Zub Tales

Leaving Livejournal - New Location

Sun, 20 May 2012 17:47:18 GMT

After many, many years of posting here on LJ, I think it's important for me to migrate over to a dedicated blog for my personal and professional use. Please head on over to the newly built

www.jimzub.com

to keep up on my thoughts and projects by bookmarking or following the RSS feed there. I've carried over the entire archive of old blog posts (which start all the way back in March 1999, 13 years!) and they're now easily searchable.

Thanks for your support!

Pathfinder Comic Thoughts

Thu, 17 May 2012 12:57:14 GMT

Now that the news about me writing the upcoming Pathfinder comic series for Dynamite and Paizo has gone far and wide, I figured it was a good time to update my blog with some thoughts about the series and my overall plans.

For anyone who’s not aware, Pathfinder is an award-winning tabletop role-playing game and fiction setting that grew from the roots of the Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition Open Gaming License. The Pathfinder fanbase is huge, dedicated and loves classic fantasy. Needless to say, with my lifelong love of RPGs and sword & sorcery storytelling, I'm a big fan of it as well.

The iconic characters at the heart of Pathfinder’s setting, a cast of diverse and well designed heroes, have never been fleshed out beyond their appearance and a few sentences about their personality. Paizo and Dynamite have given me the distinct honour of expanding upon that base, building stories of these amazing characters adventuring together and growing as a group.

When I was approached about pitching for the gig, I did some brainstorming and outlined important aspects I'd emphasize if they wanted me at the helm:

• The series had to be non-gamer friendly and work as a self-contained unit. Comic readers and people who have never heard of Pathfinder before should be able to pick up this story and get everything they need to enjoy it on its own merits. This doesn’t mean I intend to ignore the fanbase, not in the slightest, but I wanted to make sure the comic functioned well as an entry point to the world and characters, not just an offshoot of other products.

• Characters come before world-changing plot. As incredibly detailed and impressive Golarian (the world of Pathfinder) is, outside readers won’t give a lick if they don’t get attached to the characters. Making them come alive with personality, entertaining interactions, relationships and engaging goals is paramount to bringing in casual readers and keeping long time fans attached to the series after the initial excitement of new Pathfinder stuff has worn off. Stories grab people, but engaging characters keep fans dedicated to ensemble casts in this vein like the Lord of the Rings, the Dragonlance Chronicles, Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Avatar the Last Air Bender.

• It should feel like the best fantasy tabletop role-playing session played out before your eyes on the page – adventure, big action, fun banter and unexpected little turns that keep readers entertained. A mix of swashbuckling-tinged joy and serious stakes as the story moves along.

There was more, but those three points were at the heart of my pitch. If Paizo and Dynamite liked the sound of that, then I was their man. If not, then I wouldn’t be able to put myself into it and it wouldn't work for me. Thankfully, they loved the sound of everything I proposed and were really in sync with those ideas.

Pathfinder gives me a chance to dig in on a story that balances fun and character-driven storytelling together. It’s classic fantasy with an awareness of modern storytelling sensibilities and strengths. As I write this I have the first story arc all mapped out and I’m scripting issue #3. The character voices are getting stronger as I work away and I’m enjoying writing interplay between the different personalities in the group.

In August you’ll be able to read the first issue and can let me know if I’ve hit the spot with it. Until then, I hope you're excited and looking forward to the release.

Wonder Momo is GO-GO!

Tue, 15 May 2012 23:07:22 GMT

Wonder Momo launches today on Namco Bandai's ShiftyLook website!

Written by Erik Ko (UDON Chief) and Jim Zub (Street Fighter Legends, Makeshift Miracle) with artwork by UDON mainstay Omar Dogan (Street Fighter Legends, Girl 7), Wonder Momo is an anime/j-pop/sentai mash-up of epic proportions!

Momoko is a young idol hopeful who wants to be famous for singing, dancing and acting, but fate and a bumbling alien have a different role in store for her. Read Wonder Momo twice a week at Shifty Look by bookmarking the site or adding it to your favourite RSS reader!

Pathfinder the Comic Arrives in August and I'm Writing It!

Mon, 14 May 2012 21:30:24 GMT

Another project to announce, what the heck is going on?! You didn't think I was resting on my laurels, did you?

