Tragic Planet

SpongeBob Comics #5 + AlphaBeasts A-D

2011-11-08T12:23:00.003-05:00

This is a bit late posting this, but SpongeBob Comics #5 has hit the stands, and features a back cover that I wrote and was beautifully drawn & painted by Cul de Sac's Richard Thompson! Also in this issue is a comic written by SBob editor Chris Duffy and drawn by my pal Nate Neal! Here are a few panels from my story:

I'd also like to note that the AlphaBeasts project is going strong. You can see a ton of great entries over at the AlphaBeasts Tumblr where everything is compiled. Right now we've done A-D. You can see all of my entries here! You can also follow me on Twitter where I originally post them, or keep an eye out for them every week on Monster Isle!

AlphaBeasts Kaijuphabet

2011-10-17T10:13:00.003-04:00

A is for Anguirus. The first kaiju Godzilla ever battled!

Every Monday for the next 26 weeks, I'll be contributing to the internet art jam project AlphaBeasts! My pieces will be a special "Kaijuphabet" version, where I will be illustrating different kaiju, or Japanese movie monster, to correspond with the week's letter. I'll be posting these to Twitter and Facebook, those will be compiled on the AlphaBeasts Tumblr, and I'll also be reposting in the blog of Monster Isle every Thursday when the comic updates. So there are a number of ways you can follow this fun project!

OktöberFLUKE This Weekend!

2011-10-11T12:48:00.002-04:00

Saturday, October 15 is OktöberFLUKE! This is a miniature version of the FLUKE comics show, which is happening as part of Athens Popfest this weekend. The event is actually listed as The Poptober Fair on Popfest's schedule and consists of THREE cool events happening together: OktöberFLUKE, Indie Craftstravaganzaa, and The Secret Record Swap! So, if you like comics, crafts, and/or records, you should definitely check this out!

The Poptober Fair is 10am - 6pm at The Classic Center, and admission to the show is $5 or free with a Popfest wristband. Directions to the Classic Center, info about parking, etc. can be found HERE.

At the show I will have the first Monster Isle mini-comic Monster Isle: Big Monster Stuff as well as a new Monster Isle mini, Monster Isle: Lookin' Cool! I'll also have some Mermin minis, my books The Ride Home, Tales of Unusual Circumstance and Cavemen in Space, FLUKE 2009 posters, and the remaining Kaiju Life postcards! Come on by!

Monster Isle: Big Monster Stuff On Sale Now!

2011-09-20T10:43:00.003-04:00

After debuting at SPX, the new Monster Isle mini-comic, Monster Isle: Big Monster Stuff, is now available for purchase! The primary spot people can get this comic is my online store. MI:BMS is also at a few comic shops. Athens, GA residents can find it at Bizarro Wuxtry (as pictured above), and copies are also at Heroes Aren't Hard to Find in Charlotte, NC.

As I suspected, I almost sold out at SPX. Soon I will give MI:BMS a small second printing to compensate for online orders, but that will be it! So I recommend you get your orders in sooner than later! Also at SPX, I sold out of Mermin 1 and 2. Issues 3-5 are dwindling, so if you have been wanting those, I would consider ordering those soon as well. All of this is for sale at my store!

SpongeBob Comics #4

2011-09-02T11:37:00.004-04:00

SpongeBob Comics #4 is in stores, and is the first issue to feature a comic written by me! The comic is "SpongeBob Wait!", a one-page strip drawn by Stephen DeStefano. This issue includes some indie comics all-stars like Graham Annable, Dave Roman, James Kochalka, and Sam Henderson -- that's quite a lineup!

Comixology has a solicitation for #5 up already, and it mentions that a comic I wrote will be on the back cover. Neat!

SPX 2011, MONSTER ISLE + MERMIN

2011-08-29T11:22:00.003-04:00

The Small Press Expo aka SPX is in two weeks (Sept 10 & 11), and I will be there! Click the map above to see a larger illustration of where I will be. I'll be sharing tables H1-3b with Drew Weing, David Mack, David Yoder and Adam Aylard. All excellent cartoonists, come by and get one of everything they have to sell! We'll be right next to Tugboat Press, who is right across from Top Shelf. Shouldn't be too hard to find!

As noted on the SPX website, I will be debuting the first ever Monster Isle mini-comic, MONSTER ISLE: BIG MONSTER STUFF!

How do giant monsters spend their days when they aren’t destroying the nearest metropolis? MONSTER ISLE: BIG MONSTER STUFF is the first mini-comic collecting strips from Joey Weiser’s ongoing webcomic MONSTER ISLE. Spend time with kaiju-inspired creatures during their day-to-day life, and you’ll see puppets, dancing, rafts of questionable quality, beard-growing doppelgangers, and more! www.tragic-planet.com

Publisher: Self-Published Mini-Comic
Details: 20 Pages, Full-Color
Price: $4

Monster Isle mini-comics will be limited items. There will only be 1 or 2 printings (a second printing only to accommodate the first batch of orders after the book goes on sale online). Since all of Monster Isle is available online, that is where it will live primarily. After SPX, Big Monster Stuff will be for sale at my online store, so keep an eye out for that if you aren't able to make it to the show.

I also wanted to take this time to make a quick note regarding Mermin. I've been getting asked when the next issue of Mermin will come out. I want to apologize to any of you out there who have read the first 5 issues, and are eagerly awaiting issue 6. It looks like it might be some time before you are able to see the little aquatic kid's adventures continue. However, I want to assure everyone that I have been working on Mermin, and I think you'll be excited to see what I've been doing. I'll leave it at that for now. Again, sorry for the delay, but more Mermin is coming!

Anyway, I'll have Mermin issues 1-5, Monster Isle: Big Monster Stuff, The Ride Home, Tales of Unusual Circumstance, and Cavemen in Space at SPX, so please come by, say "hello" and pick up a book or two if you'd like! See you in Maryland!

Heroes Con 2011

2011-05-31T10:50:00.004-04:00

(click image for a closer look!)

This weekend (June 3-5) is Heroes Con! I will be there, in Indie Island at table 425. As illustrated in the map above, I'll be between Patrick Dean and Drew Weing, right across from Top Shelf, and not too far from AdHouse Books!

At the show, I'll have all my books, mini-comics, postcards, etc available as listed on my online shop. Also, something that I only do at Heroes, I'll be doing original drawings for $10 each. I've prepared 10 sketches to ink at the show, which you can see HERE. You'll see I also have a few inked drawings left over from past shows which will be available as well. And, of course, you can ask for custom commissioned drawings which I will do at the show for you.

Also, Sunday at 2:30 I will be at the Webcomics: Solo Shocker panel. This panel will feature several cartoonists including Drew Weing and myself discussing putting our work online with Dollar Bin's Adam Daughhetee.

Finally, speaking of Adam and the Dollar Bin, I did a short comic for an anthology that they printing for Heroes Con. The theme is "buried treasure," and I don't know how much they want me to reveal about the book, but it has a really interesting interactive element that I'm excited about.

FCBD Signing + Illustration Update

2011-05-04T10:23:00.002-04:00

This Saturday is Free Comic Book Day! I'll be at Criminal Records doing FREE sketches and selling my books and mini-comics. My comics aren't free, but you'll be able to pick up plenty of free comics, here are what will be available that day. Last year Criminal had a really good selection, so I'd expect to see most of these titles available.

Also, you might be interested in seeing some illustrations that I posted on my LiveJournal. These days I mostly just repost all my news on LJ, and don't really use it otherwise, but it's a good way to share a ton of images like this. I've been doing illustration work for a print-on-demand publisher for about two years, and these are the most recent batch. There's a crazed meatball, sock-loving puffballs, a spotless ladybug, and all sorts of stuff to look at!

Original CiS Ending @ Avoid The Future!

2011-04-22T12:37:00.003-04:00

For those who have read, Cavemen in Space, I have some shocking news for you: The ending originally had a much different twist! I mentioned this on Twitter a week or two ago, reminiscing about the fact that the CiS Fundraiser concluded about a year ago.

Comics blog extraordinaire Avoid the Future asked me about it, and my response is now online! AtF is always super nice, and their intro & outro sum up a lot of what I've been doing lately. Head on over and take a look!

If you haven't read Cavemen in Space yet, it is available for purchase online directly from me or AdHouse Books. I will also have copies, as well as Mermin and everything else, at FLUKE this weekend!

Cartoonist Survey + FLUKE 2011

2011-04-12T09:38:00.002-04:00

I took part in a massive cartoonist survey being conducted by the David-Wasting-Paper blog. I kept my answers pretty brief so it might be a fun, light read for those interested. There are over 200 surveys/interviews posted so far!

Also, coming up on April 23rd is the 10th Anniversary FLUKE Mini-Comics Festival! FLUKE is a really great, small show in Athens, GA that is being held this year at the legendary 40 Watt club! This is the first show that I will have all 5 issues of MERMIN at, as well as the rest of my books, postcards, etc. I even have some of my FLUKE 2009 posters left. If you live in Athens, or nearby, I highly recommend it!

