MAYHEM and STAR WARS VII (plus Cherry Con)

Hey folks! All the TALES OF SEQUENTIAL MAYHEM #3 books have been mailed out. Thanks for supporting our Kickstarter! I do have about a dozen personal copies available if you need one. Simply EMAIL ME HERE to order one. OR I will have them at this next weekend's CHERRY CAPITAL CON! See you there.

This newest Kickstarter really went well and after seeing and talking with other friends about their success at KS, I got more ideas to make the next one even better. So when we rock #4, it will be even larger! but for now, I am enjoying the fruits of the labor and a job well done and finished!

So GODZILLA is in the theater and I haven't seen it yet. I'm waiting for the crowds to die down a bit. I don't really dig seeing movies in the theater for various reasons. I guess I'm an old curmudgeon and can't deal with crowds. But I will see it, as I am dying to. Its about the only current thing on my radar.

However, I cannot help but be excited about STAR WARS VIII beginning filming. Not only are some of my old heroes coming back but it also means fresh blood, new toys, new cards to work on, and more. Plus now my kids get the thrill of seeing Star Wars on their terms now. The old sting and fights about the prequels and their dissapointment seem a dim memory. All I am left with is the excitement. I really don't want to build it up too much in my head, but I cannot help it. I keep checking out the toy aisles and considering rebuying lots of my 90's Star Wars toys to have them in the box. Also get the vehicles to play with the kids. I just want to be ready! Yeah, I'm in my late 30's but I am not checking in my kid gloves yet. In other words, the force is strong with me! Always.

Okay, I got a TON of things to get done before next weekend. This week is going to be a complete blur. Really looking forward to the Cherry Capital Comic Con and I hope ya'll can make it out. See ya there!

Cheers, T

YEAR SO FAR... PROJECT UPDATES

Time to assess where we are at and do some updating on where things are so far for the year!

CONVENTIONS: Upcoming is CHERRY CAPITAL CON May 23-25th. After that there is a possibly of a return to Detroit or Grand Rapids. I am not ruling out maybe one other midwest type of show sometime in the year. But we'll see. I'd like to hit a couple Michigan based comic shops and have store signings and move some of these books. Once things die down, I'll make plans.

PLEASANT LIFE: the 475 page collection is out and you can order it HERE - It collects EVERYTHING from the series and has tons of bonus material including a new exclusive 7 page story. There is no immediate plans for a follow up but maybe some day down the road.

ANNA POCALYPSE: The reprint/new cover/recolor version is out and available HERE - The sequel has 70 pages of art done and will be worked on/completed later on this year for launch in 2015. Next year there will be a BIG PUSH to sell Anna 1-2. Look out!

STARSLAM: Currently on 65 pages posted. And here is the big news: After this current chapter goes up, there will be no more updates, as I am going to be pulling the pages down (eventually) and recoloring them. Then I am finishing colors on the rest of the pages and launching them into a kickstarter. Friends and fellow artists are having great success launching adult related comics on Kickstarter and I believe it might be a great chance to get Starslam into the hands of more people that way. So look for that this fall launching as an all digital book and a chance to get some art or MAKE some art yourself! So big news on this front! Expect much more soon...

TALES OF SEQUENTIAL MAYHEM: Book #3 just got back from the printer and Kickstarter orders are being mailed out. After the smoke clears, I will have copies to sell in the store and at conventions but give me time to sort out the Kickstarter orders first. We will be doing a #4 in the future and doing it once again through Kickstarter.

PORN BOOK: Two chapters still need to be written but has taken a back seat to paid work and getting my comic books back in the online store. But I will get time soon to sit down and complete it. Once then, I shall edit it and do touch ups. Then decide how I want to publish it. Find a company to do it for me? Launch it through Kickstarter? Self Publish through Lulu? Its all up in the air. We'll see where the winds blow me at that point.

MORNING SHOW PODCAST: still continues! Just posted episode #235 today. Download via Itunes. Also enjoy the resurgence of other old podcasts on Talkshoe like Tim's Late Night Lounge and Studio Chatter. All available on Itunes.

IDIOTHEAD MUSIC: Believe it or not, I got an email recently about the possibility of new music coming from our comedy band. As of this time, there are no plans. However you never know what the future holds.

YOU TUBE CHANNEL: I will be uploading new videos at some point. Plenty of footage for various things has been shot. Just need time to sort it all and edit it. I'll probably take more videos at Cherry Captial Con too. Give me time.

