Nick Marino

- This weekend I'll be at SPACE in Columbus selling my self-published comics (and comic cards!). One such comic is a brand new offering from me, a mini-comic called Passage. I'm not gonna say anything else about it right now except that it's a raw sci-fi tale with a twist.

- The day after SPACE (Monday, March 21st), I'll be back in Pittsburgh but still promoting my comics when I give a talk in the teen/comics section of the Carnegie Library in Oakland at 6:30 PM. The graphic novel discussion group is called Out of the Gutter, and my talk (with Shawn Atkins) is called Using Every Piece of the Cow (DISCLAIMER: no cows were harmed in the making of this lecture). We'll be sharing our work, discussing our process, and tap dancing to Steal Away by Robbie Dupree (DISCLAIMER: I'm lying about the tap dancing).

It's been a while since I've done an update like this and there's a lot to cover, so let's get to it!

- The image you see up top is the art for the very first AudioShocker Comics Dropcard. Confused? Dropcards are essentially little gift card looking things that give you a unique code to access downloadable content. They're pretty common nowadays for musicians, but as far as I know, I'm the first person using them for comics. The Dropcard pictured above will make its debut at this year's SPACE.

- That's right, I'll be at SPACE (Small Press Alternative Comics Expo) in Columbus on March 19th and 20th. I'm rolling into town with a ton of great Pittsburgh comic creators including Shawn Atkins, Dan Greenwald, Scott Hedlund, Marcel Walker, and Seth Fronzoli (plus some other great PGH comics cats'll be there too, like Tom Scioli, Nate McDonough, Andy Scott, and more). AND I'll be catching up with some friends like Brian John Mitchell and Josh Blair (AAHHH NO MORE NAME DROPPING!). I'll have a bunch of comics with me, both old and new, including...

- The New Time Log (1 of 3), which is currently at the printers! It's my first foray into full color printing and it's a bit ironic considering I'm pretty against expensive, over-printed comics... But this bad boy is one high-quality sucker! Smooth paper, lush tones, and-- oh look at me, I'm gushing. Anyway, I'll be posting more about this book in the next few weeks.

- Speaking of new comics, I'm a contributor to Andy Scott's comix anthology, specifically Andromeda #7. I have a two-pager in there called "Adventure 101." Click the linked issue title to check it out on Etsy.

- And continuing the theme of collaboration, over on my daily webcomic, Super Haters, I'm gearing up for a new feature -- Super Haters Guest Weeks!!! Each month, beginning on the second Monday, I'll be featuring seven days of strips by a guest writer. First up in March is Ross Campbell, who's got some pretty nuts stuff planned for Destruct-O-Tron and Mind's Eye.

- I also have a ton of other stuff going on, like an upcoming talk at the Out of Gutter comics discussion group at Pittsburgh's Carnegie Library in Oakland, the bi-monthly Sequential Underground podcasts, Time Log nearing the end of ACT II, Project Basement (v3 starts later today (Powers and Costumes this time around)), an impending Deadpool comic with Brian John Mitchell, and... this brief 24 Hour Comics Day 2010 interview that I did with the TGT Webcomics Podcast (my section of the interview starts at 28:20).

Justique and I created a special SPACE exclusive six-panel Super Haters comic for the 2011 digital anthology (a project edited by my friend, Brian John Mitchell).

Check it out!!!
- SPACE Anthology 2011 PDF (75 MB)

Super Haters has made it to the final round! Granted, the entries in the Webcomics category were a little thin and EVERYONE made it to the final round... but I'm still in it, goddamn it!!!

Big congrats to my friends and acquaintances who are also nominated -- Brian John Mitchell, Josh Blair, and Pat Lewis. I'm glad they're not in my category cause they all have a great shot at winning their own respective SPACE Prizes!

If you were a SPACE 2010 exhibitor and you're interested in finding out more about my entry before you vote, here are the ways you can check out my eligible Super Haters comic strips:

- Start with Super Haters #1 on the AudioShocker (read up to #41)
- Read Super Haters #1-41 as a photo album on Facebook
- Read Super Haters #1-41 as a set on Flickr
- Download Super Haters #1-41 as a single PDF (about 6.75 MB)
- See the Super Haters Master List to pick and choose individual strips

Also make sure to check out SuperHaters.com. It's featuring slightly remixed versions of my original Super Haters strips that ran on the AudioShocker, as well as collected story arcs and some other goodies. New material starts on Groundhog's Day 2011. AND make sure to hit up the Super Haters on Facebook and become a fan!

