This is an update, being done from our hotel room at S.P.A.C.E. The Small Press and Alternative Comic Expo. Last year was our first year for this show, but we had a lot of fun. We went in a helper capacity for CR, and had too much fun to not come again. This year, we set up our own booth, and since this was the planned "official" release of the Confectionaries, we wanted to do something a little bit special. We actually got the cover of one of our books printed onto a cake, and we'll be cutting into that tomorrow. We'll have pictures of that soon. If you haven't done Space before, we highly recommend it. As an attendee, there are a ton of really interesting books, and some very nice, professional presentations. As an exhibitor, it's a very nice show with a good flow of traffic, and the staff was (is) extremely nice. This is definitely a show we will be doing in future years. We'll do a gallery soon of some fun photos. In the mean time, we've been having a blast and sharing our stories, which in the end is what we've set out to do!

Darren

It’s no secret that our big project lately has been The Confectionaries. If anyone has been listening in on the pod casts and reports over at www.comicrelated.com then you’d know that we just keep on selling out of the book. Demand for it has been higher than our stock, and we’re about to order 5000 more copies in a few weeks.

That’s all well and good, but I’ve always felt there’s a difference between well selling, and well liked. I have to admit, I do this all for the pleasant feeling I get when someone comes up to us at the table, and tells us what they thought of a story, or who their favorite character is. And since The Confectionaries is an all ages title, it was always a worry of mine that both children and adults would be able to enjoy it. I’ve been pleased by how many parents have picked it up, not simply for their children to read, but for them to read with their children. More importantly, I hope they enjoy it together. Some of my fondest childhood memories were of my uncle, reading to me.

That said, I got to enjoy the other side of that dynamic, recently. I myself am an uncle now, the middle one being 4 years old. When I went to my sister in-law’s house, and showed my niece the cover her eyes lit up. I couldn’t help but grin. Interestingly enough, her first question to me was “What are they made of?” when she saw the cover. I found it rather surprising that without even mentioning they were made of candy, she could tell something was up, with these characters.

We sat down, opened up the book, and before I had even gotten off the first page she was pointing at things, asking questions and making comments. I couldn’t help but be thrilled at her enthusiasm. We read all the way through the book together, and her reactions were exactly as I hoped they would be. Quiet gasps of surprise, at the reveals. A soft aw of sadness when it was appropriate. A frightful sound when things got a little scary. The moment we got to the end, she looked up at me and said “Can we read it again?”

I grinned, and told her we could.

We read the book a second time, though it took much longer this time. She would point at things, ask questions, make remarks, and passed herself as quite knowledgeable from the first read through. All told, we must have spent an hour reading the book together. I will admit, it holds a special thrill for me since I wrote it, and I’m proud of the work, but even without that, it was the same feeling that I imagine my uncle had felt, when he shared a story with me.

Sadly, I can not ask him, as he passed away many years ago, but even still I feel a connection with him, reprising the role he took when he read to me. This is a feeling I hope will be instilled in all parents, uncles, grandparents or siblings who take the time to read with someone, just as they had been read to.

After we had finished reading the story, she looked up at me and asked “Can we read the next part?” I laughed, apologized and told her it wasn’t finished yet. (This would be the upcoming graphic novel). She looked thoughtful, and asked if she could see it anyways. I was sad that I didn’t have our work there, to share with her.

The next greatest moment for me, came with the next time I saw her. She ran over, called out “Uncle Darren!” threw her arms around me in a hug, looked up and said “Can we read the story again?”

To date, I have not been able to say no to that question.

I hope that everyone who takes the time to read The Confectionaries, or really any story with someone they love gets that same feeling I got. This is why we create stories, this is why we share. Comics are not simply some silly thing to pass time, they can bring folks together. I hope it does the same for you.

Darren