Holding Lines: The oneGemini Studios Blog

Rex and Fae

2012-02-08T16:09:00.003-05:00

In a turn from my last posting, here's a couple of images completed on a slight rush for a friend who is expecting a new daughter (the Zöe indicated). And just so her son didn't feel left out, a t-rex for him.

Both are destined to adorn the walls of the kids' room.

Cheery, ain't it?

Doomed to repeat.

2012-02-06T13:05:00.001-05:00

Zaboo Redo

2012-02-03T14:29:00.003-05:00

So, a couple of weeks ago a little project fell into my lap.

Wait. Stop.

Let me start here.

At this link --> [CLICKY] <-- is an interview with Felicia Day (Codex) and Wil Wheaton (Fawkes) about the upcoming Fawkes one-shot comic from Dark Horse Comics, and a brief mention of The Guild, Volume 2 trade paperback coming out in August.

That second bit is the interesting one. Why?

Well, if you'll remember from this post --> [CLICKY] <-- I did a pinup for The Guild comic, which appeared in the letter's section of the Bladezz one-shot (and was reproduced at about 3"x3").

Nevertheless, I got a fan in the form of Sandeep Parikh (Zaboo) who requested a print of the full size image. Sadly, I missed an opportunity to meet him and Felicia Day at New York Comic Con, and hand him the print in person.

Skip to now, and I get a request from The Guild editor; they'd like to use the pinup as the back cover of the Volume 2 trade!

However, they need me to move bits around so they have room for logos, text, etc. I agreed to do it, and thought it might be a quick job, however, the more I thought about it and poked at it, I realized I'd just have to re-ink the "thought balloon." Then I realized I wasn't happy with the coloring of the balloon, so I'd have to redo that.

Y'see, the original pinup was the last image I inked in Photoshop before I got Manga Studio EX 4. Also, it was the last piece I colored before the 2011 Doctor Who Annual, where I colored my own work, and figured out a whole new coloring method (which I currently use on The Raptor).

So I went to work re-inking the entire balloon, improving the background, and recoloring the entire piece.

While I don't think I can show you the final yet (and I'm not even sure exactly how it'll look on the cover, I can show you this for comparison's sake;

Old version on the left, new version on the right. I'm MUCH happier this time.

Anyway - August - mark your calendars.

I'm just happy to be part of The Guild team again, even if it is with the same piece.

They're old eyes...

2012-02-02T01:45:00.004-05:00

As a "for myself" sketch tonight, I played around in the opposite direction from the cartoony Doctor I drew in my previous couple of posts. I went for more high-contrast shadowing. This is realm better handled by the likes of Doctor Who artist Matthew Dow Smith, and legend Mike Mignola.

But, back in art school, I wanted to draw like Mignola, like Brian Stelfreeze. I just couldn't pull off all the shadows.

Still don't think I do, which is why I then went and had texture and effect fun with this.

Ah, well. Something to work on. Something to learn.

Never too old.

Simple Doctor (and Cthulhu) 2

2012-01-26T17:15:00.003-05:00

Continuing the experimentation with simplifying my line work and/or making it more cartoony, in regards to Doctor Who.

See my last blog entry for my first post on that.

Here's the latest "done in-between other things" attempt. It'll probably be my last for a while.

I added Rory (and a very tiny Amy, though she didn't feature past that) because previously, ever time I drew Rory, he looked too cartoony anyway. I'm so sorry - it's just that nose and those eyes.

So this time, I just had at it.

As for the story -- dunno. Just had a rough idea in my head so I could play around a bit.

I'm happy with parts of this, apathetic about others, and disappointed in a few things.

But that's experimentation for you. I'd obsess more of this was official.

As per usual - DISCLAIMER - this represents nothing that is coming out from IDW Publishing. This is just a fan art/art experiment.

I've scratches this itch for now (unless I'm hardcore encouraged to continue experimenting... though I won't continue this story).

Cheers!

Simple Doctor?

2012-01-25T19:52:00.003-05:00

Last night on Twitter, I showed writer/artist/Doctor Who dude Matthew Dow Smith and writer/vlogger Robyn Schneider a sketch I did of the Eleventh Doctor (since deleted, so NYAH). I was trying to blend my "regular" Doctor Who line work with the more cartoony line I've been using on DOROTHY OF OZ: PREQUEL.

Both liked it, but Matt said I could push it more. I semi-joked I was afraid. It's hard to force yourself to try new things with your line at times. But I went for a bit more exaggeration, and a bit more reduction of line.

And this is a piece I put together between other things today;

(Note: this does NOT represent anything coming out from IDW Publishing. This is just fan art/experimenting.)

While I wouldn't use this on all Who-stories (should I ever be lucky enough to land another one in the future), it might lend itself to certain tales.

What say you?

Brotherhood of the Doctor

2012-01-24T15:51:00.008-05:00

So... this is what I did this past weekend.

This past Sunday, I went to an event called Milque and Cookies at Phi Tau, a coeducational fraternity at Dartmouth College (For a bit more on what the event entails, other than the obvious, click here.).

Why did I go? Well, first off, while I didn't attend Dartmouth, I live somewhat locally, and have been hanging out at this particular frat since about 1997. Why? A friend from high school was a brother there, and the people and environment soon grew on me, as the place was filled with geeks, nerds, and other non-prudish people with senses of humor similar to my own.

Heck, I even married one of the Brothers (co-ed frat, remember?).

But, I admit, I hadn't been visiting in much in the past few years. Maybe once a year, if we had time. Work, kids with no one to watch them -- just never time to get away.

However, I had to leave the wife at home (someone had to watch the kids) and go on this past Saturday eve.

The theme of this M&C was Doctor Who.

Just to speed this up somewhat, there were fezzes, sonic screwdrivers, the front door adorned with a TARDIS, Dalek, bow tie, and TARDIS cookies, Who-decor, and even Brothers (and friends) cosplaying;

Many in the House were aware I worked on Doctor Who for IDW (in fact, the house symbol, a Phi and a Tau, are hidden in most of the comics I worked on). However, I wasn't prepared for the joy and support that I was shown for my work, or just plain association with the mythos.

So... here's some thanks;

Many thanks to the brothers (and possible future brothers) of Phi Tau for inviting me over to their Doctor Who Milque and Cookies tonight. Great work on all the Who-decor.

And many, many thanks to those that seemed genuinely wowed by my work and what I do. I work in a vacuum, and more often than not the only response I see to my work is words on a screen on the internet (which, while appreciated, is still just voiceless words on a screen). At comic cons, I'm obviously not a main draw and rarely meet anyone outside of the Gallifrey One convention who wants to talk very long and/or is familiar with my work.

So to meet those who only have a slight grasp of what I do be seemingly so amazed and impressed really means a lot.

To Colleen and Hannah - your attention (even Hannah's threats of stalking ;)~) really made my day. Enjoy the sketches.

PS - Hannah - messaged you on FB... could you send me scan or photo of the sketch I did for you? Thanks!

PPS - Thanks for the photo borrow, Lisa and Sede. If either of you would like me to link to your website/blog/etc of choice in this post, let me know and I'll do that. :)

Update: you can visit Lisa Green's website here --> [CLICKY]

2012-01-17T22:54:00.002-05:00

DOROTHY OF OZ Sneak Peek!

2012-01-16T17:42:00.003-05:00

Writer/editor Denton Tipton just posted this on his Twitter feed, so I figure it's fair to post it here as well.

A peek at a page from DOROTHY OF OZ: PREQUEL #1 (of 4). Written by Denton, line work by me, and colors by the super-talented Joana Lafuente.

A VERY fun project to work on, as I get to play with exaggerated expressions that I normally shouldn't apply to "real" characters (and what you're seeing on this page ain't nothing compared to the faces the Flying Monkeys make... but you'll hafta wait for that!).

In case you're wondering, folks, I've drawn for Zombie Bomb, The Guild, and Doctor Who, some of which was family/kid friendly, some of which is decidedly not - however, no worries with DOROTHY OF OZ: PREQUEL - this is ALL kid friendly!

Just to mention again;

In summary;

Dorothy of Oz: Prequel (1 of 4)

"(Writer) Denton J. Tipton (Artist) Blair Shedd (Colors) Joana Lafuente (Cover Artist) Eric Shanower
Based on the upcoming animated film Dorothy of Oz! Building on the world created in the celebrated children's book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum, Dorothy of Oz will tell the tale of the titular hero's return to the Land of Oz. But first read here about what events transpired to necessitate Dorothy's return, and witness the rise of the Jester!"

Hope you'll check it out in March of this year!

Cheers,

~B

Off To See The Wizard

2012-01-05T20:30:00.006-05:00

Well... okay. Not the Wizard. He's gone. But everyone else (and then some) is here.

As I mentioned on Twitter and Facebook, and briefly in my last blog post, the four issue mini-series I'm working on (whilst still working on THE RAPTOR: FPS) is DOROTHY OF OZ: PREQUEL for IDW Publishing.

CLICK HERE TO SEE --> [CLICKY]

In summary;

Dorothy of Oz: Prequel (1 of 4)

"(W) Denton J. Tipton (A) Blair Shedd (CA) Eric Shanower
Based on the upcoming animated film Dorothy of Oz! Building on the world created in the celebrated children's book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum, Dorothy of Oz will tell the tale of the titular hero's return to the Land of Oz. But first read here about what events transpired to necessitate Dorothy's return, and witness the rise of the Jester!"

I can now also mention that the colorist is Joana Lafuente (she colored the cover above. Google her - very impressive work).

Like it says, that cover image above was drawn by Eric Shanower. None of my work on the book is approved for posting yet. However, since it's not official work to be published, I figure I can share this character study of the Tin Woodsman;

You'll notice it's much cartoonier than my work on Doctor Who, Raptor, etc. This was part of the reason I believed I could do two books at once. One, I wasn't coloring Oz. Two, the cartoonier style I had to adopt (per the design styles of the upcoming CGI film) meant I was forced to be less detailed (using lots of photo reference, adding lots of texture) than I usually am, meaning quicker turnaround times.

While not as big for me as Doctor Who, I was a big Oz fan when I was a kid (I even played the Munchkin Mayor in the elementary school play... there's a video somewhere, and if I ever get a moment to digitize it, I WILL upload it and embarrass myself), so this still falls in line with "projects that kid-me would be excited to be a part of."

I'll post official art when I can.

As for Raptor, backers will see a Backers Only post soon on the Kickstarter page.

Cheers folks!

~B

The Quantum Moment Before the Closure 2011

2011-12-31T20:01:00.002-05:00

I'll keep this short (which means, by the end, I'll probably have prattled on way too long);

2011… G'bye.

- First and foremost, many thanks to my incredible family and close friends, and especially my amazing wife, Sarah. We had an unexpected child this year, making the majority of the year an odd mix of excitement and dread.

- With that in mind, welcome again, Xander David Shedd.

- Many thanks to the people at Gallifrey One - easily the BEST convention I've been to as far as fun, lack of drama, and a real tight and welcoming community. I look forward to another visit in 2012.

- Many thanks to mtemplar, who's become pretty much my personal patron of the arts. I won't call her my "Number One Fan" cos that sounds cocky, but she's been easily my biggest backer, outside of my family and close friends, when it comes to my creative endeavors. (BTW - got your baby card, you naughty person you. Thank you - and there's a special thank you note coming your way.)

- Many thanks to my comic making brethren for helping me figure things out and giving me pep talks when needed. Special thanks to Andre Szymanowicz and Erik Burnham for responding to some odd emails at a key time. Hell Yeah, I hope they continue to Bust Ghosts with me in the coming year.

- Many thanks to writer/editor Denton Tipton and the IDW crew for bringing me back aboard Doctor Who (my first 11th Doctor story!) under the skillful penning of NuSuperstar Joshua Fialkov. I got to be part of the 2011 Fialkov Crazy Train™. That's awesome. Also thanks to Denton for hooking me up with Dorothy and all of her Oz-going friends (what? Didn't you see my mention on Twitter and Facebook? No? Gonna hafta wait until my next post then…).

- Many thanks to Dark Horse editor Scott Allie for letting me get some artwork into The Guild. Thanks to Sandeep Parikh for being a fan of said art.

- Many thanks to my Twitter followers for the conversations and RTs. Appreciated.

- And INCREDIBLE-HUGE-GINORMOUS thanks to my THE RAPTOR: FPS financial backers. Thanks for helping an indie project get underway. I'm sorry about the delay, but thanks for your understanding, and I still guarantee a kick ass project that you all had a hand in propping up, and many will have a face in… uh… appearing in (that sounded smoother in my head).

- I am SO sorry if I'm leaving some important folks out. I may have already had some Scotch as of this writing, but no dinner.

So many people out there I owe so much to. Thank you.

