BLARHG! By the power of Truxton it's Heyzoos #3!
Patreon exclusive, check out a page layout before and after I added Lord Karnage. Truth be told I didn't want to cover up Edit-Station 1 but it worked out that way, now you can see our favorite broken computer in the rough version. Dialog and details going in this week.
15% off Pre-Order coupon (good thru the 9th on the website) heyzoos3fan
Greetings, I'm back from the wonderful city of Chicago. If you follow me on Insterflam I'm sure you'll see some city and brewery pictures over the next week.
Pictured above is Pac-Man Entertainment, an arcade bar and bowling alley in the Chicago suburbs. Me and a group of college chums visited on Friday night and it was dead as a ghost that had been re-eaten by Pac-Man.
This is a shame because we had an awesome time, but I dunno maybe there's better local options (not being a nati...
2019-08-12 15:34:51 +0000 UTC View Post
Hola! I've been pretty well slammed with work (and an arcade show) over the past week so haven't posted much - but as you can see the Ethel the Cyborg Ninja 2 cover is nearly complete. I'm going to sit on it for a few days and maybe tinker with the font a little bit, but this is basically what it's going to look like.
I'm wrapping up the final fight scenes, text, QA, shading, and some details. It's looking like a 60 page total book with roughly 43 pages of art and a bunch of extras - bi...
2019-08-07 03:01:48 +0000 UTC View Post
Heyoooh! Enjoy a look at the rough draft cover artwork for Ethel the Cyborg Ninja #2. Patreon finally added a slideshow feature so that you can see an earlier sketch version of the cover too.
Ethel 2 is nearly complete, it needs another week of refinement or so (which I don't have this week) but should be out in August. I think Heyzoos 3 will also be out in August, they're both looking good.
Some more original art will appear on the website soon, there are a number of pieces...
2019-08-02 02:15:12 +0000 UTC View Post
Omega Leap! Rough image of Omega Ronin character leaping over something and shooting laser-like-things out of its hands. I drew this today while practicing his helmet lines and working out the "suit". Hope you enjoy.
Keep an eye out for a video on this one tomorrow.
Regards,
Mark
2019-07-15 02:21:33 +0000 UTC View Post
First look! A new avatar. A new look. A new series.
Ethel the Cyborg Ninja has been a test project for this, my biggest release to come out in 2019. Omega Ronin. I wrote it on vacation (with a cold beer in my hand of course.) I'm drawing it now while also wrapping up the Ethel book.
Cue dramatic voice FX and space music... "One billion years in the future the most powerful civilization in the universe encounters something even more terrifying than itself. What happens when...
2019-07-10 13:30:31 +0000 UTC View Post
The Drawing with Lord Karnage series is a thing. I'm going to refine the format and then launch on Vimeo, Dailymotion and YouTube. Prepare for the flood of complaints from a certain video monopoly that everyone hates yet everyone refuses to leave!
I think I can design my own Vimeo player so I'll look into that soon.
I'm going to refine the lights in the background and continue twe...
2019-07-04 15:42:20 +0000 UTC View Post
Heyzoos 3 is happening and here's the first pass of the inks on page 1 (the Truxton sign is rough, it'll get a real font and shading when done.) It's already written.
Ethel 2 splits the adventure into two teams: Ethel and Edit Station 1 are in the Ethel books, Heyzoos, Wind Squid and Space Gar are in Heyzoos. They're both working to save the universe from opposite sides of the universe in very different ways. Heyzoos is absurd, which is what you would expect.
This page literally p...
2019-07-02 03:12:35 +0000 UTC View Post
Here is a nearly-complete page from Ethel 2! This is the part where the team raids a dead space mall in search of a toy store that holds a clue to Squidtrex.
I'm in the finishing phase of this book now (which is a bitch!) This page is a combination of Procreate, Clip Studio and Photoshop all at once. This image is pretty small, but the detail is really nice. I have some touchups to add like ERROL's vents and ES1's screen and shading, but this is pretty awesome I think. Who knew they had...
2019-06-28 17:33:39 +0000 UTC View Post
Or does it??????? Things may not be what they seem - unless they seem awesome to you (because they are.)
