Inbound #5: The Food Issue

(click image to view larger)

I just got word that Inbound #5 is now available for purchase through the Boston Comics Roundtable. It's a 176-page b&w trade paperback, and also features the 10-page "caveman comic" I co-created with Dan Mazur (process art previously). From the BCR website:

Boston’s comics creators are serving up
a piping hot stack of stories!

Our best and brightest comics artists come together in Inbound #5 to share their reminiscences, fantasies, fears, and love of food. From the deeply personal to the fantastical, this book explores our complex relationship with what we eat.

When did humans first learn to cook? Why are we sometimes attracted to the most repulsive cuisines? Is it possible to turn into the food you eat too much? Inbound #5 takes you from the historical tales of fishwives and cheese-chasing to the beautiful and evocative legends of food handed down from the gods.

I should add that my friend Ellen Crenshaw drew up a fantastic cover! You can see the full illustration over on her blog. And the outstanding layout and design is by (once again) Shelli Paroline, who also has a comic in the book.

If you'd like a copy, it's all yours! Hop on over to the BCR website to buy a book ($12), and help support the Boston comics community. Thank you!

Buy a copy, here --> Inbound #5

UPDATE: For all you locals, you can find a copy at many Boston-area comic shops and locally-owned bookstores, including Million Year Picnic, Harvard Book Store, New England Comics, Brookline Booksmith, Comicazi, Hub Comics, and Comicopia.

Contributors include: E.J. Barnes, Eric Boeker, Jerel Dye, Franklin Einspruch, Patrick Flaherty, Bob Flynn, Joel Christian Gill, Andrew Greenstone, Danny Gonzalez, Raul Gonzalez, Beth Hetland, Erik Heumiller, Allie Kleber, Braden D. Lamb, Cathy Leamy, Jackie Lee, Jesse Lonergan, Dan Mazur, Mar-T Moyer, Line O, David Ortega, Shelli Paroline, Adrian Rodriguez, Roho, Aya Rothwell, Katherine Roy, Adam Syzm, Laura Terry, Jason Viola, Rebecca Viola, Katherine Waddell, Ryan Wheeler, and Andy Wong.

color play

Here are some rough color studies for a side project I'm working on with my friend, Taryn Johnson. We're basically going with my first instincts (top row), but I have a lot of fun exploring other options just messing around in Photoshop, which often spawn other color ideas.

Norman Saunders: Illostribute

Over the summer, illustrator Toby Thane Neighbors asked me if I'd like to participate in a new collaborative blog he'd started called Illostribute. The idea for the site is to pay tribute to famous illustrators and fine artists by "investigation through interpretation." And he's been able to gather up quite the impressive roster artists, including regular contributor Nate Wragg. I missed the first few rounds because I was crazy busy, but was able to carve out some time in September for the current artist, Norman Saunders.

You can see the full post --> here

...which details Saunder's career as one of the most renown pulp fiction illustrators, creating more than 800 covers in his time—and includes well over a dozen outstanding tribute illustrations.

I began my investigation by poring over cover after cover of Saunder's work. There are many great resources, including this one over at PulpArtists.com. After much searching, I settled on the Mars Attacks trading cards he co-created for Topps in 1962—a good online index of those can be found here. This is apparently the set that inspired Tim Burton to make his movie of the same name. I chose the image on the left because it features one of Saunder's trademark women in distress, and of course, because I knew I'd have fun drawing the alien.



Here's the sketch I started with.



Which I then scanned and inked in Flash.



I imported the inks (with transparency) into ArtRage, where I did all of my painting and coloring. Above is an in-process screen shot. As always, I highly recommend this program for digital painting.



And the final rendering, which I imported into Photoshop to design the typography, added texture, and to crop it to match the trading card (see image at the top of the post).

The process of visual investigation was definitely a fun one, though I'd consider it a cover or tribute more than a unique re-interpretation. Still, it was enjoyable to take one of his images and remake it. Plus, I normally work in flat colors, so moving the paint around and rendering the forms was a welcome exploration.

For more on Norman Saunders, there's a great book out by his son David Saunders, published by The Illustrated Press. Shane Glines has great praise for it, too.

Multiples

Here's a little guy I was hammering away at the the other night.

Bob and Dan @ MICE

The Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo (better known at MICE) debuts this Saturday from 10am-6pm at the Art Institute of Boston. Dan Moynihan and I will be tabling with plenty of comics and oddities. Dan did this fantastic poster, as well!



