DEAD DUCK HAS LEFT THE BUILDING!!!

After a lengthy eighteen-hour period of downloading all 146 pages (plus cover) of the Dead Duck graphic novel onto Ape Entertainment's server, at 7:00 am on this Friday, March 20th, the first day of spring, I can report that Dead Duck has made a successful journey to my publisher. And as March 20th was the exact deadline posed for Dead Duck, I'm proud to say that I've delivered my first published comic book work on schedule!

Now, most of you guys reading this know me pretty well. You know I believe in fate, and that I believe wholeheartedly in symbols and signs. Well, I received a message from a fan this morning, pointing me to a recently released product that I've desired for many, many years but never thought would be made available to the public. Seeing the signs as clear as day, I jumped in my car and headed off to purchase a symbol of my destiny.



Yes friends, Howard the Duck has been released on DVD, and now I own it! I don't care what the movie going public has to say about this flick. I loved it when I was twelve and saw repeat viewings of it in the theater while devouring back issues of the original comic book. And I still love it today. Howard the Duck is easily the biggest influence on Dead Duck EVER. It ignited my passion for cartoon ducks and made me want to create my own.

The fact that I discovered the release of this DVD today, the exact day that I turned in the full three years worth of work I did on Dead Duck to my publisher, is a glowing beacon, a sign that this is what I was meant to do, that I'm on the path I'm supposed to be on, and that Dead Duck will be a success. Yes, I got all that from a DVD. I don't criticize your signs. The fact that today's the first day of spring is also symbolic; the birth of great things to come. I believe that sums up Dead Duck aptly.

And speaking of great things to come, the Michigan Comics Exhibition I'm participating in happens next week. I'll try and take pictures at the event and post them here.

Well, thanks for sticking with me, kids! More news to come, more symbols to view, and more success on the horizon…

--Jay

ONE LAST TOUCH OF GRACE BEFORE DEADLINE….

My friends, this is it. Five days from now, I will be turning in the completed package of Dead Duck pages to my publisher. Seventeen years of conceptualizing Dead Duck and his world, and three years of hard work in creating the book, finding a publisher and taking care of all related odds and ends. And now, at the zero hour, just as I'm putting the final spit polish on my life's work, one last touch of grace settles gently upon my creation.



Doug Jones, the brilliant actor who portrayed Billy Butcherson in "Hocus Pocus", Abe Sapien, Death and the Chamberlain in the Hellboy films and Faun and Pale Man in Pan's Labyrinth, has written the most beautiful foreword for Dead Duck.

I had attempted to contact Doug a month or so back, figuring my odds of reaching him, let alone obtaining his involvement, were unlikely. After some time had passed, I read that Doug would be attending The Motor City Comic Con in May. I took this as a sign that I needed to try again. This time I included with my request a cartoon of Doug meeting Dead Duck and Zombie Chick. I have to think that's what initially got his attention.

Not long thereafter I received the nicest e-mail I've probably ever received from anyone. It was Doug, apologizing for the delay in his response (which he needn't have apologized for), complimenting my work and enthusiastically agreeing to write the foreword. Now, keep in mind that Doug's a very busy guy. And as he corresponded with me, he was away in Paris making a movie. So that he took the time to write me back at all was amazing. But that he agreed to my request and executed it in between his tight filming schedule, well…I mean…c'mon….I'm just…humbled.

And without giving it away (like Chris Sanders' brilliant pin-up, you'll have to buy the book to experience the magic), I'll tell you that it was the warmest, sweetest write up I could have hoped for. Doug has given my goofy and gruesome little creation a hint of elegance in his words. I knew when I chose to pursue his involvement that Doug was the best man for the job. He played the coolest version of Death EVER, as well as an awesome zombie. Had he played a duck in his career, I think the coincidence might have made my head explode. Doug was perfect, and what he wrote was better than I could have dreamed. You can view his very awesome website here.

So I had to share this little beacon of happiness that fell into my hands. I've been very fortunate in the events leading up to Dead Duck's publication, and very appreciative. If nothing else were to come of it, I'd be content to know I've accomplished this much.

Five days, folks. Your good vibes will continue to be appreciated.

