In this trailer, we get to see Sif and the Warriors Three, Loki and Odin, the Destroyer, and a Tony Stark reference. Wach!

Saturday, I attended the premiere of the Summit City Comic Con, and I had an absolute blast!  The Grand Anthony Wayne convention center was quite beautiful, and the convention organizers were pure gold.  Not only did we get two padded chairs per table, we also go lined trashcans, and the organizers circulated several times offering us free chips and soft drinks.  As you probably know, you don’t get this kind of reception at the big conventions.

Fort Wayne, Indiana apparently has a thriving comic community, and attendees were enthusiastic and open to new material.  I made tons of new friends, gave away well over a hundred business cards, and I was more than pleased with the number of comics and graphic novels we sold.

As far as industry friends and new friends go, I had chances for quick chats with: Steve -Bryant (enthusiastic and uber-talented!), Scott D. Simmons (Wannabez), Uko Smith (he sure draws pretty girls!), Ben Avery (writer of the Hedge Knight comic, plus numerous other projects), and Ryan Stegman (Marvel artist).

I attended the show with Paul McCall, ace illustrator and artist on “The League of Analogs,” and his table was next to mine.  I believe were the last artists to sign on, because we were located in the far back corner of the hall.  Not one to be daunted by this, I made the most of it and did great.

I hope this show runs for a long time, because I’d go again in a heartbeat.

I did a fan art pinup for Dave Reddick of the “Legend of Bill” webcomic, and he was kind enough to post it on his weekly “Fan Art Friday” installment.

As you’ve probably heard me say, I normally don’t do fan art, but I’m really into this comic, and I love Dave’s understated humor.  My favorite line, although I’m probably butchering this, is “I wonder if Conan ever got beat up by a girl with pink hair?”  I laughed about that for a week, because to me it really summed up the comic.

I grew up reading Sword & Sorcery novels, such as those by Marion Zimmer Bradley, Michael Moorcock, and Robert Adams, but none thrilled me so much as Robert E. Howard’s “Conan” books.  As a kid I was too young to see the humor in these stories, but it was there, hidden in ironic boatloads.  Dave Reddick probably read the same novels too, or at least saw the first Conan movie, and he got it.

So, if you want to read a excellent comic strip from a seasoned cartoonist with really high production values, and lots of laughs, go to the “Legend of Bill.”

This is a bit of a tease, really, because I don’t have a firm date when this is going to come out.  But, come out it will!  The time is drawing nigh!

Doesn’t require any explanation, does it?

Scott

With this year drawing to a close, it’s time for me to review the last year and state my intentions for the next year. I would, too, if my brain were more organized at the moment. For me, I can split my plans into artistic goals and publishing goals. I think it’s important to state what I expect out of next year, because that gives me a benchmark to live by.

I am coming perilously close to finishing my den. This project involved laying vinyl, painting, rebuilding my closet, and months of fun. Honestly, I think it’s about half a year since we began this thing! My desire for a den is a story in itself—I never knew I wanted or needed such a space until I purchased the “Watchmen” Ultimate Edition. I was so excited about this book, with its oversized pages and new colors, but then I realized that I have no comfortable place in the house to sit and read. So, as you can imagine, I concocted the idea of my den! Soon, it will be done, and I’ll be able to sit in peace and read my “Watchmen” book.

I read tonight that Dynamite Entertainment’s book “The Black Terror” has been made an ongoing title. The Black Terror has long been the most popular of the public domain superheroes, so I’m glad to see him getting a new lease on life. I read the trade paperback and I enjoyed it. It wasn’t brilliant, but I really like the part where the Terror grabs a helicopter’s rotor blade and uses it to toss him through the sky.

Are you interested in seeing the new “Sherlock Holmes” movie? I am. I realize that the high action, martial arts version of Holmes is different from his literary counterpart, but I can live with that. I love all the Sherlock Holmes stories, but I think it’s interesting when each new generation redefines a story. I guess I don’t qualify as a purist.

If I don’t blog again before Christmas, then Happy Holidays to everyone!

Scott.