Wannabez

Making a Video is Hard!

2010-07-16T22:57:00.002-04:00

So I tried for nearly two hours tonight to record my Kickstarter pitch video and barely any of the footage is usable. Mainly because I kept forgetting what I was supposed to be saying and it just wasn't working out.

Not to mention I have a bad toothache right now, so that just made matters that much worse.

I may try again later tonight or just wait until another day as the tooth is still hurting and I'm extremely tired tonight. Which is odd for me at 11pm as I'm normally up into the wee hours of the night.

For additional description of the night's events and more check out this forum post.

And stay tuned to both this blog and the forums for more updates in the near future.

CXP No More

2010-07-16T22:53:00.002-04:00

I figured I had better fill you all in on the status of WBZ on CXP. Well, CXP closed its doors not too long ago sadly. So Wannabez is obviously no longer available there.

Soon it will be available via other avenues, though, so we'll keep you posted.

The special edition of the #1 preview with the pinups from the contest that was supposed to be on CXP will resurface somewhere, fear not.

That's all really. Just wanted to address that since that was the last post before the blog went silent for months on end.

Things Are Moving Again!

2010-07-15T08:00:00.003-04:00

Wow, it has been a LONG time since this blog was updated. Yowzers. I deeply apologize for that, folks. My life has been very hectic between CR, Haven, lettering, flatting and health issues. But we have been making progress with the book.

For starters, issue #1 debuted this past April at the inaugural Chicago Comics & Entertainment Expo (C2E2). We had a table as part of Haven Distributors' Indy Island, and we did okay. Not stellar, but not terrible either.

We still have copies available if you're interested in purchasing one. We have a storefront listing in the works, but until then just email us at wannabez @ brantfowler.com to place an order. We take Paypal.

We also now have a Facebook Fanpage, so if you're on Facebook check it out and "Like" us!

Speaking of websites, soon we'll be overhauling this one. Actually, there will soon be two facets of this website. One, it will be just as you see it now, only updated and modified a bit here and there.

The second facet we'll announce soon. It's going to be exciting and give you all even more reasons for checking the site more frequently, which I admit there has not been much motivation to do so in quite a while.

The next phase of Wannabez would naturally be more issues. But because that's a little difficult for us right now financially, we will soon be turning to www.kickstarter.com.

Kickstarter is a website designed for creative types and entrepreneurs to raise capital for their projects in exchange for rewards given. No profit is involved for the project owners, just funds to "kickstart" their endeavors.

For example, some comic projects try to raise funds for printing and will offer stuff like original art, paraphernalia, signed copies of the book, etc.

I will be submitting to Kickstarter in hopes to raise funds for production and printing costs. And we are offering some pretty cool rewards for those who pledge to support us.

Another cool thing about Kickstarter is that money only changes hands if the project goal is reached. So if after, say, 90 days the goal isn't reached, none of the pledgers have to pay anything. If it does reach or exceed the goal then the pledgers will be charged, but they will also get rewards based on their level of pledge.

It's worth a shot, so we'll see what happens.

On a final note, the next con the team will be together at will be Champion City Con in Springfield, OH on September 11th. It's a one day show, but it's a lot of fun and a lot of our friends will be there, who are all amazing creators in their own right.

One of the promos for the con will feature Mau from Wannabez alongside Cary Kelley's Dynagirl (go check that webcomic out, it updates twice weekly!), and it's a very cool piece.

And that's it for now. We will be updating this blog, the forums, the Facebook page and whatever else much more frequently from here on out. So be on the lookout for more Wannabez in the near future!

Comics XP

2009-10-12T06:38:00.003-04:00

By the way, if you've been hesitant to try the book out, the #0 issue is now available on Comics XP for only 99 CENTS!

Soon a special edition of the #1 preview book complete with the contest winners' pinups will also be available on CXP.

So spend a dollar and check it out, then come back here and let us know what you think!

Mid-Ohio-Con Report

2009-10-12T06:28:00.003-04:00

Well folks, Wannabez did ok at MOC this year. Not as well as hoped, but then we basically had the same issue at the show last year, so it went as well as was expected.

I sold a few copies on Saturday, none on Sunday. I did put an issue in the hands of a fourth grade teacher and a couple of friends, and several people showed interest in the book and took a card or buttons.

We also had a friend of Comic Related handing out postcards for us to everyone that passed, so a lot of people went home with info on Wannabez at least.

Here's a pic of me at the booth:

Scott was at the booth to my left, and on his left was Comic Related. On my right was artist Arvell Jones, who is a super nice guy. Wanda, the lady that was with him was also very nice.

Not as grandiose a booth as previous shows, but I had several other books aside from Wannabez I was trying to sell as well, so Wannabez was only part of the display this time. Next year, we're hoping to do something different, so stay tuned.

I was also on a panel on which I got to plug Wannabez a couple of times, so that was cool. Scott also was on a panel and plugged it.

We also announced the winners of the first Wannabez contest, and you can find out those winners on the Wannabez Forums.

All in all, I'd call it a somewhat successful show. I would like to than Bill and James Henry, the organizers of the event, for inviting us back as guests this year and thus supporting our book. We look forward to next year!

Wannabez Pinup Contest Reminder

2009-09-28T07:51:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to remind you all about the pinup contest we are hosting for Wannabez.

The deadline is THIS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2nd!

We will have judges at Mid-Ohio-Con and will announce the winner there.

The winner will be published in a special edition of Wannabez #1 exclusive to Comics XP and will receive a Wannabez prize package including books, prints and who knows what else?

The original post is here: http://wnbz.blogspot.com/2009/09/wannabez-pinup-contest.html

And all the details on the contest can be found here: http://www.comicrelated.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=5459

B

Brant's Ignition

2009-09-20T08:28:00.003-04:00

While I was up at Comics2Games yesterday in Florence for Comicpalooza I got inspired to draw a little. Since Scott wasn't able to make the show, I had the preview copies of issue #1 with blank backs for sketches. So I decided (since I had no paper nearby) to grab one of these and start sketching. Didn't sell it, but a couple of people came up and watched, which was cool.

So here it is in all its glory:

I'm not Scott, but I think I did a pretty good job with the character. I hope you dig it!

Brant

Wannabez Pinup Contest!

2009-09-14T11:57:00.001-04:00

What better way to celebrate our 100th BLOG POST than with an Art Contest?!!

That's right, we are holding the first ever Wannabez Pinup Contest! Full details can be found in our forums here: http://www.comicrelated.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=5459

If you're an artist wanting some exposure, or you just dig Wannabez, enter and your piece could end up published in a special digitally exclusive extended version of the Wannabez #1 Preview issue!

Heroes Con 2009

2009-06-17T07:37:00.001-04:00

In case anyone that reads this, however few you may be, doesn't read my other blog, Twitter or MySpace, I just wanted to let you all know that tomorrow I will be heading down to Charlotte for HeroesCon!

First time I've been, but I am looking forward to it. There will be a ton of guests there, and representing press this time around (ComicRelated.com), I might be doing some interviews.

So I won't have my own table, but I will be at the CR table now and then, and there will be copies of Wannabez there if you still haven't checked it out.

So if you're there, swing by and say hi!

Brant

Fan Art... well, half. It's a collaboration!

2009-06-14T23:41:00.002-04:00

We wanted to show some artwork done in pencil by our friend Jackie Hernandez, artist of RINGTAIL CAFE. Jackie drew these in blue line pencil awhile back at Comics2Games in Florence while we were all there. She asked me to ink them, so we would basically collaborate on something together (outside of a friendly game of character face Tic-Tac-Toe).

So posted here are the blue line pencils of the six characters she drew, followed by my inks on three of them!

Scott

Take the "What Wannabez Character Are You?" Quiz on Facebook!

2009-06-13T11:51:00.003-04:00

Find out which Wannabez comic book character you are most like!
I created the quiz today at Facebook, and hope you give it a shot and have some fun.
I'd love to hear who gets who as a result.

http://apps.facebook.com/whatwannabezesptrm/

"What WANNABEZ comic character are you?
Wannabez is a comic book series by Brant W. Fowler and Scott D.M. Simmons, and this quiz will tell you which colorful character you are! Sure, they are all abit delusional, believing they received super-powers from a local meteor shower, but hey, you can still relate, right? Are you the "dog-powered" Doberman? Or the "cat-powered" Mau? The "blazing" Streak? The "mastermind" IQ? The "telekinetic" Esmerelda? The "firestarter" Ignition? The "stretching" Slim?"

Scott

Wannabez and FCBD

2009-04-23T11:46:00.002-04:00

Free Comic Book Day 2009 falls on Saturday, May 2nd, and me and Scott will be at Comics 2 Games in Florence, KY for the event!

