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Beasts of Burden: Stray - Read The First Short Story For Free Online
Friday, July 10th, 2009 — 4:40 pm
Mood: No
Music: No
Hey, folks, still in Beasts of Burden promo mode. This time around we have an online preview of the series.

Dark Horse has posted the first Beasts of Burden short story on their site for anyone and everyone to read (and hopefully enjoy). The 8-pg story, Stray, was done in 2003, art by Jill Thompson, story by me. It originally appeared in The Dark Horse Book of Hauntings, but some folks may have seen it when DHC printed it up as a mini Halloween giveaway comic.

This story was done as a one-shot, when we had no idea we'd continue it, forget one day having a dedicated series. It introduces most of the main characters, and pretty much introduces the concept: animals dealing with the supernatural in a small town. Jill won an Eisner for her painted work on Stray, which has only gotten better and better with each installment (imho). If all goes well, Dark Horse will be putting more of the short stories from the DHC anthologies up on their site in the coming weeks. It's a great way to get to know what the series is like, without spending a dime or searching the bookstore or comic shop. We're doing what we can to get the word out while retailers are considering their orders, so, thanks for bearing with me while I shill for the series.

It was either this or the story of how my car broke down today while I was on the way to my MRI appointment. Yeah, maybe that was funny, but I gotta go with the comics, sorry (my phone was dead and I was stuck in the middle of the street when my car's shut off triggered after I drove over a vicious pothole. Oh, the hilarity! MRI re-scheduled, day partly shot.).

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the first Beasts story. If you do, please tell a friend or two to give it the once over. It's free. And please consider pre-ordering the first issue of the series, coming out September 16th.

Appreciate it.

 

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Beasts of Burden #1 in July Previews -- A Call to Arms!
Monday, July 6th, 2009 — 6:30 pm
Mood: Could be worse
Music: Hum of AC
I've been remiss in blogging as of late, chalk it up to being overwhelmed, away on a short vacation, getting sunburned on a short vacation, a few family occasions, twitter being the lazy person's blog, and having a lot of work to deal with. Some of which has not come together as smoothly as I would have liked. No, not the Yo Gabba Gabba! scripts, they went fine. Rather quickly, actually, because Sarah is a whiz. The DC thing went well, short and so far sweet. Finished up a Mad spot illo, not too many hitches there. The Beasts #4 script..uh, well, that hasn't worked out so nicely. Because I am a dizz. But it should be done in the next few days, and I think it's shaping up well. Fingers crossed.

Anyway, the reason I've called you all here is because Beasts of Burden #1 has been solicited by Dark Horse, and is scheduled for release on September 16th. The project made the cover of the latest Previews, as I'd mentioned a while back, which is available at comic shops, as well as online, and we're on page 22 of the catalog, in the Dark Horse section, in black and white and painted color, for everyone who cares to, uh..see.



For those of you who pre-order your comics, or who shop at a local comic shop that is reluctant to order anything not from the the big two publishers, Beast of Burden #1's item code is JUL09 0015.

Here's the Diamond Previews page featuring the book. Here's a look at the Previews cover featuring a Mike Mignola quote that I think we paid him fifteen bucks for or something...and which now I can't find a link to for some reason. Whatever. It's out there, somewhere.

Here's the link to the listing on the DHC page, where you can pre-orde the book through Things From Another World.

And hey, I stumbled across our most excellent editor Scott Allie calling for folks to chime in for the first issue letter column. I think it involves a preview of the first issue or something. Or you can write in based on the four short stories if you've read them. I dunno. Here's the link to find out what the deal is: the link to find out what the deal is.



