Removal

Fun_hws.SnowBlast

2012-01-25T23:59:00.001-05:00

It is snowing like insanity...

Driving is kinda terrifying...

Reuxben

AV_Sonny

2012-01-23T23:59:00.000-05:00

This is another postcard in my postcard series. Past combatants have been a girl in red, a boy in blue, a man in black, and a thing in almost nothing. This is actually a gift to an enthusiastic fan I met, but I'm going to double dip and use it in class before I deliver it...yeah.

These are the pencils. I drew it at my desk, but I inked it on top of a mountain, in the snow. I was going to marker it up, but I tested out erasing the underlying pencils and coloring over the inks but both led to horrendous smearing, so I just went heavier on the details in ink to compensate. Hope she likes it!

Also, I'm not Canadian. I just found Canadian postcards in my desk one day.

Reuxben

Com_CatWrap

2012-01-20T23:59:00.001-05:00

A colorful commission.

These were the final lions.

And these were the development bits, seeking the balance between the client's desire for a "cartoony" yet realistic design, among other miscellaneous design requests.

Reuxben

Fun_Chopic

2012-01-18T23:59:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite students requested a One Piece joint, so I decided to go beyond just a quick sketch and draw this in her notebook. I got some Copic markers in addition to my regular Zebras and gave them a test run on this Sakura/Staedtler Micron-inked Chopper.

She and her partner rock because they're always super gung-ho about English, which is ridiculously energizing. So I'm eager to draw the dude's One Piece request; I'm thinking Sanji or Zolo for maximum coolness...In any case, it better be better.

I-I-I know what you want,

Reuxben

AV_SlimAndShady

2012-01-16T23:59:00.001-05:00

Against my will, this monstrosity haunts an elementary school somewhere deep in the outskirts of rural Japan.

It's not even accurate--the artist totally got my crippling insecurity wrong. But my lazy eye is dead on, though. Idiot.

Also, where my extra chins at?!

Reuxben

Com_BigSal

2012-01-13T23:59:00.003-05:00

This was a mammoth commission of a noble salmon doing what he does.
Easter Eggs: "Yale," Harkness, the "Lighthouse," the Rod of Asclepius, ZLM, and more (some are only in the paints, and some are a little too personal).

Fun Facts: This is the biggest traditional fine drawing I've done and the biggest digital painting I've done yet!

This is what the sketch looked like, by the way.

Reuxben

Fun_TenTonCrusherFicon

2012-01-11T23:59:00.005-05:00

If it weren't for the war, who knows what she'd be. Who knows why she'd be.

--Counter-Sniper Biku, Master Precisionist

Phoenix? Bring me her corpse on a pyre and then we'll see.

--Dream-Extinctioner Ballak, Avarice-Bloodchief

One day I'll find my father and together we'll end this pointless war. But until then, I think my victories speak for themselves, Daiki.

--Ten-Ton Crusher Ficon, Phoenix Rising

Myriad-Cr0ss: Awaken the Buster Generation

Reuxben

AV_anp.Eetaa

2012-01-09T23:59:00.001-05:00

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL! YEAH! PUMPED!

But sleep deprived...

Just so you know.

I do it for you,

Reuxben

Com_TwoGuysWalk

2012-01-06T23:59:00.001-05:00

An Apollo-ready commission I did a while ago.

These are the lines. In case it isn't obvious, the piece's actual text has been omitted.

Reuxben

AV_anp.MistleDuo

2012-01-04T23:59:00.000-05:00

Those crazy kids are at it again--a mite more stylish but a tad too childish. Outlandish and wild-ish, while this's the mildest stylist of modern love bandwagon Try-Thists, she insists this's a love-anihilists' scheme, what brings dings to these scenes destroying what clean wings beguile us all the while it's steam-wrings of torn jeans' seams, but it's no thing so they quiet us, and we're denied us our dream things, or so it seems to me.

Anyway, these are the pencil lines behind the piece. Speaking of which, if you want some lines to pick up chicks, try this one: I stay in my room divorced from reality for as long as possible as I draw all day meanwhile the world carries on without me, my grip on truth subsequently slipping ever constantly due in part to this and my understated general apathy towards that assumed font of value that would exist in any case. See how that works out for ya.

Fun Facts: jPeeps don't know about mistletoe! So I had to explain it. It was fun, particularly the part about how creepy guys hack the system with the ol' mistletoe in the pocket move.

Reuxben

Fun_Chopz

2012-01-02T23:49:00.003-05:00

I've heard that the key to success is to underpromise and overdeliver.

So here's to an okay new year.

Reuxben

AV_NewYeah

2011-12-30T23:59:00.000-05:00

This was a postcardy demo for the jKids of an Amurrcan New Years card (do those even exist?). Next year is the year of the dragon, so I wanted to include that totally Asian element mixed with that totally US, Saturday Evening Post flavor, and this was the result. I checked J.C. Leyendecker and memories of Mucha to inform the style, vying for that quintessential US illustrative style to highlight to the jPoppers how mighty US illustration used to be like before we as a nation collectively stopped trying, lowered our standards, or just decided photos are better than art (the insinuation being that photos aren't art). Not to say this piece rocked it out of the park or anything, but just use your imagination, you jerk.

Anyway, after a ridiculously negative slump, this has been the greatest non-Yale year of my life, and I am pumped that this no longer applies to me for the first time in a long time. So for now, the plan is to stealth my way to a traditional Japanese New Years event, then on the first I'm going to sweat bullets at a Japanese social event I got invited to via eerie early morning anonymous phone call, to be followed up by a mercifully solo stint at my favorite Japanese Pizzeria.

See you next year. And by "you," I mean "me."

Reuxben

Fun_SamuraiPizzaMan

2011-12-28T03:33:00.002-05:00

This was a Christmas gift for a Japanese sir who makes me pizza, happy.

Reuxben

Fun_MinerZero

2011-12-26T03:21:00.000-05:00

I decided to get myself a scanner, coincidentally, a couple days before Christmas.

This is a drawing I started on a train and finished at a high school I had to visit for an English debate tournament. Looks neat in person, the inks and the pencils interacting.

I'm pretty happy with this scanner! I feel so empowered, no longer stuck at the mercy of the workplace scanner's availability. So that means potentially more comics since I have scanner access every day! So pumped!

It's like I've dug myself out of a cave and emerged into a whole new world of possibilities. Or whatever.

Reuxben

AV_anp.StrongerSantaPt.2

2011-12-23T23:59:00.002-05:00

This is our secondary poster for December's ALT "News." They call it news, but it's not really "news," however I try to include things that might actually be news to Japanese people, such as paper snowflakes and mistletoe. More on that later, though. Today we're making-of our second "Stronger" Santa piece.

These are the pencils. I forgot to snap a photo before I started markering the face with that peachy color, but this is close enough. I also messed up and forgot to glove his left hand. When you draw you have to really work from internal to external, so you have to essentially draw people and things as unclothed mannequins before dressing them in costume, so you can see his left hand is still pre-costume, while his right hand is post costume, in that it's wearing a glove.

This is a breakdown of how I color everything. First plan where you want your light source to be. Mine is typically in the upper left corner, so since the beard and head are obscuring the arm a bit, that means heavy light will break through more on the right than the left. Next I go over in our core color (red) where I want the darkest area to be. This makes future coats necessarily darker in these areas since it'll be a single coat everywhere else, but doubled down in this shadow area.

Next I go over everywhere else I want red to be, all the way up to the highlight, which is usually negative white space for me (the places you never color are called "negative space"). After that, I go in on the darker areas again with the same core color (red) and just use a bit more pressure on the pen. After that, I go in for the absolute darkest areas using a second, shadow color (golden yellow) and color in those areas of the shadow that I want to go really dark on.

This is the arm process brought to the body. Left is the basic red coloring, center is darker red and golden yellow, and right is all that and a black belt.

And this is what it looks like going to "print." The "culture" typography is based on the Cheers logo but the "merry" design is mine. I challenged myself to add some Christmas iconography to this using simple single-color designs.

Here are some detailed shots of the piece. The markers I used are all those pictured plus an orange and a gray from a different set, plus my set's two green tones (not pictured). I have since picked up a bunch of new markers and am absolutely pumped to give them a work out. I've got a couple new Zebra brand markers (my main set, pictured) including gray, but I've added some of those legendary Copics as well as this interesting soft-color brand called Mildliner. Excited to see what I can do with these.

Merry Christmas,

Reuxben

Fun_hws.SantaDancePants

2011-12-21T23:59:00.001-05:00

Scoff at squares in sweaters,
Oh ho ho, we're so much better.
A special full-page Homework Sketch for a kid who finished his/her notebook full of monotonous, Bart-Simpson-on-a-blackboard-esque English word-writing homework. I know it's tedious work, kid but by writing random English words ad nauseum, you're bound to have written random English words ad nauseum, which is vitally important if you ever want to have written random English words ad nauseum. Trust me, it's important work that you do.

I could [sic] care less.
Reuxben

Fun_Animezcla

2011-12-19T23:59:00.000-05:00

I once drew a freakish scribble on the board during one of my elementary school Super Happy Fun Time Visit days. And ya know, it was a kinda super happy fun time, man.

It started as No Face. Then I added Chopper's hat, to roaring laughter and applause. It quickly developed into a game of seeing how much they could identify what I was adding. Such fun. Language barrier be gone!

Who we added, in order:
No Face, Chopper, Sanji, Zolo, Nico Robin, Piccolo, Majin Buu, Sailor Moon, Doraemon, and Pikachu.

Reuxben

AV_anp.StrongerSantaPt.1

2011-12-16T23:59:00.001-05:00

My second ALT News Poster for December, this one featuring what has been called by one Japanese citizen a "Stronger Santa." That nomenclature sings so that's what I'm calling it, too. The full thing will debut next Friday, but for now, since I decided to capture the making-of a bit more in depth, we'll start with the most important part: the mug.

In the marker set I bought for myself, I have a peachy colored marker that I brush in quickly for the skin, then for the finer points and the bits where we seep into negative space, I flip the marker around and uncap the "fine point" end to hatch my way into white. Most markers in Japan seem to be double-sided for thick and thin lines, so USers might have to be a little more nimble or careful with their pressure, although I still have to monitor my pen pressure anyway of course.

I don't have any soft gray or blue in my set, so I had to go with the lightest blue I had for the fluff and white-shadow portions of the piece, accented with fine black marker from my marker set. The beard is colored with a gray marker from outside of my own set, and it's kind of dying so it gives a nice brush effect. I also had an orange marker from that gray-marker's set that I went over the shadows of the skin with.

For the red parts, which I'll go more in depth on next week, I went with a coat of red followed by a heavier-pressured red for shadows and then a light brown for the ultimate shadow. The green glove was a combo of my own set's two greens with much fine tip hashing over the darker green to blend them. Was that exciting? No.

Aight, mo neks wee', ya herr'?

Reuxben

Fun_hws.WhoPot

2011-12-14T09:05:00.006-05:00

Some more homework sketches today. Up first is a Harry Potter for someone who wrote something about liking Harry Potter or something. All I remember is that there was a red colored pencil nearby and I wanted to try it with the usual red pen I draw Homework Sketches with. Although it's branded as red, it makes a nice white-people color. What do you call that color? Peach? Peachy.

It's amusingly frightening how frank English-learning kids are in their compositions. This kid wrote about why he wants to move to the big city: he likes young girls and he cannot lie. Sanji from One Piece can relate.

I believe I drew this guy because the person wrote quite eloquently in their composition. Or at least they mixed it up from the other students' usual copy-and-paste writing tactics. Or I just wanted to draw a surprised guy. I can't remember.

Also, WOW: I just exhaled deeply and breathed out mist! We don't have insulated houses here in Japan, so that gives you an idea of how cold it's getting. I'm currently wearing two socks, four pants, four shirts, a beanie, and a hood-up sweatshirt. And it's only getting colder, Gir.

Taaaaaacohhhhh,

Reuxben

Fun_BombTheSis

2011-12-12T23:59:00.002-05:00

I don't get graffiti. It's narcissistic arrogance exalted. That I get. I like bombing stuff, myself. Whether it's a strategically-crafted piece designed to get a particular person's attention passively, or just tagging kids' homework so I can imagine they get a mini-thrill at some new imagery to break up the tedium and monotony of their endless worksheets, or quietly slapping people in the face and imagining who might like or feel stung by the work--I get the thrill of placing art up unprompted, poofing away, and having people gravitate towards the art (and by extension the artist, of course).

What I sharply disagree with and am confounded by is justifying littering public space. Most graffiti is mindless to me. Scribbling your name isn't art, nor is putting up cryptic too-cool-for-school scrawlings that hipsters cheer for being ironically bad. So much graffiti is quarter-hearted draftsmanship or senseless dadaism or just plain juvenile or dim-witted work.

But I get the thrill, of course. Japanese stores have tons of free space on open pads of paper for you to sample their wide pen selections. Today's first image was me trying out a calligraphy brush that floated like a cloud on top of sampler stationary. I also drew on a chalk board to help entertain some kids between classes.

This was fun, an artistically fresh experience, and it's not infringing on anyone's space nor asserting my essential value over some pre-existing thing. It's a statement of me and it's effortlessly removed at no expense to anyone other than what the establishment inherently made clear they accept: the sample paper pad will get rotated out when it becomes too cluttered, the chalkboard will be swiped clean before the next class begins. I take a photo to remember that time I got my artistic jollies in public, I get to ghost-entertain people, and nobody gets hurt. If graffiti were executed in a similar harmless fashion, or at least if it were always beautiful rather than frequently grotesque, I could understand the medium. But as is, I don't get graffiti.

To be fair I also don't get the Beatles.

In fact, I hate The Beatles.

