A Painting of Sarai

This post is gonna require some background so bear with me. Late last year, I held a Kickstarter fundraiser for the latest addition to my comic series The Ballad of Toby & Sara. Among the rewards offered were some commissions for original artwork. My friend Lori was lucky enough to pick up one, and she gave me free rein to come up with a painting.

I honestly had no idea what to do. But I did have an image in my head that I had been meaning to make, which also happened to be a character from the series that had not yet appeared. I made a drawing for Lori, and she gave me the green light to make the painting.

So, this is Sarai. If you've read Track 5, you know that the story has a double-sided nature to it, part of it taking place in present-day Omaha, the other part taking place in the ancient city of Nineveh in Mesopotamia. The connective thread between the two eras is the wandering archangel Raphael, who in the present story goes by the name Ray Azzarus. By the end of Track 5, we catch a brief glimpse of a young man named Tobiah who Raphael has been looking for in Nineveh, which coincides with his meeting of Toby Jasinski in Omaha.

This idea of counterparts is one of the key narrative hinges in the series, but it's taken time to establish. And so Sara Reynolds, the young woman that Toby has a crush on in Omaha, will have her own counterpart in the past in the person of Sarai, a young woman who bears similarities to Miss Reynolds, but has her own unique demons to fight (literally).

Confused? Yeah, it's a lot to understand. It's given me a lot of challenges as a writer and creator, and there are a lot of question marks still to fill in, one of these being where and how to introduce Sarai to the main narrative. But I at least wanted to give her a visual persona to inhabit, to at least bring her out into the world and give her some kind of existence in people's minds.

And one last thing: Sarai's dress was inspired by a number of artistic sources, most of them from Persia circa the 16th century C.E. This is a bit inaccurate since the Nineveh story takes place around 700 B.C.E., but the fashion fits with what I was trying to accomplish in the painting. At the very least, it's a place to start for the her design in the comic.

Your chance to help Secret Prison in 2011

Secret Prison, a Philadelphia-based free comics tabloid, has 10 more days to raise funds to keep it in print for 2011. It's doing well, but we need a final push to get it through the home stretch. Put it this way, if 25 people pledged $15 for a year's subscription, we'd be done. Or if 19 people put up $20...you get the idea, it's that simple.



So, why should you support Secret Prison? Because issue #4 has a great lineup of artists, who are doing everything possible to make new and original comics that you're not going to see in your local newspaper, or in any mainstream comic. Because it's a completely grassroots effort, no one has our backs on this one. The NEA isn't sending a grant our way, and the big shot museums and galleries are too busy putting up their noses to take notice. Because YOU believe that emerging artists need a venue to not only be published, but to help them find their voice and an audience for their work.

None of the artists putting together Secret Prison need to be doing this. We have bills to pay, jobs to go to, families to raise. But to tell us not to make comics would be like telling us not to breath. It's in our blood and our DNA, and we believe that it's important not only to us but to the cultural life of the city, and comics community as a whole. Sure, the Web is good and all, but there's something to say for that printed matter, being given something where each page offers a new world to explore. Some are funny, some are demented, some are downright weird and obscure. But each is a unique and singular voice worthy of recognition.

If you think that Jersey Shore, Dancing with the Stars, and Battle: LA are the only things that the culture at large has to offer, then all I can do is feel sad for you and your dull, boring world. Because there are artists right in your own backyard making incredible things, and one of those is Secret Prison. So step up, show your support, and help us make this happen!

More Kickstarter Commissions

A couple more commissions from my Kickstarter project. Click on the image for a larger view.

U2

pen and ink on watercolor paper

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

pen and ink on watercolor paper

Batgirl Commission

Barbara Gordon - Batgirl & Oracle

Pen, Ink, and Watercolor on Watercolor Paper

This was a commission I did recently for one of my Kickstarter backers in the UK. His request was for an image that included both incarnations of the Barbara Gordon character, so I developed a montage of sorts.

