I'm kind of thinking about changing the name of my blog, even though I am still very amused by "A Bucce of Power." Anybody out there have any suggestions for me? Don came up with the current name. He's pretty good at this game.
I await your suggestions!
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Creative Process
Most people, myself included, seem to enjoy a look "behind the scenes" to see the creative process at work. It's why I like listening to the "Director's Commentaries" on DVDs and why, lately, I've been really into the magazines published by TwoMorrows Publishing, like Draw! and Rough Stuff. Actually, some of my favorite blogs are by fellow comic book artists who routinely show off their works in-progress. Today I'll jump on that bandwagon with some work of my own.
One of my more interesting freelance jobs lately has been a monthly, 2-page comic strip for a teen magazine published in Poland, called Fun Club. This morning I just finished my third installment. This is an unusual job because I don't speak (or read) Polish, and the comic will never be in English. The writer sends me a pretty rough script to work from, written in English that's good enough for me to draw from, even if I don't understand all the jokes! The strip is about the wacky adventures of two teenaged girls named Po'Ziomka and Jagoda. This month, they take a trip to Egypt to look for Cleopatra's secret beauty tips (or something). Here's an excerpt from the script, to show you what I receive to work from ("Rys" means "Panel"):
Rys 8
Dark corridor inside the pyramid. The girls are walking with torches in the hands
- It is so dark here!
- Maybe they forgot to pay for the electricity?
Behind the girls the mummy in the bandages is walking slowly. Girls can't see it.
- Next losers! I will scare them to the death!
Rys 9
NAGLE written with huge letter ("nagle" means suddenly). The mummy is jumping on the girls, screaming
- AAAAAAAAAAAA
Rys 10
Girls are wrestling with the mummy. The mummy screams!
- Have mercy! Do not unbind me! I will do anything!
Poziomka:
- So take us to Cleopatra!
Everything I need is pretty much there. More details from the writer is generally preferred, but considering that my collaborators and I are separated by 6000 miles, 9 time zones, and 2 different languages, I think it's amazing that I even have this job to talk about!
Anyhow, from the emailed script & panel descriptions, I first do rough THUMBNAILS of the pages that look like this (click on the images to enlarge):
The Thumbnail is usually my favorite part of the process. I enjoy designing the page and telling the story without concerning myself with the more difficult parts of drawing, such as perspective, proportions & maintaining a style. I enjoy those things as well, but it's different. There's also something about the spontaneity and looseness about the Thumbnail that appeals to me--and that I find difficult to maintain as the process continues...
Above is my LAYOUT for the page. I usually do this step on lightweight tracing paper. It's where I try my first pass at Penciling the page at the size I will draw the final page (usually larger than printed size). Here I work out the basics of the page and how the panels all fit. I use a pencil, and then quickly outline the important parts with a marker. Sometimes this ends up being a patchwork of drawings all taped together. The drawing is pretty rough, and I'm most concerned about blocking in the main shapes & working out the structure of the figures & environments. The perspective is just eye-balled here; I'll tighten it all up in the next step...
Above is my PENCILLED PAGE. This particular page is still somewhat rough. Depending on the project & client, I may do a much cleaner, tighter job. An example of a tighter Pencilled Page is here. Some friends have suggested that I should skip the tracing-paper "Layout" stage, and go directly to this stage, pencilling on the art board. The reasons would be to save time and, perhaps, to maintain some of that lost spontaneity that I have mentioned. However, I find the Layout to be invaluable, because between the Layout & Pencilled Page, I have opportunities to make important changes. After ruling the panel borders, I use a light-box to trace the layout onto the board. As I do this, I tweak the images, moving them around slightly to improve the design & avoid any bad tangents. I'll also use this time to shrink or enlarge panels (or individual elements within), if I feel they need more room to fit copy.
After light-boxing the main elements worked out in the Layout, I go over each drawing, tightening it up. I now pull out my rulers, curves & templates and work out the perspective. In the case of this job, I am also inking & coloring it, so there are certain details I can leave for later.
Above, we have the INKED PAGE. Comic book fans are familiar with this as the next step in the "assembly line," and know that very often, publishers like Marvel & DC will hire a separate artist to "ink" a comic after it has been "pencilled" by one artist. This is usually just a concession to the fast-paced schedules of putting out a monthly comic periodical. Breaking up the art chores makes sense if speed is an important aspect of the production. A happy side-effect is that teaming up different pencillers & inkers like this makes for some interesting variations in style. Artists whose work meshes well together have the potential for forming a great collaboration wherein both artists benefit.
