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Reading with Pictures is an educational non-profit organization that promotes literacy and the visual arts through the use of comics in the classroom. To achieve our goals, we’ve recently launched a pledge drive on kickstarter.com to finance the publication of a groundbreaking educational comics anthology. The anthology features a cover by Jill Thompson (The Sandman) and original stories by over 50 all-ages creators including Fred Van Lente (Amazing Spider-Man), Chris Giarrusso (Mini-Marvels), Jim Gownley (Amelia Rules), Jeffrey Brown (Sulk), Scott Sava (The Dreamland Chronicles), and RWP Executive Director Josh Elder (Mail Order Ninja). This limited edition anthology will serve as a proof of concept that comics can be both entertaining and educational, and the only way to guarantee that you get your copy is by pre-ordering on Kickstarter today!

Learn more by visiting us online at www.readingwithpictures.org.

At Reading with Pictures, we’re getting comics into schools and getting schools into comics.

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We're back to that first page, and Marielle has Seymour in her sights. What will she decide?

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Marielle has some questions about her next assignment. Something doesn't quite add up here....

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It's been a while since I've answered a reader mail in the comic, and I debated with whether or not to do it with illustrated Trevor or photo Trevor. In the end, I decided to keep with what had come before - and I kind of missed drawing.

So yes, I've been totally and completely swamped at work. Sadly it's taken away from the blog and comic a bit, as well as a social life, but that's to be expected when there's lots to do.

And since comics don't pay the bills, I have to work the hours to get the work done. And keep those delicious paychecks coming.

So yes, the blogs may be a little delayed and I apologize for that. But I'm working hard to make sure that there's no delay in the comic updates.

See you all next week!

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Been a while since we've seen Charlie the poltergeist, but at least this explains why the photo comics suddenly started up after The Prisoner storyline. Might this lead to some conflict later on? Anything's possible.

I've had the worst headache since last week, and it hasn't gone away yet. I think it's because I've been so tense lately. The muscles in my neck have constricted and started putting undue pressure on my temples or something. I think a massage is in order sometime soon.

In the meantime, though, I need to play catch up from the weekend and get more comic pages done. And scripting. And coloring.

And then will come the much needed sleep.

See you Friday!

Anime Milwaukee Homepage

This weekend I spent in the gracious company of Alan Evans (Rival Angels) at Anime Milwaukee. Leaving work on Thursday, I hopped a bus up to the city where Alan picked me up and took me back to his humble abode. Alan and I have been friends for years now, and through those years I've never before met his wife or cats - who are all awesome! But I digress.

Thursday was a restful night of lounging around the house and catching up, since Alan and I haven't hung out since Mid-Ohio last year. We talked about the con, our goals, comic stuff, and basic nerdy topics. It was great catching up and talking shop with Alan. One of the best parts of conventions is the camaraderie with your fellow creators and lovers of comics and anime.

Friday we headed out in the morning to get the to con, even though Artist Alley didn't open until 1pm. Alan and I set up, got our badges and gear, and made signs to announce our panels for the weekend. Alan has a great sign for his book, and even bought out the cover 4 ad (that's back cover, for anyone who doesn't know) in the brochure for the show, which looked great. The entire weekend he was getting recognition from the ad, and hopefully he gets a lot of web traffic from it as well.

Around 1pm the show really picked up. Our table was at the end of the L-shaped artist alley, and people seemed to enjoy walking around a blue circle of tiles that sent them away from our table, but towards the vendor room. Alan and I kept making fun of the situation, calling it "the blue ring of death."

Friday went pretty slow sales wise, but towards the end of the day I had two panels back-to-back: Crafting Fictional Worlds at 3pm, and Writing Comics at 4pm. The trick was that I went over by a few minutes at the first panel, so I had to bum-rush to the second panel. Attendance for the panels was pretty strong, and the audience had questions throughout the panel and after.

When the panels were done, I went back to the table and waited out the remaining hours with Alan.

After the show, we got dinner and went back to his place to watch Zombieland with his wife. The flick was HILARIOUS. You know you're in good company when everyone can laugh at jokes about Bill Murry, and also add more jokes into the mix.

Saturday was the big day of the con, but Alan and I had Making Webcomics panel about an hour after the show started. Not even bothering to fully unpack, we grabbed some items and went to the panel. Alan counted a good number of attendance, and we gave out our knowledge and experience. After the panel, Alan and I were invited to move to a new table location in the center of Artist Alley. This was a great chance for us, since we were no longer affected by the blue ring of death. We also met our awesome neighbors. Sales picked up for Alan and I as the day progressed, but we did have a few slow spots - mostly around the time that the voice actors were giving their panels.

