Wondercon Part 2: The Isotope Comics Show

So much to do, so little time. I'm about 3 years behind in my emails and yet still they come.

Anyways, during Wondercon, there was the Isotope Comics show, thanks to the fantastic James Sime who had invited Antony Johnston and I over for a ...er...a few drinks, lots of signings and maybe showing some art and stuff.

This was the first thing I actually noticed. Isotope was on this street. Always a good omen.



Comic dudes in suits. Hopefully we'll start a trend. Yes, we were drinking.





Isotope is quite honestly, one of the best stores I've seen. It's got a level of funky rarely matched. For me it joins the ranks of stores, like Secret Headquarters, Meltdown in LA, Album in Paris and a few others. And it's nothing to do with the fact some of my art is up there on the wall.













I actually sold a bunch of artwork at the show, including the cover to 30 Days of Night: Red Snow #2 which really made the night. Thanks to Lizzy for her taste in art, what can I say.



I also received some art, which I'll try and put into an issue of Wormwood at a later date.



And here's the guy what drew it. Cheers Roman.



And last but not least. Antony and I. Cheers to James and the Isotope guys and gals for a great night.



Next up, a trip to EA all about Deadspace, my brush with the Colorado prison system and anonymous people emailing me photos of themselves flipping me off.

None of that is made up by the way.

Wondercon!

As promised, here's some of what I got up to at Wondercon, last weekend.

San Francisco airport. I like it. It's certainly no LAX...the worst airport I ever seem to have the pleasure of flying to and from these days.





Then onto the con. Friday. ( Well, it's all a blur so Saturday and Sunday included to. )

The calm, err, coffee, before the storm.



Met up with the main man himself, Antony Johnston, writer on DEADSPACE and WASTELAND ( which I really need to get a cover for done pronto actually )



And then, at the EA/Image comics booth, before the signings...do you detect a theme yet or what?

This is how Aussies actually say "hello". We use it to say a few other things too. I'm actually spelling the whole Australian alphabet here.



My comic art for the DEADSPACE book turned into a comic/game animated preview on screen at Wondercon



Derek, one of the EA Posse, was cool to the extreme. That would be zero Kelvin I think? Whoever this Kelvin guy is, well, Derek is cooler than you.



The signings commence. Phone vandalism.



Must have ended up signing well over 1000 posters and books at the con.



And this guy's head.



The line apparently went out the door for the Deadspace signing.

We weren't far from the door though, but I'm still going to brag a little.



Eyebrow exercise at the IDW Publishing booth.



The whole place felt busy to me. Made a big difference to the last con ( other than San Diego ) I've been to...Chicago years ago was nothing compared to this to me.



And here's a shot of the panel I did...just ten minutes early. More people *did* turn up, I swear.



Next up, it's the great show at Isotope comics.

Home From Wondercon. Finally.

And it was a wild ride. Thanks to all who came out for the con, as well as the Isotope show and not to mention how great EA was to Antony and I. Will update shortly, but in the thick of it right now, so will give you a taste of what I got up to...err...well, what I walked by at least, because I assure you, I did not go in.

Walking around the streets before the con, I couldn't help but notice how great and seedy SF is compared to San Diego. And Bill O'reilly wants to give this place to Al Qaeda? Bloody killjoy. ( See, I can segue anything into being about insane media kooks ) Anyway, looks like they even made a special effort to make those twitchy fanboys who've yet to actually know the touch of what we call "a woman" all that more special. I thank them for their humanity as I spied this while strolling:

THE LADIES LIKE COMIC GEEKS.



At least they didn't call it "Wonder Cum" I guess.

I have about a bazillion images up on flickr now, but I'll narrate the debauchery in the coming days here on the blog between pages I should be working on.

Insanity: In brief

Just dashing on here to update briefly on err, stuff. Like drinking, signing, sketching and generally getting around SF and Wondercon in my bloody suit.

Last night was a fantastic time at Isotope, THE place for comics in San Francisco, and James Sime rocked the house out for Antony Johnston and I...and the 2 million people who turned up. So thanks all. Especially the people who grabbed some of my art. Cheers!

Today is the busy day of the convention, got press and lots of signings to do, predominantly for Deadspace, as they're effectivly launching the thing this convention and EA are co-sponsoring it. Great people they are too....so will update more tomorrow, with more images.

And someone thank Warren for the Fish and Chips.

Sketchbooks!

I forgot to mention, that in addition to art on display/sale, I will have a limited quantity of the small run Poppycock sketchbook At Wondercon/Isotope. Thus far there's only a few places on Earth you can get them, in LA, Paris and Perth. And now San Francisco too with luck!

Deadspace Limited Edition

I leave for Wondercon shortly, hopefully see a few people there.

