ONE UNDER THE BELT!!!

Well folks, I'm back and it was quite an experience! It's hard to believe that a week ago at this time, I was sitting at my table anxiously awaiting the first guest of Wondercon to pass through my isle! For a first time exhibitor, I think things went relatively well. I didn't sell out, but I sold better than I thought I would! I even did some commissioned sketches!

There's so much that can be said about the whole ordeal, but I don't want to bore anybody. So check out these pictures instead...

The calm before the storm... A rare site for most con goers: the exhibit hall before it opens!

My humble abode. It was nothing fancy, but I feel I did a decent job decorating it.

The rest of my table. The guy at the table to my right no-showed, so a lot of people kind of ignored my isle. My neighbors and I felt pretty let down, but I'm sure this dude had his reasons. It didn't help that a restroom blocked out most of Artist Alley! Hardly anybody came through!

Halo Finn! This kid was really cool. His mom bought him a copy of my book and came back the next day to tell me how much they enjoyed it and that they couldn't wait for the next one to come out! Talk about a spirit booster! It really made me feel good to hear that.

Quailman! Doug cosplay seems to be the new rage at conventions these days. Seriously, this is like the sixth dude I've seen dressed like this in the last two years! Now if only somebody would come dressed as Silver Skeeter and Roger!

"WE'LL GIVE YOU HALF... OF NOTHING!!!" I love Metalocalypse! I just hope it goes back to its original ten-minute format when it comes back. The half-hour shows just didn't work.

Sesame Street cosplay? Oddly enough, this isn't the first time I've seen it at a convention. A couple of years ago, a guy came to Comic Con as Oscar the Grouch! I gotta say, this costume's fairly accurate, although the real Big Bird doesn't usually look so stoned!

He's here to change the world! Now if only he could get some dudes to dress like Hooter and the break dancing Whip Warriors, then he'd have something!

"LET'S GET DANGEROUS!!!" Darkwing Duck, one of my all-time favorites!

Speaking of dangerous, this brave soul actually risked life and limb to come as the Star Wars Universe's most hated character, Jar Jar Binks! Can't help but admire his courage though.

It's BOO!!! But where's Hercule?

It's a sad day when even Super Mario joins the Akatsuki! Great concept though. The headband really ties it together.

Pimp Joker! It was bound to happen sooner or later.

One last look at the exhibit hall. I didn't get much of a chance to walk around, having to man my table and all. Luckily, my neighbors kept and eye on things so I could get up and move every few hours. That was hardest part of the weekend: not being able to see all the booths!

All in all, it was a great experience. I'd like to thank all the great attendees, pros and fellow exhibitors who helped make my first time a success. It was nice to get my feet wet without having to dive headfirst into the circus that is Comic Con San Diego. I can't wait for the next opportunity!

Well, that's all for now. I'll be back next time with a little more on Wondercon and maybe something funny too. In the meantime, take care, and I'll catch y'all later!

WONDERCON THIS WEEK!!!

Well, I'm heading out to Anaheim tomorrow to set up for Wondercon! Fear and excitement have already set in, but I'm ready for the challenge, come what may. Due to the fact that I'm still packing and working on last-minute details, I have no comics, videos or photos to post this week, but I'll have plenty to share when I get back I'm sure!

In the meantime, here's the info on my booth:

JON'S CRAZY STUFF

ARTIST ALLEY

AA-199

As for my book:

FORK IN THE ROAD: The Crazy Collection Vol. 1

$8.00 per copy and comes with a sketch!

The book features all comics from the blog's first year and includes brand new artwork!

I'll also be doing commissioned sketches for $5.00! That's a fraction of what most other artists charge!

So come on down and say hello! Or better yet, say hello and help me pay my bills by buying a copy! Either way, I'll be glad to see ya! Well, I hope everybody has a fun and safe time at Wondercon, and I'll catch y'all there!

IT'S GONNA BE A BLAST!!!

That's right folks! We're a week away from Wondercon, and excitement is running high here in the CRAZYVERSE! After years of convention hopping as a fan, I'm finally taking the next step and making my debut as an exhibitor. I haven't been this scared and excited since my first day at San Diego State, back in August 2006. I really don't know what to expect. I've got the thought in the back of my head that I'm just gonna be sitting alone all weekend, hoping that somebody will come buy a copy of my book. But I also got the thought that there are fans like me out there that like to browse and talk and learn a thing or two. What ever happens will happen I guess, so I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

I know I promised a wrestling post this week, but I probably won't have time to post next week as I'll be busy at Wondercon. So instead, I'm sharing some photos from last year's Anaheim Con, hosted by Wizard! Enjoy...

Ironman and Mil Mascaras! Interesting duo I must say.

I like the red Storm Trooper look. It certainly gives them a more menacing feel.

It's amazing the things one can do with some balsa wood, PVC pipe, LED's and paint! I wish I could build something like this! This Proton Pack was made by the SoCal Ghostbusters, a cosplay group devoted to the greatest movie ever, Ghostbusters!

