SHOP TALK: Rob Schamberger Newsletter 28APR24

So give you ID card to the border guard.

Apr 28, 2024

Engage.

Hi. My name's Rob Schamberger. I'm that guy who paints rasslers. And other stuff. So meet me at the mission at midnight, we'll divvy up there.

CAPTAIN PICARD

Here’s a quick 7x10 watercolor of Sir Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek: The Next Generation. I whipped it up yesterday while between paintings. Why? I’m a lifelong Trek fan. I don’t need a reason beyond that!

SOME HOUSEKEEPING

We’re still settling into a pattern for releases with AEW so please be patient during these early days. The current plan is for Thursday’s at 12PM CST. So after today, newsletters and print drops will be timed to that.

Also, thank you for your feedback and I want to let you know we’re listening. Several people talked about how they wanted more of the 11x14’s, the size you’re accustomed to getting from me as well as the 130# uncoated cover stock they’re printed on. I talked with ShopAEW and we’re making the move to have my printer here in Kansas City continue to make the prints. I’m signing and numbering them (pictured above) and then ShopAEW will fulfill the orders. I gave them all of the packaging materials required to ship them safely, so we should be all good.

The relationships I’ve built with my customers over the past decade are very important and the crew at ShopAEW are honoring that. That said, there’s still a lot of potential for other sizes, formats and products in the future that we’re going to continue to experiment with and find the best fits for my collectors. Change doesn’t always have to be bad!

Meanwhile, here’s Kima working on her first-ever Thunder Rosa painting. It’ll probably debut in June some time. Kima’s working way ahead on things.

UPCOMING AEW PAINTINGS

Kazuchika Okada
Julia Hart
Will Ospreay
Mercedes Mone
HOOK

Card subject to change.

Rob’s Art on ShopAEW
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Rob and Jason Arnett's novella Rudow Can't Fail!
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Prints, Signed Prints and Original Paintings at ShopAEW!
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Instagram
Threads
YouTube

WHAT I LIKED THIS WEEK

It’s become part of my morning routine to watch After Midnight on Paramount+. If you’re unfamiliar, the concept is that it’s a fake game show with three comedians riffing on stuff from the internet, hosted by Taylor Tomlinson. The guests change each episode, so there’s peaks and valleys, but this week they had possibly their best ever with Thomas Lennon, Weird Al, and Drew Carey. Why? Just watch for yourself.

I love that there’s people out there who only know Drew from The Price is Right, and then they see that appearance. It must be like when everyone only knew Bob Saget from Full House and then saw his standup.

What a beautiful finale for Shogun! The last two episodes are among the best that TV has to offer. Layers within layers, plans within plans, and consequences a’plenty. Never trust a charismatic leader, amirite?

Flowers are flowers because they fall
but thankfully the wind

Gargoyles: Here in Manhattan by Greg Weisman and George Kambadais is the comic book continuation of one of my childhood favorite cartoons. It’s essentially the fourth season of the series, picking up a year after season three. Weisman, the original creator and showrunner, keeps the tone of the series and characters perfectly. It sets up where they all are now, ties up a few loose ends, and then dives headlong into new storylines and conflicts. By its nature it’s a nostalgia book, but like the new X-Men 97 show its also a natural continuation without being held down by what came before. So, if you’re a fellow Gargoyles fan and like what you’re seeing with X-Men 97, you’d be well-served to check this book out.

I wish he was photogenic.

YOU GOOD?

Got a lot done this past week. Our first launch with AEW sold out in a few days, which is a great sign for things to come. Bittersweet, but I dropped off the final print orders from the Before Time, marking the official end of an era. Now David and I are in the process of tearing down the Schamberger Labs Art Fulfillment Center. Like, on one hand I just want it all gone and never to look at it again, but I’m also bummed to do it. I’m proud of what we built and am sad to see it go, but am also really jazzed about what’s coming next.

I talk about it a lot, but it comes in handy: In therapy one of the biggest things I’ve learned is the ability to hold multiple, often-competing truths. One thing doesn’t invalidate another and the emotions tied to each are real and valid.

Friend, I’ve been using A LOT of therapy tools lately in case you were wondering.

So far they’re working pretty good.

Love you more,
Rob