Perhapablog

Monday, October 26, 2009

haps halloween contest: alexander hoey's "trick or treat!"

okay...

well, it's the final week of our perhapanauts scary halloween contest and just two more days until the contest's deadline! if you've got something that you'd like to send in, do it now, dude! we've had a really great run of wonderfully creative entries so far and i know that our judges are gonna have a hard time with this one!

i've re-posted the rules and grand prize below, just in case anybody needed any further incentive.
here they are...

the rules are simple--create a halloween-themed piece featuring one or more characters from the perhapanauts. it can be scary or funny, creepy or crazy, trick or treat. we will run entries as they arrive, deadline for contest is wednesday, october 28th. a panel of judges will choose a winner in each category, the winner will receive a signed copy of the perhapanauts : triangle trade, a perhapanauts t-shirt, and some other perhapanauts loot. all are welcome to participate. have fun.
there ya go! get out those pencils and imaginations!
let's make this a scary halloween
!

and now...

alexander hoey's "trick or treat!"










and here's an extra piece that alex did featuring big as a buddhist monk.
(or, as my friend, james pointed out, a jedi knight.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

for those of you asking, "hey!--where's casper? wasn't that s'posed to be a halloween book too?" well, yes it was...and still is! you should see casper and the spectrals #1 on stands this wednesday! (that's the cover to issue #2 below--don't let me fool you...!) casper was scheduled to be out a week ago, but some unforeseen technical difficulties at the printer bumped it back a week. but rest assured, it'll be out for halloween and the other two issues are right on schedule!



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

some more creepy, scary, spooky halloween pics to get you in the spirit...


vintage halloween







eeerie...!








hey...halloween can be sexy...!








...although, this one...
i don't know if this is awesome or just plain disturbing. how freakin' creepy of a costume is this?
reminds me of both that horrific doll they had in that haunted house i worked in back in high school or all of those horrible, tasteless dead baby jokes they told back when i was in grade school...! either way--ick!

and now that it's finally crunch-time, i'll ask again...
whatcha gonna be for halloween...?
gotta go!
get spooky!
smell ya later!
todd

Friday, October 23, 2009

haps halloween contest: uriel duran's "feliz dia de muertos!"

okay...

you will all remember, i'm sure, our winner from this summer's perhapanauts perfect cover contest, uriel a. duran. for this contest uriel sent me this tasty treat along with the following letter!

uriel a. duran's "feliz dia de muertos!"


Mr. Dezago,

Hi! Well,any excuse is good for depicting the Perhapanauts.Now,since chupacabras has a hispanic background I thought that it made some sense that Choopie knows the meaning of the Dia de Muertos celebration —even if only as a excuse for enjoying sugar frosted Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead).




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

over at cbr, reporter/reviewer doug zawisza gifted us with some very kind words about the perhapanauts halloween spooktacular. it's friday morning, your boss isn't looking, and you've got nothing important to do anyway--you should go read it! now!

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=user_review&id=1492

thanks, doug~! glad ya liked it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

another batch of creepy pics i found online to get you in the mood for halloween!
it's just a week away, you know...






have a great weekend~!
smell ya later~!
todd

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

haps halloween contest: jared ather's "spider-choopie!"

okay...

so technically, this is jared's second or third entry--see his first two pieces entered under the nom de plume hob goblin a week or so ago--but i wanted to add this to his gallery and for you all to see it!


spider-choopie! by jared

if you still haven't sent your entry in, there's still time! we've got right up until october 28th--a week from today--and i only have a couple entries left! so get going! you got some scary, perhapanaut-y, halloween-y story or pin-up in ya, don't ya?!
join the fun!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

praise for the perhapanauts halloween spooktacular!

okay, so the praise is actually from our pal, rod hannah, who you all know as a regular member of our little perhapa-family and, some might say, also a member of the "inner circle." (though we're really not that snobby...!)
it's always nice to get letters from readers and nicer still when they've actually liked the book...! but i thought i'd post rod's letter today (with his permission, of course) because i was touched by how well-written it was. in this age of rapidly returned emails and texting at lightspeed, i'm sure we've all wondered at one time or another, what's become of real letter writing, of written correspondence, letter construction, and, yeah, spelling. are we losing those elements of communication as we race to have things go faster and faster...?
not only was i touched that rod took the time to sit down and write a letter, he crafted it. (one of my favorite words!) he opens with a personal and engaging introduction and then walks us through the issue/subject with an easy commentary.
again, it's always nice to hear nice things--but thank you, rod for taking the time in these fast-paced times.
it means a lot.



Hi Todd,

I just wanted to shoot you a quick email and say how much we enjoyed the Halloween Spooktacular! Perhapanauts was the first comic I read after the Baltimore show and I've been meaning to write to you and thank you for my latest Perhapafix. :-) My cryptozoology is really limited, as I've discovered from reading Perhapanauts and this issue has added the growtch, tatzelwurm, and mapinguary to my monster vocabulary. I need to dig out my old books on monsters of the world because you put my knowledge to shame.

