Convention Mention

Hello my darlings.  Man, I have been SO sick these last couple weeks.  Long story short, a cold and poison ivy, complete with fever, itching, and the general inability to breath.  I have not been a very happy person at all.  So I will however still be making some upcoming shows which I am really looking forward to.  I wanted to let you know about where I will be and what I have been doing to ensure that you, my illustrious fans, have a most glorious time.

First off I will be at Comic Con in NY which is October 8th through the 10th.  I will be at table number NYAFC4 which is listed under the wondrous and amazing Liz Ortiz!  It is by her efforts alone that we clinched the table as I was seriously being given the runaround of my life.  Please make sure that you stop by and say hello as both Liz and myself will have new material out for the show!

Now there is an afterparty which will be of epic proportions.  It is being organized by Mark Mazz and I have offered to help as I have in years past.  Here is the info that you need to get there as well as information about its sponsors:

The INDY AFTER PARTY 2010
Where:
Blaggard's Pub & Restaurant
8 West 38th Street
New York, NY 10018
www.blaggardsny.com

Date & Time:
Saturday night,
October 9th, 2010 
8pm – Midnight
Cash bar with complimentary finger foods for the first half hour!

Who will be there?
The party is open to the entire independent comics community. This is our 5th year hosting the Indy After Party which has grown to well over 250 attendees. As in previous years the party has been sponsored by multiple independent companies. We've already got 5 sponsors lined up, and are looking for a few more to make this event truly a cross-section of the entire comics community and related fields.

Do you have entertainment?
Yes! This year's major recording artists are Gordon Gano & The Ryans!
Gordon Gano (the Violent Femmes) is joined by Billy and Brendan Ryan (The Bogmen). Their first album, entitled Under The Sun, was released in September 2009 on Yep Roc Records. We fully expect that Gordon will be doing new cuts from their album as well as select numbers from their combined discography.
www.myspace.com/gordonganoandtheryanbroth

How can you show your support?
Admission passes will be distributed at the convention by the sponsors.
There will be a cover charge of $5 for all others.

Who should I contact?
The party is being organized by Mark Mazz who can be reached at mazzstudio at gmail.com

Regardless of your level of involvement we welcome you all to this dynamite event at Blaggards Pub (between 5th and 6th Avenue on 38th Street) in Manhattan, NY.

Come on out and celebrate your Independence!

About our sponsors:

Atlas Unleashed
atlasunleashed.com

Red Anvil Comics
Red Anvil on Facebook

RedZoneGirls
RedZoneGirls.com

Immortal Gothic
www.immortalgothicangel.com

Blue Line PRO
www.bluelinepro.com

 

Brooklyn Comics & More, Inc.
www.brooklyncomicsandmore.com

Bronx Heroes Convention
www.bronxheroescomiccon.com

Bulla Apparel
www.bullaclothing.com

Comicbook Artists Guild
www.comicartguild.com

MediaConnection
www.mediaconnectiononline.com

Secret Identity Podcast
www.secretidentitypodcast.com

The ToonSeum
www.toonseum.org

Entertainment provided by:

Gordon Gano & The Ryans
www.myspace.com/gordonganoandtheryanbroth

Till next time kiddies, enjoy the night.

Weeks Away

I know that I have been absent for many weeks.  I apologize for this but I swear it has been for the greater good.  In that time the summer has waxed and waned.  Now my garden wishes I had more help with it.  My Mom broke her ankle and had surgery.  I was by her side at each step to recovery, and I bought her her first pair of converse hightops.  She loves them and calls the her dr.who shoes.  It's really cute.  What that meant is that I spent the growing season making her two gardens, one at home and one vege garden at a community garden plot, were well off while my own suffered in my absence.  Sometimes it is important to make sure that the ones who you love are in the right type of environment to get well.  Perhaps these things are simply excuses, but I was none the less prevented from updating most of my weekly events with any frequency.  Now onto the drama:

So I have been working hard.  I am pleased to announce that Meth is complete.  It will be available at New York Comic Con as well as being available online.  Here is the link: The Meth Collection .  I know it's expensive and I'm sorry, but it is perfect bound, full color, and caps at 80 pages including a super spiffy wrap around cover.

Next, I have a lot of new naughty girls.  I have created six new images to add to my naughty girl collection.  Three of them will be featured in a book put out by guildworks productions that is themed, "girls with guns".  I also created three new ones that feature the Suminagashi inks.  I have really enjoyed making them and will have prints available of them at the convention also.

