Zuda Zuda Zuda

I've been working with Bill Williams of Lone Star Press for years now. So, one day, he comes to me and says "You want to pitch something for Zudacomics?"

For those of you not in the know, Zudacomics is DC Comics' online webstrip portal. They run a competition, kind of like American Idol without the cloying backstories and makeovers. Every month, it's a new competition. And this month, Bill and I are competing.

So, click to read The Urban Adventures of Melvin Blank. Bill wrote it, and I drew it. Here's the official description:

Melvin Blank has the mind of a child and the strength of a brute. After the passing of his parents, he lives in his Mother’s house in the heart of a big decaying city. He works as a dishwasher at a nearby greasy spoon and he has his urban adventures as he travels to and from work. Melvin thinks its hilarious that the mass transit system he rides, the City Area Rapid Transit System, is called "the CART", but he doesn't understand why a nearby diner is called "Joe Mama's". In a world of grays, Melvin sees things in black and white. Good and bad. Day and night. Cereal and pizza.
Melvin is pretty sure that the house down the street is haunted, but don't worry, he plans to do something about it. He is in love with a beautiful co-worker who has an abusive boyfriend, for now. He is selling items from his parent’s estate to pay for an elaborate headstone for the pair. At home, he has an angry cat named SOCKS and he never, ever misses SPACE PATROL RANGER. Melvin is absolutely sure that he is living the American Dream and he wants to share it with the rest of the people in his neighborhood whether they like it or not.
The first story is a complete eight screen story. It has a beginning, middle, and an end. Melvin is like that, he likes things simple.

We've created the strip. That was the easy part. Now we have to rock the vote. Well, you have to rock the vote. You can only vote once per person, so despite having a long line of dead Irish relatives, I've used up my one. It's your turn. Vote for us! We promise a webstrip in every pot! Two webstrips in every garage.

But please, check it out and vote!

Sixteen

This is one of those Pages That Will Not Die. I started it sometime on Saturday, and had just the coloring/scripting to do on Sunday. Normally, I can get that done on a Sunday morning as I watch the news shows. This one took all day. And worse yet, I found myself with two great bits for panel two. One of them is funny and family friendly, the other one is funny and family safe.

I posted that strip and the variants up on Twitter. See, it's why you should be following me there.

I've now got two-thirds of the book done now. Almost there.

Yeah, We Can Make This Up on the Next One

This video clearly illustrates the dark side of being a freelancer. Thanks to Ande Parks for sending it my way.

Pulse Pounding Love and Capes Action!

Another day, another page. And a page with a shout-out to both Mental Floss and Mid-Ohio-Con.

This is actually a silent panel in the story, so there was no copy to remove. I really dig these quiet moments in the book when I can work them in. And I think there's some really nice body language happening in there, too.

I'm finally on the back nine of pages. I'd like to knock another page out today, but that won't happen, largely due to my lack of knowing exactly what happens. Plus, I've got other clienty work that must be done.

I'm Not Above a Little Product Placement If I Like the Product

This was a hard page to break. I actually did two versions of the script and sent it to a friend before committing to the final version. It was one of those great communication moments where I wrote and said "Here's what I was thinking, but none of it's very good" and my friend said "Just put these words from A and these words from B together and you're there."

And wow, was he right. Of course, you'll have to wait until July to find out. Sorry about that.

As far as the Starbucks reference, yeah, it's product placement of a sort, but I do drink the stuff myself. Regularly. Almost obsessively. And, I love the idea that they've even made it into another dimension.

And they didn't pay for it. But if they want to send me some gift cards, I wouldn't say no.

Cover Recreation

Because of my process in working on Love and Capes, I don't actually have original artwork. But I have started taking commissions for artwork recreations. Recently, I was contacted about recreating the cover for the forthcoming issue #11. Here it is, along with the Figment statue in my office (courtesy of ace voice-over guy, fine promoter, and good friend Roger Price). The finished piece is 11x17 on bristol board.

These are a lot of fun to do, so if anyone else is interested, please let me know.

This also seems like a great time to tell you that Love and Capes #11 will be in the June Previews Catalog, for reals this time, order code JUN091021.

Bed Head

I'm back on the Love and Capes horse, drawing away and working on new pages. I'm taking the opportunity of this long weekend, which isn't really a weekend off for those of us who are self-employed, but is at least a little slow. I've had to cut the copy from the sample panel here, so I don't spoil anything.

I was stuck on page fourteen, too, and then started breaking down the rest of the book. That's when I realized that I didn't have enough room for my planned page fourteen, so I cut it, solving any number of problems. Yay for space management.

Also, the weekend has brought a flurry of last-minute RSVPs for Mark and Abby's wedding and the cover promotion. That was great to see. This promotion has gone better than I could have hoped.

Pop Candy Validation!

Whitney Matheson said some awfully nice things about Love and Capes over on her USA Today blog. Check it out here.

Keeping With My Foodie Theme

Right before I left for my FCBD adventures, I did a speaking engagement at the Shaker Heights Library. It was a great event, and I taught some really cool kids. One of the very nice touches was that not only did they provide a water bottle for me, but they actually customized it. That was just priceless.

I think I'm going to add this to my list of riders now.

So You Say it was My Birthday?

Saturday was my birthday. I went out for a little training cruise with some Starfleet cadets, and then a man I haven't seen if 15 years took over the Starship Reliant… wait, no, that's Star Trek II. Actually I spent a good chunk of my birthday working, first on a particularly huge project that's lingering around the studio and then doing caricatures at a kid's party that night. I can't say my first choice was to spend a Saturday birthday working, but after thinking about it, it really wasn't that bad. I mean, I spent my birthday getting paid to do what I love. That's always a good present.

I did spend time the day before and the day after with my family, friends and loved ones. That's always the best present.

But, while I'm really not about The Presents, I've been lucky to get more than a few excellent presents. Years ago, friends of mine arranged a private showing of Star Trek II for my birthday. I love the stuff that's something I would never have thought of, and yet when I get it, I think "that's utterly perfect." And while I appreciated everything I received this weekend, I've got to call out two of them.

My brother Mike got me some cookies. Riffing off something I said after a post-Watchmen trip to Eat-n-Park, he had them make special Watchmen cookies. Eat-n-Park has as a signature item the Smiley Face cookie. Well, Mike had them add a little splot of red to make it more Watchmenesque.

Of course, the real question is: Would Alan Moore eat one? I don't know.

The other was my cousin Jamie who got me a Married With Children, Season 6 DVD set. I never asked for it. And, while I liked the show, I'm not an uberfan the way I am with, say, Star Trek or Angel. But Jamie remembered that there was one episode of MWC that I thought was just hysterical. The b-plot was Al and Jefferson making a crib. I couldn't remember the main plot, but the scenes of them making this thing was like a live action Warner Brothers cartoon, and I can't remember many times I laughed harder.

But, only knowing the B-plot, I could never find it when it reaired in syndication. Jamie managed to find it the episode, hampered by the fact that I was wrong about what Al and Jefferson were building. It was actually a workbench. The A-plot was Kelly being invited to a MENSA-like party as a goof. The episode is entitled Hi-Q, and having watched it last night, it's still pretty funny.

It's something I never would have gotten myself, but I'm so glad I have it. I may burn it to my iPod, because, y'know, I know ways to do that.

I had a great birthday, and thanks to everyone who was part of it. Friends and family, in person, calls and e-mails. I appreciate it all.