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

LAST CHANCE TO PRE-ORDER BODIE TROLL #1!

As February wraps up, so do your opportunities to pre-order "BODIE TROLL"! This is my best comics work to date, and my most personal. It's something adults will enjoy, and still be able to share it with kids. And if you need a comparison, anyone who enjoyed movies like "The Princess Bride" and "Stardust", then this book is for you. If you enjoyed comics like "Groo theWanderer" and "Asterix", then this book is for you. And if you enjoyed "Rocky and Bullwinkle" and their "Fractured Fairy Tales" segments, then this book is so ridiculously for you that I can't believe you haven't ordered it already! So please, take the order code from Diamond Distribution (FEB131119), run to your local comic shop with it and order the holy heck out of "BODIE TROLL"! This book is something special, and could really go far with your readership!

In related news, I've been doing some interviews to promote "BODIE TROLL", and they've been a lot of fun. The first is a podcast called "THE PANELISTS", hosted by my pal and fellow illustrator Kyle Latino. Kyle spoke with me and illustrator (and also a pal) Evan "Doc" Shaner, who colored the first four pages of "Bodie Troll" #1. Give 'er a listen and learn what makes these cartoonists tick!

The second promo piece was an interview on me that ran on BLEEDINGCOOL.COM, a popular comic news website. It's a long 'un but a good 'un! Give 'er a read and learn more about me than anyone should be allowed to by law!

And convention season is starting for me this Saturday, and I'm happy to kick it off at The MSU Comics Forum, on the campus of Michigan State University. This will be my fourth year participating, and it's my favorite show for the slew of great artists in attendance, all of whom I'm proud to call my pals. Check out the website for times and location, and anyone who comes by my table can grab my new "BODIE TROLL" postcard for free!

My fellow artist and webmaster Nate Pride has recently updated my 2013 convention schedule (at least one new stop since the last update on Feb. 12th), which you can view here. This is my busiest con season ever, and I hope to see some of you at one of these great shows!

Lastly, here's a sneak peek at a panel from issue #2, which is currently on my drawing board. Who's Bodie kissin'? Does he ever like girls?! You'll find out soon enough!

--Jay

JAY'S CON APPEARANCES FOR 2013!

On top of promoting "Bodie Troll" #1 (still available for pre-order. Click here to find out how you can reserve a copy for it's April 17th release date) and working on issue #2, I've been setting up a stack of comic con appearances for this year. If you want to find me at one of these shows, just look for my new "Bodie Troll" banner (seen in the photo above), built for me by ImPhotoGraphics.

CONVENTION APPEARANCES 2013

MSU COMIC FORUM

Saturday, March 2nd, 2013
The Lookout! Gallery, 2nd floor of Michigan State University’s Residential College of Arts and Humanities, East Lansing, MI
www.comicsforum.msu.edu

TORONTO COMICON

Saturday, March 9th-Sunday, March 10th, 2013

Metro Toronto Convention Centre, South Building, 222 Bremner Blvd. Toronto, ON CANADA

www.comicontoronto.com

C2E2

Friday, April 26th-Sunday April 28th, 2013

West building at McCormick Place, Chicago, Il.

www.c2e2.com

MOTOR CITY COMIC CON

Friday, May 17th-Sunday, May 19th, 2013

Suburban Collection Showplace, 46100 Grand River Ave., Novi, MI

www.motorcitycomiccon.com

CHERRY CAPITAL CON

Friday, May 24th-Sunday, May 26th

Grand Traverse Resort, 100 Grand Traverse Resort Village Blvd, Williamsburg, MI

www.cherrycapitalcon.com

DETROIT FANFARE

Friday, Oct 25th-Sunday, October 27th

Hyatt Regency
Dearborn, MI

www.detroitfanfare.com

Hope to catch you at one of these shows, or any others that could yet pop up!

--Jay

THE TIME TO ORDER "BODIE TROLL" IS HERE!

After a brief break from blogging, I'm back with the news I've wanted to share with everyone for quite awhile now...

 The first issue of my new all-ages comic, "Bodie Troll" (published by Red 5 Comics), is finally available for pre-order through your neighborhood comic shop! The actual release date is April 17th, but you either need to order now to assure there's a copy waiting for you, or better yet, pester your local comic retailer to order piles of copies for their store. Check out this link for the order code (  FEB131119 for those who hate checking out links), take the code to any comic shop, and order the heck out of "Bodie Troll" #1!  

Also, any of you out there who own comic shops and would like to book me for a signing at your store, contact me at jayfosgitt@gmail.com and we'll make it happen!

I'll leave you now with the faith that you'll all grab that code I gave you and skiddaddle off to your local comic shop to order my comic. But before you go, allow me to whet your appetite for what's to come, with a peek at the rough pencils for the cover of issue #2...

--Jay

No Show, Bodie news, and Dead Duck, too

No Live Sketch Show this week, folks. My week has been filled with catching up on assignments, commissions, another major car repair and battling the combined demons of the U.S. postal service and Western Union, who, in turn, managed to lose my payment for one of the biggest comic conventions I'd had planned this season, and are making me jump through hoops to cancel that lost money order and get a full refund (long story short, I sent a NEW payment to the con May the Postal demons cut me a break this time). So I've neither the time nor temperament to put on a show right now. Rest assured, if I did a show this week, it would be filled with a lot of swearing and little fun, if any.

In other news...

BODIE TROLL

Each day it seems that I believe I've completed issue #1, just to find out a need to reformat something or make a change here or there. This has all been brought on by myself and my artistic obsessive compulsion, not at all by my publishers at Red 5, who have been nothing but helpful. All that said, I do believe that issue #1 is finally done, and should be uploaded to Red 5's server before the end of this week.

All week I've been receiving rough sketches, semi-finished pieces, and totally finished pieces from my artist allies, who are providing pin-ups of my Bodie Troll characters. These drawings will be special features in the backs of the issues, and the three I have lined up for issue #1 are spectacular. Renowned cartoonist Rick Geary has graced my comic with a wonderful rendition of Bodie. And my equally talented cartooning colleagues, James Anderson and Justin Castaneda have each provided pieces that took my breath away--to the degree that if I look at them at the same time, I risk suffocation. I suggest you have an oxygen tank handy when you finally read this comic, for the combined brilliance of these three may turn your lungs inside out.

And issue #2 is well underway now, with a very fun script and two fully illustrated pages completed. In this issue, we'll see a new side of Bodie--MANY new sides of Bodie, in fact, and get a brief glimpse at what makes Cholly tick.

DEAD DUCK

My web comic continues to unravel my most favorite episode, "A Minion of Death Takes a Holiday". If you aren't already, follow along at the link above, and be sure to take in all the trivia beneath each post. It's the most I've ever written for a comic, and I've got a lot to say on this one.

That about does it for this week. Thanks for checking in, and I look forward to sharing more news with you all soon!

--Jay