Sheep's Pond

Hopefully this works?

2011-07-30T18:25:00.000-07:00

2010-08-12T10:22:00.001-07:00

Seriously though. If you haven't checked it out yet, CHECK IT OUT

Tell your friends. Post it somewhere.

Spread the good news!

2010-07-10T15:08:00.000-07:00

It's finally here folks! Updated every monday, so be sure to tune in.

This may be the very last post of this blog, but perhaps not.

I don't see why I'd continue it though.

Many graphic novelists start out with small projects like the one

I'm doing now. My hope is to gain some notoriety through my comics,

so please, spread the word! Spread the LOVE.

http://www.justinhubbell.com/

Yeah!

Foom!

2010-06-17T08:21:00.001-07:00

Make no mistake. This is not the last time you see these characters. It may, however, be one of the last posts on my blog. I can't say I know how long this website will take, but all the work I'm doing now is gearing up for the launch.

If I post more on this blog it will likely be work from college.

Yup.

Justin Hubbell.

Sounds like a good sandwich to me.

2010-06-16T15:21:00.000-07:00

Justin Hubbell

Falcon!

2010-06-15T10:17:00.000-07:00

Justin Hubbell

Did I say every day?

2010-06-10T12:33:00.001-07:00

Because what I meant was, every day that I remember to update.
Sorry bout that.

When I have a website things will be different.

Justin Hubbell

Yup!

2010-06-07T15:04:00.000-07:00

Could have sworn I updated yesterday...

2010-06-05T08:33:00.000-07:00

Sorry about that!
In other news, the revision of Suicide has begun!
Justin Hubbell!

Comic

2010-06-03T19:21:00.000-07:00

Comic!

2010-06-02T08:47:00.000-07:00

One a day, folks!
...for a week.

Enjoy!

This was the first practice four panel comic I did in
my final semester in college. It's low-brow.

Justin Hubbell.

UPDATE + Interior!

2010-06-01T08:55:00.000-07:00

Ladies and gentleman, I am displeased with myself for not keeping this blog updated more often, however, I do have exciting news!

I am in fact working on a website, a place of my very own. With luck it will be launched before the summer is over! It will have web comics and updates and art and all sorts of stuff, and you shall visit it every day and not once be disappointed!

So please stay tuned, bear with me.
Until then I will catch yall up on some stuff I done did earlier.

Have an interior (it was drawn on the smallest paper yet!)

Justin Hubbell

A selection of monotypes.

2010-05-14T10:40:00.000-07:00

To be specific these are trace monotypes with watercolor and pen.
I made this unique edition for a portfolio exchange in New Paltz.
I'm a Godzilla fan, what can I say?
These are some of the least offensive prints from the series,
which I wanted to be super kitschy.

Oh yeah and that Godzilla is definitely playing keep-away with Lady Gaga's disco stick.

Oh and, umm...Justin Hubbell.

Four panel comics!

2010-05-06T18:00:00.000-07:00

More to come. Eventually.
I feel another interior coming on...

Justin Hubbell

Okay so maybe a longer pause than usual...

2010-04-29T08:43:00.000-07:00

The computer problem I had earlier was more or less rectified within a few days of the issue.
Long story short, I had to buy a completely new machine. Lucky for me all of my old data
was successfully transferred, so it's almost as though nothing ever happened.

The reason why I have not updated this blog in so long is because my BFA thesis show is coming up soon. Actually, it's tomorrow. Needless to say I've been very busy planning, arranging, managing...anything you can think of I've probably done it or given it thought.

There will be pictures of this show posted soon, so stay tuned!

My last semester is finally dwindling down to the point where I can see the end of the line.
I got my cap and gown, I took my last quiz, and I'm rather low on cash.
Then again, that's what summer jobs are for right?

Only this won't be a summer job, it'll be a bonafide full timer.
With luck I'll get on my feet en0ugh to create a website within a year or two.
If that doesn't end up happening then you can rest assured that I am working
on Suicide, my first graphic novel. In the very least I'll have updates on that.

My apologies for not updating sooner. It's been chaotic.
Sooner than later I'll dump a bunch of comics here.

I've been doing work for my school newspaper, but I found that I had to practice
limiting my comics to four frames. It's quite a challenge to make an engaging comic with that format. I found that I either ended up with one-liner punch lines or nonsequitor gags.
This of course is okay, because that roughly describes the comedic flow of practically every four panel comic ever made. The problem is making them actually funny.

It took a lot of comics until I made one I liked...and it turned out I didn't like that one too much either after a while. Like I said, I'll eventually post these comics (good and bad) on here.

Time for class!

...

Justin Hubbell

A brief pause.

2010-04-12T14:13:00.000-07:00

I've been updating relatively frequently, I've noticed. I expect within a year to have my own website. This blogspot will become obsolete. But for now it's doing its duty quite well.

That said the lull in updates is sadly going to continue. Though I have recently been churning out a fun bunch of four panel comics, my computer (just today!) up and broke on me.

I can of course use the school's computer labs for scanning and photoshop, but there is some kind of block against uploading media. I'm sure this is to protect the school's reputation against nefarious amateur porn directors. Something like that.

I've never been able to upload comics from a school computer.

I'll keep you posted.

Good vibes in regards to the computer are always welcome.

So sayeth Justin Hubbell

So...

2010-04-06T18:56:00.000-07:00

I was thinking about time travel, and I thought (much like my father) how neat it would be to travel back and vacation in prehistoric ground. My dad chose the Cretaceous, but I'm all about the Paleozoic Era.

Then it occurred to me that I'd be sharing my space with some of the largest arthropods that ever lived. Considering I practically have a stroke every time I'm within ten yards of a fiddler crab, something tells me I wouldn't be able to handle the local wildlife.

I have a special love for Eurypterids, but I'm pretty sure this comic perfectly illustrates my reaction to actually seeing one.

Justin Hubbell.

INTERIORS FOR SALE

2010-03-27T06:33:00.001-07:00

Here's how it goes. You mail me a check, I mail you an interior!
Yes! An interior of your choice, custom made and lovingly flourished!

Wash + Dryer included! Heat and Electric included! Wireless internet! My signature!

To order your interior email me at: hubbel99@newpaltz.edu

An interior is something that can bring happiness to your life. Take the reaction
of this fine fellow as proof!

Contrary to what may seem like photographic evidence, neither of us were drunk in these scenes. What you are seeing is pure INTERIOR ELATION™

Backgrounds and bios

2010-03-25T12:42:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to give my blog a little makeover, so I looked into getting custom backgrounds. I have since discovered that there are oodles of free backgrounds to be had online specifically designed for blogs. I have also learned that most of them are for girls.

