Old Outdated Baby Tattoo

One Last Time

2009-06-18T10:16:00.000-07:00

It is with a twinge of sadness that Baby Tattoo is bidding farewell to this Blogger site. We actually stopped posting here over a year ago, but the old posts remained as a testament to Bob Self's failed attempt at daily updates.

There is a new Baby Tattoo blog that contains all of the legacy posts from this site at http://babytattoo.wordpress.com.

Sincerest thanks to Miss Mindy for setting up this blog a long time ago.

Hope to see you at the new place.

Seattle - Day #4

2008-05-12T14:05:00.000-07:00

Bob didn't want to make an early exit form the convention on Sunday in order to make Virgin America's final evening flight to Los Angeles, so he booked a flight out of Seattle on Monday afternoon. In hindsight, an morning flight would have been better. Without much to do before his 3:10 departure, Bob found himself sitting in front of the Sea-Tac Airport food court's enormous panoramic window where he could watch planes take off and taxi from a remarkably impressive vantage point. If you ever have the chance to fly out of Seattle, Bob recommends you give yourself an extra half-hour or so to sit and and enjoy this fascinating view.

Seattle - Day #3 (Emerald City ComiCon Day #2)

2008-05-12T13:35:00.000-07:00

The day moves a lot slower when you have run out of items to sell. The Emerald City crowd was much lighter today, but Baby Tattoo's problem was not a lack of customers; it was a lack of merchandise. While it would have been nice to sell a few more books to fans who had to be turned away empty-handed, Baby Tattoo's available inventory for the event was reasonably on-target relative to demand. Perhaps the topic Taking Too Much Inventory vs. Taking Too Little Inventory is a good topic for a future Little Business Day post about the challenges of selling at conventions. For now, suffice it to say that Baby Tattoo was very pleased with the Emerald City ComiCon, and looks forward to returning for next year's event in early April.

John hit the road back to Portland right after the show, so Bob did dinner solo at the sort-of national Daily Grill. After eating his salad at the bar, Bob asked for his burger to be packaged to go as an in-room main course. (The same restaurant provides room service to the Sheraton where Bob was staying, but carrying it himself rather than ordering it to the room was a significant money saver. And, on the topic of money-saving tips, Daily Grill's dinner menu is devoid of almost all of the reasonably priced lunch items like burgers and sandwiches, but the Cheeseburger is available at night on the bar menu.) Bob's ratings (on a scale of 1 to 10) were as follows: Food 7 (but he gives breakfast a 9, and the thin fried onions a 10), Atmosphere 9, Service 7, Value 6.

Seattle - Day #2 (Emerald City ComiCon Day #1)

2008-05-12T13:20:00.000-07:00

Emerald City ComiCon drew a great crowd today. Hundreds of attendees were lined up in advance. The aisles were crowded from opening to closing. Baby Tattoo sold out of several of the company's most popular titles before the day ended. Customers and vendors seemed generally and genuinely pleased. All good news, but Baby Tattoo's two-man crew was definitely more worn out than anticipated.

Tomorrow is Mother's Day. It should be interesting to see how the date affects attendance.

Dinner was at the sort-of national chain Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery. Bob and John's ratings (on a scale of 1 to 10) were as follows:
Bob: Food 7, Atmosphere 5, Service 7, Value 6.
John: Food 8, Atmosphere 6, Service 7, Value 7.

Seattle - Day #1

2008-05-09T21:38:00.000-07:00

Bob flew Virgin America from Los Angeles to Seattle. Bob likes Virgin America, and will post about it another day.

John "Special Needs" Simone drove to Seattle from Portland. This is John's first shift on the Baby Tattoo crew since Fangoria Austin back in January.

Load in was easy. The locals seem nice. Come by Emerald City ComicCon this weekend and say, "Hi." What better way to celebrate Mom's special day than by bringing her to a comic book convention?

Dinner was at Noodle Ranch. Bob and John's ratings (on a scale of 1 to 10) were as follows:

Bob: Food 6, Atmosphere 4, Service 9, Value 7.

John: Food 6, Atmosphere 7, Service 8, Value 7.

The photo (above) of a downtown Seattle vacant lot was snapped by John on our walk back from tonight's opening at Roq La Rue Gallery.

This Is Only a Test

2008-05-07T17:46:00.000-07:00

It is possible to type in the Edit Html pane, but not in the Compose pane. Shooting and posting a photo does not look promising. Today's test is part of tomorrow's "Little Friday is Little Business Day" post.

Event Appreciation Day

2008-05-06T22:27:00.000-07:00

Wow! How much is there to do in the weeks ahead? Come to one of the listed events to meet the Baby Tattoo crew, Baby Tattoo published artists and/or Baby Tattooville Featured Artists (past and future).

May 10-11 - Baby Tattoo at Emerald City ComiCon - Seattle, Washington

May 10 - Gris Grimly signing at Lewis Gallery - Simi Valley, California

May 10 - Luke Chueh Solo Show at Copro Nason - Los Angeles

May 10 - Elizabeth McGrath Solo Show at Billy Shire Fine Arts - Los Angeles

May 17-18 - Baby Tattoo Books and Jeffery Scott (1019) at Glamourcon - Los Angeles

May 17 - Tim Biskup Solo Show at Jonathan LeVine Gallery - New York

May 17 - Grimly, Pigors, Ragnar and Visell at the Animation Book Look - Los Angeles

May 30 - June 1 - Baby Tattoo at Book Expo America (Professionals Only) - Los Angeles

June 6-8 - Baby Tattoo and multiple artists at Ink-n-Iron - Long Beach, California

June 7 - Gris Grimly Limited Edition Book Release at Halloweentown - Burbank, California

Event Appreciation Day

2008-04-22T20:42:00.000-07:00

There are two big events in Los Angeles this weekend. Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors runs Friday through Sunday at the LA Convention Center, and the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books is Saturday and Sunday on the UCLA campus. The real Baby Tattoo will be at the Festival of Books while Baby Tattoo's Evil Twin will be at Fangoria.

By the way, does anyone else think the "When Books Attack" art for the LA Times show is much more horrific than Fangoria's "Does Anyone Have a Napkin" image?

April 25-27 - Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors, Los Angeles

April 26-27 - Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, Los Angeles

May 10-11 - Emerald City ComiCon - Seattle, Washington

May 17-18 - Glamourcon - Los Angeles

Shameless Plug Sunday #16

2008-04-20T21:30:00.000-07:00

Ragnar's debut collection of pinup art, Chromaphile, is sold out at Baby Tattoo, and is officially out of print. His follow-up collection, Vernaculis, is destined for the same fate. Don't miss out; pick up a copy of Vernaculis now.

A third and final book in Ragnar's pinup series will be released this summer. Symptomatica will be the same size as the two previous titles, so if you want to collect a complete set, and you don't have Chromaphile yet, keep an eye out on abebooks.com for a secondary market copy.

New York Comic Con - Day #3

2008-04-20T18:42:00.000-07:00

Kids day boasted plenty of kids. Good deals and good times were plentiful on this final day of the show. A number of exhibitors with past New York Comic Con experience, praised the show's growth. Here's to the next one. Baby Tattoo will be at a lot more conventions, fairs and trade shows in the year between now and then, so check back on Event Appreciation Day (aka Tuesday) to learn where you can find us next.