Early in 2012, look for THE RAPTOR: FPS on sale (physical and digital - as long as I figure out digital) and from IDW Publishing, the DOROTHY OF OZ: PREQUEL mini-series!

I think I'll end this year's last post like I did last year's;

…for some reason I'm reminded of the last line from a game I used to love in high school; Marathon. Specifically, the last chapter, Marathon: Infinity, where this AI, Durandal, having exhausted all methods of escape from the end of the universe, ruminates on the true nature of the protagonist of the game. And as I know with limited time left there are so many people I'm forgetting to thank, consider this odd little quote a THANK YOU to all who have supported me not only this year, but since I had this crazy idea of doing this comic book thing...

"Now, in the quantum moment before the closure, when all become one. One moment left. One point of space and time. I know who you are. You are destiny."

iAR: iSanta

2011-12-22T14:37:00.004-05:00

In my not-at-the-Cintiq-drawing-comics time for the past week (waiting rooms, long Skype sessions), I've been working on this.

Another image on my iPad 1 using ArtRage and a Wacom Bamboo Stylus.

The only Photoshop edits are the watermarks.

I'm pleased with this, but there are still things I wish I had done differently. Another learning experience I guess. I don't think I'll ever get "WOW" artwork on this, but I might manage "that's nice" eventually.

Ho, ho, ho.

iAR: Woman Sketch

2011-12-19T19:39:00.002-05:00

I have an iPad. An iPad 1, but an iPad nonetheless. I previously (and still) owned an iPod Touch (3rd Gen) and tried drawing on that with nothing but a finger and Sketchbook Pro.

Needless to say, I never posted any of that garbage... anywhere.

I even purchased a couple of styluses for it - those were pretty hit or miss.

I tried again with the iPad, and still the results were far from satisfactory. This time, I went and purchased a Wacom Bamboo iPad Stylus. Better feel, better grip.

Still not great.

I now use ArtRage for iPad, mainly because I enjoy the faux-mediums and texture. This was my one of my more recent attempts to put together a cohesive image. Still not perfect, but we're coming along.

I'd never do professional work on the iPad - seems like too much effort for minimal quality (hey, if YOU can do it, more power to you).

But it's fun to mess around with when sitting, waiting, or during a long drive when you aren't the driver.

And, who is this woman? No reference, no goal when I drew it. It's near Christmas - let's pretend it's the Virgin Mary. I think she'd be a bit darker in complexion anyway (not "white as the driven" as she's usually portrayed).

So there.

Mr. Turkey

2011-11-24T09:17:00.003-05:00

I've been really busy with work and waiting for a baby, so this post actually reuses a piece from last year.

Oh well.

Having a small T-Day here at home, as my wife's doctor is worried about her traveling away from the local area, as the baby is due anytime. So... no family meal today. Just something we're putting together last minute.

Just to get sentimental for a moment, I'm thankful to have a wonderful family, even if I can't see some of them today, thankful to have all the successes I've had with my work, and thankful to have y'all as fans and/or watchers.

And to you international folks, happy Thursday. ;)

Cheers to you all.

~B

THE RAPTOR: FPS - Inquiring Minds

2011-11-17T22:31:00.002-05:00

Who knew that one of my favorite-to-color panels from a recent batch of Raptor pages would be this one from last week?

FOCers Sketch Blog: On Black Wings

2011-11-14T11:55:00.004-05:00

And with this piece, I'm caught up on the FOCers Sketch Blog. This theme, "Golden Age Superheroes."

So, I went with a cover re-creation.

I can't be positive who the original artist was, but what we have here is "Amazing American Comics" number 27, from May of 1943 (as far as I can tell), featuring "The Black Raptor."

"Who's that," you ask? Well, according to Wikipedia;

The Black Raptor is a fictional character created by artist and writer Donald Clarence (under the pen name of Don Thumb [1]). A comic book superhero, The Black Raptor first appeared in Amazing American Funnies #12 (February 1942). His adventures continued on when Amazing American Funnies was renamed Amazing American Comics in April of 1942 [2].

In the original version of the story, The Black Raptor's secret identity is Barry Rogers, an American serviceman back from the war, wounded overseas, making him unfit for further combat [3], much to his chagrin. Returning to his neighborhood in New York City, he finds the streets overrun by organized crime, and the police out-manned, and outgunned.

Coming home one night, he sees an attempted break-in thwarted by the call of a city falcon [4]. Determining "these yellow rats that call themselves criminals" [5] would be easy to frighten and fight, Barry dons a falcon-themed costume, and calls himself The Black Raptor. He takes the fight to the criminals with a combination of his keen mind, soldier training, and trusty pistol, though he must always be aware of his weakness, his left elbow, which was wounded in the war [6]."

You can read the rest at the link above.

Go ahead. Click the link. I'll wait.

Yeah.

I lied. A lot.

No, you're not crazy. There is no Black Raptor.

This is a self-serving piece, as I'll eventually need it for The Raptor (as you can guess, the antagonist of the story might be partially inspired by this made-up Golden Age hero). Sorry.

As you can tell this is heavily inspired by All-American Comics, and the character himself is based on a bit of Batman (with gun!), Alan Scott Green Lantern, the Blackhawks, and The Red Cross.

A bit of a challenge trying to not drawn exactly like myself. I didn't totally succeed, but limiting my brush choices, and forcing some rendering choices helped.

May even do a Silver Age version of the character (and then gritty 80s version, and pouch-laden 90s, and... gritty Naughties reboot?).

Anyway, cheers for dealing with my oddness. :)

FOCers Sketch Blog: Making Points

2011-11-12T17:44:00.003-05:00

My next piece of catch-up for the FOCers Sketch Blog. This theme, of course, "Dinosaurs."

As you can tell, I was looking at a lot of Frank Cho's rendering technique while drawing this. No where near as good, but I figure I might as well emulate the best (my own reptile skin rendering sucks). Figure the FOCers Blog would be a good place to test techniques that aren't my typical ones.

Also did a digital paint under the line work. Playing around. Left some of the sketch showing as some seemed to like that with the Thark piece.

As always, visit the link above if you'd like to see a larger, unwatermarked version of the piece (and leave a comment there while you're at it).

Cheers!

FOCers Sketch Blog: It's not news, it's Thark

2011-11-11T10:51:00.002-05:00

A couple of catch-up pieces today for the FOCers Sketch Blog, including this Thark (the theme: "The World(s) of Edgar Rice Burroughs").

Wanted to keep it sketchy, so I left the sketch layer on. Also experimented with color again. Just having fun with it.

See the un-watermarked pieces at the link above.

More later today.

FOCers Sketch Blog: Hairy Bugger

2011-11-06T15:44:00.002-05:00

Due to the big work load (not complaining) I've gotten behind. Trying to catch up this weekend. So, here we go. My Universal Monsters entry;

Loved "The Wolf Man" so much as a kid, I was a werewolf at Halloween three years in a row. Separated yarn, corn syrup for adhesive, and eyeliner for detail (there's a photo somewhere).

Not as accurate as I wanted, but, like I said, I'm trying to catch up.

So... there you have it. More soon.

...and my AXE.

2011-11-02T13:32:00.004-04:00

Hey all. Been quiet here as I've been spending most of my time working on THE RAPTOR: FPS. I'm also falling a little behind at the FOCers Sketch Blog, but hope to be caught up this weekend.

Then I'll get even further behind, as even The Raptor will be delayed as I begin work on a four-issue mini series which I'm giving the codename (until I can reveal the project) "Thorny Crown."

Kickstarter backers already know this, but I was given one of those big life decisions; get the Raptor done on time, or be able to provide for my family during a time where my wife would be going on maternity leave for the next few months. Being a responsible father and husband, I had to choose to delay Raptor.

I hope Raptor will be a big hit, and make money hand over fist, of course I do, but realistically, that wasn't going to happen in the first week of release, which is the ONLY way that choice would've been more financially sound than delaying it, and taking on this big project.

And don't get me wrong. I'm very lucky/blessed/cursed/fortunate to be in the situation where I have too much comic work to choose from.

But I talked to a few pro friends, and I know I made the right choice.
However, backers get something extra for my delay. They already know what they're getting. The rest of you will just have to wait to get yours. ;)

Anyway.

Above's a commissioned piece I completed a little while back for the website of a blacksmith. I've worked with them before, in particular, on this piece.

This time, instead of a knife, the forged weapon in question was a hand-axe. My only instructions were a female warrior, a bit of sexy, while not having her run around in only a bikini, blonde, and perhaps some warpaint. The armor was cobbled together from everything from Brom paintings to Conan movies to Cosplay superheroes.

I kinda like how this turned out.

To see her in her "natural environment," head on over to Big Hammer Forge.

Cheers!

PS - You'll notice Blogger now has a default lightbox feature. I like it, and I'll leave it, but I won't be going back and removing the code I put into my pages to make my older images pop in a fitted window. That's a lot of work I really don't have time for. Sorry.

THE RAPTOR: FPS - Interrogation

2011-10-19T19:05:00.003-04:00

If you're a new follower of the blog (hello there), then you might not know about my self-publishing comic book venture, THE RAPTOR: FPS. Here's a quick intro (from my successfully completed Kickstarter campaign - hence the fact it seems like a pitch video. It is);

If you're a Kickstarter backer of THE RAPTOR: FPS, you know what's been going on with the project, and have seen some peeks at the art in progress.

However, if you're not a backer, it's been rather silent.

So, for those who might be interested in the project, but couldn't financially back, or only found out about the project after the fact, here's a peek at some artwork in progress;

Detective Jason Hawking (on the left) and Detective Willow Barnes (on the right) of the Special Crimes Squad in the box with criminal informant Cory "Gory" Grimes. Let's just say Gory misspeaks a bit. Just a bit.

As for current work, I'm taking some time away from drawing in order to color up a stack of pages. After those are complete, back to drawing it is.

And, at the end of October here, I plan to have a sample of the book for everyone to download and read. Backers will get the download link about a week before everyone else, but it'll be out there.

Anyway, enjoy! Comment. Let me know what you think.

Cheers!

FOCers Sketch Blog: Uncanny Memory

2011-10-15T10:18:00.004-04:00

I don't share every image I post over at the FOCers Sketch Blog, but this piece is special;

Here's my slightly-belated X-men entry. I had a lot to do this week, and only got to this at about 8 PM on Friday evening. I was going to just post sketch cards I did for Rittenhouse, when I came across this;

A scan of my earliest-surviving hand-made "comic book" from when I was a kid. Would've been around '87-'88 when I discovered you could staple pieces of paper together and make your own comic book. I started making stacks of them, my favorite heroes being Spidey and the X-men. I had ones that were better drawn, but like much of my art from that time, my mother saw fit to throw tons of it out. I don't think it was malice as much as "spring cleaning," yet I am not making that same mistake with my own children. So this is the only comic from that time that made it to the present day.

So I thought I'd do a long-overdue "recreation" of the piece, or something more in line with what I probably actually had in mind. I slapped on some simple colors and a Photoshop filter for the old color-sep look, and traced (I admit that) the logo and cornerbox.

So there you go - a nod to my childhood, both happy and sad. Sad that so much of that is lost (both the artwork and childhood) but happy I've kept with comic book art all these years.

Cheers, folks.

RiP Steve Jobs

2011-10-05T21:18:00.002-04:00

Our first Apple was a Mac Classic. Even back then I tried to create comic books on it (with only the mouse);

Granted, Jobs had been forced out of Apple at that time. Nevertheless, it was still the company he helped build.

And the company he later would return to save.

Today, I saw the news of Steve Jobs' passing while reading the news on my iPad.

Farewell, sir. Thank you for the innovation.

Check the FOC out.

2011-09-26T19:42:00.005-04:00

Seriously. FOC. Friends of Cho. Frank Cho.

I belong to a new sketch blog, put on by members of the official website forum for comic book artist Frank Cho.

Currently featuring 21 artists including;

Erik Burnham ( Ghostbusters for IDW), Scott C. Sava (The Dreamland Chronicles), Axel Medellin (50 Girls 50 and Elephantmen for Image Comics), Elizabeth Torque (Torque Art Studio), Steven E. Gordon (X-men: Evolution), Jon Riggle, Nigel Bell and Suzi Kim. Also: Brian Wisniewski, Colby Z, Daniel Calles, Dermot Meehan, Dremmy, Elshad Kasumov, Eric Cruz, Jessie Garza, Mez, Shawn Dueck and William Pardlow

And of course myself.

An art appreciation blog like Comic Twart, Ashcan Allstars and the like, stop in every week to see the artists' takes on the theme of the week. The opening theme was, appropriately, Liberty Meadows (Google it if you don't know what it is -- for shame!).

Here was my opening piece;

You can head on over to the FOC'ers Sketch Blog and see a larger, non-watermarked version. And check out the pieces from the other artists, and the theme for this week; samurai.

Cheers!

DOCTOR WHO Annual 2011 Preview!

