Counting Down to 2008

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and Christmas!

Though I don't plan to make it an annual tradition, for the second year in a row, my family spent part of the holidays at Disneyland. Since it worked so well last year, we followed the same gameplan: spent Xmas morn opening presents and having a nice family breakfast; moseyed our way to Anaheim and checked into our hotel later that day on Christmas afternoon; entered Disneyland as soon as it opened; back to the hotel during the mid-afternoon to recuperate and give the kids a chance to nap; then back to the park until closing. We stayed a second night then, after a good breakfast, headed home the next day.

Our first stop was the newly re-furbished submarine/Nemo ride. Seemingly along with everyone else entering the park that morning, Nemo was our first planned destination; when the park officially opened, all of the attendants simply directed everyone to the line. While I was concerned about the wait, we waited less than an hour.

Fittingly, my 6-year old daughter rode the most rides. Last year, she was just tall enough to go on most of the rides at Disneyland and got a taste by riding the Matterhorn and Star Tours (twice). This year she went full tilt, riding the Matterhorn (twice), Space Mountain, Star Tours, and Thunder Road Mountain (also twice). My wife and I (and my brother, who accompanied us), switched off on watching my 2-year-old son while the other went on rides with my daughter. And of course, we hit numerous other rides together, such as Casey's Train, It's a Small World, and ToonTown.

Perhaps because of the cold weather, we were surprised at how much the park emptied that evening—late that evening, we were getting on most of the marquee rides like Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted House, with literally no wait!

We even caught the noontime Star Wars show, where kids are plucked from the audience to get Jedi training then face off against Darth Vader. (As I jokingly intoned in my best Vader impersonation—"Has it come to this? Two shows daily and three times on weekends?")

All in all, another tremendous Christmas at the Magic Kingdom.

Photo above right: Darla the Fish Killer on the new Finding Nemo Submarine Ride; above left: Though the evening fireworks show was cancelled, it didn't stop the snow flurry finale.

Happy Holidays!

Best wishes from WCG Comics for a happy holiday season filled with peace and harmony!

To see the above image full size click here. To see a collection of holiday cards from years past, click here.

Getting in the Holiday Spirit

My wife and I love visiting San Francisco over the holiday season. Though we live in Southern California, I have family in Northern California, which means we usually are in the Bay Area around Thanksgiving or Christmas. I've always felt San Francisco comes closest to capturing the vibe and energy of New York City where I was raised, and that's particularly true during the holidays. Walking around San Francisco bundled up during this time of year in the cold weather among throngs of holiday shoppers always puts us in the holiday mood.

We've done it so many times, we have a fairly regularly routine, which usually includes visits to two San Francisco landmarks I'd like to mention in this post, apropos of a comics-related blog: the Cartoon Art Museum and the Tintin/European character store called Kari'kter on Sutter Street's gallery row.

The Cartoon Art Museum has been in its present space since 2001 and is conveniently located not far from the Market Street/Union Square area of San Francisco. (It's the third location I've visited for the museum over the years!) During the time of my visit, exhibits were in progress on Edward Gorey's design work for the stage show of Dracula; of Disney animation conceptual artist Mary Blair; and Bay Area cartoonist Lark Pen. While I have passing familiarity with Gorey, I otherwise was not aware of Blair or Pen, and I enjoyed discovering their work.

The highlight for me, however, always is the opportunity to view the museum's pieces from its permanent collection. I saw originals from Roy Crane's Buz Sawyer, a Will Eisner Spirit page, a Milton Caniff Steve Canyon, as well as a very early Blondie, Popeye, Gasoline Alley, etc. It's always inspiring and revelatory to see comic artwork in their original state--the opportunity to see them full size and to examine the brushstrokes, use of white paint, etc., gives students of the form valuable insight into the way the methods of the masters.

Kari'kter is a delightful upscale store for aficionados of Tintin and other cartoon icons from the Continent, such as Asterix, Wallace and Gromit, the Little Prince, Babar, etc. They carry Tintin books, T-shirts, figurines, maquettes, prints, and a lot of terrific licensed properties. The store is both for serious collectors as well as families wishing to find a unique way to trick up their homes and children's spaces. Most of the items they carry may be found online.

By the way, another of our traditions when we're in the city is to visit the Japantown center (where we usually grab lunch or dinner) and, particularly, the Kinokuniya Bookstore. This is a terrific authentic Japanese bookstore with tons of Japanese magazines, books, CDs, etc.. There also are many English-language books featuring translated Japanese authors, Japanese art and architecture, cooking, children's books, etc. During this visit, we discovered they had just re-modeled and completely moved all their manga (Japanese comics) to a new dedicated space on the lower level of the mall where the bookstore is located. (In fact, the mall itself has received a much-needed facelift, and "J-town" looks like it's undergone a much needed minor facelift).

Anyway, if you're ever in San Francisco, I recommend you visit these places!

Honoring Stan the Man

Over this past Veterans' Day weekend, I had the pleasure of attending a memorable event honoring comic-book legend Stan Lee. The occasion was the annual banquet of CAPS (the Comic Art Professional Society), an association of primarily Southern California cartoonists that meets monthly (I'm a member). As the guest of honor, Lee was receiving the group's annual achievement award, recently re-christened the Sergio, after one of CAPS co-founders, Sergio Aragones. (Sergio designed the award's statuette. As a surprise for him last year, CAPS renamed the annual award in his honor and presented the award to him (along with Jack Davis) in recognition of his contributions as one of the group's founding members and biggest boosters.)

CAPS' annual semi-formal banquet is always one of the group's highlights of the year. Past honorees include Will Eisner, Jonathan Winters, Ray Bradbury, Mell Lazarus, Bill Melendez, and many others.

The evening was fun and full of laughter. MC'd by Mark Evanier (a founding member of CAPS), the evening's speakers also included CAPS members Bill Morrison (the group's current president) and Scott Shaw!, as well as Marv Wolfman. Two professional-quality video presentations featuring personal photos and home movie footage were also shown. All the speakers are personal friends of Stan's, so the evening included some good-natured ribbing as well. In addition to the many regular CAPS members who attended like Stan Sakai and Gary Owens, other guests included many of Lee's friends and families.

The evening culminated, of course, with the presentation of the Sergio Award. Stan expressed heartfelt appreciation for the award, and in a touching moment made a special point of graciously acknowledging by name the outstanding cartoonists he had the fortune to collaborate with over the years, including Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, John Romita, and Gene Colan.

