MoCCA Postgame 2011

Fantastic experience at MoCCA this year! Liar's Kiss sold out mid-day Sunday—sorry to anyone who wasn't able to get a copy!

And as always, great to get to catch up with some folks I hadn't seen in a while, put some faces to names I hadn't met before, and of course pick up some great new comics. I haven't quite made my way through all my swag yet, but early favorites include new Matt Wiegle comics (Wiegle for Tarzan, and, even better, his story in Papercutter #13), finally getting a chance to read Benjamin Marra's Night Business (which is just as balls-to-the-wall awesome as everyone keeps saying), Jason Viola's fantastic Who is Amy Amoeba? (which seems to be available to read online at that link--recommended!), Brecht Evans' gorgeous Night Animals (The Wrong Place is next on my list), and Victor Kerlow's genius high-concept sketchbook, "People From Yesterday."

Very curious to hear people's reactions to Liar's Kiss now that it's out in the world... if you're one of the lucky folks who picked one up, I'd love to hear from you! Drop me a line or leave a note in the comments, and hopefully I'll see some of you (and new people besides) at TCAF in Toronto or Heroes Con in Charlotte…

[Blog housekeeping note: I think I'm going to pause the LK preview panels for a bit... if I keep putting them up at this pace I'll have posted the whole book soon! (out of order, but still.) But I'll try to keep the design process posts coming as best I can.]

MoCCA update

Thanks to everyone who came out yesterday! I know I missed a few people who came by my table while I was over at the Top Shelf table, or vice versa, but hopefully I wasn't TOO hard to track down. I know we've only got a few copies of Liar's Kiss left, so if you were planning to pick one up today, I recommend coming by the Top Shelf table early...

MoCCA 2011

In case I haven't mentioned it enough, I'm going to be at the MoCCA Festival this coming weekend, selling the usual assortment of comics, prints, (yes, I should have more goldfish prints), etc… and of course, the world-premiere debut of Liar's Kiss!

The MoCCA folks seem to have included my name on the list of "special guests" in the press release, which you might think would indicate they're running low on the "special"… but actually the line-up this year looks pretty great, including Criterion vets Adrian Tomine, Kate Beaton, Victor Kerlow, Scott C., and plenty more great artists besides. And that's not even factoring in the best part of MoCCA, which is discovering some new book or artist that you would otherwise never have heard of. I highly recommend the whole MoCCA experience.

You can find me at either my own table (E17--in the back, toward the middle) or periodically at the Top Shelf table (J5/K5--in the front, on your left as you enter). Come on by and become one of the first people in the world to purchase your very own copy of Liar's Kiss! Come early enough on Saturday and you could be the very first! I will happily note your copy as such, if it is the case. OooOOooh...

Also: for those not in the NYC area, I'm also currently planning on being TCAF in Toronto May 7th-8, and Heroes Con in Charlotte June 3rd-5th, as part of my international book tour! (What? Canada counts!) For those not in any of the above places, there's always Amazon...

Hope to see you this weekend!

(Above: Peter Kuper's poster for MoCCA.)

MoCCA Post-game

Just as busy coming out of MoCCA as I was going in, but I thought I should take a quick stab at the traditional "wrap-up" post. I had a great time, as always, and the cool April weather was a definite improvement over last year's swelterfest. Met plenty of interesting people, old friends and new acquaintances (and new friends and old acquaintances). I had prior engagements at non-MoCCA parties Friday and Saturday nights so I missed that whole scene, but I hear Frank Miller knows how to party.

By the way, apologies to anyone who read my little restaurant guide and got psyched for Vietnamese sandwiches only to discover that Baoguette are apparently closed on Sundays now. If it helps, I was similarly caught unawares and sorely disappointed. (And between DeFonte's and Saravanaas I still ate pretty well.)

Having a table to myself this year (rather than splitting it as I did last year) gave me a little less time to peruse the rest of the show--the lovely Mariel Isaacson was gracious enough to man the table for a while, but I felt bad leaving her alone for too long and the show is just so damn big! For example, I never did find the Partyka table, which means I apparently missed a new Matt Weigle mini... grrr. But sales were decent: I even sold out of both issues of EGG on Sunday. (Admittedly, that's partially because I accidentally left half my stock of EGG #2 at home.)

