Return to the Grind!

Greetings fans! Hard to believe that it’s September already. Labor Day just whizzed right by me! Quite alot happened over the past month in the world of Carter Comics, including the tentative completion of Damn Tourists issue five, a revamp of my audio agenda facebook broadcast, and setting up an online T-shirt Shop. Even more is scheduled to go down with my return to the Convention / Art Festival circuit for the fall, so let’s get started in discussing all these happenings:

DAMN TOURISTS #5: EAST COAST CALIFORNIA: Despite the constant delays in completing this issue (I was originally scheduled to finish the entire book by the end of August), I was still able to make enough progress that I finished all illustrations for the 30-page issue. Specifically, the last ten pages (21-30) have fully pencilled work and are awaiting the inking process, while pages 11-20 are in the digital coloring process. Currently pages 1-16 are fully colored, with the final step involving the additon of dialogue and narration bubbles before sending the book off to be printed. This fifth edition chronicles the adventures of our clueless traveling foursome with superhumanly-annoying vacation habits in the Sunshine State of Florida. Fully aware of their unintentionally destructive behavior thanks to news reports of what they did previously in Las Vegas, visitor destinations such as hotels, Everglades National Park, and a parody of Walt Disney World (called “You’d Better Smile World”) attempt to prepare for their arrival with such reinforcements as protective glasses, ear muffs, and aspirin, but to no avail for them sadly. Want to know where else they go in the state, or how long said state puts up with them? You can read it for yourself next month!

NEW T-SHIRTS: As mentioned in my opening paragraph, a new online store has been set up for Carter Comics apparel. Currently, a Damn Tourists and Carter Comics logo short-sleeve shirts in all sizes has been ordered by yours truly for two out of the three September shows I am appearing at. Thanks to Teespring.com for the easy shirt design and store set-up. Once my test orders arrive, other quantities of shirts should be available online, and I may possibly purchase a bulk of shirts myself to sell at a few shows.

FALL CONVENTION AND ART FESTIVAL SCHEDULE: Here’s the biggest news of them all: After taking three months off following June’s Denver Pop Culture Con to finish Damn Tourists #5, I return to the Convention Circuit starting this month with two artwalks and one local comic/toy show. The info for those three shows is below:

Open Arts and Music Festival

Saturday, September 14th

3 pm to 10 pm

216 Brand Blvd in front of Alex Theater (Brand will be closed between California and Wilson for the festival)

ADMISSION IS FREE!!

Reseda Rising Artwalk and Night Market

Saturday, September 21st

5 pm to 10 pm

18118 Sherman Way (Sherman Way will be closed between Etiwanda and Lindley for the Artwalk)

ADMISSION IS ALSO FREE!!

San Fernando Valley Comic Con

Sunday, September 22nd

10 am to 4 pm

Granada Pavilion at 11128 Balboa Blvd (corner of Balboa and San Fernando Mission blvds.)

ADMISSION IS $6

Well, that’s if for this month. Hope to see you all at one, two, or all three of these upcoming shows! See you back here in October!

Regards,

Allen Carter

Carter Comics

Staying the course for August.

Greetings fans,

Even though I've been doing these newsletters monthly for awhile now, it seems like I haven't communicated with any of you for quite some time, which just doesn't feel right. Alot of it has to do with my decision to both end Mongoose Monthlies, and not recording any facebook audio agendas since I am taking a summer break from conventions. Nonetheless, I must, as the email header says, "stay the course" now for the sake of bigger things in store for Carter Comics down the road. Before I mention those bigger things however, I will tell you about what I've been doing during the July part of my "con break."

- Damn Tourists issue 5: East Coast California: Alot of progress has been made since last month's newsletter. Pages 11-20 have been both pencilled, inked, and taken into photoshop for digital coloring. Also, the final ten pages (21-30) have the appropriate panels and scene notes set up for my illustrations later. With the consistent work that I've been putting in each day before and after work in the past few weeks, I should still be set to have the comic finished by the end of August and ready for shows in September. My upcoming 30 page comic that takes our four clueless travelers and their superhumanly annoying vacation habits to Florida. Unlike previous issues however, the sunshine state is fully aware of how much unintentional havoc they can wreak (thanks to news footage of what they did in Las Vegas), and have prepared for their arrival. Will their obnoxious tourist reinforcements work? We'll find out together next month.

- Glendale and Reseda Artwalks; Hawaii Convention trip confirmed: Speaking of September shows, I will be returning to the convention/art festival grind in the middle of next month with two of my favorite outdoor art events: The Open Arts and Music Festival in Downtown Glendale on Saturday September 14th from 3-10 pm on Brand Blvd between California and Wilson. The event itself is free to attend, with forty or so artists, crafters live local bands, a beer garden, and discounts at nearby eateries surrounding Brand Blvd, Glendale City Center, and the Glendale Galleria. Bob Blumfield's Reseda Rising, is another fun artwalk in the heart of the San Fernando Valley, happening a week later on Saturday September 21st from 5-10 pm on Sherman Way between Etiwanda and Lindley. Much like Open Arts, Reseda Rising will have all the talented local creators with all different types of art and music that you would expect, plus food trucks and an adjoining zine (hand made book) fest in the nearby Magnolia Science Academy. Also like the Glendale Artwalk, Reseda Rising is FREE ADMISSION! And in an update from my news last month regarding my homecoming trip and appearance next year at Amazing Comic Con Aloha in February, the Honolulu, Hawaii excursion is officially a go! I have booked my flight, hotel, and reserved a rental car for what will be my first show of 2020. It will also be a return to my hometown after a seven year absence from visiting (I was born and raised on the island of Oahu from 1980-2005. my last visit was back in 2012).

Lastly, in between my comic work and my day job, I took some time out to attend a very interesting event: As and avid follower (and 50% user) of public transportation, I went to the Noho to Pasadena BRT transit meeting in Eagle Rock back on Saturday July 13th. The meeting however, resembled more of a football game than a gathering about city infrastructure. This public discussion by LA Metro was one part in a series of talks to inform the public about an proposed bus rapid transit, or BRT system, that is planned to run from North Hollywood (my current residence) to Pasadena, passing through Burbank, Glendale, and Eagle Rock along the way. The project can speed up buses by giving them dedicated lanes on surface streets or freeways, fewer stops (but in major job, retail, or residential areas), traffic signal priority, and bus stop fare payment---which allows for faster boarding through multiple bus doors. While most of the meetings in the affected cities were civil and uneventful, the meeting I was at in Eagle Rock was anything but. A packed house (with attendees such as myself spilling out from the meeting room and into the enclosed mall it took place at), with a clear division of ER residents for and against the project. People against it loudly protested having dedicated bus lanes on their four-lane main surface street, wanting it pushed away to the 134 Freeway instead, where it would do little help for the other half of the room that used and/or depended on transit to get around. In the end nothing was resolved (as the project is still in its design phase), but at least cooler heads prevailed to stop the name-calling to each other and threats to Metro.

