Updated Reliablecomics.com

I made a lot of changes to Reliable Comics to make it more of a blog/e-comics deal. For the next month or so there'll be daily postings of all the past Danny Dutch comic strips (I renamed the strip to Reliable Comics' Laugh Menu because there's a dude on flickr named Danny Dutch now and his updates are screwing with my Google Alerts, and the strip's more of an ensemble thing anyhow *making a smug Hollywood face*) and I'm going to put as much of my other comics and drawing junk on there as I can get around to. So check it out and post some comments and subscribe to the RSS feed and buy comics from Sparkplug. From now on I'll only use this site to share Hulu clips and lettering samples.

This image sums it all up:

Venus in Furs in Supertrash in Pittsburg

I saw this posted on Fantagraphics' blog yesterday, and pal Tom Neely also mentioned it today. A picture of mine is in the Supertrash show at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburg, you can see it there in the bottom photo, second from the left, or just below this sentence.

I also echo Tom's sentiments: "I have very little information about what's going on with the show, but it will be up from October 17th through January 30th" and "I stole the above photos from the Fantagraphics blog."

SPX This Weekend

This weekend is SPX! I bet there will be lots of wonderful comics and people there. Specifically, up-and-coming publisher Sparkplug Comic Books and Books will be in attendance with my two comic books and all their other stuff for sale and exposition (see Dylan's Sparkplug blog post for more). If you go to the show check out my Danny Dutch Comic Book--it's nominated for some Ignatz Awards in case you like it and are inclined to vote for stuff like that.

I'm not going to be at this show. But I will imagine myself being there and seeing you there if you are there.

The Covered Blog

A Jimmy Olsen cover I redrew is on Robert Goodin's Covered blog today.

The Shortest Promo Blog Post

My new comic, The Shortest Interval, is now available! Order today from Sparkplug Comics Books! If you're unsure, take a look at the preview that Jason L. at Arthur Magazine posted the other day.

San Diego Comic-Con Int'l

Beginning this Wednesday night through Sunday evening I will be at San Diego's Comic-Con International. In addition to the continued availablility of the Danny Dutch Comic Book, I have this brand new comic ready to go, The Shortest Interval. I'll be working the crowds at the Sparkplug Comics Books booth (1531) with my pals Dylan Williams, Tom Neely, Chris Cilla, Julia Wertz, Tim Goodyear, Austin English, Damien Jay, Ben Catmull, Minty Lewis, Andrew Smith and maybe more!

Sparkplug's got two other new books, too: Sausage Hand by Andrew Smith and Neptune by Aaron Nels Steinke. All three new books will also be for sale at the Sparkplug table at the Portland Zine Symposium this selfsame weekend!!?! Get the lowdown on the books and shows here. All the new comics should also be for sale on the Sparkplug website sometime soon.

Oh, one more thing: a few of us are going to try to post exciting blog entries during the San Diego show at the highly experimental Funny Town Humor Pump blog. Add it to your feed reader and find out how we're feeling this very second.

I will see you there!

Sparkplug at Olympia

Sparkplug Comics will be at the Olympia Comics Festival—TOMORROW ONLY. Also in attendance will be Chris Cilla, Champion of Comics. I'm not going to this show, in fact I didn't even know about it, but I bet it will be a wonderful antidote to the big shows like TCAF and MOCCA. Next up is COMICON INT'L 2009. I'm trying to get a comic finished this weekend for that very show called The Shortest Interval.

SICKENING PROMOTION

I don't know why I post about stuff like this when I'm not going to be there, but some of my pals and Sparkplug Bullpen Buddies are involved in big excitement this weekend at the MOCCA Fest in NYC.

There is the Future Ink Show on Friday:

"Celebrate new releases by cartoonist Minty Lewis who will be debuting her collected Ignatz Award winning PS Comics, along with fellow cartoonists Jesse Moynihan, author of the critically acclaimed Follow Me, Kazimir Strzepek, creator of the Eisner Award-nominated graphic novel The Mourning Star and, last but not least, Olga Volozova and Ignatz nominee Juliacks who will unveil their new collaborative comic book odyssey, Rock That Never Sleeps." more info

And this thing on Saturday:

"Giant Robot is proud to present the Panelists V art show and as well as a reception for three new comic books at the Giant Robot Gallery in the East Village...[the show includes] Alixopulos, Andrice Arp, Shawn Cheng, Tim Hensley, Levon Jihanian, Hellen Jo, Tom Neely, Steven 'Ribs' Weissman...and more!" (I singled out some friends of mine, there's many more people in the show -ed.) more info

Austin E. will be signing his new Windy Corner #3 at Giant Robot on Saturday, also.

