Right. In all the swirling chaos that is...well, my life right now...I'm gonna be putting out a ton of books and doing crazy stuff and I know stuff's gonna get lost in the shuffle, but these books are important to me. They come from places and mean things. Here's a story about one of the new ones.
So, back in the old days of the original "Super Duper Fun Comix", the stories were about Cactus Joe, Pengy Penguin, Walt, and Sped having these odd little adventures. I liked the way these weird characters that had no business hanging out together just all kinda clicked. Of course, the stories eventually got violent and crazy and someone would try to kill the Clown and blahblahblah. Time passed, and I did "SDF" where I separated out the old quartet. Cactus Joe and Pengy became this bizarre duo, while Walt and Sped went back to their roots as a comedy duo. But every so often I'd put the old gang back together, like in "SDF: Sombrero Friday". I also occasionally liked doing silly little stories when I could. Like "The Great Race" or the two issues of "New Super Duper Fun Comix" I did. I like silly little stories from time to time. I mean, not everything can be an Epic, right?
Anyway, I did a silly little All Ages story with Walt n' Sped late last year, and I had planned on doing one Walt n' Sped special a year. But this year, when I was starting to think about the idea, I found myself missing those old stories with the Clown & Penguin hanging out with their old buddies, Walt n' Sped. So, that's what I decided to do. I decided to throw Frimpy into the book because, well, I empathize with Frimpy. That guy's got no luck, just like me. I also dropped Penny Platypus into the book for no real good reason. Maybe I needed a female character. I dunno.
After that, I just needed something for them to do. My brain said innertubing. I've never ever been innertubing. Hell, I've never been rafting or kayaking or any of that crap. But I can imagine going innertubing, especially with my pals. Drifting downstream. Relaxing. Shootin' the breeze. Sounds cool, right?
I had my premise, now all I needed was the script.
Enter the Houston Airport.
Thanks to an 8 hour delayed flight, I got trapped in the Houston Airport. Now, I don't know if you've ever been trapped in an airport for what is, for all intents and purposes, an entire day, but it is boring. Very, very boring. You can only run around and ride monorails and eat overpriced terrible food for so long before you're about ready to blow your brains out.
So, I did the only thing I could think of to do. I went to work, doing what I do best. I happened to have my little Composition Notebook and a pen, so away I went. I wrote/thumbnailed the entire story in the airport while hanging out. That's probably why it's such an odd duck. There a weirdly Biblical theme to it, as a Giant Fish shows up and swallows up a couple of our heroes. There's also a completely out of left field spiritual moment in the dead center that's not funny or anything. But there's a lotta funny stuff throughout, though. Sped's dialogue cracks me up every time I see it. And it's silly and breezy and odd. It's pretty good for a comic written in an airport while I was feeling about as lonely and alone as one dude can possibly feel.
Oh, I also, somewhat ironically, wrote my awkward attempt at a porno comic while in the airport as well. I'm not gonna be publishing that one though.
What? I was lonely.
Anyway, if you found any of the above Rant even remotely interesting (and I can't see how you did, considering the whole thing was largely incoherent), then head over to www.torcpress.com and check out the "Super Duper Fun Comix 2011 Special". Yep.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
Monster King 5 Now Available
Heyo. I haven't even had the time to really hype the "Super Duper Fun Comix 2011 Edition", and now I've got another book out. Yeah. Anyway, the Print Edition of "Monster King" Issue 5 is now available. It's $5.00 plus $1.50 S&H with Full Color Interiors and a Color Cardstock cover. If you read it online, you know the drill, but if you didn't, then, basically, it's about the worst day of the Clown's life. There's violence and sadness and crazy stuff. Also, the Inside Back Cover is Blank, so if you buy a copy, then make sure to leave me a comment that tells me what you want me to draw a sketch of on the back. So there.
My allergies are killin' me.
My allergies are killin' me.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
The Bob Mafia
Alrighty. Before we get to today's Rant, if you haven't read the latest pages of MONSTER KING, make sure to head over to http://www.torcpress.com/mk5.html and read the latest installment. It's okay. I can wait. I'll just read some old Jack Kirby Fantastic Four comics.
