By now, everyone who signed up for the weekly “Cool Jerk” mailer/reminder at the San Diego Comic-Con International should’ve received their first mailer. It took a couple of hours typing in all the addresses, and I had to make some guesses on the spellings of some addys, but I managed to get about 97% of you. The other 3%… well, I just couldn’t figure out your scrawls. If you haven’t received a mailer yet, but you remember signing up, please e-mail me and I’ll take care of ya.

The 34th San Diego Comic-Con International is over, and now I have to give you a recap.

It was great. Totally worth losing my voice for.

I met scores of new and future ‘Jerks, including a gaggle of enthusiastic kids from Poway, Calif., some really cool folks from Las Vegas (who love Pat & Oscar’s breadsticks as much as we San Diegans), a couple from Austria, a Lara Croft from Illinois and some dudes from Reno who remember “Cool Jerk” when it was in the Reno newspaper in the early 1990s. There were many more, too… including a lot of pros. And, of course, no ‘con would be complete without an Erin Gray update. She’s doing well and I gave her a Cool Jerk sampler book. Any moment now she’ll visit my site and discover the strip where I mentioned her.

And the best part — no one said that I sucked. At least to my face. Thank you!

I’m still in the afterglow, but there’s a lot of work to do around the mansion, so I’d better bail. More later and thanks for the online visit! Here’s a photo-recap! (NOTE: these are from previous SD comic-cons, as my photo archive from 2003 vaporized when my Mac’s hard drive had a heavy head crash. If any of you readers have Cool Jerk pics, please send some my way and I’ll add ’em to the blog!)

Sweet baby Jesus. It’s Erin “Wilma Deering” Gray, who can’t keep her paws offa me! “Where can I get a shirt just like yours, Paul?” she asked me, eyes moist with tears of excitement….

Here’s Elektra administering a bad, bad boy some punishment. NINJA punishment!

Even the ruler of a tiny postcard nation in the Balkans couldn’t resist getting a Cool Jerk shirt! “Such apparel is usually ill-suited for the monarch of Latveria… but Doom was intrigued by the clever design. Richards may have trapped me in this girl’s body… but he’ll NEVER steal my Cool Jerk shirt!”

Riddle me this! That’s me with Frank Gorshin. (Frank passed away on May 17, 2005)

Richard Hatch (Apollo from “Battlestar Galactica”), Darlene and me in the autograph “veal pens” on the roof of the convention center. Darlene’s grinning because her right hand is kinda on Hatch’s butt. I kid you not.

What do Aquaman and Flash (and Atom, if you look closely) have to do with getting a Cool Jerk shirt? Absolutely nothing! But maybe someday I’ll make Cool Jerk underwear, so these boys won’t have to fight crime ‘commando-style.’ And getta load of the hottie in the middle! Woo-hoo!

A family of Klingons while a B-list sci-fi celebrity looks on.

One of many Lara Croft cosplayers, plus a Princess Leia in the foreground. These folks were lining up for the Masquerade.

Harley Quinn on her way to causing Gotham City some mayhem.

Darlene goes gangsta against The Baroness, who actually seems unimpressed in the face of danger. Well, what do you expect from a super-villainess?

“Hey, Phil – what’re you gonna wear tonight?”

“I dunno – I was thinking my red shirt, Levis and THE FREAKIN’ DEATH STAR.”

For the love of all that’s holy, don’t end up like these permanently celibate yahoos! Get yourself a Cool Jerk shirt!

It is late and I’m tired. Second day of the ‘Con and signed up more ‘Jerks to the ever-growing list of subscribers. Funny thing on the way home… got accosted by tons of women AND men wearing red dresses as they ran through the streets of San Diego. Just when I thought that the Comic Con had all the freaks.

Special thanks to Russell Bauder (among many) for stopping by my table. Hope the skin condition clears up soon.

Hello, everyone!

Last mailer I said I would have a treat for you, and boy howdy look what I have for ya!

<> Eyeball-poppin’ color Cool Jerk strip, starring Manhattan!
<> 20 new pages in the morgue!
<> Finally! By popular demand! Get your Puppy thong at the online store!

This week I’m going to be hanging at the 34th-annual San Diego Comic-Con International, the largest comic-and-popular-arts convention in the world. Yeah, yeah… I’ve been doing that every summer since 1983. But what makes this year different is that I’m gonna be behind the table, instead of in front.

With subtle encouragement from my gal Darlene, close friends, fellow cartoonists (you reading this, Mr. Notley? Mr. Jantze? Mr. Asmussen? Mr. Breen?), the voices in my head and the poltergeist who lives in my Subaru, I’m making Cool Jerk known to the world at large.

I haven’t really been promoting my strip, other than giving out the occasional t-shirt or sticker here and there. But all that’s changing. I’m hoping that a few hundred thousand people will become aware of Cool Jerk this week, and maybe cool things will happen.

I’ll fill you in next week on all the details. Maybe Erin Gray will take me out to dinner this year!

Remember: The only reasons you shouldn’t be going to the ‘Con this Thursday is if you’re in jail or if you’re dead. AND IF YOU’RE IN JAIL, BREAK OUT!