EK Card and Comic Show (With Reptiles!) Morehead, KY

This what took place over the last weekend (September 22nd and 23rd) as Clint Basinger a comic artist and publisher of Backseat Drivers (Who I'd been emailing back and forth but was meeting for the first time, and I (Allen Freeman of Fan-Atic Press) drove from Owensboro, KY to Morehead, KY for the EK Card and Comic Show. Clint drive to Owensboro (He lives just outside Owensboro) and together we drove to Lexington. We went to Chuck Haspel's house where Chuck rents the downstairs of a nice house (1970’s?) in a nice neighborhood. Chuck and I had worked together on many commercial art projects over the years and comic books as he even helped me put out Slam Bang for a while. I'd not seen him since I moved to WA back in 1996. As we were following our MapQuest directions we were in his neighborhood and it said to go to the end of the road and take a left onto the road Chuck's house was on. We got to the end and the other road had no sign on it. But the house right there was the correct house number. So we called Chuck and he said, "Is there a old Cadillac parked out front." We said, "no". He said, "There is one in front of his house." We said, "Well it's not there now. " He said he come out front and look for us. We waited and no one came out from this house. Finally I called him back and we figure out that we needed to go around that corner and down a few more blocks, and then saw the correct house with the same house number as the one we were at. Oh, well.

--Left Chuck, right Clint.

He has two cats and no room for us to stay with him but we knew that and had planned to get a room at a hotel nearby. We saw his old west hand guns, and his shotgun and some of his art work here and there, under a pile of papers, against a wall, and some were on the wall. We also saw where he'd finally started working on the comic Captain Optimist #1 bringing back the character that we worked on (and put out 5 issues) back in the late 80's and early 90's. I take some photos and then we plan to all go see a movie.
--Chuck showing off his pistols.

Clint and I got a nice room at this place down not far from Chuck’s place. We got the room lined up then, with Chuck with us, go to see the movie 3:10 from Yuma. I’d seen it before but liked it so much I wanted to see it again.

--Boo, one of Chuck's cats

The movie was only $5 which was very cheap. Chuck loved it since he is a big Western movie fan (And Western History buff) and even owns 3 real pistols like the type from back in those days! With holsters! And Chuck owns a double barrel shotgun which he also keeps loaded…..(Another reason not to sleep over there.) Clint also liked the movie. Oh, and Chuck showed us his 3 guitars and even a ukulele someone had built for him.

---Captain Optimist (Chuck pencils/Allen inks)

We drop Chuck back at his house then go to our hotel as we are very tired. Clint and I talk comics and stuff till about 1:00am then decided we’d better get some sleep as we have to get up at 8:00 and get Chuck at 8:30am for the drive to Morehead, KY.

I’m shocked out of my sleep at 2:00am as there is a huge frat party going on right outside our door, to our right and above us. Seems we are in the middle of it. Super loud talking and laughing till about 3:00am….I kept thinking I’d stick my head out and tell them to get the hell out of here. But that would probably lead to the van getting smashed up. So that concluded my second night in a row with very little sleep.

Next morning we get Chuck and drive off to the show. Chuck assures us we don’t need the MapQuest page I’d printed out as he used to drive some delivery truck of some sort to that area all the time so he just tosses it down between the seats. We are still driving at 10:00am which is when the show starts. I asked if we missed the turn or something? Chuck says no as he is looking for exit 137. I then keep a watch on the mile markers and they go from 140 to 141 etc…and I mention that we must of passed 137 as the numbers are getting larger. Chuck agrees and we then drive another 8 miles trying to find a place to turnaround on this expressway. There is nothing. Finally a turnaround area but a policeman is right there having just pulled someone over…shit. So a few more miles and we see another turn around and illegally take it. Anyway we get to the show and it’s a nice new convention center. We go in and if you go to the right of the main table it’s the Card and Comic Show. If you go to the left it’s the Reptile Show! No kidding!

People are walking around in the comic show carrying snakes in containers they’d just bought at the Reptile Show! What a hoot! I can’t resist and go to the other side and take photos of the snakes, turtles, cats, toads, and other creatures for sale! That side is booming, hardly anyone is at the comic show. I see a guy with a flying squirrel on his arm, some people holding snakes, large tanks holding mice (Snake food I guess), and we see large snapping turtles and other interesting creatures. I'm also told there were some huge spiders on display and a python. One snake I saw had a price tag of $3000 on it.

---Allen tries out Clint's Cosmic Mustache

Meanwhile back at the comic/card show, I only sold some comics to Clint, Chuck and one other guy. But I did talk to a guy that says he has connections to getting stuff distributed internationally! Movies on DVD, and music CD’s for sure but he will look into books and comics.

---Clint's table

Clint on the other hand was doing OK and I saw him selling his comic series of 4 issues: Backseat Drivers. I read it all the night before and loved it. Very funny stuff. Strange but funny.


The event organizer had found a copy of Fright Night #12 and had me sign it. I donated a copy of Slam Bang to the event to be won from a drawing of the tickets sold but never hear them announce it. They do announce every 30 minutes about a snake they are giving away and pick a ticket and call out the winner. They do this at ear bleeding sound decibels all day long off and on.

--One of the many reptiles, this one cost $3000

We take Chuck back to his place in Lexington, KY, say good-bye, then drive to Frankfort, KY were I meet with a client and pick up some items to do art for another collector print. This time for Hygienists. So I now have all the dangerously sharp tools they use. I offer to give Clint a free cleaning but he just won't go for it so we drive off for Owensboro.

--Chuck's reptile mascot for next year's show. (Inks by AF)

=Allen 9-24-2007

Morgana X- The NOVEL is now OUT!