The cover by Craig was perfectly in character with Molly trying and failing to be scary behind Arisa -- who looks way more endowed than I remember her, but kudos to Craig's style that gives her an "I've been up late, but I'm still sexy" look. I'm annoyed we didn't pick up the variant covers while we had the opportunity. In fact there was a bunch of stuff at the show that we completely blanked on and forgot to look for and pick up.

I know it must be something of a balancing act having multiple stories in an issue and by different artists, but I kind of like the variety and I thought the format worked really well. Having a story for Choopie and Big respectively, and a team story in the middle I thought was really well rounded. My only complaint is that by the end of the book I wanted more. Seriously, I wonder if you realize how painful it is having to wait! These characters, their world, and the unexpected randomness of their adventures has so far made every single issue fresh and exciting. As an aside from spandex heroes, the Perhapanauts has become my favorite 'indie' book.


Fred Hembeck did a great job on Choopie's Halloween. The chief was particularly amusing with his iconic noseless face and square head. I don't know why I picked up on him in particular in this story, but I am getting really curious about who he is and what's his story. I hope you will be able to reveal a little more about him in the future. Choopie looks hilarious with the human skin tone and his thick eyebrows. The diet Coca Cola trick was a brilliant idea right out of leftfield. :-)

My favorite story was "Nacht Des Tatzelwurm". I thought Rich did a great job with the art and I've already told him so, especially the flashback page. I think the mood helps thanks to the winter snow, it being night, and the creature stalking people in the alps-- it really helped draw me in, so by the time Choopie is literally dropped into the story I was really invested in it. You could have turned this story into full issue length easily and really milked it, but the fact it's compact and quick is also a strength and its very tight. The little moment towards the end between Peter and Arisa was subtle and brief, yet implies a lot about the direction and triangle/quadrangle that the potential romances in the book are heading. You're certainly keeping the story mixed and the options open.

I think you might have given me a trip with the Big story. Did Big really find the Mapinguary, was he hallucinating, was it part of his own spiritual journey as a result of the Ayahuasca?

Francesco's back cover is great by the way. :-)

So, when do I get to tune in to Perhapanauts on Saturday morning television... or late night Adult Swim? Seriously, it's got to be worth a shot pitching this to a studio! :-)


I attached a photo I took of Leanne's three stooges in 'alien' form. I thought you might get a kick out of it like I did. :-)

