Jim Ottaviani's Blog, page 5

The Imitation Game: Signed copies from Nicola's!

Hey, do you need the perfect* gift? How about a signed copy of Leland Purvis and my NYT Best Seller  The Imitation Game , delivered to your doorstep by someone in a great looking uniform?
Nicola's Books here in Ann Arbor has you covered. Just click right here and you'll be all set for Father's Day, a birthday, or a treat for yourself. You provide the lover of science and/or comics and/or history and we'll do the rest.
*Full disclosure: It's not the perfect anything, but I'm really proud of this book**, and proud to work with Lynn at Nicola's to make this happen.
**You can learn more about the book on my site, read some of the reviews, and download a sample as well.

The Imitation Game: Signed copies from Nicola’s!

Hey, do you need the perfect* gift? How about a signed copy of Leland Purvis and my NYT Best Seller The Imitation Game, delivered to your doorstep by someone in a great looking uniform?

Nicola’s Books here in Ann Arbor has you covered. Just click right here and you’ll be all set for a birthday, Gift-Giving-Holiday-Of-Your-Choice, or a treat for yourself. You provide the lover of science and/or comics and/or history and we’ll do the rest.


*Full disclosure: It’s not the perfect anything, but I’m really proud of this book**, and proud to work with Lynn at Nicola’s to make this happen.

**You can learn more about the book on my site, read some of the reviews, and download a sample as well.

A nice welcome to NYC

I'm in town for the MoCCA Arts Festival (signings on both Saturday and Sunday...more details here), and the newspaper of record has welcomed me with this.
Well, not just me, and Batman and Raina Telgemeier are the champions. But it's nice to see Turing on the list of heroes people want to read about.

A nice welcome to NYC

I’m in town for the MoCCA Arts Festival (signings on both Saturday and Sunday…more details here), and the newspaper of record has welcomed me with this.

Well, not just me, and Batman and Raina Telgemeier are (still) the champions. But it’s nice to see Turing on the list of heroes people want to read about.

Turing Tour: Where I'll be talking about "The Imitation Game: Alan Turing Decoded"

I'm going places to promote our book, The Imitation Game: Alan Turing Decoded . Here's what I know about so far:
MoCCA Arts Festival April 2-3Metropolitan West, NYC (right next to the High Line!)

I'll be signing on both days wherever beautiful books by Abrams ComicArts are sold.

Schuler Books April 11Okemos - Meridian Mall (1982 Grand River Ave., Okemos, MI)

I don't yet have a time for this one...but whenever it is, you'll want to come, because if it's sponsored by Schuler Books it will be a great event.

University of Illinois April 12, 7pmSomewhere in Champaign or Urbana, IL

More unknowns, but this is my alma mater, and I'm amazed to return as a speaker about a comic book. Undergrad me had no clue how his life would proceed, or how lucky he would be. Sponsored by the library, of course. (Well, not of course, but...of course!)

Nicola's Books April 21, 7pmWestgate Shopping Center, Ann Arbor, MI

Back home, and at another one of my favorite bookstores.

Book Expo America May 11-13McCormick Place, Chicago, IL

Here again, I don't have a schedule yet, but will update when I can. This isn't open to the general public, but if you're an ABA member, a librarian, or an educator I'll see you there!

Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) May 14-15Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge Street, Toronto CA

It's been a couple years since I've been to TCAF, one of my favorite (favourite!) shows in the world, ever. I can't wait to return. I'll give a couple of talks, and sign some books, and then wander around in awe. I really do love this show.

ALA Annual Conference June 22-25 (��) Orlando, FL

Once again, no schedule yet, but I'll be there, talking and signing. Unless that conflicts with going to see/hear/bow before Margaret Atwood, who will also be there. In that case you'll meet my understudy or body double or something. (Okay, not really. I'm a pro, I can comport myself as such.) (I hope.)

##
That's what I know. More as details get firmed up, and plans are revealed to me...this spring Maya B. and her team at Abrams control my destiny!

