IT'S HERE! Kind of...

Four years of work has comes to this - holding the book in my hands for the first time today.

Around noon I went to WSU Press and thumbed through the full proof copy of "The Orbit Magazine Anthology". This is the copy the designers at the Press used to grade the colors, look, and other factors before they told the printer to make the first run of the book.

"That New Book Smell!"

A few observations: 

1.) It's bigger than I thought it would be - 12 inches by 10 inches. So, consider, almost the size of an LP record sleeve, shave a few inches off the side.

2.) It's heavier than I thought it would be - roughly 3 pounds of goodness.
3.) The design really works well thanks to Bryce Schimanski (lead designer). We were able to make the book big enough for you to read all the fine print in the reprints of the magazine pages. We also worked to give the sections backgrounds, or colors, to help improve flow for the reader. I said from Day One that black type on white pages was death for this book. So, he worked well at giving it a really great visual through line that took into account the three eras of magazines I was working with from the punk paste ups of WHITE NOISE, the early computer graphic design of FUN, and the hip/slick space age coolness of ORBIT.

Today was kind of like Christmas for me, the first time author, who has been waiting for a long time to open this package.

I can't wait for New Year's Eve, when I get to share these great stories with everyone.

I hope you can make it out for the book signings, the events, and other fun we have planned for the book.

Remember, you can stay up to date here, through the Facebook page, and on twitter.

The ORBIT Section Header

In the end, this day never would have been possible without the support from the beginning of everyone who interviewed with me for the book, gave me materials, cheered me on or put down the money to make this the best book it could be. Because, it really deserves it.

An old friend of mine, who have I haven't seen in years, blew back into town last week. When I gave him the promotional postcard and talked to him about the book he said something like "you're a historian, now... that's very cool."

Yeah, I guess I am.

That was never my intention.

At the bottom of it, I've always been a fan. I've said it before, I'll say it again, I'll say it again and again - it's been an honor to get to know the people, and the stories, behind something that had such a big impact on my formative years.

I never have, and I never will, take that for granted.