The Captain's Table

Good news! More good news! Great news! And... news.

2011-06-13T09:54:00.000-07:00

Howdy, folks! I've got some good news, more good news, great news, and some news that's just news.

Good News 1: PIRATE COVE is about to start a new episode! Woo hoo! And I must admit - I haven't had this much fun plotting out an episode in quite some time. So let's cross our fingers and hope it translates to comic form half as well as it looks on paper!

Good News 2: PIRATE COVE will once again be attending the San Diego Comic-Con in 2011. We'll be in our usual spot: Small Press Pavilion, Booth L-9. We'll have giveaway books, and the usual 'for sale' items - books, t-shirts, buttons, etc. Hope to see you there!

Good News 3: (The Great News) Sometime within the next few weeks, a baby cartoonist will be born! Yep, I'm gonna be a daddy! My wife is now in her 9th month of pregnancy and our as-of-yet-un-named little boy is due at any second. I suppose it goes without saying that I can't WAIT to meet him and can only hope he grow up to be a comic-loving maniac like his old man.

...and now for the news that's just news: Take the first two "Good News" items and compare them against the third "Good News" item. Notice any potential conflicts? Well, I do. The second my wife & I found out she was pregnant, we realized the due date was only a scant few weeks before the San Diego Comic-Con. Thusly, depending on when the boy arrives, I may not be in attendance at the show. I'm hoping that, should worst come to worst, I'll be able to attend on Saturday and Sunday, but we'll see. I'll keep y'all posted! But that doesn't mean PIRATE COVE will go un-represented at the show until I arrive! Death himself (in this case, Randy Carter) is ready to hold down the fort with the help of some friends until I arrive!

In addition, this means that regular comic strip duties may fall by the wayside for a week or two once the baby comes bouncing through the Play-Doh Fun Factory of life. I've been spending so much time getting everything ready for Comic-Con that I've run out of comic reserves. The new storyline may be plotted out and several strip scripts may be written, but I haven't got a single strip penciled for it yet. So, expect some delays either later this month or early next. Shouldn't last more than a week or two before we're back to our regular schedule!

So there you have it! All the news that's fit to print! Thanks for your continued support of PIRATE COVE and I'll let ya know when baby Joe arrives!

Viva Las Vegas!

- Joe

Posting Schedule!

2010-03-11T16:10:00.001-08:00

Howdy, folks! Just an FYI - the current Episode will end on Wednesday, March 17th, then we'll be taking a couple days off before Episode 40: "How I Broke OUT of Hollywood" begins on Monday, March 22nd!

I hope you enjoyed Episode 39 - I do believe it ran longer than any other PIRATE COVE storyline in history! Gotta check that someday.

Anyways. TTFN!

- J

Pirate Cove On Facebook!

2010-02-03T18:09:00.001-08:00

Yep, I figured it's time for PIRATE COVE to jump on the Facebook bandwagon so git a move-on and become a fan! What will you find on PIRATE COVE's Facebook page? So far we've started simple, posting photos from our years at the San Diego Comic Con, the desktop wallpapers which were briefly available last year, and a gallery of the PIRATE COVE paperback covers. What else would you like to see there? Toss out suggestions! And click!

FACEBOOK!

Viva Las Vegas!

- J

WHO IS THE WABASH WHACKER?

2010-01-15T15:18:00.000-08:00

If you've been following our humble little comic strip for the past few months, you just might be wondering exactly that! To help ya along, here's some of the information Joe's compiled over the course of his investigation:

The Attacks:

Confirmed Attack 1: November 13, 1964
Victims: Anthony Rivera (killed) & Alex Keith (survived)

Confirmed Attack 2: February 14, 1965
Victims: Bruce Ronson (killed) & Jeanette Foster (killed)

Confirmed Attack 3: May 15, 1965
Victims: David Underwood (killed) & Sandra Wagner (killed)

"Confirmed" Attack 4: October 3, 1965
Victims: Marion Rose (killed) & Jenny Clements (killed)
Note: Chief Inspector Gordon Grover believes this attack was NOT committed by The Wabash Whacker

Confirmed Attack 5: August 16, 1966
Victims: William Billsby (killed) & Meredith Brewster (survived)

The Suspects:

Robert Mitchell, cab driver. The first two victims of The Wabash Whacker were picked up by Robert Mitchell's cab on the evening of November 16, 1964 between 6PM and 6:15PM. Robert Mitchell claimed to have been playing cards with friends at the time of the attack and had reported the vehicle stolen at 7:55PM that evening. Two fellow cab drivers, Raymond Targos and Joseph Peters, confirm Mitchell's alibi. Mitchell was under police surveillance at the time of the second attack. Mitchell was officially dropped from the suspect list on February 17, 1965.

Earl Richards, drifter. Earl Richards confessed to being The Wabash Whacker even before his fingerprint turned up at the site of the second attack. In fact, Earl Richards had been confessing to every open murder case since he was released from prison in 1962 (he had been serving a brief sentence for accidental poisoning and had served an even briefer sentence in 1960 for public vagrancy.) Mr. Richards was held in custody for nearly four months before a third attack brought his confession into dispute. Mr. Richards was eventually released and removed from the suspects list on September 7th, 1965.

Jason Kipfield, short order cook. Marion Rose and Jenny Clements were hiking through the Wabash River Valley when they made camp near what is now the Kekionga Trail. Near Midnight on October 3rd, 1965, they were brutally beaten and left tied to a tree. They were discovered two days later. Marion Rose had died, but Jenny Clements lived long enough to describe their attacker as between 35 & 45 years of age, 6 feet tall, weighing between 200 - 220 pounds, bearded, and having heavy eyebrows. A tipoff from an anonymous caller brought Jason Kipfield to the authorities' attention on October 21, 1965. Kipfield denied any involvement in these killings and denied any involvement in the previous Wabash Whacker attacks. A search of Kipfield's home produced a scrapbook containing newspaper clippings on The Wabash Whacker and a pair of sneakers which were still wet from being hosed down. Mud residue from the sneakers matched samples taken from the attack site. Kipfield died on January 22nd, 1966 of cardiac arrest, nearly six months before The Wabash Whacker struck again. Although Kipfield could not have been The Whacker, Chief Inspector Glover believes Kipfield was the killer of Marion Rose and Jenny Clements.

Herman Hout, actor. Herman Hout was born on March 17th, 1924 and was stage acting by the age of 17. In 1956 he won the role of Captain Timber Ton on the weekly television series THE STICKY SEA MEN and also won the hearts of the American audience. The show lasted until 1963, after which Hout began acting in films. He never achieved the leading roles in his films and was instead relegated to sidekick or mentor roles. His reputation as a character actor increased over the course of the next three years but his acting career came to a screeching halt when he was questioned in connection to The Wabash Whacker murders. Herman Hout, it transpired, had visited the Wabash Valley to shoot films five times between 1964 and 1966, and each of those five visits was punctuated by a brutal Wabash Whacker attack. Although no charges were ever pressed due to a complete lack of evidence tying him to the killings, Hout's fame and the media circus surrounding him led to many believing he was, indeed, The Wabash Whacker. Hout made two failed attempts to revive his career and had a cameo role in 1986's feature film adaptation of THE STICKY SEA MEN. By 1999, however, dementia began to seep in and these days it is difficult to tell when Hout believes himself to be Captain Timber Ton and when he doesn't. He currently resides in Sherman Oaks, California.

Stay tuned to PIRATE COVE, folks!

Wedding Cake Topper

2009-09-16T11:54:00.001-07:00

So, I'm getting hitched in a few months and I designed this wedding cake topper for our wedding cake. What do you think? Will the bride go for it? ;)

- J

Seven Years Later...

2009-09-08T15:32:00.000-07:00

To publicly answer an e-mail I received early this afternoon, yes, I have been waiting to use today's comic strip since 2002.

And perhaps in another seven years, I'll actually get around to posting the Comic Con 2009 photos and wrapup!

- J

January 2nd, 2009: More STREET FIGHTER Rumblings

2009-01-02T15:03:00.000-08:00

Wow. Lots of STREET FIGHTER fans out there! It used to be I would receive a few e-mails per week to talk about PIRATE COVE but lately all I've been getting are questions about STREET FIGHTER: THE LEGEND OF CHUN-LI! Well, it should come as no surprise that I'm not allowed to speak freely about the film or give out detailed information, but I CAN confirm the following:

1. The trailer that has been showing up on Japanese sites was originally created by Fox, then dubbed & slightly altered for Japanese audiences. When Fox gets the trailer online and into domestic theatres, this is pretty much what you'll be seeing.

2. The movie is around 97 minutes long and rated PG-13. We HAD an R up until a few weeks ago, but FOX wanted a PG-13 release so we cut out a few moments of brutality. I expect there will be an unrated version available on DVD when that time comes.

3. For those of you who were concerned, no, Taboo does not sing in the film.

4. Since the poster has been spotted in theatres, I guess it's OK for me to post one! Enjoy!

And for those of you who come to this blog to read about PIRATE COVE, I'll see you on Monday with the next installment of Episode XXXVI: $1,984!

- J

December 18th, 2008: Holiday Cheer & Other Fun Stuff

2008-12-18T10:46:00.000-08:00

As those of you who read the PIRATE COVE blog know, my full-time job involves motion picture production. The PIRATE COVE comic strip is my part-time escape from reality.

So before I get into the ins & outs of PIRATE COVE's holiday schedule, I thought I'd let those of you who've been chomping at the bit for information know that our next movie, STREET FIGHTER: THE LEGEND OF CHUN-LI is scheduled to be released in the US theatrically on February 27th, 2009!

We've got Kristin Kreuk as Chun-Li, Michael Clarke Duncan as Balrog, Neal McDonough as Bison, and Taboo from the Black Eyed Peas as Vega (my personal favorite character from the game and from the film. Alas, Vega doesn't get much screen time as I'd have liked. Perhaps in the sequel?)

The marketing gurus at Fox are putting the finishing touches on the trailer and poster even as we speak - I daresay they will be online within a week and in theaters shortly thereafter! Woo hoo!

OK, enough propaganda. Back to the webcomic. Yes, there will be a new comic posted on Monday, December 22nd. I couldn't let you face a Monday without your daily dose! PIRATE COVE will be taking its holiday hiatus from December 23rd through January 2nd, returning on January 5th.

So, on behalf of Joe, Biff, Brian, Patty, Louis, Edre, Randy, and the rest of the PIRATE COVE crew, I hereby wish y'all a happy holiday season. Keep it safe, keep it merry, and I'll see you in 2009 when I promise to continue to ignore the blog like the complete bastard I am.

Best wishes,

- Joe!

August 7th, 2008: SAN DIEGO COMIC CON REPORT!

