Comics Life
Posted: July 23, 2015 Filed under: Interviews, My Favorite Things, Podcasts, Speculative Relationships anthology | Tags: apocalypse, comics life, comicsforward, dark engine, diversity, diversity in comics, independent comics, kinship, science fiction comics, speculative relationships, the paybacks, victus, x-men apocalypse Leave a commentI’m back. Been busy with some stuff.
SPECULATIVE RELATIONSHIPS
I ran a kickstarter for Speculative Relationships: Volume 2 with my pal Scott Kroll. We got funded! Here’s what it looks like:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1619738205/speculative-relationships-volume-2
We have some super awesome contributors in this one. Each artist is on their way to having amazing careers making comics and they all turned in mind-blowing stories. I’m so proud of the team and proud to say we have an amazing diverse group of creators telling unique heart-felt stories. There is a lot of scifi out there right now, which is great. But… A lot of it tends to fall into some of the same old tropes. Even the best stuff tends to focus on dudes fighting bad aliens or robots. Don’t get me wrong, that stuff is fine (I mean, Predator is one of my all-time favorite movies). But I feel pretty strongly that when a genre is en vogue, it’s important to take advantage of that to showcase ideas and creators that are under-represented within it. To that point, Isabella Rotman and I talked about diversity in comics a bit in this interview for Speculative Relationships:
I also really loved this thing that Ben Passmore (one of our contributors) posted:
I’m not a huge reader of Sci-fi or speculative fiction, in part because much of what I’ve come across is a thinly veiled narrative supporting some of the oldest oppressive ideas (colonialism, magic white dudes, ect.). Chunky young brown Ben wasn’t super into that, not because of some deep political analysis, but because I felt expected to be a magical white guy and that stressed me out. The comics in this anthology stray from this, sometimes a little and sometimes a lot, and it’s totally worth it for there to be narratives that are different in the word so that little chunky brown kids are less stressed.
We also did a bunch of interviews to promote the book. You can check them out here:
Speculative Relationships Creator Spotlights
I feel really good about the results in the book and I can’t wait to get it into more hands once we finalize the printing.
…
COMICS LIFE
I’ve done a few different things for some things. Here’s the line art for a pinup I did for Image Comics Dark Engine:
Which should be out soon-ish? And the final is in color.
And here’s a sneak peek at a secret thing I did for a new Dark Horse book by Donny Cates & Eliot Rahal:
I’m in another show at Third Coast Comics in Chicago this weekend. The show is themed ‘bad guys’ so I had to do an Apocalypse for that:
Here’s a logo I designed for the title page of Aaron Pittman’s cool scifi webcomic Grimfish (which you should read):
Somewhere in the last couple months I also did some Luther Strode fan art for fun:
…
VICTUS & KINSHIP
I haven’t forgotten about Victus and I assure you, the 4th issue is coming. Here’s some early sketching for the cover design:
I am posting 1 page from the series per week on my tumblr, to lead up to the release of #4. So if you haven’t read it yet, you can check it out there. Issues 1-3 are still for sale in my store as well.
…
KINSHIP
Kinship is a project I haven’t talked about much yet. It’s a comic I’m writing with my brother Logan, and the incredibly talented Drew Alderfer is drawing it. We are putting together samples for a pitch. The series follows a group of native americans in the early 1600’s, who have to defend their village from a group of foreign bandits. We are taking a lot of queues from Seven Samurai and it’s really shaping up to be something special. Here’s a couple of Drew’s designs for the main good and bad guys:
I couldn’t be happier with the work Drew is doing and working with my brother on the script has been amazing. We really hope we can find a home for the series! It’s about time we see some native american heroes in comics.
…
INSPIRATION
Here’s some stuff that’s inspired me lately:
This album & band is better than the title implies.
Tradd Moore is KILLING it on Legacy of Luther Strode
My friend Landis has been working on this book. His hatching is next level.
This Guillaume Singelin Metal Gear thing is drooooollll…
I really liked this new John Vestevich story.
There is a really cool show of woodblock prints from different religions at the Art Institute right now.
The clouds have been perfect in Chicago lately. So I’ve been taking a lot of pics.
