Big Sketches

Here's the first batch of finished sketches that will be going out with the books next week. Some Robin, some movie poster parody fun and possibly my favourite one so far, Andi chilling in a tree.

Artonomous

Convention season is coming up soon, and I have a plan.

I know there's all this stuff floating out there right now about creator-owned comics and people calling for the immediate stoppage of sketching the corporate icons we all hold so dear, but I'm going to focus less on the negative, and more on the positive.

I don't hate Marvel or DC. I read plenty of both. And I'm not the one to dump on your enthusiasm for their characters. If you want 80s Rogue done in my style, I'll give you the best 80s Rogue I can!

But, I'm going to try and do as much as I can to sketch independent characters, and when I'm done - I'm going to split $10 out of that $30 or $40 I make per commission, hunt down the creator and give them their share. If they don't want it, I will either donate it to the CBLDF, or pool it all in a separate account and maybe do something awesome with it at the end of the year to get more people making more Next Big Things.

It happens often enough at conventions where people say to me "What do you want to draw?" so this is where I'll get to do it. Or if someone really wants Batman, maybe I'll ask them if they want Batman and Darkblade together. Then I'll go find Thom Zahler, show him a photo of the sketch, and give him 10 bucks as thanks for creating a character that let me create that piece of art. If they don't know who Darkblade is, I'll write on the back. "Love and Capes. Check it out."

A lot of people probably won't care what I'm doing. A lot of people probably won't take the money. Some might hate my renditions of their characters. Some might not. I've already seen blog posts from some artists stating "Hey. I have characters too! You can draw them all you want if you give me appropriate credit!" Well, this is appropriate credit, right? It's a system worth trying.

A system I'm calling being Artonomous.

I don't have any conventions until April, but I'll let you all know how it goes.

If anyone wants to join in, please do! I've uploaded a nice-sized logo here you can right click, print out and stand on your table if you like.

There are a lot of us out there doing our own little thing. There are collectives. There are alliances. But still we remain fractious, and maybe a simple little logo and a mission statement is a way for us to mobilise a little more but still not take too much time away from us creating our beloved comics. As superheroes are so often heard to say "We can't take him alone, but if we team up..." ;)

I'll leave you with a commission of Catbeard the Pirate I did yesterday.

It was commissioned by the creator himself, Matt Nelson, and it's an awesome comic, and I did it free for him, as thanks for bringing something new and interesting in to the world. Let's get creative!

No art here. Just comic thoughts.

Boy, all this 'more women for DC Comics' stuff is everywhere! I've read it all, see all the sides of the story, etc. etc. and don't have anything to add that hasn't already been said, but one thing that did strike me is what's wrong with the DC Relaunch from another perspective.

And this is all meant in a purely constructive way. I hope the DC relaunch is a success. I'm even interested in some of it. I hope, in general, it just ends up spreading the joy of comics wider, raising all boats with the tide! I really do. But I'm skeptical, and here's why...

The DC House Style.

I know DC have always had a house style, but surely, in a relaunch intended to grow readership, this should have been the first thing to go. One thing I've seen people saying a lot lately is, yes, there are a ton of female creators, but they don't fit the DC style so the point is moot. Well, get rid of the style! That's your first barrier to diverse creation right there. Not just for females, but anyone who wants to do something truly different and out there.

In creativity, more than anywhere else, you gotta take risks, you gotta go for broke, and keeping to a house style is an unnecessary restraint. Dark and gritty works for Batman, but it doesn't work for Teen Titans. What works for Superman, doesn't work for Supergirl even, and so on. Most of us have seen some of those failed pitches floating around, from Dean Trippe's Lois Lane: Girl Reporter to Ben Caldwell's YA Wonder Woman series, and I can only imagine these were passed over because they don't fit the House Style. Maybe tons of other reasons, too, I have no idea, but if you're pitching a radically different take on a character that DC thinks should only ever look one way, well... it's a long way uphill from there. It'd be like giving Jim Lee a picture of a giraffe and telling him that's what he looks like in the mirror. "Pfft. Get outta here with your crazy ideas!"