2008-08-07T18:24:00.000-07:00

Howdy, folks! It's been about two weeks since all of Geekdom invaded San Diego and frankly, I'm still recovering. My living room has Comic Con memories scattered everywhere - boxes of PIRATE COVE books, Comic Con "exclusive" toys, newly-discovered comics, books, dirty laundry, business cards, flyers, a bag of giveaway goodies, and parts to the Boba Fett costume I was building & hoping to have ready in time for the show. Maybe next year.

The show itself was as massive and crowded as ever. If you've ever read about (or been to) the San Diego Comic Con, you no doubt already know about how overwhelming it can be!

As with last year and the year before that, the Pirate Cove Crew set up first thing Thursday morning and met with a variety of COVE fans, old & new, over the course of the next four days. We debuted three new PIRATE COVE books at the show (Episodes 1 - 3, Episodes 29 & 30, and Episodes 31 & 32) along with some brand-new PIRATE COVE pin-back buttons. I'm not sure if the buttons were selling so well because people were into PIRATE COVE or if they liked the one that read "What happens at Comic Con STAYS at Comic Con." Either way, I was happy to see so many of them being pinned to attendee badges!

Once again, the COMIC CONJOB book sold out. No matter how many I bring, they never seem to be enough. And although there was no new COMIC CONJOB at the show this year, I promise there will be a COMIC CONJOB 4 at SDCC 2009!

COMIC CONJOB SELLS OUT... AGAIN!

And what would a Comic Con Report be without mention of my wonderful neighbors? For the first time, I can honestly say I was happy with each and every neighbor in my surrounding vicinity!

Right next door to us was MyNerdGirl.com, an amazing group of vivacious young ladies intent on publicising their new online community (it's for guys as well as girls - go check 'em out!) Across the way were Ryan Claytor of ELEPHANT EATER COMICS and Paul Friedrich of ONION HEAD MONSTER fame. I'd read comics from both of these fellows and can vouch for them wholeheartedly!

Directly behind us was STRONGARM LABS who had a record-breaking show, while Randy Reynaldo's ROB HANES ADVENTURES and Jim Hillin's webcomic WIRE-HEADS sat across to our left. I've been reading Wire-Heads since meeting Jim at WonderCon this year and booth babe Randy Carter has been reading the Rob Hanes Adventures for as far back as I can remember. Both worth checking out!

JIM HILLIN HIDES BEHIND ZOMBIE BUNNIES!

I didn't get to as many panels as I would have liked, but it was nice to attend the FRIDAY THE 13TH panel where I got to see some footage from the new film. Looks scary, folks! Could we ever really say that about a Friday the 13th movie before?

Many thanks to the friends & fans of PIRATE COVE who stopped by for a sketch, a book, or simply to chat! You're the ones who make this all worthwhile! And if you couldn't make it this year, I hope to see you next year!

I'm heading off on vacation next week, so PIRATE COVE will also be taking a break - but I'll get into that in tomorrow's blog entry, along with info about a brand new PIRATE COVE contest and information on how you can order the new PIRATE COVE books! Meanwhile, enjoy some of our photos from San Diego!

Stay tuned!

- Joe

Um... I'm sure he's a VERY nice man.

This is what happens when Joe is stuck at the PIRATE COVE booth for too long.

LANDSHARK!!

PIRATE COVE READERS SHOWING OFF SOME INK!

Joy just LOOOOOOOOVES Furries.

July 7th, 2008 - San Diego Comic Con Info!

2008-07-07T16:59:00.000-07:00

OK, I'm back and this time I've come prepared! Firstly, for those of you who want to come looking for the PIRATE COVE KREW at Comic Con, you can find us in the Small Press Area, table L-9. We're on a corner so we should be easy enough to find!

And you may be wondering, "will they have anything NEW at the show?" The answer is: YES! We'll have THREE brand new books making their debut at Comic Con this year:

Episodes 1, 2 & 3:

Episodes 29 & 30:

and Episodes 31 & 32:

All that remains is for the books to arrive from the publisher in time for the show!

As per usual, PIRATE COVE will NOT be updating on July 24th and 25th due to convention festivities, but will resume on July 28th.

Hope to see y'all at the Convention Center!

- Joe

July 3rd, 2008 - Oh, That's Right... I Have A Blog.

2008-07-02T23:07:00.000-07:00

I think the title of this entry says it all. I have no excuse for not updating since November of last year... but I'll give a few anyway.

First and foremost, I've been trying to better myself career-wise. See, my full-time job involves motion picture post production and while I've got the paperwork aspect of the job committed to memory, I never had the opportunity to really learn the PHYSICAL side of the process. So I've been trying to learn it. And that's meant a lot more time spent in and around cutting rooms, labs, sound houses, etc... basically, we're all lucky I manage to get (on average) five PIRATE COVEs done each week what with my hectic schedule.

Meanwhile, I've been deep into re-scanning the first three episodes of PIRATE COVE so they can be put into book form and guess what? It's done! Well... almost. I'm waiting to get the proof copy back from the printer, but by the time the San Diego Comic Con rolls around, guess what's going to be for sale both at the show AND via our http://www.lulu.com/ storefront?

Speaking of books, two other volumes of the printed COVE will be making their debut in San Diego this year: Episodes 29/30 and Episodes 31/32. As usual, the books will be available in both FULL COLOR and BLACK & WHITE. Episodes 1-3 will be available ONLY in black & white because, well, the strips are all in black & white.

I've got PIRATE COVE's San Diego Comic Con Small Press table number around here somewhere, but I just re-organized my desk and now I can't find anything. I'll post that information in my next blog entry. Should be sometime in the year 2010.

Anyway, I gotta run... still putting the finishing touches on the first few strips of Episode XXXV: THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE MUMMY which starts this Monday, July 7th! And I hope you enjoyed EPISODE XXXIV: HYSTERICAL BLINDNESS... now that I've looked back and re-read it, it's definitely ranking high up there on my list of favorite PIRATE COVE episodes.

Take care, check back on occasion, and see some of you in San Diego!

- J

November 20th, 2007: Holiday Greetings!

2007-11-20T16:17:00.001-08:00

Howdy, folks! Just wanted to drop a line with some holiday notes... PIRATE COVE will be updating through Thanksgiving this year so be sure to tune in once that tukey coma wears off (for those readers who reside outside of the United States, disregard everything I've said thus far.)

As for the Christmas holiday, I'm sure I will be taking a break sometime in there, just not exactly sure of the schedule just yet. Most likely, there will be updates through Christmas Eve, then resume on January 2nd.

In convention news, I'm waiting to hear from the fine people at WonderCon about our placement in the small press area. For more info on WonderCon, visit http://www.comic-con.org.

I think that's all I've got for now. Anyone got any suggestions for some other web comics I should be enjoying?

- Joe!

August 24th, 2007 - Let's All Go To The Movies!

2007-08-24T10:05:00.000-07:00

Howdy, folks! Sorry about the delay with the strip today!

A quick update on this year's week-long vacation: PIRATE COVE will be taking off from September 3rd through September 7th. There will be sketch filler updates that week, but ONLY over at the WEBCOMICS NATION site. Regular updates will resume on September 10th.

In other news, there's a new movie coming out from Hyde Park Entertainment, which is the production company I work for when I'm not slaving away on PIRATE COVE. It's called DEATH SENTENCE, it stars Kevin Bacon (you know - that guy from the first Friday the 13th movie,) and was directed by Mr. James "the direct of SAW" Wan.

The film opens on August 31st and is surprisingly effective. It's a story we've all heard before: man's loved one is killed, the bad guy is let go, man kills bad guy, all hell breaks loose... but this is the first time I've watched a movie like this where I found myself thinking "wow. What would I have done in a situation like that? Probably the same exact thing!" At least, that's what I was thinking when there weren't cars flying off parking garage roofs, people weren't launching themselves down flights of stairs, and body parts weren't being blown off with shotguns. This is a very violent movie, make no mistake!

The best part of the movie, in my opinion, has got to be John Goodman. He has a very small role, but he steals every scene he's in. Heck, he steals the scenes surrounding the scenes he's in by osmosis.

Anyway... that's all I've got for now. I'll try to post one more update before I head out for my week-long exile. Stay safe and watch out for revenge served with a side of Bacon!

- J!

August 21st, 2007 - Coming Soon...

2007-08-21T10:33:00.000-07:00

Greetings, fair folks! Three announcements for you this fine morning (or evening, depending on where you are and what time you read this!)

1. Joe (that's me) will be on vacation during the first week of September and thusly, so will PIRATE COVE. I'm looking for a good amount of sketches and fun stuff to use as filler during those five days. If anyone out there has some fan art they'd like to send in, be my guest!

2. In addition to filler strips, PIRATE COVE is proud to present Episode I: Farces of Death, re-scanned, re-texted, re-mastered and re-posted! That's right, I finally got around to re-scanning all of Episode I and have meticulously repeated the grey-shading originally used way back in 2001! I have NOT changed a single line of dialogue (despite being oh so tempted to) and will have these strips re-posted sometime around August 31st. I have already uploaded the first three strips for your viewing pleasure... see how they compare to that fourth strip which is still posted in its original format!

3. Thirdly, since these strips are now in a format suitable for framing, I figured I would do the next best thing: PUBLISH them! Don't get too excited just yet... I still need to re-scan and re-master Episodes II and III before these go to print, which could take several months. But I promise to work diligently to make this a reality!

I'll post again before taking off for my holiday!

- J

August 16th, 2007: The DEATH of PIRATE COVE

2007-08-16T14:39:00.000-07:00

I was organizing some files yesterday when I came across a folder labeled "JOE IS DEAD." Inside, I found some artwork featuring the PIRATE COVE character of Joe, explaining to readers that Joe D'Angelo, the writer / artist of PIRATE COVE, had died and, rather than leave the audience with a cliffhanger, we had one last strip for them. Obviously, this was meant to appear in the event of just such a situation... and I'd totally forgotten about it!

Well, calm yourself - I'm not dead. Not yet, anyway.

This strip was actually created WAY WAY WAY WAY back in October of 2001, just before the reveal of Safiya and Bruce the Wereshark (just goes to show ya - I actually DO plan the storylines ahead of time! Sometimes.)

Considering all the seismic activity that's been occuring lately, threatening to dump much of Southern California into the Pacific Ocean, I felt it was high time I revealed this ticking timebomb of a comic strip to the readers of PIRATE COVE.

Regarding the quality and content of the comic itself, well, I was still working with a really crappy color palette so the skin tones look a bit garish. And as for the characters, well, you've got Joe, Safiya, Boris, Randy, Crow, Louis, Pete Sellers, and the floating eye belongs to Bruce the Wereshark. Give the image a click for a larger view.

Enjoy! And let's be careful out there!

Viva Las Vegas!

- Joe!

August 15th, 2007: The San Diego Comic Con Report 2007!