2011-09-13T17:45:00.006-04:00

Sort of a preview. I mean, the issue is already out. It's a preview if you don't already have the issue.

At any rate, above is four pages from my story (with my lines AND colors) with writer Joshua Hale Fialkov from the IDW Publishing Doctor Who Annual 2011. In the story, called "Run, Doctor, Run," (according to the back of the book);

The Doctor tries to stay ahead of his pursuers in a topsy-turvy world...

As for what's being said, or higher-resolution looks at the comic, well, you'll have to go and grab yourself a copy. :)

Fear not, international buyers who can't get their hands on it, soon the book will be on the IDW Publishing iApp (iOS devices) for your purchase just about anywhere.

This was a really fun story to work on. I'd work with Josh again in a heartbeat.

If you do pick up the book, you won't be disappointed, with stories from Matthew Dow Smith and Mitch Gerads, Dan McDaid, and Tony Lee and Josh Adams, everyone involved is a fan, and it shows.

Cheers!

What? WHAT?! W-what...?

2011-09-09T14:01:00.003-04:00

Look, non-Raptor art! A MIRACLE!

Well, this is from a month or so ago. Story behind this is the commissioner wanted three different takes on the Tenth Doctor saying "What!" (as he was wont to do). Originally these were pencil. I drew them up, took a hasty cell phone photo before sending (as my scanner was doing that thing where it pretends to be a paperweight), and sent it out.

Then weeks went by. Then a couple months.

Yup. Only the second or third time ever, since 1999, that a commission of mine didn't arrive at its end-user.

So to fix the situation, I redid the image (based on the crap photo and my old reference sketches), and upgraded the image to a full-color affair.

Even more fun the second time around.

THE RAPTOR: FPS - THE LAST UPDATE

2011-09-03T10:00:00.000-04:00

LAST UPDATE BEFORE THE END: Two hours to go, and a last-minute incentive! --> [CLICKY]

While I'll occasionally mention that there are updates or special events going on over at the Kickstarter, for the most part, I'm keeping The Raptor stuff over there, and everything else over here.

Hope you spread the word, hope you pledge!

THANKS!

THE RAPTOR: FPS - THE FINAL 3

2011-08-31T14:24:00.001-04:00

UPDATE: As of this writing, we're 81% funded, with $941 left to raise in 69 HOURS, by Saturday, September 3rd at 11:58 AM EST.

Past that time, no more pledges will be taken, and if the $5000 funding goal is not met, THE RAPTOR: FPS is essentially dead in the water. See what you can do to help here --> [CLICKY]

While I'll occasionally mention that there are updates or special events going on over at the Kickstarter, for the most part, I'm keeping The Raptor stuff over there, and everything else over here.

Hope you spread the word, hope you pledge!

THANKS!

THE RAPTOR: FPS - Update #22

2011-08-29T15:26:00.001-04:00

Updates abound! Check them out here --> [CLICKY]

While I'll occasionally mention that there are updates or special events going on over at the Kickstarter, for the most part, I'm keeping The Raptor stuff over there, and everything else over here.

Hope you spread the word, hope you pledge!

THANKS!

Post 300.

2011-08-27T06:45:00.003-04:00

My 300th post here on "Holding Lines," since this blog began in April of 2009. So I'd better talk about something significant.

Surprise! I'm going to talk about The Raptor: FPS.

(Digital roughs for the cover of The Raptor: FPS.)

Well it shouldn't be a surprise. I've been working on this comic since elementary school (as Backers of the Kickstarter project would know).

Heck, the current iteration has been carefully planned and written since just before the start of 2011, as evidenced with this tease from New Year's Eve;

Yes, it had a different title back then. I'm much happier with the current one.

But even after all this careful planning, drawing, editing, there's still no guarantee this book will be produced. As I said on Kickstarter the other day;

...without the funding, I just don't have the time to sit for more than a month straight and work on a book for no pay. Comics are my passion and I love working on them, this project even moreso, but my responsibilities as a husband and father mean I can't sit and work on something for more than a month straight that brings in absolutely no money and doesn't guarantee any significant income upon completion.

Also, as I said during the Geeky Talky podcast, I also see me making my funding goal as a strong indication that people out there want to read this book. Not fully funding is a good indicator that only me and a handful of people would care, making it a bad idea.

I really don't want to do this again.

There's nothing wrong with Kickstarter - for the right kind of person. The kind of person that loves to talk themselves and their accomplishments up. I'm not that guy - if you've followed this blog and/or my Twitter, you know I'm big into self-deprecatory comments. And it's not just over-modesty. Without getting into specifics, I came to believe early on that anyone that tooted their own horn a lot was full of crap and/or just a jerk.

And now, here I am in a position where I have to toot my horn and scream about how awesome something is when I don't even have the whole thing to show off! I loathe being such a pimp for my own work. Talking it up is one thing; CONSTANT talking it up is another.

So I don't want to go back on Kickstarter in a week or two with the same project, but with a longer deadline, less of a goal, whatever. I can't imagine putting my friends, family, and any possible supporters and fans through that kind of used-car dealer-hawking again.

Which is why I said what I said above; If I can't do it now, I back-drawer this project, and move on to something else. Which could be more comic book work with an established company (hopefully) or working at the gas station at the edge of town. I'm not joking, nor am I guilting. Seriously, have you seen the economy lately? I'm in a relatively stable job area, but this is what's available, people.

I've gotta do what I've gotta do, then. I put myself on this path, so I have to see it through. So, here's another plea;

Please consider pledging your financial support to making The Raptor: FPS a reality. If you've already pledged, THANK YOU. If you're considering, but need to wait for a little bit, just know that the deadline is September 3rd, at 11:58 EST (and if you don't have a Kickstarter account, it'll take you a few minutes to set one up). Past that time, no more pledges can be accepted (nor counted).

If you absolutely can't contribute, or don't want to (well, later for you, then), but still like the project, please post the links to it and talk it up on your blogs, Twitter, Myspace, Facebook, Google+, forums, messageboards, heck, real life conversations.

I really want to make this happen, but I cannot, under any circumstances (save for a millions in lottery winnings) do this on my own.

Here's the link --> http://kck.st/nG17w3 <-- CLICK THERE.

Thank you for reading, and I hope to bring you another 300 posts, and more importantly, a kick-ass comic.

Cheers,

~Blair Shedd

DOCTOR WHO Annual 2011 - TOMORROW!

2011-08-23T16:21:00.003-04:00

According to my editor, Denton Tipton, Diamond Distributors says that the Doctor Who 2011 Annual from IDW Publishing comes out tomorrow (after originally having a planned release date of the 31st), so we'll take their word for it. Therefore...

DOCTOR WHO ANNUAL 2011

The Eleventh Doctor materializes in his first Annual! This oversized issue contains three complete stories by an all-star lineup;

"Run, Doctor, Run" - Written by Joshua Hale Fialkov, Art by Blair Shedd

"Down To Earth" - Written by Matthew Dow Smith, Art by Mitch Gerads, Colors by Mitch Gerads and Kyle Latino

"Tuesday" - Written and Illustrated by Dan McDaid, Color assist by Deborah McCumiskey

"Your Destiny Awaits" - Written by Tony Lee, Art by Josh Adams, Colors by Rachelle Rosenberg

Lettering by Shawn Lee
Edited by Denton J. Tipton

48 pages • $7.99

Two covers are available, the regular Cover A (seen above, with a background and one Doctor and the TARDIS by me, and other Doctors by Mitch, Dan, and Josh), and Cover RI, the retailer incentive photo cover.

Check this out - I've seen this book (a digital proof anyway) and it's REALLY good. Everyone brought their A-game. Even if you're not a huge fan of the Eleventh Doctor, this is still, at its core, filled with pure DOCTOR WHO stories. Skip this at your peril.

I, of course, am especially proud of my own piece in this, as it's the first time I've colored my own work in such a mainstream title (save for my pinups in Afterburn, The Guild, and my Cover B to Doctor Who #9 from last year). And I really like how this whole thing turned out. Lessons I learned working on that book went in to the effort I'm applying to my current work.

So check that out tomorrow, and let me know what you think!

Cheers,

~Blair

PS - If you want to get a copy of that book, I'm making a few available via my Kickstarter campaign for my creator-owned comic, The Raptor: FPS. Go there to check it out, and if you pledge that amount (and the campaign is successful) you'll have a signed copy of the Doctor Who annual (and a sketch) sent to your door!

THE RAPTOR: FPS - Update #18-#19

2011-08-22T11:34:00.002-04:00

THE RAPTOR: FPS - Update #17

2011-08-20T07:37:00.002-04:00

We're 36% of the way there, hoping for 50% by midday today (Saturday)! For more info, plus an opportunity to see me screencast the digital inking of the page below, click here --> [CLICKY]

While I'll occasionally mention that there are updates or special events going on over at the Kickstarter, for the most part, I'm keeping The Raptor stuff over there, and everything else over here.

Hope you spread the word, hope you pledge!

THANKS!

THE RAPTOR: FPS - Update #12-16

2011-08-18T17:09:00.003-04:00

We're 35% of the way there! Lots of missed updates over at THE RAPTOR: FPS Kickstarter campaign. Things you may have missed; new incentives, nice write-ups, a Backers Only post, and even a podcast interview. Click here for all the action! --> [CLICKY]

While I'll occasionally mention that there are updates or special events going on over at the Kickstarter, for the most part, I'm keeping The Raptor stuff over there, and everything else over here.

Hope you spread the word, hope you pledge!

THANKS!

THE RAPTOR: FPS - Update #11

2011-08-15T21:12:00.001-04:00

We're 30% of the way there! There's an time lapse video update over at the Kickstarter for THE RAPTOR: FPS! --> [CLICKY]

While I'll occasionally mention that there are updates or special events going on over at the Kickstarter, for the most part, I'm keeping The Raptor stuff over there, and everything else over here.

Hope you spread the word, hope you pledge!

THANKS!

THE RAPTOR: FPS - Update #10

2011-08-14T00:39:00.001-04:00

There's an update over at the Kickstarter for THE RAPTOR: FPS --> [CLICKY]

While I'll occasionally mention that there are updates or special events going on over at the Kickstarter, for the most part, I'm keeping The Raptor stuff over there, and everything else over here.

Hope you spread the word, hope you pledge!

THANKS!

THE RAPTOR: FPS - Update #9

2011-08-11T15:37:00.002-04:00

THE RAPTOR: FPS - Update #7 & #8

2011-08-10T21:32:00.000-04:00

Two new updates on the Kickstarter; one, for Backers Only, has artwork from some VERY early versions of Raptor, and the opening three-page sequence of the book, and the update for everyone else has something completely different. --> [CLICKY]

Hope you spread the word, hope you pledge!

THANKS!

THE RAPTOR: FPS - Update #6

2011-08-09T17:51:00.001-04:00

There's an update over at the Kickstarter for THE RAPTOR: FPS --> [CLICKY]

Hope you spread the word, hope you pledge!

THANKS!

THE RAPTOR: FPS - Update #5

2011-08-08T19:10:00.002-04:00

There's an update over at the Kickstarter for THE RAPTOR: FPS --> [CLICKY]

Hope you spread the word, hope you pledge!

THANKS!

THE RAPTOR: FPS - Update #4

2011-08-07T17:53:00.004-04:00

There's an update over at the Kickstarter for THE RAPTOR: FPS --> [CLICKY]

Hope you spread the word, hope you pledge!

THANKS!

THE RAPTOR: FPS - Update #3

2011-08-06T22:04:00.003-04:00

There's an update over at the Kickstarter for THE RAPTOR: FPS --> [CLICKY]

Hope you spread the word, hope you pledge!

THANKS!

THE RAPTOR: FPS - Update #2

2011-08-05T16:01:00.004-04:00

THE RAPTOR: FPS IS LIVE!

2011-08-04T13:56:00.003-04:00

The Kickstarter campaign for THE RAPTOR: FPS is live and in progress.

Click here --> [CLICKY] <-- to see the campaign and incentives.

Or you can click here --> [CLICKY] <-- to read my previous blog post on it.

Spread the word!

Thanks!

Special Preview: THE RAPTOR: FPS

2011-08-03T16:03:00.013-04:00

Here it is, the debut of my creator-owned comic book, THE RAPTOR: FPS.

Unfortunately, due to a bunch of mishaps, I can't intro this the way I wanted - on Kickstarter, where I hope to raise the funds.

So what I'm doing here is to give you a sneak peek at the book before the project goes up on Kickstarter. That way, y'all can get a jump on telling your friends. ;)

So here we go. Click on the video below for a rundown of the project (this video will eventually be on the Kickstarter page);

_______

THE RAPTOR: FPS is a 49-page, full-color, one-shot comic, written, drawn, colored, and lettered by comic book artist Blair D. Shedd.

