Comic show in Winston Salem

I am working a lot on directing a play called The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged).  If you have the chance you should see it.  If you have the chance to see mine, then all the better.  It is one of the funniest things on the planet.  And I don't consider that to be an exaggeration.


I have work tomorrow, then rehearsal tomorrow night, and then I wake up early and go to Jay and Eddie's Comic Book Show.  I need my comic book convention fix, it will be fun.  I will get to see some dealers that I have gotten to know better, and some artists that I see more and more frequently.


And if anyone walks up to me and says the magic phrase "Bob stole my arm and painted it blue" you win a prize.


If someone walks up wearing a costume from my comic Intermezzo, I will throw so much free $#!&! your way you won't be able to carry it.

Wendy (of course)

Issue #11 is officially ordered.  Wendy loaded the files at the library.  She always comes up with solutions.  So it is going to be here (hopefully) in time for Heroescon (I say hopefully because I am a pessimist, Ka-Blam has always made their deadlines with me).


I am sure Wendy did that because she loved me, but there is a part of me who just thinks she couldn't put up with me freaking out about it anymore.  6 of one...




So soon Issue #11 will be available.  And I will stress over issue #12.

Intermezzo Spotting

A friend tagged me in a picture on Facebook.  Foundation's Edge, a comic book shop in Raleigh, NC near NC State's campus had copies of Intermezzo on their shelves.


Yay!


That was a minor geekgasm for me.  (Minor/major)


Plus I went to Nostalgia Newstand, which is the closest comic book shop for me now.  They still have copies I took them on their shelves too.




I hope your day was good.  I've had a good one.  And Dr. Scanner isn't working, but its ok today.

The Longest week of the year

Wendy is back in the country and I pick her up late tonight.  Even though she does this trip every year, I can't get over how long the week feels.  I tried to keep myself busy (as always).


I managed to pencil and letter 4 pages of Intermezzo issue 11.  I worked on some older art on the Huh story from the 90's.  I've included older pages in issue 9 and issue 10 (which is at the printer now) and this has even more.


I am also getting ready for next weekend's show in Winston Salem and the week after in Roanoke.

ISSUE 10!

I have completed the inks and the cover of issue 10 of iNTERMEZZO!  I have completed one inside cover, one more to go.  Then I must confront my arch enemy... Dr. Scanner! 


I have decided to call my scanner Dr. Scanner so it sounds more impressive. 
"I am having problems with my scanner... again."
or
"My plans have been thwarted by Dr. Scanner!  NOOOO!"

So...

As of yesterday I have been offered a new job.  It is still in the same general area that I am in (I work in a bank call center to pay the bills, exciting stuff) but will be moving to a new position in a month.  This means my schedule will change and I will have my weekends free (instead of having to work every other Sunday).  The thought that dances in my head is that the comic book conventions that I have been missing because I have to work are now a real possibility!

So, nothing definite yet, but soon Bear Butt Comics will be a much more visible part of a lot more shows. Instead of this being a nagging obsession, maybe I can make it a real priority.

 It is time for me to do more.

Update and stuff

So I have the lettering for issue 10 done, the pencils for the cover done (the third in the bear head silhouette covers), and I am working on a page for a DC Comics contest.  Its a Harley Quinn Contest that has stirred up a bit of controversy among the comic community (but completely unnoticed by anyone else, like most comic book controversies that don't involve Ben Affleck).

Add that to a lot  of sketches that I have been drawing lately (and I mean a LOT, I need a portfolio just for displaying sketches now) and it looks like I have been pretty busy.

If I ever get to another comic show I am ready.  I have a couple I am looking into, and others I am missing because of work (Rassa Frassa frassa).  The next one I have actually scheduled is NCComicon in November.

I have missed far too many shows this year, I need my comic geek fix.  And issue 10 is too far from being finished to appease the obsession.

Issue 10 pencils are done.

Finished penciling the last page last night. Wendy has poured over the pages to see what I may have messed up and I fixed what needed to be so I am moving on to lettering today.  This issue features more Huh art from the 90's so I have 5 pages already lettered and inked, so it feels like I am moving along at a good clip.

Soon the Bootooth Saga, my first epic storyline, will be in full swing.

Bios

These are the bios from issue 9.  Starting with that issue I will now include bios of various characters in the back to fill you in on these characters who take up so much room in my head. 

Who do you want to see get a bio next issue?

Progress on issue 10

So I have been working on issue 10, and so far I have completed 5 pages of Huh's story and penciled 10 pages of the Bootooth Saga.  It has been moving along at a fair clip, really into the big story now.  The Bootooth Saga is the first real crossover of the separate storylines.

Really hope to have it done soon, I am excited about this one.  Plus it takes us to issue 11, which will be REALLY cool.

Persistance rather than inspiration

Sometime I find it necessary to push through and work on something when I don't feel very creative.  Because inspiration can take too long.  In those times, the work inspires the creativity, instead of the other way around.

Picture of Huh

Huh is a cosmic Polar bear Superhero that I created in 1990 (way back when I was a youngster).  I was waiting in a line for a few hours very early in the morning.  In that sleep deprived state I saw a face in the pattern of the concrete.  I thought "Hey, that looks like a bear's face.  But wearing a mask."

The cartoon light bulb went off over my head and Huh was born.  He went through a few changes, originally I envisioned him as green, but he has played a part in all the iNTERMEZZO stories.  Originally the comic started with him and his origin and went from there.  It changed a bit and began his story in issue 7 (after the Alleviators introduction), but he is still a focal point to the book.  I've got big plans for that bear.

New/Old Huh comic pages

Huh the Cosmic Polar Bear (introduced in issue 8 of iNTERMEZZO) is a character I have had in my head since 1990.  I originally started the story of iNTERMEZZO with his origin but later made the changes to the timeline I have been following in the comics that are published (and available for purchase on Indyplanet.com). It has allowed me to change things as I go, or in the case of issue 9 take art directly from the past and include it.  That makes me happy to see it again, and it helps me get the next issue done faster.

Issue 10 will include more artwork from 1996-1997, but this time I have altered those pages a bit. I took panels and rearranged them so that I could fit the next chapter of Huh originally done in 10 pages and fit it into 5.  I think there was room and pacing that allowed it to be adjusted, and I think the end result is quite nice and lead to some great pages. I finished them yesterday, here is one.

Wendy

Wendy is going on a business trip today and won't be home until late tomorrow night.

What I think will happen... I'll get a lot of stuff done and spend the whole time drawing and/or writing.

What probably will happen... I'll sit, watch TV, Facebook, and generally feel anxious about it until she gets back.

Usually I get some things done I plan to do, but not nearly as many as I imagine. 
The comic obsession (and it has been growing because of Heroescon, my apologies to my friends who have to put up with the Heroescon plans, and me showing them everything I am working on for it) gets it focus stolen when Wendy is not at home.  I keep thinking that I need to be doing something but have to focus to get it done. 

Heroescon is coming!

I will be set up at Heroescon this year (I missed last year because of work, grrr).  I will be there with two artist friends of mine; Stacy and her leather masks who does a lot of shows with me and Jason, a sculpture and steampunk costumer who did the last Heroescon with us.  Both of them have beautiful work. 
We will NOT be along the wall in the small press area.  We have chipped in to get a booth in the main area of the action. I think that will really get us to where we will be noticed and easy to find.

I am working on another new art print for the show.  I have been doing a lot of those lately and they have some very funny stuff.  Be sure to stop by and check them out.

Be sure to stop by and check out my new comics as well.  By showtime I will have 9 issues of iNTERMEZZO, 2 issues of DYSLEXIC COSMIC and a stand alone story called THE JOURNEY OF BRAVE ULYSSES (which is so much different than anything else I have ever done). More on it when the book is back from Ka-Blam, my printer who is fantastic to work with.

Number 2...

 

So, if this is something that becomes a possibility, would you be interested?

AAAAHHHHH.

Just sent off my latest comic to the printer.  Its a rare mix of contentment, excitement, and anxiety.  The life of an obsessed comic book artist.

Charlotte Comicon

http://charlottecomicon.com

Here is a link to the convention I am attending on pril 7th!  My first of the year, and I need a comics fix.  It is a consistently good show and I am scared I may be building it up a little too much in my mind.

I have new comics, new art and new prints as well. 

Stop by and say hello.  Stop by and say "The Funk of Forty Thousand Years" and I will give you a prize.  If you can do a good Vincent Price voice and I will up the ante.

Motivation

I think that it is the single most important element in getting a comic book done (or anything, but I am being specific). Especially when you are self publishing and your motivation isn't money.

I'm not the best artist/writer out there, but I love what I do. Usually. A lot of times I can't stop myself from writing and drawing, but there are times when the motivation is hard to come by. Especially when its been a long time since a show, or I've had a bad show, etc. 

But I have met some talented people without the motivation to use it, and it irritates me. The thought that they do not use that skill, and waste the opportunity they can make for themselves.  They will die with a lot of unfinished pictures in their head. That makes me a little sad.

So, I am not the best out there, but I am out there. It is my accomplishment, and I am trying my darndest to be proud of it (but my low self esteem only permits so much).

Thank you, there it is.

NOW ON SALE!

I have just received Issue 9 and it is on sale at indyplanet!  This is a big issue for me and it looks great!  My older art looks so much better than I was expecting.  I am so excited!

http://indyplanet.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=8158

Check it out and order a copy (or six)!