Project : Shadows #2

THE YEAR: 2050. WAR has ravaged the world and more specifically, America. At the heart of nuclear destruction and everything that led up to it is the new evolution of man: super powered beings called SHADOWS, who are government-created, controlled and unrelentingly sought after by ALL nations. 

SAMANTHA, a VERY POWERFUL Shadow, has decided that she wants nothing to do with any of it and is trying to just live out her life in a mostly post-apocalyptic world. She soon finds herself caught between a government that has only brought her ruin and a rebel faction of Shadows that wants to change the balance of power. What is a girl to do? Is it really possible to be neutral despite the fact that EVIL WILL TRIUMPH WHEN GOOD PEOPLE DO NOTHING?

There was no Kickstarter contribution to add to my excitement of this book, I was still just as eager to read it.  Although knowing I had a hand in the first one is still a fun thought, but I digress.  With the strong start we had to issue 1 of Project: Shadows, there was a good chance we’d follow up with another bang.  And what do you know; the second part of this story did not disappoint at all and continues to be a great read.

Although we may not see all the intense, power filled fights we had in the first issue, we still have a powerful story to fill that gap.  With the drama that our lead role Samantha has gotten caught up in, the dark forces behind the scenes are beginning to be revealed.  The kind of power she possesses is bound to be sought after as you can imagine, the big question is why.  More and more pieces of the puzzle are coming into play, and things are bound to rapidly progress as the series goes on.

Regardless of there being less extreme action scenes in this book, the artwork has maintained the lively feel it had from the opening issue.  Trujillo keeps the same post apocalypse look going consistently, and Parvanov brings out all the right colors to accompany that design.  Of particular note, the first couple pages of this issue were absolutely stunning to look at, and even had me going back for seconds.

This is a project I am glad to have stumbled upon, regardless of how I managed to.  I was reeled in for the first part, and it’s looking like I’m hooked after the second.  Sci-fi seekers and general comic lovers alike should find themselves enjoying it.  I’d say you should definitely check out this title, as it’s a great read and it’s done by great local talent to boot.

For more information on Project: Shadows, check out 183 Degree Studio.

Grimm Fairy Tales: Different Seasons Vol. 3

 Merriment and mischief continue in this third volume of holiday one-shots from Zenescope Entertainment.  Here you’ll find tales of danger, deceit and the uncouth effects of greed, as well as an epic volleyball game.  Written by the likes of Ralph Tedesco, Joe Brusha and Raven Gregory, this is certainly not one to be missing from your collection.  With that said, there are quite a few issues to cover this time around, so let’s get this review going.

This volume collects the 2010 Halloween and Holiday Specials, as well as the 2013 Valentine’s and St. Patrick’s one-shots and the 2012 Swimsuit Special.  Now, not entirely certainly sure how all these fit together story-wise, but I’m sure it’s just a matter of putting together what was available and not overloading this volume with a ton of Halloween and Holiday Specials.  With that said, there’s a whole plethora of demonic goodness throughout these stories.  You’ve got vampires, Krampus, leprechauns and dark spawn, so a little something for everyone.  What’s cool about these one-shots are that they kind of give the reader a closer look at the true meaning of a Holiday, or of the choices a person can make.  Brings it back to how the Grimm Fairy Tales series started, giving the reader a lesson and providing some introspection.  However, they’re not without their fair share of violence and T & A, so you won’t feel so bad about yourself when reading these.  Not that you should, but I think you know what I mean. 

Focusing first on the writing, all around stellar job.  I mean, how can you go wrong with Ralph Tedesco, Joe Brusha, Raven Gregory and Pat Shand all lending their pens to these issues?  These guys know their stuff and that’s part of the reason Zenescope is still in business (I think you know what the other part is).  Raven gave us a great Halloween Special, takes a crack at all of the vampire stereotypes and gives use something a little unexpected.  If you hate Twilight, you’ll love this issue.  For the 2010 Holiday Special, Ralph, Joe and Raven really get into the true meaning of Christmas and try to make the world a better place, in their own special way.  I really liked how they were able to interconnect all of the little sub-stories within this book.  Nice way of getting a different perspective to the overall plot.  