Spend all your money while you still have some! Especially on buying Danny Dutch Comic Books to make me really powerfully rich and special. You might also be able to get one of the Danny Dutch/Sparkplug post cards at MOCCA if you look hard or ask.

In the Pipeline

I'm working on a new mini-comic to have a grand unveiling at San Diego COMICON INT'L this summer, published by my friends, the team at Sparkplug Comic Books and Books and Distributors. It'll be an historical essay in comics form. I have to get it turned around pretty fast, it looks like (I might give up, too).

Danny Dutch Postcard

I've been working on this postcard the last couple of evenings. I think it's supposed to go in the same print run as Austin English's Windy Corner #3, coming soon. I posted this to show something that I was working on instead of more dumb promo stuff, but I guess I messed it up. Next I'll get back to work on Strip #40 and maybe other stuff.

Danny Dutch Reviewed on Daily Crosshatch

The Daily Crosshatch has posted a pretty nice review of the Danny Dutch Comic Book:

"The characters ... almost treat each other like objects in a room passing time rather than as friends or lovers. It lays a strange mood on the reader, and even though I’ve re-read this book enough times to know what that mood is, I can’t quite put a finger on it. It’s really unique."

TCAF This Weekend

I'll probably be at TCAF this weekend along with Dylan Williams of Sparkplug Comics and Tom Neely of whatever he's of. This will be the Danny Dutch Comic Book's first Canadian comics fest appearance. Still only $5.50!

Free Comic Book Day: Bird Hurdler

HOTT cover by Andrice Arp

Free Comic Book Day is tomorrow! My publisher and pals have produced a a nice looking free comic for the event:

Teenage Dinosaur, Tugboat Press and Sparkplug present the release of Bird Hurdler by Andrice Arp, Theo Ellsworth, Farel Dalrymple, Zack Soto, Lisa Rosalie Eisenberg [doesn't have a website ??] & Julia Gfrörer and printed at Brown Printing.

Follow the link to see the list of participating comic shops where you can score a copy. My guess is that Bird Hurdler will also be offered at convention appearances until all the copies have been given away (with purchase ???). That's what happened with last year's now-classic Nerd Burglar, anyhow

Seattle Stranger Reviews Danny Dutch

The Danny Dutch comic book got a favorable review in the Seattle Stranger.

"New Portland-based comics publisher Sparkplug has produced some exciting work in its short existence, but the most fully formed and hypnotic of all of them is Danny Dutch..."

Take that, Bookhunter!

Stumptown Comics Fest

This weekend in Portland, Oregon is the Stumptown Comics Fest! Sparkplug Comic Books, publisher of the Danny Dutch comic book, will be in attendance. In addition to all their usual great comics they will have three brand new comics releases -- check them out. The Sparkplug blog also lists some other exciting weekend events.

Also, my pal Tom Neely notes on his blog that he contributed the cover to this week's Portland Mercury newspaper which has an article about the comics fest (links are in his blog post). He will have a table at Stumptown, too.

I'm not going to be there, but I'll be thinking of you being there.

Danny Dutch in Cream City Review Available Now

According to their site, issue 32.2 (Fall 2008) of Milwaukee's The Cream City Review is out now. I gave them ten of the weekly Danny Dutch strips, plus a new short strip called "The Secret Handshake" to run alongside them. I haven't seen a copy of it and I don't know anything about the rest of the stuff in it, I'm sure it's great.

I'm not completely sure of their distribution, but it's probably available at indie bookstores and that bottom shelf in the magazine section at Barnes & Noble.

Thanks Comics Reporter

Tom Spurgeon, the Comics Reporter, gave Danny Dutch a nice mention over the weekend in his round-up of webcomics that he reads:

"I look at these comics frequently, and while I enjoy them and respect the level of craft involved I have this strange feeling that I'm going to like some future work by King so much that it will force me to go back and re-examine these and I'll like them that much more."

I hope he's right, but there's no reason to hold your breath.

Anyway, be sure to follow the link and take a look at the other things he mentions, there's lots of neat comics on the list. Also, if you came here from there, you might find it easier to follow Danny Dutch on Flickr, or maybe it's just as easy to follow the links from here. SHRUG

PS: There'll be a new strip this week, probably. Watch this space

Danny Dutch and Jin & Jam Reviewed

Rob Clough posted a nice review of Danny Dutch and fellow Sparkplug bullpenner Hellen Jo's Jin & Jam #1.

