Questions 23: Aaron McConnell

AARON MCCONNELL is an award-winning freelance illustrator and comics creator, and the coauthor of The U.S. Constitution: A Graphic Adaptation. He received an MFA in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design, in 2002, and is currently a member of Periscope Studio.

What projects are you working on currently?

Right now I'm working on another graphic novel adaptation with Jonathan Hennessey. He and I adapted the US Constitution to comics in 2008, and this year we'll be releasing The Gettysburg Address in comic form.

I also started a project with my oldest son a couple days ago based on a script written by Jim Berry.  That might turn up on my son's blog ( www.acmebytes.blogspot.com ) at some point this year.  

DD:  What is your artistic Process?

Read the script, gather research material, read the script, thumbnail approximately 20 pages, gather more research material, block in letters on the thumbnails (because these nonfiction books tend to be pretty heavy on the text), pencil the pages, ink and color them, and send them to a letterer.  Repeat.

DD:  When are story illustrator, how involved are you in the guiding the story?

It depends who I'm working with.  Jonathan Hennessey invites me to offer ideas in the beginning and middle of the process (although, admittedly, I don't contribute too much because I don't want to get in his way.)  But I send him my early drafts and sometimes those have alternate ideas for composition/panel count.  In a different comic project that I drew recently for 3rd to 5th graders I was required to follow the script very closely and there were restrictions on depicting violence and weapons in the battle scenes even though it was meant to accurately portray the siege on Fort Wagner during the Civil War.  I had to Photoshop a bunch of bayonets out of one image, for example. 

What Comic/ Trade would you recommend?

To my mom: (she doesn't read many comics because she claims it's a challenge to follow the order of panels/captions/balloons):  I recommended Asterios Polyp because it's clearly and tightly constructed for readability and she's into psychology and romance.  She read it and thought it was great!  She also liked Persepolis, but she recommended that one to me:)

To my Sister: (she's a painter in NYC who likes comics ranging from Calvin and Hobbes to Julie Doucet):  I'd recommend Make Me a Woman by Vanessa Davis because she can probably relate to it in one way or another, or Miss Don't Touch Me by Hubert and Kerascoe (although I haven't read it yet), and anything written by Joann Sfar, like Dungeon, for it's light-hearted Euro-adventure and Chagall-like graphics.

To my Dad: (he's a cartoonist and inked comics for Marvel in the 90s):  I usually tell him about whatever I'm obsessed with at any given time, currently WinterWorld by Dixon and Zaffino.  For Christmas he gave me a collection of The Abominable Charles Christopher by Karl Kerschl.  That was a great gift recommendation!

To the random nude Portland bicyclist: Bodyworld by Dash Shaw or Chris Ware's ACME Novelty Library 20 (I haven't read it yet, but certain it's tops).

DD:  What Comic/ Trade would you recommend to someone new to comics?

Autobio comics are good for comic evangelism.  You'll get your convert quotas filled in no time with the likes of Pekar, Spiegelman, Lynda Barry, etc.  I tried to ignore comics for a few years in the late 90s, but when I finally came across a copy of Chester Brown's I Never Liked You, I was pulled back in for good.  A more didactic recommendation might be the Smithsonian Collection of Newspaper Comics.

DD:  What skill would you like to learn?

A photographic memory would be nice, but I'll settle for a better memory in general.

DD:  What's the most important thing you've learned? 

"Best things always come when your mind's at rest" is useful to me.

DD:  Do you have a collection? If so, what is one of the items you're most proud of?

I've got a collection of sons;)  Two boys that my wife and I do our best to raise.  I'm proud of them.

DD:  What is your favorite genre of Comics? 

Naturalistic Fantasy, if that's a genre (That might be cheating because I can put anything from Blueberry to Love and Rockets to Pluto in that category.)

DD:  Do you have an Ipad? If so what do use it for the most.

I'm sure I've dropped enough money on vinyl LPs to own an Ipad by now, so I guess that says something about my aversion to new gadgets.  But if you're offering, I'll take one!

DD:  What is your favorite TV show/ movie?

Hitchcock's Vertigo is probably my favorite movie.  I love the voyeurism, suspense, mystery, history, romance, character studies, references to art and architecture, the specificity of the locations, and the sheer beauty of every scene. 

DD:  How does the Portland comics culture shapes your work

I'm a part of Periscope studio and that association has been largely responsible for my career drawing comics.  Apart from the fact that my studiomates helped me meet my first publishing deadline, I've also been exposed to artwork and techniques that I doubt I would have discovered on my own.   The influence that my peers have on my work cannot be understated.

DD:  What was your first comic convention?

I think early 90s, Seattle where I stood in line to have Art Adams and Bill Sienkiewicz sign comics from my collection.  Sienkiewicz laughed at me because I pulled my comics out of a box that was tagged with an advertisement for a chemical that controlled powdery mildew in orchards (I grew up on a pear and apple orchard).

DD:  What is your favorite part of comic conventions?

Besides pretending that I have only a casual interest in comics?  I enjoy meeting creators and looking for sketchbooks and new releases.  I haven't really felt the pull to sit behind a booth yet.  I tried it once or twice and wished I was roaming the floor instead.

DD:  If you weren’t doing comics what would you do?

Probably trying to control powdery mildew working on my parents' orchard.

DD:  Do you have a favorite restaurant that you would recommend?

My youngest son is 2, so when we rarely eat out we go for family dining.  We like Country Cat on Stark and they have weeknight specials http://www.thecountrycat.net/ .  We also like Dot's Cafe on Clinton for burgers and velvet.

DD:  How long have you lived in Portland, what made you choose Portland?

We moved here in September 2006 after deciding that Providence, RI was too far from family.  My wife and I have family in Central Washington and Albany so we're well situated.

DD:  What is your favorite part of Portland?

I love living near a park, and the fact that no matter where you live in Portland you're probably within walking distance of a park.  Nice to be in a city where trees get some respect!

DD:  Where in Portland/ Oregon would you most like to visit?

You name it!  I haven't been to Ashland in years, and still haven't been to Crater Lake.  And the entire east side of the state is still unexplored territory to me.  What's out there?

