Chapter 2 of Makeshift Miracle wraps up today and, just like we did with Chapter 1, there’s a torrent file so people can easily get caught up and pass it along to their friends.

We’re still really far ahead, I’m writing chapter 8-9 now, and it’s nice having such a solid buffer of material there to make sure everything comes out on time. The book pre-order should be going up soon as well, and I’ll be sure to let everyone know when that’s available.

I’ve got guest blog posts on two industry sites, covering very different material:

Over on TeenReads.com I posted an article about story inspiration and developing the core concept for Makeshift Miracle. Click through to give it a read and also get a sneak peek at a future page of the series.

At Graphic Novel Reporter I have a new OP/ED all about writing action-comedy for a 12+ age group. Click on through and give it a read.

Seneca’s Animation Arts Centre now has an official YouTube channel where we’re posting demo reels, past and present, and will be adding new footage in 2012.

Seeing years worth of great material really solidifies the work our department does to prepare the students for the fast-paced and ever-changing animation industry. Their dedication and quality has helped make the program a winner and I’m proud to be a part of it.

The Canadian Comic Awards blog interviewed me about my views on the comic industry in 2011. Some neat stuff there. It was interesting trying to sum up my thoughts on a crazy creative year.

Lots of Skullkickers-related goodness up today:

• The gang at Multiversity have been big proponents of Skullkickers since the very beginning and the latest article written by Joshua Mocle is an extensive run through of his favourite aspects of the series so far. Give it a read!

• The Panel Bound crew has just posted up a new interview I did with them all about how Skullkickers came to be and how to break into the comic business. I’m happy with how it turned out. Check it out!

• Over on the Sindiecate blog, the art theme this week is Skullkickers! Yay! I cannot wait to see the amazing pics they put together for it. The first one done by Jorge F. Muñoz has me pumped!

• Plus, in non-SK news, today’s update at Makeshift Miracle is all about warm thoughts.

I contributed suggestions to two different gift guides for comic fans. Check out Newsarama’s Holiday Gift Guide For Kids and Robot 6’s Holiday Gift-Giving Guide for some great ideas on how to please the comic fan on your X-Mas shopping list.

Bobby Chiu’s new book, The Perfect Bait, came out yesterday. He was kind enough to pass me an advanced copy so I could check it out and I was thoroughly impressed.

The Perfect Bait is an incredibly unique guide for freelance artists and animators aimed at helping them push themselves to new levels in their work and career. Rather than a straight forward tutorial book on technique, The Perfect Bait is all about cultivating the right attitude for artistic success. It’s both an intense motivational speech and structured common sense approach to building artistic goals interspersed with inspiring and humbling anecdotes by Bobby about his life in freelance art.

If you’ve ever wondered about how to think like a professional, network in such a fast-paced industry or keep yourself motivated day after day, you need to put this on your reading list. It’s engaging, concise and uplifting all at the same time. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend The Perfect Bait to students, co-workers or anyone looking for a boost in their work and attitude.

Click on the image below to check it out. It would make a great gift for an artist or art student in your life.

Quick updates:

• Makeshift Miracle chapter 2 continues, including a beautiful two page spread of Colby and the mystery girl trekking through a snowstorm.

• Skullkickers #12 arrives in stores on Wednesday, November 30th and it’s awesome. Check out the exclusive issue preview on MTV Geek.

• Our friends John and Heather had us over for dinner last night. To celebrate American Thanksgiving craziness, John made a Turducken. Dessert was a three layer cake with three pies baked inside. WTF. We ate ourselves silly. Check those photos. Also, John’s Turducken preparation video is here.

Not satisfied with that level of high-class food intake, Stacy handmade macaron cookies today. They are delicious. Too much good food lately. It’s insane.

• In other news, our Skullkickers fans are amazing.

That’s the update: Busy, busy, busy, good food, looking forward to the holidays, busy, busy.

I started tweeting up a storm this morning with ideas for people who want to buy comics for family/friends this holiday season. As it grew and suggestions came in, I thought it might be good to compile all the tweets in one place as an easy hub for people to read later on:

Comics For the Holidays

With the depth and breadth of creator-owned comics out in trade paperback, there’s a solid comic choice for everyone on your shopping list.

Comics are a medium and there are titles for every taste & style. Find out what media your friends + family like, then get comics to match.

Don’t just buy people comics you like, target their likes. You’ll win them over and turn them into comic fans.

Got a friend who loves music? Get them Charles Soule’s 27 volume 1.

Got a friend who loves espionage-thrillers? Get them Nate Edmonson’s Who Is Jake Ellis?

Got a friend who loves westerns? Get them Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt’s The Sixth Gun volume 1 & 2.

Got a friend who loves action-comedy? Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener’s Atomic Robo will do the trick.

Got a friend who loved the Sandman series? Hook them on Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez’s Locke & Key!

Great kids comics this holiday season: J. Torres’ Power Lunch, Ray Fawkes’ Possessions, Robert Kirkman’s Super Dinosaur and David Peterson’s Mouseguard!

More great kids books! Gladstone's School of World Conquerors, Chris and Shane Houghton‘s Reed Gunther series!

Got a friend who loves horror movies? Get them Kurtis Wiebe and Rily Rossmo’s Green Wake volume 1!

Got a friend who loves faerie tales/Wizard of Oz, buy 'em Return of the Dapper Men by Jim McCann and Janet Lee!

Every one of these books I’ve suggested this morning is creator-owned, so you’re supporting great creators and bringing in new readers.

I’ve also read every single one of them! It's been an incredible year for creator-owned comics.

Anime/Animation fan on your list? Buy them RandomVeus by Jeff “Chamba” Cruz: http://www.randomveus.com/

Want something naughty with something nice? Empowered by Adam Warren ties it up with a bow.

Got a veteran in the family? Buy them Scott Chantler’s Two Generals graphic novel.

Smile by Raina Telgemeier should be on the shelf of every tween. Same goes for Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Lost At Sea

Comics for the Holidays: Got a friend on an exercise/diet mission? Get them Julie Faulkner’s Promises Promises book 1: http://www.promisescomic.com/shop/

Got a relative with sarcastic wit and black-hearted humor? John Layman and Rob Guillory’s Chew is a great fit!

Engineer/Scientist (or student of same) in the family? Buy them Zach Weiner’s Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal, stat! http://smbc.myshopify.com/

Science Fiction fan on your list? Hugo-nom Schlock Mercenary by Howard Tayler will satisfy. http://store.schlockmercenary.com/

Daniel Jones from Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society interviews me about comic piracy, torrents and online distribution models. It’s a very different kind of chat as we get to some harsh truths about current problems and ideals in e-publishing and distribution models. Give it a listen!