New York Comic Con - Day #2

2008-04-19T21:35:00.000-07:00

Crowds seemed big from Baby Tattoo's 100 square foot vantage point. After the usual and understandable lack of early sales that results from consumers wanting to check out their options before spending their money, people started buying. Sales were brisk and moods were good.

Baby Tattoo is already looking forward to next year. Tomorrow is being touted as Kid's Day, and it will be interesting to see if the super-young marketing hook pulls in a meaningful number of families. In preparation for the posibility of a room filled with the under-twelve set and their parents, Baby Tattoo is segregating our family friendly books from our more mature titles. Sometimes naughty needs to be separated from nice even though Baby Tattoo likes to see the two intermingle.

New York Comic Con - Day #1

2008-04-18T21:37:00.000-07:00

Sales were good, but networking opportunities were even better. The professional-only hours from 10:00AM - 3:00PM genuinely provided some solid time for doing business with all sorts of folks from the book trade, the comics business and the art world.

New York Comic Con Opens Tomorrow - Woo!

2008-04-17T18:53:00.000-07:00

Visit the Baby Tattoo Booth (#1851) at New York Comic Con. Bob Self will be on hand as will Baby Tattoo associate (and model) Cristina Maxwell. In addition to Baby Tattoo's entire line of books, the booth will also feature books by extraordinary east coast artists Viktor Koen and Michael Whelan. Viktor will be signing at the booth on Saturday from 12:00 - 1:00, and Michael will be signing on both Friday and Saturday.

Missing Blogger Found in New York City

2008-04-16T18:43:00.000-07:00

Wow. Things went silent there for two weeks. I'm sorry about that. I got overwhelmed and the whole daily posting thing went poof. I arrived in Midtown Manhattan today, and I'll be loading 17 cartons plus one giant suitcase of merchandise and marketing materials into the Javits Center tomorrow. That's right, New York Comic Con opens this Friday and the daily posts are back... hopefully. I will retroactively upload all of the missed posts so that future Baby Tattoo Blog visitors might be fooled into thinking I am more on top of things than I really am. But we'll know the truth, won't we?

- Bob Self

By the way, the image of the city is a properly purchased royalty free stock photo. I will post some thoughts on royalty free images at a future date.

Change Has Come (Sort Of)

2008-04-05T09:35:00.000-07:00

Back in February, there was a post titled "Change is Coming; Change is Good". The post promised imminent relocation of this blog to a redesigned Baby Tattooville web site. Well, the Baby Tattooville site has been redesigned, but the blog is staying right here for now. So, change has come, but it changed.

In case you missed the two links above, click here to visit the redesigned (but still changing) Baby Tattooville site.

Things Bob Likes

2008-04-04T22:09:00.000-07:00

I've been a fan of Darren Waterston's art ever since I discovered his book Darren Waterston. Maybe one of these days I'll email him and introduce myself. Maybe this post is a good excuse to email him introduce myself right now. Maybe I'll just keep procrastinating.

Check out his work via the link above. The image is, of course, copyright Darren Waterston.

-Bob Self

Little Friday is Little Business Day

2008-04-03T23:08:00.000-07:00

It might be fun. It should be rewarding. But it's not going to be easy.

Whatever the industry, whatever your plan, regardless of all your best efforts, in spite of your experience (or lack thereof); it's not going to be easy to run your own business. It might be easy to start your own business, but starting it and keeping it going are two different things.

Running your own business can certainly be a positive journey - empowering, creatively stimulating, life-changing, life-affirming... you know the buzz words. But it's a difficult journey; that's its nature.

Don't be discouraged, but don't be foolish either. If you are considering entrepreneurship, ask yourself, "Is it going to be easy?" If your answer is, "Yes," keep your day job.

Thanks to Michael Whelan for use of his copyrighted image "Edgedancer". Michael would probably be the first to tell you that being a professional artist is the same as running your own business. Once again, not easy.

Subscriber Surprise

2008-04-02T23:15:00.001-07:00

Many current subscribers to Hi-Fructose magazine received a gift from Baby Tattoo along with volume 7 of the magazine. The gift was a copy of Ragnar's Kings of the Road aka "The Strangest Book Baby Tattoo Has Published". The magazine is fantastic and is well worth the cover price without a bonus book, but who doesn't dig an occasional freebie? If you haven't already, you should subscribe to Hi-Fructose right now by clicking here.

The photo of the magazine and book combo is from Brad Colbow's Design blog.

Event Appreciation Day

2008-04-01T23:07:00.000-07:00

April 5 - Eric Pigors Art Show and Book Signing at Hyaena - Burbank, California

April 18-20 - New York Comic Con - New York

April 25-27 - Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors - Los Angeles

April 26-27 - Los Angeles Times Festival of Books - Los Angeles

May 10-11 - Emerald City ComiCon - Seattle, Washington

May 17-18 - Glamourcon - Los Angeles

Marketing Monday

2008-03-31T22:22:00.000-07:00

Perhaps Marketing Monday was too ambitious an idea. Maybe there is not really that much to say. How does Marketing Every-Other-Monday sound? Oh, right... it sounds sucky. So, Marketing Monday it is; not only because it sounds good, but because there really is that much to say. And then some.

The force-feeding image above is a detail from a painting by Baby Tattoo friend and visual wild man Jonathan Wayshak (adult content).

Shameless Plug Sunday #13

2008-03-30T22:44:00.000-07:00

Sturdy enough for little kids, yet sophisticated enough for discerning adults... it's Popping Through Pictures, a collection of paintings by Amanda Visell presented in a rigid yet fun board-book format.

Audrey's Evil Twin

2008-03-29T00:20:00.000-07:00

Audrey Kawasaki has a newly updated web site. Check it out to see where she has been. The image above is apparently an indication of where she is going... somewhere dark and wonderful.

Hotel Tip

2008-03-28T23:58:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of Priceline's Name Your Own Price for Hotel Rooms feature. I've had great luck with selecting four star hotels and naming a price that's about one third of the published prices for four star hotels in the same area. Sometimes you have to go as high as half price, but it's still a great deal. As long as you select the four star quality option, you're unlikely to be disappointed.

Little Friday is Little Business Day

2008-03-27T18:15:00.000-07:00

If you are about to start a small business, do yourself a favor and set your bookkeeping up properly from the beginning. Consult an accountant who understands the industry you are entering and establish a solid system for keeping track of all of your financial data. This is not a fun or sexy part of startup, and it can cost quite a bit of money, but it will be well worth the effort and expense. If this advice seems overly simple, it is; if it seems dismissible, it is not. Remember, you are starting a financial enterprise; success is entirely dependent on understanding your business' actual worth at any given moment in time (starting now).

The image above is from the Computer Science @ Columbia University web site.

Ahead Of Their Time

2008-03-26T21:47:00.000-07:00

Dakin Dream Pets originally debuted in 1957, and they reappeared briefly in 2004. These unusually charming characters could easily hold their own in the current designer vinyl/plush movement. Unfortunately for us, they were ahead of their time (twice). You can buy them (or just check them out) on this atrocious web page.

