Post-Convention thoughts...

Well folks, its been a crazy week. In what should have been a week of me coming down from the high of having a nice vacation (one I was sorely overdue), I returned home and hit the pavement face first with a nice bout of depression. There was family drama, some old friend betrayals, various minor worries about finances and check delays. And natch, everyone that owes me money either never responds to emails or simply just disappears. Um, I got bills to pay here! Guess I better work on my business practices.

On the positive side, those who listen to the IDIOTHEAD MORNING SHOW’s latest episode will know  I took the deep plunge and parted ways with my day job. Thus I am now a full time stay at home dad and artist. So there’s a whole wave of new and unique stresses and worries that come along with that. I gotta make my work into money for my family. Before it was always considered a bonus to what I did. Now I have to evaluate my “worth” and make it stick. I am considering all options at this point. I am going to be reprinting my long out of print comics (Anna Pocalypse and Pleasant Life). I will be making up a new table set up for next year to capitalize on the prints and print cards to keep that end of things rolling strong. And commissions/freelance work will need to get evaluated as well. I had considered doing a price increase and I think I will very soon. I have to revamp the online store here a bit and update things.

So that’s all on my mind. Luckily this week to help combat the stress and everything else, I got to spend some time with the wife. Its been refreshing to reconnect and enjoy our 10^th year Wedding anniversary. Both our schedules have been hectic the last month due to her new job and my various pressures. But starting tonight I am getting back to work. I am working on new samples to send out to various companies to look for freelance gigs. I gotta color and letter some new Star Slam strips as well. Any day now too I should have my Star Wars return AP cards for sale, as soon as I get them back from Topps. So that will help finances too.

Lastly, this week I have been putting together my big celebratory artbook collecting my best pieces and never before seen stuff from the last 20 years of me doing this. This should be available by Christmas, to celebrate twenty years of working in comics. I got about 15 pages left to put together and then the cover. I will be putting out a contest here on the site to help me name it, as well as ordering info. I am hoping to have this completed by Sept/October time and have it up for pre-order. Then have it shipping by November/December. We’ll see. But more on that later. Just know that its being worked on. It will have a lot of sketches, process stuff, pics of my favorite pages from all my comic work, history, bio pics, inside info on all my projects I’ve ever done up to this point and more. A real celebration of 20 years of hard work!

Anyway, things are getting better. We’re on the mend and hopefully get back to where I should have been after Wizard World, before everything slamming my emotions at once derailed me.

Thanks for checking back!

WW CHICAGO recap

Well I am back from WW Chicago. The show went excellent and I made sales goals and new friends. And hung out with old ones. Very relaxing! I wish I could say my return home was equally as great. Lots of drama and even a great stab in the back. Oh well. I'm a firm believer in that if your right eye is causing you suffering, cut it out and toss it. I'm going to be applying that way more often. Lots to think about.

Anyway, about the show: It went spectacular. I remember the first Wizard World I exhibited at, I made $50 at. Then the next about $100. This time was way beyond that. It felt great that I had earned myself to a level where I can walk out comfortably. Its not so much the money, but the feeling that people are digging what I am doing. It makes the hard work well worth it. I'll probably do a play by play on the next Idiothead.com Morning Show Podcast (downloadable at Itunes!).

But now... back to reality! (heh) Well, in the next coming months, there's gonna be some changes and some evolutions to me as a person and an artist. We'll see what comes of it. For now, lets look at some pics from the show! Hotel, show floor, commissions, Brian and I's trip to a Tiki Bar, my first Chicago style pizza and more! Thanks for reading, and thanks to all who came out to see me! You guys rock! Onward and upward.

Home Stretch for WW Chicago Con!

