Not the Video Game

Here's the second-last image for my second Powerful Women sketchbook.

Batman and the Outsiders was one of those series I knew about, but got on board too late. Fortunately, my cousin has been buying a lot of those Showcase reprints and has been lending them to me when he's done. Now I'm reading the Batman and the Outsiders edition, which features some very solid Mike W. Barr (maybe my favorite Batman writer) stories and some nice Jim Aparo artwork. And lettering. The guy had skills.

People like Jim never get the credit they deserve. To paraphrase Isaac Newton, they were the giants whose shoulders the industry stands upon. Solid, reliable, and able to draw anything.

His original design for Halo’s costume shows that he still had chops after almost twenty years in the business. It’s basic swirly shape design was very graphic and very cool. I don’t know why, but it always reminded me of the shirt that Disney’s Captain Eo wore. Michael Jackson aside, that was a cool design, too.

Got two homes, car loans, in debt, and his third divorce ain't even final yet

Yeah, yeah, I've got a new panel. But I've also got this bit of coolness: This is my six hundreth post on the weblog!

Wow. I've had a lot to say over the last three years, I guess.It's been fun, and I've got no intentions of stopping. Thanks to everyone who's been a part of it. Here's to another 600. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. Well, I am, given the upcoming San Diego trip, but I'll still be blogging. Aw, heck, you know what I mean.

Here's a panel from page fifteen, the last one at the Deco City Comic Convention. Something from the Crusader's past surfaces, and he'd much rather it didn't. It's been fun doing this sequence, and finding old art and client work to put on the displays. There are ones for my Raider books, the SideChicks stuff I do for Lone Star Press, and some other stuff that hasn't seen the light of day. Yet.

I'm really in a zone now. I know exactly what will happen on page sixteen, and if plans go accordingly, it'll feature the writing stylings of someone who's not me. Yes, that's right. I've outsourced part of Love and Capes. But you'll have to buy the book to find out what and why.

What's meant to be will always find a way

The Deco City convention center is one of those places that's so big that they're able to host two shows: a Bridal Fair and… a Comic Book Convention. I've had this idea in mind since I did my interview with Sequential Tart last year. So, if you've read the article, or are clever enough to click the link, you might find out what's going to happen.

There's one more page in this sequence, and I'll be glad when it's done. Trying to render a convention is a lot of work, even with some of the repeated background elements and people I've been able to use.

What's really heartening, though, is that this is already page fourteen. Sure, I'm worried about fitting all the story I have in mind into the last ten pages, but I usually get worried about that around this part of the process. But I've only got ten pages left, and thirty days or so before San Diego, so I'll hopefully have it done before I go. It'll be a nice thing to have off my mind while I'm in the big ol'convention.

If last year was any indication, I'll be sitting there at my table and then have a whack of inspiration for the next issue. Although I did have a moment in church Saturday where I had a couple ideas about #9. I figure that was either divine inspiration or a boring homily.

Back in Stores and Back with Reviews!

The retail version of Love and Capes #7 has hit the shops, and wouldn't you know, there's been a review or two. Including this one from Blake M. Petit at Comixtreme.com:

I'm used to recommending comics for my girlfriend, but this is the first comic she's ever recommended to me. And lo and behold, it's one of those books that leaves me wondering why on Earth I wasn't reading it already. This issue the world's greatest superhero, the Crusader, has decided to pop the question to his girlfriend, Abby. Poor timing, oblivious teammates and supervillain intervention keep screwing up his plans, though, and it soon becomes clear this is one challenge where being a superhero won't give him any advantage at all. Without having read any previous issue, this comic totally pulled me in. It's sweet and funny, the heroes are heroic, the art style is wonderful and the romance between Mark and Abby works wonderfully. I don't know if I'll be able to wait for November for the collected edition of the first six issues so I can see what I missed. This is just simply the best superhero romantic comedy I've ever seen.

And one from Maggie Thompson over at Comic Buyers' Guide, who was judging comics on both how good they were and how good a FCBD title they were. (The difference being a FCBD title should be done in one and accessible to the new reader.)