Stan ended his remarks, of course, with a hearty "Excelsior!"

(This was not the first time I had the opportunity to meet Stan at a CAPS event. Back in 2003, Stan was the featured guest speaker at a CAPS meeting. Due to a last-minute snafu, the group had to move the meeting to a restaurant across the street that kindly opened its doors for us at our request. After we re-located, I sat down, felt a tap on my shoulder, and heard someone ask, "Is this seat taken?" It turned out to be Lee! I said "Sure!", which sure made it easy for me to ask him to autograph my copy of Drawing Comics the Marvel Way, which I had brought along for the occasion. A photo from the evening of me with Stan is posted below (courtesy of David Folkman).

From 2003 CAPS meeting (photo courtesy of David Folkman)

Wired for the Future

Missing Post

WGA Strike

I wasn't planning on weighing in on the WGA strike partly because I try to avoid "political" issues here. Besides, I thought it was a no-brainer. But when I was reading a writer's blog about this, I was surprised at the number of uninformed comments some posters made, like

At work if I create a concept, idea, or program that makes the company millions I don't get any residuals, I am simply paid a salary so why should writer's get residuals?

To be honest the shows coming out of Hollywood this past 10 years have been crap with a few exceptions. Reality TV has ruined television, so why would I support people who have produced a lousy product to start with?

First of all, compensation has nothing to do with quality. Ask anyone who works in an office environment. Quality aside, that work is being produced by contract at the behest of production companies.

In any case, I'm amazed anyone would actually defend the media conglomerates and begrudge the actual talent responsible for creating the content for expecting a share of the enormous profits these corporations make from their work. (I suspect it's related to the general ambivalence people have for Hollywood—despite the fact that it's our society's own obsession with celebrity culture and the need to be entertained that makes Hollywood such a high-profile industry.) Such comments speak volumes about what's wrong with our country right now, when someone actually admits he's more than happy to be screwed over by his employer. If so, and you are willing to take it, you certainly have no right to be bitter.

Writers got the short end of the deal with DVD sales, primarily because there just wasn't a good understanding about the nature of digital media. With myriad new media delivery technologies coming online, like the Internet, writers (and, soon, actors) rightfully expect a piece of this new income resource.

The only reason American workers have even the kind of basic protections they enjoy today is because of what the unions fought for and achieved. If a creative work continues to generate income, the creator of that work should be entitled to a part of that income--period. In many cases, they've given up ownership of the property and, hence, the majority of the profit. But the trade-off is that they should be fairly compensated for the work.

I came across a similar quote by Hollywood mogul Lew Wasserman, who famously opined, "Everytime I flush my toilet, the plumber doesn't get paid." While certainly a nice sound bite, the easy response is, "Well, you don't get a check every time you flush it either."

More informed insider-info about the strike may be found at the website of writers Mark Evanier and Brian K. Vaughn, who both also happen to write for comics.

J.C. Leyendecker Exhibition

Many years ago, the Norman Rockwell Museum in New England put together a traveling exhibition of Rockwell's work. Its California stop was in San Diego, and though I had a good reason for not seeing it (my wife and I had just had a child), I always have regretted missing it.

With this in mind, I made a point to find the time to see an exhibition of one of Rockwell's idols and forerunners, J.C. Leyendecker, at the Fullerton Museum Center in Orange County, Southern California. (It's a tiny but nice little museum with lots of character.)

Leyendecker was one of the premier commercial illustrators and artists of his generation—and he was working in what probably is considered the Golden Age of American illustration. Though not as well known today (at least among lay people) he is greatly admired by other illustrators, and much of his work remains iconic and recognizable. He is perhaps best known for his Arrow Collar shirt ads. But he also was known for many other advertising campaigns, as well as for his covers of the Saturday Evening Post (where Rockwell would eventually follow in his footsteps and gain his own legacy). Leyendecker produced more than 300 covers for the Post alone over a 40 year period. (Leyendecker also is credited with inventing the "baby new year" concept, which he produced variations of on covers throughout his career.)

The exhibition includes about 50 pieces, which obviously is just a tiny fraction of his full output. (Pictured above is a piece that was included in the exhibition.) And while the exhibition is fairly representative of the breadth of his work, it nevertheless would be challenging in such a small exhibition to fully capture the magnitude of his artistry and achievements. An original work of art obviously can take look very different than its printed reproduction, and its amazing to see what Leyendecker could convey with the boldest and simplest of brush strokes. (I'm fortunate to own a rare, out-of-print hardcover book of his work.)

Rockwell gained popularity for perfectly capturing and dramatizing the everyday lives and ideals of the average American. While Leyendecker did so to a degree as well, his work was much bolder and idealized—his figures, particularly his males—were angular and heroically proportioned. And his strong and powerful compositions and design sense underscored this aesthetic. (Please keep in mind I'm not saying that made either artist better or worse—this obviously was just a reflection of their styles and personal artistic philosophies.)

Anyway, the show ends November 18. I highly recommend this opportunity to see this rare opportunity to see the original work of one of the field's finest commercial illustrators.

(For more samples of Leyendecker's work go here and here.)

Trying Something New

In follow up to my earlier post to my recent inking difficulties, I decided to mix things up by trying new inking approaches and tools. Given how much of a creature of habit I am, this probably shows how desperate I am to shake things up!

I purchased a bunch of different inking tools at my local art store, which included the Faber-Castell brush pen, pictured here in one of the color versions. It uses a permanent India ink (which is very important).

So far I've been fairly happy with it. Since it feels like a pen, you have to be careful not to instinctively press down on it like a regular marker, but if you're patient and careful, you can get a varied line akin to a brush. At the same time, I want to avoid making any "mushy" line that looks like it was made by a marker. For some reason, I love this look on sketches, but not so much in my original final art!

Anyway, I'm hoping this may work out. If so, it sure will be nice to finally give up brushes, which are a bit high maintenance!

Inking Problems

I'm at a weird place right now artistically. While I don't think it qualifies as "artist's block" (which I have experienced), I've been unhappy and tentative about my inking the past several pages.

I've never considered myself a particularly proficient inker, but even by my standards I haven't been very satisfied with the past few pages I've done. I suspect that the problem may lie in the penciling--which, after all, is the foundation of the drawing--but strangely enough I've been pleased enough with the pencils to move on to the inking stage. But I've found the finished pages disappointing!

