Art Blast April - War on Drugs

This War on Drugs strip is one where  my art finally did Alan Grant's scripts some justice. The only thing I wish had been done differently is the grey on Johnny's teeth in the last panel.  It looks like he has badly coffee stained teeth!

Who knows? Perhaps he does.
 

Art Blast April - War on Drugs, a.k.a my first published work

I probably SHOULD have started Art blast April with this, but I didn't, because that would require being much better organized than I currently am. ;-)

This is my FIRST published page, and the one that started it all. The importance of seeing this published in Northern Lightz at the time ( over 10 years ago!) cant be overstated. I was thrilled! I felt like I had finally made it, and resolved then and there that I would be a professional comic artist.

I was very lucky to have Gary Erskine ink this one, and he did me a lot of favors. He basically re-drew the helicopter in the big panel, as the one I had sent in was pretty weak by comparison. Alan Grant wrtoe this one and it marks the first appearance of 'Johnny K' from the War on Drugs, which went on to run in 2 magazines over in the U.K.

Appearing at Calgary Expo April 26th, 27th and 28th , 2013

Calgary Expo is totally sold out, and it’s not even open for another week!! These cons are getting bigger and badder all the time.

I'll be attending the Calgary Expo again this year. I’ll be in artist alley at table P 12  - on April 26^th, 27^th and 28^th 2013.

I  LOVE the Calgary show and have now gone for 3 years running. This year’s show will be extra special for me, as I’m finally getting a chance to reconnect with Alan Grant!  We plan to talk about more War on Drugs,  Johnny K. and maybe even something new. I’ve recently been forwarded two ‘lost’  W.O.D. scripts which I’ve yet to do art for,  so Johnny K.  may yet be resurrected...
For those that CAN get in, please stop by table P-12 and say “Hi”. I’m bring along all issues  (#1, #2, and the new #3)  of Undertow ,  sketch covers,  prints –including the New Deadpool one and issues of the Heroes of the North!

Now... off to get some more sketch covers ready for the show! 

Tales of the Buddha - Renegade Arts edition by Jon Haward and Alan Grant

Back in the WASTED magazine days, along with 'War on Drugs' there was another  re-occurring strip in every issue. It was written Alan Grant and wonderfully illustrated by Jon Haward. It was:  TALES OF THE BUDDHA

I'm happy to report that these strips are FINALLY being collected in one volume by Renegade Entertainment ! Now people worldwide can now enjoy them.

 

Right now its being offered as a digital down load, and a print book is scheduled to follow. I was very happy to contribute a pin up to be included in the "Tales of the Buddha-before he was Enlightened" collection. 

 

As you can see, the Buddha strips were drawn in a VERY different style than the way I draw! That said, this is my take on Buddha, along with Narcobitch from the War on Drugs.

 

The reviews are great, as are the strips. I should know... I've read them all! Please have a look and don't be shy to purchase this great little digital comic. You can do that right here! 

 

 

Ask an Artist on the 11th! - A3on11 - What happened to WASTED?

The question I've been asked the most this month by FAR..."What happened to WASTED?"

For those that haven't heard, WASTED magazine is no more.

The message on their website reads as follows:

Due to unforeseen and adverse circumstances, Bad Press Ltd is closing down. Thank you to all our writers, artists, colourists and letterers; to all of our customers, supporters, distributors and advertisers; and to all who only came to browse.

Please note, all existing email addresses and points of contact are in the process of ceasing business. For any further information, please contact:-
bp.liquidation.info@gmail.com


An article over here provides a bit more insight.

So, it appears that a lack of support for small independent books like WASTED has reared it's ugly head again.

I've gotten the impression that some of the people asking about the situation have been looking to hear 'sour grapes' and bitter, negative comments from me. That ain't gonna happen! The WASTED crew and Alan always treated me like gold, and I enjoyed every minute of working with them. So much so, that I was surprised how gutted (to use the U.K. expression!) I was when I got the bad news in early July. It really bummed me out for a few days. I had just started working on Alan's latest script for issue #9 at the time. I'm hoping that the pages will it one day see print...and they might.

The fall of Bad Press in no way restricts or prohibits our ownership/rights to the characters. I'm hopeful that Alan and I can find the "War on Drugs" and Johnny K a new home in the future. (If anyone can suggest any magazines/anthologies looking for this type of content...hit me up!)

So there you have it.

Here is strip from issue #2 that was one of my favorites. Let's go out with that.




As always, if you have a question …just ask! I’ll be back next month on the 11th to answer another question. They can range from very technical comic art ones, to very general questions- there is no such thing as a bad question. What I answer will depend on what gets asked. Feel free to email me at gibsonquarter27@yahoo.com , ask it in the comments section below, or shoot me a message on Facebook.

Other 'A3on11' blog posts can be found by clicking here.

Wasted #8 now out!