…
I’ll try to get back on the wordpress horse. Thanks for reading!
Stay Busy
Posted: October 10, 2014 Filed under: My Favorite Things, Speculative Relationships anthology, Victus | Tags: Daniel Warren Johnson, decadence comics, grim wilkins, hot dougs, lando, liam cobb, m.r. trower, nausicaa, Prophet, prophet comics, Space-Mullet, speculative relationships, victus Leave a commentI’ve neglected my poor blog. What’s crazy is that it’s not because stuff has been slow. I feel like I’ve been running a marathon for the last 8 months. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m just gonna ramble here…
SPECULATIVE RELATIONSHIPS
The book got printed, delivered, and read by our awesome backers. I’m so proud of the work we did on this book. It was so cool to see the pics our backers took with their copies:
SO COOL.
So we did a release party at the amazing Challengers comics and a signing at the cool Graham Crackers Comics.
But we have one more event coming up where you can see us and get a copy of the book! Come see us on October 24th at Quimby’s Bookstore:
We’ll have the book up for sale soon online in both print and digital formats. I promise to do another post when we get that together.
…
VICTUS #3
Man, I can’t wait for you all to see the new issue of Victus. It has been a BEAST to get through, but I think it represents a big step in my work and hopefully some really intriguing turns in the story. I’m neck deep in figuring out printing, but once I’ve found the solutions, I’ll put up a pre-order page (with some cool bonuses). For now, here’s some peeks into the book:
…
FAN ART
I’ve still been doing some fan art for fun. Here’s some Prophet:
And here’s some fanart from Spread, by Justin Jordan & Kyle Strahm:
Colors by my pal Gerald Proctor. I would recommend you start picking up Spread, as this badboy might be making an appearance. 😉
…
FOOD
Sadly, one of the greatest places in Chicago, HOT DOUG’s, has closed. It’s cool, as he chose to close, rather than being forced to because of low sales or rent or some other nonsense. Doug’s was a special place that I frequented since college and always tried to take Chicago visitors to. Doug said some awesome stuff about it in this interview, so Read It.
…
STUFF I LOVE
I’ve been really inspired by this stuff lately…
Grim Wilkins is doing some really cool stuff in Prophet, but in general rocks. Check him out.
Lando, of Decadence Comics, just had a compilation released from Breakdown Press called Gardens of Glass. It’s the real deal.
REM by M.R. Trower is a super cool web-comic and I’m excited to see where it goes.
Liam Cobb. Basically, everything Liam does is breathtaking. He’s one to watch.
I finally started reading (for real) Hayao Miyazaki’s Nausicaa manga that my pal Dan let me borrow. It be goooooood.
Speaking of Daniel Warren Johnson… his current storyline of Space-Mullet is his strongest work to date. Get on board now!
…
That’s all for now. I have a lot more to tell ya’ll, but my computer at home just had a major malfunction, so I’m sneaking this out at work. Let me know how you’re doing out there!
Victus, Speculative Relationships, Engagement, AND Otomo
Posted: July 30, 2014 Filed under: My Favorite Things, Speculative Relationships anthology, Victus | Tags: brutus magazine, BWS, engagement ring, fan art, heather oleari, katsuhiro otomo, kickstarter, otomo, Prophet, Reid Psaltis, speculative relationships, starved rock, the spread, victus Leave a commentThings have been busy here. Very busy. Most exciting at the moment: I got the proof for the Speculative Relationships anthology that we Kickstarted last month!
INCREDIBLY excited! The books printed and delivered en masse is the next step!
…
VICTUS #3
This issue is taking me a bit longer. But… not to brag… but it’s because this is some of my best work yet. I’m really excited about the new things happening in the book and new techniques I’m exploring. Here are some peeks:
…
OTOMO SCANS
I scanned in some stuff from the Katsuhiro Otomo special issue of Brutus Magazine, which my awesome friend from Japan (Rinko Endo) sent me. Some really cool stuff in there:
So amazing. Everything about Otomo mesmerizes me.
