This is a darker comic than what I'm used to doing, so just a heads up:

Yes, I'm aware that sounds like I got one off of the blackmarket.  Not that I know how to do that, where to go, or why they ask for the payment to be made in small bills delivered in a vintage 1977 Johnny Quest lunch box.

*cough cough*

Mallory Lucinda Ziolko arrived at 8:00 am Monday morning.  She was 11 lbs, 4 oz.  Yes, she was a big baby.  It's weird having two kids, but it's also really cool at the same time.  I guess "blessed twice" is the apprapo term.  All I know is that I'm well aware how lucky I am.  Mother and big sister are doing fine.

1)  Move my career as a comic book creator to the next level.

2)  Start a band who's main influences are Jawbox and Sonic Youth.

I look forward to getting neither of these accomplished.

I'm both excited and tired just thinking about it.  It's weird because I don't feel ready at all for her to be born but at the same time I think we've got pretty much everything ready.  It's just hard to believe it's almost baby time again.  I'm a little worried about how Emma is going to handle having a sister but I'm pretty sure she'll adjust well. 

Anyway, I better get some comics done in the meantime!  Finally started working on the first page inspired by suggestions made on the message board I frequent, as well as thumbnails for a story I'm doing with a friend.  Also in the process of writing ASHES, which I hope to start the art for this winter.

So hopefully I'll actually get stuff done instead of just talk about it all the time.

I will be at Planet Comicon next weekend with a table and my usual assortment of books.  Not sure if I will bring any Test-Tube with me but definitely the rest of my books, including both Ninjas, Sebastian Climbs a Mountain and Abe Awesome.  Should be a good show and I’m looking forward to participating in a convention that isn’t as big as Chicago.  KC has a really great comic book community and hopefully some will remember me.  Should be a good time!  Hope to see some of you there!

For those not in the know, we sold our old house and moved into a new house within the span of a month.  The whole of March has been fairly crazy with all the packing and moving and phenagiling we’ve had to do but it’s finally reaching a ending point as the boxes in my garage start becoming actual home items and/or relocating into my basement.

So I haven’t gotten a whole lot done on the comic front.  Probably dropping Robot Chocolate as the more I look at it the more it looks like crap.  I’ll probably focus on doing some more Abe Awesome stuff as I write my first web comic, ASHES.  I’ve thrown any semblence of a time table out the window until I actually have product in my hands.  Speaking of which...

You can now find my books at the University of Missouri bookstore.  Spread the word like a VD and get someone infected on me!

I have no idea what i just said.

Here's the pages of my new book.  It's been taking a bit longer than I suspected but I'm almost halfway through.  Not a long book but it's been fun so far.  I already know I need to fix the building on page 6 and the missing panels on page 3 are going to be done in "binary".  When I have more I will post them.








Feedback is appreciated as always.  Also, my next "big" project after this isn't going to be the dragon slaying comic but a story called "Ashes" that I plan on doing exclusively on the web.  Working on the story and design right now but I'm really excited about it.  More details as I have them.

Try not to die from anticipation.