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Erika Moen and Dylan Meconis show off their brand-new books

Tweet This [...]]]> Just in time for the Stumptown Comics Fest, Erika and Dylan have received giant shipments of their books from the printer. Read more at their sites:

Erika Moen and Dylan Meconis show off their brand-new books

Ron Chan's sketch of [...]]]> Ron Chan is currently working on issue #42 of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic for Dark Horse Comics! He will be penciling and inking the issue, and it should be out around mid ‘09. This is an early sketch he did of the main character, Zayne Carrick.

Ron Chan's sketch of Zayne for Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

1-1/2 cups HONEY BUNCHES OF OATS Cereal, crushed1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon2 Tbsp. honey4 small ripe bananas, cut crosswise in half1/4 cup whipped cream.

PREHEAT oven to 375ºF. Line 15x10x1-inch baking pan with foil; set aside. Mix crushed cereal and the cinnamon on large plate. Pour honey onto second plate.ROLL each banana piece [...]]]>

1-1/2 cups HONEY BUNCHES OF OATS Cereal, crushed
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp. honey
4 small ripe bananas, cut crosswise in half
1/4 cup whipped cream.

PREHEAT oven to 375ºF. Line 15x10x1-inch baking pan with foil; set aside. Mix crushed cereal and the cinnamon on large plate. Pour honey onto second plate.
ROLL each banana piece in honey, then in cereal mixture until evenly coated. Place in prepared baking pan.
BAKE 15 min. or until bananas are soft. Place two banana halves in each serving dish. Top evenly with the whipped cream.

This wasn’t a convention. An arts festival would be the closest comparison I guess. The organizers brought a number of Anglophone and Spanish cartoonists to Gijon to exhibit their work, meet [...]]]> So as I mentioned a week or so ago, I spent the week at the SALÓN INTERNACIONAL DEL COMIC DEL PRINCIPADO DE ASTURIAS

This wasn’t a convention. An arts festival would be the closest comparison I guess. The organizers brought a number of Anglophone and Spanish cartoonists to Gijon to exhibit their work, meet the public, and shovel down endless platefuls of the local ham. Selling comics was the last thing on anyone’s mind.

The Anglophone contingent was James Lloyd, artist of Bongo’s Simpsons and Futurama comics, Ian Boothby, who writes them, Pia Guerra, best known for her art on Y the Last Man, Jim Starlin, Igor Kordey, Mike Oeming, and Mike’s collaborator Bryan Glass, and of course me and Sara. The Spanish group included Purita Campos and Francisco Ortega (Frank Elliot) co-creators of GINA, and Ricardo, creator of Goomer (and, I found out, the former editorial cartoonist for the Miami Herald.) Alberto Álvarez Peña, Pau, Xuasús and Gaspar Meana. I can’t tell you much about the work of the local artists because, alas, their panels were conducted in Spanish. I liked what I saw, though.

Our responsibilities were something less than crushing. Sara and I arrived Sunday, did a one hour Q&A on Tuesday night, followed by forty minutes of signing and sketching. On Saturday at the Haxtur awards I had to stand up and wave when my name was said over the loudspeaker, accept an award on behalf of Esad Ribic, doodle out a big quick sketch on stage with Pia Guerra, and sit for another 40 minutes of signing and sketching.

I have to say that I loved Gijon. Most of our days were spent just wandering the streets or lingering in cafes. Sara’s reasonably fluent in Spanish, but I don’t speak a word, and I took tremendous pleasure from people watching, trying to eavesdrop with my eyes and just letting the raw sounds of the language wash over me.

Of all the things I saw, what impressed me most was the remarkable dignity of the older people. In the US, senior citizens have a way of looking out of place- sort of shocked by the world around them and ill-suited to cope with it. I didn’t see anyone like that in Gijon. They all seemed appropriately dressed, walking slowly with good posture, fitting into their surroundings, confident and content.

It was quite an experience. Our hosts treated us with more respect than we as American cartoonists are accustomed. Sara and I had a wonderful time and are tremendously eager to return. Now, on to the pictures:

Jim Starlin and Igor Kordey.

Eva, Igor and Michelle.

The stage on which the Haxturs were presented. The little blue people are me and Pia doing our quick sketches. And what’s that group off to the right?





That’s right, it was a bagpipe troupe, blowing and thumping away at full volume while we drew.





Haxtur himself, as drawn by Victor De La Fuente.





Mike Oeming and Ricardo doing their quick sketches.





Oeming drew Don Quixote. Ricardo did his version of Haxtur.








Jim Starlin, doodling up a big-ass Thanos.





In Spain fans can take a whiz while you work on their sketches.





Apparently this is part of the culture.

Wipe your ass, with Manga!





Me, trying too hard.





These things were nifty. The relay boxes around town were elaborately decorated (with permission) by grafitti artists.





(center and right) Purita Campos and Francisco Ortega.





Pia Guerra and Ian Boothby.





One of seven shelves of graphic novels at the local library.





Sara and a plate of potatoes.

It was a clothing store. The sign was a fucking lie.





Mike Oeming.

Pau, a wildly talented local artist, and Sofia, the organizer of the festival.





Jose M Alvarez makes a bunny.





Doodling was a big part of most lunches.





I try to keep an open mind about these things.




Ripping off Jaime Hernandez and Roy Lichtenstein at the same time. Nice.




The Institute of Culture, where my work was on display.





The poster for my exhibit. Hellboy is looking at a squashed cat he just stepped on.





Me. admiring my own work.





James Lloyd, a mean, mean drunk.





This gorgeous church dominated the waterfront across from our hotel.





And every waterfront needs a giant thermometer, too.





A flyer, illustrating the concept of fascism.





Nothing like a face on a plate to remind you you’re somewhere else.