How About Something Happier?

Go to Brainstorm Comics, G-Mart Comics and The Comic Vault this weekend to pick up a copy for free. Quantities will be limited so get 'em while they're hot. And remember to support your local shops.

Dave

R.I.P. Grampi

At 1:15 AM this morning, my grandfather, Patrick Mangan, passed away. I wanted to say a few words about him. I know a stupid art blog is not the most glorious venue for commemorating someone, but my grandfather lived a modest and normal life. There won't be newspaper articles, mass public memorials, TV specials about him or anything like that. So this is the best way I know how. I don't know exactly how many people come here daily, or at all for that matter, but I wanted to share these few words. I don't have a doodle or a sketch or a painting to offer for a situation like this. Just my words. And I hope you can find the time to read them.

My grandfather did not fight in a war or build a skyscraper or save someone from a burning building. But that doesn't mean he was not a hero. He came to America and worked like many respectable Irishmen who wanted a better life. He fell in love and had children but then had to live through the loss of his wife. That alone would have me cowering in a corner, ready to give up. But he didn't. He raised a son and two daughters, one of which is my mother, the most wonderful person on Earth. To me, a hero can be nothing more than an honest and decent man.

For the past nine years, he lived with an aortic aneurysm that should have killed him within a couple years. Nine years. I lay around like a baby when I have a cold. When his aneurysm finally did burst yesterday evening, he was put through a surgical procedure with a 50% mortality rate. He survived it. And he still lived in the ICU for a couple more hours after that. He fought all he could but he couldn't do it any longer. And no one can fault him for that. He survived more, physically and spiritually, than most people ever will. That's a hero.

I'll end this with taking solace in what my best friend, Dave Scheidt told me yesterday to comfort me. "We should all aspire to be as bad ass as our grandfathers."

If you read through all of this, whether you've ever met my grandfather or not, or even me for that matter, thank you.

Sincerely,
Dave

P.S. I will be have to cancel my appearances this weekend for Free Comic Book Day. I am sorry if you were looking forward to meeting me and having me sign or draw for you. But right now, my family is more important. I hope that you understand that.

All Hail The Dark Lord!

So the Christmas of beer geekery happened yesterday: Dark Lord Day at Three Floyds Brewpub in Munster, IN. Such an awesome time. I drank a lot, got some good food, had a great day with friends, saw Brian Azzarello's scary ass and most importantly, got my bottle of Dark Lord 2010 which will join my '09 bottles hiding in my closet.

So naturally to kill the time between drinking beers, I got some doodling done. It got to the point where I was trading sketches for tastings. Met some awesome people that way. Good times all around!




Speaking of great days in geekery, this Saturday is Free Comic Book Day! I have a crazy hectic schedule that day. I will be appearing at Brainstorm Comics, G-Mart Comics and The Comic Vault and I'm awaiting word about appearing at The Zone Comics in Homewood, IL as well. I should have that confirmed shortly with times and all. I would be appearing with two great creators, Nino Mesarina (who I will also be signing with at The Comic Vault later that day) and Frank Fosco (TMNT, Savage Dragon, etc.). So yeah, I should have an updated schedule shortly. I will be releasing a limited quantity of the first issue of my early readers book "How Stuff Happens". So make sure you bring the kids out to get their copies. I'll be signing and doing as many sketches as I can. It's gonna be an exhausting but awesome day. Hope to see you all there! Here's a poster for The Comic Vault's planned festivities:



I'll be updating again this week with a confirmed signing schedule, a preview of "How Stuff Happens", a picture of the print I'll be selling this weekend as well as what stores you can catch my good friends and fellow creators such as David Gruba and Rene Castellano!

Yeah!
Dave!

And Here We Go...

Busy, busy, busy. I have been reallllly busy getting ready for what it going to be an event-packed May. For starters, I will be signing at three stores next weekend for Free Comic Book Day. I will be appearing at Brainstorm Comics, G-Mart Comics and The Comic Vault. Please refer to my schedule for times and such. I will be giving out (limited!) free copies of the first edition of my early readers book "How Stuff Happens", signing whatever your heart desires, doing as many sketches as possible and I will also have a limited edition FCBD print for sale. It's gonna be rad.

I'll also have an exclusive print for Motor City Comic-Con, which I'm working on now. I'll also have a new set of 3 prints for sale.

I will be contributing a painting for the Hero Intiative auction at Summit City Con as well. I urge you to bid on it for a great cause! I'll also be doing 10 Summit City Con sketch cards which will be put up for sale as well.

I have FINALLY ordered copies of Great Sandwich Detective #1! FINALLY! They will be arriving at my doorstep just in time for Motor City Con. Whatever stock I have left after Summit City Con will be split up between all the stores that have been waiting for copies to be released on May 26th. So if you're not going to any of the cons, you'll be able to get GSD #1 at the end of May! I'm working on Issue #2 as I write this with plans to release it in June.

I will be appearing at the Richton Park Comic-Con August 28th, the weekend after Chicago Comic-Con. Thanks again to Kelley Nichols!

That's it for now. I got tons of stuff to work on. I'm gonna try to start posting up whole finished pieces soon instead of just random sketches. Woo!



Dave!

What A $7 Steak, A Couple Beers, A Few Screwdrivers And A Nearly Dried-Up Marker Does For You

Workin' Hard or Hardly Workin'

So convention season is almost upon us and I'm really excited. I'll be kicking off May with my Free Comic Book Day World Tour! So far I will be signing at Brainstorm Comics and The Comic Vault. I'm hoping to add one or two more stores to that list so it's a full day of it. I will be debuting the first little issue of my other non-GSD-related project. This is a book geared more towards little kids, whereas GSD is kind of a book for everyone. Not to say older folks won't find the humor in my new project but I'm making it easier for beginning readers to be able to read. I'll also have some stuff for sale that day including a brand new print. Two weeks after that I'll be at Motor City Con (Novi, MI) and the following week at the brand new Summit City Con (Fort Wayne, IN). They have some cool stuff planned for Summit City Con including a charity auction of pieces donated by all the artists. You should check it out.

Slowly but surely working on Issue # 2. I still aim to have it out in May. I'm behind on ordering more copies of Issue #1 and I apologize to the stores and readers who have been waiting for it. I plan to finally put the order in within the next couple weeks. If not, you can smack me. I'll definitely have copies in time for the cons but I'd like to be able to restock the local shops first. I also plan on re-releasing Issue #0 with a variant cover.



Well I should get back to work now. I'm excited to see you all this summer. Hope you're having a good week. Go Sox!

Dave!