Comics Made Fresh

Boston Comic Con 2011 Report.

2011-05-03T18:08:00.003-04:00

I'm not doing too many conventions this year, but Boston is one that I couldn't pass up. Agreeable Comics and friends had a fairly mighty presence at the show, what with Kevin Church, Ming Doyle, and myself peddling our wares at the same table. We ended up with a great location and a large space in Artist's Alley, with a good chunk of the traffic from the show having no choice but to pass by and see what we're all about. Ming had a constant flow of commissions come her way, as well as a sizable entourage of lovely and friendly guests there by her side to support her throughout the show. We ended up with pretty strong sales on all our books, and I nearly sold out of my second printing of Straw Gods. My ego got quite the boost on Sunday after meeting my delightful fan Thea, and I also managed to get a photo ( pictured ) with old friends Charles, Adam and Nelson((( NOTE: 2 people in this photo were added later ))). My wife and I had some great food around the city, but not nearly enough time to explore enough of Boston itself, unfortunately. Being more of a mainstream show, there was quite a few cosplayers walking around and I sketched a few girls I saw walking around with interesting looks. Overall it was really a great, fun show. Some of the profits went straight to Liz Prince and Maris Wicks' table, but otherwise I managed to hold back from spending too much, and I also got to have some great chat with Cathy, Neil, Alexa, Sam, and I'm probably forgetting some. Now it's time to buckle down and get to makin' the COMICS.

Boston Comic Con 2011

2011-04-27T11:51:00.003-04:00

It's been MONTHS, blog! I've been super busy with LOST & FOUND, illustration work, getting more Mad Magazine rejection letters, and preparations for one of my only convention appearances of the year... which happens to be this weekend.

This coming saturday and sunday, I'll be appearing alongside Agreeable Comics' own Kevin Church and Ming Doyle at the Boston Comic Con. It's a great show in a larger location than last year, with tons and tons of notable guests. We'll be selling She Died In Terrebonne issues 1, 2 and 3, along with many other books and print matter bearing the Agreeable name. I'll also have a few sketchcards I whipped up, and a mini Terrebonne print. You'll walk away with something in your grubby hands, I guarantee it. If that's not enough, I'll also have copies of Oni's Resurrection Volume 2 (featuring a short story drawn by yours truly), JAM!, and the Sam Costello-penned STRAW GODS, which is now in a second printing. So come on by Artist's Alley tables 101 and 102 and say hello!

2011: A Comics Odyssey

2011-01-19T22:32:00.006-05:00

Hello New Year! This is shaping up to be a busy working year for me, just as last year was. The biggest project I'm taking on is definitely drawing Lost & Found, the third book in the Amy Devlin Mystery Series. I'll also be hitting some cons in the spring, most notably the Boston Comic Con, which promises to be a big Agreeable Comics show. By then we'll have She Died In Terrebonne #3 out and available (and possibly #4?), with a great Sam Kimimura flashback story drawn by Toronto cartoonist Eric Kim. There's also some announcements coming up having to do with a complete She Died In Terrebonne collection, which should be available this year if all goes according to plan. I'm also doing some illustration work here and there, as well as commissioned work for those interested. If you follow me on Twitter you'll also know when I've got new work online, like, say... a new story on Top Shelf 2.0??? Stay tuned kids!

New York Comiccon 2010 Report.