Best,
~~~Rod

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

and while we're talking about rod; i was also touched that, along with the wonderful choopie birthday pin-up by leanne that they gave me, rod and leanne also gifted me with copies of their new comics projects.
rod's exciting new book, sovena red, with art by john amor...






...and leanne's new lava-roid with writer/creator kevin conn!





and though i posted this a little while back, at the show lauren monardo gave me copies of the book she and writer stephen lindsay have just completed, the slightly askew adventures of inspector ham and eggs!




because i am running late and have to go to both the dentist and the dmv today, i'm going to hope that rod, leanne, and lauren will all post the links to where you can get these wonderful comics in the comment section below.

gotta go!
smell ya later!
todd

Monday, October 19, 2009

haps halloween contest: ernie cooper's "perhap-o-ween!"

okay...

i loved ernie cooper's scary story last year about a group of kids daring to venture into a haunted house! LOVED it!
this year, ernie brought some of that same fun and magic with his latest entry...

ernie cooper's "perhap-o-ween!"


PERHAP-O-WEEN!

Peter Hammerskold leaned back from the table. He stubbornly rubbed at his jaw line, and then hunched forward and growled out, “So, just so I know we’re on the same crazy page here…”
Arisa Hines sat across from him, one eyebrow raised at the leader of the Red Team.
“…You think this is a good idea…”
“Yes.”
“…Because it’s his favorite scene…”
“That’s right.”
“…From a movie?”
Arisa’s gaze never wavered. Hammerskold would test her at any opportunity, and this was not a time to back down. “Absolutely.”
“E.T. throws on a blanket and goes trick-or-treating, so the little furball thinks he can wander around in a town and not have the locals come after him with pitchforks…Or whatever passes for pitchforks these days?”
“Listen, Peter. With the way things have been around here lately, don’t you think Choopie deserves one little night? Especially after the Chief…Larry..?”
“Right, things are bad enough right now without adding to it.”
Arisa smiled. “How about a compromise, then?”
“Compromise?”
“Choopie doesn’t leave. He and the Gremlins and the other Bedlam kids get to go door-to-door…In the base.”
“Gremlins?”
“Larry.”
Hammerskold sighed, and Arisa could see his features softening. She reached out across the table and touched his hand. “Let them have their Halloween. Let them do something normal.”
Peter stared down at her hand, blinking. He didn’t meet her eyes. “Hines, there isn’t gonna’ be anything normal about this.”
“You won’t regret this.”
“Ha! I regret it already! And any Gremlin that gets underfoot gets carved into a pumpkin…”
News traveled fast, and most of the agents of Bedlam got into the spirit of the season. However, no one was quite as enthusiastic as the resident Chupacabra. While the Bedlam agents that had children in the daycare were busy helping their kids into costumes, Choopie was assembling…His army.
He squinted up through his tinted goggles as black and orange bats were festooned down the hallway, and gave the two intrepid agents doing the hanging a clawed “thumbs up.” Turning into a small room, he proudly surveyed the seven Gremlins that would each be leading their own roving pack.
“Awright, everyone, front and center!”
Choopie was beaming as his minions snapped to attention. Big was looming in the background. He leaned casually against a wall, his massive arms crossed.
“Remember, everyone! The most important thing is that any candy you get comes back to me first!” He puffed out his chest. “After I…er…scrutinate…all of the goods, everything that’s safe goes back to you.”
Big cleared his throat gently. “Choopie…We talked about this. No matter how many pieces of chocolate you happen to bite into…You won’t find one with a bloody center.”
“Ha! Whatever! They wrap everything else up in chocolate. Nougat! What the heck is nougat, anyway?!”
Big grinned, and Choopie continued to teach the Gremn the finer points of Halloween. “Okay, so now that we’ve, ya’ know, established all yer bags are big enough, the next step is to know yer targets. Fer instance, if it ain’t at least made up o’ 75% sugar and 20% things that I can’t pronounce…It. Does. Not. Go. In. The. Bag…”
The small assemblage nodded enthusiastically.
“Just drop it in the hall. Or throw it at each other. Or at Big, that’s even better.”
Choopie’s eyes narrowed. “And what is the enemy?”
One of his students quickly held up a small placard with a crudely sketched piece of candy on it.
“That’s right! Candy corn! No candy corn in the bags! That ain’t real candy, it’s a trick that some stingy old folks came up with! Candy corn givers get to eat hot mess-you-up gun!”
“I happen to like candy corn,” Big muttered softly.
“Okay, so I can’t turn you loose without approving of yer costumes. Let’s see…”
Choopie nodded at the first two Gremlins, dressed as a tiny cowboy and a tiny Frankenstein’s monster, respectively. The monster’s fake undead forehead almost doubled the little creature’s size.
He then wrinkled his nose at his next pupil. “Okay, I dig the princess thing. However…Too little fairy tale, too much Slave Leia, ya’ know?” He produced a small red pair of goggles and four pointy feathers from behind his back and affixed them to the princess’s head.
“Now you look totally hot…And awesome!” He then leaned in and whispered, “I’ll talk to ya’ about gender roles later.”
The next Gremlin had a white sheet thrown over his little furry head, and looked plaintively up at him through jagged eyeholes. “Hmmm…E.T. would be proud. Molly…Not so much. Here.”
