Don't forget, Love and Capes: Ever After #4 is available in Previews right now. It's order code MAR110473, and it's got a rockin' alternate cover by the ultra-talented Chris Bailey.
The Birth of a Legend has been Birthed!
My friend, kind-lender-of-his-guest-room, and all-around badass Ben Thompson has a new book out today! It's Badass: Birth of a Legend, taking the same mix of historical fact and irreverent comedy that he applied to the historical figures to characters of legend.
"But, Thom", you say, "while that certainly is cool, I need some sort of added coolness to push me over the edge to order it. Perhaps if you did an illustration in it…?"
Your prayers are answered, Convenient Straw Man! I do indeed have an 
illustration in said book. It's of Medea, and on page 204 (I have an advance copy I can refer to because, you know, I'm all awesome like that). And if you think that's cool, there are even more illustrations by even more artists, a staggering number who are even better than me!
Anyway, check it out. I loved the first one and can't wait to dive into the second one.
The Obligatory Pre-Con T-Shirt Post
As a reminder for those of you going to the Chicago C2E2 exposition, I'll be therear table SP-06. I'll have all sorts of Love and Capes stuff. But I won't have any shirts or hoodies… unless you order them ahead of time here! Yup, it's the shirt pre-sale.
I'm doing the same thing for MegaCon, too. If you're going to be there, be sure to pre-order for that, too.
Seattle Con Report
I’m back from Seattle and my first Emerald City Comicon! How was it? Long story short, I’ve already signed up for next year.
Here’s the long story.
I flew out the day before the show. I managed to start the trip forgetting my banner stand, but on the upside that saved me a bag charge. There’s got to be a better way to get those things out to my conventions. I’d have brought it as carry-on if I hadn’t maxed out my two items already.
Ben Thompson, writer of Badassand the soon-to-be-released Badass: Birth of a Legendpicked me up at the airport. He and his wife Andrea were nice enough to put me up for the show, and then I was spending some extra time in Seattle with relatives. Being able to save on hotel costs and rental car costs made doing a new show a lot easier, so thanks to everyone on that!
Ben and I wandered into Seattle early so that I could do some sightseeing. We rode the Monorail (insert your favorite Simpsons joke here, Lord knows I did) and went to the Science Fiction Museum. Most of the exhibit was closed so that they could put in the new Avatar exhibit, which I can only assume is a lot of green screens and motion capture suits.
But, there was a Battlestar Galactica special exhibit that we could get into. And it was the last day for it! Timing power for the win.
Ben and I spent the time taking pictures of ourselves with the Vipers and Cylon Raiders, dramatically looking for Earth, and being on Adama’s phone. “This is Zahler Actual.” 
There was even a place where you could stand and find out if you were a Cylon. How did you determine this? If you were a Cyclon, you could hear the music. I’m no frakkin’ Cylon, so I certainly didn’t hear anything. Why would you say that? Maybe you’re a Cylon. And the music certainly wasn’t All Along the Watchtower.
Ben and I then traipsed over to the show. I’d gotten a show fastpass to get in, which was the closest I’ll get to having slightly psychic paper. I flashed that thing and I swear I didn’t have to break stride before I was badged up.
It didn’t take us long to set up, and I swear Emerald City has the most spacious artist alley I’ve seen. There was plenty of room between me and the people behind me for us to store boxes, and there were several breaks in the tables so we could exit. Good job, guys!
Sales were decent. Normally, I sell as many copies of the first trade as the second. It’s almost just as easy to sell two books as one. At this show, I sold far more copies of the first than the second. There are a couple of things that could account for this. It’s possible that the higher gas prices had people buying cautiously. It’s also possible that, despite being 
distributed nationally, that I didn’t quite have market penetration into the northwest and this was the first time people saw the book. It wasn’t bad, just odd.
Also, I have to give a shout out to my Square credit card reader. I took purchases for both myself and Ben, and between us we sold almost $300 that we would have lost if we didn’t have the card reader. Emerald City had fine AT&T cell coverage for most of the show. Saturday afternoon, probably the busiest time, had a little bit of a slowdown, but it was manageable. So, if you’re doing shows the way I do, I can’t recommend it highly enough.
