Jay's back, and he's got photos...

Hey folks, long time no blog, right? By my records, it's been two months since my last update. That's not to say I haven't had anything to report in the past two months. Quite the opposite. I've been hard at work on "Bodie Troll", while balancing other freelance gigs and a couple comic cons. That, plus I've relocated to Plymouth, Michigan--a welcomed move, but one which cut into my work and blogging productivity. But I'm back at it, and with a full report to get you up to speed.

BODIE TROLL: Issue #3 was due out at the end of August. But some sort of snafu at Red 5's printer in Asia delayed its release. At present, it still hasn't hit stores. But I think it safe to say it should be out within the next couple weeks, if not earlier. In the meantime, here's a sneak preview to whet your "Bodie Troll" appetite. As always, click the images to upsize.

Issue #4 is similarly going to be delayed, this time due to my moving in July. At present, the issue is fully drawn, and I'm eight pages into coloring the 23 page story. I'll be turning it in at the end of this month, and I hope to see it released in October, possibly by Halloween.

Issue #4 will wrap up the first "Bodie" mini-series, but trust me--there's MUCH more to come. The first "Bodie Troll" trade paperback, compiling all four issues and a whole bunch of special extras, will be going into production soon, with a possible release of January or February. After that, I'll begin working on the next "Bodie" mini-series through Red 5. No release date slated for that yet, but rest assured, "Bodie" is my top creative priority, and I have plans to keep his stories going for a long time to come.

CONVENTIONS: I partook in two spectacular comic cons in these past two months, at Fan Expo in Toronto in August, and the first Cincinnati ComiCon in September. They both provided me with good business, great fans, a lots of memories. And like an annoying relative from the 80's with a slide projector full of his vacation snapshots, I've brought photos...

 Me, Tony Miello, Ted Woods (sleeping) and Jay Jacot (driving) en route to Fan Expo Toronto...

My first commission of Fan Expo--the British superhero Miracle man.

A drawing I did for one of my favorite actors, Alyson Court (star of one of my favorite childhood movies, "My Pet Monster")

 Me with Alyson Court. I was thrilled to meet her, and she was such a cool person...

I drew a cartoon for puppeteer Rob Mills, who I've long admired. Rob is developing a new puppet show for the web called "Ruffus' Steam Punk Adventure", so I drew him in character.

 My with the great, talented and very friendly Rob Mills.

A commission for a fellow who owned an ice cream parlor called "Scooperman". This is the store's mascot.

Me and "Captain Canuck" creator Richard Comely. "Captain Canuck" is a Canadian Superhero who's recently experiencing a resurgence as a web cartoon. I'm a big fan, and presented Richard with my "Dudley Do-Right dressed as Captain Canuck" print that I'd made for the con.

A commission for Lara Croft--Tomb Raider.

A fellow asked me to draw in a blank panel from an old issue of Alpha Flight, using the existing dialogue. Not surprisingly, I made it a big ol' fart joke.

A commission where I was asked to mix the "Fairly Odd Parents" with The Enchantress from Marvel Comics' "Thor".

A sketch cover commission of She-Hulk (though without color, she just looks like a muscular lady).

A commission for DC Comics' Brainiac.

This little girl was dressed as Merida from the animated film "Brave", but to me, she looked like a little Cholly from "Bodie Troll". Her parents bought my comic for her, and I drew her caricature for looking so much like Cholly.

These were two girls who frequented my and Jay Jacot's tables. They're dressed as River and Mal from "Firefly".

A commission of  monsters from the Japanese movie "The War of the Gargantuas".

My table neighbor dressed as Rogue from X-Men.

A commission of Lockjaw from Marvel Comics' "The Inhumans".

And onto Cincinnati ComiCon. This was the view from outside the hotel room I shared with "Cursed Pirate Girl" creator Jeremy Bastian.

 

The view from inside my hotel room, of Jeremy Bastian.

Me, sketching in bed and, quite typically, holding a pencil in my mouth.

A commission of Captain Kirk meeting Michael Myers.

The biggest thrill of the weekend for me, meeting R2D2.

A re-design I did of Batman, which I donated to a charity auction put on by the con.

A sketch cover commission I did of Bodie Troll meeting Marvel Comics' Tigra.

A commission of a gender-swapped Beast from Marvel's X-Men.

A sketch I did of Marvel's Rocket Raccoon.

A sketch I did of Ramona Flowers.

Lastly, a sketch I did for Nicole Castaneda, a friend and wife of cartoonist Justin Castaneda. She had a "Moulin"-themed sketch book, and I couldn't resist this gag, which makes much more sense if you've seen the movie.

 

So, that about does it for "Jay Fosgitt's life in the span of two months". I'll hopefully be back sooner than later with more info on "Bodie Troll" and other projects. 

--Jay

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