Bramble Vine Comics

This past Friday I picked up a copy of Apple's new OS, Leopard. Unfortunately I ran into a whole bunch of technical issues during the upgrade that may have something to do with my slightly older hardware. Luckily the Apple using community are a smart bunch and after several trips to the Apple support forums and one visit to my local Apple Genius bar I am up and running just fine. Well, almost.

Leopard has broken the version of PhotoShop I use! I can't really fault Apple for that since it isn't their software and admittedly my version is over 5 years old, but still ... crap. Since all my comic work goes through PhotoShop to get it scanned in, add the text and to get it ready for print and online posting I'm sort of dead in the water here. Getting a new version is hardly an option since it costs over $600.00. How can an entire operating system that runs everything in the computer cost just over $100, but this one program costs six times that? I don't get it.

Anyway, I'm looking at my options now on how to proceed. I'll need to figure something out if I want to continue my cartooning endeavor here. And I do!

Labels: book, cartoon, cartoonist, comic, sketch, sketchbook

I am hard at work developing my next cartooning project, the Wushu Brothers. I should be able to upload the first few pages of the first issue sometime this week. I'm excited about this one and I have big plans for it. I want to get out three comic books using these characters and then collect them into a graphic novel. If I can finish the books by August I'll have them in time for SPX 2008. Can I do it? Stay tuned!

Labels: book, cartoon, cartoonist, comic, sketch, sketchbook

Here's the latest page out of my little doodle book. I did most of this on the plane on my way back from Maryland. Not too much coherent stuff here, just random thoughts I guess.

Labels: book, cartoon, cartoonist, comic, sketch, sketchbook

One last post on this year's Small Press Expo. There were a lot of people I met while attending this most excellent convention and I just want to take some time here to thank some folks who helped make the whole experience so memorable for me.

First and foremost, thanks to everyone who came by my table and picked up some books. It's always a great feeling to watch someone flip through my stuff and laugh. Thanks for taking a chance on a rookie like me.

Thanks to Karen Flage who ran the whole SPX show this year. I think she did a fantastic job. By all accounts, my own included, this year's Small Press Expo was a huge success. I hope Karen keeps things rolling next year too.

Thanks to Michael LaRiccia, who was at the table next to me. His work is amazing and he gave me all kinds of great advice about selling books. Although, the best advice he gave me was about using the downstairs bathroom at the con. It was luxurious.

Thanks to Jason Rodriguez, who was at the table on the other side of me selling his wonderful anthology, Postcards. He was very nice and friendly to me and I have to say I feel very lucky to have had such great booth-mates for this show. I've heard horror stories from people about the exhibitors some people get stuck next to and I am thankful I had such a great experience in that regard.

A big thank you to Dave Kellett for not thinking I was a pushy fanboy, or at least not letting on that he thought I was a pushy fanboy. I went over to his table at one point because I am a huge fan of his comic Sheldon. I handed him copies of my books and he accepted them graciously. He even gave me an original sketch, a photo of which you can see on his site here. I tried not to seem too overly excited, but it was a real thrill for me to shake his hand to be sure.

Also thanks to Kristofer Straub, who does the funny sci-fi comic Starslip Crisis. He was there as part of Blank Label Comics and had a table next to Dave. He chatted with me while I stood there hovering over Dave while Dave drew the sketch for me. Kris was a really nice guy and took the photo of me and Dave.

And finally thanks to everyone I know from my Digital Strips days who stopped by my table to check out the new Digital Strips: Year 1 comic book. Steve Napierski from The Outer Circle, T. Campbell, McKenzee from Sinister Bedfellows, Clay and Hampton Yount from Rob and Elliot, and the handful of podcast listeners who recognized the DS cover on my table. There was also the guy who heard me talking from a few tables over and recognized my voice. That was kind of weird, but thanks to you too.

Alright then, that's that. On to new projects and planning for future shows!

