Cover's Got Back

Yes, it's true, I've been bad about posting artwork lately. I'm trying to break the story for my next project, which is not going well, but I'll wrangle it down.

In the meantime, I've been working on designing the second Love and Capes collection. (What's that? You want a link to pre-order? Here you go!) It's not just dropping the pages into inDesign, but reformatting the covers, writing and creating the back matter, and designing new sidepapers.

I don't know if sidepapers is even a real term, but that's what I call them. My stories are 24 pages (with #10 being 26 and #12 being 45) which means that if you want to maintain the page-one-on-the-right, page-two-on-the-left reading order, you've got a blank page on the back side of the cover. Not wanting to have a completely empty page, I designed some filler art for each chapter. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but now it means creating them for this second edition.

I don't know if sidepapers is even a real term, but that's what I call them.

In the first trade, there were six images (Crusader, Abby, Darkblade, Arachnerd, Charlotte, and Amazonia) but in this one there are only five. The back of the issue #12 cover is the alternate cover. So I drew these.

All of them are original, except for Amazonia which reuses the art I did for the Comic Creators Alliance's art jam to end human trafficking. (By the way, the art raised over $10,000, and that is all kinds of awesome!) The art is below, and feel free to click and embiggen!

Easter Eight!

Happy Easter everyone!

I've been oddly productive this Triduum weekend. I got a bonus page of Love and Capes done today. I started it yesterday, having some extra time since I didn't go out until the Easter Vigil Mass, and managed to hammer this page together before then. It's doubly remarkable since it features a new set, the Flapjack Flophouse. I designed more of the place than appears in these scenes, too. There's a table and booth set up for both straight on shots and angle shots. Most of the angle elements weren't necessary for this page, but maybe they will in the future.

This is also one of my favorite pages so far, and for an odd reason. You can't tell from the snippet I'm showing, but this whole page isn't superhero related. Oh, there are some plot points mentioned, but with a quick edit, this could be a scene about any two people having a discussion in a Waffle House, er, Flapjack Flophouse.

When I first started Love and Capes, I wanted to make sure that the characters could be funny without the superhero trappings. Sure, the hero stuff would be the major source of funny, but for a situation comedy, the characters had to be in and of themselves funny. Issue #2 was the first issue that had a scene without a superhero-heavy joke. Now, I've lost track of the number of times that these scenes have happened, but I'm always glad when they do.

I Believe the French Call It...

So what's Amazonia offering that Mark needs to check with Abby? You'll have to read the book to find out.

I was stuck on how to handle page eight, but I think I've broken that, too. This book seems to be coming a little faster than I would have thought, which is great because I just signed a contract to do some children's book illustrations that will take up a bunch of time. Can't complain, of course, but things are looking kind of tight, and could always get tighter.

Hmmm, perhaps I've said too much.

Page Six

It's a little early in the run to be blocking out dialogue, but I'm doing it now. There's a plot twist early in the book, and I want to keep it secret. So, we have faded lettering here.

And, with this page, I am one-quarter of the way done with #11. It's fun to watch that number count down (or up, I suppose) and see completion come so fast. Of course, #12 will be extra sized, so things will go slower the next time.

I like the coloring and staging in this sequence. It's fun doing the night scenes in Chronopolis, and the cathedral may be the most visually interesting set I have there. And I like the body language, Darkblade working his iPhone while holding a cup of coffee. Apparently, a futuristic iPhone that allows you to swipe while wearing gloves. Or maybe Darkblade has special electrostatic gloves. You never know with him.

As Paul Harvey used to say, "Page Two"

Here's a part of the splash of page two of the new issue. Wow, I'm already almost nine percent done with the book. I love the floppy format.

Oviously Mark and Abby are going to Paris to visit Charlotte. It's become so routine over the last three issues that I'm sure it's no surprise or, worse yet, no spoiler. It's also a three-panel page. After this, I should be back to the eight panel grid again. And hilarity should ensue, too.