No Quarter

Silence And I

2010-04-30T23:00:00.000-07:00

There might be a bit of a gap between posts after this one. I will be moving the blog over to a Wordpress template this weekend (with the majority (read "all") of the heavy lifting being done by my cousin, Avi). This is being done due to the new Blogger policy of no longer allowing the FTP option of publishing.

So, until the switch is complete, radio silence is expected.

See you soon, though!

Jason

Perfect Love... Gone Wrong

2010-04-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

Page 3 of the 4 page Cloak & Dagger Marvel sample.

I've worked and reworked that 3rd panel far too many times. In fact, I was working on that panel while in Chicago. I had to run down to the local Jewel Osco at roughly 10 PM to buy a pencil, a pencil sharpener and some invisible tape so I could do a quick fix on the left hand figure before showing it to CB on the Sunday of the show. I've reworked it again, since getting home from the con. It's not perfect but it's soooo much better than it was before.

More con recap on Monday. I promise.

Symphony No. 9 in D minor

2010-04-29T01:49:00.000-07:00

This is page 2 of the 4 page Marvel sample I showed to a few people. There are supposed to be images in the monitors/holoscreens but I ran out of time to draw the scenes that Stuart had asked for. They were to be shots of destruction and death as a result of superhero battles. It was Cloak's very own "A Clockwork Orange" moment.

Sorry Charlie

2010-04-28T09:16:00.000-07:00

I know. This was supposed to be part II of my C2E2 wrap up. What can I say. I suck at writing real copy. But, for all the interested, I'll be posting pages of my latest Marvel sample that I showed around at C2E2 until I can get the recap post written. This page is the first of 4 pages I did from the recent Cloak & Dagger one shot.

That makes up for my tardiness, yes?

The Power Cosmic 2000, Part 1

2010-04-24T10:49:00.000-07:00

My C2E2 trip to Chicago was over a week ago and I'm still trying to get a post up about the show. Sad, eh?

The short of it is the con went well for me. I got to meet new people, visit with people I knew already, buy cheap comic trades and get some invaluable reviews of my Marvel sample.

The long of it...? Well, it goes a little something like this...

Thursday afternoon, I flew into O'Hare without any problems... other than trying to figure out how to get downtown to my hotel without it costing $28+. I was already on the hook for $25 cab rides to and from my house to the Vancouver airport so paying more for cab rides was not the option I was looking for. Along came the Chicago Transit Authority and their Blue Line train. $2.25 to go downtown. Sold! Just make sure you have exact change, though.

The train ride was pretty cool. I got to see different parts of South Chicago from the safety of a moving train. The stations were kinda dodgy and I felt like I was being cased as an easy victim (middle class white dude with suitcase looking for maps trying to figure out where to go) but I managed to find my hotel without incident.

It was on the walk to the hotel I wished I had a camera. This was surprising as I've never had that urge when in other US cities. Maybe it's because the city is so old, unlike the western coast cities I usually go to...? Anyway, the architecture and the city planning were very cool to look at. Very inspiring to a guy that likes to draw stuff like that.

I was to meet Michael May, Grant Gould and Uko Smith in the hotel lobby around 4PM. It was 3:45PM when I got there so asked the clerk to tell them I was in the hotel diner/bar having a drink. Time passed slowly as I waiting for their arrival. I ordered some food and another drink, all the while Top Gun was playing on the TV overhead. I broke out the brush pens and paper and did a few drawings (see the 2 images in this post and the image from the previous post):

It was around 6PM that Michael and Grant got to the hotel. We went up to the room to wait for Uko. He arrived shortly after that and we headed out for dinner to a pizza place just around the corner from the hotel. It was my first real Chicago deep dish pizza. It was... fine. 'Nuff Said. Early night to bed as I was exhausted from having no sleep the night before. I was literally working on my Marvel sample pages 15 minutes before calling for my cab to the airport at 4AM. Anyways...

Friday morning, Michael and I arrived at the con around noon, as we didn't have to be there early to set up a table like Uko and Grant. I like the feeling of not having to set up, actually. I get to come and go whenever I like. It was cool of Grant let us use his table as home base, though. Carrying all my stuff around the con is a drag, so having a place to drop it off at is very cool. A tip o'my hat to you, Mr Gould!

It was time to hit the con floor!

Check out the next installment, tomorrow !

Me and Brent Schoonover chatting about... tune in tomorrow to find out!

Keep Yourself Alive

2010-04-22T14:25:00.000-07:00

This sketch was done in the hotel bar while waiting for my C2E2 roommates to show up. I'll be writing more about my Chicago experience this weekend but I thought I'd better put something up here so you all would know I'm still alive!

The Goin' Get Tough From The Getgo

2010-04-14T09:09:00.000-07:00

I'm working my way towards the last page of my Cloak & Dagger sample pencils. I'm feeling pretty good about them. The last page is going to be tough to finish as I have to almost completely redesign it. After doing the previous pages it has become apparent that the last page just isn't up to the others, in terms of layout design.

I need to put it into high gear if I want to have all 5 pages ready for my 4:30 AM departure, on Thursday! Wish me luck!

My Old School

2010-04-13T09:24:00.000-07:00

Things are coming down to the wire. I'm working my ass off trying to get my Marvel sample pages ready for C2E2 (I leave for Chicago on Thursday!). I'm about halfway through them and I think they are decent. I'm sure once I pull them out at the show I'll see tons of things I'll want to fix. But, for now, they seem to be working out nicely.

