Eric Johnson Comics

The latest issue of FemForce is now available in the AC comics webstore.

Issue #155 of FemForce (or known as Gargantarama #18 on the flip-book side) is up for purchase here:

http://accomics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=ACS&Product_Code=F126&Category_Code=FOTOAB

Again, this issue has two stories with my writing contributions.  Script work on the Yankee Girl story.  And both plot and script to the Humonga vs. Garganta story.

If you buy the issue, you can read my stories!  Then you can tell me if my dialouge in the WW2-era Yankee Girl story is corny!  Or complain to me about the puns in the witty banter in the Humonga vs. Garganta fight!

Diamond Previews DCD Number NOV100686 

For anyone who cares:

The upcoming issue of FemForce, issue #155, will have two stories with my input.

One is a Yankee Girl story, plotted and drawn by an Italian artist (Gianluca Cerritelli), then I provided the dialogue script. Gianluca had a basic script, but his english isn't the greatest. And editor Mark Heike wanted me to "punch up the script" a little, improving the dialogue, and adding some details to the plot. I'm pleased the final results.

The story takes place at the very end of World War II. For fans of super-strong ladies, it has Yankee Girl beating up nazi supermen. Along with obscure golden age gal Lady Fairplay, and new character Freedom Gale. And the baddies are lead by an uber-strong villainess named Baroness Von Schreck.

The other story is one that I wrote from scratch (and rewrote, and retooled, and rewrote again).

It's another story with Marla Allison, aka the giantess anti-heroine Humonga. Story is called "Making a Big Scene" and centers around a confrontation between Marla and the equally giantess-sized heroine Garganta at a movie shoot. More giantess catfight than I've ever written before in a single story.

If you are interested in this issue, and want to order it from your local comic store, here's the info you need to tell them:

Diamond Previews DCD Number NOV100686

If you do pre-order from your local comic book store,  try to get the order in by Feb 15th!  That way, it will count for the volume count for AC Comics through Diamond Distribution.  Need to keep that number up, so Diamond will continue to carry AC!

Just got a new script accepted by AC Comics and my editor is sending it off to the artist!  Well, it's not a NEW script, it's actually the oldest script I've written for AC that's still unpublished.    It's THAT script, the one which has gone through more drafts than ANYTHING I've ever written before. 

And boy, did Mark Heike and I go back and forth, hammering out the issues he saw with it.  In the end, we had both back-burnered it as not worth the trouble.  Today, he read the latest revision (half the length of previous version), liked my final tweaks,  and saw it fit really well with some current other plotlines in FemForce.

Feels really good to see the efforts from literally years ago poised to produce some end-product.

New section to the web site, for highlighted pieces of commissioned artwork, as appropriate to the website.

Opening up with the efforts of two talented artists:  Jean Sinclair from Brazil, who I've been buying commissions from for years, and Eric Alan Nelson, who's drawn two stories for AC Comics, and soon to be published with Avatar Comics.

Check it out here:   http://www.ericjohnsoncomics.com/commissionedart.htm

Mark Heike, the editor at AC Comics accepted the script I mailed him this morning.

And he's already assigned it to the artist I preferred for the project.

I probably shouldn't reveal anything substantial about it.  Not my place.  Should wait for the AC sales blurbs to come out.

But I'm sure it's okay to say it's another "Ali Bastur and her Forty Feet" story.

It may also be my most laugh-out-loud funny script yet. At least I think so, allowing for the fact that humor is subjective.

The cartoony characters of Ali Bastur and the giant genie Shakurbuti do lend themselves to less subtle humor than I put into the stories of Humonga or the Gammazon Housewife stories.  Of course, variety is the spice of life.

It's an 8 page long story, so it will be longer than any previous "Ali Bastur" story.  But it's still a tight little script, accomplishing quite a bit while having comedy on every page. It's got an interesting and amusing dilema for the protagonists to overcome, and I think a clever and fun solution in the end.

Really looking forward to seeing how it turns out.   The big drawback of the comic book industry, the final product is now months away.

Cherry Capital Con 2010 is behind me.

Official con website: http://www.cherrycapitalcon.com/

The box of comics I brought to sell isn't much lighter than when I first put it in the car. But, I got the experience of "working a con" in my hometown.

