YAY it's Friday the 13th - the luckiest day of the year! :) I'll be at the Motor City Comic Con in Artist's Alley, table H4. Swing by today and join me in celebrating my birthday :) www.motorcitycomiccon.com for more info.
Motor City Comic Con This Weekend!
I'm excited to announce that I'll be exhibiting in Motor City Comic Con this weekend, back in my home state of Michigan! Coincidentally, the convention starts on my birthday, which is also the only Friday the 13th of this year - very lucky! MCCC is Friday May 13th from 12:30P - 7P, Saturday May 14th from 10:30A - 7P, and Sunday May 15 from 10:30A - 5P. At the Suburban Collection Showplace, 46100 Grand River Ave, Novi, MI 48374. Daily passes range from $25 to $35, check their website https://motorcitycomiccon.com for more info.
There are some cool panel discussions going on too. It's so great to see how much this convention has grown over the years - they didn't even have this stuff when I was a teen! Panels of note are the "Who’s Panel with Billie Piper" and a handful of creator-themed panels like WRITE BETTER COMICS and The Art of Inking. But most exciting of all is the Holy Golden Anniversary Batman! panel on Sunday: "Marking it’s 50th anniversary, the dynamic duo and stars of Batman, Adam West and Burt Ward have dropped by The Motor City Comic Con to take your questions and discuss their infamous TV show. With the inside scoop and behind the scene stories in their utility belts, this event will leave you saying, “Holy Panel Batman!” Note: You won’t want to miss this since it’s their last year of Con appearances before hanging up their capes."
See you there!
Since entering the working world, I've always taken a day off for my birthday, and my college semesters ended in April, so I haven't had to "work" on my birthday since high school! But hey at least I'm doing what I'm great at and what I love. But if you're thinking of going to MCCC, stop by my booth in artist's alley on Friday the 13th because I'll be taking it easy!
Update! Carmine at 1p Today for FCBD!
My time has been changed at Carmine Street Comics to 1pm today. They have a great line-up of creators all day for FREE COMIC BOOK DAY! See you there at 34 Carmine St.
Free Comic Book Day TOMORROW!
Did you know that it's FREE COMIC BOOK DAY tomorrow? The first Saturday in May, this year being May 7th, is a very special event for all comic stores! Selected comics will be available for FREE! No, not all comics in the stores are free (the stores would go out of business). But it's a great way to get new readers, especially kids, interested in comics!
Some stores will also have special guests. Carmine Street Comics will have many comic creators exhibiting on an hourly rotating basis. I'll be there from 2pm - 3pm selling my comics and doing sketches. Since I've gotten my new teaching job, I am not at Carmine on Tuesdays anymore, but it will be great to be back in the mini artist's studio! Carmine Street Comics is 34 Carmine Street in the village near the West 4th stop. See you there!
The Power Of Saying NO
This is a lesson that I've heard on a few productivity podcasts: Sometimes you have to say NO to possible opportunities that come along that are lower priorities, so you can say YES to your top priorities and live your life the way YOU want to. This prevents you from doing a zillion things that are "just ok" and getting burnt out, saving your energy for the BEST things.
I know this NO concept sounds weird, as we artists tend to say YES to everything, especially when first starting out in our careers. This is good up to a point, where you start to get a snowball effect of projects. It's like an All-You-Can-Eat Buffet where you see a smorgasbord of all these different delicious foods, and you pile your plate really high. But then after you eat for awhile you realize there's no possible way to stuff everything into your stomach in one sitting! The same thing happens with art projects, gigs, and etc: you literally cannot do every single thing on Earth that seems like a good opportunity, or has a slight chance of opportunity/doing something just for "the exposure" (we've all heard that load of crap before). You have to take a good hard look at everything on your plate and turn some things down for your sanity and health.
For example, when I first started exhibiting in comic conventions, I'd travel sometimes 2.5 hours away for a whole day trip to very small conventions or shows with low attendance, where I didn't end up making much profit - sometimes I'd lose $. But as I've progressed in my career, and now that I have a solid 3 ongoing projects with consistent pay, I realize I don't need to exhibit in every single convention. After much consideration, I've prioritized either doing regular freelance work on the weekends, doing something fun, or just relaxing! I've learned the hard way that I need to make R&R a priority, otherwise I catch colds from being worn down. New Yorkers especially may think there is no time for R&R, but you have to MAKE time by using the power of NO.
