Practice Makes Perfect

One of my goals after finishing The Red Stiletto is to learn to draw more naturally. The sketches below, based on some of my favorite musicians and albums, are a small step in that direction. Although I still used photos as references, none of these sketches were traced as I'm trying to rely less on the pictures to guide my hand. They're presented in the order I drew them and I think (I hope) show some improvement.

Review #3

Kevin over at Optical Sloth has posted a review of The Red Stiletto (as well as Starfish, an early mini that was intended to be developed into a four issue mini-series, but never quite got off the ground). Check it out!

Review #2

Rob Clough has posted a review of Red Stiletto over at his blog, High-Low, along with several other mini-comics. Scroll down a little bit and check it out!

Lessons of an Amateur Cartoonist

Now that I've finished my first comic, I wanted to reflect a little on the experience. Here are some of the more interesting thoughts and lessons that occurred to me along the way, culled from my notebooks over the last year, and presented in no particular order:

1. Comics are incredibly labor-intensive. I already knew this to an extent, but I now understand it on a whole new level. Chris Ware's infamous description of comics as "life-eating exercise" resonates with me in a whole new way.
2. Knowing that most readers will only spend a few seconds per panel, despite the hours devoted to perfecting each image, can be demoralizing, but I suspect that most comic artists are, to some degree, perfectionists and just can't help themselves.
3. Every single line on the page represents a conscious decision by the artist. Every single one! No reader (or critic), no matter how diligent, can ever appreciate the thought that goes into each panel.
4. Many of the lines that are NOT drawn are also conscious decisions.
5. It's sometimes hard to know when you're finished with a particular image.
6. How and when to vary the weight of each line (i.e. the pressure applied with the pen to alter line thickness) is also a conscious decision, and this has a tremendous impact on how the finished product looks. I know this is common knowledge, but actually applying it myself gave me a whole new appreciation for the importance and difficulty of this subtle artistic technique.
7. Maintaining perspective (keeping all of the objects and figures in the panel in proportionate size to each other) is much harder than it looks.
8. Hatching evenly and consistently is also much harder and more time-consuming than it looks. I love hatching, but I have a whole new appreciation for artists like Frank Miller (go back and look at Ronin!), Karl Stevens, John Hankiewicz, etc.
9. Contrary to my preconception, inking is much harder than penciling. However, inking is also far more rewarding than penciling. The permanence of ink is unforgiving (though Photoshop allows some flexibility) and merely tracing over pencil lines doesn't cut it. Inking is fleshing out shapes and shadows and adding texture and tone. I know I have a lot still to learn about inking, but doing this comic gave me a whole new appreciation for the critical role inkers play in the creative process.
10. The great artists make it look easy, but that doesn't mean it is. As Jaime Hernandez once said, “There’s a lot of work and thought and all this agony and pain that turns into that one perfect little line.”
11. Drawing comics is hard on the body. It strains the eyes, hunches the back, and cramps the hand.
12. There are literally hundreds of different types of inking pens and brushes available, and the choices that artists make greatly impact the look and feel of the finished panel. Not only does the weight and fluidity of the line itself depend on this choice, but also the combination of pens used in tandem with each other, to emphasize certain details, relegate others, snap objects to the fore, etc. - all of these are subtle effects that play into the readers’ experience of the image, but that most, if not all critics, myself included, are largely ignorant of. And, of course, the discussion of tools only grows more complex when considering colors and shading. Many people have written extensively about these types of decisions, but all of this is to say that, in creating my own comic, I became acutely aware of the way choosing the right pens can have a dramatic impact on the finished product.
13. Proper tools also make life much easier. I really could have used a drawing table (I drew Stiletto seated on a pillow hunched over a coffee table), a desk lamp, a French curve, a clear ruler, oversized Bristol paper (Stiletto was penciled and inked on regular laser paper), more varied types of pencils and pens, brushes, etc.
14. Hand lettering is a good way to avoid typos (in the end, I opted against hand lettering for fear that it was too messy and hard to read, but I did attempt it).
15. Asking your wife to pose for 200+ reference photos can be hazardous to your marriage.
16. Despite what I've read online in a few places, I think using reference photos is perfectly acceptable (Norman Rockwell did it; Crumb too). It's just one of many artistic choices and can add to the realism of the scene. Tracing photos, as I did for several of the panels in Stiletto is, admittedly, a crutch, but can still be a valid tool to tell stories visually. However, in my case, I think I over-relied on the photos to the detriment of the images. In a few places, the art feels flat and lifeless to me.
17. There is a huge difference between drawing with the wrist and drawing from the shoulder. I have no idea how to do the latter.
18. The difference in the creative pace of writing vs. drawing is staggering. Writing is a quick and prolonged rush of creative energy, where illustrating is a slow, tedious grind. In fact, I think it’s difficult for writers to grasp just how slow a process it is, and how much attention and focus is required. In making The Red Stiletto, it was not unusual to spend anywhere from 1-3 hours penciling and another 1-3 hours inking a single panel. Reconciling the two disciplines was perhaps the greatest struggle I had with Stiletto. Forcing myself to slow down and take my time on each image was indescribably difficult, though I did manage to get into a rhythm toward the end. Generally, the slower I draw, the more precise and controlled my line is, yet the writer in me gets impatient and is always whispering somewhere in the back of mind to move quickly.
19. Music is essential to the artistic process. Creating comics in silence, for me, is nearly impossible, and TV is far too distracting (though baseball games were good). Music focuses my attention, relaxes me mentally, and carries me through long stretches of work. Much of Stiletto was drawn listening to Tom Waits, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan and Patty Griffin.