I do know what the deal on the comic is: It's $2.99 for 23 pages of story and art (the first issue is 23 pages, the others are 22), wonderfully painted by the talented and popular Jill Thompson (Scary Godmother, Magic Trixie, Sandman et al).  Dogs and cats versus the supernatural. Come on, that sounds okay, doesn't it? It's at least half as good as a kid bitten by a spider who gets superpowers and can't make money even though he invents all this great stuff and sews a costume all in one night. Don't you think? Well, okay, maybe not, but it's still okay in my book. And it's only three bucks! Three lousy bucks. Cripes, you people, really, don't tell me about the economy, I don't want to hear that jive talk. Just take it out of your mom's bag, or your dad's wallet. Bring some beer bottles in for redemption. Roll the town drunk. Busk. Do something. Hell, my daughter has three bucks, and she's only four. Don't give me any excuses this September. Please. I beg of you.

Anyway, the interesting thing is we'll be doing some interviews, supposedly, with some of those comic book websites that pretty much have ignored Jill and I since they began. And we might do some signings around the time the first issue hits, although that's all still in the planning stages. I don't do that many interviews with the daily-updated sites with banner ads, nor do I do many signings, so I find this interesting, even if you guys don't. So there.

Convention-wise, I'll be doing the Baltimore Con in October (along with the rest of the HOF) in support of the series, and Jill will be at the big carnival in a few weeks, that of course being the San Diego Comic Con. Dark Horse will be setting up as usual, so please stop by the booth and see if they have any promotional material or previews of the series. If not, ask them why not, then throw something at someone and run. One of those annoying Stormtroopers will possibly jack you up, but it might be worth it for the funny story you can tell the other guys in stir that evening.

Oh, I forgot,  DHC will also be at the Baltimore show, unless they get pelted so badly with objects at SDCC they're injured out. Maybe you shouldn't throw anything at anyone. Except Klingons. God. Klingons.


Oh, here's another thing I wanted to mention: Those of you who read the first four short stories featuring these characters in the Dark Horse Books of Hauntings, Witchcraft, The Dead and Monsters already know what to expect. Hopefully you liked them and will give the regular series a shot. Those of you who haven't read the earlier material, have no fear, you don't need to in order to understand and enjoy the mini-series. Or even hate the mini-series, for that matter. And if all goes according to plan, you may have a shot at reading some of the short stories in a convenient, non-piratical way fairly soon. Fingers crossed. I believe nothing until it happens, and then, as with the Star Wars Holiday Special, I often still don't believe it.

I don't know what constitutes solid sales for DHC, or for the Direct Market, these days, but I hope we hit the mark so we can do some more stories after the first mini-series wraps up. We have plans, oy, such  plans. But we'll see what happens. For now, we've got four nifty self-contained issues coming out, starting this September, and worth it for the beautiful art alone, in my humble opinion. 

So, everyone got it now? Beasts of Burden #1. Four issues. Me and Jill Thompson. Dark Horse Comics. September 16th.

If you can find it, I think you'll enjoy it.  
 
Honest.

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Whatever Happened To --?
Sunday, June 21st, 2009 — 5:46 pm



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Whatever Happened To --?
Thursday, June 18th, 2009 — 3:53 pm



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Catching Up With The HOF
Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 — 11:02 am
Here's what we've been up to, for those of you who are keeping score:

The script for Beasts of Burden #4 has been up-ended a bit and will be patched up and polished off sometime this week I hope, maybe this weekend. It's almost there, I just got mad at it and it also took a hit when I got the flu last week. Jill Thompson has begun painting #3, I have to beat her to #4 or I'll be a laughingstock. Again. Heading into the home stretch on this, I guess. Weird. 

Sarah and I turned in our pass on a season three Yo Gabba Gabba! script last week, which we are co-writing with series co-creator Christian Jacobs. It looks like it's pretty solid, it'll likely need some cuts, but so far so good. We wrote a bunch of songs, which is always a weird task. We're going to have to join ASCAP once our season two episodes run. If they ever run, it seems like it's been forever since we finished those up. Anyway, as I type, Sarah is working on another script for YGG season three, an episode which, I believe, we are writing ourselves.

