I’d heard it was a great show, and the Baltimore Comicon certainly lived up to the hype. Promoter Marc Nathan and his staff were incredibly kind, attentive and welcoming, and I’d love to return next year.  A fitting end to the convention season…

I’ll be attending the Baltimore Comic-Con this weekend.  I’ve heard nothing but great things about this show, and the guest list is incredible. Plus, Jim Lee is throwing out the first pitch at the Orioles game on Friday! I’ll be drawing and signing comics all weekend, and doing a special signing with Indigo Ink Printing, complete with limited edition art print,  at 4pm on Saturday.

Also, this week sees the release of the Green Arrow & Black Canary Wedding Album, which collects (among other things) my first 4 issues of GA&BC.  This is my first hardcover collection and I’m eager to see how it turned out.

UPDATE: Looks like they pushed the book to October 8. Not my fault! I turned all the pages last year, I swear!

Thanks to everyone at Fan Expo and especially to Kevin Boyd and Peter Fisico who made the trip possible. The show was a lot of fun, and I’m overwhelmed by the friendliness and generosity from fans and pros alike (Greg - thanks for the donuts! Jeff and Stuart - thanks for the inspiring books!). What I saw of Toronto was pretty great (thanks, Dar and Marsha!) and I hope to come back soon.

NOTE: A CALL FOR SCANS!
I’m trying to collect material for a future sketchbook, so if anyone has gotten a commissioned sketch from me in the past, I’d be grateful if you could send me a 300dpi grayscale scan. My email’s in the ABOUT link on the left. Thanks!

Heading out for Fan Expo 2008 in Toronto tonight.  I’ll be back Monday, but until then, you should check out Steven Gettis’s Hey, Oscar Wilde! It’s Clobberin’ Time!!  I’ve mentioned the site here before, but I recently added my own contribution to Steven’s brilliant and eclectic collection. Enjoy!

It was a long and difficult week, but absolutely worth it. The booth was a complete success, and we’re hoping to expand next year. Thanks to everyone who stopped by, even just to say hello. It was a great show, and I even managed to set up my next project with boy genius Brian Azzarello. I’m very excited for the future.

Come to Booth #1322 to find me,  Jill Thompson, and Brian Wood. Look for us in the program book as “Jill Thompson, Brian Wood, Cliff Chiang” and we’re off the main walkway in the 1300 aisle, next to First Second Books. We’ll have books, art prints, original artwork, and Jill and I will be doing commissioned sketches. I’ll also have the original art for the pinups and the JLA Anime pieces up for sale, and other assorted limited edition goodies, like framed canvas prints. Starting Thursday, I’ll also be taking a very small list for commissioned sketches at the start of the show each day, so try to find me early if you’re interested in getting one.

I’ll also be sketching at the DC booth at these times:
WED 7-8pm | THURS 6-7pm | FRI 6-7pm | SAT 10-11am | SUN 11:30-1pm

Booth map after the jump. (more…)

Before I remembered the existence of Ma-Mutt on the Thundercats show, my initial sketch had a Scottish Terrier, which feels like an old-fashioned dog to me because they look like old men with mustaches. Or is that just me? OK, they look like your mom.  Zing!

Hope you enjoyed this series.  It was a lot more work than I’d intended to take on before Comic-Con, but I really got a kick out of the idea and have plans for more images somewhere down the line (including Black Canary, Zatanna, Wonder Woman, and Sue Storm), and I’ve gotten some great suggestions, too.  I’ll have the original art for these at the show, so visit me at Booth #1322 if you want to check ‘em out.

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.

I don’t get to draw Marvel characters very often, so I use the HeroesCon art auction as an excuse to scratch that itch. Wanna see the original? Make your way to Charlotte, NC on June 20-22 for one of the best comic conventions around. I’ll be there, sketching and maybe even jumping onto a panel discussion. And if you’ve had enough of me, there’s huge guest list, including Jason Aaron, Darwyn Cooke, Michael Lark, and Jaime Hernandez. Drop by and say hello!

I think I’ve finally recovered from the show. It was giant, it was busy; it was a lot like San Diego, really, but you’re not stuck at hotel bars and you can jaywalk freely as our founding fathers intended. I think this may have been my first big show after drawing Green Arrow & Black Canary, and it was surprising to see all the new faces at my table. So, lots of talking and not enough drawing! At the Vertigo panel, they announced I’ll be drawing the Greendale hardcover graphic novel, written by Josh Dysart and inspired by Neil Young’s concept album of the same name (wha? Yes, THAT Neil Young). It’s a beautiful story, and I’m very proud to be part of the team. We’re going to keep the artwork under wraps for now, but I have a few ideas for goofy things to post here so it doesn’t turn into a ghost-town. Watch this space!