The MOD tinker-wagon is rolling into the (free!) Toronto Comic Arts Festival this weekend! We won’t be doing a presentation like we did last year, but we will be handing out high-fives and signing books.

Just look at this exhibitor list! I haven’t counted but I bet there’s, like, eleventy jillion MOD contributors there ready as ever to sign your books. See you there!

Here’s a first video from our Super-Stupendous Machine of Death Magic & Variety Show last November, starring master magician Pop Haydn!

Tomorrow: updates on MOD Volume 2.

Ryan and David will both be at the Emerald City Comicon this weekend in Seattle! We’ll have books, patches and death card sets, as well as our special embosser if you bring a book from home. We’ll also have a limited number of Volume 2 Samplers to give away, and will of course be performing on-the-spot death prediction tests for free.

Also at the convention, and happy to sign your books, will be artists Scott Campbell, Danielle Corsetto, Aaron Diaz, Christopher Hastings, Ramón Pérez, Kris Straub, Shannon Wheeler, and maybe more I can’t remember!

ECCC also features open tabletop gaming, and if I can figure out how to run a game of Hitman on a Budget on Sunday, I may do so! Stop by the TopatoCo booth (#202) or watch my Twitter for updates on that.

OTHER UPCOMING APPEARANCES:

Matt Bennardo and Katie Sekelsky will have books available at the Pittsburgh Comicon April 20-22 and at Sci-Fi In The Valley (Ebensburg, PA) May 18-20.

David, Ryan, and many of the artists will be at the Calgary Comics Expo April 27-29, and the Toronto Comic Arts Festival May 5-6!

Liz Argall, one of our Machine of Death Vol 2 writers, was asked to do a reading at FOGcon later this month and has chosen to read from the story she wrote for us. That means that those of you lucky enough to attend the reading will get to hear part of a truly amazing story from Vol 2.

When and Where: FOGcon will take place March 30 – April 1 at the Walnut Creek Marriott in Walnut Creek, California. As you might guess from the name, FOGcon is held in the San Francisco/Oakland area. So if you’re nearby, think about stopping by to hear Liz read! The reading itself will be at 8pm on Friday, March 30, in the Santa Rosa Room. The same reading will also feature Vylar Kaftan and Christine Yant.

What: The story that Liz will be reading from is called “BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA DELIVERED BY SPOUSE”, which will be published in the next volume of Machine of  Death. Liz’s story takes the Machine of Death premise very seriously and explores the consequences of feeling trapped by fate — as well as positive responses to some seemingly hopeless circumstances. Set in modern day Australia, this is a wonderfully written story with vivid, naturalistic characters you won’t soon forget.

Liz has this to say about her story:

There are a lot of cliches about Australia, so it feels awkward to write about sometimes, even though I spent a bit of time growing up in the bush.  This story was inspired by the land of my childhood — the bittersweet grief and love and helplessness of caring for country in drought. It was inspired by the strength and courage of colleagues and residents of Toora women’s refuge – working at a women’s refuge was my first job out of college.

It was also inspired by the memory of a woman whose name I cannot remember. During our training we were told the story of an incredible woman in the UK who left her abusive husband and started talking about it, back when nobody spoke about such things. She did all sorts of amazing things, founding refuges, public speaking, survivor support… I wish I could remember her name, so I could make this story in her memory… thus far the internet has not yielded a name.

Who: In case you’re not familiar with Liz’s work already, you can find out more at her website. We’re really thrilled that Liz chose this story to read at FOGcon, and we can’t wait to share it (and more than thirty other stories!) with everybody when Vol 2 is published later this year. if you’re able to attend the reading, we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Some more about Liz:

Liz’s work has been published in a range of journals and anthologies including The Pedestal Magazine, Pseudopod and Strange Horizons. Her previous incarnations include circus manager, refuge worker, research officer for the Order of Australia Awards, and extensive work in the not-for-profit sector. These days she is a freelance writer, and is an occasional artists’ model.

We had a great time at the Super-Stupendous Machine of Death Magic & Variety Show! If you missed it, the livestream is archived here. (We’ll be posting some better-quality video over time.)

Thanks to master magician Pop Haydn for a great evening of entertainment!

And thanks to you folks who attended, as well — we collected nearly 60 pounds of food that was donated to Los Angeles’ Westside Food Bank.

We also played a game with Bill Chernega (on the left, with MOD1 illustrators Kris Straub and Kevin McShane). Bill is co-author of the story “MEAT EATER,” which will be in MOD2.

We’re still waiting to hear back from a few folks about their contributions to MOD2, but we will of course post much more about that book, and those stories, when we can. Illustrators who submitted portfolios — we’re still reviewing that material as well, and will be in touch with some of you soon.

We gave out MOD2 Sampler Booklets at the show, but even if you weren’t there, you can get your hands on one too! While supplies last, all copies of Machine of Death that ship from TopatoCo will come with a free sampler booklet included. It contains two brand-new stories from MOD2 as well as a handy primer to the concept (so it’s good for new readers too). Thinking of giving a copy of MOD as a gift? If you pick it up from TopatoCo, you’ll get the sampler free!

Here’s a quick review of some of the other fine things in our TopatoCo store:

So Many Deaths shirt

MOD Emblem Shirt

I Know How I Will Die shirt

Fine gifts for any thinking creature this holiday season! Thanks so much for your support!