Reuxben

AV_anp.HolidayCheers

2011-12-09T23:59:00.002-05:00

I think I'm finally over my cold or at least the worst of it. But here's this month's main poster for December. After last month's poster came out pretty nicely, I wanted to see how far I could push myself with markers. I even bought a set of relatively basic markers and I'm finding that they're working pretty decently. Really considering going all in and getting some Copics.

These are the lines to our anchor piece, an exaggerated Santa and an anxious Rudolf. The jKids call him something else--they even sing Rudolf's song, but the words aren't a translation, but a completely different thing altogether. So I had to explain to them who Rudolf is, even though they all know his (Japanese) song by heart.

These are some WIP shots of Santa. I used three different marker sets for this: one was really old and the pens were dying out, which made for a cool brush texture and softer colors (like the skin and beard); one was great for enhancing our main colors, like for the glove and the more vibrant red overlay color; and the third was the workhorse for the main colors, the pen set I recently picked up (you can see the golden brown and red pens from that set in the photos). I'm new to markers (and non-digital colors in general), so it's a fun exploratory time for me.

And this is what our dudes looked like after it's all said and/or done. The text and title were done with a fourth set of markers that are really thick and easily tear into the paper if you don't move quickly. The "Culture" part of the title was modeled after the Cheers logo, a show I never really watched but loathed for its theme song and logo, which were evocative to me of the most boring imaginings of what that show could possibly be about. We had to watch an episode or two in one of my comedy classes at Yale, and it wasn't bad. But still. That theme song and logo are gross.

And we close with some details of the supplementary stuff. We've got a close up of Rudolf and the month's activity, making paper snowflakes (I don't know if jKids know about paper snowflakes, but I'm pretty sure I've seen them amongst the various origami I see hanging around school). And finally a quick little illustration about mistletoe. Pretty sure they haven't heard of mistletoe before. Plus I just wanted to draw something that was line-centric.

All right, pretty good score of artistic experience points, I'd say. They say snow's a-comin' this weekend, so I'm pumped not to appear crazy for once for staying in on a weekend to draw.

Reuxben

Fun_hws.ChuChuLovely

2011-12-07T23:59:00.000-05:00

Some more Homework Sketches. This first one was a full-pager for a kid who finished his workbook. To celebrate such a momentous feat, I draw in the back inside cover and this is what that seito got. Does it make sense? No. Must it? No. The opposite of yes? No.

But here are some more HWSs ripped straight from actual homework sheets. We've got a pig in a suit, inspired by the pig transformations in Spirited Away. And then a Christmas elf of some sort to kick off December.

Then a kappa for reasons of haste, and a personal favorite: Majin Buu--not cuz I particularly like the character, but because he's pretty easy and fast to draw but widely recognized and beloved by the kids.

Speaking of easily recognized, fast to draw, and beloved, we've also got a monster ball, or a "pokeball" for non-Japanese lame-os out there.

And speaking of speaking of easily recognized, fast to draw, and beloved subject matter, we close it off with a pikachu getting thunderdrunk. The idea was to make a simple drawing dramatic, so I used some hatching, a novel pose/angle combination, and histrionic background effects. I like how it turned out. If only they could all be that fast and snappy, though.

Reuxben

AV_TheThoseGuys

2011-12-05T23:59:00.001-05:00

Some character design that went absolutely nowhere, natch.

Reuxben

AV_Delibi

2011-12-02T23:59:00.001-05:00

I have a cold. I have to bust out some big commissions. Perrrfect. So no comic, just this dude I drew. I tried coloring him with with colored pens I found laying around. It's not unattractive! The jKids liked him.

But this one's really just about the lineart. And while we're on the subject, I noticed a steady stream of site visits come from people looking for coloring pages of black and white Danny Phantom or whatever, so as an experiment, maybe if I write, "black and white" and "coloring pages" for "Pokemon" this page will get similar traffic.

Cool stuff coming next week, if I do say so myself. Trust me. Or don't. I don't owe you anything.

Reuxben

Fun_hws.Riffs

2011-11-30T23:59:00.000-05:00

Here's some more homework sketches, plus some techincally non-homework sketches.

First we've got Harry Potter, because the kids love that sun-deprived dude. We've got another shot a chibifying my sketches, with a mini-Scott "Cyclops" Summers.

And then my local Genky supermarket has a ton of pen/pencil/paper testing stations, so I drew a Chopper on it using the various pens they have for customers to sample. And then a kid drew a Spongebob on their homework so I gave that character a try.

Below those are some blackboard draws of: Doraemon, an insanely popular character from Japan that has yet to make the transition to the US--see also the student's sketch of Ampanman, who is in a similar position of monstrous Japanese celebrity but non-existent US awareness; Majin Buu, of DBZ celebrity; and another Chopper, of One Piece. I drew the blackboard draws on a visit to an elementary school, where I did a guest teaching spot. The kids loved the sketches. It was hilarious, cute, and ridiculous.

To close, a student drew a character who I believe is related to the Vocaloid movement. So I tried drawing that character as an exercise in mimicry. Riffing on kids' drawings is a nice change of pace.

So there you go.

Happy Labor Thanksgiving Day,

Reuxben

AV_InkRed

2011-11-28T23:59:00.001-05:00

Another postcard today, this one starring that one Incredibles character voiced by recently-minted Daily Show contributor, and John Hodgman half-a-man, Sarah Vowell, by day known as Violet.

Violet wasn't nearly as emotastic as I would have liked, but I do like the line about being gangly and only getting ganglier. (WOW! I just thought of a perfect character to postcard...!)

The kids liked this one, even though they couldn't think of her name during the 20-questions guessing portion of the game. Blew their minds when I gave them the hint: her name is a flower and a color. This one's my favorite postcard so far, but the one on deck is looking pretty neat...

Reuxben

ZLM_Jettison

2011-11-25T23:59:00.000-05:00

Think globally, suck locally.

Zero Like Me #178:
Jettison

Easter Eggs: "Yale" in panel 1. Today's setting is Fukui City's JR Station, in Japan.

Fun Facts: Oh, man. Posting this on a Monday cuz things are getting hectic.

Baa: Just when things felt hopeless, I got this current gig. I am extremely thankful for that. I pray to stay so fortunate and am ever cognizant of that fortune.

Reuxben

Fun_hws.GobbleGobble

2011-11-23T03:34:00.006-05:00

It's Thanksgiving today in Japan--Labor Thanksgiving Day--so everyone gets the day off from work, right in the middle of the week (no, it's not at all psychologically damaging to have a random Wednesday off with the expectation that we're back to the business week as usual in 24 hours. So here's the poster I made for the kids regarding Turkey Day.

It was not even Halloween and the stores and building facades were already sprucing up for Christmas--no love for the turkey. I've heard Japanese people even wonder what the "big chicken" was all about, being unaware of the delectable magnificence of the ever-regal, noble turkey. Since I work at two schools (one mainly, the other on a "visiting" basis), and my visiting school got the nicer poster last month, I decided to go all out on my "home" school's poster, and gave them a handsome turkey to anchor the poster.

In any case, tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day in the US, of course. I think I'll have a giant pizza at my favorite pizza joint down the street and even get some giant fries at my favorite piza joint down the street, but I think I'll pass on giant pancakes at my favorite pizza joint down the street. My favorite pizza joint down the street has quite an eclectic menu. And then Friday is an enkai, a work party, so I guess I'm feasting twice this week. Which makes sense since Japan is all about the incrementals when it comes to food--no single huge food, just waves of it.

Gobble-gobble,

Reuxben

AV_Mixi

2011-11-21T23:59:00.002-05:00

Last time we drew Supaman, and to continue the line of crazy-popular characters I've managed to avoid drawing for so long, I did this postcard of Mixi. He's standing on Chopper's hat, symbolizing his status as primordial cute-character of international renown.

Also, I'm not Canadian.

Reuxben

Fun_Jive

2011-11-18T23:59:00.003-05:00

Instead of a comic this week, we have a video of how to draw a turkey in one stroke. I came up with this design while working on a poster for school and thought it would lend itself to a quick and easy Youtube video. I also tried testing out some stuff for future videos, like an intro sequence and some more music (intro music is by The Ivy League and main music is by 403). I went with my Doonesbury piece as the title card, but I might change it for future videos.

I didn't want to mess up while recording this, so I did a practice run through on a layer below the final work in Photoshop, dulled it to be as light as possible, and then basically inked it. But the design is pretty easy and simple to do.

But this is what he looked like on the first go around, along with some of his postery cohorts. More on this next week (a preview is underneath the four main attractions, though).

Reuxben

Fun_hws.Wanted

2011-11-16T23:59:00.003-05:00

Some more homework sketches today.

After I drew Doraemon (a popular character J-kids love) on the board, a kid copied it quite well onto their homework, so I decorated their rendition with a wanted poster styled after another popular anime, One Piece, which uses that distinctive "wanted" poster design for its criminal characters.

We also have an origami crane mashed up with Astro Boy because someone wrote on their sheet that, "Tezuka likes origami" (Tezuka is the name of the creator of Astro Boy). I hope the kid got it, but maybe not. Too insidery?

Next is Jessie from Team Rocket combined with some nifty stickers I found in my desk. I drew a quick little mini Superman and balloon cuz it was getting late in the night, but also cuz I wanna see if I can develop a sort of chibi style for quicker improvised sketches. It looks kinda cute and effective, not unsuccessful...

To cap it off, we have a giant red torii in the sea because the kids had to write about their field trip to just such a thing. I'm pretty sure there's more to a torii design than what I have here, but since I was going off of memory, I'd say it worked--I heard the kid cheer upon receiving the sketch, so I felt pretty warm and/or fuzzy.

So there you go.

Until next time,

Reuxben

AV_Supusu

2011-11-14T23:59:00.000-05:00

Another postcard marker sketch for the people. This was my second one, after that Batman turned out reasonable. I don't really care for Superman, or superhero comics in general, but figured I'd give this guy a shot, considering my limited marker selection.

Coincidentally, one of the saddest, most beautiful songs out there, and one of my absolute favorites, was done for kicks for the Superman Returns soundtrack, set in motion by these city slickers. I actually kinda enjoyed that movie, come to think of it.

Anyway, this one goes out to you, Swing Space c.2008, my favorite accident.

Reuxben

ZLM_DeathCabWithCutie

2011-11-11T23:59:00.004-05:00

When dealing with personal issues, everyone needs an outlet.

Zero Like Me #177:
Death Cab with Cutie

Easter Eggs: "Yale" in panel 3. Today's setting is roughly a Japan Airlines (JAL) flight. Today's comic has next to nothing to do with DCFC.

Fun Facts: Today's comic had to be rushed out a bit, so I really felt like I was back at the YDN, except rather than coming down to the wire to get this thing inked so it could go to print, it was to get it inked in time to scan at work so I could finish it up digitally at home. Line quality suffered the rush, but I also realized my main inking pen is at its limits; it's time to try a new one. Speaking of new things, next week will be our first brand new, non-recycled script since July!

Baa: I recently learned my old dean is leaving Yale for a job in Sydney, Australia. He was definitely a reason Yale was a wonderful place to be. Feel bad for future JEsters, especially those who need people in their corners.

Happy (apparently) "Pocky Day" (11/11/11),

Reuxben

Fun_hws.HereAndNyao

2011-11-09T23:59:00.001-05:00

Oh, man. The pressure is on.

Let's do this.

Reuxben

AV_Batsu

2011-11-07T23:59:00.002-05:00

I saw some postcards laying around and thought I'd try some draws on 'em, inspired by the pride of Princeton, Jim Lee and his fantastic marker pieces. So of course up first is the Bat. Not because I'm a huge fan (which I am) but because Batman's secretly a super safe draw: black and white and go. Like your mom.

Shout out to Harkenss Tower in the back. And your mom.

I started with pencils, of course, before markering this dood up, and then double-dipped by using this in class as a visual for a game-oo. The art experiment went well enough that I went back for a few more, but that'll be for another day. Like your mom.

And yes, it's a Canadian postcard of all places. I know that cheapens the art but so does your mom.

Reuxben

ZLM_IndieComic

2011-11-04T23:59:00.002-04:00

Now poop on them, Oliver.
Zero Like Me #176:
Indie Comic

Easter Eggs: "Yale" and shout out to Ralph in panel 1. Today's setting is still an airport, but it's actually the one after the monorail after the train after the walk after the hotel after the bus after the plane to Narita airport. Was that confusing enough? Have you been high today?

Fun Facts: Only one comic left in Record script reserves before we hit the new stuff I've written in Japan.

Baa: I've been in Japan long enough that some of the wackiness doesn't register as quite so wacky anymore. For instance, the kids write in their textbook-companion notetaking pads branded "Joyful English." So teachers always say "take out your Joyfuls!" This used to make me crack up because of how cute and kinda-but-not-really-English it is, but now it's just as everyday to me as saying, "take out your notes."

For an in-class activity, I named a girl character Joy, but she was smoking in the picture, so the kids would laugh when I'd say, "The girl smoking is Joy" because in their budding English-brains, I believe that sentence translates to them as meaning, "the girl who is smoking is currently in a state of joy." I always get homework that say things like, "It was enjoy," further verifying my suspicions regarding what passes as logical English for Japanese people.

Reuxben

Fun_hws.Tenchi

2011-11-02T23:59:00.001-04:00

Found out the other day that my classmate died.

I didn't know him well, but we were in a sitcom-writing class at Yale for a semester, one of my favorite classes of my Yale career. Apparently it was just a year before he found out something was wrong. That guy had an incredible energy about him. Made you feel like a million bucks, even if you're just an acquaintance. Makes you want to smile, but yours could never compete with his. I still have the sitcom pitch he delivered during class; however fun and funny it was, it was his in-person delivery of it that made you want to check out his show immediately. I remember thinking, man this would rock as an animated show. He's the kind of guy that fires you up to do your best, the kind of guy I would love to work for or with.

Tenchi is Japanese for "heaven and earth," I learned the other day. Tenshi is "angel." So this Tenchi Muyo fan art I did recently for a kid at school seemed fitting for today.