Regarding new stuff at FLUKE this year - I have a story in the FLUKE Anthology titled "Robot Love." I've been helping gather stories for the book, and it's going to be a great, eclectic mix of work this year. Also, Dollar Bin is putting together a FLUKE-themed mini that I contributed a page for, so keep an eye out for that.

Drawn for Them ♥ Japan

2011-03-25T11:01:00.002-04:00

I have contributed to a new project called Drawn for Them ♥ Japan. Here's how they describe themselves:

Drawn for Them ♥ Japan combines creativity with compassion by delivering a forum for the artistic to show their support to the nation of Japan in 2011 and beyond.

It is my understanding that soon they will be selling prints and some original art to raise money for the victims of the earthquake, but for now we are just sharing artwork to show our support for those in need. Keep an eye on them for more art in the next couple weeks, and consider contributing some of your own!

My piece is from a photo I took in 2000, when I was in Japan on a month-long exchange in high school. We spent most of our time in Tokyo, attending Obirin High School, and visiting Kyoto at the end of our trip. Our hosts were very gracious, and although it was a short trip 10 years ago, I feel very close to Japan when I think back to that time.

Mermin 5 @ CWR and Art Show Reminder

2011-03-04T06:07:00.002-05:00

Comics Waiting Room has posted a new review of Mermin issue 5:

There’s a surprising amount of action this time around, and it has a shocking amount of scale to it- I wasn’t even truly sure that all of the human cast would actually survive. But all that really does is show off just how good a cartoonist Joey Weiser really is. In five minicomics he has shown a massive amount of variety in what he can bring to the page...

Also, I wanted to put out a reminder that the opening reception to the Athens cartoonist show at Athens Academy is tonight (Fri 3/4 5pm-7pm). If you live in the area and would like to look at some comic art, consider stopping by!

More Mermin Art + Show at Athens Academy

2011-02-27T10:42:00.003-05:00

I ordered some original art from Elio the other week, and he was nice enough to include a great Mermin drawing! Thanks Elio!

Speaking of art, this week at the Athens Academy, there is a show featuring some local Athens cartoonists! The show features art from me, Eleanor Davis, Drew Weing and David Mack! There is a reception this Friday (March 4th). More details can be read at the Classic City Courier.

Mermin Art By Drew Weing

2011-02-18T12:20:00.004-05:00

Click image above to see it larger!

Last night I was given some awesome art by Drew Weing to commemorate the first part of Mermin coming to a finish. Everyone should take a look and then head over to Drew's site to check out his excellent work!

Mermin 1-5 are available for sale at my store!

Mermin 5 Recommendations

2011-02-15T10:36:00.002-05:00

Since its release, Mermin Issue 5 has been mentioned a few places on the web. Here are a couple highlights:

J. Caleb Mozzocco finishes up his Mermin reviews by covering 4-5 and touching a bit on the series as a whole at Newsarama:

Like the previous issues, it remains an all-ages comic in the best sense of the term—an ideal story for kids, but with enough craft and skill in both rendering, design and story ideas to keep an adult fan of the comics medium thoroughly engaged.

And over at Robot 6, Tim O'Shea recommends Mermin 5 as well:

The first Mermin arc from Joey Weiser comes crashing (and I mean crashing in giant waves crashing) to an end with issue 5. It’s a heck of a finish that entertained my 11-year old son immensely (as well as myself).

You can buy Mermin 5 (as well as the past issues) at my online store!

MERMIN 5 On Sale NOW!

2011-02-01T01:40:00.003-05:00

Mermin Issue 5 is now on sale in my store! This is the final issue of "Part 1" of the series. Issues 1-4 are still available, and the 4-Pack is still offered for those who need to catch up!

The first review for Mermin 5 is actually already out there! It comes from Panel Patter who says some very kind things about the issue and about the series as a whole:

Trust me, this is a coming you're going to want to have been a part of from the beginning. I think it's got a lot of sleeper potential once it ends up in a more widespread format, and I for one will be glad to say I was reading it from when Mermin was just a tadpole.

2010/2011 Stuff

2011-01-07T01:36:00.003-05:00

As the year came to an end, a couple mentions of my work came up at Panel Patter!

Cavemen in Space was given a full review:

I absolutely adore the cover to this comic, as the idea that a caveman would still keep a pelt on his back, even in the vacuum of space amuses me to no end. Weiser's illustrations remain as good as ever, with each character having a distinctive look and feel that reflects their personality.

Then he included Mermin in his 10 Favorites of 2010:

I've been enjoying Joey Weiser's comics for several years now, and his first(?) foray into an ongoing series might be his best work so far.

Well, 2011 has begun and I am already hard at work! I'm putting the finishing touches on Mermin Issue 5 which will be out at the end of this month, or early February at the latest. I took a blurry photo of the cover with my phone if you'd like to take a peek!

Over at Robot 6, I took part in a 2010/2011 analysis with several other cartoonists and industry types. Down by my contribution you can see a preview panel from Mermin 5!

Also, Lunch Lady and the Bake Sale Bandit, a book by Jarrett Krosoczka which I colored and toned is now available! We're working hard on the next volume, so keep an eye out for that later this year!

Finally, while we're looking ahead a bit, I don't remember if I mentioned on this at all that new SpongeBob Squarepants comics are coming from Bongo this year! This Bleeding Cool article names me as one of the contributors alongside James Kochalka and Graham Annable and others! I've written a few short comics which will be illustrated by other cartoonists. I'm not sure which issues my comics will be in, but I'll be sure to mention it when they come out!

I think that's basically it for now! Look forward to seeing tons more comics from me in 2011!

One Week Left For FREE ART!

2010-12-13T11:07:00.002-05:00

Only one week left for my Holiday Special where I'm offering FREE ART with the purchase of $9 or more. That basically covers any graphic novel or the Mermin 4-Pack. Speaking of which, the latest issue of Mermin was just reviewed by Comics Waiting Room:

What makes MERMIN work is how well it combines its ingredients- Weiser’s story is fun, his art it wonderful, and the characters are just fun to read about.

Or if you're looking for something for your bookshelf, how about this year's Cavemen in Space? Recommended by New York Magazine's Vulture, Giant Robot, and The AV Club amongst others. Check out my About page for a list of reviews that can be found online!

Mermin 4 Reviews and FREE ART

2010-12-06T11:01:00.005-05:00

Some new Mermin reviews have popped up in the past week!

The Daily Cross Hatch reviewed Mermin 1-4, with a fair look at the series as a whole (although I'd argue that while my "target audience" is definitely young, there are those who are "young at heart" who enjoy Mermin quite a bit):

It’s the sort of story that makes you wish something similar might have existed—and had been easily located—when you were amongst Weiser’s target demographic.

And Panel Patter has reviewed Mermin issue 4. He remains positive about the series, enjoying it in the ongoing format:

For a person who mostly writes in full-book form, I think Weiser captures the magic of an ongoing series well.

Mermin 1-4 are on sale at my store! They are sold individually, as well as an easy-to-order 4-Pack, which saves considerably on shipping! Two more weeks left of the Holiday Special where I'm offering FREE ART with orders of $9 or more! I've included two pictures from satisfied customers who have shared the free art I've done for them.

Holiday Special! Mermin 4-Pack!

2010-11-26T12:18:00.002-05:00

I made some changes to my online store with the upcoming holidays in mind!

First of all, I have added a Mermin 4-Pack, which offers the first 4 issues of Mermin, in one easy shipment to cut down on shipping costs! It's perfect if you've been considering getting on board with my new series, or if you know someone who it would make a great gift for!

Secondly, I've made a super special holiday offer! Starting today, November 26 through December 20, any orders for $9 or more (before shipping) will receive a FREE ink drawing! I will draw anything you'd like, or surprise you if you'd like! Please leave any requests regarding the subject of the drawing in your Paypal note.

Now would be a perfect time for you to pick up a book of mine that you or someone you know might be interested in. I'm getting more and more feedback from parents and kids about younger readers really enjoying Mermin, so maybe you know a kid (or kid-at-heart) who would enjoy it as a gift!

MERMIN 4 On Sale Now!

2010-11-15T11:51:00.003-05:00

Mermin issue 4 is now on sale at my online store! Subscribers have already been sent their copies, and I have plenty more in stock. I'm not going to any conventions until next April, I believe, so this is most people's best chance to get ahold of this issue for several months. The Bizarro Wuxtry in Athen, GA also has Mermin 4 in stock. Retailers: email me ( joey[AT]tragic-planet[DOT]com ) if you'd like copies of this and/or anything else in my store, and we can work out a discount!

The issue comes in (shiny) Pearl White, Off-White, Speckled White, and Metallic Gray! Sorry no requests for cover stock, issues to be sent will be chosen randomly! Order now!

Mermin 4 Coming Soon, Portraid-Dex is Awesome

2010-10-09T12:28:00.003-04:00

First bit of news I'd like to cover is that I've put up a cover and info about the next issue of Mermin at my store. Issue 4 will be printed on a variety of white and gray cover stocks. Trust me, I've got some good white paper and it'll look great. Take a look, and maybe now is a good time to get caught up on Mermin if you don't have issues 1-3! The first story arc ends with issue 5, so things are heating up!

