Temporarily Revived

Well, getting the new site/blog up and running has taken quite longer than expected, so for now I am reviving this blog (hey Ray, did get your FB message).

I don't know how long I'll keep this up, but for now I'm gonna use this just to spew my thoughts out there.

So, I still have the gallbladder troubles. It's been a long road, but I am finally making headway into getting it taken care of. I've talked with one surgeon and will be talking to another soon. I've dealt with two hospitals and a clinic, and after a number of years now have a regular doctor.

That said, my Thanksgiving was spent alone, in bed, for 5 days that ended in a 6-hour stay in the ER, followed by 18 hours of sleeping the pain meds they pumped into me off. That was yesterday. Today I'm back home, feeling better for the moment, and finally getting back to work after a 6 day hiatus for the most part (though I did work as I could, and I worked Mon-Wed of last week as well).

Speaking of work, it has gotten slow here lately, which has really hurt me a lot. I won't give you my woes on that subject, just suffice it to say I'm looking for freelance work right now (car's down, so office jobs are out of the question for now).

If you need some lettering or logo design let me know at gonzogoose @ brantfowler.com.

In fact, I've even picked up a new skill: flatting! I have flatted several pages for Marvel, not directly, but through a friend who does regular flatting for them. Flatting is uncredited, only the main colorist gets the credit, but I'm cool with that. So if you have some flatting work, let me know on that as well.

Lettering and Logo Design samples: http://www.gonzogoose.com/

Flatting samples: http://faeriestories.com/justflats/?page_id=8

I've also been drawing a lot lately. I entered this challenge a friend of mine put together called the 30 Character Challenge. We were tasked with creating a new character for every day of November, and I did so and even did an extra one.

You can check out all my characters here: http://www.30characters.com/author/brantfowler/

I've also been putting out my webcomic, Wannabez, twice a week. Check it out at:

http://www.wannabez.com/comic/

Updates every Tuesday and Friday.

And I letter three weekly webcomics:

New Comic Day - http://www.newcomicday.net

Updates every Wednesday

Spy6Teen - http://www.spy6teen.com

Updates every Monday

Price for the Asking - http://comicrelated.com/news/9736/price-for-the-asking

Updates every Monday

(I'm currently working on a Wordpress site for this one, so it will have its own URL soon!)

And of course I've still been working with Comic Related. I'm the COO, Site Manager and the guy in charge of Advertising for the site in fact. My partners are three of my best friends, so you can't beat that!

Ok, that's enough for now. Thanks for all your support in years past, and thanks for coming back and reading this now if you are. I intend on updating this blog every day from now until the new site/blog is launched barring being ill or having surgery.

I'm Back!!!

My dad dropped in to

My dad dropped in town unexpectedly. Just got back from dinner with him - it went well.

Special Wannabez Off

Special Wannabez Offer! http://htxt.it/IWql

Up early, early toda

Up early, early today. It's 6:30am and I've already been working for three hours!

Thanksgiving was ama

Thanksgiving was amazing - SO much GOOD food and company!

Happy Thanksgiving,

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Hope you all have a blessed and fun day!

Today It All Changes

Exactly four years ago, on September 30, 2005, I started this blog as a way to talk about whatever was on my mind. Be that updates on projects, religious discussions, comics, rants on this or that, birthday wishes or what have you, it was meant as an outlet for whatever I was feeling or wanting to express at any given time.

Over the years I have gone days or weeks without posting. I've gained and lost readers. I've whined and complained, and I've praised and rejoiced. There have been good days and bad days, good posts and bad posts.

Through it all, though, I had fun doing it, and I was able to get it all out there for the world to see. I made some very close friends through this blog, some acquaintances, and even got some work from it. I've made people really happy with it, and I've made people really mad with it. I've gotten called out on it, and I've been pulled to the side over it.

But good or bad, it's been a constant for four years. And that changes today.

This is officially my 1000th post on this blog, and it will be my last.

If you have followed this blog at all you know that the last four years have been quite the up and down journey. We've laughed, we've cried, we've talked about the most inane subjects possible. But if my last post before this one was any indication (not to mention the many like it and worse over the years), it's time for a change.

I have been loosely planning this for some time, though I had hoped my other plans would be further along by now so that the transition would be smooth. But alas, sometimes things just work out the way they do, and there's nothing that can be done about them.

A few posts back I let you in on my secret that I was retro-dating a few of these posts. I had intended, once I hit about 989, to work my way up to this date to end it on the date I began it. But I lost track and the day passed. So instead of accepting that I retro'd them, and I'm not ashamed. :)

What I intended to happen was to relaunch my website with a new design and brand new blog to start fresh. I am nowhere near ready for that, though, so I am ending this without something to jump to.

What I will tell you is that eventually, I will be starting a brand new blog, which I will update constantly, at the same www.brantfowler.com/blog url. This blog will remain here as an archive.

So why am I doing this? Basically, I have come to the decision that I need a fresh, new beginning. I want to start fresh and clean and put my past behind me. That may sound trivial concerning a blog, but this blog thing is symbolic of a greater desire to lay down the past which has plagued me for some time. I'm ready to move forward and let go.

That's not to say I'm quitting what I'm doing or starting all over completely. I love what I do with lettering, Comic Related, Haven and so forth. But I feel like for a while now I've been like the hamster in the wheel, running its little heart out but never going anywhere. My wheels have been turning, but I've been stuck in a rut. A rut I fully intend to break, starting today.

So with all that said, I would like to thank you all for your faithful readership over the years. I'd also like to thank you for the comments you've left, and for the support and encouragement you've showed. For those of you who made this journey with me and became close friends, LCS forever, guys. Ray, Jenny, and the rest, thank you for following my words and sharing with me yours from time to time.

I hope that you all will follow me to the new blog when I'm ready to take it live. And I hope you've enjoyed reading my ramblings as much as I've enjoyed sharing them.

In closing, I'll leave you with the motto of my former church, which seems more than appropo for the occasion: Today, A New Beginning.

Prayer Changes Things

Regardless of what your beliefs are, I have to tell you that prayer works. I was honestly feeling pretty down for the past few weeks, though I didn't fully realize it. I was always tired and constantly stressed, and didn't feel like doing anything. I put on as strong a front as I could and soldiered on, chalking it up to work.

But tonight I came to a realization, or rather an acceptance, that a little enemy of mine was once again latching on, that being depression. I've suffered with it a couple of times before, once in my teens, once a few short years ago. And so I knew the signs, but for whatever reason just kept thinking it was being overworked.

I'm not going into any detail about the whys and so forth as it defeats the point of this post. After tonight, when I dealt with yet another situation I wish could have been avoided, I accepted what was happening and decided to do something about it. So, not to be too graphic, I took a shower and prayed while I was in there. I tend to do that as it's a good place for reflection and whatnot.

Well, I am 110% better now, rejuvenated, awake, and ready to conquer the day. I'm not delusional, I'm not avoiding or skirting the problem, I feel like I've overcome it before it could dig in too deep and affect me more than it had.

So, for anyone who may have noticed a little off behavior in me, fear not, I'm all good, and I have no one to thank for that but God.

Going Retro

You may notice a bunch of posts magically appearing on Sept. 30th. I'll tell you why in a later post, but suffice it to say for now that I have retro dated several posts because I dropped the ball and didn't hit the mark I was going for. So rather than try to take you all for dummies and pretend like you all just missed them, I figured I'd be the dummy and admit that I'm backdating them. Why? Keep reading. :D

Zone 4 Updates

I'm not going into any details at all here, but suffice it to say that you will soon notice some changes on the Zone 4 Podcast. We've had some shaky weeks of late, and recent developments have been trying. But we are more than soldiering on, we are forging ahead with gusto! So keep listening and stay tuned!

Happy Birthday, Comic Related!

Tomorrow, October 1st is Comic Related's 5th Anniversary! The site has grown exponentially, and it continues to grow. I got a peek at the numbers we're pulling on the site and they are phenomenal!

This weekend we'll be celebrating the anniversary at Mid-Ohio-Con, so if you're there stop by the CR booth (#438) on Saturday.

Details are forthcoming on www.comicrelated.com.

The Job

For those wondering, I've yet to hear the final decision about the job I mentioned a few posts back. As soon as I know for certain I'll let you all know.

Drawing

I've really had the itch to draw more and more lately, just haven't yet found the time to devote to it. I really wanted to have some art to show or sell at the con this weekend, but it doesn't look like that's gonna happen.

I am also dying to start this web strip idea of mine, but again, I have to find the time to devote to it. I want to do it all on the strip, from pencils, to inks, to colors, to letters, to writing of course. I want to really devote some serious time into it to improve my craft before debuting it. It would have been cool to debut it at the con, but it's just not happening. Maybe the next one.

Regardless, I am starting to draw more. I even pulled out some of my old art and was looking at the flaws so I could pay attention on areas I need improvement. I hope I can reignite the passion I once had for art. It was such a big part of me for many years. I feel like it's a part of me that's missing.

So I plan on doing my best to rectify that as I can. Wish me luck!

I'm On a Panel!

This weekend at Mid-Ohio-Con I will be on my first panel, speaking on independent comics. I'm pretty excited about it, and I'll be joined by some wonderful people. Chuck Moore will be moderating, and some of the panel guests include Eric Adams, Lora Innes, Dustin Carson and Bob Corby. So it should be a blast.

