· Comic Conventions: Somewhat Exhausting.

APE happened! Wow... this was a huge big year for me, with Elfworld Vol. 1 coming out for the show... The reaction to the book was very warm, with lots of people who's opinions I respect giving me great, positive feedback. I had a bit of an over-inflated idea of how the book was going to do, I have to admit... I imagined that at least once there would be a crowd three deep around the Family Style table, clamoring for their copy of the hot book of the show... but we had strong sales for our first book ever, and we didn't even stick out like a sore thumb down on the main floor (tho' I was very sad our constant APE neighbors Tim and Stephanie weren't next to us this year!

Because the work on the book was done so early (Jonas and I finished work on it over a month before APE, and it arrived on the Monday before the show (50 boxes x 60 books each = 3000 books or 1400 lbs!), I had a bit of time on my hands! I Occupied my time with various "extra-credit" projects... like this special edition version:


It is actually a sort of hard bound folio slipcase that goes around a copy of the actual book. I would have loved this when I was actually still playing D&D... I'm a dork.

A short list of some nice things I picked up this year:

PS Comics #3 by Minty Lewis: Sooo funny! I hadn't read Minty's comics before she gave me this issue, and now I'm in love! "Fruit Pals" is just full of little mannered details that read perfectly.

Monsters #2 by Ken Dahl: This amazing series continues... very sad, beautiful, and bitter work.

Range Life by Tim La Juenesse & Ellis Parker Walks Into a Bar by Stephanie La Juenesse: As always, Love Letter Press delivers a couple of delighful gems... Range Life finishes of Tim's series well, and I like the stories from Stephanie's chap book that I have read thus far (still have to finish it. Nice letterpress covers on both.

Sidewalk Bump #2 by Dan Moynihan et al: I have been waiting for this to come out for a long time... not only am I in it but I really like Dan's loopy, open artwork... There is an unexpected theme of "night skating" in many of the stories, including my own...

Hunter & Painter and Three Very Small Comics Vol. III, both by Tom Gauld: He must be in Elfworld Vol. 2!

Monster Parade by Ben Catmull: Another person I want in Vol. 2... Damn these too busy cartoonists!