Here's proof of the power of saying NO! Whenever I hear multiple people I respect saying similar things, I take it into consideration. From Julie Sheranosher http://www.imjulie.com/saying-no/ and Michael Hyatt http://michaelhyatt.com/027-how-to-say-no-without-feeling-guilty-podcast.html
By the way, don't worry about missing me at the large conventions like NYCC, Boston CC, Baltimore CC, C2E2, Motor City (coming up in May!) - I still intend to exhibit at those!
Happy Earth Day?
Facebook told me it was Earth Day today. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have known. But really, Earth Day should be every day!
Especially in my neighborhood in Brooklyn, sidewalk trash cans are always overflowing and you see trash on the streets everywhere. Meanwhile, there are no trash cans on the J subway platforms, but there are signs saying "Trash is a problem. Be part of the solution." The MTA wants you to take your trash with you, but realistically what happens is that no trash cans = trash all over everywhere else on the street. The average New Yorker is always in a rush and carrying a bunch of stuff everywhere, and I've seen countless people just leave their trash on the platform seats. I have a hard time believing, as the MTA claims, that there is less of a rodent problem too... trash being in bins contains the problem, but trash strewn everywhere leaves it wide open to more vermin. Trash IS a problem, MTA, so get some freakin' trash cans!
MoCCA Fest THIS WEEKEND!
My friend Nadia "Toughspirit" Burgess and I will be sharing a table at MoCCA Fest this weekend! Table D153 ... on the FIRST floor this time! Not 4th like last year... the new venue only has 2 floors thank God. It's at "Metropolitan West" 639 West 46th St, right by the Highline and the Intrepid! Only $5 per day to get in! Kids under 12 are free. Saturday April 2 and Sunday April 3 from 11A-6P both days.
A major special guest this year is my former cartooning professor, Phoebe Gloeckner!! Her work The Diary of a Teenage Girl, an account of her teen years in prose and pictures, was recently adapted into a critically-acclaimed and award-winning film! The book "received notable recognition as well as controversy for its honest portrayal of teenage sexuality with themes of drug use and childhood traumas.She'll be part of the official programming, going on at Ink48, around the corner from the fest (653 11th Avenue at 48th Street). VERY EXCITING!!
But MoCCA Fest isn't an April Fool's - that's happening for real ;)
Jazz Sketching Returns!
I'm once again doing live sketching at Friday Night Jazz in Times Square THIS FRIDAY! 3/25/16 (yes I know it's Good Friday... but come chill out with jazz and relax - Lent is almost over!) I sketch to the music and sell the drawings after - it's "pay what you wish." Admission is FREE!
8:30pm to midnight @ Cielo (underground) 242 W 49th Street (b/t Broadway & 8th ave) RSVP on Facebook
And if you hadn't gotten a copy of Circuit-Breaker #1 yet, make sure to check it out before they're all gone from comic stores!
Sometimes I think that I'm spreading myself too thin when I do so many different events and projects, but hey, as a cartoonist it's rare to get a "full time" job doing only one thing, and you have to make the best of whatever opportunity comes your way, and make your own opportunities.
Circuit-Breaker is Finally Here! Signing 3/23!
5 years ago I was Kyle Baker's assistant, and besides helping him with colors for Deadpool Max, we did many other short comics, like this one: Circuit-Breaker! Written by Kevin McCarthy, (who I got to see at C2E2!), illustrated by Kyle Baker, and published by Image comics, it took awhile to complete the mini series and get it ready for production due to various circumstances. But it's finally here and will be in stores this Wednesday!
The story is kind of like Astro Boy, with Kyle emulating an Osamu Tezuka-like style. We were half-watching all kinds of anime for inspiration while creating the comic. Good times. "When the heroic robots that saved Japan during World War IV are outlawed, they turn against mankind, waging a campaign of terror across the last city on Earth. Their creator builds one more soldier-disguised as his teenaged granddaughter-and tasks her with dismantling the marauding mechanical militia. But as she begins to question her programming, will she be the last hope for humanity, or the final nail in our coffin?"
I'll be doing a signing at Carmine St. Comics Wednesday 3/23 at 7:30pm to 9pm! Get a signed copy of Circuit-Breaker, and if you want get a drawing by me of the heroine or any other anime character. 34 Carmine St. in the village. See you there!
The hour time difference messes with my Google calendar when I travel between time zones. I figured out a way to "trick" it to thinking it was still on Eastern time, but then it screwed up the flight time.
C2E2 this Fri-Sun!
C2E2, the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, is this week from Fri 3/18 - Sun 3/20! I'll be in Artist's Alley table i16a, and will also be doing a signing each morning at the IPG booth 640!
There are lots of other cool things going on at C2E2 - panels like "From Book to Screen," "Everyday Podcasting for your Everyday Life," "How to get Press for your Comic," and "Nonfiction Comics: Childhood, Food, and Relationships."