It was great to see everyone there. The fans were great and I’m continually surprised how many people really do read the book and like it. And hopefully I managed to get some new fans, too.
I also got to spend some time with some comic friends that I don’t see outside of the show circuit. Emerald City is that perfect size where it gets great guests and a sizable number of attendees, but yet the hotel bar’s not too crowded and you can see and talk to people rather than just have sightings.
Well, unless you’re like me and miss meeting both Wil Wheaton and Jonathan Frakes. But don’t worry, I’ve taken steps to fix that.
Also cool about the show is that they do a charity art book called Monsters and Dames. I think this is the fifth year for it, but don’t hold me to that. Show attendees provide artwork on that theme that are then collected into this beautiful BrandPress book. It’s really a gorgeous piece. 
I was glad to do it. I donated my original art for the charity auction, and I don’t know what it sold for, so I’m going to assume it was for One Million Dollars! I’m sticking by that until I’m proved different.
It’s also brilliant marketing, because it generates booth traffic as people want to get each page signed by the attending artist. Hopefully, they’ll let me be part of it next year. There’s some amazing art in there, and I hope I didn’t bring down the curve.
I also got to spend time with relatives while I was out there, which was great. I stayed in their cabin on Mt. Rainer which was just awesome. It’s an amazing place and Mt. Rainier was amazing. We went up the mountain, about 6000 feet or so. It’s weird to be walking around on 250 inches of snow. But man, I want to go back. Hopefully the next time I’ll get to try skiing.
I also got to spend some time wandering around Seattle. Ben Thompson recommended the Bill Spiedel’s Underground Tour, which explores some of Seattle’s underground city. The city was built up to get it out of the flood zone on Puget Sound. It’s really an amazing story, so if you get a chance, take the tour or buy the book.
Me, I did both.
I lucked out and got a great tour guide, too. Sadly, I’ve forgotten his name, but I did remember it long enough to get a discount on the book at the gift shop. A lot of these tours rest on the ability of the tour guide. I took a Duck Boat tour of Boston back in 2000 and “The Professor” (as he liked to be called) is a huge part of why it was so amazing.
I drifted through some shops and went back to the Pike Place Market which I’d seen with Ben but had time to wander around. I went to the Kells restaurant where the owner, from Northern Ireland, and I tried to out-charm each other.
She won, by the way.
And, yes, I did go to Starbucks Prime, the very first Starbucks store. Tuesday was also Fat Tuesday, the last day before Lent. I’ve taken to giving up coffee rather than chocolate for this forty-six day period (yes, I count Sundays) and I figured this was the place to have my last cup of that sweet elixir that men call “Joe.”
Totally worth it.
So, I get it, okay, Seattle? I see why so many people come out for the show and wind up moving out there. It’s a great city. I’m not planning on leaving the Buckeye State anytime soon. 
Hey, we’re getting the Avengers movie after all, and if Scarlett Johnanssen can make the bad decision to date Sean Penn, then she’s perfectly capable of making just as big a mistake with me. Besides, I like it here.
But I’ll be back next year. Better have some coffee on.
Just Sharing
I just finished page nineteen, which introduces Darkblade's parents. I don't have a lot to say about it, especially since you won't be reading it for another few months. I just like the colors on this panels, especially the clouds. So I just thought I'd share.
Nebraska Art in Color
I did some commissions at Ground Zero in Omaha, and one of them was this Gwen Stacy piece. The purchaser had me take it home so that I could color it, since I color exclusively digitally. You want to see it in color? Well, then, click and embiggen!
You Know What I'd Like For Valentine's Day?
I mean, other than Olivia Wilde?
You could order Love and Capes: Ever After #3 is 
in Previews this week. It's on page 159, right above the Suicide Girls solicitation. It's order code FEB11 0362, and this issue has the alternate Darwyn Cooke cover. Abby goes to her high school reunion while Darkblade, Charlotte and Amazonia have their own adventure.
Operation: Omaha!
So, there was on Facebook, not minding my own business at all. The oft-talked about Love and Capes: Ever After was cleverly coming out for Valentine's Day, and I didn't have a signing scheduled. 
