10/2
Another hearty hello to each and every stalwart seeker of all things Claypool. It’s been a while since our last check-in, and–somewhat sadly–it’s because things have been going so well in general; no rocking of the boat nor upsetting of the applecart. The DEADBEATS Internet comic strip is rollicking along, with new thrills and suspenseful situations with every episode (including “will it get posted on the right day?” and “at what point will Richard lose track of all the new characters?”) You, the reader, may be experiencing the most recent episode that titanic Thom Zahler has lettered and uploaded (more than likely #64 or #65) right now, but Richard’s scripted up through #74 (as of last weekend), and was–last night–finishing up the pencils on episodes #121 and #122. The ultra-reliable Ricardo Villagran has embellished up through episode #92, and there seems to be no end in sight to the aforementioned thrills and suspenseful situations–with the possible exception of “when’s the first deadline that they miss?” From the looks of things, that isn’t going to happen.
I wish very much that I had an update on the plans to relaunch part of the Claypool Comics line, but at present there’s just no news. Everyone involved wants very much for it to happen, but arrangements have to be finalized and some papers have to get signed before anything official can be announced. That part of the project is in progress, so expect some word…SOON!
Beyond that, let’s see: Does anyone out there have an interest in original comics art? It’s fairly common knowledge that I, Claypool editor Richard Howell, have been very involved in that hobby for many years now, and recently–with the intercession of friends like Peter Sanderson and Jim Salicrip–I’ve become a resource for the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art in Manhattan. Their recently-concluded Salute to Stan Lee show featured almost twenty examples of art from the Legendary Howell/Kalish Collection, and we’re currently in talks (it seems as if there’s a lot of talking going on here–how about a listening tour, just for variety?) to contribute a few choice pieces to MoCCA’s upcoming “Monsters in the Comics” mounting. Naturally, that topic is right up the alley of someone who’s not only an art collector, but also the editor of approximately sixteen years of horror-oriented comics (there were the few pre-Claypool years while I–along with art director Jesse Reyes–was editing the VAMPIRELLA/CREEPY/EERIE revival at Harris Comics), I’ve had access to oversee–and, in some cases, make arrangements to acquire–many choice monsteriffic pages. I’m hoping that this show will be as successful as the Stan Lee outing, and also that anyone in the Tri-State Area will consider attending and supporting the MoCCA. They’ve got a website: www.moccany.org, with lots of information about the shows and the Museum in general.
Also, it looks pretty good that I’ll be able to arrange to make a personal appearance at the upcoming Big Apple Con, also in Manhattan, this coming November. I’ll be doing sketches, accepting commissions, and flogging the DEADBEATS INTERNET strip, and selling FEAR CITY comics (no ELVIRAs, remember?). There’s no substitute for personal contact, so if anyone’s nearby and feels like saying “hello” to a slightly under-employed Comic Book Editor, please feel encouraged to do so.
That’s it for now. I hope to hear from more of you. Let me know how you’re doing, how you’re enjoying the DEADBEATS INTERNET strip, and whatever else is on your minds.
Happy Autumn, everyone!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 3rd, 2007 at 6:49 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.