But before I go, lookee what I found:

EA and Image Comics Announce Dead Space Comic Series With Ben Templesmith and Antony Johnston

Limited Edition First Issue Only Available at WonderCon in San Francisco

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) and Image Comics today announced a new comic book series based upon the upcoming original survival horror video game; Dead Space(TM). This new six book series set in the Dead Space universe will be written and illustrated by Ben Templesmith and written by Antony Johnston.

The Dead Space comic is the prequel story for the game. This series tells the gut-wrenching tale of a deep space mining colony that unexpectedly pulls an ancient and vicious alien life force from the dark rock.

The first issue will be on comic store shelves starting March 3rd for the regular price of $2.99 each. However, a limited edition version of issue #1 with exclusive cover art will be available at WonderCon. In addition, Ben Templesmith and Antony Johnston will be signing the first issue of the Dead Space comic at WonderCon on February 22nd & 23rd at the Electronic Arts/Image Comics booth where the first 25 people each day will receive a free copy.

More in the link.

This Friday at ISOTOPE in SAN FRANCISCO

Yes, come see me and Antony Johnston, possibly in suits, definitely not naked...at one of if not the coolest store in NorAm. Isotope. Overseen by that dapper chap, James Sime.

As the text says below, there *should* be some stuff of mine on the walls, as well as a slew of more personal comic art for sale ( Mostly some Wormwood I'm willing to part with, plus some stuff from my previous exhibition, 30 Days of Night: Red Snow, Fell and some older stuff I dug out while moving I'm letting go super cheap. )
This event will break the internet into tenths, it's that big.

I will be drinking/signing/sketching as long as I can for and with anyone who shows up.



Direct from the Isotope website:

Australian artist of 30 Days of Night and Fell, Ben Templesmith, and the British writing sensation Antony Johnston, author of the excellent Wasteland and a personal favorite of mine The Long Haul, hit the Isotope in high style from 8pm until the witching hour.

Templesmith is bringing in several armloads of original art from Wormwood: Gentlemen Corpse for sale and Johnston will have limited edition printings of his Wasteand scripts created just for this event on hand. Truly an event not to be missed!

DEADSPACE

At last, no more blog entries with "back" in them.

As you may have heard, apart from Wormwood currently I'm involved with a little comic from Image ( And Electronic Arts ) called DEADSPACE, with future booker prize winner, Antony Johnston, as a prelude the new EA new game launching later this year.

For me, it's sorta "the The Thing" in space. At least with some of the visuals, which is what made me jump on board, since I'm a sucker for that.

Infact, I'll be a guest up at Wondercon this weekend ( leaving tomorrow ) thanks to EA, so perhaps I'll see some of you there, either at the Image/EA area or hovering around the IDW Publishing booth whenever I'm free. Happy to sign books, do quick sketches, yap about just how intoxicated I am and how it is I can still stand up at the con.

Anyways, DEADSPACE ( 1 of 6 ). First issue should be out mid-march.



Real Space. Real Terror.
From the creative minds at video game colossus Electronic Arts comes Dead Space, an all-new horror series set in the terrifying reaches of outer space. Illustrated by top-tier talent BEN TEMPLESMITH (30 Days of Night), and written by ANTONY JOHNSTON (Wasteland), DEAD SPACE tells the gut-wrenching tale of a deep space mining colony that unexpectedly pulls an ancient and vicious alien life force from the dark rock. DEAD SPACE will be the prequel to EA's upcoming survival horror game of the same name, due in 2008.

Yes yes, I am actually BACK.

Well, it's almost been a month. Almost. But I'm finally set up again ( sort of ) and have functional internet. Which modern humans need slightly more than air these days.

Also, for no apparent reason. I currently have a virus I picked up in this northern hemisphere winter. It's trying to make me sound like Tom Waits, and hell, I'm not going to discourage it from doing so.

Lots going on, so much that I'll probably forget plenty, but here's a few vital things coming up in the immediate future I should probably scream from the rooftops.

First off, thanks for all the kind words on the Wormwood oneshot, SEGUE TO DESTRUCTION, which came out in January while I was off.

The other week also saw the release of the first issue of the new Wormwood story, CALAMARI RISING ( 1 of 4 ) which you can find some art for below. If you haven't seen it yet, this is what it looks like and ask your retailer why the hell they didn't get it in if you can't find it! So far, I've gotten what seems to be the best reviews for Wormwood ever, here and here, as well as a rather amusing first negative one I've seen. ( I always acknowledge the good as well as the bad, otherwise what's the point eh?)

If you need to, you can find both SEGUE TO DESTRUCTION and CALAMARI RISING 1 of 4 over at the IDW store here. Hell, I think you can even get a subscription.

More to come shortly.