--Jay

MICHIGAN COMICS EXHIBITION

Hey kids. I'm back. Hope you've been reading Dead Duck online, and if so, I hope it's whetting your appetite for the upcoming graphic novel.
Switching gears a bit, I'm here to give you some info about the MICHIGAN COMICS EXHIBITION. It's a gallery show that will feature Michigan cartoonists (myself included) and will culminate with a panel discussion on March 31st, which I'll also be participating in. Below is the official press release. Please read it and take note of all pertinent information:
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PRESS RELEASE FOR MICHIGAN COMICS: MIRTH, MOCKERY AND MAYHEM
March 31-June 5, University Gallery
Opening Reception: Tuesday, March 31, 5-7 pm
Panel Discussion: March 31, 7-8:30 pm, Student Center Ballroom B
Michigan artists and writers have created a significant body of cartoons and comics that is distinctive for its quality, inventiveness and variety, yet as a group they have received little attention before this exhibition. “Michigan Comics: Mirth, Mockery and Mayhem,” opening on March 31, 2009, in University Gallery on the campus of Eastern Michigan University, provides an excellent introduction to the works of about forty contemporary cartoon and comics creators who have their roots in Michigan. The exhibition, comprised of original art for editorial cartoons, gag panels, comic strips, comic books, graphic novels and other works on paper, focuses on artworks by native Michiganders and artists who have worked or continue to work in this state.
The fourth show devoted to original cartoon and comic art at Eastern Michigan University since 2001, the exhibition is curated by Richard Rubenfeld, Professor of Art at Eastern, and Dave Coverly, creator and artist of the syndicated panel, Speed Bump. Responding to the quality and diversity of Michigan cartoons and comics, they invited artists who come from and reside in many different areas in Michigan. Building upon the considerable accomplishments of early luminaries in the field, including Winsor McCay and John “Ding” Darling, and the unwavering popularity of works by such Michiganders as Cathy Guisewite (Cathy) and Richard Guindon (The Carp Chronicles), today’s creators are able to explore a broader range of themes and styles and can choose to work in media and formats that were unavailable until the late twentieth century.
Among the highlights of the exhibition are editorial cartoons by Mike Thompson (Detroit Free Press) and Larry Wright (Detroit News), and gag panels by Patrick Hardin, Tom Prisk and Harley Schwadron. Veteran comic strip creators, Jerry Dumas (Sam and Silo) and Jef Mallett (Frazz) are represented in the show as are comic book artists, Vince Locke, Bill Messner-Loebs and Mike Vosburg. Graphic novels are represented by artworks by Jeffrey Brown, Jay Fosgitt, Phoebe Gloeckner, and Paul Sizer, as well as by EMU alumni, Jane Irwin (Clockwork Game) , David Petersen (Mouse Guard) and Jesse Rubenfeld (Into the Dust). Classic underground comic book covers by Carl Lundgren, enchanting book illustrations by Laurie Keller, and painted murals of the Marvel and DC superheroes by Greg Hildebrandt are certain to generate discussion among visitors to the show.
In conjunction with the exhibition, a panel discussion of cartoon and comic professionals is scheduled for the evening of March 31st in Student Center Ballroom B. Moderated by Richard Rubenfeld, the panel includes his co-curator, Dave Coverly, as well as comic book artist, Katie Cook, and graphic novelists, Jay Fosgitt, Jane Irwin, and Paul Sizer. The exhibition and panel discussion are free and open to the public.
For additional information, please call Larry Newhouse, Gallery Director, at (734) 487-0465 or write him at larry.newhouse@emich.edu, or phone Richard Rubenfeld at (734) 487-1268 or contact him at richard.rubenfeld@emich.edu.
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If anyone has any questions beyond what's been printed here, they can e-mail me at fourpanelhero@hotmail.com or call me at (734) 369-8576. Thus far, I have no clue about parking or anything like that. But I'll find out and will relay it to any interested parties. It would mean loads to me to have any friends and fans in attendance who can possibly make it. So there you have it. Hope to hear from you in the coming month, and I look forward to see you at the gallery show on March 31st!

--Jay

ONLINE COMIC REMINDER and a bit o' news....

I won't be doing this every week, mind you, but I figured to help keep the ball rolling, I'd mention just once more to check out my new online Dead Duck comic every Friday, which you can view HERE. Be sure to bookmark the site for future viewings.

Not much news to share at the moment, other than I've been busy putting the finishing touches on Dead Duck, uploading comics to the online site for future display, and pulling in as many art gigs and commissions as I can manage.

I've also created some new Dead Duck pieces recently. This first piece, which you can view HERE, serves a dual purpose. It allows me to express my fanboy excitement at the upcoming Watchmen movie (March 6th!), and to plug my graphic novel. I've featured this piece on Deviantart.com and it's had favorable responses, which probably means it'll get copied without my permission and spread throughout the internet like mono on prom night.

This next piece, which you can view HERE, will serve as the title page of the graphic novel. I'm not entirely sure what a title page's purpose is, since anyone who sees the cover will already the book's title. But this is how published books do things, so who am I to argue? Besides, it gave me the chance to draw my beloved duo one more time, and to write one of the weirder (and funnier) "Zombie-isms" of Zombie Chick's responses.

So, that's it for now. Be sure to check out the online comic tomorrow and every Friday onward. I should have some fresh news for this blog by this time next week, and will have an update about the impending Michigan Comics Exhibition at EMU in the next few weeks as well. Hit you with it all soon!

--Jay

THE DEAD DUCK ONLINE COMIC LANDS THIS WEEK!!!

Mark you calendars, program it into your Blackberry's, send out the smoke signals and carve it into your arms…..

The Dead Duck online comic launches this Friday, February 6th, at 12:00 am. That means anytime after Midnight (y'know, when we're gonna let it all hang out, according to Eric Clapton) you can view the first installment, which will be the very first page in the Dead Duck graphic novel. Every Friday thereafter I'll be uploading a new page from the book, as well as sharing behind the scenes factoids and trivia in a blog beneath each page.

Now, this doesn't mean that by viewing the online comic you'll be getting everything the upcoming graphic novel has to offer. Oh hell no. I'm only posting a handful of Dead Duck stories online, adventures that you can enjoy without prior knowledge of previous stories. But the really good and juicy stuff relating to Dead Duck's origin and other heavy storytelling will have to wait to be read in the graphic novel. That, plus you'll never see the awesome Chris Sanders' pin-up unless you get the book, and that alone is worth the wait.

For your benefit, I'm including a link to the online site here. Just click on the words below, then bookmark it on your computers so you can see the new stuff every Friday. Sound good? Hit me back Friday and lemme know what you think!

DEAD DUCK ONLINE

--Jay