Now... I only have one page left to complete the story of Rose Against the Moon.  It is exciting and sad all at once.  I have had some ideas about this last page and fear I have psyched myself out over nothing.  I hope to complete a pin-up of Rose as well.  Honestly I think the pin up will be easier than the page.  It will reveal Rose in full the way that I see her.  Makes me nervous because I am afraid of disappointing Nathan... 

So there has been a lot going on and a lot more to come.  I will do better at updating now that I am falling back into a school schedule.  No more long breaks.  I aim to finish off Rose, continue Am I Immortal, and inform you of other wonders that I have yet to announce.  The world is about to become a bit more vast my darlings.  Till next time, enjoy the night.

To the smell of burning rubber

I'm looking forward to the full moon this week.  I have been doing things a little bit differently in the garden this year.  I have not been getting as many plants at once and instead been planting as I go.  this works out much better then not being able to walk on my porch, which has previously been the case.  I almost have my back garden completed (I really need flat rocks, free flat rocks) and I am pretty proud of it.  Last year it was not a very nice place at all and I have worked painstakingly to reclaim it from this big rooted crap.  I have to do a good bit of TLC to the front still, and where the landlady ripped the trees out on the side :cries: it's HORRIBLE!  I have all the perennials that are fighting with the weeds trying to make me happy.  they are all volunteers, not something that I put there.  I still am fighting the urge to burn myself out to try to save them.  Oh man, I just wrote a ton about my silly garden.  sorry about that.  Sean has been taking photos so perhaps I will be able to convince him to post some of the beautiful pictures he's been taking.  Till that time, here's the list:

I was able to get my paws on the first two of those ink pieces that I sold at the convention.  Everyone say "Thank You Erik" for making that possible and scanning them for me.  I hope to add a few more to this collection over the next couple weeks.  I have had some illos come in for a book though so I may have to put these ladies on hold.  Maybe I will use this technique to make one of those illos.... hmmm.  I think I'll do that.  This is my favorite of them thus far.

I was able to update both webcomics this last week.  Sorry for the break on Rose, but with the convention and such it was just TOO much.  The page for the Origin this week is very blue and the child looks so much like Damon did when he was a baby.  I didn't mean for that to happen but I am not surprised.  Either way I am pleased with the outcome of the page.  More blood for the Rose page.  I know exactly what I want the page after to look like, which is a very good thing.  There have been a couple pages in Rose that I had gotten hung up on and this last one that I did was one of them.  I think I have the entire rest of the story pretty well planned out, as well as the dramatic and wordless closing page.  Please make sure that you check them out : Immortal Gothic Online

Speaking of online fun, the podcast is now active.  Master of ceremonies Sean Tyler, Shane McKenzie, and K-Pax now have two episodes available for your listening pleasure.  They talk about all things current or coming and pepper it with a bit of insane reality.  Listeners are always invited to swing by and join in on the fun at Sarge's Comics in sunny downtown New London, Ct. when the show is recorded in the early afternoon on Wednesdays, contact the podcast crew on facebook, or via email to get heard.  It's a hilarious take on current events but you'll have to go listen to know what I mean: The nameless podcast  It updates on Thursdays, and with any luck will soon have its very own listener inspired name.

So I got one of the concept pages for Meth completed in color.  I'm actually quite proud of the thing despite that it is actually pretty brightly colored.  The text on it even came out pretty well.  I was moved to write on it once I was done with he final illo.  I had said I would post it so you all could get an idea for what the new areas of the book look like so here you go.

So I totally did more stuff too, but I really want to go watch True blood so you have to suffer through another week knowing that I will show you more new stuff.  I gave you tons of stuff this week.  two links for you to investigate that has an hour of audio and over 30 pages of illustrated prose.  Two fancy pictures to look at.  Be happy people, be happy!  So now I get my ice cream and you have things to look forward to.  Please make sure to go look out at the full moon mid week and don't forget to enjoy the night my darlings.

