Check the The M. I. Blog for the latest news.
2002 News
12/28: My two favorite T-Shirts: The Camouflage shirt that says "Ha! Now, You Can't See Me!" and, of course, the ever-popular "Even Jesus Hates Creed". I'd tell you where to buy them, but I'm not sure... Possibly Hot Topic for the first one.
12/26: Here's a 24-hour comic like no other.
12/26: If you were interested in joining us for the MIT Seminar, that one was for students only I'm afraid (and sold out to boot). If you'd be interested in a Boston area Seminar in the future, let me know.
12/25: Survived another one!
12/20: We're going to APE! -- unofficially. Catch us wandering around if you can.
12/15: Here's a political site with an interesting approach.
12/13: Hmmm...
12/12: If you're thinking of making a few charitable contributions this holiday season, ACTOR and the CBLDF are two great comics-based organizations to consider.
12/10: Justice League Adventures #16 (Script by Yours Truly) just solicited in Diamond Previews, shipping in February. It's an all-ages story that I was strangely fond of. Be sure to pick one up.
12/07: Must... Play... Orisinal...
11/28: I was updating my Links Page to finally include The-Four-Who-Must-Be-Named-For-Easier-Linking and was reminded of what a big, funny, wonderful comic Dylan Meconis' Bite Me is. If you haven't read it yet, do yourself a favor.
11/27: F. Andrew Taylor, who created one of my favorite 24-hour comics, also wrote a cool article about me in the Las Vegas Mercury, prior to my talk in Sin City on November 2nd. Thanks, Andrew.
11/26: Interesting day... Hmm...
11/20: Nowhere Girl is Back! Read Part 2 today.
11/19: Thank you to everybody who stopped by for my talk at Harper College. It was a blast.
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11/14: The fabulous Diana Schutz sent me this picture of Frank Miller (right) and I at SPX in Sept. Check out Frank today on NPR's Fresh Air.
11/05: Uh-Oh. Give these guys some money FAST.
11/05: Two new sites are now on my morning reading list each day: Dirk Deppey's ¡Journalista! and Egon.
11/02: Meet me at The Vegas Valley Book Festival. Also appearing Saturday are Gilbert Hernandez, Bill Griffith, Steve Gerber and Steve Darnall.
10/30: Here's a cool new journal comic by Kenn Minter.
10/29: Michele Salvador of Italy has put together a great flash version of "Carl - Original Recipe" (see Online Comics). Here's the page on his site.
10/23: Whoa, Merlin's at it again!
10/21: Serializer is live – Subscribe today!
10/20: One of my students at Maine (6th from the left in the photo) just happened to be Mr. Josh Roberts, creator of the excellent index OnlineComics.net! Check it out, and if you have an online comic you'd like to be listed, let him know.
10/17: Back from my 8-day trip to Depauw University in Indiana and the 5-day seminar at Belfast Maine's Hutchinson Center. Thank you to my hosts and to all my wonderful students. It was a blast.
09/28: Here's a cool use of comics. Check out what the Minnesota Historical Society put together.
09/26: The Hutchinson Center in Belfast, Maine -- part of the University of Maine system -- is going to be hosting my 5-day storytelling seminar over Columbus Day weekend, Friday to Tuesday, October 11-15.
09/25: The suspense. The SUSPENSE!
09/20: Gotta, gotta, gotta love The Pulse.
09/19: I'm in 3D! courtesy of Phil Rittenhouse. Also check here for a cute Understanding Comics in-joke.
09/13: Check out this great Carl-style Jam, Alice in Panelland.
09/10: SPX mugshots galore! I'll try to post a brief account of the show soon.
09/09: Back from SPX. I'll try to post some thoughts on the show and a bunch of photos soon (would've been sooner but my laptop screen gave out on the flight out). Meanwhile, the "Old Webcartoonists Home" continues to chronicle my later years.
09/03: See Toc Fetch's Comics. Order Toc Fetch's comics. Discuss Toc Fetch's comics. And when you're done with that, check out the latest parody!
08/29: Matt Brady has just posted a great article about my 1986 uber slugfest Destroy!! at Newsarama.
08/26: Visit the "Old Webcartoonists Home."
08/24: Fantastic write-up about Ninth Art's 24-hour comic event. Read it all when you get 20 minutes free.
08/23: We're finally done with the move to the new apartment (smaller *and* more expensive, who could ask for more?). Here are a few items from the last couple of weeks:
Ninth Art is sponsoring a new 24-hour comics competition. Read about it here.
And speaking of 24-hour comics, my daughter Sky (age 9) did her own 24-hour comic without any prompting from the old man last week. Ivy and I were bowled over by her dedication, with only one and a half hours of sleep, she finished her comic with one hour to spare. Final total: 29 pages plus a written account of the experience. I swear to God, I didn't put her up to it.
Patrick Farley has released TWO great new comics at e-sheep. Read 'em now.
