From the Vault: The Big One

From the Vault: The Big One:
Back in the late 90's A friend of mine wanted to do a comic. The premise was an alternate WWII with metahumans (Elves, Dwarves, Drow, Dark Dwarves, Goblins, etc.) as the various nations warring. I offered to help with some design work and plotting. This triptych watercolor was one of those preliminary pieces to be used as a jumping-off point. Unfortunately not much became of the idea, but along with this painting I did a few other fun WWII inspired pieces.

How to Make A Wife Unhappy:
a week or so ago, I was frustrated and in a split second impulse decided to trim my beard into "friendly muttonchops". Before I did it I had the idea in my head that it would be funny. It was, but only for about three minutes. When Julia first saw it she didn't notice and then asked me to "stop making that face" before gasping at what I had done. I have trimmed the rest down so that my beard is even, just very trim.

Carving:
I majored in Printmaking in college, and while I was there I used a technique that combined traditional intaglio techniques with traditional relief printing techniques. I was only able to do it a short while (here is an example of one) After I left school, I was unable to continue with the technique because it requires a press. As a replacement I found a way to use the technique where the goal was a printed image, but a carved block of wood. The one photographed here was a gift for Julia. I plan on starting another one soon and I'll try and document the process.


Molded Glass:
This is a collaboration piece I did with glass artist Gary Bolt. He was experimenting with a technique in casting glass using a woodcut technique to create the initial image. Knowing I was a print major, he asked if I'd be willing to do a piece to test the limits of the idea. I carved the image out of a speedycut block (a soft rubber to replace linoleum or wood for a faster cut relief print).

The block was mailed off to Victoria B.C. where Gary made a sand mold and poured molten glass into it (here it is shown cooling). The final piece is buffed on the surface to remove the sand texture from the high points. Today the piece sits in my north studio window.













Wizard World Chicago:
This weekend I'll be in artist's alley signing, sketching, and chatting. I'll also have free Mouse Guard
temporary tattoos!!! See ya there!!

Happy Father's Day

This was going to be posted late last night, but due to some internet outages because of storms, I'm posting it now.
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Father's Day: My Dad was out of town today, so we agreed to celebrate next weekend when he's back home.

My Dad was a terrific Dad when I was growing up. I know we don't pick our parents but, I can't think of a soul I would have prefered to have been my father and to have raised me than him. He is a teacher. Not a school teacher (though he studied to be one and taught at the junior high and high school levels), he spent most of his life in the engineering field. What I mean is that at his core his biggest asset is to be able to explain something to someone unfamiliar with the topic. He can teach about theory and he can teach in practice. When I was six years old he taught me to turn candlesticks on the wood lathe (a gift for my grandparents for Christmas that year). He taught me how to gas weld when I was thirteen (something that I still enjoy doing and find 'calming'). He taught me how to build better building designs, to question authority, not to be taken, how to camp, how to cook a steak, about politics, how to build a fire, how to drive, how to rebuild an engine...and the list goes on and on.

If it seems like this list is wide in it's scope, that's because it IS. I regard my father as a man who knows more about more things that I'll know. It's something he inherited from his father. My Grandfather (Gumpa as we grandkids called him) had a piece of information on any topic and if he didn't he listened carefully to learn a new piece. My father also received his father's name as a middle name. I received my father's name in the same way. And I fully intend to continue the tradition if God is willing.

Mouse guard owes a great deal to my Dad. He taught me to appreciate my state. To enjoy the natural world, to respect elegant design and how the most primitive of techniques and tools sometimes can't be improved upon. He stressed history and how it should be treated as stories of adventure rather than dusty texts one is forced to read. But mostly, My Dad always gave me the space to be who I was and to encourage doing the things I enjoyed doing.

Thanks Dad. Happy Fathers Day. Happy Father's Day to my Grandfather also, and to all the Dads in my life, and even those I don't know.

ForeWord's Book of the Year Awards
Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 won bronze in ForeWord Magazine's annual awards in the Graphic Novel category! This is the fifth straight year that an ASP book has won in the category:
**Gold Medal (2003): ARTESIA
**Silver Medal (2004): ARTESIA AFIRE
**Honorable Mention (2005): THE LONE AND LEVEL SANDS
**Bronze Award (2006): ROBOTIKA
**Bronze Award (2007): Mouse Guard Fall 1152
It is a huge honor and I thank the folks at ASP and the folks at ForeWord Magazine!!

