That’s right, Mountain-Timers! Team Cool Jerk will be in Artists Valley at the second-annual Denver Comic Con, Friday-Sunday (May 31-June 2). I did the show last year and I really enjoyed it. The enthusiasm of the attendees and my fellow exhibitors proved to everyone — especially the organizers of the convention — that Denver embraces comics and pop culture with a passion. I think one of every two attendees last year came in costume (or at least sported apparel adorned with comics, cartoon, fantasy or sci-fi regalia).

The Comic Con is still held in the Colorado Convention Center, but they moved it from Hall A to Hall F. Maybe next year or in 2015 they’ll open it up to both halls!

Like last year, I’ll have all Cool Jerk and Doc Splatter books for sale, along with buttons, stickers and Cool Jerk Canvas Panels. Darlene will be on hand to sign copies of our collaborative comic, The Girl with the Donut Tattoo. I’ll also have a blue-line copy of Thinkulus to whet your appetite (and take advance orders)! Since we’re flying to this convention, we’ll only able to pack along a modest amount of books. Last year I had sell-outs by show’s end, so here’s a PRO TIP: Buy early!

If you happen to live within a two-state radius of Denver, please come to the ’con and show Colorado that you support comics culture and their creators (especially independent, self-publishing wackjobs like myself)! We’d love to meet you and sell you some comics and stuff.

Apparently enough of you guys like Hodabeast, Chickadoowa and Bimboozled enough to merit Cool Jerk Vol. 4: Thinkulus… because it’s at the printers and it’ll be here in about six weeks. Let me tell you a little bit about it!

• It’s a handsome tome, in the same format and architecture as previous volumes. It contains more than 210 comics, a whopping 10 percent of which are brand-new for the book! THAT’S JUST CRAZYPANTS!! And like previous book-only strips, they’re not available online so don’t bother looking! On second thought, knock yourself out!

• Foreword is by the ever-charming and delightful Jane Wiedlin.

• I held a Facebook contest to decide which route to take for the cover illustration: The Lynch Mob or Dangerman vs Pokéyman. The votes were tallied and not only did you vote for Dangerman vs Pokéyman BUT I randomly selected one winning voter to adorn my cover with a blurb. Congratulations, Jamie Lim! I don’t think a comic-con has gone by without her visiting the Cool Jerk table; hoping this year is no different!

Side note: I occasionally hold contests and/or encourage readers to participate in Cool Jerk hi-jinks. The Facebook contest was open only to people who gave that page a LIKE. So if you haven’t already, please give that page a LIKE so you can participate in future crowdsourcing interactions!

• Thinkulus is 144 pages of comics, sketches, cutting-room floor rarities and other worthwhile stuff. People just love the director’s commentary and anal-retentive index, so we’ve got those, too!

• Thinkulus retails for the low, low price of $12, and will be available at San Diego Comic-Con International (its debut) and at the Cool Jerk store and Amazon.com thereafter.

This Saturday (May 4), I’ll be participating in FREE COMIC BOOK DAY at my favorite San Diego comics shop, Southern California Comics in Clairemont Mesa. I’ll be there selling my books, t-shirts and canvas panels… and in keeping with the spirit of FCBD, I’ll be offering FREE STUFF with every book purchase!

I won’t be the only local comics creator there, either. It’s going to be like a mini comic-con! SCC’s owner, Jamie Newbold, is pouring a lot of magic into this event so please come by and buy some comics, get some free comics and get some lunch — they’ll have not one but TWO food trucks on site!

Southern California Comics is kind of tough to find if you haven’t been there before… so here’s a map!

It’s time for a long-overdue thumb update. To catch you up to speed (or for first-time readers), here’s a brief recap: I fractured my drawing thumb in mid-November and had surgery on November 27. My hand migrated from cast to cast for about a month, after which I started two months of physical therapy.

My top priority is getting my thumb back to normal. If you’ve ever had a sprain, strain, fracture or other debilitating injury, you know that physical therapy is vital to the recovery process. But even after two months of semi-weekly and weekly sessions, I’m still at about 90% of full mobility. I’m told by my surgeon (Dr. Bryan Leek) and my physical therapist (Angela Witucki) that this will likely take a year before all the excess internal scar tissue is reabsorbed, collagen returns (I think) and the tendons (or ligaments — I always confuse them) stretch back to previous limits.

