I teased about it on the Cool Jerk Facebook page, but now that it’s in print, I suppose I can show you what I’ve been secretly working on the past several days.

Last month I was hired by U-T San Diego business editor Diana McCabe to produce a full-page comic detailing Cool Jerk and its relationship with San Diego Comic-Con’s Small Press (Cool Jerk’s vacation home for the past 11 years).

This is my first full-page San Diego Comic-Con comic in the U-T since 2005 (you can find previous ones here, here, here and here). But what makes this one different is that it’s autobio. Armpit, Puppy, Manhattan, Yuri and the Spittle Beach gang are in there… but so is Darlene. I managed to squeeze in a sasquatch, another Amish Ninja running gag, official Cool Jerk thong underwear, a pie chart, José Cabrera (Crying Macho Man) and several Cool Jerk t-shirts.

You can find it in today’s U-T (cover to Sunday Business). It looks just like this.

UPDATE Here it is, in its entirety.

Thanks to all who helped out with this, including Diana, Greg Schmidt, Nirmala Bhat and Kate Nelson at the U-T. Also Daniel & Dawna Davis (Steam Crow) and Audra Ann Furuichi and Scott Yoshinaga (nemu*nemu) for the candid conversations.

Get a copy TODAY!

Look who made the cover of The San Diego Union-Tribune’s (aka U-T San Diego) Food Section!

That’s pretty thrilling, since Darlene and I both used to work there (and that’s where we met) AND it’s out on the first day of Comic-Con. It’s a really good and accurate write-up by Candice Norwood. Go pick up a copy at your neighborhood liquor store, Starbucks or newspaper rack!