SKETCHCARDS: No new sets due at this point. Once Pinups/Pitbulls is out and Sherlock Holmes Memoirs is released, I have nothing on the horizon for more card work. Possibly more in the future but we shall see.

So... that gives a nice update as to where we are going. Things are rockin' and rollin! Thanks for checking back and caring.

Cheers, T

FREE COMIC DAY RECAP

Hey all! Whew what a day! I spent my 9:30am-4pm all day at Clems Comics in downtown Lansing for FREE COMIC BOOK DAY! This was my third year in a row and I always love coming out. Everyone is always very welcoming and nice and the kids are excited to get sketches and comics.

I was so busy at the show that I really didn't get to take many photos but I grabbed some from some friends. Here are some pics courtesy of my pals Cristen and Nick:

Again, a wonderful time. Thanks to all who came out to support local comic shop businesses and independent artists! Your money spent is more than just about buying a little cool thing to have. Its also putting food on my kids' table and keeping my lights on. I thank you. Also to Clem's Comics for allowing me back year after year and putting on a damn fun time. They really take care of us artists and we appreciate it. It was great to see friends new and old. Also a great pal dropped me off some great vinyl! YAY!

SO: With that, I have lots of materials to restock for my next trip: CHERRY CAPITAL COMIC CON on May 23-25th in Traverse City, MI. I got a couple new prints to finish coloring and do up for the show and other things. Also, I have got a slew of commission work lately, which is great. The wife and I talked about the recent murmurings of me possibly getting a part time night job. But with the increase in sales and freelance work, its now a reality that I am prolonging that decision. You guys all really came to my aid and I cannot thank you enough. Right now I have a huge TO DO list that is going to take me the rest of the month and thats great! My bills are getting paid and I am very happy! Thank you, Thank you!

In other news, I got my TALES OF SEQUENTIAL MAYHEM books and my PLEASANT LIFE books back from the printer! So I am filling out preorders and kickstarter orders and they will be going out next week. Bare with me as I got a ton of stuff going on. But I am looking over the books and goddamn don't they look dope as hell! THANK YOU for the support! and if you haven't ordered Pleasant Life, you can right HERE

Whew... okay.. I know I got a million other things to say but I am exhausted. Better cut this one short. Have a great weekend!

Cheers, T

Spoilers and Sickness

No April Fool's joke here today folks. I'm too tired to put effort into doing anything for it really. So read on, assured that there's no tricksies awaiting you.

Well, the kids once again prove to be a germ farm and magnet, which I cannot avoid. I NEVER got sick before I had kids, now I get it often. Scott was sick on Saturday and puked three times, then seemed okay. Sunday night, the wife had a bad stomach ache and vomited all night. I woke up Monday morning with hardcore bad stomach problems but luckily never upchucked. I hate doing that! I woke baby James up and found out he vomited in his crib during the night and it reeeeeeeked! I had to change all his sheets, obviously. So I tried to run things around here as normal, but I was in pain most of the day with it and then it developed into full on flu like symptoms. I was shaking, sweating, sore, achey all over. I tried to get as much sleep as I could and downed the Advil. Today I am feeling about 75% better and good enough to get things back to normal around here. I gotta clean the house a bit and then get Mayhem to the printer. I wanted to get it there by Friday but I was waiting on a page from one of my artists and then the kids and I got sick. Today: Back on the horse.

I wanted to touch on something right quick about "Spoilers." After the Walking Dead season finale, I saw people complaining on social media about spoilers and people posting spoilers. Here's the thing folks...

Its 2014. We live in a very NEWS NOW society and social graces is severely lacking. And you cannot change it. You cannot fix people from not being the most tactful to respect people who haven't watched a TV show or movie as quickly as you did. So I propose this bit of logic: when you know there's a major event coming up (TV, MOVIE, etc) and you aren't able to see it the time of its first appearance, avoid social media. Just avoid it. You don't NEED to log on anyway. Just avoid it til you see it and then come on and talk with like minded people about it. Yes, I label it as YOUR fault. You didn't realize that its 2014 and we are in the GOTTA HAVE IT NOW world. Also: If you have friends in your list that are repeat offenders of posting spoilers, maybe block their feed or delete them as a "friend." There are plenty of ways to avoid spoilers and I think you have no right to complain about it. Its like if you were on a diet and you purposely walk into a Mcds to smell the food and the temptation to order a 20 piece and fries is too great for you. YOU WALKED IN!!! So quit blaming others for spoilers. Take charge of your feed. Just some friendly advice because I tire of people complaining about spoilers. I wouldn't go on and start dropping spoilers to be an ass, but people do. Realize thats the world we live in and adjust accordingly.