Regarding the store, I have lowered the shipping prices a bit on just about everything. It may still get a little high in terms of ordering several items at once. If you have any questions regarding shipping, feel free to email me and we can work something out!
Next, have you heard of a new site called Portrait-Dex? It was started by the fabulous Steve Wolfhard whose comic Cat Rackham is totally great. Check it out if you haven't seen it before. But back to Portrait-Dex -- It's a collection of cartoonists drawing self-portraits as Pokemon! It's basically my favorite thing on the internet, and I think even if you don't really know about or even care for Pokemon, it would be fun to see how all these creators portray themselves. And it's a cool resource to find new cartoonists who you may not have been aware of! My Pokemon, Wyzer, is number 12 and can be seen right here!

Mermin 3 On Sale Now! + Review, Fan Art

2010-09-20T11:39:00.002-04:00

Mermin issue 3 is on sale now at my online store! The issue did well at SPX where it debuted, but I've still got plenty of copies for mail order. There are also copies at the Athens, GA comic shop the Bizzaro Wuxtry, and I hear that Mermin 1-3 are also in stock at Charlotte, NC's Heroes Aren't Hard to Find! If you are a retailer interested in carrying Mermin, send me an email at joey[at]tragic-planet[dot]com and we can work something out!

Speaking of Mermin 3, it was recently given a nice review over at The Comics Waiting Room:

MERMIN has balanced humor and absurdity through its first two issues. However, issue three takes a different step, raising the actual stakes for Mermin and throwing an intense action sequence into the mix.

Also, the incredible artist Doug Frey has drawn a totally great piece of Mermin art! After taking a look at that, I encourage you to check out the rest of his blog for more fantastic work.

SPX 2010

2010-09-07T10:03:00.002-04:00

This weekend, Sept. 11-12, is the Small Press Expo in Bethesda, Maryland! I'll be there, at table's H1-2, as illustrated by tablemate David Yoder. We're right by the entrance, next to Tugboat Press, across from Top Shelf -- You'll find us! I'll be sharing the table with David, as well as Drew Weing, Michele Chidester, Adam Aylard, Kevin Burkhalter, and the minis of David Mack (who unfortunately can't make it this year)! Drew will be promoting his new book, Set to Sea, and Michele will have THREE (3) copies of a new, hard-bound mini-comic, Reassurance. You definitely want to check those out. Not sure exactly what everyone else will have, but it's all gonna be great! Our table is not to be missed!

How about me? Well, I will have plenty of copies of my new graphic novel, Cavemen in Space. If you've been waiting to pick this up, now is the time! I'll be there to sign and doodle one of the many cast members in your copy. Debuting at SPX, is Mermin issue 3! I'll have the first two issues there as well, so you can get caught up if you aren't on board yet. I'll also have The Ride Home and Tales of Unusual Circumstance, and I think I'm going to bring what's left of my Kaiju Life postcard set, but I may not put those out depending on how much space we've got at our table. If you're curious about any of these items (or can't make it to the show) you can check them out at my online store. Mermin 3 will be available for purchase online sometime after SPX.

Just in time for SPX, there is a new review of Mermin issues 1-3 over at Panel Patter!
Rob has some very nice things to say, and (without giving too much away) it's good to see someone not taking Mermin at his word about his life underwater...

I'm not sure what happens next, but I'm definitely looking forward to the next installment. Mermin is a delightful series that uses the mini-comic format to good effect in this multi-part drama. I can't wait to find out where Weiser goes with his little green fish-man, and I hope the story continues on for a lot more issues to come.

And Tim O'Shea mentioned Mermin 3 as well at the Robot 6 blog. It's great to hear about kids enjoying the series!

So really, it’s only a review copy for a short while, then it becomes my son’s coveted copy. The only other comic that makes his eyes light up and react like that is Langridge’s Muppet Show. Mermin‘s storyline (a fish-boy washes up on the beach and is befriended by three kids) has hooked my son (as well as myself).

So, if you can make it to SPX, please stop on by tables H1-2! There will be plenty to look at!

GIANT ROBOT Reviews

2010-08-16T00:27:00.005-04:00

It was great to see reviews for both Cavemen in Space and Mermin in the most recent issue of Giant Robot! GR's interpretation of the material is interesting, and the reviews are very nice. Mermin 1 & 2 are mentioned in the "Book Collector" section (pg. 17) where they call it, "a silly story with meanings" and refer to my artwork as, "perfectly suited for this well-developed world." Cavemen in Space is reviewed in the "Comics" section (pg. 59) refering to the book as a "highly ambitious yet somewhat raw graphic novel" that "left [the reviewer] thinking."

Giant Robot is a fantastic magazine that I've enjoyed since originally stumbling across a copy in high school, and I highly recommend seeking it out in stores, or even subscribing. I've often had luck finding it at Borders or finer book shops with good magazine selection. This particular issue (No. 66) features a lengthy interview with Bryan Lee O'Malley about his graphic novel series, Scott Pilgrim, which I know many of you reading this would be interested in reading!

Both Cavemen in Space and Mermin are available for purchase through my online store! Mermin 3 has been sent to subscribers this week, and will be available for purchase online after the issue "debuts" at SPX Sept. 11-12!

More Reviews + San Diego Comic Con

2010-07-29T01:34:00.003-04:00

Some more reviews have made their way to the internet!

First of all, J. Caleb Mozzocco wrote a great review of Cavemen in Space for the Athens' local publication Flagpole.

Cavemen in Space is an adult graphic novel without any adults-only content to keep kids from reading it, and one that works on several levels to engage both audiences.

After that, Mozzocco also gave his thoughts on the first two issues of Mermin over at his blog, Every Day Is Like Wednesday.

Weiser just plain drew the living hell out of a swimming pool of fish, didn’t he? Wow.

Cavemen in Space was also reviewed by French review site Onirique Comics! For those who can read French - the original article can be seen here or for those of us who only speak English - read the Google-translated version here!

Comme dans The Ride Home, c’est la bonne humeur, la bonne ambiance et la douceur qui guide le récit. Alors bien sûr, il y a des scènes d’action rythmées tout au long du livre mais Cavemen in Space demeure une bande dessinée destinée à une variété très large de publics. Hommes, femmes, enfants, il y a des personnages pour que tous puissent s’identifier.

As in The Ride Home, is the good mood, good mood and gently guiding the narrative. So of course, there are action scenes punctuated throughout the book but Cavemen in Space remains a comic aimed at a wide variety of audiences. Men, women, children, there are characters that everyone can identify.

Also recently, I've appeared on a few podcasts, both recorded at Heroes Con. I appear in the midst of Comic Related's Related Recap, and also do a quick interview with the Dollar Bin. I often cringe at the sound of my own voice on these things, but still feel the need to archive them here!

Finally, last week was the San Diego Comic Con! It really took a lot out of me this year, but there was still a lot of fun had amidst the chaos. If you are coming to my website for the first time because of seeing me or picking up something of mine at the show -- HELLO! Nice to see you! I took some photos of the show and posted them to my blog! Head on over there for some fun! Lots of costumes, and other craziness!

Some more CiS/Mermin News

2010-06-23T10:39:00.004-04:00

Here's a round-up of a few notable Cavemen in Space and Mermin news pieces from the last week or so. I will continue to post round-ups like this on my website and blog from time to time, but for the most recent news, I recommend keeping an eye on my Twitter!

Comics Waiting Room has posted a review of Cavemen in Space and the first 2 issues of Mermin!

There’s an elegant charm at the heart of the book, as Weiser explores what happens when someone finds themselves taken from a more innocent time… and dropped in a warped version of that innocent time.

I really dug MERMIN, and the all-ages vibe bodes well for it finding a wider audience once Weiser has finished the tale and he goes to collect it.

And I had a recent interview with Tim O'Shea at Robot 6's Talking Comics with Tim. The interview focuses on Cavemen in Space primarily, but finishes with some talk about Mermin.

Lastly, someone informed me that Amazon.com appears to be out of their stock of Cavemen in Space. If you would like to order from Amazon, I registered as a seller, so you can buy books at regular price, from me (instead of from some of the other crazy sellers who are trying to sell the book for $70-$100!!). Of course, if you're buying directly from me anyway, I recommend you check out my personal online shop, but if you prefer to go through Amazon, the option is there!

New Reviews

2010-06-01T14:52:00.002-04:00

The reviews are starting to come in for Cavemen in Space and Mermin! Lets take a look, shall we?

The AV Club gave Cavemen in Space an A- !

Cavemen In Space has a level of subtle sophistication that readers of any age can latch onto, which was clearly Weiser’s intent. It’s the type of rollicking, genre-happy blast of craft and imagination that comic books were made to deliver…

Meanwhile, Chris Reilly over at The Comics Journal's Guttergeek column wrote a Cavemen in Space review followed by an interview!