...
Oh. You're caught up? Good. Let's continue.
I came up with the idea for the Bob Mafia back in... High School(? Maybe earlier, but who's really counting). The idea was a pretty simple one. I basically came up with this theory that, for some reason, Big Old Fat Guys had a weird tendency to be Mob Bosses. There's Marlon Brandon in the Godfather, there's the Kingpin from Marvel Comics, not to mention The Blob (okay, not a Mob Boss, but bear with me here) and Mojo from the X-Men. There's the bad guy from Dune (that guy was ultra fat AND creepy as hell). And, of course, good old Jabba the Hutt from Star Wars. Anyway, the idea I kind of came up with was that "What if there was this big, intergalactic mafia that did every illegal thing that could be done (Slavery, Drugs, Prostitution, Weapon Smuggling/Selling, Extortion, blahblahblah) across hundreds of Planets across the Entire Galaxy and the entire operation was controlled by a Race of Big Fat Alien Monsters who were so fat that they couldn't move on their own and needed Machines to Move, and they all came from the Planet Bob and they were all named Bob." A pretty simple idea, when you get down to it. Anyway, the idea just kinda sat inside my brain for years, and as I started making comics, I kept trying to find the right time to bring the Bobs into the Story.
The Problem is, I never really found the right time to bring them in. They just sorta danced around the edges. One of the Bobs actually popped up in the first TORC Press comic ever, "Pulp Horrorshow" vol. 1 #1, but he got killed by the Crimson Enigma. There were mentions and hints of the Bob Mafia in "Truth or Consequences Monthly" #5-6. In Era Two, the Bobs continued to get some slight mentions. If you read closely enough, you'll see references to them in "Pulp Horrorshow" vol 2 #1-2 and "SDF: Honorless Dogs" #1-3 (in the back-up story featuring El Gorio and Lab Bunny). I always had intentions of doing more with the Bob Mafia. It just never came together.
Some quick Fun Facts about the Bob Mafia:
1) All of the leaders of the Bob Mafia are named Bob and come from the Planet Bob. They are differentiated by number. The lower the number, the higher the Rank in the Mafia. For example, Bob Mk III (who appears in this week's MONSTER KING) is the Third Highest Ranking Bob in the Entire Universe. Makes sense, right?
2) Chuddo Snudd (who also appears in this week's MONSTER KING), who you might remember as the corrupt mayor of Big Town, IL in my comic "Gulatta!", was always secretly a member of the Bob Mafia. His real name is Bob Mk IX. His goal on Earth was to gradually take control of Big Town so that the Bob Mafia could use the city as an Outpost for the Bob Mafia's various Illegal Activities on Earth. Sure, they were pretty much using Foster City, IL for the same purpose (as well as a few other places, see the upcoming "Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club" #16-17 for more on that one), but, y'know, they're a Mafia, which means they're greedy by definition. Anyway, if things with "Gulatta!" woulda continued and went they way they were gonna go in my brain, there would have been a full fledged War between Chuddo Snudd and his army of robots vs. Eyenigma. Of course, that ain't gonna happen now, but, whatever.
3) The rank and file members of the Bob Mafia are divided into two categories. The lowest ranking members of the Mafia are a group of Clones called S.I.M.P.S. (Synthetically Intelligent Mass Produced Soldiers). If you look closely at Page Five, you'll see a bunch of Bald Guys wearing Groucho Glasses. Those are SIMPS. They are expendable and stupid and are only really good at following orders and shooting guns. The next rank up is reserved for people from the local planet that have joined the Mafia. In the case of Earth, that would be Human Criminals who work for the Mafia. The next rank up are the Guppies.
4) Millenia ago, the Bob Mafia conquered and enslaved an entire planet full of Fish People (called Fishmon). During the War, one race of Fishmon betrayed their people and sided with the Bob Mafia, essentially leading to the enslavement of the entire Planet. These traitorous Fishmon became known as Guppies (yes, I'm aware of how silly this is. Shouldn't you come to expect this from me by now?). As a reward for their treachery, the Bob Mafia made the Guppies Top Ranked Soldiers in the Mafia. The Green Skinned Guys in Suits with Machine Guns in the foreground of Page Five of MONSTER KING 6 are Guppies.