I use a combination of a standard Uniball pen and a Windsor & Newton 3 brush for my finishes (brush is a fairly traditional and common inking tool in cartooning), but I've been dissatisfied enough recently that I've been experimenting with other inking tools. Right now I'm trying out a disposable brush pen.

Strangely enough, as challenging as a brush can be for me, making a change isn't so easy. Like many cartoonists, the brush is a familiar tool, and I find other tools off-putting. For example, even though I love the look of my sketches using standard felt-tip pens (usually done at conventions for fans), I tend to freeze up when using it for finished work.

This is a great time to be an artist, as there are numerous inking choices. But one has to be careful about being sure to use a device that uses permanent ink. Some inks fade over time, while others are not waterproof and may easily smear.

Anyway, I thought I'd just post this to show what kind of issues often come up for artists. I usually simply work through such problems, but this is a little bit more serious in that I'm actually considering alternative inking approaches, which would be a big change for me!

Update from the House of WCG

Here's the latest news from WCG Comics and Rob Hanes Adventures....

First off, I've posted a few new preview pages from the next issue of Rob Hanes Adventures (11)! (Page 2 pictured at right.) Exhibiting at the Comic-Con International in San Diego pulled me away from working on the story for a bit, but I'm back on track. I'm very excited about this adventure, and look forward to completing it.

For some reason, ever since the release of issue 10, I have experienced a big spike in sales! Though the year is just a little more than half over, this already is shaping up as one of my strongest sales years in awhile, which is obviously very heartening--not just because of the money but because there's been a big influx of new people placing orders. And not just sample issues, but my entire catalog (I guess the special price I'm offering has been enticing.)

Not sure yet the reasons for this increase. Many occurred before the recent CBG review, so I'm wondering whether I may have missed some other coverage? Or perhaps my efforts to raise awareness through online methods have begun paying off. Regardless, I'm not complaining! My thanks to everyone who has placed an order for this record-setting year.

As I have mentioned, I'm also presently exploring new models for distributing the series to retailers. The response to this also has been good, and I'm grateful to those retailers who have taken the effort to order RH Adventures for their stores. As a reminder, I've begun posting a list of stores that support the series (which is far from complete), but it's my way of thanking these retailers for supporting the title. Be sure to frequent these stores--and to let me know if you know of a retailer who carries the series and should be included on the list!!

Finally, in addition to several messages and letters of comment I have received from fans, two messages--one from R.C. Harvey, author of the new Milton Caniff biography, Meanwhile..., and another passed along to me from Caniff's nephew--were particularly appreciated. In the first, Harvey responded to an e-mail I sent him complimenting his book; in his response, he said it was "especially gratifying coming from you, a dedicated Caniff follower. I've been, as always, enjoying Rob Hanes' adventures, admiring your deft visuals." In the second, a comment left on my review below of Harvey's book mentioned that Guyton liked my tribute illustration to his uncle.

It’s a Wonderful Life

Just in time for the centenary of cartoonist Milton Caniff's birth comes his biography, Meanwhile…, by comics historian R.C. Harvey.

As much as I admire Caniff, who created Terry and the Pirates and Steve Canyon, and put the Dragon Lady into the American lexicon, I must admit I was curious as to whether the subject—even one as seminal as Caniff—could sustain a reader's interest in a work of this length; especially since Caniff was by all accounts a modest person who led a charmed life without any real personal demons or secrets, and who was an all-around good guy with few enemies. (After all, conflict is the stuff of drama!)

Well, I should have had more faith. Harvey has artfully woven a compelling and entertaining narrative that is part biography and part literary criticism. All of the stories and anecdotes serve to advance the book's central themes related to the man's personality and career. He also deconstructs many of Caniff's strips and storytelling devices to showcase the cartoonist's artistry.

Caniff was the quintessential all-American: a self-made, over-achieving Horatio Alger who achieved success through grit and hard work. In high school and throughout his college career at Ohio State University, he was an Eagle Scout; a high school and college cheerleader; editor of the yearbook, school newspaper, and humor magazine; a member of men's glee; and of numerous honor societies, including the Sigma Chi fraternity which played an important role in his life. He also was an aspiring actor and performer, and did local theater in college. And he accomplished all this while working nearly full time professionally as a staff artist at a regional newspaper through his entire college career.

This work ethic was ingrained in him at an early age and he astonishingly maintained it throughout his life (yet still he always barely stayed on deadline). As a working artist myself, I must say his dedication to the grind was sobering but inspirational.

(One amusing anecdote in the book has a newspaper editor saying goodbye to Caniff at the end of the day where the cartoonist worked the night shift due to his college schedule; the editor later that evening spotted Caniff on stage performing in a local play, then saw him again the next morning at his drawing board when he came in to work. As this story shows, from the very start, Caniff learned to work at all hours of the day (and night) to meet his deadlines.)

As the book affirms, Caniff indeed led a charmed life. As his career began taking off, he and his lifelong partner and wife, Bunny, both theater buffs, lived for several years in upstate New York, in what is best described as a theater colony. Neighbors and friends included noted journalists, playwright Maxwell Anderson, actors Burgess Meredith and John Houseman, and for a summer, writer John Steinbeck. (Meredith once brought actor Charles Laughton around to show how Caniff had used his likeness for one of his villains, Anthony Sandhurst, in the strip. Laughton was delighted.)

In those heady years, the Caniffs attended private play readings at their neighbors' homes that included Meredith, Ingrid Bergman, and Rex Harrison, and they were regulars in the New York society scene. Caniff's studio often served as a salon of sorts for theater and cartoonist friends, with cocktail parties and poker games often going on at all hours. And through it all, Caniff worked.

Throughout his life, Caniff made the most of every opportunity that came his way. Just as importantly, these opportunities were the direct result of Caniff's hard work, ambition, personal charm, and networking abilities.

Harvey does a terrific job portraying the era and environment in which Caniff worked; in many respects, Caniff's life also encompasses the history of American cartooning and U.S. history. The book is a compelling read, and I'll be saddened when I'm done. It's great to read a story about a nice guy who, for once, finished first.

(Pictured above are the Caniffs at the 1982 San Diego Comic-Con. Photo: Alan Light)

Alex Toth Documentary

In an earlier post, I reviewed the excellent biography of Milton Caniff and wondered whether any artist as devoid of personal demons or dark secrets as Caniff could be an engaging subject (the answer was yes).

