No update today. Con was slow but afterwardsvwas filled with fun, frivolity and Fantasia golf. More recounting when I get back home.
MegaCon 2009 - Day One
The first day of the con is over. It's been a long day, involving me getting up at 5:00am to pick up Bob and drive to the airport and fly here, only to lad and start the show. So this will be a little short.
Traveling during Lent is always a bit of a challenge, especially on Fridays since we Catholics can't have meat and I'm allergic to seafood. Fortunately, Orlando is home to the second most interesting McDonalds in the world. They've got a ton of stuff, including McPizza and McRavioli. So I was okay there.
The show had the typical Friday slowness, but I still sold well. I even made a few new contacts. Plus I saw some old friends, including Mr. and Mrs. The Defuser and Steve Conley. My friend Sandi and a couple of her friends came up for the day, too. And our group of dinner companions even acquiesed to my pleading to go to Uno's Chicago Grill, which I like on general principal and is no longer an option in the Buckeye State, and has a very Lent-friendly food: pizza. Sandi and her pals even went as an advance team to score our seats so those of us con-bound were able to just walk right in.
Then, Bob and I headed to Downtown Disney for a little shopping. For some reason, the Disney group and I have been drifting apart in terms of souvenirs. When I came down for the first time in 2003, I had to force myself to stop buying stuff. Now, it's not a problem to hold back. I don't know if it's a lack of cool stuff or changing tastes or I just have a lot of what I want.
I did pass on my usual Disney coffee purchase. I've got plenty waiting for me at home, sealed up until after Lent, between my Watchmen coffee and other stuff. So I just bought a couple of presents for my Goddaughter and her brother.
It's amazing how much it changes, too. Stores are remodeled and replaced. Pleasure Island is almost gone. All the clubs are closed, soon to be replaced with restaurants. They have a new T-Rex Restaurant, which looks kind of fun. It's got a crystal ice cave that's actually cooler than the rest of the prehistoric themed decor, and a bluelit ice bar that looks phenomenal. We didn't eat there of course, but it was fun to visit.
So now I'm back, missing Battlestar Galactica since I've picked another hotel that doesn't carry Sci-Fi Channel. Oh well, that's why Jos invented iTunes, right?
Safe Haven
I've mentioned a few times that Diamond Comics, the largest comics distributor in the country, has raised their minimum order requirements. It's possible that this could cause problems for Love and Capes down the line. I think I've got a handle on it, but I'm a firm believer in not putting all my eggs in anyone else's basket.
So, I'm happy to announce that Haven Distributors is now stocking Love and Capes. Maerkle Press will be joining other fine comics companies as Top Shelf, Bongo, Slave Labor and Moonstone in having our books available through this new channel.
Haven is a wholesale comics distributor, so they're not a place for individuals to buy comics. But, since Haven stocks the entire Love and Capes catalog, issues #1-9 (and will the only distributor to stock the retail version of #10 when that comes out), if your fine comics shop has been told they can't backorder Love and Capes, now they've got another channel that can.
Back Up
Yesterday, the Love and Capes site was down briefly. It has to do with RSS feeds and fscockets and htacesses and stuff like that. Really, it's not important. What is important is that the site and its blog and bi-weekly strip are all back up and functioning. So, if you tried to log on yesterday (especially if you came over from The Pulse article) and saw some weirdness, you know why.
Orlandos Other Than Bloom
Since I haven't left the state in almost fourteen days, I'm headed down to Orlando, Florida for MegaCon. I'll be hauling down the entire Love and Capes library, my Powerful Women sketchbooks, some shirts, and my drawing materials to do commissions. The con is always good, and I get to hang out with some of my Sunshine State friends that I don't get to see otherwise.
I'll also be on the Indy Comics Panel on Sunday from 2:50 to 3:40pm. It's osted by Terry Cronin and described as a Talk with Indy Comic creators Layne & Perry Toth, Jeremy Dale, Greg Williams, Thom Zahler and Robert Venditti. It should be fun.
Just Don't Stand Between Me and a Microphone
Hey, there's another interview with me up on The Pulse. Here I was grilled by the lovely Jen Contino. Well, not so much grilled. Actually, it was very pleasant.
Anyway, interview here. Clickity click.
Because If You're Gonna Build a Robot, It Might as Well Look Good, Right?
I got a commission request to draw Cameron from Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, which happens to be one of my favorite TV shows. (Please don't cancel it, Fox. Please. Don't you have enough blood on your hands already, killer of Firefly, John Doe, Lone Gunmen and who can remember what else?) Anyway, I had to draw Summer Glau.
