How's it goin', deviant peeps?!

I'm pretty excited about the new book I'm pencilling, coming out through Image Comics, MIND THE GAP!
Here is the first issue's solicit:

MIND THE GAP #1
story JIM McCANN
art / cover RODIN ESQUEJO & SONIA OBACK
variant cover RODIN ESQUEJO & SONIA OBACK
MAY 2
48 PAGES / FC / T+
$2.99
After Elle Peterssen is mysteriously attacked on a Manhattan subway platform, she is left in a coma, the only clues to her attacker trapped inside her mind. No one knows the identity of the person behind this brutal beating or where they will strike next. In this ALL-NEW ONGOING series, everyone is suspect, and no one is innocent. USAToday calls it an "anxiously anticipated modern thriller…Whodunit? McCann's done it again."
Eisner-winning writer JIM McCANN joins RODIN ESQUEJO (MORNING GLORIES) and SONIA OBACK (S.H.I.E.L.D., The Defenders) for a psychological thriller that will leave you guessing at every turn!

I get to work with the amazing team of Jim McCann on story, Sonia Oback on colors, Dave Lanphear on letters, and Damien Lucchese on design.

The 9 page prologue is out there on the various comics news sites. Here's one: [link]
And there are various interviews around the web with Jim, who far better articulates what the book is all about.

The first issue hits stores MAY 2 (though possibly delayed in the east coast by a week)! Hopefully you guys will check it out and buy it if you like what you see. It's 48 pages for just $2.99!


Now, signings!
If you're in the southern California area, stop on by.

The awesome folks at Collector's Paradise are having us over for a release day party.
May 2, 12p-3p  -  Jim, Sonia, and I will be signing at their Canoga Park store.
May 2, 6p-9p  -  Release party at their Pasadena location.
Super amazing exclusive variant cover by the super amazing Adrian Alphona and Christina Strain.
Check Collector's Paradise's facebook page for the details: [link] and spread the word.

May 3, 5p-7p  -  Signing at Beach Ball Comics in Anaheim. [link]

May 5, 12p-3p  -  Free Comic Book Day signing at Collector's Paradise in Canoga Park. [link]
May 5, 5p-7p  -  FCBD signing at House of Secrets in Burbank. [link]

Hope to see you there!


-R
www.twitter.com/RodinEsquejo

What up, deviant peeps.
I'll be attending the New York Comic Con this year, Oct 8-10! Pretty exciting, as it'll be my first. Actually, I haven't been to NY since I was 9-ish or something.
I'll be joining the MORNING GLORIES team (writer Nick Spencer and artist Joe Eisma) at the Image/Shadowline table, O-2. Here's the Shadowline schedule to see what times we'll be there: [link]
When I'm not signing at the table, I'll be doing some aimless wandering. Or sketching. So say "hey" at the table and maybe order up a sketch (and we'll work out the logistics then).

For those people who have been inquiring, I'll probably start selling some MGs and misc covers (the ones I can bare to part with) when I get back from NY. But there's already a line of emails that I have to sort through. When they're all taken care of, I'll post what's still available.

Also, I think the 2nd printing of MORNING GLORIES #2 comes out tomorrow. I have no idea. But you should totally buy it if it does.

Best,
-R
(I tweet. Sometimes. [link])

I'm always so behind on these things.

First of all, I was wondering why there was this sudden surge of interest in the page I did for 45. And apparently it was because I got my first Daily Deviation! Awesome. So thanks to and for that. And thanks to everyone for adding me to your watch lists and for the comments and favorites. Much appreciated.


In Morning Glories-related news: That 2nd printing of issue #1 that was released Sept 1 had its own same-day sellout. [link] And so we're going into a 3rd printing to come out the same day as issue #2, Sept 15 (today!).

Here's a 9-page preview of issue #2: [link]

Good luck getting a hold of #2 though as, apparently, we've sold out at distribution level again. [link] The second print will hit Oct 13.

Also, issue #1 is available for your iDevices at Comixology [link] , and possibly other places, but I have no idea how digital comics works.

Really exciting stuff! Thanks to everyone who has been reading the book and pre-ordering it from your local store and getting the word out to others to check out the book. You guys are awesome!

MGs art team: &

Remember to go out and find Morning Glories #2 today, and the third printing of #1 if you missed out on it the other times.


Best,
-Rodin

PS. Follow me on twitter if you feel so inclined [link]

Well, I'm a little late in saying this, but a HUGE thanks to everyone who went out and gave MORNING GLORIES #1 a try. Not only was the critical reception so much more awesome than I expected, but the news of the distribution-level sell-out (with a second printing on the way) and hearing that a number of stores ran out of copies the first day just had me thrilled as... as something hyperbolic.

So, big thanks again. I hope you're all on-board for issue #2 (out September 15 or thereabouts). Make sure your're watching the interior art team.
&

Best.
-Rodin

Here's the official PR from the Image Comics site:

ARE YOU PREPARED FOR THIS PREP SCHOOL?
Nick Spencer Teaches an Advanced Course in Sci-fi Mystery with MORNING GLORIES

In August, Nick Spencer -- the writer behind the critically acclaimed titles EXISTENCE, FORGETLESS and SHUDDERTOWN -- will school readers in sci-fi, mystery, and teen angst with MORNING GLORIES, an all new series published by Image Comics.

Illustrated by phenom Joe Eisma (Existence 3.0) with gorgeous covers by Rodin Esquejo (Fractured Fables), the series launches with a double-sized first issue on August 11, 2010.