Check out a press release and commercial for it here:

http://www.comicrelated.com/display.php?item=1226&story=Comic%20Related@FCBD

Bob Hickey has been kind enough to label us as 'guests' alongside several other wonderful creators. So presumably we'll be set up with Wannabez stuff.

So, if you're in the Northern KY/Cincinnati area please stop by and see us!

Video Interview from Gem City Con

2009-04-15T23:39:00.000-04:00

Check out this interview Underground Video Network did with us:

Gem City Con Aftermath

2009-04-09T11:22:00.011-04:00

So Gem City was a moderate success for team Wannabez. We had a great time with old and new friends, sold some books, and just had a good time all around.

While we didn't sell as many as we had hoped, we did move some copies of the issue #1 preview. Scott was providing original sketches on the back of the issue, which is a pretty good deal seeing as how smaller sketch cards he was doing were more expensive than the book. So it was a bargain getting the book and sketch for $3.50.

Below you'll see some pictures from the con, thanks to Scott, including some shots of those original sketches on the back of the books!

If you'd like to order a copy of this special preview issue, which will include an original sketch of a Wannabez character personalized for you, find it in the sidebar then email wannabez@brantfowler.com and let us know which character you'd like and who to sign it to.

Now, onto the pictures!

The gang's all here! Mark LeMieux, Eric Adams, Jackie Hernandez,
Bill Gladman, Raichal Gladman, Sean Collins, Darren Mueller, and me,
Brant Fowler (I HATE me in this photo - man, I gotta shed some pounds)

Here's another shot, Darren, Sean, Jackie, Scott and me. Me and Scott in Wannabez glory Our little corner of the convention Me looking stupid, but having a good time Mark and Jonna Scott and Mark Jonna, and in the background is John Hodges of Bad Place Productions Ian Shires and his lovely wife. You can see a copy of the MVA version of WBZ #0 too! The crew from Underground Video who interviewed us Chris Sprouse, one of Scott's artistic heroes Ryan, who wanted a Cobra symbol, so Scott had Dobey chewing a Cobra flag! And here's a close-up of it. A woman named Kris who requested Dobey And the close-up of it Our good friend Bill Gladman who also wanted Dobey And a close-up of it And one of Mau for Bill's daughter, Raichal Mark from OSWCC and his son Ben who also liked Dobey And a close-up One of Mau de-masking to reveal Jonna, who dressed up as Mau at Mid-Ohio last October as you'll recall One of obscure character Whipped Potatoes for Darrell, who was kind enough to give us a copy of his novel. Check him out at www.alegendaryjourney.com And a close-up Darrell's cousin Jermaine, who liked, yep, Dobey And a close-up Jackie and Darren - Darren is a HUGE Transformers fan so he wanted a WBZ character as a Transformer And there you have it - a Transformer Mau! And here's our new good friend Kevin Hicks, who wanted Mau... Kevin is a great guy and I'm glad I had the chance to meet him And a close-up This is one Scott did for me, which I love And here's one Scott did for my brother, whom the character seen is based off of This is a piece Scott did for a charity auction that was going on at the con in support of animals A t-shirt that was going around getting signed by various artists. Scott did Captain America on the top right A sketch card of Mau for ComicRelated.com's Chuck Moore And a few other sketch cards Scott did at the show. From left to right, top to bottom we have Qui Gon Jinn from Star Wars, Conan the Barbarian, Batgirl, Martian Manhunter and of course, Wolverine

Gem City Con Brief Update

2009-04-06T09:04:00.001-04:00

Gem City was somewhat successful for us. We sold a few books and had a crowd all day long. Scott did tons of sketches and sold some prints as well. We'll have a full update with pictures soon.

Gem City Con

2009-04-05T07:48:00.002-04:00

Today Scott and I are heading to Gem City Con where we will have a table. If you're in the Dayton, OH area come stop by and buy a book!

We weren't quite able to finish #1 of Wannabez, but we have a lettered pencils preview issue featuring the origin of Dober-Man. And on the back cover Scott is drawing an original sketch for everyone that buys a copy! So if you're at the show come by and get an original WBZ sketch!

Yesterday we were at the Comics for Cures sketch card event, which raised nearly $6000 for the American Cancer Society last I checked! The amount could have gone up since then, I don't know. We had a lot of fun seeing the cards displayed, meeting with old and new friends, and just hanging out in a great comic shop. We even sold the one copy of the preview book we had on hand!

The full Wannabez #1 will be out Spring/Summer 2009, so fear not loyal followers. We WILL get this book out this year, finally. It's been a long road, but a road worthwhile, and this journey has been incredible so far. We look for big things in the coming months/years.

Oh, and soon Wannabez will be available via Comics XP and is available through Haven! So we're getting it out there. Thanks for all your support!

Lettered Issue 1 Cover

2009-03-13T17:42:00.002-04:00

If you'd like to check out the full cover with trade dress and logo, head over to the Wannabez forums:

http://www.comicrelated.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4190&view=getnewpost

Issue #1 Cover!

2009-03-12T23:48:00.001-04:00

Just got this tonight and you all are the first to see this, so check it out!

As you can see, we went old school with it, and I think it really captures the fun of the series. My hat's off to Scott and Ross for hitting another one out of the park!

Another Issue 1 Update

2009-03-09T08:13:00.003-04:00

Sadly, we haven't made too much progress since the last update, but I felt it was time to speak up and say something... anything.

Scott will be working on the back half of the book over the next couple of weeks, and over the weekend he was inking the cover.

Ross has finished I believe 2-3 pages of grayscales and will be coloring the cover this week.

Issue 1 will appear in the next edition of the Haven catalog, now called COMICS!, which will be out in May. So you'll get to see the issue 1 cover in there if you pick up a copy. Of course, we'll also post it here naturally.

We are HOPING to get issue 1 out by Gem City Con on April 5th. As it stands right now, that's going to be pretty tight both with time and finances, but we'll see how it goes. As much as we'd HATE to do it, we may end up having to push it back. I hope to make a definite decision on that by next week. If all else fails, we'll try to print up an ashcan sampling of the issue for Gem City and come out with the full issue later on.

But everything is still up in the air. Just know that issue 1 is coming, and it won't be long. I'll keep you updated as I can.

This past weekend, Scott and I were at the Grand Opening of the new Comics2Games store in Florence, KY. Robert Hickey and crew were nice enough to give us a table to pimp our wares. We didn't really sell much, but it was still fun and extremely nice of them to give us space. Thanks so much, guys. There are a couple of pictures below. You can see more by going here.

New Fan Art!

2009-02-08T18:34:00.001-05:00

I was finally able to snag a few minutes to post a new piece of Fan Art from Ringtail Cafe artist Jackie Hernandez.

Her rendition of "Tiny Dobey" as I'm now referring to him, is just adorable. Just head on over to the Fan Art page and go to the next image to see it!

Wannabez Meeting Superbowl Weekend

2009-02-03T01:30:00.002-05:00

This past Saturday Scott and I got together at Comics 2 Games to discuss where Wannabez was headed. It didn't go quite as well as we would have liked (due to my negligence), but we did get some stuff laid out.

Amidst a fun day of hanging out with friends at a comic shop, we sneaked away to have a meeting covering various things like format, time lines, schedules, story plots and so forth. This would have gone so much better had I brought my notes (which I didn't have time to get) or had at least remembered what I had wrote!

The main thing I wanted to discuss was where Wannabez was headed. I wanted to lay out the rest of this arc from notes I had and set the stages for the entire next arc getting Scott's input. The problem, though, was that I couldn't even remember where I had this first arc headed. When I first wrote Wannabez I wrote beat sheets or page-by-page breakdowns of each issue in the first arc, and I loosely planned out the second arc in a broader sense. But it had been so long since I looked at any of that I just completely drew a blank. That's not the sad part though.

The sad part was truly not remembering what happened in the third issue. Scott had seen the script for the third issue and was relaying to me what happened toward the end of it, and I was just looking at him dumbfounded in complete disbelief. I couldn't recall writing any of it and had no idea where I was going with the whole scenario. It was quite strange indeed.

So anyway, we tabled that issue and began discussing other things. Scott and I did talk on the phone Sunday, though, and discussed these things with notes handy.

What we did accomplish was setting a tentative publication schedule for the next three issues of Wannabez, which we intend to put out this year. We also laid some things out that aren't ready to be announced, but may involve some new talent putting pencil to paper on the Wannabez characters. We also talked about cons, distribution, and various other things. So it was a productive meeting.

We also scored some very cool fan art from Jackie Hernandez that will go up on the site sometime this week, so be on the lookout for that.

Get Together Date Changed

2009-01-15T15:03:00.000-05:00

Due to some construction at the new Comics 2 Games store we've pushed our get together back a week and will now meet on January 31st.

