Check this out from Mid Ohio Con

http://www.youtube.com/maknbacon

Check me out ( in all my fatness) talking up Comic Related in an interview by Fanatic Press' Allen Freeman

Iron Man

Finally bought the DVD and it was every bit as good as seeing it in the theater. In fact, I got so caught up watching the extras, I almost missed getting my daily post in on http://www.sketchmagazine.net.

And I am also behind on my coloring for Unleashed Press and still need to get content in to http://www.comicrelated.com.

I need more hours in the day...or at least to be better able to prioritize my time.

Inspiration

Inspiration is a funny old thing. Sometimes you have tons and no energy to pursue it. Sometimes you have the energy but not enough inspiration.

Right now I don't have enough of either.

And need some.

Badly.

They got me workin' workin' day and night

I'm taking a lot more onto my plate to help out a friend and I want to do it all well. I just hope I can keep it all up in the air and to a quality it deserves.

Time will tell.

A Victim of My own Success

I'm trying to become a ghost.

After a year where I was doing too much, this school year, I am trying to pull back, do less, disappear. When I suggested giving up a leadership position earlier today, my colleagues wouldn't have it. They were upset that I was even considering leaving and were vehement about me staying. When I went to try to give up another position after that, the organizer looked so sad about it that i almost said I was just kidding right there.

I don't think I am doing very well at any of them. But apparently, I am too good at these jobs somehow to be allowed to give them up.

How do I get myself into these things?

Professionalism

We all have stuff. Life intrudes, things happen, etc. etc. ad infinidum. I am the master at being life's punching bag. It's a wonder I'm sane at all (thank you , Sheriff of Nottingham).

But the thing that makes us professionals is that we rise above all that, when we are given a task, when the boss (or art director, publisher and so on) gives us a job, we get to work, we push all that stuff away and we get it done. It's not easy. It's never easy, but we get it done. You can't control having to wait on other people but you can always control your end of it. Be the one who can always be counted on, be the one who they know can save the day and be the one gives answers where everyone else gives excuses. You will be the one that gets the call when everyone else is getting their next excuse prepared. Publishers don't respond to excuses, they respond to met deadlines.

Be THAT Guy! You have the talent and the drive, you know you do or you wouldn't be still pursuing this after all these years. You just need direction. Well here it is...go do it already!

Impact

I have a friend (no, really, I do) that had a crisis of faith recently. Not in any sort of God but in himself. He thought what he is doing, what he had accomplished and his impact on the world around him just didn't matter. I had to divest him of that notion quickly and help him realize that he does matter, that he has touched a lot of lives and in doing so, has made those lives better.

If you are reading this, that applies to you too. You make a difference. You touch lives. Just make sure that impact is always a positive one. Make the world better. Even if it is just one life at a time.

Getting back in the saddle

Life has been seven shades of lousy for me in the last couple of months, but I am doing what I can to crawl back from my personal wreckage and get my life (both personal and professional) back in order. I'm coloring comic pages for the first time in my life and I can say that I am getting more comfortable with it. One of the two stories I have written has a real chance of seeing print soon and I have gotten a small library of reviews printed on www.comicrelated.com. So I am making it, slowly and somewhat dispassionately at the moment but I am making it. For those who were there for me, thanks.

Tomorrow's a new day, right?

Like a buddy of mine says...time to get off my heine and get to work.

Whistling past the graveyard

I know people mean well and they think that they are helping me when the offer me their condolences on the death of my mother but in the last several days I have come to realize that it is just them "whistling as they walk past the grave yard". Seeing me in my loss reminds them of their own mortality and that idea scares most people shitless. Honestly though, I'm getting a little sick of it and wish people would just move on and leave me alone about it. This is something I need to deal with alone and I wish people just wouldn't talk to me if they have nothing better to say then that I am in their prayers. That does me no good whatsoever and is kind of making me want to pop the next one that says it to me in the face. If that makes me an asshole, I don't care. I'm entitled to deal with this my own way and it is quickly becoming evident to me that my way is that I am going to be mean to people for a while. I'll apologize later because right now I just don't care.

Saturday Stuff

I'm feeling drained mentally today. There is a lot I should and could be doing but I just can't get motivated. Part of it is my back is killing me from falling last week. A big part of it is that I was standing in a hospital room this time last week watching my mother die. I'm not sure what I'm feeling today. Sad...sure, depressed...always but I just feel kind of numb, unfocused. I don't know what to do about it. Except, write this. Maybe I should just go back to bed.

Mom

My mother died today. I have no words.

Current Art Challenges

I've recently embarked on a digital coloring project that I can't really talk about yet but I can say that it presenting quite a challenge for me. After being so used to using my hands and skills to paint a picture, dealing with technology, pixels and a mouse is kind of kicking my butt. I am on a serious learning curve and have run into a few obstacles dealing with my older version of the software I'm using, but this is something that I am dedicate to doing well. After so many years of inactivity on the creative front beyond that which was necessary for use in my classroom, it is a struggle that I am happy to engage in.

Hellboy 2

I saw Hellboy 2 yesterday and while I can say it was a visually interesting, even stunning movie, that is about the best that I can say for it. It wasn't a bad movie, persay, but it lacked the story and the heart of the first one. It was all over the place, trying to be too many things at once. It couldn't decide if it was an action, comedy, romance, allegory or horror movie. I never felt danger for the characters and barely felt the emotions that were supposed to be so strong between these characters. It seems as if parts of the movie are missing or lost. My only true anticipation was that it was as good as the first and that I was entertained...sadly neither desire was completely filled.

On a related, but outside of the screen note: There should be a special place in hell for people who bring young children to movies that are not for children. We had a chatty little girl wondering around from one set of family to another. I kept my cool but only just and if I had possession of a roll of duct tape that day, the girl would still be attached to the wall. Call me what you will but if you can't control your child, someone else will.

Comic Related

I have been a busy boy since returning from the Chicago con, in part because of my new association with the fine folks at Comic Related (http://www.comicrelated.com). It is a great site to keep up with...well anything that is comic related. Site founder and all around cool guy, Chuck Moore has tapped yours truly to ramble on in print, beginning with reviews of How to books and eventually going who knows where but I plan to get as much stuff on the site as possible before the man comes to his senses. Make sure you stop by for the daily updates and especially for the weekly podcasts. They are definitely "must-hear" material every week. And if you like what you read and hear , stop by the Comic Related forum and let Chuck know. You'll be glad you did and it will put a smile on my face as well.

