Roger Langridge's Blog, page 282

Popeye!

So the news has finally been officially announced - I'm writing Popeye for IDW. (There's a piece at CBR about it here.) First issue will be out in April, apparently. I blab on enough about it in the article, so I'll spare you too much of that here; suffice to say I've wanted to work on the character since I was 10. Quite, quite giddy with delight.

Bit of a Ramble

Bit of a ramble. Apologies in advance.
Been working flat-out, so little niceties like maintaining a blog (or any kind of internet presence) have fallen by the wayside. I've been writing something for IDW that I don't think I'm supposed to talk about yet, in addition to my ongoing work on Snarked! - but I wrapped up the IDW job last week and I'm planning on focusing exclusively on Snarked for a couple of months in order to get the conclusion to the initial year-long story juuust right. I'm turning down some jobs to make this story the best it can be - I think it will pay off for me in the long run, and also I quite like seeing my family occasionally.
So! What's been going on? Well, the latest issue of Snarked!, #3, is in stores now - as is the Jim Henson's Storyteller anthology, and the graphic novel Nelson , both of which I contributed to. I recommend them all highly - and there's the added benefit with Nelson that all profits go to the charity Shelter. Worth your money this Christmas, I think. I've also contributed a two-pager to Nate Cosby and Chris Eliopoulos' Cow Boy book from Archaia, which I think is doing the rounds in digital form at the moment before being released as a book next year.
I've got a giclee print available from ACME of my first Muppet Show Comic Book cover - it's pricey but gorgeous, available on canvas as well as other, cheaper media. (If you're in the UK, try here or here.)
There are a couple of recent interviews with me floating around - there's this one at Words Away, this one at Robot 6, and one I flagged previously at Heroes Online, but Heroes are always worth a second mention.
 Recent stuff I've seen and want to shout about: Andy Hirsch's great new series Varmints - currently available digitally; I'm sure the book collection will be only a matter of time. Self-Made Hero's Lovecraft anthology, particularly the pieces by Ian Culbard and Mark Stafford. (I've heard tell that Mr. Stafford is working on something big for them next year - excellent news.) Shaenon Garrity's Narbonic: The Perfect Collection arrived in the post the other day and it's a joyous thing to behold. Rob Davis' blindingly great Don Quixote Volume 1 - mature, confident, spontaneous cartooning, and hilarious to boot. Fantagraphics' FloydGottfredson's Mickey Mouse Volume 2 - yow. Really starts to get good in this one.
I could go on but I've got some eye-watering crosshatching to finish. Have yourselves a glorious Christmas and we'll see you anon.

Thought Bubble

Very busy here in Langridge Towers, but I did want to take a moment or two to mention this weekend's Though Bubble convention in Leeds, where I'll be sketching, signing and selling books and artwork. I've not been to Thought Bubble before, but this year sounds like a good 'un.

Also, a quick linkypoo to the Heroes Online site, where I've done an interview with Seth Peagler, for those of you with too much time on your hands.

Right - back to work! These brushes don't move around the page all by themselves!

Nelson

So - I did a chapter in an anthology called Nelson, coming out this November from Blank Slate Books (Amazon US link here; Amazon UK link here). It's an amazing idea - to tell the story of one person's life, chapter by chapter, year by year, with a different cartoonist handling each year - and hoping like mad it all hangs together. Masterminded by the amazing Rob Davis (whose Don Quixote from Self-Made-Hero you should all read, it's a hoot!) and Woodrow Phoenix (the man, the legend!), it was a unique challenge, but quite a thrill to be involved with - my name jostling with so many other great UK-based cartoonists, as we all tried not to derail the story, but build on what had gone before.

I've only read up to my chapter - I'm waiting until I have the thing in my hands before I read the ending, I want to experience it in its completed form - but up to that point, which was over three quarters of the way through, it was holding together amazingly well. In fact, it was more than just holding together, it was beautiful, funny, moving and delightful. It's going to be a terrific read.

There'll be some events around the time of the launch, not the least of which will be a massive signing schedule at the Thought Bubble festival in Leeds next month (I'll be there!), so do come along and get a book scribbled on if you get a chance. It's arguably the UK's comic publishing event of the year. I'm very, very proud to have been involved with it.

Snarked, Sealed and Delivered

 Now, I'm not especially clued-up on release dates, but I believe I'm right in saying that Snarked! #1 hits the comic book stores tomorrow - there are a few covers to choose from, as is so often the way of things these days, so look out for one of the following:

 That one on the right is by my old mucker from Thor: The Mighty Avenger, the lovely and talented Mister Chris Samnee himself - many thanks to him for helping me kick off the new series in style (and, lest I forget, all three covers are coloured by Thor: TMA's colourist extraordinaire, Matt Wilson). The insides are all written and drawn by me, with glorious colours by Rachelle Rosenberg making my inky daubings look as good as they're ever likely to. Adventure, laughs and a whole lot of heart - monthly from me to you, starting tomorrow!

That Ealing Feeling

Just a quick reminder that I'll be at the one-day Comics Expo at the Ramada London Ealing, Ealing Common, this Sunday from 11am to 4:30pm - I'll have my books, artwork and sketchpad there, so if you're in London this weekend and at a loose end, do pop by and say hello. More details here!

