My portrait

Done in the pub super quick by the talented Nikki Cook when we were all buggered at the end of SDCC for this year.

To see her real work, go here. I dig it a great deal.

Wormwood and Phoebe Phoenix

Wormwood and Phoebe Phoenix
Originally uploaded by circle7seven

Seriously, this actually blew my mind at this year's SDCC. Sadly I never got to meet them in person while in costume, though I did the next day.

I really doubt anyone will top this level of dedication. Cheers guys. You've made me more happy than you'll ever know.

For even more great pics, check the link.

The Comic-con that was. SDCC 2009 part 02

The con saw various parties of course. Bit sick of all the politics that goes into them to be honest. Maybe that's just me bitching because I don't get invites to most of the "big" ones but I loathe standing in line for hours. They're fun, if you can get in. I heard many tales of rather important comics people not being able to get into a few. The other media types definitely drown us out a bit now. The changing nature of con I guess. Wonder how things will be 5 years from now? This here is the CoC/IDW party. No idea how I even got in, I wasn't on the list! Cheers to Anna-Mariah for that one, who saved our skins. It was jam packed.



Another night there was the EA/UTA/ONI bash...which sounds a bit like it was some sort of United Nations department or something. Great venue and a bit more spacious. Loads of the hollywood types, some of them even really nice. Hung with comics peeps mostly ( Such as the ever swish @Antonyjohnston )and yes, there's some great hollywood comics peeps that really know and dig comics. Really appreciated meeting those sorts.



Here's @AntonyJohnston, my partner in crime on all the Dead Space stuff we've been doing. ( more on that later ) the fantastic Chuck Beaver from EA and Matt Cohen, one of the nicest and most comics friendly/oriented hollywoody types I've ever met at a con. He knows his stuff and was a privilege to hang out. I put him in the Jeff Katz/Eric Lieb realm of greatness.



This is the absolutely charming mofo, @benMcCool. A rather unique individual, all you need is 5 minutes with this bloke and you'll be friends for life. This is the expression you have when you calculate just how much you have drunk during con, yet how much more you've still to go. We may as well buy a brewery or something.



Please note, if you start playing MC Hammer, I cam going to bail on your shitty bar. I paid $5 cover charge to get in only to be abused by this. I was not nearly drunk enough to stick with it. Sorry Whiskey Girl. I did meet great people there before I headed out though. Cam Stewart among them.



Here's one as the big Image panel was about to kick off. Probably the biggest panel I've ever been on. ( I don't count the 30 days movie one since that was hardly about me or stuff I'm doing, that was movie PR ) I was up there with Todd, Rob, The Kirk, ( whom I but briefly met for the first time ) Frank Cho and yes, Tyrese Gibson who brought the crowd to the point of hysteria. Jim Lee also made a guest appearance.

So really, I was the odd guy out. I owe Image big time for that one. Was an honour to be there. We announced CHOKER for Image, with @BenMcCool of course. Even had my own photographer there ( huge cheers @munter ) when I get his pics, I'll yap a bit more about the panel and the launch of CHOKER.



Had so many amazing experiences at the con. Among them, meeting people like the lovely Fryda, who as you can see, rather likes my art enough to put it on her body. Fingers crossed but I did her a giant bat she might use as a large back piece next. To all the fans though, was a pleasure to meet you, or just as often, your proxies who got stuff signed for you. I'm damn lucky to have anyone care enough about my work to want a book signed, let alone adorn their bodies with my scribbles.



We found a... well at first I thought you inserted something else in this, sideways, but apparently it's a hand dryer from the 23rd century or something. I just had dirty thoughts when I saw it.



We marveled at the device for a good 5 minutes before attempting to use it. Sort of like a tribe in the deep amazon the first first time they come into contact with a blue eyed blond person.



The end of the con was a much more mellow affair. I don't normally smoke but I went through most of my cigars this con. There was a lot to celebrate and also look forward to. Lounged about at the Hilton until sleep got the better of us. It was *almost* the perfect end to the con.



Monday saw a final dinner with some of our last guests. @comixace, @benMcCool, m'lady @curiopraxis of course and @andie_t ( Andie Tong ) That there is also the great David Yardin, not sure if he's on twitter. Awesome cover work though, and he's aussie.



The final event of the con period for me was a great lunch with partner in crime McCool as well as @jimlee00 and the lovely @joke2far. I felt horribly impotent as they all tweeted about lunch while I was left there, iPhone in hand with no data plan to use the internet. Maybe I should change this. Imagine *even more* tweets from me. Yeah, do any of us really need that?