However, that has nothing to do with this page! Just an interesting tangent for the benefit of readers who aren't intimate with the comics biz. In the case of this project, I'm doing everything, including the scanning and some of the work a letterer might do, I you compare the Pencilled Page with the Inked Page, you'll see a big leap. You may also notice some changes, like making the girls' heads bigger in panel 2 (a suggestion from my editor--and a good one). Since I also scanned the page & work in Adobe Photoshop, I could easily put in the signage on the building in the last panel. I also dropped in a "Manga Burst" pattern behind the Mummy in panel 2, and I shrunk the figures a bit in panel 6 to make room for the word balloons. For the "AAAAAA" sound-effect in panel 2, I created the type in Adobe Illustrator and imported in into my page, fitting it behind the Mummy's fist.
Oh, and one thing that you can't see here, but which is important, is that I "paste" my finished inked scan into a Photoshop template which I created, that is sized precisely to that of the printed page, including guide-lines for the bleed, trim & copy-safe areas. This is critical, so that the client won't have trouble with the printing. It's amazing how many artists overlook these details, or simply don't understand them (a rant for another day...!) This is also important for me, as the artist, because I want to be sure none of my work is accidently cropped, and that my bleeds work the way I intend. It's generally a good idea to provide clients with "fool-proof" files.
Last, but not least, I give you the COLORED PAGE, or call it the FINISHED ART, if you prefer. Here is where the drawing comes alive. Because this comic is for a teen magazine aimed at young girls, the client favors bright colors & pastels. In a few places, I've converted the ink lines into color (like the torch flames, shock-lines & some background lines to simulate "atmospheric perspective"). The sky in the final panel is a photo that I fooled around with in Photoshop, using some of their "fine art" filters. Lastly, I created new panel borders (imported from Illustrator) that are thicker, more perfect & white.
Voilà! Now, it's up to the gang in Poland to add the word balloons & make it funny! My job, she is done.
What do you think? I really like working on this magazine. It's exactly the kind of job I'd like to do more of. I enjoy the "cartoony" style and goofy situations. Of the three I've drawn for them, this month's story was my favorite, simply because I like to draw exotic places. I hope Po'Ziomka & Jagoda have some more travel plans in the future!
One of my more interesting freelance jobs lately has been a monthly, 2-page comic strip for a teen magazine published in Poland, called Fun Club. This morning I just finished my third installment. This is an unusual job because I don't speak (or read) Polish, and the comic will never be in English. The writer sends me a pretty rough script to work from, written in English that's good enough for me to draw from, even if I don't understand all the jokes! The strip is about the wacky adventures of two teenaged girls named Po'Ziomka and Jagoda. This month, they take a trip to Egypt to look for Cleopatra's secret beauty tips (or something). Here's an excerpt from the script, to show you what I receive to work from ("Rys" means "Panel"):
Rys 8
Dark corridor inside the pyramid. The girls are walking with torches in the hands
- It is so dark here!
- Maybe they forgot to pay for the electricity?
Behind the girls the mummy in the bandages is walking slowly. Girls can't see it.
- Next losers! I will scare them to the death!
Rys 9
NAGLE written with huge letter ("nagle" means suddenly). The mummy is jumping on the girls, screaming
- AAAAAAAAAAAA
Rys 10
Girls are wrestling with the mummy. The mummy screams!
- Have mercy! Do not unbind me! I will do anything!
Poziomka:
- So take us to Cleopatra!
Everything I need is pretty much there. More details from the writer is generally preferred, but considering that my collaborators and I are separated by 6000 miles, 9 time zones, and 2 different languages, I think it's amazing that I even have this job to talk about!
Anyhow, from the emailed script & panel descriptions, I first do rough THUMBNAILS of the pages that look like this (click on the images to enlarge):
The Thumbnail is usually my favorite part of the process. I enjoy designing the page and telling the story without concerning myself with the more difficult parts of drawing, such as perspective, proportions & maintaining a style. I enjoy those things as well, but it's different. There's also something about the spontaneity and looseness about the Thumbnail that appeals to me--and that I find difficult to maintain as the process continues...
Above is my LAYOUT for the page. I usually do this step on lightweight tracing paper. It's where I try my first pass at Penciling the page at the size I will draw the final page (usually larger than printed size). Here I work out the basics of the page and how the panels all fit. I use a pencil, and then quickly outline the important parts with a marker. Sometimes this ends up being a patchwork of drawings all taped together. The drawing is pretty rough, and I'm most concerned about blocking in the main shapes & working out the structure of the figures & environments. The perspective is just eye-balled here; I'll tighten it all up in the next step...