The Valentine’s one-shot provided a great back-up story to the Grimm Universe and answered a question or two for the long-time reader.  This issue fleshes out one of the main characters more and provides her with a bit more depth.  Pat really pulled through with both the 2013 St. Patrick’s Day and 2012 Swimsuit specials.  The St. Patrick’s Day one-shot was another issue of interconnecting stories and brought to light one of man’s greatest failings, while the Swimsuit Special was a change of pace, compared to Pat’s usual fair.  I mean Robyn is so bad-ass that she wouldn’t even come play volleyball in a story written by her series’ author.  So, much talent in one book, it’s hard to believe it doesn’t explode on contact.

Which leads us to the art aspect of this collection, a wide variety of styles and looks that it’s hard sometimes to read the print without staring at the pages for hours.  Artists like Marcio Abreu and Alfred Trujillo really give the pages the flare that pulls you into a story and just locks you in.  The ones that really got me were the pages from the 2010 Halloween Special and the 2013 Valentine’s one-shot.  A story which involves pages of sexy, female vampires is always a plus for me and the Valentine’s one-shot really delivered with its 90’s style superhero look.  A look that’s always been a favorite of mine. 

A few things struck me as a little off in this volume, the main thing being the short story in the 2012 Swimsuit Special.  Like I said, this is definitely a break from the norm for Pat, and to me it showed.  Although a nice light-hearted story for a change, it felt a little too cheesy.  Some of the dialogue just felt forced in areas and too many attempts by the villains to be funny.  It was a little rough getting through, but great to see Pat expanding his genres.  Other things that caught my attention was the artwork for some of the stories, especially in the Holiday Special.  I wouldn’t say it was all around bad, but it wasn't really my cup of tea either.  Perhaps there’s a certain charm that I’m not seeing, but to re-iterate, it’s just not for me.

The Different Seasons series of trade paper-backs is a great collection of all of the extra-long stories that they couldn’t quite fit into the trades of the main series.  Volume three delivers the chills and thrills while keeping with the holiday spirit.  Despite a few hiccups, I would recommend this for anyone wanting to expand their Zenescope collection, or for some good ‘ol fashioned holiday cheer.  So, pick up the third collection of Different Seasons, otherwise you may find the Krampus at your door.  For more info about this trade paper-back, visit the Zenescope website, or the Zenescope Facebook page.

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. Krampus is not responsible for any thoughts, comments or opinions. Only our individual reviewer is.

Project :Shadows #1

THE YEAR: 2050. WAR has ravaged the world and more specifically, America. At the heart of nuclear destruction and everything that led up to it is the new evolution of man: super powered beings called SHADOWS, who are government-created, controlled and unrelentingly sought after by ALL nations. SAMANTHA, a VERY POWERFUL Shadow, has decided that she wants nothing to do with any of it and is trying to just live out her life in a mostly post-apocalyptic world. She soon finds herself caught between a government that has only brought her ruin and a rebel faction of Shadows that wants to change the balance of power. What is a girl to do? Is it really possible to be neutral despite the fact that EVIL WILL TRIUMPH WHEN GOOD PEOPLE DO NOTHING?

This was one of those books you get excited about before you even know all that much about it.  I was actually a proud contributor to the Kickstarter that initially made this project a reality.  So as you can imagine, getting my hands on Project: Shadows as a review is a treat for me.  Plus, I got to see my name in the back, which is pretty cool.  Anyways, you’re here to read a review right?

This book is like an action sci-fi orgy full of super powers, intense fights, and a post apocalyptic world.  Sounds like a perfect setting for our heroine Samantha to me.  This initial issue starts off with one hell of a fight sometime in the future, but is kind enough to jump backwards for some origin content.  Between the two time blocks, we’re witness to some really interesting events that seem to be a major component of the story and the history of this alternate world.

Not only was the story a treat, but the visuals were just as delightful.  Something about the artwork that Trujillo and Parvanov team up to give us pops right off the page.  With the kind of action sequences present, they needed that feel.  Even when people weren’t beating the crap out of each other, the art was vibrant and made the read even more enjoyable.

