Bleeding Neon

It’s Tuesday afternoon. And I’m freaking out just a little. Because in four days, I’m flying up to Seattle for Emerald City Comicon. The reason I’m freaking out (just a little) is not because of the travel (which I love) or the city (which I love) or the convention (which should be awesome), but because even though I’ve attended many comic book shows before, this is the first major one at which I’m actually holding down a table. Pretty much by myself. For two days.

Actually, I’m excited. I know a lot of people who will be up there, though most of them I’ve only dealt with over the internet, including Denis Caron, Stephen Downer, Sven Straatveit and Jason Copland, who will be joining me at our little Pop! Goes the Icon table in Artist Alley on Saturday to hang out, sign stuff and help give away two pages of his original art from the first issue of Omega Comics Presents.

But the only show I’ve tabled thus far was the Vegas Valley Comic Book Festival, which is relatively small (1200 attendees), and was only five hours. I decided to forego bigger shows such as San Diego Comic-Con this year in lieu of more intimate (or at least, not four-day blowouts) venues such as ECCC and Long Beach Comic-Con. But still, ECCC is pretty huge, and I’ll have to be all cheery and approachable behind a table for two full days, something I haven’t done since I worked in retail — and that was a long time ago.

And as I’ll be in Artist Alley, people might expect, I dunno, sketches or something. And I’ve already had requests from folks attending for sketches. I gives me performance anxiety. And I would just pull the “I’m a writer” card, but everyone knows I also draw the comics I write, so I can’t really fairly do that. And sitting next to Jason, who’s a for-real artist, well, it has me a bit antsy.

But the main reason for my mini-freak-out, aside from still not having all my materials prepared and dreading how many supplies I’ll have to load into the luggage I don’t own yet, is whether or not I’ll sell enough comics to justify the huge expense of flying both Sara and I to Seattle, staying in a downtown hotel for three nights, and paying hundreds of dollars for space and power at the convention. Due to distribution fuck-ups with the first issue of OCP, I HAVE to count on convention sales to turn a profit on this thing and get my creators paid. So I’m being optimistic and bringing a bunch more copies than I think I’ll sell. But what if over the course of two days I don’t sell diddly? Is it because I’m a bad salesperson? Or because the product quality isn’t there? See why my nerves are a little wracked?

Of course, I’m sure things will go smoothly. And I’ll have a good time meeting new people, seeing old friends and generally hanging out in one of my favorite U.S. cities. But still: nervous.

If you live in Seattle or plan to attend the show, PLEASE come visit me at Artist Alley booth M-12. In addition to the first issue of the well-reviewed OCP #1, I’ll also have bargains on The Utopian #s 1 and 2, as well as free swag. And I’ll draw you a sketch if you ask nicely. So long as it’s not a car.

Not much to report about yesterday — and yes, that means you won’t have to read 600 words today. I didn’t end up going out to lunch. I don’t think I would have been much fun, nor had much fun watching a bunch of people eat stuff like bread and pasta. In theory, I could have ordered a plain salad, maybe with just oil and vinegar, but … I think it was better I didn’t.

We also put up our Christmas tree last night, a ritual which would have normally been commemorated with egg nog, hot chocolate, liquor and cookies or whatever. But while the girls indulged in cocoa, I obviously abstained. The tree got put up just fine, but I really kind of feel like a dud.

Tomorrow should be interesting. At the Griffin in downtown Las Vegas, three of my old (heh, old) pals, Geoff Carter, Gregory Crosby and Dayvid Figler, are bringing back their infamous holiday-themed spoken word nonsense known as “Three Wise Guys” for one night only. All fine poets (some finer than others), Carter, Crosby and Figler performed as “Three Wise Guys” from 1995 to 1999, so this would make this the 10th anniversary of the final performance. It’s kind of a *thing* for us Vegas culturistas, especially because Carter and Crosby have lived in far-off lands (Seattle and New York, respectively) for quite a few years now. Allegedly, I’m to be emceeing this shindig, at a bar, without drinking. In the midst of Detox Week. So, that should be good, right? It all goes down at 7 p.m. if you want to come by. And you should. Hopefully I won’t feel like a dud then, too.

And that’s about that. My band may or may not be auditioning a new bass player this weekend, so you may hear about that. Or not. But you kids are here for the Detox Week madness, right? So let’s look at yesterday’s menu, shall we?

