Hello all!
I'm back with another e-interview. This time up is a cartoonist I hold in the highest regard. His praise-worthy work has never left anything but dumbstruck... so it's always nice to have an excuse to hype his unholy name.
1) For the uninitiated, your name and location?
Kevin Cannon, Minneapolis MN.
2) What have you been up to lately? What projects have you been attached to in the first 6 months of 2008?
I found a publisher for "Far Arden", and I'm writing the script for a second Shanks book.
*Note: I've mentioned Far Arden here before. Kevin was kind enough to autograph a copy from his self-published small print run. I think it's absolutely brilliant. There isn't enough time or energy to say just how much I admire Kevin and his craft. -AR
3) When and where can people pick up and/or see these works?
Far Arden will come out April 2009. I also co-illustrated a book called "The Stuff of Life", which is a non-fiction graphic novel about genetics and DNA, and that's coming out in January. Zander Cannon also did illustrations and Mark Schultz wrote it.
*Note: If you don't know, anything Kevin and Zander team-up for is a book worth purchasing. So, cop it when it's released! -AR
4) What projects and events are on the horizon? Do you have release dates in-mind at present? If so, indulge us.
Zander Cannon and I are illustrating a graphic novel for Simon & Schuster. That one will be coming out summer '09.
5) Have you been working in any new mediums or experimenting with your known style and tools, at all?
I'm rediscovering the series 7 brush, and doing some acrylic painting.
6) If you've been trying new things, share a bit of your thoughts on that process.
Painting in acrylic has always been difficult for me because I can never get the fine lines and smooth gradients I see in my head. So now I'm trying to embrace that, and work bigger and not worry too much about details. Working in black & white all day makes working with paint a real trip.
*Note: Something tell me your exploration in acrylics will be even grander than your established work in black & white. You may quote me on that, folks. -AR
7) Do you keep a sketchbook? If so, what do you get out of this process? Do you think it's a good thing, in general, for an artist to do?
No, I never got into sketchbooks. I keep lots of notebooks for writing, but I mainly do sketches on loose leaf paper so I can move them around easily and put them in a folder when I'm done with them.
8) Do you ever use these sketchbook drawings for your printed works? If so, please explain how the sketchbook art informs your finished work.
Sometimes doodles will end up becoming stories, but these are on random sheets of paper, not in a sketchbook. The character Elephant Bear was doodled on a book convention program cover, and later became a short comic story.
9) With convention season in full swing, where can the> comic book reading public expect to see you and purchase your merchandise [personally]?
Nowhere this summer, but I'll be at FallCon this fall.
*Note: Stop by and pick-up whatever Kevin and his pals have at FallCon... you won't be sorry you did. -AR
10) The big convention this year has got to be Fallcon 2008. If you plan to be there, will you have anything special for that particular show?
It's always nice to have a new mini-comic for each show, so I'll try to produce something like that. Nothing in the works yet, though!
11) Now we're caught up on what you're doing and where we can see this year. What are you reading and watching these days? Is there any particular book or film you'd like to make sure people are looking for?
I've been big into Eric Rohmer's films lately. I highly recommend "The Aviator's Wife." Other than that I've been reading "Kon-Tiki" by Thor Heyerdahl and "The South Pole" by Roald Amundsen.
12) Anything already in the works for 2009?
Just that Simon & Schuster book.
13) Do have any other thoughts you'd like to share?
If you're going to the San Diego Con, say hi to Zander! He'll be in artist's alley.
Thanks, Kevin!
Next up is an artist who is even more enthusiastic about Kevin's work than I am. Stop in next week to learn more about this amazing talent.
Peace
-AR
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Cream City Conversations with Jon Sloan
Hello all!
Another happy Monday and I'm back with another 'interview'. This time up brings us the return of Jon Sloan. It's always great to listen to Jon's excitement about the medium. I hope at least a hint of that comes through your computer screen.
Enjoy!
1) For the uninitiated, your name and location?
Jon Sloan, I live in the Northwest Minneapolis metro area.
2) What have you been up to lately? What projects have you been attached to in the first 6 months of 2008?
Still juggling my duties as an Art Teacher, Security Guard, and Tae Kwon Do Instructor. I've been busy working on my submission for "Muscles And Frights", as well as working on my book "Sa-Bom Jim"... I've also done my first spot illustration for a corporate newsletter for Cargill Corp., as well as contributed to the "Lutefisk Sushi C event this past Spring.
3) When and where can people pick up and/or see these works?
The submission for "Lutefisk Sushi C" is in a limited edition box set with other works. Remaining copies should be available at FallCon. "Muscles And Frights" is slated to be released at FallCon, and I will have copies of my book available for sale, as well as have a portfolio of my work at my table for convention goers to see.
4) What projects and events are on the horizon? Do you have release dates in-mind at present? If so, indulge us.
I am going to be featuring a back-up story in issues #7 and #8 of "Sa-Bom Jim" that will be written and drawn by Earl Luckes. I've been in contact with Earl, and his story really looks good so far. I'm excited to see how another person will be interpreting my work. The projected release will be this Fall.
5) Have you been working in any new mediums or experimenting with your known style and tools, at all?
Yes, as a matter of fact. For the "Muscles And Frights" story, I am red-lining my drawing style quite a bit, going for more realistic drawing as opposed to my regular loose, cartoony style. I am also experimenting with using pencils as well as inks in my finished images.
*Note: Reads cool, Jon. I'm already looking forward to it. -AR
6) If you've been trying new things, share a bit of your thoughts on that process.
To give you a bit of a teaser, the story does involve zombies, so I've had to really examine anatomy to make sure things look authentic enough for what I'm doing. This is taking more time for me to draw, due to the unfamiliarity of this new style, as well as constantly making certain that I don't slip up and ruin what I've been working hard at.
As far as mediums, working with the pencils are more natural for me... as that's what I've been drawing with ever since I graduated up from crayons as a little kid. Inking has always been my nemesis, I always feel that I lose quite a bit of my drawing quality when I ink my work. I hope that by working more with both of these media, I can bring out more quality in my artwork.
