Reconstructing the Napoleonic wars with dragons

Having interesting backgrounds can be a challenge, but again, using GoogleMaps I was able to find some legitimate stuff to put in the background that's inspired by realistic streets of Marseilles, which is pretty neat. See what I mean on Page 64.

While the characters are physically getting from one location to the next, I tried to put in some character development - if you ever read the Dan Brown novels that were so famous for all those years, he did an excellent job of balancing exposition, escape and mystery - unfortunately, it became a predictable pattern.

In any case - I'm in no way comparable to Dan Brown, nor his work, but he was definitely an inspiration for how this story was put together - read more at Stretch My Legs!

Graphic Novel News
Disney's new Amulet, America's hunt for Osama Bin Laden is capture in the graphic novel Code Word: Geronimo, and read who Stephen King and Peter Jackson are heaping praise on for their reconstrution of the Napoleonic wars with dragons!

Rob Edwards to Pen AMULET for Warner Bros. and ANIMATED AMERICAN for Disney
Dave Trumbore
Collider.com

Perhaps best known for his work on Disney’s recent animated flick, The Princess and the Frog, Rob Edwards has been slated to write two new films for Warner Bros. and Disney respectively. In Warner Bros.’ Amulet, based on the graphic novel series by Kazu Kibuishi, two teenaged siblings find that they are the last surviving guardians who must learn the secrets of a powerful amulet to save a magical realm. In Disney’s Animated American, a live-action/animation hybrid, a flesh-and-blood family raises an animated baby until he turns 18 and sets off to find his real family. Robert Zemeckis is set to produce Animated American alongside Bob Cooper and Dan Fogelman. Neither film has a start date as of yet.

Click to read more.

San Diego-Based IDW Publishing Releases Book on SEAL Team Six Raid
Kristina Houck
ComicBookResources.com

As the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks draw near, readers can gain a better understanding of the hunt for Osama bin Laden with the newly released graphic novel Code Word: Geronimo.

Written by retired Marine Capt. Dale Dye and his wife, Julia Dye, the San Diego-based IDW Publishing book chronicles the actions taken by SEAL Team Six to prepare for and complete their mission.

Click to read more.

Naomi Novik: How to write a graphic novel!
Betsy Mitchell
Suvudu.com

Naomi Novik is best known for her delightfully gripping Temeraire series, which reimagines the Napoleonic Wars with dragons serving as the air forces. British Aerial Corps captains and their dragons form a tight bond, and dragons are bred to perform various specialized tasks: reconnaissance, high-altitude bombing, firestarting, etc. Stephen King called the first novel, His Majesty’s Dragon, “Terrifically entertaining,” and Peter Jackson has bought the film rights to the series. If you haven’t read His Majesty’s Dragon, you can read the first chapter here.

Click to read more.

Super Dinosaur's Barber Spaceape

I was having fun using GooleMaps to doodle the French landscapes - granted only the sights that are roadside. I was pleased with how the car pictures came out - drawing vehicles has never been a strong point of mine.

I'm a little embarrassed that I'm so far behind in these updates on the blog - I mean this page was published back in June, 2011 - almost a half year ago. No matter - check out the link while you've got the chance, there's lots to check out there - read more at Stretch My Legs!

Graphic Novel News
In the graphic novel news, find out what link Garfield has to Bonnie Barber, the source of inspiration of Super Dinosaur #1 and read how hipper people than I are using graphic novels to put pictures to their music.


Bonnie Barber
GraphicNovelReporter.com

This summer, on July 14, the public library in Carrollton, Texas, will host an innovative 39 Clues-themed tween event. They’ll also incorporate the audience’s love for graphic novels and manga into the daylong event, which is being coordinated by youth services librarian Bonnie Barber. We talked to Bonnie about her love of comics. (For more information on the upcoming event, check the library’s website here.)

Click to read more.

