Happy Thanksgiving everyone.....

Nov. 20, 2010: Hi De Ho Comics Goes Green in Santa Monica!

The new Hi De Ho Comics on Lincoln Blvd., November 20, 2010, 2 p.m.....

EVERYBODY'S GOING GREEN IN SANTA MONICA!
Over the weekend, Gumby triumphantly paid a visit to the new Hi De Ho Comics store at 1431 Lincoln Blvd. (just south of Santa Monica Boulevard).

The reason for this rare and privileged visit? Artist Rafael Navarro and the writer (me on right) debuted our new comic book, "GUMBY'S GANG # 1" starring Pokey, and celebrated the book's arival at comic-book shops nationwide this week.

Here's Raf and I minding the shop.

 Yes, Hi De Ho is the place to go for all Gumby and Pokey products, from our comics to the latest in Gumby fashions and bendy figures (yes, they've even got the Blockheads for all of you Goth Gumby fans...). 

Early in the signing, Raf and I were getting a little worried, staring at our watches, waiting for the big green guy to arrive....

....And he did not.......let us down! The big green guy showed up! No, not me, that OTHER big green guy.....GUMBY!

Then, Art Clokey's crazy creation hit the streets. Do you think we keep this guy around for his bright red eyes? Nah! We put him to work, and Gumby ushered fans into Hi De Ho's swank new bigger-than-ever location.

 He even did it sideways!

Here, Gumby makes customer Collin's day as he leads him in a re-enactment of Lewis and Clark discovering the Oregon Trail!
Gumby penciled some time into his busy schedule to hang out with Hi De Ho co-owner Bob (above) and Hi De Ho hombres Tony and Joe below. 

Here's Tony and Joe flanking Gumby (not as awful as it sounds...) That's Joe on the right, striking a Kool Mo Dee thoughtful rapper pose. Gumby's in the center. What's cool about Tony (uh....left) is that, like me, his favorite Clokey character is:

A stream of notables passed through. Below left, "Scarlet Fox" creator Phillip Victor came by to pick up a copy of "Gumby's Gang Starring Pokey."
My college buddy Renu (below right) also made a surprise visit to check out the action.....He walked away with a copy of my comic book "Silly Goose" and a newfound appreciation for men of clay such as Mr. G. Also seen on site: my ol' pal Larry Hummel (not to be confused with my comic book "Harry Lummel") showed up...although--and this is odd!---when ever Gumby appeared, Larry was nowhere to be seen, and vice versa. My thanks to LH for being there!
Cartoonist Bernyce Talley made an effort to say hello while in the store to do her weekly comics shopping. After some arm-twisting, she finally broke down and bought the "Pokey" book.

It was a good time had by all....We spent some quality time with Gumby....

....And we had a fun time pimpin' the new "Pokey" book and getting to know the brand-new Hi De Ho Santa Monica store. I've been going to the old location for decades, sometimes to buy, occasionally to sign comics, and since my recent move to Pacific Palisades, they've become my official neighborhood store. I'm glad they're back, bigger than ever. Go check out the new digs for yourself!
After the signing, being the manly-men creators that we are, we hit the streets of Santa Monica and went Swingin'....No, this isn't Raf and I trying to be Greg Kinnear and Willem DeFoe in Paul Schrader's "Auto Focus"....we went down the block to Swingers and got our dinner on!

Our thanks to the folks at Hi De Ho Comics for the warm welcome and good times!

See you on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2 p.m. when we, along with Gumby, return to the Laguna Beach Hi De Ho location for more "Pokey" action!

POKEY comics signing in Santa Monica tomorrow! Gumby to appear in "person"!

Bring your kids and cameras, folks. Artist Rafael Navarro and I are signing our GUMBY'S GANG STARRING POKEY comic book, in stores now!

Details at HIDEHOCOMICS.COM

POKEY is coming! November 20, 2 PM in Santa Monica!

After a slow roll out at places such as San Diego Comic-Con, GUMBY'S GANG STARRING POKEY #1 will reach stores this coming week! 

Artist Rafael Navarro and I will sign copies at Hi De Ho's new comic book shop at 1431 Lincoln Blvd. in Santa Monica on Saturday, Nov. 20 at 2 p.m.

Gumby is rumored to make an appearance in the clay (not flesh). I'm hoping he doesn't blow off the signing, as he is a busy oblong-headed little green Plasticine boy.

The Man meets The Man Behind the Prickle

Ah, memories! Sweet comic-book world memories....

Behold! Two great geniuses of comics and cartoons. Here's Art Clokey and Stan Lee at the Shrine convention in Los Angeles (online it says May 2008 but I seem to remember it was early in the year, like January) when both were special guests.

It's worth repeating that we're getting closer to readying this guy's debut in comics for Feb. 2011. Below is artist Chris Grine's cover for the upcoming GUMBY'S GANG STARRING PRICKLE.

Ever wonder whether Prickle is a stegosaurus or a dragon? Well, Prickle wonders, too, and the question of his original ancestry leads him on a global journey in GUMBY'S GANG STARRING PRICKLE. 

Meanwhile, an impostor Prickle (the robot on the right) infiltrates Gumby's gang. And because of his nasal monotone, nobody notices for weeks....until the lasers shoot out of its eyes!

Keep an eye out for it, it's gonna be a fun one.

Oh, and if you don't believe me...

...Here are stills from old Tintin movies.

TINTIN motion picture: so far, so good....

I'm not exactly itching for a TINTIN trilogy of motion-capture, live/animated films. Tintin has been adapted to movies before in Europe and the results appear ridiculous. In general, I don't get very excited anymore when something I really enjoy in one medium is translated into another. Usually, I brace myself for disappointment, as it's hard for a movie to measure up to a book or comic.

But I suppose that with Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson, masters of young adult fantasy, acting as custodians of Herge's creations, it should be in pretty good hands. And from all appearances, so far, it is. 

Below are some of the first images surfacing online of the first Tintin movie, SECRET OF THE UNICORN, and the style seems to fit the Tintin aesthetic (thankfully, it doesn't resemble POLAR EXPRESS too much). Bravo, gentlemen! I'm looking forward to seeing the trailer based on these stills.

P.S. -- It'll be hard to say how a European-embraced property such as Tintin will fare at the U.S. box office, but it should be interesting seeing how the film's marketeers and talent go about educating Americans on the phenomenon of Tintin, a character as old as Popeye the Sailor! (circa 1929)

Prickle is an artist, too!

Here's a classic episode in which Prickle goes bohemian on the Gumby gang...(Goo, by the way, sounds a lot like Cindy Brady in this one...)

Hi De Ho Comics, 1431 Lincoln Blvd., Santa Monica, Sat. Nov. 20, 2 p.m.

Artist Rafael Navarro and myself will sign our new comic book, GUMBY'S GANG STARRING POKEY, featuring the iconic Art Clokey characters. Gumby may be there in person, too. Bring the kids!

In honor of Jay Ward: SUPERCHICKEN opening