2013 Comic-Con swag (Futurama, Venture Bros., Firefly, the Tick and more!)

You didn't seriously think that I had run out of posts about Comic-Con, did you?  Of course not!  What trip would be complete without a showing off of all the neat things I was able to pick up while I was away?  And at Comic-Con, there are always cool things to be had.  I took pictures of what I got and I'll share 'em while I still remember where everything is!

This first item is also the first item I bought at the show.  On Wednesday evening, as soon as I had checked in and picked up my Comic-Con swag bag, I went over to the Toynami line to pick up this deluxe Futurama set with Destructor and Gender Bender (from a specific episode of the show).  The Destructor figure is proportionately giant and it looks great.

While in line waiting to buy the set, there was a placard announcing plans to raise funds for a new Morbo figure though the bakesale website Kickstarter.  The fundraiser was supposed to start in Auguest, according to the information on hand, but as of yet I haven't seen or heard anything new in this regard.  This is a shame, because I really do want more Futurama figures.  Toynami shouldn't have to peddle on Kickstarter to fun their products, either, but that's another argument entirely.

I have a number of the Venture Bros. Mego-style action figures, but I kind of wish I had held out for the more standard, 3 3/4-inch figures, which look awesome and take up much less room.  At any rate, I picked up the "naked" Brock Samson figure from the Entertainment Earth booth and was lucky enough to get it signed by Patrick Warburton!  I need to find a hard case for this thing, but so far I haven't had any luck.

There were a number of limited Venture Bros. items at Comic-Con, and I picked up more than a few, including this limited lunch box/tin tote gift set.  It has figures of the Monarch, Dr. Mrs. the Monarch and the Pupa Twins inside!

The Adult Swim Fun House was a big hit at the convention, and I picked up a Venture Bros. shirt while waiting in line - for free!  Love the design.

There was other free stuff to be had at the Fun House, and I came home with a few things, including this Mooninite hat and Fun House poster!

This Firefly keychain is a small item, but it went fast at the QMX booth.  I was lucky to get the very last one that was sold on Wednesday.  I was told that there were a few more to be had, but that they still had to be shipped from the store house in Los Angeles.  This is just the same keychain that was previously offered in silver, but this time it's refinished!  Totally different products, I'm sure you'll agree.

One of the coolest items I brought home from the show was a couple of autographs on a book that I took with me.  I mentioned a little while ago that I won a Serenity graphic novel in a silent auction for the Can't Stop the Serenity Pittsburgh event, and that the book had been signed by Summer Glau and Jewel Staite.  Due to some incredible luck, I was able to get it signed by Nathan Fillion and Alan Tudyk on the very last day of the show!  Who knows if I'll ever be able to get the rest of the cast to sign the book, but this was a very nice way to cap off the show.

I also brought to the show the base of my Sideshow Tick statue.  I was able to chat a little with Ben Edlund when he stopped at the New England Comics booth, and he was kind enough to sign the bottom of the base.

Rounding off my autographs is this awesome poster signed by Felicia Day!  I mentioned this earlier, but Day had a Q&A and signing at her Geek & Sundry site.  She was incredibly nice and handed these out for free.  It's a pleasing design and to have it signed was an unexpected treat.

The last item to show off is also the most adorable.  Petco, the mega pet store ("mega" describing the store, not the pets...but I guess that describes some of the pets) was promoting their new Star Wars-themed pet merchandise, and as such, these giveaway Yoda cat ears were a bit hit at the show, so much so that you had to stand in line at the beginning of the day if you wanted to have any chance of getting a pair.  As you can see, the results were...HEART-MELTINGLY SWEET.  Captain Applesauce has always been photogenic, but this image...oh my goodness.  How precious.

And that wraps it up for this time!  Will I have more Comic-Con-centric posts?  Only time will tell.  Also, yes.

FUBAR signing at Beyond Comics

Being a part of the FUBAR team, getting to publish regularly and successfully working with other like-mined folk, has been a real joy over the last few years.  Making comics can be, and often is, a lonely task, and beyond the creation process, it's been a lot of fun interacting with others who share similar goals and industry perspectives.  On Saturday, September 21, a group of FUBAR creators met for a signing event at Beyond Comics in Frederick, Maryland.  It was a chance to meet some creators I previously hadn't, to see some familiar friends, to sign some books and to have a good time just in general.  I took a few pictures of the signing and of the store, and I thought I'd share them here, because...well, because this is a blog about comics and stuff.  Also, why not.

It took about three hours to drive to the Frederick Beyond Comics location, which is situated in a shopping plaza and has a fairly unassuming store front.  Once inside, though, it was apparent that the store had pretty much everything one might look for in a comic shop...

 

  

 

The store had a very nice layout.  It was stuffed with cool things but not intimidating the way some comic shops can be.  Also, they had a healthy arrangement of high-end Thing items, such as this Sideshow beauty:

I guess they also had a huge Hulk display from the movies or whatever.  Impressive.  But imagine how much more impressive an oversized Thing display would be!  Very impressive.  Let's make it happen, universe.

