jimrugg

Big Update

2011-09-12T10:28:00.000-04:00

Hello, everyone --

I have rebuilt my website, or more accurately, Static Made rebuilt my site.

So please update any bookmarks you may have and head over to jimrugg.com.

You might also want to sign up for my new newsletter. I've been doing work in a a few different areas, and if you want to see it, the easiest way to keep up is just to sign up for the newsletter.

Thank you for following me this far, I hope to see you in the future!

Best,

Jim Rugg

Heroes Con and Other Stuff

2011-06-01T13:28:00.002-04:00

I will be at Heroes Con in Charlotte, NC this weekend. If you go to the show, please stop by and say hello. I'll have the usual comics, books, art, and prints. Heroes is an awesome, comic book show, so if you're on the fence, I highly recommend it. I enjoy it as an exhibitor and as a comics fan and tip my hat to organizer Shelton Drum and the many people who work hard to make the show run smoothly and to create a welcoming, friendly atmosphere.

One of the highlights of the show is the annual Heroes art auction. You can see the drawing I did for the acution on the Covered blog.

I will also have a new Afrodisiac print for sale at the show:

If you're in the Pittsburgh area, be sure to pick up a copy of this week's City Paper with my artwork on the cover!

Finally, Brian Maruca and I are guests on The Next Issue podcast. Thanks to Mike Romeo for meeting with us during ECBACC.

An Eisner nomination means FREE Afrodisiac

2011-04-27T15:53:00.001-04:00

Great NEWS! Afrodisiac has been nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Humor Publication.

Unfortunately, Afrodisiac is currently between printings! To ensure that every possible Eisner Award voter has all of the necessary information to cast their ballot in a responsible and educated manner, we have decided to put the entire book online for FREE.

So, please take a moment or two to give Afrodisiac a read. We hope you will find the experience amusing, profound, and ultimately life-changing. Be sure to tell your friends and family about this experience so that they may share in your joy and good fortune. And look for a new printing this Fall. — Your pals in comics, Brian, Jim and Chris

Open publication - Free publishing - More adhouse books

Rainn Wilson looks like a Jack Kirby drawing

2011-04-19T07:59:00.006-04:00

Saw Super this weekend. At times it reminded me of Bernie Mireault's the Jam. The real takeaway though, was how much Rainn Wilson looks like a Jack Kirby drawing.

Something to make your day a little brighter, a cosmic spread from Captain Victory 13:

POOD #3 preview trailer + AFRODISIAC review

2011-03-20T08:40:00.003-04:00

Pood #3 hits the pavement in April, just in time for MoCCA--and here's a little video preview! If you're one of the few who haven't ordered their copy yet--well, what are you waiting for? here's the Previews order code: FEB110807!

There's still time--You can still call your local comics shop, give em the order # and you'll be guaranteed your copy of pood #3! so hop to it! get your pood while there's still pood to get! There's some definite surprises in this ish--so don't miss out! Order today!

And in Afrodisiac news, here's a review from Canada: "Afrodisiac (Adhouse Books, $15) has got to be the zaniest, most over-the-top and in-yo-face "black" graphic text /comic book in existence."
- George Elliott Clarke, the Chronicle Herald

DETROIT COMICS CITY?

2011-02-22T12:34:00.001-05:00

ATTENTION: Detroit

On March 4th, I will be talking about my experience in comics at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit as part of their annual Comic Jam (presented by MOCAD and Green Brain Comics)! The Comic Jam begins at 4:00, and my talk begins at 7:00. Both the talk and jam are FREE and ALL AGES.

I hope you can make it. Please pass along and post this information to anyone and everyone that you think might be interested! Thanks so much, hope to see lots of you there.

2011 Glyph Awards Nominations

2011-02-17T09:44:00.001-05:00

Afrodisiac, Brian Maruca, and I have been nominated for some 2011 Glyph Awards. The Glyph Awards are held annually in conjunction with the East Coast Black Age of Comics Con (ECBACC) in Philadelphia. I have never attended the show, but have heard good things about it. At the Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival, I spoke to a couple of guys who highly recommended the show. With some scheduling good fortune, hopefully this will be the year I finally get to see this show in person! In the meantime, here is a link to the complete list of Glyph Award nominees for 2011.

Thank you to the nominating committee. This is quite an honor.

TUMBLR and BIRTHDAY

2011-02-01T09:28:00.001-05:00

I've started a tumblr to showcase various bits of odds and ends - things I'm working on, sketches, daily progress...whatever. Not sure how it will develop, but I thought I'd mention it for anyone that might be interested in that sort of thing. For now it will be mostly random images of whatever I'm working on for the day.

In other news, the second printing of Afrodisiac is almost gone. We've got a couple cases to get us through some shows this year, but if you want a copy, you might want to act soon! Ditto on Street Angel. Some copies were damaged in storage, and it looks like that second printing is just about gone as well. Thanks to everyone who has picked up the books. It means a lot more to me than I can convey in a blog post.

Finally, thank you to everyone who has taken time to wish me a Happy Birthday!

TRON EVOLUTION vinyl

2010-12-17T10:49:00.002-05:00

I Am 8-Bit produced a limited edition, 12" vinyl record of Sascha's game soundtrack from Tron Evolution.

When they contacted me about working on the artwork, I was ecstatic! I LOVE the original Tron movie, and look forward to seeing the new one. Plus the idea of doing album art in general is pretty awesome. If you don't believe me, go check out Picturebox's book about superstar album artists, Hipgnosis. Amazing!

Here are some of the roughs I produced for the project.

Here are some of the record ideas. I wanted to create something for the record that would change or animate once the record was turned on. Eventually we just used the Tron disc design, which in hindsight is a no brainer. Hopefully when the record is played, the white on the disc will create a blurry line, similar to the way the disc lights up when activated.

Thanks to gameinformer.com for the photographs of the record and packaging.

Miracleman 13

2010-12-02T11:01:00.005-05:00

Read Miracleman 11-13. Glad I read 15 and 16 first. Knowing the payoff gives these issues a bit more weight. These early chapters lack the urgency, chaos, and power of the conclusion. However, they are very pretty and some of Moore's ideas are astounding.

The story is told through a series of flashbacks and narration by Mike "Miracleman" Moran after he has essentially taken over the world and established a Utopian society. He rebuilds society using advanced technology provided by alien science and superhuman intelligence. Particularly interesting is how quickly Moore supposes these changes to occur, suggesting exponential development rather than linear.

We can easily recognize a lot of the concepts and ideas today from genetic engineering to cure medical ailments and provide physical and mental augmentation to communication advancements like the internet.

It reminds me a little of the way Jack Kirby's 70s work seemed to be set thirty years into the future -- from social problems like extreme wealth disparity (OMAC) and global police forces (OMAC) to advanced technologies like Motherbox (basically smart phones as seen in the Fourth World), life-like robotic companions (OMAC), and customizable virtual reality fantasy/gaming simulations (2001 - Comicsville).

At the end of Miracleman 13, Moore suggests one of the ramifications of this high-tech Utopia -- an inability to physically experience/express human emotion (an idea he hammers home in issue 16 when Miracleman's human wife rejects the chance to become superhuman, effectively ending their relationship). Moore's solution to this dilemma? A new vocabulary to digitally communicate sorrow and other emotional states ;-) OMG LOL (o_O)

This book was published in 1987. Twenty three years ago, Moore wrote a superhero comic that used ideas and concepts that have come to define many of our lives today, as captions and minor background filler.

Who was reading this stuff at the time? And how did readers connect to/interpret these bizarre concepts and ideas at the time?

(Motherbox iPhone screen design by Jasen Lex)

Miracleman vs. Stardust

2010-11-29T20:14:00.002-05:00

Read Miracleman 15 and 16 this morning. I was familiar with this story but hadn't sat down and read it before.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It seems to work very well right now. I bet it messed up some 12 year olds' heads when it was being published. I can't imagine reading an issue of the Hulk or Batman, when I was a kid, and then turning to this. Pretty intense.

It reminded me a bit of Fletcher Hanks' Stardust comics. Both characters are depicted like gods, residing above the human race. Their costumes are similar:

Here are a couple panels of Stardust ripping off some dude's head and swinging it around, followed by Miracleman hugging the headless body of Kid Miracleman (SPOILER: Miracleman ripped his head off on the previous page):

Here are a few images of bodies floating:

Anyway. Good comics. John Totleban is underrated. Makes me curious about Neil Gaiman's follow-up story, perhaps I'll give that a try one of these days.

I'll be at the Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival this Saturday. Should be a cool show. Hopefully I'll see lots of you there!

Art Show in Arlington

2010-11-19T13:23:00.001-05:00

Comic Book Culture Invades the Art World

Arlington Arts Center
NOV 19, 2010 - JAN 16, 2011
Opening reception: Friday, November 19, 7 – 9 pm Members only preview 6 - 7 pm

PARTY CRASHERS mashes up comic art and contemporary gallery culture. Featuring Gabrielle Bell, Deb Sokolow, Derik Badman, Robert Pruitt, Victor Kerlow, Blaise Larmee, Warren Craghead III, Jamar Nicholas, Anton Kannemeyer (aka Joe Dog), Jeffrey Brown, Dash Shaw, Rosaire Appel, Andrei Molotiu, Rina Ayuyang, Joshua Cotter, Olav Westphalen, and me!

Romance Comics

2010-11-10T11:07:00.001-05:00

Been super busy with different stuff, mostly illustration work. But I have a couple of comic strips debuting at the Brooklyn Comics and Graphic Novels Festival. One will appear in the FREE anthology Secret Prison and this one will be in the FREE anthology Smoke Signal. There will also be a new full-color USApe strip in the next issue of Pood.

PIX: This Weekend (and some other junk)

2010-10-14T07:40:00.001-04:00

If you're in Pittsburgh this weekend, check out the Pittsburgh Indy Comics Expo (PIX). It's Saturday and Sunday and FREE to attend. If you know someone in the area that might be interested, pass it on. Thanks.