Random Pics from Wizard World

Red and Green with Skrulls between

There were never schoolgirls like this in my school

Funny, I thought it would be taller

I wish this wall was in my house

Crickey, that's a lot of people
Fellow Louisvillians and cool acquaintances Kynt and Vxysin

Bob's Retirement plan

Mommy, can I have this for X-mas?

Big damn heroes? Aren't they just...

Some people get so stressed out at conventions

Some dude from Tokyo

Who parked this here

The Defuser

TV's Hulk from a distance


Check out other convention pics on the Art Unleashed forum http://www.bloodandroses.com/forum

Wizard World Chicago--Saturday

Meet great people, had a great meeting with potential new work on the way and saw some unusual people in the oddest of costumes. Got to buy a few cool things and even sell a few. Had a crappy lunch but a good dinner in the company of good people. It would have been a just about perfect day except one of my favorite artists, Micheal Turner, passed away after a long bout with cancer. I don't easily impress but his was work that truly impressed me. I will miss seeing his talent and I hope that his company can carry on in a way that is respectful of the man and his work.

Wizard World Chicago--Friday

After some vechicular drama this morning and an incredibly long drive, we made it just in time to hit the first day of WWC. Finally got to put a face to people I have only known as Psychomud, Flairbrusher, Superman79 and MTopolski. Great guys all who are full to brimming with anticipation to sell some of their original art. I personally am dealing with give aways and selling my compilation convention tips in book form. Sold 5 and I'm pretty happy about that. Hope to clean them out tomorrow and Sunday. All and all, a lot of fun and met a lot of folks. Also hit all the art schools to have them send me stuff to IHS for the kiddos. Surreal run in today: Saw Louisville's Kent and Vyxin and they actually recognized me. And later they stopped by the table. Kinda cool, all in all.

The Road to Wizard World part 2--Thursday

Well, I'm all packed and ready to go. 4 bags total with stuff for the table and all. I'm looking forward to the con but not that 7 hour total drive I have in front of me. I'll try to sleep most of the day away and at 1:00 a.m., I'm off and driving so we can make Chicago in time to check in, eat and be con ready by 9:00 a.m. And then the fun truly begins. More on that tomorrow!

The road to Wizard World, part 1--Wednesday

Two days left (or one if you count that I am leaving at Midnight Thursday/Friday). I have a surprising amount of stuff to do today. I need to pack all the stuff for the table and pack all my clothes for the weekend. I also need to touch base with a variety of people and make absolutely sure that my wife has everything she needs before I leave out of here. Its a lot to do. But I think it will all be worth it. I think this year is going to be very beneficial to my comics career.

Another icon gone...

George Carlin dies yesterday of heart failure. Not often does the death of a celebrity elicit an "aw...how sad" from me but Carlin is one of the few people that actually touched my life. Long before Comedy Central made every comic known, Carlin was one of the greats. His yearly HBO specials were the true must-see TV and there was a time in my life where I would quote "A Place for My Stuff" from beginning to end. Unlike much of the comedy that has arisen in the last few decades, Carlin was intelligent, his words made you think, his opinions made you question and while doing all that he still made you laugh.

I don't get easily swayed by celebrities...for the most part I am unimpressed by them or their work. But Carlin was one that worked his way in...about him I truly cared. In comics we talk a lot about heroes, the sad thing is that in reality, all my heroes are slipping away. Lennon was one, Belushi was one and now Carlin. Another icon is gone and the world is a little bit darker without him.

Vexxing about Vixen part 2

A while back I expressed concern for the directing that was being taken with the Vixen character. For those unfamiliar, rather than accessing the abilities of animals, she now mimics and perhaps siphons the abilities of humans. This all came to a head in issue 22 of Justice League of America, where Vixen came clean to her teammates and was promptly kicked off the team by chairwoman Black Canary ( who I must credit Dwayne McDuffie in writing as a strong character not afraid to put the "Big Guns" in their place.). Why this is a positive and a payoff to me is that within minutes of "firing" Vixen, Black Canary enlisted the help of Zatanna to help fix her problem. In a story that had a lot going on ( Red Tornado gets a new body only to have it stolen again by Amazo, and asks Kathy to marry him, Red Arrow gets relationship advice from Superman and Green Lantern and Bronze Tiger and Vixen make the hottest African American couple since Black Panther and Storm), this was definitely the part that stood out most for me.

Rolling the dice on myself.

I have compiled my Convention tips along with some clip art into an 8 page ashcan that I will be selling at the Chicago con.

A waste of time and money? Maybe...Who can say?
Complete ego stroking on my part? Quite possibly.
An attempt to get others to appreciate my writing? Hmmm...maybe.
The first of many upcoming attempts to quit waiting for help from others and take the reins of my own career in comics? HELL, YEAH!

Things I Regret:: Father's Day

Like the song says, regrets...I've had a few. And today makes me think of one especially...I've never had a father. Oh there were a few male "influences", of course there was someone biologically and there was someone else there betting the hell out out me until age 11, but I have never had a dad, so I guess I never missed it because I never really hung out with people who did. But now, recently, I have met people with really positive "Dad" memories, really great fathers and now I kinda miss it. It gets me thinking of how different my life would have been, how much personal disaster could I have avoided if I would have had a father. And being a person of some imagination and a brain that just won't shut up, I have thought of it in more than a little detail. And it makes me sad. Which, in turn, leads me to the fact that it is highly unlikely that I ever become a father myself, which I have come to grips with but which also makes me sad when I really think about it. I'd like to think I'd be good at it. Zeus knows that I seen a bad one first hand. I know what not to do.

So I guess what I'm saying is...if you have a father and he is a good one, let him know how much you appreciate him everyday, not just today. Not everyone has one.

Holding my tongue to spite my brain

Suffice it to say...I'm a professional. I know how to act like a professional, speak like a professional and present myself as a professional. I can separate myself from situations and look at them dispassionately, I can be analytical, I am Batman (sorry, it just popped into my head and forced its way onto the page:) ). Having said that, I do find it hard to smile in the face of a hypocrite or someone who is acting/speaking unprofessionally. Especially when they are maligning the integrity, and by extension the work and abilities of; my friends. On two occasions now, people hiding behind Internet names have slung barbs at my friends. The first time, I spoke my mind, defended my friend (rightly so when all the information came out) and was shunned for it, this time I am (so far) holding my tongue but I will say that I do so unwillingly. I much prefer to pop a windbag than to allow him to fly free.

Isn't being a professional, by definition, the act of defending the profession and those in it? Is it really necessary to be nice to everyone just so they don't get their feelings hurt? That isn't being a professional unless that profession is childcare.

Cool People I Know: Daniel Thompson

Dan is not only the owner of my favorite comic store :The Zone, he is a writer who recently won the Devil's Due How-To Publish your Own Comics Helping Hand Contest. With that , he has created The Dominus. Check out his Myspace page http://www.myspace.com/dantho and click on links to the Dominus and his company, Actionverse Entertainment.

Cool People I know: Anthony Hochrein

Tony is a former airbrush phenom turned illustrator. He does incredible work and I have been fortunate enough to secure him to pencil the first issue of MY comic: Brushstrokes. I know it is only a matter of time before I lose him to the big boys but his work is too great to keep a secret. Check out his work at http://www.anthonyhochrein.com/ or look for him at this year's Chicago Wizard Magazine Con from June 26th-29th. He'll be at the Art Unleashed forum table. And buy a piece of his art work. You'll be able to sell it in a few years and send your kid's to college.

Cool People I know: Gary Barker

When I grow weary of talking about me (which is often), I have figured that I can turn you on to some of the cool people I have gotten to know over the years. One of those is Gary Barker. He is an illustrator, comic book penciler, and all around cool guy. And you may have seen his work many times and not even realized it...he has been drawing the Garfield daily strip for years now. Check out his website at http://www.garybarker.com/.

Icara: A Poem

Here is a poem based on my comic book story :Icara


Icara was a teenaged girl
with a busy teenaged world
But one day she woke up with wings
large white feathery things.
She screamed for Mom,
she screamed for Dad
(and this next part is really sad)
But they were gone, without a trace
As if they had never lived in this place.
And when men crashed in,
she didn't know what to do
So Icara jumped out the window
and flew...
and flew...
and flew...

Big Talking Monkey: A poem

This is a poem I thought up in a moment of boredom during a meeting recently. It is based on my soon to be webcomic called Big Talking Monkey

I have a monkey at my place
With a big talking monkey face.
He used to be my secret friend
when I was younger than age 10
But now he has come back to me
When I am over 33.
In my face, disrupting my life
And driving nuts, my beautiful wife.
I no longer need a monkey friend,
Why can't he go away again?

The Art Unleashed Forum

I have to take the time to give props ( as the kids say) to my buddies Bill Nichols and Bob Hickey, the guys that create Sketch Magazine, for the stellar work that they have done on the new forum board: Art Unleashed (http://bloodandroses.com/forums/). The old board was hopelessly ravaged by spammers, so they located a safer new board that they have tweaked into a great new place to hang out. If you are looking for a new all ages place to chat and especially if you are into comics collecting and creating and pop culture, I encourage you to check it out.

http://bloodandroses.com/forums/

My Favorite sayings

These are a few of my favorite sayings that I have picked up over years of too much pop culture immersion:

• Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal
• Climb down off the cross, use the wood to build a bridge and get over it!
• Alcohol kills braincells. You lose three more and you are a talking monkey.
• Be nice to dragons for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.
• I have flying monkeys and I'm not afraid to use them!
• We were on the losing side...I'm not sure it was the wrong one.
• Insanity is just a state of mind.
• Everything is dust in the wind.
  
• Any phrase with the words frak, frell or felgercarb in it.
  

AWOE Absent without excuse

I have been somewhat remiss in my blog duties of late and while I could use the end of the school year madness as an excuse, I've just been too tired and lazy to do anything creative lately. But as my work schedule winds down, I trust that my creative endeavors will finally get their time in the sun again...Stay tuned.

The Everyman Guide to Comic Conventions: The swag bag

You should carry some sort of bag around the con with you to store your stuff and keep your hands free. The type of bag is your choice but I would suggest something that you can sling over your shoulder or on your back. Awhile you will want to start each day with the bag mostly empty to fill with your swag, there are a few things that you will want to carry:

• a variety of pens--you can't plan on the person you want to sign your book to have one. Gel or roller ball are best. If you want a dark cover signed, bring a white gel.
• Camera: You just never know who you will see at these things.
  
• extra batteries for your camera--can't get those candid shots if you can't shoot.
• Gum and mints-- No buddy will want to talk to you about your new work if your breath is kickin'
• snacks--low blood sugar makes for an unhappy day. So do the prices at the concession stand. But keep the snacks to those that don't leave crumbs or messy fingers. You get Cheetos dust on that comic, you bought it.
• Some timekeeping device--be it watch, cell phone or laptop, set it to the local con time and make sure that you pay attention to the time of that panel you are dying to see. If you are late, you are either stuck standing against the wall or can't get in at all. And then you will be the last to know the special plans that Company X has for Stupendously Amazing Girl.
• Something with your name and address on it, attached to the bag. I wouldn't count on it but someone might find your lost bag and actually send it back to you. There are heroes in the real world too.
  

The Everyman Guide to Comic Conventions: The Proper Attire

I touched on this in another post but it bears expanding. Listen to me and you just might survive the con without being in pain or completely sick

• Wear something comfortable that breathes. Cotton is your best bet. Unless you are a member of the 501st Stormtroopers brigade or a very hot woman, dressing as a character from a comic or movie is dicey at best. Very few people look good in spandex anything and black leather chafes horrible after a few hours. You don't want to be the guy that makes the next issue of Wizard because of how ridiculous they looked in their outfit. You may have to quit comics all together to live that down.
• If you get easily cold, bring a small jacket or a sweater. The air conditioning in some of the panel rooms can be a little frigid.
  
• Wear comfortable shoes. If you don't know why, ask any adult woman you know. I'm sure they can do a 1/2 hour on the subject at least.
• Comic and movie tees are fine but it may not be your best choice to wear your bootleg Superman shirt in front of the folks at DC. They can get very picky about copyright. They are wacky like that. But don't overdo it either. It is kind of like wearing a shirt for the actual college you went to...you can do it but it is kind of lame.
• Bring a bag that you can sling across your chest or a good backpack. You will need a place for all your acquisitions and you can't carry everything in your hands for the whole con. Empty it in your hotel room and start fresh the next day. And as I said earlier, don't be that guy who drags the handcart full of stuff through the con, blocking aisles and running into people. We hate that guy.

Next time: What to carry in your swag bag other than swag.

I Saw It on the Web: The Portfolio Review

This is the first of a new section called "I saw it on the web..." , points of interest that I find in the myriad hours I spend in front of my computer.

It is said that the best thing a leader can do is surround themselves with people smarter than they are. As a writer, I know there are some things that others can say better than I can. On the subject of portfolio reviews, the following is one such example...check it out.

http://www.sequentialtart.com/article.php?id=182

What's in a name?

Those of us who have chosen the comics field as a pursuit beyond simple collecting and reading often find ourselves having to battle the prejudice of all comics as children's fare. I have often wondered why has been so hard for us to break the stereotype. Is it a nomenclature problem? We call them comic books but they are singularly too thin to be a book. They are, in fact more like magazines. Marvel has alternately referred to their books as magazines for some time. But odes this help us or hurt us? Magazines are generally seen as disposable things (although I keep many of mine, but I'm odd). But magazines are often revered or reviled for their content, not as a genre as comic books often are.

So are books or magazines better? Is there another alternative? Will it matter?

How To Review: Draw Fight Scenes like a Pro

Draw Fight Scenes like a Pro, Jeff Johnson, Watson- Guptill Publications, ISBN 0823013723

Be warned! This is not a book for the casual hobbyist comic artist. This book is a master class on what Johnson calls the “metaphor for the comic book story as a whole”: the fight scene. Johnson begins, as many do, with the basics; using stick figures. But his approach becomes unique when he uses those figures to create first the skeleton and then portray the musculature of his character. Then he even names each muscle group on the figure! Clearly a student of Gray’s Anatomy (the book not the TV show), Johnson gives his characters a solidity that most comic figures lack.

The introduction of the “arrow” into the drawing lexicon makes an even larger impact. First using it to show the direction and folds of garments as they drape over the figure, he then uses it to give his characters movement, showing the directionality of their punches, leaps and kicks. Unlike many artist whose characters seem to be posing statically in the middle of a fight, every muscle of Johnson’s characters is flowing in the direction of the blow being struck. Most of the rest of the book is dedicated to creating the illusion of movement, action and impact on the comic page.

One interesting aside from the action is the history lesson Johnson offers on the fighting styles of the world. From boxing to tae kwon do, Johnson details the characteristics of each style and the type of character that might use it. Lastly, Johnson turns the last chapter over to some colleagues to get their take on the fight scene. Dark Horse artist Scott Kolins, author /artist of Drawing Dynamic Comics Andy Smith, and Batman the Animated Series story boarder, to name but three , offer different techniques on the art of the smack down.

While a little much for the casual reader, this book will be a great deal of help to any artist that wants to make his characters move more fluidly and fight with real power

How To Review: Everything You Wanted to Know...

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Cartooning But Were Afraid to Draw, Hart, Christopher, Watson-Guptill Publications, ISBN # 0823023591, $16.95

“Everything” is sadly a major exaggeration in this particular book. While the author does a great job of covering the basics (over and over again), he never ventures far beyond them. And because of that, sadly, the book fails to prove itself as the resource for illustrators and cartoonists that he touts it to be in forward, unless that cartoonist is under the age of ten. This would be a great first book for a very young cartoonist but to anyone who has spent anytime in front of a drawing board, this is second nature.
The author is one of the most prolific How To art authors in print today and has created a library of books that are superior to “Everything…” May I suggest hunting for one of those and saving this book as a gift for that niece or nephew who just started coloring within the lines?

FCBD the pictures

Check out yours truly hobnobbing with the guys from Sketch Magazine and more from last Saturdays free comic book day at Comics2games in Florence KY from the site called Comicsrelated.com, run by a cool guy named Chuck.

http://www.comicrelated.com/gallery/2008_fcbd.html

How to Reviews: How to Draw and Sell Comics

As an art teacher and an artist I am always on the look out for good instructive books. I have amassed quite a library and get new ones fairly frequently. When the mood strikes me, I will review some of these books for you to either save you a few bucks on a bad book or send you running to the store for a good one. Here is my first review.

How to Draw and Sell Comics 3rd Edition, McKenzie, Alan, Impact 2005, ISBN 1-58180-716-3, $22.99

At first glance, this book is not unlike the hundreds of other books on making and selling comics. The author gives a brief but informative history of the comics medium, goes over the basic tools and gives the obligatory lessons on drawing the body and basic perspective. All very well done and very informative, but we are not exactly covering new ground here.

However there are three sections where this book excels and makes it well worth the price, in my opinion. The first is an entire chapter devoted to storytelling. The author calls the script the one invisible component of any comic strip and goes on to discuss the importance of a good story line. He shows the difference between a ¨Marvel method¨ script and a full script, discusses pacing and layouts and to breakdowns. The best parts are two pages on ¨Understanding the Story¨. He believes that the story needs to say something, convincing the reader that they are reading the truth and that follows certain archetypes and themes that speak in some way to human nature.

Second is a very detailed section on inking. It is obvious that the author respects and admires the contribution of the inker in the comic creating process. Beyond his words the author also offers photographic examples of how to ink straight lines with both a brush and a pen. Being told how to do something is fine but a visual assist is always better. He also does an excellent job of discussing texture and how mastering them can greatly improve a piece.

Lastly, the author delivers his last chapter on selling your work. What makes this special is that he actually addresses selling yourself. He discusses how to handle your first professional job, dealing with editors and how to stay inspired and creative. He details self publishing, online publishing and makes the very true observation that breaking into comics isn’t nearly as hard as staying in.

All in all this is an excellent book that will undoubtedly have many more editions to come.

Free Comic Book Day--Florence, KY

As we speak, I am at Comics2games, the comic book store of Bob Hickey, publisher of Sketch Magazine. It has been a cool day of talking to people, schmoozing with folks and catching up with my friend and Sketch Editor, Bill Nichols. It was worth the drive and it makes me even more excited for the June trip to the Wizard World convention in Chicago.

Iron Man

I saw Iron Man today and while I won't ruin it for anyone I will say that it was and absolutely fabulous movie and you should stay all the way through the credits for a big surprise. Robert Downey Jr. was perfect as Tony Stark. Definitely the most dead on pairing of a character and actor yet. And look out for the prime part that director Jon Favreau kept for himself.

I'm going to the Comics2games comic store in Florence, KY tomorrow with my friend and Sketch Magazine editor Bill Nichols and Sketch publisher Bob Hickey. I'll have a great report on the day's festivities.

A good and bad Art afternoon

I had a good and bad art afternoon today. The good was I had a great consolation with the tattoo artist on my next tattoo. I really feel like he respected my ideas and is going to take the designs I made and turn it into something great. It is scheduled for Thursday the 15th, so I am really psyched. Also I got to see one of my favorite former students and his girlfriend today. He has a lot of unrealized potential as a cartoonist and his lady is a talented writer, so together they could be a force if they chose to be.

The bad wasn't really bad as much as frustrating. After I left my consultation, I went into a local coffee shoppe for a drink. This shop often shows the work of local artists. As I was waiting, I looked at the most recent work and saw it was essentially what I term as advanced sketching with some color added. They were framed and highly priced and were apparently selling! I am loathe to ever malign another artist's work but I would have never thought to put work like this on display in a professional sense. So either the artist has a ton of chutzpah or I have been selling my own work short and have apparently been cheating myself out of some money.

I hate losing money.

Legacy or lack of same.

I had a surreal conversation today. A former student who had dropped out several months ago ran up to me in the schools parking lot and gave me a big hug. She breathlessly told me that she had been told I had died months ago. She couldn't believe that I was standing in front of her.

This amused me at first, but then it got me thinking...what if I had died.? Would it matter? Would I be remembered and how? Sure my wife, mother, a few other family and close friends would mourn but what else? Have I left anything that will be remembered, anything that has touched anyone, anywhere? I have a few drawings, a couple of paintings and half finished stories but nothing artistically to survive me. I've been thinking about THE DREAM for so long that I forgot to pursue it. Is it too late?

Will any of my students remember me or will they, as I often joke, forget me within a year?

What is my legacy?

Who was John Wilson?

Too Hip for the Room

I've recently found a site with runs of canceled TV shows and I am again enjoying Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, a show that I believe only died because is was too hip for the average person. The people spoke too fast, the jokes were too in and essentially it was just too smart. I also occurs to me that there have been some comics that didn't make it because they were too smart to have a wide appeal. What I want to know is when did smart become a bad thing? Why does everything have to appeal to the lowest intellect. Now I am well aware that comics, like television is a business, and you have to reach as many people as possible but is it necessary to always dumb things down? Can't we be challenging? Can't we make people think? Must everything we do always be only for Joe Sixpack? Surely there is room for everything out there. Can't we at least try to make it worthy of our time and passion?

The Everyman Guide to Comic Conventions part 5

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR CON EXPERIENCE

• Take a couple of hours and just wander. Look at everything, especially Artist Alley. You have no idea of the gems you might find hiding there. It may even expand your comics preferences. It will definitely expand your insights.
• Bring some cash. Not all the vendors ( and very few on Artist Alley) will have a credit card machine. There is an on site ATM but the fee is near $5 now per transaction and it runs out of money quickly.
  
• Talk to people. Introduce yourself. Walk up to someone reading a book you like and tell them how much you like it. You might find a friend. Always be polite.
• If you want to attend a particular panel, PLAN. Go to the one before it and hang out. Especially ones that fill quickly and have lines that go around the block. You'll be glad you did.
• Carry a bag and pick up as much swag (stuff we all get aka free stuff) as you can. Make sure it is a comfortable bag that you can sling over your shoulder or back.
• Bring a few snacks with you. Tiredness and low blood sugar will ruin your day and make you a grumpy little con goer and no one likes that. Eat light and make sure it is "clean" food. You touch a comic with "hot fries" covered fingers and you bought it.
  
• Check out the nightlife at the Rosemont Hyatt (for over 21 only)-A lot of the pros hang out in the bar after the con. Be cool about it but you might end up having a drink with or playing darts or pool with the people who work on your favorite books.
  
• Above all, Have Fun! This is a place dedicated to those things we all love. Make the most of your time there. Don't let the little things stress you out.
  

The Everyman Guide to Comic Conventions part 4

WRITERS:

• Don't try to tell your whole story. A brief story synopsis, a few plotted pages and an indication of where the story is going in a brief paragraph is all you should lay on the editor at a con. If they want more, they will ask.
  
• Getting an editor to sit down and read your writing submission is rare. Offer to leave a packet and come back later or offer to call the editor at a later time after the con.
  
• Always have a cover letter that details who you are and what the story is about.
• Make sure that you have a business card attached to any packet you give out. Also have your contact information stamped on the back of each sheet.
• During the critique, if there is one, listen, ask questions on how you can improve but never defend and NEVER argue with the editor.
• Have your submission in some sort of portfolio so an editor can flip through it. Or hand them a packet but give them the option.
• Never run down another writer or claim that you are just as good as (insert pro name here). It's unprofessional.
• Have a pen, notebook and/or PDA to take notes.
  

Everyman Guide to Comic Conventions part 3

ARTISTS

• Specialize. It's great that you can pencil, ink and color your own work but most companies won't let you do that for either time or editorial reasons. Pick what you are best at and run with it.
  
• Don't just do splash pages of the hero in a cool pose. Editors are interested in the breath of your work. They want to see that you can draw a boy and his dog playing in the park or a couple out for a walk as convincingly as you draw Stupendous Man kicking the crap out of Dr. Destruction.
• Never defend your work. If you don't like what the editor tells you, say "Thank You" and walk away. But think about what they said first. They may have a point.
• Never, ever trash another artist. No one cares if you think that you draw better than (insert pro's name here), they have a job, you don't. Trashing another artist makes you look unprofessional and kind of childish, to be honest.
• Only show your best work, offer to leave a packet with them and always have a business card ready. (see earlier blog)
• Know what the company that you are showing your work to publishes. Showing your superhero samples to a company that only does romance or horror is a waste of everyone's time.
• Leave your adults only samples at home. There is a venue for this but Marvel or DC aren't it. Titillation is one thing but full frontal will not impress a mainstream editor, no matter how good they are.

Next time, tips for the writer.

The Everyman Guide to Comic Conventions part 2

POTENTIAL PROFESSIONAL STUFF

• Show five to eight (but no more than 10 ) of you BEST CURRENT WORK. No one cares that you have better stuff at home. Why didn't you bring that stuff? You are wasting your time and the reviewer's and that is the surest way to NOT get a job.
  
• Show your work in an easily flippable format, either a artist portfolio, or a binder with sheet protectors. It keeps your work clean and is easy to flip through. DO NOT come up with a folder of loose paper. It looks unprofessional and so will you.
• Have a packet of your samples ready to leave for the editor. Make sure that you have a business card attached to each packet with all your contact info on it. Also make sure all your contact info (including name) is stamped on the back of each page in case they get separated.
• During the review of your work, LISTEN!!! DO not comment on what they are telling you,  and for the love of Zeus, DON'T ARGUE! If you have questions, wait until they are finished. Do not take offence, they are talking about the work, not you. That being said the best advice I ever received was take what you can use and forget the rest. Editors are people just like you and have all the same quirks and failings you do, but they are the ones with the jobs...so be nice to them.
• Bring a pen and a notebook or a PDA and write down the comments you want to remember. You'll forget by the time you get to the room. Ask for a business card and always shake their hand before you go. It shows professionalism and respect

Next time...specific tips for artists and writers.

The Everyman Guide to Convention Attending

Taking a page from my buddies at Sketch, I offer this series of helpful tips to make your convention experience more enjoyable and potentially more  profitable.

COMMON SENSE STUFF ( the stuff that should be obvious, but apparently isn't)

• Take a shower daily, preferably the morning of the con. Use deodorant and some kind of cologne, perfume or body spray (nothing too strong). Wear clean comfortable clothes that breathe. A stinky con attendee is a friend to no one.
  
• Wear comfortable shoes. You will be standing alot. Gene Simmons-esqe demon boots may look cool but can you stand in them for hours on end?
• Bring plenty of pens that work. If you want something signed that has a dark cover, get a silver, gold or white gel pen. Don't expect the pros to automatically have pens.
• Bring snacks. Con concession food is ridiculously priced and your blood sugar will get low. Trust me, if you pass out, people may help you but I wouldn't count on them giving up their place in line to do it. This is especially true for diabetics.
• Be careful how much you drink. Bathrooms are few and far between and quickly become toxic waste dumps. And no one will hold your place in line while you go pee. That big gulp could take you from 5th in line to 500th in a heartbeat.
• Bring a bag that you can carry your swag in that can be slung over your shoulder or back. Don't be that guy with the hand truck and the multiple plastic totes full of books to be signed. We hate that guy.
• Above all, be patient and be polite. Losing your temper and creating a scene will just get you kicked out of the con. Treat others BETTER than you would want to be treated and they will usually respond in kind. Especially the pros. Be polite, be grateful and don't waste their time. This is a vacation for you, but they are at work. Treat them professionally and they will treat you the same.

More tips for the hopeful professional, coming soon.

Vexed about Vixen

In the current Justice League America series, I am just not sure where they are going with the Vixen character. And I'm not sure they know either. While not quite as existentially cool as Animal Man, I always dug the access to animals connection and the African connection and her solo stories in JL-Detroit were one of the few high points of that era. I even enjoyed at the start of the current series, the way she would "call out" the animal as she took its aspect, almost challenging the animal for its power. Now she is little more that a poor man Synch (Generation X), "borrowing" powers from other members but it seems to be so haphazard...do they need to be nearby, can she store power, how long does it last? And if no one is around, she is powerless? And now there have been some rumblings that they are setting up the John Stewart/Mari/Hawkgirl triangle ala the cartoon...why? They seem to be taking a good original character and watering her down to a cliche. And don't we have enough of that in comics as is?

What we're working on

Just so you don't think that The Dragonwerx is a studio in name only (a distinction that has been more true than not), here are some of the things we are working on:

Comics:
Brushstrokes: The classic love triangle between two people. The classic battle between good and evil. And a story about spending too much time in a bookstore. Penciled by Anthony Hochrein, written by me. Coming soon
Icara: Imagine being an 18 year old high school senior with your whole life before you. Then you go to sleep one night, your family is gone, you're being chased by men in black vans and you have wings that have begun to grow from your back overnight. What would you do? Coming soon.
My Days as a Dead Man: It is 1988, you pass out after a party, when you come to, it is 2008 and you wake up dead. Bogus, dude! Coming soon.
Big Talking Monkey: A web strip about my old imaginary friend who forgot that her was imaginary and invades my adult world. Coming soon

Design Work:
Redesign the student agendas for the four academies at Iroquois High School.

Consulting:
Providing artistic and business insights for Charlie Reed Images. "http://www.charliereadimages.com/index.html"

Web Work:
Maintaining the Blood and Roses Myspace Page. http://www.myspace.com/bloodandrosescomic

Fine Art:
OK nothing happening here but I have the paint and the canvases, I just need to find the time.

Plus I teach 5 days a week on top of all of this.

So as you can see, I am quite the busy boy these days. But that is a good thing, right? Ummm...right.

A Comics Concern

While I will never out grow comics, I feel like I am beginning to outgrow the need to have full runs of certain comics. New Comics Day used to be a time of some anticipation but I find myself increasingly "blahed" by what is on the shelf and more and more am buying books because I always have. Don't get me wrong, there are a few books that still hold my interest and that I feel some pull to see where the story is headed but the real zing of book that makes me want to re-read it to see if I have missed anything has alluded me for some time. I just can't get enthused about the latest secret battle or cosmic crisis. I just don't have it in me anymore to care about these "people" and what happens to them. And the sad thing is that in 90% of the books that I get, the art isn't even worth looking at anymore.

So have I, despite all my efforts, finally grown up?

Or do I just need some better writers?

Apathy and the single art student

Two of the things that absolutely confounds me about teaching art is the sheer apathy of children and the unreasonable fear they have at even trying to do something new. Paper is not precious (as evident by the millions of paper wads that fly around my room) and pencils do grow on trees so the only reason I can see for my students being so resistant to doing new artwork is fear. Fear of looking foolish, fear of not being able to do it perfectly or the fear that they might actually have to use their brains, whichever one of these is true, it rules their lives. I grade on effort...you try, you pass. But still I consistently have about a fourth of my total students that completely fails every grading period. Now I'm not the greatest artist in the world and certainly not the greatest teacher, but it confounds me how much I have to fight to get high school age kids to even put a line on a piece of paper. I always felt this should be the most relaxing part of their day. To hear them tell it...it is the most stressful.

Apathy is the other thing that just kills my teaching spirit. The kids just don't care. I don't expect them to be overjoyed with every project or in love with every piece of work that they do, but the regard the work that they do in my class with the same regard they have for the tissue they blew their noses on. Most put nothing of themselves into it and fewer still cherish their work in any way. They fail to realize it is not just the product but the process. They are so used to quick finishes and instant gratification. They time and effort that it takes to create truly good art is tantamount to a jail sentence.

There are days I wonder why I even bother trying.

Again with the Pens!:Pitt Manga Set

In my never ending search for the perfect pen, I recently came across an interesting find. Faber-Castell has put out a set of eight pens that they call their Manga set. Now I am not a fan of Manga at all (more on that later) but I appreciate these pens. They have the standard three blacks of brush, medium, and small but the other three are brushed in various shades of gray! I have found that I like the contrast that they make in simple line work and cant wait to try them out on a "real" project. And since I use these pens for my fine art as well as my comic art work, they are doing double duty in my studio. And anytime I can save a buck and get my work done at the same time makes me a happy boy.

To shame or not to shame

On the Afterburn Message Board today, one of my colleagues expressed the possibility of graphic novels having more subtle covers so that the reader of those books would not be "outed" as an adult reader of comics. He cited the old (or so I thought) idea that comics were thought of as kiddie fare.

And it got me thinking...is this still true? Do regular people still see comics as being just for kids? Given that a tenth of the movies out in the next few months have some connection to comics, and several of the recent highest grosses were from comics, is this still the common idea?

I can't gauge myself because I have always read comics in public and buy most of my graphic novels from regular bookstores. Given my size, I am rarely if every accosted by anyone and instinctively ignore people looking at me in strange ways.

My thoughts on this is that the general public are ignorant basing their ideas on notions that they heard second hand and facts that are decades old. These are the same types of people who write stories on comics and begin them with "Bam" and "Pow". Comics have grown up many years ago and now cover subjects ideas and themes that the average person could not imagine. Sure there is kiddie fare, but it is work that is DELIBERATELY geared towards children. Sure the gaudily clad superhero still exists, but he is now a fully realized person with problems, feelings and quirks that mirror those of the person holding the book and then there are books that examine the mental, the ethereal, and the metaphysical, in ways that would give Jung a reason to show up on Wednesdays.

Comics are literature. Take your graphic novel to the park and read it in the sun. And if anyone gives you any crap, smack them with a copy of The Collected Dark Knight saga...that sucker is heavy. :)

The demands of the hand

At the end of last post I mentioned the problem of getting the images from my brain to come out through my hand. I once heard Bob Kane (co-creator of Batman[yes "CO"...look it up!]) say that it is the mind that draws, not the hand. The eye "projects" the image down on the page and the artist simply traces it. A nice idea...but I don't buy it.

I am blessed (and cursed) with an over abundance of creative ideas on a variety of things. They bang and scream at my brain all day and night wanting an outlet (imagine my aspirin bills). Unfortunately, there appears to be some disconnect between my brain and my hands. I'll see the image clearly in my mind, but can't draw it. The story will flow through my head at a breakneck pace but the sentences I type are lumbering wordy things that spent more time describing the scene than moving it along. And don't even get me started on my skills as a sculptor.

It doesn't make sense...I'm trained...I read the books, study the magazines and still the images in my head never are fully realized in reality.

If my hands are my instrument...who do I see for a tune-up?

A Place for my Stuff

George Carlin said it best : "All you need in life is a place for your stuff"

After years of having my drawing table in one room, my comics in another and my computer in an entirely different room, I finally have one dedicated space that is my office and studio. I've begun to fill the room with things that inspire me: Alex Ross posters of the JLA, select action figures (including a Cyborg bobble head), a poster that says "The edge of imagination is where the mind is free to soar", a small sign above my desk that reads "I have flying monkeys and I'm not afraid to use them." (always makes me smile). And a framed copy of the last Peanuts strip (which always makes me melancholy).For the first time in ages, I can sit down and feel creative in a space without distraction and work and think and just let the ideas come to me.

Now if I could only get them from my brain to my hand.

Footprints in the Sands of the Web

Not too long ago, I half-jokingly said that I wanted to go though life anonymously, with the fewer people who knew me, the better I liked it. Unfortunately, one can not do that and still make a name for themselves in the world of art and comics. The days of Greta Garbo (or if you prefer a comic analog, Steve Ditko) are behind us...you can't be famous AND mysterious. A second snafu to this plan is that I am incredibly opinionated and can't keep my two cents to myself, so I "talk" alot on message boards and now I am even blogging, so I guess the ship has sailed on my being anonymous. I have been leaving a lot of footprints in the sand. If you want to follow my tracks, you may go to the aforementioned Blueline Pro/Afterburn Media message board on http://www.bluelinepro.com or you can track me down at any of the following places:

http://dragonwerx.deviantart.com/
http://www.comicspace.com/bigtalkingmonkey/
http://www.myspace.com/johnwilsonartist
http://thedragonwerx.myplaxo.com/
http://www.facebook.com/people/John_Wilson/711417968
http://www.louisvillemojo.com under the name bigtalkingmonkey

And that doesn't even count the pages I don't frequent anymore like Captain Comics, Penciljack or The Ten Ton Studios forum. SO I'm around, I'm out there, come and see me. Say Hi...

Or not.

I never met a pen I didn't like

In my first post I mentioned that I was an art supply addict. That is a bit of an understatement. In truth it is like saying that King Kong was a little hairy or Jabba the Hut had a slight weight problem. I can't be trusted with money in the Art supply store. I have never left without a bag. Ever. Want to buy me a present? Art supplies! Always a winner.

I always gravitate to where the pens are in any store I'm in. I can tell you how well each writes and how well it draws, whether it bleeds on which paper and when there is a new pen that I have never seen before, it is like Christmas. I have to have it...have to try it. It is nearly narcotic. I've never been into cars but I suppose it is the feeling some guys get when they see the latest cool car. You know the sound...that low guttural "oooooo...".

Many times it is not just how it looks, although that touches the graphic designer in me deeply. My newest find an erasable (ERASABLE!) gel pen called called the Pilot Frixion has a cool flame design on it akin to something the boys on Miami Ink would create.

It is the potential of it. What can it do? What can I do with it? Is it better than the ones before it? Will it make me better?

A lot to ask from a pen...

It's all about who you know...

As a somewhat solitary and mildly anti social person, I can count on one hand the number of people that I call friends. I define friends differently than most people. To be my friend, you have to have known me for a long time and our relationship can in no way be about what I can do for you or you, me. A friend to me is someone who wants nothing from me and gains nothing by knowing me...and likes me anyway.

So I don't have a lot of friends, but I do have tons of acquaintances and they are in some ways more important to me. To get anywhere in any business, but especially comics, it is often about who you know that will get you in the door enough for you to wow them with your skills. You need to have acquaintances who in turn will open up more acquaintances to you who will ultimately lead you to where you want to be.

In my own example, the road starts at the feet of FRIEND (see above), Bill Nichols. He introduced me to APA-5, where I met Robin Ator (claymation artist and creator of Kyra). Through Bill, I met Bob Hickey (publisher of Sketch magazine and Blood and Roses among other great comics titles...check them out at http://www.bloodandroses.com/). From Bob, I met Joe Corroney (Star Wars artist) and Greg Land (artist for DC, Marvel,etc.). They took me to a convention where I talked to Stan Lee in the elevator, shook hands with Harlan Ellison and loaned a pen to George Perez in a hotel lobby. I spoke to editors that as a kid living in Kentucky I never would have met and they actually said nice (sometimes) things about my work. I know there are many more over the years but the mind fails.Recently, the gents from Sketch (where Bill is now an editor) re introduced me to Allen Freeman ( who may well be publishing a book for me soon). They started an online forum (that I moderate) and my list of acquaintances has grown exponentially to include people from around the world including a New York airbrush artist turned illustrator named Anthony Hochrein who is currently penciling the first issue of the aforementioned comic.

To paraphrase the last episode of Quantum Leap:

"You've touched people's lives and those lives have touched others; and those...others! You've done a lot of good, Sam".

So I have become a firm believer in cultivating acquaintances. You should get out there, join message boards (like mine at http://www.bluelinepro.com/ and click the forums button) , get to know folks as much as you can through a set of wires. You never know when the phrase " Hey, (insert name) told me about you...come draw for me" may jump out at you.

And even if they do nothing to help your ambitions, at least you shared a moment.

And sometimes, that is all you need.

Hey Kids...Comics!...and my life with them!

In one way or another, comics has been part of my life since I was very young. In a childhood that I can remember very little of (probably for the best), I can distinctly remember going to the grocery every week with my mother and was allowed to pick one (or more if I was really good) of the comics that were stuffed in that squeaky red rack (I can still remember the uneven noise it made as I turned it). Sometimes Marvel but more often than not a DC before either of those names had any meaning for me. I can remember having my aunt make clothes for my MEGO Superman doll and striping the paper off of a bread twist tie to make glasses. And I remember building my own Hall of Justice out of a cardboard box complete with computers and such drawn on the inner walls. I even had chairs for my League which by then included Superman Batman and Aquaman, all with removable costumes (although Batman's cowl was painted on, so no Bruce Wayne time for him). I guess you could call that one of my earliest forays into 3-d art, if markers on cardboard qualifies as art. Comics had already hooked me in the 2-d arts, as I had reams of drawings that I had made by copying panels or parts of panels that caught my eye. I even remember trading bunches of Star Wars figures for stacks of comics. And although it pains the collector in me now, at the time, I thought I was such a shrewd trader.

Jump ahead to 1986, as I was driving to pick up my date for my senior prom, I spied a new shop setting up in the Houchens Plaza. I walked in in my tux and meet a man named John Henson who welcomed me to the unfinished store. It was called Alternate Realities. An honest to goodness comic shop was opening up in my town. It may not seem like much now but back then, comic shops were very rare in my part of the world. Needless to say, I became a regular customer and absolute nuisance to them and comics evolved slowly from interest to obsession and then to potential profession. I worked in the store (usually for comics as pay), collated APAs(think of them as message boards but on paper and mailed monthly), worked on my skills with the aforementioned Bill Nichols and generally tried to learn everything I could about the business as well as the Art of comics. A learning process that continues to this day. Through these associations, I have met publishers, professionals, heroes, friends, liars and assholes in the world of comic book creators.

The life of the comics professional never happened for me ( maybe someday, hope springing and all that) and both Alternate Realities and poor John are long gone, but those were the formative pieces that took a shy lonely boy and gave him something to help him grow into the imaginative, marginally well adjusted and slightly mad man that I am today.

So, that's a good thing, right?

Right.

Greetings

Welcome to the Dragonwerx.
For those of you who don’t know me or found this by accident, my name is John Wilson. Pleased to meet cha’

The Dragonwerx is my art and design studio. It is what I hope one day will be that which pays my bills as well as feeding my soul. Teaching art in a high school is what pays the bills. More on that later…maybe.

The stuff I’m into:
My wife: The most important person in my world. Period.
Comics (reading and creating): Definately more on that later!
Art: (again reading and creating):I’m a multi-media artist, As an illustrator, I work in pen and ink and occassionally paint. I am an art supplies addict.
Message boards: I belong to several. Links will be coming your way soon.
I’m going to try to keep up with this on a regular basis and while I can’t say it will always be interesting to everyone, I might give you an idea or two.

John

P.S. Check out the best blog on earth for comics creators http://www.sketchmagazine.net. It is done by the smartest and most talented guy I know…Bill Nichols, editor of Sketch Magazine and all around cool dude.