Saturday, December 29, 2012

The Winners!

Thanks to all who participated in my giveaways this week. It might not have been a free art stream, but it *was* free art. Maybe next year I can fulfill my Santa Chrisp dreams!

Here are this week's winners:

Monday#1 - Jess 
Monday#2 - Emi 
Tuesday - Unolup 
Wednesday #1 - X-Strike 
Wednesday #2 - Alexk 
Thursday #1 (giving) - Brighttail 
Thursday #2 (receiving) - MacareuxMoine 
Friday: @ShivaeStudios 

Emi, if you see this, please drop me an email with your address and your request. The list of prizes is over here: http://chrispco.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-giveaways.html

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Chrispmas Giveaway #5!


Last contest of the week! And this one's for me! I spend far too much of my time on Twitter, either catching up with cartoonists or doing drive-by tweeting while working - and this contest is for you other folks who have been sucked in!

There are share buttons on  today's comic page, and let's use them! Friday's comic is good and THE WORLD NEEDS TO KNOW!  Use the Twitter button to share your love, and you're entered into the drawing for free art!  While you can certainly use any of the share buttons, I'm focusing on Twitter because doing so includes a @chrispco mention - so I can *see* who shared. I can't do that on the other sites. When the day is over and Saturday's comic is up, I will look over my mentions and randomly choose the winner!

(You should still keep sharing, though. Use those icons if you like the current comic, and help bring new readers into the fold!)


Monday#1 - Jess
Monday#2 - Emi
Tuesday - Unolup
Wednesday #1 - X-Strike
Wednesday #2 - Alexk
Thursday #1 (giving) - Brighttail
Thursday #2 (receiving) - MacareuxMoine

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Chrispmas Giveaway #4


The theme for today is helping out! Be like Ursula and make things wonderful for your fellow Precocites!

Two prizes are up for grabs today. One is a choice of art, and the other is a mystery! And here's the thoughtful part: The winner of today's draw will THOUGHTFULLY choose another commenter to receive a prize! But which prize? Will they give their chosen one the art and take the mystery gift - which could be bad - or take the known prize and give the mystery gift - which could also be awesome - to another? DUN DUN DUN!

How do you enter? Simply comment on today's comic (12/27) and you're in - well, as long as you've provided an email address, so I can contact you. One entry per person. I'll do a random draw of all who qualify to determine the gifter.

Just remember: This is your chance to make a good impression and be chosen to receive a gift by the winner! How can you win over that person's heart? Insightful commentary? Razor-sharp wit? Impassioned plea? Reverse psychology? It's your choice! (And theirs.)

Oh, and you winners had better check your spam folder. I'm guessing the word "winner" in an email title gets it filtered pretty hard. Haha. Oops.

Winner tally:


Monday#1 - Jess
Monday#2 - Emi
Tuesday - Unolup
Wednesday #1 - X-Strike
Wednesday #2 - Alexk

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Chrispmas Giveaway #3


Hello, folks! Are we all recovered from the fun? Wanna blow off some excess energy? Let's do silly things. Together. It's how we bond.

Today is another drawn-while-sick comic, so please enjoy it the best you can and distract yourselves with silliness otherwise. (The progression is kinda interesting. Too pained to think, I broke many comic laws in Tuesday's art, was shaky for Wednesday, started to pull it together as the pills kicked in for Thursday and I'm back to regular skill for Friday and Saturday.)

Anyway, it's contest time again. Since Monday was fully nuts, let's do that stuff again! This time, the goal is to mention a FRUIT in today's comment section! You can be clever (but don't be tried-too-hard clever) or you could simply post "apple" and run away. All fruity posters go on the list! (One entry per person, so listing every fruit ever won't help you.)

But, wait, there's more! I'm using a random number generator to pick out a number between 1 and 1389 (the amount of Precocious updates in the archive) - and a *second* prize is available to the one who guesses closest. All you need to do is add a number to your post. Don't be *too* clever here, as it must be clear to me what your guess is. This is also one entry per person, so if you're chatting in the comments don't toss out extra numbers and confuse me! If there's a tie between two people, the one who posted earliest wins.

If someone hits the number exactly, they win and the contest resets with a new number and a new, smaller prize. (Probably a magnet set.)

As always, there needs to be an email attached to your post so I can contact you if you win. Contest runs from when the comic appears to when the next update happens.

Good luck, folks! Thank you for having fun with me!

Here's your winners list so far:

Monday#1 - Jess
Monday#2 - Emi
Tuesday - Unolup

Monday, December 24, 2012

Chrispmas Giveaway #2


Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it. Merry day off to those who don't celebrate it, but are taking advantage of the holiday. Merry overtime pay to those working tonight. Merry Precocious update day to everyone else. Let's all get away for a while, escape from reality and read some comics!

Today's comic annoys me, as it was drawn while I was in a lot of pain and because of that the quality isn't great. So I ask you to distract me! Make me smile! There are two approaches you can take:

1) Share a cute story about Precocious in today's comment section. It could be how you found Precocious, why you keep reading Precocious, about your shrine of Precocious goodies, how you lost your swag bag Tiffany pin and later found out it somehow derailed a train... whatever!

2) Cute pet pictures! (Yes, you can share a short story on why the pet is cute too.) You get a bonus entry if the pet is pictured with Precocious stuff! (I'll accept a monitor displaying the site in the background.)  These can be emailed to me if you want to avoid the comments section.  If you do want to post your pic in the comments, let me help you. (This graphic can always been found in the site's FAQ, by the way.)