I'd be lying if I said at first I wasn't a little nervous. After all, I only found out I was on the panel today! But I plan on having fun with it, and if anyone gets anything out of something I say, then cool.

So, if you're planning on being in the Columbus, Ohio area this Sunday, at 3pm you should come to the con at the Convention Center and check out my panel! :)

I'll be at my booth the rest of the con. I don't know the booth number yet, but you shouldn't miss the giant Wannabez banner behind me. :)

Wannabez Pinup Contest

For those of you not following the Wannabez blog or checking out my forums, Twitter or Facebook, we are holding a Wannabez pinup contest.

The winning entry, which will be announced at this weekend's Mid-Ohio-Con and subsequently on ComicRelated.com, will be published in a special edition of the Wannabez #1 preview issue and will receive a prize package including books, prints and other cool stuff.

The deadline is THIS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2nd! So get on the ball with your pinup!

All the details can be found by clicking the title of this post. Entries already posted in the contest can be found here.

If you don't want to post your entries in the forums, you can email them to me at wannabez @ brantfowler.com

You are allowed to enter multiple pieces, and any medium is acceptable.

You retain rights to your art, but we reserve the right to publish it of course. Non-winning entries will go up on our website.

Have fun!

Rough Weekend

The past couple of days have been rough. I had planned on spending all day and night Friday working my butt off on stuff, pulling an all-nighter, but things didn't quite work out as well as I had hoped.

I did do a lot of lettering including finishing up a graphic novel I was only slightly over halfway finished with, and I did some posts on CR including editing and posting the Zone 4 podcast Friday, so it's not like nothing got done.

But I had forgotten about said podcast until the last minute and it took me forever to edit for some reason. I ended up having to delay it for two hours in fact. And after that was up I did a little lettering then was just spent. So I relaxed a bit, watched a little TV and ate, because I had to record next week's podcast last night.

That podcast had a rough start and some other issues that all worked themselves out, but afterwards it was after 1am and by that point I was not feeling an all-nighter at all. So I tried to stick with it until about 2am and finally crashed. Got up at 6 this morning and worked until about 3pm and crashed again. Got up at 8pm, watched a little TV, ate and then tried to get into work again to no avail.

Right now I'm totally exhausted, but I'm not sleepy. I'm not feeling like doing anything at all. Not reading, not watching TV, not sleeping, not working, not anything at all. So here I sit whining about it all. heh.

Nah, I'm good, really, just feeling the burn and the constant schedule (I never take a full day off, ever, even on the weekends) is wearing on me. I really need and want a vacation, but can't afford it this year. And the car's down, so it's not like I can get out of the house, and that's what I really need. I stare at these walls way too much.

But it's all good, I'll be fine, and all is well. I'm just having one of those days and didn't feel like doing anything but blogging about it. heh.

Moving on, I am still going to plow through all the work ahead of me. I'm still waiting to hear the final word about this new job, which looks to now be part-time. So I'll still be doing everything else I've been doing on top of it.

Tomorrow I don't imagine I'm going to do much actual work. What I am going to do is sit down with everything currently on my plate and anticipate the time needing spent on this new job and really make myself a schedule to stick to, at least until I knock this current workload out. I tend to jump around from thing to thing as monotony and repetition REALLY stall me bad as I hate that, and I hate 9-5 schedules. Tried many times in office jobs and was just absolutely miserable doing that. I do what I have to, but I avoid that as much as possible. But right now I need to get a handle on this stuff and really stick to it until I knock each item out.

So be looking for updates on all my current projects soon.

As for tomorrow, if I'm not doing much work and I'm just focusing on scheduling, what in the world am I actually going to do with the rest of the day? I have no idea. It's not like I'm going anywhere, so I may work on some personal projects, I may just veg out, or I may end up actually working knowing me. We'll see.

Back On Top of Things

The other day I was having a rough day. I've got a good grip on things and a plan of attack. Fear not, I am not overwhelmed, I'm just busy. And that's a good thing. So bear with me a short while longer and all will be good.

Tomorrow I will be going up to Florence for Comicpalooza. If you're up that way swing in and say hello. If not, fine, be that way. :)

Sunday I'll be working on DC Solicitations for CR, and Monday probably Marvel ones. Tuesday and at night I'll be hard at work on everything else. I plan on wrapping some things up by next Friday. We'll see how well that goes.

Cross your fingers for me, I'm waiting to hear back about a very promising and possibly full-time freelance job, which would do wonders for me. So wish me luck or say a prayer!

Under the Wire

Man, I am swimming in backlog at the moment. I've got so much to do I have trouble figuring out where to start and focusing on one thing at a time. Mostly because I have certain things I need to do every day, then other stuff that needs full days to be focused on, which I can't give them.

I'm trying to catch up, folks, but it's just taking me much longer than I expected or could possibly anticipate.

Health is good, getting back to normal. Though I had the worst gall bladder attack last night that I've had in months. I had actually gone nearly two months without one, then last night one hit me hard for about 6 hours. But I'm ok today. Been working for about 8 hours so far as I type this, and it feels like I've been swimming in place because I can't see that a whole lot got done, sad as it is. And I'm talking no food breaks, no nothing, just sitting here straight through.

Why can't I just be swimming in Hawaii, Saint Tropez, or at least Florida...

Out of town for the

Out of town for the day... up in Springfield, OH for a one-day con.

Woe is Me

Yep, another health report. While the ears are still on the mend (the left one's still stopped up), my back has gotten considerably worse.

Well, I say my back, but now I'm pretty certain it's my right hip and it's out of whack somehow.

Yesterday I sat down at the computer around 8am with the intention of working all day, but by 10 the pain in my lower back was so severe I couldn't sit up straight, so I spent the whole day and night in bed. The good thing is this afforded me the opportunity to watch the entire Band of Brothers series when I wasn't dozing off, and it was really good. I'm not one much for war shows or films, especially concerning the Holocaust during WWII, but this series, based on a novel, which was based on true events, was really good.

In another bit of good news, my new eating habits are already paying off as I've lost 4 pounds in less than a week. Now, for those of you who think that sounds a bit unhealthy, let me assure you that I am eating three square meals a day plus snacks, all healthy, and I'd say some of those four pounds was simply water. Still, I view it as an accomplishment and I'm going to stick to it. Last year I lost 23 pounds, and gained 33 back over the holidays. I'm now on my way once again to getting back down to where I'm comfortable. Not that I look particularly huge thanks to my large and wide body frame, but I don't feel like myself. Truth be told, I wouldn't mind my current weight were it all muscle, but sadly it's not, so off it goes.

The hard part is I can't do much in the way of exercise until I get this hip back in shape.

Today I am once again attempting to sit at the computer and work, in a different chair mind you with some pillows that have me reclining ever so slightly, which takes off the pressure. We'll see how long it lasts.

I was so upset yesterday because I had so much to do and couldn't do it. This week I have things coming up that I need to be in good condition for, and I really need to get some of this work behind me before all that, so I'm hoping it gets in good order soon.

Anyway, I've rambled on enough and am now fully awake. I'm gonna eat a little breakfast and try to get to work. Wish me luck!

Busy Month Ahead

The next few weeks are going to be extremely busy for me, so I won't be posting much and won't be on social networks or forums too much either. I doubt I'll even be on AIM much.

But before I get into all that, I want to let you all know that I am doing better. The ears are still stopped up, but not as bad, and a lot of the swelling has gone down. I had just a bit of ache in one ear yesterday, but aside from that I've had no pain for a few days. I seem to have caught a bit of something else, though, or maybe it's part of this, as I've had a fever the past day or two that's made me nauseous and drowsy, but that's a minor thing in the grand scheme of things.

I haven't had trouble with the gall stones for quite some time now. Probably the longest spurt between attacks since I got out of the hospital last March. So that's a good thing.

I have been really watching what I eat and am trying to slim down a bit anyway (though I still eat enough, trust me), so evidently that's helped in fighting off those problems.

Now, onto the busy part, which I may have mentioned here before (I can't recall and I'm too lazy to look back through the posts, so forgive me if I'm being repetitive). The next four weekends are tied up for me. This coming weekend is a one day con in Springfield, Ohio called Champion City Comic Con that I'll be attending with Comic Related. I'll have some of my books there, signed, if anyone wants to stop by and pick any up.

The next weekend is Comicpalooza at Comics2Games in Florence. It's kind of like a second Free Comic Book Day that apparently I'm helping run, and there will be free books, signings and all kinds of fun.

The following weekend is Chuck Moore's 40th birthday celebration at his farm and there will be a whole bunch of people attending including yours truly. It'll be a blast.

And finally, the first weekend of October is Mid-Ohio-Con at which I will have a table and will be selling Wannabez and some books I've lettered (like Descendant and Zombie Cop from Image).

In between all that, I have several lettering projects going on. This weekend and into the week I'm working on finishing up the Suicide Note graphic novel. I'm also lettering this week 3rd System #1, Black Paw #1, and resizing The Supremacy #2.

I have a couple of logos I'm working on as well this week.

And of course there's the regular workload of Haven submissions and solicitations, and posts on Comic Related.

Thursday we'll be recording next week's Zone 4.

Next week is going to be crazy because I'll be developing two magazines in the new CXP magazine and the Haven catalog simultaneously as it turns out. They were to be spaced out, but schedule changes caused this overlap that is stressing me out a bit.

On top of that, this coming weekend I imagine Marvel and DC solicitations will be in, so I'll have to do those as well, and those take pretty much a whole working day apiece the way I do them, which we at CR feel are the best out there.

