Hal was a Green Lantern!

One person I shamefully overlooked in yesterday's post about Free Comic Book Day was local comics artist and sketch tablemate Gino Collins.  An expatriate Newfoundlander like myself, Gino had a very nice portfolio of work with him, and seemed to be having great fun meeting the challenges of the kids looking for sketches...and I know there were some real challenges in that crowd. 
Gino is also a member of the Friends of Hal Foster Society, a group dedicated to promoting the work of Nova Scotia born artist Hal Foster, the creator of Prince Valiant and the Tarzan comic strip.  "Friends..." is currently fundraising to have a statue in Hal's honor erected in Halifax, which I think is a great idea.  If you'd like to help out with this initiative, donations can be made through Strange Adventures comic shop.
I hope Gino will forgive me for posting a piece of his art from his brochure "Who Was Hal Foster?"; it's a funny piece from a cleverly done brochure.  If you'd like to see more of Gino's work, you can find it at his blog, "Draw It Like You Mean It".  Take a look.

Sketch-a-riffic!

Free Comic Book Day 2010 was a blast!  I'm pleased to say that I had a slight case of artist's cramp at the end of the day...from the moment the doors opened until the end of the day, I was drawing nearly non-stop, as were the other artists in attendance.  The hosts kept me plied with cookies and Dr. Pepper...a sure way to my heart...so I was happy to keep blasting out the sketches for any and all.  My only regret is that I didn't have time to do more.
My favorite drawing of the day was a portrait of The Tick challenging Batman...with a spoon (that's a reference you can only get if you've actually read The Tick, and you should).  That sort of thing was the real fun of the day....taking challenges from the attendees to draw things I'd never considered before....Princess Fiona from Shrek, Sonic the Hedgehog, Iron Man vs. Astro Boy; fun stuff all the way.
Of course, it was also great for me that I was in some very good company.  I had the chance to briefly meet Faith Erin Hicks, the creator of the brilliant "Zombies Calling" and "The War at Ellsmere", Tim Larade, creator of the webcomic "One of Those Days",  and several others who (I'm ashamed to say) I did not write down names, links or other identifying information (sorry, guys!).  Apparently Darwyn Cooke showed up at some point, but I must have been hip deep in a drawing at the time, as I didn't spot him.
There's some pictures of the day up at Strange Adventures website; you can see the gallery here.  I'm the one doing the drawings of Deadpool and Iron Man, among others.  As you'll see, there was quite a crowd there...I'm told some people stood in line for over half an hour just to get into the building, and nearly as long to get a sketch. 
So, thanks to all who attended and dropped by the table for a sketch.  It was a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to doing more of these events.

Oh...and to the guy who I spoke to about the Green Lantern drawing....I haven't forgotten, and will deliver.  Drop me a line.

Free the Comics!

Don't forget that this Saturday, May 3, is Free Comic Book Day! Run, don't walk, to your nearest comic retailer and grab some good reading material, and maybe discover a new favorite. Or rediscover an old one.

If you're in the Halifax area, the best place for comics on ANY day is Strange Adventures. Not only do they have an incredible variety of books, games and paraphernalia throughout their store, but they also have the friendliest and most personable staff I've seen in any shop...No pretentious Simpson's comic book guys here, but interesting folks who'll gladly help you waste your time and money in a mind-broadening way.

Best...Price...Ever!

Don't forget that tomorrow is Free Comic Book Day. Here's a chance to grab some great reading material at a fabulous price...free! Comic shops everywhere will be giving away free comics, including such noteworthy titles as "Bongo Comics Free for All" (a Simpsons comic), "The Umbrella Academy", "Comic Genesis" (aka Keenspace, host to The Journals of Simon Pariah), "The Unseen Peanuts" and "Amelia Rules" (great kids comic). If you're a collector, there will be a few nice items to add to your treasure trove here, but even if you're not a reader, here's a great chance to try something new at the best possible price. If you're lucky enough to be in a major centre (like Halifax, whee!), you might even be able to get some books signed by the creators.
So find your nearest comic shop and nab some freebies, then sit back with a self-indulgent snack of your choice (Tandoori Doritos and a Diet Coke is my current fave)and treat yourself to a good reading session...on the house.




Quick side note: once you're done with the comics, I've found a great thing to do with the ones you don't want is to save them up for Hallowe'en and give them out to the trick or treaters. I've been doing it for about 10 years, and now when I open the door, I often hear, "Is this the place that gives out comics?" The kids love 'em, and you're sneakily getting them to read something without them knowing it's good for them.