Anyway, I never really got around to doing any of that in the Comics. And I'm getting ready for the NEXT THING, so I was like, screw it, let's get rid of these guys. So that's what happens in the most recent pages. The Bob Mafia's Earth Branch gets Wiped Out. Honestly, kinda glad they're gone. It's not healthy to sit on an idea for over a decade and not really use it.
...
Oh. You're caught up? Good. Let's continue.
I came up with the idea for the Bob Mafia back in... High School(? Maybe earlier, but who's really counting). The idea was a pretty simple one. I basically came up with this theory that, for some reason, Big Old Fat Guys had a weird tendency to be Mob Bosses. There's Marlon Brandon in the Godfather, there's the Kingpin from Marvel Comics, not to mention The Blob (okay, not a Mob Boss, but bear with me here) and Mojo from the X-Men. There's the bad guy from Dune (that guy was ultra fat AND creepy as hell). And, of course, good old Jabba the Hutt from Star Wars. Anyway, the idea I kind of came up with was that "What if there was this big, intergalactic mafia that did every illegal thing that could be done (Slavery, Drugs, Prostitution, Weapon Smuggling/Selling, Extortion, blahblahblah) across hundreds of Planets across the Entire Galaxy and the entire operation was controlled by a Race of Big Fat Alien Monsters who were so fat that they couldn't move on their own and needed Machines to Move, and they all came from the Planet Bob and they were all named Bob." A pretty simple idea, when you get down to it. Anyway, the idea just kinda sat inside my brain for years, and as I started making comics, I kept trying to find the right time to bring the Bobs into the Story.
The Problem is, I never really found the right time to bring them in. They just sorta danced around the edges. One of the Bobs actually popped up in the first TORC Press comic ever, "Pulp Horrorshow" vol. 1 #1, but he got killed by the Crimson Enigma. There were mentions and hints of the Bob Mafia in "Truth or Consequences Monthly" #5-6. In Era Two, the Bobs continued to get some slight mentions. If you read closely enough, you'll see references to them in "Pulp Horrorshow" vol 2 #1-2 and "SDF: Honorless Dogs" #1-3 (in the back-up story featuring El Gorio and Lab Bunny). I always had intentions of doing more with the Bob Mafia. It just never came together.
Some quick Fun Facts about the Bob Mafia:
1) All of the leaders of the Bob Mafia are named Bob and come from the Planet Bob. They are differentiated by number. The lower the number, the higher the Rank in the Mafia. For example, Bob Mk III (who appears in this week's MONSTER KING) is the Third Highest Ranking Bob in the Entire Universe. Makes sense, right?
2) Chuddo Snudd (who also appears in this week's MONSTER KING), who you might remember as the corrupt mayor of Big Town, IL in my comic "Gulatta!", was always secretly a member of the Bob Mafia. His real name is Bob Mk IX. His goal on Earth was to gradually take control of Big Town so that the Bob Mafia could use the city as an Outpost for the Bob Mafia's various Illegal Activities on Earth. Sure, they were pretty much using Foster City, IL for the same purpose (as well as a few other places, see the upcoming "Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club" #16-17 for more on that one), but, y'know, they're a Mafia, which means they're greedy by definition. Anyway, if things with "Gulatta!" woulda continued and went they way they were gonna go in my brain, there would have been a full fledged War between Chuddo Snudd and his army of robots vs. Eyenigma. Of course, that ain't gonna happen now, but, whatever.
3) The rank and file members of the Bob Mafia are divided into two categories. The lowest ranking members of the Mafia are a group of Clones called S.I.M.P.S. (Synthetically Intelligent Mass Produced Soldiers). If you look closely at Page Five, you'll see a bunch of Bald Guys wearing Groucho Glasses. Those are SIMPS. They are expendable and stupid and are only really good at following orders and shooting guns. The next rank up is reserved for people from the local planet that have joined the Mafia. In the case of Earth, that would be Human Criminals who work for the Mafia. The next rank up are the Guppies.
