Mark Gruenwald's "Ash-O-Graph" in Squadron Supreme #1

I had some time to kill a little while ago, so I stopped at a comic shop and flipped through some of their dollar comics. This rarely ends well, because I always end up meticulously poring through hundreds of books and buying a few dozen that I don't really need and struggle to find the time to read, but what can I say - collecting comics is an illness.

While searching through some boxes, I found (and eventually purchased) this:

It's a copy of Marvel's Squadron Supreme #1 from 1985, signed by writer Mark Gruenwald. But upon closer inspection, we can see the sticker adhered to the book labeling it as an "ash-o-graph", and another signature from Catherine Gruenwald. So what's this about?

The Squadron Supreme is, of course, Marvel's alternate universe version of the Justice League of America, with pretty clear stand-ins for DC's popular characters like Superman (Hyperion), Batman (Nighthawk), Wonder Woman (Power Princess), the Flash (the Whizzer), Green Lantern (Doctor Spectrum) and more. After appearing in a few Avengers comics a decade earlier, the Squadron got their own 12-issue series in 1985 with Mark Gruenwald, Bob Hall and Paul Ryan at the helm.

When Gruenwald passed away in 1996, one of his final wishes was to have his ashes mixed in with a printing of the Squadron Supreme trade paperback. The issue I bought, however, was not part of the trade, and was remarked with the date 8/14/16, 20 years after he died.

So this whole mystery is interesting and a bit morbid, I suppose. The sticker placed at the bottom of the page is labeled "M.E.G. 'ASH-O-GRAPH' INK CONTAINS REAL CREMAINS", indicating that the autograph is actually a stamp, and the ink in the stamp contains actual physical remains in it.

A Google search sheds more light on the situation, and I found this site which goes into a bit more detail about Mark, his wife Cat, and his ashes. On the 20th anniversary of his passing, Cat signed some of Mark's books using the new autograph stamp at a few different locations.

One stop on the ash-o-graph tour was a local New Dimension Comics store, which explains how a copy of this book wound up at another nearby store in the Pittsburgh area, and after paying a total of one dollar for it, it now resides in my collection, absolutely one of the most unique books that I own.

Gender Through Comic Books week two progress report

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I had signed up for Ball State's open-registration online class titled "Gender Through Comic Books".  The class started up on April 2nd and it's met twice since then.  I am, apparently, one of around 70,000 attendees, making this (if the number is accurate) akin to a giant comic convention in its own right.

I've never taken an online course before, so I'm trying to pay attention to the structure of the course as opposed to just going along with the flow of things.  I'm taking down notes because if this is at all successful (and, heck, even if it's not) I might try to run my own massive online class one day.  At this point in the course, I'd say that things are going well.  If nothing else, I've had the opportunity to pick up some interesting comics as texts for the class:

Our first session centered around Terry Moore and the Strangers in Paradise series.  We read the first issue of Rachel Rising and the first two volumes of the SiP trades.  These trades were hard to find and I had to do some searching to come up with a copy for myself.  The stores that I checked were all out of the volumes in question, but they all had all of the other volumes, which led me to believe that others in the area are also taking this course.  New Dimension Comics at Century III mall came though for me in the end, though they were also out of stock of the "pocket" volume, which collects both of the larger format volumes into one book.  For the other issues, eBay has been busy tallying up my transactions, but I haven't had too much of a problem.

During each week, we have a live video chat with a comic book creator about the topic of the course, gender identity.  Terry Moore was on the docket last week, and this past Tuesday Mark Waid showed up.  In all, the class has had its choppy moments, and there's a lot of reading to do - along with selected comics, there's also an academic article to read every week, videos to watch, surveys to take and posts to make on discussion boards.  I can't imagine how much work this must be for the developers of this course.  After the class ends in May, I plan on trying to bend the ear of the teacher to get some tips, and we'll see where it leads.

I'll post some more updates when we're further into the class.  For now, I'm excited to be a part of this big event.  I'll bet that the creators of the books we're all buying are also pretty excited.  They must be getting a nice bump!

Read FUBAR for Free Comic Book Day!

Free Comic Book Day is just around the corner, and that means it's time to grab some books from your local comic shop free of charge.  As I've written about on this blog (over and over again), FUBAR Press and 215 Ink teamed up to release two brand new comics for this event.