The wife is going on vacation this week and I am looking forward to her going on kid duty for some of it so I can get some work done. Also my oldest son is coming to visit and thats always a good time. Lots going on the next two weeks. YAY!

Anyway, peace and love, have a good week, and cheers! T

Comics Mayhem!!!

Hey everyone! Well, our Kickstarter for our EC HORROR comics tribute "TALES OF SEQUENTIAL MAYHEM" was a sweet success! We got officially funded yesterday and then some. So I am putting the finishing touches on the files before they go to the printer today and tomorrow. Here's a look at a color version of a pinup of "ZOMBIE QUEEN" I did for the book. It appears as a fake ad for a drive in movie:

Zombies are lead by her boobs!

I've been pencilling new STARSLAM strips and I uploaded Chapter 5 to the site. So we're good until July. Its looking likely that I will get all the original art done before that too. So I am thinking by the fall time I will have a full book for that comic in the online store here. I've done too many book plugs this early part of the year so I don't want to drop that on you now. Besides, we got our SUPER ONLINE BOOK SALE going on right now. Don't want to get any of my books lost in the mix as we go along.

So this makes FOUR books published by me this year. With a FIFTH one promised around the fall. Eh? What cha think? Aren't we the hardest working indie comic people out there right now? :) Its all for me celebrating 20 years of doing this, this year. I love this life!

In non-pluggy type of news, I've been working my way through Band of Brothers and re-watching Game of Thrones with the wife. Almost done with the first show. Its quite good. I also have been moving around furniture and I am ready to get a big box and start tossing crap. The weather outside is hot and then cold here in Michigan, but I am forcing spring to hurry up via doing some hardcore cleaning and moving. I moved the living room and office around a bit. Hopefully the kids stay out of my books because they are now at a level where they can tamper with them. They are gonna hear a lot of "NOs" from me!

I've also been reading some of the comics I've bought recently and forgot I read or giving them a fair shake read on the toilet (as I often do). All New X-men, Batman, The Dirty Pair, Empowered, Invincible, 90's Prophet, Soul Saga and others. I also finally got my buddy Jay Fosgitt's Bodie Troll trade. I gotta make a list of the comics and trades I am missing. And I am trying to finish Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane, but with all the work I am getting done, I don't have much time to sit and read a book like I did. Hopefully soon I'll get ahead of where I need to be and then I can slack off some more to read some new shit.

As far as vinyl, I haven't picked up too many new records. The most recent aquirements are Pearl Jam Vitology, Def Leppard's Pyromania and Saxon Denim and Leather. I did order White Zombie's Astro Creep 2000 and it should come in soon. Record Store Day is coming up and I got my eye on that Type O Negative record. I scored tickets to see Nine Inch Nails and Soundgarden for the summer as well. Finally going to scratch those bands off my list.

I suppose thats enough updating for now. Be sure that you are keeping up with my PODCAST for additional news and talkingzzzz. Much love to you all!

T

Productive Weekend!

Just what I needed! I worked hard all weekend and marked a lot of things off my TO DO list. I love it when that happens. I did this too:

Those are some selected pages and panels from my new PLEASANT LIFE stuff I am doing for the upcoming complete collection tradebook. It will not be in color in the book itself but I decided to color it for online use. Plus, I've never seen these guys in color sequentially! So why the hell not, eh?

I hope these don't give too much away. Its a cute little mini-story for the book and a nice way to see the progression of my artwork with these characters from when they started back in 1995 up to now. Hopefully people will see the long way I have come over the years. I mean, take a look now! Here's page one of the comic in 1995:

*Note: Lucas' name used to be BUD. Don't ask.

Anyway, we're looking good so far! I got the art done and now I just need to put together all the extras pages and then PDF the whole thing. Maybe another week of work on it. Gonna try to see what all I can get rolling on it this week since I don't have much on my plate (at the moment). I want it all done in time for May when my con season starts. If all goes well, it will be!

Speaking of May, don't forget I got the CHERRY CAPITAL CON from May 23-25th. But before that, I just confirmed that I will be at CLEM'S COMICS in Downtown Lansing once again for FREE COMIC BOOK DAY (May 3rd). Then I'll probably hit a show sometime in the fall. Thats the plan so far anyway.