I wanted something sleek and dark, but all I found were these amazingly intricate patterns, all of them bright with floral fruity motifs. Pink Victorian wallpaper with stitched trim and strawberry stickers...cute happy go luck ghosts swirling over multicolored tracing lines...

It was all so damned sappy. But in looking into all this I realized that the coding used is actually quite simple. And so I shall endeavor to create my own background. We'll see how that goes. But I was also able to edit out some things that annoyed me. The top dashboard is, for example, no longer that awful blue strip that screams "THIS IS BLOGSPOT."

I digress.

While taking Senior Art Seminar with Venetia Dale, one of the exercises was to write an artist bio, which I have just now supplemented over the "about me" section. I wrote one, and three other comic ones. Here they are:

Justin Hubbell is most well known as the premiere graphic novelist of his time. After his work on Suicide, Manhood, and Race, he left America with his wife to pursue independent work in the Bahia, Brazil. Justin Hubbell is a native of Rochester and thinks that the city "is not so bad."

Justin Hubbell has attended school for the past seventeen years. Though he is known for his work with comics, the artist states that "I really haven't lived much yet," and is looking forward to life outside of college. He aims to publish his graphic novels.

Justin Hubbell was born on cold December afternoon. His mother has remarked that he didn't put up much of a fight. This makes sense considering that Justin Hubbell has a hard time bench pressing anything over 30 lbs.

Justin Hubbell is known for his mastery of the Unreal Tournament gladitorial circuit. Now retired, he currently spends time training disenfranchised youth how to properly operate forklifts. He may in fact, be a moth.

An interior from the heart!

2010-03-23T18:38:00.000-07:00

For my beloved Alex.

•••

Interesting discovery. I wrote a post on how I was invisible on Google. No more! I looked up Justin Hubbell, and found myself at the top of the list...complaining about how I was invisible on Google.

I suppose it would be a good practice to somehow insert my full name into each post.
How does one do that with panache?

I have no Justin Hubbell clue...

Ah the politics of pens...

2010-03-21T09:36:00.000-07:00

Since winter break I have fallen desperately in love with my fountain pen.

I would like to get some new nibs but I shall always remain faithful to the original.

The problem with fountain pens, however, is the line quality you get when scanning them. This was most evident to me in the latest comic.

If you look (and you don't even have to look carefully), the line edge has this sort of fuzziness to it. This is because nib of the fountain pen presses into the paper instead of rolling on top of it. The edges left on the embossing get picked up by scanners, and as a result the line quality is not quite as crisp as when I was just using Microns.

Just look at the comparison.

Fountain Pen Scan

Micron Pen Scan

Oh well? What's a guy to do?

Reading over some of my favorite graphic novelists I'm always shocked at the lack of detail in the drawings. Comforted too.

More tales from The Great War

2010-03-21T09:23:00.000-07:00

I'm a little worried that people will associate this villainous character with Lucius Malfoy.

Of course I only realized the similarity until after I finished doing the comic. That's life.

I had a dream once of making a book out of The Great War, but it seems to me now an impossibility. I say this because in spite of the various comics I've done...there really is no story. I've come to realize that the series is more a practice in dialog than anything else. Good writing is hard, but it good storytelling is perhaps even harder.

As always, The Great War offers a little slice of the big picture...

•••

I had a lovely time with Alex in Alfred!

The Great War

2010-03-11T15:48:00.000-08:00

TOLD you I'd do a comic soon.
Things have been great recently.
My work for my thesis has been approved by all fronts.

Now all that's left to do is work out the finishing touches.
Postcards.
Labels.
And of course, additional prints.

My girlfriend Alex has spent her spring break with me in New Paltz, and soon I will be spending mine with her in Alfred. We've had a merry time of things. She says "hi."

Soon an INTERIOR ETCHING PRINT will be available to the public. That means, you can buy one if you like! Yes! You can buy a print from me! Signed and everything!
Woo!

I'm getting into The Great War again. I've come to realize that at the heart of it, The Great War series represents my view of America, more or less. At least politically.

Exciting news, I've developed a new character for the series. Death. You'll see it soon.
Well, in a week or so. That's soon, geographically speaking. That's like a minute.
5 minutes.

Augh!

2010-03-03T18:23:00.000-08:00

It's gotten to the point where I'm drawing interiors simply to pass the time.
I have done other work, but looking at this blog it seems like interiors are the only thing I draw.

I think that will change soon. I want to start doing comics for my school newspaper.
I'll start tomorrow!

Graphic novels are novels. Comic strips are poems.
It's hard work, comic strips, it's hard to write a poem.

In both cases you have to limit yourself to the constraints
of purity. You must pick and choose only what works.
Elaboration becomes a luxury and a risk all at once.

I could never do comic strips professionally.
People like Charles Schultz and Gary Larson. No idea how they did it.

•••

The rug on the second floor of this interior is a little distracting. I went a touch too far with it.

BFA Show Dates! Yes!

2010-02-22T13:16:00.000-08:00

Well folks, the time has come for me to talk once again of my BFA thesis show, which will officially premiere April 30th. A friday.

My junior year in college I wondered if I had lost my drive. If my sense of discipline had been vanquished by my swelling senioritis...

Now I know that not to be true. I work so hard these days that Mondays utterly astonish me. Because if it were Monday...then that would mean I must have, at some point, experienced some kind of weekend. Right?

Right. No. There are no weekends anymore. There hasn't been any since September of last semester, when I began working on my thesis.

For the longest time I wasn't sure if any of it was going to be rewarding, but upon finding the perfect dresser for my installation, I must admit that each new print feels like a major triumph. Even my shittiest work would look relevant in these drawers. I will probably include at least one print from freshman year, just to go full circle.

Eventually I'll update this post with the image I'll use on my postcard. I plan on having that done soon.

Sooner than later.

You betcha.

Now all that is left is elbow grease and paperwork. No more time for worrying.

It's go time.

Ok one more.

2010-02-19T18:52:00.000-08:00

Two new things! A person! And a ROOM within an interior! Can it be? Gadzooks!
I really wished I showed up when you look for "Justin Hubbell" under google.
What is up with that?

A long time ago I got this pop up saying "WANT TO BECOME MORE VISIBLE? GET A GOOGLE PROFILE?"

And basically it was this thing where I would submit a picture and an address and all that jazz. I wasn't too comfortable with that idea so I tried to undo the process. I managed it, but doing so erased me completely from the search.

So now I have to recommend people search "sheeps pond" which is frankly embarrassing because the real name in Cape Cod is "Sheep Pond."

I always called it "Sheep's Pond" as a kid because I didn't know better. And while I could argue that that was what I was going for when I chose my blog name? it would still be kind of dumb of me. Which it was.

Oh well.
Oh well.

New ideas coming soon.

2010-02-13T18:16:00.001-08:00

I like drawing interiors a lot. But I think it's time either to apply my love of them to my comics, or move on to some new practice.

