I was lucky enough to visit Rancho Obi-Wan a couple years ago, and it was a great time. I can't recommend visiting that place enough. I even managed to impress Steve Sansweet by knowing some Star Wars toy trivia that had eluded all his other tour takers.[image src="http://thomz.com/blogall/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/swladies.png" align="left" border="image_border" link="http://thomz.com/blogall/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/swladies.jpg" alt="" title="Rebellious Ladies" lightbox="false" ] They're having a fundraising auction to help keep the place going, and I was honored to be able to do a piece for it. It's 12x9 and drawn in ink and colored with Dr. Martin's watercolor dyes. Read more about the auction here.
Empire Strikes Back Cards With Art By Me!
I was part of the new Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back radio play card set from Topps. It's always fun to play in the Star Wars universe. Check them out below, and I have a couple of these as my Artist's Cards that are available for sale, too.
Long Distance Process
I put together a step-by-step video of how I do the color effects on Long Distance. The duotones give the book a unique look and really help with a sense of place. I'm proud of what I came up with, and thought you might like to see how it's done.
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?
Coming soon, my new project: Long Distance!
A week or so ago, there was the Convention Kickoff online convention, and it’s been announced that I have a new project coming out: Long Distance! [image src="http://thomz.com/blogall/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ld_cvr01_final_100dpi.jpg" align="right" border="image_border" link="#" alt="" title="" lightbox="false" ] Those of you who have followed me for a while might remember the scriptbook Long Distance that I did years ago. It collected the spec script that I submitted to that Bravo TV show, Situation Comedy, which was kind of a Project Greenlight for sitcoms. It never made the cut, but the idea never went away.
[image src="http://thomz.com/blogall/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ld032_flat.jpg" align="left" border="image_border" link="#" alt="" title="" lightbox="false" ]
Rocket ahead ten years and here I am turning it into a comic. A lot has changed in that time, especially with how people communicate. Texting and Twitter and those things create a kind of constant telepresence and I thought that was some ground ripe for exploring. Fortunately, IDW thought so, too.
So, coming out in June will be Long Distance #1. It’s a four issue miniseries, each issue being DOUBLE-SIZED (because I’m crazy). I’m doing some hopefully interesting things with color and lettering to visually show location and distance. None of those things involve transparent word balloons, so you can all rest easy there.
Best of all, issue #1 has a variant cover by my friend Lora Innes that will not cause any controversy in the comics industry. Except the controversy of why it’s so good.
[image src="http://thomz.com/blogall/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ld031_flat.jpg" align="right" border="image_border" link="#" alt="" title="" lightbox="false" ]
I’ll write more about it when it becomes close, but for now, let’s remember the important thing. The Previews order code is APR150443 and the subscription cover is APR150444. Get one, get both! I’m working on some new art that you can print out and take to your shop, too. I’ll update as soon as I have something.
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!
Morning Warm-Up: Aquaman
Everyone's talking about the release of the first image of Jason Momoa as Aquaman. He looks impressive and I've liked Momoa from his days on Stargate Atlantis. I had to look at 
the photo a couple of times to make sure it wasn't black and white, so apparently they're going with the super-muted color scheme that's permeated so much of the DC movie stuff.
I liked it okay in Man of Steel, and it certainly works for Batman, but I miss color in my superhero characters. The Marvel Cinematic Universe certainly does that better, though the DC characters don't seem to need to constantly apologize for wearing costumes, so they've at least got that going for them.
All of which is by way of saying "Hey, I drew Aquaman today!" Hope you dig it!
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!
I Did Not Want To Draw a Page Today
I did not want to draw a page today. I lettered sixteen pages. I ran errands and got my hair cut. At best, I wanted to do one of the commissions on my stack. The last thing I wanted to do was draw a page.
Still, I sat down at the Cintiq and opened up my template. I figured maybe I'd just lay out the page. So I did that, and, against my better judgment I laid out a page that had a complicated pose and a brand new background. That meant more work.
More work I had no energy to do. But I didn't get up.
I figured I'd ink the easy panel before dinner. Then maybe work out the new background.
I never got up.
[image src="http://thomz.com/blogall/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/ld070.jpg" border="image_border" link="#" alt="" title="" lightbox="false" ]
A couple hours later, the page was done.
You want to get something done? You do it. There's no other way around it. You just sit down and you do it. You just sit down at your damn desk and you do it. Everything else is details.
My Art (and many others) Immortalized on Fabric
Over on Twitter, Canterlot Radio shared this pic of My Little Pony fabric. See that "EVER" and the picture of Twilight Sparkle in the center of it? That's pulled from my Twilight Sparkle "Pony Tales" story. How cool is that? Also on there looks to be Andy Price, Tony Fleecs, Heather Breckel and more.
[image src="http://thomz.com/blogall/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/mlpfabric.jpg" align="center" border="image_border" link="http://thomz.com/blogall/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/mlpfabric.jpg" alt="" title="" lightbox="false" ]