2007-08-15T15:06:00.001-07:00

When this photo was taken, we'd already been at the 2007 San Diego Comic Con for over 48 hours. We'd given away nearly 200 PIRATE COVE sampler books, sold around 65 books, and were getting worried we would sell out of books before Saturday's end! We needn't have worried. Saturday turned out to be the slowest day of the convention!

But I'm getting ahead of myself. On the morning of Thursday, July 26th, around 5:30 AM, Joe stumbled towards his Jeep, which he'd loaded with PIRATE COVE product the night before. Joe finds his friend Randy asleep in the Jeep's passenger seat. Randy is nearly 20 miles outside of Los Angeles before he wakes up to find the sun rising in his eyes.

Just over 2 hours later, PIRATE COVE had set up camp in the Small Press Area of the San Diego Convention Center. Table K-9: featuring the all-new COMIC CONJOB 3 Comic Con exclusive, and the convention debut of professionally printed & bound editions of EPISODES 24 & 25, EPISODE 26, EPISODE 27, and EPISODE 28 in both full color and economical black & white.

Once again, we plyed the public with with sample books and free magnets... all the better to get them hooked on the strip! As stated to one such visitor, "It's like dealing cocaine. You give 'em a taste for free, then once they're addicted, they'll come back to buy!"

"Sinister," the visitor smiled. "With a sense of humor like that, I think I'm ALREADY addicted!"

Sure enough, he returned on Friday and proceeded to buy a copy of COMIC CONJOB 3 as well as copies of EPISODES 24 & 25, and 26.

By Saturday afternoon, we'd given away all of the free sampler books and were running low on the books we'd brought to sell. As mentioned above, Saturday turned out to be the lightest when it came to foot traffic in Small Press, despite the fact Saturday had been sold out for several weeks!

Despite the reduced crowd, there was still a lot to do on Saturday as PIRATE COVE fans young and old, new and longtime, came by to say hello, get a sketch, and talk about the future of the series. This year, Brian was the most requested character in sketches, although there were a few requests for Edre, Joe, and even a Chevre!

Also of note, Robert "Chachi" Gomez stopped by the table and announced that MIRRORVERSE, the PIRATE COVE spinoff, WOULD continue at some point in the future. So keep checking back for more news on that front!

Unfortunately, I cannot report of any celebrity sightings at the PIRATE COVE booth this year (although some might have stopped by while I was stuck in the elevator of the Radisson for half an hour. One never knows.)

Everything picked up again on Sunday, tho, and we proceeded to sell out of COMIC CONJOB 3!

The last copy gets purchased...

By the end of Sunday, it was a sellout! Every Lulu-printed book we brought had been purchased by the eager crowd and around 5PM, three-quarters of San Diego's temporary population began their mass exodus back to all corners of the globe.

As always, I greeted the end of Comic Con with a mixture of relief, exhaustion, and great sadness. There never seems to be enough time to do everything I'd like to do at the show, yet I'm always ready for a week-long nap afterwards! Many thinks to everyone who stopped by to chat and I look forward to seeing you all again next year!

I'm not sure which convention PIRATE COVE will pop up at next, but we're looking into WONDER CON in San Francisco as well as the New York Comic Con in Manhattan!

Thanks for reading and, as promised, COMIC CONJOB 3 is now available to purchase through Lulu! Keep scrolling down for some more photos from the show!

Viva Las Vegas!

- Joe!

August 9th, 2007: Rumble, Rumble

2007-08-09T11:55:00.000-07:00

Woke up last night around 1 AM to the gentle feeling of being shaken like a dry martini. If you've never experienced an earthquake before, then I really can't describe it to you. I could try... but until you've experienced firsthand the sensation of the ground trying to buck you off the planet, you'll never really get it. I wouldn't go so far as to say it's FUN... but so long as the worst that happens is a few action figures jumping off the shelves, I don't mind the occasional tremor.

What I really don't like about earthquakes in Los Angeles is that they are generally sneaky beasts. They like to strike at night. Or worse, when you're on the toilet. I'm not kidding, either - at least half of the quakes I've experienced since moving out here have happened while I was sitting on the toilet.

There I was, doing my duty, when the shower doors began to rattle. Louis Grant was my roommate at the time and I remember saying out loud "very funny, Louis, cut it out" before realizing that A) Louis wasn't home and B) it wasn't very likely he'd have the strength to shake the entire San Fernando Valley.

They also like to hit when I have guests visiting from out of town. And guests always react the same way: they run to the middle of the living room, legs spread wide, arms out at their sides as if they're about to be attacked by Gremlins.

I was lucky enough to have avoided the most recent BIG earthquake that took place back in 1994, but have friends who were not so lucky.

"This was barely an earthquake," one such friend remarked after last night's rumble. "It's comparable to a heavy truck rolling by. Wait until the house is dancing back and forth and your refrigerator has slid into the bed with you."

Hmmm. North Dakota is looking pretty inviting these days.

- J

July 25th, 2007: Comic Con Ho!

2007-07-25T15:27:00.000-07:00

And no, I'm not talking about some lady standing on a street corner down by the convention center!

I can't believe Comic Con 2007 is upon us already! I'm exhausted already. Seriously - I'm ready to pass out. But that might be because I had the great pleasure of spending last night in the company of Matt Groening at the premiere of The Simpsons Movie!

It really has been a busy week. In between my worrying about whether or not the books would arrive from the publishers in time for the convention (they did! Hurrah!) and trying to rebuild my broken display scaffolding for the PIRATE COVE banner, I purchased the new Harry Potter book (and read the whole thing over the weekend,) had some guests come in from out of town, had a few work-related emergencies, and then wedged in a little fun at the premiere. Got to run into some famous people, too!

Cedric Yarbrough from "Reno 911!"

Mark Hamill from some sci-fi series...

Dr. Demento

and The Simpsons themselves!

But enough fun & frolic! It's time to pack up those last-minute sketch pads, forget to pack underwear, and hit the road for Comic Con!

Hopefully I'll see some of you down there! And for those of you who can't make it, remember: Comic ConJob 3 will be on sale in the PIRATE COVE Lulu Store sometime on Monday!

Oh! One other thing - PIRATE COVE will NOT be updating on Thursday the 26th or Friday the 27th, but we'll be back for more action on Monday the 30th!

Viva San Diego!

- Joe!

July 11th, 2007 - Recommended Reading

2007-07-11T10:21:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, when I'm not slaving over PIRATE COVE, I work as an executive in movie production out here in good 'ol Hollywood. Now, before you go blaming me for all the crap Hollywood churns out, allow me to step in and mention that I am in POST production. Once the script is written, the cast & crew are hired, and the film is shot, THEN my job starts. I'm the guy who has to make sure it is edited in time, all the pieces are in place, all the elements are created, and then get the film distributed around the World.

I used to suggest projects to my boss. Used to bring him ideas and concepts, but after a few years of being disregarded no matter WHAT I proposed, I gave up. You would, too, if your suggestions for a TRANSFORMERS movie got shot down because "a car that changes into a robot sounds ridiculous." (Ahem - $155 million opening weekend.) Also on the list of "thanks but no thanks" projects I had were "WHAT WOMEN WANT" ($183 million box office,) MICRONAUTS (option picked up by Gale Anne "TERMINATOR" Hurd,) THE WHITE MOUNTAINS (someone named Spielberg snatched up that one,) MAZINGER Z (someone named Cameron went after that one,) and the FLETCH series.

The FLETCH series was a particularly irritating one to be turned down on. My boss' reasoning was "no one goes to see Chevy Chase movies any more." I tried to explain that there were 11 books in the series and every one of them was aces over either of the movies. That Kevin Smith claimed he'd learned to write dialogue through reading those books. That Smith LOVES the books. So why don't we pick up Universal's expiring option to the books and offer the writing / directing duties to Kevin Smith? I seem to recall his reply being "Kevin Smith? Who's Kevin Smith?"

About a week later, the Weinsteins purchased the option to the FLETCH novels. Then they offered the writing / directing duties to Kevin Smith. My boss failed to recall our conversation of a week prior.

Anyway... I didn't come here today to bitch & moan about passed up opportunities. This was just my roundabout way of suggesting you get out there and find a copy of Gregory MacDonald's FLETCH WON. That's the first book in the series (although it was the eighth one written) and it was followed by the conveniently titled FLETCH, TOO.

I started re-reading this series in between HARRY POTTER books and I was unsurprised to find they're every bit as entertaining, fast-moving, and humorous as they were when I first read them (even though I already knew who the bad guys were.) I know a lot of people these days feel that reading is a laborious waste of time. That they could be watching TV or a movie instead. In some cases, I agree... some books just bore ya to tears. And unfortunately, those are the books they force-feed you in school.

Give FLETCH a spin. You might be pleasantly surprised. And for the record, it's not only Kevin Smith who was inspired to become a writer via this series. Speaking of which...

It's finished! Or at least, the files are finished and uploaded. I'm still waiting to receive the printed copies from Lulu.com. PIRATE COVE: COMIC CONJOB 3 will be available at the San Diego Comic Con and will then be made available for purchase online shortly thereafter. Also available at Comic Con will be copies of Episodes 24 / 25, 26, 27, and 28! C'mon down and spend some money!

And let me know if you check out FLETCH. I'll know if you just go and rent the movie so don't even try it! ;)

Viva Las Vegas!

- Joe

June 20th, 2007: Webcomics Nation!

2007-06-20T16:19:00.000-07:00

Hey hey! Things continue to be busy as all get out here at PIRATE COVE... we're in the middle of a storyline, gearing up for Comic Con, putting together a new book, looking for a company to make Joe's jack-o-lantern shirt, AND moving all of PIRATE COVE's Archives to a new home!

A few months ago, I ran across a site called WEBCOMICS NATION. Like THE WEBCOMIC LIST, WEBCOMICS NATION contains an immense listing of online comic strips for your perusal... but it also acts as a hosting site, so if you've got your own webcomics, you too can get them out there for the public to enjoy!

Best of all, they've got a very nice Indexing system in place with a nice & easy navigation, making it easier to peruse the PIRATE COVE Archives than ever before! Just pick your Episode from the Table of Contents and away you go!

Plus, if something goes wrong with the PIRATE COVE server (as has been known to happen in the past,) you can just hop over to WEBCOMICS NATION instead 'cause they're updating with our daily strips as well!

I'll post again before Comic Con with any last minute info. Now I need to get back to work on the cover for the book we're debuting at the show. Better to be extremely busy instead of bored to death, right?

Viva Las Vegas!

- Joe!