Kenzie moonlighting in another comic!?!? Brian Anderson who draws the daily syndicated strip Dog Eat Doug sent over his strip that paid homage to Mouse Guard. Turns out Brian is a fan of Mouse Guard and couldn't help naming the mouse in this day's strip after the blue-cloaked Kenzie. You can check out Brian's site here: http://dogeatdoug.com/

Writing Folk-Songs
For part of the Winter storyline a folk-song/ballad is used. I was finding it hard to write something on my own. I wanted it to be authentic and to have the haunting charm of a song like Peggy-O has. I asked my pal Jesse Glenn, who Kenzie is based on, if he could write some music that I could use as a springboard. On a visit out to see him, he pulled out his guitar and quickly recorded the basic repeating melody with an alternate refrain*. The ballad lyrics are finished and before they are published I wanted the music to be heard as well. I plan on having the lyrics and music printed as an extra in the hardcover of Winter 1152. You can download the MP3 here
*The melody will repeat 3 times instead of the recorded 2 before hitting the refrain.

Upcoming Appearances:

Wizard World Chicago: June 26-29

Paradise Expo Toronto: July 12-13

Sorry about the lack of new artwork in this post. I'll try and do another post soon with some misc/non-Mouse Guard work to make up for it

ASP Restructuring

By now fans of Mouse Guard have had a chance to see the news about ASP’s restructuring. Obviously, I have known about it for a while now, but waited for the news to go public before talking about it.

As one of the earlier additions to the ASP family, I’ve had many interactions with Aki Liao over the years and while I will miss him, I can see that this will be a positive change for the company. I still strongly believe in the vision, quality, and talent Mark Smylie has brought to ASP.

"What does this mean about future Mouse Guard issues and hardcovers?" you may be asking. I have no plans to move Mouse Guard to another publisher. Once the restructuring is complete Mouse Guard will be back on track. I apologize for the delays thus far and hope that the fans can bear with us. The coming weeks should give us a better idea of the timeline for upcoming releases.
No matter what, I am fully committed to creating more Mouse Guard and getting it into the fans hands as soon as possible.

Motor City Comic Con:
Last weekend was the MCCC, and I think I have recovered from it sleep-wise. The show seems to have suffered recently from some organizational shake-ups. Attendance seemed down from last May and I heard a general tone from exhibitors wishing the MCCC could grow to be the show it's capable of

However, to not dwell on the negative, I always enjoy sitting near two of my favorite artists: Jeremy Bastian and Nate Pride. Their respective girlfriends joined them as well as my wife Julia so it was just a big-old-party behind our tables. Friday night we all made a mad-dash to Home Depot to collect enough PVC pipe and connectors to construct three free-standing banner-holders. At the time is seemed like a huge hassle and very frustrating, but only a few days away from it, I can already see it was a con-memory with good friends I'll always remember.

I had three highlights at the show:

1) Meeting Katie Cook and her Husband Ryan in person.

Katie and I have e-mailed a few times, but never took the time to really connect with each other in person. Julia & I adore her work and she is a bigger Star Wars and Muppet geek than I am!

After the show on Sunday Katie and Ryan invited our crew to dinner. It was really cool to just unwind and talk about all sorts of geekdom over delicious food with them. To quote the Great Gonzo "There's not a word yet for old friends you've just met..."

2) Talking with Bill Stolpin.
Bill is a printmaker from Flint and knows and studied under the Printmaker who turned me on to the medium (and thus changed the course of my major) I saw Bill's work in that 1st semester class as an example, and it blew me away. He is now teaching printmaking up at the Flint Institute of Arts and offered me use of the facilities if I come up when class is in session. It was wonderfully generous and kind of him, and I look forward to taking him up on it. Check out Bill's website here

3) Surprising Jeremy with the Autographed Frankenstein book.

When Julia and I were in Calgary, Julia found a copy of Bernie Wrightson's Frankenstein book (which is IMPOSSIBLE to find from what I understand). Knowing that Jeremy Bastian wanted a copy, I mocked him openly that I had a copy (knowing in my mind that I had every intention of giving it to him). I even taunted him about Bernie being at the MCCC and getting MY book signed. So on Friday I took the book over to Bernie and had him sign it "To Jeremy". When I brought the book back to Jeremy his jaw nearly fell off his head when I showed him the inscription and confessed my intent to give it to him all along. Happy early Birthday pal!

