Emerald City Comic Con, the Wrap-Up

After experiencing my very first Emerald City Comic Con I have only one thing to say: fantastic!

Truly, this is the way a con should be. And I'm not just saying that because we sold out of our graphic novel Heathentown. I'm saying it because ECCC is all about the comics. There were tons of interesting creators to meet, interesting fans to talk to, and nice people in cool hats with great hair. Pacific Northwest Comics Community, I have to admit to being a little bedazzled. I know my name was spelled wrong on the banner attached to our table, but everyone was so sweet about everything I couldn't hold a grudge.

Gabriel was kept very busy signing his page in Monsters and Dames, the ECCC limited edition art book which was being sold to benefit a children's hospital. He also did a ton of sketches. I love this one in particular:

It was great to spend time with some of the creators from Periscope Studios in Portland, including Jeff Parker, Colleen Coover, Paul Tobin, and Jeremy Barlow. I'm still plowing my way through all the books we bought in Seattle, but allow me to recommend the trade of Mysterius the Unfathomable written by Jeff with art by Tom Fowler. You won't be disappointed!

I was also amazed to meet several people who admit to reading this very blog! Sure, I love writing it, but what a thrill to know that someone is actually reading the darn thing. So a big thank you to everyone out there who does, especially Sigrid Ellis, a fellow blogger over at Fantastic Fangirls who was the first person at the show to mention it to me and an all around nice person.

We managed to see a little of Seattle too, including an expensive dip into Elliot Bay Books, my favorite North American book shop, and a tour of the famous underground city. Here's a view of one of those strange glass sections of sidewalk from below.

I can't even complain about our hotel. I mean, look at this view!

In short, we had a great time and we're already planning our next trip to the Emerald City in 2011 when the show is rumored to be three days long. Hear that, ECCC? You have a whole year to learn how to spell my name!

Wordless Wednesday featuring the Amazing Fredo

Wordless Wednesday Featuring Two Harris's Antelope Squirrels

Emerald City, Here We Come

Guess what? Chicken butt!

Okay, not really. Maybe I'm still stuck on that last chicken post. Let's try again...

Guess what? Gabriel and I are going to be at Emerald

City Comicon next weekend in Seattle! We'll be holding down a table in Artist Alley. Table J-04, to be exact, but you can also find us in the program under either Gabriel Hardman or Corinna Bechko. We'll be selling copies of our graphic novel Heathentown and Gabriel's new sketchbook. Gabriel will be available to do sketches at the show too. If you would like one, he's taking pre-orders at $40 until Thursday evening. Tweet him @gabrielhardman. He'll do the sketches at the show, but if you wait to order one there it will be $45. Gabriel also did a piece for the Monsters and Dames charity book, so check that out! It's really cool, and it's for a good cause.

In short, if you happen to be in Seattle this coming weekend and like comic books, stop in and see us! We'd love to meet you in person. We'll even give you a Heathentown button.

Wordless Wednesday Featuring Two Juvenile Gerenuk

And the Second Winner is...

That's right, a winner has been chosen! Who did the choosing? In the interest of random fairness, the universe was consulted. How did I contact the universe? With a random number generator that claims to use the background static of the cosmos to pull numbers out of thin air. Yay, chaos!

Anyway, the universe has spoken, and since there were only 30 entries it couldn't use its fallback answer of 42. Instead, the universe chose entry number 20. Tyler, step right up and claim your prize!

Tyler had a choice between a pair of earrings and a tiny beaded bottle (here's the post if you want to see what she won). She picked the bottle, so congratulations to Tyler! She has a blog too, so stop by and say "hi"! Or, better yet, check out her cute etsy shop. She has gadget cozies like this one for only $6, and the proceeds go towards her college education.

Many thanks to everyone who entered. These give away posts are a lot of fun for me, so I'm planning on doing another one soon. If anyone has any ideas on what they would like to win I'm open to suggestions. Sorry, I don't have any money or trips to Europe just sitting around, but feel free to browse my shop for inspiration.

Who Ya Callin' Chicken?

I'll be honest. Chickens used to freak me out. When I was very young a giant (well, it seemed giant) rooster attacked me for no reason while I was playing in my grandfather's back yard. I know you're probably thinking that I pulled his feathers or mocked him or something, but I swear, he was just a reprobate.

These days I love chickens. What changed my mind? Ironically, it was another violent act, this time perpetrated by a hen. My mother-in-law was house-sitting a small farm in Florida when we dropped by for a visit. Several hens wandered the back yard. We shared a bit of bagel with them, but one was more interested in stalking something hidden in the palmettos. Quick as a flash, she came up with a small lizard, tossed it into the air, and swallowed it down. Unbelievably bad ass! I had always thought of chickens as idiots, but here was one that would have made its dinosaur forebearers proud. Don't get me wrong, I'm not only a vegetarian, but I have a special fondness for lizards. Still, the hunting prowess of this bird was amazing. Maybe there was more to chickens than I thought...

So now I count myself as a chicken lover. I've even been known to collect a bit of chicken art, if

it depicts these noble birds in all their multi-faceted splendor.

That's why I was so excited when I spotted this wall hanging in Tatty Tiara's etsy shop. It came in the mail today, and I love it! It's even better in person than in the picture.

I also love these vintage stuffed chickens from BlueBirdSales. They're cute, but not in a condescending way.

Then there's always the custom chicken option. These guys, from HedwigzInch, are made to order. Who wouldn't want a one-of-a-kind felt hen? I know I do!

So, take time to appreciate some chickens today. In all of their bad-ass, lizard-and-bagel-eating glory.