I’ve been friends with Turra and Jetta from the beginning.
Okay. Well, maybe not the very beginning, before the girls ever made it from Martheus’ head onto the page, but right after they first filled out (and filled out oh so noticeably) their first graphic novel.
It was Memphis. Mid-South Con. I was there with Scott McCullar representing Shooting Star Comics. Scott marched me immediately over to Martheus’ table in the dealer room and said something to the effect of “Check out this guy’s stuff. He’s amazing.”
He was right. Something about Martheus’ artwork had a raw energy to it that had me hooked from the get-go. The smiles, the action lines, the eyes, the accurate fight scenes, the large… ahem … tracks of land.
But I digress.
That night, during a meal of good ol’ Memphis barbeque, Scott told me he thought we should bring Jetta into the Shooting Star fold.
And we did. It was, as they say, a no-brainer.
Now, 25 years later, Martheus and crew have been with the Queen of the Toshigawa Butt-Kickers on numerous action-packed adventures for several publishers. She's been a warrior, a princess, and she's even co-starred with indy favorite Shi for the crossover to end all crossovers. Not just that, but Martheus and I have been able to collaborate on several projects as well (both Jetta-adjacent like Turra and non-Jetta-related like The IDW comic of The Bad Girls Club for Oxygen Network).
So, from me to you, Martheus, Janet, and Anakin, happy anniversary!
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Martheus Wade is a creative ninja who writes and draws ninjas. Why? I guess because it takes one to tell stories about one. The first time I met him he was showing off martial arts moves and demonstrating how to illustrate the human body as a piece of artwork in motion, a violent, deadly piece of artwork in motion.
Then I read his work in Jetta: Tales of the Toshigawa. I was hooked.
If you haven't met him and entered the world of the Toshigawa Universe, you don't know what you're missing.
Tell us a bit about your latest work.
I've recently been working on expanding my universe of characters called the Toshigawa Universe. The universe includes our books Shinobi: Ninja Princess, Jetta: Tales of the Toshigawa, Turra: Gun Angel, and the webcomic, Ready 2 Spar. The most current book that is out now is the redesign and re-release of Jetta: Tales of the Toshigawa - Defiance which was our first book ever to go nationwide. Ironically, it was first published by Shooting Star years ago.
What are the themes and subjects you tend to revisit in your work?
Martial arts is a huge theme of our books. I have always been a fan of anime and manga. All of that makes up the basis of our look and feel.
What happened in your life that prompted you to become a writer?
I've never considered being a “writer” really. If someone asked me to write a novel, I don’t think I could do it. I’ve always just seen these stories in my head and wanted to convey them. I've always loved reading and English class in school. So it was a natural progression to write stories and characteristics for my creations. So, I guess I am a writer in that respect!
What inspires you to write?
I see writing as an extension of my creativity while illustrating. It’s almost like the piece isn’t finished until its personality is infused into it. That’s why it's difficult for me to find interest in drawing fan art. I can’t inject my own story into it.
What would be your dream project?
My dream project would be a Wonder Woman and Jetta: Tales of the Toshigawa crossover. I got really close with a Jetta and Shi crossover that I got to write and illustrate in Jetta/Shi: Arrow of Destiny. She and Wonder Woman are some of my favorite characters. To place them alongside my character would be awesome.
If you have any former project to do over to make it better, which one would it be, and what would you do?
I’m kind of doing that now. I’m revisiting my old graphic novels and really getting a chance to update the art as well as add to the story to make it smoother. I’m adding color. I’m adding extra conversions. The characters are a lot more well-rounded. It’s been a treat to go back into these books again.
What writers have influenced your style and technique?
I love Marv Wolfman’s Teen Titans. He was first. The late Kentaro Miura’s work as a whole has been amazing to follow over the years. I love Stephen King’s work as well. I think all of those have been highly detailed worlds and characters. I try to bring those to my work as well.
Where would you rank writing on the "Is it an art or it is a science continuum?" Why?
