JUMBO POP IS NOW DAVID HOPKINS

PRESS RELEASE Effective immediately: In a startling turn of events, Jumbo Pop has decided to retire from comics. This decision was prompted by a fear of selling out through trying to do something. It was stated in an earlier press release that his graphic novel would be released sometime "around August 2020." Jumbo Pop went into a drunken rage this afternoon, shouting repeatedly: "You can't put me on a time table!" and "I'm not a story factory!" After sobering up, Jumbo Pop made an official statement to the press: "I retire today knowing I leave with my artistic integrity in tack. I must not have anyone place any expectations on me or my work. The fact that some people even called me a writer means you expected me to write. That's not how it works. Don't box me in. And stop quoting me, damn it!" Jumbo Pop then ran off, crying.

In related news, David Hopkins will resume writing this evening.

DAVID HOPKINS IS NOW JUMBO POP

PRESS RELEASE Effective immediately: I am changing my name from David Hopkins to Jumbo Pop. This was not an easy decision for me. However, after 32 years of being called "David Hopkins," the brand (through excessive mismanagement) has lost value in the hearts and minds of comic book readers. I spent a few months in test marketing; I am certain Jumbo Pop will be a hit. With this re-branding, I am now cooler, more eccentric, and I cuss more. Comic book readers want talent who have an iconic image. Something that says, "I'm wildly creative and you can tell by the calculated way I present myself." As Jumbo Pop, I will wear a white suit, smoke cigars, and wear large non-prescription glasses. At the time of this press release, it has not yet been decided if I will keep my beard and at what length. Expect a follow-up press release with this information. Although, I am definitely going bald and getting a few gray hairs.

David Hopkins failed as a brand for many reasons. Mostly due to a failure to use the phrase "critically acclaimed" in self-written bios. It was common knowledge that David rarely slept, and would stay up every night until 2 AM writing. That's just sad. Jumbo Pop will sleep. A lot. David talked about his daughter often, and the strong "father image" did not test well in certain markets. As Jumbo Pop, I will still be a father, but there have been negotiations to change my daughter's name to "Fruit Bat" and have her start an experimental 8-bit electronic band. The mother Melissa Cassidy Hopkins was not available for comment.

What can fans expect from Jumbo Pop? No more short stories and one-pagers. As the name would imply, all comics will be epic in scale. Any graphic novel project shorter than 500 pages will be rejected. Jumbo Pop's first graphic novel is expected in stores around August 2020. In the meantime, Jumbo Pop is pleased to talk about his successful career as a writer of works not yet published. Please direct all interview questions to his agent David Hopkins.

CHERRY GRRL, ET CETERA

Some links and updates... This one is from January 4th. Very proud to have MINE ALL MINE mentioned in Cherry Grrl: Lesbian Entertainment News + Culture. The article talks about the one-page comic illustrated by Cat Staggs and written by me, titled "Darcy." Despite being only four panels of art and 24 words of dialogue, I put a lot of thought into this one, and of course, Cat's art is absolutely sublime. I'm glad Cherry Grrl picked up on all the details. The article mentioned that the comic was written for a friend of mine who recently came out, and that's true. It also adds "and is having a difficult time dealing with it." In all fairness, I don't know if that's completely accurate. I took liberty as a writer to send her a little message, a pat on the back, which I think she needed. I've always been an ardent supporter of gay rights (PFLAG), but I'm hesitant to write gay, lesbian, or bi characters simply to be subversive or exploitative. Certainly, some writers do. That's their artistic choice, and there's a need for that. However, for me, if a character is gay, I want to write them as naturally as I would write a straight character. I think "Darcy" captures that. http://www.cherrygrrl.com/mini-comic-features-lesbian-vignette-among-%E2%80%9Ccasual-encounters%E2%80%9D/

The second to last batch of comics for Design-PT is finished. Cal Slayton posted them on his blog. It was a fun challenge to develop an advertising campaign for an I.T. company using comics. http://calslayton.blogspot.com/2010/03/ads-done-in-comic-book-style.html

Paul Milligan and I finished the May installment of D Magazine's SOUVENIR OF DALLAS. This comic will focus on the re-design of the Texas Giant roller coaster for the 2011 season at Six Flags. I had the chance to interview the director of construction and maintenance, which was interesting. No links yet.

