A word on tracing.

I am an absolutely awful inker.
No one is going to try and tell you otherwise, but if they do, they are lying.
I hate it.
I've been working on this one page comic about "Streets of Rage" all week for Lifemeter. I liked my pencils fine, but I feel like the inks I've done for it are just awful and soulless.
Blah.
It's done though.
For better or worse, it's done.
Well, the inking is. I started coloring it, and I'm hating how that's looking as well. Understand, I'm not a negative guy.

I've taken to drawing on CDs. These two feature Sagat of Street Fighter 2 fame and Erik Larsen's Dragon.

I've got the greatest view from here.

April and I made Miis of Clark Kent and Selina Kyle.
The Wii is awesome for allowing us to do this.
Do you have any idea how much fun it is being on a baseball team with Superman?
I've made Bruce Wayne and a Scott Pilgrim as well.
It doesn't get much better.

More Batman Birthday-ness.

I forgot this one.
I drew this on the side of a box full of figures.
I hate moving.

Happy Birthday Batman!

INTO BAT-ACTION!

On this day in 1939, Detective Comics #27 was published and so today we celebrate 68 years of Bat-Mania!


This Batman is on my desk at work.


Here's a little bitty Batman I painted on a little bitty canvas.


Here's a Batman wallpaper I made. Pencils by Ed McGuinness. Inks by Dexter Vines. Colors by me.

Let's do this thing.

I need to play some catch up with things I've intended to talk about, so I may have to do the quick and dirty version of some of these.


If that doesn't make you want to read The Spirit I don't know what will.


A quick little comic I did on a Post-It note about year ago. Click on it why don't you?


Rock 'n Roll Monster! (If you've seen the MST3K episode where they watch Merlin's Shop of Mystical Wonders then you know exactly how that should be read.)


Ah, happier times. Sigh.

This American Life + Chris Ware

Anything's better than nothing.

So, I guess I basically have two things I sincerely like doing.
Cartooning (you can call it "art" if that makes you feel better) and playing music.

I feel like I'm making strides on the cartooning front everyday. Slowly, but surely. I've got ideas and a real desire to make things happen, and if a lot of the comics I'm reading these days are any indication, talent is in a distant third place after those two. I'm aware that that sentence is completely depressing, but I might as well get mine while I can, right?

That leaves us with the band thing.
I'm sure you've all heard me bitch and moan on the internet about how I want to get a band going, but nothing happens.
I just don't want to be in a shitty band, and I think I have to move away from Memphis to do that.
I mean, I feel like there was a point in time when we were the only band worth a damn in this town, and since we've dissolved.. not much has changed.
I'm sure there are bands playing out around town now that I haven't heard, so until I do, you guys are excluded from my "shitty bands" list, but I feel like I already know the only people who're worth getting involved with, and it doesn't look like I'm ever going to be able to do anything with them.
Isn't there anyone else in this town that likes Electric Six and Superdrag? Sloan and Judas Priest? OK Go and Sweet? Andrew WK and Van Halen?
Is there nary a soul who wants to play music that makes people feel good and put their fists in the air?
I mean, all I wanna do is rock.
Am I really so alone in that desire?

So, yeah, I guess I'll see.

It's a joke.

I decided to color this gag from Evan Dorkin's Dork #11.
I've no idea why I get the itch to do things like this as I'm not much of a colorist, so it's essentially a waste of time.

Shocking!

Josh had sent me another entry I missed.
Sorry, man.
The truth can now be told.
See the rest.

Comics should be good!

Here's an old Mr. Fantastic I did with a guy named Nathan. I've been trying for the last 10 minutes to remember his last name.
I drew this way back when, because I think someone asked me or I asked myself what kind of Fantastic Four cartoon would I like to see. All I can tell you is if they did a Fantastic Four cartoon that looked like this, I would watch the hell out of it.

Why have I posted this old pic of Reed?
I'm glad you asked.
There's a new Comics You Should Own up.
I'm going to suggest you go check it out.
Why?
I'll tell you why.
You need to check it out because the comics being discussed are Fantastic Four #347-349.
Hopefully, some of you already know where this is headed. Hopefully, some of you see those numbers following that title and immediately have a smile on your face.
The story contained within those 3 scant issues is and has been one of my all time favorite comic stories since I was 10 years old.

