It's windy and cold in LA today. Perfect pre-Halloween weather.

***

SIRENS #5 hits shelves today. There's more of Joker's vendetta against Harley, the Carpenter (from the Wonderland Gang) joins the girls for a few issues, and a long-forgotten Bat-villain reappears.

Deuce and me being surly. Photo by Renae.

Hey! Check out Deuce and Mugsy's photo spread in the new Boston Buddies 2010 calendar! The boys are celebrating December in grand style, with guest appearances from Worf on Hanukkah and Christmas Day. Even Super Rica and Rashy get in on the fun.

http://www.bostonbuddies.org/2010BostonBuddiesRescueCalendar.htm

And remember, it's never too early to start your holiday shopping. A Boston Buddies Calendar makes a swell gift for every animal lover on your list, with every cent going to rescue and find homes for abandoned Boston Terriers in Southern California. Won't you be a Santa to the Buddies and buy one?

Thank you.

Woke up to another furnace hot day and gray-yellow sky. Most of the surrounding LA hills are still on fire, putting my home town on equal footing with the land of Mordor for the world's most undesirable vacation spot.

***

Here's some more info. on the Guiness World Record Award Batman: Arkham Asylum won while I was in England:

http://gameolosophy.com/games/batman-arkham-asylum-sets-a-guiness-world-record/

Once again, I must clarify that Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski actually created B:TAS, though I did help write the series bible. Still, I was stunned when Gareth, our Guiness rep. gave us our certificates: "Don't I have to wear a suit of live insects or sit on a flagpole to get one of these?" Apparently not. I tried to get mom to pose with the crew, but she was busy reading the Arkham cheat book, trying to get Batman through the Poison Ivy boss fight. Nevertheless it was a very nice honor, and literally one for the record books. I figure we have another week to enjoy it before Rock Band Beatles kicks us to the curb.

***

I'm writing this from temporary quarters on my kitchen table as Misty is redoing my office. What a wonderful wife I have! Despite the fact she has ten magic shows this month, she is in there with several helpers and a handyman stripping wainscotting, spraying primer and generally transforming my writing space into a cross between a Victorian naturalist's lab and a 1930's detective's office. A million thanks, sweetheart. I owe you big time. I'll post photos once the rennovations are complete.

***

Apologies again to Dragon*Con and our friends in Atlanta for missing the big show this year. Bizarre cartoon party next year, I promise. Travel and work have collided in a mostly good way for us, but we need this week to center ourselves, finish projects and get a jump on next week. Harley Quinn is glaring at me from my computer screen, so I'd better wrap this up and get back to proofing issue #4 of "Sirens" and writing #5.

***

I'll close by wishing HUGE congratulations to my bro Steve and his fiancee Lisa. Welcome to the brood, sis! We couldn't be happier.

Oh man, September already? This year has sure gone fast. Each day I open the mailbox to more Christmas catalogues. We're now well into fire season here in LA. It's really bad this year and will probably get worse before we get our first rains, which will most likely be sometime in late October. The long-range weathner forcasts assure me there will be nothing by the 15th of this month, at any rate. And just three days ago I was in London's pouring rain.

***

I had a good time in London. I went over for the launch of the Batman: Arkham Asylum game. Misty was busy with other things, so I took my mom as my traveling companion. Hard to believe mom had never been to any of the animation studios I've worked with before. She got along great with the rocksteady gang, though. Also, when I was busy pimping the game in person, on TV, radio and in print, she was more than happy to take herself around town and visit various museums and attractions. I did a museum run myself the last day there, hitting the natural history museum for research on a new project. I'll have more to say about that in a year or so.

***

I wonder if Marvel will change its nickname to the Mouse House of Ideas now that they have been acquired by Disney. Kind of sad that the few independent cartoon and comics creators are being engulfed by huge corporations. I doubt things will change much at Marvel Comics, at least at first. It seems to me that Disney is less interested in the comiics than they are with having perennial boys properties. Disney has princesses, fairies and bunnies for the little girls, but outside of the Pirates franchise, nothing for boys. Buying Spidey, Hulk et al insures they will always have a stake in the 8 to 20 year old crowd, to say nothing of eventual creative control of Marvel's movie and TV properties.