Event Appreciation Day

2008-03-25T10:52:00.001-07:00

April 18-20 - New York Comic Con - New York

April 25-27 - Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors, Los Angeles

April 26-27 - Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, Los Angeles

May 10-11 - Emerald City ComiCon - Seattle, Washington

May 17-18 - Glamourcon - Los Angeles

Marketing Monday

2008-03-24T22:53:00.000-07:00

Brian McCarty aka McCarty PhotoWorks is the preeminent photographer of contemporary art toys. Just as the question, "Are they toys or are they art?" swirls around the objects, the question, "Are they commercial work or are they art photography?" swirls around McCary's images. Perhaps the answer is, "They're both." (In both cases).

The use of art photography to promote art toys helps to solidify the notion that these products are sophisticated designer showpieces.

Never underestimate the importance of the quality of marketing materials. The look and feel of any given message will likely extend to the perceived nature of the advertised product.

Shameless Plug Sunday #12

2008-03-23T22:35:00.000-07:00

Artist Sisters: Box of Stories contains two beautifully produced story books packaged together in a sturdy, collector-quality slipcase. Princess La La and the Little Bee by CJ Metzger is warm, poetic and charming; Teenie Weenie Tales by Miss Mindy is whimsical, unpredictable and endearing. The two books are as alike and different as the sisters who created them.

Little Friday is Little Business Day

2008-03-20T22:23:00.000-07:00

Years ago, I heard that Thursday was considered "Little Friday" in the nightclub business. Does that mean Wednesday is "Little Thursday" or maybe "Little Little Friday"? I love the concept of assigning nicknames to things - especially things that don't really need them. The notion of Little Friday has always stuck with me, so, for this blog's weekly small business post, Little Friday is Little Business Day.

Is there an entrepreneurial message in this? Yes. Using custom lingo to describe components of your business can be an effective method for building consumer awareness (see my previous pizza post); just try not to cross into Stupid Town.

-Bob Self

Dreamlike

2008-03-19T13:30:00.000-07:00

I've been a fan of Michael Whelan's art for 25 years, but I never knew the artist himself until this week when a dinner meeting regarding this year's Baby Tattooville event let to an impromptu field trip to an industrial wasteland.

I have spent countless hours wandering around the visually fascinating remains of an old oil refinery in the hills outside Los Angeles. I offered to take Michael to the location and show him around. I know from his paintings that Michael has an interest in exploring relationships between mankind's constructs and nature's, well... nature.

What an unexpected joy to spend a few hours with a talented artist in an environment so connected to his personal visions. I feel like I lived this morning within Michael's mind's eye. Incredible.

Thanks for the doughnuts, Michael.

-Bob Self

Event Appreciation Day

2008-03-18T23:22:00.000-07:00

Baby Tattoo's friends at Dark Horse are hosting a swell book signing event at the Disney Soda Fountain and Studio Store in Hollywood on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 to celebrate The Return of the Gremlins. Details are listed over at the Cartoon Brew blog (click here).

Baby Tattoo is very enthusiastic about these upcoming conventions and festivals. If one of these events is in your neighborhood, please stop by and visit the Baby Tattoo gang.

April 18-20 - New York Comic Con - New York

April 25-27 - Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors, Los Angeles

April 26-27 - Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, Los Angeles

May 10-11 - Emerald City ComiCon - Seattle, Washington

May 17-18 - Glamourcon - Los Angeles

Dough, Sauce, Cheese and Toppings

2008-03-17T15:01:00.000-07:00

I am fascinated by marketing, so I'm going to start a post called Marketing Monday.

One of my favorite marketing topics is pizza.

For years, Pizza Hut has introduced "new" pizzas on a regular basis; but the innovative pizzas are almost always the same dough, sauce, cheese and toppings in a slightly remixed configuration. It seems to me that Pizza Hut almost never really introduces new pizzas, but continually reintroduces the same pizzas in different shapes and sizes. Some of my favorite faux-new offerings have been Bigfoot and 4forALL. Recently, Pizza Hut introduced Pizza Mia, which is differentiated by price point rather than presentation, but the product description is as familiar as always.

Now, frozen pizza company Freschetta seems to be determined to join the "How Many Ways Can You Disguise the Same Product" Club by adding PizzAmore to their existing lineup of Naturally Rising, Ultra Thin and Brick Oven Pizzas. PizzAmore is innovative because it comes in a pan and is pre sliced.

Do people really need to be confronted with "New and Improved" pizzas in order to keep demand high? The marketing professionals at both Pizza Hut and Freschetta certainly seem to think that the perception of uniqueness is a significant factor in differentiating their product (which makes sense), and that the allure of something new creates a call-to-action for consumers (which also makes sense). What makes less sense is that enough consumers perceive a round pizza as being significantly different than a square pizza to justify substantial marketing budgets aimed at keeping a well-defined classic on the cutting edge of spinnovation.

Stuffed Crust Pizza photo copyright Pizza Hut, Inc.

Shameless Plug Sunday #11

2008-03-16T21:52:00.000-07:00

When Baby Tattoo hosts a booth at a convention or trade show, our team is often asked who created the paper engineering for Seonna Hong's book Animus. The answer is that Seonna did it all by herself, and she used David A. Carter's remarkable book Elements Of Pop Up: A Pop Up Book For Aspiring Paper Engineers. Even if you never create your own pop up project, this book is a fascinating experience.

Big City

2008-03-15T22:08:00.000-07:00

Big City is a visually stunning project that Ragnar has been developing for several years. Even though numerous images have been released via the internet, the property is shrouded in mystery. A limited edition Big City Case Files box containing two booklets and a triptych giclee was unveiled at San Diego Comic-Con 2007, and a series of pinup images is reproduced in the artist's forthcoming book Symptomatica. If you have not yet visited this remarkable world, there is no better time than now. Click here.

Wizard World LA - A Complete Report

2008-03-14T23:58:00.000-07:00

Underwhelming.

Little Friday is Little Business Day*

2008-03-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

*But not today.

I am determined to discuss small business issues on a regular basis, but today I am too distracted by the terrible yet hilarious woman-stuck-to-the-toilet story that I discovered on CNN's web site. If I could afford to, I would try to acquire the movie rights to this story (including the rights to include the plate collecting neighbors featured in this video segment.

-Bob Self

Just Do It!

2008-03-12T22:44:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, not too long ago, a toy manufacturer known as Zizzle Electronics released a light and sound thingamajig called Zounds. Zounds was an incredible product that one had to experience firsthand to truly appreciate. Some cool things catch on; unfortunately, Zounds was not one of those things. I suspect Zounds' manufacturing life cycle may be over, but there are still some units out there up for grabs. In fact, Toys-R-Us has Zounds for the no-brainer price of $14.95. Buy this thing while you still can. Trust me. You can thank me later. Click here.

-Bob Self

Event Appreciation Day

2008-03-11T17:52:00.000-07:00

This week is a big one for Baby Tattoo; it is one of several two-places-at-once weekends the company has to contend with this spring. Bob Self will be manning the Baby Tattoo booth at Wizard World Los Angeles, but he'll also be in Palm Springs for Ragnar's Fragmentia opening at M Modern Gallery in Palm Springs. Click on the links below for more info about any of the upcoming events.