So, that's about it for this month. Expect alot more info next month on what will be a completed Damn Tourists #5, table/tent locations for my upcoming artwalks, and maybe an announcement of some more con dates! As always, stay tuned, and see you in September!

Regards,

Allen Carter

Carter Comics

Happy Fourth everyone!

Hope you all are enjoying your holiday weekend! Quite alot has happened with Carter Comics for the month of June, with a few more surprises in store for July and beyond, so let's get started with discussing it all:

Aside from June being my birthday month, it was also the month where I was a part of two podcasts: A Dark Phoenix discussion on June 17th (available to listen at: http://fanbasepress.com/index.php/audio/podcasts/the-fanbase-weekly/item/10037-fanbase-feature-panel-discussion-on-dark-phoenix?fbclid=IwAR2VZ1MjK5zrdzJ6CXAtDeWP4GAY44LK8G19SxHEOGij-TdaxmZMI-QXfks), and a shorter but just as entertaining 100 podcast episode celebration (available to listen at: http://fanbasepress.com/index.php/audio/podcasts/the-fanbase-weekly/item/10059-the-fanbase-weekly-episode-100?fbclid=IwAR1hrd_MScCJrrL3Ky_7INkXSLLPt6oVVoatdQ8-ZqC7dY8dUuUIvjOFCVo). I also ended the run of my Mr. Figure-of-Speech Mongoose and the Mongoose Monthlies timelapse illustrations (with the last one posted last Monday), and put plans in motion to travel back home to Honolulu, Hawaii to both exhibit at the Amazing Comic Con Aloha convention, and visit friends and family.

As for this month and beyond: I am still hard at work on Damn Tourists issue 5 (nearing 20 out of 30 comic pages illustrated), prepping said comic for three artwalks from September to October, possibly returning to the San Fernando Valley Comic Con in August, and considering exhibiting at another new out-of-state show in Albuquerque next summer. Tentatively, my next show will be:

Open Arts and Music Festival Glendale

Saturday September 14th

3 pm to 10 pm

216 Brand Blvd (on Brand between California and Wilson)

FREE ADMISSION

That's all for July. By this time next month I will be nearing the final 10 pages (21-30) of the much-anticipated fifth issue of Damn Tourists,where are clueless foursome wreak their unintentional havoc in Florida. Until then, enjoy the summer and stay cool!

Regards,

Allen Carter

Carter Comics

Denver Pop Culture Con thoughts and a convention break:

Happy June fans!

It's not just a happy month because of my birthday next week, the first few days of June (and the last weekend in May) were incredibly hectic in the best way possible. I was in Denver for their re-branded Pop Culture Con May 31-June 2, and visiting distant relatives the day after. The show was quite the step-up from Awesome Con DC in terms of sales and customer interaction (alot of that had to do with taking both my Cosmic Force and Damn Tourists 100+ page trade paperbacks with me on this business trip). Selling them for $17 each, I was able to make higher sales at a quicker pace. Overall the show didn't live up to the hype that other artists gave it last year and in previous years, when Artist Alley vendors gave the con glowing reviews based on the large amounts of attendees who were purchasing new art or books from the Artist Valley and Author Alley areas. This was sadly half the case last weekend, with alot of foot traffic in the "Alley" and Valley," but very few of those feet actually stopped to look at vendor tables. Opening day Friday was a preview show, with alot of window shopping for Saturday, in which sales didn't really start for me until the late afternoon. The final day Sunday saw two more sales in the late morning and mid-afternoon. Some artists felt that the name change and lack of high-profile celebrity guests hurt attendance and sales for this year's show. I definitely agree with the name change, as talk of the show at a diner near my hotel Friday morning (thanks to news coverage of the con on the diner's TV) was already negative when the new "Pop Culture Con" name was mentioned. Something this trivial should be a non-issue with a convention, but even the small things can affect people's feelings (and in turn their wallets) toward and event like this. A special thanks goes out to my cousin and her son for visiting me at my table, and purchasing some books, as they helped out alot with my sales. While the overall show was just ok (and possibly not good enough for a return next year), The cosplay was top-notch---especially on Saturday, and the exhibitor security process was very pleasant with none of the long lines out the door that I had heard about last year. It was also nice to have so many other California-based artists there to chat with, either returning to the show, or exhibiting for the first time like me.

Now, with DPCC being my 11th show so far this year, and the second out-of-state show I flew my con setup to, I decided that now until September is the perfect time to step away from doing shows in order to finish new comic projects: Specifically Damn Tourists #5, which is behind schedule due to said shows. With my next show not until September 14th, that should give me enough time to finish the 24-page fifth issue starring the clueless traveling foursome. I'm currently planning to finish digital coloring of the first ten pages by Monday. With six of the ten pages already colored, this is more than doable. The only other appearance I will be making is just for my voice, as I was invited to a audio podcast discussion on the upcoming Dark Phoenix film next Saturday, June 15th. I'll provide more details about this on my facebook.com/cartercomics page as this date draws closer.

Well, that's it for this month. Hope to see you back here in July for two announcements regarding my comic process, and the future of Mongoose Monthlies in Motion. Have a great month!

Regards,

Allen Carter

Carter Comics

Crazy April and an even crazier May/June:

Greetings existing fans (and welcome new subscribers from my three recent shows)

My apologies for the late newsletter. Between the late flight from DC to LA (via Nashville) after Awesome Con, dealing with sales tax paperwork for this and another upcoming out-of-state show, along with my day job and the usual errands, I don't know how I'm conscious right now. For a quick recap of my past shows: Awesome Con, held at the Walter E Washington Convention Center in the DC Metro area from Friday April 26th to Sunday April 28th, was a "not so awesome" comic convention as far as sales were concerned, but I did get to do two interviews (one audio and one video) courtesy of two independent press individuals who came by my table. A special thanks to awesome big sister April Carter who not only let me stay with her in Alexandria (a short drive into the DC Metro area where the con took place), but also helping with table setup, breakdown, and bathroom breaks. It was also great to have two other artist vendor friends who flew into the show for the first time as well (writer David Walker and artist Zee Cee Art), and we got to talk about our experiences at the show. In between selling at the con, I spent some downtime with my sister, learned how to use the DC Metro Rail system, took a water taxi from the DC waterfront to Alexandria, and saw Avengers Endgame. So while I didn't sell as much as I wanted to, the trip overall was fun and a great learning experience in flying my convention setup to out-of-state shows (I was able to pack everything into three bags: a medium sized rolling suitcase, a table banner bag, and a laptop bag). As far as the flights were concerned, while the journey from Burbank to DC (via San Francisco) was fine, the flight back was anything but. What was supposed to be a flight from Reagan Airport in Virginia back to Burbank at 8 PM (with a layover in Dallas), turned into a trek from Reagan to LAX at 11 PM (with a layover in Nashville) due to a flight cancellation of my connecting Dallas to Burbank flight. When all was said and done, I got back home at about 1 AM and got up at 7AM for work the next day, as I didn't have enough vacation days for a day off. Like the title says, a crazy end to April, but then May said "hold my beer."

