If you wanted to buy anything in Turkmenistan you had to go to the bazaar on Sunday. It was always jam jam jammed packed and you’d have to push your way through the crowd. Which is kind of like SPX, only instead of carpets, car parts and livestock people are looking through piles of comics. SPX also lacks the bartering that takes place in a Turkmen bazaar, though I think it would be awesome if that happened a little bit more. It would be great if slamming your fist, raising your voice and storming off in a mock rage only to return a few moments later were an integral part of buying a mini-comic. At least I think it would cool.

Anyway, SPX was great. I sold a bunch of books, sold and traded a bunch of minis and sold all the prints of comics from my blog that I’d brought along (I really should have brought more of those)(oh well, I’ll know for next time).

But I think the best thing about SPX was that I finally had copies of Joe and Azat and instead of talking about it I could actually put it in people’s hands.

Reaction at last weekend’s SPX for Ted’s new book, The Year of Loving Dangerously, was most encouraging indeed. He sold out of his books, including early copies sent via FedEx from the printer abroad (the book will hit stores by end of October). And the press picked up on it as a show highlight:

Washington Post

Publishers Weekly

And PW had this cute pic of him there:

Ted, we didn’t know you had such a double chin!

Next stop for him: APE in SF! And Shane White wil be there as well with his new Things Undone.

THINGS UNDONE should be in your store waiting for you. Read what others are saying…

Comic Evolution, local retailer in Washington state, put it on their must have list and “…sold 8 copies just this morning.”

Comics Bulletin says: “… it’s a very thoughtful and creative book with a tremendously satisfying finish.”
Read the full review here.

I hope you consider giving it a look.

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And also available at SPX this weekend at the NBM booth. Wish I could be there but I’d never get anything done if I traveled to all these cons.

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I was recently asked if a panel from my graphic novel NORTH COUNTRY could accompany an article dealing with a rise in rural suicides. Since it’s an issue that I can get behind I was quite happy with the chance to help.

BTW THINGS UNDONE rocked the WINDY CITY COMICON this past weekend.

The one day show put on by the Around Comics Podcast crew was a great culmination of comics, creators and fans. I sold over 2/3rds of my stock of books and had a lot of positive feedback.

Don’t fret you have time yet to find out for yourselves as it should be in your local comic shop as of tomorrow. If not order direct from NBM!

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At some point in every blaxploitation film (or cop show/movie of the 1970s) the hero has to ask for help. And to whom does he turn? Why, the snitch, of course! The snitch! On some corner, in some phone booth, in a pool hall or in a lounge by an alley, the snitch is just waiting to exchange words for bread. And, in my opinion, there is one snitch who stands head and shoulders above the others- the great Mr Antonio Fargas.

Probably best known for his role as Huggy Bear (a  snitch) in the ground breaking, Starsky and Hutch, Mr Fargas was featured in a large number of blaxploitation films as well. In fact, checking to see whether he’s listed in the credits is one way the casual fan can discern great blaxploitation from the bottom drawer variety. While he sometimes played the hero’s pal, the heroine’s brother or a a cruel pimp, it was his ability to play the snitch that created a cinematic wake no other snitch has filled.

With his beady eyes darting back and forth, his skinny head weaving to and fro (all while making sure that he wasn’t seen talking to the Man), Antonio Fargas laid down more righteous gab than Deep Throat on his best day! Later for you, Mark Felt!! And he did it while wearing the widest collars, the most bellbottomed bellbottoms and color and pattern combinations that would melt your brain! Plus, he had enough kicky lids to start the coolest hat shop on planet Earth!

Antonio Fargas knew what was happenin’, where it was at, and what the word on the street was. He knew which way the wind was blowin’, what was comin’ down and where the action was. He put it down and cops and private dicks alike picked it up again, and again, and again. Plus, he was in Car Wash!!!!!!

As an ode to Antonio Fargas, I included not one, but two snitches in Vatican Hustle. It was clear that one would never do the great man justice.

Speaking of important information, I’ll be attending the SPX in Bethesda, MD this weekend (Sept 26th/27th). I’ll have the pleasure of meeting some of my talented colleagues at NBM. You should stop by and do the same.

Well, it’s finally here. I should be getting copies of my book this week and hauling them down to D.C. this weekend. I’m excited. It feels a little like Christmas. Someday this week I’m going to come home from work and there is going to be a big box of my books waiting for me. Better than Christmas even.

If you’re in the D.C. area you should come by SPX and stop by the NBM booth. Ted Rall will be there. Greg Houston will be there. It’ll be awesome. I’m getting some mini-comics to bring along made up today.

See you then!

Comics stores should receive next week Shane White’s new Things Undone as well as the latest volume in the growingly popular Dungeon series.

Shane White’s latest is quite a departure from the previous North Country he did with us. The art style is cartoonier, the premise humorful but real where the main character feels like he’s going nowhere fast and literally becoming a zombie. Shane’s been talking about it quite a bit here on his own.

As for Dungeon, brilliantly written by Lewis Trondheim and Joann Sfar, here too, character development is one of the key aspects of the success of this series. It may be a dark spoof of heroic fantasy involving some strange creatures, but you can relate to them very personally. In this volume, the second volume of the Early Years part of the grand saga, the art is by no less a magician than Christophe Blain, of Isaac the Pirate fame!

Don’t miss ‘em at your store next week and if you don’t see ‘em, request ‘em! Stores are gun shy in this economy,  ordering the least they feel they need. If your store hasn’t ordered these, they can get them easily through book wholesalers like Ingram’s or ourselves. And of course, you can also order direct from us or Amazon.

The publicity on The Big Kahn just keeps rolling along and gathering steam! The latest is a great interview by author Sasha Watson on Publishers Weekly’s Comics Week newsletter.

And… looks like a major paper will be running something very soon… stay tuned.

Before the green tea incident (see below) I had wanted to apprise everyone of the situation that is going down this Saturday only in CHICAGO, city of golden showers!

My friends at Around Comics (one of the top comic book podcasts out there) are hosting the 2nd annual WINDY CITY COMICON which will be chock-full of creative individuals…and me.

My book will be there too and I will sell it to you and sign it and maybe even do a sketch in the thing as well! Why? Because grandmothers know value when they see it…almost more than porn.

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