BUZZ BUZZ Once There Was...

WINDUP COMIC FEST 2010

The Windup Comic Fest is a one-day sequential art event, held twice a year in Baltimore at The Windup Space. Indie comic book artists and comic book stores set up shop for an afternoon of comic awesomeness.

There is no cover charge. The Windup Comics Fest is an all-ages event. Alcohol is available for guests 21 and older. Parking is on-street, or in one of two nearby garages.

MAY 22, 2010. 2pm - 7pm. 12 West North Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21201

P.S. Vendor Space still Available. Check the website for details.

I am an incredibly, ridiculously lucky human being. So lucky in fact that it gives me hysterical giggles if I think on it too long.

1. I got the job. OMG. Like, with a salary and benefits. It starts up next week, and I'm waffling between quiet panic and utter lethargy. The lucky part? It took me a week. From 'deciding I needed a job' until acceptance letter. WTF?! I DON'T KNOW, BUT I AM SO GRATEFUL.

2. My house is not on fire. The house across the street caught fire. I live in a TOWN HOUSE. The whole neighborhood is just back to back to back to back... and the place two doors down and one strip of asphalt away was ablaze. My home, my cats, important federal documents that say I'm allowed to work at the new job I just got? All of them are FINE. The lucky part? Because it's RAINING TONIGHT. There was only one unit burned, and thankfully for the neighbors, they weren't home--no injuries!

3. My fiance and his extended family rock. Don't get me wrong, I've got awesome folks in my own gene pool, but it's wonderful to be in love with someone who's not tied to a fresh batch of crazy. You know how many families out there are the 'family values' version of spastic, rabid weasels in a sack? My whole family's been incredibly supportive and generous, but I want a special spotlight on the basic sanity of my family-to-be.

4. We got space at AnimeBoston! 2 feet. BUT IT'S SOMETHING! I'd already told Boston friends we couldn't go--and into my inbox pops the offer! I'll be tied down with the new job, but that wonderful fiance of mine will be there with 2 foot worth of inventory. ;P

5. Our panels got approved at Tekkoshocon! That's badges in the bag and a chance to really talk to folks! :D ROCK! Again, I've gotta stay home thanks to new job, but I'm not the only one in the studio who can give panels on the topics we picked, so we're covered.

6. I have kickass friends who animate my goofy drawings for me: THANK YOU, REI!


Lucky me is going to bed. I MUST REMEMBER THIS FEELING WHEN I WAKE UP TOMORROW. I don't know what my malfunction is, but I'm always more focused and determined at night when I should crash and not in the morning when I need some fire to seize the day.

Tomorrow's To Do List:
1. BE ACTION-PACKED.

February 12, 13, & 14 (Happy Valentine's Day!), we were in Timonium at Far Point 2010!

Thanks to our friends at RobotMartini.com, Gavin & Griff, we were introduced to a most excellent gentleman, Eli, with the Far Point programming department. Eli graciously incorporated us into Far Point's brand new "Do-It-Yourself" track, and welcomed us to do all kinds of panels.

We even worked with Eli and other local comic artists to set up a brand new philanthropic event, THE CHARITY STRIP-OFF. :D

( Far Point Photos )

We have video of the shark dance at our new YouTube channel.


In addition to this silliness, I'm also job-hunting. I should hear from my most exciting prospect before Tuesday. *Fingers crossed*


( And now, Cats )

Otakon has opened its artist alley space request form!

*fanfare!* And it's off to the races!

Who else is going? Either as a table-rat or as a cosplayer/panelist/attendee/photographer/stalker?


Also, I spent 3.5 HOURS digging out the driveway and the car. There was 2.5 feet on the ground... and 2 on the car... so if you knock the stuff off the car, I shoveled 4.5 feet of snow! YAAAAAY. *weeps* I got to the gate in the back, but not across my yard to my ACTUAL DOORS. So we're still snowed in on the backside. You've gotta go out our front door and around the row of houses down to the alley then down to our car b/c all our doors OPEN INWARD and are under 3 foot drifts! :D

OH. And Baltimore City. It's been three days. WHERE ARE THE PLOWS, YOU ASSHOLES?! The old man next door needed to get to the hospital for his dialysis, called an ambulance, who told him they couldn't come and asked him to meet them on a plowed street 2 blocks down. We had neighbors offer to sled him there on an air mattress, but he refused... AND FELL. He luckily didn't break anything, but they loaded him up and sledded him down to meet his ambulance.

I will post snow photos shortly (of the snow, not the poor old man).

Hi! We've been super-busy with the studio, so here's the deal. This post is about:

( How Blake Fixed Comment Logins )


Far Point SciFi Convention
February 12, 13, & 14
Crowne Plaza Hotel
2004 Greenspring Drive, Timonium, MD 21093

We will have a table in the artist alley/fan gallery and our entire crew will be doing assorted panels throughout the con! Interested in stuff that we might talk about? You can see us at:

( Panels we'll be teaching at Far Point )

( Our projected Con-Schedule for 2010 )

Know of any cons we don't have on the list? Tell me about them! We'll work on putting them on there. :)

Interrobang Studios was lucky enough to attend the first annual Giga-Con: Art, Design, and Animation Convention in Washington DC this past Jan 8-9.

