WHO WATCHES THE WATCHMEN? JAY DOES!!!

I'm breaking the cardinal rule in my blog for what I'm pretty sure is only the second time in it's three (or four?) year history by using my soapbox to discuss something other than my career. There is a comic book that came out in 1985, a mini series actually, that in the last twenty three years has come to be considered possibly the greatest collected graphic novel of all time, in my view, the "To Kill A Mockingbird" of comics. Yes, folks. It's that important a piece of literature.

I'm talking "Watchmen" here, people. Written by Alan Moore, drawn by Dave Gibbons, and first placed in my anxious mitts at the first Motor City Comic Con in 1989 when I scored a British import copy. Without too much hoo-hah, I'll confess that the book rocked my world and shattered my fragile fourteen-year-old psyche with images so lurid and lavish that I couldn't help but be inspired. One of the comic's key characters, Dr. Manhattan, was the original inspiration for my character Dead Duck, back when I was conceiving a funny animal parody of Watchmen. So it all goes without saying that, after approximately twenty years of switching hands with different directors, writers and movie studios, Hollywood has finally bit the bullet and brought Watchmen to the big screen, and I am record-levels of excited. I'm talking circa 1989 Tim Burton's Batman-level excited, when I couldn't wait to see Michael Keaton swimming inside an oversized rubber suit, and Jack Nicholson portray a pudgy balding Joker. It's too appropriate that my excitement is linked to the same year in which I first discovered Watchmen.

The movie, directed by Zack "300" Snyder, has just completed filming and is now doing all post-production work, prepping for a March 6, 2009 release. And man oh man, Zack has just released the first photos of the bulk of the cast (with Dr. Manhattan yet to be shown). For the few of you who haven't seen these elsewhere, I present them to you now, alongside their comic book predecessors:














Jeffery Dean Morgan as The Comedian…He looks PERFECT. If he can act the role even a little, I'm sold…














Patrick Wilson as Nite Owl…Yes, he looks a tad Batman-ish, but they got the goggles right. And in fairness, this IS the essential design of the body suit, which all Batman films have cribbed from since the beginning. And the "horns" of his cowl will look more familiar to fans when seen from the sides.













Matthew Goode as Ozymandias…This is faithful to the original design while the Julius Caesar wreath on his head brings a great touch that the golden headband he had in the comics lacked in spades. I dig it.

















Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach…Jesus, there will NEVER be a more accurate interp of a comic book character on screen than THIS. I sold my 5th grade teacher to the Mafia to get Haley to fill this role, and it looks like my sacrifice has paid off. He's gonna be the best.














And Malin Akerman as Silk Spectre…I love that they cast virtual unknowns in these roles (with the exception of Billy Crudup in the as yet unseen Dr. Manhattan, and most people had forgotten who Earley was for the past twenty five years), and even without the wig, Akerman looks PERFECT as the Silk Spectre. She has Laurie's square jaw line and slight facial features upon that broad palette of a face, and just looks incredible. The wig, albeit slightly longer than in the book, still looks so great, and the costume is reflective of the comic while streamlining it and making it look better, which wasn't hard to do.

Now, comic book purists (and with Watchmen, I count myself among that group) will immediately note the decided differences in the movie costumes and the comic book costumes, with the exception of Comedian and Rorschach. But for my part, I have to say, I have totally no problem with it. This doesn't make me less of a fan, and it doesn't mean I have a lousy eye for detail (which purists would believe, y'see). I just accept that this is an INTERPRETATION. You cannot re-create a comic book verbatim on the movie screen, no matter how close Sin City came, especially with Watchmen. There is so much crammed into that graphic novel that it'd take one movie with the scope of all three Lord of The Rings films plus three more to pull off even remotely accurately. As such, this is one director's take on a great comic. And Snyder's a fan, so this is probably as close as Hollywood could come to doing it right. Obviously the proof is in the viewing, but I'm just looking forward to seeing the movie I've been promised for twenty years now. Good, bad, misguided, or totally perfect, I'm geeked to view this flick, and will be there with my graphic novel in hand like the loyal little dork fanboy that I am, cheering on the efforts of Snyder and his awesome cast.

