LONG TIME NO SEE!

YIKES!

Sorry about the extended bloggy absence... but I got pretty swamped with trying to finish up some book and animation stuff so blogging got put in the back seat for a bit.

But I'm back...

And boy am I behind on stuff to talk about.

First of all, this weekend is the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books!!!
I've never been, so I'm pretty excited to check it out.
Unfortunately, I don't have any readings or signings scheduled, but that only means that I'll have more time to wander about and check-in with all my sooper pals that are gonna be around.

First up is the mighty mighty Kate DiCamillo.


You know... the one who did The Tale of Despereaux, Because of Winn-Dixie, and most recently, The Magician's Elephant.


She's doing a reading at a Barnes and Noble over in Hollywood Friday night. I'll be the one in the audience with the brainsucker machine pointed at Kate. Once I have her brain, perhaps I'll be able to craft such artful and breathtaking sentences as her.
But probably not.
Information on her appearance is over HERE.

And guess who else came to town?

Nooooooooooooo...

Not Hulk Hogan.

But close...

Mr. Dan Yaccarino, DUH!


So a bunch of us got together to have dinner with him and his compatriot in show-pitchery and fellow illustrator/author Andy Rash... who I had never met before. Or maybe I did. Maybe. We couldn't remember.
Regardless... I'd like to meet him again. He's funny.

And yeah... the amazing Dan Santat was there.
Don't forget his tour de forcefield new book OH NO! is coming out this June and it's the best book ever.

EVER!

And illustrator/animator/singer/dancer/ninja Joe Rocco came along for the ride, too. He was late. But still funny.

And we can NEVER get rid of Bob Boyle... especially since his sooper first ever picture book Hugo and the Really Really Really Long String came out! Now he wants us all to buy copies.


If you want one, he'll be signing at the Book Festival on Saturday. Check the details over THIS WAY!

But enough about him... Lisa Yee came to the dinner, too.


I had never met her before and she was a lot of fun. She wrote stuff like Bobby Versus Girls (Accidentally) (which Dan illustrated) and Millicent Min, Girl Genius.

We started off the evening by all taking pictures with her Peep.
(You might want to check out her blog if you want to know what I'm talking about... I don't think she liked it when I stuffed her stuffed Peep in my stinky sandal for the photo op.)

Then we ate really good Cuban food at a place called Versailles. Most of us had the Famoso Pollo Versailles. But Dan had the pork because he just had to be different.
Then we all took pictures of each other taking pictures of each other.






Yup. That's as fun as we get.
Wish you could have been there, right?

No?

Well, maybe if Hulk Hogan joins us next time it'll be more interesting.