2010-10-11T14:32:00.005-04:00

New York Comic Con 2010 has come and gone, and I'm slowly recovering. It was exhausting, as is any large convention experience. I wasn't exhibiting this time, so it was more of a networking show, and a place to see old friends. It's always a pleasure to see the Oni Press crew and catch up. I even got a man-hug from Oni renaissance man Doug Sherwood, and lots of awesome people said nice things about me and my work, which I obviously cannot get enough of. Also, I got to finally meet one of the hardest working guys in comics - Jarrett Williams, who was signing his new book SuperPro KO volume 1. I also saw cartooning superstars Kevin Burkhalter, Hunter Clark and Chris Schweizer. Adam WarRock aka Eugene Ahn introduced me to Center for Cartoon Studies Librarian and Cartoonist Jen Vaughn, who was super cool.
I also got to take in a very exciting Gorillaz show at Madison Square Garden Friday night with a few comics buds. It was great! There were tons and tons of special guests of note. After the show, I met up with Agreeable Comics' Kevin Church and Benjamin Birdie, and we indulged in some fine, fine sushi. Also in attendance were the lovely Robin Kimball and Toronto cartoonist Eric Kim.
Saturday, apparently the convention was sold out, and it really showed. The floor was insanely crowded whenever I tried to navigate my way through. There was a whole separate section for Artist's Alley this year, and I managed to find Toby Cypress and snag a copy of his awesome new book Rodd Racer. Toby has been a big influence on me and what I do since he was my teacher at the Kubert School five years ago, and also has been a big supporter of She Died In Terrebonne since the start. I also spotted comics pal Ross Campbell walking around, and we caught up a bit and somehow we got to talking about bus bathrooms vs. airplane bathrooms. Huh? Wha? Shortly after I spotted USA Today Pop Candy blogger Whitney Matheson (!!) walking around and I introduced myself. Luckily, Kevin had a few Agreeable comics to hand over!
Sunday afternoon consisted of an official Agreeable Comics lunch with special guests Adam WarRock, Paul Horn and significant other Darlene, Robin Kimball, and some large Thai portions all around. It was a great end to my NY experience. One last sweep though the con to say some goodbyes and I was off! Until next time, NYC.

Special Thanks to Kevin, Kim, James at Oni for making my NYCC.

(( Con photo by Kevin Church ))

New Comic!

2010-09-17T20:38:00.004-04:00

This week my new story Slim Johnson's Fever Dream went up on Top Shelf 2.0! I talked about it a little in this Avoid The Future interview, and I also premiered the print version at SPX this past weekend. I've gotten a lot of good response from this one, so check it out!

SPX 2010 Report!

2010-09-14T13:15:00.007-04:00

This past weekend I took to the road and represented Agreeable Comics in style, as the 2010 Small Press Expo was in full effect. This is my second time exhibiting and attending, and I still say it's my favorite comics show by far. There's just so much talent, enthusiasm and innovation right there in that big ballroom. I tabled with writer Jonathan Baylis, of So Buttons fame, and cartoonist Paul Salvi, artist of Living With Insanity. Paul's sort of a newcomer to the modern comics convention scene, but he seemed to enjoy it alright. I think most of all he learned a lot for future shows. He brought some great original art pieces to show off, as well as a nice minicomic sampler of Living With Insanity.

I had pretty decent sales on all my books, considering the insane amount of good comics in that room. We were kitty-corner to the Fantagraphics booth, but I felt like I couldn't go over there because I'd immediately empty out my wallet. Throughout the 2 days I'd intermittently go out and see what was out there, as well as say hi to my comics buds. I got to see Renee Lott, Ray Fawkes, Sam Costello, Leigh Walton, Ed Piskor, Euge aka Adam Warrock, Jim Dougan, Jess Fink and partner-in-crime Eric... I'm sure I'm forgetting someone. I also got to finally meet Pranas, Brett, and Kevin, all Seqalab/SCAD alums. They're all doing some great cartooning. I also bought books and got sketches from Will Dinski and Dustin Harbin, both insanely talented cartoonists. Highlight of Sunday was getting a great unsolicited compliment on my artwork from THE Dean Haspiel.

Part of what makes a decent trip for me is how well I'm able to EAT. Luckily my wife and I did some research and found both a gluten-free cafe and a cupcake joint with some gluten-free and vegan selections. Man, this place, Lilit Cafe in Bethesda was damn good. Highly recommended for those with a gluten-free diet. I was able to partake in some quality New Grist beer, which is a few steps up from the more common Redbridge, and I also had some great Maryland Crabcakes and a mind-altering cappucino chocolate cupcake. ALL sans-gluten. Breakfast on the last day of our trip was spent at the Silver Diner a few blocks down from the Marriott, and because of a great tip from Jonathan Baylis, we knew they had a few gluten-free options, including waffles! Pretty rare for a diner, but they were great. Okay, now this is turning into a food blog. I apologize, but this may be helpful for others.

EDIT: We also did some sightseeing in DC, most notably the Holocaust Museum and the Botanical Gardens. Quick DC tip: Don't think you'll have a pleasant dining experience in the Natural History Museum cafeteria. It's like hospital food up in there.

I will be at SPX this year.

