NYCC 2013 - The Belated Recap

We've been back from New York Comic Con for a week and we're finally over the con crud. It was a crazy few days as it always is, so I won't even try to write a recap. Instead, how about some photos?

Gotta love our hotel. It's all ship themed, including portals as windows and model boats in the lobby. Also, you could see the Hudson (sort of) from our room.

The con doesn't start until the afternoon on Thursday, the first day, so we ran uptown to see the Balthus exhibit at the Met. I used to work in the gift shop there many, many years ago and I always like to visit.

You can tell you're getting close to Javits Center, where the con is held, when suddenly everything starts referencing comics and pop culture. I found this frog outside a coffee shop several blocks away. Yes, I did try their coffee. I couldn't let that frog down!

It's not news to say this con is crowded. Even so, I did get over to Art and Franco's table in time to get a real live (well, stuffed) Action Cat. And it was super nice of Mariah Huehner to add a Fizzgig to my Fizzgig sketchbook. My one major regret of NYCC '13 is that I didn't get one from Marc Laming after all too.








It's always a surprise to lay everything out on the table and see how much work has been done since the last con. Or table was pretty crowded so I know that we've been busy.

By the time the con ended gorgeous fall weather had arrived in NYC and we were sorry to leave the city. So we walked around a bit, visited one of our favorite dinner spots (any Red Bamboo fans out there? That place is great!) and the cats at Bleeker Street Records. And of course The Strand, which will ship books home for $0.99 each. Which explains the giant heavy box that was just delivered to our front door today...

In short, thanks for showing us a good time, New York City! And thank you to everyone who came by to see us at the con. Now, back to work!

Where We'll be at NYCC

A robot dog but also an Artist Alley table

This time next week Gabriel and I will be in the Big Apple, hopefully meeting you at TABLE K-9 in Artist Alley where we'll be during all four days of the  
New York Comic Con.

Gabriel still has an opening or two on his sketch list but if you'd like to reserve a spot you'd better act fast! You can contact him on his blog or email him. Wondering about prices? Here's a breakdown:

$125 for 1 character 9x12 inked

$250 for 2 characters 9x12 inked

$60 for headshot 9x12 inked. 

We'll also have copies of all our books and Gabriel will have a con exclusive for fans of his digital comic KINSKI: high quality prints showcasing the pup who started all the trouble. The run is very limited though, so if you want us to put one aside for you, just ask!

NYCC is truly like no other con. This year, like last, Artist Alley will be a bit off the main floor on the north side of Javits Center where some natural light and fresh air has the chance to penetrate. It's a pleasant place to spend some time so feel free to drop by and say hi!

New Stuff! September 2013 Edition

The summer is almost gone but Gabriel and I didn't take much time off. Instead, we've been busy making comics! Well, okay, we did take a day off for our anniversary, but it was an impressively numbered milestone so we felt entitled.

And so, with out further preamble, here's what we have coming up.

First, Kinski #3 by Gabriel Hardman is out today! You can find it here. You can also pick up the first two issues from the same link, or even subscribe. This issue marks the halfway point, so don't miss out! How far will Joe go to save the not-quite-stray dog Kinski? Far enough that even good-natured Frank is unhappy, judging by the cover. Hop over to Gabriel's blog to see some preview pages.


It seems impossible, but New York Comic Con is just three weeks away now. Gabriel and I will be sharing a table in Artist Alley again this year, and Gabriel is already taking sketch requests. Want to get on the list? Email Gabriel (GabrielHardman@gmail.com) soon! He's still got a couple of openings. Here's a breakdown of his prices:

$125 for 1 character 9x12 inked

$250 for 2 characters 9x12 inked

$60 for headshot 9x12 inked. 

And here's a recent example of what you'll get:

If seeing Batman fight Gorilla Grodd reminds you that you'd like to read more books about apes, never fear! We've got you covered there too. 

You can now pre-order the second volume of Planet of the Apes: Cataclysm from Amazon or from your local comic book shop. It'll hit stores on November 5th. Not sure where your closest comic shop is? Use this handy locator to find out.                                                                                                 Hope we'll see you in New York in October. If not, have a happy autumn!

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

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!

A Very Late NYCC Wrap-Up

Kevin Church makes us look good

Yeah, it seems like ages ago now, but we really were at New York Comicon last month. And let me say, that show is crazy. Completely, totally, unbelievably nuts.

At least that was my impression based on the tiny bit I was able to see. Gabriel and I held down our corner of Artists Alley for all four days and rarely ventured away from it. When we did, we were met by CROWDS. And those crowds were BIG. And INTENSE. So we took the path of least resistance and waited until the surging sea of humanity washed people up at our table instead.

Museum done right

For once we planned ahead and were able to spend almost the whole week in the city. We did a whirlwind tour of the Met (still odd for me to visit since I used to work there), MOMA (where we were happy to find a fabulous de Kooning show - thanks for the tip, Linda!) and the AMNH (one of my favorite spots in the known universe). We also walked and walked and walked, as the sky threatened rain and I basked in the humidity. We even rented an apartment in Chelsea for the week so it was almost like living there again. Except for the fact that all the places that we used to fear to tread even during the day now host Whole Foods and Starbucks every few blocks.

Giant kitty!

The show itself was a lot bigger than it was the last time I attended, two years ago. Gabriel went last year by himself, and I honestly don't know how he did it. He was busy doing sketches the entire time, virtually without pause. Happily, we still managed to see tons of our favorite people over the course of the weekend. We had a lovely time at the iFanboy party (held in a dungeon bar in Alphabet City, yet another place we might have hesitated to go back in the day) despite the fact that jet lag led us to believe that it was only a bit after midnight when we left... At 3:30 am. But what's a con without a bit of sleep deprivation? Tons of people stopped by our table to talk about Betrayal of the Planet of the Apes, and more than a few to talk about The Liar. All in all it was a terrific end to our con schedule for the year. So much so that I think it's taken me this long to recover!

Where We'll Be in NYC

I can't believe that the New York Comic-Con is just a few short days away. I missed last year due to a scheduling conflict, but this year I'm excited to be there all four days, holding down Artist Alley table N12 with my husband and co-creater Gabriel Hardman. Gabriel will be doing sketches every day. Curious about prices? Here's a breakdown:

9x12 Inked Single Character Full Figure Sketch: $100

9x12 Inked Two Character Full Figure Sketch: $200

9x12 Inked Head Sketch: $50

You can also pick up a copy of our OGN Heathentown or get a sneak peek at original pages from our upcoming miniseries Betrayal of the Planet of the Apes, coming in November from BOOM! Comics.

See you soon, NYC!