Yes, we're aware that's Super Bowl weekend, but none of us are that into football anyway, at least not to my knowledge. And it's Saturday, not Sunday, so it should all be good, right?

Anyway, if you're in the area be sure to stop by and say hey!

Upcoming

2009-01-12T11:49:00.003-05:00

Scott and I are going to head to Florence, KY on January 24th to meet up to discuss the future of Wannabez, our convention plans this year, and probably some other stuff while we're at it.

Just to assure you, when I say we're discussing the future of Wannabez, I don't mean whether or not there will be one. There will definitely be a future of Wannabez, we're just going to flesh some things out and discuss where we want to take it after the first arc and so forth.

We'll also be meeting up with a bunch of people including Chuck and Katie Moore, the Ringtail Cafe crew, the staff of Comics 2 Games (possibly at the new store), and apparently Eric Adams, who is responsible for the design of the Comic Related website! It should be a lot of fun.

If you're in the neighborhood you should swing by Comics 2 Games and say hey. We'll be there at some point, though I'm not sure exactly when. We won't be at a table or anything like that, just in there meeting up with friends and having a good time.

Even though MegaCon's a bust, we are still planning on hitting as many cons as our time and wallets will allow. We'll definitely be at the Comics for Cures Sketch Card event at Comics 2 Games in April, and possibly GemCon the next day. But as far as cons to set up at, we're just not sure yet.

Wannabez #1 is in various stages right now. Scott will be resuming pencils and inks as soon as he finishes another project, and Ross has about a third of the issue give or take to grayscale. I'm just kind of hanging back burying myself in other work right now.

Just keep it locked to this blog for future updates!

MegaCon's a Bust

2009-01-09T04:52:00.002-05:00

Well, MegaCon was to be the first convention of 2009 Wannabez would be represented at. Unfortunately that is not going to happen now.

Scott and I had intended to get our registration in early, but I was low on funds at the time so we didn't. Then there was Christmas and, well, you know how that goes. So we were going to get our registration in by next week, but lo and behold, MegaCon's Artist Alley is now sold out.

So, we are forced to remove MegaCon from our attendance list this year. We're not sure what will be the first convention we are set up at now, but we'll keep you posted. We may still make it to Florida for a show, but it's undecided. Details forthcoming if we are.

Issue #2 Script in the Can

2009-01-01T00:56:00.001-05:00

If you're a regular reader of this blog you know that not too long ago I made a deal with Scott that if I didn't finish the script for Wannabez #2 by the end of the year that I would pay for his hotel room when we go to MegaCon this year.

Well, I am proud to report that before midnight I did complete the script for issue #2 and sent it to Scott and Cary! I cut it really close, but it did get done and I think it's some good stuff with some exciting scenes and some funny stuff.

So now four issues worth of scripts (if you count #0) are in the can. Yep, issue #3 was written before issue #2 oddly enough, so next up will be issue #4. Wannabez is off to a good start in the new year.

Happy 2009!

2009-01-01T00:25:00.000-05:00

From everyone involved with Wannabez, we wish you a happy New Year, and we hope that you find great success in this new year, which has now begun!

Christmas Has Come and Gone

2008-12-27T11:45:00.003-05:00

Did you get your copies of Wannabez #0 for your friends and family? No? There's still plenty left for late Christmas presents. =)

I will be completing the issue 2 script by New Years Eve, then we'll resume work on issue 1 sometime in January. As I mentioned before, Scott and I will be meeting in person sometime in early '09 to brainstorm on the direction of the book, and it should be a lot of fun.

Wannabez will be all over the place in 2009. We plan to hit several conventions and release several issues if it all works out. If 2008 was the year for Wannabez' official beginning, 2009 is the year that takes it to the next level!

We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and we wish you a safe and happy New Years as well.

B

New Forum!

2008-12-17T11:30:00.000-05:00

Want to learn more about Wannabez and other projects I'm working on? Check out my new forum at Comic Related!

http://www.comicrelated.com/forums/index.php?showforum=256

Soon Scott will have one too, and I'm sure there will be even more Wannabez goodness coming there. I'm waiting to see what he puts up before I put anymore into my own Wannabez forum. :)

Jazma Interview!

2008-12-14T21:19:00.001-05:00

I was recently interviewed for Jazma Online about Wannabez and it has gone live today! You can find the interview here:

http://www.jazmaonline.com/interviews/interviews2008.asp?intID=258

Please give it a read.

B

In-Store Signing Report

2008-12-07T10:05:00.003-05:00

The signing yesterday was not a monumental success, but some fun was had and a few books were sold. The weather was probably one cause of the lack of turnout as the roads, I hear, were pretty bad.

I unfortunately didn't make it as I got very ill with what I think is a touch of the flu Friday night into early Saturday morning. Scott sadly made the trek all the way to my house, which took him twice as long as it normally would have because of the weather and a couple of unfortunate accidents along the way. Thanks, Scott, for the Christmas present (Incredible Hulk DVD! I haven't seen it yet!), and for making the trip and going on with the signing.

There also were no pictures sadly for two reason: One, Scott's camera is on the fritz, and two, there was no one to take the pictures! But Scott did send along a report of how things went.

After the trip to my house put him behind schedule, a quick call to Comic Book World set the signing for an hour later than advertised. Scott got there at 2pm and was met by Chuck Moore of Comic Related (thanks for coming out, Chuck! sorry I missed you) who helped Scott in with some things.

They talked a bit, then Chuck took off to help his wife with their Christmas tree. Paul (owner of CBW) and his wife helped set up the table, then the signing was underway.

Only four books were sold to customers, each receiving a signed copy (I signed a few copies here for Scott to take with him, so I assume he then signed those for the customers that bought them), and then CBW bought a few more copies for the store, which was great to hear. One book went to the wife of a guy named Carl, one went to a mom of three who also struck up a conversation asking questions about comic creation. One went to a man named Kevin, and one went to a woman named Stephanie who uncannily looked a lot like an old friend of Scott's from college also named Stephanie.

Scott also did a sketch card of Hellboy for a young man named Brandon, and he passed out Wannabez and Hackoween cards to them and other people in the store.

Scott also had Christmas Cards on sale featuring Dober-Man and Streak that we used I believe last year as a MySpace greeting, which you can see here. I plan on sending these out to my friends and family here - it's such a great, fun piece! I think he was selling them for $3 a pack if anyone's interested.

The folks of Comic Book World were kind enough to invite us back in March or April, which is really cool. By then we'll have another issue and another convention under our belt, and probably a lot of other cool stuff to sell and sign.

The Ringtail Cafe crew (Darren and Krista Mueller (I hope I spelled that right) and Jackie Hernandez) stopped by and chatted with Scott for a long while also. I hated missing them as I really enjoyed my time with them last time I was in Florence for the podcast with Comic Related. Stay tuned for some callaborations between them and us in the near future as I'm sure there will be many. And if anyone is interested in contributing some work to a Mad Magazine type publication let us know and we'll pass the word along to Ringtail, et al.

So it was a fun time for Scott and those that stopped by, and Paul and the rest of CBW are very supportive of the book, us and our efforts, so that's really cool. And though Scott made a completely unneccessary trip to my house, I got a DVD out of it. :) I'll have to get Scott and Shannon something nice now.

Next time I will definitely be there whether I'm sick or not. I just could not ride in a car for three hours in that weather with no sleep and the way I was feeling. I regret that, but it is what it is. I'm grateful for Scott going through with it alone, and for everyone that came out to see us intentionally or by happenstance. Your support means the world to us, and we hope we made some new fans!

B

Correction to Press Release

2008-12-04T04:43:00.002-05:00

I have made a grave error in the press release. In it I state that I will also have copies of books I've lettered, but that's not the case. It slipped my mind briefly that I just sold all of them save the one copy of a few I'm keeping for myself! So I won't have anything but Wannabez #0 there as far as books go.

Whether I'll have anything else, who knows?

Scott will still have sketch cards and all that jazz though.

Man, wish I had remembered that!

PRESS RELEASE - Wannabez Creators In-Store Signing

2008-12-03T02:11:00.009-05:00

Here's the official press release for our upcoming signing:

WANNABEZ CREATORS SIGNING IN-STORE DECEMBER 6, 2008

December 3, 2008, Winchester, KY - Saturday, the 6th of December Wannabez creators Brant W. Fowler and Scott D.M. Simmons will be signing copies of Wannabez at Comic Book World in Florence, KY.

What happens when a bunch of people mistake a meteor falling to earth and a bunch of bizarre coincidences for super powers?

They become WANNABEZ of course! This is what happens in the new comic book from Brant W. Fowler and Scott D.M. Simmons. Featuring a cast of vibrant and diverse characters in a fun, all-ages setting, this book is fun for the whole family. There's a little something for everyone.

