The Sycophant

Furbecca

2012-01-26T18:08:00.004-05:00

Hey, look! A sketch on the sketch blog! I've sketched something. (Well, I've sketched other things... BUT I CAN'T SHARE THOSE SKETCHES YET!) ((Be intrigued.))

This is my dear friend Becca immortalized as a Precocious character. It is funny because she's one in the "furries are weird and you should run away" camp. (She is not wrong.) When she found out I was going to a furry con, she was all, "Now you need a fursona." I don't want a fursona! "You need a fursona! You should be a fox!" But EVERYONE is a fox! Becca, you are mean! YOU SHOULD GET A FURSONA!

So now Becca is a shiba inu ("The cat of dogs") AND Precocized because I don't know how to draw actual anthro art. AND I STILL DON'T HAVE A FURSONA! I win!

Furbecca is so cute and lovely, I should write her into Precocious. Also, you all need to go hang out at her awesome blog! She will teach you how to become a great cartoonist!

New Copper Road! - 1/23/12

2012-01-23T02:17:00.003-05:00

Check it out! I put one up on time - and big one at that! Life is wonderful! Vote here to see it!

Oh yeah! I've also update the archive page with the latest Copper Road strips, in case you missed them the first time around. You're welcome!

New Copper Road! - 1/14/12

2012-01-14T15:19:00.004-05:00

Vote here to see it!

Did you miss it? I'm still playing catch-up with work, so these things may be a bit erratic for a while. Bear with me, folks, because the rewards for this shall be exceptional!

Three years of Precocious!

2012-01-01T00:01:00.003-05:00

You heard right! Precocious is THREE YEARS OLD today! Can you believe it? It's been an amazing run so far, and I can't wait to top everything with the awesomeness of this upcoming year!

See that graphic of Bud there? Know what that is? It's one of the bonus illustrations from the first Precocious book! I am packing that thing with as much bonus goodness as possible, so be extremely excited! Stay tuned for further book awesomeness information.

In combination with me starting to get real merchandise, I will also take the next cartoonist step and attend some conventions. My first con experiences will go to the furries, since they seem to like me. I'm schedule to have a table at Furry Weekend Atlanta and Anthrocon. I'll likely be showing up at good old comic cons down the road too, but nothing's been confirmed there yet.

Thank you all for sticking with me though my comic adventure. Let's keep on rocking it into the future!

Buy more prints!

2011-12-16T21:17:00.003-05:00

This haunting piece of fanart was done by the great Roman Wunderlich of B-Movie Comic, via reader John Cuellar. HOW CAN YOU SAY NO TO THAT FACE?

Awkward Max is awkward

2011-12-14T22:51:00.003-05:00

Commissions may be closed for now, but I still have a few left over that need attention! Here's the Max watercolor for your approval.

I'm not sure how active this blog will be the rest of the month, since most of my work is for the book and can't be shared yet, but I hope to have *something* up every few days. Don't lose faith in me, folks!

$20 Magnet and print promotion!

2011-12-12T16:18:00.004-05:00

I realize the timing of this isn't the best, but unfortunate events rarely schedule themselves properly. See, I need a new PC - and I need it much sooner than expected. The laptop I'm using now has a dead screen, a dead battery, a damaged hard drive and has recently started rebooting randomly. (In other news, NEVER BUY A DELL!) I have a little stashed away in my "for the comic" fund that gets me well on my way to new PC land - but now *that* is threatened by some upcoming medical bills! Thus, I turn to you!

In a mini donation drive, I am offering one of the new Precocious magnets and a signed 8.5x11 print of almost any Precocious comic for $20. (The "almost" is because triple-decker strips won't fit on the page and I'm reserving strip #1000 for a future mini-poster run.) Make sure you specify which magnet and strip you want when you donate.

I wish I had more incentives to throw at you this time, but I'm so far behind in book work that I can't offer original art for this drive. In fact, I have to close down my watercolor commissions offer until next month. *sigh*

Thank you to anyone who's willing to take part in this. Chrispy loves you!

New Copper Road! - 12/5/11

2011-12-05T17:07:00.004-05:00

I know you missed Copper Road while I was on vacation, so I happily announce that it's back! Vote here to see it! It's my brightest, cheeriest comic yet! *snicker* Hey, anyone who has traveled on the interstate can relate!

Portal sketches!

2011-12-04T22:33:00.006-05:00

I handed out a few free sketch promises over on twitter (see, it pays to follow me!) and both of the chosen folks decided to play with the same theme of playing in the Portalverse. I confess I've never played the games, but I've been on the internet long enough to catch the companion cube love. Had to look up the edgeless safety cube, though. Anyway, enjoy!

Oh, and here's a "bonus" sketch. Seems *someone* had some brain trouble about which character was requested with which companion object. D'oh.

Thumbs up!

2011-12-04T20:15:00.002-05:00

Here are some sketches for another commission, this one featuring Max and his uneasy smile of deception, with bonus thumbs up!

1000 comics party!

2011-12-03T11:36:00.004-05:00

Can you believe Precocious made it this far? This party only happens once in the life of a comic and we should make it a special one! Let's go wild!

You guys are what keeps me going when things get tough on the daily comic front. When scripting gets hard and when my hand aches, I know I need to keep fighting to keep my readers happy and coming back. This is what I love to do, but I couldn't do it without reader support.

Active readers are amazing, and I am blessed to have them. Reading comments on the comics brighten my day. Seeing my comics shared using the buttons on the site gives me hope that my readership can grow. Word of mouth is very powerful on the internet, and I can't keep going unless I keep growing. It still blows me away that people make Precocious fan art. I'm honored that Precocious has a TV Tropes page, a DeviantArt group and a Facebook group. I absolutely love readers popping over to Formspring to ask me questions. Your active participation is my comic fuel. I love you guys!

Cat blogging!

2011-11-28T19:23:00.001-05:00

There are four cats in this house and all are adorable!

(OK, fine, I'm just testing a new blogging ap on the new iPhone.)

Everyone suspects the bufferfly

2011-11-21T19:27:00.002-05:00

Here are some sketches from my latest commission: Tiff as Chaotic Butterfly!

Sinister? Innocent? Happy? Flying towards her doom? Antenna danglies on or off? We'll see which one is chosen.

Dear lord, what have I done?

2011-11-21T15:34:00.000-05:00

New Copper Road! - 11/20/11

2011-11-20T19:34:00.004-05:00

I hope you enjoy this revealing installment of Copper Road, because it's the last one you get for the month. I'm taking next week off from CR due to my vacation. It's kinda hard to update when you don't have a scanner with you. (Don't worry about Precocious. I have a good buffer there.) I'm not sure how my trip will affect my blogging. I will have a camera with me, and I can always blog via iPhone if needed - the question is, however, will I be able to fit some work into my busy schedule?

Watercolors for you!

2011-11-19T22:13:00.002-05:00

The photos aren't that great, but the finals of these commissions are super awesome! Enjoy. The pieces will ship out Monday.

Commission inks

2011-11-16T19:52:00.003-05:00

Here are the inks for the three watercolor commissions I have going at the moment. I must say, after testing out the new paper I'm worried about the coloring process. It doesn't seem very watercolor friendly, but it's all I have. I just have to be extra careful.

I messed up a bit on the couch for the Autumn commission, but I think I can correct it in coloring.

And now, more Derpy!

2011-11-16T14:35:00.003-05:00

Here's the final sketch for the Derpy/Bud muffin-lovin' commission. I have never drawn a pony this well before, so I'm gonna trace the heck out of it for the final piece.

You'll note tracing is my theme today. Usually I redraw commissions on the watercolor paper, but this time I'm tracing all three. (The third is the Autumn sleeping on the couch sketch, which was conveniently sketched at the correct size.) I think this is a consequence for me going back and making a finer-quality sketch for each project. Usually I do a rough, get approval and then upgrade the sketch right on the final paper.

On an art geek note, since all three of today's projects have scale issues, I'm doing them on Reeves BFK white instead of the watercolor pad I've been using. This paper is new to me, so I'm not sure how it handles watercolors. (I thought I was buying the same brand I've been using, but it seems that was Arches, not Reeves.)

More Tiffmas

2011-11-16T13:41:00.002-05:00

Here's a cleaned-up sketch for the Tiffany commission. The only changes I made from the selected pose was switching the side the tinsel lands on and putting an ornament on the tail. If I get an OK from the client, I will next trace this design onto my watercolor paper and do my inking.

Yes, I said I was going to aim to have my inks done yesterday, but I decided to color comics for NINE HOURS STRAIGHT instead. By the time I finished, I was in no mood to do anything else artistic. Today is commission day instead!

Tiffmas time is here

2011-11-14T18:25:00.003-05:00

Here's the early sketch work on another commission: A Christmas-themed work with Tiffany! The original idea was to depict Tiffany atop a tree, but size issues derailed that. Thinking about how Tiffany celebrates the holiday (I have a partially-scripted Christmas arc that might never run) she loves original takes on the traditional tree. Why not make HER the tree this year?

These sketches are me fleshing out how to make this idea work. Ears up or down? How to wrap the tinsel around her? Butterfly ornament or Candy cane in the hand? Regular dress or tree-imitating wide? Arms out or more compact? Looking up or looking at the viewer? Which star is best?

If the client likes the idea (I'm being bad by not providing options this time), it's time to choose the final pose/features and move on to inking. With a little luck, I'll have all three outstanding watercolor commissions inked tomorrow. I'm pushing myself as hard as I can, because my Thanksgiving trip can start as early as Saturday. Still got comics to make in addition to this, so no guarantees.

Copper Road Update! 11/14/11

2011-11-14T00:22:00.006-05:00

It's double fun with Copper Road today. First, a new comic was posted on TWC. Vote to see it! Second, I update the Copper Road archive, so you can catch up if you missed any. I didn't realize I had passed 50 strips until just now. Kinda wish I hadn't wasted that milestone on a throwaway strip... since soda chugging for 50 would have been much more prestigious!

