NCN Convention - Famous Corpses

Well, the 2008 NCN Convention in Raleigh just wrapped up last night. Early Wednesday, post Election Night elation, I flew down on the teeniest jet Delta had to offer to join the festivities mid-week as a guest.

While I was there I signed some copies of 'Famous Corpses'-- it had been sale already for a few days so Emi and Jan had gotten all of them, but some people came up to have me sign theirs as well, and Friday we sold some more to those stragglers who hadn't gotten theirs yet.


One day, maybe I'll take a photo of 'Famous Corpses' that's not totally blurry.


Publisher Joe Bluhm, Author Danielle Griffith, and Illustrators Emi Sato and Jan Op De Beeck





We met and talked about the next volume, of course; 2008 was full of awesome people who totally died, and we have a hell of a list already. We need to par it down, but, well, the deadline to get in the book is December 31st, so we need to sort of play a waiting game to make sure somebody fabulous doesn't make the requirements (ie die) before then. We're going to move tentatively forward, I guess.

All in all the book was well-received by the members of the NCN! Jan Op De Beeck is a superstar, so of course they were waiting for it to come out. People looooved Emi's cartoon contributions too. I dare say it was a hit--we definitely sold enough this week, anyway. It will become available on the Art Squared website very shortly; I'll be sure to mention it when it is.

Tabloids.

Here are some truths, things that stubbornly refuse to change, no matter how much you may want them to.

Tabloids have a creepy and unsettling obsession with babies. OK Magazine and US Weekly seem to exist only to deliver to us the innermost thoughts and desires of the most celebrated babies of our time. Also, OK Magazine offers the absolute worst airbrushed covers in the industry.


They look like terrifying porcelain dolls.




My personal favorite.


It's important to note these are separate photos of the two girls, but obviously, the idea of Shilo and Suri cavorting together is OK's biggest possible wetdream.


Now, this one is special in its own way. Number one, look at the amount of airbrushing gone into Shilo's face. Really? Really? You actually had to airbrush flaws from a baby's face? You had to make her skin and features smoother? Really? Now, aside from that... "Kissing and cuddling her baby doll and sleeping in her big girl bed?" Either Maddox is a mole, there are some OK Magazine owned hidden cameras, or someone has a RIDICULOUS FUCKING OBSESSION to come up with these INANE DETAILS. Oh, and guess who it is! YOU people who read this crap and lap it up. I mean, REALLY? This is front page news? The SUPPOSED WANTS AND DESIRES OF A TWO YEAR OLD? Are you KIDDING me? For God's sake, Patrick Swayze's recovery from cancer takes a backseat to somebody's bizarro fan fiction. I'd rather hear Jen tell us again why she's over Brad.