Somewhere in the midst of all this I have to find time to exercise, write a little, do the Haven and CXP newsletters, and sleep! We'll see how that last one goes...

Man, What a Week

This week has been a nightmare really. I've still got the ear infections of course, and the hearing is not great because of it. And with both ears being swollen and me used to sleeping on my stomach (I can't sleep on my back, believe me I've tried countless times), it becomes very difficult to sleep. So I wind up sleeping for a couple of hours and waking up. So needless to say I've been very exhausted all week. Right now my eyes have ten gallon bags under them and they are struggling to stay open.

On top of those woes, I've had demands on all sides to get this or that done. And try as I may to accommodate everyone, it just hasn't happened. I've been very stressed out about it trying to deliver everyone's stuff at the same time all while being ill. And as I explained in a previous post, things are just going to get busier for the rest of the month.

But I am not down or defeated. I'm staying pretty positive, keeping the faith, and hacking away piece-by-piece at the workload. So any of my clients that happen to read this, please bear with me.

The Bug Has Bitten

Yes, I've still got the ear infections, and every time they seem to start to clear up, they get worse again. It also seems to be jumping back and forth between the ears at the level of the swelling/pain. But I haven't had a lot of aches and pains today or yesterday, just can't hear and it's uncomfortable. The left ear right now is throbbing a little though.

But that's not the bug I was referring to. The writing bug has grabbed a hold of me. Last night I pulled out my notes from a fantasy novel I started to write about 6 years ago, read through them, and got excited again. So I started further plotting it out and got even more excited. I'm hoping I can maintain that level of excitement throughout and continue working away on that in my spare time.

I have some other stuff going on that I mentioned in my forums as well.

Thanks to Ross who pointed me to a gig, I picked up another cover/logo design job, which then turned into a lettering job as well. Yes, I have a lot on my plate, but this was a good gig to get, so I'll just have to up my game.

Over the weekend I cleared out some Haven emails and hacked my way through submissions and about half of the solicitations we've received recently. Tomorrow will be more of the same of that.

I also managed to make a few posts to Comic Related today. I've only made a handful all week, but today I cued several, so I was happy about that.

By this coming weekend I have a full issue and a graphic novel I have to finish. Then it will be mainly work on the Haven catalog (in which YOU can advertise in at low, discounted rates right now!) with lettering thrown in between for a couple of weeks.

September is a busy month as I have something going on three weekends in a row, followed by the first weekend of October. So the next two weeks I'll be immersing myself in lettering and catalog work so I don't fall behind. So be warned, you probably won't see me online a lot the next couple of weeks.

I'll also be squeezing in Comics XP stuff for the newsletter and ads to keep that moving for my part in it.

And finally, Zone 4 is looking for guests as Chuck K. announced on the CR forums.

Enjoy what's left of your weekend, folks!

Say What...?

Well, yesterday I thought I was feeling better. My left ear, the one I can't hear out of, had started to drain and the swelling went down, and so I assumed I was getting better. And the right ear was just a little swollen.

Late last night and into this morning things changed a bit. While the left ear is still about the same as described above, and I still can't hear out of it, the right ear took a turn for the worse. It is now quite swollen and painful, and I'm starting to lose hearing in it as well. So unless things change real quick, I'd say by tomorrow I won't be able to hear out of either ear.

Like I said before, I can't afford to go to the doctor, so I've been popping Advil at the suggested dosage and amounts every 4-6 hours as Advil is an anti-inflammatory medication. Seems to have helped, but not good enough of fast enough. But I'll keep hanging in there.

I did manage to get a little bit of work done yesterday as I was feeling better. Today I'm going to try again, but if my right ear gets any worse I'm gonna have to call it quits and put a heat pack on it in hopes that it too will go down.

As for my back, it was better yesterday, barely in pain at all. Then late in the night it started hurting again as well, and this morning it's pretty stiff and achy. My knee was also giving me trouble yesterday.

I hate being sick, and it seems I've been sick a lot this year with this or that. I also hate whining about this crap, but I figure you all need or want to know what's going on with me, so there it is.

Thanks for all the concerns and well wishes and prayers, I appreciate them all.

Still Down

The ear infection has gotten worse unfortunately. I spent all day yesterday in bed with a heat pack on, and thought it was getting better. But when I woke up it was actually worse and had spread into my other ear.

My left ear canal is swollen and filled with fluid, and I can't hear out of it. My right ear is now swollen and starting to get stiff. Yesterday I got really nauseous and stayed just tired enough to not move around much. Plus the pain was pretty bad early in the day with aches and throbbing. It subsided a bit in the night, but like I said, got worse when I woke up.

On top of that, I've done something to my lower back as well. It's actually swollen, and I'm having a hard time even getting up off the couch or out of bed. I sat on the edge of the bed yesterday and tried to put my pants on, but couldn't lift my leg it hurt my back so much.

I've been taking motrin, but it hasn't helped either problem much. I know I need an antibiotic for the ear infection, but I can't afford to go to the doctor, so I'm hoping it will pass or not get worse until I get a check.

I am going to try to work a little bit today as it hurts whether I'm laying down or not, and I don't want to fall too far behind. We'll see how it goes.

Before I go, since I haven't had a chance to say so yet, this past Saturday was really fun. We had a Comics XP meeting, but I was also persuaded into an art contest, which was complete laughs from start to finish. It's always fun going up to Comics 2 Games.

Down and out today w

Down and out today with an ear infection. I'll hopefully be back on and around tomorrow.

Missing Nana

Sixteen years ago today my Nana passed away. I was 16 years old and it was a church night (Wednesday). She had been sick for a while (cancer), and had been sent home as there was nothing else that could be done for her. My mom and aunts were with her in those last moments while my cousin and I were at church.

That night as we were being taken home by someone in the church we got lost on the way home. We ended up on the opposite side of town and had to turn around in a graveyard. The graveyard had a huge fountain in the middle of the entrance, which we circled. As we did, I saw a white figure shoot by it. I turned around to try to see it again, but it was gone.

Shortly after my cousin and I got to my place my mom called to let us know Nana had passed away. I was in shock. I laughed. I do that sometimes when I'm at a loss for what emotion to display. It's out of disbelief more than anything.

See, I was very close to Nana. We lived with my grandparents from the time I was 5 until around 13 or 14. My mom worked well into the night, so Nana would be who I'd see after school and who I would spend time with every day. We'd play games, watch TV, talk and so on and so forth. I loved her. She was a precious lady. A very strong-minded and blunt lady, but a loving lady. And most importantly she believed in me when I felt no one else did.

I love her and I miss her more than words could say.

The last words I remember her saying to me as I visited her in the hospital shortly before she was sent home was "straighten up and fly right". I promised her I would, and that became a major changing point in my life soon after.

I probably didn't think much of it at the time, but after she passed I changed. I grew up really fast, not just because of that, but because I had to. My brother was a year old and his dad had passed away several months earlier. My mom had to work, and I was already graduated from school. So I had to man up and take care of my brother and be responsible, more responsible than I had ever been. I changed that year. I got more serious about things, more dedicated and passionate about church, family and life. It was a defining moment in my life as every time I slack off on anything or act out or act up, if you will, my Nana's words echo in my ears.

I'm far from perfect, and so was Nana, as is everyone, but she was and always will be precious to me. And those words that changed my life still change my life to this day.

At her funeral I wore a red dress shirt. She always said I looked good in red, but I didn't like wearing the color. For her I did. A little too late, but it was important to me. My then pastor's daughter, Jessica, sang Peace Speaker at the funeral, which is a beautiful song, and every time I hear it now I get choked up. Ironically, Jessica's birthday is the same day as the day of my Nana's passing (today - so happy b-day, Jess). Over the years every time Jessica would have a birthday it was a constant reminder of who I'd lost. But then I remembered the song she sang at Nana's funeral and it brought me comfort.

I wish my brother could have known Nana better. I wish Nana would be around for my own kids should I ever have any. But that evidently wasn't God's plan, and I know He is taking care of her. I am convinced that night in the graveyard, the very same graveyard she ended up being buried at, God was giving me a sign that He had her in His care. Nothing will ever convince me otherwise.

Nana, I love you dearly and I wish you were here. But I know you're in a better place away from the suffering of this world. I miss you, and may God keep you.

What's On Deck

This week has been a nightmare. I'm not sure why, but for the better part of more than half the week I was having a major grumpy attitude about everything. I was just frustrated, stressed out, and therefore didn't get much accomplished. I fell off the radar and just didn't want to be bothered for about two and a half days. Though I did do some work, I didn't get nearly what I wanted to accomplished.

So here it is Friday and I'm in much better spirits. You'd think I worked on office job where today's the last day of the work week! Not so with me since I work from home. Every day is a work day, many days longer than the normal 8 hours. Which is probably why every once in a while I have a week like this. I keep saying I need a vacation, and as soon as I can afford one I'm taking one!

With all that out of the way, there are some things I'm hoping to accomplish this weekend and thought I'd list them here for my clients to see that I am actually doing something. These are in random order, not order of priority or the order I'm working on them, just so everyone's clear.

