The home for everything Smash!
Following up on our previous post about our experience at Emerald City: it wouldn't be a comic convention without a ton of great costumes! So now, please enjoy some Cosplay-O-Rama. (Click any of the photos below for a larger image.)
Miles Morales is all grown up! (And forgot his mask...)
The family that cosplays together stays together.
Tomorrow: pictures from the floor, Lego-mania, and more!
Click any of the photos below for a larger image.
The Bolton brothers are open for business!
From Friday's "Comics are for Kids Again" panel, left to right: Kevin Konrad Hanna (Creature Academy), Jake Parker (Missile Mouse), Shelli Paroline (Adventure Time), Chris Giarrusso (G-Man), Kyle Bolton, and Chris A. Bolton.
The Bolton brothers hosted a panel on Saturday called "Kids Make Comics!" Using the basic lessons in our pamphlet "How to Make Comics — the Smash Way" (click here for the PDF), they presented an interactive tutorial for a very large crowd of enthusiastic young talents. As Kyle and Chris assembled comic panels before their eyes, the kids helped out with dialogue suggestions, voted on an ending, and asked some fantastic questions.
Setting up for a reading from Smash: Trial by Fire.
Chris provides the helicopter sound effects as Kyle plays the role of Andrew Ryan.
Answering one of the many great questions from the enthusiastic young audience.
The panel was so much fun, the boys had the time of their lives.
Chatting with many parents and kids after the panel.
Chris and Kyle with their editor at Candlewick, the fantastic Mary Lee Donovan.
Posing with longtime fan Geoff Sherwood (wearing his signed T-shirt) and his daughter, Saraya (who bought our last pair of goggles).
Chris takes a picture of Ariel and Prince Eric cosplayers.
Kyle poses with two young fans.
Tomorrow: cosplayers galore!
Come visit us at the Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle, Washington, from Friday, March 28th through Sunday the 30th! You will find us at Artist's Alley table LL-14 (click here for a map). We'll be selling copies of Smash: Trial by Fire and the Emerald City-exclusive poster below.
In addition, we'll be at the following panels:
Comics are for Kids Again! Friday, March 28th - 1:00PM Room: TCC 302
For many years, the comic industry ran away from its kid-friendly roots, toward more serious, dark, "adult" work. Now a slew of comics and graphic novels are embracing younger readers and finding a new generation of eager comic lovers! Panelists include Jake Parker (Missile Mouse), Shelli Paroline Lamb (Adventure Time), Chris Giarrusso (G-Man), Kevin Konrad Hanna (Creature Academy), and Chris & Kyle Bolton (Smash: Trial by Fire).
Kids Make Comics! Saturday, March 29th - 5:00PM Room: TCC 302
Making comics is fun... and so easy, any kid can do it! Chris and Kyle Bolton, the creators of the all-ages comic SMASH, offer quick and easy instructions for kids of all ages to create their own comics, learn to work together, and have fun doing it.
May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be always at your back, and... HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY TO ALL!
Last week, we had an incredible time visiting several classrooms' worth of fourth- and fifth-graders at Laurelhurst Elementary School in Seattle. The event was put together by Sue Nevins of Seattle's fantastic Mockingbird Books and overseen by Laurelhurst school librarian Tom Brown. Of course, we took lots of photos! (Click on the image for a bigger version.)
The Bolton brothers arrive at Seattle's Laurelhurst Elementary.
A grand welcome!
The brothers pose before the event. (Chris on the left, Kyle on the right)
Laurelhurst librarian Tom Brown warms up the crowd.
We start with an excerpt from Smash: Trial by Fire, with Kyle and I performing the voices of the characters and providing sound effects.
Kyle demonstrates "How to Draw Smash."
Kyle and I show the kids how we make comics, with me describing the panel that Kyle draws in front of the students.
We ask the kids for dialogue suggestions, then they vote for their favorite.
Kyle draws the second panel.
Then we have the kids vote again. Is this how the story should end? The choice is theirs!
Some kids wanted their shoes signed afterward. (I just hope their parents didn't get mad!)
Afterwards, we signed books for all the kids who ordered a copy.
Sue capably handles crowd control as we're swarmed by eager readers.
By now, Kyle and I have mastered the art of synchronized signing.
HUGE thanks to super-powered school librarian Tom Brown (left) and the amazing Sue Nevins (far right) from Mockingbird Books!
We had such a great time and loved meeting so many enthusiastic young Smash fans!
Want us to visit your school, library, or classroom? If we're available, we'd love to! Send us an email at smashcomic@gmail.com.
SMASH: TRIAL BY FIRE just got a great write-up on the website Bookslut (don't worry, it's safe to read!) from ace blogger Colleen Mondor, who calls it "a funny story with bright artwork and a nice wide size that early readers should enjoy exploring on their own."
She goes on to write:
SMASH has a lot of humor....[Chris] Bolton makes Andrew extremely believable and lets him fulfill a few kid fantasies along with the more serious hero stuff. Kyle Bolton's artwork is perfect; the faces are very expressive, and he captures Andrew's alternately confident and overwhelmed expressions with aplomb. Elementary-schoolers are going to get a lot of joy out of this one, and I hope a sequel, set up by the final pages, will be released soon.
Click here to read the whole column. Thanks, Colleen!
And you can check out more reviews for SMASH right here.
Can you tell which team he's rooting for?
Click on the image for a larger version!
Aside from the singular achievement of writing and drawing the fantastic comic series Usagi Yojimbo for more than 30 years, Stan Sakai is a truly kind, generous person. But sometimes, for reasons we struggle to understand, terrible things happen to wonderful people. Recently Stan met with some personal tragedies. Money can't solve all problems, but it sure helps with medical bills and financial difficulties in times of crisis. CAPS, the Cartoon Art Professional Society, has set up a donation page to help Stan and is accepting art donations for auction.
Here is Kyle's contribution, a team-up of Smash and Usagi Yojimbo. (Click the image for a larger version.)
If you'd like to help Stan out, please click here to donate. Every little bit counts!
'Tis the season for hunting down the perfect gift for everyone you know and love. If someone on your shopping list craves adventure, humor, fantasy, and a fast-paced story with unforgettable characters, pick up a copy of SMASH: TRIAL BY FIRE! A Junior Library Guild Selection and 2014 Great Graphic Novels for Teens nominee, SMASH: TRIAL BY FIRE brings every child's superhero fantasy to life with action, humor, and eye-popping artwork.
"Smash is an action-packed crowd-pleaser....Sure to be a draw for superhero fans and reluctant readers alike." — School Library Journal
"Filled with humor, action, and art that makes it a fun ride for everyone." — Good Comics for Kids
"SMASH: Trial by Fire sits squarely at the intersection of Spider-Man and Calvin and Hobbes." — The Sleeping Hedgehog
This holiday season, share the magic — and help Santa delight your loved ones with a gift they'll never forget!
Available at Barnes & Noble stores or your favorite independent bookseller, you can also find SMASH online at Amazon, Indie Bound, and Powells.com.
The blog NW Book Lovers interviewed Kyle about Smash, his drawing inspirations, and more! And writer Kristianne Huntsberger had some lovely things to say about Smash: Trial by Fire:
Chris' energetic storytelling and Kyle's bright illustrations capture readers in the thrill and confusion of Andrew's new powers and leave us all wondering what will happen to the hero as he tries to grow into them.
Big thanks to Kristianne for taking the time and interest to meet with Kyle!
Click here to read the interview.