Each person only gets one entry - and only one bonus, when applicable - no matter how many times you post stories or pics. You must post with a valid email attached your comment, so I can contact you.  The window for entries is from Midnight to midnight, eastern time. I will compile all pics submitted and post some at a later date on the blog so I can show 'em off.

As for Monday's winners?

*drumroll*

Winner #1 - Jess!
Winner #2 - Emi!

I'll send you both an email! Congratulations!

As for the rest of you, grab some pets and a camera?

The Giveaways!

So what are we fighting for? This stuff! Below you will see what the art contest winners can select from. Up first are the Precocious goodies! (Crossed out means someone has claimed them.)


Up for grabs:
-Watercolors. Yvette or Tiffany .
-Artist trading cards. Choose from Autumn, Jacob, Bud, Tiffany, Suzette and Roddy
-The original art for the "We are Quietly Judging You" design.
-A set of 10 Precocious pins!
-A set of Precocious magnets



Also available is some of my con portfolio art:
-Watercolors. Calico Cat, Dapper Owl or Happy Squirrel
-Colored pencil. Bridesmaid Lemur or Pizza Boy Dalmation
-Copic marker. Protest Poodle, Phoenix or Jaguar Dude.

Winners and claimed pieces:

Monday winner #1: Jess - We are Quietly Judging You art
Monday winner #2: Emi - (waiting for reply)
Tuesday winner: Unolup - Jacob card
Wednesday winner #1: X-Strike - Tiffany watercolor
Wednesday winner #2: Alexk - Bud card
Thursday winner (giver): Brighttail - MYSTERY GIFT
Thursday winner (receiving):  MacareuxMoine - Yvette watercolor
Friday winner: @ShivaeStudios - Bridesmaid Lemur, gifted to @RutilusFidael


Sunday, December 23, 2012

Chrispmas Giveaway #1


Let's get this art giveaway started! To get entered into the drawing for Monday's prize, all you have to do is comment on today's comic and include the code word!  In honor of the elixir of life that kept me alive during the worst of my woes, the code word is "MARSHMALLOW" - as in toasted marshmallow latte!

In order to be eligible, you must have a valid email associated with your comment/account so I can contact you. (Only I see it.) Otherwise, all you need to do is comment and use the code word. You can only post the code word if you want, but I'm willing to give out a few bonus entries for comments with clever code word usage. At midnight, I will choose the winner from the list of entries using a random number generator.  The winner's name will be edited into the top news post and I'll send an email to the address associated with the comment.

So here we go... a battle between holiday distraction and the joy of greed begins! Who's hanging around this week to grab the swag?

Chrispmas Week Giveaways!


My original plan of streaming art gifts for holiday orphans had to be scrapped due to my continued illness - I am feeling better, but not enough to risk it - but we can still get some holiday cheer in! Keep watch over over this space, as there will be a new giveaway announced every weekday. Up for grabs are artist trading cards, watercolors, original line art, pins and some portfolio pieces.

You'll be given a little task to do each day, such as posting a key word in the comments or sharing a comic on Twitter.  All those who participate are entered into that day's drawing. The winner gets to pick their prize from the available stock!

The posts will go up around midnight, with instructions on what to do, so keep an eye out. After a day's winner is determined, I'll update the front page post and message the lucky person.

Yeah, it's a little more work and less fancy art time, but it's free stuff and that's still pretty cool. I hope to be streaming again next week!

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Copper Road! Bonus Comics! More!


It's a special holiday-themed Copper Road for you! Vote here to get in on the cheer and sing along! We'll finish Ursula's story in early January, by the way, but for now enjoy the beautiful color of the holiday's that one kind soul bought for you!

In other news, the big bonus bar on the main page has been filled! 15 bonus comics will be coming your way! These are all double-sized and tell a story. You'll have lots of fun with them. I'm not sure how I'll present them yet. Run two stories at once on the main page? Put them all in one giant update? Spread out their release by using them as vote incentives, then post them as whole elsewhere? I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, and I will listen to your feedback if you have it.

Since I didn't let myself start on the comics until the bar was filled, it'll be a while before your reward is ready. So, hey, if there's a delay, why not keep this party going? The bonus bar now seeks to become a new color! If you all can fill it up, via purchasing Precocious goodies or through happy donations, this bonus arc will come to you in vivid color!

You may have more time than expected too, if my dental hell continues. First it was a toothache, then it was soreness and slow healing of the tooth extraction, then it was my jaw flipping out due to favoring one side of my mouth for so long and now I'm on day four of a brutal and debilitating sinus headache that is freaking me out. (I don't get these normally, and the timing us just too uncanny for me to think it's a random event. Sigh, back to the doc I go...) All in all, while I've kept Precocious going, I've lost a full month of work for my other projects - yes, including the new cast page. I'm not happy about it, but it happened and all I can do is fight on.  As you've probably noticed, this week's streaming was canceled, as sitting up and leaning forward while talking make up the "things that cause pain" trifecta in my current state.  I still hope to recover before my Christmas Eve art giveaway steams, but I really don't know at this point. If I can't stream, I will find other ways to be Santa Chrisp - so keep watching the front page news section for updates!

I will get better. I will get my work done. I won't let you all down. Just cut me some slack until I can get healthy.

