Doctor Who Annual Inking WiP

Here's a sneak peek at a panel inking in progress. Only two of the pages I'm drawing for this comic were traditionally penciled (so I might sell them to collectors later). The rest of the pages are 100% digital (save for 8 pages of roughs that were done in pen on paper).

As you can see, this is being inked in Manga Studio EX 4. Later today, I switch back to coloring in Photoshop CS2.

So what's in the panel above? I specifically made it a bit ambiguous. Three-toed sloth? Velociraptor? The Incredible Hulk? My fat fingers?

You'll just have to wait til' August to find out. ;)

Anyway, to those that observe it in your locality (like my Stateside friends), have a good Memorial Day.

"Although no sculptured marble should rise to their memory, nor engraved stone bear record of their deeds, yet will their remembrance be as lasting as the land they honored." ~Daniel Webster

Redacted Revealed: Doctor Who Annual 2011

So... that went public the other day, so I guess it's safe to talk about certain details.

The comic I've been referring to as "[redacted]" is actually;



The Doctor Who Annual, 2011, from IDW Publishing.

I was not a part of last year's first Doctor Who Annual, but this year I'm not only doing the cover, but a 16 page story within.

Here are the details via BrokenFrontier.com;

Doctor Who Annual 2011
Writers - Joshua Hale Fialkov, Dan McDaid, Matthew Dow Smith, Tony Lee
Artists - Blair Shedd, McDaid, Josh Adams (Actually, it's Mitch Gerads), Ben Templesmith
Cover - Blair Shedd

The Eleventh Doctor materializes in his first Annual! This oversized issue contains three complete stories by an all-star lineup, featuring critically acclaimed Echoes writer Joshua Hale Fialkov and artist Blair Shedd, Doctor Who Magazine writer/artist Dan McDaid (Jersey Gods), and writer Matthew Dow Smith (artist on Doctor Who Ongoing, Witchblade, writer of Night Folk) and artist Josh Adams (like I mentioned, this is a mistake - it's actually artist Mitch Gerads - POPGUNPULP Comics, BOOM! Studios). Also included is a prelude to the next ongoing series story by series writer Tony Lee (Doctor Who Ongoing, The Gloom), and superstar artist Ben Templesmith (30 Days of Night), continued in Doctor Who #9!

48 Pages - $7.99 - August, 2011

So there you have it.

Josh's story is a really fun one, and while I won't say any more about that right now, the cover gives you an idea of what it might touch on, as the cover is an homage to "Another World" by M.C. Escher.

On the cover; I give major credit to editor Denton Tipton who basically suggested this layout and inspiration for the cover. It's a great idea. If you're familiar at all with last year's Annual, you'll notice that panels of the TARDIS were replaced with snippets showing off the story within. That'll be the case here as well Most of those "windows" in the structure will be replaced with previews images from the stories within.

Hence the "NOT FINAL ART" note at the bottom.

Until it is final art, this is the only version of the cover I'll be showing, as it's already making the rounds. I'll post a bigger version at some point, probably closer to publication.

This has been an awesome project to work on, as it'll be the first major publication where I'm coloring my own work (most pages drawn completely in Manga Studio EX 4 and colored in Photoshop CS2), and both Josh and Denton have given me major flexibility with bits of layout and design of the world in the story I'm illustrating. Big applause for both of them.

So I hope you all check back in August and pick up a copy - and if you're too far away from your local comic shop, or they don't carry Doctor Who (you should DEMAND it), it'll probably be available on the iDevice of your choice (and perhaps in browser based apps) for a similar price.

I hope to be able to show you more previews soon.

Cheers!

GraniteConSketch: Green Goblin

Another sketch from GraniteCon - my first of the day in fact.

Once again, done for no one in particular, this sketch was my warmup for the day. I still have it, and will probably list it online for sale eventually.

Weekend Wayback: Green Goblin '91

Another step into the Wayback Machine, today we head back to 1991.

I've posted some of my early digital art before. This is another piece from that time.

Drawn in Superpaint (dunno which version) with the mouse, on either our Mac Classic, or Macintosh IIvx on May 9th, 1991 - making this piece just over 20 years old.

