…but today is a bit different. Here’s a crowd-pleaser from this summer:

Explore the clickable links above to find HUNDREDS of more strips, plus my book Hodabeast and other things to devour your time.

On sale now — get your copy of Jack Kirby Collector #49 (has The Mighty Thor on the cover) and check out my illustration of Lainie Kazan/Big Barda!

OK. Who’s Lainie Kazan? She’s a singer/actress who starred in “Lust in the Dust” and “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.” Who is Big Barda? One of Jack “The King” Kirby’s creations for DC Comics in the early 1970s. What do they have in common? EVERYTHING!

Thanks to Sean Kleefeld for sending this gig my way! Sean’s a columnist/writer, pop-culture addict, long-time Cool Jerk subscriber and (former) major domo of the (former) premier Fantastic Four site on the planet.

I done did it! 24hr. Comics Day was last weekend and I KICKED ITS ASS! Well, just barely. I pounded out a 24-page comic in 24 consecutive hours, and you can check it out HERE if you like (it’s a .pdf; some browsers will open it directly, others will initiate a download). My gal Darlene kept me going with caffeine, food, minimal distractions, pokes to the ribs and a blog entry that (kinda) documented the whole, sordid event. My hand didn’t even cramp up on me until the last 1/2-hour!

WARNING — Comic contains gore, violence, a couple nipples, a sasquatch, hillbillies, lots of scary images not suitable for sensitive readers and a naked Jeff Goldblum (also not suitable for sensitive readers)!

Darlene blogging here for Mr. Paul Horn, creator and mastermind behind Cool Jerk.

Start of 24-Hour Comic Day for Paul

[20 Oct 2007 | Saturday]
24-Hour Comics — 8 a.m. The Beginning

For the next 24 hours, Mr. Horn will be participating in 24-Hour Comics in the privacy of his home. The idea behind 24-Hour Comic Day is to create 24 pages of a comic in 24 straight hours of work. It’s an annual event recognized around the world with the original idea from Scott McCloud this year on October 20.

Paul’s idea for his 24 pages? A mini comic based on his alter ego Doc Splatter, and incorporating 11 movies into his comic. I don’t know how its going to play out but here are the movies to be watched during the next few hours.

– – – – – – – –

[20 Oct 2007 | Saturday]
24-Hour Comics — 8:45 a.m.

This segment is sponsored by Lysol brand toilet cleaner.

It’s going to be a regular Saturday for me while Mr. Horn will be involved in this project. Last time I checked, he was creating the panels to be used for his comic, scanning it in, making copies and planning out the imposition for the book.

As I’m cleaning the bathrooms, I hear the familiar sounds of John Carpenter’s “Halloween.” It’s the only VHS tape in the stack and Paul has chosen to get it out of the way first.

For those of you unfamiliar to “Halloween,” it stars a young Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode going against Michael Myers. One of Paul’s favorite movies and might I dare say, a defining movie in his appreciation of horror classics.

– – – – – – – – – –

[20 Oct 2007 | Saturday]
24 Hour Comics – 9:55 a.m.

Paul is finally eating breakfast. I predict during the day while I’m running errands and he’s trapped in the condo that I’ll be picking up some Red Bull or Rockstar for him. Man cannot live on a Spam frittata alone.

– – – – – – – –

[20 Oct 2007 | Saturday]
24 Hour Comics – 10 a.m.

“The last time I saw “Halloween” was probably the first time you saw it. It’s a classic. It’s never not scary. I’ve seen it at least a dozen times.”- Mr. Horn

The first hour of “Halloween” was spent writing out the script. Much like Paul does with his weekly strip, Cool Jerk, he writes out the script in a FreeHand template, prints it out and draws on it. The project for 24-Hour Comics will be much like that process.

– – – – – – – – – –

[20 Oct 2007 | Saturday]
24-Hour Comics – 10:45 a.m.

“I’m using Sharpie markers — that’s how desperate I am. Good thing these panels will have a lot of black. Maybe I should have six pages of dark panels.” – Mr. Horn

Nearly three hours down and only one page is complete.

It’s too soon to say whether Paul’s strategy of 11 movies devoted to two pages in 24 hours will work out. Twenty three pages to go…

– – – – – – – – – – –

[20 Oct 2007 | Saturday]
24 Hour Comics – 11:10 a.m.