I should have my ARTBOOKS back from the printer early this week. So order now and get a free sketch inside!! As incentive I'm including original art printed in the book. Randomly selected from my archives, a nice way to say THANK YOU for the support. Order now by clicking the link I just posted or go to the store here at the site.

Also, our KICKSTARTER for TALES OF SEQUENTIAL MAYHEM is still rolling. (Click link to look at project and donate!) We're going strong and very happy with its progress. I am putting the book together this week as well so it will be printer ready by the time the Kickstarter ends. Dig it! We thank you for the support.

In non pluggy news, I have started watching CLONE WARS on Netflix. I quite like it. I'm also keeping up with episodes of THAT METAL SHOW, TOY HUNTER and WALKING DEAD. All fun passtimes for me. I am also deep into reading Neil Gaiman's OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE. I've put this one off for too long. Other than that, I am addicted to watching house shows on HGTV. Really jazzing for a nice dream house of my own. Perhaps I am feeling all spring cleany too, cause I just gutted the hell out of my kitchen and moved things around. Maybe wishing the weather stays nice so I can enjoy a spring cleaning around here. We desperately need it!

Okay, thats enough from me. Thanks for checking in and have a great week my droogies!

T

More Goingzzz On...

Hey all. Its late night and I just finished the original art for the bonus story in the upcoming Pleasant Life collected edition. Its 7 pages total and a nice cute little story. I am thinking I am going to fully color it and release it online in that version. But in the book it will be black and white like the rest of the comics. I'm really happy with how it turned out and I sped through the pages. Just like old times with the old gang! I can't wait to share it with everyone.

My youngest son had his surgery today. He had a small hernia and a cyst in his lower abdomen, also a chamber in his body wasn't closed and was draining fluid into it. He went in and it went smoothly. He's back home now and he's recooperating. The poor fella. But I knew he'd be okay.

I found out Steve-O from JACKASS is performing here in Lansing, MI (where I am at). So I am looking forward to seeing his show, possibly meeting him. We're big JACKASS fans here at the Talley homestead.

Lil' Poppy is adjusting to life living with us full time. We're still working on her potty training but she's doing better. She's certainly made our days fun around here. Glad we got her.

Our KICKSTARTER FUND for our TALES OF SEQUENTIAL MAYHEM horror comic is almost funded with 19 days left. But we'd love to be over budget! So if you haven't seen it yet, check out the link I just posted. Every dollar helps! Get yerself some great comics and original art!

The TREK TNG blu-rays are something I keep ignoring but man do they look awesome! I was looking at some footage of one tonight. I really gotta get on collecting those. I dropped out of blu-ray collecting for a while because I never have time to watch movies or anything at home. Plus the kids are so loud sometimes that watching something is a real chore. But I deserve a treat I think. I'd like to own things I love in the best form I can before I croak. Thats why I collect vinyl too! So I better get on these things. Of course, the 4k craze is coming too. Would I have to rebuy all of them? I don't know.

Plus I've been nostalgiac for my old VHS collecting habits. Better be careful! Too much vintage collecting and I'll be broke forever!

Anyway, thats whats up. This weekend: I got a party with friends on Friday, then Sat-Sunday full of solid work. I wanna push everything through to the completed stage. More STARSLAM pages to do. More writing to finish. All of it! I hit a wave of productivity and I don't want it to end!

Cheers, T

PLEASANT LIFE COLLECTION is coming!!!

Holy crap have I had a productive month of February so far! After the major derailments that happened in my life in January, it feels good to emerge from that and take that as fuel for actual work to get done! Books are at the printer, I've made convention plans for this year and everything seems to be falling right into place!

Currently: Anna Pocalypse (reprint of first trade with new cover) and Captains Log: ARTBOOK 1994-2014 are at the printer. I should get a proof for the Artbook this week and an invoice for Anna very soon. But this week I have been working on this baby:

Its a book that collects all four of the previously released (and loooong out of print) PLEASANT LIFE comics. Its a comic I started back in 2002 and ended in 2007. This collection puts all 4 tradebooks and tons of supplementary material and NEW material all in one big volume. It should be manga sized and look great on the shelf!

Problem I had for the longest time was that when I built the first tradebook of PLIFE back in 2004, I saved the files as PDFS on a couple old ZIP discs. ZIP discs are hard to come by in today's age. Its like trying to make a FLAC Mp3 off of an Edison Cylinder! I tracked down two different external ZIP drives and bought cords and software for them. Both didn't work in any computer I have access to, and no one I know has a ZIP drive. Its just too out of date.

