I'll be at the MoCCA Comic Arts Festival this weekend! Plus I'm in a group show at Giant Robot NY. 
Saturday and Sunday I'll be at MoCCA.
I'm sharing a table with my friends Jesse Reklaw and Willow Dawson. I think we're table #813 (which appears to be along the back wall) and we're listed under Sparkplug Comic Books in the program.
I'll have The Blot, Your Disease Spread Quick and Brilliantly Ham-fisted for sale. And if I can fit them in my suitcase, I should have some prints and other stuff for sale as well.
Also, on Saturday at 2pm, I'll be part of a panel called "Making Comics in a New Era" with Brett Warnock (Top Shelf), Alvin Buenaventura (Buenaventura Press), Dylan Williams (Sparkplug), Mats Johnson, and Julia Wertz. It's moderated by Heidi McDonald (The Beat). I have no idea what I'll be talking about. It should be interesting.
Check the MoCCA website for address, schedule and other info.
Saturday Night there is an art opening and book signing party at Giant Robot NY:
I should have 4 of my comic strip poem originals in this Panelists show. This is the first time I've shown at a gallery in NYC! And there are lots of other great artists in this show, too. Also, this is a "Future Shock" book signing party for several new comics from Sparkplug Comic Books, Secret Acres and more. Two parties in one! Check the Giant Robot NY website for more info.
And one last thing, since I won't be able to blog about it while I'm away...
There's an auction benefit happening in Los Angeles on June 10th. I've donated two of my prints to be auctioned off. The proceeds go to help support anti-gang, youth-oriented parks programs and is hosted by Eric Garcettti. Check out the flyer for more info:
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
MoCCA and Giant Robot show in NYC this weekend (plus something next week)
Thursday, May 28, 2009
The Wolf and The Wizard!
If you had said to me ten years ago that I'd be in Wizard Magazine, I woulda laughed in your face and told you you don't know anything about the comics. Why would a big super-hero magazine care about what I'm doing? Well... I would have been wrong.
There's a nice little "Spotlight" feature about my upcoming book The Wolf in issue #213 (which hit the news stands and comic shops today). Sean Collins interviewed me and Aaron Turner about the project and our "Bromance."
Click image to read it:
I'm really glad to see Wizard has been including a lot more indie comics coverage recently.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
HEY! THERE'S NEW STUFF IN MY STORE!!!
I've just added a few new things to my online store.
You can now order these items direct from me:
Your Disease Spread Quick 
Brilliantly Ham-fisted
Skinwalker Letterpress Print
BUT WAIT, THERES MORE:
I've lowered the prices on all of my other prints.
ORDER NOW!
STORES:
Please e-mail me for wholesale orders, or contact Tony Shenton.
AND: I've added a section to the links on the left side of this blog for stores that usually carry my books. More links will be added soon. If you see one of your local stores on the list, please support them. It's tough to run a small business these days, and comic shops are a very special place where awkward young kids can lose themselves in their imaginations and maybe even grow up to be a cartoonist like me!
I'd hate to see any of these portals close up due to this depression.
(If you carry my books, but don't see a link, please let me know)
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Buy my Kitty Pryde on Ebay!
Hey Everybody- Go bid on the original artwork (seen above) for my Kitty Pryde poster for the Full of Pryde show at Floating World Comics. The artwork is being auctioned for charity.
GO HERE AND BID NOW!!!
UPDATE: SOLD
The posters can also be purchased for $5 at Floating World Comics.
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
I'm all over the place this weekend...
Three things happening this weekend that I will be a part of...
For those of you in L.A., there is a group show at GR2 called Free To A Good Home 2: DOGS! Along with artwork by great artists and cartoonists like Andrice Arp, Jeffrey Brown, Shawn Cheng, David King, Kiyoshi Nakazawa, John Pham, Aaron Renier, Daria Tessler, Steve Weissman (and many, many more), there will be dogs from local animal shelters available for adoption! So get some new art and a new pet at the same time. Here's my painting for the show:
Floating World Comics in Portland, OR, is having a benefit art show and auction for the hemophilia research center of OHSU. The theme of the show is the X-men character Kitty Pryde. I made a Nancy-esque comic strip based on the X-men #143 comic. You can get posters of artwork from all the different artists for $5. And the original artwork will be auctioned off. Here's my Kitty Pryde:
You can see other artists' Kitty Prydes at this blog.
