Comic-Con 2007: Wrap Up & Commentary

Another Comic-con has come and gone and it's time for a little reflection. It's an event that keeps growing which for business sake is good, but it's certainly losing it's essence. Unfortunately the convention has become the event itself instead of showcasing and celebrating comic books as an art form.

The fact that the lines between comics, film, TV and games have been blurred by the new media is certainly not Comic-Con's fault. Nor is it their fault to exploit it with the intention of keeping up with trends and expand it's scope. The more people that attend, the better it is for business and for it's exhibitors.

But with attendance now exceeding one hundred twenty thousand, there needs to be a more sensible balance between keeping Comic-Con as a media event and showcasing the comic book and publishing industry. Even if it means splitting it into two separate events.

Otherwise, it's only a matter of time before it all bogs down into an untelligable mess and absolutely no one has any fun. And to a certain degree it already has. I've met my share of former faintfull attendees who have lost interest and have no patience for slogging through crowds. I hope for Comic-Con's sake they keep this in mind as they make their future plans.

.... So now for super Sunday. Well it turned out that it was busier than Saturday. I actually sold the fewest books on Saturday compared to the other days. Go figure. Up until a half hour before closing I was still selling books and the convention hall looked like it just opened.

My hearfelt thanks to all of you who came to buy my books. STEEL NOODLES was a huge success and I couldn't be happier. Many of you are asking when the next issue comes out? Well, all I can say is that it's going to take some time to make and it'll most definitely be a bigger read.

Kleeman and Mike creator Randall Christopher

That's the talented Bill Presing autographing and doodling my copy of his new book Belle Du Jour. It's one stunning book and a must have

I went later to the GameTap booth to check things out. I grapped a copy of the Re/Visioned poster

GameTap also gave me some exclusive dog tags, specifically of my version of Lara Croft

Former Marvel editor and publisher of Alter Ego Magazine, the venerable Roy Thomas

So long San Diego, until next year!

Wiped Out

We got back into town late and after a long and busy Sunday it's time to rest our weary bones.

I have many to thank for such an amazing Comic-Con and i'll start with my wife and two kids for not only making this a family affair, but also helping lug stuff for dear old dad. And then there's my booth partner Octavio Rodriguez for sharing the experience as well as a few laughs during these past four (and some) days in San Diego.

Now it's off to another convention..... somewhere in slumberland.

Comic-Con 2007: Saturday

The first sold out Saturday in Comic-Con history has drawn to a close. As busy as it got, the crowd size was manageable, at least in our area with the busiest period peaking at around mid-day.

Late in the day I attended a panel hosted by GameTap for the TOMB RAIDER: Re/Visioned web series. It was quite an entertainment and insightful panel which included writers Warren Ellis, Gail Simone and Michael Stackpole, directors Brian Pulido and Peter Chung and comic book artist Jim Lee. The panel was moderated by GameTap development V.P. Ricardo Sanchez.

For the first time in history Comic-Con has sold out Sunday as well. Weariness has finally set in and I am looking forward to a fun final day here in beautiful San Diego, California.

That's Steam Crow Press' Daniel Davis sporting a new look. it's really amazing what a little plastic surgery can do. (That amazing mask is made out of a real, hollowed-out pumpkin!)

Another cool work colleague came to visit in Monique Beatty accompanied by her step-daughter Jenny Eldred

Nickelodeon's multi-talented editor, the lovely Jennifer Muro

JLA: New Frontier / Lucasfilm director Dave Bullock stopped by to say hello. He an I worked together but briefly on New Frontier last year

Freelance web-radio host Don Kelly stopped by to record an impromptu interview with me and Octavio, all recorded via his Apple Macbook

The busy booth of Flight Comics. Flight 4 is one amazing looking book thanks to it's talented bunch of contributors and their editor-in-chief, Kazu Kibuishi. This year Flight is sharing a booth with Nucleus

That's San Francisco based illustrator John Chiang. I got to know him a little during our visit to Calgary last April for the Calgary Expo

I was finally able to make a visit to the Hot Mexican Love Comics booth. They are having a record-breaking Comic-Con and the guys couldn't be happier. L-R: Larry Reynosa, Contributor and storyboard artist Rodney Clouden, editor Ira Sherak and partially obscured in the background is co-editor and artist Albert Calleros

Designer David Colman hamming it up

Designer Stephen Silver cleans up every Comic-con and that big smile means that this year is no exception

up...up...up....

