Shameless Self-Promotion Time

If you happen by your local comics shop this afternoon, might I suggest you pick up a copy of Simpsons Comics #138, written by your humble blogger and illustrated by the talented Carlos Valenti. The story's called "Tsunami, Tsunami, Baloney" and it may just be the most complicated story I've ever plotted (as well as , I hope, one of the funniest).

I had intended to embed a copy of the issue's cover here for your edification but, as usual, something ain't functioning properly here in blogger land, so you'll just have to take my word for it, it's cool.

Anyway, if you buy the issue (and I sincerely hope you do), could you drop me a line here and let me know what you thought of it? I've asked this of you in the past and, to date, nobody has ever actually done that.

And, frankly, it's starting to make me a little paranoid.

Hey, Kids, It's Shameless Self-Promotion Time!

As I think I mentioned a few weeks ago, I've been doing some writing for the wonderful folks at Bongo Comics of late, and I'm pleased to announce that my first issue of Simpsons Comics, issue #129, hits the stands of better comics shops all across America this very afternoon.

I hope you'll pick it up, buy it, read it, and then let me know what you thought of it. I heard back from only two people about last month's issue of Futurama Comics which I also wrote, and I'm starting to become paranoid. Did you all think it sucked runny eggs through a straw so badly, you were afraid to hurt my feelings by telling me? If so, fear not. My wife just bought me an electric oven, so I'm not likely to try gassing myself this time.

Seriously, let me know what you thought. I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks.

The Future is Now

Okay, okay, so I know I promised to blog more often and I've been doing a terrible job of it, but I really have been busy, and I've been a little depressed, and I haven't had anything of lasting value to add to anything anybody else has been blogging, so I haven't blogged and I'm sorry.

So there.

There is, however, a pretty good reason for this particular post. Today, Wednesday March 28th, is New Comics Day across most of the country. And if you rush right out to your local comics shop, you might still be able to find one of the reasons I've been so busy.

It's Futurama #30 from the wonderful folks at Bongo Comics. It's my first regular straight-out humor story in Heaven knows how many years and I'm actually pretty proud of it.

When the brave-beyond-all-reason Bill Morrison first asked me to write for Bongo, I was pretty firmly convinced Simpsons creator Matt Groening had clearly whacked Bill upside the head a few too many times with the Insanity Stick. Still, never one to shirk a challenge (or a chance to work with a terrific editor), I nervously accepted the opportunity, and I'm here to tell you how happy I am that I did. It's nice to have a chance to flex a different creative muscle for a change, and to have the work well-received by the person who was foolish enough to offer it to you in the first place. It was a lot more work than I'd first imagined it would be, but as the late, great actor and director Sir Donald Wolfit reportedly said, "Writing Wolverine is easy, comedy is hard."

The issue is called "Fry and the Double-Bag, Must-Have Item" and the comics collectors among you can probably guess where the story goes from there.

I should also mention that I wrote next month's Simpsons Comics #129 as well, but I'll remind you of that when we get closer to release time. Over the weekend, I finished my second Simpsons script, and am already hard at work on the next one, so this may be the start of something big. We shall see.

Anyway, should you happen to pick up Futurama #30 at a comics shop near you, I really would appreciate it if you'd drop me a line and let me know what you thought of it.

Frankly, I need all the encouragement I can get.