Time Well Spent

I'm grateful to the very cool people who asked for the image below; I am glad I could make this for them. It was commissioned by a lovely couple that met in Seattle during the convention. They were great: they paid in advance, the got a pre-paid mailer and they brought reference. I also learned a valuable lesson from doing the piece so I can thank them for that too!

Before ECCC I had read Chris Samnee's guidelines for commission work and I was surprised that he wouldn't do likenesses or non-licensed characters and clearly lists 'some background' amongst his bullet points. I found it curious but I now understand why.


Once I finished the painting on this piece, on Tuesday, I knew it would be difficult to take on similar jobs in the future; It was a ton of fun but it took a crazy amount of time. It ended up being two full work days of trying to match likenesses, put together a pose that would work with the faces I found in the pictures they provided, nail down the complicated details of the characters costumes, work out appropriate full/divergent themed background worlds for each side and lay in the colors so that each side was balanced without competing excessively.


I now understand that I have to put constraints on my commissions (and on myself) from this point out or I'll end up taking precious time away from deadline-dependent projects. If I were to charge my normal commercial rates no one would want to pay; I want to make sure I can offer something people will enjoy without compromising my own financial and scheduling needs. Freelance work is full of these moments of learning and that is a good thing. I also think that the final image turned out pretty cool!

Game Of Thrones Post 2

I've been enjoying the new season of G.O.T. so far and listening to the first book on tape, via audible, while I work. I had read the the first book in of 'a song of ice and fire' in 2010 and enjoyed it. When the show came out I was excited and pleased with how they adapted the first book; now I'm in the reverse position of seeing the second season without having read the second book. It's just the thrill I thought it would be; this time around I've been surprised.


I thought it might be a fun little exercise in speed to draw the whole main cast of the first season on sketch-cards. It has been choosing and mashing references up. In some cases I find a great image and just go for it but I like to fuse disparate sources to make something new when I can; add a head to a body, put in a background element, equip them with new weapons or armor etc.


I should mention that I'm taking pre-stumptown commission orders too. I'd like to be able to have a few done before the show because I almost wasn't able to fit in the list I had at ECCC. I don't want to leave anyone hanging so contact me ASAP if you're interested. I'll be working on my upcoming Oni project and book proposal for Tragedyseries/TCBW. I hope your weekend will be full of sun and icecream.

Emerald City 2012: The Crown Jewel Of Comic Cons

Visiting Seattle is always fun but it is a special pleasure when it's in conjunction with my work. The Emerald City Convention is a highlight of my year and this time was no exception; I met many fantastic people and more than a few of my heroes. Thursday night I finished making my commission sign with a giant sharpie that probably lowered my IQ by a few points via the fumes involved. Friday was fun and busy; lots of costumes, kids, new attendees and audible laughter in every direction.

These sketch cards are all for sale at 30.00 each. You can also request a custom set of your own 12 for 350.00
Saturday started with a visit to the Crumpet Shop at Pike Place Market where my friend David is the baker. The show floor was more of the same enthusiasm seen on Friday but with many many more people. The convention apparently broke attendance records; I didn't get to leave my table. This is a good thing because I got to do a bunch of fun commissions, sold some of the things I made (books, prints and charms) and met many of the wonderful people who read my comic. I was in a huge island with many of my dear periscope studio friends and the magnetism of their amazing abilities and charisma certainly helped bring over some new people. In fact, some people told me they were sent my way by specific studio members who are unfailingly generous and supportive of my efforts; Dylan, Jeff and Steve... I'm looking at you.

They measure 2.5 inches by 4 inches and are painted with watercolor on 90 lb Winsor newton watercolour paper.
Sunday was fast and frenzied with me catching up on commissions, giving away all of my business cards and rushing to the train station. I talked with the amazing Patrick Reynolds on the train ride back and cajoled my seat-mates into at-least 30 games of bananagrams. Lindsey came to get me and brought Ethiopian food. We were both super happy to see one another. She had intended to go but a death in the family prevented her traveling. Next year will be great for many reasons but chief among them will be that she will most likely come along.

