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
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
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
Monday, June 30, 2008
Cream City Conversations with Troy Little
Hello all!
Back... again... with another e-interview. This time up is someone I've never actually met (in-person) but whom I was a studio mate with a while back. The studio was simply a blogpsot put together by Wesley Green (Greenyfly Productions) called Independent Propaganda. The blogpsot was cool and the members were... are... even cooler. Every member had or has something really unique of their own going and this next victim of CCCs is no exception. So...
1) For the uninitiated, your name and location?
I would be Troy Little and I currently reside in Prince Edward Island, Canada.
*Note: Another [technically] international interview. WooHoo! -AR
2) What have you been up to lately? What projects have you been attached to in the first 6 months of 2008?
I'm working on the final few pages of my second graphic novel "Angora Napkin". It's about a pop music trio of girls who are unbelievably peppy yet find themselves mired in horrific situations. It's pretty twisted and funny.
3) When and where can people pick up and/or see these works?
The book has been picked up by IDW and will be released world wide in comic shops and book stores as a deluxe hard cover book in January, 2009. IDW will also be releasing the TBP edition of my first book "Chiaroscuro" in October 2008. Pick up a free 48 page preview of both books at the IDW booth at Comic Con San Diego!
*Note: Well aware of "Chiaroscuro", and I'm glad it's gonna have a sans dustcover release. Those things drive me crazy. The hardcover edition of the book is cool, though. I was really happy to see it collected. -AR
4) What projects and events are on the horizon? Do you have release dates in-mind at present? If so, indulge us.
"Angora Napkin" has also been picked up by Teletoon for an animated pilot. Air date will be in March 2009.
*Note: Very happy for... and jealous of... you at the same time. -AR
5) Have you been working in any new mediums or experimenting with your known style and tools, at all?
Well, the cartoon is a bit of a switch. I work in animation as my day job and do the comic work when I can find the time. It'll be interesting to bring these characters to life in this format. I've spent the last 2 years doing the graphic novel so up until this point they've been static and B&W characters. Originally "Angora Napkin" was designed for animation but I never expected it would really happen!
*Note: I guess this pretty much proves the long wait of the DIY graphic novel has proven its worth, then. -AR
6) If you've been trying new things, share a bit of your thoughts on that process.
It's a big switch, working with colour, movement and fully painted backgrounds. Then finding actors that can add a voice to this show adds another dimension. Then there's the ability to add the music to the group, something that doesn't translate very well in the silent comic 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 think it's a great thing for artist to keep a sketchbook. Personally I don't really keep one, mostly because I'm too busy to sketch and doodle much (I have a day job, infant twins and a comic/animated show in the works, cut me some slack!). When I find time to draw it usually has to be practical. I'm sure keeping a sketchbook would improve my drawing ability a lot, I hope to pick up the habit in the future.
8) Do you ever use these sketchbook drawings for your printed works? If so, please explain how the sketchbook art informs your finished work.
Nope, see #7.
9) With convention season in full swing, where can the comic book reading public expect to see you and purchase your merchadise [personally]?
I'll be at SPX for the first time ever this October! I've been planning this for years, this year I'll be there. I'm also the Artist in Residence at the Arts Guild in PEI July 12-21. It will be open to the public to get a sneak peek at the comic and cartoon.
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?
Alas, I can not be there.
*Note: You'll be missed. Well, I haven't really met you yet but your work will definitely be missed. -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 reading "Lolita" by Nabokov. I don't watch much TV, with the exceptions of "Lost" and "Battlestar Galactica" which sadly are on hiatus at the moment. I liked the new "Indy" movie, but then again I'm an old school junkie for that stuff.
12) Anything already in the works for 2009?
Once the "Angora Napkin" graphic novel and cartoon are out of the way it's back to work on "Chiaroscuro Book II". I'll also be publishing a fiction lit novel called "Hide Your Life Away" by author Carol Little this Fall.
13) Do have any other thoughts you'd like to share?
I'm to tired to think.
*Note: And we can see why. Make sure to check out Troy's blog in the 'Artistes' section of the CCC links.
Thanks, Troy!
