Sinderson News

Alligators Everywhere

2011-12-01T15:57:00.001-05:00

My latest comic, Alligators Everywhere, is online over at Act-i-vate.com. It was written by Chris Miskiewicz and is part of his Animals Everywhere series.

Everywhere is a monthly animal disaster web-comic anthology published exclusively at ACT-I-VATE! where you wake up to find that millions of a single species have appeared Everywhere around the world at the same moment. What happens and what does it mean when the natural world has gone wrong? In Alligators Everywhere, a veteran gambler takes us through memory lane of Las Vegas’s heyday just as a plague of alligators wreaks havoc inside of a casino.

This 10 page story marks the first time I've produced a comic entirely on the computer. I am currently working on a post about this new process (complete with successes and failures), so check back soon!

To read selected press about EVERYWHERE! please visit: MTVGeek, GNYC, Talking with Tim, and i09.com.

Art for Women of Wonder Benefit Auction

2011-10-23T19:06:00.000-04:00

Big Barda, Relaxin' Tough

I did this 9"x12" ink wash drawing of Big Barda relaxing on her throne for the annual Women of Wonder Day auction which benefits the SAFE in Hunterdon, NJ. SAFE is a great organization that helps survivors of domestic and sexual abuse. You can be present for the silent auction this weekend, Oct. 28-29, or you can bid online this week up through Saturday. Find out more information on how to bid by clicking here for the official website!

Among my favorites up for auction is Nick Abadzis's version of Big Barda.

Trip to Guatemala

2011-10-06T18:27:00.000-04:00

I've failed to post a video I made while on vacation in Guatemala this past August. The trip was fantastic and relaxing with lots of hiking and good food at Lake Atitlan. I had ample time to put to use the slow motion camera I received for my birthday as well as the new time lapse attachment I got for our digital camera. I guess I was aiming at creating my very own version of Koyaanisqatsi only this time with the fantastic music of Dan Deacon in place of Philip Glass. I very much like how it turned out!

Slow Motion Movies

2011-09-04T18:41:00.000-04:00

Here are my first two experiments with the Casio Exilim slow motion camera I got for my birthday. It's a fairly cheap camera and therefore only shoots in standard definition, but it sure is fun to experiment with.

The first video I took at my old studio I shared with Nick Bertozzi. This was in the middle of the summer while Nick was deep inside drawing, inking, and coloring a 380 page graphic novel. I like to think I captured some of his madness. The music is by Daft Punk from the Tron soundtrack.

As you can see the low light can look a little grainy so I was excited to take the camera up to Canada where we spent the weekend with friends out on a lake. This footage was much better. The music is from Sigur Ros's excellent track "Festival".

And last but definitely least, I filmed a super low quality experiment on my iPhone with the free Super 8 app. I downloaded the app the same day that I got a pair of new shoes and so I thought I'd capture my journey from my house to the studio. You can catch a glimpse of Mr. George O'Connor at the end.

Jim Hanley's Signing Photos

2011-08-30T15:51:00.000-04:00

Front Row: Simon Fraser, Benjamin Marra, Michel Fiffe, Pedro Camaro, Joe Infurnari, Tim Hamilton, Rachel Freire, Vito Delsante Back Row: Me, Mike Cavallaro, Kat Roberts, Ulises Farinas, George O'Connor, Kris Mukai, Dean Haspiel, Conor Hughes, Hyendo Park

A big thanks to all the people that came out to Jim Hanley's Universe for the Twisted Savage Dragon Funnies signing. We sold a lot of books and had a blast doing it! Check out my photo wrap-up below.

Jim Hanley's store front

Dean knows that Mike has what it takes to sign a bunch of books.

As usual, Fiffe added some color to the event.

Joe attempted to draw a unique Savage Dragon fin in each book.

Apparently no one wanted George O'Connors signature so he started free-stylin'.

It was a solid two hours of autographs and sketches!

Kat doing a custom sketch.

Dean-- no stranger to a Jim Hanley signing.

An odd couple?

A focused Mike Cavallaro...

Happy customers!

Fun for the whole family!

I had a blast! Thanks everybody!

Twisted Savage Dragon Funnies Signing

2011-07-18T10:12:00.005-04:00

Jim Hanley's Universe is hosting a signing in honor of the Twisted Savage Dragon Funnies Collection release. A huge lineup of cartoonists will be there! It's this Wednesday, July 20th from 6:00 - 8:00pm at Jim Hanley's, 4 W 33rd St (across from the Empire State Building).

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Twisted Savage Dragon Funnies Collection In Stores Now

2011-07-14T08:57:00.019-04:00

Cover by the man himself, Erik Larsen

The collected TWISTED SAVAGE DRAGON FUNNIES is in stores now! This oversized, full color, 144 page book collects all 12 short stories released as backups in this past year's Savage Dragon monthly comic plus 8 all new stories by some great indie artists. iFanboy has a nice little write-up with more info. USAToday gave it a mention, too! Stop by your local comic book store to buy it, and if they are sold out, you can purchase it online. I've made a full roundup of the stories collected and their creators after the jump.

First up, the new stories:

Tom Scioli

Benjamin Marra

Jasen Rex & Jim Rugg

Paul Maybury & Giannis Milonogiannis

Kris Mukai

Jon Adams

Zack Soto

Dieter van der Ougstraete

And then the original 12 stories:

Michel Fiffe

Andrew Dimitt

Kiel West

Vito Delsante & Rachel Freire

Yours Truly

And last and perhaps most.

Joe Keatinge, Simon Fraser, Joe Infurnari, Mike Cavallaro, Tim Hamilton, Dean Haspiel, George O’Connor, & Erik Larsen

Whales Everywhere

2011-07-06T10:22:00.001-04:00

I did a little lettering on the latest edition to Chris Miskiewicz's Everywhere Anthology. This time it's Whales Everywhere with art by Ashley Quigg.

Claimus Flees Manhattan Concludes

2011-06-21T10:43:00.008-04:00

You know me, I can't resist a rearview portrait that breaks the frame!

I previously mentioned that I illustrated the six-part story Claimus Flees Manhattan by Ken Wohlrob. Now you can read the final three chapters over at Undie Press.

DrawBridge Studio

2011-05-10T14:04:00.000-04:00

I've recently moved into a new studio over in the Gowanus neighborhood of Brooklyn. The new studio is called DrawBridge and it takes the space of the former Deep6 Studio. From left to right the members are: Simon Fraser, Robin Ha, Tim Hamilton, Yours Truly, and Mike Cavallaro. Together with our next-door neighbors at Hypothetical Island, you can see daily warmup sketches at the DrawBridge Blog. (I've posted a sketch or two here in the past.)

MoCCA Wrap-Up

2011-04-11T14:01:00.001-04:00

Nick Bertozzi, Nathan Schreiber, and Yours Truly in our old frontier style family photograph.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by the MoCCA Festival last weekend. This year was a great success for me as I either sold out or nearly sold out of all of my new offerings! Indeed, after selling out of my Clean Streets comics on the first day, I had to leave the Strange Tales Release Party early on Saturday night to go home a make more for Sunday!

My table fully stocked.

Thanks again to Tim Hall for a great partnership on Haberdash Vol. 2!

A book for all ages.

And also a big thank you to Amelia at Sugarbuilt Cookies for her awesome Haberdash-inspired hat cookies.

There were a lot of people with great hats that stopped by the table.

And for all you people that thought the cookies were too beautiful to actually eat:

I believe her actual words were, "Wow, these taste great too."

