CGS Supershow...it was a quick one

I knew I did not want to spend all day at the Comic Geek Speak 2013 Supershow, but this is getting ridiculous. Almost 2 hours each way and I only stayed 2 hours total. I bought 5 tpbs - Alan moore Swamp Thing 1 and 2, Fables 16 and 18, and The Shade. I needed the Shade because my slack buying habits meant I missed out on the last two or three issues. Since I own the painted covers for issue 11 and 12 I should read it, dontchathink? Besides I really enjoyed most of the previous issues and wanted to see how James Robinson ended it all. I already had Fables 17 but not 16 somehow, and got 18 as well so now I can catch up on those. And I have many of the Alan Moore Swamp Thing issues, but to read them all (including the first one - issue 20 - that has not previously been collected) is too much to pass up. I can get the next volumes later on, as apparently there are 6. That satisfied one goal, cheap trades, even if the latest LoEG escaped me once again. Next week at the next show perhaps.

As for the other goals, I was able to get my pictures of Tim Truman and my Ratdog/Planet Drum/Hot Tuna poster painting right away. That was cool, and I also talked commission with Tim and he agreed to do a Grateful Dead inspired piece and I am really excited about getting that. It may be one in a series if I can get what I want with the first one. I can see them lining my hallway upstairs if it all works out well. Now I can get that painting framed and on the wall.

As far as talking commissions, I was able to do so with two other artists as well. Rudy Nebres was there with his lovely and demure wife, as well as one of his sons. He lives 5 miles from here in NJ but we all traveled 100 miles to talk in Pennsylvania. I was pleased to be able to wear my tee shirt with his commission on it and they seemed really happy to see it as well. I talked another commission with Rudy and he was all for it. I told him I know he will do it immediately and that I wouldn't order it until I had my money in hand. So that is on the horizon, and I really need to solidify my choice for the content. As I told Mr. and Mrs. Nebres, after I got my Dr. Strange/Dracula/Scarlet Witch commission what do I really need after that? Rudy mentioned a few times during the 5-10 minutes I was with them how he saw the commission online (he doesn't get online much but I assume a son showed him) and how a lot of people had mentioned the piece to him or ordered their own based on seeing it. That made me happy, as he really deserves it.

The other artist I talked commissions with was also the only guy I commissioned to draw for me at the show and handed money to - Tom Raney. I have had a few single figure commissions through Tom and his deviant art site but talked with him about something more. It may indeed work out but  again I have to really think out my content as this will be the seminal Tom Raney piece for me I think. The Defenders are an easy choice but beyond that I am having some trouble. Hmmm, I just had an idea. As for what Tom drew for me today, you can't see it. I got restless and left before he finished it. It started out great, as did a Red Sonja he was doing for someone else. He will mail it out to me soon with my Jack Knight commission that I ordered his last time round. Groovy, 2 pieces of freakin' dynamite art coming my way. I am scaling down the convention pieces, but Tom Raney's work really blows me away. Wait until we all see the large and in charge KANG coming my way, guns blazing!

I was supposed to pick up a JK Woodward Michael Golden portfolio plate homage but he didn't get it done. So I got him to do a Batman head sketch on my big blue board instead. That is the fourth head sketch on this jam, adding to those done by Chandra Free, Robin Riggs (in pencil and so hard to see in the scan), and Jonathan Case. Here is a look at that piece - it is too large for my scanner bed so you get two pieces. I hope to add one or two next week as well.

These people are drawing fairly large heads on this thing. The board itself measures 20x16. I may start another one, brown with Wolverine, next week instead of adding to this one. We'll see I guess.

I said I only paid one person to draw for me, and that was technically true but perhaps misleading. I also had Katie Cook paint Hagrid, but it was for my daughter. Katie was sweet and kind enough to add Hagrid to a 17x5 piece she started in 2010. Now Harry, Hermione & Ron have company and the thing is done and ready for framing. Rather than pay for the painting, which would be weird as Katie always does it for free for my girl, I bought $30 worth of Gronk. Gronk rules Fridays.

So 3 at home commission arranged and pretty much accepted, but only one head sketch on a jam and one Kang in the mail to show for half a day. That is a far cry from 15 sketches per convention, but it really reflects my priorities now in the hobby. Those 3 home commission will cost quite a bit, easily as much as 15 convention sketches, but it will be worth it. And my girl got her Hagrid! Thanks Katie!!!