DragonCon 2015 Recap

This weekend I attended my fifth DragonCon. I really love this show, and I love it more and more each year. The show is very much defined by the people. Well, the people and the costumes. It’s an amazingly welcoming and fun atmosphere. This year was a weird year for me, and DragonCon met the challenge and found a way for me to have the best time I’ve ever had there. There were laughter-filled dinners, lots of hugs, card games, and maybe an extra drop or two of alcohol.

I have to call out for special attention my good friend Jesse Jackson, who rose to the challenge, especially on Saturday, and was able to be me on a day when I wasn’t. He sold more books than I did that day. I’m lucky to have him as my booth babe, body man and designated drive… and most importantly as my friend.

It’s because of him I had my biggest DragonCon moment. Jesse has a sketchbook of drawings of actors that he has signed by those celebrities when he meets them. It’s more personal and more original than an 8x10, and the actors seem to get a kick out of it. I’ll let him tell the full story, but the quick version is this: Stephen Amell loved the drawing I did of him. And then he tweeted it out. Ten thousand likes later, here we are.

The costumes are always amazing at this show, too, both in execution and in sheer volume. It’s the only show where I feel like I should be wearing a costume. I love seeing the obscure ones. This year, it’s a tie between Letterman and Brainwave Junior for most niche character.

The photo that accompanies this post is one of my favorite moments. A young girl bought a copy of the latest issue of My Little Pony and immediately started reading it. That she was dressed like Princess Leia was a bonus.

I also did more game-playing and late-night hanging-out than I have in a while. I certainly slept the Odinsleep when I finally got home, but it was totally worth it.

And a huge thank you to my friends, some who I spent a ton of time with, some of whom I only saw in passing, and the new ones whom I just met. Without you, this show wouldn’t be as special as it is.

I hope to see you there next year! I’ll definitely be there.

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Muncie? More like FUNcie!

This past weekend was My Little Pony Day at Aw Yeah Comics in Muncie. Christy Blanch and her gang were kind enough to invite me as well as Andy Price and Katie Cook to come and do their first Sunday signing ever. The store is as fun as you’d expect, and the staff was amazing. I can’t remember the last time I was taken care of so well. I’d tell you to go into comics just so you could hopefully be treated so well yourself, but comics is competitive and I don’t need the competition.

Plus, I got there on Doctor Who day, and they had Jammie Dodgers.

Muncie is a small town, but it’s got its charm. And like a lot of places, it’s got some great restaurants if you know where to look. Fortunately, Aw Yeah did. They took us to Barn Brasserie and Casa Del Sol and they were both freakin’ amazing. Barn Brasserie had comic books as decorations on the walls of the bathrooms. (Admittedly, I only saw the mens’ room). The owner insisted that Andy and I add our signatures to the wall with so many other artists.

And they had beignets.

The signing went really well. A nice steady crowd, but not too many. There were lots of great people, and lots of kids, which is always nice to see. It was just the right mix.

And they made sure that we took some comics home with us, too, which I appreciate. You can see my haul in the photos. And they took us to see The Man From UNCLE which I appreciated a lot, too.

Kyle and Sy from the shop were great. By the end of the weekend we were trading jokes like a well oiled sitcom. (I, of course, am the Chandler.) And Christy, well, Christy’s just awesome. I swear she’s a bigger fan of Long Distance than I am. She certainly has sold more than me.

Icing on the cake was getting to log some serious convertible time. Nice and sunny on the way out. The most common comment at the signing was “I love Long Distance,” but the second was “You drove with the top down, didn’t you?” Yes, I did. And then a nice night drive on the way back, too.

It was a great weekend. Go to Aw Yeah Muncie if you’re ever in the area. Get the Sesame Chicken at Barn Brasserie and the margarita at Casa Del Sol, too.

Long Distance #3 in stores TODAY

Long Distance #3 is in stores and at Comixology today! We're past the halfway point and everything feels comfortable… and everyone knows that's when things change. This issue features an alternate cover by my friend Mike Collins. He was kind enough to do it for me and I think it looks great.

Long Distance Process

I put together a step-by-step video of how I do the color effects on Long Distance. The duotones give the book a unique look and really help with a sense of place. I'm proud of what I came up with, and thought you might like to see how it's done.

Enter the Long Distance Contest… if you can!