DD:  Would you like to write/Illustrate for another media? Or write a character from another media, for example, Dr. Who, James Bond? What would you explore?

I would like to participate in one of those music anthology books like they've done for Belle and Sebastian, Tori Amos, and Bob Dylan.  If anyone's publishing a Tom Waits or Vic Chesnutt comic anthology I hope I get an invite;)  How 'bout a Nick Cave anthology?

Questions 22: Barry Deutsch

Barry Deutsch grew up in New York and attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City for a year, where he took Will Eisner’s cartooning class.   He moved to Portland and attended PSU and did political cartoons for the student paper, for which he won national Charles Schulz Award for outstanding college cartoonist.   His first graphic novel Hereville follows the lead character Mirka as she faces a witch, a mean pig, and a troll in an effort to win a sword and begin her life’s mission of slaying dragons.  It is a classic fantasy epic.  He is still a political cartoonist his work appear i n Dollars and Sense Magazine  and are collected on the website leftycartoons.com.

Check out his blog Alas, a Blog

And for beginning cartoonist, you may like his Guide to Making Comics.

Doug Dorr:   What projects are you working on currently?

I'm writing and drawing the second Hereville book.
 
DD: What is your artistic Process?

For the writing, I do as much research as I can stand, and then I sort of feel my way into the story. I make some stuff up and it's going wonderfully, and then i make more stuff up and it's kind of difficult, and then I make more stuff up except now it's like sucking molasses through a straw.

Eventually, I wind up with a complete story -- although it's not unusual for the final story to be wildly different from what I had originally thought the story was about. Then comes the editing, first to try and make sure the story works, and then to refine the details. Refining is the fun part of writing, for me; I listen to the voices in my head, making my characters play through one scenario or another until the scenes in my head begin to feel engaging and rich.

Then comes writing the dialog and laying out the pages, which for me is the same step. This is the most painful and difficult step, except for all the other steps. Trying to make the layouts playful and interesting and at the same time seamless and serving the story is, when it works well, incredibly gratifying. But sometimes I feel like I'm just trying to force inspiration to come when it doesn't want to.

After that, comes the drawing, which I do on computer. (Actually, I do everything on computer -- my stuff is never on paper until the publisher prints it). I just scribble, erase, scribble, erase: there's a video of my drawing process on Youtube which illustrates this pretty well.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EB-Cg0TH0bA

After I ink the comic, Jake Richmond, my studio-mate, colors it.

DD:  What Comic/ Trade would you recommend to someone new to comics?
It would depend on the person. But Blankets might be a good one.

DD:  Have you worked with another artist on book?  How does that change your processes?
On Hereville, I collaborate with Jake Richmond, who does the colors. It's a lot of fun, because sometimes he makes choices that I never would have thought of, but which work wonderfully.

DD:  What skill would you like to learn?
I'd love to be a good illustrator. I feel I'm a good cartoonist, but I really get intimidated when asked to illustrate something.

DD:  What's the most important thing you've learned?
Well, as far as cartooning goes, the most important thing I've learned is to just get the work done. Nothing else will happen unless you're working hard and making pages.

DD:  Do you have a collection?   If so, what is one of the items you're most proud of?
I have a comic book collection -- all trade books, no floppies -- but I don't know that I'm really proud of any of it. I have an original Walt Kelly drawing on my wall, that gives me a lot of pleasure.

DD:  What is your favorite genre of Comics?
What do you call that genre that's distinguished by not being any of the genres? You know, just comics about ordinary people. I guess that's my favorite. But I enjoy good work in almost every genre.

DD:  Do you have an Ipad?   If so what do use it for the most.
No ipad!

DD:  What is your favorite TV show/ movie?
I love this Canadian show, Slings and Arrows. And I'm a total fanboy for Buffy.

DD:  How does the Portland comics culture shapes your work
I'm definitely influenced by some of my cartoonist friends, but other than that, no way I can think of.

DD:  What was your first comic convention?
Probably Chicago? That was a long time ago.

DD:  What is your favorite part of comic conventions?

Meeting neat people and talking to them about comics!

DD:  If you weren’t doing comics what would you do?
i think i'd be a writer.

DD:  Do you have a favorite restaurant that you would recommend?
JC Noodle on SE Foster. It looks completely unpromising from the outside, but they have the best rice noodles in town. You have to get there early, though, because they usual sell out by early evening. But if you show up at 5am they'll be happy to serve you dinner!

DD:  How long have you lived in Portland, what made you choose Portland?
I've been in Portland about 17 years; I moved here as part of a group of friends coming from Massachusetts. We had a friend who lived here, and I don't drive, so the good pubic transit system was a big appeal.

DD:  What is your favorite part of Portland?
Probably Powell's City of Books.

DD:  Where in Portland/ Oregon would you most like to visit?
Um... a nice Chinese restaurant?

DD:  Would you like to write/Illustrate for another media?   Or write a character from another media, for example, Dr. Who, James Bond?  What would you explore?
In the Buffy universe, there's one fat girl who's a slayer, who shows up for about a second in the final episode. I'd love to do a comic about that character someday.

Questions 21: Tom Orzechowski

Tom Orzechowski is an award-winning comic book letterer, primarily known for his work on Uncanny X-Men. He has been lettering X-men over a 25 year period, mainly working on pages of Chris Claremont's scripts.  His letters are almost perfectly square and painstaking the same height.  Orzechowski modeled his lettering on the Flash Gordon newspaper strips of the 1930s but you can also see one of influences was Robert Crumb's Zap Comix.   While Marvel was standardizing their style,  Orzechowski was drawing influences from calligraphy, record jackets, old movie posters almost everything except comics.   Roy Thomas complained that that his letters looked too much like underground comics when he was working in 1973.   He was an innovator in lettering and logo design.   The Wolverine logo is his design that was based on elements from the 20-30's.

