Brooklyn Book Festival This Weekend!

Did you know the Brooklyn Book Festival is this weekend?  Actually, they've been having all kinds of interesting events all around Brooklyn this week leading up to it, and they're celebrating the Festival's 10th Anniversary!  I'll be signing/sketching Power Rangers (and possibly Thea Sisters??  Wow that would be a miraculous turn-around time for that book!) at the Papercutz booth for Kid's Day this Saturday Sept 19 from 3-4pm and also Sun Sept 20 from 2-3pm.  Papercutz is numbered as 308 booth #3, in the Metro Tech Commons.  The address is: 1 MetroTech Roadway, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Saturday has lots of kids programming and activities, like live readings and pop-up book workshops.  There are quite a few comic related events going on too!  George O'Connor is talking about his Olympians comic series along with other cartoonists and authors Saturday at 2pm.  On Sunday at 1p, cartoonists Ayun Halliday and Leslie Stein join 30 Rock actor Judah Friedlander at the Brooklyn Historical Society "for a conversation about creativity, performance and the incessant inspirations of ordinary life, and making light out of the dark in our day-to-day."  More events are scattered around the Downtown Brooklyn area.  And of course there will be TONS OF BOOKS too :)  Actual books.  Like, not on your iPad.

ALL FESTIVAL EVENTS ARE FREE!!

TICKETS ARE NOT REQUIRED
SOME BOOKEND EVENTS CHARGE ADMISSION

In other news, I made a Facebook event for my Super Week comic reading on October 7th!  It's never too early to start planning.  If you're around NYC the day before NYCC begins, come celebrate with me in Bushwick!  Ironically, I'm still on the wait list to get an artist alley table, which makes me nervous.  Hopefully I can squeak in somehow.  If you know of any cartoonists who may be looking to split their table last-minute, please let me know!

As a freelancer, usually every day is different.  I didn't get a headache doing Photoshop for 20 hours a day, but after 4 hours of intense research, correspondence, reading text online, etc, my brain is unsettled.  Probably has to do with the blue light the screen emits.  Which is why reading from an actual book is much better!  Which is why you should go to the Brooklyn Book Fest this weekend!  ;)

Mark Your Calendars: Oct 7th!

Here's a secret:  ANYONE can propose panel topics for NYCC, and the same goes for Super Week events!  Super Week is a week of comic-themed events going on around NYC the week before New York Comic Con.  Ever since it was born last year, I wanted to be a part of Super Week! 

On Wednesday October 7th at 9pm, I'll be at Gotham City Lounge with my room mate Molly and friend Daniel (they're "& Friends") reading "Apartment Hunt."  Comic pages will be projected in an awesome comics-themed bar with cheap hero-themed drinks.  Q&A will follow the reading, including any questions about apartment hunting tips!  Feel free to share your own crazy hunting experiences too.  Readings of other comic zines will follow, including "The Misfortune Cookie" and "The Lucky Penny."

Gotham City Lounge is an amazing comics-themed bar in Bushwick.  Life-sized sculptures of Super Man and Batman greet you, busting out of the wall near the entrance.  Comics and movie paraphernalia plaster the ceilings and walls, with lots of Star Wars figurines, Iron Man stuff, etc.  Cheap booze, an arcade game, and a pool table add to the dive bar's fun atmosphere.

I came across Gotham City Lounge years ago before I even lived in NYC on a trip.  It was the coolest thing ever!  After I moved to Brooklyn, I didn't venture to that area of Bushwick much and kind of forgot about it somehow.  But it's pretty near my new 'hood and it was one of the first things I thought of for fun places to go.  Ray, the owner, is super chill and very open to new things like the comic reading I proposed.  They often project animations on the pull-down screen, but so far they haven't had a comic reading event... UNTIL NOW!

Gotham City Lounge is at 1293 Myrtle Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11221.  It's literally RIGHT UNDER the Central Ave M stop.  Come hang out there any time!  More comic fans should know about this awesome place.

At 6am while trying to make a subway transfer to catch the megabus for Boston, I realized I'd be late if I didn't take a cab.  I kept trying to flag cabbies down, and they drove away with empty cars, not even noticing me.  Until I had to step out right in front of one.  But OH when it's midnight and I'm lugging a suitcase coming home with plenty of time, of course they honk to try to get me to ride.  So many times have I lugged a suitcase, not needing a cab, and they honk at me.  But THE VERY SECOND I need one, they all ignore me.