I have not been idle!

So, AGES since my last post...

This is why. I'm coding the whole thing from scratch, and learning quite a bit about HTML 5, which is pretty fun. It's intended to be a mostly static site, for the purposes of promoting my work to potential illustration clients. I also had the URL printed on my new business cards, and was under pressure to get something up there before distributing said cards and the Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo (MICE) which, of course, was awesome!

 It's still a work-in-progress. I have a few more illustrations to post, and I need to get a real online store going (so if anyone has any feedback concerning paypal, etsy and/or other online selling options, feel free to email me!), add some links and make the whole thing a little more polished.

Here's a cut little picture that I did three years ago, because this post needs a picture:

Although I haven't been posting them here, I've been working on both short comics for the next issue of Brain Parts (once I have that scanning-party, I'll post some) and Unpleasant People #5. Related to that, I'm also working on a website for Unpleasant People which will have a blog, character profiles, sketches and the first three issues available to read for free!

Here's the header for the Unpleasant People website, because this post needs another picture:

So I've put a lot on my plate. Fortunately, Boston Comic Con 2014 is in August again which gives me plenty of time. I plan on having two new issues of Brain Parts by then as well as Unpleasant People #5. I'm also tossing together an issue of Brain Parts with comics that I did when at the Center for Cartoon Studies.

Also, to those living local in the Boston area, Unpleasant People #1-4 are at Hub Comics in the local artists section. Yaaay!

Boston Comic Con 2013 (#2)

So, I'm still riding the "Boston Comic Con" wave in terms of blog material. I've been pretty busy since the con. I'm working on Unpleasantpeople.com (there's nothing but a blank blogger page there at the moment) and re-designing my business card (which I will have handy for MICE) as well as more comics to be featured in Brain Parts #5.

Anyhoo, a few more of my favorite things:

Female Judge Dredd

Arthur Dent

Beast Boy

Female Empire Officer

Decked-Out Poison Ivy

Steampunk Mermaid

Blade

 

"Shut up and take my money!"

Tank Girl

Master Shredder

Steampunk Batman

Lady-Riddler

Sailors Venus, Moon and Jupiter

These are some of my favorite genders-swapped cosplays. I know they're pretty much the same costume as the male version, just more fitted, but I like that they didn't give into the pressure to make a conventionally sexy version of the costume. I mean, how many traffic-law-violaters can Judge Dredd blow away while wearing stilettos and a bikini? The guy dressed as blade made some very cool wooden reproductions of the hero's weapons, that I wish I'd taken detailed photos of, as they looked really cool. I was crazy-excited to see Tank Girl (who I would like to be when I grow up) and some classic Shredder and Sailor Shenshi. Oh yeah, and Steampunk Batman? Those wings are totally retractable!

This year I was rather print-happy. I've never really gotten into buying prints at a con, I'm so focused on the comics, but there was such beautiful work for sale, I couldn't help myself.

 

Top left: a print by Emily Smith. I was down to my last spending-bucks when I swung by her table, otherwise I would have gotten more of her stunning prints. She's definitely a watercolor-master, and when I've got the time, I'm looking forward to reading her webcomic, Acanthity. Should have asked her to sign the print. Dammit!

Top middle and right: pinups by Tracy Lee Quinn. I loved the first one I bought, I went back the next day to get another! Yes, that's Jem from Jem and the Holograms on the right. She was selling them for $5, and I wanted to get in there before she realized she could totally charge more for them!

The bottom print is by artist, inker and editor for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (the Mirage years), Eric Talbot. I swarmed his table twice and he was super-cool and signed some of my comics.

 I didn't buy much in the way of comics this year, and I kind of regret not spending much time checking out Artists' Alley. I did, however, snag a copy of "Diabetes is After Your Dick" by the ever talented Cathy Leamy! So, you know, if you have diabetes and a dick, you should probably read this. Even if you have neither, it's still an interesting read!

 Oh yeah, this is a just a little pic of me hangin' with my pal Mike Mignola. No big deal.

My girlfriend Sarah and I bugged him twice, but he was very kind and patient (totally keeping it cool despite the hat-wearing psychopath having a conniption fit in front of him), signing our books and throwing out some self-deprecating humor. In short, he was totally awesome-sauce.

