If you follow me on social media, you would have seen that I posted a terrifying and disappointing picture on Friday (and with how often I’m using social media for updates, you should be following me there, if you don’t already). Yes, it’s true. I took a scissors to those luscious curls and shaved my face bare. But I’m sure the question is, why did I get rid of my much beloved, constantly complimented handlebar moustache? Read more… ›

It’s been a summer of conventions (compared to what I’m used to): three in a row, in three different states. With Inbeon Con: Summer Edition this past weekend, my public appearances have ended until the New York Comic Con in October (though I am debating adding another show or two onto my schedule, before the end of the year). That said, Inbeon Con was a spectacular event, and I’m very glad my friend Eric Hutchison (owner of Inbeon Studios and host of the event) convinced me to do it.

Like a lot of shows I’ve been doing this year, Inbeon Con was much smaller than shows like New York Comic Con (well, really, what show isn’t smaller than NYCC?) or even Boston Comic Con. Though, I’m finding sometimes the smaller shows turn out to be a bigger success than the larger ones, especially one day shows as they tend to be the most intimate between the attendees and the exhibitors and there’s less competition at the show. Read more… ›

It’s Monday morning (Tuesday for you, reader), and I’m back in the studio again for a week before I’m off to yet another convention. This Saturday is the Inbeon Con: Summer Edition (inbeoncon.com), and it will be my last con until New York Comic Con in October. (Again, sorry folks, I won’t be able to make Baltimore Comic-Con because of a wedding I’m in that weekend.) But before all of that, I wanted to thank everyone who attended the Boston Comic Con and helped make this such a successful show! Read more… ›

As a child growing up in New Jersey, the Mennen Arena was this vaguely referred to place where the WWE (then the WWF) would occasionally hold a house show. I never went there as a kid, but somehow I never forgot the name. So when the opportunity came up to attend an event there this past weekend, the little kid in me got just a little curious again. However, it wasn’t Bret Hart or Shawn Michaels headlining the event but rather names like Greg Hildebrant, Neal Adams, Mark McKenna and yours truly, J. M. DeSantis (well, maybe I’m not a headliner yet, but I’m hoping my time will come). Read more… ›

About every two years I replace the image on the standing banner I bring to conventions. It all started with my original 2011 purchase which featured my painting Goddess of Sand–this was the very banner of which people kept asking about the Indian woman depicted and which prompted the creation of Chadhiyana. Chadhiyana, of course, has been featured on my banners ever since. If you’ve been following me on social media, you’ve seen shots of art work for my new banner as it came together. On Monday, I finished it and as promised, it’s time to show it off. Read more… ›

The school year has only just ended, and with that the summer begins. Yet, as I take leave of my teaching duties for two months, my life is only about to get busier. Indeed, this summer may prove to be one of the most tiring and exciting yet. Honestly, if it weren’t for how busy I’m going to be and all of the things that are coming up (fairly soon), I would have reserved this week’s blog post for my reflections on my second year of teaching. Instead, I’m going to have to double up on this blog post. Read more… ›

It’s been a good run of successful conventions this year, so it was bound to happen that one would prove a disappointment. While Eternal Con wasn’t an unsuccessful show by any means, it wasn’t quite as successful as the last few shows. Again, I’ve heard a lot of great things about Eternal Con over the past two years, so perhaps this year was just a fluke. After all, the word is the layout was changed this year and artist alley was scattered throughout the Cradle of Aviation Museum, making the artists extremely difficult to find.  Read more… ›

When I consider the publishers which define my birth as a gamer, Capcom and Konami are unequivocally the answer. With Capcom it started with a little blue robot and fireball-throwing martial artists. For Konami, it was a chance purchase in Toys “R” Us when I was around ten years old: an old castle, creatures of the night and a showdown with none other than Dracula himself! It was all of the things I loved in one game. Thus began my love affair with the Castlevania series and my commitment to Konami as a publisher. Recently it seems the entire gaming community is questioning their loyalty to Konami (and Konami’s sanity); however, as a Castlevania fan, I find myself unsurprised. Read more… ›

This past weekend, I exhibited at the White Plains Comic Con for its first of hopefully many years. The convention was organised by Nancy Silberkleit of Archie Comics and had strong support from the City of White Plains. The upper floor of the White Plains Library (where the convention was held) was packed with people for a good portion of the day, and even the mayor of White Plains (Thomas Roach) came down to meet all of the artists and vendors. I have to honestly say, of all the conventions I have been to, this one seemed to have the largest outpouring of support for those who were exhibiting at the show. At least I hope that was everyone’s experience, because my experience was wonderful.  Read more… ›

Although my lack of social media posts on Saturday may have some thinking otherwise, this weekend’s Bronx Heroes: Women in Comics Convention was a lot of fun and a great success. Unfortunately, the area of the Bronx Library Center where the convention was held did not have good reception, so I couldn’t post about the many new Chadhiyana fans and others who dropped by my table to purchase prints, books and even my last copies of Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated! It seems to be a growing trend this past year or so, but of my three Bronx Heroes Conventions, this was by far the best yet. Read more… ›