April 2011

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Digital Comics

April 29, 2011 by admin | 1 comment

So are digital comics the future?


I want to say no, because I can’t imagine NOT holding a comic book in my hands. I know I won’t buy another dvd though. I’ll rent from iTunes or Xbox instead. Those actions have shut down Blockbuster stores and pretty much the rest of them too. Bluray MIGHT be an exception, but mostly Pixar movies.

I’ll still buy a physical book over a digital though. I tried a Seth Godin book digitally, but it’s not the same experience. The only benefit was it was slightly cheaper and I did it right in my living room – those two factors trump the ‘physical experience’ for most though. And that’s one of the things closing Borders bookstores.

I can beat the crap out of a physical book too. And I do. Throw it in a backpack, toss it around, take notes on the pages, lend it to friends and family… baby, you got yourself a stew goin!

I do the same with comics. I don’t keep them crisp and in bags because I’ll forget about them. They’re there for my enjoyment and study. I toss them around, rip out pages for references, make notes on the paper, and lend them out to friends and family. You would cry if you saw my copy of Parker.

I buy cheap Calvin and Hobbes books so I can tear out pages, scribble notes, and use them for references. Blasphemy, right??

I make a mess out of these things so I can learn from them or else they’d sit on my shelf in mint condition forever.

That’s why I prefer physical over digital comics, but maybe that’s just me.

Fun. Be Calm

April 27, 2011 by admin | No comments


Ever find a song that just makes you WANT to draw?

I’ve been rockin’ the hell out of this one lately.

Competition

April 25, 2011 by admin | No comments

Coming from a business perspective… because maybe I’m overthinking this…


Right now, Armstrong is 100% digital. It has to be because I can’t afford to print copies and I’d rather share it with EVERYONE instead of the 3 people that would’ve paid for it had I charged money (my parents and probably one of my friends? Ok, 2 people then).


Its competition right now isn’t necessarily against other digital comics though. Armstrong is free so it’s competing for attention. It’s not even really a competition between FREE webcomics, is it? I can say, “I’ll spend money on this thing instead of that thing,” but I’ll hardly say “I’ll look at this free thing instead of that free thing.”


So it’s a competition against Netflix, Hulu, Facebook, iPad games, etc. It’s for your attention when you think, “What can I kill 20 minutes with on my lunch break?”


Also interesting to think about – DC and Marvel aren’t competition to free webcomics – even digital DC and Marvel are no match for free and online comics. But free webcomics and digital distribution ARE competition for major comic companies which is why we have this knee jerk reaction (Wizard firing their entire staff without notice) from the industry.

I’m learning

April 22, 2011 by admin | No comments

This whole thing is a learning experience. I decided to do this comic – no heavy decisions or planning past that – get it done, put it out. Why? Because sweating the details is what’s always made me postpone. It’s comfortable/safe to have every little thing planned for, but it’s also why I don’t get things done.

Ignoring details ISN’T the smartest thing to do, but this project was finally launched because of it. It’s out there for folks to enjoy (hopefully) and now is the time for me to examine those other details – revisit the few missteps here and there.
I’d rather straighten out those few missteps than never have launched this comic.

Parker Ronald

April 20, 2011 by admin | 1 comment


It’s been a LONG day because of this little fella (who is awesome). Parker Ronald was born around 6:30 AM.

My wife (who knows nothing of Richard Stark’s Parker) is the one who suggested the name ‘Parker’ and when she said it, my brain went, “Do not say anything about the comic and you shall have a son named PARKER.”
So I smiled and said, “Yeah… I like that name.”

Plans, plans, so many plans… that fell through.

April 18, 2011 by admin | 1 comment

I hate it when stuff I design (that I love) never makes it off the ground. These die cut stickers for the ol’ t-shirt company were never printed.

I’d still like to do it just for the heck of it, but then people would ask “What the heck are those?” and I’d be like “Those are physical manifestations of broken dreams” and they’d be all “ohhhhhh…” and I’d be all “Yeah….” and they’d try to look away while my eyes swelled with blood– TEARS. Tears, not blood. Bloody tears.
The end.

Friday

April 15, 2011 by admin | No comments




I wish I had scanned the final pencils in before I inked. Oh well – next time.

The final page didn’t change too much from the thumbnail. The biggest difference is that I didn’t draw in the extra swings. They just added clutter. I also took out the inked clouds. The Wacom clouds felt more alive and playful.

The Hobbit

April 14, 2011 by admin | 1 comment

I’m SUPER excited for these movies so this made my day. And Martin Freeman as Bilbo? Yes please, I’ll have THAT.

Pencils

April 13, 2011 by admin | No comments


My pencils are very loose. They almost feel like thumbnails.

It goes against what my great great grandfather used to scream – “Don’t make your pencils loose or else they’ll feel like thumbnails!” Nobody had a clue about why he repeated this over and over.
I guess we’ll never know.

Early sketch

April 11, 2011 by admin | No comments

I found this little diddy in my Armstrong notebook. I drew it over a year ago. I remember it well… it was about 8pm, a storm was comin… we knew lightning was gonna hit the clock tower at 10:04 so we had to time the Delorean to hit the cable at precisely that same instant – which of course is hard because all we knew was at some point, within the minute of 10:04, lightning was going to strike. So when in those 60 seconds do we aim for?
Long story short, we did it and Marty returned to the future, but it was at that moment Marty (in a different outfit) ran up to tell me he was back…. back FROM the future!
And then I drew this. Bryce hasn’t changed much except for colors and while I LOVE the colors in this version, I decided they were a bit muted and forgettable. Also – colored with Copic makers.

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