Although I find the Brightest Day saga to be pretty damn confusing at times with all the figgin' Lantern Corps involved, this Atrocitus costume was pretty badass! It was really hot that weekend too.

Batman and the Flash take some time to share a snack. Apparently Flash was really happy to get his picture taken!

The Madalorian Mercs always have a strong presence at these shows. I'm not all that into cosplay, but the costumes and armor these dudes make is pretty impressive. I mean, look at the above helmets; THEY HAND-MADE THOSE!

Bounty Hunters playing video games. Only at Comic Cons! One of the reasons I love the smaller shows so much is because there is a looser atmosphere, a quality that is sorrily lacking at the San Diego Comic Con.

So that's what the Great Pumpkin looks like! Actually, I believe he's a character from an online game called Zombie Beans. (I honestly can't remember. If I'm wrong, contact me so I can correct it!)

Gambit! I swear, he was the coolest of the X-Men! I waited so long for Gambit to finally be put in one of the movies. Imagine my excitement when they finally did it, and then my disappointment when hardly used him!

If only she'd been in Captain America: the First Avenger! Just kidding folks, it was a good movie. Now if only they'd put her in Avengers...

It's kinda sad that Wizard isn't hosting the Anaheim Con this year. I guess the company isn't doing too good right now, but I'm sure they can get things right again and put on a great show next year! In the meantime, I don't think you'll hear any complaints about Wondercon taking over this year. I'll say this, an Artist Alley table is a hell of a lot cheaper at Wondercon than it is at Wizard World.

Well, that's it for now. I don't think I'll have time for a post next week, so I'll do my obligatory book plug now: FORK IN THE ROAD: The Crazy Collection Vol. 1 premieres next week at Wondercon in Anaheim! I'll be at in Artist Alley at table AA-199! So please stop by, say hello and help me pay my bills by buying a copy! After all, who doesn't want to have Mike and Mindy in convenient book form? Take care y'all and I'll catch y'all later!

MIKE AND MINDY: COLORFULLY TASTEFUL!!!

Well, here we are again! It's a new month, and that means new new comics for Mike and Mindy and Mushrooms! I've been working around the clock to get everything ready for Wondercon, and the last piece of the puzzle fell into place yesterday when I approved the proofs of my postcards for this year's round of conventions! I'm very excited about the upcoming experience. It's gonna be great fun for all!

Anyway, that's enough talking for now. Enjoy the comics...

You know something? Mindy looks good in blue! Maybe I should do Mike and Mindy in variant colors more often. I don't know if there's a set rule that says you're characters should always have the same colored clothes on, but it certainly does seem like it!

And now, here's Mushrooms...

Don't worry folks. She didn't feel a thing! Well, we're almost at the end of my UT Contest submissions. I'm not gonna lie, I really wanted to win that thing. The payoff was gonna be terrible, but the exposure would have been nice. This is a tough time to be a syndicated cartoonist. Many newspapers are going under right now, leaving fewer opportunities. The sad part is, I think I might be getting better exposure through Twitter than I would've if I'd won the contest. But, that's life.

Well, that's all for now. I got a busy weekend coming up, so I'm glad I got all my art finished up last week! I'll be back next time with a funny wrestling post and a desperate last plug for my Wondercon appearance! In the meantime, take care, and I'll catch y'all later!

FINALLY!!! MIKE AND MINDY!!! IN BOOK FORM!!!

After weeks of teasing, it's finally here! I present to you, dear readers, the first collection of Mike and Mindy and Mushrooms comics: FORK IN THE ROAD: The Crazy Collection Volume 1! I can't even begin to tell y'all how excited I am to finally be putting this out! A lot of work went into making this book happen, but the end result was worth it! A lot of credit goes out to the geniuses over at Ego ID Media in San Diego. Those dudes are miracle workers and did a fantastic job! The book will debut at Wondercon in Anaheim in just three weeks! So be sure to make your way down Artist Alley and get a copy before they sell out!

And just to entice you even more, here a couple of sneak peeks inside the book...

A lot new art is in the book!

And every page is glossy! So these books are durable!

Well, I hope everybody likes what they see thus far. It's gonna be a limited run at Wondercon folks, so be sure to get your copies quick! I'll even do a free sketch for every purchase!

Well, I'm still in a state of euphoria right now, so I'm gonna jump to something completely different; FRANK ZAPPA!!!

There's much to be said about this man, but a mere blog post wouldn't do him any justice. I will say this though: Zappa was amazing! He mastered over 20 musical instruments by the time he was 22, composed complete, four-part symphonies and coined the term "Valley Girl," which went on to become his most popular song, although most Zappa purists would consider I am the Slime to be his signature song. Frank Zappa belonged to no single genre. He did everything from rock and jazz to blues and classical. He also had one of the highest IQ's ever recorded, so when people call him a genius, they aren't just singing his praises. Zappa left a huge impression on me. Hell, he made an impression on a lot of artists, musicians and filmmakers. He set trends and dared to experiment, a quality that is sorrily lacking in today's music. For some of you younger readers who've never heard of Frank Zappa, I encourage you seek out his music and give it a try. It's weird, but in a good way.