In 1968, when Orzechowski was 15, he joined comics club with a group of aspiring comic book artists that me at a comic convention in Detroit.   Some older members of the club included future comics professionals Rich Buckler, Jim Starlin, Al Milgrom, and Mike Vosburg.  Orzechowski quit drawing when he saw their work.  None of the club members wanted to letter their amateur comics so Orzechowski took on that job.   Later, Tony Isabella, an old friend, got an editorial job at Marvel around Halloween of '72.  When a lettering corrections job turned up and he gave Orzechowski a call to see he wanted to work at Marvel for $100 a week.  By the time of the debut of the New X-Men in X-Men #94, Orzechowski had developed a reputation as a "new projects guy," and was given the odd issue, and then finally the series.  From there he became the letterer for X-Men, many of its annuals, The New Mutants, Wolverine, X-Treme X-Men, and MekaniX.  

In 1992, Orzechowski was among the first letterers to experiment with computer fonts.  His his first font program was so primitive he ended up doing that series entirely by hand.  But by 1994 Orzechowksi was lettering mainly on the computer, and in 2002 he switched completely to digital lettering, using a Wacom pen on a graphics tablet, in Adobe Illustrator.  Although he is now Lettering Savage Dragon by hand now, with the same pen he has been using since the 80's.   He is busy lettering now and has a typography and logo design studio.

As Tom said, "Orzechowski is probably the most famous Polish name in the lettering world. No one can pronounce it, but they recognize it on sight."

Doug Dorr:   What projects are you working on currently?

X-Men Forever, for which I also letter the covers; Savage Dragon, which I letter with pen and ink; New Mutants Forever; Forward 54th, about an African American regiment in the Civil War; Reign of the Underdog, written by rapper Lazarus; Captain America, Fighting Avenger; Hulk Aftershock; The AdvanceTeam, a graphic novel for Tor Books; Spawn; and a couple of Wolverine projects.

What is your artistic Process?

I letter the comics digitally in most cases, which includes page composition, titles, dialogue, balloons and sound effects. A lot of the fonts I use are my own designs.

DD:   When you are story letterer, how involved are you in the books look and feel?

I’m the midpoint between the script and the art. I have to balance both elements on the page. This has me designing the script’s layout so that the dialogue and captions bounce attractively amid the art bits. I make it all flow, pulling the eye continually toward something interesting.

DD:   What skill would you like to learn?

Time expansion.

DD:   What's the most important thing you've learned?

How to work 32 hours without a break.

DD:   Do you have a collection?   If so, what is one of the items you're most proud of?

I tend toward coverless ‘50s DCs. No favorites.

DD:   What is your favorite genre of Comics?

My interest is in the artwork, so I go for all genres.

DD:   What is your favorite TV show/ movie?

Fringe.

DD:   How does the Portland comics culture shape your work?

It’s nice to have so many other professionals nearby. We know a lot of the same things, but learned them with different emphasis.

DD:   What was your first comic convention?

Detroit Triple FanFair, 1967. I met some people at the ’68 show who ran a city-wide comics club. Most of us were working in comics by ’75. Most of us still do.

DD:   What is your favorite part of comic conventions?

People bring my books for signatures. I see a lot of the same key books, but every so often something old and obscure turns up. I haven’t looked back at them since I did ‘em, so it’s interesting to see everyone’s early work. 

DD:   If you weren’t doing comics what would you do?

Except that I don’t drive, I might have studied to be a general contractor. I like working toward exact outcomes.

DD:   How long have you lived in Portland, what made you choose Portland?

My wife and I moved here six years ago. We got to know the town a bit, and liked it a lot, when I was up here for a job interview some years ago. I didn’t take the job, but couldn’t resist the town.

DD:   What is your favorite part of Portland?

We live in St. Johns, which we chose because it has a village-y quality to it.

DD:   Would you like to write/Illustrate for another media? or conversely, how would you feel about working with a popular character from a different media, for example, Dr. Who, James Bond?  What would you explore?

I’ve been too busy in comics to give much thought to other areas. Everywhere you go, the deadlines are brutal… but the pay might be better elsewhere. Comics come out every month, and I like the security of that. Dr. Who was canceled for quite a few years, and James Bond movies may never happen again. For me, it comes down to a balance between high-level thrills and regular work.

I found this interview with Tom Orzechowski was great

Silverager Interviewer part 1

Silverager Interviewer part 2

The doctors!!!

Thanks to Bleeding Cool

MEWcon this weekend Dec. 31, 2010 - Jan 2, 2011

MEWcon
Manga & Exotic Worlds Convention
Dec. 31, 2010 - Jan 2, 2011

Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel
8235 Northeast Airport Way
Portland OR

Signing for La Brujeria @ Bridge City Comics

I love a story about a Chupacabra co-worker.

Please join Aaron Duran, artist James Sinclair, and editor/letterer Jennifer Alvin as they premiere their first title, La Brujeria, at Bridge City Comics on Saturday January 15.

A bizarre tale of a “gifted” temp that accepts yet another boring job. But, with Werewolves, Elementals, & a diminutive Chupacabra as co-workers; Althalia learns the Golden Bought Pawn Shop is anything but typical. With old powers and even older adversaries waking up on and under the streets of Portland, nothing will ever be the same. 

Date: January 15, 2011, 6:00
Bridge City Comics
3725 North Mississippi Avenue
Portland, OR 97227-1158
(503) 282-5484 

Tintin for the holidays

Joe Keatinge is putting together a fantastic fan art gallery and overview of the classic European character Tintin written and illustrated by Herge.   I haven't read Tintin since I was a kid, but after reading this I feel compeled to pick it up again and read it with my kids.  He has art from Tony Morgan, Jared Lewis, Jon Siruno, Jon Siruno, Cat Farris, Ron Chan, Terry Blas and Kimball Davis, Mario Boon, Brandon Graham and Moritat.   And that is just from part 1 and 2 of this 4 part series.

These are posted on Neon Monster:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3 

Updated with Part 3

For my kids who LOVE Charlie Brown

Happy Holidays

Thanks to Melee Comics

Santa Claus Vs the Martians

Sadly Benito Cereno, James Harren and Ed Brisson's Santa Claus Vs the Martians was not able to be ready to be published for this Christmas but you can check it out online with Comic Alliance.   This version has full annotations.  Thanks for the early xmas gift.

1/4 Tim Seeley Signing Party @ TFAW

Come meet Tim Seeley,  Scott Allie and Shane White at TFAW @ for a signing party.   He'll be joined by two of his Hack/Slash Trailers Part 2 contributors, Scott Allie (Buffy Season 8, Solomon Kane) and Shane White (Fractured Fables, One Month to Live)  Also, check out Tim's new Ant-man and Occultist comics.  