We also met David Mack. I've only read the first couple trades of Kabuki, but he's done so much more, I'll have to raid Sarah's excellent comic collection for more of his work.

Closing out my convention ramblings: some more superheroes in tutus! Enjoy!

Boston Comic Con 2013 (#1)

Well, after a week I've finally shaken myself out of my post-con zombie state, shuffled through my photos and scanned the doodles I did behind the table during my down-time.

It was a fantastic show, the venue was bigger and nicer, there were more people, and my comic sales were better at this con than at any con I've been to before. It was very exciting, encouraging and motivating for me. The scope of the thing was a bit intimidating and at times overwhelming, but I had a great time.

Left-to-right: Jose-Luis Olivares, Yours Truly, Matt Aucoin, Mo Oh, Jesse Lonergan

I tabled with my outstandingly talented pals Jose-Luis Olivares, Mo Oh, Jesse Lonergan and Matt Aucoin who made the haul down from Vermont to come. I'm so glad I was able to be surrounded by such talent at my table. My patient and supportive girlfriend also provided coffee runs, moral support, salesmanship and a much-needed shoulder-rub. Without her, I'm fairly certain we all would have crashed.

Because of the sheer number of photos I took and wonderful cosplays I want to highlight, I'll do a double-post about Boston Comic Con.

It's-a Mario!

A beautiful steampunk Wonder Woman.

Badass Legend of Korra crew!

Avengers/ Storm Trooper mashup

Darth Vader and his clone trooper girlfriend are steppin' out!

Awesome gender-swapped Avengers!

The steampunk Wonder Woman was by far my favorite of the numerous steampunk cos-plays, superhero or otherwise! I love that a lot of cosplayers would have a pose that they would strike for photos. It shows they were really into their characters and wanted to take a good picture. I wish I'd taken some detail photos of the crew of lady-Avengers, their costumes were beautiful and well-made. They managed to gender-swap their characters without needing to go overboard with the T&A, while being absolutely feminine. Julia Pug, who created the costumes does a lot of gorgeous sewing projects, has a great blog with some of her other work.

Jimmy Aquino of the Comics News Insider podcast picked up Unpleasant People #1-4 ($12 for all four issues, plus shipping, y'all!) and mentioned it as one of his "Top 3" in episode #488. It really meant a lot to me to get mentioned, and I was grinning like a mad fool when he talked about my work. Pretty sure I scared my roommate.

After seeing an adorable little girl wearing a Spiderman shirt and a tutu, I was inspired!

My girlfriend Sarah had some great suggestions for other heroes to get the tutu treatment, and I think I'm addicted:

 

There will be more to come! Maybe I'll clean these up nicely and make prints for the Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo. Gotta keep thinking ahead!

Next up: the rest of my favorite cosplays, links to the fabulous artists whose prints I picked up, me gushing about having met Mike Mignola and a couple more lads in tutus!

Ladies and Gentlemen..

Things that I'm working on that will not be appearing in this blog post: Unpleasant People #5 (thumbnails done, on to feedback and editing, WOO HOO!), trying to get Unpleasant People #1-4 online (having some differences of opinion with comicpress) and getting prepared for Boston Comic Con. I'll post a list of what I'm bringing at some point beforehand, but it's pretty much the same as last year, maybe with a couple more comics.

Anyway, all I have to show for my time is some drawings:

 

The next few drawings I did for a client for the second and third chapters of the sci-fi role-playing game he wrote. Having strong female characters that weren't over-sexualized was important to him and I had a lot of fun making these drawings. I had just the right amount of guidance when it came to what the characters looked like, while being able to get creative with it. I did a lot of sketches, but these are the finished drawings that ended up in the online publication. It's the first illustration work I've gotten in awhile and I really had a blast doing it!

Space People!

It's space people! Yes! People what fly around in space!

Um, yes, quick sketches of some sort of dysfunctional spaceship crew, along the lines of a blatant "Red Dwarf" rip-off. I probably won't do anything with them, but they were fun to draw!

 She's got a space-martini!

 What would space-people be without an inelegant spaceship and space-dreadlocks?

 This space-drawing got a little space-smudge on it, but I'm too space-lazy to clean it up properly.

Space-hair is fun to draw!

Space People.

You're welcome.