Next week, I’ll be appearing at Maryland’s SPX, the very cool comics show that brings together over 400 cartoonists and creators in a super intimate setting. I’ve never been, but apparently it’s awesome, and I’m jazzed as heck to be goin’.

This will be the only east-coast appearance for me this year…and may be my last one until Fall 2008. So if you were hoping for a personalized sketch drawn in Eastern Standard Time…THIS IS YOUR CHANCE.

I’ll be there for both days of the show: giving out free sketches, signing and selling books & original art, aaaaaand giving out 2007 Commemorative SPX High Fives (while supplies last).

All Sheldon original strips will be selling for $25 off — so if you have a favorite strip you’re dyin’ to get, this is a good time. (Just make sure you e-mail me to ensure I bring your fave with me.)

The show runs Friday, Oct. 12 (2PM – 8PM), and Saturday, Oct. 13 (10AM – 7PM), and you can find me at the “Blank Label Comics” booth in the program…exhibiting next to Kris Straub, Brad “Wigwam” Guigar, Howard Tayler, and David Willis. Check the SPX site for more details!

(Also: what are people from Maryland called? “Marylanders”…? “Marylandians”…? “Marylandalucians”…?)

Kris Straub, Scott Kurtz, Brad Guigar and I — the four guys behind the weekly Comics How-To Podcast “Webcomics Weekly” — will be teaming up to author a new book from Image Comics, “How To Make Webcomics”.

The book will be a how-to for the next generation of cartoonists workin’ on the web: the artistic tips, business guidelines, and creative approaches that web-based cartoonists (young and old) can use to make their aspirations come alive.

Look for it in January!

Ah, Dune! What randomly wonderful Sheldon strips you have inspired!

They listed out 9 webcomics you should check out, and there sits Sheldon.

Thanks, Daily Telegraph! I now apologize for never having read you when I lived in the UK! Except for those times when I would totally forget to buy a paper on my morning Tube-ride …and would then have to read you over some guy’s shoulder! Let’s totally be friends now!

Gone to space? Check. Was head writer for “CSI: Cleveland Nights”? Check. Went skydiving? Check.

But even I was surprised to see the little guy makin’ his way in the world financially.

But check it out! He’s got his first New York Pizzeria, based on photo evidence supplied by Sheldonista Jacob K.:

On Tuesday, for the first time, I was recognized in public by Sheldon readers.

It’s one of the quirks of being a cartoonist: you can be Gary Trudeau or Jim Davis or Bill Amend — and have millions and millions of readers — and no one knows who the heck you are. (Point-of-fact: tons of folks think Brooke McEldowney, the cartoonist behind “9 Chickweed Lane”, is a woman.)

Anyway, my wife and I were in Las Vegas these past few days on business for her work, and one afternoon I ducked away from the noisier parts of town looking for a quiet place to draw. (She and I aren’t particularly huge “Vegas” fans. I find it to be a pretty depressing place — which I’m sure is not the intended goal!) Anyway, I ducked out and found a big, quiet Barnes & Noble, ordered a giganto coffee, and got to work cartoonin’.

About 45 minutes in, I heard that very surreal phrase, “Excuse me, are you Dave Kellett?” …and looked up to find two very kind Sheldon readers staring down at me. Once I got over the initial shock of A.) being spotted, B.) being spotted in a Barnes & Noble, and C.) being spotted in a Barnes & Noble in Las Vegas…I invited them both to sit down and chat.

Turns out they’re brother and sister, are both Sheldon readers, and Gerhard is a cartoonist himself! He creates the wonderfully-drawn adventure The Far Reaches. So we ended up not only talking about Sheldon, but about comics in general, which was great fun.

So the moral of the story is this: if you want meaningful vacation moments in Vegas, you’ve got to leave The Strip, drive about 8 miles to the single bookstore in the city, and meet new people over a nice cuppa joe.

“Vegas: Come for the Endless Shrimp Cocktail, Stay for the Good Conversations.”

Wow! I have to say: I am VERY impressed to see how many folks responded to the Glornak decal idea.

At current count, I have 317 e-mails from folks saying they share my dorkiness, and want one for their car. Which is rad.

Lots of folks asked me if I could do a Glornak-only decal, or a decal customized with *their* family names…but alas, I’m not set up for that level of customization. And the templated family is half the fun, for me. But! Simple solution! Using the magic of scissors, I’m thinking you should be able to just slice off the templated family, and add Glornak to your existing decals. Huzzah for simple solutions!

I’ll take the next few days to research ways to do a white-printed, clear-vinyl decal, and hopefully we’ll have Glornak decals before I head out to Maryland’s SPX (“Small Press Expo”) on Oct. 12-13!

And for everyone who asked: I’ll consider doing a Glornak t-shirt. Like you, my wife thought that would be a great idea.

…thanks again to everyone who e-mailed!

But among the dozens and dozens that I read daily, there are precious few strips which truly shine. Strips which bring me genuine laughter, which show me cartooning tricks I never would’ve thought of on my own, and which I absolutely love to share with other folks.

And on that short, short list…the biggie is Scott Kurtz’ PvP.

Scott is one of the best cartoonists going, and has been recognized by the industry with an Eisner Award for sheer awesomeness (…or “Most Awesome in the Category of Awesomeness”, if I recall).

Anywho, I just noticed this morning that Scott put up a four-pack of his PvP books in one big bundle, which is great for fans like me. And my guess is… if you’re a Sheldon reader, you’ll dig these books just as much as I do.

So if you’re new to PvP — especially if you’re new to PvP — treat yourself to this discounted combo pack, and dive into one of the funniest strips goin’.