I feel like I'm gaining a greater command of watercolor, but at the same time, I still feel that it isn't the right painting medium for me. Perhaps gouache? Any suggestions from practitioners out there?

I sent this over a week ago, so hopefully the backer has received it by now. I tend to over-worry stuff like that...

'The Ballad of Toby & Sara: Meetings and Greetings' - now in print!

Earlier this week, I returned home to find 3 boxes of these waiting for me...

The Ballad of Toby & Sara: Meetings and Greetings is the result of the Kickstarter campaign that finished up a month ago. It includes Track 5 of the ongoing series, plus two stories that I'm calling 'B-Sides,' stories which focus on the supporting cast of the story, but which aren't part of the main narrative. The previous four chapters made their debut back in 2008, and for a while I was in doubt that the continuation would see the light of day. But I really and truly persevered this year and made a valiant effort to finish Track 5, and well, here we are today.

And I must tip my hat to the people at Bookmobile in Minneapolis, Minnesota who printed this book. I've used them in the past, but they really and truly outdid themselves this time around. The blacks are rich and crisp, the grey tones look excellent, and there are even some full page bleeds in the book. It's well done and well crafted, and I'm a fiend for that sort of thing.

I'll be sending the books to those who pledged to the Kickstarter campaign over the weekend, and then I'll post the book in my Etsy shop on Monday. Stay tuned.

'The Ballad of Toby & Sara: Track 5' now available online!

As you may have guessed, this is the official announcement for the online release of the next 'Toby & Sara' chapter, which can be read at the following link:

The Ballad of Toby & Sara: Track 5 - Meetings & Greetings

I've started work on a more reader friendly site, but this will take a while to build, so hopefully the pages at my main website will suffice for now. This chapter has been in the works for 2+ years now, and I'll be honest, to have it done and complete is a huge weight off my shoulders. It's a pivotal part of the story, and I think it's a pivotal moment for my own personal and professional development as well.
Now, some of you may be asking, 'How do I get a printed copy?' Well, as of now there is no print version, and I'm not sure when I'll have one available. Cash flow has been tight recently, and I'm not in a position to just plunk a printing charge on my credit card. In the end, I'm going to have to do some old fashioned fundraising. I'd like to attempt a Kickstarter campain, and hopefully SPX will prove fruitful this weekend. As always, you'll be the first to know of new ideas, items, and promotions as they come along.

Random News and Notes

- 'The Ballad of Toby & Sara: Track 5' will make its full debut on my main website by the end of August. Like I said in the previous post, the pages are done, I'm just adding a grey tone to the artwork. As for an actual printed book, this may have to wait due to a certain lack of funds to do an adequate print run. I am, however, contemplating a Kickstarter drive. I'll keep you posted if this develops into anything.

- I'll be attending two more conventions this year. The first one comes up next Sunday, August 8, at PACC (the Philadelphia Alternative Comic-Con). Then, in September I'll be exhibiting at SPX in Bethesda, Maryland the weekend of September 11-12. If you're in the area for either of these, please stop by.

- I have a comic in the upcoming issue of Secret Prison, a free comic tabloid distributed around Philly. The comic met its Kickstarter goal, and is set to debut at PACC. If you're not in the area and would like a copy, email me and I'll find a way to get you one.

-I've never been to Comic-Con International in San Diego, CA, but I found Tom Spurgeon's overview of the most recent one over at The Comics Reporter insightful and observant, as always.

-If you're having trouble understanding Inception, this timeline infographic over at Deviant Art by dehahs might help you.

Secret Prison #2! Kickstarter! Help us out!!!

I’ll have a comic in the second issue of Secret Prison, a free comic tabloid based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. But right now we’re raising funds to print it, and we’re asking for your help! Check out our Kickstarter page, and come away with some awesome swag. But hurry, there’s only 10 days left!!!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1043760737/secret-prison-2