There you go. Another 'conversation' in the bin. I hope it proves entertaining and enlightening. If you'd like to get involved with CCC by including your answers to these questions, simply copy'n'paste these questions to an e-mail [answers included] and send them my way. Have a great week!
Peace
-AR
Back... again... with another e-interview. This time up is someone I've never actually met (in-person) but whom I was a studio mate with a while back. The studio was simply a blogpsot put together by Wesley Green (Greenyfly Productions) called Independent Propaganda. The blogpsot was cool and the members were... are... even cooler. Every member had or has something really unique of their own going and this next victim of CCCs is no exception. So...
1) For the uninitiated, your name and location?
I would be Troy Little and I currently reside in Prince Edward Island, Canada.
*Note: Another [technically] international interview. WooHoo! -AR
2) What have you been up to lately? What projects have you been attached to in the first 6 months of 2008?
I'm working on the final few pages of my second graphic novel "Angora Napkin". It's about a pop music trio of girls who are unbelievably peppy yet find themselves mired in horrific situations. It's pretty twisted and funny.
3) When and where can people pick up and/or see these works?
The book has been picked up by IDW and will be released world wide in comic shops and book stores as a deluxe hard cover book in January, 2009. IDW will also be releasing the TBP edition of my first book "Chiaroscuro" in October 2008. Pick up a free 48 page preview of both books at the IDW booth at Comic Con San Diego!
*Note: Well aware of "Chiaroscuro", and I'm glad it's gonna have a sans dustcover release. Those things drive me crazy. The hardcover edition of the book is cool, though. I was really happy to see it collected. -AR
4) What projects and events are on the horizon? Do you have release dates in-mind at present? If so, indulge us.
"Angora Napkin" has also been picked up by Teletoon for an animated pilot. Air date will be in March 2009.
*Note: Very happy for... and jealous of... you at the same time. -AR
5) Have you been working in any new mediums or experimenting with your known style and tools, at all?
Well, the cartoon is a bit of a switch. I work in animation as my day job and do the comic work when I can find the time. It'll be interesting to bring these characters to life in this format. I've spent the last 2 years doing the graphic novel so up until this point they've been static and B&W characters. Originally "Angora Napkin" was designed for animation but I never expected it would really happen!
*Note: I guess this pretty much proves the long wait of the DIY graphic novel has proven its worth, then. -AR
6) If you've been trying new things, share a bit of your thoughts on that process.
It's a big switch, working with colour, movement and fully painted backgrounds. Then finding actors that can add a voice to this show adds another dimension. Then there's the ability to add the music to the group, something that doesn't translate very well in the silent comic 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 think it's a great thing for artist to keep a sketchbook. Personally I don't really keep one, mostly because I'm too busy to sketch and doodle much (I have a day job, infant twins and a comic/animated show in the works, cut me some slack!). When I find time to draw it usually has to be practical. I'm sure keeping a sketchbook would improve my drawing ability a lot, I hope to pick up the habit in the future.
8) Do you ever use these sketchbook drawings for your printed works? If so, please explain how the sketchbook art informs your finished work.
Nope, see #7.
9) With convention season in full swing, where can the comic book reading public expect to see you and purchase your merchadise [personally]?
I'll be at SPX for the first time ever this October! I've been planning this for years, this year I'll be there. I'm also the Artist in Residence at the Arts Guild in PEI July 12-21. It will be open to the public to get a sneak peek at the comic and cartoon.
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?
Alas, I can not be there.
*Note: You'll be missed. Well, I haven't really met you yet but your work will definitely be missed. -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 reading "Lolita" by Nabokov. I don't watch much TV, with the exceptions of "Lost" and "Battlestar Galactica" which sadly are on hiatus at the moment. I liked the new "Indy" movie, but then again I'm an old school junkie for that stuff.
12) Anything already in the works for 2009?
Once the "Angora Napkin" graphic novel and cartoon are out of the way it's back to work on "Chiaroscuro Book II". I'll also be publishing a fiction lit novel called "Hide Your Life Away" by author Carol Little this Fall.
13) Do have any other thoughts you'd like to share?
I'm to tired to think.
*Note: And we can see why. Make sure to check out Troy's blog in the 'Artistes' section of the CCC links.
Thanks, Troy!