...to the second floor on my way to the Tomb Raider panel

Inside room 6A for the panel. Thanks to moderator Ricardo Sanchez for the nice acknowledgement

Writers Gail Simone and Michael Stackpole. Michael wrote my the episode I did designs for titled "Raising Thaumopolis" which airs in August

Peter Chung (L) and Jim Lee (R)

Director Brian Pulido looks intently as Peter Chung gets his point across. Peter has a reputation of being frank and unpretentiously honest which made for some rather interesting and even humorous moments during the panel. (p/>

Sundays tend to be quite exhausting having to break down a booth on top of hauling everything back to Los Angeles. Expect a Comic-Con 2007 recap with pictures sometime next week.

Comic-Con 2007: Friday

Another fantastic, fun-filled day has ended here in downtown San Diego with a super busy Saturday to look forward to. I didn't venture out to the other side of the hall but I did manage to visit the environs that make up our area.

I traded books with some cool people including my colleagues Tae-Soo Kim, John Nevarez and Patrick Morgan. My one really cool purchase today was from Canadian illustrator Deanna Marsigliese and her brand new artbook (published by Toronto's Labyrinth Books) It's probably one of the best new "art of" books i've seen in a while.

Just a stone's throw away from us is the tech alley where WACOM, Corel Painter and Axiotron are located. Once again I was able to play around with their most eagerly anticipated product, the MODBOOK which made me even more anxious to get mine in the mail. (they gave me no real time table but it seems that they are just about ready to ship the first batch of tablets)

All in all Friday was a nice and steady day capped off by a little shindig thrown by GameTap> to celebrate the release of their highly successful web series TOMB RAIDER: Re/VISIONED. It was a real nice event highlighted by a little cruise around the bay to enjoy the moonlit summer evening. I got to hang with a lot of cool people including fellow Re/Visioned artists Brian Pulido and Aeon Flux creator/director Peter Chung. My thanks to producer Elliot Blake and project head Ricardo Sanchez for their gracious invite! My colleagues Ira Sherak, Albert Calleros and Larry Reynosa from Hot Mexican Love Comics where also in attendance.

Here are some of the cool people who stopped by today:

Storyboard artist David Schwartz
JTHM and Invader Zim creator Jhonen Vasquez
Story Artist Phil Craven
Director Nick Filippi
Director Tad Stones
Writer Jessica Gao
Writer/Creator Cynthia True
Director/Animator Erik Wiese
Composer Hans Karl

All he wants is a round table...

Octavio looking quite pleased at his table set up

Octavio has found a big fan in story artist Phil Craven

... and guess who else is a big fan of Cano Scribbles 1.5 JTHM and Invader Zim's Jhonen Vasquez

Artist Kelsey Mann at his table showcasing his cool new sketchbook

Cintiq city! Wacom makes a big splash at this year's con

Not to be outdone, Axiotron debut at this year's con with their highly anticipated tablet solution, the Modbook. Of course I couldn't pass off the chance to do a quick Val doodle

It was quite a pleasure to be visited by work people especially these guys. (L-R) The Mighty B! co-creator, writer Cynthia True, staff writer Jessica Gao and my friend, director, Spumco alum and Mighty B! co-creator, the talented Erik Weise

It was also quite a pleasure to meet the talented and charming Deanna Marsigliese who debut her artbook in the U.S. here at Comic-con

That face of a pro. The wizard John Nevarez. Jose Lopez is on the horn talking to his agent.. or his broker. Actually it's probably his bookie.

Designer Ed Acosta looking quite stoic...

Debuting a stunning new sketchbook is rockstar Patrick Morgan.

The venerable Jose Lopez

The followling pics are from our lovely harbor cruise around the bay, thanks to the fine folks at GameTap. The shutterbug in me couldn't resist snapping these shots of the twilight and the rising moon overlooking the downtown San Diego.

The San Diego Convention Center. Nerd mecca and home of Comic-Con.

.... and lastly, here's my photo op with artist/director Peter Chung. We had some insightful dialogue about animation and art which was just a nice way to cap off the evening.

Stay tuned for Saturday coverage......

Comic-Con 2007: Thursday

Another day is in the books here in San Diego!

Lot's of fine folk and fellow artists stopped by to say hello and hang out. I also got to venture out for a little bit to visit Stuart Ng's massive booth and make some purchases. Come Friday and especially Saturday, excursions away from our table will treacherous and physically impossible due to the hordes of comic-book hungry folk that'll turn the convention center into the world's biggest sardine can.

The large entertainment, toy and game pavillions in the middle of the convention floor acts as a "people" dam, effectively splitting the hall in two. Unless you're Indiana Jones, getting from isle 5200 to 100 will require some sherpas and GPS to navigate.

Tomorrow there's some panels to attend including the one for the show I am currently working on at Nickelodeon. My day will end attending a boat party hosted by my friends at GameTap who produced the currently running web series Tomb Raider: Re/Visioned. It's going to be fun Friday.