I also take requestes for sets or singles of any and all characters at the rates noted above. Avengers, Game of Thrones, Parks and Recreation... you name it.
I learned that need a tall banner, a money box, a system for organizing prints and a published version of Tragedy Series. I'm fortunate to have a forthright readership and most all of those who came to say hello either asked when there would be or emphatically insisted that there should be a collection of the comics. I am going to do what I can to have that very thing around for next year. With stumptown coming up I've got another chance to practice my best 'I'm not giving you the hard-sell' Hello a few hundred more times.

Lastly, here are a few con-improving tips for those less-considerate attendees:
If you are seeking an autograph for your collectable book do the signee the courtesy of a cursory glance at their merch. A bit of genial conversational interchange never hurts either.

When people say a simple and friendly greeting to you it isn't necessarily preamble to a telemarketer-style spiel. you can say 'hi' back rather than just shuffling by with a facade of ambivalence or distain.

In the event that you find yourself enjoying an artist/creators' work to the point that you linger, when you clearly had no initial intention of doing so, and subsequently laugh out loud multiple times, it is an small but valued gesture of thanks for that bit of entertainment, to make eye-contact and acknowledge attempts at a dialogue. After all, they made the thing you were just digging; it didn't just happen and it's nice when people affirm that connection.

Show cartoonists that you value their work by offering something appropriately compensatory or by asking nicely for something small (if you want it free) when you approach them with your sketchbook or commission request. It is their livelihood and a skill set that all of them have been cultivating their entire lives. It is greatly appreciated when people express an understanding of that dynamic.

The Iron Throne Returns And So Do I.

Here are a few of my favorite characters from the show
I'm looking forward to the return of Game of Thrones. I had read the first book prior to knowing about the show but I find the series to be a great representation of the novel. I'll admit that the first 300 pages did not thrill me but it got awesome after that. I have my friend Wendy to thank for sharing the book and Lindsey to thank for watching the show with me. We are both excited to see the new season. I have not read the second book so it will all be new for me.


This sketch was done last night at my brother Zach's 27th birthday dinner at the Montage. I bought the 'old mac' classic mac and cheese. It's the best
I'm going to be in Seattle for the emerald City Comic Con in Seattle, Washington, at the end of this month (March 30th-April 1st.) and I'm taking early commission requests. I can do licensed characters, portraits,pinups and all the rest.

You can find me at booth 222 along with other members of Periscope Studio.

I’m offering discounted rates until the convention. Here are the specifics:

-Single figure Prices:

All images drawn on 8.5 X 11 Bristol board
40 for black and white inked.
45 for black and white inked with tone-wash (the style of Tragedy Series.)
80 for inked with full color (watercolor.)
I take payment though paypal or you can pay cash when you pick them up at the show!

Contact me at tragedyseries (at) gmail.com or spiderbridge (at) gmail.com if you would like to order a drawing or require more information.

See you at the show!

Monsters (And Dames) Of Rock!

I wanted to make a unambiguously pro-Lady piece this year, for Emerald City Comic Con's "Monsters and Dames," that spoke to my love of rock music, mutants and guitars. I modeled the frontwoman on the girl from 27b/6 because she looks cool enough to shred on a yellow lightning V and I based her band on the two Papo figures I keep at my desk because I always thought they looked like they'd make a bad-ass rhythm section.


The piece in the book will be a slightly cropped version of this image. I'll be offering prints right away in the event that it doesn't get included. If it does: then I'll have to wait until after the book comes out.
The pencils/inks were done analog and the coloring done on a cintique. I like being able to knock figures back in space with a gradient or two because it helps establish another layer of depth. One can do that with line quality too but the effect is more pronounced when the intensity of your inks varies in accordance with the depicted figure's location in space.