I'm working on a small illustration for the Fundalini section of Mad #501. Baseball theme. I also have a pitch bouncing around there in editorial for an article. The initial concept was revamped, I may still have a shot at something. No time to work on it at the moment, so, who knows.

My last few gag panels for Nick Magazine will apparently be running in the coming rundown to oblivion. Poor Nick magazine. A shame.

Wrote a one-page strip for Stephen DeStefano to draw for a very cool DC project. Unfortunately, it's a file story, so, it will likely not see the light of day, at least not in the intended format. Still, nothing gets wasted these days, it seems, if it gets drawn, they eventually print it, lips, tails, snouts, and all. Cool character, great artist, supposedly decent script, I hope folks get to see it someday.

My script for next year's Simpsons Treehouse of Terror special is awaiting revision notes from  Bongo. Once those are in I can start drawing the 15-pager. I'll also be lettering it, and Sarah will be doing the colors. 

Actually, I probably won't start on the Simpsons art until I write a one-shot secret comic, which I hope to get done sometime in July. I will not be drawing this, but the person who will be drawing it draws better than me, and folks like him quite a bit, so, there's that.

I don't know if the new version of I Love You, Beth Cooper has come out yet or not. The one I drew 16 pages of comics for. The one that ties in to the movie coming out next month. A movie I have no intention of seeing since I made the mistake of seeing the trailer. Yeesh.

We'll be setting up at the Baltimore Con in October, bunking somewhere near the Dark Horse booth, or so we've been told. We figured it would be a good idea to do a larger  this fall to promote Beasts of Burden, the first issue of which will be out in mid-September. I was invited to do Baltimore when it started up, and we haven't been able to try the show because of our schedule. Anyway, this year we're giving it a whirl. We know a bunch of folks who are attending, looks like fun.

Speaking of Beasts, from what I understand, the next Diamond Previews catalog ships next week. Beasts of Burden will be featured on the back cover of the catalog, featuring the cover of issue #1 as painted by Jill Thompson, and a little blurb by one Mike Mignola. I would have pretty much bet the farm (if I had one) that you'd never see a project I was involved with get the cover slot of the Previews, so, this is a kick. Now some retailers will have to work even harder to be able to say they've never heard of the book. They'll figure out a way, I'm sure.

Anyway, Beasts gets solicited next week. I'm sort of a nervous wreck, isn't that pathetic? I want the book to perform well. It's a good book, Jill's doing amazing work, and it's getting a push. DHC is paying us to do this project, it has to do well enough for us to be able to continue working on it, something I really want to do. I love working with these characters and want to see this series through to the end. I am not someone who has enjoyed much support in the Direct Market for my genre stuff. So, we'll see what happens. Fingers crossed.

I think that's everything at the moment.

Latersville.

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Whatever Happened To --?
Monday, June 15th, 2009 — 10:39 am



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Sickbed's Better Than A Deathbed/MOCCA Wrap-Up
Thursday, June 11th, 2009 — 12:09 pm
Been knocked out since Monday with the flu. I'm feeling better now, at least I can work again, I was zonked the first two days and mostly stayed in bed and slept. It figures I'd have to get sick to get a decent night's sleep. We're far behind on work now, owing to MOCCA and both of us being under the weather. Which has been gloomy, if anyone cares. Emily is going nuts because she's feeling fine and is bored, poor thing.

Fallout from my MOCCA post: mostly being called some names, including "churlish" by one blogger named Sean Collins, for suggesting the Armory looked like a gym. Oh, my! Churlish! Prithy, I must make haste to a nunnery! I do hope he hurled his ye olde English epithets at the dozen or so other folks who invoked the same dastardly heresies about a big, old gloomy building (gym, flea-market, another blogger named Tucker Stone said it reminded him of a place from his youth where they held ye olde wrestling matches). So, have at thee, I slap thy face with a kid glove. He also called me a professional parade rainer or something like that. They always discount the nice things you say for the bad, yes, they do. However many upbeat MOCCA reports I've written in the past, however many times I've plugged the show and invited folks to attend, one bad review, I'm the Rainmaker. Boom, crash, head indoors, here comes the good time hammer to ruin everything for no reason at all. As if what I said made life harder on anyone than the lack of air conditioning or organization at MOCCA. As if what I said wasn't true, or within reason. Looked like a gym show to me, looked like a gym show to plenty of people who were there. Looks like it in a lot of the pictures folks posted from the event. Give me a break, thee.

