Baltimore Comic-Con Yearbook
For the last couple years, I've been designing the Baltimore Comic-Con Yearbook. Year one was Liberty Meadows, year two was Stan Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo. This year we're tackling Matt Wagner's Grendel. [image src="http://thomz.com/blogall/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/baltimore14_cover_regFINAL.jpg" align="right" border="image_border" link="#" alt="" title="" lightbox="false" width="200" ]
Baltimore is one of my favorite shows, and it's always an honor to work on the book, it's also a challenge to work with so many artists and find a way to make the next year's book better than the last. We've definitely done that this year. New artists! Returning artists! More artists! And a surprise I'm not sharing quite yet. But wait until you see the book.
Right now the book is safely at the printer and all that's left is waiting for the shipping information. I'd say waiting patiently, but let's be honest, I'll be nervous up until Marc Nathan calls and tells me those books are in his hands. But it's all worth it. I think you're going to love the book.
A Secret of Sketchbooks
While I was at San Diego, I was asked to do the inaugural sketch in someone's sketchbook. She was starting an all-Hydra sketchbook. First up, she wanted a piece involving the Hydra Skull/Octopus logo. Let me let you into the mind of an artist. I always look through a sketchbook I'm given. And while I never do a bad piece, at least not intentionally, there's a point when you see a sketchbook will pieces by comics' legends or pieces that should be legendary and you think, "I gotta bring my A-game to this one." We're competitive, we artists, and sketchbooks bring that out.
So when I got this request, I knew I had to start the book out right. I think it's your holy mission as an artist to start a sketchbook off so well that other artists go "Crap! I have to keep up with this one?!" She wanted the skull. I gave her the skull, a Hydra goon, and a bunch of SHIELD agents. (Also, to heck with all those periods in the title. It's SHIELD to me. I'm not wasting six characters on a tweet on all those dots.)
For more sketchbook insights, Amy Ratcliffe posted an invaluable piece on starting one, too. Check that out here.
[image src=" http://thomz.com/blogall/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/hydra.jpg" align="left" border="image_border" link="#" alt="" title="" lightbox="false" ]
I'm Gonna Wreck It!
My good friend Sarah Kuhn asked me to do this Wreck-It Ralph commission for her husband for their anniversary this year. I'm always a little humbled by these requests. Whenever people make my art part of some special celebration, it's still a little amazing to me. I'm really happy with the finished piece. My Copic blending technique is getting better, and I think the green pixel background works really well for the character. And these characters are just such fun to draw. And Happy Anniversary Sarah and Jeff! [image src="http://thomz.com/blogall/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/wreckit.jpg" align="left" border="image_border" link="#" alt="" title="" lightbox="false" ]
This Month's Header Image
Featured on the home page and in this post is my ArtBin from my days at the Kubert School. I used it faithfully for fifteen years or so, before switching to other bins, systems, and yes, the lunchbox you see me bring to conventions. But this good soldier served me well. When I pulled it from under my bed last month, I dusted it off and had to share it.
The Many Moments of my Comic-Con
So what did you do last weekend? For me it was the juggernaut that is Comic-Con International. I’ve famously gotten philisophical about the experience. If the worst part of my professional year is going to San Diego for a week to talk about the thing I love doing most in the world, it’s not that bad. I have friends who wear ties.
There’s a lot of logistics to it, and some pressure on the front end. Gotta get a hotel, gotta ship out my books, gotta set up my booth. And its always a game of inches. You slowly get better at laying out your booth and getting your gear into the convention center. I live in fear of expansion and redesign of the show floor because I’m so comfortable with the current setup.
The show was pretty good. I did what I needed to do and had a lot of good conversations with friends, fans and people with whom I might do some business. Here are some highlights:
Most embarrassing moment: Mark Shepard often wanders by my booth, and I love talking to him. He’s a great guy, and we’re both fans of his dad. Recently he’s lost some weight and we were talking about that… just as my friend Christopher came by with a brownie for me. Awk. Ward.
Most moments: This year, I set up with Steve Conley of Bloop and Astounding Space Thrills fame. Ben Thompson, my previous boothmate, made the business decision not to come back, so I found a new partner in Steve. It’s always a question how well you’re going to spend five solid days with someone, even if you’re friends beforehand. But I had such fun with Steve that I’d almost pay his half of the booth to get him to come back. Almost.
Moments of potential: That time the guy who worked on that show you liked said about Love and Capes: “Hey! This would make a great sitcom.” Yeah, I know.
