Signed Sketches from Amazing Arizona Comic Con!

Sometimes, when artists and actors appear at a comic con, people want to get their signature but didn't come prepared with something to sign.  At the Amazing Arizona Comic Con, that's where I came in, drawing sketches that artists and actors were cool enough to sign for their fans.  Check these out:

Deadpool sketches signed by Rob Liefeld!

Power Rangers sketches, signed by Power Rangers actors!

Flash Karaoke, Harley Quinn in the Desert, & Other Amazing Arizona Comic Con Sketches!

Now that the wave of Left Shark sketches is over, here are some other sketches I cranked out at the Amazing Arizona Comic Con!

Bender from Futurama

The Flash, singing karaoke.

Somebody had a Demon Cat sketchbook.  I added Angel Dog to its canon.

A fan asked for a Spider-man on a cactus sketch.  I said, "Okay."

All four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on one little half sheet of paper -- in straight Sharpee!  A first for me!

A custom Harley Quinn cover -- with the Clown Princess of Crime in the desert.

KaraokeFanboy Podcast, Episode 4

In this episode, Kyle and I discuss the Amazing Arizona Comic Con, I talk with the organizers of Phoenix's Simpsons Trivia Night, and I score an awesome interview (part 1 of 2) with the co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Kevin Eastman!  Alex Wilson from Bleeding Cool is in on the interview, as well, and special thanks to Bob Leeper and Nerdvana for helping land the opportunity.

Left Shark, Round 2!

More Left Shark, from the Amazing Arizona Comic Con!

Someone asked for a sketch of Deadpool coming out of Left Shark's mouth.  Fair enough.  But, when I sent it to my brother, he sent it back in color.  Nailed it!

Thank You, Amazing Arizona Comic Con . . . and Left Shark!

A special thanks to the organizers of the Amazing Arizona Comic Con for another great show!  If you swung by my table in Artists' Alley, you may have noticed my sketch of Left Shark (who appears in Amazing Arizona Comics #10) -- it was a hit, and I drew dozens of Left Sharks for fans!  Over the next few days, I'll post some pictures from the show, starting with the Left Shark shenanigans right now!

Check out this Left Shark figurine, added to that amazing Sharknado hat!

Five Day Art Challenge, Day 5: Amazing Arizona Comics #10

Fellow mini-comic artist Eric Mengel (interviewed in the latest episode of KaraokeFanboy Podcast!) challenged me to the Five Day Art Challenge on Facebook, which, from what I can gather, is a call to post five pieces of art every day for five days.  Since I'm working tirelessly to finish Amazing Arizona Comics #10 by Amazing Arizona Comic Con this weekend, I thought to use the challenge as a look back at my comics-making career, from childhood to this very week!

And, so, here we are -- Amazing Arizona Comics #10.  Brilliantly colored by my brother, this issue is full of more pop culture references than a Dennis Miller monologue (as if that isn't a dated reference . . . sorry, Dennis).  Here are five of my favorite panels from the issue, in no particular order, so as not to spoil the plot.  If you visit Artists' Alley table #D-18 at the Amazing Arizona Comic Con this weekend, pick up your own hot-off-the-presses issue for only $2!

What are you reading?

Are you reading Amazing Arizona Comics: The Webcomic?  The first appearance of Family Fun Bot is currently running, in color, and it's a great pre-holiday season treat!

For more Amazing Arizona Comics, look for my table at next weekend's iCon in downtown Glendale, or again at the Phoenix Comicon Fan Fest December 12-14, or even once again at the Amazing Arizona Comic Con February 13-15, 2015.  Free superhero sketches for all!

Star Wars Reads Day & Other Recent Appearances Round-up

A special thanks to Bookman's in Phoenix for hosting me this Saturday at their annual Star Wars Reads Day event!  I drew caricatures, Star Wars characters, and superheroes for children of all ages in attendance, and it was a blast!  Here's my warm-up sketch from that afternoon:

I'm also delighted to report that I recently offered a caricature to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Phoenix as a thank you card for the chefs that competed in their annual Dish It Out culinary fundraiser.  The evening featuring four of Arizona's premiere chefs, and I drew them in an homage to The Avengers  #4:

Chef Aaron May (the meat cleaver swinging Thor wanna-be above) won the night, and here we are with the drawing:

The event was hosted by Arizona radio legend Beth McDonald, who you can hear every weekday morning on KEZ 99.9 FM.  Meeting her was an absolute pleasure!

