OPEN MOUTH
Man, that wallet's getting lighter and lighter.
I got one big ol' whopping piece of Xeric advice for everyone out there: ASK FOR THE WHOLE DAMN THING.
I was stupid... I only asked for as much as I estimated my print/ship costs and didn't factor in extra overage, colors and corrections on press. I just had to charge an extra 500 bucks on my Visa to my printer. Ce--razy. Not to mention that I shelled out do-re-mi for a Comics Journal quarter page and will do so again for the following issue.
Oh let's not forget that now the money I was gonna use to ship my books from NYC to Diamond is being applied to that extra printing charge, so THAT ship money is going to come from my pockets, too. Hopefully I'll have enough advance orders to even things out.
Then there's the money I need to shell out for a credit check at my studio - as I have to replace my roomate on the lease when he moves. And then there's rent, bills and it'd be nice to put out some NINETY CANDLES cards.
Brotha, can you spare a dime?
The nice thing today is that I'm starting to garner unsolicted interest in the book. FM Distributors contacted me today to send them books and the PULSE os going to feature a preview of the book with "director's commentary" as soon as I can get them pages.
What about other non-Xeric projects though? Have I none of those? I do! I do!
The BEAR SUITS pages by Cote, Nando Pinto and myself are done and lettered. Nando sent 'em off to John Gallagher today and they should be appearing in the EVEN MORE FUND anthology sometime in October. They're be-a-youtiful and I finally got some humor out on the stands... oh, wait - almost forgot the HERO HAPPY HOUR SUPER SPECIAL story that Vokes and I did for Geekpunk. We just saw the full preview and again - Be-A-youtiful, kids.
Now my summer is as follows:
-- Finish THE BIG KAHN script for Scott Chantler to start drawerin' in late July/ Beginning of August. This is looking like an NBM release, as Terry really likes Scott's work and wants me to line up more books.It's probably going to be this and a new one from Jake and I...
-- Finish BITY CITY for its publisher, soon to be announced. Looking around for a sci-fi/cyberpunk artist.
-- Start rewriting DEAD RONIN. Secure artist.
-- Sketches and pages for my new cartoon book. I am not going to do MUSE, as previously mentioned, but will be returning to an old project called AFTERLIFE which follows the story of the Good Angel/Inclination as he's replaced and reassigned to the streets of Hell. Lots of undead stuff, angels, devils and such and such. I think I'm going to use brushes and so forth on this.
-- Write WALLY MEIERS #3; Get pages from Tommy Boy Beland.
-- Pitch BEAR SUITS.
This all, by the way, is during my NINETY CANDLES pre-order press machine which includes sending out review copies and chatting with retailers. If you are a retailer or reviewer and would like a copy of NINETY CANDLES, please contact me at
As well, I don't think I'm going to be going to Chicago for the Wizard con now that I had to shell out this dough. Anyone looking to fly me in and put me up, email me at the same address.
Hey, it was worth a shot.
Finally, I am on vacation from July 2-12 from work... I am going to be going to Fire Island again on the 5th or 6th and will be back on the 9th. I am bringing my sketchbook to work on AFTERLIFE and a library copy of Stephen King's SONG OF SUSANNAH, the sixth in his Dark Tower series. I will also be bringing my mojo. Ah, sweet, sweet mojo.
Oh, and SPIDERMAN 2 is out. I go see tomorrow. Yay, Spidey!
Be good, kiddies.
OPEN MOUTH
If a book falls at a convention, is anyone around to hear it?
Apparently not.
So, as many know I went to the MoCCA convention this weekend and debuted NINETY CANDLES along with an ashcan of the BROWNSVILLE book. I sat at the NBM table next to new pal Neil Swaab of REHABILITATING MR WIGGLES fame with Matt Madden and Jessica Abel on my right.
The two day con was new for MoCCA and in my humble opinion, shouldn't be repeated. Little to no impulse buying was going on and at times on Saturday, there were great chunks of dead time. That was great for talking tom other folks and catching up with what was going on around the con, but for sales? Sucked.
I walked into the con hopeful anf optimistic and by the end just walked away rather depressed. For starters, MoCCA didn't put 90C in the program as a debut book - so that, along with being sandwiched between "known cartoonists" created a new label for my book: NINETY CANDLES became the book that no one knew was there.