This month started off with a new convention on Saturday May 4th in the South Gate area of Los Angeles called appropriately "South Gate Art and Comic Invasion." Held at the American Legion Post 335 in the heart of the community, it got a great turnout full of residents who were attending their first comic book and art convention. There was even a band who played in the venue, who while very good, halted vendor sales due to the noise. Perhaps the bands can be moved to a post-show event after the vendors have packed up for next year. Then came Free Comic Book Day at the Culver City Comic Bug on Sunday May 5th (though FCBD is always on the First Saturday in May, The Comic Bug turns it into a full weekend event). This was my third year as an artist vendor there, and it was just as fun as the last two years. Despite the event name, I don't give away my self-published comics for free (due to the production costs), but instead I do free sketches. This time I had at least 10 or so previously completed sketches from the DC and South Gate shows, as well as doing a few live sketches by customer request. I sold a few books too, and got to talk with more of my artist friends, many of which exhibit at this show every year as well.

Comic project-wise, I got my first copy of the new Damn Tourists Trade Paperback in the mail. Called "Damn Tourists: The Really Big Book!" it is a 120 page trade that crams issues 1-4 of Damn Tourists into one thick book. I just made an order for 10 more to sell at my next out-of-state show: Denver Pop Culture Con from Friday May 31st to Sunday June 2nd. Before that, my next show will be my third year of the Ontario California event: "Comic Con Revolution" at the Ontario Convention Center next weekend on May 18th and 19th. I will have my floppies of Damn Tourists, Cosmic Force, my two Cosmic Force Prequels, along with CF Trading Cards and DT Fridge Magnets. This may be a physically challenging show for me this year, due to my dentist appointment two days before the show where I have to get my wisdom teeth removed. With any luck I should still be able to talk without being in any pain, but only time will tell.

That's about it for this week. Have a great week everyone, and I hope to see you next weekend at CCR!

Regards,

Allen Carter

Carter Comics

Wondercon recap and welcome new subscribers!

Greetings fans! 

Another month, another Carter Comics Newsletter! Well, spring is officially here with the sunny skies and 80-degree temperatures (I only wish it never got warmer than that in the summer, as opposed to triple-digit heatwaves), but hey, this is all about good news: 

The arrival of spring means to me the start of convention season. As most of you reading this should know, I exhibited at Wondercon in Anaheim over the weekend for my sixth year. I was in the Small Press area of the floor (8-foot tables with high-curtained walls for vendors who primarily sell independent books), and the show overall went just as well as last year. Though my sales were slightly lower than Wondercons in 2018 and 2017, they were still sales that are higher than any other Southern California show I exhibit at. Also, while Small Press doesn't get as much foot traffic compared to Artist Alley (AA is right next to the convention entrance), it's the type of crowds that matter to me. The customers who do frequent Small Press and approach tables there are interested more in books than prints and sketch commissions, so while they're aren't alot of them, they pick up alot of items. I had three customers Saturday that made the show for me: One guy who found me through the Wondercon Facebook event I created back in December, picked up all 8 issues from my Cosmic Force series (that's 6 issues of the parent C-Force series and two prequels). Two other customers picked up all four issues of Damn Tourists. My last customer for Saturday also followed me on Facebook and picked up a Damn Tourists #1. This combined with some smaller sales throughout the weekend resulted in about $200 in sales (my sales threshold that I've held since 2017 at this convention) and selling out of Cosmic Force #1.  I also had a good friend of mine help me out at the table on Saturday and Sunday (both days were sold out of tickets by the way) for bathroom breaks, drink runs, and most importantly, tear-down at the end of the show. With the convention being a weekend sellout, parking was definitely an issue for both attendees and exhibitors who weren't staying nearby the convention center. The only other available lots mentioned after the Anaheim Convention Center ones filled up were three miles away at Angel Stadium, where Anaheim Transit provided a free shuttle to drop people off across the street from ACC.  Even though Wondercon 2019 has wrapped up, I have already mailed my exhibitor application for next year's show. After giving serious thought to selecting an Artist Alley table for 2020 (AA tables are 6 feet and pushed closed together, giving vendors very limited space) due to their higher traffic flow, I decided on returning to Small Press for mostly the reasons I mentioned at the beginning of this newsletter. While some of my AA friends were attempting to nudge my decision in favor of Artist Alley, I had to go with my own instincts and track record in Small Press and, as the saying goes: "not fix what ain't broke."

The Carter Comics Convention Circuit kicks into high gear later this month, as my next show is a big one in terms of travel: I will be exhibiting at my first out-of-state show called "Awesome-Con in Washington DC, Friday April 26th to Sunday April 28th. In addition, I will be watching the much anticipated Avengers: Endgame the Monday after the convention (the film opens April 26, but I just won't have the energy to hit up a movie after the show). The new and exciting challenge of taking my books across the country to both an entirely new show and market for me extends to the airport, where I need to pack efficiently to lower my baggage fees. That means a less elaborate setup with me swapping out my large white folding bookshelf with 5 smaller separate bookstands, taking only 4 floppy issues of Damn Tourists and a trade paperback fo Cosmic Force, my large art portfolio and retractable banner (that totals 1 personal item and two checked bags). My flight getting into DC after midnight will add to the challenge, but I will make sure to get enough breakfast before I leave, and a sizeable meal during my layover.  That being said, I will get even more excited once I perfect my packing as the con and flight dates get closer. I've wanted to spread my wings as an artist vendor for a long time now, and this year I finally get my chance not once, but twice (I'll mention the other trip in next month's newsletter).

Well, that's it for this month. Thank you all who stopped by my table at Wondercon, whether you purchased an item from me or not. I appreciate good conversation just as much as I do transactions if that's all you can give at the moment. Have yourselves a great month, and I'll see you back here in May when we do this all over again!

Regards,

Allen Carter

Carter Comics

Santa Clarita Expo, and Toni Braxton Concert thoughts:

Greetings fans!

I hope you all had a great February and first few days of March! We've had a return of an actual winter with alot of rain and a record month with cool high temperatures that never even hit 70 (which I'm enjoying), but closer to the world of Carter Comics, we've got some exciting stuff going on as well in the form of completed and upcoming conventions, a podcast appearance, progress on Damn Tourists #5 with the first DT Trade Paperback, and some '90s R&B Awesomeness at Microsoft Theater last night! So, let's get started:

Two weeks ago was the 5th bi-annual Santa Clarita Comic and Toy Expo at College of the Canyons, that went down on Sunday February 24th. It was my best showing at this event, which is a small local show, but with a crowd that gets larger with each new event. While I usually sell about 3-5 books with a $30 profit, I sold 10 books with a $50 profit. While it's not much of an increase, any upward movement in sales is a welcome change for me. More importantly than that though, this is a small show that has a crowd that really enjoys itself and wants to be there, and that means more to me that any sale. The show's promoters Razmik and wife Lisa Simonian have announced that next year's show will be on Sunday March 8th, 2020 (changing their bi-annual schedule of shows due to renovation of the gym that houses the convention). They will be doing the 2020 show for a single year going forward, and at a bigger venue: the larger gym across from the current one.

