Raccoon Hands
And the subtle art of keeping steady
So, here we are. Just a week out from my most anticipated comic con yet, Heroes Con 2023 in Charlotte, NC. I’m still buzzing a bit from Comicpalooza, which just happened a week ago, but give me a few days and I’ll be back in the saddle ready to connect with tons of fans and creators from all over the globe.
Comicpalooza ended up being a fantastic show with great friends after a nightmarish start. After setting up for the show on the Thursday night before, my car was broken into and my backpack containing three portfolios of original art and other various things was stolen. It was a monster kick to the gut, and frankly, I was in disbelief when it happened. I had a considerable number of original pages from my upcoming graphic novel in the bag. Yeah, it hurt.
After a sleepless night, I perked back up with the support of my comics buddies and ended up having an awesome time at the convention. I did some fun commissions and most importantly, attendees were interested in actual BOOKS. And not just Marvel and DC…indies too. My friends and I sort of felt like there was a new wave of interest arising in the distance, one that I’ve been waiting on for the last five years. It was encouraging for us, especially having spent hours and hours alone in our rooms creating the content. Let’s hope that times are truly a’ changin’.
Where does that put me now? Still plugging away on West, Not South, no matter what unforeseeable circumstances drop in my lap. I have about 80 pages inked up, then I’ll have to do some water coloring work and rework. The break-in will set me back a few months, which sucks, but I’ve worked out a recovery plan that shouldn’t kill my release of this bad boy. As completion becomes a bit more certain, you guys will be the first to know.
Aside from that, it’s all about Heroes Con June 16-18th. If you’re there, come check out my comics and art in artist alley at table 2111.
Also, my guy Ken and I have been putting out a weekly comics discussion podcast called The Comics Grind every week for the last couple of months. Seriously, we have some really great conversations on this YouTube show that not enough people are listening to. If you’re at all interested in making comics, the industry, news, and everything in between, come by the channel and give us a listen.
That caps it for this newsletter. Once the shows slowdown and I normalize my schedule a bit, I’ll get back to doing more creative art/writing pieces, mini comics, and process shots.
Keep making and reading comics, or at the very least, think about all of the comic art that has been lost over the years… like my stuff that is certainly sitting at the bottom of a Houston landfill as we speak.
Ah, fuck it. I still have my hands, right?
Thanks for your time,
Nico