Nepotism Nerd Alert!

So, I’m married, I have kids and cats, and even a daughter-in-law.  Naturally, the family considers my interest in comics and pop-culture a weird novelty that they want nothing to do with.  I just have to compromise with them, and keep the Doc Savage posters in the basement and the Simpsons McDonalds Cups out of the kitchen.

Yeah, right.

My family is as deep into this stuff as I am.  Sometimes, MORE.

My daughter-in-law, Jessica Costley,  has set up a site to show off her mastery of the cake in general, and the geek-cake in specific.   Since I am Master of the Land of the Internet, I get to show off some of the special cakes that arrived at my house as beautiful artwork, which I then had to watch as they were EATEN RIGHT BEFORE MY EYES!!

Enjoy.  Envy me my world of exceptional baked goods!

This is a cake Jessica made for my teen son Taylor’s birthday earlier this year. He’s a huge fan of the cartoon show Archer. This not only has the tinfoil swan but (not shown in this angle of the photo, unfortunately) there are tiny little fondant ants surrounding it. I’m not sufficiently up on my “Archer” to know, but I am told that this will make Archer fans giggle with glee.  

Archer cake from Taylor’s 17th birthday, February 2013

I get to eat things that look like this all the time.  Best eaten after defeating the Kang/Darkseid team-up that threatened two universes!

Superhero cupcakes done for an event at The Comic Book Lounge & Gallery, my local comic shop, downtown Toronto.

This isn’t a hobby, by the way, Jessica is a professional baker, so when she goes in to work, this is the sort of thing she does:

Doin’ it like it’s no big thang.

It’s the ‘geek’ themed cakes, especially for kids birthdays, that she likes to do though.

Flash birthday cake

My sons are all huge video game fans and sometimes their birthday cake will reflect their latest favourite. Last year, Sean was all about Skyrim and Jessica was happy to oblige with this cake. The horns were primarily layers of fondant–Sean tried biting into one and his eyes crossed from the sugar rush.

Not sculpture, but cake.  Skyrim cake for Sean’s 13th birthday, September 2012

This year, Sean is all about Dark Souls. Jessica made this cake topper of Solaire of Astora for his cake.

Solaire of Astora done for Sean’s 14th birthday, September 2013.  A Solaire this cute, you don’t eat all at once.

And now…for her latest piece de resistance! My pals Hope Nicholson and Rachel Richey just met their fundraising goal for their Kickstarter project to reprint Nelvana of the Northern Lights comics. They had originally planned to have a party to lobby for funds–it ended up as a celebration of their success (although the Kickstarter is STILL going. Check it out and see what you can contribute–I think they might be adding in some extra goals as it continues). The highlight of the party (I’ve been told) was Jessica’s amazing cake.

Behold Nelvana, Cake of the Northern Lights.

So check out Jessica’s site, Jess Costley:  Cake Decorator.  And here’s the bestest part!  If you live in the Toronto area, you can order one of these delightful edible objects through her site!  Don’t stampede all at once, she’s only one woman.  All are served on a first geek basis.

Why should I be the only one getting to swallow Thor’s hammer every now and then?

(Straight line delivered…internet responds in five…four…three…)

And now, for further nepotism:

You guys already know my wife, Keiren is a comic book colour artist, and it’s always a joy to get to show off her latest work.

There’s quite a bit of storytelling that the colourist is responsible for.  Getting your eye to move to the right spot, the right detail, takes as much skill as the artist drawing the page.  The lady is good at this stuff.

These are preview pages from the new series “THE FIRST HERO”, from publisher, ACTION LABS.  The book was written by former Bootcamper Anthony Ruttgaizer, with art by Phillippe Sevy, covers by Lee Moder.

I’m lucky, I got to read the comic complete with word balloons, and it’s a heck of a ride.  You guys have to wait, and tap the floor nervously with anticipation.

The series launches in the new year, but I’ll come back to whet the appetite now and then.  There’s too many fun pages in this book to keep them ALL to myself, while I have access to the files….heee heee. The book is in the last hours of an IndieGoGo campaign so check out the link here and see what you can contribute ($5 gets you a digital download of all four issues) The F1rst Hero on IndieGoGo.

