SLAM-A-RAMA Update!

So page 72 of SLAM-A-RAMA is now up at http://slamaramacomic.blogspot.com/. This means that what constitutes the third issue of this five-part series is now done, and I'm hoping to have the print version of it ready to go by the end of December, or maybe the beginning of January. There's a lot of boring file conversion and re-sizing to do first, not to mention the cover art (I broke down the remaining three covers during my downtime on the slow first day of Expozine), but rest assured, it's on its way! Also, I wanna get a good chunk of issue four in the can before I go to press on three, just so there's not such a huge wait. Anyway, onward and upward!

Expozine

I headed off to Montreal this past weekend to sell my stuff at Expozine. I crammed into a car with fellow comic folks Jordyn Bochon and Mike Holmes, and hocked my wares for two days in a super-crowded church basement. The first day was pretty slow for me, as I got there too late to get a prime spot and was jammed elbow-to-elbow between other guests with about a three-foot-by-three-foot space for my stuff. This did, however, give me plenty of time to work out the cover layouts for the remaining three issues of SLAM-A-RAMA, so that's cool. Day Two, however, was a big improvement, since Jordyn and I got there early enough to switch to a bigger, shared table, and I sold lots more books (to complete strangers, which is a plus). Also, I realized I really need to make business cards up one of these days. All in all, I figure I about broke even, which is certainly better than losing money, right?

I really should have taken pictures at the event, but I never got around to it. The only pictures I did take in Montreal that really turned out were this shot of a mannequin that, if you asked somebody to draw you a "French-looking mannequin", would be unable to draw anything other than a mannequin that looked exactly like this:

The other photo I took was actually on the way out of Montreal, and it advertised some sort of cotton candy that I believe is supposed to be made out of cat vomit:

Can you believe Mike actually bought some? And offered me some, no less? Anyways, good times. In related news, SLAM-A-RAMA is two pages away from being finished (I probably would have been done by now, except that I, you know, was out of town selling the first two), so keep your eyes peeled here for updates (most of the issue is online here).

Hal-Con!

Yep, that's Darwyn Cooke, checking out the first issue of SLAM-A-RAMA at Hal-Con this past weekend.  The photo was taken by Calum Johnston, who was kind enough to seat me next to Darwyn on Saturday and Sunday--a pretty high profile seat at any convention. It was a great show, with lots of crazy costumes (man, people sure do love DOCTOR WHO these days!), and I sold lots of SCENESTER and SLAM-A-RAMA and did lots of drawings for people (mostly kids, which is awesome--I think I drew my first-ever Ghost Rider!). If anything, the experience taught me that I really need to be sketching for at least a few minutes a day, just to stay in the habit. It's been a week since the show, and I still need to get that particular discipline up and running.

I'll be off to Montreal for Expozine next weekend, which should be fun. I hope no one's upset that I don't  have my stuff translated into French yet.

Tuco Comics, Now At a Store (Hopefully) Near You!

Hey folks, just a quick update in time for New Comic Day tomorrow...SCENESTER and SLAM-A-RAMA are now available at all three Strange Adventures locations (5262 Sackville Street in Halifax, 101 Portland Street in Dartmouth, and 68 York Street in Fredericton), as well as Obsolete Records at 2454 Agricola Street in Halifax. Not only that, but if you're in the Toronto area, you can grab these fine funnybooks at the Silver Snail, 367 Queen Street West! And of course, if you can't get to any of these locations, email me at tucocomics@gmail.com and I'll mail 'em right to your doorstep.

The Official Tuco Comics Launch!

I can't believe it's finally almost here, but tomorrow brings us the Halifax Pop Explosion 'Zine Fair, and with it, the official launch of TUCO COMICS! I'll be there from 11 to 5 selling copies of SCENESTER: THE INEVITABLE COLLECTED EDITION (which, granted, has been on sale now for a couple of days already), and the first two issues of SLAM-A-RAMA, in full glorious colour! I'll be at the Strange Adventures table with my partner in crime and minicomics, Sean Jordan (AKA the Wordburglar), who'll be selling the first issue of his comic SNAKOR'S PIZZA (which I inked and lettered!), as well as Wordburglar vinyl from a few years back (which I provided the artwork for, back when I barely knew my way around Photoshop). We'll have a few other minicomics from our nefarious past on sale as well, so stop by, say hello, and for gosh's sake, buy some stuff from us! It's on, motherfathers!

PS If for some reason you can't make it tomorrow, all of these comics and more will be available at all three Strange Adventures locations in the days to come! And stay tuned for further updates about upcoming TUCO COMICS releases!

