TOONTOWN'S A DUMP!!!

Wow, is May really coming to an end already? Time just keeps flying by doesn't it. It's been a busy week for me, and it looks like it's only going to get busier. All I can say is I can't wait for Comic Con. I need a break!

I found this gem on Youtube not too long ago and just had to post it. What, you might ask, would happen if Space Jam was remade today with Lebron James instead of Michael Jordan? Okay, you're not really asking yourself that and up until now had probably forgotten this movie even existed, but bear with me here or else the intro won't work. Anyway, to find the answer, just watch below:

What can I say? You can't really argue with brutal honesty here. All I'll say is that Lebron James is a shining example of what's wrong with pro sports today. As for the original Space Jam, the less said about it the better. Actually, Bill Murray is very funny in it, but his five accumulative minutes aren't enough to make this film watchable. It was kinda the beginning of the end for the Looney Tunes legacy, leading us to the crap that Cartoon Network is trying to pass off as Looney Tunes today. It pains me to say it, but I'm sure Chuck Jones would be spinning in his grave if he saw what they've done to his creations.

Well, that's all for now. I'll be back next time with an "uplifting" new Mike and Mindy and a "heart breaking" new Mushroom. Until then, I'll catch y'all later!

R.I.P. MACHO MAN

Man am I in shock right now. There are many legends in the wrestling business, but only a few true icons. Certainly Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Andre the Giant are usually the first names that come to mind when the word "icon" is mentioned. "Macho Man" Randy Savage is definitely among their company. This is a very hard blow to us wrestling fans. There have been quite a few tragedies in recent years, but the death of Randy Savage (real name Randy Poffo) is particularly painful. I remember being seven years old and watching Savage battle my all-time favorite wrestler, Jake "the Snake" Roberts, when Jake turned a king cobra loose on the "Macho Man"! It made for great television, even though the snake wouldn't let go of Savage's arm!

It's never easy to report on these kind of things, especially when you're reporting on guys that you grew up watching and even idolized at one point. My friends and I were all "Macho Man" fans. We ate Slim Jim's, bought his action figures and each tried our best to imitate his trademark "OOOOOH YEAH!" catchphrase (a feat that I was always the best at because I had a real deep voice). There are many great matches and moments involving Randy Savage over the years: the aforementioned cobra attack, his battle with Ric Flair at Wrestlemania VIII, the legendary bout with Ricky Steamboat at Wrestlemania III (often regarded as the greatest match ever) and his "Wedding" to Miss Elizabeth at Summerslam '91 (in truth, Savage and Elizabeth had always been married). But, if you're gonna pick a good "Macho Man" moment, you may as well pick the one that more or less defined his career...

This was the aftermath to his Wrestlemania VII match with the Ultimate Warrior. This match was a real testament to just how good of a wrestler Randy Savage really was. Why you ask? Because the match was incredible, which is really saying something when you consider who his opponent was. Yep, the "Macho Man" was able to accomplish a very rare feat on this day: get a good match out of the Ultimate Warrior! Still, it's what happened after the bout that had the fans buzzing. At the time, Sherri Martel had been Savage's valet. When Savage lost (the match had been billed as a "Career Ending Match"), Sherri went crazy and attacked Savage, upset that her meal ticket was now gone. With Savage beaten down and defenseless, Elizabeth came out of the audience, entered the ring and beat up Sherri Martel, running her off. When Savage came to, he and Elizabeth embraced and a legend was born. The fans ate up every second of the reunion, with some even crying! When Savage held down the ropes for Elizabeth to exit the ring, a practice that had traditionally been reversed, it cemented his status as a hero in the eyes of wrestling fans the world over.

His career was a roller coaster ride to say the least. But for several generations of fans, Randy Savage was king. He was a main eventer in both the WWF and WCW, holding both championships on several occasions. And whether he was a heel or a face, we fans were always entertained. Goodbye "Macho Man". Thanks for always being so awesome.

-Jon

NEW MEMORIES

Well, its been a busy couple of weeks since I got back from Wizard World Anaheim, but the time is right to post some pictures from the event. It would have been a lot more fun if I hadn't been battling a serious sinus infection the whole time, but what are you gonna do? I also got the sad news that there will be no AfterCon Art Show this year. It's a bit of a bummer, especially since I already had a piece ready for it, but these things happen. Matt Lorentz and Mark Richmond, the guys who ran the AfterCon, are pretty busy during Comic Con. In edition to having their own booths, they're also participating in panels and trying to see the show themselves. So no art show this year, but that's okay. That just means there will be more time for some late-night panels!

Anyway, enough rambling, enjoy some pics!

Something's wrong with that cake!

GREAT SCOTT! IT'S DOC BROWN!

I actually took this picture for my friend Riki. You see, last year at Comic Con, he went on a mission to try and find Centurions toys, only to be met with a bunch blank stares and "Never heard of 'em." claims. Well, I decided to try and help him out and prove that there had to be people out there that remembered this show, and low and behold, I found a booth selling bootleg copies of the Centurions, along with many other old school cartoons. (I actually picked up a copy of The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley, a very funny and decent show I must say!)

Ernie Hudson. A great guy and a devoted actor. I don't know too many other pros who show up to a convention in character.

When franchises meet. Awful lot of Back to the Future cosplay this year. By the way, that's a girl playing Doc Brown.

Now that's one patriotic mariachi!