The comic was never finished (most weren't back in those days - new ideas would pop up every other day and had to be pursued), but the plan was to do the art for every page in the computer (only a couple of ACTUAL comics were fully digital at this point in the 90s), and print it out for hand-coloring.

I ended up redrawing this cover (I think I've used the "final" version for a Wayback before), and drawing the intro splash, an establishing shot of New York City, before giving up on the story (that NYC splash musta killed me).

But there you have it. Me trying to make comics digitally, long before I would do it for real.

GraniteConSketch: Batman

Another sketch from GraniteCon. Unlike the last, I came home with this one.

He'll probably find his way onto eBay at some point (unless I open an Etsy account before then).

Wayback: The Seven Doctors

I honestly thought this was already up here. Guess not.

Still too busy for new sketches to post, I'm posting older stuff, and unseen con sketches. This is the former.

Just a bit of proof I am a long-time fan (as long as a kid living in New England in the 80s could be) of the good Doctor.

I can't be sure exactly when this was drawn, because it's not dated, but I know I must've been aware of the seventh Doctor, but not watching him yet (as the stateside eps were shown years after they aired across the pond). But I do remember them talking about the filming of "Silver Nemesis", so 1988 or 1989 is my guess.

As you can tell, likenesses were a pain. I relied on hair and costume to get the idea across, which honestly, is still the trick now (there are some artists, pro and amateur who still get across the look of the Tenth Doctor by drawing skinny generic white dude, but putting on the hair and chops).

I don't know why Seven is wearing glasses. I don't think he ever did. The only reason I could figure is that he looked like a friend of mine from school, and that friend wore glasses. Like I said, I wasn't watching Seven stories yet (PBS was still at Four/Leela stage).

True Fact: A bit of an Easter Egg as well. If you have my issue of Doctor Who #9, when Martha and the UNIT soldier enter Mr. Crane's "Doctor Study" room, this image appears in miniature on the wall. A tip of the hat to myself, there.

GraniteConSketch: Eleventh Doctor

Since I'll be neck deep in [redacted] deadline over the next couple of weeks, I won't have much art to post. Perhaps every other day, I'll try to put up a sketch from this past GraniteCon.

The ones I got snaps of, anyway.

Here's a Matt Smith Eleventh Doctor I sketched out for no one in particular. It ended up getting sold before the end of the show. A STEAL at $10. Aren't you sorry you didn't go? ;)

If you got a sketch from me and have a decent snap or scan of it, email it to me at info [at] oneGemini.com!

Cheers!

Quick GraniteCon Wrap-Up

A quick howdy to those who might be stopping in for the first time due to GraniteCon!

Granite State ComicCon was had. I'm not doing a full on, photo-filled con report as I'm a bit con-fatigued, might've contracted con-crud, and I'm still on deadline. So here we go.

Good points - seeing Joe Hill again (he still remembered me), seeing the awesome work of Zach Howard in person (seriously, if your self-confidence is low - don't look at his linework), and chatting with Randall Drew, his tablemate Jesse Durona, and artist Peter Vinton, Jr.

Also many thanks to the people that stopped by, chatted, and purchased swag.

But turkey to the small group of Doctor Who cosplayers that treated my table with complete indifference, even when Peter tried to point out their table to me. Apparently when you have a giant drawing of David Tennant on a banner behind you, and comics with DT's face all over them, and sketches of Matt Smith all over your table - you don't rate with fans who decide to dress up as the Doctor and his companions.

Oddly, dressing up as Firefly characters means you stop by my table a lot and look at stuff, talk, and occasionally purchase. I'm confused.

REDACTED - WiP

Another very non-spoiler peek behind the scenes of the comic I'm working on, which has become known as Redacted (though that's not really the title).

This is the current panel I'm working on. What you're seeing is me blotting out the background a bit so I can sketch out a few of the figures. I'm about to start inking, so I took this snap before I did that, as past that point, it could get kinda spoilery.

GraniteCon 2011

I should probably note here, now, that I'll be at another event this weekend, bigger than this past weekend (at least on a local scale).

