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| I was going to Photoshop Jhonen's head onto Nicole Kidman's body, but that would have been time-consuming. Also, it would have given me nightmares. |
This is not related to what I am going to tell you now, which is that Jhonen Vasquez is now in Australia to attend the Supanova Pop Culture Expo in Melbourne on March 27-29 and Brisbane
11 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 3 - 5 p.m.
Ethan Nicolle
S. Eddy Bell
Kenny Keil
Jon "Bean" Hastings
Gene Yang
1 - 3 p.m. and 5 - 6/7 p.m.
Serena Valentino
Camilla d'Errico
Jen Feinberg
Todd Meister
Karl Christian Krumpholz
Andy Ristaino, creator of The Babysitter, will also be there at his own table, as will Lesley Reppeteaux (a.k.a. Black Olive, creator of Outlook: Grim).
I am going to be roaming the floor and buying mini-comics that catch my eye. If you have one you think I and others should see, leave a comment here with your table number, and I will do my very best to stop by.
The New York Comic-Con is going on right now, but, obviously, I'm not there. I never was, anyway, even when we did have a booth, which we don't this year. It makes me kind of sad because I've always wanted to go to New York, but it also reminds me that attending a comic book convention is no way to see a city.
Next weekend, April 26-27, is Stumptown Comics Fest in Portland, Oregon. We'll have a small booth there, ably manned by manly Landry Walker. Derek Hunter, creator of Pirate Club, is also attending.
You will not find find my ladylike self there, as I will be attending the Manga, Art and Graphic Novel Expo in Fremont, California on April 26. Fremont is the town mentioned in my most recent Publishers Weekly column, in which I almost completely FAIL to find some of the most well-reviewed and hyped graphic novels of last year. It's not an all bad place as far as comics are concerned, though. They've had this expo going for several years now, and it's a lot of fun. The coincidence of the expo and Stumptown means that I will not get to use the occasion to beat Landry and Eric at Mario Kart DS, though.
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Faith Erin Hicks, creator of Zombies Calling, will be signing at the Free Comic Book Day convention at Strange Adventures in Halifax. She tells me that Strange Adventures has booked a magician! Faith will also be handing out ashcans of her upcoming SLG graphic novel, The War at Ellsmere. This is the first time you're hearing about it, folks! Like how I just slipped in there, all cas'? You'll be hearing more about it soon! Scheduled for release in Fall, Ellsmere is set in the competitive world of a prestigious private girls' school. Teaser early cover image at left! Cleek to see it bigger.
And then, on May 10-11 is Emerald City ComiCon in Seattle, Washington. Black Olive, creator of Outlook: Grim and Screwtooth, and Ethan Nicolle, creator of Chumble Spuzz (volume two of which is scheduled for this summer!), will be attending.
SLG Prez Dan Vado has put up a Flickr set of photos from Comic-Con. You can check them out here. More pictures to come when I track down the cable for my camera.
But now I'm here to tell you about Comic-Con. I forgot to upload pictures, though, so you'll have to bear with me. But I do have links to write-ups of panels. Excitin'!
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And here's a report at Comic Book Resources on Roman Dirge's spotlight panel. The 15th anniversary of Lenore's creation and the 10th anniversary of the SLG comic was one of the themes of the convention. If you were there, you got a souvenir book with pin-ups by many SLG-affiliated creators and an essay by moi.
The L.A. Times wrote up the Friends of Lulu Awards, where I am quoted and pictured.
- Copies of Jellyfist, barring catastrophe, will be available on Friday at the convention. We will not have any on Wednesday's Preview Night or on Thursday, but god knows people will ask continuously until we want to shoot ourselves in the head. Wait... did I say ourselves? I have to say that because it's not nice to want to shoot other people in the head.
- There will be no one to fill orders at the SLG office until next Tuesday. If you're so unlucky as to not be going to Comic-Con and think you can fill the void by going order-crazy at www.slgcomic.com, we welcome it! However, orders placed between today and July 30 will not start to ship out until August 1.
- There will be no one to answer the phone at the SLG office until next Tuesday, either. If you have something very important to discuss with one of us, you will have to get yourselves to San Diego. But you won't be able to get into Comic-Con on Saturday. They've sold out of passes.
We'll have a fully stocked store and an overflowing artists' alley at the booth (full schedule here), new comics (details here), and also a bunch of promotional items in very limited quantities.