Gingerfox

2011-11-12T23:05:00.003-05:00

In response to Ms. Monster appearing in the background of the latest Ginger's Bread, I'm one-upping things and throwing a Ginger lookalike (if she was a fox) into my strip. Not bad for a 30-second sketch of her, if I can say so. Maybe my drawing mojo is returning.

Edit: If you're wondering why her dress is so out of character, that's because it's more of me copping a design to fill an already-scripted role than making a true Ginger cameo. (Hence why I said "lookalike.")

New commission sketches

2011-11-12T17:22:00.005-05:00

Forgive me for the relative quiet on the blog. I've had a baaaaaad drawing week. Combine that with me focusing so much on buffer building, and you get a barrage of Precocious news posts instead of zesty content!

Buuuuut, I have two new commissions to work on now, so let's TRY to get this pencil working. Usually I offer many sketches for new projects, but today I only offer one and a half for you, because that's all that was remotely showable. Clients, feel free to send me back to the drawing board and/or offer up some more suggestions.

Edit: Here's a second Autumn possibility, by request!

The first commission is to show Autumn asleep, dreaming of blackmail. I chose to show her napping against an Ottoman, clutching her beloved binder.

And here we have a fun one: Bud and Ditzy Doo (or Derpy, if you please) enjoying muffins together! Despite liking ponies, I do not draw ponies unless prompted - so getting a good Ditzy was really hard. Forgive me for the quickly-sketched Bud. He's mostly there to show how the composition will look. (I drew too close to the page's edge and couldn't fit a proper-sized Bud in anyway.)

It's Copper Road time again! 11/11/11

2011-11-11T00:12:00.004-05:00

Vote to see it! Let us all brace ourselves now for the silliness that will come on the date 11/11/11. I'm sure the Twitter trending topics are going to be original and interesting!

$25 Commissions are still available!

2011-11-09T20:33:00.004-05:00

Update, 12/12/11: Commissions are currently closed. I'll open up again sometime in January.

The old commissionathon page may be gone, but that doesn't mean the fun is over! I'm still taking $25 watercolor commissions. What you get is a one-character watercolor (be it Precocious or your own character) and either a prop or simple background. The size is 8"x5".

As a bonus, I will also be including an extra limited-edition Precocious gocco print. Get 'em while they're still around!

For more watercolor samples, look over the sketch blog. I also have some more-talented artist friends who are looking for commission work, so if you have a big project in mind, use the feedback link to drop me a note about it and I'll pass it on!

New Copper Road! - 11/6/11

2011-11-06T22:34:00.004-05:00

Vote on TWC to see it! In this installment, Kaitlyn takes on the wrath of the changing seasons. Stupid seasons.

Edit: Hey, look! Another week, another Precocious cameo in another comic. Check out Lucy's twitter feed in the most recent Badly Drawn Kitties!

In other news, since it was only up on the site one day before the switch made it go away, here's a second plug for the new Also, Bagels book!

A Precocious commission!

2011-11-05T13:40:00.004-04:00

Look at what appeared in my email today! Here's another shout out to Tiff of The Cyantian Chronicles because she finished my commission today. Isn't it totally adorable?

All I told her was that I wanted all four main kids in there, and I left the rest up to her. I had no idea what the final would be until she sent it to me and I loved every minute of anticipation. The end result is something far more impressive than I could ever have dreamed up! Everything about it is great! You guys should totally go commission her too!

(click the image for a larger version)

Darius in Precociousland

2011-11-04T14:23:00.004-04:00

Here are some sketches I made of a Precocized version of Darius, from The Cyantian Chronicles. I needed a cameo, and it was his turn. He was actually offered to me for the Bright Kids, Big City arc, but I ended up using Celina and Sheana from that comic instead. Thus, he was due to be victimized by the kids!

About section upgrade

2011-11-04T10:17:00.005-04:00

I've added many of the old about section pages back to the new site. You can check them out by clicking the (surprise!) "about" link in the top navigation. The cast page overhaul isn't quite finished yet, but I wanted to get it out there. The rest, in theory, are good. There may be some outdated info on them, so if you spot any please let me know!

We're still figuring out what's missing and what's not working. (The donation button will return soon!) As always, use the feedback link in the menu to send me any requests for site features, improvements and spotted errors.

Deleted Scene Time!

2011-11-03T21:41:00.004-04:00

Here's a quick sketch of a comic that got cut for time. I thought this script was the weakest of the eight I wrote for the week, so it went away. In hindsight, I wonder if using this comic and combining #968 and #969 (making this comic the new 969) would have been better for pacing. Oh well, too late! (click the image for a larger version.)

The slickest of kats

2011-11-03T19:39:00.003-04:00

As promised in the last post, here is the final of the Slick Kat commission! I cheated on this one a bit an used pen for the black markings... but they kinda look awesome so I think I can get forgiveness.

Another watercolor done!

2011-11-03T12:29:00.001-04:00

Here's the Quincy in summer piece! Slick Kat is up next. I've been holding off on him because I'm scared of his precise markings. Today it will happen, though!

Cameo in Ginger's Bread

2011-11-02T00:27:00.004-04:00

Go check out the current Ginger's Bread to see that a familiar Precocious face is back for revenge!

In non-cameo news, how's the new site working for ya? We're still discovering strange glitches here and there, so bear with us as we try to get things fixed. If you see anything weird, please use the feedback link to send me a note about it. We can't fix an error if we don't know it exists!

The best incentive!

2011-11-01T13:00:00.004-04:00

October is over, and the daily incentives are gone. Aww. BUT WAIT! That means COPPER ROAD IS NOW BACK! Vote to see it!

Since the site transition caused some troubles, I'd like to share the last of the incentives, and by far my favorite one, again. People need to see it! (Click the image for the full version.)

Much love an thanks go to the artists who helped out: Cookie, Darc Sowers, Pea, Brookes Eggleston and Heidi Black!

My Little Copper Road

2011-10-31T19:16:00.004-04:00

The prep work is done for the next Copper Road comic, which I'm aiming to get out tomorrow! As you can see by this sketches, we're trick or treating... AS PONIES!

Hey, I can indulge a bit if I want to!

Here, the Great and Powerful Quincy returns. I have to decide when I put him in the strip whether I want the ears in or out of the hat. Trixie is ears-in, but that looks kinda weird here.

Good old Kaitlyn gets to be Applejack. That hat drove me nuts, and it drives me nuts still.

Yvettershy and Derpy Vincent may not make the comic, but I wanted to draw them anyway!

The new site is a go!

2011-10-30T16:13:00.005-04:00

Today we are transitioning Precocious over to the new site. While this happens, expect a few errors to pop up here and there, so stay calm. Now, let's cover some of the big changes!

The big change here is in the archive organization. Gone is the number-based system and here is one that is date based. I admit it's not as easy to navigate as the number one, but it's much easier for me to update (and protect my future updates) on the back end, so you'll have to deal with it. I'm not happy that a lot of links to my comics are about to break, but that's a consequence of the transition.

This is still a work in progress. Many internal HTML pages aren't in place yet. Some of the missing ones (like the cast page) are coming back soon. Others, like much of the old extras section, are probably gone for good.

The first 100 comics have lost all their comments. That's my fault, due to me not knowing what I was doing early on. The rest of the comments should be in place.

I am sure there are plenty of little glitches lurking out there. If you find one, don't hesitate to click the feedback link in the top menu and let me know what's wrong. I'll also take suggestions if you have them!

Again, don't panic. Take a look around. Enjoy the new features. Test the story navigation! Use the new share buttons to spread the word! (Please?)

What might have happened

2011-10-29T22:52:00.004-04:00

When you write a story - especially a long on like the Birthday Bashing arc - some ideas change dramatically from inception to execution, and a good number of thoughts end up on the cutting room floor.

When writing the water balloon confrontation, I took it through many incarnations before it hit its final form. At one point Suzette was the betrayer. (Or, rather, suddenly a "conscientious objector.") At another, Dionne tried to betray so much she asked for her own balloon to soak Autumn with - which promptly got HER soaked by the males, who weren't buying it. (Autumn was saved!) Finally, I decided to let Autumn have it again - since that seems to be how all gender wars end up.

Because I'm trying to streamline things to finish up the story, I tend to cut a lot of the non-essential connective tissue. The above scene is one of the many possible transition strips between the betrayal and Autumn's soaking. It's not canon, just a possibility, but do note how in the strip before (strip #964) Dionne and Suzette are positioned behind the two males most likely to chicken out. So much could have happened!

The mission remains the commission

2011-10-27T00:04:00.002-04:00

Here's a (quickly-drawn) new and improved pose for the Slick Kat commission. The request was crossed arms and I'm going to do my best to comply! I'll need to draw it larger to work out some of the details, but I like this direction. (These were done at the bottom of the page with the other sketches, so I could copy the markings.)

Bonus trivia time: My photo reference for the pose? Homer Simpson.

The mission is commission

2011-10-26T18:14:00.003-04:00

Today I bring you two more commission pieces in progress.

The inks for the Quincy piece are done, and now the tough stuff begins. This is easily going to be my most challenging watercolor due to the tree, but I also must figure out how to properly render Quincy as being in the shade. I'm aiming to get to the coloring tomorrow, but don't hold me to it!

And here we have concept sketches for a commission of a reader's character, Slick Kat, done as a Precocious kid. I need to work on the markings a bit more before it's correct, but it's a start. The clothing and pose are not set either, although I do equate vest with "slick". This was just a first try.

I demand a lot from my readers

2011-10-26T00:03:00.003-04:00

Look! It's the lost Yvette watercolor! The good lad who received her was kind enough to take the photo I forgot to take and send it to me... and it only cost him the price of a NEW CAMERA! (I appreciate the dedication, but that money could have been spent on ME instead!)

Anyway, if this is a trend, the next person I send a watercolor to has to buy one of those extremely sensitive $2000 large-format scanners to capture the essence of the piece. And then they should send me that scanner, because daddy wants.

Think Summer!

2011-10-25T19:16:00.002-04:00

Here are some sketches for my latest commission: A Quincy painting inspired by the summer panel in this strip. I must say I'm surprised that Quincy has popped up again, but I'm happy he's getting attention.

