…Love and Capes #10, retail style, is up on the Love and Capes store. So now it's easier to buy even more!
A Smackeral of My Free Comic Book Day
Still on the road, so here's a quick smattering of my Free Comic Book Day experience...
The big one. Diamond glitched on us and didn’t run the planned solicitation for Love and Capes #11 in the May Previews catalog. Obviously, this is a huge deal, especially since I time the post-FCBD issue to time 
with Free Comic Book Day specifically so that people can read it and say “This is awesome. Can I have some more?”
I’ve talked with my rep and Diamond and, while they obviously can’t make it right, they are stepping up to the plate and making it less wrong. More on this as things shake out, but the important thing is that it will be in the August Previews Catalog.
Sell outs. I’ve received a few reports that Love and Capes was one of the first books gone, including my local comic shop running out just a couple of hours after store open. While I’m disappointed for those fans who wanted it, I’m happy to know it 
resonates so well. Of course, if the shops want to order a few more for next year, I won’t complain about that either.
Fan appreciation. Man, I love how people love the book. I’ve received more than a few e-mails and tweets, as well some great blog posts. I even got an e-mail from Israel, where Free Comic Book Day is on Friday and not Saturday because of the Sabbath. That was a treat and a half. And I’ve received some new RSVPs to the weddin
g cover, too.
Travel time. Randy Lander had a great event and treated all of us as well as can be. He said that he had his best Free Comic Book Day ever, so I can only imagine it was because he had Alan J. Porter and Paul Benjamin.
And speaking of which. It was great getting to hang with Alan and Paul and Paul Maybury. I talked some good shop, and left a little more inspired and a little wiser. Aw, who am I kidding? We just talked about Wolverine.
And a big "thank you" to Bill Williams, who not only was his normal personable self, but let me crash at the Billcave for the trip. Thanks, Bill!
Missed the FCBD Issue of Love and Capes? I Got Your Back!
Hope you had a good Free Comic Book Day weekend!
If you missed the Free Comic Book Day issue of Love and Capes, don't panic! These things happen. Maybe they ran out, or your car broke down on the way to your comic shop, or you were up so late talking about the new Wolverine movie you overslept. That's okay, I don't judge.
In past years, the retail version was offered a month or so afterwards. This year, you can order the retail version, well, right now! It's not available through Diamond, but it is available here and through Haven Distributors.
The book is identical to the FCBD version, aside from a slightly recolored cover. And it's not free. But everything else is the same.
I'm still traveling, so right now, so this blog post is the only place to order the book. Next week, it'll be on the main store page, too.
I Really AM Only Human
There was a mistake on today's issue of Love and Capes. I've mentioned The Secret Society of Super Reviewers numerous times, and want to make clear that it was not their fault. It was mine. Below is the proper version of page 13, and if you click it, it'll be big enough to read.
What happened, should you be so interested, is that when I drew this page, I decided that I didn't like the third panel and redrew it. Then, months later, when I was working on production work for #10, tweaking the colors and the separations to make sure it printed well (which it did, thankfully) I linked panel three to the old panel three, and not the new panel three.
So, the comic as printed had the new dialogue and the old art. I'm so sorry about that. I hope it didn't detract from the issue.
Snikt!
I've safely made it to Austin and engaged in some pre-Free Comic Book Day frolicking. Randy Lander picked me up at the airport and then we met Bill Williams for a great lunch at Chuy's and some great conversation. Bill and I spent the afternoon jabbering about comics.
Then we met up at the Alamo Drafthouse to see Wolverine.
First, a word about the Drafthouse. It is awesome to the awesomest power. A place where you can sit in great comfort, get a beer, food, whatever, and watch a movie.
And it's just cool.
Instead of showing The Twenty, the show some odd YouTube clips and TV show snippets and stuff like that. Seeing Bill Bixby turn into the Incredible Hulk and beat up a gorilla… well, guy in a gorilla suit… well, that's just great.
They also run a lot of fun specials. While I was there, I saw promotions for special screenings of Airplane (with subtitles for the best lines), Caddyshack, and a Pirate special on a lake where you had to dress as a pirate to get in. Man, I wish there was a place like this in Ohio. I think I'd live there.
Then we saw X-Men Origins Wolverine.
I have to say, I had pretty low expectations for the film. After X3: X-Men United the X-franchise was kind of tainted. So, while my bar may have been low, I have to say, I thought it was solid.
Wolverine's comic book origin is only surpassed in complexity by the U.S. tax code, and been patched together by as many people with as many ideas. The movie does a good job of sorting things out, streamlining it. And it's remarkably faithful to the X-films.
For instance, you know how you see Cyclops in the trailers and wonder "Why didn't Scott recognize Wolverine in the first film?" Covered.
The bad? The last twenty minutes. There's a fair amount of silly to it. Just scenes that could have stood a rewrite or two. What happens is fine, it's just how it happens.