Sorry about all the bullshit Thor talk, but I'm a sucker for writing that crap. I'll probably do it onceth or twiceth more before I'm doneth. Yeah, that was awful. Sorry.

Tucker Stone also made some remark about me that involved my biting the heads off live chickens at the Puck Building. I stopped doing the geek thing at the second SPX, so where he's coming from, I don't know. But it's nice to see my name tossed around on all these smart blogs. It's not the reason why I write about convention experiences, but since I never put out any new books, I guess it counts as some sort of PR. What ho!

Otherwise, I was going to post about some more stuff that bugged me about MOCCA -- some of the more nonsensical rejoinders to the complaints about the show ("It's NYC in the summer! It's supposed to be hot! Get over it!" As if the heat was all there was to it. "Comics are awesome! The parties were awesome! Whooo!" Ah, to be young and drunk again...), what I felt was the complete mishandling this year of the charity sketch tables, and the real problems with the refund policy for tables - oh, hell, let's go with that last one because it's a real mess and people will actually have to deal with this if they want to exhibit.

So, here's the refund policy as stated on the sheet they gave out at MOCCA:

- $50 non-refundable deposit.
- 10% processing fee on cancellations before October 2009 (so, that's $90, not $50)
- After February 5th, 2010, non-refundable deposit rises to $100 per table
- After April 16th, no refunds
- Refunds will only be issued when the canceled tables are re-sold

Um, okay. I think these are steep, maybe that's just me. And I don't know the old refund policies, because they were never so terribly interesting that Sarah had to point them out before we wrote out our check at the end of the show, so I can't compare. They obviously have their reasoning. I understand the event is a fundraiser, and whatever they can make goes to the museum. Okay, got it.

But here's what gets me: THEY HAVE NO DATES FOR THE NEXT SHOW. How can you expect people to reserve a table for the following year if they don't know when the event will be held -- and then slap them with these refund policies if the announced dates conflict with their lives? What if the show ends up on your anniversary? Mother's birthday? Vacation? Whatever? What if it ends up in July, or who knows when, because of NYC scheduling and the way things can go? How can you hold people to that refund policy without that information being available? 

Also, am I reading this right? If you wait to cancel until November, and do so before February -- you avoid the 10% processing fee? Does that make sense for them? Or am I missing something? It looks to me that a reasonable person could assume there's no 10% fee after October, and the $100 fee doesn't kick in until Feb, so...um...I dunno. Don't cancel until November, folks. Then argue with them some. Maybe you'll save a few bucks.

Here's another thing -- paying for a table is no guarantee of placement. Meaning, your table has no set space. meaning, how do you tell for sure whether or not they've re-sold "your" table? Okay, they would go by the date of the table being reserved. Sure, makes sense, right? But so many folks put in for the table on the last day of MOCCA, so that would be a "tie", if you get me. Who would know how it would actually be worked out? Call me paranoid, I'm more worried about mistakes than conspiracy, but I don't trust folks well enough to have them tell me whether "my" table has been re-sold or not when I have no way of knowing what "my" table was and who got it. I'm cynical that way, especially after seeing how things ran this year.