Out came another set of goggles and feathers.
“Now you look totally spooky. And totally awesome!”
The last of the Gremn were…painted brown.
“What the heck are you three supposed to be?”
They grinned at each other, and the one on the left jumped nimbly onto his neighbor’s shoulders. The last brown Gremlin clambered up on top of the first two. The tower of Gremn swayed slightly and the one on top growled fiercely and beat his chest.
“Um. I don’t get it.”
The topmost brown Gremlin stopped growling and pointed at Big with a grin.
Big chuckled heartily. “Choopie…I think they’re…me.”
The Chupacabra’s furry little jaw dropped slightly as the leaning tower of Gremn stomped about the room. Finally he snapped, “It’s lousy! That costume completely sucks!”
He rushed at the trio. “Everyone down. Everybody out o’ the pool! Here!”
Choopie doled out more goggles and feathers. “Put these on. You’ll look non-sucky. And non-smelly. And non-“
“I get it, Choopie. You can stop.”
“Well…And just plain awesome!”
“Where did you get all of these feathers and goggles?”
“No questions!”
Potential costume crisis averted, Choopie led his team out into the hallway, a bemused Big bringing up the rear.
“Awright, now that ya’ have the proper equipment, yer ready ta’ jump right into it. So let’s figure out what’s behind…Door number one!”
The Chupacabra stopped in front of a closed door. While a lot of the other doors they’d passed were covered in skeletons, goblins, and other miscellaneous creatures of the night, this one was bare. He spun around in place three times and then pounded mightily on the door.
“Proper etiquette says that if they don’t answer on the first knock, you can knock up to three more times.”
Three series of blows to the door later, followed by some impatient foot tapping, led Choopie to quickly revise his statement. “What I meant to say was three more times…Each.”
As he pushed the first Gremlin to the door, Big shook his head. “Choopie, this is probably not the best idea you’ve ever – Oh, never mind. If I had a dime, etc., etc.”
All seven of Choopie’s acolytes tried their best at the door. They turned to him in failure, a gaggle of unhappy goggles and drooping feathers.
“Don’t worry, kids! Plan B! See?”
He pointed at the buzzer next to the door. “Go ahead and press that a few times.”
A still-dejected Gremlin half-heartedly stabbed at the buzzer. Choopie brushed him to one side. “No, no, no. Like this.”
He leaned on the buzzer with a big, toothy grin. “Hold it down. In fact, just pretend you fell asleep on it.”
After two minutes, the door exploded open and a livid Peter Hammerskold erupted from the room.
He did not have any candy.
Hammerskold looked down at Choopie and the Gremlins, fists clenching and unclenching at his side. His hairy visitors stared back up at him. The Gremlins held up their large bags in unison.
“Gim mec andy,” they all chanted solemnly.
Peter ignored them, and looked stonily down at the Chupacabra. “I. Will. End. You.”
With that, he abruptly vanished back into his room. Choopie’s smile actually widened.
“Awright, treat soldiers…Time for your final lesson…”
From somewhere unknown, he began to produce large brown eggs. With a dramatic flourish, he placed each one on the ground until there was enough for each Gremlin. After gingerly rolling all seven eggs to their recipients, he also whisked out a can of shaving cream and a roll of toilet paper.
Choopie’s eyes lit up with a sinister glow behind his red-tinted goggles. “No candy, eh, Mr. Crabbypants?”
Big shook his head, retreating back up the hallway and calling out, “Plausible deniability!”
“Punishment,” Choopie hissed happily.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

the other day i was bitchin' about how it seemed that our pal kelly yates neede to be in every picture on our night out at the baltimore comiccon, matt did a little digging and found that this is something kelly's made a habit of...!

freakin' kelly~~!













dammit! he's EVERYWHERE!!

(thanks, matt!)
: )
2 funny.

smell ya later~!
todd

Friday, October 16, 2009

haps halloween contest: warren newsom's "alternate you"

okay...

we now return you to your regularly scheduled perhapanauts scary halloween contest...

so here's the deal. today's entry was sent in by last years "halloween scary story contest" winner, warren newsom.
you might remember warren's chilling tale, "daisy was a good dog," about a strange...thing in the bushes surrounding the author's home and the loyal dog that put her life on the line to protect her family.
this time warren put both his writing and artistic talents to work with this one...

warren newsom's "alternate you"




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

so craig says to me the other day--"hey! you never announced that the perhapanauts went up on the comixology app on itunes last week! everybody can download the annual for free and the following issues are only a meager 99¢ per issue!"
yeah, really?!? maybe 'cause i didn't know! maybe 'cause YOU'RE the one with the fancy-pants iphone, mr. i-got-a-fancy-pants-iphone-and-you-don't! maybe if enough people buy the app, i'll be able to get one!
so check out both the perhapanauts--and TELLOS--on itunes!
'cause i know you wanna carry these guys around!

http://www.comixology.com/digital/426/The-Perhapanauts-Annual










oh, and you can also pick up the first issue of the sci-fi hi-adventure, AMBER ATOMS, by our pal, kelly yates on comixology too!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

so i had some low-battery problems with my camera at the show last weekend and not enough time in between to go get some new ones, so i'm relying on the pics craig and matt took to give you a look at the baltimore comiccon.