_______

A missing video camera, the Russian Mob, and the masked vigilante known as The Raptor come into play in THE RAPTOR: FPS.

Journalism student Kathy Walsh and her boyfriend Paul Clemens have been found dead, their video camera missing. Finding they have a personal connection to the victims, detectives Jason Hawking and Willow Barnes of the NYPD Special Crimes Squad take the case.

As the detectives scramble to solve the murder, they discover that not only might their suspects be part of the Russian Mob, but that The Raptor may have a private stake in the case as well.

_______

_______

What is Kickstarter?

Kickstarter (to borrow from Wikipedia);

"...is an online threshold pledge system for funding creative projects… [they have] funded a diverse array of endeavors ranging from indie film and music, to journalism, solar energy technology, and food-related projects."

And, in my case, comics books.

(I'll let you hit their website --> [CLICKY] <-- for the specifics.)

Let me break it down on a personal level, as it relates to my project.

I'm going to launch a Kickstarter campaign to fund the production of my comic, THE RAPTOR:FPS;

"Some of the funds raised will pay [me] a small page rate as artist, in order to keep [my] family in mac and cheese during the [completion] of the book. [I'm] taking no page rate as writer, colorist, or letterer. The rest of the funds will be used to pay the fees related to the Kickstarter campaign, print the first limited-run of copies [of the comic], go towards promotion of the comic (flyers, prints, cards, trade show banners, possible travel expenses to conventions, etc), and produce and ship incentives to the backers.

When complete, the comic will be shopped around to various publishers, in hopes of further adventures told to an even wider audience."

Get that part? That's what I need the money for.

But this isn't just me with a hat out - no, backers get something for their money.

Based on how much you donate, you can get one of a bunch of different incentives/rewards. While I'll wait until launch to reveal all the specifics, minimum pledge is $1, and for that you get access to "Backers Only" updates (which could be anything from work in progress, to a finished page to peek at), but it gets good starting at a $5 pledge (you'll get a thank you and mention on The Raptor website when it launches).

Between there and the top pledge are digital versions of the comic, signed print comics, prints, sketch cover editions, special commissions, possible cameo appearances in the comic itself (that's right: YOU CAN BE IN THE COMIC), on up to the big pledge, $3000, which gets you everything, and your name on the credits page as PUBLISHER.

Starting to dig now?

Kickstarter is a really amazing platform and idea, and while I've had problems getting set up, that's mostly because of things that Kickstarter doesn't have control over.

But I digress.

Above is the basics you need to know - the specifics will happen when I officially launch (which, I will of course mention here).

I hope you can help spread the word when it's time (you don't have to spread the word about this blog entry - I can't accept pledges until the Kickstarter is live), but I really hope you'll consider pledging.

There's some great stuff to get your hands on, many things I'll offer no where else,

And you seriously, honestly, will be helping me make one of my dreams come true. The Raptor has been with me for a while, and this is a story I've really longed to tell properly.

With your support, I'll be able to do it.

I hope you enjoy the previews.

Thank you.

8.1.11 -- I guess not.

2011-08-02T12:32:00.002-04:00

So, you'll notice there was no Kickstarter.com related announcement yesterday.

First, it was delayed because I didn't realize you had to get your proposal approved before you could even set up your project. The way it was worded, I thought it was an instant part of the whole setup process. Only AFTER beginning setup did I find that wasn't the case.

No biggie - it was approved yesterday afternoon.

Next, I had to spend a few hours uploading a video. Hours, you ask? Well, yes. My ISP, Fairpoint Communications, is famous for dropping the ball (g'wan, Google them), and I'm getting near dial-up speeds. They're apparently "backlogged" and the last time I called them to fix this, they offered me compensation. What I'd like for compensation is my internet speeds back to the level I pay for.

That's also lead me to delay working on certain clients' jobs, where downloading large files has become important.

Next, I had to spend an hour re-coloring and changing the layout of my "project image" for Kickstarter. I couldn't find dimensions in their FAQ, so I winged it - unfortunately, I was off enough my image didn't work.

But I finally got through all that.

Well, save for one thing; Amazon Payments. You MUST be approved with Amazon Payments, and you go through the whole deal (to those who are familiar with similar setups at PayPal and the like) of waiting for them to deposit a few cents into your bank account, and then you tell them how much they deposited, and then you're good to go.

Everyone has to go through that, right?

Well, I ALREADY DID. Last year, I had a commissioner who insisted they pay me via Amazon Payments. So I already setup my account for such. Except, Amazon has no record, so I have to put off launching my Kickstarter for another week because they dropped the ball. It doesn't build confidence in Amazon Payments, let me tell you.

So that's where we are. I have a really cool project to share with you, but really don't want to say much until I can show you everything I want to - and all of that is already on Kickstarter waiting to share.

But it's stuck there until this Series of Unfortunate Events That Piss Blair Off is resolved.

So please, bear with me, while I headdesk for a bit.

Something cool is a'comin', but for now, it's stuck at the airport.

To Sarah on 7...

2011-07-31T17:16:00.001-04:00

On Monday...

2011-07-29T21:57:00.004-04:00

...I'd appreciate if you stopped by Kickstarter.

More info 8.1.11.

Doctor Who Annual 2011 Advance!

2011-07-28T17:43:00.003-04:00

(Front cover on the left, back cover on the right)

Also featuring artwork from;

Dan McDaid - [CLICKY]
Mitch Gerads - [CLICKY]
Josh Adams - [CLICKY]

Via my editor, Denton Tipton, here's his photos of an advance copy of the IDW Publishing Doctor Who Annual 2011.

As you can see, elements were added to the cover - I always expected that, but figured it'd just be those windows filled with previews of the stories within.

Instead, each of the interior artists drew the Doctor in perspective (based on the original Escher) in those windows.

To see what I original drew of the cover, click here --> [CLICKY]

Really like how this turned out, though I would've like to see sigs next to the other Doctors. Credit where credit is due and all. Also, if I had known this was the intent, I would've put something more interesting in the star-field of the empty window.

Nevertheless, this cover looks great, and I've already seen all the interior stories - this is going to be an awesome book.

If you're a fan of the Doctor, you'll want to grab this - end of August, 2011, in printed format at your local comic shop, or via the IDW App for iOs devices and other mobile devices where applicable.

Cheers!

8.1.11

2011-07-27T17:24:00.001-04:00

Stay tuned...

Zombies on the iPad?!

2011-07-20T14:37:00.004-04:00

Remember that zombie comic I worked on, ZombieBomb? No? Well, it's already sold out, so...

...but fear not, flesh-eaters, there's a way!

ZombieBomb!: Zombie Anthology from Terminal Press now has it's own app. More info if you click here --> [CLICKY]

As the pop culture behemoth that is Comic-Con International rolls into San Diego this week, your hardworking friends over at team ZombieBomb! have BIG news for all fans of our special brand of undead goodness: the ZombieBomb! App for the iPad, out today.

The comic anthology that's been setting zombie fandom on fire for the past year lurches into the digital age with an app sure to satisfy both hardcore ZB! devotees as well as those coming to the series for the first time. The ZombieBomb! App offers access to every issue of the ZB! series, as well as serving as a hub to our Facebook community and ZombieBombTV episode library. Additionally, exclusive wallpapers and an official ZB! alarm clock round out what is sure to be one of the most killer apps you download this year.

I've downloaded it myself. The app itself is totally free and the issues of the comics themselves cost only $1.99 - that's way cheaper than cover price for the printed edition.

If you're looking for my story, Der Strasse (written by Tom Bennett, and drawn, colored, and lettered by me), check out issue #4, "Dark Daze" in the comic store within the app.

Download it, and enjoy. A must for an zombie fan (or if you just really want to see me draw zombies).

Cheers!

Page 4. Panel 5.

2011-07-14T19:43:00.002-04:00

Atomic Robo - THE MOVIE!

2011-07-14T14:07:00.003-04:00

Well... not really.

In the comic I'm currently working on (my creator-owned thang), I wanted to have some movie posters up in certain places. I joked on Twitter that I'd slip one of my favorite characters, Atomic Robo in there, and Robo artist and co-creator Scott Wegener said "go for it."

So I did, cos it's just too cool to pass up.

I didn't want to spend hours on an image that'd be tiny and covered with foreground images in most of its appearances, so it's a very simple layout, and not a very dynamic pose. I also didn't use the actual Atomic Robo logo, as I'm not sure of the exact legality of that. The "text" below is unreadable, as I just pulled it from a real movie poster (I'm not even sure what the movie was - I just took the first easy to isolate poster I could find in Google).

And there you have it. A very blatant nods to one of my favorite books out there (why aren't YOU reading it?).

Returning to the scene of the crime...

2011-07-12T15:24:00.006-04:00

...this time, for color!

You can see the black and white line work for this panel here --> [CLICKY]

I'm taking the coloring of this kinda slow, as I'm trying to find a tone and scheme for the book. This panel will be trendsetter for outdoor night scenes in this story (of which there are more than a few).

Cheers!

From the pics or didn't happen file...

2011-07-10T18:14:00.003-04:00

I mentioned in an earlier blog post that on Free Comic Book Day this year, I sat next to legendary Swamp Thing artist, Stephen Bissette, and that we jammed on a small Eleventh Doctor and Swamp Thing" sketch for a raffle they held at the store.

Here was the sketch;

And, finally (courtesy of Newbury Comics in West Lebanon, NH) here's the pic of me (the big dude), the winner (sorry, I didn't catch her name -- gosh... she looks afraid of me) and Steve himself;

I once waited in line to get his autograph - and on that day he suggested I jam with him on a piece?! That's crazy talk!

Some days, my life is just that awesome.

Commission Sale!

2011-07-07T13:33:00.005-04:00

While I have things to do, I have some bills on the horizon, so it's time to open up another commission sale!

All my digital pieces are on sale, with 11"x17" color image prices dropped darn low.

UPDATE: Sale goes until midnight, Sunday, July 10th, EST, or when I get four (4) commissioners.

You can find the sale here --> [CLICKY]

(If the prices don't say "SALE" next to them, reload the page or clear your cache.)

Here are some samples of what you could pick up;

Black and white lines;

Black and white lines with grays;

Full color;

Thanks for looking, and thanks for your patronage!

Me and backgrounds...

2011-07-06T21:11:00.003-04:00

Manga Studio has made certain things like backgrounds easier than Photoshop, and even easier than traditional in many ways (via the Perspective Rulers).

Which means, my tendency to want to over-detail cannot be stopped, save by my wife saying "no one will ever notice that."

Above is a panel from something I've been working on (you can probably guess what). I'm no Geoff Darrow, but I try to put as much into my backgrounds as possible. As I am coloring this myself, I'll take that opportunity to refine the focus of the panel.

(FYI - the face in the mirror has been replaced as I didn't draw the character to my satisfaction.)

SCREENCAP003.JPG

2011-07-02T12:34:00.004-04:00

The Colby Block, c1900

2011-07-02T08:38:00.002-04:00

Today marks the beginning of the celebration of my town's 250th anniversary (of the town charter).

I was apparently too late to get into the art show (which I didn't hear about until a few days ago), but nevertheless, one of my pieces is making it into the celebration (via the historical society).

It's the piece above, which I created back in 2007, and described thusly;

...on May 6th, 2007, my hometown lost one of its oldest buildings, a fixture, a landmark in the town, the Colby Block.

Today, the town held an auction for the victims of the fire. Everyone who attended was encouraged to bring an item to auction off. There was a host of things there, from pool accessories, Red Sox and Patriots tickets, canoes, to hand-knit items, and color TVs.

I felt like contributing too.

My father's cousin had a business in that building years back, and I used to go in there often when I was young. She'd often sell me (sometimes give me) Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars. Our town's only grocery store was based out of that building under one ownership or another from about the 1940s.

It wasn't a building that you went into every day. It wasn't a building you thought about every day. But it was part of the landscape, an integral piece of the history and identity of the town.

So in that vein, I thought I'd create something directly related to it. I went to the town hall and requested to see photos taken early in the existence of the building (from the early 1900s) and got photocopies of those images. I then took them home, studied them (they didn't photocopy very well ) and managed to put together an image via my Wacom and Photoshop.

Anyway, I submitted to the silent auction (running parallel to the normal auction), hoping that it would snag $10 for the cause. My father's cousin, the one that ran the store years ago, said it should be in the regular auction, and ran it over to the line. A few minutes later it was up for auction, and a minute after that had sold for a final bid of $90. That's much more than I thought my mage would bring.

I also gave one copy to the town hall for their record, to say thanks for letting me use those original photos as reference.

More info on the town celebration can be found here --> [CLICKY]

Cheers!