4) Millenia ago, the Bob Mafia conquered and enslaved an entire planet full of Fish People (called Fishmon). During the War, one race of Fishmon betrayed their people and sided with the Bob Mafia, essentially leading to the enslavement of the entire Planet. These traitorous Fishmon became known as Guppies (yes, I'm aware of how silly this is. Shouldn't you come to expect this from me by now?). As a reward for their treachery, the Bob Mafia made the Guppies Top Ranked Soldiers in the Mafia. The Green Skinned Guys in Suits with Machine Guns in the foreground of Page Five of MONSTER KING 6 are Guppies.
Anyway, I never really got around to doing any of that in the Comics. And I'm getting ready for the NEXT THING, so I was like, screw it, let's get rid of these guys. So that's what happens in the most recent pages. The Bob Mafia's Earth Branch gets Wiped Out. Honestly, kinda glad they're gone. It's not healthy to sit on an idea for over a decade and not really use it.
Friday, November 25, 2011
From Darkness to Light
Something pretty devastating happened to me last week. It was one of those things that just absolutely messed me up. So, I spent the rest of the week just trying to drag myself through the days, pretending to be in passable shape. I wasn't. Anyway, I decided to take a week off from TORC Press to get my crap together. Last night my "Depression Fever" finally broke, and I feel like enough of a human being to get back to doing my thing.
So, onward and upward. First off, we've got Pages 5 through 8 of MONSTER KING Issue 6 is now up for viewing, starting at http://www.torcpress.com/mk5.html. Pages 5-6 feature the other Skull Mob Divisions dealing with the Bob Mafia once and for all (more on that later this week), while in 7-8 we see Skull Mob Division 4 (which consists of Cosmico Rex, Run-No-No-Run, Stop-Go-Go-Stop, Riddle Bug, and aliceislost) step in to fight the Ortex Elite Squad while Cactus Joe continues to be broken.
Annnd, we've got a new book! With the 24 Comix Challenge winding down, we'll be putting out a lot of books between now and the end of the year. Anyway, the new book is "Super Duper Fun Comix 2011 Special". It's a fun little 16 Page BWG Comic book with a Color Cover for $2.50 plus $1.50 S&H. It's All Ages, so anyway can score a copy. The story is pretty simple: Cactus Joe, Pengy Penguin, Walt, Sped, Frimpy, and Penny Platypus go out innertubing and crazy things happen. There's a Free Preview up at: http://www.torcpress.com/sdfcprev.html
So there you go. New MK Pages. New Comic. Check em out.
So, onward and upward. First off, we've got Pages 5 through 8 of MONSTER KING Issue 6 is now up for viewing, starting at http://www.torcpress.com/mk5.html. Pages 5-6 feature the other Skull Mob Divisions dealing with the Bob Mafia once and for all (more on that later this week), while in 7-8 we see Skull Mob Division 4 (which consists of Cosmico Rex, Run-No-No-Run, Stop-Go-Go-Stop, Riddle Bug, and aliceislost) step in to fight the Ortex Elite Squad while Cactus Joe continues to be broken.
Annnd, we've got a new book! With the 24 Comix Challenge winding down, we'll be putting out a lot of books between now and the end of the year. Anyway, the new book is "Super Duper Fun Comix 2011 Special". It's a fun little 16 Page BWG Comic book with a Color Cover for $2.50 plus $1.50 S&H. It's All Ages, so anyway can score a copy. The story is pretty simple: Cactus Joe, Pengy Penguin, Walt, Sped, Frimpy, and Penny Platypus go out innertubing and crazy things happen. There's a Free Preview up at: http://www.torcpress.com/sdfcprev.html
So there you go. New MK Pages. New Comic. Check em out.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
The Ideas Behind the Pages
I've slowly been getting over system shock from the 24 Hour Comic Challenge, so I haven't really had much time or energy to get on the ole blog and do some hypin'. Figure this morning's as good a time as any.