There you go. Another 'conversation' in the bin. I hope it proves entertaining and enlightening. If you'd like to get involved with CCC by including your answers to these questions, simply copy'n'paste these questions to an e-mail [answers included] and send them my way. Have a great week!
Peace
-AR
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Cream City Conversations with Matt Chicorel
Hello again!
Wow... two posts in one week, I'm on a roll (if you've been keeping up with how little I've been keeping up lately).
I'm stoked about this update/conversation because I've been hoping to include this Cream City-based artist to the line-up of talent interviewed here. Why this artist? He was the number conspirator present when the idea for Muscles & Fights first came into being. He also graced us with his art in one of the 3 volumes.
So... without further ado...
1) For the uninitiated, your name and location?
Matt Chicorel - Milwaukee [WI].
2) What have you been up to lately? What projects have you been attached to in the first 6 months of 2008?
Regular comics in the LOVE IN THE TIME OF SCABIES zine, various album and poster art, and the first printed NLC book in a long time--BUZZPOP #1
*Note: (And Matt has very kindly offered to send me a copy... COOL!).
3) When and where can people pick up and/or see these works?
nightlightcomics.com, or from me if i'm around.
4) What projects and events are on the horizon? Do you have release dates in-mind at present? If so, indulge us.
Milwaukee Zine Fest for now. [I'll] probably start doing cons again next year when I've got some more printed material and/or money.
5) Have you been working in any new mediums or experimenting with your known style and tools, at all?
I did a poster on legal sized paper instead of 11x17 the other day...fucked me up.
*Note: Are you implying you got the stuffing kicked outta you by a sheet of paper, Matt? -AR
6) If you've been trying new things, share a bit of your thoughts on that process.
It's been a long time since I had mushrooms, but I got some the other day and it was grrrrrrrrreat.
*Note: Not quite the info I was after but I'm sure they were for medicinal purposes so that'll work -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?
Yeah, but I haven't been drawing in it as much as I probably should. It's important to have around though, that's for sure.
8) Do you ever use these sketchbook drawings for your printed works? If so, please explain how the sketchbook art informs your finished work.
Not unless it fucking rules.
9) With convention season in full swing, where can the comic book reading public expect to see you and purchase your merchadise [personally]?
...cons are still too expensive right now
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?
Probably won't be able to make this one. Fuck. Next year?
*Note: Hopefully, with some work that "fucking rules". Right, Matt? -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?
My roomate just rented Kung Fu Hustle, and then I bought it cause it's super awesome! The only tv show I watch is Lost. Love it. I wOrk at the comic store, so I read too much... Monster Zoo (Doug TenNapel's new book) just came out-- that was good. Madman. Amazing Spidey. Detective. 100 Bullets. Futurama. Hickee. Atomic Robo!! Mouseguard.
12) Anything already in the works for 2009?
I've got some plans, but I'll have to wait and see what gets done. All in good time, though.
13) Do have any other thoughts you'd like to share?
Wish I didn't have to be up this early.
And, hey, I still gotta get me a copy of HEAVEE UNDERGROUND. Drop by the store one day, or should I just order it from lulu or whatever?
NIGHT LIGHT COMICS
est. 2004
Milwaukee, WI
www.nightlightcomics.com
www.myspace.com/nightlightcomics
*Note: No, Matt... I'll eventually make it back to the store and deliver the copy of Heavee Underground. I'm looking forward to seeing Buzzpop too! -AR
Thanks, Matt!
There you have it, folks. I'm back in the saddle again. There are more on the way. Until next time... keep the faith.
Peace
-AR
Wow... two posts in one week, I'm on a roll (if you've been keeping up with how little I've been keeping up lately).
I'm stoked about this update/conversation because I've been hoping to include this Cream City-based artist to the line-up of talent interviewed here. Why this artist? He was the number conspirator present when the idea for Muscles & Fights first came into being. He also graced us with his art in one of the 3 volumes.
So... without further ado...
1) For the uninitiated, your name and location?
Matt Chicorel - Milwaukee [WI].
2) What have you been up to lately? What projects have you been attached to in the first 6 months of 2008?