From Mars to Bethesda

First things first: the first issue of John Carter: A Princess of Mars comes out today. Thrills! Romance! Martians! I honestly don't know what else you could want in a comic book. Written by me, drawn by Filipe Andrade, published by Marvel - you know you want to. And unless I'm very much mistaken, my new 200-page book of older material from Boom Town, The Show Must Go On, will be out any day now as well. Two reasons to get down to your local comic shop that have nothing whatesoever to do with the number 52!

So. Just got back from SPX yesterday and have been pretty much catching up on sleep ever since. My thanks the SPX crew and to Boom! Studios for arranging for me to attend; my congratulations to the Ignatz winners and nominees; my condolences to friends of Dylan Williams, whom I knew a little but wish I'd known better. And thanks to everyone who stopped by the table and bought something, or even just said hello.

Some abiding memories:

• Being detained by US Customs on entering the country and spending an hour and a half in a little room full of crying Chinese people while somebody grilled me about why I was coming to the USA and how I earn my living (had to explain how royalties work, which involved explaining how publishing works all round, which I'm only barely able to understand myself). Off to the side, in another room, a customs official was yelling at some poor guy that in America, the government loves everybody. It was like being in a Kafka novel. I'm cutting them some slack here because it was the lead-up to the anniversary of 9-11, but even so. What a start!

• Seeing a bunch of people I know and like, and meeting some new ones. Big shout out to Adam Staffaroni, Chip Mosher, Lawrence Derks, Carol Thompson, Tom Neely, Jerzy & Ann Drozd, Nick Abadzis, Jim Dougan, Julia Wertz, Craig Thompson, Kasey Van Hise, Mike Dawson, Alex Robinson, Jim Rugg, Robyn Chapman, Alec Longstreth, Greg Means, Phil Jackson, Sara Turner, Rick Parker, Dustin Harbin, Craig Yoe, Gary Groth, Kim Thompson, plenty of others I'm sure I'm forgetting.

• A good conversation on Saturday night with Nick Abadzis and Tom Neely which I'm really glad we had.

• Being able to see my Harvey Awards at last when they were kindly handed over to me, as I was unable to attend the award ceremony last month. (They're now on the mantelpiece.)

• Having my new book, The Show Must Go On, in my hands at last!

• Meeting an art collector, Richard Greene, who was kind enough to show me and Rick Parker his dog-themed collection of original art. There were some fantastic pieces in there, including some original work by TAD Dorgan and Basil Wolverton. Quite amazing.

I brought my camera, and even remembered to take a photo or two, although ninety per cent of the time I forgot I had the darn thing. Here, though, are the pictures I remembered to take:

The Boom! Table - editor Adam Staffaroni and interns Carol Thompson and Lawrence Derks   Dinner on Sunday night - always a pleasure to catch up with the Drozds.
A Basil Wolverton original (top) and a Pete the Tramp daily. 
All around, this was one of the most enjoyable SPXes I've attended, and I've been to a bunch of 'em. Time to start planning for 2012!

Upcoming Appearances

Yow! The next couple of weeks are going to be very, very busy - as I crawl out from under my usual rock and (gasp) meet the public!

First up is SPX in Bethesda, Maryland on September 10th & 11th! I'll be at the Boom! Studios booth throughout the show, signing my new book, The Show Must Go On, as well as the preview issue ("Issue Zero") of Snarked! , which I'm assured will be there in ample quantities. No doubt sketching will occur as well - it has a nasty habit of doing that. And I'll be on a panel on Sunday at 1:30pm called "Navigating the Contemporary Publishing Landscape", with myself, Mike Dawson, Julia Wertz, Meredith Gran and Domitille Collardey being grilled by Johanna Draper Carlson on that topic.


Then, on Sunday September 18th, there's Comic Expo Ealing, in London (follow the link for details) - a one-day event where I'll have a table and will be flogging my wares alongside the likes of Mike Carey, David Hine, John Higgins, Rian Hughes, Sally Hurst, Mike Conroy, Paul Cornell, Brett Ewins and David Leach. Should be fun.


A bit further down the line, but worth mentioning here for completeness' sake, is the Thought Bubble convention in Leeds on 19th-20th November. I'm looking forward to this one, as I've heard great things about it but I've never attended before. Sounds fabulous, though.

So that's me, out of the studio for five whole days this year. Surely a record?

Mister Eye

I picked up Manga Studio recently for cheap, during their San Diego Comic Con sale - and threw this together while I was mucking about with it. Line art in MS, colours in Photoshop. For no reason whatsoever.

Harveys, Robots and more...

Hello! I'm interrupting a holiday here to bring you news, so I'll be brief - but I thought it was worth mentioning that I glommed a couple of Harvey Awards over the weekend, one for "Special Award for Humor" for The Muppet Show Comic Book (that's the one in the picture, being held by Boom! Studios' head honcho Ross Richie), and one for 'Best Writer" (!) for Thor: The Mighty Avenger. (Delighted to see my Thor collaborator Chris Samnee get a gong for his contribution as well.) So there's that. It's all anticlimax from here on in, folks!

Also worth sharing: Sonny Liew's Malinky Robot is out later today. Apart from just being a terrific book, it's got a pinup by me in it, which was great fun to do.

And last but very far from least, I'd like to draw your attention to the fact that Dylan Williams, publisher of Sparkplug Comics, is having health issues and needs some cash to deal with them. Please consider going to Sparkplug Comics' website and picking up some books. Your support could make a hell of a difference.