January 2007 Archives

I got something else in the mail, recently.

It's my contributor's copy of MAXIM Singapore, which ran a full page on Beavis, my pet rat.

When The Beav died of lung disease, I mummified him in the ancient Egyptian style, and I still have him around. He smells like a head shop and seems about as happy as a dead rat can be. I documented the whole process here, if you'd like to take a look. But it contains quite a lot of rat disembowelment, so consider yourself warned.

Takes me back to my Junior Egyptologist days down at the public library, camping out in the Children's Literature section and reading everything they could offer on mummies, mummification, and The Book of the Dead.

WARNING: BOOKS GIVE YOU IDEAS.

Anyway, in comics news: I'm still getting pre-orders for the Templar collection, which is fine and dandy, because I'm still accepting them! There is no deadline to pre-order the book. But ONLY the $15.00 option, unless we have a pre-arranged agreement. (You emailed me about snail-mailing a $25.00 or $50.00 check before the meter hit goal, for example.) I have a lot of sketches and commissions to do, and I wouldn't feel right adding to that pile. Sorry, guys.

The pre-order page is still up, and it's been transformed into a production journal. There's not much there now, but it should update every couple days from now on, just to let you guys in on how things are going. Right now, I'm shooting for a end-of-February publishing date.

Anyway, back to work with me. Thanks, guys!

Okay, first off: My readers are awesome. Fact.

You guys didn't just make Templar, Arizona in print possible with your flood of pre-orders, but you're all just incredibly cool, generous people. You go out of your way to be nice about things. Not just the emails, which I read and appreciate so much, but actual gifts. GIFTS. I mean, WOW. They're just so awesome, I really do hafta show 'em off. I hope the senders don't mind.

This is a TAMA CD. From Japan. Airmail. I included a shot of the note that came with it, because even after all these years on the Intarweb, Engrish still cracks me up.

Remember my post not too long ago, where I was asking around about the song in the animation at the top of this page? (I'd link the actual animation, but YouTube deleted it.) well, that song's on this CD. And I still love it. This was sent to me my a reader who lives and works in Japan, out of the kindness of her heart.

Bad. ASS.

This next one will probably seem really weird if you don't know what I consider entertaining. But trust me, this is spot-on.

Pictured: The cover of a book I received as a birthday present from Brenna. (I'll name her, cuz I know she won't mind gettin' called out n' stuff.) It's old, it's illustrated, and the text is... well, it's this.

Oh GOD what a perfect phrase.

"Fistulous Withers." Sounds like a email spammer's name, or an experimental noise band from The Tenderloin in San Francisco. I'd pay five bucks to watch 'em open for The Residents, anyway.

And hey, if that wasn't enough: This was the card that came with the book! Right up my stupid, esoteric alley, this is. And Brenna pre-ordered a Templar book-n-commission, and asked for me to draw her the conjoined twins on the card! It's almost enough to make up for the Hensel Twins refusing to friend me on MySpace.

Sort of. :( OH GOD I JUST WANT TO LOVE YOU.

And the cherry on the sundae of Brenna's gift-giving: An open/closed sign for an imaginary fast food establishment. Perhaps you recognize it. If you don't see me proudly displaying this thing at my con tables from this day forward, feel free to march up and smack me.

Oh hey, did you know Brenna not only has a pretty rad webcomic, but also an Etsy shop where you can get your very own crafts from her direct? And t-shirts? Just sayin'.

And we close with... well, I'll let it speak for itself.

Holy. CRAP.

Okay, do you know what this is? I mean, do you have any idea? Really? No, you don't. You can't possibly. IT IS TOO PERFECT TO BE COMPREHENDED BY THE HUMAN BRAIN.

This book was on my Amazon Wishlist for about two years, possibly longer, and it fell into my lap out of the freaking CLEAR BLUE SKY a couple of days ago, gift-wrapped and everything, from a self-described patron of the arts. This makes me so unreasonably happy. The Burns Archive, in case you didn't know, is probably the finest privately-owned repository of incredibly screwed-up medical, forensic, psychiatric, and memorial photography in North America, and it occasionally puts of themed collections. This one features Civil War amputees, a really unlucky lady parachutist, anencephalitic conjoined twins, and at least one REALLY convincing hermaphrodite. And because The Burns Archive is cool like that, each and every photo is extensively footnoted.

