Well, with the new graphic novel coming out in May (BB Wolf) and the reprinting of THREE FINGERS piggybacking the new release, it's time for me to shore up my travel/con plans for 2010. And, apparently, the big cons out there have been doing a little "schedule shuffling" and it's causing other shows to shuffle as well so they're not all bunched up on the same month, or in some cases same weekend (as you'll note momentarily! Stay with me...).

Here's a list of shows that I (so far) plan on attending thus far...

WonderCon, San Francisco April 2-4

Comic-Con International, San Diego July 22-25

WizardWorld, Chicago August 19-22

SPX, Bethesda, MD September 26-27

APE, San Francisco October 16-17 (Heck! I'm even a "Special Guest" at this one!)

And lastly Minneapolis' fantastic Fallcon! Which you'll now note has been changed to "SpringCon!" as I alluded to in my opening paragraph. Below is the official press release from the boys at Fallcon and I will gladly post it here to help spread the word as these guys are some of the finest folks you'll ever meet in comics or anywhere else for that matter!!!

Spread the word!...

Rich

BIG NEWS FROM THE MIDWEST COMIC BOOK ASSOCIATION!

Dear Friends,

We got really good news last week! As most of you know, a lot of the national comic book conventions have changed their event dates for 2010. It started when one of the largest conventions in the country suddenly moved their date to the late fall and quickly, in response, a good chunk of the other conventions followed suit in changing dates. As a result, the MCBA was put into the position of having to move our dates so we wouldn’t have to compete for guest creators. Easier said than done!

Fortunately for all of us, our preferred venue, the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, came through with flying colors! They were able to make space for us in the new world comic book convention date order with a slight and very interesting twist!

The Midwest Comic Book Association is pleased to announce our 2010 event dates:

MCBA SPRINGCON COMIC BOOK CELEBRATION May 15 & 16 2010 – 10AM to 5PM Both Days!

Minnesota State Fairgrounds In the Grandstand 1265 Snelling Avenue North Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108 Something For Everyone & Everyone Welcome!

22ND ANNUAL TWO-DAY EVENT!

MCBA FALLCON – COMIC BOOK PARTY! October 16, 2010 – 10AM to 5PM

Minnesota State Fairgrounds Progress Center 1621 Randall Ave Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108 Something For Everyone & Everyone Welcome!

THE ONE-DAY WONDER!

So, in other words, the two day convention will now be held in the spring (SpringCon) and FallCon will be the new one day convention in the Fall!

We’re really excited about the opportunities and challenges that our new journey presents to all of us and invite you and all members of our community to join us as we set sail into the great and exciting unknown!

Finally, a request. We need your help to get the word out to our community about our new dates and times. We humbly request that you provide any assistance you might be able to offer via your e-mails, secret messages, magic, websites, tweeting, blogs, internet, snail mails, telegraph, word of mouth, Pony Express, etc. Any effort you can extend, would be noticed and gracefully accepted!

We appreciate your being a part of our community and THANK YOU for letting us be part of yours! Look for more info and databits in the near future!

The MCBA Geek Squad (The Original Geek Squad)

A quick blog/get well wish to my little bud Ben Breckenheimer. Ben is the son of my dear friends Big Tim and Mary Lyons and he was recently severely injured while serving our country in Afghanistan. Ben was traveling in an armored vehicle and they hit an IED (roadside explosive). Both of Ben's legs have multiple fractures and he's in for a very long road to recovery. They're shipping him back home tomorrow from Germany where he underwent what was, most likely, to be the first of many surgeries. Please send your good vibes his way, he's a decent kid and deserves better.

You can send well wishes on FaceBook by searching for Ben's name (or any other soldiers for that matter) and then simply writing him a quick note. I know it'd cheer him up during this tough time.

Thanks!

Rich

P.S. I'll be at the Slave Labor studio this weekend in San Jose for a very last minute comic book convention. Stop by if you're in the area.

I will have the new 3 Geeks comics and also the exclusive "CGC SIGNATURE SERIES" limited copies of those three new issues. I only did 10 of each so they're ultra exclusive. I'll be posting a limited quantity on the website soon, too, so keep your eyes peeled for those.

That's it for now. Been crazy busy with work leading up to the con--this happens every year right before Comic-Con--so I've gotta keep this blog short.

Word.

R

p.s. Big shout out to my good pal Big Tim for his walk-off sac fly the other night at softball in the bottom of the 7th to lead us to an 11-10 win over the whiney 20-year-old brats that bitched about every call. It's always satisfying beating the punk teams like that.