So I was left with only one option. I couldn't scan the original art pages because many of them are sold off over the years to friends/fans and some are just lost. But I did have one copy of the first tradebook in my archives. (Luckily I am a packrat and save one of everything!!) So I ended up having to scan those pages and touch them up as best I could. They will look a little fuzzy, but in all honesty, I can live with it. This is art I did back in 1999-2002 when I was working on the book. I didn't have it in me to scan the old black and white comics and REDO the tones, touch ups and retype every word balloon. The temptation to change things and go all "George Lucas" on it would be too great. Not to mention it would be giving me quadruple the work to do. So I decided that this is good enough to work with what I want to do for it. Its not like this is an IDW Artists' edition or something. If I ever get uber famous, maybe I'll do that. But at this point I just want to get the book completed and out so people can have it and read it. Besides, it don't look all that bad!

On the left is a page I scanned and knocked up the contrast on. On the right is a PDF from book two which I did have on a disc. Check it out:

So see? Its gonna be okay. Hey, at least you'll have the comics and you can read and enjoy em.

This book will have all four trades, tons of supplementary material including rare stories, aborted webcomic concept pages, pics of the real people/places that inspired the story, sketches, a script from the old series, the "pilot" comic AMAZING BUD that I did in high school circa 1995, new artist retrospective/commentary on BUD and other things, various sketches and production stuff/products made featuring the characters and an ALL NEW (EXCLUSIVE TO THIS COLLECTION) bonus story! Yes, I am drawing the gang again for a little quick story to add to the book. So you can see what my art looked like in 1999 all the way to now! It will be fun to draw the old gang again. Looking forward to it.

This collection will be a great thing for me personally and I want people to have it and enjoy it. I'm working hard to make it the best I possibly can and something I can be proud of. Ever hear the phrase that you "can't go back in time?" Bullshit! I'm proving it by doing this, baby!

I hope to have this whole thing assembled and ready by May. I will do a pre-order on it for those who want one. All total it will be around 460-480 pages, all for $20. WOW!

Wish me luck!

______________

In other news, the Kickstarter for MAYHEM #3 is doing great! We're over halfway funded and its only day four of the launch! Thanks to all who have supported so far. To look at the project and to donate, click HERE

STARSLAM is still rolling! Working on new pages this week. I'm in the home stretch of getting the first tradebook done, and I want it done before year end! YAY!

The Porn Store book and short story collection are being worked on as well, so don't worry. These things take time. But I haven't forgot about it. Just making the books I have DONE a priority for a minute to get them back into the online stores and for me to have at the cons this year.

Speaking of Cons, I'll be at the CHERRY CAPTIAL CON in Traverse City, MI on May 23-25th. I think I will be doing something for Free Comic Book Day but not sure where yet. Keep tuned in here for updates. And I will likely do some sort of con in the fall. This summer the wife is concentrating on playing music in a band again, so I want her to do that. So no June-July shows for me most likely. But around August/Sept I will be looking to get out and about to a show!

Thanks for reading!

T

KICKSTARTER LAUNCHED!

We launched the Kickstarter two days ago for our TALES OF SEQUENTIAL MAYHEM #3 comic! Its our tribute anthology comic to the old EC HORROR comics of back in the day. Will have four stories, around 30 pages and You can see it and donate to it right HERE

See the funny video I recorded for it right Here:



Make sure you watch all the way to the end!

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And here is some art from the book to wet your whistles:

And once again, the comic will feature fake comic book ads like this:

Donate and get exclusive deals for the comic today! Original sketches, original art, commissions, prints and more! We appreciate the support!

Cheers, T

Post MSU Comics Forum thoughts...

Hey folks! I had a great time at the MSU COMICS FORUM yesterday. Met a lot of cool people and saw some old friends. Everyone who came out was great and someone even brought me a nice gift of a NIN viynl record! (THANKS!!!) All in all, a fun time and I got some new indie books to read from my local friends. It was great to see what everyone was working on and it was great fuel to my already white hot inferno! To listen in depth of what happened, check out the newest episode of my Idiothead.com Morning Show Podcast right HERE -- Subscribe, download, make a comment on Itunes! I appreciate it. Its FREE!

What I mean is, the only book I had there were a few copies of TALES OF SEQUENTIAL MAYHEM #2. Everyone else all had their books there. I felt completely silly selling the prints/print cards of pop culture characters because thats all I had. I want people to read my comics!!!! Good thing they are all at the printer! I made the right decision to shift all my efforts back into keeping my books in print. I'll never neglect them again. I just feel like a tool without them. Sorry for those that came to my table wanting books and I didn't have them. NEVER AGAIN.