Well, I think we are seeing the answer to that unfold in real time now. With the advent of AI and how it’s quickly trying to steal creative jobs, science is trying to eat the artist. Writing as well as a creative endeavor is on the chopping block because people can’t really fathom the spiritual, mental, and artistic energies it takes to make anything. The general thought is, “I should be able to do this. I see other people do it. Why can’t I?” What they don’t realize is that there is an entire history behind that person creating. A person brings their life experiences to the table while writing or drawing. But we are seeing Ai rip that end result off as creativity. Writing isn’t science. It’s as art as you can get.
What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
Most would say starting. But I love starting and watching it evolve. I would honestly say finishing. Being satisfied with your work enough to leave it alone.
How do your writer friends help you become a better writer? Or do they not?
Kevin Williams takes red pens to my work constantly and Janet Wade, tells me daily how much a piece sucks. So they keep me on my toes. Haha.
What does literary success look like to you?
Success is being able to live comfortably while taking care of my family and having readers enjoy my work. I don’t have to be rich and have a private island or anything. I just want to live life creatively and allow my family to live it as well.
Any other upcoming projects you would like to plug?
My graphic novel series is up and going at ToshigawaUniverse.com. There you will find all of our different series as well as apparel. So, I’d love for supporters of independent comics to go there to check it out. There are books there for all ages, adult and young adult readers.
As we head into a holiday season that ranks high on the thankfulness meter, let's take this next Writer Roundtable to be thankful. What or whom are you most thankful for this year as a writer?
Lucy Blue: The space and agency to keep doing it. I might not be making big bucks, but I can write whatever I want however I want, and I have as much power to compete in the marketplace as I have energy and will to keep trying. So yeah, very grateful.
Derrick Ferguson: This past year I came into contact with so many people who have enjoyed my stories and even been influenced and excited enough by them to write their own stories and create their own characters. This past year has shown me that something I've heard most of my life is true; you never know how your actions will influence the actions of others and in turn how they will continue to influence others. This past year has shown me a lot about the spiritual side of writing, something I think I got away from for a while there. Thankfully, I'm getting it back.
J.H. Glaze: My full time writing gig.
Rory Hayfield-Husbands: The feedback I've got from members of my writing group and friends. Without them I would have been more unsure of my own skills but with their encouragement I'm starting to realise what I can do to fix problems.
Gordon Dymowski: The fact that I'm stretching myself in terms of what I write (both length and subject matter) and that I'm actually finding myself enjoying the process more.
Michael Woods: My team and my friends.
Martheus Wade: To be able to have the opportunity to write on a national level one more time.
Bobby Nash: This has not been an easy year, either personally or professionally, but especially on a personal level so being thankful hasn't been as easy as in the past. That said, I am thankful that my Dad's knee replacement went well and he is on the mend. I am thankful that I am here to help take care of him in the wake of my mom's passing and his surgery. It's not easy at times, but I am thankful that I can be here for him and my brother. I am tired but thankful to be here where I am needed.
Matt Hiebert: Spellchekker.
Scott McCullar: This year, I am thankful for the chance to revive my THRILL SEEKER COMICS series with the release of the archive collecting my very first stories. I am thankful for those Kickstarter supporters who contributed to the campaign and who helped successfully make a dream project come true. I just received the books fresh from the printer and they will be going out this next week in the mail to readers and fans. I appreciate the support from family, friends, and readers. I am also thankful for Erik Burnham for being my editor and encouraging me along the way. As a writer, I am also thankful this year that this revival sparked the chance for me to return to writing and drawing after an absence. I’m currently writing and illustrating new comic book stories and webstrips that will debut in the New Year.
About Turra: Gun Angel: Turra
has been raised as a ninja assassin and is burnt out on the endless
training and constant killing. She leaves Japan to become a bounty
hunter in America. After the particularly brazen extraction of a target
from a night club, Turra is visited by an elder member of the Japanese
Mafia who offers her a job she can’t refuse. Being Turra, however, she does refuse and she soon lands in the middle of Yakuza Civil War!
