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

More Apes News - Party at Meltdown Comics!

Summer may seem like it's over but it's still hot in Los Angles. What better time to celebrate Planet of the Apes?

Tomorrow night, Wednesday September 5th, Gabriel and I will be at Meltdown on Sunset Blvd with a bunch of the BOOM! crew as we launch our new Planet of the Apes series. There will be free snacks and drinks, even booze! Oh, and the best part: Meltdown is full of comics!

Apes! 7-9 pm! Tomorrow! 

Planet of the Apes: Cataclysm! This Week!

September is finally here, and with it comes the launch of our brand new Apes ongoing series! The first arc is called CATACLYSM, so you know we start things off with a bang. Not sure what you might be getting yourself into? You can check out a longish preview here.

Gabriel and I are handling the writing again, with art by Damian Couceiro and colors by Darrin Moore. Ape society will never be the same again!

Find it at your local comic book shop this Wednesday, September 5th.

And to everyone who has pre-ordered, thank you!

National Dog Day

Camila

Today is National Dog Day. It's hard to tell around here since Camila makes sure pretty much every day is a dog day.

Camila is a rescue dog (you can read more about her story here) so you know that we are devoted to mutts.

Not as devoted as some folks though. Claudia, for instance, does more for the dogs of SoCal in a day than most people do in a year. She's especially keen for dogs that need extra help, like senior chihuahuas (remeber Pocita, who bummed a ride with us to San Francisco a couple of months back?) and pit bulls. Rescuing dogs like these takes hard work and can get expensive. But fear not, there's a way to help!

Claudia just opened The Rescue Shop and started selling super cute shirts. I ordered one right away and it arrived lightning quick. The shirts are good quality, fit great, and, best of all, $5 from each one sold goes to helping dogs like Pocita and Camila. Celebrate National Dog Day in style!

Wordless Wednesday featuring Keane and Patron

What to do in Vegas if You're a Vegetarian Tiki Bar Loving Music Afficianado

I'm convinced this is an angry squid and a Tiki mug

There's really only one thing that gets us to drive for hours through the desert when the temperature is over 110 degrees, and that's the lure of seeing live music. We usually only have about 16 hours to spend in Las Vegas when we do, so we've learned to make it count. On the off chance that you might like  the same things that we like, here are some suggestions for a whirlwind trip that includes very little gambling:

Vegetarian Food

Hot tip! The Wynn  has secret menus at every single one of its restaurants. Actually, they have two! One is vegan, the other vegetarian. And, believe it or not, the food is good. If you order a veggie burger they even give you a chocolate almond milk shake with it for free. All you have to do is ask.

Tiki Bars

Good Tiki bars are hard to find. The last time we were in San Francisco we went to one that was so bad we left before even getting drinks. Imagine our surprise when we found Frankie's Tiki Room just a little ways off the Strip in Vegas. It's a new place, but it's perfect. The lights are low, there's goofy stuff in every corner, the drinks come in ridiculous mugs, and the bartender (and even bouncer) are friendly. We left with two fabulous mugs to add to our collection and a conviction to return to buy more. 

Good Coffee

Every single Starbucks I've been to in Las Vegas has been over priced and bland to bad. Coffee joints inside casinos cater to tourists so they don't have to be good enough to attract repeat customers. Not so with The Beat on Freemont Street. They make great coffee (espresso drinks included) and terrific breakfasts. Plus, they sell record albums and zines. It's a bit of a local hangout, something that most people don't see too much of in Vegas. It's also independent, so spending money there actually helps the local economy. 

So there you have it, three important things for any whirlwind vacation, at least in our book. Now, if we could just find a great Tiki bar in Seattle...