7) Do you keep a sketchbook? If so, what do you get out of this process? Do you think it's a good thing, in general, for an artist to do?
I have a few sketchbooks that I doodle in sometimes. I'm trying to become more practiced in doodling and sketching out ideas and details, mostly for future use. I think it's a necessary tool for an artist to have. It's a good repository for ideas, even if you don't have any use for them at the time you draw them. Having a sketchbook and working in it is a great way to keep your skills sharp.
8) Do you ever use these sketchbook drawings for your printed works? If so, please explain how the sketchbook art informs your finished work.
Yes, when I was trying to think up the character design for Sa-Bom Jim, I ended up looking through my sketchbooks I drew when I was a student at St. Cloud State. I found a few thumbnail sketches of a martial arts character I drew. It was from this basic idea that I built the look for Jim.
9) With convention season in full swing, where can the comic book reading public expect to see you and purchase your merchadise [personally]?
I am planning on being at FallCon this year again, where I am eager to meet more of the comics-reading public as well as hobnob with other comics creators. Folks will be able to buy books from my table, as well as go to my website: www.sa-bomjimcomic.com.
10) The big convention this year has got to be Fallcon 2008. If you plan to be there, will you have anything special for that particular show?
I don't quite know yet. I hope to... I am in training to test for my 5th Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, also slated for this Fall. If I am able to have something special for this show, I will announce it on my website.
11) Now we're caught up on what you're doing and where we can see this year. What are you reading and watching these days? Is there any particular book or film you'd like to make sure people are looking for?
With my work schedule, I haven't been able to see all the movies I wanted to see this Summer. Within the last year or so, the two books that have stood out for me have been "An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, & True Stories" Edited by Ivan Brunetti, and "Will Eisner's New York: Life In The Big City".
*Note: It's always good to see other artists are reading Eisner's wonderful works. His stuff is among my most prized personal library pieces. -AR
Brunetti's anthology is a wonderful collection of work done by outstanding artists in the field of alternative comics, and is something every comics person should read. Eisner's book is a collection of his New York City stories in one volume, but is a great read for literature as well as analyzing the works of this late master.
*Note: I'll have to look up that Brunetti anthology. Thanks for mentioning it. -AR
12) Anything already in the works for 2009?
The one question I always ask myself at the completion of one project is "What's next?". I definitely want to get more issues of Sa-Bom Jim done, and I'm batting around ideas for some separate projects, hopefully collaborating more with other members of the ICC.
*Note: That reads really cool. You can count me in! -AR
13) Do have any other thoughts you'd like to share?
Just a stray thought from an interview with Frank Miller done years ago when he said "This is a great artform to be working in....and this is a GREAT time to be doing comics!"
*Note: Amen!
Thanks, Jon!
Peace
-AR
Another happy Monday and I'm back with another 'interview'. This time up brings us the return of Jon Sloan. It's always great to listen to Jon's excitement about the medium. I hope at least a hint of that comes through your computer screen.
Enjoy!
1) For the uninitiated, your name and location?
Jon Sloan, I live in the Northwest Minneapolis metro area.
2) What have you been up to lately? What projects have you been attached to in the first 6 months of 2008?
Still juggling my duties as an Art Teacher, Security Guard, and Tae Kwon Do Instructor. I've been busy working on my submission for "Muscles And Frights", as well as working on my book "Sa-Bom Jim"... I've also done my first spot illustration for a corporate newsletter for Cargill Corp., as well as contributed to the "Lutefisk Sushi C event this past Spring.
3) When and where can people pick up and/or see these works?
The submission for "Lutefisk Sushi C" is in a limited edition box set with other works. Remaining copies should be available at FallCon. "Muscles And Frights" is slated to be released at FallCon, and I will have copies of my book available for sale, as well as have a portfolio of my work at my table for convention goers to see.
4) What projects and events are on the horizon? Do you have release dates in-mind at present? If so, indulge us.
I am going to be featuring a back-up story in issues #7 and #8 of "Sa-Bom Jim" that will be written and drawn by Earl Luckes. I've been in contact with Earl, and his story really looks good so far. I'm excited to see how another person will be interpreting my work. The projected release will be this Fall.
5) Have you been working in any new mediums or experimenting with your known style and tools, at all?
Yes, as a matter of fact. For the "Muscles And Frights" story, I am red-lining my drawing style quite a bit, going for more realistic drawing as opposed to my regular loose, cartoony style. I am also experimenting with using pencils as well as inks in my finished images.
*Note: Reads cool, Jon. I'm already looking forward to it. -AR
6) If you've been trying new things, share a bit of your thoughts on that process.
To give you a bit of a teaser, the story does involve zombies, so I've had to really examine anatomy to make sure things look authentic enough for what I'm doing. This is taking more time for me to draw, due to the unfamiliarity of this new style, as well as constantly making certain that I don't slip up and ruin what I've been working hard at.
As far as mediums, working with the pencils are more natural for me... as that's what I've been drawing with ever since I graduated up from crayons as a little kid. Inking has always been my nemesis, I always feel that I lose quite a bit of my drawing quality when I ink my work. I hope that by working more with both of these media, I can bring out more quality in my artwork.
7) Do you keep a sketchbook? If so, what do you get out of this process? Do you think it's a good thing, in general, for an artist to do?
I have a few sketchbooks that I doodle in sometimes. I'm trying to become more practiced in doodling and sketching out ideas and details, mostly for future use. I think it's a necessary tool for an artist to have. It's a good repository for ideas, even if you don't have any use for them at the time you draw them. Having a sketchbook and working in it is a great way to keep your skills sharp.
8) Do you ever use these sketchbook drawings for your printed works? If so, please explain how the sketchbook art informs your finished work.
Yes, when I was trying to think up the character design for Sa-Bom Jim, I ended up looking through my sketchbooks I drew when I was a student at St. Cloud State. I found a few thumbnail sketches of a martial arts character I drew. It was from this basic idea that I built the look for Jim.
