Announcements, announcements, announcements!

I’m happy to introduce the newest addition to the Paper Rocket family. In February I will publish Characters: Fifty Portraits of Contemporary Cartoonists by Jess Ruliffson.

I first learned about Jess’ portrait project earlier this month, when gorgeous paintings of familiar cartoonists were popping up all over Facebook. I contacted her and learned that she would be exhibiting the paintings at a one-day show in just a month, on February first (and no, she had yet to be approached a publisher). We worked out a publishing deal, and then the clock was ticking! I had just a few weeks to publish the book in time for Jess’ show. We’ve both been hesitant to release any news on the book, in case we couldn’t make the deadline. But the book is complete and I’m confident it will be printed by February first.

Characters collects fifty of the 100 portraits that will be featured in Characters: Portraits of Contemporary Cartoonists, a pop-up show at LaunchPad in Brooklyn. Check it out on Facebook (or here, if Facebook isn’t your thing).

Because of the quick turn around on this book, we will have a limited initial release for Jess’ exhibition and the Brooklyn’s Paper Jam festival. We will follow that with Kickstarter pre-order campaign. The book will be fully available in mid-to-late February.

Till then, tide yourself over with this preview!

Jonathan Allen

Andrea Tsurumi

T. Edward Bak

and me!