The image above is of 2 panels from my Cloak & Dagger sample.

Sample And Hold

2010-04-09T07:28:00.000-07:00

It's not much to look at but this is another rough panel for the Cloak & Dagger sample.

I think I've decided to focus on just the penciling of the pages. If I have time (ha), I'll try and do a inked page to take with me as an example of how it would look if I did the pages my usual way (inking directly from roughs). I won't hold my breath on that one, though.

Thanks for all the input yesterday, folks!

All Over The World

2010-04-08T07:17:00.000-07:00

My process is all over the map on these Cloak & Dagger sample pages. Seriously. It's a mix of traditional pencils and digital "pencils". The digital pencils are looking a lot like inks... not sure what to do now. Pencil the pages or digitally ink the pages. It's turning out to be almost the same amount of work, in terms of drawing time.

The above image shows the rough pencil drawing and a tighter digital drawing. Not quite tight enough on the hand and bodies to be considered "finished" but the face is pretty much ready to go straight to print. I'm just not sure if I should finish it up in the computer or with a regular pencil...? C2E2 is coming up fast and I need to make a decision.

Just A Job To Do

2010-04-07T09:01:00.000-07:00

The rough layouts for my Marvel sample pages are done. Now it's time to tighten them up into properly penciled pages. Tight pencils weren't exactly what I was thinking of taking with me to C2E2. I was planning on just showing inked pages done from the rough layouts but I've decided to pencil the pages as though I was going for a penciling job, instead.

I *may* have time to ink one of the pages to show as an example of what the pages would look like if I inked them. That is time dependent, though.

Everything Is Broken

2010-04-06T07:57:00.000-07:00

I've shifted gears a bit and have begun working on some Marvel sample pages. My plan is to have at least 5 pages of pencils ready to show C.B. Cebulski at C2E2, which is a brand new convention happening in Chicago in less than 2 weeks. I was going to work from a Spider-Man Team Up script that C.B. had given me but I had the good fortune of getting writer/editor Stuart Moore to let me use one of his scripts, instead. The script I'm working from now is the Cloak & Dagger one shot that just came out called, "The Broken Church". So far, the roughs are looking good. Let's hope the final penciled pages turn out solid!

Proud Mary

2010-04-05T11:47:00.000-07:00

Today's drawing is courtesy of Stewart Copland. He is 4 1/2 years old and this is his first drawing of Spider-Man. Stewart and I are very proud of this drawing.

This post was co-written with Stewart.

Kickapoo

2010-04-02T08:48:00.000-07:00

So, I haven't mentioned this but Trickster is coming out very shorty! I'll let the words of the anthology's editor and contributor Matt Dembicki fill you in on the particulars...

'Trickster' to debut at SPACE

The 232-page, full-color anthology Trickster that I've worked on for the past four years will debut at the Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo April 24-25 in Columbus, Ohio. The book features trickster stories from more than 20 Native American storytellers illustrated by some of today's most dynamic indie comics artists! (You can also pre-order copies here at Amazon.com.)

Needless to say, I'm very excited to be a part of this book and hope you all will give it a chance!

Words (Between The Lines Of Age)

2010-04-01T07:25:00.000-07:00

No zombies in this panel but I really liked the way I drew this so I'm going to show it. I even left some room for words!

Of These, Hope

2010-03-31T10:20:00.000-07:00

Here's another panel progression look at a zombie panel I just inked. I love seeing where the image started and ended, visually. It's about the process.

In art school, I was way more interested in the process of drawing than I was in the final outcome. It made for many many messy pictures that seemed to have no real "value" other than giving me the experience of making marks on a surface. For some strange reason, when I started drawing comics, that love of markmaking seemed to get pushed aside. I blame it on the fact that I was inking tight pencils and didn't want to lose whatever I had drawn in pencil. I am glad to see that I am taking more chances with my marks. My hope is that I continue to show more and more of the drawing process in my comic work and make the pages

That's What They Say

2010-03-30T09:01:00.000-07:00

There's a cool little interview with the 2 dudes responsible for putting the Zombie Bomb! anthology together. Go check out what Rich Woodall and Adam Miller have to say about the project!

But not before checking out a page from "Not At The End", the first part of a story Anthony and I are serializing in the anthology, of course.

Art by me, the rest by Anthony.

Victim Of Changes

2010-03-29T10:24:00.000-07:00

Here's a panel progression example. The left is my pencil rough and the right is the inked panel. There will always be slight changes to the original rough drawing when you ink it. Case in point, as this panel was inked, I came to the realization that I needed to make the zombie's shirt black and leave the woman's jacket white so that the blacks were distributed better. I think this new spotting of black puts more emphasis on the woman, visually, than giving her the black coat.

Uncontrollable Urge

2010-03-25T13:30:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share this drawing of a kilted zombie before I start throwing the "fog" all over the page which will end up cover some/all of him. This little guy happened as I inked a basic form of a figure I had penciled. The kilt was a last moment thing. But, it reinforces my urge to do a comic that has a kilted main character in it.

One day.... soon.

Suspended In Gaffa

2010-03-25T07:04:00.000-07:00

Another inked panel from the Zombie Bomb! story. I've been using this trick of having only partial panel borders to help give panels a little extra interest, visually. Basically, I only draw the panel borders where the characters/background elements touch the panel border and I leave the rest of the panel out. I think it helps give the panel a sense of "suspended time", making the panel read for a slightly longer story beat. That make any sense...?