Date: 1/4 from 7:00 - 10:00

Hollywood TFAW 

4133 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland OR

Merry Little Christmas

1/06 Emitown Release party @ FWC

Emi Lenox's webcomic diary has been collected Emitown by Image comics.  Come see Emi and her amazing new book at Floating World Comics on Jan 6.  


Thursday, Jan. 6th, 6-10pm
Floating World Comics
20 NW 5th Ave #101
Portland, OR 97209
(503)241-0227

Questions 20: Aaron Lopresti

Aaron Lopresti spend year at Oregon State, and left to pursue his second love, film.   He headed to the USC film school in Los Angeles.    After film school and he spent a year reading scripts for Tri-Star Pictures. But after three years in Los Angeles he moved back to Portland and getting a job at Art Farm Studios.   Aaron’s first big break came in 1993 when Publisher Dave Olbrich and Editor-in-Chief Chris Ulm hired Aaron for Malibu Comics' new Ultraverse line to draw for the comic book series Sludge.   .     In 1995 he founded the successful comic art studio, Studiosaurus that lasted until 1998.     Since that time he has created artwork for Marvel, DC, Image and Dark Horse.  Some of the titles he’s worked on include The Hulk, X-men, Spider-Man, Captain Marvel, Wonder Woman, Batman, The Avengers, Plastic Man, Star Trek, Superman and many more including the self published Atomic Toybox

Aaron lists his art influences in two categories, comic and illustration.     His comic fluences are: Frazetta, Berni Wrightson, Neal Adams, Michael Golden, Steranko, Brian Bolland, and anyone else who is good.   Illustrators who have influenced Aaron over the years are: Frazetta(again), James Bama, William Stout, JC Leyendecker, Brian Froud, Robert McGinnis and Chuck Jones.    

Check out his amazing Fantastical Creatures Field Guide: How to Hunt Them Down and Draw Them Where They Live  and his site to look at his diverse illustrations.

What projects are you working on currently?

 I am penciling JLI: Generation Lost (every third issue), I am penciling and inking the covers to R.E.B.E.L.S (starting with issue #25) and I am writing and drawing a feature called Garbage Man which will appear in DC's new anthology series, Weird Worlds, which comes out in January.

DD:   What is your writing Process?

I work through the plot in my head so I know where I am starting and where I am going to end up.   Then I break it down page by page so I can be sure that the story will fit within the page constraints I am working with.   Then I just start writing.   When I get done, I will go through and rewrite the dialogue.   Then when I pencil the book, sometimes I will change it as I am drawing because i will get ideas that better help tell the story.  After I am done penciling I will go through and rewrite the dialogue again.  

What Comic/ Trade would you recommend?

 Unfortunately I don't read them anymore.   I do occasionally pick up issues of the "Modern Masters" series if it is an artist that I like.  I get most of my industry information online from places like Comic Book Resources and Broken Frontier, etc.

What Comic/ Trade would you recommend to someone new to comics?

 See above.

When are story illustrator, how involved in guiding the plot of the story?

 Really not at all unless I am also writing.  Sometimes a writer or editor will ask, "what do you want to draw?"  Then you have an opportunity to interject some story ideas but most of the time you get a script and start drawing.

What skill would you like to learn?

 I would like to become a good oil painter and I would also like to find the time to improve my photoshop skills.

DD:   Do you have a collection?   If so, what is one of the items you're most proud of?

 I collect comics, some movie posters, dinosaur items, and some original art.   I have Amazing Spiderman #2 and up and some single issues that I am pretty pleased to have include Sgt. Fury #13 (NM), Shock Suspense #13 (VF/NM), Strange Tales #114, Tales of Suspense #59, Journey into Mystery #112, National Comics #26 all high grade.  I have a ton of other nice books as well including a high grade run of Silver Surfer and Conan.   I also have a vintage (1978) Wrightson original.  A lot of cool stuff fills my studio.

DD:   What is your favorite genre of Comics?

Monster and Fantasy/Adventure.  Anything Burroughs related or barbarian in general.   Some of my favorite comics growing up were Marvel's John Carter of Mars series, as well as Ploog and Buscema's Weird World stuff.   I am very much a child of 70's comics when Burroughs, Robert E. Howard and Tolkien stuff was all the rage.

DD:   Do you have an Ipad?   If so what do use it for the most.

 No.  I have a Mac Tower but that is as far as my trendy computing goes.

DD:   What is your favorite TV show/ movie?

I did watch LOST but I was so disappointed by the final season and their inability to adequately explain the events of the series that I swore to never get hooked on a show again.

My all time favorite movie is JAWS.

DD:   What was your first comic convention?

I went to Richard Finn's Portland Comic Book shows when he had them at the Masonic Temple back when I was in high school.   The first big one I went to was San Diego back in 1986.

DD:   What is your favorite part of comic conventions?

Talking with people and shopping for cool weird stuff you can't find anywhere else.  Also, getting to hook up with other professionals.

DD:   If you weren’t doing comics what would you do?

I would be writing and drawing children's books which is something I am trying to get into now.   If not art, I would be a chef.

DD:   Do you have a favorite restaurant that you would recommend?

Chef Paul's restaurant in New Orleans.  Locally I really like Giovanni's in Beaverton.

DD:   How long have you lived in Portland, what made you choose Portland?

I was born and grew up in Beaverton.   I couldn't wait to leave the state.  I don't like the politics or the weather.   I left and went to school in LA but eventually ended up back here.  I then moved to Florida to work at CrossGen but family brought us back to Oregon again.   I will probably die here wishing I lived somewhere else.   

DD:   What is your favorite part of Portland?

All of the old book and magazine stores.  NW Portland was a pretty cool place to hang out when I was young.  

DD:   Where in Portland/ Oregon would you most like to visit?

I have never been to Bend, Oregon.  

DD:   Would you like to write/illustrate for another media? or conversely, would you like to illustrate a popular character from a different media,  for example, Dr. Who, James Bond?  What would you explore?

John Carter of Mars or the Herculoids!

