Andrew Neal | Added Value Books

@wanderlane.bsky.social

1734 Followers 572 Following

Charming yet aloof cartoonist and self-publisher. PRINT COMIC STORE: http://wanderlane.bigcartel.com DIGITAL COMIC STORE: https://wanderlane.itch.io/ PATREON: http://patreon.com/wanderlane WEBPAGE: http://meetingcomics.com Prepare to see comics and cats.

Video in which I read you some comics and talk about Thomas, aka the Ribbon Cutter
the linework from a panel of NO RACCOONS IN HELL. VAL is climbing down from a wall of wooden crates as TORI watches. VAL: The walls are pretty short, so I could see into that big area we were in before.
A detail of a panel in progress. Tori saying, "Oh, should I go ahead and take off my underwear?"
A little portfolio of discarded Meeting Comics panels.
A detail of the previously posted comic. DMX yelling "WHAT?!"
A Meeting Comics page, which is collected in TINA AND ELLIE TAKE THE CASE. Thomas and Marisol (a=carrying a cat carrier) arrive back at OnlyGreg headquarters. They dap. THOMAS: Bro! KEVIN: Bro! VAL (in background): Good, Thomas is finally back from quarantine. THOMAS jumps into the air to bump fists with KEVIN: Up high! KEVIN: In the sky! MARISOL introduces herself to VAL: Hey, I'm Marisol! You must be- VAL: I'm Val. THOMAS and KEVIN leap into the air, peforming frankly unlikely backflips. KEVIN: 1...2...3... THOMAS: Go! MARISOL: I just want to say thank you for- VAL puts a finger to MARISOL's lips: Shhhh! They always fuck this part up. THOMAS is doing a handstand, and somehow, Kevin is leaning back and laying on the bottoms of THOMAS's feet, kind of in the pose Burt Reynolds is in in his famous Playgirl image, though Kevin is clothed. He's also giving the thumbs up. Confetti fills the air. MARISOL looks on and VAL cheers. KEVIN: Been weird without you here, bro. THOMAS: Back to normal now, bro.
A page from Meeting Comics #20. Val is crying and Kevin, Thomas, and Janice enter. Kevin: What's wrong? Janice: Val just heard that DMX passed. Val: Sob! Why did it have to be Earl? He was so sweet. Thomas: Wait... did you know him? Val: Yes... Val: We lost touch... the last time I saw him I was a complete wreck, always partying, out of control... Trent Reznor had just thrown me out of his mansion for skinning dipping in the pool. A panel of Trent and Val yelling at each other. Val has shorter hair and is naked and dripping wet. Trent: Don't pull this shit again, Val! Val: You used to be fun before you got sober! Val: Earl was late to the party and found me on the porch banging on the door. DMX walks up as Val, naked in clunky heels, is pounding on the door. There's a yard gnome in a NIN shirt. Val: It's a five-inch nail at best! DMX: WHAT!? Val: He talked me through it, gave me some good advice... DMX puts his Ruff Ryders jacket on Val. DMX: "To live is to suffer. To survive? Well, that's to find meaning in the suffering." Val: Sniff... would you drive me to Charlie Sheen's house? Back to Val talking to Janice, Kevin, and Thomas. Her makeup is running and she's wiping her eyes. Val: Oh god, I'm sorry... I'm making this all about me... you don't want to hear- Everyone else: YES WE DO!
The introduction to TINA AND ELLIE TAKE THE CASE, written by Jadzia Axelrod. It reads: INTRODUCTION by JADZIA AXELROD This is the book where everything changes. That’s not a bad thing. When I first met Andrew, he was working at the comic store I lurked about at in my teens. Now we’re both making the kind of comics we would complain there wasn’t enough of back in his store. Change is good. Lots of changes happen in this book. Everyone gets fired, for one, a spectacular choice for a comic ostensibly about the struggle to keep work from being the center of your life. The characters get new jobs, new romantic partners, new settings, and have to deal with a new reality brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The comic is also changing, giving us “The Long Day,” a phenomenal piece of long-form cast-juggling that keeps its acidic bite all the way to finish line. There’s real ambition here, with Andrew seeing just how far he can stretch the 4-panel world he’s constructed. And wherever Andrew takes these comics, I’m happy to meet him there. Jadzia Axelrod is best known for writing the Galaxy series of graphic novels and Justice League: Dream Girls for DC Comics. She cooks needlessly elaborate meals for her wonderful wife and delightful child.