Anyway, she once asked in one of her mega-hit songs if anyone knew the way to San Jose. Yes, I do. I do know the way, and I will be traveling there in May to attend the SUPER-CON Comic Book Convention! May 16 & 17 to be exact, and I hope to see Dionne there. I was invited as a "Special Guest" to the show this year (Dionne was not). And let me tell you, that does wonders for the fragile ego, folks. Gettin' a little love like that. So as a Special Guest I will be on my best behavior and probably willing to give you loyal readers ridiculously good deals on my books, shirts, and original artwork. It's just my way.

So please haul your sorry arses out to San Jose for the con. Who knows, you might even see Ms. Warwick. My psychic friends say the "chances are good."

"Hey, Rich!...will you be attending any other conventions this year?"

Ha ha ha...Yes, yes of course I will. I'll also be at the grand ole COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL in San Diego this summer as I always am. I'll be located in artists alley again as I was last year. That show is July 22-26th this summer. I'll also be at WizardWorld, Chicago in artists alley and that show is August 6-9th. And then I'll be at the incomparable Minnesota Fallcon which is usually in October (dates tba). That's what I've got lined up so far. So be there true believers.

In other news...

Softball starts up for me next Wednesday so I'll be seeing if the mesh that's now sewn into my abdomen holds. Keepin' my fingers crossed on that.

Thassit for this week. Short n sweet for all my readers with Attention Deficit Disorder. See, I write for all the people!

Word,

r

Well, didn't know what to expect from my trip to the New York Comic-Con last week but am happy to report that the trip went swimmingly--had some laughs, many beers, ate like a king, sold some books, met some peeps, and spent my weekend there with the most excellent host, Russ Colchamiro who is presently pimpin' his first novel FINDERS KEEPERS (which yours truly helped edit!).

The show impressed me quite a bit and I'd definitely recommend it to the fans. Well-organized, well laid out as far as the show floor and a HUGE attendance! Plus, you really can't go wrong with "things to do after the con" in NY can you? And the weather was cooperative! Thursday night before the show was brutally cold but then we got some Odin-like (or I should say Thor maybe) relief granted over the weekend with the temps actually soaring into the high 40s low 50s! This was a concern of mine having the show in February--and a lot of other people. I guess they're moving the show to October for 2010 so the weather shouldn't be as big a factor.

A shout out to my pals that run the Minnesota Fallcon, too! Nick and Brian run that show and Russ and I went out and hit the town with them Saturday night...I just recovered yesterday. Nick is just about the funniest guy I've ever met and Brian plays his straight man perfectly (i.e. never says a word. I guess "Silent Brian" would be more appropriate). We went out for ribs and beer served in massive goblets then hit a tavern around the corner that "The Babe" himself used to frequent! So we knocked back a few in The Babe's honor whilst there, too. Sunday was brutal. Haven't had a hangover like that in years. If you get a chance you simply MUST attend the Minnesota Fallcon. Not the biggest or most attended show but definitely the friendliest and the funnest! Everything you've heard is true!

Career-wise I was also shopping around for an agent to rep me in the Literary world while there. Made some possible connections. If you know one let me know.

Also had the pleasure of touring the Mad and DC offices before flying back home Monday. That was pretty cool. And they loaded me up with so many books and magazines I barely squeezed them all into my carry on.

BB WOLF & THE 3 L.P.S may be pushed back til 2010 as the down economy right now makes releasing new books an iffy prospect. So we're discussing options with our Top Shelf pubs and if it is delayed Johnnie and I will use that extra time to build a website and work on the music cd that will accompany the book. That's right! We gonna write and play some blues! Already have a few songs written and plan on starting some practice sessions in the coming weeks. Maybe my future lies in blues singing? We shall see.

Also! Just finishing up the final 3 Geeks installment (part 3 of 3) of the current "Slab Madness" mini-series and will be shipping it out to the printer in the next couple weeks. Thanks to all of you who have supported it! What with the big gap between this mini-series and the last 3 Geeks comic I feared terribly low orders but was pleasantly surprised to see strong sales. So thanks for not entirely forgetting me and the boys.

