Reno — the birthplace of Cool Jerk and Doc Splatter — is hosting a comic convention this weekend, and Cool Jerk will be there!

Reno Pop Culture Con — a spin-off from the wildly popular Denver Pop Culture Con — will commandeer the Reno-Sparks Convention Center this Friday through Sunday, Nov. 8-10. I’ve been given the status of “Special Guest” so that means free limo and I get to cut to the front of any buffet line in town. Yes, even Circus Circus.

I’ll have copies of all my Cool Jerk books, including a small quantity of the limited edition, three-volume sets of my UNR college strip Like, For Shore!, all digitally remastered in lovely graphite. These are the strips that begat Cool Jerk, and no one AND I MEAN NO ONE has seen them all in their entirety like this! They’re a limited print run of 75 so be sure to put this top on your list!

Further, I’ll have all sorts of Cool Jerk effluvia you’d expect to see at a comic-con, such as Canvas Panels, t-shirts, enamel pins and other comics (Jerkopaedia, The Mightily Marvelous Cool Jerk Fun Book Vol. 1, The Girl Who Kicked the Donut Habit). Doc Splatter Ominous Omnibus? Hell yeah I have those, too! THIS IS DEFINITELY THE TIME TO SHOP! Nevada sales tax? I got your back. It’s all part of the price, friend… a perk of being a fellow Northern Nevadan.

 

Need directions? Here’s a locator I whipped up while eating an Awesome-Awesome.

So bring your Christmas shopping list and some folding money (I also take credit cards) and come by the Cool Jerk outpost J1 (Jay-one) in Artists Valley, on the right side of the hall en route to the celebrity veal pens.

SHOW HOURS
Friday, Nov. 8: 10am-7pm
Saturday, Nov. 9: 10am-7pm
Sunday, Nov. 10: 10am-5pm

This past Saturday was my Cool Jerk book signing at Sundance Books in Reno, Nev. It was my first signing in Cool Jerk’s home town (Cool Jerk got its start in Northern Nevada, running in the Reno Gazette-Journal for several years before I took it online), and if Saturday’s turnout is any indication, it certainly won’t be my last.

To make this event even more, um, eventful, Nancy Horn of Dish Cafe and Catering was on-hand to provide delicious baked refreshments — “Pupcakes!” They were white wine cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and black sprinkles. Black and white, just like my strip. If you bought a book, you got a free Pupcake. And if you got a Pupcake, you know it was incredibly good.

While Nancy’s not my sister (we worked together at the UNR Sagebrush some 20+ years ago, when she was Nancy Louvat), my for realz sister Jennifer was there. She not only got to see me work the table and sign dozens of books, but also got to meet many of my Northern Nevada friends. (Jen told me afterward that she totally understands how I frequently lose my voice after doing comic conventions, 7-9 hours a day for 2-5 days straight.)

So I’d like to say hi and thanks to Andy Carey (Doc Splatter letter-writer who received a “goodie,” as is tradition), Guy Clifton (look him up in the index of Bimboozled), Frank Mullen (and Susan, by proxy), Nikki Bomagat, Steve Timko (also in Bimboozled, kinda), Claudia Ortega-Lukas and her mom, Nancy’s mom Cherie, Greg Moyle (another Doc Splatter letter-writer, see page 11 of the Doc Splatter Ominous Omnibus), Mark Lindquist and his boys, Vickie Johnson, Jim, Angel and Gabri Bachand, Ben “Buzzy” Martin (we go WAY back, like ninth grade), Shelly Larson (OMG Shelly!), Charles Nemitz, Bryan Allison (by phone), the aforementioned Nancy and Jen. And, of course, the staff at Sundance Books — Dan and Phillip (and Christine and KC by proxy) — for making the signing as smooth as can be and for restocking their shelves with all my books! So in case you missed it, head on down to Sundance, buy a book or two, and bring it by next time I’m up in the Truckee Meadows for another signing!

Oh, and Ben? You’re on page 11 of the Doc Splatter Ominous Omnibus, too!

I’ll be having a book signing at Sundance Bookstore in Reno, Saturday, April 16! Christine Kelly has been a friend of Cool Jerk since my first book and Sundance was the perfect venue for my first Northern Nevada signing. And speaking of friends…

Nancy Horn — owner of DISH Cafe — agreed to partner with me for the signing. And by “agreed” I mean “succumbed to blackmail.” See, Nancy and I go WAY back. Back in the college days, we both worked for the UNR Sagebrush (she was the variety editor and wrote a food column, and I was production director, page designer and staff cartoonist). In fact, SHE’S responsible for the “death” of Doc Splatter, back in 1990. Well, we’ve both pursued our dreams, and over the past several years she’s become a foodie luminary in Northern Nevada. You might’ve eaten at DISH, read about her in various regional and national publications or even seen her on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Well, she’ll be there with Cool Jerk-related desserts that’s still under wraps at this writing. But I guarantee it’ll be fun and flavorful.

Here’s how I’m folding the comics-and-cuisine thing together into a riot-inducing, must-not-miss event: For every Cool Jerk book you purchase, you get a DISH coupon for FREE EATS! I’ll only have a couple/few dozen coupons so it’s first come/first served, and there’s a limit of four tickets per person.

I’ll have all four Cool Jerk and Doc Splatter books on hand, ready to personalize to you with a sketch. Also, I’ll be bringing buttons, stickers, t-shirts, original art sketches and canvas panels. It’ll be like a micro comic-con, but with free admission and free food!

The signing is only two hours (1pm to 3pm) so be sure to schedule your appetite accordingly!

ps Nancy Horn is no relation, actually, but my for-realz sister will be there!