Click on the pic of Scott, Ivy, Summer, Sky and Winter suffering oh so gorgeously in front of the state capitol in Austin, Texas (EDIT) to get the rest of the Austin pics!

This was at about 6:30 PM, and we were still pretty fresh, but it represents what we felt like by the time the party was over.
We had an amazing time with the McClouds, cramming about a weekend's worth of fun and eating into twelve hours. It was so much fun we didn't want to move the next day--what could possibly top it?

Since pineappleinc has pretty thorughly covered our visit to Austin Museum of Art, I'll move on to the signing itself.

Brad Bankston did a great presentation of Scott and his work at Austin Books. There were Zot and Understanding Comics cupcakes, sodas and water (and a Starbucks double shot for me because I bitched, as I always do, about coffee). The line went through half the store and wrapped across the front, and didn't shorten until 9PM, when the signing was allegedly over. (Scott went until 9:30.)

While Scott signed and chatted, I recorded room noise and snuck in an interview with Brad.
Scott is really fun to watch, and someone to emulate. He gave time to each and every person who showed up. The very first person he signed for, Dei, said, "You saved my job."
How many comickers are told that?
I followed Dei outside and got some more details. He was teaching reading at a school in Eagle Pass. Almost all his students were unengaged with reading and failing. Dei started bringing in comics, and in spite of this making readers and pulling kids up from failing to C's and B's, Dei got in lose-the-job trouble for not teaching with the oh-so-holy curriculum.
Dei defended comics as lit with the help of "Understanding Comics," even managing to find a place where Scott's explanation of action between panels was parallel to the same idea in lit.

HOW COOL IS THAT?

Alas, I did not get it on tape, as I forgot triple A's. pjoseph drove me to Walgreen's (at the cost of his swell parking space), and I got down to business recording Scott and his adoring throngs.

After the signing, and some parking adventure (which required all the Jerk Driving Skillz I acquired in San Francisco), we had dinner at Kerbey Lane. You know I was tired by that time--I had totally forgotten to take any pictures after 9PM. I did interview Scott, Sky and Summer for the DivaLea Show while we waited.
Brad extended his hospitality to dinner, which was some really good food!

That's all I have to say, except that it was so good to see you guys again and I could hardly stand to say good-bye! We miss you.