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    TIME TRAVEL


  • The Witches

    Last night the kids and I finished The Witches in this Roald Dahl jag we’ve been on. I like that the boy (spoilers!) stays a mouse after they turn him into one, and he and his cigar-smoking Norwegian grandmother become this formidable witch-killing team. This one clearly draws on Dahl’s childhood heavily.

    Now my Dahl-ites are looking for any extra hidden eggs they may have missed a while ago- got to change this first thing in the morning egg hunt tradition. It’s a magnificent day in Portland, Oregon- hope you’re enjoying your Easter or Passover or simply Sunday.

    The Jeep J12

    I was going on last night on Twitter about this- I often rail on American cars and how we do nothing interesting anymore in design or engineering. But this Jeep J-12 concept truck is seriously boss, with all those callbacks to classic models. Not that I need a truck, I still have my little Isuzu- but gosh. I wish more automakers would embrace their history like this. Make it happen, Jeep!

    Shalvey Thumbnails for Thunderbolts 172

    While we’re looking at process stuff, I thought you’d like to see how Declan Shalvey lays out a comic book. He always figures the whole thing out in two batches of thumbnails and it lets me read a tiny, rough version of the whole book. This is why his compositions are so strong- when you can figure out all that action and discern those characters in thumbnails, it’s going to have a lot of presence and clarity drawn big. It also serves him for pacing the book, giving scenes their own style of layout without repeating approaches. Maybe he’ll pop into the comments here and say more!

    HULK 50 Process

    Here’s a little bit of Carlo Pagulayan’s process from HULK 50 (out now! Go get it!) so you can see what he starts with and then pencils. The first is quick roughs all in digital.

    Big Day: Creepy! Hulk! Thunderbolts!

    I don’t know why all my books have to come out on the same week instead of spreading the wealth, but I suppose if you follow my stuff in particular it makes it easier for you. This really is a banner week for me- first, from Dark Horse I reunite with my ol’ X-Men First Class partner Colleen Coover for a story in CREEPY #8. It involves Women Of The Night!

    And we reach the milestone 50th issue of HULK in the Marvel section, where I again reunite with another past collaborator, Carlo Pagulayan. And this has Dr. Strange in it. And for the first time ever I got to work with pal Dan Brereton, who painted the back up story. In short, this issue is easy on the eyes.

    Finally we kick off THUNDERBOLTS VS. THUNDERBOLTS drawn by the Scourge of Dublin, Declan Shalvey! This pits our Bolts against the very first team, and in short, the Thunderbolts finally screw up history as we suspected they would all along. Also I conduct an interview with the team that put the title together and they tell me how it all went down.

    So there, your local store should be open by now. Go. Get the books. I’ll be right here when you’re back.

    Mr. Lao Commission from ECCC

    I got lucky and everyone in Seattle who asked for commissioned art requested really cool subjects. Like this one of Mr. Lao from Agents of Atlas, for Brian Keohan. I threw in loyal Chang for scale.

    You can see some great Atlas pieces in Brian’s collection over at the comicartfans site, like this Bob and Venus by Gabe Hardman.

    Back From Seattle, Hulk 50 Preview

    Emerald City Comicon 2012 was a big success like every Seattle show so far, well done, Jim Demonakis. I sat between Tom Fowler and Gabriel Hardman and was in spitting range of Kevin Nowlan (sorry Kevin). Every day was busy and Saturday and Sunday felt like a quiet San Diego Comicon as the ECCC folks go out of their way to keep noise down- you can’t crank music at your booth and they don’t blare away on the intercom all day. Dark Horse Comics announced that they are publishing the BUCKO book by me and Erika Moen, so that was happy news.

    Coming up this Wednesday is the 50th issue of Hulk with artist Carlo Pagulayan kicking off the Haunted Hulk arc, here’s a preview at CBR!

