The Comics Observer

Going Beyond the Blurb to Navigate Comic-Con

Poor CoreyBlake.com. Neglected for so long. I’ve been busy bringing in an awesomely eclectic line-up of columnists at The Comics Observer, in addition to my shows with the Magic Meathands, an improv comedy troupe (show this Saturday!).

And the comic-y goodness doesn’t stop because this weekend it’s Comic-Con: the biggest comics event in North America! My friend Cindy Marie Jenkins is always interested in how different industries reach their audiences, as well as interactive entertainment and media, so she decided to tap me for a special Navigating the Arts interview about Comic-Con for her innovative Beyond the Blurb live interview series. That will happen this Wednesday night at 8:30 PM Pacific time. You should be able to watch live right here.

I’ve also got a special editorial about Comic-Con appearing later this week, so I’ll post about that once it goes live.

Thank you all for your support!

Caturday: Door Wiping Kitteh Edition

Show tonight! We’ve got a ton of comedic performers – stand-up comics, improvisers – all teaming up for a big night for you!

Meanwhile at The Comics Observer:

 

Caturday: Door Climbing Kitteh Edition

Ten on the Tenth is happening now! Post your 10 Drum Songs here!

I have a show tonight! Improv comedy by two groups, the Magic Meathands (with me!) and Jump Start, at our brand new location, Heyler’s!

Meanwhile, at The Comics Observer:

Also, listen to my second appearance on the Part-Time Fanboy podcast, where we review The Avengers movie. I show up about halfway through.

Caturday: Shed Kitteh Edition

Meanwhile, in other corners of the internet this week:

It’s Time for a Sleepcation

Image by Tomaniac (click to buy a sticker)

This week, I’m not having a vacation, I’m not even having a staycation. I’m having a sleepcation!

I was calling it a bedcation at first, but it turns out that fake word already exists and isn’t quite right in this situation. So, sleepcation it is.

As of this past Saturday and until this Sunday, I have 9 days where I’ll be sleeping as much as possible for as long as possible with as much sleep as possible. Because sleep is good. Especially after overdoing it for too long. It’s either sleepcation now or crycation later. You can probably imagine what that entails. Of course, we all can use a good cry now and again, but 9 days straight sounds exhausting.

So, if you need me, my bed and I are going to be getting it on.

And OK, I’m hoping to also edit that video and write that web-series script, two things I’ve been trying to get to for a few months now. You see, as it turns out, I’m not very good at doing nothing. Even when not on vacation, I fill my time up with projects. I hear other people go home after work and watch TV or something. If I want to watch TV, I have to schedule it as a weekly thing and make an event out of it.

So I’m trying to sleep and lounge around and just decompress. So far I can’t say I’ve been terribly successful. While I have slept a lot (I’ve always been real good at that), I’ve also stayed up real late, and during the day I’ve been working on The Comics Observer, done some administrative stuff for the Magic Meathands, and been an obsessive dork about our music library. But I’ve also hung out with Nahleen and Cleo some, watched the Twin Peaks episode 6 (my favorite so far!), and started reading Any Empire by Nate Powell (if you’re a child of the ’80s, read this!). And I’ve kiiinda not been on Facebook a ridiculous amount, although I’m still staring at the computer way too much, which I’m sure isn’t entirely relaxing. But the week has only started. I’ll get this right some day.

Anyway, I can’t believe I just reviewed my own vacation.

How do you do with taking time off? Do you like empty time or do you need to keep just as busy as when you’re not on vacation? Or maybe you’re good at finding a satisfying happy-medium?

Caturday: Sack o’ Kittehs Edition

Last one to leave the bag wins.

The Magic Meathands have our final show at the Mary Pickford Studio tonight! Don’t miss it!

The Comics Observer just completed a round-up of all of the Finalists in the Graphic Novel category for the Los Angeles Times Book Prizes, which were given out last night:

The LA Times Festival of Books is going on today and tomorrow, and there are plenty of Comics Panels and Events to check out.

The Ten on the Tenth for April has an awesome group of songs, and it’s not too late to post your own list of train songs.

I make a quick cameo in Nahleen.com‘s weekly Moments of Peace this week. It’s a picture taken from last Saturday’s Magic Meathands show. It looks like a case of One of These Things is Not Like the Other, but I’ll take it!

Caturday: Scouting Kitteh Edition

– All sorts of exciting things are going on over at The Comics Observer:

  • The debut of our newest column The Journey, Man by Wayne Rée, where he takes you through his discovery of comic books.
  • The second installment of Dig Comics by Miguel Cima, where he reveals his recent discovery of dramatic manga.
  • And here are three graphic novels released this week worth checking out for people with little or no history with comics.

– Changes are afoot with the improv comedy group Magic Meathands! If you didn’t read about it here, check it out over there. (And we’ve got a show next Saturday.)

– Music lovers! Get your lists ready! Ten on the Tenth is happening on Tuesday, April 10th.

– And Nahleen.com continues to be revealing, eye-opening and funny. I think my favorite one this week was her total take-down of the interior decorating skills of doctors’ offices.

Caturday: Digging for Gold Edition

The Comics Observer recommends 3 new graphic novels worth checking out for new comic readers. And it also continues its coverage of the LA Times Festival of Books with a look at the just-announced program schedule.

In case you missed it here, learn about the Magic Meathands’ Comedy Outreach Project, bringing comedy to people in our community who need some laughter.

Nahleen had her first full week of blogging! Go her! This one, about how sometimes she just has to WAIT whether she wants to or not, might be my favorite of the week.

My Tumblr gets a rare but probably controversial update in support of Détente.

And on the totally other end of the music spectrum, if you’re into singer-songwriters from the late ’60s and early ’70s, take a look at the Troubadour Tribune.

Caturday: Kitteh Tongue Edition

Look at that tongue!

Also:

Tonight! It’s improv comedy! For you! Don’t miss it or you’ll ruin everything.

Hey, music list makers! Ten on the Tenth started this morning! Post 10 songs about hate! It’ll remain open until Monday at 9 AM Pacific / 12 noon Eastern.

And at The Comics Observer:

Oops… Things Change Fast on the Internet

So yesterday I teased the debut of a new column by Dig Comics director Miguel Cima at The Comics Observer. It’s still coming! But I decided to push it back to Friday so that a post could go up today about a comics conference (or colloquium, as they’re calling it) about race and comics that’s happening tomorrow.

Because my bandwidth is stretched pretty thin these days, I’m just not able to make The Comics Observer one of those high-volume sites with 5-10 posts a day. Maybe some day but not right now. So bear with me as I juggle when things come up.

It’ll be worth the wait. Miguel’s column should make for good weekend reading and debating.