Renown artist, Jamal Y Igle (Supergirl, Nightwing) also gave his support, "Martheus
[Turra's Creator] is a fantastic talent and taking such a huge leap
like this, bringing Turra to life is a bold, worthy endeavor. We have to
do what we can to help this project get the funding it needs, and add
to the diversity of voices in the film industry."
About Marshal Pictures:The
folks at Marshal Pictures love making movies. No matter how big or
small the budget, their goals are always the same: produce movies that
entertain people, give donors a great experience for their generous
support and provide the best possible ROI for investors.
About MAW productions: MAW productions is a small indy graphic novel publisher who punches well above their weight. Headed by Martheus Wade (Oxygen Network's Bad Girls Club, Jetta: Takes of the Toshigawa) MAW
productions has mastered a heady blend of Asian cultural lore, strong
female role models, and modern high speed action. Their titles include Turra: Gun Angel and Jetta: Tales of the Toshigawa.
Tell us a little about your approach to writing a comic book panel.
Art by Martheus Wade
Okay. There are several different approaches writers use when describing a panel in a full-script format. (And that's not even including the plot-style format.) Let's go over those first, at least the ones I can remember.
The Movie Director:
This writer covers everything from the "camera angle" to the lighting and gives the artist almost no free rein to interpret the panel. Expect to see words like "panoramic" and "bird's eye view" and "worm's eye view" a lot in the script.
The Comic Book Editor:
This writer decides exactly how the borders of the panel will look and whether it will be a full-width panel taking up the middle third of the page, etc. He or she may also provide drawings of the suggested page layout.
Art by Jim Ritchey III
The Literary Maestro:
This writer uses prose in the manner of the great authors and reveals a character's motivations and past events leading up to this panel and how it matters in the grand scheme of the character's live from this point on. Read any of Devin Grayson's scripts to see this approach. They're amazing pieces of literature in and of themselves sometimes.
The Minimalist: This writer is pretty much bare bones with the panel description. He or she simply tells what happens and leaves the camera angles, mood, tone, page layout, etc. to the artist to decide. Chuck Dixon is a shining example of this approach.
Art by Richard Kohlrus
Now to answer the question on a more personal level. I am a blend of all of these charming folks, though my default tends to be the minimalist. Whether I'm a movie director or a minimalist can depend on whether I'm working with an artist I've worked with before or writing for an artist who may not know my quirks and may need more information. When I have a scene that's particularly important in a book that's not a straight-up action book, I'll sometimes slip into being the literary maestro for a panel or two. And when I've got a certain look in mind for a creator-owned book, don't be surprised to find me become the comic book editor for some of the important pages.
The trick in each of these cases (or for each of these writers, one might say) is to trust the artist to interpret and provide the script as a guideline, regardless of the type of approach, and not as a set-in-stone monument to your ability to create a story. The artists with whom I work often will improve on my scripts and ask me about rearranging page elements or changing the size or panels or using other, far better camera angles. It's my job to trust them and make sure the book is a partnership.
INDEPENDENT COMIC CREATOR PUTS A COMIC BOOK SPIN ON ART CLASSES
Indy comic book creator, Martheus Wade, creator of the hit graphic novel series Jetta: Tales of the Toshigawa and Turra: Gun Angel and art director for MAW Productions Studios, is proud to announce the formation of The Comic Studio, a series of classes that specialize in the art of comic book and graphic novel creation.
The Comic Studio will be art classes with a comic book twist. The classes take an innovative approach to creative design that combines fine art, writing and graphic design skills and team them with goal setting techniques that will empower students to see projects through to completion. Courses will cover everything from photoshop techniques, to illustration techniques, to writing all from the perspective of comic book and graphic novel creation. "I've always wanted to give back to the Memphis area," Martheus said. "The idea for the Comic Studio began when I taught comic illustration in the penitentiary system. There were some extremely talented individuals there that could have contributed so much to the art world if someone would have reached them early and helped develop their talent. I want to find that child before it's too late." Thanks to fellow artist and prolific painter, Adam Shaw, classes will start at his studio in November at 2547 Broad Ave, Memphis TN. "The revitalization of Broad Avenue as an arts district fits The Comic Studio perfectly," said Martheus. "It's the perfect place to open minds to the arts and the power of the graphic medium."
