CAPE and Crusading
This time next week, I'll be winging my way down to Big D (that's Dallas for all you Yankees) for CAPE! Cape is the annual 
I'm really looking forward to the event, and FCBD in general. I'm thrilled to participate and it really is one of my favorite days of the year.
Goin' Rogue
I've got two more of these to go. I'm glad that these commissions have become part of my con experience. They're so much fun to do.
You're Something Special When You've Been Selected for Del's Folks
(That's how the theme goes, it's not just a rampaging ego... this time.)
Four years ago I was the feature of Del's Folks, a weekly interesting-people segment on Cleveland's WKYC-TV3. Obviously Del had run out of fascinating people and came to my name in the alphabet. We chatted about my work with the Indians, how I got started in art, all of that kind of stuff.
I've been on the news and radio a few times in my career, and the Del's Folks spot is still probably my favorite. And Del's a great guy. I watched him and Tom Haley on Today in Cleveland every morning before catching the bus for high school. He's retired now, but he's still on TV every week. That's my kind of retirement.
Del may move a little slower than he used to, but he's still sharp as ever. When he called asking me about re-running the segment, he left a message on my voice mail at 1:00pm saying "I know you cartoonists sleep all day, so I guess I called too early."
If I have to get older, I want to get older like him.
Anyway, the segment will rerun during Channel Three News Saturday, on from 9:00-10:30 on Saturday, April 26.
New York Comic-Con Day Three: The One Where I Type Wearing Shorts!
It's seventy degrees here in Cleveland, and you know what that means…
I rolled in back to said World Headquarters around 2:00 am this morning after a pleasant and uneventful drive back from New York. Well, there was a moment of crisis when I managed to spill half of a venti mocha on Bob and the floor of my Dad's Subaru. Bob is unhurt, and now my Dad's car smells like these retired Yankee Candle scents. I think of that as an added value.
So, let's get in the Wayback Machine and set the controls for Day Three of the New York Comic-Con.
Like before, I ran into a bunch of friends and acquaintences. They include but are not limited to Amy Wolfram, Jann Jones, David Gallaher, Richard Howell, Ronn Sutton, Alberto Ruiz , Steve Silver, Mike Manley, Jamar Nicholas, and new Mid-Ohio-Con owner James Henry. I'm sure there were more, but my con-addled brain can't remember them all. Sorry to all I've forgotten.
I met a bunch of fans, and did a couple more commissions. One was a Buffy drawing that came out pretty well with Buffy dusting a vamp. It was a complicated layout for a con sketch and came out well. Since I don't have a
I also did a Batman piece for the lovely and talented Alexandra Beguez, who's a fine illustrator in her own right. She was gracious enough to scan it for me. So, click and embiggen if that's the way you roll.
As always, the work and networking thing was in full force. Bob and I may do another Star Trek pitch that we discussed on the ride home, and there's another thing that I may propose myself. I met some other new potential clients, and sold more than a few books and sketchbooks.
On Saturday, I did get to try out the complimentary Oxygen Bar, set up in the Pro Lounge (which was next to Small Press and Artists Alley, so big props to the show layer-outer guy for making that convenient). I pass them often in Vegas and always make fun of them. I'd wanted to try one, but the whole concept of paying for O2 seemed silly when
The tangerine oxygen didn't have much of a scent, but the peppermint did. I didn't try the mango chutney or the banana raspberry dacquri. (Okay, I made those last two up completely.) And by the way, I'm not smiling because for some reason the Javits center gives me chapped lips. A smile would have resulted in a little blood and pain.
I didn't feel particular energized or clear-headed from the oxygen hit, although I did figure out how to fix Aquaman and Hawkman! (Actually, I told a Comics Professional about the way I'd fix Hawkman continuity, and he said it was good. I won't embarass the guy publicly for such a pronouncement, but I'm a fan and it was nice to hear. Now, if only I could make it happen.)
