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The deal is simple. If you can provide for transportation, a decent meal, and decent lodging for my wife and me, I'm willing to schedule an appearance. Go to the Mail link and send me a note!

 
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Monday, July 30, 2007

After San Diego

I'm back in Chicagoland in one piece. I theoretically worked for a week but I actually feel pretty rested. It didn't hurt to get picked up at Ohare by a beautiful librarian.... I'm going to paint rooms in the new house, unpack my gear, and get ready for some heavy duty art chores in the months and years ahead.
I need to get a little micro-camera with a decent flash for my next convention. My old standby Canon G2 is too big and my LG Chocolate phone is too fussy and has no flash. I'd really love to have photos of all the cool people I met at the convention. The person I went out of my way to meet was John Allison of Scary Go Round, my favorite webcomic. He balances carefully between a sensible English world and the intruding mayhem of pop culture evils. I read it every Monday through Friday. They're once again starting a new storyline after letting a leprechaun kick Satan's ass. Good time to jump on board. I bought 5 books and 2 t-shirts there and got many compliments when I wore the shirts.

I got to catch up with Lee Bermejo, formerly of San Diego but now living la vida dolce in Italy with his insanely hot girlfriend. They might have been the prettiest couple I saw in California. Back when he was a Wildstorm newbie he sent samples for me to comment upon. It's the only case where a portfolio owner took my advice and bested me. He's insanely talented and then he worked hard.

The two big thrills of the con were hanging with my other Naked Fat Rave pros (do you know how intimidating it is to draw between Phil Noto and Bruce Timm?) and hanging out with my old buddy Sandi, fresh out of the military and getting back into the world of "I'll wear what I damn well please." He was entertained by the con geeks wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma encased in too small spandex.

Wendy bought her husband J. H. Williams a stunning Michael Golden page and was trying to figure out how to surprise him with it. Bruce Timm and I were both oohing and ahhing over it. Being the evil one in the group I said Bruce should say he bought it and let Jim drool over it. I wasn't there to see it but they tortured him for 5 minutes before finally letting Jim know he owned it. Wendy said he was shaking as he took the page. Interestingly, Wendy and Bruce took the heat for the plot. When I told Jim I was behind it he amiably called me an evil evil man. It's sad but true.

Wendy Williams: consorting with bad influences!

While in San Diego I got to hang out with my good twin. If I take off my glasses it's almost impossible to tell us apart now that he's shaved. He's Vince Letterio, DC's Manager of Direct Sales and he was raised as an Italian American on the east coast. If you've ever heard anything bad about him it was probably me wearing a fake moustache.

As far as professional stuff goes, I had a nice dinner with WS editor Scott Peterson and Zander Cannon about our upcoming Top 10 series. I'll be doing four issues and this time there'll be no shortage of script. Zander's already four or five issues in, with both script and layouts for me. Yep, if this book is late it'll be ALL my fault. You would not believe the names they were tossing about to replace me with issue 5. We'll see who they settle on.

I handed a proposal to Eddie Berganza. I printed it as a comic book in glossy four colors with staples and everything! We'll see if that gets approved by the Powers That Be. I think it will be but even if it isn't I got a free meal at a spectacular Brazilian steak house and got to sit next to Dwayne McDuffie.

And I had a nice talk with the annoyingly brilliant Terry Dodson about what it's like working for French publishers. Hmm, what could I be scheming? And who am I scheming with? All shall be revealed in a few months. For now I have to pluck weeds in my neglected yard and add another coat of primer to my future studio.

Sunday, July 22, 2007

San Diego pre-game show

I got the poster finished. On Monday I'll drop it off at Prism Printing and on Tuesday I'll pick it up. If you like it you have Mark in Phoenix to thank. He advised me to make a San Diego exclusive poster and even suggested throwing Girl One of Top 10 on it. It will be available at my Naked Fat Rave table for $25, or $40 for two if you also buy the other poster I'm bringing...

The Naked Fat Rave is "A collection of fully-dressed comic book artists" all sharing one con space (Tables 4601, 4603, 4700 and 4703). It's an earth shattering amount of talent and I'm a bit nervous being in their midst: Arthur Adams, Joyce Chin, Amanda Conner, J Scott Campbell, Michael Golden, Phil Noto, Tim Sale, Bruce Timm, Matt Wagner and JH Williams III.


I'll be there Wednesday through Friday. I'll skip much of Saturday to see an old buddy who just got out of our military and his daughter. On Sunday I'll have to leave a around 1pm to catch my flight.

From Wednesday till Friday I'll be taking bids on the only color marker sketch I'll be doing this year. It's to raise money for Friends of Lulu, a non-profit encouraging women to read and make comics. I'll use my own money to buy all the color Copic markers I'll need to do the piece. No guarantees I'll get this piece done before the con is over: I plan to do a very nice job. The winner will have to make his donation before the the con is over (and before he can get the sketch).

Hope to see you there!

Gene Ha

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Breathing Space

I have just a little breathing space right now.

I'm snowed under with things I need to get done before San Diego. My life feels a lot like JLA #11. Feeling good because I just finished up a poster for the Illinois Library Association. I now have 24 hours to create a San Diego exclusive full color 11x17 poster. Iffen I get it done I'll post an image of it here. And I'll save a copy for a cop from Phoenix's Precinct 10, gratis!


Time to shower and shave and all that other good stuff.