The next WE'VE NEVER MET will be in this Thursday's Quick. Also, the comics archive has been updated on their blog. http://blog.quickdfw.com/archives/comics/

I received my pro registration confirmation for 2010 Comic-Con International. I haven't worked out hotel and travel plans yet, but I'll probably plan it around a visit to see my family in Huntington Beach and attend the convention on Thursday and Friday. I'd like to attend the Eisner Awards. Yes, yes, I know it'll be impossible to book a hotel. I'll figure something out.

SMART POP, BETA NO MORE

As my dear friend Leah announced today on the Smart Pop blog, the new and improved site is no longer in beta. If you haven't already, you need to check it out -- http://smartpopbooks.com. It's a fun resource of geeky pop culture essays. Smart Pop has always walked a line that I fully embrace (that's a mixed metaphor). It values pop culture enough to give it serious intellectual consideration and yet loves pop culture enough to not take it too seriously. The revised website has an option where you can "like" certain essays and even buy them individually for 99 cents.

Thus, now would be a perfect time to remind you of my essays: "A History of Violence" (from THE MAN FROM KRYPTON) -and- "Secrets and Secret-Keepers" (from WEBSLINGER)

Even though I'm proud of both, I'll admit I'm partial to the Spider-Man essay. There was an insane amount of research that went into constructing that one. The essay feels a little more focused.

It doesn't seem like that long ago, but from looking at the publication date, it's been three years since my last Smart Pop essay. I need to submit something new,  or see if Leah would let me contribute to the blog. I'm enjoying the weekly LOST recaps by Geoff Klock (most recent), which are now part of my LOST routine. 1. Watch LOST. 2. Listen to Jay and Jack podcast. 3. Visit Lostpedia. 4. Read Smart Pop recap.

Yes, I have a routine. Leave me alone.

IN OTHER NEWS: The latest WE'VE NEVER MET is available (click here). The NX35 storyline continues.

LOADS OF LOCAL COMICS

It's a good week when my comics for D Magazine and Quick both hit at approximately the same time. The next four installments of WE'VE NEVER MET deal with Austin, SXSW, NX35, and the personalities of the various cities in Texas. It's my opportunity to pick on our neighbors a bit. All in good fun, of course. Best of all, we get some quality time with Liz and her band (still unnamed). Since the comic posts every other week, it's tricky to make each one "self contained" and still try to continue a larger story. I have to resist the urge to move too fast with what I want to develop. I could write WE'VE NEVER MET for as long as Quick and Chad Thomas are willing to tolerate me.

The March issue of D Magazine features a new SOUVENIR OF DALLAS (click here). This one was a real challenge. I knew what I wanted to do, but I had to interview everyone and get the quotes. Mike Snider at AllGood was such a nice guy. I could've talked with him for an hour. Pete Zotos of St. Pete's Dancing Marlin returned my call while he was at a Cowboys game! It was a short conversation, but I appreciate his effort. Tim Frazin, owner of Zini's Pizzeria, was a fortunate last minute interview. I was roaming the streets of Deep Ellum at night trying to find a third restaurant after my other interview never materialized. I saw Zini's was open. Tim was there. We had a good conversation. He's a cool guy. In fact, Zini's is also seen in WE'VE NEVER MET. They might become the official pizza of my comics -- like Duff Beer in the Simpson's, but real. Paul Milligan did a great job as always with a script that wasn't the easiest to work with.

Speaking of difficult scripts, David DeGrand finished the first page of our Happy Bullets mini-comic (the song: "F--k Yeah, I'm In Love With You"). It looks great. I went overboard with these scripts. Working with DeGrand and the Happy Bullets lyrics, it's hard not to get a little weird. In fact, "Lead Balloon" might be one of the best comics I've ever written. No words and pitch perfect. No pressure, DeGrand.

In case anyone missed the tweet, Brock Rizy and I finalized our proposal for EMILY EDISON AND THE END OF THE WORLD. http://twitpic.com/156bin

And one more thing I'm excited about, the talented Chris Medellin has launched his webcomic for Roam. Bookmark it. Seriously good work.

