Heard from my Bushi Tales comics partner Dave Beaty this week. He had some good news- he had just turned in his two weeks notice at his day job so he could draw comics full time!  For the past year or so he’s been doing some side work for DC, Marvel, and Aspen, with Scott Clark including last year’s X-Men: Sword of the Braddocks and the DCU Holiday Special.

Here are a couple of his new projects that are coming out soon-

JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE #7 (OF 7)

On Sale FEBRUARY 24, 2010

Written by JAMES ROBINSON; Art by MAURO CASCIOLI with SCOTT CLARK & DAVE BEATY!

This is the big one! After the catastrophes seen in issues #5 and #6, a hero loses control, leading to an unexpected ending that will fundamentally change the lives of the World’s Greatest Heroes forever. This issue launches a major storyline in the DC Universe and is not to be missed.

TITANS #23

On sale MARCH 17

Written by EDDIE BERGANZA

Art by ANGEL UNZUETA with SCOTT CLARK & DAVE BEATY!

Spotlight on Red Arrow! As Roy Harper lies in critical condition after the events of JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE #5, his fever dreams show him the perfect future life he wants for the Titans. Unfortunately for him, it’s a life the Titans will never see.

Be sure to stop by the Bushi Tales table at the Pheonix Cactuscon this May to see what else Dave has been up to.

Hopefully he’ll be able to announce what else he’s got lined up soon.

Congrats, Dave!

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Lex Luthor For Sale

If you’d like one of my paintings now’s your chance!

I originally did this to show at the Superman Celebration in Metropolis, IL a couple years ago, and ended up donating it to the HERO Initiative art auction at the Phoenix Cactuscon. Noel Neill (the ORIGINAL Lois Lane) was kind enough to sign it for me before the auction (she starred with Kevin Spacey in Superman Returns).

Well, it’s back up for auction- this time on ebay by Brandon Ladd Burkey, owner of Crossroads Entertainment Co., LLC. and the guy who bought it in Phoenix. Minimum bid is $200 and apparently you get one of my sketchbooks, too.

Best I remember this one is approx. 2′x3′ and it’s airbrush acrylic on canvas.

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PHOENIX OR BUST!

Speaking of PHX, it’s official- Dave and I have been listed as guests for this May’s Phoenix Cactuscon. We’ll be there with Micah and Nicki and are looking forward to checking out the new con digs!

Oh- Noel Neill will be there, too!

Hope to see you there-

Lin

Wow- only a few more hours to go in 2009.

Where did the year go..?!

I had some great times and some not so great ones, but made it through and am really looking forward to 2010. Lots of plans and projects in the works- so stay “tooned”!

Thanks to Nicki for helping me with my new websites, and special thanks to everyone who has visited here or ComicWhore.com. Hope you keep coming back to check them out. Also, big thanks to everyone who came out to my art show at Adam’s, stopped by my table at cons this year, or visited the haunt.

Hope to see you all next year- cheers!

Lin

Hey gang-

The second part of the interview Wonton and I did with Shawn Pryor and Jon Carroll for The Black Box podcast is now available. We talk more about digital comics, distribution, web comics, Jetta, Bushi Tales, my B/W art show and Comic Whore site.

KOTOR Kitties

Our recently adopted kitties Zayne and Jarael were recently mentioned on Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic author John Jackson Miller’s webiste “Faraway Press”. JJM is a former Memphian and is a comics/writer guest each year at Midsouthcon. He’s written for things like the Comics Buyer’s Guide magazine, comics (Star Wars, Iron Man, Indiana Jones), role playing games, and does a web comic called Sword & Sarcasm. If you get the chance to catch one of his panels do, or if you see him running around with his short box of comics at a con stop and pick up a few issues from him. Be sure to tell him Lin and Nicki sent you!

I got the blues for Christmas!

Friday night Nicki and I attended the First Annual Broad Avenue Holiday Art Walk. (That’s a George Hunt original behind us.)

Artist George Hunt had a showing at my day job West Memorials.

George and his wife were on hand (that’s George and me above), as well as several other folks like Greg and Paula Cravens and there sons Gideon and Corey (Paula had a photography show here in October), and Jim and Christina Hall.

We all enjoyed some great art, delicious eats, and some cool blues in the gallery.

Nicki and I walked down the street and checked out a few other participating galleries and studios. It got a bit cold outside so we headed back up the street to my work, talked a bit more with friends, and then headed home.

Had a great time and can’t wait for the next art walk- hopefully it’ll be in the spring.  Until then, I guess this Friday night’s art show at MSCA member Adam Shaw’s studio will have to tide me over. It’ll feature some of Adam’s art as well as others at 2547 Broad Avenue here in Memphis.

Type at ya later,

Lin

Hey gang,

We inducted local Star Wars comic artist Jim Hall into the tribe this weekend.