Super Dinosaur #1
Doug Zawisza ComicBookResources.com

Robert Kirkman, the creator (or co-creator) of “The Walking Dead,” “Invincible,” and “The Astounding Wolf-Man,” has added quite a few gems to the comic book landscape, and does so again this week with his artistic co-creator Jason Howard. The story of Super Dinosaur’s origin as a character isn’t covered in this largely expository issue, but according to Kirkman, the concept of Super Dinosaur came from the mind of his co-creator’s son.

Click to read more.

Kode9 & The Spaceape: Under the Black Sun
Bram E. Gieben
TheSkinny.com.uk

The videos from Memories were very impressive – who are you working with on the visual art and videos for Black Sun and why did you choose them?
Kode9: We developed a mini graphic novel with a friend of mine Raz Mesinai [also a musician under the name Badawi] which tells the back story of the album in picture form. And we worked with Manny Optigram of Citinite, who does most of the Hyperdub artwork, to do the cover.

Click to read more.

'Everlast'ing brothers, oringal launches and students

Here's page 61 of Tomb of the Undead - part of a pivotal moment in the escape from customs at the airport - I thought it was particularly useful to have Starkwood's character be a motivational factor that delayed the detective from contacting France to intercept our heroes.

In any case - they sneak through without any complications, even though they should have been taken into custody. No doubt, the story is better with our characters acting on their free will, rather than being in detention.

For the record - Detention is a bad word. Shouldn't someone in "detention" be in "retention," or "detainment?" Where does "Detention" even come from? Sounds stupid to me - but that's hardly relevant.


Graphic Novel News
Student designs, relaunching all DC's original books and 'Everlasting' brothers.

Students design comic books
Andrew Nelson
Nique.net

Springtime Atlanta is heyday for comics, with MomoCon just in March and Free Comic Book Day in May. At Tech, local artists and students met at the first Annual Atlanta Comics Symposium to host panels on comics from their nature and creation to the industry’s ambivalent future.

Click to read more.

DC Comics to relaunch line; Geoff Johns, Jim Lee to create Justice League
nerdblog
www.newsok.com

As USA Today and the DC Comics Source blog are reporting, the publisher is relaunching its entire line starting in August, with 52 No. 1 issues across the line.

This relaunch will start with a new “Justice League” No. 1 on Aug. 31, and all DC’s superhero titles will be offered digitally on the same day from there forward.

Click to read more.

Chad Michael Murray updates us on his graphic novel, ‘Everlast’
otownrog
orlandosentinel.com

Chad Michael Murray’s been in town this month, filming “Renee,” the new drama about Rene Yohe. He plays Jamie Tworkowski, founder of “To Write Love on Her Arms,” and “I picked up some of his mannerisms, but I didn’t want to imitate him, any more than Kat (Dennings) is doing the ‘real’ Renee,” Murray (left, with the real Jamie) says.

Click to read more.

Hush, Hush - Serenity (vol. 3) for a Heachache

Some exposition of the mythology of this story begins with our protagonists searching out their contact in Marseilles - and this story gets them away from the airport, into France, and closer to the answers they're searching for.

I hope you enjoy this - I was never much of an artist when it comes to vehicles - so I was relatively pleased to see some of these cars turning out relatively well. I hope you enjoy it!



Read more at Stretch My Legs. I hope you like it.

Graphic Novel News

'Hush, Hush' Author Becca Fitzpatrick (And Fans) Help Shape Graphic Novel
Sabrina Rojas Weiss in Page Turners

Are fans of traditional YA novels eager to pick up graphic novel versions of their favorite books? Judging by the feedback "Hush, Hush" author Becca Fitzpatrick gets on her blog every time she posts a sketch from Sea Lion Books' upcoming adaptation of her fallen angel stories, due out in October, that's a resounding "yes."

Click to read more.