Anyway, the pages are looking good and I can't wait to for everyone to see the final product.

The Morning Fog

2010-03-24T10:18:00.000-07:00

Inking has started on the second installment of "Not At the End", mine and Anthony's contribution to the Zombie Bomb! anthology series. I'm going to like inking this as it has lots of fog in it, which means I get to draw stuff that will then be obliterated when I dry-brush white over it all! That might have sounded sarcastic but, believe it or not, it was said with all sincerity. I've never drawn much fog so this is a great opportunity to learn how.

The above image is the first panel of the new NAtE chapter.

Blame It On The Rain

2010-03-23T09:39:00.000-07:00

I lost a week of posting/drawing/life due to my back going out on me. I blame the hotel bed in Seattle and the fact that I was walking the convention floor for 2 days with a bag of heavy trades/comics hung around my neck. The Emerald City Comic Con was excellent, despite all that, though. I got to hang out with some very cool people, chat comics with some very cool creators and buy some amazing books at very cool prices. I spent some time at the Pop Goes the Icon table with PGtI's head guru, PJ Perez. We gave away 2 pages of my original art. I had an awesome time.

Now that the week of crippling back pain has (mostly) subsided, I'm starting to ink the 2nd part of the Anthony Schiavino penned Zombie Bomb! story, "Not At The End". This is going to be so good. The image above is a panel from that story.

Going To California

2010-03-12T09:44:00.000-08:00

That's it, folks! I'm walking out the door for ECCC! Makes sure you drop by the Pop Goes The Icon booth Saturday, if you can. I would love to meet you all!

There Goes My Gun

2010-03-11T07:11:00.000-08:00

Obviously no one has told this guy that it's dangerous to go pointing guns at things!

I'll be heading to Seattle for the Emerald City Comic Con on Friday! Come see me if you happen to be at the show on Saturday 'round 2PM. I'll be at the Pop Goes The Icon table! Oh yeah, and enter to win some original art while you're there, too! Details...? Click here!

Straight Outta Compton

2010-03-10T11:53:00.000-08:00

Rough penciled splash page for the Zombie Bomb! story. I'll be going straight to ink on all the roughs. No tight penciling for this project. There's going to be a lot of dry-brush and splatter on these pages, too! I'm excited about that!

Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)

2010-03-09T10:05:00.000-08:00

Look out!!! Behind you!!! (more zombie scribbles)

Hey! I'll be attending Emerald City Comic Con this coming weekend, mostly as a comic fan. I have a long list of people I want to stop by and see. The show looks to be even better than last year, which is great news because last year's was awesome!

Now, I said *mostly* as a comic fan because I will be there as a creator of comics, too. I'll be doing a little meet and greet at the Pop Goes The Icon table. Not only will I be there to hawk some wares but PGtI and I will also be raffling off the 2 pages I drew for PGtI's premier issue of Omega Comics Presents! That's right... enter to win both pages of original art... for free! All the details are right here!

I'll be mentioning the raffle through out the week and I hope to see you fine people there at the show!

The Show Must Go On

2010-03-08T16:15:00.000-08:00

Work on my next Zombie Bomb short story collaboration with Anthony Schiavino has begun. I'm doing the roughs now and will be inking next week. This going to be a show stopper! Well, until part 3 comes along... ha!

Space (I Believe In)

2010-03-04T07:06:00.000-08:00

Here's another panel from "The Last Leaf". The inking for this is 98% done, I just have a few minor things to touch up. Then it's on to the next project... more Zombie, I believe...

Wrapped Around My Finger

2010-03-02T09:26:00.000-08:00

I'm trying not to start every post with a shot at Blogger but getting stuff up on my blog has become a real pain. Anyways....

I drew this last night with absolutely no idea what I was drawing until I already drew the hand around the smaller figure's legs. The hand originally was going to be robotic (you can see the metal "seams" around the fingers) but somehow the figure ended up being the Hulk. So then I added some tech-y stuff to the flying figure and suddenly it was Iron Man. Go figure.

100% ink on paper. I plan on colouring this... but that will be done digitally.

Walk Talk Madly

2010-03-01T02:38:00.000-08:00

An idea for a new comic is forming. Don't want to talk about it too much but I thought I'd post a little something that is related to it.

All done on the cintiq.

Shine A Little Love

2010-02-26T15:30:00.000-08:00

Finally! A big thanks to Blogger and their FTP for letting me post something!

Just thought I'd show a panel comparison to shine some light on the process.

Later!

Just Begin Again

2010-02-26T08:25:00.000-08:00

I've been having some problems loading images up on this here blog for the past few days. It must have something to do with Blogger and their new mandate to stop allowing the few users (like me) who publish their blog through the FTP function. Not sure what I'm going to do. I'm no Tech wizard, so I don't even know what my options are. I wonder if I'll have to start a whole new blog...?

Anyways, I hope to have something new up here, today.

Nothing To Say

2010-02-18T07:23:00.000-08:00

A Last Leaf panel.

Umm... well... so... how about those Olympics...?

I Want To Be The Boy To Warm Your Mother's Heart

2010-02-17T11:07:00.000-08:00

Hey, all!

Today's the big day. The Perhapanauts: Molly's Story one-shot is out in comic shops today! I haven't seen it in printed form yet but I hear it looks great. Run down to your local comic shop, grab a copy and let me know what you thought!

