Aeolian Digital Studios » Comics

CAG changes Presidents

jfox015 — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:05:03 +0000

Kieth Murphy, longtime president and co-founder of the Comicbook Artists Guild (and lesser known as a former Small Press Idol judge) has officially resigned his post as the leader of the CAG. Hector Rodriguez has been named as the new President.

While Keith steps down from a leadership role he by no means plans to disappear. As Keith stated in his announcement:

This is not good-bye, as I will continue to go to meetings and be at social events for a long time to come. I’ll also be behind the scenes to help the group to continue to follow its mission.

In associated news, Lindsey Kraemer has also stepped down as the Convention Coordinator meaning that the convention group is without leadership. Waiting to see who is either chosen or steps up to take that post for the upcoming 2010 convention season.

CAG member Rusty Haller passes away

jfox015 — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 19:22:00 +0000

I heard last week that longtime CAG member and independent comics icon Rusty Haller passed away. I did not meet nor know Rusty but I know his reputation withing the amateur comics industry, He was well know and well liked and I along with the rest of the CAG and amateur comics community are saddened by his passing.

The sad message from the CAG’s Sue Soares read:

On behalf of the leadership team, it is with sad hearts that we share with you the passing of longtime CAG member, Rusty Haller. Rusty passed away peacefully in his sleep last evening.

We do not have any information yet on arrangements. Once we do, we will share it with you all.

Rusty has been a loyal CAG member for many years and a talented cartoonist. His contribution to our group and the industry will always be in our memories and our hearts.

Susan Soares
Membership Coordinator

Rest in peace, Rusty.

CAG Panel Topics needed for ComicCon NY 2010

jfox015 — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:46:30 +0000

Several conventions are right around the corner including the 2010 Comic Con show, and we at CAG would like to hear from you just what sort of workshops and panels you would be interested in attending. All suggestions will be taken into consideration and are greatly appreciated. If you would like to participate in an upcoming panel, please contact Jeff Fox or Lindsey Kramer via the Comicbook Artists Guild Web site or join the CAG community on Ning. Thank you.

We look forward to hearing from all of you!

The Adventures of Spud #0 goes gold

jfox015 — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 04:55:52 +0000

OK, I’m giving away my geekdom here but that’s what they say in the software biz when an app ships to the vendors. Not sure what they say in the comics world. “It’s off to presses?”

However I should say it, The Adventures of Spud #0, the surprise hit of Small Press idol 2008, is finally done and has been sent to the publisher. It’s been a very long journey getting here. One i may regal here in the blog another time. But I’m very, very excited that after a year of hard work and numerous sacrifices, Spud is about to see print.

I’ve gotten sappy before in the Dimestore forums about Mark Oakley’s talent and contribution in making Spud a reality, but one more time can’t hurt. Without Mark, there just would be no Spud as we know it today. So a very biog thanks from me to Mark. Glad to have been able to take the ride with you. My doors always open if you should find yourself stateside for a beer and a hearty pat on the back. And I’ll grab the Fosters should we ever make it to Oz. And another important thanks to Brant Fowler for jumping in and saving my ass with his lettering help. I owe ya one, man.

A final thanks to our families for their immense belief and support of our efforts. And to our fellow Idol contestant, friends, peers, supporters in the SPA and last but not least, the great Spud fans out there in cyber space. Thanks for helping us to have a great ride. Hope we get to make more comics for you all very soon. After we take some time to get our wits about us again of course.

The Adventures of Spud finishes Small Press Idol 2008 as runner-up

jfox015 — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:21:27 +0000

So we didnâ€™t win Small Press Idol. The honors went to Marshall Simon and Chris Marshallâ€™s epic western story, Warpath. We placed second of the top 3 with Daniel Coxâ€™s Tokyo Gonzo finishing a respectable third. Team Marshall truly lit the war party bonfire and never let it die down. I feel very proud to have completed against two such great teams and how Spud finished overall. Each one of these guys were pros the entire run through Idol so I tip my hat to them and send a big congratulations to both of them for a well played contest.

