Black Snow Comics

Black Snow: Two Drink Minimum page 34

This is kind of an interesting page, because I played with a couple page elements. While I think my drawing has obviously improved since working on Two Drink Minimum I think that my page layouts were actually more creative in the original comic book series. So far things in TDM have been laid out in a pretty straight forward manner, and I intend to start varying things more.

I didn’t actually think that when I started this page, it just happened to be written in a more interesting way than usual. That series of panels in the middle of the page is something that I haven’t done a lot of, really emphasizing the passage of time over the course of a single dialogue. Time is the one element that people have always struggled with in comics, and there’s been a number of creative solutions.

The ability to demonstrate time is really the biggest difference between comics and movies, which you may recall I got my degree in. Go back and look at my old drawings in the comic books, especially starting with Issue 2, and you’ll see I really did try a lot of things, some of which were even successful.

Here I think it is a pretty cool thing to see Lightning Lad’s disappointment to his treatment by Black Snow and his dismissal by being largely ignored. It is meant to represent not just this moment, but the larger relationship between he and Black Snow, and his dad. You may also notice how Black Snow lights up here, as he and Lightning Man are old friends. An example of more background and substance this time around.

The other thing here is a pretty stark scene transition. Previously I usually labeled my scene switches telling the reader exactly where they were and if any time had passed. You know the whole “Meanwhile, across town at the Police Station” kind of thing. To me it is a classic comic thing, and I thought it was something fun to play with.

Well, classic can also mean outdated. I recently read How to Draw and Sell Comics: Third Edition, and really gained a lot from it. I’ve read a lot of these type of books on the subject, but I genuinely consider this to be the best. Hell, I finally learned an easy way to solve the space between the color fill and black line after all these years! But the more relevant thing I read about was the art of scene transitions, which I honestly had not spent a lot of thought on previously.

The book used Alan Moore as an example of someone who revolutionized things by brilliant connecting all his scenes in interesting ways. Of course those are lofty expectations to meet, and I doubt we could ever come close to matching that, but we can do better than straight forward. I intend to talk with Alex about this, since a lot of it rests on the writer. But I’ll do what I can, like being selective on when I do and don’t overtly label the transitions with a location or time.

I also want to point out a happy coincidence here. Black Snow talking about names followed by Kurt and Mary talking about Black Snow’s name. A bit of a cool transition there. And I know it was a coincidence because I was with Alex when he wrote it. Unless he thought about it and didn’t say anything to me, I guess. Still, accident or not, it’s a start. And I know Alex has some other funny ones planned based on juxtaposition, which I guess we’ve done a little of before, mostly in the previously mentioned original comic books.

Also just notice the stark difference in location from the dark terrible apartment to the bright and sanitary office. I think we are fairly good at that sort of thing, rapid shifts in tone.

I’ll leave you with my favorite and most memorable scene transition that we’ve done, and I don’t think it was written this way but just something I thought of at the time. It is page 21 of Issue 3, and I’m referring to the middle sequence and the overlap of Angel’s bold dialogue on Black Snow and Lightning Lad sitting on the couch wasting times like idiots. Enjoy.

My Favorite Scene Transition

Detroit Mock City: KISS the rules goodbye

If you’ve been following on Facebook or Twitter, and now Google Plus, then you’ve caught wind of our new comic strip, Detroit Mock City.

Does this have anything to do with the movie or KISS song, Detroit Rock City? NOOOOO!!! Not beyond the very clever (I thought of it) pun name. Not that the movie and song suck…We don’t mean to offend the KISS Army.

So what is it? It’s an all NEW comic strip we’ve created for the Cartoonist Studio contest. I’m not supposed to show you any of the strips (there are 3 finished, and will be 10 total in the contest), because I’ve gotta save those for the contest, which begins on February 6th and will reveal a strip a week. Don’t forget to come back and vote!

What I can do is tell you about the strip and show you my character sketch sheet for the main character.

The Premise: Detroit is a city in ruins struggling to rebuild itself and its negative image. Our happy homeless tour guide takes us through this once great metropolis and educates us on some of the more interesting facts about the Motor City.

Homeless Hap: The Main Character

The Character: Homeless Hap, a good-natured homeless man who lives in Detroit and always manages to see the bright side of even the darkest facts of life.

So this is something pretty different for us at Black Snow Comics. I’ve never done a traditional character sheet like that before, but it was pretty fun and helpful. I wanted to go with a really classic, lovable, sweet hobo type, versus a gross real world bum. My Disney version of a street dweller, if you will. I wanted him to be a nice stark contrast to the harsh realities of life in Detroit.