I'd scan some of these great photos for you guys, but there is NO WAY I am stressing the spine of this BEAUTIFUL MIRACLE OF GOD. Get'cher own!

And this isn't even all of it. You guys send me rare MP3s of my favorite band, artwork, books, and a ton of other stuff, just cuz y'want to. I couldn't ask for better readers.

So, this is a THANK YOU. A king-sized one. Because it needs to be done.

Tomorrow: Hopefully a new page of comics, and the state of the now UTTERLY SUCCESSFUL PRE-ORDER PROJECT!

You know where!

JEEZUS, so much to do. I'll explain it all tomorrow, guys. Promise.

And that YOU are the intended audience.

I haven't had much time to touch on the class rivalry that goes down in Templar (except for, y'know, the first twenty pages of this chapter), but there'll be more on that later.

...

Ya know, it takes a special kind of completely innocent social incompetence to cheerfully turn a spotlight on a near-stranger's physical eccentricities, then prattle on afterwards as if you have no idea you've just kicked their ego in the teeth. Especially when you're a bit of a freak yourself.

Oh MAN, did I have a busy weekend. Sorry I didn't update three times last week, guys, but I was just overwhelmed. And there's still a lot more to tell you guys about. I've been getting some great stuff in the mail, and The Pre-Order Project is over 2/3rds of the way to the goal, and popular demand is going to get a new t-shirt designed if you guys aren't careful. But I'll get into all that later.

Some people really just have no idea. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.

I love this page. Scipio looks so freakin' enormous. He could probably kill Ben by accident by tripping and falling on him, like horses do at equestrian competitions. THUD. Which is perfect, because Ben's just about jockey-sized.

But yeah, anyway: This update blurb's gonna be a little short; I've got a lot of email and questions to answer. So...

Enjoy the comic!

Bah. I need to see that band like I need a hole in the head.

And I guess most of you know by now, but the Templar, Arizona Pre-Order Project is just... wow. I am completely speechless.

I put the pre-order page up and started spamming the link at around 4:00 AM Monday morning. I thought I was being reasonable when I responded to a curious email by saying I hoped I would be able to print the book before the end of the summer.

72 hours, and the progress bar is nearly half-full.

72 hours.

I am not worthy. Seriously.

I've had orders and donations from France, the UK, Canada, and Japan. I've been linked on Metafiliter, Newsarama and The Beat. I've had some hilarious and truly imaginative requests for sketches and commissions I really, really look forward to drawing. And there's been no end to the kind words and encouragement from bloggers, readers and other cartoonists.

I originally dreaded that this would just turn out to be humiliating. I'm a bit relieved to report that it's merely been amazing.

Have I said thank you, yet? Cuz I need to. Thank you. Thank you so, so much. You guys are great.

I've been spamming this news far and wide since about four o'clock this morning, and it only just now occurred to me that I'd neglected actually mentioning it in my blog. Stunning.

Anyway: The Templar, Arizona Pre-Order Project is finally up and running!

You guys wanna see Templar in print as bad as I do. I know it, because I've read the emails. Problem is, I don't have the scratch to get it done. But this is designed to fix that, and maybe get you guys a little something extra to boot for your faith in me.

Click on over, read the FAQ, and order a book! THIS IS GOING TO BE AWESOME.

And pardon me if Templar is just a touch late out of the gate, this week. Spent too much of the weekend on the Project, not enough on the comic. Oops.

Name: Harvey
Breed: American Hairless Terrier
Age: Six months, twenty days
Weight: Five pounds (fatty)

Favorite Foods: Cheese, stew beef, rat feces, dust bunnies
Favorite Toys: Socks, crumpled up balls of paper, little men made of fleece
Tricks: Sit, Lay Down, Come, Stand (back legs), (run in a) Circle
Potty Training: Getting there...
Bugs: Mild separation anxiety, shyness, submissive urination
Features: Cleanliness, portability, non-shedding, hypoallergenic, extremely quiet, generalized snuggly sweetness

The Black Sweater. Simple. Classic. The eternal look. The black sweater says, "I'm a cold little dog, but I refuse to compromise." Equally at home lounging on the couch or wedged underneath it, excavating more forbidden treats.