I did still manage to get some great stuff, most of which I haven't had a chance to read yet, but early favorites include the gorgeous newsprint anthology "POOD" (featuring what might be Connor Willumsen's best story yet, in my humble opinion); "Beard" by Pranas, "Little Wolves" by James Hindle, and "Big Empty Space" by Victor Kerlow.

ANYway. Proper design post coming soon.

MoCCA 2010 Restaurant Guide

My good deed for the day: since MoCCA moved up to the armory last year, folks seemed a little lost when it came time for lunch. But actually, that neighborhood has some of the best food in the city! So let a local give you the lowdown:

--My personal favorite eatery in the area is DeFonte's of Brooklyn, just a short walk away at 3rd ave and 21st street. Their hot roast beef sandwich, which comes with fresh mozzerella, wafer-thin fried eggplant, and beef jus, is just about the most delicious sandwich you'll ever eat, with the possible exception of their "Nicky's Special" (ham, capicola, salami, fried eggplant, provolone, hot salad, marinated mushrooms, lettuce, tomato, oil & vinegar). One sandwich is probably enough to feed two people, but you're not going to want to have to share.

--Just across the street from the armory is Baoguette, (Lexington between 25th and 26th), a banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich) place that seemed to be the big hit of last year's show. I've only had the classic banh mi there, (pork, ham, pate), but I hear good things about their catfish sandwich, too.

--If you want a quick sit-down place, I'd recommend Saravanaas, katty corner to the armory at Lexington Ave and 26th. Great vegetarian South Indian food, dosas, etc. One of their Thalis, which are kind of like the world's greatest sampler platter (and not for the faint of heart, spice-wise), will MORE than fill you up for dinner, but are cheap enough that you don't need to feel too bad even if you can't finish everything.

--The justly world famous Shake Shack is also a short walk away in Madison Square Park, but be prepared to wait in line for an hour if it's even a slightly nice day. (Seriously. Check the "Shack Cam" if you don't believe me.) If you do go, order two burgers (or a Shack Stack--deep fried cheese-stuffed portobella atop a cheeseburger) rather than bothering with fries--one won't quite fill you up and you certainly won't want to wait in line a second time!

--On the opposite end of the burger spectrum (i.e. giant burgers in a dark pub), you could do worse than a short jog over to Molly's Pub and Shabeen, at 287 3rd ave between 22nd and 23rd. Fair warning: shield your eyes when exiting or the shock of the sun may just blind you.

--Finally, if you're really looking to splurge, I've yet to be disappointed by Gramercy Tavern on 20th between Broadway and Park Ave south. You can probably get out of there for lunch for around $40 if you don't go crazy on wine.

Feel free to show your appreciation for these fine suggestions by buying some of my comics. ;)


View MoCCA lunch options in a larger map

It's that time again... (MoCCA 2010)

The 2010 MoCCA Art Festival is this coming weekend, and once again I'll have a table set up, selling my comics and prints. In addition to most of the comics and prints I've sold at past shows, this year's MoCCA will feature a bunch of exciting new comic stuff:

--EGG: Hard Boiled Stories #2,* featuring 3 crime stories drawn by three fantastic artists: "Cold Feet" drawn by Evan Bryce, "Lost & Found" drawn by Ming Doyle, and "The Platform" drawn by Victor Kerlow. (If you already purchased the old minicomic versions of either "Lost & Found" or "Cold Feet" that I've had at previous shows, remind me of that and I'll give you a discount on EGG #2)

--"Dental Hygiene and Secret Identities," a new kid-friendly/humor/silent/autobigraphical minicomic written by me and drawn by the amazing Rachel Friere.

--"The Deserter," another departure for me, an action-packed mini about a demon living amongst regular folks, drawn by the great Dan Duncan.

--Hopefully one more minicomic, "Sense Memory," assuming we can get it finished in time, illustrated by the talented Jeff Faerber.

--And if you ask nicely, I may even give you a sneak peek of a few of Jhomar Soriano's gorgeous pages for the coming-soon-from-Top-Shelf-Productions Liar's Kiss.

So if you're anywhere near New York this weekend, come on by the 69th Regiment Armory between 12 and 6 this Saturday or Sunday, and say hi! Admission is a low low $12 ($20 for both days), and for that money you get not just me (exciting as that will surely be), but also such greats as Jaime Hernandez, David Mazzucchelli, Frank Miller, Paul Pope, Kyle Baker, Kate Beaton, Al Jaffe, R. Sikoryak, and literally hundreds more!