Forget breaking up DC in to statistics of men/women/minority/etc characters for a second, and lets break it down in to style. (This is the part where if I had the inclination I would do a pie chart that showed 100% Jim Lee or Similar.)

Now, don't get me wrong, I don't mind that style. It would work for many a book, but not EVERY one. And yes, there is wiggle room within that style - Frank Quitely is nothing like David Finch, etc, etc. but Frank Quitely is also nothing like, say, Mike Maihack. Or Doug TenNapel. Or Kate Beaton... actually, Ms Beaton already does her take on these superhero characters that seem to be wildly popular with a lot of people - judging by how the superhero strips of hers get more widely tweeted, tumbled, liked, etc. than her more literary/historical strips. At least, they're usually only ever the ones I see. Why isn't DC offering her insane money to make them even more insane money?

Imagine a DC Comics where Morrison and Finch gave us Batman, but Faith Erin Hicks gave us Batgirl. Where Johns and Lee delivered us some Superman, but Clio Chiang gave us Supergirl. Where Zatanna was brought to us by Ted Naifeh, Teen Titans by Sarah Mensinga, alongside Flash by Manapul, and Green Lantern by Mahnke. Why is there no room for that kind of diversity??

Honestly, you could give as many awesome examples as you want for who could be doing great things for DC, but more often than not, you're going to come up with names of people who just don't want to. UNLESS they're given free reign. UNLESS they're allowed to be themselves, artistically. IF their uniqueness is perceived as a value, not a detriment. If they're allowed to bring what they offer to the table without it being re-shaped in to big boobed, beheaded bimbos!

Where is the benefit in doing the SAME thing 52 times every month, endlessly? Even Jim Carrey gets sick of being Jim Carrey, you know? Diversity is never going to happen if you sit around in your House, only answering the door to people who know to come round back, while ignoring the possibilities of opening up the front door to everyone else.

Aliceopolis - for Team Cul de Sac

Cul de Sac is the best comic strip out there. I will always have that soft spot for Peanuts and Calvin and Hobbes, but for the sheer wonder of discovering something new and unique, and crazy funny - Cul de Sac hits that spot. It hits that spot so repeatedly I think I've gone crazy funny from the impact, myself.

Part of Max Overacts is inspired by Cul de Sac, and its ability to throw a one liner into not just the final panel, but EVERY panel if Mr Thompson feels like it (which he often does), usually from Dil - who could out non-sequitur Ralph from the Simpsons any day of the week (which is why I wanted to do a strip with Dil in it). :)

Anyway, this is my piece I will be sending to Team Cul de Sac. (Details here). The art will be auctioned off to raise money for Parkinson's Disease research in association with the Michael J Fox Foundation - another hero of mine, starring in the movie I have watched most in my life - Back to the Future, as well as the Frighteners, Spin City, and so much more - I cried when he walked off into Central Park at the end of Spin City. Heck, Max's school in Max Overacts is called Alex P Keaton Primary School!



I encourage any other artists here to do something for the auction too. And if you don't have the first three Cul de Sac collections already, go straight to Amazon and buy them. Consume them. Love them. Then excruciatingly wait for more. :)

Major Sun Pages

So, a little while ago on this blog I showed some characters for a superhero story I submitted to Zuda. Well, since then, Zuda has stopped the competitions, and I'm kinda committed to Max now - along with some other concepts I'm researching, so Major Sun was never meant to be, it seems.

The first 8 pages are done though, so may as well show 'em, huh?

Enjoy.










So, as you can see, the concept was that a kid inherits his grandfather's superhero legacy but doesn't quite get the chance to use it. Instead, they have to chase the dog down and, um, clean up his mess, so to speak.

Eventually, Cisco, and Rebel would have taken it in turns to use the amulet, and go off half-assedly think they're doing good without thinking about their consequences, but alas the story is dead before it ever began.