Saturday, March 15 - Ragnar's Fragmentia show - Palm Springs, California

March 14-16 - Wizard World - Los Angeles, California

April 18-20 - New York Comic Con - New York, New York

April 25-27 - Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors, Los Angeles

April 26-27 - Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, Los Angeles

May 10-11 - Emerald City ComiCon - Seattle, Washington

Credit Where It's Due

2008-03-10T11:51:00.000-07:00

The fact that Baby Tattoo owes a debt of gratitude to Last Gasp for blazing a trail that other independent publishers could follow has been posted on this blog previously. Of course, there are a number of other institutions that additionally inspired Baby Tattoo. One of Baby Tattoo's less obvious muses is The Criterion Collection. Incredible content and equally incredible presentation are what Criterion offers with every home video product they release. Baby Tattoo aspires to Criterion's level of consistency.

Shameless Plug Sunday #10

2008-03-09T23:44:00.000-07:00

In honor of our previous Save the Rainforest post, today's plug is The Art and Flair of Mary Blair. While we didn't publish it, we did publish books by Seonna Hong and Amanda Visell who count Mary Blair as a significant source of inspiration.

Save The Rainforest

2008-03-08T15:57:00.000-08:00

Rumors of the rainforest scene in Disneyland's It's a Small World being removed and replaced with an all-American scene have a lot of fans outraged. Some well written thoughts on the matter can be found here, and a call to action can be found here.

Of course, there is a real-world rainforest crisis to combat, but I guess some people find it much more comfortable to focus on the smaller things.

Michael Whelan

2008-03-07T21:32:00.000-08:00

Today's post is a simple nod to one of Baby Tattooville's Featured Artists for 2008. Michael Whelan is one of the greatest living American illustrators, who has made a significant transition from commercial commissions to personal work. His newly redesigned web site is filled with a career-spanning selection of fantastic art. Check it out.

Notes On a Scam (Part 2) aka Little Friday is Little Business Day

2008-03-06T20:04:00.000-08:00

So, as mentioned in last week's first small business post, Baby Tattoo fell for the I'll Send You Money For Books Plus Shipping Then You Forward The Shipping Money To My Freight Person scam. Baby Tattoo ran a credit card, got an approval, wired a big chunk of the money to a third party, then the credit card number turned out to be stolen (or something else sinister) and the merchant bank will almost certainly require that the full amount of the credit card transaction be refunded after the wired money is long gone. Bob Self, who should have noticed the situation was extremely iffy, simply didn't think this one through. He also didn't do his internet fraud homework. There is a well-organized page at craigslist.org that clearly explains the basic form of this scam; if you sell anything online, read the warnings here.

A couple of notes:

In Baby Tattoo's situation, the false funds came from a credit card, not a money order or cashier's check. The credit card approval obtained through Baby Tattoo's online merchant account created a false sense of security. A credit card transaction (even an "approved" one) can be just as bogus as a fake check, so be cautious with out-of-the-ordinary, non face-to-face (i.e. "card not present") transactions.

In Baby Tattoo's situation, the instigating communication was not a single email; it was a series of emails that started off unsuspicious then added the questionable aspects a little at a time.

And here's a little useful lingo that Baby Tattoo learned the by way of multiple frantic phone calls. If you call a credit card issuing bank's fraud/security department about a suspicious transaction, you need to ask if the card in question is, "Still open." The issuing bank will probably not give you much of any information about the card or the cardholder (which is frustrating if you are trying to uncover a fraudulent payment), but if you ask specifically if the card is open, they will probably be able to tell you, "Yes" or "No." Obviously, a card that is no longer open indicates a problem.

You are probably thinking, "Duh." Well, just remember that the easiest people to fool are often people who think of themselves as hard to fool.

Note: The Fool image used at the top of this post was found deep in cyberspace. Baby Tattoo does not know who the copyright should be attributed to. If copyright information becomes available, this post will be updated appropriately.

More small business information will be posted next Thursday.

Kevin Kelly

2008-03-05T22:49:00.000-08:00

This post should probably be called 1,000 True Fans, but I wanted to make sure to give credit to the intellect behind the idea, so Kevin Kelly seemed like the right title to use. By the way, I can take no credit for being ahead of the curve on this information since I found it on the highly trafficked boingboing.net.

Kevin Kelly has written an essay called 1,000 True Fans. His premise should be an incredible source of inspiration to content creators. Basically, if an artist (or other creator) can cultivate 1000 dedicated consumers who will spend $100 a year on the artist's products, then that artist can gross $100,000 per year. You owe it to yourself to read the entire essay here.

For a publishing company like Baby Tattoo, the goal of attracting and maintaing 1000 true fans seems attainable. More importantly, for many of the artists Baby Tattoo publishes, the goal of cultivating 1000 true fans has either been achieved already or is well underway.

In January, I uploaded a post titled I'll Take A Dozen about one of the factors Baby Tattoo considers when deciding what books to publish. The concept of 1000 True Fans succinctly defines another factor. If you're interested in having Baby Tattoo publish your work, Baby Tattoo would be interested in knowing how many True Fans you have.

-Bob Self

Event Appreciation Day

2008-03-04T10:14:00.000-08:00

Here are some forthcoming event listings. Come out and meet the Baby Tattoo crew.

March 14-16 - Wizard World - Los Angeles, California

April 18-20 - New York Comic Con - New York, New York

April 25-27 - Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors, Los Angeles

April 26-27 - Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, Los Angeles

Glad To Be Noticed

2008-03-03T22:41:00.000-08:00

The March issue of Cookie Magazine features a cover story about The Unheralded Classics. The article showcases, "The 33 best children's books you're probably not reading. Yet."

Seonna Hong's remarkable picture book Animus made the list, and Baby Tattoo is quite honored that Cookie took notice of this great title. Baby Tattoo has been thanking Seonna profusely ever since she allowed us to publish this project; now seems like a good time to thank her again. Thanks, Seonna.

Shameless Plug Sunday #9

2008-03-02T21:17:00.000-08:00

Baby Tattoo is pleased to announce the release of the company's newest book, Unkle Pigors' Cryptic Art. Bob Self fondly describes this book as a train wreck of art. Eric Pigors crams a seemingly impossible amount of his work into one volume for cover-to-cover visual insanity. Eric is strongly influenced by Ed "Big Daddy" Roth and Wacky Packages stickers (among other things), so, if you like your gross-out monster humor piled high and deep, buy this book directly from Toxic Toons (good luck trying to navigate) or wherever crazy books are sold.

Nothing

2008-03-01T20:59:00.000-08:00

Yesterday's post was going to be titled Nothing, and was going to go into more depth, and was going to include links to a couple of interesting books on the subject of Nothing. Then I realized that since my blogger's block might continue for a day or two, I should save the books for a future post. Well, the future is now.

Nothing is a fascinating subject. If you have never given it much thought, you might want to read about nothing. Two interesting books are The Book of Nothing: Vacuums, Voids, and the Latest Ideas about the Origins of the Universe and The Hole in the Universe: How Scientists Peered over the Edge of Emptiness and Found Everything.

-Bob Self

What Now?

2008-02-29T20:48:00.000-08:00

Grumpy and under-inspired (which is a step up from uninspired), I face the question that all daily bloggers invariably face. What do I do when I feel like I have nothing to say, nothing to show and nothing to link to? Do I skip a day and give up my "daily" posting status? Do I write something utterly meaningless or obviously redundant and risk alienating the regular readers I have managed to cultivate? Do I snap out of my funk, rise to the occasion and come up with something worthwhile because that is my job? Feel free to provide some feedback, unless you are too grumpy and under-inspired to care.