The main tweaks that are going into transitioning that panel to a watercolor composition are changing the tree into a weeping willow so the leaves can reach into the frame and figuring out the position of Quincy's legs. The original pose is in the sketch on the left, with an alternative on the right. I've had fun drawing the spread leg pose recently, and I think it could work here if I figure out what to do with his tail, as it wants to occupy the same space. The final consideration is how close I pull in on Quincy. This will be settled at the ink stage, I guess. I'd love to go to the edge of the paper, but that seriously causes problems for anyone who'd want to frame the art.

I'm glad I got another commission! I was worrying my opportunities had already dried up.

-c

Heeeeeerrrreeee's Quincy!

2011-10-21T14:48:00.003-04:00

And the first batch of watercolors is complete. I'm ready for a second batch now!

The reason you only see Quincy and not Yvette is because I totally forgot to take pictures of them before shipping. Yvette was already gone by the time I realized it, but Quincy was still sitting around in an envelope. I ripped it open, snapped a photo and taped it back up again! Hooray for absent-minded artists!

(Oh, and I saw your request, Slick Kat, and gave you a reply. )

Time for more watercolors!

2011-10-20T16:47:00.003-04:00

The inks are done for the latest two watercolor projects. These are the last in my queue, so someone please commission a new one and fix that!

On each project, I was given two "I trust you"s when I submitted the sketches... so you guys are now at my mercy! I made some command decisions on my own and now you're stuck with 'em! (I hope you like it.)

The actual watercoloring should happen tonight, meaning all watercolors should ship out tomorrow. Hooray!

Ask the characters!

2011-10-19T15:08:00.004-04:00

For the vote incentives for the last week of October, I am going to do an "ask the characters" series of comics - and I'd like your help! Send me your questions for any or all of the characters and I'll do my best to turn them into comics like the one above!

More commission sketches

2011-10-18T17:44:00.003-04:00

Here's some sketch work for Yvette and Quincy commissions. Wouldn't you like to see me sketching ideas for a commission of YOURS?

For Yvette, the challenge was to draw her in queen mode, ready to smack someone with the scepter, such as in strip #482. (With the tiara from #488). I haven't done much with poses yet, with my focus going towards potential outfits. Her royal look was never shown in the comic, and I'm not sure how far to go with it. Perhaps more playing around is needed.

The Quincy commission was simple to make a Quincy watercolor, so the goal is to make it as Quincy a watercolor as a Quincy watercolor can be! I can't video game him beyond a DS, because where would the cords go? I can't really put him in a cape due to that dang tail getting on the way. (I had to droop it and make a sad Quincy.) Is a magic want enough for wizard roleplay without a cape? *shrug* we'll see.

Tiff and cookies for all!

2011-10-17T15:23:00.002-04:00

Forgot to post the third watercolor commission earlier, but here it is now!

I'm working on another Yvette now, and I'd love to have another project after that. Care to help me out?

You want these!

2011-10-14T22:55:00.004-04:00

Behold: Two finished watercolor commissions for the commissionathon! Don't you want one of your own? You totally do. And I want you to want one too!

Because I really need your money.

Now the hard part!

2011-10-13T21:38:00.004-04:00

Here are two more inks that need some watercoloring! That brings the total to three, and that means it's time to break out the paints. These are going to be tough experiments, but it'll be fun to see how they come out!

Flower Power!

2011-10-11T22:34:00.002-04:00

A new commission appears! This request is for Suzette going full flower child, as hinted at with her makeover in the current arc. I was tempted to sit her down and make her strum a guitar, but doing so would cover up the tie-dye shirt, and I really want a chance to watercolor that thing!
And I haven't forgotten the other commission! Here's the final inked version. Watercoloring begins... well, I dunno when. I may do it tonight. I may do it Thursday. Wednesday is a comic work day, so probably not then.

Either way, THESE TWO COMMISSIONS DESPERATELY NEED BUDDIES! Guys, I am never going to be able to pay my bills unless you start demanding watercolors!

Evil girl scout fun!

2011-10-11T00:28:00.003-04:00

And here's the "final" sketch for the chosen subject of commission #1. If approved, I'll ink it, erase the pencil and get with the watercolors. This is going to be a challenge because of all the details, but commission #1 deserves the best!

Also, since I'm working on these things, I need to finalize that bonus gocco print that goes with every order. At the moment, I believe I'm going to reuse my favorite sketch from the donation drive (I was given permission by its owner, Darc of Code Name: Hunter). Assuming I stick with the design below, that means I need to find a way to gain access to a photocopier, as my printmaking process needs the carbon that comes in the toner. Challenges!

More evil scouting!

2011-10-10T19:19:00.004-04:00

I promised in the post below I'd be back soon with the Tiffany sketches, and here they are! This time I had a one track mind with the evil scout idea. Tiffany seems the type to get a bunch of cookie boxes to deliver, round the corner, sit down and promptly eat everything. (Then nap?)

The sketches are a bit rushed this time, but I think you can get the ideas behind them. The closest to the idea I had in mind is the bottom sketch. If it's selected, the final probably won't have the text, but I thought it was funny enough to include here.

Between Tiffany and Suzette, I'm not sure what I prefer. I like both concepts, so I'm going to let my patron choose his favorite and move on from there!

Let's get to work!

2011-10-10T18:47:00.005-04:00

I gotta admit, I'm a bit surprised at how big a dud this commissionathon has been so far. I knew it would be a tough sell for my friends, even though they are INCREDIBLE artists - but I kinda figured I'd get more than ONE request on the first day. Oh well! That means it's time to spoil my one patron rotten! I'm sure tomorrow will be better.

This request was to create a composition of a Precocious girl as an evil girl scout. I've narrowed the candidates down to Suzette and Tiffany, and you can see my Suzette sketches here. (I'll work on Tiffany and make a separate post for those sketches in an hour or two.) The first sketch I did was of Suzette earning her "knot tying" badge, via noose. Maybe that's too dark? The next idea was a protest, with her burning the (vastly overrated) girl scout cookies. I couldn't figure out how to make it a horizontal composition, due to my inability to properly draw girls in skirts sitting down, so I moved on. The last two ideas kept the cookies, but turned Suzette into a threatening seller.

So that's sketches for evil scout #1. Stay tuned for evil scout #2!

Finding a print subject

2011-10-06T12:16:00.003-04:00

Here are the first sketches done for the commissionathon bonus gocco print. I'm not sure any of these are that good, but my favorite is sweet Jacob.

These prints are going to be simple black and white things, as that's the limitations of the gocco press. (Technically, the line art can be any color, but I'm assuming black will be used.) I suppose I could draw a big complex scene and shrink it down for the print, but that carries some risks to it - and it's hardly in the simple spirit of Precocious! But, hey, I'm open to any ideas. I want these prints to be enticing enough that you guys commission me AND my pals!

It's commissionathon time!

2011-10-05T17:14:00.006-04:00

So... as you might guess, that image above is not mine. It belongs to one of my friends, who is joining me on this current fundraising experiment. See, this time it's just not me looking for some commission. There are three of us, here for all you drawing needs.

There's a decent amount of Precocious readers who qualify as liking furry art, so we decided to team up and offer our services. Unlike me, they have TALENT, so they can draw most anything you ask them do, anthro or good old-fashion humans or animals.

For me... you know what I do. I draw Precocious-y stuff, and that's it. What I'm offering for this run are half-page watercolor pieces, featuring one character (mine or yours) and maybe one prop for $25 each. (Look down the blog for the Dionne/Jacob pieces for an example.) Normally I'd charge more, but since these are experiments so I can get better at the whole watercolor thing, you get a discount.

My friends are MUCH more versatile, and able to offer a great variety of tasks. You can get a sense of the work one offers from the piece above. (Which I should mention is from a few years back, so she's even better now!) The other draws ridiculously cute chibi art! I'll have a sample of her work up shortly. Their prices will range from $15 sketches to $50 full-color single character pieces done in a variety of methods. (Extra charges apply for extras, such as more than one character and backgrounds, of course.)

All artwork, no matter who does it, will be accompanied by a special limited-edition Precocious gocco print. This way you get something Precocious-y AND get superior artwork of your favorite character!

This is kinda an emergency fundraiser thing, as we're all in need at the moment. This post is a feeler to see if anyone out there is willing to work with the three of us. When the commissionathon officially launches, I'll put it out where people can actually see it. If you're reading this now and want to give my friends and me a shot, please reply here or drop me an email at chrispco@yahoo.com.

Edit: And just so you guys know. We don't do anything porny. Don't even try to ask.

The long-term commission

2011-10-02T23:30:00.004-04:00

As I'm gearing up to start a commissionathon in the coming weeks, my thoughts turn to the one outstanding commission I have left - a no-deadline project for Codefox. It's had to sit on the back burner for far too long while I got my stuff together with school and the book and general craziness - and, to be honest, it's going to have to mostly sit while a bunch of small commissions go in front of it again - but I want to start making some progress with the sketches. (It's going to take a LOT of sketches to get things together.

What you see here will bear no resemblance to the final piece, except for the dress. I had a moment of horror earlier when I realized I had saved a LINK to the suggested dress for her and not the actual picture. LINKS CAN CHANGE! Fortunately, the image was still there (I assume it to be the same one as requested) and it has since been saved. This is my first attempt at drawing it. The rest of the foxy lady? I was too lazy to go back to the emails and find his requests and physical descriptions, so I just drew a lass! Don't worry, when I get more pro I will be a good artist and follow his wishes. For now, I'm just playing around with the dress because I avoided doing something stupid in losing it.

Sorry about the bad scan. I had it on the wrong setting, and didn't feel it was worth redoing. Yeah, lazy night. Hey, I just did a 12-hour comicthon, with (if I can do it) a 12-hour coloringathon coming up tomorrow. And I did work all morning on the website! I DESERVE LAZY NIGHT!

The swatch project!

2011-10-02T00:37:00.003-04:00

As the few souls that have tried to color Precocious strips know, I'm an idiot. The swatches I've used for the last FOREVER have been in jpeg format, also known as "let's scramble color just because!" files. This is why characters sometimes subtly shift in color. (That, and I'm really lazy about checking my work.)