Cavemen in Space is great. I really liked everything about it and I think you owe it to yourself to read it.

Mermin issues 1 and 2 got some love from Comics Related!

He presents a story that has a very approachable feel, but also encompasses some really solid art and environments. There are scenes within the series that are really quite beautiful, yet hold to the overall feel of the series.

These have been great reviews following Cavemen in Space and Mermin's releases, and after the first reviews from Avoid the Future (which you might want to check out just in case you missed them). I look forward to seeing more!

All of these books and more are available from my online shop!

Tragic-Planet Store is Open!

2010-05-20T15:28:00.005-04:00

For quite a while, I've had some ordering info on my website, but that was admittedly not so easy to use. Well, those days are over, and now I've finally put together a functional
web store! The payment buttons are set up through Paypal, similar to my Cavemen in Space Fundraiser, but I also accept check or money order, if you'd prefer to order that way.

Click here to go to the store! There are books, posters, prints and original art all for sale! The newest additions are Cavemen in Space which just hit stores May 12, and the first two issues of Mermin! Take a look!

CAVEMEN IN SPACE in stores TODAY!

2010-05-12T11:43:00.004-04:00

My new graphic novel, Cavemen in Space, hits stores TODAY! Go out to your local comic shop and check it out!

As you may recall, the book was self-published, thanks to a fundraiser, and distributed by AdHouse Books. Here's all you need to know about the book, with some previews, ordering info, and more!

Cavemen in Space by Joey Weiser
Distributed by AdHouse Books

A caveman named Washington and his prehistoric tribe have been torn from their era and placed aboard “The Wheel,” a futuristic space laboratory. It’s one thing to jump ahead millions of years in technology, art, literature, and fashion, but now they face a corporate alien empire!?

Details:
4C cover
248 1C pages
5″ x 7.5″ SC
$14.95 US funds
ISBN 978-0-615-34445-4
Shipping May 2010
Diamond Order Code: MAR10 0679

AdHouse Cavemen Page

Joey Weiser Site

Download a PDF preview

Amazon Page (Click "Search Inside The Book" for more preview pages. I recommend ordering from your local comic shop or via the AdHouse site)

Interview with me regarding the book

Cavemen in Space's first review

FCBD Break-In

2010-05-11T11:05:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to make a note that on Free Comic Book Day (Saturday, May 1) our house was robbed and amongst the items stolen was my computer. This has been a major set-back, but Michele and I are recovering. There are a lot of posts about this on my Twitter and Facebook, but basically, we had a decent amount of stuff backed up, but not everything, and I lost all of my emails which were saved on my computer and deleted off of the web.

The main reason why I want to write about this here is just to let people know that one thing that was lost was my spreadsheet with with of the Cavemen in Space donor info. Thankfully Paypal has record of all of the donations made through it, so I can recreate most of it. But please, if you made a donation via another payment method than Paypal, or we had a conversation over email regarding your rewards or mailing address, LET ME KNOW. Email me at joey@tragic-planet.com whenever you can. And, please, if you feel like a specific reward should have been shipped to you and a few weeks have gone by without you seeing it, feel free to shoot me an email as well. Sorry for the inconvenience!

Speaking of which, Cavemen in Space should be in stores tomorrow (more on that later), and Mermin Issue 2 was printed shortly before the Toronto Comics Art Festival this past weekend. I'll try to put together my new mailing list by the end of this weekend, and those books will be shipped sometime next week! Sorry that donors won't be receiving CiS before it hits stores, but I haven't even gotten my copies yet (they're supposed to arrive today).

FLUKE 2010

2010-04-12T09:56:00.004-04:00

Everybody's still buzzing about MoCCA (and some are getting ready for C2E2), but the comic show that I'm excited about is FLUKE! This Saturday, April 17 FLUKE is happening! And it's going to be great! This time in a new location, Cine, which is a theater and bar.

So, let's talk comics! First of all, with admission ($5 I believe) you get a FREE copy of the 2010 FLUKE Anthology! This year, the entire book was written and loosely penciled by Patrick Dean, and then inked by a variety of local artists! FLUKE posted a preview image on their blog (can you pick out who's who?) and Avoid the Future did a great review with some preview images on their blog! The book is a lot of fun, I think people are going to love it.

I will have the usual books at my show, The Ride Home, and Tales of Unusual Circumstance. I should also have a few posters left from last year's show, and plenty of Kaiju Life postcards. On the mini-comics front, I will the last two copies of The Late-Night Gang for anyone who hasn't picked that up (not to be reprinted! act now!), and Mermin Issue 1 will be debuting at the show! Mermin is my new ongoing mini-comics series. Issue 1 is a 40-page double sized extravaganza and features a color sticker on the cover (as seen here)!

So, who's coming to the show? I look forward to seeing you there!

CiS Fundraiser a Success!

2010-04-06T10:37:00.002-04:00

Well, the Cavemen in Space Fundraiser was a success! I would have said that even if we didn't meet the $3500 goal, but by the end of the night, the fund actually went over a bit to $3522! Don't worry, the extra dollars will come in handy for shipping review copies or something. Thank you so much to everyone who supported the book one way or another. Look for it to hit stores in May (and maybe your mailbox a little sooner!)

Fundraiser Ends Tonight!

2010-04-05T09:22:00.003-04:00

As I write this, the Cavemen in Space Fundraiser has reached 91% of it's goal! This is very exciting, but I want to remind everyone that the fundraiser ends TONIGHT! That's right, I have set the official cut-off time at 12am PST in order to give maximum donating time for our friends on the west coast.

That's only $293 left to raise in about 17 and a half hours! That's only about $17 an hour (if I'm doing my math correctly...). Even if I don't reach my goal, I am extremely happy with how this has gone. The book is being printed (in only a few weeks!) either way, but this is much less of a financial burden on me. I really appreciate the support I've received and I'm very happy that this has made printing my second graphic novel a reality.

I'm also pleased that it's given me a chance to connect directly with fans and reconnect with family and friends who have shown their support. I am so happy to send out each reward knowing that these people will read Cavemen in Space or Mermin or enjoy a piece of my artwork, etc.

Well, there's only hours left! If you've been meaning to donate, this is your last chance! Take another look at the rewards and think about what you'd like to arrive at your doorstep. And there is still 1 mammoth left for a donor willing to give $150 or more! Thanks again!

Mermin Issue 1 Shipping!

2010-03-22T10:46:00.002-04:00

The other big thing this weekend, as some of you may have noticed I got excited about on Twitter, is that the full-color stickers for the Mermin mini-comics covers arrived, and they look great! So, everything's printed, stickers are good to go, and assembling/stapling/cutting is in progress.

The big news today, though, is that this means that Mermin 1 is now shipping! Today all of the issues purchased by CiS Fund donors are going out, so they should expect to see those soon. At the moment Mermin 1 is ONLY available for purchase via the fundraiser. They will not go on sale individually until sometime after they debut at FLUKE on April 17th. And CiS Fund donors also have the option to subscribe to future issues! If you want your Mermin now, the Fund is the way to go...

CiS Review @ Avoid the Future!

2010-03-22T10:20:00.003-04:00

This weekend, Avoid the Future posted a great (and the first!) review of Cavemen in Space! They posted some good preview images, and the review is definitely positive. I'd say that the Avoid the Future crew "gets it" in regards to CiS. Remember, the book is in previews this month. Go out to your local comic shops and request they order a copy! Diamond Order Code: MAR10-0679

By the way, the image posted above is the drawing that I did for Avoid the Future after they donated to the Cavemen in Space Fundraiser. As I type this, we have raised $2,288 of the $3,500. There is only about 2 weeks left until the April 5th deadline, so now would be good time to donate!

Twitter

2010-03-19T13:12:00.001-04:00

I finally have a Twitter! You can follow me at @joeyweiser !

Avoid the Future Interview

2010-03-11T11:03:00.001-05:00

European comics blog, Avoid the Future, has interviewed me about Cavemen in Space, Mermin, my unhealthy obsession with Akira Toriyama, amongst other things! Here's what they say:

Joey Weiser, creator of The Ride Home and Monster Isle recently spoke to us about his upcoming graphic novel Cavemen in Space. Best known for creating characters as varied as Van Gnomes, Sewer Dragons, Sarcastic Kaiju and ineffective Superheroes, we were definitely expecting our interview with him to be fun, and we certainly weren't disappointed. Read on to read Mr Weiser's thoughts about his new book, the process of self-funding a project, his appreciation for Akira Toriyama, giant monsters, the oft-unexpressed creative benefits of serialised comics and the pitfalls of the "all ages" label in American comic books. Enjoy!

It was a fun interview. Take a look when you have a moment!

Testing Testing 123

2010-03-10T19:20:00.003-05:00

Hey this is just a test. Blogger is getting rid of their FTP hosted service, so I had to transfer this "blog" that I use to post news to a blogger address. Let's hope this works.

Also you may have to update your RSS feeds.

This blog has moved

2010-03-10T17:43:00.001-05:00

This blog is now located at http://tragic-planet.blogspot.com/.
You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here.

