Hee hee hee. This joke occurred to me on the train ride into work. It reflects the story about how the special effects for Back to the Future came to be. The movie didn’t have the budget for spectacular special effects, but they went to ILM (Industrial Light and Magic – George Lucas special effects studio) and said they needed something for this effect. And they came up with the quick flash that has become this iconic sequence.

Likewise, transformers have a very iconic transformation sequence. The sound, the motion, all of it. And I wanted to do something like that for the page.

So I started dreaming up what I could do that would be signature to the series. Ideas are flying through my head on this 40 minute train ride, and throughout the day at the office, and even on the ride home. I have these ambitious ideas of what to do with the page, and when I sit down I decide – I’m kinna hungry.

So I made some dinner, sat down at the computer to get started, and thought to myself, “That transformation sequence is going to be a lot of work, and this page has to go live in a few hours. How about instead I do something kind of cheesy and silly and not spectacular? And so I did. And I thought it was pretty funny.

Hope you enjoy it as well.

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NATO is in town this weekend, and they have been arresting protestors since Tuesday. The office has encouraged all employees to work from home on Monday, and avoid downtown like the plague. However, I’m kind of hoping there will be some funny stories and pictures online from this weekend. I’ll let you know.

But if you’re in the Chicago area, be safe this weekend.

So Charlie and the creator (ie: photo Trevor) have finally met, and Charlie has a plan. Sounds like this sort of thing may have happened before. But who cares? We’re so far into breaking the 4th wall at this point it’s kind of nuts.

The point is, we now have an explanation for why the tear appeared and chased Trevor (like how the portal chased Ash in Evil Dead 2), and we now have a plan to defeat the Gnome King and get this comic back.

Stay tuned to see what happens next!

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Since I’ve been doing so many cons and appearances lately, I have no buffer left. Going to try to work my butt off to get a comic done for Friday – and spend this weekend working to get the next week or so’s worth of content started – but it’s going to be an uphill battle.

Just wanted to set expectations in case I do miss an update. I hate to miss updates (and I never miss deadlines for editors), so I’m going to do my best here!

Hope you guys are enjoying the story.

The two meet for the first time. Now what schemes might they cook up to get this comic back under control?

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I’m attending Summit City Con this weekend as a guest. I’ll be in artist alley booth #c19. Stop on by for the latest deals on some sweet comic swag!

So someone is unaffected by the Gnome Kings influence, it seems. But what does this mean for our trapped hero?

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So it’s been a while since I was just able to give a general update on what’s happening in my life. And let me tell you, it’s been a lot. Where to begin….

CONVENTIONS / SIGNINGS:

This past month has been a blur of conventions and signing events, with April having two of my biggest shows: C2E2 and ACEN.

Both of these shows have been reviewed on the site (one of which had to be reviewed in not 1, not 2, but 4 parts), and they are completely awesome. I highly recommend attending both next year.

Additionally, fellow comic writer Russell Lissau and I attending a signing event at Comix Revolution for Free Comic Book Day. We were giving away free sketches to kids under 11, and selling copies of our all-ages titles.

Coming up this weekend, I’ll be attending Summit City Con in Fort Wayne, IN. It’s a one-day show, but it should be a fun time.

Then I get a break from shows for a while…but I’ll still be keeping plenty busy with comics and social events.

INTERVIEWS!

I’ve been going to conventions almost non-stop this year, and I’ve been getting some great press at the same time. Below are some interview videos I did at C2E2 and ACEN in April:

Pocket Entertainment interviews Trevor Mueller at C2E2, Marketing Director for Reading with Pictures

Trevor Mueller is interviewed at ACEN, the 3rd largest animation convention in the USA

PODCASTS:

I’ve been making the rounds on the podcast circuit as well, recently appearing on Uncle Yo’s very awesome and hilarious podcast We Are the Geek.

Uncle Yo and I met at Anime Milwaukee two years ago, and have become fast friends. He’s a hilarious nerd comedian and incredibly witty, knowledgeable, and funny. My audio’s a little funny (I blame the internet connection on my end), but the content is solid – plus I tell a funny story or two.

So Gnome King is getting all kinds of attention (and ladies), but he doesn’t really know what to do when it comes time to “perform.”

Too bad he couldn’t write himself a stud and make it so he could wow the ladies in the bedroom….maybe he’ll figure it out some day.

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This weekend I’m attending ACEN as a guest of honor. It’s my favorite show of the year, the third largest animation convention in the country, and the con that never sleeps! There’s always something to do at this show. It’s a total blast.

I’ll have a table in artist alley, and also some panels throughout the weekend. First off, I’ll talk about the books:

There will be copies of @$$hole! volume 1, @$$hole!: Laura’s 21st birthday, Junkyard Chase, Reading with Pictures, Hope: The Hero Initiative, and Albert the Alien. Plus a ton of sketch cards. Two new books on the table this year, and I’m putting together bundle deals and specials for people throughout the weekend.

Now for the panels. These are broken out by title, time, and room (all my panels are in the Hyatt).

Friday:
-Breaking into Comics – 6pm – DaVinci – A Q&A with all of the comic creator guests at the show, including Russell Lissau, Steve Horton, John Bivens, and Trevor Mueller! We each have a story that’s unique – come hear them all.

-Trevor Mueller’s Panel That Shall Not Be Named – 8pm – Vienna – Nor described. But it’s a popular panel. You just need to show up to find out what it’s all about.