Zaboo & Codex - Color

2011-06-29T15:03:00.004-04:00

As promised, here's the final version of the pinup that appeared in last week's "The Guild: Bladezz" one-shot. You can still head out to your LCS to check it out - along with, of course, the actual comic. ;)

As mentioned in my last entry on thisI had the idea of Zaboo thinking about the idealized game him along with the idealized Codex, I tried to do my typical comic book likeness of actor Sandeep Parikh. However, for the idealized versions, I went with a much looser, cartoony take on both Sandeep and Felicia Day. I spent much less time trying to nail an dead-on accurate likeness on Felicia than when I did the "Red" piece (see here), and I think Codex looks pretty sharp for it - and still has a touch of Felicia in her face.

For the Frank Frazetta fans out there, the layout of the piece is loosely based on the "Fire & Ice" painting/movie poster. I give Frazetta an "after Frazetta" credit on the final piece, as is expected and deserved, so worry not, those who think I'm trying to Granito (well, I actually drew 100% of this).

This pinup also marked the last time I did a drawing 100% in Photoshop CS2. From the next day on, I all my digital inking and digital drawings were done in Manga Studio EX 4.

And since the posting of the black and white piece, I got a fun and funny compliment from Sandeep Parikh, the actor who plays Zaboo. In reply on Twitter, he said "Thanks for drawing my face!"

I thanked him for having a face, as without a face, his likeness would be harder to capture -- or maybe much easier. I dunno.

SCREENCAP002.JPG

2011-06-27T13:56:00.002-04:00

SCREENCAP001.JPG

2011-06-24T16:56:00.001-04:00

Zaboo & Codex - B&W

2011-06-23T18:08:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was the debut of THE GUILD: BLADEZZ one-shot from Dark Horse Comics.

If you picked up the issue (and you should), in the back is the pinup above - but in full color.

You can read about how this came to be here --> [CLICKY]

A few notes about this piece; As I had the idea of Zaboo thinking about the idealized game him along with the idealized Codex, I tried to do my typical comic book likeness of actor Sandeep Parikh. However, for the idealized versions, I went with a much looser, cartoony take on both Sandeep and Felicia Day. I spent much less time trying to nail an dead-on accurate likeness on Felicia than when I did the "Red" piece (see here), and I think Codex looks pretty sharp for it - and still has a touch of Felicia in her face.

For the Frank Frazetta fans out there, the layout of the piece is loosely based on the "Fire & Ice" painting/movie poster. I give Frazetta an "after Frazetta" credit on the final piece, as is expected and deserved, so worry not, those who think I'm trying to Granito (well, I actually drew 100% of this).

This pinup also marked the last time I did a drawing 100% in Photoshop CS2. From the next day on, I all my digital inking and digital drawings were done in Manga Studio EX 4.

For now I'm showing off the black and white lines to the piece. Next week at about this time I'll show y'all the final color piece. For now, if you want to see this piece of Guildness, you'll have to pick up the comic.

Commission Sale!

2011-06-20T17:06:00.005-04:00

In celebration (?) of finishing my Doctor Who Annual pages for IDW, and for getting a few more commissions out the door, I'm now accepting a total of two (2) more commissions.

And, to entice y'all, I've dropped the prices of my commissions 5% to 11% (odd amounts... just how the math worked out). Those prices include shipping - and if you ask for digital delivery, the normal discount still applies. You could get up to 16% off your commission!

For examples, check out the blog, or check out the oneGemini Studios Gallery (paying close attention to the "Pinups" category). The link to the gallery is here --> [CLICKY]

And the link to the sale itself is here --> [CLICKY]

If you want in on this sale, email me at info [at] oneGemini.com! Sale is over when I get the first two verified and paid buyers.

Cheers!

Update: Here are some samples.

Black and white lines;

Black and white lines with grays;

Full color;

Thanks for looking!

Another Doctor. Another Captain.

2011-06-20T16:04:00.004-04:00

So above is the final of the commission I had been finishing up the past few days (the pencils were completed before my work on the Doctor Who Annual began). I showed some work in progress from this image in my previous blog post.

The commissioner did ask for one edit - I had left out the glasses they wanted on the Doctor. I fixed that, but kept a version without glasses for myself to display.

As for the story behind this - I'm not sure. I believe it has something to do with an RP the commissioner and a friend participate in, and these are representation of their characters (in their form of a different-than-shown-on-screen Metacrisis Tenth Doctor and Captain John Hart as seen on Torchwood).

Yes, they asked for the gun, so you can stop complaining about that. As long as commission requests don't violate my rules (no blatant porn, race or or sexual-orientation hatred, etc), then I'll draw it.

Not my first Tenth Doctor (or even Metacrisis Doctor), but my first Captain John, and I'm pretty happy with how every one turned out.

Want a commission like this for your very own? Stay tuned - details on how to go about getting on will be posted in a bit.

Cheers!

An Odd Pair

2011-06-18T20:57:00.003-04:00

A couple of shots from a commission in progress (from the SAME commission);

...bad guys had better run. The Doctor's got a gun."

But it's okay. Captain John Hart approves.

Paul Hanley's "Verve"

2011-06-17T14:23:00.005-04:00

A recent commission for the über-talented Paul Hanley of one the featured characters from his webcomic "Superstoked."

For more of Verve and the adventures of Paul's other characters, please, please, PLEASE, check out his work here --> [CLICKY].

Paul will eventually color this himself, and I'd imagine post that up on his dA account. I'll link when that time comes.

He also does some sweet Doctor Who work as well. I mention that cos, y'know, some of you guys are into that thing. And don't forget to check out his Godzilla stuff too. He's a pro at that now. Seriously. IDW pays him to draw the big guy.

If you have an original character from a comic or whatnot that you're itching to see realized in 2D (be it black and white, grays, or full color), contact me, and we can work it out (FYI - I have an agreement with Paul that he can use this image in any way he sees fit, but most of the time, without special agreement, the pieces I produce are NOT for publication, ie, you can't use it as a pinup in your comic or similar publication for profit. Just a heads up for ya).

Cheers!

The Guild from Dark Horse!

2011-06-16T17:53:00.003-04:00

So, last year, I made contact with Scott Allie (Google him - editor, writer - a versatile guy with a lot of books under his belt in many different ways). He happens to be the one of the biggest editors (not physically) at Dark Horse (if not the biggest - I don't keep specific stats).

I've been emailing back and forth with him, and one thing that came up was the opportunity to do a pinup for The Guild comic book series. Right now, The Guild is a series of one-shots focusing on characters from webseries.

I chose Zaboo. In an homage to Frank Frazetta's "Fire & Ice" (painting/movie poster), I drew Zaboo and Codex being attacked by... well... you're just going to have to see it.

But where? Well, I was just told today that it's going to be in the Bladezz one-shot, which actually comes out June 22, 2011. Here's more info.

So, g'wan, head out there, pick that up, and see how I'm slowly trying to involve myself in every corner of geekdom I can touch with my comic book work!

Doctor Who: Around the Next Corner

2011-06-09T19:29:00.004-04:00

NOTE: This is NOT official art from IDW's Doctor Who 2011 Annual.

So I am once again done with a Doctor Who project. Many thanks to editor Denton Tipton for bringing be aboard again, and thanks to writer Joshua Hale Fialkov for penning a VERY fun script.

I'm REALLY excited to have you readers out there see this story, as I'm proud of not only my linework on this project, but the colors as well (as this is the first mainstream title where I've colored my own work).

I can't show you anything more from that project (save for the very non-spoilery snippets I already have posted). You'll have to wait until official previews start popping up around August.

With that in mind, the piece above. Not a panel or image from the story, but done in the same line and color style.

And if you missed the details the first time;

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

Most likely will be available same-day digital as well, so you can pick it up on your iDevice or on the Comixology website.

What's up next for me? I'll be working on some commissions that were put on hold due to Doctor Who, and taking on a couple more when those go out the door.

As I've hinted on Twitter, I'll also put forward a creator-owned project that I'd really appreciate Kickstarter support in making happen. More info when that's ready to go.

As for the good Doctor -- GERONIMO! See you in August.

Weekend Wayback: Tales of the Jedi '95

2011-06-05T19:18:00.004-04:00

Here's what I've been meaning to post, but didn't have a chance due to uncooperative scanner drivers.

The other day on Facebook I friended high school friend Jason Chin --> CLICK <-- then, an illustrator, now, illustrator and writer. It got me thinking on the image above.

Over the course of 1995, Jason and I put this fancomic together not only cos we were Star Wars geeks (he introduced me to Dark Forces), but this became our final project in one art class or another (I honestly can't recall which). I'm sure we did well on it.

Jason and I basically wrote and drew our own stories, based on Yavin (from Star Wars lore - no, not the moon, but the base planet, which, I know, is a gas giant - but we didn't know that at the time). We then combined them into alternating narratives, with Jason writing and drawing a little coda that tied it all together. It ended on a cliffhanger, and while Jason wrote and drew a few pages of the followup (and I wrote a script for my part) it never got much further than this one issue.

We printed up a few copies (at first hand-binding, later, Jason's mother getting them report-bound), selling them to friends (I believe just for the cost of printing), and generally enjoying it. Of course, this comic wasn't sponsored by Dark Horse. I put that on the cover (along with my own made-up Nightmare Press) to make it seem like the Dark Horse Star Wars comics at the time. I wouldn't end up working with Dark Horse for real until 2011 (on what? That'd be telling...).

Funny/sad story: believe it or not, between 1999 and 2002, a guy with a small bookstore just north of me got a hold of a copy and was trying to sell it on the internet for $40+, with a description entailing "from two upcoming comic book artists" and "they'll be bigger than famous comic artist Stan Lee" (Stan is a WRITER). I contacted the guy to take it down (it's illegal to sell something like this for such profit - especially when it's high school student's HOMEWORK). He did for a time, but then posted it a few years later. I emailed him again, threatening legal action, mostly to protect myself from anyone mistaking me charging for a fan work. I think he finally took the hint.

The funny/sad part was at the time he was trying to sell the comic, I wasn't even trying at being a comic book artist. I had basically given that up. I was doing some graphic design, but mostly was pursuing writing.

On the cover itself, this image is 90% drawn by Jason. He drew his two characters, the guy in the extreme foreground, and the blonde gal, and Jason also drew 90% of my character, the Dark Jedi (who I'm not sure if I ever named). Jason left the face, hands, and lightsaber blank, for me to draw in. I did, but tried to draw them like Jason, which didn't quite work out. I colored the thing with Prismacolor markers.

The interior of the comic was black and white.

It was an early foray into comic making, and certainly not the pinacle of either of our illustration careers, but I still remember the production of this fondly.

Oh, and my character wielded a double-bladed lightsaber, a la Darth Maul, four years before the release of Episode I (and before I found that a similar character in the Dark Horse Star Wars comics had done the same). Take that, posterity!

Next time on the Wayback - one of the interior pages from my part of the book, during my MOAR LINES phase.

Doctor Who Annual Inking WiP

2011-05-30T11:24:00.007-04:00

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

2011-05-24T20:36:00.004-04:00

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

2011-05-23T18:00:00.001-04:00

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

2011-05-21T15:47:00.005-04:00

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

2011-05-20T18:20:00.002-04:00

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

2011-05-19T16:55:00.003-04:00

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

2011-05-17T18:00:00.003-04:00

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

2011-05-16T16:30:00.002-04:00

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

2011-05-12T14:06:00.000-04:00

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

2011-05-11T11:56:00.003-04:00

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

2011-05-07T23:14:00.007-04:00

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

2011-05-06T18:41:00.005-04:00

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.

2011-05-06T00:55:00.005-04:00

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

2011-05-05T14:03:00.003-04:00

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

2011-05-02T12:53:00.003-04:00

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

2011-05-01T12:19:00.004-04:00

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). ;)

TimeLapse 3 - Vamp of Venice

2011-04-28T16:46:00.007-04:00

Here's something that hasn't happened in a while; a time lapse video.

Below are three videos showing the steps from rough sketch to final color for the Vampire of Venice above (from the Doctor Who episode, "The Vampires of Venice," natch).

For those listening wondering what equipment I use, click here for those details.

My main goal was to show that even I use basic construction in my drawing, and the rest was icing, going through my process a bit more than a silent time lapse video would on its own.

So, here we go;

BLUES (Roughs/Penciling);

INKS

COLORS

Let me know if you have any questions.

Cheers!

Coloring Who?

2011-04-25T15:13:00.007-04:00

UPDATED:Now with the Second Doctor (see bottom)!

If you follow me on Twitter or are part of my Facebook Page, you've probably seen these already, but I thought I'd gather them up as I went along.

I've been doing some color tests as of late, all in Photoshop CS2, using newish techniques, and refining existing ones.

Below we have the Ninth Doctor, Amy Pond, and the First Doctor. The Ninth Doctor and Amy were sketches I put up for auction on eBay (Amy sold, but the Ninth Doctor didn't even get a bid). I digitally inked both in Manga Studio 4 EX, then colored them in Photoshop CS2. The first Doctor was a digital drawing from February, created for the "Wanted" poster in the "Days of Future Past" picture.

