Years later, Jim found me...

My apologies to anyone who's been waiting around my blog for me to update it. Life and deadlines have been getting in the way. Rest assured, everything is going great with BODIE TROLL. Issue #2 came out the last week of June, and it's already selling out. I just turned in issue #3, set for an August release, and I'm writing issue #4 right now.

Outside of Bodie, I wanted to report on something very, very special that happened to me. In the early hours of July 4th, I received an unexpected e-mail from Karen Falk, archivist for The Jim Henson company, and the woman responsible for every major book on Jim's life and works produced in the past decade. Here's what it said:

Dear Jay:

I was doing some research in our archives and came across the fan letter you wrote to Jim Henson when you were 11. He was very encouraging in his response so I Googled you to see if you went on to become an artist – and indeed you did. Congratulations on what appears to be a successful career. Thought you’d like to see a copy of your letter and Jim’s response (attached).

Best,

Karen Falk

Archives

The Jim Henson Company

This was the most unexpected and joyful news I'd ever heard. I had indeed written Jim Henson when I was eleven, in January of 1986, and sent him a birthday card for Kermit, who along with the Muppets had just turned 30. A month later, Jim wrote me back. Not a form letter, and not a stamped signature, but a typed letter, signed with a green felt tipped pen. That letter meant the world to me. So when I lost that letter a year or so after Jim died, I was devastated. Twenty-some years of regret, having lost my hero, and then losing one my genuine connection to him--all erased with a simple e-mail that I never, in my wildest imaginings, expected to receive. Here are the scans of my letter to Jim, and Jim's letter to me, courtesy of Karen Falk (click on images to enlarge):

Needless to say, Karen Falk received a glowing message of appreciation from me, and a signed copy of Bodie Troll #1 will find its way to her in the coming week.

Now, those who know me and my work know how Jim has always been my hero, and my work (particularly Bodie) is very reflective of Jim's creative influence. So getting this letter back...man...it's like being reunited with a long lost and beloved relative. And it couldn't have happened at a more desperate time in my life, when I feel like I need Jim the most. I'm not religious, but who knows...maybe he's been watching me and my work all this time. The serendipitous arrival of Karen's e-mail is hard to ignore.

Thanks for listening. And for anyone in my past who doubted me when I said Jim Henson wrote me a letter...well, "told ya so" seems pointless. I probably quit talking to you people years ago. =0)

--Jay  

THE BLOSSOMING OF BODIE

It's really, really hard for me to contain my excitement about "Bodie Troll". It's like I can hear the inner workings of my comic creation clicking and whirring, and with each tick of a figurative sprocket, another fan letter arrives, another comic shop tells me they've sold out of issue #1, tells me they sold out again, another positive review pops up online, and Bodie's popularity continues to grow. The clockwork mechanism performs its function, spreading the corners of my mouth into a grin I that I couldn't release even if I wanted to.

For now, Red 5 Comics is keeping a cool head. "We are feeling very good about it" is as specific as they get towards Bodie's perceived success. But it speaks volumes. And I'd much rather have subtle expressions of optimism than a brass marching band banging out overblown and exaggerated sounds of triumph. Don't speak too soon, don't count your chickens before they hatch, it ain't over 'til it's over. I believe in all of that. But deep down, I know Bodie is making a splash, and I know Red 5 feels it, too.

Bodie Troll #1 is indeed selling out in comic shops across the country, and in some cases, across the globe ( a fan letter from Australia alerted me to that). Chalk it up to shop owners buying smaller quantities of a book from a creator few have heard of, but also count on folks who bought on speculation, fell in love with Bodie, told their friends, and copies began flying off the shelves. That's what I'm hearing in the fan letters I'm receiving, and the personal encounters I've had at comic conventions. "The cover looked cute, so I gave it a shot. Now I love Bodie, and can't wait to share this with my kids." That's becoming a mantra among my readers, and it warms my heart like nothing I've ever experienced before.

I've always wanted, but never really had, a strong female readership prior to Bodie. Now women and girls make up a substantial percentage of my audience. Kids have typically been polarized by my past comics work--they'd be attracted to the cartoon art, but their parents were repelled by my more mature content. But Bodie is anything but mature, and has become a comic that they can enjoy, laugh at, copy off of in their own youthful cartooning attempts--all a first for me. And men, historically my main reading audience, their reactions have completely blindsided me. They used to read my comics for the bawdy gags and sexy "wimmen folk" found within. But there's none of that in Bodie (well, a few innocent gags about bodily functions, perhaps). I worried the sweet, innocent humor and characterizations of Bodie would lose me their readership. Instead, it's strengthened it. Grown men--sports fans, car-enthusiasts, all machismo and testosterone--are dropping their guards and allowing themselves to be wide-eyed kids again, with that old, familiar taste for fantasy and silliness and a firm and an unflinching belief in the impossible. It's Peter Pan syndrome in the best possible way. Bodie is giving that back to them, if just for the 26 page time span of one of his adventures. It's the greatest gift I can give my readers. And their enjoyment is the greatest gift they can give me. And man, are they generous.