But this can change! In doing my book work, I discovered a treasure trove of old hi-res files I though I had lost. Among them... THE ORIGINAL SWATCHES! Download it here. (TIFF format.)

The problem now... this file was made in 2009! I have likely updated some colors since then! Off the top of my head, Deirdre got lighter in the most recent strip she appeared in, and Yvette got darker in her most recent appearances. (The first was on purpose. The second was an accident, but I like it.) Oh yeah, and Tiff's hair became more vibrant when I realized the old color was too close to the yellow of Autumn's house. Those changes are NOT in the new swatch file... yet.

There are other colors missing too, like typical clothing colors for adults, house colors and the CURRENT house interior colors. I think all houses by Bud's got tweaked over time. The task that stands in front of us, fellow colorists, is to update the damn swatches! Do I use the same color for all sidewalks/grass/trees/skies? Find and add it! (Or choose one to be the new standard.) There are dozens of numbered spots on the swatch file that need some colors thrown in!

Yes, I know I'm talking about this as a "we" thing, but we all know it's actually a "me" thing. I need to be more attentive when coloring and update the swatches as I go. I need to hunt down my changes and make sure they're in there. I need to eventually redo the whole thing for more clarity. Problem is, that's all I can do for a long time, as I'm going to be super busy.* Swatch upkeep will have to go on the "when I get to it" list.

But, hey, at least you colorists out there have a better file to work with now! (And I can provide other formats if needed. Just email me.)

*Here's the estimated busy schedule, for the curious:

This week:

1. Get all book files to the publisher.

2. Try to get myself back up to a week ahead in final strips, so I can do this next week stuff...

Next week:

1. Open up for commissions. (If you want one, be sure to set aside $25 for that.)

2. Begin writing commentary for the book.

3. Finish the Birthday Bashing outline, so I can start planning strip 1000.

Whenever I get time:

1. Work on the bonus story for the book.

2. Do the swatches thing.

3. Finish the 24-hour comic day work.

4. Set up for the last week of October incentives.

5. Start some art auctions, assuming the other auction isn't happening.

6. That thing I was just thinking of that went out of my head.

And, of course, keep Precocious (and Copper Road, after October ends) going the whole time. So. Yeah. Busy.

24 hour comics day: SEMI-SUCCESS!

2011-10-01T20:18:00.005-04:00

I am 12 hours into 24-hour comic day, and, shockingly, I FINISHED 12 COMICS! And they don't even suck! Sure, they may not be as substantial as a regular Precocious update, but they are sweet and tasty bites, like comic candy! I can't wait to let you eat them up!

So the plan to make this project into a daily vote incentive is a GO! The first page is up now, so go vote for me to see it! I'm so excited for this! I met my goal! I WAS IN THE ZONE!

Oh, and did I mention... I GOT RETWEETED BY SCOTT MCCLOUD! He is a cartooning god and *the* 24-hour comic day guy! This was the greatest experiment, guys. What a great day.

I know I didn't do the full 24-hour task, but with my finger and obligations, it would have been foolish to go that far. I may still do a few more tonight if I'm up to it, but for now I will bask in my semi-success.

24-Hour Comics Day: Cheaters Edition

2011-09-29T19:51:00.005-04:00

So I thought it would be cool to try this crazy event one year - in which one puts together a 24-page comic in 24 hours. This year seemed as good as any! Of course, I have no intention of playing this game with integrity. Here's why:

I don't plan on displaying my comics all at once. No, my glorious plan is to make them VOTE INCENTIVES! One a day for 24 days? Would that help me climb the rankings? (Would anyone but the regular voters even notice?)

I have hand health to worry about as well. My gimpy finger still occasionally gives me problems and I'm not risking long-term health for some crazy stunt like this. When my hand tires, I will stop. I'm still hoping to go 12 comics in 12 hours, but I'll deal if I fall short. I'll have time to finish the project later!

Finally: I HAVE STUFF TO DO ON SATURDAY! (That's the official day, since I didn't mention it before.) I may end up doing one strip Saturday morning (for a first-of-the-month vote incentive) and saving the rest of my time for Sunday or Monday.

So, yeah, I'm cheating like crazy and totally not in the spirit of things... except for the crucial having fun part! Heck, I may change my mind and not do this at all. Only time will tell...

The donation drive sketches

2011-09-26T16:26:00.003-04:00

With the last of the donation drive materials arriving at their destination today, I can finally let loose the collection of sketches made for the drive! (The reason this last one took so long is because the sketch turned into a long-term commission... and I was slow in finishing it.)

What have I learned from this? It's FUN to do mini-commissions, and I'm much better at it, timewise. So, of course, now I want to open myself up to (small) commissions again.

BUT I'M NOT! Not yet, at least. Other work takes priority. Check back here the first week in October, though... (And, I warn you now, the slots will be limited - and it's first come, first serve.)

Fall down go boom

2011-09-24T20:25:00.003-04:00

I want to get back into making character watercolors, and I've set my eyes on dear little Vincent. The problem with him is that he's so darn POOFY! He doesn't fit on my half-page sheets!

Solution: KNOCK HIM DOWN! I'm trying to the find the perfect klutz shot of Vincent to use, but I do believe I'm still searching. It is fun to draw him falling over again and again and again...

A look at the new site

2011-09-24T10:10:00.004-04:00

Since it got unveiled last night, thanks to my SpiderForest site going down a bit, I might as well open the new site up to critique.

You can find it here: http://precocious.rcsipublishing.com/

It's not finished yet, so you're bound to run into a few glitches. If you find them, go ahead and let me know, either on the blog or via email. I'm also interested to hear your opinions on the design of the site. Thanks, everyone!

It's a glorious day!

2011-09-20T23:06:00.002-04:00

It's pending approval, but this commission could be done! If so, that means I'm down to one big, long-term project and it feels so good. I want to only have one big project in production at a time, so I don't keep too many people annoyed with my slowness. It's much smarter for me to do many tiny commissions I can knock out in a couple days than to get derailed on several-week projects. (No, they don't take several weeks of effort, but it can take several weeks before my schedule opens up enough to work on them.)

This is not to say I'm open for commissions yet. As long as I'm neck-deep in bookery, that's going to be my life. The goal is to get all my scans into the publisher by October. Then, it's go time.

Commission break!

2011-09-20T16:07:00.002-04:00

Thanks to a mistake I made nearly three years ago, my book work hit a snag today. In the end, all time lost equals time gained through the good stuff, so I break even. No worries, but I needed a break from the grind.

So here's a check-in on my long-neglected commission. Coloring has begun!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone, because why not?

The Scanning times

2011-09-19T18:33:00.005-04:00

The best thing in the world is having your own book. The worst thing, however, is MAKING that book. See, the problem with making a collection of your early work is that it's likely you had NO IDEA what you were doing at that time.

For me, that means I didn't regularly save hi-res files of my comics until I had over 400 comics to my name. You know what that means? RE-SCANNING ALL THE OLD STUFF! WOOHOO! What you see above is my current progress against the comics that still need scanning. (Hint: The to-scan pile is the one four times the size of the scanned pile.)

Let's take a look at some of my stupidity: I used RED pencil for the first seven strips, meaning my current scanner fought them angrily. I used larger templates for the first 27 strips - that is, when I used templates at all and didn't try drawing my own. (Each time I did it was a disaster.) When I did switch to my current templates, I originally used the small pads of 14 strips. (I now buy them in packs of 100.) Problem with those pads? Turns out THEY WERE ALL MISPRINTED, with the comic area slightly tilted. That is maddening for someone who is used to simply scanning and dropping a comic into the Photoshop template. I also was a mess with my panel sizes. Here's a secret: Currently, my comics are a quarter inch smaller than norm in order for all panels to come out the same size. I figured that math out around strip 40, and it took a while longer before I figured out how to implement it correctly.

And let's not forget that re-scanning means re-fixing all the mistakes I made in the originals! Not only can it be time-consuming, but I have to remember where those fixes happened. I *think* I got 'em all so far, but I can't be sure. Editing shall come. The good news is that a decent amount (less than a hundred - maybe way less) of those strips do exist on my hard drive in hi-res form, so I don't need to rescan those. I just need to locate them on my hard drive and re-number them so I know what I have.

And once I have these comics scanned, I then have to resave them one by one into TIFF format and upload them to the bosses. And then it's on to working on book features, like commentary and the bonus storyline. Oh, and I really should work on actual Precocious at some point too. Yeesh.

But let's not forget this: I AM MAKING A BOOK! A book is the best thing ever, and worth all the pain!

Edited for some clarity: I am *helping* with the book by providing material. The awesome folks over at RCSI are doing the meaty brave stuff. I'm being the ditz who is not enabling them properly to do their job - but I am trying to make up for it the best I can!

For the heck of it: Grown-up Kaitlyn?

2011-09-15T11:28:00.005-04:00

What can I say? This is the only sketch I've done in the last few days. Busy. Busy. Busy. Don't count this as canon. It's more of an experiment - but it's SOMETHING TO SHARE!

So what have I been working on? A little on the commission (which I really should finish soon), a little on the new website, a little on book one prep and a LOT on buffer building so I can focus on the previous three items in the list without spending my days in a panic! Now that I've started us on what is looking like a loooong arc, I won't be getting any break weeks any time soon.

Chrisp-Cola: One step closer to being real.

2011-09-11T23:07:00.003-04:00

Getting fan art in my mail is ALWAYS excellent. Getting fan art from beloved friends is double excellent! Much love and thanks to Andrew and Jessica of Boolean Union Studios for this sodalicious design! Go check out their site! It shows off their animation AND pokes fun at Jack Chick tracts. What more can you want from a site?

Sing sing sing!

2011-09-08T16:33:00.002-04:00

Here's one potential outcome of the dare from today's strip! (#914)

I'm not sure if it'd be funnier if Max was a good singer or a bad one. I'll leave that up to the readers! (I also open this image up to photoshoppers who want to throw in their own lyrics.)

More watercolor experiments!

2011-09-06T21:59:00.002-04:00

While I'm still waiting for the SpiderForest auctions to start, I decided to keep practicing with watercolors. Here's a Jacob and, by request, a Dionne.