not a lot of shots from the convention floor--though there were a lot of great costumes...
these are a little more intimate.
these are some shots from our big, extended family dinner on saturday night. trish, sharon, and suzanne made plans for us to go out "someplace nice" for dinner on saturday (for my birthday) and, as is usually the case at conventions, the reservation number just grew and grew. what a great night, with great friends. thanks, everybody!


matt and suzanne. i don't know whether matt's drinking my martini or trish's, but they were good...!




suzanne, leanne and rod hannah.




matt and suzanne.




rod, rich woodall, and kelly yates.
(rich drew the spooky "night of the tatzelwurm" story in the halloween spooktacular--check it out!)




tim and lauren monardo. (tim's last name isn't monardo, but i had a couple martinis and don't remember it...) lauren is the fantastic artist on the slightly askew adventures of inspector ham and eggs--featured previously on this blog...
and future back-up artist on a haps tale in the new upcoming miniseries...! yay!





rod, kelly, and craig.
man--it's like kelly had to be in every picture...





craig and trish.
and, sonuvabitch! kelly!





sharon and me...and i think that's karl watching us in the background...






i got some great birthday gifts at the show--and when i got home.
leanne drew me this awesome choopie birthday piece which is just fruit pie-tastic!!




and lauren gave me the original to her halloween spooktacular unprecedented double-page pin-up. thanks to both of you lovely--and talented!--ladies--they're going in frames and up in the studio next week!
when i got home, matt and suzanne sent me the calvin and hobbes library which, if you haven't seen it is massively huge and complete and full of wonderful bill watterson gorgeousness and heavy and such a wonderful gift! thanks, you guys! i can't wait to dive into that!

okay, gotta go! work to do!
for those of you still working on your
perhapanauts scary halloween contest entries--get 'em in!
we all can't wait to be scared!
have a great weekend!
smell ya later!
todd

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

we interrupt this blog...

...for a special report from this past weekend's baltimore comiccon!


okay...

we'll get right back to your entries in the perhapanauts scary halloween contest on friday, but first we wanted to take a moment to bring you the latest news--and photos--from this past weekend's fun at the baltimore comiccon!

sadly, the batteries in my camera were going when we got there and things were going so fast that i didn't get a chance to get any new ones and take any real pics of my own. so most of these are grabbed from others and i thank them for sending them over.
first, from brian, here's a shot of the perhapa-gals--trish, suzanne, and sharon--just before they blew out of the con to go get their nails done.







on saturday we met young caleb morea and his parents, john and mindy. john told us that caleb LOVES impulse--that they had read every issue together!--and that he was gonna come by on sunday to show us his awesome impulse costume!
unfortunately, caleb couldn't make it the next day--but he sent the REAL IMPULSE in to see us and get out picture taken with him! what a thrill for me as a renowned impulse writer and craig as a celebrated impulse to meet the boy himself and chat a while...















(note: impulse is waving so fast that his hand is a blur!!)


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

it's spooktacular~!!

oh, and if, for some reason, you had forgotten to mark it on your calendars, today is the day that the perhapanauts halloween spooktacular oozes onto the stands at your local comic shop! featuring three haunting tales to help you get your halloween on, this special issue also touts four thrilling covers that, if you haven't seen 'em yet, are spread out for you here below!

our plan was to have all four covers proudly presented in every single issue--but some miscommunication with the printer resulted in variant covers anyway...i guess they just couldn't understand why we would want to give it all away for free! (well, for $3.50, but you know, ALL for one price...) we apologize for the confusion and hope that you'll enjoy the stories in a darkened room with the wind howling through the eaves and a branch scratch, scratch, scratching at the back window...

...either that or with some candy!

have fun!



craig rousseau cover!





francesco francavilla cover!





mike ploog cover!





matt pott cover!






smell ya later~!
todd

haps halloween contest: brien powell's "perhapanauts halloween cover!"

okay...

well, we had an incredible weekend down at the baltimore comiccon with "the family" (more on that tomorrow...), and i had hoped that sharon and i would've been back early enough yesterday for me to post monday's blog and the latest entry in our perhapanauts scary halloween contest.
but we got back later than we planned, mostly 'cause of new jersey.
yeah, i said it.
happens every time.
is new jersey's inability to put up correct signage a way to boost their state's income by getting you turned around and lost in one of their quaint and charming townships and have to spend your money there on gas, food, and ultimately, directions?
sharon came up with a fantastic perhapanauts tale about this that i'm making her write for an upcoming post...

i love ya, jersey--i really do.
but ya gotta do something about your signs.

so we got home late.
and i thought i'd post yesterday's contest entry today and get back on track tomorrow.