Classes start in November and will meet Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings. More information on times will be available in the coming weeks. Anyone interested in enrollment should contact Martheus Wade at martheus@toshigawa.com or join our facebook page, keyword: The Comic Studio. Free art tutorials are also available online at www.mawpro.com.
Optioned for motion picture, Jetta: Tales of the Toshigawa was created in 1985 by Martheus Antone Wade, a graduate of the University of Memphis. Martheus’ love for martial arts, along with his talent as a graphic artist, was a natural fit for creating exciting characters and imaginative storylines. He then began his carrier as an intern at Signature Advertising. After completing his internship, Martheus worked as graphic designer. After two years, Martheus struck out on his own as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator working with companies such as the Radison Hotel, Trust Marketing, Senior Services, The YWCA, The Girl Scouts Council of the Mid-South, and Special Olympics.
He has illustrated for Maximum CNG, Bloodstream for Image Comics, Shooting Star Comics, Chaos Campus for Approbation Comics and Andrew Dabb’s Slices just to name a few. Recently, he has worked on such titles as Action Man and Nanovor for IDW, Bad Girls Club for the Oxygen Network, and illustrated, written, and produced a comic book crossover with his title character, Jetta, and William Tucci’s, Shi. His work has been used for the movie Role Models from Universal Pictures as well as the instructional DVD and book, Hi-Fi Digital Color for Comics available from IMPACT Publishing.
Visit www.mawpro.com to see more of his work and artistic process .
There I was, sitting at our booth on Sunday at San Diego Comic Con 2009, my hands clasped over my face. Our booth was put on a horrible lane with no traffic. Sells of our books were dismal. My quest to land some full time comic work failed. My portfolio was over looked by both DC and Marvel. A major production company was debuting a new t.v. show that looked a lot like Jetta: Tales of the Toshigawa. And my wife was back at home and pregnant. What’s worse, I told her that I would come home with something concrete. I looked at my last sketch for the convention and knew I would not be coming back. And, just maybe, comics may not be in the cards as a means to take care of my new family.
It was a hard pill to swallow. After all, I put in my time. Submitted my portfolio to the powers that be. Smoozed with editors. Worked on my craft. I should have been there by now. But, for some reason, I wasn’t. I saw friends and colleagues’ careers sail past me, while I stood still. When I was single, I had time to wait on that one break that SHOULD'VE happened. But with a wife and newborn, it was getting harder to justify the wait. I kept thinking, “Why am I doing this?”
Who are some of your favorite collaborators you've worked with on projects?
The easy answer is "all of them."
But if I have to pick favorites, I'll come up with three, two from comics and one from prose.
JP Dupras and I worked together on several Fishnet Angel comic book projects, including the Jane Doe miniseries from Shooting Star Comics. He had a knack for taking my descriptions and making the pages look exactly as I saw them in my head.
Bobby Nash and I worked together to create the story bible and characters for Rick Ruby and his cast of friends and enemies from The Ruby Files published by Airship 27. We've also been published together in several other books, from Lance Star Vol. 3 to All Star Pulp Comics. He's so easy to work with and we think enough alike that it almost fills like we share one brain when we're co-creating.
And finally, Martheus Wade and I worked together on IDW's The Bad Girls Club: And Illustrated Adventure, and we're currently working on a new project for the publisher based on the works of H.G. Wells, called A Stitch in Time: The Return of the Invisible Man. In addition to that, we're also visiting the world of Jetta with a new series featuring Turra: Gun Angel next year. He's a master of drawing the pretty girls that make the boys cry.
Kevin Williams of Maw Productions (for whom I'm writing the upcoming Turra: Gun Angel comic book series) pulled me aside to talk turkey with me about what it's like writing bad-ass ninja chicks, working for Gene Simmons, and writing in my favorite genre -- the blender concoction of pulp, action-adventure, and literature.
