Circuit-Breaker is Finally Here! Signing 3/23!

5 years ago I was Kyle Baker's assistant, and besides helping him with colors for Deadpool Max, we did many other short comics, like this one:  Circuit-Breaker!  Written by Kevin McCarthy, (who I got to see at C2E2!), illustrated by Kyle Baker, and published by Image comics, it took awhile to complete the mini series and get it ready for production due to various circumstances.  But it's finally here and will be in stores this Wednesday! 

The story is kind of like Astro Boy, with Kyle emulating an Osamu Tezuka-like style.  We were half-watching all kinds of anime for inspiration while creating the comic.  Good times.  "When the heroic robots that saved Japan during World War IV are outlawed, they turn against mankind, waging a campaign of terror across the last city on Earth. Their creator builds one more soldier-disguised as his teenaged granddaughter-and tasks her with dismantling the marauding mechanical militia. But as she begins to question her programming, will she be the last hope for humanity, or the final nail in our coffin?"

I'll be doing a signing at Carmine St. Comics Wednesday 3/23 at 7:30pm to 9pm!  Get a signed copy of Circuit-Breaker, and if you want get a drawing by me of the heroine or any other anime character.  34 Carmine St. in the village.  See you there!

The hour time difference messes with my Google calendar when I travel between time zones.  I figured out a way to "trick" it to thinking it was still on Eastern time, but then it screwed up the flight time.

C2E2 this Fri-Sun!

C2E2, the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, is this week from Fri 3/18 - Sun 3/20!  I'll be in Artist's Alley table i16a, and will also be doing a signing each morning at the IPG booth 640! 

There are lots of other cool things going on at C2E2 - panels like "From Book to Screen," "Everyday Podcasting for your Everyday Life," "How to get Press for your Comic," and "Nonfiction Comics:  Childhood, Food, and Relationships."

C2E2 is at McCormick Place's south building 2301 S Lake Shore Dr.  Hours are Fri 3/18 10A-7P, Sat 3/19 10A-7P, and Sun 3/20 10A-5P.  If you're in Chicago, hope you can make it!

Tax Time

I did a mountain of filing and tax stuff last week.  For me it's worth it to do taxes earlier in the year because spring is craZy with conventions and preparing rates are cheaper.  For the past few years, I've been filing through Brass Taxes:  Tax help for artists, freelancers, and other nice people.  You gotta tally up and fill out your itemized deductions, but the site categorizes them in an easy way to understand, and the Brass Taxes folks help you with any questions.  I've been better at tracking my receipts all last year, and I was able to get a lot more in deductions that I ever could with just TurboTax or H&R Block, etc, which are formulated for people with one job and are not freelancer-friendly.

Before getting all my tax stuff together, I reorganized my entire filing system.  Artists, including myself, are notoriously messy.  I had everything from random drawings to worksheets from classes to business cards strewn in piles around my room.  NO MORE.  With the help of the book "Getting Things Done" by David Allen (this book has changed my life - can't stop raving about it!) I've gotten all my papers under control.  Basically, the book changed the way I thought about filing/referencing - it's not just for stuff like taxes, banks, and credit cards, which was what my system was like before.  You can and should file EVERYTHING.  At first it felt weird to me to put artwork in a filing folder, but now I have project folders for each client I've worked with - no matter how brief or small the project was.  I've made a folder titled "Business Tips," as I've gotten handouts from short business talks over the years.  I've made folders for almost every convention I've been in, and in the future will put respective business cards in each convention folder (instead of in bags - where did I meet that person again?).  There's a "Websites/People to check out" folder, when I don't have a business card but jot the name down on a scrap of paper for some reason or got a pamphlet that intrigues me.  There's a "Sketches" folder for random sketches that for some reason aren't in a sketch book. 

The wonderful thing about all this organization is that not only is my room cleaner, BUT I CAN ACTUALLY FIND STUFF!  Recently, I was trying to negotiate payment for a possible new job, and as I was sorting through papers to file, coincidentally came across a packet called "Employment Decision & Negotiation" from the University of Michigan Business School.  I would have NEVER remembered I even had such a thing if I hadn't made the choice to reorganize.  It's true that you can find a lot of stuff online, but not everything.  Physical filing is not dead.  I've been slowly tackling my digital filing too, but that's another story. 

And remember, this awesome event is tomorrow, don't miss it!

Comic Book Music Film Fest THIS FRIDAY!