"The Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club" #14-15 came from two places. First off, I missed aliceislost. I missed the character, I missed the environment that she lived in, and I missed the tone and feel of her world. I wanted to dabble in that a little again, and the Fudgeheads gave me the opportunity to do that a little. The story also developed a very weird, almost Biblical vibe, as our heroes are trying to steal an apple from a massive tree hidden behind a giant wall. Instead of a serpent offering them the apple, though, there's instead a giant serpent (er, dragon) trying to stop them. Oh, this is also another book where the Nefarious Dr. Dendull pops up and causes trouble. So that's just an added bonus.
The first four pages of "Monster King" 6 are about me dealing with my own feelings of depression, and my self destructive need to "give up". It's not the Clown's most heroic moment, and considering how I've been a rather loud advocate of heroism in comics, it seems like a pretty hypocritical set of pages. But they come from a real place. I have days where it feels like my Demons have me completed cornered and that there is No Hope, and that I might as well throw in the towel. The good news is, that I don't. I guess, maybe, this story is sorta my attempt at dealing with those issues.
I bought four boxes of Girl Scout Cookies. It's Thin Mint time!
"The Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club" #14-15 came from two places. First off, I missed aliceislost. I missed the character, I missed the environment that she lived in, and I missed the tone and feel of her world. I wanted to dabble in that a little again, and the Fudgeheads gave me the opportunity to do that a little. The story also developed a very weird, almost Biblical vibe, as our heroes are trying to steal an apple from a massive tree hidden behind a giant wall. Instead of a serpent offering them the apple, though, there's instead a giant serpent (er, dragon) trying to stop them. Oh, this is also another book where the Nefarious Dr. Dendull pops up and causes trouble. So that's just an added bonus.
The first four pages of "Monster King" 6 are about me dealing with my own feelings of depression, and my self destructive need to "give up". It's not the Clown's most heroic moment, and considering how I've been a rather loud advocate of heroism in comics, it seems like a pretty hypocritical set of pages. But they come from a real place. I have days where it feels like my Demons have me completed cornered and that there is No Hope, and that I might as well throw in the towel. The good news is, that I don't. I guess, maybe, this story is sorta my attempt at dealing with those issues.
I bought four boxes of Girl Scout Cookies. It's Thin Mint time!
Monday, November 14, 2011
The Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club Issue 15 Now Available
What was I talking about? Oh yeah. New Comic. It's Issue 15 of the Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club. It's y'know. A comic. There's fighting and a dragon and man I'm tired and feeling odd right now. Screw it. Let's hype this another time. It's a good book, though. Details at www.torcpress.com/hfsac15prev.html.
It really is a good book. I don't mean to sound underenthused. I'm quite enthused. There's some really good artwork in this issue, and aliceislost guest stars, and there's some interesting character developments. And there's more strange visions.
I should probably get some sleep.
It really is a good book. I don't mean to sound underenthused. I'm quite enthused. There's some really good artwork in this issue, and aliceislost guest stars, and there's some interesting character developments. And there's more strange visions.
I should probably get some sleep.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
The 24 Hour Comic Book Challenge Results
The Game: Create, Write, and Draw a 24 Page Comic in 24 Consecutive Hours.
The Location: Comic Quest in Evansville, IN.
The Time: 11/12/11 starting at 10am and ending at 10am on 11/13/11
The Players: "The Unstoppable Comix Juggernaut" Joseph Morris and "The Crazy King" Clint Bassinger.
The Fuel: Lipton Green Tea with Citrus and as much chocolate as I could cram into a bag. Also, chips.
The Strategy: This year, I decided to write, pencil, and ink Each individual page before moving on to the next page. This means that, in theory, I would need to write, pencil, and ink a minimum of one page every hour in order to make the grade.
Page One- Completed at: 10:30am. Notes: First page in under an hour? Hell yeah. Next!
Page Two- Completed at: 11:07am. Notes: Page two in about 30 minutes? It takes longer to get a pizza. Fear my awesomeness.
