Back from CAPE 2.5

First, pictures tomorrow. I'm too fecking tired to put them in a gallery tonight after taking 11 hours to get home (really epic construction-caused traffic jam delay).

A HUGE thanks and nuch hugging to Richard Neal of Zeus Comics for making CAPE 2.5 for my family. More of that for Scott Hinze of Fanboy Radio, Stefan Halley of popsyndicate.com, Scott Kurtz of PVPOnline.com for sponsoring the event and coming out. It was quite a success, guys!

I was also glad to see Joolee and Kit and bazzer and amboy00 and Mark and Darrin from Houston! (Mark and Darrin were on the ground in Houston after Katrina, helping evacuees in the Astrodome. At CAPE 2.5, they sold CDs. They are amazing guys.) Somewhere in the piles of generous gifts is a flyer for Pop Corn, which is a purveyor of jewelry made from bottle caps (I will post a URL when I find it).

Totally incredible evening. I feel completely...what...better. It was good to see everyone turn out to do such an awesome thing for me and King and the kids. It's good to KNOW people care.
sclerotic_rings and czarina69, spiderfarmer, cudjo_dog and bunches more showed up. CAPE 2.5 was so huge there were people there who'd heard from people that'd heard from people there was a party.
Before dinner, and after supplies-replacing shopping with Paul and Caroline, I ducked into an Ulta for just two lipglosses to replace the smoke-damaged ones, and czarina69 were caught up in the Jean-Paul of Urban Decay hurricaine. The man was a genius in a silver lame apron. Caroline looked incredible with just lip stain, liner, gloss and a blush, while Jean-Paul did the same for me and did my lashes. I gotta say, when your mascara hasn't budged the next morning, that's some gooood stuff. I did look really good, which was a novelty after almost a month of looking like hell.
Between that and the whole CAPE evening, I am really quite pampered.
spiderfarmer brought me much of her soaps, bath salts, fizzies, and a cut of her two-years-in-the-making Pumpkin soap, plus art supplies, all in a basket that could be seen from space. I'd never met De in person, so getting it from her own hands was a double treat.

Scott Hinze of Fanboy Radio was there (and FBR was a sponsor), and so were his PARENTS! AWESOME! They slipped me a check, but I would have said they were lovely anyway, because they were.

The music was good, if a bit loud. The drawing was amazing. Scott Kurtz is such a performer. James O'Barr was a total totally cool man-of-few-words rockstar. Larry Dixon painted for several hours, a gryphon's head that was gorgeous. (Larry also brought a bunch of supplies he shared.) Brian Denham painted a mannequin of a torso with Spider-Man and Venom--a Spider-Mannequin. Brock Rizy was amazing. Sonny Straight pulled the laydees. I missed TJ Colligan drawing (I think.) Stumblebum Studios hosts a Dallas Sketch Group now (http://www.comicon.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=37;t=007170;p=0). I think I also missed TJ Colligan, Benjamin Hall and Kit Lively drawing. (I was out on the Metro patio for a couple hours, doing little sketches and drinking iced tea.)

Bidding on my first piece, and nine-panel comic of my prickly pear bunny, Prickle, dancing, was fierce. Angela Kurtz and (mumble forgot name because I suck wife of Jason Salsbury Pet Professional) Salsbury vied ferociously, but in the end icklefirsties was the winner.

There are no superlatives super enough, really. I drew my first large (semi) sequential piece since the fire, and did a painting as well (which will be going up for a silent auction this week). Girl had an amazing time, really enjoyed the people and sitting and drawing and loads of attention.

More later. I am falling over now.

PLEASE READ: Mail Sent Back?

I've heard from about five people that stuff they sent to me came back undeliverable, which is annoying and worrisome. Please email divalea @ gmail . com if you're one of them, and if you haven't already, and I'll give you an address that the Post Office doesn't seem to stumble over.

THANKS!