…
VACATION WEEKEND
I went to Starved Rock this weekend with my fiance’ (oh yeah, I GOT ENGAGED). Here are a few pics:
We also went to the soon-to-be-closed-but-amazing-hotdog-emporium Hot Dougs…
And I guess you probly wanna see the ring…
I designed the ring in collaboration with the amazing custom jeweler Heather Oleari. I’ll try to do a post about that design process at some point in the near future.
…
FAN ART & OTHER STUFF
As usual, I’ve been up to my ol’ fan-arti-ing
Diehard from Prophet, Colors by Gerald Proctor
No, from The Spread
The main character in Reid Psaltis’s Kingdom/Order
And a Simon piece to promote the awesome Cupcake Award
…
And finally I’ll leave you with a moment of zen. Barry Windsor-Smith’s beautiful colors, accompanied by a new Run The Jewels Track…
What’s on your shelf, pt2
Posted: April 6, 2014 Filed under: My Favorite Things, News, Speculative Relationships anthology | Tags: Prophet, shelfie, speculative relationships, the raid 2, victus, yilala Leave a commentHey hey!
Back again for a quick post.
SHELFIE
Here are a few more looks at my bookshelf (or ‘shelfie’ I guess it’s called?)
…
Some of my proudest acquisitions on these shelves would have to be 2 of Katsuhiro Otomo’s short story collections (SOS and Memories), Visions of Arzach, Moebius’ 40 Days Dans Le Desert, In the Studio, the Hellshock collection, Stranger in a Strange Land… ugh.. honestly I love all this stuff!
What’s on YOUR shelf?
…
SPECULATIVE RELATIONSHIPS
So it’s official, I’ve announced the anthology I’ve been putting together with Scott Kroll. It’s is a science fiction romance comics anthology called Speculative Relationships (get it?). We are really excited about it! Here is the cover image:
by the amazing Mike Manomivibul.
It will feature new stories by:
and of course ME.
We are planning to gain funds for printing via Kickstarter! So please keep up with the project on tumblr and twitter:
speculativerelationships.tumblr.com
twitter @SciFiRomanceCom
I’m sure I’ll bug ya’ll about it more as the Kickstarter approaches!
…
Work work work all the time
So here is what I’ve been up to…
There are some peeks on this desk of just about everything I’m working on
You know I can’t get enough Prophet/Yilala. What I wouldn’t give to just get ONE PAGE in that Prophet: Strikefile book.
This will shape up to be the promo poster for the next issue of Victus.
Work has been excessively sucky lately. So I put my feet up and watched the Thundercats intro. It helped. A little.
The Raid 2 is one of the best things ever on the planet. Do anything you can to go see it NOW. I’ve been twice so far and count on at least one viewing in the theatre.
…
Thanks for playing along at home! Is anyone keeping score?
– Tyrell
Victus #2 Available for Pre-order
Posted: December 16, 2013 Filed under: Buy Stuff!, News, Simon, Victus | Tags: independent comics, independent sci-fi comics, simon comics, victus Leave a commentHey hey, the day has finally come… Victus #2 is ready for public consumption! I’m really stoked about this second issue and I hope you are too. As with last time, I have some special bonus’s so read on…
The Story Continues:
Isaac continues gathering artifacts for Absalom, while also working with Alphonse and Dom to mark the city. A local religious group worships together at a cathedral under watchful eyes. Children are frightened by a strange creature seen near Absalom’s shop. Isaac witnesses a shocking event while spying on Absalom.
Product Images:
More product images HERE
I also have a 5 page preview of the story HERE
Pre-Order BONUS:
All orders placed by 12/20/13 will receive a free 8.5″ x 11″ print:
DOUBLE BONUS:
As before, the first 10 pre-orders will receive pages ripped straight from my Victus sketchbooks…
So, what are you waiting for?
…
SIMON: PUGILIST
And while you’re over at the store, you can also order the newest Simon mini comic:
…
This is the second collaboration between my brother Logan and I. The initial print-run is EXTREMELY limited, so go get yours now:
…
Thanks for all your patience as I worked to complete the second issue of Victus. I am very proud of the work and I think you’ll find it to be worth the wait. More news to come next week!
