Three Times Nice
Skipping Thru October
-PHEW!- The October post just got away from me. I strive to at least do one post a month, but I let it slide. People will often say, “Oh, well I’ve been busy…” and it’s not really elaborated on and they just get away with being out of touch. Well, it’s been busy around here, please allow me to elaborate!
October 1st, a Sunday and the first date on my Autumnal Texas Tour - Austin Zine Fest.
Other than the A/C in the venue being out the show was a smashing success! Not only did I make a bunch more fans, but my family grew by one; we picked up a puppy after the show. Not a random puppy; we Craigslisted a puppy and made an agreement to collect her after the show. So for most of the show my wife and I had a secret anxiousness because we knew what was coming.
And so as of October 1st we’ve been caring for Nola Malarkey, who is 3 months and 10 lbs. as of this writing, meaning she was two months old when we got her. As we were both reminded, caring for a 2 month old puppy will keep you plenty busy. But my wife and I are happy to have a new and energetic pup in our lives again.
My Little Sister got Married on Friday the 13th
It was a small affair, close friends and family, and we all had a grand time. We ate, drank, danced and let loose, what more can I say?
Heavy Inks have Been Finished and the New Pages have been Scanned
Here are some page highlights from this particular story. And I even posted a Reel on my Insta, 90 seconds and flipping thru the WHOLE 60 page story.
The story is called Zunovu Prelude - Episode A: Lutalica, part of my new Sun Eaters of Zunovu world I’ve been crafting the last few years. The script was ready February 2022, and as you read this the scanned pages have already been touched up and primed for the digital grey washes that Screw Comics is known for. That’s right, this is one of the main stories going in Screw Comics 5!
The script for the other Screw story is finished and I’m ready to begin the comic creation process all over again, crafting the whole story at once in these steps: pencils, inking letters & panels, primary inks, heavy inks, & then clean up and scan. The last few years the home studio environment has been getting organized and tweaked to allow for a constant output of work at any given stage. After taking 6 years to make Screw #4 I knew I had to streamline the process, cuz personally that’s unacceptable. So here we are, it’s only been a year and half and already the new book is is almost halfway complete.
Studio streamlining has added new digital tools to my utility belt as well! For this book digital greys will be crafted with a combination of Photoshop and Procreate. The first 10 pages are already completed, like fully completed and ready for layout, because the iPad and Apple Pen just make the process so much easier and funner.
What else happened in October…oh!
Did the Skessions Full Wall
Always a good time doing the big wall at Skessions (Sketch Sessions). So, my friend Kyle hosts a weekly drink and draw event on Thursdays at Houston Cider Co. on the northside. Ever few weeks he’ll throw up some paper on the wall and the artists can have at it. He’ll even leave it until the next full wall skession.
Hit up Austin a Second Time for Levitation Fest
I’m not even a big music fest guy, but the cool thing about Levitation fest is that it’s spread out at different venues over many nights, so when you come out to see who you wanna see it feels like you’re just going to a show and not a music fest. I had to catch Bully headlining one night. Unforgetable show.
And then I Came back to Austin for MexAmericon
Yup, the week after the Bully show I went back to Austin to do this one-day event MexAmericon, the second tour stop. The weather held up and made for a delightful day. Not only did I make even more new fans I even ran into a few I’ve seen at Austin Zine Fest. This show was a part of a Dia de los Muertos celebration so the crowd rolled thick. The staff and organizers were very welcoming and even took care of us artists and vendors by providing lunch and refreshments. I’m looking forward to doing this one again! Peep the highlight vid to get a taste of the show vibe.
And that’s what’s been going on with me! Granted there were a few other things (a grand Dia de los Muertos party, a best friend’s child turning 1) but this is the stuff I wanted to mention.
The second half of the Autumnal tour kicks off with Zine Fest Houston on Nov. 18th. It’s a free event with plenty of free parking. And then Comic Indie Con, a small Houston convention with an emphasis on locally-made indepenedent comics. Hope to see you there!