Above are some of the pencils (in progress) for the current page I’m pencilling. Working on this comic, I’ve had to research many things I never would have been interested in otherwise. Whether or not it’s actually useful information, I’m not so sure... for example, belt loops didn’t exist during this time period. Neither did cowboy hats, for that matter. And people would buy bacon in slab form. All three of those factoids are visible in the panel above, even if it’s not totally legible in uninked form yet.

Also, people had awesome facial hair.

Okay, I’m taking that character’s advice and getting on home now. Be here next week for the publication of the first pages of this Western comic, tentatively titled Freed Man’s Song.

MoCCA 2011 has come and gone, and just like every year I’m completely exhausted. Thanks to everyone who stopped by the table and picked up some comics or stopped to talk. I’ve spent most of the past week recuperating by reading copious amounts of comics. Next week I get back to drawing pages of Freed Man’s Song, and hopefully in two weeks I’ll start posting pages here regularly. Until then, enjoy this picture of me at MoCCA, along with my fellow Tapir Alex Rothman. There’s a PG-13 version of this photo somewhere, but sadly I think it may have been deleted due to shame possessed by one of the parties involved. (Not me, of course.)

Today I’m debuting a 7 page preview of my new webcomic, Freed Man’s Song, at MoCCA Fest 2011. If you’re in NYC, stop by the Tapir Tooth table and take a look... if anyone actually tells me they read this on my website, I’ll give them a free comic.* See you at MoCCA!

*Offer void where prohibited. Only valid in NYC April 9-10. Caution: It may increase your love of comics.