Spring stuff, pt.1
Ah, spring is here! Flowers are in bloom (sorry, my allergy prone friends), and the school year is nearing an end. It also mean more comic conventions of which I’ll be going to two this year. First up is the Kickz Animefest at the Elk’s lodge on Cypress Ave in Carmichael on Sunday May 21st from noon to 8 pm. Scattered Comics is a sponsor, and we’ll have a few artists and creators there. I’ll have all my Dr. Dream issues and merch with a few items from the Dr. Dream #4 Kickstarter campaign. I’ll be sharing a table with my friend and fellow creator Alberto Melendez. Tickets are on sale now at https://www.kickzandanimefest.com/. Later on this summer, I‘ll be at Silver Age Comic Con in Reno July 8, and I’ll have more info on that con a bit later. It was an absolute blast last year, and as soon as it was available, I signed up! It’s moved from Circus Circus to the much larger Reno Convention Center, so lots more space! Tickets are on sale now @ https://www.silveragecomiccon.com/.
More on the comics front is my friend Ben Tinsley has a Kickstarter going from his Blonde Assassin series. This is the 3rd book in the series so you’ll want to check it out and support him. Here’s the link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ba3-altnarratives/the-blonde-assassin-3-and-alternative-narratives-1?
Coming up, we’ve got campaigns from James Burton’s The Ballad of Nod . This is an amazing book, and you can get all of the updates by subscribing to his newsletter from his website at : https://www.angrybrain-artworks.com/
It’s ten years since Blinth hit the comic world with cat like fury, and there’s a new campaign to commemorate the anniversary. Sign up for the Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/620209721/blinth-ten-year-anniversary-issues-1-3
Writer, director, and horror hostess Reyna Young has a new book coming out Miss Misery Ghastly Ghost! Follow her on Instagram @directorreynayoung, and you can check out all of her other titles @ https://blackbedsheetbooks.com/reyna-young/. Incidentally, I’ve submitted a manuscript to Black Bed Sheet books so hoping to hear back soon!
Still want more? I don’t blame you! Genesis #2 Kickstarter will be here soon, so you won’t want to miss that!
Alright, with all of that going on, my son Diego will be graduating high school in a matter of weeks, and my daughter Talia from 8th grade. Man, it just doesn’t seem possible. But here we are. We sometimes never know what our kids will become, how life will shape them or how they will shape their lives. It’s an odd dance of lead and follow—with some surprise, improvised steps along the way. One of Mira Loma’s long time traditions is Sports-o-Rama where the classes compete against one another in a variety of fun activities to encourage team building and school pride. This year, our developmentally disabled students had a chance to participate during our Sports-o-Rama rally, and Diego was quite moved by their efforts. Since then, he has advocated for more activates featuring these students, which brought great praise from our high school principal and my colleague and special ed teacher, Marissa Bender.
Talia continues with her artwork finding new way to connect to the community. She just finished creating theater props for her former K-6 school’s production and finished a rather ambitious rollercoaster science project this past week. Talia chose the theme of A Series of Unfortunate Events for the ride, and it scored a 7/8. On a whim, I asked (not really expecting a response) if we should work together on a comic book. Her eyes lit up and offered a high five. Hey, if Ben and Jake Tinsley can make it happen, maybe we can too!
This has been pretty long—for me anyway—and it’s only part 1! In the coming weeks, I should have some clarity where my career and creativity are taking me. Change is the one constant we have. Stay safe, take care, and part 2 coming soon!