Saturday, May 08, 2004

I loved Chronos, and was very disappointed when it went away. I didn't, however, make the connection between the artist doing an Aquaman sketch for me at the Emerald City Comicon until I had left the table... then the name and the work clicked into my head. I really should have gone back and thanked him, but I was a bit zoned. Anyway, this is what I consider a great sketch by a great artist. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do.

AQUAMAN
by Paul Guinan
29 Feb 2004
(permission to post given 29 Feb 2004 in person)
Big Red Hair

As a reminder: Almost every sketch in my sketchbook was non-commissioned and done on the floor of a con. These are not the best works of the artists. These are only representative of what the artist can do under pressure in a loud, crowded, and often stressed-out environment. Most of them were done as quickly as possible, to prevent huge lines from forming. Don't judge any of these artists negatively by the artwork you see, instead be as impressed as I am by what they accomplished in far-from-ideal conditions.

To see all the sketches I have permission to post so far, check out my Sketchbook Page. If you have any contact information for any of the other artists I'm trying to contact, please e-mail me. Click for a random Aquaman sketch.

The Saturday Sketch ™ is brought to you by the letters "P", "G" and the number "48", and also courtesy the fine artists who pour their lives into producing wonderful comic books, then come to conventions only to get asked by geeky fangirls for a sketch of Aquaman. Support an artist, buy a comic book.

by Tegan at 8:50 PM Seattle time - Permalink

The title says it all, really. I can't seem to think of anything to blog about.

I'm currently reading "The Da Vinci Code", which I'll review when I'm finished. It shouldn't take long, as it's a pretty easy read. No wonder it's so popular.

I received the first three volumes of Sidekicks, a children's book series by Dan Danko and Tom Mason, for review. As soon as I'm finished with the library books, those are next up.

Today's mail also brought my Amazon order, with some more books to review, and Evening Shift by Chris Gumprich and Dwight Williams. And there are still a bunch of books in my AIT/Planet Lar box to read and review. So I'm going into a reading phase, where perhaps the blogging won't be as heavy.

On Tuesday I'm moving for five weeks to the Pug House of Horrors (minus the pugs), where I'll be house-sitting (and grandparent-sitting, too). My life will change a bit during that time.

In addition to everything else, the comic art collectors list has convinced me to put my original artwork that isn't just sketches up for other people to enjoy. I may put that up as a side gallery of the Sketchbook. For that section, which consists of pages from comics and commissioned work, my little moral hitch about asking permission doesn't apply, so I'll be posting pretty much everything I've got. Eventually. And, of course, tonight is another Saturday Sketch ™.

So, that's today's "nothing to blog about" blog.

by Tegan at 2:04 PM Seattle time - Permalink

Friday, May 07, 2004

Red Mars - Kim Stanley Robinson: Like the Years of Rice and Salt, this book focuses on a small group of people through historical events. Unlike the other, the story doesn't follow them through the afterlife, just through the events in their first lives. The story covers the journey of the first set of colonists to Mars right up until the... well, that would be telling. Let's just say some major events happen in the years covered by this book. Like the other book I've read by Robinson, the point of view changes from character to character throughout the book, and you develop a deeper understanding of the whole situation as you look at the world through each set of eyes. The descriptions and explanations of the tech are only as complicated as needed to get across the story, but are detailed enough to ignite the imagination. Each event hits hard, and late in the book when a particular death occurs, I think I actually grieved... until I remembered it was a fictional death of a character who had never existed. I plan on reading the other books in the series, but I think I'll wait until I'm a little more caught up on some of my other reading... In the meantime, this one gets a solid four and a half starfish.

by Tegan at 8:28 PM Seattle time - Permalink

Ok, I'm pathetic... I want this Nancy Pearl ALA Poster. "Who is Nancy Pearl?", I hear you say. Glad you asked. This is Nancy Pearl. Yeah, I want the action figure, too. Again, I think I'm hearing my calling... I wish I could afford to go back to school now...

I really like Fred Hembeck's May 7th entry. He pretty much covers the issue completely, and tells it like it is. Thanks Fred! (Note: as of the last news report I heard, the decision has been made to drop the stupid Spidey logo from the bases. Fred's point is still in effect).

Legomancer covers the Marvel Doctor Who reprints in the US. Hey hubby, do we have all these?