So, here's my one spoiler warning. It'll make sense when you see it. Magic memory erasing adamantium bullets? Especially when you've got a character with hypnotic powers who's caused Wolverine nothing but pain and could, as she's dying, tell him to forget and bring you to his messed up self at the start of the first film, and a lot cleaner than the MMEABs.
There's a few other things, too. Honestly, they're minor. Things could have been refined. But I have to say, it was way more entertaining than I thought. And, as Bill said afterwards, Hugh Jackman is just so committed to the role. He's so good at it. I hope it does well enough that they try again. And since Jackman is now a producer (and such a darn cool guy) maybe it will.
Okay, tomorrow, as I'm sure I mentioned, is Free Comic Book Day. I needs me some sleep so I can go sketch and be Castle-esquely charming for a day. Later.
Review of LNC#10-Free Comic Book Day
Here's a link to another review of Love and Capes #10, this one by Blake Petit over at Comixtreme.com. With Free Comic Book Day being tomorrow, I expect more than a few of these to show up in the next couple of days.
What? You want a snippet? Okay, here goes:
When you march down to your comic shop on this Free Comic Book Day, there are going to be a lot of books to choose from. Love and Capes #10 should be at the top of your pile.
And, the full review is here.
Con/Appearance Schedule 2009
With the big FCBD coming up, I thought I'd finally post my 2009 con/appearance schedule. Hopefully some other signings and such will be added as I go.
Free Comic Book Day • May 2
I'll be at Rogues Gallery Comics and Games in Austin, Texas.
Heroes Con • June 19-21
Charlotte, North Carolina. My first time at this show!
Comic-Con International • July 22-25
It's the biggest show of the year, and I'll be at booth #2000.
Mid-Ohio-Con • October 3-4
It's my home show, and I'll be there again!
Baltimore Comicon • October 10-11
What? The weekend after? Am I crazy. Wait, don't answer.
Button Up
Affordable Buttons produces those little band buttons that I giveaway at conventions. They had a special running to get some two-and-a-quarter-inch buttons made at a crazy good price. No fool I, I ordered 100 of these new, bigger Love and Capes buttons. So, my question to you, Interwebs, is what do I do with them?
I could certainly just give them away to people at conventions. Maybe people I have a good conversation with, or cute girls, or Felicia Day (who actually would qualify under any of those criteria). But there seems like there should be some promotional thing I can do during con season. Does anyone have any ideas?
The button here can be, wait for it… wait for it… clicked and embiggened.
And Now We're Walking Out of the Forest
You know, for a book that I announced I was taking an "operational pause" on to work on a couple other projects, I seem to be doing a fair amount of pages. Really, I just needed a week off and then poof there were two more pages.
Today's comes from page twelve, a scene in Leandia with Mark and Abby, Amazonia, one of Amazonia's sisters, Oriana, and the Queen Leandia. I figured that the dimension, the city and the ruler's name are all interchangable. Hey, it's my world, I get to build it the way I want.
I had to design another set piece for this one, the royal chambers in the castle. It's open enough that I can reuse it a few times over this issue. And I think the giant Kirby Krackle energy pillars are kind of cool.
And, to show you how much I love this book, and the craziness it brings, here's what happened. Yesterday, I had a busy day, but I managed to pencil page twelve. Then, after fulfilling my duties as a Timberlake Councilman at one of our longer Council meetings, I inked it. After that, I colored and "built" the royal chambers set. By the time it was all done, it was 1:00 am.
My alarm went of at 6:00, as it often does. I'm a freelancer, and my morning workout class doesn't start until 9:00. I could have gon back to sleep, as I've done so many other times. But I couldn't. I had to get up and start working on the page, managing to color and almost finish lettering the page before I left to go Kick the Boxes.
There are other times and other projects that Ive had to get up early for. It's never pleasant, and I don't always roll a save against sleep. But for LNC, it's actually kind of easy.
Twelve pages down. Twelve to go. Do the math.
Ooops, I Did Page Eleven
Really, I meant to take a mini-break with page ten. I mentioned on Twitter that I had an epiphany about how the end of this issue will work, and I was glad about that. But I didn't really expect to do another page over the weekend.
Then, of course, the page just bubbled in my head until I went ahead and did it yesterday. I finished coloring and lettering it yesterday.
It's more adventures in Leandia, as Amazonia, Abby and Mark are heading to the Queen's castle.
And here's something I can't figure out how to mention: the big flying disc. I think it's a cool way for them to get around but it looks kind of unsafe, right? Well, borrowing off an idea I think I may have read in an old V novel, the discs have artificial gravity which help "lock" you in place. So, the disc could turn sideways or upside down, and you'd still be drawn to the disc as if you were right side up.
Okay, I thought it was cool.