Maerkle Love and Capes #7 Huzzah! Beginning, middle, and end of a satisfying super-hero story that readers young and oldwill find equally enjoyable. Grade A.

Stuff like this gives me hope that I'll be an unstoppable juggernaut of comic booky goodness at San Diego this year. Now, off to draw page 14!

(Oh, and I saw Get Smart Saturday. Verra good. Steve Carell shows a fair amount of versatility, and they even addressed my issue that Anne Hathaway was too young. If you're looking for something to see, this one was pretty good.)

And it turns out that he was a missing person who nobody missed at all

It's lucky page thirteen! We're now more than halfway through issue eight, and Mark and Abby are going to a bridal fair. There may be another convention going on at the convention center, too, which we'll see in forthcoming pages.

And, speaking of conventions, have I mentioned that this issue will be debut at Mid-Ohio-Con in October? The very same Mid-Ohio-Con at which I will be a guest! Amazing coincidence, isn't it?

As long as we're talking conventions, I should mention that I and Toon Tumblers will be sharing booth #2000 at Comic-Con International in San Diego. Paul and Toon Tumblers will be at WizardWorld Chicago next week. And neither of us are at this week's Heroes Con in Charlotte, but I've heard nothing but good about the show and intend to do it someday.

Okay, it's time for a victory nap... and planning out the next exciting page!

The DC Three

Remember when I said I'd post some new glass art when I could? Well, now I can.

I will not be at WizardWorld Chicago, but the Mark of Zahlero will be on every one of these fine Toon Tumblers glasses featuring DC's Trinity: Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. This Chicago exclusive will be the first of many. In fact, much like Deanna on Battlestar Galactica, I have seen the final five... well, next six. Yes, I know what the next six glasses will be.

Who are they? I shall not say. We're building excitement. Four of them you should be able to guess. There's one that you will never, ever, ever guess. The sixth? Well, all I'll say is...

FZAM!

So, if you're at WW Chicago, be sure to stop on buy and get a glass or seven. Better my clients do, the better I do. And y'all want me to do well, right?

In Stores This Week, Maybe Even Today

It's the special "Mighty" version of Love and Capes #7. Fair warning, Major Might does not appear inside the issue. He should be in #8 for a bit, though. Maybe he was flying so fast that he showed up an issue early.

I wake up, and tear drops, they fall down like rain

Page twelve is done! And with page twelve, I am halfway to home on book eight! Can I get a "Hell, yeah?"

I love doing this book. I also like having done this book. And now I'm coming out of the woods.

This one has had some harder patches than I expected. Lots of writer's block on the first page two, and another bout recently. But, I always have the end in mind, and the closer I get to that, the less that happens. Things should start happening faster now. Twelve pages in... what does that orange counter say? Thirty-five days. Well, it's definitely doable.

My characters sure drink a lot of wine, don't they? I wonder where they get that from?

More laughs than a stack of comic books, a wild imagination, a college education

I'm about one day off of my proper pace. It's halfway through June now, and I should be halfway through the eighth issue. I'm a page back from that. Don't worry, though, I think I can catch up by then.

Here we introduce Jason, the new regular character in the book. He's going to be taking Charlotte's place at Abby's bookstore. It took a little while to figure out what I wanted the new character to be. Hopefully, he'll blend with the group well. He should work out fine. Well, I'm still on the fence about his name, so that might change before the book sees print.

You'll notice, too, that Tim Russert's books are on display at Abby's bookstore. I just had to do that.

Father's Day

I am blessed with two great parents. Every Father's Day and Mother's Day, I intend to write something about them. They're the single biggest influences on my life, my biggest fans, and I thank God every day that I have them.

This won't be the entry about them, though. I won't do them the disservice of knocking something like that out in twenty minutes. But, since it's Father's Day, I wanted to share this card that I made for my Dad.

Yes, I still make cards for people. Especially my Dad, because so many store-bought cards are about golfing and sleeping and not fixing things. None of those apply to my Dad. He's pretty unique, so he deserves a unique card. I will say, one of the great things about my Dad is that he'll get this card. He knows all these characters and who they are and everything that comes with them.

Happy Father's Day, Dad!