Another desktop-clearing session of RANDOM NOTES! Fantastic Four #48, the NFL's Thing, Futurama/Adventure Time and more!

It's time for more seemingly random, semi-comic book related notes that don't deserve their own post!  They may think they do, but they don't.  Don't feel bad for them.

- I made it out to an estate auction this weekend because I heard that there were some comics on the block.  When I die, I wonder if my possessions will be picked through by hungry crowds looking to get a good deal on a box of a dead guy's socks.  I guess I won't care at that point, but hey, maybe I'll inspire a nephew or crazed fan to keep all of my collection in tact.  Maybe I'll get a museum wing or something.

Anyway, I managed to get outbid on just about everything I wanted, but I did come home with about 20 or so comics, including this gem, for a great price.  This copy of Fantastic Four #48 is not in the best shape, but it's not a piece of crap either, and its covers contain one of the most famous stories of the entire silver age of comics.  It's the first appearance of Galactus, the Silver Surfer and the Watcher, and I'm happy to add it to my collection.  It's got a date stamp on the cover, which is unfortunately not uncommon for books of this era, but at least it doesn't have the damn guy's name scrawled across the top, as was the case with many of the other books I brought home.

- The Thing made a more modern appearance at the recent Steelers/Bengals tilt, captured here via the magic of...a camera phone.  Everyone knows, of course, that the Thing is actually a Jets fan, and that no one is a Bengals fan, but you do what you can in Cincinnati.  I especially enjoy the girl in the bottom left corner, who, as a Steeler fan attending a losing effort, is apparently puking all over Bengals fans.  Good job, lady.  The great Steeler comeback is underway.

- I did some dressing up of my own recently.  Years ago, I had vowed that if the Pirates ever made the playoffs again, I would attend a game dressed as a gorilla dressed as a pirate.  That time was the 2013 season, so I had to oblige the fates.  I'm seen here with Wolverine, I think.

- Futurama's last episode has aired on Comedy Central, and the show is once again on hiatus until it the inevitable resurrection.  I refuse to believe that it is gone for good - hopefully 2014's Simpsons/Futurama crossover episode paves the way for new episodes in 2015.  I have hope!  The most recent season had lots of highlights, but one of my favorites came in the form of a well-placed Adventure Time cameo, precipitated by the fact that both Bender and Jake are voiced by John DiMaggio.



- DC Comics has released a short animated video celebrating the 75 years of Superman.  It's got some real inspiring moments and, overall, it hits on a lot of the memorable points in Superman's history.  If you haven't seen it yet, it's well worth the two minutes it takes to watch!  That being said, the video probably focuses a little too much on the last 20 years, and it leaves out some fairly important parts, namely Crisis and the Byrne '80s relaunch, as well as, oh yeah, CLARK KENT'S MARRIAGE TO LOIS LANE.  As much as DC is trying to sweep all relationships under the rug these days, that's still a huge part of the history of Superman.

- A British geneticist might just have solved the mystery of the yeti, revealing the existence of a "hybrid" bear with polar bear and grizzly bear DNA.  It's a fascinating idea and it might explain all of those abominable snowman sightings.  Read about it here: http://www.dvice.com/2013-10-17/myth-yeti-may-have-just-been-solved

- I recently lettered a short sci-fi story titled "Diver Down" for fellow FUBAR contributors Mark Bertolini and Carl Yonder!  I have absolutely no idea what the plans are for the story, but it was fun to work on.

- Aaaaand finally, the always helpful SDCC blog has a post that compares Comic-Con International to the recent New York Comic-Con.  Both shows are fun but nothing compares to the big boy in San Diego, in my opinion.  Read the article and decide for yourself!

http://sdccblog.com/2013/10/how-does-new-york-comic-con-stack-up-against-sdcc/

Man, this session of Random Notes was a lot of fun.  I think I'll write another one, just for FUBAR, soon.  Although it might have to be titled "Specific Notes", then.  We'll see.