The Skull Hoodie. So you weigh slightly less than a cough. That's no excuse. Bury the needle on the badass-o-meter with sulky chic. That chihuahua down the block had better WATCH HIMSELF.

The Camo Tee. Is there even a dog in this shot? BECAUSE I DON'T SEE IT. Oh GOD.

Winter Wear. A cranberry snuggle suit, topped with a loose gray sweatshirt. All that's missing is the quilted windbreaker, but Harvey has a hard time walking in three layers. Kind of like the little brother in A Christmas Story. We're working on it.

And hey, look! A festive sweater from Gran'maw! And whoops, I posted a picture of it online and everything. All that black cloth and camo, all for nothing. That there is a sequin snowflake. THERE GOES YOUR STREET CRED, HARVEY.

Don't worry, sweetie. Y'won't have to wear it to the dog park.

(PS: Tomorrow is mail-answering day, and also Big Announcement Day! Stay tuned!)

No, seriously.

...

I talk to myself, sometimes. Does anyone else do that? I tried to keep a lid on it when I moved in with Matt because I don't make much sense when I do it and I didn't want to freak him out, but now I don't really care and mutter/jabber/giggle away while I'm working and he's in the room with me. I don't think he cares. If he does, he doesn't say.

That's good, because I obviously can't stop myself voluntarily.

You know where to find it, am I right?

I'm not a fan of architecture. Seriously. Which is ridiculous, considering the upcoming page. I'm dumb.

And Nick Cave is seriously the only man on the planet who I give permission to wear a mullet. I can't believe he can get away with it like he does.

Yup, they're here again! And while, naturally, I urge everyone near and far to vote for Templar, Arizona in whatever capacity they may feel is appropriate, I'm also gonna use the ballot to recommend some strips you might not have heard of. Vote for these guys, they deserve it! And if you don't have voting access, just read 'em. They're good. Good good good.

Outstanding Science Fiction Comic

Pug Davis
Nine Planets Without Intelligent Life

Outstanding Fantasy Comic

Minus

Outstanding Comedic Comic

Achewood
Cat and Girl
The Non-Adventures of Wonderella

Outstanding Layout

Dresden Codak
Small Boy and Monkey

Outstanding Black and White Art

Ballad

Outstanding Environment Design

Lords of Death and Life
Uku

This isn't all the categories and all the nominations I'm going to make, but it's all I can think of for now. I've got a while before the nomination rounds close. And if you have any suggestions or wanna stump for your favorites, feel free! I always dig finding new stuff worth reading.

If that whole bodyguarding thing doesn't work out, Scip could have a long, successful career as a professional wet blanket ahead of him.

Think I'll skip sleep tonight and get started on the next page now. I'm just getting too far behind.

And remember,guys, all the stuff in my Spreadshirt shop still has FREE SHIPPING to the US and Canada with the "FREESHIPPING07" coupon code for the rest of January! Take advantage!

Now that Templar's thrice-weekly regardless of the tip jar, the jar's gimmick is kinda useless. I'll be fixing that soon. Something's in the works, watch for it.

Page is here.

Passing out, now.

Don't suggest he's not normal, darn it. He'll get in a snit. You just see if he doesn't.

I love the contrast in size between those two in the last panel. Scip probably benches barbells heavier then Ben for warm-ups.

And hey, while I have your attention: SPREADSHIRT IS OFFERING FREE SHIPPING IN JANUARY! And hey, I just so happen to have a Spreadshirt shop all my own. To get free shipping on any one of the nifty items I've got in there, just enter "FREESHIPPING07" in the coupon code box at checkout. Simple, huh? Take advantage, why don'tcha.

Back to work...

...oh yeah, by the way, my wedding anniversary was yesterday. We forgot. Again. Just like last year. Oops.

Three years. God, that's so weird.

Imply imply imply.

First update of the year, and it's late. POOR OMEN. But I'm gonna get started on the next page right away, so maybe I can head this thing off at the pass yet.