ALL NEW STORY! Yeah, baby, the Morgana X, 162 page novel (6" x 9") written by Christopher Moshier with a cover by me (Allen Freeman) is out at last! This tells an all new story about Morgana X including an origin! Finally! You thought you'd never see it? Well here it is. Morgana was created by me back around 1987 or so. With the help of Quinton Hoover providing the art for the comic books and with me doing the inking etc...we put out Morgana X for Cat's Paw Comics and later for Sky Comics. So she was in about 6 comics between 1987 and 1994. And finally here is her story! Chris has taken the best characters from the comics and added even more! A super space adventure of the sexiest, galaxy spanning, assassin ever! Oh, and that's not all. There is a 14 page comic story by Allen Freeman and Quinton Hoover from the Sky Comics Special #1 way back in 1994! Not enough? How about a 5 page art gallery of covers used and unused! Get this while it's hot! www.fanaticpress.com

Books I like

Wow, it is September.....

I'm getting some great strips for Slam Bang #3 vol III. Most of them are true stories or just so darn good I'll have to use them anyway! Don't forget end of this month is the deadline. Be in the issue! Do some good. Hug a tree. Draw on a tree, and send it in.

=A

San Diego Comic-Con 2007.....

Hey, I think I survived the 2007 San Diego International Comic-Con. I ran a booth in the small press zone and sold some Fan-Atic Press comics and mostly I sold the Dean LeCrone vs. The Mutants of Comic-Con DVD's. Yeah, I had a small DVD player running at the booth. Dean LeCrone the star of the movie also helped with the booth and we had tons of fun talking to the "stars" of the movie we shot there last year. They loved it! We even got them telling us what they thought of the movie on video. I'll be posting up lots of great comments and video at www.fanaticpressfilms.com soon. You can go there and see all the photos I took at the show this year. Got 200 photos up on Dotphoto. We really wanted to shoot another movie there this year but couldn't find anyone to relieve us long enough from the booth to do it. So we just shot a little here and there and I'll post it on YouTube and you can see it at the link above also.

The crowds were great on every day but Saturday. Yeah, that was a surprise. Turns out they were so afraid that the crowd was going to be too thick on Saturday they didn't sell any tickets at the door. So it was the least crowded day of the show. And everyone's day for slow sales so I heard. And it was true for us, Saturday was a bust. Sunday was very busy and we made up for Saturday.

We hooked up with Pirate Girl, Klingon, Girl that was with Fantastic Boy, Button Dude, Old Jedi, and more.....I even saw the guy that was at the end of our movie that Dean goofed on about missing the show and asking, "Where's my ticket?" And he had on the same shirt!

We sold a nice batch of the DVD's even though quite a few people would watch some of the movie and laugh and tell us how funny it is...only to wonder off and not buy one. We had the usual folks that say they will be back later. On Sunday there were a few of them that did just walk up and hand us money, so they actually meant what they said.

I saw lots of great costumes and got photos of most of them. Dean and I tried to go to one of the panels at the end of Saturday for the cast of the Sara Silverman show but the line was around and around the hallways and we gave up. That was the closest I've come to attending a panel in the 4 years I've attended the show. I did watch some of the panels highlights on www.ifc.com
site. I saw the one about the 25th anniversary of Blade Runner movie...that was cool.

I did have a celebrity sighting....I was just walking along and saw an interview in progress and it was Rosario Dawson! I got some great photos of her. I felt like paparazzi!

I had to buy another Teddy Scares bear for my wife Bonnie which was my only request from her this year. After lots of searching and looking in the program to no avail...I found them on Saturday and got the one she wanted. If you are not familiar with the Teddy Scares bears look http://www.teddyscares.com

I shot about 10 very crazy vader helmets and it turns out there are tons more and you can see them HERE!

I walked so much the first day getting the booth set up I'd rubbed my legs raw. I could hardly walk without pain. It was like a super atomic wedgy....this was so strange it had been a long time since that had happened to me. I'd been working out on the treadmill and to some Billy Blank's DVD's (TaeBo) and was in pretty good shape anticipating all the walking I'd be doing and lifting and dragging stuff around...but didn't prepare for the atomic wedgy! Anyway, I took it easy on the second day and soon recovered....I was very worried I'd miss the second day as walking only made it worse. But I was tough and pressed on.

On Thursday night of the con Dean took me to the meeting of the Southern California Cartoonists Society like we did last year. This year it was just a few blocks from the con so we walked there. Also this time there was no formal talk like before so we just met other members and chatted. Though they may have had more going on later, Dean and I had to split after a while since our hotel was 45 miles away and we needed sleep! I talked with Stan Yan, Michael Aushanker and Craig Boldman at our table and had a great time.


















I really missed not having the time to see everything like I did last year but still had fun and was glad our booth was so popular. All the stars that discovered we had the movie out flocked to our table and I'm sure that peaked some interest in the crowd to check out what we had going on there, thus increasing our sales even more.

There were lots of Artist Alley tables this year more than last time I think, and there was still a strong group of small press and Indy comic companies. I was really glad to see that it wasn't shrinking like I thought it would since the cost of the tables had gone up so much....in 2008 the prices are the same as 2007 for a Small Press Table so that is also good news.

I'll be reviewing tons of comics I picked up for review in my Small Press Newsroom Blog: http://smallpressnewsroom.blogspot.com and I was showing a copy of Ka-Whump! #2 around the tables and they all wanted to buy one. Unfortunately I didn't have any with me at the show. But I did give out info on how they could order one. I also played up Small Press Extra and showed off the cover I just did for their issue #6.

Before the Comic-Con I was in Seattle, WA seeing my kids who still live there, Brigitte 19, Alaina 22 and Dustin 24. I gave a talk to the Cartoonist Northwest group on Saturday the 21st and saw John Lustig and Wade Busby there. We had about 15 or more at the meeting and I gave a talk about my years in the gaming biz, commercial art work, and comics. (My son Dustin shot it all on video) Then I showed them the movie Dean LeCrone vs. The Mutants of Comic Con....and they loved it! I even sold some afterwards. They clapped at the end and all told me how impressed they were with Dean and my editing work etc....

