Almost Coming Out of the Forest

Here's a panel from page twenty-three, which was the hardest page to structure yet. Of course, I can't tell you why right now, but all will be revealed soon.

Also, I'm two days away from leaving for Baltimore Comicon and the Harvey Awards. I'm just the tiniest bit nervous about it. It's my first time nominated for any sort of comics award. More importantly, I have to figure out how to set up a pool on how long into the ceremony will the first Kanye West joke happen. Personally, I'm guessing about ten minutes.

The Big Poozer

I've got some commissions that are still on my list from Mid-Ohio-Con and from the internets, where I also take commissions. Here's one done for someone in advance of Baltimore Comicon. It's extra smart on his part, because this way I could color it and he can pick it up at my booth. Since I color on computer, it's not something I can do at a con.

You know, if you were going to Baltimore and wanted a commission, you'd be just as smart to order one in advance, too.

This pic is of one of my favorite Green Lanterns, Kilowog. There were a lot of GLs added to the Corps in the Eighties that had staying power, and I think chief among these is the big poozer himself.

Love and Capes #12 Solicitation

I know I've mentioned that Love and Capes #12, the big wedding issue, is available in Previews this month. It's order code OCT091013. I've finally seen the solicitation, which looks pretty nice. It's on page 269. Oddly, Diamond ran their own ad copy and not what I sent, so here's what it should have said:

It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for and the last issue of the “second season”! Mark and Abby finally get married. Or do they? Nothing’s ever easy when you're the Crusader, or his bride-to-be. So expect super villains, crises, Abby’s brother Quincy and other disasters. All in a double-sized issue with a cover featuring Love and Capes fans attending the wedding and Mark in his Crusader uniform.

(Alternate cover copy) Mark’s traded his uniform for a tux on this cover, featuring even more Love and Capes fans as wedding attendees.

It's not that big a deal. I don't think my ad copy is all that more alluring than what they wrote, but I went to the trouble of crafting it, so I figured you should see it.

Store Chores

Next week, there will be some new products in the Love and Capes store. If I have any leftovers, I'll be selling the con exclusive versions of Love and Capes #11 1/2. I'll also have the Love and Capes sketch shirts, spaghetti straps, tank tops and hoodies available, too. It'll go live after I get back from Baltimore Comicon.

Mid-Ohio-Con 2009 Recap

Man, I love Mid-Ohio-Con.

I went to my first Mid-Ohio-Con in 1988, when it was still in the barn. I've been with it ever since (minus a couple of years when I was away at art school). It's my home show, and after twenty years, it's just chock full of my friends.

James and Bill Henry are now in their second year of running the show, and they're doing a great job. From my view on the ground, their second year was better than the first. Crowds were solid, and Saturday alone I sold more than I had in both days of the con any year before. Trades flew off the rack, shirts sold, hoodies moved, and I did more than a few commissions.

One of my favorites was a commission to draw Mark and Abby and Superman and Lois. I decided to make them cross-save their respective lady friends. I think it turned out great. I also did a Lightning Lad, a Cheetah, and Iron Man and more. It was a pretty diverse group.

And, just like last year, I did a drawing for the charity auction live on stage. Last time I think I did a Crusader drawing, so this time I decided to do some of the ladies and did an Abby/Amazonia illustration.

I always hate listing all the friends that I see at the show, for fear that I'll forget someone. Plus, it sounds like Romper Room. "I saw Paul and Mariann and Lisa and Carl and Tony and Bob and Robyn and Rog…" But it's true. I've made such great friends at the show.

I did make some new ones, like Lora Innes, who I just don't understand how I didn't meet before. She writes and draws the great comic The Dreamer, available in print and webcomics forms. Check it out here. And I met Bryan Glass of Mice Templar fame. We shared a few drinks at one of the receptions during the show.

And I made a bunch of friends on the Webcomics panel that I did on Sunday. I was probably a little too snarky, a little too Chandler sometimes, but everyone seemed to like it. On it was Wes Molebash, whom I'd met last year, Lora, Trevor Mueller and Alan Evans. It was a great time.