I drew an illustration in this week's Pittsburgh City Paper. It was fun, a bit of a nod to editorial cartooning which is something I haven't done in the past. You can read the article online.

Highwater Books, I salute you!

2010-10-01T10:29:00.001-04:00

An art show about Highwater Books has inspired the interneterati to reminisce. I’d be remiss if I passed up the opportunity to add to the cacophony so here I go.

A quick background, I started making comics and had just dived into the independent/small press scene in the late 90s/early 00s. One of my gateways into this world was Brian Ralph’s Cave-In (published by Highwater). My enjoyment of that book steered me to more Highwater artists, mini-comics, and books at SPX. Highwater rewired my thinking about the comics making process,
it exposed me to the role of design in the experience of reading a comic, and it introduced me to a number of amazing and unique cartoonists such as Ron Rege, John Porcellino, Ben Jones, Matt Brinkman, Brian Chippendale, Megan Kelso, and many others that I’m sure I’m forgetting.

When Tom Devlin guest edited an issue of the Comics Journal (#238, well worth tracking down a copy), my favorite feature was an email group that he set up “to discuss what we thought made good comics.” The results of that discussion group ran across the bottom of the entire issue. The participants were Ron Rege, Jr., Brian Ralph, Jef Czekaj, Megan Kelso, Matt Madden, Ben Jones, Greg Cook, Kurt Wolfgang, Jordan Crane, Tom Hart, Brooke Corey, and Devlin.

I loved this feature so much that I copied all of the quotes, formatted them, and made myself a small booklet called “No more comics about comics”. Keep in mind this was 2001. I had done 100 pages of comics or so by then. It would be two more years before I had the confidence to even sign a comic with my real name. Highwater raised the bar and introduced a lot of ideas and values to comics that resonate to this day.

For those near Boston, go enjoy the show. Wish I could join you.

Katamari fundraiser artwork for sale

2010-09-29T06:59:00.003-04:00

Floating World Comics organized a Katamari themed art show, and now the artwork is being auctioned off on ebay. 100% of the proceeds will go to JOIN - a local nonprofit organization that works to “connect the street to a home”. There is a lot of great looking original art and archive prints and they are very affordable!

You could own a limited edition color print of my piece or the original artwork.

Should SPX be free?

2010-09-21T07:52:00.005-04:00

I remember talking to a 60 year old woman at my first Small Press Expo in 2000. She was a teacher and had heard that comics were being used in some classrooms. Somehow she heard of SPX, and decided to see what the fuss was about. I was stunned. In 2000, this was not a familiar conversation for me. It is one of my favorite comic book show experiences.

SPX is an amazing show and has influenced my work more than any other comic book show. With that in mind, I wonder if it’s time for the show to drop its admission fee and reposition itself as THE East Coast comic book show.

According to Publishers Weekly paid attendance for this year’s show was a little over 2000 people. Meanwhile, TCAF’s attendance level this year was 12,000 according to Chris Butcher.

SPX began in the 1990s, during one of the worst financial periods in comics history – the speculator market had collapsed, all of the major comics distributors folded (except for Diamond), and Marvel declared bankruptcy. SPX was a beacon of hope in this dark time, and in my mind it was a precursor of the state of the industry today. It welcomed genre work like David Lapham’s Stray Bullets and Frank Miller’s Sin City. It celebrated creator-owned works like those of the Spirit of Independence tour (Jeff Smith, Paul Pope, Steve Bissette, Dave Sim, Rick Veitch). It offered comic book creators and fans an alternative to Marvel and DC’s superhero, corporate-owned melodramas. Located near New York City and its traditional publishing houses, it was a showcase for literary and art comics, and contributed to the rise of the graphic novels that are so prevalent now. For many years it exhibited with ICAF – an academic and international comic conference that championed comics as an art form. In addition to showcasing cartoonists’ talent to new fans, creators, and editors, SPX became a venue for many publishers to promote new business models like Top Shelf and Oni’s graphic novel-based lines or Highwater and Picturebox’s art and design-conscious work.

This year, I have done shows all over the country. It seems like there are three shows every weekend – from small regional dealer shows to extravagant pop culture events. I have been surprised at every show by the level of enthusiasm and the size and diversity of crowds.

Book publishers, movie studios, Walmart, G4, the internet, libraries, artists, writers, and cartoonists have been banging the drum for the last decade that comics aren’t just for kids anymore. I think that message has sunk in.

A lot of the success of comics today can be traced back to SPX. It is a brand with history, value, longevity, and a great location (I mean the East Coast and Washington DC, not any particular venue).

This show hasn’t changed a lot in the last 10 years, while the comics industry (like many industries) seems to be in a constant state of flux. As more and more specialty retail stores close (like Giant Robot in New York), I believe trade shows will play a bigger, more prominent role in the immediate future. With San Diego’s assimilation into LA’s hype machine, SPX could become THE comic book show.

So my question is, would it be feasible for SPX to hire a PR firm, and see about getting its attendance up to 10,000+?

*I know part of SPX's charter is to raise funds for CBLDF. But I think if the attendance were to double, triple, quadruple, or more...that the lost revenue from free admission could be made up in extra table sales (there's always a waiting list), extra fundraising events (membership drives, auctions, etc.), merchandise sales, etc. Not to mention raising overall awareness of the CBLDF and its mission.

Read Rambo 3.5 for FREE

2010-09-05T09:38:00.001-04:00

Rambo 3.5 is nominated for the Outstanding Mini-Comic Ignatz Award at SPX this Saturday. In an effort to prepare voters for this responsibility, we have decided to post Rambo 3.5 online for educational purposes (we'll also have copies available at the show!).

Flickr
Comicpress

Please be sure and forward this to all of your friends, make torrents, shout from the rooftops, etc.

If you're attending SPX, I'll be at the Adhouse Books table with a couple of new things for you to check out - a collection of commissions (most of which you can see on my Flickr account), COMIXED UP (a zine/mini-comic of cartoon and comic character mash-ups), and the new issue of PAPERCUTTER (with an all-new, never-before-seen Bald Eagle one pager co-written with Brian Maruca):

I'm also doing a panel on Sunday:

Commercial Eruptions

4:00 | Brookside Conference Room

Jim Rugg (Street Angel, Afrodisiac) and Frank Santoro (Storeyville, Cold Heat) have produced auteurial work that shows the influence of commercial comics, and have brought an independent sensibility to work for publishers like Marvel Comics. In a conversation moderated by Tim Hodler, the two cartoonists will reflect on what they have learned from the contents and processes of historical commercial comics and how they reinterpret their influences when working for corporate publishers.

Finally, I contributed a short strip to the new Fort Thunder Monster anthology which debuts at SPX (and I couldn't be more excited to see)!

Baltimore Comicon and PIX

2010-08-26T06:29:00.001-04:00

I will be at Baltimore Comi-Con this weekend, at booth 1904 (Adhouse Books). I'll have my usual assortments of books, prints, and artwork as well as copies of my Ignatz-nominated Rambo mini-comic and a new book of commissions and other drawings.

Pittsburgh gets its very own Indy Comics sho w (PIX) - October 16 + 17. Brought to you by the fine folks at the Toonseum and the Copacetic Comics Company! Add this to your calendars folks - admission is FREE! Tables for exhibitors are inexpensive. Please check it out, and pass it along to anyone you think might be interested! Thanks.

Laura Park is having surgery

2010-08-14T09:40:00.000-04:00

She has set up a donation page to help offset the cost of the emergency back surgery. Any amount you can spare will be greatly appreciated. If you're unfamiliar with Ms. Park's beautiful artwork, you can see lots of it here.

Thank you.

Scott Pilgrim, Milk & Cheese, Batman

2010-08-11T22:43:00.002-04:00

Legendary St. Louis comic shop, the Star Clipper has posted some recommended graphic novels to read after you've enjoyed Scott Pilgrim. Street Angel clocks in at a respectable number 2.

Meanwhile, over at Comics Comics, you can see a poorly-scripted imitation of Evan Dorkin's Milk & Cheese duking it out with a poorly-drawn imitation of Neal Adams' Batman. Here are the original pencils:

Finally, Multiversity Comics: Off the Cape column reviews Afrodisiac: "If you're looking for one of the best characters in comics in recent memory as well as a book that acts as a grand tribute to years upon years of pop culture (not just comic pop culture), this book is definitely for you."

Skate 3 postcards

2010-08-10T14:06:00.001-04:00

I designed some postcards for a release party for EA's Skate 3 a couple months ago in LA.

This was an unused design that I kind of liked:

And here are some of the roughs I initially submitted. I like the diagram of the skater with the body parts labeled as cuts of meat:

Smirnoff Graphic

2010-08-05T08:30:00.001-04:00

I recently did a series of illustrations for a Smirnoff event in Toronto called Graphic. Here is a link to a more detailed description and photos from the event:

http://kimtarlo.com/2010/07/547/

It was a very enjoyable job that included an invitation, map, projected images (that changed throughout the night depending on what was happening at the party), and large blown up prints of my drawings:

COMICON

2010-07-21T09:02:00.002-04:00

I won't be at Comicon this year, but I will be representin'.

First up, I designed a limited edition t-shirt for Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (above is the front, below is the back).

Next, I have a drawing in the CBLDF/TFAW auction of Felicia Day as Codex (her alter-ego in the Guild). In addition to bidding on the original art, I think they printed a bunch of cards with this image that you can have Ms. Day sign.

And finally, last but not least...

STREET ANGEL!!!

Two items of note:

1. The Street Angel short film is screening on Thursday as part of Comicon's Independent Film Festival. If you're at the show and have an interest in seeing this film, now is your chance. We have no other screenings scheduled at this time so check it out while you can.

2. Street Angel is back in print from the fine folks at SLG. They went all out with this second printing, and the slick, coated paper makes a ton of difference. If you enjoyed our work on Afrodisiac and you've been wanting to check out Street Angel, you can grab a copy right from the publisher! Tell 'em we sent you, they'll like that! And while you're at SLG's booth, check out some of their other offerings. They publish a bunch of amazing books from classic Evan Dorkin and Jhonen Vasquez comics to new works from James Turner (Rex Libris, Warlord of Io), Faith Erin Hicks (Zombies Calling, War at Ellsmere), Ross Campbell (Shadoweyes), Diana Thung (Captain Long Ears).

