I've mentioned previously that I'm working on a Free Comic Book Day comic for the Lake County Captains. Now, I can reveal the cover…
In case you're wondering, that's The Captain, Skipper and Skippy, Grover the on-field announcer, and the three racing fish, Willy Walleye, Pauley Perch, and Buster Bluegill. You may remember them from when I designed their bobble fish.
Wow, it's less than a month away! I really need to start busting out pages, don't I?
I'm partnering with the Lake County Captains once again this year. I'll be doing three promotions for them.
1. In previous years, I've arranged to have my Free Comic Book Day issue of Love and Capes available at Classic Park on FCBD. 
This year, I'll be doing an original eight-page Lake County Captains comic.
I've already committed to be at Four Color Fantasies in Rancho Cucamonga that day, so I won't be there for the giveaway. But it'll be a great time, regardless!
And I'll be posting some art and the cover soon.
Free Comic Book Day: May 1, 2010.
2. I've designed a Skipper "Bobble Belly"with Skipper as a rockin' guitar player to celebrate Cleveland and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Skipper's playing a specially designed Fender Stratocaster.
Rock-n-Roll Nght: July 3, 2010.
3. And, to tie in with Cleveland and the A Christmas Story connection, we're going to be doing a Skipper Leg Lamp. Yup, you read that right. Hot electric baseball action that will look great on your desk. (It's not full size.)
Christmas in July, July 25 2010.
Click on either to see them embiggenated!
Baltimore. It looks much better than it does on The Wire.
I went to the always-excellent Baltimore Comicon, accompanied by comics scribe Paul Storrie. Baltimore is 
Marc's also a baseball fan, and arranged to have Jim Lee, artist of the G-D Batman, to throw out the first pitch. I'd never been to Camden Yards, and like Marc, I'm a baseball guy, too. I was a little worried to go to the ballpark, though. At this point, I've been to Cleveland, Texas, Oakland, San Francisco, and now Baltimore. At a certain point, you start saying "well, now I have to see all of them". It's like license plate bingo.
Speaking of which, Paul and I did notice a car with Hawaii tags as we drove east. You almost never see that. But I'm getting off-track.
I just missed Jim Lee missing home plate. Too bad. But I did get to sit with Johanna Draper Carlson and talk obscure Eighties Television, as well as my comments on the new Knight Rider and other things. The
So I headed to the Mariott bar.
It'd be easier to list who I didn't see, I think. There's a great guest list at Baltimore, and I got to see and talk to (in no particular order) Sean McKeever, Steve and Brett Conley, Jamar Nicholas, Jamal Igle, John Gallagher, Rich Faber, Mark Bowker and his wife, Ivan Brandon, Andy MacDonald, Mike Norton and more. The show's small enough still where you can run into people and hang out for a bit, as opposed to the "I didn't so much see him as spot him" that goes on in a show like San Diego. That's a fun thing.
The show started on Saturday and it was superKing Kamehameha packed. It was great to see. Baltimore is one of the only shows that I think might be too short. And that feeling is probably why the show is so great. Better to leave them wanting more than to overstay your welcome. I've never seen Baltimore this busy before. Tons of people.
And they were buying.
In terms of sales, it my best show ever, not counting San Diego. SDCC is in a class of it's own, so it's a little unfair to compare anything to it. I did more commissions and sold more Powerful Women sketchbooks than I have anywhere else.
Over the weekend, Catwoman was tremendously popular, especially in the feline fatale's 70's outfit, which I know makes no sense for a cat burglar but, man, it looks cool. I think I drew her three or four times alone. There were also ac ouple of Poison Ivys, a Kim Possible and Shego, a Nightwing that came out gangbusters, a Ms. Marvel, a Darkblade and Charlotte, a Vampirella, a Triplicate Girl, a Commissioner Gordon (okay, that was my choice for a Batman jam piece), an Invisible Woman and a Vampirella.
The guy who asked for Kim Possible and Shego said
I kept the tracing paper roughs of many of these, and some people are sending me scans, so some of these will be making their way to the blog and the inevitable third Powerful Women collection.
I sold more than a few issues of Love and Capes, some pins and t-shirts, too. Fantastic!
I also got to see Ross Richie, Mark Waid and Carly of Boom Studios. Why was that so important? I can't say… yet. Just like I can't tell you about the encouraging conversation I had with someone from another comic company, too. I've hit that part of my career where things require that veil of secrecy, which I apologize for. But I want you, dear readers, to know that the show went well. You'll find out how well, soon, I hope.
I have to call out some fans, too. I met
And, Jeni is a great lady, too. I did one of the sweetest commissions I ever did for her. And thanks to her, I may be doing some goodwork outside of comics, too.
Fans and friends are the best part of any show, and Batlimore has some of the best.
Saturday was more Mariott time, including a great conversation with Mark Bowker and his wife, both of the awesome Alter Ego Comics. They hosted me for myfirst Free Comic Book Day appearance, and you'll notice that it went so well that I keep scheduling them. That's a testament to how warm their welcome was.
(Incidentally, I have scheduled my
Sunday, I got to meet Danielle Corsetto of Girls With Slingshots fame, too. We follow each other on the Twitter, as the kids say. It's always great to actually meet the people that you meet online.
I also spent some time hanging out with the Kids Love Comics guys. These fine fellows produce books like Buzzboy and Roboy Red and Bloop and books like that. I've ever lent some of my talents to them, too. I color Buzzboy and letter NASCAR Heroes.
I haven't mentioned Toon Tumblers until now, partially because Chief Tumbler Paul was only able to attend Sunday's portion of the show. Paul's a friend and a client, and he's doing some fantastic work. He had a passle
A word about Firestorm. I'm a huge fan of the Nuclear Man, and probably just to shut up my pleading, Paul did a Firestorm glass. I never expected it to be in the first wave. So, I'm particularly proud that the first glass to sell out was said Firestorm. Flame Heads Represent!
I even got to sneak into the VIP lounge a couple of times. Baltimore is the friendliest show I know in terms of making sure that the guests have water and snacks. This year (for the first time that I noticed at least) there was a massuse, too. I just want to state for the record that this should be required at all shows. After two days of standing on concrete, hunching over a table to draw, it's just a thing of beauty.
The show ended and our goodbyes said, Paul and I got back into the Supercar-D and made the trek back to Ohio. Baltimore's a great show, and I can't recommend it highly enough. I'm already making plans to return. Maybe even before the next Baltimore show.
But that's another one of those secret things for now.
Man, I love conventions. If only I could do another one this weekend. Hey, wait, I can!
My copies of Love and Capes #7 have arrived from the printer. The boxes you see here include the complete run of the retail version, which will be stored here at Zahler World Headquarters, as well as a thousand or so copies of the FCBD issue, which are for the Lake County Captains'/Comic Heaven Free Comic Book Day event.
I just gave blood at the annual Bloodsucker's Ball, so I'm not planning on hauling them up to the attic just yet. (They say not to lift heavy things after giving blood.) I'll just push them into the garage later tonight. For now, though, they're being guarded by the 70s Era Earth-Two Hawkman.