Here's a two-page spread from Ethel 2 in progress, it's chugging along. I'm spending untold hours in details and still working out software workflow but the results are looking better than ever and I can't wait for you to see it!
Mark
2019-06-26 21:28:28 +0000 UTC View Post
Early access, Cletus and his special talent.
Ahoy there! Happy Friday! Did you know that today I worked on projects like this one (about pissing on cop cars and drinking absinthe) and a series of cute animal drawings called Kawaii Ocean. I also did some sketches for new pages of Seatropica which is coming along nicely.
Check out www.KawaiiOcean.com if you or your kids want some super cute mugs and beach towels. Also sub up to:
Ethel issue 2 is trucking along and as you can see the inks are in progress - pictured above is 2 panels in progress (the frame layer is muted). I'm still working out the "workflow", but the 2nd issue is written, storyboarded and drawn. I'm going through and inking panels now from the top down - which means I do the main characters and then add backgrounds, effects, swords, etc... if they aren't drawn yet. I like to see the entire page and make decisions based on contrast and page layout sinc...
2019-06-12 12:38:08 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's an example of one of the space scenes from Ethel Book 2 with rough inks and no dialog. Hopefully you're starting to get a feel for the new art style which is more refined and complete than the first book (and I love the first book but there was lots of room for improvement.)
Welcome to the new patrons by the way! I have no idea if you're here for Classic Game Room, Ethel, Old Timey, Kawaii Ocean, or any of my projects - but welcome! Pull up a stool and join the fun!
Ethel t...
2019-06-09 15:48:33 +0000 UTC View Post
Patron first announcement! You see it first!
CGR will be printing 50 physical copies of CGR Supreme 0. Each will be signed and numbered by me (Mark!) depending on order received. Comes with film on memory card, 16 bit clamshell case, signed and numbered insert (concept art above), and a small original Edit-Station 1 sketch.
Pre-orders on website: 2019-06-08 18:24:24 +0000 UTC View Post
Here is page 2 of Seatropica! I re-did an earlier pen and ink version in Procreate and colored the background.
This page is going to be re-formatted for Webtoons and refined later for print (though I imagine it'll look pretty similar in print.) As the series progresses, if it continues on Webtoons, I'll probably scale back the backgound colors. Not sure yet what the difference between the free and print versions will be yet, but obviously both are important in their own way.
The w...
2019-06-05 13:30:13 +0000 UTC View Post
Seatropica launches today (officially) on Webtoons. Also the Instagram will kick off again and the series is officially rolling now that it is featured in my upcoming coloring book titled - Amazing Ocean. Follow on Webtoons - this will be coordinating with Ethel and the website launch and print versions etc... The book will be in COLOR! A rarity for me, but I think it needs to be in color since it takes place underwater (in space.)
Today was a day spent working on Ethel's new book. The pages are starting to come together and I'm really getting into the flow now.
Here's some back and forth between Ethel and Edit-Station 1. She sees a certain "teddy bear" in her dream, you'll see. This is the near complete ink layer and text (not proofed yet.) The blacks and shading aren't done yet.
Enjoy!
Mark
2019-06-02 23:50:01 +0000 UTC View Post
Page 2-ish of Ethel Club Issue 1 (Ethel 2). Final inks in progress and you can see the background effects coming together. There will be a good deal of shading on her outfit but the drawings are looking pretty solid I think as she looks up towards the floating head of [REDACTED]. Can you believe it!?
The first issue should release in July I think, it's cruising along now that I'm working on it a bit every day. Just inked pages 4 and 5 this morning. Edit-Station 1 is kicking ass, of cour...
2019-05-31 20:20:51 +0000 UTC View Post
It was indeed a tragic love affair. Everyone died (eventually.)
Enjoy an Old Timey that I wrote this morning, I am quite pleased with this one. Chad's indifferent look made for some creative writing. Who knew the future of relationships dated back to 1895?
Mark
2019-05-31 02:12:03 +0000 UTC View Post
Pictured above is the new art style for Ethel Club Issue #1. I really enjoyed hearing that many of you are looking forward to the continuation of the Ethel the Cyborg Ninja series. If I could I would devote 100% of my time to it, it's my personal favorite project. I like the characters and the story but haven't had the time to really "dig into it" until now, it takes a while to draw.
