BUSY BODIE

It feels like I'm recycling the same news week in and week out--"I'm working on Bodie Troll and hella busy." Well, the news ain't changing. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. Working on a comic book that you've created, that you own, that you love and feel is the best work you've produced to date, and that a respected publisher is releasing in 2013 is hardly something to gripe about. But man, coloring these pages just may be the death of me. I'm putting more "oomph" into the coloring of "Bodie Troll" than ever before on any other project. It'll be worth it in the end, but for now, my hand is killing me, and these late nights and early mornings are kicking my butt all the way to deadline. So that's the news on "Bodie", same as before and the same as it shall be for awhile, much to my satisfaction.

I'm going to try and do a new Live Sketch Show tonight at 8 pm eastern time. And going against my recent "whatever I'm currently working on" theme, I'll be returning to my more interactive format for just this once. I'll pick a theme, and whoever tunes into my show and gives me suggestions will see it drawn. No idea what that theme will be yet, but best to show up to find out and to play along. Catch the show at the link above, and as always, you're invited to chat with me during my show via Ustream's chat window. You need to log in to Ustream to use the window, but registering is easy. It only takes a username and an email address. Once you've entered that info, you can chat with me while I draw. I hope to see some of you online!

I implore you once again to keep up with the Dead Duck web comic. I'm currently on part 5 of "Day's End", a wordless adventure that explores the after-hours life of Minions and Zombies, and I think it's one of my best stories. Judge for yourself here, and keep checking back for further adventures.

I'll leave you kids with this latest panel from "Bodie Troll" #1, which is rocketing towards completion, pending the coloring of two more pages and my receiving some pin-ups from my artist pals. I've said before that I like drawing hugs, and this panel is, I feel, one of my best.

Take care, mon peeps.

--Jay

My troll keeps me busy...

With a deadline for "Bodie Troll"'s solicitation text (a brief description of what "Bodie" is about) for Diamond Distribution due this week, I couldn't be more busy. As such, there will be no Live Sketch Show this week. I hope to be back next week, but will play it by ear until I know for sure.

In the meantime, here is a recently completed panel from "Bodie Troll" to whet your whistle until the book's February release. Hope you dig it!

--Jay

LIVE SKETCH SHOW AT 8 PM TONIGHT! DETAILS HERE!

I'm starting to make a dent in the pile o' work I've accumulated since November. Once of the biggest chunks, an 11X17 commission featuring The Muppets, will be the subject of tonight's Live Sketch Show, airing at 8 pm eastern time until whenever I finish it (or whenever I get sleepy). Catch the show at the link above, and as always, you're invited to chat with me during my show via Ustream's chat window. You need to log in to Ustream to use the window, but registering is easy. It only takes a username and an email address. Once you've entered that info, you can chat with me while I draw. I hope to see some of you online!

I'm cutting it off there, since I need to scrounge up some breakfast, and like Mother Hubbard, my cupboards be bare. See you tonight!

--Jay

Sooooo much drawing...

I'm neck deep in work, as usual. I've got three caricaturing gigs in the coming week, deadlines looming for three different comic books and a magazine, a unopened box of blank sketch cards that I haven't even begun working on yet, and a stack of commissions to do, some with less than a week away deadlines. So life is good.

I'll be working on some of these commissions on my Live Sketch Show tonight at 7 pm eastern time if anyone wants to tune in. Just click on the link. And if you'd like to chat with me during my show, you can reach me via Ustream's chat window. You need to log in to Ustream to use the window, but registering is easy. It only takes a username and an email address. Once you've entered that info, you can chat with me while I draw. I hope to see some of you online!

And here's another reminder to keep following my Dead Duck comic online. Like I told a fan yesterday, there's a finite amount of these stories to post, and once they've run their course, I can't say when I'll be doing them again. So please, enjoy these while you have 'em around, folks.

Lastly, I've been given the okay to post some more of my sketch cards from Rittenhouse's MARVEL: BRONZE AGE series. These aren't all of them that I drew, but along with the Spider-Ham cards I showed you last week, I consider these the best of the bunch.

That does it for this installment. Have a great rest of your week, and catch me here next Wednesday!

--Jay

Comics on Thanksgiving? Get stuffed!

