Indeed! Free domestic shipping on purchases made at the Cool Jerk store until Jan. 1, 2011! So if you’ve been on the fence about adding some Cool Jerk books to your library or maybe have some holiday shopping to wrap up, NOW’S THE TIME!

(Sorry, my foreign friends — international shipping rates still apply!)

Just a short recap of last week’s store signing at A-1 Comics in Sacramento. To be honest, I really needed to pimp the hell out of this thing (sending out a Facebook Cool Jerk Group invite, for example). Maybe coordinate with an area taco truck (like my signing in September). Maybe just plan out more than two weeks in advance. Lesson learned.

BUT— it was a lot of fun! I was only there for three hours but I got to hang out with fellow cartoonist Chris Wisnia, who dropped in to talk smack with me! Also, Jeff Kenoyer and his boy Alex came by — Hodabeast, Chickadoowa and sketchbook in hand — to get Bimboozled and catch up with me. Awesome! I haven’t seen Jeff since high school days (he’s my buddy Jay Kenoyer‘s younger brother) and I hadn’t met Alex, although I was warned he’s a big-time Cool Jerk aficionado. I also met and chatted with a bunch of other area comics fans who will soon join my ever-expanding legion of sleeper agents.

Sacramento, I shall return! Thanks again to Brian Peets (and Joe & Joey) for being such awesome hosts!

Not the storage company, steak sauce or the newspaper’s front page. I’m talking A-1 Comics!

I’ll be doing a Cool Jerk book signing at one of my favorite comic book shops — A-1 Comics in Sacramento — this Saturday, Nov. 6, from 11am to 2pm. A-1 is located at 5361 Auburn Blvd. in Sacramento (NOT the Roseville location). I’ll have all my books on-hand, plus the Canvas Panels I debuted at Comic-Con this summer. THREE HOURS ONLY!! Tell your friends!! It’d be nice to say hi to you Sacramento-area readers (many of whom I’m sure joined this mailer at APE or WonderCon in years past) and introduce you to my newest book, Bimboozled!

I had a book signing for Cool Jerk Vol. 3: Bimboozled this past Saturday at M-Theory Music here in San Diego, and it was the best three+ hours I’ve had since my written driver’s test! Like I mentioned earlier (see the previous blog post), I wanted to have a consolation ‘con — a “Cool Jerk Comic-CAN” — for local friends and allies of Cool Jerk who couldn’t make it to Comic-Con this past summer. So I set up a mini-version of my SDCCI “tablescape” and sold some books!

Now, I’ve done a few book signings over the past 3-4 years, but this one was special for a few reasons:

• I used Facebook and Twitter (in conjunction with the weekly Cool Jerk e-mailer) to get the word out. Likewise, Darlene also contacted a few of her local friends via her food-blogging and comics aficionado circles. Believe it — those two worlds overlap!

• Darlene managed to get San Diego’s premier mobile cuisine (read: taco truck) Tabe BBQ to partner with us for the first 90 minutes. AND — to sweeten the deal — I whipped up some Taco Tickets for book-buyers (buy a book, get a free taco).

• M-Theory Music also has a weekly newsletter, plus a calendar of events (like mine) on their website.

• San Diego City Beat ran a blurb about the signing in the most-recent issue.

It was a synergetic synchronicity of comics, music and delicious Asian-fusion cuisine! Not a bad way to spend a warm autumn evening in America’s Finest City!

Thanks to a chunk of the Poway Posse — Nathan, Joe, Ben, Barry, Mack and rookie inductee Gary — for coming down to get Bimboozled! Also, a contingent of former Union-Tribune colleagues showed up to get the ‘Jerk (Chris, Steve, Janine, Anna, Mike, Jenny, Sandy, Ani and Bruce). Bethany Jordan and her friend Joey came by, as did Alex Gamboa and Darlene’s high-school video instructor, Mr. Lakin (and his entourage). I also finally got to meet the hilarious and enigmatic food-and-pop-culture blogger Canine Cologne (also with entourage). And, lastly, thanks to Rick at M-Theory Music for hosting the event, and to Chef Todd and Matt from Tabe BBQ for making it 40% more awesome (and 100% more delicious)!

San Diego Comic-Con just wasn’t the same this year. Oh, it was awesome, don’t get me wrong. IT’S ALWAYS AWESOME. I debuted my third Cool Jerk book, a new t-shirt design and a new hand-made product— the Cool Jerk Canvas Panel. And judging by sales, they were well-received.

But it just wasn’t the same. I have many regulars (and irregulars, truly) who have always made an effort to come by the Cool Jerk table and at least say hi, if not buy some of my stuff. They’re not fans. They’re friends. And a busload — no exaggeration — of local regulars couldn’t/didn’t make it to SDCC this year, for one reason or another (economy, tickets sold out, conflicting plans, sequestered for jury duty, boob job…). So I promised to hold a Cool Jerk Comic-CAN for my peeps.

