Last weekend's trip to the Phoenix Comic Con turned out to be a great call, as it was my first time exhibiting in Arizona and ended up being an exceptionally good show.
How do I judge the success of a convention? Sales, quality of the people I meet, the surrounding environment outside the walls of the convention hall.... All these were met with positive results.
First thing that struck me about Phoenix, as evidenced from the 6th floor window of my hotel, is that this town was empty!
Photo taken at about 8am Friday morning.
Here's a shot taken 9am Sunday morning, about 6 blocks down from the hotel, after a filling breakfast at IHOP.
Nice, huh? Seriously, I love wide, empty streets! I'm from So Cal, remember? Yes, it was Memorial Day Weekend, but from what I understand, the downtown area, as clean and modern as it is, just doesn't seem to attract people to it. Might have to get me an artist studio over here and enjoy the silence!
The Con itself, billed as the Southwest's "signature pop culture event", was filled with enthusiastic fans of comics, fans of anime and manga, fans of superheroes and dressing up and having a good time. I was amazed at the sheer amount of folks in costumes. I'd swear about 20-25% of the attendees were in costume. Something about that made me feel like I was in a place where no one is 'too cool for school', that it was perfectly fine to let your inner geek out of it's hiding place. Sure, all comic book conventions are like this, but something about this Phoenix Con really struck me as a pure love of the comics culture. Truth is, I took more pictures of costumes than I usually do.
This gal was just the cat's meow in this costume, my favorite version of Catwoman.
I just love that this guy dressed up as the classic Penguin. He wasn't concerned about wearing something hip or current.
I have to admit that I found this well-crafted bird head somewhat unnerving. The lower beak would occasionally open, then close...
As I've written here about previous trips, it's always good knowing your work is being introduced to a whole new audience. This is only my third state outside of California that I've exhibited at, so the anticipation of the audience reaction is always a welcome experience.
The advantage about driving to a show is that I can bring my full storefront, such as my banner and acrylic stands, and as much merchandise as fits in my car. With ever-rising airplane ticket prices and mounting cargo fees, picking shows I can drive to becomes more and more likely.
One of the benefits of attending shows is getting to meet some new fellow creators. In the photo above, on the far right side, you can see one of my neighbors for the weekend, Ralph Miley of the Christian Comics Arts Society. Turns out Ralph lives in the neighboring city to mine! Small world, no? Ralph and I had plenty of good laughs over the weekend, his infectious laughter making for some great moments.
My neighbor on my left was also my carpool co-pilot and roommate for the weekend, Jason Martin of SUPER REAL fame:
Jason of course is my good friend from Portland, whose hosted me several times when I've exhibited in Oregon. Jason actually flew in from Portland to LAX, landed at 5:30 pm on Thursday night, from which we drove straight through rush hour traffic across Los Angeles and all the way to Phoenix! We arrived at our hotel at about 3 am Friday morning. And believe it or not, I was hit with a serious case of insomnia, meaning I slept about an hour total. But, like troopers, we got up and set up Friday morning and had a great time together. Amazing how much comics/publishing talk you get done stuck in a car together for all those hours. Jason's a great friend, and I always enjoy traveling with him and doing a convention together.
Here's a pair of suave creative types I finally got to meet in person, Mssrs. Dave Baker and Eric M. Esquivel of Modern Mythology Press:
These guys are an artist (Dave) and writer (Eric) duo that I've known for about 2 years now via podcast interviews we've done with one another. Just a few years out of their teens, they've self-published comics, run a podcast, and in general have put themselves on the radar of everyone from comic book writers Matt Fraction and Tony Isabella to Word Ballon podcast host John Siuntres. They have a real, genuine love for the comics medium and their nerd factor includes them walking around with Superman backpacks and lunch boxes! Dave's art has been evolving at an amazing rate, as his long hours of drawing are really paying off. And I once received a proposal from Eric for an El Muerto story that really impressed me with his keen perceptions of the characters. I hope they get as far in comics as they want to with their hard work and moxie.
My good friend John Narcomey of Draw Hard Studios and Hightower Comics made the trek from Los Angeles as well:
I had the opportunity to meet several other creators, including Paul Ziomek and his brother Peter from the New Mexico comics collective, 7000 B.C. Paul had heard of me through my podcast, JAVILAND. He and I really hit it off, and one day I hope to make it out to a con in New Mexico. It sounds like they have a pretty vibrant comics and art community in their area.
