Man, I love the Baltimore Comic-Con

Last weekend I was at the always-excellent Baltimore Comic-Con. It was so much fun. I got to host Katie Cassidy's panel, be on a panel with writers far outside my fighting weight like Amy Chu, Terry Moore, Jamal Igle, Louise Simonson, Mark Waid and Christy Blanch, sell a bunch of stuff and meet a ton of people. The Baltimore Yearbook entered it's fourth year, spotlighting David Petersen's Mouse Guard. There was some excitement getting it there on time, but in the end everything worked out and I'm pleased to work with and recommend everyone I dealt with. But if I looked particularly tired on Friday, that's why.

Cons can be a grind and often, by the end, I'm ready for things to wrap up. Baltimore is the only show I ever want more of. Like ice cream, you have to know when to stop, but you always want more. At least for me.

Thank you, Marc, for a fantastic time. Let's do it again next year.

DragonCon 2015 Recap

This weekend I attended my fifth DragonCon. I really love this show, and I love it more and more each year. The show is very much defined by the people. Well, the people and the costumes. It’s an amazingly welcoming and fun atmosphere. This year was a weird year for me, and DragonCon met the challenge and found a way for me to have the best time I’ve ever had there. There were laughter-filled dinners, lots of hugs, card games, and maybe an extra drop or two of alcohol.

I have to call out for special attention my good friend Jesse Jackson, who rose to the challenge, especially on Saturday, and was able to be me on a day when I wasn’t. He sold more books than I did that day. I’m lucky to have him as my booth babe, body man and designated drive… and most importantly as my friend.

It’s because of him I had my biggest DragonCon moment. Jesse has a sketchbook of drawings of actors that he has signed by those celebrities when he meets them. It’s more personal and more original than an 8x10, and the actors seem to get a kick out of it. I’ll let him tell the full story, but the quick version is this: Stephen Amell loved the drawing I did of him. And then he tweeted it out. Ten thousand likes later, here we are.

The costumes are always amazing at this show, too, both in execution and in sheer volume. It’s the only show where I feel like I should be wearing a costume. I love seeing the obscure ones. This year, it’s a tie between Letterman and Brainwave Junior for most niche character.

The photo that accompanies this post is one of my favorite moments. A young girl bought a copy of the latest issue of My Little Pony and immediately started reading it. That she was dressed like Princess Leia was a bonus.

I also did more game-playing and late-night hanging-out than I have in a while. I certainly slept the Odinsleep when I finally got home, but it was totally worth it.

And a huge thank you to my friends, some who I spent a ton of time with, some of whom I only saw in passing, and the new ones whom I just met. Without you, this show wouldn’t be as special as it is.

I hope to see you there next year! I’ll definitely be there.

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Muncie? More like FUNcie!

This past weekend was My Little Pony Day at Aw Yeah Comics in Muncie. Christy Blanch and her gang were kind enough to invite me as well as Andy Price and Katie Cook to come and do their first Sunday signing ever. The store is as fun as you’d expect, and the staff was amazing. I can’t remember the last time I was taken care of so well. I’d tell you to go into comics just so you could hopefully be treated so well yourself, but comics is competitive and I don’t need the competition.

Plus, I got there on Doctor Who day, and they had Jammie Dodgers.

Muncie is a small town, but it’s got its charm. And like a lot of places, it’s got some great restaurants if you know where to look. Fortunately, Aw Yeah did. They took us to Barn Brasserie and Casa Del Sol and they were both freakin’ amazing. Barn Brasserie had comic books as decorations on the walls of the bathrooms. (Admittedly, I only saw the mens’ room). The owner insisted that Andy and I add our signatures to the wall with so many other artists.

And they had beignets.

The signing went really well. A nice steady crowd, but not too many. There were lots of great people, and lots of kids, which is always nice to see. It was just the right mix.

And they made sure that we took some comics home with us, too, which I appreciate. You can see my haul in the photos. And they took us to see The Man From UNCLE which I appreciated a lot, too.

Kyle and Sy from the shop were great. By the end of the weekend we were trading jokes like a well oiled sitcom. (I, of course, am the Chandler.) And Christy, well, Christy’s just awesome. I swear she’s a bigger fan of Long Distance than I am. She certainly has sold more than me.

Icing on the cake was getting to log some serious convertible time. Nice and sunny on the way out. The most common comment at the signing was “I love Long Distance,” but the second was “You drove with the top down, didn’t you?” Yes, I did. And then a nice night drive on the way back, too.

