Hey everyone, I've been a little under the weather for about a week, hence the lack of a commentary last week. I completely blanked on it. I'm still on the mend, though I am feeling significantly better.
Anyway, I've been feeling kind of down for some unrelated reasons, and just wanted to share this old commission, because it's always put a smile on my face. I hope you like it.
Talk to you again soon.
-Yale
2022-05-18 19:45:22 +0000 UTC View Post
Well, I think this is finished.
Let me tell ya, coloring campfires is hard. GLAD I SET AN ENTIRE NEW PROJECT IN A WORLD WHERE THEY'LL BE PREVALENT.
Anyway, as the title suggests, this is the back cover for the first issue of Forward, The Horizon, which is still a decent ways from being complete, but I'm hoping to have finished some time this year. In my defense, it is a long first issue, but I wish it were coming together quicker. I really appreciate everyone who...
2022-05-10 18:41:40 +0000 UTC View Post
JL8 #25 by Yale Stewart
Originally published on March 19th, 2012
So the running gag here is that I hate my lettering, apparently, because this is another one that has me groaning, but I won't spend much time on that.
I love this strip, and it's interesting because it's not one that I think about a ton. To be fair, I don't think about many strips SUPER often, but there are some that clearly standout in my mind when I think back on the body of...
2022-05-06 21:31:22 +0000 UTC View Post
This is miles away from completion, but I managed to make some solid progress on coloring the back cover for Forward, The Horizon #1 today and felt like sharing!
I'll be posting the next JL8 commentary tomorrow. Thanks for your patience!
-Yale
2022-05-06 00:47:05 +0000 UTC View Post
I've been kind of reeling today, so as a pick-me-up, I decided to color this old commission I've always been rather fond of. Hopefully it brings a smile to someone.
Love to you all.
-Yale
2022-05-03 18:59:50 +0000 UTC View Post
JL8 #24 by Yale Stewart
Originally published on March 15th, 2012
Ah yes, "nobody robs a nana."
This was a strip I was always pretty happy with, at least from a writing/gag standpoint. The lettering in panel one still makes me cringe, but I like the little conversation, culminating in a quip about Barry's inability to "walk" anywhere. The "nobody robs a nana" bit seemed to resonate with the readership, and I think it's still pretty funny. May...
2022-04-28 20:09:00 +0000 UTC View Post
JL8 #23 by Yale Stewart
Originally published on March 12th, 2012
As promised, a second strip this week to make up for my absence last Thursday/Friday.
I'm not really sure where to begin with this one. The lettering is...not great. The perspective in panel one is...oof.
But, the joke is funny, and managed to get a retweet from Scott Snyder, which was huge. Shortly after, JL8 would get a write-up in iO9 and we'd be off to the races.
<... 2022-04-22 20:03:03 +0000 UTC View Post
JL8 #22 by Yale Stewart
Originally published on March 8th, 2012
Alright, taxes are done, so back to the commentary.
I honestly have no idea how commonly marbles are played anymore--even I never really played them as a kid--but they make for a great gag when you've got a character who famously has spherical smoke bombs. This is actually the first instance of playing Batman's gear for laughs, and I think it's a rather clever one.
Most of...
2022-04-21 22:28:31 +0000 UTC View PostSorry, everyone! I'm scrambling to get all my tax stuff finished and don't have time to do a creator commentary this week, but I'll make up for it with two next week, as well as some commissions I've recently finished and am excited to post!
Every year I say I'm gonna be better about timing my taxes and every year...
-Yale
2022-04-15 23:58:53 +0000 UTC View Post
JL8 #21 by Yale Stewart
Originally published on March 5th, 2012
Recess. A rather appropriate subject given today is Friday and (hopefully) we're all heading into a free and relaxing weekend. I know I certainly need one.
It's been a little bit, but J'onn finally gets some screen time again. Instead of him being unfamiliar with Earth customs, this time his familiarity leads to "disastrous" results, which I thought was a fun twist.
I'm no...
2022-04-08 19:48:19 +0000 UTC View Post
Happy Opening Day to all my fellow baseball fans! I've decided to celebrate by releasing this brand new print, paying loving homage to Superman #60's cover by the great Al Plastino, featuring Batman in place of the generic ballplayer from the original! This print measures 11.5"x15.5" and costs $15, and will be available in my store until Monday.