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://tragic-planet.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default.

Cavemen in Space Short Story

2010-03-09T10:09:00.003-05:00

A few years ago, before starting on Cavemen in Space, I did a little warm up story with all of the characters and motifs that I wanted to use. It was a good exercise and I made the story into a mini-comic. The mini has since gone out of print, so I thought that I should share the story online for all to see! The story is full-color and features all of the characters, if somewhat briefly, from the book. Enjoy!

I have updated my Comics section with a link, or you can read the story directly here.

Remember, you have about a month to donate to the CiS Fund and to preorder the book at your local comic shop!

Cavemen in Space Solicited in Previews!

2010-02-25T09:39:00.003-05:00

Cavemen in Space is solicited in the March issue of the Previews catalog (to ship in May) which hit stores yesterday! It's even marked as "Certified Cool!"

Cavemen in Space by Joey Weiser
Distributed by AdHouse Books

Details:
4C cover
248 1C pages
5″ x 7.5″ SC
$14.95 US funds
ISBN 978-0-615-34445-4
Shipping May 2010
Diamond Order Code: MAR10 0679

AdHouse Cavemen Page
Joey Weiser Site
Download a PDF preview
Amazon Page (Click "Search Inside The Book" for more preview pages. I recommend ordering from your local comic shop or via the AdHouse site)

Go out to your local comic shop and request/recommend a copy today!

Richard on Monster Isle

2010-02-17T10:17:00.008-05:00

This week's Monster Isle features CiS Fund Level 9 donor, Richard! Congrats and thank you Richard!

Check out the Cavemen in Space Fundraiser page to learn more about how YOU could take a trip to Monster Isle!

CiS Fund Month 2: BONUS PRIZES!

2010-02-02T12:22:00.002-05:00

Well, we're entering the second month of my Cavemen in Space Fundraiser. What's happening?

In the first month we've raised $1548! I am very grateful to those who have supported by donating and/or spreading the word. This leaves me with about 2 months to raise $2000. Things are looking good so far, but I can't afford to slow down!

If you haven't already, I encourage everyone to check out my blog for a weekly in-depth look at each of the donation levels. So far I've posted a lot about my new mini-comics series Mermin, with some preview art and a review of my first books, The Ride Home and Tales of Unusual Circumstance. Coming up is more info about Cavemen in Space itself, some examples of custom artwork made for donators, and more!

The other big development is that I've introduced some bonus prizes for donators of $150 or more! The first 4 to donate Level 7 or up will receive individual, handcrafted woolly mammoths! More info and photos about that can be seen here.

I appreciate any support, be it donations or assistance spreading the word. Please take a look at CiS Fund to see what kinds of rewards you can receive for donations!

Support Cavemen in Space - Get Prizes!

2010-01-04T09:43:00.002-05:00

As some of you may know, I have recently completed my second graphic novel, Cavemen in Space. I plan to self-publish and distribute through AdHouse Books this Spring, but I need your help!

Inspired by folks like Liz Baillie and Jamie Tanner, I have launched a fundraiser to raise the raise the money required to publish Cavemen in Space! And as a thank you for donating, I have several different rewards based on the level of donation!

Go to the donation page to see the details, but rewards for donating include original art, comics, and more! And if you can't afford to donate, you can still support the cause by sharing this page with others on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, email, cave walls, etc!

So, click here to see how you can be the first to read my newest projects, receive original art, and even appear in a comic yourself!!

Big Sale @ AdHouse!

2009-11-25T18:38:00.004-05:00

AdHouse Books is having a TOTALLY AWESOME SALE at the moment! Now's a great time to stock up on art/comics/cool stuff gifts for cheap. Amongst the books on sale are The Ride Home for only $3.95 and Superior Showcase #2 for only $1!! And hey, Superior Showcase was recently named one of the best superhero projects of the decade by The Comics Reporter!

There are a ton of great books on sale though, so even if you (and your friends, relatives, and friends' & relatives' friends and relatives) already have my books and feel like trying something new, I recommend giving AdHouse's other books a try! One thing I can tell ya for sure is AdHouse puts together a nice book.

Good-Bye Nick Mag!

2009-11-25T18:04:00.002-05:00

The current issue of Nickelodeon Magazine is THE FINAL ISSUE! This is very sad news that has been circulating around the comics community for several months, but it tears at my heartstrings thinking of all the kids who read Nick Mag who just learned the news when the issue hit the stands.

This is a somewhat bittersweet event for me, however, because this issue also sees my first (and only!) publication within the magazine! I wrote a SpongeBob comic that is actually the first comic in the issue! Here is an excerpt so you'll know what to look for:

Art by Gregg Schigiel, Jeff Albrecht, Comicraft, and Wes Dzioba

The issue is packed full of fun comics by the likes of Chris Duffy, Alec Longstreth, Mark Martin, Sam Henderson, as well as a few little "good bye" features to mark the occasion. I recommend everyone go out to their local spot to pick up finer magazines and check it out!

New Webcomic: Monster Isle!

2009-09-16T00:04:00.003-04:00

I would like to welcome you to Monster Isle! This is a new weekly webcomic by yours truly featuring the monstrous Gargantura (or “Gary” to his friends), Torgo, and Gil and their day-to-day life on the tropical island they inhabit.

A black & white version of Monster Isle originally appears in the weekly Athens, Georgia publication Jake. A week later, each strip will appear online and in full, glorious color. So, bookmark the site or subscribe to the RSS Feed so that you won’t miss these guys every week!

SPX 2009

2009-09-11T10:07:00.002-04:00

Let's talk about SPX for a second, shall we? Well, September 26-27, my favorite convention will be held in Bethesda, Maryland!

I will be at tables A3A-A4 along with Eleanor Davis, Drew Weing, David Yoder, Adam Aylard, Kevin Burkhalter, and David Mack! Not only that, but we'll be right next to Brett Muller and Pranas Naujokaitis, just around the corner from Oni Press, and across the aisle from some cool folks including Kate Beaton, John Campbell, and David Malki !, so come by our area and get immersed in comic-awesomeness!

At SPX, I will have copies on hand of The Ride Home, Tales of Unusual Circumstance, and The Late-Night Gang. I will also have my Kaiju Life postcards and FLUKE posters. Somehow I'll cram it all into my portion of table! Also, I'll have two anthology contributions debuting at the show!
I have a Lemmings story, "Follow the Leader" in Life Meter 3! This is exciting because I've been wanting to contribute to LM for some time now. Volume 3 has a great contributor's list, and the profits will be donated to charity. So, pick up the book (I'm assuming it'll be with Dave Roman at tables H7-H8)!
Also, a brand new Late-Night Gang story, "Trick or Treat!" will be appearing in Subterranean 2, the great mini-comics anthology by Danger Park. This gem will be at table C12! Pick it up if you like good stuff!

Monster Isle in Jake

2009-09-09T18:26:00.002-04:00

Starting this week, I will have a regular feature in the free weekly paper distributed around Athens and the UGA campus, Jake! So, if you're an Athens resident, I recommend you pick up Jake on a weekly basis (new issues come out on Thursdays) and check it out!

The strip is titled "Monster Isle" and features characters from this year's FLUKE anthology. The first strip hits the streets tomorrow, September 10th, so next time you're downtown or somewhere that Jake can be found, pick it up to meet these frightening creatures:

Two Pieces of News

2009-08-31T23:08:00.004-04:00

Hello! A couple of things to report this week -

The incredible new graphic novel, The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook is out now for all the world to enjoy! The book is by my pals Eleanor Davis & Drew Weing, and colored by myself and the lovely Michele Chidester. Check out the SSA website for preview pages, character bios and more!

In other news, I'll be at the Decatur Book Festival this Saturday, September 5th. I'll be accompanying Eleanor, Drew, and several other Georgia cartoonists on the "Minicomics Masterpieces" panel. See Chris Schweizer's write-up for more info about our panel and the other comics-related panels at the show this weekend! Sounds like a lot of great stuff going on, so if you're close enough to stop by, I'd love to see you there!

Last Week to Buy My Books From ACC Library!

2009-08-09T21:05:00.003-04:00

Just a reminder that this is the last week to buy my books from the Athens-Clarke County Library! The books are on sale until Thursday, August 13th.

Original Art, Posters, and Prints For Sale!

2009-06-26T01:52:00.002-04:00

More info about it here, but basically I have updated my store page with original art from Heroes Con, as well as the previously sold-out FLUKE poster, and the Kaiju Life postcard set!

Heroes Con 2009

2009-06-22T23:04:00.002-04:00

I posted a brief photo report about my time at Heroes Con on my blog! Check it out!

Heroes Con

2009-06-12T03:29:00.004-04:00

Heroes Con is coming up in a week! I will be at Indie Island, sharing some space with Stephen Floyd of One Percent Press. I'll have copies of The Ride Home, Tales of Unusual Circumstace, and The Late-Night Gang (making it's first appearance at a larger show) for sale.