***

Umm. Tired. Need to get to bed. Bye for now.

In London again, this time for the release of the Batman - Arkham Asylum game. Took my mom with me as traveling companion. She had a look-see around Rocksteady Studios this morning and was very impressed. Made many friends with the game crew as well. Later she went off to Harrods and museums while I went around town with the PR crew and did about a dozen interviews, TV, radio, print, net, etc., etc., Arkham comes out in the UK tomorrow, Friday. I will be signing copies at Game, 100 Oxford St. from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM. Sail in and say howdy if you're nearby.

Beyond that, hope to hit a few record stores and magic shops before zooming right home. Miss my bride, miss our pups.

Back from nine days in Vancouver. A more detailed post of what I was doing there will come at a later time. I will say I liked Vancouver a lot. Pretty city, nice folks, good proximity to the wilds of British Columbia which I also visited briefly. In honour of Canada, I will be using an extra U throughout this post wherever appropriate.

One of my favourite places to eat there was at a Japanese hot dog stand outside my hotel called, not surprisingly, Japa Dog. A typical offering would be Japanese pork sausage with fish flakes and wasabi mayo. Tastes better than it sounds. My co-workers and I started each day with whatever new and bizarre dog the chef happened to be grilling up. Even if the dogs were no good it was worth it to get yelled at by the highly energetic and excitable Japa Dog staff. Kind of like the Soup Nazi, you order your dog here, then stand there, and get yelled at everyplace else.

http://www.japadog.com/en/

I also stumbled into a tiny hole in the wall called Connie's Cookhouse, which had great Chinese. I recommend the house special chicken. It is on 4th St. near a pretty decent comic book shop. Got a couple recent Crumb books I had been missing and some of my own Jingle Belle GNs which had gone out of print. More interested producer types want copies of Jing, so I pick them up whenever I find them.

***

Speaking of comics, I just read the last two Collected Peanuts volumes, from 1971 thru 1974. Schulz had occassional moments of brilliance during this period, but once Woodstock came to the fore, the strip got pretty logy. Even the justly acclaimed "Mr. Sack" story suffers from an unbelievably awful last panel and Sparky's imperial fiat that Charlie Brown must remain forever and always a loser. And when he wasn't a loser, he was a pretty thoughtless asshole. Don't believe me? Look at the many Chuck and Peppermint Patty strips around that time. Every time Patty tries to flirt with Chuck, he turns the converstation back to moaning about the little red-haired girl, prompting an angry or heartbroken reaction from Patty. It culminates in a summer 1972 story where Patty finally confronts the little red-haired girl at a girl's camp and can't do anything but stare at her and cry.

Jesus.

Schulz keeps Charlie Brown in the dark about what happened (he is aware he indirectly caused some sort of vague trouble at the girl's camp and is quite pleased about that) but Sparky leaves it to Linus to sort things out and make Patty feel better. Sparky returns Charlie Brown to his comfortable role as a loser, but at the same time makes him stupid and heartless.

That really began to bother me as Peanuts limped into its final 28 years of bonecrushing sameness. As a kid, I knew not every character on the comics page had to win all the time. I knew Pogo would never be elected President and Beetle Bailey would continue to be trampled by Sarge and every enterprise undertaken by Zonker's Uncle Duke would end spectacular failure, but at least they were funny. The longer Peanuts hung around, none of the characters ever won at anything. The strip became an unending unfunny study in frustration. Not only did Charlie Brown remain the perpetual goat, but Lucy was continually frustrated by Schroder, Sally was frustrated by Linus, Peppermint Patty devolved from scrappy tomboy to brain dead moron, Rerun never got his dog, etc, etc. If I have any memories of the strip at all from the mid-seventies onward, they are of the interminable months Schulz spent on Sally talking to her school building, Spike sitting in the desert and Snoopy eating chocolate chip cookies. I doubt I'll be picking up every volume in this set after all.

