This Saturday, July 3rd (Free Comic Book Day), I'll be doing a Store Appearance at Yancy Street Comics at 6843 State Road 54 New Port Richie, FL.

   Along with myself will be Ron Marz, Brandon Peterson and others! We'll be there signing comics and mixing it up from 11 am - 2 PM. For more info, call ( 727 ) 844 - 0888 or contact them at ycomics@tampabay.rr.com.

   Let's hear it for Webmaestro Chris for his third guest blog installment! A warm round of applause, better yet, stack some metal folding chairs three high, then swing a forth into them for an appropriate raucous clatter of appreciation! I remember doing that in art school one time at the insistence of my favorite teacher, Henry Koerner. I have a series of blogs I could devote to him and probably will. In the meantime...

   I had to fly north for a few days for pressing family matters (see, I'm not completely self-centered) and just got back early Monday morning. Massive storms held up my connection in Atlanta by 3-4 hours. I whined and sniveled due to exhaustion and a sore back, but I tried to be a grownup about it and remember that most flights I've taken have been timely and smooth.

   I had two Captain America pages to finish while I was away, so I brought them and a pared-down version of my art supplies. I thought I'd share some pointers in paranoia for my fellow flying artists in this post-9/11 world. Maybe not paranoia, actually. I just don't want some well-intentioned security person confiscating my art supplies, as well-stocked art stores are few and far between.

   I love to use Kneaded erasers to erase the pages once they've been inked, but I felt even a brand new shrink-wrapped one could possibly be misconstrued as plastique explosives. I waited until I got to my parent's town, stopped at a drugstore and picked up a small eraser multi-pack containing some larger erasers for under two bucks. I can compromise on erasers.

   I kept the quill-tips off the Speedball holder, so it doesn't resemble a dangerous weapon. You can hurt somebody with one. I've known inkers who've impaled their legs to much pain and sorrow. No, I'm not talking about myself through an imaginary person...

   I even packed my beveled inking triangle away in my checked luggage, because it's big, pointy and God knows how many ways it's been used to kill a man.

   Drain the rapidograph pens of ink before flying, then double zip-lock bag 'em. The changes in altitude cause the pens to burp out ink, and if they're full, it's messy. They'll still bleed a bit, but not nearly as much, so you just rinse them in the sink before use.

   I don't like to bring bottles of ink, because they tend to leak as well, and a bottlefull of spilt ink is to nightmarish to imagine! What to do? I brought extra bottles of rapidograph ink, which close tight and used that ink to dip my quill in. I prefer Pelikan ink, but quills aren't as dependent on the texture of ink as brushes. I still needed something to hold said ink. Paper, styrofoam, or any other form of cup is impractical, because they're lightweight, and unless you plan on wasting ink filling most of the cup, you risk tipping them over when dipping your quill/brush. I saved the blister pack containing my eraser. Once I wiped the eraser crumbs out and turned it upside down, I had three shallow reservoirs available.

   I'm so gosh-darn proud of my MacGuyver-eque abilities, but nothing beats the time Gromit's "leavings" had to be picked up with a ticket stub, a post-it note and Kleenex! Maybe I should look into hosting an HGTV show with all this goofy knowledge. I'm sure I'll share more this Saturday at Yancy Street Comics. Be there or be nowhere!