It's a little later in the day than I typically prefer to post my blog, but hey, it's still Wednesday, so I haven't broken my blog posting stride yet!

First up, my Live Sketch Show is happening tonight at 8 pm Eastern Time. I'm thinking of doing a Thanksgiving/Bodie Troll mash up, so be here to see it unfold!  And if you'd like to chat with me during my show, you can reach me via Ustream's chat window. You need to log in to Ustream to use the window, but registering is easy. It only takes a username and an email address. Once you've entered that info, you can chat with me while I draw. I hope to see some of you online!

Rittenhouse Archives is a sketch card company I've done work for over the past three years, and they're close to releasing the latest Marvel Comics-themed set that I've contributed to--MARVEL: BRONZE AGE, featuring characters appearing in Marvel comics from the early 70's to the mid 80's. Seeing as how they posted a sampling of my work on Facebook, I figure it's cool if I do the same here. These characters all appeared as back up features in "Peter Porker, The Spectacular Spider-Ham" (my favorite comic when I was a kid), a funny animal reinvention of Marvel's superheroes. Howard the Duck, however, appeared in the early 70's in a more adult-themed book of his own (another of my childhood favorites).

The Dead Duck web comic is still maintaining a twice weekly schedule (Monday and Thursday), so be sure to follow along to catch the re-printed adventures of my afterlife creation.

Lastly, I'll leave you with a couple sample panels from issue #1 of "Bodie Troll" (as always, click to enlarge). I'm having a lot of fun playing with depth of field, which is hopefully apparent in these panels.

Happy Thanksgiving to those of you who celebrate, and a happy rest of your week to everyone else!

--Jay 

SHORT AND SUH-WEEEEEEET

Work has been bountiful, but it's left me busy as all get out. As such, there will be no Live Sketch Show this week. I hope to bring it back next Wednesday, and hope to piece together an audience from the few folks  who'll either be near a computer as they prepare for Thanksgiving, or those who live in other parts of the world and don't celebrate. I'd like to think my show is a good alternative to Turkey consumption.

I can report that Red 5's very popular Eisner Award-nominated comic book, "Atomic Robo", will release its next issue in December--and will include an ad for the 2013 release of "Bodie Troll". As this will be the first time that Red 5 has made its plans to publish "Bodie" public, this is a big deal to me, in a "This [poop] just got real" sense. Not to mention that having "Bodie" promoted in a wildly popular book like "Atomic Robo" ain't the worse thing to happen. Quite the opposite, actually.

I can also report that I recently visited my friend and fellow artist Guy Davis, who showed me some sketches he worked up for his "Bodie Troll" pin-up. Not surprisingly, they were a real slice of fried gold. Guy is as skilled at cartoon art as he is illustrative, and I'm beyond thrilled to have him contribute art to "Bodie Troll". If you know Guy's work, then you should be excited, too.

I'll wrap this up by encouraging you folks to check out my "Dead Duck" web comic. The current posted episode is "A Tale of Udder Importance", which drops Dead Duck and Zombie Chick into the world of Norse mythology. At two pages, it's my shortest "Dead Duck" story yet. But like all my "Dead Duck" material, it's long on humor. Catch it at the link above.

'Til next week, friends--

Jay

BODIE TROLL? I'VE GOT IT COVERED!

In the course of creating "Bodie Troll", the one thing I'd been sweating the most was creating the cover. It's probably the most important image associated with a comic, particularly its first issue, where you need to encapsulate everything about that book in one image, with as little clutter and as much clarity to potential readers as possible. No small feat. After many starts and stops and a whole lot of doubt and do-overs, here's what I came up with for issue #1 of "Bodie Troll" (as always, click on the image to enlarge)...

I'm very happy with this. It was worth the pile of rough sketches and re-dos that led up to it!

I also wanted to show you some of the recently colored interior art. Weeks ago, I showed you the uncolored line art of the panel which shows us The Drunken Pumpkin for the first time. I finally got to color that page, and you can see the evolution below...

I'm very proud of my coloring on "Bodie", and I credit the influence of my pal and fellow artist Evan Shaner, who colored the first four pages of "Bodie" and gave me a coloring style to aspire to.

