The Annual Children’s Book Art Silent Auction is auctioning off two Battling Boy panels painted by Paul Pope. The auctions are held to raise money to help fight the censorship of children’s books.

About the auction (From the site):

The Annual Children’s Book Art Silent Auction and Reception has been a highlight of children’s programming at BookExpo America for the last 19 years. This event offers a unique opportunity to buy beautiful, original art in children’s literature from leading, award-winning artists and illustrators of children’s books and a chance to socialize with friends from around the country, while supporting the all-important efforts opposing the censorship of children’s books and authors nationwide. This is a highly anticipated and fun event on the industry’s social calendar, and the only annual event where the entire children’s book industry is in the same room, including booksellers, publishers, authors, artists, illustrators, other industry professionals, and fans of illustrated children’s books and supporters of the free speech rights of young readers.

The event will be held on Wednesday, May 29, 2013 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm in the River Pavilion of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City in conjunction with BookExpo America. The art can be previewed in advance online and will begin as soon as the art arrives. A live (and lively!) auction segment has been added to the otherwise silent auction. A number of pieces will also be raffled at the event. Light refreshments, beer, wine and non-alcoholic drinks will be served.

A special auction area will be devoted to Maurice Sendak — the beloved children’s author and illustrator. Many artists and illustrators have been mentored, taught and inspired by Sendak and are being asked to create an original piece of art for the auction in Sendak’s honor and in his support of the First Amendment. Sendak was a great supporter of ABFFE and In the Night Kitchen was banned and even altered by some librarians. (Fun note: This year’s event art includes In the Night Kitchen.)

New this year: An online auction component with additional art not available at the Auction & Reception will be added just prior the Auction & Reception during BookExpo America. This is an opportunity for people across the country to participate in the fight against censorship for our young readers.

If you can spare the money this is a valuable cause to support!

E-blast Ad with Publisher’s Weekly for Paul Pope and First Second’s Battling Boy.

Howlin’ Wolf for your Sunday. 

This video is great for the reason that it show the illustration. There’s a brilliant contrast of culture illustrated through the abundant colors of London and it’s local musicians to the more more desaturated colors of Wolf’s clothes. The colors with Wolf’s sticker-covered guitar case do well in centering him as a traveler and the artist. All the white dudes are just there because that’s ordinary. Howlin’ Wolf is a legend among them.

There’s also a great cover by the Stones with Mick Jagger owning his stage presence. And there’s a Doors cover too

Did you know that Gerard Way’s and Becky Cloonan’s The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys has the coolest covers?

#1 Covers by Paul Pope, Becky Cloonan, Gabriel Ba, and Gerard Way.

The Pope variant was colored by Christ Hunt and Shay Plummer.

Illustrated Q&A with Paul Pope!

Sticker Design for Paul Pope’s Battling Boy!

Action! by Paul Pope; A personal favorite of mine from Pilote and later collected in THB: Comics From Mars #2.

From Paul Pope: 

Originally commissioned by French magazine Pilote for their special issue dedicated to the history of cinema— Action! asks, what if Fellini wanted to revive the careers of Tom & Jerry for Cinecetta in the 1970s?

This strip also appears in English in the AdHouse special THB:CFM #2

Easter Egg: The third-to-last panel on the last page with the “Crash Boom Zip!” cartoon explosions is a subtle reference to the store logo to the Dutch bookstore, Lambiek, found in Amsterdam, Europe’s oldest comic book/bande dessine shop.

The “Pont De Oncle George” on the clapperboard in the final panel is an inside joke I have with my French editor— George Dargaud is the founder of the publishing house, Dargaud, which owns and releases the magazine Pilote. I put a reference to an “Uncle George” in all of my Dargaud strips.

Have some Jamie Hewlett storyboards with gorgeous limited colors.

Superman short by Jeff Smith and Paul Pope in honor of Supe’s 75th Anniversary.

Battling Boy Posters at First Second!

I received an email from First Second today and I think this blog is going to have its first give-away soon!