Free to be Printed!
I got my preview copies of Love and Capes #11, and they look good. They're probably the best FCBD issue I've done yet. Now, I hope the story holds up. I think it's great, but out of all the issues I've done, this is the one I'm a little skittish about.
The books are pictured here with the Winged Wonder, Hawkman, in honor of Kyle Baker's new Wednesday Comics Hawkman strip. The newspaper style Wednesday Comics is a great idea, and it's got stupid good creators on it. Way to think outside the box, DC!
Coming in July! Order it in May!
I just sent out the solicitation for Love and Capes #11. Here's the official description:
Abby and Amazonia... FRIENDS?! It’s the most shocking issue of Love and Capes ever. What could cause these two women to suddenly become BFFs? Plus, Abby’s Quest for her Dress continues, and their parents finally meet! Don’t miss the last issue before the big wedding in LNC#12!
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.
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.
NYCC2009 - Day One
Today was the first full day of the show. There's a pro part that started at 10:00am and then the regular portion began at 1:00pm or so and went until 7:00. Whew! That's a long day. But it was a good day, too.
I met a couple of TV and film production companies. You never know what's going to pan out, but it's never bad to make those contacts. I met the lovely and talented Whitney Matheson from USA Today and we spoke of comics and conventions and Love and Capes. I did Douglas Wolk's character design panel, which was a lot of fun I met some friends, chatted, maybe even lined up some work.
One thing I didn't do, though: Twitter. Now, I'm sure you think it's because I was so busy and important that I wasn't able to get to my iPhone to document the day. You'd only be partially right. The big thing is that the iPhone is so frellin' popular that the 3G network is overtaxed at the show. I had a spotty connection at best, which is okay for some light e-mail, but is Of The Bad for Twittering.
I suspect tomorrow will be even worse. Well, better with the crowds and the selling and the awesome, but less good for the communicating and the writing. Sorry.
Guess y'all will just have to come here next year to experience it.