WE ARE 1976

There's a new design shop in Dallas called We Are 1976. It's on North Henderson Avenue across the street from Barcadia. They're now carrying copies of KARMA INCORPORATED: POOR MR. WILSON (112 page graphic novel) and ONE NIGHT STAND (32 page mini-comic anthology). Thank you, We Are 1976! If you haven't visited one of the many local comic book shops and would still like to pick up my books, this store is a new option. I hope this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship with We Are 1976. (Although, technically, I'm 1977.) They intend to help develop our creative community, offering workshops and gallery events. So, like all the best stores, they are much more than a store. If they ever want/need someone to talk about writing comic books, I'll be there. Speaking of, I've noticed a lot of people are teaching university classes on comics and graphic novels. Bendis is teaching at Portland State University (click here). Paul Hornschemeier is teaching at the University of Chicago (click here). And Nunzio DeFilippis taught "Writing For Sequential Art" at UCLA. There are more people I'm forgetting.

I need to find out how I can start something in my area. SMU? UTD? UTA? I'm available in the evenings and during the summer.

And I will work for money. It's true.

I have 10 years teaching experience in the public schools, English and Creative Writing. I'm the coach for our UIL Ready Writing team. I led a full day workshop at the McKinney Avenue Contemporary. I've spoken at events hosted by the Dallas Museum of Art, ArtLoveMagic, and The Writer's Garrett. I may not have Bendis's portfolio, but my brain is action-packed with script writing knowledge.

Who knows? Maybe I need to get a few more things in print before I start worrying about this stuff, but I enjoy Creative Writing and it'd be nice to have a few more opportunities -- and maybe someday make the transition from high school to college.

NEW LIVING ROOM

This last weekend, April and I painted the living room. It's amazing how a new color can completely change the look and feel of the entire house.

We still need to hang some art on the walls. Last night, April hung my signed Alan Moore/Todd Klein print (this one). First printing!

It's all part of our 2010 mission to get the house looking good.

This week, I'm working on the last batch of Design-PT comics and the final short story in my "50 Miles to Marfa" comic (to be illustrated by Daniel Warner). I need to write down what I'm going to say at Wim and Brenda's wedding -- the fourth wedding I've officiated. Also, I need to think about the May issue of D Magazine. Once all this is behind me, I can start a massive rewrite for DELTA COUNTY and editing the first draft of HOW TO LOSE BIG.

I keep hoping I'll clear my writing schedule, so I can focus on one big project at a time. It never seems to happen.

MY NEXT MINI-COMIC PROJECT

When your favorite local band has a new album coming out and they ask if you'd like to put together a 'zine to accompany the project, you say "yes." And then, you take the 'zine idea from them and run with it. That's just common sense. If such an opportunity presents itself, you also ask David Degrand to illustrate it. Obviously. It will be another two months before it's available, but here's the wrap-around cover:

Yes, the entire title is: THE HAPPY BULLETS IN ASSOCIATION WITH DAVID HOPKINS AND DAVID DEGRAND PRESENT AN ILLUSTRATED COMPANION PAMPHLET FOR THE ALBUM HYDROPANIC AT THE NATATORIUM. ENJOY.

I checked. You can't twitter the whole title, 22 characters too many.

The booklet will be 12 pages long. It will include six comics based on songs from "Hydropanic at the Natatorium," three essays, and some band interviews. I'll post more information (release dates, etc.) whenever I have it.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Yesterday, the fine people at Blogger sent me this message: "We are announcing today that we will no longer support FTP publishing in Blogger after March 26, 2010." Apparently, they don't want me. So, I've left and moved on to better things. Word Press. I've wanted to use Word Press for awhile. It seems like a better system. However, I'm a little overwhelmed by CSS and PHP coding, which I know nothing about. I need to get the templates in order. Pardon my dust as I try to figure it all out.

POSTCARDS

I just completed an order of 1,000 5x7 postcards through Overnightprints.com. We should have them in time for Dallas Comic Con.

I'll distribute the remaining cards to various DFW comic book stores and other strategic retail locations. The hope is to spread the word about our work in D Magazine and Quick.

Postcards designed by Paul Milligan. WE'VE NEVER MET art by Chad Thomas. SOUVENIR OF DALLAS art by Paul Milligan (again).

AN UPDATE ON MY LOCAL STUFF

This week, I've been working on SOUVENIR OF DALLAS for D Magazine's March issue. It's covering affordable dining in Deep Ellum.

In addition to some other freelance work, I'm plotting WE'VE NEVER MET through the month of April. Here's a sneak peek at what's coming, without spoiling too much.