Page Three- Completed at: 11:44am. Notes: Knocked out another page in less than an hour? Jeez, this is gonna be easy.
Page Four- Completed at: 12:49pm. Notes: Okay, it took me a little over an hour. Not bad. Still on schedule.
Page Five- Completed at: 2:18pm. Notes: Huh. Big time jump there. I think I took a food break. Pulled pork sandwich. Yummy. Need to pick up the pace a little.
Page Six- Completed at: 3:14pm. Notes: Back on track. One hour. Nice.
Page Seven- Completed at: 4:11pm. Notes: Keeping a good rhythm.
Page Eight- Completed at: 4:47pm. Notes: 30 minutes on the nose. Yeah baby!
Page Nine- Completed at: 5:34pm. Notes: Looks like I'm keeping a good stride. A little under an hour.
Page Ten- Completed at: 6:36pm. Notes: Another hour. Another page. Moving on.
Page Eleven- Completed at: 8:33pm. Notes: Suppertime! Pizza! Green Tea! More chocolate!
Page Twelve- Completed at: 9:01pm. Notes: Splash Page! Super fast! Super Easy! Cleared it in 30 minutes! Back on track.
Page Lucky Thirteen- Completed at: 10:07pm. Notes: Yep. Got my rhythm back, and I'm Over the Halfway Point with a Full Twelve Hours to go. Not bad.
Page Fourteen- Completed at: 11:08pm. Notes: Huh. Still staying consistent.
Page Fifteen- Completed at: 11:54pm. Notes: Splash Page #2! Under an hour! Also, this page is easily the most F****D page of the entire book. I award myself bonus points for how ridiculous this page is.
Page Sixteen- Completed at: 12:22am. Notes: Hey, it's the next day. About thirty minutes. No fatigue? Really? I'm up WAY past my bedtime here.
Page Seventeen- Completed at: 12:57am. Notes: Another page in about thirty minutes! What am I, Superhuman?
Page Eighteen- Completed at: 2:36am. Notes: Ooooooh. That's not good. Apparently I took a pretty big break here. Ironically, this is one of the crappiest looking pages in the book, despite the fact that it took longer.
Page Nineteen- Completed at: 3:44am. Notes: Another splash page. That saved me some time. Another really nice page. At 3am. That's odd.
Page Twenty- Completed at: 4:44am. Notes: Another hour. Another page. If memory serves, things were getting bad right about now. This page is sort of mixed. Half of it sucks. Half of it is awesome. Meh.
Page Twenty One- Completed at: 7:38am. Notes: If you would, please compare the time on Page Twenty One to the time on Page Twenty. THREE HOURS! Crap! Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present to you: THE WALL. Yep, I completely ran out of gas shortly after finishing page Twenty. So, I took a nap. Also, it's worth mentioning, that after I woke up (feeling much like humanoid manure), I decided to pencil all of the pages that I had left, and then go about inking them. You might notice that the pages are completed pretty fast and furious at this stage. Also, for reasons I can't fully explain, I totally HATE this page. Don't know why. It's not a bad page, in retrospect.
Page Twenty Two- Completed at: Um...Forgot to write it down. Whoops. Notes: Home stretch.
Page Twenty Three- Completed at: 8:02am. Notes: Another splash page, possibly finished within fifteen minutes of the last page. Also, I really like this page. I looks really good.
Page Twenty Four- Completed at: 8:18am. Notes: Hahahahahaha!!! Done! With TWO HOURS to Spare! Hahahahaha!!!!
Anyway, that was that. I left the shop, went back to my hotel, slept for five hours, showered, ate a Burger, and went home.
Oh yeah, Clint was still working when I left. He still had a TON of pages to ink. I wonder if he finished?
The Location: Comic Quest in Evansville, IN.
The Time: 11/12/11 starting at 10am and ending at 10am on 11/13/11
The Players: "The Unstoppable Comix Juggernaut" Joseph Morris and "The Crazy King" Clint Bassinger.
The Fuel: Lipton Green Tea with Citrus and as much chocolate as I could cram into a bag. Also, chips.
