Brian Wood, Ryan Kelly visit Norman via Local No. 9
Norman is the heart of a new comic book from Oni Press already being hailed as one of the best of the year. Bizzell Memorial Library is prominently featured on the cover of “Local” No. 9, titled “Wish You Were Here.”
The issue, written by Brian Wood and illustrated by Ryan Kelly, chronicles the physical and emotional journey of the main character, Megan. Megan has just gotten news of her mother’s death. After discovering a 30-year-old photo of her parents in front of Bizzell, she travels to Norman to experience the town where her mother and father met.
I’m doubly excited about this issue: 1.) It features Norman, one of the greatest places to live in the world. 2.) It is crafted from reference photos I took for Brian and Ryan. There’s always a thrill seeing your work in print, and it was a kick to help them with this beautiful issue.
Brian already had a good idea of the types of settings he wanted for his story. For instance, he wanted to use a restaurant or coffee shop where Megan’s parents may have gone 30 years ago. The Mont worked beautifully due to its classic imagery, long history in Norman, and proximity to campus.
Norman is abuzz about Local. Some “local” press:
‘Local’ sets emotional tale in Norman (The Norman Transcript)
‘Local’ comic book highlights Norman landmarks in new issue (The Daily Oklahoman)Local comics (The Oklahoma Daily)
Come by Speeding Bullet for your copy, or order a copy from our website, and you’ll receive it postmarked from Norman, U.S.A.