San Diego '09 is a memory. Before it fades completely, I will jot down a few lasting thoughts...

***

We arrived late at the Hyatt to discover they had sold our room. As a consolation, they gave us the Presidential Suite for the same price. As most nights of our stay were already being picked up by other companies, that worked out rather well price wise. The suite had his and hers bathrooms, a separate computer room and a bathtub roughly the size of our house.

***

During a signing with Paul Levitz, I pitched him my genius idea for a new hero - Plaid Lantern, an angry Scotsman with every lantern color contained within his one ring. Paul's deadpan response: "Talk to Geoff."

***

During another signing, Kermit the Frog came by to say hello. Always nice catching up with Kermit.

***

The Arkham panel with Sefton Hill, Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill was great. I think Mark could have had his pick of any of the adoring Harley Quinns in the room.

***

Great to spend time with Chip Kidd, Kandrix and Laurie, James and Jeremy Owen, Kirby Krackle, Peter David, Alan Burnett, Stan Berkowitz, Bill Morrison, Gordon Kent and the cool couple with the ukes who kindly let me riff on their Flea a while. All too brief hellos exchanged with Evanier, B.T., David Mandel, Javi and Tom Kenny. Apologies to everyone I tried to see but missed. A combination of missed times at booths or signings plus the hell of the main floor crush all worked against me. Maybe next year.

***

Picked up a few must have items including WHAT IS TORCH TIGER by the Disney animators and Darrel Van Citters' terrific book on the making of Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol.

***

Considered going to the Lasseter/Myazaki/Disney panel, but one look at the horrific lines outside the convention center changed my mind. I decided to actually show up for my Batman panel instead.

***

Is that it? I guess that's it.

Below you see my big purchase for the 2009 SD con, a pair of vintage Bugs and Daffy figurines circa 1946 from the Shaw Pottery Co. in good old LA. Eric Goldberg and I were oohing and ahhing over them and Misty said if I didn't get them I'd be sorry. Once I put them on my Annie shelf I realized Misty had made the right call. She nearly always does. Thanks also for posting the pic, love.



This year's con was, like most of them a weird combination of fun, stress, confusion and excitement. The fans were great and everyone seems really enthusiastic about the books and the Arkham video game. I could go on and on with a recap, but it's been four days since I last played with Deuce and Mugsy, and besides, if you're reading this, you were probably there yourself.

Okay boys, walk time.

I'll be at Comic Con in San Diego next week. I'm not doing any scheduled signings, but Dinicartoons will be at booth #1803 with The Art of Laurie B! and the band Kirby Krackle. Come on by and say hi. Laurie B. will have a new Pure Heroine sketchbook for sale, in addition to a new set of Jingle Belle and Polly Green prints. We'll also be selling a very cool girl's tee shirt with Polly on it designed by Lynne Naylor. Good stuff.

I will be appearing on several panels throughout the con. They include:

THURSDAY

10:30 AM -11:30 AM Motion Comics: Graphic Novels in The Digital Age窶� Warner Premiere is one of the pioneers in the production of Motion Comics, which include Watchmen, Peanuts, Batman: Black and White, and many others. Motion Comics are short-form videos that use subtle movements, voice-overs, sweeping music scores, and stunning comic book artwork to bring an engaging visual experience to life. Moderated by Gregory Noveck (DC Comics), with panelists Paul Levitz, (DC Comics, Batman: Black and White), Dave Gibbons (Watchmen, Batman: Black and White), Paul Dini (Batman: Black and White, Mad Love), Lydia Antonini (Warner Premiere), Dylan Coburn (Karactaz, Superman: Red Son), and Stephen Fedasz (Perpetual Notions), who discuss graphic novel storytelling and production in the digital age. Attendees will also see the debut of two DC Motion Comic series during this panel. Room 6DE
Categories: Animation | Comic Books | Webcomics