And I'd be remiss if I didn't share this photo I took on Friday night taken at the First Second party. The party was on the 10th floor in a room at the pointy end of the Flatiron Building -- a great party with a great view!

Haberdash Vol. 2, Clean Streets, Cookies, Oh My!

2011-04-07T15:56:00.001-04:00

This weekend I will be debuting Haberdash Vol. 2 at The Museum of Comics and Cartooning Art (MoCCA) Festival. Like its predecessor, Volume 2 is an 18 page mini-comic featuring ink drawings of odd people wearing hats paired with a vignette penned by writer Tim Hall.

I will also be selling a watercolor version of my short story, Clean Streets, originally published online by Smith Magazine as part of their Next-door Neighbor series.

Like last year, my table will feature custom designed hat-themed cookies made by Sugarbuilt. The crowd favorite Diving Helmet from last year will be joined by newcomers Crown, Newspaper, Captain's, and Top Hats.

The show goes from 11-6 on Saturday and Sunday at the Lexington Armory in Manhattan. I'll be at table C12 with Nathan Schreiber and Nick Bertozzi -- stop by and say hi!

MoCCA Fest 2011

2011-04-02T15:09:00.001-04:00

I will be at the MoCCA festival again on April 9th and 10th. Once again, the indie comics expo will be held at the 69th Regiment Armory on Lexington Ave (between 25th and 26th St) in Manhattan. Come by and say hi!

Marvel Strange Tales Vol. II Hardcover

2011-03-31T02:58:00.000-04:00

Marvel Strange Tales Vol. II issues 1-3 have been collected in a fancy hardcover which is now available at your local comic shop. You may recall that I colored a few pages of this fantastic anthology. Read more about that here: Issue 1, Issue 2, Issue 3.

Claimus Flees Manhattan

2011-03-18T10:23:00.000-04:00

Claimus is a bit paranoid.

I've been remiss in posting about some illustrations I did a couple of months ago for the short story Claimus Flees Manhattan written by Ken Wohlrob. The story is being released in six parts by Undie Press. Each part has its own illustration, and so far the first three have been made available for your reading pleasure. Read part one by clicking here.

Above you can see the images for parts 2 and 3 -- Claimus's apartment and his deodorant. (I was stunned to find that Aromeo didn't already exist as a brand of deodorant!) Claimus was such an entertaining character to illustrate and there were an abundance of images that leapt to mind while reading. Also check out the great original music Ken wrote to accompany the story.

Forgetting How To Hold A Fork

2011-03-10T11:38:00.003-05:00

Last fall, I did the cover and some inside lettering for the new book, Forgetting How to Hold a Fork (and other momentary lapses of reason) recently published by 826NYC. From the back of the book:

More than just a nod to Pink Floyd and temporary mindlessness, this short story collection - written entirely by New York City high school students - is chock full of fascinating details and keen insight into the lives of an eccentric cast of characters.

From the tale of the murder-inclined schoolteacher to the description of the New Yorker longing to return to her Haitian roots, the stories keep you constantly intrigued. Are we destined to repeat the mistakes of our parents? Why does Sylvia pick her nose? What happened to Jessica after running away from home? Find out the answers to all these questions and more in this extremely entertaining collection.

Sometimes painful, sometimes ribald, Forgetting How to Hold a Fork is sure to produce tears, laughter, and that odd mixture of sadness and satisfaction that comes only from reaching the end of an exceptional book.

When I first read the short stories, I was surprised at the quality and maturity of the material written by these high school students. Definitely check it out! The book is available at the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. for a great price of $10.

*Update: You can purchase the book online over at Matt Singer's site. Matt is a great artist with a diverse range of interests (my kind of artist!) While you are there, check out his Secret Identity Glasses he designed for the Superhero Store.

For more information about 826NYC and the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. check out this NBC Nightly News story (in which I make a brief appearance):

Haberdash Volume 2 Announcement

2011-03-09T00:32:00.000-05:00

After the success of our first collaboration, Tim Hall and I are working on a sequel for this year's MoCCA festival (April 9 & 10). Stay tuned for more information!

Hypothetical Island and the F Train Sunset

2011-02-23T19:26:00.002-05:00

These past few months I've taken over the desk of Jason Little while he's doing a brief stint on Season 2 of The Ugly Americans. He is part of the Hypothetical Island studio which is made up of 6 artists including George O'Connor, Joe Infurnari, Kat Roberts, and Reilly Brown. The room is next door to Deep Six located in the Gowanus part of Brooklyn. The people are great and it's been a fun environment.

Not long ago, I shot this video on my way home from Hypothetical Island. While the studio is only a 30 minute walk away, it's been brutally cold this winter, so I occasionally take the train. Incidentally, the part where the train stops is directly above where the studio is. Other highlights include, the Verrazano Bridge, a jet en route to LaGuardia airport, the Statue of Liberty, and a few of the bazillion churches in the neighborhoods between the studio and my house. (You may have to go to Vimeo to watch it full screen to see all the details!)

The music is a mix of Lindisfarne I and II by James Blake.

Miskiewicz's "Everywhere" Announced

2011-01-30T16:05:00.001-05:00

"Alligators Everywhere" is a 10 page story I've been working on that will appear over on Act-I-Vate.com in 2011. From the press release:

Starting February 1st, 2011, EVERYWHERE, a monthly web-comic anthology based on a concept by Andrew Wendel and writer Chris Miskiewicz, will be published exclusively at ACT-I-VATE.com, featuring the art of Andrew Wendel, Rick Parker, Seth Kushner, Dennis Calero, Ashley Quigg, Nathan Schreiber, Maurice Fontenot, Thomas Baehr, Kate McElroy, Bobby Timony, Chris Sinderson, Rodney Ramos, and many more…

Each month Miskiewicz has written a new story with a different animal suddenly appearing everywhere (unique madness ensues). Hopefully from the logo above, you've surmised that my story features alligators taking over Las Vegas. The series kicks off this Tuesday with "Horses Everywhere" drawn by Andrew Wendel.

Also check out the March edition of Overflow Magazine which will feature Nathan Schreiber's "Hipsters Everywhere!"

Trip to Turkey

2011-01-11T23:19:00.015-05:00

Over the holidays, I had a chance to revisit some video I took on our trip to Turkey last August. Much like my video of our trip to New Zealand, the use of the Flip camera lead to a lot of "art shots" (though I managed to bring a small tripod to help make it a bit more stable). Still, it's a meandering montage that moves at a slow pace -- you've been warned! The music is "Happiness" by Riceboy Sleeps and you can see an HD version by clicking on the Vimeo button below.

Marvel Strange Tales II #3

2010-12-14T17:10:00.002-05:00

The final issue of Marvel's Strange Tales Vol. II is out tomorrow, and once again, I have colored not one but two exciting Nick Bertozzi pages! Continuing with our Steranko themed artwork, the real watcher Uatu sinks deeper into the perverse world of Philip the fake watcher, culminating in a trip to the never-before-seen Watcher Mating Grounds.

My favorite page from Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD #1

My direction from Bertozzi was to "go crazy". In fact, I came back with something that "wasn't crazy enough" and thus, I too sunk deeper into Bertozzi's perverse coloring world. Once again, I turned to Steranko's Nick Fury comic for inspiration and was drawn to the audacious use of magentas and yellows on one of my favorite pages. Here's the end result:

Fortunately for the outro page, I was able to tone down the colors a bit. In a call back to issue 2, I used a similar color scheme of greens and yellows. Here's the coloring process I used for all four pages of Vol. 2 to invoke the feeling of an older comic. (Since it is the last page of the volume, I will refrain from posting the whole page and ruining the story!)

