SDCC 2009!
Hey, everybody! I'm back from Comic Con International in beautiful San Diego, California! Wow, what a rush! I'm exhausted, now, but also feeling so invigorated and inspired. I'm really rarin' to get back to work in a big way! But before I plunge into all that, I should tell you about the trip and show you all the art I did this week.
Well, the journey began on a fateful Tuesday morning, when I boarded a flight to California, to share a hotel for an entire week with my dear best friend (and roommate from college) the Cowhat Ninja (one Miss Tanya Burr.) Here she is! And here is something I painted for her!
Drew a couple things while gearin' up for the con, and while waiting to be let in on preview night...
I really do think that the best part of cons (this or any of them) is meeting up with awesome friends that I only get to see in person, like, once a year or so. Here is Ben Glendenning, with his hair lookin' extra-sharp. We did a books-and-prints trade. Huzzah!
And I was so happy to see my buddies from Rare Earth Comics again. That's Ian Ally-Seales on the left and David Robles on the right. They had a new preview issue of Shadow Tracers, and I bought two of Dave's rockin' sketches. (He's so good!) I commissioned a Deadpool from him, and also bought a drawing he did of Batman looking sad and wistful while crouching on a gargoyle. And, uh...I'd brought them a gift! Because...I tend to do that! It's a painting of Cortez, the wicked-awesome villain of Shadow Tracers. (Have you read it? You really ought to.)
I got to see Carlo Soriano again, and we hung out a lot more than last year, and that was awesome, because he is a totally rad dude. See that hat? There is no doubt to his radness.
And I got to see some friends from school! Super hooray! That's me on the left (representin' in my Grand Forks t-shirt.) In the middle is the indescribable and multitalented Margarita Brosova, and on the right is the amazingly creative Natalya Kolosowsky.
It wouldn't be Comic-Con if I didn't see Korby Marks! I was totally excited 'cause now all four issues of the Stormbringers mini-series are out! Hooray! It's extra groovy, with spiffy sauce. You ought'a read it. And Korby also had a preview issue for a new book he's doing with a fella named Jake Hamilton, who I also met and who also seemed pretty cool. That one's called Glorious and, you guys, I am so excited for it, like really! Anyway, I'd brought Korby a painting of Halo, from Stormbringers.
Here's me and my dearest darlings, Dani Payne (the beautiful redhead) and Luis Estrada (the handsome gentleman struttin' his stuff), plus also Little Brother Estrada (on the far left. I...I never learned his name?) They are, like, the coolest cats to ever walk upright. I'd brought some paintings for them. They, in turn, gave me some super-nifty drawings, and also...a 1995 Deadpool toy, in package...and they got it signed by Rob Liefeld. Holy cow. I have the best friends, seriously!
I met up with awesome possums from the DSC forums, AlterEgo and the Magical Unicorn, and we had lunch and it was killer sweet! From left: the other one (with a name?), AlterEgo, the mysterious one (whose name I've learned!), Magical Unicorn, and yours truly.
I almost missed seeing Nei Ruffino this year, but I ran into her walking through Artists' Alley! Hooray! Here's a picture of her lookin' supah-fly, as always.
...I also saw Natasha Allegri again (another friend from school!) and saw Roman Muradov again, and had the great pleasure of meeting Steve Howard and Tom Kelly, but I didn't get photos of them because I am a loser who distinctly fails with a camera. (But I did better this year than usual about that! I made an effort!)
One of the highlights of this con every year is, for me, the DeviantArt drink n' draw. This year, it was at Hennessey's Tavern...and it was karaoke night! Tanya took the opportunity to rickroll the bar. ;D
Whose hair is that in the foreground? It belongs to Matteo Scalera, who, in addition to being awesomely talented, is also very nice. At the drink n' draw were a bunch of coasters to draw on, and he and I did a trade of Deadpool sketches. Here are my coasters, plus the other things I drew that night. The devil girl in bondage gear is a live model who was posing on top of a table for everyone to draw. (I don't know what happened to my Caligula coaster. I hope he ended up in a good home. If you picked him up, please let me know!)
And three other drawings from elsewhen during the week...
I don't usually take pictures of cosplayers, 'cause I figure the rest of the world takes better ones, but I noticed something most curious. In most years, I will see one Deadpool cosplayer at any given con, but this year I was seeing mouthy mercs everywhere! So I decided to take pictures of every one I found.
And one bonus cosplay photo: the best Team Rocket ever.
Also, this was the Marvel pavilion. It was just badass.
The weekend capped off in a great way on Sunday night, when my dear friends Random Gibberish rocked out in concert with The Megas at Lestat's Coffee House. Everyone was awesome. \m/
...Awesome. Too bad the next day when I got to the airport, I found that the airline had moved me to an earlier flight without letting me know, thereby causing me to have to stay in San Diego an extra day...
(Well, at least I was stranded in a city where I have really good friends. I stayed with Cody Shoberg (shown above, in fancy duds on the far right) and we played Rock Band.)