– Tyrell
Tetsuo’s Brain Frame of Reference
Posted: December 2, 2013 Filed under: My Favorite Things, Process, Victus | Tags: akira, Albrecht Durer, art analyzation, Brain Frame, comic book influences, Ernst Oehme, Franklin Booth, Ideas Made of Light, Jack Kirby, katsuhiro otomo, victus Leave a commentBeen a while folks. Been extremely busy getting Victus #2 ready (I know I know… you’re tired of hearing it). But the files are at the printer and I should be getting a proof this week. Hopefully, pre-order options will be available next week. In the meantime, I wanted to post some of the imagery I’ve used as reference in creating the visuals of Victus.
…
King Kirby is right up there with Durer for my influences.
I discovered Franklin Booth when researching. Check Him Out!
Coat of arms design has always intrigued me.
In a perfect world, this is how the Victus covers would be printed. Hand bound and embossed with beautiful rich colors. I long for the days when books are once again regarded as precious objects to be treasured by the maker and the reader.
I wanted the city to dance between feeling realistic in perspective and having the flat quality of 16th century paintings.
The mood and presence captured in Ernst Oehme’s paintings are incredibly striking. You get a sense of a place, a time, and an emotion in every painting. Check Him Out too!
An early rendition of Nuremberg. This is exactly the kind of city I wanted to emulate in Victus, historically and visually.
Issue #3 will feature something to tie this in…
…
I encourage everyone to look at as many works of art and nature as you can when preparing for a project. I love the process of discovery that accompanies visual research. It’s like falling in love for the first time. But without the inevitable nasty breakup.
…
IDEAS MADE OF LIGHT: KATSUHIRO OTOMO
I was honored to be a guest blogger on Ideas Made of Light, hosted by the great Scott McD. Here is a link to my post where I take a close look at this Akira title page by manga-god Katsuhiro Otomo:
Scott’s blog analyzes all different types of artwork. If you’ve never read it, I highly recommend you do so. Every artist or art enthusiast can learn something from Scott’s insights.
…
BRAIN FRAME
If I haven’t mentioned it yet, I’ll be doing a reading at the wold famous Brain Frame in January. I’m composing a performance specifically for the show, so I encourage anyone in the Chicago area that to come out for comics chaos! I’ll have more details closer to the date, but here are some of the sketches I’m working on, along with some Prophet fan art and a creepy pic of me lightboxing:
…
I have more exciting news on the way, but I can’t quite announce it yet. But if you like Sci-fi, you’ll want to stayed tuned.
– Tyrell
Time after Time
Posted: October 27, 2013 Filed under: My Favorite Things, Process, Victus | Tags: alfredo aclala, dave chisholm, donuts, frank frazetta, inking techniques, owls, time-lapse, victus, wally wood, wolverine, wolverine's hair Leave a commentHey!
Been busy with Victus #2. I’m happy to say there is only 1 page left to draw. But don’t hold your breath just yet. I have to finish the covers and title pages. Here are some peeks:
…
TIME-LAPSE
Last weekend I recorded a time-lapse video of me inking a page from Victus #2. Check it out:
Oh hey, a vague release date! Way to go me. More video content is on the way next week!
…
INSPIRATION
Stuff I have been looking at:
Old Frank Frazetta pageAlfredo Alcala with some awe-inspiring inks
Wally Wood tearin’ it up on Weird Science
I couldn’t resist this Punisher/Wolverine for a $1 at the comic shop last week!
I love the way Gary Erskine draws wolverine. Check out his ‘disguise’.
Dart! I like Wolverines hair here. I could do a whole post on odd-ball representations of Wolverine.
…
INSTRUMENTAL
I met this dude named Dave Chisholm at SPX who is working on an awesome comic about a guy with a magic trumpet. This is one of the more interesting and well-made comics I’ve seen lately. It’s got the energy of Pope and Jeff Smith. I highly recommend you check it out!
…
PHOTOS I TOOK
A panoramic of me and Mrs. T’s studio
Some donuts from Do-Rite Donuts!
And of course, I always need to throw some clouds in there.
…
I have some more exciting projects/announcements on the way. Stay tuned!
– Tyrell