Looks like Lovecraft Bar is becoming one of my favorite places!  This Friday March 4th they're having another small festival that combines comics, music, and film!  I also designed the flyer for this one and will be exhibiting again.  Here are some fun-sounding names of other people who will be there:  Comic art by Ninja Express and Dionisios Kavvadias, and music by Sunshiner and Bad Mary.  My friend and fellow exhibitor Nadia Burgess (aka Toughspirit) will also be showing one of her films:  "Black."  If you've liked her other art at NYCC, MoCCA Fest, or Special Edition (which btw isn't happening this year), now's the chance to see her film work. 

Comic Book Music Film Fest is 7P-11:45P 3/4.  Lovecraft 50 Ave B.  Here's the facebook event.  Please take any train to the Delancey-Essex stop, then walk north.  $5 admission and it's encouraged to get either 1 drink or food item.  Every $5 entry fee goes to the Goodwill Rescue Mission, striving to end homelessness.  You can rest assured your $ will go directly to feed and shelter the homeless, instead of it possibly being spent on "other" things if you just give to panhandlers.  Homelessness is a huge issue in NYC, and even though I'm not sure the problem will ever be totally solved, at least we can help a little in our own way with fun fundraising events like this.

See you Friday!

We all hate getting charged with a surprise fee for anything.  Sometimes there are fees we expect, but it really kicks you in the pants when there's a big random one that somehow, for some reason, you didn't see until it was too late.  It's important to try to stay on top of everything, which is why I'm trying out this thing called a "weekly review," something I learned from David Allen's book "Getting Things Done" or GTD for short.  I HIGHLY recommend this book to everyone, but especially artists, who often struggle with project management.  Basically, the GTD method helps you to:

1.  Do a "brain dump" where you write down literally every task or project you have to do.  2.  Break down projects into small steps.  3.  Actually DO the steps.  Part of this process is the weekly review, to review all the projects and steps to make sure you're on top of things, including everything from bank accounts to comic projects to what you'll cook for dinner.  I feel like I could write all day about GTD because it's helped me immensely, but more on that later.

Thea Stilton #5 out NOW!

It's finally here!  Papercutz presents Thea Stilton #5 - The Secret of the Waterfall in the Woods!  This was what I spent a solid 2 weeks on last summer, coloring night and day.  I am SO PROUD of how beautifully this book came out!  It's so satisfying to hold a copy in my hands after all that hard work.

Thea has much more detailed shading than when I colored the Power Rangers.  You can see the different Photoshop brush textures I used in the pine needles, trunks, and rocks.  Lots of nature scenes in this book, which has an eco-friendly message.  The five Thea Sisters of Mouseford Academy solve mysteries, and this episode features saving a family of bears in the woods.  There's danger, deception, teen angst, cuteness, and more!

One of the challenges in coloring this book was the sheer number of characters - lots of crowd scenes like above, with many pages having around 30 characters each!  When you're coloring 46 pages on a tight deadline, that adds up.  Luckily, I was able to get a flatter (Matt Herms) to help with half the pages.  Delegation gets stuff done.

I'll be at the IPG booth doing signings and sketches for Papercutz at C2E2 in Chicago!  C2E2 is March 18 - 20, and I'll do a signing each morning, as well as be at my artist alley table i16a the rest of the time.  I'll do a separate C2E2 blog later.  So much going on!  But that's a good thing.

Speaking of books, this Daily Misfortune was inspired by my mom.  Yep, last month is was just her and the librarian.  A die hard mystery novel lover.

Valentine's Comic Reading - TONIGHT!

TONIGHT!  8PM at Lovecraft Bar, 50 Ave B in Manhattan, near the Delancey/Essex stop!  I'm very excited to have this one-of-a-kind comic reading event -  "All You Need Is Love: Real and True Love Stories in Comic Form!"   Ok, maybe I made the title a bit too long... but hey it's descriptive.  All the stories we'll be reading from tonight remind me that love can really be found anywhere, at any time!  Please join me for a fun, heart-warming time!  It's a FREE event, with drink or food purchase, 21+.

Did I mention there will be FREE chocolates too?

All You Need Is Love: A Love-Themed Comic Reading!

I'm very excited to announce a special event!  It's called "All You Need Is Love - Real And True Love Stories In Comic Form!"  Get inspired for Valentine's Day with this heart-warming comic reading event!  Over the years, I've drawn many Custom Comics, which are real and true love stories for actual couples.  The comics tell everything from how they met, to the proposals, and more!  