Right now, I'm sticking with Max Overacts, 'cos I really think I've found my rhythm with the gag strips.

No art here. Just Lost thoughts.

I loved the finale, and here's why:

The whole 'you're dead' thing was not a bait and switch. The clues were there the whole time. The first thing Rose says to sideways Jack on the plane in the season 6 opener was 'You can let go now' which is why both she and Bernard seemed like they knew what was going on (because they had each other in both realities the whole time).

Some people had terrible deaths. Pulled from life before they were ready, and the sideways world was great for creating real closure to everyone's stories. Everyone in the sideways world, once they had awoken to their memories of both life, and death, were at peace. Were happy with how they'd lived their lives. How utterly optimistic and wonderful is that?!?

The reason Eloise threatened Desmond becomes clear. She felt guilty that she caused the death of her son, and wanted longer with him, and was afraid Desmond would take him away from her.

Ben stayed a little longer until he could move on with Alex, and really, he always felt like an outsider to the survivors. It would have been weird to see him go with them. He had his little moments with Locke and Hurley, the two he had a connection with the most, and that's enough.

Even if you were not satisfied with the afterlife stuff, there was still a good ending for the real world. Kate, Sawyer, Miles, Frank, Richard and Claire all escaped the island. (I loved the bit with Richard getting his first grey hair. Real surprising, affecting little moment there.) Hurley and Ben lived on as the new Jacob and Richard, it was implied they sent Desmond back to Penny and his son, and they would run the island differently. Living in harmony with Rose and Bernard, and Cindy and the kids, and the rest of Locke's camp who we never saw again, but also must have still been around somewhere. We might even think the two eventually leave it themselves once no people remain to corrupt the power source.

I will always believe the power source is tied to Atlantean mythology. If you've ever seen the Disney movie Atlantis, there are a lot of similarities between the two. In that movie, the Atlanteans powered everything with a light source hidden underneath the city, that was also tied to the souls of every Atlantean. When the profiteers took their crystals, the Atlanteans lost their long life, etc. I don't need any real answers on that because they gave us enough clues to make our own.

In the pilot Locke says backgammon is the oldest game in the world, 5,000 years - to me, this is the writers TELLING us that's when the story of Jacob and his brother takes place. All the ancient Egyptian stuff is what came between then and the Black Rock. There's more fun to be had in making up that stuff in my head than being told what happened.

All that mythology stuff is not that important anyway. It was always about the characters, and the episode had enough character resolution to fill two boats. It was full of teary moments. And yeah, maybe they didn't LIVE happily ever after, but I get the same sense of peace from this finale that the characters had. No matter what happens in our lives, in death, we get to reunite with those we hold most dear.

I don't much believe in afterlifes and all that stuff, but dammit, if I wouldn't want mine to be like the one we got on Lost.

I'm not going to head out and start a religion based on Lost's ideology, of course - I'm not a complete idiot, but that makes it, to me, a deeply moving resolution.

Major Sun

So, it's done. The 8 pages are sent, and here I am, with my final character design, the titular hero, Major Sun. A character of few words, evidently.



The waiting begins.

Surround yourself with friends

This is my entry for the Strand Tote Bag Contest (ends tomorrow!)



I used Erin as my model, so if, by the hugest outside chance it wins, she will be all over New York. ;o)

Fun with Superheroes

I don't buy a lot of superhero comics.

There's a cycle to superhero stories I just don't enjoy. When I realised I would never receive a proper resolution from the comics, I gave me my own, and just stopped buying them.

Plus, it's all dark and grim and gritty, and they're all largely just rambling from one conflict to the next, without ever being about anything. So I thought I'd give it a go myself. Create a superhero title with a beginning, a middle, and an end.

What's it about? Well, I don't want to say too much about it; I do like my surprises. ;o) But I thought I'd share my character designs inspired by the recent Guardians of the Globe teasers I've been enjoying, while I finish colouring up those first 8 pages.