A package of Wasted #8s just showed up in my mailbox, so it's official...Wasted #8 is now out in the U.K. at newsagents everywhere! For those that don't live over there, just stop by www.badpressltd.com and they'll sort you out. 64 pages of comic mayhem! This issue sports a cover of mine and a six page 'War on Drugs' adventure with everyone's favorite American overzealous drug cop, Johnny K.


Alex Ronald's 'Vampire Vixens' also stop by this issue, again in full color! The writing on this one is by the Emperor.


'Tales of the Buddha' by Jon Haward drops by as well.

All this and about 45 MORE pages featuring various comic strips of all shapes and sizes. The last issue sold out VERY quickly (thanks Vixens!) so don't delay!!

Wasted 8 is available right here!

Hippy and Trippy!

My pages for Wasted #8 are in the can!

I'm quite happy with this panel in particular...Alan Grant's script called for:

"Large panel. Johnny is massively stoned, with half strenght images/visons of peace, love, flower power, dancing naked ladies and a hippy band playing behind him.
JOHNNY: I QUITE LIKE IT! "

I think I got the message across, even is the girl isn't quite dancing. ;-)

By the way, I hope the folks that wanted it grabbed Wasted issue #7, as it has now sold out! I figured it would, but man...it went SUPER quick!

Wasted 8 will be out in mid May. I'll post details when I get them, so check back here for details or head over here.

WASTED #7 now out !!

Wasted #7 is now out in the U.K. at newsagents everywhere. For those that dont live over there, just stop by www.badpressltd.com and they will sort you out. 64 pages of comic mayhem, including about 8 or so drawn up by me.

Previews are at my link below, and also at Alex's link .
Folks that are paying attention will notice the the final printed cover is a bit different that the preview version I shared below...the swastika is outta there!

WASTED #7 -Preview the Vampire Vixens, and Narcobitch returns!

Wasted issue 7 is locked and loaded, and set to be out in early February. This issue will feature the return of Narcobitch (remember her from issue #4?) & even more 'War on Drugs'. Along with the 'Tales of the Buddha' and other regular strips, this issue also features the debut of the 'Vampire Vixens of the Wehrmacht!' I've seen most of Alex Ronald's art on this one, and it's drop. Dead. GORGEOUS.

This one looks to be WASTED's strongest issue yet! Grab one when you see it on news agents after Feb 5th , as I suspect this one will sell out rather quickly.

Here's some preview art. All of it's found in Wasted #7. If its black and white it's mine, if it's colored, it's Alex's...enjoy!

Wasted # 6 now out!

Wasted #6 is now out at newsagents all around the U.K. and from Badpress’s website.


I have 3 pages in this one. For the benefit of North American readers, I’ll post up a sample page here. Due to an inking delay, the WOD ‘Narcobitch’ story mentioned below has been pushed out to issue 7.

My favorite story this issue has to be “Judge Head – He is the Blaw!” with art by Jon Haward. Shoulder pads that look like spliffs? Sweet design.

Alan Grant, Carlos Ezquerra, Alan Kerr, Jamie Grant, and Simon Bisley are just some of the great talent found in this issue. Do yourself a favor and grab it when you see it!

Ask an artist on the 11th !

Welcome to the very first ‘Ask An Artist on the 11th’! Or, as I like to call it: “A3on11”. I’ll be answering any questions you ask on the 11th of every month for the next year. I think the questions will range from very basic ones about general art creation and processes, to very technical comic creation ones. In order to shoot me a question, just email me (address on the right side on this blog), ask me on Facebook, or throw it in the comments section here. What I talk about will just depend on what gets asked.

This month I’m going to answer both these questions:

‘What does a comic Script look like?’
and
‘Does the writer tell you exactly what to draw?’ ( which I think really means… ‘How do you know WHAT to draw?)

Alan Grant has kindly allowed me to put up part of his actual WOD script which will see print in an upcoming issue of WASTED. It looks like this:


This is Step 1. Get a good script to work from. Check. As I start reading I usually make little sketches/ thumbnails in the margin if I get a quick clear image in my head as I go. Inspiration and first instincts have always served me well in the creative process, so I try and capture them when I can. I didn’t do it too much here, but I knew I wanted to go for a big sexy glam shot to introduce Narcobitch.

I’ll generally read the entire script, then re-read it, then read it 3 more times. Gotta make sure that nothing gets missed! Alan always uses CAPITAL LETTERS in the script to make key items ‘pop’, and I find this VERY helpful. I recommend all comic writers do this.

At the top, the number of pages Alan suggested is 3 or 4, and the amount of panels required per page is not mentioned. Alan leaves this part is up to the artists. I could jam 17 panels onto page one in order to save room for a lovely full page splash on page 2 if I wanted. Hmmm….No, I’d never do this. I COULD, but I wouldn’t.