The Return of the King

2010-07-14T07:08:00.000-04:00

Afrodisiac returns to better comic book shop shelves across the nation - TODAY! Fresh off the presses, the new printing of the Afrodisiac is on uncoated paper this time out (a subtle but notable improvement in my opinion). So if you've been hearing good things, and want your own copy, you're in luck.

AIGA 50/50
Afrodisiac was selected in this year's AIGA 50/50 competition as an example of outstanding book design.

THE COMICS JOURNAL REVIEW
"This book is amazing, fun and impressive. It takes street smarts to college by offering thought-provoking styles and art."

Rambo invades Earth

2010-07-07T08:57:00.004-04:00

I'm pleased as punch to announce that a few more stores and distributors have joined the Rambo 3.5 army.

Below are links where you can find Rambo 3.5. As always, if you choose to order Rambo from one of these fine establishments, be sure and look around at some of their other offerings. These are some of my favorite sources for comics - show 'em some love, and find some awesome new reading materials!

Chapel Hill Comics
Velocity Comic
Phantom of the Attic in Oakland
Copacetic Comics
Sparkplug Comics
Microcosm
Desert Island
(DCBS) Discount Comic Book Service
Don's Atomic Comics

Not in the US of A? Not a problem! Freedom knows no border (and has no fear)!

INTERNATIONAL ALLIES:
the Beguiling
Gosh Comics

In case you aren't convinced, check out ghettoManga's Preview/Review of Rambo 3.5! Samax says it's "hilarious!" And we like Samax so we won't disagree!

Poopsheet review

Comics Reporter review

Comics Journal review

Finally, for your Rambo pleasure, cartoonist superbadass, Ben Marra gets deep inside Rambo II with Brandon Soderberg. They didn't teach this kind of stuff at my school!

Duncan the Wonder Dog

2010-07-05T10:15:00.000-04:00

Adhouse Books (Afrodisiac's publisher) has a new book ready for pre-orders from your local comic book store. It is called Duncan the Wonder Dog and it's written and drawn by Xeric Award-winning cartoonist, Adam Hines.

This is a large book (400 pages) and Adhouse has posted a nice chunk of it for preview reading. I thought the preview was great! So if you have a few minutes to waste at work or on the bus, give this a look!

And if you enjoy boxing (Raging Bull, George Bellows' boxing paintings, On the Waterfront, etc.), I think you'll love this preview.

George Bellows Stag at Sharky's (1909)

Here are book details:

What if animals could talk? Would some of them form a militant group in reaction to how humans treat them? Would humans treat them different? Come explore this dense tome of an alternate universe where the lavish renderings recall Dave McKean. 2009 Xeric winning Duncan the Wonder Dog WILL be one of the most talked about books of 2010.

details:
4C cover
400 pages
8.5" x 11" SC
$24.95 US funds
ISBN 978-0-9770304-9-1
Shipping September 2010
Diamond order code: JUL10 0729

Street Angel film at Comicon and other places

2010-06-28T10:56:00.000-04:00

Want to see the Street Angel short film? Here are some upcoming dates and places you can catch this mini-masterpiece:

June 18, 19, 25: Supernova, Sydney, AUSTRALIA
July 9-11: Famous Monsters of Filmland, Indianapolis, IN
THURSDAY, JULY 22: Comicon, San Diego, CA

You can also join the Street Angel short film Facebook group to keep up to date with any future screenings.

Bill Boichel speaks at Carnegie Library TONIGHT!

2010-06-21T09:08:00.001-04:00

Copacetic Comics Co. main man, Bill Boichel, will be giving a short talk at the Carnegie Library in Oakland this evening from 6 - 7. Here are details!

Afrodisiac on your iPhone, iPod, or iPad

2010-06-17T09:15:00.003-04:00

Finally, the King of the Concrete Jungle goes digital - f*** Megapute! Thrill to the adventures of the Mack Knight on your favorite digital device! Run, don't walk to ComiXology TODAY!

Don't delay, turn your iPad into an iBadass.

Rambo everywhere

2010-06-15T10:02:00.001-04:00

Rambo is now available from these fine establishments:

Copacetic Comics
Sparkplug Comics
Microcosm
Desert Island
(DCBS) Discount Comic Book Service
Don's Atomic Comics

REVIEW:
Justin Giampaoli at Poopsheet Foundation gives Rambo 3.5 an A+!
"...make no mistake about it, this book is hilarious. Jim Rugg is my comedic guru."

PODCAST:
The 11 O'Clock crew gives Rambo 3.5 the once over.

Thanks to everyone who has taken time to check out Rambo, and to spread the word about it. Freedom!

HeroesCon was grand

2010-06-07T21:21:00.002-04:00

I'm back from Heroes and it was AWESOME! Thanks to Shelton, Dustin, and all the great folks who worked hard to make sure the show ran smoothly. Thanks to everyone who stopped by the table or came to a panel. And thanks to all the cartoonists I got to meet and catch up with. I had a grand time.

HeroesCon

2010-06-01T23:58:00.006-04:00

HeroesCon is this weekend, June 4-6, in Charlotte. I expect you all to be there.

The above image is my contribution to the HeroesCon Annual Art Auction. I'll be sitting next to Adhouse Books and super-talent Scott Morse (AA535):

I'll also be doing a few panels, here are the details on those:

FRIDAY:

3.00 PM
VOCATIONAL COMICS: Comics As Career
Room 207BCD
Tom Spurgeon of The Comics Reporter meets with some of the brightest stars in the comic firmament to discuss how they learned to handle the age-old question: what do you do when comics becomes your livelihood? Joining Tom will be Jill Thompson (Scary Godmother), Meredith Gran (Octopus Pie), Jim Rugg (Afrodisiac), Ed Piskor (Wizzywig) and Raina Telgemeier (Smile).

4.30 PM
CRAFT AND PROCESS IN COMICS
Room 208AB
With the increasing prevalence of technology, there are more ways to approach making comics than ever before, from good old fashion inks and brushes all the way to 100% digital comics. Join Jim Rugg (Afrodisiac), Roger Langridge (Muppet Show), and Drew Weing (Set To Sea) as they discuss their varying approaches to pen and ink and pixels, moderated by HeroesCon Creative Director (and cartoonist) Dustin Harbin.

SUNDAY:

IN CONVERSATION | Sammy Harkham & Jim Rugg
Room 208AB
Sammy Harkham (Kramer's Ergot, Crickets) and Jim Rugg (Afrodisiac, The Plain Janes) are the two of the most innovative cartoonists working today. The Comics Reporter's Tom Spurgeon sits down with them to discuss their processes, influences, approaches to cartooning and more in what's sure to be a fascinating panel discussion.

Looking for a good Kickstarter project to fund?

2010-05-26T07:05:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite cartoonists, T. Edward Bak (Service Industry), has started a Kickstarter to help cover supply costs, travel expenses, and a field drawing expedition through the Aleutian Islands for his current graphic novel, "WILD MAN - The Strange Journey and Fantastic Account of the Naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller, From Bavaria to Bolshaya Zemlya (and Beyond)". The graphic novel is currently being serialized in Fantagraphics MOME anthology, and it is something to behold!

You can learn more and see lots of sample art at Mr. Bak's blog.

Please consider donating to this worthwhile project. And please post it everywhere you can!!! GO, T!

Thanks for reading.

COMICS COMICS IS HAVING THE WORLD'S COOLEST BAKE SALE

2010-05-24T20:32:00.003-04:00

Comics Comics is having a fundraiser!!!

I donated a page from my Cold Heat Special #4 to help the effort and you can buy it for under $100 RIGHT NOW!

But that's not all.

Lots of great cartoonists have donated original art, one-of-a-kind commissions, gorgeous prints, and comics, Comics, COMICS!!!

CHECK THIS OUT:
Get three graphic novels Travel (Yuichi Yokoyama), Maggots (Brian Chippendale) and Monster Men (Takashi Nemoto) for the price of just one! - Chippendale and Yokoyama are two of my favorite, favorite cartoonists working in the world!!! And Monster Men is absolutely insane. You CANNOT go wrong with this deal - 3 great books for $20!!!

Original art by Dash Shaw, Ben Jones, Frank Santoro, Matthew Thurber, Frank King, Ernie Bushmiller. Lots of cool stuff to look at, enjoy!

Captain America and FDR commission

2010-05-18T15:55:00.002-04:00

Thanks to everyone who stopped by the Carnegie Library last evening for my talk. Librarians Corey Wittig and Renee Alberts have put together a nice, monthly graphic novel discussion group. So if you're in the area and have an interest in the medium or what the library has to offer fans of comics, add it to your calendar. Next month's speaker is Pittsburgh treasure, Bill "Copacetic Comics" Boichel.

This Saturday, I'll be at Summit City Comic Con in Fort Wayne, IN. It's their inaugural show. They seem to be promoting it well, and I think it could be a very enjoyable show. If you're there, please stop by and introduce yourself. I'll have the usual stuff, including Rambo 3.5, which has gotten a couple nice mentions lately:

The Comics Journal: This comic is jammed with puns, cheap shots, double-entendres, adolescent sexual references and hilarious non-sequiturs. RAMBO 3.5 is gloriously inspired silliness, a comic destined for cult status.

The Comics Reporter: Mostly what you get is the infantile previous president's child-like social interaction with the dumb-as-ammo John Rambo character via cartooning that shifts style in a way reminiscent of Bill Sienkiewicz's 1980s pastiches on a similar group of scoundrels.

Brett Warnock (Top Shelf Comix): Rugg is nothing short of a fucking genius. So much so, even his "throwaway" stuff is brilliant.

I am down to my last 25 copies of the first printing of Afrodisiac, so if you're planning on grabbing that at Summit City, swing by early!

