Comics Work update

First, something non-comics. I hate feeling like I've been cheated by a purchase, so really enjoying having found The Consumerist website. Directions on how to arm David against Goliath International.

Getting slowly done with that first issue of Top 10, the new series. Sorry for the wait. The pencils are going quickly, but the detailed rendering of the 'inks' is taking me forever.

I did do some side projects, one because my Top 10 editor asked me to, and the other because I'd said I would and it was the chance of a lifetime.

Here's the once in a lifetime opportunity. In Spain last year, George Perez asked if I'd like to color a cover by him someday. I said yes! Pencillers don't often get to work on the same piece, except in jam covers. The offer became real a month ago. This is a small corner of a cover for TwoMorrows Back Issue magazine.


Here's a corner of a cover for my Wildstorm editor. Financially, it was a total waste of time doing this cover. Creatively it was worth it because it let me experiment with 'penciling' again. I penciled using marker, tech pen and white paint. The results were dynamic but fuzzy. All the tight glossiness is thanks to inker Andrew Pepoy!


I drifted away from using inkers because I wanted to use more tight hatching in my work. Now that I hate hatching that's not a problem. I took control of coloring because I didn't like the coloring in comics in the late 90s and early aughts. Coloring has gotten better. I'm considering becoming a traditional penciller again so I can meet monthly deadlines.

I love my current technique, but damn is it slow!

Spitzer

It seems only fair that I should comment on Elliot Spitzer, after teasing Republicans so much lately.

A few months ago I read a magazine profile of Spitzer. I disagreed with the writer, who thought he was the worst big state governor in the USA. I thought my boy Blagojevich (sp?) won that prize.

Sigh. Yeah, NY kicks Chicago ass again. Your governor sucks more.

If I lived in New York state, I think I'd occasionally vote Republican in local races. I don't do that here, because the IL GOP is crazy. In NY you get to vote for Republicans like Pataki and Bloomberg (though he's independent now). In Illinois we get Keyes and Jim "deport all illegal aliens unless they're my employees" Oberweis.

Anyhow, a law and order Democrat who hires $4000 'escorts'. Hopefully he'll resign today.

P-KhEWWWH!!!!

It's a silly little thing, but I just made myself laugh. I'm working on the cover of a DC/WS crossover, and as I drew an explosion I whispered a sound effect under my breath. I haven't done that for years.

We get runny noses here

Influenza mostly gets spread when people (in cold climes esp.) wipe their runny noses, then grab door knobs and public surfaces and other people touch those surfaces. Then we get on a plane and spread that to other, sometimes warmer, places.

Just bringing that up because my old pal and former Wildstorm editor Scott has had the flu for about a month. He lives outside San Diego, which is warm. I knew a month ago he was sick, but I'd just assumed he'd be feeling better by now.

Send him your best wishes and prayers, especially if you enjoyed any WS or ABC books over the last few years.

For anyone else out there feeling sick, sending out my prayers and best wishes that you feel better soon. And here's some technical background on why you're supposed to keep warm, drink fluids, and get fresh air if you have the flu:

In fact, [fever] may serve an important purpose- most bacteria and viruses that infect humans find it hard to replicate at higher than normal human body temperatures. The main danger from fever is rapid dehydration- the human body uses twice as much water with every degree of temperature rise. Because of this, most physicians now recommend that we balance the risks and benefits of fever by only treating and attempting to reduce fevers greater than 101 degrees F, 38.33 degrees C.

Fever can increase the need for oxygen. Oxygen requirements increase 7 percent for every 1 degree F increase in body temperature over 98.6 degrees F. For example if a fever is 103.6 degrees F (39.77 degrees C) there is a 35 percent increase in the body’s need for oxygen.

Norberto!

Back in 2001 I went to my first foreign comics show. It was a great little show in Spanish Galicia, in a town called Cangas. I met some amazingly friendly folks. One who stood out was Norberto, an artist working in the Spanish market. He was especially good at the sexy girls. Last year I met him again at the show in Avilés, Spain.

He did inks on this, but I think it shows off the Norberto style well.

I just got an email from his agent, showing off his latest project: he's inking for US companies! Congratulations to Norberto Fernandez, and expecting the quality of the sexy girl drawings to improve at Marvel now. Give him some pencilling jobs!

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It's just common sense.