On the other side of the coin is the legendary Alex Toth, an "artist's artist" who worked in comics and the animation industry (where he worked on seminal programs like Space Ghost and Jonny Quest), and whose prodigious talent earned the admiration of his peers and continues to influence cartoonists today. Greatly admired and respected (and even beloved), many people sought his friendship despite his reputation as a cantankerous and combative individual. His complex personality and tortured genius makes him the perfect subject for a biography.

Buried in a recent 2-disc DVD release of Space Boy and Dino Boy: The Complete Series is an excellent 80-minute documentary on the cartoonist entitled "Simplicity: The Art and Life of Alex Toth." Previewed at the Comic-Con International: San Diego in July 2007, the documentary has everything one would want for a project focusing on an important figure in comics history: it's polished, professionally done, and has high production values. (As more than one person has noted, it easily would work well as an episode of PBS' American Masters series.) More importantly, it is a wonderful and well-deserved tribute to Toth's legacy and commitment to his art.

The documentary includes extensive interviews with friends and admirers, including Mark Chiarello, John Hancock, Irwin Hasen, Joe Kubert, Bruce Timm, Paul Pope, and others, as well as his four children. The documentary also touches an emotional nerve, particularly since Toth found some measure of peace, contentment and redemption in his final days.

Since I wrote a tribute to Toth at the time of his passing, I won't bother repeating myself here to talk about the man. But anyone with a serious interest in comics would do well to watch the documentary—the DVD already is a bargain, and frankly the documentary itself is worth the price of the DVD. (I purchased the DVD solely for the documentary!)

All I'll say is that I regret that I did not try to pursue knowing the artist more aggressively myself. As noted in my tribute to him, I occasionally sent him comps of my own comics, and always received postcards back. Given my personality, I likely would have been too intimidated to seek him out cold and unsolicited as many did (including some of those interviewed in the documentary), but I certainly would have corresponded with him more frequently if I had known--as the documentary makes clear--that he loved exchanging letters. Regardless, those notes I have from Toth are prized possessions.

It's a bit of a crime (and a puzzle) why this documentary has not received more attention, but I hope this review helps spread the word a bit.

Reviews of RHA 10

I was planning to temporarily turn the subject of this blog back to my favorite subject (me of course) for awhile and talk about what I'm currently up to, but those plans got pre-empted by my discovery of a nice review of Rob Hanes Adventures 10, which just appeared in the latest issue of the Comics Buyer's Guide (1634, p. 57).

Reviewer Tony Isabella generously describes my work as "classically inspired, distinctive, and just a terrific example of how solid storytelling can trump comic books published by bigger outfits. Part of me is amazed that the "bigs" haven't recruited him: more of me is pleased that he's free to tell his stories his way."

It's a full page review, with generous samples of my cover and sample art included.

While trying to find the review online, I also discovered that Isabella ran an earlier review of issue 9 back in March, which I missed.

I'm periodically reviewed in the CBG, but it's obviously still a thrill for the work to get some attention.

All You Need is Love (and Cheap Trick)

Last weekend, I had the privilege to attend a concert at Los Angeles' famed Hollywood Bowl celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Beatles' seminal album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The show was headlined by Cheap Trick, who were joined by several special guests, including Amee Mann, Joan Osborn, Ian Ball, and Rob Laufer. Cheap Trick is one of my favorite rock bands from the '80s, and everyone was in fine form. In the second half of the show, the Sgt. Pepper album was performed straight through in its entirety, with orchestral support provided by the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.

"All You Need is Love" was performed for the encore and I must say it nearly brought me to tears: Thinking of all the crap going on in the world today and watching this '60s anthem to peace being performed live made me think about how simple it would be to solve so many problems if people embodied and personified the song's simple but heartfelt message. How sad for the world that so little has changed since the Summer of Love.

The Boys of Summer (part 2)

The other testosterone-heavy show of the summer is ESPN's original mini-series, The Bronx is Burning. Based on the book of the same name, the story chronicles the Yankees' summer 1977 run for its first World Series championship in decades, while its home city, New York, also grappled with the Son of Sam killings, a major blackout and riots, a near-bankruptcy, and a mayoral race.

The centerpiece, of course, is the larger-than-life egos and personalities of the organization, particularly demanding Yankee owner George Steinbrenner and manager Billy Martin. Also figuring large in the series is Reggie Jackson, who came to the Yankees that season, and catcher Thurmon Munson, who was the team's first captain since Lou Gehrig. Also playing prominent supporting roles in the show are Mickey Rivers, Lou Pinella, and Bucky Dent.

(I should note that, along with other prominent Yanks like Willie Randolph (my favorite) and Christopher Chambliss, this was the Yankee team I grew up with.)

Effectively evoking the era and integrating the show with 1970s-era footage, the series is fun and expansive, and successfully portrays the backstage politics of a high-stakes entertainment and sports franchise. As one reviewer effectively describes it, the show is "an all-male soap opera that would put 'Desperate Housewives' to shame. These men, at the height of their power, are the ultimate drama queens, larger than life, and maybe even bigger than New York."

Oliver Platt as Steinbrenner, John Turturro as Martin, and Erik Jensen as Munson turn in particularly fine performances. Credit particularly must be given to Platt for his outstanding work: given Steinbrenner's status as a minor icon thanks to both his outsize personality and as a recurring character on Seinfeld, I wondered whether it would be possible to successfully capture the man. It's a tribute to Platt's performance that he not only gradually comes to successfully embody the character, but he effectively makes it his own, making you forget you are watching an actor. Platt's performance sneaks up on you, and it's clear he is having a whale of a time.

Perhaps because of this, Steinbrenner surprisingly comes off somewhat more sympathetic than either Martin or Jackson. Though difficult and demanding, he nevertheless was dealing with outsized personalities. Martin obviously had a huge chip on his shoulder and was somewhat immature; while Jackson was a bit of a conceited prima dona. Nevertheless, one must credit the real-life Jackson, Steinbrenner, and other Yankees from the era for appearing extensively in "behind the scenes" interviews that accompany each episode. Given the passage of time and the fact that the events portrayed in the show led to a new Yankee dynasty, perhaps it's all water under the bridge now.

The Boys of Summer (part 1)

Thought I'd take a break from all this comics stuff to talk about two new summer television shows. Though both are very different from one another they both are period pieces that are high on the testosterone.

The first is AMC's dramedy, Mad Men. The show is set at the end of the 1950s in a Madison Avenue ad agency (hence, the title of the show), during an era when WASPs were still the majority, and cigarette smoking, sexual harassment, and the two-martini lunch were socially (and legally) acceptable in the work place. The ad and junior execs at the agency portrayed on the show were the Masters of the Universe of their time. The show takes place at the height of the space age, when skinny ties and pomaded hair were in, and the show captures the era well.

