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Julia Wertz
Posted 9/29/2009
Okay, so this is a slightly exaggerated account of my brief encounter with Ms. Julia Wertz at Small Press Expo this year. I believe a little bit of context is in order.
As I mention in this strip, Ms. Wertz's autobiographical webcomic, The Fart Party, helped inspire me to draw the comic strips that would become "I'm My Own Mascot". I discovered her stuff when a copy of her first book was accidently shipped to the comic shop where I worked at the time. I remember killing an entire shift reading it cover to cover. No one else really "got" it, but I really dug The Fart Party. I decided that I would produce my own comic in a similar format. The rest, as they say, is history.
So, flash forward to this past weekend at SPX. I knew Ms. Wertz was gonna be there and thought it would be nice to meet her and leave a copy of the first 'Mascot' book. As her comic was such an influence on mine, I wanted to show a bit of gratitude.
The show ended up being a VERY busy one for the studio. It was an almost non-stop flurry of commissions, art cards, meeting folks who liked our comics as well as a few of my editors, interviews for a couple podcasts (and even an Indonesian TV show), and...of course...promoting Interrobang Studios and our books.
Come Sunday, I was a wreck. I got a grand total of about 6 hours sleep over the weekend, I was sick and pukey, and to top it off it was freaking FREEZING in the exhibit hall that day. With about 20 minutes left in the show, I decided to walk around a bit since I didn't get to all weekend. Then it hit me...
I COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT JULIA WERTZ!
I knew full well that if I tried to talk to her in the shape I was in, I would come off as a complete freak. Coupled with the fact that I'm ALREADY intimidated by other cartoonists (I don't know why but I just am), trying to meet her at that point was gonna be a big bowl of bad. However, I didn't know when I'd get another chance to do this. So, I figured I'd say "Hi", drop off the book, and then get the heck out of there before I made a horrible first impression.
Sarah and Sally teased me that it would be less creepy to just TALK to the woman and that I might as well sign it "Dear Julia, You smell nice! Signed, K-Bo."
I took this as a challenge to my manhood and did just that.
Exhausted, shaking from the cold, and almost ready to throw up, I went and gave Ms. Wertz the book before I thought better of the whole thing.
I made a complete tool of myself anyway. I even went so far as to end our encounter with "I'm gonna go this way now. Byeeee!" Way to go, K-Bo!
I proceeded to the bathroom and tossed my cookies (literally 'cuz that was practically all I had eaten that day).
My hope is that Ms. Wertz wrote me off as a creep, tossed the book, and soon forgot the about it. This way, next time I happen to meet her I WON'T make an ass of myself. I think this is good solid plan (in Bizarro World anyway).
In the meantime, I did this strip as a little bit of catharsis...and because my awkward embarrassment is actually pretty damn funny.
Anywho..."The Fart Party" belongs to Julia Wertz. If you feel so inclined, check her out at www.fartparty.org.
As I mention in this strip, Ms. Wertz's autobiographical webcomic, The Fart Party, helped inspire me to draw the comic strips that would become "I'm My Own Mascot". I discovered her stuff when a copy of her first book was accidently shipped to the comic shop where I worked at the time. I remember killing an entire shift reading it cover to cover. No one else really "got" it, but I really dug The Fart Party. I decided that I would produce my own comic in a similar format. The rest, as they say, is history.
So, flash forward to this past weekend at SPX. I knew Ms. Wertz was gonna be there and thought it would be nice to meet her and leave a copy of the first 'Mascot' book. As her comic was such an influence on mine, I wanted to show a bit of gratitude.
The show ended up being a VERY busy one for the studio. It was an almost non-stop flurry of commissions, art cards, meeting folks who liked our comics as well as a few of my editors, interviews for a couple podcasts (and even an Indonesian TV show), and...of course...promoting Interrobang Studios and our books.
Come Sunday, I was a wreck. I got a grand total of about 6 hours sleep over the weekend, I was sick and pukey, and to top it off it was freaking FREEZING in the exhibit hall that day. With about 20 minutes left in the show, I decided to walk around a bit since I didn't get to all weekend. Then it hit me...
I COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT JULIA WERTZ!
I knew full well that if I tried to talk to her in the shape I was in, I would come off as a complete freak. Coupled with the fact that I'm ALREADY intimidated by other cartoonists (I don't know why but I just am), trying to meet her at that point was gonna be a big bowl of bad. However, I didn't know when I'd get another chance to do this. So, I figured I'd say "Hi", drop off the book, and then get the heck out of there before I made a horrible first impression.
Sarah and Sally teased me that it would be less creepy to just TALK to the woman and that I might as well sign it "Dear Julia, You smell nice! Signed, K-Bo."
I took this as a challenge to my manhood and did just that.
Exhausted, shaking from the cold, and almost ready to throw up, I went and gave Ms. Wertz the book before I thought better of the whole thing.
I made a complete tool of myself anyway. I even went so far as to end our encounter with "I'm gonna go this way now. Byeeee!" Way to go, K-Bo!
I proceeded to the bathroom and tossed my cookies (literally 'cuz that was practically all I had eaten that day).
My hope is that Ms. Wertz wrote me off as a creep, tossed the book, and soon forgot the about it. This way, next time I happen to meet her I WON'T make an ass of myself. I think this is good solid plan (in Bizarro World anyway).
In the meantime, I did this strip as a little bit of catharsis...and because my awkward embarrassment is actually pretty damn funny.
Anywho..."The Fart Party" belongs to Julia Wertz. If you feel so inclined, check her out at www.fartparty.org.
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