Undertow #6 - 4 page preview

Undertow #6 is ready for launch. The supernatural western feature called the “Organ Grinder” continues in UNDERTOW #6 which will launch at Emerald City Comic Con  

This issue has 2 other stories featuring the talents of David Cutler, and "Fearless" Fred Kennedy with Ryan Howe on art duties.


Here is a 4 page preview of the Organ Grinder ...

This comic is available at the 7th Wave publishing website .

Please have a look and pick up a copy from the 7th wave booth at ECCC in Seattle, the website, or me directly at Calgary fan Expo ! 

You can't keep a one-armed cursed gunfighter down for long!

The next issue of Undertow from 7th wave comics is now coming together, and that means Jeremiah and Moses (his chain smoking monkey!) will saddle up again soon.

Here's a preview:

Undertow #5 - 5 page preview

Jeremiah and Moses the monkey saddle up in the old west once again! The supernatural western feature called the “Organ Grinder” continues in UNDERTOW #5 which will launch at Emerald City Comic Con  
at the end of March.

Here's a sneak-peek ....
 

This issue also features the terrific talent of Adam Gorham on another story in the book, “the Forgetting” AND...Adam is also the artist for that sweet front cover up above.

This comic is available at the 7th Wave publishing website .

Please have a look and pick up a copy from the 7th wave booth at ECCC in Seattle, the website, or me directly at Calgary fan Expo ! 

Undertow 4 – 5 page preview!

It’s time once again for Jeremiah and Moses the monkey to saddle up in the old west. They continue their adventures in the supernatural western feature - the “Organ Grinder” -in UNDERTOW comics.  UNDERTOW Issue #4 is complete and ready for launch at Emerald City Comic Con  .

Here's a peek of some of the story inside.

This issue also features the terrific talent of Adam Gorham on the OTHER story in the book, “the Forgetting” .

In other cool news, 7th Wave publishing now has a nifty new website where you can stay current with all the latest, and purchase comics!

In even MORE cool news, we have now sold out of the print runs of issue #1 and #2, and have a second printing of issue #2 which has this cover from Greg Harms.

Please have a look and grab this creepy/cool book from the 7th wave booth at ECCC in Seattle, the website, or me directly at Calgary fan Expo!

Interior pages from other issues can be found by clicking here for #2, and right here for #3

Get caught in the Undertow! 

Undertow Comic interview in Self Publisher Magazine #69

The good folks at Self Publisher magazine recently did a nice 4 page article/interview with Luke and I regarding the Undertow as well as life and issues for a small publisher.

Luke Donkersloot, the writer and publisher at 7th Wave comics did most of the heavy lifting, but I pushed past my natural shyness (!) and spoke up a bit too. The download of this magazine is free (FREE!) and available here at this link.  SELF PUBLISHER #69

We are hard at work on Undertow issue #4 and I'm back doing the 'Organ Grinder' part of the comic. I'm once again joined by Adam Gorham on the 'Forgetting' also contained within. Its set to be released at ECCC next March and will be available at comics shops and the 7th wave website shortly after that.

Page 4 will probably look a little like the image below, but with words and stuff. Writers always seem to want to add them. ;-)

Undertow issue 4-'Organ Grinder' panels from page 4

Undertow and the Organ Grinder update...

I'm currently hard at work on the 3rd issue of Undertow. The folks at 7th Wave have been super patient while I slotted in other works (Heroes of the North!) but now, it wont be long before the Organ Grinder and his chain smoking monkey ride again. We will pick up right from the crazy cliffhanger that was the end of issue #2....

The best news is issue #3 will have the talented and super nice Adam Gorham on pencils for 'The Forgetting', which is the other story in the book. Yep. Adam fucking Gorham. Booya!

More good news is that the print run for ISSUE #1 is almost sold out! So, we are going to a 2nd printing of issue #1!  Check back soon for details, including a possible peek at the art Ty Templeton contributed to the reprint...how cool is that?!?

Here is a page of older unpublished art featuring the Organ Grinder, kindly colored by Owen Watts. Any colorists looking for high rez scans to practice with, just hit me up...I'll see what I can dig up.

UNDERTOW #2 - The Organ Grinder is back!

You cant keep a one armed cursed gunfighter and his chain smoking monkey down for long. Undertow #2 is FINALLY set to be released in a few short weeks, and will debut this January 28th at the WIZARD WORLD con in New Orleans!