I really like the New York Comic-Con, complimentary tables notwithstanding. It is, as Bob Ingersoll pointed out, an honest to God comic book show, rather than San Diego's media extravaganza or WizardChicago's "Wrestling counts, right?" melange. And there are just too many great artists, great people, and great contacts to be had to miss it again. In fact, I've already reserved my booth for next year.
Hope to see you there!
New York Comic Con Day One: No Pictures For You!
Why? I just didn't have a chance to take any pictures is all. There'll be at least one obligatory shot of my table with me behind it sometime this weekend. Just not today.
The show went pretty well today. New York starts it's public show around 3:00pm, which is later than most shows, but makes sense. I've often thought three day shows should adjust for people who have those job things I've read about. Or school, too.
The pre-show starts around noon if not before. Which makes for a long day.
I showed up for that and set up my table and chair (big thanks to Paul for grabbing those for me) and then walked around to do the meet-and-greet. Obviously, I can't tell everything that went on, but here are the highlights:
- Got to hang out with some friends I almost see only when I'm on the Left Coast. So I got to see Charlotte Fullerton, Gabe and Chachi Hernandez, Dwayne McDuffie, Jerry Ordway, Ronn Sutton, Janet Hetherington, Leonard Kirk, Len Wein, John Gallagher, Rich Faber and other people that I'm sure I'm just spacing on now.
- Ran into Kevin Gamble, ace producer and writer-star-guy who's on Tiki Bar TV, which is a great iTues download. Get it now... well, after you're done reading at least. I gave him some Love and Capes, including #5 that takes place at the Riki Tiki Tavern, inspired, in part, by said Tiki Bar.
- Got to sit and actually talk with great artist and business runnin' hero Kyle Baker. So many shows are just the wave-and-hand-a-book thing. This was actually a protracted conversation, which was great.
- I met at least three people I intend to use the Old Zahler Charm (i.e. relentless begging and constant follow-up e-mails) to get some work.
- I met one person who specifically asked me to work with him. That's always nice.
- Many Iron Man Toon Tumblers, as well as many other Toon Tumblers were sold. I always like it when my clients do well.
- Had some fans, actual fans, at my table. People who have read the book. People who read this here blog (and requested a Mera commission). I'm not going to name them without permission. But they know who they are. It's good to see the book finding an audience.
So, let me 'splain... no, there is no time. Let me sum up. While the day had no Huge Moment of Importance there were lots of little lower case versions that bode well for me and things to come. That's good. And there are still two days left. That's even better.
New York Comic-Con: Day Zero
Five frakkin' thirty in the morning. That's when I got up today. That's like a day and a half earlier than I normally get up. I've seen 5:30am before a few times, but usually I come in from the other side ad roll into bed. Usually after an After-Prom or a night of heavy drinking with supermodels... okay, just the After-Prom, but still...
Anyway, I got up at the aforementioned UnThomly Hour to drive, along with Bob Ingersoll, to New York for the New York Comic-Con. The drive's about eight hours, and it's one I made for years during my time at the Kubert School. So I didn't have to be awake for the drive. I was, but I didn't have to be.
Along the drive, Bob and I talked of many things. And, I got to expose him to some new music (how could he not have heard Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana song If We Were a Movie) as well as the podcasting brilliance that is MacBreakWeekly.
After a couple stops for fuel and food, we got to the Javitz Center and set up the booth. You may notice that there's not so much a table or a chair there. That's because it's not included. Now, on every other comic convention on the planet, and I believe a couple on Tatooine, a table and chair is part of your booth. Sometimes it's the whole booth.
In fairness, it's my fault. I'm sure somewhere in the information for the show it said "You get nothing." Seriously, I'm sure there is. I, not thinking to look for such a note, never found it. So, I have no table or chair.
Fortunately, you can rent a table for a mere $200. And get a plastic folding chair for $85. Now, I get the Union thing, and the markup thing. You get stuff like this at a show, you're going to get frakked. But $85 to rent a chair, one-ninth of a Herman Aeron sixteen point adjustable chair. That's not just frakked, that's something that they do on Oz.
Look I'm not taking Freeman or the convention center to task. It is what it is and these are the things that happen at a show. They're allowed to charge what the market can bear.