I have fantasies of large paper. Making giant interiors.
Wouldn't THAT be fun.
Yes it would.

A mansion! Ooh la la.
But until then, I think it's time for something new to sink my teeth into.

I just LOVE fountain pens!

This interior obviously is kept by an inventor who does not mind clutter in the least.

...I really like toast, and toasters. It's hard not to draw them in everything I do.

Sinister Interior

2010-02-11T15:52:00.000-08:00

Everyone has an attic, of some kind, where they torture themselves, or others.
I'm speaking metaphorically.

The drawing is literal. Not a good person, living here.

Has he gone mad??

2010-02-08T17:54:00.000-08:00

In all seriousness...I can't seem to stop drawing what I am now constantly calling "interiors" (despite the face that I believe them to be more complex than that).

One woman remarked that I could probably sell these.
What do you think? Maybe?

Anyhow I've finally reconciled the background problem I was having.
I really enjoyed the interiors I made over break but I have to say the background distract me a little. It isn't a problem with everyone, in fact most enjoy the background. But I am a man of simplicity (false?) and I love how the latest one came out.

I did it on a pretty small piece of paper.
It took an hour and a half...roughly?

The photography is mine and I can't wait to use other mundane textures as backgrounds!
I also can't wait to incorporate my newfound fondness of interiors with my comics.
Haven't really had the time just yet...

I'm so busy with my last semester. But I run a tight ship!

Interiors!

2010-01-22T13:17:00.000-08:00

Ok so, it all started with this drawing.

Alex and I were drawing together trying to think up worlds together when I just became fascinated with the room I was in. I wanted to capture the details. What I'm coming to love about fountain pens is the very fact that I'm limited to a certain line (as I only have one nib). This inability to get the detail I'd normally like forced me to loosen up, and with that I was able to tackle things I would otherwise ignore out of laziness. So I drew the whole room, with her in it. But I wasn't quite satisfied.

If I were to look at this practically I'd call it a practice in backgrounds. Part of the inspiration for this new fascination comes from the people at Amanita Design, particularly from their AMAZING GAME "Machinarium."

I've never played a game where I immediately said "this is one of the best games I've ever played." I've been jaded for a while about games, but thank God for the Czechs! Once again, I can call computer games an art form and not look shabby for doing it.

Anyway, yes. Interiors. I really like drawing them right now. Now all I need is a bigger piece of paper...ooh baby!

Here are some details...

Fountain Pen!

2010-01-03T16:03:00.000-08:00

I tried out a fountain pen for the first time today.

Due to my inexperience, I honestly don't know how good the pen is,

but I wouldn't mind more nibs.

Frankly, I think I might still prefer brush pens.

But it was fun. More experiments in the future?

Unsure.

Prayl PART 2

2009-12-30T12:11:00.000-08:00

I think I may have said this in the previous post, but to be frank I never feel a need to include too much detail when I'm drawing fantasy. Because, well, it's fantasy. All the details have already been worked out, and if it's "original" it's usually just some alteration.

I'm fine with clichés, because at the end of the day, fantasy is just for fun.
Sort of like kitsch, pretty much.

So yah.

"Prayl" part One

2009-12-24T21:07:00.000-08:00

First off, Happy Christmas!

I should be in bed, but I'm not.

I'm going to do this post. Used to be Christmas Eve, but now it's Christmas, officially!

Let me get straight to business.

I had planned on spending my holiday fleshing out the story of a super hero comic I've been cooking up. And then I remembered that, I had planned on trying out my fountain pen for the first time and using my time at home to master it.

Funny thing about college.

Funny thing about vacations.

Funny thing about winter...

Neither category offer good motivation to get off your butt when you don't have to. So even though I had these plans, I decided instead to go with the flow. And that flow, surprisingly, lead me to be deeply immersed in Myth. Amazing game. A-mazing. But that's Bungie for you.

I had been thinking about general fantasy in the week previous, but playing this truly wonderful game really pushed me to develop my thoughts. That, and drawing with my beloved Alex.

My relationship with fantasy is tenuous. Growing up I fell in love with it through my father, books, movies. Before I was ten I had just a vague understanding of fantasy. I knew there were soldiers and beasts and that was about it. When I was in the 4th grade I made my first friends, and played my first fantasy computer games. There was no turning back.

I "learned" about elves, dwarves, orcs. All the rules. And yet, despite everything my friends and I remained a world apart from what you might consider "true fantasy fanatics." We all owned macs, our access to high end fantasy RPGs was cut off. No consoles either.

In the passing years none of us ever played a game of Dungeons and Dragons. I never played Magic. I never read Lord of the Rings, or any fantasy novel of any kind for that matter. I remained "touched" by my computer games, but still pure. I love the idea of Dungeons and Dragons, but it was soon made clear to me that some people take the game too far. Our new friends in high school found our understandings of fantasy to be mere child's-play at best, and insulting otherwise.

What can I say? I never heard of a beholder!

I digress. It was very political.

As I developed into a teenager I fast discovered that talking about goblins in public was risky business. With so many people frowning on my interest, I became discouraged about the whole concept of fantasy. Even in college, many of my peers refused to take fantasy seriously. You couldn't get them to read a single sentence with the word "Conan" in it.

I was humbled, if not silenced.

But then my father published his first fantasy novel, and then his next, and his next, and his next until I could boast that my dad was an accomplished fantasy novelist.

I gained confidence, seeing that you could still make money off of good fantasy.

I don't plan on fleshing out an epic. Fantasy for me, is creating worlds. And even though I may be populating it with clichés and stolen ideas, it's still better than not creating worlds.

In fact it's damned fun. Expect more, increasingly nerdier posts.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

Comics!

2009-12-08T22:18:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody, here are some comics from my sketchbook that I spruced up.
Enjoy! Both were inspired by frustration.

I feel I should add that these two comics are unrelated.

Color experiment.

2009-12-07T05:27:00.001-08:00

This was a present for a good friend of mine.
There is nothing more satisfying for me, sometimes, than surprising someone with art.

But yes, this was a color study to be sure.

Sketchbook Project Part ONE

2009-11-12T15:46:00.000-08:00

So, as part of my Senior Art Seminar Project our class had to apply for some kind of exhibit that would showcase our work. I had heard of the sketchbook project and decided to give it a whirl. The idea is that they send you a sketchbook, you fill it up, and then send it back to be a part of a library of sketchbooks.

Waiting for my book to arrive, I thought of the project as an opportunity to flex my comic muscle, and impress people. I have to admit that I was some what disappointed when the book did arrive. It was smaller than I thought, but worse than that there was a theme to it.

"My life inside a yellow submarine."