Once again, I shall be in attendance at Granite State ComicCon (GraniteCon), May 15th, 10am to 4pm at the Radisson Center of New Hampshire in downtown Manchester, NH.

Click the link above for specific details, goings on, and the guest list.

I shall use my space here to pimp only myself. ;)

I will have prints, I will have 2010 sketchbooks, and I may have a couple of Doctor Who TPBs, and maybe a few more Doctor Who single issues.

I'll also do black, white, and gray bust sketches for a low price. I probably won't venture into anything much bigger than that, as I'm doing plenty of drawing at home while on this comic book deadline. I don't need to completely burn out. This'll be my first convention DURING an active deadline.

So come on down/up/over, say hi. May even have some freebie things as well. We'll see.

Hope to see you there. Cheers!

Wrap-up: FCBD 2011

Back from Free Comic Book Day, 2011, at Newbury Comics in West Lebanon, NH.

For those that don't have a local Newbury Comics, it's a new/used CD/DVD/Blu-Ray/video game store, with some Hot Topic/Spencer Gifts merch and clothing, and comics, books, toys, and magazines.

Like I mentioned in a previous journal, I was there with graduates and current students from the Center for Cartoon Studies. I tabled with one of their instructors, legendary Swamp Thing artist, Stephen Bissette.

Short version; good turnout, sold all my remaining Doctor Who floppies, sketched a few things including Poison Ivy, Phineas and Ferb, Deadpool, the Joker, Arkham Asylum Harley Quinn, Spider-man, the Tenth Doctor;



and Venom;



I also sold a few sketchbooks, and traded one with Steve for a copy of Taboo 4 and a the preview to the Neil Gaiman & Michael Zulli adaptation of Sweeny Todd (that pretty much never got past the preview, sadly).

One of the coolest parts was the store asked Steve for a sketch they could raffle off. Steve turned to me and asked if I'd like to jam on the piece. Who am I to say no?

So this happened;



That's right - Swamp Thing drawn by THE Swamp Thing artist, and the Doctor drawn by... well... me. Still. Twas very cool.

So a shout out to all the other artists, including (and pardon me if I leave someone out - I'll only remember you after one meeting if you gave me your card - I'm TERRIBLE with names, better with faces);

Randal Drew (thanks for the Sonic sketch)- http://www.randalldrew.com

Paul Swartz - http://peoplesrepublicofpaul.wordpress.com

Holly Foltz - http://hollyfoltz.blogspot.com

Lena H. Chandhok (Love the detail work - I just can't do that freehand anymore) - http://lena.chandhok.net

Jesse Durona (see you next week!) - http://www.therealdurona.com

Like I said, sorry if I left anyone out. Drop me a line, remind me what you were working on, and give me your contact info, and I'll be happy to post it.

In the meantime, all of those above I'll be linking in my "up and comers" links in the right column of this blog.

And Stephen Bissette - you are a gentleman. Pleasure to finally meet you. Again.

Cheers!

REDACTED - Panel 1 Page 1

While I still can't tell you what comic I'm working on, who's writing it, who's publishing it, or even who the main character(s) is/are, I have been given the go-ahead to show you this decidedly non-spoilery establishing shot.

Though I can't say of where this takes place (though you can guess).

I mainly wanted to show you the synergy (yuck... I said it) if my linework and color. Not only am I drawing this, I'm coloring it as well, and while it means longer hours, it's hella fun, and I'm LOVING the results. This is the payoff of all those color tests with new and different techniques. I'm doing at least two pages in pencil, then inked in Manga Studio EX 4, while everything else will be 100% drawn in MSX4 and colored in Photoshop CS2.

While I wouldn't use this on everything (I did something quite different with Der Strasse from Zombiebomb!), it fits the tone of this particular story.

I guess one last thing I can mention is I'm illustrating a 16 page story, and there are other stories and artists in the book with me. An anthology of sorts. I think that doesn't give away anything (ie, Zombiebomb! was an anthology as well).

I can't wait to tell and show you more of this book. Very fun stuff, giving me a great opportunity to flex my artistic muscles, and those who have seen it (the writer, the editor, my wife) like what they've seen so far.

I hope you like this inaction panel. ;)

Cheers!

