• I usually come down against Cruelty to Animals.  It’s not a controversial position I know, but this morning, where my own canine household members are concerned, I’m rethinking it anyway. 
• I’ll be appearing, along with Tori Amos (!!), editor Rantz Hoseley, moderator Douglas Wolk, David Mack, Ted McKeever and Elizabeth Genco on the CBT panel at SDCC to ‘launch’ the Comic Book Tattoo.  Yeah, that’s right.  My 22 year-old self thinks my 37 year-old self is cool at last.
• Heroes Con remains awesome.  I apparently don’t have it in me to do full con reports anymore so if you’re looking for that sort of thing I’ll point you towards Tom Spurgeon’s full report and collective memory links page.  For my part, I enjoyed myself immensely.  Many thanks to Sheldon, Dusty and their crew.  A couple of bits worth mentioning: 
  • I met Kathryn Immonen (and Stuart!) in person, at long last.  Turns out she’s just as lovely as I’d imagined.  More so, even.  
  • My favorite exchange of the Con:
    • Matt Fraction: Kathryn came by while you were gone.  
    • Kelly Sue: Did she say anything about meeting up later?
    • Matt Fraction: No, but she gave me a Slim Jim and a knife.
  • Fraction said the collaboration panel he did was the most craft-intensive panel he’d ever been on and possibly the best.  I was minding the table, so I missed it but The Dollar Bin recorded it and posted it here. 
  • Newsarama documented my potty mouth on the Creative Household panel here.  (Incidentally, Russ Lane came up and introduced himself later.  What an interesting guy — turns out he lost 200 pounds five years ago.  TWO HUNDRED POUNDS.  I find that fascinating and inspiring.  It takes such courage and faith to make profound life and identity changes like that.  Russ writes some about his accomplishment here. )
  • Steve Niles and I talked a bit more about a project he suggested that’s got my wheel’s turning.  That’s all I can say without jinxing it, but yeah.  Wheels: totally turning.  
  • Sarah Wilkinson and I also chatted about doing a little something together.  I think I know what it’s going to be, but again with the jinxing.  
  • Fraction’s parents made us all FRACTION t-shirts, which might have been the cutest thing ever.  (Well, next to the little boy dressed as Iron Fist.)  The genesis of the idea came from a photo of Fraction and his dad when Matt was about three.  They’re wearing shirts that say “Fritch” and “Little Fritch.”  We’ve now got a shot of Fraction, his dad and Henry in shirts that read “Fraction,” “Dad Fraction” and “Lil’ Fraction.”  We’re going to frame the two together.  
  • I adore Ivan Brandon and Rick Remender.  Can I just say that?  Cool.
  • I didn’t do a lot of shopping but I did pick up this print by Imaginism for Miss April.  (I nearly picked up one of a Lady Snowblood-esque kimono-clad woman wiping blood off her sword for myself, but I couldn’t think of where I’d hang it.  And — go figure — it’s not on their site.  Alas.)
  • Miss April also scored a monster print moleskine cover by Sarah Dyer.  
  • Introduced myself to Chris Sims from the Invincible Super Blog.  I find that guy’s blog utterly hysterical.  And clearly he’s got great taste: Fraction’s Thor: Reign of Blood is his Pick of the Week.  
• Speaking of Fraction’s books this week, did you all pick up his Young Avengers Special? I know I’m not unbiased but I particularly loved this one.  
• I’ll probably add more to this post as I think of things.  
• Okay… back to work.  

Fraction and I are headed to Charlotte tomorrow for Heroes Con! Woo hoo! If you’re going to be there, please stop by and say hello. We’ll have books and buttons (W.A.S.T.E. and E.M.P.I.R.E., but we’re running low, so you might want to swing by early for those) and possibly even some Casanova t-shirts if I can twist Fraction’s arm. (Wish me luck.) Details on Upcoming. Details on Heroes Official Site. Oh! And come to our panel, please!A couple of other tidbits you might have missed:

• Fraction answers 7 Questions for the Newsarama blog.
• Gillen writes about the Marvel nerd herd.

More in a bit… 

• Holy crap, the dummies of Comic Book Tattoo (pictured above) are gorgeous, no? Rantz, you should be very proud. You have the patience of a saint, corralling eight gazillion creators the way you did, but it looks as though it’s going to pay off in spades. I’m certainly proud to be a part of it.
• Preview Kathryn Immonen‘s Hellcat here. (Kathryn, on whom I have a truly embarrassing girl crush, was kind enough to let me read the pitch for this series and I assure you it’s a HOOT with a capital HOO.) I should also note that I will get to SEE the lovely lady live and in the flesh at Heroes Con next week. Here’s the kicker: if you come to Heroes Con YOU CAN SEE HER TOO. And me. And Fraction. And Stuart, even. And even more lovelies, all of whom are listed here.
• I’m working on the very last volume of Black Cat today. Sniff, sniff. I’ll miss you Train Heartnet. You’re a scamp.
• In domestic news, I made a batch of Green Tea cupcakes at 7am this morning and had walked the dogs 2.75 miles before 9. I like mornings. Go. Me.
• EDITED TO ADD: Kevin Mellon sent me a link to this girl’s awesome softies.  Thanks, Kevin.  Wow.  
• Okay… back to work.