Outside the convention center, making dinner plans....
The night life in downtown Phoenix is pretty sparse, far as I could gauge that weekend. Seems like a lot of the restaurants closed before the evening really got started. One night we had the misfortune of hitting a grill that took over an hour to get us our food after we ordered it. Wish I remembered it's name so I could badmouth it over at Yelp....
Couldn't resist asking this lady to give me a celebrity endorsement:
One b&w clad, white-faced zombie character promotes another...
Far as the show itself from my perspective, I didn't do too bad at all. It was interesting to me how many folks told me they had seen the EL MUERTO movie, mostly via cable. That was really cool. That's one thing about movies, they're so pervasive in our culture, and with the advent of non-stop, continuous content streaming day and night, even a small film like EL MUERTO gets heavy rotation.
One of my favorite encounters was with this patron:
Yep, a fan in Crow make-up stopped by the table. First day he walked by and slowly looked at image of El Muerto on my banner. He stopped and flipped through the comics, and didn't mind when I asked if I could take his picture. I talked to him briefly about the various Crow movies and sequels. The next day he came back in make-up and bought MANGA MUERTO, then briskly walked off. The third day he came back without the face make-up (apparently the black was burning his eyes!) and finally bought the first issue. My friend Jason turned to me and said in an announcer voice, "Crow fans have an application for El Muerto comics". I'm a fan of the original Crow graphic novel and the first movie, so it's cool to have a Crow fan also be a fan of El Muerto.
I also had lots of sales for my new WEAPON TEX-MEX mini comic, as well as the occasional fan of swamp monsters reaching for MAN-SWAMP. But I would say that overall the three days in Phoenix allowed me to introduce new readers to El Muerto, which always makes me happy. While I'm continuing to create new titles with new characters, I really get a lot of personal satisfaction of being the creator of El Muerto.
I decided by the end of the third and last day that I would definitely be putting the Phoenix Comic Con on my must-do list for next year. Hotel and travel costs (especially if I split them again) are doable, and I have way better idea of what merchandise to bring (buttons seem to do good here), and the fans were just really responsive.
Having been up in San Francisco in early April for the Wonder-Con and my solo art show, I think circulating the West Coast/Southwest for more shows is something I want to focus on even more. There are obvious benefits to the internet, no doubt about it. But doing these in-person events are so rewarding in numerous ways.
See you next year, Phoenix!
As mentioned in a previous post, I'll be in San Francisco this coming weekend for the opening of my solo art show at the Encantada Gallery of Fine Arts. Also, I'll be at Wondercon, courtesy of the Cartoon Art Museum.
Friday, April 2: I'll be at the Cartoon Art Museum's booth, # 721, on Friday at Wondercon. Not sure of my exact hours, but they asked me to get there in the morning so they could assign me a schedule for the day. I'll be doing free sketches on behalf of the museum, and will also be selling my comics, DVD and buttons.
Saturday, April 3: The Opening Reception for my art show, COMIC POP, will be from 5pm-8pm at the Encantada Gallery of Fine Arts, in the Mission District. I'll be exhibiting new work, as well as a few pieces I made last year. I'll also have some orginal comic book pages available for purchase, as well. Debuting at the show will be my first sketchbook, THE COMIC POP SKETCHBOOK (I received an email from the printer that they have indeed shipped it!). Here's a peak at the cover and some pages:
Exclusive to the exhibit will be this snazzy little 2.25" button, featuring the art from the show postcard:
(When I get back from San Francisco the following weeek, I'll post info here on how to order the button and sketchbook.)
Sunday, April 4: I'll be conducting a Cartoonist Workshop at the Gallery from 2-3:30pm. Kids of all ages are welcome.
In addition to these events, I'm planning on visiting an event Thursday evening at the Contemporary Jewish Museum of San Francisco. My good friend Michael Aushenker will be speaking on the panel " A discussion on Jews in Comics". Legendary comic creator Joe Kubert is also scheduled to appear on the panel!
While at WonderCon, which I haven't been to in over 10 years, I'll try to catch up with as many of my out-of-town cartoonist friends as possible. Including Portlander Jason Martin of SUPER REAL fame, and, hailing all the way from Canada, Blair Kitchen of THE POSSUM.
