Rest in Peace, Harvey Pekar.

Mourning the loss of another comic book great.
Been a damn tough year for my heroes.

if you're not versed in the man's work, do yourself the favor.

Comics for Cures sketch cards!

the guys at Comics for Cures are doing a sketch card fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, so I drew a little inspiration from William Burroughs and Hunter S. Thompson, and I decided to do 'em up a little something special, with some pen & ink, some acrylic-filled squibs, and my bolt action .22. You can bid on these bullet-riddled zombie cards NOW on eBay!

and here's a video, so you can see all the action!

Click here for the same video mirrored on Youtube. For more info on these cards and the cause in general, go check out ComicsforCures.com!

Happy Birthday, Emmylou!

as of March 1st, Kara & I are proud parents of a beautiful baby girl!

more photos in the GALLERY or on FACEBOOK.

Proud Member of the Armed Left merchandise.

Proud Members of the Armed Left, Unite!

Conservatives aren't the only ones who value their Second Amendment rights. Let everyone know you're a card-carrying liberal who also enjoys a good firearm!

check out this design on all kinds of merchandise at CafePress.com/ArmedLeft!

you can also get it as an iPhone Wallpaper here!

Auld FANG Syne

Well, it's the end of the year, kiddies, and this is likely my last update of 2009.

So, i figure what better way to drive the last nail in the coffin of another year than with your pal and mine, the Crypt Keeper?

[Click here for a full-resolution view]

thanks for a great year of support. I'm very fortunate to have gotten to play with my friends and bring you stuff like Ghost Rider, Fear Agent, and Punisher, and i know none of it would be possible without the readers. I'm thankful you guys enjoy the kinda fun i'm trying to sling here. Here's to you and yours, and to an equally bombastic 2010!

Also, many thanks to my lovely wife, for yet another year of supporting the madness of a fully-gown man who sits in his pajamas all day drawing cowboys punching robots, and for going so far as to even see fit to bear my child. We've come a long way, but we've still got a lot of really fun looking road ahead of us. Me, you, and Emmylou.

...Mold Lang Syne? i dunno... couldn't settle on a crypt-worthy pun. Cheers, gang!

A little insight into the career of an artist.

It's kinda like this.

beats diggin' ditches, though. I can't complain.

Commisssions & Con Sketches

I just wanted to go on and put an announcement out front and center that i DO NOT take Commissions on a regular basis.
I only do sketches at Conventions and Signings, and i DO NOT take sketch requests for a show beforehand.

For a full rundown on how this process works, please read the new COMMISSIONS section at the top of the site.

If you are one of the few on my old short list of commissions, things are as they were when last we talked. I am slowly working my way through them all, and i appreciate your patience.

Thank you.

Commisssions & Con Sketches

I just wanted to go on and put an announcement out front and center that i DO NOT take Commissions on a regular basis.
I only do sketches at Conventions and Signings, and i DO NOT take sketch requests for a show beforehand.

For a full rundown on how this process works, please read the new COMMISSIONS section at the top of the site.

If you are one of the few on my old short list of commissions, things are as they were when last we talked. I am slowly working my way through them all, and i appreciate your patience.

Thank you.

BATGIRL for the Marla Bea Benefit

i recently donated this Batgirl to the Marla Bea Benefit for cancer research.

YOU could own this piece, and help support a great cause!
Bidding starts October 12, 2009!
CLICK HERE TO BID NOW!

For more information, go to www.marlabeabenefit.com

Yabba Dabba WHUT?!!

Recently, a group of paleontologists were in town for the North American Paleontological Convention at the University of Cincinnati, and decided to take a field trip to the Creation Museum just across the river, in Kentucky. My aunt went to cover it for AFP, and I had the doubly good fortune of living just a stone's throw away, so I tagged along to see what these guys were up to. It was an eyeful, to say the least. Gorgeous facilities with amazingly engaging displays and animatronics, and at least a few hundred cubic cubits of bad science and misinformation. One young lady stood, furious, and grumbled, "It's bullshit. Bullshit pretending to be science." Anyone who finds themselves in the Cincinnati area with a few bucks, hours, and brain cells to burn should check it out, and see what the scientific community is up against in terms of informing the public.

click here to read my aunt's article!
Paleontologists brought to tears, laughter by Creation Museum

Also, check it out on BoingBoing.net!

Congratulations, America.

I'm thrilled to see the overwhelming voice of change ringing out across the nation. As an American citizen, I'm immensely proud to have taken part in this amazing and exciting historical moment. Here's to a truly united United States.

Congratulations, America.

I'm thrilled to see the overwhelming voice of change ringing out across the nation. As an American citizen, I'm immensely proud to have taken part in this amazing and exciting historical moment. Here's to a truly united United States.

Ralph Stanley's radio ad for Barack Obama

if it's good enough for Dr Stanley, it's good enough for everybody.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN! (MP3)

if you're not familiar with his work, do yourself a favor and look up some Stanley Brothers, and Ralph's solo work. Solid bluegrass gold. here's a taste, called the Clinch Mountain Backstep:

Also, make sure to go get your

bumper sticker from rednecks4obama.com!

FISA Goes to Vote Today.

let's hope that our friends in congress hold true to their oaths to uphold the Constitution.

What Every American Needs to Know (and Do) About FISA Before Tuesday, July 8th from Tim Ferriss on Vimeo.

This is basically a bill trying to allow the government to bulk-wiretap American citizens without a warrant, gutting the 4th Amendment. Also, it would potentially grant immunity to the communications companies that helped the President and administration to break the law.

Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
-Benjamin Franklin

here's to civil liberty. God help us all.

A thought on Piracy.

i've been a remorseless downloader and filesharer for as long as i can remember. in fact i've recently downloaded quite a bit of stuff and didn't think twice. But then again, i also vote with my dollars, and i actually pay for comics and music and movies that i want to support.

But recently i've been looking at the publishing landscape and seeing the scant difference in a book that can survive and a book that cannot, literally a difference of a thousand or so readers each month can keep a title afloat.

The Exterminators hovered in that dangerous area for a while, chasing that scant handful of readers it needed to stay alive, and eventually had the plug pulled. And then i looked at the download records of several torrents. Thousands of readers! Assuming for a moment that every download was a potential sale, which i realistically do not, those readers could easily keep a book alfoat. Even assuming that a fraction of them were potential sales, which i think i realistically can, there could be enough there to have kept things going.

So, here i stand, at a crossroads. As a proponent of downloading and challenging a lot of creatively and artistically oppressive copyright laws, yet being an artist and my artwork being my only income and intellectual property being my primary worth, where exactly do i draw the line? i wish i had an answer right now, but for now, i'm still scratching my head.

But i did see something on Jamie McKelvie's site that made a lot of sense. I know that i cannot stop the people from doing what they want, sure as i cannot be stopped myself. Personally, i try to support artists whose work i enjoy, and if I've fallen into that category for someone who has illegally downloaded something of mine, i have found a way to purge their souls of that cold and dirty feeling that no doubt came with it!

i don't expect anyone to use it, but if anyone were so inclined, all they have to do is fill in how much they'd like to give, in proportion to how dirty they feel, and click the button to get started down the road to being right with the universe!

Rock the Vote

i know some people hate when i talk politics. All i can say is that it won't stop.

if you're out voting today, do yourself and your country a favor and give Barack Obama your support.