The Strategy: This year, I decided to write, pencil, and ink Each individual page before moving on to the next page. This means that, in theory, I would need to write, pencil, and ink a minimum of one page every hour in order to make the grade.
Page One- Completed at: 10:30am. Notes: First page in under an hour? Hell yeah. Next!
Page Two- Completed at: 11:07am. Notes: Page two in about 30 minutes? It takes longer to get a pizza. Fear my awesomeness.
Page Three- Completed at: 11:44am. Notes: Knocked out another page in less than an hour? Jeez, this is gonna be easy.
Page Four- Completed at: 12:49pm. Notes: Okay, it took me a little over an hour. Not bad. Still on schedule.
Page Five- Completed at: 2:18pm. Notes: Huh. Big time jump there. I think I took a food break. Pulled pork sandwich. Yummy. Need to pick up the pace a little.
Page Six- Completed at: 3:14pm. Notes: Back on track. One hour. Nice.
Page Seven- Completed at: 4:11pm. Notes: Keeping a good rhythm.
Page Eight- Completed at: 4:47pm. Notes: 30 minutes on the nose. Yeah baby!
Page Nine- Completed at: 5:34pm. Notes: Looks like I'm keeping a good stride. A little under an hour.
Page Ten- Completed at: 6:36pm. Notes: Another hour. Another page. Moving on.
Page Eleven- Completed at: 8:33pm. Notes: Suppertime! Pizza! Green Tea! More chocolate!
Page Twelve- Completed at: 9:01pm. Notes: Splash Page! Super fast! Super Easy! Cleared it in 30 minutes! Back on track.
Page Lucky Thirteen- Completed at: 10:07pm. Notes: Yep. Got my rhythm back, and I'm Over the Halfway Point with a Full Twelve Hours to go. Not bad.
Page Fourteen- Completed at: 11:08pm. Notes: Huh. Still staying consistent.
Page Fifteen- Completed at: 11:54pm. Notes: Splash Page #2! Under an hour! Also, this page is easily the most F****D page of the entire book. I award myself bonus points for how ridiculous this page is.
Page Sixteen- Completed at: 12:22am. Notes: Hey, it's the next day. About thirty minutes. No fatigue? Really? I'm up WAY past my bedtime here.
Page Seventeen- Completed at: 12:57am. Notes: Another page in about thirty minutes! What am I, Superhuman?
Page Eighteen- Completed at: 2:36am. Notes: Ooooooh. That's not good. Apparently I took a pretty big break here. Ironically, this is one of the crappiest looking pages in the book, despite the fact that it took longer.
Page Nineteen- Completed at: 3:44am. Notes: Another splash page. That saved me some time. Another really nice page. At 3am. That's odd.
Page Twenty- Completed at: 4:44am. Notes: Another hour. Another page. If memory serves, things were getting bad right about now. This page is sort of mixed. Half of it sucks. Half of it is awesome. Meh.
Page Twenty One- Completed at: 7:38am. Notes: If you would, please compare the time on Page Twenty One to the time on Page Twenty. THREE HOURS! Crap! Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present to you: THE WALL. Yep, I completely ran out of gas shortly after finishing page Twenty. So, I took a nap. Also, it's worth mentioning, that after I woke up (feeling much like humanoid manure), I decided to pencil all of the pages that I had left, and then go about inking them. You might notice that the pages are completed pretty fast and furious at this stage. Also, for reasons I can't fully explain, I totally HATE this page. Don't know why. It's not a bad page, in retrospect.
Page Twenty Two- Completed at: Um...Forgot to write it down. Whoops. Notes: Home stretch.
Page Twenty Three- Completed at: 8:02am. Notes: Another splash page, possibly finished within fifteen minutes of the last page. Also, I really like this page. I looks really good.
Page Twenty Four- Completed at: 8:18am. Notes: Hahahahahaha!!! Done! With TWO HOURS to Spare! Hahahahaha!!!!
Anyway, that was that. I left the shop, went back to my hotel, slept for five hours, showered, ate a Burger, and went home.
Oh yeah, Clint was still working when I left. He still had a TON of pages to ink. I wonder if he finished?