C2E2 is at McCormick Place's south building 2301 S Lake Shore Dr. Hours are Fri 3/18 10A-7P, Sat 3/19 10A-7P, and Sun 3/20 10A-5P. If you're in Chicago, hope you can make it!
Tax Time
I did a mountain of filing and tax stuff last week. For me it's worth it to do taxes earlier in the year because spring is craZy with conventions and preparing rates are cheaper. For the past few years, I've been filing through Brass Taxes: Tax help for artists, freelancers, and other nice people. You gotta tally up and fill out your itemized deductions, but the site categorizes them in an easy way to understand, and the Brass Taxes folks help you with any questions. I've been better at tracking my receipts all last year, and I was able to get a lot more in deductions that I ever could with just TurboTax or H&R Block, etc, which are formulated for people with one job and are not freelancer-friendly.
Before getting all my tax stuff together, I reorganized my entire filing system. Artists, including myself, are notoriously messy. I had everything from random drawings to worksheets from classes to business cards strewn in piles around my room. NO MORE. With the help of the book "Getting Things Done" by David Allen (this book has changed my life - can't stop raving about it!) I've gotten all my papers under control. Basically, the book changed the way I thought about filing/referencing - it's not just for stuff like taxes, banks, and credit cards, which was what my system was like before. You can and should file EVERYTHING. At first it felt weird to me to put artwork in a filing folder, but now I have project folders for each client I've worked with - no matter how brief or small the project was. I've made a folder titled "Business Tips," as I've gotten handouts from short business talks over the years. I've made folders for almost every convention I've been in, and in the future will put respective business cards in each convention folder (instead of in bags - where did I meet that person again?). There's a "Websites/People to check out" folder, when I don't have a business card but jot the name down on a scrap of paper for some reason or got a pamphlet that intrigues me. There's a "Sketches" folder for random sketches that for some reason aren't in a sketch book.
The wonderful thing about all this organization is that not only is my room cleaner, BUT I CAN ACTUALLY FIND STUFF! Recently, I was trying to negotiate payment for a possible new job, and as I was sorting through papers to file, coincidentally came across a packet called "Employment Decision & Negotiation" from the University of Michigan Business School. I would have NEVER remembered I even had such a thing if I hadn't made the choice to reorganize. It's true that you can find a lot of stuff online, but not everything. Physical filing is not dead. I've been slowly tackling my digital filing too, but that's another story.
And remember, this awesome event is tomorrow, don't miss it!
Comic Book Music Film Fest THIS FRIDAY!
Looks like Lovecraft Bar is becoming one of my favorite places! This Friday March 4th they're having another small festival that combines comics, music, and film! I also designed the flyer for this one and will be exhibiting again. Here are some fun-sounding names of other people who will be there: Comic art by Ninja Express and Dionisios Kavvadias, and music by Sunshiner and Bad Mary. My friend and fellow exhibitor Nadia Burgess (aka Toughspirit) will also be showing one of her films: "Black." If you've liked her other art at NYCC, MoCCA Fest, or Special Edition (which btw isn't happening this year), now's the chance to see her film work.
Comic Book Music Film Fest is 7P-11:45P 3/4. Lovecraft 50 Ave B. Here's the facebook event. Please take any train to the Delancey-Essex stop, then walk north. $5 admission and it's encouraged to get either 1 drink or food item. Every $5 entry fee goes to the Goodwill Rescue Mission, striving to end homelessness. You can rest assured your $ will go directly to feed and shelter the homeless, instead of it possibly being spent on "other" things if you just give to panhandlers. Homelessness is a huge issue in NYC, and even though I'm not sure the problem will ever be totally solved, at least we can help a little in our own way with fun fundraising events like this.
See you Friday!
We all hate getting charged with a surprise fee for anything. Sometimes there are fees we expect, but it really kicks you in the pants when there's a big random one that somehow, for some reason, you didn't see until it was too late. It's important to try to stay on top of everything, which is why I'm trying out this thing called a "weekly review," something I learned from David Allen's book "Getting Things Done" or GTD for short. I HIGHLY recommend this book to everyone, but especially artists, who often struggle with project management. Basically, the GTD method helps you to:
1. Do a "brain dump" where you write down literally every task or project you have to do. 2. Break down projects into small steps. 3. Actually DO the steps. Part of this process is the weekly review, to review all the projects and steps to make sure you're on top of things, including everything from bank accounts to comic projects to what you'll cook for dinner. I feel like I could write all day about GTD because it's helped me immensely, but more on that later.