Goodbye, sir. Enjoy a pain-free eternity.

With respect and admiration,

Reuxben

Fun_hws.MaximumTheSpooky

2011-10-31T23:59:00.003-04:00

I did a poster for school regarding spooky culture. Shout out to Theodore Rex, signature character from a sorely missed colleague.

Also did a bit on Lafcadio Hearn. The kids have no idea who he is, but the adults are all hip. I asked if it was okay to illustrate the story Hoichi, and without hesitation, I got a yes, as if I just asked to draw Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

I remember reading a Jhonen Vasquez interview once where he mentioned how his bloody, homicidal high school comics would be impossible to do in today's hyper-sensitive PC school environment, but by the looks of it, Japan's the place to go to get your gore on, and I mean right on school grounds, to boot. In retrospect, shoulda included Hoichi the Earless' ears getting ripped off rather than just the blood splatter...

To give you an idea of how this piece went over, a lady cooed the word for "cute" in Japanese as she poured over the detail. Young students even came by to watch me work on it, and I invited them to help me give Hoichi his killer tats. Adorable how timid they were while others were pumped to lend me their ears. I mean hands.

Ironically enough, in the land of cosplay, wacky treats, and rich supernatural tradition, Halloween in Japan is little more than an excuse to buy jack-o-lantern decorated trinketry. I write this post at about 11pm Japan time October 31, and nary a door knock has plagued my ears (granted I always have headphones roaring...). I literally had to explain trick or treating to the kids! It is worth noting, however, that a couple weeks before Halloween, I already saw a section of my city DECKED OUT in Christmas lights. Suck it, Halloween.

I literally passed out today at work due to exhaustion, but managed to squeeze out some spooky-oriented homework sketches. Yeah, it's a dog in a penguin suit and a pikachu wearing a Chopper hat. That mooshy sound you hear is your mind being blown.

Maximum the Janky-Japanese Syntax,

Reuxben

ZLM_WhoTooTootsie

2011-10-28T23:59:00.002-04:00

Also doubles as a solid pick-up line.
Zero Like Me #175:
Who Too, Tootsie

Easter Eggs: "Yale" in panel 1. Jump Square Comics logo. Today's setting is Narita Airport I guess. This comic goes out to that puke pile, jack kelly. Today's title is a reference to an old Boy Meets World episode where Cory complains about being the only person who doesn't know about the Hutu and the Tutsi. Or something.

Fun Facts: This return to traditional inking has been just a psychological boon. I'm feeling much better about my art, more confident, electric. I think all the "live" ink practice is also a contributing factor, plus the live audiences that stop by as I'm working on comics energize me, just like during college. I'm feeling good. A lot. Like your mom.

Baa: I like using fake names when I must introduce myself to someone I am confident I will seldom if ever interact with again. I figure it's pointless to be so arrogant as to assume someone will remember my name just because I give it, so assuming that's true, I feel fine playing a harmless prank on someone and introducing myself as Paulo or Pablo or Frank Castle. Similarly, I like being as deadpan as possible with any jokes I "crack" in front of these "ghosts." It only amuses me, I'm sure, but hey, that's what counts.

Then of course whenever I use a fake name, they always remember it, don't they?

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Fun_SadChopper

2011-10-26T08:38:00.005-04:00

Pretty pumped--I discovered a fellow loser at school.

I've never been super social or extroverted, so I always found making friends to be more trouble than it's worth. There's always a test to study for, schoolwork to do, art to do.

While grading composition tests, I discovered a fellow loser. The great thing about the kids' limited language skills is that they just cut to the chase in their writing.

But cheer up, Loser-chan,yYou can always make friends. Just pick up a pencil, paper, maybe some pens, and literally make them! Best of all they don't get clingy.

Chop that sadness right in its ugly face, my little loser.

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Fun_hws.ReadingComics

2011-10-24T23:59:00.002-04:00

We've got some more homework sketches, plucked relatively fresh from the flaps of teenybopper Japanese kids' homework. Up first is a sinister take on Sanji, the mighty cook. Lookin' intense, yo!

And to top you off, we've got a surefire jam of what and how you know you do, ya know?

We gotcher Death Notes, your Batmens, your Majin Buus, too. We gotcher subtle responses to the kids' homework (a kid who doesn't like reading comics?! Not on my watch! A kid who likes magazines, comics and video games? Noice!). And we even gotcher creepy video game-playing kid and yer multi-media sticker-riffing.

What more couldja want?

Dat dere Death Note came from a kid writing "it is good not to kill my family." Oh, those Japanese!

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ZLM_MaleFeminist

2011-10-21T23:59:00.003-04:00

Back me up, ladies.
Zero Like Me #174:
Male Feminist

Easter Eggs: "Yale" in panel 1. Jump Square Comics logo. Singapore airlines is pretty sweet. McDonalds ("McDnards")and KFC ("KFShi") with their Japanese names (unofficial). Today's setting is Narita Airport in Chokeyo. This comic goes out to that scum bag, jack kelly.

Fun Facts: I screwed up the coloring file as I was preparing the YDN version of this, so all versions of this comic are slightly smaller (YDN format). Hence the raw inks version is slightly taller, but the final versions are cropped.

Baa: I am something of a comedy snob. I can't stand "awesome" comedy, where things are "funny," for instance, just because the comedian references something familiar to the audience and then they Woo! rather than laugh. Can't stand it. That's why I prefer Colbert to Jon Stewart. Too much of The Daily Show is just "Woo," but hardly an episode of Colbert goes by where I don't absolutely fall in love with some piece of writing or performance, it's literally beautiful to behold. I slug through The Daily Show just to make getting to Colbert that much more sweeter, must like you trudge through the straight man to get to the comic's payoff. And yet, like Abbot getting paid more than Costello, Jon Stewart gets all the Emmies and hype.

Speaking of comedy snobbery, while coloring today's comic, I was listening to the Chris Hardwick interview on Marc Maron (only because I find he uncovers interesting sides of figures I am not crazy about), and I was shocked to hear the Nerdist pilot describe a similar comedic distaste for what I call "awesome comedy," but I couldn't help thinking, "Dude, you just described yourself, except rather than hack comedians referencing saying 'Hey, remember what it was like to have a sandwich when you were a kid?' you reference things that 'nerdy' people did/do when they were kids or in their protracted adolescences."

The line that got me the most from that interview was when Hardwick described hack tactics being that "they just remind people that things existed and people equate that with...oh, that's funny!" Cut to his constant references to "nerdy" things and generally flat wordplay as punchlines. Granted I'm basing my estimation of Hardwick's comedy on cringing my way though his podcast episodes whenever a particularly interesting guest is on, as well as some youtube clips of his (I hope) likely outdated stand up.

But I loved the Nerdist's Bill Burr interview because it exemplified exactly what I'm talking about. The sheer difference in class of comedy between what Hardwick and company do versus Bill Burr's school is made painfully apparent, particularly when the host betrays his weakness of performing abroad or in front of black crowds while marveling at Bill Burr's ability to do that very feat; and not to mention the host and co-host's largely futile attempts to make the Boston-bred comedian laugh.

I do not understand "my" generation's comedy, and in fact am a bit upset about the state of it.

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Fun_hws.GurettoJobbu

2011-10-19T23:59:00.000-04:00

Here are some more homework sketches for the kids. This first one's a study of Tatsuya Endo's manga's first volume's cover. I picked up on the strength of volume two's cover, and the series definitely has some of the most exciting art around. I could only understand the katakana bits of it the first time through, but Mr. Dandreamz has great coverage of volume one.

I myself love the costume design and how the world is basically feudal Japan but in the future but in the past. So they have all this tech and gadgetry, but other than that, it still feels quite feudal Japanny. Really neat. The action is electric and the art is gorgeously detailed: the chapter heading illustrations, inside covers, and of course outside covers are all seriously cool. It's kinetic, super expressive, and is really something to look for. Hope to check it out once I get some more Japanese vocabulary; I'm getting better at hiragana.

I got carried away with the Endo piece, but here are some quicker blasts. I try to riff on whatever the kids are talking about in their papers, but sometimes I just go with whatever pops into my head.

Sometimes I'm just playing off of their wacky errors or silly syntax or the novel expressions they use, like how someone mentioned "painapples" or how it's dangerous for them to cook. The owl one was my first non-smiley face homework sketch, so it holds a warm spot in where my heart should be.

As you can see, my fallback is using exclamation marks and/or surprised/vaguely angry people. The fairy one was inspired by a James Jean joint, jack.

Also, flan is gross.

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Fun_Christophe

2011-10-17T08:17:00.002-04:00

A birthday fan art for Fallen Avalon of her character Christophe.

Reuxben

ZLM_OldTimer

2011-10-14T23:59:00.002-04:00

"You so old, you got Moses' beeper number." --actual schoolyard slam, c.1997.
Zero Like Me #173:
Old Timer

Easter Eggs: "Yale" in panel 2. Jump Square Comics logo. If this comic rings a bell, you've got some crazy good memory. The old man is based on my memories of the grandpa from Yakitate Japan volume one, which I bought for my Yale thesis on manga. The man kinda looks like my thesis advisor, now that I think about it, but that's purely coincidental.

Fun Facts: This is the first comic of the new era of traditional inks--no more digital inks--and a simplified shading style (although I'm testing out a slightly different shade aesthetic for next time). Also, I'm uploading smaller files. It's my hope that, like the levels I gained during college, my time in Japan will yield similar significant technical advancement. Unlike college, I have the ready capacity for digital touch ups and tones, but I want to spend no less than 50% of my comicsing time on actual drawing, rather than stylus-dragging and re-dragging to get a semi-smooth line or a neat little lasso. Can't wait to see what my stuff looks like after I graduate from Japan!

Baa: I have never, ever, ever, ever felt homesick. But now that I'm in Japan, many miles and hours from everything familiar, isolated here thanks to a considerable language barrier...I still am not homesick. Oh, but I yearn for Yale, of course...

Also, this is our third anniversary. Neat.

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Fun_SanNen

2011-10-12T03:33:00.000-04:00

Three years ago Friday!

Can you believe it?

Reuxben

Fun_RichMansion

2011-10-10T04:42:00.005-04:00

Some fan art today of one of my favorite artists, Richard Miron. He's part of a great new project called "The Willow and the Builder," with fellow prodigy Adrian Simon. Can't wait till it starts snowing here in my Calvin-and-Hobbesy bit of Japan cuz the album'll be great to wander the snow in; Mr. Miron has crafted one of his greatest songs yet, "Mansion Man," and you should definitely give it a listen. Or not. Sorry, didn't mean to get pushy. Please stop staring at me.

Right, so this draw started as a warm-up sketch before working on a comic, but then I figured I'd see if I could use my digital camera in lieu of my non-existant scanner, which mouse-cookied me into doing some quick colors over the photo since I haven't painted in a while.

I did a sketch of Adrian Simon, too, but it didn't come out so great...! Alas.

All right, comicsing time.

Reuxben

ZLM_Oinking

2011-10-07T23:59:00.003-04:00

That's Martyn with a Y, Pig with one G.
Zero Like Me #172:
Oinking

Easter Eggs: "Yale" in panel 3. Jump Square Comics logo. Guest starring Singapore Airlines, the number one airline for people fleeing the US for Japan!

Fun Facts: If this comic feels familiar that's cuz it is...suck it, jack kelly.

...But wait! There's more! As a final experiment in my internal conflict over how to proceed (traditionally or digitally), I did this comic to completion both with traditional and digital inks. Above is total digitality, but what follows is the finished tradinked version that I capped with digital colors and finishes, and just after that is the raw tradinks. I was expecting it to come out much worse, but it's looking pretty okay...

Baa: I have been doing a lot of traditional inking recently at school, and am almost positive that's the best way to improve my draftsmanship, as opposed to just focusing on the digital process, which takes longer since I have an Intuos which takes more effort to match long strokes and complicated linework. Yes, pure digital stuff can look really nice, but that's if you have a Cintiq to draw with on top of many hours logged at the drawing board; I only have an Intuos4 and just a handful of years of heavy drawing.

So with that in mind, to get my 10,000 Hours, I'm going to ink traditionally and just use the tablet for coloring and finishing but not for penciling or inking, ultimately as per the sage-like advice I received from the great Kazu Kibuishi at Comic-Con '10. So this "new" era of comics'll sorta be like college again, where I did almost everything traditionally and just used Photoshop to clean up the scan (except now I can add Intuos-powered colors, text, and effects, as opposed to mousing my digital bits on a Yale computer cluster's iMac). So even if I'm only here in Japan for just a few years, I should be able to make great progress, as I was able to improve quite dramatically after only about two years doing college comics and illustrations (example: my second piece vs. my 250th+ or so).

But this is where it always starts, of course, with paper and pencil. I'm not good enough to go completely digital, I haven't earned it yet. I still have a ton of fundamentals to get down. Plus, as I look at Japanese manga companies' websites' recruitment pages, I believe they just want traditional guys for assistants. So if my destiny leads me to become someone's assistant, I need to be able to throw down traditionally first and foremost. Digital is the calculator you get to use in high school math class after proving you can do long division by hand in elementary school.

So school's in session. Again.

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Fun_Brawler.DosEquis

2011-10-05T23:59:00.003-04:00

NIHON: ZA BURAORA: BATARU PAKU PURAS + TAABO BUREKA DESU

A NEW CHALLENGER!!

Battle Theme: GO!
Home Stage: K City - The Downtown

This sequel is a Japan exclusive; so good luck catching it Stateside.

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Fun_hws.Radicality

2011-10-03T23:59:00.001-04:00

Cooked up some more of them there homework sketches for those there kyids, mmhmm. A kid said they found cooking exciting, so that kid gets a Sanji.

I try to sneak in musical moments whenever someone writes something to the effect of being into music. I've met Radwimps and Ellegarden fans, so I hopefully we can build some bridges.