Also, the good people at Review2aKill have put together a heartwarming overview of some of my recent work. Please check it (and the rest of the site) out here.

I've been inking the Last Leaf pages and haven't had a whole lot of time for anything else. I did manage to scribble out the drawing of Batman (see above).

Greatest Mistake

2010-02-11T07:06:00.000-08:00

Here's 2 more panels from The Last Leaf. The inking has gone well.... so far. Some of the pages are very thick with whiteout, though, which makes for some pretty ugly looking originals. Strangely, I don't really believe in "getting it right" the first time, in regards to inking. I don't mind making mistakes on the page. In fact, I've gotten good at using whiteout the moment things aren't going right.

Oh Yeah! You can get your own sneak peek of THE PERHAPANAUTS: MOLLY’S STORY (by Dezago, Weinstein, Copland and Thomas) : http://forum.superpouvoir.com/showthread.php?t=14426

Feel So Different

2010-02-08T09:14:00.000-08:00

A new drawing of Davis. Still trying to get the look and feel of how I will handle the art of this project. This is pretty damn close. I think the real difference will be that I will ink it traditionally (this drawing is all digital).

Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)

2010-02-05T07:29:00.000-08:00

This a character sketch for one of the main characters for The Last Leaf story.

Done on the Cintiq.

Gotta run!

Stars In The Sky

2010-02-04T07:22:00.000-08:00

3 inked panels from "The Last Leaf". The pages are coming along. I seem to be happy with most of the inking, anyways. But, knowing me, that could change at any moment! ha

I just realized that there still needs to be some stars drawn in the windows in that first panel... oops.

The Perhapanauts: Molly's Story should be out in a couple of weeks! Make sure to grab a copy if you see it! And, I know you all know this but that UFO story I drew is now being serialized on the Ape Entertainment webcomics area. Here's a link to the latest page. Check it out and feel free to leave a comment and/or rating. Thanks!

A Statistic

2010-02-02T10:37:00.000-08:00

I just received an email from Blogger informing me that they aren't going to allow me to post via FTP as of March 26. Apparently, I'm part of a very small percentage (.5%!) of Blogger users that use the FTP function, so they are shutting it down. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about this new predicament.

This Loki sketch was done digitally.

Whole Lotta Rosie

2010-01-29T06:40:00.000-08:00

Ink brush and marker sketch done while watching the Calgary Flames lose another game. That was their 9th straight loss. If you add that up with the current 12 straight loses for the Edmonton Oilers, you have a whole lotta unhappy people in Wild Rose province (Alberta), eh?

Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy

2010-01-28T07:18:00.000-08:00

Inking on The Last Leaf story has begun! Working in digital is fine for some things but it feels good to be inking it with good'ol brush and ink.

At some point, I'm going to be colouring this story, too. THAT will be done digitally.

Mind Eraser, No Chaser

2010-01-27T07:26:00.000-08:00

I finished the layouts/pencils for The Last Leaf and thought I'd blow off a little creative steam drawing whatever came to mind. This, it seems, was what came to mind.

Digital drawing.

Don't Change Your Plans

2010-01-26T09:47:00.000-08:00

A rough panel from the Last Leaf story. I'm just finishing up the last of the roughs so I should be starting to ink the pages tomorrow.

That's the plan.... anyways.

Take It On The Run

2010-01-25T03:02:00.000-08:00

Run, Thor, run!

Finished this up last night when I should have been sleeping.

All done on my cintiq.

Next To The Moon

2010-01-23T08:51:00.000-08:00

This is what I'm currently working on, this morning. This is a panel from The Last Leaf. You can see that the hand is next for tightening up.

Digital drawing.

Life In A Northern Town

2010-01-22T07:12:00.000-08:00

So, remember I did the art for a 7 page UFO short story for Ape Entertainment called, Life Is Funny? And remember how I said it was going to be part of an online comic anthology (for now, anyways)? Well, the first 3 pages have gone "live". You can see them by going here! Please go check it out, and if you are in the mood, you can rate the story and/or leave comments. The more positive feedback the better. :)

The story was written by Chris Beckett, coloured by Osmarco Valladao, lettered by Josh Aitken and drawn by me. The above page is page 1 (FYI).

Let There Be More Light

2010-01-21T07:13:00.000-08:00

Here's the fourth page of the Kill All Monsters! pitch. Hell yeah, this stuff was fun to draw. Maybe more soon....?

Lines by my and colours by Scott Keating.

Daydream Believer

2010-01-20T11:01:00.001-08:00

I can't believe I've never posted the final finished Kill All Monsters! pages. The book has been sitting with a couple of interested publishers for a while now but no movement has taken place. Sigh.

Line art by me and the amazing colours are by Scott Keating.

Once Upon A Time In The Projects

2010-01-19T09:20:00.000-08:00

I'm finishing up the layouts/pencils for The Last Leaf. I'm pretty happy with them. This is a shot of one of the main characters tinkering with his latest project.

This is a mix of pencil and digital drawing.

Break My Body

2010-01-15T07:12:00.000-08:00

This was a page I did while I was in art school. I was asked to be in a group show that had a centralized theme of "The Body". We could take it however we wanted. This is where I took my piece.

These are characters that I created that I still have some interest in using... in some capacity.

