Several of my friends have won Xeric grants - Jason McNamara & Tony Talbert, Joshua Hagler, Justin Hall. The DIY spirit of the comics industry is one of the things I love most about it. And the Xeric Foundation (established by Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle co-creator Peter Laird) fosters that spirit by assisting comic book creators with the cost of self-publishing their work.

Now, I can add one of my former workshop students to that list of grant recipients!

Congratulations to Ben Costa, writer/artist of Shi Long Pang, The Wandering Shaolin Monk, for snagging a 2010 Xeric grant!

I love Ben’s work. It’s well paced, well drawn, well researched, and a whole lot of fun. Check out his website and keep an eye out for his book when it hits the stands!

Today in the Studio

Grading and critiquing student work. The level of talent in my classroom this semester is a bit intimidating even for me!