Zuda Zuda Zuda
I've been working with Bill Williams of Lone Star Press for years now. So, one day, he comes to me and says "You want to pitch something for Zudacomics?"
For those of you not in the know, Zudacomics is DC Comics' online webstrip portal. They run a competition, kind of like American Idol without the cloying backstories and makeovers. Every month, it's a new competition. And this month, Bill and I are competing.
So, click to read The Urban Adventures of Melvin Blank. Bill wrote it, and I drew it. Here's the official description:
Melvin Blank has the mind of a child and the strength of a brute. After the passing of his parents, he lives in his Mother’s house in the heart of a big decaying city. He works as a dishwasher at a nearby greasy spoon and he has his urban adventures as he travels to and from work. Melvin thinks its hilarious that the mass transit system he rides, the City Area Rapid Transit System, is called "the CART", but he doesn't understand why a nearby diner is called "Joe Mama's". In a world of grays, Melvin sees things in black and white. Good and bad. Day and night. Cereal and pizza.
Melvin is pretty sure that the house down the street is haunted, but don't worry, he plans to do something about it. He is in love with a beautiful co-worker who has an abusive boyfriend, for now. He is selling items from his parent’s estate to pay for an elaborate headstone for the pair. At home, he has an angry cat named SOCKS and he never, ever misses SPACE PATROL RANGER. Melvin is absolutely sure that he is living the American Dream and he wants to share it with the rest of the people in his neighborhood whether they like it or not.
The first story is a complete eight screen story. It has a beginning, middle, and an end. Melvin is like that, he likes things simple.
We've created the strip. That was the easy part. Now we have to rock the vote. Well, you have to rock the vote. You can only vote once per person, so despite having a long line of dead Irish relatives, I've used up my one. It's your turn. Vote for us! We promise a webstrip in every pot! Two webstrips in every garage.
But please, check it out and vote!
Capsule Reviews
It's been a week, so I thought I'll pull together some of the reviews of the Free Comic Book Day issue of Love and Capes. Please click on the review to read them in full.
Johanna at Comics Worth Reading…
Abby takes on Mark’s Crusader powers for a short time, just to better understand that part of his life. It’s very clever reasoning to set up a classic comic girlfriend plot, and as usual, Thom Zahler handles it with a great deal of humor, depth, and emotion.
And my favorite part…
If I could find people to make up a group with me, I’d love to go to a convention as Charlotte, Abby’s snarky sister.
Although this is just as sharp and funny as any issue of this remarkable series, there’s some true drama here that pulls you in and makes you feel for Abby in a way that’s somehow perfectly relatable, even for those of us who haven’t gotten around to being superheroes yet.
This is another one of those books that I utterly look forward to every Free Comic Book Day, as writer/artist Thom Zahler has an uncanny knack for coming up with stories that make you laugh and contain gallon upon gallon of heart…its the overall heartfelt message that he delivers and the way that he does it that makes Love and Capes such a riotous good time.
…plenty of relationship stuff and examination of the genre tropes (without trying to deconstruct those tropes or make them seem laughable)…Strongly recommended, even if you have to pay regular price for it.
It’s a well done, pleasant slice of life/superhero book…They used to make a lot more of these at the beginning of the decade, didn’t they? Nice to see someone still at it and making an organic story out of it instead of a thinly veiled attempt at appealing to the superhero and indie crowds.
Nicely stylized art and cute super-hero/relationship comedy. The actual story here is one we’ve seen numerous times in various super-hero melodramas, but Thomas Zahler gives it a unique spin this time around that’s appealing. Get it.
The Love and Capes book was pretty impressive. A great looking book from cover to cover.
A Smackeral of My Free Comic Book Day
Still on the road, so here's a quick smattering of my Free Comic Book Day experience...
The big one. Diamond glitched on us and didn’t run the planned solicitation for Love and Capes #11 in the May Previews catalog. Obviously, this is a huge deal, especially since I time the post-FCBD issue to time 
with Free Comic Book Day specifically so that people can read it and say “This is awesome. Can I have some more?”
I’ve talked with my rep and Diamond and, while they obviously can’t make it right, they are stepping up to the plate and making it less wrong. More on this as things shake out, but the important thing is that it will be in the August Previews Catalog.
