Nebraska Art in Color

I did some commissions at Ground Zero in Omaha, and one of them was this Gwen Stacy piece. The purchaser had me take it home so that I could color it, since I color exclusively digitally. You want to see it in color? Well, then, click and embiggen!

You Know What I'd Like For Valentine's Day?

I mean, other than Olivia Wilde?

You could order Love and Capes: Ever After #3 is in Previews this week. It's on page 159, right above the Suicide Girls solicitation. It's order code FEB11 0362, and this issue has the alternate Darwyn Cooke cover. Abby goes to her high school reunion while Darkblade, Charlotte and Amazonia have their own adventure.

Operation: Omaha!

So, there was on Facebook, not minding my own business at all. The oft-talked about Love and Capes: Ever After was cleverly coming out for Valentine's Day, and I didn't have a signing scheduled. That seemed, as the wise Ralph Wiggum once said, unpossible. So I mentioned this on the Love and Capes Facebook Fan Page.

Then I got a response from one of my fans, Chris.We'll cut the boring e-mails and flight info, but next thing you know, I'm waking up at 4:30 a.m.to catch a flight to Omaha.

Don and Lee brought me to Ground Zero Comics and took care of me something fierce. I had two tables that I filled with my Love and Capesishness: t-shirts, posters, trades and books. A pretty steady stream of people came in and bought stuff. Honestly, I've had conventions where I didn't sell as much I moved enough product that out of the bags I brought, I managed to condense one down and fly back a bag lighter.

Also, I took two orders on my Square, which worked perfectly. Man, I love that thing.

I did commissions, as well. I did one of Number Six from Battlestar Galactica, one of Gwen Stacy for a guy who's cute little daughter is named Gwen, anda two-person Spider-Man and Venom piece for The Coolest Woman in the World.

I say this because, she came to the store for her husband. He wanted to come by, but work prevented it, so she went. And then she for the commission as a Valentine's Day Present. Okay, that's just awesome. But she's supportive of his comic bookness, and that's not always the case. I hope he's doing something equally as awesome for her.

(Also, if anyone was following me on the Twitters, this is the story that made me delay this post. I didn't want to ruin the surprise.

My friend Tom, whom I met years ago when we were contestants on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire lives here in Omaha, so he came by with his son. It was great to see him again, trade stories and catch up, and meet his son, too.

Afterwards, Chris and I went out to dinner and talked some more comics. Then I went back to the hotel and wrote some postcards for the godkids and nieces and nephews, and passed right out.

I have to put in another plug for the Catholic Directory app, too. Thanks to it, the hotel shuttle and a kind Ohio State fan, I got to Mass and back to the hotel. This little app has made fulfilling my Catholic obligations so much easier.

This signing was a lot of fun. I'd love to do more like this, and to return to Omaha again, too.

It's a Big Ol' Week of Awesome!

Love and Capes: Ever After #1 is out, and it's been getting some press coverage. Some really nice press coverage. I wanted to link to some of those.

First, with tomorrow's signing in Omaha at Ground Zero Comics, the Omaha World-Herald did an interview with me that you can read here. I'm so looking forward to this event and I'll let you know all about it when I get back.

As far as the issue itself, the first review I saw was from Jennifer Smith at Newsarama:

To do what he does on this book, Zahler must truly love his work – and he must also, secretly, be a superhero. What else could explain his ability to write, draw, ink, color, and letter all of his own work in a rigid 8-panel grid that features incredibly likeable characters, a fully-realized independent superhero universe, stunningly expressive art and design work, and a hilarious punchline at the end of every fourth panel? It’s enough to make even the most industrious fan feel like a slacker in comparison.

I will say, that one made my night.

Then, over at the Time Magazine Techland blog, I received some nice words from the gang there, including Douglas Wolk.

I've always had a big soft spot for Thom Zahler's superhero/rom-sitcom series Love and Capes, and I hope the new miniseries Love and Capes: Ever After brings a few more potential admirers into the fold. It's a little strange to see a romantic comedy continue after the wedding, but I'm also happy to keep seeing these characters.

