Biting the Bullet

Stumbled upon this strip while going through some old files the other day, which I created over a weekend for The Washington City Paper back in 2001. Written by Chris Flores, it details his attemps and experiences trying to register a gun in the District of Columbia. DC's laws have changed since then, as have Chicago's, which changed just yesterday. Figured it was a timely topic.

For my part, I hate guns, and would never own one. I find them to be, in most cases, a completely worthless accessory for paranoid types to own to feed into their persecution fantasies. Gun manufacturers further feed into this emotion, selling bigger and more horrible weapons to everyday citizens, framing their greed as a Constitutional rights issue, as if our sainted and infallible founding fathers could have conceived in their wildest dreams of a gun that could fire 500 rounds in ten seconds. If you ask me, real life just isn't that dangerous, and the possibility for unintended tragedy is far too high.

World Cup Fever...CATCH IT!

As it was last winter during the Olympics, I felt a deep sense of patriotic pride watching Team USA pull off their dramatic win vs. Algeria yesterday in the World Cup. Now, I'm far less knowledgeable when it comes to soccer than I am with hockey, but I do know two things: People love girls in sports jerseys, and they really love free stuff!

So with that in mind, I had a few stickers of my Team USA World Cup girl printed up, and am offering them to the first 15 or so commenters on this post. I'm looking for actual comments, too...something more than just "Gimme!". Your experience watching the game yesterday, a funny anecdote about your pants falling down while playing youth soccer, I dunno...something!

Like I said, I've got 15 or so of these babies to give away, but I'm holding a few back for folks who order stuff in the store...so should you decide to order something, I'll make absolutely sure you get one!

World Cup Fever

If you're like me, you're gonna wake up tomorrow morning and be watching some Team USA soccer before your second cup of coffee!

My apologies for the Landon Donovan jersey...I'm fully aware it's the most obvious choice, akin to putting #87 on a hockey sweater (and why wouldn't you?)...but my soccer knowledge is pretty limited to fevered interest every two years (World Cup and the Olympics), and I figured better safe than sorry.

Go USA!

Bond Girls Curling Team

When I was in San Diego for Comicon last summer, I met Matt, Jen and Donna, who happened to browse by my table and look at some of my sporty-girl illustrations. Somehow the topic of curling came up, and I discovered that Jen and Donna were on a women's curling team based in Hollywood called Bond Girls. A skeletal agreement to do a commission was made, and a few weeks ago, I finished this illustration, with which I am super happy!

Check out Team Bond Girls on the web, friend 'em on facebook...and hell, if it's convenient, check out a bonspiel!

Dejah Thoris, and 600 posts

I've been working on this illo here and there since Frank Frazetta left this mortal coil over a month ago...hard to think of Dejah Thoris, Princess of mars, without thinking about The Master. (Also, hard to believe it took me this long to do a drawing of Dejah Thoris!)

Also, this marks my 600th post on Atom-Bomb Bikini! Not a bad run, but I always feel like I should be posting more frequently...maybe I'll try the old post-a-day gimmick in July!

Strange and Stranger

I've got TWO illos in The Stranger this week...and I'm plastered all over the front page of their site! Everything's coming up Chappy!

Oilers

You'll never hear me call Wayne Gretzky the greatest player in NHL history...for my money that's Mario Lemieux. But in discussing the best teams in NHL history? The Oilers of the 1980's have to be on anyone's short list.

News Travels Fast

This was a spot for Remodeling Magazine, about how referrals and good word of mouth are more valuable than any advertising you can buy. Having had a ton of work done on our house over the last year, I can personally vouch for this sentiment!

Stars

Congrats to the Chicago Blackhawks on winning the Stanley Cup! 

Hockey season may be over, but the hockey art never stops!

Heroes Con 2010-The Haul

Left to right: Enquirer Dharbin by Dustin Harbin; Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean by Ben Towle; Nathan Sorry 1 & 2 by Rich Barrett; Richard's Poor Almanac by Richard Thompson; Fast Food Feud by Bradwick McGinty; Everyday by Joe Lambert; CHAING! by Cliff Chaing; Oh, WOW! by Adam Hughes; Pale Rider anthology; Cleopatra in Space and Cow and Buffalo: Superheroes by Mike Maihack; Tracy Lee Quinn's self-titled sketchbook; and Black & White and Character Flawed by Nathan Fox

Heroes Con is This Weekend!

What the what? It's time for Heroes Con already? It seems like I've been looking forward to the 2010 edition of one of my very favorite comic conventions since about an hour before the 2009 version came to a close...and now, all of a sudden, it's dead ahead, this Friday in lovely Charlotte, NC!

Anyway, I'll have a few new items on the table this weekend, including a second collection of my auto-biographical "Traffic and Weather" comic strips, and a little set of prints of all the Legion Ladies illos that've been appearing on the blog since the fall. I'll also have a ton of new artwork and have added a bunch of pieces of art to the "Fire Sale" box...little odds and ends and stuff that I sell for a measly eight bucks apiece, of 3 for $20. Hell, even though it seems like it's been out there forever, this'll actually be the first Heroes Con appearance of the Atom-Bomb Bikini hardcover...I  had a dummy copy last time around, but I didn't receive the physical shipment of books until a couple weeks after the show.

Otherwise, I'll be indulging in the best thing about Heroes Con...hanging with all my pals. In addition to all the usual suspects like Jim Mahfood, Cliff Chaing, J Chris Campbell and the Wide Awake Crew, there'll be a few new faces at the show this year, including Jill Thompson and Scott Morse. I'm also hoping that I'll be able to convince at least a few of these nerds to watch Game Four of the Stanley Cup Finals on Friday night...as I write this, Game Three is knotted at 3, but if the Hawks manage to pull off the win, that fabled silver Cup will be in the building and the Blackhawks will have a chance to win it.

So, for god's sake, come to Charlotte this weekend and have the time of your life! And don't forget to stop by and say hello!

Andromeda

More Legion! This is Laurel Gand, also known as Andromeda...She's a kind-of pseudo-Supergirl first introduced during the excellent "Five Years Later..." Legion storyline in 1989, back when DC was on the fence about whether Supergirl had ever actually existed or not. Even though she lives in the 30th century, she dresses like an early-90s comic book character!