Saw old friends, including at least one that it was really important to see about now, with what's going on in his life.

My being there got my family members to come by and see the con, have the neat experience.

My sister brought her two boys by, which was great. Pics here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=58114&id=1078812761

The trip down to Traverse City let my friend Pat, set up his wife Keri (who was my booth assistant) where he came down to TC two days after we did to surprise her for a lead-in to their anniversary.

While he was here, Pat also slapped on his pirate costume (the one with the awesome hat) and jumped into the costume contest at the last moment. I hope I can find on the internet somewhere a pic of him doing the Captain Morgan pose on the stage.

As I hinted above, sales were slow, even though I was giving a 2/3rds off discount for a "back to my hometown" sale. Got a few people to buy all 6 comics though. Had one person say "I just got this most recent issue online", then he picked up the other 5. Another person who just bought FemForce early back issues at the big retailer nearby, then got the new issues from me, saying he was a huge Bill Black fan. One person bought all 6 issues after hearing me explain my "Fantasia" character from the 1-900-Giantess stories.

Several non-buying browsers said things like "FemForce? I've heard of that, not sure where." or "FemForce? Those guys are still publishing?"

Left Keri to watch the booth while I attended two writing-related panel presentations on Saturday. Daniel Way had some interesting info on breaking into writing for the mainstream comic book publishers.

The second panel was on the collobrative process between writer and artist. Panel was Daniel Wray again, Steve Dillon, and Jason Aaron. I was kinda gratified that much of the stuff in the second panel, I had already learned by experience.

Cool moment towards end of con, in final push to get more donations for the MS fundraiser, and the various comic book stores one-upping each other with donations. I threw in a few bucks, of course.

Hung out and chatted with cool people in the booth next door.

Go check out Bruce Gerlach's home page, he and his lady are nice people: http://www.tattooed-sky.com/

He's done a lot of sketch cards and editorial cartoon type stuff. And has some neat prints too.

More importantly, having the booth next to him made the con a lot less boring for both Keri and I.

Plus, he bought my comic, so he has a good soul.

My other booth neighbor to my left was Eric Mullarky. Self-publishing under "New Baby Productions". He and I didn't talk as much. We had the gap between our tables for exhibitors to get in and out of the "island" of tables. I did buy his "Elemental Fources" 6-issue mini-series. His pitch line was "Superheroes mixed in with Hellboy and the DaVinci Code".

Self-publishing in hard, so check out his website, see what you think: www.ElementalFources.com

Wrote first draft of two scripts for 8 page comic stories during the slow times at the booth. The next "Gammazon Housewife" story, and another "Ali Bastur and her Forty Feet" comedy. Both hopefully coming to a future issue of Gargantarama near you. I guess being at a con gets me in the mood to write. Hopefully, the transition from written first draft to typed-up submission draft is a smooth one.

Big thanks to Keri for being by "booth assistant". And to Pat for letting me "borrow his wife" for most of a weekend. Also thanks to Marty for driving me down, and doing some quick last-minute gophering. Of course, thanks to friends and family for stopping by and seeing me at the table, which helped make it feel much more 'real' and definitely more worthwhile.

My final summary of my first time working "behind the table" at a con: "Sure, net loss in money terms, but big net plus in life experience."

So, why this month to get a website up and running?

Well, so I'd have something to put on a business card to give out at a convention...

I'm going to be going to Cherry Capital Con on June 12th and 13th.

http://www.cherrycapitalcon.com

And, I'm not just going as a fan, I went ahead and rented an exhibitor's table...

...Yep, I'll be sitting behind a table, watching the comic book fans walk by for hours and hours... Just like a "real" comic book creator! (well, except I'll probably be ignored more by passer-bys than most people who bother to pay for a table).

Got the website up and going, so now I need to get some business cards made, some flyers, maybe some basic signage.... got some stuff to do in next few weeks.

I'll have a sign that says something like "Eric Johnson, Traverse City guy and published amateur comic book writer." I'll be selling my issues of AC comics at a discounted rate and signing them for the interested.

So, anyone near Traverse City, stop by and see me at the con, so I don't get TOO lonely.

Friends in tight financial situations who can make it to Traverse City, let me know if you need one of the spare con passes I bought. And for close enough friends,  crash space in Traverse City can also be found for those who wish to avoid hotels.