If I hadn’t jumped on the Kickstarter for this, I would have been kicking myself now for not supporting this project.  I’m definitely interested in seeing what happens next as the story continues on.  If you’re looking for a fresh new sci-fi thriller, this is just the ticket.  And even if you just want a good new comic to read, this is one I’d gladly suggest.

For more information on Project: Shadows, check out 183 Degree Studio.

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.

Ten Grand … And Worth Every Cent!

If you’re in trouble with the wrong people, especially people with a connection to dark forces, go to the worst part of town, to places no one would enter in their right mind. Ask for Joe.  He will help you. He will save you. Even if it kills him … Especially if it kills him.

So goes the introduction to the newest offering from J. Michael Straczynski and his newest venture, Joe’s Comics.  The story is compelling, a former private eye who was killed by a demonic force along with his wife.  Facing eternal separation, she in heaven, he in hell, he is offered a chance at resurrection on the condition that he works against the forces of darkness on the mortal plane.  Now he works as a paranormal enforcer for people who run into trouble with dark powers.  His price?  Ten grand.

Issue #1 was a gift I received at C2E2 from J Michael Straczynski and Ben Templesmith (along with four hundred or so other fans).  The cover is a special variant specifically for the con, and it bears the signatures of Strackzynski and Templesmith, signed as fans waited patiently.

In this first issue, we meet Joe, we get his basic background as he takes a case to hunt down someone whom he had killed two years earlier.  Now that you know about the book, let’s get into the good, the bad and the ugly.

The Good

Amazing story.  Straczynski can spin a great tale, and his dialogue is without equal.  Also, there are NO ADS in this book except for a full-pager for the Hero Initiative.

The Bad

Nothing that I can identify.

The Ugly

I am not used to Ben Templesmith’s art style.  Rather than speak ill of it, I consulted with an artist I met at C2E2, Alfred Trujillo, so that I could talk about it intelligently.  He pointed out the use of color saturation and rough imaging as a part fo the story telling, and with my second read-through, I came to truly appreciate the artwork.

In this story, Joe gives back the money and takes the job for free.  I got the comic for free, but would have been more than willing to buy it … so if you haven’t yet, head on out to your local comic book store and get a copyof issue #1 of Ten Grand.  It is worth every penny.

(Submitted by Jim Smith)

C2E2 Con Recap - Day 1

Oh what a con! Wouldn't that be the teaser of a lifetime? I could just say that and leave you to wonder what I mean...but you guys know me and know that I love to tell you about amazing, so amazing, here we come!

Any con always starts out with travel and C2E2 is no exception! This year, my con weekend started out at 4:15am (Chicago time) on Friday. My things were already in the van, so it was get up, get dressed and head out the door. Traffic was good, with the usual Chicago hangups and I actually managed to make it to O'hare an hour ahead of schedule. I know you're wondering why the heck I went to O'Hare when the convention center isn't anywhere near there. Simple, my friends. Parking. Parking is way, way cheaper there than at any of the hotels. Plus, I was meeting a friend so that I could escort him to his first ever con! He picked me up (and was a total doll to bring me some yogurt since I hadn't eaten) and we headed in to the hotel.

As always, this is where it gets fun. If you've read my other con posts, you know that somehow I always have difficulty getting to the hotels. Usually a gps has something to do with it. In this case, the gps couldn't hold a signal well enough and kept recalculating about once every block. In the end though, our stubbornness
perseverance won out and we made it! We were too early to check in but they let us leave our bags there and it was off to our first day of the convention!

I would love to say that the shuttle ride was uneventful...Okay, for the most part, it was. However, there was this girl on the bus who was a bit unique and by the time we had gotten to the convention center, she had somehow determined that I should write a story and pitch it to Dark Horse and anyone else who would listen. With my busy schedule, I haven't done that yet but who knows..maybe someday you'll see my name on a cover as a writer. You just never know!

Once we got there, I used my "power of the press badge" to slip inside the exhibitor floor. Mostly I just wanted to drop off my coat and there were only about 15 minutes left before the floor opened up for everyone. Would you believe that somehow I managed to lose Jim in that time? Seriously! Luckily, he was listening for his phone and I tracked him down at the Zenescope table. You would think that I was known for hanging around there or something...oh wait....