Regular comics in the LOVE IN THE TIME OF SCABIES zine, various album and poster art, and the first printed NLC book in a long time--BUZZPOP #1
*Note: (And Matt has very kindly offered to send me a copy... COOL!).
3) When and where can people pick up and/or see these works?
nightlightcomics.com, or from me if i'm around.
4) What projects and events are on the horizon? Do you have release dates in-mind at present? If so, indulge us.
Milwaukee Zine Fest for now. [I'll] probably start doing cons again next year when I've got some more printed material and/or money.
5) Have you been working in any new mediums or experimenting with your known style and tools, at all?
I did a poster on legal sized paper instead of 11x17 the other day...fucked me up.
*Note: Are you implying you got the stuffing kicked outta you by a sheet of paper, Matt? -AR
6) If you've been trying new things, share a bit of your thoughts on that process.
It's been a long time since I had mushrooms, but I got some the other day and it was grrrrrrrrreat.
*Note: Not quite the info I was after but I'm sure they were for medicinal purposes so that'll work -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?
Yeah, but I haven't been drawing in it as much as I probably should. It's important to have around though, that's for sure.
8) Do you ever use these sketchbook drawings for your printed works? If so, please explain how the sketchbook art informs your finished work.
Not unless it fucking rules.
9) With convention season in full swing, where can the comic book reading public expect to see you and purchase your merchadise [personally]?
...cons are still too expensive right now
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?
Probably won't be able to make this one. Fuck. Next year?
*Note: Hopefully, with some work that "fucking rules". Right, Matt? -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?
My roomate just rented Kung Fu Hustle, and then I bought it cause it's super awesome! The only tv show I watch is Lost. Love it. I wOrk at the comic store, so I read too much... Monster Zoo (Doug TenNapel's new book) just came out-- that was good. Madman. Amazing Spidey. Detective. 100 Bullets. Futurama. Hickee. Atomic Robo!! Mouseguard.
12) Anything already in the works for 2009?
I've got some plans, but I'll have to wait and see what gets done. All in good time, though.
13) Do have any other thoughts you'd like to share?
Wish I didn't have to be up this early.
And, hey, I still gotta get me a copy of HEAVEE UNDERGROUND. Drop by the store one day, or should I just order it from lulu or whatever?
NIGHT LIGHT COMICS
est. 2004
Milwaukee, WI
www.nightlightcomics.com
www.myspace.com/nightlightcomics
*Note: No, Matt... I'll eventually make it back to the store and deliver the copy of Heavee Underground. I'm looking forward to seeing Buzzpop too! -AR
Thanks, Matt!
There you have it, folks. I'm back in the saddle again. There are more on the way. Until next time... keep the faith.
Peace
-AR
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Cream City Conversations: Update
Hello all,
For those interested parties... I am happy to inform you the new batch of questions has been sent and [I hope] we'll see some new names involved. Of course, some of the participants from the last round will make a return too. We've gotta stay 'in the know'.
So, check back soon. I hope to have some new stuff up later this week or early next.
Peace
-AR
For those interested parties... I am happy to inform you the new batch of questions has been sent and [I hope] we'll see some new names involved. Of course, some of the participants from the last round will make a return too. We've gotta stay 'in the know'.
So, check back soon. I hope to have some new stuff up later this week or early next.
Peace
-AR
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
All Apologies
I can't believe it's been so long since I logged on here.
Well, I was in Spain for two weeks and I've been job hunting as well as wrapping up my time with those 7th and 8th grade kids I wrote about before.
Let me say, the work with the kids ended up working out all right. I'm not saying it was all we set out to produce (not as many kids did the work as we'd hoped), but we produced the page count we wanted. Actually, those little buggers exceeded what we'd reported we'd have for the final project.
For the final product, we put together a book from the comic book pages the kids produced. Unfortunately, time was not on our side so we went with a different packaging than I'd originally hoped for. In the end, it's about the kids' not my wants and desires.
I hope we planted a few seeds of what one can do when one puts his/her mind to it and follows through on paper.
Much respect and thanks is due the great Zeph Farmby for his efforts while I was in Spain. He's an amazing talent... more than that... he's a cool cat with as much soul as he's got skills.
The interviews will make their return soon... seriously.