But where's the super hero you say? All in good time.

#zudalove meme

Quick sketch of Adam Atherton's Lily of the Valley.
25 mins with the tablet.

The Lost Hanna Barbera classic

Looks like Hurley wasn't just writing Empire Strikes Back in 1977. In 1975 he sent this pitch in to the premier TV animation house at the time. Resemble any of their other classics?

Mystery Island developed for television by Hugo Reyes.

Val

Finally! The winning script of my competition I held WAY back in June '09, is revealed here, drawn by me. Written by Walter Ostlie, creator of the comic delivered via web, Cubicles.

Wally gets all four pages of original art by me. It'll be out in the post this week, Wally! You've been so very very patient. :o)

Enjoy!

Scriptwriting is new to me

Ever since Celadore, I've discovered the benefits of scripting. Before that, I did mostly strip gags that didn't need it, or 24 hour comics that were fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants stuff.

Now, for my new comic idea I've been developing, I'm working out six 22 page 'issues' before I even hit the art boards. Good thing too, 'cos halfway through issue 5, I had to scrap everything and start again. Is this normal? Argh! Oh well. Better than releasing stuff with giant gaps in logic, right? Sigh.

So it's back to the drawing board, and I haven't even made it to the drawing board yet.

Except for this one piece with the main characters, which at least hasn't changed.

Gus, Kim & Heather, technically still on Earth

Another Sneak Peek

I just uploaded my new strip idea to Zuda for their consideration.

It's called Max Overacts. It's a daily strip following a little boy who dreams of being an actor, much to the annoyance of his sister, parents, friends, next door neighbour, and everyone else inbetween.

Here's a few finished panels I pulled out of some of the strips.

Max wears his heart on his sleeve for his unwilling leading lady, Janet.

One of Max's favourite pastimes is impressions.

Max's sometimes best friend is his ventriloquist doll, Curio.

Impressions of an angry grandfather.

Processing...

That's what my script pages look like. (Click on it for a closer look.) I thumbnail directly onto the script wherever there's space, and when I'm faced with the space I have to work with, that's when I hack my script into shape. There are hardly any Celadore pages that read exactly like the script (sorry, Kwanza) because as I go through and draw the thing, new situations, plot holes (or rather, vague plot details) always become apparent to me.

I decided to show the process for screen 165 because it's vastly different from script to final. Just look at the two thumbnails against the final page. The Altoids panel is in the top right corner in the thumb, and in the bottom left on the final. And everything else in between is completely different.

Most of that comes from the old cliché of characters writing themselves. Sam, Evelyn and Cel, and all the rest, occupy a massive part of my head where they're constantly jockeying for space and telling me how to do my job. With Sam disappearing into 1950, Evelyn was suddenly faced with her true feelings for Sam, and of course, he's got to be punched for doing so. None of that was in the script, but it was so natural, I had to do it.

Anyway, once I get a vague direction, and before it's been too long that I forget what all the crazy instructions to myself mean, the pencils get done...


Then the inks... (I always ink the dialogue before anything else)


And then, I got that awesome filter plug-in for photoshop that fills in all your shapes for you. It works for me because my art has a lot of closed 'fields' that makes it easier for the plug-in to figure out where the edges are. Once I got the plug in (which I got when I started doing chapter 2), my process went a little like this...

1. Double click the background to turn it into a layer.

2. Duplicate the layer, then select 'multiply' for the new layer from the drop down menu.

3. Go back to the original layer, and run the filters. First the multifill. Then the flatten. And you end up with something that looks like this. I know. Crazy, huh?


The benefit of this filter is that you can change everything without worrying about the ink layer that just sits on top. No more accidentally colouring your linework, which means less cmd-Z! ;o)

Then I go through with the paint bucket to fill in all the fields with their actual colours. Sometimes I have to use the pencil tool, mainly to fill in eyes, etc, where my black lines didn't close their 'field', but mostly it's bucket tool time.


