a note in the mail

Along with the first issue of the new DEMO, we just got a note from Becky in the mail.


Do you still go to the mail to send your friends stuff? Doesn't it feel great when you get something in the mail from a friend.

In a profession where we work mostly by ourselves, it's good to have friends who reach out. We should all do it.

Lets make comics, and share with our friends.

p.s: Daytripper #4 comes out today. Go grab your copy before your store runs out of copies.

Có

"This doesn't look like someone's FIRST comic at all!", I though as I read it. I wish all first comics looked this good, this crisp, this funny.

Có is Gustavo Duarte's very first comic, and it's amazing.

I know Gustavo for many years now, and we met in a Caricature event. I was doing caricatures for free at the park for some event, along with my brother and another friend, and when the event asked us to have more people working, our friend brought Gustavo.

And boy he was good at doing caricatures.


I soon discovered he world as a cartoonist on a sports newspaper and soon I realized not only was he good, he was really into comics. As I followed his blog, I kept seeing various comics related cartoons, some that he used on his work, and some he did out of pleasure.



Bá and I, we're stupid. We can't see an itch and we feel this need to scratch it. Somebody can have a very easy going and succesful life, but if we see this person has the "comics itch", we'll go there and scratch it until it grows. Some people want that itch to grow and need an excuse, and we love to be somebody's excuse to do comics.



Gustavo wanted to do comics. He might have wanted to do just one comic book. I told him "Go", and I kept telling him every time I saw him.

Go.

I'm so glad he went. And what an amazing comic he did.



This year, in San Diego, I convinced Gustavo to go to the convention and sell his comic there ( I guess this was another excuse he had to do it) and it was awesome to see the response of the public. Có is a funny comic, and there's nothing better than seeing people holding a funny comic and, suddenly, they would start laughing. Comedy must be immediate, and the response should be equally fast, and Gustavo hit all the right notes in his comic.

His VERY first comic.



He told me he would be happy if he could have done only one comic. And that he did, but soon he discovered what people discover when they start doing comics:

When you finish, it feels great because you did it.

When you finish, you can't wait to start the next one. It's addictive.

While Gustavo is already planning his next comic, you can look for Có at my favorite online retailer, Khepri.com (click here to get your copy). If you don't live in Brazil, Khepri is your best option to find this comic before it sells out.

And then you'll agree with me, and you'll join me as we wait for whatever is next.

note: all the images above on this post were drawn by Gustavo.

At the end of another day, we remember.

Going to San Diego is great. We see our old friends and we always meet new ones. We have a great time, even with the long hours working at the booth. We were tired every night, but away we went at dinners and bars, because that's when you have time to relax and talk to the people you know you never see during the convention because everybody is busy working.

Every morning, we were early eating and getting our strength back, for another day of awesomeness was waiting for us.



Now it's time to get back to work. All of you, go! Let's make more comics! Let's be great, let's succeed, fail, make mistakes and learn. Most of all, let's tell more stories.

Let's continue.

Fabio, by Kako

Kako is a illustrator friend of mine from way back, and you should all check out his work. We worked together on the Rockn'Roll one-shot (published by Image Comics), and he had the best story on the Comic Book Tattoo anthology last year. When we were all 13 years old and wanted to draw like Jim Lee, he was the one that, at that time, was closest to reaching that goal.

There and back again.

Home. Here we are, and we're safe, and we're happy.

And busy. We've been busy for a long time. We were very busy during the convention, as we were on previous years (maybe more), and being busy is a good sign, is a sign we're working, we're building something that hopefully will stand the test of time as worth of the reader's time. We work because we feel this need to tell stories, and being busy is a way of knowing that stories are being told. This year, above all, I felt that not only stories were being told, they were being read as well.



We work our best, but the job is only done when we find our readers, when they do their part, when they get the books and read the stories. Maybe they'll like it, maybe they won't. Every year, as we work more, I think it becomes easier to find our stuff and to read our stories. Having a body of work certainly makes it easier to be seen in this sea of artists and that's something most people don't realize. Doing comics is not easy and more often than not there are no overnight successes. It takes a long time, it's a long road, and you have to love it.

We do love it.



I still can't believe we won. It's overwhelming, it's flattering, it's unbelievable and, at the same time, undeniable. I remember well that, during the ceremony, I completely forgot to thank anyone, so say anyone's name, or to express my gratitude for these awards. I was holding myself from bursting into tears, I was high of happiness, and I was pumped by my love of Comics.

From that moment on, all I could think of was how bad I wanted to do more comics, and I hope that's the effect these awards have on people: this is it, you won, now get back to work and do it better, do it harder and do it for as long as you can. No words can really say how it feels, or how it felt for me, so I just want to work an keep doing what I love, and what it seems people also love, and have the work be my way of saying thanks.



