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<div>Wow, man. I was there too but I didn't think to take notes (I wonder if that's why I have 2 Masters degrees and do a job that doesn't even require a high school diploma?!). </div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>In all seriousness, it was a lot of fun. As always, one of Janet's and my highlights is seeing Sergio and Mark. If you are ever able to hang around Sergio's booth, he's a blast to talk with. </div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>I think I really like the new Mid-Ohio con. Janet and I attended 3 other ones in the old place at the Hilton. This one has WAAAY more space. In fact this is the first con I've ever been to where I could get in and do everything and see everyone I wanted to in the first day. I didn't have to keep my elbows tucked against me like I do in other places, and there were practically no lines to get into the vendors. Don't get me wrong, there were certainly a lot of attendees, but there was also a lot of room there. It was a very positive experience for us, considering the fiasco we had in San Diego a few months ago.</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>Elie</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><br><div><div>On Nov 24, 2007, at 6:03 PM, <a href="mailto:Yodazone@aol.com">Yodazone@aol.com</a> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><font id="role_document" face="Arial" color="#000000" size="2"> <div><a href="http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0711/24/groopanel.htm">http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0711/24/groopanel.htm</a></div> <div> </div> <div><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><strong>COLUMBUS, Ohio</strong> -- One of comics' longest-running teams, Mark Evanier and Sergio Aragones, held <a class="kLink" oncontextmenu="return false;" id="KonaLink0" onmouseover="adlinkMouseOver(event,this,0);" style="POSITION: static; TEXT-DECORATION: underline! important" onclick="adlinkMouseClick(event,this,0);" onmouseout="adlinkMouseOut(event,this,0);" href="http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0711/24/groopanel.htm#" target="_top"><font style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; COLOR: blue! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: static" color="blue" size="3"><span class="kLink" style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; COLOR: blue! important; BORDER-BOTTOM: blue 1px solid; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: relative; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">center </span><span class="kLink" style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; COLOR: blue! important; BORDER-BOTTOM: blue 1px solid; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: relative; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">stage</span></font></a> at Mid-Ohio-Con on Saturday. </font></p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3">The panel was titled Brave Groo World, and the barbarian was often the focus of discussion, but the veteran tandem also talked about their history, working relationship and upcoming work. </font></p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3">Following are highlights: </font></p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3">* Following the Groo: Heaven on Earth mini-series will be a Groo/<a class="kLink" oncontextmenu="return false;" id="KonaLink1" onmouseover="adlinkMouseOver(event,this,1);" style="POSITION: static; TEXT-DECORATION: underline! important" onclick="adlinkMouseClick(event,this,1);" onmouseout="adlinkMouseOut(event,this,1);" href="http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0711/24/groopanel.htm#" target="_top"><font style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; COLOR: blue! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: static" color="blue" size="3"><span class="kLink" style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; COLOR: blue! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: relative">Conan</span></font></a> mini-series. Aragones is drawing the Groo part, with Yeates drawing the Conan parts. "It's a very strange story," Evanier said. </font></p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3">* Aragones and Evanier are teaming to write DC Comics' The Spirit, starting with #14 in February. Mike Ploog is drawing #14 and #15, with Paul Smith targeted for future issues. </font></p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3">"We'll kind of alternate Ploog and Smith with some other artists mixed in" Evanier said. </font></p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3">* Aragones continues to work for MAD; his current project is a MAD Look at Death. </font></p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3">* Who do they keep it fresh and funny? Aragones said each process is different, but he likes to find a situation as a satirist. </font></p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3">* The second issue of Groo: Hell on Earth was colored by Michelle Madsen, stepping in for Tom Luth. Aragones said computer coloring has allowed for greater detail. </font></p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3">"We were very lucky to have Stan Sakai letter the book and Tom color it," Evanier added. "Stan has his own strip, but likes lettering Groo and we're lucky to have him." </font></p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3">* Aragones said he's worked for MAD for more than 45 years. Evanier said they visted the MAD offices last week, and when Aragones arrives, it's like royalty. </font></p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3">* Aragones comes up with the plots of The Spirit and Evanier does the dialogue. Groo is much more of a mix-<a class="kLink" oncontextmenu="return false;" id="KonaLink2" onmouseover="adlinkMouseOver(event,this,2);" style="POSITION: static; TEXT-DECORATION: underline! important" onclick="adlinkMouseClick(event,this,2);" onmouseout="adlinkMouseOut(event,this,2);" href="http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0711/24/groopanel.htm#" target="_top"><font style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; COLOR: blue! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: static" color="blue" size="3"><span class="kLink" style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; COLOR: blue! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: relative">mash</span></font></a> collaboration, Evanier said. </font></p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3">"Mark is master at oral humor, talk humor, and is very good with words and puns," Aragones said. </font></p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3">"There are a lot of cases when he says, 'You came up with that,' and I say, 'No, you came up with,'" Evanier said. </font></p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3">* Aragones said he has always been an admirer and friend of The Spirit creator Will Eisner for many years. "He was very influential to me and how I write," Aragones said. "I love the short story. </font></p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3">"I am not Will Eisner by far. But we are going to do our best to do the <a class="kLink" oncontextmenu="return false;" id="KonaLink3" onmouseover="adlinkMouseOver(event,this,3);" style="POSITION: static; TEXT-DECORATION: underline! important" onclick="adlinkMouseClick(event,this,3);" onmouseout="adlinkMouseOut(event,this,3);" href="http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0711/24/groopanel.htm#" target="_top"><font style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; COLOR: blue! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: static" color="blue" size="3"><span class="kLink" style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; COLOR: blue! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: relative">spirit</span></font></a> of The Spirit." </font></p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3">* Aragones said his interaction with readers results in "a barometer for the way I write." </font></p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3">* Evanier, who is on strike with the Writers Guild, is writing a new <a class="kLink" oncontextmenu="return false;" id="KonaLink4" onmouseover="adlinkMouseOver(event,this,4);" style="POSITION: static; TEXT-DECORATION: underline! important" onclick="adlinkMouseClick(event,this,4);" onmouseout="adlinkMouseOut(event,this,4);" href="http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0711/24/groopanel.htm#" target="_top"><font style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; COLOR: blue! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: static" color="blue" size="3"><span class="kLink" style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; COLOR: blue! important; BORDER-BOTTOM: blue 1px solid; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: relative; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Garfield</span></font></a> series, attending a recent summit in Muncie, Ind. </font></p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3">* A Groo movie? An offer from DreamWorks was turned down, Aragones said. Evanier said a screenplay has been developed and is being shopped, but the pair are being very cautious to maintain control. </font></p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3">"I don't want to sell the rights to Groo and suddenly it becomes a duck," Aragones said. <br clear="all"></font></p></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></div></font><br><br><br><div><font style="color: black; font: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><hr style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">Check out AOL Money & Finance's list of the <a title="http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001" href="http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001" target="_blank">hottest products</a> and <a title="http://money.aol.com/top5/general/ways-you-are-wasting-money?NCID=aoltop00030000000002" href="http://money.aol.com/top5/general/ways-you-are-wasting-money?NCID=aoltop00030000000002" target="_blank">top money wasters</a> of 2007.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">_______________________________________________</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Groop mailing list</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><a href="mailto:Groop@groo.com">Groop@groo.com</a></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><a href="http://mailman.newdream.net/mailman/listinfo.cgi/groop">http://mailman.newdream.net/mailman/listinfo.cgi/groop</a></div> </blockquote></div><br></body></html>