I’m honestly surprised and really pleased by how many folks have picked up a piece of Set to Sea original art! Interestingly, it’s been the more quiet, wordless panels that have been going first. By the way, if you purchase more than one piece, Paypal’s going to automatically charge you for shipping for each different panel. But I’ll refund any extra shipping charges “manually,” since I can send them in the same package.
I was interviewed by Nicola D’Agostino for an Italian comics blog. Many people don’t realize that I speak fluent Italian! This is because I don’t. Thanks to Nicola both for the interview and the translation. The English version should be online soon, I’ll link to it.
Set to Sea got its first relatively mixed review! I think Collins is off here – misreading the last third of the book as an unmitigated victory lap, especially. But the book will have to stand on its own.
If you missed it on Friday, Set to Sea is now finished! Five long years come to an end. You can read the complete story from beginning to end here, until September 10th. Please forward along to your friends, acquaintances, enemies. After Sept 10, the complete story will only be available in book form. You should buy one! You should buy two.
A couple people have asked if I’m selling the original artwork for Set to Sea. After nervous feet-shufflings, I decided that I am, starting today! So, if you’re interested, please click on over to check it out. I’m an overprotective type, and I still feel very attached to these little scraps of paper I spent so many hours on – it was hard to make the call to let it all go, so I hope it all ends up in good hands. Obviously, there’s only one of each page, so once it’s gone, it’s gone. I’ll be adding more of both my and Eleanor’s originals to that page in the future.
I’ll be at the upcoming Small Press Expo with copies of the Set to Sea book, all my in-print minicomics, and big portfolios of original art. I’ve never sold original art at a show before, but if you want to buy a specific piece of artwork now and pick it up in person at the festival, please drop me a line (shop (at) drewweing.com) letting me know not to mail it off to you! Unfortunately, I can’t reserve any pieces till they’ve been paid for, so if you want a specific panel, you should grab it now!
This is the last panel of Set to Sea. I want to thank all the readers who stuck around for the 5 years it took to complete! It took a long time, but I’ve gotten nothing but support along the way. And of course, many thanks to my lovely wife, Eleanor, who helped and encouraged me from day 1.
If you enjoyed the story, please consider purchasing the book (from Fantagraphics Books, or from Amazon,) or telling a friend. The first panel is located here: http://bit.ly/18Wy9q if you want to link to the beginning.
The entire story will remain online until September 10th.
(The Set to Sea book is out now!)
One day to go. And as you might guess from the numbering, there will be two panels tomorrow.
(The Set to Sea book is out now!)
• These Gabrielle Bell comics only strengthened my resolution to never, ever go to the San Diego Comicon.
• Anime director Satashi Kon died recently, at only age 46. Of his movies, I’ve only seen Paprika – but that one was amazing and memorable.
(The Set to Sea book is out now!)
• The last panel of Set to Sea will be up on Friday, and then the whole story will stay online until September 10th! So between now and then would be a good time to pass it along to a friend. After that, you’ll have to shell out for the book if you wanna read the whole thing, heh heh.
• I found this pretty cute discussion of Eleanor’s Secret Science Alliance the other day. I think it’s from some midwestern bookstore discussion groups? They all had similar complaints about the super-complex visual busyness, (though they were sure that children these days liked that sort of thing) but they were all really sweet and positive about the book. One reader warns about searching for the author online, as Eleanor’s done a lot of dirty drawings. It’s true!
(The Set to Sea book is out now!)
• Last week was the week of potlucks, I went to three in a row. Good thing my friends know how to cook! I’m feeling really positive about the medium of the potluck right now.
• What? Miyazaki might be making a sequel to Porco Rosso? That was a gorgeous movie, but I don’t really know if it needs a sequel. Also, if the new Studio Ghibli “Borrowers” adaptation doesn’t do well, Miyazaki threatens to press the Ghibli self-destruct button.
• Cartoonist Laura Park lost her cat, Lewis, recently. She’s been working through her grief in some really beautiful, sad comics. Best wishes to her.
(The Set to Sea book is out now!)
• Damn, Set to Sea has been getting some flattering reviews recently. This from a roundtable discussion at Time Magazine’s Techland blog: “Set to Sea is just beautiful, emotional in all the right ways, and mixed with unexpected moments to pull it away from sugary sentiment and tweeness – Dude gets shot in the eye! Man!”
• Have you seen Joey Weiser’s fun new fishboy-out-of-water series Mermin? I’ll be sharing a table with Joey at SPX, where he’ll be debuting issue 3, so I urge you to come by and check out all the Toriyama-esque shenanigans!
• I just heard the actual recording from that Dr. Laura “n-word” episode. Man, that lady just loved saying “the n-word.” She was practically rolling it around on her tongue. What a horrible person.
• Also just heard a recording of an anti-”ground zero mosque” radio ad that seriously said: “On September 11th, they declared war against us. And to celebrate that murder of 3,000 Americans, they want to build a monstrous 13-story mosque at Ground Zero. This ground is sacred.” Ugh, ugh, ugh.
