Here’s a process video with commentary going through the drawing I did of Jacob Marley (from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol) and the New Year’s drawing I did. I put them together because the independent videos are quite short, but putting them together made them an acceptable video length. I hope you enjoy them!
Jacob Marley to celebrate the holidays. (Click for a larger version)
Here’s the song, “Marley & Marley” (played by Statler and Waldorf from The Muppet Show) from The Muppets Christmas Carol. Be warned, it thumps:
2021 was a quiet year around here, mostly because it was all about getting Chapter 5 drawn (more on that below). Below lists the defining moments for me as a comic creator this year.
CHAPTER 5 GETS DRAWN
The pile of completed pages for Long John, chapter 5.
Much like chapter 4 before it, I was able to get chapter 5 drawn over the summer in its entirety. That being said, though drawing progressed speedily, it also has the distinction of being the chapter with the most panel redraws. This chapter contains my most technical drawings I had to do (while trying to maintain the sketchy nature of the style) so there were many times when I tried to cut corners but, in the end, wouldn’t let myself get away with it.
But, it’s nice to uphold the tradition established with the last book and it showed me that it’s a schedule that works and is reliable.
As of right now, the book is drawn, inked, scanned, and lettered. Right now, I’m laying down flat colors before going through and adding shading and highlights. In short, I’m past the halfway point, but it’s still a long road ahead. However, I feel confident with the May release date at this point.
THE RETURN OF SHOWS (KIND OF)
Like many people, I approached comic conventions and other shows with hesitancy. That being said, after the introduction of the vaccine, for a short while I felt comfortable enough to make a few appearances.
Hobby Quest Grand Opening (1 August 2021)
A shot of my table at the Hobby Quest grand opening celebration in August.
I had the honor of being a guest during the week celebrating the opening of the amazing gaming shop, Hobby Quest, in Elk Grove, CA. It was my first step back out into public with the comic and it was the perfect way to get back out there. All the staff were really nice and helpful and everybody that came into the shop were fascinating in conversation and generous with their time.
The promo for the Books ‘N’ Brews event at New Helvetia Brewing Company.
My second event was another local one, Books ‘N’ Brews at New Helvetia Brewing, which was amazing. Another small local show, it was even better because it was held outdoors and I got to exhibit with my friends Kyrun Silva of Taurus Comics and Jon & Ben from Space Oddities. This was a lot of fun (and the beer was good, as is always the case at New Helvetia) and––sales or not (and they were good, considering being in the middle of a pandemic)––I will cherish the day I got to spend talking to friends and talking about being creative.
Pull Up A Chair Expo-ish (25 September 2021)
The promo for Pull Up A Chair Expo-Ish event in Sacramento.
The last show I did for the year was the tabletop gaming-focused show Pull Up a Chair Expo-ish in Sacramento. Admittedly, I was a late add to the show, but it was also interesting and fun to exhibit at a show that wasn’t comic book-focused (similar to the Hobby Quest opening). Most importantly, it was a great show because of its educational focus; the Pull Up A Chair Foundation focuses on using tabletop games as educational tools, and I was proud to be a part of it.
Probably the most memorable part of the show was the honor I had to be part of a workshop with the other comic creators at the show, there to talk about process with people interested in making comics or storytelling in general.
LONG JOHN, CHAPTER 5
A sneak peek at the cover for Long John, chapter 5.
Chapter five (title and cover to be revealed at a later date) will be released this year barring a disaster of some sort. Within the next few months I’ll be revealing the cover and title before the actual publishing in the spring/summer (at which point it will be published online, as well). It’s a crucial book in the story as it sets up the endgame for Long John and the path of revenge and self-reflection he has been traveling down for the last four books.
Like with all the previous chapters, I’ll be posting the pages on the website as well as on Facebook. Because they were so fun last time, I will also be making short videos for each page (complete with original music) so you can get Chapter 5 however you want! I’m also in the planning stages for extra content for the physical bookandeBook versions of Chapter 5. All of this to say, I can’t wait to show you more! Stay tuned!
Though there’s not a lot to share (yet), 2021 was a busy year. For now, let’s look forward to 2022! Again, I’ll publish updates here on the website, but I would also recommend following me on Instagram and the Long John Facebook page to make sure you don’t miss out on anything.
Even though 2021 ended up being another year of survival, it was an inspired year since I was able to finish drawing Chapter 5. Below are the things that, though they may not have been direct inspirations on the comic, inspired me to keep pushing forward and brought some joy to a very tumultuous year.
WATCHED:
Source: StarTrek.com
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Science-fiction has never been a huge part of my cultural rolodex. I like the genre well enough, but it’s not slotted into a list that defines my tastes, aside from, perhaps, post-apocalyptic works. I have always thought fondly of Star Trek: The Next Generation, however.