Hubby-Eric and I just got our Zazzle.com shirts. I was ready to pull the plug if I didn't like the quality, but to my immense pleasure, they look really good. Hubby-Eric got 'Winged Monkey Airlines Four', which has a winged monkey on the front with the logo "Fly the Furry Skies" and a big "OZ" on the back with his website address. He got it in lime green, and it looks simply fantastic. I got a raglan version of the "I'm Blogging This" T-shirt with my blog address on it. It also looks really good. I can hardly wait to wear it around.

And don't forget to enter the Demo Contest. "If you could have one superpower, what would it be? Why? What would you do with it -- good or evil or amoral?"

by Tegan at 4:53 PM Seattle time - Permalink

• Weight = X-1
• Change From Last Week = Lost one pound
• Met Exercise Goal? Yes
  Goal was ten minutes a day on bike or treadmill at least six days.
• Current Exercise Goal = ten minutes a day on bike or treadmill, at least six days.
• Kept food diary? Yes.

Statistically, one pound is nothing. Unless you weigh almost nothing, which sadly isn't the case for me. One pound gained or lost in a single week means very little... it's only when the pound stays away for several weeks and is joined by other pounds that it means anything. Still, this is a nice way to start the long road of weight loss, with a single pound loss this week.

by Tegan at 8:40 AM Seattle time - Permalink

Thursday, May 06, 2004

Swamp Thing #3: Yuck. That's for the cover, and a lot of the interior art. Yuck. This was a gross issue. And the art didn't work for me partly because of that. This issue just seemed less impressive than the first two, and less seemed to happen. I guess I'll just wait and see what the next issue is like, but this one I'm neutral on.

Superman: Birthright #10: Give me a different artist, and I might have actually enjoyed this series. But every issue just serves to remind me that I don't much like Yu's artwork for some reason. Then there's this utterly nonsensical plotline about Lex convincing everyone that Superman is the scout for an invasion, which Lex is apparently pretending to stage... It's a mess.

DC 100 Page Super Spectacular: Lots of good stuff in here, but I'm mildly disappointed that the first two are ones that have been reprinted many many times. I also noticed at least one error in the Checklist of DC Heroes... Aquaman's first appearance was More Fun #73, not 70. At least the month and year are correct. So, except for the error and for the reprinting of two easy-to-find stories, this was a good package, and I really hope they do a lot more.

Overall, a disappointing week saved by the 100-pager and the AIT/Planet Lar box. Next week's books (as of the latest available list): Smallville, Aquaman, Fallen Angel, Green Arrow, H-E-R-O, JLA, and JSA... an all-DC list?

by Tegan at 8:37 PM Seattle time - Permalink

The BBC would like to put their shows on-line. As an American who enjoys British TV, does this mean I could subscribe and see some programs not available in the States?

You can see the first few pages of next week's Aquaman at Comics Continuum. The first three pages continues the effect of San Diego's sinking, and has little or nothing to do with the rest of the storyline as it's playing out. But it's an interesting look at the newly sunken city, and is oddly fascinating. The last time I saw a dog like that was in The Atlantis Chronicles. Here's page one, page two, and page three. The regular plotline starts on page four.

So, yes, Aquaman was in the retailers' preview packages, and yes, I've therefore read it (thanks again, Paige!). And no, I don't intend to review it, even rapidly, until next week. It is slightly annoying to discover that I can't grab another copy of Aquaman #15 to give to somebody. It seems to be pretty much completely sold out and going for unrealistic prices on eBay. This is not a familiar experience. I hope DC plans on collecting the first Pfeifer arc quickly.

Don't forget to enter the Demo Contest. I can personally attest that the swag is worth it. So, think about it: "If you could have one superpower, what would it be? Why? What would you do with it -- good or evil or amoral?"

by Tegan at 1:24 PM Seattle time - Permalink

Justice League Adventures #31: Ah, another "careful what you do" story with flash-forwards into possible futures and a rather pat ending. It isn't a bad story, there's just not a lot there. Although seeing the entire League show up for the funeral of people who were caught in the crossfire of a rather tame-looking (for a superhero book) crime is a little odd. No, this one is ok, but nothing special.

Thor #78: This storyline does plan on ending someday, right? Worse, the art makes it unclear whether or not Thor ever actually picks up his hammer. And who the heck is Tarene? This is a jumbled mess instead of a pay-off, and that's just annoying.

