CON-ODYSSEY: CopperCon - Wednesday, August 27, 2008

CON-ODYSSEY: CopperCon - Wednesday, August 27, 2008
3:30am - I finally went to bed.

5:30am - I got up after my little nap. Showered, packed, ate banana cake, salami, lemon water for breakfast.

7am - The car picked me up to take me to LAX. I had Tuesday and Wednesday's L.A. Times with me, and read them.

9:40am - Borded the plane. After take off, I started to read Walter Mosely's Blonde Faith, but I couldn't keep my eyes open. Slept.

11am - Landed. In baggage claim, I met up with Shane Bryner (CopperCon Guest Liason) and David Hedgecock. Caitlin, another con staffer, was waiting for us out in the car. They took us to lunch, feeding me grilled cheese and tomato soup.

1pm - We went to Drawn To Comics for our first signing. Not much there for us to sign, but we had fun.

4pm - We went to Samurai Comics for our second signing, which wasn't scheduled to start until 5pm.

5pm - Same basic deal.

7pm - We departed for the hotel, checked in, unpacked.

8pm - Shane, Caitlin, David and I went out to dinner at a restaurant called Shogun. I had a coke, edamame, mixed tempura, a California roll, miso soup, salad. Then we went back to the hotel. Where I literally fell asleep doing my ten minutes of neck traction exercises. That means my head was hanging backwards off the edge of the bed for nearly an hour.

11pm - So I went to bed...

MORE TO COME...

IT WAS TWENTY YEARS AGO TODAY...

IT WAS TWENTY YEARS AGO TODAY...

On September 4th, 1988, I went on a first date with this amazing woman. We went to an apartment warming party for my friend Mike Ryan. My car -- actually my sister's car -- had it's horn literally hanging from the bottom of the engine by a wire, so I had to ask her out AND ask her to drive. (Who knew she'd like that?) At the party -- where she knew no one and I knew everyone -- she fit right in. My friend Cameron had just purchased a new camcorder and was practicing with it. Years later, he would give me a copy of the tape -- a tape of our first date -- full of fades and truck ins and other first-timer camera tricks. After the party, we dropped me off at my place, and I invited her upstairs. We talked for hours and hours. I did EVERYTHING they tell you not to do, including talking about multiple past relationships. And yet somehow as morning came, she still liked me.

Beth and I have been together for twenty years now, and... thank God... she still still likes me. After two apartments, we're on our second house, our third cat and our fourth and fifth dog. Plus, you know, the two amazing, amazing kids.

We have many anniversaries in my date book. Engagement. Finding out she was pregnant with Erin. Finding out she was pregnant with Benny. Our wedding, of course.

But this is still my favorite anniversary. This is where it all began.

I love you, Beth. Happy Anniversary.

WEISMAN'S ON A ROLL...

WEISMAN'S ON A ROLL...

The RED TORNADO limited series that I was working on for DC Comics has been put on an indefinite hold. (I wouldn't hold my breath, even if you are an android/air elemental.)

CLARIFICATION

CLARIFICATION

Hey gang,

There seems to be some confusion about where things stand with the comic books, so I'm going to try again to clear things up. The SLG license expired on 8-31-08. That means there will be no more individual comic book issues on either Gargoyles or Bad Guys.

However, SLG does still have the right to put all existing material out in the Trade Paperback format. They are also allowed to include Bonus Material in these trades.

Gargoyles: Clan-Building, Volume One will remain available, and as soon as possible, we will be putting out Gargoyles: Clan-Building, Volume Two and Gargoyles: Bad Guys: Redemption out in trade.

Gargoyles: Clan-Building, Volume Two will include (obviously) Gargoyles issues #7-8, but it will ALSO include what would have been issues #9-12, including the covers, as QUOTE-UNQUOTE Bonus Material. You WILL get to see the end of the Clan-Building arc. Currently, issue #9 is done except for a few minor lettering corrections. Issue #10 is being pencilled as we speak. Issue #11 has been scripted, and we are looking for the right artist to pencil it. Issue #12 is being scripted now. The trade will come out when ALL this material is complete and approved.