Most people who saw it or I showed it to loved it - I got complimented on the idea, the production quality and so forth... but half the time I was either hidden by Jessica/Matt's line, hidden behind Neil's adoring fans or just plain ignored. There were a few good moments - like when Gary Groth did a minute double take and checked out the book and when close friends gushed over the final product. I sold 40 books - many to new readers - but its nowhere near the amount i should have been selling. Maybe its me? I dont know. I dont think I really grabbed passerbys and shilled the book to the best of my ability...
Neil, however, was a great table mate - we spend much of the con comparing our bulge size and leering at pretty women - of which there were MANY. When did MoCCA become the hottie con? And yes, I'm also talking about celeb attendees Moby and Ted Lange, of "Love Boat" fame - outasite!
Much of the first day was spent ducking questions like "how are you here today?" and answering questions about the printer I used, how to win the Xeric and so forth. The rest was spent talking to old pals like Damon Hurd and Rick Smith, Dave Lewis, Raina Telgemeier and saying hi to folks I only see once or twice a year - Chris Staros and Brett Warnock, Jim Ottaviani and Laurenn McCubbin (who had the weekend from Hell - sorry, L !) Things moved quicker in the afternoon, with my pal Mike Fortunato handling things at the table - Mike, youre a godsend! I got copies of the book to Fantagraphics, Top Shelf, Adhouse Books and Slave Labor.... but I forgot to get Jeff Mason his copy!
The House of Twelve/Gabagool bunker was moving some books and minis of the next anthology and I spent a little time chatting up Scott Brown at Cyberosia... but the fun started when the con shut down and I went with Damon, Rick and Pete Stathis of EVENFALL fame to knock back some forties, get some dinner and then head out to Brooklyn for the Highwater party. We hooked up with Paul Hornschemeier on the L train and made our way to Union Pool where, yes, we drank some more with the HO12 boys, Gabagool guys, cutie Tatiana Gill, her man and assorted hooligans like Mike Speranza, Jamar Nichols, Jim "STREET ANGEL" Rugg (who's a great guy and whose art I'm salivating over) and Jamie Tanner. Damon, Rick and I took the cab from hell back to the city and I passed out around 3.
Next day moved sloooow as everyone at NBM had to field "where's Ted Rall? all day. I got minis into Diana Schultz's hand (she of Dark Horse fame) and bought a copy of EVENFALL for my brother. I also picked up Sam Hiti's amazing 2002 Xeric winning book TIEMPOS FINALES (i misspelled that, didnt i?) which is freaking gorgeous. Hiti was the belle of the ball, selling out completely and garnering work offers from everyone. I felt a tad sad that my Xeric book debuted the same time as his, and there was a twinge of jealousy, I suppose that his did so well while no one realized mine was even there. But hey - he deserves it... his book is fucking amazing. I had dinner with Sam last night and he really has his head together and know where he wants to go with his comics. Good for you, Sam. I'm happy you were so successful this weekend.
Neil and I traded books and I listened to some great Murder Inc stories from ten different people - including a great ghost story from Steve Ellis. Picked up books like TEMPORARY from Hurd/Smith, AGE OF BRONZE from Eric Shanower, SUPERNATURAL LAW from Batton Lash and some great minis like ACTION PHILOSPHERS by Dunlavey and Van Lenthe and SIGMUND FREUD with a Kirby stylee by Chrome Fetus.
The high points of the show for me:
-- seeing Jeff and Charlie LaGreca again and getting a copy of their CD, MINIMUM WAGE. Jeff and Charley are awesome. Check out www.miniwage.com
-- seeing Charlie Kochman and watching him geek out over the Neil Swaab experience
-- meeting Swaab's er, lady friend. Dude - marry her!
-- Getting to meet Gary Panter and talk about his new book, JIMBO IN PURGATORY, It's really beautiful.
-- Just hanging out and getting to catch up with Hurd and Rick... the nicest points of the con were sitting and talking to them over drinks. it was also great meeting the Stathis'... you guys are super cool, if you're reading.
I don't know.
Overall, I di okay. But just that. I didn't make waves, I didn't sell out. I didn't even break 100. The book is nice and I'm glad the readers who bought it dug it (it's great when you get comments like "dude it made me cry over lunch" and "it really moved me... there's so much of me in it")... but on the other hand... it felt like no one knew that it was there.