DC Solicits for ComicRelated.com (it's that time again)
Haven Submissions (got a whole pile to go through again)
Lettering for a Tutorial (8 page project (I think) for Sketch Magazine)
CXP Newsletter Design (at least the start of it, with help from others)
CXP Button/Banner Ads (at least a start)
Black Paw lettering (at least layouts and a start on them)
3rd System #1 lettering (I hope to get at least half the issue done)
Suicide Note lettering (got to get as much done as I can, though Mon-Tue will be the focus for it)

There's more I hope to accomplish, but I don't want to overwhelm myself, so these are the things I'm focusing on first.

And lastly before I bring this post to a close, though I seriously doubt they'll read this, I'd like to wish both David and Jamie a Happy Birthday today.

Next week I'll be on point and really busting things out... I hope!

Still Here... Barely

As you know if you read my last post, I had a relapse of my cold yesterday. Well, I was so drained from it I passed out about 6pm last night and slept until nearly 10. Then I couldn't get back to sleep all night as hard as I tried.

I tried watching TV, tried reading, tried taking a hot bath, tried just going to sleep, but nada on all fronts. Nothing worked. So here I am almost nine hours later still extremely tired, but unable to sleep.

This cold is a strange one. I mainly feel rundown, but I'm starting to get it in my nose and throat. But the strange thing is it gets me really wired, like I can't sit still. And when I try I'm constantly fidgeting or shaking my leg or something. But then the fever rises and I just want to pass out, but more times than not I can't. Very odd cold this one.

At any rate, I figure since I'm up at nearly 7am I might as well try to get some things done before trying to sleep again as at the moment I'm still wired. And no, I haven't been drinking a lot of caffeine. I had one cup of coffee yesterday morning that I blogged about yesterday. And I've only had one pop and a bit of iced tea, but mostly water.

Hey, at least it stopped raining.

Coffee, Rain and Sniffles

So it's nearly 3am on Friday morning, it just started pouring rain and I'm sick. My cup is also empty, so it's about time for a refill.

Now, any of you who know me know I'm not a coffee drinker. In fact, normally I hate the stuff. Never did drink it, not even in college. But a while back while working on the first Haven catalog I downed it like water for a weekend. I still wasn't addicted and dropped it for a long while. But tonight I needed the help to stay awake to get some work done.

I can tolerate it black, but I don't like it. So I usually put a little sugar in it, sometimes cinnamon. I watch a lot of Food Network TV, so I got inspired tonight. I added a teaspoon of cocoa, a little sugar and a dash of cayenne pepper, topped with a dollop of cool whip.

Yep, you read that right... cayenne pepper. I watched a recipe on hot chocolate using some heat like that, and cayenne pepper is what I had on hand, and it does indeed leave a burning sensation in your throat, which I like on occasion. So it turned out pretty good I have to say. And it gave me just enough buzz to stay up a little longer and get some stuff accomplished.

As for being sick, I was pretty much bed-ridden for the better part of two days earlier this week and thought I had shook it. In fact, I had woke up Thursday morning completely energized, bouncing off the walls and feeling productive. I even bragged about it to Chuck Moore on IM. But that thing about speaking to soon? Yeah, it's true. Not much long after that the fever hit me again full on. Then later... I don't know really how to describe this, but you know that feeling when you feel a cold coming on, when you breathe in and the air tastes and smells a little different in the back of your mouth and nose, and you just know you're getting sick? Well that's how I felt tonight. Right now the fever has settled down, but I still have that taste and smell. So we'll see how Friday plays out.

I am so sick of rain. Granted, at the moment, in the middle of the night, as the rain patters down on the roof, it is peaceful. But Kentucky weather is really awful and more times it's dreary than not. I so long for the beach. Even if it was raining, I just love that environment. Cali, one day I will make it there.

How's work coming, you ask? It's coming along. Covering the Comic Related site through the con, then getting sick immediately after put me a little behind, but I've gotten caught up on most of it. Just a couple of things I'm straggling behind a bit on, but I'll make it up.

I was supposed to go up to Florence for a CXP meeting this weekend, but we postponed it until Monday night and made it a Skype conference call instead. I always look forward to going up to Florence, and I would have stayed the night with Darren and crew this time, which would have been a blast. But I have to say after a very busy week last week and over the weekend, then being behind this week, the weekend to myself to catch up and recuperate is looking awfully good. Now if I can just get through Friday!

Sometimes I think I've spread myself too thin with all the obligations I've gotten myself laden with, but I still feel it's worth it, and every single one of them I'm glad I have. I believe Haven, Comic Related and CXP are all going somewhere someday, and lettering has been my door to the industry, and I've had the opportunity to work on some really cool books. So I can't be ungrateful or regrettable about any of that in the least. Quite the opposite in fact. Things could be better, but things are good right now. I've got good friends, I've got some steady work, other not so steady work, and despite whatever problems I face I can usually find the positives in them. So I'm good. Still, it'd be nice if Wannabez would sell like gangbusters! =)

On that note, I think the coffee has worn out, the sniffles are getting worse, and rain is still pattering away. Probably time for a little shuteye...

Busy, Busy, Busy...

I'm not even gonna apologize for my silence this time. I've been extremely busy and still am!

This morning I finished the DC solicits for posting later this afternoon. I also finished designing the background for a blog over at Comic Related. And I recorded the now weekly Warp Wrap podcast recapping stories from the past week on Comic Related.

I am now finishing lettering the Corrective Measures Vol 2 TPB. I got a later start than I intended today (wasn't feeling well late into the night last night), which has to be completed by the end of the day! I will pull it off, but I'm having to go completely silent to do so, but I wanted to get a blog post up before I did.

I'm also producing about 5 pages a day for Suicide Note from Hard Way Studios, though I missed yesterday. I'll probably miss today as well and have to make up the difference tomorrow to stay on task.

Descendant #3 from Image is also on the slate as I have to get that complete by the end of the month at the absolute latest.

I have a few logos I have to work on at some point, of course still plenty of Haven stuff to do on a near daily basis, and various other jobs that I don't have time to list.

Compound with that the fact that I have to prep Marvel solicits for tomorrow to post. Those take me about 3-4 hours to do because I do them up real nice.

The latter half of this week I need to have my schedule as clear as I can make it because I'll be covering the site with reports coming in from San Diego Comic-Con to post.

So it's yet another busy week for me. I've got to go letter now. Be cool.

Craziness All Around

I had to take a short break from everything I'm doing just to let it all out and get out of my head for a moment, so bear with me.

It's been an extremely busy month this past month, and things don't look to be letting up yet. If only I was getting paid enough to match all the work I'm doing I'd be very well off. But alas, yon freelancing isn't what it used to be. But I'm surviving.

I've briefly explained it before, but all at once several things slammed me at once and collided into one another and left me gasping for air. I'm pulling myself out of the workload slowly, but surely, but it has taken its toll on me.

As soon as I catch up all this stuff I've been working day and night to clear out, I'm taking a short break. No internet, no work, no nothing. Just a couple of days of vegging out because I haven't been able to do that in a LONG time.

If you are waiting on work from me, please know that it is coming. It's the blessing and curse of a freelancer that there will be times when there's no work to be found, then there will be loads of work to the point past exhaustion. That's where I've been. Sadly, I'm in the phase where I have tons of work and no money coming in, which is never a good scenario. But again, I'll survive.

Added to the craziness swirling around me, Michael Jackson passed away nearly a week ago. To say I took it hard would be a gross understatement. Say what you will about the man, and believe what you will believe of the allegations, but he was the greatest musical entertainer that ever lived in my opinion, and he was a huge inspiration on me musically and creatively. I grew up on his music and his influence on the music industry will be felt forever. He was an innovator and musical genius. I am saddened by his troubled life, but I am glad he has hopefully found peace now.

Don't you hate it when you order food and they take forever to get it there. And when they do it's not only cold, but it's wrong after an hour of waiting. Then when you request them to fix it you're still sitting here nearly two hours later waiting for the correct thing to arrive so you can finally eat after having not eaten all day. And today I've been up since 3am. That's a LONG time going without food when you've been working nonstop. I'm ready for some food!!! I better get something free out of this!

I want to thank some close friends for all their support for me as I trudge on day to day. You know who you are. Thank you.

July will be rough, but fun. August will be very interesting. I'll explain later.

Alright, I've wasted enough time. I need to do something. Either get back to work or hop on the phone to see what's up with my food!

Mad Rush to the Finish Line

I'm feeling a bit pensive today and a little disconcerted. Pensive in that I'm reflecting on a lot of things right now, disconcerted by behaviors and situations surrounding me. I guess I'm also a bit antsy with projects nearing deadlines as well.

If you haven't guessed, I'm back from Heroes Con and the pressure has hit me. I had a great and rejuvenating time at the show, but coming back was arduous and what awaited us all was frustrating and aggravating. All of us have our own reasons for that.

For me, I have two or more lettering projects needing to be worked on, but at the same time the Haven catalog has to be finished by tomorrow night! So the coffee was flowing today, even though I'm not a coffee drinker. I had very little sleep and I've been working all day on the catalog.

I won't discuss what's specifically bothering me, but it's funny how the general mood over the weekend was so "up" and how the general mood from all sides afterward is in drastic contrast.

This weekend is supposed to be a Comic Related retreat of sorts. Several members of ComicRelated.com will be heading over to Chuck Moore's house for a Transformers filled weekend and some discussion about the site and where it's headed. But the way things are going I'm beginning to wonder if that won't be postponed.

The status of Zone 4 for the moment is also being debated as technical issues, time constraints and formatting issues are becoming a problem. The show will stick around, but there will be changes and there may be a hiatus, I don't know yet.

