2006 was a rollercoaster year that started off bad and then got worse... but then suddenly everything got good, then really good and continued to get better and better. I think I'll look back on 2006 as one of the most significant years in my life. A year that I started nearly broke and looking for work, but ended up being my most successful year of freelancing yet. Mona left me and it felt like the end of the world, but then I realized how much better my life is without her dark cloud hanging over me. I thought I'd lose the house in the break-up, but was able to keep it and improve on it by adding a painting studio. I was rejected for the Xeric Grant for comics self-publishing, but I received a publishing offer from one of my favorite comics publishers. I had two successful art shows- Survival of the Fittest, a group show I curated, and Igloo Tornado's debut show at Black Maria Gallery. I got a dog, Barky, the sweetest little girl I could ask for. And I found new love with Anna and we are ridiculously happy.

Anyway... 2006 may end up being one of the more significant years of my personal life, but 2007 should be one of the best years of my professional life. I have a solo art show coming up in September at Black Maria Gallery. I am finishing my graphic novel, and will debut it at some of the comic conventions this summer. And lots of more stuff, too...

Also, I will be completely redesigning and updating my website very soon. So check back later this week.

Two of my favorite artists, Kathleen Lolley and Andy Kehoe have an art show along with Kevin Titzer (who is probably really good, too, but I have yet to see his work).

Go see it:
Errant Days in a Wayward World
Kathleen Lolley, Andy Kehoe, and Kevin Titzer
December 8th thru January 8th
Opening receptions Friday, Dec. 8th 7-9 pm
Harmony Gallery
5911 1/2 Franklin
Hollywood, CA 90028

This show is amazing. I have to say, I think that all four of us are at the top of our game, and each artist is presenting their best work to date. I'm really proud of this show. I'll post more pictures next week. But you can check out some pictures of the installation at the Igloo Tornado Blog.

Our show opens this Saturday! See the postcard below for info...

I have an art show with the Igloo Tornado coming up next month at Black Maria Gallery.

I have a lot of painting still to do.

I suffered my first ever art related injury the other night when a flimsy folding chair I was standing on decided to jump out from under me... I flipped through the air and found myself falling headfirst towards the concrete floor of my studio. I managed to save my pretty face by landing on my outstretched left hand, which jammed my arm straight into a part of my torso where it wasn't meant to be, leaving me with a horribly sore back and shoulder... I'm lucky I didn't break my arm or anything... Ironically I'm working on a painting of my main character all beaten and broken apart.

Moral of the story: when working on a 7 ft tall painting, don't stand on a flimsy, plastic folding chair from Ikea.

San Diego Comic Con was a lot of fun. For some reason, this year's con was kind of relaxing for me. I had agreat time hanging out with my friends and selling comics and everything. For the first time it actually felt like a little vacation, even though I was working the Global Hobo booth most of the week. Here's some photos by my pal, Levon Jihanian.

I sold out of my book, tuesday. And the new parody comic, Krayons Ego, was a huge hit and sold out as well.

Apparently there was some pact that the contributors to Krayons Ego wouldn't reveal themselves... But I wasn't in on that pact originally, and my ego makes me wanna tell everyone which pages I did. Here's one of the best reviews I've ever received for comics:

"It's pretty damn funny. I laughed out loud at the Sammy Harkham, Souther Salazar, Gabrielle Bell and Ben Jones parodies (oh, and Mr. T, all drawn in a Tom Gauld style). " - Eric Reynolds

The rest of the books is great. I finally got to read it at Comicon last week, and laughed out loud at several of the pieces. I particularly like "Project Inferior" and the Jefferey Brown parody and the stab at the reigning king of parody,Johnny Ryan.