I'll have the usual ensemble of ARGH! and Heeby Jeeby Comix #1 (a few copies of inkbook, too)



As a little something new, I made up couple dozen prints of some of my illustration and cartoon art. Dan's revealing a treat as well.

We'll be signing books and doodling up a storm. Admission is free, so if you like comics you can't go wrong. Again, Saturday September 25 at AIB (right in Kenmore Square). We hope to see you there!

Tappers

Heeby Jeeby Comix --> Direct

Howdy, folks! This is a quick post to let you know I've decided to sell copies of Heeby Jeeby Comix #1 via PayPal. This means you can order directly through me, and I can personalize your book with a dopey drawing or the like. So, if you don't have a copy yet, now is your chance.

Visit my purchase site or click the button below.



You can still purchase through our print-on-demand distributor, ComiXpress. Which is especially good for large orders. Just keep in mind that they may take a little longer to get to you. Thank you!

Inkdump

I just realized I'm more than a year in on this sketchbook (first post)



Here's another dump of selects.











I promise to get some color work up. Lately I've been all brush and ink.



And I'd like to fill up this book before the year is out. Almost there!
You can see a bunch more by looking up my sketchbook label.

Back to school

Labor Day used to mean something else entirely.
(where I come from, school normally started a day or two after)

Dan Moynihan has a brand new "back to school" themed comic up on Heeby Jeeby today, so check that out, too.

Cartoonists Descend on Ottawa

I apologize for the void that has been this blog as of late (more drawings, comics and animation to come soon). I've had a very busy summer which just culminated with the art show David DeGrand and I co-curated at the Canteen Gallery in Ottawa. The opening was this past Friday night, August 27th.

"Seduction of the Idiots"


Here's the show blurb that David wrote up
(he also designed the poster):

Comics have long been accused of transforming young, impressionable children into savage maniacs incapable of existing as productive members of society. This is of course, completely ridiculous. At worst, comics warp fragile minds into wanting to become cartoonists themselves, which is arguably slightly better than the juvenile delinquent scenario. In any case, comics are here to stay, whether uptight citizens like it or not. The artists on display in “Seduction of the Idiots” are all examples of what can happen when comic and cartoon addiction is not dealt with early enough. Let this art show serve as a warning to parents everywhere; know what your child is watching and reading every second of their lives. The last thing you want is to be the parent of an idiot.

I had the pleasure last week of viewing and hanging a stunning body of artwork by some of my favorite cartoonists, illustrators, and animators. I get to see everyone's work online, but nothing beats seeing the real deal. In order of appearance, the artists in the show included John Martz, myself, Michael DeForge, Chris "Elio" Eliopoulos, David Degrand, Kaz Prapuolenis, J.R. Goldberg, Rebecca Sugar, and Dan Moynihan.

I didn't have the best camera on hand, but I snapped a few photos right before the opening (which can be viewed larger by clicking on them).


(Left to right) John Martz, Bob Flynn, Michael DeForge


Chris "Elio" Eliopoulos, David DeGrand


Kaz, J.R. Goldberg, Rebecca Sugar, Dan Moynihan

...and here's a smattering of close-ups.


















I had a great time at the opening—many thanks to everyone who attended. The show is up until September 12th, so be sure to stop by Canteen on Dalhousie if you happen to be in the area.


A bunch more thank-you's: First, to all the artists who accepted our invitation and took the time to create and prepare artwork for the show. I realize how much time and effort goes into this (having been in other shows), so it's immensely appreciated.

Of course, a big thank you goes out to Inaas Kiryakos, who invited David and I to curate the show in the first place. It was a bit of a mad dash to get everything ready for the opening, so thanks for helping us reach the finish line!

A HUGE thank you to my wife Loren, who was an enormous help designing and hanging everything when we arrived in Ottawa. I definitely couldn't have done it without her. She also snapped this photo of me (yes, this is what I look like).



And last but not least: DAVID! Thank you for all your help, ideas, and inspiration along the way, bud! The two of us definitely plan on doing another show in the future.

I hope to revisit Ottawa, soon!

Related linkage that features artwork from the show:

J.R. Goldberg
Dan Moynihan
John Martz

* UPDATE:

Here's a short interview I did with Diane Bond of Apartment 613 about the show. It's an arts and culture blog which covers events in Ottawa.