New Top 10 series coming

Had a great and sleepless time at the Chicago Wizard World. Usually, I lack sleep because I'm staying up late drinking and talking with other creators. This time, it was because I chatted so much during the con itself, I had to finish my paid sketches at night. I usually slept from 4am-8am.

The most common lamentation I heard from the fans was never seeing another Top 10 story again. This means I have to push this news harder: I'm working on a new Top 10 run right now! Zander Cannon is writing, I'm pencilling and inking, Alex Sinclair is coloring, and Todd Klein is lettering. It's everyone from the old team except Alan Moore and Scott Dunbier. We do have a new Scott editing, and Scott D and I both like him a lot. I'm doing a 4 issue run, and hopefully it'll continue for years without me if sales are good.

Special shout outs to the Raging Bullets boys, Red (Liana) and Ed (Steve), Jill Thompson, Olivier Coipel, Jim Demonakos (whose phone contact list saved my butt), Nick Barrucci, Wendy the new girl, and Barry Crain. And to the regulars, Art Lyon and Alex Ross, who make every Chicago con a treat.


I sold a large pile of pages to Albert Moy, art dealer for Jim Lee among others. He should have them scanned and ready for resale soon!

I'll try to blog more details later, but I really have to catch up on my comics work now!

All night drawing George Carlin

I stayed up till four in the morning drawing a Top 10 page. I'd decided to base a character in the scene on comedian George Carlin crossed with Angar the Screamer. Not quite either, a lot of each. "Wonderful WINO!!!!"

I woke up this morning, went to the NY Times to read Paul Krugman, and I learned that George Carlin had died. Dang. Top story as I type. I listened to a lot of his stuff when I was in high school.

The Comedian is dead.

Gene Colan

Still blogging about events around the NY Big Apple Con.

While sketching at the con, I was solicited to donate an auction piece. They were raising money for Gene Colan's medical expenses. I hadn't known he was in trouble! I donated an Authority pinup.

You can read about the senior Gene's condition here on this blog. His liver began to give out, but is now responding to treatment. Here's a link from that blog to various eBay items donated to raise funds. Bid aggressively!

I think Colan is the first artist whose work I remember vividly. He did a run in Daredevil that still haunts me. Before then, Daredevil tended to be a bit goofier than Spider-Man. He didn't have a signature of his own. Gene Colan gave Daredevil creeping India ink shadows and paranoia long before that became the industry standard. I especially remember an issue where he went insane and attacked (and beat!) the Avengers to a pulp. I stopped reading Daredevil when Gene Colan left (some hack named Frank Moller or something took over).

Seriously, Frank then took Colan's dark film noir stylings, pushed them, and "dark" and "gritty" became the bywords of 1980's US comics.

Get well-er, Gene! He says that the love and support of his fans are pulling him through, so click here to become his Facebook buddy. And his website, which includes an email link.

Also, thanks to Jolie for making the initial updates on my Wikipedia page!

Wikipedia me

While I was at the Big Apple Con, a photographer went down Artist Alley and shot us, letting us know it was for Wikipedia. I just dropped by Wikipedia and checked out the photo. It was about 95 degrees Fahrenheit outside, so I like shiny and sweaty.

Also, I've gotten a haircut since.

Anyhow, I saw that the article on me needs work, but you're not supposed to edit your own entry. Anyone interested?

Most obviously, it says that a citation is needed for this claim:

In 2007, he illustrated a critically acclaimed^{[citation needed]} Justice League of America #11

That's easy enough. It's been nominated for an Eisner. That's why I work with writers like Brad Meltzer! To make memorable comics.

Onto other stuff.

In 2006, Ha is set to serve as artist on the first four issues of a relaunch of Wildstorm's The Authority....

I've already drawn two issues of The Authority, but the project stalled after that. No scripts, DC needed Grant more on Batman than WS projects. I found new projects and after over a year I don't want to go back even if the scripts show up. Sorry to people who bought the first two, but my life's too short!

He currently resides in Oak Park, Illinois with his wife Lisa and two beagle-bassets.

I now live one suburb south, in Berwyn, IL. Still with the lovely Lisa and my two crazy dogs. That's about it for factual corrections. Let me know if you rework the HTML!

Is this the worst that Sartre can do?

I'm trapped in that odd variant of Hell called Newark, NJ. From what I've seen it really does look like the opening sequence of the Sopranos. I'm in air conditioning, but it's supposed to hit 101F (38C) here.

My United flight back from the Big Apple Con was cancelled last night, and I don't fly out today until 2pm. The only miserable part of the whole debacle was United customer service.

Midwestern storms canceled flights all over, so there must be thousands like me. I'm out a day's work and a paying for a night's stay at a hotel. Some people are missing crucial meetings, births and weddings and everything else more important than a comics page.

I read Sartre's No Exit, which portrayed modern Hell as having to interact with people you don't like. As kids we thought the book was about existential despair, but it seems like light dark comedy now. Of course, I only have 6 more hours in this part of Hell.

I'll write up some news of the con later. I should've gotten a photo of Bernie Wrightson and his wife. Delightful people! Wish I could've had a dinner with them.

Remiss

I've been bad about updating my website. I should've announced that I'll be in NYC this weekend for the Big Apple Con. Now I'm here in New York, and I can't update the page. Bad Gene, no donut!

The con is at the Penn Pavilion Plaza, across the street from Madison Square Garden. Saturday and Sunday.

I'm staying at the Hotel Martinique. I had no idea this block has a little Koreatown on it! I am Korean, but my neighborhood in Chicagoland has no Korean restaurants. Now I can walk down the street and get kalbi at 4am. Amazing.

It's almost like someone designed this area for me. There's a 24 hour fresh mart kitty corner from the hotel, lots of Korean clubs and restaurants, an Irish pub, a kebab cart (still open at 2am!), and one block south is the Empire State Building. This is kinda sweet.

Anyhow, hope to see you at the con Saturday. Sorry about not giving everyone the proper heads up.

Not Sick

I spent two days with some horrible bug in my system. Thursday, after walking around Berwyn with Lisa, I was suddenly so tired that I couldn't eat breakfast. I collapsed in bed and spent most of the day sleeping. Just crushing two glucosamine tablets for my beagle basset's dinner left me sweating and gasping for breath.

Friday I felt better, and Lisa was off so she could take care of me. Still, I slept most of the day and watched Heroes on Netflix Online as research for a cover I'm drawing. It sucked having no energy, drive or creativity. It's like I couldn't be me for two days.

Woke up Saturday and feel much better. Healthy enough to feel righteous angerI'm going to point out a grave injustice that doesn't involve the chimp in chief. Someone has stolen musical gear from the most literate band in Seattle. I'm offering a reward: if BlöödHag confirms you were instrumental in getting their instruments back, you get to pick any unsold page from my webstore as a reward!:

Stolen from trunk of car in Ballard driveway:

Black Gibson 'the hawk' 5 string nighthawk gtr like one in pic but with Alternative tentacles sticker on body in case with lots of stickers
Yellow Ampeg 5 string SG style gtr in case like in photo (i'm not in moto)
Sunn concert lead guitar amp with black tape on front
Tascam digital mixing board
Ibanez Tube King dist pedal
Boss Digital delay with sharpie on knobs
Boss tuner hella dirty

I am a gigging musician I need this gear... any information would be crucial!
Please call 206-548-7775

To the a$$hole who stole the gear:
I will kill you you pony tailed white dude for f%@&ing up my neighborhood! Punk,we know what you look like! You are lucky it wasn't me who was chasing you last night douche bag.