Please note how most of the design elements are vague leaving more room for the artist to work. It doesn’t say ‘crowded beach’ or ‘beach in the early afternoon on a cloudy day’. It’s left to me to design it visually. Since Narcobitch is going to murder someone in broad daylight, I decided it best to leave the beach pretty unoccupied. Especially since the next page is folks trying to figure out who killed the hippy agent. I’ve worked with writers who try and micromanage all the elements on a page. I don’t enjoy working this way. I think that if the script leaves room for interpretation, you get better results. Artists can then invest some of their personality and ideas. It is a collaborative medium after all.

I generally try to keep scene and same locations all on one page, but it wasn’t possible this time around. I thought about it, (hence the pencil mark above section 4) and tried it, but the last few pages became too tight and the story didn’t flow well visually.

I played around with the layouts for a while as evidenced by the very rough layout below. At this step I’m really just worrying about Narrative flow and word balloon placement. No actual drawing has been started yet. I also decided at this stage that an extra ‘beat’ would work well, so I split panel #3 into 2 parts by adding the silhouette panel and the close up panel with the smoking gun. I don’t do this often, but I felt it worked better in order to show her emotion as she spoke the dialogue. I used to minimize this layout step in my haste to draw stuff, but I’ve since realized that this is the MOST important part in making a good page of comic book art.


Now comes the fun part! I’m now confident that the eye will be pulled around the page as I want it to, and the dialogue is sorted. (ie: no crossed tails on word balloons. This keeps letterers like Jim Campbell very happy!) Now it’s all about cranking up the energy and emotion. Basically, just trying to make a cool page that will tell the story well!

Does this answer the question?

WASTED #5 details and update.

I just got my copy of Wasted #5 in the mail, and finished reading it up.

As always, it’s a hefty comic tome, as it has 64 pages! That’s a good read for your money in my book. The ‘War on Drugs’ I pencilled up has 5 ½ pages in this issue, including 4 of them inked by Gary Erskine, who did a great job. I really enjoy working with him. Check out page 1 below.


WASTED also found another WOD strip that I did about 5 years ago and have since forgotten all about. It involves George Bush as president, so that should give you an idea about when I drew it! Just when I think they have used all my old stuff up, they find another page. ;-)

Some of the other terrific artists in this book are: Jon Haward Kevin Eastman, Kevin o'Neill, Simon Bisley, Alan Kerr, Jim Devlin, Alan Burrows & Curt Sibling. And that’s not all of them!

Please keep an eye out for this at news stands in the U.K. or they can be ordered at http://www.badpressltd.com/
Alan Grant has just sent me a great WOD Narcobitch script for the next issue, which I’m soon to pencil now that I’ve finished up all my other artistic commitments.

I will have 3 other books coming out in the next 3 months, so please check back soon, as I’ll post up the details when the books and their websites are ready.

Cheers!

WASTED #5 is now out!

I've no time for a big update, but more details soon...in the meanwhile, if you see this at your local newsagents in the U.K., you wanna do yourself a favor and grab it!

THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY…and GUY DAVIS

THE GOOD

Issue #4 of Wasted is now out! It’s available at newsagents across the U.K., and also available over here. This issue’s cover features ‘Narcobitch’ who’s a character that I created with Alan Grant. The coolest thing about this cover, is it’s the first time I’ve seen one of my characters drawn by another comic artist professional. This time out, she was drawn wonderfully by Dave Taylor of Judge Dredd and Batman fame.


THE BAD

There was a mix up with some of my pages and the wrong art was used. Some of the WOD strips I drew were done years back, before I had a vague clue of what I was doing. Now that I’ve learned a thing or 2, (thanks Ty Templeton!) I’ve redrawn many of these old strips to a much better standard. Unfortunately, the new ones were not published, but the old ones accidentally were... So, if you get this issue please print out these 3 pages and glue them over the published ones. ;-) There is talk of doing a Wasted ‘war on drugs’ collected magazine, so all will be made right in the future. But for now…this is the best I can do. The Narcobitch strips were wonderfully inked by Gary Erskine BTW.





THE UGLY

One or 2 of the panels I drew on the old, accidentally published pages. Trust me.


GUY DAVIS

The second time I’ve seen one of my characters drawn by a comic professional was at a con here a few weeks ago. Guy Davis gave a great seminar and then drew up Johnny K from the War on Drugs in his own smooth style. It looks a lot like this:



For folks in the U.K., a quick reminder that I’ll have a table at Bristol-con this weekend. (ash cloud willing that is!) Details can be found over here.


Cheers!

WAR ON DRUGS! Well, a W.O.D. poster anyways...

I wanted to make an art print based on the 'War on Drugs' strips I do with Alan that appear in 'WASTED'. http://www.badpressltd.com Since Wasted #3 is due out in a few weeks and I'm going to be at the Bristol Con in May to sign them, its seemed like a perfect time to whip one up! Here's what I came up with. This print includes almost every element that will appear in the first 5 issues of Wasted. I'm ahead on these strips, so consider this a sneak peek for what's ahead!



I'm quite happy with how it turned out, and hope you guys like it too.

Now if it just had some color... ;-)