Commonwealth Press in Pittsburgh

I've written a few posts about the shirts I'd put together with the intention of taking to the San Diego Comic-Con.  Now that I've gotten all four designs finished and printed, I suppose it's time to talk about the experience I had with Commonwealth Press, a small shop on the South Side of Pittsburgh.

Before working on the four shirt designs for the show, I didn't (and still don't) have a lot of experience dealing with printers.  I wanted to work with a local printer, so I went around to a few different stores before settling on Commonwealth.  The other shops didn't seem to have the equipment or the know-how; if I wanted to get a little league shirt printed, the other stores would have been fine, but it didn't seem like many had a solid grasp on screen printing.  A friend of mine had shirts printed at Commonwealth in the past, and she recommended them, and that was pretty much it for the decision making process.

The shop itself goes for a trendy, "indy" feel, and I think it succeeds in that.  If you know anything about the South Side of Pittsburgh, you know that it definitely caters to a younger demographic, and also alcoholics.

Most of the shirts that Commonwealth Press prints seem to be sports related, and I suppose that serves them well.  I saw lots of prints related to the Steelers and Penguins, but since it is baseball season and the Pirates are, inexplicably, good, there were a whole lot of just-this-side-of-legal shirts with a Pirates theme, including the mega-popular "Zoltan" shirt, which is, also inexplicably, a reference to the movie "Dude, Where's My Car?".

They also have a pretty cool Dark Knight Rises shirt that I'm sure will pick up steam in the next few weeks.

I found that the people working at Commonwealth Press were skilled and knowledgable, which is, of course, what you look for when you're trying to get shirts printed.  And the end product results, as I'll show below, were very well done, so overall I'm pleased with the job that was done.  There were, though, a few frustrating instances that made me realize that Commonwealth Press is still in its infancy as a company.

On one occasion, I drove to the store on East Carson Street only to find it closed, even though it was within the hours of operation posted on CWP's website.  This was extremely annoying, because I drove into Pittsburgh, sat in mind-numbing traffic (there was a Pirates game that day, and people now apparently attend those again), and had to turn around a drive right back with blank shirts still in my car.  On another, I called ahead to make sure I could pick up a completed order, and was assured that they would be at the store.  When I got there, though, the shirts were nowhere to be found.  I ended up having to drive with an employee (who was very nice and helpful, by the way) to a warehouse to search for the mystery box, which we eventually found.

Overall, I'd say that this was a positive experience despite the few hiccups that occurred.  As I said, the most crucial part of all this was the end results, and I couldn't be happier with them.  This has a lot to do, naturally, with the blank shirts I bought from Next Level Apparel, which are very well made (soft, too!), as well as the initial artwork that was done by such talents as Duane Redhead and Leonardo Pietro.  Beyond that, though, the quality of work done on the actual printing was top notch, with the colors coming through exactly how I had hoped.  See for yourself!

My initial order was for three designs, but I was able to sneak in the last minute addition of Adrian "Bago" Gonzalez's Yeti artwork to round the group out with four great designs.

And people love 'em!  Just look at this happy customer:

Wow!  Great.

The question comes down to this: would I use Commonwealth Press again for future printing, and would I recommend them to friends looking to print shirts of their own?  The answer to both is "yes", with a little note of caution attached.  It seemed pretty obvious to me that the guys there still had some things to figure out - maybe not from the perspective of skill or talent, but in regards to running a standard "9 to 5" business.

You can visit Commonwealth Press online here: http://www.cwpress.com/
Or, if you're ever in Pittsburgh (and why shouldn't you be?), you can check out the store at 1931 East Carson Street.

Look for these shirts at Comic-Con, which starts in...holy crap, like two days!  Woo!

Wear this on your chest!

Here's a new image of the Yeti from none other than Duane Redhead that I'm happy to show off.  What could this iconic image be used for?  Nothing other than a new Teddy and the Yeti t-shirt that I'm having printed.  I'm working on a few different designs (some Teddy and the Yeti, some not) that I'm hoping to have out for conventions this year (ah hem, especially Comic-Con), and this just might be the crown jewel.