Now, when Synder and the powers that be finally sit down with the estate of Jay Ward and begin negotiations for the Saturday morning cartoon show spin-off featuring the cast of the old Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon, I hope they save a place for me at the bargaining table…












I'll be saving you guys a seat on March 6th, 2009! Just keep your damn hands outta my popcorn….

DUCK HUNTER FLYING HIGH and other news...

I'd like to begin this blog by apologizing to a handful of near and dear people who I fear may feel neglected.
*First, my old buddy Premo, who I hope hasn't given up on me and is patiently awaiting
my run in "Duck Hunter Shoots Angel" to wrap up so we can finally grab lunch together.

*Next up, my not quite as old but certainly as good buddy Hedgcock (notice how all my friends go by last names? It just sounds cooler), who's wanted to hang out for a long time now, and seems to possess steel belted patience.

*Last but by no means least is my soon to be publisher, Ape Entertainment, who await the return of my contract, which my lawyer Slick Nick Pro-Buonodono is currently making sweet legal love to. Once he gets his judicious man stank all over it, I'll drop my John Hancock on it and we'll bring Dead Duck to the masses.

So to all you I've mentioned, your patience has not gone unnoticed, and rest assured that in two weeks when "Duck Hunter" flies off into the horizon, I'll be here to attend to all your friendship and business needs. And speaking of "Duck Hunter…"

Rehearsals have, in my estimation, been going great. I finally feel I have my lines down (which is always my biggest obstacle), and I'm totally in love with the cast. It's a small and motley crew, a couple of whom I've worked with before, a couple I knew by reputation, and a couple more who I've just met but totally dig already. And having Laura in the cast with me is so great for so many reasons, but mostly because theater is her medium like cartooning is mine, and getting to share in that world with her is just such a thrill and a joy.

Besides performing in "Duck Hunter", I've also been assigned the task of creating a lobby display for people to view during the run of the show. Given that "Duck Hunter" largely concerns the seedy world of tabloid journalism, I created mock newspaper pages from "The Weekly World And Globe" ("Duck Hunter's" prominent rag) and wrote up bogus news stories around some of my celebrity caricatures. These pieces grace the Player's lobby walls, and will be available for sale to any interested parties. For those intending to come to the show, I won't ruin the surprise of the display, but I will give a sneak peek to those who can't make it:



In other art news, I'm still working diligently on Dead Duck by creating more stories for the graphic novel. I really feel like this is the signature project that I've been destined to launch my career with since I was a kid, and I'm overjoyed that it's finally going to happen.

My caricaturing career has hit the skids in recent months, with a few starts and stops. I can only assume its our desert climate economy that's dried my business up lately, but just as much, I blame clients who can't commit. I've had more people approach me, all gung ho for me to create something special for them, only to have them bail on me, either by balking at the price or just avoiding sending me a courtesy e-mail saying they've changed their minds about hiring me. On the matter of price, I contest that though I quote a standard price, I always stress that I'm open to discussion and that nothing is set in stone. That's a hint, people. If you don't dig my price tag, don't just give up on me. Talk to me! You shouldn't deny yourself a unique keepsake and me a much needed paycheck for fear of haggling. I'm a nice guy and will make it work for both of us. As for those who ask of me then run and hide, please stop wasting my time. I played this game in the schoolyard when I was ten, and the routine hasn't aged well. Make sure you really want to hire me before you approach me, and even if you change your mind, man up (even if you're a woman) and have the decency to tell me it ain't happening. My good humor is in short supply these days over cowardly and ill-communicated business practices.

So that's it for now. I'd like to send a shoutout to a couple of my comic making comrades: Adam "Zapple" Talley, who's preparing to wrap up his long running comic book epic "Pleasant Hymns" very soon. Best of luck and enjoy the ride to the finish, muh man. And to Evan "Almighty" Shaner, the most under appreciated cartoonist to grace CMLife since, well, me, just know that there are those of us out there who know how hard you work and appreciate your content and efforts more than a pack of unqualified underage news editors could ever hope to understand. You're too good for that rag, and too talented for those who oversee it. To the rest of you, my love and good spirits are being sent out to you always. Laura inspires me to love, my art inspires me to create, and you inspire me to share my imagination. Thank you for being my audience and friends.