One kid wrote that they get bored eating food or something equally depressing.

This was a random drawing, but it ended up looking kinda like Nami...

...aaand Radical Edward to wrap it up.

Yeah.

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Com_MiNovia

2011-09-30T23:59:00.000-04:00

Someone commissioned me to draw a character from a novel he was reading in his AKB48 notebook! Haha.

I checked the translation...wow...why are they letting him read that in a school?

Reuxben

Fun_ClassyDeets

2011-09-28T23:59:00.009-04:00

I made a self-introduction poster for school, and while it was under construction my Z and Nyao cutout decorated my desk. Now they frame the comics section of my poster, and while I was posting it, I overheard some girls passing by who were sounding out Zero's name, which was written on the poster. Super neat!

Also, I forgot to post the rough sketch for the recent Buu piece. I roughed it out on these half sheets of paper (they were the only paper in grabbing distance from my seat). I drew too big so I needed a second sheet, which already had a rejected sketch on it. Combined, the winning sketch looks like this and of course the finished thing looks like this.

The scribbled notes were for a fleeting idea I had about who would be the stand up comedy equivalents of DBZ? Frieza would be Dane Cook (super powerful but ultimately an overrated chump and a nuisance to real fighters). Pryor and Carlin are Bardock and Brolly cuz they are basically the uncontested forefathers of modern US stand up. Joe Rogan is Goku cuz he's a fighter. Majin Buu is Ralphie Mae...um... King Kai is Jeffrey Ross because he's a jokester, but he can also kick butt (Jeff Ross is a blackbelt!) Vegeta is Greg Giraldo an under-appreciated anti-hero. Gregory is Bill Burr, cuz he's not quite a huge mainstream name but he's a heck of a heckler. Bubbles is played by Joe DeRosa cuz he's Bill Burr's right hand chimp and is lower on the totem pole. Gohan and Trunks are the Sklar Brothers because they are inseparable.

This was just a little thought experiment to see how far I could go with it before class. No offense intended to the artists mentioned...except kinda Dane Cook, but I mean it's kinda accurate. Plus he apparently steals material, so it's hard to feel bad for him. Speaking of which, Carlos Mencia is Captain Ginyu. Natch.

All right, that's my time,

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Fun_hws.Pikapwnage

2011-09-26T23:59:00.002-04:00

Whew! So after about a month without updating, we're finally caught up.

As Jan (via Victor), once said,
"Hey, you can do it, too."

Reuxben

ZLM_HetPoints

2011-09-23T23:59:00.002-04:00

Discahd the cahd in the Hahvid graveyahd.

Zero Like Me #171:
Het Points

Easter Eggs: "Yale" in panel 1. Brom (one of the eerie-coolest Magic artists), a Scars of Mirrodin Angel (based on a real poster at Sky High Comics), Royal Assassin (one of my favorite cards), a card that is actually made into a poster if I recall correctly, and a somewhat abrasive Yoda painting they actually have hanging up at Sky High. Plus Boston Red Sox. Today's setting is loosely based on Sky High Comics, my old comics shop, and the punchline is inspired by Bill Burr.

Fun Facts: Today's the first fresh comic in a while, but it's also my first one without hand-lettering or hand-bubbling. It's a frightening change...we'll see how it goes. By the way, if this comic's script sounds familiar, it's cuz maybe it is. Suck it, jack kelly (this comic was commissioned by the new Yale Record alumni initiative).

Continuity wise, we're jumping ahead about a year after Z graduated. It'll become clearer in the next comic. Granted these details are more for my own benefit than anything, but there it is for the record.

Baa: This'll always be a special comic to me cuz I started working on it in the USA, and finished it in Japan. On my last night in California I just worked on this after all the packing ceased. Apparently I was supposed to be soaking in my last bits of Americana, but all I could think or want to do was just to sit in my room and work on my art. What else is there? Reality shows? Discordant humans in petty squabbles that refresh daily if not more frequently? Art is the best friend you could have. I don't know how you normal people do it. Art is an excellent time sink, but also an excellent security blanket, and an excellent secret bunker.

So there.

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Com_X0

2011-09-21T23:59:00.002-04:00

An X-marked Commission.

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Fun_hws.Pottotoro

2011-09-19T23:59:00.001-04:00

My
ghibliz
bring
all
the
boys
to
the
pot.

And
they're
like...
meh.

Actually, the chillun are kinda totally into drawings popping up on their homework, proudly showing off their red-soaked errors to their friends so that the uninitiated may glance upon the curious collection of red scarring in the vague shape of a familiar face, character, or symbol.

I feel like Santa Claus. Except darker. And fatter.

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VA_BuuWho?

2011-09-16T11:59:00.001-04:00

Mo money, mo problems. Mo classes, mo DBZ characters.

Our latest visual aide is of Majin Buu. He is fat. Like your mom.

I did this in traditional media. Like your...well...

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Fun_GrubbyBuddiesPt.4

2011-09-14T23:59:00.001-04:00

Three of the last grubby buddies. I blew it on the ice cream and the ice, but the chicken came out pretty all right.

Gosh, I love food but I hate paying for it. I'd rather scrape by on sandwiches and water than shell out money for food. I prefer to save money for stuff I can actually use. Like comics or music or bill-killing.

I am fat. But becoming less so thanks to my stinginess!

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Fun_hws.Chopz

2011-09-12T23:59:00.000-04:00

How to tell I can't think of anything to draw for a homework sketch: I draw Chopper.

I got the new RADWIMPS CD after feeling guilty for asking if they had a copy in stock. Wasn't sure what was on the disk, but I knew it had DA DA, this song, and G[something] but I was thrilled to find one of my favorite slow songs on it, too, particularly since I'm not too into RADWIMPS' slower songs.

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VA_Goku,Son,WHAT?

2011-09-09T23:59:00.001-04:00

One of my students is really into DBZ, but then again, everyone loves Dragon Ball Z! These kids weren't even alive when DBZ fever was strong in the US, let alone that DBZ came out in the late 80s in Japan! That's like a bunch of today's US kids (and US society at large) still being way into Quantum Leap or something.

So I did a big drawing of Goku that also happens to help in our language study: Do you like Goku? What color is Goku's shirt? What color is Goku's hair? What color is the Dragon Ball? Does Goku like to fight? Does Goku like to eat?

Does Goku like to draw with traditional pencils and inks still? Sure!

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Fun_GrubbyBuddiesPt.3

2011-09-07T23:59:00.000-04:00

The thing about Japanese food is that everything is so freaking bite sized. There is often nothing to really sink your teeth into. I guess the affinity for chopsticks is a bit to blame. Everything has to be pretty near bite size otherwise you're gonna have trouble chopsticking it into your fat face. I mean, I don't even like steak that much. But I do miss really chomping into food.

This is my favorite markerfood...looks really solid in person.

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Fun_hws.HundredPercentGirl

2011-09-05T23:59:00.001-04:00

As I was grading a kid's handwriting homework (wherein they endlessly rewrite their vocab words/phrases) I noticed s/he had just filled up his/her last page in his/her notebook. So I thought I'd draw a quick little sketch in the back cover.

There's an incredible story we read at Tokyo University called "On Seeing the 100% Perfect Girl One Beautiful April Morning." Wonderful read. I love that nomenclature: the 100% girl. No relation to the art besides that.

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Fun_GrubbyBuddiesPt.2

2011-09-02T23:59:00.001-04:00

Granted I'm literally starving over here, but even so, this food series was a treat to do.

I love how the Japanese draw food. Wish I could grind like them. I only had about five colors to work with, so this is what we ended up with for my little presentation entitled, "Dear Japan, this is what real food looks like."

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Fun_hws.RainyDays

2011-08-31T23:59:00.001-04:00

They announced a typhoon warning a few days ago, but nothing much happened, just New Haven-style rain. There's supposed to be a typhoon today, but again, nothing. Starting to think the weathermen in Japan are just as clueless as los de los EEUU.

This homework sketch has nothing to do with the typhoony news, though. It was just raining at the time.

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Fun_hws.SnowWay

2011-08-29T23:59:00.000-04:00

My first Japanese school lunch was curry and rice. It was actually pretty okay, considering the last time I had curry and rice I wanted to not have curry and rice immediately.

This one girl was either really into curry and rice or really into not putting any effort into her homework. So your Homework Sketch is of a snowman made of curry and rice and sarcasm. Deal with it.

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Fun_GrubbyBuddiesPt.1

2011-08-26T23:59:00.005-04:00

Does this count as fan art? I miss pizza. I had what they called "Japanese Pizza." It wasn't so great...kinda gross.

Anyway, I drew a bunch of grub for an English lesson on ordering food. This was my first time using markers since elementary school. I think it went pretty well. The kids loved it!

I wonder what that sketch peeking out at top is, though...

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Fun_KonnichiwaItches

2011-08-24T23:59:00.000-04:00

Gosh. Waaaay back logged. But I have Internet now.

Let's do this.

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Fun_BackToKappa

2011-08-22T23:59:00.001-04:00

I studied in Japan for a few weeks one summer. I'm now going back for a year, starting Tuesday. I get nervous flying, you know.

She told me she was from West Virginia, she bought me a soda, and held my hand...And we were laughing out loud. And that's exactly who we are.

Love,

Reuxben

GB_Boards3-4

2011-08-19T23:59:00.001-04:00

<- Previous...Next ->
First
Here's more boards inspired by Adrian Simon's "Glitterbug." In this set, we're continuing with the Glitterbug's swipe to reveal a locket.

We then pull back and rotate camera to see a mysterious hand.

Such suspense.

Now we see our hero as we pull back and up.

All of a sudden he gets screamed at and then we cut to the screamer, a gruff guy with some funky facial follicles.

We've now covered 27 of 306 seconds!

Coolio.

Reuxben

nts_crackaddledpingpongpaddle

2011-08-17T11:59:00.000-04:00

note to self #146: it's only funny when colbert breaks
So here's note to self by jack kelly again, this time with a collection of comics called "crack-addled ping pong paddle." First up is a comic hot on the heels of George Lopez' cancellation, questioning why Jimmy Fallon is still employed. He has never been remarkable, aside from his powers of immunity and of congregating talent that far exceeds his own (minus his writers). So jack kelly wonders why he's still on the air, particularly after his cringe-worthy start has only led to continually cringe-worthy work, with monologues whose finales are dead silence followed by a throw to the Roots and Steve Higgins, the true stars of the show. So why is Jimmy Fallon still on the air after George Lopez was give the boot? Is it because he's white? Because he was picked by Lorne Michaels? Because he's shown radical improvement since he started his show? Goodness no. No, I believe it is because NBC believes in giving their shows time to get their footing. Obviously.

As I understand it, even Conan started out rough for his first few years, so I'm eager to see the sometimes-sparks of Jimmy Fallon's talent make him soar by year five, but still, why are random weirdos on Twitter smoking people who are paid for a living exclusively to write comedy? And why does Jimmy Fallon take every opportunity to incorporate improv over written comedy, thus further strangling his and his writers' development? Who knows, jack kelly! What I do know is this: jack kelly, you are a bitter and ugly creature whose intellectual curiosity is matched only by your stupidity.

note to self #147: rich happy
To be sure, jack kelly, money doesn't buy happiness. It buys convenience. Convenience yields facility. Facility grants happiness. And grants are free! Idiot.

note to self #148: mcolive
Oh, jack kelly, you misguided little toad. It's a commercial on TV, it's not meant to be real. It's like Santa's Workshop at the North Pole. Or Obama. It's not real.

note to self #149: chemistry
Oh jack kelly, the will-they-won't-they tension between your parents is incredible, in that I'm constantly wondering will they or won't they try to smother the other with a pillow while the drowsier spouse sleeps. They say communication is key to a good marriage, but I believe the true key to a good marriage is suspense. It's more than their wedding vows that keeps them together, it's their secret mutual understanding that if one botches a murder attempt on the other, the survivor is then licensed to kill the perpetrator as slowly and as painfully as possible while writing it off as "self-defense." You should be so lucky as to have what they have, jack kelly: an eternal bond that will only be outlasted by an eternal-er bloodfeud.

note to self #150: misery hates company
Oh, jack kelly, you write that and yet you complain when I refuse to tell you which bands I listen to. Why do you think I never let you into my life? Because everything you touch turns to mold. You have the unique quality of making the sweetest sounds turn to salted razor blades scraped, jabbed, and twisted into my eyeballs. So stop pestering me for a mixtape and just assume I listen to all that Little Wizzy Bow Wow Diddy Pitfool stuff people my age listen to. Prolly accurate. Freaking rap, man.

Reuxben

Fun_EyeOnThePrize

2011-08-15T16:13:00.002-04:00

A thank-you gift to a dear sir.

Fun Facts: I'll be there soon enough.
Radical.

Reuxben

GB_Boards1-2

2011-08-12T23:59:00.001-04:00

I'm a big Adrian Simon fan (obviously), and each of his albums gets progressively better. His latest(ish) album is called Glitter and Bones and my favorite song from that album is called "Glitterbug," which has an excellent cameo by Yale Record alumnus Vincent Price '33(?).

Unfortunately, he retired the album and you can't download it anymore, but hopefully you already have your copy safe and/or sound. In any case, I wanted to add some storyboards to my portfoolio so I thought it'd be an excellent excuse to mock up a music video for "Glitterbug." So here we go.

The action starts with a close up of the Glitterbug, which has markings that are a reference to the Eclectic Chair logo. We pull out to see an explosion go off, forcing the Glitterbug to give flight while a curious kerfuffle develops in the blurry background.

Next the Glitterbug flies out of camera, we watch some unintelligible background noise, and then the Glitterbug reemerges to begin a scene wipe. A dramatic scene wipe.

And that covers about 14 of 306 seconds of film!

I wonder when we'll meet our hero...