Thea Stilton #5 out NOW!
It's finally here! Papercutz presents Thea Stilton #5 - The Secret of the Waterfall in the Woods! This was what I spent a solid 2 weeks on last summer, coloring night and day. I am SO PROUD of how beautifully this book came out! It's so satisfying to hold a copy in my hands after all that hard work.
Thea has much more detailed shading than when I colored the Power Rangers. You can see the different Photoshop brush textures I used in the pine needles, trunks, and rocks. Lots of nature scenes in this book, which has an eco-friendly message. The five Thea Sisters of Mouseford Academy solve mysteries, and this episode features saving a family of bears in the woods. There's danger, deception, teen angst, cuteness, and more!
One of the challenges in coloring this book was the sheer number of characters - lots of crowd scenes like above, with many pages having around 30 characters each! When you're coloring 46 pages on a tight deadline, that adds up. Luckily, I was able to get a flatter (Matt Herms) to help with half the pages. Delegation gets stuff done.
I'll be at the IPG booth doing signings and sketches for Papercutz at C2E2 in Chicago! C2E2 is March 18 - 20, and I'll do a signing each morning, as well as be at my artist alley table i16a the rest of the time. I'll do a separate C2E2 blog later. So much going on! But that's a good thing.
Speaking of books, this Daily Misfortune was inspired by my mom. Yep, last month is was just her and the librarian. A die hard mystery novel lover.
Valentine's Comic Reading - TONIGHT!
TONIGHT! 8PM at Lovecraft Bar, 50 Ave B in Manhattan, near the Delancey/Essex stop! I'm very excited to have this one-of-a-kind comic reading event - "All You Need Is Love: Real and True Love Stories in Comic Form!" Ok, maybe I made the title a bit too long... but hey it's descriptive. All the stories we'll be reading from tonight remind me that love can really be found anywhere, at any time! Please join me for a fun, heart-warming time! It's a FREE event, with drink or food purchase, 21+.
Did I mention there will be FREE chocolates too?
All You Need Is Love: A Love-Themed Comic Reading!
I'm very excited to announce a special event! It's called "All You Need Is Love - Real And True Love Stories In Comic Form!" Get inspired for Valentine's Day with this heart-warming comic reading event! Over the years, I've drawn many Custom Comics, which are real and true love stories for actual couples. The comics tell everything from how they met, to the proposals, and more!
It's not just an event for couples! I'm single, and am fascinated by the random variety of circumstances under which couples have met. At the event, I'll be reading comics featuring people meeting at a tennis match to jury duty. You may even be inspired to ask out that special person you've had your eye on, or to pop the big question in a creative way!
Comics will be projected and read aloud in the beautiful, classy, and mysterious Lovecraft Bar lower lounge.
FREE event plus 1 drink OR food purchase. 21+
Lovecraft has a great menu here: http://www.lovecraftnyc.com/
FREE chocolates while supplies last - get there early ;)
It's this Thursday, February 4th, at the same exact place I was for the comic event last week - Lovecraft Bar! 50 Ave B. Starts at 8pm and should go until 9pm. I'd love to see you there!
Here's the facebook event too!
And by the way, last week's comic show at Lovecraft was pretty fun! A pretty laid back show, so I got to talk to lots of nice people and enjoy some of the music sets!
So my overhead light went out, and the ceiling in my apartment is too high for me to reach, even standing on a high table that we have. So I asked the super if I could borrow a ladder. He's the nicest super I've ever had, and he said he'd bring the ladder and change the bulb himself over the weekend. So I call him and he brings the ladder, unscrews the light fixture, and to our surprise it wasn't a normal light bulb. No, it was some weird-ass double circle halogen fluorescent bulb that you couldn't even replace with regular light bulbs! (sigh) So now I have to go to the hardware store, get a replacement weirdo bulb, call the super again, and have him replace it. It reminds me of the age old joke of "How many people does it take to screw in a light bulb?" In this case, the answer is at least 2, not including the person I'll have to talk to at the hardware store to figure out what exact weirdo bulb will be right, because if I get the exact one it'll be like $20, but the super said I can get a similar one for $4. How the hell did this get so complicated?
Film & Comic Fest TONIGHT! And Drawing Table Alert!
Tonight's the night! Come to the LES Films & Comic Fest any time from 7p - 11:30p! Not sure if I mentioned before, but there's a $5 benefit contribution & 1 drink min to enter, and it's a 21+ event. Lovecraft Bar 50 Ave B near the Delancey/Essex stop. See you tonight!