And finally! A-Roid. Are any of us really surprised anymore when we hear that a professional athlete juiced up? Seriously? I wasn't surprised at all...not one little bit. I must admit that, as a Yankee hater, I took sick pleasure at seeing this story unfold and hope it's a thorn in the mighty Yankees side all year long. I'm disgusted with the Yankees latest "spending spree" and relish any event which causes dissent and consternation in that evil empire's den of hell! So, yep, was tickled pink when the news broke! And I was THERE in NY when it broke! SOOOOO COOL to see the papers out there lambaste A-Fraud on all the Front, Back and Middle pages of every paper and every news channel, subway barker and bum on the subways. It's all anyone talked about and I just giggled and giggled and giggled.

I must say that now, these however many days since the news hit that at least A-Roid has 'fessed up. Unlike some of his roid predecessors he's come clean. Look at what Bonds and Clemens and McGwire have wrought upon themselves by denying. I do believe that this will make A-Roid's life much less a living Hell this season and beyond. I still think he's forever tainted but just like Giambi and Pettite before him, confession will prove to be good for the soul.

Maybe now all the future juicers will take a page from their books and just 'fess the f**k up! You're not getting into the Hall either way but you've probably got a much better chance by coming clean and apologizing and saying, "I was an idiot and I didn't know any better and I am sorry."

People like it when you SHOW you are sorry.

word.

r

Just booked my flight to the new York Comic-Con that will be held February 6-8 at the Jacob Javitz Center. SO that means that you should be getting online and booking your flights now as well does it not??? I will be signing books at the Top Shelf booth and pimping the new book BB Wolf & The 3 L.P.s which is due out this summer. I'll have a sneak peek at the art so make sure to ask. I'll also have a small handful of the new 3 Geeks issues and some original art for sale. If you don't spot me at the TS booth i might be visiting and signing at the Archie Comics booth. other than that I plan on actually strolling around at this con! Something I never seem to get a chance to do at the other cons. I'll be pimpin' myself to other pubs and even taking in some panels!!! Looking forward to it.

And at night you can find me somewhere in the downtown area getting inebriated. Catch me at the right time and I'm buyin'!

The new 3 Geeks mini-series is in full-swing! issue #1 hit the stands last week, and aside from a printing snafu all went well and the response has been very kind. Issue 2 is ahead of schedule and is being printed this week for Feb shipping with issue 3 to follow in March. #3 isn't finished yet and I'm wrestling with the "perfect" ending for it. Sucks cuz I have 3-4 ways I could end the story and I just can't decide which way I like best right now. Maybe now I'll have to do a trade with alternate endings?

Anyway, make sure and order your copies, cuz in case you haven't heard Diamond Distributors just raised their minimums and this certainly spells the end for many a small press publisher. Their minimum sales requirement was 1,500 units sold or $1,500.00. Now they're raising that to 2,500/$2,500.00. Quite a substantial jump there. So a lot of my friends in the small press won't be publishing soon and that makes me sad. That said, I do understand that Diamond is a business and having a bunch of "nickel and dime" accounts can sometimes cost more than they're worth for them with the paperwork and employee salaries and all. Still, a sad day.

Saw Benjamin Button the other night with Sandy, and although we both enjoyed it we both agree that 13 Oscar noms is a bit too much. It's good but it's not GREAT! And Brad Pitt's good but an "Oscar-worthy" performance? Didn't see it. And we think he's a pretty darn good actor that makes very good choices (in his films).

Haven't suggested any good reads in awhile and I feel remiss in my responsibilities. So, here are a few books I've enjoyed over the past few months that I think YOU should also be enjoying...

INVADERS/AVENGERS by Alex Ross & Jim Krueger. This is an "event" comic that's far superior than the other "event" comics currently being printed. Great, concise storytelling and fantastic art. It is a true "epic!" Everything we fanboys want in an event comic. I know it's good when I get that "WHOA!" punch-in-the-gut feeling when I read it. So far so good with this mini-series. A lot of them start out that way though, don't they, and then fall flat. I'm praying that's not the case here.

HULK! I am really loving this new Hulk series. Fun, fun, fun! And just great action! This red Hulk dude is really kicking some serious ass and who the hell is this cat already??? Thought for sure (like everyone else) that he was Doc Samson (which woulda been totally cool!) but, apparently it is not. Can't wait to find out who it is.

Terry Pratchett's DISCWORLD novels. I bought "Going Postal" on a whim at the airport last year when I'd realized I'd forgotten my book at home. Previously I'd only read "Good Omens" that he co-wrote with Neil Gaiman, and I read that because I was a neil Gaiman fan. That book was fantastic so I figured I should give Terry's other books a try sometime. Then about 8 years pass and there I am at the airport and I see the spines of about 8 of his books there on the shelves! Bingo! Going Postal was phenomenal. I was hooked. Since then I've read 4 other Discworld books and gotten Sandy into them as well. We've kind of started at the backend of the series, however, and are now going to begin starting at the...uh...start. Looking forward to it! Trust me, these books are top-notch.