Here's some of the fine folk that stopped by our table today:

Pixar story artist Ted Mathot
Reportage artist Mike Mattesi
Storyboard artist Adam Van Wyk
Artist Rodolphe Guenoden
Animator Donnachada Daley
Artist and fellow Swallow 3 contributor Rian Hughes
Ghostbot bigwigs Roque Ballesteros, Alan Lau and Brad Rau
Illustrator Chris Deboda
Storyboard artist Rudi Berden
Storyboard artist Ron Hewski
Pixar story artist and Max Steele creator Bill Presing

Dreamworks animator Donnachada Daley came by to show me his his amazing new book CRUSH. Congratulations man!

Those fabulous E-Surance commercials wouldn't be fabulous without GHOSTBOT and their fearless leaders Roque Ballesteros, Brad Rau and Alan Lau (L-R)

The man's got the touch AND the power! The amazing Rodolphe Guenoden

The legendary Neal Adams signing at his Continuity Comics booth

One year later i'm still wondering....Boba or Jango?

If they can just get Johnny Depp to shoot out of one of them cannons.....

Last year's runaway hit HEROES makes it's triumphant return to Comic-con!

Tetsujin or Tetsu-bling?? or perhaps it's Gigan-bling?!

The one and only Mike Mignola. He's selling his limited edition book of rare HELLBOY pin ups and unreleased art

Stuart Ng's booth of delicious treats. I plunked down quite a few dollars on some choice titles

G4 Tech TV broadcasting live from Comic-con

More than meets the eye?...

Somehow R2 doesn't seem to be himself today

George Lucas is laughing all the way to the bank

Stay tuned for Friday coverage.....

Comic-Con 2007: Preview Night

Comic-Con 2007 is finally underway!

After a hectic day of traveling and setting up, Preview night came off without a hitch with four full days to look forward to here in sunny San Diego.

After walking a few blocks pulling a dolly of heavy boxes along with bags and signage slung over my shoulder, I walked up to our table inside the San Diego Convention Center where I found Octavio Rodriguez putting together an easel for one of his signs. I quickly said to him "it's got to be love right?". Octavio quickly answered "Yes!" to what was a rhetorical query on my part. But I knew he understood. Convention vets like us know it.

I was merely answering my own question. One that I was just asking myself many minutes before as I slogged through the summer heat and humidity carrying more items than my limbs can accomodate. (Ok so I had my wife and kids help carry some stuff but i'm trying to be dramatic here) "Why do we do this?" I pondered.

L ove of art and publishing is what brings us all here every year. It's great to see so many familiar faces here including ones we've traveled and exhibited with, side by side in other cons. We've stared the logistics monster many time before and laughed at him.

Yes we're back for more and the fun has just begun. Now bring on the costumes and the B.O. Where ready.

Here's some of the people who dropped by today:

Flight artist Pascal Campion
Marty "The PaintMonster" Ito
Artist/Creator Kelsey Mann (one of our alley neighbors)
Imaginism's Bobby Chiu and Kei Acedera
Designer Patrick Morgan
Kim Possible director Steve Loter
Storyboard Artist Tom Bernardo
Designer David Colman
Steven Ng
GameTap's Elliot Blake
Calgary Con and Konsequential Studios' Kandrix Foong and Laurie Breitkeuz
Moonlight Cutter artist Dale Berry
Designer Ed Acosta
Marvel legend Steve Leialoha

The big pile in my office fit the back of the car.... whew!

The convention lobby area looking sparse.... these hallways will be busting at the seams especially on Saturday

Checking in and grabbing badges

A shot of the crowd outside at around 4pm

A rare scene of calmness. It's almost eerie actually, seeing the convention lights dimmed like this. This is isle 800 and a shot of G street from our table

Octavio setting up his end of the table. T minus one hour before doors open....

Japanese artist Marty Ito aka "The Paint Monster" along with his friend from Tokyo. We traded books along with broken english and japanese

The legendary Steve Leialoha was our neighbor last year. This year he's a few isles down but graced us with his precense.

No con is complete without a visit from Kim Possible's Steve Loter

More coverage and pics later.

On to the big show

I've probably said it before but... This experience will never get old. Opening that box of brand new books is an experience like no other. You toil all those late nights just for this one moment. It's pretty darn sweet.

Now comes the exciting experience of sharing it with all of you starting Wednesday evening for preview night at this year's San Diego Comic-Con. I look forward to seeing all of you especially my esteemed colleagues and respected fellow artists.

I'll let you know soon where you can get STEEL NOODLES locally and via online.

