Penumbra Literary is very excited to represent David Michael Montgomery and Marcelo Vital, artist and writer, respectively, of the graphic book, The Secret Around-the-World Adventures of Owney the Postal Dog. Owney is an actual historical figure and the former official mascot of the United States Postal Service! This lovable pooch actually made his way around the world in 1895. The book had previously been featured in an extremely limited run edition only available to a select few, through Kickstarter. Artwork for the book is featured as part of an exhibit at the Children’s Illustrated Art Museum in St. Louis, MO. You can also visit an exhibit on Owney at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum in Washington D.C. According to the Smithsonian website, railway mail clerks thought that dogs were good luck charms, back in a time when railway accidents were all too common, and that “no train Owney ever rode on was in a wreck.”
Marcelo Vital is a journalist and freelance writer living in Toronto. He’s originally from Brazil and lived for many years in the American Midwest before moving to Canada. Marcelo writes about comics and pop culture in his blog, http://marcelovital.com, and is the author of the graphic novel 1904 – a caper set against the backdrop of the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair.
David Montgomery
Marcelo Vital
Owney the Postal Dog!
David Montgomery is a freelance artist living in St. Louis. He began Van Gogh’s Ear Studio in 1999 painting large-scale murals, but has since done an about-face and now prefers working with the small scale and wider scope of illustration. His first collaboration with Marcelo Vital was on the graphic novel 1904. When not drawing, David can usually be found rehabbing an old house or walking his dog. Samples of David’s work are at http://www.vangoghsearstudio.com.
You can learn more about Owney and stay in touch through the Owney website: http://www.owneythepostaldog.com/
Both Michael and Marcelo will be attending the Small Press Expo 2014 on September 13th and 14th in Bethesda, MD. Come by the table for some free giveaways and say hello if you are in town!