If the theme had been something more thoughtful like "anger" or "time" or really anything more broad I probably wouldn't have reacted as I did. But being totally uninterested in yellow submarines, I confess that it had an affect on my work. The project was now more of an assignment than an interesting opportunity.

All this is of course possible due to my BRAND SPANKING NEW SCANNER.
I have named her "Ceres" after the artificial intelligence in Obsidian that makes dreams a reality.

I think a lot of the work in that sketchbook is junk, I'm not even sure if I want to submit it anymore. But I've always been hyper-critical of my work. Without further adieu, here is the comic:

Sketchbook Project PART TWO

2009-11-12T15:43:00.000-08:00

I might have done some editing and spruced up the comic a bit. But I really don't like it.
It's hard not to view the whole experience as a waste of time, because the fact remains that I WAS a practice in drawing backgrounds and working in smaller format.

So yeah. Let's just call this a practice.
A study!

The Sketch Book Project PART THREE

2009-11-12T15:31:00.000-08:00

I didn't bother to scan any of the other pictures that I allude to in this comic.
This is more to tease your sense of mystery than a reflection of my laziness.

Speaking of reflections, the quality of the scans also reflects my contempt for the comic.
Yup.

Some prints!

2009-10-22T12:57:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!

Though I am unable to attend your comic needs, I can give you a slice of pie.

My thesis show is going to be in May, and I've been working on it since I got here.

The idea revolves around the self portrait, only instead of one I plan on printing

one hundred unique etchings. Each one is framed.

Ultimately I want a mass of pictures that gives an overall impression of my life story (thus far).

Each print doesn't reveal too much, but together I hope they will act like a school of fish.

Here are three of them!

Updating...

2009-10-19T19:03:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

Unfortunately I do not have anything to show just yet for this blog, but know that I AM in fact, working on a comic.

I was informed recently that the best way to really broadcast a blog is simply updating it on a regular basis. All the professionals do. It is with a heavy heart that I then came to the realization that you followers are simply going to have to be patient until I graduate college.

With my thesis, classes, and me just trying to take advantage of my last year; I have to prioritize the now.

So, needless to say...updates will be infrequent.

But again, I DO have a comic in the works!
So there's that!

Thank you to all who check up on my site.
You will be rewarded in time!

And please, don't hesitate to comment, even if it's an older post!

Suicde in Salad? Yum.

2009-10-04T09:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the opening of SALAD, an art show featuring the work of New Paltz students and more. Myself and my good friend Elizabeth Cooper both had work on display in The Shirt Factory, a hip gallery in Kingston.

Our stuff will be up in there until October 23rd, so if you're in the area, check us out!
Pretty sure it's free to get in. Pretty sure.

The cool think about The Shirt Factory was that just around the corner were a bunch of other art shows. The blurred, candid is of Alex (yes, the Alex) and Tiffany admiring the latest works of Arnold Levine.

We had a good conversation with him, talking with artists is so much more rewarding outside of a lecture hall.

Alex and I always have fun going to galleries and pretending to buy art for our apartment/house. We also like "buying" art for others.

"You want that one? Tell you what, happy birthday."

I'd like to do some more comics soon but work is happening. Happening all over the place.
I pray for patience!

Self reflection, and a CHARLES DUMP

2009-09-17T13:26:00.002-07:00

2009-09-17T13:26:00.001-07:00

Sketch book portraits.

2009-09-17T13:20:00.000-07:00

These are some portraits I had in my sketchbook that I thought I'd gussy up.
The first one of Charles, is about four or five months old.

You'll notice that the alien is in fact, a ballet teacher.

And as for the pirates, well. If you ever find me riding along side your bike with mine, it means I'm pretending to blast you out of the water.
True story.

CHARLES

2009-09-17T13:16:00.000-07:00

In the beginning of summer I started using a moleskin sketchbook instead of my usual leather bound 8.5 x 11 sketchbooks. The reason for this was because I'm going to have to get used to smaller formats, so I figured it'd be good practice to jump ship. I had, at this point, developed an even larger ego, so when the first few pages didn't turn out well, I just ripped them out. After several frustrating pages, torn asunder, I drew this first comic. Little did I know the consequences of this plucky little demon. I liked the look of him very much, and drew a portrait of him, but that was all for the next couple months. In college, I found myself drawn to him again, and I began making comics that explored his personality more. What I discovered was a lewd, brutal, cynical, malevolent little shit, that I soon realized was the incarnation of my id. Like seriously, this is it. He is called Charles. I grappled with making him a thoughtful, complex character, but the more I tried the more he rebelled. I found that he'd always end up screaming in comics, simply for the sake of destroying the clarity. He lives for controversy. I even went as far as introducing him to one of my other favorite characters, the Shakespearean jester from "The Great War" series. But he ended up killing him with an ax. I was so upset that I couldn't finish the comic. The more blunt, offensive, and nasty I draw him; the more true to his character the comics are. I didn't intend some of these images, I just found him this way. After this post I'll dump the rest on you.

Full Captain Lester Comic

2009-08-17T19:03:00.001-07:00

Just for the sake of not having to scroll down for future inspectors of this site.
In the future all comics in a series will be displayed like this.

A Guilt Ridden Post

2009-08-16T13:48:00.000-07:00

This post marks the near close for the last summer I'll spend doing whatever I like. Living at home, jobless, these things will change come next May; and I look forward to it with great excitement and anxiety.

But enough of that, I have to apologize for not making any new posts. I had actually planned on keeping up with the comics while I was in the Cape, but paradise has a wonderful way of eliminating your sense of ambition.

When we got back home my next week was spent with my brother who visited us from Seattle. And then of course after that with only three or so weeks left, I scrambled to spend as much time with people (Alex) as possible. I'm trying to make the most of what will soon be my last week here, but today is a packing day. All the hardware, supplies and nick knacks have been organized and sealed. Now all I have to do is mop up the little things.

Browsing through my computer transfers I came across some of my prints from last semester in New Paltz. So here they are. The first is a collaboration with the lovely Miss Clara.

Unfortunately once I get back into the swing of college, I likely won't be able to take making comics seriously for a while. A long while.

We'll see what happens, but I plan on updating this blog as frequently as I did over the summer.

Cheers!

Portrait Exchange!

2009-07-14T08:11:00.000-07:00

Lisa Perrin of Lisa Perrin has drawn a portrait of me! Ok I admit I just wanted her to draw someone of me, so I tugged and whinnied my way into convincing her it was a super cool art thing to do portrait exchanges.

Lisa Perrin is a fellow representational artist that is working hard at making a name for herself in the paper doll field. Doing a right job of it too, she's been in magazines and interviews. Making that paper!

If you want to see my version, you'll have to check out her site.

I actually really love how she handled me. I can tell that it's based on some serious conversations we've had together. In a way this is a much more telling portrait than the one I did a couple weeks ago.