so here is my longtime friend, brien powell's "perhapanauts halloween cover!" i met brien, gosh, i dunno how many years ago, must be ten at least, at heroes con where he gave me several of his wonderfully fun mini comics that soon became a staple of my plane ride home from charlotte each year. brien is incredibly prolific with his various characters and their adventures and it's always a nice come down from the hustle and bustle of a convention.
craig and i got to see brien in baltimore this weekend too and told him that his entry was great and that it would be up yesterday. sorry for the delay brien, but here it is. hope you all enjoy it!





thanks, brien!
great job!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

halloween is coming up quick, perhapa-gang, and i'm really trying to get in the mood. so here are a few scary pics to start with! if YOU find anything creepy or spooky in the way of a frightful pic, send it along so that we can all get in the spirit of the season...!



i always throw away the seeds...cool!





halloween can be sexy too...!
(i wasn't going to make the "jumping her bones" comment--you guys can do that in your heads...)





and...really? i'm a huge halloween fan too, but whaddaya say the other 364 days ...?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

my birthday

so, yeah, saturday was my birthday.
and thanks to all of you who sent me birthday wishes on facebook or by email, they were warmly received.

but i had told my two best friends NOT to do anything about it, that i really didn't want a fuss made and that i'd actually be kinda pissed if they did. i'd hoped that we could leave it just another day, another saturday, another day at a convention.
so sharon and i come into the convention hall on saturday morning to have george perez and stuart immonen and michael golden and renee witterstaetter all pass us by in the crowds, big smiles, with big happy birthday greetings from each! sonuvabitch! how did they know? i managed to hold onto kelly dale as she gave me a birthday kiss and a hug and asked her who told. she wouldn't break.
until i finally got to the table and saw that matt and suzanne had gotten there early...
...and that this poster was tacked up in the center of our booth wall!



...matt wearing that sheepish grin of his, hoping that i wasn't really as mad as i looked.

nobody listens to you on your birthday.

a short while later, while we were still setting up, two lovely ladies--one with stunning magenta hair (kim, right? i never got to come over and see your artwork...) appeared in front of me asking me to sign...their postcards.
sure, what postcards...? hey, lemme see that! what the–?

craig, already deep in a con sketch, just looked over at me with hjis own grin and said, "happy birthday, sucker."




more haps halloween contest tomorrow!
if you still haven't entered--send it in!
smell ya later!
todd

Friday, October 09, 2009

haps halloween contest: brian mulcahey's "bite-mare!"

okay...

so sharon and i are out the door, on our way down to baltimore to meet up with craig and trish and matt and suzanne and rod and leanne and kelly and lauren and...
you get the idea.
come and see us at the BALTIMORE COMICCON! we're there all weekend and we'll be doing tricks!

did i mention brian?
brian will be there too! but before he left, he sent me this rockin' entry for the perhapanauts scary halloween contest! and this one, i think, you will need all weekend to digest! ah-ah-ahhh! (did that sound like the count? i was trying to sound like the count.)

and before i go; for those you you who have yet to send me YOUR cool entries, get 'em in! we still have a few weeks 'til halloween and i'm dying to be scared...!!
enough about me...

...my friends, i give you...

brian mulcahey's "BITE-MARE"!



PAGE 1

TITLE: Todd and Craig’s The Perhapanauts in “Bite-Mare”

CREDITS: brian mulcahy–– words frank frazetta –– pictures rico –– colors

PANEL 1

DESCRIPTION The setting is a Victorian era bedroom. Molly, in human, not ghost, form, is sitting up in a big canopy bed. She is dressed in an empire waist nightgown and her hand is reaching up to the small gold cross hanging from a delicate chain around her neck. Her gaze is blank, as if she is in a trance.

BALLOON Come to the window (word balloon comes from off panel)

MOLLY yes

PANEL 2

DESCRIPTION Molly is now out of the bed and walking toward the window. The window is large and similar to a set of french doors with multiple panes of glass and opens from the center like a set of double doors. Across the window is a string of garlic. There is a full moon and we can make out a Dracula shaped silhouette just outside the window. We see that the cross is now in her hand dangling from a now broken chain.

BALLOON Open the window (word balloon from the Dracula shaped silhouette on the other side of the window)

MOLLY yes, I will

PANEL 3

DESCRIPTION Molly has swung open both sides of the window using both arms. We see that the act of opening the window has broken the string of garlic. We still only see the figure outside the window in silhouette.

PANEL 4

SILHOUETTE Invite me in?

MOLLY yes

PAGE 2

PANEL 1

DESCRIPTION Straight on shot of Choopie in full Bela Lugosi - black tux with tails, white vest, shirt and bow tie and long black cape with red satin lining – floating in through the now open window. Choopie’s arms are reaching toward Molly and his fangs are visible.

CHOOPIE I vant to drink your blood

PANEL 2

DESCRIPTION Tight shot of Molly and Choopie. Molly’s eyes show that she is still in a trance. She is leaning her head to one side, exposing her neck as Choopie descends upon her, his fangs poised above her flesh, ready to strike.

PANEL 3