I also was able to nab some sweet swag:

A: Katie Cook's Sketchbook with a crayon sketch of R5-D4 on the cover

B: Nate Pride's new Sketchbook. Nate's got a great sampling of his newer inkwork

C: Jane Irwin's historical mini-comic Clockwork Game

D: Jane's 2nd Vogelein trade paperback

E: a handpainted Harry Potter greeting card by Katie Cook

F: a print of Nate's awesome character Gip Noodlebottom

G: a Nate Pride original piece of a gnomish guy with a big bowl

H: a Katie Cook original of a Wookiee scared of a mouse-droid

I: a metal transfer print of my Free Comic Book Day image from a fan

J: a Nate Pride print of his version of Grendel himself

K: a Nate Pride print of his version of Grendel's Mom

Upcoming Appearances:

Wizard World Philly: May 30- June 1

Detroit Comics Signing: June 7

Wizard World Chicago: June 26-29

Paradise Comic Con Toronto: July 12-13 *just added

Calgary Comics Expo:
It's been a while since I posted, so I haven't been able to share how great the Calgary con was. Julia and I had some travel difficulties getting there, but it was worth it! It's a great show with a very impressive guest list. I met Whilce Portacio, Jim Mafood, Bill Pressing, and Bill Willingham and reconnected with Josh Middleton and Stewart Immonen. I was really impressed with the hardcover art book they publish to bennifit the Boys and Girls clubs of Canada. I didn't get many sketches done at this show (it was very busy for being a smaller convention) but I was able to do this young hellboy. The owner scanned it and I gave it a quick color job as a warm-up for today.


Our driver to and from the airport was super-nice-guy Steven Gettis. I had never met him in person, but did a piece for his literature themed blog. And I was able to get another piece done for him. When I was in 2nd grade some of my classmates and I decided we were going to do a play of the Wizard of Oz for our class. We cast roles, rehearsed, planned, conned our folks into making costumes: all without ever getting permission from the teacher to ever preform it. She said "no" our parents, knowing how much work we had all put into it, talked her into sparing a bit of time over 2 days for us to preform it in two parts. I was the tin-woodsman and have always had a soft spot for the character. So here is the moment (with text from the book) Dorothy and Scarecrow find the Woodsman rusted stiff.


Free Comic Book Day:
Had a great time signing at Green Brain Comics in Dearborn, Michigan. I had free prints available for everyone, since I didn't have a Free Comic. Dan and Katie went all out to make all the guests feel well cared for. I met and sat next to James Kochalka who draws 'American Elf' and the upcoming 'Johnny Boo'. Thanks Dan and Katie for the great day!

Runners:
Sean Wang does a great book called Runners. He self published the series of five issues and later a compilation over the course of several years and with the support of his then-girlfriend/now-wife Peggy. Runners is a sci-fi adventure comic that takes a lot of it's cues from the han/chewie parts of Star Wars. When Sean found out that his 2nd Runners series would be picked up by ASP, I was thrilled to do a pin-up for him. It won't be in print for a while because it's slated for the extras section of the collected hardcover (after the issues are published) but I wanted to share it and hopefully get some new people familiar with what I find to be a great comic. The pinup is based on the flashback scenes from Sean's first story arc. They stuck with me enough I had to draw the old crew for myself.

Upcoming Appearances:
Motor City Comic Con: This weekend is the Motor City Comic Con. I'll be there all three days (though I may be leaving an hour early on Saturday to make it to a cousin's wedding) signing, meeting fans, and sketching. Motor City is always a fun show because of the close friends I have that also set up there like Jeremy Bastian and Nate Pride.

Detroit Comics Signing:
June 7th I'll be signing at Ferndale Michigan's only comic shop: Detroit Comics on Woodward from noon to three. If you are in the area, stop by!



Fan Art:
This one was e-mailed from fan Orlando Ambriz. He says he imagined Celanawe wearing clean linen robes after becoming the Black Axe.

Back from NYCC

NYCC:

I'm back from Year 3 of the New York Comic Con. It was a really fun and exhausting show. I think I only got up and wandered for a total of 2 hours the whole 3 day con. It was great to see ASP with such a large space (last year's San Diego was like being in a sardine can). And I am proud to be published by a company that boasts the creative works of A.Dave Lewis, Sean Wang, Jon Rea, MATZ, Mark Smylie, Nick Tapalansky, Alex Shiekman, Jeremy Bastian, Alex Eckman-Lawn, Grant Bond, and many many more.