This winter promises to be very busy, with Artist's Alley tables scheduled for iCon in downtown Glendale, the new Phoenix Comicon Fan Fest in December, and of course the Amazing Arizona Comic Con in February.  Each event will have its own special premiere, so stay tuned for the latest projects, and as always feel free to swing by for a free superhero sketch.

Phoenix Comicon Memories #5: Cowboy Cosplay . . . In A Flash!

Dig this Cowboy Flash from Phoenix Comicon!  I'd love to think that a predecessor to the Fastest Man Alive patrolled Arizona's Wild West . . .

Reminds me a bit of this Cowboy Green Lantern from this year's Amazing Arizona Comic Con.  Could a Justice League of the Old West (JLOW) cosplay group be in the works?

Happy Birthday, Arizona!

Darkpaio says, "Happy Birthday, Arizona!"

If you love living in Arizona, the fact that Arizona's statehood anniversary is shared with Valentine's Day is the perfect coincidence for you!  While I hope to keep my updates weekly only, I couldn't let today pass without acknowledgement, so here's an abbreviated version of my new newsletter format, just to say, here's to you, Grand Canyon State!

Cool Cosplay

I get to see a lot of cool cosplay at the cons I attend, and rather than post endless slideshows of fat Batmen, I like to feature one great costume at a time, ideally revealing the wearer's creativity, originality, and, most importantly to me, practicality.  So, to celebrate Arizona's birthday, here's a nod to its Wild West roots with a Cowboy Green Lantern from last month's Amazing Arizona Comic Con!

Coming Soon . . .

Amazing Arizona Comics Quarterly is still in the works, with a story that takes place on this very day, starring our very state's first governor, who is entombed in Papago Park -- to rise in the instance his beloved land faces a crisis!  Behold, the GovernMummy!

A New Strip . . . and More!

I haven't posted much since last month's Amazing Arizona Comic Con, but I've been busy at the drawing board plotting this year's worth of Amazing Arizona Comics and more.  I'll tease some upcoming projects at the end of this post, but, in the meantime, I hope to post weekly newsletter-style updates of what's happening here at KaraokeFanboy Press . . . starting today!

McGruff . . . Enough!

You may have heard this week that McGruff the Crime Dog has barked up the wrong tree of the law, but do you know the whole story?  If you're cruising comic shops in Phoenix this week, you can pick up a noir copy of this strip, but here it is in glorious color, revealing McGruff's connection to America's Super Secret Service, the national extension of Amazing Arizona Comics explored here in years past.  (Click here for easier reading.)

Cool Cosplay

I get to see a lot of cool cosplay at the cons I attend, and rather than post endless slideshows of fat Batmen, I like to feature one great costume at a time, ideally revealing the wearer's creativity, originality, and most importantly to me practicality.  So, here's a look at a Samurai Flash from the Amazing Arizona Comic Con!  Great threads, dude!

This Week's Intake

This week, I've been catching up on Dean Haspiel's The Fox through Archie Comics' Red Circle Comics imprint.  I've dug Dean since the Billy Dogma days, but his out-of-this-world take on classic superhero shtick is really fun.  I think the next issue (#5) wraps the current storyline, so pick up the back issues while you can!  Sure, a trade is right around the corner, but nothing beats this series' funky floppy issue design, which includes a nice batch of bio pages and back-up stories.

Coming Soon . . .

I've created a yearlong game plan of projects for 2014, which started with the Amazing Arizona Comics: No Burn Day Special that month, and continues with Amazing Arizona Comics Quarterly, my first standard comic-sized issue!  AACQ will collect old and new adventures alongside extras exploring the rich superhero subtext of Arizona's history.  The first issue, scheduled for publication by mid-March, will feature Cupid's annual plot to usurp Arizona's birthday in favor of his beloved Valentine's Day, both of which fall on February 14.  The mini-comics will continue, but AACQ will be fun way to get these tales out there in a different format for new readers.

Karaoke Comics and my old fanzine Far & Wee are all on the to-do list for this year, as well.  Keep your eyes on freebie shelves around Phoenix -- and of course right here on the blog -- for excerpts of all this stuff.  

