Like "American Idol" But Everyone Loses

Last night I was a guest on the ReadComics.org podcast. They had me on for the entire show, so it's almost an hour of Thom Zahler babbling. Actually, it went pretty well. I think I was occasionally amusing and... they even got me to sing a little. Damn this blog and my clever stories about The War of Joss Whedon's Musical Words that occured at Mid-Ohio-Con.

So, big thanks to Marty and Jason and Florence. I had a great time. Go check it out.

The Shirt Off My Back

I've been doing design work for the new Mid-Ohio-Con this year. So I designed postcards and the program book and so on. I've also been able to design the Mid-Ohio-Con Con Crew shirts for this year, too. They're the shirts I teased a week or so ago.

The shirts will be proudly worn by the crack commando unit of Mid-Ohio-Con volunteers, and versions of the shirt, without the con crew back design, will be available through me. I think they look cool, and this shirt is something I wouldn't have been able to do without the auspices of MOC.

My Dulcet Tones, part 27 (or something like that).

I mentioned before that I recorded a podcast interview a couple of weeks ago. It was for the Comic Book Page, and the interview's posted. I'm up there with Rick Remender and Stephanie O'Donnell. If you're of a mind to do so, go ahead and check it out.

EDIT: I just listened to the podcast. I didn't hate the sound of my own voice, but I wouldn't think that my frothy Love and Capes would elicit an interview that used the words avuncular, paradigm, narrowcast, and archetype.

College Ain't Cheap, Fella!

So, my pals at Mental Floss are having a contest to give away five $10,000 college scholarships, as well as some free dinners, to clever and deserving college students.

Am I mentioning this because they promised to link to all of us who mention the contest and get the word out? Yes. Hey, I ain't gonna lie to you. But college tuition is a pet cause of mine. I had a lot of issues paying for my sojourn at the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art. My family did a lot of things to make that happen, my Grandma Maerkle (for whom my Maerkle Press imprint is named) among them. But because of that experience, I try to help put things that help tuition out, like Cleveland Scholarship Foundations and the Jimmy and April Malone Golf Tournament.

Fastest growing cost in America? It's not health care, it's college tuition. And I'm going to cut this short before I go into a screed about lowering tuition costs, rather than just increasing programs to pay for it.

It's a great program and a good cause. And Mental Floss is one of my favorite magazines that doesn't hire me to do artwork for them, and it's hard to get into that echelon, let me tell you. So go check it out.

Hush Now Baby, Don't Say a Word

It's Baltimore time, and that means another Baltimore Comicon and another Baltimore exclusive glass. Since Jim Lee is a guest this year, Toon Tumblers is doing a Jim Lee Batman glass.

Toon Tumblers is a client, and a good one at that. I love working for them. So it's taking all my self-control not to refer to it as the "GD Batman glass", or to try to badly black out some swear words or to put lemonade in it or to admonish you that superheroes don't drink. But I won't. Just sit back and enjoy the glass and buy a few at the show. And come on up and see me.

More on Board

Indie Comic Book Noise's Angie has given a recommendation for the Love and Capes trade on the Indie Comic Book Noise Podcast, number 212. Hey, what can I say, she's righ. If you'd ike to check out the podcast, click here.

Reason #1 to Buy the LNC Trade from IDW

First, let's recap the previous answers:

10. If you don’t buy it, Memphisto may erase Mark and Abby’s relationship from existence. Don’t let him win!
9. Both John McCain and Barack Obama have identical positions on Love and Capes.(Neither have read it.)
8. It’s on page 293 of Previews, and you know they only put the best stuff there.
7. Gail Simone says, "A book full of rare delights–bright, lively art, a fun and clever story told with perfect pacing…Thom’s doing great work on an irreplaceable book."
6. Every time you buy a copy, a Victoria’s Secret Angel gets her wings.
5. Kurt Busiek’s one thing, but how many people get the coveted ANN Busiek recommendation?
4. Remember how you said you’d wait for the trade? Wait’s over, champ.
3. No crossovers. No angst. No pointless deaths. No kidding.
2. It’s easily 100 times funnier than that Seinfeld/Gates commercial.

and finally, the number one reason to by the Love and Capes trade.

1. It's a good book and you'll like it. What? Is there a better reason to buy a book than that?

Diamond Previews order code SEP084142E.

Reason #2 to Buy the LNC Trade from IDW

2. It's easily 100 times funnier than that Seinfeld/Gates commercial.

Diamond Previews order code SEP084142E.

Reason #3 to Buy the LNC Trade from IDW

3. No crossovers. No angst. No pointless deaths. No kidding.

Diamond Previews order code SEP084142E.

Reason #5 to buy the LNC Trade from IDW

5. Kurt Busiek's one thing, but how many people get the coveted ANN Busiek recommendation?

Diamond Previews order code SEP084142E.

"Love and Capes is warm, witty, clever andlighthearted without being empty-- there's real, satisfying emotion underlying the comedy. It's one of a very few comics my wife tries to steal from me so she can read it first."
Kurt Busiek
Astro City, Superman, Trinity

"Damn straight it is. And what do you mean, 'tries to'?"

Ann Busiek