As I type this, Bodie Troll #2 is uploading to Red 5's server. It's slated for a June 19th release, and I'm already planning some signings at comic shops in Michigan and Illinois. I had my big reveal of Bodie #1 at the C2E2 con in Chicago this past weekend, and the reception Bodie received was better than the best I could hope for. Two moments in particular stood out for me, and I've captured them both here:

 This little girl is Olivia. She just wandered up to my table and began pouring over one of my Bodie issues. I didn't need to sell her on the idea. I didn't need to say a word. Something about the fuzzy little guy just drew her in, with no help from me. Then she started asking me all the right questions that an inquisitive four year old could about my character--why he wanted to be scary and why he wasn't, why I said he was tiny but he looked so big on my convention banner, why the squirrel on the cover of issue #1 wasn't scared of him--it was all pure gold. This was precisely what I wanted--little kids--little girls--enjoying Bodie Troll. Olivia's mom asked her if she wanted a copy, and she enthusiastically said yes. The first photo was secretly snapped when she was reading, but the second was after the book became hers.

The second moment was encountering Rena Newman, a fan I'd met a year ago at another Chicago Con (one which shall not be named, but suffice to say it rhymes with Lizard World and I'll never go back there again). This fan was one of the bright spots of my time spent at that show, so seeing her at C2E2 made me smile. 

Upon seeing Bodie, she burst with enthusiasm about how cute he was (I've seen plenty of women and no shortage of men do the same thing). And when she saw Cholly and realized the resemblance she shared with Bodie's barmaid-best friend, Rena went berserk with glee. My pal and fellow comic creator Jay Jacot snapped this pic of Rena holding her copy open to a particularly Cholly-centric page. This photo is running in the back of issue #2, and will start off a Cholly lookalike contest that winds up in issue #4.

In the immediate future, you can find me this weekend at Green Brain Comics in Dearborn, MI, where I'm bringing Bodie for Free Comic Book Day. My fellow artists Joe Foo, Jay Jacot, Jeremy Bastian, Jim Anderson and David Petersen will also be there, all of us signing, selling and smiling with our fellow comic fans.

The weekend of May 17th, I'll be sharing a table at The Motor City Comic Con with Joe Foo, with plenty of copies of Bodie #1 on hand. As stores are all but sold out, my personal stash will be much sought after by Bodie junkies. So be sure to score your fix this weekend, or at Motor City on May 17th-19th!

That does it for Bodie for now. My other comic property, "Dead Duck", is running through its last story right now, with part 9 online as of this posting. For those who have faithfully followed my comic for all these years, this installment finally reveals Zombie Chick's origin, so you do NOT want to miss it!

Thanks for your time, folks! Keep on reading and talk to you soon!

--Jay

BODIE TROLL #1 IS HERE!!!!

Let's add this up, shall we....?

Fourteen years of development for the concept and the supporting cast + Two years of doodling and note-taking in sketchbooks and on the backs of restaurant placemats and bar coasters + a lifetime of ambition, hard work and drive towards a career as a professional cartoonist = 

BODIE TROLL #1, CREATED, WRITTEN AND DRAWN BY JAY FOSGITT, PUBLISHED BY RED 5 COMICS, IN STORES TODAY!

And my teachers told me I was bad at math. Ppfftt.

If you've pre-ordered your copies of Bodie Troll #1, they should be available for purchase today. But odds are good you'll find Bodie in your local comic shop even if you didn't pre-order. Positive word of mouth is growing, through positive reviews, online and print interviews. So most shops that carry books by Red 5--which are substantial, given the popularity of Red 5's "Atomic Robo" comic--should be carrying Bodie Troll.

As for myself, my wife and I are VERY excited. Tonight we'll be making a pilgrimage to our local comic shop, Vault of Midnight, just to see Bodie Troll on their shelves. That's when all this dreaming and effort becomes real, when you see that colorful stack of pages looking back at you, next to the books of other creators who have made their dreams a reality. I'm going to enjoy this.

But for those of you who like their media digital, Bodie Troll #1 is also available as a digital download. In which case, you can contact Red 5 Comics, who will hook you up with some intangible Bodie Troll awesomeness.

As if all this wasn't enough to blow my mind, I just found out that a book I contributed to was nominated for an Eisner Award (a high honor in the comics industry). TEAM CUL DE SAC was a book that came out last year, focused on cartoonist Richard Thompson and his brilliant syndicated comic strip, "Cul De Sac". Professional cartoonists contributed their renditions of Richard's characters, and proceeds from the book went towards Parkinson's Disease research. You can still order copies of the book here. And you can see my contribution to the book below.

Fingers crossed that this time next year, "Bodie Troll" gets an Eisner nomination! Sooooooooooo much more news to follow in the coming weeks! Stay tuned, and in the meantime, get out there and buy yourself some Bodie Troll!

--Jay

WHEN THE TROLL IS AT YOUR DOOR...