Here's where Octavio and I will be located. There will be some 100,000 people slated to attend so bring your patience as well as some energy bars and Red Bull... And as a public service, help maintain the B.O. index inside the convention hall at non-lethal levels....keep that hygene in check!

And while you're at it, please do stop by and check out these other fine establishments:

Stuart Ng Books 5113
Signing at his massive booth:
Pierre Alary - Friday 11am-1pm; Saturday 1-3pm; Sunday 1-3pm
Ashley Wood - Saturday 11am-1pm
Renaud Dillies - Friday 3-5pm; Saturday 5-7pm; Sunday 3-5pm
Romain Hugault - Friday 3-5pm; Saturday 5-7pm; Sunday 3-5pm
Ruben Procopio - Sunday 11am-12n

Sho Murase HH-06 (Artists Alley)
Sam Hiti & La Luz Comics 1830
Jose Lopez and John Nevarez H9
Patrick Morgan H8
Stephen Silver H6
Alberto Ruiz H3
Bobby Chiu, Kei Acedera & Imaginism Studios A5
Daniel Davis & Steam Crow Press 4602
TheThoseGuys (Justin Ridge, Richard "Dik" Pose, et, al) 1035
Donnachada Daly 831
Loter Inc. 4600
David Colman H5
Ted Mathot, Derek Thompson & E-Ville Press 1534
Flight Comics 1128
Hot Mexican Love Comics L3 (Small Press)
GameTap 3848
Rob Goodin & Robot Press M8 (Small Press)
Llyn Hunter & Bobcat Publishing S4 (Small Press)
Kelsey Mann F3

Click HERE for Fantagraphics' THE COMICS JOURNAL and their online Comic-Con preview for other great links and booth info. (Including ours. Thanks to Matt Silvie at Fantagraphics!!)

....the pile groweth! I've been steadily making a pile of stuff I need to bring to San Diego for a few weeks now. I'm gonna need a bigger car...

Love is in the air

What's Comic-Con without a some hot mexican love? Not much fun I think. But thankfully there's HOT MEXICAN LOVE COMICS 2007 to save the day!

Yes folks, those crazed maniac colleagues of mine are back with a vengeance. And this time I've joined the melee. My four page contribution to one of comic's best anthologies is titled THE CALL and features that humorously homicidal mercenary CHA-CHA EL SALVADOR in an action packed romp filled with mystery and suspense!

Big thanks to HMLC editor Ira Sherak and creator Sir Albert Calleros for inviting me to contribute once again. I was in issue number one and two but missed out on HMLC 2006 so it 's good to be back.

So don't be leaving San Diego next week without grabbling one or else.... we know where you live!



HMLC will be in the small press area so stop by and visit table L3 and join the party!

Making Noodles

After hatching up the idea for STEEL NOODLES in 2005, I quickly went to work to establish Val's world and lay down basic art and story concepts. After a year and a half of tinkering and doing extensive work in the lab, I began to realize that the whole project as I intended it will take even longer to complete.

So I quickly decided to churn out a "preview" of sorts which culminated in the upcoming story called A SLICE OF HEAVEN. A lot of the comic was already in the bag last November but I had to put the project in the back burner for personal and professional reasons. Having the pages tucked away while I attended to other business helped things sort of mature and blend in my head.

After pondering the comic in the back of my mind for a few months I took the pages out once again and discovered that my original art direction was holding up quite well. We all tend to be self-critical so my fear was that I was going to end up scrapping pages I labored on months before. Instead, I made some slight layout changes and painted a couple of new pages to enhance the story.

Above is a collage of artwork from the many months of testing some of which ended up being included in my last sketchbook, THE WAYWARD TRAVELLER. A SLICE OF HEAVEN is one hundred percent hand drawn and painted in watercolor with a very crucial assist from everyone's friendly neighborhood Adobe Photoshop.

Steel Noodles

It's official. My first comic book is finished. I get the books in a couple of weeks just in time for Comic-Con 2007. (Fingers crossed and all that jazz)

Having the previous experience of publishing books certainly helped in making this one. But putting a comic book together was no easy task which I quickly discovered upon embarking on this project last year. Overall I found that making Steel Noodles was a revelation wrapped around sheer joy. Especially for the fact that the rift between vision and execution just got a little smaller in my case.

As a character and an idea, Val came to me in one of those moments of clarity. She practically drew herself. Right then and there I knew a bigger story awaited her. While Steel Noodles the graphic novel takes shape, I present a twenty page glimpse into a day in Val's curiously confusing life.

So who is Val? She's a red-haired, sword-wielding lost soul searching for home. And her journey has just begun. Perhaps you'd care to join her?