Sometimes people ask me, I’d like to make comics what should I read? Well here is a start. A good library will carry one of these. Stay away from books that want you to trace characters or those that water down the creative process in how to make your manga character look battle damaged.

• Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud – An easy introductory read to learn about comics as a medium in general. Plus it’s a comic.

• Perspective for Comic Book Artist by David Chelsea – This is a little more advanced and yet a quick read. This technical book will show you how to make better use of your backgrounds. I works best if you practice the exercises as Cup does them.

• The Art of Comic Book Inking by Gary Martin – This is theory and techniques from some very accomplished inkers. Here you really get down to why inking is NOT tracing but rather rendering. You wouldn’t call penciling doodling would you?

• Drawing Words and Writing Pictures by Jessica Abel and Matt Madden – This massive book is everything a student needs, from tools to processes. It does take a while to read and I am still working my way through it.

We can try to deny it but it wouldn’t make a difference.

Nope.

Did you get one?

No, I did not. How about you?

I rather not talk about it.

Well, who’s is this?

If it’s not mine, I don’t want to know?

This is ridiculous! Why don’t we just walk away?

We are too good to be manipulated by such petty things.

Darn right girlfriend let’s book it.

You first.

No you first.

I know I’m spoiling the site with more than my usual two updates a week but I came across this image which I had reworked and submitted for the Upstate Artist Guild POW! Show.

I don’t get to do much color in the current comic but once that’s out I’m picking up where this left off. Hopefully traditional stuff like the Monstrosity Painting.

Any left over prints of this work will be for sale at the sites store before after I take them to MoCCA Fest in April

Yep the store made the cover of Art Material Retailers.

They sent us a really well thought out set of questions. A few photographs from awesome area artist Adam Furgang and now the world can see the store (as well as my unshaven crazy hair look).

Read the entire article by clicking on the image above or also this link.

Last weekend it was the Global Game Jam.

Folks all around the world get together to make individual games in 2 days.  I got to partake on this last year but alas I am busy making Monsters fight over rubble these days.

A group of folks I know made a most awesome game (which runs on PC only sorry) called The Sun Always Lies.

In it you are invisible and you can jump around, the rain is your friend and the sun is a liar. I won’t say anything else. Michael Kwan, Brian Shurtleff and Michael Campion.

It is certainly worth a look.