Today Dynamite Entertainment and Paizo have made it official: I'm the writer of the upcoming Pathfinder fantasy comic series starting in August!

Check out any of the following press sites for preview pages:
The Beat
Bleeding Cool
Comic Book Resources
Comic Buzz
Crave Online
ICV2
Major Spoilers
MTV Geek
Sequential Highway

PATHFINDER, THE BEST-SELLING RPG, IS NOW THE ULTIMATE FANTASTY COMIC BOOK!

CREATIVE TEAM OF JIM ZUB AND ANDREW HUERTA ANNOUNCED!

COMING OUT IN AUGUST FROM DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT!

May 14, 2011, Runnemede, NJ – Paizo’s incredible award-winning, best-selling fantasy world, fiction line and tabletop RPG is now the ultimate fantasy comic from Dynamite Entertainment, hitting stores in August! Dynamite is proud to announce that the ongoing series is written by Jim Zub with art by Andrew Huerta, with covers by Lucio Parillo, Matteo Scalera, Dave Dorman, and Erik Jones!

The iconic heroes at the core of the Pathfinder’s world are brought to life for the first time in a brand new story full of charm and high adventure that will please fans and entertain new readers alike. Issue 1 clocks in at 40 pages (and remains $3.99) and includes over 10 pages of character profiles and Pathfinder RPG game statistics, plus an EXCLUSIVE removable, playable tactical map and poster. Be sure to pick up Pathfinder #1 from Dynamite, coming this August to comic stores everywhere!

In issue #1, Valeros can rely on only his sword arm and his friends, the mysterious and beautiful sorcerer Seoni and silver tongued quick-witted elven rogue Merisiel, but nothing can prepare him for the dangers that lurk ahead. The scattered and chaotic goblin tribes of Varisia are changing, growing in power and unifying in ways no one has ever seen before. At the heart of this strange evolution is an ancient evil looking to establish itself anew.

“Pathfinder has blazed new trails in gaming and fiction, winning over thousands of fans all over the world. I’m absolutely thrilled to add to its mythology and flesh out the iconic characters at the heart of the Galorion world,” says writer Jim Zub. “Sword and sorcery adventure pumps through my veins and I can’t wait for readers to experience what Dynamite and I have planned.”

“I am thrilled with the work Jim Zub and Andrew Huerta have put into the Pathfinder comic book,” adds Paizo Publisher Erik Mona. “Jim and I go way back to my time as Editor-in-Chief of Dragon Magazine, and his experience with fantasy and gaming make him the perfect writer for the series. Andrew’s pencils are absolutely amazing, and bring an exciting and fresh new look to the characters, monsters, and lands of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.”

“From day one of when we were awarded the license for the Pathfinder comic we knew we had only one chance to make a great first impression for Pathfinder and comics fans – Jim and Andrew are the perfect team for the series. It is great to finally have the opportunity to publish these wonderful comics,” adds Dynamite Entertainment President and Publisher Nick Barrucci. ”I also finally get the chance to work with Jim Zub, a writer whom I have the utmost respect for, and Andrew’s art is nothing short of breathtaking. And these covers by Lucio Parillo, Matteo Scalera, Dave Dorman, and Erik Jones are just astounding!”

Dig Dug 30th Anniversary

Wed, 09 May 2012 17:40:26 GMT

It's official! I'm part of a huge group of comic creators participating in Namco-Bandai's official Dig Dug 30th Anniversary Celebration this summer.

Jeff "Chamba" Cruz and I (the team on Sky Kid) are doing a one-shot comic strip as part of the festivities. It's going to be a blast.

Shuster Award Nomination

Wed, 09 May 2012 13:20:55 GMT

Nominations for the 2012 Joe Shuster Canadian Comic Book Awards are out and I'm nominated in the 'Outstanding Writer' category for my work on the Skullkickers second story arc.

Winners won't be announced until mid-September, so I'll hold off finger crossing until the end of the summer but I'm excited to see how it goes!

At Strange Adventures in Halifax This Weekend!

Mon, 07 May 2012 19:57:15 GMT

This Saturday, on May 12th, I'll be appearing at the award-winning Strange Adventures comic shop in Halifax, Nova Scotia, for a signing.