SATURDAY

10:00 AM -11:00 AM Writers' Guild Panel: PG-13 Animation窶� Is animation growing up, or is a PG-13 rating just an excuse for cartoon writers to use bad words and graphically kill off their characters? Alan Burnett (Green Lantern: First Flight), Matt Wayne (Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms), Michael Jelenic (Wonder Woman), Charles Horn (Robot Chicken), Paul Dini (Return of the Joker), Greg Johnson (The Ultimate Avengers, The Invincible Iron Man, Doctor Strange), and Stan Berkowitz (Justice League: New Frontier, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies) will answer this as well as other, more serious questions about this new genre (if you don't count 1972's Fritz the Cat). Spoiler alert: Expect these writers to announce lots of exciting new projects. Room 3
Categories: Animation | Movies | Television | Writers & Writing


8:30 PM -12:15 AM Watchmen: Director's Cut窶猫ive with Zack Snyder! Plus Sneak Peek of Batman: Arkham Asylum with Mark Hamill & Kevin Conroy窶� Get the ultimate inside track on two landmark Warner Bros. releases with the world premiere screening of Watchmen: Director's Cut and a first-look panel for the breakout Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment game Batman: Arkham Asylum. The festivities will open with a Batman: Arkham Asylum panel led by the benchmark voices of Batman and the Joker, Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series) and Mark Hamill (Star Wars), as well as award-winning writer Paul Dini (Batman: The Animated Series). Then Watchmen director Zack Snyder, legendary illustrator Dave Gibbons and actor Jackie Earle Haley discuss the nuances of the film's Director's Cut窶� which hit stores on July 21. And for the piﾃｨce de rﾃｩsistance, Snyder will host a BD Live Community event窶廃roviding a real-time, in-person director's commentary for Comic-Con attendees (and BD Live viewers at home) as the film rolls. Audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions of Snyder via computer kiosks within the room, making for an entirely interactive viewing experience. Room 6BCF
Categories: Comic Books | Games | Movies | Nighttime Programming | Superheroes


I'm really excited about this last panel as any time I can field questions with Kevin and Mark is a very good time indeed. Also, the game looks killer and I think fans will be blown away by what they see.

Some other things of note around the con --

I won't be at the Brave & Bold panel and screening Friday 10 AM to 11 AM, but if you love the series, by all means go. I'm told they will have some very cool stuff lined up to premiere. Also B&B; guru Michael Jelenic gave me a peek at a special prize they'll have for lucky attendees. It's pretty awesome.

The Two Funny Frebergs panel on Friday 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM. Legendary comic genius, voice actor, writer you name it Stan Freberg and his wonderful wife Hunter in their first ever comic con appearance. Stan Freberg, creator of some of the funniest recordings of all time (History of the United States, Green Christmas) not to mention the voice of Junyr Bear, Bertie of Hubie and Bertie, The Three Little Bops, Pete freakin' Puma, for cryin' out loud! Hosted by the unofficial Lord High Mayor of Comic Con Mark Evanier, this panel promises to be a great time.

In fact, all of Mark's panels look pretty wonderful. Here's a link to them:

http://www.povonline.com/CCISked2009.htm

More con info. as the day approaches. Back to work for now.

Michael Jackson is scheduled to be buried in a few hours at Forest Lawn, which is not even two miles from our house. The helicopters were circling the area all afternoon. They will probably kick in early tomorrow, too. TV reporters say the road in front of Forest Lawn is already filled with fans and news crews and my gym, located almost directly across from the cemetery, sent all its members e-mails cautioning us that getting in to work out tomorrow AM my be "difficult."

I don't really have a lot to say about Michael Jackson. There are maybe four songs of his I like, and yes, when he was on his game, he was a hell of a showman. But I was never much of a fan. I think the only record of his I own is the ET story album and I only kept that because his narration was so damn weird sounding. Misty says we have THRILLER somewhere, but I swear I've never seen it. We rearranged our CD collection the other day, so hang on while I go look for it...

