Happy Belated Thanksgiving and some minor comic teases

I'm back after a nice, little break the past week or so. Christopher, Xavier, and I took a few days at the end of last week to head down to GA to visit family and friends. It was great, to say the least. We made it back to VA on Wednesday to prepare for a nice Thanksgiving feast at my mother-in-law's house. And today carries on with our (me and the boys) tradition for Black Friday...not leaving the house and spending all day watching movies, playing outside, playing video games, and eating pizza. So far, it's the makings of a nice day!

But as far as comic news...Brad, David, and I had a nice 80 Pork meeting while we were all in GA at the same time. I can't recall any time we actually all sat down in the same room discussing 80 Pork Comic stuff...all our communication is usually done via internet and phone! So much stuff to tell you that we are planning that I am nearly bursting at the seams (or is that all the turkey I ate yesterday causing that??). I don't want to reveal too much...I might jinx us... but we have some great plans for The Adventurers of Liberty City in 2010, like the next story arc, a Free Comic Book Day special, and a very cool announcement for later in the year!

And in one more comic related bulletin, FLiP On #1 is now available for sale through IndyPlanet.com! So, if you didn't catch me at the Roanoke Valley ComiCon or you haven't managed to somehow get a copy from me yet, just click on the link over to the right of your screen for details on purchasing!

Til next time,
Matthew

RVCC Fall 2009

The fall version of Roanoke Valley ComiCon has come and gone. I want to thank everyone that picked up copies of "The Adventurers of Liberty City", "Wichita Gravy", and "FLiP On". I really love going to the small shows like this...just hanging out, talking with attendees and other creators, making connections, trading books with folks...it's a good time. The con seemed a little slower as opposed to the April show, but I guess the "convention season" is winding down for the year anyway.

In addition to seeing some old friends at the show, I got to meet Brian Wingrove and Jeremy Massie. Brian self-publishes a comic called "Intermezzo", a humorous superhero book, through his imprint Bear Butt Comics. Brian's got some nice art and in a way, what he's doing and trying to accomplish with "Intermezzo" seems parallel to what me, David, and Brad are doing with "The Adventurers of Liberty City". It's pretty cool to find someone who thinks like we do in the superhero game. If you've already met Jeremy Massie at a con through the years, then he definitely needs no introduction...he's one of those guys that sticks in your head. He had some nice mini comix (the hilarious "Pornin'" and the deep and slightly eerie "Caw"), but his big piece is the digest sized graphic novel "The DeaDBeat", a great book about a burnout superhero finding out his long-thought-dead daughter is alive and has powers as well. Jeremy's art is that perfect blend of cartoony with that realistic look...I'm a sucker for that kind of stuff! I added links for both Brian and Jeremy's websites in the list of creators on the right. Check them out when you can.

And a few pics from the show today...

From top to bottom: me and Josh Talley at our 80 Pork Comics/T.A.K. Comics table; Midnight Horizons' Kenny Keen (with his sons); Jeremy Massie

Thanks again to Chris Garbee from Untamed Worlds comic store in Lynchburg, VA for putting on another great show and for everyone's support today!

Until next time,
Matthew

Inside FLiP On #1: Super Tourette's Dude and Moe & Ron

We are just a few days away from the fall 2009 Roanoke Valley ComiCon! I am super excited. My son, Christopher, and fellow creator, Josh Talley, will be there with me. We'll have plenty of copies of "THE ADVENTURERS OF LIBERTY CITY" and "WICHITA GRAVY" to sell, as well as premiering the first issue of "FLiP On"!

We have two more features from FLiP On #1 to check out this time...the first one being Super Tourette's Dude! Simply put, this comic sprang out of a conversation that Josh and I had about what would happen if your stereotypical, big cape, cheesy grin hero actually had tourette's (or at least used that as an excuse to speak his mind!). Super Tourette's Dude is the answer to that age old question. This 6 page short should offer a few laughs as S.T.D. goes head to head with the dreaded...BEAR ARMS! Super Tourette's Dude is a feature that will pop up here and there in the pages of FLiP On.

Our last story in FLiP On #1 is Moe & Ron...just two good ol' country boys waxing philosophical on their everyday lives. They may not be the brightest of fellows, but they sure have a lot on their mind to discuss. The funny thing is that Josh and I actually know people who talk like this and have conversations of this nature. This is funny one not to be missed!

We hope to see you guys at the con on Saturday. For more info, click on the link for the Roanoke Valley ComiCon to the right...it's got a full guest list, directions, and info on other cool stuff there!

Til next time,

Matthew

Inside FLiP On #1: Hang in There & System One

I'm gonna try to catch up as best as I can before this coming weekend (the Roanoke Valley ComiCon!). With Halloween celebrations and all four of us here getting sick, it's been a rough week and a half. But we're all in better shape now and I'm finally getting around to posting more info on FLiP On #1.

Another story featured in our first issue will be "Hang In There". This is, quite frankly, a tale that needs no introduction. We're all familiar with that little "Hang In There" guy...we've been "fortunate" enough to come across him through scribbles in the office place or maybe even on a public bathroom wall. Some joker always has to be the funny man with this ridiculous and craptastic little guy with the big nose hanging for his life. Well, Josh Talley decided to turn the tables and put the HiT guy in some real trouble. You'll just have to read it to see...

"System One" is probably one of my personal favorites in FLiP On #1. This whole idea came to Josh and I when we were joking about having robots in the work place...how their normal every day conversations would go, the jokes they would tell, etc. We were cracking ourselves up in the process before we realized that we had quite a few installments of a short comic strip already plotted! Josh worked his computer skills and cooked up some really nice robots made out of everyday household items. I'm sure "System One" will give you guys a chuckle or two. I've already written the script for the second "System One" story to be included in the second issue of FLiP On, and I think it's even funnier stuff!

That's all for this time. I'll be back in a few to give you some glimpses at our last two FLiP On #1 features: "Super Tourette's Man" and "Moe & Ron"!

Til then,

Matthew D. Smith