Evan Dorkin

October Experiment: One Panel A Day 21 (Belated)

I realized I'm starting to draw certain types that are versions of one character or another, sort of like an ongoing subconscious casting call. A drawn out (ha ha) process of designing the protagonists. It started with a drawing of two kids, and they've been evolving into some shape. I like the way the "dark-haired kid" looks here. The first drawings are much simpler.  

I try not to look at the cards while drawing new ones, soon I'm going to have to at least nail a few things down ...

Tear Them Apart Podcast: Episode 13

Paul Yellovich and I recorded a 13th episode of our horror movie podcast. 

We discussed the Friday The 13th franchise and the 6-hour Crystal Lake Memories documentary (which we both enjoyed a lot more than any of the actual movies).

Neither of us is a Friday the 13th fan, but for some reason -- I don't think we necessarily got it nailed down in the episode --we both find the franchise and it's bizarre lapses in continuity and plot logic fascinating to go over while picking th...

October Experiment: One Panel A Day 20 (Belated)

It still talks. 

And it still cries.

The High Cost of Loathing (Four-Panel Comics)

The "loathing" part in the title is an exaggeration for comedic purposes. I like myself more often than I don't these days. Life's a work in progress.

October Experiment: One Panel A Day 19 (Belated)

Eyes that have seen things. Or are seeing things. 

It's possible to come out of the tunnel, and into the light, only to find another tunnel before you. Our path is a series of tunnels, the last one ends in unyielding darkness. 

Is the darkness gathering around her the kind that reaches out, that feeds? Or just a trick of the blight?

My Writing Gig Right Now (and some process talk)

I have one writing job at the moment, for a project that will be posted online soon. 

I'm not drawing it but I'm roughing out a storyboard with notes and some stabs at dummy dialog written along the sides of the page. I send these to my editor, if they're okayed then I type up a bare-bones script to lock in which character is saying what, add anything I didn't draw, provide any necessary clarity for the artist, etc. 

The layouts take the pressure off my scripting process...

October Experiment: One Panel A Day 18 (Belated)

There's a place for us

A time and a place for us

Hold my hand and we're half way there

Hold my hand and I'll take you there

Somehow

Someday

Somewhere

October Experiment: One Panel A Day 17 (Belated)

This panel has been sitting for a long time. I would take it out and kibbitz with it, get annoyed and consider tossing it, but then rework it and put it back into the box to repeat the routine a day or two later. I played with this one more than any of the batch, for good and bad. It looked better in an earlier version, as a drawing it would have benefited by looking at some reference for the setting. But that's the case for a number of the cards so far, in regards to setting, anatomy, hair, ...

October Experiment: One Panel A Day 16 (Belated)

Dissolution. But at what point in the nightmare? 

I don't think this turn of events is enough to balance out whatever else has been happening. But it may provide some relief for some individual or individuals who've found themselves in a tight spot. 

Temporary relief, most likely. 

 I'd avoid getting any of the detritus caught in your throat.

Tomorrow Night: Draw Drink'n Podcast

Hey, folks. Sorry I've been away, didn't plan to take a break from the October Experiment posts, but the past week was a busy one between taxes, dental work, the Head Sounds Block party, a lot of errands and a family birthday. I slept through most of Sunday like I'd returned home from a four-day convention and not a one-day event. 

On the plus side, the block party was fantastic in every regard, it was good to see my old friend Robbie Busch (co-owner of Head Sounds records, 1/5 Ins...

October Experiment: One Panel A Day 15

I don't show these to my therapist. 

October Experiment: One Panel A Day 14

What's the opposite of pixie dust?

And is it a symptom, or a cause?

Squeaking  this one in with midnight looming a few minutes from now...long day running errands here and Brooklyn, filing taxes with the accountant, post office, pharmacy, library drop, bags and boards from the comic shop for mailings (and a nice surprise of a free, if slightly damaged, pre-code Ajax/Farrell horror free collection, grocery store, no time to deal with the insurance for the gum specialist or the...

October Experiment: One Panel A Day 13

This fellow seems to have had a bad day. Probably the end for him, whoever he is.

Today This Happened (Four Panel Comic)

Well, sort of. I mean, I jazzed it up a little. But it's sort of true. Kind of.

October Experiment: One Panel A Day 12

I'll let this one stand without comment.  

My First Time Selling Comic Books While Wearing a Mask

My friend (and fellow Instant Pianist) Robbie Busch is one of the folks behind Head Sounds Records in Brooklyn, and he invited me to set up at their second block party taking place this Saturday, Oct 17th.