Monday, December 17, 2012

Anyone near Williamsburg, VA?


So here's something fun: I get to attend a local-ish con, MarsCon, as a guest! Cool! This is a sci-fi themed con, but I've been told it has a solid webcomic presence.  Should be fun! (And it gives me an excuse to visit good friends down there!)

Also new for me: Panel discussions! I will be taking part in all webcomic group discussions and hosting my own talk - So You Want to Make a Webcomic? - with advice for new and aspiring comic creators and stories of all my rookie mistakes. Afterwards, I'll be doing a smallish book signing.

If you're in the area January 18-20, I would love to have you stop by! I look at analytics. I know I have readers down there! Set your calendar now, and help ensure my first talk doesn't end with me chatting with an empty room.  More details will be posted about exact times as the date grows closer.

In non-con news...

Copper Road and the next streaming session are likely delayed. While I'm nearly out of the woods with my dental nightmare, I'm so tired and almost a month behind with my plans thanks to this saga. For Copper Road, I might put up a holiday comic soon and save the close of the Ursula arc for the first week in January.  With streaming, I might push Thursday night's session back to Saturday afternoon. I feel OK, but last time five hours of talking took its toll.  Today I tried doing normal mouth things, as I was feeling better, and that turned out to be a BAD idea. (Back to soup. So much soup. Soup forever.) Two extra days of shutting up might help. If you don't see a stream announcement Wednesday morning, that means I'm waiting until Saturday - which should be announced on Thursday.

Also, check out the Bonus Comics Bar! We're so close! Wanna help push us over the edge and get the reward, you can donate or purchase one of the unclaimed artist trading cards!

Friday, December 14, 2012

NEVER ENOUGH MARKERS!

(click for bigger size)

This is what I have in my Copic collection at the moment. It's a bunch, but every night I draw I find another gap where more markers are needed. It's just so cruel. Double cruel: I don't really do enough commissions to justify buying more, but you *know* that'll happen. Darn addictive things! (And just wait until I start running into the need for refills. I've got some for the most-used colors bought already, but it's gonna be a scary day when a larger order is placed.) Next year: The year of commissions?

Really, this isn't a post for lamenting, but a resource for those who'd like more control over what colors are used in future commissions. Can't promise it's all accurate, as the scanner can only do so much, but maybe it'll help?

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Chrispy's kitties


I was asked if I'd do a commission of my cats drawn as Precocious characters - and it kinda threw me at first. My cats can certainly inspire GREAT characters, and I would love writing a comic use such characters - be it them or someone based on them - but I do have an aversion writing real-life associates into comics.  What if the comic is popular and runs for a few years - and what if something happens to one of my kitties. I'm not sure what I could do with the cat-inspired characters then. It'd be weird.

Well, I'm coming around. Maybe not a full-Precocizing, but I think drawing them as actual kitties might work. Anyway, none of those comicking issues matter for a one-shot commission. The thing holding that one up was me wondering if it would be weird or difficult to pull off.  But once that idea got in my head, I could NOT abandon it. I love these thought exercises, and I had to see it through!

So here are my kitties in the Precocious style.  I'll explain them all shortly.  They look different ages here, but the point of this sketchbook page was to find their look, not settle on a drawing concept or design. I can age or de-age them as needed.  I mean, it's not like it's all in sync. Root's the biggest one, but he's the second youngest.  If you're wondering, Cleo is around 10 (may be older, I'm not sure), Penny is 8, Root's about 5 and Little Stuff's coming up to a year and half old. Anyway, on to the kitties and my thoughts on them.

Cleo - She had a rough childhood, spending much of it as a loner, and even though she's had it calm and cushy for a while, she's still very skittish and distrustful.  She's smart, but also cynical.  Even when she wants to cuddle and be sweet, she's not entirely sure how. Get close to her and she's growl and hiss to scare you off - although she's not mean at all, and won't hurt you.  She's vulnerable and sweet when she lets her guard down. (She actually doesn't growl/hiss nearly as much as before - except to Root, but that's with good cause.) For her character, I had to scale back the darkness in her. She's all black, so I have to get creative.  I decided to depict her as the mopey one, wearing baggy clothes and telling most who get near her to leave her alone.

Penny - This *my* cat. I raised her, and I broke her. Penny is like looking in a feline mirror sometimes, as she's intensely neurotic and self-destructive. She has major anxiety issues and freaks out when anything changes, or someone she doesn't trust is around.  When she came out of the box at Animal Allies, everyone in the room gasped at how beautiful she was - but we were warned she LOVED to eat. They did not lie. This cat is all about food, and she's a copper-colored basketball. (Ok, not *that* bad - but that's the joke we use.)  For her design, I made her a neurotic nerdy type. She's merely chubby here, because cats can handle a lot of extra weight before they cease to be totally adorable - and I'd rather preserve her cuteness with huggable curves. I drew her short, but she's the size of a regular cat - maybe even a bit above average - it's just that Cleo and Root are giants.  Penny has tiny paws and a slightly shorter tail proportionately that the rest.  I should note that this one, the most damaged of all cats, is the one everyone in this house fights over. We have shared custody. I get Penny during the week. The tenant's son gets to care for her during the weekend.