And I have to rectify that.
I have a list of US retailers and a phone. I just bought a quarter page ad in the Comics Journal. I'm building a web banner tonight.
Here we go.
NINETY CANDLES
Diamond Order Code JUL04 3096
by Neil Kleid, Rant Comics
48 hunter green pages with a color cover, $5.95
OPEN MOUTH
Woo-ee.
Not a lot of writing done this week - just 5 -7 pages in BIT CITY and that's about it. Most of the week's been taken up with last minute MoCCA preparation.
I'll be sitting at the NBM table (B04-B05) with copies of 90C and the BROWNSVILLE ashcan. I'll also have some minis and NBM catalogs. You'll also be able to find me throughout the day at the HOUSE OF TWELVE/GABAGOOL compound (A04-A05) shilling the HO12 books and some of my minis. When not there, look for me near pals at the Alternative Comics Bunker, the Top Shelf bar, over at D & Q and looking to say hello to Neil Gaiman for shits and giggles.
Got my signs printed for NINETY CANDLES and BROWNSVILLE and they are bea-you-tee-ful. The BROWNSVILLE sign is ace, as are the 200 ashcans with Jake's pencilled cover gracing them - check out the black and white art here.
Besides that, I also stapled 100 more copies of RANT #3, Fifty more copies of LATE NIGHT BLOCK #2 and, oh... did I mention I have two copies of NINETY CANDLES in hand?
Niiiice.
The cover is great - I dig the matte stock and the colors just sing. The whole freaking book is great apart from two things, to my perfectionist's eye:
1) There are areas of the book, near the panel numbers, where you can see a slight green shading... I think something happened with a few of the TIFF files and the printer didn't know to catch 'em.
2) Since my style changes, you can noticeably see the differences as the story progresses. Lines get tighter and the art gets clearer... but the BIG issue is that somewhere down the road I decided to stop doing the solid black eye dot thing I used to do... and you see the eyes change from solid pools of green to eyes with a semblance of a pupil. I bet ninety percent of the reviewers out there catch that.
Other than that, though, I have no complaints.
Now if only the rest of the copies would get here for MoCCA!
AS I posted before, NINETY CANDLES is now listed on page 314 (not 3i4, folks) of the July PREVIEWS. Get thee to a store, preorder and have yer retailer preorder - thanks! Next week I will begin my retailer calling incentive... which is basically me calling as many retailers as I can, introducing myseld, asking if I can help them with a PDF preview or something, and asking them to stock the book.
Woo-ee.
What else?
Updated the site with a new anthology (COMICS PROSE), the 90C ordering info (JUL043096) and the BROWNSVILLE cover. Going to the Jessica Abel/Matt Madden thingy at Jigsaw tomorrow night (tonight?)...I deserve a drink.
Got a date next week, then I go to Fire Island for a few days and then... start planning the rest of the summer.
July is NINETY CANDLES promo campaign.
The NINETY CANDLES release party at Jigsaw might be the first weekend in August ... then I head to Chicago for WizardWorld on the 14th... I'll be hanging out with pals Scott Chantler, Jeff Parker, Carla McNeill and annoying J Torres and B Clay Moore. I might also be hanging about the Devils Due booth, so keep an eye out for me there.
I also plan on hitting the Baltimore con in September and the Mighty Mini Con in October... just before BROWNSVILLE should be going to press...
Busy life, kids.
OPEN MOUTH
NINETY CANDLES, a 48 page improvisational graphic novella by Neil Kleid, is listed on page 3i4 of the July Diamond PREVIEWS catalog.
NINETY CANDLES, funded by a grant from the Xeric Foundation, is a completely improvisational comic book - no script, no net. Each panel of NINETY CANDLES represents a consecutive year in the life of its protagonist, Kevin Hall. The "spaces" between panels morph into "spaces" between years and as such the reader experiences our intrepid cartoonist's life, the decisions that shape his existence from birth to death.
More information about NINETY CANDLES can be found at:
https://rantcomics.com/rant-ninetycandles.html
A black and white PDF copy sample can be obtained by emailing
The item code for NINETY CANDLES is JUL043096 and the book bears a $5.95 cover price
OPEN MOUTH
Leaving the City for the weekend for the first time in a long while. Heading to Long Island to hang out on the beach and drink beer over Shabbos with my roomate and two friends. Calm, relaxing. That's the ticket.