9) With convention season in full swing, where can the comic book reading public expect to see you and purchase your merchadise [personally]?
I am planning on being at FallCon this year again, where I am eager to meet more of the comics-reading public as well as hobnob with other comics creators. Folks will be able to buy books from my table, as well as go to my website: www.sa-bomjimcomic.com.
10) The big convention this year has got to be Fallcon 2008. If you plan to be there, will you have anything special for that particular show?
I don't quite know yet. I hope to... I am in training to test for my 5th Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, also slated for this Fall. If I am able to have something special for this show, I will announce it on my website.
11) Now we're caught up on what you're doing and where we can see this year. What are you reading and watching these days? Is there any particular book or film you'd like to make sure people are looking for?
With my work schedule, I haven't been able to see all the movies I wanted to see this Summer. Within the last year or so, the two books that have stood out for me have been "An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, & True Stories" Edited by Ivan Brunetti, and "Will Eisner's New York: Life In The Big City".
*Note: It's always good to see other artists are reading Eisner's wonderful works. His stuff is among my most prized personal library pieces. -AR
Brunetti's anthology is a wonderful collection of work done by outstanding artists in the field of alternative comics, and is something every comics person should read. Eisner's book is a collection of his New York City stories in one volume, but is a great read for literature as well as analyzing the works of this late master.
*Note: I'll have to look up that Brunetti anthology. Thanks for mentioning it. -AR
12) Anything already in the works for 2009?
The one question I always ask myself at the completion of one project is "What's next?". I definitely want to get more issues of Sa-Bom Jim done, and I'm batting around ideas for some separate projects, hopefully collaborating more with other members of the ICC.
*Note: That reads really cool. You can count me in! -AR
13) Do have any other thoughts you'd like to share?
Just a stray thought from an interview with Frank Miller done years ago when he said "This is a great artform to be working in....and this is a GREAT time to be doing comics!"
*Note: Amen!
Thanks, Jon!
Peace
-AR
Monday, July 14, 2008
Cream City Conversations with Mike Toft
Hello all!
I'm back with another 'conversation'. Before I get into that, I have another reading suggestion for you.
Last week, the comic book reading community had another great reason to be proud of this great literary form rush their local comic shops... NAT TURNER.
In a medium unbalanced by its spandex-clad offspring, it's always nice to see something unexpected arrive on a Wednesday (or Thursday after a national holiday). Sure, we have the garden variety 'slice-of-life' books, and many of them are amazing. But comics is a big enough biz to offer even more. Historical books are nothing new to graphic novels but really, really good ones just don't seem to get the same limelight of the aforementioned comics.
It's a shame.
NAT TURNER was originally self-published by Kyle Baker in 2006. What is basically a silent book is peppered with excerpts from The Confessions of Nat Turner, the few books written about the man, memoirs of other self-freed slaves, and memoirs of various slave traders/owners.
Right about now, you may be thinking... "Didn't Black History Month already happen this year?" or "Did Cream City Comics just become some feel good, politically correct blog?"
But I'm here to tell you this about brilliant comics I haven't read much press about. You'll have to trust me and look it up online or at your LCS.
Still looking for a reason to even look into the subject?
In 2006, NAT TURNER received several Glyph & Eisner Awards as well as a few other awards well into 2007. And I'm certain the book will receive even more awards stretching into 2008 and 2009 thanks to the new 207 page, duo-toned, beefed-up, $12.95 (SC) edition. This baby is also available in a HC edition. Related graphic reading: MAUS, THE PROTOCOL, TRUTH: RED, WHITE & BLACK.
Of course, this begs the questions...
Why haven't we heard more about this great piece of work? I think the answer is probably related to the reason Nat Turner usually turns up as a paragraph or three in American history books.
Okay, that takes care of that bit of business. Let's get on with the 'conversations'. This latest addition to the interview line-up is a newcomer to our fold. Well, Mike isn't exactly new... especially if you're a mini-comic fan living in the Twin Cities.
For the uninitiated, your name and location?
Mike Toft. Minneapolis, MN
2) What have you been up to lately? What are projects have you been attached to in the first 6 months of 2008?
Right now, I'm working on a story for Muscles and Frights. I just did a strip for City Pages about the RNC coming to Saint Paul. They used it on their web site (not in the printed version, damn them). The main other things are the mini for the Lutefisk Sushi Volume C show and Brain Food #14, which I finished back in April.
3) When and where can people pick up and/or see these works?
At this point, I still have some copies of Brain Food #14 and the Lutefisk Sushi mini. Also a tiny number of back issues of Brain Food. Send a buck to me at PO Box 7246, Minneapolis MN 55407, and I'll send you a copy of #14 and the Sushi mini. What a deal!
4) What projects and events are on the horizon? Do you have release dates in-mind at present? If so, indulge us.
There's the Muscles and Fights 3, which I assume is coming out one of these months. Bud Burgy is in control of that. The next thing I'll work on is a mini for FallCon, so that needs to be done by early October. That's about it. Drawing is more of a winter thing for me.
*Note: The third volume of M&F is completed but the release has been put on-hold due to revisions and such. The official release with coincide with the Muscles & Frights release party. -AR
5) Have you been working in any new mediums or experimenting with your known style and tools, at all?
Trying to be more abstract and less detail-oriented at the pencil stage. Also drawing originals smaller, with the goal of drawing faster. Smaller page equals less time per page, right?
*Note: In theory? Yes. Of course, laziness and lack of time/'inspiration' always have a say in the matter too. -AR
6) If you've been trying new things, share a bit of> your thoughts on that process.>
See the previous question.
*Note: Will do, Mike.
7) Do you keep a sketchbook? If so, what do you get out of this process? Do you think it's a good thing, in general, for an artist to do?
I keep a sketchbook to work on copying stuff from books or from artists I like. Also, for the occasional life drawing -- either models or quick sketches of people in coffee places. And to practice drawing things I'm not good at... like cars, for example.
