"...My Favorite Things..."

Some of the absolute best things I have in the world, I have gotten from close friends. Many of my friends are artists of one sort or another, so I have a sweet art collection building up.

One of the latest, and absolutely one of the best, pieces that I have is a study by my good friend Tess Fowler for a graphic novel she has been hard at work on called Darlin'. While I know what it's going to be about, I can't tell you... Just like I can't give this piece up.

It's one of those "...to the pain..." type things.

Know what I mean?

Yea... I figured you would.

When You've Got it, Flaunt It!

While Daniel and I were at our table on Saturday at the Cactus Con, a boy came up to the table who had to be somewhere in the 7th or 8th grade; He had walked by our table a few times with his friends, each time looking at our display a little more intently...

Finally, he walked up and began asking about the comics we had on display. I rolled into my spiel, telling him all about KING! and Robot 13 and about some of the other art and artbooks we had for sale.

As I was talking to him, he spied our new Robot 13 buttons. He looked at me and smiled, saying " I'll take one of these. How much are they?" I told him they were $1 each and he said "Ok... Hold on a minute..." and he held up a R13 Black & Red button in his one hand while he reached into his pocket with the other, presumably to pull out a dollar. As he fished around in his pocket, his phone went off, so he took that hand out of his pocket and answered it.

As he did this, I looked over and took a peek for a moment at what Daniel was doing, only to notice a moment later that the boy was talking on his phone and had walked down the hall and into the crowd.

At that point I turned to Daniel and asked if the boy had put the button down, or if he had walked away with it- I knew he didn't pay me, but I wasn't sure what he did with the button...

Daniel told me he was too absorbed in drawing sketches- he noticed the boy, but had no idea what had happened.

About an hour later, I decided I needed a soda. I asked Daniel, and he wanted one too, so I walked down the hall to the vending machines. As I made my way down through the crowd of people, I saw the boy again, hanging out with his friends and WEARING the Robot 13 button proudly on his hoodie!

I quietly wandered up to the 2 boys, looked the one in the eye and smiled as I said, "Nice button you have there! Know where I can get one?"

Needless to say the boys ran, and I didn't see them for the rest of the Convention.

I don't know where he is or anything about him, but as long as he buys a copy of the book when it comes out rather than shoplifting it, I'll be happy to know I donated to his fashion accessory collection...

What Do I Know?

It seems I learn something new every day- While I was in Arizona, I saw the image for today's blog entry for the first time on our table display. I asked Daniel about it, and he told me it was a skateboard design. So I asked if he just did it as a lark- like a "someday, I'll be asked to do a skateboard, so let me play with an idea," type of thing...

Daniel told me, "No, I have a site that sells my skateboard designs..."

Well... You think you know a guy, right?

Check out Daniel's Boardpusher.com site here, an grab yourself one of his awesome designs NOW!

Back In The NY Groove

I just returned a few hours ago from the Phoenix Cactus Comic Con, and it was a very good and fruitful trip. Daniel and I made some new connection and strengthened some existing ones, and I have alot of stories to tell about the weekend.

You'll hear all about it for the next few days... in the meantime, check out Daniel's alternate cover for Robot 13. We gave people a peek at it along with Jeff Slemons' cover, and people were floored by both of them.

See you tomorrow- I need to get me some sleep!

"Button, Button... Who's Got The Button?"

If you come to see Daniel and I at the Cactus Comicon in Phoenix, Arizona this weekend, you can pick up some very cool goodies. We may have a few rare copies of KING!, and we will have prints of both KING! and Robot 13, along with our first batch of limited Robot 13 buttons!

As you can see in the hazy photo above, they are (from left to right) our glow-in-the-dark Robot 13 head button, our Black & Red alternate R13 logo button, and our "Skull Gear" logo on gold foil paper!

IF we have any left, we will offer them on our website after the convention, but if you must have them, you gotta get them while they are hot. At a buck a piece, they are a steal....

But please, don't steal from the starving artists. We need to eat, and since burgers at the convention site cost the same as the downpayment for a modest home, we'd appreciate that you buy the ones you like.

"...the subject matter..."

This blog, being a place for me to talk about things that I am up to (for anyone who may care), tends to be mostly about MY projects. I know alot of very cool people, and many of them also have things going on, but I tend to leave them to devise their own hype and to write their own stuff about themselves. After all, isn't that the most important thing in life? Aren't we, in fact, a modern society of individuals that speaks without listening? Don't we all long to project our individual lives in such a way as to make our every passing of gas a moment of Global record?

Is there, in fact, nothing more to life than being self absorbed?

Perhaps.

Maybe... just maybe... there is more to life than me, myself and I.

Maybe, outside of the confines of my head, is a broad, complex and wonderful world.

Maybe... but you'll have to search for that world on your own.

Why do I say that?

Try to get your local comic shop to order Mecha Manga Bible Heroes and you'll find out that Diamond isn't carrying the book. Why? Is it because the book lacks quality? Is it done in some obscure style that nobody cares about? Is it filled with 4 letter words and nakkid chix?

Of course not!

They would be all over THAT.

The reason why is "subject matter." Something within the story of David and Goliath is scary, I guess. They will pick up Texas Chainsaw Massacre, where Leatherface cuts up naked women with a saw, and they will carry Chronicles of Wormwood, where the Pope does graphic sex acts, and they will carry all manner of other books...

But David and Goliath? A kindergarten "Sunday School" story?

Too much.

Now- I'm not going to put words in anyone's mouth and tell you definitively what it is about the "subject matter" of David and Goliath that made Diamond decide it was not fit for General Market consumption, because I really don't know.

It raises an interesting question, though, isn't it?


Today's image is something Daniel did while lettering Mecha Manga Bible Heroes to lighten the mood a bit. Enjoy!

Kicking It Into Gear

For our new book Robot 13, Daniel and I have been trying to break out of some of our old "habbits" when it comes to the creative process. Take, for example, our book's logo.

It says everything that needs saying about the book, while breaking almost every logo "rule" that is preached by designers everywhere...

And it's damn lovely too.

Go West... Part Deux

Once again, I will be taking the trip out West to the Arizona Cactus Con, January 26th & 27th. Last year, Daniel and I were somewhat a hit of the show with our debut of KING!... This year, we hope to let the lightning strike twice with Robot 13. Hopefully, everything will fall into place and we'll have it all done in time. Either way, we expect to enjoy the weekend, hanging out with old friends and having what we anticipate to be some monumental meetings along the way.

If you are in Arizona that weekend, check us out!

Out Of A Brand New Bag

Here is the image that will be the cover for Robot 13 issue zero.

What else can I say?

Jeff Slemons is Freakin' Awesome.

Yea... there is that.