Eleanor and I have been using our indie cred to photocopy and staple up a bunch of ashcans. Show some appreciation of our efforts by picking up and enjoying one or more of the following:
- A ten-page epilogue for The Clarence Principle -- we'll be giving these to people who have copies of the graphic novel signed by its creators, Fehed Said and Shari Chankhamma.
- A ten-page Zombies Calling preview -- the graphic novel by Faith Erin Hicks will be out in November!
- A ten-page Igor: Fixed by Frankensteins preview -- the artist, Eisner-nominated Chris Grine, will be at the booth signing these, along with Fixed by Frankenstein postcards.
- A collection of Lenore pin-ups done by SLG artists Shari Chankhamma, Christopher, Gilrgrim, Dave Roman and Woodrow Phoenix. We'll be giving these out to people who get books signed by Roman Dirge.
- Digest-sized first issues of Chumble Spuzz and Byron, the SLG comics serialized at Eyemelt.com. Both will be collected into trade paperbacks, Byron in August and Chumble Spuzz in January 2008.
- Rex Libris bookmarks -- because there is no excuse for these not to exist.
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Miracles come by the fistful around Comic-Con time, I swear. The last few weeks have seen exhausted artists, my eyes being ruined by tiny type and Pantone color swatches (doctor says astigmatism's getting worse!), proof approvals faxed at a rate of kajillion a day, a giant room made of corrugated paper being erected in the warehouse, and our giant inkjet printer printing banners until I thought it would just zip off and take flight around the office.
I am quite prepared to get to Comic-Con and sell some comics and talk with people I don't get to see very often and do all the other convention stuff. I hope to see you there!
1. So far there isn't any coverage of... what do you call them... you know... words... pictures... NAME OF THE GODDAMN CONVENTION... Oh, yes. Comics.
2. The fist two sentences I read upon looking at the blog:
Let's face it ... most of the shows that resonate with Emmy voters don't always vibe with the Con crowd. A diverse group to say the least, there are undoubtedly those who like "The Office," "Ugly Betty," and even "The Starter Wife" -- if you gush over "Jane Eyre" you're on your own.I guess I'm on my own, then. Because they're a diverse crowd -- to say the least -- but not diverse enough to include people who like or actually create comics like, say the marvelous Dame Darcy, and love a classic of English literature and enjoy the BBC miniseries adaptation of it. I thought the new miniseries was quite good, actually. It got across why Jane falls in love with Mr. Rochester, which is a difficult thing to do and where a lot of adaptations fail.
God, I think this L.A. Times Comic-Con Watch just makes me hate the Hollywood component of Comic-Con all the more. Just the thing to get me enthusiastic for the year's biggest convention! Hatred. Some people say it gives one power.
I give them 24 hours to get some actual comics-related, non-movie/TV-tie in stuff up there before my hatred is permanent.
JdG
WAIT! I found something! It's nestled at the bottom of a post about the animated Iron Man and Avengers movies and Smallville.
And not at all phrased annoyingly: "And if you're a comic book snob or comic book hater with nothing better to do on Sunday, you can join in the eternal debate over whether comics are really literature." The closing sentiment: "Whether it's Dickens or Daredevil, reading is reading, people!"
Hmmm. I'm inclined to disagree with that.
Comic-Con is just over a week away -- July 25 - 29.
SLG Debut Comics and Panels at Comic-Con
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The SLG Crest T-shirt design by Crab Scrambly |
The SLG booth has always been a hot spot for readers to meet their favorite comics creators, and this year will be no different. Among those signing at the booth are Roman Dirge, special guest of Comic-Con and celebrating the 10th anniversary of the publication of his SLG comic Lenore; Tommy Kovac and the Eisner-nominated Sonny Liew, the creative team behind SLG's Disney-licensed comic Wonderland; Greg Weisman, writer of the SLG comic based on the cult hit animated show Gargoyles, which he created; Landry Walker and Eric Jones, writers of Tron, who are signing with Cindy Morgan, who played Lora/Yori in the movie; National Book Award nominee Gene Yang, whose early graphic novels were published by SLG; and Jhonen Vasquez, creator of Johnny the Homicidal Maniac and the animated show Invader Zim. A full schedule of artists' signing times is available at SLG's website, www.slgcomic.com.