We start with Bertozzi's line art:

The first step is to flat fill the colors. This is where I make the general palette choices but since this is the final in a series, I just pick up the colors from previous issues. Still, there are some new choices to be made such as the background color scheme and the color Philip's hair and stubble. Yes, I consciously chose to make him look like Dan Clowes's Wilson.

Since I know that Philip will be emerging from a depression, I've decided to give the lower half of the page (the last tier shown here plus the one I've omitted from this post) more texture. To accomplish this, I add a temporary layer of noise.

Then I select the background color and fill it with a slightly different hue. In this case, I use the adjacent panel's shade of green. Then I remove the temporary layer which leaves flecks of the hue underneath.

Here is the page thus far:

To further highlight the gradual brightening of tone, I desaturated the first few panels. I wanted to contrast the first panel with the last panel in Issue 2 so I made it almost devoid of color.

Next, I added a layer of various types of white zip-a-tone gradient. This adds a muted texture to the first two tiers which is subtle (and hard to see on screen) but will enhance the feel on the printed version.

To complete the old-school feel, I then added an off-white color for paper and an overall texture by scanning in a piece of cardboard.

The lettering goes on last and that's the end product! Who knows if there will be a Strange Tales Vol. 3 so this might be your last chance to pick up the Strange Tales of the Fake Watcher!

Hat Portraiture in Reverse 8

2010-11-29T00:10:00.001-05:00

Ink Drawing on Vellum, 9"x12"

Train to Philly

2010-11-27T17:18:00.002-05:00

Here's a little artsy-fartsy movie I made using an iPhone while on a recent trip to Philadelphia. The music is Max Richter's "Infra 5"

What it on Vimeo for HD quality.

Marvel Strange Tales II #2

2010-11-02T15:01:00.005-04:00

The next issue of Marvel's Strange Tales will be out tomorrow and I have once again colored Nick Bertozzi's introduction page in which the Fake Watcher, Philip, continues to show the vacationing Uatu the beauties of human life. As with issue one, we continue to invoke the coloring and special effects of Jim Steranko.

A tragic ending to Nick Fury Agent of SHIELD #1?

While looking through Steranko's past art this particular page caught my eye. In the top half alone, every color on the spectrum is used and yet it doesn't feel forced. The gray tones of the last panel punctuate the previous color choices and the story. While I didn't have a chance to do a grayscale panel, here is my homage to Steranko's rainbow page (the rest of the page is filled with greens and yellows):

You can see the full page and more previews of the stories in the anthology over at Comics Alliance. Be on the look out for this cover by the amazing Jaime Hernandez!

Vicious Circle Therapy Group

2010-10-24T15:25:00.001-04:00

My Twisted Savage Dragon Funnies short story comes out this Wednesday, and my editor, Michel Fiffe, suggested that I do a post to explain the process I used this time around.

Savage Dragon came on to the comics scene about the same time that my family moved neighborhoods, causing me to lose my paper route, and thus, my comics buying income. So when Fiffe asked me if I'd like to do a short story, my knowledge was severely limited to a couple of the Cartoon Express Savage Dragon shows I'd watched back in the 90s. Under the guise of "research", I went out and got some trade paperbacks and started reading. (I love my job!)

One of the great things about Savage Dragon is that its creator, Erik Larsen, has been writing and drawing it from the very beginning. What jumped out at me right away was that Larsen would introduce a fantastic character with a complete personae, only to kill him off two pages later. It seemed that every couple of pages, someone would come bursting through a wall and the tale would take another turn. I decided to slow things down a bit and explore some of these villains -- I wanted to show them tearing down metaphorical walls... in a therapy group.

I mean, how can you see characters like Brainiape and NOT want to draw them or put words in their mouths? He's a gorilla with the brain of Hitler!

Since the project started with a pitch, I wrote out a full script detailing layout, dialogue, and character descriptions.

Page 1

Panel 1 - Top 3rd across the whole page
We join members of the Vicious Circle as they meet in the local church rectory for their weekly therapy group. The taped sign on the door reads "Vicious Circle Therapy Group" and through the door, we see the villains sit in a circle on folding chairs holding small styrofoam coffee cups and eating stale donuts. Nancy, the recent psychology graduate, leads the group in discussing the trials and tribulations of being a villain. Brainiape is sharing...

Braniape:
…And then the guy called me a "stupid gorilla" and I didn't even respond… I mean, do you know how many times I've heard that?

Panel 2 - Middle 3rd, left
We see a close up of Brainiape's gesturing hands as he continues.

Brainiape:
There was a time I'd have a good comeback and then smash the guy's face in, but now?… nothing.

Accompanying the script was this drawing of a pontificating Brainiape.

I drew the pencils at 10" x 15" so that I could letter by hand directly on the artwork.

However, this size was still too small to do a dry brush ink style, so I took each panel and blew it up to twice the size and printed it out. Using a lightbox, I approached each panel as a separate ink drawing which felt like producing 22 separate works of art -- a very satisfying feeling!

I then scanned in the inks, shrunk them down, and added the inked lettering and borders. The last step was to add color. I experimented with watercolor, but the dry brush ink style made it all look too busy, so I just did a few soft tones on the computer.

Skullface eating a donut. Am I the only one who thinks Skullface looks like Dave Mustaine?

Savage Dragon #165 published by Image Comics will be out this Wednesday, October 27 so head to your local comic book store and pick it up. Look out for this cover:

Marvel Strange Tales II #1

2010-10-12T13:35:00.000-04:00

Strange Tales returns with Volume II and the first issue will be out tomorrow! Once again, I colored the introduction page written and drawn by Nick Bertozzi in which we rejoin our anti-hero, the fake watcher, doing his time in prison.

For this round of Watcher pages, I've attempted to create a Jim Steranko feel by adding textures and using zip-a-tone-like patterns. Below are some Steranko pages I used for inspiration:

Look for this cover at your local comic shop!

Triceratops Sketch

2010-09-06T13:55:00.001-04:00

Here's a sketch of a Triceratops wearing a ruff. Can you tell I've been watching The Tudors?

Getting Even With Shakespeare in the Fringe Festival

2010-06-28T15:53:00.001-04:00

Here's recent illustration I did for the Getting Even with Shakespeare production which has been selected for the New York Fringe Festival. While the above image is for a postcard, it was originally designed for the festival's website (color) and brochure (grayscale) which required a very small icon. The size restrictions proved to be an interesting challenge. Here are the results:

For more information about the play, check out my earlier post, the play's website, or watch the trailer below. It will run August 13-29 -- ticket info coming soon.

Hat Portraiture in Reverse 7

2010-06-08T00:51:00.001-04:00

Ink Drawing on Vellum, 9"x12"

826NYC Comics Workshop

2010-04-27T01:33:00.002-04:00

Cover art by Katrina

Not long ago, I had the pleasure of participating in a comics workshop over at 826NYC. I joined fantastic cartoonists Nathan Schreiber, Domitille Collardey, and Sarah Glidden along with comics guru Chris Eckert in helping seven youngsters (ages 10 to 12) each make a four page story.

In order to help focus the class and make a sort of cohesive anthology, each story began with the main character turning out their light to go to bed. The entirety of the story would then take place overnight and end the next morning when they get up for school. Over four weeks, the kids wrote, drew, inked, lettered, and colored (if there was time!) their stories. We called the whole thing "And Then the Lights Went Out" and here are the amazing results!

