Happy Halloween everyone! If you celebrate the holiday, I hope you’re enjoying it safely.This week I’ll be lying low for the most part, especially because I came down with a stomach bug this morning, but also because not only is Halloween my favourite holiday, but my birthday is just two days following it (which I think I’ve written enough times in this blog). Read more… ›

It’s October 25th. Halloween is a little less than a week away, my birthday is a little more than a week away and the first Dark Souls III DLC, Ashes of Ariandel, is available today for all the travelers of Lothric to discover and explore (I’m a huge fan of the SoulsBorne games, if you didn’t know). That said, one can expect I’ll be immersed in otherwise idle occupations for the next week or so, but that’s not to say I won’t be working on at least a few things, here and there. Read more… ›

It’s officially thirteen days until Halloween, and though that means the holiday falls on a Monday this year (as this blog posts on Tuesdays), I plan to enjoy Halloween in every way possible. I have my usual stock of horror flicks, I always indulge in reading some horror fiction (though that’s not to say I reserve all horror-related reading and viewing for October exclusively), and hopefully I’ll get out to a haunted walkthrough or two. And in the spirit of the season I’m trying to make the latest of my horror-related art available through my online stores. Read more… ›

Yet another New York Comic Con has come and gone (my eighth appearance at the show, in fact!). I got some major feedback and compliments from some of my Chadhiyana fans (who are apparently more passionate about the series than I had previously known). Also, my latest publication, Gentleman Cthulhu: Year One (a collection of the first 52 comics from gentlemancthulhu.com) completely sold out by mid-day Saturday. The only downside was that on Sunday I began experiencing considerable stomach pains (likely my diverticulitis acting up, with which I was diagnosed about this time last year), but I did my best to smile through the pain, and I’m doing okay now after a day’s rest. Read more… ›

This is one of the most exciting times of the year for me. October is nearly here, and that’s big deal given Halloween is my favourite holiday and my birthday follows just two days after that. More, the New York Comic Con is just a little over week and a half away at this point, and besides Halloween, it’s the one of the only things I can seem to think about right now. Read more… ›

The New York Comic Con is just two weeks away (I know, it seems early to me this year too). Amidst a busy schedule, I’ve been trying to get a number of things ready for the biggest show I do all year (and usually the one I end the year on–though next year I’m debating changing that a bit by adding some new shows). Already I had a few things planned, but my experiences in Boston and Baltimore this year got me thinking about a few additional things I want to add to that already extensive list of projects. Read more… ›

After a long time of hearing about the benefits of using Instagram to connect with fans and promote one’s work, I finally caved and signed up for an account (instagram.com/jmdwriteist). Last week I made an announcement on my various social media pages, and just yesterday I began posting images and linked the account to Facebook and Twitter (unfortunately, Google+ doesn’t seem to have this option). However, despite the excitement of adding yet another way of connect with people, the growing social media trend creates a bit of a conundrum for me. Read more… ›

It’d been two years since I had been to Baltimore for the Comic-Con, and I was looking forward to going back. I have a number of fans that travel for the show, and I’ve always really enjoyed doing it. There’s a unique atmosphere at the show, as it’s large enough to be considered a large convention yet there’s a sense familiarity usually found only at smaller shows. It’s always been one of my favourites, and it holds the distinction of being both the first show I ever travelled for (beyond the New York-New Jersey area) and the show where I met my publisher, Bill Campbell (Rosarium Publishing), two years ago. That said, it’s also now the first show I ever missed a year of attending and then returned to, and for that reason, I was a bit nervous as to how the show would go for me.

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I had a wonderful time at this past Saturday’s Inbeon Con. It was held in a great location (and I hope this continues for some time) and was well organised. Never mind that since my friend, Eric Hutchison, holds the con every year, it was great to see him and his family (including their new addition) as well as some other friends of mine who attended and exhibited at the show. Plus, these cons are helping me through the grief of my office buddy’s passing. They’re getting me out of the office while still allowing me to connect with my writing and art. It’s been an unexpected but welcome form of therapy in this difficult time (and thank you everyone who offered their condolences). Though perhaps what struck me most about this show (and the week leading up to it) is how many people have (sympathetically) approached me about my blog post about the previous week’s Newark Comic Con. Read more… ›

In Memory of Mishu

Loss, of any kind, is a difficult thing. There are happy memories mixed with guilt, comfort mixed with regret. We think often about the things we did and the things that we should have done or that we wanted still to do. For anyone who has ever owned an animal, they know that those feelings are no less intense when a pet dies. They become part of the family, as so many say, and for our cat, Mishu, that was twofold; not only was he a part of the family my girlfriend, her daughter and I have been building, but he was also my silent companion in my home office and studio. Read more… ›