That's in addition to catching the "ED HANNIGAN: COVERED" exhibit at the Cartoon Art Museum and lots of other things. This is one seriously jam-packed weekend for me. Hope to see some of you JAVZILLA readers out there!
Sunday came quickly, and that meant it was time for the Portland Comic Book Show (if you just walked in on this blog, this is Part 2 of my wrap-up of my weekend trip to Portland! Part 1 can be found here).
Breakfast consisted of a trip to the infamous, 24 hour VOODOO DOUGHNUTS on SW 3rd Avenue. VOODOO's doughnuts come in all shapes and sizes, from a doughnut encrusted with Captain Crunch cereal to doughnuts shaped like...well, doughnuts for bachelorette parties!! I mean, these folks make all kinds of exotic, erotic and eclectic types!
Me, I finally got the one I flew all the way up to Oregon for:
The bacon maple bar!! Now that's a breakfast power bar I can sink my teeth into...
We soon made our way to the Memorial Coliseum and once we entered the exhibit room and I had a look around the place, I got the sense that this was an old-school comic convention. There were tons of back issue dealers, as well as vendors selling all kinds of comic-related/superhero emblazoned products. Drinking glasses, action figures, vintage toys. Plus I saw numerous publishers and artists selling mini-comics, zines, comic books, graphic novels. No tables for out-of-work actors or retired wrestlers were to be seen. Although I would have been excited if Portland-based wrestling legend "Rowdy" Roddy Piper was signing!
The show was held in the basement of the center, adding to the old-school ambiance. Richard Finn, whose been running the show for 31 years, really kept on top of accommodating his guests. It's always great to have the Guest status and the perks you get with it. Makes you feel that you bring something of value to a convention. And the free box lunch wasn't too bad either!
One thing I was more than happy to do as part of my 'bringing value' to Richard's line-up was to conduct a panel. Jason Martin, my fellow cartoonist and host in Portland, had mentioned to Richard a few months previously that I could do a panel, and so I did. I was actually pleased to see a bigger turnout than I had expected, given the size of the show and subject. "D.I.Y. Comics: The Secrets of Self-Publishing", a presentation I first debuted at GEEKS Comics in my hometown of Whittier, CA, certainly kept the audience's attention. I think my approach, keeping the presentation focused on my real-life experiences, really let's people appreciate what us self-publishing cartoonists have to go through to get our work, and names, out there.
I never sugarcoat the experience of self-publishing. In fact, I find that sharing some of the more difficult times I've been through and then explaining how I worked through them actually benefits the audience in that they see how perseverance pays off. There were some insightful questions asked, and I would try to answer them with an example of something I myself had been through. I've found that over the years I try to keep my anecdotes as 'real world' as possible. Theories and step-by-step plans aren't the only way to connect to an audience, especially if you want to lead by example.
Jason working on a commission for a fan.
I've been neighbors with Jason at a few shows in the years I've known him. We met at San Diego Comic Con back in 04 (I believe). One of the things I've always admired about him was his skills at using the internet for networking and branding himself. He's actually a lot more savvy at that than a majority of my dear friends and fellow cartoonists (sorry folks, you know who you are!). He and I will talk a lot about the industry and how we as DIY creators fit in and how do we get our brand names in front of more people. Shop talk, basically. He and I don't actually have a lot of the same reading tastes, as far as the current stuff on the market, but that doesn't prevent us from yapping away on our topics.
A friend of mine from Portland was exhibiting at this show as well, Kevin Cross!
Kevin is known to one and all as a Rad guy. He's currently getting ready to launch his web comic MONKEY MOD, and a bit of animation to go along with it. Kevin is a freelance illustrator as well as co-host of a popular podcast BIG ILLUSTRATION PARTY TIME. The show, co-hosted by Joshua Kemble, deals with the ins and outs of freelance illustration. PARTY TIME is very informative, and I have to say, it's delivered with a happy dose of good-natured fun.
One of the nice benefits of hosting that panel was that some of the audience members would come by my table afterwards to chat and pick up some of my books. It's always a good thing when you make some new fans wherever you go, and if some of them actually get inspired enough to make their own comics, that's gives me even more satisfaction.
Overall, I had a great time at the show, and really appreciated being invited as a guest. I'd certainly consider coming back next year (and this time I would like to buy some of the cool things I saw the few times I walked around the hall!).