Derek Kirk reports that Dylan "Bite Me" Meconis and Erika "Coffee to Go" Moen could use our help on the bandwidth front. Check his Aug 11 entry for details.
August 10
I may not be able to update while we move to the new apartment, but for more great San Diego news and photos (including me showing Chris Claremont some webcomics! -- forgot to mention that great conversation in my own write-up), go to Jim Zubkavich's convention report.
SAN DIEGO WRAP-UP!
The hall was even bigger this year and the lines even longer. How this can continue to happen year after year in such a small industry is a mystery to everyone.
Artists Alley was in the new section of the hall and re-unified into a single section. (Last year we were scattered confusingly all about). Most of the convention was the usual blur of old friends, fans, acquaintances and meals but here a couple of notes on each day.
Thursday August 1
Hurrying past the throngs to catch the Modern Tales panel at 5:30 pm, I walked in about 5 minutes late to "speak of the devil" comments from the podium. Joey ran a good entertaining panel. I was particularly impressed by the succinct, honest and non-confrontational way he fielded the inevitable Scott Kurtz question.
Here's a snap:
(Click to see a bigger versions of any of these.)
That night was Winter's 7th B-Day so the family and some close friends went to Buca di Beppo's with her. Here's a truly weird photo of us in that truly weird restaurant.
Then I hooked up with the Modern Tales guys at a little bar in the Gaslamp district. We were sitting outside talking when one of our gang came running out to tell us that James Kochalka had taken the stage inside. We bolted in to hear great renditions of "Tits in the Morning" and another song sort of like "Monkey vs. Robot", but now I can't remember which one it was. Then Cat Garza took the stage and did 3 really great songs on the guitar, (at least one of which he wrote) one was a duet with the lovely Merrilie (sp?).
Didn't get any shots that night, but here's another cool MT shot from the floor.
Friday August 2
Friday highlights included a wonderful CAC panel with Will Eisner, RC Harvey and me. Though hyped as a debate between RC and me on definitions, everything was extremely cordial and good-humored.The little room was packed and the audience participation was first-rate. I don't doubt that we could have gone on for hours; it was over much too fast. We're very lucky in comics to have such elder statesmen as Will and RC looking after us.
Dinner was yet another web-centric affair with some incredibly talented artists joining us. Panda Inn at Horton Plaza played host to a great meal and peering faces huddled around laptops. I love introducing artists to one another.
After dinner, we gathered in the lobby of the Westin and Ivy grabbed this great picture:
Click to get more info on who was there that night.
Saturday August 3
Got to have lunch up on the sail pavillion with some of our message board brethren. Thanks to Greg Stephens for arranging that one.
A quick dinner at Pat and Oscar's with the hometown gang. I hooked up with Kip and Jenn at Horton Plaza where I met a frighteningly talented group of young artists who really should have a nice snappy group identity so I can plug them more easily, but in the meantime, you can read all about them on Derek Kirk's San Diego report. Jenn and Kip and I took in the CBLDF auction then got directions to the annual bonfire beach party.
Could only stay for awhile on the beach but was happy to see old friends Heidi MacDonald, Jason Lutes, Jason Little, Megan Kelso, and many others. Also met Jason (just Jason) of Hey, Wait fame, and had a great talk with comics' number one mole, the mighty Calvin Reid of PW.
On the way back to the parking lot, we (being Kip, Jenn and I) hooked a ride with Jim Lee, Heidi, Peter Milligan and one other whose name I only sort of caught (sorry about that). Tight fit with much lap-sitting, but Jim got us home in good shape. (Thanks, Jim!) No pictures of that ride I'm sad to say.
Sunday August 4
Breakfast with Kurt Busiek, signing at the Comic Art Museum, saying goodbye to ten thousand of our closest friends and a quick round at the dead dog party.
From all four days, here are just a few of the pictures I took:
08/01:
Winter's Birthday! (though the *real* celebration starts Monday).
San Diego begins. Look for me in Artists' Alley all four days and on a panel with Will Eisner and RC Harvey on Friday. Might also be signing at the CBLDF and Cartoon Art Museum Booths. And I'll be in the audience, front row center for the Modern Tales panel (and so should you!).
I may not be able to post as regularly during the con, but I will be taking lots of pictures and will post some of them here.
07/31:
Just an hour and a half from San Diego on 8. The trip is almost over, but the Convention is about to begin.
07/30
New Mexico and Arizona today. A billboard promises "post office popcorn sandwiches" but we're in too much of a hurry to exit and try these amazing new cullinary inventions of which they speak.
Approaching Flagstaff, with hopes of staying with friend Toni and son Nicky in Phoenix tonight.
07/29
Back on the road at 3:00 pm. Going to have a lot of catching up to do. Snapping a few pictures of Kansas plains along 54 and thinking about the young Clark Kent.