The main protagonist is Don Draper, a steely senior ad exec at Sterling Cooper, a topnotch New York City ad agency. He's surrounded by a bevy of ambitious junior execs who they see him as their role model but, in the cutthroat business world, also are after his job. The show follows the professional and personal lives of the various characters on the show and the ad agency—ranging from Scott to the junior execs, to the office secretaries—within the context of the era. All of the secretaries, for example, are subject to the advances of the business executives (whether they are married or not is irrelevant).

Some of the funniest moments in the show come in showing the difference mores of the time. At one party, for example, a pregnant woman is seen smoking and drinking (interestingly, I saw a similar joke in Hairspray as well). In another, a little girl runs around placing "astronaut" with a plastic bag over her entire body without anyone batting an eyelash. And, of course, everyone smokes like a chimney. (Another funny running gag in a couple episodes has involved Republicans trying to recruit Scott for Richard Nixon's presidential campaign who's described as "smart, good looking, and a World War II vet." There also is the obviously gay art director whose nearly every uttered line is a double entendre, yet its clear he does his best to pass as straight.)

Yet the show also has a vague, off-putting Blue Velvet feel to it. This primarily is embodied by the character of Scott, who despite his success projects a sense of ennui and emptiness; his character seems self-aware and conscious of the vacuousness of his job and the era (which I suspect will lead to some reveal about his past at some point in the show).

Actor Jon Hamm, who portrays Scott, does a great job anchoring the show, projecting a real William Holden-like masculine presence that's not often seen among actors today. The other standout on the show is Vincent Kartheiser as the baby-faced Pete Campbell who both idolizes and resents Scott, while also lusting for his job. The most ambitious and alpha-male among the junior execs, his character initially came off as a typical frat-boy exec, yet some interesting facets to his character have emerged that suddenly have made him one of the show's more intriguing personalities.

The show has a quiet force to it, and all of the drama is in the personalities. It's a compelling show and I'm curious to see where it goes in upcoming episodes.

2007 San Diego Comic-Con Report: Where To From Here?

NOTE: This was originally posted at the WCG Comics website and was moved and archived to this blog in March 2020. Click here to go directly to the photo gallery.

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Below is my report on the 2007 Comic-Con International San Diego, held Thursday, July 26, through Sunday, July 29. It’s important to note that the report below reflects just my little slice of the show—given the convention’s sprawl, ranging from comics, to films, to television, to gaming, it would be impossible to cover everything that occurred. For complete coverage, I suggest linking to one of the web sites I’ve posted at the end of this article. My four preliminary blog entries leading up to the event are also available as follows: Part I, Part II, Part III, and Part IV.


Selling the Series

This year it really hit home how much of a niche series Rob Hanes Adventures is. I’ve always known this, of course; fans of my work tend to be people who love the classic high adventure genre tradition, or simply appreciate the clean, straightforward art and storytelling styles. (For these reasons, I count a lot of pros as fans of my work.) Trying to tap into this target audience always has been a challenge, and several conversations during the show brought this home for me.

The first was a fan who told me how he discovered the series: his retailer knew he was a fan of Milton Caniff’s Steve Canyon comic strip and suggested he try out my series. In fact, his retailer told him that if he didn’t like it, he’d refund his money. Needless to say, he became a fan. When he found me, he purchased all the back issues he was missing from my catalog (he also bought a poster!)

Another eye-opening conversation was with a retailer who carries my series and does well with it. He pointed out that Rob Hanes Adventures is not something a typical kid with limited funds who reads Spider-Man or X-Men will pick up; but he also noted that many of the readers who tend to gravitate to my work—and who are fans of classic adventure strips—tend to be have more disposable income and would have no hesitation in picking up any books I might publish.

I had several conversations of this kind during the show. It underscored how simple it would be for a retailer who knows his customers’ tastes to sell the series. While I recognize that retailers have a lot of products to push, I plan to share this information with retailers to encourage them to take a little effort to promote the series to the right customers. This not only helps me, but more importantly, their own bottom line!

The Big Show

People have begun describing the Comic-Con International in San Diego as “Cannes for geeks” (including the New York Times of all places). It’s an apt description. After all, it’s on the seashore, there are tons of movies being pitched, and comely young ladies in revealing costumes stroll the event having their pictures taken.

“Teeming” is another good way to describe the mega-event. For the first time ever, this year’s Comic-Con International (CCI) completely sold out of both advance 4-day admission tickets, as well as single-day admission passes for each day (there also is a three-hour preview night on Wednesday for 4-day ticket holders). I’ve yet to see an official attendance tally, but the figure I’ve heard is 140,000.

Traditionally, the Thursday and Friday of Comic-Con have always been expected to be “slow” days in the run-up to the weekend; while Sunday, as the last day of the convention, was the wind-down. As a result of the sell-out this year, however, EVERY day felt like a Saturday, with the floor jam-packed wall-to-wall with crowds.

In fact, much of Saturday actually seemed LIGHTER than the other days—the result, I suspect, of the crowds being sucked to the premium events that are scheduled on that day. Stars like J.J. Abrams, Nicholas Cage, Rosario Dawson, Robert Downey, Jr., Jon Favreau, Edward Norton, Clive Owen, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Liv Tyler, were all on hand to push projects. As a result, sales were depressingly low early Saturday—though it picked up considerably by the end of the day. Only after Comic-Con did I learn that most exhibitors at the show experienced the same thing.

For those looking to discover new talents and great new comics—both independent and mainstream—CCI is still a great place to go, with everyone under one roof and for the most part conveniently grouped together. But a large portion of the crowd clearly are not regular (or even casual) comic-book readers. All the heat generated for the show by the media are due to the films, sci-fi, TV shows, and videogames. As such, I’ve long learned that it’s simply not realistic to expect my little indie comic-book to appeal to everyone at the show. At the same time, trying to tap in to the right audience at a show as immense and sprawling as CCI also makes it a bit of a crapshoot! Given the many people who discover and fall in love with my work purely by accident, it’s clear that there’s a swath of people at the show who likely would enjoy my book but simply don’t ever see it.

Family and Friends

I’ve attended nearly every Comic-Con since about 1986, missing it only in 2000 for my honeymoon. As a result, the show is much more than a trade event for me since many friends and family attend the show as well.