Turing Tour: Where I’ll be talking about “The Imitation Game: Alan Turing Decoded”

I’m going places to promote our book, The Imitation Game: Alan Turing Decoded. Here’s what I know about so far:

MoCCA Arts Festival
Saturday-Sunday, April 2-3

Metropolitan West, NYC (right next to the High Line!)

I’ll be signing on both days wherever beautiful books by Abrams ComicArts are sold. The schedule is here, but in brief:
Saturday, noon-1pm at the First Second booth
Saturday 1-3pm at the Abrams Booth (G235, G 246)
Sunday 11am-1pm and 2-4pm, also at Abrams!

University of Illinois

Tuesday, April 12, 7pm
Grainger Engineering Library (1301 W Springfield Ave, Urbana, IL 61801)

This is my alma mater, and I’m amazed to return as a speaker about a comic book. Undergrad me had no clue how his life would proceed, or how lucky he would be. Sponsored by the library, of course. (Well, not of course, but…of course!)

Nicola’s Books
Thursday, April 21, 7pm
Westgate Shopping Center, 2513 Jackson Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48103

Close to home, and at one of my favorite bookstores. ‘Nuff said.

Schuler Books
Thursday, May 5, 7pm

Eastwood – (2820 Towne Center Blvd., Lansing, MI 48912)

Remember Borders when it was indie and great? (If so, you’re probably older and from Ann Arbor, like me. Sorry.) Anyway, Schuler is what it would have evolved into if it had stayed indie and gotten even better. I really like this store, and Whitney hosts great events.

Book Expo America
Thursday-Friday, May 12-13
McCormick Place, Chicago, IL

This isn’t open to the general public, but if you’re an ABA member, a librarian, or an educator I’ll see you there! Where?

Thursday, 3-4pm: Signing at the Abrams booth

Friday, 10-11am: Signing at the Abrams booth

Bonus: I’m doing an interview with “Authors’ Voice” at 12:30pm on Thursday, and you can take part. You can also advance order a signed copy through them, at //authorsvoice.net/shop/.
 

Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF)
Saturday-Sunday, May 14-15
Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge Street, Toronto CA

It’s been a couple years since I’ve been to TCAF, one of my favorite (favourite!) shows in the world, ever. I can’t wait to return. I’ll give a couple of talks, and sign some books, and then wander around in awe. I really do love this show.

Saturday, 1-2pm: Panel w/Natalie Andrewson (Hinton Theater, Toronto Reference Library) on “Improving Yourself”
Saturday, 2-3pm: Signing area

Sunday, 2:30-3:45: Nonfiction workshop (Writer’s Room, Toronto Reference Library)
Sunday, 3:45-4:45: Signing area

I’ll have some other signing times to share soon, I hope!

University of Michigan
Thursday, May 19, 5pm
Hatcher Graduate Library (Room 100)

The home field advantage might mean I sound smarter than usual. I’m not sure of the format, but it might be a presentation, and it might be a straight Q&A with one of my librarian colleagues.

Ann Arbor Book Festival

Saturday, June 18, 1-4pm
The Neutral Zone and the Vault of Midnight

I’ll give a workshop on non-fiction comics at the NZ (1-2pm) and then take part in the Book Crawl at the Vault at 3pm (just crawl in, I think!). See you there!

ALA Annual Conference
Saturday-Sunday, June 25-26
Orlando, FL

No schedule yet, but I’ll be there, talking and signing. Unless that conflicts with going to see/hear/bow before Margaret Atwood, who will also be there. In that case you’ll meet my understudy or body double or something. (Okay, not really. I’m a pro, I can comport myself as such.) (I hope.)

##

That’s what I know. More as details get firmed up, and plans are revealed to me…this spring Maya B. and her team at Abrams control my destiny!