Danny Dutch Weekly Strip #36

I didn't do anything for a month! Anyhow, I'm a step away from just killing this blog since I never post much of anything anymore...You should bookmark the Danny Dutch Strip RSS Feed or my Flickr photostream since that seems to be where all the big action is. Also keep an eye on reliablecomics.com since I just renewed the domain for another year. And don't forget to buy Danny Dutch's Illiterate Yellow Funny Book from my inestimable pooblisher Sparkplug Comic Books and Stories. That's it, I guess.

Post-It Notes Show

I am in this thing according to the postcard

FOR SALE NOW

DANNY DUTCH COMICS MAGAZINE by David King
published by Sparkplug Comic Books
US$5.50, 8 in², color cover inside and outside, 28 b&w pages

Sparkplug also carries some of my old mini-comics and an outstanding line of comics/comix/graphic novels/funny books/drawn stories/hilarity pages/you name it

•Link

COMIC BOOKS FOR APE

Panelists 4 show in San Francisco Nov 1

I'll have some things in Giant Robot's upcoming Panelists 4 show, opening on Nov 1st; it will coincide with APE, and the Cartoon Art Museum reading I'm participating in (see post here). With some pretty esteemed company, too! It ought to be pretty good.

I just sent my junk to them this evening, in a goofy oversized box because I wrapped it wrong to start with and Fedex did not like it that way. Thirty minutes hanging around Fedex is bad vibes. Also when I was walking home some crazy driver almost ran over people at each end of the block. I just laughed!

Reading at Cartoon Art Museum Nov. 1

Party and reading on Saturday, November 1, at the Cartoon Art Museum, San Francisco CA to coincide with the Alternative Press Expo that weekend. A bunch of us are reading and having a slide show. I've never done one of these before and I only know a couple of the other people, so I will mess up. SEE IT and donate money to the museum also.

Danny Dutch Weekly Strip #28

Strip #28

This is the last one that'll go into my Danny Dutch comic book, coming soon. I'll probably take a week or two off from drawing the strips to mess around with cover coloring and complicated junk like that. Please keep checking back, though.

Also, congratulations to the other cartoonists who were nominated for the Ignatz award in the Oustanding Online Comic category (Chris Onstad, Jesse Reklaw, Joey Sayers, Tracy White), one of which will win.

Danny Dutch Weekly Strip #27

Strip #27. i'm really making some headway lately! I just have one more strip to do to complete enough for my upcoming comic book. I drew the cover over the weekend. I think it'll look pretty good, I guess.

Busts!

I'm going to use these as part of the design on the inside covers of my upcoming comic book. With luck it'll be in color, with some additional designey junk.

Weekly Strip #25

This is the first panel to strip #25

Comics Reporter Tom Spurgeon linked to the strip today which was pretty neighborly of him. If you came from there thanks for the interest. I've only posted the first panel of the last few strips as a tease for the eventual mini-comic version that I'm planning for APE in November.

You may also want to look at the Flickr set of the strips for an easier reading experience ( I think so, anyway). I tend to get stuff posted there before I put it here--gotta get my money's worth!

Links, News, Updates, Everything

I got linked/recommended by Rick Bradford/Poopsheet and Steve Stwalley/Stwallskull in the last couple of days. Thanks fellas! And hello to visitors from there.

The weekly comic strip is lagging as usual, I'll probably have something by the weekend, or maybe next week? I really only started working on it tonight. Once I get 25 or 30 done i'll make a mini-comic of the best ones. Look for it at SPX or APE, I suppose, if it gets done.

I will also be a COMICON INT'L next week, Thursday thru Sunday. I'll be creeping around the Sparkplug Comic Books table. Also there will be Dylan Williams, Trevor Alixopolous, Jeff LeVine, Tom Neely, Tim Goodyear, Jason Shiga, more ! I'll be wearing this t-shirt:

Links to Me

I've gotten a little bit of new traffic in the last few days from Tom Spurgeon and Newsarama's blog--I hope you guys like what I've got here. Unfortunately I don't have anything very new up and I took this week off from my comic strip because I moved. SO check out the old strips here or at my Flickr page, and bookmark, because something new will show up eventually...

SUPERTRASH This Weekend

This is it! The big Portland junk movie fest is on this weekend, February 1-3. I'm mentioning it because I submitted a poster for their Fantagraphics-sponsored "Re-Imagined Cult Movie Poster" art show (as seen in this post). Check out the Supertrash Myspace profile for showtimes and details. I wish I could go and see Mad Love with Peter Lorre and Colin Clive. I'll just have to invite those guys over and watch the DVD instead.