“Still my favorite splatter movie. It’s the best splatter movie ever made.” – Mr. Horn

Next up for viewing: “The Evil Dead” by Sam Raimi, starring Bruce Campbell. Both Michiganders, a state which Paul spent the first few years of his life before moving to Nevada followed by California.

As for the book progress, Paul has somehow managed to finish a second page — minus a blank panel — under my radar.

He blames the slowdown to “Halloween” being on VHS.

– – – – – – – – –

[20 Oct 2007 | Saturday]
24 Hour Comics – 12:16 p.m.

In a strategy that might define the look of the entire book, Paul has switched from watching the movies on TV to his computer. This allows him to take screenshots of specific scenes in “The Evil Dead.”

Paul then lays the screenshots on a panel, prints them out and redraws the shape to his style. It has been done on two panels to help emphasize the story. It’s one tool of many in his toolbox he plans to use during the next few hours.

This is definitely not a new thing in the comic industry. One example is Greg Land, a talented artist in his own right. His work has appeared both Marvel and DC books, cues some his work from screenshots.

– – – – – – – –

[20 Oct 2007 | Saturday]
24 Hour Comics – 5:29 p.m.

“It’s like when Godzilla meets King Kong but with more blood.” – Mr. Horn

Darlene here again. Took some time off to be with a friend in need.

During that time, Paul completed 8 pages and viewed James Cameron’s “Aliens” starring Sigourney Weaver as the main lead. The pages featuring “Aliens” are still uncompleted and according to Paul, the script didn’t come as easily. I’m starting to hear fear and doubt that he can finish 24 pages in the allotted time.

Paul quickly changes the pace with “Freddy vs. Jason” back on the TV. It may be the most-recent of the splatter films that he decided to view and comment on in his comic. It’s also been viewed the least amount of times compared to the rest of the movies in his queue.

Paul is hoping that this movie will reignite his creative spark.

– – – – – – – – –

[20 Oct 2007 | Saturday]
24-Hour Comics — 8 p.m.

“It’s the halfway mark. I seriously need to consider using more silhouettes and cut down on drawing the details. I’m just surprised my hand hasn’t cramped up yet from all the drawing.” – Mr. Horn

Twelve pages down and 12 more pages to finish. Paul is looking hopeful after meeting the 12th hour with 12 completed pages. He’s on mark. Already one black Sharpie has been put to rest and another one is on the way to the garbage can.

Up next in the movie lineup is the 1986 version of “The Fly” — a movie I haven’t seen. Paul assures me that this movie will want to make me throw up the nice dinner of potatoes and prime rib we just had. Frankly, I think just the sight of Jeff Goldblum will work just as well.

It’s also one of four movies not owned by Mr. Horn. It was obtained at one of two video stores in our neighborhood last night in a frenzy to complete his viewing queue.

– – – – – – –

[21 Oct 2007 | Sunday]
24 Hour Comics – 24 hours later

“There were moments last night around 2 a.m. that I didn’t know what I was doing. Time seemed to come together.” – Mr. Horn

Rewind back several hours. I woke up several times during the night, what seemed like increments of two hours, to check up on Paul. Each time he was either at his drawing board or on his computer drafting up a script.

At 7:00 this morning, he was on his last two pages, sketching up the last few scenes (primarily the introduction to his book). Paul was in good spirits, his voice a bit hoarse and looking forward to getting some rest. Most of all happy that it was over and that he has something to show for his effort.

The casualties during the 24 hours were:
2 two-liter bottles of Dr. Pepper and ginger ale
5 cups of coffee
6 Sharpie markers
Over 100 sheets of paper
And his sanity but only temporarily(?)

– – – – – – –

[22 Oct 2007 | Monday]
Doc Splatter’s “Splatterday” aka “24-Hour Comic Bloodbath” Aftermath

Horn here again. I did it — I survived Doctober Splatterday!

It’s the next day.

I got a few hours of mid-day sleep yesterday (Sunday) but that kinda fucked me up for the rest of the day (I was wandering around with a bad case of bed head and “drowsybrain”). But after a regular-night’s sleep I’m back in tip-top form. Just in time to watch San Diego County burn. Again.

The comic itself is embedded in Cool Jerk continuity. It literally takes place inbetween two panels from a strip I did in 1999. And if I do another 24-hour comic next year, I know what to do, what NOT to do and might survive THAT one, too!