Huh, son of a bitch, we do have it. It was on the same shelf with that Willie Nelson CD of Cindy Walker songs I've been looking for. I was going to play "Human Nature," but now I'll fire up Willie's version of "Cherokee Maiden" instead. Oh man, that's sweet. Now where was I? Oh yeah, Michael Jackson. Kinda sad. Just because you have enough money to keep yourself in permanent childhood doesn't mean you should. Also no good can come from living ones life surrounded by enablers, yes-men, hangers on and other parasites. The doctors report may eventually reveal prescription drugs took their toll on the King of Pop's heart, but I think we all know Michael Jackson was really torn apart by scavengers.

And with that, it's back to Willie Nelson.

So I am in New York today.

Now before all my New York and New Jersey pals get mad for me not calling, lemme explain. I came in early yesterday for a wedding that lasted most of the day. Most of last night and this AM I spent writing in my room and I had an afternoon meeting today that wound up going well over two hours. That left me with maybe 90 free minutes, which made it hard to call or see anyone, much as I would have liked to.

Still, I did have 90 minutes before my meeting, and I had been meaning for some time to get a nice photo of my favorite exhibit at the New York Museum of Natural History, the thylacine, or Tasmanian wolf.

Now the Tasmanian wolf is my favorite animal of all time. No doubt my affinity for the creature was sparked forty-odd years ago when caught my first glimpse of the museum's stuffed specimen as I was wheeled around the AMNH as a tot. The AMNH has no set area for Australian mammals, and over the decades the thylacine has been placed here and there, often as a free-standing curiosity or a sad commentary on recent extinctions (I have a differing opinion on that, but it's a story for another time -- a pretty good story, too, but I digress). Anyhoo, the AMNH thylacine is probably the best preserved example in the US. I think it was mounted by the museum's master taxidermist Carl Akeley, but I'm not sure. It also maybe the same thylacine that lived in the Bronx Zoo circa 1912, but again, I can't confirm. It sure is a pip of a specimen, though. Take a look:

http://www.50plusny.com/Tasmanianwolf_JB.jpg

The one in the Smithsonian is okay, though kinda ragged, and the one at the Harvard museum was collected in the 1880s when the animal was little known and, thanks to inaccurate stuffing, looks more like a distempered dog. But like I said, the AMNH's thylacine is the ne plus ultra of carnivorous marsupial mounts and I was looking forward to taking a few photos for my collection.

So I get to the museum determined to be in and out in under 90 minutes and I decide to be a good little naturalist and reup our museum subscription. I shell out roughly a dollar amount equivalent to the minutes I have to spend there, and set off to hunt down the thylacine. It's not down by the dodo, which was the last place I saw it, and after inquiring of a docent, I am told it has been moved to a new temporary exhibit called Extreme Mammals. Now that sounds great to me and lo and behold, as part of my sign-up package, I have been given a free ticket for the event. I arrive at the fourth floor ready to go, with brand new camera in hand, when I am told in no uncertain terms by security guards and venom-tongued volunteers that there is NO PHOTOGRAPHY in the exhibit.

Well, that is a big HA HA on me as I have come all this way, especially to snap a critter that was sitting in an ignored plastic cube down by the coat check area the last time I saw it. I call the mammal curator to see if mayyybe, I can snap just one li'l ol' picture, reupping member paying well over the renewal price and all, and besides, I draw a thylacine character named Hobart in the Little Rashy cartoons that you've never heard of before but are pretty cool anyway and I and am told again no, sorry, no photography in the exhibit.

Damn.

Once again I am face to face with Thylacinus cynocephalus and once again I miss my shot. (That story for another time again.) The curator bent a little, and said as I was a member I could make an appointment to see some other thylacine bits and pieces (including another fair, but not as nicely preserved full body mount) they have off exhibit but I'd have to wait a few days. As I am only in the Apple for today, that helps me not, but I resolve to plan ahead for next time.