After saying hi to everyone there, we headed back to Artist's Alley where 90% of my work takes place. I had forgotten just how huge of a place it was! Poor Jim got bored quickly standing there listening to me talk to people so he wandered off, but not before we went and saw the Buffy Shadowcast! Not being super familiar with Buffy but loving shadowcasts, I was interested. Jim, not knowing a lick about shadowcasts, but loving Buffy was interested. In the end, the venue for this was totally wrong, but the actors put on an enjoyable show.

From there, it was back to work for me and Jim decided to wander around and check everything out. I had a great time talking with everyone back in AA and bumped into more than one person that I knew! I have to say that conventions are so many things to me. I always learn something new and meet new people, but now they're giving me the opportunity to see people that I already know too.

The con floor closed at 7pm and let me tell you, they want you off the floor at 7:01. It's a bit crazy so I suggest that if you're attending this event, make sure your shopping is done by 6:55 and you're making your way to the exit or the orange shirts will shoo you along! They're totally nice about it, but those volunteers

take their jobs seriously. The best part of my day? That's really hard to say. I got snuggles from Eric and Mandy's little girl, Rockell...I got to hang out with Mike and Mary DeBalfo behind their table...and, while Jim was telling me a story of how he met some people who knew me, I happened to look over at the up escalator (we were on the down escalator) and I said, "You mean those people?" Turns out that he had run into Alfred Trujillo and Cara Nicole earlier in the day. We got to stand there talking with them for a bit and then it was back to our hotel to do a quick clothing change and head back out to a party! Busy, busy! Did I mention that I got to pop Jim's con cherry? I have to say that part was pretty sweet. It's always fun to watch a grown man's eyes get huge and watch him fanboy and try to figure out what to look at first.

My take on Day 1? Long. Exhausting. So much fun! I'm already looking forward to next year. Make sure you come back to see how Days 2 and 3 went as well as to see some peeks of our photo gallery from this year!

PS For those who might be wondering, no, I didn't take the route into Chicago where I could dodge the "trolls."

Confessions of a Con Virgin

Submitted by Jim Smith

I was 44 years old and I had never done it.  Never felt the thrill, never felt the sense of wonder.  I was a con virgin.

So, our story begins several months ago, when Katrina and I were discussing conventions that were coming up and which ones she was going to.  I had never been to a con in my entire geeky life, and I floated the idea of accompanying her to C2E2, the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Exposition, in 2013.  It would be a perfect first con, because, first of all, it didn’t require a lot of traveling.  Chicago was only a couple hours from my home in Milwaukee.  Additionally, I would have the help of a con expert in Katrina, and in return for her help, I could take pictures for the website.  It was a great idea all around.

So, the tentative plan was made, and quickly forgotten.  As C2E2 got closer and closer, I really didn’t make the moves needed to go until Katrina pinned me down and told me that her ability to make plans required me to make up my mind and commit to either going or not.  Realizing that I was holding her up, I pulled the trigger and ordered my badge.  A few weeks later, the hotel was booked, travel plans and pet sitting were arranged, and I was officially going to C2E2.  All that was left to happen was the passage of time.

The morning of the start of the con, I woke up at 5:00am (Katrina was already on the road for over an hour by then), and on the road half an hour later.  I dropped the dog off at 6:30 and hit the road to our meeting point.  A couple hours later, we met up, parked her car in a lot near O’Hare Airport, and drove into the city.  We dropped off the car and luggage at the hotel and hopped the con shuttle to McCormick Place, the venue for C2E2.

I was immediately struck by the number of people there waiting to get in.  This was going to be a big deal!  I was also struck by the cosplayers, and how they ran the gamut of simple and basic costumes (that would be me if I tried) all the way to a full suit of Iron Man armor made of articulated plastic parts.  I started taking pics right away, and went merrily on my way as I started to enjoy the sights and sounds of C2E2.

One of the main reasons I was there was to meet J Michael Straczynski,  the creator of Babylon 5.  Being a fan of B5 since the episode “Born to the Purple”, I was eager to meet the genius who brought this wonderful show to us.  He wasn’t at his table the first few times I checked.  Then, on one swing past his table, his assistant was setting up his table as about 5 people watched.  The table skirt and table were two different sizes, and I figured to expedite the arrival of JMS, I would help set his booth up.  I helped get the table skirt on, talking to his assistant and thinking that her voice sounded familiar.  She thanked me and I made a flirty joke about just needing a guy around who folded his own bed sheets and took my first decent look at her to realize that this was no assistant.  I was face to face (and flirting with) none other than Patricial Tallman, who played Lyta Alexander on B5.  I later tweeted a proposal, but she graciously declined.  She is a class act.