January 14th: Disaster Picnic 2010. Already scripted and illustrated, this one will come out on Thursday. We're introducing another major character, Patricia.

January 28th: Already scripted, this one flashes back to what else happened at Lee Harvey's on New Year's Eve. Keith and Patricia are involved.

February 11th: We return to Disaster Picnic 2010. In honor of Valentine's Day, Patricia and Liz talk about relationship problems. Actually, Patricia does most of the talking.

February 25th: SXSW, part 1. The band loads up and prepares to make the trip down to Austin for SXSW.

March 11th: SXSW, part 2. The band in Austin.

March 25th: SXSW, part 3. The band in Austin.

April 8th: SXSW, part 4. The band returns from SXSW, and they're happy to be back.

D MAG, QUICK, NEW LOGO, AND STUFF

The January issue of D Magazine is now available in newsstands around town. It features a new installment of SOUVENIR OF DALLAS (click here). Also, this week's Quick has the latest WE'VE NEVER MET (click here).

SOUVENIR OF DALLAS covers the opening of Main Street Garden in downtown Dallas. I attended. (What? You think I make all this stuff up?) It's a beautiful park, and finally we have some green in a downtown dominated by concrete. Score. However, being satire, it wouldn't be any fun for the comic to leave it at that.

WE'VE NEVER MET introduces Trenton, one of Liz's best friends and a fearless bike rider. I was a little worried that I'd get a negative response from the biking community, especially my friends at Bike-Friendly Oak Cliff. However, with the exception of this twitter post from Pedal Dallas, I haven't heard much. Maybe everyone is still worn out from the Observer's big story on the subject? Yes, it's not a good idea to ride on the highway without a helmet and other proper equipment (rear-view mirrors, etc). It's also probably bad for someone to ride with you, standing on your back wheel pegs, at night, on the highway. This comic might stereotype bicyclists as having unrealistic expectations of their place within traffic. If you feel slighted, let me know! Alas, responsible behavior just isn't as funny. Given the chance, Trenton will grow as a character. Mostly, I wanted to make one big statement with this issue: It is possible to live in Dallas without a car, but it's probably not easy. Trains, buses, and bicycles will be instrumental, along with other creative alternatives.

The next WE'VE NEVER MET will come out December 31st and will debut our new logo, designed by Jenni Leder.

Currently, Paul, Chad, and I are working on some postcards to promote SOUVENIR and WE'VE NEVER MET. I should have them ready by January's Dallas Comic Con.

In other news, I shipped ONE NIGHT STAND to retailers yesterday. If you live near one of these stores, pick up your copy on December 30th. On that day, I'll be signing at Golden Apple Comics in Los Angeles with Cat Staggs, Sina Grace, and Christopher Higginson.

Comps will be sent soon to the artists involved. If you are a ONE NIGHT STAND artist, try to wait for your comps. I want regular store customers to have a chance at this mini-comic. Supplies will be limited.

One random link: Here's a humorous and insightful review of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (click here). It's 70 minutes in length and worth every minute. This video actually doubles as a fairly good Creative Writing lecture on critical mistakes made with characters and plot. Valuable stuff to keep in mind when you work on your next story.

UPDATES

Here's another WE'VE NEVER MET character sketch by Chad Thomas. This is Trenton. He will make his debut next Thursday, December 17th.

Also, my friend Jenni Leder is designing the logo for WE'VE NEVER MET. Expect it to appear January 2010.

MINICOMIC GETS AROUND

Here's a list of all the incredible stores that will receive copies of ONE NIGHT STAND for December 30th. Hopefully, there is a retailer near you. At this point, I'm at full capacity and cannot add anymore locations.