Right now as I said before: Both Anna Pocalypse and the Artbook are at the printers. I should have them in my hands within 2-4 weeks at the most. And if you order them now, I'll ship em out as soon as I get em. And starting this next week hopefully if the ZIP drive I got works, I will start work on putting together the big PLEASANT LIFE collection I've been putting off for years. By year end, I want to have about 10 books all in my online store and ready for table sales. You are going to get soooooo sick of my ass, its not even funny!

STARSLAM is really heating up. She's in the middle of a major fight right now and the surprise ending to that will really drop some jaws. Shit is getting real over there! (and you thought that comic was just pornography!) If you are over 18, go check out that comic online for free right HERE

Lastly, I built the Kickstarter for our next TALES OF SEQUENTIAL MAYHEM book. It should be approved and launched this next week so watch for it! We really appreciate the support you guys give us to make this project happen. But more on that when it launches.

Thanks for reading! Peace and love,

T

MASSIVE UPDATE! GREAT NEWS!!!

Oh boy! Here is a massive update! BIG stuff is happening (finally) and we're getting shit together over here. The store will once again be stocked with books and other things and I couldn't be happier! First of all, ANNA POCALYPSE is getting reprinted with a new cover (see above) and it was sent to the printer this morning. Turnaround time is about a month, so I should have those by end of March at the latest. Its the exact same interior content, but with a new front cover and new back cover ad page. So if you missed out on getting it the first time around, now is your chance! You can order it now from the ONLINE STORE but be aware it won't be in your hands until sometime early April due to the printing schedule. Very excited to get that back into people's hands. 

Also: Big news on the ARTBOOK. Its FINALLY at the printer as well! The long story goes: My pre-orders were quite low, not enough to cover the costs. My original printer (comixpress) went out of business. So the new printer (KA-Blam) refused to print it because I had a lot of characters in it that other companies own (like my sketch cards of Marvel/Dc characters) and so they got cold feet about printing it. Understandable. So I retooled it and put even more "Girlie" art in the book. So now I'd need a printer that was comfortable with not only printing the iconic character material I didn't own, but also some nudity. Thankfully I found Grecko printing and they were cool with it. However, they had a minimum order that was well beyond what I initially wanted and I needed to raise some money. Thank the lords for tax returns! So I submitted my files this week and I am waiting on a proof to be mailed to me. Once approved, it goes to press.  I am expecting a late March arrival for this book as well. This one is the big tuna. The one I am most proud of. I can't wait for people to see it!

I teased this a while back but I am doing a 20th Anniversary Tshirt for the store and con appearances. I'll likely do a run of XL and 3XL shirts. If you are interested in one, EMAIL ME HERE to let me know and I can make sure I get your size in the print run. Not sure how these are going to do. I have done shirts in the past but I screen printed those myself in college. Very few of those exist anymore. I mean, less than 20. But anyway, I am doing this shirt and possibly a more "metal" themed shirt coming up later in the year. We'll see. But I am talking with printers this week about doing this shirt. Cost should be around $20-25 once completed. 

And now, this baby. The one that means the most to me. For those that know thier history, there were a total of 4 GNs of Pleasant Life done in the entire series run. About 480 pages or more. The first three books have been out of print for years and the 4th one recently sold out as well. I never wanted to reprint the older stuff because its so... you know... OLD! The artwork is me about 12 years ago and I certainly have changed and evolved. But I still feel like it would be cool to have every story collected and see the evolution of art and storytelling in one big volume. Its always been on my plate to do this big pocketbook size collection of it. The problem I had (and still do) is that 140 of the files are stuck on an old ZIP disc from college and I have no way of getting them. I did aquire an old ZIP drive recently, but I need a compatible cable that takes 25 progs down to a USB. I just ordered one through Amazon. So once it arrives I'll need to find a driver to make the software work. IF all that aligns, I can grab the files I need to start making this a reality. I have to build the entire book from scratch, clean up old things and try not to discourage myself while looking at that old artwork! But I want to do it because the book means a lot to me. Its my history. It has deeply personal stuff in it and it launched this whole thing I have been doing. The book deserves to be seen. I owe it that much to make sure people can get it and read it.

