Preorder - Dear Creature Hardcover (Signed)

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I'm excited to announce that preorders are live on my store for signed copies of Dark Horse's gorgeous new edition of Dear Creature. Dear Creature HC

Here are several reasons this hardcover brings me special joy:

1. In 2005, just before I moved to Portland to pursue comics and begin work on Dear Creature, I read Craig Thompson's 'Blankets'. It's a beautiful book that I related to as a Christian wrestling with church, self, and finding a new way. I hoped at the time that I'd get the opportunity to meet him someday. Like all stalkers, I felt we had kindred spirits.

In spite of my paralyzing respect for Craig's abilities, we're now good friends. And in spite of HIMSELF, he's given me the gift of a beautiful drawn introduction for this new edition. Thank you, Craig!

2. From the beginning I wanted this book to feel like it came right out of the sixties. I wanted that canvas hardcover feel, good quality paper, and all the things that make you happy to have a book on your coffee table. Now I have it!

3. Dark Horse and their editorial staff have been terrific collaborators throughout my first years as a comics creator. I couldn't be happier to give this book a new life through their efforts.

In sum, I'm tickled. The book comes out on Sept. 28th in comics shops, and October 11th for the book market. Rose City Comic Con attendees, watch for my signing at the Dark Horse booth, Sunday, Sept. 11th from 2 to 3 PM - we may get early copies.

My San Diego Comic Con Schedule

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San Diego Comic Con has seen fit to ship me down (crated?) as a special guest. This means I'm paneling and signing and tabling and meeting and schmoozing for many hours, starting Thursday, July 21st.

Special attention to be directed to my Saturday spotlight panel where I tell everything the young me wanted to know when I first embarked upon making books that humans read. Things like, "How can I get people to read my books," and "Why won't that editor look at me with affection?"

Here's the full scoop on where you can find me:

Thursday, 11-12 PM. Room: 5AB
Celebrate the Publishing World of Jim Henson’s Labyrinth with Archaia: To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Jim Henson’s Labyrinth, publisher Archaia (an imprint of BOOM! Studios) has several books set to come out this year! Join BOOM! Studios Senior Editor Sierra Hahn and artists Eric Powell (The Goon, Big Man Plans), Joëlle Jones (Spider-Woman, Lady Killer), and Jonathan Case (The New Deal, Batman ’66) as they give fans a sneak peek into these titles, which include original comics, a children’s storybook, and an artists’ tribute collection. Moderated by Nerdist Editor-in-Chief Rachel Heine.
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Friday, 1-2 PM. Dark Horse Booth Signing
Jonathan Case signs all the books and maybe some other things? We'll see.
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Friday, 3-4 PM. Room: 7AB
Dark Horse Originals: Comics literature has become the voice and visual for our changing generation, and Dark Horse Originals has it all—from underwater mystery in Jonathan Case’s Dear Creature to the surrealist return of Dave McKean in The Dreams of Paul Nash. Join panelists Dave McKean (Cages), Fabio Moon & Gabriel Ba (Two Brothers), Peter Hogan (Resident Alien) and Jonathan Case (Dear Creature) as they discuss pushing the boundaries of what comics can accomplish in literature.
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Saturday, 6-7 PM. Room: 9
Spotlight on Jonathan Case: The Triumphs and Trials of Creating and Publishing a Graphic Novel— Join Comic Con special guest and Eisner award-winning cartoonist Jonathan Case (The New Deal) for an in-depth look at creating and publishing your first graphic novel. Explore one book's tumultuous journey from conception to delivery as Case offers anecdotes about the creation and promotion of his first book, Dear Creature (returning to print this fall as a deluxe hardcover from Dark Horse Comics). Q&A available— all ages and levels welcome!
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Sunday, 2-3 PM. Room: 25ABC
Cover Story: The Art of the Cover: This panel will include Jonathan Case, Howard Chaykin, Paul Gulacy, Scott Shaw and Babs Tarr. Panel will be moderated by Mark Evanier.
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Whew! I think that's everything, minus the breather I always take at the Old Globe (they do such good work!). Sarah and I are going to see Sense and Sensibility to regain our equilibrium after the pop culture barrage! Should be fun.

See you at the thing!

Batman '66 Original Art For Sale

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Batman '66 Original Art

What a lovely Wednesday morning.

Last night at midnight, two things went live: My last Batman '66 story of the year (Mad Hatter Part 2) and a new sales section for original art, with the first few pages of Batman '66 Issue 1. It looks like the first two of six sold while I slept, so cheers to all you Bat-fans. I've had tremendous interest in the original art for this series, but it's taken me a while to feel alright parting with the art. It's sort of become one of my babies.

Batman '66 Mad Hatter Part 2

All that said, I'm excited to share some of this terrific book with you. I'll post more pages throughout the next couple months while I start my next graphic novel for Dark Horse (Yes!)--- then it's back to Batman '66 in November, and more exciting developments in the new year. If it sounds like I'm pleased... I am.

Also, Rose City Comic Con's coming up fast! I'll be there, next to everyone's favorite down-home mastermind and Batman writer, Jeff Parker. I'll bring more original art, and will be taking commissions too (already filling up my queue, so contact me to get a spot early, just in case).

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I hope you enjoy today's Batman, or as my baby girl calls it, 'That-man and Christopher Robin'.

Sloth Love

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Every once in a while, you get to do a commission that satisfies all your geek requirements. This one may be hard to top. It has it all: Romance, awesome creatures, a Dracula cape... A land-squid.

I couldn't ask for more! It's projects like this where I'm keenly aware that it's not everyone who gets an all-expenses-paid trip to the Slothlands. I'm grateful.