I'm still at a very basic level with this stuff, but I'm having fun. If this works out, I'd like to try taking simple watercolor commissions in the future. Heck, if the auction goes well I might start selling artwork that way! Maybe these pieces can go up for bidding? Maybe not, but they are available if anyone wants to purchase them.

Eventually, I'm going to fight the right balance of production and distribution to give me an actual income, even a negligible one! All I can do is play around until I hit on something that works.

All the news that's fit to draw

2011-09-04T23:11:00.002-04:00

Here's a followup of the newscast invasion commission. The characters are, hopefully, in place. All I need now is a nice background. Once that's in place, I'll trace the image onto a new sheet with colored pencil and begin the coloring process.

I'm moving slower than I'd like with this, but the fact that I'm moving at all is a good sign! I've got a lot on my plate these days, and I'm starting to sort it all into a decent work schedule. Still moving half as fast as normal, with double the normal workload - but things should equalize eventually.

A night for hero worship

2011-08-30T21:53:00.003-04:00

Today the latest Peanuts collection reached my mailbox. I was really excited for this one, as the strip had finally reached the 80's - meaning I would get to see the strip that ran on my birthday. That's it, up above. It's not an iconic one, but it's mine. (The strip that followed was the one chosen to represent the entire book on the back cover! I missed it by one day! Dang it, Sparky! My birthday was a Monday - you always lead with the best strips on Monday!)

Even though his bite was wasn't always as strong by the 80's, Schulz was still able to knock it out of the park. As I read through this collection, I keep hitting strips that make me laugh and think. In one, Peppermint Patty is happy to be at a library. When asked what book she'd like, she isn't sure, finally asking for a blue one. That hit me because it's exactly how I felt when visiting libraries as a kid. I had no idea what book I wanted, so I'd wander around and grab a book with a pretty binding. I never knew what I was looking for, so no sorting system could help me find it. Eventually I did figure out what I wanted from the library: I found the shelf with a bunch of Peanuts collections.

I'd love to read all four years' worth of material tonight, but I've got to make comics of my own now!

Living the dream!

More commission catch-up

2011-08-29T21:45:00.002-04:00

Today's goal was to put finishing touches on all the paintings I have here, since they need to be shipped soon. I got the big one touched up enough that I'm ready to part with it. The little ones are still in the process of being fixed. They are years old, and were not created with the care I use now. The Bud and Dionne little ones still need lots of work. The Tiffany one, fortunately, only needs the background redone. (I want to keep the red to blue to white effect, but we'll see how it ends up.) I still have a few hours to finish these off!

Struggling with commissions

2011-08-26T21:59:00.003-04:00

I haven't been the most professional artist of late, and that kills me. I've abused the kindness of some clients who gave me no deadlines for work, and the weeks have flown by with little progress due to business stuff, illnesses and general burnout. Mix in some temperamental artist antics and you've got a recipe for disaster.

Over the next few weeks, my goal is to wrap up all the loose ends I have so I can finally move on to new projects. Up first: A commission that's been driving me batty.

The theme here is to expand on the newscaster from strip #822 and show the kids invading his studio. I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to compose that image, and it sat around in its early stages for far too long. So I'm throwing it out and starting over!

This sketch was based off the old idea, where the newscaster was freaking out at his desk as the world around him erupted into chaos. In this attempt, I threw all the kids at the news desk, with the regular anchors bound and gagged in the background. It's rather static and boring, so I tried to think of ways to increase the action.

The new idea was to have the guy dragged away from his news desk. I like this dynamic a lot more, but now I'm struggling to figure out what exactly goes on in the background. In this sketch, I'm still clinging to the idea of Autumn taking over as the anchor. It amuses me. Not shown is an idea to have Tiffany take over as weather girl. I like both ideas, but there's only so much background space to go around... and me zooming out would both minimize the characters and double my work as I'd spend all my time drawing difficult background elements that would add nothing to the piece.

The easy solution would be expand to a larger paper size, but that's not the piece that was paid for, and it would cause a lot more pain in shipping to the UK. Plus, a larger piece would extend the client's wait even longer.

I need to make myself use space better instead. If I want Autumn at the desk, I have to fight perspective to make it look right, or fudge it a bit. In the above sketch, the news desk is curved in the wrong direction. It's one of those odd situations where wrong looks more right than right, since the incorrect curve helps move the eye around the piece. I'll likely face similar issues with the backdrop to the news desk if I keep this perspective. I could always turn the desk and the background more towards the viewer, but that would confuse the direction of the kids dragging off anchorman. Ugh. Why can I not lay this out properly? And this is all without factoring in Tiffany's location! With what I have now, I only see two viable options: Have her climbing the sets in the background or her have atop a camera rig.

So, yeah, back to the drawing board for me. I hate hate that time keeps ticking by with this, but I want to make sure I get it right!

Organization is awesome!

2011-08-24T15:05:00.003-04:00

Wish someone had told me that sooner.

In order to put together the book, I must first sort through my big bin of strips to find the comics I need to rescan. Best way to do that? Organize it all! Ye gods...

What you see on my drafting table (currently converted to a much lamer regular table) is not even one third of the strips I have to sort. Every pile represents a break in continuity in which the connection strips haven't been located yet. The most unnerving gaps are those of single missing strips. (Where are you, #593 and #386?) Chunks I know got shuffled away and should all be together, but the loners? Who knows?

So now... what do I do? I've run out of space to stack my strips! This tiny apartment doesn't have much in the way of surfaces. I guess I have to flip through the bin in hopes of finding the missing links... or start stacking on the floor. All I know is I need to get this done today. Which means back to work!

*sigh*

I am trying to melt your heart

2011-08-21T17:06:00.004-04:00

The SpiderForest community will soon be holding an auction of digital prints and traditional pieces, with proceeds going to help a member in need. These watercolors will be my contribution. I went for maximum sweetness with these pieces, with hopes of drawing in more bids. This is charity! I want to make an impact! I hope these do well.

When the auctions begin, I'll put up an announcement on the Precocious main page.

Vote for me!

2011-08-15T18:52:00.004-04:00

While we wait for my website to come back (I don't know what's up with SpiderForest), how about heading over to Code Name: Hunter site and voting for my entry in the art contest!

Back to the site outage stuff. I will be very upset if this down time goes beyond midnight, as I have yet to upload tomorrow's request week strip. So if you check the Precocious site in the morning and see no comic, that's why.

Also, I'm still taking suggestions for request week. I'll entertain ideas until all seven strips are made.

Request week?

2011-08-10T23:48:00.005-04:00

(Edit: Just to clarify, I'm looking for ideas for single strips, no whole arcs. Keep your suggestions simple! If you need more than seven words to say it, it's too complex!)

First off, I am still looking for guest strip help. Response has been rather underwhelming and it's clear I will fall far short of my goal with the current deadline. Some great people have contributed and volunteered so far, and I refuse to give up on this because their work should be put on display! I am extending the entry deadline for another week in hopes enough people will be worn down by my pathetic cries to get me the strips I need.

Of course, this now means I need some scripts for next week. The days of me having a buffer and being scripted ahead are gone. The next big arc is still in its infant stages of development, so that can't go yet. It's me playing around week for week, and I haven't been much in the mood for playing. I'm fighting a bad case of burn-out, which is joyfully timed with a large increase in my work load. If I can't get my week off yet, I'm looking for a way to jump start my stalled mind.

So, hey, if I can't get the comics community at large to listen to MY requests, why not turn it around? I will listen to YOUR requests! This could be fun! Since I have no scripts for next week's comics, I'm asking for your assistance. Give me some simple ideas to help get my brain back into creative mode!

What I'm talking about are scenarios, such as, "What if Tiffany finds a crossbow?" or "What happens when Jacob finally snaps?" Ideas that can be summed up in seven words or less. This is a creative challenge for me not, not an excuse for you to make me draw up your fanfics. Keep it simple and don't go beyond a set-up. Leave the context and punchlines for me. If you want more control - MAKE A GUEST COMIC! I really need those things! (If you can't draw, go hire/blackmail an artist! And artist that isn't me, that is.)

Give me as many premises as you'd like! I hope to get a lot so I can pick and choose. Be fun! Be creative! To submit an idea, comment on this post. Heck, I'll take entries wherever they appear, be it email, shoutbox, comic comments or forum thread. I just want to see some participation!

(By the way, if you all let me down I am not above faking it. Those two example ideas I wrote above have already spawned comics in my mind!)

Looking for guest strips

2011-07-24T22:15:00.005-04:00

The month ahead looks to be a particularly hectic one for me, so I'm throwing myself on the mercy of the internet and asking for Precocious guest comics to help preserve my sanity. If any of you artsy types out there are willing to craft a comic for me, I will be eternally grateful! (Guest artwork is also accepted.)

I'm setting a deadline of August 14th for submissions, since I know how cartoonists act without deadlines. Even if you wait until the last minute to draw something (again, cartoonists), I'd love to get a heads up that something will be coming. It'll help me plan. I'd like to get enough strips to cover a week of daily updates. If not enough show up in time, I may hold on to what I did get for later use.

Guest comics should be in jpeg format. They can be any height, with a maximum width of 1000px. Keep 'em PG rated at worst, as Precocious is a family-friendly strip!

Much love and thanks to everyone for supporting Precocious!

An editor's agony

2011-07-22T22:00:00.003-04:00

(Image unrelated. I made it for fun!)

I've been reading through some Get Fuzzy collections recently, and I haven't exactly enjoyed it. I know it's generally considered one of the few good newspaper comics left, but I found the collections I read to be more miss than hit. Some of it comes from its tendency to fall back on gross-out humor and that not being my thing, but a lot of the misses felt more like half-baked jokes. Darby Conley was phoning it in.

That is the big consequence of doing a daily comic: The time restrictions mean you can't possibly sit around and nurture all ideas until they blossom into greatness. Sometimes you have to force things to meet your deadline. Every daily cartoonist is allowed the occasional misfire, as a return to glory is always only a day away. The problem is when you fall into constant, "well, of course it's rushed! It's a daily!" mentality. What I perceived in these Get Fuzzy books was the work of a creator who was throwing EVERY idea he had out there to fill space until he could hit upon a new story that would inspire him.