This is the first store signing for either creator, and they are very excited about meeting and greeting fans and hopefully sending many home with a copy of Wannabez #0!

"It's an honor to be considered a creator worthy of doing an in-store signing", said Brant, "and Scott and I greatly look forward to meeting and potentially making new fans of Wannabez!

The duo will also have prints and sketch cards available for purchase, and Brant will have copies of books he's lettered for sale as well.

If you're in the Florence, KY area, please drop in and meet the creative team behind this fun and exciting new book, buy a copy, get it signed, and just have fun chatting it up!

What:
Wannabez In-Store Signing

When:
December 6, 2008, 1-5pm

Where:
Comic Book World
7130 Turfway Rd.
Florence, KY 41042

www.comicbookworld.com

"Can't wait to see you there!"

Wannabez #0 is on sale now! Learn more at www.wannabez.com!

ABOUT WANNABEZ

Wannabez follows regular people who have mistaken bizarre coincidences as the acquisition of super powers! Now banded together, these new heroes strive to be more than who they are. These people are WANNABEZ! Dober-Man! Streak! Ignition! Slim! Mau! Esmerelda! A comic book series that is fun for all ages! Learn more about Wannabez at www.wannabez.com.

ABOUT GONZOGOOSE PRODUCTIONS

Gonzogoose Productions is the imprint created by Brant W. Fowler for the purposes of self-publishing his own creative works. Wannabez is the first title to come out of Gonzogoose Productions, but certainly not the last. Other future titles include Eliminator, Night Riders, Paragons and Snow to name a few.

B-Out

Happy Thanksgiving from Wannabez!

2008-11-27T11:15:00.002-05:00

Team Wannabez would like to wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving! Eat plenty, have fun, and feel blessed.

Best,

Brant, Scott, Cary and Ross!

In-Store Signing December 6th!

2008-11-26T18:10:00.005-05:00

That's right, boys and girls, Team Wannabez will be at Comic Book World in Florence, KY December 6th for a special in-store signing!

We'll have books for sell (Wannabez #0 of course, and other books I've lettered), and Scott will be doing sketch cards and sketches.

If you're in the area please drop by and say hello!

What:
Wannabez In-Store Signing

When:
December 6, 2008, 1-5pm

Where:
Comic Book World
7130 Turfway Rd.
Florence, KY 41042

B-Out

Our Podcast is Live!

2008-11-19T23:12:00.002-05:00

As you know, Scott and I recorded a long, in depth podcast with Chuck Moore of Comic Related not too long ago in the middle of Blue Line Pro and Comics 2 Games.

You can find the podcast here: http://www.comicrelated.com/display.php?item=144

Please take some time and learn more about Wannabez and many other things we're involved in!

Ignore the picture, I hate that picture! lol

B

Not Much to Report...

2008-11-18T03:13:00.002-05:00

...but I just wanted to check in since it's been a bit since my last post.

The Wannabez podcast interview should be up on the site this Wednesday, so be on the look out for that at the ALL NEW ComicRelated.com!

Also upcoming on Comic Related will be my new column, Journey of a Wannabe, which chronicles my journey from a fan to my current status in bi-weekly fashion.

I'll update you on both of those when they go live.

Next year, Scott and I will begin the Wannabez webcomic featuring side stories of main, secondary and tertiary characters even. Should be a lot of fun.

As far as progress on issue 1 goes, well, there has been none, at least not to my knowledge. I've not sent Ross anymore pages to grayscale yet, and Scott has been working hard on other projects. But we'll get it out there soon enough, no worries about that.

I can tell you that we will be doing a calendar next year and we've already started putting together a list of potential artists to contribute. The calendar will be either a 16 or 18 month calendar for 2009-2010 featuring pinups of Wannabez characters for every month. It'll be a fun project and a fun and functional piece of artwork for your homes, studios or offices! Hint Hint.

Please check out the Wannabez store and buy some Christmas gifts!

While you're at it, click the button on the sidebar to buy a copy of Wannabez #0 for yourself or a loved one this holiday season!

~B

The Day, the Plan and the Deal

2008-11-09T08:43:00.002-05:00

Yesterday Scott and I traveled to Comics 2 Games in Florence, KY to record a podcast interview for ComicRelated.com. Many announcements came about, which you'll soon learn about, and a lot of fun was had. To read the full report of the day, head over to my main blog and read the Long, Wonderful Day post.

In the next post on that blog I talked about how the day and the people we met truly inspired my creativity. So the plan now is to hook up with Scott in person soon and hash out the next couple of arcs of Wannabez.

See, I had originally planned it as a 12-issue maxi-series broken up into two arcs of six issues each. When we started laying it out for publishers we decided to scale it back an issue, as much content as could be spared, and keep the first arc at 5 issues. However, I had never fully laid out the second part of that 12 issue arc, so there's a lot of work to be done.

Whether the comic will remain a series of mini-series or evolve into an on-going I'm not sure, we'll just have to let that play out (and it really depends on a lot of factors). But I'm hoping we can come up with some really cool things in the months ahead, including spin-offs in the form of webcomics!

Now, I mention a "deal" in the title of this post as well. See, for some strange and peculiar reason way back when, I wrote issues one and three, and then laid out 2 and 4-6. Over the years I've only managed to write 7 pages of issue 2 to date, and Scott never ceases in bugging me about it. Of course, in my defense, when you're knee-deep in lettering work it's hard to find time to do anything else, even when you really want to.

So, yesterday I made a deal with Scott. The first convention of 2009 we're planning on doing is MegaCon in Florida. So I told Scott that I would finish issue 2 by the end of the year, and if I didn't I would pay for his hotel room in Florida. So now I have something to motivate me to finish as I'm not that wealthy. :) I've got about 7 weeks, give or take. Surely I can sit down and write 15 pages of script! Hopefully...

I'll keep you apprised of how that all plays out.

~B

Comic Related Recap

2008-11-01T11:22:00.003-04:00

In one week, Scott and I will record our in depth podcast interview with Chuck Moore of Comic Related at Comics2Games in Florence, KY.

Those familiar with Sketch Magazine or Blue Line Pro will know that location well.

While we will be recording the episode on November 8th, it won't actually air until November 26th (it was the 19th, but it's been moved), the day before Thanksgiving! It will be (tentatively) Related Recap #54, so be on the lookout for it.

You can keep apprised of all upcoming Related Recap podcasts here. And keep watching that site, because in two short weeks it will all change...

Scott and I will be talking about a great many things collectively and individually, but of course, our main focus is Wannabez. We hope to have some news on conventions next year and the state of issue #1 of the book, the website, and much more, so don't miss it!

We'll keep you updated right here with more information as we know it.

B

Grayscales Floating In!

2008-10-29T08:36:00.003-04:00

Ross sent over page 2 of issue 1 grayscaled last night and it rocks, naturally. We are so thrilled to have Ross on the team. He adds that missing flavor that neither Scott nor I could fill.

I'm not going to show the whole page (hey, you've seen the inks if you have issue #0 - and if you haven't, buy it!), but I will show a panel from it:

See? I told you, it's awesome.

Be sure to check out Ross' DeviantArt gallery, linked in the sidebar. And he's got a killer thread over at CBR with a bunch of sweet samples.

B

On the Move

2008-10-28T06:48:00.002-04:00

Since it's been a little while since our last update, I just wanted to pop in and let you know we are diligently working on issue 1. Ross already has pages in hand and the grayscaling process has begun!

I am going to try to set aside a space of time this week or weekend to write the rest of issue #2, so we can have that in the can as well.

And just a reminder, #0 is still available! I'm sitting on a box full here at the house that I will gladly sell to you! You can just click "Add to Cart" in the sidebar to order your copies directly from me! Even if you've seen the Dimestore version, you'll want this version. The paper quality is much better, and there's a lot more content in this issue solely dedicated to Wannabez!

I'll give another update as soon as we have something to update you on. Just stay tuned, big things are in the works!

B

Dinner for Three

2008-10-19T05:42:00.002-04:00

Myself, Scott and his wife, Shannon, all met up for dinner last night as they were in town for a Star Wars collectors event, where Scott did pretty well drawing sketch cards (congrats, Scott!). He even gained a pretty cool young fan in the process.

At dinner at Olive Garden (only the second time I'd ever been - I'll be going back! Very good food and atmosphere), we talked about many things, among them of course was Wannabez. Chiefly, we discussed going to color instead of grayscales and started talking about the feasibility of it.

Thus far, the conclusion we've come to is it's just too expensive to go full color at the rates we've found so far, and nearly impossible to make a profit on the book without shooting the price up to a level I wouldn't be comfortable charging you all.