Thanks to Darlene for the support and blog updates. Thanks to Ryan, Josep, Nathan and Erin (and ‘Fro, fo sho’) for the cheerleading. Thanks to Sam Raimi, John Carpenter, Tobe Hooper, David Cronenberg, James Cameron, Francis Ford Coppola, Lucio Fulci, Wes Craven, Sean Cunningham, Dan O’Bannon and the asshat who directed “Species.” Without you, my 24 pages of Doc Splatter wouldn’t have been possible.

I went ahead and made a .pdf of my comic. I’m wondering if I should make it available to people for download, or if I should keep it under wraps so’s I can sell mini-comics of them at comic-cons.

Maybe both?

What do YOU think? Let me know!

If you’re a subscriber and happen to have a Hotmail or MSN suffix, you likely haven’t seen the weekly Cool Jerk mailer. Why? I’ve been getting massive bouncebacks from Hotmail and MSN addresses. It’s not your fault — it’s them. For some reason, they (Hotmail and MSN) think any anonymous (BCC:) mailing from my IP address to their addresses is junk.

I’m trying to hammer out the problem on my end. I don’t want to pay for the privilege of having MSN allow me to send email to you, so you friends with Hotmail or MSN addys may be out of luck. BUT, if you happen to have another address that you’d like to use, please let me know (PLEASE be sure to tell me what Hotmail or MSN to remove so I can minimize e-clutter). Thanks!

Bring your sketchbook and some folding money to Brave New World in Newhall, CA… I’ll be doing an in-person signing there next week, pimping my super-awesome book Hodabeast, Cool Jerk T-shirts and meeting comics fans! It’s true! See me there in the pasty, non-tanned flesh Thursday, Sept. 6, 2007. It’ll be like Comic-Con except A) no cost to get in, and B) it’ll smell nicer! And why Thursday? Well, that’s NEW COMICS DAY, chief (it’s usually every Wednesday but Labor Day will bump shipments to Thursday). The folks at BNW are truly awesome. Their shop was up for an Eisner Award this year (Spirit of Comics Retailing category) and they’ve been loving Cool Jerk long time. So if you’re in a 300-mile radius of the Magic Mountain area, come by!

“Closing out the week: Paul Horn brings my all-time favorite web comic to trade paperback. Check out what makes COOL JERK so damned much fun. Trust me.”

Marc Mason is a comics reviewer who spends as much time (probably more) eyeballing independent/alternative comics as the mainstream stuff… and he’s done a write-up of my Cool Jerk anthology Hodabeast here! He’s got a LOT of other reviews on his site so be sure to bookmark his main page: http://www.comicswaitingroom.com and/or subscribe to his blog feed: http://comicswait.blogspot.com

OK. So I was off to a bad start. I thought I could do a “pre-comic-con” before the big show but I realized that I would reach more potential buyers IN the San Diego Convention Center.

And voila! My T-shirt says, “You promised to buy one!” Each buyer of Hodabeast sold at Comic-Con got an exclusive Paul Horn sketchbook ashcan FOR FREE!!!111oneone

Things were just smoking at the ‘Con, let me tell you! Here I am being interviewed by Access Hollywood. No, that’s actually David Malki!, the creator of the brilliant Wondermark.

Here’s what I was forced to look at for 36 continuous hours. (L to R – moi, Darlene, ghost writer David Poller, Kim the Catgirl and comics gadfly/illuminati John Layman)

John Layman, apoplectic that he’s getting his Hodabeast signed by yours truly IN THE FLESH!

Sweet baby Jesus! That’s actually Daniel Davis of Steam Crow Press, holding an awesome KlawBerry plushie. Do yourself a favor and buy his stuff. He’s got more talent in his pumpkinhead than most people have in their entire lower abdominal area!

I… I’m really not sure what this gal’s bag is. The hat makes me think “Hogan’s Heroes” and the rest of the outfit makes me think I’ve been a naughty, naughty boy.

“‘ssup, dog! Get some MF’ing Junior Whoppers at my crib, yo!”

It continues to haunt my dreams.

Ghost Rider and one of about a thousand pleather-clad Catwomen seen on the exhibitor floor.

Dr. Girlfriend smoking some Camel unfiltereds. You know… for the voice.

Just about creepy, seeing the “Saw” dude waving to you from the steps of the convention center.

Mary Marvel vs Black Adam.