Jay

THE CONTRACT COMETH, play news and a memoriam…

Even I was losing faith, just a teeny little bit, but lo and behold, I got an e-mail from Ape Comics telling me my contract was in the mail, and that same day, my mailbox proved Ape to not be a liar. Along with the contract, the good folks at Ape were kind enough to send me some of their comics and graphic novels as reference towards what Dead Duck will look like in printed form. And let me tell you, Ape does NOT put out a shoddy product. These were some of the glossiest, tightest books I'd ever held in my hands. So you can imagine how cool my Dead Duck graphic novel will be. All I'm waiting for now is my layer, Nick "Pro Bono" Duono (or Boner Donut, which is by far more hilarious) to call or e-mail me with a time that he can view the contract and make sure it's all good to sign. On my end, Dead Duck is still rolling along with my latest story being produced as we speak. I'm not hitting it quite as hard as I would normally, due to my involvement in the play I'd mentioned last time, but in under a month, the show will have wrapped, and it'll be full steam ahead on my comic.



And speaking of the play, here's the info you guys will need if you want to come see it. It's called "Duck Hunter Shoots Angel," written by Mitch Albom and starring, among others, myself as one of the two duck hunters, and my wife Laura, as the lost love of one of the other characters. Showtimes are:

March 7th&8th--8:00 pm
March 9th--3:00 pm
March 13th, 14th, 15th--8:00 pm
March 16th--3:00 pm
The box office opens March 3rd, and you can order tickets by calling The Bay City Players at (989) 893-5555 between 12-2pm and 7-9pm.

So mark it down, people. Much as I want to see as many of my pals in the audience, I don't want to have to commit this info to memory and repeat it ad nauseam a bazillion times. So no excuses, folks. All you need to know is here!

Lastly, a very influential personality in the world of comic books has left us, and I wanted to make mention of it here. Steve Gerber, probably the one guy most responsible for my ever having created Dead Duck, succumbed to a long battle with pulmonary fibrosis last week. He was the creator and writer of (among countless other popular comics for various publishers), the comic book "Howard The Duck" for Marvel in the 1970's, which was one of my most favorite books as a kid. It put me on a path of cartoon duck worship, and, as I've mentioned, led me to create my own cartoon duck. So in tribute, I created this cartoon. It's not much, but it's the best little candle I could light in his memory.



So that's it for now. More news as it comes.

Jay

Hey, I'm posting a new blog in under a month (but just barely)…!

Let's just hit the ground running, kids. Y'know that play I mentioned last time? The one called "Duck Hunter Shoots Angel" written by Mitch Albom and being put on at The Bay City Players? Well thankfully, I got in the show and got the part I wanted! I'm pretty excited, since I haven't been in a show in just over a year, and even then it was just some small "filler" roles that were purely walk on/walk off, plus some barking dog sound effects from off stage (Don't get me wrong; I LOVED doing all that). But it's been even longer since I've played an extensive role in a show, and the role I'm playing in "Duck Hunter", loveable misfit hick hunter Duell Early, is very crucial to the whole play. So right now I'm studying my lines and preparing for a month long rehearsal. I'm nervous but very excited, and I'll let you guys know the performance dates when we get closer to curtain.

In other duck news, I've just completed my latest Dead Duck script, my longest one to date. Nineteen pages of pure 80's pop culture nostalgia, as filtered through my satirical and oft-times scatological sense of humor (though come to think of it, this may be my first script with no fart jokes in it! Heaven forbid!). Beyond that, all I'll say is that Dead Duck and Zombie Chick encounter loose parodies of some famous 80's toy icons and the death of their comrade. I think it's a really solid piece, and a landmark for its length alone.

I've also completed another Dead Duck script that I haven't begun illustrating yet. This one's a story that I'm slapping on the beginning of the impending graphic novel before any of the other stories I've already created, its intent being to introduce the comic's theme, setting, characters and all pertinent info. But at the same time, this isn't just a meet and greet; it’s a story like any other, and in my opinion, it's one of my best. I actually dug through my library of old sketchbooks and found an old dusty volume from 1992 that featured my first-ever complete Dead Duck story, drawn when I was a junior in high school. The story is based on a story from Geoffrey Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" which I studied in high school. So using that old story became the basis for this new intro story. Using it just felt right, and made me see that all the components for my current Dead Duck comic have always been there, and I was surprised as to how little changes actually had to be made. So I'm hoping to begin illustrating that soon, but it may be put off until I learn my lines for "Duck Hunter." That'll require a buttload of concentration.

