The Best Tea-Drinking Comic Out There
Progress continues on the penultimate issue of the new Love and Capes: Ever After miniseries. I'm a third of the way finished with it, and hopefully I'll be hitting a nice little stride soon and going even faster.
As you might be able to tell by the image, Abby and Zoe's relationship has changed a little bit, especially since the first issues. I'm proud of the arc of Amazonia's story, and think it's one of the best, and frequently overlooked, aspects of the book. They're less oil-and-water than they used to be, but they still don't completely get along either. And it's always fun to write.
Where Will I Be This Year (Con Schedule)-Updated
Honestly, the answer is where won't I be this year. Here's my 2011 Convention Schedule (so far)…
Emerald City Comicon • Seattle
March 4-6
C2E2 • Chicago
March 18-20
MegaCon • Orlando
March 25-27
Boston Comic Con • Boston
April 30-May 1
Lake Effect Con • Mentor, Ohio
May 22
Heroes Con • Charlotte
June 3-5
Kids Read Comics • Detroit
June 18-19
Comic-Con International • San Diego
July 20-24
Baltimore Comic-Con • Baltimore
August 20-21
FaxExpo Canada • Toronto
August 26-28
Dragon*Con• Atlanta
September 2-4
Cincinnati Comic Expo• Cincinnati
September17
Detroit Fanfare • Detroit
September 24-25
New York Comic Con • New York City
October 14-16
Wizard World Mid-Ohio • Columbus
October 22-23
Eighteen to Go!
I'm still not over Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Or Profit, for that matter.
Also, I'm now one-quarter of the way through this issue!
Every Time You Call My Name, I Heat Up Like a Burning Flame
I know you haven't even seen the first issue yet, but I'm well into the fourth issue of my five-issue IDW Love and Capes series. I thought I'd share the cover for #4.
The covers are often the hardest part. I treat them like one-panel gags that don't need to have anything to do with the story inside. Sometimes they do, of course, but I don't feel bound by that. They're kind of like Betty and Veronica covers that way.
Complicating things is that IDW and I are doing variant covers for each issue. My friend Chris Bailey, animation director of Hop, Alvin and the Chipmunks and way more than you can imagine is doing the alternate cover for this one. He'd asked for a layout, kind of an idea starter, and we were working on one that was okay, but didn't quite sing.
Then, I had an idea for my cover. As I started to lay it out, I realized that it would be a good Thom Zahler cover, but it'd be an amazing Chris Bailey cover. So I contacted Chris and said "Hey, if you're not too far, would this be a better cover." He said yes, and I have since seen that cover. It's achingly beautiful, and I'll be sharing that soon. But not right now.
Unfortunately, that left me without a cover. One of the ways I figure out the cover image is figure out what I haven't done. That's how Darkblade appeared on the cover of #8. I realized one of my favorite characters, Doctor Karma, hasn't appeared on a cover, so I thought about him.
I had this idea for Karma to be at a talent show, sawing Mark in half with Abby as his assistant. Too complicated, though. It didn't work… and then I thought: What about Abby as the magician?
So, what I wound up creating was this cover where Abby's using Mark's powers to fake a trick. I was a little worried about it, as for the cover to be funny, you have to know that Mark is the Crusader. There's no visual cue. Yeah, this is the 17th issue of Love and Capes, but every issue is someone's first. After 
showing it around to my Secret Society of Super-Reviewers and on the Love and Capes Facebook page, I was encouraged to go ahead with the secret identity cover.
This is the cover I came up with. I think it's pretty funny, maybe one of the best covers in this run.
Issue five, though, is no problem. I've known that cover since I started this series. It's gonna be a stunner.
Comic Creator Alliance is Live!
Last year I was asked to participate in the Comics Creator Alliance, a project to raise money and awareness for National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. I contributed some artwork and together with 80-plus creators, we raised $10,000. Lora Innes was the brain behind this, and she can speak much better about the cause than I can. So I encourage you to go to her weblog and read more, and find out how to participate and get some cool artwork done by some great artists (and me).
Tied Up In Knots
Yeah, I've been away for a while. Don't worry, it's been mostly good things.
Obviously there was Christmas and New Year's. Mine was pretty great, especially having my family over to my house for Christmas Eve, maybe my favorite day of the year. That kind of stuff will tie you up in the best way.
Also, I've been lettering the 
new Guardian Project. It's the NHL-themed superhero project that should be debuting later this month. Particularly fun to me is that one of the prime movers in the project is Stan Lee, or as I like to call him, Mr. Stan Lee. In the past couple of weeks, I've lettered 150 pages, designed 30 covers and the tradedress for the entire project.
Love and Capes is always on my mind, too. I just finished the the third issue of the new IDW Love and Capes: Ever After series and have started drawing the fourth. We're getting to the point that all my bases belong to LNC so I can get it done on time.
Still, I think there's some fun and surprising things coming up, including what I think is the funniest panel I've ever drawn in the series. The first issue comes out from IDW in February, and you'll going to meet a new character who's a great addition to the series. By the time my birthday rolls around this year, I'll have finished my eighteenth issue. Way more than I ever could have hoped for when I started this journey.