I'm excited to be visiting Halifax for the first time since I worked and lived there back in 2002-2003. Come out, say "hi" and get your copies of Skullkickers, Makeshift Miracle or Street Fighter signed.

TCAF Ruled

Mon, 07 May 2012 16:12:01 GMT

TCAF was stellar, as expected. The crowds were deep and really enthusiastic with longtime fans and new readers alike.

The Makeshift Miracle book debut went amazingly well. A lot of people were drawn to it by the beautiful artwork and I happily autographed a bunch. It was great having both Skullkickers and Makeshift at the same show, appealing to different audiences.

The social was phenomenal too. Seeing old friends, meeting new people, feeling excited about comics and storytelling.

I'm really tired, but happy too. It was a great weekend.

TCAF This Weekend

Fri, 04 May 2012 13:37:35 GMT

This weekend is the wonderful annual Toronto Comic Arts Festival and I'm proud to be there!

TABLE 213

Come by to grab a copy of Skullkickers Treasure Trove or my brand new graphic novel, Makeshift Miracle: The Girl From Nowhere, which is debuting at the festival!

On Sunday, you can also attend a spiffy panel on comic writing I'm a part of:

Sunday, May 6, 2012
Ristorante Fortuna - Google Map
12 Cumberland St
Toronto, ON M4W 1J5

2:00 – 3:00 – Writing Pictures with Words: Comic Writer’s Craft
Brainstorming ideas, describing scenes, building plot and creating dialogue. Learn comic writing techniques and tips from prolific comic pros Becky Cloonan (Conan, Wolves), Ray Fawkes (One Soul, Possessions), Ryan North (Dinosaur Comics, Adventure Time) and Jim Zub (Makeshift Miracle, Skullkickers).

Everybody Wins

Thu, 03 May 2012 15:39:28 GMT

The short version is that the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo kicked all kinds of ass. I brought a slew of Skullkickers and sold out of it all by Sunday afternoon, giving me a few hours to browse the show riding a wave of good feelings and enthusiasm long after my weary head wanted to lie down. Also, money.

The long version is that the Skullkickers webcomic initiative (man, that sounds too formal) is working.

It’s not pageview numbers versus print numbers. It’s much bigger than that.

I’ve effectively created a whole new audience for Skullkickers. After exhibiting at 4 conventions over the past 5 weeks, I can see already see the trend because of it. There are two audiences now.

Skullkickers is a moderately successful Image Comic series. We’ve shipped 13 issues (our 14th arrives next week) and our monthly sales numbers keep the series very much alive but aren’t anything to write home about. We do much better in trade, where our value-priced $9.99 softcover volume 1 and new hardback volume 1 & 2 combo book (dubbed ‘Treasure Trove’) are doing quite well in comic and book stores.

Skullkickers is now also a webcomic. I started serializing our early issues, one page every weekday, so that readers could discover us, start from the beginning and grow attached to the series, giving us outreach far past comic shop shelves and retailer ordering concerns. I’m thrilled to say that over the past 3 months we’ve generated 1.7 million+ pageviews to 96,000+ unique visitors. That is about twenty times our monthly issue audience and reaches people in places that don’t have comic shops at all.

So, reaching people is great and all but how does that translate to actual sales? If most are getting the milk for free, will they buy the cow?

Good news: Serializing the issues hasn’t negatively affected our sales one bit. Our trade sales through comic and book stores are up, steadily climbing. Making more people aware of the series has made them want the current material more, not less. Quality and good word of mouth is helping build our readership in shops bit by bit.

Better news: At conventions I’m selling a lot more. I’m not twice the sales person I was last year, but I’m selling more than double the number of books since we started serializing online. 9 times out of 10, I’m selling it to people who read the series online. I asked almost every person who came to my table if they’d heard of Skullkickers before. No word of a lie, when they said “yes”, 90% of those folks also said they were reading it online. It shocked me.

Some people were surprised we were being published by Image or that there were physical books at all. Most didn’t care that the comic is put out by the third largest comic publisher in North America. That had no bearing whatsoever on their purchase. They read the series online, enjoyed it, I was at the show, they bought books. Done, done, done and done.