The good news is that I've been prepping all year to take my visual artwork a lot more seriously. I've b...
2019-05-29 12:17:52 +0000 UTC View Post
I'm still making decisions on the title - but for consistency and a few storytelling reasons I think (95% certain) that Ethel the Cyborg Ninja Book 2 will be launching as Ethel Club Issue 1 in July. It pains me to change the title, but something shorter and less specific makes more sense to me in the long run, also it'll make sense when you read it. The original book remains as is and sets the plot in motion!
It's going to be a series of shorter comic book style issues ...
2019-05-28 00:34:47 +0000 UTC View Post
Old Timey Pictures with Silly Captions is made in a pretty simple way, the unique element is the fact that I have mental problems. The scene can be about love and puppies but I see absinthe and flamethrowers.
Normally I work with old French newspapers, they have the best art. The French artists used far more emotion than the British and American stuff from the time period. The expressions are great so I look at the scene and see if something strikes me. Sometimes it's easy, other times ...
2019-05-21 01:50:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Hey all, I hope you're having a great weekend. Just giving a heads up that the final 3 Laser Set / Lord Karnage book / signed print / Undertow DVD bundles are on ebay. This is a great way to get it all!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/163293286536
The Undertow DVDs and prints are selling out now and I'm not reprinting them. The Laser Sets and books will continue to sell as standalone units so this i...
2019-05-18 15:04:08 +0000 UTC View Post
1. Enjoy a look at my three most recent book cover designs. Three new books, but one of many completed projects this year. With the completion of Chicago 1933 that means it's about... it's just about... oh get ready for it...
VECTREX GUIDEBOOK TIME! The next book up is the Vectrex book. FYI I wrote, collected the pictures, and designed the 1933 Chicago book, it's really nice. I restored the 1915 and Titanic books from originals. The 1915 one is really cool if you've never read about it....
2019-05-13 21:43:30 +0000 UTC View Post
Enjoy an Old Timey cartoon above while I drop a date on you for CGR Supreme Volume 0. May 17. This 3 hour video collects numerous behind the scenes, random clips, experimental projects and more from the CGR archives. It is the final "way behind schedule" deliverable for the CGR Supreme Series 1 Kickstarter - those of you who backed CGR Supreme should receiving an email about this now.
CGR Supreme 0 bookends the Internet show nicely from its humble beginnings in the back room of a docume...
2019-05-12 23:11:25 +0000 UTC View Post
Because every morning should start with a comic strip about Predator.
To my surprise, Old Timey Pictures is doing pretty well amid a sea of manga romance cartoons. This just goes to show that 19th-century sex and absinthe jokes are always in style :)
Sub up because the more subs it gets the more exposure it gets. Also, you can never have too many absinthe jokes.
Anatomy of an Old Timey cartoon. The original page for this was (I think) a cartoon mocking a theater performance? It's in French and really wordy so I have no idea. I cut the rest of it out and what I was left with was this - which is freaking hilarious. I love the look on the guy's face.
Some rough draft ideas...
"Shit!"
"Fuck!"
"Come over here and give Reggie a - OH SHIT!"
but - I try and save my profanity for the really good comics, like the ones where it is ...
2019-05-07 01:18:10 +0000 UTC View Post
Enjoy an Old Timey Pictures with Silly Captions a day or two early! Sometimes I stare at old pictures for a while before the joke comes to me. Other times it happens instantly. This picture can say no other thing. Clearly this is exactly what the artist intended.
Old Timey Pictures is one of those "experimental" projects I launched about 2 years ago when dorking around with some old pictures. I released two volumes of jokes in print, and now I'm working on a third and randomly uploading...
2019-05-06 01:47:30 +0000 UTC View Post
A look at Ethel 2 page 2 inks in progress. I like the approach that I've been taking with Robot Kitten Factory - the one where I upload rough artwork online and plan to refine later for print. It forces me to stay active and not obsess over details. Growing new viewers and the Webtoons version is gaining speed!
I'm going ahead with a web version of Ethel 2 which will (most likely) be refined later for print. The picture above depicts a page in progress with rough dialog and incomplete i...
2019-04-24 00:30:24 +0000 UTC View Post