I should point out that Abby even has her own Twitter feed where she makes daily book recommendations.
I've also had a bunch of client work, time with family and friends, even bought a new car. All things that have kept me away from the blog a little more than I'd like. But, I should be back to regular posts now, at least once a week. And I'm always around on the Twitters myself and the Love and Capes Facebook page.
I'm looking forward to the New Year. Hope it's a great one for all of us.
Merry Christmas to All!
Merry Christmas, everyone. If you didn't get one of my cards this year, here it is for you this Christmas morning.
Variants on a Theme
Check out some of the awesome variant covers available for the forthcoming IDW run of Love and Capes!
The first DW-published issue of Love and Capes is in the Previews catalog now. Have I mentioned that yet? And that it's order code DEC10 0406? Hmm, I should make a note of that.
Editor Chris Ryall suggested that we do some variant covers for the issues. The first issue, coming out in time for Valentine's Day, has a retro Valentine cover that I designed. Chris and I were so in sync on this one that we independently suggested doing a Valentine cover as well as both referencing the I Choo-Choo-Choose You card from The Simpsons.
Mira:
Issue two will sport an awesome cover from Tom Beland, the guy who does the romantic comic that I aspire to. Of course, his is autobiographical, so maybe I can give myself a pass having not met his lovely wife. His cover is based on something that happens in the issue, so you'll have to check it out.
Pencils and inks by Mr. Beland, and colors by me!
And, as Chris posted on his blog and later picked up by Robot6, I was lucky enough to get Darwyn Cooke to do a cover for issue #3. Darwyn's New Frontierwas a huge influence on me and Love and Capes. I kept the absolute edition next to my drawing table as I worked, so this is a huge treat.
There will be another variant for issue #4, drawn by my friend and phenomenal talent Chris Bailey. Chris was nominated for an Oscar for his Mickey Mouse cartoon Runaway Brain. He's worked on Disney films, and did the animation direction for the Garfield films, the Alvin and the Chipmunks films, and the forthcoming Hop. He also mixes a mean mai-tai.
We're still working on that one, so I can't show it yet.
Issue #5 will have a variant by me again. Yeah, less impressive, I know, but this is going to be one of those "special" issues and I didn't want to hand that one off to anyone else. Wouldn't have been fair.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I actually draw some pages of the next issue. Yikes, that's coming up fast!
The Annual Amusing Little Christmas Post
Every year I do a custom Christmas card, and every year I print more than I use. So, I'm making the previous year's cards available for purchase. The cards are still pretty funny, and they're definitely different from anything else you'd be sending. Each card has a cartoon on the front, and a smaller folllow-up cartoon on the back.
Also, if you need envelopes for the cards, I can provide them, too. It'll be an additional $5.00 for 25 matching envelopes.
"SCROOGE" Christmas Card
This Christmas card makes fun of the constant need to pardoy A Christmas Carol. As I writer, I took a pledge that I'd never redo this or It's a Wonderful Life. The only show that I thought did it really well was Married With Children. And, all that said, Doctor Who is doing it this year, and I can only assume it will be awesome.
The inside of this card reads "Hope you (re)make some great Holiday memories this year."
Cards measure 4.25" x 5.5" and fit into a standard invitation envelope. Click on the card to see the full art and back of the card.
25 cards for $15.00.
"REALITY" Christmas Card
This Christmas card takes aim at the reality show trend. The inside reads "Hope you have a REAL good holiday."
Cards measure 4.25" x 5.5" and fit into a standard invitation envelope. Click on the card to see the full art and back of the card.
25 cards for $15.00.
"BAILOUT" Christmas Card
Everybody gets a bailout, including Frosty, on this card. The inside reads "Hope your Holiday Season is crisis-free."
Cards measure 4.25" x 5.5" and fit into a standard invitation envelope. Click on the card to see the full art and back of the card.
25 cards for $15.00.
"SECOND CHRISTMAS" Christmas Card
After the first Christmas, how do you top that? The inside reads "May THIS be your best Christmas yet.
Cards measure 4.25" x 5.5" and fit into a standard invitation envelope. Click on the card to see the full art and back of the card.
25 cards for $15.00.
"SECURITY" Christmas Card
Border security becomes an issue for old St. Nick on this Christmas card. The inside reads "Hope your holiday joy isn't hard to find."
Cards measure 5.5" x 4.25" and fit into a standard invitation envelope. Click on the card to see the full art and back of the card.
25 cards for $15.00.
Thanksgiving Eve
I am thankful for a lot of things, and one of them is that IDW has picked up the Love and Capes baton. Starting in February, IDW will publish the miniseries Love and Capes: Ever After. And it's in Previews right now!
(Photo courtesy of the wonderful Amber Love.)
It's order code DEC10 0406, so be sure to tell your local comics shop that you want a copy or twelve. I've heard a report or two that it was hard to get some shops to carry the book when it was under my publishing imprint, but now I'm with one of Diamond's major publishers. I'm hoping that turns into increased exposure and success.
And seriously, have a great Thanksgiving!