Below, I'll list the stores participating in the FCBD celebration.  If you go to any of these stores on Saturday, May 5th, you can grab a copy of FUBAR: The Devil's Dance Floor and the Apes with Uzis/Vic Boone flip book absolutely for free!  If you don't see a store near you listed, or if you can't make it out for Free Comic Book Day, you can download the complete FUBAR story - for free - by clicking on the link. There's no excuse to not check out this story.  Jeff McComsey did pretty much everything on the interior pages, and Steve Becker drew the unbelievably cool cover.

Ain't It Cool News wrote a review of the story, and you can read it here: http://www.aintitcool.com/node/55402#4

For my own part, I'll be signing some copies of the 215 flipbook (and, really, anything anyone wants me to sign) at California, PA's Evil Genius Comics.  If you're from the Pittsburgh Area, there'll also be books at Pittsburgh Comics in McMurray and all of the area New Dimension Comics locations.  Stop by on Saturday and pick up a free comic!

Here's the list of comic shops that'll have FUBAR and 215 Ink books.

COMIC BOOK JONES

Staten Island, NY

THE COMIC STORE

Lancaster, PA

LARRY’S COMICS

Lowell, MA

THINGS FROM ANOTHER WORLD

Milwaukie, OR

Portland, OR

Beaverton, OR

KINGDOM COMICS

Vestavia Hills, AL

JAY AND SILENT BOB’S SECRET STASH

Red Bank, NJ

DRAGON’S DEN COMICS AND GAMES

Sioux Falls, SD

TRAVELING MAN NEW CASTLE

Newcastle, UK

4-COLOUR, 8-BIT COMICS & GAMES

Kingston, Ontario CA

ALAKAZAM COMICS

Irvine, CA

TEXASTOYZ

Corpus Christi, TX

ALTERNATE REALITY COMICS

Las Vegas, NV

MOSTLY COMICS

St.Catharines, Ontario CA

RICHARDS COMICS & COLLECTABLES

Greenville, SC

SOUTHERN FRIED COMICS

Hattiesburg, MS

FOUR COLOR FANTASIES

Winchester, VA

MEMORY LANE COMICS

Wilmington, NC

HEROES AND VILLAINS

Tucson, AZ

AMAZING FANTASY

Hull, UK

RX COMICS

Vancouver, British Columbia CA

MAIN STREET COMICS

Middletown, NY

PITTSBURGH COMICS

McMurray, PA

ATLAS COMICS

Charlottesville, VA

PULP FICTION COMICS AND GAMES

Lee’s Summit, MO

TRADERS OF BABYLON COMICS

Hoboken, NJ

HEROES AREN’T HARD TO FIND

Charlotte, NC

LIBRAIRIE PREMIERE ISSUE

Quebec City, Quebec CA

BEYOND COMICS

Frederick, MD

SPEEDING BULLET COMICS

Norman, OK

LITTLE MONSTER COMICS

Somerset, KY

THIRD EYE COMICS ANNAPOLIS

Annapolis, MD

Prince Frederick, MD

FAT JACK’S COMICS CRYPT

Philadelphia, PA

CONQUEST COMICS

Bayville, NJ

NEW DIMENSION COMICS

Ellwood City, PA

West Mifflin, PA

Butler, PA

Cranberry Twp, PA

Tarentum, PA

TWO KINGS COMICS

Victor, NY

BRIDGE CITY COMICS

Portland, OR

COMIX CONNECTIONS YORK

York, PA

COMIX CONNECTIONS MECHANICSBURG

Mechanicsburg, PA

COLLECTOR’S CORNER

Baltimore, MD

FANTASY COMICS

Tucson, AZ

EVIL GENIUS COMICS AND CARDS

California, PA

Let's all go to Butt-Con!

Hey, kids?  Not doing anything this weekend?  Do you like fun, games, collectibles and most importantly butts?  Then hop on down to Butt-Con IV this February 11th and 12th for what is sure to be...wait, what?  It's not Butt-Con, but "But-Con"?  Like a conjunction convention?  Oh, wait.  "But" stands for "Butler".  It's the Bulter-Con.  Oh.  Ooooh.