Pose look familiar?  Well, I'm nothing if not consistent.  Above is a loving homage to one of my favorite Kirby drawings of...

YUP.  Like you didn't see that coming.  We'll see how far we get with this.

Russian research team finds "irrefutable" proof of the yeti's existence.

The world of cryptozoology has been abuzz these past few days as scientists (using the term loosely) have reportedly found evidence of the existence of a yeti in the Kemerovo region of Russia.  According to the researchers, this evidence is "irrefutable", releasing a statement that claimed, among other things: 

"During the expedition to the Azasskaya cave, conference participants gathered indisputable proof that the Shoria mountains are inhabited by the 'Snow Man'."

"Conference participants came to the conclusion that the artifacts found give 95% evidence of the habitation of the 'snow man' on Kemerovo region territory."

"In one of the detected tracks, Russian scientist Anatoly Fokin noted several hairs that might belong to the yeti."

It seems like 95% leaves about a 5% margin for error, here, but hey, I'm not one to challenge the definition of "indisputable" this time around.

This discovery is, interestingly, actually being reported on by media outlets worldwide.  Check the links for various tellings:

- International Business Times: http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/231073/20111014/yeti-abominable-snowman-evidence-proof-siberia-scientists-creatures.htm
- The Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newsvideo/weirdnewsvideo/8823466/Russian-footage-of-Yeti-hair-emerges.html
- STLtoday: http://www.stltoday.com/news/opinion/columns/the-platform/article_088c5db1-9e68-59a8-bd8c-7aee409bdef6.html
- About.com: http://climbing.about.com/b/2011/10/13/yeti-evidence-found-in-russia.htm
- The Sun: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/3864829/Scientists-close-in-on-Yeti.html
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11277/1179565-84-0.stm

This story seems to harken back to one a few years ago, in which some guys from Georgia apparently found a dead Bigfoot and stuck him in their freezer.  You remember the picture, right?

And just because "Bigfoot" here turned out to be a, what, gorilla costume with animal guts thrown on top doesn't mean that people weren't at least a little bit interested in the story at the time.  And just because the Kemerovo region has apparently bit hit hard by a poor global economy and would benefit from a little monster-hunter tourism and a government research center, that doesn't mean there still couldn't be a den full of yetis living in the Siberian mountains, right?  Right??

In related news, a woman from Michigan claims that she's been feeding blueberry bagels to Bigfoot for the last two years.  God bless America.

some random mini blogs

This blog will be just like many other blogs on this site.  Except the notes will be shorter.  Perhaps your enjoyment will be lessened...but perhaps not.

- Tomorrow's the opening day for Alex Ross's "Heroes & Villains" exhibit at the Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh.  It should be lots of fun!  The Post-Gazette wrote a nice article about Ross and the exhibit...and it seems to imply that this will be Ross's first time in Pittsburgh.  Read it here: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11272/1178138-437.stm

- I will admit that Superman's new comic book costume irked me when I first saw it; I understand the need for change (or perceived change) from time to time, but there are some things that you just don't mess with, and the classic Superman costume is one of them.  I was further annoyed when people at DC began promoting the new look by calling the now-abandoned red trunks "diapers", as if the costume isn't the most iconic of any character's in the history of the universe.

My anger was assuaged, though, when I saw Henry Cavill's costume from the upcoming Man of Steel movie.  Just as Brandon Routh's slightly altered costume in Superman Returns led to a brief costume change in the comics, this new look will of course be reflected in DC's new lineup.  And when the movie premieres and eventually departs, the costume will change back to what we're used to.  So no worries.

- The Wagon Wheel Comic booth is a good place to grab an Orange Lantern Cookie if you're at a convention.  At previous shows, I'd advertise the cookies by writing hastily on a comic book backing board.  I decided that, as I plan on making the cookies for future shows (shows...in THE FUTURE), I should make a more permanent sign/display.  Half an hour on Photoshop and viola!  The above sign will from now on adorn the cookie bowl at our table.  I plan on attaching it...to a comic book backing board.

