Okay, so this is a slightly exaggerated account of my brief encounter with Ms. Julia Wertz at Small Press Expo this year. I believe a little bit of context is in order.

As I mention in this strip, Ms. Wertz's autobiographical webcomic, The Fart Party, helped inspire me to draw the comic strips that would become "I'm My Own Mascot". I discovered her stuff when a copy of her first book was accidently shipped to the comic shop where I worked at the time. I remember killing an entire shift reading it cover to cover. No one else really "got" it, but I really dug The Fart Party. I decided that I would produce my own comic in a similar format. The rest, as they say, is history.

So, flash forward to this past weekend at SPX. I knew Ms. Wertz was gonna be there and thought it would be nice to meet her and leave a copy of the first 'Mascot' book. As her comic was such an influence on mine, I wanted to show a bit of gratitude.

The show ended up being a VERY busy one for the studio. It was an almost non-stop flurry of commissions, art cards, meeting folks who liked our comics as well as a few of my editors, interviews for a couple podcasts (and even an Indonesian TV show), and...of course...promoting Interrobang Studios and our books.

Come Sunday, I was a wreck. I got a grand total of about 6 hours sleep over the weekend, I was sick and pukey, and to top it off it was freaking FREEZING in the exhibit hall that day. With about 20 minutes left in the show, I decided to walk around a bit since I didn't get to all weekend. Then it hit me...

I COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT JULIA WERTZ!

I knew full well that if I tried to talk to her in the shape I was in, I would come off as a complete freak. Coupled with the fact that I'm ALREADY intimidated by other cartoonists (I don't know why but I just am), trying to meet her at that point was gonna be a big bowl of bad. However, I didn't know when I'd get another chance to do this. So, I figured I'd say "Hi", drop off the book, and then get the heck out of there before I made a horrible first impression.

Sarah and Sally teased me that it would be less creepy to just TALK to the woman and that I might as well sign it "Dear Julia, You smell nice! Signed, K-Bo."

I took this as a challenge to my manhood and did just that.

Exhausted, shaking from the cold, and almost ready to throw up, I went and gave Ms. Wertz the book before I thought better of the whole thing.

I made a complete tool of myself anyway. I even went so far as to end our encounter with "I'm gonna go this way now. Byeeee!" Way to go, K-Bo!

I proceeded to the bathroom and tossed my cookies (literally 'cuz that was practically all I had eaten that day).

My hope is that Ms. Wertz wrote me off as a creep, tossed the book, and soon forgot the about it. This way, next time I happen to meet her I WON'T make an ass of myself. I think this is good solid plan (in Bizarro World anyway).

In the meantime, I did this strip as a little bit of catharsis...and because my awkward embarrassment is actually pretty damn funny.

Anywho..."The Fart Party" belongs to Julia Wertz. If you feel so inclined, check her out at www.fartparty.org.