It's fall and I'm so very happy
Conquering Comic-Con, chatting with Dave Eggers, and more about my love for comics and writing adventures!
✉Dear Reader
It’s autumn! My favorite season. It’s not only the most bookish time of year, but the cooler air makes me feel productive. Why is that? Is it a deep ancestral memory of stocking away resources before winter hits? Must I get the harvest in before the first frost? Or is it from my own upbringing, with that back-to-school energy scented with ground cedar and graphite? Except I was not a student who loved going back to school. Back then, I would have preferred to live at summer camp year-round.
“I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” — L. M. Montgomery
I went to San Diego Comic-Con
In July, I attended San Diego Comic-Con again, mainly to join the 75th Anniversary Peanuts panel with some of my Peanuts colleagues and fellow Peanuts fan Alec Baldwin. Mr. Baldwin was very friendly. It was the first time I got to hang out in the “secure” green room before a panel, which wasn’t particularly fancy, but it was private. It was just a large convention center ballroom with battered round tables and chairs, and that’s all. No amenities, not even tablecloths. I did bump into Daniel Dae Kim there, and yes, he’s even more handsome in person. While hanging out with Alec Baldwin before the panel, he shared a funny thing about himself — he said he has only one poster of one of his own movies in his home. “Which one?” I asked. “Boss Baby,” he replied with that twinkle in his eye. We all laughed. “It’s one of your best,” I said. He laughed at that.
You can now hear this panel talk on “You Don’t Know Peanuts,” the official Peanuts Podcast. At the end, SDCC surprised us by presenting Charles Schulz with their ICON AWARD. I accepted it on behalf of the Schulz family, the Schulz Studio, Peanuts Worldwide, and the Schulz Museum. The award is currently on exhibit at the Schulz Museum.
Conversation with Dave Eggers
On October 18, I had a wonderful conversation with Dave Eggers and Jean Schulz about creativity, humor, and writing at the Schulz Museum’s theater, with 100 of our closest ticket-buying friends in attendance. I rarely moderate panels, but this was special, so I was excited to be asked. Dave arrived early so Mrs. Schulz could show him her husband’s original studio, and I could give him a behind-the-scenes tour of the Schulz Museum and share lunch. He signed his books, and Mrs. Schulz and I signed Peanuts books we’ve contributed to after the program. He was so generous with his time, and we truly appreciated it!
📓My publishing projects
The Comics Courier - If you missed the first two issues of The Comics Courier, you should catch up on the back issues that are currently available, and back Issue Three on Kickstarter. It’s another fantastic lineup, and I’m excited to read it front to back, just like I have with all the previous issues.
📅 Upcoming Events
Saturday, November 15, I’ll be on a panel of contributors to the latest book, The Essential Peanuts. Learn more at the Schulz Museum’s website. I’ll be joining Mark Evanier, Patrick McDonnell, Chip Kidd, Lex Fajardo, and more! We’ll be signing books at the end.
December 14-15, Casa Con? Am I doing that? Maybe?
😍Books I love
If you’re reading me, you may already be aware of Glenn Fleishman’s How Comics Are Made. Glenn has an incredible background in technology and printing. He has been interested in printing history for a long while and has turned his attention to the history of how comics were printed for newspapers. This book had a successful Kickstarter, but has since been published by Andrews McMeel, a major comics publisher.
🔭You can find me
I post to my blog as I can. I sometimes reshare these posts on Medium if you are already there. I recently posted about joining the Popeye Fan Club and how AWESOME it is. If you love Popeye and comics history, it’s maybe the bargain of the century to join up.
I’m still enjoying BlueSky. There are lots of comics people and writers there already — join the fun! This is a link to a “Starter Pack” of comics history for people who want to try it out.
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⚠️WARNING⚠️: This newsletter will not contain Peanuts. My writing about the comic strip Peanuts and Charles M. Schulz will only be found in official Peanuts and Schulz places and channels. Visit the Schulz Museum’s website to hear about everything there. Become a member and support the Schulz Museum for exclusive articles from me about Peanuts and Schulz.