Dragon*Con and Baltimore Comic Con

Couple of quick notices for you:

For the first time since something like 1989 or 1990, I will not be attending Dragon*Con in Atlanta, which is going on this Labor Day Weekend.  I'd love to be there this year, but this is one of those times that real life intrudes.  Not only do I have an imminent deadline-- which, let's be honest, is pretty much always the case-- I'm also moving into a new house the same weekend.  Something just had to give, and unfortunately, D*C 2012 was it.  Might try and swing by for an hour or two at some point if I have time, but I won't be officially there, and I'm definitely not setting up.  But I'll be back in full swing next year for sure, in the wake of the release of both RED 2 in theaters and... a project I'm not ready to talk about yet. ;)

Now, the following week, on the other hand, I WILL be at Baltimore Comic Con, September 8th and 9th.  I'll be sitting with my old pals from my Gaijin days, Brian Stelfreeze, Karl Story, and Laura Martin.  And Randy Martin of Mighty Fine Art will be on hand to sell our original art!

Still further out, I'll be at New York Comic Con, October 11th-14th.

And that'll be it for me for the year.  When 2013 starts firming up, I'll let you know here first.

The Smile I Share

It blows my mind that it’s been five years since we lost Mike Wieringo.  I think about him often, even today.  I’ve said a fair amount of him-- who he was to me-- over the years since his passing, marking it for you out there every year.  I hope you don’t mind me periodically repeating myself like this, and I hope that in the repeating, people won’t lose interest in my friend.  More and more, I think I’ll mark the day quietly, and share the smiles he still gives me with those who knew him best.  We see each other here and there, and honor Mikey quietly by spending a little time together around a table making each other laugh.  In each other, we see him.

But most of you out there knew Mike through a ton of great comics, his sketchblog, and how great he was at conventions.  His art touched you, and the connection he had with his fans was so strong.  He was a real influence on a lot of other artists, and he had a real respect for the generations of comics pros who came before him.  

So, to that end, I’d like to direct you to this page, where you can donate in Mike’s name to the Hero Initiative, which is “the first-ever federally chartered not-for-profit corporation dedicated strictly to helping comic book creators in need. Hero creates a financial safety net for yesterdays' creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work. It's a chance for all of us to give back something to the people who have given us so much enjoyment.”  It’s a cause Mike supported and believed in, and Hero’s “M-Day”—today-- is so-named because we not only lost our pal Mike on this date five years ago, but another beloved figure, Marvel editor/writer Mark Gruenwald, on the same date eleven years earlier.  I never had the honor of knowing Mark, but his influence on the comics community is undeniable.

You can also donate to the Mike Wieringo Scholarship at the Savannah College of Art & Design.  Mike loved seeing younger talent flourish, and this is a way you can help that happen in his name.

Mike also LOVED animals, as many of you know, so if you could also support your local chapter of the SPCA and your local HumaneSociety, I know he’d appreciate it.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna spend the rest of today drawing comics and thinking about Mikey.

And smiling.