Every Zombie Death from Walking Dead Season 1

for my wife.    Waiting patiently for season 2.

Movie History in Cage Hair

Xmas Hawaiian Style

Keith Tucker

12/14 PageTurn: A Set of Ideas Around the Future of Publishing.

PageTurn was an event created to highlighted some of those experiments and projects, giving a reason for publishers, authors, booksellers, and readers to gather.
Among those presenting are Victoria Blake of Underland Press, Aaron Colter of Dark Horse Comics, Melissa Delzio of Our Portland Story Project, Justin Hocking of the Independent Publishing Resource Center, Greg Netzer of Wordstock, and Matthew Stadler of Publication Studio.

December 14, 2010
The Cleaners at The Ace Hotel
403 SW 10th Avenue, Portland
Doors open at 7:00pm
Talks run from 7:30 to 9:30pm (with beer break)
Free with cash bar
Event Format: 7x21x20 (7 minutes, 21 slides, 20 seconds per slide)

Featured speakers include:
Victoria Blake, Underland Press
Aaron Colter, Dark Horse Comics
Melissa Delzio, Our Portland Story Project
Tim Grahl, Out:think Group
Justin Hocking, Independent Publishing Resource Center
Josh Kenyon and Colby Nichols, Jolby
Greg Netzer, Wordstock
Matthew Stadler, Publication Studio
Tim Sullivan, Harvard Business Publishing
Joshua Tallent, eBook Architects

12/17 Spirit Quest Signing @ Bridgetown

A Release Party for "Spirit Quest," an anthology on spirituality/religion,  Come and meet the contributors and editors, pick up contributor copies, buy an issue before they hit the shops or just have a nice friendly conversation.    It's all about community!!

This is prepared by Stumptown Underground is a zine collective, publishing monthly issues that include pretty much anything you can put in a zine (writing, comics, illustrations, reviews, recipes, etc) and centralized around a different theme each month.

Friday, December 17 · 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Bridge City Comics 3725 N Mississippi Ave Portland, OR

Questions 19: Chris Samnee

He is currently the artist on the monthly series Thor: The Mighty Avenger with writer Roger Langridge and just completed the OGN Serenity: The Shepherd's Tale with writers Joss and Zack Whedon.   His influences are artists like Alex Toth, Milt Caniff, Steranko, Romita, Sr., Kirby, Mazzucchelli and Steve Rude.  They give him the cleaner, simpler line like the Silver Age artists.   I find that he is amazing to watch sketch and ink, if you have the opportunity watch him. He has done some fantastic work such as The Mighty (DC), The Exterminators for DC/Vertigo, Agents of Atlas (Marvel), Capote in Kansas and Queen & Country (Oni Press).   He is a rising star and is on some major new marvel books such as Thor,  Siege: Embedded,  Age of Heroes and DC's Vertigo Crime OGN Area Ten.     I cant' wait to see what's next.

Chris, Laura and Scout recently moved from St. Louis to Portland.  

Check out his amazing sketch blog  and is amazing works at  Comictwart  

Doug Dorr:   What projects are you working on currently?

Currently, issue 8 of Thor: The Mighty Avenger, along with some sketching for upcoming projects. 

DD:   What is your artistic Process?

Typically, I get a script from my editor.  I read through the script once, then read through a second time, making sketches in the margins about panel layouts or angles or storytelling.  Then I sit down and translate the script, and those sketches, into 4"x6" thumbnails.  The thumbnails are sent to my editor for approval. After approval, I draw the full sized pencils which are again, sent in for approval.  Then I ink those pages.

DD:   What Comic/ Trade would you recommend?

I really enjoyed the first Parker book by Darwyn Cooke.  The second is in my to-read pile.

DD:   What Comic/ Trade would you recommend to someone new to comics?

I guess that would depend on what they like to read!  

DD:   When you are story illustrator, how involved are you in the writing?

Typically, I'm not.  Unless the writer asks for my two cents.

DD:   What skill would you like to learn?

I'd love to learn how to color in Photoshop.

DD:   What's the most important thing you've learned?

In comics?  I've learned that it's incredibly important to have a good support system.  And that being professional about your work (especially deadlines) will set you apart with editors.

DD:   Do you have a collection?   If so, what is one of the items you're most proud of?

Of course!  I've got a small, but great, collection of original art. 

DD:   What is your favorite genre of Comics?

I love silver-age, 60's, fun and campy comics.

DD:   Do you have an Ipad?   If so what do use it for the most.

No.

DD:   What is your favorite TV show/ movie?

My favorite movie is Superman: The Movie.  I have lots of favorite tv shows. 

DD:   How does the Portland comics culture shapes your work

Well, I've only been here five months, so I don't think it's had a chance to shape my work yet. I do love that so many creators live in Portland, and that was certainly a draw for us to move here. 

DD:   What was your first comic convention?

A Greater Eastern convention in St. Louis when I was probably 12.

DD:   What is your favorite part of comic conventions?

Hanging out with other creators and getting to meet fans.

DD:   If you weren’t doing comics what would you do?

I'd love to be a sculptor.

DD:   How long have you lived in Portland, what made you choose Portland?

We've been here five months.  I like that there is such a large community of comic book folks.  Also, I really love coffee and rainy weather.

DD:   What is your favorite part of Portland?

Honestly, I've spend almost every waking hour working at my desk since we moved to Portland, so I haven't seen very much of the city.  I do love our neighborhood though.

DD:   Where in Portland/ Oregon would you most like to visit?

Anywhere outside of my office!  :)

DD:   Would you like to write/Illustrate for another media? or conversely, how would you feel about writing a comic of a character from a different media, for example, Dr. Who, James Bond?  What would you explore?

I'd love to explore doing storyboards at some point.  

12/18 Axe Cop at Bridge City Comics @ Bridge City

There is a signing of Axe Cop at Bridge City Comics!  Both Ethan and Malachai will be present!    During one of Ethan's Christmas visit, 5 year old Malchai was running around with his toy fireman axe and he said he was playing "Axe Cop." He was asked to play and was brought a  recorder as weapon (flute cop).  This week-long visit they cranked out the first four episodes of AXE COP.  Malachai is the idea man,  Ethan just records the exploits.     Here is a video of the writing process.

