Hey, hey hey

So last time I was mentioning to you guys that Liz Suburbia and I were putting together a comics group zine. Liz came up with the name Puppy Teeth and people, it’s here!

If you take a gander up at the top of this website here, you’ll notice I’ve added a tab that contains all the information you’ll need about this puppy (get it?!) and how to get your hands on it. That’s right, you can buy one! Right now!

For $3, you’ll get brand new comics by 10 of the best cartoonists and artists I have the pleasure of knowing, including Ms. Suburbia, Niki Smith, Matt Czap, Darryl Ayo, Alex Martin, Amy Gardiner, Jess Wheelock, Liz Valasco and Martinez E Garcias. I did something in there too.

We’ll be taking this thing to SPX this year, and the recently announced Pittsburgh Indy Comics Expo, and if things work out to Cleveland’s second Genghis Con in November.

ALSO

I think I forgot to mention last time, but my second round of the Art of Comics class at CIA wrapped up the other week. I’ve posted the final projects up on the blog over there, so you should really check them out! They did a really awesome job!

from Thomas Whitney's Melecheran: City of Guardian Angels

Looking forward to teaching again in the fall (possible two classes at once! As always, when more details emerge, I’ll be sure to fill you in).

Other things

So as I’ve been focusing on putting Puppy Teeth together, I’ll admit, Spoilers has not gotten as much attention as I would have liked to given it. I’m about halfway through the next chapter, and I’ll shoot for having that up before I leave for SPX.

Hearts!

Hey hey hey,

what’s happening?

I’ve been away for a little bit, but of course I have been mad busy! To make it up to you all, this one is an image-heavy post.

Part of what has been going on is I moved into a new apartment. It’s a pretty nice place, albeit a little empty. I’ll be slowly building it up but it serves its purpose pretty well.

My actual brother came up to visit last week and reminded me that there are funny things out there on the internet (that’s his comic up there that I think he wrote about me…) He’s got me reading the amazing Problem Sleuth from Andrew Hussie’s MS Paint Adventures. I am floored by this work, it really seems to be taking the concept of the true “web” comic to new heights. What he showed me of this and Hussie’s more recent ongoing comic/game, Homestuck, I am really impressed and excited. It’s also got me thinking a lot about video games and fusion comics.

No slouch himself, Matt Czap is also running new comic strips on his website Monday, Wednesday and Friday that are sure to give you a chuckle.

Puppy Teeth

I’ve also been working hardcore on comics! The above is a sample of my newest short that will appear in a new mini Liz Suburbia and I are co-editing called Puppy Teeth. I am so god damned excited about this project, let me tell you about it. We’ve gathered together 10 (!) of the best artists and cartoonists that we have the pleasure of knowing and are putting them all between two covers just in time for this year’s Small Press Expo. Not only does that mean brand new comics by Liz and I, but also from Matt Czap, Niki Smith, and Darryl Ayo! And that’s only half of the gold you’ll find in there.

I’ll have more news as we get this thing gets put together. I am planning on setting up some kind of thingy so y’all can order it online

Ashley Brooke Toussant

I’ve also been trying to get out more. A while ago at the market there was this little singer busking, singing Melanie’s “Brand New Key” (which I love because I used to not drive and also for that line “some might say I’ve done all right for a girl!”). I picked up her CD and then a couple weeks later she was playing there again. She told me she was playing in Tremont in a little bit, so the other night I went to the wonderful Visible Voice bookstore and saw Ashley Brooke Toussant and her band put on a great show. These guys are playing the Beachland Tavern on the 28th and I highly recommend you Cleveland folks to check it out!

In other Cleveland news, one of the RAs from my dorm at CIA first year is one of the best designers on this season of Project Runway! Although admittedly, she was the one RA I didn’t develop a friendship with, Valerie Mayen is reppin’ Cleveland something fierce. The other week I went to a viewing party on the West Side that Val threw. I hope to be able to go to the next one. Needless to say, I’m def rooting for her and voting her fan favorite.

And Finally, For Liz

Lizzy Berry has been asking me to post process images and examples from my sketchbook. I’ve recently been making more of an effort to draw in them (I usually write out stuff). It’s hard to put this up when Brandon Graham has the greatest livejournal in the world, but I guess if I can tell Liz to believe in herself, I can take my own advice. So, here’s a string of scans from my recent sketchbooks.

these pages are from my newest sketchbook. The bald chick is the lead singer from The Emperors of New Skete, who will appear in an upcoming chapter of Spoilers. Trying to get used to drawing her.

I like that crazy dude on top. I was trying to loosen up with those fellas.

And here’s a page out of my Spoilers sketchbook. This is how I lay out all my chapters at first. Then I lay down rough approximations of the layouts on the full size paper, trying to figure out acual sizing proportions, whether transitions will work right. Then I finish up the pencils, ink, scan and fix up the rest in Photoshop.

Hope this is helpful for someone!

Talk to you cats later.