
Lillian Kindred spends her days exploring the Tanglewood Forest, a magical, rolling wilderness that she imagines to be full of fairies. The trouble is, Lillian has never seen a wisp of magic in her hills–until the day the cats of the forest save her life by transforming her into a kitten. Now Lillian must set out on a perilous adventure that will lead her through untamed lands of fabled creatures–from Old Mother Possum to the fearsome Bear People–to find a way to make things right.
In this whimsical, original folktale written and illustrated throughout in vibrant full color by two celebrated masters of modern fantasy, a young girl’s journey becomes an enchanting coming-of-age story about magic, friendship, and the courage to shape one’s own destiny.
I’m really looking forward to be at Malaprops again!