So I got my geek on, meeting Bruce Boxleitner, JMS and Pat Tallman as a bonus that day.  I walked around, talked geeky stuff with people and looked at merchandise and took lots of pictures.  By the end of the day, my step counter had logged over 26,000 steps taken.  I don’t even want to think of what that was in miles*.

On Saturday, it was back at it.  One of the highlights on Saturday was spending time in Artist Alley where various artists, inkers and colorists had tables to meet fans of their art.  That was where I had some comic shock.  I was face to face with the fact that comics were not the tame publications I remembered from my youth.  Many books had taken on an anime styling of coquettish females with large chests, tiny waists, and voluptuous rear bumpers.  While I found this to be moderately bothersome, one publisher’s books based on the Bible really turned my stomach when I noticed an issue called “A Faceful of Peter”**, which the cover suggests was a tale of two gay apostles.  I lacked the courage to pick it up, much less read it.  Yes, I know, you aren’t supposed to judge a book by its cover, but in this case I did.

More cosplay pics, and I was introduced to a professional cosplayer, Cara Nicole, better known in con circles as AZ Powergirl.  She and her husband, artist Alfred Trujillo were wonderful and friendly, and since they were friends of Katrina’s, we went out for pizza Saturday night, and I learned something very important.  They were regular people, just like me, but with MUCH cooler jobs.  Katrina had promised to introduce me to the “cool kids” at the con, and she did not disappoint.

By the time Sunday had rolled around, I was pretty much spent.  I stuck around for a few hours, but said my farewells early, and hit the road around noon.  I picked up the dog, played some cards with my friends, took a nap on their couch, then headed home.  A good night’s sleep, and I was back to my normal life the next day.

As of this writing, I am still 44 years old, but now, I have been there, and done that.  I am no longer a con virgin, and maybe, just maybe, my case of con fatigue will be gone in time for me to go to C2E2 next year!

*10,000 steps = 5 miles approximately.

** Geek-o-Rama actually received a copy of this book to review so watch for that in the upcoming months.

The Geeks Come Out At Night

When it comes to throwing an excitingly educational, fun-filled, geeky night, there are quite a few cities on the list. One of the most notable is Tempe, AZ.  From the technologically-based companies, to the innovative work done at the Arizona State University campus, it's not hard to figure out why Tempe would host one of the most geek-loving parties just outside Tempe City Hall. Geeks Night Out (part of Geek Week in Tempe) allows Artists (such as Big Chris Art, Alfred Trujillo, and Jeff Pina) cosplayers (AZ TARDIS, Arizona Ghostbusters), as well as clothing and merchandise (Geeksville, AZ, Evil Controllers) to roll out along with science demonstrations, and geeky wooden cutouts for photo opportunities: it was a dream for anyone who loved science, technology, and art and longed to see them spun together in a glorious display.  

If that weren't enough, there was always live music from either One Kitty Gone or A Life of Science that you could enjoy while grabbing a bite to eat at any number of local restaurants.  Wandering through the myriad of experiences, my friend (and photographer) Jenn grabbed some food at Bison Witches.  From there, we took a no-agenda approach to admire as many demonstrations and take as many pictures as possible (not to mention maybe grabbing a print or a new board game to bring home).  The entire evening, it was heartening to see all ages continuously gathered around experiments and demonstrations discussing scientific theory, Newton's first law of motion, aerodynamics, slope & acceleration, and tons more!

Before calling it a night, I made sure to peruse Pop Culture Paradise's booth.  They happened to be running a 50% off special on their board and card games during this event. Well, I had been feeling a stronger and stronger urge to get my own copy of Munchkin.  How could I pass this up?  One brief transaction later and I was the proud owner of my first Munchkin set. It's safe to assume this will lead to many more in the future.  I may research getting a table to set up for next year, but that all depends on my current project-completion success rate. Thanks for reading! 