After the meeting some of us met at the Hurricane Cafe for food and more talking. John Lustig showed me the newspaper cartoons of his Last Kiss I'd been coloring for him.

After this my son Dustin who was with me and driving me all round, took me to Kenmore, WA where I saw his band Violence Unfolds blow the roof off a small venue that also had two other bands play that night.

My friend Tim Jensen had joined us there and being a crack photographer he took photos of the band as I shot video. Then we played pool there for quite a while! What a night!

I'll be posting up some video very soon!

Now on to Wizard World Chicago Con in just a few days! This is my year of comic cons! I'm also now planning to have 1/2 a booth at the Mid-Ohio-Con in November in Columbus, OH.

==Allen
www.fanaticpress.com
www.fanaticpressfilms.com

Movie Premiere Huge Success!

Or see the Slideshow larger: http://www.dotphoto.com/Go.asp?l=maknbacon&P=&AID=4553260&Show=Y

On June 2nd in Fallbrook, CA at the Mission Theatre at the "Comic and Animation Film Festival" was shown, for the first time on the big screen.....Dean LeCrone vs. The Mutants of Comic-Con! And it was a huge hit. Why? Because everyone there said so! They said, "I laughed till I had tears in my eyes!". No lie! They said that! And you can bet that Dean LeCrone, star of the movie, writer of the movie, and director (Plus the host for this event), was in tears. I'm Allen Freeman, the writer of this blog, and I was the cameraman/editor/designer/marketing guru/webmaster for the film and I was in tears! I couldn't believe what I was seeing and hearing! There was about 80 people in the audience and they were cat calling, whistling, laughing, and having a blast from the very start to the very end of the movie! They also loved Dean's hosting of the event, as he made fun of his helpers on stage (Robin: Brandon), commented about the guy in the booth (Chris) running the videos and movies, and kept the crowd in stitches right on up to the showing of the movie.

This movie was shot on location at the San Diego Comic-Con in July of 2006. Tons of time, airfare, blood-sweat-and-tears, went into this 41 minute movie and finally, on this day, it was all worth it! They liked it, they really liked it! I had thought they would as I'd shown the movie on a tiny 10" DVD player at my booth at the SPACE con in April to about 5 to 8 comic attendees and they loved it! They went on and on about how great, funny, inventive it all was. And sure, my relatives, parents and wife all said it was funny. But they had to. But having total strangers come up to me at the after-party of the Premiere saying,
"It was really great!"
"It should be on TV!"
"I was blown away!"
"I laughed till I cried!"

I'll post some photos here very soon to prove we had a crowd there. We had a storm trooper, and Robin and Batman, and the Autumn Fairy, and other costumed people in the crowd. Some for the show, some for the Masquerade contest etc....

I also got to ride in a limo for the first time. A very long black 2006 stretch limo. With Dean and me in the limo was Julie Coffman, Dean's date for the evening, and she sang two of the original songs for the movie! And we had Paul LeCrone in the limo, Dean's son of 13 who was in some of the extra features on the DVD. (You'll just have to see it.) One of my favorite stories (I have a bunch now) is where we needed some small bills to make change for when we sold the DVD's after the show. So the limo pulled up to a large grocery store in the very front. Bob the limo driver got out, came to the back near the store, opened the door and I got out. I went in and everyone in the store was looking at me. They were frozen....trying to figure out what star I was. Quickly I'm sure, they didn't recognize me, but they still were waiting to see what I was doing. I grabbed some water bottles and went to check out. The girl at the cash register was just starring at me. So was the girl waiting to bag the stuff. Then the cash register girl said, "That's all you came in for?" I said, "Well, actually I need some $5's for these $20's. She laughed and shook her head at the other girl. Then I ran out....I swear I didn't see anyone move the whole time.....HA!

I'll have some video clips of some of our limo experience here soon!

I flew in to San Diego from KY on May 31st, and Dean and I hung out at the Fallbrook Lodge. The hotel was so bad that Dean and I had to shoot a mock advertising commercial for the hotel! Right! I'll edit it and post it here soon! Yeah, it is pretty funny. The funniest part is that all the screwed up, missing, worn out, stuff we showcase about the Lodge is true! It was there! Ha!

I will probably add some of the footage of the Premiere and it's aftermath and put it on an extra DVD that we will sell separately from the movie. (The movie already has tons of extra features).
And in case you didn't already know, you can get the movie at: www.fanaticpressfilms.com

And yes, we are already getting orders online! And some emails praising the premiere and our movie! As we had a table set up at an after-party near the theater to sell the DVD's, which we did sell! Wow! Cool comments about the show, Dean's expert hosting job, our comic and cartooning portfolios and questions like: "Will you be shooting another con movie next month at the San Diego Comic-Con?"
Answer: YES!

Dean LeCrone LORD of COMIC CON!

==A

Dean LeCrone vs The Mutants of Comic-Con PREMIERE!

Dean LeCrone vs. The Mutants of Comic-Con --AT LAST!

(This is just a mock up of the box, may not be final design.)

I've been working day and night for the last few days (not to mention off and on for the last year) and I'm officially announcing that the DVD, "Dean LeCrone vs. The Mutants of Comic-Con" is finished. Well, the main 40 minute movie is done. Shot on location at the San Diego Comic-Con in 2006, this movie has been in production for almost a year!

Break out the beer!