We will be foregoing our regular tutorials in order to let you guys know about an important event that is directly related to what we do here on MAWPRO.COM.
You all know that we love to teach what we know to aspiring artists, writers, performers and illustrators. As indy comic book guys (and gal), we feel a need for the artistic community to embrace the new, the young, and the undiscovered talent in the comic book industry in order to further its growth and survival. What you may not know, is that Martheus Wade is the Art Track head for a huge convention called Anime Blue Con, June 15-17, 2012. It's a convention in Memphis TN that specializes in all things anime and beyond. From movies, to cartoons, to books, Anime Blues Con has it all. And, in the realm of artistic education, Anime Blues Con is just as effective. We have set up a great line up of tutorial classes and informational panels that are sure to give you a leg up when looking to further your skills or break into the industry. Check out what we've set up for you at Anime Blues Con 2012!
by Martheus Wade, Janet Stone Wade, and Kevin Williams
This tutorial will be a slightly complicated one. There are a lot of different techniques that inkers apply to get the job done. So, I split this one up into three different point of views. The first part will be inking for cartoons and strips with Kevin Williams. The second will be inking for comic book pages by myself. The third will be inking for the pin up with Janet Wade. Some of the techniques and tools will overlap and some will be drastically different. However, the overall goal is the same. The inks should add more clarity, weight and definition to the pencils. As with any tutorial, this is meant for you to take what we are presenting and use it as a basis to create your own technique for tackling your personal or professional project. Here we go!
Shianndrea Toshigawa is “The Chosen One” of the Toshigawa Ninja Clan.
She is the only warrior powerful enough to save the world from the wrath of the Knave, a demonic samurai army led by her father, Terminus. Although Shianndrea longs for a normal life away from the weight of her destiny, she is hunted at every turn.
Taki Sato, one of the most deadly warriors in all of Japan wants Shianndrea dead and the monstrous tracker known as Desai would like nothing more than to restore his honor by breaking Shianndrea and returning her to Terminus.
Now this reluctant warrior must cope with the fear of her destiny, a battle to the death and a rumor that another clan member is traitor.
Action Lab Entertainment is proud to present Jetta: Tales of the Toshigawa as a digital exclusive comic, available in Nook, iOS, Android, Kobo, Kindle, Graphicly and additional formats in Mid-May.
Created by Martheus Wade and optioned for a motion picture, “Beginnings” will be the first in a series of Jetta: Tales of the Toshigawa digital omnibus collections to be released over the next two years. “Beginnings” collects Jetta – Last Chances (first published in 2003) and Jetta – Crucible (first published in 2009) into one 120 page full color graphic novel.
With all new story additions, art and ending commentary, Beginnings brings an entirely new reading experience to these exciting books and provides an excellent jumping on point for new readers who have always wanted to check out one of the most popular female characters in independent comics.
Additional previews to come soon. Get ready for Jetta!
One of the questions we get asked from time-to-time is, "Where do you get your ideas?"
Kevin:
Well, sometimes from reading. It can be a book about creating ideas, like "The Cartoonist's Muse"; or, it can happen while you're reading a novel. Sometimes, reading other comic strips will send my brain reeling down another path and then I have to stop and go write a few comic strips.
Martheus:
I'm a big fan of movies. I find a lot of inspiration in going to a great movie (and some of the not so great ones) and falling into the story. Sometimes an idea for a comic story can come to me from something as simple as a camera angle. I remember going to see 300 and being moved so much by the fight scenes that I was determined to achieve that feeling of camera angles and movement in a Jetta comic page.
Janet:
I get a lot of ideas from movies and animation as well. If there's a good storyline going, you can't help but become inspired. Good stories are timeless and transcend boundaries, so you'll see recurring themes in different books and movies. Music can also put you in a certain mood to create.