Throughout the creation of The Red Stiletto, I constantly reminded myself that regardless of what anybody thought of the final product, there was value in the journey itself because it would give me an inside appreciation for the cartoonist's craft. By creating my own comic, I hoped, if nothing else, I would become a better writer about comics. A lot of these “lessons” may be laughable to established professionals, but to me, these were valuable things I needed to learn.

In that sense, I’m happy with the end result.

Review #1

Death Ray Weekly has the first review of The Red Stiletto posted.  Check it out!

MoCCA 2009

You might have heard it was hot...

I barely noticed.

I was having way too much fun catching up with several creators and other industry types I've met over the years, and was also trying to hand out as many copies of my own mini-comic, The Red Stiletto, as possible.

Sadly, I missed my opportunity to pick up David Mazzucchelli's book, as Pantheon sold out pretty quickly, but I did get plenty of other great comics to keep me going for months.

Here's what I got:

It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken - I already own the individual issues of Palookaville that this story was reprinted from (#s 4-9), but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get a sketch from Seth (who I found to be incredibly friendly and likable in our brief convesation) Why didn't I buy George Sprott instead? Too big to carry around.

Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow? - If Asterios Polyp was the buzz book of the show, a strong case could be made for this book as a runner up. Brian Fies second book from Abrams ComicArts (the follow-up to the Eisner-winning Mom's Cancer) is a visual smorgasbord of various styles and storytelling techniques. The story (which I haven't read yet) apparently focuses on Fies relationship with his father. I can't wait to read this one.

Zen Ties - I actually justified getting this beautifully painted children's book by Jon J. Muth as a gift for my son, and while I do expect he'll enjoy it when he's old enough, I admit I really wanted it for myself. It's a sweet little story about bridging the gap between elderly and youth, and finding common ground in even the most strained relationships. Oh, and it's also jaw-droppingly gorgeous!

Swallow Me Whole - I had been considering getting this book for a while and after meeting Nate Powell and trading some minis (Cakewalk is fantastic!), I decided I had to have this book.

The Ice Wanderer and Other Stories - I wasn't really planning on buying this collection of Jiro Taniguchi's adaptations of Jack London's short nature stories, but Steve at the Fanfare Ponent Mon booth put on the hard sell and the book itself is so strikingly rich in visual detail, I couldn't resist (the discount also didn't hurt).

Syncopated Volume 4 - I'm a huge fan of Brendan Burford's three previous non-fiction comics anthologies, so I was definitely looking forward to picking up this fourth volume, the longest and most impressive to date (as well as the first published through Villard Books, an imprint of Random House). I'm already more than halfway through it and have learned how and why to bail hay (thanks to Nick Bertozzi) and the history of collecting postcards (thanks to Rina Piccolo). The standout piece, however, is Alex Holden's "West Side Improvements," a retelling of the history of mural paintings in the underground railroad tunnels underneath Riverside park on the west side of Manhattan. Holden's meticulous and comprehensive research of these fascinating events is unforgettable, and this piece is worth the price of the book alone. Of course, I'm still not finished, but this is sure to be one of my favorite books of the year and Brendan was also kind enough to do a great little sketch for me.