Summer's got a really exotic face. I drew her years ago for the program book for the first Flanvention. I was having a hard time with her likeness, and I got lucky in that she was a guest at that year's WizardWorld convention and I got to meet her and actually see her face in three dimensions. Still, it wasn't an easy likeness to achieve.
Here, I needed to mesh that caricature quality with the stylized cartooning that I use for my Powerful Women books. I think they blended together fairly well. As much as the face, I think I got the cold, intense stare as well as the pose.
Oddly, my favorite part is the rifle she's carrying. I did the reference on it, it's an LR-300, I think. It's getting those little details accurate that I dig. And it strikes the right chord between cartoony and realistic.
When the Free Comic Book Day Book is a Little Less Free
Taking a step back, here's the alternate cover for the retail version of Love and Capes #10. Because of the new Diamond minimums, these won't be available through the Previews catalog, but they will be available on the Love and Capes website the Monday after Free Comic Book Day. They will be available for direct order by comic shops, too. I'll post more information about it soon.
And More Love and Capes Valentiney Stuff
Did I mention it's Valentine's Day? Did you forget to get something for that special someone in your life? You know what he/she/it (we don't judge here) would love more than anything? To appear on the cover of Love and Capes!
I soft-announced it a couple of days ago, but here's the full release an information. If there are too many words, here's the short form: Send me some money and you'll be on the cover of the double-sized LNC#12, coming out in November/December, as part of the wedding congregation for Abby and Mark. Click here to sign up. The full release follows.
You are cordially invited…
to attend the wedding of Mark and Abby in Love and Capes #12.
You might not have been invited to Lois and Clark’s wedding. You probably couldn’t attend Peter and MJ’s wedding (and, if you did, you don’t remember it.). But you can be in attendance for the comic book wedding of the 21st century! The Crusader and Abby are getting married in Love and Capes #12, coming out in December 2009, and you could be there.
Tickets to this wedding are limited and seating is first come, first served. Cost is just $40 per couple or $25 per single. No "crashers" permitted. To be part of this special event, RSVP by sending a photo of yourself, along with your payment, and you will be drawn into the wedding scene cover of Love and Capes #12 and mentioned by name at the end of the book.
To commemorate this special event, and to show our appreciation for the fans of Love and Capes, artist Thom Zahler will be creating a special limited edition 11 x 17 print of the wedding cover. All "attendees" will be sent a signed and numbered print to commorate their attendance at this "super" celebration. Interested attendees can also look for Thom Zahler at MegaCon in Orlando, Florida on Feb. 27-Mar.1 or the Free Comic Book Day event May 2nd at Rogues Gallery Comics in Austin, Texas , where he’ll have his camera ready to snap your photo on site.
If response warrants, an alternate version of the cover illustration (featuring Mark in his tuxedo, rather than his Crusader uniform) will be created to handle the overflow crowd.
Please RSVP by May 25, 2009.
Is Love and Capes the Official Comic of Valentine's Day?
It's Valentine's Day, and I know what you want: More interviews with me. You can't get enough, can you, because I am apparently all over the place right now.
Over at Robot 6, which is an awesome site of awesomeness and you secretly hate yourself if you don't visit regularly, I'm interviewed by JK Parkin about Love and Capes. We cover things like the new Diamond minimums, Mark and Abby giving dating advice, my "process", such as it is, and more. Check it out here.
It's not a full interview or anything, but I am mentioned over at Whitney Matheson's online blog over at USA Today. Yes, that USA Today.
I'm also interviewed in something called "print" over at Comics Buyer's Guide. I did the interview a few weeks ago, so I honestly don't remember much of what I said. The CBG site is here, and the book is available at newsstands and such. Apparently the words "and the trade is published by the fine folks at IDW" didn't make the interview. So just print that sentence out, cut it out, and paste it in.
I was on the Dork Forest podcast, briefly. Hosted by Jackie Kashian, comedian (or is it comedienne, since I know it's not actress anymore... anyway, she's a funny person) has a podcast devoted to geekishness and such. Unfortunately, a technical glitch booted me from the call and we couldn't get back together. So, it's about ten minutes that ends as abruptly as No Country For Old Men.
John Siuntres, Chicago talk show host, interviewed me on the floor of the New York Comic-Con. John's always great to talk to, giving me the time of day long before I started Love and Capes. (I think it was 2:15pm, actually.) So, you can hear me babble about LNC here.
I've also mentioned the Raging Bullets podcast, I think, but let's mention it again given that this is a bag of listings. Sean's a great guy, and obviously a DC fan. It's great to chat with him.