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...

Sketchbook Project 2011 Preview

I'm posting a few select images from my contribution to the Sketchbook Project put on by Art House Co-op in Brooklyn, New York. At least, I hope it will be part of it...the deadline is coming up fast, and there's still a lot I want to do with it. I was a bit ambitious when planning this one out.

So, how does this whole thing work? Basically, you sign up for a sketchbook, Art House sends it to you, you fill it up, you send it back, and then it goes on tour across the country. Basically, it's a chance for people to see your work up close and personal, and to get a bit of insight into your creative process.

This time around, Art House also created themes for the artists to work from. I decided on 'Dirigibles and Submersibles,' and so developed a story and characters around this. The book is set up as a series of dossiers done by an investigative agency during the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt. The people in question possess a device that can create an unlimited source of energy. Some are seen as friendly to the interests of the U.S., others are seen as threats, while a few have hidden motives. Essentially, this was my attempt at an adventure/steampunk concept. A bit different for me, but a good challenge nonetheless.

Below are a few images that are complete at this point. Text will go along with these, but that's not quite done yet. I'll keep posting as it all reaches completion.

'Meetings & Greetings' now available through Etsy

The Ballad of Toby & Sara: Meetings & Greetings is now available for purchase in my Etsy store. $10 + shipping and handling. The store will only be open for a few more days before the Christmas holiday, so make sure to pick it up soon!

'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.

No love for Bear & Octopus

click to enlarge

This was my recent submission for the City Paper's Comics Issue here in Philadelphia, but sadly, it didn't make the cut for the issue. I have some serious questions about their selection process, but in reality, I'm just another obscure dude making comics, so I doubt the editors are losing sleep about my opinions.

There's a political tone to this comic, though I think it's more about political rhetoric than it is about party/partisan politics. I think one success was the dynamic between Bear and Octopus. In their previous adventure, they had the same personality essentially, and acted in unison when needed. Here, Octopus is developing more of a surly attitude, which clashes with Bear's naive, blindly optimistic attitude.

I have one more comic in mind for these two, but after that I may shelve these two for a bit. Their fun to work with, but I don't think they're ready for public consumption.

Sherlock

A simple character sketch of the new Sherlock Holmes, from the BBC's recent Sherlock series.

Before the Holiday Storm

Cluttered Desk, Cluttered Mind

Evidence Control

Penny for your Records?

A Bear and Octopus Rejection

So, it's Election Day, and I'm kind of in a crappy mood, so it's probably not the best time to post and write about a rejected comic. I submitted the above comic for the next issue of Secret Prison.

In all honesty, though, I don't think the rejection was a bad thing. I was never really into this comic, and I think it kind of shows. It features characters that I've never worked with before, and I have no f@*king idea what to do with them. And really, the last thing I need right now is another set of characters to occupy my time.

I was going to use Bear and Octopus in a comic submission for the City Paper here in Philly, but the more I work on that comic, the more I hate it and the complete premise of the two characters. If I don't feel it in my gut, there's probably a reason why.

The deadline is November 15, and I have no other ideas for it, so I'm probably just going to skip it. Yeah, sure, it would probably be good to 'network' and get 'exposure.' But I highly doubt a crappy, ill-conceived comic in an alternative newsweekly is going to blow the lid off of what little career I have.

Man, I'm in a mood.

Bounty Hunters in Love

Bounty Hunters in Love
pen and ink on Bristol, digital coloring

This is quite possibly the geekiest thing I have ever done. And as far as I know it hasn't been done before, which surprises me. Then again, it could just be hiding from me somewhere on the interwebs.

But the next question is...what do I do with it? T-shirts? Wedding invitations? If you have an idea, drop a line if you like. I love this, but at the same time, I have no idea what a practical application would be.

Now with Color (plus a new Myth Drawing)

Added some watercolor to some previous Monster/Myth drawings. Still just experimenting at this stage, but but I'm fairly pleased with how things are going.

Perseus & the Medusa
Watercolor, Pen & Ink on Watercolor Paper

Dracula
Watercolor, Pen & Ink on Watercolor Paper

And a new Myth drawing (can't really call it a Monster drawing).

Orpheus & Eurydice
Pen & Ink on Watercolor Paper

All of these will be for sale at the MCAD Art Sale in mid-November, so if you're in the Minneapolis area and are looking to purchase some art, keep an eye out for them during the sale.

Kickstarter pledge drive for 'The Ballad of Toby & Sara'

For those of you that have been following the progress of the next chapter of The Ballad of Toby & Sara, I just wanted to let you know that I started a Kickstarter pledge drive to raise funds for a print run of the new book. This is a great chance to pre-order the book, as well as get some other great books, prints, merch, and even some original art. Take a look at the page, and please place a pledge, every little bit counts! Thanks, we love you.

The Ballad of Toby & Sara Kickstarter Page

Some Alien Drawings

A couple alien drawings, before I add some color...

Galactic Drifters: Norbel, Irbit, and RX-155
pen and ink on watercolor paper, 9" x 12"



The Thinking Droid
pen and ink drawing on watercolor paper, 12" x 9"

More Monster Drawings

Some more monster drawings, before I add some color...

Dracula
pen and ink on watercolor paper, 9" x 12"

Perseus & the Medusa

pen and ink on watercolor paper, 9" x 12"

Theseus & the Minoatur

Theseus & the Minotaur
Pen & Ink on Watercolor Paper, 8.5 x 11

This will be my contribution to The Monsters Project, a benefit sponsored by the Comics Alliance for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. The piece will be available to bid on at APE, and on eBay through October. Once I have more details, I'll pass them along.

SPX 2010 Thoughts

It's been a couple days since my return from SPX, and fortunately for all of us, my initial positive impressions of the show still seem to hold true. This is a rare thing, my friends. Most of the time, when I have time to ruminate on something like this, I find aspects that are disagreeable, but that hasn't happened this time around.

What is there to say? Friends were made, books were traded (some of them were even sold!), promo postcards were passed out, food was eaten, beer was drank, bricks were given away as awards. Usually at conventions I'm fretting about sales, but at SPX I decided to have fun. I think once I let myself off the hook in terms of profits, I was able to make the most of what the convention had to offer. Sound business sense? Probably not. But do I feel a stronger connection to the comics community at large? A resounding yes.

And for those of you that are fans of The Best Show on WFMU, SPX was crawling with FOTs (that's short for 'Friends of Tom'). If Tom Scharpling himself paid a visit, I'm sure he could have walked out of there with a stack of comics without even opening his wallet.