2010-09-07T09:10:00.010-04:00

If you or your friends or your mom are going to the Small Press Expo 2010 in Bethesda, Maryland this year, please stop by, or tell them to stop by the 'So Buttons' table. Here's the list of books I've drawn that I'll be there selling;

• She Died In Terrebonne #1 and #2!!!

• My new SPX EXCLUSIVE minicomic FOR A DOLLAR! It's called Slim Johnson's Fever Dream.

• Straw Gods written by Sam Costello ( SPX debut! Sam will be there as well at his own table! )

• I will have a few copies of Oni Press' Resurrection #11, which features the story "The Return of St. John" written by Jen Van Meter.

• So Buttons #1, #2 and #3( SPX Debut ) written by Jonathan Baylis

• I still have a few copies of Inflated, Deflated, which features Murder Of Crows ( from Top Shelf 2.0 ) and Toppled written by Elton Pruitt.

Look for Jonathan, myself, and cartoonist Paul Salvi ( Living with Insanity, Action, Ohio, Jam! Tales from the World of Roller Derby ) at the table.

Buy my books! I need money!

Agreeable Comics at SDCC!

2010-07-20T09:08:00.014-04:00

Hello faithful blog readers! I just wanted to let you in on a few things that'll be happening in the coming weeks, months, and years. The first thing is that you'll be able to purchase your very own copies of SHE DIED IN TERREBONNE at Comic-Con International in sunny San Diego, California! Agreeable Comics personalities Kevin Church, Ming Doyle, and Tracie Mauk will be there as well, so be sure to get a sketch in your books from them, as they're both amazing talents. Look for them in the Small Press section at table N11. Also, here's the cover to SHE DIED IN TERREBONNE#2 along with a brooding, shirtless, frustrated Sam Kimimura on the back cover!

In other news, the story I worked on with Sam Costello, Straw Gods, has started serializing on his Split Lip site and will continue to update on Monday, Wednesday and Friday until the story is complete. It came out pretty good - it's an intense, visceral comic with that Twilight Zone-esque sensibility that Sam's writing is known for. Check it out!

Draw, Eat, Sleep, Repeat.

2010-05-19T20:16:00.002-04:00

Wow, it sure has been awhile, loyal blog readers. It's okay though, I think, because I've been quite productive these past few months earning my title of cartoonist or illustrator or whatever you'd like to call me. I prefer cartoonist. Most of my output has been actual comic pages, leaving little time for blog sketches or things like that. I can't talk about or show the majority of what I've done, but I did draw a great script by Jen Van Meter for Oni Press' Resurrection #11, which should be out today!

She Died In Terrebonne is still going strong and the second act is wrapping up very soon, and Kevin Church will be selling the first TWO print editions at San Diego Comic Con this summer. We sold quite a few of issue #1 at the Boston Comic Con this past April, and they're still available at the Agreeable Comics storefront.

If you haven't read them yet ( I think I only posted them on twitter ), here are two stories I worked on with Elton Pruitt, who's putting together a big anthology of his comics work:

Where Would We Go From Here?

Toppled

More updates to come soon, I promise. Really. Soonish.

Reviving an old project - Need Artist.

2010-01-28T09:14:00.002-05:00

Hey everybody. It's been awhile since I posted. I've been keeping fairly busy drawing She Died In Terrebonne, as well as a few other small projects. There's many things on the horizon, so stay tuned!

Now onto the business at hand.

I'm looking for an artist (penciler/inker/letterer) to round out the creative team for a project. Ryan Rubio (of Cemetery Blues and Zeke Deadwood fame ) and I co-wrote a script a few years ago, and it sort of got buried under other projects we both had. We both didn't want to see it die, so we're looking for a third partner-in-crime to bring it back to life. At this point, all we'd need are the first five pages of the script drawn, as well as some character sketches and possibly a cover.

We'll be using this art in our submission for publication.

Here's the original ad I ran a few days ago;

Co-writers with credits ranging from SLG to Oni Press seek artist to collaborate. The artist will draw 5 sequential pages and a character design sheet for a proposed 24-32 page one shot comic book. Script is written and the artist will be expected to follow basic character designs from the writers. - Must be able to draw pretty girls, musical instruments, great backgounds - A 'cartoon/animated' style is preferred, but we are mainly looking for someone that can convey emotion easily. - If picked up by a publisher, the artist will draw the remainder of script, and receive 50% of royalties after publication. - Must be able to pencil, ink and letter their work. Please send links (not images) to idrawcomics@gmx.com Thanks! T.J.