"The Sneaky Skateboarder" by Julio © 2010

Illustrations for Christine

2010-04-20T01:16:00.002-04:00

I did a couple of illustrations for my friend Christine. The idea was to do a bio in a children's story style complete with five or six drawings. Christine tells great stories (check out her blog), so it was easy to find interesting things to illustrate, and I enjoyed dusting off the ol' watercolors. Maybe we'll do more!


Growing up on a sheep farm...

During her stint as a wedding singer...

Being all sorts of studious...

Arriving in Japan knowing only the phrase "I haven't seen you in ages!"

Organizing speed dating for charity (coincidentally, for the blind)...

MoCCA Wrap-Up

2010-04-13T23:51:00.000-04:00

I don't think I was quite awake yet when this was taken.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by my table at MoCCA. It was quite a successful outing for me -- I nearly sold all of my copies of "Haberdash" and "Second Chance Vance"! Thanks again to Amelia at Sugarbuilt -- I only ended up selling half of the cookies because I kept hearing comments like "Oooh, those are too pretty to eat." (So darn it all if I didn't have to eat the rest myself!) I also got my hands on some good comics and met some great cartoonists and fans. I'm already looking forward to SPX!

Haberdash, Second Chance Vance, Cookies, Huzzah!

2010-04-08T12:14:00.001-04:00

This weekend I will be debuting "Haberdash" at the MoCCA Festival. "Haberdash" is an 18 page mini-comic featuring ink drawings of odd people wearing hats (a few of which I have posted on this very blog) paired with a vignette penned by writer Tim Hall. This was my first time working with Tim and I'm pleased that our collaboration yielded such rich and humorous characters. Here's a sample page:

I will also be selling the first ever print version of my online comic Second Chance Vance. This 24 page book features the complete first three chapters and sports an awesome handmade cover.

And last but possibly the most awesome of all, I will be selling custom made cookies based on my comics! Amelia at Sugarbuilt crafted these amazing (and delicious) organic Darjeeling tea and cardamom cookies with vanilla icing just for MoCCA. Check 'em out!

MoCCA Art Fest 2010

2010-04-05T01:04:00.000-04:00

I will have a table at this year's MoCCA Art Festival which takes place April 9th and 10th at the 69th Regiment Armory in Manhattan. This is the best indie comics convention in the country so if you are in the area, you should stop by. I will have not one, but two new mini-comics available, plus some other little surprises. Hope to see you there!

Comic Book Resources on Twisted Savage Dragon Funnies

2010-03-31T18:08:00.001-04:00

A preview of Ulises Farinas' Savage Dragon story.

Comic Book Resources has a great article on the upcoming Twisted Savage Dragon Funnies with a quote or two from me. You can also see a preview of some of the stories including a full page of my story. Check it out!

Hat Portraiture in Reverse 6

2010-03-23T23:51:00.000-04:00

Ink Drawing on Vellum, 9"x12"

Twisted Savage Dragon Funnies Announced!

2010-03-14T20:11:00.004-04:00

I'm pleased to announce that I will be a part of the indie comics creation: Twisted Savage Dragon Funnies. Beginning this May (Issue 160), each issue of Image Comic's Savage Dragon will contain a short story written and drawn by a different indie cartoonist featuring characters from the Savage Dragon Universe.

Here's the lineup as it is planned:
160 (May, ‘10). Michel Fiffe
161 (June). Andrew Dimitt
162 (July). Kiel West
163 (Aug). Delsante & Freire
164 (Sept). Ulises Farinas
165 (Oct). Chris Sinderson
166 (Nov). Conor Hughes
167 (Dec). Kat Roberts
168 (Jan, '11). Hyeondo Park
169 (Feb). Pedro Camargo
170 (Mar). Jason Thibodeaux
171 (April). Special Guests Galore!

Here's a sneak peak at an ink drawing I did of the villain Brainiape waxing poetic while striking The Thinker pose:

While Image is a major comic publisher, not every comic book store sells Savage Dragon. So please be sure to go to your friendly comic book retailer and request that they order it for you!

Marvel Strange Tales Hard Cover Released

2010-03-11T00:09:00.001-05:00

Marvel has released a hard cover compilation of all three issues of Strange Tales. I posted in the past (here, here, and here) about the four pages I recently colored for the book, as well as the story I cut my chops on as an intern lo more than two years ago. Pick it up at your local comic book store or at a reputable online establishment.

Still Life on Fidelity

2010-03-07T19:44:00.000-05:00

Ink Drawing on Vellum, 12"x9"

I did this ink drawing a couple of years back to work on my hatching. I wasn't very consistent, but the sloppiness adds some character to the overall feel of the piece. I recently tried re-drawing it with a more uniform hatching look which turned out looking cleaner but a bit stiff. I'm not sure which one I prefer...

Ink Drawing on Vellum, 12"x9"

Hat Portraiture in Reverse 5

2010-02-04T21:04:00.000-05:00

Ink Drawing on Vellum, 9"x12"

Getting Even with Shakespeare

2009-12-14T07:27:00.002-05:00

Here's an illustration job I recently completed for a play called Getting Even with Shakespeare. The production is an official selection in the Manhattan Repertory Theatre’s Winterfest 2010. Here's the premise (from the website):

"Five Shakespearean tragic heroes are in a New York City bar...and they are pissed. According to the laws of metaphysics, Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, Romeo and Juliet are required to "attend" every performance of the shows that bear their names. When not reliving their horrible deaths on a nightly basis, the characters spend time at the bar where they drink away their sorrows, settle old scores, and partake in their favorite pastime - plotting revenge on Shakespeare, the man who put them in this very unenviable position. The characters’ four century old routine is thrown into flux when Matt, a 30 year old lawyer and unsuccessful college playwright, enters the bar with an idea that may finally allow them to get even."

As you might guess, the tone of the play is very light and the hi-jinx of the characters is reminiscent of the follies of Wile E. Coyote trying to ensnare the Road Runner. Therefore, the playwright, Matt Saldarelli, suggested we make strong allusions to the old cartoons by setting the Shakespeare characters in the desert.

The two images shown above will be printed out as post cards for promotional use. For the play's website, I drew a third panel to create a strip:

The performances are on Jan. 27th - 29th at 9pm at the Manhattan Repertory Theater (303 W 42nd St) and the $20 tickets can be purchased by calling 646-329-6588.

As the playwright says: "You don't have to know anything about Shakespeare to enjoy this show (i.e., there's a lightsaber duel between William Shakespeare and a Terminator)." I can't wait!

Trip to New Zealand

2009-12-12T18:03:00.005-05:00

Well, it's four months and I've finally found the time to throw together some video from our trip to New Zealand. Just before we left, I got a Flip MinoHD. It's small, portable, and extremely easy to use.

Unfortunately since it weighs next to nothing, every small shake of the hand is picked up by the camera. Even with Apple's iMovie video smoothing turned on, it still distracts you from the subject matter. This lead me to take a lot of "art shots" with my hand resting on an object, and thus, the music overlay...

Thanks to Christine and Janine for a fine vacation and tour of their wonderful country!

Michel Fiffe's Website

2009-12-10T00:09:00.005-05:00

I recently designed and created a website for cartoonist Michel Fiffe. Not only does the site feature some of Fiffe's great comics, he's got some fantastic interviews with other cartoonists. Check it out. I command you.