Labels: book, cartoon, cartoonist, comic, sketch, sketchbook

The Small Press Expo 2007 in Bethesda MD has now come to a close and what a convention it was. Yesterday was a vastly different day at the show compared to Friday. It seems that people came to browse on Friday, but everyone brought their wallets on Saturday! I'm heading home with considerably less books than I brought with me. It was a very good day.

If you click on the photo in this post you'll see all my pics from SPX. While at the show, to my left was the amazing cartoonist Michael LaRiccia who does the book Black Mane. He was very encouraging and gave me a lot of great tips on selling my stuff. To my right was Jason Rodriguez who was there selling his awesome anthology Postcards. Check these guys out because I really thought their stuff was incredible and I was honored to be rubbing shoulders with them.

Maybe it was the crowds or maybe it was a better table layout and sales pitch, but I was doing brisk business up to and even beyond the close of the day. I made my last sale five minutes after the show had "officially" closed. I then got some great after market trades with some of the other creators as we were all packing up. It was just an amazing experience and very informative. I'm leaving the show inspired to produce even more work.

Labels: book, cartoon, cartoonist, comic, sketch, sketchbook

Day one of the Small Press Expo is now complete. I think things went pretty well for my first time. I got to meet some awesome cartoonists and got some good feedback on my books. I sold a few books and a bunch of pins, so things are looking good. It's a great feeling to have people flipping through my work and hearing them laugh out loud at my cartoons. It's been an amazing experience so far. Tomorrow is the big day with a full 9 hours of show floor time.

After working the SPX show floor for a few hours I got some better ideas on laying out my books and promo material on the table. I notice that people are more likely to flip through the books if they are laid out on the table near the front instead of having them just on the racks in the back. Tomorrow I'll redesign the layout and see if that helps to get more people taking a look. I had a lot of people glancing at the covers, but not as many picked them up to have a look. But, almost everyone that did flip through bought something. I need to up the flipping ratio tomorrow.

Labels: book, cartoon, cartoonist, comic, sketch, sketchbook

I'm here right now setting up my tbale at the Small Press Expo. Things are going well so far. The doors will open to the public soon and the funn will begin.

Labels: book, cartoon, cartoonist, comic, sketch, sketchbook

This weekend I will be in Bethesda, Maryland for the Small Press Expo (SPX). I will have copies of my books Bramble Vine Comics, Normal, Flights of Fancy Funnies and Digital Strips Year One available for sale along with some cool pins, promotional postcards and fliers to hand out. I am really looking forward to this and can't wait to talk to people face to face about comics and cartooning.

I'll try and do some live blogging from the show floor. Eventually I will also have tons of photos and video footage from SPX here on the site. The show goes on all day Friday the 12th and Saturday the 13th at the Marriott Bethesda North Hotel & Conference Center. So, please come by my table and say hello!

Labels: book, cartoon, cartoonist, comic, sketch, sketchbook

There's an interesting preview of the Small Press Expo up on the The Comics Journal. SPX is this weekend and the Journal site has a run down of many of the exhibitors debuting titles at the show. They point to several cartoonist's sites and detail some of the books that will be on sale.

Labels: book, cartoon, cartoonist, comic, sketch, sketchbook

I'm pretty happy with that little monkey at the bottom of the page there. I'll have to find a place to use him later. Another Wushu Brother is lurking around my sketchbook, as you can see.

Speaking of which, I'm deep into the production of the first Wushu Brothers comic book. I have the full 24 pages scripted out and written. I've inked the first two pages and have a third penciled. I should be able to start posting pages from my newest project soon in the comics gallery. My plan is to have the first book complete and ready for sale by the time the 2008 convention season is under way.

This weekend I've added a new page to the site, the online book store. Now everyone can purchase my books directly from the site if they've missed me at a convention. So, check it out!

Labels: book, cartoon, cartoonist, comic, sketch, sketchbook