Shock To The System

2010-01-14T07:18:00.000-08:00

I'm still working on the layouts for "The Last Leaf" short. I'm well into them, actually, and they are turning out to be far more detailed than I was originally planning on them being. Which is ok, I guess. Makes for easier inking, when the time comes.

Also, I still haven't figured out a system on how to do the layouts. I thought I was going to do the them completely in digital form but I found it hard to get a sense of the page as a whole. I've gone back to pencil for the most part and will use the Cintiq do tighten them up, after scanning them. Seems to be working.

All In A Mouse's Night

2010-01-13T10:26:00.000-08:00

Decided to throw some colour on this drawing from last week. First timing colouring with the Cintiq. It was definitely easier than colouring with the mouse.

So Lonely

2010-01-12T09:29:00.000-08:00

Here's another look at how I work out the perspective for a panel. It's a shot from the same setting as the last perspective image I posted. The background will be mostly be us looking out into space through the huge windows. The Last Leaf story has a real despairing and lonely feel to it, so I am trying to make the settings reflect that.

All done digitally.

What's He Building In There?

2010-01-08T07:17:00.000-08:00

I took an old ballpoint pen drawing of some downtown Vancouver buildings I did years ago, roughed in some figures digitally, printed it out in non-photo blue and inked it using one of my brush pens (while watching an old episode of That 70's Show).

It needs some colour.

Somebody Get Me A Doctor

2010-01-07T10:20:00.000-08:00

I'm working on the futuristic retelling of O. Henry's "The Last Leaf". It will be a part of the Digital Webbing anthology that revolves around the idea of re-envisioned fairy tales with a sci-fi slant. I don't think the project has an official name. I'm working with writer, Jason Mullikin, on this.

This is a panel from that story. 100% digitally done. I will end up inking this traditionally but damn if those digital lines aren't super close to being good enough for print.

Sense Of Doubt

2010-01-05T07:43:00.000-08:00

I doubt it will take the form of a historical fiction project but there will be a project that I draw which will contain a kilted man as one of the main characters. You can take that to the bank.

Marker on paper, with digital enhancing.

Ramblin' Man

2010-01-04T07:30:00.000-08:00

Sorry, folks. Just a page of sketches to show. Haven't had any time or energy to whip something up. I'm sick. Again. Great start to 2010, eh?

Going to be putting all my time into drawing the Last Leaf story, for the Digital Webbing anthology. After that, I've got some zombie stuff to do for the 3rd installment of Zombie Bomb.

After that? Hoping to be going into production on a large project with writer and pal, James Powell. I've also been given word that I may be drawing another Perhapanauts Special, this one written by Rich Woodall. It starts Big, one of my favorite characters from the book, so I'm pretty stoked on that!

I'm rambling, now. Time to go take some decongestant and lay down.

One Night Love Affair

2009-12-31T07:07:00.000-08:00

David Hopkins' One Night Stand is now out in the world. It was part of "Indy Comic Book Week", an event staged by indie comic creators to fill the new comics gap that occurred this Wednesday. Diamond Distribution, the distributor of almost every comic book publisher, decided to give its workers some Holiday time off and not send out any comics this week. This created a void that needed to be filled... with indie comic goodness. Thus, One Night Stand was born!

Due to very low distribution, I'm posting my one page collaboration with Hopkins here. It was a fast and dirty affair.

New Years thoughts and resolutions coming soon! I know you can't wait.

Happy and Safe New Years wishes to you all! See you next year!

Can't Get It Out Of My Head

2009-12-29T07:45:00.000-08:00

During the Christmas holidays, I managed to squeeze in some sketching time. Some of the sketches were influenced by the Alien Legion book I was reading. Some were influenced by the Northlanders book I was reading. And some of it just came out of my own head, uninfluenced.

Marker on paper.

Just Got Back From Baby's

2009-12-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

Just got back from a few days away. The Coplands spent a couple of days up at Whistler, just chillin'... literally. Man, it was cold up there.

Santa was good to me. I got a bunch of comic trades... let's see... Alien Legion Omnibus, Northlanders: Sven The Returned, The Umbrella Academy: Dallas, Scalped: Dead Mothers and Jack Kirby's: The Demon! Nice haul, no?

Raphael, of Teenage Mutant Ninja fame.
Marker and whiteout on paper.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T03:17:00.000-08:00

Will do, Santa. Will do.

Distance Equals Rate Times Time

2009-12-24T07:16:00.000-08:00

Time is running out for pre-ordering your copy of the Perhapanauts: Molly's Story one-shot from your local comics retailer. Please, please, please consider going to the shop and asking them to order you a copy. Chances are, if you don't get them to do that, there won't be one there for you to pick up on release day. Take the following code with you and ask them to pre-order it for you. DEC09 0376

Written by Scott Weinstein and Todd Dezago and coloured by Mike Thomas. The book will feature a flip cover drawn by Perhapanauts co-creator, Craig Rousseau! So please, take the time to order one for your LCS. All involved will be forever grateful! Plus, I think it's a great book... :)

Have a wonderful Christmas, everyone!

Jason

Perspective

2009-12-23T16:15:00.000-08:00

Boning up on my 2 point perspective. This is what's on my Cintiq, right now. It's a design for a dining hall in a spaceship. It's going to go through a few more changes but it's getting close.

Still

2009-12-22T09:45:00.000-08:00

I once did a 5 page Puck sequence for a Marvel submission. I got a really nice letter back from Joe Q. saying to keep at it. I guess I'm *still* at it...