And finally, I'll be in Toronto this weekend...
I'm exhibiting with my friends Sparkplug Comic Books at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival. I'll have all my books and maybe some prints for sale, too. If you're in or near Toronto come check it out. 
(that's me at the Sparkplug table at TCAF 2007)
Monday, May 04, 2009
Interview
The National Post is doing a series of interviews with cartoonists who will be a part of the 2009 Toronto Comic Arts Festival. Here's my interview.
I also have to highlight an answer from Shannon O'Leary in her interview because I love her answer:
Q: Who are your cartooning heroes and have you ever met them? If so, did you remain calm?
A: We ARE cartoon heroes and are calm in the face of imminent peril generally.
Review with Sandwiches?
El Borrón, the Spanish version of The Blot, keeps getting good reviews and I keep using Google translator which yields some funny results. This one reviews me along with a few other books. Here's the broken translation:
La Cúpula is also the first who published a graphic novel of the Texan Tom Neely, a bold proposal entitled 'El Borrón' that runs between the everyday and the surreal experience. The various chapters are the emergence of a black stain that spilled on the person and life of the protagonist as a powerful metaphor that reflects the evolution of their fears, their emotional problems or communication and the search for an identity.
Neely exhibited a very fine line drawing characters to highly stylized design, which even in its distortion of the expression kinetics and intent. The story contains just a dozen sandwiches succinct text long its more than 180 pages, all made by the couple's female protagonist. There are no more words, with the exception of onomatopoeia in this long and harrowing story whose development depends entirely on the image. Thus the author uses with skill and originality all visual resources at its disposal to realize when a plot rife with symbols that clearly calls for the active participation of the reader.
I had no idea there were a dozen sandwiches in my book!
Sunday, May 03, 2009
Please don't kill yourself...
A nice little review of Brilliantly Ham-fisted from Inkstuds. I don't think the book is all that depressing or suicide-inducing, but it's a nice review anyway:
I really like Tom Neely’s work and was happy to get his little collection, Brilliantly Ham-Fisted. It’s a depressingly charming collection of Tom doing his best try at a four panel strip. I somehow doubt that Tom would ever get a daily syndicated strip, unless people felt like killing themselves when they first read the paper in the morning. The work in this is beautiful and full of an odd type of empty life. Tom can seem to exact onto a desperate need to find an end to a loneliness. It doesn’t feel pretentious and full of itself, but instead, the strips are nice poetic contemplation, that slows down the pace nicely. Oh and it doesn’t hurt that Tom is a master cartoonist that is really hitting his stride right now.
I should have these available for sale in my store by the end of the month.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wolves in the Throne Room
I'm really excited to have just completed a poster for one of my favorite bands Wolves in the Throne Room. (click to enlarge)
The posters will be screen-printed by Broken Press in Seattle. This poster is for three shows in Hamilton and Toronto, Ontario, and Montreal Quebec in May. They should be for sale at the shows, and I'll also have some available at future conventions.
This poster features a character that I've been using in a lot of recent and upcoming artwork. This character will also make an appearance in my upcoming graphic novel The Wolf.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Stumptown was awesome...
A belated thank you to everyone I saw in Portland. I love your city and it was a really fun weekend.
And seeing my Wolf all over town made me feel like a rock star...
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Spanish magazine on El Borrón
I can't read this, but it's a two-page spread in a Spanish magazine about me and El Borrón.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
12 fingered...
Shawn Swanson gives a really nice write-up of two of my books at his 12 Fingers blog.
"...The world is lousy with artists that have no vision; what’s the point of drawing a pretty picture if you have nothing to say. Tom Neely’s work overflows with imagination. Books like “The Blot” are why I created this site! Tom deserves a huge fan base."
Read the whole thing here.
Thank you!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
COVER!
The Wolf is on the cover of the Portland Mercury this week for their coverage of the Stumptown Comics Festival this weekend.
Read their article about the festival here. And come see me at the festival!