So for now, I have new limitations on my right hand — I can’t open my grip as far as my left hand and I can’t ball up a fist quite as tight as my left hand (see above). The biggest limitation is the tendon (ligament?) at my thumb’s first knuckle, the one just past the thumbnail. That’s been tightened to the point where it takes A LOT of warming up to get a decent bend out of it. This makes it somewhat difficult to write, draw and use an ink brush the way I used to, especially inking smooth arcs or writing the letter U (which ends up looking like a V).

But that’s all inside stuff. From the outside, my right hand looks pretty normal. There’s an inch-long scar that runs alongside a slightly swollen knuckle, both of which should fade over time.

I’ve been putting up new strips on an irregular basis. Once the cartooning gears of industry are grinding at full strength, you’ll see Cool Jerk back to a weekly schedule. Thanks for hanging in there!

This isn’t really an update on my thumb, which is slowly getting better with physical therapy. I wanted to mention I’m also slowly getting back into cartooning, although for now it’s just with Sharpie markers. New stuff is right around the corner, folks! More on that later.

For Valentine’s Day, Darlene had an idea where we have a sort-of “he said/she said” thing told in comic form. She came up with three funny vignettes of our relationship and we captioned them with our different voices. My point of view is below (click it to slice-of-life-size it).

For Darlene’s POV, click here!

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! Especially my sweetie with the freezing feet.

…literally and figuratively.

Last month, I fractured my right thumb. And yes, I’m right-handed. I was horsing around in a neighborhood park and fell in the grass, and, well… look up “Skier’s Thumb” and you’ll see what happened. I initially thought it was a sprain but x-rays show that the ulnar collateral ligament didn’t snap, but instead it ripped free from my first metacarpal, taking some bone with it. That means surgery.

So I had surgery two weeks ago. Very expensive (even with my insurance; more on that in upcoming blog posts). My post-op hand cast was made of ACE bandages, gauze and an aluminum brace (above). I was prescribed Percocet for the pain.

Last week I went in for an upgraded cast (above), made of cotton padding and plaster tape. This cast is rigid and unfortunately won’t let my fingers reach my thumb (or vice-versa). This means I can’t hold a pencil, tie my own shoes, button a shirt, use tweezers… the list goes on and on. Eating with a fork is like something straight out of a Jane Goodall bloopers reel.

Needless to say, Cool Jerk has been (and will be) on hiatus for the duration. I might try doing a strip with my left hand. Or maybe Darlene will do a fill-in. Or maybe one of you readers would like to draw a strip for me while I’m on the mend…?

Thanks for understanding and for the well-wishes. I’ll keep you posted with the progress. I understand it’ll be months before I’m back to punching troublemakers in the throat.

“Hey, doc. When this is all over, will I be able to draw awesome comics and infographics?”

“I don’t see why not.”

“That’s terrific! I never could before!”

Tomorrow (Saturday, Nov. 24) is Small Business Saturday. Please do consider patronizing small businesses, including the Cool Jerk store.

You need to go to the website and register your American Express card in order to qualify, but the gist is: spend $25 or more at a small business with your AMEX card and you’ll get a one-time $25 reimbursement. Be sure to check their website for all the details. What we’re talking about is $25 in free purchases, basically.

Since $25 is the magic price, I’ll have the following specials available Saturday only:

• Buy any three Cool Jerk books for $25 (regular price $32-$36)
• Buy any Cool Jerk book + a Cool Jerk t-shirt for $25 (even JERKEA, which retails for $20!)
• Buy any two Cool Jerk t-shirts for $25 (save $5-$15)
• Buy three Canvas Panels for $25 (that’s even better than Buy Two Get One Free!)*

Instead of rejiggering all the pricing on my store for this one day, just mention AMEX in the checkout (when it asks for Special Instructions) and I’ll honor the special pricing. I’ll issue a refund for the difference.

Thanks for making a difference!

*Regular shipping rates apply on all purchases

If you’re within a day’s drive of Phoenix/Tempe this weekend (Saturday, Sept. 29), consider attending Keen Halloween. It’s a first-ever Halloween faire/workshop/shopping extravaganza put together by Daniel and Dawna Davis of Steam Crow. It’s an all-day affair with various vendors and visionaries, all with a focus on how to make Halloween the best holiday it can be. There’ll also be live music (!) and no shortage of fun.

