Appreciation Week, part 5

Welcome back to Appreciation Week, where I thank the people and places that have brought you Amazing Arizona Comics this summer!  Today's shout-out -- Wasted Ink Zine Distro at The Hive!

Wasted Ink Zine Distro is an amazing zine and minicomics shop, open during the weekends and on special events, in Central Phoenix's The Hive, an artists' co-op that also hosts Silent Flight Coffee, the Bees' Knees Boutique, and a sweet little gallery. WIZD has carried Amazing Arizona Comics since they opened over a year ago, and I'm very grateful.

Fun Fact!  Did you know I host a live, local late night talk show?  It's true!  It's called Phoenix Tonight, and new episodes are posted monthly on YouTube.  Yes, I deliver a monologue, perform comedy bits from my desk, and interview local celebrity guests!  I've had a few notable guests from the comic industry, from my self-publishing friends Birdie Birdashaw and Tommy Cannon, to published writers like Brian Augustyn, to local shop owners like Drew Sully and Ken Brown.  It's exciting to have this unique way to combine my love of comics with late night talk shows!

Taping Phoenix Tonight with Steve Rude

Well, the latest episode was filmed at The Hive just last week, and my first guest was none other than comics legend Steve Rude!  He answered my questions about the beginning of his career, his latest projects, and meeting Jack Kirby.  The episode will be posted on YouTube soon -- click the link above to subscribe now, so you can catch it as soon as it comes out!

Many thanks to Wasted Ink and The Hive for making that show happen.  If you're ever in Central Phoenix, grab a coffee, enjoy some art in their gallery, and shop!

Next: Pants!

The Phoenix Comicon Memories Keep Comin'!

My list of top 10 favorite Phoenix Comicon memories continues!

5. The Edgar Rice Burrows Panel

Every year, I'm asked to join a panel or two, and I choose judiciously, because time spent on panels is time away from my Artists' Alley table, where I could be selling and connecting with fans.  When my buddy Bob Leeper or Evermore Nevermore and Nerdvana Media) asked if I'd be willing to join a panel about Arizona's role in pop culture, I couldn't resist!  First of all, Amazing Arizona Comics is all about Arizona's larger in the world.

Secondly, Bob delivered a great presentation at Ignite Phoenix last year about how Edgar Rice Burrows' John Carter of Mars birthed many pop culture tropes we take for granted today -- and how the opening act of that classic story takes place right here in Arizona!  See his presentation here, thanks to YouTube!

Our panel was an expanded version of this presentation, with guests like Burrows historians Frank Puncer and Steve Ringgenberg, and NAU astronomy expert Dr. Timothy Yamamura.  These guys were pros, and I was honored to contribute.

4. Friendly Neighbors

Weird story.  The map of this year's Artists' Alley planted my table on a corner, so I was prepared for the exposure from either aisle.  Of course, Phoenix Comicon reserves the right to change things up, so I was a table in from the aisle come showtime.  During set-up, a guy put down a line of tape two feet in front of our tables and said we could scoot up, if we wanted.  Weird, but they must've mis-measured the floor plan.  When my neighbor on the end arrived, I asked if he wouldn't scoot up, so I could have some semblance of a corner table, and he agreed!  "He" is Nathan Blackwell, director of the Star Trek inspired webseries Voyage Trekkers.  Please visit their website and watch their series!  It's as great as Nathan was for accommodating this high-maintenance neighbor.

Nathan was so cool, I asked him to be a guest on my talk show this month!  Here's his segment:

3. After Con Activities

Comic con doesn't end when the convention hall closes.  Geeks usually take to the streets for food and frivolity.  This year, I was excited to participate in another Untidy Secrets Storytelling & Zine Swap at Ash Avenue Comics in Tempe.  Storytelling events are becoming very popular, and this was the first I ever attended -- and it's in a comic shop, to boot!  Hearing local artists spin personal yarns amidst comics is a pretty magical experience for me, and May's theme was "Spider-man is having me for dinner tonight," so it was even more magical than usual.  (The theme is usually pulled from some music usually too cool for me to know.)