A four panel comic. Panel one: The Spider-Man villain Venom's tongue is out. Panel two: Now he's reaching back over his head with it. Panel three: He's squatting on the ground and his tongue stretches all the way over his back. Panel four. The tip of the tongue licks his butt.
a screencap showing that my kickstarter for Tina and Ellie Take the Case is at $1397 of $2500
a screencap from my kickstarter showing that the campaign is at $1229 of $2500 with 22 days to go
A drawing of the Ribbon Cutter punching through "$1K"
A video of me talking vaguely conspiracy theory nonsense while information about my comic Kickstarter shows on the screen
a screencap from my kickstarter for TINA AND ELLIE TAKE THE CASE sowing that $998 has been raised so far
A watercolor of Val in a cropped sweatshirt (showing underboob) that reads "EAT"
A drawing by me of Alejandro Bruzzese, character Astoundra
A screencap of the kickstarter activity page which shows that one user canceled a $20 pledge and another canceled a $178 pledge. I actually canceled the $178 one myself. I don't know if the user canceled the $20 one or if kickstarter did it when they looked into my report of that user's spam message.
a screencap from my email of a comment I got on my kickstarter: I know running a campaign means getting pulled in a hundred different directions right now! The vision execution and effort you have put into this stand completely apart from the noise on the platform You have built something truly unique here and the passion behind this project really shines through It is easily one of the most exciting campaigns I have backed this year Every project starts with an idea and it takes a lot of dedication and courage to share it with the world I usually support campaigns even if I do not fully understand every detail but this time I read through yours carefully and understood your vision completely which made me really happy to back it I would love to learn a little more about the rewards even if you do not have all the reward details set up just yet please feel free to let me know! That definitely will not discourage me from supporting you I would also love to share your campaign with some friends Trust me they will like it because we often share campaigns with each other to support creators who are passionate about their ideas We actually have a campaign we are building together as well if you would ever like to see it Could you send me a note on Gmail so I can hear a bit more about the rewards and how to talk about your project with my friends? You can reach me by clicking on my name since I use my Gmail address as my display name Keep going with it keep moving forward and bring your vision to life I would be happy to hear from you!
A screenshot showing a kickstarter tier: EARLY BIRD: All Three Books $72 This tier is available only for the first 24 hours of the campaign. You get a color drawing in your copies of all three Meeting Comics books at no additional charge!
A kickstarter screenshot (with username redacted) to show that my first backer pledged for the All Three Books ART edition + shipping to Italy for a total of $178
A screencap from kickstarter showing that I have three backers who have pledged $241 of the $2500 goal!
My proof copy of TINA AND ELLIE TAKE THE CASE
A panel from No Raccoons in Hell part two. Val and Tori have come upon a wall made of crates. There's apainting of a mind flayer leaning against the crates, and a bunch of stuff on top of them. RANGER RICK THE RACCOON (we assume), from behind the crate wall: Chrrt chrrt chrrt VAL: That's him for sure! TORI: Look at this crazy crate wall!
Rick Veitch's cover to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #24. All the turts are jumping, and there's an airbrush starburst effect behind them.
A panel from Rock Lobster by Steve Mellor. A lobster is drinking and saying, "The hell with all this, I'm gonna get wasted!" There's a bunch of trash around, plus a blender, a toaster, and a wrench. A couple of ladies who are animals of some type, and who have very prominent nipples, are standing nearby.
A drawing of a cat in pants
A drawing of Tina and Ellie as they head to the beach. Tina is wearing a striped one piece, and Ellie is wearing a dangerously cropped t-shirt and bikini bottoms. They're both wearing sneakers, which is why I said they're on their way rather than at the beach
Tina and Ellie as they appeared when I drew them in 2020 (as they appear in Tina and Ellie Take the Case), just drawn six years later. Ellie is feeling romantic
A drawing of Tina and Ellie and clothes like they might have worn when they were investigating the case of the Executive Exorcism, which will be printed in Tina and Ellie Take the Case
Val drawing
Line art and letters from two panels in progress from NO RACCOONS IN HELL. VAL and TORI are near a bunch of wooden crates serving as a wall. Val is pushing against the crates. VAL: It seems sturdy... Give me a boost... I want to see if I see anything. VAL has a hand on one of TORI's shoulders as she steps into TORI's interlaced hands so that TORI can boost her up. VAL: You got me? TORI: Of course.
My hand holding a photo of me in a Flash costume that's not holding up very well. From Halloween 1998, maybe
I get back from a walk behind the house. It's pretty dark. I've got the flash on my phone on to take the video. Boozie the cat is ready for dinner
A color drawing of Tina and Ellie in a copy of Tina and Ellie Take the Case
a hand drawn pie chart for my kickstarter campaign. The majority of the pie is labeled "printing, shipping, packaging materials." Smaller slices are labeled "kickstarter fees" and "possible reprint costs for later issues"
A bunch of drawings of Meeting Comics characters
A grid of 18 stickers which will be available as add-ons in my kickstarter
The drawing of Val with the backless dress uncensored so you can see her butt
An image for the Tina and Ellie Take the Case kickstarter showing various full color pieces of art depicting Val from Meeting Comics. They are labeled A through D. A: Cover to Style & Fashion Zine vol 2, #1. Ink and colored pencil. B: Eat Sweatshirt illustration. Printed on a Meeting Comics bookmark. Ink and watercolor. C: Backless dress illustration. Ink, marker, and whiteout. Is not censored. The dress is really, really backless. D: 1997-2000 set. Ink and marker. Four drawings sold as a set. Val in 1997-2000.