I was really looking forward to Monday, because Jason and I made plans to drive out to the Oregon Coast, about an hour from his home. Turns out to get to the coast, we have to drive through some mountains and forests! The rain started kicking in too, so it made for quite a drive. Well, Jason's used to it, but for me it was funny that I was sightseeing in ever-increasing high winds and rain! Once we got to the Coast, all bets were off!
Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach.
You can see in that photo just how active the weather could get. There was one time we stopped at viewing spot where I opened the door and it flew open. We shut the door and smoothly drove off! Actually though, there was a natural beauty seeing these displays of Mother Nature along this beautiful stretch of coast. Most of the seaside towns were drove through were free of tourists. Many of the shops and restaurants were actually closed, but at the same time there was a nice ambiance about being one of the few vehicles driving through these villages.
There was one place I wanted to make sure we stopped at. My pal Kevin had told me the day before that if we stopped in Rockaway, we could get the best dang crab cakes at the Morning Glory Cafe. Well, we stopped in town and found the restaurant and...boy oh boy! Thank you, Kevin!
These crab cakes, with the sauce they provided, were heavenly and oh-so filling! Man, I'm craving one right now. These things were served hot off the grill and made for a great meal. The gent working the place, (and thank God they were open!!) had a tanned, fishermans face, with a hospitable demeanor. He was actually from Idylwood, CA (down near Palm Springs) and about 6 years ago came to Rockaway, saw the coast, and moved up there. I told him I was thinking of doing the same!
These picturesque little seaside towns, with dense pockets of trees on one side and the rocky coast on the other, make for a very enjoyable ride. Through in some turbulent weather and you get one memorable adventure. Another place we stopped at along our drive was Tillamook, a coastal town famous for it's cheese. The place to visit is the Tillamook Cheese Visitor's Center, a unique experience where you can visit the plant where they make their cheese and diary products. They even have an ice cream shop where you can buy their freshly made products. Which we did!
From the observation window looking down at the cheese processing plant.
Besides buying some ice cream, we also were able to sample the wide variety of cheese produced at the plant. At this point, I don't need a comic book convention to get me up to the Northwest again!
The following morning, Tuesday, we were watching the news and the lead story was the thrashing the coast received from the high winds and rain. A building in one of the towns had it's roof ripped off! Tami, Jason's wife, laughed at the fact that he and I were out there sightseeing, enjoying the drive and eating ice cream! Sometimes, sometimes, you gotta enjoy life even when it's being difficult, ya know?
In the 12 years I've been making comics, I've been to many conventions in lots of cities. All of them have been memorable and enjoyable. But this trip, with the one-day show sandwiched between days of endless exploring and adventure, has to rank as one of the best. Thanks to everyone I met along the way while up North. And thanks to my hosts Tami and Jason Martin. Even their cute little chihuahua, Choco, took a liking to me. Last year Choco was a little leary around me, but this time he would sit aside me and be a chum.
Aaawww...
Tami, a great conversationalist, and super nice person!
And a tip of the hat to Mr. Jason Martin, a real stand-up guy, dedicated comic creator, and the best tour guide I could hope for! (Let's do it again, huh??)
I got back home Tuesday from my trip to Portland, OR., and lemme tell you, I wish that wasn't the case!
I traveled to Oregon for the Portland Comic Book Show on Sunday, Nov. 15. I was actually a Guest of the show, with a table and plane ticket tossed into the package. My trip started Friday morning at Long Beach Airport, a rather small and quaint little airport that reminded me of something from the Rocketeer, with it's 1940s So Cal art deco look.
(This photo is from the airport's website, which is way nicer than the one I took)
Starting off with this sunny, palm tree-lined classic, pcituresque airport, my trip was only going to get better from this point onward...
Upon arriving in Portland, I asked my friend Jason Martin (and gracious host who was listed on the convention website as 'co-sponsor' of my appearance!) to take me to ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK PIZZA! My good friend and LA-area cartoonist Michael Aushenker (and no slouch in the dining recommendation department!) had recently been to Portland himself and directed me to try this pizza!
I don't often come across New York style pizza in LA, but this one was excellent. That's Jason giving his approval, with my two slices in the foreground awaiting my hungry maw!
ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK PIZZA is located on 23rd Street, one of the many little cool, bohemian neighborhoods making up this city. Just on this block alone were dozens upon dozens of eateries, galleries, shops and an old-school theatre showing martial art films! I knew we were off to a good start.
