Cut Above

Bubblicious from Rex The Dog on Vimeo.

I made several imporant internet discoveries this past week: the ultra funny, but sadly recently dormant Pandyland, and the excellent and delicious Cooking Comically by Tyler Capps.

Here is an, as usual, outstanding comic by Jordyn Bochon.

Now here is a reminder to go help her out with her first printing of The Terrible Death of Finnegan Strappe!

Meet The Rabbids - Mini Serie episode 1 - Rabbids Go Home from AKAMA on Vimeo.

I've been dl'ing the crap out of some old comics such as: Man-Thing and Daredevil. It was all precipitated by a random article I read about Steve Gerber. I think it also had to do with me reading the Marvel Max series Foolkiller. I remember when I was a kid Marvel used to put out these Marvel Universe guides, they would run through the alphabet of character names, and list their stats including first and last (if applicable) appearances. My brother and I had a few of these, including the guide to dead Marvel Universe characters. I was filled with wonderment at the morbidity of these guides, the fact that somebody had to devise a way for these characters to die, and then, yet again, somebody had to write something of an obituary for them. Usually there were a few panels displaying the character in action, as well as their particular death scene. Wow. There was something sinister and gruesome about these things, that has stayed with me til now, and reading these Marvel Max stories reminds me a lot of them.

I had this idea to start giving myself art assignments. I basically want to make a list of things I am really bad at, or struggle with, or avoid all together and coach myself into breaking the barriers I've built up all these years. For instance, the first proposed assignment is to draw environments, with no figures. I have to do a little research into landscape painters, and background designers for cell animation--basically anything that could be a good influence or reference. Then I have to figure out methods of developing these environments both on a technical and conceptual level. I think I want to start simple, and as the weeks go on revisit old assignments with added emphasis. For instance, maybe the first week will be all monochromatic, and the first revisit will be color, and the third emphasize texture, or light source. I know, what I am suggesting is basically a poor man's art school, and since I couldn't afford to go back to school, this will pretty much be my last ditch effort at actually beginning a career in art.

Here's some sketches

Back to Basics - Behind the scene from Zim and Zou on Vimeo.

More pictures at : http://www.behance.net/gallery/Back-to-Basics/1712617