My book How Comics Were Made is off to the printers! I uploaded about five gigabytes of files today and should have proofs shortly. Then it’s off to the races—the press! I chose a nearby printer so that I could go “on press”: being at the printing plant while the book is underway, viewing pages as they come off the press, and approving them when they’re tweaked to perfection. Update, Sept. 22: It goes on press on Sept. 26! Nearly done!

I’m also happy to share that Michael Chabon wrote the foreword to my book! He is lifelong lover of comics and comic books, his grandfather was a typesetter, and he enjoys design, typography, and industrial history. A perfect choice! His book The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay is not only great fiction, it’s a great celebration of the materiality of print.

You can still pre-order a copy, though the print run is set and there’s only a modest number left for sale. You can read more updates and see previews of the foreword and pages from the book at Kickstarter.