Bleeding Neon

Curt Franklin and Chris Haley — I wouldn’t call ‘em dear friends, but I would call ‘em internet acquaintances (I’d also call them webcomicdom’s non-couple power couple) — create one of the most clever, well-written, ably-drawn, entertaining webcomics on the ol’ interwebs. It’s called Let’s Be Friends Again, and it features, um, cartoon, Bizarro-world versions of Curt and Chris talking about comics. Sometimes it features parodies of comics. And movies. Or cartoons. But mostly it’s just Curt and Chris being all … them.

Apparently, at one point in the recent past — though not that I remember — I said something vaguely amusing about the guys’ strip. So what do I find on the back cover of Let’s Be Friends Again’s first print collection, Under Pressure, but this:

Yep. If you’re going to buy this 64-page book, don’t do it because it’s chock full of four-color fun and creator commentary. Do it because you are a Pj Perez completist, and must have every piece of dead tree bark upon which my name appears.

I packed so much into the quickly passing four days spent in the San Diego area this past weekend, I wasn’t sure where to start with my recap, so I’m going to let my poorly composed and intermittently shoddy camera phone photos help structure the tale of Comic-Con International 2009.

Due to a combination of other obligations and financial restrictions, Sara and I missed the preview night of Comic-Con (Wednesday) and the opening day (Thursday). We drove down in the AwesomeMobile Thursday afternoon, arriving at our hotel, a Courtyard by Marriott about 15 minutes from downtown San Diego, about 6 p.m. That’s the view from our room up above. Thursday night we took a winding drive on a search for food through University City and La Jolla, eventually ending up in Del Mar. Just in time to catch a pizza joint just as it was closing. Because in Del Mar, apparently pizza after 9 p.m. is just unheard of. (continue reading…)

We’re about to round a corner with the completion of this week’s two pages from The Utopian. Page 31 is now live, but Friday’s strip is not only the tense conclusion of Part 4 of the serial (“Out of the Closet”), but also will be the last page in the first print collection, which will be released this fall. I received cover art from Mark T. Zeilman (also bass player in a certain awesome local rock band) last week, and, well, I am trying really hard not to post it yet, because it’s pretty rad.

As I’m heading to San Diego for Comic-Con International tomorrow, there will be no new Utopian pages posted next week, but I’ll be back with Part 5, “Revelations,” the first week of August. Which is, coincidentally, 33rd Annual International Pj Week. Bring your party hats.

I’m sure I’ll have all sorts of news for you after I get back from Comic-Con, but until then, chew on the latest article I posted on Examiner.com about Nevada Ballet Theatre’s fall season, and keep your eyes out for tomorrow’s Las Vegas Weekly, in which there should be a Pj-penned article about fast-rising Vegas electro-core band This Romantic Tragedy.

Oh yeah, if you want to be really amused, check out Cracked.com’s “Worst Webcomic” forum, in which the forum trolls dwelling there do their best to ooze snarky criticisms all over The Utopian. Of course, since someone started posting links to my webcomic over there, traffic on my site has increased hundredfold, so I guess that goes to prove, once again, there’s no such thing as bad press. If I get really bored one of these days (because, you know, that happens), I might address each of their complaints in a blog post in my own refined and delicate manner.

And to end on a more positive note, how about good press? Internet pals Kevin Church, Benjamin Birdie, Max Riffner and others get some love for their webcomics over at NPR.com, which is about the most awesome sauce you’ll ever taste.

A special MOUSE ART THEATRE edition of The Two-Penny Review:

I gave it a try. I really did. But … X-Men Forever just isn’t good. After all these years, I realize now that, despite the downward spiral of suck the X-books (and the rest of the comic book industry) slipped into during the 1990s, writer Chris Claremont was probably best off ending his legendary 16-year run on Uncanny X-Men when he did. ‘Nuff said.

Thanks for the reminder, Plaxo! Sadly, it’s not THIS Frank Richards:

Sigh …