I’ve been asked alot lately about the process I use to create my comic. Here’s a quick summary:
This is the template I created at the very start of WITCH KNOTS. I wanted a very strict format for the comic. Why? For one, it’s one less thing to think about in the creative stage. For another, the comic is a kind of tribute to all my favorite newspaper strips. Restrictive space is a big part of that craft.
I pencil, ink and watercolor the strip. After I scan it into the computer I apply a present Photoshop action to the whole comic. My scanner is very old and doesn’t capture the colors very well. Here’s a screenshot of the Photoshop action(click for a larger view). The key effect? VIBRANCE!
If you want to keep up on my process, you should follow my blog: Morning in the Atelier. I post an image of what I’m currently doing at my drawing desk. Lots of lead smeared paper and masking tape with cat hair on it. So charming!
The Little Mermaid is one of my favorite movies. Not just because of the AMAZING soundtrack, but for the things it taught me about the industry of animation. This movie showed me that great art does not JUST HAPPEN. It takes committed investment in your material and an environment for unexpected greatness to occur. Glen Keane was a supervising animator on the film. In this behind the scenes clip he speaks about the live action references they used for Ursala and Ariel:
Behind the scenes of The Little Mermaid (on YouTube)
Watching this behind the scenes clip as a kid, I was astounded to see how often the scenes from the film have direct reference footage for them. Glen points out that some memorable moments from the movie only came about from things happening in the ‘between takes’ footage of Ariel’s live action model. This is something film and photography will always have over animation and comics; the ability to keep the camera rolling. In my work, I’ve always tried to visualize what is happening in the panels I’m NOT drawing. Am I missing something great?
While browsing the archives of the Stuff You Should Know Podcast, I found an episode on Jim Henson and his Muppets. The history of the Muppet phenomenon is prime inspiration for anyone who has ever tried to create a unique cast of characters. Any cartoonist will tell you that a strong character is created through a strong and visible personality. But the Muppets prove that true personality is in the versatility of a character. Did you know Kermit started out in the 1950s as a lizard? Pretty neat, huh?
Listen to the Stuff You Should Know episode: “How Muppets Work” and read through Shanna Freeman’s post about Muppets on the How Stuff Works blog.
Dan Copulsky just posted an interview with me at Question Riot. We talked about the concepts behind the Illustrative Score I worked on last year.
He also included a photo of me and my sister hanging out with a View Finder!
Marian Bantjes describes her latest work:
“It’s a gorgeous hardcover, with gold and silver foils on a satin cloth, with gilded page edges. It’s printed in 5 colours throughout (mostly CMYK + Gold) on a coated stock. At a smallish size (15.5cm x 24cm, or a little taller than 6×9), it is a book meant for holding and reading, curled up in your favourite chair.”
A fading aspiration in a digital age but no less enviable in it’s concept. More >
Scott put the question “Is this comics?” to my illustrative score. A conversation on the role of ‘control’ and ‘time’ in comics is happening over there.
Urlesque posted a brief interview with myself and the other collaborators of the Illustrative Score video project. If you haven’t heard; it’s a 50 foot ’sliding mural’ I illustrated to the music of The Few Moments.
Do you know how much a sheet of 50 foot Arches Hot Press Watercolor Paper costs?!
In 2006 I worked in a bookstore in Burlington Vermont. It’s the home of James Kochalka, who makes a comic strip called American Elf. I sent him a copy of a comic I self published called “Tonight We Revolution”. A few weeks later he came into the shop so I asked him if he got it. How many unsolicited self published comics does he get a day? Probably alot. But I had to say something, right? Well, the conversation was immortalized in that day’s American Elf. I’m the voice from behind the cash register.
I just unearthed the clipping from my scrapbook. I remember what it felt like seeing this for the first time in the newspaper. I got a flash of insight into what it’s like to be an off screen voice in some one’s daily travels. Oh, the physiological impact of daily comic strips!
Did you notice? I broke WITCH KNOTS last week. But here we are again. Same old same old. This comic is now hosted somewhere new so you may need to resubscribe.