Zeus Comics and Collectibles in Dallas, Texas
Titan Comics in Dallas, Texas
Lone Star Comics in Dallas, Texas
Keith's Comics in Dallas, Texas
Good Records in Dallas, Texas
Madness Games & Comics in Plano, Texas
Heroplex Comics and Games in North Richland Hills, Texas
Boomerang Comics in Lewisville, Texas
Austin Books in Austin, Texas
Domy in Austin, Texas
When Nerds Collide in Allen, Texas
Allstar Comics & Games in El Paso, Texas
Atomic Comics in San Antonio, Texas
Skylight Books in Los Angeles, California
Meltdown in Los Angeles, California
Golden Apple in Los Angeles, California
House of Secrets in Burbank, California
Hi De Ho Comics in Santa Monica, California
Isotope in San Francisco, California
Comic Relief in Berkeley, California
Hijinx Comix in San Jose, California
4 Color Fantasies in Rancho Cucamonga, California
Jim Hanley's Universe in New York, New York
Midtown Comics in New York, New York
St. Mark's Comics in New York, New York
St. Mark's Comics in Brooklyn, New York
Rocketship in Brooklyn, New York
Jim Hanley's Universe in Staten Island, New York
Pulp Nouveau Comix in Canandaigua, New York
Challengers in Chicago, Illinois
Quimby's in Chicago, Illinois
Chicago Comics in Chicago, Illinois
Brainstorm Movies, Comics, & Gaming in Chicago, Illinois
Comix Revolution in Evantston, Illinois
The Million Year Picnic in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Hub Comics in Somerville, Massachusetts
Comicopia in Boston, Massachusetts
Reading Frenzy in Portland, Oregon
Cosmic Monkey Comics in Portland, Oregon
Floating World Comics in Portland, Oregon
Zanadu - Downtown in Seattle, Washington
Zanadu - University in Seattle, Washington
SpazDog Comics in Phoenix, Arizona
Samurai Comics in Phoenix, Arizona
Big Brain Comics in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Source Comics and Games in Falcon Heights, Minnesota
Bizarro Wuxtry in Athens, Georgia
The Dragon's Horde in Stone Mountain, Georgia
Speeding Bullet Comics in Norman, Oklahoma
Astrokitty Comics in Lawrence, Kansas
Star Clipper in St. Louis, Missouri
Copacetic Comics Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Atomic Books in Baltimore, Maryland
Sarge's Comics in New London, Connecticut
Green Brain Comics in Dearborn, Michigan
Velocity Comics in Richmond, Virginia
Ssalefish Comics in Winston Salem, North Carolina
Tangled Web in Spartanburg, South Carolina
Zaldiva Comics and Collectibles in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Strange Adventures in Fredericton, New Brunswick
Strange Adventures in Halifax, Nova Scotia
The Beguiling in Toronto, Ontario
Comics Mart in Singapore

Now, I must return to more folding and stapling.

MY KICKSTARTER THANK YOU

While I spend this weekend folding and stapling some 500+ minicopies, I thought I would take a break to thank the 34 backers who contributed to my Kickstarter project.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Jenni Leder, Adam Gutierrez, April Wenzel, Justin Stewart, Andrew Dalgleish, J. Kyle Fagan, Leah Wilson, Dawn Toh, Tania Kaufmann, Andy Baio, Deborah Driscoll, Vincent Kukua, Zack Sinkler, Phillip Ginn, Brandy Davis, Kevin Nguyen, Gordon McAlpin, Holly Lindem, Jamie Tanner, Kristina Egrigoz, Geoff Johnston, Sarah Jane Semrad, Wim Bens, Jamie Baker, Steven New, Sarah Nash, Dan Hughes, Jessica Stewart, Nate Bramble, Jason Rodriguez, Abeni Garrett, Jonathan Foisset, Sarah Gaydos, and the Samlis

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

I still need contact information from some of these people. If that's you, I sent an information request through Kickstarter weeks ago -- please respond. If it got lost in your inbox, then message your address to me. I can't send you a copy of ONE NIGHT STAND or any other goodies, if I don't have your address.

Later this week, I will post a listing of every retailer receiving copies of ONE NIGHT STAND. Look for a store near you, so you can purchase a copy on December 30th.

More exciting news: I will be in Los Angeles for Indy Comic Book Week. Christopher Higginson, Sina Grace, Cat Staggs, and I are signing at Golden Apple Comics. I'll send more information once I have it.

NEW "WE'VE NEVER MET" THIS WEEK

Our second installment of WE’VE NEVER MET is now available. Pick up a copy of Quick in racks around town. You can see it online, but it’s not quite the same as the delicious full size print version.

This one was trickier.