The DVD will have tons of extra features that are not yet finished (extended interviews, a funky quiz, outtakes, and surprises!)....but I'm so excited about the main movie being done! A few lucky persons like Larned Justin, saw most of the movie at SPACE this year at my booth and from the responses I got it will be a huge hit! I'm not kidding, when 5-8 people all stand, eyes locked to the little DVD player, laughing every 2 minutes for almost 40 minutes....you know its got to be good! This is no ordinary con film. No, this is pure comedy by the masterminds of Dean LeCrone and Allen Freeman. Ok, I must admit that I only added to the fun factor with my creative editing skills, and by adding some of the ideas, most of the credit has to go to Dean LeCrone who improvised the interviews and antics on the film. And he later wrote tons of bits to enhance the footage taking it even farther! Even writing and singing songs! (But I don't want to give it all way...) I was mostly just the cameraman/tech-geek/designer in the background making all his ideas happen!


Anyway the movie "Dean LeCrone vs. The Mutants of Comic-Con" will have an official premiere in San Diego on June 2nd in a real theater thanks to the Fallbrook Film Club. (Checking to see exactly what the name of that group is...) More details as that happens! Oh, and it is planned to have showings in another location in May in San Diego (San Diego Cartoonists Society), and showings in a theater in Seattle, WA (Historic University Theater)....isn't that crazy? We are also trying to sneak it into some programming at the San Diego Comic-Con this year (but that's a secret)....wish us luck!

Anyway, the DVD will be taking advance orders at www.fanaticpress.com and www.fanaticpressfilms.com soon....and will be sold at our booth at the San Diego Comic-Con this year in July!

More news as it happens!

===A

SPACE CON #8 a Two Day Event! April 21, 22. Official Report.

Well where should I begin? First of all I had a very bad cold for almost 2 weeks before the SPACE (Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo) convention this year. (Held every year in Columbus, Ohio.) I had to get the video ready and make up some boxes to sell at the show. Chris Moshier had shot most of the footage last year at this convention and even edited the footage into a great 2 disk package! All I had to do was make up a box cover design, and a label design for the disks. I did get it all done but it was very tough when you are blowing y0ur nose and your head feels like it is the size of the EPCOT world display. I also had just gotten a new camcorder to try out at the con this year. So was busy trying to learn how it worked. To top it off my dad was in the hospital with a weak heart. Everyone told me to go ahead and make it to the show. I always love this convention and can't wait to see my old friends in small press like Tim Corrigan, Larry Blake, Matt Feazell, Bob Corby etc....and to meet up with writer Chris Moshier who writes for Fan-Atic Press. He and I met up there last year where he and his friend Mike Hutchings video taped interviews for me last year.

Anyway, I decided to make it to the show and it was as much fun as always and I'm glad I made it. I had to drive 5 hours that Friday, but the weather was great. In fact the weather was almost too good.

Chris Moshier on the left with Ken Henson of the comic HORACE on the right.

SATURDAY:
The first day of SPACE con was a slow start. We figured that most people were so grateful for the nice weather at last that they wanted to go outside and enjoy it. Sales on my books was an alltime low for SPACE con at least for Saturday.

The highlight of my day was when I played the DVD I'd been working on: Dean LeCrone vs. The Mutants of Comic Con. Where I filmed Dean a cartoonist who is also an actor who can improv extremely well. I filmed him interviewing costumed folks at the 2006 San Diego Comic con and we have the DVD movie about 90% done. Anyway I played it on my little DVD player at my booth and about 8 or 10 folks gathered around and laughed their heads off for the next 40 minutes! Some needed to be elsewhere and would start to leave but come back as they couldn't get enough of Dean and what he would do next at that con. It really will be a huge hit, I believe! A cult classic!

The crowd did increase and I also had a fan that had me sign about 10 of the comics I'd worked on and book covers I'd not seen in 20 years! That was a treat! I forgot to ask him where he found those comics.....

Craig Boldman writer for ARCHIE, and writer/artist for his own comics, gets interviewed.


Chris Moshier ran around to find certain creators that were on a list he had made up. He wanted this next DVD of SPACE to focus on the history of SPACE con, and have some more focused interviews on the founders of the convention and found out how it all got started. We used his tripod and my micraphone to get a more professional look to the video this time. We got some great interviews with such creators as: Bob Corby, Dave Sim, Tim Corrigan, Matt Feazell, and many, many others! I also ran around here and there and did some more mini interviews and tried to capture the look and feel of the convention this year. With 144 tables we were as usual only able to cover about 40 or 50 people if that. It is very hard to get around to everyone and we regret that we can't get to everyone, even when it is a 2 day event this time.

The night of the first day was to be the party at a place called MOMO2. Chris and I went to this party with Mike Huchings (who was in the POST SPEAK in the 2006 DVD) who helped us with the interviews a bit on Saturday afternoon and his girlfriend. MOMO2 was a teen hangout with computer games, bowling etc.....but we eventually ended up at the Applebee's resturant where we talked about the con and other pop culture.
Mike sporting his Fan-Atic Press t-shirt with his girlfriend. (I'm bad with names and can't remember her name right now, sorry.)

SUNDAY:
Chris had to leave and drive back to NY early on Sunday, so that left me to man the booth and try and video. Also I was on the panel "Old Timers Rant". Matt Feazell, Allen Freeman (that's me) and Larry Blake were to be on the panel but Larry couldn't make it so Tim Corrigan took his place. I tried to tape it but not sure if it turned out since I just set it up on a tripod and left it on. I think I got 1/2 of it before the tape ran out. Anyway the presenter or guy running the panel did a very good job. I'll find his name in the program and add it here later. Matt did most of the talking I think, and he was very entertaining. He even acted like an old man now and then, "You young folks don't know how great you have it now..." which was pretty funny. So the crowd which consited of Bob Corby, Dan W. Taylor and about 4 or 5 others were entertained and asked some great questions. It was the most fun I'd ever had being on a panel and I wasn't even nervous. My only problem was that my cold was still with me even though I thought I was getting over it. Halfway through the panel my throat went inside out on me and I felt like I had to cough. You know, the sort of cough that you feel will not ever end? I tried to hold it back and evidently wasn't doing very well and Tim gave me some of his drink. The water bottle machine was empty when I tried to get one right before the panel.