• I am just back from a 45 minute walk with both dogs AND the baby.  I am covered in sweat and pride.  
• Reminder: Warren Ellis’ FREAKANGELS updates every Friday.
• Did we talk about my 20 year high school reunion yet? Yep. Twenty. Years. Gaaaah. Can’t decide if I’m going or not. It’s a good excuse to go visit my best friend (the one I grew up with) but I can’t say that I’m terribly curious about anyone else.  Rob Ryland maybe.  But he’s on Facebook.  What do I need a hotel ballroom for when I have Facebook? 
• Stuff I’m into: Melissa & Doug toys

• Not sure how I missed this, but Fraction and Remender discuss the new Punisher: War Journal #19 on Broken Frontier.  This issue begins the arc that I listened to them breakdown using index cards and our dining room table a while back.  You shoulda been here.  Since you weren’t, you can read the article. 
• The Casanova 14 part of the Wordballoon podcast is up here.
• Did I mention that Fraction won an Eagle?  He did.  W00t!
• Fraction, Jason Aaron and Ande Parks are doing a panel at the Kansas City Literary Festival tomorrow.  Details here.
• Did I already post this?  Too bad: Tim Callahan on Why Casanova Matters.

Click here for a list of personal appearances by Matt Fraction on Upcoming. 

• My cousin had her baby last night — a little boy, as yet unnamed.  We were in Houston Saturday and Sunday, so we barely missed his arrival.  (Alas! Alack!)  Can’t wait for Henry to get a chance to play with New Baby. Congratulations to Jenny and her family! 
• Fraction is signing at Elite today.
• The KC crew (Fraction, Jason Aaron, Tony Moore, et al.) was featured on the front page of the KC Star this weekend.
• Thursday, May 8th, my friend Craig “Baldo” Balderston will be doing stand up on Late Night with Conan O’Brien.  Congratulations, Craig!
• If Fraction and Terry can take the baby on Sunday morning, it looks like Susan and I will be taking an Annie Modesitt workshop at the Studio with Tobi.  It’s not Yarn School, but as consolation prizes go, it’ll most certainly do. (I think I’ve knit ONCE since Henry was born.  Still.  It sounds very relaxing.)
• Annie Ok’s Second Life Iron Man.
• Oh my god these are so awesome!!  Thanks for the pointer, Adrian.
• Adam Hamilton is on Up To Date today; I’m very impressed by what he has to say. 

• I’d really love to find a modestly-priced 3/4 sleeve bow-tie blouse.  Anybody know of one?
• Annie Ok twitters a link to Iron Man on SL (Flickr)
• Why do I find treasures on Bluefly when I have no business shopping?  (As a nursing mom, wrap tops and deep v’s are ideal.)  There are still 3 smalls of this nursing top in stock on sale.  I’m not spending right now, but if there are any left when I am, do you think I could pull off that drape?
• Prom tickets are now on sale.  I don’t know that we’re going to make it this year, what with the babe and all, but maybe.  I should check the calendar.
• How do you go about finding a local ebay reseller? I want to sell my road bike and get a mountain bike, but I don’t know from selling on ebay and I haven’t got the time or patience to learn.
• Fraction’s in GQ again! May 2008, p. 154.
• I bet there’s a way to add a field for TWITTER handles to ADDRESS BOOK, huh?

EDITED TO ADD: 

•  Niles is on the CNN!

http://money.cnn.com/video/#/video/news/2008/04/25/news.comiccon.darkhorse.history.cnnmoney

http://money.cnn.com/video/#/video/news/2008/04/24/news.comiccon.darkhorse.universal.cnnmoney

• I’m linking to this Spider-Man tattoo not because I’m passing judgment on the guy, but rather because I think the shredded skin technique is really effective.  (Confession: when I got my tattoo, I went in asking for something that looked like my skin had been scraped off and I had tiger stripes underneath.  The artist told me it couldn’t be done — which is how I ended up with the piece I’ve got now.  Perhaps she meant that it shouldn’t be done.  Who knows?  Part of me does look at this though and goes, “Aw, man!”)  (Don’t judge me.)  (Oh, like you’re perfect.)

Well, okay… I’m not really.  But Iron Man is coming to Second Life (thanks for the tip, Annie Ok) and did I mention here that Fraction got nominated for two Eisners?  No? Well, he totally did.  I’m very proud.  Congrats to all the nominees.  

Bit of a braindump, this post.  Fair warning.  

• First, Fraction’s in NYC and you can see him on Monday if you like.
  

  Details: On Monday, April 14th, Hanley’s welcomes four of the biggest stars in the Marvel Universe; Brian Michael Bendis (Secret Invasion), Jeph Loeb (Hulk), Ed Brubaker (Captain America) and Matt Fraction (Punisher War Journal). With 11 Eisner Awards and 14 top selling books between them, this quartet of writers dominates the comic industry like none other. With special guest, editor Jen Grunwald, fans can meet these incredible creators from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.

• Family Friend Craig Moorhead and his National Geographic colleagues are nominated for some Webby Awards.  How to vote for Craig and his fellows here.
• Fraction’s got a great interview on his new Iron Man book up on CBR here.  (Do me a favor and read the full interview at CBR and not the out of context quotes reposted elsewhere with a misleading and inflammatory introduction.) 
• Going to Heroes Con?  Fraction and I are!  All the cool kids are, I hear.  This panel ought to be a hoot:
  

  THE CREATIVE HOUSEHOLD | Room 219There are a surprising number of couples in comics where both partners are working in the industry in some capacity; and most of them are attending this year’s HeroesCon! Tom Spurgeon of the Comics Reporter sits down with three of them: Matt Fraction and Kelly Sue DeConnick, Stuart and Kathryn Immonen, and Evan Dorkin and Sarah Dyer. This discussion of the ins and outs of where work and love meets is bound to be one of the most entertaining panels you’ll go to at ANY convention this year, so be sure and add it to your schedule!     

    More panels and the full schedule here.

• Aaaaand I wanted to talk about being a freelancer and a mom without a schedule and what dangerous waters those are, but the boy is awake and needs my attention.  So, more on that later, I guess.