This is Daniel’s pet project. He had an idea for a “Halloween convention” last year and he built this show from the ground up. I’m sure you’re familiar with his art, humor and creativity. I’m certain Keen Halloween will be well worth your attention.

And you know… it’s just not Halloween without Doc Splatter. Check out Keen Halloween’s interview with The Doc here!

The Doc will most definitely have his Ominous Omnibus on-hand for consumption, as well as Canvas Panels and other Cool Jerk books and stuffs. SPECIAL DEAL: FREE DOC SPLATTER OMINOUS OMNIBUS when you buy another item on the table priced $6 or more. We all know The Doc is crazy… but THAT’S INSANE!!

So do come by, bring some folding money and an empty idea bucket. And also, bring a camera; this marks the first time Doc Splatter will be seen in public since Halloween 1992.

Keen Halloween is at the New School for the Arts & Academics in Tempe, AZ. Follow @keenhalloween and @steamcrow for updates, live Tweets and general amusing musings.

It came to our attention that The Girl with the Donut Tattoo recently got a glowing review via podcast.

The Comic Book Noise Family podcast is a fun and professionally produced-yet-informal chat between/among any number of comics fans and allies. In this particular episode from Sept. 14, Donut Tattoo was reviewed by DTCJohn and Josh, a couple of Madison, WI comics guys (Josh manages the east branch of Westfield Comics).

Here’s the page with links to listen online or to download the audio file.

It’s an entertaining read listen. “Donut tramp stamp.” Indeed!

I can’t believe it’s over… and I didn’t come down with ConSARS!

This year marked the 10th year of Cool Jerk at San Diego Comic-Con International, but it was my 30th year in a row. Go ahead. Let that sink in.

Let’s start with my tablescape. This photo was taken mere seconds before the doors flew open on Wednesday evening (Preview Night). Looking pretty spiffy, with that new table throw and some vertical shelving on the right. As mandated by law, our neighbor to the left was once again Jose Cabrera and his comic, Crying Macho Man (sharing the table with him was Jim Lujan). Lovely people!

The new comic this year was The Girl with the Donut Tattoo. You can get the 411 on this elsewhere and on my blog. But guess what? Late Sunday afternoon, we sold out! (You can order a copy at the Cool Jerk store, but will have to wait until August for second-wave orders.) Yay, Darlene! We did it! >proud< And now, onto the people!
This was definitely the year of the black Lycra/Spandex/pleather catsuit. In fact, you couldn’t swing a dead cat without smacking a Batwoman, Catwoman, Black Widow or Wasp cosplayer. I imagine many gals chose their character depending on if they had the goggles and whip or belt and bracelets.

Here’s the first of several Hunger Games cosplayers. Katniss here wins because of her resemblance to Jennifer Lawrence. Darlene and I each did a double-take. So that’s a quad-take, I guess.

Another popular costume this year — to my surprise — was Iron Fist. Here are three I spotted (and bonus Luke Cage/Power Man in the third pic, for good measure. Don’t know why he’s throwing a kick, though). I asked each one “…is your fist like unto a thing of iron?” They all said, “Yes! Of course!”

I love when I can get celebrity endorsements for my books… even if the celebrities are fictional. Here are Ben Grimm (Thing) and Amora (Enchantress), each giving props to a book…

…and here’s Betsy Braddock (Psylocke) and Shia LaBeouf, also posing with some excellent comics. Waitaminnit! That’s really Shia LaBeouf. OK, I guess that’s one celebrity endorsement. But hold on…!

Knowing Anthony Bourdain was going to be at Comic-Con to promote his comic “Get Jiro,” I made sure to join Darlene in line and meet the man in person. Darlene goes into more detail on her blog, but it was great to meet Tony. We gave him a copy of our comic The Girl with the Donut Tattoo (which features him on one page) and a Cool Jerk Canvas Panel (also featuring him from a 2008 Cool Jerk). He was thrilled and said, “Nigella Lawson! Awesome! (she’s also featured on the same page). Best swag ever!” Nice guy; I think he was humbled by how many people appreciate pop culture, food and his role in both worlds.