Above is my PENCILLED PAGE. This particular page is still somewhat rough. Depending on the project & client, I may do a much cleaner, tighter job. An example of a tighter Pencilled Page is here. Some friends have suggested that I should skip the tracing-paper "Layout" stage, and go directly to this stage, pencilling on the art board. The reasons would be to save time and, perhaps, to maintain some of that lost spontaneity that I have mentioned. However, I find the Layout to be invaluable, because between the Layout & Pencilled Page, I have opportunities to make important changes. After ruling the panel borders, I use a light-box to trace the layout onto the board. As I do this, I tweak the images, moving them around slightly to improve the design & avoid any bad tangents. I'll also use this time to shrink or enlarge panels (or individual elements within), if I feel they need more room to fit copy.
After light-boxing the main elements worked out in the Layout, I go over each drawing, tightening it up. I now pull out my rulers, curves & templates and work out the perspective. In the case of this job, I am also inking & coloring it, so there are certain details I can leave for later.
Above, we have the INKED PAGE. Comic book fans are familiar with this as the next step in the "assembly line," and know that very often, publishers like Marvel & DC will hire a separate artist to "ink" a comic after it has been "pencilled" by one artist. This is usually just a concession to the fast-paced schedules of putting out a monthly comic periodical. Breaking up the art chores makes sense if speed is an important aspect of the production. A happy side-effect is that teaming up different pencillers & inkers like this makes for some interesting variations in style. Artists whose work meshes well together have the potential for forming a great collaboration wherein both artists benefit.
However, that has nothing to do with this page! Just an interesting tangent for the benefit of readers who aren't intimate with the comics biz. In the case of this project, I'm doing everything, including the scanning and some of the work a letterer might do, I you compare the Pencilled Page with the Inked Page, you'll see a big leap. You may also notice some changes, like making the girls' heads bigger in panel 2 (a suggestion from my editor--and a good one). Since I also scanned the page & work in Adobe Photoshop, I could easily put in the signage on the building in the last panel. I also dropped in a "Manga Burst" pattern behind the Mummy in panel 2, and I shrunk the figures a bit in panel 6 to make room for the word balloons. For the "AAAAAA" sound-effect in panel 2, I created the type in Adobe Illustrator and imported in into my page, fitting it behind the Mummy's fist.
Oh, and one thing that you can't see here, but which is important, is that I "paste" my finished inked scan into a Photoshop template which I created, that is sized precisely to that of the printed page, including guide-lines for the bleed, trim & copy-safe areas. This is critical, so that the client won't have trouble with the printing. It's amazing how many artists overlook these details, or simply don't understand them (a rant for another day...!) This is also important for me, as the artist, because I want to be sure none of my work is accidently cropped, and that my bleeds work the way I intend. It's generally a good idea to provide clients with "fool-proof" files.
Last, but not least, I give you the COLORED PAGE, or call it the FINISHED ART, if you prefer. Here is where the drawing comes alive. Because this comic is for a teen magazine aimed at young girls, the client favors bright colors & pastels. In a few places, I've converted the ink lines into color (like the torch flames, shock-lines & some background lines to simulate "atmospheric perspective"). The sky in the final panel is a photo that I fooled around with in Photoshop, using some of their "fine art" filters. Lastly, I created new panel borders (imported from Illustrator) that are thicker, more perfect & white.
Voilà! Now, it's up to the gang in Poland to add the word balloons & make it funny! My job, she is done.
What do you think? I really like working on this magazine. It's exactly the kind of job I'd like to do more of. I enjoy the "cartoony" style and goofy situations. Of the three I've drawn for them, this month's story was my favorite, simply because I like to draw exotic places. I hope Po'Ziomka & Jagoda have some more travel plans in the future!
Friday, May 09, 2008
NYCC: Better Late Than Never
This is my belated, and somewhat rambling, 'Post-New York Comic-Con" post. Sorry for the delay, I've been having some ISSUES that I'll explain later. First...the CON:
The convention was a big event that actually felt like San Diego on Saturday. By that I mean it was huge, crowded and pretty overwhelming! I missed the first two years of NYCC, but I'm sure that this year was better, if for no other reason than the weather! Whoever decided that February was a good month for a convention in NYC has something seriously wrong with him. On the other hand, April is a great time to be in the city.
And that's really what I enjoyed most: being back in my hometown, wandering around, and best of all, seeing a lot of old pals. Marie was kind enough to put me up and show me the wonders of Jersey City's newer public transit system. We also visited her offices at Teshkeel and celebrated her birthday! It was really great to catch up with my pal from the "Old Marvel" days, Marcus McLaurin. He looks just the same to me. Also, I noticed in the convention program that Mark Chiarello and Jack Morelli were signing their new book, Heroes of the Negro Leagues, so made it a point to drop by, visit and buy their book. You can buy one here:
And you really should. It's really stunning! That Chiarello dude has skills.
I enjoyed visiting with other old pals & acquaintances like Klaus Janson, Rick Parker, Mark Powers, Jason Liebig, Jim Salicrup, Ron Garney, and Erik Larsen, just to name a few. I also got to meet some of my editors for the first time, in the flesh, which is also nice (a shout out to Rachel Gluckstern and Andy Schmidt!)
