Beloved Institution Entering New Phase

Philadelphia, PA. April 1. Locust Moon, a comic book shop that has been operating in West Philadelphia since 2009, is in the process of expanding into a new location at the corner of 40th and Ludlow St. Including a dedicated art gallery and classroom space, their new facility represents a major step forward for the neighborhood institution.

Their new incarnation represents a wider vision of what a comic book store can be, now including a gallery, arts and education program, and small press, along with their deep and diverse collection of comics and graphic novels, their high-quality art prints, their imported and limited-edition toys, and their vast selection of rare and out-of-print DVDs.

The new Locust Moon will feature gallery shows with major local talents like James Comey and Robert Woods and internationally known names like Farel Dalrymple and J.G. Jones.

There will be regularly scheduled drawing classes, writers’ workshops, film screenings, book clubs, Drink & Draw events, book release parties, live art exhibitions and even concerts and theatrical performances, cross-pollinating an wide variety of voices from the rich and fertile Philadelphia independent art scene, from mainstream and independent comic creators to sculptors, animators, puppeteers, illustrators, print-makers, writers and publishers. Co-owners Joshua O’Neill, Chris Stevens and Justin Postlewaite are themselves writers and comic creators, and the walls of the shop are adorned with their own works-in-progress, illustrated by such celebrated talents as Jae Lee, Farel Dalrymple, Arthur Adams, G.B. Tran and Senk Chhour.

They are also expanding into the world of publishing. The newly founded Locust Moon Press will spotlight the best and most original cartoonists in Philadelphia and beyond. Their first major production, a 450 page sci-fi fairy tale anthology entitled Once Upon a Time Machine, has found a home with a major publisher and will see wide release in the fall. Also forthcoming is Dream Compass, a book of short stories written by owner Chris Stevens and illustrated by many of the finest artists in the industry, including James Jean, Nate Powell, David Mack, and Jae Lee. They will also be putting out a highly anticipated compilation of Robert Woods’ much-admired Dead Depressed Punk series. A whimsical twenty-two page comic depicting the mission of Locust Moon, illustrated by Messrs. Dalrymple, Comey and Woods will be available for sale upon opening.

The new incarnation of Locust Moon will be a center for arts & literacy education as well. They will be partnering with Philly Spells, Mighty Writers and other non-profit organizations to offer classes on drawing and writing, in addition as workshops on comic-making and publishing, and talks by guests from the comic book and art worlds.

Locust Moon is a grass-roots effort to create a space in which talented and curious people of all ages can learn from and inspire one another. It is founded on the belief that creation can be a community effort – that we are more than the sum of our parts, and that we can lift each other up.

Locust Moon is now under construction, with an opening scheduled for May.

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For more information, press inquiries, or to schedule an interview, please contact Josh O’Neill at 609.468.8659 or joshuaon@gmail.com