Monday, December 28, 2009

New years

Leaving for New York City in the morning so i wanted to post this before I go. I just attended another of the Charlotte Comic Con shows on Sunday. Rick Fortenberry puts on a good show and is a very good guy.

While there I talked with other artists. I met a guy who told me that he has had the idea he is working on for sixteen years and is working on issue one. I said not to feel bad, I've had intermezzo in my head for 18 years and I just finished issue four. The reason I am sharing this is to tell anyone reading this (as if anyone reads this) to just stop thinking about, talking about, drawing pictures that you show to no one, and just start really doing comics. Stop getting ready to do... and just do. Don't be me (the guy who wishes he had started 15 years ago, and thinks how many issues he would have finished by now). Just wanted to pass that along.

On another note, Wendy (my loving and oh so patient wife) are leaving for New York City in the morning. Partially for New Years but mostly for our 15 year anniversary. Beena while and I'm really looking forward to it.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

happy jingles

Just wanted to put a word out that I have finished the fourth issue of Intermezzo! man am I tired.

Seeing my mom for Christmas, and then my wife Wendy and I are spending New Year's in New York City. I am on vacation until the new year. I really needed this.

I hope to begin pencilling issue 5 soon. Issue 4 will be for sale on indyplanet relatively soon next year.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Issue 4



I have just finished the inks on the last page of issue 4. All that remains is to paint the cover, do all of the scanning, write the intro and ending pages, upload it, and order it from Ka-Blam (maybe its not so close to being done as I thought).




But still... woohooo I'm closer than i was.




While finishing page 24 I had the tv on Snoopy come Home. All I remember from that movie when I was a kid was the No Dogs Allowed song and that it made me cry. The song was still there, but it had more than just the one line I remembered. And yes... it still made me cry.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

happy gobble day

Family here for thanksgiving. I gave my neice and nephew trade paperbacks of Bone and Akiko on the Planet Smoo to get them reading comics. I saw my neice reading Akiko as she went to sleep. I love that stuff.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

More stuff



Its been a while since i've written. I want to do this more often, but the time seems to fly by these days.


I've been really buckling down on issue 4, only 4 more pages to ink and then the cover. I've been drawing so much (not to mention putting in a lot of hours at work) that my drawing hand has started hurting.


I attended Roanoke Valley ComicCon last weekend. It's a good show, met a lot of good people, drew an Aquaman sketch that I was very happy with, sold some comics, got to stay with some friends, all in all a good weekend. It's the last con I have planned until December 27th when I go back for the next Charlotte Con. I'm really trying to have number 4 ready by then, but I don't know if I can get it printed in that amount of time.




I'm posting the pics of a couple of sketches from the last couple of shows. Here is Supergirl...


...and here is Aquaman from this past weekend in Virginia.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Check this out

I just found this online comic and i find it hysterical. Check it out. Anyone who is interested in older obscure characters and comic history should have a ball. But even if that isn't your thing, this is very clever and well done.

www.oopcomics.com

I'm not dead

I just realized how long it has been since I wrote anything. My computer at home died (no really, blue screen of death, won't even turn on anymore) so even when I had time to write I couldn't. My wife Wendy and I have an older computer set up for now until our regular one gets mailed back.

I went to Charlotte Comicon on Saturday. I actually saw someone who wanted to know when number four was coming out because he had the first three issues. It was cool to meet someone who read them, but I hated not having issue four ready. I have 10 pages left to ink and the cover to paint. I am eager to finish it before the next Charlotte Comicon on December 27th. I did a sketch of Supergirl while I was there Saturday that I was happy with. I took a picture and when I get my regular computer back I will post it.

This weekend I am attending a comic show in Salem, VA. If I see you at the show and you mention this blog I will give you a free gift (and 15 geek points).

I've been on a creative high lately, there are a bunch of ideas forming that have nothing to do with Intermezzo. Hopefully I can find someone to draw them so I don't take time away from issue 4.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

New Pics






Go to the photos page and check out some new pics. Lots of fun stuff.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Time Flies

Its hard to believe it's mid October already. I haven't written anything lately, work has been hectic lately. For my real job I am the scene designer/ technical director/ lighting designer/ master painter/ head electrician/ master carpenter for the local children's theatre group called ACT for Youth. It keeps me very busy, and lately I have been immersed in the tech work for High School Musical. In addition to that I am planning a Halloween Film Festival. The fun part of that is getting to watch these classic horror movies and pick the ones to watch.

All of that of course means that I have not been able to do as much on Intermezzo as I would like. I do try to make sure that I spend some time every day in front of my art table. I have decided to treat it like a discipline to keep Intermezzo moving forward. But i have found when i do this, the time I spend working on my comic is very relaxing and helps me decompress after a long day at the theatre.

I am not moving as fast as I would like, but there are so many stories I want to do that are swimming around in my head that I will never be able to put them down quickly enough. The impatience of obsession.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Comic Book Stuff (what.. me.. really? nah)

So now I am still working on the fourth issue of Intermezzo. I have inking to finish and the cover to paint. There are fewer cons coming up so i plan on concentrating on intermezzo as much as my free time will allow.

I have been reading some good stuff lately. If you have the chance check out...in no particular order...
The Stuff of Legend by thirdworld studios
The Mighty Avengers
Wednesday Comics
The Squadren Supreme TPB
Captain America
Justice League Cry for Justice
Booster Gold
Green Arrow and Black Canary

I'm sure there is other stuff I am forgetting to mention.

The next show will be in Salem,VA on November 15th.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Va Comicon

Stacy and i went to Richmond on Sunday. It was a nicely run show, Brett was very friendly and it was a good experience. We even got a piece of Brett's giant comic book themed birthday cake; you don't get friendlier than that. It was not good for sales for me or Stacy, but both of us handed out a lot of business cards and talked to a lot of people. Maybe some of those people will be reading this. If so, I hope you enjoy checking out the site and give Intermezzo a try.

Until next time...

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Charlotte Comicon

Charlotte went well for both Stacy and I. The was the first show that I made a profit(Woo hoo)! It was nice, the crowd was smaller than I saw when I went to the last show in July (they had no more room to set up, but i went to check it out and see if it was a show I would like to do), but very nice people.

If you are someone I met at Charlotte be sure to drop me a e-mail and let me know about what you thought about Intermezzo.

This Sunday is Richmond, VA. If you are in the area, stop by and say hello. Mention the blog and get a prize and 30 Geek Points. I have heard good things about this show from Louis Small Jr, so I am looking forward to it.

New favorite song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lc8dfczWnAY

This is a clip from Third Rock from the Sun, a very funny show from the 90s. The song is from dream sequence with the character Harry. I saw it last night and needed to find it on youtube.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Pics and Cons







Check out the Photos section for links to my Flickr page, there are pics from Heroescon 09.

Above are just a couple.




Tomorrow I (and Stacy with her leather masks) will be attending Charlotte Comicon. Anyone who mentions reading this to me gets a prize and 25 Geek Points.
I'll post more on how it goes later.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

New stuff!

Thanks to Sarlyn and all of her work the site is looking better than ever! Check out the photos page for pictures of strange and funny things I find. The comics page has a new look and will soon have the third issue posted (the cover of the third issue has been added to the side of this page as well).

I cannot be happier with this site.

Also happening, Dragon Con was this weekend but I was not able to attend this year. I went the past two years with my friends Jeff, Stacy and Jason (you might see them in the photo albums), but this year I could not afford to since I have been concentrating on attending conventions as an artist. I miss it, and I hope to be back in Atlanta next year, but I am doing what I need to to get Intermezzo available to people.

Next Sunday (September 13th) I will be set up at the Charlotte Comic Con. I know Rick Fortenberry (the guy who runs it) from a long time ago when he was a regular dealer for Dream Con in Raleigh, NC and I was a volunteer helping to run it. I am excited about this show. Anyone who reads this and mentions it to me at the show gets a prize, and 50 Geek Points.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

My new favorite store

Wendy (my wife) showed me this website this morning. It is an actual store in Brooklyn. Wendy and I are planning a trip to New York soon, it looks like I'll be making a trip to Brooklyn while we are there.

http://www.superherosupplies.com/

Monday, August 24, 2009

PICTURES










As the photo page has said for quite a while that photos are coming soon, I guess that it is now "soon." My first gallery is posted on flickr, titled "Superheroes on Cellphones." I have a couple of hundred more shots of DragonCon and also a good amount from HeroesCon, so I will post more as I can. I just always found it funny to take pictures on Heroes on their cellphones, so here is a set of them. Here is the link, check them out.






There will be more soon.
the Self-Promoting Machine











Wednesday, August 12, 2009

ComicsMonkey

From my info on my Ka-Blam info it seems that Comics Monkey is on the way! Ka-Blam (my digital printer) is going to start their own distribution system called ComicsMonkey. Since Diamond has cut back on so much stuff (coincidentaly within a month of when I submitted Intermezzo to be carried by them. For some strange reason they did not want to carry a brand new title by an unpublished creator self publishing his comic- huh go figure). That was the height of bad timing.
So it appears that Ka-Blam is making a bar code for Intermezzo to include it in the ComicMonkey catalog. So that is pretty $%#@& cool.

I hope it is soon. I think it is a great chance for Intermezzo to reach a lot more people, but I also think it is the same opportunity for a lot of other talented creators to get their work in front of the reading audience. I hope that retailers will give it a chance. I know I have been disappointed in the Previews catalog as of late since it has been shrinking more and more.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Conventions

I went to Virginia for the Capi-Con show last weekend. Jeff was the guy who ran the show was very nice and professional. He runs a good show and it had a good crowd show up for it. I talked to a lot of people (those who would stop), told them about Intermezzo, they would laugh, and then walk away.

This seemed to be a collecting only crowd. When I walked around the room, it was almost all silver and golden age books. I didn't see any newer stuff. I guess the crowd that came to that show knew what to expect and no one was interested in giving a small press comic book a try. Except for the one guy who actually bought from me, yeah... one. Talk about a depressing experience. Even Stacy (my freind who makes the leather masks) didn't sell anything. And after her extremely successful show in Charlotte, it is very surprising.

So, not a great experience for the bottom line, but not a bad show in itself. If you are looking for the older comics, its a good show for you. Not really a place to see artists or find new or underground stuff.

The next show Stacy and I are set to do is the Charlotte ComicCon on September 13th. I went to their last show just to check it out and they had a lot of artists and small press people. So I think it will be a better fit. After that is Richmond on September 20th.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Appearing at Capicon in VA

Just dropping a quick note that i will be attending a comic show in Tysons Corner, VA this Sunday. Looking forward to it. This is my second show, so I don't have as many butterflies as i did for heroes Con in Charlotte. I haven't been to this show before so I am very curious to see what it is like.

I will post afterwards to tell how it went. If you read this and plan on attending stop by and say hi... there might be a prize.

see ya.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Moving Right Along

As of last night I have finished the pencils and lettering for 21 pages of Intermezzzo's fourth issue. I have been spending a lot of time to work consistently. My wife, and reluctant editor, Wendy has been very forgiving with me and i am very grateful for that.

Something that sprung to mind; about the lettering...
yes my lettering style is an intentional choice. I break the speech bubbles, angle the words, do not follow precise lines and do it all by hand. All of it is a choice I made to try and give my characters "their voice" and make it a part of the page's art and not just placed over the top of it. I have had several people think I draw the speech bubbles and just run out of room. Actually I draw the letters and then draw the bubble around it. I know it does not have the professional look comic readers are used to, but I hope it is something that can be unique about Intermezzo and that their voices come through to you as clearly as they do to me.

Look for me to show up at comic conventions in the North Carolina area to introduce people to Intermezzo. If you know of one coming up drop me an e-mail.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Intermezzo the Third

The third issue is available on Indyplanet! Go check it out!
http://www.indyplanet.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=2433.
Check it out, buy it, read it, and let me know what you think.
Later

Monday, June 29, 2009

Heroescon, the postgame show

So I went to Charlotte and set up at a small press table in Artists Alley. Despite butterflies in my stomach the size of Mothra I put Intermezzo, some artwork, t-shirts out for sale, and sat behind a table to try and get the word out about Intermezzo. My insecurity about my work is very strong (to say the least) and for me to spend a weekend promoting my art and myself is very uncomfortable for me. Nathan Massengil (professional inker and great guy) gets quite a laugh when I call myself a "Self-Promoting Machine" (insert sarcasm here).

If you've never been to Heroescon (I recommend it, the people are wonderful) it is a three day show, Friday through Sunday. Friday for me was horrible, I sold one t-shirt and a sketch. No comics at all. It was pretty much every fear come to life (scratch that- every fear but snakes). After that day what little wind in my sails was gone.

But I went in on Saturday and talked to a lot of people, showed my book to a lot of them, and sold some comics (and other stuff). I got better about telling people what my work was about and making them laugh. A lot of them laughed and then walked away, but I still felt a lot better about how things were going. That day really recharged my batteries (or blew wind in my sails if you are a stickler for constant metaphors).

I have always heard that Sundays were dead at Heroescon, but it really wasn't the case for me. The crowd was smaller but i sold about the same on Sunday as I did on Saturday.

So "the Self-Promoting Machine" will be seen again, what I enjoyed most was meeting the people and the excitement that they will read my work. It was fun for me and I hope it was fun for them to read Intermezzo (e-mail me and let me know).

In sharp contrast to my weekend is my friend Stacy (Leather Mischief, she makes fun, artistic, mardi Gras like masks). She made her table cost on Friday, made a sizable bit o' cash on Saturday and then doubled it on Sunday. She made lots of superhero design masks that sold very well (including two bought by George Perez as Stacy and I tried not to embarass ourselves, and I suspect failing miserably). We saw people wearing them around, she got all kinds of questions and requests. She was practically giddy by the end on Sunday.

So, to everyone who stopped and talked, I thank you. To everyone who bought the first three issues of Intermezzo (everyone who bought comics, bought all three issues) I would like to hear from you.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

When I grow up...

Ok, just to clarify I'm 37 so I've grown up just about as much as I ever will (sorry Wendy, this is as good as it gets). But when I look back to my childhood and I thought about that question the only answer I ever gave was a comic book artist. When I was five years old I was certain I would make a living drawing comic books for people in a parking lot (I did not know what printing was back then, I thought every comic book was hand drawn). Now I have taken the steps to get my comic book to the public (Intermezzo, get your copy now). For the first time I am the comic book artist that five year old imagined and i am about as scared as a five year old.


I am going to heroescon in Charlotte North Carolina 9 days from now (as I am writing, not as you are reading). I have sold comics at my local store and even appeared as a comic artist at Free Comic Book Day, but this is a much grander scale. So... I will let you know how it goes.


I would like to hear from you, whether that is someone who has read Intermezzo, someone i meet as Heroescon, or another obsessed comic creator.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

My First Post!

I suppose the big question right now is “why.” Why create a comic and self publish it? When the comics market seems so full of high quality books and creators, is there any room for
me and Intermezzo? Why would I commit the money, vast amounts of my time and my hopes and dreams to do this? The most honest answer I have come up with is… I can’t stop myself.

For years I have written stories for Intermezzo, ideas jumped into my head without warning.
I carried a small notebook in my back pocket to scribble a story idea, character, or just a line of dialogue whenever it came to me. I designed hundreds of characters (not an exaggeration) that live in my fantasy world, and eventually I put them into page after page of sequential art.

I alternated between determination that one day the time would come for me to take the plunge and depression as the real world blocked the way to the fantasy one. At times I conceded that it would never happen and stopped writing, stopped drawing, and did my best to stop dreaming.
But each time I thought I had just walked away from this dream I, almost unconsciously, started it again. I revisited my fantasy world and these characters who felt like old friends insisted that their stories be told. To make a long story short (too late)
I have submitted to my addiction.