8) Do you ever use these sketchbook drawings for your printed works? If so, please explain how the sketchbook art informs your finished work.
Sometimes I work out how I want something to look in the sketchbook, then try to import that into an issue of Brain Food.
9) With convention season in full swing, where can the comic book reading public expect to see you and purchase your merchadise [personally]?
The best place is the PO Box I mentioned in question 3.
10) The big convention this year has got to be Fallcon 2008. If you plan to be there, will you have anything special for that particular show?
I'll be there. I'll do a mini specifically for that, and also be peddling Brain Food #14.
11) Now we're caught up on what you're doing and> where we can see this year. What are you reading and watching these days? Is there any particular book or film you'd like to make sure people are looking for?
Reading: The Bible and The Koran. (I'm serious. If more people actually read them, fewer people would take them seriously. And we could all get on with our lives). The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins. Far Arden by local hero Kevin Cannon. I just picked up a pile of books with some of my economic stimulus check. A mix of comic books and book books. Should keep me busy for a year at least. Watching: Reruns of Family Guy and The Simpsons. They're each on about 15 times a week here right now. American Dad... up and down, but the good episodes are hilarious. Team America: World Police. One of my all-time favorite movies... I'm serious. Lake of Fire. A kick-ass documentary about abortion... should be required viewing for everyone in the country. Weeds... I haven't seen season 3 yet, so don't say anything. The Wire... I haven't seen season 5 yet, so don't say anything.
*Note: Just how small is the paper you're working on now, Mike? By the way, I've red the bible. And I think, even if you don't believe in it, it's a great piece of world literature. -AR
12) Anything already in the works for 2009?
I don't plan that far ahead.
13) Do have any other thoughts you'd like to share?
Stop thinking and start doing.
*Note: Amen! -AR
Thanks, Mike!
So, there you have it... another interesting interview to get you through another Monday.
Peace
-AR
I'm back with another 'conversation'. Before I get into that, I have another reading suggestion for you.
Last week, the comic book reading community had another great reason to be proud of this great literary form rush their local comic shops... NAT TURNER.
In a medium unbalanced by its spandex-clad offspring, it's always nice to see something unexpected arrive on a Wednesday (or Thursday after a national holiday). Sure, we have the garden variety 'slice-of-life' books, and many of them are amazing. But comics is a big enough biz to offer even more. Historical books are nothing new to graphic novels but really, really good ones just don't seem to get the same limelight of the aforementioned comics.
It's a shame.
NAT TURNER was originally self-published by Kyle Baker in 2006. What is basically a silent book is peppered with excerpts from The Confessions of Nat Turner, the few books written about the man, memoirs of other self-freed slaves, and memoirs of various slave traders/owners.
Right about now, you may be thinking... "Didn't Black History Month already happen this year?" or "Did Cream City Comics just become some feel good, politically correct blog?"
But I'm here to tell you this about brilliant comics I haven't read much press about. You'll have to trust me and look it up online or at your LCS.
Still looking for a reason to even look into the subject?
In 2006, NAT TURNER received several Glyph & Eisner Awards as well as a few other awards well into 2007. And I'm certain the book will receive even more awards stretching into 2008 and 2009 thanks to the new 207 page, duo-toned, beefed-up, $12.95 (SC) edition. This baby is also available in a HC edition. Related graphic reading: MAUS, THE PROTOCOL, TRUTH: RED, WHITE & BLACK.
Of course, this begs the questions...
Why haven't we heard more about this great piece of work? I think the answer is probably related to the reason Nat Turner usually turns up as a paragraph or three in American history books.
Okay, that takes care of that bit of business. Let's get on with the 'conversations'. This latest addition to the interview line-up is a newcomer to our fold. Well, Mike isn't exactly new... especially if you're a mini-comic fan living in the Twin Cities.
For the uninitiated, your name and location?
Mike Toft. Minneapolis, MN
2) What have you been up to lately? What are projects have you been attached to in the first 6 months of 2008?
Right now, I'm working on a story for Muscles and Frights. I just did a strip for City Pages about the RNC coming to Saint Paul. They used it on their web site (not in the printed version, damn them). The main other things are the mini for the Lutefisk Sushi Volume C show and Brain Food #14, which I finished back in April.
3) When and where can people pick up and/or see these works?
At this point, I still have some copies of Brain Food #14 and the Lutefisk Sushi mini. Also a tiny number of back issues of Brain Food. Send a buck to me at PO Box 7246, Minneapolis MN 55407, and I'll send you a copy of #14 and the Sushi mini. What a deal!
4) What projects and events are on the horizon? Do you have release dates in-mind at present? If so, indulge us.
There's the Muscles and Fights 3, which I assume is coming out one of these months. Bud Burgy is in control of that. The next thing I'll work on is a mini for FallCon, so that needs to be done by early October. That's about it. Drawing is more of a winter thing for me.
*Note: The third volume of M&F is completed but the release has been put on-hold due to revisions and such. The official release with coincide with the Muscles & Frights release party. -AR
5) Have you been working in any new mediums or experimenting with your known style and tools, at all?
Trying to be more abstract and less detail-oriented at the pencil stage. Also drawing originals smaller, with the goal of drawing faster. Smaller page equals less time per page, right?
*Note: In theory? Yes. Of course, laziness and lack of time/'inspiration' always have a say in the matter too. -AR
6) If you've been trying new things, share a bit of> your thoughts on that process.>
See the previous question.
*Note: Will do, Mike.
7) Do you keep a sketchbook? If so, what do you get out of this process? Do you think it's a good thing, in general, for an artist to do?
I keep a sketchbook to work on copying stuff from books or from artists I like. Also, for the occasional life drawing -- either models or quick sketches of people in coffee places. And to practice drawing things I'm not good at... like cars, for example.
8) Do you ever use these sketchbook drawings for your printed works? If so, please explain how the sketchbook art informs your finished work.
Sometimes I work out how I want something to look in the sketchbook, then try to import that into an issue of Brain Food.
9) With convention season in full swing, where can the comic book reading public expect to see you and purchase your merchadise [personally]?