Reuxben

nts_koolaidsmonkey

2011-08-10T11:59:00.004-04:00

note to self #141: clear your throat and stop shouting
The author of note to self, jack kelly, insists that I run his hideous comics, under the banner of "kool-aids monkey," so here we go. First is a comic about the eyeball-bulging de facto epitome of Hispanic entertainer, George Lopez (seen here being an arrogant and ignorant cartoon character made of smoked and tenderized flesh) recently getting canceled. As a Mexican-American, I will sorely miss George Lopez as he was the only person of my kind starring on comedic TV, assuming both that his show counts as comedic TV and that I'm in any way sincere about this sentence, which I'm not.

I literally had a dream where I got in an argument with someone who tried to tell me I should support George Lopez over Conan just because we share an ethnic background, regardless of how pandering and cringe-inducingly embarrassing the George Lopez talk show was. I was arguing so furiously in my dream that I woke myself up. Which is ironic because the Lopez show tends to put you to sleep (if you can tune out the phlegm-graveled, constantly shouting voice and alarming sudden movements.)

Anyway, although it's a shame a human and the humans around him are losing their jobs, on the bright side, maybe George Lopez will now drop his astounding arrogance, learn that he is as far from being a national treasure as Woody Allen is from being father of the year, and hopefully he'll even go hack up whatever's been gurgling in his throat for the past two years.

But enough about the loss of a high profile Hispanic in mainstream media, now where is that new multi-ethnic Spider-Man produced by an all-white creative team I've heard so much about? My people have finally made it so obviously I just gotta buy it! Viva la raza!

note to self #142: oh how it stings
The only reason I'd ever go to the beach was because there was just the ever-so-slight chance that jack kelly would get stung by a jellyfish and I'd get to pee on him. Now what am I to do with jack kelly? Apple juice pranks, I guess.

note to self #143: raise your hand if you killed osama
Oh, jack kelly, again with the pretending you follow politics. Be honest, the only reason you have an opinion in this election cycle is because you can easily differentiate one candidate from the pack at a glance, much in the same way cops can differentiate me from a crowd of Yalies at a glance and just ask me for ID even though I'm clearly with my alabaster associates. And come on, jack kelly, you know if you had unlimited money, you'd just spend it on cutting edge research to figure out how to make poor people somehow have even less money, as any good rich person should do. Or at least you'd lobby to keep your rich-person tax cuts as if it were something righteous.

note to self #144: code black

Please, jack kelly, leave the gay jokes to the professionals. Like Tracy Morgan. He knows what's up.

note to self #145: why are you telling me this?
Sometimes I wonder what it'd be like if you didn't exist, jack kelly.

Reuxben

Fun_GetMyMagoozla

2011-08-08T23:59:00.002-04:00

A thank-you gift to a dear sir.

Fun Facts: I wrote my Yale thesis on Winsor McCay vs. shonen manga.
And you didn't.

Reuxben

Fun_ISeeCCI.Pt2

2011-08-05T23:59:00.002-04:00

This is part two of my SD Comic-Con '11 wrap up. Last week I focused on preparing the portfoolio for review: what to include and why. This week we'll examine how to go about the reviews themselves, including how to handle the individual critiques downstairs on the convention floor, and how to manage your time.

First, the bare essentials for port revs are pictured above: if you bring nothing else, bring your convention badge, your handsomely-displayed portfoolishness, and the unusually under-estimated business card. I got my business cards from OvernightPrints, which allows you to pick from some templates or design your own. If you don't have business cards, don't sleep on it. Get them now so you're not faced with the last minute "I need them tomorrow!" crunch; it is a completely avoidable, preventable problem. Like disappointment at an M. Night Shyamalan movie. You will hand out a surprising ton of cards, most importantly to the editors and key contacts you make, unlike not bringing an umbrella to New England, there'll always be another rainstorm to stay dry in, but no guarantee you'll ever connect one on one with certain Comic-Con VIPs. Include art on your card if possible to help associate your art with your name, but above all include your name, site, and email. Phone numbers are not as mandatory, but as I learned from some colleagues, you can always just have a set of cards with your number to hand to editors, publishers, and pros, and a non-number card to hand to fans and random contacts. A tip from Emily Warren: put five or so cards in your badge holder so you can instantly and effortlessly whip one out on demand (make sure not to stretch the plastic of the holder as you're placing cards, though, as your stuff might fly out if it given enough torque).

After the essentials, try to include prints, postcards, or pamphlets of your portfolio as leave-behinds. All of my stuff is finished digitally so it is not too difficult to just up the print count, but if you have traditional stuff, just hit up your local copy machine. If you can't print at home, there's a Kinkos at the Convention Center towards the professional registration entrance around Hall D or so; black and white copies are 20 cents a page, color is $1.30, all plus tax. You can use a flash drive in their computer cluster, but computer use is 40 cents a minute and printing is ~50 cents a page. The printer prints dark, so lighten about two clicks left and print one test copy to check before starting your bulk printing and consult the remarkably-cool staff if you have any questions (show the front desk your credit card to print receipts).

Before heading into a review, have your leave-behinds at the ready but clearly distinguished from your portfolio so all movement is as graceful and coordinated as possible. The same way you want to be able to drop your business card at a moment's notice easily, you also want to be able to hand over your leave-behinds for them to take home. You might even staple or paperclip your business card on top of the leave-behind packet. Or if you really want to feel like a "baller" you can just let them keep the stuff they're reviewing. I did this once and had a little rockstar moment of "yeah, take it, whatevs." It's expensive to make all these copies, but it's an investment. As an artist, you've got to sacrifice a normal lifestyle, at least at first, so just lay off the booze and movies and fun and just blow your money on stuff that truly matters. To help print with more foresight, you can find the portfolio-reviewing companies listed online and printed in the Comic-Con guidebook at least the day before the convention officially opens, so look at the reviewing companies you're pretty sure you'll be shooting for, and print a leave-behind set for them. Do this for convention-floor companies and artists you want to meet with. You can save money on tickets by volunteering (free admission, but you must work for CCI three consecutive hours) or registering as a pro, (also free, but you must have three published works).

So while going through te convention guidebook's exhibitor/Artist Alley list, circle the doods you want to visit, while making a list of them on a separate paper, including booth numbers. The paper list serves as a condensed hit list, so when you're not on call for port revs, you can stalk the convention floor as efficiently as possible for better odds at encountering someone who's free for a review. As you're en route to a booth, you can keep an eye on your paper for closely-numbered booths to hit if the one you're heading to is tied up (smart phone users can probably do this more easily with a note-pad app, but paper still works). This constant contingency plan is key because often artists will be extremely busy and won't be able to review you, but will let you know when to come back. So if you don't get reviewed, you can note on your paper when they'll be free, and if they're not reviewing, you can just scratch them off the list.

Particularly with individual artists, be sure to check out their blogs and/or tweets leading up to the show to make a more immediate and positive interaction (don't just pull the Chiarello-maligned move of throwing your stuff in front of the reviewer and saying "look at my sh**.") Linking of which, the outstanding, unsung hero of my Comic-Con '11 experience was SiDEBAR Podcast. SiDEBAR Podcast has over one and a half hundred hours of incredibly insightful conversations with so many great artists (while drawing the hours away, you might as well listen to interviews so you can research and learn while you draw, rather than rock out to music). And when you meet an artist, nothing gets them smiling faster than saying, "Hey, I heard your interview on SiDEBAR Podcast." Some great, wonderful, and inspiring conversations grew from the knowledge they routinely drop on SiDEBAR, not to mention one ridiculously HILARIOUS five minute chat.

I've only ever met a couple artists who can't and/or don't do reviews, but for the most part, if they even have a preference at all, most seem to prefer reviewing towards the end of the day or late Sunday, although I discovered one early bird. Even so, just be patient and be sure to check with the artist because they may slip you in right then or give you a better time to return. If the latter's true, then you at least get to build some positive association with them for being patient, understanding, and diligent.

Speaking of positive association, the way I go about all reviews is always being as humble yet confident as possible (nervousness will leave as you talk to more and more strangers about your work). My mantra is "expect the worst, but hope for the best." Even if I don't particularly dig the artist or company's work there's a clear distinction as to which side of the table the pro is on and which side I'm on. Show respect, never argue, and never make excuses for your work. Show them what's meant to be seen, and nothing else; even if showing pages of your sketchbook, cut to the pages relevant to them; try to waste as little of their time as possible, because as long as they're talking to you, they are not making money (Comic-Con is a huge business weekend for them, as it should be for you). If they ask you questions, answer them, but don't be defensive or didactic. Expect to get brutally torn apart and to watch helplessly as the paper avatars of hours and hours of your very life get massacred by someone you respect and probably admire, likely before a congress of their curious fans lining up to watch the carnage. If you aren't torn apart, then great. But if you are, then you probably deserved it. Loser.

You're not a loser. But consider yourself one. In fact, you are a piece of scum not worth anyone's time. You do not deserve to be given any reviewer's time, let alone their respect, and it's a wonder you were even allowed to set foot in the convention hall. It's true. You know it's true. Not really, but you get the idea: if you have no ego, then you can't be hurt by anything they say. They are just words. Even so, reviewers aren't Internet trolls. Professionalism is defined by respect. Expect the worst, but hope for the best. If anything, you'll get the equally useless opposite of trollage: "Yeah, that all looks great, man, don't change a thing," but I would be very interested to learn of any pro who gives vitriolic, substance-less reviews for kicks. I did get a couple "harsh" reviews, but even those had substance, and none felt like it was anything against me personally (well...*cough*)

Ok, so you've got your gear and you're ready to go. Here's how to do streamlined reviews at the Portfolio Reviews at the Sails Pavilion of the San Diego Convention Center (Ballroom 20; look at the ceiling, if you see canvas sails, then you're in the Sails Pavilion, just pass the Freebie Table and head to the back, under and to the left of the sign that directs you to rooms 21-33).

Get into the convention as early as possible (arrive at the doors around 9am) so you can grab your port rev lottery tickets at the main table facing the seating area (skip the port rev information table). Grab your lotto tickets before they run out and sort them later if it even makes a difference--try to look up the companies the night before in the CCI guidebook, or at least if you have time before the ticket drop deadline (9:30am for the morning shift, 1:30pm [USUALLY] for afternoon). Again check the earliest company you're submitting for (particularly for afternoon drawing, since it's more varied) and drop your ticket no later than 30min prior to the earliest drawing. Don't fill out a ticket for the companies you're clearly not a good fit for (hyper realistic CG isn't my bag) or have already seen, but don't be afraid to go for companies you're on the fence for, go for big air.

They'll post the review list on each of the review tables' sandwich boards 15min before the morning and afternoon shifts begin (9:45am; usually 12:45-1:45pm). Once everyone's posted and the swarm dies down, take a lap around the booths and make a map of the review area and once you see you've been listed, compile a cheat sheet of the booth's Area Number (the guidebook lists letters, but the boards use numbers, so A=1, B=2, etc.), your list position, as well as the company name and their review schedule. So if you're #60 and the company's only there for two hours, you're probably not getting seen, but if you're #30 and they're there all day, you will probably make it later in the day. Watch the first few reviews to get a feel for how long reviews take for that company, and if it's evident there's going to be a wait, don't be afraid to head downstairs to the convention floor to get some individual artist reviews (note the time and the current wait number they're up to), but keep an eye on your cheat sheet's schedule. Sometimes you'll be able to budget an hour away from the review area, typically two hours between morning and afternoon shifts, in which case, maybe take in an important panel.

But make sure to set a clear "call time" or three on your cell phone's alarm system to tell you to be back at the review area no later than 10 minutes before you think you should return because invariable "traffic" and other distractions will slow you down. If you miss your name, they will skip you forever. However, they will slip you in next if you tell them, "I was at another review," if you were tied up at another booth, but if you really need the review and missed it, you stretch that description to indicate you were getting reviewed downstairs or something. Don't be dirtbag and use this maneuver if you were in Hall H waiting for the cast of something involving vampires to spontaneously agree to autograph your vintage Lucky Charms t-shirt, though.

Above all, never forget that this is work, not fun so only go to a panel if you truly find value in it, such as connecting with a panelist afterward (lesser known people are usually super willing to linger and chat) and/or having real interest in the subject matter. For the most part, skip business-type panels since you can learn most of that from podcasts and reasonably art-centric common sense, and don't overvalue preview-type panels since, be real, you'll see that material eventually if not on TV or in theaters, then on Youchoob. Maybe you really want to see the panelists live and in person, but again, seriously ask yourself: is it worth missing my shot with Company X or Artist Z to view a celebrity live, interact with them for perhaps 15 seconds if you can make it to the Q&A mic, or see upcoming material "first"? Sometimes they give away free stuff, sure, but I mean, come on. Prioritize carefully and always try to get back to reviews as soon as possible. And for pete's sake, skip Hall H, you freaking valueless, space-consuming tourist (unless you have a hook-up, in which case you are probably something of a celebrity and don't need my advice on anything, believe me).

But do use your breaks wisely: recharge. I pack about two boxes of granola bars and three bottles of water (refilled daily) in my computerless computer-satchel/man-purse so during the show there's never, ever any hunger or thirst (thirst in particular is absolutely killer), so chow down conservatively during your downtime if you must and you'll never have to blow money or time on food or drink all week. The trick is to survive on little sleep and limited food for four days: eat big dinners and go to the bathroom at night so all you have to do each morning is shower, cereal, brush, supply-check, then head out the show, and not have to worry about time-consuming bodily functions. As for sleep, the earlier you prepare your stuff, the less prep time you need during the show so you can sleep longer, but I've found going on 4 hours' sleep a night isn't that difficult when you've got all that adrenaline going, believe me.

Back to the reviews, though, don't give up on being seen by a company unless it is painfully obvious they won't get to you. Check your guidebook to see if they'll be returning another day and then check with the lotto ticket wranglers to see if they'll be rolling over names (sometimes they do, sometimes they don't, and sometimes they say they do but then they don't!). But when you're on deck for a review, prepare for battle.