Cheers.

Weekend Wayback: An Easter Bunny

2011-04-24T10:04:00.003-04:00

I haven't done Weekend Wayback in a while, but today it works out because it serves two purposes,

A) It's Easter.

B) This is an old piece.

A digital painting from 2007, I haven't done this level of fuzziness since. Called "An Easter Bunny," as I make no claims as to knowing what the real Easter Bunny looks like.

Anyhoo, no matter your faith or traditions, have a good Sunday.

VARIGRASNA

2011-04-23T11:48:00.005-04:00

This is what happens when I have a rough night and need to let it all out.

I turn on a constant stream of Tool, and spend an hour drawing, not worrying much about the rough sketch, not worrying much about the inks (MS4X). Just drawing, erasing, making the image what it needs to be.

A splash of quick CS2 colors and a stream of consciousness title.

The end.

If this disturbs you - you're following the wrong f**king artist. This is my catharsis. This. Is. Me.

SILENCE WILL FALL

2011-04-21T15:11:00.003-04:00

Gallifrey One Postcard

2011-04-18T11:59:00.004-04:00

As part of my guest "duties" at Gallifrey One I volunteered to be the featured guest of a kaffeeklatsch. I'll let you Google the full definition, but basically, it was me, and a few other people (whomever wanted to sign up) in a room, and we all had tea or coffee (if you wanted) and we chatted about my comic book work (specifically my work on Doctor Who of course), my art process, and the easter eggs to be found in my Doctor Who pages.

While I had a postcard I gave away freely to just about anyone that wanted one, for this special group I had not only free copies of my 2010 sketch book SHEDD HAPPENS!, but this special, larger (8.5"x11") postcard you see above.

While the Eleventh Doctor was drawn specifically for this postcard, most of the other Doctors appeared previously in the Wanted poster from one of my other recent Doctor Who pieces, "Days of Future Past." Sadly, most were not visible in the final version of the image, so this is the first time they've really been seen.

I also promised to draw a toon-esque sketch of their Doctor of choice on the back of the card should they find me over the next couple of days at the convention.

So basically, 9-10 people have these cards (I gave another one out after the kaffeeklatsch - to TV personality Chris Gore - he promised me a Dalek beer cup in return... long story).

I have ten or so of these left, but don't plan to give them out at cons. And no, I won't be selling these.

But as of this writing (4/18/11), there are three free ones to be had on eBay - Buy It Now specials tacked on to three sketches I have up for auction. You can learn more about that here.

Cheers!

A Madman With A Violin

2011-04-12T17:15:00.005-04:00

A recently completed commission.

The commissioner (fountain of fun ideas, @mtemplar) had me do this piece up in reaction to a live violin/fiddle performance she saw. She thought it might be fun to see the Doctor playing one as well.

I misunderstood her intent in the initial sketch, and did up something much more moody and sad (much in the vein of Holmes), but she passed me vid of the performance, and a few other images to pint me in the right direction.

I'll still do that sad violin one, though. ;)

Anyway, in addition to the happy Doctor, since Ten's run was fraught with more than its fair share of depressing moments, I went bright as possible in places; the TARDIS dances on the music, while, in place of the time vortex, which I usually do as color on black, I went with some "happy lil' lines" (thanks Bob Ross) and placed that over a more cheery white.

This was also my first full piece drawn in Manga Studio 4 EX. It was my shakedown piece - I had the pencils done already, so I decided to import those to MS, and just start inking, searching through the manual, Google, and asking questions of those in the know when I hit a wall. Best way for me to learn things like this is to just go for it, and find and correct my ignorance along the way.

A fun piece, and I'm happy with the way this came out.

Doctor Who: Come With Me

2011-04-09T18:18:00.003-04:00

As you can see, this was actually completed back in February, but with all the Gallifrey One madness going on, I never had time to post it.

So I'll post it now.

Not the most dynamic piece ever, but done to the commissioner's instructions. For what it's worth, I like my coloring job on this, even if it's a bit brighter than usual. Which is fine. This Doctor can be a bit flashy if he wants.

Killer Turtle

2011-04-05T22:17:00.003-04:00

Cos in the original comic series, these guys actually killed Foot Clan members. Not beat up, or somehow managed to not stab people with their sharp weapons - nope. Out and out KILLED.

Fun with Manga Studio. I like how the crosshatched cloud cover came out.

For those of you anal enough to notice, yes, Leonardo's straps are on the wrong side. That's cos while I designed this image to have Leo facing right, I drew most of it with him facing left (easier for me being right handed). Except I forgot to flip it around when I drew those straps, so by the time I did remember, it was a bit far gone.

Oh well.

Anyway, I like the movement in this piece, even if the perspective is more than a bit haphazard - but I was experimenting with that.

Still wondering where my Gallifrey One report went? It got buried under illness, then work, then illness, then work again. I may sum up the rest of the trip in a 10 minute vlog post or two, which might work cos I can then show some video recorded at the event.

Anyway.

Until then - Turtle Power!

Doggie Detour

2011-03-23T17:19:00.005-04:00

Yeah, yeah. I still need to finish the other two days of my Gallifrey One report. It's on my desk - but work came first.

So I'll distract you with a bit of artwork, seen above.

A digital painting I did over the past couple of months on commission. Yes I occasionally do pet portraiture.

Cheers!

UPDATE: As some people thought this might've been just a photomanipulation, I've included this full-sized detail (big image). While the grass has photo elements, the dog itself is fully digitally painted and drawn. Yes, referenced from a photo, but I don't use the photo itself in the coloring or final execution via Photoshop filters. So stop asking me for what filters I used - I didn't. I painted it, then applied a slight noise filter. That's it.

BAT-MANGA?

2011-03-16T16:10:00.006-04:00

Yes, I need to finish up my Gallifrey One report. That's currently in progress in Microsoft Word.

No, I just wanted to take a moment to post some artwork, because, let's admit it, you come here for artwork, not for vacation slides.

So here we go.

My workflow, especially my comic book workflow, is 90% digital. Save for the occasional page on Doctor Who that was penciled either a) because I thought it'd be fun, but more than often b) because it was dynamic and I thought it would sell, everything went digital roughs in Photoshop CS2 => digital pencils in Photoshop CS2 => digital inks in Photoshop CS2 (and in the cases of things I color myself, digital colors in Photoshop CS2).

When I started out with the a digital workflow, the main goal was to protect really important work from my then very young son. I had heard of more than a few comic artists that had left their drawing tables for a second, only to come back and find out they had a new collaborator, and that collaborator was well versed black sharpie/ink/crayon/a browned banana/poo.

So I purchased my first Wacom tablet (a 2004-era Graphire 3), and the rest is history...

...as in I've mentioned this tons of times before in interviews, etc.

I currently use a 2003-era Wacom Cintiq 15x (15" screen), which like I've mentioned is exactly like the first tablet I ever used back when I was a graphic artist. You want to see what I work with now? Go here.

Anyway.

I had been using Photoshop because I knew nothing else.

I know comic illustrators like Brian Denham use Illustrator, but honestly, I suck in Illustrator and try to stay out of it as much as possible.

I'm a long time fan of Pete Woods, first seeing his work on DC Comic's ROBIN, so when he appeared on Twitter, I followed him. Eventually I saw him speaking of switching to digital art for comics, and from there, Manga Studio.

Now a name like that conjures images of "big eyes and speed lines" and perhaps a clip art program of that nature. You can look up a brief history of Manga Studio here, but I assure you, nothing could be further from the truth. It's a Japanese program that was imported (over there, it's called "Comic Studio"), and it's obvious the U.S. distributor, SmithMicro, was trying to market to a certain segment.

But Pete Woods swore by it. Dave Gibbons swears by it. And they're certainly not alone.

So I took a look at the software back when I was working on Doctor Who. It was a bit pricey at the time, and I was saving my pennies for a new computer. Further, I didn't think it wise to pick up a new software in the middle of working on Doctor Who, as it would undoubtedly take a bit to get used to, especially since, as Pete Woods put it, had a bit of a learning curve.

But flash forward to now. I have a few extra bucks, and they have the software at about 70% off. So I buy it.

First thing I did was take a commission I was working on, which had organic shapes, hair, and some "tech" work, and then I tried to ink it, with the intention of teaching myself what I didn't know (Google/user manual/nagging Mr. Woods for advice) as I went along.

Here's my assessment almost a week in;

IT IS A KICK ASS DIGITAL DRAWING PROGRAM.

It is specifically designed for comic artists, so the tools are very powerful with that in mind. Customizable, and with enough of their own magic to look like traditional materials. Much more stable, smoother lines, at almost any zoom level. With Photoshop, you basically have to be at 100% to 300% zoom to get a steady line. Not so with Manga Studio.

There's just so much good with this program, that I can't name it all.

People said I had clean lines before, but they got even cleaner. More steady, like I always wanted. With traditional materials, I can make nice, steady lines. I was never great at crowquill pens and the like, but I was good with ink and brush, and brush markers. Manga Studio has given me back all that control and that same look.

Here's a sample of what I'm talking about (posted on my Twitter feed the other day - you'll have to scroll around a bit as this is a long image).;

A snippet from something I illustrated that I can't reveal quite yet. Anyway, the top image is my roughs in Photoshop CS2, and the middle is my original digital inks in the same program. The one on the bottom is my exporting the roughs on the top into Manga Studio and then re-inking them. The lines look far more like traditional materials that have been converted to bitmap, rather than Photoshop brushes being forced to look traditional.

I still plan to go Photoshop CS2 roughs => Manga Studio EX 4 inks => Photoshop CS2 colors, but even that will result in art that looks better than it did.

I'm very satisfied with this purchase (especially at a $200 discount) and I'm really excited to draw some more stuff.

I'll leave you with one more image, a Batman I drew as my warmup today. I did the roughs in Photoshop CS2, exported it over to Manga Studio EX 4, and inked it up (8.5"x11" at 300 dpi - the jpeg is reduced to 150 dpi). Tones were done in Manga Studio as well (kinda big image, so scrolling will be necessary - if small after it pops up, click on it again to embiggen within your browser window);

Anywhere, there you have it. Next time, BACK TO GALLIFREY!

Cheers!

Gallifrey One, Part 3: Now, where were we?

2011-03-08T17:21:00.011-05:00

Note: I get into details that aren’t about the convention itself, and may seem boring to some – but I have relatives asking about those bits, so instead of repeating myself on Facebook and in emails, I’ll just post it all here.

BTW – didja want to see the hotel? Here’s a pic of the central outdoor pool area, and a shot of the balconies on the upper tower.

Anyway.

It was Friday. My first full day of Gallifrey One proper. SO many things happened over the next few days that I’m sure I’ll forget details, or get certain things in the wrong order (isn’t that always the way with time travel?) so I’ll do my best.

I started off the morning a bit like how I spent the previous day; dizzy. Every time I looked down, I’d get a sense of vertigo. Never did figure out why. Jet lag? Perhaps.

Sarah and I got up at a leisurely time, and headed downstairs to the guests-only “Green Room.” It was the first (and perhaps only ever) time I’ve been in a Green Room. We gave our names, I got our badges (mine had an extra special “Guest” printed on it). While we were there, the field/segment/? Producer for The Late Late Show showed up to talk to con organizer Shawn Lyon, so I decided to introduce myself to Shawn at a later date.

We then headed to the lobby for breakfast at one of the three overpriced restaurants. I ended up having a decent burger (it was just after the breakfast hour had ended), and stared at the bamboo trees just on the other side of the window.

My first event of the day followed. Sarah went back to the room to call our kids, while I went to the autograph room for my first signing session. The autograph room was actually two rooms – a larger room where the queue was… queued, and a smaller room for the guests to sign – or at least that’s how it looked.

As it turned out, while I was in the same 1 p.m. signing session with Peter Davison (the Fifth Doctor), Sarah Sutton (Nyssa, 5th Doctor companion), Neill Gorton and Rob Mayor (Millennium FX), Javier Grillo-Marxuach (TV-writer), Jason Haigh-Ellery (Big Finish Productions), David J. Howe (writer, Telos Publishing), Paul Kasey (Doctor Who & Sarah Jane adventures creature actor), Courtland Lewis (writer), and Gary Russell (Doctor Who script editor and IDW Comics’ BBC liaison), I never actually saw any of those people, or could even be sure that they were at the signing.

No, I was in the room with the queue, at a long table with Doctor Who Ongoing (IDW) writer Tony Lee (who also has a Big Finish audio coming soon), and Big Finish writer Richard Dinnick. While he was on the schedule, fellow Doctor Who comic artist Matthew Dow Smith had to bow out of the convention altogether at the last minute.

