December Events

Comic Script Writing

When I'm feeling good about myself and conceited, I like to think of myself as a writer more than an artist. I really see myself, 10 years from now, if I'm still doing comics, writing, not drawing them. The short stuff I've written has generally gotten great feedback from other writers and creators and I enjoy writing much more than any other aspect of comics, except possibly inking. I would love to be a writer/inker, that would be the ideal situation for me. From observations I have made, there are still 2 dominant forms of writing for the comic book medium.

FULL SCRIPT - A panel for panel breakdown of what is happening, what panel the dialog fits in and where everything goes, this usually leaves very little decision making up to the artist.

LOOSE SCRIPT - Usually all the dialog is there but instead of panel descriptions, there are usually just page descriptions which let the artist choose how to tell the story and how to break down the panels.

I would like to say I have worked with both types, but in actuality I have not. All of my scripts from all of the writers I have worked with have been of the FULL SCRIPT type. Both have their positive and negative aspects to it, the FULL script ensures that the writer's vision comes through 100%, and that they know what to expect on the page when they see it, there is little doubt of what will come across and it makes for an easy collaboration. I should also say, that the FULL SCRIPT method is used very much in work for hire situations, where the artist (and often the writer) are just hired hands there to tell a story. While this script type is common, it does leave a little to be desired for the artist who generally would like to have a little more say in the graphic storytelling department, especially in a visual medium.

When I write for artists I almost always use the LOOSE SCRIPT format, unless it's such a short story, or I have such a crystallized idea in my mind that I need to be more direct. I love seeing a page come in on a project and not knowing what to expect, it is very creative and keeps the energy moving. This type of writing generally occurs in a book that is co-created between the writer and artist and each has a personal and often times emotional attachment to the book. On a book where I co-create, this would be the ideal type of script I would get.

Please note, I also take into account the writers I work with and I am comfortable enough with them to know that I can alter certain panels and pages to fit my storytelling approach, and with a little conversation, everything goes swimmingly, and also, many writers only feel comfortable in the FULL script mode, but are more than willing to listen to and agree to the artists input. With VILLAINS for instance, the only long form work I have done up until now, I read all the scripts and suggest changes that are sometimes, but not always taken into account, and only after both myself and the writer, Adam Cogan, agree 100% do I start on the artwork, and we have a great working dynamic where I feel in the art phase I can make whatever changes, though few they may be, to tell the story my way visually. An artist as well, Adam has a very visual approach to his writing which makes it easy.

This whole post was spawned by this great link I came across that points to published comic scripts on the internet. Download the 2 scripts by Brian Wood, the DEMO script, an indie book he co-created with the amazing Becky Cloonan, he wrote in the loose script format, and then the DMZ script, for Vertigo/DC, he wrote in the more common Full script mode.

* On a personal note, I was introduced to Brian by a retailer friend of mine in San Diego this summer, and I was too insecure to even offer polite conversation or praise. I just acted like I was part of the conversation and then skulked away. A couple years back Adam and I entertained the idea of getting Brian to design the cover layout for VILLAINS, but we could not afford him at that point, and I think he was starting to lean away from design also.

sketch

rejected character design, I like her face.

Self examination part 2

So, while Alyssa Milano was my ultimate woman I would never have, Gwendolyn "Winnie" Cooper was the girlfriend I always wanted. Wonder Years might be one of my all-time favorite shows, a very well rounded program that I always felt was very honest and fun. So here's to you Winnie, cheers.



and here is what she looks like now...

I (Heart) You - Dear Diary - 10/30/07

So I was thinking the other day after answering some email that I am currently in some sort of contact with almost every girl I have had a crush on or dated/married since I was in the 4th grade. There might be one or two that have slipped through the cracks, but I have never had a problem committing so the list isn't that long, but I found it semi-fascinating that I can email almost any of these girls (women now), that I have met over the last 21 years or so. Keep in mind that I have lived in 3 or 4 different states/countries since that time. Fascinating or pathetic, I'll let you all be the judge of that. If only I could track down Bethany Stallman and Melissa Guzman, my completion list would go to about 99% for my entire lifetime. How rare is that? So in celebration, I provide for you today, my first true unrequited love (of which there were many).