Plastic Man #6: Ha ha. The Fantastic Four. Very funny. You know, this could have been worse, but I can't think of how.

With the regular books absolutely failing me, it's time for another pick from the AIT/Planet Lar box. This time I pulled out Johnny Dynamite: Underworld.

Johnny Dynamite: Underworld by Max Allan Collins and Terry Beatty: I didn't think I would like this. I've never been really into hard-boiled detective tales, and it was clear just from the cover that this would be that kind of tale. So I was more than a little surprised that I sat and read it cover to cover in one sitting, ignoring everything else around me as a read. It was good. Unexpectedly good. Yeah, there's the detective, and his almost-cliche history, and all that jazz... but the story moves along at a crisp pace, never sitting on one idea too long, and the art is excellent and gives the whole story a proper feel. And hey, there are zombies. You just can't beat a tale with zombies.

Still to review: Swamp Thing, Birthright, and DC 100 page Super Spectacular.

by Tegan at 11:05 AM Seattle time - Permalink

Wednesday, May 05, 2004

Smallville [3-20]: Talisman: There were a few moments of shock in this one, but overall I felt like the story is moving forward nicely. I particularly like that Lana is letting go of her past. And I liked the bits with Clark too, I guess. It's hard to watch Clark when he doesn't know what's going to happen with Lex but we do. Then again, that's where part of the tension in the show comes from... Anyway, I mostly enjoyed it.

Angel [5-20]: The Girl In Question: This one was clearly going to be a romp from the first moments... and every single moment set in Italy was definitely rompy. The subplot with Wesley and Fred was a bit more serious and frightening, but it showed off the acting skills of Amy Acker. When Spike and Angel are working together, though, it's always fun. In short, an enjoyable little story.

Coming up in comics reviews for this week: Birthright, DC 100 page Super Spectacular, Justice League Adventures, Plastic Man, Swamp Thing, Thor, and something from the AIT/Planet Lar box.

Update: The Classifieds at the Smallville Ledger made me laugh aloud today. "SWIMMING LESSONS - We have a few more openings at our swim school at Crater Lake. Learn how to swim like a fish! Call Arthur at 555-0170."

by Tegan at 10:00 PM Seattle time - Permalink

Dentist today. I walked down to the dentist's office from home, about a ten minute walk. I then spent two hours in the dentist's chair having teeth cleaned and fillings fixed. Two hours. And I did something I had never done before. I fell asleep while they were working on my teeth. I dizzily walked home... and I've been less than 100% since then. Ok, I've been just about completely OUT since then.

by Tegan at 8:46 PM Seattle time - Permalink

New contest that everyone should know about, and the brave and bold should certainly enter. This one is a Demo Giveaway, hosted at Near Mint Heroes so I can safely link to it without feeling like I'm letting my mom down. Thanks to Thought Balloons for the announcement.

I've fallen in love with Unshelved, which perhaps means that my calling in life really is to be a librarian.

Randompixel has more cameras up, this one is Bob, and the last one was Ammy.

by Tegan at 10:12 AM Seattle time - Permalink

Tuesday, May 04, 2004

Abadazad #3: I read this book from two angles. On the one side is the view of a person angry at CrossGen's lies to their freelancers, who doesn't expect this series to reach the sixth issue... maybe not even the next issue. The other side is a person who loves the concept and the artwork, and wants to see this as a long-running series going on for years and years. This is another strong issue, building on what came before. And if I take the "interview" at the end and replace a few words, I feel like it's one very familiar tale. Hubby-Eric would know what I'm talking about.

Way of the Rat #23: Wrapping up? Or at least trying to... And the action is building. I wonder how this book is going to end.

Noble Causes Vol II: I liked the first volume, and I liked this one, too. There isn't really a lot to say. This is a like a soap opera, only good. Unfortunately, it seems to end on a bit of a cliff-hanger... which makes me all the more desperate to read the next trade. There will be another trade, right?

Classics Illustrated Junior: The Salt Mountain: I bought this for a birthday present for a four-year-old. The other choices were pretty much all Hans Christian Andersen tales, and I like this child too much to give her one of those depressing stories. So I flipped through this one enough to make sure that the protagonists don't end up in a fire, as sea foam, or dead. Once I got home I read the story completely and it wasn't bad. I'd never heard or read this one before, but it had elements of other stories I've read in the past. And as a bonus there are a couple of extra bits in the back. I think my niece will enjoy it.