The people who buy Skullkickers in comic shops buy every issue. It's their little joyful adventure hit every month. They bring the issues up to be signed when they see me at shows. Signing 13 issues in a stack is a thrill and I add a little note or joke statement to each one to make them extra special. I usually end up chatting with our comic readers about other creator-owned books they should be buying or upcoming Image titles that look exciting. Our print readers are very valuable to me. I don’t want any of things I’ve said above to give people the impression that isn’t the case.

The comic shop audience is not the web audience. Those two audiences don’t seem to mix much at all. They’re two distinctive audiences and they’re both valid, especially when they’re both growing. One group spends money every month on issues and some in trade, the other is larger with patrons who almost exclusively spend money on collections over a longer period. Putting content out to both doesn’t cannibalize either audience.

The bottom line is quality and availability, not web versus print. The more platforms, the more options, the better. People read comics and support creators either way.

Everybody wins.

Calgary Expo 2012 Pin-Up

Wed, 02 May 2012 21:08:29 GMT

Every year the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo puts together an artbook with pin-ups from the artist guests attending the show. Seven years, seven artbooks. I'm proud that I've been at every show and created a new piece in every artbook so far.

This year's theme was "Dreams & Wishes" so I sketched up a faerie folk. The idea is that he harvests dream energy from his dreamcatcher and collects the energy into the spiffy key there.

Here are links to my previous pin-ups for the Calgary Expo:
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006

PVP Talks SK

Wed, 02 May 2012 17:18:10 GMT

Scott Kurtz, creator of the now-classic webcomic Player Versus Player, gives a kindly shout out to Skullkickers and Makeshift Miracle in his latest blog post.

Getting the thumb's up from one of the online greats is a real booster as I continue to plug away on both books. Thanks, Scott!

Publishers Weekly Reviews Skullkickers!

Tue, 01 May 2012 18:11:18 GMT

It took some time to make it into their reading pile but Skullkickers has hit a new peak with a stellar review from industry giant Publishers Weekly.
Check it out!

"Laugh out loud humour comes from character quips and tangents, as well as the grotesque and the absurd."..."It’s like a sword and sorcery buddy movie channelling Milk and Cheese."

Tavern Tales Contest Closed: 307 ENTRIES!

Tue, 01 May 2012 11:56:08 GMT

307 entries (256 writing, 51 art)

Holy $#%*!

There’s no other way to put it. The last two days of our Tavern Tales Contest have been a whirlwind as over a hundred entries poured in over the weekend right before the finish line. Everyone on the creative team was blown away by the response.

With that many submissions it’s going to take us some time to go through them all, weigh them over in our minds and make final decisions about who our two winners are. We’re hoping to be able to announce the winners by end of May. If things go well, maybe sooner. From the first few entries we’ve skimmed through we can tell that it’s going to be very, very hard to pick winners. Please be patient with us.

Thank you for putting your creativity and time into these art and writing submissions. If this was your first time reading the series, we hope you enjoyed it and will stick around for more of our adventures even if you don’t end up winning the coveted Tavern Tales spot.

Thank you for supporting Skullkickers and other creator-owned comics. We couldn’t do it without you.
@jimzub

At Calgary Comic Expo This Weekend!

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 23:39:08 GMT

This weekend I'm once again happily exhibiting at the Calgary Expo, one of the biggest shows in Canada!

TABLE X-17

I'll have copies of Skullkickers Treasure Trove, our soft cover trades, rare variant covers and the Skullkickers World Map for sale, along with sketches and more.

I'll also be on two panels at the show:

Saturday April 28th
Writers Unite: Pitching Your Creator Owned Comics
Room: Palomino C
Time: 3:00pm - 4:00pm

Jim Zub will relay funny anecdotal stories of his own creative journey as he illustrates how to write comics, set goals, create pitches, and ultimately get your own work out to the masses. Be sure to come prepared with any questions you want answered.

Sunday April 29th
Convention Horror Stories
Room: Palomino C
Time: 11:00am - 12:00pm

And you thought horror movies were scary! Jim Zub will regale you with bone chilling and hair raising real life stories of some of the conventions he's attended.

Skullkickers Stew Recipe!

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 16:13:57 GMT

Bonus weekend update for Skullkickers Online!