Monday, April 13, 2009
Stumptown Comics Festival in Portland, OR
This weekend, I'm heading up to Portland, OR,
where April is officially "Comics Month."
I'll be there for the Stumptown Comics Festival!
Friday Night, I'll be doing a "reading" of my mostly wordless
graphic novel The Blot at the Guapo Pre-Stumptown party.
(click this flier for more info)
And Saturday and Sunday, I'll be at my table selling books, prints and records and whatever else I can drag up there on the plane.
I will also be debuting my new edition of Brilliantly Ham-fisted:
I'm sharing a table with my good pal
Tim Goodyear of Teenage Dinosaur.
Please come out and see us!
Friday, April 10, 2009
Wizard's Tops 25!
I was really surprised to find out from this blog that I was ranked #5 on a list of "Top 25 Indie Books of All Time."
I finally have a copy of the magazine in my hands. It's Wizard Magazine #211 Platinum Edition. Apparently there is another issue #211 that is completely different- get the one that looks like this:
The article is "TITANIC TOMES: The 25 Indie Gems Even the Most Ghoulish Marvel Zombie or Dedicated DC Devotee Must Read Before They Die!"
At first glance it appears that The Blot ranks at #5 and beats out such heavy-hitters as Jeff Smith's Bone, Dan Clowes's Eightball, The Hernandez Bros' Love & Rockets, Art Spiegelman's Maus, etc... But in reality, the ranking is misleading because it's just alphabetical order. Here's the whole list:
1. Acme Novelty Library by Chris Ware
2. American Splendor by Harvey Pekar
3. Black Hole by Charles Burns
4. Blankets by Craig Thompson
5. The Blot by Tom Neely
6. Bone by Jeff Smith
7. Bottomless Belly Button by Dash Shaw
8. Box Office Poison by Alex Robinson
9. Curses by Kevin Huizenga
10. Eightball by Dan Clowes
11. Epileptic by David B.
12. The Essex County Trilogy by Jeff Lemire
13. Frank by Jim Woodring
14. Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
15. Grickle by Graham Annable
16. It's a Good Life if You Don't Weaken by Seth
17. Johnny the Homicidal Maniac by Jhonen Velasquez
18. Love and Rockets by The Hernandez Bros.
19. Maus by Art Spiegelman
20. Optic Nerve by Adrian Tomine
21. Palestine by Joe Sacco
22. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
23. Pop Gun War by Farel Dalrymple
24. Pistolwhip by Jason Hall and Matt Kindt
25. The Sketchbook Diaries by James Kochalka
I'm honored to be included along side some of my favorite cartoonists. Wizard doesn't cover indie comics very often, so I'm amazed to be included here.
However- I have to make one correction:
They incorrectly list my book as published by Fantagraphics. But my book is self-published. So, I hope Wizard will make a correction and let their readers know that they can order my book directly from me at www.iwilldestroyyou.com or through Tony Shenton, Sparkplug Comic Books Distro, or Last Gasp.
And to any Wizard readers who might be seeing my site for the first time: Welcome!
This one compares me to Kafka!
Another positive review of "El Borrón" comes from Spain.
Here's the broken translation courtesy of Google translator:
If the "Metamorphosis" Kafka's Gregor Samsa woke up turned into an insect, in "El Borrón" your character is attacked by a stain of ink you want to grab him, his gestures and his words. I put in two parallel stories that despite different paths followed by the start of the two is the same: The Stigma of fantastic proportions that turns its victims into a pariah. The anomaly is Esperpentos dimensions in both cases relate to social rejection.
An exaggeration that borders on absolute absurdity (a stain that spreads across the face, mouth, the flooding, which destroys everything it touches) suggests a continuum of existential doubt and, what is most remarkable, the unusual origin and meaning of "disease" becomes the perfect vehicle to draw a fairly rational interpretation of our reality.
The nightmare of the "blot" structured in three parts and with little dialogue, distinguished by the ability to surprise that generates your reading but it all seems to be on the front pages, Tom Neely manages to turn the nut of the "most difficult" in each one of the chapters with a staggering ability to reach a level of sadism-attention to the brutal beating that is dispatched to the player himself, perhaps one of the most violent in the history of comics, which fortunately falls sharply for a final hopeful that obviously does not reveal here. Although, by the way, the end is the least of which in this story (as in "Metamorphosis"), what matters is the journey, the trip to the horror, rather than the destination or termination of same.
