A Bust

just like the debates! Sorry... I had to save it.

Kool Herc

Unlike the guy who invented the continuous break-beat and hip-hop in one fell swoop, this
Herc posed in his b-day suit with nothing more than an apple and a fleece.

This is the "marble statue of youthful Hercules" from the Roman Flavian period, AD 68-98.

It's at The Met, where I was today drawing for the first time in quite a while.

Oh, they have this "Classic Fantastique" exhibit that is awesome... check it out! Art deco and bauhaus inspired furniture and objects from early 20th century

Inking Blacks to Spot

Although this isn't the page posted below, it is inking of a page of finished pencilling. I'm trying to do something that terrifies me, but is suggested by most artists: inking the large patches of black before anything else.

I'm used to outlining, then shading, then filling the fields with a brush (or q-tip, I ain't gonna' front!) because the filling is kind of boring and easy. BUT most artists say to lay this down first, to see where it leads the eye on the page, and to really define the negative space onto the page.


This was taken from the new V magazine... a real disappointment, if you ask me! Anywhoo... here's to facing your fears!

A Faint Pencilling

You will probably need to click on this to make it big. It is the initial pencilling for the page I posted earlier with the thumbnails.

Holy grammatical gaffe, Batman! Comics makes verbs out of nouns... like "pencilling!"


Yes, pencilling. We have to call it that because, well, see, we have to because there are four stages of drawing in comics!

The first is the layout; seeing how the page flows, where to put the focal points so that the eye can swim across the pages with the greatest of ease.

Then comes the ungrammatical "pencilling," where we sketch out the actual things that go on the page.

Lastly is inking, where we digitally or physically finalize those pencilled lines to give shape to the final artwork.

Coloring isn't necessarily a part of the drawing, but black really pops with even one color, really making the art stand out. I personally prefer black and white art, simply because I can see the artwork really clearly. But grayscales, tones and filters are also a part of coloring and a part of the artwork. And if you really want to press it, you're coloring it with black... so there!

Of course this is all tradition. Some of the best artwork I've seen is painted or done in ball-point pen. You can use photos (fumetti!) or the third dimension with boxes and braille and textures. You can have everything on the internet or hand make every one! Really, comics is too much fun to be latched on to one way of doing things. Just do what makes you happy and share it with everyone and their mother and their dog.

Oh, Boo... Who?

Industrial Music (Oh so 90's)

I've been on this HUGE industrial kick.

Well, laugh all you want, but I've been thinking a lot about how great industrial music is (or was, or whatever). You see, in the late seventies and eighties, a lot of bands now lumped together as industrial, were making music with a purpose: The "first wave" was rallying against music itself, using non-instruments and making non-songs. I admit I know next to nothing about these groups such as Einsturzende Neubauten, Throbbing Gristle, etc. etc.

BUT! I have been getting in to the "second wave" of industrial bands. Specifically, a band that I loved a lot in my teen years, Skinny Puppy. If you don't know them, I won't go into specifics (you're on the web, dude, look it up!) but I will tell you that they made music to move to that was political. In fact, the "second wave" of industrial bands used a lot of their abrasiveness not against music itself, but injustice, and Skinny Puppy are probably the most "lefty" of industrial bands.

It's uncanny how poignant and timely these lyrics seem almost 20 years later. As we face a more fanatical regime that threatens to destroy the world, I urge everyone to follow their hearts and really look at what they are doing to spread love in the world. America has become a nation of hatred in many ways and I hope that we can change that, rather than perpetuate the negativity and oppression, racism and sexism, this underlying culture of criticism and dismissal that is now "cool." It's so amazing how much hatred exists in the world, and has for thousands of years.

I leave you with the lyrics (1989, Exxon Valdez, 10 million gallons... still chanting "Drill, Baby, Drill" at the RNC) for their song "Hexonxonx:"

miles cable claws
driller killer ripping holes
tattered cloth stained
regaining the weather
acid rains so sweet, sweat streaks
downpour on humidity
colder time talking hints
watching tests the heat
mangled meat retaliate
no blaming in future dreams
could you have stopped it from happening?
best left spectator spectacle
time spaced fast paced
farther down all that trigger
guaging cause kills at will

melted prophets
book burning how undone written
slurs the meaning the past
they will repeat hard to hit
so unbeat
melting prophets
the past melting undone



misted fable roles all together
mutating chains rattle
happy to perform
either war or famine
nowhere arid food growing
warming trends a place
passive cows to feed the weak
product waste give back
nothing orders come in
make a million living things suffer
hidden glad garbage body bag
what of that change
that could save everything
that paper shredder
patent tender
puts us back in time again

hex on your black heart
makes me sick

budgets that burst with oil
crude gas in purse
no compassion
common criminals seek asylum
concrete pillow
exxon dreams
hidden hierarchy
no one in power taking blame
taking blame
taking blame


Any way, just be aware; walking down the street or watching what big companies are doing to our world.

Do You Want to Know a Secret?

When going from script to panel, I create thumbnails of each page, lay it out to see all the elements, plan spacial areas and get an idea of the best areas to focus on for dialog, mood or action.

In all honesty, I'm a very sloppy planner!

I offer you a very rare glimpse into the world of planning. When I write, it's very organized, structured and thought out, but drawing feels so free that I can't make myself rigidly place every detail. This might be a future challenge... but what the heck; I'm having fun!




I actually kind of like the sparseness of this one. And the chubby legs. Oh, well now I'm embarrassed... so I hope you enjoy!

A Bashful Skull

Isn't she cute???

Behold, a Lady

Sarah Palin is a Trophy VP

And, to top it off, she is way worse than George Bush. Lest we forget that McCain was "once" more to the right than Bush (a fact now conveniently forgotten). A candidate who has NO experience in anything, who voted for the "bridge to nowhere," who wants to teach creationism to our kids, who hates polar bears and wants them dead so Alaskans can have more jobs, and who is allegedly lying about carrying a child that belongs to her daughter.

I say allegedly, because to state such a claim could be considered libel, but the evidence looks pretty damning and I can SHOW IT TO YOU!
Barrack Obama is saying that the children are off limits... even as Palin announces that her daughter is pregnant, thrusting her into the spotlight. BUT, what is in question is Sarah Palin, who is all about family values. If she is, in fact, lying about all this, that is her character. What would stop her from, say, trying to get her ex-brother-in-law fired or hating polar bears (they are so cute and fuzzy!). If she is anti-birth control and anti-abortion, why not embrace the consequences and say, "Yup, shit happens when you try to teach kids abstinence. Well, we're family and we love each other and support each other. So it's none of your business. Next question?" Why make an elaborate lie and continue to perpetuate it as you are RUNNING FOR VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES?

Anyway... TOPPLED IDOLS welcomes you back and what a bumpy ride you're in for!!!