This week's roundtable discussion comes from a reader who wrote in with the following:
If I can suggest a question for your question of the day -- How long should a 'typical' comic book story arc be? I ask for various reasons but the main one is that it used to take an issue or two to tell an origin story and I've read several new titles that are on issue 6 and not sure if they've finished any origin story arcs yet.
I loved the question and thought it would be a great one, particularly for those of us who have experience in comic book writing. However, acknowledging the variation of questions included in that one, I broke it down into its pieces.
What determines the completeness of a comic book story arc of any length?
Erik Burnham: A "typical" arc, I think, should run anywhere between 60-120 pages. So long as someone doesn't try to make a 60 page story into a 120 page story, I think we're golden. But 6 issues/120 pp is the outside of where I'd like to see for a typical arc. Longer stories can be done, but then those would be atypical.
Chuck Dixon: The easy, and obvious, answer is a story with a beginning, middle and end. And the end must come to a satisfactory conclusion either through a change in status quo, an emotional catharsis, a resolved conflict or a major reveal. In the best case scenario an arc should either create a new character or show a character growing or changing in some way. In comics, it’s okay to leave a few dangling plot threads to be picked up in the next arc. But NEVER leave the reader feeling as if the purpose of the arc was only to build to the next one. It’s okay to leave the reader wanting more but wrong to leave them feeling as though you gave them less than they expected.
Bobby Nash: Usually, it's the editor or publisher who sets the length. When creating my own stories I generally try to stick close to industry norms. Graphic novels can be 40, 66, 80, or 100 pages depending ont he needs of the story. Standard comic stories tend to be 22 or 28 pages.
Lee Houston Jr.: For a story to be complete, it must have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Granted, not all of a series ongoing subplots have to be addressed in any one specific arc, for many serve as springboards for future stories. But at the very least, the ones pertaining to the specific story in progress must be addressed and resolved, even if they result in new subplots for future arcs themselves.
How do you work in the beginning, middle and end of individual issues against that of the central story's begging, middle and end?
Martheus Wade: I'm not average in this as I don't write issues. Writing trades allow me to block my stores according to story beats inside of a 70-80 page story. I started by knowing my ending of the story and work backward.
Chuck Dixon: Action. The simplest thing is to provide a solid action set piece in each part of your story. A reveal about a character or situation is also a good tentpole for an individual issue. “My girlfriend is from the Moon!” kind of reveal. But each issue should have something that makes it stand out as a unique reading experience. As, Andy Schmidt, my former GI Joe editor put it, each issue should have a “oh, that’s the one where Captain Skidmark found out his parents are dead” element to it. Or, I’m parphrasing him, anyway. Captain Skidmark is all mine, baby!
Lee Houston Jr.: But although I've heard the "writing to the trades" claim, the creative teams on any comic book should remember to treat each issue as just one chapter of an ongoing saga. "The never ending battle," etc. Sure, some of those chapters later get collected into a trade paperback or a hardcover, depending upon the popularity of the title and/or the creative team involved. Yet those on the other side of the page producing the comic books have to remember that a lot of people (like me) still acquire their issues monthly, especially now with the big push to promote comics in the digital realm.
Bobby Nash: I plan for that in the plot. If I'm writing a story that I know will cover multiple issues then I try to end each issue on a cliffhanger. I like cliffhangers. I wish we had more of them in comics these days. I work in the beginning, middle and end of individual issues the same way I do the overall story. I plan out my plot.
How is plotting different when you're already given a length for an arc and you must either (a) fill it or (b) cut to fit it?
Chuck Dixon: Plotting should be organic. In comics you have to think visual action first. Always trim your plot before you cut action. If you don’t have room for the action in your assigned arc then you have too much plot. Simplify your through-story and make your characters motivations more pure. None of this computer program format or Joseph Campell structure crap.
Bobby Nash: When you know you have a set number of pages to fill then you plot accordingly. Sometimes that means cuts have to be made or additional material has to be added. The later is easier, of course. It's part of the job. You just dive in and do what needs to be done to meet your publisher's expectations by your deadline.
John Morgan Neal: There's nothing worst than a story that is drug out to fill time or space.