Halfway between the first drawings of the Disney factory (the main character has an air to Mickey Mouse in his eyes and actually looks the same gloves that famous character) strips the EC Segar and stunted silhouettes of Giacometti, "The stain is the first work of astonishing Tom Neely. An author heavily influenced by impressionism and surrealism of Magritte, as evidenced by the approach of powerful graphic vignettes of this disturbing story that is now a benchmark title in the ninth art.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Art For Sale!
UPDATE: lowering the prices. Come on people- by some art so I can pay some bills!
Here's another chance to get some original art for a low price. If you would like to purchase any of these, please e-mail your request (my e-mail is on my homepage) and I'll send shipping price and payment info. First come first serve.
These are most of the drawings from my S'super-mini Comic from a couple of years ago. At the 2005 San Diego Comic Con, I was sitting right next to Rob Liefeld's booth all week. I've never been a fan of his, but I eavesdropped as he sold sketches to his fans at "$60 for a bust, $120 for a full body." Whenever he did a sketch, I did one of my own. And these were the result.
First are some one panel gag strips featuring Superman, Wolverine, Batman, Spider-man and The Flash.
Ink on paper.
9 x 12"
$75 each
(Click on images for larger view)
And here are 8 D.C. heroes, inspired by some of the awesomely bad home-made costumes people wear at SDCC. Superman, Batman, Hawkman, Wonder-Woman, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and The Flash. None of them are directly inspired by people I saw at SDCC, but if you've ever been there, you know this isn't that far from reality.
Ink and watercolor on paper
5.5 x 8.5"
$50 each
(Click on images for larger view)
Monday, April 06, 2009
Another Spanish review
I found another review of the Spanish version of The Blot online. This one isn't all positive. It seems that the reviewer unfavorably compares me to the great cartoonist Jason. The review calls me a "Jason Minor" and says my narrative reminds him too much of something by Jason. I've read several of Jason's books, but I'd be curious to know which one the review is comparing me to. I also find it interesting that this might be the first review that calls my book "funny." Anyway... Here's the link. And here's the broken translation:
With a desire to contradict the spirit of my blog, namely that of a comic book blog ever talks about comics, I will start a series of brief minireseñas some of the comics that I read lately. Start:
I will not deny that I enjoyed with the original proposal of Tom Neely and its striking use of the expressive possibilities of the comic. Nor deny that the history of The blot holds human interest, which can even think that this strange relationship of these strange people. But I just do not convince. The story of Neely, style aside, reminds me too much to the narrative of Jason, but Jason a minor, with a rate less able to give the impression sometimes gum stretched over the account and also a bit bland. And that issue may well have been signed by the Norwegian, but to reach the level of a Jason Neely lacks irony and sobran pages. Many pages. In short, a funny comic but somewhat disappointing.
Score: 7
Monday, March 30, 2009
Brilliantly Ham-fisted (New Edition)
NEW! NEW! NEW!
I'm defying the downturn in the economy and it's effects on the comics industry by publishing a new comic book!
This is a collection of my comic strip poems. I previously had xeroxed minis of this book available at SDCC and APE, but this is a new official printing. Plus it has 4 new strips that were previously unavailable. That's 23 comic strip poems + a snazzy new cover for you to enjoy!
It will debut at the Stumptown Comics Festival in Portland, OR, later this month. After that, I will be offering it for sale in my webstore and through select distributors.
Read reviews of the mini-comic version by Geek Magazine, The Daily Cross Hatch, Rob Clough and Sean Collins.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Art For Sale... CHEAP!
The above image is a triptych of drawings I did for a group show last year. They didn't sell in the show, so I've decided to offer them for sale here. And CHEAP, too!
Title: Evolution
Ink on paper
approximately 8 x 10" inches each
wood frame and matte 12 x 15" each
They are $175 for the set + shipping. Includes frames.
UPDATE- SOLD!