I might have one more post in me before the Christmas holidays set in. But, if not...

Happy Holidays to you and yours!
\
Cheers!
Jason

One Week

2009-12-18T07:47:00.000-08:00

One week until Christmas. Wow.

Finally put some ink on that Cannonball/Hulk clash.

Marker and whiteout on paper.

Tell Me Why

2009-12-16T23:52:00.000-08:00

I'm going to take this moment and draw your attention to The House Always Wins, a webcomic that needs your support. Let me tell you a little about why.

Zuda is a webcomic site that gives the readers editorial weight. Readers (ie you and me) get to vote on what comic should be given a contract to finish out the story. See, every month, a team of creators develop a comic, produce its first 8 pages and post them in a direct competition with 9 other comic teams' creations. Then, we the people can vote all that month to see which comic is worthy to continue for the duration of the year. The "losers" will not receive a contract from Zuda to finish their comic. Sadly, this power we have can be miss used. Sadly, the competition doesn't really come down to who has the best comic, it comes down to who has the biggest social network.

So, on that note, I'm thrilled to lend whatever support I can to get a very cool comic (ie The House Always Wins). THAW is the best drawn (artist John Bivens, draws wicked cool stuff) and most interesting comic of the 10 that are in this month's competition. Please, if you can, take the time to go over, read the comic, vote.

Here's how!
1) Go to http://zudacomics.com

2) Either sign in, or make a new account at http://zudacomics.com/user/register

2a) If you’re signing up, just fill out all the required (red asterisk) fields.

3) Go back to http://zudacomics.com once you have an account, and sign in.

4) Go to: http://zudacomics.com/node/1550

5) Click the button marked “Favorite” on the sidebar.

6) Click Five Stars on the “Rate this Comic” section, also on the sidebar.

7)Finally, click the big “Vote!” button; again, right column. That, Favorites, and the Rating all count towards our winning the contest.

8) Feel free to leave a comment as well. I don’t know if it counts for anything, we just like hearing from folks.

Thanks, folks!

Welcome To The Occupation

2009-12-16T08:57:00.000-08:00

Last zombie panel I'll post... for a while. I've finished the art for the Dino Caruso zombie short that will in an upcoming Zombie Bomb volume. I'm going to start on the 14 page Digital Webbing "Last Leaf" short story today, so expect to see some character sketches and rough layout type stuff for that project occupying this space for a while.

I think I'll start doing some more super hero ink drawings, too. Those seem to get the kiddies coming to the site.

Wonderin'

2009-12-15T10:16:00.000-08:00

The final inks have been added to this panel. The progression is almost complete. All it needs now is someone to add some colour. I wonder who that will be ...?

Plynth (Water Down The Drain)

2009-12-14T09:07:00.000-08:00

Wow. I got the coloured Perhapanauts pages in my inbox, this weekend. Mike Thomas has been working hard on them and has done what every artist hopes their colourist will do.... make them look good. Some of the colours are EXACTLY what I was seeing in my brain, like the image above. Perfect!

The full issue of The Pehapanauts that I drew is in the current Previews magazine. Unless you go to a indie friendly comic shop, this NEEDS to be ordered by you to make sure there is a copy for you. The order # is: DEC09 0376

Please please please talk to you retailer and ask that they order this book (should you be interested in it, of course). Thanks!

The Voyeur (I Like To Watch)

2009-12-11T07:16:00.000-08:00

Some of the funniest writing on the internets is created on this woman's keyboard. Miss Teen USSR is part observational comedy and part confessional voyeurism. She cuts to the core of the issue with a no holds barred ferocity. She's part of the ReView2aKill site but maintains a blog all to herself. Please do yourself a favor and check her out. And then read her site.

The above illustration is of Miss Teen USSR. Marker and whiteout on paper.

Ed Is Dead

2009-12-10T07:25:00.000-08:00

This is another panel from the Zombie Bomb story I'm doing with Dino Caruso. On the left is my digital rough and on the right is the result of me inking it traditionally (brush, whiteout and ink).

Sweet Leaf

2009-12-09T09:22:00.000-08:00

In between all this zombie stuff, I'll be working on a futuristic revisioning of O. Henry's "Last Leaf", written by Jason Mullikin. The story is a part of a Digital Webbing anthology that will be out sometime in 2010. This is my first attempt at developing the "Johnsy" (renamed "Shea" for our version) character's look.

Marker on paper.

Can You Taste The Waste?

2009-12-08T02:50:00.000-08:00

I'll be inking zombie pages for the next few days, so I was trying to get my zombie ink flowin'. I was inspired by a panel in the first Wasteland trade. This drawing doesn't look like the panel, really, but its genesis was from that excellent book.

She's So Cold

2009-12-07T06:45:00.000-08:00

Man, it's cold in my studio!
This is another illustration I did for the brand new site, ReView2aKill.com .

ReView2aKill is the brainchild of Nuv Takhar and it's live! So head on over, read some cool columns and tell them I sent you!

Marker and whiteout on paper.

Fun Fun Fun

2009-12-04T08:09:00.000-08:00

Here's that last panel but with more lines on it. I'm not sure why I'm tightening this drawing up as much as I am. My plan was to do the tightening during the inking phase. I guess I'm still just having fun figuring out how to use the Cintiq.

Business Time

2009-12-02T23:56:00.000-08:00

I feel like I`m starting to get the hang of this Cintiq business.