Dan W. Taylor artist and publisher

Then still struggling with the cough, Matt gave me a throat losenge! So they saved me. I recovered and was able to continue adding my great insight to the panel. We talked about some of the creators we wished were still producing comics like, Steve Willis, Ted Bolman, David Miller and more....

Larry Blake (L) with Tim Corrigan (R).

So I ended up selling enough books and DVD's to pay for my hotel for 3 nights (I only had to split it with Chris which also helped a lot!) and for my gas and food. So basically I broke even but made lots of new friends and contacts for future contributors to Slam Bang. I handed out flyers for the new Ka-Whump! #2 fanzine about small press comics, sold about 10 copies of the mag, and handed out my new postcards for Fan-Atic Press.

Microcosm Publishing were accross from my booth and seemed to get a nice crowd around their table off and on.

I'll be posting up some of the interviews and video footage here and there as I work on editing the DVD for SPACE CON 2007. Wish me luck! And sure, I hope to make it back to SPACE con in 2008! I love it! I still have my dumb cold a little as I can't shake it completely, my dad got out of the hospital and is doing better right now....in case you were wondering.

Here is an unknown comic fan with Larned Justin on the right. Larned and I went out to eat after the con on Sunday and chatted it up at Max and Irma's. Great hamburgers! And thanks Learned for helping me load my car after the show. I always bring too much stuff to this show.


Here is Tim Corrigan holding up a copy of Ka-Whump! #2. He said he was very impressed with the magazine and was hoping the small press community could support 3 zines about small press right now.

I have a few more photos that I may include here later. Mostly I was shooting video and will post up some of the clips here and there of the footage, so stay tuned!


----Allen Freeman 4/24/2007 www.fanaticpress.com

Additions and SPACE CON DVD 2006!

Yep, I finally finished SPACE CON 2006 the 2 Disk Set DVD. Chris Moshier actually filmed most of it, and edited all of it. A nice hand of applause for the man Chris!! Truly a masterpiece and the best film about a comic con ever. Yeah, maybe even better than the one I made of this convention the year before, just maybe. I created a cover similar to the 2005 one as they are a nice set for your DVD shelf. Hint, hint. And I made the labels for both disks. Yeah this is a 2 disk set. On Disk 1: PRE PARTY action at a hip night spot the night before the con. INTERVIEWS with over 40 creators at the show! With some samples of their work and their names pop up so you know who is who. POST SPEAK: this is where Chris, Mike Hutchings, Todd Ritter and I (Allen Freeman) just chatted about the convention after it was over and some other shows we have attended etc....while eating Italian food. DISK 2 contains; COMIC PANEL, the one called "The Business of Comics" hosted by Eric Adams, starring, Rafer Roberts, Allen Freeman (me), Pam Bliss, and Paul Hornschemeier. Fun and informative! DAY PRIZE: is where Dave Sim and Gerhard handed out some awards to books submitted to them last year. (Fan-Atic Press won one for a story in Slam Bang #7 vol II!). And last but not least PICTURES; which is a cool slide show of photos taken during the show! Whew! Now you see why it had to be on 2 DVD's! Read more about it at the official site: www.fanaticpress.com

And we are gearing up to attend SPACE CON 2007 this coming weekend! Woooo, and Chris and I'll be video taping some interviews again and this time it will be sort of a documentary of SPACE CON itself! This is year 8 of the show and we will have some footage on our next DVD sh0wing some of the old days as well as the latest show! We will have a booth again this year mostly showcasing the new DVD and some other Fan-Atic Press and Making Comics Studios books! Haven #2 will be out at this show! Chris will debut the book and have issues #1 and #2 for sale!

I'm getting a new camcorder to capture all of this footage starting this coming weekend and continuing to San Diego Comic Con, and Wizard World Chicago! It's the brand new Canon HV20 and I'm very excited. Shooting in HD will be new, and we will have the appropriate mic's etc...and lighting and do this stuff up right!

More news as it happens!

=A

My Best Buy experience.....

My experience at shopping at Best Buy this week is so interesting I think that I'd like to share it with you.

On Monday I purchased a new router to speed up the connection to my wife's computer. We also asked them if there was anything that would allow her to see the internet anywhere she went with it. They said the SlingBox. After talking to them for 30 minutes and they even got their "expert" in on the conversation, we got the SlingBox AV. We also got me a new external hard drive call My Book. Ok, yeah, we maxed out the Best Buy credit card.

I get home and take everything out of the boxes. As I'm taking out the My Book I hear it rattling like a kids toy. Something is broken off and loose inside. Not good. I call them and they say bring it back. So I put it all back in the box and drive back over there. They have me go and look for another one on the shelf and there is one more. So I get home and it works fine. Then I hook up the router and it does work just not completely right. So after hours of messing with it I finally call tech support and Raji finally gets it all working. We only had one moment when I couldn't understand him at all. After having me click this, and that, he said now click AFLAG. I said what? He said, "AFLAG". I said what is "AFLAG". He said no, it's "AFLAG". I look over the page in desperation and see the only word starting with "A" and say, "is it APPLY?" and he says "Yes".

Now it is Tuesday and I go to hook up the SlingBox. It has a cool little window to play TV shows from your TV. But nothing ever mentions the internet. Finally after reading everything in the manuals, and their online info.....I realize it is only for watching TV or movies not internet. Their "experts" were on crack. So I get all the stuff and put it all back in the box as it was before and find my receipt.