SUMMIT CITY PANEL
Indie Comics and Self Publishing! This panel offers our audience insight about the process of producing independent comics and self-published comics and doesn’t skimp on the pitfalls and hurdles that must be overcome. Self publishing can be excruciatingly difficult and endlessly rewarding. Join some of the best in the business for this sure to be lively discussion. Our panelists include: Jim Rugg (Afrodisiac, Street Angel, Comics Comics), Steve Bryant (Athena Voltaire), Matt Kindt (Super Spy, Strange Tales, 3 Story), Jeffrey Brown (Clumsy, Unlikely, Sulk, Incredible Changebots), Andy Jewett (In This Corner, SICKO, Awesome 2: Awesomer), Shawn Pryor (Mercury & The Murd, Wasted Wonderland)

SUMMIT CITY COMMISSIONS
I have time for one more commission for Summit City. If you're interested email me ASAP. It's $100 for an 8 x 10, b/w drawing.

Carnegie Library in Oakland

2010-05-16T22:11:00.001-04:00

Listen up, Pittsburgh Peeps! I'm flapping my gums at Carnegie Library (Oakland).

Date: Monday, May 17, 2010
Time: 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Location: Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Main (Oakland). I think it's going to be in the teen meeting room, but just ask someone if you can't find it.

I hope you can make it. I'll bring along some art, scripts, thumbnails...juggling equipment? This is a monthly event, I'm very happy I was invited to participate. Check it out. If you can't make it to this event, flag it on your calendar. They meet every month, cover different topics, have different guests, and basically talk comics in a way that's slightly different than your local comics store (and hey, combo the evening with a quick stop at Phantom of the Attic in Oakland before you swing by the library - that's my plan for tomorrow).

TCAF, I'm on a panel (and a few other GEMS)...

2010-05-06T07:50:00.004-04:00

...come and see me say, "uh, like," and "y'know," over and over, while rubbing the sleep out of my weary eyes. It will be way more fun than browsing a room full of the world's greatest cartoonists with their fancy new books and art.

Here are the details:

HOW YOU DRAW: HOW DOES ART AFFECT STORY?
Saturday, May 8th, 9:30 – 10:15am, Learning Center 1

People make comics to tell stories. But how are those stories affected by the art style they’re told in? What are the ways that art style change the content, audience, and storytelling for a comic? Do artists choose their style, or does their style choose them? Featuring Dave Roman, Salgood Sam, Jim Rugg, James Turner, and Abby Denson. Moderated by Walter Dickinson.

After the panel, you can find me at:

TABLE 146 (next to Adhouse Books)

INK PANTHERS:
I'm on an episode of Mike Dawson's and Alex Robinson's Ink Panthers podcast.

THIS IS JUST AMAZING LOOKING:
Not sure much about this, except I think it's really beautiful. Jean Josef Jesus at Arthur magazine - check it out.

TCAF, I'm coming for you

2010-05-04T07:33:00.002-04:00

Heading to Toronto on Friday for the great TCAF. Hope to see all of you there! I will have copies of my new mini-comic Rambo 3.5, my usual assortment of books (Afrodisiac, Street Angel, One Model Nation, Guild), a few copies of the PLAIN Janes and Janes in Love (and I'm tabling next to Young Adult novelist and Janes co-creator, Cecil Castellucci so you could have her sign them and write something nice), color prints, iron-ons, stickers, and original artwork (ranging from loose sketches and illustrations all the way to finished pages).

On Saturday morning, I'm participating in a panel, hopefully we're not all still asleep:

How You Draw: How Does Art Affect Story?
Saturday, May 8th, 9:30 – 10:15am, Learning Center 1 (1st floor, in the main atrium space)

People make comics to tell stories. But how are those stories affected by the art style they’re told in? What are the ways that art style change the content, audience, and storytelling for a comic? Do artists choose their style, or does their style choose them? Featuring Dave Roman, Salgood Sam, Jim Rugg, James Turner, and Abby Denson. Moderated by Walter Dickinson.

QUICK LINKS:

Multiversity Comics recently interviewed me.

The National Post interviewed a bunch of TCAF participants. This is mine.

Amber Love posted our interview at The Girls Entertainment Network.

EVENTS:

Wednesday, May 5, 2010, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Cartoonist and author Rina Ayuyang will be reading selections from her graphic novel "Whirlwind Wonderland" at the Toonseum.

Monday, May 17, 2010, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
I'll be talking at the Carnegie Library in Oakland for their graphic novel discussion group. Please check it out so I am not talking to myself.

Rina Ayuyang at the Toonseum

2010-04-30T07:42:00.002-04:00

Cartoonist and author Rina Ayuyang will be reading selections from her graphic novel "Whirlwind Wonderland" at Pittsburgh's Toonseum on Wednesday, May 5th at 6:00 p.m.

Rina, a former Pittsburgher, Will be sharing her stories and illustrations of her life in Pittsburgh and more. Using heart, humor and beautifully illustrated comics, "Whirlwind Wonderland" follows the life-altering exploits of a somewhat-normal Filipino American girl as she meanders through sleepy suburban sprawls, empty diners, fantasy-filled commuter traffic jams, misplaced football fanaticism, ethnic identity crash courses, and just good ole family hi-jinx.

Rina Ayuyang first became interested in cartooning while growing up in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she spent her days drawing on various scraps of paper, watching Merrie Melodies cartoons, and reading Peanuts comic strips. After focusing many years on painting and conceptual art in San Francisco, she reunited with her first love--comics--in 2001, and began self-publishing "Namby Pamby", a semi-autobiographical series which focused on the humorous side of the ordinary, everyday moments of one's life. Rina has just released her first graphic novel with Portland publishers Sparkplug Comic Books and Tugboat Press entitled "Whirlwind Wonderland", a collection of new shorts stories and selected favorites from "Namby Pamby".

More of Rina's comics work can be found in various comic anthologies, notably Stripburger, SPX 2005, and Friends of Lulu's Girls Guide to Guys Stuff. Besides drawing comics, she has co-founded an online magazine called Creative Skin (creativeskin.net) which has showcased the work of writers, photographers and cartoonists from around the globe. She currently co-hosts The Comix Claptrap, a comics podcast with fellow Bay Area cartoonist Thien Pham in which they interview influential cartoonists and discuss various issues concerning the comics and small press community.

Rina currently resides in Oakland, California, with her husband, son and cat. You can view more of her work at her website and blog, rinaayuyang.com.

Rina will be signing copies of her book after the presentation.

http://sparkplugcomicbooks.com
http://tugboatpress.com
http://rinaayuyang.com

When:
May 5th, 6:00pm
Free admission, donations welcome
Location:
The ToonSeum
945 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

SPACE, T. Edward Bak, and CMU Comic Book Club

2010-04-27T07:01:00.002-04:00

S.P.A.C.E. was great this year. I have attended this show a half dozen times in the past ten years, and it's always been a favorite. But this year was the best one so far! New location, lots of great looking art, wonderful atmosphere. I had a good time. Thanks to Bob Corby (the show's organizer) and all of the people who participated and attended the event.

T. Edward Bak, one of my favorite cartoonists, is selling original drawings from his graphic novel-in-progress, Wild Man. It is currently being serialized in Fantagraphics anthology, MOME. You can learn more about this worthwhile work and fundraiser at his blog. Please check it out. At the very least, you'll get to see some exciting, new comics, and if they tickle your fancy, it's a chance to buy some beautiful artwork at ridiculously low prices.

TONIGHT - CMU has been doing monthly comics lectures. Bill Boichel (Copacetic Comics mastermind) will be talking tonight about Punk Culture and the Development of the Direct Market. Come out and learn comics stuff, people! Here's the info:

Date: Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Location: CMU, Doherty Hall A310
Street: 5000 Forbes Avenue
City/Town: Pittsburgh, PA

Rambo 3.5

2010-04-23T06:51:00.001-04:00

My fist mini-comic in many years, debuts this weekend at SPACE (April 24, 25) in Columbus, OH:

In 1988, Vietnam veteran and ex-Green Beret, John J. Rambo pushed the Soviets out of Afghanistan (see Rambo III for complete details).

With the Ruskies gone, the Taliban, led by anti-Soviet Mujahideen, siezed power in Kabul. After apparently forgetting how awesome and badass Rambo is, the Taliban gave refuge to Osama bin Laden and his terrorist gang - al Queda.

Carnegie Library in Oakland tonight

2010-04-19T06:48:00.000-04:00

Out of the Gutter: Graphic Novel Discussion Group - Apocalyptic Graphic Novels

Monday, April 19, 2010 | Other Dates
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

This program is meant for adults and teens who want to share their interest in graphic novels, discuss graphic novel related news and trends and discover more titles and authors to enjoy. Each meeting will relate to a theme and we'll discuss a selection of suggested titles. Recommend titles to one another and discuss what you’re reading!

Location:
First Floor - New & Featured (Main Library)
4400 Forbes Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Contact:
Corey or Renée
412-622-3151
newandfeatured@carnegielibrary.org

Commissions

2010-04-15T06:52:00.002-04:00

If anyone attending SPACE or TCAF would like a commission, email me. An 8 x 10, black and white drawing is $100. If you want something else, email me details for pricing.

Afrodisiac t-shirts

2010-04-14T10:42:00.003-04:00

Pittsburgh's Toonseum has done a limited run of Afrodisiac t-shirts! Go here to order your shirt before it's too late!

The Toonseum is opening their Art of Akira exhibit Friday, May 7th. Hopefully lots of people from all around will be able to check this out. It will be spectacular!

Guild stuff

2010-04-13T06:29:00.000-04:00

Dark Horse has posted a couple of new Guild things on their site.

Making of a Comic: The Guild #1 shows our process for creating the Guild comic through script, thumbnails, pencils, inks, coloring, and lettering for the first six pages.

The Guild #2 preview (pretty self-explanatory)

Comedy and Everything Else and OC Weekly

2010-04-10T13:36:00.002-04:00

I created a logo for Comedy and Everything Else. You can also see some of the attempts I made that didn't quite make it.

Here are a couple of recent OC Weekly illustrations as well.

