In Poodle We Trust

Groom Lake is coming.

4 issue miniseries. From Chris Ryall and Ben Templesmith.

IDW Publishing.

March.

WONDERCON+ quick notes

I was going to spell it "Vundercon" first, but figured I should atleast use a "W". It's Wondercon time this weekend up in San Francisco ( c*cksucka! ) and I'll be there on the Saturday only, signing at the Outpost Comics booth up there. 3-5pm. Darick Robertson is also rumoured to be signing there throughout the whole con on and off.

Come by, say hi and tell me how annoyed you get by my constant abuse of twitter.

Also, a fellow aussie, Will Elliot has now broken into the US market with his book The Pilo Family Circus

Also, if you do actually slap your c*ck down on my signing table at Wondercon ( as I suggested you NOT do if you want to break into comics via my twitter ) I should warn you I will have a knife on me and will be collecting "samples" for "research". I told people the best ACTUAL way to break into comics was to send me your hawt girlfriends or sell me your small children in bite sized chunks. Does nobody read anymore?

DOCTOR WHO is out+ Signed Editions+5 Page Preview

The one-shot Doctor Who story I illustrated should be out in all good comic stores today in the US. Written by the talented duo Leah Moore & John Reppion, it's really a nice little story. I was scared stiff doing this book, what with all the likeness issues & possible changes needed before approval but I guess since I based as much as I could on photos from the show it basically all went off without a hitch!

Hope you guys dig it. It certainly fulfilled my nerd quota by doing it, what with being a massive fan of Dr Who growing up.

If your retailer didn't get a copy or did but you won't be seeing me at any of the conventions I'm doing this year, a place you can go is the IDW Publishing store itself. Because I'm currently around their offices, all editions sold via the store can be signed and personalized. In fact, all comics of mine sold through the store are just assumed to be personalized if the option is clicked. There's no extra charge or anything, just part of the service.

There were 3 covers to the book. 2 regular and a sketch edition. Also, John just pointed out to me you can get a 5 page preview of the book's insides here.( and buy it too if you want, huzzah! )

G'Day World & Groom Lake

So apparently this will be an incredibly egotistical post about myself that I have to use a previous image I've shown to spice up. Apologies in advance.



1. The podcast I did for "G'Day World" is up. Cheers to Cam for asking me to do it. I honestly never thought I'd ever be on something called "G'Day World" but there you go. I think I forgot to mention all the baby eating though. Check it out here.

2. Comicpants.com just gave Groom Lake #1 a rather nice review. So uh, I guess that proves Chris Ryall and I aren't absolute liars when we say we think the book is worth picking up? It's not verified yet but the book also potentially has a cure for cancer, wipes out all your tax debts and has been known to grow bald men's hair back just from them glancing at it. Groom Lake #1 is truly one for the ages, uh, yes. Yes indeed.

Got some insane deadlines to deal with, just finished the Dracula book so expect some art to show for that soon. I've neglected talking about it as I've just been so busy and didn't have much to show for it until recently.

May be some rather interesting news coming up shortly but under pain of death I'm not allowed to say. Thus making me one of those pricks that just tease you like an utter bastard. Sorry.

New York Comic Convention Commissions

Cheers to all who came out to the con, especially those who asked me to draw some rather...odd things I've never drawn before. Here's a sample. If you want to see a bunch of other photos, all the ones I took during the con are up on my flickr here.

Doctor Who Art Charity Auction

Also, if you're interested in donating to a worthy cause and actually getting something for it, I donated a few Doctor Who art pieces from the upcoming "Doctor Who: The Whispering Gallery" one shot with Leah Moore and John Reppion to the CBLDF ( the Comic Book Legal Defence Fund ) They are good peoples who fight the good fight. Things like censorship, legal idiocy and general moralist puritanist Republican party crap that still plagues some people in the US. I see my little donation as a one finger salute to Eric Cantor, what can I say. The guy wants all swear words banned.

Anyways, if you *like* that sort of thing, no worries, don't bid, but if you do value the first Amendment and stuff like that, feel free to bid on the first page up here!