...I'm ridiculously tired. I'd like to sleep for a week. Anyway, Comic-Con was awesome, both personally and professionally. On one final note...
...I'm Batman.
Well, the journey began on a fateful Tuesday morning, when I boarded a flight to California, to share a hotel for an entire week with my dear best friend (and roommate from college) the Cowhat Ninja (one Miss Tanya Burr.) Here she is! And here is something I painted for her!
Drew a couple things while gearin' up for the con, and while waiting to be let in on preview night...
I really do think that the best part of cons (this or any of them) is meeting up with awesome friends that I only get to see in person, like, once a year or so. Here is Ben Glendenning, with his hair lookin' extra-sharp. We did a books-and-prints trade. Huzzah!
And I was so happy to see my buddies from Rare Earth Comics again. That's Ian Ally-Seales on the left and David Robles on the right. They had a new preview issue of Shadow Tracers, and I bought two of Dave's rockin' sketches. (He's so good!) I commissioned a Deadpool from him, and also bought a drawing he did of Batman looking sad and wistful while crouching on a gargoyle. And, uh...I'd brought them a gift! Because...I tend to do that! It's a painting of Cortez, the wicked-awesome villain of Shadow Tracers. (Have you read it? You really ought to.)
I got to see Carlo Soriano again, and we hung out a lot more than last year, and that was awesome, because he is a totally rad dude. See that hat? There is no doubt to his radness.
And I got to see some friends from school! Super hooray! That's me on the left (representin' in my Grand Forks t-shirt.) In the middle is the indescribable and multitalented Margarita Brosova, and on the right is the amazingly creative Natalya Kolosowsky.
It wouldn't be Comic-Con if I didn't see Korby Marks! I was totally excited 'cause now all four issues of the Stormbringers mini-series are out! Hooray! It's extra groovy, with spiffy sauce. You ought'a read it. And Korby also had a preview issue for a new book he's doing with a fella named Jake Hamilton, who I also met and who also seemed pretty cool. That one's called Glorious and, you guys, I am so excited for it, like really! Anyway, I'd brought Korby a painting of Halo, from Stormbringers.
Here's me and my dearest darlings, Dani Payne (the beautiful redhead) and Luis Estrada (the handsome gentleman struttin' his stuff), plus also Little Brother Estrada (on the far left. I...I never learned his name?) They are, like, the coolest cats to ever walk upright. I'd brought some paintings for them. They, in turn, gave me some super-nifty drawings, and also...a 1995 Deadpool toy, in package...and they got it signed by Rob Liefeld. Holy cow. I have the best friends, seriously!
I met up with awesome possums from the DSC forums, AlterEgo and the Magical Unicorn, and we had lunch and it was killer sweet! From left: the other one (with a name?), AlterEgo, the mysterious one (whose name I've learned!), Magical Unicorn, and yours truly.
I almost missed seeing Nei Ruffino this year, but I ran into her walking through Artists' Alley! Hooray! Here's a picture of her lookin' supah-fly, as always.
...I also saw Natasha Allegri again (another friend from school!) and saw Roman Muradov again, and had the great pleasure of meeting Steve Howard and Tom Kelly, but I didn't get photos of them because I am a loser who distinctly fails with a camera. (But I did better this year than usual about that! I made an effort!)
One of the highlights of this con every year is, for me, the DeviantArt drink n' draw. This year, it was at Hennessey's Tavern...and it was karaoke night! Tanya took the opportunity to rickroll the bar. ;D
Whose hair is that in the foreground? It belongs to Matteo Scalera, who, in addition to being awesomely talented, is also very nice. At the drink n' draw were a bunch of coasters to draw on, and he and I did a trade of Deadpool sketches. Here are my coasters, plus the other things I drew that night. The devil girl in bondage gear is a live model who was posing on top of a table for everyone to draw. (I don't know what happened to my Caligula coaster. I hope he ended up in a good home. If you picked him up, please let me know!)
And three other drawings from elsewhen during the week...
I don't usually take pictures of cosplayers, 'cause I figure the rest of the world takes better ones, but I noticed something most curious. In most years, I will see one Deadpool cosplayer at any given con, but this year I was seeing mouthy mercs everywhere! So I decided to take pictures of every one I found.
And one bonus cosplay photo: the best Team Rocket ever.
Also, this was the Marvel pavilion. It was just badass.
The weekend capped off in a great way on Sunday night, when my dear friends Random Gibberish rocked out in concert with The Megas at Lestat's Coffee House. Everyone was awesome. \m/
...Awesome. Too bad the next day when I got to the airport, I found that the airline had moved me to an earlier flight without letting me know, thereby causing me to have to stay in San Diego an extra day...
(Well, at least I was stranded in a city where I have really good friends. I stayed with Cody Shoberg (shown above, in fancy duds on the far right) and we played Rock Band.)
...I'm ridiculously tired. I'd like to sleep for a week. Anyway, Comic-Con was awesome, both personally and professionally. On one final note...
...I'm Batman.