Other Influences

I think it's important in any creative endeavor to be aware of what's going on in the medium at any given time, but equally or more important to be looking at other things as well. I feel like if I only looked at other comics and comic book artists, I would only be reflecting what is out there already. As many people's work as I enjoy, I make a real effort to be the first me and not the next somebody else.

One of my absolute favorite inspirations is fashion illustration. First I love clothes; especially gorgeous women in said clothes. Second, I think it's naturally a medium that is very aware of where it wants to draw the line between stylization and realism. Photo is such a huge part of that industry that illustration is used to accomplish something very different. Realism in drawing is a bottomless pit; and one that I think a lot of comic art is dangerously close to going straight down. I'm beginning to find that line for myself and I think fashion illustration has helped a lot with that. It's less what we see, and more what we feel about what we see.

Fixed Links and Writing Difficulties

Grayscale is finished on Issue 2. I also realized that my link in the original post on this blog only went to the first 16 pages and not the actual 32 page first issue, so that is now fixed. If you'd like to read the first 32 pages, please do. (I also uploaded the finished pencils of the first five pages of Issue 2 as well).

I went back and re-read the first 32 pages to try and get myself back into the right voice to letter the new issue, and that was an eye opening experience. I knew the dialogue was the weakest link, but I think it needs more help than I initially thought. Right now I'm honestly not real sure how I want to handle this. Half of me wants to go ahead and draw the whole book, and then sit down and just tackle that entire aspect of it last. Write-write the whole book at once and have it come together as cohesive. Half of me thinks it would be a terrible idea to try and tackle writing and lettering 152 pages in one shot and I would suffer a terrible burnout. Either way, I need to approach the writing differently. There are a lot of good ideas and good characters in Benthic and as of right now I'm not conveying those ideas as well as I'd like to be. It's very possible that the now fixed link is indeed a draft of a later, better written comic.

People with editors are luckier than they might think.

In any case, I think uploading the grayscale without the text would just be out-of-context spoiler city, so until I fix the writing problem I'm going to hold off on uploading the new issue. I'm actually pretty happy with how it's looking and the direction the book is going. I'm penciling and inking the first 11 pages of Issue 3 right now and should be on the second half of the book first thing next week.

Appreciating Fridays

Near as I can tell, everyone loves Friday. Its our favorite day. Not the days we have off, no. Not the days we're at work and actually productive. Friday. The day we're at work and are already so completely sick of this shit we're sneaking out to drink away the pain. This is our favorite day. Fucking mystifying.

Saying that, I think I loved Friday too.

So now that I set my own schedule, really Friday no longer means anything. Hell, I took my weekend on Tuesday and Wednesday this week and am working this weekend. I no longer feel that relief. All problems that could be exhaled away. Or, everything that's been a pain in your ass will be done today for sure. I am too nice a boss to enjoy Friday as an employee.

However, I miss Friday enough that I make the effort to still be excited. I make sure I give myself a deadline and not work Saturday morning. I get on Facebook and see updates about Friday, and I'm excited for my friends. I try to meet up with old co-workers.