I've been in contract with David Hedgcock of Ape Comics, and he assures me that the contract is written and will be sent to me soon. He tells me we're looking at a March 2009 release date for the book, which means I have to have the whole thing packaged by October of '09. I feel confident that I can do this, and I look forward to all the cool promotional stuff I'll be doing in the meantime:

*I'm dusting off Web/funk/Jedi/Tetris and Hogwarts Headmaster Jeremy "What the Foc you lookin' at?!" Foco to build a brand new Dead Duck section for my website (more news to come!).

*I'm going to be producing an online Dead Duck comic strip that will be featured on Ape Comics' website, as well as a quarterly full page Dead Duck comic for one of Ape Comics' magazines.

*Ape Comics will have an online store for Dead Duck merch that will require me creating a bunch of cool art for that.

And LOADS more to come!

In related news, there's going to be an aesthetic change to my website very soon. If you've been following my website for the past four years, you'll recall that on the main page there's my "Jayfosgitt.com" logo, and just beneath it, a cartoon of myself at the drawing board with my old character The Krazybread Man popping out at me. Well, given the recent popularity of Dead Duck and Zombie Chick, I'm retiring Krazy and bringing DD & ZC onto the board with a whole new graphic and logo. I'll always love Krazy and his old comic strip "Mother's Goofs," and who knows, he may come back in a big way someday. But Dead Duck predates him by a decade, and it's the duck's time to shine now. So I'll let you know when the change to the site occurs.

On the "Other than Dead Duck" branch of my artistic career, I've had my hands full creating artwork for a couple of fun clients. The first I have to show, however, wasn't for a client, but for my birth mom Penny's birthday. She works in a hair salon, so using that as inspiration and choosing to include her two co-workers in the gag, I created the card below:


This card was a lot of fun to make, and she gave the best reaction I could hope for: "Jay, you are so COOL!" Believe me, I didn't hear that a lot growing up. Still don't. So hearing it from her was a landmark event for me.

Next up, I was commissioned by Jim Lent, the guy who screen prints the t-shirts I design for the township and who also coaches JV girls basketball at Hemlock High, to draw his team's picture. The only instructions were to make the caricatures "bobble head-style," which basically means tiny body, oversized noggin. So I drew one generic body, scanned it into my computer, then drew individual heads and plopped them on. It was a pretty simple process, and I was happy with the end results:






























Not long after, I'd heard of actor Heath Ledger's death. I've always enjoyed his work, and his 2001 movie "A Knight's Tale" has a special place in my heart. So in tribute, I drew him and the cast of that movie, just because.













Once I was done with that, I got a call from a client of my birth mom's who was looking for a caricature of a retiring co-worker. He sent me a photo, told me he was retiring from The Flint Journal and that he liked to fish. The end result was simple but, I think, effective.













And immediately after that, my friend Jason Pintar asked me to draw some promotional art for his band, "Across The Aisle". Using photos from their Myspace page, I threw together the following piece.



It was met with positive responses, though there was concern that I'd drawn the lead singer's breasts too big. I guess after drawing Zombie Chick and other voluptuous cartoon women for so long, it just kind of spilled over into this commission. I will say, however, that I ran the drawing past Laura and she thought it was in good taste, even complimentary. Regardless, after a hasty Photoshop boob job, I sent them the following re-do:


















The most current project I'm working on now is for my friends Evan (also a hell of a cartoonist) and Carla (a hell of a sweet person). They're getting married in June and have hired me to draw artwork to decorate the tables at their reception. They requested I draw various versions of them in equally various themes, and the list was a cartoonist's dream challenge. I managed to complete all nine illustrations in a day and am a bit less than half way done coloring them. I'd show what I've finished here, but I feel it inappropriate to do so before the couple have even had the chance to take a peek. Still, I feel confident that they'll like them. I'm pretty please with how they're turning out.