I am by no means a social person, nor am I good at talking to people. But when it's do or die, I slug it out. While I'm waiting to be called, I have my portfolio ready, with leave-behinds underneath if they request them, and business cards behind my CCI badge ready to go. I have a paper for notes just below the portfolio (complete with the company name clearly indicated, possibly including the review's name, so I don't forget when reviewing notes later). In one fluid motion, I can hand the reviewer the work to review meanwhile dropping the notepaper for instant note-taking readiness. When walking up to them, I keep my right arm free to shake, but I first drop my baggage stuff next to my seat (skip the giant novelty convention bags, those are for the tourists; pack as lightly as possible). Make eye contact, smile, shake, and greet them with "Hi, my name is [i.e. chicka-chicka Slim Shady]." Figure out as fast as possible if they want to talk first or jump into the review and act accordingly. I always open with "I have some sequentials for you today as well as some illustrations and even some color comic strips," as I ready my portfolio for their review. If they go for them, then that means they want to review, if they nod and look interested, they might take the initiative and start talking to you without looking at the work, so then it's conversation time. Stay on your toes.

It helps to have bullet points or an "elevator pitch" of yourself--my name is Reuxben, I have degree in literature from Yale University, but I want to draw all-ages work without being exclusively for kids, like how you can enjoy Batman: the Animated Series as a kid and years later revisit the work and glean greater value from it as an adult. But I'll go one further: have a uniform. Don't go in costume, as that reeks of unprofessionalism, but rather go as an aspiring professional. My uniform is the same every year: black cargo pants to hold my stuff, black T shirt with a simple design to show I'm unique while not going overboard and always keeping my clothing as non-intrusive as possible, and my Yale Y hat, and I shave mah face to look as young as possible, because I feel it's always better to look like a prodigy than a veteran. I always wear my Yale Y hat so I can encounter keen-eyed roaming Yalies (met a few!), break ice with people who are interested in Yale (I can always talk at length about Yale regardless of how new the acquaintance), and because it helps build my personal brand. I'm the "Yale comics artist guy," how many people on earth can use that, period, let alone from my generation?) The deep blue of the hat contrasts and softens my otherwise all-black get-up and it also helps define me in the memory of the flurry of introductions that these companies and artists make each year. And if you're only seeing someone once a year, it helps to remember, "Oh yeah, the guy with the blue Y hat, right..."

So you've completed the review, you have your notes and the names and/or business cards of the people down. Congratulations, you're kinda done. Take what time you have left to roam the floor for the artists you're still vying to talk to, hit some panels if you can, scrounge for free stuff and gape at all the stuff you can't afford and get recharged by taking it all in and thinking, I will earn my right to belong here. But remember, if you see someone you want to talk to, dude, just go up to them and try to talk to them. At worse, they'll turn you away, at best, you'll get an excellent review, a warm conversation, and their personal email address and an invitation to keep in touch. Be sure to spend time talking to the artist about their work, their biographies, their company, and all that, and you'd be surprised how well things can go. And don't forget to send out thank you notes after the show to those people kind enough to grant you their time and/or business cards, and as always, assume they've completely forgotten you, so include a brief recap of what you talked about.

All right. I hope this guide has been helpful or at least overly long. In any case, I hope you enjoyed it. And if not, screw you, it's free.

Good luck,

Reuxben

nts_extracowfart

2011-08-03T11:59:00.007-04:00

note to self #136: well-spoken
Despite my every endeavor, jack kelly, author of note to self returns with more ugly comics, in a package he's calling, "extra cow fart." Up first is a comic where jack kelly pretends to have any understanding of US politics, despite being an illiterate migrant worker who spends most of his time baking in the summer heat of Southern California farmland as he sweatily harvests his daily quota of post-it notes. In reality, all he knows is that Jon Stewart is disappointed in Obama but refuses to hammer him as much as the blatant failure Stewart would giddily declare Bush to be. Have the presidents' failings been commensurate? Who knows! I don't vote. But if I did, I would be so upset that Obama lets a greedy minority get their way, particularly when that minority is comprised of sickeningly wealthy people who have been content to hoard their money rather than help as they know they can and ought to.

note to self #137: good job, sherlock
I don't get it, jack kelly, are you telling me that you, an ignorant hillbilly-person whom in-bred and Oedipally-charged Appalachians look down on, didn't need a Yale-funded study to know that "product placements in TV shows enable advertisers to reach large audiences without them recognizing it as advertising"? What? Get out of here! Really?! Stop lying, jack kelly, you filthy, lying liar!

note to self #138: forget about mo from guts
Ok, first of all, jack kelly, leave Mo, GUTS, and the "glowing piece of their awesome rock" out of this. Now look, although I can't vouch for all the celebrities listed, I can vouch for John "Luigi" Leguizamo's whereabouts. He's currently starring in reruns of that one episode of My Name Is Earl that guest-stars John "Luigi" Leguizamo and is mainly kept busy by my daily viewings of Executive Decision on VHS. As for Jake Lloyd, the kid who yippie'd his way into America's cholesterol-clogged heart as boy Anakin Skywalker, I have it on good authority that he's most often found snorting powdered DVDs of Jingle All the Way behind that seedy Denny's in West Hollywood while waiting vigilantly for Schwarzenegger's secret baby to not return his phonecalls.

note to self #139: complaints i don't get
Oh come on, jack kelly, don't be an idiot, Arrested Development is that one show that everybody who likes comedy loves. You know, it stars a lot of presently successful white people who are involved in funny things you pretend to also like. Come on, jack kelly, you know the show I'm talking about! It's like that other legendary-yet-cancelled show whose stars have since found great success, Freaks and Geeks. So good. Love that show. It was a show, right? Movie! I love that movie.

note to self #140: make you say ohmmm
How dare you badmouth David Letterman, jack kelly, you untalented has-been who refuses to innovate and is content to rest on what mysteriously-gotten laurels you seem to have. Who would dare admit to Letterman's present lack of vitality, let alone assert that he was never worth reverence in the first place? That's right, you would, jack kelly, because you are stupid and don't know what's funny. Idiot. Now shut up, jack kelly, I've got a Nerdist podcast to listen to and I don't want to miss a single one of his frequent dictionary-based associations or 80s pop culture references, which I understand is modern comedy awesomeness epic so good nice.

Reuxben

Com_Bruhag

2011-08-01T23:59:00.000-04:00

A cackling commission.

I feel like lines on non-white backgrounds feel more dramatic.

But who knows!

Reuxben

Fun_ISeeCCI.Pt1

2011-07-29T23:59:00.005-04:00

I had a ridiculously great Comic-Con, I received amazing feedback and interest from ridiculously huge companies, and I was even covered by the Onion's AV Club! This was my "first" year showing, since I only had my best college work to show last year (making me still a student-artist) but even so, last year's work fortunately garnered auspicious, however humble, reviews. This year I was surprised at how much I'd grown and how much I had to share, actually, so I'm going to do some posts collecting my thoughts on how I made the convention go as smoothly as it went, starting with the portfolio strategy. The core ingredient is having strong material to show, but beyond that, a good bit of strategy helps, too. This was my 2011 portfolio strategy.

First, I had a three part portfolio, starting with Part One: my Magic: the Gathering sequential pages (the first five pages starting here, since the most universal requirement for sequential review is that they be five consecutive non-splash pages). While making these pages, I knew draftsmanship and storytelling would be crucial, but that writing was only of secondary importance (at an art review). So I focused on drawing well-designed, dynamic characters, detailed backgrounds, and making it all flow even if you ignored the dialog. The number one compliment was about my expressions. The number one criticism was that my handwriting sucked professionalism from the work! For the critics who did read the text, I got smiles, and even loud laughs from lapsed-Magic players and the Magic-playing Magic painter Chris "Jitte" Moeller!

When deciding on a story for my sequentials, I thought, rather than do a revamp of old, "proven" work to my modern standards as I'd initially planned, instead I'd put old ZLM characters in an original story created by using random Magic cards as a writing prompt. I thought this might capitalize on the "old nostalgic thing in a new refurbished context is so awepic" fad that's consuming today's society, and indeed I succeeded: pretty much everyone at Comic-Con played or knew of Magic when they were younger so they were delighted to see a comic based on it, without having to know Magic to "get" the comic; all you need to know, if anything at all, is that Magic = swords and sorcery, and you're set. My comics showcased my passion for Magic, all-ages storytelling without being child-exclusive entertainment a la Batman: the Animated Series, and it showed my artistic abilities (humans, creatures; talking, combat; props, environments) along with my versatility to write and draw (many people are quite impressed when you drop the bomb that "Yes, I created absolutely everything you see on this page: character design, prop design, pencils, inks, tones/colors, and writing." Bam. Business card.

Part Two of my portfolio was three digital illustrations: "Tony Tony Tony," "Phantom Me," and "America's Suitehearts." Earlier this year, I decided to create strategic illustrations that would demonstrate my digital coloring and painting capacities, each to feature carefully chosen subjects (with more on the way!). "Tony Tony Tony" was based on the drummer Tony Thaxton from Motion City Soundtrack combined with Tony Tony Chopper, a character from one of my favorite comics/shows, One Piece. This illo was designed to show not only my ability to draw a real person in "my" style, but also my reinterpreting a popular character, making him my own by re-contextualizing him with a real person and an original setting. It was also an experiment to see if it was possible to break into the suffocatingly popular mash-up culture by pairing unrelated things into a natural fit. It was. This piece was a hit for showing I could draw stuff that appeals to older teens and twenty-somethings.

"Phantom Me" was based on a desire to interpret the harsh Butch Hartman style through my generally-softer style, meanwhile also being an experiment to see if any old Danny Phantom piece could blindly generate a lot of hits with people who refuse to let DP go. It does. This piece got great feedback for inadvertently showing that I could do superheroes, although as I explained to the editor, Danny Phantom isn't really a superhero per se.

The final piece, "America's Suitehearts," based on the Doonesbury character, Alex Doonesbury, was a bit of a gamble to see if I could drastically re-interpret a character from an under-represented fan art culture from an arguably less prevalent (yet still relevant) area of pop culture, newspaper comic strips. This has some of my favorite background painting, but I'd say the piece was a popular flop online, even though it was critically successful at Comic-Con reviews. This got great reception for its perspective and sky, the latter of which I love as well.

The final, Third Part of my portfolio was select color comic strips, printed two strips to a page. Page 1: zlm142 zlm144, p2: zlm145 zlm149, p3: zlm151 zlm153, 4: zlm156 zlm158, 5: zlm160 zlm161, 6: zlm162 zlm163. These were picked first as my best-drawn strips (either for character or architecture, ideally both), then for what the art can showcase, then for the humor of the pieces. The Gmail spoof was a great example of "architecture" in the loose sense in that I got to mimic a quite familiar design, but I also got compliments on my costuming, when taking architecture to mean clothing. I was thrilled to get some smiles and laughs for the work, too. And while my biggest criticism last year was my figures, I got plenty of compliments on my figurework this year, particular of the feminine sort!

So that's what I was packing for Comic-Con portfolio reviews. In addition to the work itself, I made sure to have plenty of business cards on me (down to my last two!) as well as printed copies of everything displayed, ready to leave behind with the reviewer. After the review, as they begin to return your samples to you, if they ask for leave-behinds, nothing makes you feel more like a baller than holding up your hands against the mid-returned samplers as you go, "Oh, yes, that's all yours to keep. Business card?"

Cool. Next week: how to do a portfolio review. Like a baller. A patient, patient baller.

Reuxben

nts_obeseanorexics

2011-07-27T11:59:00.001-04:00

note to self #131: boxcar
That hideous scar on the comics landscape, jack kelly, is back with more note to self in a bundle entitled "obese anorexics." Did you have a good Comic-Con, jack kelly? A-bup-bup! Not another word, my good man, rest assured--I don't care! Also, stop criticizing boxing and NASCAR fans. Their interests are just as valuable to the American fabric as any other. I mean without boxing or NASCAR, how would brain-dead yokels entertain themselves? No, no, besides Family Guy. Exactly--it's like enjoying a Seth MacFarlane show, except with the fringe benefit that inevitably the beer-chugging constituents will soon enough come to fisticuffs and enable some voluntary herd-thinning in the invariably ensuing brawl. It's Darwinism at its Ed-Hardy-bedazzled finest, jack kelly.

note to self #132: rap must end
jack kelly, I don't know where you get off making a slight against rap. It's a perfectly valid and valuable art form. That's right, ART form. If it weren't for rap, how would I ever be able to publicly and rhythmically voice my utter contempt and sub-human estimation of women? That's right. Rap music. Thank you, Kool Herc!

note to self #133: trigonometry
Oh, jack kelly, you miserable wretch, you're just jealous that a 12 year old can find the surface area of a rhombus and you can't. Loser. Also, what's a rhombus? That's a thing, right?

note to self #134: diversity
What a heartwarming message, jack kelly: verily, all shapes and sizes can be punched in the neck by testosterone-addled jocks. Also, I don't know how, but I'm pretty sure that was a racist joke, jack kelly, and that's something I cannot stand for. If I do, the Mexicans will steal my chair.

note to self #135: logos
You're one to talk, jack kelly. You're too stupid to draw good. Or something. Cow fart.

Reuxben

Com_Stripes

2011-07-25T23:59:00.000-04:00

A stripey commission.
Dude, I had an INSANE time at Comic-Con!
I cannot believe how well things went!
I even got covered a little by the Onion's AV Club!

As a policy I try to avoid putting any personal thoughts on posts with commission work, so tune in Friday for a full report!

I will say this: I have never felt this excited for my future since I got into Yale.