It makes me question my own rendition, a little, but I genuinely believe mine is a side of Lisa that very few people see.

A dubious honor.

2009-07-14T00:10:00.000-07:00

Nearly four years after it was taken, this photo can now be seen on page one of the google image results when you look up the word "larp."

LARP stands for Live Action Roleplay. If you want details feel free to check out my video on the subject.

The point is that my friends and I find ourselves in a rather ironic situation, where the popularity of the photo is slowly snowballing for entirely the wrong reasons. Like any eccentric icon, many folk look upon this image as the face of LARPing. It reminds me of how some people feel that Chris Crocker is the archetypal gay male. He really isn't. We really aren't.

The irony comes in by the fact that we weren't actually LARPing, but rather making a satire of the act. My friends and I are a bizarre lot. You might even call us "counter counter culture." When we set out that day, the idea was not to mock LARPers so much as to have fun at making fools of ourselves while pretending to LARP. I realize how that sounds, take it or leave it.

It's sort of like how hipsters wear ugly shirts. The idea is that their coolness defeats the lameness of what they are wearing. Only with us we had no pretense to assume that. We knew what we looked like, and were damn proud of it.

It's a shame though (I guess) because now people look at this photo and think that everyone who LARPs is as crazy as we are. Which, I'll add, is either not the case...or very much so.

So it is with nervous smiles that we come closer and closer to becoming internet oddities.

Funny how life works out sometimes.

We actually did it again and took photos but Blane was too embarrassed to put them up. Lots of speedos.

Details details...

2009-07-06T20:30:00.000-07:00

There is more than a large part of me that has been completely obsessed with my "success" through this blog, and by and large that part has been disappointed with the number of followers I get. It's funny, every professor you'll talk to in college with recollect the days when outside of school they learned (quickly) that they wouldn't see any immediate prosperity.

And I looked at them, braced myself for it, and disagreed.

There's been another part of me that has been wanting to churn out comics every day in preparation for when I re-draw my graphic novel. I realize though that this kind of detachment isn't very rewarding for those who are actually interested enough to check up often.

The biggest let down of one of my favorite cartoonists was not that he stopped doing work, but that he never took the time to explain why, or what else he'd be doing.

And so, I shall try to make this more of a comic blog than simply...comics comics comics!

•••

My biggest compliments and criticisms have always been linked to my sense of detail. The common "don't draw types" are amazed with it, the common "drawing is so 1970s" types could give a damn, and everyone in between wants more than my laziness is willing to produce.

I love detail, there's nothing I like more than being immersed in something that's well realized, visually. At the same time I have a fancy for flat, semi-abstract, cartoon-like minimalism. That's what happens when you grow up liking...

Myst and The NES

Bill Waterson and Edward Gorey

Will Vinton and Matt Groening

Jan Svankmajer and George Dunning

B. Kliban and Robert Crumb

etc etc etc...

It's funny because all these listed influences were capable (in contrast to their popular work) with extraordinary detail and surprising simplicity.

So I've always been involved in what you might call "representational art" but I've never been tied down by a "reality" of representation. I find that when I enter spaces I've created, there are levels of detail that become necessary, and many that become unnecessary.

Despite this, many people scream for as much detail as they can lick up. Looking at the contemporary comic market, just looking at the backgrounds, there's so much detail that I find it hard to focus on the characters.

But that's just me, and there are tons of people that love that.

My girlfriend and I both gripe about art critiques and how people complain that our work looks "flat" when we've both spent hours making sure that it does. You can't convince people that flatness is a style. Not us, anyway.

You can't please everyone.

Since this entry is more blog than comic (as opposed to a desired(?) balance) I'll include a strip that I didn't dare finish.

What?

2009-06-30T17:47:00.000-07:00

NO MORE INK

2009-06-30T15:31:00.000-07:00

A while back I realized it was probably more handy to include an entire series (or as much as I can) into one post instead of posting them two or more segments at a time. Does this make sense? Let me know, because I'd be posting more often the other way around.

But sadly, as much as I'd like to continue my current comic, I'm going to have to buy some more pens. I may do some experiments with fountain pens before that.
We'll see what happens.

Rest assured this comic will be concluded!

Oh hey! Notice the shadows? Makes it pop right? Right!

Self portrait.

2009-06-22T20:55:00.000-07:00

La la poo poo ka ka.

Behold!

2009-06-21T20:03:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post this as one big comic that you could simply use the scroll button to read. It seems the file was simply too big. Oh well.

I'll bet Julia Child made some big ones.

This enough color for you, Perrin?

2009-06-20T08:44:00.000-07:00

I keep catching spelling mistakes and they make me look stupid. Yes they do!

Macintosh Gamers

2009-06-16T21:01:00.001-07:00

This comic is not only self explanatory, it's anti-climatic! What fun!

How filmic!

Wooden Allen can bake a cake. An ugly cake.

I'm tempted to move onto a fictional comic, but I'm afraid it will lapse into an epic story that is too great to tell over a summer. It will take self control, to be sure.

•••

Hey and be sure to check out my video for my top mac games!

Robbed! A very unrelated post.

2009-06-13T14:18:00.000-07:00

Cheated! Augh!

So I have been playing Unreal for the past two weeks are so. This should come as no surprise to my family seeing as how I beat it every summer. Anyone who knows Unreal knows that even on easy beating the game is quite an undertaken.

So I can say that I've been through prison ships, mines, jungles, villages, floating temples, fetid sewers, volcanos, dark arenas, biospheres...you name it...I fought through it to get to the final boss.

And to my horror, I killed her in one shot. No cheats.

I'm an anal guy, and a pack rat. So when I play first person shooters I hoard ammunition and equipment like I was payed to do it.

Not so ironically I almost never put the equipment to any use and by the time I've beaten any game I do it with tools to spare and a slight sight of regret not knowing how they might have helped. It was different this time.

I accidentally turned on the "Energy Amplifier" that I had picked up days ago (literally and virtually) and found that my dispersion pistol became the deadliest weapon in my arsenal. I discovered this on the second to last level of the game. The pistol is normally, in fact, the weakest gun.

So I thought, hey, why not use it on the Skaarj Queen to rough her up a little bit before I bring out the big guns?

And like I said. One shot.

I couldn't believe it. I even searched darkened arena for a couple minutes to see if she was hiding. But sure enough. One fucking shot.

I wanted an epic battle!
I wanted a fierce duel!
I wanted to be on the edge of my seat, barely surviving!

But no! One shot! For Christ's sake!

I have previously mentioned me being anal. So of course I couldn't just reload the game. When it comes to games there is no turning back. Grudgingly, woefully I pressed on and beat the game.

This happened not 10 minutes ago. I'm still reeling from my disappointment.

...Fuck!