Many SLG artists have been working hard to get debut books out for the convention. Peter the Pirate Squid by Roman Dirge and Steven Daily is an irreverent take on a children's book, about a crew of tiny pirates who rule one-seventh of one of the seven seas. Also from Roman Dirge is Lenore #13, Lenore's first comic in full color. Jellyfist by Jhonen Vasquez and J. Goldberg is a work that explores the nature of collaboration through nonsensical comic strips and the creators' commentary about them. Other new SLG comics that will be available at Comic-Con are Gargoyles #5, Tron #4, The Weirdly World of Strange Eggs, Whistles: The Starlight Calliope and Nightmares and Fairy Tales #20. SLG anticipates having all these titles for Comic-Con International. Other special merchandise set to debut at the convention are the SLG Crest T-shirt designed by Crab Scrambly and a "Faces of Johnny" poster designed by Jhonen Vasquez, featuring the many expressions of his iconic creation.
For convention attendees who want to learn more about SLG, there are two panels during Comic-Con. The first is the Spotlight on Roman Dirge, taking place on Thursday, July 26 and 6 p.m. in room 1AB. The second is a panel on SLG Publishing itself, hosted by SLG president Dan Vado, taking place Saturday, July 28 at 11:30 a.m. in room 10. As at all conventions, Dan Vado and SLG editor-in-chief Jennifer de Guzman will be reviewing portfolios at the convention, though they will not be hearing pitches or accepting proposal submissions.
SLG Publishing will be at booth number 1815. As well as having its own "artists' alley," the SLG booth will feature a store fully stocked with comics, graphic novels, posters, toys, and T-shirts. To learn more about the company, visit its website at www.slgcomic.com.
THURSDAY
6:00-7:00 Spotlight on Roman Dirge -- Roman Dirge, creator of the hit comic book series Lenore, looks back on the 10th anniversary of SLG Publishing releasing issue #1. Moderated by Spookyland websmaster and Ghouly Boys creator Christopher. Room 1AB
SATURDAY
11:30-12:30 SLG Publishing -- SLG staff and creators look ahead at their new releases, both digital and in print, and field any and all questions regarding the company, the industry, and all things SLG. Moderated by company president Dan Vado. Room 10
Hey, I didn't realize that creators were getting hauled into the SLG panel. Oh, that's because they're not! Comic-Con totally rewrote the copy that Dan sent them. Hurray for Comic-Con.
Well, maybe we'll plant those creators not signing in the audience to ask impertinent questions and start a mock-riot. The riots that are just jokes are the best kind.
I'll be posting SLG's signing schedule and tell you about some promo items we'll have, too. Soon, soon.
- 1 computer-aided-design/computer-aided-man
ufacturing system, such as Dimensional Impressions' Score and a standard mid-to-upper-level PC with a DataTech DT3000 Sample Maker - 15 square feet of 200# black, anti-static corrugated B-flute (single wall) paper. That's a piece that is roughly 54" long in the corrugation direction and 41" wide.
- 15 square feet of 200# #1-white, 2-sides corrugated B-flute (single wall) paper. This piece is the same length and width as the black, anti-static paper.
- Heavy duty wood glue.
- A hot glue gun and glue sticks.
- A vectorized copy of the SLG logo.
- One piece of 48 x 36 plywood (to be used as a weight).
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
More to come!
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crowhen brought up a problem that is common at comic conventions: You'd love to talk to your favorite creator, but you have no idea what they look like. With the Internet this problem is solvable! So what I'm going to do is start posting pictures of artists you will find at the SLG booth or on their own at various conventions. I'm going in more or less as-I-find-them order. Very organized.Find our first set of artists, Aaron A., Scott Saavedra, Roman Dirge, Gilgrim, Eric Jones, and Landry Walker, behind the cut!
( Read more... )
More pictures will follow!
MOCCA Art Festival
New York, NY
June 23 - 24, 2007
www.moccany.org
Steve Ahlquist (Strange Eggs)
Garry Black (Jet Pack Pets)
Evan Dorkin (Dork)
Sarah Dyer (Action Girl)
Ken Knudtsen (My Monkey's Name Is Jennifer)
Chris Reilly (The Trouble with Igor)
Dave Roman (Agnes Quill)
*Company representation from SLG Publishing will not be present
SPX
Bethesda, MD
October 12 - 13, 2007
www.spxpo.com
Steve Ahlquist (Strange Eggs)
Chris Reilly (The Trouble with Igor)
Ben Towle (Midnight Sun)
*Company representation from SLG Publishing will not be present
Here's a bit of a convention update for the Summer convention season, listing both the conventions where SLG will have a booth and those where artists who have worked with us will be attending on their own.
The past Toronto Paradise Comic-Con seems to have gone well, and one blogger has declared Faith Erin Hicks, creator of the upcoming SLG graphic novel Zombies Calling who was at the "Women of Comics" panel, to be his "new personal hero." By all accounts, Faith fairly kicked butt at this convention.
