Hazel and The Ula

Sketchbook Monday on a Friday.

I'm just dedicated to getting out a lot of old imagery. This is from an old sketchbook, January circa 2009, with a rapidograph.

Update!

I have finished inking my comic....sort of. Technically all the pages are inked, but now I have to go through the slightly harrowing process of revising the work which requires a lot more inking, re-inking, and copious amount of designer white gauche. So I put it all on the wall where I can see it more clearly. Even within the making of this book there has been a very steep learning curve and I frown upon the early pages, the ones made before I relearned how to become wholly comfortable with my nib pen again. Revising those pages is particularly painful. Hopefully this process can be finished in the next couple days. I'm ready for the whole process to move on to scanning. Then printing, binding, and sharing.

If I can be almost embarrassingly honest, I will admit that it is times like this when I think to myself, "I'm not a liar. This is not just a bunch of talk. I actually make comics. I actually do what I say I do." And then after momentary self-satisfaction, I let the flood gates of self hatred open wide so I can get started on some real art.

Also I am in full fledged MoCCA mode. As should you be. So don't forget:

MoCCA Festival 2011!!
April 9-10, 2011
at the 69th Regiment Armory
68 Lexington Avenue New York City



Check out the new poster! And all other pertinent up-to-date information can be found HERE!

Sketchbook Monday + TONY

It's not Monday, yet, but who cares? Here's a sketchbook drawing I liked. I drew it last January with my rapidograph. Also I had a Photo Finish in last week's Time Out New York. You can see the entire piece here and my art work (sans photo) is below.



I am almost done inking my comic. I am practically giddy with the idea that in a matter of weeks I will be holding my book, bound and printed, in my hands.

Update etc.

These are some photos of what I have been up to in the past weeks. Measuring and tearing paper and a lot (a lot) of drawing and inking. After about a year of talking about it I have actually written, penciled, and am now inking the second installment of The Lettuce Girl. There is still so much work to do, but I can say with growing confidence that it will be done on schedule, i.e. on time for MoCCA. Actually I am hurtling forward at an almost dizzying pace. It helps I don't do much else except go to work and then come home to ink ink ink. My hands are at that stage where they are embedded so deeply with ink that no amount of washing does any good. Maybe I will post a gross picture of that too.
I have a couple other sub-projects in the works which will hopefully not be too neglected in the next month or so. So keep checking in for more updates, pictures, and pictures of pictures!
xo.

Sketchbook Monday

Yeah, I know that it's not Monday. In fact, it's Tuesday. In fact, it's late on Tuesday. Whatever. My life keeps getting high-jacked.
But here's my sketch. And click HERE is a link to my latest Time Out piece.

Sketchbook Monday

There are some artists who are really into sketchbooks and some who couldn't care less. I belong firmly in the first camp. I carry mine with me almost constantly and will spend hours on mindless doodling, which isn't really mindless at all is it? My best ideas have been unconscious scribblings done in classrooms and subway cars. My most beautiful gestures are always the ones I unselfconsciously render on a whim. When I am done with a sketchbook it is a wonderfully compact object in and of itself, which not only contains the architecture of my ideas, but a visual representation of my head-space during the time the book was kept.

I also find few things as pleasurable as pouring over someone else's sketchbooks, and inevitably, no matter how much I love a painter, I always love their drawings more. There's always something amazing about the stuff that's not supposed to count as much.
Yesterday I was cleaning out my closet and I found my sketchbook collection. I have saved dozens of books of my drawings since college and it's really awesome comparing the difference between them. While perusing my own books I realized that since I love it when other people post their sketchbook pages I should probably do the same.

And so every Monday, from this week forward, I will be posting a sketchbook page. I will try and keep it current, but today's will be one I liked the look of yesterday while I was cleaning up.


Date: Summer 2009

Christmas Eve Guest Cartoonist

I am immensely proud that I am this week's guest cartoonist on my favorite comics website The Daily Cross Hatch. Please check it out HERE. It's a very very not-so-merry Christmas comic I made just for them. And all of you. Merry Christmas. Love and Joy. And for a good Christmas cry here is my all time favorite holiday song plus a picture of Rudolph.

Time Out New York - Photo Finish

I had tons of fun with this one. It's in this week's Time Out. Pick one up!

Comic Con, Ink Plots and Rabid Rabbit

Well o well o well. I attended my first New York City Comic Con last weekend. And, um ... wow? I always write about how overwhelming the conventions I attend are, but nothing compares to the spectacle I witnessed on Saturday. Other than just taking it all in, deciding what I am gonna be for Halloween, and helping man a table (not my own), I didn't really "do" much. But I have to say it really wasn't my scene. Maybe I didn't look hard enough, but after I leave an event my sense of intimidation usually goes hand in hand with a healthy does of inspiration. Though I was overwhelmed by the sheer size of the exhibit space, the number of people, and the apparent body-confidence of today's rubenesque high-schoolers, I was underwhelmed by the comics I saw.
Maybe that's because I didn't see many comics. A lot of food vendors, a lot of video games, t-shirts and merchandise but not so many comics. Eh, they know whats up though. Consistently year after year I sell more under-wear and t-shirts than comics. This year at SPX I decided NOT to to bring my hand made undies, as I was worried it was taking away from how serious I am about comic booking, but I think my sales suffered for it. People will pay 20 bucks for a t-shirt but not 5 for a hand bound creator generated book.
That being said it was really quite incredible to see everyone dressed up and I tried to take a few pictures to capture the mood.


An accordion playing boba fett with an entrepreneuring fan-girl (she was selling cheap out of town cigarettes).


Confessors! I actually used to read (and love!) those books.

In other news there is a release date for the latest Rabid Rabbit. Yours truly will be featured in this, the latest effort of the Rabbit Crew. This one is gonna be big and awesome and, in my opinion, it has the best cover to date:



The release party will be at Dessert Island in Williamsburg, Brooklyn on the 28th of October. Rabid Rabbit events are always tons of fun so you should come out pick up a copy and rub elbows with some of the greatest indie talents in this city.

Also don't forget to drop by the SVA galleries for the Ink Plots show. It promises to be one of the most important group shows related to comics this year. Seriously, this exhibit has some heavy hitters and it's kind of mind blowing to realize they are all coming out of SVA. Details here. The reception is on Thursday starting at 5:30, but if you can't make that the show is already up and will be until November 6th. Hopefully I will see some of you there.



And last but not least I was in Time Out last week, which is always a thrill. They spelled my name right this time, but clipped my art a little so I am posting it in its entirety here:



You may also view it here.

Wow! I thought I only had a couple of links to share, but I went on and on and on didn't I? On a closing note I have had a lot of crazy upheavals lately, not the least of which being that I am now working full time. I am so excited to be working and learning as much as I am, but I am going to have to be that much more careful not to lose sight of what I really care about which is drawing comics and doing my damnedest to make something out of my ambitions. I have a lot great projects coming up and I am excited to share new work in the next few months. Thanks for reading.