Anyway, another reason for me -- me, I say, me, I, not you, I'm not trying to churlishly rain on any parades here -- not to invest $400 bucks for a year with so many unanswered questions floating about the next show. And if I'm beating up on a show I normally love, then I'm not the only one. There's a lot of back and forth on this year's show out there on the world wide interweb, I'm far from the only one who wasn't impressed. Hot venue, overall disorganization (a volunteer posted in the comments section of my previous post that they were confused -- I mean, what the huh?), lack of PR, miserable website, bad information, unnecessary instructions, late opening, and now no set event dates coupled with a table increase and a wonky refund policy. You tell me. Did I rain on that parade, along with a few dozen others if not more, or did the parade kind of rain on itself just a little bit?

Also, why would anyone open a show late because of late books? Hasn't anyone discussed the lack of tickets and badges -- our row had badges but tohers didn't when we arrived -- seem more the cause? We saw plenty of books on tables when we got there, they can let people inside to wait for books, don't you think? If they could let them inside.

Here's the bottom line: Support the small press. Support comics. Keep an open mind. But call out stuff that is messed up, not working or just plain sucks. If MOCCA was arguably broken this year, it can be fixed. Let's hope for that, and keep our eyes out to see how things go. But people should be made aware of the problems because some folks are considering exhibiting, and a bad show can hurt you financially. A bad experience can sour you on further experiences. People should know the negatives as well as the positives about comics, about everything, because that's how you learn to avoid what might not work for you. If you want to make comics for the long haul, if you're passionate about comics and creating them, that's awesome. But  let's be realistic here, even if it hurts a little. Not everything's great. We should talk about that stuff, too. It might make a difference for someone just starting out.

And for the last time, bloggers -- THERE WAS NO FIRE AT THE PUCK BUILDING LAST YEAR. Stop saying that fer chrissakes.

Talk to you kids soon, gotta go make stuff.
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MOCCA Thoughts: Good, Bad and Ugly
Monday, June 8th, 2009 — 11:43 am
Let me get a few things out of the way, first.

I love the MOCCA festival, I have been to every show, and I consider it my favorite event to do. Except for this latest one.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Because, honestly, we had a very good time. And we did well at the table, very well, in fact, for someone with no new books and the same old stuff. Twice what I was hoping for. So, I don't want to hear anyone accusing me of grumbling because of a lack of dough or attention. Because, yes, I came away from this year's event feeling deflated, disappointed, and exhausted, and yes, I'm going to vent a little. Not angrily, because this was by no means a bad show. It was a flawed show, an extremely uncomfortable show to sit through, and at times, endure, but not a disaster by any means. And not, well...MOCCA. Yeah, the books were there, in force, in fact, the publishers, the guests, the attendees. But it wasn't the same. It was a really good...kind of regular  show. With the worst heat I've sat through at any show, possibly including the Ramapo High School shows held in the gym, with a skylight baking everyone inside.

Here's the main thing -- at show's end, we wanted to get out of their like we were on fire. And we had a good show, and met great people. But at the end of MOCCA -- yes, even the 101 degree day -- we could have stayed another hour or two. And for the first time ever, we didn't pre-pay for a table for next year's show. Neither did our neighbors on one side. Neither did a few other folks we spoke to, neither did some folks I was told about second-hand. Who knows what the holdout numbers really were, it' still not. a good thing to hear.

Look, the Puck Building was problematic, we had a choice spot there, but everyone knew it was hot, awkwardly laid out, and the seventh floor was an oven. And the programming took a kick in the balls because of a lack of space. More people wanted in, more people wanted better air, more people wanted more. And from what I hear, the Puck Building was a no-go for 2009 even if they wished to remain, the reason being cost. So, it was moved to the Armory. The benefits are obvious -- more room for more exhibitors, more attendees, everyone in the same place on a more even playing field, programming in the same space, and, MOCCA could afford it. So, the Armory.