Hey folks! We're getting damn close! Right now its six days and a wake up until the big Wizard World Chicago Comic Con and my first con attendance in well over a year! Guess what? They got programming up and there's maps! Wanna know where I will be? Check it:

Wow! Table #A11. What a primo spot! Right next to Alan Davis, J Scott Campbell and Arthur Suydam! I'm facing out to the dealer/Autograph area, meaning traffic will be headed straight my way. When I saw this, I got nervous as hell! So I am working hard to scrounge up some racks to bring with me to help make my prints go on display in a better fashion. Plus, Captain Jack Harkness and the Doctor Who store are near me, and so the whovians will be right in the area. I had better be sure to display all my Dr. Who related stuff!

What will I be bringing? Well, I'll have new prints, print cards, original art, sketch cards, comics, and I will definitely be taking commissions all weekend at the show. If the wifi signal works, I should be able to take credit cards, no problem. I am coming loaded with extra stuff so I don't run out!

To say that I am excited is an understatement! I'll be hanging with my buddy Brian Maze, who I haven't seen since San Diego Comic Con, 2009. But we talk every week on the phone and it will be good to catch up with him again. Plus there are some people there I do want to try to meet, such as fellow sketch card artists. (and I might even try to indulge my Superman fandom by getting Brandon Routh's autograph. We'll see, eh?) I ain't worrying about buying a damn thing until Sunday. Til then, its all business! I'm all stocked up on new pens and paper. I am getting copic marker refills on Monday. We're gonna be ready!!The big bonus also is that I haven't had a vacation or a break from the home life in well over a year. I love the kids, but everyone needs a bit of a break now and then. The wife will be busy setting up and launching her new store (FIVE BELOW!), so my parents are coming up for the week to help watch the babies. I hope all goes well with that.

In addition to all this, on Tuesday, I am going to go see BLACK SABBATH in Clarkston, MI with my buddy Matt. Looking forward to that as well! \m/

Holy crap folks. This is going to be awesome. I got a great table. I got a great hotel and roommate to help with costs. I've pre-sold a nice amount of commissions for the show. I am well stocked on items to bring with me. I'm just ready. Its all I can think about! If you are coming, stop by and see me. Table #A11. You can find out details on the show and who else will be there by going right HERE.

I look forward to seeing you all there. Rock on!

Gearing up for WW Chicago!

Hey folks. Its a few days away! My first con appearance in well over a year! Its rare to get me in person anymore it seems, so you don't wanna miss out on it!

Wizard World Chicago. August 8-11th. Also going that weekend in the same area is a cool horror convention called FLASHBACK WEEKEND. So check out both shows. But come to see me! I should have my table assignment soon.

I am bringing new prints and comics with me. I will also be taking commissions at the show! I've already pre-sold some commissions and thanks to those who have purchased some! If you are interested in pre-purchasing a commission to pick up at the show, EMAIL ME HERE and we can discuss such matters.

Some new prints for the show:

In other news, I am SUPER busy! Commission work. Also sketch card work. I'm doing some base cards for a new card set coming out that I can't talk about. Also just got a deal to jump back aboard a major property that I have done in the past. Wish I could discuss more, but I can't. Only time will tell!

I think I can reveal that STAR WARS GALACTIC FILES 2 is coming out the end of this month and will feature cards by yours truly. I will have 11 AP return cards for sale when the set comes out. If interested, hit me up and we can discuss. Its too early to show em though. Gotta wait till the set comes out. But if I must say, these Star Wars cards came out much better than the last ones! I keep growing and trying to get better.... which is the goal of this whole thing right?

This Sunday, I will be at a fundraiser for Fragile X at a park in Holt. Some of my recent art will be up for auction there and I will be doing sketches via donation, all to benefit Fragile X research. Its a topic close to my heart because it has been linked to Autism. Work must be done, so we need your help! Its this Sunday, July 21st from 2-4pm at Vallhalla Park in Holt, MI. HERE is a link for more info and directions. Come on out!

Anyway, I got a shit-ton to get done and the wife's bday is tomorrow. So I gotta cruise. Hope you are enjoying everything I am doing and thanks for continuing to check back with me. Love ya!

T