The worst secret is officially out that I’m hawking an illustrated book dedicated to shining a spotlight on the people, places, and pastimes of the city of Hamilton. My first ever published book, You Might Be From Hamilton If… is the culmination of a project that has been in the making over the past year. It’s the only city to be represented in series of “You Might Be From” books that have covered most of Canada’s provinces. It began with some consultation with generous family, friends and colleagues, a long written list of topics and gags, and some nipping and tucking to cover a range of 120 pages of subject matter. A book of this sort can easily fall into a banal showcase of corny jokes and self-indulgence, which I tried to avoid. There are some obvious stereotypes which demanded inclusion, but an effort was made to lob some curve ball references which might not have been the first or even tenth thing a so called typical Hamiltonian might have come up with. If they elicit recollective nods and chuckles from readers then mission accomplished. Readers should prepare for some alternative takes on some old Hamilton standards.
Publisher MacIntyre Purcell has printed an outstanding book with sharp colours and crisp clean lines. I’m especially delighted with the results of an assortment of graphite illustrations included in the book. It’s a style which is somewhat different from the inked lined drawings which has normally appeared in my editorial cartoons for 20 years. You Might Be From Hamilton If… promises to be an entertaining book to anyone, whether now a Hamiltonian, once a Hamiltonian, or soon to be a Hamiltonian. One need not even be a Hamiltonian to enjoy this book.
The Hamilton Spectator will be hosting a book signing event in the auditorium on August 30, 7-9pm when I’ll do a presentation of some of my famous and somewhat notorious local editorial cartoons from the past 2 decades. It’s free but space is limited and attendees are required to register for this event.
Saturday August 19, 1-3pm book signing at The Hamilton Store, 165 James St. North, Hamilton
Saturday September 9, 10-2pm & 6-8pm book signing during the Supercrawl at The Hamilton Store, 165 James St. North, Hamilton
Saturday September 16, 10-2pm book signing at Indigo Ancaster, 737 Golf Links Road, Ancaster
Stay tuned for more book signings and presentations. You Might Be From Hamilton If… is available for purchase at The Spec Store, The Hamilton Store, Chapters/Indigo, or at Amazon.ca.
Oh, yes, there’s YMBFHI… swag:
