July came and went, and so did another San Diego convention I missed. Have the days been flying by really fast, or am I just going through life a little slower than I used to? Have these pandemic years slowed me down to a degree that I now struggle to keep up?
I should probably put some traveling info in here before I forget.
I mentioned it already in a previous letter, probably when I announced my last commission list of the year, but here it is again, with dates and pictures: I’m a guest of the upcoming Galaxy Con in Austin, TX, and I’ll be there from September 1st to September 3rd.
What should I do in Austin while I’m there? Any recommendations? Any art gallery I should check out, any brewery I have to stop by, any music gig I should have a listen? What should I discover there, and get to know and welcome into my life, that I didn’t know before?
I’m thinking about spending a day in Houston before going to Austin, because that’s probably where my flight connection will be, and so that I can visit some friends and probably stop by a comic book store. We’ll see if I can make such arrangements while still finishing my last five commissions and working on the new chapter of my next story with Bá.
I did a variant cover for the second issue of THE ODDLY PEDESTRIAN LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER CHAOS. For some reason, they published my cover as a virgin cover, without any text or logo over it. I’m not complaining, I like how it looked like that, a small poster mysteriously calling out to the curious reader to find out more about story. I also like how I used a balloon on the cover. It turn the image into a story in itself, I think, and I try to do that in some of the commissions I make to try to achieve the same result.
Cases in point:
Pa-Zow!
Casanova Quinn’s catchphrase is said by the crow in his shoulder, implying a kind of connection between them.
Sometimes, the words are referencing something while the image shows something else, and the fun is in mixing different cultural references. In the image above, the request of Cerebus and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle (who, in my head, have to be Leonardo because of the sword) in a barbarian setting made me think of Conan, and the classic “what’s best in life” scene in the Schwarzenegger movie, which is said outloud by fans all over the World, came to mind immediately. I always thought Cerebus to be such a grumpy character that he wouldn’t tolerate this kind of humor, and the entire story of that image was ready to draw.
I loved Matt Fraction and David Aja’s Hawkeye. I was excited when I got the request to draw both Clint and Kate in a composition that should be inspired by their run on the characters. Part of what I liked in the comics was how well the images and the words worked together, and I knew that my drawing would have words in it. I put the very first captions of their run in the image.
Mad dog
August is called mad dog month. I can’t help but think crazy stuff will happen in my life this month. I think that, in some part, I’ll embrace the craziness a little more and will be more open to whatever comes my way, and that will result in seeing a more diverse and weird and colorful and fun world that surrounds us all the time but often we’re just too distracted by our daily nonsenses to notice.
Don’t be distracted. Pay attention. Open up. Allow yourself to discover the world, and allow the world to discover you.
Be safe. Be kind. Be curious.
Pa-ZOW!
Fábio Moon
Moon Base, São Paulo
August 7th, 2023
If you're in Austin you need to get some Texas BBQ. I would recommend the world famous brisket at Franklin's -- it's worth the wait.