It's not just an event for couples!  I'm single, and am fascinated by the random variety of circumstances under which couples have met.  At the event, I'll be reading comics featuring people meeting at a tennis match to jury duty.  You may even be inspired to ask out that special person you've had your eye on, or to pop the big question in a creative way! 

Comics will be projected and read aloud in the beautiful, classy, and mysterious Lovecraft Bar lower lounge. 

FREE event plus 1 drink OR food purchase. 21+ 
Lovecraft has a great menu here: http://www.lovecraftnyc.com/

FREE chocolates while supplies last - get there early ;)

It's this Thursday, February 4th, at the same exact place I was for the comic event last week - Lovecraft Bar!  50 Ave B.  Starts at 8pm and should go until 9pm.  I'd love to see you there!

Here's the facebook event too!

And by the way, last week's comic show at Lovecraft was pretty fun!  A pretty laid back show, so I got to talk to lots of nice people and enjoy some of the music sets!

So my overhead light went out, and the ceiling in my apartment is too high for me to reach, even standing on a high table that we have.  So I asked the super if I could borrow a ladder.  He's the nicest super I've ever had, and he said he'd bring the ladder and change the bulb himself over the weekend.  So I call him and he brings the ladder, unscrews the light fixture, and to our surprise it wasn't a normal light bulb.  No, it was some weird-ass double circle halogen fluorescent bulb that you couldn't even replace with regular light bulbs!  (sigh) So now I have to go to the hardware store, get a replacement weirdo bulb, call the super again, and have him replace it.  It reminds me of the age old joke of "How many people does it take to screw in a light bulb?"  In this case, the answer is at least 2, not including the person I'll have to talk to at the hardware store to figure out what exact weirdo bulb will be right, because if I get the exact one it'll be like $20, but the super said I can get a similar one for $4.  How the hell did this get so complicated?

Film & Comic Fest TONIGHT! And Drawing Table Alert!

Tonight's the night!  Come to the LES Films & Comic Fest any time from 7p - 11:30p!  Not sure if I mentioned before, but there's a $5 benefit contribution & 1 drink min to enter, and it's a 21+ event.  Lovecraft Bar 50 Ave B near the Delancey/Essex stop.  See you tonight!

I bought an adjustable drawing table about a year and a half ago, and last night it collapsed on me while I was drawing the weekly No Tears:  Life With FD comic.  As I had the desktop in an upright drawing position, the right hinge became unbolted and started to fall on me.  Luckily I caught it and my roomie came to help me get it back in the level resting position.  The holes where the screws went looked really worn for some reason.  PIECE OF CRAP.  Granted, I got this at Michael's on sale for like $80, but it's supposed to be worth $200 (yeah right!)  It was marketed as a "crafting" table... but what if a kid or old lady had this happen to them?  The desktop could have fallen on their leg or foot.  NOBODY BUY the "Arts and Crafts Creative Center" by Studio Designs, Inc.    Now I have to get a new drawing table - a legit one this time.

DO NOT BUY THIS PIECE OF CRAP.  IT IS DANGEROUS AND WILL BREAK ON YOU.

LES Films & Comic Book Festival THIS THURSDAY!

Here is a trailer for one of the films that's going to play at the LES Films & Comic Book Festival!  "Solace" looks like a peek into the lives of teens getting involved in the comic book industry.  This and more great films, indie comics, cosplay, and music - here's the lineup:

COSPLAY SHOW
Emy Rose Cosplay
Cosplay Love Pro
BetaCosplay
The Red Cyclone
Photography by Knightmare6
11:00pm Ultra Street Fighter 4 PS3

COMIC BOOK SHOWCASE:
Ellesaur Arts
Craig Johnson II
Curves and Bullets
artbybang
Ghost The Artist
Mindy Indy
Todd Matthy
BiT Happens

FILM FESTIVAL (begins 8pm)
'Vemana' by Hamza Zaman
'Solace' Episode 1 by Ralph Puma
American Pinup
'The Other Side of New York' by Vinay Pujara
10:30pm Marvel vs Capcom

LIVE MUSIC ROOM (8pm)
Actor Joseph D Fisher
Actress Sarah Bosch
Comedian Josh Potter (Troma Films)
Comedian Tony Jackson (Broadway Comedy Club)
Poetry & Hip Hop by MCCB
Petra Jarrar
Ed Bersano
Madeline Woods
Jonathan Gianino

Please come out to the show this Thursday, January 28th at Lovecraft Bar 50 Ave B!  From 7p - 11:30p!  It'll be great weather too - still in the 40's, so no chance we'll get snowed out again.  Almost feels like spring today - the snow is meeeeeeeellllltiiiiiiinnnnggg!