Reuxben

nts_kareemabduljabberwockytalkie

2011-07-20T11:59:00.000-04:00

note to self #126: gangsta
jack kelly is the untalented author of note to self and he has some comics for you, in a set he's calling "kareem abdul jabberwocky talkie." Real original. That was sarcasm, jack kelly, you worthless sack. Look, I don't have time for you right now, it's time for Comic-Con, so you're on your own for the rest of this post.

note to self #127: small talk

note to self #128: rivercrest

note to self #129: vhs

note to self #130: word

Y eso es la palabra.

Reuxben

Com_Engine

2011-07-18T23:59:00.000-04:00

A Dodorian commission.

Shades power up!!

Lines transform!

Ultimate form:

Reuxben

ZLM_FastEffects

2011-07-15T23:59:00.001-04:00

Scoop.

Zero Like Me #170:
Deal #5: Fast Effects

Busy at Comic-Con! Details coming soon!

[Update: Ok, back and ready.]

Easter Eggs: "Yale" in panel 5 and deal 5 in panel 2. The cards referenced are Last Gasp, Spirit Flare, and Monstrous Growth. Do the math to discover our beast is actually just a squirrel with roid rage.

Fun Facts: This page was wrapped just days before Comic-Con! What an end to a hectic, hectic run (only to give way to the madness of Comic-Con, pun unintended). Just a moment to catch my breath before we get gunning on more stuff.

Baa: Comic-Con went great. My reports are here and here.

Ok, so we're going to take a quick break from comicsing to work on a quick(ish) project I've got to hit before I leave for Japan.

Not sure when I'll be able to get more comics done, since the other project has to take priority, but we're gunning it.

Reuxben

nts_tigerbeatcoverboy

2011-07-13T11:59:00.001-04:00

note to self #121: not voltaire
It's jack kelly, author of note to self with some comics under the banner of "tigerbeatcoverboy." Up first is a comic about jack kelly's cowardly, cowardly cowardice. He talks a big game, but you know he's all about fascism when push comes to shove (he bruises easily).

note to self #122: period

Nice, jack kelly, way to disrespect the common agony of women by voluntarily taking on a similar burden, as if to flaunt your ability to escape that red-soaked fate whenever you wish.

note to self #123: spoiled

Oh, jack kelly, I bet you slay all the ladies with your bacterial contamination, you diseased vector, you.

note to self #124: protest

Come on, jack kelly, just because Yale is a worldwide leader in discourse and education doesn't mean it should also be a bastion for free speech, idiot; don't be so narrow-minded.

note to self #125: my hip
I bet you think you're clever, jack kelly, but you're not. You're like...something...that isn't clever. Like a hipster's idiotic photography, for instance.

Reuxben

Com_Modern

2011-07-11T23:59:00.000-04:00

A modern commission.

Shades ^

Lines^

Sig v

Reuxben

ZLM_Leapfog

2011-07-08T23:59:00.002-04:00

Any fast effects?

Zero Like Me #169:
Deal #4: Leapfog

Easter Eggs: "Yale" in panel 3, Deal 4 in panel 1. Today's main spell doesn't really exist in white, but enough white creatures and spells grant temporary flying, also known as "leap," for it to feel safely white, even if a lot of them require some blue mana involvement. The other spell, "Fog," which has some incredible art in M12, is used to prevent combat damage, which Garry obviously used to keep from getting slaughtered by this egg-laying mammal. The creature in the last panel is roughly based on Krosan Beast, which is basically just a squirrel jacked on theshroids.

Fun Facts: Zero is granted flying in the fourth panel by Nyao's Aeronaut's Leap spell, which again, doesn't quite exist purely as is in Magic, but it's based on the common "leap" ability of many white tricks, particularly the keenly named Kor Aeronaut.

Of course Aeronaut's Leap wouldn't be a particularly playable card in draft or constructed, but it serves the plot, and in any case you'd think any decent "real-world" white mage could easily whip out a leap-spell without even blinking, so I regret nothing. Nothing.

Also, I just learned that you can die from eating raw eggs...but let's just go with people in this Magic-based universe are generally tougher than in our world. That's fair, right? Sure it is.

Baa: I actually find Flying to be a bit of an annoying mechanic. On the other hand, I've always had a fondness for fear (now more appropriately retired for "intimdate") because it felt sneakier than Flying while still being fair in the sense that if they had artifacts or the correctly colored creatures, you were sunk, but otherwise it was pretty smooth sailing. I won my very first tournament I entered by drafting two or three Nezumi Cutthroats and just going to town on my opponent.

But in reality, only black mages can really appreciate the good old days of fear, I guess.

Reuxben

nts_obesefecespieces

2011-07-06T11:59:00.002-04:00

note to self #116: scumbags
So here's jack kelly, author of note to self with a collection of comics under the theme of "obese feces pieces." First is a comic about lit majors. What an absolute waste of time and talent, amirite? What kind of intellectually selfish, ego-maniacal tool studies lit theory rather than something productive to humanity like a science. Or Egyptology.

note to self #117: one hit one derr
Please, jack kelly, spare us all and leave the masculinist humor to the professionals.

note to self #118: priorities
Please, jack kelly, spare us all and leave the scatological humor to the professionals.

note to self #119: socball
Look, jack kelly, just because you don't like soccer, that's no reason to zzzzzzzz.

note to self #120: celebrate idiocy
Sorry, jack kelly, you know I always fall asleep whenever we talk sports. Now where were we? Oh, yeah! How dare you insult such magnificent artists as Roman Polanski and Woody Allen? They're bringing art into the world (admittedly amongst other...things). But make no mistake, what Congressman Weiner did was unforgivable.

Maybe if the congressman would have spent less time endeavoring to get childishly stubborn Republicans to vote to approve a humane compensation bill for 9/11 victims or getting childishly stubborn adults to acknowledge their active refusal to do their jobs properly, and instead would have focused on making movies to dazzle the masses, then perhaps he'd get to keep his career. It's not like he's entertaining us, jack kelly, he's just trying to advocate for humanity and justice for people he's never even met. Screw him. Besides, jack kelly, it's not even like he was injecting himself upon young girls or anything so prestigious, he was sending pictures of himself to girls who were flirting with him online. Big difference, jack kelly, you delusional moron.

How many times do I have to tell you? It's simple: if you assault a girl barely into her teens, you get Oscars, pardons, and international renown; if you cheat on your girlfriend with her daughter barely out of her teens, you get Oscars, clarinet solos, and international renown; if you tweet pictures of yourself to flirts, you lose everything. Simple. Look, jack kelly I get that you have some demented desire to defend someone who's affecting reality more directly and more actively than any movie ever could, but face facts: Congressman Weiner is a scumbag who could have avoided all these problems if he just would have worn a director's beret while sending creepy pictures of himself to people. Stop being such a short-sighted idiot and blindly defending him, all right?

Now c'mon, jack kelly, let's agree to disagree already; I gotta go--I'm missing the Jeffrey Jones marathon on TV. That dude is such a great actor.

Reuxben

Com_Greeny

2011-07-04T23:59:00.000-04:00

A greeny commission.

Some shades.

Some lines.

Some guy:

Reuxben

ZLM_Sap

2011-07-01T23:59:00.001-04:00

Cards in hand?

Zero Like Me #168:
Deal #3: Sap

Easter Eggs: "Yale" in panel 6, Deal 3 in panel 5. Today's title is the nickname for Saprolings, which I guess come from these berry-looking things. The pipe Z's smoking is based on the pipe Yale gives you after you graduate. The scrolls reference something related to red mages, which will make sense eventually.

Fun Facts: That last panel was a bit of a tricky call--from the pencils, I knew I wanted some of the mystery creature's face to be visible, but ended up deciding less visibility would be better.

I'm not sure if I shouldn't have included a time-passage panel (like panel 5) to begin this page, to help indicate that time elapsed between this page and the previous one. Feeling torn about it.

Baa: My first deck was green, and I still love that color, but black's where it's at. In fact, I wrote one of my Yale admissions essays on the philosophy of black mana, as elucidated by the legendary Mark Rosewater. For my second Yale admissions essay, I wrote a response to Mark Roseater's motto, "restrictions breed creativity." Thus I credit MaRo with helping to get me into Yale. I was so thrilled to meet him last year at Comic-Con. I was fortunate to have gotten to interview him over the phone my Freshman Year for my Bulldog Blogs stint, it was the same day as the VQ was doing their 12 hour improv marathon, so we even got to talk about his Boston University days doing stand up and improv. He is so crazy cool.

Anyway, now I just need to meet Conan and then I'll have met everyone who got me into Yale!

Reuxben

nts_horrormovieblackguy

2011-06-29T11:59:00.002-04:00

note to self #111: no kids' behind left
Well, jack kelly, author of note to self has some more horrific comics, this week's installment being called "horror movie black guy." The first scrawling is about jack kelly's aspirations to become a modern-day teacher, which is to say, he wants to sit around screaming at kids all day, clock out, collect a check, buy video games, and then go home to play Xbox online so he can scream at 12-year-old Korean boys--who are pwning him hardcore (natch)--about how much he hates the idiot American kids he has to teach all day. It's the circle of strife. And it moves us all.

note to self #112: peanut better and yalie
Oh, jack kelly, how delusional are you? Where do you get off feeling superior to anyone? I've dropped turds more valuable than you. Seriously--I had swallowed a quarter earlier and it was wedged in the dooky.

note to self #113: ender's got game
Good job, jack kelly. Do you think you're tough by making allusions to the grittiest parts of classic sci-fi literature? Don't for a second even try to act like you're any sort of tough guy. I've seen you tear up during a popcorn commercial. And geez, I didn't realize you were from the deep south with that latter character's revelation. I bet your Valentine's Days are pretty sick. And I don't mean cool-sick, you creep.

note to self #114: thus steroids
I see, jack kelly, your psychological problems stem from your hideously anti-Kodiak memories of your father. No, no, it's cool. Really. Paternal angst is so in this year/generation.

note to self #115: jocks know the score
Come now, jack kelly, athletes at Yale on massive-rostered teams that spend hours upon hours together daily are just as prone to bouts of depression as potent as any undergone by isolated comicsers who only have at-best-apathetic "colleagues" who only draw to kill time between classes. Sure athletes have personal resources in coaches and teammates whom they interact with continuously every day and everywhere, on and off the field, but these gregarious extroverts can feel entirely as out of place and lonely during the two hours a day they aren't wearing coordinated outfits with fifty other dudes or clashing their bodies against their pals or throwing back brewskies with their broskies. Sitting in a room wondering where life went off the rails for you as you draw yourself into oblivion like an alcoholic on a bender is nothing. NOTHING. Give yourself a reality check before you mouth off next time, jack kelly, you insensitive idiot.

Reuxben

Com_Neck

2011-06-27T23:59:00.001-04:00

A giraffey commission.

The shades.

The lines.

The sig:

Reuxben

ZLM_Upkeep

2011-06-24T23:59:00.002-04:00

Bad beats, bro.

Zero Like Me #167:
Deal #2:
Upkeep

Easter Eggs: "Yale" in panel 3, Deal 2 in panel 4. Garry McGruder's our featured guest star, who's aesthetic is inspired by the Budoka creatures from Champions of Kamigawa set.

Also, in case it isn't clear, "glhfdd" (how I tend to end my letters of support) means "good luck, have fun, don't die." "<3" means "less than three" or whatever...

Fun Facts: Ok, so for today's final version, we're trying borderless panels and completely digital inks. I think it's looking pretty solid, and I think I'll convert all pages to this model for the print edition. [Post-SDCC Update: borders for all!]

My goodness, it takes forever to produce these pages, though--it was hard enough doing strips! It's so easy to get carried away with details and stuff once we enter the digital phase of production. But I have to make these look as slick as possible for Comic-Con, and fortunately I don't have an editor breathing down my neck, so this is pretty all right, all things considered.

Baa: This comic's final draft took a while to post because I seriously messed up my insides--I ate some bad cheese, it seems, and it felt like my stomach was slowly being shredded on the inside by the craggy shards of a broken bottle for a couple days, rendering me unable to do art for any real length of time. It was agony. By day two I just couldn't handle it anymore--I'm not so lactose intolerant I can't handle a good chunk of dairy, so I was at a loss as to what could be the problem. We eventually figured out that Tums pills would do the trick and they did. Such a relief. At one point I was literally curled over, gripping my stomach trying to figure out how to trick myself into sleeping off the pain. But, Tums! Who knew! Hope I can still go to town on dairy, though. Love dairy.

Anyway, although we're a bit off schedule, Friday's page will be up as soon as I finish pencils with the finals to follow soon after, so yeah.