I'm not sure what to think of some recent happenings, and my brain is too heavy laden at the moment to try to figure them out.

The onset of Summer is having the affect of Winter, and that's not a good thing. Hopefully that dread that has seemingly set in all around me will lift. Oddly enough, I myself have been pretty upbeat all week until late yesterday when a couple of things hit me. But I'm still the most "up" of those around me it would seem.

I should really be working right now, and I'm not sure how to close this. Just felt like saying something and getting it off my chest a bit. I know it's very vague and maybe even cryptic, but it is what it is. Nothing to worry about, just an odd feeling in the air right now. I'm sure like any flurry it will pass soon enough and all will be back on track.

For now, the Haven catalog pages are calling, not to mention the lettering clients. Onward and upward!

Heroes Con 2009

Tomorrow I leave for the better part of five days heading down to Charlotte, NC for HeroesCon!

I've always heard great things about this con over the years, but I've never been. I am looking forward to it though, so I hope to see you there!

I'll be going along with the crew from ComicRelated.com, so I may be doing an interview or three throughout, and I'll be posting to the site live from the show.

At some point, we'll be recording a special episode of the Zone 4 podcast from the show as well! Granted, my fellow regular Zone 4 'casters can't be there, but Chuck Moore, John Wilson and Darren Mueller will be filling in.

I'll also have some copies of Wannabez and Zombie Cop there if you want to swing by the CR table (in the podcast area) and purchase some copies. :)

We're heading out at 7am Est tomorrow and won't be returning until Monday afternoon/evening. I should have internet access, but I don't know how often I'll be able to access it. So if you can't get a hold of me, this is why.

If you're going to be there I hope to see you. If not, I'll tell you all about it when I get back. :D


On other matters, I have been completely swamped for the better part of two months. Figures every time I make a declaration here that I'll start posting more I get so busy I just can't. But hey, at least I'm here now, right? Right?

Lettering is steadily being caught up, though I'm once again working on the Haven catalog, so time is being eaten up by that as well.

Wannabez is stalled for the time being.

I'll have more updates soon, but right now I've got too much to do before tomorrow gets here!

Happy Memorial Day!

Not the most original title of a blog post, but it is what it is, and I mean it. Today is a celebration and remembrance of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Those who gave their lives to defend this country and what we believe in and stand for. And as such, let's honor those fallen heroes on this, their day.

That said, I hope everyone out there is enjoying the holiday and is spending time with family, friends or loved ones and is having a good time. Here it's nice weather (a little too nice given that my AC is on the fritz) and the grills are out and people are making the most of it. Me, I've mostly been working all day, but I'm still enjoying it as I do love what I do.

Things have been kind of stressful of late, work wise and personal wise, but I won't bore you with any of that. The important thing is good things are always on the horizon. As I look ahead at the year planned out before me it should be a lot of fun, and hopefully a little fruitful, everything I'll be doing. And I'll get to hang out with some really good friends, which is the best part of it all.

Summer officially begins in less than a month, and this holiday is always seen as kind of the kick-off to the season, so with that, I wish everyone a happy, safe, fun and blessed summer ahead.

Now, I've gotta get back to work, but don't worry, I am taking out a little time for some relaxation today as well.

Been Very Busy...

Sorry for not popping in, folks, it's just been very hectic. I've had so much going on that I've fallen behind on a few things and I'm daily struggling to catch up.

It's true, it seems I took on a bit more than I could handle, but it wasn't intentional. The way these things go with freelance sometimes is that you'll have several things lined up, but delays will happen, or things will come through early, and then you're left with a whole lot of things hitting your plate all at once and it's very hard to keep up.

This is what has happened to me for the past couple of months. I've got a grip on it, though, and am once again making my way through the pile piece by piece.

Inevitably, what follows an event like that is a long lull where I wonder where the next gig will come from. Hopefully that won't be the case here and things will stay steady. We'll see.

It doesn't help matters that I got sick again this week and am quite under the weather as I type this. But the world goes on and so do my responsibilities, so here I am.

I just wanted to give you all an update on where things are with me. I'm low on money so I have to get these gigs finished and try to find some new ones. So I'll be toiling away constantly until everything is finished as much as I can stand it and stay with it until this cold clears.

I did manage to get out and see some movies recently. I saw Wolverine and Star Trek. Wolverine was pretty good, Star Trek was awesome! Best movie I've seen in nearly a year hands down. Of course, for me Dark Knight and Iron Man were better, but this movie is fantastic. Thank goodness matinee prices are cheaper here than up north or out west.

I also saw Yes Man on DVD. Red Box $1 rentals are nice! It was an ok movie. Had some funny parts in it.

The comic strip "It's All Related" on ComicRelated.com is going well. We've had three strips go live so far and everyone's digging it.

Podcasts are also going well. We've got a growing fanbase and our numbers for the show so far, which is only 8 episodes in, are really good. Keep listening!

My next trip will be next month to Heroes Con in Charlotte. I'm hitching a ride with Chuck Moore and crashing in his room as well, and getting in as press, so I couldn't pass all that up. Always wanted to go, but could never afford to make the trek on my own.

Wannabez seems to be at a stand still at the moment. Hopefully things will work out where we can get that ball rolling again, among other things.

Aside from all that, all is well.

Free Comics and Movies

Man, I had this nice, long post going and my browser crashed and I lost the entire thing! Sigh, been one of those weeks.

Anyway, today, as I've mentioned before, I will be in Florence, KY at Comics 2 Games for Free Comic Book Day, and I'll have Wannabez copies there, so swing by!

I was supposed to go see X-Men Origins: Wolverine afterward, but last night Scott, who is my ride home, said the movie was off with no explanation or reason. When I asked him why he never responded, so who knows? It bites though because at first I was a little stressed about it because I didn't really have the funds for it. Then I got a payment and was really looking forward to it. Then boom, out of the blue at 10 at night or around there I'm told it's off with no explanation. Bummer.

Oh well, I guess I'll just have to go see it by myself Sunday afternoon. Sigh.

This has been a long few weeks as I explained, I believe, last post. I still have to finish up lettering on Descendant #1 from Image Comics, but after that I'm taking a day or two off to just regroup and relax. Believe me, I need it.

Speaking of the past few weeks, a bit of announcement about the Haven catalog. As you may know, the catalog comes out later this month, but in June the catalog will be available ONLINE for FREE! That's right, now everyone will be able to see my handiwork and what gave me many sleepless nights putting it together. And you'll also, of course, be able to see all the wonderful titles Haven distributes.

Plans are for the online version to be available in three formats including PDF, CBZ and some kind of dynamic comic reader app. There are also plans for it to be available on mobile devices. So there will be options.

Man, for some reason our air conditioning hasn't been working properly of late. It will kick on occasionally and blow out really faintly, then shut down and we can't get it back on. It's been nearly 80 degrees in the house for the past three days and the only fan we have is this little bitty thing that makes a ton of racket and doesn't do much good.

But that's not your problem, is it? Heh.

Okay, I'm leaving in just over two hours as I type this and still have to shower and gather things together. And first I need to wake up a bit as my eyes are still puffy and I'm still tired. We recorder a podcast last night and it ran late, so I got into bed close to 1am and got up at about 5:30am. So yeah...

Speaking of podcasts, if you haven't noticed, the latest episode of Zone 4 is live and on the site, so please give it a listen. You can also subscribe to it via iTunes (though for now you have to do an advanced search to find it) and via RSS feed.

Oh, and one more thing I MUST mention. TODAY, my new web comic goes live on ComicRelated.com! It's called "It's All Related" and is written by myself and Darren Mueller with art by Jackie Hernandez and Darren. It's a fun, comical strip featuring the staff, members and some fans of Comic Related as if we were all in an actual office. Fun stuff, and the first strip is hilarious. If you're aware at all of CR's transformation previously you'll totally get the gag. If not, well, I'll be on here explaining it so you will. :)

And with that, I have a long day ahead of me and hopefully it will be fun. I'll be among friends talking it up and hopefully moving some Wannabez, so we'll see. We had planned to have a minicomic for free, but Scott sliced his finger, so that put a halt on that. Oh well. At any rate, should be a fun day.

It's Done!

Finally, the Haven catalog for May is complete, and I can try to get back to normal. Well, at least until work on the next issue begins!

This has been a long ride, but a very fun one, and we've produced a catalog that I am very proud of and have my mark on in a huge way. I think people will really be impressed by this once it's out there.

For the remainder of this week I will be working on the Image comic I'm lettering, and then I'll be up at Comics 2 Games Saturday for Free Comic Book Day, my first one ever. Should be fun. Then Scott and I are going to see the Wolverine movie after, so I'm looking forward to that as well.

I've got a few things I'm again behind on because the Haven catalog pretty much consumed my life this month. Then Haven is the closest thing I have to a steady job outside the regular freelance ilk, so it had to.

Also, in case I haven't mentioned it before, I have been doing daily short podcasts on ComicRelated.com for the past couple of weeks. This is in addition to the weekly Zone 4 ones we're doing. It's called The Related Warp Wrap and is basically a 5 minute or so recap of the previous day's news, columns, reviews, etc.

Soon we'll be doing a new weekly review show under the Zone 4 banner as well. I'm really having a lot of fun with the podcasts.

Ok, back to work for me now. I'll try to post again soon.

Zone 4 Podcast Episode 4

Zone 4 splits into its own feed from here on out, but can still be found at Comic Related. Check this week's out by clicking the title of this post. It was a blast and you'll be laughing and will be entertained. So take a listen and give us some feedback!