The Gargoyles: Bad Guys: Redemption trade will include (obviously) Bad Guys issues #1-4, but it will ALSO include what would have been issues #5-6, including the covers, as QUOTE-UNQUOTE Bonus Material. You will get to see the end of the Redemption limited series. Currently, issue #5 is done except for a few minor art corrections and the lettering. Issue #6 is scripted, and Karine will begin roughing it out shortly. The trade will come out when ALL this material is complete and approved.

Hope that clears things up.

Greg

Gargoyles: Bad Guys #4

Gargoyles: Bad Guys #4 should be in stores this Wednesday, August 20th, 2008.

FYI

My Gargoyles Universe timeline has hit 300 pages. Just thought you'd like to know.

CON-ODYSSEY: ComicCon - Sunday, July 27, 2008

CON-ODYSSEY: ComicCon - Sunday, July 27, 2008

1:45am - Went back to my room to watch TV and read more BONE.

4am - Finally went to sleep.

9:30am - Wake up time. Said goodbye to Michael Vogel, Mike Ross, Chris and David Hedgecock.

10:30am - Talked with Paul GIacoppa for a bit.

11am - My last SLG signing with Karine. Lots of people stopped by, and I said goodbye to Karine, Jen, Faith, Sammy, Seth, Chris, Gargy, Dan, Jen, Joe, etc.

1pm - Left the con. Went back to the hotel to get my duffle and my car. Headed for home. Finished BORN STANDING UP and started Michael Chabon's YIDDISH POLICEMEN'S UNION. Ate peanut M&Ms, Pringles, Water, Coke.

4:30pm - Made it home.

And that ends my con-journaling until later this month when I head for CopperCon in Phoenix, Arizona: http://www.casfs.org/cucon/

CON-ODYSSEY: ComicCon - Saturday, July 26, 2008

CON-ODYSSEY: ComicCon - Saturday, July 26, 2008

12:30am - Back to the room.

1:30am - Sleep.

8:30am - Wake-up. Seven hours, not bad. The sleep-gods giveth and the sleep-gods taketh away.

9:30am - Breakfast with Michael Homler of St. Martin's Press. He's been trying to cajole me to finish the rewrite of my RAIN OF THE GHOSTS novel for a couple years now. I just never have time. I did have time for oatmeal, bacon and orange juice.

11am - SLG Signing with Karine. Simultaneously, I lost a contact lense deep inside my right eye, various fans stopped by for autographs, various friends and acquaintances stopped by to say hi, I was interviewed on camera and Dan was telling me that the Gargoyles comic book license would not be renewed. It was... somewhat stressful. I won't go into the details of the non-renewal here. I've rambled about it on ASK GREG earlier this week. Check the archives. But obviously, this was not a fun piece of news. The good news is that we will finish the Clan-Building and Redemption storylines. Beyond that, we'll just have to see...

1:30pm - SLG Panel. We showed the reels for both Mecha-Nation and Prodigy. Two new comics that Vic Cook and I will be doing for SLG over the next year. Then we had to announce the Gargoyles bad news. The sound was problematic throughout the panel, and the whole thing was a downer. No one's fault of course, but not too fun.

2:30pm - Back to SLG Booth for more signing.

3pm - David Hedgecock joined me.

4pm - Vic & Greg Guler came to sign Spidey posters and talk about Mecha-Nation and Prodigy on camera for SLG's website. I was definitely feeling burned out.

6pm - Went back to my room.

7pm - I went out to dinner with Vic, Greg Guler, Kevin Hopps, Phil Weinstein and their families. (Table for NINETEEN!) I had bread, a pepperoni/sausage/mushroom pizza and root beer. Then Vic, Kevin and their families wanted ice cream so I led them back to Ghiradelli's and had another Domingo. From there we returned to the Omni. I got a bottle of San Peligrino and we took up residence at the far end of the lobby as various folks came and went, including: myself, Vic, Phil, Kevin, Nicole Dubuc, Ian Mackie, Jennifer Anderson, Seth Jackson, Sammy, Kyt, Scott Sakai, Alisa, Cindy, Joey Mason, Cheeks, Marina and others, I'm sure. (Sorry, if I forgot anyone.)