And for what it's worth, the Extreme Mammals exhibit is pretty bitchin'. Definitely worth checking out. The thylacine is at the end, in, as always, the extinction section, and close by it is a newly accquired striped rabbit, a recent discovery from Laos, I think.

One goes out as one comes in. That's the way of the animal world.

I guess I'm on a chuck wagon cooking kick this weekend. First it was buffalo habanero chili for dinner on Friday, then tonight I whipped up a batch of spotted pup (rice pudding with raisins) for dessert. Old Side Meat himself would be proud.

And speaking of pups, spotted or otherwise, here's Deuce:



Pretty cute, huh? He's modeling his "What the huh?" expression. We see that a lot when the subject of walks, treats and such comes up. We'll post one of his brother Mugsy when we get a nice one. Jackie Bass, our photographer on the upcoming calendar shoot, did a tremendous job on our Boston bulls. I will post info. on the calendar when it becomes available. All proceeds go to Boston Buddies, a very worthy cause around here.

First, thanks to everyone who dug the Bat-Mite episode of BRAVE AND BOLD and wrote here and at Twitter to tell me so. No writer, least of all myself, is responsible for the success of an animated cartoon, but when you are working with great cartoonists and directors like those on the B & B crew, you can get a perfect jam going, kind of like musicians all playing together and making something sweet. And speaking of sweet cartoons...

***

Misty and I really REALLY loved UP. I felt it was Pixar's best in a long time, even moreso than last year's WALL-E, visually stunning, but a bit too predictable and preachy-green for me. I think UP may be the first cartoon feature ever made for married couples as it really struck an emotional chord with other husbands and wives we know who saw it. I've had the pleasure of working with Ed Asner a number of times and I thought he would never find another vocal role that would top his turn as Granny Goodness. Happily as I was wrong.

Cheers to my old pal Ronnie Del Carmen, credited as head of story on the project. Even though UP had a great script, I'm sure many of the picture's most heartfelt moments were born from Ronnie's renderings. I've been lucky to work with Mr. Del Carmen on a couple of comic projects, including a couple Batman stories and an issue or two of Jingle Belle. Ronnie came up with the final character design for Polly the Witch, and I've gone into animation studios all over the world and seen his model sheet pinned up over many an admiring animator's desk.

Also, as a kid who grew up in the East Bay, I cheered at the inclusion of Oakland's long time ice cream haven Fentons. Their rainbow sherbet was always a big favorite of mine and I couldn't help but think its wild color scheme influenced the plumage of Kevin, the giant bird. Well, maybe not, but it was fun seeing the old place there, logo and all. That's a small but telling difference in the thought process between Pixar films and Dreamworks. A Dreamworks flick would have had Russell talking about Baskin and Robbins, which would have had a huge tie-in with the picture. But Pete Docter put in Fentons, a little neighborhood parlor where I imagine many of the animators go with their kids. What a nice, classy touch.

***

Our house is decorated for Christmas six months early. Deuce and Mugsy are doing a photo shoot for the Boston Buddies 2010 calendar tomorrow. They are having their baths now and I must pay William, their dog groomer.

Later.

I'm posting at Twitter.

http://twitter.com/Paul_Dini

Follow along as I regale you with anectodes about our dogs, descriptions of what I had for breakfast and other items of little or no interest.

Missed the recent Monsterquest episode on thylacines -- tonight's offering is on deadly jellyfish. I had an encounter with some nasty stingers about twelve years ago in Indonesia. I got away unscathed. Some of the other divers I was with -- not so lucky.

***

I really kind of hate that SNL Gilly character -- she reminds me too much of my old enemy, Laffin' Sal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yfc43S55dvY&feature;=related

Still, her "Sorry" catch phrase is pretty damn infectious. You win another round, Kristen Wiig.

***

Very pleased with the just released MAD LOVE HC. Nice to see Bruce and mine's first published story in such a cool archival package.