Please note! If you're at the $20 Patron tier, you'll...
2022-04-07 18:31:17 +0000 UTC View Post
JL8 #20 by Yale Stewart
Originally published on March 2nd, 2012
First off, apologies for missing last week's installment. I got caught up with some other stuff and it completely slipped my mind.
I love the simplicity of this strip. It gets the point across nice and cleanly.
In panel one, I do like how straightforward the shot is: Mr. Schwartz holding the door as the kids re-enter the classroom. That's really the whole point of this ins...
2022-03-31 19:35:39 +0000 UTC View Post
JL8 #19 by Yale Stewart
Originally published on February 28th, 2012
I still love the gag of this one, but MAN do I wish I could redraw it.
I think the drawings of Darkseid work pretty well--I love that I gave him a bit of a tushy because come on, that's funny--but there are a number of other things I'd change.
I think the first panel assumes too much from the readership; it only really works if you've been following the series. You can...
2022-03-17 21:30:00 +0000 UTC View PostHey everyone! I hope you're all doing well. I just wanted to touch base to let you all know a bit about what's going on.
Unfortunately, Ashley's been sick for a few weeks. Thankfully, it's not COVID (she's been tested multiple different times, all negative) but it's been pretty persistent. Generally she does pretty well, but some days she needs a lot of help, and it's been throwing a wrench into my work schedule.
On top of that, St. Louis had a few weeks with pretty bad ice ...
2022-03-11 21:51:39 +0000 UTC View Post
JL8 #18 by Yale Stewart
Originally published on February 23rd, 2012
Man, nice little streak of hits I've got going here.
I can't 100% recall how "Gym Coach Darkseid" popped into my head, but I do know that the minute I thought of it, I knew it'd be going into the strip. It's just too good an idea to pass up.
While his outfit is fairly vintage-gym-coach-generic, it's actually directly inspired by the coaches in "Dazed And Confused." The...
2022-03-11 21:42:49 +0000 UTC View Post
JL8 #17 by Yale Stewart
Originally published on February 20th, 2012
Still holds up.
This was just one of those ideas that came from lived experience and I thought would resonate with a lot of people. When I was young, my friends and I would do this exact thing as we traversed the halls of our school, and I can't imagine we were the only ones, and it's pretty clear I was correct, as I always get comments from folks saying they did the same th...
2022-03-04 00:03:10 +0000 UTC View PostHey everyone!
I'm very sorry that it's taken longer than anticipated to get the Patron rewards shipped out. We've had a few consecutive weeks of bad weather here in St. Louis, and business closures have got everyone decently behind schedule. I'm hoping to have the prints in hand by the end of this week or possibly early next week, and getting them sent out within a day or two of receiving them. Thank you so much for your patience!
Also, this update applies only to the $10+ Patrons...
2022-02-28 20:41:36 +0000 UTC View Post
JL8 #16 by Yale Stewart
Originally published on February 16th, 2012
Diana don't take no guff.
There's really not much to say on this one, but it still gives me a chuckle, and I'm still pretty happy with it.
One thing I always try to do is throw in a little "B-story" if I can. Like in this strip, I have Hal quickly escorting J'onn away from the situation because he knows the direction it's heading. It would've been pretty easy to just h...
2022-02-25 01:02:44 +0000 UTC View Post
JL8 #15 by Yale Stewart
Originally published on February 13th, 2012
This is probably the second (by which I mean chronological) JL8 to really take off. Looking at it on Tumblr, the preceding installments averaged about 600 engagements, where this one got nearly 3,000. It was pretty exciting.
Personally, I love stuff like this: characterization without any dialogue whatsoever. It'd be really easy to just give each character a generic book lea...
2022-02-17 22:58:27 +0000 UTC View Post
JL8 #14 by Yale Stewart
Originally published on February 9th, 2012
I love this one.
There's nothing SUPER exceptional about it, I don't think. I just still find it really funny.