*By the way, if you're not able to make it to NYC, but happen to live in the San Francisco or New Orleans areas, I recently sold some copies of EGG #1 & 2 to Comix Experience and Crescent City Comics, so ask for 'em there! Or for the rest of the country, there's always Indyplanet...

EDIT: MoCCA-goers may also appreciate this restaurant guide.

EGG #2 is coming!!

Breaking news! I just sent the new issue of EGG: Hard Boiled Stories to press. This will be the second issue of my apparently annual crime comic series, this one featuring three stories drawn by three amazing artists: "Lost & Found," drawn by Ming Doyle; "The Platform," drawn by Victor Kerlow; and "Cold Feet," drawn by Evan Bryce. (There are a couple of other artists working on other stories that just weren't ready in time, but hopefully that'll just mean less of a wait for issue #3!)

The final printed issues should be ready just in time for this year's MoCCA Festival, April 10 & 11. To whet your appetite, you can see some preview pages from Ming and Evan's stories over at Geekweek, and here's a sneak peek at the cover:

More EGG reviews

I know no one but me cares, but I like having an archive of this stuff...

Matthew J. Brady at Warren Peace Sings the Blues (or, alternately, Indiepulp.com) has a big overview of lots of the great stuff he picked up at MoCCA '09. He calls "These Kids Today," "a three-page crime story about a guy who has a one night stand with a girl and gets too attached, with the art probably being the most interesting aspect." I can't disagree! He then goes on to talk about the "Cold Feet" and "Below the Fold" minis, saying:

"Skillman doesn't do a bad job here, but he's especially good at picking collaborators, with Jorge Coelho being especially noteworthy, putting plenty of detail, good facial expressions, and moody color into the tale for maximum effect. ... Skillman looks to be pretty good at what he does, although it would be interesting to see him stretch a bit and tell something longer. Crime is a growing genre in comics, so there's definitely room for him to tell his stories. Hopefully he'll be able to continue plying his trade."

Over at a blog called "Lerbd," Pedro Moura picked up a copy of EGG #1 from Jorge Coehlo at the Beja comics festival, and included a review in his festival rundown. It's in Portugese, so I'm only getting the Google translate version, but he seems to comparing the stories (unfavorably, if I'm understanding correctly) to David Lapham--but hell, even an unflattering comparison to Lapham is flattering, as far as I'm concerned! He rightly praises Jorge's work, though chides me for hamstringing him with cramped, 9-panel pages--again, guilty as charged, though personally, I thought Jorge rose to the challenge brilliantly.

Pedro Moura also made this YouTube video that I, for reasons I can't quite explain, find extrememly entertaining. He flips through EGG #1 at the end of the video.

MoCCA postgame, part II

I forgot to mention the best part of MoCCA: new comics! I've really appreciated it when other blogs have given shout-outs to EGG, so now that I've had a chance to actually read a decent chunk of my purchases, I thought I'd throw a few highlights out there to the interwebs. In no particular order:



For the most part, I tried to avoid the bigger books, which I can always get in a bookstore later, in favor of smaller stuff you can only find at MoCCA, but I couldn't resist Scott C.'s Double Fine Action Comics. Very cool to see the webcomic collected into an actual book... I'll admit I tend to get a little burned out on webcomics after about 100 installments or so (call me a luddite if you must), but I'm psyched to get to pick up this bizarre and hilarious strip where I left off.



I was also excited to pick up a new mini from Matt Weigle, Monsters & Condiments, which is totally fun, even if it's a bit slight in comparison to his previous The Four Husbands, Ayaje's Wives, or Seven More Days of Not Getting Eaten, which are three of my favorite comics, mini- or otherwise. Discovering cartoonists like him is why I've loved all the previous MoCCA shows--I can't recommend his stuff highly enough.



Another MoCCA favorite, Jamie Tanner, didn't have anything new to me this year, but his excellent collection The Aviary is well worth checking out nonetheless!



And rounding out my list of perennial MoCCA favorites is Tom Gauld's new book, The Gigantic Robot. I'll admit I was a little disappointed by the somewhat conventional format--Gauld does such great stuff with formats in his Three Very Small Comics series, that I would almost rather have seen this book at full on Many Splendid Sundays size, or something along those lines, but never mind that, because, as always, his drawing is exquisite, and the story is as good as ever.