Wedding Animation

2009-12-03T23:48:00.002-05:00

Last summer, John Kuramoto and I were commissioned to make a short animation for a wedding. The short was added to a surprise video for the bride and groom which was shown at the reception. Our task was simple -- make a quick retelling of the couple's origins.

It was a typical story:

Boy meets Girl.
Boy and Girl go on a date.
Girl doesn't realize it's a date.
Boy surprise-kisses the Girl.
Girl gets mononucleosis.
Boy and Girl eventually fall in love.

All that shown in 35 seconds. Looking back on it, I'd say we did a fine job. The story boards and animation were done by John, and I did the drawings.

Bonus video that I had nothing to do with!
Here's another animation John recently did for the comedian Patton Oswalt. The drawings were done by the excellent cartoonist, Brian Musikoff. I had the pleasure of going with Brian and John to see Mr. Oswalt do a show not long ago at the New York Comedy Festival. This bit was one of the highlights of the show, and I think the literal animation style makes it even funnier! (Warning, this might not be entirely appropriate for your work since it contains cursing and some adult humor. Also it might offend your religious sensibilities...)

826NYC Workshop Logos

2009-11-20T00:41:00.000-05:00

Not too long ago, I helped out with a creative writing workshop over at 826NYC. Over four weeks, the kids split into groups and created a restaurant, complete with theme, menu, and back-story. With direction from the two teams, I drew up a logo for them. Here they are, along with everything the kids wrote.

Who doesn’t enjoy music with a meal? We at Alice in Wonderland’s Eat to the Beat agree, and we acknowledge that everyone has their own musical taste, which is why we have jukeboxes at the tables, each with their own genre of music. Of course, we also realize that some people (like our very own chef), enjoy their meals in silence, and so there’s a “No Jukebox” section as well. Tables are complete with teacup chairs and lazy susans that spin your meal along with the tunes.

Conveniently located in the heart of Times Square, Alice in Wonderland’s Eat to the Beat takes you down a rabbit hole of adventure and delicious food. We’re a great restaurant for families and tourists so that everyone can have a fabulous time in the city.

You might not want to work here because the chef sometimes spits in the staff meals, but don’t worry, the customers’ meals are safe! We believe that the secret to our marketing success is the subliminal and often unkind messages about the owners that our marketing person plants in our ads. Our owners are always involved in office accidents because the designer deliberately made their office floor too slippery, because we all know that the owners are embezzling money from the staff paychecks and hiding secret cameras everywhere!

So...Even though the owners want to fire everyone, our marketing person threatens to quit on a daily basis, the chef hates his job, and the designer’s job is done but she still needs a job, this is a true family establishment and everyone has stayed together because of one thing: We love love providing everyone else with wonderful food and peppy tunes.

MENU

Appetizers:

Nachos

Dumplings

Entrees:

Pizza

Corndogs

Grilled Cheese

Sides:

Rice

Mashed Potatoes

Mixed Vegetables

French Fries

Desserts:

French Toast

Donut Holes

Sumo-Sized Sundae

Pancakes

Beverages:

All available in SUMO-SIZE
Milkshakes

Tesa and Coffee (Hot or Cold)

Soda

Drink-Me Mystery Drink

— OPEN FOR BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND DINNER —

Serving tourists and families in Times Square since 2009.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT EAT TO THE BEAT!

“World class chefs slave over the hot stove for you!”

“Potential for crab cheesecake!”

“Eat with music! It’s full of people!”

“Eat a lot, then dance it off!”

“Eat to the Beat has different music, entertaining service, and they’re kind to customers. They make the people smile!”

“Best nachos on the planet!”

“Even though the food and theme are uncreative and don’t make sense, the service is great. And the food will still be the greatest thing you’ll eat. You’re sure to have a great, fun time. It’ll make your day once you’ve been there.”

One day, the owner, Ahtziri, went scouting for a restaurant space for her dream restaurant. The first space she found was too small, but the second space was perfect. Then Ahtziri realized that she needed a designer, so she put up flyers calling for the best designers in the United States to meet with her.

Ahtziri selected Alexis as her designer because she was the youngest and the most talented out of the 600 designers who showed up. Ahtziri wanted a bowling restaurant, but Alexis wanted a spooky restaurant, so they combined their ideas and came up with SKULL BOWL.

Together, the owner and designer searched many restaurants looking for the perfect chef. They discovered the world-famous Chef Sebastian, who was unhappy at his old restaurant. Ahtziri told him that he would have the freedom to do anything he wanted at SKULL BOWL. Chef Sebastian was ecstatic to join the family and to create spooky food.

Joshua joined the team as the marketing expert. Ahtziri, Alexis, and Sebastian found him at The Champagne Market where he was promoting pears and grapes. It was obvious that Joshua was perfect for the marketing position because he did an excellent job selling such under-celebrated produce. His pears and grapes eventually became a part of the SKULL BOWL menu.

Menu

Appetizers:

Nachos

Skull-Shaped Bread w/ Tomato Dipping Sauce

Entrees:

Bowling-Ball-Sized Meatballs and Spaghetti

Italian & Chinese Foods that look Spooky

Side Dishes:

Rice & Beans

Pears

Grapes

Desserts:

All Kinds of Pie

Cake & Ice Cream

Pudding w/ Gummy Worms

Apples

Beverages:

Soda

Juice

Milk

— OPEN 24/7 EXCEPT HOLIDAYS —

Located worldwide in a spooky place near you!

Second Chance Vance - Week 9

2009-11-17T00:25:00.000-05:00

Will the Paparazzi Man get his just desserts? Or will Vance give him a rare Third Chance? Find out in the thrilling conclusion to Chapter 2!

Figure Drawing 8

2009-11-12T08:24:00.000-05:00

Here's a different inking version of the drawing I posted a while ago. For this version I used a nib.

Ink on Vellum, 12"x9"

Second Chance Vance Returns

2009-11-08T19:34:00.001-05:00

My free web comic is back and now has its very own website! SecondChanceVance.com is now up and running. There, you will find a dark comedy that follows our anti-hero, Vance, and his creator in their parallel quest to shape modern American culture through intimidation and social satire (respectively).

Chapter 2 continues with this week's penultimate installment, but I would suggest you reacquaint yourselves with Mr. Vance by reading from the beginning. Use this post for comments about the new site and/or the story!

Marvel Strange Tales #3

2009-11-03T21:30:00.003-05:00

Much like the first two issues, I colored the introduction page to the new issue of Marvel Strange Tales #3 which is at your local comic book store today. Unlike the pages posted here, those versions have exciting dialogue! Look for this cover:

But wait, there's more! For this third and final issue, Nick Bertozzi drew (and I colored) an outro page too! That's right, two pages of brilliant Watcher color for the price of one! If you enjoy these fine drawings, you can now own them by venturing over to Mr. Bertozzi's wonderful site (designed by yours truly) to purchase them.

But wait, there's more! The outro page features what (to my knowledge) is the first dark-skinned Watcher in comics history. I pulled an all-nighter to color these pages and sometime around 4:30 in the morning I thought to myself, "Why are all of these Watchers pasty white?" I was pleased to see the editor approved this monumental whimsy, and in doing so, improved alien-race relations everywhere.