May 29th, 2007: Herman Hout

2007-05-29T13:54:00.000-07:00

So, about a year ago, I came up with a couple storylines for PIRATE COVE which would require a new neighbor for Joe & Co. The idea was that this neighbor had been a television actor in the 50s on a very popular "World of Disney"-esque adventure show. As the years went by and the show faded into obscurity, so did our neighbor... then one day, senility kicked in and now the poor guy thinks his old adventures were REAL and that he truly is the character he once portrayed on the boob tube.

Then I got to thinking... what kind of TV show was he on? Was he a frontiersman? Was he in the Navy? Perhaps he was a straight-arrow law enforcement agent. Maybe he was a cowboy. Or maybe... maybe he was... a pirate? Heck, the strip IS called PIRATE COVE after all. Yeah! Let's make him a pirate!

So here we are, nearly a year later, being introduced to Herman Hout (pronouced "Hoot.") And what hits the movie theatres only a few days before Herman's debut? The biggest Pirate movie of all time: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 3.

I swear, this wasn't planned. It's pretty darn cool that we're getting a flood of new readers who've found their way to our humble site via a web search for comic book pirates, but really... Herman was not meant as a way to cash in on pirate mania. I think you'll find that much easier to believe as you get to know him.

Anyway, just had that thought this morning over my breakfast tea and thought I'd share. I haven't exactly been the most vocal blogger on the planet due to work and time constraints, but I still like to talk to y'all every now & then.

OK, back to the drawing board (literally) and with any luck, I'll post again before Comic Con!

- J!

May 16th, 2007 - New Books And Convention Info!

2007-05-16T11:47:00.000-07:00

Greetings, fair readers! Good news! The next two PIRATE COVE books are now available for purchase at Lulu Publishing! One book contains Episodes 24 & 25 while the other book contains Episode 26. As usual, the books are available in either full color or economical black & white.

Click here to visit the PIRATE COVE bookstore!

http://www.lulu.com/microjow

In convention news, we've got our San Diego Comic Con placement assignment. We'll be at table K-9 with our usualy array of magnets, giveaway books, and copies of the compilations for sale. We'll also (probably) have an all-new convention exclusive which I hope to also have available through Lulu shortly after the convention. Storyline? You'll have to wait and see!

Looking forward to seeing some familiar faces and some new friends!

Viva Las Vegas!

- J!

April 1st, 2007: Book Sale!

2007-04-01T12:11:00.000-07:00

Howdy, folks! Nope, this is not an April Fool's Day gag! We're having a one-week sale over at Lulu.com on the black & white editions of the PIRATE COVE books! 1/3 off! That's right! Our regularly-priced $15.00 books are now on sale for only $10.00 apiece! Get 'em while they're hot!

Episode 27: The Man(iac) Who Came To Dinner
http://www.lulu.com/content/613693

Episode 28: 'Till Death Do Us Part
http://www.lulu.com/content/608571

March 23rd, 2007: Convention Schedule!

2007-03-23T11:13:00.000-07:00

Hola! In the past week, I've recieved my confirmations for both of PIRATE COVE's planned convention appearances for 2007! Therefore, I proudly present to you:

***

The 2007 PIRATE COVE CONVENTION SCHEDULE!

April 21 & 22 - APE: The Alternative Press Expo in San Francisco, CA

July 26 - 29 - Comic Con International in San Diego, CA

***

Now, I realize that's a very limited appearance schedule, but I'm hoping to expand my travels shortly. For instance, if they ever decide to get back to me, I'm hoping to bring the COVE to the New York Comic Con next year. And if anyone wants us to show up at a convention in YOUR area, please let me know! I'm always open to suggestions!

Those of you who've visited PIRATE COVE convention booths in the past know that we always bring along some fun treats and convention exclusives. What will we have this year? Stay tuned to The Captain's Table! All will soon be revealed!

Viva Las Vegas!

- J!

By The Way - PIRATE COVE Is Irrelevant.

2007-03-15T17:23:00.000-07:00

Well, well, well! Ain't THIS a kick in the nards! It doth appear Wikipedia has wiped PIRATE COVE off their system!

Imagine my surprise two years back when I did a search for "Pirate Cove" at Wikipedia and came up with a full article detailing the entire series! I was both impressed and flattered that someone would go through all the trouble to do such a thing! It must have taken WEEKS! Not only did they document the reasons behind the creation of PIRATE COVE, but they went so far as to write synopsies of every episode and give a full cast list!

But don't bother looking for it anymore. Despite the fact Wikipedia is supposed to be the largest online encyclopedia of... well, EVERYTHING, PIRATE COVE was deemed "not notable" and "irrelevant" by the keepers of the data.

I thank those who rose to PIRATE COVE's defense, stating that "Notability is asserted due to longevity of the 'daily' comic (6 years). Notability is asserted in that it's in it's second print volume" and (re: the WIRED article PIRATE COVE appeared in) "The comic is mentioned multiple times in the article, and the author is being interviewed specifically as the author of the comic. Ergo, it is a non-trivial mention; ergo, between that and the Silver Bullet article, we have multiple non-trivial mentions from published sources independent of the Pirate Cove webcomic; ergo, it is notable by the standards of Wikipedia. Remember, notability is not subjective."

The actual arguement goes on for several paragraphs, back and forth, pro and con. I blush to think these people CARE enough to argue my humble little comic's worth like this!

Anyway... I need to get back to work, but before I go, I would like to offer a huge hearty handshake to the poor soul who bothered to create the PIRATE COVE Wikipedia entry, only to have it dashed to smithereens by people who probably didn't even bother to read the actual comic!

Ah well. Life goes on. I wonder what a webcomic has to do to be considered "relevant" by Wikipedia. 500 daily readers doesn't seem to be enough. Two books in print with a third on the way doesn't seem to count, either. Nor does approximately 1,800 comic strips and a yearly presence at the World's largest comic convention.

Guess I'll have to continue PIRATE COVE for another 5 years and see if Wikipedia takes notice.

:)

- J!

March 12th, 2007: Brad Delp, Rest In Peace

2007-03-12T16:52:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have noticed the banner on PIRATE COVE's front page this afternoon thanking a singer by the name of Brad Delp for his lifetime of musical contributions. And I don't doubt that many of you are asking yourselves "Brad WHO?" Allow me to shed a little light:

Brad Delp was the lead singer of the rock band BOSTON. From the mid 1970s through the early 1980s, you couldn't switch the station without hearing Brad's voice belting out through your radio. As I was growing up during those times, BOSTON was a huge influence upon my tender little mind and therefore become one of my all-time favorite bands.

This afternoon, while perusing The Hollywood Reporter, I saw Brad's death announcement. On Page 36. PAGE 36! This man sang on a debut album that sold 17 MILLION copies! Wow. Page 36, huh? I swore to myself I wouldn't get all snarky about the media in what I intend to be a serious eulogy, but considering some of the other "famous" individuals getting a ton of press over their deaths, Page 36 just doesn't sit well with me.

So, Mr. Delp gets front page at PIRATE COVE. It's not much but it's what I have to offer. I wish I'd had the opportunity to tell him in person, but as that is no longer possible, I'll just have to tell eveyone else: Thank you for lifting my spirits when I'm down. Thank you for making me smile when I hear your voice. Thank you for the level-10 sing alongs we stage on long road trips. Just like Beethoven, just like Frank Sinatra, and just like Led Zeppelin... BOSTON and the legacy of Brad Delp will live on long after we're all long gone. That's the great thing about being an artist: whether they knew you or not, you will never be forgotten.

- J.

"Cry a little longer and hold a little tighter. Emotions can't be satisfied."

February 22nd, 2007: Semi-True Stories

2007-02-22T11:23:00.000-08:00

Sometime around 1991, several friends went camping out in the woods of Pennsylvania. Early one afternoon, seven of the friends hiked to a waterfall, following a trail marked by blue spots, painted onto trees along the path. After an hour or so at the waterfall, rain clouds began to roll in and the hikers decided they had better return to the campground.

While following the blue trail back to the campground, Joe fell to the rear of the group to join Webmaster John and observe a porcupine climbing a tree. The hike continued. Twenty minutes or so later, everyone came to a dead stop.

The question "Where do we go now?" was posed to Joe who replied, "Keep following the blue trail."

"What blue trail?" was the reply from the person in the lead.

Joe resisted the urge to throttle said hike leader and instead pointed through the woods towards a clearing in the distance. Although the hikers had left the trail, the dried-up lake, one of the major landmarks along the blue trail, was visable. Problem was, getting to the dried-up lake required hiking through mud and thick prickler bushes. Halfway to the dried-up lake, complaints about the hiking conditions arose. Once again, the intrepid group of hikers came to a dead stop, their feet sinking into the muck.

Suddenly, a call was heard on the wind: "HELLLLLLLOOOOOOOO!!!!"

"HELLLLLOOOOOOOOO!" the hikers called back! Moments later, the Marines had arrived! Well... ONE Marine, anyway. Paul was a friend of one of the campers back at the campground and he had lost his way while strolling through the woods.

"Thank God I found you guys!" Paul exclaimed, "I was lost!"

"Thanks God you found us!" Joe's faithless compainions cried, "WE were lost! Guide us back home!"

So Paul and Joe's companions trode off... in precisely the wrong direction.

Joe tried to convince them that they needed to return to the dried-up lake... that they needed to pick up the blue trail again... but by the time he managed to convey this to Paul, Joe too was lost.

Paul told the group to stay put. He and Joe were going to climb a nearby ridge and see if they couldn't spot landmarks.

Once safely away from the other six hikers, Paul turned to Joe and asked "Why is everyone following me??? I was friggin' LOST when I found you and I'm friggin' LOST NOW!"

Joe resisted the urge to throttle Paul and instead returned to his friends who were by now soaked to the bone from the pouring rain. "Here's the deal," he said, "We're choosing ONE direction and going that way until we hit something. Otherwise, we could be out here for a very very VERY long time."

Nearly seven hours after leaving the waterfall, the hikers finally came across a sign of civilization: a wide trail stretching to eternity in both directions, marked with the sign "JOHN KRAVITZ HUNTING TRAIL - TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED."

The campers turned left onto the trail (when in doubt, turn left) and, somewhat over an hour later, found themselves on the outskirts of Pennsylvania Route 487. They ran over to a cabin and knocked on the door. No one answered. They ran around to the side door and knocked. Still no answer. With rain and lightning spilling all around them, the hikers decided upon desperate measures. Joe hefted a large rock, went around to a side window, prepared to take aim, and was suddenly shocked to find himself face-to-face with a very angry-looking old man.

"Get off my property!" the man shouted, "Get off my land before I call the police!"

"PLEASE CALL THE POLICE!" the campers shouted back. "We've been hiking for nine hours!"

"I have a shotgun!" Kravitz announced.

With that, the hikers started down Route 487, cursing the name Kravitz with every step. Eventually, the hikers came across a country store that had closed for the evening. Night had fallen but there, across the road, lit by a lone streetlight, stood salvation: a pay phone! One 9-1-1 call later, and several highway patrol cars rolled up alongside our soaking, shivering and desperately tired group of hikers.

"I know where the hell you were coming from!" one officer commented, "You could have been out there forever if you didn't turn left! Your friends back at the cabin called us a couple hours ago..."

The officer picked up his radio and called in. "We found all eight of them and are returning them to the campground."

The patrol car's radio burst into life. "The fella they're stayin' with says there should be nine of 'em."

"Where's the ninth one?" the officer asked.

"Uh-oh." Paul muttered.

As it turned out, there wasn't a ninth one. The ninth person had declined to join the hikers and was later discovered asleep in the back seat of his car.

But none of those hikers ever forgot that bastard John Kravitz - the man so miserable that he wouldn't lift a finger to help eight bedraggled hikers who had lost their way deep in his back yard.

Joe swears that one day, he will return to the Kravitz residence. And if that old man is still alive, Joe will not resist the urge to throttle him.

January 17th, 2007: The Second Book Is Now Available!

2007-01-17T11:20:00.000-08:00

Yep, like the title says, the second compilation of PIRATE COVE comic strips is now available over at Lulu.com! Continuing to work our way backwards, this one contains Episode 27: The Man(iac) Who Came To Dinner PLUS Comic ConJob and Comic ConJob 2!

The way it currently stands, Episode 26 will be available for purchase in about 2 months, then Episodes 24 and 25 will be combined into one book.

To check out PIRATE COVE's Lulu Store, just click on the "Now Available - Click Here!" Link on the main page!

Convention News: PIRATE COVE will likely be attending both APE in San Francisco and the San Diego Comic Con in 2007. We are debating going to one of the East Coast conventions in the near future.

As always, thanks for keeping the Cove alive and I hope to see some of you soon at APE!

- J!

Happy New Year! THE BOOK IS READY!

2007-01-02T14:28:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, one and all! Got some great news to start off 2007: PIRATE COVE EPISODE 28 is now available to order from Lulu Publishing! And surprise, surprise: EPISODE 27 won't be too far behind! As previously mentioned, the book is available both in full color and economical black & white. Here are the links:

Full Color

Black & White

I gotta tell you: if you have the pesos to spare, I'd recommend getting the full color version. The art looks better printed in color than it does online!

Copies will also be available for sale at the 2007 San Diego Comic Con.

As always, thanks for reading!

- J!

December 14th, 2006: Got Proof?

2006-12-14T15:52:00.000-08:00

The proof copies of Pirate Cove: Episode 28 - 'Till Death Do Us Part are on their way! As previously stated, the book will likely be available in either Black & White ($15.00) or Full-Color ($32.00), depending on your budget.

The last of the files were uploaded yesterday, but as I need to see how the books turned out before making them both available to the public, they aren't QUITE ready to order just yet. How will you know when you can place your order? Well, you could check back here on a daily basis...

...or you could watch for the "SHOP" link to open on the PIRATE COVE main page!

"Enough babbling about yer merchandising," you're thinking. "When do we get new comics?!?"

Answer: December 25th. Merry Christmas! The next episode, previously titled "The BiPolar Express" but now retitled, will begin around the same time Santa is circling Greenland.

That's all I've got for you today... I still need to re-do the "Characters" section and upload a few "Before The Cove" books before the new episode starts. Wish me luck!

- J!

December 8th, 2006: Hold Yer Horses, It's Coming!

2006-12-08T16:45:00.000-08:00

Coming Soon! Stay Tuned!

November 13th, 2006: Let The Upgrades Begin!

2006-11-13T16:49:00.000-08:00

Howdy! Hope y'all enjoyed the wrapup to Episode 28! And best of all, you don't have to wait four months for the next episode to start (grumble grumble... stupid "LOST"...)!

I've started improving the website this afternoon by moving Episode 28 to the Archives. I'm also going to try making navigation easier by placing a calendar of strips on the first page of every episode. That way, if you're in the middle of Episode 22 and have to go back to work, you can just click on the date you left off and continue reading without having to scroll through 40 strips.

I'll try to have this finished by the end of this week. Meanwhile, enjoy "COMIC CONJOB" and I'll have details on how and where to order the first PIRATE COVE book sometime in the first week of December!

TTFN!

- J!

November 7th, 2006: And Now It's Time To Say Goodbye...

2006-11-07T16:06:00.000-08:00

Only three more days until the end of Episode 28! Aiigh! Panic in the streets! YIKES but that was a fast five years and two months!

Well, don't panic TOO much 'cause here's PIRATE COVE's tenative schedule for the rest of this year:

November 10th, 2006: Episode 28 Ends.

November 13th, 2006: Comic ConJob debuts. This is the short story from the 2005 San Diego Comic Con book, one page of which will be posted daily. Unlike the previously published version, this will be in full color! Hurrah! For those of you paying attention, this story takes place between Episodes 27 & 28.

November 28th, 2006: Comic ConJob wraps up.

November 29th, 2006: Comic ConJob 2: Electric Boogaloo debuts. This is the short story from the 2006 San Diego Comic Con book. Also in full color, one page will be posted daily. Continuity-wise, this story takes place immediately after the first Comic ConJob and prior to Episode 28.

December 20th, 2006: Comic ConJob 2 wraps up.

December 25th, 2006: Episode 29 - The BiPolar Express debuts. From this point on, PIRATE COVE will be updated on weekdays only. Otherwise, everything is back to normal!

In between all of this, I will be working on the Archives, adding books to BEFORE THE COVE, making improvements to navigation, and making Episode 28 available in BOOK FORM. Yep, that's the plan for the publishing: I'm going to work my way backwards, starting with Episode 28. What's more, you'll have the option to purchase the book in either economical black & white or color! Or both, if you're feeling feisty.

And there you have it! That's what Joe will be doing with his month & a half break.

Break? Who said I'm taking a BREAK? (insert maniacal laughter here.)

Viva Las Vegas!!

- J!

October 31st, 2006: Happy Halloween & AdSense NonSense

2006-10-31T16:51:00.000-08:00

Howdy, all! A very Happy Halloween to all of you out there in CyberSpace! Here's a lump of sticky candy from me to you!

* toss! *

Woops. Sorry about that. Nothing worse than candy stuck in yer hair...

Anyway. As you may have noticed, Episode 28 is drawing to a close. Still a couple more surprises on their way, so don't tune out just yet!

Meanwhile, some of you may remember that a couple months ago, Google ads started popping up on the Pirate Cove website. I had enrolled in a program called "Google AdSense" which, in addition to tracking the number of visitors Pirate Cove was receiving, provided me with about a buck a day in revenue. Not exactly an ad program destined to allow me to retire... but I didn't mind. I was more interested in watching the daily hits graph, etc.

Well, after about 2 months, Google owed me a little over $50 in revenue. They said they were going to send me a check and to please confirm my phone number. Next day, they shut down the ads, told me I was in default of their policies, and to kiss the check goodbye.

WTF?

I wrote them for details and their reply was: there were unauthorized clicks on the ads. I wrote again, asking them to explain what that meant. They said that it is against their policy for me to tell people to click the ad links and that it is also against their policy to use an automatic link clicker (or something like that.)

Once again, I replied to inform them that, yes, I told people to USE the links if they saw something interesting but I wasn't using an automatic link clicker... heck, I wouldn't have any idea of where to FIND such a thing, much less the ability to set one up! I wanted proof. I wanted details. And I asked them for it. Well, they refused. The links had invalid clicks, their word was law and too bad for me.

Guess they needed the $50 to fund their purchase of YouTube.

Again I wrote, this time asking them "so what you're saying is, if I went to someone's website, saw they had Google Ads, and started clicking them at random, you'd shut down their account? That hardly seems fair to the website owner."

No reply.

So I sent them one last e-mail, requesting the name of Google's attorney because I would like to discuss the situation with them. After all, in a legal case, the with-holding of information is against the law.

They never replied.

It would be kinda stupid for me to ask y'all to stop using Google as a way of protesting their less than professional attitude, but I thought I'd mention my situation anyway. It's been a couple weeks since the incident and I wanted time to cool down before posting anything about it here.

So just remember: if you're ever on a website and you see "Ads by Google," whatever you do, DON'T CLICK THEM! You might be screwing over whoever owns the website! After all, those links aren't there to be clicked! Pretend they don't exist! 'Cause if you click too much, who knows? Perhaps the Google Police will come to get you!

Ooooooo! Scary!

Viva Las Vegas!

- J!

October 17th, 2006: Hither and Dither

2006-10-17T11:44:00.000-07:00

I'll be the first to admit: I'm not always a consistant person. In fact, the only thing I think I've managed to stay consistant with for an extended period of time has been PIRATE COVE! So much for the Blog, eh?

Not many people know this, but I maintain a double life. PIRATE COVE isn't my full time job. I actually work a 40-hour-plus week at a motion picture production company in good 'ol Hollywood! So there's my excuse for not updating the Blog or getting back to your e-mails in a timely manner.

I can't complain about being too busy, tho, as I've found time for a couple escapes over the past month. A couple weeks back, I got invited to the Playboy Mansion for the Cedars-Sinai Charity Celebrity Tennis Event. Lots of free food, silent auctions for charity, Playmates, Hef, and the opportunity to wander the grounds at will... ah, the life of a semi-famous cartoonist!

Then, last weekend, I assisted World-famous photographer / model train layout designer / band road manager / album cover designer Larry Dupont in moving his latest work of art out of his back room studio for transport to its new home in San Diego.

Lemme tell ya - this guy is incredible. Those pictures aren't of a real mountain or desert. He molded the rocks, he painted the desert, he built the tunnels. I think he worked on this for over a year!

Anyway... how about some PIRATE COVE news? I have some, you know. I'm not here to just ramble on about my private life. Here goes:

1) For those of you who've come up to me at conventions and asked - nay, DEMANDED - printed copies of the PIRATE COVE comics in book form, then demand no more. The first book will be available in DECEMBER. Just in time for Christmas. I'm working on figuring out the pricing at the moment. I'd love to be able to put these out in full color, but I also want to keep the price down. More info on this to follow.

2) As Episode 28 slowly but surely wraps up, I'm still planning on taking a break. Not as long a break as originally planned, tho. Episode 29 will probably start up in late December. I'm also considering switching to a "weekday update only" schedule. Sometimes the weekends kill me.

3) There will still be updates to the site during my hiatus. I'm planning on adding more books to the "BEFORE THE COVE" section and throwing out a few other surprises in the meanwhile.

OK, back to the grind goes I. Actually, I'm going to lunch. Stay tuned for more updates. I promise I'll try to log in to The Captain's Table more than once a month!

Viva Las Vegas!

- Joe!

September 10th, 2006: Happy Birfday To Me!

2006-09-10T00:25:00.000-07:00

Whoever said "time flies when you're having fun" sure knew what they were talking about! Because sure enough, it's been FIVE YEARS since I first scrawled that nearly incoherent comic strip about a guy drawing... well, a comic strip.

So here we are: one thousand, eight hundred and twenty five days later. And what have we learned? Well, I'VE learned that writing something funny (I hope) on a daily basis isn't as easy as it sounds. Heck, two of my friends offered to write a PIRATE COVE episode each once... and never got past the planning stage. But despite the late hours, the days when I didn't think I was going to make the deadline, and those wonderful times when the server crashed, I've definitely had fun these past five years.

And I hope you've gotten a mild chuckle or two along the way as well. After all, what's the use in creating something like this if no one's enjoying it? Besides the satifaction one gets from being a severe pain the rump, that is.

So on behalf of myself, Brian, Patty, Louis, Larry, Edre, Joe, Safiya, and the rest of the crew here at PIRATE COVE, I hereby offer you, the reader, my most exhalted THANK YOU!

Will PIRATE COVE last another 5 years?

"We'll see," he replied slyly, "we'll just see..."

VIVA LAS VEGAS!

- J!

September 5th, 2006: Deleted Scenes

2006-09-05T11:09:00.000-07:00

Wow. Almost five years into PIRATE COVE and we have a first, ladies & gentlemen! Monday afternoon found me not at a barbecue or relaxing by the beach... no, it found me meandering back to the office to pull Tuesday's strip off the server. Then, with pencil in hand, I proceeded to totally re-do the comic. See, I knew where I wanted the story to go... I just didn't set it up properly. And it was bothering me all freakin' weekend. But in case you were wondering what today's comic strip ORIGINALLY looked like, here ya go!

OK, now I gotta go in and make some changes to Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday's comics so this all makes sense. Back in a few!

- J!

August 24th, 2006: The Webcomic List

2006-08-24T13:30:00.000-07:00

Greetings, all! It has recently come to my attention that even though PIRATE COVE has been updating daily for nearly five years, a lot of people just don't know about it. Well, that's gonna change. And here's how you, the dedicated PIRATE COVE reader, can help... AND possibly find a treasure trove of other great webcomics in the process!

A friend of mine recently showed me a website called The Webcomic List - a compendium of webcomics from around the globe - which he'd listed PIRATE COVE on. It's an amazing resource, really... I've already started reading two webcomics I found on the site.

So if you like PIRATE COVE and want to see it thrive, we gotta spread the word, people! And here's what you can do:

1. Register at The Webcomic List

2. Add PIRATE COVE as one of your favorite webcomics

3. Leave a comment that will encourage others to check out the strip

Just remember: the more people that read the comic, the more demand there will be for published book versions and the sooner we'll see these in print!

As always, thanks for your support and I'll be back next week with another installment of "Travels With Joe!"

Viva Las Vegas!

- J!

August 23rd, 2006: Travels With Joe, Part Two

2006-08-23T11:49:00.000-07:00

Every year around late July, I get this feeling of elation that can only be associated with the San Diego Comic Con. But it has nothing to do with the show... it has to do with the food. I've probably mentioned these places in every SDCC wrapup I've ever done but frankly, they deserve it. Here's where the PIRATE COVE crew dines whenever we descend upon the Gaslamp District of San Diego... and they're ALL within walking distance of the Convention Center.

Every day for lunch, we eat at the Tin Fish. It's visable from the Convention Center, across from Hall H. It's located just across the train tracks, between the baseball stadium and the entrance to the Gaslamp District. Look for the fountain. And the long line of customers. Their specialty is their fish & chips but for me, nothing beats one of their Po Boy sandwiches, whether it be calamari, clam, shrimp, or fish (I haven't tried the oyster sandwich yet, tho.) And just when I thought their food couldn't get any better, they switched to a softer wheat roll for these sandwiches this year (they used to be served on a hard french roll) and I applaud the change. Some of the items on the menu may seem a bit expensive, but when you compare them to the $8 slices of pizza and $5 bottles of water you'd find in the Convention Center, you'll opt to spend the extra buck and get some quality eats instead.

Super Secret Tin Fish Hint: The line outside the Tin Fish can be daunting. It's sometimes a 1/2 hour wait just to place your order. You could be spending that half hour in the Convention Center, right? Then don't wait. Call them. Place your order over the phone and pick it up at the bar 15 minutes later.

For dinner, there are two places we always seem to end up at: Dick's Last Resort and Joe's Crab Shack.

Dick's Last Resort is a blast. Not just because of the down-home steak & potatoes style food they serve, but because of the atmosphere. When a server comes to your table, her basic attitude will be one of "I've had a hellish day and I don't want to wait on you." They tend to throw down a huge stack of napkins at random, toss the menu to you from 10 feet away, sit on your lap when taking the table's order, berate the men for ordering "wussy drinks," and one time, a waitress threw a tray at Randy because he had the nerve to talk back to her. You can also expect to get into napkin fights with people at the other tables, just don't throw anything else 'cause there's security guards on duty.

They'll let anyone in before 9PM so if you've got someone in your group under the age of 18, get there early. Warning: they usually have a live band playing and more often than not, they play REALLY LOUD. If you've got a problem with having to yell your conversations across he table, this might not be the place for you. But personally, I don't mind it because I'm usually busy knawing on one of Dick's huge & hearty chicken-fried steaks. Made from a REAL steak (not one of those hamburger-like substances you'd get at Denny's) and covered with a country gravy that smacks of jalapeno, this is a certified heart attack on a plate. And since we all gotta die someday, we might as well enjoy the ride. Have a few beers. You can ride the shuttle back to the hotel.

Joe's Crab Shack is located behind the Convention Center, on the Marina. That's me in the tie-dye shirt, leading the charge. They're more of a family-friendly version of Dick's Last Resort with a focus on seafood. Again, the prices can be a bit steep, but you get what you pay for. My personal favorite is the barbecued dungeoness crab. Prepare to get messy. I once tried their crabcake sandwich and wasn't too impressed. It was rather small and I couldn't taste the crab. Stick with the real hard-shelled goodness and you'll walk away happy. Besides barbecued, you can also have your crabs steamed or garlic-flavored.

Next time on The Captain's Table: Joe will show you how you can help support PIRATE COVE's advertising drive AND find some other great webcomics in the process! Then we'll get back to the 'Travels With Joe' series and talk about a restaurant you won't have to go to San Diego to dine at!

- J!

August 20th, 2006: Travels With Joe, Part One

2006-08-20T01:11:00.000-07:00

"They've nailed me! I'm trapped in some stinking desert crossroads called Baker. I don't have much time. The fu**ers are closing in. They'll hunt me down like a beast!"
- Raoul Duke, "Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas"

OK, I'll admit it: I'm a Chowhound. I like to eat and I like eating a lot. Luckilly, I've got this fantastic metabolism that's kept me in the 185-pound range since I was in High School. And growing up as the son of a restauranteer didn't help to curb my voracious appetite any.

Therefore, I've decided to make a few Pirate Cove Blog entries that focus on one of the most fundamental, yet enjoyable aspects of life: FOOD.

Now, I could simply make a list of the kinds of food I enjoy... cheeseburgers, pizza, fried chicken, chicken-fried steak, king crab, and Chinese Food... but instead, I've chosen to take you to a few select locations that, with any luck, you'll have the opportunity to experience first hand someday. And where better to start than somewhere that's close to Pirate Cove's home town of Las Vegas? I'm speaking, of course, about that Mecca of the desert, that haven for the weary traveler: The Mad Greek of Baker, California.

The Mad Greek is easy enough to locate, whether you're traveling East towards Las Vegas, or limping West, back to Los Angeles... just look for one of the approximately 780 billboards they've erected along the side of I-15.

"The Mad Greek! 20 Miles!" they scream.

"Try Our WORLD FAMOUS Strawberry Shakes!" they suggest.

"Only 10 More Miles Until The Mad Greek!" they shriek!

Then you see: "You Just Missed The Exit For The Mad Greek. Better Luck In Vegas."

Speaking of those strawberry shakes, even if you hate strawberries, you owe yourself to try one. It's like having the thickest, most delectable Slurpee you've ever laid eyes on delivered straight to your table. And the rest of the food ain't bad either! In Pirate Cove, I made Brian the customer who ate himself sick. In reality, that's my job. The "pastrami burger" that's mentioned in the comic strip is actually called "The Onassis Burger" on the menu. It's a cheeseburger smothered in pastrami, mustard, a huge wedge of tomato, pickles, and lettuce. The french fries they serve are a perfect blend of crispy outside and mealy inside. The fried mushrooms are golden brown on the outside, moist on the inside, and are served with a light ranch dressing, complimented with dill.

Being a Greek restaurant, you'd expect them to have worthwhile Greek food on the menu, too... and they don't let down. I don't know what they put in them, but their Gyros are quite possibly the best I've ever eaten. And there's something pretty special about their dolmades (grape leaves stuffed with rice), too. I've never quite been able to put my finger on it... they've just got this tang to 'em that I've never really tasted anyplace else. And that's actually my one complaint: how come I have to drive all the way to the Mad Greek to get such great dolmades???

The atmosphere is also worth noting. If you're into people-watching, Baker is a Shangri-La. You'll run into all sorts out there... from bikers to truckdrivers to mom & pop in the family truckster, the veranda at The Mad Greek serves as a perfect people-watching HQ. So long as you don't mind the non-stop bouzouki music, that is. And the color blue. There's a LOT of blue & white in The Mad Greek's decor.

Before leaving Baker behind, however, be sure to stop in at Alien Fresh Jerky and pick up a pack of sweet & sour beef jerky. It's just up the road. You can't miss it. Look for the rocket ship. But avoid the clam jerky. It's as hideous as it sounds.

That's all for today's entry; I'll be back soon to discuss the REAL reason the four days of the San Diego Comic Con are my favorite four days of the year!

- J!

August 6th, 2006: Back Up & Running... Almost.

2006-08-06T10:46:00.000-07:00

Greetings! OK, the server is rebuilt and back online... only problem is, all the passwords have been reset and I don't know what the new password is yet! So while I wait to be contacted with that little bit of info, here's Sunday's comic! See ya tomorrow!

- J!

August 5th, 2006: While The Server Gets Rebuilt...

2006-08-05T00:04:00.000-07:00

News as of Friday evening is that the server that hosts PIRATE COVE is being rebuilt after someone hacked their way into it Thursday night (man, some people must have a LOT of time on their hands!)

Therefore, while we wait for everything to be up and running again, I thought I would post Friday and Saturday's strips here. You know... for those of you bright enough to have bookmarked The Captain's Table ;)

Just click on a strip to see it full sized.

Friday, August 4th:

Saturday, August 5th:

Rumor has it the server (and PIRATE COVE website) will be up and running by late Saturday afternoon. Should this fail to happen, come back to The Captain's Table tomorrow for Sunday's strip.

Viva Las Vegas!

- J!

August 4th, 2006: Possible Delay Alert!

2006-08-03T22:53:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to make mention that today's (Friday's) comic might be posted a little late. I've been trying to update the site but keep getting a "Network Error - Connection Refused" message every time I go to log in. Webmaster John is on the case and who knows? By the time I'm done typing this, he might have it all fixed. In which case, forget I wrote anything.

- J!

EDIT: OK, let's change that headline to DEFINITE Delay Alert! The problem seems to be with our server in Colorado... and we're currently unable to contact the people who manage it! Hey, stuff happens, right? Sorry it had to happen in the middle of an action sequence, tho!

We'll keep trying over the course of the day and hopefully we'll still have Today's Comic up today! If not, tune in tomorrow for a double shot of PIRATE COVE!

- J!

EDIT 2: Looks like the situation is a little more serious than I thought! The server has been hacked, is currently shut down, and I haven't been given an ETA as to when it will be online again. I'll keep checking through tonight so let's all cross our fingers! Worst comes to worst, I can update the next few days of strips right here at The Captain's Table! So remember: if www.piratecovecomic.com isn't working tomorrow morning, COME HERE!

- J!

August 1st, 2006: TheirSpace

2006-08-01T11:58:00.000-07:00

Well well well. It appears Brian's not the only one to get a MySpace. After wading through the bevy of buxtom beauties Brian has in his "friends" list, I also found Joe, Patty, Louis & Edre! Here's where you can find 'em:

Joe - http://www.myspace.com/joethundergod

Patty - http://www.myspace.com/luvpatty

Louis - http://www.myspace.com/grodinbear

Edre - http://www.myspace.com/edreryok

- J!

July 31st, 2006: HisSpace

2006-07-31T11:48:00.000-07:00

I was talking to Brian Kirby this morning, taking notes on what he, Joe and Patty have been up to these days so I may convert their tales to comic strips... and he told me he had signed up with "MySpace."

He asked me to tell all of you "hot & sexy Pirate Cove fans" to come check out his MySpace and to feel free to request him to be your friend. After viewing his page, I don't think you'd need to worry about his denying your request.

You can search for his page via his e-mail address of YoBigPoppa69@yahoo.com or use this addy directly:

www.myspace.com/PhatPoppa

- J!

July 27th, 2006: Comic Con Wrapup 2006!

2006-07-27T13:39:00.000-07:00

We came. We saw. We had a blast!

The San Diego Comic Con 2006 is now a thing of the past. A fond memory filled with fun, frolic, food, and... uh... gimme something else that starts with "f." Fortification! Yeah, that'll do...

The Pirate Cove Crew arrived on the scene early Thursday morning, collected our badges, and hurried over to the Small Press Area. Much to our delight, we discovered we were on the far right of the convention center, facing the Cafe Express and dining tables. Our neighbors, Poseur Ink, had already arrived and set up, bemoaning the fact they couldn't continue to make use of our table & chairs. Further in the other direction was Studio Foglio, which was a special treat for Joe as Phil Foglio's work has been influencing Joe since the mid 1980s! Other new friends and familiar faces found among the Small Press Pavilion were Matt Doughty, Team Atrox, Onion Head Monster, Domestic Abuse, Sugarfree Comics, Miller & Mullet, and Strongarm Labs which had some OUTSTANDING posters for sale!

OK, now that you've exhausted yourself by checking out all those links, we return you to our previously scheduled Blog entry!

So where was I? Oh, yes! It was Thursday morning and by the time Noon rolled around, we'd been visited by many rabid Pirate Cove fans and even MORE Comic Con visitors who had never heard of Pirate Cove before. Considering we gave away over 400 copies of the giveaway comic during the course of the show, I'd say we managed to convert more than a handful of 'em.

The Pirate Cove Crew this year, in case you were curious, were Joe D'Angelo, Randy Carter, Joy McLean, and Mark McLean. They're in that picture up there. Mucho thanks to Gregg for the photographical assist!

Friday and Saturday got very very busy. Joe attended a couple webcomic panels and Randy attended panels for Battlestar Galactica and Stargate. Joy ate lots of crab from Joe's Crab Shack. Mark ate everyone's leftovers. And prompty threw up on Saturday night.

Meanwhile, back at the Pirate Cove table, we were visited by several celebrities! David Arquette popped in to purchase an official Pirate Cove Pumpkin T-Shirt (and proceeded to shout at his friend who was halfway across the hall "HEY, CHRIS! YOU WANT A PUMPKIN SHIRT, TOO?") and film composer Christopher Young stopped by to pick up all of our new material. And Joe met some guy who created a little TV show you may have heard of called "The Simpsons." (Thanks to Scott for that handy camera!)

But the real celebrities were the Pirate Cove fans Joe and Randy had the opportunity to chat with. We discussed whether or not the house in Las Vegas was insured for water damage, whose bedrooms got blown out by the molotov cocktails, and exactly how cute a couple Louis & Edre make.

Saturday night found us all stumbling around the Gaslamp District after a healthy dinner and napkin fight at Dick's Last Resort. It was nice to see them serving Fat Tire beer at Dick's!

And then... it was over.

With a mixture of sadness and relief, we all cheered the announcer who, at 5PM on Sunday afternoon, said "Comic Con 2006 is now over. Congratulations, all you survivors!" Within 10 minutes, the entire Cafe Express dining area became devoid of tables, the main lights went out, and the carpet was being rolled up. We packed up our gear and last minute purchases, bid a fond adieu to straggling friends, and hopped on the shuttle back to our hotel. A short five-hour drive in traffic later, and we were home. Where we passed out. For several days.

I'm always left wanting more after Comic Con. There's ao much to do... ao much to see... ao much to buy... and even being there four full days just doesn't seem enough! Problem is, I doubt I would survive if Comic Con were extended to two full weeks!

A huge hearty THANK YOU to everyone who supports our insanity, to everyone who stopped by Small Press Table M-11, and to the friends who are always willing to lend a helping hand! Let's do this again next year! And in the meanwhile, let's see what other shows Pirate Cove can turn up at in between!

Viva Las Vegas!

- J!

July 17th, 2006 - Comic Con Job 2!

2006-07-17T15:18:00.000-07:00

Two bits of news for ye today! First and foremost, let's discuss the THIRD new item you'd find at the PIRATE COVE table at the San Diego Comic Con this year: Comic Con Job 2! It's an all-new 22-page story that picks up right where last year's convention comic left off! Joe has managed to hunt down his super-rare THUNDER GOD convention exclusive... but is he prepared to face the most horrific phenomenon known to comicdom? The OBSESSED FAN?? Nope, probably not.

Comic Con Job 2 costs $1 for the average passer-by, but PIRATE COVE fans can get their copy for FREE by printing out the cover image in the upper left and presenting it to any PIRATE COVE table employee!

Second bit of news: if you're visited the PIRATE COVE website today, you may be suffering from flashback syndrome. That's because, for the next week, we will be recapping strips from the vault, dating back to 2001! It's all leading up to "Episode 28: 'Till Death Do Us Part" which begins on Monday, July 24th! It's a great way for current readers to refresh themselves on a few important plot points and for new readers to get up to speed without having to read 1500 past comic strips (not that we don't recommend you check those out if you've never read them!)

I'll be back next week with a convention report!

Viva San Diego!

- J!

July 10th, 2006 - Pirate Cove: The Coloring Book!

2006-07-10T10:42:00.000-07:00

As promised, here's another preview of what you would find if you happened to stroll past the PIRATE COVE table at the San Diego Comic Con next week! The Pirate Cove Coloring Book contains 19 black & white line drawings, culled from years of convention sketches, random doodlings, and promotional works. The Coloring Book sells for $1 so adjust your budgets accordingly ;)

But the Coloring Book isn't all you get for your hard earned cash! While supplies last, we'll even thrown in a box of crayons so you can start coloring Brian in his Bigfoot costume right then & there! NOW how much would you pay? Well, it doesn't matter because we won't accept anything more than the cover price.

"Is there anything else, Joe? Is that ALL you'll have at Comic Con?" you ask.

Maybe. But probably not. Come back again next Monday and perhaps I'll have another preview for ya! Let's see how much work I get done this week...

- J!

July 5th, 2006 - Countdown To SDCC

2006-07-05T13:50:00.000-07:00

Wow. Just... wow. I looked at the calendar last night. The San Diego Comic Con is only 14 days away! Holy Bejeezus. Time flies! Next thing you know, I'll be posting a blog about how fast Comic Con came & went!

So let's see... what's on tap for Small Press Section Table M-11 this year? For starters we've got our annual giveaway comic, meant to draw in a few suckers - er - READERS who don't want to plunk down a buck or two for whatever I happen to be selling without getting a taste first. This year, the giveaway book contains an abridged (a word which here means "edited" or "chopped down to fit") version of Episode XVII: Reality, Blurred. A few panels were altered and some dialogue was modified in the hopes of making the book a little more coherent but otherwise, it's the same thing you'd find in the Archives section. It's got a neat little cover featuring new artwork of Woody, Joe, and Norm (or is that George?)

What else would thee find if you ventured our way during the show? Stay tuned! More will be revealed next week!

- J!

June 14th, 2006: It's Alive! ALIVE!

2006-06-14T16:01:00.000-07:00

He tells no lies! MIRRORVERSE has updated!

- J!

June 8th, 2006: Return To Mirrorverse?

2006-06-08T15:59:00.000-07:00

Howdy! I noticed this post over at the MIRRORVERSE website the other day:

05-27-06
No joke. Updated strips are coming soon. A year in the making and two are almost done! Man, I'm such a slacker. More to come when I get off my lazy ass, such as the new Archive navigation stuff. I'm gradually working it to every Archive page. Hopefully I can get all of it up by Monday.
-Chachi

The new navigation system he speaks of is already in place and I, for one, am seriously looking forward to some new strips! I still want to know how Louis got back through that mirror! ;)

For those of you who have no clue what I'm talking about, then you obviously haven't clicked on the link to MIRRORVERSE: Chachi's PIRATE COVE spinoff detailing Louis' adventures in the Mirror World! The link can be found on our main page, just underneath the daily strip.

Glad to hear it's not dead, Chachi! Will we be seeing you at Comic Con this year?

TTFN,

- Joe!

June 2nd, 2006: Anatomy of A Comic - Part Four

2006-06-02T12:08:00.000-07:00

When last we left our story, we had written a comic strip, sketched it out in pencil, layed down our inks, erased the stray pencil marks, scanned the strip into the computer, and added colors. So what's left? Three steps, really:

1. Shade
2. Text
3. Convert

Shading is something I discovered around Episode Fifteen. Even the slightest gradiant in the background really makes the characters pop out. Sometimes I'll add a texture or blur during this stage as well.