Thien Pham is a new name to me, but his Sumo is really good, with an Andi Watson kind of feel... I wish I'd gotten around to reading this on Saturday night, because I should have gone back to their table on Sunday to pick up more of the many great-looking books there!



One especially pleasant surprise was Undertow by Ellen Lindner. It's a nicely drawn look at life in Coney Island in the 1950s, without relying on hackneyed cliches of that time period. (No one goes to any "sock hops" or anything.) If I hadn't bought it directly from young Ms. Lindner, I would have assumed she must be in her mid-70s, she does such a good job of evoking a real sense of place. (Now that I type that, it seems like a really strange thing to say, but I honestly mean it as a compliment.)

Tomaz Kaczynski's TransAlaska and TransAtlantis are beautifully illustrated and nicely designed, but I could have used some numbering or some clue that they're not just related books but actually a serialized story--now I'm kicking myself for missing the middle piece, TransSiberia.



Another cool discovery was Victor Kerlow's Gutter--just beautifully, beautifully drawn. Victor spent some time hanging out at our table, and it was great to meet him--hi, Victor!



Speaking of our table, it goes without saying that Connor Willumsen's Real Bad and The Middle are as fantastic as you'd expect.

*Phew* That's about all I have energy for at the moment. And that's without even mentioning the minis by Zander and Kevin Cannon, the latest installment of Spike's Templar Arizona, Ulf K's Ex Libris, JP Coovert's Adrift, Thomas Hall & Daniel Bradford's R13, Rick Spears & Chuck BB's Black Metal (which I'm obviously behind the curve on!), or the GREAT new Top Shelf book, Second Thoughts by Niklas Asker... I wasn't able to get a copy of David Mazzucchelli's new book before it sold out, but I'm DEFINITELY looking forward to that, too.

Anyway, long story short: MoCCA, as usual, restores my faith in comics.

MoCCA postgame

Had a GREAT time at MoCCA. (Well, apart from the heat.) It was great fun to hang with Connor behind the table, and with Brett, Chris, Leigh, Andy, etc, etc, after the show, and awesome to meet everyone who stopped by the table... a lot of folks came by and mentioned that they read this blog, which was very cool to hear--thanks to everyone who stopped by!

I even sold out of EGG #1, so on Sunday I wound up printing out some minicomic versions of two of the stories in there ("These Kids Today" and "Below the Fold") on Sunday morning, which worked out pretty well. I also sold quite a few Steel Helmet prints and bird silkscreens, but I do have a few left over. (And plenty of SOAO and POTUS prints, too--I think I shot myself in the foot with the "POTUS" label... apparently that bit of trivia hasn't seeped as deeply into pop culture as I'd thought--West Wing fans and political blog junkies seemed to be the only people who knew that POTUS means "President Of The United States.") I'm thinking of trying to find some easy way to sell them online... would people be interested in that? Drop a comment and let me know if I should bother...

(Photo via Geekanerd flickr stream.)

Don't forget: MoCCA this weekend!

Just thought I'd bump this back up to the top of the blog, in case anyone stops by over the weekend--come visit me at the MoCCA festival, at the 69th Regiment Armory at Lexington Ave and 25th St, 11 AM to 6 PM this Saturday & Sunday. More details on my stuff here, or if you're curious about what ELSE you can find at MoCCA, there's a couple good posts at The Beat on self-published/minicomics stuff and books from honest-to-god publishers.

MoCCA 2009: Where to find me...

We just got our table assignment for MoCCA... you'll be able to find Connor Willumsen and myself at table 621, which is apparently in the southwest corner of the building, or back and to the left if you come in through the main Lexington ave entrance.

See you there!

MoCCA 2009

As previously hinted, I will be attending this year's MoCCA (Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art) Festival in NYC, splitting a table with talented artist and all-around swell guy Connor Willumsen. If you're going to be anywhere in the vicinity, please stop by and say hi. I'll have copies of EGG #1 for sale, of course, along with a lo-fi edition of "Cold Feet," some newly-produced giclee prints, a few silkscreens, and maybe a few assorted other goodies.



And even if you're not buying what I'm selling (though: you should!), MoCCA is always a great show--I've been going as a spectator for years and it always re-ignites my love for all things comics.



The festival is Saturday and Sunday, June 6-7, and will this year be held at the 69th Regiment Armory at Lexington Ave and 25th St, 11 AM to 6 PM both days. Admission is a mere $10/day or $15 for both days. Well worth your time!