Thanks for all the memories

This is likely the final posting I'll be making on this blog. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who contributed to Bluesman's success in ways both large and small. Early thanks go out to S. Edward Irvin, Farel Dalrymple, Paul Hornschemeier, Chris Lutes, Brian Winkeler, James Sime, Matt Price and Rafer Roberts. Special thanks go out to Terry Nantier, Jim Salicrup, Bryan Talbot, Eddie Campbell, Alan David Doane, Jason Koornick, and Jim Johnson for their support of Bluesman at what always seemed to be just the right time.

Last, I'd like to thank Pablo G. Callejo without whom none of this would ever have been possible and Kendra, without whom success has little meaning.

Much love, RV

Bluesman October Update

Man, there is nothing that I love more than fall and, in less than seven days, I’ll be enjoying it even more surrounded by gorgeous trees and mountains at the Lake of the Ozarks. I was born in the Ozarks of Southwestern Missouri, raised in same and still, to this day, refer to the portions of the mountain range that stretch in Oklahoma and Arkansas as the Faux-arcs. I know how dumb that is. This amazing terrain is the only place in the world that I feel like I’m ever really at home, at peace. So before I wander offline into the terrain of my homeland, I thought I’d share a few goodies from Bluesman Central.

Bluesman Experience

We did our first Bluesman Experience shows at the end of September. It felt really good. We had exceptional turnout at two of three shows and mitigating circumstances surrounding the third so all in all, I was very pleased. We haven’t gotten any good photos from one of these shows yet (or audio for that matter) but with at least two more booked and several more in the process of date confirmation, I hope to be able to make some of that material available later in the fall.

“Throbbin” Rob is in the house…

For those curious about what exactly goes on at one of the Bluesman Experience shows, all is not lost! In preparation for a new music project I’m working on, I’ve created a MySpace Music page to showcase this side of my creative persona. By zipping over to http://www.myspace.com/throbbinrob you can take a listen to three tracks from the Bluesman Experience show that I recorded back in May for Jim Johnson at KGOU. The last three tracks are material I recorded for a solo project back in “the day”. The mixes are a little rough but I’m still proud enough of this material almost ten years later that I don’t mind folks hearing it now.

Anyone who is interested to check out new material as it develops is invited to add "Throbbin" Rob as a friend!

Bluesman Reviews

Two here for your enjoyment. There was a third one I read yesterday but wasn’t able to track down in time to add it to these so there’s something else to look forward to!

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/38571 (Ain’t It Cool News)

http://theoceancountylibrary.org/Teens/booklists/Learning%20History.pdf

Thanks again for your continued interest in Bluesman. I’ll be posting the second leg of Bluesman Experience dates when I get back from the ‘Zarks. Be good to each other and, in the immortal words of Charlie Dunn, don’t forget to vote Democratic.

The Bluesman Experience Comes Alive!

The Bluesman Experience Comes Alive!

Writer Rob Vollmar begins a series of concerts/booksignings to promote his latest graphic novel, Bluesman at the Borders Books and Music at 3209 NW Expressway in Oklahoma City this Saturday. Bluesman is a taut period thriller that pushes the boundaries of the graphic novel form in its celebration of blues music as an artform while addressing crucial issues of race, class, and faith that continue to define American life today. The tour, dubbed the Bluesman Experience, features Vollmar playing a collection of country blues and gospel songs from the early part of the 20th century and discussing his graphic novel.

“My goal,” Vollmar notes, “is to rescue this fantastic music from the dry historical context in which it is usually consumed and present it to a new audience with fresh ears. Bluesman is about that crossroads between the secular and the divine and so, it is only fitting that we pay tribute to it by enjoying a potent mixture of gospel and country blues.”

Simultaneously published in three languages, Bluesman has already shipped well over 10,000 volumes worldwide and has received critical praise from venerable institutions like Publishers’ Weekly, NPR and the Boston Globe. The Bluesman Experience is slated to travel all over Oklahoma with limited engagements in Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, and Texas through the fall. The show this Saturday begins at 2 PM and will feature a question and answer session as well as a book signing afterwards. Interested parties should call (405) 848-2667 or visit http://www.bluesmanproject.com for more information.

