Last month, comic book author Lucy Knisley went on a book tour road trip with her eight-year-old son. The tour was in support of her new book, Woe: The desperate story of a house cat (Random House Graphic), a collection of cat cartoons originally posted to her Instagram feed with 177,000 followers, featuring her “dramatic” cat Linney. Her two-week tour saw her perform at 14 bookstores, libraries, and animal shelters; her appearances included a musical performance by Knisley, as well as Linney-themed stickers, prints, and comics to raise funds for local animal shelters and organizations. Knisley documented the tour extensively on her Patreon; here we present some visual highlights.
The first stop was Challengers Comics in Chicago. For the tour, Knisley wrote a ukulele song and drew a comic to go with it.
Knisley visited the Bluestocking Social Bookstore in Evansville, Indiana. “Evansville isn’t a typical stop for many authors on tour, but I was so happy to be able to visit some independent bookstores off the beaten path and reach readers who might have missed me otherwise,” Knisley said on her Patreon.
Arriving at Cover to Cover Children’s Books in Columbus, Ohio.
I stop by Books of Wonder in New York City to sign books.
Knisley gave an evening performance at Books Are Magic in Brooklyn Heights. “By now, my little song was pretty good,” Knisley said. “It was a wonderful event with a lot of nice readers in my hometown.”
Oblong Books in Rhinebeck, NY, was a much-anticipated stop. Knisley has been long-time friends with Suzanna Hermans since they appeared together in a play (Isn’t life beautiful?) as a teenager. “We have remained friends over many years and since Suzanna is the owner of the local indie bookstore in my old hometown, we often see each other professionally!”
At Gutter Pop Comics in Buffalo, NY, Knisley appeared alongside local artist Jackie Davis. “She did a great reading of her comics and we traded mini-comics, just like the old days at conventions!”
Knisley was especially excited about the sold-out event at the Tiny Lions Lounge and Adoption Center, a cat cafe in Ann Arbor, Michigan. During her performance, 17 kitties roamed the cafe. “I’ve never been so nervous or had such a hard time concentrating at a book event,” she said. And the cherry on top was getting to sign books while holding a snoozing kitten.
During a visit to the Wilmette Public Library in Wilmette, Illinois, a large screen was set up on a stage, giving Knisley more opportunities. “This event was more of a workshop than my other events, so I got to give a presentation on comics and also do some drawing exercises with the audience.” The books were provided by The Bookstall in Winnetka.
Knisley celebrated the end of her tour with a two-day camping trip on a cargo bike. “Two nights with kids, tents, bugs, a lake and sunscreen – just what I needed.”