Saturday:
-Self-Publishing 101 – 9pm – London – It’s never been easier to make a comic book than it is today. Trevor Mueller and Steve Horton take you through some methods and options for self-publishing your own comics.

Additionally on Saturday, you should check out:
-Making Webcomics part 2 – 6:30pm – Malpensa – Alan Evans (I may make an appearance)
-How to Draw Comics – 8:15pm – Vienna – John Bivens
-Horror Comics – 9:15pm – Vienna – John Bivens and Russell Lissau

Sunday:

Even though I won’t be at these panels, you should still check them out:
-Writing Comics – 11:45am – Paris – Steve Horton
-POW! BAM! All-ages comic workshop – 2pm – London – Russell Lissau

Free coffee for life, and Anthony Douchebag gets shot down – because the lady is interested in the Gnome King. Damn, this guy is taking controlling an entire world a little too far. Someone needs to put a stop to this…but this isn’t quite the end yet. Things get worse before they get better. Just you wait.

Next week I’m going to be a guest at my favorite show of the year, ACEN, in Rosemont, Il. This show continues to set the standard for how guests are treated at a show. It’s a fun time with great people, and they have an amazing guest list this year – including myself and several amazing comic guests.

Be sure to be there, check out the books, and attend the panels. It’s going to be a wild weekend.

Old Money and New Money, Gnome King style. He’s officially infiltrated the support characters from this comic.

Now, I do feel bad I haven’t used these guys in a while. Not having owned a car in over 3 years (because I take public transit everywhere), I haven’t had a ton to complain about when it comes to big oil. Yet, I love these characters. They are absolutely terrible people. And they don’t think they’re in the wrong at all. It’s pretty funny to me.

I’m still recovering from an amazing time at C2E2. The new book, Albert the Alien, was a huge success – and there will be many more great announcements about Albert in the coming months. RWP sold like hot cakes, and it was awesome hanging out with my friends – the greatest people on this planet. More posts about C2E2 will be going live soon enough. In the meantime, while I continue to recover from a fun show, enjoy the comics and thanks for all the support!

Reading with Pictures will be appearing at C2E2 in Chicago, Il, April 13-15. Contributors Russell Lissau and Trevor Mueller will be running booth #211 (near DC Comics), and will have copies of the two-time Harvey Award-nominated anthology available for sale.

They will also be selling copies of their personal all-ages work, including Strawberry Shortcake and Albert the Alien.

There will be celebrity guest signings throughout the weekend at the booth, as well as some big announcements about the future of RWP.

Additionally, RWP will be putting on the following panels throughout the weekend:

Reading With Pictures: The Future of Comics in the Classroom
Date: Friday, April 13
10:45 AM – 11:45 AM
Location: N426b
Speakers: David Rapp , Josh Elder , Laura Harper , Tim Sarrantonio , Travis White-Schwoch , Trevor Mueller

Description:
Find out how YOU can help get comics into schools and get schools into comics in this informational seminar hosted by some of the biggest names in the world of comics and education. Join Josh Elder of Reading With Pictures and several educational professionals as they unveil their plans for 2012 and beyond.

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Reading with Pictures – Live Reading
Date: Sunday, April 15
11:15 AM – 11:45 AM
Location: Variant Stage
Speakers: Gabriel Bautisa , Trevor Mueller

Description:
Come learn about how getting comics in the classroom can be fun and educational. There will be live read-alongs of our favorite stories from the Harvey-Award nominated anthology, sessions teaching kids how to draw their favorite characters, and much more! Hosted by Reading with Pictures Marketing Director Trevor Mueller, and Eisner-Award winning contributor Gabriel Bautisa. Come join us for this engaging panel that’s fun for all ages!

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Getting the Most out of Graphic Novels in Your Classroom Library
Date: Sunday, April 15
3:45 PM – 4:45 PM
Location: N426a
Speakers: Jeni Defeo , Josh Elder , Robert Casey

Description:
Josh Elder, Founder and President of Reading With Pictures, leads a panel of experienced educators and librarians in presenting a series of best practices for getting the most out of the graphic novels in your classroom or library. The expert panel will be sharing their proven strategies and answering audience questions and concerns.

Oh snap, something has gone terribly wrong with this comic. The Gnome King has taken control, and now everything is upside down. We’re going to find out just how bad it’s gotten…next week. This week, I’m attending C2E2 as a guest. I’ll be running the Reading with Pictures booth (#211) over by the DC Comics booth. I’ll also be putting on panels throughout the weekend:

Reading with Pictures – Live Reading
Date: Sunday, April 15
11:15 AM – 11:45 AM
Location: Variant Stage
Speakers: Gabriel Bautisa , Trevor Mueller

Description:
Come learn about how getting comics in the classroom can be fun and educational. There will be live read-alongs of our favorite stories from the Harvey-Award nominated anthology, sessions teaching kids how to draw their favorite characters, and much more! Hosted by Reading with Pictures Marketing Director Trevor Mueller, and Eisner-Award winning contributor Gabriel Bautisa. Come join us for this engaging panel that’s fun for all ages!

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Well…crap! Not a great situation for our hero to be in. Clearly something’s not right here, and will need to be fixed. Find out more next week!

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Speaking of next week, it’s C2E2! I’ll be posting details on the booth space (#211 Reading with Pictures), panels (there’s a bunch of them) and cool announcements as we get closer to the actual show. Until then, have a great weekend!