Harlan Coben novels. I got my first Coben novel from the local Kinko's guy who was tearing off covers to send back for refunds to their distributor. I happen to be a regular there and the guy knows me and offered me a stack of paperbacks. I readily agreed. First one I read was JUST ONE LOOK and it was an exceptional thriller/mystery. Coben's a very skilled storyteller that's a little bit Elmore Leonard and a lotta Charlie Huston. Another author I plan on going back and getting all his previous efforts.

And finally...My Imac G5 took a dump on me. A couple months ago it started being...difficult. At first it just was a little fuzzy when it started up and then progressively got worse until it got to the point that it was taking upwards of 30 minutes to get the damn thing started. So, I took it in to the local Apple store for a diagnostic and they suggested I back up everything and then try and reload all the software.

Did that.

Didn't work.

Called the Geek Squad. The gave me an estimate of $300 over the phone to fix me up. Guy took one look and said the computer was fried and that I'd be better off getting a new one rather than spend the money to fix the old one.

Took it back to the Apple store armed with this new information and lo and behold they agreed. The Logic Board was fried.

$2,600.00 later and I have my brand-spanking-new IMAC! With the nifty little BOSE speakers to boot! Did I have $2,600 for a new computer right now? No, not really. Do I think that an Imac G5 should last more than 3 & 3/4 years? Yes, I do. Did they? Never really got a straight answer on that one. Apparently the G5 model did "demonstrate" an unusually high mortality rate. Lucky me.

Here's hoping the 2009 version lasts a little longer. Kick ass screen though! man, high def is sweet! And it's got all sorts of bels and whistles the other one didn't. I'll probably never use 1/100th od 'em but, heck, still cool as hell.

Ai'ght! Thassit for now. I'll be running some of the new 3 Geeks originals on the website soon and I just got 250+ pages back from Archie! So if you're interested in any complete Archie stories let me know. I've got 5, 6, 11, 12 and full-length 22 page stories for sale. And I price those puppies to sell!

Word.

r

And the girls were in tow and also had a great time. Stella in the swimming pool=fun! And there was a "Rubber Stamp & Scrapbooking Show" right next door to our con this year so Stella had a blast over there.

I sold lots of stuff--mostly sketches--and had fantastic neighbors on either side of me again this year. Doug Mahnke was to my right and Keith Champagne to my left. Both talented chaps and both good-looking enough to properly compliment my own dashing handsomeness!

Brewers lost. No surprise there. Doesn't even seem like they made the post season at all, does it? Barely squeaked in and then barely showed up. Next year's going to be rough! They're going to lose pitching and probably a couple position players to free agency. sigh. Whattaya gonna do?

Nothing.

I just finished up the cover to The 3 Geeks: Slab Madness Issue #2 tonight and I'm pretty stoked! I think this might be my best cover yet. Really happy with the cover concept and then the execution (which I surprised myself by actually pulling off without any help from my lil bud, CJ!).

Issue #1 of this 3 issue mini-series will be solicited in the November Previews catalogue and then Issue #2 in the December catalogue, Issue #3 in January of '09. Yep, doing these three issues back-to-back-to-back people! I'm just that damn good!

In other news...It might be too late to advertise this but I'll be doing a signing tomorrow in Kenosha at "Heroes and Dreams" comic shop. 3020 Roosevelt drive. I'll be there from 12-3 so git yer scrawny asses out there or I will hunt you down and make you read back issues of Youngblood!!!

ALSO! Just did an interview that might be featured in the Midwest Airlines in flight magazine. Kind of cool. Up top is the uber special picture of me that millions of bored travelers will soon be taking into the plane's john and joining the half-mile high club to.

Sick, hey?

word.

r

I thought we were going to die.

Folks, stay away if you value your life. We found ourselves smack dab in the middle of a WIRE or HOMICIDE episode. i have seen many "bad" neighborhoods in my time but this one was, by far, the scariest! Luckily we ran into another couple making their way to Poe's house as well so we banded together--the old "strength in numbers" thing. And this was the looonnngest .5 miles I've ever seen.