And you can always subscribe to the podcast's RSS feed by clicking the icon below:

Soon, Zone 4 will be available on iTunes!

Wannabez Video Interview

I hate watching myself on this, and I need to lose some weight and get some sun! But anyway, here's an interview with me and Scott from Gem City talking about Wannabez:

One More Time

Ok, so my most recent eBay auctions end tonight. One of them, Zombie Cop, which I lettered, has already ended for the third time with not one single sell. I'm not putting it back up there, so if you'd like to purchase a copy of that for a substantial discount from store price please hit me up.

For those not aware, it is an Image Comics title about a cop who sets out to find the cause for this disease that is turning everyone into zombie like beings. Problem is the cop has been infected as well and he slowly turns throughout the series while eating criminals to sate his hunger. 96 page sequential story followed by 30 or so pages of a prose story with spot illustrations taking place in the same "universe" as the sequential story. By Jeff Mariotte (look him up!) and Szymon Kudranski (fantastic artist).

I have 18 copies I'm willing to sell for $10-12 apiece (regular price is $15). So please, buy a copy!

The other auctions can be found here: http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/gonzogoose777_W0QQ_dmdZ1QQ_ipgZ50QQ_sopZ12?_rdc=1

And while you're in a purchasing mood, by all means order a copy of Wannabez #0 if you haven't gotten one yet. I still have plenty of copies of that!


In other news, I'm still plugging away at the catalog. As I closed the last post, yes, I was being literal, and yes, I did get ill last night. Then I crashed and slept way too long, so now I'm scrambling. And that's where I'll be for the rest of the night, save for one hour dedicated to LOST.


I am toying with adding a weekly podcast update to the blog just to let you know my status on things. I attempted this once before a couple of years back, but I didn't know how to edit them then, so it was way too long, way too big of a file, and filled with tons of dead air, so I took it down. Now I have an idea of what I'm doing and thought it might be fun.

I've also toyed with doing the video journal thing and posting it up on YouTube and posting it here. The problem with both ideas is I have a feeling I'll start them, get busy, miss weeks at a time and never have too much interesting stuff to say in them. So I don't know. It would be fun, but I have to really consider if it's worth it, if there's any interest (FEEDBACK PLEASE), and if I can keep up with it. We'll see.

No more puking today (at least not yet), but tons of work to do, so...

Canned

Apparently for some reason my blog has been tagged as spam and is in danger of being shut down. Blogger's supposed to review it and (hopefully) clear it, but in case it disappears that's what happened.

I really hope it doesn't get canned. I'm nearing my 1000th post, and this has been a cathartic online home for me for several years now. So cross your fingers for me!

Buzzed on Monster and Full Throttle

I have been burning the candle at both ends for the past several days and still will be for a while. Right now I am on my third or fourth wind (who knows, I lost track) thanks to Monster and Full Throttle energy drinks as well as some chocolate and iced tea. Yeah, I know, not a great combination and terrible on my "diet", especially considering I've eaten pizza three times in the past week!

I am working solely on the Haven catalog, which has proved to be a lot more time consuming than I anticipated. I wish I had been able to start it sooner, but I have been completely swamped for the past month or so and will be at least through April, maybe through May if a certain project comes along. Good problems, yes, but I'm really reconsidering my low rate at this point...

Anyhoo, I have to finish the catalog this week as the 15th was actually the deadline, which I'll narrowly miss.

I also recorded a podcast tonight, which took an hour too long thanks to technical problems with Skype. And I still have to edit and post that puppy before Friday! I did go ahead and record the opening and closing already, so all I have to do is add the music, edit the main conversation (which is in, I believe, at least five different files - fun), and then put it all together. Yeah, this is a busy week.

Not to mention I was supposed to drive up to Chicago Thursday for the C2E2 Launch Party (the new Reed comic convention coming to Chicago next year) with my buddy Chuck "Crazz" Kennedy who lives in or near Chicago. He had a plus one on his RSVP and asked me, and I really want to go. But as things are looking right now I'm not gonna make it. One, I don't know if I really have the time to be spending Thursday and Friday on the road. Two, I don't have a reliable enough car to make a trek of 12 hours or so, and Three, it would take just about every cent I have right now to rent a car and make that trek. So as much as I would LOVE to go, I just don't see it happening sadly. Such is life.

This weekend I also have to have Corrective Measures #10 lettered, and #11-12 soon after. Next week I have to finish up the first issue of the current Image project I'm lettering. I have a couple of jobs that are about half finished I need to catch up on. And all the while I've still got Haven submissions coming in and stuff to post on Comic Related! Busy, busy, busy.

Somehow I need to come up with my half of the money for the convention in Chicago in August as well... pretty soon too. And I have to save up for a hotel and spending money there also. And I'll finally get to meet Cary Kelley in person after all these years as he'll be there.

As a matter of fact, this year is potentially very busy for me. I've already been up to Florence a few times, and to Gem City recently. Next month I'm doing Free Comic Book Day in Florence, then in June I may tag along with Chuck Moore to Heroes Con in NC. July, I think, is the off month, but my mom and brother have a birthday that month, so...

August is Chicago, then September is Pop Culture Con in KY near Cincinnati. October is Mid-Ohio-Con, and then November and December are the holidays.

Man, I better start making more money!!! I still have to print books, pay for hotels and tables, etc., etc. All I can hope for is that the cons are successful and I either get some work out of them, or sell a lot of books. Haven't done too great at the too regional shows I've done thus far, but then they are smaller shows, so we'll see. We also have yet to have a fully finished, 22 page story to sell. It's either been the 12 page #0 or the 12 page #1 preview. Hopefully the full issue #1 will sell better than those have.

Plus, the Image book I'm lettering comes out in July, so maybe I'll have some of those to sell in August, I don't know. The last Image book I lettered hasn't sold well for me yet. I put them out at the con, and I've had them up on eBay and have only sold one copy so far (at the con).

But that's what's up. I'm doing ok, just been really busy. I have so much on my plate, and yet monetarily it never feels like enough. I think I need to take a lesson from a guy I met at Gem City and write a 145 page novel, distribute it in the book market and sell 4,000 copies for $13 apiece. That would be a good start! Yeah, I'm really considering that...

Now if you'll excuse me, before I get back to work, I think I have to throw up...

Happy Easter!

If you celebrate this special holiday, have a blessed day of remembrance and fun. If not, enjoy the long weekend and do something special anyway.

For me, Easter is a very special day with a lot of great memories and of course the original purpose for the holiday, which I am so thankful for.

So may God bless you all, regardless of your beliefs.

HAPPY EASTER!

Zone 4 Podcast Episode 2b

The second part of this week's long podcast is up! In this one Chuck and I do some reviews. Check it out by clicking the title of this post!

And just an FYI for all you out there, we are taking sponsors for the podcast. Check out the details here: www.comicrelated.com/ad.php

New eBay Sales

Also forgot to mention that I have some things up on eBay for sale right now (click the title of this post for the list). It was to raise some money for a trip this week, but now I need it for more important things. So if you see anything you like please consider buying it. Thanks!

Spy6teen

By the way, I forgot to mention I think that a project I'm lettering called Spy6teen is in this month's Zuda competition. Please go vote for it! Click the title of this post to check it out!

Zone 4 Podcast Episode 2

The second episode of our weekly podcast is now live! It's a two-parter this week, the second part coming tomorrow. Click the title of this post to give part 1 a listen!

Lots Going On

So Gem City was fun, we sold some books, and if you head over to the Wannabez blog you can see a bunch of WBZ related photos from the event. Ignore me in all pictures - I'm currently attempting to lose some weight and I hate those pics of me!

Scott and I had a good time Monday as well. Got to hang out, play Star Wars Stratego (first Stratego game I ever played, and I won!), hit a comic shop and hopefully sold them on taking some Wannabez copies, and had dinner before heading home.

This week I've been catching up on the Haven catalog and some lettering, and I'm still buried deep in it. It's scheduled to go off to the printer Wednesday, so I'm going full steam ahead to get it done.

Tonight I'm heading over to Chuck Moore's so he can show me some pointers on editing podcasts so I don't spend six hours doing that again! Hopefully what he shows me will streamline my archaic approach to it. The next episode is supposed to go live tomorrow so we'll see how this all goes.

Chuck doesn't know this yet, but he may make it on this week's episode! :D We'll see what happens when we get together tonight.

Speaking of the Zone 4 podcast, we are taking sponsors for each episode. Check out www.comicrelated.com/ad.php for rates and contact/payment info!

Next Thursday there is a slim chance I'll be in Chicago for a night, maybe two. We'll see how things pan out over the next few days and I'll keep you posted. Why would I be in Chicago? I'll tell you about that later.

First weekend of May I'll be attending my first ever Free Comic Book Day at Comics2Games in Florence.

Then in June there's a possibility I might tag along with Chuck and John to Heroes to represent Comic Related. Again, we'll see how that goes.

Then of course there's all the lettering I'm doing. Like I said, lots going on.

Gem City Aftermath

Right now I'm chilling at Scott's house in Amelia, OH while he's sleeping the morning away and his wife is getting ready for work. Last night we were looking at pictures from the con and playing Lego Star Wars on the PS2. Fun times.