I just hope they need some artwork sometime.
* * * * *
After setting up, Bob and I got dinner at a little Italian place and then headed to see Young Frankenstein, the musical. It's the second Mel Brooks film to become a musical. The first, of course, being The Producers, which I was lucky enough to see with the original cast. Well, I saw it with the origial cast performing. I actually saw it with a couple of friends.
You ask anyone about Young Frankenstein and they'll say the same thing: "It's not as good as The Producers." That's horribly unfair. Just off the top of my head, the Mitsubishi Lancer is not as good as the Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder Convertible. Doesn't mean the Lancer isn't a good car. It's just the Eclipse is a home run.
Okay, that may just be my reality.
I just think The Producers, being a show about a Broadway musical, is a perfect storm of Broadway goodness. Young Frankenstein isn't quite so lucky.
It's a good show. Not great, but definitely solid. And I'm a big musical theatre geek, big enough that I even enjoyed Dance of the Vampires, so it was a great time all around for me.
The performances were great. Megan Mullally is good in the Madeline Kahn role, Andrea Martin is great as Frau Blucher (cue horses) and Roger Bart is fantastic as Frederick Frankenstein. Sutton Foster is very engaging as Inga, and Christopher Fitzgerald does well with the unenviable task of following in Mary Feldman's oh-so distincitve footsteps.
Sadly, we were informed that Kevin Ligon would not be performing the part of Victor. Anyone who's had the pure delight of seeing Mr. Ligon perform in Law and Order: SVU, or better yet in 1776 or Hello, Dolly, in which he got to perform with Carol Chandler, knows what artistry we missed out on.
Okay, I don't really know Kevin Ligon and couldn't pick him out of a lineup if the other four people were Jawas. It's just when we got there, we were informed that he wouldn't be performing and it became a running joke. I'm sure he's great. I wish him nothing but the best. It was just kind of funny to me. But I'm writing this on five hours of sleep and almost twenty hours of straight consciousness, so maybe it's just me.
* * * * *
Anyway, that's how today, Day Zero went. Tomorrow will be Day One of the show. Release the Kraken and bring on the fans, because I've got some books to move.
Men of Iron
This one was a lot of fun to do, especially getting to add a couple of the villains. I took some liberties with Iron Monger and War Machine, both of whom wear mostly black armor and wouldn't be as bright or colorful as is proper for this cover. It was cool getting to put in a MODOK and Cleveland's own Blacklash in the art.
I'm hoping to do a Batman one when Dark Knight comes out later this summer.
If I Can Make it There I Can Make It Anywhere
Just a reminder that I, and Bob Ingersoll, are now on our way to New York City for the New York Comic-Con. I really dig this show. It was very good to me last year and I was barely there in any official capacity. This year I'll be there at booth 2446. I'll be selling Love and Capes, Powerful Women, and doing commissions. And, of course, meetin' and greetin' my fans. If you're there, be sure to come on by.
And, if you're there, be sure to get your sweet Iron Man Toon Tumbler, designed by me!
CleveLand!
They're running a feature on Cleveland's screwed up politics, and wanted a CandyLand type game board with several Cleveland incidents on it. So, everything from the sink hole to the Ameritrust Building, to the County Commissioners, to National City Bank's troubles are illustrated.
Scene Magazine supplied me with a PDF of the finished version, which you can see by clickin' and embiggenin'.
I'm thrilled with the way this one came out. I think it's a great piece.
$240 Worth of Pudding... er, Comics
My copies of Love and Capes #7 have arrived from the printer. The boxes you see here include the complete run of the retail version, which will be stored here at Zahler World Headquarters, as well as a thousand or so copies of the FCBD issue, which are for the Lake County Captains'/Comic Heaven Free Comic Book Day event.
I just gave blood at the annual Bloodsucker's Ball, so I'm not planning on hauling them up to the attic just yet. (They say not to lift heavy things after giving blood.) I'll just push them into the garage later tonight. For now, though, they're being guarded by the 70s Era Earth-Two Hawkman.