Every ballad tells a story, but Charles Vess brings them to life through detailed, ethereal illustrations rich with light and shadow. Experience these timeless tales reimagined in our upcoming Special Exhibit, “Charles Vess: The Book of Ballads,” opening April 17, 2026!

Ballads – folk songs that tell a story through narrative verse – have been passed down through English, Irish, and Scottish oral traditions and continue to echo throughout the Appalachian Mountains today. Ballads have long captured the hearts and imaginations of songsters, storytellers, and listeners, including award-winning illustrator Charles Vess. In 1993 Vess was inspired to illustrate the ballads he had loved to listen to for so many years. He worked with several award-winning and ballad-loving fantasy authors to develop scripts and compiled a series of beautifully illustrated comics, which he published in “The Book of Ballads.”

The exhibit, “Charles Vess: The Book of Ballads,” features seven ballads reimagined by some of the greatest fantasy writers of our time. The featured comics, including “The False Knight on the Road” by Neil Gaiman, “Thomas the Rhymer” by Sharyn McCrumb, and “Barbara Allen” by Midori Snyder, are an excellent introduction to traditional ballads for those not yet familiar and a special treat for those who already are. The exhibit also explores the tradition of ballad singing in Appalachia and traces the origin of each ballad and its journey through time. After all, singing is one way to keep ballads alive, art is another.

To learn more about Charles Vess and our upcoming Special Exhibit, “Charles Vess: The Book of Ballads,” please visit the link.

Birthplace of Country Music Museum | 101 Country Music Way Bristol, VA 24201

   

Faith Erin Hicks (Friends with Boys, The Nameless City) appears in conversation with Gene Luen Yang to celebrate the launch of her new book Inbetweens on Wednesday, April 1 at 6pm. Details at the link.

Linden Tree Books | 265 State Street, Los Altos, CA 94022

   

Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth, Essex County, Minor Arcana, Underwater Welder) signs The Fury of Firestorm #1 at Third Eye Comics on Saturday, April 11, 2026 from 11am-1pm.

More details on Facebook!

Third Eye Comics
209 Chinquapin Round Road, Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 897-0322

   

Writer Joshua Dysart signs THE HAB #1 on Wednesday, April 15 from 5-7PM at Collector’s Paradise in NoHo.

RSVP on Facebook!

Collector’s Paradise
5118 Lankershim Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90068
(818) 980-2665

   

Trevor Fernandes-Lenkiewicz signs RISE at The Golden Owl on Friday, April 10th, 2026 from 5:00pm to 8:00pm.

RSVP on Facebook!

The Golden Owl | 19 Golden Street, New London, CT 06320