Root - He wasn't always the jerkwad he is now. Well, he was always a jerk, but also used to have a loving side. Then my brother decided to start letting Root outside, about three years ago, and somehow the cat transformed. He started spraying after that, despite being neutered very early on, and he's become far meaner. He annoys Cleo (who could probably kick his butt if she wanted) and picks on helpless Penny. He rarely cuddles now, choosing instead to raise hell (or spray) until let outside again. Root kinda sucks, and he's affirmed my stance on not adopting male cats if given the choice. (Root was a rescue from an about-to-be-torn-down cat colony. We saved him because he was stupid and fell asleep in the open, even though he knew I was there as I'd already tried to grab him twice.) For his look, I decided to go the bully jock route. I'm not sure I'm sold on the jersey colors, but that's easy enough to switch around. He has big boy cat paws and that squinty lion stare to him at times.

Little Stuff - Whenever we adopt a kitten, mom calls it "Little Stuff." This time, the name stuck around. Fortunately, she has remained smaller than the rest. Again, this means's she's regular size - but Cleo and Root skew perspective. She's the baby of the house - another rescue, by the way - and a total kitten. Her favorite thing is to do acrobatics on her cat tower. She runs around the house for no reason, wants to play with everyone and is intensely curious. She's also brings out the only redeeming quality in Root, as he'll play with her, while Cleo and Penny want no part of it. She's a sweetheart too, and a total delight to have around.  So, yay, we have an undamaged cat. FINALLY! Mom, thank you for fighting off that other lady on the side of the road who wanted Little Stuff instead.  (My mother keeps a can of wet cat food in he car JUST IN CASE this stuff happens.) Little Stuff was easy to design. She is a young child - must be younger than the rest - and I gave her a cute and innocent look. (She gives you those big-eyed "What? Me?" looks every time after she causes some destruction.)

Mastering the eye roll

It's weird - The eye roll is supposed to be Kaitlyn's signature move, yet it's so rare that I actually pull it off. Maybe it's a consequence of drawing such simple faces - maybe it's the lack of eyebrows to frame stuff, or the eye shape in general. Oh well, that's her thing I have to do better.

If I hit on something, I'll be drawing a Kaitlyn card tomorrow. The premise is Quincy is being Quincy off panel, and Kaitlyn's being Kaitlyn on the card.  1, 2 and 4 were inspired by Kaitlyn poses in Copper Road comics. 3 is me working on my crossed arms. It's something else I really struggle with, due to the shorter arms of cartoony characters, but so expressive I must keep trying! I think I did ok in this sketch.

There is another older page of Kaitlyn eye roll sketches out there, but I don't think they're as good. I'll flash 'em on tomorrow's stream when the card time comes, though.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Thursday art card streaming!


Thursday, December 13th, 7pm-midnight(ish) Eastern time - http://www.ustream.tv/channel/the-sycophant

As long as you guys keep showing up, I will keep this streaming going! Bonus: I might be able to do this one on minimal painkillers! (Might.) I only have one art card commission lined up so far - Winter Autumn holding a cup of cocoa - so who else wants to grab a card slot? Only $10!  By the way, all cards pictured up there currently don't have homes - anyone want to adopt them? (There's also one more Suzette - guess no one loves her.) Update: Vincent hanging his stocking, Max Bond, Saxy Ursula and the Suzette card that *isn't* in this picture were claimed.

While this stream won't have an art card giveaway - those who were there know why, and those who weren't will learn why in the next stream announcement - I might still be embracing the spirit of Chrispmas and drawing some gift art. If you guys are OK with it - and if I have the pencils ready in time (a big if) - I'm thinking of using the stream time to draw gift art for other webcartoonists. With the tooth thing, the buffer I thought I'd have by now isn't here, so I want to use my time efficiently. I love streaming, and I love talking to all who come, so I hope you will indulge me - and maybe find a cool new webcomic to read in the process! Alternately, you can buy up my time slots and get alllll the attention. That's fine too!

I'll draw at least two cards over the stream - the commission one whenever the client's around to see, and another one based on chat suggestions. After that, we'll see what happens as the week unfolds. (If I write/prep a Copper Road in time, I could even do that!)

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Two worthy projects!

You may have seen the banners on this site already, but did you know *I* put them there? Both of these projects are dear to me, and I'd love to see them succeed! One is for comic lovers. One is for art lovers. All will enrich your lives! Click each banner to visit the funding page. (Then fund them!)


The Precocious kids read and love Newshounds, and you should too! (If you don't help out, you risk their wrath.) This is a comic that I adored and studied when I first started on my cartooning path, so it's dear to me. It's been going online for 15 years, and the time has come for Newshounds to end.  Thomas K. Dye, the creator, wants to give his comic a proper send-off and bring his story to a close on his terms.  In order to do that, he needs your support. The final book, fourth in the current series, must happen! Read over his Indiegogo funding page to learn more and see the special bonus options.


Heidi Black is one of the amazing artists I met during my time at the Savannah College of Art and Design. She's a recent grad of the top sequential art program in the country, and one of the most skilled, talented and versatile artists I know. She has professional experience, webcomic experience and knows more art tricks that just about anyone... and she's sharing it with you! Artists, this book is a MUST-HAVE. It's not only a beautiful art book, but a collection of tutorials to help level up anyone's art skills.  Non-artists, she is offering her version of a swag bag as a donation level for those not in the market for a tutorial book - support a good project and get some mini comics, a poster and some charms! Several other tiers of rewards are available to supporters, so check it out! ONLY A WEEK LEFT TO FUND THIS ONE!

Thanks for reading my pleas, everyone. I want these projects to succeed, and a perk of being a creator is that I can signal boost!