TOKYOPOP actually flew me out for the con, so that I could help promote Battle of the Bands and the new Princess Ai anthology that I contributed to (thanks, Mandy!). To earn my plane ticket I sat on a few panels. I think I'm getting somewhat better at the whole public speaking thing. It's very difficult for me, and I always feel like I come across like a stuttering idiot. Not like Amy Reeder Hadley (author of Fool's Gold), who cracked me up. I enjoyed meeting her & look forward to seeing more of her work. Here's a little sketch she did for me after the panel on "Writing For Manga..."
Isn't that nice?
For some stupid reason I walked without rest and without eating anything all of Saturday. I think I must have walked 30 miles. Whatever. When I got back to Marie's apartment, I thought I was going to die. Sunday ,I hopped a ferry across the Hudson and arrived at the Javits Center just in time for my last panel, Humor and Manga. Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling very funny. In fact, I felt downright awful! Still, I did my best and, luckily, Amy Hadley stole the show again. I spent the rest of the day wandering about in much discomfort, and disappointed that I hadn't earned the feeling by staying out drinking the night before! What a rip off!
When I got home on Monday, I still felt really crappy and after a few days went to the doctor to find that I have a case of THE SHINGLES! If you are unfamiliar with it, the shingles is basically the Chicken Pox virus that has been lying dormant in my body since I was a child. For reasons unknown, it returns sometimes in adults as "shingles," which is horribly painful, and contagious--not as shingles, but as chicken pox, to those who have not been exposed to it before. :) To make matters more interesting, my trip to NYC put me way behind in my work, so I've been struggling to catch up ever since!
This is why I've been remiss in my blogging; a nice mix of discomfort, general busyness, and a tad of self-pity!
In any case, the rash is almost gone, and I'm no longer contagious, but the pain lingers on, and there's not much to do about it. Hopefully it will go away soon. Meanwhile, tomorrow is my birthday and I'm hoping that a couple of mojitos will help me feel better! I'm kind of bummed that I have been unable to train for the diabetes ride next week, so most likely, I will have to skip it, even if I suddenly get better. My thanks to those of you who donated money to sponsor me for the ride. I feel bad about not living up to my end of the bargain, but what can I do? Sorry about that--it's still a good cause!
Anyway, that's my news-in-brief. Hope you have a great weekend!
The convention was a big event that actually felt like San Diego on Saturday. By that I mean it was huge, crowded and pretty overwhelming! I missed the first two years of NYCC, but I'm sure that this year was better, if for no other reason than the weather! Whoever decided that February was a good month for a convention in NYC has something seriously wrong with him. On the other hand, April is a great time to be in the city.
And that's really what I enjoyed most: being back in my hometown, wandering around, and best of all, seeing a lot of old pals. Marie was kind enough to put me up and show me the wonders of Jersey City's newer public transit system. We also visited her offices at Teshkeel and celebrated her birthday! It was really great to catch up with my pal from the "Old Marvel" days, Marcus McLaurin. He looks just the same to me. Also, I noticed in the convention program that Mark Chiarello and Jack Morelli were signing their new book, Heroes of the Negro Leagues, so made it a point to drop by, visit and buy their book. You can buy one here:
And you really should. It's really stunning! That Chiarello dude has skills.
I enjoyed visiting with other old pals & acquaintances like Klaus Janson, Rick Parker, Mark Powers, Jason Liebig, Jim Salicrup, Ron Garney, and Erik Larsen, just to name a few. I also got to meet some of my editors for the first time, in the flesh, which is also nice (a shout out to Rachel Gluckstern and Andy Schmidt!)
TOKYOPOP actually flew me out for the con, so that I could help promote Battle of the Bands and the new Princess Ai anthology that I contributed to (thanks, Mandy!). To earn my plane ticket I sat on a few panels. I think I'm getting somewhat better at the whole public speaking thing. It's very difficult for me, and I always feel like I come across like a stuttering idiot. Not like Amy Reeder Hadley (author of Fool's Gold), who cracked me up. I enjoyed meeting her & look forward to seeing more of her work. Here's a little sketch she did for me after the panel on "Writing For Manga..."
Isn't that nice?
For some stupid reason I walked without rest and without eating anything all of Saturday. I think I must have walked 30 miles. Whatever. When I got back to Marie's apartment, I thought I was going to die. Sunday ,I hopped a ferry across the Hudson and arrived at the Javits Center just in time for my last panel, Humor and Manga. Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling very funny. In fact, I felt downright awful! Still, I did my best and, luckily, Amy Hadley stole the show again. I spent the rest of the day wandering about in much discomfort, and disappointed that I hadn't earned the feeling by staying out drinking the night before! What a rip off!