This Saturday (Sept. 25), I’ll be having a three-hour book signing at M-Theory Music in the Mission Hills neighborhood of San Diego. I’ll have dozens of copies of Cool Jerk Vol. 3: Bimboozled, ready to sign off to you in person. Plus, I’ll have Hodabeast (Vol. 1) and Chickadoowa (Vol. 2) just in case you need to complete your library or your holiday shopping three months early! And just like my comic-con special— if you buy all three Cool Jerk books, you’ll get Doc Splatter Ominous Omnibus for FREE! The table space is somewhat limited, so I’m not going to be selling t-shirts, stickers or other items, but I will have the Canvas Panels on hand, too.

I realize a three-hour book signing pales to SDCC. But here are some plusses: NO $30 admission! Short lines! Wear whatever shoes you like! No eye-stabbings! And… how about a taco?

In her quest to make this event even more awesome, Darlene talked with Tabe BBQ — San Diego’s premier mobile cuisine — and they’re going to be parking their taco truck next door at the library for the first half of the signing (5-6:30pm)! So to make this more synergetic, I’m doing this: For every Cool Jerk book bought, I buy you a taco. This is a first-come, first-served offer, open to the first 20 books sold! Buy three books? THREE FREE TACOS! Comics and tacos? Did I just make your Saturday? You KNOW I did!

Here’s the event poster, with all the particulars. In short: Cool Jerk Comic-CAN, M-Theory Music at the top of the Washington Street hill, this Saturday from 5-8pm.

Thanks to M-Theory for hosting this little shingig (please throw some business their way, too!) and Tabe BBQ (their fish tacos are really, really good. I know what I’m having for dinner!).

Had a nice, busy Cool Jerk-related day yesterday. Comic-Con is barely a week in the rear view mirror, but that doesn’t mean I rest on my laurels until the next convention or store signing. Oh no. I loaded up the car and headed up to Los Angeles. Mission: Bimboozled.

My first stop was Tustin. No, wait. My first stop was Port of Subs in Oceanside. Gotta eat some #8 for breakfast! (I considered sending JustJenn a photo, as is tradition.)

OK. My first Bimboozled-related stop was Comics Toons and Toys in Tustin. The owner — Matt Powers — and his #1 henchman Ken Rolow have long been allies and advocates of Cool Jerk. In fact, my second-ever store signing (in Dec. 2005) was there. Their inventory showed Hodabeast only, and Matt was kind enough to add Chickadoowa, Bimboozled and Doc Splatter Ominous Omnibus to their store. Yay!

My next stop was in Pasadena. I’d been to Comics Factory a few times, the most recent time I spotted a copy of Hodabeast on their shelf. So I introduced myself to George (the owner) and let him know I have three more books! He took a stack off my hands, cut me a check and we wished each other a good day.

Like a moth to a flame, I can’t get within a 20-mile radius of Burbank without stopping in to Porto’s Bakery for some lunch (potato ball sandwich) and to one of my all-time favorite comic shops: House of Secrets. Erik and Paul have been staunch supporters of Cool Jerk for years, and they hosted a store signing for me in January. Their clientele are loyal and friendly. All Erik needed to see was one copy of Bimboozled and nothing need be said by me, as he just said “let’s do it.” And now House of Secrets has the full Cool Jerk library.

Off to Meltdown on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. I “officially” met Leslie (creator of the Beastlies), whom I’ve seen and said “hi” to a few times at Comic-Con over the years. Unfortunately, the head cheese Chris was recording a podcast so I was unable to strike up a partnership. I left copies of three books for his consideration, and a promise to contact him when it’s not so busy. (Meltdown does have a couple copies of Hodabeast in stock)

It wasn’t the smartest plan to drop in on comics shops on a Wednesday, aka New Comics Day. The busiest day of the week. But it was necessary, because my NEXT stop was The Comic Bug in Manhattan Beach… and thus the true reason for the trip north.

Unlike the other shops I visited, this one wasn’t about Cool Jerk. It was about JustJenn. Darlene’s and my friend Jenn was having a store signing (is that the right term?), selling her stationery, pads, buttons, badges, posters and related handmade design collectibles and ephemera. And cupcakes. Ohh-h-h-h. The cupcakes.

Besides being an outstanding food blogger and graphic designer, Jenn also bakes a mean cupcake. The ones she was selling (or giving away as samples, or with purchase) were meticulously decorated with some of the more popular Marvel or DC superhero logos.

That Superman logo was a jaw-dropper.

Not only did she make up one special for me (Fantastic Four logo), but the cupcakes themselves were “Horn Specials” — Red Velvet with Cream Cheese frosting and Ovaltine with Ovaltine Ganache frosting. (They’re nicknamed “Horn Specials” because Jenn did these exact cupcake varieties for Darlene’s and my wedding last summer, minus comic logos.)