Bigger isn't always better, but it's also easy for me to say, because I'm not 22 with comic stars in my eyes and insatiable energy and excitement. But here's what bothers me about the Armory, take it with however much salt you'd like, because obviously some folks loved the new venue. Or liked it. Anyway: the show lost it's personality. No, seriously, that sounds stupid, but it's true, in my mind. It lost it's identity, and it's killer app, in a  similar way to the way SPX faltered, for me, when they monkeyed with the days and chopped the Sunday get-together. I didn't even love the get-together, it wasn't why I went, just like the parties were never a reason I went, but they helped define that show and make it special. MOCCA is still special for a lot of folks, I'm sure newbies and first-time exhibitors were in heaven. A hellish heaven, but later for that. I don't discount that opinion, I don't discount anyone thinking contrary to what I'm laying out here. My blog, my opinion, keep that in mind. Okay, so, instead of the lovely Puck Building with white walls and light and an intimate atmosphere, the Armory provided a darker, gymnasium style con floor that made the layout look exactly like a flea market. God-awful lighting that made everything look sallow (but helped mask my awful shaving mishap scar, som,e folks said, so, hey). And...no air conditioning. Even the most positive write ups of the show have to admit it was insanely, suffocatingly hot. Unbearable at times on Sunday. Many folks were taken to understand the A/C was broken. There is no A/C at the Armory, not on the main floor. The panels, apparently, had A/C. Good for them. No, seriously, the panels were packed, I saw as I went to the bizarre army bathroom, filled to the brim every time, a definite step up from the Puck Building. And last year the panels were held off-site, a real thumper for attendance and information about attending. So, yeah. the heat. Terrible. All I can remember now, in some ways. I know several people who left owing to the oppressive heat, one of whom left after being there a half an hour. She texted her husband that she had to get out of there, and as he put it, "she likes these things". Not good. My daughter was so cranky and hot on Sunday we considered leaving early. Wait, we were all so hot and cranky we almost ducked out. I know of someone who packed up and left early. It was simply awful. I literally wouldn't recommend it for small children or old folks with health problems. I'm not kidding. And remember, last year's MOCCA, on Sunday? 101 degrees. I cannot imagine what the Armory would be like in those conditions. I couldn't imagine if it was five degrees higher, I think it was 80 or something. That's sort of insane. It's 2009. In New York City. People shouldn't look like they're checking out comic books in the Sahara. So, now everyone gets to know what the seventh floor of the Puck Building was like. It sucked.

Still, the people were great, everyone was cool, although not cool enough to offset the oven. It was still MOCCA, the vibe was only dampened, imho, not changed to a Big Apple show (speaking of which, I was told the next Big Apple show will be held at the Armory. Weird, huh?)

And, okay, so what if the place looks gloomy and isn't lovely. And so what if that even changes the psychology of the event a little (I know, stupid of me to say environment can shape experience. Go to a show in Europe, then go to a "regular" USA show. A nice venue can make a nice show even nicer. Honest.). I'm fine with democracy, more exhibitors, okay, more attendees --it looked like they had more, it was packed Saturday -- great. But more isn't always better. We heard a lot of anecdotal talk about low sales. And disappointing sales from folks who did better these past years. Economy? Maybe. More competition, and a ton of big books from bigger names? Perhaps. Maybe a lot of new exhibitors aren't ready to lay out decent dough to sell mini-comics. That's not a slam, that's being realistic. But doing shows and trying to "get in" and be part of something you love, that's not always something that involves pragmaticism. Especially when you're talking the unreal world of comics. Next year will be interesting, this was a sort of turning point. And next year table prices go up, sort of a lot.