Ms. Marvel is one of my favorite characters from Marvel Comics, and I’ve never seen anyone even remotely be able to pull off the proper look. She came pretty close (last year, she was Power Girl).

Eisner Award-nominees Sam and Max! I dunno if Steve Purcell was in the Sam costume or not.

Fun little sketch I whipped up for a fan.

…and one of Puppy.

Jonathan Solomon (remember last year’s “Sexy Velma” sketch?) asked for another sketch of another of his fetishes, Harley Quinn.

And a sketch of me by Arthur Baltazar, the artist of Patrick the Wolf Boy. I’ve never met him; Joe and Ben of the “Poway Posse” took my photo with their cell and showed it to Arthur… and 30 seconds later, instant sketch! Thanks, guys!

I don’t know what they were promoting, except Depression-era gangster violence.

Incredibles indeed.

Darlene managed to sneak a shot of Marina Sirtis (Counselor Deanna Troi on “Star Trek TNG”). I have to say, she still looks pretty damn good.

Not a costume, just comedy.

Jon Favreau’s shiny forehead and Robert Downey Jr. discuss how next year’s “Iron Man” movie will possibly be a mild success in the indy film circuit.

OK. Pretend you haven’t already seen the Iron Man mark I armor already on a quarter-million Web sites. Now bow before its awesomeosity.

Enchantress and Loki. I’ve been seeing this female model in various costumes since WonderCon in February, and the guy is at least a three-year veteran of SDCCI.

Another typical view from the Cool Jerk table (L to R: Adam West-style Batman, Loki and Wonder Woman). Hey, ladies… I don’t want to hear it! I’m just giving equal time for that Flash photo in 2005! Trivia: Guy in Loki and Flash costumes? Same person.

Neighbors to the north Jose Cabrera and his make-peepee-in-your-pants-funny “Crying Macho Man” comics. Behind him is his wife Naomi and “El Gato’s” certifiable Michael Aushenker (in blue).

That’s me and Whitney Matheson, from USA Today’s Pop Candy blog.

I must be getting better at this. For the first time in five years of tabling at San Diego Comic-Con International, I didn’t blow out my voice or get sick the following week!

Here’s the report: Hodabeast sold well, although I had to amend my pitch/display day-to-day to maximize sales. The Doc Splatter T-shirts are gone. Many people got a two-dimensional inaction figure, Post-Its or buttons just for getting close to my proximity.

I’d like to say thanks to all my friends and inductees from previous comic-cons who took a few minutes to come by and chat/buy stuff/get some sketches. There’s no way I can mention all of you, but here’s a shout out to Joe, Ben, Barry, Jonathan and Shay of the ever-expanding “Poway Posse,” Jamie and Jay (first to buy the book on Wednesday night), Iowa’s am-badass-adors Erin and Jeremy (OMG! WTF? Thanks!), Lacie, Zachary, Steve Yatson who’s such a Poser (Thanks!), Chris Coleman from Tokyo, Mighty Layman, Marc Mason, Nero, Roman, sketchmongers Jonathan and DrumGirl, Trevor of Wolff and Byrd attorneys-at-law, Kim the legal-sword-wielder cat-girl and her pop, Armando, the David Poller, Tony Stark’s boss Jason Childs (!), Josh (and Bridget by proxy), Earthdog, Jose and Naomi, Mike A., Ryan and so many more!

Special thanks to my gal Darlene, who provided a lot of support, clever ideas, laughs and energy. Most of what was made available at SDCCI wouldn’t have been possible without her.

If you’d like to live vicariously through me, check the photo-heavy recap page.

San Diego Comic-Con International is next week (July 26-29) and here’s the exciting skinny:

<>The first Cool Jerk collected edition — Hodabeast — will be on sale there, and the first 100 folks to buy the ‘Beast will receive a free Cool Jerk sketchbook ashcan! It’s true! But really — sketchbooks are limited to 100 copies so be sure to swing by my table a.s.a.p.!

<> If you’ve been to my table before, good news: Team Cool Jerk is in the exact same spot as the past four years. Here’s a little map I whipped up while you were on the toilet.

<> Team Cool Jerk will also have cotton body armor, ashcans, stickers, window decals and other effluvia for sale. What? Two-dimensional inaction figures of Armpit and Puppy?!? How cool is that?

<> As always, I’m more than happy to junk up your sketchbook with some awesome pencil action! Sketches are totally 100% free… THIS year. =:^)