I'M ON A BOAT.

In case you haven't seen the opening episode of Doctor Who season six, "The Impossible Astronaut," consider this next image a spoiler.

Click here to see it --> CLICK

Sorry. Had to be done. }:)

Free Comic Book Day 2011

It's that time of year again - Free Comic Book Day (click this link here if you're completely clueless)!

I didn't do an event last year, so it's been a while for me. And due to various circumstances I'll be keeping closer to home than in the past - luckily, Newbury Comics in West Lebanon, NH, has invited me to participate in their event.

Also appearing at this event will be students and graduates from the Center for Cartoon Studies, and at least one of their instructors, legendary comic book artist, Stephen Bissette (Swamp Thing)! In fact, I'm supposed to be signing with him.

My details; I'll be there from noon til' four, barring any emergencies or last-minute changes in plan. I'll do free sketches, but of this sort;



Bust shot, black and white lines, grays (if my markers are still working - so no promises). They're quick and easy, and hopefully that means almost everyone who wants one will get one (time allowing).

I'll possibly have prints for sale, certainly have my 2010 sketchbooks for sale (at a reduced rate from my normal convention price, and lower than the internet price). 3G connection permitting, I'll even be able to accept credit cards.

While I won't have any issues of Doctor Who to sell, nor the trades (I'm out, and wouldn't be able to get more in time), I'm told the store will try to have a few trades on hand for me to sign (but you'd have to buy them from the store, not me - which is fine, but I just mention it so you don't try to pay me for something I'm not selling).

As for the Cartoon Studies gang, Stephen Bissette posted details of what they're doing on his blog.

One last note, the location of the West Lebanon Newbury Comics;

Newbury Comics in the K-Mart Plaza, 200 South Main Street, West Lebanon, NH 03784 -- (603) 298-2167

Should be a fun day. Remember, I'm there only between noon and 4pm - if you get there earlier or later, there will still be Cartoon Studies people there, but I won't be (unless I'm just hanging about).

Hope to see you there!

Catwoman and the TARDIS

There are much more clever titles I thought of for this, but the one above gets more people to visit as they don't have to figure out my cryptic slyness.

This was a commission I just finished up, for @Cat_Isidor whom I met at Gallifrey One (and came to my kaffeeklatsch).

She's not only a Doctor Who fan, but a Catwoman fan. So her idea was simply "Catwoman breaking into the TARDIS." I thought it'd be funny if she wasn't having any luck at it, and was just trying to blow the doors with dynamite. Then I thought it'd be funnier if you saw a trail of her other "useless" tools. @Cat_Isidor agreed.

So there you have it. A fun piece.

I have a feeling this one might be grabbed and displayed on other sites. Just give me credit and a linkback, kay?

And if I see this on a t-shirt, you'll be hearing from my lawyer. Seriously. Lotta that swiping crap going on nowadays.

Agent 42x

This was supposed to be yesterday's warmup (4/30/11), but a) I drew it after working on the stuff I had to do, and b) my warmups usually don't take almost 3 hours. But I was having fun, so I let this one get away from me.

I drew it live on my Livestream show and the video of the whole thing is available there for viewing.

Originally, this was supposed to be just a bust, but became something more as I was sketching it out.

The character is is Agent 42x, an original character of Maurizio Apostolico. Here's his take on his own character;



Click on Maurizio's name above for his official website.

Maurizio once asked me to draw him, and while I normally don't just take requests (I take commissions... for money. Private dancer), I did drop the character into my "warmup hat." My "hat" is a file of characters I could possibly draw for a warmup. Some days, I have someone in mind, and I just draw that. Other days I ask people on Twitter or Facebook. That particular day I asked on Twitter, wasn't really feeling anything, and reached into the hat.

Agent 42x came out.

So there you have it.

Like I said, I don't take requests, and I won't drop everyone's OC into a hat, but if you'd like to get on that list, drop me a line, and I'll take a look at your OC. Not all of my warmup sketches are color. Not all of them are that finished. Like I said, this one got away from me. But you never know.

Or you could just commission me, and get a full figure in color, guaranteed (for the right price). ;)