Now it is Wednesday and I take back the SlingBox and tell them that I was "missinformed" by their staff. The girl doesn't care and gives me a refund. I go looking for a portable DVD player to use at the conventions I'll be setting up this summer to advertise the DVD's I'm selling of other comic conventions etc....I ask one guy and he finally says, "I only know how to figure up how much the tax will cost you. Let me get an expert." So this other guy just reads off the cards in front of the players (Like I can't read them?) as he also clearly knows less than the tax configuation dude. I finally decide on this nice black one with a 10.2" screen. I buy it and leave.

I get home and think that 3 hours of battery will not do me much good at the convention, it will have to last more like 8 hours. I go to the Best Buy web site looking for an add-on battery pack and see my same portable DVD player I just bought at the store, here online it is on sale for $38 less, and get this, PLUS a free leather case worth $35! Holy cow!

Now it is Thursday, I have the DVD player all boxed up like it was before, I go back to the store and tell them I'd rather take this back and order online. (I should have not said anything about online.) They go, "you can order it online right here!" So they punch in the web site and put my name in and bring up the same DVD player. And then they inform me that there is no sale! I see the screen and sure enough the sale is gone! They do have the free travel case still included though. The girl says, "The sales on the online store, change constantly, with no warning, sorry." Discouraged and confused, I say "OK." Then they tell me it has to be delivered as they don't have the case in the store. Both the player and the case have to be mailed seperately to my house! Gezzz....and that is an extra $8 shipping. (They can't hand me back the player I just gave them, I guess.) My "deal" is going to hell in a handbasket. So they ring it up at the same price I'd paid in the store the other day but with the free case, and $12 shipping and $11 tax.

All confused and a bit pissed I get home and jump on the site and to my super astonishment THE SALE IS STILL ON! Yes sportsfans, the sale never was gone. It was always there, save $38 and get the free case worth $35. Right in front of my face it is still on! What is going on with this store?

I call the store all confused and explain it all, and they put me on hold. 5 minutes later, they say, "hello can I help you.?" So I have to start the story all over. Then they say, "Just call our 1-888 number and tell them to cancel the order and then reorder it from your computer. We don't know why it didn't show up on our screen here at the store. Sorry."

So I call the store's 1-888 number and explain it all to the lady and she said that the store's don't see what you see on the screen as they have "special deals" they do or don't get. Sounds to me like a huge rip-off if you order from the store's online site from a store. And they figure most people will not go to all the trouble I did to get it straighened out. (Compare it to when you go to a grocery store and see signs stating 2 for $2 etc...then when you check out and later see the receipt there was no sale. If you complain they always say, "Must of been a computer glitch." But did you ever wonder why the mistake is always in their favor? Never to your advantage?)

The phone lady then cancelled my order, put it back on my card, then reordered the DVD player at the $38 less amount, and included the free $35 case. I still had to pay shipping, another $4 for the case. (The store didn't charge me for the free case shipping and when I looked over the receipt they gave me, no mention of the case! Woah, they were going to rip me off for the free case and the discounted price! Yikes!)

So as it all stands now I went from paying $208.64 including tax and shipping (no mention of the free case in the receipt) to paying $172.35 total, with the case clearly in the order. Even by paying an additional $4 for shipping the case seperately, I still paid $36.29 less? I think I paid even less for tax by not buying it at the brick and mortar store. Wow, it sure pays to stick to your guns and second (and triple) check everything they do.

Moral of the story is:

1.) never purchase anything from the store itself unless you have already checked the site and desperately need the item that very day.

2.) get all your info online from reviews and customer testimonies, never the sales staff.

3.) no matter what they say, never let them place your order to the online store for you or, you yourself, use their instore computer to order from their online store.


Sheesh.......

=A

Slam Bang #2 is out! Yeah baby!

Slam Bang #2 vol III (or issue #42) is now out! It's 210 pages, largest issue of Slam Bang ever! And besides that it is 6" x 9" so it is even taller and wider than ever! Super slick printing job by RapidPOD. Yeah, this issue has it all, 50 or so contributors and a spanking new interview with Tim Corrigan as well. The cranky letters pages and the ads from the contributors in the back....didn't have room for the bio pages like last issue but thought I'd just post them on the www.fanaticpress.com web site eventually. To read all about the book check that same site. Cover by Doug Chaffee back cover by Mark Martin. So if you want an issue just go to that site and hit the STORE button or send $10 + $2. Make checks and money orders out to: Allen Freeman. Send it all to: Fan-Atic Press, 3106 Dade Cove, Owensboro, KY 42303-4567 You'll be glad you did!

Issue #1 vol III is getting rave reviews still. Check www.fanaticpress.com/reviews.html for some of the printed reviews I've gotten on the book. Then you'll be sure it's a quality book, you don't have to just take my word for it anymore!

To contribute to Slam Bang #3 vol III (Deadline June 2007) just send some web size comic pages to fanaticpress@yahoo.com and I'll get back to you about them. Make the pages image size 5.5" x 8.5" to fill the page up nicely. And make the story a TRUE STORY as that is the theme for this issue. Make the comic at least 4 pages long and can be up to 8 pages or so. Keep it PG-13 and have fun! Only send your best work, as you can imagine lots of people want to get in on this. It will be at least 200 pages, black and white interiors, color covers as usual.

--A

New Developments at Fan-Atic Press

Ok, so not a lot has been happening at this blog for months, but I hope to get back on track with it and keep it going. First of all I've decided not to publish Ed Pun's comic Scarlet Fields. Why? Because I need the time to devote to Slam Bang #2 vol III, Drawings #2, and a host of other projects I'm trying to finish up from last year! But Ed promises to put the book out himself which is great because it's a fantastic comic and I know everyone will love it. That's right there will be an Anton Bogaty Drawings #2 this Spring! And boy does it look great. It will also be a 60 page color comic format. This sketchbook sure sold lots of copies and #2 will keep everyone happy that wanted more!