I think that’s mostly due to the fact that it was always on during its seven-year run. Being a popular show, that is unsurprising, but only recently did I discover that it was also pervasive because it was made for syndication, meaning that it wasn’t tied to any single network. Any channel could pay for episodes and air them on their station. So, yeah, it was everywhere.
After years of talking about it, my wife and I finally sat down and started watching this show from the beginning. I must admit that I was hesitant because the popular discourse is that the first two seasons are terrible and should be avoided at all costs. I took that to heart because 1. I didn’t want to waste my time, and 2. what if it didn’t hold up to my memory of the show being accessible, thoughtful, and fun?
As we watched each episode of the first season, my wife and I were stunned––they weregood. The entire season was good (minus a few episodes marred by a show finding its legs and also from hindsight), and so was season 2. Bolstered by this revelation, The Next Generation, has been my “surviving 2021” show, which works because it stands in complete opposition to most hour-long dramas developed today: it’s episodic (meaning each episode is its own story instead of an installment in an ongoing story), it’s optimistic and humanistic, and it relies on dialogue over action to resolve its crises. In light of the ongoing pandemic, the cynicism of politics and the news, and generally low optimism, this show became (and continues to be) an incredible breath of fresh air at the end of (nearly) every day.
Source: Netflix
Hilda from Netflix
Hilda is perfect.
Based on a series of comics by British cartoonist, Luke Pearson, Netflix’s animated adaptation is as much an episodic art lesson as it is a fun story. Even though the art style (to be honest, Pearson’s style) is very different from my own, both Pearson and I are very cartoony and work in a reductionist way (which is vapid––all cartooning is reductionist in some way or form). However, there are moments when I stop and admire how the style reduces certain elements, especially backgrounds in the form of architecture and natural landscapes, and think about how I could incorporate those choices into my work. And then I get frustrated because to insert it into Long John at this point would be such a shift that it could be jarring or distracting for the reader. It is also a startling argument for a limited color palette. While not as limited as what I use in Long John, it’s not too far off, and actually works to create a uniformity throughout the show without becoming stale or repetitive.
All of that aside, the show is so well-written and acted, that there is no word I can think to better describe it than “joyful.” It hits nostalgia (despite being new and an original work), playful fantasy, originality, and fully-developed characters so soundly that I can’t believe this hasn’t already existed for fifty years. It feels like something so pure that it couldn’t possibly exist. In other words, Hilda is perfect.
PLAYED:
Source: Nintendo
Metroid Dread by Nintendo (on Nintendo Switch)
It was a busy year of drawing for me, so I didn’t get to play as many video games as, perhaps, I wanted to. I did make one exception for Metroid Dread. Heck, I even bought a Nintendo Switch just to play it.
Having already written about the franchise and my time with the game, the one thing that has become more clear since then has been the influence these games have had on me since diving deep into as many as I could get my hands on. As a narrative, it’s best when austere and simple––Metroid is not about a deep lore or complex plots; it’s about a single person surviving against overwhelming hostility in its many forms. As a game, it is at its best when it conveys a sense of tactile competency––you play as a hero with a specific and limited set of skills and doing your job (and doing it well) is what allows you to progress through the game.
I’m big into that kind of competence power fantasy, to the point where I’ve played through the entire game four times already. More importantly, it is a style that really captured my imagination and a lot of the short stories I’ve been developing have been influenced by the spartan approach to story and character that Metroid has done through all of its numbered installments.
I don’t remember how I found the band Orc and their debut EP, Orc. I think it was actually a promoted Facebook ad that took me to their Bandcamp page. An indie group out of Michigan, they are a two-piece metal band with no guitars. With one man on an extremely distorted bass guitar and vocals with the other on drums, Orc creates a sound like no other I’ve really heard. While it can be weird to listen to (especially before I realized that the only guitar I was hearing was bass), they create a unique sonic signature when all the elements combine.
Orc – “Free (But Nothing More)” from the EP, Orc.
It’s a stark sound the band creates, perhaps even grating if you’re not prepared for it. But if you’re able to find a seat amid the fuzz, the overall tone that’s created by the musicians, their music, the lyrics, and the vocals is one that connected with me on a fundamental level. The lyrics are introspective (and interesting character studies) and the singing is melodic, which stand out against the tidal wave of distortion they float over. The chord progressions––while aggressive––are melodic as well, creating a sense of sadness and melancholy (and melodrama) that other bands try to force through lyrics alone.
While I love the music, it’s not the music itself that had any particular impact on Long John this year. Instead, it’s more of a sense memory. I picked up the EP in the beginning of March and the listened to it a lot. Now, when I listen to it, it takes me back to a specific time, place, and activity. While on spring break, this album was on loop in my headphones when I finally broke through a wall when it came to thumbnailing out Chapter 5. Whether the music created inspiration or if it simply became the soundtrack to my renewed productivity, it doesn’t matter. Either way, it was there at that moment and I’m thankful for it.
