Right.

I’m back from ConQuest, which is an incredibly cool convention in Kansas City and also BARBECUE BARBECUE BARBECUE BARBECUE BARBECUE BARBECUE.

I hit Arthur Bryant’s, as everyone said I should, along with Gates Bar-B-Q, as almost everyone else said I should. In my downtime, I also had Chili from 1919. So I’m going vegetarian for a week, to try and balance things out, cosmically and karmicly. And possibly comically. But holy Hannah, I do believe I’m in love with Kansas City now.

Anyway, job one is getting some Munchkin deadlines met, finishing off a blog post about ROFL! for Cyptozoic, tidying up a press release about another game for Cryptozoic, getting back ahead on the Dork Tower comic strips, and finishing off a Dork Tower comic book and wait what did he say what what what what WHAT? (If you know the Goon Show at all, that last bit is best done in Ned Seagoon style).

It’s a gorgeous day, here in Madison. The grand kind of day that makes it good to be home after a long holiday weekend spent with family, with convention-goers, and ferrying messages between Pat Rothfuss and Neil Gaiman. Long story. Trust me. It’s only ninety-EIGHT percent as cool as it sounds.

But today is also the Madison Mallards home opener, so that makes it DOUBLE-DOG GRAND, and the official start to my summer. The point being: as they’ve done for the past six or seven years, the Mallards asked me once again to do a comic strip for their program.

As it’s been for the last several years, it was both a thrill and an honor, as well as an incredible goof.

And, as I’ve done for the last several years, I’m posting it here, for your viewing pleasure.

Some (“most”) of this will make little sense to those outside of Madison. So you might as well be confused in high-res. Click on the image, or HERE for the large version.

Now, lest it appear that the Mallards alone have my Local Sports-Lovin’ Heart, I’m also chuffed to hve been asked to do another poster for the Mad Rollin Dolls, this time for a Team Unicorn summer bout. Though, in all honesty, when Roller Derby sorts ask you for a favor, YOU DO NOT SAY “NO.” Trust me.

Anyway, here’s the start of the poster. It’s for a late-July bout, I believe. More info as it comes.

Some touch-up and coloring needed. I also wanna rework the “Night of the Barnstorming Unicow” bit. Hey, it’s a work in progress.

But still. Getting to draw a Roller Derby Cow-Unicorn Hybrid, ready to kick your ass?

This just might be the Best. Summer. EVAR!

TO THE AIR, lads!

– John

My pal Brett Myers suggested this idea to me, a few years ago. I still love it, and I cry silent but tasty Foodie tears that the folks who make my T-shirts didn’t want to make it an actual, honest-to-goodness T-shirt-for-sale. I mean, c’mon! There MUST be ten or twelve people who are into Michael Pollan and zombies. But there you go.

Speaking of incredibly obscure graphics, here’s something I did up for Bill Corbett, on Twitter. But really, doesn’t it apply to all of us? Really?

Lastly, I’ll be at ConQuest, in Kansas City, Memorial Day weekend, May 24-26. I’m very much looking forward to this, and not merely because I’ll be having barbecue for dinner every night. And lunch. And possibly breakfast.

Here’s my tentative schedule. I’ll post again when things are confirmed:

• Friday 1800-1900: Win, Lose, or Draw (Monarch)
• Friday 1900-2000: Opening Ceremonies (Royal Ballroom)
• Saturday 1500-1600: The Future of Gaming (Imperial)
• Saturday 1700-1800: The World of Munchkin, Dork Tower and Apples to Apples
• Saturday 1800-1900: Reading/Autographs (Salon C)
• Sunday 1000-1100: Self Publishing Not a Gold Rush (Embassy)
• Sunday 1300-1400: Writing Humor (Embassy)
• Sunday 1700-1800: Closing Ceremonies (Royal Ballroom)

I should also have a copy of ROFL! on me, as well as Double Feature, a tremendous movie game I’m helping with. And I note many games of Munchkin and Chez Geek are on the convention schedule…

– John

All together now…

ALL HAIL KING TORG!

Believe it or not, I think this is only the second time I’ve drawn King Torg, that lovable, berserk bundle of orange brutality who leads the Kobolds through a cunning combination of violence, violence and more violence.

Here’s the first drawing I did of him, from the Kobolds Ate My Baby Super Deluxx Edition, seven years ago.

Obviously, not much has changed. I still love the basic character design work I did, when we reimagined the Kobolds for SDE. But going into King Torg for the new Kickstarter edition, I really thought I’d want to change him, more. But even in the initial sketches, I realized I still kind of loved the big ‘ol ball of unrestrained Kobold brutality.

Some of the colors were tweaked, and a few details added. One or two more may yet come into play. But the biggest change?  Line quality.

Line quality may not seem hyper-important to the non-cartoonists, out there. But trust me – I used to use terrible, terrible pens, once upon a time. Because they were cheap. And they were quick. And they were easy. As easy as inserting a joke about the girls I dated in college at this point. Which I won’t. Because. You know. PRIDE.

These days, I favor black Faber Castell Pitt Artist pens, and I can’t recommend them highly enough. Yes, the original line drawing for the new King Torg drawing is larger than the original I did, all those years ago. But look at the difference in quality anyway:

Yeah…that first one still gives me nightmares.

I could go on about line quality for hours. For the moment, though, I hope you see why I’d like to pack the new Kobolds Ate My Baby! In Color!!! edition full of as much new art as I can.

– John

NEW KOBOLDS ATE MY BABY ART?

Why yes. Yes, please!

Here’s a sample from the new game. I’m hoping this (with better colors) can be a full-page illo.

(Click on the image to see the full-size version!)

– John