I spent all of last weekend manning a Neil Jam table at the Chicago Comic Con, and what a weekend it was. I used to make it a point to stay away from “mainstream” conventions like these, so it is funny to think how entrenched I’ve become in this particular show for a handful of years in a row now. They like me, they really like me… *weep*
The big buzz of the show was Saturday’s appearance of disgraced former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, which had to have been the most unusual, surreal, and hilarious comic convention guest of all time. In case you’re not familiar, Blagojevich is not your run of the mill disgraced politician. If you saw him on Celebrity Apprentice, you would have seen that he literally does not know how to use a computer or send an email, which makes him twice as hilarious. Anyway, his name and appearance schedule were announced several times throughout the day over the loudspeaker, and the entire convention hall booed loudly each time! Who needs William Shatner when you’ve got a guy like this?!
I didn’t get to meet Blagojevich because I was busy behind my table most of the time. The comics and Neil Jam Icons once again did pretty well and it was fun dishing ‘em out to the masses. Thanks so much to everyone who stopped by to chat. There are lots of great faces stored up in my memory bank. Thank you for humoring me, y’all!
From time to time I’d like to be able to share a little about the “process” here at Neil Jam headquarters, so here is a look at how the cover of my new book, Neil Jammin’, came to be. Isn’t it something to see it grow right before your eyes like that? Try not to cry.
The book itself is a compilation of virtually all the strips I’ve been posting on neiljam.com (up till the most recent mini storyline), about 130 strips in all. It is a very dense package that turned out quite snazzy. I’ll be making it available here on the site shortly, and when I do I’ll let you know.
This weekend, Friday through Sunday, I’ll be setting up shop once again at the Chicago Comic Con. I’ll be situated within the artist alley at table 3404, in the same general vicinity that I was in last year. And like last year, I think I’ll probably tie some more balloons to the table, just so you’ll be more able to locate me in the giant madness of the convention hall. Sure, balloons tied to the table look a little tacky, but hey, a Neil Jam’s gotta do what a Neil Jam’s gotta do.
I’ll have a nice selection of books including a new handmade compilation of all the web strips from neiljam.com. And of course, I’ll have a substantial collection of framed Neil Jam Icon original art pieces– a record amount, actually. It should all be quite the sight to behold, so do your best to swing by and say hi. We can be pals.
Love,
Neil (Jam)
I’ve been meaning to put up a link to another interview I did a lil’ while back. Get to readin’ if you want to know a little more about the man behind the jam.
Just thought I’d give y’all a little taste of some of the Neil Jam Icons that have been percolating here at Neil Jam central. On the left, from the world of comic books, we have Beast, of the X-men. He has a nice blue, furry quality that makes him fun to draw. And on the right, from the world of children’s books, we have Babar, king of the elephants. The dude runs things.
As usual, these were made with markers and ink on 2.5″x3.5″ bristol board. Drop me a line if you’d like to call one of these your very own. I’ll pop ‘em in a little frame to make it official. Otherwise you can expect to see them at a convention near you. And don’t forget to check out some other pieces that I have on sale for cheap over in my Etsy shop.
• There’s a fun little interview with me up at the Comics Journal website. For all you “Jammers” looking to gain a little more insight, this is your chance!
• I’m having a Spring Cleaning Sale on original artwork over in my Etsy Shop. I decided a little Spring cleaning was in order, so I went though my inventory to offer up a nice selection of art at discount prices. A great opportunity to pick up some great art at a great price!
Neil Jam Harvest, a new take on an old classic, is now ready to be added to your comic book collection! I mentioned I’d be working on putting this together a little while back, and I’m happy to say that it is now officially available in the Neil Jam store. This is a one volume edition of a serialized narrative that originally appeared in issues 14 through 16 of the Neil Jam minicomic series, where it was then titled “Neil Jam Planet.”
As you can tell from the cover, it features some lesser known characters that have yet to make their way into the current web strip running on neiljam.com. But have no fear, the old standbys are in there as well. It wouldn’t really be Neil Jam without Willis, Jerry, Ona, and the tots, now would it? So join us for this epic comic book story in the ever expanding world that is Neil Jam. And for only $5, how can you go wrong? Find out more about the book and ordering info in the store.
Last weekend was my third appearance at Anime Central, and it went pretty well. I’d been semi struggling to up my game in the anime arena the last couple years at this show, so it was gratifying to finally break free from the shackles of consistency and do a little better.
This time, after having done the Neil Jam web comic for over a year, I had a firm basis for telling everyone who came by the table about it, and was taken aback by hearing from virtually every single person, “Oh yeah, I love/read a ton of web comics.” I guess maybe this has been my crowd all along and I didn’t even know it. God bless those crazy anime kids!
I didn’t take as many pictures as usual, but those that I did take, as usual, are on display in yet another flickr gallery.
This weekend, Fri-Sun, I’ll once again be setting up shop at Anime Central, or “ACen,” as the cool kids like to call it. This will be my third go around at this show, and I’m ready to take it up a notch. I’ll have the usual mix of books and art, but this time I’ll be doing my best to throw in a few more specific anime related icons to better serve my display for this anime centric crowd. It should be cool, so swing on by and say hi!
My wild three week convention spree ended this past weekend with Anime St. Louis. I wasn’t expecting much from this show, as it is a smaller convention, but it actually turned out to be a lively small convention. It had a lot of spirit, which certainly counts for something. I’ve now done a handful of anime shows, and each time my knowledge and understanding of that world grows exponentially. My next convention just happens to be Anime Central in a couple of weeks, and I now feel ready to really try and step up my game for the anime crowd, so watch out! And of course, I took a handful of photos this past weekend, so head on over to my flickr gallery to check ‘em out.
