State of the Tart

One of the fine ladies at Sequential Tart sat me down for an interview about Love and Capes, just in time for Free Comic Book Day. Check it out here.

Is Love and Capes the Official Comic of Valentine's Day?

It's Valentine's Day, and I know what you want: More interviews with me. You can't get enough, can you, because I am apparently all over the place right now.

Over at Robot 6, which is an awesome site of awesomeness and you secretly hate yourself if you don't visit regularly, I'm interviewed by JK Parkin about Love and Capes. We cover things like the new Diamond minimums, Mark and Abby giving dating advice, my "process", such as it is, and more. Check it out here.

It's not a full interview or anything, but I am mentioned over at Whitney Matheson's online blog over at USA Today. Yes, that USA Today.

I'm also interviewed in something called "print" over at Comics Buyer's Guide. I did the interview a few weeks ago, so I honestly don't remember much of what I said. The CBG site is here, and the book is available at newsstands and such. Apparently the words "and the trade is published by the fine folks at IDW" didn't make the interview. So just print that sentence out, cut it out, and paste it in.

I was on the Dork Forest podcast, briefly. Hosted by Jackie Kashian, comedian (or is it comedienne, since I know it's not actress anymore... anyway, she's a funny person) has a podcast devoted to geekishness and such. Unfortunately, a technical glitch booted me from the call and we couldn't get back together. So, it's about ten minutes that ends as abruptly as No Country For Old Men.

John Siuntres, Chicago talk show host, interviewed me on the floor of the New York Comic-Con. John's always great to talk to, giving me the time of day long before I started Love and Capes. (I think it was 2:15pm, actually.) So, you can hear me babble about LNC here.

I've also mentioned the Raging Bullets podcast, I think, but let's mention it again given that this is a bag of listings. Sean's a great guy, and obviously a DC fan. It's great to chat with him.

My Virtual Refrigerator

I think I mentioned here, and definitely mentioned in my Twitter feed, that I'll be the subject of a News-Herald article coming this Friday. It's set to tie in with a book signing I'll be doing on this coming Sunday at Barnes and Noble in Mentor. The interview was fun to do, and it's very flattering to be the focus of such a thing. I have't seen the article, and I'm hoping that I didn't say anything stupid in it. I was able to recall exactly how many houses I had, as well as not pushing anything off as being "above my pay grade", so I think I did okay.

The reporter asked that I provide some artwork for the piece, so I had to dig through some old files. I found some fun stuff. I decided to try to dig up an old Schooltones strip from my tenure as the cartoonist for the Lake Catholic High School Lake Line newspaper. I couldn't find any. (I'm sure I have them, still. Probably upstairs in some bankers' box, I'd bet.) I was able to find some pieces from my "portfolio", circa 1983. By portfolio, I mean a red Trapper Keeper folder with several marker and crayon drawings that I brought to my very first convention, the Creation Comic Convention at the old Stouffer's Inn in Downtown Cleveland.

I remember being proud of it, and showing it to Bob Wiacek, who was generally complementary. I don't expect that Bob was geniunely impressed by a 12-year old's scribblings, but he was positive enough in a "keep at it kid, you're on a decent path" kind of way. That kind of support is priceless in a young artist's journey. Gil Kane was also there, whom I knew from his Star Hawks strip and other similar work. Gil's art didn't appeal to me then, and much like Kirby or even Simonson (whom at that show I mentioned disliking, since he made the grevious error of not being Paul Smith on the X-Men) I didn't start to appreciate and even like until later in my life. I kind of regret that. It would have been nice to talk to him a little more.

So, presented here are two drawings from that portfolio. One is of Laser Raider, a character I created for my grade school newspaper and was heaviy influenced by Dynamite Magazine's Dynamite Duo (later drawn by students of the Kubert School that I would even later attend myself). The other is Firestorm, proving my fascination with the character started at an early age. I remember being a young kid and drawing characters whose limbs looked like sausage links, since I didn't understand musculature, as well as not being able to draw noses or feet. With that in mind, I'm a little surprised at how inoffensive these drawings are. They aren't great, to be sure, but they hold up just a little better than I thought.

I also notice that I was using a signature different from my "family" signature. The now-familiar elongated ZAHLER with the united H and L and curved R going to the year was on all my Dad's and Aunt's paintings. I think I was somehow rebelling against it, although later I'd come to embrace it and I like the continuity that comes with having the family signature. I did change it a little, elimiating the vertical line in the E. Every generation adds something, I guess.

Half Hour Wasted? I Think Not!

I did a few interviews at Wizard World Dallas, including this one for Half Hour Wasted episode #96. I appear near the end of the podcast, but the whole thing is worth your time. It's a live broadcast from various parts of Wizard World, and it does a pretty good job of capturing the flavor of the convention.

And when they mention that Cheetah Lady… sheesh. I saw her too and be glad that you didn't.

Like "American Idol" But Everyone Loses

Last night I was a guest on the ReadComics.org podcast. They had me on for the entire show, so it's almost an hour of Thom Zahler babbling. Actually, it went pretty well. I think I was occasionally amusing and... they even got me to sing a little. Damn this blog and my clever stories about The War of Joss Whedon's Musical Words that occured at Mid-Ohio-Con.

So, big thanks to Marty and Jason and Florence. I had a great time. Go check it out.

What's meant to be will always find a way

The Deco City convention center is one of those places that's so big that they're able to host two shows: a Bridal Fair and… a Comic Book Convention. I've had this idea in mind since I did my interview with Sequential Tart last year. So, if you've read the article, or are clever enough to click the link, you might find out what's going to happen.

There's one more page in this sequence, and I'll be glad when it's done. Trying to render a convention is a lot of work, even with some of the repeated background elements and people I've been able to use.

What's really heartening, though, is that this is already page fourteen. Sure, I'm worried about fitting all the story I have in mind into the last ten pages, but I usually get worried about that around this part of the process. But I've only got ten pages left, and thirty days or so before San Diego, so I'll hopefully have it done before I go. It'll be a nice thing to have off my mind while I'm in the big ol'convention.

If last year was any indication, I'll be sitting there at my table and then have a whack of inspiration for the next issue. Although I did have a moment in church Saturday where I had a couple ideas about #9. I figure that was either divine inspiration or a boring homily.

My Dulcet Tones, Yet Again

I had the pleasure of doing an interview with JJ from Fist Full of Comics and Games. You can check it out here. Hopefully I don't sound like too much of a dolt.

Look Who's On teh Internets

My "Del's Folks" interview is up on YouTube. This is my favorite interview that I've done, and it's a pretty good piece all around. I don't know if I'm going to be as huge as the DC vs. Marvel spots, the finest live action superhero show ever, or even this ever popular one but you never know.

More Thom Zahlery Stuff on the Internet

Jen Contino at The Pulse interviewed me about Love and Capes #7 and Free Comic Book Day. Check it out!