There's a secret Long Distance contest. Well, the secret is how to enter. The first twenty five people who can figure out how to enter will win this awesome print, featuring the covers for all four issues, standard and variants. It features artwork by Lora Innes, Sean Tiffany, Mike Collins and Tony Fleecs as well as, of course, me. The contest runs in every issue. Right now about ten people have figured it out, so there are still almost fifteen chances left!

My SDCC 2015 Appearance Schedule

Thursday • IDW Booth 2714 • 11:00am-12:00pm A My Little Pony signing at the IDW booth. The first issue of Tony Fleecs’ and my Attack of the Living Apples starring Flutterbat has an SDCC variant, so be sure to pick that up as well. I’ll be signing with Agnes Garbowska, Tony Fleecs, Jeremy Whitley, and Bobby Curnow.

I also designed the cover of the exclusive Friendship is Magic trade (featuring the art of Amy Mebberson), too.

Saturday • IDW Booth 2714 • 10:00am-11:00am

Long Distance #2 will be at the show, and Lora Innes (who did the awesome variant cover for #1, and also does the super-awesome The Dreamer) and I will be signing then.

Trivia: The Dreamer is often seen on sale at Abby’s bookstore in Love and Capes.

Saturday • Room 24ABC ª 7:30pm-8:30pm

Dr. Andrea Letamendi (The Arkham Sessions) and Dr. Ali Mattu (The Psych Show) step into the pop culture ring to debate the psychology of teamwork, rebellion, and galactic war. Panelists include Robert Meyer Burnett (Free Enterprise), Thom Zahler (Love and Capes), Consetta Parker (Rancho Obi-Wan), and Amy Ratcliffe (Star Wars Insider). Join a side, but remember: phasers and lightsabers are no match for this battle of wits! Refereed by Brian Ward (Comics, Assembled!)

I'm gonna bust 'em up.

Sunday • Room 24ABC • 1:00pm-2:00pm

All-ages comics are important now more than ever in helping to bring in new and lapsed readers, from practically every demographic. BOOM! Studios associate editor Whitney Leopard leads a discussion on the significance of all-ages comics, from what they have achieved thus far to what lies ahead, with creators Mairghread Scott (Transformers: Windblade), Thom Zahler (My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic), Cecil Castellucci (Odd Duck), Ian McGinty (Munchkin), and Dave Roman (Astronaut Academy).

And, of course, all the rest of the time, I’ll be at Booth 2000 signing and selling next to the irritatingly-talented Andy Price.

Long Distance Comic Contest

Tomorrow sees the release of the first issue of Long Distance, my new project published by those fine people at IDW. I could use some help getting the word out, and so I turn to you. Tweet something about the comic, along with the hashtag #longdistancecomic and I'll enter you in a drawing for a two-character color commission of your choice. Tweet a picture of the comic along with it, and that will count for five entries! The contest will wrap up on June 17, 2015 at noon EST.

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It's my first brand-new thing since Love and Capes, so I'm both excited and nervous. Thanks for your support.

Me Talking About Long Distance

Marc Bowker, at the excellent Alter Ego Comics in Lima, Ohio, had me on his YouTube show to discuss Long Distance!

If the video doesn't load, you can go to the YouTube interview right here.

My Free Comic Book Day 2015 at Hazel's Heroes Comics

This past weekend I was a guest at Hazel's Heroes Comics in North Canton, Ohio. Their Free Comic Book Day festivities ran from 9:00-600 and it was a full day of fun! There was a line out front before the store even opened, and a steady stream of customers flowed in the entire day. I spent the day selling books and doing commissions. I even got to add to the ceiling tile art gallery with a Wonder Woman piece (because female heroes were dreadfully underrepresented… so I fixed it).

I had a great time and encourage you all to visit their shop!

I'm looking forward to next year's FCBD, too. Who knows where I'll be next time?

How to Order Long Distance

My new romantic comedy comic Long Distance will be in stores soon, and it's in Previews now. Pre-ordering is essential for the success of books like these, and while I'm sure you can navigate the Diamond system just fine, I'm trying to make it a little easier for everyone. There are two covers for the book, so two order codes. The one by me is APR150443 and the one by Lora Innes is APR150444.

But I'm not going to stop there. I've made a handy printable graphic for you to give your comic shop owner, so that they can place the order for you.

And because I'm still not done, I've even made an iPhone sized one that you can just show to your retailer to order it and save a tree!

I'm excited about this new series and I hope you are, too. The first issue comes out in June, but please pre-order it now.