The final two memories are coming soon!  Is this the only blog that can milk four day's worth of activity into four weeks' worth of content?  Keep reading to know for sure!

Other nights included dinner and podcasting with Drawn to Comics' Ken Brown, and a bite with Birdie Birdashaw.  Good times all around!

Thank You, Phoenix Film Festival!

What a busy weekend for Amazing Arizona Comics and my live, local late night talk show, Phoenix Tonight!  On Friday, I was a guest on the season finale of First Friday Night Live, a SNL-inspired sketch comedy show on First Fridays in Phoenix.  The cast and crew were kind enough to write me into a sketch so I could promote Phoenix Tonight, since episode 14 was the following night. With both shows at Space 55, Phoenix truly has its own "30 Rock," and I'm happy to be a part of it!

Amazing Arizona Comics had a chance to shine on Sunday, at the Phoenix Film Festival's Geek Day.  I drew plenty o' sketches (like this Logan sketch, for that guy in a Wolverine shirt), and if you're visiting the blog because you picked up an issue of the comic, thank you!  Feel free to browse.

The next few weeks include a visit to Camp Verde, a few workshops at a writers' festival in Mesa, Free Comic Book Day at Drawn to Comics in Glendale, and of course Phoenix Comicon.  Find Amazing Arizona Comics at an event near you!

Thank You, Jay Thomas!

Merry Christmas!  If you're visiting Amazing Arizona Comics because you heard my interview on Sirius XM's Jay Thomas Show, thank you for visiting!  I self-publish a mini-comic book series that satirizes Arizona news, history, and culture with superhero adventure.  Just click the tabs above for more info on those little labors of love.

I also host a local monthly talk show called Phoenix Tonight, in the tradition of Johnny Carson and David Letterman.

The article Jay mentioned on his show is on Nerdvana Media and linked right here.  Please check that out, then find "Phoenix Tonight" on YouTube to watch my interviews with local celebrities like reporter Mike Watkiss (A Current Affair), comic book writer Brian Augustyn (Flash, Justice League), radio legend Bruce St. James, and more!

You can always follow my hijinks on Instagram @amazingazcomics, linked over there to the right of this post.  My thanks to Cristina and Jay from The Jay Thomas Show for a great interview, and to you for swinging by my corner of the Internet!

November: Even Scarier!

Wow -- and I thought October was scary!  November is shaping up to be quite a doozy. Here's where and when you can find Amazing Arizona Comics, and my other attempts at hogging the spotlight.

Of course, fear and November are going hand in hand this year, thanks to the election. I'll unpack the ramifications of Election Day's results soon, but in the meantime here's a detail of the "Sheriff Joe -- No More!" panel I drew for Nerdvana Media in real time, as the numbers were rolling in.  Just click HERE the detail to see the whole image!

October Is Gonna Be Scary!

October is shaping up to be a busy month in and around the world of Amazing Arizona Comics.  The weekends you don't see on my handy-dandy flyer above are booked with private caricature gigs (I am available, folks!), but those events help fund the publication of my minicomic, so I can't complain.

You'll notice at least two chances to find Amazing Arizona Comics in October: at the first ever Phoenix Zine Fest, and at the second ever Cottonwood Comic Book Show. Mention seeing this post at either event and I'll give you the latest issue for free!

As always, thank you for visiting!  Come back soon!  I know I will!

Update!  Here's a direct embed of the latest podcast, featuring my interview with DJ Robin Nash on Phoenix Tonight, and some poems I performed at the Big Pine Comedy Festival.

Friend of Amazing Arizona Comics: John Derrick West

John Derrick West was one of the first local artists to surprise me with a drawing of Speed Cameron, and recently he continued the tradition with this incredible rendition of June Monsoon!

June came on the heels of my asking JD to contribute to a Phoenix Tonight comedy bit, "rejected comic con cosplay concepts."  Here's Iron Deficiency Man!  (Apparently, clams are a great source for iron.)

To see more of John's amazing artwork, visit his Facebook page.  Tell him Russ sent ya!