PODCAST Appearance!

Steven and I were honored to be on the comic and pop culture podcast Blue Tiger Revenge last night. It was a fun conversation that reveals how Steven and I started working together on Ancient Futures and includes some of Steven’s recitation of the lines from the book. Very entertaining stuff, if I do say so myself. Host Tadd Galusha has been working in comics about as long as I have and we know each other from years back, so he had very specific and relevant questions about the drawing process and working in comics. Check it out here: https://bluetigerrevenge.substack.com/p/18-aaron-mcconnell-and-steven-white 

The Ancient Futures Kickstarter is counting down its final hours as I type this, so please hop aboard ASAP if you’d like to support it. We are so grateful to our backers and look forward to fulfilling the rewards in the coming months.

There are still 2 Original Art rewards available to purchase, Ancient Futures artworks drawn by Adam Benet Shaw and Dustin Weaver. This is a unique opportunity and I’m selfishly hoping that someone purchases these so that I can see their artistic interpretations of the characters from the book.

a new project and a humble request

I haven’t been blogging much over the course of the pandemic, but despite challenging times it has been a productive year for my studio work. I made a conscious choice to step away from illustrating nonfiction graphic novels, the bread and butter of my freelance, in pursuit of fictional storytelling and worldbuilding, a desire I’ve had since I started out as a freelancer about 18 years ago.

One project in particular has taken on an unexpected life of its own. I met a writer online just before the summer of 2020 and we started having weekly zoom meetings. It started as a work-for-hire comic illustration gig, but the organic nature of the collaboration allowed me to invest more heavily into the way the story was being told mainly because I wasn’t working off a script, but rather ideas for scenes and story ideas.

A long story short, the project has evolved into a passion project for me. I’ve put hundreds of hours into bringing it to life and even flew out to Chicago to meet the writer in person. Seven White and I have completed a 40 page Part One of the story we’re telling and the time has come for us to start sharing it with readers. I ask that you consider helping us realize our dream to continue the journey of this project. It’s going to be self-published and creator-owned, so we need the support to make it happen. Please sign-up for the email list and follow the instagram page to stay up to date with our progress. I can’t thank you enough for your support.

ECCC Monsters & Dames 2020

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Emerald City Comic Con’s exclusive Monsters & Dames 2020 art book has officially gone up for presale at the following link:

https://www.showclix.com/event/emeraldcitycomicon20203748626386102274V0WSnsJ?_ga=2.254875208.1939786830.1581369927-1480346825.1575403013

Money for the sale of the book and the accompanying art auction goes toward the Seattle Children’s Hospital! This marks the 6th year in a row that I’ve had a piece in the book (see preview of my 2020 piece above).  I won’t be in the Artist Alley this year, but I will be attending at the No’madd Booth #109 in the ECCC Exhibition Hall, probably Friday-Sunday (3/13-3/15).

This digital painting is part of a ongoing project know as No’madd that I’ve been developing with writer/creator Andrew Kafoury and his team of “spiritual warriors,” to quote Alejandro Jodorowsky.  Please learn more at www.nomadd.net and follow the latest news on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.

Comic Book Beer T-Shirts!

The Comic Book Story of Beer has received rave reviews and a place of honor on the New York Times Best Seller list.  Now for some icing on the cake (or froth on the beer)…I’m happy to announce The Comic Book Story of Beer T-shirt!  Just in time to diminish your holiday gift list before you even write it.  Order shirts HERE. Maybe buy a couple to layer for the chilly months ahead, especially if you expect to spill beer on it. 😉

*Thanks to Portland’s own Modified Printing for featuring me as their December Artist-of-the-Month!

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RCCC in One Week

I’m looking forward to RCCC next Friday, but examining my inventory of The Comic Book Story of Beer comps, I’m afraid I may not have enough to get me through the weekend.  It looks like I’m just shy of 20 copies and since the book won’t be officially released until Sept 22nd, I’ll have to go with what I’ve got.  If you’re planning to be at RCCC and want to ensure that you’ll be able to pick up a copy while supplies last, drop me an email and we can work out the details.  I’m also up for doing a sketch in the book beforehand if you order ahead of time.  During the con I probably won’t do much beyond a signature and a quick doodle, but if you want something more like the examples below, please contact me this week.

It’s an  exciting time for The Comic Book Story of Beer.  Reviews are starting to trickle in like this ARTICLE on suvudu.com!  It’s great to hear that people are enjoying it!  Cheers!

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Discovering Special Edition NYC

BeerGalleysTomorrow I’ll be heading to New York to enjoy the city and attend Special Edition NYC June 6th and 7th.  I’ll have books, original art, and prints, as well as a galley of The Comic Book Story of Beer!  I’m hoping to meet many a beer enthusiast and perhaps gather some preorders for the book.  If you want some additional info on the book, please check out the website thecomicbookstoryofbeer.com.

Below is an image of “The Crustacean Agent” that I created specifically for Special Edition NY to be used as badge art:SENY_Badge_CROP_AHere’s a Robot 6 article with a couple other images for badges created by folks from Periscope Studio.

The Crustacean Agent originally appeared in the Monsters & Dames 2015 Art Book (see below).  The ECCC exclusive is currently sold out, but I’ll have a few prints available in NY.  Hope to see you there!MnD2014_McConnell_72dpi_B_Signed