Today the Beehive Collective officially announced the release of their new poster, THE TRUE COST OF COAL. This new poster, years in the making, covers the timely and urgently important issues of energy, mountain top removal, coal, and dependence on fossil fuels. I was fortunate enough to see the large display version of this poster in June at the US Social Forum in Detroit - it's nothing short of amazing.

We're booking dates now for Fall 2010 and Spring 2011 - the Bees are always in high demand. Visit their Roster page for booking information, and here's their announcement:

It’s true! After 2 ½ years of discussions, feedback, eraser marks, sketches and rough drafts, THE TRUE COST OF COAL is DONE! And we can’t wait to share it with you!

It is hard to describe the mix of emotions we ‘lil bees are feeling after this final push. Somewhere b etween exuberance and exhaustion, all of it steeped in immeasurable gratitude to all the folks who have helped make this graphic possible. To all the powerful people and places in Appalachia who shared their stories and their struggles with us, to all the folks who have hosted shows and offered up their floors or couches, to everyone who has kicked down money to keep us going, to friends and family who have emotionally supported us through this rollercoaster of a project, and to everyone else who has touched or inspired this graphic in some way- thank you. No doubt, YOU all are what made this project possible!