For those of you who missed my Live Sketch Show last Wednesday (and who can blame you? it was Halloween!), it's back on tonight, and in its old 8:00 pm eastern time slot. Catch it at the link above and watch me draw and blab about all things cartoon. And if you'd like to chat with me during my show, you can reach me via Ustream's chat window. You need to log in to Ustream to use the window, but registering is easy. It only takes a username and an email address. Once you've entered that info, you can chat with me while I draw. I hope to see some of you online!

That wraps it up for this post. Have a great rest of your week!

--Jay

BEWARE THE BLOG!!!

Happy Halloween to all my friends, fans and followers! To me, there is  no more glorious a holiday than All Hallows Eve, an annual celebration that revels in costumes, creepiness and candy! I have a handful of treats with no tricks in sight for this week's blog post, so put on your best mask and open that candy bag wide, 'cause here comes the goods...!

My apologies for last week's promise of my Live Sketch Show, followed by a last minute cancellation. I hope to make up for it with this week's show, where I'll be drawing the cover to "Bodie Troll" #1. This week, the show will start at 7 pm eastern time and run until 8, allowing me to catch ABC's annual airing of my all-time favorite special, "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!" You can catch my broadcast at the link above. And if you'd like to chat with me during my show, you can reach me via Ustream's chat window. You need to log in to Ustream to use the window, but registering is easy. It only takes a username and an email address. Once you've entered that info, you can chat with me while I draw. I hope to see some of you online!

In other "Bodie Troll" news, I've been lining up some really fantastic artists to draw pin-ups (single page illustrations) as special features in the "Bodie" comic! I don't want to spoil the surprise just yet, but I'll tell you that there'll be some very recognizable artists in the roster, and some artists who you may be discovering for the first time, and man, will you be excited that you did!

This past weekend, I participated in the 3rd annual Detroit Fanfare Comic Con held at The Hyatt Regency in Dearborn, MI, and had a terrific time! I had my usual table there, and sat next to two of my favorite "Bill's"--sketch card artist Bill Pulkovski and Bill Morrison, art director for "The Simpsons" and "Futurama" and former creative director at Bongo Comics. My wife Laura is a HUGE Simpson's fan, so she and Bill had a lot to talk about. Bill and I are both National Cartoonists Society members and know a lot of the same artists, plus we're both HUGE Popeye fans, so we had our share to jaw about, too! Here's a pic of us on the last day of the con:

Now, besides working my table, Laura and I also dressed up in our Halloween costumes--myself as Max from "Where The Wild Things Are", and Laura as a very cute Wild Thing. Laura sewed my costume herself, and it's the best costume I think I've ever had for Halloween! Here's some pics of our get-ups:

But one of the most special moments from the con came when a fan of my comics showed up in costume...

This is Ricky dressed up as DEAD DUCK! Never before have I had someone cosplay one of my characters! It was the biggest honor, and Ricky did just a phenomenal job with the costume! He even got J.P. Yorick's scythe with the car keys dangling off 'em! Seriously, do I have the best fans or what?

Finally, a special treat in honor of Halloween. I've been creating "Necronomicomics", my monthly single panel cartoon for Rue Morgue Magazine, for over a year now, and enjoying myself immensely. Below are two of my recent cartoons. The first one ran in this year's Halloween issue:

As I mentioned at the top of this post, I'm a HUGE "Great Pumpkin" fan. I even went the extra mile on this cartoon, opting to paint the sky in this cartoon by hand using watercolors, in a close approximation to those gorgeous backgrounds you saw in the original Peanuts specials. For those who don't recognize the monster I drew in there, it's the creature from the 1988 horror film, "Pumpkinhead". Pumpkinhead, Great Pumpkin. Get it?

The other treat I have for you is a look at one of my only rejected Necronomicomics cartoons. In it, I lampoon one of my favorite horror movies, the 1999 Tim Burton flick "Sleepy Hollow":

In case you're wondering, the cartoon wasn't rejected because of the dirty joke. The editor worried that the joke was too obscure, and readers might not get it. How about you guys (and won't you be the dirty minded lot if you admit to getting it!)?

That's it for now. Hope to see you guys online tonight. Take care, and the happiest, hauntedest of all Halloweens to you, my fiendish friends!

--Jay