 

I downloaded the latest iOS update for the iPhone the night before the signing event, so of course I had to play around with the panoramic camera features.  It's a weird perspective but it lets you see the whole setup.  I was positioned between Jeff McComsey and Steve Becker on either side, and the two drew sketches almost the entire time throughout the four hour event.  Also in attendance were Dom Vivona, Rafer Roberts, M. Giles Crawford, John Shine and others!  There was a big FUBAR presence in one spot - perhaps more contributors in one area than at any time before - and it was fun to experience.  We had people waiting for autographs and sketches for most of the day.

  

Here Rafer gesticulates wildly as I stare on in abject terror:

 

 

The entire event went really well and I hope to be involved with another one before too long.  At the end of the day, a lot of us did some shopping.  I had my eye on this guy:

...but I let it pass this time around.  We're possibly looking at an upcoming addition to the collection, though.

At one point in the day, I tried out a silver marker that decided not to mark, for whatever reason.  I brought a handful of Teddy and the Yeti sketch cards with me (a few people ended up walking away with one), and I used one to scribble on in an attempt to get the marker back in working order.  After drawing a thousand circles, I decided to keep scribbling and made a caveman-esque image of the Tick and Arthur.  Jeff McComsey look the card and made what looks like an ACTUAL drawing of the duo, which I completely take credit for in front of anyone but you, Internets.  I like the Tiny flying Arthur the best.

One more quick FUBAR update:

The FUBAR: Mother Russia Kickstarter fundraiser is in its last days!  It's wildly exceeded expectations, and as such, we're offering up a lot of great rewards.  Anyone who pledges at least 25 dollars will not only receive the original Mother Russia graphic novel, but also get some great brand new comics in the balance, including the 44 page FUBAR: Guts and Glory and the 24 page FUBAR: Better Red than Dead, both of which will have new stories by me.

Some great times ahead, and as always, it seems that FUBAR is an unstoppable monster.

The surprising social conscience of Teen Titans #30

A few months ago, I was rifling through some dollar boxes, picking up some flashy '90s books (Silver Surfer #50) and some silly late-80s books (an issue of TMNT) when I came across a couple early issues of Teen Titans, both from 1970 and both in not-terrible-but-not-great shape.  I'm not a big fan of the Teen Titans in any of their iterations (well, maybe Young Justice if that even counts), but some classic stories for only a buck proved to be too good to pass up.  I expected to read cramped, dated, superhero fare, but what I got was actually a bit of a surprise.  The Teen Titans of 1970 read very much like the famous Denny O'Neal/Neal Adams Green Lantern/Green Arrow run in that there was quite a bit of social conscience on display.

One of the starkest concepts on display in the book was the decision to keep all of the characters out of costume for the entire time; apparently, the Titans had previously lost control of a riot in which a man was killed, so they decided to stop being superheroes, foregoing their costumes and refusing to use their powers until they learned more about their role in the human experience.  This was an interesting idea, though it made it really difficult to tell who the characters were in the book.  Which one was Wally West and which was Dick Grayson?  Who could tell?  The character might have taken their vows a little too seriously, though, such as in the following scene, when Wally West - Kid Flash! - watches a guy get hit by a car.

Okay, I mean, I guess he yelled at the guy to watch out.  But when you've got super speed and let a guy get creamed in the middle of the street on, what, principle?  Then you just might be a jerk.

Later on in the issue, the book proves that even after 40 years, people are still generally terrible as this guy recites a line that I've heard...once or twice before...in response to the Titans trying to raise some money for a charity that helps rehabilitate former criminals:

The hits kept coming, as the book moved on to more social causes, this one even more reminiscent of the O'Neal/Adams collaboration:

To be honest, the story came across a bit heavy handed.  Obviously, I understand that the times might have called for frank storytelling like this, at a time when the Civil Rights movement was in full swing, but it did seem a bit like the creators were checking items off a list.  But even so, it was fairly stunning to see such a socially progressive message in a book like this.  Just to make sure they didn't miss anything, the book later responded to an eye-rolling moment at the beginning of the story where the guys of the team told the girls to stay back while they engaged a group of thugs; Wonder Girl and...uh, whoever the other one is...thoroughly mangle a couple would-be assassins thusly:

Overall, this was an interesting look into the history of not only comics but also the socially progressive movement of the late '60s and early '70s.  If nothing else, it's pretty clear that most mainstream comics today would blanche at the thought of putting such controversial material on the shelves and in front of readers.

In other news, the letters page helped me finally learn how to say Dick Giordano's last name!

Interesting stuff!

Come visit at the Pittsburgh Comicon!

The Pittsburgh Comicon is once again upon us, and as is my civic duty as a Pittsburgher, I've set up the Wagon Wheel Comics booth and will be in attendance all weekend in the small press section, right next to the FUBAR booth!  If you're in the area, come by and see both me and also a bunch of other people that are infinitely more recognizable.

They will be more recognizable, that is, until the panel that I'm a part of takes place.  Also, I'm part of a panel this year.  I am!  The panel, cleverly titled "Small Press Publishing" and featuring both Jeff McComsey and Steve Becker in addition to myself, takes place on Saturday the 28th at 4:00 pm in room 3 of the convention center.  After the panel ends...they CLOSE THE COMICON.  I think that means they have high expectations for it.

