One of Adrian Tomine’s New Yorker covers that etched itself in my memory is the one in which a boy and a girl, in subway cars headed in opposite directions, look up from their reading toward each other as they pull out of the station. It seemed to epitomize the contrary emotions that enmesh young people looking for meaning in life and love. Hard to believe that this cover dates from 2004 – except for the printed matter in their hands, it still seems so like New York life today.

When I heard that Tomine would be at the Strand Bookstore this Wednesday for a talk with fellow artist Leanne Shapton and a signing for his new book, I got my hands on a copy. Turns out that Scenes From an Impending Marriage (Drawn & Quarterly, 2011) springs from the pages of his sketchbook – a comic diary of scenes from the often absurd and “oddly amusing,” says he, process of planning his own wedding. What began as a sweet and funny favor for the wedding guests is now out in hardcover – just in time for Valentine’s Day. So I emailed the artist to find out more about events leading up to the Big Day.

Q: Now that you’re hitched, is it easier to talk about seeking – and finding – The One?
A: I think the events of my life have always influenced my work to some degree, and this book is the most explicit example of that. I probably would not have ever created a book about the process of getting married if I hadn't actually lived through it and found it oddly amusing. I guess it does seem like an unexpected topic considering my past work, but that's part of what convinced me to put it out.

Q: At what age did you realize that you were looking for The One? Did your wife Sarah’s likeness begin to appear in your art?
A: Probably since I was a teenager, to be honest. If I had met the right person, I most likely would've gotten married much younger. I'm not really cut out for being a "swinging single," and married life has always appealed to me.

Q: Once you decided that you were, in fact, really looking, what kinds of socializing did you find yourself leaving behind in favor of maximizing the time you devoted to The Search? How did your hang-out buddies take it.
A: I don't have any hang-out buddies. I'm a cartoonist! But seriously, it's only since becoming a parent that I've had to leave behind any kind of socializing that I would normally be doing, and that's mainly just, like, going out to restaurants all the time.

Q: Upon realizing that you were getting warm, what was the Eureka moment for you?.
A: I was living in California and I flew out to New York to have my first date with Sarah, so I suppose I had a pretty good feeling from the start.

Q: Describe how you Popped the Question.
A: I think I've exposed Sarah's and my life enough in the pages of this book. Time to get back to the fiction! But the proposal wasn't anything outlandish or dramatic. Like I said, I'm a cartoonist.

Q: How will and your Dear One celebrate Valentine’s Day this year?
A: Probably by feeding and bathing our baby daughter, then tip-toeing around the house so as not to wake her up. Maybe we'll really do it up and order some Chinese take-out.

You can Meet Adrian Tomine and Leanne Shapton, ask your own questions, and get your own copy of Scenes, at The Strand Bookstore tomorrow, Wednesday, February 9^th, at 7:00 pm. Broadway and 12^th Street, NY, NY.