Then, Saturday Night, I'm going to COMICLYSM for beer, comics and rock n roll. I'll be there around 11 or so. Come say hey and break things.
I'm mellow as the week ends - even in the face of MoCCA. I have to print and staple 200 copies of the BROWNSVILLE ashcan along with 100 more RANT #3 but generally... I'm ready. Oh, wait. NINETY CANDLES hasn't gotten here yet. Im fucked.
Partway into the BIT CITY graphic novel for the new publisher and it's fun to do a sci-fi story again. Been reading some Heinlein and a a wide range of sci fi comics by Morrison and Ellis... and I just watched METROPOLIS again, so hopefully some of that screw with your reality work will influence my writing. The story has viruses, detectives and robots, so I'm on my way.
Nothing else happening around dese parts. Nothing good on TV. No new gadgets to play with...though I'm thinking of springing for a good digital camera or an iPod with some of my refund gelt. Anyone recommend a good camera - or as I call them, Aboriginal Soul Stealer?
That's about all, kids. Move along. Smell the roses.
OPEN MOUTH
Galleries I enjoyed:
Hormones : Scroll down for Testosterone (which i suppose could be tech/geek way of asking a girl to go down on you...)
OPEN MOUTH
I'm in a weird mood... I can't quite place it... but I think it's toe tappin' good.
Signed with a new publisher last night for a sci-fi OGN... I'm excited but a tad nervous as the publisher isn't distributing their books thr "normal" way, but is rather going through a quasi On Demand/unique distro method.... the book will be available in stores as the publisher is working something out with retailers that seem excited, but still.. anytime a new untried method rolls out, you want to make sure its tried and true, right?
Still - work's work.
Finishing the pitches I was playing with this week so I can focus on MoCCA and Comiclysm this week, and also am re-reading COFFIN to try and retackle.
Don't know why I'm so happy. What the hell is wrong with me?
Quick - someone rain on my parade.
INSERT FOOT
Waitress says Hooters restaurant promised her a Toyota, gave her a toy Yoda
Sunday, July 29, 2001
PANAMA CITY — Oh, what a feeling. Toy Yoda!
"A former Hooters waitress has sued the restaurant where she worked, saying she was promised a new Toyota for winning a beer sales contest.
Instead, she said, she won a new toy Yoda — the little green guy from the "Star Wars" movies.
Jodee Berry sits with her toy Yoda at her lawyer's office. Berry, a former Hooters waitress, has sued the restaurant where she worked saying she was promised a new Toyota for winning a beer sales contest. Berry, 26, won the contest in April. She believed she'd won a new car. She was blindfolded and led to the restaurant parking lot, but when the blindfold was removed she found she was the winner not of a Toyota, but a toy Yoda, the little green guy from Star Wars. AP photo by Terry Barner/ The Panama City News Herald
Jodee Berry, 26, won a contest to see who could sell the most beer in April at the Hooters in Panama City Beach. She said the top-selling waitresses from each Hooters restaurant in the area were entered into a drawing and her name was picked. "
OPEN MOUTH
This week, COMICS PROSE, About Comics' collection of short prose stories by comic book writers hit the stands.
it contains eleven stories by writers such as Kurt (ASTRO CITY) Busiek, Max Allan (ROAD TO PERDITION) Collins, Peter (FALLEN ANGEL) David, Paul (Every friggin' good cartoon out there, JINGLE BELLE) Dini, Dennis (GREEN LANTERN/GREEN ARROW, BATMAN) O'Neill and many others...
...including me.
My first non-comics, actual prose published word, "Open Call." is enclosed in this great collection. It costs $9.95 and you can find out more information at
http://www.aboutcomics.com/comicsprose.html
If your store doesn't carry it, tell them the Diamond Code is MAR042127 and the ISBN is 0-9716338-6-X
I hope y'all get a chance to pick it up, and give this great collection a chance!
OPEN MOUTH
So I had done it. I had gotten a project into Marvel. Sadly, it was through the now dead EPIC imprint.