HeroesCon
Charlotte, NC
June 15 - 17, 2007
www.heroesonline.com
Ben Towle (Midnight Sun)
*Company representation from SLG Publishing will not be present
Anime Expo
Long Beach, CA
June 29 - July 2, 2007
www.anime-expo.com
Gilgrim (The Cemeterians)
Landry Walker (The Super-Scary Monster Show, Tron)
Comic-Con International
San Diego, CA
July 26 - 29, 2007
www.comic-con.org
Aaron A. (Serenity Rose)
Steve Ahlquist (Strange Eggs)
Kerry Callen (Halo and Sprocket)
Shari Chankhamma (The Clarence Principle)
Christopher (The Ghouly Boys)
Steven Daily (Peter the Pirate Squid)
Roman Dirge (Lenore)
Gilgrim (The Cemeterians)
J.R. Goldberg (Jellyfist)
Chris Grine (Igor: Fixed by Frankensteins)
David Hedgecock (Gargoyles)
Derek Hunter (Pirate Club)
Eric Jones (The Super-Scary Monster Show, Tron)
Tommy Kovac (Autumn, Wonderland)
Karl Christian Krumpholz (Byron)
Sonny Liew (Malinky Robot, Wonderland)
Chris Reilly (The Trouble with Igor)
Dave Roman (Agnes Quill)
Jim Rugg (Street Angel)
Fehed Said (The Clarence Principle)
Serena Valentino (GloomCookie, Nightmares and Fairy Tales)
Jhonen Vasquez (Johnny the Homicidal Maniac)
Otto von Stroheim (Tiki Art Now)
Landry Walker (The Super-Scary Monster Show, Tron)
Greg Weisman (Gargoyles)
Gene Yang (Gordon Yamamoto, Loyola Chin, American Born Chinese)
Toronto Comic Arts Festival
Toronto, Ont.
August 18-19,2007
www.torontocomics.com
Evan Dorkin (Dork)
Sarah Dyer (Action Girl)
Dave Roman (Agnes Quill)
Jim Rugg (Street Angel)
James Turner (Rex Libris)
*Company representation from SLG Publishing will not be present
It's an interesting question: Are there more crossover readers in the manga crowd or the superhero crowd? Considering the diversity of material in manga (it's a medium after all, while "superhero" is a genre), one would be inclined to guess the former. WizardWorld conventions we've attended have pretty much fallen flat for us. So we'll see of what anecdotal evidence tells us!
There are a couple of conventions that will have SLG creators in attendance (though no company representation):
Paradise Comics Toronto Comicon
Toronto, Ont.
June 8-10, 2007
www.torontocomicon.com
Faith Erin Hicks (Zombies Calling)
HeroesCon
Charlotte, NC
June 15 - 17, 2007
www.heroesonline.com
Ben Towle (Midnight Sun)
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I suppose you can go even if you're not a Canadian.
Faith also has work in the Friends of Lulu anthology The Girl's Guide to Guy Stuff, for those of you who simply cannot wait until November to see the Faith's art in print.
Yes, Zombies Calling will be available in November, and available for pre-order in September.
While there were a few people self-publishing their comics, there were fewer of them than in the past, and there seemed to be an even marked decrease in the charming photocopied, hand-stapled mini-comic. Last year, I either bought or was generously given several mini-comics or self-published comics (you can read about that here). This year -- I bought two (one by Johnny Siu and another called "Fremont Girl") and was given none. (Boohoo!) The assumption is that the do-it-yourselfers have moved to the web.
The article also notes the Karl Christian Krumpholz talked about digital comics at his panel. Karl's comic Byron: Mad, Bad and Dangerous is being released at SLG's digital comics site Eyemelt.com. One advantage he noted was the ability to write a story unconstrained by specific page counts. The traditional pamphlet-format comic book is 24 or 32 pages long, with the length of the story or installment dictated by how many of the pages are devoted to ads. This makes for a unique form of storytelling, but it also can be constraining. At his panel, Karl mentioned that he has felt that he can tell his story more naturally without the constraints of specific page counts.
Oh, and I forgot to mention -- I was totally wrong about the costumes at APE! The silver androgynous android thing was no where to be seen. In its place were two people dressed as Green Lanterns. Far from being confused as to why they were dressed up like DC characters at an indie and alternative comics show, the man and woman walked about confidently in their skin-tight green spandex bodysuits, which were complete with Lantern Corps rings and air-brushed ass muscles.
-JdG
