Heroes Con and, Um, Some Other Stuff

• I usually come down against Cruelty to Animals.  It’s not a controversial position I know, but this morning, where my own canine household members are concerned, I’m rethinking it anyway. 
• I’ll be appearing, along with Tori Amos (!!), editor Rantz Hoseley, moderator Douglas Wolk, David Mack, Ted McKeever and Elizabeth Genco on the CBT panel at SDCC to ‘launch’ the Comic Book Tattoo.  Yeah, that’s right.  My 22 year-old self thinks my 37 year-old self is cool at last.
• Heroes Con remains awesome.  I apparently don’t have it in me to do full con reports anymore so if you’re looking for that sort of thing I’ll point you towards Tom Spurgeon’s full report and collective memory links page.  For my part, I enjoyed myself immensely.  Many thanks to Sheldon, Dusty and their crew.  A couple of bits worth mentioning: 
  • I met Kathryn Immonen (and Stuart!) in person, at long last.  Turns out she’s just as lovely as I’d imagined.  More so, even.  
  • My favorite exchange of the Con:
    • Matt Fraction: Kathryn came by while you were gone.  
    • Kelly Sue: Did she say anything about meeting up later?
    • Matt Fraction: No, but she gave me a Slim Jim and a knife.
  • Fraction said the collaboration panel he did was the most craft-intensive panel he’d ever been on and possibly the best.  I was minding the table, so I missed it but The Dollar Bin recorded it and posted it here. 
  • Newsarama documented my potty mouth on the Creative Household panel here.  (Incidentally, Russ Lane came up and introduced himself later.  What an interesting guy — turns out he lost 200 pounds five years ago.  TWO HUNDRED POUNDS.  I find that fascinating and inspiring.  It takes such courage and faith to make profound life and identity changes like that.  Russ writes some about his accomplishment here. )
  • Steve Niles and I talked a bit more about a project he suggested that’s got my wheel’s turning.  That’s all I can say without jinxing it, but yeah.  Wheels: totally turning.  
  • Sarah Wilkinson and I also chatted about doing a little something together.  I think I know what it’s going to be, but again with the jinxing.  
  • Fraction’s parents made us all FRACTION t-shirts, which might have been the cutest thing ever.  (Well, next to the little boy dressed as Iron Fist.)  The genesis of the idea came from a photo of Fraction and his dad when Matt was about three.  They’re wearing shirts that say “Fritch” and “Little Fritch.”  We’ve now got a shot of Fraction, his dad and Henry in shirts that read “Fraction,” “Dad Fraction” and “Lil’ Fraction.”  We’re going to frame the two together.  
  • I adore Ivan Brandon and Rick Remender.  Can I just say that?  Cool.
  • I didn’t do a lot of shopping but I did pick up this print by Imaginism for Miss April.  (I nearly picked up one of a Lady Snowblood-esque kimono-clad woman wiping blood off her sword for myself, but I couldn’t think of where I’d hang it.  And — go figure — it’s not on their site.  Alas.)
  • Miss April also scored a monster print moleskine cover by Sarah Dyer.  
  • Introduced myself to Chris Sims from the Invincible Super Blog.  I find that guy’s blog utterly hysterical.  And clearly he’s got great taste: Fraction’s Thor: Reign of Blood is his Pick of the Week.  
• Speaking of Fraction’s books this week, did you all pick up his Young Avengers Special? I know I’m not unbiased but I particularly loved this one.  
• I’ll probably add more to this post as I think of things.  
• Okay… back to work.