LES EVENT POSTPONED!

Unfortunately, the LES Films & Comic Book Festival has been postponed due to crazy snow.  There will NOT be an event tonight - it has been moved to this Thursday, January 28th, 7pm - 11:30pm.  Looks like the snow storm is way worse than anyone predicted - NYC may get 20-25 inches!  Man, when I posted a few days ago, I thought it was only gonna be like 3 inches or something, because every storm is so hyped up these days.  Subways have really reduced service and roads are being shut down.  Yeah... stay home people, and drink hot chocolate or something :P

LES Films & Comic Book Festival this Saturday!

So what's a few inches of snow this weekend?  There's a small indie comic & film fest going on this Saturday at Lovecraft Bar!  Lovecraft has such a cool sci-fi theme a-la-HP Lovecraft, with pipes of bubbling liquid lining the walls, and a basement with a nautical theme.  LES (short for Lower East Side) Films & Comic Book Festival will have short films, a comic book showcase, comedy, art, cosplay shows, bands, poetry, Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, and Ultra Street Fighter 4.   An event striving to end poverty & homelessness with Goodwill Rescue Mission. 

Saturday, January 23, starting 7pm.  At 50 Ave B Manhattan.  $5 benefit contribution & 1 drink min, 21+ event.  The closest subway stop is Delancey/Essex, so just get to the J, M, or F trains.  Goes until 11:30pm. 

I'll be tabling with a few other indie artists, such as my friend Ellen Stedfeld (the Ellesaur) and more!  Music and film showcase is at 8pm.  Here's the Eventbrite page and Facebook page.  

I hope you can make it out to this unique and fun fest despite our hibernation nature when it starts snowing :)

Comic Strip Story Hour TONIGHT!

TONIGHT at 8pm at Carmine St. Comics, I'll be reading my Apartment Hunt comic aloud as it's projected onscreen!  If you missed the NYCC kickoff event where friends and I read it in Gotham City Lounge, now's your chance to catch the action!  There's a great line-up of female artists, as the theme for this reading is "Total Babe," including JENNIFER HAYDEN (The Story Of My Tits) and AATMAJA PANDYA (Travelogue, The Bell Blues).

Carmine St. Comics is at 34 Carmine St. in the Village!  Take any train to West 4th.  It should last about an hour or so, I think I'm on in the beginning of the hour.  I'll also have copies for sale if you haven't gotten an Apartment Hunt comic yet!

PowerBall!

Share this comic if you bought a PowerBall ticket!  Don't try playing these "unlucky" numbers.

Yeah... I got sucked into the hype too.  I think this is only the 2nd time I've played the lotto.  But such a big jackpot got me thinking about the grander scheme of things I'd do if money wasn't an option.  I'd make my own animation studio among other things :)

By the way, on the PowerBall site it says that in the history of the lotto, only like 2 people EVER won by playing fortune cookie numbers.  I got the computer pick instead.

Good luck, everybody!!

Sketching Again at Friday Night Jazz!

I'm happy to say that I'll be performing again at Friday Night Jazz in Times Square!  Here's one of the large sketches from last time.  All sketches will be for sale.  Music will be provided by the Nick Hempton Band once again.  Please come out for a chill night of jazzy beats to wind down from the work week!  The event is at the same place:  Cielo at the Mayfair 242 W 49th St. in Manhattan.  Show goes from 8:30p-11:30p.  Hope to see you there!  

Here's the Facebook invite:  https://www.facebook.com/events/1663317283941819/

That fridge has been on its last legs ever since we moved in.

Productivity Podcasts

I've been wanting to do a blog about podcasts for awhile now.  I've been listening to productivity podcasts for about half a year, and I feel more people should know about them, because they've helped me a lot.  There are podcasts for everything these days for improving any kind of skill.  There are lots for cartooning, and maybe I'll do a separate post on those, but productivity/time management is something that everyone can improve, and that artists in particular have a hard time with.  I always listen to podcasts in the "in between" times, like cooking, eating, or doing dishes.  It's great because I'm learning at the same time I'm doing something else = multitasking! 