Books coming tomorrow: Birthright, DC 100-page Super Spectacular, Justice League Adventures, Plastic Man, Swamp Thing, and Thor.

by Tegan at 8:04 PM Seattle time - Permalink

It's a slow news week so far.

The editors of the Oxford English Dictionary asked Science Fiction fans about their vocabulary, and the results were overwhelming.

Via Elayne's guest blogger, Pixar shorts.

WARNING: POLITICAL GARBAGE AHEAD!!!

From the files of the Associated Press:

The Massachusetts teacher of the year refused to attend an event in Washington honoring the nation's top educators because U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige called the nation's largest teachers union a "terrorist organization."

Jeffrey R. Ryan, a history teacher at Reading Memorial High School who lost a friend in the Sept. 11 attacks, said he could not accept Paige's apology for his Feb 23 comments about the 2.7-million-member National Education Association.

Paige said the remark was a "bad joke." But Ryan said: "Nazi death camps aren't funny. Lynching people isn't funny. Famine isn't funny, and terrorism isn't funny. I just couldn't show up and shake that man's hand after he made those remarks."

This is Ryan's letter to Rod Paige's office after Paige decided to call every teacher in the country a terrorist (you see, the union IS the teachers, so Paige, and anyone who agrees with him, thinks that every single teacher who belongs to the union is a terrorist):

Dear Ms. Jacobs,

I wanted to thank you for your gracious invitation to the conference of Teachers of the Year that is scheduled for next week. I was hoping to attend, but I am sorry that, considering Secretary Paige's recent remarks about the NEA and the teaching profession, I no longer feel that his invitation is sincere; neither do I feel that he will be providing a healthy and constructive environment in which to enhance the education of our young people. I am sure that you, Ms. Jacobs, are a sincere and well-intentioned individual, and I am sorry to send these words through you to the Secretary. I do believe, however, that the Bush Administration is hostile to public education and that the No Child Left Behind Act is a disingenuous, cynical plan by which to attack the poor and the non-white. Again, my comments are in no way meant to be uncivil to you. I do not see, however, how I can justify leaving my own students in order to attend a meeting with a gentleman who seems to harbor nothing but ill will and contempt for us all.

Thank you for the invitation, and please accept my good wishes for a peaceful, fulfilling springtime.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey R. Ryan, Ph.D.,
Massachusetts Teacher of the Year 2003

by Tegan at 11:05 AM Seattle time - Permalink

Happy Birthday Mirashana, I'll be seeing you and the fish-dog tonight...

by Tegan at 8:22 AM Seattle time - Permalink

Monday, May 03, 2004

Well... that's not true. Since the exciting news of the recovery of the theft at Wondercon, I've been focused on other things. Namely, trying to read my library books before they are due. And then I got another set of books to read in the mail today, more about that in a bit. And I haven't yet finished my Rapid Reviews from last week's comics. Nor have I gotten through the huge pile of AIT/Planet Lar books. And I'm getting ready to move to the Pug House of Horrors for a month to housesit (with no PUGS! wahoO!). And I recently tried to reduce our phone bill, only to discover that it might just be a whole lot cheaper to get a pair of cellular phones and cancel our land line. Add in a birthday party for a niece tomorrow, and getting to see my nephew who lives on the East Coast yesterday, and I'm rather busy. Oh yeah, and I reserved a hotel for Eric and I during our summer trip this year so we can go see the Winchester Mystery House (finally), and the hotel has wireless access so I should be able to blog live all through our vacation should the urge hit me. And it's almost one, and I have a dozen more errands to run in the next hour, so I'd best get going.

by Tegan at 12:55 PM Seattle time - Permalink

Sunday, May 02, 2004

A security guard at the convention center found the piece:

It turns out that after a complete sweep of the building by the security personnel, no sign of it. BUT! Upon inpsection of a "hidden" air shaft located not far from the conference center where the comic art panel took place, a security officer found the piece stuffed inside.

We are assuming the thief realized he could not walk out of the show with this large piece under his arm, since it would require a fairly good sized portfolio to put it in, so he/she stashed it in the air shaft to come back later today and pick it up.

