Last month, comics creator Lucy Knisley hit the road, along with her eight-year-old, on a Book Tour Road Trip. The tour was in support of her new book, Woe: A Housecat’s Story of Despair (Random House Graphic), a collection of cat cartoons originally posted on her Instagram feed of 177K followers featuring her “dramatic” cat Linney. On her two-week tour, she appeared at 14 bookstores, libraries, and animal shelters; her appearances featured a musical performance by Knisley, and Linney-themed stickers, prints, and comics to fundraise for local animal shelters and organizations. Knisley chronicled 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 accompany it.
Knisley paid a visit to Bluestocking Social Bookstore in Evansville, Ind. “Evansville isn’t a common stop for a lot of authors on tour, but I was so pleased I got to visit some independent bookshops a bit off the beaten path, and reach readers who might have otherwise missed me,” Knisley said on her Patreon.
Arriving at Cover to Cover Children’s Books in Columbus, Ohio.
Stopping by Books of Wonder in New York City to sign stock.
Knisley gave an evening performance at Books Are Magic in Brooklyn Heights. “By now I’d gotten pretty good at my little song,” Knisley said. “It was a wonderful event, with lots of kind readers in my original hometown.”
Oblong Books in Rhinebeck, N.Y., was a much-anticipated stop. Knisley has a long friendship with Suzanna Hermans, going back to when they performed in a play together (It’s a Wonderful Life) as teenagers. “We’ve remained friends through many years, and because Suzanna is the owner of the local indie bookstore in my old hometown, we often get to see one another in a professional capacity!”
At Gutter Pop Comics in Buffalo, N.Y., Knisley made a joint appearance with local artist Jackie Davis. “She gave a great reading of her comics, and we traded mini-comics, just like old times at conventions!”
Knisley was especially excited to attend a sold-out event at Tiny Lions Lounge and Adoption Center, a cat café in Ann Arbor, Mich. Seventeen kittens roamed the Café during her appearance. “I’ve never been more thrilled or had a tougher time concentrating at a book event,” she said. And the icing on the cake was getting to sign books holding a snoozing kitten.
A visit to Wilmette Public Library in Wilmette, Ill., featured a large screen on a stage, which provided Knisley with more options. “This event was more of a workshop than my other events, so I got to do a presentation on comics, as well as some draw-alongs with the audience.” Books were supplied by The Bookstall in Winnetka.
Knisley celebrated the end of her tour by heading out on a two-day cargo-bike camping trip. “Two nights of kiddos, tents, bugs, lake and sunscreen, and just what I needed.”