Am I bummed we didnâ€™t win? Of course. We worked out butts off and were just never able to get to that top spot. But we definitely made a good showing of our skills and what Spud can be so I think we have a great opportunity to continue from here and grow this series.

So now what? Well, first and foremost Mark and I need to complete our #0 book. Marksâ€™ made great strides art wise and as pages trickle in to me, Iâ€™ll be lettering and finishing them. Based on what Iâ€™ve seen, the later nine pages will blow the first 3 we previewed out of the water. I think we truly have a makings of super issue here. So stay tuned. Iâ€™ll continue updating on the #0 progress and further story developments here.

Own Your Copy Of The Adventures of Spud #0!

jfox015 — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 18:45:23 +0000

A tremendous THANK YOU to all our loyal supporters who made The Adventures of Spud the number two overall title of the Small Press Idol 2008 contest! Jeff Fox and Mark Oakley express their gratitude for everyone who came out and voted for us during the contest and especially those who bought a copy of The Adventures of Spud #0 issue to make us the contest runners-up. It’s thanks to your support we now had the opportunity to bring our special edition #0 issue to you all.

The Adventures of Spud #0

jfox015 — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:07:42 +0000

Well, our #0 issue is now a reality, sort of. It’s available for pre-sale and shipping this September. The script is done and Mark is laying out and drawing the book in the midst of a major relocation back to Oz. I’m really excited about actually having a book I wrote be published. It’s been a very long hard road, and I’m ready for it to arrive.
Right now we need every Spud fan to get out to the site and grab a copy of the book and help us WIN the contest. For more information on this book, see the #0 overview in the Idol Tracker. Grab one for yourself then (Tell a Friend or better yet, tell ten) about us by spreading the word via your social network!

Small Press Idol 2008, Weâ€™re gonna be a teeny bit late

jfox015 — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:53:24 +0000

So Mark informed me last week that there is some pretty big stuff happening for him right now including a new job and a move back to his native Oz. What this means to Spud #0 is that we’ll unfortunately be delayed in turning in our final 12 pages for round 4. An unfortunate delay, but one has to expect that work and family matters have to come first.

Our #0 script is pretty tight right now and Mark had already jumped into penciling several pages before he accepted the new the job so we’re not terribly far behind. But we’ll be working hard to market #0 and make ourselves the winner of Small Press Idol 2008 nonetheless.

So gear up those e-wallets folks. Spud #0 goes on sale shortly and our round 4 marketing campaign hits very soon.

Small Press Idol 2008 Round 4, At last!

jfox015 — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:30:14 +0000

Well, almost 2 1/2 weeks after the end of round three voting, the final standings for Small Press idol 2008 have been released, and Spud is an official participant in the final round of the contest! (final standings are on the Spud Web site)

I have a number of thoughts on the events of this years contest, but as Mark and I have serious work to do to win this contest now, they will have to wait until it’s all over. Luckily, others have been sharing their thoughts in a special discussion on he site thus far.
[EDIT - Ian revamped the site yet again so the Idol 2008 threads are now gone. - JF]

Next up for us is a completed #0 issue for pre-sale on Dimestore’s site and our (hopefully) much anticipated round 4 marketing bonanza. Mark and I have been kicking numerous ideas. i think we’re going to score big with it. Stay tuned and buy your copy of Spud #0 on sale July 15th (my birthday for those not in the know) to help us win Small Press Idol 2008!

Small Press Idol 2008 Veto talks stalled

jfox015 — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:52:23 +0000

Well, the judges vetoed In-Flight Service down to a MVA cover story moving Shamrock into third place making the new final three:

Warpath
The Adventures of Spud
Shamrock

See the complete final standing for Small Press Idol 2008 Round 3.

I like Josh and crew and think Shamrock is a solid story so I’m happy for them, but also feel bad that IFS had to be moved down. Sorry guys.
As they were beginning to debate on moving another book up, the site has gone down. So we’re in a holding pattern. I’m anxious for the final decision as I have Web site updates ready and Mark and I are already hard at work on our 12 pages. Here’s hoping all goes well with the site fixes.