NYCC was this weekend.
Yeah, it was busy, it was packed. I met some folks, caught up with others, good time overall.
This, however, is what I got out of it…
Categories
Category: Sometimes I Like Stuff
This is where I throw in all kinds of things I enjoy such as old and new comics, cartoonists, ridiculous panels, great covers, forgotten strips, passing anecdotes, and whatever random thing that catches my eye.
I recently did this drawing for my favorite comic shop around: my very own Daredevil cover on one of the blank “sketch” covers. I noticed that the back portion was available, so I designed it vertically, knowing that what I wanted to draw wouldn’t necessarily work if the comic was one/half displayed.
You may ask, “Well, how come you didn’t have him striking a pose mid-jump through a couple of water towers or fighting a cluster of ninjas?”, and you may very well have a point. Although I’ve seen those classic scenarios done to death, I still like them just as much as you do. However, no version of Daredevil is as close to my heart as Ann Nocenti’s version.
This past Friday night was the official release party for Zegas #1 at Bergen Street Comics and there’s no question as to how it went down. It was a blast.
Tom & Amy Adams, Tucker, Cav, and Matt all helped this night move along beautifully. I owe them a great deal for putting together such a wonderful night and for displaying a lot of my original art. The presentation is top notch, and I’m really flattered that they went all out for this. On my way to the store that night, boxes full of comics in tow, the sky decided to open up over Brooklyn. It poured miserably, but that didn’t stop folks from coming out! Saw some old friends, made some new ones, signed some books, talked some shop. It was fantastic. Photos can be seen here, and to each and every one who attended, I thank you for doing so and hope you like the comic.
We stayed a bit later than usual, but we were looking at making the drive to Baltimore for the convention mere hours after the signing was over.
The little kid is Akira. That guy behind him is Joker. They’re both characters from Katsuhiro Otomo’s AKIRA.
I had a last minute chance to attend the Baltimore ComicCon this past Saturday. I was happy to have been able to make it even for just a day, which turns out to be the perfect amount of time to enjoy the show (unless you’re running a booth, of course). I caught up with Joe Keatinge for a bit (Mr. Glum thanks you, Joe!), which included giving me the Hard Sell to move to Portland. The rent situation actually made me reconsider for a second. Also, I got to meet Tom Scioli of Godland & the Myth of 8-Opus fame. I saw the original pages of his web comic, American Barbarian, and they were gigantic… probably the best way to read this comic.
In between booth hopping and catching up with folks, I dug up a few comics of interest.
A few days ago, I bought some comic books and I felt so strongly about them that it compelled me to write about the experience. The first comic wasn’t great, to tell you the truth. Halfway through reading it, my suspicions were confirmed: what a load of horseshit. This low level, “bad ass” poseur drivel strikes a pose SO HARD that it shatters like crystallized mulch. I hated myself for giving this cliche ridden gem the benefit of the doubt… but what’s one to do? I had to try it out. Check it out for yourselves. Just go to your local comic shop and ask for — for — uh, I can’t believe it. The name escapes me.
Thankfully, I had apparently been saving the best for last. I’m sure you’ve seen the commercial or read all of the praise the book’s been getting, but NIGHT BUSINESS totally made my night. The creator behind it all is Benjamin Marra. You can say that Marra’s using “bad ass” tropes as well, but the thing that separates his work from the previously mentioned shitty comic is that Marra actually has a sense of humor. Equal parts old school Paul Gulacy and Faust’s Tim Vigil, Marra’s making his comics on his own terms with a dedication that’s pretty admirable. Thank God he’s not waiting around, hoping for a publisher’s permission to start his comic. And thank God he’s using newsprint. Oh, and wish him a happy birthday today, folks!