07/29
So here we are, sitting in a Pep Boys in Wichita, Kansas at 9:25 am with the whole family. Ivy's doing paint-by-logic puzzles in Games Magazine. Sky and Winter are contenting themselves with a GameBoy and Tangrams. Something blew out last night as we rolled in from Ames, but with luck, we can still make our journey from Minneapolis to San Diego in good enough time to hit the convention floor early Thursday. (I'll be in Artists Alley and on a panel with Will Eisner and Bob Harvey on Friday.)
The two Minneapolis seminars were tremendous fun. For two weeks, six hours a day, I taught forty students (about twenty in each class) everything I could about making comics. My sincere thanks to the MCAD students and out-of-town learners who stuck with me and made my first extended teaching experience both rewarding and enjoyable.
(Click for a larger view)
For the weekend in between seminars, it was Canoeing with the Gaiman family, (and if that sounds a bit surreal, you don't know the half of it.) It was Michael G's birthday and we all had lots of fun on the water, despite an ample supply of mosquitos, sun and exhaustion. Our Sky (9) and Maddie Gaiman (8), every time they approached mildly rapid waters, would chant in unison: "We're going to die! We're going to die! We're too YOUNG to die!" (Neil's version of the chant in his journal was a bit different, but Sky assures me I have it right).
Been reading David B.'s Epileptic on the trip. Great, great stuff.
07/11
Stopped at Mount Rushmore with the girls. Checked out Lincoln's plaque: Apparently the Civil War was started as a way to celebrate Sky's birthday!
07/07
The road trip to Minneapolis begins!
07/03
Found a new place. More money, less room, but at least they take dogs... *sigh* Might be out of commission for a while as we scramble to get ready.
07/02
I just love it when they put it that way.
06/29
Great new 24-hour Comic from Jason Turner! An early preview of "Solitary Confinement" that Massive 24-hour Comics Event coming in July.
06/28:
*Gulp* Need to find a new apt. fast! (Ours is being sold) I might be a bit distracted this summer.
McCloud Parody alert! Both PVP #5 and Dork Tower #18 have some pretty funny send-ups of Yours Truly. Not surprisingly, both Kurtz and Kovalic draw me better than I draw me.
06/24:
Okay, I'm not even going to *attempt* to be impartial about this one. My wife and I have known Jenn Lee -- now Jenn Manley Lee -- for about 15 years. From Day One, I thought Jenn's artwork and writing were worthy of publication and deserved a wide audience, but the print comics industry in all its hidebound idiocy never had a place to slot her work because it didn't fit into any of their narrow categories. Now, thanks to the Web, you can find out what we've all been missing for over a decade. DICEBOX is Jenn's new comic and it's absolutely terrific.
06/23:
Derek Kirk needs our help too!
One of our best online cartoonists was recently hit with a big bandwidth bill following a memepool link. While his situation may not be as dire as Bill Loebs (and I'm sure Derek himself would send you to Bill first) please consider also making a Paypal donation at the above link.
A New Seminar?
Couldn't make it to Minneapolis for the seminar? We might have some good August news for North-Easterners soon. Stay tuned.
BILL LOEBS NEEDS OUR HELP!
Please do what you can to help out this pioneer of independent comics.
A major 24-hour comics event:
Over 30 artists are signed up so far!
Delta Thrives:
Patrick Farley's mind-blowing new webcomic is absolutely huge (4 MB) and will take awhile to load, even on fast connections, but even if you have to download the thing overnight and read it in the morning, you'll be glad you did.
Almost Sold Out:
This summer, in conjunction with the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, I'll be offering TWO 5-day seminars in comics storytelling. For six solid hours each day, I'll do my level best to teach you everything I know about the art of making comics (after – *gulp* – 18 years in the business) through short lectures and extended hands-on exercises. Sign up now.
June 14: And... I won! (the Ed Press Award that is).
June 7: Looks like I'll be on a panel at the Lake Placid Film Forum, Friday June 7!
May: As noted earlier, an effort is underway to create a broad-based online comics award, but in the meantime, the closest thing we have is The Cartoonists' Choice Awards. Register today for the 2002 nominating rounds!
Out of left field: My 2-page comic for Nickelodeon Magazine last year has been nominated for an Ed Press Award for best how-to article for a children's magazine (under "print publications," click on "Periodicals--Editorial" and scroll down the pop-up box until you get to "How-To Feature, Children.")
April: MIT's Technology Review has a story on Web Comics by Henry Jenkins.
Site Update: Over 60 more artists added to the 24-hour Comics Index. (Sorry for the delay!)
Site Update: Newly updated Top Ten in the Links section.
There's now a messageboard for discussing The Morning Improv. Stop by and say hello (and thank Greg Stephens for setting it up.)
March: Thanks for the great reception at The Game Developers Conference in San Jose! The onstage chalk-talk with Will Wright drew about 1,000 people and was a lot of fun.
January/February: Travel, travel, travel... (see Speaking for details).