Peace
-AR
Well, I was in Spain for two weeks and I've been job hunting as well as wrapping up my time with those 7th and 8th grade kids I wrote about before.
Let me say, the work with the kids ended up working out all right. I'm not saying it was all we set out to produce (not as many kids did the work as we'd hoped), but we produced the page count we wanted. Actually, those little buggers exceeded what we'd reported we'd have for the final project.
For the final product, we put together a book from the comic book pages the kids produced. Unfortunately, time was not on our side so we went with a different packaging than I'd originally hoped for. In the end, it's about the kids' not my wants and desires.
I hope we planted a few seeds of what one can do when one puts his/her mind to it and follows through on paper.
Much respect and thanks is due the great Zeph Farmby for his efforts while I was in Spain. He's an amazing talent... more than that... he's a cool cat with as much soul as he's got skills.
The interviews will make their return soon... seriously.
Peace
-AR
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Cream City Shorts
Hey all! Back with some more 'shorts'.
1) I was fortunate enough to pick up Anthology #2 of Yves Chaland's Lombard series recently. I feel horrible for not looking into his work much earlier. It seems he was light years ahead of the comics industry [stylistically]. The subject matter in his work was also ahead of the times. Chaland took true European hstorical events and created action/crime noir/comedy/dramas around them. He passed away at the early age of 33 in 1990. Humanoids has collected his Lombard series in two oversized, hardcover volumes. Pick them up!
2) The latest Lutefisk Sushi seems to have been a massive success. I'm so jealous of the Twin Cities lot. I'm sure there'll be photos of the event on www.musclesandfights.com
3) Jim 'food one' Mahfood dropped Mix Tape, an art book packed with his color flyer/poster work, and Stupid Comics: Phoenix Edition some weeks ago. I've been a huge supporter of his work for years and these are some sweet additions to any/all Mahfood collection.
4) The long-awaited third Portishead album dropped last week. If you don't already have it, it's called... THIRD... and it's amazing. They sped up the tempo on a few tracks and even included some acoustic surprises. It turns out to be worth the wait.
5) Ever heard of Holly Golightly? If you haven't but have seen Broken Flowers, you've at least heard her voice. She sings on The Greenhornes' There Is An End. She's also appeared on some White Stripes' tunes. I dig her voice... her solo stuff is some fine listening. Check her out.
6) An official Heavee Underground [Cream City] release party is finally in the works. I'll update you as the plan solidifies. If all goes well, should be happening 25 July 2008.
Keep supporting your local and non-local underground/indie scenes.
Have a great week!
Peace
-AR
1) I was fortunate enough to pick up Anthology #2 of Yves Chaland's Lombard series recently. I feel horrible for not looking into his work much earlier. It seems he was light years ahead of the comics industry [stylistically]. The subject matter in his work was also ahead of the times. Chaland took true European hstorical events and created action/crime noir/comedy/dramas around them. He passed away at the early age of 33 in 1990. Humanoids has collected his Lombard series in two oversized, hardcover volumes. Pick them up!
2) The latest Lutefisk Sushi seems to have been a massive success. I'm so jealous of the Twin Cities lot. I'm sure there'll be photos of the event on www.musclesandfights.com
3) Jim 'food one' Mahfood dropped Mix Tape, an art book packed with his color flyer/poster work, and Stupid Comics: Phoenix Edition some weeks ago. I've been a huge supporter of his work for years and these are some sweet additions to any/all Mahfood collection.
4) The long-awaited third Portishead album dropped last week. If you don't already have it, it's called... THIRD... and it's amazing. They sped up the tempo on a few tracks and even included some acoustic surprises. It turns out to be worth the wait.
5) Ever heard of Holly Golightly? If you haven't but have seen Broken Flowers, you've at least heard her voice. She sings on The Greenhornes' There Is An End. She's also appeared on some White Stripes' tunes. I dig her voice... her solo stuff is some fine listening. Check her out.
6) An official Heavee Underground [Cream City] release party is finally in the works. I'll update you as the plan solidifies. If all goes well, should be happening 25 July 2008.
Keep supporting your local and non-local underground/indie scenes.
Have a great week!
Peace
-AR
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