The city of Baltimore should be ashamed of itself for not doing something about this. This is one of Baltimore's greatest treasures and it looks (IT IS!) a war-zone around it. It's no wonder the museum is only open 2 months out of the year! No one wants to go there for fear of there life!

But we survived. It was an adrenaline rush, but we made it.

The con was fantastic! The Baltimore Comic-Con! Marc Nathan and his crew did an outstanding job and the hospitality was amazing. I sold a bunch of the 3 Geeks Exclusives and other goodies and just flat-out had a great time in general! The crowd was BIG, the guest list was top-notch and the Harvey Awards went off without a hitch. If you'll recall I was honored to be asked to be a presenter again this year and got a few chuckles from the big crowd.

This weekend I'll be at the equally fantastic Minnesota FallCon located at the Minnesota State Fair Grounds. So get yer buttocks out there for what is going to be the best FallCon yet! They're celebrating their 20th anniversary this year and have tons of great giveaways and guest lined up.

In other news...

The Brewers somehow managed to squeak into the post season! I couldn't believe it. Sadly, they just lost the first game (Rickie Weeks strikes again!) so they're going to have to rally and win game two or I fear this post-season celebration will be very brief. The good news is that CC Sabathia takes the hill tomorrow so we have a chance! And if we can get to game 5 he'll take the hill again. That means we have a chance.

Go Brewers!

A'ight, that's about it for now. Enjoy the illo I just knocked out tonight. That's the great character, USAgent for those who don't know. He was one of the main characters in my Weapon Omega storyline I did in Marvel Comics Presents. Issue #12 just came out and soon the Trade Paperback of my story will be out!!! Very cool! From what I understand my story is the only one from the series being collected into a tpb.

So there's that. I got that going for me.

Word.

r

Just a friendly reminder that I will be a "special Guest" at this upcoming weekend's BALTIMORE COMIC-CON! What does "special guest" mean exactly you might ask? Well, it means that I was asked/offered a chance to premiere an "Baltimore Comic-Con Exclusive" comic which will feature my 3 Geeks characters (limited to 500 copies!), I am, once again, a presenter at the illustrious Harvey Awards ceremony, I got a free booth and I also got a free hotel room! PLUS! event organizer, Marc Nathan, is also taking a slew of us "special guests" to the Orioles game on Friday night!

It's not often that I get this kind of love from show promoters so going to the show was kind of a no-brainer. And besides all the love Marc has heaped upon me the show is flat-out fantastic! Marc seems to jam pack more creators per square foot than any other show. And he seems to get more of these awesome "exclusives" as well. So if you can make it to the show go! You won't regret it.

Baltimore Comic-Con runs this upcoming weekend Sept 27&28th.

THEN! The following weekend I'll be at the Minnesota Fallcon! As I have said in the past the guys up in Minnesota are the best! This show is flat out fun, fun, fun! Food, beer, poker, close proximity and great sales make this show my "numero uno must go show" each and every year. I can't think of any other show that's more relaxed. Everyone seems to know one another there as most of us come back each year. I think that alone speaks volumes as to just how well this show is run. Fallcon is also celebrating their 20th anniversary this year and have pulled out all the stops! They sent out hundreds of sketch cards to hundreds of top artists this year for giveaways to the fans attending and the response was phenomenal! You have to see the list of artists who have contributed! Amazing!! I have a feeling we're going to see a deluge of these cards posted on eBay shortly after the show.

Fallcon runs the weekend of October 4&5th! Be there!

In other news...

The Brewers suck. And I know I'm going to piss off a few people here (sorry Big Tim) but I called the Ben "Sucks" Sheets (get it?) ordeal day one of the season. "He's gonna go down with a twisted ass hair when we need him most, man!" I said. I also predicted they'd finish 5 games over 500--that would be 86 wins for those who don't know. 4 weeks back I have to say it looked like I was dead wrong on the record, but what with their monumental collapse these past 4 weeks it looks like I'm going to be pretty darn close on the record prediction after all. What the hell?!!

I believe they now have 84 wins with today's win over the hapless Reds. Whatever. They were 9 games up in the Wild Card chase a month ago and now they're 2 games back! Do you know how hard it is to give up that kind of lead?! That lead, with a month left to play, is H-U-G-E!!! Bullpen sucks (really really sucks!), hitting sucks, starting pitching sucks (except for Sabathia who will undoubtedly ship out after this season) and management is in complete disarray with the late season firing of Ned Yost. Not that I'm upset with the firing, mind you. Never a big fan of the hot-headed, "stick with the player even when they suck ass," uber condescending, super thin-skinned Yoster.

