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!

cute overload

I wrote a little while ago about commissioning June Gilbank of PlanetJune to make a pattern for a crochet Yeti doll.  June, of course, came through with flying colors on the pattern, but there was still the part about actually making the doll that needed to be addressed.  Well, as the saying goes, fortune favors the bold, because my wife took it upon herself to first learn to crochet (a crucial step in the process) and then make this great rendition you see above.

After seeing the final project, it's obvious that that right choice was made in getting the pattern and moving forward with these (officially licensed!) Yeti dolls, because holy crap, those things are friggin' adorable.  We'll be sure to have a bundle to sell at the upcoming New York Comic-Con, where I imagine people will completely ignore the book for the aesthetically pleasing qualities of this crocheted wonder.  I look forward to it!

Dr. Horrible and other notes

If you're a self-respecting Firefly fan (and who isn't?) and you live in or reasonably close to Wilmington, North Carolina, you've got to check out the Brown Coat Pub & Theatre.  It's a Firefly/Serentiy themed bar/restaurant that also puts on plays and musicals.  This month's play just happens to be another Joss Whedon brainchild, Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog, which is just like combining chocolate and peanut butter.

I took the show in last week and it was a lot of fun - and unbeknownst to me, the role of Penny is being performed by my friend June Bunce, so that's even more reason to go...I guess.  This is the last weekend for Dr. Horrible at the Brown Coat, so if you're able, check it out!

- June Gilbank of PlanetJune wrote about the crochet Yeti doll she made at my behest on her website, and soon a thousand or so other sites picked up on it.  Apparently amigurumi yetis are big news on the Internet(s).  News of the crochet pattern soon sprung up on Facebook, Amazon, a bunch of blogs, and my favorite, a website titled "Bigfoot Lunch Club".

In addition to the Yeti, June also created a crochet Sasquatch, which, really, makes a lot of sense (and also looks adorable).  She's working on the book The Complete Idiot's Guide to Amigurumi, due out in October, and if she really twists my arm about including the Yeti in the book...I suppose I'd have to let her.  And by that I mean hoooooly crap would that be awesome.

- Fanboy Comics recently held a drawing for free Avengers stuff as a promotion for the new Avengers series (not to be confused with the new New Avengers series that will also be out soon).  Fanboy does a lot of great things to advertise their store, but I've never won anything from them...until now.  My name got picked and I got this nifty-looking Mighty Avengers: Assemble hardcover that you can see below:

To this, I say..."hey-ooo!"  I look forward to reading it, as I didn't pick up all of the individual issues when this series launched a few years ago.  I wonder if it'll seem better because it was free.

- Who else wasted hours of their lives by playing Google's Pac-Man from last weekend?  Okay, "wasted" isn't accurate - I enjoyed the heck out of it.  And, wonder upon wonders, Google has left it online at www.google.com/pacman.

Did you know that if you hit the "insert coin" button twice, you can play a two-player game with Ms. Pac-Man?  Her controls are the WASD buttons.

- Lastly, as always, here's a new episode of Franks and Beans.  This one is titled "Kill Switch", and I think you'll like it.  If you don't, you might just be a communist.

Crochet, anyone?

I just received this image of a crocheted Yeti (capital "Y") in my inbox from none other than June Gilbank of PlanetJune.  I commissioned June to create the likeness of the Yeti character after seeing some of the other work she's completed - yes, pretty much everything she's done is adorable.  JUST LOOK AT THIS MONKEY:

I'm pretty thrilled with the way things turned out, and just as thrilled that June will be selling the pattern on her website (in case you want to make your own) with a link and a reference to the Teddy and the Yeti website/comic...so now I have an inroad with the crochet crowd...yes!

I will also be selling this Yeti - but the completed figure as opposed to the pattern.  That is, I will be doing that once I either learn how to crochet or find someone who is capable.  Uh, Mom?  I've never seen you crochet before in my life, but I'll bet you're able with your magic mom powers.  We'll see.  This is just one step in the process, but it's a big one.  Look for this to show up in the online store once we get up and running with the needlework.  If nothing else, I'll be sure to have a basketful on hand for the New York Comic-Con.

This is a separate entity from the Yeti doll crafted by codename: Punkvixen from the Etsy website.  Those are still on their way and are about twice the size of this crochet version, and I plan on having both available (for the discriminating consumer) at some point.  Just look at it this way: my ancillary potential Yeti merchandise just increased by 100%. The world is now a better place.