Possum Press

Howdy folks.  This Friday is the Toronto Fan Expo and Possum Press and Ultraist Studios are going to be there.  Look for us in the Artist Alley at table A74.  (We’ll be the ones with the cool Possum and Spy Guy stuff).

This is going to be the first Fan Expo that I will have attended, that I don’t have a new issue of The Possum to sell.  It’s been a very busy year (non comic work wise), and it was evident a few months ago that getting issue #5 finished for this weekend just wasn’t going to happen.  the new plan is to have issue #5 finished before the new year, and I’m planning on ramping up my speed and getting more serious about deadlines.  I’m going to take the “pay yourself first” approach, and make these comics a priority.

All is not lost this Fan Expo though, as I’ve got a new T shirt to sell (see photo below), as well as new buttons and a Spy Guy/Possum print that Mike and I are feverishly trying to complete as we speak….. or rather, as I type (more on that in the next few days). 

Come by our booth and say hi, and like all shows, we will be doing free sketches with any comic purchase!!!

The San Diego Comicon is just around the corner, and Possum Press and Ultraist Studios will be there!  Look for us at table K05 in the Small Press section.  The convention kicks off on Wednesday night (July 21st) for Press and special pass holders, and officially begins on Thursday, July 22nd. 

click on image above for a closer view

See you in San Diego!!!

Last summer Possum Press studios acquired a 1 1/2 inch button maker.   (So what is one supposed to do with a button maker you ask?……………)  Make buttons!!

Collect all 2!!  (There’s sure to be many more on the way soon!)

*Buttons are for sale at conventions only, at the moment.

An all new 4 page Possum story called ‘Criminal Mind’ is now available to read (for free) at ComicsXP in conjunction with the Small Press Comic Expo.  Just click to download.  There is a new Spy Guy story in there too, so be sure to check it out and let us know what you think.

Hokey Smokes!  I was just looking at my calendar, and realized that in two weeks, Mike and I will be heading to San Francisco for WonderCon.  If you’re in the San Francisco area, make sure you stop by and say hi.

This will be our first WonderCon, so I’m really looking forward to it.  (look for pictures to follow).

We will also be attending the Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo (S.P.A.C.E) in Columbus, Ohio on the weekend of April 24 & 25.  This will be another ‘first’, so if you’re in the Columbus area, you know the drill…….. (stop by and say hello!)  I also did a 4 page Possum story for the SPACE Anthology, that will be released online, really soon.  I’ll keep you posted as to when you’ll be able to read it.

In other Convention news:  Mike will be attending Mocca this year (April 10 &11) without me, but I’m sure I’ll be able to sneak some Possum comics in his bag, so at least The Possum will be making an appearance.  With WonderCon and SPACE, and it being my daughter’s birthday this month, I figure I should be home for at least one weekend:)  Hopefully I can make it for next year. 

I just finished a 4 page POSSUM comic called “Criminal Mind!” for the 2010 SPACE anthology, which includes comics from this years exhibitors at SPACE (Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo), which is being held in Columbus, Ohio this April.  (If you haven’t guessed, Mike and myself will be attending). 

Here’s half a page for you to look at for now.

I think the plan is that the anthology will be appearing as a web comic, so I’ll keep you posted as I know more.  In the meantime, if you haven’t read my other two Possum shorts, Deadly Death Notes of Death and What Horrors Lie in the Bowels of the Deep, you can read them by clicking on the titles above.  Enjoy!

I am attempting to redo possumpress.com, and I started with a brand-spanking-new online store, complete with the ability to read all 4 Possum comics in their entirety for FREE, as well as two Possum mini stories I have done for the Awesome Anthology and The Feathertale Review #4.  You can also purchase these comics along with Spy Guy comics by my brother, Mike!  (Spy Guy issue #1 is available for reading as well!) 

Click here, and have a look around the new store. 

I’ve been meaning to redo the website for a while now, but I could never justify spending what little free time I have working on a website, rather than working on issue #5 or doing the millions of other things that are on my ‘to do’ list.  All those excuses vanished, when I broke my wrist playing hockey on Dec 10th (yeah, that’s right…….. my drawing wrist), and couldn’t draw for 3 weeks (6 weeks with a cast all together so far).  Not only did this give me 3 weeks vacation over Christmas (something that hasn’t happened since college), but it gave me an excuse to sit down and figure out how to use Dreamweaver.  (even if I only scratched the surface). 

I’ll be updating pages when I have a chance, so I’ll let you know when they’re finished, although I don’t recommend holding your breath now that I’m back to drawing again, seeing as it took me this long to update the main page and the store.

P.S.  Happy New Year! 

Strange Adventures – Halifax

If you live in Halifax, or the surrounding area, you can now find The Possum and Spy Guy at the Strange Adventures comic book shop on Sackville st. 

Get them, while they’re hot!

If you don’t live in Halifax, and you’d like your local comic shop to carry these fine comics, ask them to contact me at blair@possumpress.com, and I’d be happy to send them some!