Traveling through the hills to get from downtown Portland to Jason's home in neighboring Beaverton, we passed through what I love to call Bigfoot Country. Dense forests of trees with pockets of homes scattered throughout. The weather was cold and between showers, but after that pizza, it wasn't anything to worry about.
Arriving at my room at Casa Martin, I was greeted by this lovely sign, courtesy of Jason's wife Tami. And I was also welcomed in by their dang cute chihuahua, Choco!
(Tami must have used a lot of chalk on that sign, cause I think there was some chalk dust in my eye.....)
Saturday morning was rung in with a homemade breakfast courtesy of Chef Martin (Thanks Jason!). Eggs, sunny side up, hash browns, maple syrup flavored sausage and toast....Mmm mmm. Believe it or not, that wouldn't be my only meal of the day whipped up by a cartoonist!!
A good part of our Saturday was taken up with a whirlwind tour of no less than 4 comic book shops, each one located in these wonderful, unique neighborhoods. Also, there are no less than 3 comic book publishers in the area. Milwaukie, OR. is the home of DARK HORSE COMICS, the other local publishers being Oni & Top Shelf.
(Gotta agree with this sentiment!)
Across the street from the Dark Horse building was the comic chain, THINGS FROM ANOTHER WORLD, and a cool antique mall that had an old-fashioned soda shop in the back. My camera batteries died out so I couldn't take anymore pictures, but what a great place. Later, we moved onto EXCALIBUR COMICS, which was located down the street from an old movie theater called The Bagdad. They were showing THE WARRIORS that evening, but we already had dinner plans. EXCALIBUR had a huge back issue selection, as well as old Treasury Edition comics and lots of b&w comic magazines from the 60s and 70s.
The other shop we went to was COSMIC MONKEY, another huge comic shop filled with isles of just about every trade paperback in print! The had an upstairs loft jam-packed with mini-comics, zines and underground comics. While we were there, local writer Brian Michael Bendis walked in with out-of-town guest David Mack.
Later that evening, Jason and I visited FLOATING WORLD COMICS, a real nice shop featuring lots of independent comics and a great collection of art books. They even have an art gallery. I actually contributed to a ROM, SPACEKNIGHT art show a couple of years ago. While we were walking to FLOATING WORLD, we came across this little gem:
This is the infamous 'Church of Elvis/24 Hour Art Gallery'! I could not believe what I was looking at. A more bizarre and ridiculous idea I could not imagine, which is why I loved it! Like an ATM, it was embedded into the wall along the street. Except instead of getting money, you give it money and see art and um, praise Elvis!!?
After the coin-operated Elvis church, we attended a dinner party hosted by comic book writer/inker Karl Kesel. Karl usually hosts a get-together for the out-of-town creators attending the Portland Comic Book Show, and he actually cooked up about 6 main dishes, everything from a shrimp lasagna to a pork dish and even a red velvet cake! What an amazing generous thing to do. Other artists who attended were Gene Ha and Steve Lieber, and some other artists from Portland's PERISCOPE STUDIOS.
Me, Jason and our affable host, Karl Kesel.
The food was amazing, the dinner conversations were engaging and Karl's collection of original art was a joy to behold (Dick Sprang BATMAN, Chester Gould DICK TRACY, Alex Toth SPACEGHOST, Milton Caniff's STEVE CANYON..etc). Thanks to Karl for hosting us, and for Richard of the Portland Comic Book Show for arranging the evening. I hadn't even been to the comic book show yet, and already I was having more fun and comic goodness round the clock! Yeah, Portland is my type of town...
I'll stop here at Pt. 1, and will dutifully post Pt 2 of my Portland trip within the next 24 hours! Come back for my DIY Comics panel at the show, a drive along the Oregon Coast, and the best dang crab cake you could ask for!
I'll be heading back to Portland, Oregon this weekend for the PORTLAND COMIC BOOK SHOW on Nov. 15. Last time I was in Portland was for the 2008 STUMPTOWN show, and I've been looking forward to returning to the city for awhile.
Many thanks for Richard Finn of the convention for having me as a guest, and for my good friend Jason Martin, creator/publisher of SUPER REAL, for co-sponsoring my appearance.