So, unless we find much more reasonable rates, we'll be doing grayscale on the singles. But Ross is going to try to color them in full color and convert them to grayscale, changing values here and there, so that WHEN we go to trade we can produce it in full color! That's the compromise, as self-publishers, we sometimes have to make I suppose.

That said, as I've declared here before, and as anyone who's seen issue #0, Ross' grayscales are phenomenal, and though Scott's inks are equally impressive, the grays really do make the pages pop more than simple black and white ever could, especially for the style of art that Wannabez is done in. So it's an easy compromise considering the monumental talent producing these beautiful pages.

The rest of the dinner discussion was great, and it was very cool seeing Scott and Shannon again so soon after the last time. Hopefully we'll be able to meet up more regularly than we have the past few years, which was not at all! With all the conventions Scott and I are hoping to do next year, I think that's a very good possibility.

More from the land of Wannabez to come soon!

B-Out

Wannabez Now Available!!!

2008-10-18T09:01:00.001-04:00

If you look to your left in the sidebar below the names of the creators you will now find the cover image and and "Add to Cart" button to purchase Wannabez #0! This is via paypal. If you don't have paypal, email us for a copy via another method.

Also, I've updated the Cafepress store (linked in the nav bar up top as "Shop") with some new items. It's still a work in progress, but please check it out!

B-Out

2009 Conventions

2008-10-17T16:45:00.003-04:00

Team Wannabez is considering several conventions next year. Scott has the ones he's considering up on his site (see the sidebar), but here are the ones that both of us are tentatively planning on attending:

MegaCon (March)
Pittsburgh ComiCon (April)
WW Chicago (August)
Pop Culture Con (September)
Mid-Ohio-Con (October)

I am also thinking about Heroes in June and Kids Read Comics also in June. We'd LOVE to do SDCC, but money is an issue there. That's a loooong way from both of us!

More updates on this as plans solidify!

Issue 1 Update

2008-10-17T16:42:00.002-04:00

Just so everyone knows, we are still planning on trying to release Wannabez #1 in December of this year. It will even be listed alongside Issue #0 in the Enemi catalog!

Unfortunately, we'll probably have to go grayscale with it (and the entire first arc at least) instead of full color for cost reasons. We may go to full color for a trade collection later down the road though.

On the plus side, we have Ross Hughes back doing the grayscaling for us, so it's going to rock!

By the time the cons roll around next year we hope to have issue #2 out as well, so we'll have three issues on hand for everyone to check out!

So just stay tuned for more updates!

Wannabez in Haven/Enemi Catalog!

2008-10-15T14:12:00.002-04:00

That's right! Wannabez will not only be distributed by Haven, but we'll also be in the Haven/Enemi catalog, which debuts soon! I'll keep you informed on when that comes out.

This means we'll be alongside titles from the likes of Dabel Brothers, Zenescope, About Comics, Drawn & Quarterly, and various others! We're pretty excited about it, but we're not stopping there either.

Good times for Wannabez!

Upcoming Interviews

2008-10-15T14:07:00.002-04:00

Soon Scott and I will be doing a couple of podcast interviews we're excited about.

You all remember us doing Catch Da Craze with Sam Vera a while back, right? Well, we'll be doing a follow-up with them now that Mid-Ohio has come and gone. So be watching this space for when that all goes down!

We'll also be doing a follow up with Chuck Moore of ComicRelated.com the beginning of next month! We did a brief interview at Mid-Ohio-Con that turned out really well. So upcoming, we'll be doing a full interview talking about Wannabez and other things. The cool thing is, if it can be worked out, we're going to do it at Comics2Games, which is where Blueline Pro and Sketch Magazine are located as well! So that should be really cool!

We also may be doing an in-store appearance sometime next year, and it's an exciting one if it all works out. We'll keep you posted.

So Team Wannabez is on the move!

B-Out

Wannabez Letters Page!

2008-10-08T18:38:00.005-04:00

Seeing how our book is a bit old school, and how we both love Letters Pages, we are wanting to institute one of our own starting with issue #1. So that means we need letters! For now, emails will suffice. Should we start accepting physical letters we'll set up a P.O. Box for that.

So if you've read #0 or just want to comment on the book please either post a comment here or email it to wannabez@brantfowler.com.

We are tentatively planning on publishing Wannabez #1 before Christmas, so there's a little time, but not much. So get to writing!

Brett and Liz

2008-10-08T13:38:00.003-04:00

Scott and Jonna met the very nice and pleasant Brett and Liz at the show, but neglected to get contact info for them. We are interested in talking with them about future shows, so if anyone knows them or can get us in touch with them please email us at wannabez@brantfowler.com. Here's a picture of them in costume posed with Mau (again):

Wannabez T-Shirt

2008-10-08T13:25:00.002-04:00

Here's a look at the actual t-shirt for all of you who didn't get to see it:

These turned out really nice and were of great quality. I thought about having one made up with the image larger on the shirt to see what that would look like, but I'm happy with the way this one turned out.

These will be on sale soon!

Mid-Ohio-Con 2008 is a Wrap!

2008-10-06T19:16:00.010-04:00

It's a new week and the weekend is over, which means Mid-Ohio-Con 2008 has come and gone. Team Wannabez was in full effect both at the booth and walking the floor putting out the Wannabez name and concept for all to see and learn about.

For the first time under the new management, the show was a decent event. There were some nice guests like Jason Mewes, Doug Jones, Chris Claremont, Alan Davis, Sean McKeever, David Mack, Joe Kubert and various others in attendance. The Wannabez booth was nestled in between Davis and McKeever, in fact, and across from Bob McCleod. Bob Layton and Arthur Suydam were nearby as well, and Chuck Moore of Comic Related was right behind us.

Our table looked pretty good if I do say so myself, and we had decent sales. For our first show with a brand new, unheard of book at a mid-level show, I think we did pretty decent. We also got a few retailers interested and possibly gained some new fans and followers along the way. I know everyone I told the concept to lit up and laughed genuinely, which was a good sign. They got it and found it original and entertaining, so hopefully many will check out the website and see what's up.

It was a long weekend for all of us, but it was an overall enjoyable experience with some good results coming out of it.

Soon we'll be doing an interview with Comic Related talking about the show and much more, so be on the lookout for that. And below are some pictures from the con. Thanks for all your support!!!

Wannabez T-Shirt

2008-10-03T03:51:00.005-04:00

I had our first ever Wannabez t-shirts made up the other day and they look sweet! Here's a sneak peek of what they look like:

The shirt will soon be available in the Wannabez store! If you want to see what they look like, come to Mid-Ohio-Con on Saturday October 4th as I'll be wearing one!

B-Out

Mau at Mid-Ohio-Con!

2008-10-03T03:49:00.001-04:00

Joining us at the Wannabez booth (#436) will be Mau, the popular character that found tons of fans during our stint in the Small Press Idol contest!

Come see Mau in person, have your picture taken, and compliment her on the wonderful costume by Mark and Jonna!

Website Updated

2008-10-02T14:40:00.001-04:00

I've updated the shows page to reflect Mid-Ohio-Con, and I've updated the main page with the new dress on the #0 cover featuring the Gonzogoose himself!

Final Table Number

2008-10-02T14:39:00.001-04:00

Ok, so Scott and I are now together at one booth instead of two, and our number is 436. We are right in between Alan Davis and Sean McKeever, and behind us is Chuck Moore of ComicRelated.com. Should be fun!

Swing by if you can!

Table Numbers

2008-10-01T07:48:00.002-04:00

Okay, the initial floorplan is posted on the MOC website now. Tentatively, our booths are 436 (me) and 526 (Scott).

I say tentatively because obviously we are supposed to be together. Why we have two booths is a long story, but today we're going to try to get it resolved. So either we'll be next to each other, or we'll scale down to one booth I guess. I'll update here once we know for sure.

Price Change

2008-09-30T19:18:00.002-04:00

Due to a slight communication error, we had to raise the price of the book just a tad. It will be $3.95 instead of the quoted $3.50. The book was prepped today and will be printed tomorrow, and we will have plenty of copies at Mid-Ohio-Con this weekend!

B-Out

Slight Change of Plans

2008-09-28T22:38:00.002-04:00

So Mid-Ohio-Con is in less than a week, but there has been a slight change of plans concerning our offerings at the show.

We had fully intended on presenting both issues #0 and #1, but circumstances have prevented the latter from happening. Unfortunately, we were not able to finish issue #1 in time.

However, because of this turn of events we have decided to 'beef up' issue #0, which will now be a 32 page book instead of a 16 page book. It will have the #0 12-page story as well as some additional content like articles and pinups.

What else it will have is a preview of issue #1, including a page in full grayscales, fully lettered, that just looks amazing.

As for issue #1, we will get that out as soon as we can, and we are focusing on at least getting it grayscaled when it does release as opposed to just pencil and inks as it was going to be at MOC.

