Supernaturally

What month is this? April, if only barely, right?

This latest poster series just won't let go. All the text is researched and written, and we've settled on a good deal of the art, I think. Now I'm waiting on the final okay of the design, text edits -- we're going to have to cut a couple of paragraphs from each of the posters, for space -- and one last photo shoot.

On top of that, I've gotten a couple of emails about more DVD covers. I shouldn't complain, I know, but I need to get cracking on a script and submissions.

Up there? That's the stuff I do for a living. And that's what I'm hip-deep in for the next few weeks -- though my current project is nowhere near as warm and fuzzy as "character" and "world religions."

Teen drug abuse, now that's uplifting.

But that's what will be consuming my time, at least through May 10. After that, I'm free to focus on comics, and finding an artist, and putting together pitches for publishers. Y'know, fun things.

* Yes, that's a Corey Hart lyric. I'm only mildly ashamed of that.

I've been kind of neglecting this place, huh? Between the new blog, free-lance projects and back problems -- from moving a way-too-large rabbit hutch, of all things -- I've been a little preoccupied, and not writing all that much.

The new Comic Foundry launched yesterday, featuring my Q&A with illustrator James Jean. It's a decent interview, I think, focusing on his Eisner and Harvey award-winning cover work on titles like Fables, Batgirl and Green Arrow. It's been a while since I've interviewed anyone, so I may be a little rusty. It'll be easier/better next time, I'm sure.

Other than that, I've become inexplicably fixated on contests of one sort or another. On Sunday evening, I decided to turn my attention to Tokyopop's Rising Stars of Manga competition. After racking my brain for ideas far too complex for the contest's 15- to 20-page parameters, I've decided to adapt the first chapter of my long-neglected suburban fantasy, Darkling Gloom. I'll have to remove some foreshadowing and a few secondary characters to whittle that first issue from the planned 26 pages or so, but I think it'll work pretty well.

In the back of my mind, I think I've always envisioned Darkling Gloom as manga, at least in terms of pacing and characterization. So maybe this'll be a harmonic convergence, of sorts.

And, hey, if I don't win RSoM, at least I'll have a handy 20-page pitch.

Comic Foundry is relaunching on April 3 as a monthly webzine chock-full of comics interviews, reviews and the like.

For the debut edition, I'll be contributing a lengthy Q&A with illustrator James Jean focusing on -- you guessed it -- his Eisner and Harvey award-winning cover work on books like Fables, Green Arrow and Batgirl.

In the interview, Jean discusses process, cover philosophy and the evolution of the Fables "look," among other things. Interesting stuff, if I do say so myself.

If that goes over well, the plan (I think) is for me to contribute regular pieces on cover artists and designers. We'll see.

The accompanying image is a discarded sketch for the cover of Fables #49.

Because I don't have nearly enough distractions, I've finally made good on a (half-joking) threat: I've started a blog devoted to comic-book cover art and design. It's called Comics, Covered, appropriately enough.

I've archived my cover-related entries there, and this afternoon I posted pieces on The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service Vol. 1 and Fables Vol. 7. This evening, I'll probably have something about the cover to American Virgin #1. (I really need to come up with a synonym for cover -- "jacket," maybe? -- otherwise, the repetition is likely to drive me insane.)

I don't have a detailed content plan yet, but Comics, Covered will be more than a place for me to write, "Gee, look at all the pretty pictures" every time a publisher releases solicitations. Oh, there'll undoubtedly be a little of that, particularly when I go on about my favorite artists. But I hope the blog will be something with substance, and include worthwhile discussion. Later, I'd like to add some interviews.

Eh, we'll see.

Plus, it'll free up this blog for me to write about other stuff, like my comics projects and The Sopranos and ... stuff. Y'know, stuff.

* But I'm not doing Dark, But Shining anymore, so it all evens out.

Those character-redesign memes that have been sweeping across the Internet -- remember Batgirl? -- now have a focal point. Today on his Mainstream Art blog, Dean Trippe directs us to Project Rooftop, which he stealthily launched last week with the likes of Chris Arrant, Eric Stephenson, Chris Pitzer and Joel Priddy.

According to the website's introduction: "Project Rooftop is where cartoonists and illustrators bring their costume design skills to task in tribute to the superheroes and villains we’ve grown up with. This site is intended to promote positive costume design as well as foster continued interest for these amazing characters."

I can definitely get behind that.

First up: a redesign of Iron Man, submitted by Bannister. In his review of the piece, Trippe notes, "I like how he’s kept the classic circle element on the hips, and the IM logo (a first for Iron Man?) on the chest is very stylish and has a corporate feel, which I think suits Tony Stark. The coolest thing about this design, in my opinion, is that with the light-up elements, it would be spookily recognizable even in total darkness."

Submission guidelines are posted, too. If I could draw worth a spit, I'd send something in. But, alas ...

Is it Saturday already? I hate it when the week passes me by like that -- without so much as a "hello," I might add.

Anyway, I finished my first DVD jacket and got started on the next two. They're a nice change of pace from doing poster series, and they provide a fun opportunity to play with type and color palettes. I enjoy designing educational posters, but they were beginning to feel a bit formulaic: eye-catching image, catchy headline, concise text. Repeat.

The next/current set promises to be a little different, though. It's a text-heavy informational series on drug abuse that I'm writing and designing.

This week also saw the arrival of my monthly comics shipment, which included, among other things, the source of the above panel: Mouse Guard #1, by David Petersen. I'd ordered it based on the strength of a preview at one of the comics news sites., and I'm so glad I did. It's shaping up to be my favorite of the 22 or so books in the shipment.

The premise is pretty simple: Three members of the Mouse Guard -- the regiment sworn to protect the mice territories -- are assigned to discover what happened to a grain merchant who disappeared between towns. They quickly learn his fate, but uncover a greater mystery that appears to set up the rest of the story arc.

Mouse Guard is beautifully illustrated, and manages to be charming without being precious. That's saying a lot for a book about anthropomorphic mice. (My only quibble -- and it's a minor one -- is with the lettering. I appreciate, and envy, that Petersen is a one-man creative team, but he could do with a good letterer.)

You can see previews of the first two issues at the link.

And, um, just so you know I haven't gone all soft and gushy over talking rodents, I also loved 100 Bullets: The Hard Way, which shows people getting maimed and killed by bear traps. So, there!

I'm hardcore like that.