quick recap of the Emerald City Comicon

Erik Thompson who has a style that I love - sat across from me all weekend, sometimes making faces and sometimes giving me some good ideas on process. A good man.
Bruce Timm who saved Batman from obscurity in the 1990s - sat just a few feet away from the CNW booth both days
Stephen Silver is the great character designer who sat next to me, his booth was partially obscured by the huge line that was there to see Bruce Timm, so I was able to talk to him more than I would have otherwise. He is a great person as well as a great character designer, very dedicated to being a dad, I was a fan before the comicon and a bigger one after having him to myself at the comicon.
There was a crowd of people from the cartoon club (Cartoonist Northwest) there (many with their own booths) and I promoted the club with Donna, Elizabeth and Roberta.
His crowd was too large for me to talk to him, but at least I was able to see what Humberto Ramos looked like. I rabidly consume his early work with "Impulse".
Have to mention my other favorites Phil Foglio and Aaron Williams who were there and I have linked to for over a year at Girl Genius and Nodwick. Greatness in stories.

Tonight I Blog

Emerald City Comicon was very very good. I sold my first magazine. Published 2 days before the con, for the con. I feel very good about my first attempt.

Puget Sound Slug Trap

I have been doing some illustrations for my friends who are suddenly job hunting and the recession. Bubbles popping, flooding, crashing and such I can use. I cannot use the slug in the Beer, too obscure. Do people still put cans of beer out for slugs? I remember the slugs loving the stuff.

February Wally Wood UFO

The point of the exercise is to stretch artistically and improve storytelling. It takes about 2 1/2 weeks doing 3 panels a day.

Step one - do a fairly good reproduction of the original Wally Wood example.
Step two - do a parody with a character from your stable.

You can see the original Wally Wood collection in hi res from the owner here.

Jack Bowser 24

Senator Fat (played by cat)
Isn't it true, Mr Bowser, that you bit an unarmed suspect on the leg.

Two Kinds of violent people in the world

Bill Whittle had an essay a while back that inpired some sketches: I do not think that there are enough Sheep Dog cartoons in the world.
Someone at the Belmont Club summarized Bill's ideas nicely:


* One Vietnam veteran, an old retired colonel, once said this to me: "Most of the people in our society are sheep. They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident."
* The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf. He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The difference, though, is that the sheepdog must not, cannot and will not ever harm the sheep. ... Still, the sheepdog disturbs the sheep. He is a constant reminder that there are wolves in the land.
* Understand that there is nothing morally superior about being a sheepdog; it is just what you choose to be. ... The sheep pretend the wolf will never come, but the sheepdog lives for that day.

2009 has arrived

I should speed paint more.