Reuxben

nts_ikilledtupacshakur

2011-06-22T11:59:00.001-04:00

note to self #106: ceo of what?
Despite my wishes otherwise, jack kelly, author of note to self, has five more ugly comiclings to debut, which he's calling "i killed tupac shakur." First up is a comic about jack kelly, a talentless Yale admit-mistake, wishing he could be more successful relatively right after graduation and then pouting about it, expecting my sympathy. Way to go, jack kelly, you weren't satisfied just getting into a university people literally torture their children to get into, but now you throw a hissy fit when you aren't then immediately thrust into the pinnacles of post-graduate success? How spoiled and entitled are you, jack kelly? What are you, white? I know how you grew up, jack kelly, it was beans, rice, and tortillas (with cheese, if you're lucky) every day before Yale, and guess what, you wetback hack, it's right back to the Taco Bell-sponsored projects with you. Don't look at me like that, jack kelly, you know you're not supposed to amount to a hill of beans.

note to self #107: racist joke
Aww snap, here comes jack kelly with the racist jokes. I'll be writing an angry letter to your editor, you know that, right? This is a high class website, you turd-monkey, and I won't stand for your reprehensible content. Last time I checked, jack kelly, you were neither black nor white, so I don't know where you get off making jokes about those fine, succulent, juicy races. You racist, uh...racist.

note to self #108: disappointment
Oh jack kelly, please stop acting like anything is owed to you after graduating Yale, I mean, as we just established in the previous comic commentary, you aren't white, so get off your high, white horse. Take your crippled place in society and like it, jack kelly. Love it. Stew with bitter anger and regret at everything you could have been, should have been, but never will be, but don't for a moment dare to complain about it to me or your entirely successful and luminously white college roommates, even in jest. How else can I spell it out for you, jack kelly? If I wanted to hear about an Ivy Leauguer who has had a rough past year, I'd listen to Conan. Are you Conan, jack kelly? No. So shut your mouth. And pass me a burrito.

note to self #109: the barber's unhappiness
Oh, jack kelly, stop masquerading behind old Matches song titles with your racist tirades. Be up front with your racism. Like this racist guy, HE has the guts to lay it all out there with his ever-spewing racism. Go big or go home, jack kelly, a home which I would assume is some kind of run down van on the US-Mexico border that houses you and your 17 brothers and sisters before your daily Kessel Run to a Home Depot parking lot. Unless of course you're on lookout duty for La Migra, in which case you're probably hiding outside your shabby cab, near a cactus, wearing a giant sombrero and a big, shiny mustache wondering how your unwed girlfriend is doing as she quietly heaves inside the van, popping out her fifth baby by an unconfirmed father. Racist.

note to self #110: cute couple
How dare you attack true love, you jealous hunk of coal, jack kelly! Who cares about the sordid circumstances that preceded their beautiful public union? They're happy now, so it doesn't even matter anymore! The past is the past, so long as we choose to turn a blind eye as we hurl in digust in the other direction. And don't even think about touching Roman Polanski next, you sicko. Besides, only Roman Polanski does the touching around these parts. And that guy from Beetlejuice. Wait, what was I talking about again? Never mind, I forget. Hey, let's watch Annie Hall again, jack kelly! I could go for a super depressing "comedy" right about now. To make it extra sad, let's rent it at Blockbuster. On VHS.

Reuxben

GB_Simon

2011-06-20T23:59:00.005-04:00

So I slowly keep creepin' to the beat of my heart,
But my heart keeps racin' and I can't keep up...

Very excited to announce my latest endeavor:

I'm storyboarding a music video.

This is our main character, Simon.

Simon says,

"You just don't stop."

Reuxben

ZLM_Mulligan

2011-06-17T23:59:00.008-04:00

I'd tap that (at the end of your turn).

Zero Like Me #166:
Deal #1:
Mulligan

Easter Eggs: "Yale" in panel 5, Deal 1 in panel 3. Ib's helm on the green mage. Zero's costume inspired by Puddnhead's Roofstalker Wight. Shout out to Polanski-clan creeps. Today's setting is the outskirts of Desert with the beginnings of a mysterious forest.

Fun Facts: This is my first time doing sequentials in about a year, so I have to admit I had a mix of anxiety and excitement about embarking on this, but here we go with our Magic-themed adventure! Every Friday we're going to get a new page, and by the end of it we'll have a little contained story, just like the Herald days.

So although I'm excited to be back, particularly on sequentials, most anxiety stemmed from the question of inking: do I ink this traditionally or digitally?

The last sequential I inked traditionally was over a year ago, before I owned a tablet. I've been digitally inking the past 50ish ZLMs anyway, so digital was definitely my inclination because of how clean and polished it can look right off the bat, while still being easy to further edit, the results of which you can see at left.

My worry with digital inking is that it's not really helping my artistic development, but I could argue either way on that, as I am definitely able to catch more errors on the digital pass.

Baa: Just to be sure I wanted to stick with digital, I decided to ink this traditionally as well, so at right is how it would have looked back in the Yale era. I think this is resounding proof I gotta stick with digital; digital lines are cleaner, crisper, and more easily manipulated, but at the cost of taking longer. Just gotta figure out how to get the ideal printing.

The traditional inks feel so clunky and the errors just get amplified. It's also so easy to get carried away and go overboard, which can only end badly if you're not careful. Maybe it's the paper, but I feel like the ink bleed is a little too much. I have a limited supply of Bristol board, but I'm reserving it for some other projects since it's more expensive. I can't print my page template on it anyway, so it'd be tough to get the pages to sync up.

The weird page formatting is present because I've matched Viz-publishing format (off a copy of Hikaru no Go) which has a big gutter on the spine-side of the page; you have to start your first page on the right side of the book, so the big spine-gutter is on the left. The idea is to collect these Magic pages together into a professional-looking minicomic and hand them out to some special someones.

Even if I permanently switch to digital inks, I still want to continue penciling traditionally, because I still have a lot of leveling up to do on that front and I won't be doing myself any favors by skipping this step, especially without a Cintiq. I tried doing a completely digital comic with no pencils once, and I dunno, I'm just not ready to go there yet...

All right, so next week, more Magic, plus some quite unrelated stuff.

Reuxben

nts_thecocainecubbyhole

2011-06-15T11:59:00.001-04:00

note to self #101: chip whitley is a beast
With my condolences to those affected by him, jack kelly, author of note to self, has five more poops-worth of comics in a turdbundle he's calling "the cocaine cubby hole." He starts with a comic about the only reason anyone would want to go to Harvard--screw the lineage of prestigious presidents, innovators, and agents of humanity, the only thing Harvard can really boast is that they got Conan. And now, like many a fictitious alumni, Dartmouth can proudly add Conan to their alumni list, too. Dartmouth--which I learned is a member of the Ivy League upon watching my first Ivy League basketball game my Freshman Year at Yale and seeing the nauseous-green D banner sagging sadly in the Payne Whitney Gymnasium's rafters--is like the Harvard of not-really-alumni alumni magnets. And Dartmouth's President Kim is the Harvard of checking his watch just as his honored guest and called-in-favor starts ramping up into the truest parts of his speech. I find myself wondering, would it be worth it going to Dartmouth for four years just to see Conan? Probably. But I went to Yale for four years and saw Conan at Dartmouth live on Youtube...so, no.

note to self #102: doncha wish your girlfriend was?
Well, jack kelly, you at least get points for not using the old "mysterious girlfriend up in Canada" line. And those points are the only thing you'll score.

note to self #103: waking up is hard to do
Oh, jack kelly, you ugly, ugly little thing that is ugly. If you want a friend, buy a dog. And a leash, cuz you know that hound's making a break for it, first chance it gets.

note to self #104: spec
Let me break spec work down for you, jack kelly. Spec(ulation) work is doing art for free for a client on the promise of potential future payment, or for mere exposure. Spec work is like taking an unpaid internship at a company you don't really want to work for, full of people you don't really want to work with, and you don't even get school credit. But they get to do whatever they want with your work and you get to roll over and take it and perpetuate the attitude among clients that art is not worth paying for, particularly when it is being used explicitly for commercial purposes by companies that, if they are seriously endeavoring to be professional, should be able to pay for art as they would pay for a carpenter or chef or whatever for their time.

Often such sucky clients'll ask you to produce one or more free works for them to consider before perhaps picking one of the pieces to perhaps pay for. The best part is seedy clients often pitch spec work to you as if it's something cool and daring, often asking if you're "up to the challenge" of submitting free work to them for the chance that they'll pay you later, if ever, but meanwhile promising you'll earn so much exposure that you'd be STUPID not to submit to them. With that in mind, I bet jack kelly actively works on spec just to spite everyone in the industry. See also this educational film on generally idiotic clients, or as I like to call them, "jack kelly" clients.

note to self #105: so stupid it stings
Come on jack kelly, sure "Walking on the Moon" is kinda mindlessly stupid when you think about it, but man, it sure sounds good, unlike anything that spews out of your horrible apertures, you jealous little sad sack.

Reuxben

Com_Smiler

2011-06-13T09:32:00.005-04:00

A smiley commission.

These are the shades.

These are the lines.

And this is my sign off,

Reuxben

Fun_GG

2011-06-10T23:59:00.001-04:00

No summoning sickness in sight.

Shuffle up your sequential pages,

cuz we're dealing the first hand

next week!

Topdeck like your life

depends on it.

Reuxben

nts_suicidetendstobefunny

2011-06-08T11:59:00.007-04:00

note to self #96: white people kill me
Regrettably jack kelly, author of note to self, will achieve his 100th post-Yale comic this week, in a bundle he's calling "suicide tends to be funny." He starts with a comic about how whenever minorities hear about another minority going to Yale, they first ascertain that going to Yale is indeed an extremely good thing and then subsequently engage in congratulatory language, as opposed to whenever every single white person learns a minority went to Yale--the white person already knows going to Yale is a good thing, so they immediately ask if sports were involved with the admission. If you ask me, it's minorities who are showing their insensitivity and ignorance in these situations.

People should assume the only way a minority got into Yale was not by studying every waking minute of high school, eating alone every single day with no friends save the historical figures found in his AP US history textbook, and going straight to and from school, but rather that the minority got into Yale via some sports-related bonus points on his application. Duh. I mean, that's how I did it, and I'm Mexican, the scummiest of minority scum, so obviously sports was my only hope of getting in. And goodness knows me and my fellow idiot jock friends got along great! I got into Yale without having to stunt my social development at all, and I couldn't have done it without sports! So thank you, sports, for making brown-skinned turds like me appealing to something as otherwise inaccessible as Yale!

note to self #97: shut up, nerd
Again, jack kelly's pulling some stupidity about equating US comics with Superhero comics. I mean who is so ignorant that they can't discern genre from medium? OBVIOUSLY superheroes is a medium, and not a genre. You cannot make comics in the US unless they have superheroes in them. Just ask The Spirit. So shut up with your defense of the medium, jack kelly, it needs neither your help nor your content. The medium of superheroes will happily regurgitate itself ad nauseum until all that's left is colorfully spandex-clad blobs of vomit and the shattered dreams of anyone with an original thought in their skull. US comics is simply superheroes, period, and that is all comics ever will be. This is America, jack kelly. Leave diversity to the lesser countries.

note to self #98: kinkos and in-n-out burger
Geez, jack kelly, did it ever occur to you that you're just not qualified to handle the butt-riddling task of making photocopies or making animal-style burgers? Oh, jack kelly, you arrogant little puddle of poo, just because you went to Yale and the employers will not shut up about how freaking impressive going to Yale is doesn't mean you should expect to be get the painfully idiotic position you're only reluctantly applying for. Obviously you could handle anything these community-college rejects could throw at you, but that's not important. All that matters is...I have no idea, actually. Blindfolds and cork boards with dart-pinned resumes on it, maybe? Perhaps the ignorance of an employer who can't realize that if they are paying money for someone to agree to do something, the paid person is then obligated to do it, despite any internal qualms he has doing such searingly undesirable work?

note to self #99: brutal
I knew it, jack kelly, your hatred of black people and women all come together in one comic. Smooth. May you soon be Amadou Diallo'd with all deliberate speed. And may I be there right with ya, if not to watch, then to participate, on either end.

note to self #100: this comic is proof
Classic, jack kelly. Did it ever occur to you that if you had been less focused on academics during high school, you might have made some friends so that you wouldn't be so socially crippled when you got into Yale, so that after graduation you could get some sweet Yale, old-boy-fueled job? As we just established in today's first comic, you should have did high school sports, you short-sighted stooge! That way you could let your grades drop a little in exchange for social skills, and then you could only manage to get into a mediocre college and--oh, wait, I see, but then you wouldn't have been able to get into Yale and subsequently acquire that sweet Yale, old-boy-fueled job...hmm...quite a predicament... How do you get into Yale while still developing socially?

Whatever. Just assume you got in somehow, okay? Ok. So once at Yale, you could then have joined highly social groups, like the Yale Daily News or the Yale Herald or the Yale Record. Oh, you did? Then what happened? OH! Duh, you chose to do comics instead of real contributions. Idiot. Obviously you're going to end up drawing in your room alone and communicating with people electronically 95% of the time, thus prolonging your social infancy. Well, tough luck, moron. If you truly had a Yale-worthy brain, you would have figured out a solution to all this. But we both know that since you didn't get into Yale for sports, you obviously just got in because of your skin color. Maybe next time you'll think twice about being born a minority, you idiot. Just imagine if you were white, you could do sports, be social, get into Yale, and then easily get your old-boy-perpetuation on. And then decades later you could get to ask subtly insulting questions to dark-skinned kids who got into Yale. Just like Elihu Yale would have wanted.

Happy hundreth, jack kelly, you urine-soaked sack of turd-urine sacks,

Reuxben

Com_Chill

2011-06-06T05:47:00.002-04:00

An icy commission.

Also! I recorded a video of me painting the eyes:

The music in the video was made available by the artist here. Trippy stuff!

While painting this guy, I listened to the Big Illustration Party Time Podcast, which is an incredible resource of inspiration and knowledge that I cannot recommend highly enough. If you do freelance illustration or comics, you really, really should listen to them. They manage to cover a lot of businessy topics without ever drifting into monotony.

The episodes on contracts, copyright, payment, and all the non-arty parts of art are especially important to listen to in addition to the usual important subjects of portfolio arrangement and all that. They revamped their site, so a ton of the archives aren't on the site yet, so you have to subscribe through iTunes to get all the episodes, but it's well worth it. Listen while you work!

Anyway, for more process (in addition to the video) I as always keep close track of the updated versions of the art I send to clients, so we consequently also have a nice little process gallery to look through, too.

You can see the Photoshop paints without the pencils at top, and the paints themselves look pretty close to a finished portrait, actually, but for now I still cling to traditional pencils, for the most part, as my security blanket. I like working traditionally and lament the pressure to go totally digital.

The other shot is the shaded lines, and below that are the pure pencil lines. And that's how we make a portrait (and mangle grammar). I really like seeing process stuff, so hopefully this was enjoyable.

I'm going to be uploading some more process videos I recorded, including a hair-painting demo and a digital inking demo, so there's at least two more process videos coming up, plus a super secret project I'm excited about. But more on that later!

Reuxben