The story of warbranch press 

Kate Salley Palmer is a former nationally syndicated editorial cartoonist. She was the first full-time staff cartoonist in South Carolina, and worked for almost 10 years at The Greenville News. After her career as newspaper cartoonist ended Kate looked for other ventures where she could use lots of pictures and few words. Since most of her friends were elementary school teachers she got the idea of writing and illustrating picture books for children. After doing extensive research on the subject she began writing stories about her life, and in 1991 Simon and Schuster agreed to publish a book about Kate's great aunt, May Ziegler, entitled A Gracious Plenty. However, before publishing her book, S&S asked her to illustrate another book, How Many Feet in the Bed, a little counting book that is still in print.

Kate and Jim at Charleston on recent vacation

After illustrating three other books for national publishers - Boyds Mills Press (Octopus Hug, Upstairs and Bear Hug) and Albert Whitman (Night of the Five Aunties), Kate and her husband, Jim, a retired Clemson University professor, started Warbranch Press. Since starting their press in 1998, six books have been published: A Gracious Plenty (softcover edition); The Pink House ; The Little Chairs; Palmetto - Symbol of Courage; Francis Marion and the Legend of the Swamp Fox and Almost Invisible - Black Patriots of the American Revolution.

In addition, Clemson University's Digital Press in 2006 published a memoir and collection of Kate's political cartoons entitled, Growing Up Cartoonist in the Baby Boom South. Currently, Kate is working on a new book about the Native Americans of South Carolina, which will be illustrated by son, James H. Palmer, Jr., who also illustrated the Francis Marion book.