Videos and Podcasts

2010-04-05T10:41:00.003-04:00

Check it out, Blair Butler named the Guild #1 Pick of the Week on Fresh Ink (about the 7:30 mark):

Game Trailers - E3 2010

Here is another interview with the Stumptown Trade Review. This is from Emerald City:

An iFanboy interview, also from Emerald City:

the Guild

2010-03-23T09:50:00.001-04:00

The Guild #1 hits comic shops tomorrow. What? You haven't heard of the phenomenal hit web series the Guild by Felicia Day? Go check out the show right now! Then you'll be even more eager to read the comic tomorrow!

You can see a preview of the book here.

Felicia Day writes it and I draw it.

Pittsburgh City Paper, Toonseum, Podcasts...

2010-03-18T06:58:00.003-04:00

PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER
Afrodisiac graces the cover of our local alt newspaper this week! If you're from Pittsburgh, keep your eyes peeled for a copy. If you aren't local, shame on you, er...I mean, here's a link to the article.

TOONSEUM
Pepsi is funding "Good Ideas" and the Toonseum wants to create a superhero day in Pittsburgh. Go here, learn more about it, and help make it happen!

The Toonseum is also hosting a new exhibit, Cartoons Covered: The Art of the Pittsburgh City Paper, beginning Friday (March 19th).

PODCASTS
I listen to a lot of podcasts these days while I work. Lately a few have shone their spotlights on Afrodisiac. At Emerald City, I realized just how influential this burgeoning new media is as a large number of readers informed me that various podcasts are how they learned about the book. With that in mind, here are links to a few of the podcasts that have taken time to cover Afrodisiac. If you like comics and like listening to people discuss them, check out some of these shows:
11 O'clock Comics
iFanboy
the Pull List
Comic Book Pitt
Inkstuds
Comic Geek Speak

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Afrodisiac pops up a couple of times in this article about the state of comics retailing. We did a signing in February at Neal's store, Chapel Hill Comics.

OBJET D'AFRO
Finally, Objet d'Afro, the Afrodisiac art contest champions onward! There's still time to get an entry into this contest. So get movin', people, before it's too late! Or just click over to the gallery and enjoy the scenery. Here's a cool pinup by Pete Toms. Enjoy!

Emerald City Con recap

2010-03-17T07:54:00.001-04:00

I'm back from Emerald City Con. It was an excellent trip. The show was fantastic. Thanks to Jim and George Demonakos, who organized the show; their staff and show volunteers, who were always nearby to help out; and most importantly everyone who attended the show! The people I had a chance to talk with all seemed to be in good spirits, and that sort of positivity was infectious.

I picked up a few books and comics, including some cheap Kamandi reading copies. Met some cartoonists, caught up with old friends, and enjoyed plenty of good conversation, which I hope to discuss here soon.

In the meantime, two things I'd like to bring to your attention. If you're a podcaster, comics reviewer, etc. and want to check out Afrodisiac, please email me.

Second, if you can't find the book at your local comic book shop, consider instocktrades.com.

Enjoy this piece of killer artwork that I snagged from good buddy and cartoonists extraordinaire, Farel Dalrymple.

Inkstuds interview

2010-03-11T10:08:00.002-05:00

I'm on this week's Inkstuds. You can listen to it here or download it on Itunes. Thanks to Robin for having me on the show. I've been listening to his show for a long time and I'm delighted to make an appearance!

Garrett Martin and Hilary Brown discuss Afrodisiac on their blog, SHAZHMMM...

Finally, an 11 year old boy throws his hat into the Objet d'Afro ring. How embarrassed you all will be if he defeats you!

That's all for now. I leave for Seattle bright and early tomorrow. Hope to see lots of you at Emerald City Con.

Emerald City Con

2010-03-09T07:57:00.000-05:00

Just a reminder that I'll be at Emerald City Con this weekend. First convention with the Afrodisiac books and first visit to Seattle! I look forward to both. If you go to the show, please look me up, and say hello. I'll have books, artwork, prints, t-shirts, stickers, and iron-ons!

Dan Nadel (Picturebox publisher and comics historian) weighs in with some thoughts about Afrodisiac at the awesome Comics Comics.

Comic Book Pitt #44 features some discussion about Afrodisiac!

Over at Comixology, Tucker Stone considers the format of Afrodisiac.

Thought this might interest some Afrodisiac fans. It's a Lucius Hammer post about some of the resurgent blaxploitation trends in pop culture. What I found interesting was the diversity of the creators referenced - Afrodisiac (white), Black Dynamite (African American), Afro Samurai (Japanese).

Objet d'Afro continues. Here's an entry from the talented Ed Piskor. There's still plenty of time to draw your own version of the main man, so get those crayons moving!

March is Afrodisiac month

2010-03-02T06:52:00.001-05:00

iFanboy declares Afrodisiac - Book of the Month (March)! "With Afrodisiac, you’ve got something that only exists in comics, which are always my favorites. By blending the different historical eras of comics, and their specific graphic looks, with blaxploitation films, and superhero tropes, we’re left with something new, an explosion of comic fun and silliness. The whole book is a packaged experience that delighted and surprised me in new ways, and delivered a whole lot of not-sure-if-I-should-be-laughing-at-this laughs. The whole thing works together as one package, and at 96 pages, it’s damn near perfect."

Justin Giampaoli, from 13 Minutes, names Afrodisiac the Graphic Novel of the Month! "We’re treated to ghetto versions of Thor, Captain America, and Spider-Man, but also touch on Kung Fu properties, EC’s horror line, a Mignola-esque two page spread with Dikembe the lion (itself probably a Jack Kirby Black Panther riff), Dell’s funny animals, manga, Kirby’s 1950’s romance work, a Jack Cole style Christmas card you typically would have found in Playboy, and even see Afrodisiac as a Saturday morning cartoon bearing the general aesthetic of Super Friends."

INTERVIEW: Tim O'Shea from Robot 6 and I recently traded emails. You can see the results here.

Last but certainly not least, Objet d'Afro continues onward. You still have a month to get in on the contest so run, don't walk your ass over there and have a look.

How the West Was Weird

2010-03-01T07:25:00.003-05:00

Zombie towns - gunslinging exorcists - Aztec vampires - and lots more stuff your history teacher never told you about... 'cause she was scared!

How the West Was Weird is a new anthology from Pulpwork Press. The book features nine tales of the weird, wild west, by the likes of Barry Reese, Derrick Ferguson, Josh Reynolds, and more. All wrapped up in a cover by me.

Russ Anderson, the editor of this anthology, contacted me about a year and half ago about doing a cover for a western anthology he was putting together. He liked another cover I had done for Out of the Gutter:

He also commissioned an Afrodisiac piece for SPX 08:

That's a digression. Back to the west...after a couple of emails, I drew some cover roughs. And revised those, until we arrived at the final image (at the top of this post).

I had forgotten about this version. It's a lot more comic book and less pulp. I like the green of the alien's hand in this one.

You can order a copy of the book from Amazon or Pulpwork Press.

Greece and someone's dad weighs in on Afrodisiac

2010-02-24T06:42:00.002-05:00

The Hipster Dad digs Afrodisiac: "It's an excellent work that never overstays its welcome or reaches beyond its creators' considerable talents. Highly recommended for older readers."

Αριστείδης Κώτσης at Comicdom says: "Το συνολικό αποτέλεσμα είναι ένα ιδιαίτερα διασκεδαστικό και πολύ όμορφο comic, που προσφέρεται για μια δεύτερη ανάγνωση και αποτελεί μια εξαιρετική απόδειξη των ικανοτήτων ενός εξαιρετικού artist."

Here are a couple more parts of my interview with Brian Heeter at the Daily Cross Hatch.

Last by not least, Objet d'Afro continues:

Phantom of the Attic in Oakland SATURDAY + Reviews

2010-02-16T07:57:00.002-05:00

PHANTOM OF THE ATTIC IN OAKLAND
Brian Maruca and I will be signing books and giving away stuff at Phantom of the Attic in Oakland this Saturday from 12 - 3. The top giveaway is a one-of-a-kind, 2 foot x 3 foot (yeah, huge, what else would you expect) Afrodisiac blacklight poster. There can be nothing cooler in your dorm room than this badboy. Come out and I'll scribble something in your copy of Afrodisiac.

JAMES STURM
James, founder of the Center for Cartoon Studies, what do you make of this Afrodisiac book? "I marveled at every panel: clever writer, amazing art and a thrilling attention to detail."

COPACETIC COMICS
Bill Boichel, the owner of another awesome Pittsburgh comic book store, Copacetic Comics, weighs in with his review of Afrodisiac. Be sure to browse around his store online, he carries a lot of great stuff (not just comics) and he often offers this stuff at discount prices. And unlike Amazon, Bill has Afrodisiac's in stock and ready to send to your needy, little hands. "Yet, all is rendered with a clear sense of humor, and where level, intellectually engaged heads prevail, there are sure to be some interesting and potentially valuable correlations made (cultural anthropologists, please take note). In other words, Afrodisiac is one of the densest texts one is likely to come across; and while many will doubtless find it a source of uncritical enjoyment, those who do so will be doing themselves a disservice and missing the work's essential character."

BEGUILING
Hey, Canadian super-comic-book retailer -- Thank you! You're too kind.

AMBER THE STYLIST

THE ONION
B-. "Like Street Angel, Afrodisiac is a straight-faced joke: Each issue starts with a blurb explaining the hep hero’s origin story, though it’s a different broadly iconic origin every time, and each takes on a different look and style, from manga to ’80s cartoon to Archie Comics to romance comics to noir."

OBJET D'AFRO

Communication Arts Illustration Annual 51

2010-02-15T09:30:00.002-05:00

The cover illustration I did for OC Weekly featuring skinheads and swastikas and hatefulness will appear in Illustration Annual 51, the May/June 2010 issue of Communication Arts.

