Iron Duchess update

Three pages up at ZCO.MX this week. Might be the last multi-page update for a bit, as I need to get ahead on the colouring first and I'm (happily) quite busy. I'll still be updating every Monday, though, never fear!

Couple of other things to mention: first, WHOOP! The Musical Monsters of Turkey Hollow won a Harvey Award this weekend for "Best Original Graphic Novel", which I really did not see coming. Thank you to all the voters who made that happen! Extremely honoured.

Second, a huge THANK YOU to everybody involved with FACTS in Ghent this past weekend - the organisers, my fellow guests and, of course, the many fans and readers who came by and were so kind and enthusiastic. I had a great time. Almost missed my train home!

Coming up...

A couple of announcements: firstly, I'll be at the LFCC – that's the London Film and Comic Con – this weekend, from Friday through until Sunday. Hope to see some of you there.

Secondly, it appears that a book I wrote and drew (after a treatment by Jim Henson), The Musical Monsters of Turkey Hollow, has been nominated for four (!) Harvey Awards this year. One of the nominations is for "excellence in production", which is down to the talents of Scott Newman, but I'll happily take the rest (along with stellar colourist Ian Herring). Really surprised and delighted to get a nod.

This Is The News!

Lots of stuff to tell you!

First, although I sadly can't attend this year, if you live anywhere near Ann Arbor you need to be at Kids Read Comics this weekend. Great fun for kids, educational for adults - especially if you're a cartoonist, as there are workshops throughout the weekend that you can learn a lot from, led by professionals, pitched at all levels of expertise. You need this show in your life! And it's FREE!

Secondly, apparently this week I had two comics out: the first issue of my "lost" Muppet Show comic, The Four Seasons, came out from Marvel, and the third issue of Popeye from IDW, featuring a full-length Popeye story by me and the mighty Tom Neely. Really very proud of that one.

Thirdly, it appears that me and Snarked! have been nominated in three categories in the Harvey Awards: Best Publication for Younger Readers, Special Award for Humor, and Best Cartoonist (!) - although that last one has me up against some astonishing competition, so my expectations there are suitably lowered. But holy moley. I have made arrangements over the last few days to attend the Baltimore Comic Con in order to be at the ceremony, so more about that anon.


And, last but not least, thanks to Boom! Studios' kind sponsorship, I will be attending the San Diego Comic Con in a few short days! I'll be stationed at the Boom! booth (2743) for most of the show, signing books and (no doubt) doodling madly, so please stop by and say hello if you're there.

Harveys, Robots and more...

Hello! I'm interrupting a holiday here to bring you news, so I'll be brief - but I thought it was worth mentioning that I glommed a couple of Harvey Awards over the weekend, one for "Special Award for Humor" for The Muppet Show Comic Book (that's the one in the picture, being held by Boom! Studios' head honcho Ross Richie), and one for 'Best Writer" (!) for Thor: The Mighty Avenger. (Delighted to see my Thor collaborator Chris Samnee get a gong for his contribution as well.) So there's that. It's all anticlimax from here on in, folks!

Also worth sharing: Sonny Liew's Malinky Robot is out later today. Apart from just being a terrific book, it's got a pinup by me in it, which was great fun to do.

And last but very far from least, I'd like to draw your attention to the fact that Dylan Williams, publisher of Sparkplug Comics, is having health issues and needs some cash to deal with them. Please consider going to Sparkplug Comics' website and picking up some books. Your support could make a hell of a difference.

Harvey Awards

Rather excited to discover last night that I've been nominated for three Harvey Awards this year, two for Thor: The Mighty Avenger ("Best New Series" and "Best Writer") and one for the Muppet Show Comic Book ("Special Award for Humor"). Thor: TMA in particular has done very well, picking up another couple of nominations for Chris Samnee ("Best Artist" and, bizarrely, "Most Promising New Talent" - he's been around a few years, folks!) as well. Big thanks to everyone who nominated us, and congratulations to all the other nominees.

Harvey!

I am delighted to report that the Muppet Show Comic Book won a Harvey Award for "Best Publication for Younger Readers" on Saturday night. Thank you to everyone who voted, everyone who has supported the book, and especially to all the talented people I've had the pleasure of working with.

By the Hoary Hosts of Harvey!

Good lord. I appear to have scored a bunch of Harvey Award nominations. (What is the collective noun for award nominations, anyway? A "gaggle"? A "plethora"? Given that there will be more losers than winners, perhaps it should be a "disappointment".) Anyway, I'm up for Best Cartoonist (!), Best Original Graphic Publication for Younger Readers (for The Muppet Show Comic Book), and Special Award for Humor in Comics (as well as technically being included in the ACT-I-VATE nomination for Best Anthology).

I have a feeling that a lot of the goodwill I'm getting for the Muppet comics is because I'm fortunate enough to be standing on Jim Henson's enormous shoulders, but I'm grateful nonetheless. Thanks to everyone who put my name in the hat.