104. Royal Send-Off

The Princess Planet guest strip, 2013, ink with digital color.

My friend Brian McLachlan is ending his beloved webcomic, The Princess Planet, after a long run—8 years! To give it an appropriately royal send-off, several friends of the comic, including yours truly, contributed guest strips. As implied in the byline, Brian scripted and I drew.

Princess Christi and the Robot, 2007, ink with digital color and effects.

Here's some TPP fan art from a while back. The snowman is most frequently seen in Princess Christi's company, but I have a soft spot for the robot (much due to this early strip).

I wonder what Brian's next project will be? Can't wait to see!

103. CatGirl Concepts

CatGirl character concepts, 2013, graphite.

Here are characters slated to appear in my final project for Rad's storyboarding class.

The final session was just a few days ago and I came away with lots of great notes for my story. The revised version will make a nice portfolio piece and I'll be sure to post it here, too!

102. Dungeon Thumbs

Rough as they are, here are thumbnails for Dungeoneers, one of two proposed ideas for my final project in Rad's storyboarding class.

I selected this one for the final, but after a few weeks working on thumbs and then boards I realize the multiple characters are getting in my way. I'm spending more time fretting over character placement than I am on acting and story.

Still, it warrants a return visit—maybe as a comic strip? Whatever form it takes, I hope to make better use of perspective and environments and there are inconsistencies wanting correction (e.g., by page three, Player 2's dwarf becomes a cleric).

Picking up where the thumbs trail off ...

Once Player 4 has emptied the treasure chest, she throws her now comically large backpack across her back and exits the chamber with a wink. Just as this occurs in play, an adult voice calls from the top of the basement stairway. Player 4 is called home.

"Great game, guys! See you next Saturday, huh?"

I wonder if the wizard should have a chance to cast his spell before having his blood spilt on the dungeon floor. What do you think?

101. For the Love of Mice

Excerpt from For the Love of Mice, 2008, ink.

A few years ago I attended the annual PNCA comics intesive, instructed by Jessica Abel, Matt Madden, Daniel Duford, and Peter Bagge. Following the workshop, I contributed to a class collection of short stories we titled Intense.

I continue to be fond of my story (a couple of framed pages currently hang in my son's bedroom, in fact). I doubt I'll ever reprint the tale, though. Shall we post it here for posterity?

100. Dungeon Monkey

Here are the two story concepts I pitched for my final project in Rad's storyboarding class. Can you guess which one I eventually selected?

Dungeoneers

A band of adventurers enters the dungeon but only one comes out alive—with a sack full of loot! Scenario: 4–5 kids gather in a suburban basement to play Dungeons & Dragons. Some shots will be around the game table and others in the imaginary world of the dungeon.

• Players are introduced via each gushing about respective characters. There is one female player in group, not as cocksure as fellow players.
• Adventurers enter dungeon and soon encounter its fearsome denizens!

• Male players make dopey displays of chivalry, ultimately leading to demise of their adventurers and leaving female adventurer facing unfriendly monsters.

• Female player forges ahead, despite words of caution from fellow players.
• Female adventurer defeats enemies and enters treasure chamber.
• In addition to a pile of treasure, chamber contains replacement adventurers for the male players, currently bound with ropes and waiting to be freed (a gaming trope).
• Female player mulls situation ...
• Female adventurer loads all treasure in a big sack and exits chamber with a wink. Male adventurers—and their players—are shocked!
• Just as this occurs in play, an adult voice calls from the stairway—female player is called home. "Great game, guys! See you next Saturday, huh?"