Love and Capes: Ever After #1 is out, and it’s been getting some press coverage. Some really nice press coverage. I wanted to link to some of those.

First, with tomorrow’s signing in Omaha at Ground Zero Comics, the Omaha World-Herald did an interview with me that you can read here. I’m so looking forward to this event and I’ll let you know all about it when I get back.

As far as the issue itself, the first review I saw was from Jennifer Smith at Newsarama:

To do what he does on this book, Zahler must truly love his work – and he must also, secretly, be a superhero. What else could explain his ability to write, draw, ink, color, and letter all of his own work in a rigid 8-panel grid that features incredibly likeable characters, a fully-realized independent superhero universe, stunningly expressive art and design work, and a hilarious punchline at the end of every fourth panel? It’s enough to make even the most industrious fan feel like a slacker in comparison.

I will say, that one made my night.

Then, over at the Time Magazine Techland blog, I received some nice words from the gang there, including Douglas Wolk.

I’ve always had a big soft spot for Thom Zahler’s superhero/rom-sitcom series Love and Capes, and I hope the new miniseries Love and Capes: Ever After brings a few more potential admirers into the fold. It’s a little strange to see a romantic comedy continue after the wedding, but I’m also happy to keep seeing these characters.

And just today, from Comics the Blog:

Wait, did this review just get 300% sexier? Blame Zahler and what I can only imagine from his Twitter account is a raging, unquenchable libido. Or, you know, a guy who works hard, likes Nathan Fillion and makes great comics.

Okay, that’s probably just my favorite part of the review. James actually talks about the book itself, too.

All right, I have to go pack for my trip. But thanks everyone for the nice reviews. And a big thanks to all the fans of Love and Capes who make making this book possible!

Yeah, that’s right, your long national nightmare is over. Love and Capes: Ever After #1 is available in stores NOW.

Well, maybe not now, as I’m writing this on Wednesday morning at 8:00am eastern time. You should probably wait until your local shop is actually open. But once it is, go to town! It’s been almost a year since the last issue, but now that the book’s back, its going to go fast. Like monthly fast.

And let me know what you think.

Ooooh, scary!

In a confluence of events, I’ve done this piece just in time for Halloween. It’s for the Emerald City Comicon, which I’ll be attending for the first time ever this coming February. I’ve wanted to add the show for a while, and things finally lined up to make that possible in 2011.

I was asked by show bigwig Jim Demonakos to contribute a piece to their "Monsters and Dames" charity art book. It’s for a good cause and I was glad to help, but it was also the chance to get in one of Alberto Ruiz’s BrandStudio Press books. It’s better for me, it’s better for you… it’s better for them.

I had a lot of fun with this piece, and it’s one of the exceedingly rare images where it turned out better than it looked in my head. So, click it, view it, be scared by it!

This year I’m participating in Wonder Woman Day. It’s a day designed to promote and raise awareness of domestic violence. I’ve created and am donating a piece of artwork for the New Jersey area charity auction that will benefit SAFE in Hunterdon, the local Crisis Center and services. It’s done as a tie-in to National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

I’ve drawn a piece with Wonder Woman and Amazonia. I’ve formatted it so that it’s a four-panel design, with the initial rough, the tight pencils, the inks, and the colored version. I thought highlighting the process might make it a more interesting piece. You can see how to bid on my piece, and many others, here.

Click on either image to see the two princesses embiggened!

In about fifteen hours I’ll be at the Great Lakes Mall in Mentor, Ohio doing the 24-Hour Comic Book Day event. Before the crazy starts, I thought I’d remind you of how to follow me that day.

I’ll be on the Twitter, hopefully at least once an hour. Follow me at @loveandcapes.

The Love and Capes Facebook page will mirroring the Twitter updates, too.

And, I’ll be streaming my desktop with occasional commentary on Ustream.

And, feel free to message me on Twitter, too. I’m going to use the audience for naming characters and light plot points. I’ll open some of those things up on Twitter, too.

So, a year ago, I had this idea.

I’ve wanted to particpate in 24-Hour Comic Day for a while. It’s a day when cartoonists get together and try to put together their own 24 page comic in 24 hours. It’s like an ironman competition.

I thought it’d be fun it it was open to the general public. I had an idea of doing it in a gallery, working on a Wacom Cintiq which would pipe what I was drawing onto a big screen TV so that everyone could see. People could come, see the process and watch me put together a comic.

It’d be kind of like when Harlan Ellison would set up in the window of a bookstore and write a short story. Except my story probably won’t be quite as awesome.

So, this year, it’s happening.

On October 2nd, I’ll be at the Great Lakes Mall on a stage down by Macy’s and my mall-sponsor Comics and Friends. Wacom is generously loaning a Cintiq to me (that they’ll probably have to pry from my cold dead hands to get back). Mentor TV is providing the big screen. I’m going to start at Noon on Saturday, and draw all the way through Noon on Sunday. I’ll also be Twittering, Facebooking and uStreaming throughout the whole process.

And then collapse. Yeah, I see that happening for sure.

Here’s the full press release:

LOVE AND CAPES ARTIST TO CREATE A COMIC IN 24 HOURS

Thom Zahler, Comics and Friends and Great Lakes Mall Participate in
“24 Hour Comics Day”

On Saturday October 2, Love and Capes creator Thom Zahler will be at Great Lakes Mall, in Mentor, Ohio, creating a 24-page comic book in 24 hours. As part of the national “24 Hour Comics Day", Zahler will be set up on a stage for all to see, working publicly throughout the day and into the next.

