Here’s my very first sketch from my brand new iPad! This was drawn in Sketchbook Pro, and features Jake.

I truly believe that the tablet computer is the future of comics; more specifically in terms of consumption, but possibly in creation as well. I’m looking into the possibility of creating Cooties strictly on my iPad if at all possible. Since it’s now the one device I don’t have to share, it’s likely my best option. I’ll keep you posted!

For those of you who have missed Cooties for the last few months, you may want to check out a short story I have created for Illopond’s Boo!: Spooky Tales for Kids, an anthology that will be released in October. I think it’s got the same vibe that I’ve put into Cooties for the last few years, and any fan of my comic will enjoy it. I’ll keep you posted as to when it will be available both in print and as a digital download!

No, everyone, Cooties is not dead. I’ve just finished up a fun project for the Illopond, and am ready to jump back in to this project in a more focused and professional way. I’ve learned several different things that I am anxious to incorporate into my work on my favorite characters and end “Infestation” in a satisfying way. I’ll be posting some of my process along the way as well.

In the meantime, here are a couple of Cooties-related fun things I’d like to share!

First, for my birthday a few weeks ago, my mother-in-law made me one of the best cakes possible:

Can I just say how awesome it was to see this on my birthday?

Second, one of my favorite webcomics, Ardra, featured Mr. Bell in the currently-running “Speed Dating” storyline. Go check it out!

During my break from Cooties, I’ve been assisting Michael Regina, creator of the wonderful all-ages comic Kevin and the Light of Destiny. Specifically, I’m helping him prepare some of his recent pages for digital coloring by a process known as flatting. His newest page is the first one I helped with, and I think Michael’s coloring turned out beautifully! Plus, I’m learning some great skills that are helping me put together a print edition of Cooties (yes, it is definitely happening). So go give Kevin a look and tell Michael I sent you!

Comic will be slightly delayed this week. Work & family obligations didn’t give me a chance to work on it, but I’ll get it up as soon as I can. It’ll be a nice double-sized shocker moment; make sure not to miss it!

Happy Cyber Monday, everyone! I decided today would be the perfect day to unveil my new Etsy store. This is a place where I can sell some of my original artwork and at the same time help children who have been removed from abusive homes. 10% of all the profits from my illustrations will go towards the Salt Lake Christmas Box House charity!

My first series is for those of you (or those you know) who need another princess fix after seeing Tangled this last weekend. This is a 12-piece series of (mostly) non-Disney princesses from pop culture. They are 2.5″ x 3.5″ watercolor paintings on Bristol board, ranging in price from $5 to $8.50 plus shipping. Buy some, and help some abused kids have a better holiday season!

Hey, everyone; updates will be sporadic through the rest of the year while I work on some other art projects for the holidays. You can always make sure to catch updates by following me on Twitter or becoming a fan of Cooties on Facebook!

Hey, everyone! Don’t forget to become a fan of Cooties on Facebook!

I thought it would be a hoot to figure out who I would cast in a live-action Cooties movie. Our five lead actors would all have to be kids in their early teens, so a year from now this will be totally obsolete and I’ll have to do it again. Just the world we live in, I guess. Anyway, here we go. Our lead 5 kids:

Benjamin Smith (Bob the Butler) as Nate — Ben Smith has the ability to pull off a great weirded-out look, essential for the role of a kid who is pursued by aliens and superheroes alike.

Jansen Panettiere (The Perfect Game) as Jake — Jansen gets the part mainly because he would be contractually obligated to bring his sister Hayden on the set, but I think he could pull off the wimpy-kid turned schitzo-ninja just fine. Someone get some bleach for this kid!

Isabelle Fuhrman (Orphan) as Carmen — Give Isabelle a couple weeks at the beach and she could easily portray our brave mind-controlling latinita.

Chloe Moretz (Kick-@$$) as Lori — Chloe’s involvement is non-negotiable. The perfect mix of wit and cuteness to play this common-sense-challenged blonde heroine.

Jaden Smith (The Karate Kid) as Sam — Jaden would be fabulous as our wheelchair-bound geek whiz kid. Plus his dad Will Smith will have to have a cameo somewhere…

Our kids are going to need some talented actors to round out the supporting cast as well. This part was a heck of a lot easier (do you know how hard it is to find latina child actresses? Geez!) Onward!

Tom Hanks (Angels & Demons) as Mr. Bell — The great Mr. Hanks has the chops to play anybody. The wry humor and grim determination of this former agent turned schoolteacher would be a snap for him.

James McAvoy (Wanted) as The Comet — Hey, we gotta get some females in the theater, right? James can play the dashing Jane Austen-esque gentlemen or the tough-as-nails superdude with equal ease.

Bruce Campbell (Burn Notice, Army of Darkness) as Agent Campbell — Yes, I had Bruce in mind when creating this character in the first place. I have to take any chance I can to channel his awesomeness.

John Cho (Star Trek) as Agent Chen — John demonstrated some awesome fighting skillz in Star Trek; perfect for the martial-arts wielding young agent who resides in Jake’s brain.

Amy Adams (Julie & Julia) as Agent Foster — Every secret agency needs a spunky redhead. And Amy needs to do a good geeky sci-fi movie. A match made in heaven!

John Voight (National Treasure, 24) as The Boss — I don’t think I’ve ever given the man in charge of the “Men in Gray” a name…but he’s right up Mr. Voight’s alley.

Hugo Weaving (Lord of the Rings trilogy) as The Blue-Cloaked Alien (voice) — My aliens would be CGI, of course, but they need some sweet voice work to really bring them to life. This right here is what I’m talking about.

Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings) as The Red-Cloaked Alien (voice) — Oh man this could be really creepy, you guys…

And that’s it! I hope I haven’t forgotten anyone important (Wedge and Mr. Sowell could have been cast, too, I guess), and I hope you liked it! Let me know if you can think of some better actors/actresses, or even come up with some more supporting characters I left out. That’s a wrap!

Hey, everyone! Cooties now has an official Facebook page! It’s an easy way for any of you Facebookers  to know when the site updates (like, today, finally…)