Let's Recap, Shall We?

It's that time of year again... I've got a new magazine to do fine art for, and taxes to be done, so things comic strip wise are going to unfortunately slow down for a bit.  If you haven't checked in lately, though, a LOT has been going on.  I figured we better do a recap to get us all caught up. :0)

First of, we've had some new books come out lately, and new editions.  Also, some new products, and a brand new Knight and Day story that's quite different from what has come before.

HappyGlyphs Comics has gone digital!  I mentioned in my last post that eBook sales were not what I expected, but they are starting to pick up, and I have learned one thing in the publishing biz, and that's that selling books can take time when you don't have a multi-million dollar aadvertising budget. :0)

We currently have 3 eBooks available, and another one on the way.  What's important to know is that each of the eBooks offers some new material that hasn't seen print before, or even been on the web.

3 Knights in India

3 Knights in India (click the name below the pics to go to the site) is much the same as the print version, except we had the opportunity to present a lot of the artwork in it's original color format, the way it should be seen!  I've also added at least one new drawing, and colored some new material.  Also, the digital version of all the books is cheaper than the print version, so getting the books on Kindle is a great way to try them out.

The Inquiring Minds: Cattle X-ing

The Inquiring Minds: Kiss My Spleezix?!

Both of The Inquiring Minds eBooks are kid friendly collections for all ages, and both contain new or very rare material, all in full color!  Together, they cover all the dailies and sunday cartoons to date, except for the Ghost Pirate Skeletons of Three Craters Lake material, which will be coming seperately.  Many of the daily cartoons from Cattle X-ing have not been seen for years, if at all.

Take Me Away From All This!!10th Anniversary Edition

Take Me Away From All This!! is our flagship title.  My first book, and my most successful book to date, although to be fair it's had a head start on the others.  Take Me Away turns ten this year(!) and so I have re-released it at a special low price.  Read more about this print book in my last blog post.  It is still a very funny book, and is essential to fans of the latest Knight and Day strips to see how the strip began.

Carried Away T-shirt

New product-wise, we have the Sheep-nabbing Alien T-shirt!  This awesome black shirt features our mascot being carried away in the night, in vibrant colors.  I also have a new collectible coming out, which I'll talk about when it gets here.

Finally, I have a very special short story coming out in the next S.P.A.C.E. (small press and creator owned comics expo)  anthology collection, this spring.  it features Knight and Day in a very different type of story, and those who have seen it agree that it is quite special. I'll give you the details as soon as I get them.

And, of course, there's always new comic strips coming to the home page, and to our facebook page, with the new comic book and comic strip collection in the works.

Whew!  it's good to recap, just to see how busy I've been. :0)

Cheers,    JOHN :0)

The Big 300!

Tomorrow is my birthday... and no, I'm not turning 300, but I find it serendipitous that I get to draw my 300th Knight and Day daily strip to honor the occassion.  Or vice versa!  Because honestly, this is a HUGE milestone for me.

Yeah, I know... 300 strips is just a year in the life of a syndicated cartoonist, but I don't get paid to do this.  For me, it's a true labor of love, accomplished in what little spare time I have, with the occassional fan mail or book sale to spur me on. This is a very big. very proud moment for me, especially when I put these 300 strips next to the other Knight and Day cartoons I have drawn... panels and Sunday cartoons, and of course the many pages of my Knight and Day graphic novel, 3 Knights in India.  And then there's the many Sunday and daily cartoons (as well as illustrations) of The Inquiring Minds, and the hundreds of comic strips drawn before these two strips that make up my book Once Upon a Times...

Truly a big day for me, looking back at all that I've accomplished to date.  Looking back at my comics, to me, is like looking at a scrap book of my life... funny moments that I think others will relate to, embarrassing moments that I'm sure others will laugh with, and drawings of places that I've lived and visited.  Every moment was special, and so immortalised in ink on paper.

Last year at this time, I celebrated my birthday in Disney World, and it was awesome that most of the Cast Members in the park were so nice and cheery, wishing me a Happy Birthday everywhere I went, and sometimes even singing.  So, even though I'm skipping ahead a bit in the current storyline, it seems fitting that my 300th strip celebrate that special time.

Thank you for sharing this proud moment with me!    JOHN :0)

10 Years and Going Strong

Today is Free Comic Book Day!  It would also probably have been National Cartoonist's Day if Cinco de Mayo hadn't come along at the same time with its offers of drunken revelery, which someone held more appeal than offering best wishes to the Cartoonists who bring smiles to your faces.  Today, though, is even more special to me... it marks the 10th Anniversary of my comic strip Knight and Day, and my first website.

So, basically, today is the 10th Anniversary of HappyGlyphs Comics.  No, I didn't call it that back then, but that is when it all began.  The HappyGlyphs Sheep was there, and Knight and Day debuted, so it works for me.

That's funny, I just posted my very first strip from back then, and sure enough it has the date on it.  Proof positive. :0)

So, yes, it all began with that strip.  Not the very first strip I drew of Knight and Day, but the one I thought would start the strip best in the public eye.

I think it is extremely appropriate that my latest book "Once Upon A Times..." debuted this year.  That book, which is now available at the usual places, marks the 10 years I spent developing my skills as a Cartoonist, and shows all of the comic strips and Syndicate submissions that led up to Knight and Day.  Knight and Day is such a great strip because of all that great stuff that came before, including precursors to Knight and Day and The Inquiring Minds.

Yesterday's all new Knight and Day.

Very few people ever saw the strips in Once Upon A Times..., except for the people at the Syndicate offices, and a few friends.  At the time, I hadn't known a lot about the web, or making a website, and so even though I experimented, it wasn't until Knight and Day was debuted that I became what would later be called a WebCartoonist.

Now it's ten years later, and a lot has happened in that time.  Knight and Day and The Inquiring Minds have both earned accolades, such as last year's Comic Strip Superstar contest and the much earlier Comic Strip Cutting Edge program.  Both strips are still going strong, although my freelance career has had to come first.  You'll be seeing a lot more of both strips this year, as I attempt to grow HappyGlyphs Comics to the next step.  And hopefully we'll be wishing Steve and Amy a happy 10th Anniversary as well! The story is being written... :0)

Wish me luck, and please stay 'tooned!

JOHN :0)

On my iPod.... Defying Gravity... Possibly one of the greatest Sci Fi shows of all time.  Not kidding.  Check it out!