-Bob Self

Notes On a Scam (Part 1)

2008-02-28T01:15:00.000-08:00

Baby Tattoo may have been ripped off today by an obvious sales scam. We should know better (even if the situation turns out not to be fraudulent). We haven't posted much on this blog about the ups and downs of running a small business, but maybe we'll start dedicating one day a week to the topic. How about Thursdays? Tune in next Thursday for a full report on our momentary lapse of good judgement.

The Pulp Dunce pictured above is copyright Gary Baseman and Critterbox.

2008-02-27T20:05:00.000-08:00

I miss Jim Henson.

-Bob Self

Event Appreciation Day

2008-02-26T21:11:00.000-08:00

Here are some forthcoming event listings. Come out and meet the Baby Tattoo crew.

March 14-16 - Wizard World - Los Angeles, California

April 18-20 - New York Comic Con - New York, New York

April 25-27 - Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors, Los Angeles

April 26-27 - Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, Los Angeles

Shameless Plug Sunday #8 (Posted Shamelessly on Monday)

2008-02-25T23:45:00.000-08:00

Longtime Baby Tattoo friend Jason Felix showed us his recently released book at WonderCon. You can buy the book directly from Jason, or wherever books are sold. The project was published by Insight Editions, a company that does not know how to produce anything less than spectacular books. Why the weird product photo? This book is awash with secret spot varnish images that can only be seen when the light hits them in just the right way. Congrats to Jason (and to you if you are cool enough to pick up Salvaged).

San Francisco Road Trip - Day #4 (WonderCon - Day #3)

2008-02-24T23:58:00.000-08:00

A full day's show. An evening of packing up. A red eye drive home. The Baby Tattoo bunch is tired. Thanks to our fellow exhibitors, WonderCon attendees and the Comic-Con International staff.

San Francisco Road Trip - Day #3 (WonderCon - Day #2)

2008-02-23T22:40:00.000-08:00

WonderCon boasted big crowds today. The turnout was truly impressive. Bob Self snapped a few shots of the masses, but he left the camera at the convention center so there is nothing to see here tonight.

WonderCon is a great show in a great city, and Baby Tattoo is already looking forward to next year. Of course, Baby Tattoo is also looking forward to tomorrow. One more day, then we're headed home. Woo!

Dinner marked a return to Restaurant Seven Fifty at the Hilton San Francisco Financial District, because sometimes convenience is too attractive to pass up. Bob already rated this restaurant as part of yesterday's post, but Jeffery Scott (1019) was Bob's dinner guest this evening. Jeffery's ratings on a scale of 1 to 10: Food 8, Atmosphere 3, Service 3, Value 4.

San Francisco Road Trip - Day #2 (WonderCon - Day #1)

2008-02-22T21:43:00.000-08:00

What a great day. Convention attendance was robust (partly due to a fortunate overlap with Game Developers Conference). Sales were steady. Friends were everywhere. Ron and Colin from Last Gasp, Attaboy from Hi Fructose Magazine, Rob Reger of Cosmic Debris/Emily the Strange, John and Shelley Loter of Loter, Inc., Daniel and Dawna Davis of Steam Crow Press, Jason Felix, the STRANGEco crew, Paul Grimshaw from House of Secrets Comics and Toys/Five Color Comics, Bud Plant and his team, Bob (whose last name I don't know) from Glamourcon. That's just a partial list.

Dinner was at Restaurant Seven Fifty at the Hilton San Francisco Financial District. On a scale of 1 to 10: Food 6, Atmosphere 6, Service 6, Value 6.

Note to Self: Remember to swipe some of the great ideas on Steam Crow's web site.

Note to readers: The image above is copyright Steam Crow Press.

San Francisco Road Trip - Day #1

2008-02-21T21:28:00.000-08:00

The Baby Tattoo van left Los Angeles at 4:00 AM and arrived at San Francisco's Moscone Center South for a bright and early (actually, it was gloomy and early) event load-in. The loading policies for WonderCon are pretty exhibitor-friendly, and the Exhibitor Services workers at Moscone are above-average helpful. If you're thinking about exhibiting at a big comic convention, but you're intimidated by all the work, you might want to consider testing the waters with this show. Contact the folks at Comic-Con International for exhibitor information.

Dinner was at Asqew Grill. On a scale of 1 to 10: Food 6, Atmosphere 4, Service 7, Value 8.

Event Appreciation - Urgent Update

2008-02-20T20:47:00.000-08:00

As usual, we forgot to mention something in our weekly Event Appreciation Day post. Baby Tattooville 2007 Featured Artists Tara McPherson has an opening this weekend at Jonathan LeVine Gallery in New York. Unquestionably worth checking out.

Event Appreciation Day

2008-02-19T23:52:00.000-08:00

This week it's all about WonderCon taking place Friday, Saturday and Sunday in San Francisco. Sure Baby Tattoo is doing plenty of other events in the weeks ahead, but right now all of our thoughts and efforts are focused on this great (and growing) Northern California celebration of comics and pop culture. If you're coming to the show, be sure to stop by Baby Tattoo's booth (#1035) to meet artist Jeffery Scott, pose with model Cristina Maxwell or get your daily chance to win a Gary Baseman designer handbag courtesy of HARVEYS (details below).

One prize drawing will be held each day of the con at 5:00 PM. To obtain a ticket for the prize drawing, stop by the Baby Tattoo booth at any time. Your ticket will remain in the drawing for all three days unless you are chosen as the daily winner. One ticket per attendee (your badge will be stamped when you receive your ticket). The holder of the selected ticket must be present at the prize drawing or an alternate ticket will be selected until a winning ticket holder is present.

Have a great week wherever your travels take you.

A more complete listing of Baby Tattoo's upcoming event participation will be posted next Tuesday.

Soto Says...

2008-02-19T23:09:00.000-08:00

Jeff Soto was on a panel as part of an event at the Riverside Art Museum tonight. He had a lot of interesting things to say. At one point, the topic turned to web sites and blogs. The quote below is from Jeff's blog, and it offers a concise opinion about the evolution of the alternative art scene.

"When it comes to art, and in particular this “scene”, change is in the air. Can you feel it? What was once known collectively as “The Juxtapoz School” is splitting into several unique genres. In years past you would find “street” artists showing alongside “lowbrow” artists, showing alongside illustrators and somehow it was accepted and it worked- not so much these days. This genre, whatever it was, is beginning to branch outward into distinct art sub-movements (is that a word). Nothing wrong with that, I think it’s a good thing." - Jeff Soto

The image above is copyright Jeff Soto.

Change is Coming; Change is Good

2008-02-18T12:21:00.000-08:00

This blog will soon be relocated to the Baby Tattooville web site. The Baby Tattooville web site will soon be redesigned. The redesigned Baby Tattooville web site will soon provide updated Baby Tattooville 2008 information. A semi-regular podcast called Radio Baby Tattooville will soon be premiering on the soon-to-be-updated, soon-to-be-redesigned, soon-to-include-this-blog web site.

Shameless Plug Sunday #7

2008-02-17T12:20:00.000-08:00

Icon: A Retrospective by the Grand Master of Fantastic Art is an incredible overview of Frank Frazetta's work that was edited by my friends (and heroes) Cathy and Arnie Fenner. Incredibly, the Bud Plant web site has the out-of-print hardcover edition available. Buy one before it's too late!