Jenn already blogged about the event, so I won’t steal her thunder. But from my side of the table, it was a lot of fun. I saw a bunch of friends, most of whom are on Twitter (@sarahkuhn, @fakejeffchen, @foodlibrarian, @waffles) and met Jenn’s friend Cheryl (who bought a set of Cool Jerk books from me curbside at Jenn’s suggestion) and Jenn’s grandmother, aka The O.G.

For 12 hours yesterday, it was like a bonus sixth day of Comic-Con. Sure I sold a bunch of books, but I also bought more comics than I did during comic-con. I also met friends, made new ones, helped support a pal. Good day.

San Diego Comic-Con International is this week (July 22-25, plus Wednesday the 21st if you have a four-day pass) and IT IS SOLD OUT! If you’re one of the lucky quarter-million who’ll be there, here’s the skinny:

• Debuting at SDCCI: my FOURTH comics collection, Cool Jerk Vol. 3: Bimboozled! Unlike other trilogies (“The Matrix,” “Star Wars,” “Smokey and the Bandit”) these books keep getting better and better! Like Hodabeast and Chickadoowa that precede it, Bimboozled is loaded with more than 200 strips, and nearly 15% of them are Bimboozled-exclusive (i.e. they appear ONLY in the book, and haven’t/will never be online)! Sketches, Director’s Commentary, Outtakes, the insane-o Index… all there! Foreword by CHEW creator John Layman! $12.

• Of course I’ll have plenty of copies of Hodabeast (Cool Jerk Vol. 1), Chickadoowa (Cool Jerk Vol. 2) and Doc Splatter Ominous Omnibus to help fatten up your library! The Cool Jerk volumes run $12 a pop, and Doc Splatter is $8.

• Didn’t get a Cool Jerk T-shirt last year? They were pretty popular so I did a reorder. It’s probably my favorite design so far (it was Darlene’s idea). It comes in a myriad of sizes, in both crew neck (M/F) and ladies’ tanktops. $15.

• IT’S ART, YO!
Now this THIS I’m really excited about. I’m debuting Cool Jerk Panel Canvases at Comic-Con! What you’re looking at in the photo above is an assortment of small, gessoed canvases stretched onto a wood frames. Darlene and I pored over hundreds and HUNDREDS of my comics, and chose 40 panels that either consistently made us laugh and/or would be a sure-fire crowd pleaser. Supply is VERY LIMITED — we hand-manufactured only about 60 of these bad boys; for most of the panels, there was only one copy made. First-come, first-served! You have to see ’em to believe ’em. Perfect for your desk, wall or gallery! IT’S A POCKET MASTERPIECE! $25.

• ALSO debuting at Comic-Con this year, Cool Jerk original art! Yes, you read that right. You’ve seen ’em in Chickadoowa and Bimboozled. I’m selling the Sharpie roughs I use to create Cool Jerk (click here for more on that), and each sheet usually has two strips roughed out on it. Ready for the price of these one-of-a-kind keepsakes? READY?!? $5. That’s right. A five-spot. A fin. A Folding Lincoln. THAT’S CRAZY CHEAP!

• How about my 24-Hour Comic starring Doc Splatter? I’ll have a few of those, plus stickers, NEW glow-in-the-dark buttons, window decals and other Cool Jerk shwag you can’t possibly live without!

• As always, I’m more than happy to stink up your sketchbook with some pencil-and-ink action! Gratuities and donations to the HornCo Fund are always appreciated, of course. =:^)

• If you’ve been to my table before, good news! Team Cool Jerk is in the exact same spot we’ve been at since 2003! Here’s a map I whipped up as a refresher!

Lots of good stuff here, folks! If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be doing this — I really appreciate your support, enthusiasm and friendship.

Well, not yet, actually… but I hope you will soon!

Here’s the skinny:
• Contains more than 200 Cool Jerk strips, picking up from Cool Jerk Vol. 2: Chickadoowa!
• Nearly 15% of the strips within were created ONLY for this book, not ever having been seen by human eyeballs!
• You know those full-newspaper-page comics I did for The San Diego Union-Tribune? The ones that tied in with San Diego Comic-Con in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2005? They’re in there!
• Like all my books, all strips have been digitally remastered to better than 600dpi resolution (in comparison, the ones you see online are 72dpi).
• Also like previous volumes, it contains all the extras you’ve come to expect: sketchbook sketches, cutting-room floor scraps, director’s commentary on every single strip and the anal-retentive index! How many books do you buy that compels, nay, FORCES you to reread it another three or four times? That’s almost like getting FOUR books in ONE! That’s added value!
• Foreword by CHEW creator John Layman!
• Limited print run of 1,000 copies!

Its debut will be at San Diego Comic-Con International, July 21-25. After the show I’ll make it available in the Cool Jerk store. $12 for 144 pages of Best Book Ever.