DESCRIPTION Camera pulls back. MG, in Victorian garb, but still wearing his signature sunglasses, is now in the picture thrusting a large wooden cross between Choopie and Molly causing Choopie to recoil, floating back and away from Molly.

CHOOPIE ARRRRGH! Curse you Van Helsing

MG Back! Back into the twilight you vile creature!

PANEL 4

DESCRIPTION Choopie’s expression has now changed from one of fear and disgust to one of his classic puzzled looks.

CHOOPIE Dude! It’s the 1890’s and the middle of the night, what’s up with the sunglasses?

PAGE 3



PANEL 1

DESCRIPTION Camera pulls back for a wide shot that reveals Molly’s Victorian bedroom is, in actuality, a movie set. We now see that Choopie has been floating thanks to a set of wires hanging from a boom arm above the set. Big, dressed in classic Director’s gear, comes striding onto the set.

BIG CUT!

BIG Yeah, MG, babe, can we lose the sunglasses?

PANEL 2

DESCRIPTION A make up woman appears at Molly’s side and start’s freshening up her face while two crew members help to lower Choopie to the ground. MG and Big are talking to each other.

MG But, Biggie, the sunglasses are my ‘thing,” and the gals love them.

BIG But don’t you think the ladies would love it even more if they could see your beautiful . . . say, just what color are your eyes anyway?

MG My eyes, why they’re . . .

PANEL 3

DESCRIPTION Arisa, doing her best Ari Gold impersonation, arrives at MG’s side dressed in a very expensive looking suit holding a legal looking document.

ARISA A mystery and they’re going to stay that way. Those sunglasses are part of MG’s new “Mystery Guy” line of eyewear that we are debuting when the movie opens and they’re staying on, it’s right here in his contract.

PANEL 4

DESCRIPTION Big, the contract in his hand, looks down at it incredulously.

BIG Son of a . . .

PANEL 5

DESCRIPTION Big turns to a young man with a ball cap pulled down over his eyes, wearing a long army surplus looking jacket and holding one of those black and white scene clappers.

BIG Get me Joann at the Studio, I want to know what genius thought a character who always wears sunglasses was a good idea!

NIX Right away, Mr. Big

BIG On second thought, nix that idea and just bring a bottle of Hammerskold schnapps, to my trailer.

PAGE 4

PANEL 1

DESCRIPTION Molly is standing wide eyed and looking a little lost in the middle of the panel as Choopie, MG and Arisa, with Arisa wrapping her arm around MG’s and Big and Nix walk out of the panel in different directions.

CHOOPIE I need pie

BIG Serenity now, serenity now, serenity now.

ARISA Let’s go back to your trailer.

MG It’s like you can read my mind.

MOLLY Guys? Hey, guys, like, what about . . . the scene?

PANEL 2

DESCRIPTION Molly is now standing alone on the set, looking a little down.

MOLLY Oh man, sometimes I feel like I’m invisible, like no one can see me.

PANEL 3

DESCRIPTION Nick and Jim, a/k/a Todd and Craig, have walked on to the set.
Both men are very well put together, very metro-sexual

NICK Well, we can see you, Molly.

JIM And, Sweetie, we thought you were wonderful.

MOLLY Yeah, but like you guys have to say that, you’re my agents.

PANEL 4

DESCRIPTION Close shot of Nick

NICK Yes, but that doesn’t make what we say any less true.

PANEL 5

DESCRIPTION Molly, a big, happy smile on her face, gives Nick and Jim, a big, exuberant hug.

MOLLY Awww, thanks guys, you two are like the best Dads a girl could ever have.

PAGE 5

PANEL 1

DESCRIPTION Tight shot of Molly,’s face, her eyes are closed and she has a big happy smile.

BALLOON Ms. MacAllistar . . . Molly . . . (balloon comes from off panel)

PANEL 2

DESCRIPTION Camera pulls back to show Molly standing in a 1950’s farm house kitchen dressed as June Lockhart from the old Timmy and Lassie TV show. The young man with the ball cap pulled down over his eyes, wearing a long army surplus looking jacket, is standing beside her and holding one of those black and white scene clappers.

NIX We’re ready to shoot whenever you are.

MOLLY What? Oh . . . Yes, yes I’m, like ready.

PANEL 3

DESCRIPTION Tight shot of the black and white scene clapper banging shut. On it is written the following: “Episode: Timmy’s Down the Well, Again. Episode 6, Scene 6, Take 6”

BALLOON Cue the mutt . . . and Action! (balloon from off panel)

PANEL 4

DESCRIPTION Choopie, on all fours running like a dog, bursts through the back door to the kitchen.

CHOOPIE Arf, arf, arf, arf.

MOLLY What is it girl? What’s the matter? Is it Timmy? Is Timmy in . . .

PANEL 5

DESCRIPTION Molly crouches down and places her hands on either side of Choopie’s head to steady it to get a better look. She and the reader can now see that there is blood dripping off of Choopie’s fangs.

MOLLY Wait, is this blood? Like, this was not in the script. Does anyone have the script?




PAGE 6

PANEL 1

DESCRIPTION Arissa, still dressed as MG’s agent, approaches Molly holding out to her an open script.

ARISSA Here you are, Mols

PANEL 2

DESCRIPTION Molly is looking down at the script in her hands, a puzzled look on her face. On the left hand side page of the script is just the word “EKAW” and on the right hand side, just the word “PU!” Arissa is staring intently at Molly, while around them, the farm kitchen set, including Choopie, is starting to fade away.

MOLLY Arissa, I . . . I don’t understand.

ARISSA Yes you do, Mols, you have to. Look again.

PANEL 3

DESCRIPTION Molly and Arissa are now totally surrounded by the dark and appear to be floating. Arissa is now dressed in her Blue Team uniform and Molly is in her sweat pants and “Boo” t-shirt. On the left hand side page of the script, the word now reads “WAKE” while the word on the right hand side now reads “UP!”

