Oh hey here is a page! Whew.
It was done on the heels of a genuinely wonderful book launch party! Thank you to everybody who came by Floating World Comics – the place was packed from start to finish. I am aglow that this mad, unpitchable tale and its frazzled maker have such good friends and supporters out there. So many tiny, suspiciously enthusiastic Luthers were drawn in book covers! It’s odd to see that character look so chipper, but I couldn’t help it – we both had a good night.
Here is a photo of me being super classy during a whole fifteen second lull, taken by national treasure Mike Russell:
Next up: for most of next week I’ll be at the San Diego Comic-Con, at Small Press table #M-09! I’ll be accompanied by my usual partner-in-crime Erika Moen. I’ll also be on the Comics After Paper panel on Saturday from 4-5 in Room 3, hosted by my friend Douglas Wolk. Yes, that is right; somebody who just turned a webcomic into a print comic is talking about comics not for print. Holla!
I am also slowly but steadily sending out those pre-orders – after Comic-Con the factory goes into full swing as I get several uninterrupted weeks of sketching, packing, watercoloring, and mailing time. Man, it already sounds good.
And we are back! With a page full of Dudes. I don’t know how likely an update is again for the next couple of weeks as Iprepare for and attend the soul-consuming San Diego Comic-Con (Table M-9 in the Small Press Section!) and start pushing out book orders, but I’ll do my best.
In the most immediate news, folks in the Portland area, please come out to the Book Launch party next Thursday, July 15, at Floating World Comics from 5-8pm! If you pre-ordered a book, you can come pick it up from me in person, and you will get extra prizes to make up for the shipping you paid.
Here is the Facebook event – it’s open to the public, so pass it on, and I’ll see you there! I am making cookies. They will be delicious.
Remember that hand wound? It’s lots better, but now I have the flu. But before the Nyquil drags me under, here is some very exciting news! Mark your calendars now:
Courtesy of Jason Leivian, proprietor of the lovely Portland establishment Floating World Comics, Family Man will have a release and signing party on-site! It will be on July 15th from 5 to 8pm. So you Portland-area folk don’t need to stalk me or buy scalped tickets to San Diego just to get my scrawl on the inside cover of your copy of Family Man.
I’ve never done a solo event before, but I figure this book deserves it – especially since you, my wonderful crazy readers, made it possible. Floating World is one of my favorite places in Portland, period, and its shelves are a testament to the very best that comics can offer. I’m very honored to drag this book into the world through their doors!
And now, back to your regularly scheduled cold medicine.
Hi all – just a quick update.
Through personal brilliance I managed to wear a nasty little wound into the palm of my drawing hand this weekend! (Excellent timing, right?)
Typing is okay, but drawing is painful (and more than a little icky in the aftermath). It should calm down in a day or two if I behave, and with luck the page will be up on Friday. I’m disappointed to punt, but I figure acquiring stigmata is probably a sign from the universe.
But, on the upshot, it seems that the first load of books has arrived! Just a few hundred, mostly reserved for mailing to the San Diego Comic-con, but enough that once my hand chills out I will be able to start sending out some of the earliest book-only pre-orders. Woo!
So! I have my advance copy of the Family Man book!
(You can see this video at its home on Flickr here.)
Very exciting! It would be even more so, if I weren’t so tired that I can barely keep my head up. As I warned might happen, I have passed the “not healthy to try to post this week’s page on time” line. It’ll be up sometime this weekend, and look all the better for it.
Ugh, seriously, LJ readers: I am completely on fumes, here. I worried so hard about this book that I think I may have popped a kidney. It looks great, and all the other cool stuff packaged along with the limited edition pre-orders is going to look great, too. If keeping on top of all (and planning for the San Diego Comic-Con) that were all I were doing right now, I’d still be pooped – but the last two weekends on the road for family stuff, and the several freelance engagements I’m holding down on top of it all, have wiped me out.
So what I’m saying here is that cloning technology is starting to look pretty good.