Come see me at the upcoming Emerald City show and pick up a copy of Monsters and Dames (proceeds go to Seattle Children's Hospital.)
I think that my sketch had some nice energy. I wanted to preserve that, but by choosing to utilize more detail, which I did in the final image, there's a tendency to dampen one's initial spark. The freedom and fun of unrestrained cartooning is why I tend to prefer seeing the fantastic 4, for example, drawn by Mike Wieringo with his naturally bouncy line. That same context with its' potential for aesthetic quirks is a slightly awkward fit for a realist like Bryan Hitch who tends to put his emphasis on design and details that are based on natural forms. In contrast, I love seeing Hitch draw something gritty and cinematic like 'Ultimates.' I just have to learn to give myself permission 'not to draw' when I can say just as much with less.

I'm slowly working more cartooning into my drawing because my favorite artists have demonstrated that a fusion between the strong parts of realistic drawing and the flexibility of cartooning have great potential for exciting storytelling. Detail can be helpful and realism has uses but I want the sort of energy that Stuart Immonen's work displays and the grace that Terry Dodson's work exhibits. Those good qualities come from their particular (hard won) stylizations, not adherence to strict rules of observational drawing (though it does seem clear that they have both practiced that part of drawing quite extensively.)

Out On The Town!

What do the Dark Knight, Kal-El and my brother Zach all have in common? They are proud denizens of major metropolitan areas that they improve with their presence!

My Brother Zach has moved to Portland and I am excited for him. I remember what it felt like to be here early on; there is a trilling sense of discovery accompanied by the awkward stumbling progress of establishing a life apart from that which you had previously been so accustomed to. He is a very talented illustrator, designer and all around good guy. I sincerely believe that he has made the first and most important step in the process of profound personal development: choosing the right venue for growth. A big part of succeeding in the pursuit of one's goals involves betting on an informed choice of a home base. Zach has bravely made that bold move toward an energetic future of golden possibility by joining us here in PDX!

Even though he has been here for a few months I still offer him a warm welcome and I hope you'll do the same by visiting his Blog:

http://zachfischerart.wordpress.com/
He and I went to Brunch at the Morningstar Cafe to celebrate his arrival!
My last bit of Sketch art from Emerald City is this Batman and Superman piece That I did on the final day of the con as things were winding down. Nathan and I had done a Star Trek/Wars competition on Saturday and decide to try a similar information gathering venture Sunday with the Caped Crusader and last son of Krypton. I finished the image once I got back and I think I'll offer it via Periscope's Etsy Store.


I don't do much DC-themed stuff at the moment. I do love the potential of those characters in the same way that I love the Marvel Characters but I think Marvel has been more in step with what I've wanted to see as a consumer of entertainment. That said; if you readers want to see some DC Characters then you can drop a line in the comments or email me a sketch suggestion or for a commission!

Post Con Thoughts

Emerald City taught me some things about what convention appearances are good for at this stage in a comics career. The most worthwhile aspect of it for me was meeting people and talking with them about their convention experiences as a way to engage in community building. A side benefit of our conversations was that, hopefully we gained some readers for our webcomic Tales From The White Pony. We gave out about a hundred free buttons between the start of the con on Friday and Saturday afternoon and if a tenth of those people become regular readers I'd call it a successful campaign.

For next time I'm going to remember to make more of those buttons, more mini comics and some slightly less-improvised signs like the group seen below. I still enjoyed making them out of what we had around but it might be better for getting people to take me seriously if it's printed out. I also learned that name recognition and cuteness are crucial selling points. Since I don't have the latter, I'll work toward the former!


I'm going to keep these prices for con -sketches till next Emerald City. If you want one for Stumptown you can contact me through Periscope Studio or send me a message at my website.

Trek V. Wars

Yes, Yes it's true I'm back from my hiatus and Emerald city. It was a great time. I have a ton of art and a few bucks to show for it (although after final tally I think I broke even.) The subject of Saturday was whether their was a bigger display of fandom for Star Trek or Star Wars. Nathan and I decided to have a friendly competition (actually more of an experiment) to see which would come out on top. I chose the underdog (Trek) in an effort to seem like I care about something other than Star Wars. This is our tally sheet:


Nathan would tell people which side we were on and after some people threatened me in a half-joking manner I put on my new headphones to let them know where I stand.