Also a new site www.fanaticpressfilms.com will cover the movies I've been shooting (Some with Chris Moshier of www.makingcomicsstudios.com ) such as the about to be released SPACE CON 2006, a two DVD set! Tons of extras like the awards ceremony, and the after con discussions! And the almost a year in the making: Dean LeCrone vs. The Mutants of ComicCon! Where I filmed Dean interviewing costumed folks at the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con. Dean does lots of crazy things and this 40 minute movie will be a cult classic! Why take a year to get it done? Well Dean flew from San Diego to KY to help design the movie while I did the editing....Dean wrote most of the cool/crazy stuff you'll see that tied in all the cool footage from the convention. No, you haven't seen a convention film like this one. Tons of laughs and the extra features alone are as good if not better than what you see on most Hollywood DVD's! No lie!

Also on this site you can see the weekly updated VLOG by Chris and I. We have themes and we each shoot video based on that theme. Like "Introduction", "Pets", "Tricks", etc...and we have lots of them planned. At the site we now have 3 already up for your enjoyment. This site will soon have lots of free films, and more information on the DVD's I have for sale such as: SPACE CON 2005, North End Mafia "Axis of Evil" the DVD/CD set, and San Diego Comic-Con 2004.

So check that site often for more updates as it's in production right now.

New items have been added to www.fanaticpress.com as well. I have a new opening art screen each week that takes you into the site. Michael Wurl will be contributing a new wacky image where he makes fun of conventional comics and newspaper strips each week.....and there is a weekly updated web comic called MIAC by Ed Mulreany. 11 pages so far!

And until later check out this cover I just did for KA-WHUMP! The cool magazine about small press comics. This is issue #2, first mag size issue with color covers! Also this issue has an interview with me! So worth the cover price! Email me for how to get a copy. This comes out very soon. No, I'm not the publisher.

Slam Bang #2 vol III is almost done at last! Yeah! And it sports a long interview with Tim Corrigan! But don't forget the other comics and stories in this 200 page digest! This I plan to have out in early March! Woooooo. Yeah, I'm excited.

The theme for Slam Bang #3 vol III, is TRUE STORIES! Anything that you believe to be true, or read someplace and think could be true, or something that happened to you! Should be fun! Go for it. Deadline is around May 1st.

And now a photo of me to leave you with....

My list of Comic and Cartoon Credits!

Allen Freeman's List of Comic and Cartoon Credits (That he can remember):

Kentucky Press Newspaper Syndicate (1982)
Editorial Cartoons (also edited the weekly features for a few months.)


Comic Buyer's Guide (1983)
Cartoons published

Many covers and short comic strips for other small press comics: 1984-1990.


New Frontiers Comics (1986):
New Frontiers #1 and #2 (Airbrushed the covers and created 2 color overlays)

(First comic book work besides printing my own comics.)

(Future Beat #1 Cover airbrush black and white. Can't remember publisher) (Also painted a color cover to #2 but never published)
Cat's Paw Comics (1987):
Morgana X #1 (Painted cover, wrote and inked the interior. Designed the logo and interior editorial pages and ads.) (a second issue was completely finished, I did the inking, painted the cover and centerfold....never published.)
Spectrum #1 (Inked and colored the cover, wrote one story and inked 2 stories in the anthology.)

New Voice Media Publishing (1989):
Floyd Flamdoozle #1 (Painted cover)


Jabberwocky Graphics (1988-90)
Fever Pitch #8 (Painted the wrap-around cover)
Best of Fever Pitch (Designed and Painted cover)


Fantagraphics Books (1989):
The Ultimate GnatRat (Painted cover)


Haspel Design (1989):
Rocketpack #1 (Newsletter for Dave Steven's Rocketeer, cover art, interviewed Dave Stevens)


Blind Bat Press (1989)
Wavemakers #2 (I designed and painted the color cover)


NOW Comics and Now Video (1989-1992):
Fright Night #11 and #12 (Painted covers)
Speed Racer Classics #2 (wraparound cover)



Ralph Snart Adventures Vol 3 #10, #17 (and one poster)


Now Video:
Painted the first 3 VHS box covers for Speed Racer Video Collection

Also created and produced The Ralph Snart Fan Club! Put out 4 issues of the newsletter. (1988-89)





Brady Games (1992):

Donkey Kong Country 2 (Designed and painted cover to guidebook)
Super Mario RPG (Designed and painted cover to guidebook)
Mortal Kombat Card Game (I designed and painted 9 cards in this set)



NME (1992)
Battlelords Card Game (I designed and painted 12 cards for this set)



Caliber Comics (1987-89):
Frankenstein (Full color comic 48 pages, I did the inking and background art. This was Caliber's all time best selling comic)
The Realm (inked part of 2 issues.)


SKY Comics (1990-92):
Seeker #1 and #2. (Colored the cover to #1 and inked it. Also inked the interiors of both issues and designed the logo for the book.)
Morgana X Special #1 and #1 regular series. (Painted the covers and inked the books and wrote some of the stories.) Sky Comics Presents (A Morgana X story in each issue, that I inked)
Sky #0 ashcan (Inked a Morgana X story)


Arena Comics Magazine (Colored almost all of the covers for this magazine)


Comics Conspiracy (2004):
Tie Teddies #3 (Inking)


Last Kiss Comics (2004-present)
(Comic strip coloring, clean Up, and more)

Wunderman Comics (2005-06)
E.I. #1 (Designed and computer painted the cover. Designed the logo, lettered the 64 interior pages)


Sean McGrath Publishing (2006)
Frater Mine #2, #3 (lettering)


Fan-Atic Press (1984 to present):
MINI comics in 1984: (Zappy Pinhead and the Beatles from Neptune, Evil Doll)