Alan and I ended the day and headed back to his place, where his wife made a delicious chili. Alan and I watched Jurassic Park 1 and 2 while working on comics - probably the greatest creative / productivity / nerd night I've had in ages! Seriously, I've missed having creative nights like that, and it was exactly what I needed to help charge the batteries for the final day of Anime Milwaukee.

Sunday was the final day of the con, and also the day of Daylight Savings Time. Alan and I set up the table and started selling our tails off. Alan sold a few prints and books early off, and I had a slower morning. At 3pm (the last hour of the con) was my panel for @$$hole!, to which I had been promoting all weekend in the hopes that people would show. And they did. A decent sized group of people for the last panel of the convention, and I was very humbled that the audience wanted to spend their last hour of the con listening to my stories about @$$hole!. I put my all into it, telling stories about what inspired the comic and even acting out some of the scenes from it on stage. I answered questions, I told touching and humorous tales of the world that exists in my demented little mind - and everyone seemed to love it.

In the end, I thanked them all for spending their last hour of the con with me, and hope to see them all again soon.

After the panel the show ended, Alan and I broke down our table and said our goodbyes to the people we had met. Alan took me to a local gyro place, and then we headed to the train station so I could get back to Chicago.

It was a fun weekend spent in great company. I had a blast, and I look forward to doing it again next year.

...and if people from the con are reading this, please send me some pictures from the convention. My camera is broken and Alan's ran out of batteries. :P

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Anime Milwaukee was a blast. I'm totally exhausted, but had a fun time hanging out with Alan at the table and being on panels and meeting all the cool people who attended. I'll do a con report for Tuesday's update to let everyone know how it went.

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I'm at Anime Milwaukee this weekend sharing a table with the very talented Alan Evans of Rival Angels fame. We'll be speaking on a few panels and selling our wares in artist alley.

Be sure to stop in and say hi.

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So here's my complete convention schedule for 2010. I'll be attending several of these conventions as a guest of honor (ACEN, Cyphan, CECE) and speaking on panels at several other ones. It's a great honor to be invited as a guest, so I plan to put my all into my appearances and speaking events at those cons. To all who requested me to attend as a guest, I humbly thank you.

If you want me to attend and speak at a convention near you, be sure to ask them to invite me as a guest. As attendees, the convention wants to give you what you want and you pull a lot more weight than you may think. You can request on convention forums, e-mailing the guest relations department, and snail mailing the convention chair.

I hope you're planning to attend some of these conventions, and if so be sure to stop by and say hello.

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I'll be attending Anime Milwaukee this week, sharing a table with Alan Evans of Rival Angels fame. I have several panels throughout the weekend, including:

-The Art of Crafting Your World
-Date: Friday
-Time: 3-4 PM

-Writing for Comics
-Date: Friday
-Time: 4-5 PM

-@$$hole!
-Date: Sunday
-Time: 3-4 PM

Be sure to stop in and say hi. Also, be on the lookout for a certain bald man on the guest page for ACEN, the coolest anime convention in the mid-west!

I'll be a guest of honor this year, speaking on several panels and available to speak to at my table in the guest area. It's going to be an absolutely sweet con this year, so I hope to see you all there!

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Anime Milwaukee is next weekend (March 12-14), and I'll be sharing a table with Alan Evans of Rival Angels. The two of us will have several panels. I'll be speaking on the following topics:

-Panel Name: The Art of Crafting Your World
-Date: Friday
-Time: 3-4 PM

-Panel Name: Writing for Comics
-Date: Friday
-Time: 4-5 PM

-Panel Name: @$$hole!
-Date: Sunday
-Time: 3-4 PM

Be sure to stop by and say hi, buy a book and hang out. We're cool guys. We being Alan and I.

Also, if you check out the guest list over at ACEN, you may see a certain bald man is listed as a guest of honor.... ;)

Be sure to show up for that show, too. It's probably the coolest con you'll attend all year!

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Oh oh, the magical memory-loss hat is finally on sale. What havoc can Amanda spread with it? Perhaps we'll find out in another story down the road.

For now, I'm going to try for some funny short-form illustrated strips. Later, peeps!

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So it looks like Kidjo was delayed on his way to take out Portis, which is why Sophia and Selphi got there first (see Hikari). And since Marielle and Kidjo have met in person, this explains why she was able to recognize him in the original story.

See, no plot holes here. ;)