The best place is the PO Box I mentioned in question 3.
10) The big convention this year has got to be Fallcon 2008. If you plan to be there, will you have anything special for that particular show?
I'll be there. I'll do a mini specifically for that, and also be peddling Brain Food #14.
11) Now we're caught up on what you're doing and> where we can see this year. What are you reading and watching these days? Is there any particular book or film you'd like to make sure people are looking for?
Reading: The Bible and The Koran. (I'm serious. If more people actually read them, fewer people would take them seriously. And we could all get on with our lives). The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins. Far Arden by local hero Kevin Cannon. I just picked up a pile of books with some of my economic stimulus check. A mix of comic books and book books. Should keep me busy for a year at least. Watching: Reruns of Family Guy and The Simpsons. They're each on about 15 times a week here right now. American Dad... up and down, but the good episodes are hilarious. Team America: World Police. One of my all-time favorite movies... I'm serious. Lake of Fire. A kick-ass documentary about abortion... should be required viewing for everyone in the country. Weeds... I haven't seen season 3 yet, so don't say anything. The Wire... I haven't seen season 5 yet, so don't say anything.
*Note: Just how small is the paper you're working on now, Mike? By the way, I've red the bible. And I think, even if you don't believe in it, it's a great piece of world literature. -AR
12) Anything already in the works for 2009?
I don't plan that far ahead.
13) Do have any other thoughts you'd like to share?
Stop thinking and start doing.
*Note: Amen! -AR
Thanks, Mike!
So, there you have it... another interesting interview to get you through another Monday.
Peace
-AR
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Cream City Commentary
Hello all!
We've still got a few days before I post the next 'conversation' but I wanted to drop in and mention a couple of things.
1) I recently picked up the Batman: Gotham Knights 2-disc DVD... WOW! I'd already seen the leaked animated feature-length film, but I had to own yet another brilliant Studio 4 Degrees/Madhouse/Production IG team-up. Why did I opt for the 2-disc set (which cost me 7 bucks more)? A documentary on Bob Kane and 4 Bruce Timm Batman: Animated Series episodes. Now... I'm not really a superhero comics reader/show viewer. But I love the Legends Of The Dark Knight episode based on various takes on the caped crusader. And I'm an absolute sucker for a good documentary. If it interests you at all... check it out.
2) My partner-in-crime, Bud Burgy, took time out of his insane schedule to post a special Halloween/Muscles & Frights piece by Muscles & Fights alum Marcus Muller. If you've seen Marcus' stories in the Muscles & Fights books you know he's an amazing talent. This latest offering drives the point further. Check it out at www.muscelsandfights.com
So that's it, for now. Get back to Mark's interview... or drawing your own comics... or reading some cool indie comics. Will ya?!
Peace
-AR
We've still got a few days before I post the next 'conversation' but I wanted to drop in and mention a couple of things.
1) I recently picked up the Batman: Gotham Knights 2-disc DVD... WOW! I'd already seen the leaked animated feature-length film, but I had to own yet another brilliant Studio 4 Degrees/Madhouse/Production IG team-up. Why did I opt for the 2-disc set (which cost me 7 bucks more)? A documentary on Bob Kane and 4 Bruce Timm Batman: Animated Series episodes. Now... I'm not really a superhero comics reader/show viewer. But I love the Legends Of The Dark Knight episode based on various takes on the caped crusader. And I'm an absolute sucker for a good documentary. If it interests you at all... check it out.
2) My partner-in-crime, Bud Burgy, took time out of his insane schedule to post a special Halloween/Muscles & Frights piece by Muscles & Fights alum Marcus Muller. If you've seen Marcus' stories in the Muscles & Fights books you know he's an amazing talent. This latest offering drives the point further. Check it out at www.muscelsandfights.com
So that's it, for now. Get back to Mark's interview... or drawing your own comics... or reading some cool indie comics. Will ya?!
Peace
-AR
Monday, July 7, 2008
Cream City Conversations with Mark Miller
Happy Monday!
Okay... so maybe your Mondays aren't of the happy variety. But I've got a new 'conversation' to share which always makes me happy (any day of the week).
Mark Miller participated in the first wave of e-interviews, and he's back for more. I'm not gonna ramble on much this time. I'll leave all the fancy blurb business to a true wordsmith...
1) For the uninitiated, your name and location?
Mark L. Miller originally from Lima, OH, now residing in Chicago, IL.
2) What have you been up to lately? What projects have you been attached to in the first 6 months of 2008?
I've been up to my ears with AICN Comics lately, which leaves me little time to do much else.
AICN Comics is the comic book section of Harry Knowles' Ain't It Cool News.com entertainment website that focuses mainly on movie news, rumors, and reviews, but the small corner of the site that myself and a few others (affectionately referred to as The AICN Comics @$$Holes) have carved out for ourselves is dedicated to comic book reviews, news, previews, interviews, and other things that end in ews.
I edit, image, and code the column and contribute reviews of both independent and mainstream comics for our biweekly column that drops on Mondays and Wednesdays (News on Mon, Reviews on Wed).
Other than that, I've been working on my own stuff whenever I get a chance or inspiration hits. I'm currently trying to develop a more mainstream comic book universe and a few projects that I'd like to develop into more personal "prose & picture" pieces or full on novellas. Nothing concrete yet, but I am looking for an artist to share some of my ideas with and help develop them (*hint*hint*).
3) When and where can people pick up and/or see these works?
AICN Comics is a mouseclick away at Ain't It Cool.com . It's mostly a mainstream comics crowd, but I try to sneak in independent comics every week to enlighten the masses. So many people are afraid to buy outside the mainstream. But there's some amazing stuff out there. That's why I try to include reviews of independents, manga, and webcomics in every column. Who knows, I may convert some of those strictly DC/Marvel folks.
*Note: It's a dream we all share... I'm sure. -AR
4) What projects and events are on the horizon? Do you have release dates in-mind at present? If so, indulge us.