Also going on last month was my completion of Damn Tourists issue five's first ten pages in pencil form. This coincides with my photoshop coloring progress of the first Damn Tourists Trade Paperback (which will contain the first four issues starring our annoying travelers). While putting together existing pages from the books that I've finished is part of the process, I am also designing new chapter breaks that will be inserted in between stories (four in all), just like I did for my Cosmic Force TPB.

And there's no way I couldn't mention my attendance at a show that even rivaled seeing Elton John back in January: Toni Braxton, with special guests Babyface and SWV at Microsoft Theater last night. For three hours (with intermissions in between act changes), the best in 1990s Soul rocked the venue, with yours truly seated a mere foot from the stage! While I love all three acts, my favorite is Toni, who is the soundtrack to my high school years. She even waved at me while she sang my favorite song of hers "Love Shoulda Brought You Home," though I was so frozen in amazement I didn't realize she was looking at me and didn't wave back, just smiled. SWV (Sisters With Voices) opened the show with a medley of their hits, which included a cover of soul legend Patti Labelle's "If Only You Knew." Babyface's set nearly rivaled his protege Toni's, going through not just songs from his own albums, but songs he wrote and produced for such acts as Boyz II Men, Johnny Gill, Bobby Brown, The Whispers, After 7, The Deele, and more that couldn't be included due to time constraints. As a bonus, I got to meet up with a good artist friend of mine who had box seats upstairs during the first intermission and after the show. Needless to say, the entire experience was worth the high ticket price for being so close to the stage.

Well, that's about it for the month of March. Before I go, I will leave a rundown of my scheduled events for this month. See you back here in April, and I hope to see you at the following shows below:

San Diego Comic Fest (THIS WEEK PEOPLE!)

Four Points Sheraton Hotel

March 7th to March 10th (Thursday - Sunday)

website: sdcomicfest.org

Anacon

Anaheim Central Library

Saturday March 16th

website: https://anaheim.net/4743/AnaCon

The Fanbase Weekly Podcast Appearance

Airs Monday March 25th on their website: fanbasepress.com

Wondercon

Anaheim Convention Center

March 29th to 31st (Friday - Sunday)

website: comic-con.org/wca

Can you believe it's February already?

Greetings fans!

Yes, even though 2019 has just started, it seems that January just flew by and February just came outta nowhere (odd, since January has 31 days and we're now in the shortest month of the year). Anyways, onto the Carter Comics news from last month. As I wrote early in January, the switch from weekly to monthly email blasts kicked off, along with monthly versions of my timelapse illustration games (called Mongoose Monthlies now), and the Facebook live audio recordings of my "AL'S AUDIO AGENDA" going down on Sundays following comic conventions/ comic shop signings / artwalks / podcast interviews only, instead of every Sunday. 

Speaking of the new Sunday audio schedule, it started two weeks ago on January 27th with my first show of the year: Pasadena Comic Con at the city's convention center. This was my fourth year as an artist alley vendor at the event, which is a small local toy show that also features artists of all notoriety levels. I usually don't sell as many books or book-related accessories at this show due to a larger focus on toys and old comics, but the table price is reasonable, and it's a convention where I get to see all my fellow artist vendor buddies at the beginning of the year. It's kind of  a welcome back from christmas and new year's holiday type of show for us, where we shake off the "con cobwebs" and lay out our convention appearances for the new year. In addition to re-connecting with my artist alley friends, I also get a temporary table assistant in the form of a good friend of mine who lives across town for me. He helps me with loading my supplies in and out of the building, and watches my table during bathroom breaks. While I'm not always guaranteed to have him as a helper during shows due to his work schedule, I always appreciate it when I do. With Pasadena Comic Con in my rear-view mirror, it's onto my next two shows in the month of February: Black Comic Creator Day at the Manhattan Beach Comic Bug comic shop on Saturday February 9th, from 12- 4 pm, and Santa Clarita Comic and Toy Expo, happening at College of the Canyons on Sunday February 24th, from 10 am to 5 pm. I look forward to seeing you all at one of the two, or hopefully both!

Another cool thing that happened last month: Elton John's Farwell Yellow Brick Road Tour. The "Rocketman" himself stopped by the Staples Center in Downtown LA with four shows from January 22nd to the 30th (I went on the 23rd). It was the first time I saw him live, and the first arena show I have been to, and boy did this not disappoint. With no opening act or intermissions, it was a straight three hours of Elton's big and lesser-known hits. Opening with "Bennie and the Jets" and closing with the tour namesake "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," this last-in-a-lifetime concert had a number of classics that made up the middle: "Candle in the Wind," "Rocketman," "Your Song," "Crocodile Rock," "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting," and my personal favorite: "I'm Still Standing." While I was only able to snag tickets on a wednesday night, I was able to get a paid half-day off work to grab dinner before the 8-11 pm show, so absolutely no rushing was involved. After missing one of his live shows way back in 2001 when I was still in Hawaii, it was nothing short of fantastic to see him in his final performance. I salute you, Rocketman!

Well, that's all for this month. Have a great February, stop by my two shows this month if you can, and I'll be back here with another blast of Carter Comics news in March!

Regards,

Allen Carter

Carter Comics

HAPPY 2019!

I hope that everyone had a great Christmas and New Year's. I'm coming out swinging in 2019 with some big changes in terms of my online presence:

Going forward, this email blast (along with my weekly Al's Audio Agenda and Mongoose Mondays), will now be done on a monthly basis. In the case of the audio agendas, those will be done either monthly or bi-monthly, since they will revolve around my convention appearances this year. Basically, I will be doing post-con agendas after every convention I do this year, which may be one or two a month, or even three. Mongoose Mondays will be renamed Mongoose Monthlies, and will still involve timelapse illustrations of figures of speech (and sometimes songs, movie titles, etc.). Lastly, this email blast will be sent out on a monthly basis as well on the first monday of each month. The reason for this change is to allow me more time to complete comic projects like the in progress Damn Tourists #5, which I would like to complete this spring. Since my books are the bread and butter of my business, I would like to give them the attention that they deserve, even if that means cutting down on other promotional projects that I do like the illustration games and these emails.

As for the conventions that I briefly mentioned, here's a reminder list below of the seven shows I'm booked for this year (so far):

Pasadena Comic and Toy Show

Sunday January 27th

Pasadena Convention Center

9 am to 5 pm

Website: www.pasadenacomicandtoyshow.com

Santa Clarita Comic and Toy Expo

Sunday, February 24th

College of the Canyons

10 am to 5 pm

Website: www.santaclaritacomictoyexpo.com

San Diego Comic Fest

Thursday March 7th to Sunday March 10th (March 7th is a short preview night)

Four Points by Sheraton Hotel

Thurs: 4-8pm, Fri: 9am-5pm, Sat: 9am-5pm, Sun: 9am-4pm

Website: sdcomicfest.org

Wondercon

Friday March 29th to Sunday March 31st

Anaheim Convention Center

Fri: 11:30am-7pm, Sat: 9:30am-7pm, Sun: 9:30am-5pm

Website: www.comic-con.org

Awesome Con (Washington DC)

Friday April 26th to Sunday April 28th

Walter E. Washington Convention Center

Fri: 12-8pm, Sat: 10am-7pm, Sun: 10am-5pm

Website: www.awesomecon.com

Comic Con Revolution

Saturday May 18th to Sunday May 19th

Ontario Convention Center

Sat: 9:30am-6pm, Sun: 9:30 am to 5pm

Website: www.comicconrevolution.com

Denver Pop Culture Con

Friday May 31st to Sunday June 2nd

Colorado Convention Center

Fri: 10am-7pm, Sat: 10am-7pm, Sun: 10am-5pm

Website: www.denverpopculturecon.com

That's it for this month. I’ll be back here next month as per my new schedule. Have a great 2019 everyone!