So I will collect it and get it out there to everyone. I am also combing the archives to make sure there is a ton of supplementary material for the book. I got tons of stuff still sitting around from handwritten scripts, sketches, commissions, reciepts, pictures and more. I gotta do right by this book and the characters in it. I want this to be the crown in my step as I move forward. Hell, I am even toying with the idea of drawing a quick new exclusive story in the book! Would be great to revisit the old gang again, if only for a small thing. I had toyed with the idea of a new PLEASANT LIFE book and I have ideas to do so one day. Ideas too good to not do. But I want this old stuff collected first. And by Summer, thats what I hope to do.

___

Lastly, TALES OF SEQUENTIAL MAYHEM #3 is being completed and we're launching a kickstarter for it hopefully this week. I recorded a fun video for it and its live on my youtube channel already if you want to see it early. But this book is going to be a happening. I'm proud of the guys and their hard work in doing it. Its a knockout!

Once all these things are off my plate, I am free to move on to what is next! Oh yes!

So yeah, big news all around. Shit is happening. Pots are being taken off my creative stove and finally served. Feels great. Tastes Yummy! Just don't get too full of me. There's dessert coming!

Cheers, T

Guarding the Galaxy

Hey everyone. Been busy this week finishing things on my massive TO DO list, in preperation for the MSU COMIC FORUM appearanc this weekend. Details on that HERE

First of all, working on potential base card art for my Pinup/Pitbulls card set. I got this piece done:

Which is cool, but I kinda want to re-draw it and make it look like the cover to an old pulp style book. I've always had in my head a series of sci-fi themed anthology comics similar to what we do with TALES OF SEQUENTIAL MAYHEM. Maybe I could do something with her. I love drawing girls with animals. Anna Pocalypse has a cat with her. This space girl has a pitbull. Maybe they go on crazy space adventures together. Maybe she's an alien herself. Who knows. All I know is I drew her today and I'm asking "who are you?" to her. Maybe soon she will answer. Another pot on the stove.

I finally sat and watched the Guardians of the Galaxy trailer. Admittedly, I know nothing of the comics or the characters involved with it. But I do know James Gunn, the director. I've followed his work since his Troma days, co-writing "TROMEO & JULIET." After viewing the trailer, I can see that indeed he has come a long way. But he always gives it back to the old days of Troma. He's one of the good guys in cinema and endlessly entertaining. Good work sir. You have sold me a ticket.

I did some purchasing this week. I ordered some new books from Amazon, including the newest Neil Gaiman novel (FINALLY) and another Invincible Hardcover. I also stocked up on art supplies and got a couple new shirts to go into my rotation. The weather seems to be getting a bit better so I am looking forward to actually stepping out into the world today and seeing whats crack-a-lackin'.

But of course I shall come home to the long list of TO DO and keep chipping away at its contents. I miss the days where I was way ahead of everything I needed to do. But it feels good to know that I keep the lists and never get behind. Anything self imposed tends to lose steam but anything assigned is always ahead. Good idea! I also have some commissions to finish and start on. Busy week!

See you all at the MSU Comics Forum!

Peace and Love, T

Productive!! (tons of exciting updates!)

Welcome back my friends! I give you the horns upon your return:

Man I needed this week. Things are better with my dad and he's on the mend. Its got my head where it needs to be and so I channelled that into actual production. I got a few more new Starslam pages done. Here's one:

We're getting close to what would be the end of the first book of pages.... I got about 20 pages or so to go. The final big fight (and sex) scene of the book and then tie it all up nicely. They will be released online but it was always intended to be a tradebook when completed. And I am almost done with the pages. Well, I still gotta color and letter them, but the hardest part is done! I'm excited with how its all looking tied together. For those reading the strips online right HERE, There's big things coming up. Starslam starts to get put through some major trials and lessons to learn about being a superhero. Including a couple really nasty fights. The current one with DRAID will be a real test to her. If you are over 18 and don't mind your comics being of an adult nature, I highly recommend you give the comic a chance. After all, its free! Pass it on to your friends. Updates every Monday!

In other news, I did art for two card sets. One was DEAD DIVAS, which I think I shared artwork on before. The other was Pinups and Pitbulls. Here's some of the art for that set that I did: 

Up next, we'll be launching the KICKSTARTER for funding for Tales of Sequential Mayhem #3! We're all done with our stories and in post production with the book right now. Here's a look at the cover so far:

Incentives for the Kickstarter will be original art, commissions, get to be a character in the next book and more! Plus if you missed out on #2 and want to get both books, there will be options for that as well. Some great stuff man. I think we really kicked it up a notch with this new issue. I'm very very proud of it. I'm shooting a cool video for the Kickstarter site this week and building it all up. So expect that very soon. We appreciate your support.