There will be a signing on

Saturday, Dec. 18th from 3pm - 5pm.
Bridge City Comics
3725 N Mississippi Ave,
Portland, OR 97227-1158

Bridge City Comics will also have special limited edition Axe Cop art print available for purchase ($10 each) during the signing. 

If you haven't read it, checkout  Axecop

1/5 Open Planning meeting - Portland Zine Symposium

Stopped by the ROM exhibit @ Floating World

This was the first time I had ever actually been to fwc.    I have met Jason at Stumptown many times but it was really cool to check out Floating World on the edge of Chinatown.  It is a cool location.  You can still check out the ROM exhibit and buy ROM prints the proceeds go to Bill Mantlo.    I bought the above print by Veronique Meignaud.

 

Questions 18: Joe Keatinge

Joe Keatinge started working at Image his primary job was PR &  Marketing.   Image doesn't hire editors, but he did end up editing the projects he brought to Image while working there.  He eventually left Image so he could concentrate on PopGun and his own projects full time.  Popgun is an award winning comics anthology.   The driving concept behind Popgun is a mixtape of graphic short stories that cross the borders of all genres.   In addition, he's contributed to anthology titles such as Negative Burn and The Next Issue Project#1: Fantastic Comics #24 with artists Mike & Laura Allred.    Currently Joe is also a contributor to Neon Monster blog.   He is a member of Tranquility Base shared studio of illustrators and cartoonists.

Doug Dorr:   What Accomplish are you most proud of?

I'm most proud of PopGun bringing a ton of exposure to a lot of new artists, writers and cartoonists. I've had editors from every major publisher tell me they use every volume as catalogs for creators. It's great to know the books doing what we intended them to.

DD:   What projects are you working on currently?

I'm mostly focused on writing, primarily with three creator owned series I hope to have out by this time next year. There are also several things featuring characters I don't own, like the upcoming jam comic closing out the first wave Twisted Savage Dragon Funnies. It's an eight pager written by me and illustrated by Dean Haspiel, Simon Fraser, Joe Infurnari, Michael Cavallaro, Tim Hamilton, George O'Connor & Savage Dragon creator Erik Larsen. Our aim with having so many people involved was to tell the equivalent of a mega-crossover series with multiple tie-ins, but in just eight pages. Furthermore, I'm especially stoked since this marks Erik drawing his first solo Dragon story by another writer.

Of course, I'm working on the future of PopGun. We'll officially announce what this is after the new year. Not only is there a fifth volume in the works, but we're also developing the next stage of the anthology's evolution. Other than that, we're keeping things mum.

Besides all this I'm doing more cartooning and illustration work than I have in years. While at Image Central I let my art fall to the wayside, so it's something I'm working on now more on than I have in a long time. This publicly kicks off with Moonstone's Bedtime Stories for Impressionable Children #1, which features an eight-page story I illustrated, written by Jim Kuhoric. It's certainly the work of a rusty artist, but it has got me going again. I'm also looking to expand out of comics as before Image I illustrated/designed a number of album covers for bands like Northern State & Alex Arrowsmith and look forward to doing more soon.

There's also some Not Comics, like my ongoing columns at Neon Monster. I've been doing more along these lines and enjoyed it, so I don't doubt there will be more on the way.

DD:   What is your Artistic Process?

It depends on what I'm doing.

When it comes to drawing, my process resembles old, dead cartoonists. I like drawing on toothy bristol paper with pencils, pens and brushes. This is done at a desk I hunch over until my back hurts. Tablets haven't entered the equation for me yet. Stylistically I'm more inspired by people like Herge, George Herriman, Floyd Gottfredson and Winsor McCay so I'm prone to emulating how they worked.

Writing and editing are both the same and wildly different. More or less, I procrastinate for awhile, then sit down at a desk until I can't work anymore.

In all cases, I take notes and mull over things for a long time, then it all comes pouring out when I sit down and do it.

I will say the procrastinating part has died down considerably since joining up with the Portland, OR based comics studio, Tranquility Base. I now find myself waking up, checking e-mail, returning calls then heading down to the studio as soon as I can. Once I'm there there's not a lot to do other than work on comics. So I basically just sit at a desk until I'm done.

What Comic/ Trade would you recommend?

Every single volume of Tintin by Herge. They're all good. The very early stuff like Tintin in the Land of the Soviets and Tintin in the Congo is rough, but worth seeing where a master cartoonist started. My personal favorite books is the two-part moon story, Destination Moon and Explorers on the Moon. I suppose if you just had to buy one to go with either Blue Lotus or Red Rackum's Treasure. Lotus is widely accepted as his masterpiece, but Red Rackum's Treasure is a great primer for the series as a whole.

Furthermore, if you want to make comics, you need to be reading more Moebius. The guy's work is currently very hard to locate, but it's also what all your favorite artists have been inspired by for the last thirty years. Luckily, the new iteration of Humanoids is bringing in some of his work with writer Alejandro Jodorwsky, specifically Incal and Madwoman of the Sacred Heart. It's good stuff, but the work he's done on his own is great. If you have the tenacity to seek it out, I highly suggests Epic's nine-part Moebius reprint series. Again, it's extremely hard to piece together, but well worth it.

What Comic/ Trade would you recommend to someone new to comics?

Without question, JM Ken Niimura and Joe Kelly's I Kill Giants, published by Image Comics. Its become my go-to book for anyone who asks me what the whole comics thing is about. The only prerequisite to enjoying it is to be a human being with a soul. You're in for a real treat as long as you've got that going.

With your experience in illustration and design, do you contribute to the look and feel of the books you publish/edit?

While I've never published a book, my editorial philosophy is to find the right people for the right project and let them do whatever the hell they want. I feel it's best to act as a support system, not to make changes to sound effects or character motivation. If you can't trust the talent you've brought on to make their own decisions, then you shouldn't have hired them in the first place.

What skill would you like to learn?

