It must have short-circuited!

Chapter 64: 105 minutes in the Javits Center.

• 1 hour and 45 minutes at NYCC!

• Get a rare WTFPFH variant… from Gerry Duggan?

• The WildC.A.T.S. are almost here!

• Let’s watch a movie!

• The comic you read before we can talk about the next comic!

Hey there!

We’re going to start with a quick recap of my New York Comic Con experience last week. I went to the show. Stood next to the sign saying “You must wear a mask to enter” and watched 22,000 people without masks enter. Got on a line to get my pass, was told it was the wrong line, got on a different line that was 30x as long. Got to the front and was told I was right the first time. Went back to the same person, who acted like they didn’t just reject me 15 minutes earlier, and got my pass.

Did 2 interviews in the green room that I don’t think ever ran. Then did a very fun DC Multiverse panel with the great Stephanie Williams, Dan Mora, Bernard Chang, and Mahmud Asrar! The panel was hosted by my wonderful editor Ben Abernathy who was kind enough to put a Grifter mask on while asking me questions. That will be my new requirement for convention panels going forward, fyi. Then I left the building around 2PM on Thursday and never went back.

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For real though, I did get to go to a couple dinners and hang outs with some good friends and that was really invigorating. Here’s a quick rundown.

• Was able to grab food with Alex Pakandel, DaNi, and Dan Watters the next, and Josh Williamson, Tom King, and Ram V after that. and Dan Watters one night. It all left me feeling very inspired.

• Getting to spend even a little time with folks I came up with like Ed Brisson, Steve Orlando, and Danny Lore really reminded me to be proud of how far we’ve all come.

• Having the chance to spend time the people who have championed me and given me the chances I've had in this weird business, people like Rickey Purdin, Ryan Penagos, and Ben Abernathy, (hopefully) reminds me to stay humble and thankful for the opportunities I have.

• Getting to see dudes I love with my whole heart like Gerry Duggan, James Tynion IV, and Donny Cates helped remind me that there is so much more to us than just the work we do and things we make.

• I wouldn't be making comics today without Matt Pizzolo and Tyler Boss, so getting to hang with them, and watch Matt be a total fucking lunatic at lunch, was a good reminder that none of us do this alone, ever.

All of this helped paint a really vivid picture for me of why and how I do what I do for a living. It’s so crucial to surround yourself with the people that keep you going. Find the people in life who believe in you, make you try harder, challenge you to be better, inspire you to do more, call you on your shit, and remind you where you came from. And do the same for the people you care about. All the rest is bullshit.

And since I like to think friendship is a reciprocal relationship, here are some of the things other people learned hanging out with me.

• When the native New Yorker says “this pizza place is a bit sketchy, we should go” maybe you should listen to them.

• Europeans bodies can’t handle American-sized milkshakes.

• If Tyler and I find a place with good cheesesteaks we will eat every meal there until they ask us to stop coming.

• Donny Cates and I make the exact same jokes at each other so often that it’s kind of awful to be around us.

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In other news, the Final Order Cutoff for WILDC.A.T.S. #1 is this weekend. This is a book that really needs the support of fans. So if you’re thinking of picking up the book call, email, message, or pop into your local comic shop and ask them for a copy. I’m really proud of this one and Stephen Segovia is leaving his heart on every page, so if you were on the fence consider checking it out. And if you weren’t on the fence, maybe this video I made for my friends at Forbidden Planet will help put you there.

And remember, if you don’t have a local comic shop to grab the book at, don’t hesitate to reach out and I can maybe help you find one.

We’re gearing up to do our first Ashcan Press Movie Club or whatever we end up calling it. What is it? We’re going to pick a movie that is influential to us in general or on stuff we’re working on, and then we’re all going to watch it together, as a group. And comment and discuss. Like we’re hanging out. But from our own homes. The best of both worlds!

But before we announce what the movie is we have to pick WHEN the movie is. I live in New York, so trying to figure out when to watch something with people in the UK and California is a bit… complicated. My instinct is to do it on a weeknight because who wants to spend the weekend at home watching movies (besides me)? But I thought I’d put it all to you for some thoughts, keeping in mind that I’m a tyrant so even if all of you vote for one thing I might just overrule you out of pettiness. But maybe not.

So vote! Let your voices be heard! And then go buy some popcorn because we have a date!

We are within the final 18 hours for Kickstarter projects from 2 of my favorite people in comics.

FOUL BROOD from the brilliant team of Chris Sebela and Claire Roe reached it’s funding goal, so you can back it knowing you will get all the excellent bee/crime comics your heart desires.

TIMING/LUCK is an amazing book of photography from the irrefutable of Gerry Duggan. Maybe you heard him talking about it with us on our podcast? But did you know that one of the add ons you can do if you back the book is an exclusive variant of WHAT’S THE FURTHEST PLACE FROM HERE? #10?! That’s right! We used one of Gerry’s photo’s as a cover for that issue, and we made a special, very rare version that won’t have any trade dress at all on the cover. And it’s only available here. It will probably end up being the rarest cover for the book, so grab ‘em while you can.

This isn’t the actual cover, because the actual cover has no title or credits on it. But you get the point. And if you already backed the book and want the cover you can go in and adjust your pledge to include it as an add on. Don’t let me look uncool in front of Gerry! He’s friends with famous people.

So, if you’re a paid subscriber, it’s time for the first comic to be sent your way! So exciting! So fun! So comic!

And of course if you’re not a paid subscriber it’s time for you to get annoyed and close this email. Sorry. I don’t make the rules.