Go for the Toys... Stay for the Food!

2008-02-16T11:34:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, a wonderful entrepreneur named Tracy opened a marvelous candy and toy shop in a magical house in Silverlake, California. A clever businessman named Jon decided to open a fantastic cafe in the same little house. Because the house was a magic house, it miraculously expanded (without actually changing size) to allow both the toy shop and the cafe to live side-by-side. You can go to this house and see for yourself how one woman's great gift shop and one man's remarkable restaurant can exist in the same place at the same time. One trip... many rewards. You will be charmed.

Click here to visit the Zanzabelle web site.

Click here to visit the Lunchbox Fine Foods web site.

View Larger Map

Go to 2912 Rowena Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90039 to visit both at once.

What The...

2008-02-15T21:49:00.001-08:00

Publishers sometimes dream up book projects that they might like to develop. The intent, of course, is to create something fantastic and commercial, but more concepts end up in the idea graveyard than on the bookshelf. Here are a few of Bob Self's ideas that you probably won't be seeing anytime soon.

An in-depth guide to Geico commercials.

An art book showcasing theming in Fry's Electronics stores.

A Tommy Bahama children's picture book parody titled The Lazy Adventures of Young Tommy Bahama.

Wake up, Bob! I think you're having a bad dream!

Event Appreciation - Urgent Update

2008-02-14T17:32:00.000-08:00

Every Tuesday we list upcoming events, and just about every Thursday we realize we forgot something. his week we forgot to mention this Saturday's Abstraction Distraction show at M Modern Gallery. Past and Future Baby Tattooville Featured Artists like Tim Biskup, Amanda Visell and Glenn Barr are involved. In fact, Glenn put the show together.

Happy Valentine's Day.

Off To Press

2008-02-13T23:15:00.000-08:00

It's always exciting when a new book is ready to send to the printer. Today, Gris Grimly's art book, Where Madness Reigns, is making the journey to Prolong Press Limited in Hong Kong via the miracle of the World Wide Web and FTP technology. In about two months, the finished book will arrive at our warehouse in Los Angeles via the legendary slow boat from China. Although the production process can seem slow at times, it is often remarkably fast. This new book will be available for purchase pretty darn soon.

Event Appreciation Day

2008-02-12T20:56:00.000-08:00

WonderCon is next week. The San Francisco based pop culture festival has enjoyed significant growth over the past few years, and Baby Tattoo is proud to be part of the excitement. Our friends at HARVEYS have provided three Gary Baseman Designer Seatbelt Bags to give away at the event, so be sure to stop by the Baby Tattoo booth for your chance to win one. More details will be posted here next Tuesday.

Here are some forthcoming event listings (including WonderCon).

February 22-24 - WonderCon - San Francisco, California

March 14-16 - Wizard World - Los Angeles, California

April 18-20 - New York Comic Con - New York, New York

In Hindsight

2008-02-11T23:30:00.000-08:00

One of last week's blog posts linked to an essay about The Secret of NIMH on Aint It Cool. That article was part of a series about... well, read this list and see if you can guess what the movies have in common.

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial

Fast Times at Ridgemont High

John Carpenter's The Thing

Poltergeis t

Porky's

The Road Warrior*

Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan

Tron

Clicking the above titles will lead you to an Ain't It Cool essay or an imdb listing for each film. Now, here's the jaw-dropper... all of these movies were released in the same year! Did those of us who were going to the movies in '82 know we were in some kind of genre utopia? Incredible!

*Mad Max II was released in the U.S. as The Road Warrior in 1982.

Shameless Plug Sunday #6

2008-02-10T21:36:00.000-08:00

This week's earlier post about James Jean has led to this week's shameless plug. Baby Tattoo had nothing to do with James' book Process Recess 2, but it's a must-own. Buy it before you can only find an expensive secondary market copy.

Hooray For Billy

2008-02-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

Baby Tattoo is extremely proud to announce that Billy Shire Fine Arts will be sponsoring the 2008 Baby Tattooville Art Show. While Baby Tattooville attendees will have a sneak peak and a first crack at all of the show's remarkable artwork, the public will be invited as well. Mark your calendar for a trip to Riverside, California on Saturday, October 4, 2008.

Event Appreciation - Urgent Update

2008-02-08T21:58:00.000-08:00

So much is going on this weekend. In addition to everything we've already mentioned...

You can see some great work by Amanda Visell (and others) at Gallery Nucleus' A Band of Bugs opening tomorrow night, and...

In Atlanta, Ragnar is appearing as a Featured Guest at the Atlantic Comics Expo.

Don't stay home. Get out and see some art.

James Jean-ius

2008-02-07T22:18:00.000-08:00

Jamie O'Shea's must-read blog-type thing Suprtouch recently published a post about James Jean's collaboration with Prada. Jamie (who has seen and done just about everything an art lover could wish to see and do) uses terms like "phenomenal" and "awe-inspiring", and he isn't exaggerating. James Jean was a featured artist at the Baby Tattooville 2007 event. His ongoing success is hard-earned and well-deserved. Keep an eye on James' own blog to stay informed about whatever he is doing next. It just keeps getting better and better.

The photo above is courtesy of Prada.

Visit The Black Estate

2008-02-06T22:45:00.000-08:00

If you're in New York tomorrow, check out The Black Estate's Stemma opening at Claire Oliver Gallery. Baby Tattoo's first blog post of 2008 cryptically showcased a piece by The Black Estate. Now it's time to semi-officially announce that Baby Tattoo and The Black Estate might be collaborating on a fantastic project that could emerge from the shadows much later this year. Vague... yes. But exciting too.

Event Appreciation Day

2008-02-05T19:34:00.000-08:00

Dave Cooper has an opening at Billy Shire Fine Arts this Saturday in Los Angeles. Baby Tattoo likes Dave Cooper a lot. Saturday is Rani "Mrs. Baby Tattoo" Self's birthday, and she'll be celebrating by attending the show. If you say "Hello" to Rani at the event, be sure to say "Happy Birthday" too.

Looking farther down the calendar, Baby Tattoo and some of the company's artist friends will be exhibiting at the following events.

February 22-24 - WonderCon - San Francisco, California

March 14-16 - Wizard World - Los Angeles, California

April 18-20 - New York Comic Con - New York, New York

Watch this blog for event info every Tuesday.

Handbags (And a Fine Man-Purse)

2008-02-04T23:17:00.000-08:00

Gary Baseman's work is everywhere, including the Baby Tattoo catalog where it manifests itself as a spiffy book called My Hunger For Venison. Another great platform for Gary's pervasive art is a series of handbags and accessories by Harveys (makers of the original seatbelt bag). Bob Self personally carries the Limited Edition Venison Messenger Bag, which he uses to lug his laptop and an external hard drive on all of his travels. As if a bag made of seatbelts isn't cool enough, now there's a Baseman bag made of seatbelts.

Get your own bag here.

Get your own book here.

Shameless Plug Sunday #5

2008-02-03T21:04:00.000-08:00

Last week's 9 dollar shameless plug Got Your Nose has an excellent sister publication named Izzy's Very Important Job which is also by the super talented Ragnar and is also only 9 dollars. Buy it here.