This whole thing came about very quickly. I emailed Alex about the contest (which I had wanted to enter since I just missed the deadline last year), he said he was in, the next day we got some Mexican food for lunch and talked over a number of ideas, I mentioned a thought I had about a bum with a skewed view of Detroit, and he loved it. After lunch we went to a Starbucks (where all real writers write) in a Barnes and Nobles no less, and we wrote the first five strips. Then I went home and drew this character sketch within a matter of hours.

Over the next 3 days I drew the first 3 strips. I have the next 2 ready to bust out. And I’m having a ton of fun. It’s a totally different art style then anything I’ve done before (you may be shocked when you actually see it. Hell, I was!). And don’t think you can judge it by just the character sketch, because it’s really quite different and striking.

It’s a very classic daily newspaper style comic strip (though a very original one), which is something I’ve always wanted to do. In fact that was what I wanted to do growing up. So I’m kind of living a life long dream!

Check back in February to see the strip and help us win the contest!

Black Snow: Two Dink Minimum page 33

I had almost forgotten that I didn’t write about this page, then I was considering doing it combined with the next page. Then I thought “Why do I write about every damn thing I draw?” I guess people must find it interesting, because they read it.

So, I’ll say a little about this page. Drawing-wise, the toughest part was coming up with the right bedroom for Black Snow. I looked at literally thousands of reference photos before deciding on this one. You may notice in the background the taped up sheets over the windows, so no light gets in. Always a sign of class, letting you know you’re dealing with high cultured people. Also the air mattress propped against the wall, adding to the overall tacky and impermanent feel of it all.

Oh, Black Snow looks like he is too big for his short bed, further hinting at his poorness, and necessity versus luxury. Added to that is the clutter of some random trinkets, beer bottles and cans spread throughout what is a relatively sparse bedroom, and hopefully I’ve created the feeling I was going for. Kind of an alcoholic, college-esque, pathetic little bachelor pad.

I also wanted to mess up Black Snow’s costume just a bit, to remind us all it is indeed just clothes and a man wearing them. And a drunk too intoxicated to change before passing out. In a related note I stripped Lightning Lad of most of his costume for similar reasons. It also just made sense that he wouldn’t just sit around wearing it at “home” in “private”. This isn’t the silly costume always on world of I’m Famous! Plus, I wanted to stress that he isn’t really “Lightning Lad” at this moment, just a son speaking to his dad.

I mentioned a few posts back that we’ve never really built up sidekicks, we mostly kept them as one dimensional jokes. Not this time around. Lightning Lad has larger things in store for him, as does his father. We mentioned Lightning Man earlier in the story, and we had mentioned him in the original comic book, always with a plan to eventually show him. But we’ve come up with something much better than that old plan, and I think people are really going to be into it.

We really wanted to add some dimensions and depth to the story, and have the wonderful luxury of knowing exactly where things are headed from the start, so we can hint at things and plant seeds early on for big payoff later.

So don’t write off Lightning Lad this time around, as I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by where his story will lead.

Hello and welcome another page of I’m Famous in Japan!

I *had* a good system in place a while ago to get one of these pages out at roughly the same rate as Back Office pages, but the time I’ve needed for that has been in short supply lately. I’m going to be bringing a stricter drawing schedule in the new year, and with any luck more regular I’m Famous in Japan pages.

So this time round, we’re visiting a sushi restaurant. Yet again, I’m trying out one of Manga Studio’s building models to depict the restaurant. Usually in a professional Manga setup, you’d have at least one other person to take on the backgrounds, and I suppose I could just do the line-work here myself (I think these are mostly traced street photos), but with little time to play with I went with preloaded buildings for I’m Famous in Japan!

Later on, I hope to do some more of the building work myself (some interesting stuff to draw in Tokyo). We’re now fast approaching one of my favorite pages in the script. I hope you won’t have to wait too long to see it!

-RAWR

It is I, the Lone Wolf, and I command you all to buy my book, I’m Famous!

It is all about ME, so you know it is of the highest quality. Or so I am told. I have no time for reading. Because I am not of the nerd like you filthy jack-a-ninny peasants reading this, right now.

You probably wear glasses and have the wrinkles from all your withdrawn bookworm antics. Sitting alone reading by candlelight? What folly! Get a life, dorks!

Well, my indolent little chum, put that geek time to good use by reading something of worth. The book entitled I’m Famous! Which stares me. And some other petulant coattail riders…I think.

But mostly me. And my Hollywood elite brethren.

It is a glimpse into glory, surely the closest you’ll ever come to actually experiencing such euphoria in your hollow little life.

Oh, and there is a ghost! That is very important. Possibly multiple ghosts! I know how you kids love your spirits and phantoms.

Why are you still here? I hath commanded upon high for you to buy mine book, sit by the mail delivery reciprocal, then read the tome upon its triumphant revival. NOW!

Buy my book. It is better than this one.

This message was approved by the committee to elect Herman Cain, and will self destruct in ten seconds.