E-mail me to find out payment information and shipping costs. My e-mail can be found on my homepage.
These drawings are smaller versions of the first 3 paintings in the Werewolf Fugue series from 2007. They are also part of my upcoming graphic novel, The Wolf: 
Saturday, March 21, 2009
progress
"One is still what one is going to cease to be and already what one is going to become. One lives one's death, one dies one's life"
- Jean-Paul Sartre
Friday, March 20, 2009
"Hey man, is that Freedom Rock?"
This is way too funny not to post about...
"What sounds cooler than a blues-hard rock song full of guitar riffs?"
There are so many wasy to answer that question.
But this is not one of them:
"One with patriotic lyrics that benefit military families."
Apparently some dude with my name is in some shitty band.
But I have to post the article cause it's funny. Every time i see the words "Freedom's Stain" I think it has to be something like a Hot Richard.
What sounds cooler than a blues-hard rock song full of guitar riffs? One with patriotic lyrics that benefit military families.
The Los Angeles-based indie rock band Bridge Of Sighs recently partnered with Operation Homefront, the parent organization to OH Online, to donate proceeds from the tracks “Freedom’s Stain” and “The General Speaks” to the organization’s Wounded Warrior Program.
Band members Trent Stroh (bass/vocals), Tom Neely (guitar) and Mike Taylor (drums) wrote “Freedom’s Stain” following six concerts performed during two separate trips to the U.S. Naval base on Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
After a performance, the band befriended members of an Army Reserve unit. “We got to go back to their barracks. We were hanging out with them, and we started to write the song (“Freedom’s Stain”) that night,” Neely said.
Neely, whose father served in the Marine Corps, said that in that setting, the lyrics easily came to the trio:
“Where eagles fly
And Heroes die
This is freedom’s stain
While angels fly
And Mothers cry
Can you feel their pain?”
“We started playing it (“Freedom’s Stain”) live at our shows and it turned out to be our biggest hit,” Neely said.
Donating the proceeds was an obvious step, Neely said.“It seemed like a no-brainer to hook up with Operation Homefront,” he said.
The track “Angry Clouds” was also inspired by Bridge of Sigh’s interaction with the troops.
The album of the same name is dedicated to the men and women of the armed forces, according to the band.
Prior to forming Bridge of Sighs, band members performed separately with numerous world-class musicians including Eddie Money, Robert Palmer, Nancy Sinatra and Patrick Simmons of the Doobie Brothers. In 2004, Neely won the Los Angeles Indie Rock Guitarist of the Year award.
The album was produced and engineered by Grammy Award-winner Neil Citron, and features Grammy Award-winner and Hammond Organ player Bob Carpenter. It’s available now on Amazon.com and at iTunes.
I'm gonna have to use "Angry Clouds" as the name of my autobiography.
Supporting the troops is great. But anyway...
Reminds me of this old infomercial:
I love that "Freedom Rock" includes a song by the satanist-hippy band Coven.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Full of Pryde at Floating World Comics
(click for larger view)
Floating World Comics in Portland, OR, is hosting a charity art show and auction called Full of Pryde. The show's theme is the X-Men character Kitty Pryde. My Kitty Pryde (seen above) is sort of a mash-up of Ernie Bushmiller's Nancy comic strips and issue #143 of X-men comics. For those of you unfamiliar with that comic, the basic plot is that Kitty Pryde, who has the power to "phase" through solid objects (like walk through walls), is left home alone on X-mas eve and is chased around the X-mansion by a monster called N'Garai.
All artwork will be available as 11 x 17 posters that will be sold for $5. Most original artwork (including mine) will be available as part of a charity auction. The show is a not-for-profit fundraiser, 100% of the proceeds will go to the hemophilia research department at OHSU.
The show is curated by Jason Leivian and Douglas Sherwood and will include Kitty Pryde art by a lot of cartoonists working in the comics industry today: Rob G, Brandon Graham, Michael Deforge, Ross Campbell, Nikki Cook, Zachary Baldus, Zack Soto, Corey Lewis, Vasilis Lolos, Becky Cloonan, Chuck BB, Bryan O'Malley, Hope Larson, Farel Dalrymple, Joelle Jones, Brian Hurtt, Steve Rolston, Robbi Rodriguez, and many more!