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Shopping, Prints, BFFs

I took a look in the Family store this past Saturday in L.A. I saw that they have a couple of the litho prints (titled Stamina) that John Hankiewicz made to commemorate our SPX '06 experience. John, Onsmith, Ivan Brunetti and I each did a little drawing and John did the prints, it came out nice!

Up above is the drawing that I contributed, scanned from my sketchbook. The four of us also made a mini-comic for the show that we were handing out free. I'm not sure where you might be able to find one of them now; I don't know if I even have one. But they were neat! Four new drawings apiece, very small size.

Anyway, the print was priced at $20 at Family. They also had more of John's prints for sale, and dozens of other things. Check it out and tell them I sent you. And then tell me that I sent you.

And don't forget to bookmark Hankiewicz's and Onsmith's blogs for a heaping helping of their naive artwork. Hankiewicz is in the new Mome #10; Onsmith is in the new Hotwire Comics #2. If you need help finding Ivan Brunetti comics, you're stupid.

New Weekly Strip

For the week of Jan 14-20

UPDATE: I've gotten a lot of nice feedback on this one from here and there; thanks a lot for looking, everyone!

I also made a banner that links to the Flickr set of these strips. It's there on the right, or if by some chance you're looking at the RSS, here it is:

Or if you don't like Flickr, you can click the weekly strip label to see them here or if you don't want to do that either, they're all on reliablecomics.com. EASY

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Supertrash: Venus In Furs Poster Redo

I did this for the Supertrash Film Fest / Art Show that's upcoming on February 1-3 in Portland, Ore. I'm not sure if they automatically accept whatever's sent in or if it's juried somehow, but we'll see. Pals Tom Neely, Chris Cilla, Alex Holden and Jim Rugg have also done one, probably others I don't know about.

Anyway, I did Venus in Furs, a terrible movie from the late 60's about a horny jazz musician and a hot naked ghost(?) lady, and a hot jazz singer lady who never gets naked and three murderous jerks. Don't bother watching it.

This is also my excuse for not having a new weekly strip for today. Not the real reason, but it's good enough. I may have a strip for tomorrow. Sorry!

New Gocco Print

Printed on a 4¾" x 2⅜" paper tag, it may be hung from a Christmas tree, rearview mirror, suitcase, or wherever your imagination might suspend it; string included. This particular print is a bit off register so it looks a little blurry. Others are even worse! I dunno, how about $2? Final price TBD.

It's a print gocco print and I made a few of them today to sell at super*MARKET Los Angeles, this Saturday at Meltdown Comics. I'll be at Tom Neely's table, trying to sell these prints and my currently in-print mini-comics.

See you on Saturday.

UPDATE (12/16/07): I DID NOT see you on Saturday

Banners

I made these banners to put on my MySpace profile, and on this page. On the bottom one I tried to create a universal blog icon but unfortunately it doesn't read if you reduce it to 14 pixels high, so I'll keep working on it. (y'know, like the RSS icon: )

Promo Stuff

Check out my newly PDFed-for-web cartoonist/web designer/armchair graphic designer/desktop publisher promotional booklet. download (1.5 mb)

I also did this business card, but I'm not sure I'm happy with the font: this is Futura Book. I feel like the real old-time face I'm after was a little squarer or something...I'm keeping an eye out

New Mini-Comics for SPX

I won't be there, but my new mini-comic will probably be at SPX in MD, USA. Find it at the Sparkplug Comics table, #F1. It's 24 pages of fun and is called Danny Dutch and the King of Aliens part 1. Sparkplug also had the whole line of David King's Reliable Comics back at Comicon, but may have sold out or discarded them by now.

Porcelain Skinned Dandy

This is the cover to a mini-comic doodlebook I put together real fast for the San Diego Comicon in July. I think I still have a couple if anybody wants one, just one dollar.

NEW COMICS COVERS

Here are photoshop dummies of the covers of my two new mini comic books. I haven't actually printed them yet, so the actual product may look different, but if I have any luck they'll look the same.

Reliable Comics, 7.75 x 6.5, 32pp, $3   preview panels

Vice-President, Shipping and Distribution, Office Machines Company
OR (help me decide!)
Sad Old Man Picaresque Stickman Adventure Comic #1, 5 x 4.5, 16pp, $2

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I just noticed the the guys on both covers are wearing the same clothes! I hope these comics don't put people to sleep...

I'll have these at SPX along with the also new Sorry! and Daredevil Pilot Jeff if it all goes according to plan. I also want to do a new Gocco print with art from Vice-President but getting that done remains to be seen...