Tonight's art cards!


Another good stream! At least on my end. You guys may have suffered, but at least you had plenty of suffering friends to commiserate with this time!

Aside from the new Copper Road (go vote and see it! It hurts my feelings when I slip this low in the rankings) I did these two cards, and they're cool. Totally.

Autumn's card started the evening. This is a recreation of the final panel of this comic with bonus color and double bonus not having to look at naked me to see that pose. Since this was a sequined dress in a sparkly environment, I went ADVANCED and used metallic silver and gold pencils for the shininess. I may have gone overboard in experimenting with colors and polling the chat to settle on the perfect dress color - BUT IT WORKED. What I'm most proud of, though, is how I pulled off the curtain-esque background. I rocked my color theory via means of insanity!

Vincent's card had a very cool origin. While folks seem to enjoy me drawing the Copper Roads, there's also a bit of quiet as I have to do the lettering and ink the borders. This time, I tasked the chat with deciding upon the next card while I did the less-zesty Copper Roading.  It... worked.  Rather than melting down into sectional violence, everyone actually seemed to have a good discussion and came up with the concept of Vincent, in holiday pajamas, hanging a stocking while standing precariously on a wobbly stool.  I admit, I was dubious about fitting it all onto a card - but IT WORKED. The end result was one of the coolest cards yet, and everyone involved gets to take some credit in its creation.

While commissions aren't canon - and even with no owner, art cards count - this does give an interesting view into Vincent's home life. I've always imagined Vincent's dad as doing the best he can - even in areas where he doesn't have the most expertise. Vincent wanted to celebrate the holiday, so daddy went out and got a big tree!  Decorations? Uh... One box of ornaments and no lights or tinsel? Like Vincent, there's something so sweet in that slightly inept attempt to make someone happy.  Anyway, Vincent's probably spending his holiday in the emergency room.

Also, when these cards are placed side by side, it's hilarious.

Saturday, December 8, 2012

New Copper Road! 12/8/12


First off, thanks to everyone who showed for today's stream! It was a blast, and I hope you were entertained by watching me draw the art cards and finish off this Copper Road! Also, congrats to JDS for being the lucky winner of the art card giveaway! This is the season of giving, so more free art chances will be happening! Watch the front page for details!

As for the comic, Ursula's entering a new danger zone. Of course, with Ursula, just about everything is dangerous to her - but this especially! Vote here to see the new comic!

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Cards and comics streaming, Dec 8th


December 8th is a special day, as it marks the beginning of Chrispmas - the season of giving! (Come to my streams if you want the full story of Chrispmas.) I intend to start this season by giving you a bonus weekend stream! Note the early start, 4pm eastern time, as I'm letting those darling people over in Europe get in on the action without wrecking their sleep schedules!

The plan is to draw two art cards and finish up the next installment of Copper Road, which will be posted after the stream ends.

Oh, and didn't I say this was the season of giving? During the stream, I will be giving away an art card to someone in the chat! You don't need an Ustream account, nor do you have to be actively chatting. You just need to be watching when the time comes and be able to let me know you exist. (You can use the chat room anonymously, or even email me if you're that shy.)

The above sketches, with festival outfits, are me getting you all started with ideas for the cards, as at least one will be created from chat requests.  The other card can be a commission, if someone would like to reserve a spot. Send me an email - chrispco (at) yahoo (dot) com - if you want it. Only $10.

The steam is expected to run 3-4 hours, so I encourage you to stop in and try for the freebie when you can! As always, this is the link: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/the-sycophant

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Autumn card sketches


Since the card piece below took up nearly all the stream last night (which, it was supposed to, as it is big and complex) there was no chance to work on the back-up card.  Yes, I was prepared in case the client had to run and wanted me to halt production while he was gone.  These were the sketches I had for that card.

1 - Horizontal card with Autumn stretched out reading, like in the recent comic. The background would likely be unobtrusive, with her leaning against a wall or something.  (The dunk tank colors would look silly out of context.)

2- Autumn with a refreshing beverage, inspired by this comic. Likely a vertical card, but I'd have to get clever with the background.

3- Winter outfit Autumn with hot cocoa!  I stole this pose from a Roddy sketch! Could be indoor or outdoor, depending on background request.

4 - Winter Autumn playing in deep snow. The deep snow allows for me to show more figure without having the awkwardness of chopping off the feet.

5 - Happy winter Autumn, maybe as snow starts falling around her. I'd have to straighten her up slightly to fit properly on the card, cute as that lean is.

6 - Sitting Autumn looking concerned. The orientation of this card would depend on how the background is handled. Is there something causing that concern? What's happening in this scene?

An Autumn card could be drawn as early as Saturday's stream - although I already promised to start that one with a Kaitlyn - since it was a request *and* I owe someone a Kaitlyn. Saturday will likely go Kaitlyn card, Copper Road, then one more card, depending on who's around.

Texas hold'em!


For those who weren't able to spend six hours hanging out with me in the stream, here's the finished version of the piece I colored tonight.  The Precocious kids are hustling poor Kendall, and he's about to go down to Autumn's all-in! (Or maybe cheating Tiffany will knock him out first.)

Pieces this complex are pretty intimidating for me, since I still consider myself a newbie with marker, but I'm happy with how it came out.