I bought a few comics this past week from the good folks up at New Dimension Comics, and on my bag was pasted the above flyer.  Now, NDC has been known to put on a good show, and it's run by some great people.  I'm also sure that, as this is its fourth year running, the jokes about asses are played out.  But "But Con"?  Really?  That's hilarious.  Oh well.  If anyone is in the mood to meet R2D2 or Pittsburgh's own Steelman, you now know where to go.  To Butt-Con.

*snort*

Okay, it's still kind of funny.

San Diego Scare, FUBAR celebrity endorsement, "Why does Marvel cancel my favorite unpublished books" and more!

Hey, kids!  It's another edition of "things I feel like posting", starring me, Jeff.  YOU SHOULD BE HONORED, PEOPLE.

- In September, I officially applied to the 2012 Comic-Con International show in San Diego.  I was disheartened to get a thin envelope - the sure sign of doom in any application process - in the mail just last week, but was perplexed when the envelope simply contained my voided check and a brief letter explaining "hey, we're returning your check" and nothing else.

I assumed that this letter meant that I was not accepted to the show, but upon contacting the folks at CCI, it was pointed out that the check was actually from last year.  The fact that they kept my check for over 12 months was fairly surprising, but I'll take it, because it means that Wagon Wheel Comics is still in the running for a table at this summer's big show!

- So John Schneider reading Teddy and the Yeti is officially old news.  Some fellow FUBAR creators caught up with Chandler Riggs, "Carl" from AMC's The Walking Dead and got this picture with him and volume 1 of the graphic novel.  Look how cute this kid is!  It's funny that he's on a TV-MA rated show and here has an R-rated book in his hand...is he allowed to watch/read either?  It's a cool picture regardless...and wow, what a show TWD is turning out to be.

- My trip to Myrtle Beach and Xcon World in October provided me with more than just two nights in the Viking Inn motel (an interesting place); I made it home with all my teeth and some swag from the Swampfox Media booth.  The Swampfox guys and girls are local to the Myrtle Beach area and had some really neat stuff on display.  My favorite was certainly No Rest for the Wicked, a supervillain spoof along the lines of Dr. Horrible.  Check 'em out at  http://swampfoxmedia.com/!

- The mainstream comic industry is going through some changes these days.  DC's "New 52" revamp is getting all of the attention (good and bad) these past few months, but Marvel is making news, too, in its, uh, "streamlining" of its output.  Several titles have even been cancelled before they were even released, and what's most frustrating about that is that SOME OF THEM STARRED THE THING!!

This is nothing short of an outrage.  I'm speaking, of course, about the "Destroyers" limited series, but there's also Victor Von Doom by Nick Spencer and Becky Cloonan.

Both DC and Marvel seem to be saving me money these past few months, with the cancellations of titles I read like Secret Six, Doom Patrol, Spider-Girl, Herc and now X-23 (which I had just started to pick up).  I don't mind saving money, but this all in all makes me a little bit nervous.

- Don't forget (DON'T YOU DARE) that tomorrow (Sunday the 20th, which I guess is today) is New Dimension's Pittsburgh Comics & Collectibles Show at Century III mall from 11:00-5:00.  I will be there, and so will...other people.  The Post-Gazette even put it on the "Weekend Hotlist"!  So you know it'll be great.

- Lastly, and this is the second Dukes of Hazzard reference I'm making in this post, more old Shrinky Dinks were found and made.  Who knew these things were this fun?  Well, I did, of course.  Larry has the whole ordeal posted up on his excellent DukesCollector website, which you can see by clicking here!

Pittsburgh Comic & Collectibles Show - Sunday, Nov. 20th

Remember that time I said that this year's Xcon World would be the last convention (or mini-con, as it were) I'd be attending in 2011?  Well, I'm a liar.  Really, does this surprise anyone?  I lie all the time, and not just about little stuff, either.  Like one time I said I'd take the garbage out BUT THEN I TOTALLY DIDN'T!  I can be a real bastard at times.

Anyway, I recently was invited to New Dimension Comics's 2011 Pittsburgh Comic & Collectibles Show, and since it's right in the neighborhood, I decided that it was worth the exception.  I went last year and had a good time, so I'm hoping that this year works out as well.

This show takes place on Sunday, November 20th from 11:00 am until 5:00 pm.  And the Steelers have their bye this week, so no one's gonna miss the game (thank goodness).  The show will be held, as last year, at Century III mall, near one of New Dimension's store locations.  The official information, from the NDC crew is as follows:

Pittsburgh Comic & Collectibles Show!  