Regards,

Allen Carter

Carter Comics

Had to skip a week due to vacation!

Greetings fans,

My apologies for no newsletter last week. For those of you who follow me on either facebook or instagram, you noticed that I took an early christmas vacation to Colorado. It was a fun-filled four days in both Colorado Springs and Denver, spending time with a great friend of mine, who also took me to see some family I haven't laid eyes on since I was in preschool---some I had never laid eyes on until that trip. In between bonding with loved ones, I went on snow-covered hikes with my friend and her two lovable huskies, saw the "Real South Park" located in Fairplay, Colorado, frozen lakes, deer, and a fair share of partying. The only downside of the trip was the insane amount of turbulence on my flight back from Colorado Springs to LA. Despite that minor detail, I'll be back there in six months, but for more business reasons. That leads me to:

Doing some early preparations for next year's Denver Pop Culture Con on May 31st to June 2nd. This involves not just plane tickets and a place to stay, but also finding the best method of transporting my convention setup across several states. And this won't be my first time doing this in

2019: My first out-of-state show by plane will be Awesome Con: Washington DC, April 26th to 28th. That trip, however, is closer to being finalized with part of my plane ticket booked, and being able to stay with family. One final 2019 show to mention: as of last wednesday after touching down back in Los Angeles, I got the email that I've been waiting for since late October: Wondercon Anaheim 2019 has officially confirmed me for a sixth year in Small Press. I just recently sent out the table payment earlier today.

Before I go, a reminder of my new final show of the year: The Honey Pot at The Hive Art Gallery in Downtown LA. It's a fantastic holiday art fair with plenty of original arts and crafts (and books on my side). I will have some of my Mongoose Monday books, including the new Hawaiian 12 Days of Christmas illustration books. In addition, I will be featuring Damn Tourist postcard magnets, and Cosmic Force trading cards of team members Daniel "Fuse" Stafford and Sandra "Imagine" Winters----both of whom had prequel books done on their early days.

Well, that's all for this week. I’ll be back to do an early newsletter on Christmas Eve Until next week!

Regards,

Allen Carter

Carter Comics

Arrival of Damn Tourists postcard magnets, and off to Colorado!

Greetings fans,
My apologies for another late newsletter. While I'm fully recovered from last week's cold, I've been preoccupied with preparing for my trip to Colorado, and some errands I've been running after work. While there's not much news to report in regards to my final show of the year or my merchandise orders, I did get my custom Damn Tourists postcard magnets over the weekend. They turned out great (though thinner than I imagined) but they still did the trick in sticking to my fridge, as was video documented on my facebook live unboxing. My other two orders: Mongoose Mondays Music, Movies, Figures of Speech, and Hawaiian 12 Days of Christmas, as well as my Fuse trading cards, should be in the mail by the time I get back from my trip.
Well, that's all for this week as I leave for the mile high city. Hope you all have a great week!

Regards,

Allen Carter

Carter Comics

Carter Comics books and swag!

Greetings fans!
Before I start, my apologies for the late arrival of this week's newsletter. I've been under the weather since Tuesday and needed some rest. I'm in almost-full recovery mode now, so it's back to the grind!

Before I got sick, I made several product orders for my three series: Damn Tourists, Cosmic Force, and Mr. Figure-Of-Speech Mongoose. Re-orders of the illustration game books Mongoose Music Mondays, Mongoose Mondays Figures of Speech, along with a new christmas game book called "A Mongoose Hawaiian 12 Days of Christmas should be ready for sale at my new last show of the year next month (more on that later). To complement this book order, a set of 100 manga size comic bags will be used to cover my smaller-than normal books. On the Damn Tourists side, while I am still working on the issue five story outline, I have ordered a limited amount of Damn Tourists postcard magnets for fans to place on their fridge (as almost all of us have one), or other metal devices. Last, but certainly not least, is the swag order for the Cosmic Force. Two orders of trading cards featuring C-Force members Sandra "Imagine" Winters and Daniel "Fuse" Stafford have been made in association with the two prequel comics I completed recently featuring the same two characters. Much like my Mongoose books, each card will be placed in a protective clear sleeve to prevent any damage from the elements.

And what will I be doing with all these new products? Why, selling them at a Holiday Art Fair of course. As you will recall, I vowed that Comic Book Invasion at Commerce Public Library back on October 20th would be my final show of the year. However, a good friend of mine presented me with a great opportunity (time and money-wise) in the form of an art fair called The Honey Pot, which will take place Saturday December 22nd from noon to 6 pm at The Hive Art Gallery and Studios, located at 729 Spring Street in Downtown LA. Admission will be free, so come on down next month and get your last-minute christmas shopping done picking up gifts that you just won't find anywhere else!

Well, that's about it for this week. Before I go, a quick note on the December schedule for the games: I was originally planning on doing a timelapse pencil, ink, and color version of M-3 on the English version of the 12 Days of Christmas from this Saturday December 1st, to Wednesday December 12th (as I did the Hawaiian version last year). Unfortunately due to my illness earlier this week, I lost two productivity days, and I won't be able to record those games in time with my busy schedule. Instead, I will bring back my Mongoose Monday Christmas Song Illustrations that I did from 2013-2015. Like my weekly games, you just guess the Christmas song that Mr. FOS Mongoose is acting out in the illustration. There is one more change with this game though: Instead of using full digitally colored illustrations to post on social media, I will be hand-coloring these drawings (Mr FOS Mongoose only due to the cost of specialty markers), taking pictures of them and posting them on the five Mondays in December. Once my final show appearance at The Honey Pot rolls around on the 22nd, I will be taking the first four of those drawings and selling them for $5 in my portfolio. I hope to see some of you there, and have a great week! (Just drive, walk, or bike carefully during LA's first winter storm)

Regards,
Allen Carter

Carter Comics

Thank You Stan Lee:

Hello fans,

This week's newsletter will be a little different, as I would like to talk about the life and legacy of Stan Lee, and what he meant to me as a fan of comics as well as an comic creator.
As most of you know, we lost Marvel writer, publisher, editor-in-chief, and the public face of comics Stanley Martin Lieber yesterday at the age of 95. In the span of his 80-year career in comics, Stan Lee helped make the genre accessible to mainstream audiences in print, live action, animation, and most recently in film. Many of his most popular co-creations such as The X-Men, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and Spider-Man, have been around for decades in the comic and on TV, but it wasn't until the first Spider-Man film in 2002 that the general public embraced the web-slinger as an iconic pop culture character on the level of DC heroes Superman and Batman. The same can definitely be said for most of the Avengers (save for The Hulk, who was probably the most well-known Marvel character to the mainstream with his early '80s live action series starring Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno). I always joked that before the first Iron Man film was released in 2008, most non-comic fans would first think of the triathlon of the same name, or even the song of the same name before thinking of the armored hero.  Just as important though, is just how Mr. Lee made these characters attractive to the general public: He, along with artists such as Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby, helped to create superheroes (and some supervillains) that were flawed just like everyday people. Spider-Man, for all his abilities, was still a young adult with not alot of money and lived with his aunt. The members of The X-Men (my personal favorite comic series he co-created), are ostracized by society because of their strange abilities, the same society they try to save, while there's a constant struggle between the X-Men's founder, telepath Charles Xavier, who believes society can eventually accept those who are different, and sometimes villain Magneto, who believes the opposite, and thinks mutants (the new super-powered race of humans they belong to) should rule over non-mutant humans. Who can't identify with stories and characters like that?

For me personally, I've always admired Stan Lee's consistent enthusiasm in both his work, and life in general. Pull up any Stan Lee interview, cartoon voiceover, or even the many cameos he's done in any of the Marvel movies, and you'll see what I mean. He had so much excitement in his voice whenever he spoke, that it never failed to bring a smile to my face every time I heard it. It was that alone that kept me drawing and writing from age 8 through today. I first heard his joyful voice on an episode of the 1980s cartoon Muppet Babies, as one of their many signature live-action cameos, and followed that voice through Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends, and the little-known 1989 pilot for the first X-Men cartoon, as he was the narrator for both. While I was never lucky enough to meet him one-on-one or snap a photo with him (I missed a chance to have a Spider-Man drawing I did signed by him at a local hawaii comic shop at age 14, and then missed another appearance at age 21 during the release of the first Spider-Man movie), I did get to attend a short speaking engagement he did in Hollywood. The closest I got to a one-on-one encounter was actually a one-on-several hundred people during a San Diego Comic Con panel back in July 2006. At a panel for the then-upcoming Marvel Ultimate Alliance video game, I was able to ask him a question (I was the last in a long line of people to do so, and was almost turned away) about future Marvel Movie Cameos, which he replied that he would get his first speaking role cameo in Spider-Man 3 the following year.  I prefaced the question with how he inspired me to create my own character, of course. My only regret is not being able to snap a quick photo with him as he left the hall. If only I had a buddy with me at the time.
So Thank You Stan Lee, for shaping my life as a comic creator (as you did for many, many others), and sharing your infectious energy, and overall great attitude with the world. But most of all, thank you for just being you.

You will be missed, but your legacy will live on forever.

Awesome Con, Denver Pop Culture Con, and don't forget to VOTE!

Greetings fans!

Last week I got some big news: I was accepted as a vendor at next year's Denver Pop Culture Con Friday May 31st to Sunday June 2nd at the Colorado Convention Center. I will be a vendor in their Booktopia area specifically. This was on top of being confirmed for Artist Alley at another out-of-state show: Awesome Con in Washington DC, from Friday April 26th to Sunday April 28th at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.  After applying for four out of state shows over the summer (Emerald City Comic Con, Phoenix Fan Fusion, Awesome Con, and Denver Pop Culture Con), I wasn't sure which show, if any, that I'd end up accepted for, but I wanted to at least give it a shot. With being set for two out of the four shows, and waitlisted for one (Emerald City), I'm still waiting on a response from Phoenix. Because doing two out of state shows will be expensive due to shipping fees for my convention supplies and plane tickets, I may not exhibit at Phoenix Fan Fusion even if get accepted there, as I would need to pay for a hotel room and rent a car. While that's usually a cheaper scenario, because the show is a week before Denver's, it would put a heavy financial and physical burden on me, as Phoenix is a four-day event! Nonetheless, I am beyond excited for Carter Comics first foray into the nation's capitol and the mile-high city.

I also made the order for the first set of Cosmic Force trading cards early last week. 100 copies of the Sandra "Imagine" Winters trading card will be in the mail next tuesday. In addition, I began the story outline for Damn Tourists issue #5 called 'East Coast California. So far, the outline spans eight of what will be a thirty page book. Along with a trade paperback of DT (which will have the first four issues in one book) all three new projects will be ready for my 2019 conventions, starting with Wondercon Anahiem (still waiting for official confirmation, but I've been a small press vendor there for 5 years, so I SHOULD be a lock).

Lastly (but definitely not "leastly," haha) get out there and vote everyone! Doing your civic duty has always meant alot over the years, but nowhere near as important as the times we're living in right now. So vote this morning, during the day, or in the evening, but make sure you VOTE and get your voice heard!

Regards,

Allen Carter

Carter Comics

Happy Halloween from Carter Comics!

Greetings fans (and maybe some ghouls, witches and monsters)

I hope you all are having a great start to this spooky day! My apologies for the email blast day change, as I wanted to send this newsletter out with my Mongoose illustration game that I usually post on Mondays, but got moved to Wednesday for Halloween.  Even though my convention circuit finished two weeks ago, I still have some comic-related news: I attended the 8th annual LA Comic Con on Saturday. While I decided not to be behind a table in Artist Alley this year, I was in the "Alley" to visit friends of mine who I usually work shows with. Most were doing ok at that point of the event sales and crowds-wise, which is always good to hear. I've exhibited at the show myself three times previously, but I needed a break this year to finish new material. I may return to the show as a vendor next year.

The other Convention news just happened last night: I have been officially confirmed as an Artist Alley exhibitor for my first show on the east coast called "Awesome Con," taking place in Washington D.C.  My sister lives in Alexandria, Virginia, and offered me a place to stay during the convention. My goal is to have Damn Tourists issue 5 (whose story takes place in Florida) completed by the end of February to have something at least east-coast centric for the event. Also just announced is my application for San Diego Comic Fest Artist Alley next year that I just received and completed this morning. Hopefully I wind up snagging a table for 2019. Rounding out the conventions I applied to for 2019 are: Emerald City Comic Con (waitlisted), Phoenix Comic Con (applied, but no table confirmation yet), and Denver Comic Con (same as Phoenix). We'll see what happens with the rest of them.

Lastly, I just ordered my first set of Cosmic Force trading cards which should be in the mail in two weeks. One hundred copies of trading cards starting with my de-facto group leader Sandra "Imagine" Winters will arrive by early November.

That's all for this scary day. One more thing I will be adding here from now on: For those of you who haven't liked my Carter Comics facebook fan page, here's an incentive to do so. I do a live audio broadcast on that page every sunday evening at 7 PM Pacific Time called "Al's Audio Agenda." You can find it at:

facebook.com/cartercomics.

Have a safe Halloween everyone!

Regards,

Allen Carter

Carter Comics

First time teaching a drawing workshop at my last show of 2018!