- A small donation to Hero Initiative, the comic book charity that helps out creators in need, scored me a few nice items recently, including the New Avengers 100 Project and the above exclusive hardcover edition of the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide.  They're both pretty awesome, and it's money that went to a good cause.  HI has a lot of great stuff for sale on their website and their eBay page.

- Saturday also brings us "Weird Al" Yankovic's Comedy Central special, an hour-long show featuring clips from his new Alpocalypse tour.  Debuting a few days early was his newest music video for the song "Polka Face", which is fantastic in its own right, but Al went ahead and put yetis in it for good measure:

As if there weren't enough reasons to be a fan.  The show airs at 9:00 eastern time, and an unabridged DVD/Blu-Ray version will be on sale the following Tuesday.  Hooray!

Here's the video...watch it and love it:

Jokes.com
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Polka Face
comedians.comedycentral.com
Jokes Joke of the Day Funny Jokes

Do-it-yourself Yeti action figure; a step-by-step guide!

A while ago I went to the Pittsburgh Steel City Con, which is basically a toy and comic show that happens several times a year.  While I was there I dug though a toy bin and found a Marvel Legends Sasquatch figure for pretty cheap, so I bought it and brought it home with the intention of repainting it to look like a Yeti.

Months and months and layers of paint later, I'd say that I'm 95% finished - there are always new spots of brown that I find hidden in joints so I'm sure that touchups remain, but for most purposes the figure is done.  I'll be bringing it along to the Baltimore Comic-Con and...I don't know, probably hanging it off of something.

As this is obviously a modern artistic feat, I've decided to post a meticulous step-by-step guide to creating YOUR OWN (wow!!) Yeti figure.  Perhaps one day it can even look as good as mine (but probably not).  Let's begin!

Step One: Buy a Marvel Legends Sasquatch figure.  Assuming that Alpha Flight characters haven't suddenly and inexplicably risen in popularity (even from "not at all popular" to "moderately unpopular"), you can find one for a couple bucks or perhaps a few shiny pebbles.

Step Two: Buy paint and some paintbrushes.  I used Testors oil-based paints for two reasons: first, the name sounds somewhat dirty, and that is funny; second, I still had some in my desk from the last time I painted a model, about 20 years ago.  I did have to go out and buy some purple, though, and was happy to find that Testors (heh heh) had not gone out of business in the meantime.

Step Three: Just...paint it.  Really, how else was this going to end?  Paint one side, and when that side dries, flip it over and paint the other side, and then repeat until it's all covered.  And then you'll have your own Yeti figure, which will be cooler than all the other toys in the neighborhood.

In searching Google Images for the above picture of the unpainted Sasquatch, I came across this Marvel Legends variant figure, which features...a completely white Sasquatch.  DAMMIT!  Buying this figure instead would have cut down my workload by like 80%.  Ah crap.  Well, I suppose I still have my memories.

Pictures from the Motor City Comic Con, part 3

Aaaaaaaand one more of these should just about do it, right?  Right.  So let's get to it, one week after the actual convention began.

This was the line to get it.  Look how patient everyone is!  Seriously, one of the best things about exhibiting is that you just get to walk right in every morning.  It's lovely.

This guy did a pretty fantastic Jack Sparrow impression.  And look, he even let Larry wear his hat.

This is a yeti, right?  I mean, it looks like a yeti with horns, and...wait, what?  It's from Star Wars.  Really?  Oh.  Okay.

Shoppage.

Wow!  And a great time was had by all.  Look at how happy I am.

Thursday night, hours before the con, I was lying in bed, about to fall asleep, when I realized that - horror upon horrors - I forgot to bring my Thing sketchbook to this show.  This sucked.  However, I did manage to get a sketch nevertheless: I bought a blank version of the new FF #1 and got the extra talented Katie Cook to draw a cute cover for me.  When I asked her why the Thing was wearing a neckerchief, she answered "because he's got style."  She's right, of course.

