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C2E2 2012

April 16, 2012January 10, 2017 andertoons1 Comment

The 2012 C2E2 was this weekend here in Chicagoland, and there’s already been all manner of reporting on who said what’s coming when and why that’s important out there, and I’m not going to add to that. What I’m going to share is a casual comics fan’s look at this year’s event (specifically Saturday), which, let me get this out of the way right at the start, was great.

2012 C2E2 Shuttle

When I attended the first C2E2 a few years back it was sort of a hassle to get to. I took the train downtown, but then had to cab it back and forth which wasn’t cheap.

This year they offered a shuttle service to and from a number of convenient Chicago locales, including Union Station, so my commute was much nicer.

2012 C2E2 Line

I’ve no idea of the actual 2012 C2E2 attendance numbers, but judging by the line when I arrived and the subsequent crowds, a lot of folks came out. But it never felt overcrowded like another Chicagoland comic con that will remain nameless.

The first order of business was some t-shirts for the family. I’ve waited before only to find on my return that what I wanted had sold out. Not this time!

2012 C2E2 Amanda Conner line

Then it was time to get over to artist’s alley and in line for the person I wanted most to meet, Amanda Conner. I’m glad I got there early because her fans quickly queued into a lengthy line. (Kudos to C2E2 organizers for keeping things orderly.)

2012 C2E2 Amanda Conner

I was just thrilled to meet Ms. Conner. I bought a small sketchbook for myself, and a print of Supergirl with Streaky and Krypto for my daughter, both of which she signed while we discussed kids and comics.

You hope when you meet someone like this that they’ll live up to your preconceived notions, and Ms. Conner exceeded them thoroughly. A brilliant artist and a lovely person.

2012 C2E2 Jason Howard

Next up was Jason Howard’s table to get a Super Dinosaur print for the boy. I’d have bought some additional books if my son didn’t have each and every one of them already.

Mr. Howard was incredibly nice as he signed the print and chatted with me at length about comics and kids. Another great artist and super nice person. That’s two for two!

2012 C2E2 Art Baltazar

I browsed the rest of artist’s alley, picked up a few more books, and finished up at Art Baltazar‘s table where he signed a Super Pets book for my daughter.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, another super nice person, and who doesn’t love Baltazar’s style? Aw yeah!

Then it was time to hit the show floor for a little more shopping.

2012 C2E2 shopping 1

2012 C2E2 shopping 2

I’m not much for collecting, but I did my fair share of back issue browsing.

2012 C2E2 shopping 3

I made sure to pick up Cow Boy at the Archaia booth, and it doesn’t disappoint. The boy’s read it five times since giving it to him, and he adores it.

Then a little oddball browsing…

2012 C2E2 shopping 4

Wooden mustache anyone?

I almost bought this for Mike Lynch.

2012 C2E2 shopping 6

And last but not least, is that a lightsaber in your pocket, or are you just happy to be browsing stuffed animals?

2012 C2E2 SMBC Panel

Then it was onto the panels. I really wanted to see SMBC‘s talk, but they never showed up. Dunno what happened, but everyone was disappointed.

2012 C2E2 Kill Shakespeare Panel

I managed to hear most of Kill Shakespeare’s Anthony Del Col’s excellent talk about pitching and marketing your indie comic, but had to duck out at the very end to catch my shuttle. Really interesting and inspiring stuff.

Now, before I finish up, here’s some of my favorite 2012 C2E2 costumes:

2012 C2E2 cosplay

So from a casual comic’s fan perspective, the 2012 C2E2 was just about perfect. I hope the organizers and exhibitors did well and had as much fun as I did. Kudos all around.

Can’t wait for next year!

Why I’m A Cartoonist

April 9, 2012January 10, 2017 andertoons4 Comments

I’m a cartoonist. I draw funny pictures with funny words that I send out into the world to earn my living. I love my job unquestioningly. That is until recently, when I ran across a TED Talk by Simon Sinek about how great leaders inspire action.

Now, I am neither a great leader, nor particularly inspiring, but it looked like Sinek was going to discuss Apple, and being a fanboy of the fruit, I watched it. But I got more than I expected; for just a moment it actually made me question why I’m a cartoonist.

Every single person, every single organization on the planet knows what they do, 100 percent. Some know how they do it … but very, very few people or organizations know why they do what they do. And by “why” I don’t mean “to make a profit.” That’s a result. It’s always a result. By “why,” I mean: What’s your purpose? What’s your cause? What’s your belief? Why does your organization exist? Why do you get out of bed in the morning? And why should anyone care?

So I asked myself, why am I a cartoonist? And, thankfully, the answer came quickly and clearly – I love making people laugh.

OK, that sounds trite, I know, but it’s that simple. And the more I thought about it, the clearer it became. It’s not just that I enjoy making people laugh, or that I’d like very much to make you laugh, I love it. I crave it. I’m a laugh junkie.

