"When you've been at this for as long as I have, you stop believing in coincidence."

My buying habits on eBay tend to follow a pattern of either feast of famine.  I usually control myself fairly well (though I suppose I probably don't have enough distance to make that claim with any impartiality), but there are a few times when I just end up buying things that are weird.  Case in point, I recently bought two Fantastic Four-related role-playing game books, each about 20 years old.  The first stars the Thing, and the cover of the book has the Thing punching another Thing, so OF COURSE I had to get it.  Here's the cover:

Aside from the unfortunate scratch around the "M" in "Marvel", the book looks like it just came from the printer.  It's a good thing it looks so nice, because the inside is just a big pile of crap.  I'm not trying to dump on role-playing games or anything - I don't know enough about them to judge, I guess - but this particular game doesn't seem like anything I could ever get into.  For one thing, the book doesn't come with the necessary six-sided die (what a gyp!), which leads you on a journey in which the Thing fights the Kingpin and his goons in Thing suits.  For another, here's a sample of the text: "You turn to Kingpin and shout, 'You might be able to beat one of us - maybe - but two Things can lick anybody.'"  Wow.

The other book stars the entire Fantastic Four and is titled "Stygian Knight", which actually doesn't sound that bad, until you realize the main villain is named "Stygorr".  Oh well.  Let's see a picture of that one!

I imagine that the theme is similar to the Thing game, but this one is open to four players.  What struck me about these two different books, coming from two separate auctions, is that the cover art is by the same guy on both, and I had no idea of this before I got them in the mail.

The artist on both books is Jeff Butler, and through the magic of the Google I just found out that he has his own webpage and a rather hefty Wikipedia entry...and wouldn't you know it, some of his work is pretty good.

This is quite the coincidence, but upon further inspection, it looks like both books were published by the company TSR, so I'm assuming that 'ol Jeff was a staff artist for them for a while.  Even so, it's funny how things like this come together sometimes.

programming notes

A few notes about the upcoming New York Comic Con:

- The Wagon Wheel Comics booth has been renumbered: it's now located at booth 350, as opposed to 550, which I was originally told.  I don't think there's been a change in where the booth will be physically; for some reason they just decided to renumber much of the small press section.  We'll still be there, though, right next to Artist Alley, near similar booths with Khary Randolph, David Lloyd and other creators whose work greatly overshadows my own.

- I forgot to mention this last time, but the Teddy and the Yeti trading cards that turned out so well were printed by Versicolor.  Yes, I realize that versicolor is a type of skin fungus.  But it's also a printing company!  Check out their website here: http://www.versicolorproductions.com/!

- What you see above is not some strange alien marking, but Teddy and the Yeti's own individual QR code (Wikipedia explains its function pretty well here), able to be read by, among other devices, any smart phone.  Scanning this barcode takes you right to the main Teddy and the Yeti webpage.  Look for this on everything I do from now until forever.

- The main focus of the booth this year will be, of course, Teddy and the Yeti.  But my friend Larry and I have been working on getting Franks and Beans some space on the table as well.  To that end, we've put DVDs together of the first two season - 48 episodes! - and will have 'em at the show.  Above is the cover, front and back, to the first DVD.  Ooo, there's a QR code on that as well!

Pre Convention Random Notes

It's time for another EXTREMELY POPULAR random post from me, an extremely popular poster.  And by that I mean the "placard intended for posting in a public place" definition...I'm feeling rather existential today.  Anyway, it's almost time for me to pack up and head to the Pittsburgh Comicon this weekend, so I'll go over a few things that are on my mind.  And by "on my mind" I mean...okay, never mind.  That joke is dead.

- The copyright-infringing poster you see above is from Wilmington area Fanboy Comics.  The comic store is doing a great thing by holding a food drive that supports the Foodbank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.  Not that giving to the needy ever needs a tangible reward (just try not to come off as...gasp...a socialist!), but Fanboy is giving away some swag if you bring in some canned food.  Check it out!

- Teddy and the Yeti issue #3 is on its way from the terrifying storehouses of New Jersey to the terrifying front porch of my parents' house via a terrifying UPS truck, where I will meet up with it soon.  I should be getting both the regular edition and the extra terrifying convention edition at the same time, if all goes according to plan (I'll post pictures of things like the shipping box as always, don't worry).  You can follow along here, because you're curious about shipping schedules, right?  Perhaps it'll already be delivered by the time to check.

- My new friend Henry has once again done me a great favor by posting a preview of Teddy and the Yeti #3 on his always amusing "I love the Yeti" blog.  It mentions the Pittsburgh convention as well, which is great.  Check it out if you already haven't - not just for the preview, but hey, that too.

- I've briefly updated this blog by adding some resources and links.  To see them, just look to your right.  Really, it's there, just look...oh, okay, I'll post a picture of the VERY BLOG you're reading.  Specifically, I've added some "reference"-style material such as the Wikipedia page, online stores where you can buy Teddy and the Yeti, and links to fellow T&Y contributors, friends, and...Weird Al.  Because I can.  I'm planning on also creating a list containing the physical "brick and mortar" stores that carry the book...but I ran out of time.  Soon.

- I'm showing the movie "V for Vendetta" as an out-of-class assignment tonight where I work.  I'm almost ashamed to say that I might just like the movie, as sensationalist as it tends to be, more than the Alan Moore-penned graphic novel of the same title.  Hugo Weaving does a fantastic job.  I've done this for a few years now, so I might have watched this movie more than any other movie in my life...but every time I push "play", I have to pay attention.  It happens, I guess.

- I'll end with something un-comic related, but familiar to those who read the blog (BOTH OF YOU).  There's a new episode of the Internet(s) sensation Franks and Beans online.  I'll embed it below, because...I feel like it.  Enjoy!

Teddy and the Yeti on Wikipedia

In either a sign that the book is gaining some form of cultural relevance or perhaps a sign of the apocalypse, Teddy and the Yeti now has its very own entry on Wikipedia, the encyclopedia that anyone can add crap to.  Now anyone who types that phrase into Google (I've never been known to do that) will find the Wiki article staring them in the face.

I'm happy that the characters have reached such a cultural benchmark, in all honesty.  Looking at the article itself, it seems that, uh...whoever wrote it certainly does have a big, uh, insight into the book.  Yes.  Well, *ah hem*, I will let others click on the link and decide that messy business for themselves.  And if anyone decides to add in that Teddy and the Yeti #4 will feature the Yeti vs. Sarah Palin (in a steel cage match), well, I suppose that's your prerogative.  That's Wikipedia for you!