When I got home on Monday, I still felt really crappy and after a few days went to the doctor to find that I have a case of THE SHINGLES! If you are unfamiliar with it, the shingles is basically the Chicken Pox virus that has been lying dormant in my body since I was a child. For reasons unknown, it returns sometimes in adults as "shingles," which is horribly painful, and contagious--not as shingles, but as chicken pox, to those who have not been exposed to it before. :) To make matters more interesting, my trip to NYC put me way behind in my work, so I've been struggling to catch up ever since!
This is why I've been remiss in my blogging; a nice mix of discomfort, general busyness, and a tad of self-pity!
In any case, the rash is almost gone, and I'm no longer contagious, but the pain lingers on, and there's not much to do about it. Hopefully it will go away soon. Meanwhile, tomorrow is my birthday and I'm hoping that a couple of mojitos will help me feel better! I'm kind of bummed that I have been unable to train for the diabetes ride next week, so most likely, I will have to skip it, even if I suddenly get better. My thanks to those of you who donated money to sponsor me for the ride. I feel bad about not living up to my end of the bargain, but what can I do? Sorry about that--it's still a good cause!
Anyway, that's my news-in-brief. Hope you have a great weekend!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
New York Comic-Con Schedule
NYCC is almost here, and I'm really looking forward to it. If anyone out there is attending and would like to find me, you can ask around the TOKYOPOP booth (#1321), as I'll be floating around there quite a bit. They've also got me scheduled to appear on the following panels (I believe they're all taking place right there in the TOKYOPOP booth):
Friday, April 18
4:00 – 5:00 PM
Princess Ai Panel, Moderated by TOKYOPOP Editor-in-Chief, Rob Tokar
Friday, April 20
5:30-6:30 p.m.
Writing for Manga Panel, moderated by TOKYOPOP Senior Editor, Luis Reyes
Sunday, April 20
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 PM
Humor and Manga Panel, moderated by TOKYOPOP Senior Editor Lillian Diaz-Przybyl
See you there!
Monday, April 14, 2008
Heh
Wildly Popular 'Iron Man' Trailer To Be Adapted Into Full-Length Film
Dang, that Onion guy is too funny!
Friday, April 11, 2008
Tour de Cure
I'd like to direct you to the link that now appears above the "About Me" box on the right-hand column of my blog. It will be there until around May 18th in the hopes that kind people like yourself will sponsor me as I ride in the American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure.
It's for a good cause, and the physical act of riding 30 miles (and training to do it) will help me personally. It is my stated goal to get in the "best shape of my life" in time for my birthday next month! That may sound bold, but since I've never really been in amazing shape, I think it's do-able! Please check out the link.
Here is is again: http://main.diabetes.org/goto/steve_buccellato
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Belated Post
Howdy. I feel rather lame about not posting for a while. And lamer still when I see what drivel I've posted so far this year. For this, dear reader, I must apologize. It's not that I don't have anything to write about, I just haven't had much time lately. Things are really crazy right now, as I try to finish a bunch of work before I leave for the New York Comic-Con next week.
NEXT WEEK?!? AKKK!
Anyway, I'll post again soon. At least I still blog more frequently than Sara. I mean, her last post was hilarious, but it's been four months! Simon's been pretty quiet lately as well. I guess everyone's got better things to do...
I've been reading some interesting stuff, and I'd like to recommend some of it. I'm on a Revolutionary War kick lately...
Some excellent reading. Riveting stuff. I'll write more on that later. Also, I need to write a post about some wacky performances I've seen lately...
Remind me, okay?
Right now, I have to get back to inking. This week I'm simultaneously working on a short story about a sand storm in the Wadi Rum for Marie, a 2-page comic strip for a Teen magazine in Poland, writing another Princess Ai story for TOKYOPOP, coloring the last issue of Bat Lash for DC, and doing grey-tones for Don's new Star Trek Manga, and some other miscellaneous stuff. Here's a peek at the Teen Mag thingie...
Anyway, I'd better get cracking. Meanwhile, why don't you go click over to Mike Manley's blog and read his explosive rants about the comics biz. And look at his purdy art while you're at it.
Here's a pic of me in Wadi Rum, Jordan back in Y2K (cue the theme from Lawrence of Arabia)...
And, hey-- If you're going to the New York Comic-Con, let me know! Seeya!
NEXT WEEK?!? AKKK!
Anyway, I'll post again soon. At least I still blog more frequently than Sara. I mean, her last post was hilarious, but it's been four months! Simon's been pretty quiet lately as well. I guess everyone's got better things to do...
I've been reading some interesting stuff, and I'd like to recommend some of it. I'm on a Revolutionary War kick lately...
