This March First Thursday, join writer Matt Wagner and artist, Joëlle Jones, as we present her enchanting artwork from the hit Vertigo series, Madame Xanadu. We will have Joëlle’s original artwork on display and Matt Wagner will attend to talk with fans and sign books.
LISTING INFORMATION:
WHO: Joëlle Jones & Matt Wagner
WHAT: Madame Xandu art exhibit and book signing
WHEN: Thursday, March 4th, 6-10pm
WHERE: Floating World Comics, 20 NW 5th Ave #101
BIO INFORMATION:
Who is Madame Xanadu? She is one of comics’ most legendary and mysterious magicians. For years, she has aided the powerful and powerless alike when supernatural forces threaten our world. Madame Xanadu has played a part in countless stories, but her own story was never told before this critically acclaimed series was launched by DC/Vertigo in 2008. Nominated for multiple Eisner Awards in 2009, it has quickly become one of the more talked-about series in comics.
“This features lots of the fairies, magicians and medieval-style witchcraft in a style that evokes at least a little bit the classic Midsummer Night’s Dream issue of THE SANDMAN. The book looks lovely and reads well.” – Variety
Portland artist Joëlle Jones joined regular series writer Matt Wagner for issues #19 and #20, a 2-part story that offers a storybook look back at Madame Xanadu’s earliest days in ancient, pastoral Britain. The Elder Folk confront the coming of mortal man, and the rivalry between two ageless sisters takes root. Squabbles with the young immortal’s sister Morganna turn bloody as the world of Fairy and Roman conquest vie for domination.
Matt Wagner has enjoyed a career in comics for over twenty years. Born and educated in Pennsylvania, his first published work was a short story that would introduce one of comicdom’s most respected creator-owned characters–the mastermind assassin, GRENDEL. Best known for this epic creation and his other, more personal, allegory, MAGE, Matt has also worked on a variety of established characters. These include his ground-breaking work on the character of Batman villain, Two-Face, in the graphic novel, FACES, as well as a five-year stint both developing and generating the stories for the fan-favorite Vertigo title, SANDMAN MYSTERY THEATRE. In the past few years, Matt has also written and drawn several high profile projects for DC; a three-issue prestige series starring Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman; titled TRINITY and a year-long, project which comprised two mini-series that chronicled some of the earliest aspects of Batman’s career, collectively titled DARK MOON RISING.
Wagner’s more recent efforts in this vein have included writing MADAME XANADU, as well as reboots of ZORRO and GREEN HORNET.
Joëlle Jones is a relative comics newcomer by comparison. Her first published work was illustrating a short story for the Dark Horse anthology SEXY CHIX in 2005, which was followed a year later by the full-length graphic novel 12 REASONS WHY I LOVE HER, written by Jamie S. Rich and published by Oni Press. 12 REASONS WHY I LOVE HER earned her a nomination for the prestigious Russ Manning Best Newcomer Award. Since then, Jones has drawn TOKEN for DC’s Minx line, and collaborated with Rich again in the summer of 2009 for the crime graphic novel YOU HAVE KILLED ME. Her work has also appeared in FABLES, MADMAN ATOMIC COMICS, PORTLAND NOIR, and the popular POPGUN anthology. Most recently, she drew a comic book based on the popular online musical DR. HORRIBLE’S SING-ALONG BLOG, and is currently at work on a comic book by best-selling novelist Janet Evanovich called TROUBLEMAKER and a Vertigo graphic novel titled THE STARVING ARTIST. Her next book with Rich, SPELL CHECKERS, also featuring artwork by Nicolas Hitori de, will be published by Oni Press in April.
http://www.joellejones.com/
http://www.mattwagnercomics.com/