I'm currently starting a new job, which hopefully will allow me more time to write. Although my background is in art, I've always thought of myself more as a writer than anything else. No dates yet. But I'm hoping to develop some stuff that would be fit to print by next year.
In the meantime, I am working on a new submission for MUSCLES & FRIGHTS. My last endeavor was more of an exercise in what I could get away with. I learned a lot of what I could and couldn't do given the limited resources I had.
It was a blast to work within those restrictions, though, because it makes you become more creative. I was using the copy machine from my day job, carbon paper, stone age paint computer programs, photography, and good old fashioned sketching for my submission to MUSCLES & FIGHTS III. TALES OF JACKASSERY was fun and I was really pleased with how it turned out.
*Note: Your "exercise" ended up being a favorite among many. I can hardly wait to see what you come up with next. I'm especially happy to know you're seriously looking at putting together some of those ideas with an artist. And, yes, the hint is noted. -AR
5) Have you been working in any new mediums or experimenting with your known style and tools, at all?
Although it's not completely new to me, for my MUSCLES & FRIGHTS submission, I'm working on scratchboard for the first time in quite a while. I used to love working with scratchboard because it was more like sculpting a picture than actually drawing it. It's been fun rediscovering how to do it.
*Note: Reads very cool, indeed. -AR
6) If you've been trying new things, share a bit of your thoughts on that process.
Omaha Perez, the guy who wrote and drew HOLMES which was recently collected by AIT: Planet Lar did a dream sequence with scratchboard (I think the covers to his HOLMES miniseries were done this way too). I remembered how much fun it was and also how much hard work it took to fully understand the medium.
After reading that book, I always had that bee in the back of my brainpan that I wanted to work with scratchboard again. When I thought up the story for MUSCLES & FRIGHTS, it was a dark one and it totally lent itself to that type of medium.
7) Do you keep a sketchbook? If so, what do you get out of this process? Do you think it's a good thing, in general, for an artist to do?
I keep several sketchbooks. One in my bag which rarely leaves my side. One by my bed. One by the desk. One by the couch. You never know when the inspiration hits. I don't know if it's a good idea for everyone, but it is for me because if I don't write this shit down ASAP, I'm going to lose it. There's nothing more frustrating than trying to remember a winner of an idea that's been lost to the ether, alcohol, a hectic day, whatever...
*Note: That's devotion... and good to know. -AR
8) Do you ever use these sketchbook drawings for your printed works? If so, please explain how the sketchbook art informs your finished work.
My sketchbooks are filled with art and text. Sometimes it's a phrase I hear on the bus or subway. Sometimes, I doodle while on the phone and I don't even know what it is. Some of my favorite drawings and paintings came from a period of my life when I worked at a telemarketing job.
I always had a pad of paper as I went through my phone script. It always made me nervous to ask people for money and I really didn't believe in or support the job I was doing, so to ease the nervousness I would doodle.
Sometimes the coolest things would appear on the page as I was trying to squeeze a $10.00 pledge from some poor schmoe who just graduated and couldn't find a job out of college to save his life. Sometimes I didn't even know I was doing it until the call ended and I really had a chance to look at the picture.
It's almost like subliminal art, coming from some kind of Zen like place where if you consciously try to go there, you can't do it. If you believe in that sort of thing, that is...
*Note: Wow! That reads like the habit of a musician or film maker (the sketchbook bit). I'm working on tapping into my own "subliminal art" these days. It feels odd... but I like it. -AR
9) With convention season in full swing, where can the comic book reading public expect to see you and purchase your merchandise [personally]?
Well, I've got a cool ten-pager in MUSCLES & FIGHTS III. TALES OF JACKASSERY. The Overreactor vs The Projector. Just two guys with psychological quirks beating the snot out of one another. Stopping. Then doing it all over again. I think you know the guys who published that one, don't you, Amado?
*Note: Why, yes I do. Unless I'm mistaken, they're two nutty guys from the two coldest cities in the US. -AR
10) The big convention this year has got to be Fallcon 2008. If you plan to be there, will you have anything special for that particular show?
I won't be there but the next time I sip some Templeton Rye Whiskey, I shall toast the con, wherever I am. After my prayer for world peace, that is.
*Note: See, this isn't a site just about weird art stuff... it's about saving the planet too. -AR
11) Now we're caught up on what you're doing and where we can see this year. What are you reading and watching these days? Is there any particular book or film you'd like to make sure people are looking for?
I'm freaking addicted to GHOST HUNTERS. And I don't know why. It's extremely dumb. There's rarely anything supernatural going on. Mainly I just kind of play a drinking game with it and do a shot every time someone says "What the hell was that?" which is an exclamation shouted at least ten times an episode. But I never miss an episode.
*Note: When I was living in a place with cable, I was also addicted to that show. It's one of the few TV programs I actually miss watching. -AR
I'm addicted to LOST, DEXTER, and FAMILY GUY too. I missed FREAKS & GEEKS the first time around, but a buddy of mine let me borrow his dvd collection and I can't get enough of it.
As far as movies, I'm a whore for anything from blockbuster to made-in-your-basement-with-duct-tape flicks. I'm a big fan of horror films (yet what passes for horror these days is very sad). I haven't seen it yet, but I want to see Stuart Gordon's new flick called STUCK, which I think is about a white trash girl who hits a bum with her car and accidentally drags him home under her car.
Apparently, it's a true story and this chick kept on telling the guy stuck under her car that she was getting an ambulance, then procrastinated for days before actually doing anything about it. It's one of those stories that speaks volumes of how apathetic we've all become. Or at least that's what I've read about it.
*Note: How very sad is that? Jeez! -AR
Comics-wise: My gig at AICN Comics kind of requires me to read a little bit of everything. From BATMAN to RASL, I'm reading it. I did really like this book called REX from a guy named Danijel Zezelj. It's an intense revenge story with amazingly gritty art. I also just finished a collection of WONDERMARK webcomics from Dark Horse called BEARDS OF OUR FOREFATHERS. There's some hilarious stuff in that one.