The First and Second Books of Hope - These were total impulse buys. Bries, the Dutch art comix publisher who always displays some of the most gorgeous looking books year after year, finally won me over with these two English language editions by Tommi Musturi. I haven't a clue what they're about yet, but the colors and artwork are amazing.

Uptight #3 - I was trying to avoid buying any Fanta books since I can get them for cheaper at Midtown, but who can resist new Jordan Crane? Plus, this might be one of the best covers ever to grace a comic book.

That's it for the indie-mainstream books I bought, but like everyone, I also picked up a ton of great-looking mini-comics, mostly through trades, including (in no particular order):

• Pope Hats #1 by Ethan Rilly
• Casual Comics #1-2 & Walking Through Red Hook by Paul Hoppe
• Morning E-mails by G.B. Tran
• Long Tail Kitty by Lark Pien
• Bowl & Opal by Conor Hughes - a truly amazing artist who I'm collaborating with on another project as I write.
• The Tiny Little Tale of Spaceboy Sam by Patricia Burgess - a great little children's fable about following one's dreams.
• The Last and Gzorg Is Free by Dan Mazur - Highly recommended!
• Cake Walk/Bets Are Off - a good, old-fashioned flipbook by Nate Powell and Rachel Bormann
• Fantastic Life #1-2 by Kevin Mutch
• Cragmore Book One by Pat Lewis
• Geraniums and Bacon #5 by Cathy Leamy
• Chrome Fetus Comics #5-7 by Hans Rickheit
• Real Bad #1 by Conner Willumsen
• Satisfactory Comics VIII by Isaac Cates and Mike Wenthe - this is actually a set of 10 postcards that tell a sequential tale.
• Snake Oil #1 by Charles Forsman
• Freddy by Melissa Mendes (+ another untitled mini)
• Freewheel #1-2 by Liz Baille
• Let's Do This #1 & 4 by Jeremy Arambulo
• Your Disease Spread Quick by Tom Neely - based on the music of The Melvins
• Hickee #4 by Various
• Mauled #1 by Various
• Gotcha! #1-2 by Pete Friedrich
• Cartoon Dialectics vol. 1 by Tom Kaczynski
• Tear-Stained Makeup #7 and Carl's Large Story #4 by Marcos Perez
• 21st Century Depression Comics #1-2 by Justin Fox
• I Dreamed of You and Mr. Eybyaninch Books 1 & 2 also by Justin Fox
• Reich #5-6 by Elijah Brubaker
• Windy Corner Magazine #2 by Various (edited by Austin English)
• Pinokio #1-2 by Kurt Wolfgang - according to the artist, this is eventually going to be a silent adaptation of the classic children's story.
• Counter Attack #1-2 by Alisa Harris
• Melt Me Comics by Nick Sumida
• Fubar #1-2 by Colin Walton
• The Trial of Sweetie Snake by Steve Seck
• Red Sparrow by Steve Fuentes
• So...Buttons by Jonathan Baylis
• Teatime Part 2 by Stef Lenk
• Dumb Jersey White Boy #4 by Mark McMurray
• Two Pages, Two Comics, One Abstraction: Selections by Derik Badman
• Infandum! #3 by Molly Lawless
• Bury Me Knot by Luisa Fox
• Free Student Anthologies (Inkstains and The Bad and the Beautiful) from the School of Visual Arts
• Free Comic Book Day offerings from NBM, Fantagraphics, DC Vertigo, Adhouse Books and Sparkplug Comics (Bird Hurdler)

I didn't spend nearly as much as it seems like, since I did so much trading, but I still blew my comics budget for the summer. My thanks to everyone who was kind enough to trade with me, and I hope to add links and other comments as I work my way through everything.

That's about it. Despite the heat, it was a truly great show.

Update

Well, this is it!  The Red Stiletto is finished and going to press (i.e. Kinkos) today.  If you are planning to attend MoCCA and would like a copy, please find me and ask for one (sorry, I don't have a table this year).  If you don't know me or can't attend MoCCA, e-mail me and I'll be happy to send you a copy (for $4.00 plus shipping).  I'm also going to setup a Paypal link on this site very soon so you can purchase one that way if you prefer.