I’ve been rather quiet for the last few weeks if only because my day job became really busy as the semester wound to a close (which explains how this became a Sketch Monday). Grading is always pretty intense due to the sheer volume of work that comes in and, with regard to the end of Spring semester, specifically, how fast the turnaround needs to be.
In the middle of the grading crunch, the metaphor that kept coming to mind when I tried to make contact with the outside world was “Hey, it’s Dan. I’m surfacing for a bit just to check in…” It’s an apt metaphor as while I’m grading, I spend all day grading and come home to maybe watch an episode of television before going to bed to start it all again the next day. Though I’m not “unplugged,” it definitely seems that way because I simply lack the time to goof off or get distracted. To that end, it is kind of nice because the world becomes white noise for awhile as I try to keep my focus forward.
Now that grading is completed––I can get to gettingchapter 4 of Long John done. I’m not starting from nothing, however:
Pages for Long John chapter 4 are well underway.
I look forward to getting a fair amount of stuff done this summer––I can’t wait to share it all here. Until then, be sure to follow my on Instagram and to join the Long John Facebook page.
The first Saturday in May has arrived, which means, of course, that another Free Comic Book Day is upon us! FCBD is an event held across the nation that celebrates the comic book industry. Basically, a big “thank you” to fans and shops from comics publishers (and simultaneously a major marketing event for the industry), participating are sent pallets of comics––many made specifically for this event––for absolutely free.
For this event, my local comic book shop, Empire’s Comics Vault, has made it a huge gathering of fans, creators, and entertainment, and this year seems to be their biggest showing so far. As always, I’m honored to be included as a guest again, and––just as the shop goes all out for FCBD––I have tried to make it a unique and special event for Long John as well.
Featured guests include industry professionals Nick Dragotta (left), Ramon Villalobos (middle), and Justin Greenwood (right). Image sources Image Comics (left and right), Marvel Comics (middle).
Starting with the shop and its offerings, I will be among over a dozen local comickers and creatives selling their wares at the shop. This year brings with it industry professionals, too, with Nick Dragotta––artist for the hit Image Comics series, East of West––in attendance, as well as Ramon Villalobos––an artist who has worked for basically every major publisher––and Justin Greenwood––artist for the celebrated Image Comics title, The Last Siege leading the charge. Having major players like these fellows elevates the show even more, though its prestige was high already with the incredible gathering of local talent that comes to the show every year.
The show will also feature live professional wrestling courtesy of Supreme Pro Wrestling, cosplay, a charity raffle, face painting, food trucks, and much more. It will be going all day––doors open at 9am for the general populace––so be sure to come by at some point––it’s completely free!
As for me, I’ll be debuting a bunch of new prints for the show, divided between Long John-focused prints and some of the fanart I’ve been doing for Sketch Fridays over the years.
“The Johns Triptych” (top) and “Unmasked” (bottom) are debuting at this years FCBD.
For the Long John prints, I’ll be debuting the “The Johns Triptych”, and the “Unmasked” Hellrider Jackie print.
Furthermore, I’ve made some prints out of the hands-focused fanart I’ve done over the years. One is an updated version of the Crimson Peak tribute piece, followed by the recent Battle Angel drawing titled, “Beyond the Sky.” Lastly, I’ll be offering the print of the Captain Marvel tribute drawing for FREE while supplies last.
The fan art prints I’ll be bringing to FCBD.
Lastly, I’ll also be debuting a new freebie that has been in the works for awhile and I’m super excited to start bringing to shows (and is the mystery item I alluded to in the video): Long John coasters! They have an original design on the front and a blank back that I’ll reserve for making quick and small doodles for people coming by. I love how they turned out and I think they’re unique enough to get people excited to check out the table and the comic.
Boom. Imagine the backs as blank.
As always, I look forward to Free Comic Book Day as a chance to see some old friends, make some new ones, and––more than anything––celebrate not only comics but creativity and community. I hope to see you there on Saturday at Empire’s Comics Vault.
I’m proud to announce that I’ll be bringing Long John to this year’s Oro-Con in Oroville, CA, this Saturday (4/27) at the Feather Falls Casino & Lodge. For more information (like location, admission, and hours), click here.
This is an exciting comic convention in Butte county, California, that has lined up a tremendous list of guests, including:
Brian Posehn––comedian, writer of Deadpool comics.
Melissa Pagluica––writer/artist of Above the Clouds.
Kenneth Rocafort – Marvel/DC artist
Tim Bradstreet – artist for Punisher, Hellblazer, and others
Scott Koblish – Deadpool artist
Robert Love – artist, CEO of Gettosake Entertainment
Jamie Sullivan – artist for Robotech and G.I. Joe comics.
Chris Marrinan – Marvel/DC artist
Megan E. Risk – artist
What I’ll have at the show:
Long John volumes 1, 2, and 3
Long John 11″ x 17″ prints (“movie poster” and cover to “Snake Eye”)
DEBUT of “The Johns” triptych––an 11″ x 17″ print collecting the pencil drawings of Long John, Juan John, and Jonny Mono during better times.
“Legacy”––8.5″ x 11” print tribute to Logan.
FREE Long John bookmarks
I’ve been really excited to get into either Oro-Con and/or its sister show, Chico-Con, for a few reasons. For one, it’s only good to expand Long John‘s convention footprint. Butte County also seems like fertile ground for Long John‘s story to make an impact. Located about 90 miles north of Sacramento, there are places outside of Chico remote enough you could easily imagine cowboys riding their horses through the rolling golden plains. Hell, there may actually still be cowboys stomping around out there for all I know.
For two, I have been wanting to attend these shows for a much more personal reason. From 2002 to 2003, I lived in Chico, CA (which is a stone’s throw away from Oroville) and even though I only lived there for 370 days, the landscape of the region entranced me and I hold Butte county very close to my heart.
Furthermore, at the end of last year the Camp Fire tore through the area, devastating the region and ostensibly obliterating the nearby town of Paradise, CA, from the map. I have friends that live in Paradise (which is also a stone’s throw away from Chico) and while they survived, they have surely lost more than I have known at this point in my life. I have many memories of driving out to Paradise during the weekends or finding hikes out in Oroville. To merely imagine the town gone is inconceivable. To know that it is shakes me to my core.
Paradise still lays in devastation and, while it’s only ever been an hour and a half away from Sacramento, I couldn’t help but feel like I would be nothing but some weird ogler driving through marveling at the disaster had I driven all that way for no other reason. Since business calls, I feel justified, in a completely selfish way, to see what stands in structure and what stands in memory.
Most importantly, to go to Oro-Con means I get to contribute to the economy and, with hope, the entertainment of the region in my small way. That they are willing and able to do a show so soon after the fires shows the viability and cultural health of the region, and I’m honored to be a part of it this year.