• Breakfast: 1 banana, 1 apple, 1 cup “Dynamo” juice blend
• Morning snack: 1 peanut butter cookie Larabar (nom nom nom)
• Lunch: 1 bowl homemade vegetable stew (all gone now)
• Throughout day: A few handfuls of raw sunflower meats
• Dinner: 1 can Amy’s Organic Lentil Vegetable soup (I can’t get enough!)
• Beverages: Water all day, plus about a few ounces each of Trader Joe’s “Green Protein” juice blend and Naked “Super Food” juice blend.

That was a pretty light day, looking back. I don’t expect today to be much heavier though. Tomorrow, I’m considering treating myself to a trip to Go Raw, a tasty vegan/raw cafe. Haven’t been there in a few years — it should be good.

I know I promised a while back that I was going to try to post something every day here, or at least as often as possible. Sadly, in the hectic (but happy!) life of Pj, “as often as possible” is often not often at all. Sorry about that. But I’ve been extremely productive, not only getting caught up on producing the semi-weekly webcomic The Utopian, slinging journalistic assignments and overseeing the launch of a whole friggin’ comic book company, but also planning out your weekends for you.

Yes, I’m throwing a party for you kids. OK, fine: It’s a party for me. More specifically (as the title of this post may have led you to believe), it’s a release party for the launch of The Utopian print comic. And it not coincidentally is the same weekend as the Vegas Valley Comic Book Festival (to which I know you’re all coming, right?). Here’s the flier:

No cover! $5 Corona buckets! Door prizes! Doesn’t it sound great already? No. Oh … well, I’ll be there. And Yayo Taco (4632 S. Maryland Parkway) has like the most awesome tacos ever. And we’ll just be hanging out, drinking and eating all in mutual love of comics. How much better does it get? It doesn’t. So be at Yayo on Sunday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. Early enough for you to get in bed for work on Monday but late enough for you to go to church or nap or whatever. And if you are on Facebook and are planning on coming, please RSVP and let me know. It helps to have an idea of how many peeps are coming, you know?

In the meantime, I’ll be doing stuff. That’s all you really need to know.

F. Andrew Taylor moderates a discussion on breaking into comics with writers Dwayne McDuffie and Steven Grant at the 2008 Vegas Valley Comic Book Festival

I’m sure I’ve mentioned this a few times somewhere, and it’s a bit early, but as there are limited details surrounding this event on the internet right now (and I know some of you have been looking), I figured I’d get this post published sooner than later and just bug the hell out of you people on Facebook and Twitter later on.

The second annual Vegas Valley Comic Book Festival takes place Saturday, Nov. 7, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Clark County Library (1401 E. Flamingo Road). Though it’s put on in tandem with the larger Vegas Valley Book Festival, the Comic Fest (as I shall refer to it hereafter) is growing into its own entity. Last year saw 900 people in only four hours time, and this year we expect more than 1000 in the five hours of the Fest.

The guest line-up is looking pretty good: Cecil Castellucci, Kim Deitch, Evan Dent, Steve Englehart, Mark Evanier, Noelle Garcia, Gary Groth, Laurenn McCubbin, Michael Ogilvie, Sean Russell, Deryl Skelton, Chris Staros, Dan Vado, Matt Wagner and Michael Uslan — a selection that runs the gamut from mainstream legends and indie publishers to Hollywood producers and local-based talent. Not too shabby.

Most importantly, though, for readers of this blog, at least, Pop! Goes the Icon will be making its first official comic convention debut. I’ll have a six-foot table full of goodies, including both the standard and deluxe versions of The Utopian #1, limited-edition posters, free stuff like buttons and postcards and maybe even Mark T. Zeilman and Hernan Valencia, who provided the cover artwork for the first issue of The Utopian. We’ll sign stuff, maybe sketch stuff, shoot the shizzle, whatever. Bring some cash and support my terrible comic strip, or just throw bananas at me. Cupcakes are accepted as well.

There will also be some awesome panels featuring the aforementioned guests, along with portfolio reviews, signings, a merchandise marketplace and some geek-tastic feature films including locally produced wunderkind Thor at the Bus Stop. It’ll be good times. Become a member of the Comic Fest Facebook group for all the latest updates, and in the meantime, peruse the panel line-up below. Hope to see you there!

