I'll have copies of this tiny book with me as I stroll the aisles of Emerald City Comicon this weekend. Published in 2012 via KENESS, it measures 5 x 7 inches and contains 28 pages of images, spanning several years. If you haven't yet gotten yer mitts on one and you happen to run into me at the show, hit me up!
I'm giddy at the thought of so many wonderful, talented people gathered in one place.
Hope to see you there!
Details in flux but I like where this one's headed! Fresh take on an old character idea.
Horsin' around with Matt Humphrey's Batgirl design. Maybe next time I'll get those long, skinny limbs on model, huh?
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!
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!
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?
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?
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?
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.
I'm currently enrolled in an online storyboarding class with the honorable Rad Sechrist so expect to see some homework posts from me.
The story seed provided for this assignment was straightforward: an astronaut in his spaceship, confronted with an emergency. A significant lesson I learned: I could've conveyed more story, advancing it further, using the same number of boards. As it is, I didn't get to the real emergency I had in mind for this fellah. Still, it seems like he's already pretty stressed!
Here's a sneak peek at the next installment of Fannie Firecracker, based on a script by funny friend Brian McLachlan. If my drawings are half as amusing as Brian's words, it'll be a hoot!
A few years ago I was invited to submit a guest strip on a great webcomics site. As far as I know, it was never used—so let's have a look at it here!
Hmm ... Wine and certain liquors get better with age. Does the same go for comics?
I'm in the market for a new computer and, perhaps, some peripheral devices. Care to recommend your setup or, perhaps, the setup you long for?
My current setup: PC laptop purchased several years ago when our household desperately needed a new computer at a reasonable price. Machine still supports day-to-day tasks just fine but, man, does it get slow when running Photoshop, etc. Currently no peripheral devices aside from external hard drive.
A couple of nagging questions:
I welcome your suggestions, opinions, etc. Thanks in advance for the thought food.
Allow me to reintroduce Captain Codskale, a Mon Calamari free trader in a Star Wars tabletop game I ran monthly for a handful of friends. As outlined in a prior post, I felt the good captain needed some headgear and so I solicited opinions from you, my dear readers.
You can see I didn't go with the second, most popular, option. Admittedly it's the funniest of the three but it muddies the silhouette; the hat appendages compete with the face tendrils. The third option (starfish) hints at historical costume in a way I like but the first one (clam) ultimately looks the most Star Wars-y to me.
In any case, Nic Cowan, your response to the prior post amused me most, so shoot me an email message with your mailing address. The original drawing pictured above is yours!
Designs from Darcy Dare paper miniatures, 2002, ink.
Wow, this month marks the tenth anniversary of the Darcy Dare SPARKS paper miniatures set!
In middle or late 2001, I approached S. John Ross to express my interest in developing a set of paper miniatures for his SPARKS line of specialized fonts. For a couple of years I’d been drawing this heroine, "Darcy Dare," and I imagined she could be the central figure in a collection of modern pulp action characters. Ever the gracious fellow, S. John said he was down with the concept and so the fun began!
I tried to think of various characters that’d be at home in the adventure comics and cartoons I loved as a kid (and continue to love). I knew we needed ninjas, a jungle princess, various costumed goons and, of course, a robot gorilla. By the time we were done we had twenty-six characters, plus Darcy Dare in four alternate costumes, as well as several “flats,” various props appropriate to the genre.
Pictured above is “classic” Darcy Dare, along with rear views of three alternate costumes: Urban Commando Darcy, Arctic Action Darcy, and SCUBA Scout Darcy!
Sure, with a decade's perspective I see things I’d change; I think the designs could be more flavorful and each suffers the effects of my “wedge finger” period. Further, Darcy’s not quite the same character she was ten years ago.
Still, I’ll always have a special affection for these drawings and for the clever names, crazy concepts, and snappy descriptions that S. John developed for the collection.
I’m flattered that folks continue to stumble upon the product and make the purchase!
Fannie Firecracker study, 2012, ink with digital color.
I intend to release new Fannie Firecracker comics in 2012, so I've been gettin' reaccustomed to drawin' the gal. It's been a while! This one turned out pretty well ... Heck, I might simply rework it into one of the panels. "Waste not, want not," as they say.
Looking at her design with fresh eyes, I might try making her feet smaller (and maybe her hands also) to further exaggerate the ample parts of her anatomy. Thoughts?
I wonder, does this image sufficiently amuse sans awareness of Coppertone's classic branding?
I sketched these prior to working on the colored image above. The lacy gal at left came along before I decided to insert the Coppertone gag. She's cute, yes, but banal also.
Captain Codskale character roughs, 2011, graphite.
Meet Captain Codskale, a Mon Calamari free trader in a Star Wars tabletop game I've been running monthly for a handful of friends.
I imagine the good captain with headgear so I drew a few caps that seem to me both sufficiently odd and vaguely sea-inspired.
Which do you think best suits him—option A, B, or C?
I can't guarantee the final version will reflect the consensus opinion, but I will send the inked drawing to the writer of the comment that most amuses me, found either here or at my deviantART page. (If you comment here, make sure I can contact you directly.)
STAR WARS™ and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates.
Agents of H.O.R.N.E.T. costume concepts, 2010, ink.
These drawings were inspired by the campy concept of a super commando/spy agency (à la G.I. JOE or S.H.I.E.L.D.) devoted to exterminating all manner of monsters, creepy crawlies, etc. As I recall, H.O.R.N.E.T. was an acronym for the agency's creed, to "hunt and obliterate rascals native and extraterrestrial."
Rest easy, citizens.