Mouse Guard RPG
When I arrived in NYC on Thursday I was whisked off to Burning Wheel Headquarters where Luke Crane had me playtest the Mouse Guard role playing game. To save some time, we used sample characters and got right into an adventure. I could go on and describe the system, the situation, or the details, but instead I'll sum it up with the most important part: I had a lot of fun playing it. Thanks Luke and Thor for the dinner and adventure!

Jeremy Bastian, his girlfriend Emily, and I shared a hotel room, which was lovely. It's always nice to be able to go back to a room and relax with old friends. Saturday night Jeremy and I were each behind in con sketches and stayed up 'till the wee hours of the morning finishing them. You can see some of the stuff Jeremy did this weekend on his blog: http://jeremybastian.wordpress.com/

I was also really pleased to meet some great folks at this con. Joao Lemos, who's Avenger's Fairy Tales #1 artwork blew me away, was in from Portugal. I was pleased to exchange artwork with him and see his incredible journal/sketchbook he kept to document the Peter Pan history and his adaptation for AFT#1. (his versions of the Avengers as the Lost Boys can be seen to the right)



James Gurney has been on my list of great illustrators for some time. I discovered his work in an issue of Smithsonian magazine where he discussed his process. There were photos of his dinosaur models and gadgets and goggles he had modeled as reference for authenticity in Dinotopia. James and I have e-mailed back and forth a few times recently and I was really excited to meet him face to face. If you haven't check out his blog, it's AMAZING (and if you have checked out his blog, you know it's amazing). He posts on composition, color theory, painting techniques, model making, history, and concept thinking. It's like a refresher for all the things you wish had been explained better in a college art curriculum.

It was also fun to catch up with Runner artist/writer Sean Wang and his lovely wife Peggy. I met Sean a few years ago and read his first self-published collection of Runners on the plane ride home. I have been hooked ever since. Runners is the continuing adventures of alien smugglers, rouges, and outcasts in a sci-fi setting that brings the best parts of Star Wars, without ever crossing the line of being derivative. My favorite of Sean's characters from the book is Grissom, a smuggler from our heroes' past. Sean did this awesome sketch for me while in NY this weekend. Thanks Sean! A new Runners series will be coming this summer through Archaia Studios Press.


Upcoming Appearances:
Calgary Comics Expo:
This weekend I'll be in Calgary, Alberta (that's right, now that it's 70F in Michigan, I'm headed for 30F Calgary) for their Calgary Comics Expo! If you remember in a previous post I showed the image that would appear in their western themed artbook. I'll be signing that book, any Mouse Guard book, sketching, and meeting fans. I'll also be on a panel about being an artist with an indy published book (I don't have details on the time or date of the panel)


Free Comic Book Day!!!
May 3rd is Free Comic Book Day. I'll be at Green Brain comics in Dearborn, MI (unsure of the time yet, but I'll aim to be there by 10AM.) I'll be giving out a Free Mouse Guard print especially made for Free Comic Book Day. (I'm sorry to say that the print will not be available though sources other than Green Brain...sorry out-of-town fans, I'll try and get something out there in a national way next year) So stop by and chat and pick up some free books!

Fan Art:
This Wintery piece comes from the hand of Matt Strackbein. Thanks Matt!

2008 Eisner Award Nominations Announced!!!

And Mouse Guard received two nominations!!

Best Publication for Kids Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 and Mouse Guard: Winter 1152, by David Petersen Best Graphic Album (reprint) Mouse Guard: Fall 1152, by David Petersen.

I am thrilled and excited to have my book nominated for this award. It's a dream coming true.

Recent Appearances:

The Comics discussion group at the Eastwood Schulers in Lansing, MI was wonderful! I had a great time. The store holds a monthly comic discussion group (which I think is amazing that a bookstore is forward-thinking enough to hold). I was also pleased by how polite and thankful the attendees were. I received more 'thank you' emails the day after from that crowd than I have from any other event. So a big THANK YOU back to the attendees and to the organizer at Schulers, Whitney for being such a wonderful host.