Some excellent reading. Riveting stuff. I'll write more on that later. Also, I need to write a post about some wacky performances I've seen lately...
Remind me, okay?
Right now, I have to get back to inking. This week I'm simultaneously working on a short story about a sand storm in the Wadi Rum for Marie, a 2-page comic strip for a Teen magazine in Poland, writing another Princess Ai story for TOKYOPOP, coloring the last issue of Bat Lash for DC, and doing grey-tones for Don's new Star Trek Manga, and some other miscellaneous stuff. Here's a peek at the Teen Mag thingie...
Anyway, I'd better get cracking. Meanwhile, why don't you go click over to Mike Manley's blog and read his explosive rants about the comics biz. And look at his purdy art while you're at it.
Here's a pic of me in Wadi Rum, Jordan back in Y2K (cue the theme from Lawrence of Arabia)...
And, hey-- If you're going to the New York Comic-Con, let me know! Seeya!
Friday, March 14, 2008
Good Medicine
Last week I thought I'd kicked the dreaded cold/flu thing that seems to have plagued everyone I know. Then, on Wednesday night, it came back with a vengeance. To be honest, I'm pretty miserable right now, coughing up my lungs and aching with a bad sore throat. To compound matters, I've got the stress of falling behind on pretty much all of the varied projects I'm working on. It's been rough.
On the positive side, I logged in to my TOKYOPOP.COM Profile today, for the first time in a couple of months. I was pleased to receive a very nice "comment" from a guy I met briefly at Anime LA in January. I thought I'd post it here:
I had the privilege of meeting you in person and hear you talk about your manga in person at Anime LA... I didn't think much of your manga at the time. I WAS DEAD WRONG. I've read Naruto and One Piece which are some of the most successful mangas in the world and I think your manga is definitely as good as those two mangas I've mentioned. I can't believe how funny it is like when Chet gets beaten up by Gina or how honest it can be like when Becky finally opens up to Chet. The art is amazing and helps the story move and helps the humor as well. I hope to one day meet you again and have you sign my copy of Battle of the Bands. --Mel Murph
That made my day. As it happens, just before I went to TOKYOPOP.COM, I was reading a much less flattering review of BOTB on the Barnes & Noble website (please ignore that one!). It bummed me out, so I was doubly pleased to get Mel's comment. It's nice to hear when someone "gets" what I was going for with that book. I will be honored to sign his book if we meet again.
Speaking of meeting people, it looks as though I will be flying to New York for the New York Comic-Con, from April 18-20. I'll be at the TOKYOPOP booth promoting both BOTB and my story in the new anthology book, Princess Ai: Rumors From The Other Side. If you plan to be there too, please come look for me!
On the positive side, I logged in to my TOKYOPOP.COM Profile today, for the first time in a couple of months. I was pleased to receive a very nice "comment" from a guy I met briefly at Anime LA in January. I thought I'd post it here:
I had the privilege of meeting you in person and hear you talk about your manga in person at Anime LA... I didn't think much of your manga at the time. I WAS DEAD WRONG. I've read Naruto and One Piece which are some of the most successful mangas in the world and I think your manga is definitely as good as those two mangas I've mentioned. I can't believe how funny it is like when Chet gets beaten up by Gina or how honest it can be like when Becky finally opens up to Chet. The art is amazing and helps the story move and helps the humor as well. I hope to one day meet you again and have you sign my copy of Battle of the Bands. --Mel Murph
That made my day. As it happens, just before I went to TOKYOPOP.COM, I was reading a much less flattering review of BOTB on the Barnes & Noble website (please ignore that one!). It bummed me out, so I was doubly pleased to get Mel's comment. It's nice to hear when someone "gets" what I was going for with that book. I will be honored to sign his book if we meet again.
Speaking of meeting people, it looks as though I will be flying to New York for the New York Comic-Con, from April 18-20. I'll be at the TOKYOPOP booth promoting both BOTB and my story in the new anthology book, Princess Ai: Rumors From The Other Side. If you plan to be there too, please come look for me!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Beloved Characters From The 80's
Ah, yes. Who could forget Bronson Pinchot's performance as that rapscallion, "Serge" in Beverly Hills Cop? I'm chuckling just thinking about him saying, "would you like it with a lemon twist?"
That's comedy.
Really, they should bring that guy back.
Who are some of your favorite characters from that all-important, Gen-X Decade? C'mon! I wanna hear from you!
That's comedy.
Really, they should bring that guy back.
Who are some of your favorite characters from that all-important, Gen-X Decade? C'mon! I wanna hear from you!
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Is It Just Me...
...Or am i just a big nerd? Or both?!
I mean, doesn't this look too damned cool?