For example, there was one Sunday strip where Satchel brought a friend back from one of his dog support groups, a police dog. The police dog spent most of the strip being overly officious, spouting regulations. Then he saw a cat and shuddered, because he has a problem chasing them. The end. There's no flow at all. He created a character, made the character do things and tacked on an ending unrelated to build-up. (I can give him credit and say he was *trying* to show a strong character had a weakness, but that's not how it read.) The strip feels like he got an idea, started fleshing it out and hit a brick wall - but ran it anyway.

I notice this stuff because it's a trap I've certainly fallen into before. I rationalize that I can always right the wrongs the next day and run strips not made with the care they deserved. I was at my worst probably when SCAD was taking up all my time, and my readers certainly were not pleased with it. My low point probably came with strips #621 and #622 - when I chose not to draw the interior of Kaitlyn's house because it was too much work, result in kids wandering through a blank panel and me just telling you what had happened in the titles and alt text. Lazy. Lazy. Lazy.

And that's just the pitfalls on the art side. Another downfall of a daily cartoonist, which I saw often in the Get Fuzzy books, is the reluctance to reject strip ideas. Deadlines always loom, and the idea of scrapping one strip, much less entire stories, is incredibly risky if one doesn't have more ideas to use as replacements. Telling every little detail is great for the cartoonist, as it keeps the material flowing, but it can easily turn to arc fatigue for the readers. Again, I certainly stretched some stories out in this way to keep pace with the daily demand. A lot of times you can even get away with it - but do it too much and you risk losing an already highly-fickle readership.

Recently, I've tried to edit myself a lot more than usual. After two very long arcs, I set myself a goal of telling stories over the course of one week. It's harder than you'd think to tell something from start to finish in seven daily strips. You can't stray too far from the point, and most detours have to be excised. I have no idea how successful I was at this venture, but it was certainly a good experience for me. Almost all of the week-long stories could have stretched out a week or two longer - and sometimes readers got angry that I didn't expand on things - but I'm glad I stuck to my guns.

The current "Compensated Endorsers" arc was originally meant to be another week-long story, but I decided enough time had passed that I could indulge myself in expanding it. Even so, the first of the arc can easily stand on its own separate from the rest. In fact, I originally planned on breaking up the story and inserting a random week-long story between them. (Maybe I should have gone through with it?)

With the decision to expand the story into an arc, I started planning things out and jotting down ideas. I mapped out motives, plot, characters and all the fun stuff. I looked at the natural progression of things and got a good sense of the story. Then I took a chainsaw to everything, and I couldn't be happier about it.

I looked at editing this current story from the approach of editing a 45-minute TV show. A show of that length is long enough to run something of substance - but maybe not long enough to run it with as much detail and depth as a writer would like. I think of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica series DVDs, where watching deleted scenes suddenly gave otherwise random scenes some context. With the time limit, some edits are brutal. Minor plots that made it into the shooting script are hacked away for time. It can bug you a little, but the sacrifice was made so the MAIN story could be told. I'm not saying it's a GOOD thing, as ideally you write concisely to get it ALL in, but I'm proud of myself for making the tough cuts when I needed to make them.

Why did Dionne act friendly with Bud? We never really find out, because plot points related to her motives were axed. (You can ask me about it after the arc is finished if you want.) Shouldn't the casting guy get a proper introduction and name? Maybe, but the plot doesn't suffer at all with me cutting right to the chase. There were WEEKS of material I could have covered dealing with the other kids angling for the role and the owner of the bakery - but all those characters were wiped away. They were distractions to the story, and thus not important enough. The end result is a 22-strip story in place of one that could have run for 50 instead. It's tighter. It's stronger. It's better. (And, for the record, the 22nd strip is only there because I edited the next week's scripts down to only six days of material.) I'm not sure this arc will ever enter into the top tier of Precocious stories, but I'm proud of it anyway.

This is still an evolving process, and I'm sure I'll be annoyed that I didn't fine-tune the strips further after a few months. I'm still making mistakes due to the time crunch. I'm still not always as sharp with my writing as I'd like to be. I still struggle with backgrounds and complex scenes, often resulting in me reverting to a cheap close-up that takes much less time to draw and color. Some days I have no choice but to show a bunch of talking heads against a background void. I have a long way to go. Point is, I'm learning from my mistakes and I care about getting better. I have no intention of coasting through my updates just to get them done. Precocious is my life right now, and I want to make it as good as it can be. Editing myself means I'm far more rushed at the moment that I could be, but my archives should be a much nicer place because of it.

(Yes, folks, I'm aware of the irony in writing a long, rambling blog post about how vital it is to edit long, rambling stories.)

What a pile of every Precocious strip looks like

2011-07-18T22:06:00.002-04:00

And today is when my (lack of) organization skills begin to cause me pain. I'm a good boy in that I at least keep all the strips together. (With one exception, but that loner will join the horde tonight.) I'm a very bad boy in that they aren't in order, and nearly all of them aren't labeled and numbered. Heck, those that ARE numbered are likely numbered incorrectly, as I shuffled the archives around.

I knew this day was coming, so I can't complain. The task ahead of me is simple: Sort through everything, number the strips correctly and begin the long and painful process of re-scanning and re-lettering all the early stuff. I also have to decide if I want to go through with re-drawing the first 17 strips. In my dumping out of my comics bin, I did find the beginnings of the redos started a looooong time ago.

In other news, the reason I keep falling further and further behind with things is because I keep giving myself more and more tasks like this. All of them are important and must get done! I just need to learn to function without sleep or something.

Precocious across the world!

2011-07-17T22:26:00.002-04:00

Behold! A ego-tastical posting for today!

I can send off all my commissions and donation packages, but it doesn't become real to me that SOMEONE ACTUALLY WANTED MY STUFF until I see photo proof!

Look at this! THOSE ARE FRAMES! My work was frameable! All three Tiffany watercolors hanging together! Oh my heck! (I'll forgive him for making Ginger's Bread the centerpiece, since I outnumber it four to one.)

Since I got permission to post his pictures, here is my Skull Mountain commission with the awesome reader who set the plan in motion! (Note the Team Jacob shirt too. Bonus points!)

I'm even excited to see my magnets in action. This is not just a refrigerator, people. It's a refrigerator IN RUSSIA! Tiffany is demanding attention on another continent! That amazes me!

I've been fighting to keep pace with all my work lately, and it's treats like these photos that keep me pushing forward. Sure, the money is nice for allowing me to eat and stuff - but it's the ego boosts that come from selling art that keeps me going. Thanks to everyone who has supported me. Love to you all!

Planning? Ha!

2011-07-15T21:45:00.001-04:00

Behold: A new character! He is the product of such laziness, he will never even get a name! Seriously, this time I waited until the panel he appeared in before even thinking about what he looked like. Granted, improvising on random characters when I get to them is standard for me, but this guy will actually get to hang around for a few strips. Normally characters that aren't one-shot get a little more thought put into them. Oh well, this guy looks fun enough, right?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Brains never cooperate

2011-07-13T23:34:00.003-04:00

What you see here is the very first concept sketch for the main character of a comic that I will likely NEVER DO. It is awkward and awful, but that isn't uncommon for first tries. Don't judge me harshly over it.

So why am I sharing? Because I can't get this damn thing out of my mind! I know I don't have time for it. I know I don't have the drawing chops for it (yet). I don't really have any idea how to go about writing it. I'm not sure I care enough to bother finding out. BUT MY BRAIN REFUSES TO BACK DOWN FROM A CHALLENGE!

It started as a thought exercise. I looked at a genre I've avoided like the plague ever since I first started crafting stories in my head and asked myself, "Can I pull this off if I tried?" In this case, the genre was... high school slice of life? With teenagers? And relationship drama? Dude, have you checked out Precocious? Not only does it feature only one teen (who is rarest of rare in character appearances) but it's not big on relationship gobbledygook. The kids are too young for that and the parents are all locked into stable, happy relationships. Looking back over allll the stories I've composed in my head over allllll these years... VERY FEW TEENS. Even when I *was* a teen, all my stories involved adults.

I thought this would be a quick exercise, as I drew a complete blank on how I would approach something so foreign to me. Then frigging Alanis Morrissette came on my iTunes playlist with the song "8 Easy Steps." In the past, I had fun matching all the personality flaws listed in the song with characters from a story I've had in my head since I was a teen. This was a fantasy tale, with every main character over 18. But what if... what if I used those long-established characters and turned them into awkward modern high schoolers? It's a plan so stupid that it... worked? I was seeing characters I've known for half my life in an entirely new context, and it was fun figuring out how their fantasy story quirks would translate. Suddenly my mind wanted to ride this wave and see how far it could go.

Of course, there's still the problem of composing a story. Just as my thought exercise into trying to write a superhero story yielded the promising concept of The Utopians, this exercise also gave me just enough mental rope to hang myself. The Utopians is going to stall forever unless I bring in a friend who knows their supers to help me get some basic concepts and pacing down. This idea is also going to languish until I settle on my storytelling angle - and that's not even factoring in the art requirements of this concept being far more than I can currently handle! But my brain is too stubborn to admit defeat.

AND IT'S ALMOST CERTAINLY NOT EVEN WORTH THE TROUBLE! *bangs head on desk*

Stupid brain.

Bonus Comics Day - A song in my heart!

2011-07-11T19:26:00.003-04:00

This day has been a blast! I'd do it forever, except that this day has also nearly killed me.

I went into it thinking I'd get a ton of work done because I'd be chained to the computer. WRONG. With ADHD, it can take me a while to settle down into a work groove, and having to reset myself every hour to an update threw me off-balance completely. By the time I did the update, posted about it, checked out all the social media places, prepped the next update and sat down to start my work... 45 minutes had gone by! It's hard to get a project started in 15 minutes, so back to email and Twitter and...

It was still totally awesome being able to throw updates at you guys left and right. (And I grin looking at the stat boost I got from today's antics!) If I ever do another donation drive, I must have a bonus comics day again - although next time I MUST charge more per strip. I hope you all had as much fun as I did.