Vegas Valley Comic Book Festival Panels

The Goshdarn Batman Panel – Mark Evanier moderates as Matt Wagner, Steve Englehart, and Michael Uslan discuss the evolution of Batman over the decades, their insights in to what makes the character so unique and their approaches to him, and the good and bad of what it means to work on such an iconic character. 11 a.m. – noon, Large Conference Room

Last Indy Standing — Laurenn McCubbin moderates (and gets in a few good shots of her own) as publishers Chris Staros, Gary Groth and Dan Vado duke it out.  Points of contention include:  I love creator’s rights more than you; Distributors,  shoot on sight or burn at the stake?  and My scratchy zombies can whup your pseudo-manga emo goth boys. 11 a.m. - noon, Jewel Box Theater

We Know Where The Bodies are Buried –  John L. Smith may know where the bodies are buried in Vegas, but writer/historian Mark Evanier, writer/artist Steve Englehart, artist Deryl Skelton and writer/producer Michael Uslan know the stories behind the stories at all the major publishers.  Join them as they share tales of famous creators, infamous characters, and even the occasional hush-hush, strictly on the QT cover up. 12:15 – 1:30 p.m., Large Conference Room

Selections from Adventures in Voice Acting: The Bang Zoom! Guide to Voice Acting (2008; rated NR; 108 min)
If you’ve considered what it would be like to have a career in voice acting, or want to know what it takes to break in, then you need to watch Adventures in Voice Acting. It includes all the essentials you will need to get started. Nearly 100 voice actors, casting directors and producers were interviewed for this project. Watch and listen as they share with you their personal pitfalls and triumphs. 12:15  – 1:30 p.m. Jewel Box Theater

Spotlight on Matt Wagner — From Green Arrow to Grendel, from Mage to Madame Xanadu, from Batman to Sandman Mystery Theatre, as a creator, Matt Wagner’s a chameleon.  He writes across a dizzying array of genres; cover gigs have not caused him to put down the pencil; he does both creator owned and work for hire projects.  Just when you think you know him, you discover you don’t.   Join us for a Q&A with a living legend whose distinctive stories and art have left an indelible mark on comics. 2 - 3 p.m., Large Conference Room

Hail to the King! — In this tell-all talk, his former squire (and noted Comics Historian) Mark Evanier shares his unique insights about industry titan, Jack “King” Kirby. Not only did Jack Kirby create several of comics’ most iconic characters and teams, but his artistic innovations (including “Kirby dots”) still shape the way we tell stories today. 2 - 3 p.m., Jewel Box Theater

The Drunk Panel — Inspired by underground comix such as Zap, Real Pulp, “Tijuana Bibles” and Raw, Drunk takes the torch and continues the craft of comic storytelling initiated by these forebears. You don’t have to be 21 to attend as writers and artists Kim Deitch, Noelle Garcia, Jarret Keene, Sean Russell and Michael Ogilvie tell bizarre, funny, violent, loving, and sincere tales about the quintessential human achievement of being drunk.  (And also about the process of producing, publishing, and promoting a non-mainstream work of art.) 3:15  – 4:15 p.m., Large Conference Room

Comics and Books and Movies, Oh My! — Just what does it take to turn a book into a comic, or a comic into a movie? Join Michael Uslan, Cecil Castellucci, Steve Englehart and Chris Staros for an animated (or written, or drawn) conversation about the challenges and opportunities of working across different media. 3:15 - 4:15 p.m., Jewel Box Theater

It’s that time again, kids, where I squeeze into my hipster jeans and lug my Ludwig drum kit out of the house to entertain your lovely faces. This time, As Yet Unbroken is kicking off the semiannual Neon Reverb music festival, which takes over just about every club and bar in downtown Las Vegas from Sept. 17 to 20. We’ll be playing at the Thunderbird Lounge inside the Aruba Hotel this Thursday, Sept. 17 at 10 p.m. with The Black Jetts and Collinz Room.

I’ve never heard of Collinz Room, but The Black Jetts is probably one of the most well-regarded, rawest, rockingest bands in Southern Nevada. The guys were recently picked “Best Local Band” by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, for what it’s worth, so even if you think my band sucks, you should come out Thursday night to see how it’s really done. Admission is only $5 and, sorry children, you have to be 21 or older to come shake your ass with the big boys.