Travel Sketches: St. Petersburg

2009-10-26T20:31:00.000-04:00

Charcoal on Paper, 8"x10"

I went to St. Petersburg, Russia a couple of years ago on my honeymoon. We did a lot of tourist stuff (including a marathon tour of the Hermitage) but also had a couple of days to relax and lounge about in our favorite places. This sketch is of one of the huge statues acting as pillars holding up one of the minor entrances to the Hermitage. As you can kind of tell by the splatters on the drawing, it began raining before I finished.

Yours truly posing with the giant sculptures.

More giant statues Isaakievsky Park

Figure Drawings 7

2009-10-19T02:06:00.001-04:00

Pastel on Paper, 18"x 24"

Since so much of cartooning is straight line drawing, I was trying to break my habit of doing mostly line drawings of live figure models. This style, which I made by smearing my finger with pastel and then smudging the paper accordingly, is sort of the antithesis of line art. I've found that because the image produced is so subtle, a darker color of pastel tends to works better. Here are a couple examples of lighter hues.

ACT-I-VATE Primer Is Released!

2009-10-14T00:33:00.003-04:00

A while back, I posted about a short story I colored for the ACT-I-VATE Primer book (read about it here). Well that book is finally available for sale. Get it at your local comic book store (or failing that, there's always the online bookstores.)

And for those of you that live in New York, come on out to the release party tonight at Bergen Street Comics in Brooklyn. I'll be there!

Five Minute Figure Sketches

2009-10-09T00:40:00.000-04:00

Pastel on Paper, 18"x24"

Five minute sketches can be a good way of filling the paper without getting too precious. I have a tendency to dwell on my mistakes which is most often counter-productive. A short time limit forces me to embrace my errors, and in the immortal words of Tim Gunn, "Make it work!"

Marvel Strange Tales #2

2009-10-07T13:09:00.000-04:00

I colored the introduction page to the Marvel Strange Tales #2 which is on the stands today. Not only is The Watcher once again featured but also the full likeness of She-Hulk and Nick Fury (complete with an ear-stud)! Look for this cover at your local comic book store:

Hat Portraiture in Reverse 4

2009-10-04T23:20:00.000-04:00

Ink Drawing on Vellum, 9"x12"

Travel Sketch: London

2009-09-29T10:00:00.000-04:00

Charcoal on Paper, 9"x12"

I recently got back from a fantastic vacation to New Zealand. While looking through our photos, I was reminded of some of the sketches I did on past vacations. Last year, I was lucky enough to have a spare hour during a nice Fall day to sit down and sketch a couple of statues at the Albert Memorial in Hyde Park, London. Here's an in-progress photo before I (perhaps mistakenly!) decided to make a black matte background.

Figure Drawings 6

2009-09-25T00:05:00.000-04:00

Pastel on Paper, 24"x18"

Stuffed! Is Released!

2009-09-08T23:32:00.002-04:00

I spent a couple of months last year coloring Stuffed! a 120 page graphic novel written by Glenn Eichler and drawn by Nick Bertozzi. I share co-coloring credit with Mr. Bertozzi, who showed me the ins and outs of selecting the best color palette for a specific scene.

We based the coloring style on Hergé's TinTin, using clean, flat colors with location-based palettes. In the beginning, Nick would provide me with color guides signaling what hues he wanted for certain things. As the book progressed, I took on more of those choices. Here is an example color guide and the finished page:

The book was published by First Second and can be found at your local book stores. Glenn Eichler wrote a pretty funny entry over at the First Second website about his first day as a Published Author hanging out in Barnes and Noble.

One last note, I was pretty pleased to see that my boredom-inspired Easter Egg made it to print -- when I saw Nick's drawing of a fanny-pack-wearing, mullet-ed tourist in Times Square, the look on his face told me he was a zombie.

My Marvel Debut: Strange Tales #1

2009-09-02T18:09:00.002-04:00

My last post touched on some uncredited work I did for Nick Bertozzi's story in the Marvel book Strange Tales. Since that post, the editor asked Nick to do a last minute introduction page for the book for which I did the coloring (except for The Watcher's underoos which are tighty-whities, naturally). The book hit stores today and you can see my credited work on the very first page!

The Learning Process

2009-08-13T12:22:00.000-04:00

When I decided to make a career change a few years ago, there was a lot I didn't know about the comics industry. For one, the creation-to-print time can span several years. Some of the projects I first worked on are finally coming out, and it has helped me realize just how much I've learned in a little under two years!

Instead of going back to full-time school to get an art degree, I opted more for the "learn on the job" approach working as an intern. Nick Bertozzi was my first teacher (whom I continue to work with!) I've previously posted about my coloring role for the upcoming graphic novel, Stuffed!, and his online web comic, Persimmon Cup, but the very first thing I worked on for Nick was a short story in Strange Tales for Marvel due out this September. (Pick one up at your local comic book store!)

The short story about M.O.D.O.K. introduced me to such exciting cartooning basics as: Cutting Paper! Ruling Pages! and the all important Erasing Pencil Marks! While doing such work can feel trivial, it was clear that there was a "Wax On, Wax Off" method behind it (focus Daniel-san!) teaching me what dimensions to use, how to lay out a page, what type of line weight to use in certain situations, and how to letter a page. It also allowed me to see the art as it was being penciled, inked, and on the off chance that there were mistakes, how to make corrections. The Strange Tales story also gave me a first taste of coloring in Photoshop.

Not long after working with Nick, I also started working in the Deep Six Studio which introduced me to a wide array of styles and working methods. There, I did a some work on projects like The Alcoholic drawn by Dean Haspiel (and written by Jonathan Ames) and drawing city backgrounds for Simon Fraser's Nikolai Dante.

But by and large I worked most with Tim Hamilton. Tim's high contrast style means there are lots of ink in the shadows which is perfect for his adaptation of Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 released this month in beautiful hardcover (available at bookstores everywhere.) Tim would ink a page and leave the large areas of black for me to fill in which allowed me to hone my brush technique. While I didn't help out with the whole book, I was happy to have a hand in such a fine piece of work (and I even earned a "special thanks" at the beginning!) Here's an interview with Ray Bradbury that shows more of the inside of the book:

After a page was inked and the pencil marks were erased, I would scan in the artwork and begin the basic coloring (flats). I'd learned to use Photoshop from coloring Persimmon Cup, but Tim used different techniques and would apply various effects to a page after I did the basics, so it all was a great opportunity to see things from a different angle.

Another recently-printed project I worked on was a short story drawn by Mr. Bertozzi (also written by Jonathan Ames) for the Next-Door Neighbor Series at Smith Magazine. The comic appears in Jonathan Ames' recent book, The Double Life Is Twice As Good. (Nick recently wrote a nice blog post about it.)

So while I didn't get any technical credit for working on all of these projects, I benefited greatly from the experience and still feel a sense of accomplishment when they finally are available to the public!

Cape Testing Poses

2009-07-22T01:26:00.005-04:00

Every week, I have the pleasure of working a shift at the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. Anyone that has visited Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. can tell you that our Capery is one of the finest, and therefore, one of our main attractions. So while I was proud to be employed by the largest supplier of super-heroic items in the tri-state area, I earned a real sense of accomplishment when I received my Official Cape Tester (OCT) License. (As you may well know, only OCT License holders can operate Capery Machinery.)

While customers are trying on a cape, we like to recommend some basic poses to simulate how the cape might feel in certain heroic situations*. In the past, the OCT might throw out some audible suggestions that could go misheard in all the excitement or fall into the cultural divide. Therefore when I heard mention of a drawing of basic poses to be posted on the wall, I volunteered my resources.