Yesterday the show went ok for us. We sold about 8 or so copies of the issue #1 preview, about 3-4 copies of the #0 issue of Wannabez, and I sold a copy of Zombie Cop. Scott did sketches on the back of all the WBZ #1 preview issues that sold, which will go up on the WBZ blog soon. He also did several sketch cards and sold some of his art. So while I still probably spent more than I made, it was a good show. We had a crowd all day long, did a couple of interviews (we were interviewed by Underground Video and Comic Related), got to hang out with some friends, and afterwards several of us went out to eat. So it was good.

I may have landed a lettering gig on a small project with an industry pro, so we'll see how that goes. He was a really cool and friendly guy and I hope it works out as I'd love to work with him.

Scott and I will be hanging out today, then sometime tonight I'll make it home where I will relax the night away before hitting work hard tomorrow and throughout the month. Tons of stuff yet to do, and I see many sleepless nights ahead of me in my immediate future.

Next show is Free Comic Book Day when I'll be back up at Comics 2 Games. After that I may crash with Chuck and hit Heroes as part of team Comic Related, we'll see. Chicago looks like the next show Scott and I will do together. Hopefully we'll have the full version of issue 1 by then!

Long Weekend

I'm heading out the door for a weekend full of fun. First up, the Lexington Comic Show in just a few minutes. Then it's off to Florence to Comics2Games for the Sketch Card Event for Cancer.

Tomorrow I'll be heading up to Dayton, OH for Gem City Con trying to sell copies of Wannabez #0 and a Convention Special Preview of #1.

Monday, Scott and I will be hanging out in Cinci, then I'll be home to rest up before returning to work Tuesday.

So if you can't reach me, that's why. I am taking the laptop, but I don't know if I'll have internet access or not. We'll see.

If you haven't caught it yet, the first Zone 4 podcast is now live on Comic Related featuring the conversations of myself, Jason, Cary and Chuck. So check it out (click the title of this post)!

Well, I'm off!

Journey of a Wannabe - The Challenge is Set

New column is live and on the site! Click the title to read it.

This week I talk about the challenge being set to graduate high school two years early surrounded with tragedy and hope at the same time. This proved a distraction for artistic endeavors, but would set a path for me that effectively changed me forever.

Comics For Cures

The sketch cards for the Comics for Cures event up for auction on eBay now. You can find the four I did here. The proceeds go to the American Cancer Society, so please bid for this special cause.

If not on my cards bid on some of the others. You can find them all here.

Click the title of this post to read more about the event.

This Saturday, April 4th, Comics 2 Games in Florence, KY will be having an event in the store where all the cards will be on display. Last year they had a huge turnout and raised a lot of money for the ACS. This year we all hope it's even bigger and better!

Again, this is for a good cause, so please bid. Cancer has taken several family members from me, including my Nana, whom I was very close to. I fully support what this event is doing, and even though my cards aren't nearly as good as many others up for auction, they still go towards finding a cure for this tragic disease.

About my cards, I chose to do the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in honor of their 25th anniversary as I mentioned in a previous post. The TMNT were a big part of my childhood, so it was only fitting. Hopefully somebody will get some kind of enjoyment out of them at the same time helping out a great cause.

Superman Retires

Straight from Rocky 3, Mr. T challenges Superman in this nice piece of editing genius:

TMNT Sketch Cards

You may or may not know that Comics2Games in Florence, KY is hosting Comics for Cures, a sketch card event where all the cards are auctioned on eBay and the proceeds go to the American Cancer Society. Well, I am participating, limited though my art skills may be.

Today is the deadline, so it's too late to join in, but the event will take place at the store April 4th and I'll be there. Click the title of this post to find more info about it.

For mine I decided to do the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles since this year marks the 25th anniversary of the "heroes in a half-shell", and because I was a HUGE fan of the Turtles back in the day. Plus some people over at Comic Related liked my rendition of a Turtle before.

So, I scanned them in today and you can find them in my forums here:

http://www.comicrelated.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4266

They're not as polished as I would have liked, as I state in that thread. And I wanted to do something much more artistic with the "25 Years", but time constraints forced me to merely scribble it on. In hindsight I probably should have just left it off, but oh well, them's the breaks.

Anyway, I hope you like.

Oh, and thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes.

Happy Birthday to Me

So the birthday was pretty good. I practically slept most of the day, which was certainly a nice change of pace. I also watched a movie, watched some wrestling, and just chilled.

I don't know if you guys know what an ice cream cake roll is, but that's what I had. I don't get those very often and it had been years since I had one, so it was a nice change as well. My aunt used to make me a cheesecake, but hasn't for a few years now.

I didn't get much, nor did I expect much. I got some gangsta Popeye pajamas and a box of girl scout cookies (more Caramel Delights!), which was just fine with me. I also had pizza again because, hey, it's my birthday and I wanted to enjoy it! And since I couldn't afford to go to Outback Steakhouse (love their blooming onion and bbq chicken!) a green pepper, red pepper, onion and black olive pizza was the next best thing!

So now I'm just winding down preparing myself for tomorrow when things go somewhat back to normal. I'll probably still find some time to relax, but there will be work done as well. I have some APA and Haven stuff I need to do and some lettering (Red #1 and Elite #2) I need to work on.

For tonight, until I'm tired again I'm just gonna watch TV, maybe read a book, or even play a video game, which I've yet to do. I guess I'll see where the night takes me.

Today's the Day

Yep, today is my birthday. Today I'm 32 years old. No milestone or anything, just another day, another year. Send gifts via Paypal...

Just Kidding.

Not really though.

Anyway, today I'm just gonna chill and take it easy. I might watch a movie or two, maybe even play a video game, something I haven't done in quite some time. Or I may just sleep, who knows? I'm just gonna take one day to be a lazy bum and try to enjoy myself.

Last night I headed over to Chuck Moore's house for a night of fun and business. We started off with a tour of the 10 acre property seeing the horses and Chuck's huge comic collection from his former retailing days. A whole wall in the garage of short boxes! Then we started talking business a little bit.

We talked about a podcasting idea myself and a few friends had and are planning to start up soon. Chuck gave me some pointers and explained logistics to me and thought what we had planned was really cool. So I've just got to get a few things in order and get together with the guys and get things rolling!

We then talked a bit about ComicRelated.com and I got access to post on the main site, so that will be cool. I love the site and post all the time on the forums, so this is just another opportunity to contribute to my online home away from home.

After that we ordered pizza and watched Dollhouse. Then we shared some humorous stories between the three of us in between watching the cats chase a laser pointer all over the place.

Chuck tells me the cats usually don't come out when company's there, but last night all four were out and about and the three house cats were very interested in me it seems. Luckily I had taken a Zyrtec before I headed over there or I would have been miserable, but I was fine.

When it was all said and done I headed home to catch the replay of the Battlestar Galactica series finale. It was pretty good and I'm pleased and intrigued by the mysterious ending to the wonderful series I will now miss.

I then crashed and got a few hours of sleep before waking up in time to post this little message. Now I think I'm gonna go back to bed for a while. So if you need me, well, you'll just have to wait! Happy Birthday to me! :D

Journey of a Wannabe - Death Befalls Us

My latest column is up on the site. Check it out by clicking the title of this post.

This time I get real personal and talk about some serious stuff that was going on in my life at age 15, and how that stifled my creativity for a while.

My Eating Habits

For those who expressed concern over my eating habits mentioned in my last post, I should clarify a few things.

The Subway subs I've been eating have either been turkey or veggie, mostly veggie, containing lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, black olives and provolone cheese with mustard. Occasionally I'll add green peppers when I'm feeling brave, but not very often.

I've also been eating a lot of fresh fruit, mainly strawberries, grapes, peaches and pears.

I drink plenty of water and gatorade, though sweet iced tea is still my vice.

When I snack it's typically graham crackers or pretzels, though recently I did purchase some girl scout cookies, which are nearly gone now.

The soup I mentioned was vegetable soup.

As most of you know, I hardly eat any meat. I eat turkey very rarely and I eat chicken somewhat regularly, at least a few times a week. I prefer it baked or boiled, or grilled on the Foreman grill, but sometimes I do eat it fried.

I do have an affinity for cereal as well. Generally that consists of some form of Chex or Honey Nut Cheerios, though recently I've gotten on a Golden Grahams kick.

I also eat yogurt somewhat often, typically Yoplait. I prefer the Thick & Creamy kind, but sometimes get the Light as well.

So, to calm any concerns for my eating habits, know that by and large I do eat pretty healthy. I do slip up and eat some sweet confection occasionally, or some fast food item that I quickly regret. I can't do a solid square three meals a day, I would be stuffed all the time if I did that to be honest. I've never been a breakfast person and usually just eat a small bite of something if anything for breakfast. I'll snack on the aforementioned items a few hours after awaking and then sometimes I'll eat a light lunch (a quick sandwich or a bowl of cereal, something like that). Then I'll snack a bit in the afternoon and eat something like a sub or soup or chicken or pasta for dinner.

So no worries, folks. Yesterday was an exception, and one I don't intend to repeat for quite some time.

The Load Has Lightened

Well, only slightly, but I did get quite a bit done today thankfully. I managed to turn in a good number of pages on three lettering projects today and do a little bit of Haven work, not to mention send my column in for the week. So I'd say it was a successful day today.

I'll be starting again early in the morning working on other lettering projects and maybe some pre-press stuff for APA as well. I also have another project I need to work on badly by the weekend.

During the weekend I'm hoping to be caught up enough to resume work on my website, but we'll see.