    Believe Nothing Day

    It’s April Fool’s Day, so you’re going to be showered with fake news and proclamations everywhere you go, as if we’re all ten years old. Since I’m at a comics show, I expect it to be even worse. But that news about Dark Horse publishing Bucko was no trick, read the Comics Alliance announcement.

    Before I catch the train I’ll be at my table at F21 clearing out the last of my books and drawing until time for the Marvel panel at 2, so come see me if you’re in Seattle. Other than that statement, ignore the internet today and carry on.

    Book Announcement Today

    Emerald City Schedule!!

    I’m in Seattle, and the doors will open at 2 this afternoon for the Emerald City Comicon. The main things you need to know are:

    My table is at F-21.
    Tom Fowler is next to me, painting away. I will have books to sell and will draw commissions if you can sign up early. When you’re done getting art and books from us, you will likely want to mosey over to Booth 222 where Periscope Studio is set up. You can get a copy of Underground from Steve Lieber to bring back to me for signing, for instance. And Ben Dewey author of The Tragedy Series is doing excellent art for ridiculously low prices.

    Saturday When not at my table I will be signing Storyteller at the ARCHAIA booth #408 with artists Colleen Coover, Dennis Calero and Evan Shaner! From 3 to 4.

    DARK HORSE booth at 6 to announce… SOMETHING.
    ————————————————————————
    Sunday I will be at this when not at my table:
    Marvel: The Next Big Thing
    Room: 4C3-4
    Time: 2:00 – 3:00

    From the Marvel U to the Ultimate U and everything in between, we’ve got the top talent on hand to talk about all of your favorite heroes and villains as well as make a few surprise announcements! Panelists include Greg Rucka (The Punisher), Rick Remender (Secret Avengers), Jeff Parker (Thunderbolts), Chris Yost (Scarlet Spider), and Dan Slott (The Amazing Spider-Man), as they take on all questions!

    ———————————————————————————-

    Step 3: Put Books and Art in a Suitcase

    Also: put clothes and toothbrush and whatnots in a bag. Make sure no bag weighs over 50 pounds, which is also an Amtrak rule. Possibly find some classy cover for my table. Borrow wife’s earplugs because I’m rooming with Snorin’ Tom Fowler. Arrive at train station on time, have cab fare for reaching hotel. Look up which hotel I’m at. Complain about extra cost of wifi once at hotel. Sleep with bedcover pulled back over me instead of getting under it the right way, for some reason (always appreciated this that Bill Pullman did this in Zero Effect, a good detail). Work in room while some movie I missed last year plays on TV.
    Check.

    Take. Books. Home. Today.

    AND ART. Sorry, just reminding myself to pack trades and pages to sell at EMERALD CITY COMICON which is in two days. TWO DAYS. I’m sitting… somewhere in there. Tomorrow I’ll post my table and panel info. AFTER I TAKE HOME SOME BOOKS.

    Read Me Some Hunger Games

    Now I have read Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games like the rest of the world. I liked it! I can tell I would have been completely into it as a young teen and am happy that it’s filling a role as the Anti-Twilight. My daughter kept trying to spirit it away and read it herself and I kept grabbing it back as I wasn’t done and I wanted to make sure it was something a near-9 year old could read. It’s not very gory, I think she’d be fine with it but would enjoy it more in a couple of years. I would have picked a different spot to end it- I realize it’s a trilogy, but series books still have to stand on their own.

    I’ll move on to Catching Fire once I’m back from the Emerald City Comicon, see you there.

    Emerald City Approacheth

    All this week is likely to be me reminding myself to get ready for the Emerald City Comicon in Seattle, so sorry for subjecting you to my laundry list in advance. Or that I need to be at the train station Thursday.

    In recent years, I’ve gotten away from doing many commissions, but now that I’m trying to get my drawing muscles back in shape, I will be doing more. I may even do some pieces in COLOR. I know, crazy. I figure I’ll be sitting next to Tom Fowler and he can save me if I screw up badly. So if you plan to ask me for art, you can write and give me a heads up so maybe I can sketch it ahead of time.

    Fiddle Closure!