I recently drew a set of 3 Imperial Propaganda posters for the new Star Wars Galaxy 5 trading card set. I hadn’t intended to do more than one, but the ideas came fast and furious and the editor loved them all. This enlistment poster was actually based on an old war bonds poster. While using Nazi propaganda would’ve been appropriate, it was actually more engaging for me to try and create posters that cast the Empire as saviors of the galaxy, especially on the heels of the Death Star 9/11 short. The card backs also have some quotes from me in the guise of an unapologetic Imperial sympathizer. A really fun gig, and I hope to do more of these in the future. I’ll post the others when the cards go on sale next month.

Some of you eagle-eyed readers may have noticed the SHOP link that went up quietly a couple months back.  Khepri.com is selling comics and exclusive items from creators like Brian Wood, Becky Cloonan, Ryan Kelly, Jamie McKelvie and me, as well as books from my comrades at Standard Attrition.  In addition to our comics, there are t-shirts, limited edition sketchbooks and art prints (and we’ll also be running a sketch raffle from me in the coming months). Some of these special items are only available online through Khepri, so take a look around!

Forget Michael Jackson — ‘cuz “This Is It”!  My last show for 2009 is the first ever KING CON right at home in Brooklyn this weekend. New York, and Brooklyn in particular, has always been a home to cartoonists and comics pros, so it’s great to see a show celebrate the local scene. And check out that guest list! There will also be a spotlight panel on me at 12pm on Sunday.  Come check it out!

Here’s a preliminary character sketch for the piece I drew in Secret Identities: The Asian American Superhero Anthology, based on a concept by actress Kelly Hu and Mark Allen. In stores now, Secret Identities is the “first-ever graphic novel collection of original stories exploring the universe of masked marvels and caped crusaders from the perspective of the nation’s fastest-growing and most dynamic emerging community” (from the SI website). There’s some really wonderful work here from people like Greg Pak, Bernard Chang, Christine Norrie, Gene Yang and Sonny Liew, among many others. I’m really happy for editors Jeff Yang, Parry Shen, Keith Chow, and Jerry Ma. They’ve put a lot of love and hard work into this and it’s great to see the attention it is getting and impact it has already made. Special shout out to The New Press editor Sarah Fan for introducing me to the guys!

There’s also a short documentary about the book at the SI blog. Take a peek and go buy a copy today!

There’s a series of eBay auctions beginning this week that I’d like to draw some attention to. I’ve joined a group of comic creators trying to raise funds for a friend’s hospital costs, and anything we collect beyond that will be donated to the HERO Initiative, a non-profit charity that offers assistance to comic creators in need. The auctions are under the seller name artfriends2009.   There will be some fantastic items from a stellar list of artists, including Adam Hughes, Amanda Conner, Nic Klein, Esad Ribic, Cameron Stewart and Darwyn Cooke.

I’ll be donating the cover artwork for Green Arrow & Black Canary #12, which is the LAST AVAILABLE COVER featuring full-body drawings of the title characters.  The rest are in collector’s hands already, so get it while you can. I’ll update this post with listings as they come online. These auctions are a great opportunity to support a worthy cause and pick up some nifty art in the process. If you’re feeling particularly generous, we’re also accepting donations at artfriends2009@gmail.com via paypal.

UPDATE: I can happily confirm that, after eBay and Paypal fees, we’ve managed to meet our goal and that our friend will be able to pay off his hospital bills. We’re thrilled and would like to thank everyone who donated items for their hard work and generosity, all the blogs and websites that helped us get the word out there, and of course, all the buyers who supported our cause during these uncertain economic times. Bravo!

Finally, some new artwork! I recently finished the poster for True Adolescents, an independent film making its premiere at the 2009 SXSW Film Festival in March. Starring Academy Award nominee Melissa Leo and mumblecore icon Mark Duplass, it follows our “hero” Sam, an aging Seattle rocker who takes 2 teenage kids camping and quickly finds he has to man up in the face of the elements. It’s a funny, charming and heartfelt movie and I’m looking forward to it getting the recognition it deserves.

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Come to ROCKETSHIP this FRIDAY, AUGUST 1st! It’s my first gallery show, an exhibit with fellow Brooklyn cartoonists Dash Shaw and Julia Wertz. My contribution is an unpublished 8-page Batman:Black & White story.  Lettered on the boards and unlikely ever to be published, this is the only way anyone is ever going to be able to read it. The opening reception is at 8PM, with beer and wine available.  Fancy, no?  I’ll be the one with the pencil moustache and monocle.

Come to Booth 1322 to find Jill Thompson, Brian Wood, and myself.  We’ll have books, art prints, original artwork, and Jill and I will be doing commissioned sketches. Look for us in the program book as “Jill Thompson, Brian Wood, Cliff Chiang”.  Seriously, we did have a catchier name but for some reason the Comic-Con organizers weren’t fond of putting “Comics, Muthaf**kas!” down as an exhibitor.  Maybe next year.

I’ll also be signing at the DC booth, and I’ll post that schedule here as soon as I find out.

For those in the NYC area, I’ll be appearing at Comic Book Club Live! on May 20th, along with writer and editor Ron Marz. It’s a live interview/Q&A show at the People’s Improv Theater, and admission is just $5. For more info, you can also check out this NY Times article. Come watch me squirm — pure, 100% guilt-free schadenfreude! That’s worth 5 bucks.

What are YOUR plans for FCBD? I’ll be signing and sketching at Upstate Comics with Brian Wood and editor Will Dennis. If you’re in the neighborhood this Saturday, please stop by, hang out a bit, and grab some free comics.

UPDATE: Thanks to Brian DeStefano and everyone at Upstate Comics for a great time. I had a blast talking with people, drawing Skrulls, eating pizza, and watching Raiders. You can check out some pix here.