It's great to belong. It's great to have friends. Nobody is an island, we were not made to be alone, and it's great to find people who can take this great trip along with you, people who share our love for comics, people who also want to do their best, who don't settle, don't give up and they always want to do more, and do it better.

These are great friends to have and I wouldn't have it any other way.

On the plane back, I started drawing. I couldn't help it, I couldn't wait any longer and I just did it, between the first and the second movie on the second and longer leg of my trip, and it was great. It's great to draw, to create and to share. I inked the drawing when I arrived home, 'cause the plane was too shaky. I knew this drawing world need good inking, 'cause these are friends you have to treat well. They're great, and I miss them already.



We have a second PIXU to finish now, and just too much more to list at the end of this narrative, and we just can't wait to get to it. We love comics, and we thank all of you for your tenderness and support.

Monday comics.

Monday, we got together with two friends, Grampá and Rafa Coutinho, and at dinner we made a fast crazy comic at eight hands on my sketchbook. One would ink the other's pencil, and then the next had to continue the previous panel.

Nothing that makes sense, but great fun.,


First panel is Grampá inked by Bá, second panel is me inked by Rafa.

Then, it's Bá inked by Grampá, and Rafa inked by me.

Now, it's Rafa inked by Grampá and Ba inked by Rafa.

Finally, Grampá inked by me and the last panel is Rafa inked by Bá.

Less than a month before San Diego, and we're all so excited.

Yes, she does.

Becky went on a trip for two weeks. Not, however, without spilling something about the future. If you wonder what the future holds, Becky knows.

He speaks!

As most of you may already have noticed, Fábio does most of the talking – writing – around here. Not that he's the bright one or he's the one who knows how to speak in english, but the fact is that he's been trying harder to enchant the american public with our ideas than I have.

I think I've been too busy drawing comics – monthly comics for that matter – that I didn't feel the need to write so often. Also, for being so busy drawing, I didn't have lots to say other than what I was putting on paper, which was, on most cases, a secret until it went to press. So as much as I wanted to talk about what I was working on, I felt I could not.

But now that last year is gone and most of The Umbrella Academy has been published already, I can talk a little about some of my ideas and my worries and what I care about when it comes to comicbooks.

I think it's fair to start with Umbrella, since it has called so much attention and it took so much of my time last year (and, yes, it will take some of my time this year also). I gave up super-hero comics for a while now because I thought it was all too worn off and it was just a part of the big machine of selling comics, toys, T-shirts and making movies and it was not about the stories anymore. So from the first script of Umbrella when the kids are fighting the Eiffel Tower and "flying towards camera" and stuff like that, I had cold feet and feared to have had made the wrong choice about taking on The Umbrella Academy. When I got to issue #3 I was very worried, because it's almost all action. The parts I enjoyed the most were when Vanya appeared, because they were the pages with more emotion and depth.




But you know what? Since I was one of the skeptics of this series (maybe the most skeptical of all), I'm now also one of its biggest admirers, because I have to give it to Gerard that he told a great story, created some instant-liking characters and gave this worn-off genre a very fresh tale.

I'm kinda sad to confess this, but i've made the best pages of my life for The Umbrella Academy. It's just sad because I'm a storyteller and I like – and I WANT – to tell stories of my own and I wish I was drawing my own stories right now, or at least more of that and not only stories someone else has written, even if it's a good story. The fact that I liked the Umbrella story helped me a big deal when coming up with the pages, because as the story was taking shape in front of me, first on the layouts and then on the actual pages, I instantly knew I was doing something good, worth reading, something that was not like all other super-hero comics on the stands. And that's the main reason I want to work on new comics, just to make something different from everything else.



But you know, we have lots of new stuff cooking and in 2008 I'll be able to fulfill my need to tell stories, as well as drawing and working with other authors. Too bad we can't talk about any of these things right now. But that's the fun of it, right?



Changing the subject a little, or entirely, I'd like to say why I don't really write as much here as, let's say, on our blog in portuguese we keep for our readers in Brazil. Yes, as you may know, we are from Brazil and we've been making comics in Brazil a little longer than in the U.S. We have almost 10 books published and lots of independent work, some awards and some recognition, but the market in Brazil is much different from the american one, much smaller, so I feel the need to speak to the audience at large and tell them why comics are so great, why we must be taken seriously and what is possible with comicbooks. It's a never ending struggle to pass it along to the newcomers, readers and the majority who doesn't even read comics thinking it's silly things just for kids.



Four years ago, we have created this blog (in english) in order to do the same thing with our american readers (or anyone in the world who could read in english actually), because no one knew us then. But we have been working so much, specially on monthly series, that this audience can see our work on a regular basis and get acquaintanced with it a lot easier than our brazilian audience, who gets a new book year year or so. Books that are kinda hard to find, also, as in the U.S. the public already know where to get his favorite comic every month.