Also, making their convention debut will be a postcard set of my Kaiju Life illustration series, which will be available individually and as a set!

This will be my first time attending Heroes Con, but from what I hear, original art and sketches are popular at this event. I think this year I'm going to just feel it out, and not bring up any of my original pages, but I will be selling 5.5"x7" custom ink drawings, probably around $10 each depending on a variety of factors. In preparation for this, I went out and purchased a fancy brush pen, some nice paper, and a Pandapple bag to carry my supplies in! I was itching to try out my new pen, and to get some practice drawing superheroes, so here are the sample drawings that I will be bringing to the show:

The final sketch is an example of something that was a bit more complex, with several characters, overlapping elements, etc, that I would charge a little more for. But that kind of discussion can come up at the show. These 4 sample sketches will be on sale, but as I did them at home, put a *little* more care into them, and since they are more specifically for the purpose of examples for my table, I will ask a little more for them as well.

I hope to see you at the show! If you'll be there, please stop by my table and say "hi!"

Books on sale in Athens

2009-06-09T23:56:00.002-04:00

Hey! Do you live in Athens, Georgia? If so, you might be interested to hear that The Ride Home, Tales of Unusual Circumstance, and The Late-Night Gang are on sale at the Athens-Clarke County Library book store from June 10 - August 13!

This is a great, easy place for you or your children to purchase my books. However, they'll only be there for a limited time. I should also note that (in case you come across this message too late) these books are also available at the Bizzaro Wuxtry, the local comic shop. There is no time limit for how long they'll be there, but I can't guarantee that the Wuxtry will always be stocked.

So, if you or someone you know does not own one or more of these books, would like to, and wishes to support some local businesses, there are a couple options! Spread the word!

Evolution of a Page

2009-05-26T17:43:00.003-04:00

Inspired by many cartoonist friends of mine, I've put together a step-by-step guide to how I make a page of Cavemen in Space! Take a look!

LNG Summer Special #1

2009-05-14T14:26:00.003-04:00

The other night, I had a dream that I was drawing the cover to "The Late-Night Gang Summer Special #1." No such comic exists, but I decided to draw the cover anyway. You can see the larger picture at my blog!

New Comic and Illustrations Added to Site!

2009-05-01T23:52:00.007-04:00

Just a quick note that I've added some new content to the Comics and Illustration sections of my site. There you can see a new full-color comic, as well as a few of the recent illustrations that I've done.

Free Comic Book Day!

2009-04-30T12:25:00.003-04:00

Free Comic Book Day is Saturday, May 2nd! I will be at the Bizarro Wuxtry in Athens, doing some drawings (possibly/probably working on Cavemen in Space) and give out free sketches to anyone who wants them. It's going to be a real casual affair, but I'll be there like noon-ish to two-ish. Joining me will be Drew Weing, Eleanor Davis, Patrick Dean, and maybe others? Stop by, pick up some free comics, and say "hi" to some local cartoonists!

LNG Interview on The Pulse

2009-04-03T17:26:00.003-04:00

The Pulse has just posted an interview with me regarding The Late-Night Gang, my new mini-comic debuting at FLUKE this weekend. Check it out for some preview pages and a chat with me and Jen Contino about the book!

Guest Artist @ Partyka

2009-04-01T09:47:00.002-04:00

I am pleased and proud to announce that during the month of April, I will be the Partyka guest artist! For those that don't know, Partyka is a collective of excellent artists including Shawn Cheng, Matt Wiegle, and John Mejias! I highly recommend you check out there stuff, and consider buying some of their top notch mini-comics (The Monkey & The Crab and The Four Husbands are particular favorites of mine) and other products!

Anyway, they do daily drawings on their front page, and each month they feature a different guest artists. Past guests includes great folks like Eleanor Davis, Chris Wright, and Dustin Harbin! The series of illustrations I did for the site is called "Kaiju Life" and the entire set can be viewed at my guest page. I had a lot of fun with these drawings, and tried to tackle some slightly (and sometimes not-so-slightly) different coloring techniques with each one. Every four days you can check back to see one of mine featured. However, if I were you I'd check back on a regular basis to see what Shawn, Matt, and John are up to as well! Enjoy!

FLUKE is Almost Here

2009-03-28T01:33:00.003-04:00

One week until FLUKE! I will be there with plenty of copies of The Ride Home, Tales of Unusual Circumstance, my new mini-comic The Late-Night Gang, and the last remaining copies of the Cavemen in Space mini. Also at the show will be the brand new FLUKE 2009 Anthology which features a story by yours truly titled, "Meanwhile on Monster Isle." Finally, I'll have a few FLUKE posters (of both vintage and neon varieties) for sale at the show. After FLUKE, if I have any left, I may make them available for purchase online. So if you'd like a poster and can't make it to the show, let me know!

Lately, I've been indulging my love of Japanese monster movies, as you can see from my FLUKE poster and anthology contribution. There will be more news real soon regarding even more art following this path...

Kevin's Journal Comic

2009-03-22T23:58:00.003-04:00

Kevin Burkhalter has set aside the events of February 2009 in his journal comic to be drawn by a variety of guests! Today he has posted my strip, Feb. 3! I was excited by this project, and I must admit, it was pretty strange drawing a journal strip for someone else...

Anyway, you can keep an eye on his website for new strips as they are posted, or for those on LiveJournal, you can friend Kevin for easy updates!

Half-Way There!

2009-03-16T19:06:00.003-04:00

Here's what half of Cavemen in Space looks like!

It makes quite a "thud" when it hits the table. On track to be out in 2010!

Michele Chidester Dot Com

2009-03-15T23:32:00.002-04:00

My wife, Michele Chidester, decided to redesign her website a bit, and retool her Paintings and Sculpture pages!

With the redesign also comes lots of new work on the newly updated Paintings page, so you should check it out to see the exciting new directions she's been heading in. And for those who haven't seen her work before, she also has a number of soft sculptures on the Sculpture page based off of characters by cartoonists including Chris Wright's Killian, David Yoder's Elephano, and Eleanor Davis's Rat Seller!

Please take a look! There's all sorts of great stuff to see!

The Late-Night Gang!

2009-03-13T12:39:00.002-04:00

From the pages of Tales of Unusual Circumstance comes....

Henry of the Black Lagoon in "Bad Apple!"

Victor Vampire in "Just Desert(s) Please!"

Andrew, Son of Frankenstein in "You Got It Andrew!"

This $2 mini-comic will be at FLUKE, Heroes Con, and SPX this year, but is now available for order! More details on how to purchase The Late-Night Gang as well as other books directly from me can be found on my new Ordering Info page!

Awsome 2: Awesomer

2009-03-07T18:34:00.004-05:00

Indie Spinner Rack's Mr. Phil is starting to announce the creators involved with their second anthology, Awesome 2: Awesomer on the ISR forum, and so I suppose it's finally official! I have a story in the book, to be published this May by Top Shelf! Here's the info:

You can't keep a great indie anthology down! The boys at Indie Spinner Rack
have been producing the premiere indie comics podcast for over three years,
and in 2007 produced the aptly-titled AWESOME anthology. Now they're back,
along with a few dozen of their friends and favorite guests... who happen to be
some of the greatest cartoonists in the industry!

A 200+ page 6x9 softcover anthology with bonus mini-comic. $14.95 retail.
Once again half the proceeds will go to a student scholarship to the Center for Cartoon Studies.
On sale May 27, 2009. Pre-order yours today with Diamond code: MAR094431

CONTRIBUTOR LIST:
This contributor list will be updated daily until all the 50+ creators are revealed!

Liz Baillie (My Brain Hurts, Sing Along Forever)
Alex Cahill (Poison the Cure)
J. Chris Campbell (Zig Zag, Attic Bugs)
Chris Duffy (Nickelodeon Magazine editor)
Ryan Dunlavey (Comic Book Comics, Action Philosophers!)
Ulises Farinas (ACT-I-VATE's MOTRO, Popgun)
Sarah Glidden (How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less)
Robert Goodin (The Man Who Loved Breasts, Mome)
Jeff Lemire (The Essex County Trilogy, Vertigo's The Nobody)
MK Reed (Cross Country, Papercutter)
Alex Robinson (Too Cool to Be Forgotten, Tricked, Box Office Poison)
Chris Schweizer (Crogan's Vengeance, Crogan's March)
Zach Taylor (The Miner and the Cave That Ate Time)
Fred Van Lente (Comic Book Comics, Action Philosophers!, Marvel Zombies, X-Men Noir)
Joey Weiser (The Ride Home, Tales of Unusual Circumstance)

Cover art by the legendary Jeff Smith (Bone, Rasl)
Designed once again by Jon Adams (the Eisner nominated Truth Serum)

Edited by Charlito and Mister Phil.

Above is a panel from my story, "Meet My Girlfriend The Hopping Vampire!" Already a little outdated, as Michele and I were recently married, but an enjoyable tale of love, life, and the undead nonetheless!

So, go out to your local comic shop and preorder your copy!