Other Bluesman Experience dates in September- September 25th, 2008-

Full Circle Bookstore
1900 NW Expressway (inside 50 Penn Place)
Oklahoma City, OK
(405) 842-2900

September 27th-

Borders Books and Music
300 Norman Center Ct
Norman, OK
(405) 573-4907

Just Cause I'm the Proud Sort

All,

Hey. Newsarama posted an interview with me conducted by Michael Lorah. I thought the questions were nice and punchy and I am pretty pleased with my answers as well. Any way, check it out if you like.

Also keep your eyes posted here from news of a radio interview complete with strumming and singing that may be streaming online this weekend. News as it develops!

Bluesman News and Reviews

Hello, race fans. I thought this would be an excellent time to pop in and offer up a few review links for the Bluesmaniacs out there who might be interested. Before I get to those, though, I'd like to take a moment, with your indulgence to update those folks out there who have generously expressed concern over the mysterious health issues that kept me from attending the San Diego convention.

I have heart arrhythmias that have been alternately described as supraventricular tachycardia and/or idiomatic tachycardia. When I initially was confronted with this exciting development in my personal well-being, I wrote about it at BLOGMan on December 10th, 2005 entitled, "Dem Ol' SVT Blues" though you'll have to search the archives to find the article.

The week before the San Diego convention I had an attack that was sufficiently dramatic in its scope and duration that it just sent up too many red flags for me to travel safely. I made this decision only after consulting my doctor, my wife. I also made it at considerable monetary expense not to mention the severe disappointment of not being able to attend in order to promote BLUESMAN. For the record, the problem turned out to be medicinal and does not appear to represent a genuine downturn in my general management of the condition which is the best news I could have hoped for under the circumstances.

So, in short, I'm fine, having this condition still sucks but is not going to kill me, and I'm really, really sorry for anyone (besides myself) who was inconvenienced by this unavoidable situation.

One final note before we get to the reviews and whatnot, it looks like we are about a month out from the kick off of the Bluesman Experience tour coming soon to a bookstore near you (Disclaimer: provided that you live within a reasonable driving distance from Norman, Oklahoma). We should have the first string of dates up by this time next week as well as news about your chance to listen to me perform some of the material I'll be playing at those shows live on the Internet AT ABSOLUTELY NO CHARGE.

Content is dead; Long live content.

And on that particularly discordant note of dada, I turn you over to the able hands of a bevy of wondrous internet folk who had things to say about the Bluesman HC edition.

Much love.

RV

http://jbspins.blogspot.com/2008/08/bluesman-complete-twelve-bars.html- JB writes an interesting blog focusing on topics of faith, music, politics and other pithy topics including graphic novels. As a writer (and not specifically as the writer of the book under consideration), I enjoyed reading this piece and I think you might too.

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2008/08/17/the-graphic-novels-just-keep-coming/ Greg Burgas, Comics Should Be Good for CBR

http://alandaviddoane.livejournal.com/11087.html -100 Must Read Graphic Novels. Not only does Alan shows us the love but it reminds me of a bunch of stuff I need to re-read!

http://usreligion.blogspot.com/2008/08/graphic-therapy-for-religiously.html Bluesman and Castaways mentioned in an interesting presentation on religion on contemporary comics. Not a review per se but an interesting and succinct discussion from a position of analysis alien to most reviewers and/or critics.

http://www.curledup.com/bluescom.htm Review by Lance Eaton. Also a well-written review from a site that caters to general audience, rather than comics specific one.

If I Could Save Time in a Bottle

The first thing I'd like to do is take a snapshot of this moment in time where Bluesman is the #5 selling mystery graphic novel on Amazon. As these things tend to fluctuate from moment to moment, you'll just have to take my word for it. It was also the #87th best selling historical fiction book of any kind an hour ago but apparently there was a run on SHOGUN.

So my thanks to Laurel Maury writing for NPR who included a 6 page preview of the book along with her review currently running on the front page of the NPR website.

You are also invitied to check out former Ninth Art editor and wonderful human being Andrew Wheeler opining on Bluesman here for ComicMix.

Thanks to everyone who is pitching in to make Bluesman the success I always knew it to be.

Much love, RV

San Diego

All,

Due to some pressing health concerns, I will not be appearing at San Diego Comicon this weekend as originally scheduled. For those of you convinced that "pressing health concerns" are ALWAYS an euphemism for a nasty cocaine habit, I can only assure you that these aren't.

My apologies to any who made a special trip to come out and see me.

Best, RV