TO BE CONCLUDED...

CON-ODYSSEY: ComicCon - Friday, July 25, 2008

CON-ODYSSEY: ComicCon - Friday, July 25, 2008

12:30am - Giving up on food, I return to my room to watch some TV and read BONE by Jeff Smith. I had bought the complete one-volume edition earlier that day, breaking my "no purchases at ComicCon" rule.

4am - I turn off the lights to go to bed.

5am - Can't sleep, so I turn ON the lights and read more Bone.

6am - Turn out the lights (just as the sun's coming up).

10am - Wake up.

11am - We have a press session organized by Lindsay Colker for Spectacular Spider-Man. I give a half dozen interviews, as do Michael Vogel, Vic Cook, Sean "Cheeks" Galloway, Jamie Thomason, Josh Keaton, Vanessa Marshall and Ben Diskin.

12:30pm - Spectacular Spider-Man panel w/myself, Michael, Vic, Sean, Jamie, Josh, Vanessa, Ben and Robert Englund. We show the music video, our "Quip Reel" and the preview of our Mysterio and Kraven footage. It all seems to go over pretty well. Vic and I attempt to make shout outs to everyone on the staff that we know is attending. Not sure if we got everyone, but we tried. The Q&A -- in fact the entire panel -- seemed to go pretty well. I judge this by the number of laughs we got.

2pm - We have a Spectacular Spider-Man two-poster/one postcard signing at the Sony Booth. The coolest giveaway is this great spider-signal. Very cool.

3:30pm - Vic and I do one last interview.

4pm - Back to the SLG Booth to sign Gargoyles stuff with Karine Charlebois and Robby Bevard. Jennifer brought me a Pinkberry.

6:15pm - Back to the room.

6:30pm - I get Michael Vogel and Chris into the Jetix party at Stingaree. I make some small talk with Mike Moon, Rich Fogel, Mark Seidenberg, Eddie Gamara, Peter McHugh, Matt Wayne, Nicole Dubuc, Brian Swenlin, among others.

7:30pm - I hook up with Eric Vesbitt, John, Carrie, Karine, Kyt and Jennifer for dinner at Mahoney's. We are literally driven out of the place by the ridiculously high volume of the music - taking our food to go. We ate outside, and the food was actually pretty good (Salad, Club Soda, Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich). But I was still shaking from the volume. So we went to Ghiradelli's for dessert. I had a "Domingo", which is basically a hot fudge sundae (Domingo=Sunday, get it?) with bananas. Afterwards, Jennifer, Kyt, Laura and Julia and I went to a bar. I had another club soda and then called it a night...

MORE TO COME...

CON-ODYSSEY: ComicCon - Thursday, July 24, 2008

CON-ODYSSEY: ComicCon - Thursday, July 24, 2008

12am - Returned to my hotel room.

2:30am - Went to sleep.

9:30am - Woke up.

11am - Signing with Karine Charlebois at the SLG Booth.

1pm - A few of us headed out to get lunch, but it took us so long -- and all the restaurants were so crowded that I realized I didn't have time for lunch, so I stopped by Pinkberry and got an original with blackberries, strawberries and blueberries.

2pm - Another SLG signing, this time with David Hedgecock and Gordon Purcell. My friends brought me a burger and fries from Dick's Last Resort.

4pm - I walked the floor a little bit.

6pm - I went back to my room.

7:30pm - Jennifer Anderson, Robby Bevard, Kit Contreras and Karine Charlebois piled into my Cruiser for a trip to Baja Betty's, where we joined Michael McAdams, Sammy, Seth Jackson, Alisa, Scott Sakai, Marina Garcia, Max, Ty and Cindy Kinnard. I had a LOT of chips and salsa and coke. Also an Enchilada, taquitos, rice & beans. We then went back to the hotels. Jennifer, Karine and I decided to go looking for dessert. We ran into Vannessa ("Mary Jane Watson") Marshall and Cathy Lizzio (her agent) also on a hunt for food. But by Thursday at midnight, that seemed impossible. We were joined by Fred (voice of the Hulk) and his father Fred Sr. But still no food...

MORE TO COME...