New Link and Site Maintenance

2009-02-10T23:38:00.002-05:00

Just a quick note to let you know that AuthorHouse (Print-on-Demand publishers of Tales of Unusual Circumstance) have recently updated their website, and so the link to purchase my book has changed. As always, the book is also available for purchase from me directly, but I have updated the links on my website to reflect the change. Those of you who have not yet acquired this collection could use this news as a reminder to get on that! The books are cheaper to buy from me, when you take shipping into consideration, plus I will personally sign & sketch in it if you'd like! Still, buying from AuthorHouse is a slightly more convenient option, so I want to make that available to everyone.

Anyway... While I was at it, I went ahead and updated the Links and Recent Projects info on the sidebar, as well as put a few upcoming works on the About page. Of course, proper announcements for all of these (and more?) will come as their individual publication dates draw closer!

FLUKE Poster

2009-02-04T09:46:00.009-05:00

Hey look! I designed this year's FLUKE poster! For more details check out the FLUKE website, where you can download a .pdf of the "vintage" version to print out yourself and hand out or hang around town! Or you are welcome to take any three of these .jpg's (although, I'll admit that the last one is a little hard to read...) to post on your website or blog.

Awesome!

2009-02-02T01:50:00.001-05:00

Indie Spinner Rack is back! They recently posted Episode 147, and it Charlito spills a few beans about their second anthology, Awesome 2: Awesomer! Follow the link to read about some neat stuff regarding Awesome 2. Published by Top Shelf, cover by Jeff Smith, included mini-comic...lots of cool stuff! And listen about 18 minutes into the new ISR episode to hear about some of the creators involved.... (you might hear a familiar name or 2 *WINK WINK*)

Video Interview

2008-12-21T08:49:00.001-05:00

Indiana University student Zach Schalk recently interviewed Michele and I about my career as a cartoonist for a project he was doing for a journalism class. I thought it turned out pretty neat! I was, of course, incredibly awkward and not camera-friendly, but Michele says some sweet things, and there is footage of me working on a page of Cavemen in Space!

I have posted the video at my blog!

Comics Art Forum on Seqalab

2008-11-16T15:11:00.004-05:00

For those of you who couldn't attend the Comics Art Forum at SCAD, you can still hear the panel discussion from the first night! It was recorded and has been broadcast as Episode 51 of the Seqalab podcast. It was a pretty interesting discussion, primarily focusing on how to "make it" as a cartoonist. Can you pick my voice out?

And speaking of Seqalab, I was also mentioned a couple of times on Episode 50! Thanks guys! Kevin first describes a bit about how the workshop I held went, and later I'm brought up in a discussion about being able to come out with material on a frequent basis for people who attend conventions and want to be able to buy something new from you each time. In my defense, though, I feel I should mention that Tales of Unusual Circumstance and my Cavemen in Space mini were both published early this year, and debuted at FLUKE, over the summer my "Timecat" story was published in Flight Vol. 5, and then at SPX a story of mine appeared in the Elephano anthology. So I may not have had a new mini each at each show this year, but I did have a relatively steady flow of work out there.

Back from Comics Art Forum

2008-11-14T00:18:00.002-05:00

I had a great time last weekend, at SCAD's Comics Art Forum! Read more about it at my blog!

Comics Art Forum XV

2008-10-29T20:22:00.002-04:00

November 6th-8th I will be in Savannah as a guest of the Savannah College of Art & Design's Fifteenth Annual Comics Art Forum! You can read all about the details here, but basically I'll be at SCAD all weekend taking part in a panel discussion, giving portfolio reviews, teaching workshops, and attending an exhibition featuring original art of mine and the other visiting artists. Here's the basic schedule:

Thursday, November 6th
6:00-8:00pm Panel Discussion @ Arnold Hall Auditorium.

Friday, November 7th
10:00am-1:00pm Workshop #1 (Norris Hall)
2:30pm-5:00pm Portfolio Reviews

Saturday, November 8th
11:00am-2:00pm Workshop #2 (Norris Hall)
6:00pm-8:00pm Reception at the Red Gallery

And here's the info on workshop that I'll be having:

Creative Problem Solving

There is more than one way to write a comic! Weiser will discuss a method for writing and conceptualizing that can jump-start the creative process and battle issues like writer’s block. He will show examples from his work as well as others. Students will then challenge each other using an unconventional writing method provided by Weiser, and each produce a one-page collaborative comic. Please bring drawing/inking supplies and at least one piece of bristol.

The workshops and portfolio reviews are for students, of course, but the panel discussion and the gallery reception are open to the public! So if you're in the area please stop by and say "hello!" As for the students in SCAD, I look forward to seeing and/or meeting you, working together with you, and hanging out! It's going to be a great weekend, so I'll see you there!

SPX Report

2008-10-08T00:43:00.002-04:00

I'm back from SPX, and I had a great time! I wrote a small report at my blog. Kept it short. Next year, I'll have to force myself to take photos! Well, it was very nice meeting/seeing you all. I miss you already!!

SPX!

2008-09-24T12:59:00.002-04:00

SPX is almost here!!! I'm very excited! I love this show more than any else. I'll be at table B1-2 with Michele Chidester, David Yoder, Drew Weing, and hopefully others! We'll be right around the corner (and across the aisle) from Oni, and right next to some fellow SCAD students Falynn Koch and Pranus Navjokaitis!

I will have the same offerings that I had at MoCCA -- The Ride Home, Tales of Unusual Circumstance, and the Cavemen in Space mini-comic. Debuting at the show is....

The Elephano Anthology!!! You may have heard about this book last year when David Yoder (who partially conceived this project, and is the head dude over the thing) was dashing around like a madman inviting contributors and spreading the word... Well, the book is scheduled to be out and available at the show! From what I've seen this book is gonna be pretty awesome...I don't have a full list of cartoonists in the book, but I can throw a few out there: David Yoder, Joey Weiser (me!), Jason Rainey, Douglas Frey, JP Coovert!

So yeah, I have a new story in that, based off of my own personal experience working in a magic shop while I was in Savannah... Come by the table and say "hi!"

My Blog

2008-08-17T01:39:00.002-04:00

Did you know that I have a blog?

Well, yes, technically this section of my website that you are currently reading is a blog of sorts, but I keep the updates on my website mostly professional news related. However, if you would like to check out my LiveJournal you will see the same news updates amongst the more "personal" updates (usually regarding pop culture stuff I enjoy or other random, silly stuff I feel like sharing).

So, if all you'd like to see is news regarding my recent comics work and appearances, this is the spot for you. But I just thought I'd point out my other blog, just in case you're interested in that sort of thing!

Jump into the Future!

2008-08-17T01:28:00.004-04:00

Well, the reviews for Flight 5 are coming in, and it looks like people like Timecat!

J. Caleb Mozzocco had this to say:

Joe Weiser (The Ride Home) tells the story of Timecat, a cat with the power to travel forward in time simply by thinking hard enough. He’s hungry and wants fed, but his master won’t give him any food for a few hours. Lucky for him, by thinking really hard for a few minutes, and then checking the clock, he realizes he has moved forward in time—but only a few minutes.

It’s a really great gag, and Weiser plays it to the hilt.

And over at Newsarama, Michael May writes:

Remember how I said I was a cat person? Joey Weiser’s “Timecat” is for me. Leading with a splash page of a cat leaping through time, Weiser convincingly explains how cats really can travel into the future when they’re hungry enough. Your fondness for this may be directly proportional to your love for cats, but I was completely charmed.

Reviews aside, Timecat has given me the most positive reader feedback of all my Flight stories. Now, I wasn't intending on making a comic for "cat people," but sometimes it just works out that way. I guess when you spend most of your at-home hours with your cat, and decide to draw a comic about how much she likes to be fed...

Anyway, I appreciate all the kind words. Thanks a lot everyone!

One Week Left!

2008-08-08T12:16:00.003-04:00

Just a reminder that there's only one week left of The Ride Home's 1 Year Birthday offer! So, if you want some free art, now's the time to act! Here are a couple examples of sketches already sent to people:

Flight 5 Preview Online

2008-07-21T20:21:00.004-04:00

The complete preview of Flight 5 is up! You can check out bits of each story, including half of mine. The image above is the actual title page, not the one shown in the preview. This is the page that had the most revisions, so things got a bit confusing, and I don't blame them for getting a little mixed up. In fact, the credit for the design in the preview should go to Neil Babra!

Flight Volume 5

2008-07-17T17:42:00.003-04:00

Flight Volume 5 is coming! It will be at the San Diego Comic-Con, and in stores soon. Newsarama has an interview with Kazu regarding the new volume, and it gives a good impression of what the book is like. There are also several previews on Newsarama, but not one for mine yet. Maybe there will be? I'm not sure. So, keep an eye out for the next couple of weeks, if you'd like, but I can't promise anything.

My story is titled "Timecat," and is a true life story about my cat's delusions of time travel. Interesting note: As Kazu mentions in his interview, this volume of Flight features its longest stories yet, with several over 30 pages long (some over 40, even)! However, "Timecat" is my shortest story to appear in Flight, at only 8 pages. Still, it is maybe my favorite contribution, as it marks my return to direct and fun gag humor. This one could have fit right in with the Tales of Unusual Circumstance material!