And there was the organizational problems - weak-ass website, exhibitors not listed on the website (myself included), exhibitors not included in the guide book (I know of at least three, "big" names all). Poor flow of information, late flow of information. I will say folks got back to us very quickly to remedy some errors regarding our space and things, but one of those things was not fixed even though we were assured it would be. Okay, that all happens, New team, new venue. Still, MOCCA's run smoothly since inception, as far as our dealing with it, and the general word on the street. Never had to chase anyone down, fix anything, send multiple e-mails, wonder aloud about who was going, what was happening, where was the show info.And one other semi-annoyance -- exhibitors were told to bring a print-out of their table confirmation or whatever the hell, bring photo ID (who doesn't?) and present both. No one asked for anything. We were given bracelets on Saturday so we could leave and re-enter (shouldn't a badge cover that?). Nobody asked to see them. And on Sunday we weren't given bracelets. It just added to the sense of confusion and what-the-huh? Not a big deal, but some weird new stuff, and they didn't even use any of it. Anyway -- I assume that will all be settled next time as people get used to what they're doing, and settle into their gigs. I think this is the third changeover, or second? Since launch. Things happen.

But I've never seen this happen:  the show opened late on Saturday. At least an hour late, it felt like more, someone on line would have to chime in on when they finally opened the doors. From what we heard, they didn't have the tickets for the show. I also heard they didn't have all the badges for the exhibitors. I just read that publisher's books hadn't arrived on time. I dunno. All I know is the show was backed up and extended, programming and signings were all over the map after being adjusted, and it was kind of messy. I've never been to a show that opened late like that, ever, good, bad, small press, big show with actors, whatever. Not the best foot forward on the first day of the new version of the old show.

Am I making too much of these things? We left, like at least a few others we know, feeling exhausted, like we survived something rather than experienced something. The other MOCCA events made me leave wanting to go home and make comics and come back next year. This year made us go home wanting to shower and collapse, and sleep for a week. We didn't write the check for next year's table. We're holding off and we're going to see how we feel about it in October. The tables are going up, but for us the value of the event went down, and we did quite well, but I dunno. It wasn't the same. It wasn't bad, by any means, except for the heat, and, I dunno...the old vibe. Maybe we're missing the new vibe, like I said, everyone was awesome, books sold, people looked happy as they dripped sweat onto their big hardcover books and little minis. But if the grumblings we heard were indicative of mos folks, we figure tables will be available in October if we want to attend. We're waiting, like I said, as are other folks who used to march right over and lay down the dough for the next year. That's troubling, to me. I love the MOCCA festival, I wish it no ill. I just don't know if I'll be there next year, and we kind of wish we had done TCAF instead.

Again, I mean no ill will to the show or the folks putting it on. Just my twenty -two cents, from where I was sitting, and how things stood for me and mine, and telling you some things we heard in the building. Don't let me stop you from going, or exhibiting, the show is still "the show".

Only different. And that might be fine for you.

I'm just not so sure for myself.
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HOF MOCCA Plans
Friday, June 5th, 2009 — 12:33 pm
We'll be sitting at a table this weekend at MOCCA, along with a few other hundred or so cartoonists and publishers and hangers on. The A-list includes David Mazzucchelli, Arnold Roth, Seth, Al Jaffee, Adrian Tomine, and Gary Panter. Here's the exhibitor list, which I am not on, but I am going to be there, honest. We'll be bunked next to the Christine Norrie, Matt Kindt, Tara McPherson enclave. Emily is on the exhibitor list, which kills me.

We'll be bringing the usual SLG books you know and are sick of seeing on the table. I'll also have some copies of the new Simpsons Summer Shindig for sale, which features an 8-page Bart Simpson comic I wrote. And, we'll have preview pages from Beasts of Burden #1 for folks to look at. Any retailers reading this, please come over to take a look, I have the entire first issue and some sample pages I can fork over.

We'll also have some nifty handmade HOF stuff at the show -- some of you may remember the Milk and Cheese and HOF monster pencil cases and Moleskine covers Sarah made last year for Heroes World. She's finished up a bunch more for MOCCA, so, if you missed out, here's another chance to get them. Possibly your last chance.
 
the stuff!

I'll be bringing art for sale, some stuff that's been in the portfolio, some new stuff, and the M&C vinyls, and maybe some of the remaining shirts leftover from the online sale we had recently.

Hope to see you there.


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