Water

So I went to a glorious convention.  It was not very large, but it was run with a certain amount of caring.  I found out the gentleman who was in charge of the whole thing felt quite horrible on the day of the event, and he made it so you totally could not tell at all until he told you.  Thank you for being such a good sport Erik!  I met some really cool people.  We have already exchanged llamas on DA.  I know, how silly, but you gotta keep your priorities straight after all.  Anyway, I really enjoyed myself a lot and am very thankful to Tom for inviting me, and then to Erik for being so thoughtful in post.  I feel that  ComiConn was a great event for both creators and fans and I can't wait for next year!  Now for the ever lovin list:

So I have been playing with water.  I have been talking about it to everyone and posting my experimentation up on Deviant Art.  I really enjoy doing it and have started to make a collection based around various semi-precious stones.  The first one was the water witch, but all of the newer ones have stone names.  I have the right ink and the right paper.  I really enjoy it, so look forward to more.  Here is Amethyst so that you can see how they are turning out:

I started to ink Am I Immortal book 3 a bit ago.  I can't remember if I had mentioned it or not.  I feel that it is going well.  Mark Mazz had a glorious idea to try a new technique through part of the book to see if it is worth utilizing in the future.  Most of the book will have the look that the first and second book have, but then this one portion will have some of the things that I had learned when I made Meth: The Call and see if it makes it faster, as well as more dynamic.

Meth... The pages are completely colored now.  I will give them a once over to be sure that they are consistent.  I think they are, but it is best if I take a sec to reset my eyes and scan it again.  I am very happy with how it is coming.  I feel that I cobbled it together effectively and managed in creating a full story comprised of many parts, rather then a complete incohesive mess.  I still have to finish the color on the concept pages.  I think that should happen quickly once I am given the time to sit with it.  I want to get a couple pages ahead on both of the web comics so I am able to devote myself to it and make sure that it comes together properly.

Don't forget to check out the update for Am I Immortal: Origin this week.  I like how it came out and I was able to incorporate my original thoughts for the page into the new format.  I hope that your week is pleasurable and that you take the moment that you need to enjoy the dogwood blooms and all the glory of the changing season.  Remember to enjoy the night.

Up to Trouble

So I found the death in my house... and another problem. There was a bunch of little mice, which my cat has been slowly depleting... actually you guys will think this is a little funny. My cat is a house cat and a remarkable mouser. He can sense when mice are thinking about coming out from the wall and he goes and grabs them. That is when the problems start. see, the cat just plays with the mouse, which is not nice.... but my dog... my dog is a glen terrier and he's a thief.... so he hears the cat playing with the mouse and he goes and steals it and chews on it until it stops moving... when he drops it. Then the cat plays with it which re-spawns dog interest... anyway. I think he's taken to eating them which is so nasty! But I think the duo found a mousy mommy and then I got a wondrous smell which was a really horrible awful thing to find. The other problem is septic which I can't fix because I rent... so expect a lot of really angry artwork. With that said, the update:

I did a new technique which I am really happy to be learning. I watched a bunch of video on youtube and then cracked a couple inks to get it down. It is something I have wanted to do for years, but wasn't sure what materials where used. Turns out it's water and a certain kind of ink... which I didn't have. the first piece of my experimentation is called "water witch" and is all different blues. I have four more sketches made up to try this technique with and had thought to have each of them be a different color set. Anyway, this is how "Water Witch" turned out:

I don't know if I had mentioned it before, but I also did get the new version of "Am I Immortal, the extended edition".   It looks really good and I am very proud of it.  It is available on indyplanet right now and there is a link to that in the compass in the sidebar on the right.  I have put in a few pages for you to see so you can get a taste of how the interior stories look.  the cover is a redesign that features the immortal Gothic logo too.  I am really happy with how it turned out as a project.

Back on Meth.  I colored a bunch more pages and am nearing completion of that faze.  Sadly that means it's a bunch of tough things left.  It means a lot to me for this book to come out just right.  It represents probably 5 years or more of progression through my work.  I only have a couple of the content pages left to color and then I am on to those concept pages which I created.  I'm really happy with how they are coming along.  It's small touches here and there.  Just enough color to draw your eye without detracting from the piece as a whole... or such is my attempt.  I will have more good news on that subject soon and it will come together pretty fast from here on out.

More new updates for "Rose" and for "The Origin".  I am still trying to create each of these stories with their own dynamic style and very different feels.  I think that the next few pages will be the defining moments for each concept.  "Rose" is nearly complete as it caps off at about 20 content pages.  "The Origin" however goes on for 40, but it will admittedly be nice to go down to one update a week and spend that extra time getting more books completed.  Both of these concepts will eventually be available in a printed form.  "The Origin" will be a landscape and I was thinking to make it a hardcover that you can purchase from me at the conventions.  I had started to write the main storyline of Am I Immortal first, but it is "The Origin" which goaded me into rewriting my existing pages and distilling the concepts of my idea into the form you all now see.  I only hesitate with its printing because... it's gonna be expensive.  I need to feel it's worth before I ask you to invest, especially with the content being available online.  the hardcover would be me passing a real piece of myself onto you, my fans, which is why it would only be available for sale from me in person.  If anyone has any thoughts on this, please let me know.