I had written up a pitch with Dean Haspiel a while back and we got the EPIC editors to say yes... we started writing the overview/outline for the series and then all went to hell. Still, it's a great story.
So I was flipping through my files this week and came across the pitch. Figured there's no harm in sharing it with you.
Funny thing is, as we got the okay, we learned that Jack of Hearts was headed for death in the regular Marvel continuity (check out recent issues of THE AVENGERS) but when we mentioned it to our editor, we were told it would be fine, and that this story would take place outside of mainstream continuity.
Go figure.
Anywho, enjoy.
JACK OF HEARTS: HEARTSTRINGS
Prepared for Marvel Comics
Writer: Neil Kleid
Artist: Dean Haspiel
Pitch: Limited series
THE IDEA
The only thing worse than dying of a failing heart is living with a broken one.
About the same time Jack Hart (AKA the Jack of Hearts) was exposed to the unstable Zero Fluid that courses through his body, he was undergoing a torridperiod with the last great love of his life – history student Melissa Roy.Outgoing and spunky, Melissa was the perfect foil for Jack’s driven demeanor.
Their blossoming romance ended in tears, however, once Jack was doused in his father’s experimental rocket fuel – leaving the entire left side of his body black and deadened. Feeling that Melissa could no longer love him he exited her life forever, after one final, tearful farewell. But that last embrace – an event that exposed Melissa to the unstable, unchecked power of the Zero Fluid – would have fatal repercussions.
Unbeknownst to Jack, Melissa suffers from a rare form of heart disease known as Patent Ductus Arteriosus. When a child leaves the womb, a heart valve closes, allowing blood to be diverted towards the lungs. In PDA cases where the valve doesn’t close, the patient can suffer from breathing irregularities and sudden, fatal heart collapse. As with most cases of PDA, Melissa’s valve was surgically repaired – which made it all the more perplexing when PDA manifested itself in the now thirty-four year old teacher, triggering a massive heart attack. The operating surgeon discovers the catalyst –several odd lesions along her circulatory system, which if not healed and removed will kill her in 24 hours. The trouble is that until the lesions are identified, no doctor is willing to risk playing with her heart. The Avengers, through noted heart expert Tony Stark, are contacted and once discovering Melissa’s past liaison with Jack, deduce the source of her ailment is none other than exposure to the Zero Fluid.
Jack- a reluctant, suicidal hero – might once again have a love to live for and vows to use his power to save Melissa even if he dies trying. He prepares to venture into her circulatory system ala FANTASTIC VOYAGE and "operate" on his lover from the inside, using the Zero Power to neutralize the lesions with the help of his least favorite teammate, the Ant Man. The catch? Jack’s powers are stable for a period of ten hours and needs to spend the other fourteen in a stabilization chamber. After that, he along with Melissa, Ant Man and the entire city of New York will explode. And even if Jack cleanses Melissa of the fluid, her weakened heart will be susceptible to onsets of the disease, especially if coming into contact with the Zero Fluid in any form –forcing her to stay far, far away from Jack. Will Jack be able to save her in time? And if so, will he save his true love giving into his own "death," or will he let her die and commit suicide — assured of spending eternity in his lover’s arms? This latter choice is offered by the root cause of Melissa’s fatal illness – the cosmic nihilist, Thanos.
Thanos is fascinated with Death - he lives, dies and worships it, seeking power to utilize in the service of his ebon mistress. Jack has always been a man wishing for death – an end to the power, the loneliness and the pain. Thanos sees in this a form of "worship" that he can manipulate, offering similarities to Thanos’ own quest for death.
Weakening Melissa’s heart with the long forgotten Zero Fluid, Thanos lured Jack into a situation that he cannot win. Jack can choose to be with Melissa forever, yet by committing suicide will become Death’s slave, aiding Thanos final gift for his Mistress - the destruction of the universe. Or Jack can choose to cure Melissa, creating a worse form of torment – the torment of denied love. Jack does the unthinkable and allows Melissa’s heart to stop yet hesitates before following. Hovering beyond the pale, Melissa explains that whether they can be with one another or not, simply knowing Jack’s alive in the same world would be enough for her. Jack wants to die to be with her; Melissa is not willing to let him. She knows that if he chooses death they would be together, but he would become Thanos’ thrall and half a city would die. If Jack chooses life, the villain would be thwarted, and Melissa would live… though they could never be in the same room again.