The show is already a day old, and I have a few things to show for it, including this great Barry Kitson Thing sketch.  It's got a good story behind it, too, which is part of the fun.

The convention is open on Saturday from 10:00-6:00 and Sunday from 10:00-5:00.  Drop by for a little bit and say hello!  Or other words.

Pictures from the 2013 Comic-Con International, part 8: The Epilogue (Pop Culture Paradise in Tempe, Phoenix Art Museum and more!)

Comic-Con International closed on July 21st at 5:00 pm, and what a sad time it was.  I feel that the event is, save for a couple hours on Sunday, as long as it can be.  I mean, Comic-Con could last an entire week, from Sunday through Sunday, and it'd be just lovely, but most people do have jobs and other commitments that would probably keep them from spending eight days at the event.  Such is life.  At any rate, I am already looking forward to next year and what is certain to be an even greater event.  I left San Diego on Sunday tired but filled with the satisfaction of a convention well traversed.

As wonderful as Comic-Con is, it seems that every second spend there revolved around the show; there isn't time for anything beyond what's connected to the convention.  Just as I did last year, I took a few days afterwards and did some sightseeing in a nearby city.  Last year took me to San Francisco with stopovers in Los Angeles and Oakland, and this year I drove east out to Yuma and Phoenix, Arizona.  There were some pretty cool things to see there, and I thought that I'd wrap up these Comic-Con pictures by posting some of the post-convention photos, most of which have at least something to do with comics.  Oh, and cactuses, too.

Did someone say cactuses?  The word that is just as acceptable as "cacti"?  Well, it is well known that I have a great love for the spiny desert plants.  And boy, were there some specimens to see as we drove east.  The above picture is from Yuma, right across the border from California.  It was amazing to see the scenery change so quickly after we left San Diego - it wasn't an hour before the climate changed from breezy and temperate to hot and arid.

Hey, it's another, absolutely gigantic cactus!  I'm in this picture to give it some scale, and because I like to have my picture taken.

In between Yuma and Scottsdale was the Painted Rock Petroglyph Site.  There were a lot of prehistoric paintings just out in the open.  I thought that the one of the left of the above picture looks quite a bit like Dr. Zoidberg...

Once in Scottsdale, I stopped at the much-cooler-than-it-sounds Musical Instrument Museum, where I found this tribute to "Weird Al" Yankovic (I'm assuming, anyway)...

...and Elvis Presley.

You might have thought that coming right from Comic-Con, I might have been able to skip a trip to a local comic shop, but no, once Wednesday rolled around, I drove to Pop Culture Paradise in Tempe.  I took a couple copies of Teddy and the Yeti and the Tick to leave with them.  It was over 110 degrees Fahrenheit this day.

The shop was pretty big with lots of different displays.  There were more than a few people walking around when I showed up.  They had all of their new comics lined up on a wall, and had a small back issue section as well.  I picked up a few comics and browsed.

I find that I've taken pictures of a number of comic shops for the blog in the past, and I always feel like at one point someone's going to catch me doing it and think I'm some corporate spy or something.  Not this time, I guess.

The shop had a really nice action figure section with both new and vintage toys.

There were even some video games and snacks!  This is a great store for events and killing time.  It's not just a place to buy comics and leave.  A large section of the store is devoted to gaming, too.

This was the most...interesting?...piece in the store.  "Hey, kid, you want a terrifying bust of Harrison Ford as Han Solo?"

There were a number of high-end items as well, such as this super Thundercats statue.  It was a fun store!  I'm glad that I got to stop in to pick up my weekly comics.

On the way to my hotel, I saw this Dukes of Hazzard-themed saloon, which I'm sure made Larry extra jealous.

On one of the last nights I spent in the area before flying back to Pittsburgh, I went to the Phoenix Art Museum, which coincidentally, had a gallery on video game art!  The whole museum was very cool, but one of the really neat things was the arcade they set up in the museum, with working games that you could play for free.

The video games all came in custom-painted cabinets, pained by local artists and re-imagining the original cabinet design.  There were all kinds of classic games, from Mario Bros. to Pac Man to Gunsmoke to Rampage to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to this X-Men game, which seemed especially popular.

Hey, there's Colossus doing that weird thing that he does in the video game that has no basis on his actual powers at all!

And, for some reason, here's original Cyclops.  He and Professor X look like they are taken from some John Byrne artwork, though I couldn't say exactly where.

The TMNT cabinet looks pretty cool, until you get down to April O'Neal, who is apparently...being molested?

Here's a high-angle shot of the exhibit floor with video game systems from all over, old and new.

There are always some great pictures to be had at Comic-Con, and I hope that you've enjoyed all of the ones I've posted from this year's trip.  Here's some good news - I've already been approved for a professional badge for the 2014 show, so as long as I manage to claim one in time, I'll be going back for another round next July.  And, yes...I'll take pictures.  Lots and lots of pictures.