Right now I'm most actively working on becoming a better cartoonist. While working at Image I still wrote the small thing here and there as well, but for the most part I let my art fall to the wayside. There was one lone exception - Kelly the Cop from The Next Issue Project #2: Silver Streak Comics #24 - but otherwise I only drew in my sketchbooks from time to time. As I said when I mentioned Bedtime Stories for Impressionable Children, I have gotten pretty rusty. However, I'm working hard on getting it to where I want to be again through a combination of life drawing, studying artists from all sorts of mediums and reading Andrew Loomis books.

What's the most important thing you've learned?

The best advice I've gotten on life in general I received from my Dad, who got it from Joseph Campbell: Follow your bliss.

I've found life to be a lot better experience when I know it's focused on pursuing what makes me happiest. Whenever I've diverged from it, because it was safer or whatever, I've always been displeased with the results. That said, following a bliss can be a tough path. Blisses don't always come with a paycheck and sometimes they seem impossible and depressing, but in the end I'd rather be doing what I want to do than something I don't. Life's too damn short. 

Do you have a collection?   If so, what is one of the items you're most proud of?

Yeah, I have a pretty massive library of single issues, tradepaperbacks, hardcovers and art books as well as some original art. Right now the thing I'm most stoked about is this spinner rack Between Gears artist, Natalie Nourigat, gave me. I filled it with all the comics which made comics my life pursuit in the first place. It ranges from Moebius to Mickey Mouse in Air Pirates Funnies to Chris Ware's Floyd Farland to 70s Jack Kirby and a slew of others. 

What is your favorite genre of Comics?

I used to say superhero comics with the caveat of thinking the vast majority of superhero comics don't utilize what I like most about the genre. People really tear into it, but I think it has so more much potential we have ever fully realized. It's a genre in which anything makes sense, where nothing is impossible, conveyed in a medium where there are no limits. How cool is that?!

We've seen glimpses of what I want to see in works like Flex Mentallo, Madman, Bulletproof Coffin, Savage Dragon, Casual Heroes, Daniel Clowes' Deathray, among others. I think it's capable of more than most people ever give it credit for.

These days I've been most excited about Fusion Comics, in which multiple genres merge to create something new. For example, there's Brandon Graham's King City, where you could argue it has superhero elements - to me the Catmasters are the 21st century's Green Lantern Corps - but to classify it under said genre isn't accurate. It seems to be the genre equivalent of Paul Pope's theory of World Comics, where since artists had more exposure to work around the planet, their styles would become more diverse than ever before.

Do you have an Ipad?   If so what do use it for the most.

I certainly do.

At this point I primarily use it as an e-reader for novels, comics, magazines, newspapers and whatever else. What I've found is it doesn't act as a replacement for any of those things I was already reading, but rather a supplement. I still go to the comics shop every Wednesday; I even go out of my way to purchase the new issue of Empire whenever it hits the states. That said, I'm discovering a lot more than I would have ever have before. There's a number of international magazines on fashion and design I would never have thought to check out, but am now enthralled by. The proper distribution wasn't there before. Now it is and it's making me seek out more.

As a guy who travels with some frequency, its been a Godsend. In the past I would always pack way too much reading or viewing material, now I just load it onto my iPad. It's nice to shift from The Girl Who Played With Fire to All-Star Superman to Inglorious Basterds just by brushing my finger.

What is your favorite TV show/ movie?

My favorite TV show of all time is, without question, Patrick McGoohan's The Prisoner. I don't think there's been another show nearly as radical or ground breaking since. At the moment I'm hopelessly addicted to Mad Men. A friend lent me his DVDs months ago and I sat on them until last week. Now I'm halfway through Season Three.

Movie wise Hal Ashby's Harold & Maude has been my favorite flick since I was 16 and I can't imagine it ever being dethroned. The new movie I've been most taken with was Anton Corbijin's The American. It was a huge surprise, especially since I didn't see a trailer beforehand. All I knew was a buddy wanted to go and I enjoyed the design aesthetic of its one sheet. The end result was stunning, as the flick had more in common with 60s and 70s thrillers like Le Samourai than anything coming out today. 

How does the Portland comics culture shapes your work

The community here is amazing. Living around so many insanely talented writers, artists and cartoonists definitely keeps me motivated.

Even beyond the creators here, to live in a city filled with amazing comic shops like Floating World Comics, Bridge City Comics, Cosmic Monkey and Excalibur, to name a few, as well as a fantastic show in The Stumptown Comics Fest helps my drive. It's like living in Dylan Horrocks' Hicksville.

I mentioned them before, but I can't stress enough how much I love working with the folks at Tranquility Base. While everyone here does such wildly different work, working together in the same room results in all working harder and better than we might otherwise. At least that's what it's doing for me.

What was your first comic convention?

I don't remember when I first went, but it was definitely one of the Los Angeles Comics and Science Fiction Conventions at the Shrine auditorium. I do remember Brian Pulido was working really hard to push Evil Ernie while it was published by Eternity so it was definitely a long time ago.

What is your favorite part of comic conventions?

Each convention is sort of like summer camp for creators. Every time I go to a con, I get fired up about comics just by hanging out with friends I'd otherwise never get to see.

I also love meeting new artists and seeing what they're doing. It's always inspiring to find out what's motivating the talent of tomorrow.

If you weren’t doing comics what would you do?

I hope I never have to know. Before I worked in comics I made my living at video stores which have all gone extinct. So, I don't know. Washing dishes?

Do you have a favorite restaurant that you would recommend?

I'm still figuring this out since I'm relatively new to being in Portland. The closest contender is probably McMenamins Blue Moon. I certainly go there the most.

During my first tenure in Portland I became pretty fond of McMenamins, but since coming back I've discovered most people don't seem to like it. Something about them expanding too much or the service not to expectation. However, my love for them is rooted in seven years ago so I'm still a fan. I also went for years without being able to drink my all-time favorite beer - their Hammerhead ale - so I'm a happy dude now.

Carts wise, the easy winner is Big Ass Sandwiches down on Southwest Ash and 3rd street. They make, hands down, the best sandwich in the city.

How long have you lived in Portland, what made you choose Portland?

I've only been living in Portland this time around since June 2010, but I did live here several years ago for a short while. After parting ways with Image, I took a tour of various places I considered living in and it only took a few hours of being back in Portland to know it was the town for me.