Tinkering with Color

2009-06-11T16:25:00.002-07:00

Seriously folks. There are so many bugs in blogspot. I really should be able to choose between regular and italic font whenever I like.

...I digress.

My palette has always been limited by my disinterest in color. I enjoy color, but I have always found it entirely unnecessary when it comes to my own work. I'm one of those kids that chose "black" as their favorite color way back in kindergarden . Given a coloring book I would turn the paper around and start drawing with a pencil.

I'm surrounded by color 24/7, must I contribute as frequently as all the other kids that like to draw?

The answer to the vast majority is, yes.

I don't mind working in color at all, but I've always been criticized for my narrow spectrum. What can I say? I'm a total amateur. I literally only just began to take color seriously.

I've been afflicted with laziness ever since senior year of high school. In all seriousness, I think I might never have been diagnosed with "senoritus" if my peers hadn't warned me against it in the first place. If allowed to live in ignorance, I might have remained the diligent automaton that I once was.

But as much as my laziness has affected me artistically, I can't say that it is the sole reason why I choose to primarily work in black and white. Perhaps I wish to leave more to the imagination? Or mabye I really AM some kind of philistine?
Time will tell, I reckon.

...Anyhoo, I'm running out of ink in all my fine pens. I'm left with all the wider pigment markers so I thought, why not fool around a little?

This comic is an experiment more than anything else. Not sure if you should expect another page...

Shealita Baby

2009-06-08T18:50:00.000-07:00

I did this portrait for my friend John AKA Shealita Babay

Seen HERE

Seen HERE

Yup.

The Thing About Falling in Love (FINALE)

2009-06-08T16:08:00.000-07:00

Ok. Now I very much, very seriously have to get new pens. My ink is nearly gone!

It'd be fun to tinker with fountain pens next. That'd be fun.

Yup.

There's a lot more of could have said on the subject of love (OBVIOUSLY) but I'm trying to keep my comics short.

In other news, in case you don't follow blogspot, I now have another website, HERE for all you TUMBLR fans...

The Thing About Falling in Love (PART IV)

2009-06-06T14:01:00.000-07:00

It would be nice to have a stand I could set up to draw people's portraits, but I'm unsure of the legality of something like that.
Nuts.

People love having themselves drawn.

The Thing About Falling in Love (PART III)

2009-06-02T21:49:00.000-07:00

Note to self: get more pens.
Going to take a day or two off after today.
Yup!

Every post allows me to write labels or tags that will help my site show up in search engines. The genius of technology has allowed there to be a prompt system that memorizes previous entries. So all I have to type is the letter "P" and suddenly the computer prompts a memorized "Prince of Nestaria."

...Only problem is that I can't write "love," it won't let me. It seriously won't let me.

I try to write "love," but the computer changes it to "gay lovers," every time.
Every, time.

I wonder if it's trying to tell me something...

The Thing About Falling In Love (PART II)

2009-06-01T19:19:00.001-07:00

In all seriousness, the user interface when it comes to arranging these images in Blog Spot is...lacking.

...lacking!

The Thing About Falling In Love (PART I)

2009-05-26T21:10:00.001-07:00

The great influences...

2009-05-26T20:58:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid we'd visit my Grandma every year in Baltimore, Maryland. My Grandma was a real lady of class, but also a grade A spitfire. I'd like to think that I'd get along well with Twain if I ever met him, but I know he'd have a ball with my Grandma. She could easily be a character out of one of his stories.

My Grandma's home reflected her spirit with a grace I've never seen in any other abode. Antiques, works of art, and all arranged perfectly. The last time I ever visited her while she was alive I actually had the sense to photograph every room. Had I a better camera at the time I would have taken more.

Growing up one of my favorite rooms was the study, which had the most comfortable yellow couch, and a magnificent bookcase. I never paid much mind to any of the books except for one. Only seeing the spine, "The Complete Mark Twain" was my favorite tome, the only one with a picture.

One day I ceased enough gall to actually remove the book from the case, to which I was astonished to find the illustration even larger printed on the cover. I quickly put it back, it was too much of a good thing. In hindsight of everything, I've always had subtle introductions to Twain that warmed me to him even before I read anything of his. This book was one of them.

When I inherited the volume I sought to read the whole book. I opened it up and it snapped in half.

That's life.

It seems to me now too great a coincidence that Kurt Vonnegut wrote the introduction.

Another look

2009-05-19T16:55:00.000-07:00

As much as I'd like to launch into making Suicide happen, the real thing I should be focusing on now is a bullet proof query letter, and a small chunk of the comic that I can tease a publisher with. So they say.

Speaking of teasing, here's another bit from the manuscript.

I had the comic on display for a while in a gallery at New Paltz. I left out a comment book and got probably the best compliment I've ever been given about it in there:

"You know, I've never really been a fan of those "tell all autobiographical" comics that seem to dominate the independent scene. In the first place, they always seemed ridiculously self-indulgent, and even when dressed up with self-depreciating humor, they seemed egotistical as hell. Also watching someone reveal their deepest and darkest with such honesty makes me feel a bit like someone has invited me over to watch their masturbation session.

I don't pretend to know why "Suicide" is different, but it's the first autobiographical comic that's made me feel something other than mild disgust. It's incredibly well written, and it never sinks into the whiny bitch-fest that it so easily could have become.

Congrats."

Printmaking...

2009-05-12T14:44:00.000-07:00

The department head of Printmaking, Rimer Cardil lo asked for one of my prints yestarday. As I may never see it again, I made sure to document it. I'm not incredibly attached to my work in printmaking, because right now I'm more focused on the idea than the product. And prints can always been replicated to some degree. Anyway, it was an honor. Here's the print.

In other news, the semester is finally winding down to a pace that is stress free. My one concern now is the summer, and how I will spend it. If I can do three pages a day for Suicide then I should be in good shape.

I've been trying to really spend a lot more time working on detailed backgrounds and better layout. My one problem is that I feel this comic blog would receive more traffic if I uploaded other projects, which quite frankly I'll be too busy to work on. Oh well.

Comic!

2009-05-05T12:11:00.000-07:00

I've been tinkering with different papers, pens etc for some time. And then it occurred to me after reading some Scott Mcloud that I should really be focusing on layout, backgrounds and detail. A big problem with me is that I'm more concerned with the idea and less concerned with the product.

So while I take a lot from my work, others can't relate as much.

I'm perfectly capable of delivering good detail, it's just a question of pushing myself there.

So yeah. I made a fun little comic about my girlfriend (and muse) and I.

Yup.

I'm still not 100% satisfied with some of the tools I've been using. I find the Sakura Pigment marker a little sloppy, and not dark enough.

I actually bought a repitograph but I've been too scared to use it.

Right now frame borders are what's bugging me the most.

I more or less was at one with them by the end of the strip.

