Our Very First Book Release Party

April 8th of 2006, after the Alternative Press Expo, we had the Truth Serum book release party. The festivities were held at San Francisco's 826 Valencia, a pirate supply store/tutoring and writing workshop center for children primarily, but also sometimes adults. Read all about the evening below, or just skip to the very end to download a bunch of fun party related items! Here we see guests arriving late, so as to appear cool and aloof, when in fact, they had nothing better to do than come to the Truth Serum book release party.

Guests were greeted by Battle-Man (formerly known as the Barnacle) who was signing autographs and displaying his soon-to-be-published and self-produced comic The AdventerousBattle-Man. If you missed it, you can download this PDF of Battle-Man's comic.

Here we see Battle-Man speaking with a guest, most likely asking that guest if he wants to get lunch, and even more likely being turned down.

Before the night's events began, guests were treated to a plethora of grilled cheese sandwiches, cupcakes, Snapple and other goodies. They were then allowed to stand in front of an enormous wall of original art. For children and other types of short people, this wall proved only frustrating and impenetrable.

Here we see Battle-Man desperately trying to make more friends. And failing. Moments after this picture was taken, everybody suddenly needed to do something else, in another part of the room, away from Battle-Man.

The evening was hosted by world-class personality Jory John of Big Stone Head fame. Jory wowed the crowd with his effervescent charm and endless praise of Truth Serum . Obviously a brilliant man, he held the attention of everybody in the room, as though he'd drugged them and taped their eyelids open. Only he didn't, because that's really illegal and he'd never even need to.

Our first speaker of the evening was Lee Post. All the way from Alaska, Lee does the world-renowned comic Your Square Life. Lee spoke at length of his deep love for Truth Serum , eventually bursting into tears.

Next up was Battle-Man, who did a Q&A with the audience. Except for the general awkwardness felt by most everybody when Battle-Man would desperately ask guests out to lunch or unabashedly seek out a publisher, it went quite well. That is, until Don Sequitur stepped in (probably drunk) wanting to fight Battle-Man.

They lazily fought each other while sitting in chairs, until our valiant host risked his own safety, jumping in to break it up.

The last event of the evening was a raffle in which amazing prizes dressed in manila envelopes were given away to guests with the greatest knowledge of 80's TV trivia. Congratulations to Ted Wilson from Ohio who won the grand prize; a car!

Now that you're done reading all that stuff, here's some fun stuff to download, look at and then forget all about!

1. Battle-Man's new comic. Are you a publisher? He really needs one.
2. The comic used in the Truth Serum book release party invitation.
3. The photo of Chester, also given away in the raffle.
4. The party schedule which we made, and forgot entirely to ever print.

Thanks to all the incredibly generous people who helped make the Truth Serum book release party a success: Nick Cain, Lawrence Fahey, Tienlon Ho, Jory John, Angela Mazur, Josh Orum, Tamara Schane, Anna Ura and Caitlin Van Dusen.

Saturday, 4.15.06 | digg | stumbleupon | del.icio.us