It's been awhile since my last post, but I assure you, it's been worth the wait! Dig into the pile of good news that I've accumulated since my last report...

As I type this, I'm one page away from having issue #2 of Bodie Troll fully illustrated (coloring is next up). It was enough of a milestone for me to near completion of another issue, but then a FedEx driver dropped off an unexpected package and made it MORE significant. Too early yet to be receiving my copies of Bodie #1, instead I got the next best thing...

Advance copies of Red 5's Free Comic Book Day issue*, featuring stories from the Eisner-nominated "Atomic Robo" and "Bodie Troll"! Free Comic Book Day is an annual event where comic publishers put out special free issues of some of their titles, and comic shops bring in comic creators to meet fans and sign books. For Red 5 to pair up "Bodie Troll" with such an incredible comic as "Atomic Robo" is a huge honor for me. FCBD lands on May 4th, so be sure to hit your local comic shop and see if they're carrying our free comic! As for me, I'll be making my FCBD appearance at Green Brain Comics in Dearborn, MI, alongside my pals Joe Foo, Jay Jacot and David Petersen, among others. And just to tease, here's a peek at the interior pages of our FCBD issue...

Now, as if getting this stack of comics didn't sufficiently complete the milestone of issue #2 completion, immediately after receiving the package, I got an e-mail from a fellow named Chris Wilson, who writes for the website majorspoilers.com. Chris told me he'd received an advance copy of Bodie #1 from Red 5, and he'd just written a review on it which I could see online. Spoiler alert: the review was GLOWING, as if he'd written it in ink from an 80's Halloween glow stick. I couldn't have asked for a better review to start Bodie off on. You can read it in its entirety here. Finally, THIS completed the issue #2 artwork milestone for me, and what a way to go. Chris, if you're reading this, thanks again for giving my comic a chance, and for sharing your enthusiasm for it on your website!

Though the FCBD issue comes out on May 4th, Bodie Troll #1 hits stores on April 17th. That means I'll have plenty of copies of #1 with me when I set up at table L8 in artist alley at C2E2 in downtown Chicago on April 26th! C2E2 is in my top two biggest shows of the year, and I cannot wait to see all my fellow artists and comic fans who have been making my work the success that it's slowly becoming. Chicago crowds have always been awesome to me, and I'm looking to give some awesomeness right back! Visit the C2E2 website for more info. if you're in the midwest and are any sort of comics fan, this is a show you do not want to miss!

I said C2E2 was in my top two biggest shows, which means there must be a second. I can tell you that prior to March of this year, there was no second--C2E2 was it. But when I set up shop at The Toronto ComiCon on March 9th, that show gave Chicago a run for its money. I just had a grand ol' time, showing and selling my artwork and comics to the friendliest and most receptive bunch of fans east of the Michigan border. The venue was terrific, my table neighbor Jules Faulkner (hella talented creator of the web comic "Promises Promises") was cool, informative, and generally awesome, the fans were heartwarming, and the city...oh my grand, glorious, gush-worthy Toronto, how I do adore you so...Whew. I'd need a cigarette if I smoked! Anyway, here's some pics from the show (click to biggify)...     

 Me, wearing awesome like it was a birthmark...

A commission for a fellow Muppet fan who wanted Jim Henson performing Rowlf. I opted to draw Jim as he looked when Rowlf first appeared in 1963, because I'm that level of Muppet nerd.

A commission for a fellow who just asked me to draw a pug. I opted to draw a pug as Thor, just for funzies.

 A sketch cover I drew at The Toronto ComiCon, where I drew Marvel's Thor facing off against Storm. One con goers thought I had drawn them making out. Not so much.

 A commission of Evil Dead's Ash.

My table set-up.

Me hanging out with Dr. Evil at Toronto ComiCon. Surprisingly, he wasn't so evil that he didn't buy a commission from me as well as one of my sketchbooks. That's my kinda evil!

 Another commission for the same fellow Muppet fanatic who bought the Jim Henson/Rowlf piece from me. In this case, he wanted Frank Oz performing the long-forgotten LeChoy Dragon. Appropriately, I drew Frank circa 1963 from when the puppet appeared in TV commercials. Me=Big ol' Muppet nerd, remember?

A follow-up commission to my Thor: Pug of Thunder piece, drawn at Toronto ComiCon. I mean c'mon--what's more mischievous than taking a whiz?

A Super Grover commission for a whole other Muppets fan.

And lastly, this was a sketch I drew while at The MSU Comics Forum, but never had the nerve to put it up for sale for fear that Ignatz and Krazy (stars of the early 20th century comic strip Krazy Kat) would be too obscure for anyone but me to appreciate. I had it with me in artists alley at The Toronto ComiCon, and it was quickly bought up by my new friend and fellow cartoonist, Julie Faulkner. It takes a cartoonist to appreciate something like this, it seems!

  

Now, aren't you glad I waited to give you all this cool news at once? Sure, it was a lot to take in, but never say I don't leave you satisfied! 'Til the next course, my friends...

--Jay