Nov. 20th, 2011 

11am to 5pm 

Inside Pittsburgh's Century III Mall. The 1st 100 attendees get BOTH a FREE NDC Exclusive comic book AND FREE T-SHIRT! All for a $3.00 entry fee! Come early! 

Over 20 guests and many vendors of comics & collectibles will be in attendance! http://ndcomics.com/1110show.html

If you go to the website, you can see pictures from last year, including a few of the Wagon Wheel booth:

These kind of look like security camera pictures.  No stealing from the booth, kids.

Magic Bullet #3!

Thanks to Rafer Roberts and, well, the United States Postal Service, I got some copies of DC Conspiracy's The Magic Bullet #3 yesterday, and it looks great.  I'm always happy when some of my work gets printed, but it's more of a treat to read the other entries and see what else people are creating.  The page limit is a real challenge and it's something others find more creative ways to deal with that I do.  Even so, I think "The League of Obscure Historical Figures", with art by Jeff McComsey, turned out very well.

As with any publication featuring multiple contributors, I found that this issue contained stories that I liked alongside others I didn't enjoy as much, but there was more good than bad.  I especially enjoyed entries by Bill Ellis, Dominic Vivona, Matt Sheean and Michael May & Jason Copland.

To find a copy of is issue, you can check out this Google Map for locations around the country.  The map is as of yet incomplete, as I haven't added my stack to the list.  If you're in the Pittsburgh area, I'll be dropping copies off at the Century III New Dimension Comics, Impossible Dreams, Pittsburgh Comics and Evil Genius Comics.  I'll also take a few copies with me to next week's Xcon World and maybe even Fanboy Comics in Wilmington, NC.

Look familiar?

This month, DC Comics is publishing most of their books with "theme" covers - simple, solitary shots of main characters in front of logos.  It's a cheap event that still manages to catch the attention of readers who might be scanning the shelves - and, if you ask me, it looks pretty neat.  I'd say that this is a win on the behalf of the DC marketing people.  Here's a look at some of the covers to the books, all of which are out now:

I'd be remiss, of course, in not pointing out that these covers looks strikingly similar to something done last year with the New Dimension Comics cover of Teddy and the Yeti #1 (by Alan Gallo and Karin Rindevall), seen here:

This is not to say that I'm trying to make any claim that DC somehow saw this and decided to copy it.  That'd be ridiculous, as it's a fairly simple idea.  I just think it's cool that Teddy and the Yeti #1 fits in with the above group pretty seamlessly.

Oh, and...uh...you can still buy that copy of Teddy and the Yeti directly from the New Dimension Comics website!

Q&A with Hack/Slash's Tim Seeley, part 2

My interview with Hack/Slash co-creator Tim Seeley concludes today.  This time around we'll discuss his new Ant-Man & Wasp miniseries at Marvel, and ending for Hack/Slash, and yes...of course...He-Man!  Well, kind of, anyway.  Read the first half of the interview here!

JM: The first part of the Ant-Man & Wasp miniseries is currently in stores.  What do you hope to accomplish with this series?


TS: I just approached it as a chance to tell a really fun, very "Marvel" superhero  book.  Marvel characters are great because they're often flawed guys trying to do better.  They're just like the rest of us.

JM: To me, Hank Pym has always been a very unlikable character and Eric O'Grady has been misused since his own series was cancelled.  It just seems to me like no one knows to to really do with either character.  Is it really that difficult to make these two appealing?


TS: To me, Hank's lack of likability comes from the way he's been used, but there's nothing inherently bad about him.  He's a cool character...the ultimate scientist with a whole bunch of flaws and ever more colorful costumes.  I just have to focus on those aspects.  Eric is a jerk, but is likable because he's hilariously immoral.

JM: Is Hack/Slash a book you hope to see continue in an open-ended fashion, or do you have an ending in mind?


TS: I have an ending!  But I won't get to it any time soon.

JM: Lastly, name at least one things you liked about the Masters of the Universe movie.


TS: One thing?  But there's so many!  Frank Langella as Skeletor, though - that's the best part.  Even if you hate the movie, you gotta admit that he is one awesome bad guy.

THE PARTY NEVER STOPS!