Along the way, while trying to stir up the slow early morning crowd, I was talking about music I was listening to - and realized I missed a golden opportunity. I've been listening to the delightful St. Vincent, and some of her songs make great fits for my own little Vincent. Somehow, despite it being crazy to do so, I drew up ANOTHER bonus comic - just so I could double Vincent all the way across the sky. It'll show up at the top of the hour. (Bonus music comic #15, strip #854.) I had two ideas for the St. Vincent strip, and the sketch you see above is from the one that lost. It's such a sweet line and it's perfect for Vincent, but also kinda gross to illustrate if I wanted to be literal.

It's weird to think I could be exhausted from doing nothing but playing on the computer for 15 hours, but I really am. After I get to the regular update, when I can finally let go and have the CMS do the updating for me, I'd like nothing more than to go to bed and sleep for a week. But I'm a cartoonist. That ain't happening.

For one, thanks to all this Bonus Comics Day stuff, my buffer is now gone. Tomorrow I have no choice but to color the rest of this week's strips. Then can I rest? Oh, no! I still have three commission projects that desperately need attention! And I have to build up my buffer again! And I have to work on a donation poster for August! AND I NEED TO GET WORKING ON THE DANG BOOK! *head explodes*

Ahh, cartooning. The work is insane, but at least the pay's nonexistent and no one ever respects what you do (even in your own field, if you're a newspaper-style cartoonist). Woohoo!

It's a Precocious party!

2011-07-10T22:02:00.003-04:00

The Skull Mountain commission did its job and made it to the DC area in time to join in the closing festivities! I hope some joy was brought into the world via my cartoon critters and the good will of the man behind the commission.

I want to give mad props to this guy and his brother (who did the Downfall parody on the Precocious home page), who are making a bid for the ultimate Precocious fans. That's right, all you other ultimate fans. You have competition! The only solution is to keep one-upping each other, making my smile grow ever larger. (I'm worth it!) That, or group hug in exceedingly cute fashion. Both options are good.

A good Precocite is an active fan! The comic needs to grow in order to become a sustainable thing, so every time you spread the world you are helping to ensure the strip will keep going strong. Seriously, I am absolutely amazed every single day when I think about all you guys have done for me. Don't ever change, you wonderful people!

Oh yeah, and if a good Precocite gets something from me, I want to see photos! Show off your shirts! Show me where you're displaying Precocious art! (Bonus points for super-creepy shrines.) Where are you sticking your magnets? I'll probably whip up a blog post if I get some good shots. If not, you're still helping my self-esteem - and isn't that the most important thing of all?

So now that we're all feeling good about ourselves, are we ready to party some more? Despite no one seeming to care except me, I want Bonus Comics Day to be fun for all. Since I'll be doing an update every hour, my plan for tomorrow is to glue myself to the computer for scripting and coloring - and hopefully lots of hanging out in the comments section!

The final mailings

2011-07-08T22:08:00.001-04:00

I'm still holding on to the donation sketches, but I think it's save to share the grand donation prize. One brave reader came through with a donation to claim Jacob, as was promised in the donation drive comics, and Jacob he shall get!

I'm packing the last of the envelopes tonight. (Man, this step takes about ten times as long as I anticipated.) Tomorrow I drive to the post office and send them on their way. (I should walk for fitness, but the humidity... oh the humidity.)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Dedication to the craft

2011-07-06T21:31:00.002-04:00

I decided to blog from my phone today on a whim! Maybe because I knew I had little to say and this would give me an excuse. (Edit: This turned out to be a horrible idea, as the Blogger iPhone ap lacks an option to update one's profile if they've since changed their Google password. That is truly some epic failure in ap design, guys. Eh, one duplicate profile later I finally got this thing posted.)

What you see here is some of the process behind the next Copper Road. The scary thing here is my embarrassing lack of prep. I had to draw Xander, who hasn't show up in forever. I had to design a one-shot character. I should have done some research into the setting. All real cartoonists also thumbnail the layouts, because they're kinda vital. What did I do? One page of half-hearted sketches for the new character. GOOD ENOUGH! Time to jump into sketching and wing it! Screw prep work! I'll learn as I go!

And that, children, is why panel one of the next Copper Road contains a major cartooning no no, as a dialog balloon cuts off a guy's head. This could have been prevented with just a little planning. Oh well! I live life dangerously! (Stupidly.) I rarely do extensive prep work on anything I do.

I will never be a real cartoonist at this rate.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Mailing day II, Heat Wave Boogaloo.

2011-07-05T12:55:00.005-04:00

(Although I think it's more "Summer as usual in Georgia" than an actual heat wave.)

Yes, FINALLY, the second wave of donation goodies is hitting the post office! (Magnet people, who got their goods in the first wave, I want to see pictures of what you did with your new prized possession!) This wave covers everyone who donated for a sketch and told me what their request was (With one exception. Sorry, Kevin!) and a few lucky ones who donated for a print and magnet.

After I finish packing everything, I will be faced with a decision: Do I risk giving up my primo parking spot to drive to the post office, or do I walk two miles in 95-degree heat instead? On one hand, I *do* need the exercise. On the other, MY SCANDINAVIAN SKIN WILL BOIL AWAY!

The upcoming third wave, which will hopefully go out at the end of this week, will cover the rest. Those who donated for a sketch without giving me a request will end up getting a facefull of whatever the heck I wanted to draw for them!

Oh, right. I have a blog.

2011-07-05T00:13:00.003-04:00

So I'm sitting here, putting together the donation packets for mailing tomorrow when I realize I HAVEN'T SHARED ANYTHING I'VE BEEN WORKING ON IN DAYS!

What can I say, I've been immensely self-absorbed. (Also, much of my work wasn't blog-worthy.) My solution to the recent funk was to lock myself away and ignore everything else in the world. Not the brightest thing to do, but it's working!

So here's the final version of the Skull Mountain commission. (At least, I hope so.) That's my first offering. To make up for my slacking off, I think I'll have to blog nonstop for the next few weeks. (Yeah, we'll see if I can pull that off...)

Splashdown

2011-06-27T20:03:00.003-04:00

Apologies to all again. Still in a work funk, but I'm slowly trying to catch up.

Today's offering is the next step of the Skull Mountain commission. I blue lined the initial sketch, went back over it in blue pencil to flesh out the details and then did a pass with ink. Using this, I will then employ my lightbox to trace the final images in colored pencil and begin the coloring process. I want to have this whole thing done by Friday, since this is a time-dependent piece.

If you're wondering about that other sketch I wanted to have done the other day - it's still in limbo. I've got it about 60-70% figured out, but I'm not satisfied yet. Not happy that I'm dragging on this stuff, but that's how these funks go. As soon as I get some momentum back, I should be able to pull ahead again. Such is the temperamental ways of the artist.

To hasten my return to glory, I think I should shelve the other commission pieces for a few days and grind out some Precocious strips. I'm down to my last week of buffer and the anxiety to keep ahead is overtaking the sense of security that started my productive movement. I already have next week's strips inked, so they only need lettering and coloring. The real pressure is coming from the week after that, because that is when I plan on having Bonus Comics Day. That means I need 21 strips done for then instead of the usual 7. Scripting on those is done, and pencils have begun - so my work load is not nearly as scary as it seems. I just have to, y'know, spend my days working. I keep forgetting that.

Jacob shirts!

2011-06-25T21:09:00.003-04:00

There's a new shirt up in the store! All you Team Jacob supporters better run and get one, because it'll only be there for a limited time?

Why limited? Because Cafepress is cheap and evil, only allowing me to have one design per product at a time. I can pay to get the ability to sell multiple designs, but considering my store sells about one item every two months, that hardly seems worth it.

So what I will do is swap the new Jacob designs around in the economy shirt slot. Get the one you want before it rotates out!

If you think those Team Jacob freaks are getting smug, why not grab the Blame Jacob shirt when it rotates in? Maybe one day you will meet someone wearing the Team Jacob shirt and get into a brawl! That'll be awesome!

Finally, since someone requested it, here's a Jacob "I like me" shirt. Wearing this shirt will guarantee hugs from everyone.

The artist's eternal war against unconsciousness

2011-06-24T20:54:00.005-04:00

Blame Wimbledon and the cruelty of time zones for pushing me over the edge. I'd been tempting the sleep demon for weeks, choosing to eliminate an hour or two of slumber a night in favor of more work time - and suddenly trying to wake up at 7am every day without a shift in bedtime was bound to get me.

The past few days have been washed out by built-up fatigue, and I've only made it worse by trying to appease those damn sleep demons with inconsistent napping. Yeah, I am NOT someone who can nap. Naps leave me more scrambled and tired than before - yet my body keeps fighting for them anyway.

At this point, I've cost myself about two days' worth of work time with my sleep shenanigans. Thank goodness I chose to pull this stunt when I was two weeks ahead in everything! Things are still well in control, just not as super-awesome as before.

Yesterday was SUPPOSED to be my commissionathon, but that fell through because I was doing make-up work for my failed comicathon. This morning was supposed to be my make-up commissionathon, but, uh, I was in a daze well into the afternoon.

SO LET'S CATCH UP, STARTING NOW! I have two commissions that need to be sketched out by the end of the night, and a third that demands attention today or tomorrow as well. (But tomorrow is supposed to be the paintathon...)

So here's part one of my make up work, a concept sketch for a commission involving the kids riding the Skull Mountain ride at Six Flags: America. The scene I chose to depict was the part of the ride where the boatacoaster goes down a hill and splashes into the water. I was supposed to fit eight kids into the scene, but my current composition ended up cutting out Max's seat. Oopsie.

As I wait for approval/suggestions on that sketch, I now move on to the next project. Can I have a second post about it up by midnight? Knowing me? Probably not. BUT I'LL TRY!

Edit: I failed. Not done with the sketch and too tired to finish tonight. Sleep now. See you in 12 hours!

Could it be marathon week?

2011-06-20T21:54:00.003-04:00

Almost forgot to share this. I have made commission progress! My first ever watercolor commissions are now complete, and I didn't ruin them horribly! I won't claim I have much watercolor skill yet, but the lack of ruination exceeds expectations and is encouraging.