Adam Strange.

Human.
Space-hero.
BMF.

Great Scott!

Scientists unearth Superman's "kryptonite"!

Hell yeah!

Garrison Ghostsinger gets a brief mention from THE MIGHTY TROGHAMMER!

I'm blacking out.

An old Batman I just recently decided to finish.
You may be asking yourself what made me decide to post this picture today.
Well, I'll tell you.
I just watched an episode of the Super Friends where Batman and Robin had to escape Solomon Grundy's grasp using "the Bat-Lube".
The first little doo-dad on both of their belts shot out "Bat-lube".
Honest.
This was the same episode were a sea creature was repeatedly referred to as a "water dinosaur".
I would argue that cartoons don't get much better than this.

Shane has thrown his hat into the Boner-Man Meme ring!
See all the rest here.

Get plenty of rest.

A sketch of Superman I did a while back.
I figure if I was Superman, I'd be pretty pleased too.
This picture has a few notes on it if you're interested in clicking on it.
The original picture was a full body shot, but I didn't really like the legs so I cropped it off for this.

Also, the Boner-Man meme is going pretty well. Be sure to check out the latest updates.

And finally, our most sincere congratulations to Joel for his Eisner nomination! Joel's gonna wipe the floor with those clowns.
Yes, I just called Darwyn Cooke a clown.
Please don't tell him.

Um..

So how did everyone else feel about the new JSA cover from the latest DC solicitations?
It was by Alex Ross.
And featured a character I'd never seen before..
Boner-Man.
I'm not even kidding.

Now what would you call him?
His erection is actually pointing at the above sentence.
I just don't know how I'm supposed to feel about this cover.
I mean, besides turned on.
It's like he's daring you not to look at it.
I had a friend in high school who would do the same thing.

Update: I added that speech bubble, which means The Boner-Man Meme has begun.


Click on the pics to .. God help you, make it bigger.
Josh is our first participant, but I fully expect this thing to spread like wildfire, so be one of the first to jump on the bandwagon.

Update!
Joel Priddy has joined the fray!


afp3683 gave us these two entries along with the quote, "This will forever be known as the Alex Ross cover that launched a thousand slash fics."




And ken-redtail has his own riff on that last one..


Update! Josh's boredom at work has led to another great entry.


I can just see this one in libraries across the country.

Update!

Shane remembers every teenage boy's worst fear.

Update!

Josh returns with another entry!

April had the best birthday ever.

Yesterday was April's birthday, as you might have noticed from the big pink and white notice below.
I don't know if she had the most fun she's ever had on a birthday (we're all going to do something about that part on Friday though), but I was definitely able to get her the best presents ever.


It's Guy Smith and Edie Sawyer (aka The Orphan/Mr. Sensitive & U-Go Girl) from X-Force/X-Statix go-go dancing by Joel Priddy!
These two are April's favorite comic characters and the fact that they're together and doing something cute like go-go dancing is right up April's alley ... so, you know, double extra special.


My girlfriend is a superhero!
It's April as Bizarra by Dean Trippe!
April gets to live the dream and be an adorable (but super-tough) superhero and fly through the skies all while not being dressed like a porn star.

I'll let Joel and Dean post the full pictures on their own respective sites since it's their art.
Giving her these presents was one of the most exciting and best things I've ever gotten to do, and her excitement and disbelief and overwhelmedness (not an actual word) was absolutely awesome.

It's April 16!

Today is April's birthday!
Drop by her blog and wish her a happy one!

To be continued...

COMICS!

So last night, Dean and I talked about what a great week/last few weeks this has been for comics and I asked if he was going to be doing a new Mainstream Art about it.
Lo and behold, I wake up this morning and there it is.
Go check it out.
Everything he says is true.

Speaking of comics, I'm thinking of giving some brand new ones away.
You know, like a contest or giveaway type thing.
Giving them away as prizes.
Anyone think they'd be interested in that?
Interested in free, awesome comics?
If you are, please leave a comment to that effect.
Or, if you know someone who would be interested, direct them this way, won't you?