Hans Rickheit tours New England, NY, Chicago and more for THE SQUIRREL MACHINE

WHAT IS "THE SQUIRREL MACHINE?"

The Squirrel Machine cover image

GRAPHIC NOVELIST BEHIND STRANGE NEW BOOK ANNOUNCES BOOK-SIGNING TOUR

WHAT IS THE SQUIRREL MACHINE? A rodent ensnarement device? A mechanism for concealing one's guarded harvest? An anachronistic fable for the convulsive elite? A nugatory diversion for the subliterate?

The answer to that question can be obtained in the form of an unusual new graphic novel in a book-signing tour working its way up the northeast coast this Autumn.

THE SQUIRREL MACHINE is the brainchild of HANS RICKHEIT, who will be making appearances to autograph books, make sketches and speak personally to curious readers.

The Plot: Situated in a fictive 19th Century New England town, two brothers, Edmund and William Torpor confront public scorn when they reveal their musical creations built from strange technologies and scavenged animal carcasses. Driven to seek a concealment for their aberrant activities, they make a startling discovery. Will they divine the mystery of THE SQUIRREL MACHINE?

This book is a meticulously-rendered creation that defies all known genres. It can best be described as "POST-RATIONAL" or "RETRO-FUTURIST."  Disregarding labels and buzz-phrases, it is ultimately an immutably strange and haunting narrative that transcends known logics and presumptive dream-barriers. A distillation of subconscious beauty and madness. A dangerous object for the incautious. A revelation for the undernourished crypto-seeker .

HANS RICKHEIT  was born in 1973 and grew up in New England, lived in the basement of an eccentric art gallery/performance space called the Zeitgeist Gallery from 1997-2002, and currently resides in Philadelphia. Aside from his many self-published efforts, he has appeared in many anthologies, including PAPER RODEO, HOAX and KRAMERS ERGOT.

FANTAGRAPHICS is the leader of cutting-edge independent comics in America. Since 1976, they have been responsible for everything from classic newspaper cartoon reprints like PEANUTS and KRAZY KAT, underground comix classics like ROBERT CRUMB and KIM DEITCH to recent luminary publications like GHOST WORLD and ACME NOVELTY LIBRARY.

Industry Quotes:

"Recalling both the stark, controlled nightmares of Al Columbia and the gonzo repulsive sexuality of Dave Cooper, Hans Rickheit has trolled his id and purged it on the page" - Matt Fraction, ARTBOMB

"Rickheit has become more prolific with each passing year, producing work that has always been worthy of attention." - Chad Parenteau, THE COMICS INTERPRETER

"Rickheit is a vastly under-seen talent." - Tom Spurgeon, THE COMICS REPORTER

Book Info:
Title: THE SQUIRREL MACHINE
Author/Artist: HANS RICKHEIT
Publisher: FANTAGRAPHICS
$18.99  Hardcover  192 Pages
ISBN 978-1-60699-301-9
COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS
OFFICIAL RELEASE DATE ; September 30, 2009

Websites:
BOOK INFO & SAMPLES:  www.squirrelmachine.org
BLOG:  www.thesquirrelmachine.blogspot.com
PUBLISHER:  www.fantagraphics.com
OTHER:  www.chromefetuscomics.com

TOUR DATES & LOCATIONS :

September 26th & 27th
SPX
The North Bethesda Marriott Convention Center
5701 Marinelli Road
Bethesda, MD‎
(301) 822-9200‎

September 29th (6-7pm)
Brickbat Books
709 S 4th Street
Philadelphia PA
(215) 592 1207
brickbat@gmail.com

October 1st  (6-7pm)
Forbidden Planet
840 Broadway
NY, NY
(212) 473 1576
jeff@fpnyc.com

October 3rd (2-4pm)
Million Year Picnic
99 Mount Auburn
Cambridge MA
(617) 492 6763
myp@world.std.com

October 5th (4-6pm)
That's Entertainment
244 Park Ave
Worcester, MA
(508) 755 4207
evan@thatse.com

October 6th (7-8pm)
Rabbit Hole
805 Main Street
Fitchburg MA
(978) 345 0040
info@therabbitholeusa.com

October 7th (4-7pm)
Casablanca Comics
151 Middle Street #2
Portland ME
(207) 780 1676
comics@casablancacomics.com

October 10th (7pm)
Quimby's
1854 W North Ave
Chicago, IL
(773) 342-0910‎
info@quimbys.com

October 11th (2pm)
Vault of Midnight
219 S Main St
Ann Arbor, MI‎
(734) 998-1413‎
vault@dgitalrealm.net