Wahoo! Bill was devastated by the loss, so I'm so glad the piece was recovered. What amazes me is how the art collectors came together and started to pool together reward money for its return. I won't tell you how high the reward had gotten before the piece was found, but I was pretty impressed by the generosity of the folks on the list. Now if we could just recover Linsner's artwork, too.

Update: Here's the word from Bill himself...

I arrived at the Con early and immediately made contact with the private security firm hired to police the event. One of the security supervisors, Jeff Bastasini, instructed his staff at my request to search all the conference rooms and storage areas in the vacinity of the theft. I just had a feeling that the crook might have had second thoughts and dumped the art somewhere, rather than risk being caught making his getaway.

On the first go around they came up empty, but on a hunch Jeff checked a couple of possible hiding places down the hall from the panel room. Sure enough, he found the art leaning against a wall in what he termed an "air shaft", but upon closer inspection was really a storage area beyond the folding walls these convention centers use. We surmised that the thief planned to come back today with a portfolio case and take the art with him. Stupidly, all he did was give me time to report the theft and peruse the premises. You can bet that Jeff will receive a nice little cash award for his smarts.

No damage to the piece at all. It is as it was in almost perfect condition. Thank goodness I had it in a mylar which was enclosed in a hard plastic case. The one smart thing I did in the last two days...

It's been one really long day. I experienced the complete gamut of emotions from complete dispair upon learning the art was gone to absolute joy upon its recovery. In the process I learned there are some mighty fine people on this list who are willing to give of themselves to help a fellow collector in need. As I said before, I am completely humbled by your generosity and concern, and have been overwhelmed with emails and phone calls offering to help. It was really gratifying to see the community rally round one of their own. I can only hope I'll be able to return the favor someday. To each and every one of you, thank you, thank you, thank you. I am in your debt.

And I'd like to just add that I was personally stunned by the generous offers to help with reward money, and delighted that the thief won't be getting any of that money. My faith in fandom is stronger than ever.

by Tegan at 10:54 AM Seattle time - Permalink

We like to think better of people who share our interests, but at two different cons in the last week artwork has been stolen. If you know anything about these thefts, please contact the police.

From Wondercon, Bill Howard, in his own words:

My Avengers #6 splash by Jack Kirby and Chic Stone was stolen at Wondercon today. I was on a Comic-l panel with Len Callo and Brian Peck. I had some art on the table after the panel concluded. Since the art was in my possession all day, I can only guess that someone nabbed it when I turned my back.

I am offering a reward for the return of this art. No questions asked. Everyone knows I own the piece, which I bought from Joe Madellena of Profiles In History for more than $25k this year, so it will be difficult to sell to another collector. Since I was in the process of insuring my collection, it is not insured. A scan can be found on my Lowry Gallery.

If you hear about this piece or are offered it, please understand that you will be accepting stolen merchandise and I will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law. I am filing a police report now. This is what I get for volunteering to sit on a panel and display my art. I should have known better.

This is a small scan of the piece (linked to a larger version):

If you know of the whereabouts of this piece, please either alert the police, or contact Bill at wphoward at pacbell.net

UPDATE: A substantial reward has been offered by members of the Comics-l list for the return of the piece. In addition, there is a picture of Bill holding the piece shortly before it was stolen here. There is a page with contact information if you have any information about the piece here.

All bloggers: even if you don't think you have much of an audience, PLEASE spread the word about this piece. Hopefully it will be recovered, but if everyone knows about it being a stolen piece, there's no way the thief can profit from his crime. Let people know. Spread the word.

As if that wasn't bad enough, Joe Linsner, creator of DAWN, had a portfolio of artwork stolen at a mini Pittsburgh convention. According to the source of the news on the Comic-l list, Linsner had been selling out of the portfolio all morning, so it only had half the amount of artwork it might have had. However, due to the nature of the selling, a precise count and description of items is difficult. All the items were dated 2004 and signed, and these are what he can remember as being in the folder:

• Color marker Conan illo, sword arms and feet spread
• Color marker illo of Thundra (She Hulk/FF villianess)
• Thing color marker illo (styilized, big and bulky)
• Galactus face (single color illo)
• Warlock upper body color illo, soul jem glowing
• Deathlok color marker illo, face and torso
• Various and sundry Dawn single color and full color illos (all dated 2004)

If you learn about these pieces being sold, contact Linsner or the police.

by Tegan at 12:02 AM Seattle time - Permalink