As we waited in the room with the queue, but not in the queue, for anyone to come and get stuff signed, one of the autograph room organizers announced that people who wanted to just speak to us, “the writers” could come over at any time. I corrected a few times that I was not in fact a writer (or at least there as one), but as an illustrator, and eventually he asked me what I had drawn, as he had no idea why I was there.

Apparently no one else knew either.

I did end up signing a few comics, and people were generally nice, as many, whether being kind or just completionists, had me sign my bio in the program. I gave out a few of my postcards with lil’ Doctor toons on the back;

Tony and Richard were thick as thieves and very entertaining. I learned how to say “Quickly, quickly, potato salad!” in German from Richard. Tony added “I am a rubber tree” to my German lexicon as well.

After the signing session, I met up with Sarah, and we wandered around a bit, hitting the very crowded (at that time) dealer room.

We called back home again, hung out in the room for a bit, and I prepped for my 4:30 thing.

I headed up to the lobby for a bit, meeting Kyle Anderson in person for the first time. Nice guy, and tall enough for me to keep track of in a crowd.

At 4:30, Sarah and I headed downstairs to my kaffeklatsch. What’s that you ask? Well, odd tiny questioning person hiding in my computer, I wasn’t quite sure myself before hearing about them in preparation for Gallifrey One. Apparently I was the only one. It’s literally “an informal social gathering for coffee and conversation.” I didn’t have coffee at mine, but Sarah did. A few others might have as well.

I had only a rough plan for the kaffeklatsch, as attendees could no-doubt tell. There were five or six people total. Save for one, all had read the comics. I went over basic creation of a comic page, from script to final, with examples of each step. I also gave out free copies of Shedd Happens! A Blair D. Shedd Sketchbook 2010. Also for this group was a special postcard;

It was larger in size than the other post card, and was given out only to the kaffeklatsch attendees (and a couple of other VIPs – I’ll explain later).

So g’wan, you sorts who did not see fit to show up to my kaffeklatsch – be jealous.

I spent the rest of the time passing around my portfolio, answering questions to the best of my ability, and revealing some secrets behind the creation of my Doctor Who comic pages – including hidden Easter Eggs.

It was great fun, and I have nothing but gratitude to those who showed up and listen to me blab for an hour.

After the kaffeklatsch, Sarah and I went to the Green Room for a moment, as I wanted to determine if I was to be in the opening ceremonies. I was unceremoniously told I was not.

Why did I check? Was it ego? No – it was the fact artist Matthew Dow Smith and writer Tony Lee were in the opening ceremonies for a walk on last year, and I didn’t want to be an idiot and not go up if was supposed to.

Now this IS a little bit of ego, if I could digress for a second here; was it just because they had a bunch more guests this year that the artist as not invited up? Tony was. Granted, Tony has more than just the comic under his Doctor Who belt now, and is well-known at these gatherings.

But I was asked by a few people why I wasn’t on stage with them. It wouldn’t be the first time that the writers were seen as more important than the illustrators in comics – many writers are lauded over, rightly or wrongly, while the artists that brought those creations to life are little more than footnotes at those same events.

I doubt that’s what was going on here, as this wasn’t a comic book convention.

And a few questioned why I, a Doctor Who comic artist, was billed below Daniel Logan who played young Boba Fett in the Star Wars prequels and only was at the con a day. He wasn’t the only con guest who I was billed under and not Doctor Who affiliated. I guess it came down to degree of famousness.

I will agree with one fan who asked me about that, who said that they felt Doctor Who guests should be billed above all others, no matter their degree of association with the show – a Doctor Who novel writer should be higher billed than a non-Doctor Who sci-fi novelist, as they put it.

Whatever. These are things I have no control over, and I only voice these opinions (they are nothing more than that) as questions were posed to me, and it made me examine my own feelings on those things. The convention is well run, considering it's fan run and non-profit, and the staff for the most part is incredibly friendly and helpful (but I'll go into that more during my summation of the entire trip).

Anyway.

It was a moment of disappointment, and I got over it.

The opening ceremonies were wonderful, thanks to the brilliant video that Peter Davison put together, a callback to the video he sent in last year when he couldn’t make it (the following are not my videos, and all kudos should be directed to the Youtube posters);

Here’s 2010’s video (WATCH THIS FIRST);

NOW WATCH THIS;

Yes that was Freema Agyeman (Martha Jones) and David Tennant (the Tenth Doctor) as guest stars in that vid. And let me tell you how epic it felt to have Peter behind the console, THAT console, again. And then step out of the on-stage TARDIS (totally saw it coming, but epic anyway).

The main guests were then introduced;

From left to right; Matthew Waterhouse (Adric), John Leeson (K9), Sarah Sutton (Nyssa), Janet Fielding (Tegan Jovanka), and Peter Davison.

As we left opening ceremonies, I saw someone I knew from the net. We spoke about something said on Twitter, and chatted for a bit about things better not said in this blog cos they were dirty (tee hee). I will not reveal who this person is, as we may be working together soon, and I don’t want to spoil it.

During this, Sarah (dressed as Eleventh Doctor companion Amy Pond, specifically from the episode The Vampires of Venice – and sorry, no photos), was hit on by a duo (perhaps even couple) dressed as Captain Jack Harkness and Captain John Hart of Torchwood. Both were somewhat-accurate looking, large, strapping men. I don’t believe Sarah was offended by this flirtation (though Captain Jack asked her if she was dressed as “Amy Pots.” Hrm).

We headed back to our room, and ordered delivery Thai online. We waited for our food, ate it, then headed out to see what was going on that evening.

We ran into a girl I ended up calling “Weepy Amy” as she was dressed as Amy, and upon seeing Sarah also dressed as Amy, came over to her fake weeping. Apparently she made ribbons for those dressed as Amy, with the intention of giving them out to anyone who anyone dressed as Amy. Except she had run out just before seeing Sarah, and she felt bad, as her name was also Sarah. Sorry, that Sarah, the Weepy Amy is a nickname of endearment, truly. There were SO many Amy Ponds, that at least you were unique in that way.

Side note – this Sarah/Amy was also the Ironsides Dalek operator – more on that next time.

We ended the evening bouncing between LobbyCon and The Paradise Island Dance Party, where people danced in front of the stage under blinking lights and a glowing TARDIS.

We saw the Master make out with the Tenth Doctor (I’m not quite sure if one was a guy, and one was a girl, or if they were both girls. It was dark).

I also Tweeted;

“Dear universe; I’m watching people dance in front of a TARDIS.”

One of the next replies was from “The_UN1VERSE.”

“Hah. Great Isn’t It?”

Yes it is, UN1VERSE. Yes it is.

Tune in next time for Saturday – where it REALLY gets interesting.

Cheers!

Gallifrey One, Part 2: It's A Great Day...

2011-03-07T21:52:00.018-05:00

Note: I get into details that aren’t about the convention itself, and may seem boring to some – but I have relatives asking about those bits, so instead of repeating myself on Facebook and in emails, I’ll just post it all here.

My full title, "It’s A Great Day For Time and Space Everybody," was a bit long for the title bar above. Bummer. But why that specific wording?

So that happened.

Background? Okay.

Well, a few days before leaving, the Gallifrey One staff announced that The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (on CBS) would be sending Chris Hardwick (aka Nerdist) to Gallifrey One as a correspondent. Craig is an admitted Doctor Who fan, and Chris is a geek/nerd about a lot of geeky/nerdy things – Doctor Who being no excepction.

So in the middle of prepping for the trip, I put in about 4 or 5 hours into a quick Craig Ferguson as the Doctor. In retrospect, Geoff Peterson should’ve been some sort of Cyberman-amalgam companion, but the monkey puppet had a fez, so…

Anyway, when it was complete, I sent a sneak-peak to internet bud Kyle Anderson, who blogs on Nerdist.com at times. In fact, he was the one that ran my image of “Days of Future Past” (my Doctor Who/X-men Cover montage) on Nerdist.com.

Kyle loved it, passed it on to Chris, who also got a kick out of it, and then it found its way onto Nerdist.com, and from there the internets in general. In fact, above is the first time it's appeared on a website controlled by myself.

But I didn’t know this; that was Wednesday, and I was in the air. I gave Kyle permission to post it, yeah, but I had no idea how far it was spreading.

It got attention though. Boy, did it.

Anyhoodles.

Thursday.

Like I said in my last post, Thursday was for my wife and I. Read the last post (if you haven’t already, and shame-shame if you haven’t) as to why that’s quite important.

Before leaving, I tried to arrange for a rental car. Annoyingly, the one place I could work with (Avis Rent-a-car – as they took debit cards), was sold out of EVERYTHING at LAX. Gallifrey One was the same weekend as the NBA All-Star Game, meaning everyone had flown into LAX, and everyone had driven a car away from there.

I managed to swing a rental at Bob Hope Airport, aka Burbank Airport. This is in Burbank of course – over 45 minutes north. I at first tried to get my longtime friend Dave in Burbank to come pick us up, but his work schedule wouldn’t allow him or his wife Lori to get away for that long. He gave me a few options for public transport.

I also spoke to my wife’s ex-college-roommate Alexis and her husband Nate (she works in the video game industry, he works in film). Alexis would be happy to drive us from almost-Burbank to Burbank, but we’d have to get to at least Van Nuys. She suggested the LAX Flyaway Bus.

As you may or may not know, L.A. is famous for not having great public transport systems. In NYC, you can catch a subway, bus, or cab just about anywhere. L.A. is physically larger, so cab rides to “distant” places cost much more.

The LAX Flyaway Bus is a company that runs shuttles/buses from certain hubs to and from LAX for the sole purpose of connecting travelers with the airport.

But, we didn’t come in that morning. Also, we didn’t know how to pay (they don’t ticket you on the bus – that was clear, but past that, they only made allusions to holding your checked bags until you do pay – but we had no checked bags as we didn’t arrive that morning, dig?).

So with all the failure leading up to the trip, I was mentally scrambling for ways out of any problems we would encounter.

Early Thursday morning, we took the Marriott shuttle back to LAX. We got off at the first terminal, looked around for the green sign that indicated the Flyaway Bus pickup. Couldn’t find it. Time getting short, I asked a baggage-check lady, and she told us we were on the wrong level. We headed down, to arrivals, and found the bus there. We boarded with no issue, the bus mostly empty, and started heading north. Quite quickly in fact (following along as we were on Google Maps on the iPad).

Soon enough we were in Van Nuys, getting off the bus, we had to buy a ticket to exit the turnstile. Seven bucks per. Not bad at all. We sat in the waiting area of the bus station, and I called Alexis. Even she was impressed at the speed with which the bus made it north.

Alexis soon arrived, gave us each a big hug (I don’t think she had seen Sarah since 2004 or so, and myself since at least 2006), handed us a homemade muffin (thanks!), and tossed us in the car. She drove us to Bob Hope Airport as we played a quick version of catch-up.

As we neared the airport, my fears of catastrophic trip failure reared their smelly, slimy, toad-lookin’ heads again, and I asked Alexis that in the case that we could not rent the car, I could call her for a trip back to Van Nuys. She agreed, but we all hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

She dropped us off at Bob Hope (a NICE, small, airport – it’d be worth the drive to fly into here in the future). We headed to the Avis counter outdoor office.

The desk people were nothing but nice, even working with me when we discovered we had wandered into the preferred customer’s kiosk, and not the normal desk. Whoops. After a few minutes of taking information and the like, the rental guy said the words that I feared; “the computer won’t let me rent the car to you.”

Oh hell.

“You prepaid for the rental – and you said you’d rent at 10 a.m., but it’s only 9:30. It won’t let you have the car early.”

We were told to come back in a half hour. We wandered around the airport a bit, then sat on a bench in the sun, people watching.

When the time came, we went through the paperwork thing again. But this time…

…that was it. He gave us the keys and we were on our way. After all the failures, I felt like we had gotten away with something.

We headed over to our 2010 Mustang convertible; I ALWAYS rent a Mustang in L.A., as I’ve driven them before – I own a ’96 – and am very comfortable with them. Being comfortable with the car is important for me, especially in L.A., as the driving can be a bit intense for country boys raised in rural New England. I’m not the best L.A. driver ever, but for a guy who grew up in these here parts, I’m not bad. The car, like mentioned last time, looked exactly like this rental we had in Vermont;

After taking a few close-up pictures of the car (documenting scratches and the like – no one did a walk-around with us), we plotted our trip and headed out.

Our first stop would be Malibu – though our two GPS’s (a Magellan unit from our car at home, and the iPad) couldn’t agree on a route, and the Magellan couldn’t keep up with us, making us miss turns all over.

We ended up taking a route I’ve never taken before, just on the outskirts of Beverly Hills, and unintentionally showing Sarah bits of Hollywood, Santa Monica, and other places.

Eventually we stumbled our way over to the Pacific Coast Highway, and headed north towards Malibu.