Well, it's about that time. But before I go, I'd like to take a moment to thank a couple of people for plugging my site recently: Batton Lash and Matt Gross. Batton, as a lot of you already know, does the great comic Supernatural Law, and was kind enough to take some time and talk with me the other day. His site can be found here, and Batton will also be at Wondercon this year, so be sure to go say high to him! Matt Gross is the cartoonist behind CAAATS!, a very funny, sweet and charming comic about two goofy but lovable cats. His strip recently celebrated its first anniversary, so I did a little piece to honor those crazy cats. His site can be found here, and I highly recommend y'all check it out.

Well, that's all for now. I'll be back next time with a "colorful" new Mike and Mindy and a new Mushrooms that's just "bursting" with laughs! In the meantime, take it easy, and I'll catch y'all later!

SCARY TUNNELS!!!

Hey folks! Just a small post today. Wondercon's just under a month away here, so I'm trying to get everything taken care of now while I still have a little bit of free time. The book will be coming out very soon, and I should have the cover art by next week or sooner! A lot of work went into putting this collected volume together, and I'm itching to finally release it! Of course, now that I'm done with the first book, I gotta get started on the second book! It's an endless cycle I tell ya!

Anyway, a beloved classic came on TV last night: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. This movie has been a lifelong favorite of mine, but I've always scratched my head at certain parts of the film, mainly that the guests of the factory keep walking into obvious traps, and quite willingly no less! Well, apparently I'm not the only one confused by these actions, as the good folks over at How It Should Have Ended produced this piece to help make sense of things...

Ya know? This is just me, but I probably would've said "SCREW THIS" and left right after Augustus went up the pipe. It's actually a bit troubling that Wonka would want to hand over his house of horrors to a small child. Do you honestly think a kid can be trusted with candy that can turn people into a giant blueberries! Although I must admit, the blueberry candy would probably be a good bully deterrent.

Well, that's all for this week. I'll be back next time with some kind of fun. Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT, COURTESY OF WCW!!!

Hey folks! It's been a busy couple weeks here at the Crazyverse! The final touches are being put on the book, and I hope to have a teaser up by next week! I've also been working like crazy this week, with the highlight being a dolly grip for an awards show that's being broadcast on PBS. The show hasn't aired yet, so I don't know how many shots I'll actually appear in, if any, but I had a blast working it, especially when I ran into my former teacher at SDSU, Don Johnson. Prof. Johnson taught Intro to Television Production and was in fact the first teacher I had at State. So it was cool to see him again and show him that his lessons did lead me somewhere. Let that be a lesson kids: COLLEGE IS IMPORTANT!

Well, it's Wrestling Week here at the 'Stuff, and to celebrate, I dug up another polished turd courtesy World Championship Wrestling! Enjoy...

Brad Armstrong was born into wrestling royalty, being the son of "Bullet" Bob Armstrong, a legend of the southeastern wrestling scene back in the territory days. Brad, along with his brothers Scott, Steve and Brian, eventually followed in his father's footsteps, becoming a wrestler himself. While not much of a talker, Brad was a great in ring performer who held his own against many greats, including Ric Flair and Harley Race. In the dying days of the territory system, Brad had found a lot of success as the remaining NWA territories were bought out by Jim Crocket, eventually becoming WCW. As the new company emerged, Brad seemed like a natural fit for the upper midcard. Sadly, this is WCW we're talking about here, and at this point in time (1991), their M.O. was "Copy whatever the WWF is doing and quick!" In those days, the WWF was doing brisk business in the children's market, and WCW, on numerous occasions, tried to follow suit, often failing miserably. After a short run as a masked wrestler named "Badstreet" Brad Armstrong was repackaged as a web-slinging super hero sure to please the kids: ARACHNAMAN!

Yep, you read that right. You see, kids like comic books, so WCW thought that a wrestler based on Spiderman would have mass appeal. So they dressed poor Brad Armstrong up in a knock off Spiderman costume and hoped for the best. All fine and dandy except for one thing: Marvel Comics was not amused! They threatened to sue, and WCW caved in quick. Sadly, this would not be the last crap gimmick that Brad Armstrong would have to endure. Still, someone at WCW must've liked him, because he remained with the company until the very end. As for the other Armstrong brothers, Scott and Steve had even less luck, as they were primarily used as jobbers or "enhancement talent" on WCW Saturday Night. Brian Armstrong wasn't particularly gifted in the ring, but was capable of having decent matches. He was also a hell of a talker and had a ton of charisma. He went on to a stellar career in the WWF as the "Road Dogg" Jessie James. He recently returned to WWE as a road agent, working backstage.

Well, that's all for now. I'll be back next time with some form of wackiness I'm sure. In the meantime, take care and I'll catch y'all later!