I hope you all understand, it just couldn't be helped. Scott and I have both busted our butts trying to make it happen, but sometimes things just don't work out. It is what it is, but we are both very proud of how issue #0 rounded out, and we hope you enjoy it too!

The issue will be $3.50 and we'll have plenty of copies, so come by and get one (or two, or three...). And if you're not able to make it to the con, soon it will be available right here on the website!

B-Out

Two Weeks!

2008-09-16T18:41:00.002-04:00

Sadly, I'm well aware there are only like 4 or 5 people who read this a week, and rightfully so with as little updates as we have right now. But I wanted you handful at least to know that we are getting ever so much closer to Mid-Ohio-Con 2008!

In just two short weeks (give or take a few days) Scott and I will be on the floor peddling Wannabez #1 for all of you to swing by and pick up! We'd love to see you in person, and we really hope you enjoy the book!

We are really excited about the con and can't wait to show off our pride and joy.

That said, Scott had a bit of a scare this past weekend as the storms came viciously through Northern Kentucky and Ohio. Both Scott and his wife Shannon are okay, but they were without power for a day and had some trees nearly fall on his garage. So send positive thoughts his way!

So come see us in Columbus on the first weekend of October!

B-Out

Mid-Ohio-Con - One Month Away!

2008-09-09T00:41:00.002-04:00

That's right, less than a month away now the Wannabez team will be at Mid-Ohio-Con in Columbus Ohio!

With us, we'll have copies of Mysterious Visions #5, which, of course, features Wannabez #0. But we will also have a special black & white convention edition (with color covers) of the all new Wannabez #1! 32 pages (22 page story, plus pinups and other content)!

We were going to have Mau live in person, but it doesn't look like it will work out this time. But we will have postcards, stickers and various other things.

I will also have some books I've lettered on sale, and Scott will have some original artwork, as well as one of his characters in costume!

The guest list and event list has been added to several times in the past couple of weeks and looks to continue to beef up with announcements all the way up to the con. So it should be fun. Hopefully we'll sell a lot of Wannabez!

So if you're there, please come see us!

B-Out

Mysterious Visions #5 - Wannabez #0 Review!!!

2008-06-25T07:12:00.001-04:00

Check out this very cool review over at www.comicnerd.com of the Wannabez #0 story in Mysterious Visions #5!

Much thanks to ComicNerd for taking a look at our pride and joy, and for the awesome and very flattering review!

Mid-Ohio-Con

2008-05-22T14:13:00.002-04:00

We had previously announced that we'd be at the Ohio Comic Con the last weekend of October. But due to recent events, that's not the case. Instead, we will be at the Mid-Ohio-Con on October 4-5th.

The reason for this is that Ohio Comic Con and the newly owned Mid-Ohio-Con have merged. And all the guests scheduled for the former will now be, by default, at the latter, as indicated on their website, which is linked to this post's title.

So, the first weekend of October, make your way to our table in Artist Alley and pick up some Wannabez! I'm missing a wedding to be there, so you can make it to!

B-Out

Wannabez Podcast!

2008-05-09T10:15:00.002-04:00

Catch Da Craze Podcast interviewed myself (Brant W. Fowler) and Scott D.M. Simmons a few weeks ago and it has now gone live!!!

You can find the podcast by clicking the title of this post!

This was my first podcast, so I probably stumbled over my words a bit, but I think we did pretty well. So please, head over to www.catchdacraze.com and check out the show!

Thanks goes out to Sam Vera and everyone involved with Catch Da Craze for giving us an opportunity to talk about the book.

B-Out

Wannabez Site is Live!

2008-04-23T10:02:00.002-04:00

As you can undoubtedly tell by the new design and header, the site has gone live now thanks to Scott! So take a look around and check it out, tell your friends, and then take a gander one post down and BUY THE BOOK! :)

Interview coming soon, stay tuned!

Mysterious Visions #5 PREVIEW and buy link!

2008-03-01T03:09:00.038-05:00

It is with pleasure that we offer a preview of MYSTERIOUS VISIONS ANTHOLOGY #5, published by Dimestore Productions! The book features WANNABEZ as the lead story, and also two other exciting strips: YOKAI and TO CATCH A HUMAN! This is an all-ages book, packed with action and humor!

You can click here to order now!: http://www.dimestoredistro.com/mysteriousvisionsanthology5-p-998.html

IN THIS ISSUE:
"Wannabez" by Brant W. Fowler, Scott D.M. Simmons, and Ross S. Hughes
"To Catch a Human" by Jennifer Zelasco
"Yokai" by Greg and Cheska Eales!

Click on any of the thumbnails below to see a few sneak preview pages of all three stories!

Also, check out our new MySpace page! www.myspace.com/wannabezcomic

More Wannabez ads

2008-02-27T11:08:00.005-05:00

I got a couple more ads up (there are a few different designs and shapes), and you can see these at:

http://www.heroicpub.com/

http://www.webcomicz.com/

Scott

Project Wonderful Ads!

2008-02-27T06:43:00.001-05:00

Scott has bid some PW ads, which are now showing on three sites! They may be outbid at any time and disappear, but as I type this, you can find the ads at:

www.goodshipchronicles.com
www.graphicsmash.com
www.dimestoreproductions.com

Yay!

B-Out

First WBZ Press!

2008-02-26T09:37:00.001-05:00

ComicRelated.com has posted a press release on the sale of Wannabez #0 via MVA #5. Check it out by clicking here!

Wannabez #0 On Pre-Sale Now!

2008-02-26T05:04:00.004-05:00

It's finally here!

WANNABEZ #0 is getting printed within Mysterious Visions Anthology #5! This issue is now available for pre-sale this week at Dimestore Productions! The publisher, Ian Shires, has the completed issue in hand now and is gathering up final pre-sales before sending it to the printer! If you order now, you'll get the issue hot off the press!

Click the title of this post (Wannabez #0 On Pre-Sale Now!) to order your copy (or copies!):

"Scott D.M. Simmons and I have greatly enjoyed working on Wannabez thus far! We entered the comic into last year's Small Press Idol contest (thanks for your votes!), and although we didn't win, we were rewarded with doing the cover and lead story for an issue of the anthology series! We are also sharing this issue with two other talented entries we wanted to have with us: "To Catch a Human" by Jennifer Zelasco, and "Yokai" by Greg and Cheska Eales! Together, we have all created a fun comic suitable for all-ages! Each story is 12 pages of action and humor (and good art!), in a book totaling 44 pages, and all of this for only $3.95 plus shipping and handling!

The Wannabez story is:

Written and lettered by Brant W. Fowler

Pencilled and inked by Scott D.M. Simmons

Colored and greyscaled by Ross S. Hughes

Wannabez follows regular people who have mistaken bizarre coincidences as the acquisition of super powers! Now banded together, these new heroes strive to be more than who they are. These people are WANNABEZ! Dober-Man! Streak! Ignition! Slim! Mau! Esmerelda! In MVA #5, the Wannabez story explores some of the origins of our heroes and shows them in action in some of their first adventures.... and first mishaps. Fun for all ages!

Ian is hoping to have some copies with him at Dayton Ohio's Gem City Comic Con on April 6, and Scott may have a table there as well. But it is official that Scott and I are signed up for a table in artists alley at this year's Ohio Comic Con, taking place October 25th and 26th in Columbus. Scott and I will be doing signings, sketches, selling books, and passing out promotional materials for all our projects. Keep watching mine and Scott's websites and ComicSpace pages in the meantime for any more upcoming appearances. And while you are there, you can scope out some of the Wannabez character designs and pages! All related links are below and in the sidebar.

I hope you order your copy and enjoy the book! If you see us in person, we'll sign it for free!

And just to let you know, Wannabez will be coming as a full series sometime later this year! More details to come!

(This message was edited from a mailing Scott sent out)

Brant's Website - www.brantfowler.com
Brant's Comicspace - www.comicspace.com/gonzogoose
Scott's Website - www.scottdmsimmons.com
Scott's Comicspace - www.comicspace.com/scottdmsimmons

And while we don't have a site built yet, Wannabez DOES have its own domain: www.wannabezcomic.com - Coming Soon!

B-Out

Almost Finished!

2008-02-19T07:10:00.003-05:00

Ross only has ONE MORE PAGE to grayscale, then I'll apply the letters, and Issue #0 will be in the can! Then it will go on to print in Mysterious Visions #5 alongside Yokai and To Catch a Human available from Dimestore Productions!

And I have to say that the pages are looking fantastic!

Also, it's up in the air, but once the issue is out we may have a little contest involving the content of the 12 pager. Keep it locked right here for details as they come!

