Andromeda Jones by Todd Nauck and Karin Rindevall (what's old is new again!)

The pencil and inked version of this file has been virtually sitting on my hard drive for nearly five years now (a staggering amount of time for a single comic book page, really) - I remember being in Youngstown and sending an e-mail to Todd Nauck about something that transformed into this finished piece of artwork.  Earlier today, I got an e-mail from super colorist Karin Rindevall with this attached.

At the time, I think I was trying to jump start an Andromeda Jones series and this seemed like a good way to drum up interest.  I'm sure it would have been if I had a better overall plan for AJ and the rest of her crew - as it is, though, I'm happy to revisit the characters and the premise every now and then.  Perhaps I should just treat it like an overt science fiction property and not worry about some of the backstory and details as much as I sometimes do.

The original black and white file was lettered by Adnan Virk, who is quite possibly the best letterer I have even a passing personal relationship with.  Adnan is a writer by trade and only lettered as a convenience (which I can relate to), and I don't think he goes that route any more, so I have a decision to make when it comes to that.  I'll probably give it a try myself and see how I do.

In any case, it's great to see this piece of artwork as it brings back memories of what seems like forever ago.  Todd did a great job with this, of course, and Karin really brought the rest of it to life with her colors.  Will this see print?  I can't see how it couldn't eventually, and a story that's one page in length shouldn't be too much of a hassle.  I'll just have to see where it'll work best.

Celebrity Endorsement

Hey, look!  It's TV celebrity John Schneider from such shows as the Dukes of Hazzard and Smallville!  This picture makes it obvious that Mr. Schneider is a huge fan of Teddy and the Yeti.  Well, okay - all it proves is that he reads Teddy and the Yeti.  All right - okay!  All it proves is that he was coerced into taking a picture holding the book in a manner that made it look like he was reading it.  Fine!  Geez.

This all came about thanks to my friend (and yours) Larry, who is not only an avid supporter of T&Y or a dedicated co-star of Internet sensation Franks and Beans, but also probably the biggest Dukes of Hazzard fan on the planet - and that's no lie.  Larry has one of the most impressive (or disturbing, depending on your point of view) collections of Dukes material that you're likely to see, and he wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to spend some time with John Schneider, who was in town attending Pittsburgh's Steel City Con, a toy and pop culture show.

Larry was able to take a few issues of Teddy and the Yeti with him, and managed to make plans to get the book in a number of stores that otherwise hadn't had any copies, including one from Canton, Ohio.  Unless I'm mistaken, I think that this comic store (I'm still waiting to hear the store's name) will be the first to carry the book in the entire state of Ohio, which is a little distressing seeing as I have a number of comic book reading friends from Youngstown.  Why can't they be as reliable and as selfless as Larry?  Perhaps we'll never know.

Mr. Schneider got hold of Teddy and the Yeti's second issue - and I'd like to make the offer right now (I've mentioned his name so often in case he has a habit of Googling his name, which I've never been known to do): if he wants the first issue (or the third, for that matter), I'd be happy to mail it to him.  He doesn't even have to pay for them!  That's right, people, if you are a celebrity, you don't have to pay for stuff!  Why is that?  They're the ones who can easily afford stuff!  Oh well, I guess that's just another one of the many ironies of life.

More random updates

Time for more random junk more or less relating to Teddy and the Yeti!

- As I mentioned a few days ago, another big online retailer is carrying Teddy and the Yeti in its...okay, it's a physical warehouse, but it's fun to think that the book will somehow take up a certain amount of space in some electronic database.  Mile High Comics ordered a handful of books, and I sent out the package today...so I'd imagine they'll have it up for sale in the next week or so.

This is the second big retailer to pick up the book after Midtown Comics got their big order in earlier last week.

Please insert your favorite John Denver song here.

- New Dimension Comics' exclusive edition of Teddy and the Yeti #1 is set to go to the printer tomorrow.  It's...basically the same as the regular Teddy and the Yeti #1.  BUT IT'S GOT A NEW COVER!  So that means it's cool.  There will be 50 of these comics on sale on the NDC website, which doesn't seem like a lot, but for a small market book like T&Y, if you want one...you'll be able to find it.  I imagine I'll get the books back within a few weeks.

- My plans on exhibiting at Comic Con International in 2010 have hit a snag...for about four years.  Apparently (and now that I think about it, obviously) there's a three-to-four year waiting period to even get a chance to make an appearance at the San Diego show, so the chances to see Wagon Wheel Comics at the show (at least behind a booth) are pretty nonexistant.

I made it in 2006 with Mr. Massive #1 (as a small press exhibitor), and perhaps that was just luck of the draw.  We'll see what happens with the New York con, where I'll be applying for a small press booth.  I hope that I can make it to at least one major convention...before 2014, anway.

- Perhaps I should be more judicious with the tags that I give these postings, because dammit!  Look at that monster of a list over on the right side of the page.  So many key words.  In a year, it'll be down to the bottom of the page.  Perhaps it will need another entire page just to list all of the tags.  Oh well.

- This has nothing to do with Teddy and the Yeti.  Well, I am involved, so I suppose it tangentially does.  Also, Larry (big fan of the blog) is as well, so that counts for something.

Anyway, Larry and I will be performing our Franks and Beans sketch comedy...thing as part of "Laughrica", a night of stand up and sketch comedy to benefit a humanitarian mission to Africa.  The event takes place at the Oakland Center for the Arts in Youngstown, Ohio on Friday the 18th of this month at 8:00 pm.  You should come...and see me either do a great job or a terrible one.  There really won't be any middle ground...it'll be one or the other.  The anticipation is palpable!