I (and others) don't mind the freehand quality of the frames, but some of these are simply not good enough.

Scrutiny!

Just a little something to chew on.

2009-02-24T12:42:00.000-08:00

I was advised by Dr. Heinz Insu Fenkl that in terms of publishing my work I must split myself into two sides: the unassailable artist (always determined and confident), and the business side (receptive of criticism and inquisitive).

With my manuscript done, and school presiding over everything I do I find that I am only capable of having the business side, to which, ho boy! I've learned a lot, and I'm definitely fully capable of tapping into that perspective, but it is very tiring and a lot of work.

It's annoying, I really can't do any more work with Suicide (artistically) until summer.

Blah.

Meanwhile my classes are getting on my nerves.

Oh well. Bitch bitch bitch, right?

Here's a print I made:

New Artwork! (SCROLL DOWN FOR 1ST 4 PAGES)

2009-02-04T16:40:00.000-08:00

This weekend I go to COMICON in NYC! Mainly I am attending to test the waters in terms of who's publishing what etc, but hopefully I'll get the chance to get some interest in my manuscript. In the meantime I've been working pretty hard readjusting to Bristol board and Sakura pigment markers. Here are the results of today's endeavors, hopefully by the end of summer I will have gotten Scott Mcloud's book and gotten my hands dirty in serious illustration.

The first four pages of "Suicide"

2009-01-31T12:38:00.001-08:00

Nothing special

2009-01-07T20:48:00.000-08:00

Finished editing the first edition. Now it's disc burning time and off to Kinkos. With nothing else to report I thought I'd include this photo of me, in the process of making the comic. Observe my hair. Observe how awful it looks. Make notes. Get inspired.

First Edition Finished! (yay)

2008-12-16T20:58:00.000-08:00

In late September I began work on an intense autobiographical comic, I didn't know it then but that comic would consume my life until November. Right before Thanksgiving I managed to finish it at a whopping 42 pages (a personal record).

Only 8 pages in Richard Gere told me that if I continued the comic I'd be successful. And then again a couple weeks ago Liz Chaflin told me the same thing. Friends, artists and professors have all told me that I must get it published, which is exactly what I intend to do.

First things first is getting it copywritten. So it goes...

Work for the FCC

2008-11-10T15:13:00.000-08:00

I've always found it horribly frustrating the idea that mental abuse in marriage is good material for a comic strip.

The World of Printing

2008-11-07T08:28:00.000-08:00

Free Cake Comics has met its very first dilemma: printing.

Part of the thousands of dollars that go into tuition is to pay for paper. Each student has a printing quota of roughly 400 pages, which they can utilize at any time for free. If you run out you can refresh that quota. But as I learned yesterday it only gives you 100 more sheets.

Needless to say using this service for the printing of the FCC's first issue was a mistake. Not a huge mistake, but a mistake never the less.

The question now is over funding. Soon we will hopefully be a full recognized SA organization, which means we'll possibly be getting funding. With funding we'll be able to use outsider printers from http://comixpress.com/

As president all these responsibilities fall roughly on my hands. And with tests, finals, art projects etc etc it's proving a daunting task.
Nothing I can't handle of course.
I happen to be a warrior when it comes to these things.

Lunch time.

The Great War's Beginnings

2008-11-05T13:40:00.000-08:00

This is the very first comic in "The Great War" series. This is what basically got me fired from my first job washing dishes in a pub. They were drawn in ball point pen on the backs of various schedules and print outs that I found in the trash. Apparently working on graphic novels on the job is frowned upon in the restaurant business. I don't see the problem, I was only pages in...

Because of the poor quality of the scans, I have written you a transcript. How nice!

COMIC ONE:

King: "Bazil! What news from the Western front?"

Bazil: "It bodes ill sire. ...The troops are stricken with doubt and mutinous thoughts, and every day the enemy grows stronger with reinforcements from the South! The Queen's confidence in the General may have been misguided, I suspect they are lovers! ...My Lord...we must retreat from this war..."

King: "NEVER! ...No Bazil. We can not retire, without dishonor. I will not succumb to my brother. We must merely adopt a new stratagem. ...In the meantime have my spies keep watch on the Queen, I will not suffer her betrayal."

Bazil: *sigh* "Yes my Lord."

I'll have the second comic up sooner or later. It's harder now that my personal computer is being repaired. Relying on the school's programs has proven somewhat problematic.
Heerererergggll...

News

2008-11-04T15:25:00.000-08:00

Well, Halloween was brilliant as always. Though my favorite holiday is Christmas, there is no holiday that matches the creativity of All Hallow's Eve.

Today I got my Halloween package from my parents. Chocolate balls, a book and a card. The card situation is problematic. Every card I receive is a Far Side comic. The problem with this is that I literally own every comic Gary Larson ever made in The Far Side. I've read every single one, several times. I'm being a brat, I know. But there really is no logical reason why I should continue getting Gary Larson cards on every occasion that involves card giving.

I'm going to request that my father make the cards himself from now on. I always make mine, as they insist. I shall do the same.
They're more personal that way.

The book was my dad's: Morgan Howell's "A Woman Worth Ten Coppers." The first of his new trilogy.

Before I shamelessly plug my own father's writing I want you to know that I don't do fantasy novels. I suppose my reason for this may be that I don't want to subconsciously imitate another 's work. But the real reason is that every fantasy novel I had picked up previously bored me to tears. Except Beowulf, but that's really in a category of its own.

The characters, stories and adventures are either too cliche, too drawn out, or too irrelevant. By that I mean that there is no appeal to my own emotional/human experience.

So when I began to read "The Queen of the Orcs," I was the biggest of the skeptics. Especially since I am an avid orc fan.

But instead of praising him, I will merely offer up the chance for you to do your own investigation.

http://morganhowell.com/

There are plenty of reviews on Amazon, all of them a lot more articulate than what mine might be.

You should buy a lot of them. They're putting me through college.

I will scan some stuff soon, I think. I'm feverishly working on an autobiographical comic that is now over 30 pages long. Woo wee.

Hurray!

2008-10-29T21:15:00.001-07:00

Today marked the first meeting of Free Cake Comics, a club I started here in SUNY New Paltz. All of us met at a workshop with Jessica Abel (http://www.jessicaabel.com/) on making comics.

The most I got out of it really was seeing everyone involved and being able to communicate with them. From there we started the FCC and will very soon be putting out our very own zine! How nice!

Though no work is up yet, we do have a myspace so feel free at any time to check out our stuff!
http://www.myspace.com/freecakecomics

Though it was only our first meeting I'm already getting a positive vibe from everyone who came. I feel it will be the most fun organization I'll ever be a part of on campus.