In other news, I will be at the MSU COMICS FORUM next Saturday, Feb. 22nd from 11am-5pm. Come out and see me! Details on the event are right HERE -- Many of my local comic pals will be there and the great STAN SAKAI is our guest of honor. Tell me that don't make you start heading here right now! Plus, there's me...

Good news! I got my tax return so I am dedicating it to one thing only: GET STUFF PRINTED AND RESTOCKED! I'm buying new art supplies, getting con plans together and printing books. Anna Pocalypse will see a reprint, Artbook as well (FINALLY!) and restocking things like prints and black paper/cards. Also today I got the cord I needed for the zip drive, so I can access all my old files and complete the long overdue Pleasant Life collection. That will make print as well!

Lots going on, man. Expect to get sick of hearing from me this year! I'm back baby!

Cheers, T

PS -- this is what the alphabet would look like if Q & R were elminated! (RIP Hedberg)

PSS -- Diet is still going well. Down 17 pounds. I'll take it!

Whoa! New Stuff!

Hey all! Quick News. New Stuff from me!!!

New Idiothead Morning Show PODCAST is live  Download/Subcribe right HERE. Its FREE! Hear me talk in your ears every week!

We've been working on the next TALES OF SEQUENTIAL MAYHEM book. Its an old EC HORROR Comics tribute anthology that I am working on with Shane Logan, Robert Knight and Mike Pascale. Here's a look at the cover, done by Robert!

And I am doing an 8 page story in the book, plus fake ads, movie posters and more. Here's a look at the first page of art for my story that I wrote and illustrated!

We're very excited about this one. Its going to be a bloodbath. We're launching a Kickstarter for it very soon and it will be out around March/April time, in time for summer con season! Stay tuned for details on pre-ordering and incentive deals.

This week I worked on commissions and art for a Pinups/Pitbulls card set. I am almost complete with those. I will share when I can, of course. I think I can get away with sharing some of the cards I did for the upcoming DEAD DIVAS card set through Unstoppable Cards. Here they are!

See? I'm busy working, okay? :) Thanks for checking back. MUCH more to come!

Frayed Ends of Sanity

Hey all. Thanks for checking back. I don't have too much of good news about my dad at this point. They moved him from ICU, but then discovered bleeding in his upper stomach area and have moved him back in. More tests to run and then probably surgery I am guessing. He's not talking clearly and is in and out with talking normal and then into total nonsense. I'm just taking it as it comes at this point and just keeping my mind occupied. Come what may. I can't control it, so I am just thankful for each day that goes by with the hope that he might get better. Its all I can do.

Meanwhile, I keep myself occupied. Playing with the kids, hanging with the wife. I drew some more STARSLAM strips yesterday. Probably do more tonight. I got some commissions to do, which is good. I'm waiting on payment for a few others plus some card work I did last June (STILL not paid for that!). I finished one card set and I got another one I have to work on too. Markers need refilling, so there's that.

On writing, I haven't done too much progress as I haven't had much alone time as I would have liked to have. I've just sort of been keeping my mind occupied cleaning the house, watching old episodes of Roseanne, which I had NEVER watched before but am enjoying now. I did however sketch out a potential cover idea for the porn store book. Since I feel I owe you something for checking this out, I'll show ya:

A sort of James Bond vibe with a B&W "CLERKS" vibe I am thinking. Bright color letters for the words. Maybe. I got time to think about it. Gotta get a first draft done.

I've been talking with the boys about the final touches of the TALES OF SEQUENTIAL MAYHEM book #3. Everyone will be done on time and we're going to be shooting another video for the Kickstarter for it. I have the idea already and have talked to my actor involved. Its gonna be fun to do. Probably end of the month for that.

We're fast approaching Jan. 24th, where I turn the big 36. I wish I could say that my new year has started off good but all this with my dad obviously has derailed me a bit. But I'm trying to stay on the track and keep going. For sanity's sake, mostly. Just ignoring it. To focus on the things I can control rather than be upset at the things I cannot. Just keeping up with my work, to keep the focus. I really need a couple nights of hardcore progress and production. Nothing cleans my head like a good night of getting work done. Hopefully this week. As always, I'll keep you fine folks updated.

I didn't want to bum you out and make ya'll worry about me. I'll be okay, no matter what. My chin is up and I'm rockin' and rollin.' On to the next page.

Cheers, T