SCENESTER Hits The Shelves!...

...First thing tomorrow morning, that is, for new comics day! I picked up my print run of THE INEVITABLE COLLECTED EDITION this morning, and other than the one copy I came across (so far) with the first page reversed, they look exactly as I'd hoped they would! As of tomorrow, they'll be available at the Halifax and Dartmouth Strange Adventures locations (with Fredericton soon to follow), for a measly six bucks! I know that sounds like a lot in this depressed economy, but it's SIXTY WHOPPING PAGES! Trust me, it'll take a while for you to get through it. 

I'll also be selling SCENESTER (and hopefully, SLAM-A-RAMA 1 and 2, if they get back from the printer in time) at this weekend's Halifax Pop Explosion 'Zine fair, so you can come buy one from me in person. See you then!

Proofs Are Approved! Slam-A-Rama is GO!

These are the colour proofs of SLAM-A-RAMA #1 and 2, which I got to check out at Etc. Press on Quinpool this afternoon. Man, these folks really knocked it out of the park! The reproduction job they did is superb--everything looks exactly like it did on my computer screen. And man, are they shiny and glossy! I can't wait until I get the call that these--and SCENESTER, which is still being assembled up there--are ready and waiting for me to pick them up. Very exciting times. The HPX 'Zine Fair is coming up quick, one week from this coming Saturday, and they've assured me that everything will be ready. Oh man!

In other news, my friend and co-worker Nathan Boone sent me a wicked cool piece of fan art he whipped up this weekend, featuring none other than Jack Jordan, the U.S. Male himself. Check it out:

Thanks, Nathan! More updates as I get 'em! Hopefully, the next one will be me saying that everything's printed up and ready to go...

SLAM-A-RAMA Covers!

I'm hoping to have SCENESTER: THE INEVITABLE COLLECTED EDITION back from the printers' today if all goes well. In the meantime, though, here's the all-new colour covers for SLAM-A-RAMA #1 and 2, which I dropped off yesterday. If everything goes according to plan, all of these will be printed up and ready to go for the Halifax Pop Explosion's 'Zine Fair on Saturday, October 23rd. Fingers crossed!

Another Damn SCENESTER Preview!

Hey everybody, the SCENESTER collected edition is still at the printer's--I was told that it would be ready this week sometime, and I was crossing my fingers that it would be ready in time for New Comic Day, but it looks like that probably won't happen. Hopefully within the next day or two, just not tomorrow. Meanwhile, however, here's another quick look at a few pages! 

SCENESTER Preview!

We're hopefully just a few days away from SCENESTER: THE INEVITABLE COLLECTED EDITION coming back from the printer's (I was hoping I might have it to sell at the Strange Adventures booth this Sunday at Word On The Street, but it's not looking too likely), but in the meantime, here's a sneak preview of the first three pages. Please enjoy them, even though Drake would have to be standing on about three milk crates for the perspective in that first panel to make any sense. 

Tuco is GO!

Hello everybody, and welcome to TUCO COMICS! This is the new home for comics by me, Dave Howlett. Right here is the spot for updates about my 80s wrestling comic, SLAM-A-RAMA, and my early 2000s hipster/pop culture comic SCENESTER. You may have seen SLAM-A-RAMA in its original incarnation--a black-and-white minicomic called THE SQUARED CIRCLE (I changed the name to avoid confusion with a webcomic of the same name), or over at its own official site under its new name, where I've been posting colour pages for nearly a year now. You may also have seen SCENESTER as three black-and-white minicomics published in 2002 and 2003. However, you likely haven't seen either of them in their newest incarnations--SCENESTER: THE INEVITABLE COLLECTED EDITION, a  60-page reprint of the original issues, with a colour cover, or the five full-colour issues that make up the complete SLAM-A-RAMA--because they haven't been printed yet. Well, that's about to change, since the SCENESTER collection is at the printers right now, and the first two issues of SLAM-A-RAMA will be soon to follow (issue three will be ready for Christmas, with issues four and five following in Spring and Summer 2011). The plan is to debut SCENESTER and the first two SLAM-A-RAMA issues at the Halifax Pop Explosion's 'Zine Fair on October 23, although there's a good chance they'll both be available at all three Strange Adventures Comic Bookshops locations (Halifax, Dartmouth, and Fredericton) and, hopefully, at other cool locations to be announced in the very near future. Of course, if you can't get 'em in person, email me at tucocomics@gmail.com and I'll mail 'em right to your doorstep.

In the meantime, though, here's a peek at the newly-coloured cover to SCENESTER: THE INEVITABLE COLLECTED EDITION, available soon!