GROOM LAKE #1 Sneak Preview

Check out the funky version here if you like.

The 4 issue mini by Chris Ryall and I should hit stores March 18th. Full of mutant crotch, government incompetence and chain smoking alien action.

If you've not reserved a copy yet but want to, tell your god like, magnificently good looking, buff and utterly charming and highly intelligent local comics retailer it's order code is: JAN094293 and they can hopefully put a reorder in for you if there's some left.

WELCOME TO HOXFORD: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL

Well, it's wednesday here in the US, and that means COMICS DAY. The little birdy that tells me things has now mentioned that WELCOME TO HOXFORD is actually out! Sadly, it kind of snuck up on me as for some reason, no advance copy turned up so I have no pretty pictures of me flipping through the interiors. Oh well. The cover will have to suffice.

I hope you guys dig it. I really did the whole thing intending for it to be read more in long form rather than the floppies. It's also got a bunch of stuff in the back. I can't thank the people who've already read the book enough, since it was generally really well received. I hope all you peeps who've been "waiting for the trade" also dig it.

IMPORTANT: If your store didn't get any in, or sold out, you can still get one as they did overprint. Just tell your nice, delightful, amazing human being of a retailer that it's order code is: DEC084112 or for book stores it's ISBN is: 160010374X

or get it here on amazon.
or check at the IDW store shortly for a signed/personalized copy. ( I'll blog that when they come available soon )

Next up I should probably post all the images I took of NYCCC ( many many thanks to all who came out to see me, it was actually quite overwhelming, never been so busy! ), I've just been snowed under with the usual deadline crud!

New York City Comic Convention

I'll be leaving for it tomorrow. I love the cold so shall be freezingmy arse off with a smile on my face.

If you're going and want to drop by and see me there, I should be in artist alley most of the time at a table in section "i" number "0". Is "0" even a number? I guess so. It was a revolutionary concept once upon a time after all.

Anyways, I'll be there most of the time, hawking my wares and possibly my last shreds of dignity also!

Actually, I should have a bunch of original art, sketchbooks and some comics and will be doing some commissions if people want them. $250 for big ones, $150 for smaller ones. All basically pen/ink and watercolour. I have a few people on a list already, but can fit in a few more. Just see me on the day if you want one.

And of course, I'll sign/quick sketch in almost any book or scrap of paper for absolutely nothing. That's really what I'm turning up for, to meet the peeps who buy the books, have a chat and say thanks. I don't make it out to the East Coast often, so it should be fun!

I'm also doing some panels...

Friday at 3:15 in room 1A07, panel room 2 All about IDW and their 10th Anniversary and stuff.

Saturday at 6:30 in Room 1A21 A round table about Vampires, Werewolves and Zombies...gonna be "interesting" that one.

Sunday 11:15am-12:15p 1A06 Storytelling and stuff. Jim Lee will also be on that one. Am quite chuffed/awed/intimidated there.But I love the storytelling process and no one ever asks me about it much!

GROOM LAKE #2 & Commissions

More crotchtastic alien action from Master Ryall and his art bitch ( me ).

Archie likes his cigarettes.

You can't order this issue yet, and you won't probably see Issue one on a shelf unless YOU TELL YOUR RETAILER YOU WILL SET YOURSELF ON FIRE IN THEIR STORE ( or some other unpleasantness ) unless they order it for you using the order code: JAN094293

See, the trick with the smaller press books is if you don't ask for it, you'll probably miss it in stores when it does come out as they simply won't get any in unless they know there is some demand. It's a cruel cruel world. Yes, it is. But hey, we still have kittens and puppies to make up for it.

I'll be off to New York Comic Con on thursday. Yes, I will actually be taking some commissions while I'm there ( I really only do them at cons ) I have several to do already, but if you want one and want to make sure I find the time, let me know at: contact at templesmitharts.com and I'll put you on the list. ( 11x14 paintings $250, 11x8.5 $150 ) I'll post proper details of my NYCCC stuff tomorrow though.