New Books

Just received my author copies from Stone Arch for three new titles.
Check 'em out!

Secret of the Summer School Zombies

T. Rex vs Robo-Dog 3000 (not my original title)

Wind Power Whiz Kid: A Buzz Beeker Brainstorm

(my original title: Gone With the Windmill)

More Than a Nickel's Worth?

According to this site, my blog is worth an astounding $14, 511!

For comparison purposes, here are some other comics-related sites and their respective values:

Richard Thompson's blog = $76,569

POV Online (Mark Evanier's blog) = $102,845

The Daily Cartoonist = $216,383

The Daily Ink (King Features' comic site) = $217,826

The Comics Reporter = $1,062,300

Go Comics = $1,385,378


Then there's this...

The high...
Disney's official site = $3,118,661

and the low...
Lola's official site = $293

Madly Yours (finally)

Months in the making (or at least the waiting), a new cartoon graces the current issue of MAD (issue #492, to be precise).

MAD uses funny little puns to identify each cartoonist. I am PLUGGED NICKEL, which I guess is better than NICKEL AND DIMED or NICKELODEON (which would probably invite an immediate cease and desist letter from Viacom).

Eagle-eyed readers of A Nickel's Worth (hey, that's not a bad title either) will remember that I previewed a version of this cartoon many (many) months ago on this very blog.

Love isn't pretty

A recent card design.

Unlike comic strips, greeting cards are actually fairly lucrative.

Will they eventually be replaced by online greetings? Who knows?

I'm sure the dead-tree Mother's Day cards will be the last to go. You look like a real schmuck just sending Mom an email on her special day ("What? It would kill you to go to the store and buy something, Mr. Cheapskate?")

The Usual Gang of Idiots -- Part Deux

Got another cartoon printed in MAD. Actually, I've sold another two, but I'm not sure when they're going to run.

For those keeping track, the cartoon is in issue 491 (July 2008), which should be on the stands now, and can be yours for only five bucks (cheap?).

EEK! It's a book?

Got a question for everyone.

If an EEK! compilation book were published, would you buy it? Price would be between 10 and 11 bucks -- 96 pages, black and white with full-color cover.

Please feel free to leave comments.

Thanks

Danny Federici RIP

Bruce Springsteen's longtime keyboard player died Thursday from melanoma.

Danny's last appearance with Bruce and the E Street band was at an Indianapolis show on March 20, 2008. I was fortunate enough to have been at that show and witnessed the band's -- and the fans' -- love for Danny.

We'll meet you further on up the road, Phantom.


Photo by Guy Aceto, Backstreets.com

Scary Simpsons

Now this is creepy...but kinda cool.

The Boss!

I went to the March 20th Springsteen show in Indianapolis with an old buddy from college, who flew out just for the occasion.

It was a magical show, made even more special by the return of keyboard player Danny Federici, who had been absent from the E Street Band since November while undergoing treatment for melanoma.

Springsteen brought Danny out midway through the show and "Phantom," as he's nicknamed, helmed the organ for an incredible three-song set filled with love and joy, pain and soul: "Prove it All Night," "Spirit in the Night," and "Sandy," the latter featuring Bruce on acoustic guitar and Danny on accordion, just like the old days. At the end of the song, Springsteen hugged his band mate of over 35 years and gently kissed him on the side on the head.

Check out the video from brucespringsteen.net.

Glad to have you back, "Phantom." Here's to many more unforgettable shows.

Killer Comics

I read over at the Daily Cartoonist that Tony Carrillo plans to kill off a character in his strip, F Minus.

Pretty funny, because there aren't any regular characters in Tony's strip.

I wish I coud use that gimmick, but I routinely kill off people in EEK! and more than half the characters are in various stages of being undead.

What can I do for shock value?