The Teddy and the Yeti 2010 tour (check out that alliteration!) makes one final stop before exploding and perhaps maiming all involved.  I'll be appearing at the Pittsburgh Comic & Collectibles Show one week from today (November 14th) at the Century III mall New Dimension Comics store.  Also attending are "guys you might have actually heard of" like Jim Shooter and Ron Frenz, Teddy and the Yeti cover artists Tom Scioli and Pat Olliffe (come get a copy of issue #3 signed!), and a bunch of other jerks outstanding citizens.

I'm not entirely sure of the hours for the show.  This is something that I should know.  I'll find that out soon.  In any case, I'm sure it'll be over early enough to get home and watch the Steeler game at 8:20.  So...stop by.  Here's the website!  http://www.ndcomics.com/1110show.html

And here's the same bio that I've used the entire year!  Perhaps I should change it up for the next show...supposedly in 2011.

It's time for more random notes! DEAL WITH IT!

It's time again for me to tell the world about various things that are going on in the world of Teddy and the Yeti...and other comic stuff that I feel like talking about.  And Franks and Beans.  Let's get to it!

- I posted a picture of the soon-to-arrive Teddy and the Yeti sketch cards the other day, mentioning that I'm working on a total of 18 trading cards for the series.  Several of the cards will be "character" cards, similar to the old Marvel Universe series from the early 1990s.  A number of artists are working on these cards, and I delegated the character Craxl (from the "Seeing is Believing" story in issue #3) to superstar Alan Gallo, cover artist on the New Dimension Comics version of issue #1.  He sketched a couple different versions before we settled on a pose, all of which you can see below.  They're all pretty good - though I do think the bottom right looks a bit like a deranged Dr. Zoidberg.

- So, the economy is currently in the toilet.  Times are tough, I know.  One good thing to come out of these economic times is the bevy of deals to be had on eBay.  I recently bought Fantastic Four annual #2 - the origin of Dr. Doom! - for less than 20 bucks.  Twenty bucks!  Holy crap.  I was happy to see that, upon inspection, the book did not feature characters with penned-on mustaches, as has happened before. I also got issue #32 for around $17.

- I'm currently trying to organize my entire comic book collection, which is a real pain in the butt.  All of the comics I've bought for the last seven years or so have been placed in their own bags with boards, but any comic I got before that time is another story.  So I'm alphabetizing and trying to get all of the comics packed away like a good obsessed collector should.  Right now I'm on "N", and I want to gouge my eyes out.

- A friend recently send me a link to one of the strangest blogs I've yet to come across, comic related or not.  The site is called "Dateline: Silver Age", and it's devoted to posting newspaper headlines from stories in Silver Age comic books.  There's no editorial content, no contextual information beyond the issue title, number and date.  It's just the picture.  So bizarre.  I find that I go there at least once a week, and I have no idea why.  It's strangely intoxicating.

- A little while ago I mentioned that the Franks and Beans website had crashed.  I did my best and managed to get it up and running again, only to find that the site might have been hacked and - oh no! - there might be a virus imbedded in its code.  So for all that is holy, don't go to the main website!  At least until I get THAT problem worked out as well.  For now, though, you can console yourself by watching the videos on YouTube, which is almost as good.  In fact, I've uploaded a ton of new episodes in the last week.  Here's one of my favorites:

There will be a test.

It's been a while since I've posted any new art around here, so...hey!  New art!

This clip is from the short story "Final Exam", and the stupendous art you see is by none other than Alan Gallo, the man who drew the New Dimension Comics cover to the first issue of Teddy and the Yeti, among other things.  The plan is to publish this, along with a look at issue #4, in a black and white "preview" book to have for the big New York Comic-Con show.  I did something similar before issue #1, and I think it helped make some people aware of the series, so let's hope that this does the same.

And in case you're wondering, yes, this story was hell to letter.  Probably the most time I've spent per page on any story I've worked on...ever.  But I suppose that it takes some time to look as awesome as it does.  And oh...it does.

Cover Cameo

Hack/Slash: My First Maniac (I almost typed "My Pet Monster"), the first issue published under the Image Comics banner, comes out in stores today.  This issue features three covers: two standard editions and one exclusive edition from New Dimension Comics.  As I've mentioned before, the exclusive includes tiny pictures of Teddy and the Yeti scattered about (look closely, they're there).  And really, isn't that enough reason to run (RUN!) out to your local New Dimension Comics and buy a copy today?  If not, oh, look!  You can buy it online here!