11x8.5" piece, Copic multiliners and sketch markers on Canson comic paper. This image has approximately half an inch around each edge cropped to show how it would look framed.  (No one asked, but I want to prove that I did take possible framing into consideration when I composed the piece.) You can find the full image in my FA gallery.

Kendall belongs to SirKain.

Another art showcase!

Once more, a great artist has come to help me in my time of greed!  The wonderful Matthew Dawson has contributed today's evil caricature. Give me thanks and love and follows!

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Today's guest art showcase!


Here's the full art for today's comic, courtesy of the great Raiettei!

Much thanks to him for indulging me for this idea. Go check out his stuff and spread the love!

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Tuesday Commission Streaming!


Let's do this again! Last time, the client behind the above art had to call in sick. This time the big card game art *will* be completed! That will start around 8pm. We'll start at 7pm with an art card commission, and we'll toss in more art cards, if there's time.

I'll be drawing and coloring all evening, so stop by whenever you can and say hello! I'm up for chatting and doing Q&A while I color! You don't need an account to chat, but you do if you'd like a fancy username. I hope to have new faces check in every time! Let's build up this community!

The UStream page is here: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/the-sycophant

The next commission stream will likely happen Thursday, December 13th.  There may be a special stream for in-chat requests or Copper Road drawing on Saturday, December 8th as well - depending on how my schedule works out.

Saturday, December 1, 2012

New Copper Road! 12/1/12



Aaaaannnndd, we're back! Thank you for tolerating me during my holiday/medical time out. It's time to get back to the education of Ursula! Vote here to see the latest comic! Remember, it's the first of the month, so votes are EXTRA important. TopWebComics is a great source of new readers, so your vote does more than get you an extra comic and boost my ego - it helps grow Precocious, which helps justify its continued existence.

I guess I should bring the Ursula story to a close over December, since the random Copper Road ideas have been piling up - and it feels so weird to have two arcs going on simultaneously. (This Copper Road arc takes place in early September, while the Fall Festival story is currently in late October - but it still feels like the characters are in two places at once.)  So, yes, I will toss as many Copper Roads up over December as I can. It's a very busy month, but I can fit about four more in - which is likely all I need!

This week's comic is a bit simple, due to me being barely able to comic thanks to my tooth becoming a suicide bomber. You'll have fun with it, though, and I'll make it up to you with a very special Precocious comic next week!

Thursday, November 29, 2012

The Gingerfoxes

Update: Now with less typos and more links!

You may have some questions about today's comic, so here's a bit of story time!

Cameos are fun things, and cartoonists do them to play with friends and make new ones - most are just background characters.  That's how I started, by making Ginger's Beer. Ginger's Bread isn't remotely close to being Precocious's universe, being humans and all, so I furrified Ginger. (It was once a threat, then a cruel reality.)

The joke was that Precocious Gingerfox was good at business too! Was she just a spokesmodel? Was she the owner of her company? It didn't matter. It was all in good fun.

And then Autumn (and Bud, to a lesser extent) popped up in Ginger's Bread as humans - with Ginger starting the whole nemesis thing by stealing Autumn's fox hat. (Which is something I desperately want!) We had a good thing going!

Then I screwed it all up. I was set to give someone a random cameo in a random Precocious strip about the kids destroying a substitute teacher. Well, the person I was giving the cameo to annoyed me the day I drew it, so I instead threw in the first recognizable character I could think of - and Gingerfox is very distinctive!

Problem is... this one acted NOTHING like Ginger, and counteracted my own GingerCorp character. So...  now I have two Gingerfoxes - neither of which could match actual Ginger.  Carl's guest strip eventually gave me a THIRD Ginger, to reinforce the nemesis joke that he, being a better cartoonist, had kept consistent. (And I had fueled it in my own guest strip for him.)

Today we get Ginger #4 - who, having been informed by her sisters of the antagonism, decided to escalate things.  Oh, and Gingerfox and RealGinger both wearing 4 shirts this week was a happy coincidence. We were chatting as we made comics, and discovered we were drawing the same thing for different reasons.  I changed the color of the shirt in my comic to match his to make it more fun.

I haven't decided yet if there are seven or eight Gingerfoxes in the Precociousverse - considering this is more of a cartoonist joke than actual subplot, I feel little pressure to make anything truly canon.  This is more to amuse me (and him) but I hope you are amused as well.

It should be noted that, at this point, Gingerfox and HumanAutumn are treated as part of the comic they appear in.  RealGinger operates a bakery, and I don't think any of mine do. My Autumn never ages, but HumanAutumn will, as she is governed by Gingerverse laws - and Carl is free to play with her, wherever it goes. Since Precocious is a bit crazier, I'm not creating anything too epic - just occasional background jokes or putting Autumn through a Scott Pilgrim thing because I think it's funny.

Both situations are nothing more than very minor characters, used for fun.  We let each other know what's coming, and don't do anything nuts or mean. If anything bad happens between us, like me stealing his cat or him seducing my mother, these minor minor minor characters just won't pop up again. We cool. We funnin'.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Hey, my 1000th blog post!


I'm not counting the 10 unposted drafts - so this is a legit 1000! Woo!  To celebrate this milestone, we have... a regular post-stream art-sharing post!

The card piece in the post below was pushed back to next week, because the client was sick and couldn't attend, so we filled up the night with the badge (will post it later - 1001!), card requests and an increasingly loopy Chrispy. I fought through the pain for you people, because I love you and want to entertain!

