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TRYON—Illustrator and author Kevin Sprouls has recently announced the publication of his long-anticipated book, Mince of Heathermere, in which he plays the dual roles of writer and illustrator. The book tells the story of a young man called to an extraordinary mission—to save his people from an evil spell brought about by a wicked sorcerer.

This project first emerged during his art school days in 1977 but remained on the shelf for decades, awaiting the right moment and a bit of neighborly serendipity to come to life.  

Sprouls, a Society of Illustrators Gold Medalist, is well-known for pioneering the hallmark portrait style for the Wall Street Journal. He worked on staff at the Wall Street Journal from 1979 to 1987, where he was responsible for overseeing the in-house artists. As described in the book, many of those artists were trained in the distinctive style he introduced.

After years of dormancy, Sprouls, who now lives in Tryon, had his passion for the story reignited when he connected with retired book designer Mike Havecott. Together, they collaborated to bring Mince of Heathermere to life. 

“All the original materials were gathered and preserved in anticipation of being published,” he shared. “Tryon has a way of fulfilling wishes, and this was one of them.”  

When asked about the narrative’s evolution over the years, Sprouls noted that while he considered altering aspects of the story, he ultimately decided to keep it as it was written. 

“The narrative is pretty much the way it was originally written. I felt it was adequate as it stood,” he stated.  

Though his career primarily focused on illustration, Sprouls found joy in writing. 

“I used a traditional manual typewriter to produce the manuscript from handwritten pages. It was easy to create the tale, as it is a sort of representation of who I was back in 1977.”  

While the manuscript was initially typeset on cutting-edge equipment from the ’70s, the modern publishing landscape necessitated a complete refresh. With the assistance of his wife, Roe Sprouls, who retyped the manuscript, and Havecott’s design expertise, Mince of Heathermere took form.  

When reminiscing about his early illustrations, Sprouls reflected on the tools that shaped his artistic style. 

“Ever since a friend presented me with my first set of rapid-o-graphs when I was 16, my style has developed from using them. In art school, I gravitated towards Graphic Design courses, as my kind of art was always considered illustration.”  

As for the future of Mince of Heathermere and its characters, Sprouls has no plans for additional works. “I do not! No future tomes are presently in the works,” he confirmed.  

Sprouls will appear at an upcoming Tryon Comics & Art Expo at TFAC on June 7 at 3 p.m., and a copy of Mince of Heathermere is available at the Lanier Library, where he will also host a signing and reading session soon.  

For more information or to purchase a copy online, visit sprouls.com/mince-of-heathermere.

 

 

 

“Mince of Heathermere”