So I really whish i could have a mix of the two markets, produce as much as I do for the U.S., with big print runs, and still be able to write in portuguese, the most beautiful language in the world. Well, that's what I have to aim for and keep reaching, right?

All my friends say I work too much, I don't have time to go out. They ask me if I wanna change the world. Well, I do. And I believe it can be done with comicbooks and that's what I'm gonna keep doing: telling stories that can change the world of someone who's lucky enough to read it.

Mike Wieringo.

Mike Wieringo passed away. He was one of the nicest people I've met in the american market, always very enthusiastic about comics, always humble about his own talent and always very supportive of my work. For me, it was great to find someone who been working for so long and hear him talk about discovering new artists, and then realize I caught his attention and was discovered by him.

We never met personally, only exchanging emails and comments on each other's blog. I visited Mike's blog regularly and was always impressed with his discipline. He would do a sketch almost every day just for the blog before he started working on his pages. I talked to my brother all the time about meeting Mike, but we never got the chance.

Thank you, Mike.

We'll miss you.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT, LOST THE AWARD AND IT WAS AWESOME!

As incredible as it may sound, after going 11 straight times, this year's San Diego Comic Con was unique, in good and bad ways. Every year we learn new things, meet new people and realize why we're once more there, among so many people who love comics.

The top spot on the most amazing things about this year was joining with Becky and Vasilis, that's for sure. We've known each other for some 3 or 4 years, but we always had very little time to spend together and talk and have fun. This year, we've made "5", the COOLEST COMIC of the year, hands down the most wanted item of the convention, and we were practically STUCK in our table together, just having fun and freezing under the air-conditioning from Hell. Our table, by the way, was only possible because of Ivan Brandon who had asked for 2 tables at the Image booth and passed one along to us. He has been doing amazing work in comics and has been putting great people together on his projects, like the amazing second volume of 24seven. The table was another great thing he's done for the sake of good comics.



As it was expected, everyone was amazed with GRAMPÁ's cover of "5", as well as all the other art he had in there. The awe for his work was only matched by his absence on the show, as he was truly missed and tons of people now want to see more of him.



Our table was, as we so accurately described, FUCKING FODA! Like a well balanced meal, it had all sort of colors, a variety of genres and all the powerful range of stuff we all are able to do. Next to our amazing and best-selling "5", we had Becky's MINIS, an amazing collection of her early mini-comics, and East Coast Rising, her Eisner nominated series from Tokyo Pop; and we had Vasilis' brand new graphic novel Last Call, as well as his mini-comic Hats and Pirates of Coney Island, published by Image; also their collaborate work on Nebuli, the first time I saw Vasilis' work and the starting point of the urge for us to make something together; And Fábio and I had the brand new CASANOVA #8, as well as the hardcover edition, alongside copies of the "who-are-these-amazing-brazilians" ROCK'N'ROLL we have made with Bruno and Kako. We got some FCBD comic from the Dark Horse booth, as well as the free poster and our one copy of our Eisner nominated De:TALES to show people and point them to the DH booth to buy it.


Speaking of Eisner Awards, this year was a great sample of independent authors and amazing different works and I think the most significant nominees and winners were from outside the mainstream comics, or super-heroes. As much as we were disappointed to lose, we could not have lost to a better book. The first time I've seen Jason's work I thought "we're so gonna lose to him". One of the things I regret about this year is that I didn't have any time to check out all these comics and creators on the floor, at the convention, because we were always selling at the booth or at some important meeting. I'd love to get American Born Chinese and Fun Home, as well as Jason's award winner The Left Bank Gang. One thing I'm definitely going to chase is Eric Powel's Satan's Sodomy Baby. I'm getting everything from Brian at Khepri.com.

Shout out to our awarded friends Jill Thompson (painter), James Jean (cover), Dave Stewart (colors) and Paul Pope (writer/artist - series). And Sam, congrats again and thanks for the Old Boy edition.

As it would be expected of someone who have been publishing constantly in the US for the last 5 years, our work's following of fans have increased considerably and we were happy to witness statements of gratitude, admiration and respect from lots of people who would stop by our table, as well as other fellow authors during all four days of the convention. It all started on our beloved USA Hostel, where we've been staying for the last 6 years. Our roommates, 2 funny auzies, not only have seen ROCK'N'ROLL, but also would not believe when they connected the dots between us and CASANOVA and Umbrella Academy that we would share that room with them. They were the nicest and funniest roommates we'd had in years. And it was full of amazingly hot women all the time, awesome and talented Ky-tee in particular. As much as nobody would believe or understand why we stayed in the hostel, and that this have been probably the last time we stay there, you won't meet so many different and interesting people from all over the world in the hotels.