In the end, Melissa convinces him to choose life, pointing out that while both Jack and Thanos fight for a "mistress," Thanos destroys for his true love while Jack’s first instinct was to save. Without his trump card, Thanos battles a renewed Jack on the razorline of death’s curtain as Ant Man races to save Melissa. Using Jack’s powers to absorb the diseased portions of Melissa’s body, Ant Man shocks her back FROM death, defying Thanos’ wishes and curing her from the Zero Fluid infection. Ant Man's science makes sure Jack doesn’t corrupt the integrity of the rest of her heart – playing stabilizer while Jack plays surgeon. The heroes escape Melissa’s body moments before the time limit expires, and Jack is hustled back into his chamber – never to know Melissa Roy’s touch again…
THE FORMAT
HEARTSTRINGS is a love story with race-against-the-clock sensibilities. Take one third "24" add a third of "SLEEPING BEAUTY" and set it within the final third of "FANTASTIC VOYAGE." Adventure, evil, suspense and heartbreak fit nicely into a 3 or 4 issue mini-series set outside the average continuity of the Marvel Universe. It’s a timely tale, focusing on current goings-on in the pages of the AVENGERS, employing sharp dialogue, sensational artwork and various classic storytelling devices.
OPEN MOUTH
Crackin' my knuckles and gettin' back into WALLY MEIERS this week. Wrote on up 5 pages last night, yeah boy. Moving to finish the second issue and beginning to plot ish 3. I'll have a chat about the series with Beland this Wednesday at Hanley's and then maybe we can get it under some sort of wildhotass contract.
I've decided that people with hemmerhoids would feel a lot better if they had to use a product called PREPARATION AWESOME. Same thing with bald men and DR. ROGAINE'S SEX JUICE.
Getting ready to write up some military based pitches and I think I need to brush up on my modern day military heirarchy. I'm a whiz at the chain of command in WW2 military, but today? Not so much. Plus the new technologies and armamements get a tad confusing once the numbers are added... like F-15, F-16 and so forth. Maybe I'm just a stupe.
Also sat down and finished the first draft of the pitch I'm writing about a mob boss/family man type... it's like a Tony Soprano who'se fallen ass end into his job and succeeds - but the guy he took over for wants to come back... the guy needs to choose between a job he's getting good at and his family, It's all sorts of nonsense.
I wish I had the time in the day to write something meaningful and deep in this blog - but it really has become a simple work journal. Whic is fine, I guess - but I see people writing about current events, music, movies, the state of the comics industry while I prattle on and on about "Hey, today monkey boy banged out 4 pages! YUKYUKYUKYUKYUK!"
Maybe I'm just not a deep guy?
I'll tell you what I AM looking forward to? The season finale of DEADWOOD. This show far surpassed anything I was expecting. I'm not a Western guy, ordinarily, but this show is something I bet my Dad and I could both get into together. It offers so much to everyone - from the villainous saloon keeper everyone loves and hates at the same time, to the hooker with a heart of gold. It's got stand up sherriff types, prospectors, Injuns and even the deranged characters like the sickly reverend, the warped doctor (man... Brad Dourif) and the gimp with a broom. Hey, mom - there's even a Jew! This Sunday is the show to end all the marbles and I, for one, will be perched on my couch at 10 pm to watch the shit go down.
Aight, back to the Yuks.
OPEN MOUTH
Hey, look - I'm in my first art gallery show!
it's me, Cheese, Haspiel, Musikoff, Josh Neufeld, Sophie Crumb, Hellmann, Mark Bode, Dawson, Jason S#!Head, the organizer Adam Suerte and Nick Fury Radtke.
I'll be exhibiting "THE STAND" ( the 7 page story I did for the SPX anthology), my two page story from MAULED 2, an illustration I did for BIG NEWS and maybe a Hogan's Heroes illo.
OPEN MOUTH
Spending the day immersing myself in GI JOE Battle File bios for a number of pitches and wow - I can't believe someone paid Marv Wolfman to write all of these really detailed biographies.
All is mellow, but I just found out that my vacation went to the hole - the craphole, that is. Now I need a new vacation. Maybe somewhere on sunny Cobra Island.