But the Sheets thing really chaps my ass. I screamed for trading this glass-jawed Nancy at the mid-season trade deadlines and everyone railed me. "NO WAY!" they screamed, "They're in a pennant racer and Sheets is doing great!" They all seemingly suffered from short-term and long-term memory loss. Apparently they all seemed to forget that Sheeter goes down with some sort of weirdly inexplicable injury every single season he plays...sometimes 2 or 3 times within the same season. Ever see the movie "Unbreakable"? Sheets is our Samuel L. Jackson.

So yeah, they suck. Whattaya gonna do? Nuffin'! I'm actually pretty numb to it to tell the truth. I've come to expect it so it's almost...comfortable.

Pretty sad, hey?

And in other news...

My daughter, Stella, is the greatest thing there is. She makes me laugh every day. She makes me proud every day. She makes me happy every single day. In the "baseball game of life" she hits the walk-off game-winning grand slam every game and pitches the complete game no-hitter!

Word.

R

Well, I've ALMOST finally recovered from Comic-Con International which came to a merciful end this last Sunday July 27th. I wouldn't have thought it possible, but it seemed like the show was even MORE crowded than ever before! It's almost completely out of control how big the show's become and how many friggin' people jam into the halls...yes "halls" plural because there are at least 8 massive halls and then an almost equal amount of panel rooms on the second floor making this the most massive event in the USA and maybe the world. I kid you not. If you've been there you know, if not just try and picture about 3 football stadiums worth of showfloor space and you've got a pretty accurate idea.

Now, as in years past, there's been some pretty serious grousing that Hollywood's taken over this show--which, to be fair, it kind of sort of has--but I've gotta tell you, I'm not all that upset about it. Sure, the show's comic book roots may have taken a backseat to the ritz and glitz of the movie premieres and video games but the roots ARE still there. And what with all the major super-hero movies always coming out and being premiered there there's still that connection. And I'm not going to argue that because of the Hollywood presence the attendance has exploded...is that necessarily a good thing for comic book sales? No, maybe not, but the people are there and maybe, just maybe a few of them do spend a couple bucks on comics while they are there. I honestly don't think many do but they might.

And for me, I'm there to MAKE that Hollywood connection! I'm there to sell my comics and my art to the fans, sure, but the Holy Grail for any creator like me is having our property optioned into a film, cartoon or video game, so I am thrilled to know that the Hollywood peeps are scouring the showfloor for new material! BRING THEM ON!!! And every year I do, in fact, meet them. Nothing big has happened yet, but man, as long as I keep meeting them, getting my little pinky toe in the proverbial door, then I have a chance. And that's more than I'm ever getting at ANY other con out there. ANY. OF. THEM.

So, yeah, sure...the crowd's are annoying and frenzied over the free junk that's being tossed around. I'm freaking exhausted by hour two of day one. It's near impossible to find a seat for dinner in the Gaslamp District before 9pm. Sure, yes, all of these things...But I wouldn't have it any other way! Comic-Con HAS become the new Cannes or Sundance but that's just fine with me. If the "comics" element were to disappear completely then yes, I'd be really disappointed. But I seriously doubt that'll ever happen. I know the people who run that show and I know that their hearts are still in comics. I seriously cannot fathom them letting that ever happen.

I think they've struck a realistic balance right now! If it teeters any further towards the Hollywood side we "comics folk" may be in trouble but I think they also realize this and will never let that happen.

This was my best Comic-Con since my Eisner year back in 1999. I made great sales, did a ton of sketches, met a ton of nice fans, saw old friends I only ever get to see at these cons, went to several very nice dinners, drank waaayyy too much beer, and then ended my show at the Bill Willingham party where I also had the chance to meet some DC dignitaries! Thanks to Bill Williams for the invite! And if you like Willingham's writing you MUST MUST! go check out the book that Lone Star Press (www.lonestarpress.com) published of his entitled PANTHEON. They just released it in a full-color trade paperback ($19.99) and I think it was Bill's finest work ever! And I love it all. So there's my plug of the show.

And I was lucky enough to be seated next to budding superstar artist Dave Crosland who was a most excellent neighbor. And one hell of a talented artist! Check out Dave's art at hiredmeat.com

A'ight! Thassit for now, folks! Comic-Con 2008 rates a solid B+ for me this year...thus far...if one of the couple connections I made comes through that B+ is gonna bump all the way up to an A+...I'll keep ya posted. Trust me.

word.

r