At the Marvel booth each day, cosplayers would gather for group photoshoots. Here we have a mostly-mutant ensemble: Mystique, Polaris, Scarlet Witch, Kitty Pryde & Lockheed (on shoulder), Rogue, Gambit, Wolverine, White Queen, Black Widow and Wasp (with Psylocke and Hope Summers in foreground). I recognize cosplayers Yaya Han and R1ddle (Psylocke and Wasp, respectively) but the other identities remain shrouded in mystery.

I love it when a group of friends get together and cosplay en masse. Here’s the cast to Archer.

Here’s a group doing classic Star Trek (incl. pal and fellow exhibitor Dan Bois as the captain on the far right).

And on one night after the convention, Darlene and I went to Sultan Shawarma in the Gaslamp. Who did we see chowing down in the back of the restaurant but THE (movie) AVENGERS! Holy buttnuggets! It was the best! Clockwise from left: Hawkeye, Black Widow, Hulk (GRRR! HULK SMASH PUNY SHAWARMA!), S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury, S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Coulson, Tony Stark (Iron Man’s arc reactor was on her tank top), Thor, S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Maria Hill, Captain America… and Loki was forced to eat on the floor BECAUSE LOKI IS EVIL! (If you haven’t seen “The Avengers” and/or didn’t stay all the way through the end credits, then you’ll probably miss how awesome this was to see in real life!)

Speaking of, here are two cosplayers dressed as two of my favorite Avengers: Ms. Marvel and Scarlet Witch (Darlene and I chatted a bit with Scarlet Witch while eating our shawarmas back at the convention center al fresco… Scarlet apparently was there just before us because she saw the Avengers there, too!)

Say hello to BBC’s Sherlock, the backside of Silver Surfer (also Plastic Man), and Jem, reporting live from the Knight Rider display!

Here’s a little something for the small fry — some ladies representing cel, digital and stop-motion animation. Can you name the movies?

The “Crossplay” fad was as hot as ever. Here we have some Lucasfilm (Slave Leia, Han and Leia) and Marvel (Cyclops, Captain America) cosplayers bending genders.

The great outdoors! Fresh air at last!

Outside of the convention center is a great place to mingle with scores of cosplayers. Here we have Moonstone (dressed in Ms. Marvel’s original outfit — long story, kids), Earthworm Jim and Jean Grey in her vintage Marvel Girl outfit.

Here we have world-eater Galactus (also: Silver Surfer, his herald, orbiting him) and Black Panther.

Time to give DC Comics some love. Here we have a collection of heroic young defenders — Miss Martian, Batgirl, Ravage and Robin.

And fresh in from Gotham City… aw, c’mon. You know who they are. Also: A startling version of Supergirl (Superwoman?) and Deathstroke the Terminator.

Sometimes Darlene would sneak away from the table and take some pix. Here she encountered some Asgardians: Sif (with Huntress in the background), Thor Girl and Beta Ray Bill. Thor Girl is an actual character and not a crossplayer, although we saw plenty of ladies dressed as Thor.

Also on one of her treks, Darlene spotted the cast of Fringe exiting an interview. Coming down the stairs are Lance Riddick, Anna Torv and John Noble. Cool — we love that show!

Myself, I find it difficult to leave the table for more than a few minutes at a time. I hate thinking I might miss a sale at the table, or miss seeing a friend wander up. So I was pretty lucky to get a few shots within a stone’s throw from the CJ table, like these of Deadman, Illyana Rasputin (Magik of the New Mutants) and Jan, Jace and Blip (Space Ghost). Incredible costumes, all!

Also spotted some excellent costumes of Hayata and Muramatsu from Ultraman and the Gentleman Ghost!

I always do free sketches for anyone who wants to ask. This year I was approached by several people, and one fellow had a particular theme in mind: “Jesus Christ vs a stegosaurus.” So there you go.

No recap is complete without an appearance by the Poway Posse (or, at least, a few of them)!

And I think I’ll end this year’s comic-con recap with a nice story about Angela Racoosin, who revealed herself as a HUGE Godzilla fan. Comparing notes about our collections, I discovered that she didn’t have the Godzilla obituary I did with John Layman for The San Diego Union-Tribune back in 1995. I told her to come back the next day and voila! I sold her one of my few remaining Godzilla sections I had stashed away in the archive. Another satisfied Godzilla fan! Thanks, Angela!