Greetings fans and new subscribers!

Well, I have officially closed the book on this year's Carter Comics Convention Circuit, and it ended with an exciting opportunity at the 4th annual Comic Book Invasion at the City of Commerce Public Library this past Saturday. In addition to being an artist vendor with a handful of other talented creators, I also got to teach my very first 50-minute drawing workshop, where I taught kids how to create their own superhero by drawing the human body through shapes. It went very well, with a small but attentive audience present----some of whom already had their own ideas for superheroes. One kid had a character named "Crayola Man." I went through the process of first drawing the human head, then the full human body, stopping after adding head and body parts to explain how and why I draw them a certain way. It was an experience that I was initially nervous about due to the unknown number of kids/adults that would be there, but at the end of it, I felt really good about how everyone enjoyed my lessons.

As for the vendor hall part of the show, I made Carter Comics history by making sales there for the first time (3 to be exact) in my three years at this convention. In previous appearances, this became the first show where I didn't make a single sale (though the table was free, so the profit was not a big deal). It was a personal achievement more than anything else to break that two year streak. It was also great to see many of my artist vendor buddies that I've known for awhile through conventions----many of which I either had not seen in awhile, or weren't able to talk with much at larger conventions. I even got a photo with my table neighbor Michael Aushenker, who I met at my first Comic Book Invasion.

So, while the convention tour has ended for now, that doesn't mean I won't be busy. I'm currently working on art and stories for my fifth issue of "Damn Tourists," a trade paperback of said book, and a line of Cosmic Force trading cards. As a work/play balance, I will be traveling to Colorado in early December to spend time with family and friends for a few days.

That's it for this week. Before I forget, I will be at LA Comic Con this weekend as an attendee, strolling around Artist Alley to support my vendor buddies tabling at the show. I'll be there Saturday only for a few hours.

Good luck, and have a great week!

Regards,

Allen Carter

Carter Comics

Welcome new Monterey Park Artwalk subscribers! Artwalk thoughts and last show of the year:

Greetings fans, and welcome new subscribers from this past weekend's Monterey Park Artwalk! Thanks to you, the Artwalk staff, and fellow vendors, it was a fantastic second year for me with three times the customer interactions and sales than last year when I first did this event. It was a feeling of accomplishment given the threat of rain that was originally scheduled for at least a portion of the show, but luckily it never materialized, and all we got were some cloudy skies and some cooler weather (which I had no problem with, considering the scorching temperatures last year). A big thanks to fellow artist Bobby Timony for letting me borrow his canopy in case we got rained on, and another thanks to Javier Solorzano and family for helping me set up and take down said canopy. While it ultimately didn't end up protecting me and my work from the rain (which didn't get beyond a few stray drops), it did help to make my setup more professional next to the other canopy tents, which in turn drew alot more customers to my booth. Or maybe it was just my work itself. Who knows. All in all though, what could have been a literal washout of a show, ended up becoming a cloudy and cool success.

My next show this Saturday, will also be my last show for the year. I have done 16 shows since 2018 began (down from the 24 I did last year due to finances, exhaustion, and needing more time to produce more books), and show number 17 will be: Comic Book Invasion at the City of Commerce Public Library on Saturday, October 20th. Hours are from 10 am - 3 pm, and admission is absolutely FREE! In addition to selling my self-published books and original comic book art in the vendor hall, I am also scheduled to  host a drawing workshop primarily focused on creating your own superhero characters. Nothing has been confirmed as of yet, but I will let you all know when it is.

As for the rest of the year and any 2019 shows, I will be attending LA Comic Con of Saturday October 27th to visit and support my fellow artist alley friends, working on my first batch of trading cards featuring all five members of the Cosmic Force, Damn Tourists issue 5: "East Coast California," and "Damn Tourists: The REALLY BIG BOOK," my name for the first trade paperback that will feature the first four issues starring our clueless travelers.  In regards to shows for next year, I am confirmed to be an artist vendor at Santa Clarita Comic and Toy Expo on February 24th, and at Comic Con Revolution in Ontario (California) on Saturday and Sunday, March 18th and 19th. I am still waiting for table confirmation on the following shows I applied to: Wondercon Anaheim March 29-31, a new show in Baldwin Hills called "Los Angeles Black Comic Con" on Saturday February 23rd, and my first east coast convention in Washington DC called "Awesome Con. As with all of my comic/artwork/convention/artwalk happenings, as soon as I know of any updates, you'll know.

Have a great week everyone!

Regards,

Allen Carter

Carter Comics

Just Imagine arrives in the mail, update on expanded role at Comic Invasion, and next projects!

Greetings fans!

Just getting over a sore throat (and thankfully nothing worse than that since I recently got my flu shot), but luckily that's where the bad news ends. I'm overjoyed to

say that not only was my second Cosmic force Prequel "Just Imagine" completed a week ago, but over the weekend my first 20-copy order of the book showed up in the mail a

week earlier than expected. I originally expected it to be shipped by the end of this week in time for my final show of the year Comic Invasion Saturday October 20th (more on that later), but now it will be ready for my second-to-last show at Monterey Park Artwalk and Geranium Festival this Saturday. I did a live unboxing on my Cosmic Force fan page at facebook.com/forcecosmic, and did quick summaries for each of the 12 pages documenting the early life of Sandra "Imagine" Winters, ending with her last night of a normal life before the "meteor shower incident." This new book will be on sale for $4.00 (like my first prequel "The Man with a Short Fuse") at this Saturday's Artwalk in Monterey Park, and like all of my books, I will be signing purchased copies of them.

Also as I mentioned in the first paragraph, I was offered a volunteering opportunity at next Saturday's Comic Invasion on October 20 (City of Commerce Public Library from 10 am to 3pm, free admission) in addition to my role as an artist vendor at the event. I will be the head of an artist workshop encouraging kids (and maybe some adults/parents) to create their own superheroes using live drawing demonstrations. While I've always been a little nervous about any type of public speaking, having it be art-related will really help me get out of my comfort zone and try some new challenges. I had some practice with this earlier in the year at my first panel, speaking along with four other artist friends of mine at May's Comic Con Revolution in Ontario (California). I'm nervous and excited for it, so we'll see how it turns out.

Lastly are my next comic projects coming down the pipe: My first batch of Cosmic Force trading cards (starting with de-facto leader Imagine and later the rest of the quintet), the long-awaited fifth issue of "Damn Tourists" titled "East Coast California," which will take place in Florida, my first Damn Tourists trade paperback (that will include the first four single issues of the humorous series in one book), my third Cosmic Force Prequel called "Doom and Gloom," documenting the early life of Bryan "Gloom" Snarski, his distant relationship with his uncle as a child, and the mystery surrounding the whereabouts of his parents, and finally (but not really), my seventh issue of the main "Cosmic Force" series, where are fivesome and reporter friend Shannon Lima have been captured by rogue government task force Operative Fifty-One, and have to either find some way to save themselves, or be saved by someone (or something) else.

The current plan is to have the trading cards, Damn Tourists issue 5, and the DT Trade completed in time for at least Wondercon next year, which is usually my biggest

show of the year. All other projects listed should be completed in time for the following year's spring shows at least.