Robert Downey JR. is simply an amazing choice for this. Tony Stark as an absolute dick. Perfect. And then we grow to like the absolute dick. Awesome. And then he flies and blows stuff up and stuff. It just doesn't get better than that.
Jon Favreau: You've got my twelve dollars!
I mean, doesn't this look too damned cool?
Robert Downey JR. is simply an amazing choice for this. Tony Stark as an absolute dick. Perfect. And then we grow to like the absolute dick. Awesome. And then he flies and blows stuff up and stuff. It just doesn't get better than that.
Jon Favreau: You've got my twelve dollars!
So Long, Laserdiscs...
...It's been good to know you.
Tonight my Ebay auctions are ending and my old laserdisc collection will be sold off. I'm pleased that all 5 lots have been bid on, so I'll be able to get rid of them all in one fell swoop. I'm curious to see how much (or little) I end up getting for them, but the real good news is that they are out of the garage!
Today I put up a new auction that includes my laserdisc player and, for a special treat, a boxed set of seven Star Trek laserdiscs. Some lucky stiff is gonna have fun with this puppy!
Tonight my Ebay auctions are ending and my old laserdisc collection will be sold off. I'm pleased that all 5 lots have been bid on, so I'll be able to get rid of them all in one fell swoop. I'm curious to see how much (or little) I end up getting for them, but the real good news is that they are out of the garage!
Today I put up a new auction that includes my laserdisc player and, for a special treat, a boxed set of seven Star Trek laserdiscs. Some lucky stiff is gonna have fun with this puppy!
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
New Drawings
Working on a bunch of varied stuff these days. Not the least of which is working on defeating this flu that has invaded my poor body. I feel like this:
(Thanks for the link, Mimi)
I'm doing more drawing work for a cetainComic Publisher based in the Mid-East these days. I guess they were pleased with the pinup that I drew last month, and I now have a couple of different assignments from them. Here are some pencils for one of them...
I don't think I can give you any more details about this particular project, but next week I'll be starting work on a 5-page strip that will run in a bunch of Middle Eastern newspapers. Should be fun!
(Thanks for the link, Mimi)
I'm doing more drawing work for a cetainComic Publisher based in the Mid-East these days. I guess they were pleased with the pinup that I drew last month, and I now have a couple of different assignments from them. Here are some pencils for one of them...
I don't think I can give you any more details about this particular project, but next week I'll be starting work on a 5-page strip that will run in a bunch of Middle Eastern newspapers. Should be fun!
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Obsolete Treats On Ebay!
It has been many years since I sold anything on ebay. It's been about eight years since I last used ebay to sell my original color guides online. If you don’t know, “Color Guides” were a throwback from the days when comic book colorists hand-painted guides that were used in the printing process. Those days are long gone, and the “color separation” phase of the process has been put into the hands of the artists, instead of technicians or craftsmen. This is good thing, but one sad side effect is that colorists don’t have any “orginial art” to sell. It’s too bad, because colorists could really use the extra cash these days, given how far page rates have dropped in the past decade. Back in the "good old days," I used to earn at least twice what I now earn for a page of coloring.
Here’s a typical color guide:
The image on the left shows the hand-painted guide. The one on the right is the same guide, but with a tracing paper-overlay that has ‘codes' written on it. These numbers callout what colors the separators should use and where gradients appear. It was a messy process with mixed results. Often painful!
I’ve been thinking about getting back into the world of ebay for a while now. I stopped not because I ran out of color guides, but because the ebay market had become flooded with them. Not only were color artists selling their work, but collectors & dealers were buying them up, and immediately selling them again. The glut drove down the value of the guides. Maybe it’s time to try again. Also, my interest has been piqued by some artists who sell original art & sketches on ebay. I think I will be trying that out in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, in my never-ending quest to clear out my garage, I’ve finally decided to get rid of my collection of laserdiscs.
What is a laserdisc? Why it’s the forerunner of the DVD, of course. A format that was much loved, that never caught on with mainstream consumers: the digital movie-going equivalent of the 8-track tape. These LP-sized discs pioneered many of the features DVDs have today; special features, director’s commentaries, etc. The Criterion Collection were the elite packages of digitally re-mastered and restored films. They, like everyone else, finally abandoned the laserdisc format years ago.
It was a sad day when I finally decided to give up on laserdiscs and began replacing them with DVDs. I’d invested a lot of money and time building up a collection of over 100 films. That was a few years ago. But it was not until this weekend I finally went through them all, splitting them up into five “lots” to sell on ebay.