Moving to a whole other level of stardom and recognition, this year had obvious aspects of our work that called a lot more attention, like my collaboration on The Umbrella Academy, written by Gerard Way. The same way I'm having a blast working on this book and I'm really proud of the results so far, Gerard could not be happier with our creation and the first thing he said to me was "thank you for this wonderful job". On the couple of hours we spent together on saturday, we did an one-hour signing for 80 lucky ticket winners, surrounded by an unbelievable sea of teenagers with cameras flashing, shouts and laughs, and It was really amazing to me when someone would come with a copy of CASANOVA, De:TALES, URSULA and "5" among the Umbrella Academy or My Chemical Romance items. As Gerard himself have put on an interview for MySpace, the main idea of making this comic is acknowledging the fact that he has millions of fans and use that to see if he can bring more people to know comics, not only our, but all comic that he loves. He just want to see comics do better and reach more people, and so do I.


various moments of the time with Gerard, the madness of the signing and at the bottom, the Umbrella team: Nate Piekos (letters), Dave Stewart (colors), me (art) and Gerard.

Another moment on the Olympus of fame was when Joss Whedon came to our table to finally meet Fábio, who's been working with him on his brand-new Sugar Shock comic for Dark Horse Presents. Everyone around was so excited and thrilled and whispering "oh my god, it's Joss Whedon", while Joss was excited and thrilled and whispering "oh my god, it's Fábio Moon". Promotional genius that he is, he asked Fábio to draw the main character of the book on a T-shirt that he would wear on his panel and signings and Fábio stood up for the task and made an amazing job, right there on the fly. Joss would parade with his new T-shirt for the next 3 days (on top of clean clothes, ok) and he even wore it on the exclusive EW party on saturday night. Walking around with Nisha Gopalan, the lovely girl who was kind enough to include and interview us for the TOP 100 EW list, we asked to be introduced to J. J. Abrams, who said he loved Joss' T-shirt, to which Fábio answered "well, write a comic for me to work on and I'll make you a T-shirt".


Fábio and Joss Whedon...


... and the famous Dandelion T-shirt.

This year we had a lot of time to talk to Diana Schutz, our godmother, our light and guide trough the helm of comics. We owe her so much that it cannot be described with words. Only making amazing comics we can honor our debt with her.


Fábio and Diana.

We had our share of meetings and projects are indeed moving forward, as the doors have been open wide to us and we have to make sure they won't close. As usual, we hanged out a lot with other creators on lunches, dinners and late at night at the Hyatt bar. We've met M.K. Perker, an amazing and hilarious artist from Turkey, we were introduced to John Cassaday and talked a lot to Jim Lee, who was really impressed with Becky's work. The dead-dog party that wraps the convention was one of the best I've ever been to, where all the creators present were really happy with the show and the direction comics are going. With lots of drunk smiles and sincere joy and respect from one another, we ended our trip with hugs and toast and, as I was making fun of Paul Pope and Jim Pascoe that "if I wasn't wearing this hat, I would be on your "messy-hair" team", he said to me in a natural voice and with an honest smile on his face:

"You are on our team. We're all on the same team".

PHINEAS POE!

Santa Barbara-based indie comics publisher Terra Major is set to release its first monthly serialized comic, PHINEAS POE, a graphic adaptation of KISS ME, JUDAS, the first book of the critically acclaimed noir trilogy PHINEAS POE, by author Will Christopher Baer. PHINEAS POE will be illustrated by award-winning MTV Brazil animator Jefferson Costa, making PHINEAS POE the eighth Terra Major title illustrated by an up-and-coming Brazilian artist.

Order now! You won't regret it.



PHINEAS POE #1 debuts JUNE 2007.
Diamond Order Code: APR07 3955, Page 342.
Writer: Will Christopher Baer
Artist: Jefferson Costa
Format: 32pp Standard Size Comic / B&W / $5
For Mature Readers



PHINEAS POE #2 due to JULY 2007.
Diamond Order Code: MAY07 3719, Page 345.
Writer: Will Christopher Baer
Artist: Jefferson Costa
Format: 32pp Standard Size Comic / B&W / $5
For Mature Readers

New Terra Major comic!

Phineas Poe #1
writer Will Christopher Baer
artist Jefferson Costa
publisher Terra Major
32pp / No Ads / BW / $5 US
DCD Code: APR07 3955 / Page 342

We started our international career in comics with Shane Amaya's Terra Major comics. He wrote Roland - days of wrath and we did the artwork. We got a Xeric Foundation Grant for it back in 1999. After that, Shane continued producing more historical fiction books with other brazilian artists like Bruno D'Angelo and Kako, until finally in 2005 we released the big book of brazilians doing westerns: Gunned Down (okay, there were two or three americans involved on that book).

Now, Terra Major is back, publishing their first mini series. Adapted from the best seller Kiss me Judas, Phineas Poe has the outstanding artwork of fellow brazilian Jefferson Costa.

Order this book from the Diamond catalog and wait for it in June. Or click here to know more.