B-Out

The Ohio Comic Con

2008-02-13T05:32:00.002-05:00

Well, it's official! Scott and I will be at the first ever Ohio Comic Con (linked to the title of this post) towards the end of October! You can find us in Artist's Alley with Wannabez merchandise and more!

So come by, say hi, buy something, and chat us up about whatever you feel like.

We are very excited about being involved in this inaugural convention made by the fans, and the guest list is really starting to shape up, so it should be a very cool experience.

Stay tuned here for more updates on other conventions, and on what exactly we'll have at this one as we get closer to the date.

B-Out

Pages Coming In!

2008-02-12T06:41:00.000-05:00

Ross has been delivering pages the past couple of days (grayscaled) and I have to say I am so psyched about what he's producing! I can't stress enough about how good of a job Scott and Ross have done on this story. I am privileged and honored to be working with such talented people, and I can't thank them both enough for their contributions.

Also, Scott and I are making convention plans for this year already (the first convention season I'll actually be going to a con or two, by the way), and we'll have Wannabez merchandise available! We may have more than that, so stay tuned right here. As soon as we're confirmed, we'll let you know when and where we'll be.

Wannabez #0 is coming out very soon in Mysterious Visions #5 from Dimestore Productions also, so keep coming back for ordering details!

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Getting Close!

2008-02-03T03:04:00.000-05:00

Wow, more than a month since we posted here! Well, you'll all be glad to know that we are making strides on the #0 issue. Ross was planning to work on the grayscales this weekend, and then I'll slap the letters on the grays and we'll be off to press!

And, if Scott's schedule is clear enough, we'll resume working in earnest on #1, which is about half way done, give or take a page or two. I'm hoping that some way, somehow we'll be able to have books to sell at some choice cons this year, so stay tuned right here for updates!

In addition to that, I can't remember if Scott mentioned it in his last post or not, but we are working on a 2009 Wannabez calendar and already have several artists signed up to participate. If you are interested, please contact Scott (see his website link in the sidebar to find his contact info). We would love to see your renditions of our characters!

I have to tell you, the art in the #0 issue is excellent! And it's tons of fun with all kinds of cameos and easter eggs thrown in for this special 12-page story.

And sometime this week, I'll be adding an RSS feed link to the blog so you can subscribe and keep track of our happenings more conveniently!

So keep it locked here for more news on Wannabez coming soon, and with any luck, more frequently!

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MAU drawing by Mark LeMieux

2007-12-31T21:29:00.000-05:00

Scott here!

I was visiting my friend Mark this weekend, and he was drawing the Joker at one point. We got to talking about him doing such sketches at conventions with me and for the two 2009 calendars I am trying to get going, one of which is for Wannabez. So I asked him to draw a Wannabez character in his style. He chose Mau, which obviously meant alot to me. I really, really dug it. Anyway, it's his Christmas present to me, and I wanted to share it. Mark does sculpting, drawing and acting. Way talented. I used to work with him at Hasbro, where I was a photographer and he casted molds for prototypes.

To visit Mark's website you can either click on the link in the title above, or go to: http://www.geocities.com/platypus_productions_96/

Happy New Year everyone!
Scott

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T13:51:00.000-05:00

Scott did this WONDERFUL little card to celebrate the holidays Wannabez style, and I just had to share it with you (after adding a little text of course). So, Merry Christmas from myself, Scott, Ross and everyone else in our lives. Oh, and from Dober-Man, Streak and the rest of the Wannabez too, of course!

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Cats

2007-11-30T03:21:00.001-05:00

Here is another sneak peek of WBZ #0, set to appear as part of Mysterious Visions Anthology issue #5. It's sort of funny that Brant, the writer likes dogs and not cats, and I like both, but prefer cats. I have a cat, named Dabber, and some of Mau's looks were based on Dabber's colors and streaks. Mau was a character Brant sort of let me design myself, and I am very glad the design met his approval (even though he hates cats).

One night years ago, my now-wife Shannon and I saw a popular Broadway Series play in Boston and we were pretty stoked because this show had just completed a LONG LONG run on Broadway (what, over 15 years, maybe more?). But yet, aside from the costumes, the show lacked any sort of depth and sense of a storyline at all. Just a bunch of characters one right after another, competing in a singing contest and basically just singing about who they are. One wins. The end. It's like watching Tamyra and Kelly and Carrie come out and sing about themselves and Simon saying "Awesome!" Except it wasn't, nor was it worth $100 or so to me to see it (like Chicago, Carousel, Fame, Blue Man Group, or even Footloose).

So, years later, I'm working on this wonderful story called WANNABEZ, and there's a cat character. Naturally, I give each character, when possible, a foreshadowing or in-joke details (like Dober-Man's dog-eared papers) into their alter-ego. When coming up with the concept of adding the three main leads in the #0 issue on page one to set them up, well, I came up with placing Mau, our character, outside a theatre, doing what I felt like doing that very night years ago...

.... chucking my Playbill into the trash.

See, Brant? I hate CATS too.

:P

Scott

The Details

2007-11-08T03:39:00.001-05:00

I really don't want to give any surprises away by showing what we want to jump out at you when you read the book, so I can't show everything yet. There are TWO suggested heroes that show up... there are SPI cameos and in-jokes... and there are family members running around. Page 2, page 7, and page 12 have so much fun stuff going on.

And on all of the pages I brought in some detail that I thought really made the scene. I think ever since I inked Halloween Man, I've started paying even more attention to backgrounds and detailing. I enjoyed adding texture and details when I inked, and I seemed to have brought some of that sensibility into Wannabez as well.

Normal static images have some actual thought to "props", and sometimes I find myself getting carried away with dressing the scene. Here are some details, and just for fun, a kinetic shot of Slim I enjoyed whipping up for page 4.

Scott

Wanna Teaz

2007-11-06T02:54:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile since we posted here, but I wanted to show a cropped piece of art as a tease for the upcoming issue. There are parts to be fixed yet, but here's a snippet of a big splash.... this crop concentrating on two primary characters of issue #0-- Slim and Mau.

Expect the two characters suggested on the message board to show up, and some family members make cameos.... on the very same page. I even named a character Brant had in as a throwaway homage character. Oh, and expect some Small Press Idol references. This project is alot of fun, and I hope when it comes out, that everyone enjoys it.

Scott

WBZ #0 Cover Inks!

2007-08-19T10:45:00.000-04:00

Check out the inks for the WBZ #0 Cover, which is also the cover to Mysterious Visions #5 from Dimestore Productions!

Ross will have the colors done in a week or two, and Scott is working hard on the pages this week. Stay Tuned!

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News on the Horizon!

2007-08-15T13:55:00.000-04:00

I know our updates have been few and far between, but please just hang in there with us a little while longer. In a few weeks we have an exciting announcement about the book!

Also, don't forget that, if everything goes according to plan, that Wannabez #0 will be in the September issue (#5) of Mysterious Visions from Dimestore Productions, along with To Catch a Human #0 and Yokai #0! We are very excited about having our first story published, and about being in the same book with such talented creators and cool concepts.

Scott had some work he had to finish before he could devote his time to WBZ, so it had a slight delay. But now things are back on track and we should have a finished cover to show soon!

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Grayscales!

2007-06-20T23:38:00.000-04:00

Ross has been hard at work on the grayscales of our #0 story. Here are the same pages we entered in the competition now in grays!

Page 5

Page 8

Shot

Page 10

Wannabez Didn't Make It, But We're Getting Published!

2007-06-18T12:59:00.000-04:00

Well folks, Wannabez got eliminated from the competition. We almost got saved, but it didn't work out. The good news is we did win a cover spot on the issue of Mysterious Visions (#5) we'll be featured in (in September!). Also in the book will be To Catch a Human and Yokai!

Thanks to all of you who showed your support for Wannabez in the contest. We will be submitting Wannabez around once again now that there is an interest in the property. So we'll see what happens.

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More Images!

2007-06-10T16:17:00.000-04:00

CLICK THE POST TITLE TO VOTE FOR WANNABEZ - ONLY 7 1/2 HOURS TO VOTE!

I figured you all might want to see some more WBZ art! Scott posted some sketches and a 3D game model in our thread, so here they are for easy access, along with a banner I made using a bunch of clips from Scott's wonderful art!

VOTE FOR WANNABEZ - CLICK THE ABOVE BANNER NOW!

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By The Way...

2007-06-09T22:18:00.000-04:00

I fixed all the broken links, so now you can leave comments and reach the archives! And the title links work! Now go VOTE!

ONE DAY LEFT!

2007-06-09T21:34:00.000-04:00

Hey Everyone,

There is only ONE DAY LEFT of voting as voting ends at 11:59pm Est June 10th! So PLEASE, if you haven't already, VOTE FOR WANNABEZ!