Dammit. Get out of my head, 1982.
NINETY CANDLES is printed. I will be having it shipped on Monday. Prepare for many boxes of comics to arrive on doorstep, roomates. I should be getting my STAR code from Diamond soon, so then I can begin attacking retailers and asking them to stock my book. Steve, my Diamond rep, tells me that 90C is getting a big ol' Certified Cool spotlight in the July PREVIEWS.
This month is gonna get nuts in a weel or so: First, Tom Beland's gonna be in town next week and we're gonna hook up at Hanley's and for some dinner with his family. It'll be nice to see Tom and Lily after a year. Then, it's MoCCA prep and COMICLYSM on the 19th (I'll post the release for that in a sec) and some little vacation planning... I also have to decide if I'm doing Wizard World Chicago in August.
Can barely think here in the office. Want to get home and work out, draw another MUSE page and finish to page 80 of THE BIG KAHN.
Oh - whoops! Almsot forgot. Paul Cote and I are working with Fernando Pinto, a great artist, on our BEAR SUITS concept for the EVEN MORE FUND book (and the ongoing series, I hope). Check out his work.
Gotta go Joe.
OPEN MOUTH
Hey, in honor of the release of DRAWING THE LINE, an anthology that benefits cancer victims, here's the rambling dialogue I used to draw my pretty pictures! Enjoy!
Page One
LOUIE PASTURE: Settle back, kids, and let Pasture Louie tell ya ‘bout the shootin’est, healin’est gal to tame the Wild West. There weren’t a paleface, cowhand or dame West of the Pecos that didn’ benefit one bit from the MIDNIGHT RUN OF “PENICIL” LYNN!
In the ol’ West, folks didn’t cotton to modern docs, what with it bein’ a manly time across the plains. Heck, even the wimmenfolk were manly, tossin’ rowdy drunks into the dusty streets!
When a cowpoke got sick, he swallowed his pride and grit through it – an’ if’n it got bad, he’d swallow a bullet ’fore he let someone think he was less than manly.
One night, a passel of injuns hit Revere, Calfornee, and twelve hefty rustlers were wounded. Ol’ Doc Martins broke shoe leather runnin’ from sickbed to sickbed ’fore each manly man cured his ills with a shotgun.
Lynn Fleming, one of the manliest wimmenfolk in town, decided she’d put a stop to her best customers from killin’ themselves to save face.
Page Two
Ol’ Lynn took up some hooch and made her way from house to house. She splashed the firewater down the rustlers’ throats and doused their wounds with whatever spilled over.
Grabbing a sharp pencil, she dug the lead from the wound, movin’ a’fore the whiskey wore off. After she saved ten (the other two had already chosen the more dangerous kind o’ lead), Lynn Fleming was given the moniker “Pencil” Lynn which was changed to “Penicil” Lynn on account of the extra “I” each patient yowled when she jabbed ‘em!
Even today, Lynn’s legend lives on as modern docs replace the jab o’ the pencil with the sting of a needle.
Sure is a shame, tho, that they don’t give out the hooch no more!
OPEN MOUTH
It's not often that I deal with artists bailing on me, but when I do , its usually all about a deadline. I have 5 pages of BEAR SUITS script that Crazy Ass Paul Cote and I cobbled together for the EVEN MORE FUND anthology and four artists have agreed to draw it and then bailed due to the very short (July 1) deadline. I'm working with the 5th one now and he's quick, i'll give him that.
Cross dem fingers.
Things go swimmingly. Took the day off yesterday after the fab Jigsaw opening where I met some great folks, chatted with some old pals and got increasingly drunk amid nice art and good comics. Slept in and then did some busy work - designed the BROWNSVILLE ashcan for MoCCA, drew the first page of MUSE and wrote 6 pages of THE BIG KAHN. Hit the library and the gym and then fucked around watching SIX FEET UNDER. Hurt my foot again, but whatcha gonna do.
Highlight of the day? Reading Rob Osborne's 1000 STEPS TO WORLD DOMINATION mini #2. The War of Art indeed, my brother.
Getting ready fro MoCCA in 3 weeks... getting ready for vacation in July... getting ready for Botnick's big goodbye party tomorrow night... I'm just getting ready.
No. No. I'm ready.
Enjoy your kickass weekend.