The Comic-con that was. SDCC 2009 part 01

It's finally over. The house is quite. I'm back to work. Sort of. Here we go, dissecting the cobbled together recollections of my con experience this year...



The con started out for me in an odd way. Just as everyone starts getting in to San Diego, off I go on the train up to LA for a meeting. Suffice to say it was interesting and really, kind of one of the highlights. Of course, I'm not going to say anything more about it apart from it setting the tone for my con.



Driving from LA to San Diego on preview night with good buds @CaseyMcKinnon and @Rudy. ( check em out on twitter ) Yes, some tosspot bureaucratic moron decided it would be a good idea, when 150,000 people are making their way into town, many by car, to close all but one lane of the freeway. Good on you, whoever you were. I really enjoyed the hour of looking at the backside of some guy's poorly manufactured gas guzzler. Truly American organizational skill at it's finest. Am guessing the transport dept doing the work had no clue the tourism industry was having it's biggest event of the year just down the road. Viva lack of communication/centralization.

Got in just before midnight I think. End of whine. Remember, I'm bitter so you don't have to be.



There was still time for a drink, so why not? The Hyatt was an absolute shambles. Luckily it improved with a secondary bar for the regular nights of the con, but wednesday, 1000 people trying to order drinks from just 3 staff was no fun for anyone. Still, it was a kick off in style.



I guess by about 3am we were hungry. Pretty sure this was the wednesday...err, or thurs..but we got hungry. Highlight for me was finding a really great 24hr diner with decent food and spending some time with @jimmyaquino John "The Train" Cassaday ( he ordered a LOT of gravy ok ) and the lovely Jenny Robb.



We had about a million house guests stay with us over the con. The kitties loved them all and doubled as extra pillows some nights.



At one point during one night, I started drawing on people. Well, they asked me to. So I did. A badly drawn dragony snake thing with a pen that really didn't work. Next year will come prepared.



Had my own little shindig as well, where various foreign & non californian types skulled 3 bottles of tequila and some vodka...and were still up bright and early the next day. So far as I'm aware, no one's stomach got pumped.

San Diego Comic-Con 2009: Ben Templesmith

If the video link doesn't show up, just follow the link for a little chat with the lovely Sara Lima from ComicVine.com

CHOKER in 2010

Well, it's gone live and been announced now on the Image panel at Comic-con so I can broadcast it everywhere.

One of my big new things next year will a creator owned book called CHOKER, from Image Comics, with the clinically insane but all around talented rising star/good chum BEN McCOOL. Remember that name, you'll no doubt be hearing a lot more of it in the future!

So what is CHOKER? Well, for one thing, it's sort of like FELL, but with it's face ripped off and a bad dose of gonorrhea. It's as disgusting ( or more so ) as Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse. No really, this thing should combine what I love about both those books, plus a bit more. Anyone who knows my rather strange sense of humour will soon realize Ben and I *have* to do this book.

It's a hard boiled noir fable, set in the dark, seedy and slightly time shifted world of Shotgun City. McCool sez:

"Johnny “Choker” Jackson, an ex-Shotgun City police detective, lives in his own rendition of hell. His case of Alien Hand Syndrome has manifested into the most psychotic entity on the planet, is stuck working at a deadbeat detective agency, and he’s engaged in a squalid (and involuntary) amour with an otherworldly creature that dwells beneath his bathtub.

That, believe it or not, is just for starters.

But there’s prospective light at the end of the tunnel: a high-profile con Johnny once put behind bars is at large, and not even the city’s elite has been able to track the sleazebag down. The police department has offered Johnny a deal: put the rogue back in his below regulation-sized cell and he’s got a job for life. However, it comes at a price, and it’s one nobody will see coming. But if you want something, and want it real bad, what would you be willing to do to get it…?"

6 issue miniseries

Image comics.

Early 2010.

Your first taste of it will be a special prelude story to be in Liberty Comics #2 I believe, later this year.

Expect me to rant and rave about this thing, show a bunch of behind the scenes stuff and if we can handle it, drunken hijinks from the both of us as we make this little bastard. Nothing will be off limits. ( Ok I'm still probably not going to do nudity )

And so it begins

Yes, Rich really did lick me. He licked pretty much everyone but I draw solace in knowing I was his first...

Cheers to all the peeps who dropped on by, & to my lady, who really did everything, not me.


Drinking With Ben Templesmith And Friends at Bleedingcool.com

I already did SDCC 2009

Your first official, unofficial look at SDCC 2009. From the inside.