Graphic Novel Review: Serenity Volume 3: The Shepherd's Tale by Joss Whedon and Zack Whedon
Eilonvi, BLOGCRITICS.ORG
seattlepi.com

I just loved how the life-story of Shepherd Book was structured - starting from the moment of his death (on planet Haven, as we well know from the movie 'Serenity') and going backwards to the unknown parts of his life. All the defining moments of Book's life are presented as a chain of events that we uncover from end to origin, as each short chapter delves deeper into his past.

Click to read more.

Joy and Athena Give The Gods A "Headache"
Josie Campbell,
comicbookresources.com

Last year, brand new comic book company Kickstart Comics, founded by film producer Jason Netter, promised to change the face of comic sales and distribution by rolling out original graphic novels in both comic stores and Walmarts across the country. This month sees the release of their latest original comics property, "Headache," written by "Pushing Daisies" and "Burn Notice" scribe Lisa Joy with art by Jim Fern, Vertigo artist for "Crossing Midnight" and "Fables."

Click to read more.

Homeless in San Fransisco, Mr. Wonderful and the Uncanny X-Force

On page 60 I remember the new challenge - after having the characters trapped in an airplane for a few pages, they were suddenly in a crowded airport ... which wasn't any easier to conceive or draw. Check it out at "Just a Little Escape"

Graphic Novel News
Check out some graphic novel news - first, a graphic novel that's inspired by local homeless, which leads to "Transient Man," learn more about the introverted world of graphic novelist Danny Clowes and meet the Uncanny X-Force!

Homeless in San Fransisco, Mr. Wonderful and the Uncanny X-Force


Artist's graphic novel inspired by homeless people in San Francisco
Alexis Terrazas
SFExaminer.com

Justin Kaufman, art director of Massive Black, recently completed his graphic novel “Transient Man,” which is based on The City’s homeless. For more information, visit www.transientman.com or www.massiveblack.com.

What inspired you to write “Transient Man”? I’ve lived in The City for like 15 years, in and around the downtown area for most of that. And you know, you see these homeless people sometimes talking to themselves. I work in the GFX industry and I got obsessed with this idea. I talked about it to a few of my co-workers and it kind of spawned into [this]. I hope that it will encourage people to look at homeless people in a positive light.

Click to read more.

Graphic Novelist Daniel Clowes on What Makes ‘Mr. Wonderful’ Wonderful
Dennis Nishi
Speakeasy (blog)

If you’ve read the graphic novels of Dan Clowes, you already know the artist. The characters from such work as “Ghost World” and “Art School Confidential,” which have both been turned into movies, are reflections of the 50-year-old and his close circle of introverted but creative friends. He describes them all, and himself, as having a seething anger that surfaces during some social situations but who are very likable once you get them to relax.

His latest graphic novel is entitled “Mr. Wonderful” and it follows a middle-aged divorced man named Marshall that has been set up on a blind date. Of course, the evening spins off into some unexpected directions. “Mr. Wonderful” was originally commissioned as a serialized 20-episode comic strip for the New York Times Magazine back in 2008. The story has since been expanded and turned into a hardcover book that was released earlier this month by Pantheon Press. Speakeasy spoke with Clowes at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.

Click to read more.

Wednesday Comics Review: Uncanny X-Force 8 And Super Dinosaur 1
Rich Johnston
BleedingCool.com

For weeks I’ve watched Aaron and Mike going on and on and on and on and on about the new Uncanny X-Force series from Marvel by Rick Remender and Billy Tan. I picked up an early issue and, aside from a gorgeous scene with Deadpool and a still-framed assailant, wasn’t overly impressed. But it’s time to go back.

Ostensibly, this is a black ops group, but it’s more about pawns that have lost their king. They act independently, with great ferocity, but in the end are being placed in a position where they can do their thing. Expect these pawns get back on the board after they’ve been sacrficed and start moving each other around the place. Which makes for a very interesting game of chess, even as it’s embedded in Claremontian X-Men with the return of Shadow King, astral battles, possession, the price one must pay to win, the demons unleashed in the process and all that jazz, given a very pleasant painted execution of Billy Tan’s art.

