Thanks to everyone who came out to JHU Comics for the Nerd Inferno release party yesterday. It was the busiest I've ever been at a store signing, obviously it helped that it was also Free Comic Book Day but I started signing online orders at around 11:30 and after doors opened at noon the line continued until about 8 pm. I signed/sketched the entire time without a break. There were people there from San Francisco and Ohio who made the trip as part of their NYC plans, folks drove in from Connecticut and Pennsylvania, and there was a cosplayer dressed as Mandi from the Eltingville epilogue.
I wasn't able to get back to the online orders so I'll be going back to JHU sometime this week to personalize and sketch the remaining books. It'll be my third time stopping by to sign online orders and prints. I'm not complaining, they have moved a lot of copies and I have enjoyed everything. People really came out in support, they had a record FCBD day and we moved all the copies of the Beasts of Burden Omnibus as well as a pile of back issues of Instant Piano, Pirate Corp$!/Hectic Planet, Blackwood, an $80 first printing of Milk & Cheese #1, their last Blackwood Library Edition, copies of Catacomb of Torment etc. It meant a lot to us all. I signed a copy of Fight-Man and a Rom #37 with my fan art in the letters page. When I go back to the store there's still a copy of Greed #6 with the first appearance of Milk & Cheese for me to sign. Forty years of my life.
After closing up shop I grabbed dinner with Ron, Nick and Rory from JHU and we talked about the day and old comic shop comrades and enemies, traded/argued about old JHU and SDCC stories, and then we all headed home to basicially take ibuprofen and crash out. I read some Dick Tracy strips for a while and spent some time with Winky and finally conked out with my wrist brace on. I slept almost twelve hours in two old man shifts. My wrist and hand are in tough shape today, that carpal tunnel surgery looks better than ever to me. The headache will go away.
I have a feeling this month is going to involve a lot of pain relief meds, Salonpas and a new wrist brace. Possibly some edibles, for the plane ride I am now booked for (destination TBA). But I'm looking forward to all of it (except the flight), if it's even half as fun and rewarding as yesterday was.
I planned to take it easy and take care of some backed-up e-mail today, deal with some business matters, go over the interview I recently did with a comics site and maybe draw a little, but I am not bouncing back today in the least. I'm thinking I'll be taking it even easier than that, maybe a movie or two, definitely some more Dick Tracy and laying in bed and spending time with the pirate cat if she lets me (she does not like my leaving the house, this will be a bad month for her in that regard). I bought an extra sandwich Thursday and that will be dinner. I also bought an extra Moon Pie. I am happy with this arrangement.
Next week's tour stop is Forbidden Planet NYC, Saturday May 9th, 5-7 pm. The week after that is the New Dorp Comic Con back on Staten Island. The week after that is TBA, in a state possibly near you. And the week after that is the Forest Hills Comic Con in Queens, NYC. Then Four Color Fantasies in Winchester VA June 20th. Then Winky has me back full time.
Images above: I got to meet 15 yr-old Clover at the JHU signing as well as many comic book fans.