Terrificon was our BEST show this year and better than the three previous shows at the Mohegan Sun!  The new, larger expo center and increased everything, from creators to vendors to celebrities to customer traffic! We made out well on table merchandise, donations collecting, donation box fundraising (my pal Jim Starlin especially!), my personal success, getting to eat out each night with friends and WE HAD FUN! Promoter Micth Hallock has something great going on there and we’re very fortunate to be back every year to take part in the entertainment and craziness!

This is the next show for me, now just a week from Wednesday when my flight takes off for my first trip ever to Salt Lake City, Utah (see link above in Newsflash announcements)! Sal Velluto and family are driving me about and putting me up for the night! We’ll also be doing commissions together at the show! There won’t be an Inkwell presence except for donation boxes and brochures and I might ask a couple of artists to donate something but otherwise I’ll have my usual selection of Black panther comics, trades and apparel as well as my prints and some original art. Just less than usual due to the limitations of a flight.

Lastly, I was invited to the one day Uticon show in Utica, NY (link also above). Again, not only my first time there but a Bob-solo show (albeit with the donation box, brochures and maybe the signed Ms. Inkwell gallery book) but I get 2 tables here!! This show is run ONLY by volunteers and they have raised funds entirely to support the American Cancer Society. So I hope to see you in the northwest and the north east in September! There are no shows lines up after that until March so we’re hoping for any invitations in that time so we don’t have a 6 month gap.

HAPPY BELATED NEW YEAR! Yes, sorry, I got sucked up into the holidays and with prepping for and attending final show dates the last 2 months. Some evens and odds:  Sadly, my Gallery section is still MIA as Rhys Evans, my Techno-God at Inkwellawards.com continues to work on it in his spare (ha!) time. It’s been about a year and he says he’s wrapping things up. Good thing because I have folders reserving 32 commission files to upload!

 

I am doing commissions on hand and would be happy to take on more. I am still inking for Ravesnake and there might be new work within sight from Kingstone so I’m in a holding pattern there. I just posted the presently confrimed conventions for the year but that list will surely grow.

 

There’s also a new DK Publishing book out that interested me and possibly some of you Black Panther fans: Black Panther: The Ultimate Guide. I noticed that it’s smaller in size than past Marvel and DC editions and there’s no longer a dust jacket but if that’s what they needed to do to keep the price from rising then so be it. It’s got a Foreward by master scribe Don McGregor and multitudes of art from numerous sources, incluyding Sal Velluto and yours truly.  My only gripe about these books is that they don’t credit any of the artists for their printed work. DC volumes used to at least list all artists who’s works werre included on the final acknowledgments page. Marvel doesn’t supply a list apparently since it doesn’t do the same. It’s a hardcover at 200 pages for $24.99 unless you can get it discounted from your retailer in a backorder or find one at B&N Books or Amazon online. Happy hunting!

 

That’s all I got for now but you’re sure to hear from me next month when the Panther film is out. I’ve waited almost 20 years for this and I think it’ll be worth the wait. Take care!

Since my last report I was invited to the New Jersey Comic Expo (thanks to Spencer Beck) along with my Inkwell Awards partner, spokesmodel Hailey Skaza-Gagne.  It takes place for two days on November 18-19 the weekend following Rhode Island Con and before Thanksgiving. We will be fully set up with space. New Jersey has been the most supportive state among promoters as we were invited by 3 NJ show promoters this year with one already attended. We are both excited to check out the first time location! Maybe we’ll see you there!

Sorry for not being around. Here’s an update since last time:

 

*HEALTH: My sleep apnea problem has improved thanks to the CPAP so I’m more rested, not oversleeping or as groggy.  So now that my scheduling time is better I’m starting to resume my power walking, but only 1-2 days a week at the moment because my convention schedule has my head spinning. Once that period passes late in August I will work towards 4-5 days a week. The goal being to be able to altogether lose the apnea and diabetes.

CONVENTIONS: After my previously mentioned “upcoming stops” I did a signing at Rubber Chicken Comics on July 11. The next show for myself and Hailey is Boston Con on August 11-13, my return to that venue after at least 6 years. The new management is Fan Expo. I don’t have an Inkwell Awards table this time but I am eager to check things out and talk to management about the future. After that is our third return to Terrificon the following weekend at the Mohegan Sun. And that’s the summer end of the tour as we don’t go anywhere until November 10-12 to the Rhode Island Comic Con.

*The authorship job position didn’t happen because they didn’t realize the related costs involved which was beyond their budget.

*The Tick cover was done, is atteched below, and it will debut at Boston Con as a New England Comics Exclusive where Mike Lilly and I will be there to sign it (David Ocampo colored it). I hope to have new Tick news next time;-)

*Still no updates about the updated website and it’s gallery. I’m tracking all the commissions I do so that when the time comes I’ll have a huge update in that section.

Hope to talk again soon!

For those interested, I am scheduled to be interviewed alongside my Inkwell Awards spokesmodel Hailey Skaza-Gagne as Ms. Inkwell on the Static Rift Podcast (Facebook) Monday March 6. The show starts at 6pm EST but I believe we come on at 6:30. We’ll be talking about my career and my organization. Their latest Twitter promo says “No show today we’ll be back next week to interview legendary comic inker & founder of @InkwellAwards @almondink & his spokesmodel Ms Inkwell.”

 

UPDATE: here’s the direct link to the show interview.