It looks like Chuck and I are still on for Friday night to talk podcasting, Comic Related and whatever else strikes us. It'll be the first time I've been to his house despite knowing each other for over a year and living ten minutes apart. Should be fun.

Lost tonight was awesome. The whole time travel bit had me questioning things, but the ending of tonight's episode was so wicked I had to forgive any problems I had with things. I can't wait to see what comes of that. Next week's episode looks to be intense.

Barack Obama is following me on Twitter, and I'm pretty sure it's the real one. How insane is that? I think it's due to this service I signed up with where users are automatically added to your following and followers when you sign up. I don't know, could be a fake, but still, it was kind of wild to get that email notification.

I have GOT to get started on my sketch cards for the Comics 4 Cures event! The deadline was extended until, I believe, next Monday the 23rd, but I'm definitely cutting it close here!

This Saturday is my 32nd birthday. Yeah, I can't believe it either. It feels like yesterday I was complaining on this blog about turning 30. My, how the time flies. The scary thing is my brother's dad was my age when he passed away. It's very surreal.

Right now I'm trying to wind down so I can get a little rest before rising up to work again. I didn't get much sleep at all last night, but the two nights prior I slept at least 6 hours each, which is good for me. So I'm not feeling really fatigued or anything right now. And I'm not feeling too bad physically either. I'm stuffed because I ate a bit too much today (got up at 7:30, ate soup around 1, ate a sub from Subway between 5 and 6 and ate a sub from Dominos around 10:30. I did have a few Thin Mints cookies in between, but that's all.). I'm hoping the overeating doesn't affect my stomach tonight. I was just really hungry today. I had basically been eating one meal a day for the past week eating a Subway sub for an afternoon dinner and eating pretzel sticks and graham crackers as occasional snacks throughout the day. I also hadn't been drinking pop too much, maybe one every three days, instead opting for Gatorade or water. Sadly, I have not lost one single pound. Luckily I've not gained any, but still.

I guess that's what I get for working at a computer all day long and relaxing by reading or watching TV, or blogging on the computer. Yep, I'm turning into a stereotype. Gotta do something about that!

The Pressure's On

Man, it seems like forever since I posted, and it actually has been several days. I've just been so busy lately and I can't seem to find time to keep up with this at the moment. But never fear, all my faithful readers, I haven't forgotten about you, and I'll still be posting as often as I can.

I've slowly been picking the pace back up on lettering projects, though I've still got plenty to do. In fact, that's what I'm doing right now.

Truth is, the Haven work just kind of consumed the better part of the past couple of weeks or so. I'm now handling just about the entire catalog, meaning I'm gathering the solicitations and cover art, plugging them into the templates I created, and getting them ready to be proofed then printed. We're far from there yet, but that's what I've been doing.

Plus I'm still handling all the submissions and fielding any questions about those, not to mention prepping them for the online cart. And if that wasn't enough, Lance Stahlberg recently found out he has a torn rotator cuff and is in severe pain, so now I'm fielding his emails as well for the time being.

So suffice it to say, Haven has been keeping me very busy.

Physically, it's been a rough week. I've had one or two gall bladder attacks and a bit of a cold or allergies possibly, can't tell at this point. I've also been very fatigued and even slept until lunchtime today. But I'm ok and not as bad as I've been. I'm certainly not bed-ridden or too bad to do work or what not. Just feeling a bit sluggish and at times frustrated and cranky, but it'll pass.

If you haven't been following the Wannabez blog, it looks like a full issue 1 is out of the question by Gem City Con in two weeks. One reason is finances, the other reason is time. I'm not sure what Scott's going to have time to finish, and even if he finished the entire issue and I could afford the grayscales I doubt Ross would have time to finish them. So, what we'll probably do is a black & white ashcan of whatever pages we get done so we can have something new to peddle at the con. I'm thinking a smaller size, not quite full standard comic size, but we'll see how it goes. At whatever the next con we do is we plan on having that full issue.

For those who don't follow me on Twitter, I checked out the new series "Kings" Sunday night. I didn't know much about the series before watching it, so I had no idea it was more or less a modern telling of the King David story. It was pretty cool watching certain similar events unfold that paralleled that classic tale. I'm going to stick with it as now I'm pretty intrigued by it. It's a very creative endeavor.

That meeting with Chuck I mentioned has been pushed to this Friday for now, so I'm looking forward to it. Chuck has been real busy with work and stuff for Comic Related and Comics XP, so it's totally understandable him having to push it back. I know whenever we meet it'll be a good time and I'll learn a lot about podcasting.

Well, I've got too much work to do to keep rambling on, and since I've run out of interesting things to talk about at the moment, it's back to work I go.

Where Does the Time Go?

Man, things have been busy lately. I've got a lot of work presently and for about a day or so I was just completely overwhelmed. Today I dug myself out of enough of it to not feel overwhelmed, but still be pretty busy. We'll see how much more I can get out of the way before the day's end.

Tomorrow is the deadline for Haven solicitation materials for the catalog, so it will probably be a busy day as those come rolling in under the wire. I have been buried in Haven related work since late last week and today is the first day I've not (yet) worked on Haven stuff since. If you haven't checked out Haven or are curious about the new catalog, head over here to check out the new logo/name and samples of the interior pages.

I did sneak out to see Watchmen the other day. It was a pretty good movie. It was a lot more graphic than I was expecting, but it was still a good movie. Not as good as Dark Knight, but good.

Tonight I was supposed to go over to Chuck Moore's house to talk about podcasting and some other things. Sadly, Chuck came down with something and had to leave work to hit the bed, so we have to reschedule.

Why would I be talking with Chuck about podcasting? Well, because myself, Jason Berek-Lewis, Cary Kelley and Chuck Kennedy will be doing a new podcast very soon. We haven't definitively decided on how often or when it will launch, but we're all pretty excited about it. The four of us at times live in four different time zones, so it should be interesting trying to get us all together, especially Jason who lives Down Under. But it will be fun. This is something the four of us (who have become very good friends over the years) have talked about for a while now, and now we can make it happen and have a place to publish it thanks to the generosity of Comic Related, which will be its home.

We're supposed to be getting a rain and snow mix tonight. Fun. Just a few days ago it was in the 70s. This morning it was in the 20s. As they say in Kentucky, if you don't like the weather here, wait five minutes. I so wish I lived in a consistent climate.

And on that note, I've got more work to do...

Comics2Games Grand Opening Recap

By the way, had a great time at the Comics2Games Grand Opening Saturday. I wasn't really myself the whole day for some reason (maybe it was the onset of this cold (see previous post) and I just didn't realize it at the time), but I still had a good time even if I didn't show it much.

You can find some pics of the event by clicking the title of this post. You'll even see a couple shots of my gorgeous, if a little hefty these days, mug in there. (Man I've gotta lose weight! According to a weight calculator, for my height, age and frame I'm about 40 pounds overweight!).

And if you're interested in seeing where C2G came from, you can see images of the old store and the new store here.

We got to partake of a lemon Watchmen cake (very tasty) and chat it up about all things comics, including my upcoming comic strip "It's All Related" coming next month! Wannabez was on display, and I met another Fowler! First time I've ever met anyone not related with my last name (who knows, maybe he was related?). So all in all a good time was had by all, me included.

Not Feeling Great Today

I'm not feeling so well today, folks. Feeling sick to my stomach and kind of nauseous and light-headed. I've also got a headache and a slight earache (the earache was worse yesterday, but it still hurts when I swallow).

Not sure if it's the change in weather recently or just a bug or what, but it's affecting me a lot this morning. Hopefully it will pass as I've got a lot to do.

I fell a little behind the latter end of last week and haven't quite caught up yet. Haven catalog stuff kind of took precedence with a tight deadline for some things, and some of the lettering took the hit. So today I'll be playing catch-up as best I can, and continue throughout the week.

That said, I'm not terribly behind schedule, just a couple of days off, and most of it's self-imposed scheduling, so it's not too bad. I plan to be back on track by the end of the week. That's the plan anyway.

Today I hope to catch a flick if I'm at a stopping point and feel well enough to. We'll see. Haven't been to the theater since... wow, probably Dark Knight in fact. Everything else I saw on DVD or TV.

Anyway, that's what's up.

Zombie Cop On eBay

Please check it out - I've got copies of Zombie Cop straight from the printer, never read, up on eBay right now.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320348099591

Comics2Games Grand Opening

I know I haven't been around too much lately and I apologize. It's just been very busy with lettering and Haven work lately I haven't had much time to blog. I've made a few Twitter posts because they're short, but anything more than that just requires too much time.

Anyway, in about 45 minutes or so Chuck and Katie will be picking me up to head up to Florence for the Comics2Games Grand (re)Opening. The new store has been open for a few weeks now, but this is the official party to start it off right. And I'm told pictures will be taken, and interviews will be given, and discussions will be had. Should be a lot of fun.

The festivities don't start until 6pm, but we're leaving at noon, which means we'll get there around 1:30. Friends will flow in throughout the afternoon so there will be plenty to do and talk about. Plus it's a cool place just to hang out.

So that's where I'll be today/tonight. Tomorrow I'm gonna try to go see Watchmen, and then I'll be chained back at the desk to put out some more work. Busy, busy, busy, but never to busy for new projects, so be sure to hit me up!

Journey of a Wannabe - Birth of the Sketch Pad Comics

As always, click the title to reach the latest column. This time, see some of my early superhero and comic drawing!