Have a great week!

Regards,

Allen Carter

Carter Comics

A Transit Meeting, an Artwalk, a Newly Completed Comic, and a Comic Expo!

Welcome to the world of Carter Comics new fans!

For my existing subscribers, thank you for taking residence in my world since March of this year. As I wind down my convention/artwalk/comic shop circuit for 2018, it's been another exciting and unpredictable tour for Carter Comics, but more on that when the year is actually ending. I have four shows left (which I will mention later) on the calendar, but first, I shall give you my thoughts on this past weekend shows, and my first LA Metro community meeting. I'll go in chronological order starting with....

The LA Metro Noho to Pasadena and North San Fernando Valley BRT project community meeting:

Yes, it's a mouthful, but Los Angeles Metro wanted to ensure that it could 'kill two birds with one stone' and mention both transit projects, as they both will run in the San Fernando Valley , and both will connect with each other. The confirmed part of this plan is to create two 18 miles of BRT, or "bus rapid transit," which is anything from a dedicated busway like the Valley's existing Orange Line, to painted bus-only lanes on Wilshire blvd, to just Metro Rapid bus service. For the Noho to Pasadena route (the one I care about the most since it's my route to work in Glendale), there are two alignments being looked at: A street-running route from Noho through Downtown Burbank, Downtown Glendale, Eagle Rock, and Pasadena. The second route runs on the 134 Freeway and just serves Noho, the Burbank Media District, North Glendale, and Pasadena. This route is currently being used by the 501 express bus. I prefer a street-running route that looks as close as possible to the Orange Line BRT ( dedicated busway / street-median running bus lanes, station stops placed at least a mile apart, off-fare payment, and traffic signal priority), anything less will not make a difference in travel time or ridership, and I'll just go back to using the 501 express bus.

Reseda Rising Artwalk and Night Market: I have been a vendor at this show since it's inception back in June 2016, and have also exhibited at their smaller summer artwalks "Third Thursdays in Canoga Park back in the summer of 2013. This year's outdoor block party of a show was exciting as always, with vendors now taking over Sherman Way (a major surface street in the valley town of Reseda), a growth move from vendors being placed on the sidewalk for the first two years. Much like Open Arts and Music Festival Glendale, Reseda Rising Artwalk and Night Market successfully draws a local crowd that is genuinely excited to see all kind of hand made items, be they crafts, clothing fine art, or comic book art. People were spending alot too (at least for me, as I made slightly more sales that last year, though I didn't sell out of any books like last year). I also got to gets some friends in on the artwalk: My artist buddy Christie Shinn carpooled with me to table here for the first time and she loved it, along with my other buddy Andy Cogan who stopped by to show his support by helping me watch my table. Overall, I would definitely return to year four of this artwalk.

Santa Clarita Comic and Toy Expo: I have also been tabling at this show since it's beginnings back in March 2017. The Husband and wife team of Razmik and Lisa Simonian (who also own Kimzar Kollectables comic shop) host this small but still-growing local convention in the College of the Canyons gym facility twice a year: Spring and Fall. Toys and old comics are the main draw, with local creators a close second. I did the best showing crowd and saleswise since exhibiting there for the first time last March. It was not a large increase in sales, but enough of an upward swing to make me look forward to their next show. More importantly though, the mix of families and college students with the show's DJ and MC, make for an energetic experience. That's the main reason I do this show, regardless of how many people stop at my table, or how many items I sell.

Just Imagine: A Cosmic Force Prequel: This is the second title I finished this year after Cosmic Force issue 6 this past May. While this 12 page backstory into the early life of CF member Sandra "Imagine" Winters was originally supposed to be completed in a month's time, a challenging story to capsize and other life obligations got in the way to delay my  due date. On the plus side, the extra time helped to produce a better quality book, one that will be for sale at my last show of the year at City of Commerce Public Library. Speaking of which, I shall end this long but informative email blast with both a reminder of my remaining two convention / art show appearances.

Final show appearances for 2018:

Monterey Park Artwalk and Geranium Festival

Saturday October 13th

5 PM to 10 PM

Barnes Park

Admission is FREE!!

Comic Invasion

Saturday October 20th

City of Commerce Public Library

10 AM to 3 PM

Admission is also FREE!!

Have a great week!

Regards,

Allen Carter

Carter Comics

Train Trouble, and "Just Imagine" almost done.

Good morning fans!
Yes, those three things I mentioned in this email header all happened over the weekend. Let's get the bad stuff out of the way first, and work our way up to the good: 

Metro Expo Line Train Breakdown: As some of you may or may not know, I am a frequent passenger on LA Metro (mostly rail, though I take an express bus to and from work). I do own a car, but after driving in LA for 13 years, my tolerance for traffic, finding parking, and inconsiderate/inattentive drivers has waned considerably. I only drive during late nights at work, grocery shopping trips, carpools, or transporting my displays to comic conventions or artwalks. Anyway, while enjoying a relaxing Saturday afternoon leaving lunch at Santa Monica, several passengers and I found ourselves stranded on the Metro Expo Line, a light rail line that connects Downtown Santa Monica with Downtown Los Angeles. The operator could not move our train in either direction, and we were stuck on the tracks far between to rail stations. The operator then exited the train without any explanation as to where he was going, leaving all of us wondering what we're going to do. 40 minutes later an empty train (probably sent from the rail yard near Santa Monica College) arrives to pick all of us up. There was once last challenge, however: transferring between two high-floor trains via railroad tracks. Everyone needed to use one train door which had small metal steps beneath it on the outside. Older passengers needed further assistance with a stepladder. Eventually we were all loaded onto the new train and headed back to Downtown LA, but it was a confusing and frustrating ordeal mostly due to the lack of communication between the operator and the passengers. As someone who for the most part enjoys Metro's service, and who hasn't been in a train breakdown before up until this point, I need to email them this week on the matter, as I would like for them to have better communication with passengers in situations like this.

Now the good stuff: "Just Imagine" has just finished (see what I did there) the digital coloring process last Friday night. All that is left before book orders are made is inserting dialogue. I'm looking at the end of this week to be completely finished and ready to order. 

As a final reminder, my next two shows are happening this weekend in Reseda and Santa Clarita. I will be attending an LA Metro Community Meeting down the street from my apartment at a local high school Saturday morning, then starting in the late afternoon that day until late afternoon Sunday, I will be at the following shows below:

Reseda Rising Artwalk and Night Market - Saturday, September 29th

18118 Sherman Way (Between Etiwanda and Lindley Avenues. Sherman Way will be CLOSED to traffic for the Artwalk)

5 PM to 10 PM

Admission FREE!

Santa Clarita Comic and Toy Expo - Sunday, September 30th

College of the Canyons

26455 Rockwell Canyon Road

10 AM to 5 PM

Admission is $5 online at santaclaritacomictoyexpo.com

Kids 10 and under are FREE!

Hope to see alot of you at one, or both shows this weekend!

Regards,

Allen Carter

Carter Comics