The Ursula saxophone card was the night's warm-up. (She has so much in common with Bill Clinton.) Knowledge Huntress Tiff was drawn during a commission break. She must have been playing with the time machine again, as she seems older.  The Kaitlyn and Quincy one is the result of me not paying enough attention - I thought I was playing with portfolio requests, so I messed around with the idea, but it was supposed to be a commission. (It's easy for me to miss stuff when my eyes are focused on drawing, so I encourage you all to yell at me until I notice.)

These are all up for grabs. $10 each!

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Kendall's card trouble


UPDATE: The coloring of this piece was pushed to next week, because the client got sick.  Check Precocious' front page for an announcement of when the stream will happen.

I have absolutely no idea how I pulled it off, but I did it! I got the inks done! I can color this tonight as planned!  If you want a full explanation of what's going on, you'll have to come to tonight's stream at 7pm Eastern time. I'll be starting with a badge, then moving on to this piece.

And now I rest my hand as much as I can before 7pm.

Also, this is my 999th blog post.  That's kinda cool.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Cyber Monday ATC sale!


(More cards here)

Claimed card(s): Ivy and Pingoball, Dionne in snow, LARP Quincy, Running Vincent, Agent Autumn, Kaitlyn drawing and Knowledge Huntress Tiff.

Hey, what the heck? Let's have some shopping fun! This isn't so much of a sale - as I can't reasonably reduce prices any lower than they already are - but a reminder that I have some stock sitting around! So, yeah, I'm calling it Cyber Monday purely to get attention, even though this promotion will go on until I do my pricing reset next year.

As of posting this, all cards in the above graphic are unclaimed and up for grabs. They are first come, first serve. I'll update the text down here on card availability when needed.  To claim a card, send your payment via Paypal to chrispco (at) yahoo (dot) com with a note on which card you desire. You can also email me with questions, or call dibs or whatever. (There's a small chance a card can be claimed between you submitting payment, me checking email and this post being updated . If that happens you get a backup choice, or I'll add you to the queue for a custom card later.)

As a reminder, I also make custom cards for you over my streams. It's wise to reserve one in advance, as pre-sales also dictate *when* I stream, as I'll try to fit your schedule.  Right now Tuesday's stream is full, but you can grab a spot for next week.

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Vanbael con badge inks


Here are the inks for my MWFF homework badge. I'll be coloring this one over Tuesday's stream. The inking is intentionally light for badges. Once all the marker work is done, I'll go over the badge again with a larger pen and make the lines bolder.

He's thinking of bacon and has a D20 on his shirt (and, yes, I dug out my old dice bag to make sure it's accurate) - so he basically wins the internet.

Commission streaming Tuesday!


I promised to start with commissions again after Thanksgiving, and here we go! On Tuesday I will be drawing a con badge owed from Midwest FurFest and tackling the complex full-page commission of the above sketch. (UPDATE:  The above piece got pushed back a week. Here are the final inks, if you need temptation to come next time and see it colored.)

My current approach to handling commissions is to set up a queue, drawing a few a week over the streams. Each stream will cover two or three marker commissions, with art card requests filling any unpaid time. As always, I will be chatting and answering viewer questions. Read more on the Buy Stuff page. Tuesday's queue is full, but the rest of the future is still open. I'll edit this post if/when that changes.

I can add a second day for streaming if there's demand - and my schedule can flex slightly for clients who want to see their work done outside the usual streaming times. If you don't want to see your work drawn, or we can't work out the timing, I will still draw it over the stream unless you tell me not to.  Streaming helps me balance my commission and comic work, while allowing me to build a stronger Precocious community and provide some entertainment!  (And you guys get to both inspire me with your chatting *and* keep me on task!)

I still don't have a set weekly streaming day - and it seems pointless to try to settle on one during holiday-packed December - but these front page posts (and the schedule on my Ustream page) will show you the way, as well as list my current queue.

And, while I have you, the next Copper Road will be appearing on December 1st. The convention, holiday and my ongoing dental disaster slowed me down, so I need the time to try rebuilding a buffer for Precocious.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

The Buy Stuff page!


Hi, my name's Chrispy, and I am a haunted soul! (Y'all like the badge I whipped up for MFF?)

So many hours spent on site stuff today. I'm all zombied up now, but I hope this new page is helpful. It's probably better for me to consolidate all the notes on merchandise, commissions, streaming and conventions into one page. There's a lot more to do with that page/concept - such as setting up a system for selling original art - but it feels good to make a dent in the list.

At least this was an "easy" page to code. I'm slowly chipping away on the new cast page, but I sadly have little progress to report. If you guys beg me, I can post a preview of one idea I'm working with over on the sketch blog later. Maybe I should just post the pictures with names and add in the descriptions at a later date. (That's still a massive job, by the way, so please don't yell at me for going slow on a lower-priority page.) At least I hunted down the part of the CSS that was accidentally grossing up the body text with my menu/headers font.

It'll be months before I'm able to get all secondary pages up to standard, but I figure keeping up with the comics, the art and the whole second book project is probably the best way to go.

Monday, November 19, 2012

Thank you, Midwest Furfest!


Look! Look! Badges by me everywhere! These people are heroes!

I had such a wonderful time getting to meet so many great people, and being able to draw so many awesome characters! You folks did so much for my self-esteem. I never could have imagined selling out of commission slots or having a line of people at my table in only my first year of conventioneering. I cannot thank you all enough!