***

Stephane Roux rules the Earth. His art on Zatanna is a wonder to behold. This book will knock out a lot of eyeballs. Dunno when it actually debuts though. I'm thinking late fall but I could be wrong. Will try to clarify by next post.

***

Bought a swell chrome uke this week from Ruth and Coop. It has a great sound and plays really nicely. And yes, that's Coop as in mega-cool devil girl rock and roll hot rod artist Coop. His latest show opens this Friday at the Corey Helford Gallery in Culver City. Anyone reading this here in LA should check it out.

***

Pilot casting starts soon. I'm getting excited...

***

Deuce and Mugsy have decided all squirrels everywhere are mocking them and so must be destroyed. It makes our daily walks interesting.

***

Current books I'm reading or have just finished: "Our Magic" by Maskelyne and Devant, "The Energy of Money" by Maria Nemeth and "The Batman Annuals" by various people claiming to be Bob Kane.

***

I am convinced that Don Mossi was the coolest-looking guy ever to play pro baseball. Take a peep at his card if you dare:

http://eastwindupchronicle.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/6e_1.jpg

Man, there's a mug even Basil Woolverton couldn't touch. Too bad Don never hooked up with Laffin' Sal. They would have popped out some wicked cool mutants.

***

So let me get this straight -- America no longer manufactures anything of consequence any more because running all those factories and paying all those workers living wages got too expensive. So the CEOs fired everyone, closed the factories and outsourced most of the jobs overseas to save money. And what did the CEOs do with all the money they saved? Spent it on bonuses for themselves, it sounds like. And we wonder why we're in trouble for what reason?

Misty is in the living room brainstorming with her musical improv group. Mugsy and Deuce are providing creative imput and hoping for doughnuts. I'm setting down a few blurbs too short for full posts, yet too long for Twitter.

***

Saw a run-through of Conan's new Tonight Show last night. It was pretty funny. Nice to see Andy back riding shotgun. Rebecca Romijn and Patton Oswalt were the guests. Patton was hysterical. I hope he comes back and dos his routine for the rest of the country to see it. The Conan set is great, probably the best talk show set on TV. They are really pulling out the stops for this -- I hope he does well.

***

Comic-con is looming on the horizon. People have already started asking me what panels I'm doing and where the parties are. I don't have any answers yet. I want to keep a kind of low profile this year, not commit myself to anything and try and enjoy the con like a fan again. I'm hoping to have a new small press book out for the show, available at my table only. It'll feature one of my own characters, I'll reveal which one shortly. I'm also toying with the idea of releasing some gorgeous but unseen girl designs on baby doll tee shirts for the show, and then for sale on the Dinicartoons website. I'm thinking Ida Red, Polly and maybe Tashi. Any takers?

I'm back and recovered from England. Actually the recovery time is less and less as I am getting more used to my quarterly "commutes." I'm still not flying United next time over, though.

My last day I did a lot of Batman game press for some European magazines - nine interviews in two hours. They had me holed up in a swanky hotel suite, the perfect place for a media bash. Luckily most of my interviews were just on the phone. Afterwards some of the press folks and I dashed across Rathbone St. to the Newman Arms for a pie and a pint. I recommend the chicken and broccoli in pepper sauce. Fantastic.

I finished up the trip with a business dinner at La Porte Des Indes. It remeinded me of the dear, dead days when Flint Dille and I would goof ourselves on Chef Saad's hallucenogenic ten star curry at LA's Canard De Bombay. Next morning I was back on the plane, listening to a half dozen Theme Time Radio Hours graciously provided by TTRH announcer Pierre Mancini. I love that show and sure hope they come back for a fourth season. However given the current state of flux at XM/Sirius and Bob Dylan's non-stop tour schedule, it's looking kind of dicey.

Back home to my loving wife, the pups and a pile of work to chew through. My pilot is nearing production at Cartoon Network which is exciting in an overwhelming kind of way. Maybe I'll do a daily blog once we start shooting. Shouldn't be too long now.