It was a great weekend. Go to Aw Yeah Muncie if you’re ever in the area. Get the Sesame Chicken at Barn Brasserie and the margarita at Casa Del Sol, too.

My SDCC 2015 Appearance Schedule

Thursday • IDW Booth 2714 • 11:00am-12:00pm A My Little Pony signing at the IDW booth. The first issue of Tony Fleecs’ and my Attack of the Living Apples starring Flutterbat has an SDCC variant, so be sure to pick that up as well. I’ll be signing with Agnes Garbowska, Tony Fleecs, Jeremy Whitley, and Bobby Curnow.

I also designed the cover of the exclusive Friendship is Magic trade (featuring the art of Amy Mebberson), too.

Saturday • IDW Booth 2714 • 10:00am-11:00am

Long Distance #2 will be at the show, and Lora Innes (who did the awesome variant cover for #1, and also does the super-awesome The Dreamer) and I will be signing then.

Trivia: The Dreamer is often seen on sale at Abby’s bookstore in Love and Capes.

Saturday • Room 24ABC ª 7:30pm-8:30pm

Dr. Andrea Letamendi (The Arkham Sessions) and Dr. Ali Mattu (The Psych Show) step into the pop culture ring to debate the psychology of teamwork, rebellion, and galactic war. Panelists include Robert Meyer Burnett (Free Enterprise), Thom Zahler (Love and Capes), Consetta Parker (Rancho Obi-Wan), and Amy Ratcliffe (Star Wars Insider). Join a side, but remember: phasers and lightsabers are no match for this battle of wits! Refereed by Brian Ward (Comics, Assembled!)

I'm gonna bust 'em up.

Sunday • Room 24ABC • 1:00pm-2:00pm

All-ages comics are important now more than ever in helping to bring in new and lapsed readers, from practically every demographic. BOOM! Studios associate editor Whitney Leopard leads a discussion on the significance of all-ages comics, from what they have achieved thus far to what lies ahead, with creators Mairghread Scott (Transformers: Windblade), Thom Zahler (My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic), Cecil Castellucci (Odd Duck), Ian McGinty (Munchkin), and Dave Roman (Astronaut Academy).

And, of course, all the rest of the time, I’ll be at Booth 2000 signing and selling next to the irritatingly-talented Andy Price.

Awesome Con DC Wrap-up

This past weekend I was a guest at AwesomeCon DC. It was my first time at the show, and it was a lot of fun. I did a couple of panels on Saturday, including a great My Little Pony panel, an interesting Comics in Libraries panel and then on Sunday a fantastic What Inspired You panel hosted by my friend Bob Greenberger. I also got to see and spend time with some friends, which is always the best part of these shows. It was great to see Lora Innes, John Gallagher, Jamar Nicholas, Tony Fleecs, Robert Deans and Steve Conley along with the host of others I'm sure I'm forgetting.

More than some other shows, I got to walk around the city a lot, too. Getting to see new places is one of the best things about doing conventions. I haven't been to DC in fifteen years, so a lot had changed.

But, just in case you hear any rumors that I and some people stole the Declaration of Independence because there was a treasure map on the back, well, I can't talk about that. Sorry.

Comicpalooza 2015!

I'm back from Comicpalooza in Houston! I had such a good time, and need to thank Jesse Jackson, Bill Williams and Alex Johnson (who makes it all possible) for being such a big part of that. I think Houston may have the second most "regulars" for me, eclipsed just a bit by Baltimore, and that makes the show special. It's hospitality, Texas-style, and it's awesome. I even got to go to a bourbon tasting at the Yellow Rose Distillery.

I participated in the art auction again, this year drawing a Wonder Woman piece, and that was fun as always. I also did two panels: one on working for yourself vs. collaborating, which was lightly attended but very interesting, and one of lettering which was surprisingly well-attended. And Jesse commissioned a few sketches from me to get signed by some of his favorite actors. It's really cool when Summer Glau or Donal Logue sends back a compliment on your work.

And, I got my picture with both the car from Supernatural and the Mach Five from Speed Racer. 

If they'll have me again, I'll definitely be back. And in the meantime, I'll be at AwesomeCon DC this weekend, because I live my life like the Brothers Winchester, always on the road, selling projects and killing deadlines.

