Superman Sketch

Lately I've been snapping photos of drawings and pages as I draw them and throwing everything up on Twitter. Hopefully people enjoy seeing a process. Mostly it's to let those counting on me to finish Teuton that I'm not dicking around.

Anyway, last weekend I draw a little birthday card for some classmate of my daughters. They're all good lads and I've known most of them for a few years now, so I don't mind doodling up a little something on a card.

For this particular card I drew classic Superman. Here's a few progress shots...

 

MONSTROSITY ***UPDATED***

Coloured by Nolan Woodard

Recently I collaborated with my friend Michael Walsh to create a really cool giant monster pin-up for Monstrosity, a comic anthology containing stellar work from a gaggle of Toronto indie creators.

I wanted to write and draw my own short story for the book, but I'm too darned busy finishing Teuton Vol.3 (which is clipping along, thanks for asking!)

You can get the whole making-of scoop over at Big Sexy Comics, where I did a decent write-up on how to buy the book, the print, or even snag the original piece of art. Please read all about that here.

Or head to Monstrosity's Indiegogo campaign and donate!

Post-TCAF

Photo courtesy of @portablecity

Well that was super fun.

I'm relieved, actually. As excited as I was to attend my first TCAF, I was also slightly nervous that my book Teuton and super-hero ladden portfolio wouldn't fit in, but everything went fairly well. While it's true that drawings of caped crusaders have their place at other cons, I found all the people attending TCAF to be open-minded, curious, and eager to discover something completely new. So thank you kindly to everyone who visited and showed their support. Whether you picked up Teuton, Undertow or Book of Methuselah, I hope you return for more.

There's a whole world of comic culture that I've now only just exposed myself too, and it awakens things in my creativity that urges me to take part in it all. I was inspired by everything I saw from friends and strangers alike. Once again I'm excited for the future and at what I may create.

There's a whole ton of other people to thank and acknowledge for making this weekend worthwhile...

Thanks to my pals and table mates Brian Evinou and Fred Kennedy for putting up with me. Thanks to Shane Heron for being a pal and nursing me through my miserable hangover. Thanks to Sam Noir for generously giving me a lift, sparing me a cold and soaking wet walk to Union Station. Thanks to Agnes Garbowska, Meaghan Carter, Marta Chudolinska, Alice Quinn, Marvin Law, Rachel Kahn, Kevin, Shaun, Anna, Leo, Jason, Allison, Adam, Steph, Mike, and all you other beautiful people who said Hello and dropped some coin. Sorry for the acid tongue on Sunday.
 

Here's a few drawings from the weekend, including a super spoilery Game Of Thrones sketch. Reader beware...

 

+

+

+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

Almost Something For TCAF

This weekend I'll be attending TCAF for the first time ever. Read more on that over at Big Sexy Comics.

While considering the TCAF scene, I decided to hammer out an 8-page mini book made special for the show. Something small and personal and overall fun for me. I really like science fiction and aim to write and draw a sci-fi tale

I completed two pages earlier this week before growing unsatisfied with the rushed quality of my work, even though I liked the more fluid way I drew it under the constraints of time. Ultimately I decided to put it on the back burner and focus on Teuton, the book with a big, looming deadline.

Anyway, here's a look at those two pages--for better or worse...

Free Comic Book Day 2013

Sending My Love From FCBD

At the start of 2013 I remember thinking to myself, "this year is going to be really good for me, but only I can make that happen." While that still stands true, the company I keep is also a huge factor in why I'm enjoying my time in comics, and I'll be damned if I don't know some truly remarkable people, creators and lovers of the medium alike.

So another year, another day of free comics; this one being by far the most fun for me personally purely because I was surrounded by really, really cool people. To everyone there--my fellow creators, the good blokes at Stadium Comics and all their kick-ass volunteers, and everyone who stopped by to drop coin and otherwise show support--I thank you all.

Comics As A Participation Sport

Most people don't realize that comic books is a participation sport and everyone involved is important in evolving the medium and keeping the industry vital. Seriously. There's a interesting circle of life that everyone from the creators, publishers, retailers, and consumers co-habit, and they are each in turn affecting and affected by each other.

For instance, as someone pointed out to me earlier this week, the Free in FCBD isn't free for everyone. The retailers giving away their free comics actually paid roughly twenty-five cents per copy for the privilege of having hordes of consumers enter their store with the hopes punters will purchase something. Yesterday Stadium Comics unloaded a whole pallet's worth of free comics to what looked like a locomotive's length of people. I can't calculate what the event must cost, nor do I want to, but Stadium Comics and every retailer participating in FCBD did so not only to generate business but to keep readers invested in the medium as well as offering new readers, young and old, a an entry level opportunity to discover something new. They do this at great cost and even great risk because they know the future of the comics medium depends on a growing, diverse readership.

With that said, I'm truly very grateful to Stadium Comics for always putting on a great time for their customers and guests. Kevin and Rob are great fellows and their staff and volunteers are rad people. The stress is over and I hope it was worth it. It certainly was for me. Thank you!

For more on just how instrumental the role consumers play in what comics get made and sold, I highly recommend this thought provoking article by Devan Faraci on Badass Digest here.

Highlights 

As I said above, the day was made great because I was in great company. Easily the coolest thing about yesterday was seeing the new books my friends created. How fucking awesome is it to have a bunch of pals team up on different projects together?

THE BLACK HOLE HUNTER'S CLUB

One such book was The Black Hole Hunter's Club, written by Ricky Lima and illustrated Shane Heron, and a cover designed and coloured by David Bishop to boot!

BHHC is a 12-page, black and white sci-fi comedy that bleeds the twisted, slapstick humor Lima and Heron are known for. When reading your friends' work it can sometimes pull you out of the story when it feels too much like the person you know. In this case, it feels like a fun hangout with hilarious buds--in space!

The book is one of two projects spun out of the recent 12-Hour Comic Marathon hosted by The Comic Book Lounge and organized by Keiren Smith.

SQUIRRELS

The second of which is D.A. Bishop's SQUIRRELS. On my brief visit to The Lounge on 12-Hour Comic I got to see this in the making, and I knew right away that Bishop had something special on his hands.

It was the same feeling I had when I checked out his zombie book, Stranger, and later again when he produced Deep Sea with the aforementioned Ricky Lima. It's official: anyone should be excited for what Bishop creates.

In the case of Squirrels, he offers a short tale that's dark, imaginative and brutal, echoing Watership Down yet attaining a wholly original quality. Since it's creation a few weeks ago it's been getting love and attention from blogs and sites like Bleeding Cool. Deservedly so, as it's exactly the kind of material that perfectly displays what exciting, unconventional things can come from pure, unadulterated comics mayehm.

Kudos, boys!