It was nostalgic. Not unlike digging through my old color guides. Relics of a bygone age, or whatever. Unfortunately, laserdiscs aren’t like art or other collectibles; they don’t increase in value over time. This week I’m selling my collection for pennies on the dollar. But bad news for me might be good news for someone out there. I think my collection of discs is pretty cool. A couple of junky films in there, but mostly great stuff. As I sorted through them, I wished I still had my laserdisc player hooked up so that I could give some of them one last play before selling. I’d forgotten about some of these great films, most of which I never replaced on DVD, some of which are unavailable on DVD.
Later this week I plan on putting my laserdisc player up on ebay also, along with a special treat as a buying incentive. So, if you’re reading this and you want an instant, cheap library of films and the means to play them, you should check out the links below! Oh yeah, the laserdisc player also plays karaoke discs. Isn’t that awesome???
Anyway, here are some links, if you want to check 'em out:
Lot A
Lot B
Lot C
Lot D
Lot E
And can you believe it’s March already? Yeesh!
Here’s a typical color guide:
The image on the left shows the hand-painted guide. The one on the right is the same guide, but with a tracing paper-overlay that has ‘codes' written on it. These numbers callout what colors the separators should use and where gradients appear. It was a messy process with mixed results. Often painful!
I’ve been thinking about getting back into the world of ebay for a while now. I stopped not because I ran out of color guides, but because the ebay market had become flooded with them. Not only were color artists selling their work, but collectors & dealers were buying them up, and immediately selling them again. The glut drove down the value of the guides. Maybe it’s time to try again. Also, my interest has been piqued by some artists who sell original art & sketches on ebay. I think I will be trying that out in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, in my never-ending quest to clear out my garage, I’ve finally decided to get rid of my collection of laserdiscs.
What is a laserdisc? Why it’s the forerunner of the DVD, of course. A format that was much loved, that never caught on with mainstream consumers: the digital movie-going equivalent of the 8-track tape. These LP-sized discs pioneered many of the features DVDs have today; special features, director’s commentaries, etc. The Criterion Collection were the elite packages of digitally re-mastered and restored films. They, like everyone else, finally abandoned the laserdisc format years ago.
It was a sad day when I finally decided to give up on laserdiscs and began replacing them with DVDs. I’d invested a lot of money and time building up a collection of over 100 films. That was a few years ago. But it was not until this weekend I finally went through them all, splitting them up into five “lots” to sell on ebay.
It was nostalgic. Not unlike digging through my old color guides. Relics of a bygone age, or whatever. Unfortunately, laserdiscs aren’t like art or other collectibles; they don’t increase in value over time. This week I’m selling my collection for pennies on the dollar. But bad news for me might be good news for someone out there. I think my collection of discs is pretty cool. A couple of junky films in there, but mostly great stuff. As I sorted through them, I wished I still had my laserdisc player hooked up so that I could give some of them one last play before selling. I’d forgotten about some of these great films, most of which I never replaced on DVD, some of which are unavailable on DVD.
Later this week I plan on putting my laserdisc player up on ebay also, along with a special treat as a buying incentive. So, if you’re reading this and you want an instant, cheap library of films and the means to play them, you should check out the links below! Oh yeah, the laserdisc player also plays karaoke discs. Isn’t that awesome???
Anyway, here are some links, if you want to check 'em out:
Lot A
Lot B
Lot C
Lot D
Lot E
And can you believe it’s March already? Yeesh!
Sunday, February 17, 2008
On Spec
This is a sample I drew for a potential job that I probably shouldn't say anything about. Suffice to say that it's for a manga publisher (hence the style), promoting a popular sportswear product...
Friday, February 15, 2008
Transformers Mosaic
This went live today on the IDW Transformers Forums, as well as on Simon Furman's Blog and some other places:
(click image for larger version)
It's basically a 1-page "teaser" that fits into the IDW Transformers continuity. Simon wrote it, I pencilled & colored it, Don Hudson inked it and Richard Starkings/Jimmy Betancourt of Comicraft lettered it.
(click image for larger version)
It's basically a 1-page "teaser" that fits into the IDW Transformers continuity. Simon wrote it, I pencilled & colored it, Don Hudson inked it and Richard Starkings/Jimmy Betancourt of Comicraft lettered it.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Happy Valentine's Day!
(A romantic panel from my Elephantmen story to be published this Spring from Image Comics)
Zank Heaven For Little Girls (or whatever)...
These are some character sketches I just drew for a teen magazine in Poland...
The red-head's face needs some work, but I think they're not too bad. It's for a monthly comic strip.
The red-head's face needs some work, but I think they're not too bad. It's for a monthly comic strip.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Teshkeel Pinup
Whoops! We're well in to February and this is my first post of the year. What a bad blogger.
Anyway, this week I'll post some stuff I've been working on, starting with this Pinup I drew for Teshkeel Comics...
Happy New Year!
Anyway, this week I'll post some stuff I've been working on, starting with this Pinup I drew for Teshkeel Comics...
Happy New Year!
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