Templesmith & McCool signing wrap...

The Las Vegas Choker (Ben McCool & Ben Templesmith, natch) tour at Alternate Reality Comics was a great time with a great turnout! Both Bens have been on a crazy cross country tour with their Choker promotion and I was happy to be a part of the excitement. Ben McCool told me that Choker #2, which just came out this week also sold out at the distributor level, so now both issues are going to a second print. It's always great to see a new writer with a fresh voice (writing style) break out like this so strongly right out of the gate. Hopefully someday artist Ben Templesmith will get his big break - ha, just my feeble attempt at humor, everyone who's a fan of maniacal horror art knows that Ben Templesmith is an Artist with a capital A!

In this first photo, over to the right is Tyler (one of Las Vegas' biggest original art connoisseurs) watching Ben Templesmith do up a sketch for him (besides being a great artist, Templesmith is a FAST artist!).

Tyler's completed sketch - 'tis a beauty!










This is the also cool sketch Ben Templesmith did up for me!









After the signing dinner gathering (at Toto's one of the best Mexican restaurants in Las Vegas), with from left to right: Ben McCool, Derrick (friend and owner of Comic Oasis here in Vegas over on Rainbow and Cheyenne, a store that's definitely worth visiting if you haven't already done so as long as you don't stop coming to my store - grin!), my friend Rob (thanks for your help at the store which allowed me to be less stressed out and for getting the Blue Moon!), the Kate and Ralph duo, and Ben Templesmith. After I showed this photo to Kate she started cracking up at the giant beer bottle over Rob's head!

Kate and I were at the side of the table with Ben McCool and it was great getting a chance to have a long chat with him about his upcoming projects (sorry, can't talk about them as the "i's" and "t's" haven't been dotted and crossed yet) and his stories about his other Choker tour stops (poor chap was also starting to very much feel the after effects of having so much going on the past few weeks!). As much as I enjoyed talking at length with Ben McCool (someday I'll be able to say that I knew him back when he wasn't a super superstar!), I lament not getting more of a chance to talk to Ben Templesmith more than I did (Rob and Derrick were hogging him!), especially about his art. I don't know if I impressed upon him what a huge fan of his art I am so hopefully he reads this and feels the love!

Thanks to everyone who came out and thanks to Ben and Ben, who are both REALLY APPRECIATIVE of their fans, for including my store in their Choker tour!