Wacom is providing Zahler with a Cintiq tablet which will be hooked up to a big screen television so that everyone can see what he’s working on.

“I think this is going to be a lot of fun,” says Zahler. “At least right now. By hour eighteen I’ll probably be cursing my own name. But I’m glad to let people get a close-up look at the creative process.”

In addition to watching Thom ply his craft, attendees will be able to create their own comic strip (no drawing ability necessary). Thom will also incorporate the audience into his comic creation, in the form of characters as well as other story ideas and details. Prizes will be given away throughout the day, courtesy of Comics & Friends, a comic book shop located in the Great Lakes Mall. Prizes will include comics-related merchandise: movies, video games, action figures and more.

Kick-off is at noon on Saturday, October 2nd. The public will be able to attend during mall hours until 9:00pm on Saturday and then beginning at 11:00am on Sunday. Zahler will also Twitter throughout the day (and night) and post live videos on his site.

About Great Lakes Mall
Great Lakes Mall is located at 7850 Mentor Avenue in Mentor, Ohio and is managed by Simon Property Group, Inc., headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Great Lakes Mall is anchored by Macy*s, JC Penney, Sears as well as two large Dillard’s department stores. Great Lakes Mall also features over 150 specialty stores including Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle Outfitters, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Charlotte Russe, The Disney Store, Hollister Co., Talbot’s, Ticknors, Victoria’s Secret, Yankee Candle and numerous eateries like Fuji Japan Steakhouse, Max & Erma’s and The Olive Garden. For more information, please contact Great Lakes Mall at (440) 255-6900 or visit www.ShopGreatLakesMall.com .

About Simon Property Group
Simon Property Group, Inc. is an S&P 500 company and the largest real estate company in the U.S. The Company currently owns or has an interest in 373 retail real estate properties comprising 256 million square feet of gross leasable area in North America, Europe and Asia. Simon Property Group is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana and employs more than 5,000 people worldwide. The Company’s common stock is publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol SPG. For further information, visit the Simon Property Group website at www.simon.com.

About Thom Zahler
Thom Zahler is a comic book writer and artist, and creator of the Harvey Award nominated superhero romantic comedy comic Love and Capes. Zahler has also done cartooning and illustration for the Cleveland Indians “Slider” comic strip, the Lake County Captains, Prilosec, and recently illustrated a series of children’s books for Roarke Publishing. Further information about the artist can be found at www.thomz.com , and Love and Capes at www.loveandcapes.com

I did an interview with the lovely and talented Tim O’Shea over at Robot 6 about Love and Capes where I got to drop the news: Love and Capes is moving to IDW.

The new series, Love and Capes: Ever After, is a five-issue mini. The plan is to take a break after that last issue, because I’ve been going gangbusters on LNC for the last two years, almost non-stop. And before I sound like one of those whiny cartoonists who feel that publishing a book every three months is really hard, I’m doing it while working for a ton of other clients. If I could work on just Love and Capes, I could knock those issues out a lot easier.

In fact, that’s one of the changes at IDW. The book is going to be monthly. Which is why the first issue doesn’t come out until the end of the year. I need to get some runway behind me.

This is also the Love and Capes project that I’ve been alluding to but not talking about. In my head, it’s kind of issue fourteen, and it’s still how I’m numbering things in my internal files. But it’s pretty cool to have a number one again.

I’m thrilled that IDW is partnering with me on this. And it’s great to be able to keep going with the series. Now, you guys just need to keep reading.

Yup, it’s Love and Capes #13, available in both Free Comic Book Day and Retail flavors. The book will be out in 23 short days, and I will be out in Rancho Cucamonga that day doing Four Color Fantasies’ event. All sorts of fun will be had.

After the first of May, the book will be available on the Love and Capes store as well.

Every month, ace blogger and comics commentator Chris Sims (of The Invincible Super-Blog and Comics Alliance fame) takes on the voluminious Previews catalog. This month, among his non-Batman themed picks, he included:

I’ve come out as a dedicated fan of Love and Capes before, so I won’t go through the whole thing again. But I will say that this trade includes the Wedding issue, which is not only a high point of the series, but ranks up there with Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s "Fantastic Four Annual" #3 as one of the best wedding comics ever. You should read it.

It’s in the Premier section from IDW. Order code APR10 0387. And it’s only $19.99!

I’m partnering with the Lake County Captains once again this year. I’ll be doing three promotions for them.

1. In previous years, I’ve arranged to have my Free Comic Book Day issue of Love and Capes available at Classic Park on FCBD. This year, I’ll be doing an original eight-page Lake County Captains comic.

I’ve already committed to be at Four Color Fantasies in Rancho Cucamonga that day, so I won’t be there for the giveaway. But it’ll be a great time, regardless!

And I’ll be posting some art and the cover soon.

Free Comic Book Day: May 1, 2010.

2. I’ve designed a Skipper "Bobble Belly"with Skipper as a rockin’ guitar player to celebrate Cleveland and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Skipper’s playing a specially designed Fender Stratocaster.

Rock-n-Roll Nght: July 3, 2010.

3. And, to tie in with Cleveland and the A Christmas Story connection, we’re going to be doing a Skipper Leg Lamp. Yup, you read that right. Hot electric baseball action that will look great on your desk. (It’s not full size.)

Christmas in July, July 25 2010.

Click on either to see them embiggenated!