Now this feels pretty damn good.

Since getting back on Monday I've been floating about in a bit of a daze. It was an incredible weekend in San Diego and there will be more posted about it shortly.

Back at the board this last couple of days, I have two pages almost ready to get scanned out, and two more to get done over the weekend. The weather has been fantastic, cool with spots of rain which means the office is actually tolerable.

During the post Spike panel press meet I get to stand between Lucy Lawless and Jaime King while reporters flash cameras like crazy and Lucy says in a mock whisper "I'm touching her breast!"

And she totally was!

I've been glowing ever since.

Having a freaky fun time. Today we're taking a brief time out to go to the zoo and see some "swamp monkeys". Or at least that's what it sounded like over the din/roar of the IDW party last night. Apparently these are monkeys in the same enclosure as otters and they play together. I think I'm going at this point just to prove that what's I heard and I'm not finally losing all my hearing.

"Yes damnit! Mel said 'SWAMP MONKEYS! And there they are!'"

Update!

The Scream Like a Girl panel on Thursday has added Lucy Lawless to the line up. So what will there be more of in the audience? Xena fans or BSG fans? Listen for the ululations to find out!

After a few days of thinking about it I have come to the following conclusion: if you take The Godfather and Jaws and smush them together you get The Dark Knight.

Yep, it's that good.

Getting closer to SDCC and finalizing schedules here. I'd like to keep the signings light this year so no daily sessions as in previous years. Those looking for an autograph can check in at the DC/Vertigo booth and the IDW booth to see what times may be set up.

I have one panel scheduled called SCREAM like a Girl on Thursday 4:45 - 5:45, moderated by Kevin Smith and featuring women working in the genres of sci-fi, comics, horror and fantasy, including producer Gale Ann Hurd (Terminator 1 and 2) and actress Jaime King (Sin City and the Spirit). Should be fun.

And that's it so far. The rest of the time I plan to wander about aimlessly. See you there.

HELL WEEK!

It's one week (and a couple of days) 'till Nerd Prom, but this officially is the roughest week of the year for anyone working in this industry.  This is the time you really don't want to pester the comic creatin' folk lest you get your head torn from your shoulders.  

On top of the regular deadlines there's shopping for clothes, getting the hair done, putting together pitches, sketchbooks, updating the 'folio, printing up new batches of business cards, confirming reservations, finalizing schedules for panels, signings and interviews, writing an acceptance speech or two whilst daring to hope they get to be used and of course figuring out where the heck everyone is gonna be drinking in the evenings.

There's also quiet meditation to store up the calm you'll need need to navigate the milling masses of over a hundred thousand geeks, or to just treat your ears to the silence that will soon be shattered by that infamous roar, that nonstop, inescapable white noise permeating the convention hall, the corridors, the sidewalks, the restaurants, the hotel bars (the worst of course being the Hyatt), the pool sides and patios.  San Diego Comic Con is one of the few times of the year we get to tear ourselves from the isolation of the studio and stand around with like-minded souls chattering about everything geekster and boy do we not waste a second of it.

It is a time of excitement at seeing old friends, of sharing new ideas and old stories.  

And it is a time of dread.

Back to work here.

Bouncing back and forth between six pages, almost done.

Weird sleep issues this weekend.  Couldn't get a full night's worth for about three days in a row, only naps.  It got to one point where my body was so tired it up and decided to stop producing heat.  I was lying in bed in intermittent spasms because shivering had somehow been forgotten.  Fortunately Ian was there to snuggle up with for warmth.   Eventually it all clicked into place and I got a good block of zzzs.   Still a bit messed up by it though, and also bummed that it all kept me from my nephew's birthday party on Sunday.   I miss that little guy.   

Gonna keep it short today, work on some panels and then back to bed so I can shake this.

Saw the series 4 finale of Doctor Who this evening and I figured out what this show reminds me of: it's one of those wonderful, childhood amusement rides (y'know the really good ones you can never find as an adult) full of ups and downs, pretty lights, great music, exhilarating and scary, just damn delightful, and you get to the end and the first thing out of your grinning face is "AGAIN!"

I wonder who I can get to watch these over again with?