I was set up between the insanely talented Art Baltazar of Tiny Titans and Power of Shazam fame and Old Man Sean McKeever. Not that Sean's that old, but his set up had a couple of rocking chairs and a little table. It looked a bit like a front porch. We kept saying he needed a corncob pipe and saying things in our old man voice like "Pepperidge Farm remembers" and "Get off my lawn."

And I managed to frequent a grade school friend's restaurant, BD's Mongolian Barbecue in the Arena District. Turns out it's a favorite restaurant amomg some of the guests. (Sergio Aragones, who was there the year before, made sure to eat there twice.) I wound up heading over there with Mark Evanier, Carolyn Kelly, Bob Ingersoll, Marv Wolfman, Len Wein, Maggie Thompson and Gregg Berger. I know most of them, but Gregg was new, although we'd briefly met a few years back in Los Angeles.

Gregg is a cartoon voice actor. He was Grimlock on the original Transformers cartoon, and several characters on G.I. Joe. Being a big fan of the Joe cartoon, I asked him which voices he did. He went through the litany and did each voice as he did. "I was Firefly, who liked to blow things up, and Cutter, Ripcord, who liked to jump out of airplanes, and Spirit, the noble Indian warrior." I was fuzzy on the first two, but who could forget Spirit and his eagle?

Ah, it was such a good weekend. I'm already looking forward to next year. So mark November 6-7 on your calendar.

And for those of you wondering, and I know you're out there Mariann and Lisa, yes, I managed to keep my money all the way home this time. No lost Buffy lunchboxes for two years in a row now.

More stuff later, I'm sure. But for now, I have to get ready for my next con in four days, Baltimore Comicon!

Mid-Ohio-Con Time

I'm leaving today for Mid-Ohio-Con. The only thing delaying me right now is the accursed program books. Don't worry, they'll be done. I'm just waiting on my printer to get them done so I can drive them down. Everything else is loaded and in the car.

I'll be there all weekend, so stop on by and say "howdy." Maybe buy some books or get a sketch. II'll have all eleven issues of Love and Capes, the special issue #11 1/2 that previews the wedding issue, the previous collection of shirts and pins, and the new ringer sketch shirts and hoodies. Tons of fun.

Believe me, I had to haul itall into the car.

In other news, I finished page 22 yesterday. So I'm two pages off my intended pace, but still in good shape. The next scene is giving me fits in writing it though. Hopefully my drive to Columbus will clear my head a bit.

Another Day, Another Page

The pages are coming a little faster now. This usually happens at the end of the book, but I'm just a little over halfway. At least I hope so. This sequence is going a bit longer than I had originally planned, so I may need to add some pages on the back end, too. I think there are about four pages left here.

I'll have some more good Love and Capes news for you all soon. I think I'll announce it after my double shot of conventions. Although, if you see me at the show (and buy me a drink) maybe I'll spill the beans early.

That Bouquet is Gonna Kill Someone Tossed From That Height

I needed a piece of promotional art for the upcoming wedding issue. (Why? Hey, I have to have some secrets, okay?) So I managed to bust a lot of this out while working on my lap board in my living room. My Dad was in the studio installing some new lighting. I'l take a picture of that when I get a chance, too. It's a little change, but the room lights up so much nicer now. Thanks, Dad!

The Big Two-Oh!

Yeah, this issue is the hard-drinkingest, bar-closing issue in Love and Capes history. How can you not want it?

With this, I'm halfway through my planned number of pages. But since I'm not done with this sequence, there's always the possibility it will expand a little bit. Man, I hope not, though. I'm rushed enough as it is.

The Most Awesomest Panel of Love and Capes Ever

I can't figure out why, but this might be my favorite panel of Love and Capes ever. No, you know what? It's probably the dinosaur.

So, I'm one page and four days away from being on schedule. Still, I'd like to burn a couple extra pages out just to get a little more ahead.

Okay, that's all I've got. Back to work.