Here`s an almost complete rough drawing of one of the panels for the Zombie Bomb story I`m working on. I still have to draw in most of the zombie figures... but that stuff tends to be easier to draw.

All drawn on the Cintiq.

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

2009-12-02T10:08:00.000-08:00

Yesterday saw the beginnings of a new way of making comics, for me. I'm starting to use my new Cintiq tablet for the rough drawing/layout steps. It's a liberating way of working in that I can "erase" my mistakes and resize/move things that I've drawn that aren't quite right. I've barely scratched the surface of what this thing can/will do for me so that I can make comics in a faster and more immediate manner.

For those interested, here is a look at one of the panels for the new Zombie Bomb short story I'm doing with writer Dino Caruso called, Zombie Night In Canada. The top image is the panel I drew with the Cintiq and the second image is the final inked drawing, done over a non-photo printout of the Cintiq sketch, using real life brush and ink. I still don't see me doing "digital inks" on the Cintiq, though. I think traditional inking is still the best way for me to retain the quality of line I'm looking for. Maybe I just haven't found the right digital tool/brush to make my marks with.

The Heart's Filthy Lesson

2009-12-01T14:38:00.000-08:00

I set up my Cintiq, today. After making some random lines, I attempted my first digital sketch. This is it, in all it's pixelated glory. Seems I was drawing in a really small image size...

First lesson learned!

2000 Light Years From Home

2009-11-26T08:32:00.000-08:00

This was the very first homepage for my site. I don't think it was up for more than a few weeks. I had created this really cool Flash website that had active buttons and stuff but it was pain to update and I quickly abandoned it for the Blogger layout you see before you.

The image above was created with overlays of transparent and semi transparent sheets of plastic that I had drawn on, using many different mediums, such as ink, oil pastel, chalk, acrylic paint, oil stick. These transparent sheets were arranged over photocopies of random things from an electrical engineering book until I had a design I was happy with. This was how I was working just as I was leaving Art school. Controlled randomness.

Strangely, this sort of what I starting to aim for in my comic book work. Not at this level of experimentation, but in the general ballpark.

A Spaceman Came Travelling

2009-11-25T08:24:00.000-08:00

This the cover to the Ape Entertainment UFO Anthology. The colours were done by the talented Osmarco Valladao. The launch date of the online anthology was October 31 and it gets updated with a new page every Thursday and Sunday. There has been one full story posted and another one has just begun. Go check it all out here!

Life Is Funny, the story that Chris Beckett, Osmarco and I did, will start after the current one is complete!

Would Be Killer

2009-11-24T08:08:00.000-08:00

Here's another illustration I did for the ReVeiw2aKill site. The site will be up very soon.

Marker and Whiteout on paper.

Divine Hammer

2009-11-23T02:09:00.001-08:00

Quick sketch of Thor. Have at you, Base Villain!

Marker and whiteout on paper.

You'll Accompany Me

2009-11-20T10:10:00.000-08:00

Well, folks, it's official. The Perhapanauts issue I drew is going to be in next month's Previews! I'm still not sure of the page or order numbers but, as soon as I know, I'll post it here. Below is the cover I drew, coloured by the talented Mike Thomas, and the solicit info that will accompany the cover.THE PERHAPANAUTS: MOLLY’S STORY (ONE-SHOT)

story TODD DEZAGO & SCOTT WEINSTEIN
art & cover JASON COPLAND
flip cover CRAIG ROUSSEAU
FEBRUARY 17
32 PAGES/FC
$3.50

Finally it can be told! The story that everyone's been waiting for, as we reveal the tragic tale of the Perhapanauts’ resident ghost – Molly MacAllister– and how she came to be!
Stand alone story! You don't need to know any continuity or anything!

Lifestyles Of The Rich And Infamous

2009-11-19T07:01:00.000-08:00

One of the illustrations for Nuv Takhar's ReView2aKill site. This is a drawing of the infamous Nuv.

Marker and whiteout on paper.

Afterglow

2009-11-18T08:53:00.000-08:00

And here's the inked drawing from the previous post... but now in colour. I'm pretty happy with it, although I really need to learn how to do better "glow" effects. The little lights around the base of the tree just aren't looking like what I envisioned. I also need to figure out how I want to handle smoke (make it an opaque white cloud or something like what I have here). If this was for publication, I would be more of a perfectionist. But, since it is more for helping me prepare for the actual drawing of the book, I'll let it slide.

We R In Control

2009-11-17T09:23:00.000-08:00

Here's the previous pencil drawing inked. I think I'm starting to get a handle on how to approach this project, in terms of inking. All this was inked with a Staedtler Mars Graphic 3000. It's a brush pen that artist extraordinaire, Brian Churilla, suggested. Using the pen means a more immediate drawing experience, as you don't have to dip and roll the brush before every few lines. That is not to say that I like it more than a traditional brush but using the 3000 is definitely an easier way to control the marks and to speed up the inking process. So, in that sense, it's a fun way to draw. (still feels like cheating a bit, though...)

Tomorrow... colour!

Murder By Numbers

2009-11-16T09:09:00.000-08:00

I started doing some sketches of imaginary scenes that will help me when it comes to do Davis. Mostly to get a feel for the world that the story will live in. This is the quick pencil drawing of a murder scene that I envision Davis attending.

Tomorrow I will post the inks of this. And on Wednesday, I'll post the colours.

