Los Angeles - Paradise for Weird Birds

Los Angeles is a city of odd immigrants. Yes, people move here from all over, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Look around SoCal and you'll see that almost every living thing evolved somewhere else. That lawn? Probably European. Those eucalyptus trees? Australian. The neighborhood pigeons? North Africa. With all these transplants it's easy to become blase about unusual flora and fauna. Even wild parrots don't cause most people to look up anymore. Go shopping in Old Town Pasadena and you're almost guaranteed to see a flock of them eating, nesting, or playing with the local crows.

Magpie-jay enjoying the sun - photo by Gabriel Hardman

That said, there are still a few visitors who can turn heads. And one of them has taken up residence at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank.

Pictured here is a beautiful black-throated magpie-jay, a native of Mexico that normally ranges from southern Sonora to northern Colima. The first report that I could find about this particular bird indicated that he's been living near the studio at least since 2010. Given his striking colors and big personality, it's a safe bet that he was an aviary resident before that or he would have been noticed sooner. Or he may have traveled up from southern San Diego county, where a flock of magpie-jays have become established after apparently escaping from wildlife smugglers in Tijuana.


Either way, it's not too surprising that a magpie-jay would do well at a studio. They're omnivorous, like the crows they are closely related to, and smart. Studios are a lot like big campuses, filled with people constantly dropping food, so there's plenty to eat. Lots of big trees help too. Corvids of all types love to play and are very curious, so it's common to see them carrying sticks and bright objects. This guy is no exception, as he was brought to my attention when my husband Gabriel was working on the lot recently and spotted him lugging twigs around.

Carrying a stick - photo by Gabriel Hardman

Black-throated magpie-jays are fairly common in their native territory, but recent reports have seemed to point to a drop in their population. It's unknown if there is only one magpie-jay at Warner Bros. or perhaps a couple, which could lead to a breeding community. Chances are that this guy is all alone, but clearly he's doing okay. As a member of such a long-lived and intelligent species, hopefully he'll grace the studio with his colorful plumage and shrill voice for many years to come.

Timon Never Looked Better

Gabriel and I were well satisfied by the breath of stories we told in 12 issues of Planet of the Apes: Cataclysm and our two PotA miniseries, but I still miss thinking and writing about "our" characters now that the series has concluded. So just imagine my pleasure at seeing Timon, the outcast chimpanzee-turned-radical-cult-leader brought to "life" by the talented Mr. Michael Kostka as a 1/6 scale custom model! Everything is there just as in the comic: his cobbled together book of inspirational sayings (where I finally had the chance to sneak an e.e. cummings quote into a script), his decorative eyepatch echoing the one his hero Aleron wore, and even his serious expression. After all, Timon is a bit of a tortured soul. I should mention that the original look for Timon (before the eyepatch) was designed by Marc Laming when he first appeared in Exile on the Planet of the Apes.

Well, don't take my word for it. Check out these great photos and see for yourself. Thanks so much, Michael, for sending these my way!

Where I'll Be at SDCC - Or CCI:SD if You Prefer

One of my favorite con sketches ever - Fizzgig by Dave Wachter

Another Comic-Con is almost upon us. Time itself is out of control! It can't be a whole year since the last one, can it?

Since I can't actually stop time I should probably mention where I'll be at this year's giant show. Gabriel and I are only going to be there Friday and maybe a little bit of Saturday, but Friday is going to be a loooong day. Hope to see you there!

Friday, 10 AM - Room 7AB
Star Wars: Here and Now

"What is the current state of Star Wars comics? Join Dark Horse editor Randy Stradley and Star Warscreators Carlos D'Anda, Corinna Bechko, Gabriel Hardman, Doug Wheatley, Gabe Eltaeb, Tom Taylor, Zack Giallongo, and others for the lowdown on what's up, what's coming up, and why you should be reading!"

Friday, 1-2 PM - Dark Horse Booth
Star Wars Legacy signing


Friday, 4 PM - Room 23ABC
Four Colors of Fear: Horror in Comics Past and Present

"Throughout comics' storied history, horror has been an important part of the medium. In 2012 Dark Horse released its most ambitious horror publishing slate to date. Now, Dark Horse unveils a whole slate of new titles guaranteed to have you running for the covers! Join Dark Horse horror line editor Scott Allie, along with Eric Powell (The Goon), Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash/Ex Sanguine), Paul Tobin (Colder),Gabriel Hardman and Corinna Bechko (Station to Station), and others, for an exciting look at this year's most promising thrills and chills!"

Gabriel will be at all three of these events too, and two others besides:

Friday, 4:30 PM - Room 24ABC
Motion Picture and Television Illustrators of the Art Director's Guild

"Illustrators and storyboard artists use their skills and imaginations to develop the transcendent visuals of the big screen, be it adventures on distant worlds or life in earthly hovels. Moderator Tim Burgard (White House Down, Rise of the Planet of the Apes) talks to illustrators Donna Cline (Bones), Gabe Hardman(Inception), Patrick Rodriguez (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides), and Peter Rubin (Man of Steel)."

Friday, 5:45-6:45 - Sails Pavilion, Autograph Area
Motion Picture and Television Illustrators of the Art Director's Guild Signing

Kinski!

Are you reading KINSKI yet? You should be! The first issue is available digitally now from Monkeybrain Comics via Comixology, and the second is already up for pre-order. What's it all about? Well:

"Frustrated with his dead end career as a chicken feed rep, Joe is looking for something. Turns out that something is a four-month-old black lab puppy named Kinski. Joe is going to save this dog. What at first seems like a simple rescue mission escalates into a righteous crusade...but crusades don't usually work out so well, do they?"

By turns funny, poignant, and irreverent, Kinksi is, in my  opinion, the best way you could spend $0.99. And I'm not saying that just because I'm married to the creator either. Still not convinced? Check out this review from someone who doesn't work in a studio directly down the hall from Gabriel. And then gather up your closest canine companions, fire up your favorite electronic reading device, and spend some quality time with KINSKI.

Wordless Wednesday featuring a Lego Squid

Emerald City 2013 Scheduling News

Emerald City Comic Con is less than a week away!

Gabriel and I will be holding down
Table K-04 Friday through Sunday.

We'll also be signing at the
Dark Horse booth Sunday at 1:30

You can catch our panel too, where we'll be talking Star Wars in Comics with Brian Wood in
Hall B (608-610) Sunday at 12:10

Gabriel still has room for a couple of commissions but slots are filling up fast. If you want one, email him at gabrielhardman@gmail.com or contact him on twitter.

Hope to see you in Seattle!

Emerald City Comic Con - One Week and Counting

I can't believe another year has passed, but it must have because it's just about time for the Emerald City Comic Con again.

Gabriel and I will be at
Table K-04 
for the entire weekend of March 1st - 3rd at the Seattle Convention Center. We'll have copies of our books and Gabriel will be doing sketches. If you'd like to pre-order one you can contact him at gabrielhardman@gmail.com

Curious about prices? Here's his breakdown:
$125 for 1 character 9x12 inked
$200 for 2 characters 9x12 inked
$60 for headshot 9x12 inked.




Seattle's a great city full of great books and great food. Is it any wonder that it has a great comic book convention too? 

Hope to see you there!