Sell outs. I’ve received a few reports that Love and Capes was one of the first books gone, including my local comic shop running out just a couple of hours after store open. While I’m disappointed for those fans who wanted it, I’m happy to know it 
resonates so well. Of course, if the shops want to order a few more for next year, I won’t complain about that either.
Fan appreciation. Man, I love how people love the book. I’ve received more than a few e-mails and tweets, as well some great blog posts. I even got an e-mail from Israel, where Free Comic Book Day is on Friday and not Saturday because of the Sabbath. That was a treat and a half. And I’ve received some new RSVPs to the weddin
g cover, too.
Travel time. Randy Lander had a great event and treated all of us as well as can be. He said that he had his best Free Comic Book Day ever, so I can only imagine it was because he had Alan J. Porter and Paul Benjamin.
And speaking of which. It was great getting to hang with Alan and Paul and Paul Maybury. I talked some good shop, and left a little more inspired and a little wiser. Aw, who am I kidding? We just talked about Wolverine.
And a big "thank you" to Bill Williams, who not only was his normal personable self, but let me crash at the Billcave for the trip. Thanks, Bill!
Missed the FCBD Issue of Love and Capes? I Got Your Back!
Hope you had a good Free Comic Book Day weekend!
If you missed the Free Comic Book Day issue of Love and Capes, don't panic! These things happen. Maybe they ran out, or your car broke down on the way to your comic shop, or you were up so late talking about the new Wolverine movie you overslept. That's okay, I don't judge.
In past years, the retail version was offered a month or so afterwards. This year, you can order the retail version, well, right now! It's not available through Diamond, but it is available here and through Haven Distributors.
The book is identical to the FCBD version, aside from a slightly recolored cover. And it's not free. But everything else is the same.
I'm still traveling, so right now, so this blog post is the only place to order the book. Next week, it'll be on the main store page, too.
I Really AM Only Human
There was a mistake on today's issue of Love and Capes. I've mentioned The Secret Society of Super Reviewers numerous times, and want to make clear that it was not their fault. It was mine. Below is the proper version of page 13, and if you click it, it'll be big enough to read.
What happened, should you be so interested, is that when I drew this page, I decided that I didn't like the third panel and redrew it. Then, months later, when I was working on production work for #10, tweaking the colors and the separations to make sure it printed well (which it did, thankfully) I linked panel three to the old panel three, and not the new panel three.
So, the comic as printed had the new dialogue and the old art. I'm so sorry about that. I hope it didn't detract from the issue.
When I Go South for FCBD
I'm flying down to Austin today for my appearance at Randy Lander's Rogues Gallery Comics and Games. I'll be there signing and chatting, trying to have the Rick Castle experience, as well as enjoying some fine Austin food and drink.
I'll be Twittering about the event and posting pictures. As much as I can, at least. If things get busy, and let's hope they do, I can't promise hourly updates or anything. But I'll do what I can to give you the virtual Thom Zahler Free Comic Book Day experience. And I'll try to hit you up with a blog entry every night or so, too.
And, to continue my internet presence, I've just joined FriendFeed, too. So, if you're of a mind to Feed the Friends, check it out here.
Pre-FCBD Appearances
Thursday will start the Thom Zahler Media Glut.
I'll be doing a presentation/class on cartooning for the Shaker Heights Public Library. I'll be there from 3:15pm-4:45pm doing the Obi-Wan Cartoonobi thing.
I'll also be appearing on the tremendously-taented Jackie Kashian's Dork Forest radio/podcast show. The show airs at 7:00pm Eastern, 4:00pm Pacific. Check it out here. Hopefully, my phone line will hold up this time. I have bought new phones for the occasion, just to be sure.
State of the Tart
One of the fine ladies at Sequential Tart sat me down for an interview about Love and Capes, just in time for Free Comic Book Day. Check it out here.
CBG Interview Extended
Thnks to Karen O'Brien, the full version of my CBG interview is up on the CBG message boards.
New Review for You, Crew!
Johanna Draper Carlson at Comics Worth Reading gave Love and Capes #9 another great review. Here's a smackerel of her review.
I am running out of ways to say how much I enjoy reading this superhero sitcom.
You can read the full review here.