A Good Secret

2008-02-02T18:37:00.000-08:00

Today I found an old column-within-a-column on the Ain't It Cool News site about the animated film Secret of NIMH. I'm a big NIMH fan, but I couldn't have really given you many reasons for my enthusiasm toward the movie other than the rich and detailed artwork used throughout the production. The Ain't It Cool essay by Cartuna (which is presented within a post by Moriarty) does a great job of deconstructing the characters and plot in a way that reveals the storytelling to be as sophisticated as the artwork.

Read the article here. And be aware that there is finally a widescreen version of the movie available on DVD that showcases the film's remarkable artistic merits.

-Bob Self

Fred's Toys

2008-02-01T21:57:00.000-08:00

A recent post highlighting my friend Chef Fred Eric and his restaurant Tiara Cafe. Now it's time to post about one of Fred's non-food passions. Fred loves designer vinyl toys. He doesn't like them a lot; he loves them. Go to Tiara for the food, but don't leave without asking if someone can show you Fred's toy collection.

By the way, Fred is in the photo above. Like a phantom, but he's there.

-Bob Self

Los Angeles Comic Pro Dinner

2008-01-31T23:51:00.000-08:00

Tonight, Baby Tattoo President Bob Self attended a monthly networking dinner orchestrated by David Seidman for comic book professionals. This was Bob's first time participating in the dinner, and he found the social interaction to be much better than the uninspiring Fuddrucker's food. Bob was particularly impressed with the number of librarians in attendance. This month's iteration of the roving event was at the Sherman Oaks Galleria; next month's will be somewhere new. If you're an industry pro, contact davidseidman@earthlink.net to be in the loop.

Baby Tattooville News

2008-01-30T22:02:00.000-08:00

People have been asking who some of the featured artists are going to be at the 2008 Baby Tattooville event. Well, the official announcements will begin to appear on the Baby Tattooville site in mid February, but if you're reading this I'll drop a few initials.

G.B., J.L., M.W.

Any guesses?

Event Appreciation Day

2008-01-29T19:29:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, two of Baby Tattooville 2007's Featured Artists and at least one of Baby Tattooville 2008's Featured Artists participated in STRANGEco's Vivisect Playset launch party at Gallery 1988 LA. Coverage with extensive photos can be found at Vinyl Pulse. It was a great evening, and not even the driving rain could keep fans away.

Looking toward the future, Baby Tattoo and a number of the company's artist friends will be exhibiting at the following events.

February 22-24 - WonderCon - San Francisco, California

March 14-16 - Wizard World - Los Angeles, California

April 18-20 - New York Comic Con - New York, New York

Baby Tattoo is planning to participate in a number of other spring happenings. Watch this blog for event info every Tuesday.

On My Mind

2008-01-28T23:06:00.000-08:00

The art of Travis Louie is on my mind today. I can't really share why I'm thinking about his paintings, but I can share links to his web site and his blog.

-Bob Self

Shameless Plug Sunday #4

2008-01-27T21:00:00.000-08:00

Ragnar's fab little kids' book Got Your Nose is a steal. It's a fun story with magnificent art, and the cover price is only 9 dollars. Cory Doctorow wrote at Boing Boing, "This is the kind of book that's naughty enough to get a million laughs... and handsome enough to want to cut up and frame."

Yes It's Cool

2008-01-26T21:43:00.000-08:00

It's no secret that Baby Tattoo founder Bob Self is a big fan of Ain't It Cool News, so you can imagine his glee upon discovering that Harry Knowles just posted a glowing review of Christy Kane's work on aintitcool.com. We already think Christy's work is great (which is why we published Tales of the Sisters Kane), but don't take our word for it. Click over to Harry's site and read what he has to say.

Click here to go to the Aint It Cool Article.

Fantastic

2008-01-25T23:47:00.000-08:00

The deadline for submissions to Spectrum 15 is today. As usual, Baby Tattoo is sending in some great work by a few of our artist associates. Baby Tattoo has an impressive record for having art voted into the Annual, and hopefully this year's submissions will fare well. If you are not familiar with Spectrum, click on the name to go to the web site. For "Fantastic Art" fans, Spectrum is an unbeatable collectible. For "Fantastic Art" creators, Spectrum is an unparalleled marketing tool. For anyone who is both a fan and a creator, Spectrum is a dream come true. The Call For Entries image reproduced above is by the mad man Marc Gabbana.

Event Appreciation - Urgent Update

2008-01-24T20:32:00.000-08:00

If you're in the Los Angeles area this weekend, don't miss the Vivisect Playset Release and Party presented by STRANGEco, Gallery 1988 and Luke Chueh. Curator Luke Chueh and participating artist Amanda Visell were both Featured Artists at the 2007 Baby Tattooville Limited Edition Retreat, and STRANGEco was an event sponsor. In fact, STRANGEco's contribution to the Baby Tattooville goodie bag was a special edition of Amanda Visell's Baby-Eating Crocodile. This is a great set of collectibles created by talented artists and a top-notch company. Gallery 1988 is a good friend to Baby Tattoo, and never fails to put on a fabulous show.

Food As Art

2008-01-23T22:17:00.000-08:00

On the heels of the five restaurant ratings posted during Baby Tattoo's recent Austin road trip, I would like to take a moment to mention food as art. When rating food on the road, I was basically focusing on the food itself and not on satellite factors like atmosphere or value at each establishment. The up side of a food-only rating system is that it is very simple; the down side is that it is probably too simple. On the Austin trip, the Great American Cattle Co and Guero's Taco Bar both received a 7 out of 10 rating because my burger in Phoenix was every bit as good as my mexican meal in Austin; however, the actual dining experience at each restaurant was very different. For atmosphere, I would rate the Cattle Co a 3 out of 10, but I would give Guero's an 8. You would never know to expect that whopping difference in environment simply by reading my Austin road trip ratings. On future road trips, I'm going to rate each restaurant for food, atmosphere, service and value. Does that seem like overkill for a blog about publishing art books? Not when you consider my opinion that chefs and restauranteurs are artists.

By the way, my friend Fred Eric is a chef/restauranteur/artist who has greatly influenced my enthusiasm for food. If your travels lead you to downtown Los Angeles, be sure to experience his Tiara Cafe. Better yet, make a special trip.

-Bob Self

Event Appreciation Day

2008-01-22T20:05:00.000-08:00

Baby Tattoo will be exhibiting at the following events.

February 22-24 - WonderCon - San Francisco, California

March 14-16 - Wizard World - Los Angeles, California

April 18-20 - New York Comic Con - New York, New York

Baby Tattoo is currently considering participation in a number of other spring events. Watch this blog for new additions every Tuesday.

Austin Road Trip - Day #7

2008-01-22T19:43:00.000-08:00

Phoenix > Los Angeles

John hopped a plane home from Phoenix while Bob made the drive back to Los Angeles. Hugs and kisses were traded with family members.

Was the trip worth the time and expense? Financially, probably not; strategically, almost certainly. The convention was modest but some good connections were made, and one should never underestimate the importance of good connections.

Particular thanks to Tom Savini, Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool and Riley of Evil Brand Clothing.

See you next time.

