To go along with the theme of 2010, “Accomplishing Life Goals”, I’ve honed my Jedi Mind Trick to a razor-sharp edge and planted that telekenetic samurai sword into the brain of the new editor of the Mountain Xpress, thus convincing her to publish Best In Show . It should be featured every other week, space permitting, opposite Bill LaRoque’s Granola Park.  Some people call me ’persistant’…but really, I’m just a pain in the ass that’s not smart enough to know when to quit.

Oh, the hits keep on comin’…After four months of the same persistance the editor of Knoxville’s Blank magazine has agreed to run Best In Show…Also, I’m working with a publisher-type dude on coming up with a way to publish Best In Show in trade paper format, to be distributed and sold wherever we can get it sold…I’ll be meeting with said publisher-type dude after I get back from NY, in about a week and a half.

Keep that positive energy coming folks, it’s paying off. 

Obviously this ‘toon should’ve been posted last month. Sue me.

So, I was all paid up to be a guest at the upcoming Asheville Fanaticon…I never bothered to put in for the time off from work because I didn’t think I had any vacation time left but it turns out that I had plenty…too late to put in for it, by the way…I was then hoping to fanagle some kind of swap with somebody so that I could be covered for that saturday but that wasn’t possible…the Citizen-Times, the Asheville daily paper, wants to interview all the local artists attending this show but I’m not sure if they still want to hear about me…yet…This is what I get for assuming and being lazy about things…I hope this doesn’t completely screw me in the long run…Ugh…

On a brighter note, I AM trying to get time off to get to Charlotte for the Heroes Con…it seems the SECNCS has been alotted a table in Artist’s Alley and all members are welcome to ‘man the booth’ for the weekend! Michael Cole and I are looking to pirate this opportunity…

So…I was able to attend the Pittsburgh Comicon once again after a four-year hiatus. The friends are the same, that is to say awesome, much to my relief. I do have to say that the mood of the con has changed…the venue has moved across the way, the hotel has been given a complete facelift and the atmosphere has definitely become more coerced…the hotel lounge is smaller, darker and more expensive…the usual professional guests were not present…I was in bed by 10pm every night…sober…

The coolest thing about the show was not only seeing old friends but introducing a new friend into the mix. Michael Cole of Dragin fame accompanied me (well, I actually accompanied him, as he was the driver) and was able to experience his first taste of a pretty major-grade comic show. He was like a little sponge, soaking up any and all feedback and suggestions that anyone would give him. He fit right in…he was able to talk popular t.v. shows, manga and anime with the most fan-boy of the lot while I just kept my head down and continued drawing. Well done, Michael!

As for me, I was able to sell a few of my newest cartoon collection, “Stealing The Show”, roll out a few commission pieces and for the first time ever sell my beloved original art. I never thought it could be so hard…emotional even! But being the emotionally distant dude that I am, I survived.  

I’ve also added another newspaper to my growing list of conquests…The editors of the Echo, the student newspaper of Warren-Wilson College in Asheville have agreed to publish my work. Nice. The big news is that finally, after two years of dogged persistance I’ve been granted an opportunity to see my cartoons printed in the illustrious Mountain Xpress as a visual extension of The Brews News, Anne Fitten-Glenn’s new beer column. If all goes well, my comics will debut on May 5, 2010! Everybody cross your fingers…

Oh, new comics will begin appearing on Monday 4/26. Keep an eye out!

This is the first cartoon run in the Tug Hill Express. Turned out that this editor and the editor of the Adirondack Express swap my ‘toons to fit their papers. Cool.