Best moment: This one is a little hard to lock down, but I think I have it. On Sunday, someone from Konami (I think) wandered by. It was his first Comic-Con and he’d been working the booth all weekend and now had Sunday free to wander. He was giddy with all there was to see. That’s so cool to see. At worst, I’m jaded and at best I’ve lost my sense of taste for Comic-Con. I have no idea how it is for people anymore. I don’t know how fun it would be for fans. But here this guy comes and it’s all new for him and he’s loving it. It’s so good to see that.
It was another good time. I didn’t take enough photos, especially with my friends. (Fortunately my friend Eugene took care of some of that, as evidenced by our photo above.) But I can take care of that next year. I’ve already signed up to come back.
My MLP: Friends Forever #5 Read by the Actors!
At Fiesta Equestria, the voices of the stars of my Fluttershy/Zecora issue of My Little Pony: Friends Forever #5 read my issue aloud. Voice actors include Andrea Libman (Fluttershy), Brenda Crichlow (Zecora) and Vincent Tong (everyone else). It's like a Power Records broadcast! Buy an issue and follow along at home!
The Awesomeness of my Time at Fiesta Equestria
This past weekend, I was at the fantastic Fiesta Equestria. It was my first time at a My Little Pony specific convention. And, man, was it fun. First of, the staff of Fiesta Equestria treated me like a prince. I was virtually assigned a personal assistant who helped whenever I needed anything I shouldn't be surprised, because these are the people who did the red M&M's for me at Comicpalooza.
They also arranged a trip to Johnson Space Center for us. And by us, I mean the voice actor guests (Andrea Libman/Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, Brenda Chrichlow/Zecora and Vincent Tong/BG Ponies) and me. That was such a treat. I've been to Houston a few times, but I've never been able to visit before. I finally got to see that Saturn V rocket that I drew as the Love and Capes con print.
The show was very successful. I met also sorts of fans and made some new ones. One of the highlights was the family who not only bought some books but followed up by giving me four boxes of Girl Scout Cookies. The bar has been raised!
But the standout moment for me was on Sunday when the show arranged a reading of my issue of My Little Pony: Friends Forever #5. That issue starred Fluttershy and Zecora, the voices of which were at the show. So those actresses, along with Vincent Tong as the voices of everyone else (including many animals, Rarity and Discord) read my story aloud as they projected the pages on the screen behind them.
As a writer, I never get to see people read my material. Never a whole group, paced out like a cartoon. It was magical. I heard people laugh at the jokes, "awww" at the warm parts and all "ohhh" when they realized who the surprise guest star was. This was my favorite thing ever.
I'm told that they're editing the video and posting it online. As soon as I find out when and where, I'll share it with all of you.
If the Fiesta decides to invite me out next year, I'll be there in a heartbeat. So. Much. Fun.
I'm Doing a Podcast: Comics, Assembled!
A while back I tweeted about taking my first steps into a brave new world. That was the day Brian Ward and I recorded the first episode of our podcast, Comics Assembled! I've thought about doing a podcast for a while. I'm passionate about being a comics creator and freelancer and I certainly have a lot of opinions. But I've wondered if I'd have enough to say, and my schedule certainly makes things complicated.
But, when Dan Benjamin of the awesome 5by5 Network, and host of many of my favorite shows, offered me the opportunity, I had to hop on it.
I hope you'll check it out. I hope even more that you get something out of it. Be sure to send us some comments, rate us on iTunes, all of that stuff. And let us know what you'd like us to cover on future episodes.
Morning Warm-Up: Doctor Fate
[image src="http://thomz.com/blogall/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/doctorfate_block.png" align="left" border="image_border" link="http://thomz.com/blogall/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/doctorfate_display.jpg" alt="" title="" lightbox="false" ] I've got a lot of stuff going on today, so I'm afraid I don't have time to write my normal full post on this one.
The big thing I wanted to do was play with lighting . I wanted Doctor Fate's spell to be the brightest thing on the page, lighting the figure a little differently than I normally do, so I used a yellow overlay for the bright sections.It was effective here.
Okay, back to work!
Morning Warm-Up: Starman
Starman was kind of an interesting challenge. His costume is particularly garish, at the very least Christmasy. And he's got an aileron on his head. [image src="http://thomz.com/blogall/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/starman_block.png" align="left" border="image_border" link="http://thomz.com/blogall/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/starman_display.jpg" alt="" title="" lightbox="false" ]
I wanted to try something a little different with him. I gave him a much more streamlined physique. He's an astronomer, after all. And I gave him a graceful, almost contemplative pose. I thought that worked well for him.