This year, my wife intimated that she had a surprise for me. I knew it involved some costumes for the children, and when the family arrived on the first day, my 5-year-old daughter was dressed as Batgirl and her toddler brother in a doggie costume. (His current obsession are dogs.)

Even more surprising (perhaps disturbing is a better word) was how quickly my daughter took to posing for the cameras! Whenever someone asked me or my wife for permission to take a photo, she immediately struck an appropriate super-hero pose. My wife admitted she taught her to put her hands on her hips, but the rest of it was otherwise all my daughter’s doing—as I told friends, “Where did that come from?!” She was quite the hit, and even drew the attention of actress Rosario Dawson on the convention floor. (See the photogallery or scroll down for a photo of Dawson.)

Regardless, I was there to work for the most part, so full credit must go to my sainted wife for being responsible for the children during most of the show; it was quite a burden considering that I had to arrive at the convention center early in the morning and work each day until the show closed at 7 p.m. After closing down the booth and dinner, I usually didn’t get back to the hotel until 10 p.m. The only plus side was that since we were on vacation and the kids were quite stimulated, we allowed them to stay up later than usual, so I got to see them and play with them a bit before bedtime. (Having a young family has precluded me in recent years from attending any after-show parties or events.)

One of our most enjoyable nights was the opportunity we had to spend with the family of one of my oldest friends who works at a prominent comic-book company; our families and some friends got together on Thursday night for an after-show swim and pizza party at the Marriott swimming pool

My participation at the show also is made a lot easier to a great extent due to the help of my brother and a buddy. Both help me with setup and teardown at the start and close of the show, and they man the booth when I need to take off either to conduct business or to take a break to walk the floor myself. They’ve become quite effective at selling my books on their own, so I know I’m leaving the booth in good hands when I’m away!

This year I also had the opportunity to catch up with some fellow professionals who I’ve become acquainted with primarily because they were among the earliesst fans of the series. These included Kurt Busiek, Karl Kesel, and Andrew Pepoy, and we had fun talking about the state of the industry as well as our mutual interests in the work of classic cartoonists like Milton Caniff, Roy Crane, Frank Robbins, and Noel Sickles. R.C. Harvey’s recent massive biography on Caniff, Meanwhile..., also was a topic of conversation.

The Panels and Walking the Convention Floor

When one is working at a booth—especially when you are the sole creator—you can imagine it’s difficult to find time to simply enjoy the show. That has become even more difficult given the growth of Comic-Con and the size of the crowds. It’s simply impossible anymore to methodically explore the show and take everything in: to a large extent, the crowds dictate the flow of foot traffic and define the areas to avoid.

Like many exhibitors, I tend to walk the floor in the morning before the show opens to check out product and decide what to buy; having a specific goal when walking the floor makes it a much more productive and less daunting process.

In addition, because of the need for me to physically be at my booth as much as possible, I need to be very selective of what panels I attend. This year, I attended a tribute panel for Milton Caniff, where they showed a restored episode of the Steve Canyon television show (brought to you by the U.S. Air Force and Chesterfield cigarettes!). The show obviously was of its time, and is more of a historical curiosity for Caniff fans than having any real entertainment value.

Of greater interest was the tribute panel for the late Alex Toth, whose death last year rated coverage even in the mainstream. The panel featured a preview of what appears to be an outstanding 80-minute documentary on the artist, which is included as an extra on a new Space Ghost DVD compilation. As one of the panelists noted, the documentary’s quality was easily at a level for PBS and its “American Masters” series. I didn’t find it available at Comic-Con but plan to purchase it shortly.

The documentary also got me to thinking about the recent telephone-book-size Caniff biography, Meanwhile..., by R.C. Harvey. By all accounts, Caniff's life was quintessentially all-American, both in his upbringing and his personality. He had a flair for publicity, was hard working, gregarious, had few if any vices (and even fewer enemies), stayed married to his high school sweetheart his whole life, and was widely acknowledged by his peers as the dean of cartoonists within the industry. In contrast, Toth was known as being irascible and volatile, and his own worst enemy. I look forward to the Caniff biography (which I pre-ordered months before it was released), but I wondered how interesting it could be given Caniff’s affable life and personality; in contrast, Toth’s conflict-filled life would seem to naturally lend itself to a rather fascinating biography.

Post Mortem

While hiccups in a show as large as CCI are to be expected, one must marvel at the ability of the CCI staff to pull off a show as large and complex as this one. It’s clear they make changes based on feedback and experience; this year they made the hallways by the large panel rooms one way to help ensure that the meeting rooms emptied and filled up in a more orderly fashion.

Nevertheless, now that they’ve completely sold out out the show, one must wonder where they’ll go from here. On the plus side, at least we know that this is as crowded as this show ever will get (at least at this site!)

See you July 24-27, 2008!

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For additional coverage, visit:

• The Beat
• The Comics Reporter

Comic-Con Photos Posted

I've just posted my final report and photogallery for the Comic-Con International in San Diego. Feel free to go straight to the photogallery, though both are clearly linked with each other.

Countdown to San Diego IV (364 Days to Go)

I've just arrived safe and sound from the Comic-Con International in San Diego. Fortunately, the traffic back to Los Angeles seemed lighter than last year. Though the 5 and 405 freeways were heavy at the usual bottleneck points (starting in Carlsbad), unlike last year when it often slowed to an unbearable crawl or came to a dead stop, this evening at its worst the freeway moved at a steady clip of about 30-40 MPH. Which meant I got home in only about two-and-a-half hours (I think it took me more than three last year). Believe me, it was a treat compared to last year, and a pleasant trip. The Beatles and Ben Folds Five kept me company.

I'll be posting my usual annual Comic-Con report shortly, but a few quick impressions:

• Apparently, the sales pattern I experienced was mirrored by many other exhibitors at the show: namely, as reported in The Beat, that sales were "disappointing for Friday and Saturday, as thousands of people stood in line to get into Hall H or get bags or just gawk at girls in skimpy costumes." (Saturday sales for me were quite strong, but not until very late in the day—the first part of the day was a complete wash!) Overall, I was satisfied by the sales at my booth, even though as I mentioned it was uneven throughout the show.
• For the first time ever, all 4-day passes and all single-day passes for the convention sold out in advance. As a result, the traditional "slow" days of the convention—Wednesday's preview night, Thursday, and Sunday—felt just as crowded as a Saturday. (Those days actually seemed MORE crowded). I can vouch for that personally—navigating the convention floor was truly a daunting experience.
• It was nice to learn that I'm not the only one trying to deal with what continues to be a challenging market for small independent comics. One colleague and prominent fellow publisher flatly told me that he thinks the traditional retailer model is dead. Though I'm not quite sure I agree with that entirely, I understand the reasons for such sentiment. Many people are hungry for a new distribution model that will enable more diverse work to be seen in the current environment.
  