My Free Comic Book Day 2015 at Hazel's Heroes Comics

This past weekend I was a guest at Hazel's Heroes Comics in North Canton, Ohio. Their Free Comic Book Day festivities ran from 9:00-600 and it was a full day of fun! There was a line out front before the store even opened, and a steady stream of customers flowed in the entire day. I spent the day selling books and doing commissions. I even got to add to the ceiling tile art gallery with a Wonder Woman piece (because female heroes were dreadfully underrepresented… so I fixed it).

I had a great time and encourage you all to visit their shop!

I'm looking forward to next year's FCBD, too. Who knows where I'll be next time?

Wizard Cleveland Wrap Up

Wow, I had such a good time at Wizard Cleveland this past weekend. Seeing the crowds, looking at the sales and the energy, you could tell that Cleveland has been hungry for this kind of show. It was really interesting to do this local a show. There are other Ohio shows, but this one is in my backyard. I ran into all sorts of people I knew, from old jobs, relatives, people from high school and even from grade school. It's nice to see those people and know that they're doing well. It's like Facebook, but in 3-D.

I did two panels at the show. The first was Danny Fingeroth's writing panel, where Tom DeFalco, Jai Nitz, Marc Sumerak and I all discussed our process. That was a lot of fun. And the second was saturday's Breaking in and Staying In with Marc Sumerak and myself. We got a lot of good questions there. I think we dispensed some good information there.

I sold a ton of Pony books, moved some prints and sketch cards, sold Love and Capes, and did more than a few sketches. I was drawing almost all day on Saturday! That's crazy in the best way.

Cleveland has a bad reputation for coming out to support shows. So I want to say how much I appreciate people coming out through the snow and cold and poorly plowed roads to make it to the show. (And great move on Wizard's part to extend Saturday-only admissions to Sunday as well for those who didn't brave the snow.) Wizard has already announced they're coming back next year, so you have made it a success.

And I also want to thank Cleveland for not shooting itself in the foot. I was worried about $20 special event parking rates, or extra police ticketing activity, or any of the other things that can be done to strangle an event. None of that happened. There was even a ribbon cutting ceremony with the Mayor. And it was nice to see so many restaurants open even on Sunday night, so there were places to enjoy in the city after the show.

It was nice to see the show take advantage of what our area has to offer, as well. NASA Glenn had a presentation or two, both the Cleveland and Cuyahoga Libraries were out in force, as well as lots of local radio and TV. Wizard did a great job advertising the show. (And thankfully, with genre shows being so big these days, it's easy to know what to advertise on, isn't it?)

Special thanks to people who made this show so great for me: Marc Sumerak, Jai Nitz, Sean Gunn, Tony Isabella, Bob Ingersoll and Danny Fingeroth.

It was a great time and a successful show. I hope to see you there next year!

Amazing Arizona Wrap Up

I'm back from Phoenix! I had such a good time at the Amazing Arizona Comic Con. Jimmy runs such a good show. His staff is professional and attentive, and they really take care of their guests. It's my first time doing one of their shows, but I hope it won't be the last.

I met so many My Little Pony fans there, and thats one of the best parts of doing these shows. Drawing and talking to kids about something they like so much is just such a treat. On Sunday we did the "My Little Pony Power Hour" where I did more Pony sketches than I would have thought possible. And then I left that to go to the My Little Pony metope, where I took questions and talked about my work and the Ponyverse. I'd only intended to do that for half an hour, but I went almost twice that because it was so much fun.

I also got to hang out and chat with some comics creators, including Mat Nastos of Phineas and Ferb and also a fellow Kubie, which I did not know. We talked teachers and the school and careers and I wish I had been able to spend more time with him. I also got to talk with Herb Trimpe and his wife. Such a nice guy, and such a fun conversation. It's so weird to me when people I grew up reading are now people who treat me as a peer.

And big thanks to Robert Deans for making sure some cookies from Flying Pork Productions made it to me, too. I can't tell you how much I needed those!

Below are some photos from the fun that was the show. It was a great start to my 2015 convention season. And take notice, All The Other Shows, the bar has been raised.

Amazing Arizona Comic-Con

This weekend I'll be attending Amazing Arizona Comic Con [image src="http://thomz.com/blogall/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/phoenix_final_pre.jpg" align="right" border="image_border" link="#" alt="" title="" lightbox="false" ]for the first time. I'm really looking forward to it! It'll be my first time in Arizona for anything more than driving through the corner of it or stopping in an airport. I'm looking forward to seeing the actual city for once. And, new city means a new con print. They're limited to 25, like all the rest of the set. Hope you like it.

It also kicks off another crazy con season for me. Here we go again!