Looking up at down.

I’m on farmer hours again, waking up too early.

I’m just finishing up the 1st issue of my next series (Rain like Hammers) I should have a release date by the next time I type on here & hopefully a cover!

Here’s a title page from it.

I often fudge the perspective in my drawings– but this being such an obvious 3 point perspective– it looked really off in my initial pencils.

I scanned it and added red lines in photoshop to figure out the right way to draw the thing.

and then  drew a grid based off of that

then light tabled and inked the final thing over that.

A couple of months back me and my pal Farel and my GF Alejandra came up with a list of daily drawings to do in October. (because a lot of artists were doing the Inktober– ink drawings everyday)

Here’s each of our versions of Spider-man in a fur coat (number 11)

Alejandra’s (from her instagram here) 

Farel’s (from here) 

and mine (this is my instagram) 

I really enjoyed drawing Barbarella

It felt really nice to have a set thing to do everyday, and it helped me out a ton that I was able to sell the drawings. I’ve been trying to keep some of that same motivation in my comics work, but without the easy dopamine hit of social media likes. The internet is a powerful drug mannnnnn.

Here’s a couple of recent covers I did. One for Rumble, I did in trade for a box of Toth comics– (like I need more comics)

and the pencils for that–

and some sketches I did looking through Rumble issues trying to think of what to draw.

I also did a cover this week for Osiris Path. — a series Behemoth Comics is putting out about finding weird shit on the moon. the yellow reflection was last minute choice, but maybe what I’m most happy with.

and the sketch for that.

and here’s some recent sketchbook drawings.  I drew Alejandra a few nights ago. ( I always leave out her nose ring- not because I don’t like it but because it’s small)

and this thing where I was trying out some new style.

This one’s from 1960’s The apartment.

If you haven’t seen it, it’s about a guy whose apartment is being used by the higher ups in his office as a spot to go for their illicit affairs. It a fun movie but also has some dark moments. Like when the main lady tries to kill herself and our hero who owns the apartment can relate too much because of his own past. –

I was thinking the idea of working in a giant company and letting your fellow employees use your place to off themselves sounds like a manga plot– the copy of the key that’s passed around could have a skull on it.

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I wanted to talk about my pal Veronica Casson’s work. Her and her family have been some of my favorite people I’ve met since moving to Portland.

She’s been working on an autobiographical comic, GRIND LIKE A GIRL, about her experiences being trans and growing up in NJ. Via her Instragram (here) and her Patreon (here) 

Here’s some pages:

That last rearview mirror panel is sooo cool.

As much as trans rights and identity have been a big topic of conversation in recent years, I’m surprised that I can’t think of any autobio breakout work in comics talked about–on a Stuck rubber baby or Blankets, level– but some of that might just be my own blindspots?  but I’m excited to see what Veronica does with this book.

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A couple months back I was playing a game with Alejandra where I wrote what I think the 2002 Britney Spears film CROSSROADS was about– without ever seeing it

It turned into a werewolf thing. It’s up on the soon to be porn free wasteland that is tumblr (here)

Alex Smith drew a whole comic page about it: (Alex’s tumblr)

DO DO DOOOO!!!

I also just watched 2001 and read the Kirby comic adaption.

seeing both versions of it made me think about two distinct ways to approach sci fi– (1) the Kubrik/Clarke way of looking at real science and trying to make something that feels like where we might go– or (2) The Kirby,  throwing together cool and weird ideas with more emphasis on fun– but he did sometimes hit things like the Motherbox/cell phones.

I guess Kirby was Kirby but I find it funny that both 2001 and The Prisoner were things he did as comics. both projects thrive on leaving things unexplained and up to the viewer.

It’s interesting to see what changed Kirby did in the 2001 comic. I feel like the text in it over explains everything. Me and Farel were talking recently about how much of that is trying to make universally clear work , maybe it was that it was made for a younger audience, or maybe even just a good tool to slow the reader down and take in each panel with more time.

Another interesting thing is how sometimes the Kirby version often feels more low rent than the movie. Here’s the space Hilton in the movie:

and Kirby’s version, where he draws the room as much more cramped – maybe that’s just the speed that he had to produce pages at.

He’ll also sometimes just use photos for panels, I like that trick.

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I love when he does his Kirby 2 page spreads — but still with the ever present text

I also found this photo from the 60’s that I assume Manara used for reference on a Butterscotch panel.

I like that she’s even on her toes in the 2nd panel to match the high heels of the reference.

Anyway, that’s what I’ve been up to and looking at.