I suppose it's worth pointing out that this is the first time Bruce pulls anything out of the utility belt. While it's not an incredibly common occurrence, I like playing around with expectations of it, most notably in...JL8 #138? #140? Somewhere around t...
2022-02-11 22:56:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Today's the day! Two new prints are now available in my shop, but only until February 13th, so get them while you can!
"Ca't Red Handed," 11"x17", $20
"Star-Crossing Lovers," 9"x12", $10
And remember, if you're a $10+ Patron, you'll be receiving copies of each for free! Technically, the free prints are for the $20+ category but since I forgot and have been pushing the $10 category, I'm ...
2022-02-04 20:13:37 +0000 UTC View Post
JL8 #13 by Yale Stewart
Originally published on February 6th, 2012
It is WILD to me that this is Diana's first full appearance (by which I mean we see her and she actively participates in the narrative). I'm also kind of embarrassed by it, that it took so long, but I like to think I've made up for it since.
I do like how even though Diana is framed as a "love interest" here, it's entirely through Clark's lens in a pseudo-(500) Days of Summer...
2022-02-03 16:33:20 +0000 UTC View Post
Chamber, from Generation X
I should really pace these out, but I just finished this one and felt like sharing. Not planning to make this one into a print--a little too esoteric--but thought some of you might like to see it!
-Yale
2022-02-03 00:30:23 +0000 UTC View Post
Hal Jordan + Carol Ferris (Star Sapphire) Commission
Here's a piece from YaleCon that I finally managed to finish coloring. I think I'll probably offer this one as a print, too, at the $10 price point. Remember, if you're at the $10 tier you'll get a copy for free!
-Yale
2022-02-01 23:12:50 +0000 UTC View Post
This was a commission I just recently finished, but always had plans to offer as a print. I'll be debuting it for sale ($20USD) this weekend, but remember: patrons at the $10+ tier will receive a free copy!
Speaking of, $10+ patrons, please keep an eye out for a message from me in the next few days to touch base regarding your print rewards. I still need to get in touch to figure out what you all want for your 5 JL8 strip prints to be!
2022-01-31 22:19:19 +0000 UTC View Post
JL8 #12 by Yale Stewart
Originally published on February 1st, 2012
Terribly sorry for missing last week's installment (and this week, sort of, since it's Friday). I've been utterly consumed with a commission I've been working on and time just completely got away from me. I really need to just do a bunch of these in a single sitting and schedule them to be posted so I don't keep missing them. Anyway, let's get into it.
I'm still pretty happy ...
2022-01-28 21:09:40 +0000 UTC View PostHey everyone!
Part of YaleCon is going to be Q+A sessions; one on Saturday for JL8, one on Sunday for Forward, The Horizon. That said, I wanted to come and ask my patrons first: what questions do you have that you'd love for me to answer? They don't HAVE to be JL8 or FTH related. If there's something you've been meaning to ask that you'd like me to answer live on Twitch, share it here!
Thanks so much!
-Yale
2022-01-14 19:29:17 +0000 UTC View Post
JL8 #11 by Yale Stewart
Originally published on January 25th, 2012
I'll be frank. There's not much to say about this one. I think it's a fine gag, and gives you a little bit of insight into Bruce's character (which, at only 11 strips in, is still fairly important), but it's pretty thin for a bridge strip at a time where I was apparently only posting one update per week. This is totally suitable for an update at a twice-a-week schedule, but weekly?...
2022-01-13 23:21:06 +0000 UTC View Post
This still needs colors, so it's not completely finished, but I wanted to share what I've got so far! I hope you like it!
If you're interested in a commission of your own, YaleCon commissions are currently available for purchase for my Patreon subscribers! Get a commission and watch it get drawn live on stream! You can order yours right here.
'Til next time!
2022-01-12 00:53:51 +0000 UTC View Post
Good evening, everyone!
As promised, YaleCon commissions are now available for Patreon subscribers. Above is a WIP shot of a commission I'm currently working on, featuring Harry and Norman Osborn going trick-or-treating together! Maybe that entices you to nab your own, eh? *eyebrow pump*
You can order your commissions here, and remember, I'll be drawing these live during YaleCon this weekend,...
2022-01-11 00:22:03 +0000 UTC View Post