Aw, the Nintendo Power Glove. My brother and me wanted this so bad when we were kids. Of course, history will show that it was a piece of crap that never really worked right. But man did it look cool!

A convention rarity, a hot girl dressed as a sailor scout.

This one's for Riki. COBRA!!!

It wouldn't be a convention without some DC cosplay.

They feel like the floor of a taxi I'm sure.

Hey, it's the Insane Clown Posse! But where are the Oddities?

Star Wars Luchadors!

It's Gumbi DAMMIT!

Lantern Corps present and accounted for.

What do ya know? Finn stopped by for some adventures!

I really dug these Ghostbuters dudes. In addition to really going all out for their costumes, they also built their own proton packs, putting a lot of detail into them.

Check it out. It's Wolverine on welfare!

Well, that's it for today folks. I hope you enjoyed the photos. Next year, I plan on getting a booth at the Anaheim Con. In the mean time, I'll be back next time with a new funny wrestling post that will hopefully tickle your funny bones. Until then, I'll catch y'all later!

COMICS WEEK IS HERE!!! WITH GUESTS!!!

The Wizard World show in Anaheim was a lot of fun. It would have been a lot better if my allergies and asthma hadn't been bothering me so much, but what're ya gonna do? I made a lot of new friends and saw a lot of great art. I also caught up with my old pal Phil Yeh for a little bit. Phil's one of the best guys you'll ever meet. In the short time I've known him, he has had a very profound impact on me. His latest graphic novel, The Sunflower Girl, is completely wordless. While showing it to me, he said " Jon, I think you were on to something with these wordless comics you do!" It was quite the compliment and I was very flattered. In truth, Phil has been doing wordless comics for years. But if my work really did influence him in some small way, I'd be very proud. All in all, it was good time and I can't wait 'til next year, when I finally get my own table!

Anyway, it's time for some comics. So enjoy the show!

Poor Mindy. Those bloomers always seem to be a source of grief for her.

As I said earlier, I made a lot new friends in Anaheim last weekend, and many of them really took a liking to Mike and Mindy. A few were even kind enough to draw the mischievous pair in their own styles. So enjoy the guest gallery folks!

This piece is by Dan Smith. He liked my style and asked me to draw one his characters for his collection. In return, he did these portraits Mike and Mindy for me. I must say, they look totally insane in these drawings. It's weird seeing them rendered in a more realistic style. To see more of Dan's work, check out his sights here:

www.dansmith-smif.com

www.smifink/deviantart.com

This piece is by James Riot. It's actually spread out across two cards, hence the reason there's a seem in the middle of the action. James is a phenomenal artist and sketched this thing like mad in the closing minutes of the convention. He also offered some great tips on coloring and printing, which is always useful when you're a self-publisher. I also like that he put Mike and Mindy in this Dragon Ball-style battle with each other, which captured the essence of the art of the postcards I was passing out. To see more of James' work, check out his sight at:

www.olddyingkitty.com

This piece is by Witchman artist R.C. Young and I have to admit, it was my favorite of all the guest pieces. It's a little sad actually, because she drew Mike and Mindy better than I do! Still, she captured the rivalry between to two kids and made them look really cute in the process. More of R.C.'s work can be found at:

www.witchmancomic.com

This piece is by artist Jen Wang. The piece is funny, but I have to admit, I'm a little troubled that she drew Mike in such a perverted manner. Still, I love her style. Unfortunately, she didn't leave a card or site address, but I'm sure google will very easily find her work for you if you're interested.

This piece is by Ambrose Quintanilla, IV. He's a very funny guy and a great artist with a style not all that different from mine. To see more of Ambrose's work check out his site at:

www.facebook.com/gopherit

This last piece is by artist Nathaniel Osollo. Nathan's a good guy who did this outrageously funny commissioned piece that had Jay and Silent Bob playing cards with a bunch of sci-fi and comic book characters. To see more of his work, check out one of his many sites at:

www.eyedraugh.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/eyedraugh

www.coroflot.com/eyedraugh

www.issuu.com/eyedraugh

Well folks, that's it for this week. I'll be back next time with some picks and more stories from the anaheim convention. Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

NEVER FORGET

Just a small update today. You know, I'm not a very political person, nor do I comment regularly on my beliefs, but with recent events, I guess I should talk a little bit. Many emotions surfaced this past Sunday with the news that Osama bin Laden had finally met his demise. I certainly remember waking that September morning, not even realizing that anything had happened until I started my car and heard all the turmoil on the radio. The whole thing was so confusing and yet so terrifying. I remember being so angry and wanting revenge. For weeks, it was all I could really think of. Much time has passed obviously and my emotions are in much better check now. Still, it was a fearful time for a while there. My Uncle Victor, an Air Force Pilot at the time, did three tours in Iraq and two in Afghanistan while my cousin Steven, a sailor in the Navy, spent seven months in Iraq. Thankfully, both made it back safely and have since gone on to other things. There's no real telling what's going to happen now. I doubt this will put an end to terrorism, as there are just too many bad people in the world. However, I do believe this sends a message to terrorists, that their actions will not be tolerated and that justice will be served, no matter how long it takes.

Now that that's been said, new comics will be arriving very soon. I had a great time Anaheim and will have a full recap of the convention in the coming posts. Hopefully, some of the many new friends I made last week will come along for the ride. Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!