Some pretty cool stuff to report!

I've been invited to be a speaker at the 21st Maryland Writer's Association Annual Conference on May 9th at Conference Center at the Maritime Institute of Technology in Linthicum Heights, MD.

Originally, the idea was for me to speak about my experiences as an illustrator, but then it kinda of expanded into a discussion about graphic novels and comics too (of which I am terribly excited about).

Here's the description of the discussion, which can also be found at the MWA's website:

Kevin Bolk: Pictures and Prose: The Colorful Worlds of Graphic Novels and Illustrated Fiction

It's a Conference Double Feature! In the first half, Kevin Bolk, freelance illustrator, web cartoonist, and proud "comic geek, " sheds some light on comics and graphic novels as a literary art form. SEE! The rise and fall (and rise again) of the American comic book. HEAR! The inside story of how sequential art is brought to life. DISCOVER! Your potential place in this reemerging medium. In the second half, Kevin will give you the lowdown on working with an illustrator. How do you choose the right artist? Do you get to choose at all? How do creative teams work? If you suspect your illustrator is a monkey, should you give him bananas? * A myriad of styles and genres will be discussed.

*Discussion may not actually include monkeys.

It's gonna be informative and a lot of fun. I'm really looking forward to talking with a whole new audience too. Though I must admit, I'm a little intimidated as this will be the first time I'd be doing a panel discussion with "adults". It should be an interesting experience nonetheless.

So, mark your calendars of May 9th, and visit the MWA conference registration page here. Good times and great info abounds!

Now, I gotta get my handouts done. YIKES!

New comics all around. I'd like to make an effort to add a new "I'm my Own Mascot" comic every Wednesday. We'll see how well that works out with my already busy schedule, but I enjoy doing them and would like to make a habit of it.

I've been hitting a few conventions over the past several weeks doing commissions and selling art/comics/what not. Sales are picking up and it's looking very likely we will do more in the coming year (with more goodies to sell I hope).

This weekend I'll be at the Brooklyn Park Public Library doing a 35-minute drawing seminar as part of thier "Anime & Comics Mini Forum". Should be good fun. I'm planning to do something a little different from previous seminars. The idea is an intro to the fundamentals of good cartoon drawing: line, shape, perspective, observation, and exaggeration...but I have to do it in a way that'll keep kids and teenagers interested. Hopefully I can pull it off without boring these kids to tears and/or falling flat on my face. Nothing ventured, nothing gained and all that.

Anywho, if any of you out there in internet-land want to check it out, here's the details...

When: Saturday Nov 15th at 11am (my section starts at 11:20)

Where: Anne Arundel County Public Library Brooklyn Park
1 East 11th Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21225

And who knows? If people dig it, maybe I'll take it on the road...or at the very least to a convention or two.

First off, new comics. You know the place. ^_^

Second off, check out this video from the Baltimore Comic Con. You can see filthy assistants, Katy and Sally, getting funky at the Interrobang/K-Bo. booth at minute 3:05. I must admit I giggled a bit and am sad that I wasn't at the table when this was filmed.

Anywho, here's the URL...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N4uKIXqMyI

Also,I got to hit the Small Press Expo this past weekend and met a lot of really cool folks. If any of you are reading this, Sarah or I will be emailing you soon about link swaps and stuff. It was great to chat with you all.

I'll be meeting with the Interrobang staff tonight to discuss our convention plans for the next year. Hopefully, I'll have enough info to post about it here for next weeks update.

Until then...!