Bonus Kickstarter of the Week: Project Shadows

Interested in helping out some good people get their book off the ground? Head on over to Kickstarter and give them your support!

Phoenix Comicon - The Guests Never End!

Phoenix Comicon is proud to announce Steve Rude, Dave Beaty, Mike DeBalfo, Shannon Eric Denton, Eric M.Esquivel, Tony Parker, Alfred Trujillo, Andy Bohn, Ben Glendenning, Brian Augustyn, Daniel Bradford, and Denny Riccelli will be joining us for 2013.

“ We certainly are not holding out on Comic Book guests this year. We have a ton of fantastic and talented people on hand for 2013.”  Convention director Matt Solberg

Steve Rude is the co-creator of the groundbreaking Nexus comic series. Throughout his career he has won multiple awards including the Kirby award for best artist and many Eisner's for artistic achievement.

Comic artist, wirter and graphic designer Dave Beaty, who's worked with BOOM Studios, Marvel and DC among others. He has produced numerous award winning illustrations.

Mike Debalfo began his career by illustrating covers for Zenescope entertainment in 2009.  Debalfo continued drawing  overs for the companies most popular series including Grimm Fairy tales, Wounderland,and  Grimms Myths & legends. In 2012, he began working with Aspen Comics on Soulfire volume four.

Shannon Eric Denton is writer producer and artist who has worked with Cartoon Network, Warner Bros., NBC, Disney, Sony, Marvel Entertainment, Paramount, CBS,  DC Comics and many many more. Denton has also worked in the games industry on titles such as God of War  and Neo-Pets.

Comic book writer and journalist Eric M. Esquivel, has contributed to Boom! Studios, Bleeding Cool, Moonstone Books and many more.

Illustrator and storyteller Tony Parker, who works with Boom! Studios, Dark Horse Comics, DC, and most recently Aspen Comics. Other properties he's worked on include the HERO Initiative covers, Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40K, Elephantmen, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Conan, Godzilla, Starship Troopers, and a myriad of pen and paper role playing games.

Comic book artist Alfred Trujillo has worked professionally in the omics industry since 2010. Zenescope, Big Dog Ink, Chameleon and Moonstone were the beginning. In 2012, Alfred gave up life behind a corporate desk and began his own company 183 DEGREE STUDIO writing and drawing his first creator owned book PROJECT: SHADOWS.

Andy Bohn has been a local creator since Phoenix Comicon 2010. In that time he focuses on creating, writing, and illustrating his own comic story, Elvatron Chronicles. Andy has also worked on various books such as Unite and Take Over: Stories Inspired by Songs of The Smiths, Mark of the Pterren and more.

Artist and writer Ben Glendenning has created SuperWorld, R.I.F.T. And more recently Tin Star Tex. Glendenning also created the series Skulljammer.

Daniel Bradford is a comic artist and co-creator of Robot 13, KING!, and disappointing monsters.

Comic book editor, writer, and creator of The Comic Book Insider, Bryan Augustyn, known  as an editor for DC comics. He work on  many of the most popular series including Batman, Flash, Justice League of America, and Wonder Woman. He has also worked as a writer for many other publishers including Marvel, Dark Horse, and Wildstorm.

Denny Riccelli is the creator of popular webcomics including Get That Chicken, Lollygagging, and Cousin Harold

Phoenix Comicon is the signature pop culture experience of the southwest. Comicon is presenting guests and programming for hobbyists by attracting the top segments of the comics, anime, sci-fi, film, tv, and gaming industries. Entering its eleventh year, Phoenix Comicon is expected to draw over 40,000 attendees to its May 23-26, 2013 convention held at the Phoenix Convention Center and Hyatt Regency in Downtown Phoenix.
For more information, please go to http://www.phoenixcomicon.com.

Emergency Kickstarter Alert: Dedd Teddy

This one just came to our attention and considering it's based out of Detroit, Michigan and involving some of our awesome friends from Phoenix, Arizona, we couldn't not show you! It only has 9 days left though so don't hesitate if you want to get in on the fun. Also, in the video, Cara mentions funding of $7,000. However, that number has now been lowered to $5,000. Watch the video and if you like what you see, click this linky link here and go check them out!