The text on your average strip consists of two or three fonts in 4 or 5 different sizes. Dialogue, unless meant to be screamed, is usually a 64-point One Stroke Script font while the header and footer is Cooper Black. More often than not, I'll alter dialogue from the script about now, second-guessing my joke or wondering if this particular character would really say what was originally scribed. Sound effects or creature sounds get a different font, sometimes highlighted in a different color. Highlighting dialogue is another thing I learned halfway through the course of Pirate Cove. Makes it MUCH easier to read words that intersect artwork lines!

Last but not least comes the conversion stage. If I uploaded the final Bitmap to the Pirate Cove website, you'd be sitting there for 10 minutes, waiting for it to load. No, instead I convert the strips to a JPEG format, upload, and then update the comic strip with the finished product sometime between 11PM and 1AM Pacific time.

And there ya have it! This is what I do for fun. Sounds like a blast, huh? Makes ya want to jump right in and create your own comic strip, doesn't it?

All right, I admit - it's a LOT of work. And perhaps my choice of a DAILY schedule wasn't the smartest thing in the World. But in the end, I'm very happy with the overall product and hope y'all are, too! Even with my occasional slipup or late comic ;)

Have a good weekend, everybody!

- J!

May 30th, 2006: Anatomy Of A Comic - Part Three

2006-05-30T11:15:00.000-07:00

Next up: making those pencil marks PERMANENT. I have three different pens I use to ink the strips but mostly rely on the Pilot Razor Point Extra Fine Tip. Then I take an eraser to the paper, remove the stray lines, and end up with this:

And that, my friends, is the last physical thing that will happen to the image before I scan it and drop it into my file of "finished strips."

Once scanned, it is saved as a 300dpi Bitmap and then the colors are dropped in:

Only a few short steps to go... will cover them tomorrow.

And by the way: if you click one of those images, you will get a larger view of them. No need to sit there squinting at the screen ;)

- J!

May 26th, 2006: Anatomy of A Comic - Part Two

2006-05-26T15:43:00.000-07:00

Y'allrighty... so we've got an idea that we consider relatively amusing, we've written out the dialogue, and broken it up into panels. Now what? The art, of course! Using an average ordinary 8 1/2 X 11 sheet of cardstock, I use a straightedge to create the four panels (sometimes more, depending on the script) and then ink the panels freehand (I like the not-quite-perfectly-straight look.) Then I don my trusty Clickster Grip pencil and start laying it all out.

When I'm done, I usually have a mix of messy lines, overlapping body parts, occasional detail, and a pain my neck from hunching over my desk for 40 minutes. It looks (the comic, not my hunch) something like this:

And just when you thought that's all that went into it... let's talk inks, shall we?

Have a good weekend and I'll talk to y'all on Tuesday with installment three of "Anatomy of A Strip!"

- J!

May 25th, 2006: Anatomy Of A Comic - Part One

2006-05-25T17:12:00.000-07:00

Howdy! Just for fun, I thought I would show y'all what goes into your average everyday installment of PIRATE COVE. Let's look at the process for the May 26th, 2006 comic strip.

Step One involves the script. Sometimes I'll have an idea written down beforehand - like on a scrap of Burger King napkin that I scribbled the idea on while doing 88 mph on the 405 freeway - but more often than not, installments of PIRATE COVE breathe their first life in my script notebook. This one was fairly straighforward. I knew where I was going with it and what the punchline was. I added to Edre's dialogue in the first panel after finishing the script and crossed out a few words in panel three...

Once I'm satisfied with the script, whether it's completely chicken-scratched out or not, I proceed to Step Two: Pencils. Which in this case, you'll get to see tomorrow.

- J!

May 8th, 2006: Woops!

2006-05-08T15:19:00.000-07:00

HowdyHowdyHowdy! Just realized I goofed on the Blog! I didn't realize I had to adjust the settings so ANYONE could post comments. My bad. All fixed. Anyone can comment now, not just Blogger users. You should start by calling me an Internet Doofus.

Anyway. While I'm here, I just thought I would mention that I received a letter from the San Diego Comic Con and PIRATE COVE in the Small Press Section is 100% an official GO (barring my untimely death that is. Speaking of which, did you know I have a comic strip prepared for just that unfortunate occasion? I wouldn't wanna leave you all hanging! Let's hope I never have to use it!)

All right, back to scripting "Till Death Do Us Part." This one's gonna be a DOOZY. Muh ha!

- J!

April 24th, 2006: So What's The Plan, Stan?

2006-04-24T13:43:00.000-07:00

Somebody somewhere must be paying attention because I received six e-mails this weekend, asking me about the future of PIRATE COVE. As of now, this is it:

There will be two more episodes after JURASSIC SHARK:

Episode XXVII: The Man(iac) Who Came To Dinner

and

Episode XXVIII: 'Till Death Do Us Part

And then Joe & Co. will be taking a bit of a break. Please bear in mind that key word: BREAK. PIRATE COVE is NOT going away for good! After a few weeks of breather room, I'll get around to posting the rest of the "Before The Cove" books, maybe re-organize the website, update some links, re-scan the early strips so they fit on the screen better... basically, I need time to do all the stuff I've wanted to do for years now but couldn't find the time.

PIRATE COVE will still be keeping its pokers in the fire by showing up at A.P.E. and the San Diego Comic Con. Then, sometime early next year, I hope to have some news on published PIRATE COVE compilations and NEW STORIES. This is all too much fun to give up permanent-like!

And, of course, I will continue to update The Captain's Table with happy news as it becomes available. And speaking of happy news, here's some: barring any industrial accidents, PIRATE COVE will once again be ensconded in the Small Press Section of the San Diego Comic Con this year! We'll have the usual array of magnets, giveaway sampler comics, and - wait for it - a brand new full-length PIRATE COVE comic book! What about? I'll tell you when I figure it out. Until then, stay tuned! This ride ain't over yet!

- Joe!

March 24th, 2006: Off To The Holy Land!

2006-03-24T12:36:00.000-08:00

Howdy, folks! You may have noticed that there are three strips up today... well, around 3PM this afternoon, I'm heading off to Las Vegas with Brian to do a little... um... research. Yeah. Research.

As I won't have computer access, I figured I'd better upload strips for the weekend rather than skip the weekend. Again.

And in case you were curious, yes, the Brian I speak of was the physical inspiration for Brian Kirby the comic character... but certainly not the inspiration for Brian Kirby's personality! That honor goes to another friend of mine who shall remain... er... nameless.

Actually, this post reminds me of something I've been meaning to post at PIRATE COVE: a photo taken in 2001. Front Row L-R - Jodi (inspiration for Patty,) Grace (the one who convinced me to do an online comic strip in the first place,) Brian (inspiration for Brian.) Back Row L-R - Charlie (Grace's husband,) me, and Webmaster John. I'm sure Jodi is still trying to hunt me down and kill me over the character of Patty Maroni.

Anyway, enjoy the comics and I'll talk to y'all again on Monday!

Best!

- J!

March 21st, 2006: So What's The Deal, Neal?

2006-03-21T14:26:00.000-08:00

Some of you have written, asking me what my @!#$% problem has been these past few months. Specifically, there have been concerns over the sporadic nature of updates since around late January 2006. That this seems a bit out of character for me since, prior to late January 2006, I almost NEVER missed a deadline or skipped a day's strip.

Well, it appears that the Powers That Be decided they hadn't messed with me in a long while and decided to release the full brunt of their terrible sense of humor directly upon poor poor Joe. I won't go into full details, suffice it to say that if it COULD have happened to a human being, it DID happen over the course of the past month or so. From an injured drawing hand to water pouring in through the ceiling of my home to computer meltdowns to a stomach flu unlike anything I've ever experienced before... and those were the LEAST of my worries.

Hence, I humbly beg your forgiveness. I didn't want to miss those days. But when you've got a 102-degree fever and your fellow co-workers don't have the common decency to leave you alone to sleep it off, the last thing you'd be thinking of is "What can Boris say in tomorrow's strip?" You're more like to contemplate how best to get your revenge upon the Boss for leaving 14 messages on your answering machine, complaining that he can't find your cell phone number when you don't even HAVE a cell phone.

Generally, I like to keep a week or so ahead of the game in case of situations like that, or, I like to have a "Joe Is Sick" strip waiting in the wings. Alas, I was without either. Hopefully this won't happen again soon! (Knock on simulated wood.)

Another bit of sad news for anyone who was hoping to catch up with Webmaster John and I at A.P.E. in San Francisco this year is that we won't be there. I wish I could say it was those pesky alien codfish who keep turning up at my door threatening to pelt me with dried apricots if I make any attempt to attend, but the truth of the matter is that funds and time have dictated that we not make the trek this year. On the bright side, we WILL be at the San Diego Comic Con (provided Comic Con gets around to letting me know about my application. Every year it's the same darn thing. Wait wait wait wait. But that's another rant for another day.)

To make a long story short (something I've never been accused of,) PIRATE COVE will prevail! For a while longer, anyway. I've got a bunch more stories in the works. How many will see the light of day? Who knows. In a few days I'll expand upon the initial "5 Year Plan" I mentioned in the F.A.Q. awhile back (particularly relevant as we are approaching the end of those 5 years.)

I'll wrap this up by inviting more questions, criticisms, and undying praise.

Viva Las Vegas!

- Joe!

March 20th, 2006: Welcome Aboard!

2006-03-20T10:16:00.000-08:00

Why the heck didn't I think if this sooner? Probably because I've been so busy lately, that I've barely been able to get the comic strips up on time!

For those of you who've stumbled upon this site without knowing why it's here, allow me to elucidate: I'm Joe D'Angelo and I am the writer / artist / publisher of an online webcomic entitled PIRATE COVE. The comic (ostensibly, anyway) updates with a new full-color strip daily in a sequential manner. Sort of like a comic book that gains a new page every day (humble thanks to Peter Abrams for that description.) The comic has been running full speed ahead since September 2001 so if you want to look busy at work, there are a LOT of comic strips awaiting you in The Archives section!

For more information on the comic, visit Wikipedia!

This site is here for two purposes: A) As a way for me to communicate with the readers of PIRATE COVE and B) As a way for the readers of PIRATE COVE to communicate with me.

If the strip of the day is going to be late for any reason, I'll post info here. If you want to complain about something, you can post a comment! Let me know what you want to see. Let me know what you don't want to see. Let me know what you think of that movie you saw last Saturday night. Unless you're here to spam, anything goes.

Anyway... you may have noticed that yesterday and today's strips aren't up yet. Gimme another hour, OK? Dang but do I wish I could do PIRATE COVE full time and not have to have a full time paying job! Talk to ya soon!

- JOE!