Here are some revised pages:

And a sample of grayscales:

Just go to wannabez.brantfowler.com and post a YES! We are currently in 11th place and need to be in at least 6th to advance.

And while you're there, throw in a vote for TOTEM also.

Thanks!

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Round 3 - We Need Your Votes!

2007-06-05T10:36:00.000-04:00

Our round three pages are up! You can go to our thread to view the PDF file containing our pages, or check them out below (with a few revisions added!):

Wannabez Round 3 Thread

Page 5

(After page 5 there would be another page finishing the girl's scene as she supposedly gains her cat-like powers).

Page 8

(After page 8 there's another page of action as the car careens towards Esmerelda, who thinks she has telekinetic powers!)

Page 10

(In this page these criminals mistake Dober-Man's clumsiness for ferocity and imagine him in the last panel as some monster dog boy!)

Please post your YES vote in the Wannabez thread. Voting is only open until JUNE 10th!

Thanks a million!

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Deadline Looming!

2007-06-02T20:40:00.000-04:00

Well, folks, tomorrow night is the deadline to get our Round 3 pages in and we're not quite ready. I take the blame in being slow to crank out the script. Scott has also had a lot going on, but is still plugging away at the pages, then (hopefully) we'll get them into Ross' hands in time to grayscale. If not we'll go with inks, but we will get them in!

You have all been so supportive, and we really appreciate it. Come Monday we'll be putting out the call once more to gain votes. There will only be 1 WEEK to vote this time, so time is of the essence. I hope you all continue to check this blog out and vote for us as the competition continues!

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Round 3!

2007-05-17T04:36:00.000-04:00

For those who haven't been keeping up, we have now officially made it to round 3! (cue the applause)

This round we have to present three sequential pages of art, which Scott is working on ever so diligently right now. Well, not RIGHT now as it's 4:30am as I type this. But you get the picture. (cue mild chuckles)

So what this means is that our 12 page #0 issue will definitely see print! (cue big applause) And if we make it to round 4 we get a shot at winning the whole shebang, which entails publishing of a 4-issue mini series, an animated computer game and an art package from Blue Line Pro! (cue oohs and aahs)

Of course we want to go all the way, but to do that we'll once again need your votes. Not YET, but soon! Keep checking back here for updates!

And thank you to all of you out there that came out in droves and showed your support for us last round. We finished in 6th place out of 60, and we are incredibly grateful for that. I hope you all dig what we present this time around.

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Round Two Ends... Sort Of

2007-05-14T05:01:00.000-04:00

Well, round two of the Small Press Idol contest ended last night at 11:59pm, and as far as I could tell we finished in about 6th place. The top 30 will advance to the next round, so that puts us in a pretty good place! The only problem is the judges have a chance to veto projects. It has to be unanimous, but things could get shaken up.

I'm not too worried, though, because the judges seemed to be somewhat impressed with our offerings, so hopefully they don't have a change of heart.

Thanks so much to everyone who voted for us in round two, and we hope we can count on all of you (and all of you who didn't quite make it) to vote for us in the next round also!

Next up are actual sequential pages! We are still hammering out the script, but it's almost there and then Scott will be on his way to putting those together. We only get to show three pages of the twelve page #0 issue, so hopefully you all will dig it and cast your votes once more for Wannabez!

Keep checking back here for more updates, and for notices on when to vote!

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Wannabez Flash Trailer!

2007-05-10T00:34:00.001-04:00

Check out our new Flash trailer for WBZ!

http://www.brantfowler.com/WBZ/wannabez.html

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Free Comic Book Day

2007-05-04T06:04:00.000-04:00

I'm not going to be able to be there, but I am sending a few flyers to Collectibles, Etc. in Lexington, KY. So if you're in the area stop in and try to get one of the WBZ flyers! If you've found your way to this blog via the flyers read the posts below for information on how to vote for us in round 2 of the Small Press Idol contest!

Open for Public Vote!

2007-04-28T18:30:00.000-04:00

The Wannabez Round 2 thread is open for public vote now!

You have to register here, then head over here to check out our Round 2 materials and post a YES to show your support!

We NEED your votes! Those advancing to the next round will have their 12 page #0 issue published, guaranteed. The project that ultimately wins gets a 4 issue mini and more great prizes!

Vote WBZ!

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Round 2 Entry is Up!

2007-04-27T20:46:00.000-04:00

Our Round 2 entry in the Small Press Idol contest is up! We're awaiting comments from the judges, then it will be open to public vote! For now, though, you can still go check out our characters here:

Wannabez Round 2 Thread

You can also check them out on my ComicSpace page now, and Scott's tomorrow!

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Round 2 Entry Coming Soon!

2007-04-21T06:05:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to give everyone a little update. Scott has been sending me pencils, inks, and now flats of our round 2 entry images, and I'm very excited. Soon we'll be able to post them right here (as soon as they're up on the Idol page). So keep periodically checking back.

Once we're able to we're also going to show additional stuff we weren't able to present in the contest. Very exciting stuff ahead!

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WBZ Team Interviewed!

2007-03-14T12:50:00.000-04:00

Go here to read our first interview on the project!

Brian Germain continued the "5 Questions" interviews for Silver Bullet Comics by interviewing Scott, Ross and myself about the book since it garnered three YES votes from the judges!

Read it and spread the word!

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Here's The Link to WBZ HQ

2007-02-19T03:12:00.000-05:00

Apparently something whacky is going on with my title links, so here is the link to the WBZ HQ page:

WaNNaBeZ HQ

And here is the link to the WBZ Idol Page:

WaNNaBeZ Idol Page

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WBZ HQ

2007-02-18T12:51:00.000-05:00

I just started up a membersite page on Dimestore's website for WBZ. It will serve as a place to post additional images and background information as we are allowed to throughout the contest. What I'll do is update this blog to let you know when I update those pages.

I'm not sure if I got the url right (it's a long one and I'm not sure if it's even the proper way to get to it) but you can try clicking the title of this post to see if it takes you there. Let me know if it doesn't!

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3 YES Votes! We're Off to Round 2!!

2007-02-14T16:44:00.000-05:00

You read it right! We just got a clean sweep and are sailing into Round 2! We did get some constructive criticism that we'll be sure to use, but today is the day for celebrating. YAY!

Here's the Round 1 Premise and Pencil Cover we submitted:

When a meteor rockets to Earth and crashes in the living room of the biggest couch potato on the East Coast, regular people in the surrounding cities and states begin mistaking bizarre coincidences as the acquisition of unique super powers. A high school loser gets attacked by a "radioactive" dog and begins chasing the paperboy, slobbering, and digging holes. An overweight middle-aged man believes he's gained super speed after he is able to dart past stopped traffic to stop a thief on a broken bike. Others believe they have high intelligence, or that they can stretch, or possibly commune with the dead, and even others imagine they can ignite fires with just their mind.

Banded together, with DOBERMAN as leader of THE PACK, some of these heroes develop their new "abilities" and gather their courage hidden deep, deep, deep within to help those less fortunate, and of course, those without powers.

Yet every other day, some new guy or gal is on the news in pajamas, shower caps, custom tights, or astronaut suits claiming that the meteors have given them powers too. But the truth may be that there are no powers, no special abilities, no radioactive goo, no chemical mixtures, and no aliens from another planet. Through a string of peculiar coincidences mixed with a cataclysmic event, these people have fooled themselves into believing they have powers when quite possibly they are just the pawns of their own imaginations! Either way, these people strive to be something more than they are, making their powers appear real through extraordinary means. These people are WaNNaBeZ!"

And click here to read what the judges thought!

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2 Down, 1 to Go!

2007-02-14T16:20:00.000-05:00

We've gotten another YES vote! I'll wait for the official word before jumping up and down, but it looks like we're going to round 2!

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1 Down, 2 to Go!

2007-02-14T15:06:00.000-05:00

WBZ is up on the voting block over on the Dimestore Idol Judges forum and we've already gotten one YES vote! We only need one more YES vote to advance, but I'm hoping we get a clean sweep!

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We Are Entered!

2007-02-14T02:19:00.000-05:00

It's official now. I have sent off the entry for Round 1, so look for that to get posted over the next couple of days.

This title was created way back when Epic (at Marvel) re-opened and started taking submissions. I worked feverishly on the title for days, but it was rejected. They asked me to resubmit after changing a few things, but then they closed down for good before I could do that.

Since then Scott has come on board and has done a phenomenal job bringing it to life. We've submitted it to a few companies, but no takers so far. It was going to be a web comic, but the company that was doing it closed down.

So it's been a long road. But regardless of whether it passes to the second round or not it will be published by any means necessary. To much hard work has gone into this by both Scott and myself, and the various people who have helped along the way. This book is a labor of love, and one I must see out there in the public. If this isn't our path we'll find a new one. But I have high hopes for the contest this year.

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