Happy Birthday, Nodo!

2008-07-10T21:56:00.004-04:00

Well, the San Diego Comic-Con is approaching, and unfortunately, I won't be there. I do have a new story in Flight 5, which will be debuting at the show. So if you're attending, stop by the Flight table and pick up a copy! The Flight table is always tons of fun, with lots of artists, books, and sketching!

But! What this time of year also signifies is that it's been almost 1 year since The Ride Home debuted at SDCC '07! And just in time, a new review has surfaced from Shuffleboil!

Many of you who are reading this already own a copy, most likely, but for those who don't, now would be a great time to purchase one from the AdHouse Store, Amazon.com, or anywhere else that finer comic books are sold (but personally, I recommend the AdHouse Store)! And, hey, already own a copy for yourself? The Ride Home would make an excellent gift for a friend (or a friend's kids!)!

Now for the really good news: To celebrate The Ride Home's first birthday, I'm offering a gift to you! If you can send me some sort of proof that you've purchased a copy of The Ride Home between the dates of July 10th, 2008 and August 15th, 2008, I will send you an original TRH drawing, and charge you only enough to cover postage! That's $2 for regular shipping, $5 for priority, and $10 international. If you are familiar with TRH, you may request specifics in the drawing, or I can make it a surprise! You can send copies of dated reciepts, shipping notices, photos of you at comic shops purchasing TRH, etc. to joey [at] tragic-planet [dot] com ! You have until August 15th, but why wait??

Mission: Accomplished!

2008-06-28T07:45:00.003-04:00

It gave me great satisfaction to find this on my MySpace yesterday:

By Tolling (Age 7)

I think seeing a 7-year-old draw one of my characters is pretty much one of my basic goals in life.

Sketchin'

2008-06-21T11:07:00.002-04:00

Devoting most of my time to coloring The Secret Science Alliance for Eleanor, I haven't inked in a while. Here's a warm-up I recently did to prepare for a new short that I'm working on:

This is a character from the comic. I accidentally extended the black on one of her sleeves too long, and forgot to do the fingers on that side, apparently. Oh well! It's just a sketch anyway!

12 Hour Comic Day!

2008-06-16T23:44:00.003-04:00

The Monroe County Public Library, here in Bloomington, is having a 12 Hour Comic Day this Thursday, June 19, from 9am - 9pm! I unfortunately can't make it the whole day but I'll be there some time after 5pm. I'm going to bring some of my published work as well as a new short comic that I'm in the middle of, which I'll be working on for the night. If you are in the Monroe County area, I'd love to meet you, share work, and talk about comics!

MoCCA!

2008-05-31T14:50:00.004-04:00

The MoCCA Art Fest is next weekend! I'll be there, at AdHouse's table (A31, A32) where I'll have copies of the books pictured above. This is the first large convention where Tales of Unusual Circumstance and the Cavemen in Space mini-comic will be, so I'm looking forward to getting those in the hands of as many people as possible! And this is the first time that The Ride Home will be at MoCCA, so if you haven't picked that up yet, now's a perfectly good opportunity!

This is my first time in New York since I was a little kid, so I'm nervous and excited! See you there!

Podcast and FCBD

2008-04-23T20:45:00.002-04:00

Two news items:

First, The Dollar Bin has posted a podcast from FLUKE that contains an interview with several exhibitors, including myself. I was interviewed for 2 different podcasts that day, and they were my first experience with live interviews, so please excuse any panic you might hear in my voice. Is that really what I sound like? Anyway, I come in about 2 1/2 minutes in and talk about various stuff. They also did another FLUKE podcast where they talk to cool folks like Dustin Harbin, J Chris Campbell, and Robert Newsome.

Secondly, Free Comic Book Day is Saturday, May 3rd! I'll be doing a signing at local Bloomington comic shop, Vintage Phoenix! I'll have copies of both of my books for sale, as well as some of my old minis, which are still in stock there. I'm not planning on selling my Cavemen in Space minis, but I may bring a couple along anyway. So, stop by if you're in the area, get some free comics and say "hi!"

Tales Reviewed at Daily Cross Hatch

2008-04-19T10:10:00.002-04:00

My new collection, Tales of Unusual Circumstance, was recently reviewed by The Daily Cross Hatch! Don't expect to see a ton of reviews come in for Tales, because I don't plan on giving it a huge PR push, but a friend of Brian's recommended that I send in a copy, so there you have it! Perhaps another couple reviews will pop up after a few conventions , but mostly I just like having a nice big book collecting my minis and other random short story work that's floating around there in the world.

Speaking of the Tales book, please notice that I've added a new link on the left sidebar of my site linking directly to my news post regarding how to order books from me directly. It sold better than expected at FLUKE, so I've just ordered a second shipment of books, and plan on keeping them in stock, especially during the convention season. For the moment, at least, Tales is not available through any distributors like Diamond or Last Gasp, so if you aren't going to see me at MoCCA or SPX, mail order's the only way to get ahold of the book!

Back from FLUKE

2008-04-17T20:05:00.002-04:00

My photo report from FLUKE is now up at my LiveJournal. Check it out! I had a great time in Athens, and these photos only capture a small piece of that...

Also at FLUKE...

2008-04-07T19:22:00.005-04:00

FLUKE is almost here! As a reminder, I will have The Ride Home ($9), Tales of Unusual Circumstance ($10), and the Cavemen in Space mini ($4) for sale.

Sharing a table with me will be the lovely Michele Chidester! Michele contributed to the totally awesome FLUKE #7, and last year her Invention minis were a hit! Well, she's stepped it up a notch this year with her new incredible book, Cacophony!

Here's Michele enjoying her new creations!

These books are an amazing conglomeration of paintings, drawings, and photos, all bound together on multi-colored felts! It's a sight to behold. The time and labor-intensive process it took to make these things makes the $12 price tag a modest fee. Not to mention their sheer size! These things are bricks! Check it out:

This is an extremely limited edition of 13, and no two copies are the same! So get 'em while you can!

Also at our table will be the journal comics of David Yoder, who will unfortunately be missing FLUKE to visit the Center for Cartoon Studies, where he will be attending for the next two years. David Yoder's Awesome Journal minis are $2 each, or you can get a full set of 10 for $10!

Cavemen in Space!

2008-03-21T23:00:00.005-04:00

FLUKE is next month, and I'll be there! Of course, I will have copies of The Ride Home and Tales of Unusual Circumstance for sale. Unfortunately, the Tales book pretty much makes it pointless to reprint my old minis, so those will no longer be for sale. This sort of clashes with the fact that FLUKE is a mini-comics show, but I have some news that might make up for it...

Debuting at this wonderful little show will be my Cavemen in Space mini-comic! The CiS mini is a full-color 12 page comic that gives an introduction to my next graphic novel of the same name! This story will not be in the graphic novel, but serves as an introduction to the characters and motifs that will appear in the final book. This mini will be exclusively sold at the conventions that I visit this year. It is not available for mail order, and whether or not I will continue to bring it with me to conventions post-SPX '08 is yet to be determined!

If that doesn't get your collectors' fires burning, there is one more fun little tidbit! I am a child of the 90's after all, so I'm somewhat tickled to announce that the Cavemen in Space mini will have 3 variant covers:

Cover A - All Star Chart (front & back)

Cover B - All SPACE (front & back)

Cover C - Mixed (SPACE front & Star Chart back)

Exciting, eh? The inside content is the same, so I don't recommend buying all 3. However, I think the choice makes it a bit more fun!

Talking with Tim

2008-03-10T23:44:00.004-04:00

I was recently interviewed by Tim O'Shea of the pop culture blog, Talking with Tim. Tim's a great interviewer, and we went pretty much everywhere from The Ride Home to my new Tales collection and beyond!

Take a minute to read it for some insight into my previously published work, as well as some new info on my contribution to a future volume of Flight, and to David Yoder's Elephano anthology!

Tales for Sale

2008-03-06T16:51:00.002-05:00

My first shipment of Tales of Unusual Circumstance books has arrived!

Anyone who would like to purchase a copy directly from me is welcome to contact me by e-mail. The books are $10 each plus $2 for book rate, $5 for priority, or $10 for international shipping. I will also sign them if requested!

I'll also be selling them at FLUKE, MoCCA, and SPX this year. So, if you're able to make it to one of those fine shows, I'll see you there!

Welcome to the New Tragic Planet!

2008-03-02T09:16:00.002-05:00

Hello and welcome to the new and improved Tragic Planet!

More news to come soon, but for the moment take a look around! If you're afraid you missed anything, I still have a link to my 2004 - 2007 (which actually includes Feb. '08) News Archives at the sidebar to your right. And if you're nostalgic for some of my older Art & Stories that I did not repost on the new design, there are links to them as well under the "Comics" and "Illustration" sections.

Just a reminder, my new book, Tales of Unusual Circumstance, is now available! More info on that can be read here.