This page was easy, because I just sampled colours from the previous pages set at night. I sampled all the dark colours, so I only had to go through and colour in the highlights. I just select each colour field with the wand, and do each area one at a time.

You'll notice for the snow I used a bright blue. The reason being if I had've filled it in as white, when I went through and selected all the white, I would have got the borders and speech bubbles too, so it's better to isolate them with weird colours, and change them later.

Anyway, to see the final screen, after the pencil work, and the gradients, etc. it's at Zuda, of course!

Sneak Peek

So, I finished working on Celadore last week. Over the course of working on Celadore I was always working on other projects in my sketchbooks in case Cel never continued. Since it probably won't be, production has begun in wild crazy man style on my next strip.

I will most likely be submitting it to Zuda, (anyone know any quicker ways to get paid to draw your own ideas?) and hopefully make it the first gag-a-day strip to win! Woo!

Here's my character sheet. Lots of strips written, 6 pencilled so far, stay tuned.

Left to right - Sir Allan, Andi, Janet, Max, Klaus, Ma & Pa Fogherty, and Curio

Mad Mac and Cheese

This here is my entry into Mark Penman's Design an Antiquarian competition, that's running in conjunction with this month's Zuda throw-down.

Mad Mac and Cheese

When you have multiple personality disorder, paranoid delusions, OCD, a hyperactive adrenal gland, and addictive personality, there's not many options for work than to be self-employed, so that's what Mac did. With his medications, foil-lined akubra (those damn aliens), a direct line to the spirit of Charles Darwin (he says), and his scouting rat, Cheese, Mac travels the world, doing whatever it takes to get the next big meal ticket.

Fan Expo Sketches

This was my first time having a table at a giant comic convention. I had done Supanova twice before, but it's really nothing compared to this. Wow. So many people. So many people who love comics, and so many more willing to give 'em a go.

I had a pretty measly stall between CK Russell's technicolor wonder of superheroey goodness, and Marc B's orgy of screen printed delicacies, with just my three books of the entire run of Celadore, a little postcard stand, poster and business cards (which didn't even have my email on them. Yep. I'm a genius.)

Friday was a slow start. Mostly because I was still trying to get pencilling done on Celadore and chat at the same time. But then Saturday came, and I started sketching random superheroes to try and grab a little more attention with some known properties, and before ya know it, I'm sketching for everybody. Sunday was such a steady stream, I didn't even eat. Food for the soul is what got me through that day.

The All New Batman & Robin

This guy was the first to snag a free sketch, by just noticing it and asking how much. I wasn't really serious about the sketches, so it went for free. Originally it was just Damian, but he wanted Batman too, so I did a 'mostly-cape' cheat's version. And didn't even get that right.

The Escapist

This guy (I forgot so many names, I'm sorry!) had a kick-ass collection of Escapist art from a LOT of cool people. I feel very proud to be part of this collection. It's truly a masterpiece gallery. I also LOVE the Escapist, so jumped at the chance to draw one up.

You Too Can Be Batgirl

Then I was visited by two lovely gals, Kristen and Jane, who had a stall down the way selling their wares. We did a sketch exchange and I did them as superheroes. Something I've always thought would be fun to do at cons if my confidence in drawing people as they look was any higher. Sadly, it's hit and miss, and I could probably just end up angering people.

Leeloo

Then they came back with with their booth buddy, Shane, (Kristen and Shane's stuff can be seen at oatfish.com) and requested a Leeloo for their friend who couldn't make the con. I will draw any challenge given, so, after some early morning Sunday net research, there she came.

Supergirl

Late Saturday I started doing better sketches with a view to selling them for Sunday, so I did this Supergirl, brought it home, and promptly left it on the scanner. Oops.

"Happy birthday ... Mister President Luthor..."

Someone got this awesome Supergirl anyway (I love drawing Supergirl.)