Here’s how the process works. I script something and send it to Geoff Johnston for comedic feedback. (“A third public radio station that broadcasts only pledge drives” was Geoff. I forget the original line.) I don’t consider myself a naturally funny person. I mean, I can be funny, but it’s like calling someone a designer because they can put together Ikea furniture. I know what funny looks like. I know how to follow the directions to get to funny, but it’s not a nature process. For this reason, I try to keep WE’VE NEVER MET from being a straight forward “gag comic.”

After I banter with Geoff for a bit, I then send it to my editor Rob Clark for further feedback and approval. (We had several revisions on the final line.) Then, it goes to Chad.

With WE’VE NEVER MET is in its infant stages, we’re still working through the character designs. This one introduces Liz’s friend Addie. Although she looks great now, we had a difficult time designing Addie. I knew what she needed to look like in my head, but something was lost in communicating it to Chad. That falls on me. What you see on the page is version 4.0. Chad was tremendously patient -- hairstyle, clothing, and body type. I was in full out nitpicky mode.

In the end, I think this comic is better than our first, but it wasn’t the graceful process that you dream it will be. Eventually, we’ll fall into a good rhythm.

FIRST COMIC AND A RANT

Today, Quick debuted WE'VE NEVER MET, the bimonthly ("every other week") comic by me and Chad Thomas. You can find the print version in racks around the Dallas Fort Worth area.

Lovely, isn't it?

For this project, I'm trying to create a narrative that operates on a few levels. Yes, it will be a humorous self-contained comic on topical issues. Yes, it will also be an ongoing story about a "poor little rich girl" searching for love and trying to start her band. And it's an opportunity to editorialize about Dallas and the creative community within this city.

So, let me share two observations:

OBSERVATION #1. This first comic page was inspired, in part, by the efforts of PAC-WE -- a Dallas based group dedicated to insurance reform and equitable access to health care for freelance creative professionals. I've noticed that a few times every year, there's a huge benefit concert/auction/gallery show etc to help some poor local cover medical expenses and a necessary operation. Think about that for a second. Some guy or girl needs heart surgery, and we hold the artistic equivalent of a bake sale. Something is seriously wrong with health care in America, if this is how we handle it. On one level, it shows the incredible charity of people in Dallas. (If I need a kidney transplant, I know the Happy Bullets will be playing somewhere in my honor!) However, it also reminds us of how limited insurance options are for someone self-employed.

OBSERVATION #2. With this first comic, I also wanted to say something about Dallas's consumption of art. We have no lack of talented people, and yet, our patronage of local art, local theater, local film, local fashion, local comedians, local music, local comics (!) is sorely lacking. Artists love their art. We cherish our art, but we'd probably raise more money selling jello shots at a bar on McKinney Avenue. This says something about what Dallas values. This might be true of anywhere in America, but the reputation of "plastic Dallas" is a hard one to shake.

Last Saturday, April and I went to see Elvis Perkins at House of Blues. These drunk girls next to us were talking the entire time. Why you would pay that much money in service fees alone and not enjoy the concert is beyond me. Another girl next to us told them to shut up. (Something we were all thinking.) These drunk girls then began to torment this other girl, and one even poured her beer on the girl. Why you would waste your $6 beer is also beyond me. I overheard the persecuted girl reply sourly: "Welcome to Dallas."

Really? Really?! Do the drunk idiotic girls of Dallas make a bigger impression than the thoughtful concert-goers who genuinely adore Elvis Perkins? Oh yeah, and then that drunk girl tried to pick a fight with someone else.

This will be an ongoing theme in WE'VE NEVER MET. Who owns our reputation?

I don't mean to suggest that it's an "us versus them" situation, an expansion on jocks versus nerds. (In all fairness, there are some cool places in Uptown, West Village, and Victory Park.) I hate to acknowledge it, but I've been to the Doublewide numerous times, and the bar area often looks more crowded than the stage area. Deep Ellum struggles to keep music venues and art galleries open, and it's our fault. Dallas fails to support local creators. Is this an unfair assessment?

My friend Matt told me a story about a couple that went to Hawaii and ate every night at Chili's. A little absurd? In the same regard, why would you live in Dallas and not check out jazz at Amsterdam Bar on Mondays, eat at Cowboy Chow, visit the Kettle Art gallery or the Public Trust, drink coffee at Murray Street, enjoy a local band at Lee Harvey's on a Friday or Saturday (no cover), watch a midnight movie at the Inwood, cheer your favorite roller derby team, hide away for a weekend at the Belmont Hotel, see a play from the Audacity Theatre Lab or Undermain Theatre? These are just my personal favorites, off the top of my head. I know I'm missing a lot.