Time Hackers www.imjulie.com  Julie Sheranosher has become one of my favorite people.  She shares short bite-sized 10 min segments on time management tips.  Never say you don't HAVE time.  There are always ways to MAKE time and she's great at explaining things in a clear way with a bit of spunkiness.  She also has a "Super Hero Edition" each week where she interviews other entrepreneurs in a hero-themed way.  One time I emailed Julie and she made a whole episode about my question!  Not saying she'll do this for everyone, but if you find a mentor-like person you admire online, go ahead and reach out to them - you never know what could happen!

Beyond The To-Do List www.beyondthetodolist.com Erik Fisher has hour long interviews with productive people, showing you how to complete a good work/life balance.  I found the Time Hackers podcast from this site.  He hosts a lot of interesting entrepreneurs as guests!  Not all guest situations may apply to you, but you can still gain useful knowledge no matter what area of expertise the entrepreneur specializes in.

The Unmistakable Creative Podcast www.unmistakablecreative.com Srini Rao has hour long (sometimes longer) interviews with leaders from all walks of life.  The word "creative" has a broader meaning than just artists in this and other podcasts, and applies to all kinds of entrepreneurs.  This one can get pretty deep and philosophical.  Most of the people interviewed (that I've listened to so far) have been writers, artists, and "performance psychologists."  I love the cartoony drawings throughout the site!

Hope you find some of these helpful!  As Julie says "Keep calm and hack time."

The days are getting shorter and colder, so why not stay in and brush up on some skillz?

Black Friday

I was almost lured into a Black Friday deal for a cheap external HD (by Seagate) at Staples for like $40.  Upon further research, Seagate external HDs have a 30% failure rate, which is super scary, as compared to other companies which have like a 1% or 2% failure rate.  There's a reason why some things are on sale.

But I DID actually end up getting a good deal on my Adobe programs, which I use all the time.  Adobe is having a Black Friday 20% off sale for everyone, so you can change your membership and save.  I downgraded from the All Apps Creative Cloud to getting single apps of Photoshop CC and Illustrator CC.  I honestly have used Flash only one time for a project since getting the All option.  Luckily, they have a monthly option so I can download Flash once I have an animation project, and then cancel once the project is done in a month.  I really don't do animation "on the side" just for fun - it takes forever, and I'd rather create comics.  Even though this change was scary, I'll save $20/month, which is $240 per year!  Changing anything technical that involves art programs is very scary because we artists aren't usually techie-minded to fix stuff if something goes wrong.  But as long as you do your research so you're well informed, and get help from Adobe chat or calling (or whatever company, perhaps Microsoft or GoDaddy), you CAN make changes to suit your specific needs as time goes on and your needs change.  

Side note, on the phone, I accidentally called it the "Black Friday Bundle" because I'd watched that South Park episode recently.  The word "bundle" is nowhere on the Adobe site!  Thank God I didn't call it "Bunduru!"

Also, I'M having a special Black Friday/Small Business Saturday sale on all sketch orders this weekend!  Free shipping PLUS 10% off!  Offer ends Monday November 30!  Now's the perfect time to get a sketch as a present for a loved one for the holidays!

Jazz Night Was Awesome!

Sketching at Friday Night Jazz was so much fun!  I was right up there "onstage" sketching the musicians, instruments, waveforms, and whatever the heck I felt like sketching :)  Above is one of the last sketches of the night, featuring drumsticks playing on wine glasses and bottles.

I cranked out 12 large sketches over 3 hours, and I ended up selling 7 of them!  Rachael (above) requested this black & white sax themed sketch, which is now framed and hanging in her apartment!

Colin bought this one (how many saxophones do you see in there?).  This was the first time I'd done anything like this event, and I didn't think anything would sell.  I hadn't thought much of how payment would work beforehand, so I wasn't prepared with cash for change or even my square reader.  On the fly I said the prices were "pay what you wish" in the range of $20 to $30, so whatever cash people had on them worked out pretty well!  Some paid $10, some paid $40 - it all evened out.  Maybe Radiohead was onto something...

At the end of the night I got a special request to draw these 3 friends.  Wasn't expecting that, but like jazz, you gotta go with the flow.  I made the sketch loose like the style of the earlier jazzy sketches - unlike the smaller, more detailed ones I do at comic conventions.  

They liked it!  Now the question is, whose apartment will it go in?