Afrodisiac Call for Entries

2010-02-12T07:39:00.003-05:00

Sharpen those crayonz, boys and girls, and spread the word. Adhouse Books presents:

Objet d'Afro

You are invited to the online Player's Ball of art shows, "Objet d'Afro" on Flickr. Objet d'Afro highlights the obvious awesomeness of everyone's favorite superhero, the Afrodisiac.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/afro/

Here's what we want - post a picture on our Flickr group of an Afrodisiac art thing...you pick the medium...you pick the everything. All mediums of art; whether it be painting, graphic art, sculpting, drawing, sketching, fake ads, short strips, or gluing an afro on a Ken doll. All categories are welcome, as are entrants from all countries....whatever...go nuts. If you don't have a Flickr account, send us the picture...or the art thing...and we'll post it for you.

We'll have some awesome prizes for the king of the long shoe (art) game.

King Daddy: a piece of original art featuring Afrodisiac vs Dragonfly (see above)
Poppa-stoppa: a deluxe edition of the Afrodisiac and a signed copy of the Street Angel trade paperback
Cigarette Pimp: a signed copy of Afrodisiac

Honorable mention(s) will recieve a signed Afrodisiac print.

The contest will run from now (get going) through the end of March. Winners will be named by April 15, 2010.

[bottom line: this is an art contest based on the Afrodisiac character created by Jim Rugg and Brian Maruca and published by AdHouse Books. Creative content will be displayed on Flickr - Objet d'Afro - An Afrodisiac Art Appreciation Group. Jim, Brian, and Chris (AdHouse) will moderate the forum and determine a winner. Anyone who bitches and complains can stop being a jerk right now...we're trying to have a neat little thing, don't ruin it for everyone else.]

pood?! what is pood?

2010-02-11T09:34:00.000-05:00

Pood

The Daily Cross Hatch interview begins + Oakland Phantom update

2010-02-11T09:02:00.002-05:00

Brian Heater and I discuss all things Afrodisiac over at the Daily Cross Hatch. Not sure how many parts this will run, but here is the beginning.

UPDATE! PHANTOM OF THE ATTIC IN OAKLAND! UPDATE!
Brian Maruca and I have rescheduled our signing at Phantom of the Attic in Oakland due to weather concerns. We will now be signing on February 20th, from 12 - 3 pm. Come out and see us. Come out and win a giant, one-of-a-kind, Afrodisiac black light poster!

REVIEW
Ray Tate reviews Afrodisiac at Comics Bulletin: "Afrodisiac looks the very model of a 70s poster icon. The carnal champion oozes testosterone and blackness."

Adhouse tour report and an Afroreview

2010-02-10T07:36:00.002-05:00

Adhouse head honcho, Chris Pitzer, gives a bit of a tour recap on the House of Ad blog.

Over at Popshifter, Danny R. Phillips offers everyone a little advice: "put all the stupid ass PC crap aside, and read Afrodisiac. It is well written, expertly drawn, and fun as hell. And let’s be honest, everybody could use a laugh right now."

Southern tour recap

2010-02-09T10:17:00.008-05:00

BlurryFro

Originally uploaded by AdHouse Books

Success! Complete Success!

Back from the southern tour to find 18 inches of snow and 6-10 in the forecast for tonight. Hmmm...any other sourthern stores interested in some Afrodisiac love?

I had a great trip and want to thank everyone who braved the elements to come out and see us at Velocity Comics, Chapel Hill Comics, and Heroes Aren't Hard to Find. This was the first time I've done anything with a comics store outside of my hometown, and was overwhelmed with everyone's kindness and support from the store employees to readers both new and old.

Velocity Comics hosted an Afrodisiac art contest on Friday night. The entries blew me away. Here is a post about illustrator Richie Pope's piece. And here is the Julia Scott's winning entry. Keep your eyes peeled for an announcement later this week about an online Afrodisiac art show!

I managed to pick up a few cool comics along the way, including a couple of issues from Kirby's excellent 2001 series (thanks to Heroes).

Got to hang out at Dustin Harbin's a bit. Seeing his comics in various stages of completion was absolutely jaw-dropping - both inspiring and intimidating.

Finally, the good folks at 11 O'Clock Comics podcast discuss Afrodisiac in episode 94 (afrotalk begins around the 1:30:15 mark).

Afrodisiac reviews + southern tour reminder

2010-02-02T13:51:00.001-05:00

First, a reminder for readers in Richmond, Chapel Hill, and Charlotte - come out and see us this weekend! I'm super excited to visit Velocity Comics (Friday evening 6 - ?), Chapel Hill Comics (Saturday evening 6 - 9), and Heroes Aren't Hard to Find (Sunday 2 - 5), and I hope you can make it to one of these stores. We had a small book release party this past weekend at Pittsburgh's Toonseum, and I think everyone there enjoyed themselves. Here's a report from that event. Early weather reports are...interesting. So keep your eyes peeled as we may move the events up a bit Friday and/or Saturday to try to accommodate a raging Mother Nature.

Enough of that. Onto some more Afrodisiac reviews!!!

Chris Sims from Chris's Invincible Super-Blog gives us a nice review. You'll have to scroll down the page past Batman and Robin, Captain America, and the Punisher to get to this tidbit: "If you’ve read Jim Rugg mand Brian Maruca’s Street Angel, then you’re already at least a little familiar with Afrodisiac, and you probably understand why this is so awesome. With Afrodisiac, Rugg and Maruca are doing a tribute to Blaxploitation movies (and their accompanying Bronze Age comics) that takes the offbeat formula of Street Angel and does it a hundred times more over the top. And it is beautiful." From reading the comments section, it seems like Chris tends to review a lot of Marvel and DC fare. I love a lot of different kinds of comics, so I like the idea of a Marvel or DC fan checking out our book!

Speaking of which, skip over to The Manga Curmudgeon to see how we stack up with reviewers who tend to focus their attention on manga! "Rugg and Maruca are smart enough to keep their creation in sketch contents, assembling an amusing “best of” volume of adventures that satirize both blaxploitation and, to a lesser extent, the ups and downs of a super-hero franchise."

Veteran online comics reviewer, Johnny Bacardi, weighs in at Confessions of a Comics Shop Junkie No. 2 (we're right below the Blackest Night: Starman #81 review): "...well, it’s not exactly a homage, or a tribute, or even a satire of 1970’s vintage Blaxploitation movies and comics…it kinda defies categorization, actually. And if this semi-surreal account of a smooth-lovin’, jive-talkin’, smackdown-bringin bad mother shut-your-mouth who faces weird menaces and always comes out on top (and is absolutely irresistible to the foxy mamas, too) comes across as a blend of Shaft, Superfly, Luke Cage, Herbie Popnecker, and the Flaming Carrot, well, let’s just say that there’s very little that’s new under the sun and enjoy this..."

Matt Seneca offers up one of the most in-depth reviews of our work that I've ever read on his blog, Death to the Universe (scroll past the Batman and Robin review to get to Afrodisiac). "Afrodisiac, too, is a comic about comics, striving not to create a self-contained little world for the reader to be sucked into, but rather to send you scrambling for your Master Of Kung-Fu back issues. This book's aim is to take all the little bits that were cool, sexy, weird about the Bronze Age's exploitation-style comics, and make a comic that contains nothing but them -- a comic where the main character and plotline is that very weirdness. A celebration. It's a raging success."

33 and some other junk

2010-02-01T06:27:00.000-05:00

My eight year old niece frequently draws me pictures. Sometimes they feature my cats, occasionally they feature chickens (which I now claim are Afroduck), and lately they've been about dinosaurs. I like how she signed this one in a word balloon. I also like that she draws the dinosaurs in profile and includes a volcano/mountain in the background. It's exactly the sort of thing I used to do!

Couple of links:

I participated in Comic Book Resources latest What Are You Reading column? A bit long-winded on my part, but I didn't have time to edit it as thoroughly as I should have. If you're curious what I've been reading lately, this will give you some insight.

Elsewhere on Comic Book Resources, Brian Cronin reviews Afrodisiac, "Rugg and Maruca do a marvelous job of coming up with interesting stories set in each different time period, which is especially noteworthy considering the fact that "a superhero pimp" does not necessarily adapt itself well to all genres."

Afrodisiac updates

2010-01-29T06:44:00.001-05:00

I've gotten a few reports of Afrodisiac selling out at stores across the country!

Meltdown Comics
Heroes Aren't Hard to Find (apparently some heroes are)
Alternate Reality Comics who give the book a nice review including this tidbit about his ordering process: "The reason I ordered so conservatively on Afrodisiac was because I initially thought that this would just be a one note graphic novel (and it kind of is, but Jim Rugg plays this one note really well) and I didn't think its audience needed to have this in the hardcover format this book is in. Well color me dumb, because Afrodisiac fires on all cylinders, is in full color, and has great production values throughout so the $14.95 price for this hardcover is a great deal and I don't think people will flinch at the price when they flip through this book."

Fear not, true believers, your store can re-order copies through Diamond and have them for you in a week or two. So if you haven't gotten your copy yet, tell your local comic book guy.

To everyone who has picked up the book so far, thank you!

Ninja, the Comics Reporter's Opinion of Afrodisiac, and the iPad

2010-01-28T07:48:00.003-05:00

Tom Spurgeon reviews Afrodisiac at the Comics Reporter: "Afrodisiac is an extremely handsome book that fosters 10,000 giggles."

David Brother suggests an alternative to the iPad that Afrodisiac fans will surely agree with.

And here are two illustrations I did for an article about ninjas for McSweeney's. At the twelfth hour the story was cut, and sadly, so were my drawings. That's okay though, cause I wouldn't have drawn them otherwise.

See how many ninjas you can find in the image below. And go buy Afrodisiac, in better comic book stores everywhere.

LA Times likes my Vonnegut drawing

2010-01-27T16:05:00.001-05:00

The LA Times blog wrote about Steven Gettis' cool online collection of authors and literary characters as rendered by cartoonists and illustrators. And they used one of my drawings (the late Kurt Vonnegut) in their piece. Go check out Hey Oscar Wilde! It's Clobberin' Time!!! You won't be disappointed.

