Loners #1 - Food Find

I like to eat.

Yeah, I know, for those of you who know me or have seen pictures of me, that comes as no surprise, right? But it's true, I love a good meal! You know, if I didn't get into comics, I'd probably be in the food industry and weigh in at twice the jumbo size I already am now. However, being in comics means I get to travel a lot and I'm afforded the opportunity to try out all kinds of new restaurants wherever I go for cons. Fish tacos in San Diego. Cheesesteaks in Philly. Pizza, dogs and breaded steaks sandwiches in Chicago. BBQ in North Carolina, Memphis and Texas. I try it all. One thing I guess I should point out though is that I'm not a fancy guy. Sure, I like a nice five star meal every now and then, but me, I'm more of a greasy spoon, hole-in-the-wall, local flavor kind of guy. I wanna try the off the beaten path dives that usually only the locals know, the kind of places you won't find in Gourmet magazine. Hot dogs, burgers, wings, fries, chili... I'm all over it!

So what does this have to do with Loners, you ask? Well, they say that writers should write what they know, and I like to think I know food... so when I write comics I toss in little references to certain meals and restaurants I enjoy. I try and squeeze a few quick nods into my books whenever I can. And Loners #1 is no exception! Contrary to popular belief, Los Angeles has some excellent eateries and as that's where Loners takes place, you'll see some of my favorite LA restaurants popping up in the book every now and again.

When you read issue one, on sale April 11th, you'll notice I clearly name drop my beloved In-N-Out Burger in there. That's a constant in the entire series actually. However, there's also a subtle tribute somewhere in the first issue to another one of my favorite L.A. hangouts.

So what I'm doing is running a LONERS FOOD FIND contest. I'm offering a free pile of swag to the first five people who can correctly identify the other restaurant referenced in our debut issue. Come Wednesday, the first five people who BUY THE ISSUE, which you will be asked to prove, and e-mail me the name of the joint in question, will get an envelope stuffed with all kinds of signed comics and goodies, with a few extra surprises thrown in to boot! Sound good? I'm at cbcebulski@gmail.com.

Comics and food, what more is there to life...?

Enjoy Loners #1!!