Digest comics:
Captain Optimist #1-5 (Artist and inker, editor, publisher) (1987-1990)

Plus more books back in the 80's I can't remember right now. (Alien Bondage #1, Video Blues #1)

Slam Bang vol 1, #1-33 (Artist, writer, editor, publisher) (1985-1990)
Slam Bang Annual 1999 (Publisher)
Slam Bang Vol 2 #1-7 (2003-2005)
Slam Bang Vol 3 #1 (Artist, letter, writer, editor, publisher) (2006)
Slam Bang Greatest Hits #1 (2004) (Artist, writer, co-editor, publisher)

Full Size Color Comics:
Anton Bogaty Sketchbook (2005) (Editor and publisher)
Doc Paradox #1 (2006) (Editor and publisher)

DVD's I've shot, edited and produced:
San Diego Comic Con 2004 approx 35 min
North End Mafia "Axis of Evil" (2005) 6 live song set (edited MTV style) DVD + a 9 song studio CD (+Easter egg of a full live show.)
Chicago Comic Con 1988 approx 35 min (I just converted the video shot by Matt Feazell, to DVD, and added a commentary bonus feature track) (released 2005) Shows me on my very first comic book panel.
SPACE CON 2005 approx 45 min (Small Press and Alternative Press Expo. I shot it, edited it and created the DVD and Box.)
SPACE CON 2006 1 hour (done, just not on the web site yet, 2 DVD set. I shot some of it, I'm in some of it, and creating the DVD and Box.) Shows me on my second comic book panel ever.
Dean LeCrone vs. The Mutants of Comic Con 40min (Shot at the 2006 San Diego Comic Con) Finished just adding extra features. I shot it, wrote some of it, edited it, and created the DVD and Box.)
This is does not cover my work in commercial art, gaming 3D art, web site design or Photography, just cartoon and comic related projects. Ok I did add the DVD work.....

Photos by Allen

Just some photos I took last week in Newburgh, IN. Enjoy. If you want to see the images larger click HERE.

Dean's Entry in the Yahoo Talent Video Contest

Dean's 3 Minutes of Fame

Ok, so now Dean the Comic Con "Jerk" Host of the DVD, wants to be a big shot. Well he deserves it! So he is entering a 3 minute video to the Tonight Show via their search for hosts..... see it here and tell us if he should get the job? Progress should resume on the DVD of this major project of comedy madness next week. It'll be worth it!

Dean LeCrone visits KY

That's right Fan-Atic Press FILMS division was happy to have Dean LeCrone visit from San Diego Sept 14-18th. Dean and the crew from Fan-Atic Press (Allen) worked night and day to edit the over 6 hours of footage they shot at the San Diego Comic Con back in July of this year. Dean had worked up many lists, and ideas, bits and funny stuff for the DVD and Allen was ready to get it all into shape. Together they have so far produced over 30min of prime hillarity that they can't wait to unleash on the general populace. They only were interrupted from their work by Allen's wife Bonnie having to be rushed to the ER for breathing problems due to her coming down with Brochial Flu and Laryngitis etc...She is much better now and after 2 weeks of feeling bad she may be going back to work soon. (RN at the hospital.)

Anyway, even with all that excitement Dean and Allen were able to get 90% of this project done. Just a little more at the end of the show and it'll be finished. So expect it in October! Watch this space or www.fanaticpress.com of more info on the DVD now with this title:
Working 15-18 hour days for 3 and 1/2 days Allen and Dean did all they could to make this the funniest video ever made of the San Diego Comic Con. Really! No lie! It will be about 40 minutes and have at least 30 minutes of extra features and extended interviews with pro's from the convention. It's a no brainer that you'll really want to see this DVD!

Here is Dean working on the floor (Yes I had a table for him but he wanted it this way.).

Yes, all of those pages contain Dean's extensive list of what was on all the footage we shot, his ideas of what to add to tie them all together, and how to make it even funnier! Sure I threw in my 2 cents here and there with my crazy banter skills, but Dean was the mastermind. He threw me the ideas of what he wanted and when and using Photoshop, Premiere and Adobe Encore pulled it all together.

In all that time we didn't really try and kill each other but this was taken by a paparazzi at some point during production:

But no one was seriously injured. Here are some classic Dean LeCrone poses. This one is his Jack Kirby art pose:

And here is Dean's pose for his someday to be released action figure:

And here is how the action figure will look:

Deadline -End of October- Slam Bang #2 vol III

Cover art copyright Doug Chaffee 2006
See more of Doug's work at http://www.chaffeestudios.com

art copyright 2006 by Chuck Haspel

Deadline MOVED for Slam Bang #2 vol III.
New deadline for comic submissions for Slam Bang #2 vol III is END OF OCTOBER. That is the last extention! Finito!

So send your stuff to: fanaticpress@yahoo.com

Some contributors so far (Some have projects they are working on.):

Doug Chaffee (cover and illos)
Mark Martin (back cover and comics)
Chuck Haspel (illos and comics)
Agata Laguniak (comics)
Matjaz Bertoncelj (comics)
Nick Andreychuk (comics)
Christopher Moshier (comics)
Christina Wald (comics)
Renzo Soto (comics)
Rory McConville (comics)
Brad Foster (illos)
Stan Yan (comics)
Steve Rasnic (comics)
Tony Smith (comics)
David Johnson (illos or comics)
Paul Swain (comics)
Robin Ator (comics)
Dean LeCrone (comics)
Jacob Warrenfeltz (comics)
Larry Miller (comics)
Charlene Chua (comics)
Daryl Hutchinson (art)

If you sent something and think you should be on this list email me!
If you plan to send something email me!



and do it now! Thanks a bunch.....

-A

Doing the Con with Dean LeCrone Teaser #4