The CAPE comics show was an absolute blast. Or rather, the CAPE show, surrounded by a weekend of laughter with my two hosts, Scott Kurtz and Kris Straub, was an absolute blast.

Scott and Kris are two of my favorite cartoonists, and it was great to see how they worked in their shared toonin’ studio, Halfpixel.

Cartooning is a wonderful, wonderful job, but a lot of it is spent in comparative isolation. Long days alone…that sort of thing. So getting the chance to work side-by-side with these two was really fun.

Scott always jokes in a Texas accent, “Come to Texas — we’ll treat you right.” And they certainly did at the CAPE event on Friday. So a hearty thanks also goes out to the folks at Zeus Comics for hosting.

Sheldon readers came from as far as Austin and Mexico, which was awesome. And, this being the first “outdoor tent” comics event that I’ve attended, I was pleasantly surprised to see 3 or 4 Sheldon readers even bring their pugs out. But a huge thanks to everyone that came out — including a lot of Sheldon Forum posters — it was great meeting all of you!

Saturday’s strip is just a small shout-out to what is, most likely, the worst song ever written. Or at least the one most bereft of value.

Do you think, when the Visigoths stormed Rome in 410 AD, the onlooking Romans knew they were witnessing the beginning of the end of their Empire?

That’s how I feel when I hear the Black Eyed Peas sing that song.

Just a reminder for Sheldon readers in Dallas:

This Saturday, the good folks at CAPE have invited me down for their Dallas-based comics extravaganza. I’ll be signing and selling books, giving out sketches, and handing out high-fives like they were going out of style. It’ll be good times.

The event is 10-6, and I’ll be there all day — so come on out and say hi. Here are the directions.

Original Sheldon comic strip art will be available for $25 off the normal price, as well — so if you’ve had your eye on a particular piece, drop me a line to make sure I bring it along.

See you in Dallas!

It’s been confirmed: you can mail chickens. (Scroll down a bit on that page.)

You know what this means, don’t you? Prepare to receive a live chicken with every order from the the Sheldon store.

So, I’m standing in line at the post office today, and lo and behold — I start to hear clucking behind me in line.

Clucking.

This being Los Angeles, I ignored it at first. If you’ve ever lived in a large metropolis, you know it’s best to play the deaf card when first hearing odd noises..

But the clucking continued. And more clucking joined it. It was a chorus of clucking.

And I turned around to see not one, not two, but 20 chickens — all, apparently, about to be MAILED.

So let me ask: am I the only one in the world that didn’t know you could mail livestock through the US Postal Service? Because, let me tell you…now that I know that it’s possible…everyone in my life is getting a live Christmas Chicken mailed to them this year.

The next time you get the chance, check out the expression on a small dog’s face when he goes swimming.

Their internal monologue breaks down roughly like this:

“I’m swimming! I’m swimming! I’m having fun! Wait, no, I’m drowning! I’m drowning! Oh God, why me? Why… No, no…I’m staying afloat! I’m swimming! Huzzah! Wait…oh Lord he’p me…I’m drowning…“

New York theatre buffs! I come bearing news!

In mid-May, I take off my cartooning hat and put on my acting hat…travelling to New York for a special one-week run of my wife’s play “Skirts & Flirts” at The Kraine Theatre (85 East 4th St., 10003). If you remember, “Skirts & Flirts” was the 13-person monologue show with the sold-out Los Angeles run. It’s a really enjoyable night o’ comedy — and I get a great turn onstage with a monologue as a beleagured groom. And of course, getting the chance to do it on the New York stage will be especially awesome…so if you can make it out, I hope you’ll come.

Showtimes are: May 16, 17, 18 @ 8PM; and May 19 @ 2PM & 8PM

The cast, as these IMDB links make clear, is pretty awesome– sauce. (In fact, I just now realized that I’m the only cast member WITHOUT an IMDB listing. I should fake one and say I was on “Walker, Texas Ranger”.)

Tickets are available at the door, but the LA shows tended to go pretty quickly — so I’d recommend picking up tickets early.

Also! There’s a good chance of a meet ‘n greet book-signing while I’m in New York — I’ll let you know as the schedule solidifies.

I’m happy to announce two bits of news in the Sheldon Store: a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, and a new Pay-By-Check option.

Since my goal with Sheldon is to bring a little joy into the world, I’m always looking for new ways to make the site more enjoyable overall. So both of these bits of news are nice little additions.

The satisfaction guarantee is simple: it allows you to return any order you’re not satisfied with for a full refund on the purchase price and original shipping. As a small, independent store, this is a hefty pledge to make, but I feel pretty good about it. I’ve seen thousands of folks come away happy with their Sheldon stuff. And your e-mails tell me we’re getting it right with quality and customer service and all that jazz. But in the odd chance that you’re not satisfied, the refund guarantee is there for you. Take a sec to read more about it at the Sheldon Store.

The Pay-By-Check option is another new wrinkle for the store. It lets you pay with a mailed check drawn on any US bank. That means you can now pay by check, e-check, Paypal, or by major credit card — which covers all the bases, I think!

As always, if you have comments or suggestions on the site or on these new tidbits, just drop me a line. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the additions.

Today’s strip is not the first time that Gramp has tried to pass off random, totally untrue facts as gospel. Example A.

Have you ever had that feeling in your personal life — when a family member or a friend finally gets the recognition they deserve — that there is a sense of justice in the world, and that hard work and perservence can win out in the end?

Well, this week, my friend and fellow cartoonist Brad Guigar, who is most well-known for his superhero-spoof comic, Evil, Inc., was nominated for the Will Eisner Awardfor his wonderful strip Phables.

I’ve always been a huge fan of Brad’s clean, beautiful draftsmanship — his ability with a pen far surpasses my own. And with Phables, he really achieves some of his best work.

So please join me in congratulating Brad — and keep your fingers crossed that he gets his rightful nod!