Austin Road Trip - Day #6

2008-01-21T22:36:00.000-08:00

Junction, TX > The Thing

Bob and John made today's long trek west looking forward to The Thing?. Both Bob and John have visited the underwhelming roadside attraction before, but stopping there is virtually a requirement for anyone in a Baby Tattoo state of mind. Although the gift store was open, the attraction itself had just closed, leaving Bob and John to try and satisfy themselves by browsing the wimpy selection of branded souvenirs. The Thing? is a terrific concept with terrible execution, so stop by some time to see what happens when a creative idea manifests only 6 percent of its potential.

The Thing > Tucson

Dinner was at Great American Cattle Co. where Bob had a burger and John had a steak. Bob rated it a 7. John gave it a 5.

Tucson > Phoenix

After a long day of driving, the Scottsdale Resort provided a welcome place to relax.

Shameless Plug Sunday #3

2008-01-20T23:59:00.000-08:00

Here's a no-brainer... If you love Gris Grimly's Wicked Nursery Rhymes, then you'll love Gris Grimly's Wicked Nursery Rhymes II. At the time of this post, the follow-up to Gris' dark take on childhood is almost sold out of its first printing. If you're a serious collector of Gris Grimly items, Baby Tattoo books or first editions of modern illustrated books, the time to buy is now.

Austin Road Trip - Day #5 (Uploaded From Limbo)

2008-01-20T23:18:00.000-08:00

Austin, TX > Junction, TX

Bob and John stopped for dinner on the way out of Austin. Service at the 24 hour Magnolia Cafe was fast and friendly. Bob ate breakfast food and peanut butter pie; he gave the meal a perfect 10 out of 10. John ate a burger with a side of potatoes and gave it an 8. Great food that is available anytime is a real find, so make a note that Magnolia Cafe is always there for you.

The wind was howling like something out of a horror movie as Bob and John settled into the Best Western Don Rios in Junction, Texas. How appropriate for a late night screening of Goregasm, an unapologetically offensive-looking movie (which we won't be linking to here) produced by Terror Optics who was one of Baby Tattoo's neighbors at the horror con.

Austin Road Trip - Day #5 (Fangoria - Day #3)

2008-01-20T08:12:00.000-08:00

Sometime this evening, the Fangoria Weekend of Horror will have ended, dinner will have been eaten and rated, and Bob and John will be headed home. Perhaps a post will be uploaded from limbo in the middle of the Texas night; if not, there's always tomorrow.

Austin Road Trip - Day #4 (Fangoria - Day #2)

2008-01-19T21:12:00.000-08:00

Skies were sunny in Austin, and attendee enthusiasm was high at the convention. Unfortunately, an extremely frustrating technical problem resulted in the loss of the day's photos. There's nothing to see here.

Dinner was at Iron Works BBQ. Bob gave it a 9 out of 10, but only because the corn was tepid. He thought the BBQ itself was a straight-up 10. John gave his dinner an 8.

Austin Road Trip - Day #3 (Fangoria - Day #1)

2008-01-18T23:10:00.000-08:00

It was a cold and rainy day in Austin, but the temperature inside the convention's vendor area was as room-temperature as can be. Crowds were light, and Christy Kane's doll's got a little bored, but the overall vibe was good. Bob had a face-to-face with Harry Knowles of Aint It Cool News, and John got to meet Richard "Jaws" Kiel.

Speaking of Ain't It Cool, someone named gruntybear posted a talkback stating, "Horror cons make Trekkies look cool." He claims to speak from experience with both types of fans, but I think the pics below pretty much destroy that ridiculous claim.

Dinner was at the Alamo Draft House - South Lamar (the movie was No Country For Old Men). Bob rated his pizza a 7 out of 10. John gave his steak, potatoes and asparagus a 7 as well. Without a doubt, the overall Alamo Draft House experience was a 10.

Austin Road Trip - Day #2

2008-01-17T21:59:00.000-08:00

Tucson, AZ > Nipple Mountain > Austin, TX

After nearly 14 hours covering 900+ miles with 3 brief pit stops, Bob and John found themselves safely in Austin. Imagine their sense of sophistication upon discovering they each took only one photo during the entire journey... and that they both photographed the same boob-shaped hill.

Dinner was at Guero's Taco Bar. Bob rated it an 8 out of 10. John gave it a 7.

Austin Road Trip - Day #1

2008-01-16T20:59:00.000-08:00

Los Angeles, CA > Phoenix, AZ

Baby Tattoo's first odyssey for 2008 began today. Destination: Fangoria's Weekend of Horror in Austin, Texas. Bob Self drove solo from LA to Phoenix to pick up John "Special Needs" Simone who was arriving from Portland at Sky Harbor Airport. Why fly John from his home in Oregon to a point partway between Southern California and Texas? Because John wasn't sure if he wanted to fly or drive, so Bob wanted to make sure that he got to do both.

Phoenix, AZ > Tucson, AZ

The first overnight stop was at the Omni Resort in Tucson. The room was great. The sunset was great. The in-room WiFi wasn't so hot, so this post was uploaded from somewhere on the expansive grounds.

Dinner was at La Parrilla Suiza. Bob and John both rated it a 5 out of 10.

Event Appreciation Day

2008-01-15T07:22:00.000-08:00

Tuesday's regular Upcoming Events post has been cutely renamed Event Appreciation Day. You'll be able to use the information here to daydream about events to come or bask in the magnificence of events gone by.

January 18-20 - Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors - Austin, Texas

(The Austin Road Trip begins tomorrow. Watch for updates)

February 22-24 - WonderCon - San Francisco, California

March 14-16 - Wizard World - Los Angeles, California

Last weekend, Baby Tattoo's Bob and Rani Self attended the Pervasive Persuasion event at MOCA LA. Baby Tattooville '07 big shots Gary Baseman and Tim Biskup joined Simone Legno and Giant Robot's Eric Nakamura to present an evening of art and interaction. There are many great photos of the event out there on the internet, so we've decided to post two crappy pics of the crowd and the floor that you aren't going to find anywhere else.

The first person to use this post's comments to correctly identify the black circle in the photo above wins a free autographed copy of My Hunger for Venison by Gary Baseman. (Employees and associates of Baby Tattoo are not eligible.)

Origin

2008-01-14T21:33:00.000-08:00

I need to say a special thank you to artist/kook extraordinaire Miss Mindy for setting up this blog. I probably never would have gotten around to it, so she took charge. The really embarrassing part of this story is that she set it up over a year and a half ago, and it's taken me this long to do anything about it. Mindy's other contributions to Baby Tattoo include illustrating our fantastic 2006/2007 catalog (which, like all of our catalogs, is a spiffy collectible), and allowing us to publish her Teenie Weenie Tales as part of the Artist Sisters: Box of Stories. Watch for her sexsational paper doll book later this year. Thanks for everything, Mindy.

-Bob Self

Shameless Plug Sunday #2

2008-01-13T18:15:00.000-08:00

Every Sunday, the Baby Tattoo Blog spotlights a product we think is worth your attention (and your money). We'll definitely be pushing our own stuff, but we'll also be featuring outstanding products from other companies. This week it's The Museum of Lost Wonde r by Jeff Hoke. This book is a genuine genre-bender (which means Weiser Books took a real risk in publishing it), and it is so much more than just a book. It's an art object and an interactive adventure. "Discover forgotten things in the world around us. Recover forgotten things in the world within you. Uncover forgotten things not in this world at all." Truly inspired inspiration.