Monday 26 October 2009
The Chris Ware Comic You Could Always See But Never Read
On my recent return to San Francisco, I was able to do something I've wanted to do for ages. You see, 826 Valencia is home to one McSweeney's Magazine and publishing, which is often miss but on occasion hit for me. It is a pirate supply store on its surface, but beneath lies the teeming underbelly of developing writers.
They put up a frontpiece by Chris Ware (of Jimmy Corrigan and Acme Novelty Library fame), but I could never see it close enough to actually SEE what it was. The worst part is, a few months after it went up, some kids paint--balled it, so it lay graffitied and obscure, distant and mocking for months. I'm glad they got the money to clean/replace it.
Well, armed with my new digital camera, I was able to do what I've always wanted. I zoomed in as much as I could and took four different pictures. Then I stitched them together and made a high resolution composite. Now you can read the comic! Hot damn!
Just click on the picture to enjoy.
Thursday 22 October 2009
Sitting Bull
I'm busy inking away for the World War 3 piece. It will come out (I think?) around February. It is 6 pages, and due extremely soon! This is a portrait of Sitting Bull from the second page. Inking is the most fun... and this is the most number of pages I've drawn without inking. I usually pencil a page, then ink, then do the next page. This is a much better practice... and more consistent!
Wednesday 21 October 2009
What Is Wrong with This Picture?
So I was cleaning today and found this old sketch I did before starting IE. It's undoubtedly ripped off from Milt Caniff... but I like it a lot. I decided to put it up here before putting it in the round file, despite its many flaws.
The perspective is totally whack. If you look at the jaw line and the lips, they are incongruous. The lips appear to be seen from the side, or even top, yet the jaw is clearly from a low perspective. Put your finger over the jaw line and it looks OK.
The eyes are in the middle of her head. If you saw here head on, it would look like a fish. The forehead slope is a little weird, but not terrible.
Don't even ask me what's going on with her ear...
Although I feel as though I'm drawing much better now, what I AM proud of is the leather shine of the mask. I don't always nail it, but I've practiced it enough that I am satisfied with the results when I ink. I like looking at this and the page on my wall (similar mask, from a panel in Invisible Empire 3) and it makes me feel good that I've improved over these 2 and 1/2 years.
The perspective is totally whack. If you look at the jaw line and the lips, they are incongruous. The lips appear to be seen from the side, or even top, yet the jaw is clearly from a low perspective. Put your finger over the jaw line and it looks OK.
The eyes are in the middle of her head. If you saw here head on, it would look like a fish. The forehead slope is a little weird, but not terrible.
Don't even ask me what's going on with her ear...
Although I feel as though I'm drawing much better now, what I AM proud of is the leather shine of the mask. I don't always nail it, but I've practiced it enough that I am satisfied with the results when I ink. I like looking at this and the page on my wall (similar mask, from a panel in Invisible Empire 3) and it makes me feel good that I've improved over these 2 and 1/2 years.
While You Were Out
Monday 19 October 2009
APE Gone
Thanks so much to everyone who came and checked out my stuff at APE! It wasn't the best convention sales-wise, but some really awesome stuff happened that made it all worth it.
If you missed me, I only left my new book GORGEOUS CLOTHED FLIES at NEEDLES and PENS. So you can snag it there, bro. Rip a hit, scratch some shreds, lay back and enjoy. Rinse. Repeat.
I miss you, San Francisco! Here's to the good times!
If you missed me, I only left my new book GORGEOUS CLOTHED FLIES at NEEDLES and PENS. So you can snag it there, bro. Rip a hit, scratch some shreds, lay back and enjoy. Rinse. Repeat.
I miss you, San Francisco! Here's to the good times!
Monday 12 October 2009
Instead of Celebrating Genocide Today...
Enjoy one of the most powerful performances you will ever see!
Thursday 8 October 2009
Let's BLOW UP THE MOON!
Tomorrow morning, you should wake up extra early and watch the moon. We're going to bomb it. NASA is hoping for a geyser, or oil, or bleu cheese to come spewing out of a massive crater. Estimated time of arrival: 7:30. Bring an umbrella (preferably heavy duty!)
They got this idea from an old Mr. Show sketch:
They got this idea from an old Mr. Show sketch:
Wednesday 7 October 2009
Peter Grudzien - New York Town
I am back in NY, after my battle with Pittsburgh (I think it won?). I have the perfect welcome back gift courtesy of Aesop's blog The Cosmic Hearse, which is where you should be gettin' your musical education any way.
I can't believe I've never heard of Peter Grudzien before, but it's never too late to learn to love. This is what I call music. It has tinges of Porter Wagoner at his most psychologically experimental, lyrics like Benjamin Smoke mixed with gospel or Exuma at the rapture, song structures like Jandek at his most haunting and a voice that is just uniquely his. This is what I wish Jobriath sounded like.
Thanks, Aesop! Here's New York Town!
I can't believe I've never heard of Peter Grudzien before, but it's never too late to learn to love. This is what I call music. It has tinges of Porter Wagoner at his most psychologically experimental, lyrics like Benjamin Smoke mixed with gospel or Exuma at the rapture, song structures like Jandek at his most haunting and a voice that is just uniquely his. This is what I wish Jobriath sounded like.
Thanks, Aesop! Here's New York Town!
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