Nickelodeon Magazine #131: "The Comic Book" Cover

I loved doing illustrations and gag panels for Nickelodeon/Nick Magazine, and was always hoping that comics editor Chris Duffy would ask us to do the cover of the comics section. To me it felt like a big deal to get that gig. I never asked about it, because...well, I never really ask about these sorts of things, but that's a post for another time, and my hands won't stand for it today. Not that I stand on my hands. Or can stand on my hands. I can't stand my hands? 

Topic. 

Topic. 

Back on topic.

After a while I eventually got the call -- or e-mail -- about doing the comic cover. I was really excited. I pitched an idea, it was approved, and I penciled reeeeally slowly and I inked it reeeeealllllly slowly. Because I wanted it to be really good. I remember enjoying the work on this one, even though all the comic book covers were a bit of a pain to letter and draw. I like working "clean" like this -- open for color with solid lines, no texturing or crosshatching -- and for these jobs, and the stuff we did for Mad, I worked my cleanest outside of the Yo Gabba Gabba! animation stuff. 

And I'm still happy with the finished cover, especially as colored by Sarah. I felt bad selling this one, to be honest. I think it's really solid and different from my usual larger pieces and covers. It's solid cartooning. 

I inked the figures mostly with a Pitt brush pen, I think the title lettering was also done with that. I don't think I was using Tombows at this point, not for years later. So this would have been brush pen and rapidograph, with maybe some pen nib on details.  I would like to work more in this style. I really enjoyed the monster-shaped lettering in the title. 

The only thing I'd do differently on this piece would be to not have the top row of comics be so straight, I don't like all the boxiness in the piece, I could have broken it up my mussing the comic covers a bit, or having copies sticking out a little. That straight line cuts off the rest of the wall, I don't know enough about graphic design (or drawing) to articulate the issue I have with it other than it's "too straight" and 'dead". Maybe I should have drawn the title on the wall instead of as a poster, and lost those lines. I don't know. Maybe a designer would look at it disparagingly, but kids wouldn't notice anything, so, it is what it is. And was. 

Wait, there's a second thing. I'd also simplify the comic piles on the bottom, there's too much fussiness in the linework for the pages. I've never liked the way I draw books or magazines. I'm glad that the printed cover cut off most of that stuff. 

I like "Horrible Girl and Boy Stories", though. That should be a real comic. "Kiddie Fear" and "Weird Teenager Comics" are pretty good, too. If I do say so myself. Which I do. Or did.

Speaking of 'did" (?), we did one more cover for the comics section a few years later, which I have to find the tear sheet or issue it appeared in to be able to scan it in color. It was a 3D cover -- I think Ray Zone did the 3D work for the section -- and I still have all the original art for it. I'll see what there is to see. 

More to see soon.