(if all else fails, you can always order your own copy online, at the Possum Press store)

Also:  December 30th is Indie Comic Book Day and Possum Press and Ultraist Studios are a part of it.  It’s not too late to get your local comic shop on board.  Find out more about Indie Comic Book Day here.

Update:  My friend, Faith Hicks sent me this photo yesterday.  It’s a photo of one of the shelves at Strange Adventures in Halifax.  Thanks Faith!

Faith’s books are on the top shelf (War at Ellsmere and Zombies Calling).  On the 3rd from the top’s shelf we have The Possum by yours truly and Spy Guy by Mike Kitchen, along with Chiaroscuro by Troy Little, and below that is Troy’s other book, Angora Napkin.  (plus a whole bunch of other awesome books by Canadian comic book creators who I don’t personally know).

Terry Lenko informed me of this, this morning.  (Thanks Terry)

Possum Press and Ultraist Studios were in attendance at this year’s Word on the Street Festival in Toronto last Sunday, and the Spy Guy and Possum comics were a big hit.  (proof is below).

The caption below the picture reads: “Dante Petitti reads amid festival-goers at The Word on The Street literary festival, held in and around Queen’s Park. He was reading a comic called The Possum, by Blair Kitchen. This is the festival’s 20th year.”

The article is short, and is about digital books, but Terry Green’s comments in the last paragraph echo my thoughts on where digital fits in next to paper in the whole digital publishing debate.  Click here for the article on the Metro website.

There is nothing like the smell of a newsprint comic book, and the feel of it as you turn the pages, as all of your senses are engaged in the reading experience.  With paper, you can get close and study every detail on the page as you sit comfortabley in bed, on the couch, or in the grass at a book fair.  It feels more intimate and is a warmer experience to me.  I can’t explain it exactly, and maybe it’s just because it invokes memories from my childhood, but nothing can replace paper comics.  Digital comics are great for getting your stories and artwork circulated to as many people as possible, and peeking the interest of your readers, but it just doesn’t replace paper.  

I’ll be posting some photos from The Word on the Street Festival soon. 

UPDATE:  Chuck Palahniuk is asked about digital vs. paper here.  I like his answer.

Yesterday I visited a few comic shops with copies of Issue #4 of The Possum, and issue #1 of Spy Guy (from Mike Kitchen and Ultraist Studios).  The latest Spy Guy and Possum comics can now be found and purchased at The Silver Snail, Dragon Lady comics, and The Beguiling. 

If you own, or know of a comic shop that would like to carry The Possum or Spy Guy, give me an email or pass along my email address to them (It’s blair@possumpress.com) and I can make sure they get some copies. 

The Fan Expo starts today at the Toronto Convention Centre, and goes through the weekend (Friday, August 28th to Sunday August 30th).  Possum Press and Ultraist Studios will be at table A39 in the Artist Alley.  Stop by and pick up the newest Possum and Spy Guy comics.  Mike will be debutting Spy Guy #1, which marks the beginning of his ongoing Spy Guy title!  (click here, for a glimpse of the cover).

As always, we will be doing sketches!

That says it all.

See you at the Fan Expo!, or if you won’t be there, be patient and I’ll have them up for sale at the Possum Press store as soon as I can.

Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!  (That’s the sound of the Possum #4 power bar hitting the end of the power meter!)  Last Thursday I sent off all of the digital page files to the Printer for printing.  That means in 3 to 4 weeks (God willing!) I will have a big pile of boxes full of issue #4 in my hands!…… And you thought I was never going to finish this issue:)

Here’s a sneak peak at the first 4 pages:

The Possum #4 powerbar is getting awfully red!!!!

Things are progressing quickly, as I’m approaching the deadline to get issue #4 finished for the Toronto FAN EXPO next month.  I’m shipping the files off to the printer next Monday, and then it will be out of my hands for 3 – 4 weeks while the printers do their thing.  This cover image isn’t final yet, as I still have a week to tweek it, but I think it’s almost there.  I went back and forth quite a bit with the background colour, but I think this is the one (Thanks Mike!).

Possum #4 Power Bar:

This weekend I inked the final panel of Possum #4!!  All 24 pages of the actual story are inked, which leaves me with the cover to finish, photoshop grey tones on the last 20 or so pages of comic, as well as a couple Captain Smith and Broccoli boy strips left to draw…….. (I was feeling pretty good with myself, until I typed that last sentence and realized how much work I still have to do).  Still, it’s a big weight off of my shoulders to have the actual comic drawn. 

I have to ship everything to the printers by mid July, so it leaves me with about a month to finish everything else which would be lots of time if I wasn’t working multiple jobs and didn’t have a family:)  Oh, well…. gut check time!!!  I’ll give you a sneak peak of the cover when it’s finished.

OTHER NEWS:  I noticed that the fine folks at Feathertale have their latest magazine up for sale on their website (issue #4), which has in it a 7 page Possum comic by yours truly (see previous post).  If you are interested in ordering one from them, you can do so here!