The infamous Skullkickers Stew Recipe, created by Andrew Wheeler is now up:

Wonder Momo Retro

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 21:29:33 GMT

Check out Omar's retro-style Wonder Momo poster announcing our new series together coming to Shifty Look:

Sky Kid Continues on Shifty Look

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 12:05:30 GMT

The Sky Kid webcomic I'm writing, with art by Jeff "Chamba" Cruz (Street Fighter II Turbo) continues on Bandai-Namco's Shifty Look comic site.

We're now halfway through "season one" so it's the perfect time to get caught up on the airborne action and adventure.

Click HERE to start reading from the beginning of the story!

I've also put together some blogposts for the site all about how I write the comic series you may find interesting and illuminating. Check them out here:

Writing the Story for Sky Kid - Part 1

Writing the Story for Sky Kid - Part 2

Writing the Story for Sky Kid - Part 3

Makeshift Miracle Vol 1 is Almost Here...

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 23:37:24 GMT

Look what arrived in the mail today!

Holding a copy of Makeshift Miracle: The Girl From Nowhere in my hands is pretty surreal. The book turned out gorgeous. The print quality is top notch. Really, really happy with it.

If you're coming to the Toronto Comic Arts Festival on May 5-6 (which is absolutely free to attend) you'll be able to get yours there before anyone else.

If not, then look for it in comic shops by mid-May and through Amazon and other online outlets by end of May. You can order your copy right here.

Munchkin-Skullkickers Preview

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 11:56:44 GMT

Steve Jackson Games has updated their Munchkin-Skullkickers webpage with more details on the upcoming booster pack expansion for their hit card game coming out in July. There's also a sample of 3 of the cards and the spiffy new artwork drawn by Edwin Huang and colored by me. Click on through and check it out.

PAX East Head Sketches

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:58:19 GMT

PAX East in Boston a couple weeks ago was crazy busy at the UDON booth. So busy that I didn't have a chance to snap photos of most of the stuff I drew for people. Still, here's a handful of the head sketches I did up at the show.

In previous years I've drawn almost exclusively Mega Man characters. It was a fun challenge sketching up all kinds of other stuff, including stuff from Street Fighter, Skullkickers, Zelda, Pokemon, Mass Effect, Marvel and Okami.

click for larger version

I'm Writing Wonder Momo for ShiftyLook

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 01:43:44 GMT

At C2E2 in Chicago today the Namco-Bandai team announced two new titles for their ShiftyLook initiative and I'm writing one of them!

I'm happy to announce that the Street Fighter Legends: Ibuki creative team is back in action (me writing, Omar Dogan on art), this time updating and expanding a cult classic Japanese video game title called Wonder Momo!

Here's a video clip of the original video game from 1987:

And here's the announcement poster image for the upcoming ShiftyLook comic strip with art by the amazing Omar Dogan:

Working with Erik Ko (head of UDON) and Omar, we're channeling classic 80's anime, J-pop idol culture and man-in-suit monster shows into a fun retro-comedy romp. I can't wait until the strip launches on May 15th so you can start reading. Yay!

Makeshift Miracle Book 1 Coming Soon...

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 18:45:51 GMT

Makeshift Miracle: The Girl From Nowhere arrives in May!

The books are printed and will be arriving in stores and online outlets in early May. This photo is from Shun Hong Chan (the incredible artist of the new Makeshift) after he received his contributor copies.

Have you pre-ordered your copy yet?

If you're not caught up with our free online serialized story, start reading HERE. If you enjoy it, consider ordering a copy of my new book to show your support!

Skullkickers Coverage

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 00:01:15 GMT

A metric assload of coverage/interviews for Skullkickers return with issue #13 and the release of our hardcover oversized Treasure Trove collection coming out last week. It's been a bit dizzying trying to keep up with all of it while juggling conventions each weekend and the job stuff.

Here's a rundown:

• Ryan and Kurtis from The Process podcast on comic writing have an extensive new interview with me all about my comics (pitching, writing, marketing and more).

• Daniel Elkin at Comics Bulletin has written up an audio-recorded interview we did at Image Expo last month.

• Sam and Becky of the Almost Friday Show deliver an enthusiastic review of our brand new Skullkickers Treasure Trove tome with a 9.5/10. Skullkickers coverage begins right near the start at 1:28.

