"Cowpaths of Waltham" mentioned on radio

Inbound 4 on the radio, again! Callie Crossley likes the Waltham Cowpaths comic that Dave Unger and I created.

http://www.wgbh.org/programs/programDetail.cfm?programID=855
See the program for Feb 22 2010.

To hear the interview with the Boston Comics Roundtable, go to 34:50

To hear the specific segment that mentions my cowpath comic, go to 45:10.

Joel mispronounced my name ('Ah-ya', not 'Ae-yah'!), and also he described the cowpaths as a little off from what Dave's reseach and the comic suggests*. But he captured the basic interesting idea behind the story - of how cattle and cowpaths affected Waltham history. Anyway, very cool.

* The roads in Waltham that have an association with cowpaths look pretty straightbuilt, to me. The better-known urban legend of twisty downtown roads being based on cowpaths is probably what Joel refers to. But that story, from the brief research I did, does not seem to be true. Those convoluted roads of inner Boston are just what happens when people settle somewhere without planning roads... NYC used to be like that, until a fire resulted in most of the roads being rebuilt in a grid pattern. Except the very lower part of Manhattan, which still has the jumbly roads of old.

New Book and Boskone 2010

I have a new book!

Some upcoming events relating to it....

* The original watercolor for the cover illustration will be on display at the Kresge Center at MIT on Thursday March 4th, along with comics pages and other watercolors from me.

* On Thursday March 7th, the Marblehead Arts Association will be hosting a reception for their new exhibition, which will include the above watercolor as well as some other comics pages I have done. Come and join me! (The book may be on sale there.) Click here for map.

* Saturday March 20th, I will be at the Mini-Zine Fair at the Cambridge YMCA, hosted by the Papercut Zine Library. I will be selling my new book as well as other comics. Click here for a map.

This book was also sold this weekend at Boskone, a 50 year old sci fi/fantasy convention with a literary bent. I hung out at the Huckster's room with a table full of indie comics to see what would happen.

Here are some photos from Boskone:



Some people stopped by with bright eyed squirrels.





There was a marble-and-track toy set up in one corner. The first photo shows who was typically playing with it through Saturday and Sunday. The second photo is actually Friday night, before the younger attendees showed up.

At one point, a gentleman stopped and sort of stared at one of my books. When I found out why, I was completely tickled and had to take a photo --



So apparently, Maine is populated by many "Gilleys". According to Chad, it is an old last name.

Below, my table in the Huckster's room:




My neighbors, NESFA press. Tony Lewis is pictured, as well a gentlemen I keep calling "Morrie" or "Death", but I think his actual name is Dave.



Bruce Coville was also tabling next to me, pictured here posing with Suford Lewis. I managed to not do a stupid dance in front of him this year, but I was too caught up in tabling and general shyness to really carry on a conversation with him. Many thanks to Mary, Alice, and Sue and Everett Soares for helping me table.

Mountaineering! And Boskone next weekend

Me last weekend, flinging my arms open on a mountain in New Hampshire. (The trip leader strikes a pose behind me, as well.)

Convention/comics news: I will be at Boskone (science fiction/fantasy literary convention) next weekend! Tabling in the Huckster's Gallery! If all goes according to plan.