*Note: REX?! Yes! I picked that up when it was released (a few weeks ago). I think it's absolutely brilliant. His command of black & white is something special. I've been wanting to contact the Canadian publisher responsible for getting it on shelves. I keep forgetting... thanks for reminding me, Mark. -AR
12) Anything already in the works for 2009?
Hopefully, I can finish my MUSCLES & FRIGHTS submission by the deadline. Here I am going on about it and with my luck, I won't finish it in time or it won't be picked to be in the anthology. How embarrassing...
Hopefully when the dust settles at my new day job, I'll be able to plan out the rest of my year. Until then, I got nothin'.
*Note: You write/illustrate it, Mark... it'll be published. -AR
13) Do have any other thoughts you'd like to share?
NO! They're mine. And I know how much you want them. But too bad. They're all mine.
OK, I'll share one. I really love the way Cream City and the rest of the MUSCLES & FIGHTS contributors work to help give voice to the independent scene. To me, there's nothing more fun than to sit down and read a comic book that is filled with new ideas; ideas that make you think differently or even ideas that make you turn off your brain and just enjoy the act of tuning out and reading a comic for a moment.
During the day, I work with a lot of kids and it saddens me to see so many of them have never read a comic book. On the last Free Comic Book Day, my LCS gave me a bunch of comics to give to the kids. They loved them. It really made me happy to see these kids discovering comics.
Sadly, or maybe not so sadly, I can attribute a large part of what I know today from reading comics. They've made me open minded, creative, and somewhat literate. It's really cool that Cream City helps give comic book readers/creators/lovers like me a voice and a chance to express themselves in this way.
*Note: Well, that's what community is all about. Right, Mark? It doesn't work, if we don't ban together and get the job done. It really is a pleasure to share these 'voices' with other people. Thanks to the International Cartoonist Conspiracy and every other group and individual making the effort. -AR
Thanks, Mark!
Well, folks. That's another 'conversation' down. There are still more coming your way. I hope you're finding them entertaining and informative.
Peace
-AR
Okay... so maybe your Mondays aren't of the happy variety. But I've got a new 'conversation' to share which always makes me happy (any day of the week).
Mark Miller participated in the first wave of e-interviews, and he's back for more. I'm not gonna ramble on much this time. I'll leave all the fancy blurb business to a true wordsmith...
1) For the uninitiated, your name and location?
Mark L. Miller originally from Lima, OH, now residing in Chicago, IL.
2) What have you been up to lately? What projects have you been attached to in the first 6 months of 2008?
I've been up to my ears with AICN Comics lately, which leaves me little time to do much else.
AICN Comics is the comic book section of Harry Knowles' Ain't It Cool News.com entertainment website that focuses mainly on movie news, rumors, and reviews, but the small corner of the site that myself and a few others (affectionately referred to as The AICN Comics @$$Holes) have carved out for ourselves is dedicated to comic book reviews, news, previews, interviews, and other things that end in ews.
I edit, image, and code the column and contribute reviews of both independent and mainstream comics for our biweekly column that drops on Mondays and Wednesdays (News on Mon, Reviews on Wed).
Other than that, I've been working on my own stuff whenever I get a chance or inspiration hits. I'm currently trying to develop a more mainstream comic book universe and a few projects that I'd like to develop into more personal "prose & picture" pieces or full on novellas. Nothing concrete yet, but I am looking for an artist to share some of my ideas with and help develop them (*hint*hint*).
3) When and where can people pick up and/or see these works?
AICN Comics is a mouseclick away at Ain't It Cool.com . It's mostly a mainstream comics crowd, but I try to sneak in independent comics every week to enlighten the masses. So many people are afraid to buy outside the mainstream. But there's some amazing stuff out there. That's why I try to include reviews of independents, manga, and webcomics in every column. Who knows, I may convert some of those strictly DC/Marvel folks.
*Note: It's a dream we all share... I'm sure. -AR
4) What projects and events are on the horizon? Do you have release dates in-mind at present? If so, indulge us.
I'm currently starting a new job, which hopefully will allow me more time to write. Although my background is in art, I've always thought of myself more as a writer than anything else. No dates yet. But I'm hoping to develop some stuff that would be fit to print by next year.
In the meantime, I am working on a new submission for MUSCLES & FRIGHTS. My last endeavor was more of an exercise in what I could get away with. I learned a lot of what I could and couldn't do given the limited resources I had.
It was a blast to work within those restrictions, though, because it makes you become more creative. I was using the copy machine from my day job, carbon paper, stone age paint computer programs, photography, and good old fashioned sketching for my submission to MUSCLES & FIGHTS III. TALES OF JACKASSERY was fun and I was really pleased with how it turned out.
*Note: Your "exercise" ended up being a favorite among many. I can hardly wait to see what you come up with next. I'm especially happy to know you're seriously looking at putting together some of those ideas with an artist. And, yes, the hint is noted. -AR
5) Have you been working in any new mediums or experimenting with your known style and tools, at all?
Although it's not completely new to me, for my MUSCLES & FRIGHTS submission, I'm working on scratchboard for the first time in quite a while. I used to love working with scratchboard because it was more like sculpting a picture than actually drawing it. It's been fun rediscovering how to do it.
*Note: Reads very cool, indeed. -AR
6) If you've been trying new things, share a bit of your thoughts on that process.
Omaha Perez, the guy who wrote and drew HOLMES which was recently collected by AIT: Planet Lar did a dream sequence with scratchboard (I think the covers to his HOLMES miniseries were done this way too). I remembered how much fun it was and also how much hard work it took to fully understand the medium.
After reading that book, I always had that bee in the back of my brainpan that I wanted to work with scratchboard again. When I thought up the story for MUSCLES & FRIGHTS, it was a dark one and it totally lent itself to that type of medium.
7) Do you keep a sketchbook? If so, what do you get out of this process? Do you think it's a good thing, in general, for an artist to do?