That seemed, as the wise Ralph Wiggum once said, unpossible. So I mentioned this on the Love and Capes Facebook Fan Page.
Then I got a response from one of my fans, Chris.We'll cut the boring e-mails and flight info, but next thing you know, I'm waking up at 4:30 a.m.to catch a flight to Omaha.
Don and Lee brought me to Ground Zero Comics and took care of me something fierce. I had two tables that I filled with my Love and Capesishness: t-shirts, posters, trades and books. A pretty steady stream of people
came in and bought stuff. Honestly, I've had conventions where I didn't sell as much I moved enough product that out of the bags I brought, I managed to condense one down and fly back a bag lighter.
Also, I took two orders on my Square, which worked perfectly. Man, I love that thing.
I did commissions, as well. I did one of Number Six from Battlestar Galactica, one of Gwen Stacy for a guy who's cute little daughter is named Gwen, anda two-person Spider-Man and Venom piece for The Coolest 
Woman in the World.
I say this because, she came to the store for her husband. He wanted to come by, but work prevented it, so she went. And then she for the commission as a Valentine's Day Present. Okay, that's just awesome. But she's supportive of his comic bookness, and that's not always the case. I hope he's doing something equally as 
awesome for her.
(Also, if anyone was following me on the Twitters, this is the story that made me delay this post. I didn't want to ruin the surprise.
My friend Tom, whom I met years ago when we were contestants on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire lives here in Omaha, so he came by with his son. It was great to see him again, trade stories and catch up, and meet his son, too.
Afterwards, Chris and I went out to dinner and talked some more comics. Then I went back to the hotel and wrote some postcards for the godkids and nieces and nephews, and passed right out.
I have to put in another plug for the Catholic Directory app, too. 
Thanks to it, the hotel shuttle and a kind Ohio State fan, I got to Mass and back to the hotel. This little app has made fulfilling my Catholic obligations so much easier.
This signing was a lot of fun. I'd love to do more like this, and to return to Omaha again, too.
It's a Big Ol' Week of Awesome!
Love and Capes: Ever After #1 is out, and it's been getting some press coverage. Some really nice press coverage. I wanted to link to some of those.
First, with tomorrow's signing in Omaha at Ground Zero Comics, the Omaha World-Herald did an interview with me that you can read here. I'm so looking forward to this event and I'll let you know all about it when I get back.
As far as the issue itself, the first review I saw was from Jennifer Smith at Newsarama:
To do what he does on this book, Zahler must truly love his work – and he must also, secretly, be a superhero. What else could explain his ability to write, draw, ink, color, and letter all of his own work in a rigid 8-panel grid that features incredibly likeable characters, a fully-realized independent superhero universe, stunningly expressive art and design work, and a hilarious punchline at the end of every fourth panel? It’s enough to make even the most industrious fan feel like a slacker in comparison.
I will say, that one made my night.
Then, over at the Time Magazine Techland blog, I received some nice words from the gang there, including Douglas Wolk.
I've always had a big soft spot for Thom Zahler's superhero/rom-sitcom series Love and Capes, and I hope the new miniseries Love and Capes: Ever After brings a few more potential admirers into the fold. It's a little strange to see a romantic comedy continue after the wedding, but I'm also happy to keep seeing these characters.
And just today, from Comics the Blog:
Wait, did this review just get 300% sexier? Blame Zahler and what I can only imagine from his Twitter account is a raging, unquenchable libido. Or, you know, a guy who works hard, likes Nathan Fillion and makes great comics.
Okay, that's probably just my favorite part of the review. James actually talks about the book itself, too.
All right, I have to go pack for my trip. But thanks everyone for the nice reviews. And a big thanks to all the fans of Love and Capes who make making this book possible!
Love and Capes: Ever After #1 on sale NOW!
Yeah, that's right, your long national nightmare is over. Love and Capes: Ever After #1 is available in stores NOW.
Well, maybe not now, as I'm writing this on Wednesday morning at 8:00am eastern time. You should probably wait until your local shop is actually open. But once it is, go to town! It's been almost a year since the last issue, but now that the book's back, its going to go fast. Like monthly fast.
And let me know what you think.