SMT/Suspicious Mind Trick members Tim Brown, me, Nicki Howe, and Traci Brown (Rhonda Platania and Mike Peltonen not pictured) made local artist Jim Hall and Honorary Member of the Memphis Star Wars Fan Force.

Jim was signing copies of his latest comic “Star Wars: Purge- Seconds To Die” at Comics and Collectibles here in Memphis.

Jim had some original comic art on hand for folks to check out.

He also had comic scripts there, too- so Tim, Traci, and Nicki finally got to see a John Ostrander script in person.

SMT president/Memphis Star Wars Fan Force Chapter Rep Nicki “Darth Sunshine” did the honors of presenting Jim with his official certificate for his wok on Star Wars comics Purge and X-Wing Rogue Squadron.

The first Honorary SMT Member was Billy Dee Williams. Since then Star Wars comic writers John Ostrander and John Jackson Miller, comic book artist Dean Zachary, and fan Anakin Grayson Wade have been inducted here in Memphis.

Speaking of Honorary Members, Dean Zachary (artist on Star Wars:KOTOR) stopped by the shop to check out the signing (and talk about Wonder Woman with Nicki). He and Jim both have been doing comics here for years now for Dark Horse, DC, Marvel, and more!

Congrats to Jim, and welcome to the tribe- MTFBWYA!

We’ll have a Blues Christmas on Broad Avenue!

Time for another “first annual” Broad Avenue Art Walk-

This Friday, December 4th from 6-9pm, George Hunt will be the featured artist at West Memorials (my day job- 2481 Broad Ave.). His show “Blues on Broad” will be part of the First Annual Broad Avenue Holiday Art Walk. George is well known for his great blues/jazz/Memphis themed paintings. (Imagine if Picasso had grown up as the son of a southern share-cropper.)

Works by more than twenty local and national-based artists will be featured at studios and galleries in the area including Odessa (2613 Broad), T Clifton (2571 Broad), MetalWorks (2537 Broad), Splash Creative (2574 Sam Cooper Blvd.), Wilmot Originals (1615 Broad), and Studio 2557 (2557 Broad).

The walk occurs in the area bounded by Sam Cooper Blvd. and Broad Ave., between Hollywood and Collins Street just off Sam Cooper Boulevard. In addition to the all the art, participants can enjoy food and drink specials at The Cove (2559 Broad) and Broadway Pizza (2581 Broad), as well as music by blues band Darren J. and Blakkat Bone and refreshments at West Memorials (2481 Broad).

For more info click here.

Type at ya later,

Lin

Wow, I don’t know whether to be glad October is over with, or miss it.

It was a busy, hectic, tiring, stressful month- but it was also a lot of fun. I spent most of it painting, drawing, preparing, shopping for or pimpin’ my art show. I spent some of it hanging out in an E.R. or I.C.U. waiting room with Nicki (her sister is doing much better now). The rest I spent going to plays, art walks, fall festivals, movies, or to the haunt.

It’s funny, I hear people around town say that there’s never anything to do in Memphis. If anything, this past October kinda showed me there’s almost too much going on in Memphis- which isn’t a bad thing. You just can’t do everything you want to each week, and have to pick and choose. The weather can affect your decisions, but for the most part I’ve found there’s always something happening in and around Memphis you can do inside or out.

Art shows, museums, the zoo, downtown, Beale, the river, Graceland, Stax, Sun, Elmwood, trolley tours, parks, theaters, and more are out there- and most have something going on each and everyday, and many cost little to nothing to enjoy.

And many you can learn from, too!

Well, enough of me being a cheerleader for Memphis. If people can’t find something cool to do in town that’s not my problem- they’re just not trying. I stay busy and have a blast doing it!

I had a great birthday weekend. Got to hang at the haunt, our friends Mike and Sharon had a party (hello Jello-shots!) out in Fayette County, had dinner with my family for my mom’s birthday down in Southaven, and then yesterday I celebrated mine by grabbing a Bubba’s Choice pizza from my favorite pizza place in Hernando (Brick Oven), watching a movie and Monday Night Football with Nicki, and enjoying having some quiet down time. It was a good night- a really good night. Funny thing, my phone beeps whenever I get a new email or message and it constantly beeped all night. Nicki asked me what the heck was up with it, and I told her it was birthday wishes. She then asked me just how many people do I know?! I told her, “A lot.”

If all the birthday wishes weren’t enough this weekend (they started on Friday), my girlfriend wanted to dress up as KISS for Halloween, and let me pick which band member!

I picked my favorite- Peter! (Who I guess is Eric now.)

I even got a KISS blanket and the new KISS CD for my birthday. It was almost too good a weekend.

Hope you’ve recovered from October, too!

I think I’m just going to KISS that month goodbye. ; ) ~

Lin