Well, it’s Friday, and that mean’s another installment of Fan Art Friday! And today’s is a doozie!

This was handed to me, not be the artist, but by their teacher. The Sixth Grade English teacher at Bellesini Academy in Lawrence, Massachusetts, thought this was something special, and made sure that I got a copy of it. And I couldn’t be more flattered and humbled by it.

Miss Haricz’s Sixth Grade english class was assigned to write a paper about an artist that they admire and to attach a drawing of one of their works, drawn by the student. Most students in her class did Van Gogh and his Starry Night, Leonardo da Vinci and the Mona Lisa, or other such illustrious artists and their works of art, but one student did something different. Aiden B, wrote about me. He wrote such a touching and poignant piece about me that I felt utterly humbled and wowed. And I’m glad that I can share it with each and every one of you. Thanks so much to each and every one of you for reading, and I’ll keep making with the funny.

-Don

Well, it’s been a while since I’ve posted any fan art, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been coming in. So, I figured it was about time to start posting some of the great artwork that has been coming my way. Get ready to see some great interpretations of Chuck, Oliver, Succotash, Grace, Nick, J.R., and the whole Peanizles Gang!

To restart our jump back into the Fan Art Fun, we have a drawing sent in by ten year old Ethan P, of Lawrence, Massachusetts. Ethan’s created an awesome logo for Peanizles and a big drawing of a smiling Chuck (almost as big as the one Chuck had giving me the thumbs up to print it)

One day a year, comic companies and fans come together for one of the greatest events ever… Free Comic Book Day!

That’s right, Saturday, May 2, 2015, is Free Comic Book Day. And from 11:30-2:30 I’ll be joining the whole Peanizles Gang in downtown Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, at the infamous New England Comics. For me this is a bit of my cartooning career coming full circle. When I was in Junior High School, New England Comics ran a contest to create a new comic book. They were flooded with submissions of every caliber and storyline. The winner was a guy named Ben Edlund. Ben, as some of you might know had created The Tick, and now is the writer and producer of Gotham. I think I had some pretty stiff competition.

And from 4-7, Jeff McLelland, writer of The Tick will be in store as well!

This week is a milestone of sorts. One year ago I broke my right arm, and was out of commission from any kind of drawing for over a month.

I was literally heartbroken that I wouldn’t be able to draw any new Peanizles strips in this time. And I really didn’t know what to do.

When I had mentioned it to my cartoonist friends, the idea of letting others do a guest strip, really became a viable and exciting option. There were literally more people wanting, and offering, to do a guest strip than I could ever have imagined. And when I had talked to Wil Panganiban, one of the best cartoonists and animators in the business, about it, last year he said that he would have loved to, but he was just too busy with his own comic strip, Frank & Steinway, to be able to do anything of justice.

Fast forward many months later.

I get an email from Wil, within which he said he couldn’t come up with a guest strip. He came up with a series of them. I was literally wowed by what he sent me. The only catch was that I had to finish the storyline.

And it being just about the one year anniversary of my terrible accident, I thought, what better time to run them.

So, sit back, adjust your monitor, and enjoy the comics, the guest characters, and the funnies.

Now, I’ve got to get back to work to finish what he started!

You can read more of Wil Panganiban’s inspired comic strip, Frank & Steinway at their website, and even help Wil in making his comics every day by donating to his Patreon! Join the daily misadventures of two once famous monsters, hit hard by the recession, try to make it in today’s world!

In case you missed it, but this Saturday, May 3rd, is Free Comic Book Day.

What does that mean? It means exactly what it sounds like: Free Comic Books!

All across North America, participating comic book shops will be giving away special edition comic books for free, just for stopping by their store. For more information regarding which comic shops are taking part, or to find one in you are just click here: http://www.freecomicbookday.com/storelocator.

And every year I take the whole Peanizles gang with me to a special comic book store. This year I’ll be at Harrison’s Comics in Woburn, Massachusetts. And starting at 10 in the morning I’ll be signing books, drawing original sketches, and giving away a variety of high fives to everybody that stops by.

This year I’m pleased to announce that I’ll also be joined by fellow Hound Comics creator and writerBob Salley, who’s comic book The Salvagers has been quickly becoming a hit with a powerful story that was spawned from the idea of, ” when he thought to himself how much value there would be in salvaging the Star Wars universe. Imperial Destroyers, countless Tie Fighters and X-Wings and of course the priceless ruins of the Death Star… Twice!”

And then at noon, we’ll be joined by Katie Cook, the writer of IDW’s, bestselling comic book, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.

So stop whatever you were planning on doing this Saturday, and stop on by!