If this interests you, please contact us at the above email address. Thanks for reading!

SO BUTTONS#2!

2009-09-23T19:29:00.003-04:00

The Annual Small Press Expo takes place this weekend in Bethesda, Maryland, and my frequent partner-in-crime Jon Baylis will be premiering the second issue of So Buttons. For those of you who don't know, So Buttons is Jon's autobiographical comix series, written by the man himself, and illustrated by ME, David Beyer, and (new addition) illustrator Tim Ogline. There's some great new stories in this one, and I think the art's gotten a bit better and more confident on my end. He'll also have copies of the first issue as well if you haven't picked that one up yet. The stories are short and very conversational in tone, similar to Harvey Pekar. Jon was also nice enough to offer to sell other work by his artists, and I chose to send him a print I had gotten made... it's 12x18" and great print quality, so stop by his table and ask for these! I've pre-signed and numbered them too. ALSO if you haven't picked up a copy of UNCLE SLAM FIGHTS BACK! yet, stop by the Oni Press booth and pick one up before they're gone!

Meet Sam Kimimura.

2009-09-14T17:27:00.003-04:00

I guess it's about time I announced my new project! I'm drawing a new webcomic written by the always-entertaining Kevin Church, of The Rack , BeaucoupKevin.com, BOOM! Studios fame. It's a year-long story launching today at www.kimimuracomic.com, called She Died In Terrebonne: A Sam Kimimura Mystery. This week will update daily Monday through Friday with the prelude, and will update Thursdays at noon from then on! This is a great fun project to be a part of, and Kevin and I had a blast going back and forth putting it together.

MoCCA and Pinups.

2009-06-10T20:59:00.005-04:00

Over the weekend, MoCCA took over my life and beat the hell outta me. I was contributing to the So...Buttons Comix 2009 media onslaught with one Mr. Jonathan Baylis, and one Mr David Beyer Jr. We debuted the So...Buttons #2 Preview, which came out very nice. Here's some photos to prove I'm not a liar! We also had some very cool tablemates and caught up with some old comics friends.

Also, since I don't post artwork nearly enough, I'm including some pinups I drew for the following projects;

- Kevin Church and Benjamin Birdie's The Rack Year One ( a MoCCA Debut )
- Thomas Boatwright and Ryan Rubio's Zeke Deadwood: Zombie Lawman
- Ross Campbell's Wet Moon

FLUKE 2009 Anthology

2009-04-22T19:19:00.002-04:00

I forgot to mention in my last post that a story I worked on with Mr. J. Baylis has been featured in this year's Fluke Anthology, alongside many great talented folks from the small press comics community. The story itself was drawn quite awhile ago, but has been remixed a bit for the Fluke format. It was Jonathan's 'Annie' story and many people's favorite of our collaborations. Thanks to Wide Awake Press for including it! Here's a photo...

Anthologize

2009-04-17T19:37:00.004-04:00

Well gee, it sure has been awhile, blog. There are two new things to talk about! I'll be appearing in some brand new anthologies this summer with up-and-coming writers Jonathan Baylis and Elton Pruitt. The first is a music themed comics anthology edited by Rachel Dukes and published by Poseur Ink - Side B: A Music Lovers Anthology, a companion book to her previously published Side A Anthology. I illustrated a story written by Mr. Baylis about his childhood Beatles memories, and I think it came out pretty well... There are many many top-notch cartoonists appearing in this book, so tell your local comic shop or bookstore to order!

The other anthology appearance will be in 803 Studios' 'Fire and Ice' themed book, which will be rolling out in the summer as well. This story, 'Toppled,' has previously appeared in my 'Inflated, Deflated' minicomic, and was written by the talented Elton Pruitt. It's a 5 pager about a father and son trip to the state fair. No happy ending here!

More to come, so stay tuned!

Oh God Its COLD again...Or...Link Happy.

2008-12-08T20:17:00.011-05:00

Couple things to talk about...