I'll be posting some of the work I did over on my FA account through the next week. I was working so hard, I forgot to snap pics of half the commissions I drew - so if you got something from me, I'd appreciate it if you could scan it and link me to it!

For those who came by on Sunday when my queue was full, I said I would start drawing commissions again after Thanksgiving, and that will indeed happen! Feel free drop me an email now and set things up.  The next commission stream is currently scheduled for Tuesday the 27th - assuming I get commissions for it. Otherwise, it'll be a restocking-the-art-cards stream. I'll try to create a bare-bones commissions/store page for this site in the next week to make it easier for everyone.

Super thanks to Mat of Ask BDK, who volunteered to be my table buddy for the con. Your hand-drawn business cards were the best things - and thank you so much for letting me ride your coattails and hang with all the best people! Super thanks as well to the Code Name: Hunter team for convincing me to attend the con. You might not have been able to be there with me, but it's because of you things have gone so well!

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Midwest Furfest WAS AWESOME!

Full review coming later, once I come down from the high, but I give much love and praise to the people of MFF. I don't know if I've ever felt more loved!



Will all the recent streaming pay off? I've got some stuff! I've got the heart! I HAVE THE LAST COPIES OF THE BOOK WITH ME! Please help me sell them out, and do it in fancy artist edition fashion! (If you already have book one, bring  it and I'll sign it or even sketch in it!) I'm also offering a bunch of commissions, including Artist trading cards, Character badges, Watercolors (take-home only), marker commissions and the swag bag stuff!

I'll spend most of my time hanging out at table 15 89 (they moved my table), with Mat of Badly Drawn Kitties/Ask BDK.  I'll be in or around the dealer's room for the full time Friday and Saturday. I must leave before the Dealer's Den closes on Sunday to catch my flight, so don't wait until the last minute!

As long as wi-fi is kind, I'll be posting my updates over on my Twitter account.

November 16-18 in the Hyatt Regency O'Hare, Rosemont, IL. Be there.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

New Copper Road! 11/13/12


So now the Copper Road fun continues! In this comic, we melt little Ursula's brain! Vote here to see it!

There may not be a Copper Road next week due to con hangover and holiday traveling. We'll see.

Edit: Yup, too much end of November chaos. Copper Road will be back on December 1st, with an archive update coming as well!

Midwest FurFest this weekend!

(scroll up for the updated version)


Will all the recent streaming pay off? I've got some stuff! I've got the heart! I HAVE THE LAST COPIES OF THE BOOK WITH ME! Please help me sell them out, and do it in fancy artist edition fashion! (If you already have book one, bring  it and I'll sign it or even sketch in it!) I'm also offering a bunch of commissions, including Artist trading cards, Character badges, Watercolors (take-home only), marker commissions and the swag bag stuff!

I'll spend most of my time hanging out at table 15, with Mat of Badly Drawn Kitties/Ask BDK.  There isn't a map of the dealer's room out, as far as I can tell, so even knowing my number means you'll probably have to wander around and find me. I am worth the quest! I'll be in or around the dealer's room for the full time Friday and Saturday. I must leave before the Dealer's Den closes on Sunday to catch my flight, so don't wait until the last minute!

As long as wi-fi is kind, I'll be posting my updates over on my Twitter account.

November 16-18 in the Hyatt Regency O'Hare, Rosemont, IL. Be there.

Tree hugging!

Er, hugging and tree? Anyway, enjoy these half-page commission examples!



Monday, November 12, 2012

We know who the best bears are





Oh, Kool-ala, you are the best bear - and you do it without even really being a bear!

Hugs?

Your reaction to this pic is a pretty good determination on if you are a furry con attendee or a dealer.

Kimono arctic fox

Another sketch for a potential portfolio piece!

Scaredy cat

A sketch for a potential piece to be drawn over tonight's stream. Scared Siamese kitty jumped up into a tree!

Uno sketches

Got a badge commission to complete in tonight's stream, and here are the sketches for it!  Uno is a wolfyote kid who loves reading. (At least I think "Uno" is going on the badge... probably should confirm that.)

Streaming officially starts at 8pm tonight.  I may show up early to get sketching and inks done for the main event. Depends on how good I am at working this afternoon.

Also, if you are reading this Monday afternoon, keep checking back. More sketches are likely to appear over the next few hours.

Monday night streaming! 8PM EST

Midwest FurFest is THIS WEEK, and I still have some commission examples to finish before I go! So, hey, who wants to hang out with me while I art and give me feedback on how to art my art so it's super art?

I will be working on watercolors and half-page marker commissions. It's not Precocious stuff, but it's art and it's fun. The streaming page is here: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/the-sycophant

Art begins at 8pm! If I get the samples done early, I'll do my typical art card requests.

This is the last stream until my con/holiday travels are over, by the way. (And sorry for the late announcement. Didn't decide to do it until just now.)

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Badges!

I should share here too! With me heading towards a furry con next week, I must furry up my portfolio again! Today I knocked out a few sample badges that will hopefully entice folks into buying their own. (Thanks to Codefox and Roguebfl for lending me their characters.)




And here's a badge commission I did over Thursday's stream. Might as well include it in the badge post. It's cute!

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Maneki badge sketches

I needed a sample badge for my MFF portfolio, so here's work on one, featuring a character supplied by a reader. The character hasn't been drawn before, so I'm sketching far more than normal to see if I hit on something useful.