Blog fail!

Heh...I was pretty naive to think that, just because I committed to a weekly blog last post, I would be motivated enough  to update more regularly. Apparently, turning over that leaf KILLS it. So, instead of saying something ridiculous like, "I will blog every week", I will revert to the more realistic, "I'll blog whenever the hell I want." Right now is a 'hell I want" moment because of TCAF! That's the Toronto Comic Arts Festival, for you n00bs....or as I like to call you, "non-nerds".

My TCAF experience this year had a mini-prelude and a pseudo(but-not-really)-related interlude leading up to the main event. First off, TCAF hosted an event on April 26th as part of Keep Toronto Reading called, Graphically Speaking 2010: Jeffrey Brown's Undeleted Scenes, where Brown presented a short lecture on his "process" and then fielded some questions. Myles had to work late that night and was going to miss most of the lecture, so I took some video so he could see what he missed. Here is a short sample: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6z7SzO3Yco4




I have the rest of the lecture, but it's very long...maybe some day I will chop it up and post it...MAYBE. I've learned my lesson and will never commit to anything ever again, EVER. :P
Of course, no comic artist signing is complete without the obligatory sketch request. Lately, I've been giving artists a choice between Mysterio and Spock. Jeffrey went with Spock:



He's pretty much teh awesome.

The following Saturday was Free Comic Book day. HOORAY! More nerdful glee! Although, seeing as I've yet to read about 80% of the free comics I've collected over the years, I made a conscious decision to limit the number of comics I picked up this year. It helped that I was 'delayed' leaving the apartment in the morning (it may or may not have had something to do with WoW, but I'll admit to nothing!) so the only store I hit up was Paradise Comics. They had a three book limit, so I just grabbed some kid-friendly comics to read and then pass on to my niece. Gotta get her started early! The plus side of Paradise Comics was most certainly the guest artists from whom I received these sketches of Spock (Leonard Kirk and Richard Isanove, respectively):





I'm glad I got that Isanove, since I'm going to miss his next appearance at the Hobbystar Fan Appreciation event in June, and then he's moving back to France. He says it will only be for a year or two, but I think it will more likely be for EVER. *tear*

And now, on to TCAF! Hmm...I don't have a lot to add to Myles' report except to say that I *heart* Kagan McLeod. Last year at TCAF was the first time I got a sketch from him (of Spock) so this year I was going to ask him for a Mysterio. But, TCAF eve, Myles saw that Kagan posted some original art on Facebook that he did in advance to sell at TCAF, which included...A MYSTERIO!!! *jaw drop* When we got to TCAF, I lost Myles for a split second, and when I caught up with him, he was already dishing out the dough for the Mysterio original art! YIPPEE!!! Here he is in all his glory:



I love to just wander aimlessly around the floor at TCAF. But, this year I had a hidden agenda that involved some of my favourite returning independent and/or web comic creators: Matt Wiegle, Scott Campbell, Dustin Harbin, and Graham Annable. Wiegle (who is the featured artist review on the latest episode of Digital Kontent) seemed okay with drawing me a Mysterio and went with the test tubey-shaped head (as opposed to the more common fishbowl shape):



I asked Scott Campbell to choose between Spock and Mysterio but, being the super awesome dude that he is, he drew me BOTH! He drew Spock first and was embarrassed by the impossible angles of his fingers...hence, Mysterio's reaction:



Here's a fun little trick: after an artist spoils you with an awesome sketch, just show it to  his friends and say, "Well, this is what HE did...but you can just do whatever." Friendly rivalry can go a long way, so Dustin and Graham both kicked it up a notch:



Spock as Mysterio!!! WHO KNEW???



Umm...yeah. So, this is pretty much my favourite. *heart*

I ran into Jason Truong who suggested that I get a sketch from Roger Langridge (in the interest of full disclosure, I will admit that I had to google his name because I forgot it...in fact, I may have never really known it...). Anyway, his work on The Muppet Show comic is so awesome! ANY fans of The Muppet Show should check out the comic, too. He drew up this Spock that actually looks a lot like my dad:



And FINALLY! We get to Ryan Kelly. If you read Myles' TCAF report, you'll already know that he almost started a public domestic by requesting a Mysterio from Ryan, which turned out to be AMAZING. Sorry, Myles, but "at least ONE of us got a Mysterio sketch" is neither comforting nor validating. :P Well, at least I always have Spock to fall back on. This one has a fancy laser gun! PEW PEW!!!



Here you see that Ryan Kelly is a BAD listener because that is NOT how I spelled out my name to him. I forgive him, though...he meant well. *pew pew pew*

I just did the one day at TCAF. I think I fared pretty well, and my wallet couldn't have handled another day (or even an hour!!) there. I picked up lots of books that I am looking forward to reading, and may some day even review them. MAYBE.

*NOTE: I am not now, nor have I ever been, a Trekkie. I just like the way Spock looks. Bowl cut, FTW!!