Eensy Weensy the cat
STYLE & FASHION illustration zines issues 1 and 2. One has Val on the cover, the other has Tina and Ellie.
a copy of WRESTLING AND MANIA part one
A chapter header drawing of Janice in from of a poster of Janice.
A color drawing of Val in a copy of MEETING COMICS
All three of my books. The copy of Tina and Ellie Take the Case has a color drawing of Tina and Ellie inside!
INTRODUCTION by BEN PASSMORE Meeting comics is the meandering, ironic, resentful, self-pitying, and undyingly funny daydreaming we do when staring at a blank stretch of wall at work. You can imagine Andrew, hunched at a table with stolen pens and paper from work, laughing to himself as these intricate characters and their world of crushing work and bizarre play emerge in front of him. This ain't yo grandad's Dilbert, this comic contains multitudes. Meeting Comics does what any good story does, tries to tell a story about office drones and ends up telling a story about all of us. Even people like me that haven't had an adult job in like... ever maybe? Ben Passmore is the creator of Daygloayhole, Your Black Friend, Sports Is Hell, and the artist of BTTMFDRS. his cat is very proud.
The character guide page for TINA AND ELLIE TAKE THE CASE. At the top it says: Who are these ding dongs? Then there is a drawing of Don, Val, Kevin, Thomas, Janice, Tina, Ellie, and Bert, all labeled with their names, and the following text: Don, Val, Kevin, Thomas, and Janice all work in an office together. Don is a Vietnam vet who is married to a dude named Terry. Val is more fun than you and everyone loves her. She has an ex named Derwood, who is a movie star. She also used to date Rob, an HR guy. Kevin and Thomas are best friends who hate their jobs but love their coworkers. Kevin has a punk band. Thomas is a superhero. Janice is Val’s secretary. She dates a weird nudist named Greg, but she used to date Jesus Christ. Tina is Thomas’s wife. She’s a superhero too. Ellie is Kevin’s wife. Judging from the title and cover, you’ll learn a lot more about those two in this book. Bert is Ellie and Kevin’s kid. I trust you to figure everything else out on your own.
An image with the covers to issues #13-20 of Meeting Comics
A Meeting Comics page. KEVIN approaches VAL, who is sitting on her desk. KEVIN: Val, can I holler at you for a minute? VAL: What's up, Kevin? KEVIN: You know how my wife is having an affair with Thomas's wife? VAL: Yes... go on. KEVIN is sitting in the chair. VAL is off the desk and approaching him, finger to her lips in the shhhh sign. KEVIN: Well, the way I see it, a precedent has been set, and now Ellie and I should both just be able to have sex with whoever we want. VAL: Its a compelling argument. KEVIN: So... I don't want to be inappropriate at work, but I was wondering- VAL: Shhhh... VAL is now straddling KEVIN on the chair, and he is sweating. VAL: Kevin, you don't ever have to worry about being inappropriate with me... and as for what I think you're asking, just say the word... and any time... any place... VAL has her hands on KEVIN's shoulders and is speaking directly into his ear. He continues to sweat. VAL: ...I'd be happy to fuck your wife.
All three of my books: Meeting Comics, Clocking In and Selling Out, and the proof of the forthcoming Tina and Ellie Take the Case.
a guide to the tattoos of Ellie (of Meeting Comics). A heart with a T in in for Tina Heart. Tina's superhero emblem, a pair of scissors, scissoring with another pair of scissors (and the original comic panel reveal of this tattoo). A bell with the text "you can't unring a bell," and the original comic panel where Tina tells Ellie you can't unring a bell, A stylized eye (though she considered a magnifying glass), Artemisia Gentilesci's Judith Slaying Holofernes but with Miss Piggy and Janice killing Kermit, a skull with roses, bows on the backs of her thighs, and bands on her left wrist which cover the Lord of the Rings Elvish script she got as a teen.
Tip with her tongue out
A cardboard standee in the food co-op of an anthropomorphic kiwi fruit
A tiled image of 20 of the different rewards that will be offered in the kickstarter for Tina and Ellie Take the case. Mostly photos of books, comics, and original art.
Monster Manual II entry for the TARRASQUE edited to be for the TARRANTINO TARRANTIΝΟ FREQUENCY: Every few years NO. APPEARING: 1 ARMOR CLASS: -3 MOVE: 9" (+6" rush) HIT DICE: 300 hp % IN LAIR: See below TREASURE TYPE: See below NO. OF ATTACKS: 6 DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-12/1-2/2-24/5- 50/1-10/1-10 SPECIAL ATTACKS: The N-word SPECIAL INTERESTS Feet MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard INTELLIGENCE: Animal ALIGNMENT: Nouveau riche Evil SIZE: L (50' long) PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil (immune to psionics) Attack/Defense Modes: Nil/nil LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: X/37,500