That means two projects are now done. What's next? A GIANT MOUNTAIN OF WORK, of course! This week I was supposed to be in Virginia, but I decided against it so I could work and work and work and work. Let's do that!

There is a lot in front of me, so this week would ideally contain a bunch of epic grinding. How many days can I pull off a workathon this week?

I need a paintathon at some point. I have three sold bite-sized paintings that need heavy upkeep before they will be ready to ship out, and I'm still not content with the eyes on my big schoolgirls painting commission.

I need a comicathon at many more points. I have two weeks of buffer left, but the goal is to ALWAYS have at least two weeks of buffer. As soon as Monday's update appeared, I was technically under my buffer goal. This cannot stand! I was hoping to have seven inks done today, but it's looking more like I'll only get to four. That means a double work load for the next comicathon day! Oh yes, and I'm in charge of coloring all strips for this group of strips, so I must factor in a colorathon some day this week too.

I need a bonus comicathon on top of all those other comicathons, since I owe you guys two weeks worth of extras. I'm aiming for making Bonus Comics Day a big event, but that first means MAKING those comics. I have 15 scripts ready to go, which will turn into 14 finals, and I want them ready for July 11th. (More on Bonus Comics Day when the date is confirmed.)

Finally, I have some commissionathons ahead of me. Not only do I have a few donation sketches left to make, I have three commissions that are ready for the sketching stage.

Can I do this? I hope so. If I want to make a living at this thing, this is the world schedule I'll have to deal with.

Alternate endings!

2011-06-19T11:37:00.005-04:00

(click image to embigginate)

Mushroom cloud not your cup of tea? Have a look at the other possible endings to today's strip that were scripted. All are perfectly valid, so choose whatever ending your desire for the fuse tale... and imagine what might have been if you all had donated faster. ;-)

A candy-colored day

2011-06-17T23:30:00.004-04:00

I woke up today with plans of drawing all day on a sugar high, since my first act after waking was to drive to post office and pick up my package of gummies! (Also: Comic treasuries!)

Of course, as you were probably just mumbling to yourself, there's no real link between sugar and hyperactivity. Instead, I loaded up on candy, blew up my pancreas, read some new comics (the last Fox Trot dailies collection) and took a nice nap.

After waking, it was too late for a true drawing marathon, so I went with the foreshadowed watercoloring instead! Progress so far is slow but sure. There was only one moment of pure panic, when a tiny bit of blue snuck into my brown and threatened to mar Tiffany's ear - but it blotted up well enough.

What's in store for tomorrow? I'm gonna have to do a comic marathon sooner or later, but my normal Saturday schedule may get in the way. I think I'll play the role of temperamental artist tomorrow and do whatever the heck I feel like doing. So long as I'm doing SOMETHING, all will be well.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go consume another pound of gummi peaches.

From bumbling comes success!

2011-06-16T23:02:00.004-04:00

Sorry I haven't blogged in a few days. I've been working on donation sketches and I decided not to share them. Those things are special and I want them to be pleasant surprises for my donors. It's for a good cause, but it doesn't give me much to share if that's all I do.

Well, today I nearly finished off the donor sketches! (One request to go, not counting the few requests that haven't come in yet.) With the sketches in a good place, it was time to get back to the big boy commissions!

I've been really stressing over these. Today I had to get the inks down so I could get my watercolor on. Yes, I'm tracing, but there's still no room for error - and I have to make sure the line quality works as well.

You see three Tiffany Suicide Kings drawings because that's my test image. As soon as I started working with them, I found out I was in trouble. My super-expensive watercolor paper is great for watercolors... but not so much for tech pens. The line quality was not good, and that meant going back into the work and trying to correct places - doubling the time needed. This would not do.

Fortunately, I *am* a former printmaking major and I *did* bring my old portfolio with me to Savannah. My old printmaking paper is just fine for watercolors (I hope), and the tooth is much less harsh. So I tore apart my meticulously-constructed setup for tracing the big piece. After clearing my area for space, I measured and tore a new sheet of paper. I once again meticulously constructed a setup for tracing. I turned the light table on... and realized I had constructed the piece upside down. ONE MORE METICULOUSLY-CONSTRUCTED SETUP LATER... The bumbling and crazy was over?

Ha, no. That's when the swarm of insects descended. I was working on a light box on a warm summery night in an apartment in which the windows are full of gaps to the outside. I should have seen that coming. The little guys were numerous, but the biggest worry with them was resisting the urge to smoosh them, which would goo up the piece. Didn't see the big guys coming, though. I was drawing with my biggest, thickest tech pen when the largest of the bug assault smacked me in the face. I jumped. My hand jerked. The piece... was ok? I have no idea how I didn't leave a big black smear across the thing.

After all that, the piece came out looking just fine! I tempted fate all night. I bumbled like an idiot. Thanks to stress, I was so tense that my finger is now KILLING ME even though I only drew a moderate amount today. But it's all ok, because I didn't screw up the final piece!

Yet.

More birthday girl fan art! (Belated edition)

2011-06-13T17:38:00.003-04:00

In continuing my Savannah socializing follies, I am the doofus who decided to back Twitter for my social media of choice while all the cool kids went Facebook instead. I can go a week without checking Facebook, and that means I miss important things. Important things like the birthdays of awesome people!

Last week was the birthday of the inspiring Sarah "Pickles" Dill, of Distillum. To celebrate, I thought I would whip up some much-owed fan art for her. Here we have Rob and Kavitha, looking very young and rather ridiculous, because I drew them and I am not one tenth the sequential artist she is. But it's the thought that counts, right? (Maybe I'll have to take her out and buy her lunch to make up for this... Whaddaya say, Pickles?)

Some fan art for a birthday girl!

2011-06-12T17:52:00.004-04:00

Today is the birthday of the lovely and talented Darc Sowers, of the excellent Code Name: Hunter. To commemorate such a grand occasion, I am fan arting as best as I can!

Here we have Ruby and Max about suffer the consequences of angering Gadel. (Something I assume happens hourly around the offices.) I can't tell you how intimidating it is drawing someone else's characters - especially if it's someone you greatly admire, who is also a FAR superior artist. (Oh, Darc, I wish I could have done better for you!)

Anyway, much love and positive vibes for you! May this birthday be truly excellent!

The joy of minor characters

2011-06-10T15:30:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I got to do something I hadn't done in a long while: Introduce a new character to the Precociousverse! Meet Mitzy Bard, the Poppinstock Academy third grade teacher! We may never see her again in the strip, but she's canon now and that means SHE NEEDS A PROFILE!

This is where the fun begins. New characters are full of potential, and I can shape Ms. Bard into anything I want. Let's explore her life, shall we?

What we know of her in-strip is that she's been held captive by the older kids during the school revolution and that she freaked out when her class was invaded during the ice cream social. She didn't seem to be very pleased with Ms. Monster's behavior either.

It's time to start connecting the dots. I see Ms. Bard as younger than Ms. Monster, and probably more naive about the way the smart kid system works. To get where she is at that age, she had to be a real go-getter and little achiever in school - likely getting a nice, pricey education. She probably came from an upper middle class or rich family, which kept her fiscally sound (and a little spoiled) through school.

Personality-wise, I think we can say she's easily flustered when things go wrong. She's probably the type to try planning out every little thing, so she falls apart at the unexpected. Assuming she and Bette Monster aren't on the friendliest of terms, I can see resentment at Bette's wily and unconventional teaching ways - labeling them as lazy and mean. Mitzy probably sees herself as the good and NORMAL person, bristling that the school would hire smartasses like Bette and eccentrics like Dr. Oven. They aren't good role models! Mitzy plays the by the rules, always doing what she feels is the right thing. And I'm not saying Mitzy is delusional about this stuff. She may actually BE a good person in this comic full of insane jerks! She's the type to get victimized - the question is how much of it is exploiting her good nature and how much is it her bringing it upon herself?

Although not mentioned in the strip, my WORD OF GOD statement regarding her name establishes her as single, which must bug her as it means her fantasies of finding a husband at college didn't pan out. She thinks she's been doing everything right, but her boyfriends keep turning out to be lying jerks! Oh well, at least she's not as old as that spinster Bette. Mitzy is at least TRYING!

How was that? Keep in mind that the personality is all speculation for now. I can change her into a biker chick by the time she appears in her next strip, if she ever does appear again. (I have no plans to bring her back any time soon.) It's merely fun to do these thought exercises.

I have to wonder if the readers have their own impressions of Ms. Bard.

The comic marathon

2011-06-07T20:48:00.004-04:00

I know I said I didn't want to make this kind of post, but with this task dominating my life of late I have no other options for today.

I woke up this morning with 10 pages laid out and ready for sketching... so why not try to sketch ALL OF THEM in one day? Heck, why stop there? I'll ink them too! 10 pages? How hard can it be? (Note: During my recent workathons, the best I'd done before was taking four pages to ink in a day.)

So here I am, 12 hours after my insane resolution. How did it go? Seven pages have been sketched and inked. I don't think I've ever had a day this productive!

What finally did me in for the day was my blasted finger, who finally started to protest around hour eight. You might think it's bad that an injury incurred in 2010 is still causing me trouble, but I am THRILLED! I haven't been able to draw for this many hours since before the injury! (If one counts the motions of inking as drawing.) I'm sure I'll pay for all this effort tomorrow, but for tonight I can celebrate!

Oh, and it means the rest of June is now covered, aside from coloring. (Which can be partially outsourced, so woohoo!)

Get these out of my sight!

2011-06-05T23:05:00.002-04:00

Behold: The great wall of Tiffany magnets! As I go forward with my donation drive, I hope for this wall to grow smaller and small until it disappears completely. C'mon, readers! Don't let me down! This donation drive is a first for me, so I'm very nervous about it. I hope my incentives are adequately incentivizing to everyone!

On the work front, I'm still slogging away to build up a buffer to cover a potential trip back to Virginia at the end of the month. I've exhausted all my scripts at the moment, but I've got some really good seeds of ideas that are beginning to sprout. That's my focus of the moment. Commission work has been on hold the past two days, but should resume tomorrow.