And just today, from Comics the Blog:

Wait, did this review just get 300% sexier? Blame Zahler and what I can only imagine from his Twitter account is a raging, unquenchable libido. Or, you know, a guy who works hard, likes Nathan Fillion and makes great comics.

Okay, that's probably just my favorite part of the review. James actually talks about the book itself, too.

All right, I have to go pack for my trip. But thanks everyone for the nice reviews. And a big thanks to all the fans of Love and Capes who make making this book possible!

Love and Capes: Ever After #1 on sale NOW!

Yeah, that's right, your long national nightmare is over. Love and Capes: Ever After #1 is available in stores NOW.

Well, maybe not now, as I'm writing this on Wednesday morning at 8:00am eastern time. You should probably wait until your local shop is actually open. But once it is, go to town! It's been almost a year since the last issue, but now that the book's back, its going to go fast. Like monthly fast.

And let me know what you think.

In Which I Place Products

I've heard Apple doesn't pay for product placements. I can believe it. They're stuff is so cool looking I can see why set decorators use them all over the place. They're fun to draw, too. Plus, I'm an unabashed Apple fan.

I don't have an iPad, though. At least not yet. I'm waiting to see what version two looks like.

With this page, I'm down to single digits for this issue, too. Woo-hoo!

Nebraska-bound! And Many Interviews!

Love and Capes: Ever After #1 comes out next week! And the LNC media blitz is in full force.

I'll be doing a signing at Ground Zero Comics in Omaha, Nebraska. I'll be there on Saturday, February 12 from noon-5:00pm. And I assume I'll get a chance to talk with Warren Buffet while I'm out there, too.

Second, there's an interview with me up at Sketch Maven. There should be at least one more interview on the horizon, too.

And if you just can't wait for Tuesday, Newsarama has a preview of issue #1 up right now.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to try to work on the next page of issue #4.

In Which My Heroes Like Grilled Cheese

Here's a panel from my latest page of Love and Capes. Once again, Windstar makes an appearance.You can read about Windstar's backstory here, but he's a character I created way before I started LNC.

Windstar's based in Cleveland, and the restaurant he mentions, Melt Bar and Grilled is a real place. It's got crazy good food, specializing exotic and tasty grilled cheeses. If you ever make it to the North Coast, it's worth the trip and the calories.

They also have a promotion where if you get a Melt tattoo, you get a perpetual discount on their food. Awesome as that sounds, I'm not really a tattoo guy, aside from the small snake eating it's own tail on my forearm that changes color. (Bonus points if you get that.) But I'm hoping that maybe I can bring in a copy when it goes to press and get a little off the check.

With this page, I'm halfway through the book and decidely on pace for the rest of the run. I may celebrate my painting my guest room today.

Yeah, I don't relax well, do I?

Maybe Just This Once He Looks Like Me

A lot of people say I based Mark on me. Not so. Man, I wish I looked like that, and that my hair worked that way.

When I originally designed him, he was blonde. In his original incarnation, it made him look too much like Mr. Incredible, so the hair had to go. Black was out, as that was too Superman. I wasn't in favor of red, so what was left was brown. There weren't a lot of brown haired heroes anyway when I was growing up, Green Lantern being the notable exception. Yeah, there was Peter Parker and Cyclops, but I wasn't into Marvel back then.

Mark does act like me, though. I'm the main model for most of the characters. When I have to think of how someone would stand when they open a door or read a letter, I'm the guy who's the template. In this scene, Mark's working in him home office, so he's dressed casually. I dressed him the way I've been known to dress. Heck, I was actually wearing that outfit when I drew it, because I was trying to nail how an open shirt would hang and fold.

Why he's doing what he's doing in that panel is immaterial. You'll find out in May anyway. But the way he's sitting, grabbing from one stack and tossing away with another hand, I think it looks right. He looks like he's really inhabiting that world. I think it's one of the best things I've drawn in a while. (And, I attribute a lot of my character's better acting to the Drawn to Life series of books collecting the lectures of Walt Stanchfield. If you're an artist, buy 'em both. Now!)

Sometimes the little moments are the toughest, and the most worth it when you get it right.

In Which Abby Wears Sexy Sleepwear

This issue takes place in March/April. What else would she be wearing?

Also, hey, bunnies! Bunnies, it must be bunnies!