A great time was had yesterday (October 4) at the 2009 West Hollywood Book Fair! I enjoyed the fair last year, but this year was even better because I was on a panel! It was called OFF THE BEATEN PATH: INDIE CREATORS & THEIR CRAFT and also featured Jordan Crane (CLOUDS ABOVE and UPTIGHT), Ed Laroche (ALMIGHTY), Joe Matt (PEEP SHOW and SPENT), Kiyoshi Nakazawa (DRUNKEN MASTER) and was masterfully moderated by Darren Clavadetscher. (How’d I get on this panel anyway… ?)

Many, many thanks to Dan Kusunoki, Darren, and the whole Skylight Books team for their amazing support of my (and many others’) book POPGUN (from Image Comics) and some amazingly positive words about SOULLESS, MAN WITHOUT A SOUL (stories in POPGUN 1 & 2, soon to be a mini-series with artist extraordinaire Anjin Anhut — plug, plug).

And thanks to my friend William Richardson for not only showing support by attending but for also taking these snazzy photos!

Panels are fun.

“It depends,” I vaguely answer to the audience question: “Are you a top or bottom?” (True story.)

Jordan Crane telling me why superheroes suck as I argue, “But but but… me likey.”

Can’t tell if Darren is amused by whatever I’m saying or if he wants to punch me. Or both.

Unsure of what to write or how to scribble my signature.

I’m signing a book like a special person or something!

Not staged! Okay… well, a recreation of a comic reader/supporter named Wayne getting his copy of POPGUN 1 signed by someone he’s never heard of (me).

As Ed Laroche and Kiyoshi Nakazawa talk with fans, Jordan Crane is telling me how he’d kill off Superman once and for all in an accident involving a kryptonite finger nail clipper. (Later, I cry.)

Joe Matt draws himself reading on the toilet as I watch and wish I could draw like Joe Matt.