Thank You, Sun Devil Fan Fair!

This week's post is coming early, mostly to thank the folks that organized and attended the Sun Devil Fan Fair last Sunday at Arizona State University!  It was a great afternoon of geeky goodness, and I hope the event becomes a tradition!

Coming Soon: Amazing Arizona Comics Quarterly #2?  Already?

That's right!  There's no rest for the weary!  Since Amazing Arizona Comics Quarterly #1 is coming out a little later than I hoped (and see last week's post on how to order), I hopped on completing AACQ #2, hopefully in time for Phoenix Comic Con.  So, since this week ends tax season, here's a glimpse of Speed Cameron's encounter with the nefarious Sign Spinner, reappearing in this upcoming, action-packed issue!

Amazing Arizona Research

We'll take a break this week from my collection of Route 66 photos so I can share something more ASU-specific -- namely these scans from the ASU vs. Oregon State Football Program, circa September 1969!  I love the ads in that book -- so much so, some of them appeared in Amazing Arizona Comics Quarterly #1.  There I plug again.

Cool Cosplay

The Sun Devil Fan Fair hosted a lot of great cosplayers, but here's my favorite -- someone donning the armor from last summer's Pacific Rim.

This Week's Intake

I've been devouring Kevin Smith's interview with Denny O'Neil on his podcast Fatman on Batman; not only does Denny offer great insight into the industry of comics, but he discusses the basic nature and necessity of storytelling in a way that makes it a compelling story all by itself.  I found his DC Comics Guide to Writing Comic Books at Bookman's this weekend and already started reading it, so this, coupled with some other thoughts about the importance of superheroes lately, is sure to shape Amazing Arizona Comics for years to come.

My wife, some friends, and I went to the Maricopa County Fair on Sunday night, as well, its last night of the year.  Three words: Deep.  Fried.  Coffee.  Starbucks, the ball is in your court.

The Sun Devil Fan Fair, The Winter Solider, and More!

What a great month for comics!  First . . .

Upcoming: Sun Devil Fan Fair & Amazing Arizona Comics Quarterly #1!

This weekend, some ASU fan clubs are hosting the first ever Sun Devil Fan Fair, a mini comic con on the Tempe Arizona State University Campus.  They're been gracious enough to squeeze me in, so if you're in town, come on by for a free sketch, or to pick up an issue of Amazing Arizona Comics! 

 

Unfortunately, I won't have any issues of Amazing Arizona Comics Quarterly #1 available yet, but pre-order is still available here at the discounted price of $2.50!  Remember, this is the first full-sized issue of Amazing Arizona Comics!  Buy it now!

Coming Soon . . .

Here's a panel from this year's Amazing Arizona Comics: Free Comic Book Day Special, starring the Arizonauts suffering the dog days of summer.  (And colored by my brother, Kyle.)  You gotta read it to believe it!  I hope to send issues to shops in Tucson, Flagstaff, and of course right here in Phoenix, so visit your local comic book store on Saturday, May 3, for this and more free comics!

Amazing Arizona Research

Last month, my wife and I cruised Route 66, and I've been posting pics from the trip -- here's my favorite billboard of all time!

Cool Cosplay

I can't post this without mentioning the release of Captain America: The Winter Soldier last weekend!  The concessions workers at the Westgate AMC Theater in Glendale were just as excited as I was -- and they dressed the part!  The "Winter Soldier's" garb is especially impressive in its effective simplicity!

This Week's Intake

Yes, I was thrilled to see Captain America: The Winter Soldier on its opening night.  I was also thrilled that the plot's driving force was (spoilers?) the current issue of national security versus personal privacy -- making Cap the vehicle for exploring a legitimate issue with the overtones of adventurous escapism.  Replace "S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarriers" with "unmanned drones" and Cap's plight in The Winter Soldier is practically ripped from the headlines, which, in my opinion, is always when superheroes are at their best.  Captain America: The Winter Soldier may be the best superhero movie to date.

My wife and I also went to the Phoenix Film Festival and caught The Joe Show, a documentary about Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio -- who, as you may know, has inspired many stories in Amazing Arizona Comics.  Considering Arpaio's track record for controversy and unabashed media hounding, as documented persuasively in The Joe Show, is it any wonder he managed to recruit a secret posse of super deputies?  That's perhaps the most believable of Joe's exploits yet!

See you at the Sun Devil Fan Fair!

Animated Sparky vs. Wildcat!

 

Football season is here, so what better way to celebrate than by animating these two members of Team M.A.S.C.O.T. -- ASU's Sparky and UA's Wildcat!