NOT GREAT, BOB

I'm sorry I've been quiet! I have COVID!

And I’m not super happy about having COVID, if you can imagine.

I’ve been behind on a dozen things for this space, Phenomenocity and more, and spent the time around SDCC crunching my butt off to get it all in. Survived a week out from SDCC with no COVID, and somehow caught it for the first time, two and a half years into this thing, in my normal, living-in-L.A. life.

I can say I’m super grateful for the vaccines, which are enabling me to sit upright and make this post* three days after first feeling the effects. I have a pretty robust immune system so I expected to be one of the folks who maybe tests positive but doesn't show symptoms? Nope. Utterly walloped. Stay safe out there please! This is no fun, and neither is the following announcement:

I have to cancel my FanExpo Boston appearance this weekend.

I’m really upset! I was going to see my pals in that corner of the country, go to Salem, see some of you, and now I’ll be in bed. But I’m diligently resting so I can make my next con appearance - Emerald City Comic-Con in Seattle. One of my fave cons and fave cities, so I’m hoping to be there and be healthy soon!

Tell me something good?

Our one-day speedrun of San Diego Comic Con 2022 was awesome.

Drinks with the shadow council that upholds Gotham City

Blake and I got to have drinks with friends and editors, be on panels, and say hi and sign for fans, both at the DC Gotham signing, and the 3W/3M signing with our friends over there.

And on the Gotham panel we got to announce something fucking cool-

PUNCHLINE HIVE RISE!

ALL MY CLOWN GIRLS AND JUGGALETTES TO THE FLOOR FOR PUNCHLINE: THE GOTHAM GAME by TINI HOWARD, BLAKE M. HOWARD, and GLEB MELNIKOV.

When Dave Wielgosz at DC came to me and made me the offer of writing this 6 issue miniseries with the fucking madman Gleb Melnikov, I almost couldn’t say yes, with my schedule. But Dave made a second offer I couldn’t refuse - would I like to co-write it with my Vampire the Masquerade: Winter’s Teeth and Batman: Urban Legends co-writer Blake Howard? And would we like to use it to continue to expand the wild world of crime in Gotham, the way I’ve done so far in books like Catwoman?

And I said hell yes.

We’re doing a six-issue mini, and Alexis Kaye is ready for it. Fresh outta jail, she’s returning to the streets with a plan. Our first two issue scripts have been so insanely fun to write, and Gleb just breaks our pages wide open each and every time.

All jugga-jokes aside— (because some of you get real bent when I make jokes about characters. Anyone else remember the time a bunch of dudes shit their pants because I said ‘Thanos was goth’? Y’all are funny) —this story is a huge gift. We love Alexis in this house, and we’re having a ton of fun with it. Won’t say too much else for now, but Catwoman readers are 100% going to want to pick this one up, too. XO💙

Look at this amazing Punchline cosplayer who was at my table right after the panel, but not at the panel, so I got to announce to her personally that I was writing her a book! If anyone knows who she is, @ me and I’ll credit her! You look great, keep killin’ em with knives girl mwah.

I also want to shout out a super special thing that happened at the con. At my 3W3M signing, I was delighted that so many of you had nice things to say about Phenomenocity! It really made me so excited that so many of you are reading and loving this story, and it gave me all the motivation in the world to keep going. Which is part of why this COVID takedown is so brutal - writing this post has taken me days! My brain is hot pudding, not yet set! Ah well. Anyway -

Phil Sevy and I were so surprised by this amazing gift from fellow Substacker Oscar Wins. These gorgeous little alpaca traveled all the way from Peru with Oscar, emblazoned with our comic’s title square. Thank you so much, Oscar, and thanks for building a cool place to talk about comic books on your own blog!

i would die for them

PHYSICAL REWARDS AND MORE

I’ve got some feelers out to various people who have done this already to guide me through the best way to get you all your physical rewards! Essentially, what I need is the most efficient and cost-effective (for all of us) way possible to get addresses, shipping costs, and all that sorted. It had to take a backseat as we all pivoted to get ready for Comic-con, but now that it’s over, it’s top of mind for me again. Not to mention, I’m fucking drowning in comps. I am dying to send you all stacks of signed books, haha.

Some of you have asked - and I’m glad you did! Keeps me accountable. I’m going to try to prioritize getting these out this month as soon as I’m not too germy to be touching things and sending them to you. You don’t want nothing from me this week, I promise you that. Cough.

MORE PHENOMENOCITY!

Desperate to get more to you.

I’ve got FACTIONS posts brewing and I’m getting through the next batch of scripts for Phil, hopefully enough once I’m well that he can work for a bit without me slowing him down. So that’s on me. Don’t lose hope, we’ll be back soon. After all (spoilers)

(spoilers)

(it’s all uploaded for free so you can go read it before you get spoiled)

—Amelia’s gotta get into that damn city, yeah?

(end spoilers.)

WHAT ELSE ARE YOU UP TO FROM YOUR SICKBED?

Not much, honestly. I’ll update you in a few days with cool things I got into while I had a few days off in bed, but honestly? COVID brain is real, so I’m taking it easy.

I’ll take recommendations below for the wildest documentary you’ve ever seen. If you name one I haven’t seen and it scratches my itch, maybe I’ll send you something as a thank you!

*It took me two and a half hours.

Stay weird, stay safe. Talk soon.

-TH 8.9.22. 13:35PM