Friday Night Jazz was a great chance for me to do more "fine" art, which I haven't done in awhile.  I hope to do more events like this in the future!

Live Sketching at Times Square Jazz This Friday!

I'm super excited to participate in a very unique event this Friday November 20th!  Cielo Underground in Times Square hosts a jazz night each Friday, and I've been invited to do a live sketch session to the music!  Sketching musicians is something I've done a lot in my little travel sketchbooks over the years.  Now, I'll be sketching on a huge 18"x24" pad in front of an audience!  

Admission is FREE!  Cielo is at 242 West 49th Street in Times Square.  From 8:30PM - midnight.  It's a great way to wind down after the work week!  Please bring friends!   Here's the facebook invite:  https://www.facebook.com/events/422195547971405/

Saxophonist Jim Snider and vocalist Champian Fulton

Here's a piece I sketched in my sketchbook last Friday just for fun.  Others saw it, and it lead to me participating in the event.  Connections like this happen in NYC.

Working from home has its benefits and drawbacks.  I think I need one of those sunlamps.  I've been trying to get up earlier and have had mixed results.  Anyway, in the wake of recent events, I feel kind of weird posting a Daily Misfortune, because the world has far greater problems.  But it's also good to keep doing the things you love.

Happy Friday the 13th! Taking Holiday Orders

Now's the time to start thinking about giving people awesome holiday gifts - like cool fun art!  Choose from pencil ($15), ink ($25), or color ($35) styles (additional figures in sketch are charged accordingly).  All sketches are 5"x7", but you can request a larger size and I'll price accordingly.  

If you order before December 1st, I'll give you FREE SHIPPING!  That'll save you about $3 to $6, depending on where you live.  It's good to order early so I have enough time to complete everyone's sketches, and I can mail them in time for you to receive the package before the holidays.  Also I'm going to Michigan mid-December and  am not taking all my art supplies :P

Friday the 13th always makes me happy :)  Maybe someday the pizza rats will fight the ninja turtles... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPXUG8q4jKU

Wacom Worries

This week, my Wacom Intuos Pro tablet stopped working.  For the past month or so, I noticed when I connected it to my computer, its lights flickered a bit and it had trouble with connectivity (it wouldn't recognize my pen on screen).  If I jiggled the USB port on the tablet side (pictured above), it usually was able to connect.  But the problem grew more and more until Tuesday when I was working on art at Carmine Street Comics, it died completely.  

I knew the problem was with the wobbly port on the tablet side (not my computer's USB port), and figured I may be able to do a work-around fix-it of connecting wirelessly.  The Intuos Pro Wacom has this feature.  However, upon watching a video on how to set up the wireless option, I learned you have to charge the battery with the cord VIA THE USB PORT.  It wasn't completely wireless!  I had to get the port fixed even if I wanted to go wireless.  Luckily it was still under warranty!  I'd gotten it last year around Christmas time.  

Immediately, I looked up the Wacom warranty info online, called Best Buy, and after awhile on the phone they located my receipt in their database.  They said to come in to the store and they could replace the tablet.  I had to go to 2 Best Buys and stand in multiple Customer Service lines multiple times, but luckily they were able to trade in my old Wacom with cord for a new one.

But I asked them how to avoid this same problem happening in the future?  I had that tablet for only 10 months before it konked out on me, and it cost about $300.  I also have seen that this port failure is a common problem from reviews online.  The Best Buy rep said something about contacting the Wacom company directly.  I think a better option would be for me to set up the wireless option so I use the cord less, thus prolonging the port life.  I use the tablet a lot, but not excessively, and for this problem to happen so soon concerns me.  Maybe the cord moved around more because I'm left-handed?  

I was able to set up the wireless option and the tablet has worked like a charm today.  Above shows the wireless connection - you still have to have this tiny square plugged in to the USB port on your computer in order for the tablet to connect without a cord.  This thing is so tiny that I'm worried it'll get lost somewhere.  I'm always plugging and unplugging various devices into my USB ports - printer, scanner, external hard drive, thumb drive, etc.  It's only a matter of time before this tiny thing gets lost.... I wish it had some loop on it like a key ring or something.  I'm sure others have lost it too.  I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.  Maybe I can get another one online if I need to?  But the main thing now is thank God my Wacom works again and THANK GOD this problem did NOT happen in the middle of an intense coloring project, one of which I'm expecting soon.