Idiocracy

I watched IDIOCRACY when it first came out and thought it was ok.  While I thought parts were funny, it felt over the top.  Lately, I've come to change my opinion.  

I'm not the kind of person that starts hating on something once it becomes popular.  Everybody hates Myspace now because everyone is on it.  I love Myspace because everyone is on.  It's help create a second income for me by letting more people know how to get their hands on my sketchbook, art, etc.  But there is a new thing happening that I can't figure out and it makes me believe that IDIOCRACY is here in a big way.

TWITTER.  Are you fucking kidding me.  People hang around on a site updating people on what they're doing.  Well, I guess that's the intent of the site, but it seems that it's becoming somewhat of a forum/chat room thing.  We've become so retarded that we've forgotten that we created things for that...FORUMS and CHAT ROOMS.  Are you fucking kidding me.  

I recently read about battle on twitter by fully grown men.  I'm paraphrasing here, but it read something like this:

manchild01:  You did stupid stuff, you are a stupid head!

iWouldKillmyselfifIcouldfindawebsitethatdiditforme69:  you are stupider head...burn!

manchild01:  Your head are totally more stupider than mine so burn that burnded face head.

iwouldkillmyselfificouldfindawebsitethatdiditforme69: Your head is the stupiderest head of all the stupidheads in the stupid world. 

manchild01: You are being so childish, I'm done with this

manchild01: oh yeah...you're a stupid head...bye.

Seriously, I wish that was far off but it's not.  I will state here, I will never be on Twitter.  I can't bring myself to swallow that pill.  No offense to those who choose to do it, I just don't quite understand it.

By the way, this is another piece done on my Cintiq.  Still loving the shit out of it.

s.

Oz Peek 2

Ok, so I thought I would give another very small preview of an Oz panel.  (And it was a reason to come on here and give a little bit of a rant)

[ok, let's simmer down now]

Ok, so I've deleted a new rant.

People who know me know that I might fly off about one subject or another from time to time.  While my concerns in my rant were very real,  I probably shouldn't run my mouth with out knowing everything.  We all know what assumptions make.  I let my anger for something that I wasn't directly involved in get the better of me, which I know better.  (I told you I shouldn't use this thing to bitch and moan.)

I've talked to the people involved it looks likes things are getting squared away.  In the future I'll do my best to not be such an asshole while talking about some things.

Testing, Testing, One, Two

I'm still playing around with this Cintiq....and I LOVE THIS THING.  It really is just amazing.  I thought that it would feel different and make me draw a little strange but it feels just as natural as anything.  In fact, in a lot of ways, it feels easier making drawing a little more effortless and fun.  There's not bearing down to get that last bit of lead to do what you want.  There's navigating around heavily erased, or drawn over areas creating insane amount of dirt and smudge all over the paper.  It's always clean, it's always bright and there is no eraser dust all over the place. 

Again, these are just quick warm up doodles.  The head shot is to test a program called Sketchbook Pro 2009.  I downloaded the trial version of this program and it's crazy how much like drawing with a pencil this is.  This program is perfect for drawing, but so far, not that great for the kind of inking I'd like to do.

The other is in painter.  Painter's pencil tool is very good as well, and because of the inking options in Painter, I may prefer this program to the other.  I'm not sure yet.  

And, I thought I would drop a little OZ Preview on you.  Just a tiny one to get you excited.  I'm having fun using the loosed inking style on this and after some back and forth and a few test pages from both of us, Jean-Francois Beaulieu has set a new bar for colors in my eyes.   I knew there was a reason this guy has been my right hand man for so long.  

What were you expecting

My new Cintiq has been staring me in the face since it arrived last week.  All I want to do is sit for hours and learn ever corner of it, but work has to come first.  Soon, learning the Cintiq and work will be the same but right now I'm about an inch away from finishing up the first issue of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.  