It's like having my characters appear in an Image book without having to do ANY of the work to get my ideas approved by Image.  Because...that's what happened, I guess.  Hooray!

the new art mystery

Hey, look!  It's new art featuring Teddy and the Yeti!  Keen observers will note that these pencils are done by none other than Alan Gallo, the artist for the New Dimension Comics exclusive cover of Teddy and the Yeti #1.  No, Duane hasn't left the book - this is a one-page story that I don't want to get into too many details about right now.  But everyone appreciates new art, right?  Right.  So I wanted to post this - a clip, anyway - for all to see.

And hey, check out the Yeti's sleek new wristwatch!  Shiny.

guest appearance

Take a peek at the cover posted above.  I'm willing to guess that the hidden Teddy and the Yeti covers aren't the first things people are going to notice.  Or the second, etc., but since this is a Teddy and the Yeti-centric blog, it's my duty to point them out to readers and general passers-by.

This image was just passed on to me by my good friend Todd at New Dimension Comics.  The folks at NDC are working with the creators of Hack/Slash, the Devil's Due horror/monster title that recently made the switch to Image Comics, to put out this exclusive cover.  If I'm not mistaken, this will be a special cover to the first issue of the miniseries Hack/Slash: My First Maniac, which will be the first issue that Image is releasing.

To say that I'm thrilled is an understatement.  Obviously, the image of the NDC version of Teddy and the Yeti #1, with cover art by Alan Gallo and Karin Rindevall, is a minor aspect of the cover that I'm sure most people will skim right over (because, hey, there are sexy girls on the cover, and one of 'em has a knife), but seeing my work in this regard, on the cover of an Image book that has a movie in some form of production, is really fun to see.  Beyond this, I can now make the claim that the Teddy and the Yeti comic book exists in the Hack/Slash universe along with Invincible (#46, bottom left, next to the pizza box).  Perhaps we'll have a crossover or something.

I'll keep an eye on the release date for the book and update this blog when it shows up in stores.  And if you STILL can't pick out Teddy and the Yeti on the above cover, I've cropped the images out for you.  Now that's service!

What is that, a bent corner?  Man, you gotta be more careful with those things.

Pop! Culture

I realize that simply posting the ads I'm running in Teddy and the Yeti might come across as tedious.  To this I have two replies: first, it's my blog.  Second, I really do enjoy placing ads in the book, if nothing else than because they each mean something to me on a personal level.  The "convention edition" (so special it warrants quotation marks) of issue #3, out NEXT WEEK! contains two new ads: the earlier mentioned convention listing and the above, promoting a new toy store that impresses me probably more than it should.

Pop Culture Connection, located in Greensburg, PA - a suburb of Pittsburgh - got my friend Larry talking from the first time he stumbled upon it, and when I was visiting in February - the same day I was signing Teddy and the Yeti #2 at New Dimension Comics, actually - he took me to check out the shop.  I didn't have very high expectations but even if I had, the shop would have exceeded them by a wide margin.  I expected it to be a poorly lit garage with jumbles of old broken-in-half He-Man figures (you know, like most old toy stores), but Pop Culture is really nothing like that.  I realize that I've devoted more time and money to collecting comics than is probably healthy, but even so I don't think of myself as having a necessarily addictive personality.  That being said, I could go into debt in this store just buying things I don't really care about - it's that cool.  Walls filled with toys in great condition, from the 1940s to the late '90s.

We're talking old staples like GI Joe and Transformers, He-Man and Thundercats, TMNT and various super heroes, but also more obscure items like Snailiens.  Do you remember Snailiens?  I always assumed that I was the only one - I got most of these generic figures (and their enemies, the Lunarticks...really) back when I was 14 or so when a department store in town was having a going out of business sale.  They've since been shipped off to their new home at the dump, which is a shame, because apparently they're one of the harder lines of toys to find and as such command a high price (not that I'd sell them...it'd be too emotionally stressful).