I got some swag at this show for sure!  On Sunday, when any bargain hunter knows to look for deals, I snagged some great books that I had been looking for for a while, including Fantastic Four #s 47, 117 and annual #9, Astonishing Tales (co-starring the Black Panther and Dr. Doom!) #s 1 and 4, and a handful of early-ish Marvel Team Up issues, most of them featuring the Human Torch (sometimes as the lead character).

My next post will be about something different.  But I had fun putting these pictures up in any case.

Primordial Soup, uh..."webcomic"? with Mike Harvey, plus "Weird Al" Yankovic's new song!

Several years ago, soon after "Eye of the Beholder" was published in Strip Search, I took stock of my comic book aspirations and realized that beyond writing half-developed scripts I had NO clue as to the process that went on to put a comic together.  Beyond this, I had no idea how I would ever again convince an artist to work with me on one of those half-developed ideas (some things never change, I suppose).  In a (perhaps rare) moment of proactivity, I decided to figure it out by putting a short comic together, and I was helped by my friend Mike Harvey, who just so happened to be one of the only people I knew with a digital camera.

The result is as you see below: despite our low level of sophistication, and despite the fact that we decided to go with extremely clever pseudonyms rather than give our actual names, I think that the two of us put a fun short story together.  It's not earth-shattering or anything like that, but hey, it was fun.

The one constant background was just a close up of a section of my back yard juxtaposed with a shot of the sky (the volcano looking image is just a plant...it's a happy coincidence that it turned out as well as it did).  Mike himself drew the caveman that serves as possibly the best joke of the story.  The dividing cells and the Mr. Bill-esque character were...I don't know, Play-Doh?  My sister helped with creating that little guy, hence the "special thanks" credit.  And the relatively giant godlike hand...is mine.

Mike and I took a short drive to my college's computer lab, which had a number of Macs with editing software loaded on 'em.  We downloaded some generic Blambot fonts and even some template speech balloons, which look better than some of the balloons I make now that I know how to do them myself.

All in all, not bad for something that was cobbled together with little or no experience.  Check it out!

Mike recently painted a Mini-Marvel style rendition of the Yeti that you can see here.

Also, "Weird Al" Yankovic has a new song, "I Perform This Way"!  This has nothing to do with the above post.  I just love Weird Al and this new song means that a new album will be on the way soon.  Al has a blog that he updates every once in a while, and if you want to read about this new song and why it almost didn't get released, you can find that here.  Listen to the song on below.

AND ENJOY IT.

Magic Bullet #2 is in! Plus, PlanetJune blog links!

The second issue of the Washington, DC-area "Magic Bullet" is out and, presumably, being read by a thousand or so metro commuters (perhaps AT THIS VERY MOMENT).  I managed to snag a handful of copies, so I can attest that they look just great.  All of the entries have something to add and it's cool to see my work among those included.

Rather than just hoard these copies in hopes that one day they appreciate in value so I can, I don't know, send someone to college (kids be damned), I'll be distributing them to comic stores in the Pittsburgh, PA and Wilmington, NC areas in the next few weeks, so if you're in either of those parts of the country, stop by and pick up the issue for zero dollars.  There's currently a handy Google map with listings of where to find the publication, with most results coming from the Maryland/Virginia/DC area.

"End of the Line", with art by Jeff McComsey, is on page 16.  I still can't get over how great it is to have something printed on newsprint.  It's the nostalgia of it all.  I'm also a big fan of fellow FUBAR artist Steve Becker's contribution:

You can find out more about DC Conspiracy's Magic Bullet at the very awesome MB website.  Many thanks to everyone who made this a possibility.

In addition to...whatever it is I just talked about, I recently had a review posted at the PlanetJune website regarding the crochet Yeti doll I commissioned last year.  It posts some pictures of the Yeti doll and, well, me (and Lion-O) at last year's New York Comic Con.  It turned out really well and I'll have more with me at this year's upcoming cons.  Good stuff.  Check it out!