Heck…while I’m promoting…here’s a link to TY TEMPLETON’S COMIC BOOK BOOTCAMP,  my one-room schoolhouse teaching tomorrow’s comic book superstars.  New classes in pencilling start in a couple of weeks.  If you’re in the Toronto area, we’d love to have you!

Click here to be taken to the Bootcamp site for a description of the next classes.

There might be cake.

Ty the Guy, nepotism promotions OUT!

Let Them Eat Avengers Cake!

I’ve been a busy Canadian Beaver here for the last few weeks (it’s why I’ve been slightly blog absent, but for my award-wishing Bun Toons comics) making Spider-Man for the peoples (Avenging Spider-Man #8 and Ultimate Spider-Man Adventures #3, both out in stores SOON!), and starting up the next Award-Hoping issue of HOLMES INCORPORATED (in store in a few months, so I’ll get more pushy about that later)!!

But in the meantime, because you folks are just so suh-weet,  I pass along to you some of the sweet and magnificent creations of my sweet and magnificent daughter-in-law.

Vector from Despicable Me (a cake topper–don’t have a pic of the finished cake, sorry)

We’ve featured her confectionery sculpting a few times here on the blog, but in the spirit of the Assembling Avengers that is sweeping the culture I give you more geek-cred samples of Jessica Costley: Ass Kicking Cake Boss!

Layers of cake based goodness…ASSEMBLE!

And because one hammer is NEVER enough (that’s what she said)…

Mjolnir, Baby!!

Is this fair?  I get to write and draw Spider-Man and the Simpsons, I get to be married to the World’s Bestest Gal, and I have a daughter-in-law who makes these magnificent baked masterpieces.

I win.

Ty the Guy OUT!

 (I’ll have just a small piece, thanks.  I’m saving room for Chicken Kiev and caviar.)

Here now, your Bonus Comic Book Cake Moment:

Not one of Jessica’s cakes, but the expression is divinely insane. Who wants a nice slice of Hulk Face?

Daughter and Daughter-in-law Toons! Yayy!!

This is normally where there would be a witty comment from Ty that makes people laugh and laugh.

I had all sorts of things I was going to say to sound just like Ty–but I forgot what they were. I’m tired, I’m busy, I have deadlines–it takes sleep and time to be funny! Can’t do it.

So here’s the part where I say something mildly salacious and just a wee bit naughty…here’s the part where I realise I’m about to introduce the idea that today’s Toons are done by the daughter, Katherine Templeton-Smith, and the daughter-in-law, Jessica Costley, so I have to get out of that faint whiff of blue.

Phew! Past that!

So, Ty’s too busy signing and sketching and generally telling hilarious stories (I’m guessing, since I’m stuck here in Toronto and he’s swaggering around Calgary having just a great time!) and he couldn’t get a Bun Toon ready for today. He begged each of the children to do a Toon for him…the daughter, who is the youngest child, and pretty determined to show that she can outdo anything her brothers do, had it almost completed before he left yesterday morning. As her father’s daughter, she distills for you the essence of an Archie Comic.

written and pencilled by Katherine Templeton-Smith

Our daughter-in-law Jessica was the other person to get her “assignment” completed. Jessica distills for you the essence of living with a son of Ty:

It’s funny because it’s completely TRUE!! (Which reminds me, guys–there’s still several more boxes of Kellam’s stuff by the front door).

Tomorrow, will be the boys’ turn to show off their Toons. I chose not to post them today because…well, because they’re not done, actually. Like all good freelancers, they’re trying to ‘push’ their deadlines.

Not-Ty the Guy OUT!!

Now here’s where Ty says something funny and introduces his

Bonus Girl-Accomplishment Moment!!

Don’t have a cartoon for this but, hey Ty–After taking part in the Fibonacci Contest, your daughter is representing her school for the Math Olympics!! Yayyy!! (If you’re at Calgary Expo, and you read this–can you tell Ty, because he probably won’t have a chance to read this for a day or two?)

And from our daughter-in-law Jessica Costley who is a baker, an Avengers’ birthday cake she did a year or so ago:

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I know this will be a shock to you--but Ty can be JUST as opinionated as all the other guys. Here, he tells you what HE thinks.

Click here for all the Bun Toons EVER!! And done by Ty!

Harley Quinn

Not a comic page or a cover…but a cake!  This Little Harley Quinn was made by our daughter-in-law, Jessica Costley for a Cake Competition at George Brown College.