Ken Janssens: It always depends if you are working for someone else or yourself. If you are working for yourself, you let the story itself determine how long it should be. If you are working for someone else (as a fill-in arc and not your own book), then they will likely give you an issue count for the arc. Sometimes your idea comes out of that constraint. If you already had your story in mind, then you will have to either lengthen or shorten your story. The best way to do that (I've found) is to figure the main points and themes then space them throughout the numbers of issues for which you have to write. Then you take the secondary plot points and scenes, placing them in between the main ones. For the individual issues of arcs, they should all have beginning, middle, and ends, but since it won't be for the whole plot, those should be of theme, character, character path, or end just with sheer cliffhangers.
To follow the works of these fine creators who took part in this roundtable, simply look at the list of Heavy Hitters links on the right side of this page.
This is one I've been talking about for a while now, and I'm thrilled to say this one is finally back on track and moving ahead to hopefully hit a release date for the end of 2012. Fingers crossed.
Even the rough concept art from new series artist, Martheus Wade, is simply a thing of beauty.
"What's the story?" you ask. Well, without giving too much away...
Revisit the fascinating world of H.G. Wells as the Time Traveler and an all-new Invisible Man return to the future in order to save Weena and the rest of the Eloi from the primitive, flesh-eating Morlocks. But who is the new Invisible Man, and what is his tie to the late Griffin, the crazed killer who was once known by that title?
Anime Blues Con will be holding an Anime convention in Memphis. This event is the first of its kind to come to the Bluff City. The convention is made up of games, guests and different ways to immerse yourself in Asian culture.
The convention will feature five different tracks:
The Art track will showcase local artists from the Memphis Comic Book Club including featured artist Martheus Wade.
The Culture Track will highlight different aspects of Asian culture and include a Street Fashion Show.
At the Gaming Track guests will be able to participate in all kinds of games from D&D to Street Fighter.
The Otaku Track is the main event which showcases all things Anime. With special guests Vic Mignogna from Full Metal Alchemist, Tsubasa, and Ouran High School Host Club; Maile Flanagan from Naruto and Transformers 3 ; Kyle Herbert from Dragon Ball Z, Street Fighter IV, Naruto, Bleach; Maria Vu from Dragon Ball Z; and Jon Crumpton, a local voice actor who is the voice of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars toys.
There is even an Adult track for guests that are 18+ that have a taste for the racier side of con life.
During the convention there will be charity events to raise money for the Red Cross and the Kids Wish Network. Anime Blues Con is a non-profit organization designed to promote Asian cultural awareness in the Mid-South.
The event will take place at the Hilton East July 8-10.
Here's the teaser layout sketch for page of the new, ongoing Turra: Gun Angel book from Maw Productions. Written by me and art by series creator Martheus Wade.
Martheus and I will spill the goods about our upcoming book together, Turra: Gun Angel, and we'll hit the "back in time" button to talk about working with the Oxygen Network and NBC on the Bad Girls Club: An Illustrated Adventure comic book as well.
Also, as time permits, feel free to discuss any of our past projects.
It's sure to be a fun time. Can't wait to see you there.
Join me on this Friday for the live chat session Friday night at 9:00pm Central time at Maw Productions (www.toshigawa.com). I'll be the special guest and we'll talk with that turkey Martheus Wade... I mean, we'll talk turkey with Martheus Wade and me about the new Turra: Gun Angel series that will be hitting in 2012 and even the Bad Girls Club, along with any of my projects for the past few years.
Be there or we send Turra after you (and not in a good way).
It'll be an action-packed combination of guns, martial arts, babes, dudes, romance, and -- most of all -- butt-kicking when Martheus Wade (Jetta: Tales of the Toshigawa, Bad Girls Club) and Sean Taylor (Gene Simmons Dominatrix, Fishnet Angel: Jane Doe, Bad Girls Club) team up to tell the all-new adventures of Jetta's (don't call her a) sidekick -- Turra.
I’ve been friends with Turra and Jetta from the beginning.