I'll be exhibiting at table # 166, bringing with me my two newest books, MANGA MUERTO Vol. 1 & MAN-SWAMP, along with my other Los Comex goodness. Also, I'll be conducting my "D.I.Y. Comics: The Secrets of Self-Publishing" seminar at 1:30 PM. The Portland Comic Book Show will be held at the Memorial Coliseum from 10 AM - 5 PM.
This convention is more of a 'mainstream/general audience' show (as opposed to the very alternative/indie vibe of STUMPTOWN), which I'm looking forward to as it gets me connected to another type of audience in the area. Situations like this open up possibilities for new readers, so for me that's always an exciting prospect.
Really though, it gives me a chance to get back to Portland. I enjoyed my last trip out there, and hanging out with my friend Jason for several days will allow me to explore more of the city. Since last year I've actually given some thought to the possibility of moving up there, but certain things would have to fall into place. We'll see.
At any rate, it's a new, out-of-state convention for me, so that's the main reason for going. But a little vacation time sure can't be a bad thing. And one of my many To-Do's is a visit to the VOODOO DOUGHNUT shop, where they make all kinds of unique doughnuts like this little Bacon and Maple gem!!
I've sent my new comic book, MANGA MUERTO VOL 1, off to the printers, and I've just finished the artwork for the back cover of my friend Colin Panetta's comic, DEAD MAN HOLIDAY. I will, of course, update everyone here on the availability of those two books (and I'm going to check with Colin on when we can show the artwork online). It's my first full-color, back cover artwork, and I couldn't be happier doing it for a book I really enjoy reading!
Now I have to get ready for 3 comic book conventions over the next month and a half. First up is the 2nd SAN GABRIEL VALLEY COMIC BOOK FESTIVAL, being held on October 10 from 11am-5pm. The festival will be held at the Monrovia Library, running concurrently with the Monrovia Arts Festival the same day. Presented by the Nuvein Foundation, a local non-profit arts and literature advocate. C'mon down and visit local comic creators, and let's continue to grow our own hometown comic book festival!
I'll also be exhibiting at APE in San Francisco on October 17 & 18 (my 11th consecutive appearance!). Swing by and pick up both MAN-SWAMP and MANGA MUERTO VOL. 1, my two newest comics hot off the press! Plus new buttons, and more surprises!
And on November 15, I'll be making my first appearance at the Portland Comic Book Show. I'll actually be a guest of the show, and I'll even be conducting my seminar, "DIY Comics: The Secrets of Self-Publishing" at the show! Thanks to Richard from the PCBS for extending the invitation, and to my good friend Jason Martin for letting Richard know about me. I'm really digging the Portland comics scene, having been there previously for the Stumptown Comic Festival (which I blogged about here).
Here's the back cover/front cover spread for MANGA MUERTO VOL 1, cause every blog post should come with at least one pretty picture!
2 quick days at Comic Con, that's all I did. Got there Thursday morning, left by Friday afternoon. But what a packed 2 days it was!
I wasn't exhibiting this year, but I wanted to check out the show. Well, actually, I just wanted to visit some friends I don't see very often. The first time I attended Comic Con was back in 1992! And the first time I exhibited at Comic Con was in 1998, the first year I started publishing my comic book, EL MUERTO. Since then, I've probably attended the Con about 6 or 7 times as an exhibitor, and the other years as an attendee, if even for just a few days. There's something about that place that draws me there. Could be the chance of finding some good books, either old comics or new ones I haven't discovered yet. This year was for meeting up with friends though....
My good friend Michael Aushenker!
I've shared plenty of tables with him at past conventions, and it's always a riot hanging out with Mikey. We met about 12 years ago, and it's been great to see both of us grow old together as cartoonists. Michael demanded me to get back into the 'game' next year and return to San Diego as an exhibitor. That's my plan, for sure! Michael's latest books are his new CARTOON FLOPHOUSE featuring GREENBLATT THE GREAT, and his except-for-the-last-10-pages kid's comic, SILLY GOOSE!
Another pair of friends who've been sharing a booth at Comic Con for some years now are James Baker and Rhode Montijo. James is a cartoonist who works primarily in animation, with Pixar's UP being his latest film. I usually also see Jamie every year at APE in San Francisco. He and Rhode for the last couple of years have been dressing up their booths, and themselves, with a theme. This year's was the most ambitious one of all!
Comic Bot! Robot from the future!
Apparently, in the future, robots will make the comics, all one has to do is type in the kind of comics you like and viola...There you go!