So that's it for now. As always, sorry for the delay in posting a new blog. But when there's no news, there's not much to say. Luckily, it seems there's all kinds of good news on the horizon, and I look forward to sharing it with you guys. 'Til then, take care, and keep dreaming.

Jay

WHAT IS IT WITH ME AND DUCKS.....??

I have a feeling.

A feeling that suggests I need to do something.

I've had this feeling before.

Once, back in May of 1999, when the opportunity to audition for the play "Beauty and The Beast" came around, for example. Through a friend I discovered that this play, one of my favorite fairy tales, was being produced at The Midland Center For The Arts, and that the director still hadn't found her Beast. Now here was a character I'd always identified with; a monster, misunderstood at that, with a mysterious lineage and a prediliction toward the ferocious. It was like playing myself. Now, I hadn't performed on stage in a good six years at this point, since my grand ol' days in high school drama playing ghosts, murderers and supervillains. My kinda people. Now, circa 1999, as I found myself in the enviable position of filling a dream role that no one else obviously wanted, I froze. Do I try out? Do I bail out? I was scared to death and unsure of my ability to perform. But a nagging feeling deep inside was puling me towards giving it a shot. Still, I wasn't sold. Deciding to let fate determine the outcome, I pulled up to a gas pump, proceeded to fill my tank, and declared that if the pump shut off at $10.00, I'd audition. If not, I wouldn't, easy as that. So I squeezed, moved back and waited.

And with a click of the pump, a ten dollar price tag was waiting for me at the cresting levy of my gas tank.

Did this mean that the Bush family not only controlled the free world via its oil stock holdings, but also held dominion over the realm of fate? Whose to say? All I knew was, I didn't need a burning bush to beat me over the head. I knew a sign when I saw one, however ecologically corrupt it may have presented itself.

So audition I did. And the coveted role of the Beast (from the original dark fairy tale rather than the almost as good candy-colored Disney animated musical) was mine. Such was borne one of my fondest experiences on stage, and an event which, as I can trace it back now, set into motion a domino-spilling of occurances which culminated in my meeting the love of my life and eventual wife, Laura Tanner, in Central Michigan University's theater department three years later.

How's that for a story? True, I assure you. And very important in my faith and perception of life. So now here I am today, the dawn of 2008, and that old familiar feeling is washing over me like a ginger ale tide, very sweet, with bubbles of anticipation filling up around me from all sides. And what, you gotta be asking yourself by now, is the source for this feeling?

Why, another play of course. Jay Fosgitt, blue collar cartoonist and occasional participant in the performing arts (I have a minor in theater after all) is dusting off his acting chops and preparing to audition for a play at The Bay City Players, a hallowed venue where many great memories have been made, not the least of which being the marriage to my wife on their very stage.

The play is called "Duck Hunter Shoots Angel" by "Tuesdays With Morrie" author Mitch Albom. When I first heard many months back that they were putting on the play, the title alone piqued my curiosity and made me consider auditioning. Then just today, I borrowed a copy of the script from the Players, just to see if it's something I'd really want to try and be a part of.

I read it cover to cover in two hours, and immediately found THE character I wanted to play. He gets to be funny and dramatic, plus he holds a connection to the type of role I so relished in my old days on stage. I find myself VERY excited, and I don't excite easily. That feeling is kicking a hole in my chest and looking to spill out in enthusiastic gushes all over the place. Now, does this feeling assure that I'll get the role? Not in the slightest. There's a lot of talented guys in Bay City with far more pull at The Players than I have who could probably play this role as well or better. I'm not arrogant about my talent or chances. But I know what I want, and I'm willing to give it my all to get it. If it doesn't come to be, well, it won't be due to a shortfall of effort and determination.

So this is my latest news. If you're looking for a connection to my usual artistic medium (i.e. cartooning), then how about this: "Duck Hunter Shoots Angel." I write and draw a comic book called Dead Duck, about a dead DUCK who works for the ANGEL of Death. Now if that isn't a burning bush, I don't know what is. Auditions aren't until the end of the month, so it's a while off until I try out and anything can be determined. But rest assured that, as always, I'll be here to share the results, as well as any and all news that comes of my various and kooky artistic endeavors. Nothing but love, muh peeps. Hey, baby ducks peep, don't they? Another sign!

Jay