My wife had her camera at the ready as we came over the hill into Malibu. Her first shots were nearly at the exact angle and place of my first shots of Malibu from my first visit in 2002;

Our destination was a place called Paradise Cove, and a little restaurant called Bob Morris’ Beach Café.

It was right next to the Paradise Cove trailer park, the only trailer park I’d live in on purpose. Talk about location.

My friend Dave brought me here during that first visit years ago, and while it is obviously a bit touristy, it’s a nice intro to the area, especially for winter-weary North Easterners.

We chose to be seated outside, which in this case meant an area of tables on the sand, but still with a tarpish roof and translucent plastic-tarp walls in places to keep the wind from blowing sand around, or your food off your plate. While the weather was quite sunny and in the 60s (still apparently cold for some – but not when 24 hours before it was 18ºC for us), the wind was out. We were both fine in our long-sleeves.

The view from our table (the second one is from my cell – originally posted on Twitter);

We had the salad bar, cos it was relatively cheap – but worth more than the purchase price. Around here, a salad bar means the most exotic thing you’ll see is a mostly-thawed shrimp and some artichoke hearts. This salad bar had a nice mix of seafood salads, not that fake-crab-and-mayo kind – though they did have that. We're talking nicely pickled veggies and mushrooms, cevichés, and more. This was a bunch of good, diverse, and mostly fresh-tasting foods. Lovely.

Sorry no pics of the food – just didn’t feel like it. For most of the trip.

It was a big step up from the previous-night’s hotel-sports-bar fare, which was fine enough, but somewhat generic, and way overpriced. For $10 less total at this place, we got an endless salad bar full of non-deep-fried stuffs.

We paid for our lunch, and left onto the beach, just to look around a bit. Sarah got a few snaps of the immediate area (most of what you see is the property of the resturaunt);

After lunch, we planned out a route to Hollywood – we had a 3 p.m. taping of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson to attend.

We headed back down the PCH;

We even dropped the top for a bit, before deeming it a bit too chill to keep it down the entire trip;

Traffic slowed near Hollywood, apparently due to a busted traffic light at a four-way intersection. I let the pickup truck to my left run interference as we scrambled across the road.

We missed the turn into the CBS Studios parking lot, made what I thought was a complete run around the block, then parked – but not at the CBS lot. No, we were parked in the parking lot of The Farmers Market. This would cost us $20 in parking later, but it would be worth it.

We walked up to the gate, finding we had plenty of time. Met (very briefly) David and Tara, who were waiting for the 4 p.m. taping.

I got these tickets ahead of time, as going to the land of movie-making, Sarah should experience something along those lines – not just wandering around “Hollywood,” the Walk of Fame, Mann’s Chinese, etc. This would be more “real” (as real as any TV-show gets).

During my second visit in 2001, I was able to attend a taping of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Back in art school, I attended a taping of Late Night with Conan O’Brien in NYC. So I knew somewhat what we could expect.

I won’t go through all the details of The Late Late Show, because I think it’s something more to be experienced than told about. If you’d like to know more, you can actually watch that episode online (for as long as it lasts);

JUST CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE EPISODE ON CBS ONLINE

I will mention some of the things cut from the final episode for time;

- The entire “Tweets and Emails” segment at the beginning, which included one of the funniest impromptu jokes of the night, where deodorants/scents were spoke about. Craig said “You know what scent I like on a woman?” Before he could answer, robot sidekick Geoff Petersen said “BALLS.” Craig cracked up. I saw the producers crack up. I’m not sure how Geoffrey is activated/operated, but I’m guessing that was just a random one. Craig then desperately claimed he was going to say “jasmine.”
- The “cold open” of the show is filmed AFTER Craig’s monologue (the “cold open” is shown before the monologue when aired). Craig originally brought out his TARDIS toy and spoke about the TARDIS and what it did, before waxing about Doctor Who and Gallifrey One for a moment. After they ended the scene, he spoke to a producer, then stated he was going to do it again. “It’s a bit too Doctor-Whooey, and we’ve done a lot of Doctor Who recently.”
- A few jokes with Sarah Chalke were cut out, and 99% of the ending “what did we learn tonight, Craig” bit.
- GOSH Sarah Chalke is a hottie. Not that this was cut from the episode - just thought that should be stressed. I've met/seen a few people "in real life" that have appeared in TV, and they're often nothing without a camera and some fancy lighting to back that up. Ms. Chalke is winning (ugh, I said "winning" like that) without that stuff.

All in all, it was a really fun experience, though the rules were a bit more strict than any taping I had attended to that point.

We walked back to the car, gave my friend Dave a call, as we were to meet him, his wife, and his parents for dinner at Yamashiro in Hollywood. We didn’t know when we were to meet them. Apparently it would be in 45 minutes. And according to Dave, we were about 45 minutes away due to traffic.

So we pushed our way on over, against traffic, and once again lead astray by GPS directions. With some quick scrambling my Sarah and I, she navigated me by sight on the iPad’s Google Maps program to Yamashiro – a back way I had never seen before, meaning I didn’t see the restaurant even when our car was facing the sign to the entrance.

We pulled around, found Dave and the rest, and Sarah snapped a few pics of the view from this hill-perched restaurant;

It was great seeing Dave and Lori (Dave is a friend from high school, Lori his wife whom he met in college – I was Dave’s best man, and he was mine). Both of them currently work in the film industry. It was also great to see Dave’s parents – which is hilarious, as they live about a half-hour south of us in Vermont. We had to fly across the country to see them (as they visited Dave and Lori).

I don’t remember everything that was ordered, though I got the oyster shooter I always get (check out the menu at the link above) and both Sarah and I ordered the black cod. Very nice. For dessert, we had the “dessert sushi,” various dessert items done up to look like actual fish-based sushi and sashimi.

We said our goodbyes, headed back to the hotel, very briefly hit LobbyCon (where I saw Tony again), and then quit for the evening.

It was a great day. Better than I could’ve hoped with all that went wrong, and the reduced budget. Near-perfect, and I owe it to the generosity of friends, and the support of you fans out there on the intertubes.

As good as that day was, we hadn’t even gotten to the meat of the trip. The next day, the convention proper would begin.

Tune in next time for the report of my first day at my first Gallifrey One!

Cheers!

Gallifrey One, Part 1: The Oncoming Storm

2011-03-04T12:23:00.006-05:00

Note: I get into details that aren’t about the convention itself, and that may seem boring to some – but I have relatives asking about those bits, so instead of repeating myself on Facebook and in emails, I’ll just post it all here.

So here it is. The first of a few posts on my trip to Los Angeles and Gallifrey One, the largest Doctor Who convention in North America (and possibly anywhere).

I titled this post “The Oncoming Storm” not just because it was the Daleks' nickname for the Doctor, but because with all the crap I had to go through to get to the convention, I was beginning to feel that this trip would be the perfect storm of shit.

Let me recap for you;

- I get invited as a guest to appear at Gallifrey One
- I start saving my pennies
- Airfare starts to get pricey, fast
- So I sell some artwork I was going to keep… but you gotta do…
- I sell a bunch of commissions as well
- I finally get enough money to buy plane tickets
- But then my ISP shuts off my internet, and I have to shell out $300 to get my net connection back
- Airfare jumps by $100 per person the next day
- I lower my commission prices and sell even more of my “save forever” artwork. It sells, I’m grateful, but it really sucks I had to lose so much of that work
- Still short on airfare money, only to find that ticket prices have jumped by $300. Started making plans to cancel the whole trip
- Next day find that ticket prices dropped $400
- Purchased tickets
- Finished taxes, e-filed for quick return, so we’d be able to eat and rent a car, maybe see a few sights while in L.A.
- TurboTax goofs, says “our bad,” and we’re told we’ll get a check for our refund a week after the convention is over
- Scrambling, I call my bank to get a personal loan. They do the bank equivalent of laughing in my face
- Find that there’s no way to refund my airfare
- Drop my prices further on commissions, and sell a few more pieces of my personal collection, dropping my “I’m going to keep this forever” collection to about two pieces
- My best friend loans me a bunch of money. A friend from town randomly loans me a sum as well
- Thanks to everyone’s kindness, we’re locked in for L.A.
- Two days before, I find that Best Buy has double charged me for a purchase I made at the beginning of February. We’re out $700. Best Buy says it’s totally their mistake, and they’ll reverse it – but we’d have our money back in 7 to 10 days. I call bullshit, call my bank, ask what they can do. They treat it as a fraudulent charge, and give me a provisional credit. Last-minute save

At this point, I’m still bracing for a shitstorm, but there’s certainly no turning back now.

We drive up to Burlington, VT, on Wednesday the 16th of February, as that’s where and when the plane leaves from (ah, see? There’s a method to my madness). The weather is great on the way up, and my wife and I listen to a Podshock podcast on the way up on “what to expect at Gallifrey One.”

I’ve never flown from BTV before – not sure if I’ve even ever been to that airport. Small airport; nearly missed the entrance. Park ($12 for parking – YIKES). Wait for our plane. Everything on time.

It’s my wife’s first plane trip. To say it was all a bit overwhelming is a bit of an understatement (for the record, she’s okay with it now – but not itching to get back on a plane).

First time flying with JetBlue. At first, I ruled them out as a flying option for the pricey tickets. In the end, they ended up being second-cheapest (cheapest was with American Airlines, who I’ve flown with in the past – but charge for everything now, from food to checked baggage). Fastest flight to JFK I’ve ever been on. I’ve taken flights from Manchester, NH to JFK that have taken longer. BTV to JFK was about 50 minutes. Smooth too. Even the landing. Most landings I’ve had were big bangs – this wasn’t. I braced for nothing and looked like an idiot for it.

Full flight from JFK to LAX. I’ve never slept well on a flight. This is no exception. I have isle seat, and my wife has middle. Some fidgety graphic artist has window. I only know he was a graphic artist, because he was doodling on his iPad, and kept turning around and talking to a guy two rows back that he was obviously traveling with about something they were doing in L.A.

For the record, his doodling wasn’t that impressive. To be fair, mine isn’t great on the iPad either.

We land in Los Angeles ahead of schedule to find it a lot chillier than expected (but still much warmer than the 18º F or so we left). We wait for about a half hour for the Marriott shuttle, are brought over, finding LobbyCon already in full effect.

Note: LobbyCon is the mini-convention that breaks out just about as soon as the first guests arrive and lasts pretty much until the last guests leave, interrupted only by actual convention events – and sometimes, not even interrupted by that. This takes place in the Marriott’s main lobby… of course.

We check-in, finding arrangements as expected, save for the fact they want to put a hold on my credit card $50 for “incidentals” like internet and pay-per-view movies. I cringe, as I wasn’t expecting the daily incidental rate to be that much (remember, without our tax refund, our trip budget is over $1000 smaller than we wanted it to be). The check-in woman says she can simply turn off the PPV and internet in the room. If we wanted to use it, we’d have to pay at that point. I’m totally fine with this plan, as we have an iPad 3G, and plenty of data left. And even if we have to refill our data (which we did) it’s still much cheaper than $50 a day. And PPV? We didn’t come to L.A. to watch Prince of Persia on a 27” tube-TV.

The room is nice enough (pool-level – but not poolside). The hallway leading to the room echoes with the sounds of some machine that makes it sound like the interior of the TARDIS. Nice touch.

Sarah falls asleep almost right away.

I make a quick appearance at LobbyCon, but even I’m too beat for more than a half-hour or so of hello (where I run into Tony Lee – but he’s basically the only person there that I know – and I don’t make new acquaintances easily. I’m actually quite shy in public).

I turn in at about one in the morning, PST.

“But hold on, Blair – doesn’t the convention start Friday? Why are you there on Wednesday night?”

Well, mysterious disembodied questioner, you are correct. The convention proper does start on Friday. Thursday was specifically for my wife and I.

You see, in July will be our 7th anniversary. The night of our wedding, we drove to a Days Inn less than a mile away from the local hospital, next door to a used car lot, and a half hour away from my parents' house (whom we were living with at the time). The next day we went back to my parents' house (we didn’t get our own apartment for a few months after).

We’ve never had a honeymoon. Never enough money. Never enough time. Only once have we both been away from our kids for more than a day (that was three days in NYC to attend New York Comic Con – and that was work-related enough that we did nothing but go to the con, then go back to the hotel and sleep).

While my wife has mentioned that having a convention in the middle of a “vacation” prohibits the event from being a honeymoon, I still hoped that this trip would end up being a getaway from work and home of sorts. Hence why I was so put out by the drastically shrunk trip budget. Things were cut out. Time was lost.

But nevertheless we were there.

There were a bunch of hoops to jump through to make Thursday a success. But I’d worry about those again in the morning.

The next blog entry will be about Thursday, and how we took at car that looks like this (not a photo of the actual car – just same make and color – this one was rented in VT);

to a place that looks like this (not a location we actually had time to visit – this was taken on a previous visit – but we did go to this area);

Cheers!