I have 17 pages of art in there this time around, which is the most amount of consecutive pages I've ever had in one book. It took me a while, so I'm happy to see it finally getting out there. Add to that the fact that its a GREAT little story continuing from where we left off in issue #1 AND that I get to draw monkeys...and we have a winner. ;-)

An added bonus for me is that I'll be attending The Con in New Orleans to launch the book. This will be my FIRST American con, so I'm pretty psyched!! I'll be joined by the publisher, writer and a 2 other artists involved with the book.

I'll have some preview art and full details here on this blog in a week or so. I'll be doing an in-store signing here in Toronto shortly after I get back In February, so folks that want to grab one can do so. Check back soon for all the details.

Ask an Artist on the 11th! - A3on11 - Inspiration?

This month's question is: "What inspires you?"

I honestly think when people ask me this they want to hear about some mystical creative secret that only a few folks know, and aren't allowed to speak about except in hushed tones. (ie: The first rule of ART CLUB is do NOT talk about ART CLUB!)

The reality? When it comes to inspiration...deadlines help.

Seriously.

As much as we like to think of comic art as true 'art', and take all the time in the world to create it -"I'm an artist dammit, it'll be done when it's done!"- the reality is when drawing for publishers you just dont have this luxury. Comic art comes with a timeline.

This means that SOMETIMES you have to crank up your own inspiration and draw when you really dont feel like it. When this happens to me, I usually flip through some comic works from my favorite artists, and surf over to deviantart. Just looking at other great artists can help get the creative juices flowing. The trick here is to not spend too much time surfing, reading, and generally 'getting ready'.

The right music always helps too. I've gotten some great band and disk suggestions from other artists, as we all seem to have a rather voracious appetite for tunes! Occupational hazard I guess. The right music can really get me ready and zoned in to draw.

If these options haven't got me going, I use my ace in the hole technique...I go to my bookshelf and grab Stephen King's ON WRITING book. I flip it open to page 151 ( hardcvover version). It's here that he writes "if you read alot , write a lot", and proceeds to tell the story of the writer Anthony Trollope. Anthony's "day job was as a clerk in the British Postal Department, and he wrote for two and a half hours each morning before leaving for work. This schedule was ironclad. If he was in mid sentance when the two and a half hours expired, he left that sentance unfinished until the next morning. And if he happened to finish one of his 600 page hevyweight novels with 15 minutes of the session remaining, he wrote THE END, set the manuscript aside and began work on the next book."


Sure he's talking about writing and not drawing, but that's not the point. For some reason, just thinking about that level of dedication to one's craft motivates the hell out of me and makes me want to get the pencil moving. So that's what inspires me. I hope that helps. Excuse me, I'm psyched now and gotta go draw something. ;-)

Previous month's 'ask an artist' articles can be found here: A3on11 !

Undertow #1 and the Organ Grinder

I can FINALLY tell the story of the Organ Grinder, Undertow #1 and 7th Wave comics! This comic has been over 8 years in the making…literally. I’ve been waiting a while to talk about this one.

Back when I was first starting out ( around 2002), I hooked up with a young writer named Luke Donkersloot through Digital webbing. He sent me a great little story and concept about a one armed gunfighter with a cursed organ and a chain smoking monkey. I LOVED the story, and signed on to do it. It was, I think, my 2nd or 3rd penciling gig. Luke and I were really in sync creatively. I drew and inked the first installment, and 10 pages of the second issue before the comic was shut down before ever seeing the light of day. Slightly crushed, (OK…very crushed!) I moved on to other projects and the Organ Grinder ( O.G.) pages sat in my drawer. A great story without a home.

*Sigh*

Fast forward to about a year ago, when Luke got in touch with me again, completely out of the blue. He also contacted all the other artists whom he had commissioned work from, and said he was arranging to get the work published in Undertow #1 with 7th wave comics. www.7thwavecomics.com Great news! So I grabbed my art from the archives and………realized that it wasn’t as strong as I’d remembered. *Double Sigh* I said to Luke,
“Wait! Don’t publish THAT! You have to let me rework the pages first before you go to print!!” Being the good guy he is, he agreed. I left the art's story telling alone as it worked well, but a few art tweaks/redraws were definitely in order. what I'm trying to say is that these pages represent a very unique hybrid of my raw rookie work and my art style now, 8 years later. Have a look and see what you think.





Good story so far, eh?

PLEASE support this comic by ordering one… right here! You need this book in your life! ;-) If you are of the opinion that more folks SHOULD support small press, here is your chance. Prove it by clicking over and grabbing your own copy. Good Karma awaits.

This is the first story (and first appearance) of the O.G., and we have big things planned for him over the next few issues. Check back for more O.G. updates shortly! In the mean while go grab the UNDERTOW #1, and tell them Gibson sent ya.