The comics community was huge for me, but it's more than that. I like big city living in a place which is comparatively small to its equivalents across the country. I'm also not a driver, so it helps to be able to get around without a car. Furthermore, I made a lot of friends in my first time out here who I've missed a lot over the years. It's very nice to be around them again.

What is your favorite part of Portland?

Tranquility Base. The studio is like sharing the Bat Cave with six awesome artists. Plus Floating World and Ground Kontrol are within stumbling distance. It's hard to complain when a fine funnybook emporium and a place I can play Ms. Pac-Man or Bad Dudes at while drinking Miller High Life are so close by.

Where in Portland/ Oregon would you most like to visit?

I haven't been to Astoria, where my grandmother's from, in years so I'd like to roll over there and see what's up.

Would you like to write/Illustrate for another media?  What would you explore?

Absolutely, but whatever gig I'd get would have to leave time for comics. I lose interest the moment it becomes something where working on comics is an impossibility.

Screenwriting and teleplays has its appeal, but it would have to be the right fit. Also, like every writer of all time, I'm also working on a novel. Basically, I'm way down for whatever as long as it's allowing me the freedom to create what I want.

12/17 Tron Legacy opens in Portland!!

I will be going to Tron Legacy in 3-D.    Hopefully on IMAX.  It opens Dec 17

12/10 Portland Geek Council of Commerce and Culture “Geeky Wonderland” Holiday Party

I went to the serenity signing with Zach Whedon and Chris Samnee for their OGN The Shepherd's Tale.   They had a great Question and answer afterwards.     Then the whole crowd jammed into the TFAW across the street; it was packed.     Many of the attendees  hadn't been to a comic store before.   To me that is a big success.   This was put on by Portland Geek Council of Commerce and Culture (PGC³), in coordination with TFAW, Excalibur, and Bridge City.

On Dec 10 the PGC³   is having a party
PGC3 Presents: Geeky Wonderland
Someday Lounge

125 NW 5th Ave

Portland, OR

 
This will be a perfect place for the public to meet the people involved.   I will see you there.

Questions 17: Brett Warnock

“Brett Warnock really loves comics.” He is a co-publisher, with Chris Staros, and art director of literary graphic novel publisher Top Shelf. He grew up on Clarment/Byrne X-men, Wolfman/Perez Teen Titans, and Frank Miller's Daredevil. Brett went on to college in Eugene at the University of Oregon where he discovered the world of mail-order zines and mini-comics.    He was influenced by anthologies like RAW, Blab!, No Zone, and Drawn and Quarterly. He went to become something of a student of the history of the medium, as well as the business of comics. He felt the rising mini-comics stars were largely being ignored by the previous generation of publishers. This was main impetus to launch the Top Shelf anthology. Topshelf went on to publish a series of hit books, such as Box Office Poison, Alan Moore’s From Hell, Essex County, Super Spy, Blankets, and Lost Girls. Top Shelf is known for the superior stories in well crafted books. Top shelf has produced over 250 books and is well known for its ability to discover and showcase the vanguard of the alternative comics’ scene.

And he can make a mean Margarita.

Doug Dorr:   What projects are you working on currently?
I'm currently getting covers ready, and building specs (for printers bids) for our entire 2011 schedule.

DD:   What is your Process when editing?
My role as "editor" is much more like a traffic manager. Chris Staros (my partner in Atlanta) does any story-editing that needs to be done. That said, we don't do too much fiddling with stories.

DD:   What Comic/ Trade would you recommend?
From Hell. Blankets. Essex County. Alec: The Years Have Pants. Swallow Me Whole.

DD:   What Comic/ Trade would you recommend to someone new to comics?
Blankets.

DD:   With your experience in illustration and design, do you contribute to the look and feel of the books you publish/edit?
Yes, to the extent that i am the art director, all books need to meet my criteria for good design. If an author is willing and able to do all the design on the own, i'm more than happy to let them do so. (Less work for me!) But as often as not, i'll work with the author and an outside designer to find a common ground, and make the book really sing.

DD:   What skill would you like to learn?
Ironically, while i started out in this business as the chief designer on staff, my own skills have atrophied pretty bad. I've never been good at Photoshop. So i'd really like to go back to school and bone up on Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop), as well as video editing software. Oh, and i'd love to learn how to sail.

DD:   What's the most important thing you've learned?
Be true to your instincts.

DD:   What is your favorite genre of Comics?
I love almost all genres of comics. Most people know i'm an unabashed superhero fanboy.

DD:   Do you have an Ipad?   If so what do use it for the most.
Not yet.

DD:   What is your favorite TV show/ movie?
Hmmm.. that's a tough one. Star Wars is my religion. (NO prequels, however.) I love certain directors. Kurosawa, Wes Anderson, Budd Boetticher, so many more. TV? Well, i don't have cable, so it's pretty much only tv on dvd. I like the failry recently trend of meta-storytelling in television. Sopranos started the form, and i love how it's essentially a novel length film. LOVED Deadwood, John From Cincinnati (unceremoniously canceled), Battlestar Galactica, X-Files, Twin Peaks, Northern Exposure, Arrested Development... the list goes on. I'm a pop-culture junkie. That said, my free time is so rare, that i don't catch as much as i otherwise would. I need time to take walks in the woods, after all.

DD:   How does the Portland comics culture shapes your work?
Not at all. I'm stuck in my man-cave (basement of my house) all day, so i don't get out much.

DD:   What was your first comic convention?
San Diego ComicCon 1991.

DD:   What is your favorite part of comic conventions?
Seeing old friends, making new ones, and exploring cities.

DD:   If you weren’t doing comics what would you do?
Probably still be tending bar.

DD:   Do you have a favorite restaurant that you would recommend?
No. (I'd tell you, but i don't want to line to be any longer.)

DD:   How long have you lived in Portland?
Born and raised. Spent the years 1985-1994 in Eugene, then came back.

DD:   What is your favorite part of Portland?
The food.

DD:   Where in Portland/ Oregon would you most like to visit?
Looking forward to getting back to Eastern Oregon. Enterprise, Wallowa, Joseph area.

New Doctor Who Special on Dec 25 on BBCA

On BBCA

until then a special Doctor Who from Craig Ferguson