So I think that is what I have my paws in this week.  I know that there is more, there always is, but those are the major things that I accomplished.  If anyone knows any tricks to kindly tell your landlord to get her shit pumped... please let me know.  I'm going to need to broach that area soon here and I'm not really sure how to gently do it.  Please take care in this new blooming world and remember to embrace the night.

By Candlelight

Really it is a horrible reason why it is by candlelight too, hate to say. I believe that something, or a family of somethings has gone and died over in the walls or under the floor where my desk is.... that means that I have been on the verge of clinical insanity whilst trying to get the normal madness done and happy. It has been increasingly difficult for me to work because of this fact and what I have done, has been... well to quote a friend from deviant art: scary!!!

So, what's so scary you ask? Well Cain is. I got this glorious idea when I was on the brink of insanity and lost my marbles all over a rather rough piece of sketch paper. Hate to say it but if I had realized it was going to turn into something so nifty, I would have used better paper because the stock I drew it on scans this disgraceful color when I try to embolden the pencil lines. SO ANNOYING. I have it posted up for view on facebook and on my deviant art profile if you want to see it part way completed. I have gotten some really great advise from my comrades as I felt like I drew myself into a corner with it. I just didn't know where to go.
Image of Cain

What's next... well I have been pushing ahead on both webcomics as always. I think that both recent pages involve... blood running off of or down something. I am pleased with the effects that I got for Rose and Am I Immortal continues to have a subtle detail to it which I hope to continue. In the past on Am I Immortal, I have used stock that has been available on deviant art and am grateful to those artists for making such references available. I am just not able to climb random cliffs or comb the countryside for fields of dandelions, so their use is much appreciated and will be noted in the print version of the book, if that ever happens. Rose has been, all my stuff...so I can't say that there. But I have found, when working for someone else, it is best to OWN everything so that way you don't end up with third person syndrome. I hate he said she said.

Last for this update, I have been trying to get a number of physical pieces completed. I have the mouse skull, which is an actual mouse skull. Half is mummified while the other half is clean. I took the liberty of putting gold leaf in some areas on the clean portion so the thing has this gilded look now. and it's jaw got all wiggly so I had to superglue it shut :sigh: weird eh? that is not it either. I am also working on a painting. It involves every type of material I can cram in there. I desperately hope neither one is a fail.

So that's it my darlings. No pretty pics for you save for four pages from the webcomics. Go look. Oh yeah, and I am inking. You know what that means.... almost time for book 3...

My My

Boy am I ever tired!!!  You see, I don't know if anyone has figured this out about me but I am one of those green people.  I don't mean green like the girl in star trek mind you, I mean that the moment there is no snow on the ground, I look outside for the first signs of life.  This year I had a violet that bloomed all winter the crazy thing.  Toward the end the blooms got smaller and smaller, but what a strong little soul for trying so hard.  Now however it is difficult for me to plant my narrow butt in this chair to work instead of planting things outside to grow.  I started some seeds a couple weeks ago, but then because of the rain they got all weedy and weak.  I was sad.  Now I have planted a bunch more and have my fingers crossed that they will do the same, up 12 days before their pack says they will germinate thing, without being all slim and pale.  I could go on about it for hours... but being outside with my vain efforts at taming my bit of land here leaves me all sleepy later.  But I was still pretty productive now that you know my issues with green so,  here's the list:

I was able to get that last concept page for Meth completed.  I've already started to color it so you gotta wait to see it till it's all done.  I figure that way you will get an idea of what the other pages are going to look as well.  I don't know if I had mentioned this previously or not, but I have half of the book colored already.  I know what I will need to do to make the pages print ready and am very much looking forward to this beast in all of its glory.  I think that with the editions that I sell at conventions, I will encluse a disc that has some of the precolor work on it as well as some neat screen savers and other original art.  I had also though to make a bookmark too that would be included.  this is what happens when you give an artist a shrink wrap machine... we'll find a use for anything.