Until next week, happy birthday, Arizona!

Thanks Again, Amazing Arizona Comic Con!

As always, the Amazing Arizona Comic Con was a blast, and I'd like to thank Jimmy Jay and company for putting on a great show.  If you received one of the over 200 sketches I cranked out from Artists' Alley this weekend, thank you for swinging by the table!  Remember, I'm available to sketch at birthday parties and bar mitzvahs!

I'd also like to thank my wife, who quickly ran a new sketch pad to the show on Sunday morning when I realized I was almost out of paper!  I ripped through those 80 pages by 4 p.m., so I felt bad when these gentlemen asked for sketches, until they revealed the new scrolls they'd picked up at the show.  I broke in the rolled up pads with doodles of Spider-man and Silver Surfer, and the honor was all mine.

I hope to post pics from AACC through the rest of the week -- some sketches, some of my favorite cosplay, and some miscellaneous thoughts "from the alley."  If you have any con memories from last weekend, feel free to share them in the comments.  We're all in this together!

Finally, if you'd like an issue of Amazing Arizona Comics: No Burn Day, a new full color 5 pager, just click on the Paybal button below.  For just 50 cents, it'll come atcha as a PDF via email.  Act now; this offer is for a limited time!

Amazing Arizona Comic Con Starts Tomorrow!

Amazing Arizona Comics: No Burn Day, a brand new short story starring the Arizonauts, premieres tomorrow at the Amazing Arizona Comic Con for only $1!  Here's a panel from the colored version, soon to be available as an online exclusive.  As always, feel free to swing by the table for a free sketch, and to check out some of the surprises I have in store for the show.  See you at Amazing!

Thank You, Drawn to Comics & Glendale Glitters!

Glendale Glitters wrapped up last weekend, and Drawn to Comics was kind enough to host some artists for the final night's worth of festivities.  If you're visiting the blog because you picked up a flyer, welcome!  I hope to see you at the Amazing Arizona Comic Con from January 24-26 at the Phoenix Convention Center!  Swing by the table in Artists' Alley and ask for another free sketch; it's always my absolute pleasure.

In the meantime, check out the new Amazing Arizona Comics Tumblr here for inspirations and excerpts from the only superhero mini-comic about current events in the Grand Canyon State!

Finally, to put a bow on the Christmas season, I've reposted a few of my superhero Santa comic book pitches with images below -- but here are the drawings combined to create what would be a tri-fold cover of pure holiday hooliganism!

Tucson Comic Con: Scarecrow Cosplay

Halloween may be over, but the Scarecrow makes the season of fear last all year long!  Here's Dr. Crane reading the first issue of Amazing Arizona Comics at the Tucson Comic Con.

One of my favorite parts of exhibiting at cons is meeting fellow fans passionate about the comics craft -- and this guy shared that his Batman: The Animated Series Scarecrow suit was his first cosplay experience.  Obviously, he nailed it!  He's a big Scarecrow fan, so he said he might dress up as different incarnations of the frightful foe at every con he attends.  If you're reading, Scarecrow, swing by my table at the Amazing Arizona Comic Con in January.  I'm afraid to see how good your next Scarecrow suit will be!

Thank You, Amazing Arizona Comic Con!

A special thanks to the crew from Amazing Arizona Comic Con for a great weekend!  If you visited my table, thanks for stopping by -- and if you didn't, hope to see you next year!  If you missed your chance to score a free sketch, I'm still happy to oblige -- just drop a note in the comments section.

Josh A. Cutler as Captain America 

Every comic con is full of stories, and I posted a few I had the pleasure of hearing over at the blog Nerdvana -- just click here to read them.

Finally, since I create a comic about superheroes in Arizona, this picture I snapped of Robin in downtown Phoenix has become one of my favorites.  Dig that shadow!  The teen wonder lives!

Don't forget, Phoenix Comicon is in May.  More stories await!

This Weekend: Amazing Arizona Comics #7 Exclusive!

Here's a detail from Amazing Arizona Comics #7, Amazing Arizona Comic Con Exclusive Cover edition, available only this weekend at Artists' Alley table A39 in the Amazing Arizona Comic Con!  Only $2, while supplies last!