MOLLY Wake up?

ARISSA Yes, Mols! Wake Up,

PANEL 4

DESCRIPTION Molly is now floating in the dark alone, expect for a large pair of sinister, beastial, burning eyes, floating ominously in the dark behind her.

ARISSA WAKE UP, NOW! (Rather than in a balloon, Arissa’s words float in the darkness around Molly.

PAGE 7

PANEL 1

DESCRIPTION Molly’s bedroom at Bedlam. Molly is lying in bed, her eyes now wide open staring in shock at the cat like creature with bat wings sitting on her chest. The creature is the same ghostly light blue as Molly in her ghost form and it’s eyes show surprise that she is awake as they stare back at her.

PANEL 2

DESCRIPTION Molly sits bolt up right in bed sending the creature flyng into the air. As soon as the creature is off of Molly’s chest, its color changes from Molly’s light blue to its natural black. In the background, we can see MG, Choopie and Big bursting through the door. MG is in the lead with an electrified net in his hand ready to be thrown over the creature, Choopie is brandishing his Mess-You-Up gun and Big is taking up the rear to block the door to prevent the creature from escaping.

MOLLY AAAAAHHHHHHHH!

CHOOPIE GET IT, MG, GET IT!

PANEL 3

DESCRIPTION MG, having successfully gotten the net over the creature, is lying on the floor, holding the net down to prevent the creature from escaping. Choopie is standing on MG’s back aiming his gun at the creature. In the background, at the door, Big has moved to one side allowing Arissa to enter the room. Molly is now knelling at the end of her bed looking down at MG, Choopie and the creature.

CHOOPIE Go ahead, punk, make my day.

MOLLY What is that thing?.

PAGE 8

PANEL 1

DESCRIPTION Arissa is now sitting on the bed beside Molly as the boys haul the creature out of the room. MG and Big are carrying it with Choopie bringing up the rear covering it with his gun.

ARISSA It’s a Psychic-Vampire, Mols. It feeds on energy instead of blood and you, being almost pure energy are like an all you can eat buffet to it.

MOLLY Oh . . . and, like, ewwwww!

MOLLY It looked like a cross between a cat and a bat, what’s up with that.



PANEL 2

ARISSA No one really knows, Mols, but most likely its cat-like appearance is what gave rise to the old-wives tale about cat’s sucking out a baby’s breath or soul.

ARISSA Sorry I had to enter your mind uninvited, Mols, but it was our only hope of saving you.

MOLLY No worries, Arisa, but why couldn’t you guys just bust in and grab it?

PANEL 3

ARISSA Psychic-Vampires control their victims by manipulating their dreams. They show you your heart’s desire so that you don’t notice you are being drained dry until it is too late.

ARRISA When the creature connected with you, it somehow affected the materials your room is made out of and created an impassable energy barrier. Big figured that waking you would break the connection and the barrier.

PANEL 4

MOLLY Wow! And you say that the dreams the psychic-vampire caused me to have showed what I wanted most in life.

ARRISA Yes, why, what did you dream about.


PANEL 5

DESCRIPTION Molly gives Arissa a big hug

MOLLY You guys, Arrisa, you guys.


FIN

The Perhapanauts™ Copyright © 2009 Todd Dezago & Craig Rousseau.
All Rights Reserved. All characters featured herein and the distinctive
Likenesses thereof are trademarks of Todd Dezago & Craig Rousseau.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

see ya monday!
smell ya later!
todd

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

haps halloween contest: hob goblin's "perhapanauts halloween"!

okay...

our second entry here in the PERHAPANAUTS SCARY HALLOWEEN CONTEST is from my old friend and fellow paranormal researcher, jared ather (working here under his seasonal pen name...) jared created two pieces for the event; a spooky, ethereal depiction of our resident bigfoot, chupacabra, and mothman and a more fun image of choopie in one of his favorite costumes. without further ado, i give you

hob goblin's "perhapanauts halloween"!







~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

our baltimore comiccon perhapanauts exclusive!

...well, maybe not entirely exclusive...
but you'll be able to pick yours up first at the con this weekend!
that's right, i'm talkin' about our second in a series, way-cool, awesome PERHAPANAUTS BUTTON featuring KARL, the MOTHMAN!! just a buck a piece, if these are anything like the CHOOPIE BUTTONS from last year, they're gonna sell like hotcakes! and if you can't make it to the show, the karl button will be available through our perhapanauts store sometime in the very near future!



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Mike Wieringo Scholarship
and
The Mike Wieringo Humane Society Booth at Baltimore


as you all know, two years ago, matt and suzanne created the mike wieringo scholarship at s.c.a.d. and, as always, will have their table right next to ours to help raise monies for the fund.
also, present at the entrance to the baltimore show, will be the mike wieringo humane society booth, raising money for the humane society in mike's name as mike cared so very much for all animals all around the world.
this year, exclusive to the baltimore comiccon, matt and i will be offering the TELLOS print below, drawn by mike, inked by rob stull, and colored by paul mounts. you can get this 8.5 x 11 print for a donation of $5 at the RINGO Scholarship table or from 12-1 on saturday at the humane society table!
this print is exclusive to the show and won't be available anywhere else. come and support one of these great causes!




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

smell ya later~!
todd