New (Semi-Secret) Project!

I'm working on a project for Thrillbent with Lori Matsumoto that will be announced more officially at San Diego Comic Con but I thought I might preview a bit of it here. I am designing characters based on real people so that I can draw it more like the Tragedy Series and use reference to speed up my process. I won't tell you too much about it now other than the fact that I'm excited about the story and the format where it will be published.

This is a series of haircut ideas for the main character based around an actress that she will resemble

This will be a butler/confidant character and I wanted to see if a different ethnicity (other than white) could work in the part but you run the risk of falling into stereotypes and I don't want to piss people off when I'm trying to be inclusive.

These were my first attempts at a main character, the villian and ideas for his mask. He isn't themed (like 'the scorpion' or something) so I wanted to keep it simple and iconic if possible. I want it to read really small- as a good tag.

I went a bit crazy with mask ideas but I kept seeing new ones in my head and I wanted Lori to have a bunch to choose from.

This is a design for the hero/nemesis of the bad-guy. I asked Lindsey what she would want to wear if she were going out to be a superhero and she said 'something supportive.' I thought that was an interesting place to start so I started with a full bodysuit and went from there. I kept thinking about that scene in 'The Incredibles'... "No capes"
If you are going to SDCC this year be sure to Check out Mark Waid's panel, on Thursday at 12:30 in room 24ABC, and tell me how it went. I'm working on a piece of promo art that should be featured on a big screen (I assume) at that panel.

This is taken off the SDCC website.

Wedding In The Woods.

I am getting married! It is a funny transition to make in some ways because it isn't a huge shift in my sense of commitment or love for Lindsey (we have been together for almost 6 years) but it does make me feel more grown up for some reason. Lindsey asked me to doodle up a wedding invite to send out asap. We're getting married in a state park near where she grew up. The logistics are complicated, but since I am not a church-going man and she likes trees, the woods seemed like the best place to have our ceremony:

She wanted something more simplified and cartoon-like without being a cartoon. I think she was leaning towards a 'folk-art' type of illustration so I tried my hand at that using (ironically) photoshop so I could adjust the colors to match what she was looking at for inspiration. I like the foxes and I hope you do too.

Chicago For A While

Lindsey and I went to visit our friend Michelle Alba in Chicago last week. It was great! We went to the Field Museum, The Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planetarium where I took many photos of historic astrolabes, armillaries and orerries; if you read my web strip then you know I'm that sort of guy. I am also the sort of fellow who LOVES pancakes. There is no better place to get pancakes, in my opinion, than The Bongo Room. It is highly recommended; it make what most people call 'pancakes' unworthy of the name.

I fit in a few sketches. Otherwise we were having too much fun and absorbing the great sights and company offered only in the Windy City.

This sculpture, located in in Millennium Park, is officially titled 'cloud gate' but colloquially it is called 'The Bean.' there is a constant swarm of people around it because it is beautiful and irresistible. The construction of this fine object is really worth reading about.

This was a family eating at Giordano's Pizza. One of the kids was busily mashing buttons on his gaming system, the parents not acknowledging each other and the other two boys just stuffing their faces with famous stuffed pizza. It seems quintessentially American so I did what I could to capture it. I was drawing while enjoying my own stuffed pizza with green peppers and, a rare treat, a root beer; it was wonderful.