"MORNING GLORIES is RUNAWAYS meets LOST," exclaims Spencer. "I'm excited to offer readers a book that combines a challenging sci-fi mystery with the humor and charm of a teen adventure. This is a book that will keep the audience on the edge of its seat and coming back for more month after month, trying to put the pieces together -- and with Joe Eisma on art and Rodin Esquejo on covers, it's presented in an all-star package that will really make the book shine."

"This latest series from Nick Spencer may be his best yet," says Shadowline Publisher Jim Valentino. "If you haven't yet discovered why the critics are all raving about him, this is a perfect opportunity to learn. And rising talents Joe Eisma and Rodin Esquejo are knocking it out of the park for this baby, too."

MORNING GLORIES is the most anticipated new series of the year! Morning Glory Academy is one of the most prestigious prep schools in the country. But behind it's hallowed doors, something sinister and deadly lurks. When six brilliant but troubled new students arrive, they find themselves trapped and desperately seeking answers in a place where nothing is what it seems to be!

MORNING GLORIES #1, a special double-sized 44-page full-color series launch for $3.99, will be available August 11, 2010.

Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of four major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.



And here's an article where Nick goes a little more in-depth about the characters we've just teased: [link]

It's official!
Apparently, MORNING GLORIES was announced at the Image Comics panel at C2E2.
There's a lot of talent behind this book, and I couldn't be more excited for the team. Nick Spencer is on writing. Interiors are by the awesome Joe Eisma and Alex Sollazzo (on colors) . Letters by Johnny Lowe and design by Tim Daniel. And myself on cover duty.
I'm giddily anticipating its release date.

Here's an interview with Nick about the book for CBR:
[link]
I like the part about me best.

Following the "Zoe" teaser, Image will be releasing one more each week until the core cast is introduced.

So mark your calenders: August 11th, Morning Glories!

My doors are now open!
(And no, that's not sexual innuendo. Unless, y'know, it's for the right price.)

So I'm a little bit, um... poor at the moment. Thank you Comic-Con for taking my money. And so I'm now accepting commissions. Right now I'm only doing simple character shots in pencil, pretty much like all my recent gallery uploads (most notably, the Runaways series [link] ) but probably a little more action-y if it's called for. $60 for each character. A little bit more for minimal backgrounds (like $10?). And then a little bit more if you want the original. (I'm strangely inexperienced at the commission game, so I'm sure someone more seasoned will tell me if something's wrong with my pricing.)
And I'm not saying absolutely "No" to more detailed pieces with multiple characters or to fully colored ones or to just strictly color commissions. But we'll have to dish it out in notes or emails.
I'll start off with the first 3 responses I get and finish those before I move on to the next set (as I get easily stressed out with too many things at once), assuming I get more than 3.
Comment here, note me, or email at rodin_e@yahoo.com

Please help me afford art supplies and my weekly comics.

-R

The last time I went to a Comic-Con was a couple years ago, and for only like half a day. So this was kind of my first real 4-day SDCC experience. And it was absolutely what I wanted it to be. And then some. It was just a mix of really great stuff.

My bud, Russ ( [link] ), and I braved the 9 hour drive to SD. By the end of the first day, we had been awake for about 36 hours. So we both ended up passing out (me, right at the beginning, and him, a little bit after) at the Green Lantern: First Flight screening, while other people got turned away because the room was at capacity. Awesome. I managed to find one of the GI Joe packages I did. Though paying $20 for my own art wasn't particularly a highlight. Another non-highlight was waiting outside in the sun for more than 2 & 1/2 hours for the Iron Man 2 panel and still not getting in. Pissed? Yeah, I was. But that day was redeemed by bumping in to Adam Warren and getting to meet and talk a bit with totally awesome colorist Christina Strain (Thanks for everything!). And I later got to bump in to equally awesome colorist Nei Ruffino and mispronounce her name.

So, for the whole con, Russ and I hung out with his Internet pal, Jr ( [link] ) and, Jr's celeb-autograph-hound brother-in-law, Sean. Russ got us on the guest list for one of the parties at the Hard Rock Hotel with some B.S. story about producers, Germany, not knowing what Comic-Con was and god knows what else. Hanging with them, I got to see Leslie Nielsen and Keenan Thompson walking the halls, Elizabeth Mitchell, Wesley Snipes, Tony Todd, Jesse McCartney, and some others I forgot walking around and in Hard Rock (apparently I missed Zach Quinto and Tobey Maguire because I was busy texting).

But here's the highlight for me: We all decided to just loiter in the Hard Rock lobby. I guess in the off-chance we might see someone famous. And we did. STAN LEE! Even though he was flanked by bodyguards and hos and was ready to head up to some party, he took the time to shake hands and take pictures with us and other fans. So awesome! But the best part came later as he was leaving the hotel. Now, I'm a really shy un-social guy with, probably, a self-esteem problem. So when Russ suggested I get Stan Lee to sign one of the drawings in my sketchbook, I was hesitant. I found a Mary Jane sketch for him to sign, but was too nervous to go up. So Russ took my book and did it for me. (From his recollection) He held up the page and the Sharpie to Stan as he was walking out. He caught a glimpse of the drawing as the bodyguard started blocking Russ' way, saying, "He doesn't sign." Without taking his eye off the drawing, Stan shoves his bodyguard aside and says, "I want to sign." He does so, looks at Russ and says, "Very good." [link] I died. Even though I didn't personally get the words (Curse you, nerves!), it was still my drawing. So that was the best, geekiest moment of the best, geekiest convention I've been to.