Harley Quinn! - I also enjoy drawing Harley

Two young gals around 8 - 9 had sketch books (starting at an early age, good on ya, dad) and they got a Harley and a Jean Grey (which I forgot to take a pic of).

Kala, from Marc B's Mecha Libre

At the very end o Sunday, I did an interpretation of my neighbour Marc B's character from his Mecha-Libre, in exchange for a snap-dandy print that'll look great above my desk.

CK Russell getting some Spidey love

On the other side, CK snagged my Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane pic, as it sat there too long without any purchasing love.

The Postscript table

Down the end on the other side of our table 'island' were Graham, and his lovely fiancé Michelle, who I went with to the Diamond Industry night. (It's very surreal to be eating dinner at the table over from a bunch of very famous Star Trek actors.) That was a great night. Lots of stimulating conversation to be found. You can check out Graham's Postscript comic here. And join his facebook group if it tickles all the right spots. If you enjoyed Shrek, there's a strong chance you will enjoy Postscript, and Graham was a very nice, talented dude. I saw a lot of me at that age in him, so I have every confidence he'll get to where he's going.

The Proof gang were sitting not too far away from my table, so Sunday morning, I went and got my copy of number one signed, and went back at lunch with this little fan art piece. They loved it. It may end up in the back of the book, which would be neat. I love Proof.

By far though, my favourite piece for the day was this one, for Ty, who does the Batusi Blog.

Thanks to Darrell Ferguson for providing the Detective Comics issue for the reference. Though I have the issue, I didn't have it with me. Save!

Sketches I forgot to take a photo of - another Spidey sketch, Grizzly for a guy with a funky He-Man themed sketch book, a sketch of Eve and Sam for Danielle who was awesome enough to read my comic overnight and came back for a sketch (the world needs more Danielles!) and a few others I'm already forgetting (which is why I was taking photos!) including a Hulk for Darrell who was unlucky enough to be the first to ask for a sketch and thus, got my rusty warm up. Sorry Darrell. I feel I owe you something better.

Other highlights.

Meeting Andy B who does Bottle of Awesome at Zuda, and Raising Hell, who was polite enough to point out in the Webcomics 101 panel, by the Transmission-X crew, that I was in the audience and did Celadore, to which crickets chirping would have been welcome. :o| The panel was great though. Funny guys who kept each other in check from rambling too much. Glad I went.

Being interviewed by Clark Kent (who is really Jamie Aaron Kelley), from WGBS News - you can watch their newscasts on youtube - t'was a blast. These guys played the part real well. Just fantastic. He totally looked like Clark Kent, even with the mannerism of constantly pushing his glasses up. Perfect.

I was also interviewed by an absolute gentleman, Tim Ashdown. More news on that when it appears on the webs. He has a podcast, and good taste!

Also in our table island was Emily, who, as well as fighting the equality battle on both fronts (get it?), does the webcomic Tom Boy Tara, which I had seen online already, so it's always nice to put a face to the talent.

I met tons of other awesome people, including Anthony who had the most enthusiasm for my work I've ever seen outside, well, me... and also cries when watching the Iron Giant, so you know he knows his stuff. I also met Bruno who is starting up an interesting webcomic-slash-print on demand hub, the fabler, which I will keep my eye on, possibly use, and truly hope to see succeed in generating a viable business plan and some income at last for webcomickers.

I love that kids, 10 and under it seems, were attracted to my comic a lot, with their parents trying to tug at their shirt collars, while they stood there transfixed, unmovable. For the mum who had the little girl with the awesome taste in comics (The Courageous Princess), if my recommendations got lost in the insanity of the day and you somehow find yourself here, they were Akiko, and the Elsewhere Chronicles. Good stuff. I didn't mention Bone, but does anyone need to these days? ;o)

Anyway, you're all bored of me now, right? Thanks again to everyone who took the time to stop and chat, request sketches, took postcards, business cards and generally made my day. Speaking of postcards. Anyone know good places to stock the 4,800 out of 5,000 I have left? ;o)