I don't mean to sound pessimistic. I'm really not. All the elements for Dallas being a great city are there. These elements just haven't come together on a scale that would allow it to have any momentum. Instead, we just keeping pushing and pushing. I hope WE'VE NEVER MET might get people thinking and talking about what's great in Dallas. Or maybe, as retribution, someone will pour their beer on me.

QUICK PRESENTS COMICS!

In my little world, this is a big deal.

Next Thursday, November 19th, Quick (Dallas-Fort Worth area’s free weekly entertainment newspaper) will debut a full page, full color, comic series written by me and illustrated by Chad Thomas. It's titled: WE'VE NEVER MET. It's the story of Liz, a girl who grew up in the secure bubble of Dallas wealth and privilege -- and after graduating, moved to a studio loft in Exposition Park to pursue a career as a musician, working two part-time jobs.

It's a story about the small creative community within Dallas. You can expect some humor, some local flavor, and if they will let me, a little bit of relationship drama. The comic will appear every other week in Quick.

Alternating weeks with WE'VE NEVER MET will be a comic feature written by Stacy Austin Sheffield (aka Geoff Johnston) and illustrated by Cal Slayton.

Let me emphasis how cool this is: Quick is publishing a regular ongoing comic series. Nothing syndicated. It's specific to the Dallas-Fort Worth area. I'm excited to see what the response will be.

Thus, I now have a comic in D Magazine (illustrated by Paul Milligan) that appears every other month, and a comic in Quick that appears every other week. D Magazine has a readership of 30,000 people. And Quick reaches more than 90,000 per week. The potential audience is staggering.

UPDATE: "With a circulation of 65,500 and 6.45 readers per copy, we get about 422,000 readers every month. So there." - Tim Rogers of D Magazine

On an artistic level, I'm encouraged by the freedom I've been given and the opportunity to write something ongoing. It will be interesting to sit back and see where the story takes me. WE'VE NEVER MET may only last a few months, or it might be the beginning of something epic. Who knows? Either way, it all starts November 19th.

ONE NIGHT STAND COVER

Here it is, as designed by the amazing April Wenzel --

I have approximately 8 minutes left on our Kickstarter pledge drive. That's 8 minutes left to pre-order ONE NIGHT STAND. I'm visiting some print shops today to get estimates and find the best deal possible. I'm also working on my class for Saturday's ArtLoveMagic workshop. And last night, I met with Geoff Johnston and the editor of DFW's Quick to discuss a project. (Announcement coming soon.)

LAST CALL!

There are ten days left on my Kickstarter pledge drive. It was exciting to hit our goal so early, but it also caused the contributions to slow down. The goal represents the bare minimum I need to get the mini-comic printed and distributed to as many stores as possible. When you factor in the fees subtracted from Kickstarter (5%) and Amazon (4%), printing (one color cover, eight b&w interior pages front and back), and shipping -- the $800 we have so far is great, but we could do so much better.

Project page (CLICK HERE)

Think of it this way: I've found 25 people willing to pledge to ONE NIGHT STAND. Compared to other comic book projects (that I would also highly recommend), these numbers are actually kinda low.

Gordon Alpin has 182 backers.
Jamie Tanner has 108 backers.
Poorcraft has 226 backers.

Surely, I can get more than 25 people to each pledge $5 to get this mini-comic sent to as many North American retailers as possible.

NEWLY ADDED REWARD: As a last minute reward level, for anyone who donates $10 or more, I will send them a hand-made thank you card -- with a crappy little sketch from me. I'm not a great artist, but I will certainly try to make it look nice. Crayons? Markers? Glitter? I'll try anything to make your card... special.

Plus, we still have two slots open for the $100 level: art + care package + ten comics ship to the store of your choice + 1 comic shipped to you + thank you listed in the comic.

So, there you go. I'm leaving this project in your hands. I'm not the type to keep knocking at your door. (Oops. We're dealing with a mixed metaphor.) I greatly, greatly appreciate everyone who has donated so far. We're almost done! But it would be awesome if we could get a few more supporters on board before I start printing and shipping this mini-comic. Thank you!

Project page (CLICK HERE)