I spent all Wednesday and Thursday working, and that's all I have to say about that.

Today I did a lot of press for the Batman Arkham video game coming out late this summer. Its release has been pushed back to the end of August. If you were expecting it in early June, I apologize for the delay and if it's any consolation I can assure you it will be worth the wait.

On my way back to the hotel today I walked through Cecil Court, a small, Victorian-style alley near Covent Garden lined on either side with antique bookshops. I thought I'd surprise Misty with some books from theatre and magic book shop but sadly they are closed this week. A visit to a rare print shop was equally frustrating. I was looking for nature prints of strange animals, but none of them it turned out, were stranger than the owner of the shop. "What 'dyou want?!" she demanded in a cockney screech as I neared the shop. She had been outside having a chat with a friend on a bike and seemed outraged that she would have to break off and attend to someone who actually wanted to buy something. I mentioned animal prints and the owner responded with a put-upon nod. "I've been running this shop thirty years and I know every print." She said as she sourly lead the way through the door. "What animal you looking for?" "Tasmanian tiger." I said. "WHAT?!" She snapped, obviously unfamiliar with the creature. "It's like a striped dog," I began, but she shut me off with a shrill "I've been running this shop thirty years, I never seen anything like that!" As the owner seemed anxious to get back to her task of stripping the bed curtains from the dead miser's suite above her shop, I meekly left.

To be continued...

Dogs always know what is going on.

They may lick spilled eggs off the floor, or pee on your priceless collection of Li'l Abner reprints or bark insanely at squirrels until they have to be forcibly dragged down the sidewalk, but on a purely emotional level, your dog has you pegged coming and going.

Such was the case earlier at home this week. Both Deuce and Mugsy knew "something was up" and the closer we drew to my departure on Monday, the more aggitated they became. Mugsy would leap up and gently bat me with his front paws whenever I headed toward the front door, as if entreating me to stay. While working in my office, I would often look up to find that Deuce had carefully arranged all his beloved toys in a line at my feet, his way of saying I had my pick of his things if only I would not go. Even his treasured now-stuffingless gray squirrel and the moist rag that once was a pheasant. Yeah, I have a lump in my throat, too.

Still, business is business and my business demanded that I be in London this week. I said good bye to the sad Boston muzzles moping in the window, and did a fair amount of moping of my own as my already-missed Misty drove me to the airport.

The flight over was terrible. I don't know what happened to United. Fifteen years ago it was great, with comfortable cabins serviced by a friendly and attentive staff. I know the days of the crisply uniformed stewardess with her perky pilot hat and sparkling smile are long gone, but I think we deserve better than the Gorns and Mugatos prowling the aisles of today's impersonal sky barges.

And your fellow passengers - Kee-rist! I had barely settled into my seat - J9, when a hundred year old harridan with all the charm of a scalded ratel attacked me for seemingly taking her seat. "Get out! Get out!" She wheezed, shaking a ticket that clearly read H9 in my face. "Me and my family have these seats! Move his bags!" She croaked to her rather addled-looking 60 year old daughter. "Just put them in the aisle! Let him deal with them! GET OUT!" It took no less than three flight attendants to finally convince Lady Magoo she had the wrong seat. As it was I wound up spending the entire trip seated next to her husband, a whiny elderly gent who wore brown sandals and white socks and stank of chorizo.

Magic.

It was early Tuesday AM when I finally got to my hotel room. I checked in with Misty and the boys (all fine) as I unpacked. Having no business scheduled until the next day, I took a run over to the Duke of Uke, a great funky ukulele and banjo emporium in Whitechapel. I spent a blissful hour plunking away and chatting with the store's owner about George Formby, the merits of the concert uke over the soprano (and vice versa) and the new Beansprout banjolele I received for Christmas and am still struggling to master. I walked out with a new concert Pono uke in a flight case. Got a decent deal on them, too. Back at the hotel I got about halfway through "The Old Chisholm Trail" before jet lag got me and I passed out.

More to come...