Outside of figure drawing, I've never really attempted to draw muscular people. As it turns out, this can be a challenge. Fortunately, the direction I got was "generic superhero" which allowed me to cull from many excellent resources. Below are the basic recommended poses and my first renderings.

Flying

A transport necessity for all caped heroes. The arms are typically held outstretched at an obtuse angle from the trunk of the body. Either the left or right leg can be raised. In this pose, the cape should float freely behind the hero and place no constraints on his or her mobility.

Search and Destroy

This pose is used when searching for villains, especially on busy city streets, in a mountainous or overgrown-jungle landscape, and other situations where visibility is compromised. Face front, the hero leans forward and shades his or her eyes with one hand as if in bright sunlight, scanning to the left and the right.

Front Page of the Newspaper

This is a pose intended for post-victory celebrations, after all evildoers in the surrounding area have been vanquished and the press is on the scene. The hands are placed on the hips and the chest is puffed with pride and a firm sense of achievement and self-worth. The hero smiles.

*Warning: Any attempt at non-heroic poses will earn you a one way trip to the devillainizer.

Band Sketches

2009-07-21T00:09:00.000-04:00

The folk-rock band I'm in is putting out a CD in a couple of weeks. When we were brainstorming about album cover ideas, I did these sketches of Kyle and Corbett, the two songwriters of the group. I was exploring a new style (a la James Jean's sketches) of simple line drawings done in pencil with a few areas done in delicate detail. Ultimately we decided to go in a different direction, but I'm still fairly pleased with these rough portraits.

The album will be out on iTunes in a few weeks or you can come to our CD release show to get a copy - Sunday, August 9th, 10pm at Spike Hill in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. We are revamping the website, but you can currently listen to some of the new songs over at Facebook.

Here are a couple photos of yours truly in the studio:

ACT-I-VATE Primer Cover

2009-06-15T01:22:00.001-04:00

You heard it here first, but ACT-I-VATE officially announced its upcoming "Primer" book last weekend at MoCCA. They also released an image of its cover (shown above) drawn by Nick Bertozzi featuring Persimmon from the Persimmon Cup story I colored. IDW will put out the book in October. Until then, head on over to ACT-I-VATE to read thousands of pages of free comics!

Portrait Drawing 2

2009-06-03T00:38:00.000-04:00

Charcoal on Paper, 17"x14"

Anatomy Study 2

2009-06-01T00:49:00.000-04:00

Graphite on Paper, 24"x18"

Snake 'n' Bacon Now Online... Again

2009-05-27T01:08:00.002-04:00

Head on over to the Adult Swim Website to watch the full Snake 'n' Bacon pilot. Who knows how long they'll leave it up for viewing this time!

Here's the link:

Portrait Drawing 1

2009-05-25T00:37:00.000-04:00

Charcoal on Paper, 17"x14"

Snake 'n' Bacon on Adult Swim this Sunday

2009-05-08T00:14:00.000-04:00

This Sunday night, May 10 at 12:45am ET (technically early Monday morning), Adult Swim on Cartoon Network will finally air the Snake 'n' Bacon pilot I worked on last year. Although the show was not picked up as a series, we still have the pleasure of finally viewing it on the small screen. It's right on after Tim and Eric Awesome Show which is on from 12:30 to 12:45am so if you set your recorders, make sure they go until 1! (And to all my Central Time Zone peoples: don't forget 12:45am really means 11:45pm!)

Quimby the Mouse Cartoon

2009-05-02T02:32:00.001-04:00

Here is the aforementioned Chris Ware cartoon that John Kuramoto animated for the This American Life live show.

Quimby The Mouse from This American Life on Vimeo.

Another Cartoon for This American Life

2009-04-20T00:42:00.002-04:00

I did a smidgen of work for animator extraordinaire John Kuramoto on another Chris Ware cartoon. The short piece was made for the upcoming This American Life Live show beaming out to theaters around the country this Thursday, April 23rd.

Unlike the past two cartoons, this piece was not based on a previously recorded This American Life story but instead is an original story written by Mr. Ware based on his characters Quimby the Mouse and Sparky the Cat (Head). It follows the theme of the show, "Return to the Scene of the Crime," and is set to a fine tune by Andrew Bird.

~~Hopefully after the show airs, the Powers That Be will release the cartoon on the internets~~. You can see the cartoon here. Still, I encourage everyone that has access to a theater receiving the live feed of the show to check it out. I was at the last one and had a grand ol' time. This one looks to be even better with guests like Dan Savage and Joss Whedon!

ACT-I-VATE Primer: Persimmon Cup

2009-04-06T19:38:00.002-04:00

Here's a sneak peak at a 12 page Persimmon Cup story I just finished coloring for Nick Bertozzi. It will appear in the upcoming ACT-I-VATE Primer, a 150 page anthology based on characters and stories that you can already read for free at ACT-I-VATE.com. The book will be published by IDW sometime in September or October of this year. Stories in the primer will all be self contained, stand alone stories that live in the diverse universes that make the ACT-I-VATE site the best place to get your web comic fix.

Figure Drawing 5

2009-04-02T23:40:00.000-04:00

I'm taking a brief hiatus from my weekly Second Chance Vance postings while I finish up a couple higher priority (paying) jobs. To tide you over, here's a figure drawing I did a while ago using a bamboo brush and poster paint wash.

Tempera Paint on Vellum, 14"x17"

Second Chance Vance - Week 7

2009-03-19T01:10:00.000-04:00

Continue to read Chapter 2. (Or read from the beginning.) Use this post to leave me feedback.

Second Chance Vance - Week 6

2009-03-12T09:12:00.000-04:00

Chapter 2 continues in which a fat man uses dirty language and appears in a towel. (Or read from the beginning.) Use this post to leave me feedback.

Second Chance Vance - Week 5

2009-03-05T00:19:00.000-05:00

Chapter 2 begins in which people make out and there are giant cats! (Or, go back to read Chapter 1.) Use this post to leave me feedback.

Second Chance Vance - Week 4

2009-02-26T01:00:00.001-05:00

You can read the conclusion to Chapter 1 by clicking here. Read from the beginning by clicking here. Use this post to leave me any comments you have about Chapter 1!

Second Chance Vance - Week 3

2009-02-19T01:04:00.006-05:00

When we last left our story, Second Chance Vance had left his first ultimatum. This week, we finally get a glimpse of our anti-hero. (You can also read from the beginning by clicking here.) Please use this post for comments/questions/discussion.

Second Chance Vance - Week 2

2009-02-12T06:09:00.022-05:00

Chapter 1 continues by clicking here. Or you can read from the beginning by clicking here. You can use this post for comments and/or discussion if you so desire.

This American Life: Season 2 DVD Released

2009-02-10T02:31:00.026-05:00

The entire This American Life: Season 2 DVD is finally available through Borders (for a scant $13.99.) One can only presume that it will be available at other fine stores in the very near future. As I posted back when the show aired, I did a little bit of animation work for a Chris Ware / John Kuramoto cartoon short that opens Episode 5 - Every Marriage Is a Courthouse.

Secret Identities Trailer

2009-02-07T13:03:00.026-05:00

Here's a new trailer for the upcoming book, Secret Identities: The Asian American Superhero Anthology which will be on sale in April. You may recall that I did a bio picture of John Kuramoto that will appear in the book.

Second Chance Vance - Week 1

2009-02-05T00:54:00.023-05:00

Here's the debut of my weekly web comic Second Chance Vance. Check back every Thursday for new installments. You can use this post for comments and/or discussion if you so desire.

