all my new friends and new enemies in one picture.
(l to r: Adam Hughes, Alan Moore, Rob Liefeld, Dan Clowes, Jack Kirby, Eddie Munster and Adam Hughes’ brother.)
Okay, first off, I apologize to all three of you that were waiting for my full Heroes Con report, but I left my comics in J.Chris Campbell’s car, leaving me with not much to talk about. After much begging, pleading and sexual favors, J.Chris sent me my bag o’ funnies (via priority mail) and now I’m full of beans.
So, where do I begin? It was a dark and stormy night, except for the fact it wasn’t. Brad McGinty and I got the show on the road Friday morning and met J.Chris Campbell in Greenville. As proprietor of Wide Awake Press, he hooked me up with primo copies of my illest new book, Avatards! No, I didn’t shout that sentence at you, the explanation point is in the title. If you haven’t already, check it out. Please, I beg of you.
We got to the show by mid-afternoon, later than I would have liked, of course. As it turns out, though, we didn’t miss a whole lot. Friday is usually a slow day, and this year wasn’t an exception. Brad and I were contemplating suicide over our severe lack of sales.
Thankfully, we didn’t kill ourselves that day. We woulda missed the screening of Brad’s brilliant (yes it’s truly brilliant) cartoon, Mandar! Now in that sentence there, I really DID yell at you.
As all three of you reading this may already know, Brad and I go back like rocking chairs. So forgive me if this sounds like nepotism but Brad is the most talented person I know. Brad did all the writing, storyboarding, animation AND voices on this apocalyptic barbarian of the ‘burbs DVD. Not that it would matter if Mandar wasn’t funny, but that’s not the case. Mandar is laugh-out loud hilarious and went over well in the screening party. The cartoon was projected on the window blind, giving all the passers-by a screening of Mandar as well. Turns out people that walk around like it too. They are a tough demographic to reach as well, people walking that is.
Saturday went well sales-wise for us. In fact, I pretty much sold all my “Redskin Rashy’s.” I only have 2 copies left, so get it while the gettin’s good, but I digress. Anyway, Saturday went pretty well with the exception of our panel on Minicomics. I dunno, it musta been all the beer and truck-stop restroom meth from the Mandar party the night before, but man, we made exciting topics like folding and stapling rather boring. Check out this drawing some dude* did of us. Our glum looks tell the whole story.
(*Richard Bryan.)
Sunday was a nice relaxed day. I spent Sunday visiting with my pals, and sorry for this roll call that’ll bore anyone that isn’t mention, and even some that were-
As I was saying, I got to kick it with Justin Gammon, Ben Towle, Sally Bloodbath, Meghan Ansbach, Kiril Tchangov, Hollywood Rob, Chris Pitzer, Jeremy Masse, Stephanie Gladden and John, Dollar Bin, Rachelle from Living Between Wednesdays, my roommates Duane Ballenger, the aforementioned J.Chris, the very generous Rob Ullman, my bed mate Brad, and all the other fine folks I see every year and sometimes talk to and sometimes not. You know who you are.
Here’s the reason we are all here, folks. Here’s this years booty: bought, traded, given to me, and stolen.
The Muppet Show Comic 1-3. Wow! what a stroke of brilliance getting Roger Langridge to both WRITE and DRAW this funny funnybook. Langridge’s style shows through even on a licensed book. Langridige coulda taken the easy way out and drew the Muppets on model, but he made them fit the medium and made puppets into living breathing comic book charcters. This is a lot harder that it sounds, dudes. I really love this book. I heard Boom! is gonna be doing all of Disney’s comics as well. Can’t wait for that. Heck, I’d kill my mother to draw a Disney comic book.
Uncle Scrooge 219. I found this gem in a two dollar box. This is a rare, sought-after comic. After all, it’s Don Rosa’s very first! Don Rosa is a fabulous duck artist. If you don’t know him, you should, you idiot. Coincidentally, he was on hand to sign this comic for me too. Man, I get so nervous around th’guy. He is a favorite stemming from childhood. I really thought/think that he’s up there with Uncle Carl Barks(RIP forever) and that says a lot!
The Deadbeat by Jeremy Massie ( book not pictured.)
Did you happen to see this goon in yellow walking around at the convention? That’s the titular character in Jeremy’s superhero/deadbeat dad graphic novel. It looks pretty darn good. I haven’t read all if it yet, sorry, I suck. So far, so good!
Pretty much everything by Alec Longstreth. Alec seems like a cool guy with a great beard and I’m grateful that I got so much of his work. I was very amused by The Dvorak Zine. As someone who watches their hands as the type and calls keyboards” those typy letter thing”,I may not be the targeted demographic. But who knows. I might learn sumthin’.
Banana Hammock by Rob Ullman. Holy cow, Ullman can draw bears! Who knew? Seriously, everyone of this drawings tells a story, a very gay story, and I like it!
Batman and Robin by some hacks. This was a gift from Dean Trippe. Thanks Dean, this is super heroes done right! I’m a believer.
Real Cane Sugar by P.Cleland. Nice, loose cartoony style fits this slice-of-life mini about a fat demon dude and a nebbish dude with a thing for butts. In other words, I can relate!
Man, I’m getting tired of typing on this typy letter thing, so I guess it’s time to 23 sciddoo.
Another year, another great Heroes. I just wish it came more than once a year. Well, sorta.
Special thanks to Dustin Harbin for having me back, year after year even though, you hate me. Just kidding, but strongly dislike me.
‘Till next year true believers!
Avatards!
Redskin Rashy
Tripe