We were invited to join the fun by Fenia Norville, who we ran into at this past AnimeUSA and Professor Bryan Tillman, who's not only a department head at the Art Institute of Washington, but also the founder of Kaiser Studios, a small press comics company! We met a ton of awesome folks–both professionals and students.

The panels were amazing. The guests were amazing. Everyone was super-easy to talk to and I just know I'm gonna see the students I met credited in the games I play within the next few years or so.

We'll be headed back next year for sure. They're already talking about the convention tripling in size as they invite more and more outside artists, gamers, and vendors into their convention. People were really excited about the Watchbabies Parody book and our Spinks. Thanks for such a warm welcome, AI!

( Photos under the cut )

Giga-Con Details!

This Friday & Saturday, January 8 & 9, from 10am to 5pm, Interrobang Studios will be attending a convention for artists, illustrators, game art designers, and 3D modelers hosted by the Art Institute of Washington.

There will be a mix of student and professional artist alley vendors (Interrobang Studios among them!), as well as hour long demos by each of the 13 awesome professional guests over the span of two days. Check the details link below the image for more info on those pros!


Also, if you're local to the Baltimore/DC area, check out the Baltimore Gamer site for information about nearby gaming events. Mike and Gabe were terribly awesome when we met them at MAGFest and their site has already helped us discover more local venues!


THANK YOU to the MAGFest Staff for your amazing efforts! The MAGFest folks went above and beyond the call of duty and we will return for MAGFest 2011 without hesitation!

The Music And Gaming Festival was 4 straight days -- 24/7 -- of larping, table-top, console, pc, and arcade gaming. The bands ruled the evening and the merchant's room carried everything from Tshirts to Lego/Pixel art.

It was so much fun, we didn't always remember the camera. (oops!)

( MAGFest Photos )

Interrobang Studios has our first convention of the year on Jan 1! We're appearing at the MAGFest Artist Alley in Alexandria, Virginia from Jan 1 through Jan 4. It's a gaming convention--you'll have a good time. Come on out!

On a personal front:



My new awesome tshirt. Also, our new snazzy hats:



You are so jealous.

( Other Xmas Fun )

Seriously. If you've got badwidth issues, this is NOT the post for you.

There are photos from:

1. The Cool Yule Arty Party
2. The Xmas tree I made out of plastic forks (cats as a subset)
3. The Awesome Museums we visited while Clare was in town.
4. The giant Baltimore Cemetery

December 12, 2009. The Interrobang Crew hobnobbed with professional artists and artisans in a Gallery Show. There were live performers and framed art and everything. ;)
( Cool Yule Arty Party Photos )

We've finally got a home big enough to put a tree in the living room... but my cats eat EVERYTHING. So to avoid scrubbing pine-needle puke from the carpets, I made our tree this year. From plastic forks.
( Plastic Cutlery Tree Photos )


While we had visitors, we hit the comic book museum and the Baltimore Museum of Fine Art. Who knew Baltimore had NICE THINGS in it?! No, no. Like world-class 'nice things.' I was shocked to find so many incredibly famous works of art hanging around in our museum. Free of charge. Just... there.
( Awesome Museum Photos )


We finally walked around the old cemetery off of North Avenue during visiting hours. Album complete now... the first two photos will be reposts, but I'm a complete-ist.
( The giant Baltimore Cemetery Photos )


Taa DAAAAH!



Also... The video sucks, but the song is made of win and youTube lets me embed it. Oh Arrogant Worms, I love you.

COOL YULE ARTY PARTY

Date: Tomorrow! December 12, 2009
Time: Noon - 6pm
Location: The Lustine Center - 5710 Baltimore Ave, Hyattsville, MD, 20781

What: Gallery Shows by DC artists. 4 Live bands. Holiday Crafts Festival. DC area Comics and Graphic Novelists.

Click the picture above to see the official press release.


---

On a personal note: Kevin and I had an amazing housewarming. Thank you all for coming out. The place really feels connected now. Not just a huge cubby where we keep our stuff and crash at night. :D

I had a grand time with our out of town guest, Clare Moseley, who does a pair of comics: Creator Confidential (A webcomic chronicling Clare's first year working as an indie comic writer/artist) and Otherkind (A twenty-four page ongoing fantasy comic, available as both in print and as a digital download). You can get to both her projects through the link in her name.

Clare, Kevin, Jade and I wandered Baltimore and poked much of it with sticks. I have photos. Specifically AMAZING photos of the Baltimore Cemetery.
( Preview of Graveyard Photos )

The graves are from the mid to late 1800's and in terrible shape. It's clear that if there is any surviving family, none of its members are visiting. However, the neglect goes further. The drainage in the cemetery is abysmal and all the gravestones are settling. Many are cracked in half, and from the moss growing, have been that way for ages. Others are piled in marble stacks, pipes jutting out from underground, rusting against the white marble. The thin grass squelches underfoot and the constant suction of the mud at your heels sparks superstitious uneasiness.

I haven't formatted all my photos, but I will. I've also got more light-hearted stuff from museums and Holiday decorating. Those will go up as well.

I've made our X-mas tree out of clear silverware this year. :D (Yes, Clare & Jade! SUCCESS!) Pictures of that shortly as well.

Wish us luck at the art show!