Thx to Bob Corby for allowing Super Haters into the running and thx to any 2010 SPACE exhibitors who vote for the Haters (deadline is Jan 31st, 2011)!!!

I'll be at:

- FanExpo Canada in Toronto, this weekend, August 27-29 at Artists Alley table A80 (CORNER TABLE!). I'll have the brand spanking new Project Basement ashcans, as well as copies of the first ever digital Super Haters Special Edition (which should be a pretty cool little package for only $3!), as well as copies of the Time Log one-shot, Zombie Palin ashcans, and ashcans of the first two Super Haters collections. And Justique will be there too!

- Pittsburgh's Small Press Festival on the city's North Side at AIR on September 25-26. I helped organize the comics end of this show, so I'm proud to set up and sell my stuff surrounded by comics friends and (hopefully soon-to-be-made) zine and small press lit friends.

- PIX: The Pittsburgh Indie Comics Expo in the Strip on October 16-17, a show that's a joint effort between the awesome Copacetic Comics Company and the Toonseum.

- I will soon lock down my plans for Mid-Ohio-Con in early November. While my attendance could change, chances are I'll be at the show.

- Not comics (but still an event), I'll be at Pittsburgh Podcamp on September 18-19, sharing about social media and hopefully learning a few new tricks for the AudioShocker.

- In the far-flung future, I'll be at SPACE in 2011. Don't let weddings, funerals, births, or serious accidents stop you from being there -- MARK YOUR MUTHER!@#$ING CALENDARS RIGHT NOW.

My third and final SPACE 2010 versus sketch features the two most realized characters of the sketchbook: The Living Bling and Sir Log-a-Lot (thanks to Dan Greenwald for naming the latter).

Sir Log-a-Lot is definitely Burger King inspired, while The Living Bling is someone that my followers will be seeing again in the very near future!

Welcome to my second SPACE 2010 versus sketch! In the left corner we have Ahab 2323, lost in reality while chasing Moby Dickbot through the timestream. On the right, meet Battle Pixie, the royal warrior goddess of her otherwise peaceful fairy tribe. Who will win? Fate will decide!!!

A few weeks back, I exhibited at SPACE in Columbus. I did some badass versus sketches (including a crazy Dazzler one that I gave away) and I'd like to share a few of my favorites with you.

First up is... well, the title says it all. Goat Boy was a very spontaneous sort of thing, while Mecha Ram was a bit more intentional.

Josh Blair, my table-mate from the 2010 SPACE convention, has shared our collaboration for the promotional 2010 SPACE Anthology. It's called Fart Tennis, if that's any indication of the high concept at work with this piece...

Since I've been on the blog here. But, actually, it's only been a week.

I went to both the Pitt Con and SPACE this past weekend. I'm really glad I did both shows. I learned a lot. Unfortunately, that's also another way of saying that I could have done a lot better than I did.

My more outgoing, gimmicky sales style went over WAAAY better in Pittsburgh. In fact, had I stuck around there for Saturday and Sunday, I'd probably have had some pretty strong overall sales.

SPACE is a much more subtle environment, among many other things. Suffice to say that my style didn't feel like it gelled there. I felt a bit outclassed.

Not to be defeated, I already have a revitalized game plan for next year's SPACE! And, most importantly, if I never went to Ohio for SPACE, I never would have seen this:

Gorgeous.

Anyway, I finally sent in my Future Shocks script submissions to 2000 AD today. I've been working on them for at least two months now... maybe a tad too long! I'm really proud of them and I hope they actually get read by someone and not just overlooked.

Also, have you ever let the credits play all the way out on SFIV? It's got this ridiculously corny voice that starts spouting some nutty faux-philosophy about street fighting. WTF?

P.S. Can't wait for my SSFIV to get here! Damn it, Amazon! It better be here tomorrow!!!

P.P.S. Went to a great comics lecture last night by Bill Boichel of Copacetic Comics. Thx, Bill!