• Linsay at Comics Anonymous has a thorough review of Skullkickers #13 and raves about the beginning of our new story arc.

• Patrick Smith at Spandexless has a new interview with me all about Skullkickers, including our online serialization, the third story arc and more!

• Alex at the Comic Age lists '5 Reasons to Read Skullkickers'.

• Steve Damm at eXpert Comics has a big run through of Skullkickers that includes an advanced review of issue #13.

• Direcow at Here Be Geeks gives a review run through of Skullkickers Volume 1 & 2.

• Andrew Leslie at the Freakin' Awesome Network has a special advance review of Skullkickers #13.

• Skippy at the Library Thing takes a look at Skullkickers #13.

• Our pals at Broken Frontiers have a review of Skullkickers #13 along with an in-depth commentary on the issue.

• Over on The Geek Portal they've posted up a short editorial praising the quality of Skullkickers.

• Jeremy's Crapshoot blog has reviewed Skullkickers #13 and declares it a winner.

• Shaun Daniels at Horror Haven reviews our latest issue and is struck by the pirate fun and banter we're bringing to the table.

• RoughJustice at Geeks of Doom reviews our brand new issue and finds a more varied and enjoyable experience than he expected.

• Joe C at Geeking Ally has chosen Skullkickers #13 as his pick of the week and raves about our new story arc.

• Horror website Bloody Disgusting has an in-depth look at the start of Skullkickers #3, from script through to roughs, pencils, inks and color, including our infamous 'Bull Prophecy' 4 page spread.

• The Stumptown Trade Review stopped by during Emerald City Comicon and filmed a little interview with me.

• The gang at Third Eye Comics has made Skullkickers Treasure Trove their 'Pick of the Week'.

• Benjamin Bailey at IGN reviews issue #13 and enjoys the ride, even if he's unsure of where it's all headed.

• Things I Like has a review of Skullkickers #13 and they're still liking, nay loving, our adventures.

• Comic Buzz gives a rundown of Skullkickers #13 and gives it an 8 out of 10. We're still wowing them.

• Walter Richardson at Multiversity Comics reviews the first part of our new story arc and gives us an 8.7/10.

Post-ECCC Thoughts

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 01:17:45 GMT

By the time I have a moment to type up some thoughts about Emerald City Comicon last weekend in Seattle, I'm already on the road again. I'm in Boston for PAX East this weekend and, after a busy day setting up for tomorrow's show launch, I'm finally settled at the hotel and chilling for a bit.

Last weekend in Seattle was a great weekend. Incredibly busy, but the kind of crazy chaotic busy that reminds me why I do all this stuff in the first place. The difference from last year to this year was huge. Last year Skullkickers was an unknown book with a new trade paperback launching at the show. This year we're still small, but the recognition from people was immediate and strong. Without trying to sound corny, we have fans. I mean, I know we have faithful readers because I've received emails from them and heard from them on Twitter, but this was the first show where there were a really substantial number of people coming by in person to tell me how much they enjoyed the book, that they were recommending it to friends, that they'd been collecting and are pumped about the series continuing. It was intense and it was wonderful. After our months long hiatus between story arc 2 and 3, it was exactly what I needed to hear.

The two panels I was on were equally intense. The Writer's Unite pitching panel was slammed. They turned people away at the door because it was standing room only. All the writers on the panel were taken aback by the response. It was amazing. I knew there were tons of people who wanted to learn about the process of writing, but I didn't expect that level of response. Just amazing.

The Con Horror Stories panel on Sunday was a riot too. Katie Cook and I held court for an hour straight, telling stories and keeping the crowd entertained. The double-sized panel room they gave us started half full (which was incredible) and actually filled up by the end as people were lured in from the hallway by the uproarious laughter that shook the room. It felt more like a stand-up comedy routine than an actual convention panel, but I don't think anyone minded. It felt good to cut loose with some of the convention stories I've related to friends and small groups in the past and have them go over just as well with a room of a couple hundred folks.

All in all, Emerald City was a real morale booster for me. With so many projects going on right now and a really brutal work schedule I've had bouts of exhaustion and fear that have mentally brought me down as of late. Having such a great convention experience gave my head a shake. Things are good. Really good.