Thirteen Down, Five to Go!

Love and Capes #13 is done! And that means it's time for…

…the Mocha of Victory!

The Mocha of Victory is a grand tradition dating back, oh some two or three years. It's a celebratory Starbucks drink when I accomplish something big with Love and Capes. Usually there's one when the story and art are finished, and one when the book prints. What differenitates a normal venti mocha skim no-whip from a Mocha of Victory? It just tastes sweeter.

Issue #13 came together much faster than I would have thought, and much better, too. Honestly, I wasn't quite ready to start this issue as soon as I did, but I pushed through and everything tied together nicely. You'll see the results May 1st on Free Comic Book Day (and then available through the website and Haven Distributors shortly thereafter).

I always try to do a little better with every issue. You've got to keep pushing to get better. In this issue, the story went places I hadn't expected. In fact, if you'd asked me last year if I would have done the plot I have, I would have said "No way!" The characters really took the reins from me. And, as always, I tried to make the art better. Here's a panel that shows what I mean. Mark's pose as he's reacting to his ring is a lot more animated and fluid than anything I would have done a year ago.

I read the Walt Stanchfield Drawn to Life books, and those have just been my taskmasters trying to make my drawings come even more alive. I'm not "there" yet, and for that matter, I don't think you ever actually reach an end point in your artistic journey. You should keep striving for more and better.And big thanks to my friend Chris Bailey, animation director on the animated Alvin and the Chipmunks features, for recommending those books. They've been invaluable.

Today, I'll be doing the things I ignored most of yesterday to draw the final two pages. Then, eventually, I'll do production work and get the book to the printer. And don't forget, there are still advertising spaces left!

MegaCon 2009: Day 2-3

The rest of my time at MegaCon was a little slow. MegaCon was packed to the rafters with people, but their seems to be a less buying mood on the floor. That could be the economy, or the nature of the crowd, or just a one-year glitch. And I’m not doing bad, just down from last year. I’d done more commissions at this point last year, and I expected the trades to move a little better.

That’s okay. No one wins every game, and a “little down” is better than “oh, crap, I could have just set a pile of money on fire Joker-style”.

I got my picture taken in a replica DeLorean from Back to the Future. The photos cost $20, but went to benefit Foxfans, which is the Michael J. Fox Parkison's group. I love Back to the Future, and have always wanted one of these cars. It was a great recreation, complete with working time circuits that even made the same noise when you entered them. Phenomenal.

They offered a $50 package where you could go for a ride in the car. Unfortunately, the time machine part wasn't working, or I would have done it and jumped back in time so I could make my plane flight. Well, after buying some Apple stock and some choice comics.

I have to say, though, I’ve had the most fun I’ve had at a MegaCon in a while. I met up with the lovely and talented Steve Conley, who will be doing his great Bloop character as a web strip in the next year, and through him, wound up going to dinner with Marc Nathan, Grand Poobah of the wonderful Baltimore Comic-Con and some of their posse.

Nothing I say can convey the fun that was had, because it defies description. When I say I was treated to a fifteen minute recounting, or should I say “explanation”, of “Final Crisis,” that sounds dry and boring. Far from it.

Add to that a recurring Mad Hatter impression (Disney style, not Jarvis Tetch) and I really can’t remember the last time I’ve laughed so much.

We even went miniature golfing as Disney’s Fantasia Greens. The whole park is themed like Fantasia, the first, not the second. I don’t think I’ve played a worse round in my life. On the first hole I managed to knock the ball back towards me and onto the sidewalk. The last hole is basically a giant funnel at the feet of Yensid, the great wizard from “The Sorceror’s Apprentice” recreating the giant whirlpool. And I took two strokes.

As Ralph Wiggim would say, “It’s Un-possible.”

Yet, it was grand fun. I’m tempted to make reservations for next year just based on last night alone.

Sunday was about the same, although I did sell more trades than any other day. I met some very interesting people, and did the Students of the Unusual Indy Comics panel. It was a great group of people, and I think I even brought the funny.

Question: So what are the advantages to self-publishing?
Me: Well, I don't have to worry about having to find a place to store all my money.

It was a great panel, with some really fine questions. I think weeven got some good information out.

Then Bob and I packed up my booth, we said our goodbyes, and headed back to the airport. One of the storms from the Casket on Ancient Blizzards was attacking the Eastern Seaboard, but our flight corridor to the Midwest and Cleveland was unaffected. We zipped through security, had a lovely repast at Burger King (really, the only place that was open with the Orlando Airport being under construction) and hopped on the plane back home.

I managed to finish watching Men With Brooms, a Paul Gross comedy about the sport of curling, and caught another episode of Supernatural. Man, I love that thing for watching TV on planes.

Then, a few hundred miles and almost as many degrees later, we arrived in the frigid Hoth-like environs of Cleveland and got home, tired from a good show.

So I flopped on the couch and put on another good show, Battlestar Galactica. But that's another story.