I keep several sketchbooks. One in my bag which rarely leaves my side. One by my bed. One by the desk. One by the couch. You never know when the inspiration hits. I don't know if it's a good idea for everyone, but it is for me because if I don't write this shit down ASAP, I'm going to lose it. There's nothing more frustrating than trying to remember a winner of an idea that's been lost to the ether, alcohol, a hectic day, whatever...
*Note: That's devotion... and good to know. -AR
8) Do you ever use these sketchbook drawings for your printed works? If so, please explain how the sketchbook art informs your finished work.
My sketchbooks are filled with art and text. Sometimes it's a phrase I hear on the bus or subway. Sometimes, I doodle while on the phone and I don't even know what it is. Some of my favorite drawings and paintings came from a period of my life when I worked at a telemarketing job.
I always had a pad of paper as I went through my phone script. It always made me nervous to ask people for money and I really didn't believe in or support the job I was doing, so to ease the nervousness I would doodle.
Sometimes the coolest things would appear on the page as I was trying to squeeze a $10.00 pledge from some poor schmoe who just graduated and couldn't find a job out of college to save his life. Sometimes I didn't even know I was doing it until the call ended and I really had a chance to look at the picture.
It's almost like subliminal art, coming from some kind of Zen like place where if you consciously try to go there, you can't do it. If you believe in that sort of thing, that is...
*Note: Wow! That reads like the habit of a musician or film maker (the sketchbook bit). I'm working on tapping into my own "subliminal art" these days. It feels odd... but I like it. -AR
9) With convention season in full swing, where can the comic book reading public expect to see you and purchase your merchandise [personally]?
Well, I've got a cool ten-pager in MUSCLES & FIGHTS III. TALES OF JACKASSERY. The Overreactor vs The Projector. Just two guys with psychological quirks beating the snot out of one another. Stopping. Then doing it all over again. I think you know the guys who published that one, don't you, Amado?
*Note: Why, yes I do. Unless I'm mistaken, they're two nutty guys from the two coldest cities in the US. -AR
10) The big convention this year has got to be Fallcon 2008. If you plan to be there, will you have anything special for that particular show?
I won't be there but the next time I sip some Templeton Rye Whiskey, I shall toast the con, wherever I am. After my prayer for world peace, that is.
*Note: See, this isn't a site just about weird art stuff... it's about saving the planet too. -AR
11) Now we're caught up on what you're doing and where we can see this year. What are you reading and watching these days? Is there any particular book or film you'd like to make sure people are looking for?
I'm freaking addicted to GHOST HUNTERS. And I don't know why. It's extremely dumb. There's rarely anything supernatural going on. Mainly I just kind of play a drinking game with it and do a shot every time someone says "What the hell was that?" which is an exclamation shouted at least ten times an episode. But I never miss an episode.
*Note: When I was living in a place with cable, I was also addicted to that show. It's one of the few TV programs I actually miss watching. -AR
I'm addicted to LOST, DEXTER, and FAMILY GUY too. I missed FREAKS & GEEKS the first time around, but a buddy of mine let me borrow his dvd collection and I can't get enough of it.
As far as movies, I'm a whore for anything from blockbuster to made-in-your-basement-with-duct-tape flicks. I'm a big fan of horror films (yet what passes for horror these days is very sad). I haven't seen it yet, but I want to see Stuart Gordon's new flick called STUCK, which I think is about a white trash girl who hits a bum with her car and accidentally drags him home under her car.
Apparently, it's a true story and this chick kept on telling the guy stuck under her car that she was getting an ambulance, then procrastinated for days before actually doing anything about it. It's one of those stories that speaks volumes of how apathetic we've all become. Or at least that's what I've read about it.
*Note: How very sad is that? Jeez! -AR
Comics-wise: My gig at AICN Comics kind of requires me to read a little bit of everything. From BATMAN to RASL, I'm reading it. I did really like this book called REX from a guy named Danijel Zezelj. It's an intense revenge story with amazingly gritty art. I also just finished a collection of WONDERMARK webcomics from Dark Horse called BEARDS OF OUR FOREFATHERS. There's some hilarious stuff in that one.
*Note: REX?! Yes! I picked that up when it was released (a few weeks ago). I think it's absolutely brilliant. His command of black & white is something special. I've been wanting to contact the Canadian publisher responsible for getting it on shelves. I keep forgetting... thanks for reminding me, Mark. -AR
12) Anything already in the works for 2009?
Hopefully, I can finish my MUSCLES & FRIGHTS submission by the deadline. Here I am going on about it and with my luck, I won't finish it in time or it won't be picked to be in the anthology. How embarrassing...
Hopefully when the dust settles at my new day job, I'll be able to plan out the rest of my year. Until then, I got nothin'.
*Note: You write/illustrate it, Mark... it'll be published. -AR
13) Do have any other thoughts you'd like to share?
NO! They're mine. And I know how much you want them. But too bad. They're all mine.
OK, I'll share one. I really love the way Cream City and the rest of the MUSCLES & FIGHTS contributors work to help give voice to the independent scene. To me, there's nothing more fun than to sit down and read a comic book that is filled with new ideas; ideas that make you think differently or even ideas that make you turn off your brain and just enjoy the act of tuning out and reading a comic for a moment.
During the day, I work with a lot of kids and it saddens me to see so many of them have never read a comic book. On the last Free Comic Book Day, my LCS gave me a bunch of comics to give to the kids. They loved them. It really made me happy to see these kids discovering comics.
Sadly, or maybe not so sadly, I can attribute a large part of what I know today from reading comics. They've made me open minded, creative, and somewhat literate. It's really cool that Cream City helps give comic book readers/creators/lovers like me a voice and a chance to express themselves in this way.
*Note: Well, that's what community is all about. Right, Mark? It doesn't work, if we don't ban together and get the job done. It really is a pleasure to share these 'voices' with other people. Thanks to the International Cartoonist Conspiracy and every other group and individual making the effort. -AR
Thanks, Mark!
Well, folks. That's another 'conversation' down. There are still more coming your way. I hope you're finding them entertaining and informative.
Peace
-AR
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