Charm City! 'Oh, Mary!' Oh, my!

Belated updates before September ends

I’m back in Brooklyn with too many matters on my mind — but for one hot minute, I wanted to share a few highs from my Baltimore weekend:

Baltimore Comic-Con was a blast! Thanks to my talented table-mates (Dean Haspiel, Vito Delsante, Charlie McElvy, Peter Rostovsky) and all of you who came out to show a smile and shake a hand. I was psyched to debut my DIARY COMIX 2024 and be welcomed by this fantastic community. Stay tuned to find out how you can get your own copy soon …

According to many scientific studies, patterned shirts help attract more people to your table at a convention. (Ties can’t hurt, either.)

Here, BCC photographer Bruce Guthrie captures my signature doe-in-the-headlights pose.

I moderated a panel about the joys/pitfalls of crowdfunding with guests (l-r) Charlie McElvy, Dean Haspiel, Jimmy Palmiotti, Karl Kesel, Ron Randall and (in shades) Sean Von Gorman.

Here I am headed to the Ringo Awards, where I cheered on friend Peter Rostovsky, nominated for Best Artist for his book “Damnation Diaries.”

I’ve been going to conventions like this for 20-some years now, and it’s always a thrill to see what other people are making and ingesting. Oddly enough, BCC photographer Bruce Guthrie got home and realized he had taken photos of me years beforehand at San Diego Comic-Con. Here’s a flashback to SDCC 2010, when I appeared on a panel (and had way less gray hair):

Photo by Bruce Guthrie

My friend Suzanne and I took a day off from the con to visit the American Visionary Art Museum, which exhibits incredible work from self-taught artists, like this “What, Me Worry?” bed by Patty Kuzbida:

Also … funhouse mirrors!

And Theresa Segreti’s massive “Fifi”:

And Emily Duffy’s famous “BraBall”:

What a time! To round out the Baltimore magic, last weekend longtime reader Chris Mackar (aka BIG BUSINESS) sent me an astonishing photo from the John Waters Filthy Film Fest in Lehighton, Pa.

Not only did Chris get to meet John … he got him to pose with my book, TRUDY SELLOUT! Holy wow.

Thanks to Chris Mackar for putting Trudy in John Waters’ hands! You can still buy a copy for yourself.

Before I go, I can’t leave out seeing Cole Escola’s OH, MARY! Here I am with friends Lisa & Erika outside the historic Lyceum Theatre, one of the oldest Broadway venues:

I first wrote about Cole back in 2009, when their splendid comedy series with Jeffery Self, Jeffery & Cole Casserole, aired on Logo. All these years later, they’re still knockin’ socks off and making me laugh. The show is as grand as you’ve heard, and it was just extended through January.

Minutes after this photo was taken, Beetlejuice and I switched pants.

Finally, of course I adored BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE. What more could we want from a sequel that comes 35 years after the first? And yes, Jenna Ortega is a draw for the kids, but ultimately, Tim Burton’s film belongs to Winona (as it did in 1988), and for that I am grateful.

Welp, I gotta get back to making my BraBall. Talk soon.

xo
whit

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