Alan Turing Audio: Part 2

Back again with a bit more audio in anticipation of the release of our The Imitation Game: Alan Turing Decoded, which comes out Tuesday (March 22). Here are two of my favorite pieces:
If you wondered about the basis for the omnipresent sound effects that run through, over, and under the panels in the second section of the book, wonder no more: Here's what a Bombe sounds like, courtesy of John Harper & the
Bombe Rebuild Project team and Graham Ellsbury. Leland liked this one a lot, and found it useful too. As I recall, he tweaked my interpretation of how to render that in sound effects to...well, good effect!
Speaking of sounds, i our book, Turing huffs and groans through many miles as a long distance runner. He was good at it--nigh unto Olympic class, in fact--but not elegant. (This was true of many aspects of his life; he did remarkable things, but unlike some geniuses, Turing didn't always make it look easy.) Here's Alan Garner, talking about running with Turing.
This bit of audio comes courtesy of Wisconsin Public Radio's "To the Best of Our Knowledge." I did a short comic for them a few years ago, with the fantastic artist Natalie Nourigat, that featured bats, philosophers, Stevie Wonder, Dr. Doolittle, and of course, Alan Turing...
It was as much fun as it sounds!

Alan Turing Audio: Part 2

Back again with a bit more audio in anticipation of the release of our The Imitation Game: Alan Turing Decoded, which comes out Tuesday (March 22). Here are two of my favorite pieces:

If tomorrow you find yourself wondering about the basis for the omnipresent sound effects that run through, over, and under the panels in the second section of the book, wonder no more: Here’s what a Bombe sounds like, courtesy of John Harper & the

Bombe Rebuild Project team and Graham Ellsbury. Leland liked this one a lot, and found it useful too. As I recall, he tweaked my interpretation of how to render that in text-based sound effects to…well, good effect!

Speaking of sounds, in our book, Turing huffs and groans through many miles as a long distance runner. He was good at it–nigh unto Olympic class, in fact–but not elegant. (This was true of many aspects of his life; he did remarkable things, but unlike some geniuses, Turing didn’t always make it look easy.) Here’s Alan Garner, talking about running with Turing.

This bit of audio comes courtesy of Wisconsin Public Radio’s “To the Best of Our Knowledge.” I did a short comic for them a few years ago along with the fantastic artist Natalie Nourigat, that featured bats, philosophers, Stevie Wonder, Dr. Doolittle, and of course, Alan Turing…

It was as much fun as it sounds!

Alan Turing Audio: Part 1

Leland Purvis and my The Imitation Game: Alan Turing Decoded comes out Tuesday, March 22, and I'm excited by that. To warm you up for it, here are two pieces of audio memoir I enjoyed. I'll offer two more that I like even better tomorrow.
First, Geoff
Tootill talks about working with Alan Turing at Manchester in the 1940s.
Then, hear Dai
Edwards talk about setting up the Manchester Mark 1 computer for Turing and others.
Both of these are courtesy of the British Library's "Voices of Science" series. As you can imagine, I relied a great deal on British sources for the research behind Turing, and am grateful that there were so many fine ones them to work from.
Libraries really are the best thing since slice bread.
(Note that public libraries predate sliced bread by almost 100 years, and university libraries are even older. Yeah, I looked it up.)

Alan Turing Audio: Part 1

Leland Purvis and my The Imitation Game: Alan Turing Decoded comes out Tuesday, March 22, and I’m excited by that. To warm you up for it, here are two pieces of audio memoir I enjoyed. I’ll offer two more that I like even better tomorrow.

First, Geoff

Tootill talks about working with Alan Turing at Manchester in the 1940s.

Then, hear Dai

Edwards talk about setting up the Manchester Mark 1 computer for Turing and others.

Both of these are courtesy of the British Library’s “Voices of Science” series. As you can imagine, I relied a great deal on British sources for the research behind Turing, and am grateful that there were so many fine ones to work from.

Libraries really are the best thing since slice bread.

(Note that public libraries predate sliced bread by almost 100 years, and university libraries are even older. Yeah, I looked it up.)