Quick doodles from last night. Experimenting with tracing up imported bitmaps. It stiffened me up a bit. But I think I can get a groove established on it. The tentacle drawing wasn't traced up.

Brush Tool in Illustrator

Sketched up the same way you'd use a ballpoint pen. I need to get a lot closer to illustrator. I understand a lot of its vector goodness, but I'm still novice level.

This is getting fun. Got a brush doing some very expressive thick to thin and got something loose like I like. And of course the illustrator illo is totally scalable. Just exporting high rez JPGs for the blog.

It's official now. I'm having too much fun

I thought this post could stand one more dollop before bed time. It's 11 where I am. It's 9 in my beautiful California. I weep.

I Know It's Bad

But I'm going to try and sell it anyway.

Final-Little Improvements

Torso In Motion Ref

My TAG Comic Book Contribution

So strong as a visual storyteller I don't have to do balloons

TAG Book update

I'm still taking entries, and will be for a couple of weeks yet.  I'm slowly putting it together, but I need more art.  I've made another appeal to the Seattle crew, but I need to get more from the old timers.  SEND ME STUFF!

Digital Painting Tips

Good Stuff. I'll use this slot to link to some humongous size Kirby art I got off the auction pages.

As promised. Big Ass Auction JPGs of old Simon and Kirby art. One page is all Simon. auction-kirby-01 auction-kirby-02 auction-kirby-03 auction-kirby-04 auction-Simon-01 auction-kirby-05

Think anyone could actually watch all these?

128! episodes times 5 , 5 minute cartoons per episode... that's ...a whole lotta crap. - The Mighty Hercules Hercules, hero of song and story. Hercules, winner of ancient glory. Fighting for the right, Fighting with his might, With the strength of ten, ordinary men. Hercules, people are safe when near him. Hercules, only the evil fear him. Softness in his eyes, Iron in his thighs, Virtue in his heart, Fire in every part, Of the Mighty Hercules. Join us at his side, Standing there with pride, Victory is here, Raise a mighty cheer, At the sight of Hercules.

OLYMPIA! I watched the first half hour show. Hilariously bad. I imagine the laughs start to dry up after about 3 programs of 4 or 5 bad cartoons apiece.

TAG history

As part of the introduction to the TAG book, I would like to write a very brief history of TAG.  The problem is, I don't know much of the history... does anyone out there know stuff like who the Founder(s) were, first members, year it was started, and other info like that?

First Oil Painting-Kirby Copy

Lay in with one big brush. I'll try and save it tomorrow with smaller brushes and modeling. Posted the original Kirby I'm working from as well.

THQ Chapter 11

I was so busy the past week that piece of news about THQ went unnoticed. Sounds like they are very vulnerable to being snatched up for way less than their former market value. If that occurs you know they'll go through staff with a fire axe. You really don't want your future riding on Southpark, The Stick of Truth.

Comic book update:

 So, originally I was going to collect money and art to pre-print the Comic book.  Now I’m more of a mind to put it together on Lulu (or some other books-on-demand service) and let people order as many copies as they would like to have and/or to sell at ECCC or other conventions.  Soooo all I’m really looking for at the moment is art that people want to contribute to the thing.  It doesn’t need to be a full comic, it can just be some cool drawings you’ve done.  You can contribute as many or as few pages as you like.  Please send your art files to rick@rickschmitz.com … 150 dpi should be fine, B & W only.  If you use any of your own copyrighted characters please make a note of it in your file.  I think we should avoid using established characters (unless you have established them yourself!).  Also, please include a brief bio (a paragraph at the most) and any contact info that you want to have in the book in the email that you attach the art to (I would like to have a couple of pages in the back devoted to this info).  Please send me your files by Dec. 21^st so that I can use the holiday break to put together the book.  If anyone has a cool color piece for the cover, I would be happy to have a look.

Oh, and if anyone has a title for the book I’m all ears!  Thanks!

White Christmas

Merry Christmas Yall!

Later....

"The Teen Ellis" (page 2)

I crammed too much onto the page. And I'm not good at the "coloring" aspect. Want to redo the lower lefthand panel, where Mr. Mangroid looks over his shoulder. Page two of a 5 pager for the "TAG Annual Sampler"

I'm Embracing Okiedom Again

Great art, Tom, Marty. Fun to see those posts when I got settled in here at the house.

Just approved a couple of my own comments that I made yesterday. Appearing in the top thread. Took me a couple of beats to figure out that all I had to do to post as ME was sign into gmail.

All my system is still fairly scattered but coming together nicely in my room. Mom and Russell are happy to have me home. It's all good.

Planning on doing web comics for the hell of it. And original painting and drawings for auction on ebay for the little money I need.

Went through a very demanding ordeal to finally get here. I chronicled it in clips on my vado. I'll turn them into one long bit of continuity and you can take the trip with me.

Even though the solid ice road conditions from Arizona to New Mexico were rough, the paranoia I suffered when I hit Amarillo was worse. You'll see in a day or so.

Cover Possibilities (UPDATED!!)

In a burst of post-Tom Moon inspiration I drew this:

I put dialogue on it, but probably punchier without it (tho' who here has the strength to pass up a good butt joke?). The character bubbles were just what I had handy--we can distribute these amongst our contributors however we want.

UPDATED: Incorporating some of the ideas posted. Cheesy 70's font all my own doing. Haven't heard back from Scott if he (and Cork) are in. Obviously the "Tuesday Art Group" upper corner could use work--same with the fonts and finer points on the layout.

Thoughts???

A Gravestone For Shel Dorf, The Founder Of Comic Con?

Shel Dorf basically founded the San Diego Comic Con, now a massive media event event, bringing in billions of dollars.

Dying in 2009, he is buried in an unmarked grave in Home of Peace Cemetery.

During the Detroit Fanfare convention, which hosts the Shel Dorf Awards, one group began raising money for a gravestone to commemorate the life of the man.

They are looking to raise $2,200 for a stone the size of his parents’ gravestones, who he is buried next to.

It’s very possible that a reader of this website might be able to find the whole thing. Or maybe just help with a few dollars. You can contact Jill Smethers for more.

Sketch for My Comic

 

New Pacific Rim Trailer

Looks better than RoboJox