Keeping all this in mind, I still have doodled a little on it and FUCK....it's really cool.  I love it already and thought I would show you my first official sketch using the Cintiq.  It's not all fancy pants like most peoples kick ass work, it's truly a sketch.  Me testing the tablet and a Painter's ability to simulate ink. So, take this completely mediocre doodle and think to yourself....Skottie got a Cintiq and this is what he gives us.

More to come.

S.

P.S.  Thanks to everyone for listening to the Devil & Me.  The downloads have been amazingly high and we've been featured in the New and Notable of the Comedy section on Itunes.  Casey and I hope you're having as much fun listening as we are recording.

[update]  sorry, I deleted this rant.  I read it, and I just come off like a bitter old man and that is not cool.  Sorry for being dick.

3 for 1 Special

Ok, so I'm almost a week away from my last post and as you can see I've not posted my 3 pieces this week.  The road to hell is paved with best of intentions.  My road is paved like a mother fucker!!!!

I'm going to be gone for the weekend hanging out with buddies at Wizard World Chicago, so I'm throwing 3 pieces today to make up for it.  (and I'm getting my Cintiq today so I will be working on Oz and then playing with my new toy)

One is a quick digital sketch of a lion...maybe even cowardly.  One is a today's warm up of some some crazy looking little office manager lady.  I see her as the pant suit power lady that bosses everyone around.  And one was something I did as an experiment.  About a year ago I did this test  with photo tracing to show that it can be done in a organic way if you want to.  I'm not sure I would ever do a book like this, but it's fun to play with things.

I'll be at the Marvel Booth on Sat. in the afternoon.  Come by and say hi.

Shut My Mouth

I say I'll have an update one day and a week later I'm here.  The first issue of any project I do always keeps me tied up while I get comfortable with it.  Oz has been no exception.  It's taken little time to get used the material and find my footing, but I think I'm there now.  I'm have so much fun working on this book and think that it will be something special when it's all wrapped up.  Eric has spared no detail in the scripts!!  

Onto my drawing for the day.  I'm going to force myself to throw a warm up drawing here at least 3 days a week and stop these big gaps of not updating with art.  

Today's a hint of a project I'm working on.  Child Wars is in development  stages and will take awhile to put together but this something that has been in the fire for awhile.  I won't say a name, and I won't say a date, but it's all about fun.  That's it.  Fun.  I was writing this for another artist but I think he's a little busy with some other stuff (I had no loot to throw up front so who could blame him...no hard feelings brother, you're still amazing.)  I love his work and will get him involved with Child Wars, something a little smaller in scope.  

Jesus, what a fucking ramble I just went on.  Back on topic.  I will be drawing this myself now.  I'm going to be using my nights after drawing Oz to work on this.  I will be tired as hell but I'm tired of not having my own book out there.  Don't you hate us artists...we're all so full of shit.  We're always talking a big game about this project and that project and boo fuckign wooo, i have no time.  I'm tired of my own bullshit and ready to put pen to paper and get something out there.  I skipped conventions this past year to work on things and got a great start, but have slacked a little lately.  It's time for me to shut my mouth, put it on my own back, and start climbing the hill.  My goal is to have my Graphic Novel done by next summer.  And hopefully Child Wars will have made a dent as well.

So, here is my vague ass teaser sketch for a unnamed project with no release date.  How do you like that for informative. 

Ironman up for Auction on Ebay

The Auction ends Sunday, June 22.

CLICK HERE TO BID ON MARVEL ADVENTURES IRONMAN #9 ORIGINAL COVER ART

Audio Assault

Ok, I'm going to have an art update later today, even if it's a quick sketch.  Things have been getting back to normal now that I'm settled in the new place and than means work is back in full force.  I need to get back to my daily warm-ups though.

For now, got over to SIDEBAR and listen to my good friend Dwight and Swain chat with me on their show.  It's a 2 parter and pretty fun.  (I know, I'm a podcast whore!)

Thanks to everyone who downloaded the first few episodes of the Devil & Me.  We have almost 600 downloads of the first episode and the 2nd isn't far behind.  Thanks for all the support.