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

Tags: bushi tales, cactuscon, comic books, comic whore, comics, dave beaty, dc comics, Kevin Spacey, Lex Luthor, lin workman, metropolis, Noel Neill, Phoenix, superman celebration, Superman Returns

From Lora with the Comic Creator’s Alliance:

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” -Margaret Mead

Monday, January 11th is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. To participate, we formed the Comic Creator’s Alliance–a group of over eighty comic book creators (both web and print) who volunteered our artistic talents to raise money and awareness for this cause. You may not know it, but there are currently 27 million enslaved people worldwide- more than double the number of enslaved Africans during the trans-Atlantic slave trade. UNICEF estimates that 1.2 million children every year are sold into slavery, most of it sexual. The US Department of Justice estimates 16,000 victims of human trafficking are brought into the United States every year. Unlike slavery in the 19th century, what is happening today is happening in secret. So it won’t end until awareness is raised, and people like you and me take a stand.

So here’s what we did: each creator contributed an original drawing of one of our own female characters, and combined them into a single wallpaper image. The wallpaper features characters from The Phoenix Requiem, Girls with Slingshots, Earthsong, Looking for Group, Shadowgirls, Marsh Rocket, The Uniques and three IDW Publishing titles: Fallen Angel, The Dreamland Chronicles and The Dreamer, and lots, lots more! Donate today to download this unique, once-in-a-lifetime wallpaper. The Donations Drive will last for two weeks, from January 11th – 24th. All proceeds will be split evenly between Love146 and Gracehaven House- two organizations working on rehabilitation of victims and prevention of this crime. To learn more about the Comic Creator’s Alliance visit www.comicalliance.weebly.com. To learn more about the problem, visit http://love146.org/slavery. (Note: contains adult themes and actual accounts of sex slavery.)

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BushiTales.com and Toshigawa.com have donated art to this wallpaper, too.

Lin

Tags: bushi tales, comic, comic books, Comic Creator's Alliance, dave beaty, lin workman, martheus antone wade, Toshigawa

Here are a few conventions and events members of the MSCA will be attending next year-

Shadowcon XIV

January 8th & 9th, 2010

Holiday Inn Select

2240 Democrat Road

Memphis, TN 38132

http://www.shadowcon.org/

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Midsouthcon

March 12-14, 2010

Whispering Woods Hotel and Convention Center

11200 Goodman Road

Olive Branch, MS 38654

http://www.midsouthcon.org/

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CGS Super Show

March 27 & 28, 2010

Greater Reading Expo Center

Reading, PA

http://www.comicgeekspeak.com/supershow/

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Cape Comic Con (Cape-Con)

April?

Cape Girardeau, MO

http://www.capecomiccon.com./

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Free Comic Book Day

May 1st, 2010

Comic Cellar

3620 Austin Peay HWY Ste 2

Memphis, TN 38128

http://www.comiccellaronline.com/

http://www.freecomicbookday.com/

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Phoenix Comicon (Cactuscon)

May 27-30, 2010

Phoenix Convention Center & Hyatt Regency

Downtown Phoenix, AZ

http://www.phoenixcomicon.com/

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Metropolis Superman Celebration

June 10-13, 2010

Metropolis, IL (off I-24 north of Paducah, KY)

http://www.supermancelebration.net/

I’ll add more as I get the info.

Lin

Tags: Adam B. Shaw, Cape Girardeau, CGS, comic, comic books, Comic Geek Speak, comics, Comics and Collectibles, dave beaty, free comic book day, Gail Simone, Janet Wade, jetta, kevin l williams, lin workman, martheus antone wade, Memphis, metropolis, Mid-South CArtoonists Association, midsouthcon, MSCA, muley, Phoenix, shadowcon

Got a special sketch for Sketchbook Wednesday, done by none other than Dave and Ronnie’s mom Jane Shenks.

Jane (Bushi Tale’s #1 fan) showed me this drawing at the last MSCA dinner meeting and I asked if she would be nice enough to scan it and let me use it- she did!

Thanks, Jane!

Feel free to share some of your work with us in our forums.

Lin

Tags: dave beaty, Jane Shenks, lin workman, Memphis, Mid-South CArtoonists Association, MSCA, Ronnie Shenks, sketchbook, sketches

Looking for something fun to do on Friday night? There will be an art show on Friday, December 11, 2009, at the studio of Adam Shaw featuring some of his art in a show titled “The Heidi Series.” There will also be other artists on display, so be sure you show up! The show is at 2547 Broad Avenue, Memphis, TN 38112.

www.abshaw.com

But, the “Adam” fun times don’t end there! On Saturday, December 12, you can meet and greet with Adam Shaw, the artist of the new graphic novel, HARPE (about the first serial killers in the U.S.), at Comics and Collectibles from 2 – 4 p.m. Comics and Collectibles is located at 4730 Poplar Ave. #2 Memphis TN 38117.

http://www.memphiscomics.com/

But, wait! Your Saturday fun isn’t over just yet–you can also see Kevin Williams performing as Riverthing, the favorite mascot of the Mississippi Riverkings at the Desoto Civic Center. The game begins at 6:30 p.m. on December 12. If you’ve never been to a Riverkings game before, you should. Skate on down to the DCC and watch an awesome game, and if you show up and find Riverthing that night and mention you’re with the MSCA, you’ll get a special photo opportunity!!

www.muleythemule.com
www.riverkings.com/

Watch the MSCA site for frequent updates, like this week’s very fun text version of “Mule on the Street” when Muley the Mule interviewed none other than our own Sam Ray!  Ever wanted to know more about an original member of the MSCA?  Sam Ray is one of the guys to talk to.  If you missed his talk at the December dinner meeting, this is your chance to get caught up.

We’ll be looking for a speaking member in January, so if you are interested in discussing more about who you are and your work, technique, tools and business, send me an e-mail.  The next dinner meeting is January 7, 2010, at 7 pm at Garibaldi’s Pizza on Walker Ave., and would be the night you would speak.  And you know me:  If someone doesn’t volunteer I will have to appoint! 

(It’s weird to already be typing 2010!)

Now, to add some Holiday cheer, our good friend Sean Taylor (writer for such comics as Gene Simmons’ “Dominatrix”) has shared an e-mail with us regarding music from his very awesome band:

Happy holidays! Hope you’re having a relaxing and fun season. Maybe this will help. Enjoy two free mp3s from my musical past:

- The first, a Nothing Regal recording from 2006, a Ramones-esque version of “O Come All Ye Faithful”: http://soundclick.com/share?songid=8441196

- The other, a Nothing Regal original, but an alternate recording, “So Long Awaited”: http://soundclick.com/share?songid=8441194 (the CD version has Jeff singing lead, this is the demo version with me taking lead vox).

- And a bonus song, a cover of “Christmas Must Be Tonight”: http://soundclick.com/share?songid=8441195 (this one just streams, no download, sorry)

Take care, and have an enjoyable celebration this season, no matter the name of it (except for you Festivus folks, ya’ll are nuts, heh).

Later,

—-
Sean Taylor
Writer & Editor

Be Safe, Be Happy, Be Well,
Kevin and the Mule

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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.

http://thepkdblackbox.podbean.com/

Type at ya later,

Lin

Tags: Adam B. Shaw, antone, bushi tales, CGS, comic, comic books, comics, Comics and Collectibles, dave beaty, free, jetta, Jon Carroll, kevin l williams, lin workman, martheus antone wade, Memphis, Mid-South CArtoonists Association, MSCA, muley, Riverkings, Sam Ray, Shawn Pryor, The Black Box podcast