Also, here's a link to a hi-res version, in case you want some sloth-love wallpaper.

This weekend, I'll be at Emerald City Comic Con, taking commissions (you can totally commission something like this, and I'll mail it to you) and peddling my wares. I may even see if I can get some prints made of this piece.

See you in Seattle!

Fall Commission Preorders

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Firestorm, 10x15 ink and watercolor wash, single figure, $120.

It's fall convention season, and I'm starting up my commission preorders! Contact me to preorder a commission for New York Comic Con (via paypal), or get on the early-bird list for this weekend's Rose City Comic Con in Portland.

Here's the scoop on my rates and options this season.

10x15 (preferred working size)

Pencils (single figure): $50 Inks (single figure): $70 Ink and watercolor wash (single figure): $120

8x10

Pencils (single figure): $40 Inks (single figure): $60 Ink and watercolor wash (single figure): $100

If you want more than one full figure or a pretty involved background, it's just a multiple of my single figure rate. Here are more examples:

Han and Chewie Maintenance, 10x15 ink, double figure, $140.

Rocketeer and Bettie, 8x10 ink, double bust (equals single figure), $60.

Yoda Cuisine, 10x15 ink and watercolor wash, single figure and full background, $240.

See you at the Con!

Eisner Win + Unseen Artwork

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Last night the powers that be honored Jeff Jensen and me with an Eisner award for Best Reality-Based Work on Green River Killer. Quite an honor. I'm especially happy for Jeff and his family— their story is heroic in a way you rarely find in comics. To commemorate the occasion, here's some (typically creepy) artwork I did for a part of the GRK promotional machine that just never saw the light of day.

Green River Killer Eisner Jonathan Case

Annnnnnnnd.... I'm sure Jeff did a great job of this already, but since I wasn't at San Diego or the Eisners this time, I'll make my acknowledgements here:

Thanks to our editor, Sierra Hahn, for bringing this project my way and for being tenacious. Terrific job, Sierra!

Jeff Jensen, for telling his father's story with grace, and for entrusting me with the drawing.

Brendan Wright, our assistant editor, for never missing a beat.

The rest of the Dark Horse crew, especially the ones that cleaned up those speckled page scans.

The Jensen family, for their story, their warmth, and the delicious cookies from Mrs. Jensen.

My crew at Periscope Studio, for helping me through everything and keeping me from taking myself too seriously.

My family, for their support and encouragement.

Thanks, everyone!

Stumptown 2012

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It's been real, Spring Convention Season. You tried to take me away from my wife and child nearly every weekend for the last two months. You mostly succeeded. I leave you now, more machine than man. Twisted and evil. But in a good way!

Photo credit: Lindsey Ellis

Stumptown capped it all off, and it was a good ending note. Visits from wife and baby, a Dear Creature reading at Comics Underground with Dylan Meconis, meeting Michael Allred and listening to his family band, The Gear...I was even honored to pick up a couple Stumptown awards for Best New Talent (Dear Creature and Green River Killer), and Best Artist (Green River Killer). And they're the cutest awards. Just look!

 

Monsters are always the answer, and I'm glad the Stumptown committee knows that.

I put a ton of stuff out on my table, books-wise, and it hit me that it's all come out pretty much in the last six months. Dear Creature, Green River Killer, House of Night, Dark Horse Presents (The Creep).  It was kind of surprising to see it all in one place— and there's more to come this weekend, for Free Comic Book Day! If I tweeted more, people would know that they should be sick of me by now. As it is, my lack of consistent tweeting is all that keeps me in people's good graces.

Big thanks to everyone involved in this crazy Spring Convention Season. It was great, but I'm all out of words now.

Nite nite.

Emerald City Was GOOD

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Back from Emerald City Comic Con, and what a lovely con it was. Good friends, good fans, good sales. I missed my family (first weekend away from baby), but I had David Hahn with me as surrogate kin, so that took away some of the sting. By the way, if you haven't checked out David's All Nighter yet, you should. It's a terrific return to his one-man-show cartooning; my favorite type of David Hahn comic.

A highlight was getting to meet Tom and Charlaine Jensen, and their son Mike. Such sweet people. Tom is the detective behind Green River Killer: A True Detective Story, my book with his son, Jeff. They gave me homemade cookies and a sweet thank you note for my work on the book. I gave them a look at some ridiculous art I drew for a convention attendee whose copy came with 8 pages blank in the middle of the story. Here's one of the doodles I did in the blank pages.

I also got to do a lot of fun commissions, which you can see over on the Periscope Tumblr. And I got to chat with the amazing Gabriel Hardman, who is, as you know, amazing. I even sold out of Dear Creature books!

Big thanks to everyone who made this such a great con. I'll definitely be back next year, if for no other reason than trying to outdo Ben Dewey's success. Give him a round of applause, everyone. He owned that thing.

 

Library Journal Likes Monster Loving

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This month I turn 30. The 20's were good. 29 particularly so. A new baby girl, two books published, steady freelance work, and a great road trip in our crazy old van. There she is, in all her mismatched bumpered glory. Next time, I'll post art, but for now, you get an 80's van. I think you win. If you want to win big, though, you can meet the new older me at Emerald City Comic Con, where I'll be boothing at #223. Want commissions? I will do commissions for you, sir or madam. I'll also have copies of Dear Creature and Green River Killer, plus art prints. And I'm in Monsters and Dames again, too.

Speaking of Dear Creature, it just got a starred review from Library Journal, which is a good thing. I love librarians. Someday I want to write a musical set in a library. There will be lots of soft shoe and shushing noises.

And now, I'm off to The Creep for Dark Horse. Pencils, pencils, and more pencils. I must fly!