Don't know what to say......

I have been struggling for a good part of the day figuring out what to say about my experience this weekend appearing at the Paradise Comics Toronto Comicon. Before I give you the impression that this was a negative thing I should say that I had a blast.......I think the reason I am having trouble describing my feelings is exactly because of the fact I had a good time.

Confused yet?

I will explain. After spending seven years of my life making comics, selling comics, living and breathing comics I took a break for about 16 months and this is the first time I have done anything really comic book related since February 2006. Going into this weekend I had no idea if people would remember me or even care if I was there...........but they did and they do.

Immediately after setting up my area I was thrilled to bump into people I hadn't seen in a while and we were all able to pick up things as if we had just seen each other a few weeks ago.

Anyway on to the show:

Spent Friday night chatting up some folks and waiting in line for a sketch from Darwyn Cooke. Darwyn is in my top three favorite artists . After waiting a bit he explained that he wasn't doing any sketches until Saturday (but he was cool about it) so since I waited in line I figured I would regale him with a story abut how I saw him last week on the street around the corner from my office and I was going to give him a big hug (he doesn't know me so it would be awkward) but I was on an important call and thought that as much as the hug would be creepy.....a guy on the phone following him a few blocks and then getting an unsolicited hug would be creepier so I just kept walking.

I also spent some time on Friday at the 20th Century Fox booth chatting up the folks there about becoming lifelong friends....I will keep you posted on this.

The rest of Friday was spent saying hi to folks like Noel Tuazon, Marc Wolfe, AZAD, Matt Mohammed and a bunch more!


Saturday was a different sort of day because Saturday is always the busy day. Book sales were pretty consistent (good) and I did a bunch of sketches......bad sketches cause I can't draw but they are sketches none the less......as you will see, what I lack in talent I make up for with color!
Saturday was also super cool for a bunch of reasons but two of them are 1-I spent a bunch of time with Ken Wheaton (inker extraordinaire). Ken would like everyone to know that he has a Simpsons book coming out soon and you should all look for it (this may make no sense to you but I assure you that Ken is laughing at this)......and 2-I was standing around minding my own business and I hear "saul" (my name....hope you know that by now), I turn around and Ross Ritchie from Boom Studios was calling me! Boom is arguably the best new (and possibly overall) publisher in Comics and it was cool that Ross even knew who I was. We have met once a few years ago and we have a very close mutual friend in Josh Fialkov but still I have been away from comics for so long I don't take anything for granted. Anyway we chatted for a few and I gotta say Ross is a class act and deserves all the success he is achieving.

I could go on and on but I am really tired and have to grab some zzzz's. If I think of anything else interesting I will add it tomorrow.

Night Night

saul