Weak Days

Pulling myself out of another work-induced anti-social streak to get back to work on a few things, and getting Love Buzz closer and closer to "in the can" as things progress. On that front, we have some unfortunate news. The book is being held back for resolicit by a couple of months, due to some problems that came up that are no fault of anyone in particular. In the long run, it'll hopefully be a good thing that will lead to me being able to better and more properly promote the book in various ways. Michelle and Dave have kicked copious amounts of ass on it in the last few months. This book is going to be above and beyond my original expectations, and I can't wait for you all to FINALLY see it.

In other news, I've been watching and keeping mostly quiet about a pair of projects I'm working on with an artist from Brazil by the name of Jorge Trinidade. He's just turned in the last pencils of the first half of issue one of one of the projects this past weekend, and his line work is very good and precise. This book is going to be filthy and hilarious.


The Day I Tried To Live #1 - Illustrated by Jorge Trinidade

Like I said, Jorge and I are in talks to produce this five issue project, and a smaller scale, more age-friendly three issue superhero title that he'll hopefully start on after the last half of this issue is in the can. I hope to start pitching them soon. Jorge has been a joy to work with, despite some of the funny limitations our language barriers have brought up. (I might tell you guys the 'dildo story' sometime when I'm less tired.)

On another front, now that I've got less of Love Buzz to worry about, I'm getting back on task with my slowly progressive romance anthology idea, Less Than Three. Haven't had a chance to touch it in months, but I've put my game face back on and have been emailing writers and artists about the current status, as well as receiving some really great story pitches and art to fill out the last few slots on the book.


Less Than Three - A short story from the Less Than Three anthology, illustrated by Chris Moreno.

*yawn*

Man, I thought I had more to say in me, but I guess we'll just have to settle for a mini-update and art bomb.

Enjoy, folks.

Bring Back That Lovin' Feelin'!

Been a pretty major week on the Love Buzz production front. We had a bit of a crisis Tuesday night, in the form of a frantic phone call from Michelle, telling me that her father had fallen 15 feet off a scaffolding and broken a some ribs. She was on her way to the hospital and apologizing profusely for being late with the night's worth of pages, something she never should have felt the need to do, and I told her as much. There was a bit of drama after that in waiting to hear back from her on whether her dad was okay, but gladly I got a hold of her the next day and he's recovered pretty good. Four broken ribs and on bed rest, but I'm pretty sure he left the hospital the next day. Beyond that bit of drama, I've never heard Michelle to be in higher spirits about the project in all the time we've been working on it. It kind of relieves me to know that too, because it means she cares about it as more than just a job to her, and it's gone a bit further in cementing the bond we've come to grow between each other in this odd little partnership.

In other news, as the book keeps inching towards the finish line of coming together, I got an email with another fun little piece of Love Buzz related eye-candy in the form of another pin-up that will be going to print in the back of the book.


Art by Miss Brenda López

Brenda's a pretty cool character I met through knowing Michelle and I guess them being mutual fans of one another's work. She and I have also recently collaborated on a five page short story for the Less Than Three romance anthology I'm still in the slow process of putting together called The Valentine's Day Massacre. I pride this particular story to be probably one of my top three favorite shorts I've written so far, and I'm happy to report Brenda knocked every panel of it out of the park artistically. I'm hoping to work with her on something a bit more substantial in the future, but she's a teacher, so it might take a little time, but I'll keep bugging her until I either wear her down or she just starts stonewalling me. (A side note to any aspiring comic writers out there. They say patience is a virtue, and it's true. Letting a good artist have the time to take their time is always mutually benificial.)

I'm told Brenda's worked up a color version of the Maggie piece and will send it to me soon, but since the book itself is black and white, this is the version that everyone will be seeing within the book itself. When I get the color version though, I'll be posting it, as well as the other two pin-ups I'm waiting to get turned in soon.

Stay tuned!

Love Buzz Art Bomb!

Been a while since I've done one of these on any form of any blog I've ever had, so here goes nothin'. Some new pages by the lovely, and talented Michelle Silva as the book winds down the path to it's completion.

Enjoy!







Michelle assures me that the image on the TV screen on the splash page is Mickey Mouse holding a banana. I maintain that she drew him holding a boner, but in the end that will be for the reader to determine.

Also, a little promotional banner that The Mauer and I cooked up!



Available this May in comic retailers and finer book stores everywhere. Diamond order code - MAR094378 on page 278 of the Previews Catalog.

A Quickie Interlude...

Wanted to take a sec to show off a Love Buzz pin-up that just got turned in by my buddy/hero Steven Walters.


I've been absolutely smitten with this guys work for several years, and getting this into the back of the book will be an awesome honor. Steve's working currently on his second OGN, the tentative title of which, I believe is The Sweet Souvenir. I've read and helped him edit the script on it, and it's going to be another slice of gold from him. Seriously, anyone who checks out Love Buzz and digs the tone and the slice-of-life story telling in the comic form would be doing themselves, Steven, and myself (as probably Steven's biggest fan) a favor in ordering and checking out his first book, Suburban Folklore as well as his second one, whenever he finishes it. Both of them are brilliant, criminally under read, and some of the most emotionally affecting stories I've read out of the comics medium in the last several years. You can see more of Steven's work at his website, www.ourobor.com

And have I mentioned we're close to working on a project of our own together? ;)

Last Five Google Searches - 7/30/08 w/ mini Art-Bomb!

Meant to start doing these more frequently, but... I fuckt up! Anyway, I have a little free time today before I get back to studying, so here we go with round 2.

Here are my last five Google searches in my web cache...

1 - effects of lead poisoning
2 - baxter avenue theaters
3 - chicago 1871
4 - comic book tattoo
5 - five stages of grief

ADDED BONUS! A couple of the first character sketches from my second book-in-progress, a decidedly darker departure from what everyone will be getting with Love Buzz, in the form of a morality play I'm tentatively calling "Half-Way Home" illustrated by the brilliant Steven Walters.