Phoenix Comicon 2012 : Day 1

This is it. The post some of you have been waiting nearly two weeks for! I'm finally writing about my trip to Phoenix. I warn you that it wasn't all pretty but in the end, it was all amazing. I will also warn you that all pictures on this post (and upcoming posts) were totally and blatantly stolen from my friend, Andy Bohn. Why? Well because I was distracted the entire weekend and typical me...next to no pictures. Read on and find out as I give you my day by day summary of Phoenix Comicon 2012 with random photos thrown in for good measure!

Thursday - Hereby known as Katrina was exhausted day. I was up at 4am after being up until 1am. After a drive to the airport, luck was with me! Note that I said after because during, my cigarette lighter portal thingy (I'm working on copywriting that, by the way.) decided to fall right into the console on my van. Awesome, huh? Well, my luck changed at the airport. I not only found the parking lot easily, but the shuttle van saw me pull in and came to me instead of me hauling bags to him! Woo! I got inside, got checked in nice and easy and even got skipped to the head of the security line (thank you costume cane!). The flight was smooth and even though I had a 3 month old behind me and an 18 month in front of me, no problems. Justin met me at the airport and we were off! Since our hotel was nearby, we decided to stop in and see when we could check in. Awesomesauce hotel (Airport Radisson) let us check in 5 hours early! We had a quick lunch in their restaurant..the food was good but the service a bit slow..and then up to the room to unpack and grab a quick nap. After the nap, it was up to the con! I bet you thought I'd never get there, right? Check in was nice and easy as soon as we figured out where we had to go. I didn't end up with a press badge (yes, I did sulk for a bit.) but a media badge. I guess I'm just not quite big enough yet for them to give me the almighty press badge. It's ok though because I saw the list and very few people got the press badge. There were lots of us media types though!

So, here's where we waited...and waited...and then found comfy chairs and watched other people wait. I kid you not that there were thousands of people standing around just waiting for the doors to open so that they could get in. I never expected that kind of turn out for a preview night! It was really cool to see. After the doors opened and the door crowd thinned, Justin and I headed in and looked around for friends. We spotted Andy...

 We also saw Alfred (here with Andy)...

Let's see, there was also Raven (here with Andy and Eric (Ebas)...

I got a half hug from Raven which hopefully next time will be a bit more enthusiastic but as usual the man was too distracted and I'm still not convinced he knows who I am between times seeing me, no matter what others claim.

Oh, I almost forgot, speaking of hugs...I saw these guys!

This is Brett and Mike! Brett is awesomesauce wrapped in bacon. I got fabulous hugs from him and I think maybe an oh hi from Mike. That's ok. Mike and I had never met in person and he was super busy setting up his table. If you don't know his art, well you ought to and I hereby expect you to go explore.

I'm trying to remember (this is what happens when I wait two weeks..though I promise I had good reasons!) who else we got the chance to see...Ooh...I know!

Ross! We saw Ross of Ross Demma Art who is also utterly fantastic..and while I gave him a bunch of money, I think I missed some stuff he had on other nights/days of the con. I'm sure he'll happily fix that for me though.

At some point, I was still super tired so I think we went back to the hotel..I think..I do remember coming back downtown to have...No wait! I remember! We went upstairs to find Eric! Since he'd sent me his schedule before the con, I knew where to find him and it was kind of funny. He looked right through me until I made some smarty pants remark, then he knew just who was standing in front of him. We tried to sort out dinner, but in his typical vague (and loveable way), he'd forgotten all about it! In the end, we did get to meet up with him and a couple of his friends for pizza and then some time over at the Captain's Cantina event. I got to be Eric's guinea pig for some new camera doohickey which resulted in this..what may be the only picture of me at the con: 

Do you see how green I was? That's from that crazy necklace I'm wearing. Someone at the con gave it to me and that's what it did! Insane! It took me two days to scrub all the green off. I could have shot Eric when I saw this picture over on the con's Flickr page.

So, since this post is my photo filled fun time extravaganza post, I close it out that I got a fantastic good night hug from Eric and then we headed back to our hotel..it was late and the next morning would be early but all in all..Thursday was wonderful...