Sometimes I write things for other places. Over at The Comics Journal I reviewed ViP:The Mad World of Virgil Partch
They’ve also reviewed my book as well.
My friend John F. Kelly, in one of his many enterprises, has begun selling shirts. In addition to the ones of Tony Millionaire, Peter Bagge, and Danny Hellman, he has a few designs himself. Oh, and mine too. That’s the only reason I’m posting this. If you’re in the Pittsburgh area, look for his table at the Pittsburgh Indie Comics Expo(PIX) later this month, or check out his Etsy store here. If you’re embarrassed to be seen in public wearing the one in the lower right, there are others. If you have no shame, what are you waiting for?
I’ve posted different versions of this before, and will keep doing it until the final version is done, and that might not be until it’s published. My friend Marc Arsenault, in addition to running Alternative Comics, publisher of Magic Whistle, also does much of the production, and this is our latest attempt to let everyone know we’re publishing new issues, and to have it not be confused with issues that came out over ten years ago.
It’s unfortunately too late to attend the gallery show but I’m proud to be included in Characters: Portraits of Contemporary Cartoonists, featuring a hundred paintings of just that by New York cartoonist Jess Ruliffson. My portrait was also done a couple days after the book of the show was printed. Characters has the first fifty of the featured artists and is available for six dollars through Robyn Chapman’s Paper Rocket Comics. It would be great to have all 100 cartoonists together in one room, each holding up their portrait, but I don’t expect something like that to happen soon unless you write your Congressman. It’s their job to listen.
Sorry to keep bringing up the 90s. Makes me sound like a middle-aged guy who yearns for his old high-school football days. I’m only the first half of that sentence.
Years ago I asked around about a nameless mini-comic I included in a grab-bag that I only made about 20 of. It was everything pre-Magic Whistle I had done at the time, packaged with a cover in a plastic bag and labelled Magic Whistle #0(Not to be confused with the Magic Whistle #0 available through ComiXology) and included a mini I hadn’t used before called C3PO. It was something my then-roommate Mike Rex and I had based on an inside joke we had of a club he made up called “The Williamsburg/Greenpoint C3PO Appreciation Society”.
As I said, I asked around about it. It mostly sold at Jim Hanley’s Universe, so people who worked there were the ones I asked about this comic, and if anyone had it, could they send some scans.
I forgot about it until yesterday, when Michael Bianco posted pages on his Facebook page. He doesn’t have a scanner, but sent me photographs. As you can see, it is water-damaged, and because he is in Staten Island, I asked if it came from Hurricane Sandy. Alas no, but it would make a great story. The idea that the storm devastated the town last year but all that was left was this stupid comic.
I thought I had done more, but I only did two of the eight pages. See if you can guess which ones.
Looking back, I realize a better cover would have been the famous Star Wars card with a hunk of metal some say is his penis. Oh well, I always come up with better ideas in 20/20 year hindsight.