1. Julia Wertz's I SAW YOU Anthology, in which Jonathan Baylis and I have a comic in, is now available for preorder at both Amazon and Random House's website. Click Here...

This book is going to be good. Take a look at the mammoth list of contributors that are lined up. It's like a who's who of today's best indie comics creators...

http://missedconnectioncomics.blogspot.com/

2. I attended, or exhibited at the Tight Knit show in Troy, NY a few weeks ago.

I made up a new minicomic named Inflated, Deflated which was basically my Murder Of Crows comic from Top Shelf 2.0, and a new 5 pager Toppled, written by Elton Pruitt. I was also selling copies of Uncle Slam and the Jonathan Baylis-penned So...Buttons.

I found out about the show through cartoonist Jess Fink, and it was cool to talk comics with her for a little while. Crissy bought some of her comics for me, too.

Here are some pics from my booth, and some more of the very nice venue in downtown Troy. There are some better pics on the show's website at www.tightknit.org.

More to come soon!

Breaking News!

2008-11-08T16:10:00.004-05:00

To all of those who received a physical copy of A Murder of Crows at SPX, hang onto it - it's a rare gem! I'm taking it out of print for the foreseeable future, to make way for it's online version hosted at Top Shelf 2.0! Here's the link...

http://www.topshelfcomix.com/ts2.0

Thank you to editors Leigh Walton and Brett Warnock for graciously accepting the story.

New Art? SPX?

2008-10-07T22:17:00.005-04:00

Thank you to everyone who made my SPX'08 experience what it was. Thank you! You know who you are, and you'd better keep in touch! I'll post pictures if I can.

Also, be sure to hit the comic shops tomorrow and get a fresh copy of Uncle Slam Fights Back!

I was giving away copies of my SPX exclusive mini A Murder of Crows at the show, so most of those are gone. I may post it here soon or somewhere else.

SPX '08

2008-10-02T16:50:00.006-04:00

The final release date for Uncle Slam Fights Back is 10/08, but if you're going to SPX this weekend in Bethesda, Maryland like me, you'll be able to buy a copy before your lame neighbor. I'll be at the Oni Press booth Saturday and Sunday, so stop by and buy some books! Look for this cover...

Uncle Slam Fights Back!

2008-07-08T22:08:00.004-04:00

Here are a couple preview images for the upcoming Uncle Slam Fights Back comic from Oni Press. It should be out in late August, so go pre-order a copy or two now!

Here's an interview with the writer Ande Parks...

(link under images)

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/080708-UncleSlam.html

Some More...

2008-06-02T18:50:00.007-04:00

Here's two more major things... The first is a two page comic I drew late last year that will be appearing in the Julia Wertz-Edited anthology "I Saw You...Missed Connections," which will be published early next year by Random House/Three Rivers. The comic is a true story that happened to the writer, Mr. Jonathan Baylis, who I've collaborated with sporadically over the past three or so years. He's put together a collection of his "So...Buttons" auto-bio comix and they've recently become available available at such fine stores as Jim Hanley's Universe and Midtown Comics in NY, and Quimby's in Chicago.

The most exciting thing I've been working on is a comic for Oni Press, who've been one of my favorite publishers for awhile. The project is written by Ande Parks, writer of some great graphic novels; Union Station, Capote in Kansas, and more on the way. Ande is also an incredible inker, and has been working as such for the past decade for Marvel and DC on some high profile monthly titles. Our collaboration revives Ande's Uncle Slam property, which was published by Mike Manley's Action Planet comics. Look for the finished product later this year.

Also! Jamie Smart's Fat Chunk Anthology is hitting shelves later this month, with my 2 page contribution. It's a Fat little digest-sized 144-page Robot-themed anthology. Slave Labor Graphics is the publisher, and you can pre-order a copy through amazon.com NOW, or just wait a couple weeks and pick one up at your favorite chain bookstore.

News...

2008-02-15T20:04:00.003-05:00

Starting in January I became a member of the Albany Times-Union Comics Panel. We are a group selected by the Features Editor, Tracy Ormsbee, to discuss what changes need to be made to our hometown comics newspaper comics section. I've also started to write for the corresponding blog at timesunion.com.

Here is a link to the Comics Panel feature article...

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=662371

...and here is the link to the blog in which I'll be ranting sometimes...

http://blogs.timesunion.com/comics/