The Many Faces of Fizgig

Tyler Crook

Just realized that I forgot to include the sketches I got in that last post about NYCC. My sketchbook is all Fizgig (of The Dark Crystal fame) all the time.

Major thanks to everyone who's drawn the little fur ball for me. I couldn't be more thrilled with how these turned out!

If anyone needs a writer for a Fizgig comic, look no farther...

Declan Shalvey

Kevin Mellon

Kitten of the Week: Macaulley!

A lot of folks know by now that I volunteer at Kitty Bungalow Charm School for Wayward Cats. At the Bungalow we take scared, unsocialized kittens and teach them that humans are a-okay. In practice this means that feral kitties, taken off the mean streets, are introduced to the charms of being lap cats. And boy does that lesson take! It's nothing short of a miracle to see these kids transform from hissy balls of fluff into sleek purr monsters. But that's not the end of the story. Each kitten needs a loving home to graduate into so they can continue to practice what they've learned and make room for new underclassmen. With that in mind, I thought I might show off some of our students:

Macaulley here is a perfect example, and so he's my inaugural KITTEN OF THE WEEK.

Ready for action...

Too much playing makes for a tired kitten! 

Born into a feral colony, Macaulley somehow contracted a nasty stomach bug. Tiny kittens are fragile beasts, but the Bungalow was ready. After several tests the right antibiotic was found and Macaulley was soon on the mend. In the meantime he decided that he adores people, and now he's ready for a home of his own. As an added bonus, he promises to dispatch any flies or moths that are rude enough to invade your space. Already got a cat? Macaulley doesn't mind. As long as there are enough pats to go around, he's happy to share your lap. Know someone in Los Angeles who might like to meet Macaulley? Just tell them to shoot an email to kittybungalow@gmail.com to set up an appointment. Want to help him out with a scholarship? You can do that too. Just $10 makes a big difference to someone this small.

I now return this blog to its regularly scheduled routine of comic book news and weird factoids. Thanks for indulging my soon-to-be-weekly round of kitten news too!

New York Comic Con - We Survived!

One of Gabriel's Con Commissions

And... We're back! NYCC was a whirlwind, as always. The crowds were possibly even more insane than last year, but this time Artist Alley was in a sort of backwater pod area away from the main floor. That turned out to be okay because there was (gasp!) actual natural light. The traffic flow was better too, since we didn't have to fight for air and space with the major booths. The only downside was that the crowds were so crazy that I didn't make it to the main floor at any point during the entire show. New Doctor Who figures? None for me this year.

The fact that the crowds were a little easier to handle in Artist Alley was a big advantage though, since it meant that the folks who made it to our neck of the woods had the space to hang out and chat for a bit. I'd like to say a big thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth to say hi, purchase books and art, and say encouraging things about our work. That goes double for the podcasters who made the trek all the way from the complete opposite side of the con, often carrying equipment. You guys rock!

Me, Gabriel Hardman, and Yildiray Cinar

Speaking of podcasts, we had a lot of fun at the the iFanboy party Friday night. It still amazes me that it's held in a basement bar in Alphabet City. When I lived in NYC way back that neighborhood was rather... less posh.

The weather in New York was amazing too, perfect for walking and shopping for books. It turned out that the High Line ran almost all the way from the Convention Center to our hotel, and we took full advantage of the crisp fall air. I love the idea: an old elevated rail path upcycled into a lovely park that runs for blocks and blocks. It's like some idealized vision of a future city brought to life.

On Thursday we visited The Strand, finally. Wow, what a book store. Pro tip: they ship! Just $4.99 for the first book and $0.99 for each book after that. Way, way cheaper than packing back a bunch of heavy art tomes in the luggage. We also made it to The Village Vanguard to see the Bill Charlap Trio so I can now say that yes, that place fairly reeks of history. I can't believe we'd never caught a show there before since it's well worth the trip downtown.

Of course I'm paying for it all now with an epic case of con crud, but it was worth it. Now to catch up on all those deadlines before the next con season begins!

Wordless Wednesday featuring Franz and a Snake Plant