C2E2 Photos

This morning I dreamt that I was at a diner, about to order a vegetarian pot roast. I woke up ravenous, but I can't eat because I'm getting a blood cholesterol test later today. That's a big change from C2E2, where me and my friends spent Saturday eating Bacon Candy and several pounds of meat at the Honkey Tonk BBQ. Just so you know, cabs will drop you off at the Honky Tonk in the Pilsen neighborhood, but they're really reluctant to pick you up from there. We spent 40 minutes and called cab companies 4 times before one picked us up. I don't know what they're afraid of: there was a constant stream of police vehicles cruising 18th Street.

, Zander Cannon, Jim Chadwick and Stuart Moore. 

With caramelized sugar shellacked Bacon Candy.

But let's begin at the beginning. My C2E2 started on Thursday, showing my Irish friend John McCrea around Chicago. On St. Patrick's Day. John had no interest in joining a green tiaraed mob at a fake Irish pub or seeing if the city had dyed the Chicago River green. He was damned excited to get some Mexican food, see Sue the T rex and flying monkeys at the Field Museum, and do some drinking at a Japanese bar. He was a bit disappointed the pretty bartender was watching a game of footy, but otherwise all went well.

NOT PHOTOSHOPPED. The winged monkey at the Field Museum.

On Friday night, I attended the DC Nation panel. Dan Didio really knows how to lead a crowd! It was an amazing event.

Staring straight at the camera is Scott Snyder, who writes non-sparkling bloodsuckers in Vertigo's American Vampire. But as you Twilight geeks can clearly see, he has bright red eyes....

Look how shiny and pale Mr. Snyder is! 

Also Bob Wayne (off camera), Paul Cornell,

Gail Simone, and Bill Willingham

Later Friday was the Fables Dinner at the Rosebud on Taylor Street. Thanks to Shelly Bond and her crew of creators. It was an amazing night. Bill Willingham and Adam Hughes traded barstool tales. I missed the beginning of the best one, but jumped in as Adam recalled tasting the brown smear on his arm and being surprised it was chocolate. I really regret missing the beginning of the story.

Onto the sketches! Most of the these are the quick and free "You As A Superhero" sketches I do at my table. The really rendered ones of famous characters are the paid sketches that covered my BBQ tab (thanks, sketch patrons!) and a few were done at the DC booth, with David Petersen at the Archaia booth or to raise money for the HERO Initiative.

First, the paid sketches:

Archaia booth sketches. Because I had less books to sign, I began doing more elaborate sketches to goad David into going all out. In the first photo, I've drawn a Harry Potter mouse, and added a Golden Snitch sliced by Saxon's sword stroke. David's counter is stunning, just stunning:

The happiest sketch patron of the day!

HERO Initiative sketches:

Free sketches!:

My favorite Where's Waldo cosplayer ever!

Christina, my Challengers Comics clerk! A natural born badass.

This patient fellow was the first in line Sunday morning, and waited 

the whole con for his sketch. He was getting it for his TN comic shop, which had 

burned down and was rebuilding. I had to do something nice.

Molly Jane Kremer of the Comics Slumber Party podcast

and Graham Crackers Comics. She got the last sketch of

the show, after the floor had closed.