Afrodisiac in Stores 1/27/10

2010-01-27T07:32:00.001-05:00

The day you've been waiting for is finally here! The baddest brother to ever rule the comics scene arrives in stores TODAY!

Publishers Weekly has a preview here.

But the big news - the Afrodisiac "Deluxe" Limited Edition is now available for order from Adhouse Books! Don't miss this exciting opportunity to be the envy of your block!

Afrodisiac in Stores TOMORROW (and a couple of reviews)

2010-01-26T09:52:00.000-05:00

Afrodisiac hits stores tomorrow! If you check it out, let me know what you think of it!

In the meanwhile, here are a couple of new reviews of One Model Nation and Afrodisiac.

Sean T. Collins eloquently describes One Model Nation as "...a weird, weird beast."

And David Howlett gives Afrodisiac some love at Living Between Wednesdays. "Thankfully, cartoonist Jim Rugg and co-writer Brian Maruca have decided to embrace the tropes of the genre in their new AdHouse Books graphic novel Afrodisiac, and the result is a delicious throwback with a striking visual style and plenty of laughs."

Phantom of the Attic in Oakland

2010-01-25T06:45:00.002-05:00

Breaking news! Brian Maruca and I will be stopping by Phantom of the Attic in Oakland on February 13th (noon - 3) to celebrate the release of Afrodisiac. We'll be signing copies of the book, I'll be doing sketches, and we're giving away a super-badass, giant-sized black light poster.

It'll be the greatest Valentine's Day weekend ever!

Comic Geek Speak

2010-01-18T10:18:00.001-05:00

Did some yapping on a recent episode of Comic Geek Speak. Go check it out!

All Too Flat Reviews Afrodisiac

2010-01-13T14:24:00.000-05:00

"It could have simply coasted on the asskicking concept of a superhero pimp called the Afrodisiac, but every choice Rugg, Maruca, and Pitzer make here makes it harder to put your finger on what's going on."
- Sean T. Collins

Newsarama Reviews the Afrodisiac

2010-01-11T06:52:00.001-05:00

"Blaxploitation parody may be Afrodisiac’s context, but each story—hell, each page—is a game of constant recontextualization, with Afrodisiac loving, living and fighting his way through most of comic book history."
- J. Caleb Mozzocco, Newsarama.com

DELUXE LIMITED EDITION AFRODISIAC DUST JACKET

2010-01-08T10:34:00.004-05:00

This is the artwork for the Afrodisiac dust jacket that Adhouse Books is selling as part of their Afrodisiac Limited Edition. It also comes with a signed and numbered print that you can see in the previous post!

REVIEW
Over at the Comics Waiting Room, Marc Mason gives the Afrodisiac and fellow Adhousemate, Josh Cotter's Driven by Lemons, a look: "It’s a rare, but lovely feeling to have a book in front of you that you’re expecting great things from and not only have it live up to the anticipatory feelings you had, but actually surpass them. AFRODISIAC is one of those books."

REVIEWS + LIMITED EDITION PRINT

2010-01-06T08:12:00.006-05:00

Finished the Afrodisiac print that will be part of the Afrodisiac Deluxe Limited Edition from Adhouse Books (I think Adhouse refers to it as "Afrodisiac Limited Edition", but come on...it's Afrodisiac, doesn't "Deluxe" seem appropriate?). Now I am working on the dust jacket that is part of that edition.

David Brothers of 4thletter! wrote a thorough and highly complimentary Afrodisiac review: "It’s kind of a love letter to blaxploitation, but filtered through the style, feel, and design of ’70s Marvel comics. It’s also really, really good. If it had come out in 2009, Parker: The Hunter, Asterios Polyp, and Pluto would’ve suddenly been part of a Top 4, instead of a Top 3."

Afrodisiac also appears in the January edition of Maxim (is it me, or is Michelle Rodriguez eyeball f***ing Mack Midnight in this spread?):

Brian Cronin reviews Street Angel as part of CBR's Year of Cool Comics: "It is a great series."

Here are a few One Model Nation reviews:

"The art by Rugg and colorist, Jon Fell, is spot-on given the story arc: severe paneling and juxtapositions of bright color with monotones."
- Jason Rosas, buzzfocus.com

"At $18, One Model Nation is a good ol’ fashioned pseudo-biographical rock and roll yarn—no facts necessary."
- Jack Winn, Racket Magazine

"Jim Rugg’s illustrations are edgy, not at all like many of the Superman or Batman (or even Watchman or The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) comics I’ve read. This is a sparser picture with less color, preferring black and white with lots of muddy reds. The dialogue is equally sparse, letting the mood of the illustrations carry the work. It is very effective."
- Janie Franz

"Dandy Warhols frontman Courtney Taylor joins the very small group of musicians who have created their own comics—and the even smaller group who have managed to produce rather good ones."
- J. Caleb Mozzocco, Las Vegas Weekly

As always, if you're a book or comics reviewer and you'd like a review copy, please email me.

AFRODISIAC HITS THE STREETS

2010-01-05T10:07:00.008-05:00

Feb. 5, 6 - 9 p.m.
VELOCITY COMICS
Richmond, VA
www.velocitycomics.com

Feb. 6, 6 - 9 p.m.
CHAPEL HILL COMICS
Chapel Hill, NC
www.chapelhillcomics.com

Feb. 7, 6 - 9 p.m.
HEROES AREN'T HARD TO FIND
Charlotte, NC
www.heroesonline.com

If you live near these stores, I hope you can make it! If anyone has suggestions for what you'd like to see (in terms of artwork, Street Angel short film, books, music, beer?, etc.) let me know. I've never done something like this, and I want you to enjoy it! So speak up and be heard. I am going to wish for nice weather. Last time I was in Richmond, it snowed a lot.

AFRODISIAC - BEST COMICS 2009 NEW YORK MAGAZINE

2009-12-22T06:53:00.004-05:00

Afrodisiac made New York magazine's list of the ten Best Comics of 2009! The strength and diversity of the other titles leads us to wonder if there's an Afrodisiac agent on the inside who switched out the real winner and added Mack Midnight!

Seriously though, we are very excited. Thank you, New York magazine!

I did a few illustrations for the McSweeney's 33 the San Francisco Panorama. One of them was for a roundtable discussion about the state of and future of film distribution.

ONE MODEL NATION and AFRODISIAC LOVE

2009-12-18T06:54:00.002-05:00

ONEMODELNATION-1970S ADVERT

onemodelnation | MySpace Music Videos

"Dandy Warhols frontman Courtney Taylor joins the very small group of musicians who have created their own comics—and the even smaller group who have managed to produce rather good ones."
- Las Vegas Weekly

"Afrodisiac just gets badder and badder with each adventure! He not only defies gods, but the Devil and God himself…and wins."
- Jay Potts, World of Hurt

HAPPY HOLIDAYS and MY BIG YAP

2009-12-16T13:34:00.008-05:00

The interview I did with the Stumptown Trade Review has been posted for your listening enjoyment. Had a great time hanging out with hosts, Brian and Thor, and just talking comics. Thanks to both of them for having me on their podcast and for breakfast! Yet another reason why Portland is awesome!

ZATANNA and CHRISTMAS SUGGESTION

2009-12-14T06:47:00.002-05:00

Still searching for the perfect, last-minute Christmas gift for that special comic book fan in your life? Well, look no further! Frank Santoro has the answer - the $20 Grab Bag o' Comics! For a mere 20 bucks (that includes shipping and handling), Frank will pack up 6 amazing comics and send them your way via Priority Mail (i.e. in time for Christmas).

Frank scours comic book stores for interesting back issue gems and then brings them to small press, indie, and art comics shows as sort of a traveling history for readers and creators who may not be familiar with some of the more interesting comics of the last 30-40 years. I never fail to find great books when I see him at these places (or at his home or when we visit a shop together).

If you want to surprise that certain someone in your life that likes comics, this is a great last minute gift. The selection is sure to be diverse, unique, and a steal at 20 bucks!

AFRODISIAC REVIEW

2009-12-11T10:11:00.005-05:00

Chad Derdowski, from mania.com, gives the Afrodisiac an A+ in a very kind review:

"It is childhood recreated, with adult sensibilities...It also reminds me of reading old comic books after dropping acid and spending the evening listening to a bunch of Curtis Mayfield and Parliament albums."
- Chad Derdowski, mania.com

As always, if you're interested in reviewing the Afrodisiac, drop me a line, and we'll hook you up with a copy! Or if you've reviewed Afrodisiac, send me a link and I'll post it here (even if it's not as complimentary as Chad's review).

DUKE ARMSTRONG and PORTLAND RECAP

2009-12-09T12:31:00.003-05:00

Portland was AWESOME! I want to thank everyone who came out Saturday night and braved the unusually cold temperatures to hang out at Floating World Comics. Met a lot of people and had a wonderful time. Special thanks to Courtney, Joe Keatinge, Jamie Rich, and Jasion Leivian. Although I could list like a million others. I always hear about what a great town Portland is for cartoonists and comic books, and now I know their secret - it's actually WAY better than they say it is.

Alright enough of that schmoozing already. Back to comics - my trusted co-writer, Brian Maruca, and I have a strip in the latest issue of Dark Horse Presents. Editor Scott Allie describes it as "the tale of a very, very weird hero." I'd like to think of it as a hero we all need right now, as one golf great falls from glory, it's good to know Duke Armstrong's out there fighting the good fight. Better yet, why don't you decide for yourself, after all, it's FREE to read!

AFRODISIAC REVIEWS + STUMPTOWN TRADE REVIEW QUESTIONS

2009-12-03T07:25:00.008-05:00

First up, I'm going to be interviewed on the Stumptown Trade Review podcast this weekend. They are looking for questions for me. If there's something you've always wanted to ask me, this could be your big chance!

Now onto some very kind Afrodisiac reviews:

"...thoroughly entertaining and utterly nutso..."

- Publishers Weekly

"...highly recommended..."

- Brightest Young Things

"Jim Rugg and Brian Maruca have captured the true essence of what was going down in the streets of Black America during the 1970’s."