In the end we decided that the reason Sw beat out St was that for all the great aspects of the message inherent to the Trek universe like considerate exploration and a positive future for humanity; Wars has a much cooler visual vocabulary to draw from and if you think I'm wrong then I say this to you: Lightsaber, R2, Vader, Deathstar, Chewie, Yoda, Jaba and Akbar are relentlessly referenced in memes of all sorts. The themes of Star Trek are intellectual (which the science-side of me loves) while the lasting legacy of Star Wars is sensory (which has inspired my drawings since I was 3.)


You can see that we did a Batman/Superman-off but it didn't have the same spark of intrigue that our initial choice did. It should be noted finally that my underdog pick also had a boost from the con appearances of many next Next Generation cast members and the Trek overlord, Shatner himself, but still didn't win.

In the end we did see one Herculoids tee shirt and Nathan made special mention of it.

Buttons and Yeti-centaurs.

I'm part way through our first mini-comic and it is taking longer than I'd like. The good news is that Nathan should have a script for me as of tonight and I have finished buttons:


The other good news is that my sweet Star Wars headphone arrived and they are just as cool as I'd hoped.

No really, the good news is that I've been getting a lot of little things accomplished and I'm looking forward to seeing my buddy Nathan for our fun excursion north to that gem on the Puget sound. We will have at least one (but maybe two) mini comics in print to promote our big sprawling online comic. The first of them is the side adventure of the troll brothers and the second will be based on our Gnome protagonist.


This is a set of non-sequential pages from the min which will measure, roughly, 5.5 by 4.25 inches when properly sized and collated in finished form. I'm going to produce a cover for them too but that will come at the end of finishing all the interior art. Nathan will be here soon so I'm hoping, once he arrives, to see this whole little side project come together in a brilliant flash of bro-hugs and late-night snacking.

Emeralds On The Horizon

Nathan is frantic with school. I'm busy depicting a galaxy far far away but I am excited that no matter what happens in the next few days, we will both be in Seattle as of March 4th. Since I'm working on some little mini comics for the con that I mentioned in the previous post and I finished a Mario Kart tribute piece but since neither of those are really ready I'll show you this Drawing I did on the bus.

Good Old Number 9 Line

It was packed and the driver kept shouting "All the way to the back people... all the way back." I liked that the people sitting in front of me had interesting heads. I did not use an eraser!

Monsters And Dames Maybe?

Hello Dear readers...

I am in the midst of working on a painting project that will consume most of my weekend (if not all of it.) In lieu of some fan art I wanted to post this time around, I've opted to give you a sneak peek at the piece I did for the "Monsters and Dames" book that is often published for Emerald City Comic Con. I'm not certain that it will get in. If it does then you can purchase it (in book form) in order to have Nathan and I sign it at the Convention. If it isn't included then I might make prints of it to include with whatever printed edition that Nathan and I land on.

Apparently other people who submitted have posted their images already so I might as well. Without further adieu:


Loranna's outfit was given approval by Lindsey as more supportive than her previous garment. She has that pendant now and, as such, technically, she designed this. If you take issue with the lack of modesty you can take it up with Her!

A December To Remember.

I promised my girlfriend Lindsey that I will post every other day during the Month of December. Since I love her and I want her to think of me as a trustworthy fellow I'm going to do my damnedest to live up to that pledge. It would also be pretty cool if I could beat out last year's total number of postings.

I've been working with Nathan on some improvements to our website. Some of this experience is a trail and error scenario. Sometimes I end up making things that I can't use and I'll post one of those things here for you to see:


These were intended as a marquee for the top of the site and some icon images. It all ended up looking pretty crappy when the detail was reduced to make it load appropriately so I am altering my plans. We're going to try something more simplistic in design and color it digitally to contrast it with the hand drawn quality of the comic.

Here's another process image:


These are the pencils for the monsters and Dames piece I submitted for the upcoming Seattle Comic Con. Nathan and I will be in attendance and hopefully the finished image that resulted from this image will be in a hardbound book that you can bring over and have me sign when you visit our table!

There you have it. Post number one for December. See you all again on Saturday!