The Great War and Sheep's Pond

2008-10-23T21:30:00.001-07:00

"The Great War," is an interesting project that came to me working as a dishwasher. Before then all my graphic novel attempts were complex stories that puckered out due to the lack of good characters. "The Great War" revolves around character and very little plot. It is a war fought by eccentrics, and the story of the war is told in fragmented moments from brothel girl to emperor. Eventually I'm going to scan the very first comics to the series which I cherish, grease stains and all. Before then all my serious graphic novel attempts were all hyper-realistic, but in "The Great War" I allowed myself a much more liberal framing.

****

There is more than one Sheep Pond dotting Nantucket, but only one Sheep's Pond. It was with a dismissive revulsion that I heard it referred to as Miami Beach, but that name is a falsehood.

Every year my family and I stay in Cape Cod for two weeks. As a child this trip would include my grandparents, aunts and uncles, and my six cousins. We all stayed in "The Ranch" which my grandparents would rent out. After a long day in the sun on Coastguard Beach, we would walk to Sheep's Pond. The pond is one of many kettle holes left behind the Ice Age. Gigantic chunks of ice were broken off as the ice scraped across over North America. Slowly they melted and left behind freshwater ponds that are still scattered across Massachusetts to this day.

Just walking on the edge of these ponds you see damsel flies, dragon flies, frantic schools of minnows, the curious offspring of Striped Bass, and the varying stages of bullfrog. These speckled squirts were the focal point of my attention as a kid. My brother and I would catch them and hold them, peering into their yellow eyes until they leapt from our palms. I remember one year a group of other boys were doing the same thing, only they would throw the frogs as hard as they could against the water until they lay motionless. I still mourn the loss of them from the pond.

The beauty of Cape Cod is constantly mingled with its rugged nature. It is my favorite place to be.

Last summer we found ourselves back in the pond. I hadn't tried to catch a frog for years. I had the pleasure of showing my best friend for the first time what it was like, and found myself once again filled with child-like excitement. I was not particular over what I caught as long as I had something to show for my lunges.
You should have seen it!

Comics: an extensive history

2008-10-22T21:22:00.001-07:00

Here is the story of my life relative to comics. My first comic was drawn in Kindergarden. It was called Justin Man.

I believe there were several issues of Justin Man, drawn in pencil and crayon and though I do not recall if they were saved they are vivid in my memory. A single issue was composed of maybe two or three pages of literary wonder. A single script was mainly composed

Justin Man fought a number of enemies but my personal favorite was always the Robot. I wouldn't draw multi-page comics again until the fourth grade. Until then I emulated my favorite cartoonists (Bill Waterson, Gary Larson, B Kliban), producing my own silly gags and one-liners.

It was in Freshwater Florida where I saw my very first episode of Ed, Edd and Eddy on the Cartoon Network. I was completely inspired, lord forgive me. I took an existing character of mine and then basically copied the world and characters of the cartoon show in my own vein. Though I am embarrassed by this period it served as a playground where I did everything you're not supposed to do. A panel was an entire page. Speech bubbles were out of proper sequence. The human hand was nothing but a ball attached at the wrist. Nearly every character looked exactly the same, no matter the gender. But as I said, I learned from all these faux pas. In the meantime the comics were actually quite popular in the classroom. At one point I learned that selling out can back you into a corner. Crazy, right? I have at least 30 issues of these comics. At best they are vaguely amusing, in my opinion. My dad still loves them though.

I was over "Meister Man" by the 7th grade, and quite embarrassed. I departed from comics almost entirely save for the occasional phase when I would return to the one-liners and odd illustrations. During this time people would look at my art (and always have) and would ask "Do you do comics?" I would always retort with an irritated "No." because I didn't like the idea of being type-cast, artistically.

Finally in the 10th grade I resurrected Justin Man. With a new slew of amusing enemies (Lobe Duck, Bubba the Pidgeon Man) and a considerable leap in vocabulary, Justin Man was in every sense a new phenomenon. This time the stalwart hero was transformed into a goofy, somewhat dim underdog in the scheme of things. Generally the villains were defeated in some freak accident.

In senior year I undertook what I consider now to be my first attempt at a graphic novel. The project consumed my life for a good three months in which I drew nothing outside the confines of the work.

In the future the UED (unite earth directorate) sends astronauts into space to seek out worlds that can be colonized. Those worlds are marked and then groups of people and families are paid to live there for four years. If these groups can survive for the alloted times then the planet will be colonized.

The novel was about one such group. The whole endeavor proved quite destructive for me mentally, and in the end I realized to my horror that it was essentially Steven King's "The Shining" set in the future. Balls. I decided from that point never to touch a graphic novel ever again.

Six months later I was at it again. This time making an epic fantasy based story. Nothing special, but damned fun to draw. I realized later that not every character should look like me, that's a bit of a stretch. There was another departure after that one, as some things require a touch more planning.

I suppose at this point I should explain that I almost never have a plan. While most people who draw comics make thumbnails, pencil everything in, and then ink it up. I just ink it up. When I discovered pen and ink I never went back. So generally I plow through comics one page at a time. People think I'm crazy but it's worked out okay so far.

Last summer marked my first job, working as a dishwasher in a pub. I would argue that it was a good experience but only in an argument. Otherwise I will start whining and wishing that I had my summer back. I learned there that I truly needed to do art as a career. I was eventually fired for tearing down fliers and drawing comics on them. Whoops.

Working in that sweaty, greasy dive inspired The Great War, which I worked on over the summer and into the next semester of my junior year in college. This semester, actually. It was in Cape Cod on our annual family vacation that my best friend Alexander the Great and I spoke on the future. I was frustrated and worried, not knowing what to do with my life. My mother still believes I should have a go at Hollywood. Suddenly Alex turned to me and said "...Why don't you just do comics?"

I stared blankly.

"Christ. Why don't I just do comics?" I had no answer.

I don't want to ever limit myself to one thing. But I know that my passion for comic making is very real. This realization has changed me in ways I never thought possible. It's funny, a year ago I would have slapped myself for saying so.

Funny how life works out, aye?

Oh. What the hell.

2008-10-22T15:21:00.000-07:00

I'll post a comic anyway.

My very first blog entry.

2008-10-22T15:05:00.000-07:00

At 4:53 PM Oct 22nd, 2008; my artwork was critiqued by Rich Gere from:

http://richgere.blogspot.com/

Though this was certainly not the first time my artwork has been critiqued, his words nevertheless inspired me to create this blog. Through it I hope to put my work out into the world and see what happens.

This will involve scanning and photography. Yes.

The one problem is graduating from college involved studying for tomorrow's midterms. Also yes.

So it is with a heavy heart that I must say it may be a while before I get to showing you my work, but know that it is inevitable.
I look forward to the reaction.

In the meantime you can watch this ridiculous video I made. Yes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVhoCyklJiQ