Ah yes, I think we all know exactly what is going to happen next week. It is amazing how quickly that fuse went between the last few panels. Isn’t it?
Anyways, thanks for stopping by and checking out the action. Please subscribe, comment and most importantly share.
Tune in next week for that ka-boom.
First and foremost, let me say that I am really excited about this sketch! (despite the fact that it features my goofy mug)
It is one of my most favorite renditions of Desmond from one of my most favorite artists. (Can you believe he sketched this up during my presentation at AADL?) Jay Fosgitt is the very talent artist behind the very funny comic DEAD DUCK. Not only is he an inspirational artist, but he is a super nice guy too. Deviant followers can commission him for a sketch or just browse through his awesome portfolio at Fourpanelhero.
In other cool news, COMICS ARE GREAT! has posted the remastered episode 36 where Mike Roll and I were the guests for the week. Follow the link to watch the podcast. There are some cool features available on the CAG! site that weren’t available on the live feed. First of all, Jerzy posted links to almost every topic that we mentioned, including Chucky Finster! The second cool feature is that if you spread the word about the show through some form of social media (Twitter, Google+, Tumblr, Facebook, etc) you’ll be eligible to win the sketches that Mike and I drew live on the show. (Actually Mike’s is a better prize. He rocked that brush on camera.) Thanks to Jerzy Drozd and Matt Dubay for having us on the show. As I stated last week, it was a very fun time!
As always, thanks for stopping by and sharing the fun! Please feel free to follow me on twitter, subscribe to this comic, share this blog, and comment away!
I had a few functions in Ann Arbor this past week and it turned out being a very fun couple of days.
First off, I was featured in a Comic Artist Forum at the Ann Arbor District Library. I gave a slide presentation explaining my take on characters and how I develop them. This presentation showcased two things. The first thing I showcased was the evolution of Desmond. I showed the very first sketch I ever did of the little wolverine. I even showed a list of names I scrawled down next to a sketch when trying to decide his name. (One of the options was Elmer! Imagine how different he would have been had I named him Elmer!) I talked about how Desmond changed and evolved even before he hit the small screen in this web series and became the character he is now.
Secondly, I discussed the ups and downs that I faced in creating a new character named “Little Sister” for a graphic novel I would like to release next summer. I showed the progression of developing this character, spotlighting several dead ends I encountered and how observing real life helped me pull things together.
I had a great time talking and seeing a lot of good friends there. Thanks to Jay and Laura, Chad, Denver, Ryan, Jerzy, Jono, Jesse, Haley and Libni for coming out.
Afterwards, my wife and I enjoyed a delicious belated birthday dinner with my stepson Mackie at the Arbor Brewing Company. The next morning, my wife and I enjoyed a delicious greasy breakfast at the Fleetwood Diner.
Fast forward to Wednesday, when Mike Roll and I were guest on Jerzy Drozd’s podcast COMICS ARE GREAT. (whew, can I put more links in a post?) Both Mike and I had a blast tackling very hard hitting subjects as: using a brush to ink, traditional vs digital, Jerzy’s inability to draw a ferris wheel in three point perspective, getting lost in the basement of the AADL, lack of preparation and croquill pens being too noisy. If that wasn’t enough, I insulted first year CCS students, the Houghton brothers, Matt from the AADL and the entire country of Canada. I don’t know if I could have had any more fun in an hour’s time. If you want to check out the raw footage of the podcast, just go to this link: COMICS ARE GREAT.
So to sum it all up, thanks to everyone who opened some doors for me this week. Special thanks to Sharon Iverson and the Jerzy Drozd for the invites to these special events. Thanks to everyone who showed up for the support. Thanks to my wife, Patty for sharing the fun with me this week. Lastly, thanks to everyone for reading this post!
Guest artist Joe Foo will answer the question “What makes a good character?” In the process, Joe will show developments of a new character for an all new graphic novel he is creating. He will go in depth in his process of breaking down this character including the influences and inspirations behind it.
Joe will also discuss classic comic characters and draw parallels to his own characters like Desmond of “Desmond’s Comic.”
Join the Forum to get fresh ideas for your next comics or graphic novel creation. Drawing supplies will be provided, so drop in for drawing, learning, and sharing. This event is for adults and teens (grade 6 and up).
Visit http://www.aadl.org/events
Every week, Desmond’s Comic is created on a MacBook Pro. There is no doubt in my mind that Desmond can be created on any other computer using any other operating system. However, there is something about the Mac that syncs with me as an artist. You can feel the entrepreneurial spirit of thinking differently. Going one step beyond the norm. Fulfilling that need of an artist to create as oppose to manufacture.
One of best statements I have heard over the past few days was from Kevin Pereira from Attack of the Show. He said that Steve Jobs was an artist and his medium was technology. From one artist to another, thank you Steve… not only for your products, but your artistic spirit. So here’s to the crazy ones, thanks for inspiring us all.
Here are a few other great tributes to Steve Jobs. (I hope to be able to add links as I find them.)
Detroit Fanfare marks the end of a great year for conventions and shows for Desmond and I. Even though I am currently writing a “year in review” highlighting all of the awesome things that happened over the past year, I wanted to throw in my two cents about Detroit Fanfare. It was a great show. Ryan Lee summed it up perfectly in an email when he said “I know there were a lot of negative vibes going on around the Fanfare, but there are a lot of intangible positives that came out of it that sales can’t gauge (talking to enthusiastic and passionate old friends being the most positive thing).” I could not have said it better myself. It was very cool to be able to connect and reconnect with new and old friends. Not only did I have the distinct pleasure of hanging out with Mike Roll and Justin Castaneda at my table, but I got to see several good friends and amazing artists.
I have a few other noteworthy items from Fanfare, and one of them is pictured above. I leave Desmond alone for just one second and wouldn’t you know it, he runs over to Kelly Hu for a smooch. Yes, that is Kelly Hu, who played Lady Deathstrike in X-Men 2 and the Sorceress in the Scorpion King. (She also lends her voice to a lot of animated shows, like Robot Chicken and Phineas and Ferb.) I guess Desmond must have charmed this Asian beauty into giving him a little kiss. That is one lucky wolverine.
The second item I wanted to mention that I had the privilege of meeting a beautiful young girl named Hope. She is barely a teenager, and she is already making a huge difference in this world. She is very active in charity work for the American Cancer Society. Her charity work includes organizing the first all-kid relay team in the Novi Relay For Life and donating her time to read comics and books to children in cancer wards. Meeting Hope really made my weekend. I was commissioned to sketch her in a costume that she would wear when visiting children in cancer wards. My only wish was that I had a little more time and all of my brushes with me, so I could have a super clean sketch. (And maybe I still will!) If you happen to meet this inspiring young lady, give her a big hug. She definitely deserves our thanks.
I am going to wrap up Fanfare there. As I promised before, I will start posting highlights from my other 2011 shows: MSU Comics Forum, SPACE, Kids Read Comics Extravaganza, Motor City Comic Con, Heroes Con, Kids Read Comics, Small Press Expo and Detroit Fanfare. Thanks to everyone I met over the past 9 months, and I hope to see you again in 2012!