Hey everyone. So, yeah, pretty hit and miss with the posting, right? One thing I've learned; illustrating the bible is NO JOKE. Things won't be fully back on track until that book is put to bed in mid-July. Sheesh.

Here's a drawing of some cool knights or soldiers or something. No back story, just started with the brown and here's what happened.

Tonight, Thursday night, I'm sitting on an illustrator panel at the Provo Library. It's at 7pm and it should be good. I'll have my HAZARDOUS TALES books there to show. Come say hi.

This Saturday, all day, is the Provo Children's Book Fest, also at the Provo Library here in Utah. If you've been before, you know I draw portraits all day for free. Get there early, before the HUGE families show up. No joke, I think I've drawn families with over 28 children before. This year I will try and take a photo of each portrait and post them all here (I say I'll do that every year, then I never touch my camera...)

If you buy or bring a book to have me sign, you can jump the line. But you have to be aggressive, shout, "OUT OF MY WAY! I JUST BOUGHT THIS NATHAN HALE BOOK!"

Nathan Hale books will be sold on the premise. Be there!

Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales Unboxing!

Hey everyone! I got a little package in the mail last week. I thought I'd do an unboxing for you. 

Here is the mysterious package. Puffy with promise.

Hmmm, what can this be? I can make out something on the vertical slip of paper...a publisher's name, maybe?

Taa-Daa! It's the hot-off-the-press first printing of my new books!!!

Here's Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: ONE DEAD SPY! That's the famous spy (and narrator) himself, Nathan Hale, standing brave before his captors!

And here is Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: BIG BAD IRONCLAD! In a masculine navy blue. Ooh, it looks so sharp. There's Civil War Naval hero Will Cushing on a mission to blow up--well, you'll have to wait and see for yourself.

Here's a quick peek at a random page--the glare is there to prevent spoilers. You can see the one color + grayscale coloring. (it's red and gray in ONE DEAD SPY) You can do a lot with just gray and blue (especially in a Civil War comic!)

I've had a lot of packages like this over the years; the first look at a final, printed book. Sometimes it's exciting, some times disappointing, sometimes confusing, but this one...this one is the best one EVER. First of all, it's the first time I've gotten TWO books at once, and second of all, the designers at Amulet blasted this one out of the park! These books look so great, you can't quite see it in the photos, but there's a nice glossy sheen to the text and banners, there's a subtle leathery texture print on the borders and spine, they have a nice chunky weight to them, the corners are razor sharp. I'm delighted. I'm very excited to see these come out--and I hope you are too.

They come out August 1st! On shelves everywhere! Pre-order here or here! Or better yet, pre-order at your local bookshop!

Opabinia, Unloved Prehistoric Animal Shirt Design #3

Here's a funny looking Cambrian...thing. The Opabinia!

Tiktaalik, Under-appreciated Prehistoric Animal T-shirt Design #2

Tiktaalik, a not-quite Tetrapod from the Devonian Period. Funny name.

Uintatherium, T-shirt Designs for Unpopular Prehistoric Animals

I took a whack at the next TACO HELL panel, and to be honest, I'm just too swamped to do one of those right now. A lot goes into those. I will finish that story. The maddening thing is, I could finish it in 5-6 posts easy. I just can't find a window to do it right now--too complex!

I'll try again next week, when this manuscript is finished. If that doesn't work, I'll wrap it up in July when the BIBLICAL TIMES are over.

In the mean time, here is a cute lil' Uintatherium. A giant horned mammal from the Eocene Period. Also, as you may have guessed from the name, it's from the Uinta mountains of Utah!

The next few posts will be t-shirt designs for unpopular prehistoric animals. That I can handle.

May 1st!

Hey everyone, Thanks for your patience through what will be known as the BIBLE months--strike that--the BIBLICAL TIMES. I'm up to the book of Luke now. 85 stories down, 40 to go. I can see the light at the end of the biblical tunnel. This has been an epic--EPIC job. No joke, it's like Rapunzel's Revenge and Calamity Jack combined, only Rapunzel and Jack are bearded men with robes and headscarves.

What news is there? Let's see, ONE DEAD SPY, the first of book in my Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales series has been picked as a Junior Library Guild Selection. My only previous book to get that was Calamity Jack. I'm supposed to get printed, final versions of the Hazardous Tales books this week. I'll shoot some photos when they get here. My manuscript for book #3 in that series is finished and being reviewed right now. The manuscript for book #4 is due at the end of this week...I should probably go write that soon...

While I was away from the blog--during BIBLICAL TIMES--blogger has gone and revamped itself. There are many new features that I have never used before. If I'm using it right, my most popular post ever is the photo of my LEGO Lewis and Clark boat. huh, wouldn't have guessed it.

Anyway, the Space Station should be somewhat operational tomorrow. Although, if I'm honest, I'd love to shut it down until July, when the BIBLICAL TIMES are finished. The problem is that TACO HELL DRIVE-THRU is a complicated story to draw. I just need to finish it, then launch something easy to draw. Or post some old sketchbook stuff. Or something.

Tune in tomorrow to find out!

Abrams Catalog Sneek-peeka!

The Abrams Catalog is here! The Abrams Catalog is here!

You've been hearing about my historical graphic novel series for over a year now, well, now you can finally SEE what they are going to be about. Take a look at pages 10-11 (right after the Wimpy Kid spread!) Coming this summer!

Open publication - Free publishing - More abrams

April Extrabot

Walker Books is doing a special paperback edition of THE TWELVE BOTS OF CHRISTMAS this year. I just finished making this little guy for the "This Book Belongs To..." page.

Not quite the season, but here's a little bot for you.