Month of August Recap

The month of August was a busy one for me starting with my gallery at the Orland Park Library. During this month the library showcased my art, which celebrated my ten years of self-publishing and making cool stuff. You can check out this behind the scenes video:

AUGUST 5 - The first of FOUR conventions I did in August was Comicopolis in Lockport. I always love attending this show because I feel like the show runners know how to really draw in a crowd and they utilize all of the floors. They even took a chance and added outside tables, food trucks, and live entertainment that paid off in a big way for everyone involved. I also shot an episode of Art 2 HEART with Dave and Rene of Instant Press Comics.

AUGUST 11 - The library scheduled a Meet The Artist event where people can show up, look at my gallery, and ask me questions. I had a wonderful time speaking and some close family and friends came out to share the moment with me.

AUGUST 12-13 The second comic show I did was a new one, RETCon Chicago. This two-day show really celebrated a diverse group of comic creators and I was among some of the best in the indie comics scene. I'm really excited for the potential this show has.

AUGUST 14 - I submitted to the Ghost City Comics Competition in the One Page Comic category. I had a great time creating something fun for this competition. It not only challenged me, but it sparked ideas for a future comic. Good luck to all the creatives who entered! Finalists will be announced September 1st.

AUGUST 17 - Hot Topic along with Kevin Smith was having a contest to design a tee-shirt for the upcoming Jay and Silent Bob Reboot film. I'm a huge fan of Kevin Smith and didn't want to miss an opportunity to throw down on this with the potential to be flown out for a walk on role in the movie and some cash. Why not, right? Not sure I can share the piece I did yet but maybe when the judging is over.

AUGUST 19 - The third show I attended was also a new comic show entitled, Fandom Fest. This one took place at the Niles Public Library. I met a lot of families new to comic book shows and had wonderful conversations with author, Lisa Maggiore.

AUGUST 24-27 - The fourth and final show was Wizard World Chicago Comic Con. This was a long four day show. The Thursday and Friday night crowd was pretty sparse. Thankfully I kept busy on the weekend with two Doodle To Drawing workshops. One on Saturday and one on Sunday. It was nice because I had an overhead camera so people can see what I was drawing. This definitely helped drive people to my table and I got to interact even more with the attendees. I ended my show by recording some Art 2 HEART episodes with creators Gavin Smith, Leo Perez, and Jon Lennon.

AUGUST 26 - Also on Saturday night, I had a signing for the Thing Art Book, published by Printed In Blood, at Chicago Comics. I was really excited for this event because I got to see and hold the book for the first time since it was released. (Still waiting on my comp copies.) All the Chicago creators who did something for the book were there including Jim Terry, Angel Onofre, Tom Kelly, and Jonathan LaMantia who helped set up the whole thing. A big thank you to Chicago Comics for having us at the shop and to all the customers who bought a book and got it signed by all of us.

I'd say it was a pretty packed month of making comics, showcasing art, and conventions.  Next up, I go back to teaching at the end of the month. In October, I attend New York Comic Con for the first time! I'm super excited and nervous but really looking forward to it.

Justin Castaneda Presents: Doodle to Drawing

I'll be doing two drawing events with the Chicago Public Libraries this week and next. If you're in the area, bring the kiddos! I'll also have a small amount of books to sell after the workshop and Q&A! Here is the info:

Justin Castaneda Presents From Doodle to Drawing 

Chicago area artist and graphic novelist Justin Castaneda brings introduces new artists to the basics of drawing, focusing on the importance of shapes in drawing, how to break your art down into simple shapes, and how to turn a doodle into a work of art. (Ages 8+)

Lincoln Park: Thursday 9/29 6:00pm

1150 W. Fullerton Ave.

Greater Grand Crossing: Wednesday 10/5, 4:30pm 

1000 E. 73rd St.

Post: c2e2 2015

Last weekend I had an incredible weekend at the c2e2 convention! There was a lot of happenings and events going on through the weekend and I wish I could've been a part of them all. We attended the pre-con party at Aw Yeah Comics which was super fun, from what I remember.

The show itself was fantastic. It was a busy three days and I had a lot of people taking commissions. That kept me busy all weekend! On Saturday night, they had a Drink N' Draw to benefit the Hero Initiative as well as an art auction for St. Jude's in which they raised around $11,000!

Sunday morning I led a workshop in the Family HQ entitled Shape our Drawings. It was a fantastic turn out and kids were really into the demonstration as well as participating in a fun shape game that we played towards the end.

Wonder Care Issue 2 made its con debut and by the end of Sunday, I had sold out! I also sold quite a few prints and Heart books which always pleases me. All in all it was a fantastic weekend and I was so happy that Tressa came to the show and stayed with us. If you see her at a con near you, pick up her new book, Motherless Creatures, it's great! I also want to give a big shout out to my table buddies and all around awesome bros, Miker & Foo, for grabbing dinner with us both nights and making it a fun three days. Also I sat next to Mark Waid who is one of the nicest guys I've ever met.

Thanks to the Aw Yeah Comics crew for the invites and a big awesome thanks to the Mighty Mike Negin for putting together an incredible Artist Alley! I look forward to the next year and building upon the amazing friendships I've made since this show's inception.