The event opens either May 7th, or May 9th. I'm unclear on that, but will post more info when it's closer to that time.
Here's a page from the original X-Men #143 by John Byrne and Chris Claremont: 
Tom says it's "adorable!"
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Monday, March 09, 2009
Year of the OX
Giant Robot has put together a "Year of the Ox" group show for their GR2 gallery in L.A. Here's my ox:
"The Death of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox at the Hands of the Royal Canadian Mounted Giant Killers." It's watercolor and ink on paper. 19 by 50 inches. (click for larger view)
The show includes many great artists and friends: Andrice Arp, Shawn Cheng, Levon Jihanian, Kiyoshi Nakazawa, John Pham, Jesse Reklaw, Daria Tessler, and many more.
Come see our Oxes! The show opens this Saturday, March 14th at GR2. GR2 is at 2062 Sawtelle Blvd.
Click the flier below for more info:
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Creepy #46
Robert Goodin has a blog where he asks cartoonists to do their own versions of classic comic covers. It's called Covered. The site has great contributions from Jeffrey Brown, Jim Rugg, Sarah Glidden, Dash Shaw, Renee French and many more. It's updated daily, so go bookmark it.
Go to the Covered site to see my version of Creepy #46 alongside the original cover by Spanish artist Sanjulian.
I spent a while trying to figure out what classic cover I wanted to "cover." I was looking at some of my favorite Spider-man and X-men covers that inspired me as a child. But nothing seemed to really click. Recently, I've been collecting a lot of old horror comics, especially Warren's Creepy and Eerie. The original cover for Creepy #46 by Sanjulian jumped out at me immediately as something that I would like to do. It has the kind of strange, dramatic composition that I'm interested in. The background is so minimal and abstract. And I love drawing creepy hands, so those weird creepy zombie/vampire hands appealed to me instantly.
Check out Sanjulian's site- lots of great barbarian and fantasy illustrations. I wrote to him to tell him about my cover. He said he'll be at San Diego Comic Con this summer.
If you were wondering what I was drawing on my birthday morning, this is it.
If anyone's interested in purchasing the original art for my Creepy #46, please e-mail me. The original art is 18 x 24 inches. It is just the image. The "Creepy #46" lettering is separate. The original is ink and watercolor on paper.
Joder, me has fallen the red boat.!
My first Spanish review of El Borrón arrived today. If you can read Spanish, go here.
Here's avery broken Yahoo Babel Fish translation that doesn't make a lot of sense:
Joder, me has fallen the red boat.! This exclamation must of have loosen almost any sketcher to it of cómics, and I also suppose that Tom Neely, the creator of ' The Borrón'. And I dare to venture that the idea of this cómic was born when had a mishap of this type. Perhaps, in one of those moments, it said " we canalize the wrath that this causes and we remove to him something to me of benefit, I will make a tebeo… " TO EXTEND PHOTO ' The Borrón' he is cómic very complex, where Tom Neely has decided, mainly, to play and to undergo with all the mechanisms and techniques that the means allow him, using like protagonist to the red. Is pure metalanguage, in volume where love demonstrates his by cómic at the same time as reference can to serve as for all those sketchers that wants to see what can be done, until where can to arrive in some aspects, where it is the border… and that Neely is young, was born in 1975. History is practically dumb and narrates the life of an anonymous personage, in a city whatever it suddenly begins to see itself persecuted by the Red (the Nothing of ' Interminable' History;). Chapter to chapter, is surrounded in the rocambolescas situations, and every time it is seen more surpassed by the situation until he appears his rescuing angel in the form of woman who will take to him by the correct way, it calms, it cures and it alleviates to him. But everything is not what it seems, and the angel can become demon… In the end, in which the author tries is a happy end, it appears the color in the tebeo, like a metaphor. Between the strongpoints of this work they are all that we have mentioned of dominion of the technique and to experiment with means and to show its possibilities. In it must, is the fact that it needs a little spark, of feeling, although it can be compensated from the above. by Ricardo Mena
If anyone wants to give me a better translation, that would be nice.
