S A T U R D A Y

This modern "Mermaid Show" over at the Species III booth freaked a lot of attendees out, because they all assumed it was a mannekin until she'd move, playing with a rubber headless snake. I don't know what this has to do with Species III or why she has a can of Play-Doh in there, but it was certainly a popular display.- jp

 


Crossing the room on a Saturday is like being one of the living trying to make your way through a zombie army-- the crowd is ambling in a hundred different directions and stopping in the middle of the walkways for no good reason. I left early and still was late to my signing at the Harris booth. They had plenty of the issue of Vampirella Magazine with my cover and story, so I helped push that. First I tried to do it by rocking out on the Limited Edition John Bolton-print D.B. Rich Vampirella electric guitar, but there was no amp and I suck and the guitar feels like it's made of plywood so I dropped that tactic. I switched to offering little sketches of the character, and that worked much better. Then I get to do what editor Maureen McTigue has to restrain herself from ten times a show. A Vampi fan came up and started tapping his stumpy index finger on one of the magazines with the photo cover, asking "Is she going to be here today?"
"Sir, she's not real," I reply.


Another high point came a few minutes later when Famous Monsters of Filmland publisher and Vampirella creator Forrest Ackerman was brought over to the booth. Though not in the greatest of health, Forre still stood up and posed for pictures with us, which was really sweet. I chose not to mention that I ordered several issues of FMOF when I was seven and never received them. The Captain Company cashed my dad's check for eight dollars too. I never really got over that, as I guess is obvious. Years later when I think about this day, I'm going to remember instead that Forre reached into a bag and produced the exact magazines (most featuring Godzilla and the Creature From the Black Lagoon) I had ordered. Yes, I like that new memory.

Me, "Chip Zdarsky", and our boss McTigue.

The pubes on this werewolf disturbed me;Berkeley's Super-Retailer Rory Root, who's mug disturbs me.

 

RULES FOR PROS
Parker may have lost at the Eisners but he's cleaning up at the table. That brief flash of his cover on the Eisners screen, plus the detailed coverage in the Hollywood reporter, has him practically fighting off customers. I get my first cell phone call of the day, and it's someone asking about Parker's sketch list. And my first sketch request: "Are you allowed to draw the Interman?" I dunno, lemme ask.


More of the usual requests, then a great one. "How about a sketch of one of those big haired Texas ladies at the picnic."

Clearly he's seen the latest mini. We chat and it turns out he picked up Family Reunionat the Chicago Book Expo. I knew there'd be some crossover.
Mere seconds before Dave Gibbons stops by the table, I finish a commissioned sketch of Rorshach. Thank god I'm not working on it while he's there, I'd be horribly embarassed. Fortunately, I've tucked in in another sketchbook and I get to feel normal while we chat. What a great guy. He's a major, major talent and he doesn't send off the slightest ego vibe. I mention this to some others later, and we all agree that Dave's who we'd like to be when we grow up.Meanwhile though, we're still playing in the mudpile. Looking around the room, it's clear how creators, sometimes unknowingly, screw each other over. Things would all go so much more smoothly if we would just realize that there are a few unwritten rules. Even better, let's write them down, so there won't be any excuses anymore. I'm putting them in the Mercury Blog, so's a discussion can begin. Like the one we were all supposed to have after Understanding Comics came out.

Exactly the sort of practice Lieber condemns in his Rules for Pros.

He-Hulk.

Mick Gray and Lieber

Run, Team Comics! Journalist/author Tom Spurgeon doesn't believe in you.

 

Jordan Raskin: elated to have a movie option;

Roberta Gregory gets Bitchy.
 

A Commitment To Our Roots and Whatnot
I barely got back to my table when I realized that I also had a signing at the ACTOR booth. Well let's see, wherezat booth... let's look through the program.... #308??!!??! Now I have to fight through the Zombie Army all the way to the opposite end of the room? Next year I'm going to ask for table numbers from people before I agree to signings. Ahh, it's for a great cause, helping out retired cartoonists with their bills, and discreetly, so I guess I'll just do it as long it needs doing. In fact, I was really supposed to be there at this time the previous day, but I found out about that scheduling a bit late. I cut up some paper into small pieces and started pulling the crowd over with free sketches of their choosing, talking kids out of things I can't draw like Sonic the Hedgehog. "Yeah, Sonic's pretty cool... hey, how 'bout BATMAN??" Once I reeled 'em in, Tony Panaccio would deliver the spiel, spelling out what ACTOR does and ways you can help just by buying groceries at Ralph's, and so on. Nice to see the fishbowl start filling up with sweaty money. Then Chuck Austen dropped in and sat down a while for the cause. I mentioned this on my audio blog, and a few people thought I was making a dig at him with my "what a nice picture-- I didn't know he could draw" comment. I wasn't being a smartass, I really only knew of him as a writer, had never seen his art. That's the magic of me-- I'll know about some artist who drew nothing but Chic tracts yet not know the work of the industry's biggest sellers. No rhyme or reason to it, I'm just erratic that way. Anyway, I liked the picture he drew and him personally for the short time we were there. I understand he's controversial amongst readers, but I have no idea why. I suspect his biggest detractors probably change their tune at shows and bring him a large stack of comics to sign.

Aw snap! (I give that phrase 2 more months) I forgot to get my Anime caricature!

And on right, Paul Guinan with some very typical Guinan fans.

I totally chase away the Alan Scott Green Lantern because I always have a pencil on me. I seriously doubt he actually fears wood in real life, though; here he is as Nipple Ring Hawkman menacing writer Bill Baker.

 
After the show, Lieber, Ottaviani and I walk right past people with their notions of "dinner plans". We've got a plan called Project NAP that we put into effect as soon as we reach the hotel. Project Nap almost became Project Wake Up Sunday, but I managed to fight my way to consciousness and finish a color piece of the Earth 2 Robin that Carr D'Angelo requested. Carr is the co-proprieter of the comics shop known as... Earth 2. Jim and I go to the Hyatt and look for fine conversation. I don't know if he finds any, but I do. While sitting out back at the DC Harbor bar, I spot a bunch of the internet hipsters to hang with.

It's here that I get, of all things, an Origin Story. I knew that writer Matt Fraction and pop icon Kelly Sue DeConnick met on the interweb, on a thing called a Warren Ellis Forum. But I didn't understand how they made the transition from electronic wooing to being married in the physical world. I'd screw it up if I tried to recount it, but it's a good story, and as they told it a small crowd started forming around us. By the time they were done, everyone was looking off to the side, because some of that sea-dust from the harbor had no doubt been blowing around, getting in our eyes. Excuse me....

Afterwards I dreaded putting my sore ankles through the hike back to The Bristol, when I saw Chris Butcher, who was also staying there. We agreed to torture a bike cabbie and make him rikshaw us all the way over there. I didn't care to hear the guy's classic rock blaring from his value-added cart, but I wouldn't complain to him. Butcher and I aren't exactly a couple of Craig Thompsons, he worked his ass off getting us up the hill to that hotel. Sweat was pouring off the guy and I swear he was looking to the side of us when telling the fare, as if he was seeing a double image. But hey, it's downhill all the way back. When I get into the room at nearly 3 a.m., Lieber is still working on commissions.

IT ENDS HERE! SUNDAY.