As this quick overview shows, I caught up with a lot of fans, retailers, and fellow pros. In particular, I received some good feedback that will help me in promoting the series. And despite some of the more sobering assessments mentioned above, I still found the show to be greatly energizing; the comments, feedback and expressions of support I received, particularly from longtime fans and retailers, were deeply appreciated—it's humbling and a thrill to know that my work continues to entertain and excite readers. My thanks to everyone who stopped by!

(Stay tuned for a full report shortly!)

WCG Comics Conducts Talent Search for New Artists

Long-running Independent Comic-Book Company to Use Outside Artists for the First Time

July 19, 2007

For the first time since its founding in the early 1990s, WCG Comics announced that it is conducting a talent search for up-and-coming artists to work on one of the longest-running independent comic-book series, Rob Hanes Adventures. The series features the adventures of a modern-day international spy-for-hire and soldier of fortune, and offers a modern-day spin on classic high adventure comic strips like the Spirit and Terry and the Pirates.

For more information about the talent search, interested artists should visit the WCG Comics website and click on the “Help Wanted” link.

Self-publisher Randy Reynaldo, the creator and writer-artist of the series, has been the only artist to work on the series since its inception. Although Reynaldo plans to continue working on the series and releasing new issues, he hopes that bringing new artists on board will increase the frequency of new stories, as well as bring new energy to the title.

“I plan to continue working on the flagship comic-book series as I always have,” says Reynaldo. “But I have several story ideas that I may not have a chance to get to for awhile to do myself, so I thought bringing in other artists might be a good way to solve this problem.”

Reynaldo primarily is looking for artists or artist teams that would produce finished art (pencils and inks) from Reynaldo’s scripts.

Though Reynaldo is well known for a clean black-and-white art style that is reminiscent of classic adventure strip artists like Milton Caniff and Alex Toth, Reynaldo said artists would not be necessarily expected to work in the same style.

“Of course I’m looking for an artist that has an affinity for the kind of stories I do, but otherwise I’m open to all kinds of interpretations and art styles,” Reynaldo says. “After all, part of the fun of doing a project like this is seeing other people’s interpretation of the series.”

Reynaldo admitted that he’s not entirely settled yet on whether the work will appear in the regular series as fill-in between his own issues or serialized online as part of the webcomic edition of the series as rhadventures.com. Reynaldo says he is exciting about the prospect of collaborating with a other artists for the first time.

Rob Hanes Adventures is a comic-book series about an international troubleshooter and modern-day soldier of fortune who works for Justice International, a worldwide private investigations and security agency. Reynaldo is a Xeric Foundation grant recipient and a past nominee for the Russ Manning Award for Most Promising Newcomer, which is awarded annually with the Will Eisner Awards. In 2006, WCG Comics celebrated 15 years of publishing.

More information about the series may be found at the WCG Comics website at wcgcomics.com. 

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Countdown to San Diego III: The Early Bird...

When I was a kid, we had a tradition of departing for family trips by car very early in the morning, around 4 or 5 a.m. Though I'm not quite sure of the reasons behind this, I have pleasant memories of this tradition—of sitting in the back seat half-asleep watching the sun rise as we embarked on a trip cross-state or cross-country, with my parents in the front seat.

The last couple of years, I've done the same for my trips to San Diego. Of course, I have more practical reasons for adopting this practice: living in L.A., I know how bad the traffic can be on the 405 Freeway corridor between these two major cities, especially during rush hour in the middle of the week. So I try to get an early start, and often end up in San Diego around 6 am.

I've arrived even before the convention center was open, but this gave me a chance to grab a nice breakfast, and park my car close to where I need access to get into the convention hall. (On the morning of the last day of the show, I also get up early to get a good parking spot so that it's easy to load up my car when I tear down my booth. Then I go back to the hotel to prepare for the show.)

It's actually fun to be at the convention center so early. It's surprising how much work still needs to be done before the show opens for preview night, so there are forklifts all over the place, the carpeting is still being put down, drapes on tables, and people are putting together their booths. I'm usually done by lunch, so I walk around, take in the atmosphere, see friends, then check in to my hotel to wind down before the show begins.

Based on my experience, over the years, I've developed check lists to remind me of things I need to bring down for the show and when I need for vacation. I'm happy to post them for download (click on the file to download): my Convention Checklist (for exhibiting) and my general Travel Checklist.

Countdown to San Diego II: My Contribution to the CCI Souvenir Program

Below is my contribution to the souvenir program for this year's Comic-Con International in San Diego. Click here to see it in fuller detail.

Each year, contributors are given a variety of themes to choose from, and it was a no-brainer for me to focus, of course, on the centenary of Milton Caniff's birth. (Caniff, of course, is the creator of Terry and the Pirates and Steve Canyon, and one of my idols who inspired Rob Hanes Adventures.)

Caniff is pictured seated at the table, and surrounding him from Terry and the Pirates are Pat Ryan, Terry Lee, and Burma from Terry and the Pirates; Steve Canyon (from his namesake strip); pining away in the foreground at far right is the iconic Dragon Lady.

I also usually try to somehow work my own characters into the theme. So at bottom left, you'll see my character, Rob Hanes, and his partner, Abner McKenna, commenting on the proceedings.

Also included in the drawing are various Caniff characters, all from Terry: Captain Judas (visible behind Rob and Abner); Anthony Sandhurst and his put-upon wife, Normandie Drake (Sandhurst is the direct inspiration for my own character, Antony Cromwell); Chopstick Charlie, Raven Sherman and Dude Hennick (the first two are partially obscured by the Terry logo); and at the rear of the club on the balcony are Terry's companions, Connie and Big Stoop.

I should note that I also thought about contributing a drawing celebrating the centenary of the birth of Herge, the Belgian creator of Tintin. My plan was to draw my character putting gel in his hair to emulate Tintin's famous spiked forelock, just as Tintin walks in on him. But I just didn't have the time to complete the drawing.

(At right is a personal favorite Comic-Con drawing from 2005, honoring Will Eisner, which you can see full size here).