Yes, because I really love it that much, I got in early. All the sweaty walking, the lack of food & water for most of the next week, the long hours of drinking til well past 4am, the endless meetings and signings and drawing...instead of doing it just the official hours of con, I'd rather get there a full 2 days early and go from there.

Yes I am insane.

The place is buzzing with worker/drones setting up. Already spied some of my buds. Lets hope it's a good one, regardless of the economy.

San Diego Comic-Con Begins for me NOW

The biggest pop culture con in North America is about to begin. For me, it's a little early thanks to some guests staying with us for the duration and a meeting up in LA I have to travel to right before it all truly kicks off on the Thursday.

So, if you're going, have a blast. Check out the poster below if you still need to know where I'll be if you want to drop by for a chat or some signatures or some art. ( Mostly at Splashpage Art booth #4400 of course ) Be safe, don't drink tooooo much and remember you need to EAT FOOD at least once over the next week.

As you can see, I have come prepared.

Will try to update again when news of the NEW PROJECT goes live. Then I won't shutup about the bloody thing.

Special IDW signing.

As a last minute deal, I'll be signing FOR ONE HOUR ONLY, over at IDW ( booth #1705 ) with partner in crime, Chris Ryall on THURSDAY 12PM - 1PM.

( So yeah, a slight alteration to my Splashpage Art whereabouts. ) Please note!

Wormwood Gentleman Corpse: Special Tequila Edition

Yup, just for con, I'm letting go my personal copies left of the Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse Deviant Edition hardcovers. Calling it the special Tequila edition, since I'll be drinking it constantly during the con.

20 Only.

Signed, numbered and with a right proper painting in each one, of your choice.

$50 Each.

After this there's no more. So first come, first served I'm afraid. No more than 2 per person I'd say.

Come see me for them at the Splashpage Art booth ( #4400 ) to get them signed, sketched in and have a chat! Signing times *are* below in the SDCC poster image. Promise.









For the times to find me, remember to check the con poster I did up below, or if I can put my schedule into the "appearances" section to your right ( if you're looking on my main site, which you really should! ) I'll do that in a few minutes.

ALSO, here's the details for my other upcoming signings. So peeps in Washington DC and Chicago, don't worry. I'll bring you fine people something else to celebrate.

Laughing Ogre Comics
Lansdowne Shopping Center
19340 Promenade Drive
Lansdowne, VA 20176

Date: August 8th 2009
Time: 12:00 noon to 4:00 pm.

Third Coast Comics
6234 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL 60660
www.thirdcoastcomics.com

Date: August 15th 2009
Time: 2:00PM to 7:00 PM

WE WILL BURY YOU

A little something being cooked up by Brea and Zane Grant, from IDW. I might just be doing some covers. Can you tell?

Having to concentrate on a bunch of last minute stuff before Comic-con next week, which is basically being held in my backyard. Am actually going to try to update *more often* during it, as there'll be so much going on with it to share.

So...where the hell have I been?

Off having some much needed downtime is where. Also, off down Australia way to touch base with the family, hang low. Was fast approaching burnout, so a good recharge of the batteries was in order. Hadn't really had a life free of immediate deadlines for close to 6 years. It's been glorious, a good time to take stock, think about going in new directions and now I'm itching to get back to it all as I take the slow, scenic route back to the US in time for San Diego Comic-con 2009.

Yes, I'm going. Most definitely. Click the postery type image for the larger version with the full details. Oh, go on.Pretty please?



Most years, I get many people coming up to where I'm signing more by accident and because I have a habit of hanging around than actual knowledge of signing times...so this time I'm trying to let as many people know exactly where I'll be and when I'll be there.

Most of the time I'll be at Splashpage Art. Look for booth #4400 My official home for Comic-con this year. Original art for sale there and yep, I'll be able to do commissions as well! It'll be as many as I can fit in, so in case the list fills up quick, try to get me early so I can fit you in. Generally speaking, $150 for the smaller, letter sized paintings and $250 for the larger. But put any book I've done in front of me to sign and odds are if I'm not knackered I'll happily do a quick sketch for nothing. Never charge for signing books of course. Who would?

Been a strange year. Worked my absolute guts out, near burned out, stopped to smell the roses a little, got some amazing job offers I couldn't refuse and now thinking about all sorts of new stuff.

And to top it off, I'll be going to the UK TWICE later this year ( October and also November ) and Brazil. Not to mention, something planned in Chicago and also Washington DC.

Expect decent updates from here on out til Comic-con...and a fair bit of news coming from the con when it's on. It'll all be utter madness of course.

...and yeah, I love Mad Max a little too much.