MoCCA Fest 2010 is a week away as of this writing and I’m happy to announce I’ll be debuting a new book: Tag Team #1. It’s a collaborative anthology featuring the work of Pat Barrett, Robyn Chapman, Colleen Frakes, Morgan Pielli, Sam Carbaugh, and me, Dennis Pacheco.

We break the comics-making process into six steps. Six cartoonists gather in a circle, and we start the clock. At the end of each step, you pass the comic you’re working on to the next person in the circle. At each step, you’re encouraged to develop the story, improve it, and put your own stamp on it—a process that in animation is called “plussing.” By the time you see the finished story, you might not even recognize it. Each person does every step once. And every person works on every story.

Want to learn more? Visit our website, tagteamcomics.wordpress.com.

I drew another sketch on my iPod the other day while Jesse was helping me out with something on my netbook. He lost me at some point, what with all the digital programming whatchamawhoozits, so I sat back and let him do his thing while I sketched him:

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The last week of 2009 was Independent Comic Book Week at comic book stores across the country. This was because, as I understand it, Diamond decided they wouldn’t be shipping any books that week. Except “Blackest Night” (yeah, I don’t get how that works either). My biggest order was from Midtown Comics, so you’ll be excited to know Neon Girl #0 is available from these guys (although why wouldn’t you just mosey on over to my Etsy store and buy direct from me? What do you mean “I have my reasons”??).

Anyway, the important thing is my books are out there, getting bought and sold and distributed, loaned to friends, and left to molder in dingy bathrooms. Since Tony Shenton is distributing my comic, too, chances are your local comic book store has copies, too. And if not, raise a fuss! Or don’t.

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I got a fairly positive review recently from the good folks at Third Eye Comics, coming out of this whole ICBW thing. I reprint it in its entirety below:

NEON GIRL is a fun, tongue-in-cheek superheroine comic that offers a fun, irreverent take on the superhero genre. Neon Girl’s sort of an everywoman superheroine who’s strong, and confident, but has to deal with the lameness of every day life. It’s humorous, it’s fun, and the art is neat. A cool liittle mini-comic!

Thanks, Third Eye!

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My ladyfriend Robyn Chapman, she of spectacles renown, has a new blog post you should check out over at the Schulz Library blog (the blog of the library of the Center for Cartoon Studies). It’s a great little roundup of a few outstanding minicomics of 2009. I don’t have much to add, except “ditto.” (more…)

A possible Claire.