So, as I promised last week, here are the pages I did for the book. Those of you who aren't familiar with the indie comics world, may not get these strips... they are ridiculous exagerations and inside jokes, but anyway here's a little explanation: As I mentioned before, my pages were a parody of Tom Gauld's brilliant pages from Kramer's Ergot #5 in which he had six one page strips about famous authors such as Cervantes and Emily Dickinson. I love those strips and decided to steal his style and format to make one page strips about several of the other cartoonists in Kramers Ergot. I was also channeling the impressively offensive humor of Johnny Ryan and Ivan Brunetti. Some of their comics are disturbingly offensive, but they are always hilarious. SO with that spirit, here are my pages... (click on them for larger view)

Sammy Harkham is the editor of Kramers Ergot. If you know him, you know he's very devoted to his faith, so, of course I couldn't resist the urge to make fun of that. Sammy is a very talented cartoonist and I highly reccommend his graphic novel Poor Sailor, and his new series Crickets.

Souther Salazar is one of my favorite artists alive today. His work is stunningly beautiful and filled with a childlike innocence and optimism that I admire greatly. His art career is really taking off lately, so watch out for him as he sores into fame. He's also one of the nicest people I've ever met, thus I had to turn him into a whore-stabbing asshole in my strip.

Kevin Huizenga is one of my favorite new cartoonists, and we share a common love of Floyd Gottfredson. I highly reccommend all of his Or Else series.

Gabrielle Bell is one of the most talented cartoonists to get attention lately. I love her work in Lucky and in the latest Drawn & Quarterly Showcase #4.

Everyone in the world seems to love Ben Jones and his Paper Rad comics. I don't care for them much, myself, but oh well...

And who doesn't love Mr. T?

I got a lot of great books at the Con this year, including: Walt & Skeezix Volume 2, Babel #2, Mome #4 & 5, Maybe Later, Tales Designed to Thrizzle #1 & 2, Watching Days Become Years #3, Bardin the Superrealist, Paralysis, Drawn & Quarterly Showcase #4, Krayons Ego, Asthma and Cartoon Modern. I also got an amazing book of an Italian Don Quixote comic strip- too bad I can't read Italian.

Oh jeez... it's time again for the biggest convention of the year... it's ridiculously huge, exhaustively-commercialized, and frightenningly over-populated with every variety of nerd, geek, freak, pervert, weirdo and genius!!!

Ahhh, I can't wait- I love it... then I hate it, then the delerium kicks in and I start to love it even more, and then it's Saturday and there's over 100,000 people there and it begins to crush my soul... but there's no other place I'd rather be this week!

San Diego Comic Con starts this Thursday, July 20th.

This year I'll be with Global Hobo again... however, we've teamed up with Alvin Bueneventura, Sparkplug Comic Books, and the Honeybunch Squad to take over 5 booths all in one island. It's gonna be a lot of fun. Come on by booth #1528 to find me and all my pals.

I'm trying to finish a new mini in time (only 48 hours left to do that), but I will have copies of "tuesday." and "Henry & Glenn 4-ever".

And I have 6 pages in the parody anthology "Krayons Ego." This is a parody of the exceptional art-comix anthology Kramer's Ergot, edited and published by Sammy Harkham of Avodah Books (in association with Gingko Press). I did a parody of Tom Gauld's brilliant pages from Kramer's #5. And I've lampooned several of the cartoonists who contribute to the Kramers Ergot series. All done with love and respect, so please don't punch me in the face, guys! Other contributors include: Jesse Reklaw, Mark Campos, Karen Sneider, Josh Frankel, Clutch, and Sarah Oleksyk.

Here's a fake cover for the book. I'll post pages from it next week:

This weekend I will be at the MoCCA Art Festival in New York City! I'll be spending some time at the Global Hobo table with copies of "tuesday." and "Henry & Glenn 4-Ever."

If you're in NYC, come by and say "hullo." I can't wait- I love that city!

I've added some new links to the sidebar. Several friends and other artists I admire:

Alex Holden, Dan Zettwoch, David Heatley, David King, Top Shelf, and my big brother, Blake.

Check 'em out if you have a chance.