- Museum of Uncut Funk

SATURDAY NIGHT - PORTLAND BOOK RELEASE PARTY

2009-11-30T06:37:00.000-05:00

OC WEEKLY

2009-11-27T08:13:00.003-05:00

Did some illustrations for this week's OC Weekly, including the cover! Four skinheads went into a immigrant Latino neighborhood one night and attacked a Mexican man. The next thing they knew, they were getting an ass-whuppin' from the residents of Oak View. You can read the article online.

Here are pencils and roughs.

This is the second true crime story I've worked on for OC Weekly. Despite the unattractive nature of the crimes, both jobs have been a pleasure to work on. Their staff has been exceptional to deal with.

AFRODISIAC AND THE SOCIETY OF ILLUSTRATORS

2009-11-24T09:17:00.001-05:00

I'm thrilled to announce that the Society of Illustrators Annual Exhibition will include an Afrodisiac piece (for the third consecutive year)!!! As a result of their endorsement, I've decided to create a color print based on this piece for Adhouse's Afrodisiac Limited Edition. Speaking of the awesome Adhouse Books, they are having a Holiday sale on a lot of their great books, including Superior Showcase #3 (featuring a 10 page Street Angel story) for only a buck! Some other noteworthy books include James Jean's latest Process Recess, Jamie Tanner's Aviary for only 5 bucks (love this book), Johnny Hiro, Josh Cotter's Driven by Lemons.

Here are a couple of color versions of the Afrodisiac Vietnam: 20,000 BC cover. These aren't the final print, but I'm getting closer.

JOSH COTTER - DRIVEN BY LEMONS

2009-11-23T07:20:00.000-05:00

You probably know Josh Cotter from Skyscrapers of the Midwest. Well, he's back with an amazing followup. Check out this nifty trailer for Josh Cotter's fantastic new book, Driven by Lemons.

If you enjoy these book trailers, here is an article from the Huffington Post that might be of interest. It's about the rise of book trailers (and it mentions our Afrodisiac trailer).

SLG SUPER SALE - 40% OFF EVERYTHING

2009-11-20T07:23:00.001-05:00

Hey, dear readers and friends, SLG is having a huge sale through Monday - 40% OFF of everything! Apparently this is due to some financial bumps-in-the-road, so I ask that you consider browsing their wide selection of books, comics, toys, t-shirts, posters, prints, and see if something grabs your eye. Lots of great cartoonists are represented and you could probably finish all your Christmas shopping before the Black Friday madness arrives next week and engulfs us all.

If you've been on the fence about Street Angel, this is your golden opportunity. The new print looks great - better paper, crisp printing, and now - 40% OFF. Too good to be true. Who wouldn't love to wake up Christmas morning and unwrap a shiny, new trade paperback of Street Angel? I dare say, that old coot, Ebenezer Scrooge himself would buckle under the humor and good cheer of the Princess of Poverty.

Some other recommendations from me:

Evan Dorkin is one of my favorite cartoonists. Personal recommendations are Dork #7 (a sorta funny, very revealing look at the creative trials and tribulations of one of America's great cartoonists) and Dork #11 (a nonstop onslaught of gags, that makes me think Evan likes to punish himself, truly a spectacular comic book achievement, and my highest recommendation to fans of funny).

James Turner has done a number of interesting comics with SLG, like the graphic novel Nil (emphasis on both graphic and novel) and the awesome librarian series - Rex Libris. And check this out, you can snag issue one of Rex Libris for FREE! This is like better than internet porn, people.

Derf is an alt weekly cartoonist, widely known for his strip Derf City. He's a multi-talented gent who has also produced his share of long form comics. I highly recommend Dahmer, if you have any interest in serial killers at all. Derf went to high school with Dahmer, and years after Dahmer died in prison, he made this comic book. My arm chair hobby is to criticize Hollywood depictions (glorification) of serial killers. With this in mind, Dahmer delivers the goods. Very unsettling, but not in the ways you might expect.

Jhonen Vasquez's Johnny the Homicidal Maniac is a perennial favorite.

Ariel Schrag's Likewise - autobiographical comics from a very young cartoonist (at the time).

SLG published a line of Disney comics at one point, including such gems as Tron, Haunted Mansion, Gargoyles, and the stunningly beautiful Wonderland.

I know I'm forgetting tons of great material, so go browse for yourself. SLG also carries a ton of non-SLG books and merchandise. If you're thinking of buying some comics online in the near future, or your sitting in your cube on a Friday afternoon waiting desperately for Happy Hour, do yourself a favor and check out this sale.

PORTLAND SIGNING, OMN, FELICIA DAY

2009-11-19T08:34:00.006-05:00

Big news (for me anyway)! I'm visiting Portland to celebrate the release of One Model Nation. I will be at Floating World Comics on Saturday, December 5th, from 6-9 pm along with just about everyone involved in One Model Nation including C. Albritton Taylor, Donovan Leitch Jr., Jon Fell, Mike Allred, and Joe Keatinge. Keep an eye here for details of an after party as well (maybe). If you're in the Portland area, please consider stopping by. I know there are a million awesome cartoonists in that city that I'd love to meet (or if I already know ya, that I'd love to catch up with).

In Guild news, my partner in crime, Felicia Day, was recently interviewed by Aintitcool's Mr. Pasty. She talks a bit about the Guild comic book that we're working on, as well as the show itself.

BLAXTUBE, COMIC BOOK RESOURCES, and FRENCH STREET ANGEL

2009-11-02T06:28:00.005-05:00

I did a couple of interviews about the Afrodisiac recently. One is at Comic Book Resources. The other is at Blaxtube. The site features a ton of blaxploitation related video content, like movie clips and trailers.

In Street Angel news, we have a review from France! And a video review, also from France. I do not speak French, so I can't be certain that these interviews are nice, but our French publisher, Le Lezard Noir posted them on their blog which leads me to believe they can't be too tough.

Just a reminder, Street Angel is back in print. So if you've heard of the book but your local comic book store was sold out...today's your lucky day! Tell 'em to get you a copy and one for their shelves while they're at it. Or order your own copy today! Thanks.

P.S. If you or someone you know wants to review the Afrodisiac, email me.

NEWSARAMA GUM FLAPPING and WORLD OF HURT!

2009-10-27T07:15:00.001-04:00

Couple of items to bring to your attention.

First, Newsarama posted an interview between Zack Smith and me. It's an overview of my current comics-related stuff - a little Afrodisiac, some One Model Nation, the Guild, etc.

Second, I want to direct your attention to Jay Pott's webcomic, World of Hurt. I met Jay at Heroes Con in 07. His work is impressive. His admiration of classic, comics storytelling is obvious, as is his considerable drawing ability. His work reminds me a little of the realistic adventure strips of newspapers crossed with the 1970s Marvel house style. If you enjoy the Afrodisiac, I strongly recommend you check it out!

AFRODISIAC HALLOWEEN MASK

2009-10-19T07:46:00.000-04:00

1. Click on Afrodisiac mask thumbnail below for printable image.
2. Print on 8.5" x 11" cardstock.
3. Cut out mask and laminate or use clear contact paper for durability.
4. Cut out area for eyes.
5. Attach string or elastic to sides of mask OR glue mask to a pair of children's sunglasses - lenses removed (discard). (Hot glue works best.) You could also apply velcro to the glasses & mask - you will need fewer sunglasses this way and the children can interchange masks easily.
6. Go to a local costume shop and purchase an afro wig or buy one online.
7. Look out! You're about to have the best Halloween of your life*

*This costume is not recommended for married men due to the unusually-high levels of attention it will command from women.

NEXT ISSUE!: THE SWIPE FILE

2009-10-16T07:53:00.005-04:00

Kevin Mutch wrote an interesting post about stealing, er, uh, I mean appropriation in comics. He examines some of the effects that appropriation of style can have, for example, "appropriating "readymade" cultural artifacts (objects, images, texts, entire styles) and redeploying them in a different context so as to problematize their presumed meanings." He cites a few specific examples, such as the brilliant Robert Sikoryak's brilliant Masterpiece Comics, Matt Madden's 99 Ways to Tell a Story (a personal favorite of mine), and drumroll...our very own Afrodisiac. Thanks, Kevin, for the generous description of our work! Everyone else, go check it out!

AFRODISIAC VIDEO PREVIEW

2009-10-14T12:06:00.010-04:00

Afrodisiac is in Previews right now, and orders are due soon. If you pre-order comics from your local comic book store, and you plan to pick up Afrodisiac, let your store know! Here's some order information (and a video preview):

96 4C pages
6 " x 9 " HC
$14.95 US funds
ISBN 978-1-935233-06-0
Shipping December 2009
Diamond Order Code: OCT09 0658

M.O.D.O.K. vs. LUCHA LIBRE

2009-10-13T06:45:00.005-04:00

Check out this recent commission I drew.

ONE MODEL NATION at COMIC BOOK RESOURCES

2009-10-09T09:41:00.002-04:00

There's an article about One Model Nation on Comic Book Resources.

STRANGE TALES #2 - BROTHER VOODOO

2009-10-09T07:00:00.001-04:00

Brian Maruca and I have a 4 page Brother Voodoo story in Marvel's Strange Tales 2. It's available now! Hurry! Go get one before it's too late.

Issue 1 sold out, you know?

Contributors include Peter Bagge, Jacob Chabot, R. Kikuo Johnson, Jonathan Hickman, Max Cannon, Matt Kindt, Michael Kupperman, and Tony Millionaire. Quite a crew. Don't miss out. This is THE comic book you want rolled up in your back pocket to impress the gals or guys.

THE GUILD

2009-10-06T12:03:00.002-04:00

Dark Horse Comics has released a couple of pages of the Guild comic that I am drawing and Felicia Day is writing.

HELLO

2009-10-06T12:00:00.001-04:00

Before starting this blog, I used livejournal. If you're new to my work, you may enjoy checking that out. It features a mix of art, sketches, and related links, pretty much the same thing I intend to do here.

Thank for reading. Please check back now and then.