I could not believe this enormous robot-thing they built! It's so beautifully chintzy! People were really digging it. Man, these two artistes really raise the bar as far as dressing up their booths...without a major publisher or big-wig movie studio bankrolling em.
Rhode of course is an equally prolific artist. His Xeric Award-winning comic PABLO'S INFERNO was his first entry into DIY comics. Afterwards, he would co-create the wildly successful HAPPY TREE FRIENDS cartoon. Following his dreams, he would eventually work in children's book industry, illustrating the popular MELVIN BEEDERMAN chapter books as well as getting his own illustrated picture book, CLOUD BOY, published by Simon & Shuster!
I not only get inspired by this man's creativity, but he's been so supportive and encouraging of everything I've done as an artist since we first met back in 1997. And even if neither of us were artists, he'd still be one of my closest friends on account of his extremely good nature and positive spirit.
Met up with several other friends and creators, but I didn't take the time to shoot any pics. Sometimes, sometimes I try not to turn every instance into a blog-worthy moment, believe it or not! I did run into this gentleman:
I was never into Transformers myself, but I liked this costume. It wasn't so perfect that it looked like it was bought by a licensed manufacturer, but it also took some effort to create. I can appreciate that type of creativity and fan enthusiasm. So many times you read about people making fun of folks in costumes (and yeah, sometimes they look terrible!) but I think this type of fandom is an important part of this whole wide comics biz. I'll tell you for a fact that when I once saw someone dressed up like my character EL MUERTO for Halloween I was jazzed.
There was of course the requisite dinner in Old Town San Diego on Thursday night at a secret Mexican restaurant I go to at least once every year for Con. The strawberry margaritas are part of the ritual, as is the filling up of the outdoor patio with all sorts of great cartoonists. This year, and I'm sorry I didn't take any photos, the list included Hector Cantu, the co-creator/writer of the BALDO newspaper strip, Richard Dominguez, the creator of the comic book EL GATO NEGRO (and one of my early influences to publish my own comic book), Jason Martin, creator of SUPER REAL whose turned out to be a real good friend since we sat exhibited next door to each other at Con 4 years ago, Rhode Montijo, James Baker, Sam Hiti of the Xeric Award winning TIEMPOS FINALES (which is currently under development as a film), and several other artist I met for the first time during dinner. Quite the talented bunch of creators!
Here's a pic of Jason Martin, one the very far left in the black t-shirt, with me and Mort Todd in the foreground:
I hung out with Mort for most of the two days I was there. In fact, I picked him up from the airport Thursday morning as I got into town. I met Mort a few years ago and we've worked together on several projects. He actually hosted the first EL MUERTO film panel we had, back during Comic Con 2005. Mort moderated the panel with me, producer Larry Rattner, stars Tony Plana, Joel David Moore and Wilmer Valderrama. Mort also worked with me on the mini-comic that was included with the DVD release of EL MUERTO, me handling the script and layouts, and Mort providing the finished art, inking and grey tones. He's also contributed a spectacular pin-up to my upcoming MANGA MUERTO comic book.
Mort came to the Con to screen a documentary on SADISTIK, a 1960s European photo novel/film property that he's acquired the rights to. Unfortunately, I missed the screening as I was gone before Saturday's showing, but it was great to catch up with this amazingly prolific and talented artist. Mort, in his early 20s, was the Editor-in-Chief of CRACKED Magazine, then in the 90s he worked for Marvel and launched several reprint comics using Marvel's vast library of 1950s/60s monster/horror comics. He's worked with Dan Clowes, Steve Ditko, John Severin, Gene Colan, John K, and many other legendary artists. He's published his own monster magazines, numerous books and comics, and is currently working on animation for PLAYBOY and other projects. He's always been a real stand-up type of guy and a total professional. In this biz you meet so many people who 'befriend' you then flake out in a spectacular fashion, but Mort has always been the Real Deal.
With all this excitement at Con this year, it's no wonder I didn't miss exhibiting! But, like I told Michael Aushenker, I do indeed wanna get back 'in the game' next year.
For a brief audio report, check out this episode of the ART & STORY EXTREME podcast, hosted by some friends of mine, cartoonists Jerzy Drozd and Mark Rudolph. They interviewed me Saturday and I was glad to share some Con stories with them, including the Golden Age panel I was lucky enough to attend.