The owner of the store, a young guy named Jeremy, is really knowledgeable when it comes to toys and collectables in general, and it shows in how he's got the place set up.  It's amazing how much crap was made and sold to kids - and it's equally amazing how nostalgic I got when I saw it all.  Larry goes there to fill in his already burgeoning Dukes of Hazzard collection, and I go there to become poor.  Actually, I've contained myself pretty well, but that's due to the fact that I live about 650 miles from the store.  Still, I'm sure to make it back to Pop Culture Connection one day soon, and then...look out.  I've got my eye on the talking Alf doll to give as a gag Christmas gift.

I don't mean to be a walking billboard or anything - really I don't - but I was just THAT impressed by the store.  I was even taken back by the stuff I have no interest in anymore - Smurfs and Pee Wee's Playhouse and the like.  If you live in the Pittsburgh area, you need to check this place out.

Here's a picture of something I took home with me:

...awesome, right?  Right.

issue #3 cover

Karin Rindevall recently sent me the colored version of the cover to Teddy and the Yeti #3!  How Kirby-esque!  Pencils for this beauty are by Tom (Godland) Scioli with inks by Alan Gallo, who drew the New Dimension Comics version of T&Y #1.  In the meantime, I am hard at work at actually putting issue #3 together...so I'm going to get back to that.  The end.

Weekend signings

As part of Teddy and the Yeti #2's release, I was able to take the book around to a few Pittsburgh area stores, stopping to sign some copies at Evil Genius Comics in California and New Dimension Comics in the Century III mall.  The turnout was light at times, but the overall flow was good - I managed to not only sell some books (including a copy of the hefty Josh Howard Presents: Sasquatch and a few copies of the NDC exclusive #1), but I got to have some good conversations with fans who ventured up to the table at both locations as well.  It was even more satisfying to hear from people who read issue #1 and were back for more.  Hooray, the book has followers!

My thanks go out to the proprietors of the two shops, who continue to be more than generous in giving me the space to show off Teddy and the Yeti.  Evil Genius and New Dimension Comics - all five locations, at least as soon as copies are split up - have plenty of copies on their shelves right now, so if you weren't able to make it to the stores this weekend (all six and a half billion of you, roughly), there's still time!

ISSUE TWOOOOOOOO!

UPS had me worried all of Thursday and Friday morning, but they came through in the end - Teddy and the Yeti #2 was delivered at 10:40 AM on Friday morning, and the result is as seen above.

The books themselves look great - the pages are crisp and both the front and back covers (T&Y by Duane, Mr. Massive by Todd Nauck) came out really well.  I've spent the past few days taking copies around to various shops, signing a few at both Evil Genius and New Dimension Comics, and generally trying to get the word out.  I'll have them for sale on the website within the next few days, and I'll send out creator copies before the week is over.  It's a busy time but it'll all happen...promise!

It's such a relief to get issue #2 out - not just because it took a lot of work to finish, but because having a second issue goes a long way to legitimizing the comic.  In my opinion, anyone can put out one issue of a comic book - I'll go further and say that I think anyone can put out one GOOD issue, as well.  Anyone can do the work and get an issue on the shelves, but it's going back and starting the process all over again that really separates those serious about the craft from those who can't quite cut it.  The creation process is a long, difficult, lonely one, and I think that a lot of creators expend all of their creative energy on one issue, leaving nothing left for a second.  If I had to guess, I would say that getting an issue #2 completed and printed is the most difficult process in any series, let alone an independent one.

I hope I'm not sounding like I'm full of myself, but I am really proud of getting this issue back from the printer.  Hopefully it'll be successful, because just as anyone can PRODUCE a first issue, it's easy for anyone to BUY a first issue.  How many people stick around for the second is a big indicator of if the story is any good.

Another signing at New Dimension Comics!

Teddy and the Yeti #2 is right around the corner (UPS's information tells me that it's been in New Stanton since 8:51 this morning.  What is the hold up?  Don't they know I will drive there to pick them up?  Come on!) - and I've just set up a new signing at the Century III New Dimension Comics.  NDC has a great presence in Pittsburgh, and the Century III store is pretty big - and it's got the curious distinction of being located in a mall, so there are plenty of passers by who have never read a comic book in their lives and thus give you the strangest looks as you try to sell them your comic...but perhaps that's just me.

In any case, some of the smaller details still need to be worked out, but it looks like I'll be there on Saturday the 20th (two days away!) at 3:00 to...question mark.  Don't you know that all the best parties end at question mark?  Perhaps you should stop on by and see.