MTV Interview with Stuffed! Writer, Glenn Eichler

2009-02-03T02:27:00.020-05:00

I recently came across this interview MTV did with Glenn Eichler in which he talks about Stuffed!. As you may recall, I did some coloring work on Stuffed! last summer. Word on the street is that the book will come out sometime towards the end of 2009.

Second Chance Vance Debuts in 10 Days

2009-01-26T02:08:00.003-05:00

My new web comic, Second Chance Vance, will be making its debut on this website in a mere 10 days. This dark comedy follows our anti-hero, Vance, and his creator in their parallel quest to shape modern American culture through intimidation and social satire (respectively). The serialized story will have new updates every Thursday. So be sure to check back on Thursday, February 5 to read the beginnings to a first-rate saga about a second-rate comic hero!

Katie at Work

2009-01-23T02:06:00.000-05:00

Graphite on Paper, 24"x18"

My Next-Door Neighbor Story

2009-01-02T15:24:00.008-05:00

Smith Magazine has an excellent series going on about next-door neighbors. As the series editor Dean Haspiel says, "“Everybody has one. And, no matter how close or how far, we all live next to someone, and we all have a Next-Door Neighbor story."

Over the past year, I've enjoyed reading all the stories posted in the series. It's great to see the wide variety of art styles, tones, and storytelling techniques all linked to a common theme.

My story is about the drug dealer neighbor I had a few years back in Washington, DC. So far, I've mostly done light-hearted humor pieces or dark comedy satires so this was a real departure in writing style for me. Yet, the writing and thumbnails came out rather easily.

While the story is rather serious, it isn't necessarily dark, and so I wanted to keep the art light and colorful. I've always enjoyed the work of Joshua Middleton -- his covers are beautiful, but I really like his work on the short-lived Marvel book, NYX. I thought that a similar minimal inking style that lets color define the shadows and volume would help set the proper tone for my NDN story.

This past Thanksgiving, I had the chance to return to DC and visit my old apartment on Wallach Place. Not a whole lot has changed to the neighborhood. Some of the buildings have been restored and painted, but it still looks like a neighborhood with a conflicted sense of identity. Here's a reference photo I took.

You'll notice that I took some artistic license with the colors and some of the architecture to facilitate the story telling, but I think I stayed true to the overall feeling of the neighborhood. I'm pretty pleased with the final result and proud to be participating in a project with so many great writers and artists.... I hope you enjoy!

He Works in Mysterious Ways...

2008-12-17T01:15:00.004-05:00

A couple days ago, I was watching Sam Bradford accept the Heisman Award, and it reminded me that I should post a comic I did a while back. I remember watching Indianapolis Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy accept the 2007 Super Bowl trophy and being really annoyed by how much thanking of God was going on. I sketched out this one pager (below) that night.

I realize that most of the time when people thank God in award speeches, they probably don't think God decided to let them win over the other heathens. (At least I hope that's not the case.) Instead, I guess that they want to publicly state that they are Christians as a show of humility. But to me, it always comes across as unnecessary acknowledgments of inclusion to an evangelical religious group.

I sort of view it like donations. If someone makes a big donation, they might get a lot of recognition and praise for their charity (and perhaps a tax write off). However, if someone makes the donation anonymously, they only really care about the cause they are supporting. My views on being evangelical are similar -- walking the walk is way better than talking. Which is why it irks me even more when I come across one of the bazillion music awards shows and see a mysoginist hip hop artist or a hypocrite country star go on and on about Jesus.

Anyway, I didn't actually ink this comic until a year later. Even though a lot of the specific names in the comic were out of date, the underlying theme still exists so I went ahead and finished it. (Besides, who could pass up drawing God with a mullet?) I had plans of changing the dialogue from year to year, while keeping the last two panels the same. Perhaps I still might!

Austin American-Statesman Illustration

2008-12-08T03:45:00.000-05:00

Here's an illustration I colored last week. It was drawn by Nick Bertozzi and appeared in the Austin American-Statesman this past Saturday. (If you follow the link, beware that the image posted on their website has some color issues depending on which browser you are using.) Nick already had in mind the hues he wanted to use, but left it up to me as to whether to add highlights and lowlights or not. The one above is the one he ended up going with. Below are a couple variations, one with alternate hues and the other a flat image without highlights and lowlights.

Anatomy Study 1

2008-12-03T02:17:00.001-05:00

Graphite on Paper, 18"x24"

Kenyan Boy

2008-12-01T02:31:00.000-05:00

Ink on Paper, 9"x12"
Loosely based on a photo I took in Kenya while on Semester at Sea.

Figure Drawing 4

2008-11-26T02:10:00.002-05:00

Pastel on Paper, 18"x24"

Digital Portrait

2008-11-24T02:23:00.003-05:00

Last week, John Kuramoto asked me to draw a bio pic for him which will appear in the upcoming Secret Identities: The Asian American Superhero Anthology. John wrote a story to be drawn by Christine Norrie for the book that will be out in 2009. My task was to create a realistically drawn head shot in the style of the ones already featured on the website.

Last Spring, I indulged and purchased a Wacom Cintiq tablet. This wonderful toy turned out to be an invaluable tool on the various coloring projects I have since been a part of. While I have mostly only used the tablet to select and color certain parts of a scanned-in drawing, this project gave me the opportunity to draw directly onto the computer. I am quite pleased with the result!

Hat Portraiture in Reverse 3

2008-11-21T02:19:00.000-05:00

Ink Drawing on Vellum, 9"x12"

Figure Drawing 3

2008-11-19T04:35:00.001-05:00

Pastel on Paper, 24"x18"

Stuffed!

2008-11-17T01:41:00.000-05:00

I spent the better part of May and June coloring the 120 page graphic novel STUFFED! It was written by Glenn Eichler, writer for The Colbert Report and creator of MTV's Daria, and drawn by Nick Bertozzi, author of last year's critically aclaimed The Salon and Houdini: The Handcuff King. I'll have an official co-colorist credit (along side Mr. Bertozzi) for the book which is being published by First Second Books. The story is a social satire on racism in modern America and our coloring inspiration came from Hergé's TinTin. The book won't be out until 2009 but here are a couple of pages to wet your whistle.

Astor Place Starbucks

2008-11-14T02:05:00.000-05:00

Vine Charcoal on Paper, 24"x18"

Figure Drawing 2

2008-11-11T02:30:00.001-05:00

Sanguine on Paper, 24"x18"

Grand Central Station

2008-11-04T02:28:00.000-05:00

Vine Charcoal on Paper, 18"x24"

Girl Scouts Comic

2008-10-20T03:41:00.004-04:00

I did some coloring work for Christine Norrie last spring which is finally available! Christine is a fantastic artist with great inking skills, and so when she asked me to help out coloring an 18 page comic for the Girl Scouts, I was happy to get involved.

The comic was for the Agent of Change Handbook and was about a group of girls that found a box of abandoned puppies and chose to "do the right thing." Christine wanted to color the comic in gray tones with dots reminiscent of the old comics using Zip-A-Tone. We settled on four shades of gray and the best combination of dot sizes. I colored in flat grays and then converted the layers to dots. Here are a couple of the pages as they looked before the dialogue balloons were added. Click to enlarge them to see the dots in full effect.

Figure Drawing 1

2008-10-15T02:15:00.001-04:00

Graphite on Paper, 24"x18"

The Chelsea Market

2008-09-23T01:58:00.000-04:00

Vine Charcoal on Paper, 18"x24"