When I was little my mom gave me a joke book that became the bane of my family’s existence. It was as thick as the Sears fall catalog, and the jokes were terrible, but I toted that joke book around, reciting them over and over to anyone within earshot just waiting for that laugh.

When I became a musician I chose the trombone, which, when you think about it, is empirically the funniest of the instruments. (It’s the voice of Charlie Brown’s teacher!) And when I played jazz, I loved nothing more than to work in goofy kid songs or Christmas carols into my solos.

Later, when I worked a series of day jobs, I played pranks on my co-workers, designed oddball contests and rewards, and I wasn’t above the occasional interpretive dance, all in search of that big laugh.

I love to make my mom laugh, I love making my wife laugh, and I LOVE making my kids laugh. I will do and/or say anything to get a laugh.

So, yes, I know what I do – I’m a cartoonist. And I know how I do it – funny pictures, funny words. But Sinek’s talk reminded me anew why I’m a cartoonist. And that’s a good reminder indeed.

5 Totally Amazing Cartoon/Comic Blogs and 1 Guilty Pleasure

January 10, 2012January 10, 2017 andertoons1 Comment

It’s difficult to believe, but I’ve been blogging for over seven years now. That’s a long, loooong time. In fact, when I began my developer wasn’t yet familiar with the word “blog.” And every so often I think it’s a good to take a step back and take a critical look at what this blog is and should/could be. (Stick with me, the list of awesome cartoon blogs is coming right up.)

So recently, in addition to completely revamping the site, I’ve been rejiggering how and what I present here at the Andertoons Cartoon Blog. For a while I was blogging a wider range of interests in an effort to connect more personally with readers, and I think I’ve done that. (But just in case, I really like jazz trombone and LEGO.) But I think it’s time I got back to blogging more about cartoons.

My idea is this – blog less often, but more in depth, and mostly about cartoons. I’m tentatively looking at about one blog per week. (Probably on Tuesdays, but don’t hold me to that.) Occasionally it will be more, sometimes less, but when I write I’m going to really write.

But I don’t want to leave you out in the cartoon blog cold the rest of the week, so I’m going to recommend five additional totally amazing cartoon & comic related blogs you should read, and one awesome guilty pleasure.

(Note – a lot of these cartoonists are friends or acquaintances of mine, but I never said it was unbiased. So there.)

1. Mike Lynch Cartoons

mike lynch cartoons blog

Mike’s long-running blog is a must read for any cartoonist or fan of cartoons. Honestly, there’s so much great stuff here it’s almost a crime to point out only a few notable posts, but here’s some current standouts to peruse:

Mike’s not only a cartoonist at the top of his game (and my brother-in-ink), he pretty much knows everyone and everything related to cartoons. Put Mike’s blog in your RSS reader ASAP!

2. The Daily Cartoonist

Alan Gardner does a really great job of digging up all kinds of cartoon news, presenting it clearly and succinctly, and, in what I’m assuming is a massive undertaking, keeping his commenters on-topic and mostly civil. Some recent must-reads:

Wanna keep up on pretty much on all the latest cartoon happenings? Check out The Daily Cartoonist.

3. Comics Alliance

Covering the world of comics thoroughly and entertainingly is Comics Alliance. There’s just gobs of new, deep, and downright fun stuff here almost constantly. A few newish notables:

Laura Hudson and crew deserve top bookmark billing in any comic fan’s browser. Do it now!

4. Webcomics.com

So far I’ve featured blogs covering what can be considered the traditional mediums of cartoons, comic strips, and comic books, but the world of webcomics, if it hasn’t already become mainstream, is well on its way. And Brad Guigar’s Webcomics.com is a terrific guide. Here’s some fresh examples:

A quick note that this is the only entry here that charges for its content, but if you’re really serious about succeeding online it’s money well spent. Check it out and you’ll see what I mean.

5. Cul de Sac

If you’ve by chance missed every other glowing review of Richard Thompson’s Cul de Sac, I think you could trust Calvin & Hobbes creator, Bill Watterson, who said, amongst other heady praise, “The artwork in Cul de Sac bowls me over.”

Even better, we all get an inside look at the Cul de Sac blog! A few of my recent faves:

Do not miss!

And last but not least, my favorite guilty pleasure:

F**k Yeah Bruce Timm

I’m not sure I completely understand what makes Tumblr different from regular blogs, but there seems to be a whole host of these F**k Yeah Tumblrs. That being said, I love, no, LOVE Bruce Timm‘s art! So a constant stream of Timm awesomeness? I think F**k Yeah Bruce Timm about sums it up. A few recent posts:

OK, well that wraps it up. Please be sure to give each blog a try, and be sure to stop in each Tuesday (or even better, subscribe to my RSS feed) for more Andertoons Cartoon Blog goodness!