Countdown to San Diego I

In the coming weeks, I'll be formally making announcements through press releases, my website, and my e-newsletter about my participation as an exhibitor at the Comic-Con International (CCI) in San Diego (booth S14 in the Small Press Pavilion--come visit!). However, I thought I'd use the blog to give people a behind the scenes peak at preparing for the show. This year marks my 10th year as an exhibitor at CCI, dating back to 1994.

Planning, of course, starts anywhere from a year to six months before the show when exhibitors must reserve and purchase a booth. Not too long after that, I actually reserve my hotel. The popularity of CCI has caused great competition for rooms, and over the last several years I've found it necessary to book way in advance. I also try to order any books I'll have on sale at the show as early as possible to avoid being part of the surge in demand many printers experience right before convention season. (In one of my first years exhibiting, I discovered on a Friday evening that a shipment sent to me by my printer was at a shipping dock near the San Diego Airport that was literally due to close in 15 minutes for the rest of the weekend. With my then-girlfriend (now wife) in tow, I hailed a cab and promised the driver a $20 tip if he got me there on time. We made it with minutes to spare.)

The big news this year is that I created a new banner for my booth, pictured here. I have a set-up I used for years (which can be seen in my photogallery of past conventions), but I was way overdue for an upgrade. Digital technology offers many choices and has made this kind of job more affordable.

The photo here was taken about 1 a.m., after the family was asleep, and accomplished after several successive evenings of trying to figure out how to assemble the banner. Once I finally figured it out, it actually is not too difficult to put together. But I still had to jury-rig part of it because it didn't quite work as advertised. It looks fine, but I wish it was sturdier. (But you get what you pay for!)

The real test will be whether it survives the wear and tear of four days in San Diego. If it works out, I'll provide a link of where I ordered it and be happy to recommend it to people. But I think I'll wait 'til after the show after I've had a chance to use it "in the field" under real-world conditions!!

(I plan to post more, but for additional sneak peaks, visit my photogallery for the show!)

Rob Hanes Adventures Audioshow Now on CD!

Back in the 1990s, WCG produced a 30-minute Rob Hanes Adventures audiotape called “Three Days of the Fanboy.” Designed as a classic radio show, and professionally produced and engineered, the story brought the series to vivid life with voice actors, music and sound effects. (One of the program’s lead voice actors, Scott Brick, has since become a prolific and award-winning audiobook narrator, having recorded more than 250 books to date, including many by best-selling authors such as Brad Meltzer, Orson Scott Card, and Tom Clancy.) In the show, Rob is hired to protect the comic-book collection of fanboy extraordinaire Johnson McFeeley (played by Brick).

Long overdue, the audiotape has finally been transferred to CD and now is available at the WCG Comics webstore. As seen above right, the cover art has been redesigned for the new CD format. Revel in the dated references and hear the series come to life with this unique and fun collector’s item!

To see photos from the recording, click here.

Hello Again, My Loyal Public!

Yes, I know, it's been awhile since I last posted. All I can say is that it would be very easy to spend all of my time promoting my work on the Web if I wanted to -- but then I'd never finish any new comics for you, my loyal public!!

Anyway, I'm pleased to announce that the landmark 10th issue of Rob Hanes Adventures is now available!

For details, including how to order, go to the newest edition of my e-newsletter or visit the main WCG Comics website.

The issue is a full-fledged sports story that takes place in the world of minor league baseball, and was a fun change of pace.

As mentioned in a previous post, issue 10 will be available at my booth at the Comic-Con International in San Diego, July 26-29. I'll be in booth S14!

With issue 11, the series will return to form with a story of high adventure in which Rob goes to Asia to battle modern-day pirates. A preview for the issue has just been posted here.

Pending the completion of a few final details, I have some additional exciting announcements coming up related to the future of the series and the upcoming convention, so stay tuned!

Rob Hanes Adventures Hits Landmark 10th Issue

Longrunning indie series celebrates milestone with sports story

June 6, 2007

For immediate release

The long-running independent comic-book series Rob Hanes Adventures hits its landmark 10th issue in July. To celebrate, the action-adventure series will cross genres in the issue with a full-fledged sports story. The issue is now available to retailers and also will be available from WCG Comics at the Comic-Con International in San Diego, July 26-29, 2007.

Though primarily a modern-day soldier-of-fortune series, Rob Hanes Adventures creator Randy Reynaldo frequently explores other genres. In issue 10, the series enters the world of minor league baseball in a humorous sports adventure entitled “The Pride of the Chickenhawks.” Past stories have featured a drawing room mystery and outright comedies.

“Although Rob Hanes Adventures is primarily a globetrotting action-adventure series, I've always intended to keep myself challenged by mixing things up and throwing the character into different, offbeat situations,” says Reynaldo. “I had a lot of fun doing a baseball story and may tackle other sports in the future (no pun intended!).”

In the issue—just in time for baseball season—globetrotting adventurer and Justice International private eye Rob Hanes is hired by a minor league baseball team called the Brisbane Chickenhawks to investigate allegations of steroid use. In the course of the story, however, Rob becomes more interested in getting a hit than with cracking the case—leaving it up to his partner, Abner McKenna, to solve the mystery! Rob's obsession with getting on base and the resolution of the case come to a thrilling climax in a baseball game with playoff consequences. All the elements of a classic sports story are blended with a classic mystery-adventure.

In addition to classic adventure strips like Terry and the Pirates, Scorchy Smith, and Buz Sawyer, Reynaldo also is a longtime fan of Will Eisner's Spirit, and has always appreciated the wide variety of stories presented in the groundbreaking series. Stories often ranged from straight adventure to lowbrow comedy, and everything in between—including numerous sports sequences.

And while even Reynaldo is too young to have enjoyed first hand classic sports comics like Joe Palooka and Cotton Woods, he knows they once enjoyed an enormous following in comics. Sports comics also are a popular genre in Japanese manga.

Upcoming stories in the series will feature the character battling modern-day pirates in Asia and being stranded on a desert island with a convict Rob has been hired to extradite from overseas.

Rob Hanes Adventures is a comic-book series about an international troubleshooter and modern-day soldier of fortune who works for Justice International, a worldwide private investigations and security agency. Reynaldo is a Xeric Foundation grant recipient and a past nominee for the Russ Manning Award for Most Promising Newcomer, which is awarded annually with the Will Eisner Awards. In 2006, WCG Comics celebrated 15 years of publishing.

More information about the series may be found at the WCG Comics website at wcgcomics.com.

Click here to see sample pages from the issue.

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