Five To One

2009-11-13T07:13:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading the second Dynamo 5 trade, by Faerber and Asrar, and was so inspired that I drew up this pinup shot of Scrap, the team's resident muscle. Great story with some amazing art.

Shining Star

2009-11-11T09:40:00.000-08:00

Here's another illustration of one of the guys working for Nuv's soon to be launched site, ReView2aKill. I'm sure you can all figure out the reference for this shot.

Marker on paper.

A View To A Kill

2009-11-10T09:26:00.000-08:00

Not much actually comic book making going on here at the Copland Estate. I'm working through some illustrations for Nuv Takhar's website that should be up in December. This image is of one of the columnists, Anami Vice. Anami is also a kick ass rapper that has just completed his second cd. You can grab a free download of it here!

I'll post a few more of the illustrations as the week goes on.

Helpless Dancer

2009-11-09T07:06:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to get a nice pinup type drawing done for my blog but things just haven't been coming together. It can be a scary feeling when you draw and draw but nothing good happens. So, I decided to just do some quick faces to try and get me out of my art funk. Not sure it helped.

Here are some random faces that I did last night.

Feelin' Alright

2009-11-06T07:19:00.000-08:00

This is my most recent collaboration, of which I'm very proud. The line work is by me and the colouring was done by up and comer, Stewart Copland. He's 4 and he's rockin' the Turtles! The lettering was part me and Stew, too. This one currently lives on the fridge.

Drawing at my table, when he gets home from daycare, has become a bit of a routine for Stewart. He tells me he'd like to do a drawing and climbs up on my big drawing chair. Sometimes he draws the whole picture, sometimes it's a collaborative drawing and sometimes I draw something and he colours it. The fact that he is interested in drawing has me feeling pretty good.

Blood Evil-Mix

2009-11-05T07:05:00.000-08:00

I had no clue what to draw as I sat and watched the Sabres shutout the Islanders. So, when in doubt, draw Thor! I've decided I like to mix the new and old costumes together when I draw Thor.

Marker on paper.

Aurora Borealis

2009-11-04T09:06:00.000-08:00

I was drawing while watching hockey last night. I tried to draw Aurora (the Alpha Flight twin) and came up with a big old mess. I almost put the pens down for the night in frustration but decided to give it one more go. This is what I drew next. Seemed like a fine place to stop drawing for the night.

Marker on paper.

One Night, One Chance

2009-11-03T01:21:00.000-08:00

I got the OK from writer and One Night Stand mastermind, David Hopkins, to show a panel from our one page story, No Good Vagrant. I'm very happy with the way the page turned out.

Diamond will not be shipping any new comics during the week of December 30th, so David Hopkins is offering a ONE NIGHT STAND. It's mini-comic which contains a series of one-page vignettes, each story a collaboration with one of 32 different artists. The goal is to distribute free copies of ONE NIGHT STAND to indie-friendly retailers across North America. The stores can then sell those copies to customers looking for something new on December 30th.

David is a talented writer and I jumped at the chance to work with him. We have talked about doing something bigger when time permits. You can find more information on how to support Hopkins' book, One Night Stand, and maybe get yourself some cool extras, too!

Now, I offered the page to David to be part of the Kickstarter bonus original art level, but it looks like he has enough art to supply that demand. So, since I've been very bad at actually putting together an official Jason Copland Newsletter (look to the right side of this page... above the links... and sign up!), I'll be issuing a Newletter with the chance to win that particular page from the upcoming One Night Stand comic! Go join now and expect a newsletter with the details next Monday! I'll pay the postage to anywhere the winner lives.

*edit* if you already belong to the JCN, then you are already good to go!

Creeping Death

2009-11-02T11:58:00.000-08:00

One of favorite creepy panels from the Perhapanauts Special that I just finished drawing. It should be listed in next (this?) month's Previews.

It Ain't Enough

2009-10-30T07:03:00.000-07:00

I love the moment in Miller's Daredevil when DD senses Elektra's presence. This is sort of a different take on it but close enough.

Have a safe and spooky Halloween, everyone!

By-Tor and the Snow Dog

2009-10-29T07:10:00.000-07:00

Drawing of a rat. Or dog. Or both...? I dunno. It just sorta drew itself.

I'm feeling good.

The Zombie Bomb story is done. The Perhapanauts is done (barring any changes asked for). The One Night Stand story is done. The next thing on my plate is a set of illustrations for my friend, Nuv Takhar, who is putting together his own website of movie/music/what-have-you reviews called, ReView 2 A Kill.

After that, it's all about Davis (working title), the new project with writer/editor/pal, James Powell. We ain't shooting for no 5-8 page submission that will make the rounds to the usual suspects. Oh no, not this one. This is going to go the full distance. 100+ pages of "near-future crime story". Beginning, middle and end. Something to put on your bookshelf. It's going to be awesome.

Believe that.

Because You're Young

2009-10-23T02:02:00.000-07:00

Another page from my high school sketchbook. This is page follows the page in this Flashback Friday post. Sorry about the f-bombs in this. What can I say? I was young and being "edgy".

Have a great weekend!

If You Want Blood (You Got It)

2009-10-22T07:12:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted a full page of sequential art. I finished this page from the Zombie Bomb project the other night and got the OK from the story's writer, Anthony Schiavino, to post it up. Lots of blood in this one...

Anthony will be supplying the colours (and letters) for this short story, too. I should have colour pages from him in the next few days. I'll post one of those later next week, most likely.