It's outdoors, everyone's wearing their masks and being sane and there's going to be live music and deejays besides the vendors and the record shop and whatever else goes on during the event. Bob Sikoryak and Ellen Lindner are going to spend time at a table with their stuff, along wit...

October Experiment: One Panel A Day 11

This one's been sitting in the card box for a while because I couldn't bring myself to leave the background blank. But I've been overworking so many backgrounds and textures on so many of the index cards, that I decided what the heck. Let it go. Defeat the OCD. Vary up the approach. Post the friggin' thing. So, here's the guy I call Garlic Head for lack of an actual name. 

I'm thinking there are way too many individual creatures to all appear in a story, but I like drawing them, so...

October Experiment: One Panel A Day 10

We don't like what we see. 

More and more each day. 

There's more and more each day.

To see.

And not like.

Life And Work Update (10/9/20)

Life has gotten in the way of work quite a bit these past few weeks, so several plans for the Patreon have been pushed around. I hope to address that asap.

As many of you know, I've been dealing with an extended first-world nightmare with our new used old car, which, after many hours and more money than hoped for, is at least finally resolved. For the first time in too long, we have a street legal operating safe vehicle we can depend on (knock on wood or any wood-like substance). This i...

October Experiment: One Panel A Day 9

Sometimes I finish up a panel for the Experiment that's based on another panel, with the idea of eventually finding a story link between them. And sometimes the original panel is unfinished, so posting the completed panel doesn't reveal that link. This is one of those panels. 

This is the 50th completed Experiment panel. I still have only the barest idea of what this is all leading to, but I am also farther along than I'd hoped. A lot of points to connect. 

October Experiment: One Panel A Day 8

Sometimes I draw a panel in stages. I quit after a while and put the card back in the box to work on later. I put this one back and took it out six or seven times. I usually juggle a batch that are like this one, add some lines to a few cards, put them back for another time, repeat until finished. Good for phone calls, bad movies and cooling down before bedtime. Right now there's probably two dozen cards that are nearly-completed, and that many more that have a way to go. And a few that I don...

October Experiment: One Panel A Day 7

Of all the unnatural things ambling around in these panels, this creature has made a bit of an an impression. He may turn out to be someone -- or something -- of importance in our slowly emerging story. Or he may be too strong a fit for the proceedings. One to watch for. Or watch out for.

October Experiment: One Panel A Day 6

Huh. There's a lot of characters -- or at least  figures-- showing up in these panels, and I doubt they can all squeak into the story. Whatever it may turn out to be. Who knows? I do like drawing the weirdies.

I guess this is on the outskirts of the unnamed town where things have gone wrong. I guess. It all seems to involve a town, a central location where there are homes and whatever, a place where people live. Or lived. Or live differently than they once did. Some of these weird ...

October Experiment: One Panel A Day 5 (Delayed)

So, I had a few extra naps yesterday as things caught up to me, and when I tried to post the daily October Experiment panel, Patreon was also taking a nap! Oh, ha ha. These days I don't get mad, I just go back to sleep, and figure it out when I get up. Or go back to sleep. I'm exaggerating. Zzzz...

So here's the belated fifth panel in the Experiment-within-an-Experiment. This doesn't look like a good time, now, does it? Unless, perhaps, you happen to be the gucky thing all massed-up beh...

October Experiment: One Panel A Day 4

A work in process. A stage in development. Formerly human, or becoming human? From what, to what? Something already in a panel, something to appear in a panel? Hmmm.

Finished Commission: "A Toast To Milk & Cheese!"

Drawing stuff for very kind and very patient people. More on the way.

October Experiment: One Panel a Day 3

Horror tropes. Something is not what it seems, someone is in peril. How does it fit into things? Who is the kid? Who is the...thing?

October Experiment: One Panel a Day 2

This one slipped through the cracks, at least I don't remember posting it, and I couldn't find it in an older post. If I overlooked it and it's a repost, let me know, I'll post a replacement for today's panel.

Quick Little Comic: Rash Decision

It only hurts when it hurts. First day I had this rash was awful. Antibiotics + walking to the garage to get the car + sweating under covid mask = burning red lizard face. 

The Hideous Sun Demon pops up in my brain mentions a lot lately, but he's hard to draw and this is more disgusting.

Enjoy!

An Old Nerd List From When I Was A Somewhat Younger Nerd

I found this in a file of old unpublished (and generally unfinished) reviews, essays and notes intended for my old Live Journal site. This little chunk of cartoonist OCD is a wish list of comics-related reprints I wanted to see get published. I described these as mostly "pipe dreams", never dreaming there would someday be a reprint boom that would see a lot of these published. 

Another indication of how old this list is -- there are several entries that I'm no longer a...