Who's the Boss of my juvenile loins?

Villains ad on Beauty and the Geek

Back at comic-con in July the crew from Beauty and the Geek were shooting a segment at the Viper booth while Javi and Les signed, on the back of the free copies of their book Middleman was an ad for VILLAINS. So my book got about .5 seconds of screen time.




Javi and Les got a second of screen time too. Volume 3 of Middleman just came out through Viper Comics, I highly recommend it.

Brains

this weeks artJumble

Wednesday

Halloween 2005 we had a Halloween party at the big yellow house and as always, I did not plan ahead, and as always, the results were disastrous. I tried to pull off a rockabilly/greaser look, and instead came off looking like a redneck on laundry day.



x-posted from ARTJUMBLE

FINALLY

Script pages have started coming in for an upcoming book I will be working on for Image comics, hopefully the book will be out in early 2008, probably about March by now. Here is a random sample of 2 panels, I'm doing a new process with this book where I pencil the pages loosely on standard paper, scan them in , enlarge them to full size and I'll be inking digitally, hopefully this will speed up my production time, since I plan to work on this and a sequel to Villains at the same time. Wish me luck.

Updates???

Sorry for the lack of updates, personal stuff has come up, but this time it's good personal stuff, but it has still interfered with my production. I hope in the next few weeks or so to be able to balance both appropriately. Heres are two pieces for this weeks Artjumble.



and a process shot....

the final bigger piece can be found on the ARTJUMBLE site.

Artjumble image

This one was a blast but I swear I have seen this design somewhere else. Anyone know what I'm talking about? I might use this guy in Villains Vol.2, but I can't be sure I didn't steal a Matsuda design or something. Done for the Artjumble blog. Comment here or there.

Dear Diary...

It's not you, it's me.

New Art tomorrow. Promise.

Artjumble

My artjumble image this week -

Kind of straightforward, some anatomy issues with our detective, but it was just fun to work on paper again after a couple weeks.

** edit, larger, toned version of this up on the Sketchjam blog.

Thursday watch the walls instead.....

My new contribution to ARTJUMBLE is up, check it out. Also, on a weird coincidence vibe, I stopped drinking Cola and eating so much fried foods about 10 ago and it has had 3 glaring effects. Not surprisingly, I feel better even if it hasn't shown up on the scale yet, I am having a hard time figuring out what to drink now besides water, tea and coffee, I'm used to having that 4th option. Also, I am dreaming again, not to say I wasn't dreaming before, but these are noticeably more vibrant and lifelike, and it's ALL NIGHT LONG, no kidding, it's insane. It makes sleeping fun again. Too bad I haven't had any of those dreams yet, but unfortunately, I'm not 13 anymore either. Updates forthcoming.......

Bring your Monster to work day!

Yesterday I got to bring my youngest to work because of a snafu with the sitter. It was great, he behaved really well and we took some awesome photos. I don't post pictures of my kids on the net, but here is one he took of me, he's 4 years old. And Awesome.

Monday stuff

My interweb is on the shit at home, I have plenty of access at work, but posts may be slow in the next few weeks. Had a good weekend with the boys and my parents, saw some great scenery, if you feel the need to jump over to the SketchJam, I posted a few new pages of a little side project I'm slowly working on.

Artjumble

Here is my first post the wonderful and inspiring ArtJumble blog.



Vegas was great, I golfed, went skeet shooting with a shotgun for the first time ever, drank a beer in a way I never have before, ate amazingly well, and saw one of my friends do the greatest dance ever while mocking a group of frat boys. I wish I could have stayed longer, but life happens.

I get by with a little help from my friends....