I know I went on about it a short while ago, but I am so happy with this last page of The Origin.  It is the first time that I tried to draw Cain as a child.  I feel it came out pretty well and it is the first time that most people will see what he looked like before the scar.  I can't believe I made this story so long!  I hope that you all enjoy it and I swear, it does get better as it goes along.  Here's the link:
Page 11

So Nathan has been unable to get a connection for very long so has not been able to tell you that he is going to SPACE (a convention) this coming weekend.  Please make sure you stop by to see him, or make the effort to track him down, if you go.  I believe that he will be with Speak Easy Productions so check with them first.  Now this is not just some random jibe to get the boy some looks at a con. I hooked him up and he will have some things with him from Rose against the mooN.  I sent him a care package that includes two different smaller posters, two different bookmarks, and one larger poster for Static Lullaby.  I'm really happy with how these things came out and I hope that he has a great time at the con.  Here is what one of the smaller posters looks like, though I think this is one instance where the print somehow looks better than the digital...

Now for those of you who don't know, I am reprinting the illustrious book 1 of Am I Immortal in an extended edition.  It is available on Indyplanet right now and I should get my first run of them in the next two days.  There was an error with the original run but now everything is perfect.  It looks amazing and I was able to work with the staff at Kablam to really make it what I had in my mind's eye.  I am so pleased with how it has come together and I feel that it holds true to my intent for Am I Immortal: clean, elegant, and a touch dark and messy.  I will have them with me for the few summer shows that I am able to do.  I really love the book now and I hope that you do as well!

Alright!  I did mention that I was tired from playing in the dirt all day and then playing in the digital world after the sun went down.  My body desperately wants me to be nocturnal so mornings are getting more and more rough.  Maybe I should just sleep till about 12, eat, go outside around 3ish, come in around 6 or 7 for dinner... and then catch up on my shows and work on some artwork.  Man, I need to find a go around for the day job :Sigh:  Soon enough my pretties.  Till then, enjoy the growing warmth of the night.

Pre-Con Jitters

I'M SO TIRED!!!!!!  I have so much I want to do and before I know it....Poof, the day is gone.  It has certainly been one of those weeks where I have just felt pulled in about 800 directions and I just want everyone to be happy.  That's my job, keeping the peace around here, which is awfully hard.  It did stop raining here and we were among the lucky few who suffered no immediate damage from the extended rainfall and subsequent flooding.  My husband finally got his new car on the road and in fine working order.  My child is doing the usual exact opposite of everything I say, just as every true agent of chaos should.  Now on to the list!!!!!


So tomorrow I will be making a presentation to a girlscout troop.  I thought it would be great glorious fun but am now finding exactly how few kid friendly things I actually have.  I have had to resort to some non-published illustration that I did for a friend of mine who passed away.  He wrote a bunch of short stories and, after he died, my task was to create imagery for his tale of how the bat got its wings.  I was a lot less consistent then, but the illos are pretty good, very bright, and should demonstrate what I need aptly enough.  Now I just need to print the lot of them out...

I am going to be attending MoCCa this weekend, well, their art festival thing that they have, which is why I am a little late on the update.  I have been going out of my mind with all the preparations for this show.  It has been hard because I just got my new printer (which I love, in case you missed my facebook updates to that end) so I am scrambling about trying to set it up properly and get everything that I might need printed out.  No small task.  It also means that if there are any images in my galleries that you want to own a non-corporeal version of... I can make that happen.

I went through all of The Origin pages and fixed them.  It is a very subtle change, but now they are all uniform which makes the anal retentive part of me very very happy.  Now the font is all the same everywhere, they are all the exact same size, and I adjusted the color on some of the pages to give it a bit more punch without diminishing the moodiness of it.  That is why I was late with my update which I humbly apologize for.  I knew it would be a big thing for me to do... even if it was barely noticeable when you look at it.

I may have to skip Rose this week because of the convention.  Nathan will be there so if you want to meet the writer and artist all in one spot, go to MoCCa.  I hope to get some pages drawn while I'm there, but it may be completely crazy.

I was able to finish the concept page for Sarah.  It came out very well in my opinion.  Just pencil, but hey, I think my pencils are my strongest suit right now.  Now I just have to draw the page of them together.  Meth and Sarah.  I bugged the artist who will be featured in the book.  Very cool guy, one hell of a language gap between us.  I believe that his work is very much worth a few extra moments where we both try to figure out what the hell the other person is talking about.  I'll let you know when I get his piece as, aside from a few ads and the joint concept page, that will make the book ready to go.  Hooray!!!!!

With that I bid you good evening my lovelies.  Make sure that you take a moment to enjoy the spring air... unless you are allergic and then hide foul beasts, hide!  LOL, enjoy the night.