Yes, while all the eyes of the comicverse watch San Diego for the latest news on… movies and celebrities, a selection of us fine indie comicker-folk are gathering in Michigan for party of sorts. It’s sort of like a conference. A creativity conference, if you will. Or, an arts and creativity conference. In southern Michigan. Oh, hey, it’s a “S”outhern “M”ichigan “A”rts & “C”reativity “C”onference! It’s as if it SMACCed me in the face.

But, in all seriousness, it should be a fun time. So, for anyone who couldn’t find a flight, or a hotel, or tickets for Comic Con (or simply can’t afford it), consider S.M.A.C.C. There will be a lot to do there including comics and their creators (of course), and two full days of performers and events.

I’ll be there with my usual LACKLUSTER WORLD goods, and this is my first appearance in Michigan in a couple years. So… go, enjoy.

Complete details at the S.M.A.C.C. website: http://smacc2010.us/

Also, I recommend this audio interview with S.M.A.C.C. organizer and Hamtramck Idea Man, Michael Marcus, for the full scoop:
http://comicrelated.com/news/7078/the-related-recap-210

Go, read.

Details here. Special thanks to Jeff Harper for offering me the space!

It’s a terrible 62-foot-high eyesore that cost the local cult/mega-church, the Solid Rock Church about $500,000 to construct.

Last night, a major storm blew through the area. Lightning struck Jumbo Jesus, setting him aflame.

One lucky passer-by filmed it:

And here’s a photo of the metal framework aftermath:

Words cannot express the hilarity of this and I am tickled to see Jumbo Jesus reduced to Stick Figure Jesus. Yet, I am also sad… Sad because my dreams of vandalizing Jumbo Jesus as part of a promotional campaign for LACKLUSTER WORLD are gone forever.

Or are they?

The Solid Rock Church vows to rebuild him (and probably out of something less flammable than styrofoam, fiberglass and wood this time). It’s terrible that this mega-church already wasted a half-mil on the statue and is willing to waste it again, but such is the way of religion.

When it returns, I can’t help but think that it will be a tantalizing target for every vandal in the region. With all of the big press coverage about the statue’s hilarious demise, some people are bound to get it into their head that this is something that exists solely for the purpose of being destroyed. It’s just too visible a target to ignore, and the precedent of high entertainment value has been set.

So… maybe I’ll get my promotional campaign after all. And maybe I won’t even have to do the work. And, more importantly, maybe I won’t even have to do the time.

Regardless…

Watch this video and behold the future. The monkey in the far right of the frame has a brain-computer interface that allows him to control a highly-advanced robotic arm with his thoughts. Soon, humans will be doing the same.

Thanks io9 (via IEEE Spectrum)

This is one of the seven prints:

Trailer below, but you can watch the whole thirty minute film at http://www.imheremovie.com/