Comic Geek Speak Super Show:

Comic Geek Speak is having a convention of their own this fall. After the success of their 200th and 300th show parties, the decided to make it an annual event (instead of based on the number of shows in the can). They asked me to do the cover for the program. I was pleased to have the mice marching with the CGS banner and ringing the Liberty bell all the way to the show in Philly.

here is the link to the event: http://www.comicpodcasting.com/cgsss/index.php

New York Comic Con:

This Friday through Sunday I'll be at the Archaia Studios Press booth in the New York comic con at the Javitz Center. I'll be signing, selling original art, and taking commissioned sketches. Sunday Mark Smylie and I will be on the panel: Let the Magic Begin – Fantasy in Comics: Creating Alternate Worlds on Sunday at 1pm in room 1E03. ASP has a huge round of talent appearing at this convention. For more info on who's going to be there, check out the announcement at the ASP website: http://www.aspcomics.com/2008_pr_041408.php

Fan Art:

My three nieces are helping a family in-need in their area. To do this they are collecting bottles, taking donations, and selling their artwork. Well I loved that they wanted to help (they are all under the age of 10!!) so I commissioned them to do a piece of Mouse Guard fan art for the cash donation. Emma and Kate each drew mice (and were relieved that I wanted to see their style of drawing and not try to copy what I do) Lauren, the youngest, declared that what Emma and Kate were doing was "too hard" so they printed off some images from last years sketchbook for her to color. Thanks for being such wonderful little girls that you offer your time and service to help the less fortunate!!

FIA event

Spring weather is here!
Last week before seeing my dad off safely for his surgery, I headed out to my old woodland stomping grounds to gather some photo reference. Not too far from my childhood home were some nice wooded areas with streams and some wildlife. As a kid I played back there a great deal and even built a fort back there (which had a working fireplace!!) On Saturday mornings (in most any weather) friends and I would head up to our fort and cook frozen burritos, pasties, and one time even scrambled eggs. We would pass the day following the stream, climbing trees, gathering firewood and repairing/improving the fort (it wasn't 100% water-proof). So last week, while tromping around there, I was able to see the location that once was our fort, but the high stream wasn't something I was up to try to cross all for a photograph of the wood pile that was a part of my childhood. However, the photos I took did contribute to this springtime image.

FIA:
Last Saturday I had a wonderful time at the Flint Institute of the Arts doing a lecture presentation on Mouse Guard, my background and my process. The lecture was well received by the audience. I think they enjoyed seeing how I start working from a rough script and then were able to see the steps through a final colored and lettered page. After the lecture I took questions from the audience, and there were some really good ones! Questions about why I use animals to tell the stories, why I use the format I do, and lettering.

The lecture was followed up by a trip to the gallery where they are showing 20+ pages of inked Mouse Guard pages from my collection (the pages and covers I don't/won't sell) I also brought up the Mouse Guard sculptures I did back in '03. Friday night when I was bringing them up from the studio for transport, I dropped two of them and broke them. So at midnight I was mixing up epoxy and trying to make sure all the sculptures would make an appearance.

As this was part of FIA's educational workshops, they opened the studios for young and old to draw and paint. I wasn't able to get around to many of the artists working away, but it was wonderful to see the studio packed with parents and kids dreaming of world and characters far far away from the chilly day in Flint.


The final leg of the FIA day was a signing outside of the gift shop. It was a very nice turnout and great to see so many Flint-area fans. Because the characters in Mouse Guard are based on friends of mine, many of the people in line hadn't read Mouse Guard, but knew or were related to the pals of mine used as the basis for Kenzie or Lieam.

Overall the event was a wonderful success. I had a great time and FIA reports to me that they were very happy with the turnout and enthusiasm from the public. Thank you to everyone who was involved and attended! (FIA is already telling me they want to set up another comics related event next year!!!)

Eastwood
Schuller's
Appearance:
Monday April 7th I'll be attending the Eastwood Schuller's bookstore in Lansing for their monthly comic discussion group (7:30 PM). I'll be taking questions and signing and perhaps sketching if time permits. If you are in the area please stop by and say hello!

Fan Art:
Megan Cutting is a HUGE fan of Mouse Guard and attended the FIA event last Saturday. I have met Megan and her parents a few times now (she has been to every Flint event I have done so far). At the library reading in Jan. she had the cast sign her Lieam plushie. This time she gifted me with a piece of fan-art of her own Mouse Guard character "Burnheart" Thanks for the drawing and loyal fan-ship Megan!