News & New Art-o-Rama

by on May 15, 2015 at 11:06 am
Posted In: Blog-entries

Many of you might be asking yourselves… “What is going on over there at Squid Row Comics?“… To this I give to you an example of my day so far: 

8:30 am… into the office. Check email and post a toon on the Squid Row Comics Facebook page.

9:00-ish… print up the innards of the next issue of Art-o-rama on the office laser printer.

9:30-ish… hobnob with cartoon-punster pal, Chris Dreyer who drops by the Cartoonery, here.

10:00-ish… cartoon client drops money by the office! Yay! Money!

yellowpaper-marke9:30 to now-ish… scanning in textures I’ve created to be used in the backgrounds of the new comic, Randie and Ryan. For this I’ve been scanning paintings of mine. I also got a nice set of Copic Markers that I’ve scribbled with on different papers to get a marker effect. I’ve been able to find interesting brushes and whatnot for Photoshop and all, but I want some unique textures and backgrounds to give R&R a different feel.

Now …I am about to delve into some page coloring and using those backgrounds on R&R. It’s been a learning experience for me. The new coloring techniques, layers and building up is so much more different than working on the 4 panel humor strip that is Squid Row. This is more of a cross between graphic novel style and getting artsy the Photoshop… and I’m both challenged by it and improving with each page I do. Experimentation is what’s making it more funner-like.

Noon… I’ll stop for lunch. PBJ on glue-free bread… apple.

This weekend I’ll be finishing up the June-July issue of the Art-o-rama zine and will package them up for shipping… to be out sometime next week. *** I have applied for a table at the San Francisco Zine Fest in September (in Golden Gate Park). That should be fun!

I’m also looking to give you all an opportunity to… oh, shush, Bridgett. I always like to blab.

 

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Processing

by on May 6, 2015 at 8:29 am
Posted In: Blog-entries

Hi ho, Squiddies…

I thought I would post a few pictures of the ol’ drawering board and the madness that goes on there. My process is a bit different now than how I worked on the comic strip. I still use a lot of scratch paper and a mechanical pencil to flesh out ideas. But now there’s much more to consider… This is how the new process is working…

workspace

I like to throw ideas on a piece of paper… usually a dialogue emerges first. Then I break up the dialogue into panels via numbers… this then requires some editing of the speechings. Then I sketch a few images of the scenario… how I envision facial expressions and body language… then I move onto the layout. I have some templates that I’ve created in a program called Comic Life… these templates help me visualize action in a sequential manner.

dialogue

What I like about the new format is the room for dialogue… more space to say stuff… and also the room to really sketch a scene, a place, or area. To be able to think about setting is a nice change. It does take much longer to create a page (as opposed to a 5 panel strip)… but I like it and feel that each successive page gets better in composition.

I will say that the lot I’ve created isn’t going to run in succession… meaning I didn’t do number one to start. I started a bit further on. But I had trouble starting at number one. I guess that was a weird writer thing.

Anyhoo. The process continues.

randie-couch-marker

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Lack of… 

by on May 2, 2015 at 12:18 pm
Posted In: Blog-entries

  Hello Squiddies. I’m sorry to have been quiet here on the site. I am, in fact, still down with “The Grimm.” It has been almost two weeks… With this awful flu… And my couch exile is kind of unsatisfying.

I have, however, had time to work on the next issue of Artorama… Something you can do whilst on the couch … And even with a cat on your lap. I chose a theme I could talk about with some authority… And conviction… Sickbed-dome. I know… A cheerful subject… But it isn’t all down and gloomy. There is humor to being sick. I mean, you have to laugh at the ridiculous amounts of goop that is residing in your throat and nasal passages. Oh, dear…. Too much information? 

Anyhow… I hope to be back in the saddle next week and back at my office (she said as she took a slug from her mug of lemon tea).  

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Con Plague aka The Grimm

by on April 29, 2015 at 9:18 am
Posted In: Blog-entries

10441917_10206812758425482_1263333966924917156_nWell, I have been down with what is referred to as the “Con Plague” … debilitating flu, butt-kicking ick, or disgusting, horrible sickness contracted from tabling at a convention. This stuff ain’t to be messed with! Last year, Aidan of Scapula contracted it at one of his LA conventions and it kicked him in the “hoo-ha.” It has done me the same. I’ve been couch-ridden since Saturday (which my cat approved of)…and I’ve just been “out of it” since Tuesday before last. I’ll tell you something though…  The body is truly amazing… I was unaware of just how much slimy green gunk the body was capable of producing.

Today is my first day back in the office. I’m pretty sure I am still a bio-hazard. But now I’m a walking bio-hazard. Getting off the couch may have been a mistake.

Anyhow… these were some of my couch activities:

Read Volume 6 of Scott Pilgrim (pre-ordered hardcover color edition that Amazon brought me Saturday… Yay!)

Watched Scott Pilgrim on Blue-ray… (I love the movie way so much! Talk about perfect casting!) Also watched some of the cool special features on the disc.

Researched a storyline for R&R… then drew a few pages out (this process with riddled with tangents and time wasted on Pinterest. sigh).

Watched both part one and two of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. This is not my favorite of the movie series… but MAN… Alan Rickman tore up Snape in these movies.

Filled up two trash bags full of snotty-icky-soaked kleenex. You think I’m kidding? Bio-hazard. Serious.

Started a new sketchbook (number 123). It’s a nice big 9×9 Aqua Bee. Oh, so luscious. (Thank you, Lauren and Matt).

Popped aspirin and IBee-pro-fun like they were m&m’s.

Spent too much time on Facebook. 

So, with all my time spent sick and on the couch so far this year, I am calling 2015 The Year of The Grimm. 

 

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Podcast Interview … I Talked.

by on April 24, 2015 at 11:00 am
Posted In: Blog-entries

bioblogHEADER-2Hello, Squiddies…

Wanna listen to a fun chat I had recently with BreakThru Radio’s Jess Goulart? Of course, you do! Here’s the link to our interview on her podcast, Biology of the Blog…

http://b-t-r.co/1aX8t0Y

Jess asked some great questions… (Harold thought so, too! He is still blushing). PLUS, you’ll get some fun and interesting music to listen to as well.

Jess also does the podcast, Twenty Something Traveler over at www.breakthruradio.com. You can find that on Facebook, also as well.

Ps. I sound really funny on playback. I don’t think I really sound like that. Or do I? People who know me… do I sound like that? 

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