The biggest comic convention of the year is next week. By now, you’re either going or not; tickets have been sold out for months. So…

IF YOU’RE IN THE AREA BUT CAN’T COME TO THE CON

Come to the TopatoCo/Dr. McNinja book release party next Wednesday night at San Diego’s Rock Bottom Brewery! It’s free to attend, and a ton of cool cartoonist folks will be there so you’ll have a chance to say hello and chat. Chris will be signing copies of his newest Dr. McNinja book Operation Dracula! From Outer Space, and I’ll be there trying desperately to look as cool as Chris. Details here, Facebook thing here, or just order the book online.

IF YOU WILL BE ATTENDING THE CON

First, it goes without saying that you should come to the Wednesday night book release party too. But also, stop by my table at the show! I’m listed with the “Dayfree Press” gang in the directory (not under my own name) but don’t even worry about that because my booth number is super-easy to remember: 1231. Say it with me. 1-2-3. Then put a 1 on there.

OR, just go to booth 1234 and look behind you. Those chumps are right across the aisle.

Even easier: print out this handy Commemorative Sketch Blank and bring it to me at the show! I’ll put a fun drawing in that guy for free, and there’s even a little map in the corner so you don’t even have to remember the booth number. WHAT COULD BE UNDER THAT HAT???

At my booth I’ll have: all three strip collections and all three Dispatches books; “Beards” and “Futurism” posters; stickers; comic prints; and Revolution and Steam Powered shirts… plus this brand new baby that’ll be debuting at the Con (click for bigger):

Based, of course, on this. (The shirt will be available for online ordering in about two weeks.)

IF YOU WILL BE NOWHERE NEAR SAN DIEGO

Well, it’ll be less crowded where you are. Regardless of where you are.

BONUS LINK: The image at the top of this post is from my 2007 docu-drama “Me Vs. Comic-Con: Who’s Better?” If you’ve never seen it, if you want a glimpse of what Comic-Con’s like, or even if (like me) you watch it incessantly, take a watch. I think it holds up.

SUPER BONUS: Guys you have to check out the “genre microfiction” that clever people are writing in the comments to the last post.

I was talking with a friend about a Twitter-based fiction contest that he’d seen, and he mentioned that this contest had stipulated genre requirements. So, of course, the conversation turned to how short a story could possibly be and still have some recognizable genre. I postulated that it wouldn’t take much at all:

“A final tear dripped down her dying cheek. Cancer! On our wedding day!” [Drama/romance]

“A final tear dripped down her dying cheek. Tuberculosis! On our wedding day!” [Period romance]

“A final tear dripped down her dying cheek. Nanobots! On our wedding day!” [Sci-fi]

“A final acidic tear dripped down her dying, scaly cheek. Dragon cancer! On our wedding day!” [Fantasy]

“A sultry bead of sweat dripped down her heaving bosom. Lust! On our wedding day!” [Erotica]

“A bloody tear dripped down her already-rotting cheek. Zombies! On our wedding day!” [Horror]

“A final tear dripped down her bullet-riddled cheek. Mobsters! On our court date!” [Crime]

“A final tear dripped down her dying cheek. Cancer! On our gay wedding day!” [Gay/lesbian]

“A final tear dripped down her goggles to her sprocket-laden corset. Brass poisoning! On our wedding day!” [Steampunk]

In fact, I bet between all of us we could write microfiction in every conceivable genre. Leave a comment and let’s prove it.

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I highly recommend the movie Away We Go, the newest from director Sam Mendes. I don’t think it’s for everybody, but for me, a dude really close to 30 who is in the first sort of nascent stages of starting a family yet who’s still waiting to discover what Adulthood is supposed to feel like, I think this movie was utterly, totally for me.

I won’t link you to the trailer or anything though, because with all due respect to my friends who worked on the marketing, this movie (like pretty much every movie) is better off seen totally cold, without anticipating the big moments that the trailer and commercials give away. So, don’t watch the marketing, but do see the movie. (Oh, and if you don’t like it — well, there’s no accounting for taste. I liked it. Let’s not argue about it, huh?)

Finally: take a look at John Krasinski up there. What do you notice?

He’s bearded.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe this is the only mainstream, non-period American movie in a great while in which the primary romantic protagonist wears a full beard. Leave me a comment if I’m wrong; I’d like to know if there are others!

(Continued, of course, from In which Sylvia finds a Project)