Ever hear the saying "a good friend will help you move, but a really good friend will help you move a body"? Well I personally believe in that wholeheartedly. My Boys Momma (MBM)and I often discuss how I am anti-social and don't make new friends often (or at all), and she considers that a negative aspect. I on the other hand, consider the fact that I have a small cadre of amazing friends to be a HUGELY positive personality trait. If I meet new people, I often forget their name and sometimes I don't even remember if I had met them previously. I attribute this to the fact that my brain is at 110% capacity, and I often have to clear out space to retain new information. I'm a whiz at trivial pursuit and pop culture knowledge, but I can't remember the names of the parents in my kids' school, so sue me.

I have a small group of friends here in the Phoenix area that I have known for over 10 years, 1/3 of my life. They are great friends and I see them as often as I can and I enjoy hanging out with their kids and BBQ's and bar sessions and everything that it entails. I am blessed to have such great, loyal companions.

There is a smaller group though, that I consider my greatest friends, my brothers, my family, I have known since I was 13. 18 years ago I met these guys, and if a really good friend will help you move a body, then I have 3 that will commit multiple heinous felonies and help me flee the country, after burying the bodies and aiding me to exact my bloody revenge. And I would do that for them, because that's what true friendship is about. Not that I have anything liked that planned, but it's good to know that it is an option, if such an extreme situation arises.

I'm going on a short vacation this weekend to Vegas and seeing 2/3 of the trifecta, and I can't wait, I'm like a child on Christmas eve. Nothing overly amazing ever happens on these weekends, nothing to write home about, but a good time is guaranteed, and it's always nice to visit family.

I can see MBM's point about me making new friends though, if I don't learn how to be more sociable, I might never date a woman again. My apologies for the weepy eyed sentimentality, here is some art for no good reason.

Dear Diary

Friday night was the first ever meeting of the Arizona Chapter of the Drink and Draw Social Club, it was a fun time, we had about 17 people show up and I hope everyone had a good time, I know I did.



Hop on over to The AZD&D site for more pics and fun!

Also this past weekend I took 2/3's of my brood to see Surf's Up, the Sony Animation feature about surfing penguins. This movie was really, really, really, good. The way they "shot" it and animated it, f-ing brilliant, I loved the story too, although it was super predictable, but the performances the voice actors and animators put on were amazing. Go see it, if you're local to Phoenix it is showing at the budget theatres now. It actually touched that sensitive spot in me as well, you know, the tiny little spot I keep far behind the anger and bitterness I usually project. I really need to learn to let go of my aggression and negativity of the way things have been going the last year or so. I need to learn to absorb and be "in the moment" when positive and calming events are happening. I think I have started to take advantage of that over the last few days, but it's a work in progress and I need to to adjust 10 years or so of negativity.

Okay, diary, enough of that, I am also doing a bunch of inking while waiting on more script pages, jump on over the SKETCHJAM! blog to see a Kirby page and Wieringo pin-up I did.

Dear Diary - Thursday

I feel like I should post something to get into a rythym of some kind. I made the decision, for the first time in years to put together a proper portfolio to show around to try and line up some more work. My first target is the Marvel Adventures line, I got a script from one of the MA writers so I'm going to pencil a few pages from that. Meanwhile, I am also putting together some inking samples as well. So I spent tonight inking a 'Ringo pin-up and a Kirby Thor page. Here's a shot of my table -



Since I don't have an 11x17 printer, I printed up the Kirby page in 3 parts and I'll put it together in Photoshop.

Also, I got the hardcover collection of Ultimate Spider-Man #100 Project from Marvel & The Hero Initiative yesterday. Once again I can't believe how great it was to be a part of this thing, and the book will only raise more money for the charity. To date it has raised over $81,000. Here's a quick shot of my page in the book, it's alphabetical so I'm next to the amazing Frank Cho.



Tomorrow night is the first ever Phoenix Drink and Draw session, so I'll post about that over the weekend.