I bought an adjustable drawing table about a year and a half ago, and last night it collapsed on me while I was drawing the weekly No Tears: Life With FD comic. As I had the desktop in an upright drawing position, the right hinge became unbolted and started to fall on me. Luckily I caught it and my roomie came to help me get it back in the level resting position. The holes where the screws went looked really worn for some reason. PIECE OF CRAP. Granted, I got this at Michael's on sale for like $80, but it's supposed to be worth $200 (yeah right!) It was marketed as a "crafting" table... but what if a kid or old lady had this happen to them? The desktop could have fallen on their leg or foot. NOBODY BUY the "Arts and Crafts Creative Center" by Studio Designs, Inc. Now I have to get a new drawing table - a legit one this time.
LES Films & Comic Book Festival THIS THURSDAY!
Here is a trailer for one of the films that's going to play at the LES Films & Comic Book Festival! "Solace" looks like a peek into the lives of teens getting involved in the comic book industry. This and more great films, indie comics, cosplay, and music - here's the lineup:
COSPLAY SHOW
Emy Rose Cosplay
Cosplay Love Pro
BetaCosplay
The Red Cyclone
Photography by Knightmare6
11:00pm Ultra Street Fighter 4 PS3
COMIC BOOK SHOWCASE:
Ellesaur Arts
Craig Johnson II
Curves and Bullets
artbybang
Ghost The Artist
Mindy Indy
Todd Matthy
BiT Happens
FILM FESTIVAL (begins 8pm)
'Vemana' by Hamza Zaman
'Solace' Episode 1 by Ralph Puma
American Pinup
'The Other Side of New York' by Vinay Pujara
10:30pm Marvel vs Capcom
LIVE MUSIC ROOM (8pm)
Actor Joseph D Fisher
Actress Sarah Bosch
Comedian Josh Potter (Troma Films)
Comedian Tony Jackson (Broadway Comedy Club)
Poetry & Hip Hop by MCCB
Petra Jarrar
Ed Bersano
Madeline Woods
Jonathan Gianino
Please come out to the show this Thursday, January 28th at Lovecraft Bar 50 Ave B! From 7p - 11:30p! It'll be great weather too - still in the 40's, so no chance we'll get snowed out again. Almost feels like spring today - the snow is meeeeeeeellllltiiiiiiinnnnggg!
LES EVENT POSTPONED!
Unfortunately, the LES Films & Comic Book Festival has been postponed due to crazy snow. There will NOT be an event tonight - it has been moved to this Thursday, January 28th, 7pm - 11:30pm. Looks like the snow storm is way worse than anyone predicted - NYC may get 20-25 inches! Man, when I posted a few days ago, I thought it was only gonna be like 3 inches or something, because every storm is so hyped up these days. Subways have really reduced service and roads are being shut down. Yeah... stay home people, and drink hot chocolate or something :P
LES Films & Comic Book Festival this Saturday!
So what's a few inches of snow this weekend? There's a small indie comic & film fest going on this Saturday at Lovecraft Bar! Lovecraft has such a cool sci-fi theme a-la-HP Lovecraft, with pipes of bubbling liquid lining the walls, and a basement with a nautical theme. LES (short for Lower East Side) Films & Comic Book Festival will have short films, a comic book showcase, comedy, art, cosplay shows, bands, poetry, Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, and Ultra Street Fighter 4. An event striving to end poverty & homelessness with Goodwill Rescue Mission.
Saturday, January 23, starting 7pm. At 50 Ave B Manhattan. $5 benefit contribution & 1 drink min, 21+ event. The closest subway stop is Delancey/Essex, so just get to the J, M, or F trains. Goes until 11:30pm.
I'll be tabling with a few other indie artists, such as my friend Ellen Stedfeld (the Ellesaur) and more! Music and film showcase is at 8pm. Here's the Eventbrite page and Facebook page.
I hope you can make it out to this unique and fun fest despite our hibernation nature when it starts snowing :)
Comic Strip Story Hour TONIGHT!
TONIGHT at 8pm at Carmine St. Comics, I'll be reading my Apartment Hunt comic aloud as it's projected onscreen! If you missed the NYCC kickoff event where friends and I read it in Gotham City Lounge, now's your chance to catch the action! There's a great line-up of female artists, as the theme for this reading is "Total Babe," including JENNIFER HAYDEN (The Story Of My Tits) and AATMAJA PANDYA (Travelogue, The Bell Blues).
Carmine St. Comics is at 34 Carmine St. in the Village! Take any train to West 4th. It should last about an hour or so, I think I'm on in the beginning of the hour. I'll also have copies for sale if you haven't gotten an Apartment Hunt comic yet!