Click to read more.

back in the saddle

I was on a great pace, and things were rockin' but I hit a major slump in production at Tomb of the Undead.

But I'm back at it, after like three weeks - not having the time to work on it made me feel really frustrated, so I'm glad to be back at it.

The hiatus seems to have coincided with me finishing rewatching Lost all over again on DVD. So, let's get back in the swing of things and start it all over again.

On to the pilot ... and back to updating with some regularity, if I have anything to say about it.

Hero physicists, Kite Runners and Untrue Tales of The Exorcist

Here's Page 59 of Tomb of the Undead - which was a lot of fun to draw, especially considering, as I mentioned before, I kind of got to give tribute to a buddy of mine. Again, the customs agent doesn't really resemble my buddy, but it is in honour of him.

It was tricky figuring out how to get this back-and-forth to not fill up too many pages - here's an example of a scene that ran a bit too long. It took a long time to cover everything that had to happen, and it's not good if these scenes go on for too long.

I think readers get impatient only if scenes take six pages to get through, but it takes you six weeks to publish them. Nobody likes that.


In any case, enjoy Page 59 of Just a Little Escape.

Graphic Novel News
In the links below, there are a bunch of neat posts about some new graphic novels coming up soon. The Untrue Tales of the Exorcist looks pretty f-ing awesome!

Check 'em out!

Richard Feynman, the late physicist, is hero of new graphic novel
Monica Hesse
WashingtonPost.com

It is a sad fact — an endlessly rehashed symbol of just what is wrong with America — that we make heroes of athletes but not mathletes, that we write comic books about men with capes but not real men with calculators, and that “Dancing With the Stars” has never tapped Andre Geim or Konstantin Novoselov, who — oh, admit it, you had to Google them — were last year’s winners of the Nobel Prize in physics.

Let us now commence an ode to a dead scientist.

There is a new graphic novel called “Feynman.” The hero is a particle physicist. Not, mind you, just any particle physicist. The people’s particle physicist. The cute one. Richard P. Feynman, “The Great Explainer,” 1965 Nobel Prize winner, player of bongos, seducer of women, launcher of thousands of dreamy-eyed physics majors. Even for those who hav­en’t taken a science class since 11th grade, referencing Richard Feynman (1918-1988) is a somewhat fashionable pursuit — the quirk, the flair, the devil-may-care. As much as representing science for scientists, his attitude seemed to represent science for the scient-ish — kookiness that was first brought to the mainstream in his autobiography, “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman.”

Click to read more.

GeekDad Interview: Khaled Hosseini, Author of The Kite Runner
Tony Sims
Wired.com

2003 best-seller The Kite Runner reveals the beauty and agony of a tormented nation as it tells the story of an improbable friendship between two boys from opposite ends of society, and of the troubled but enduring relationship between a father and a son. The Kite Runner begins in Kabul in the 1970s, shortly after the overthrow of the last Afghan king. Set on a broad canvas encompassing the communist coup d’état, the Soviet invasion, the rise of the Afghan freedom fighters or mujahideen, and the early days of the Taliban, Hosseini’s tale also portrays the Afghan community of exiles in America with unparalleled insight and deft wit. The Kite Runner graphic novel is a beautiful new rendering of Khaled Hosseini’s beloved story.

I recently caught up with the author, Khaled Hosseini, for a brief interview:

Click to read more.

Jay Baruchel To Adapt Image’s Random Acts Of Violence And Tell Untrue Tales Of The Exorcist
Rich Johnston
BleedingCool.com

The basis for William Peter Blatty’s book The Exorcist, and subsequently William Friedkin’s film, were said to be events that took place in Mount Rainier in Maryland during the late 1940s. Investigative journalist Mark Opasnick wasn’t sure all of the claims added up, however, so he set about sifting fact from fiction. This resulted in The Real Story Behind The Exorcist, a non-fiction book that dispelled a lot of the myths.

Click to read more.