I’m never quite sure what to talk about in these commentaries, but I always manage to find something to say.
The big thing with this video is that it officially unveils another new character (aside from the previously announced Geoff)––The Rook––for Chapter 4.
Not out of nowhere, The Rook was mentioned in Chapter 3 by Juan John as being the current holder of Long John’s clothes. It seems she held onto the clothes while her colleague, The Bishop, went to deal with the Juan John problem.
It’s because of Juan’s utterance of her name that I felt like this video wouldn’t technically constitute as a spoiler. Also, without the context of the scene––as well as lacking any colors and lettering––I figured there’s not much risk in keeping the process hidden for the sake of the content.
Let me know what you think of these videos as I’ve been adding commentary; please let me know if there’s anything you would like me to talk about as I ramble over the comically sped-up inking as I would like to give the viewer as focused and interesting commentary that I can possibly provide.
There is a lot going on this week, too much to post another inking video and/or a Sketch Friday. So, I figured it was time to dust off another dormant feature and talk about things that grabbed my attention this week.
WATCHING:
Spider-Man: Far From Home
Spider-Man: Far From Home Image Source: Sony/Marvel
I know little to nothing about Spider-Man’s history aside from what I’ve gleaned off of comics history books and the Spider-Man movies themselves.
However, I was utterly charmed by Tom Holland’s Peter Parker when I, rather begrudgingly, got around to seeing Spider-Man: Homecoming back in 2017 (I mean, he was charming in Captain America: Civil War, but his character only got center stage with Homecoming). I remember thinking as I waited for the trailers to start, “I could just go. I’m not really invested in the character or the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).” But I stuck it out and within ten minutes I was enthralled.
Going into Far From Home, then, I had somewhat higher expectations, even if those expectations were only, “I hope this is fun and charming.”
To that end, Far From Home is a very fun movie and are probably the MCU films (even if the Spider-Man films are technically MCU-adjacent) I look forward to most, at this point.
READING:
Marvel Comics: The Untold Story by Sean Howe (published by Harper Perennial)
Image Source: Harper Perennial
I was a little hesitant stepping into this book because I have found history books about popular culture can be hit and miss.
In truth, I base this bias on my previous experience with one book, Console Wars by Blake J. Harris. While it’s clear Console Wars was a thoroughly researched and well-written book, I found its presentation too much of a leap of faith to be as credible as I wanted it to be. Harris presented the story of the rise and fall of Sega’s video game hardware division narratively, as if one were reading a novel rather than a non-fiction history. I couldn’t help but question every long conversation that the book presented––how did Harris get this? One person’s memory? Was the conversation recorded? How much of this is creative license? That, combined with no index or bibliography, I found that the reader of Console Wars had to take the information on faith, and that’s not what I wanted about that story.
Thankfully, Howe’s book is much more traditional, albeit very well-written. The text is full of footnotes with a comprehensive index and it’s clear where he’s getting information from. That aside, Howe’s narrative voice is clever, clear, and engaging. I had no intention of finishing the book this summer––like Console Wars, I expected it to be my occasional read over the next few years––I, instead, am riveted to this book and how Marvel Comics became the juggernaut it is despite always actually teetering on the edge of collapse every step of the way.
LONG JOHN, CHAPTER 4 PROGRESS REPORT:
A panel from the upcoming Long John, Chapter 4.
This summer has been very busy, artistically speaking. I have a few announcements to make over the next few months, but in addition to all of that, I have been making very good progress on Chapter 4.
Not only that, but the leaps and bounds I made artistically in Chapter 3 have been leaped and bounded over with my work in Chapter 4. The settings, especially, have really demanded a lot more technical attention than previous chapters and while they were a struggle and frustrating at first…they are still a struggle and are frustrating now, but less so.
Sadly, I am not ready to put a release date on Chapter 4 since there’s still quite a ways to go, but know that it is not only getting done but getting done eagerly.
Until further updates, check out other art from Chapter 4 with the “D. Bethel Draws…” videos I have uploaded over the last few months. More of those will be made and released, as well.
Aside from the expected promotions and, perhaps, professional development workshops, there aren’t many major milestones on a person’s resume that genuinely stands one out from the pool.
My resume isn’t that impressive. My academic resume––called in the industry a Curriculum Vitae––shows the classes I’ve taught over the years as well as work done directly with the English department. My artistic resume is, arguably, less impressive. Sure, over the years––and stretched between two series––I’ve published ten books, appeared at a smattering of conventions (I was even a guest at a few), hosted a few panels and workshops, but nothing that really makes me stand out from the shadows of the many other ambitious, socially and artistically talented, and business savvy local creators on the scene.
To my surprise, a few recent developments have occurred that make me proud to add a new line to my creative resume, and it’s one that I never intended nor expected to add.
Both buildings are the Crocker Art Museum. Yes, they are attached. Image Source: City of Sacramento
Sacramento’s Crocker Art Museum is one of the premier art galleries in California if not only for being the longest continually-operating art gallery since it opened in 1885, then for being home to a collection of a wide variety of cultural and creative expressions from across the world. In the last few years, they have played host to traveling exhibitions from the prints of Toulouse-Lautrec to the modern esoteric art of Hi-Fructose.
Since 2013, the museum has hosted its own unique brand of comic book convention, called Crocker-Con, that is mostly a pop culture celebration that focuses on local talent and art. It’s one of my favorite shows and I have been lucky enough to exhibitatmostofthem.
For the first time this year, the Crocker has opened up its walls to local comic art, and I am lucky enough to be included.
Located in the Community/Studio section of the museum, the halls have been lined with framed comic book art by people like Jon Williams (Space Oddities, B-Squad), Justin Greenwood (The Last Siege), Lauren Gramprey (Nickelodeon storyboard artist, The Slightly Askew Adventures of Inspector Ham and Eggs, B-Squad), Michael Calero (B-Squad), Sean Sutter (Relic Blade, B-Squad), and many others. More than that, local comic shop, A-1 Comics, brought in a stack of comics from the medium’s history to highlight major moments and developments of the art form (I took pictures of the X-Men books, of course).
The first page of Long John hangs at the Crocker-Con exhibit in the Crocker Art Museum.
I never had any expectation or goal to have my work hanging in an art museum, much less in a frame on somebody’s wall. And, sure, it’s not like I’m not a new, permanent addition to the Crocker’s collection, hanging next to the likes of Raymond Dabb Yelland’s sublime Yosemite Valley or Evelyn McCormick’s astounding Arizona Gardens (two of my favorite paintings in the museum), it’s still amazing to realize I’m in the building if even for a short while because I doubt there will be very few things that will continue to make me chuckle to myself in disbelief in the future than saying, “D. Bethel had work hanging in the Crocker.”