Thursday, November 10, 2011
MONSTER KING 6 Begins
"Okay. I'm done."
I'm off to E-ville tomorrow to set up for 24 Hour Comic Book Day, so I've gotta get MONSTER KING up online, like, now. The first four pages of Issue 6 are now available for viewing starting at http://www.torcpress.com/mk1.html. Things continue to go to hell for the Clown. But maybe there's some hope in the end. Hell, I hope so.
Meanwhile, in TORC PressLand, let's see what nonsense we're up to...
Monster King: We just finished Issue 5, which is already at the Printers. Issue 6 is starting, and I've just sent the entire issue to the Printers, like, an hour ago. Issue 6 is the final issue of the series. A new webcomic will be starting in 2012.
The Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club: Issue 15 just came in from the Printers. I'll be making it available on either Sunday or Monday. I've got Issue 16 scripted, and I've started the Pencils.
Cosmic Love: Issue 4 is at the Printers, and I've started the Script for Issue 5.
The Clown & Tea Cup Show: I really didn't figure I was gonna do another Issue of this series, but, lo and behold, Issue 3 is done, and I'll be sending it to the Printers soon. I plan on doing Issue 4 as my 24 Hour Comic on Saturday/Sunday. I know that kinda breaks the rules, but that's what I do, baby.
Incidentally, if I get those last two issues of TCTC to the Printers before the end of the month, then I'll have completed the Completely Impossible 24 Comix in a Single Year What Was I Thinking Challenge.
I'm good at being a Fool.
I'm off to E-ville tomorrow to set up for 24 Hour Comic Book Day, so I've gotta get MONSTER KING up online, like, now. The first four pages of Issue 6 are now available for viewing starting at http://www.torcpress.com/mk1.html. Things continue to go to hell for the Clown. But maybe there's some hope in the end. Hell, I hope so.
Meanwhile, in TORC PressLand, let's see what nonsense we're up to...
Monster King: We just finished Issue 5, which is already at the Printers. Issue 6 is starting, and I've just sent the entire issue to the Printers, like, an hour ago. Issue 6 is the final issue of the series. A new webcomic will be starting in 2012.
The Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club: Issue 15 just came in from the Printers. I'll be making it available on either Sunday or Monday. I've got Issue 16 scripted, and I've started the Pencils.
Cosmic Love: Issue 4 is at the Printers, and I've started the Script for Issue 5.
The Clown & Tea Cup Show: I really didn't figure I was gonna do another Issue of this series, but, lo and behold, Issue 3 is done, and I'll be sending it to the Printers soon. I plan on doing Issue 4 as my 24 Hour Comic on Saturday/Sunday. I know that kinda breaks the rules, but that's what I do, baby.
Incidentally, if I get those last two issues of TCTC to the Printers before the end of the month, then I'll have completed the Completely Impossible 24 Comix in a Single Year What Was I Thinking Challenge.
I'm good at being a Fool.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Voodoo Dolly
Voodoo Dolly first appeared in "Pulp Horrorshow" vol. 1 #5 (I think it was issue 5, it's too early in the morning to go through my stack of old Xerox comix to know for sure). Voodoo Dolly is a human Voodoo Doll, which basically means she's a living conduit for powerful magicks. She's also an extremely skilled and highly agile fighter. When she first shows up, she was a prisoner of the Ortex Corporation. Because Cactus Joe the Clown had been raising a ruckus and had recently stolen the Eye of Cthug (a very crucial item to Ortex's plan to bring the Apocalypse to Earth), Johny Styles was forced to employ any and every means at his disposal to capture the Clown. Thus, Voodoo Dolly was sent out with the promise that she would receive her freedom in exchange for the Clown's head. To ensure her cooperation, a Control Collar was placed around VD's neck. In "Truth or Consequences Monthly" #5, Voodoo Dolly viciously attacked the Clown in the Locke City Sewers (interesting location now that I think of it...Full Circle). The Clown, recognizing the Control Collar, decided not to fight back, but instead disarmed the Collar, thus freeing Dolly from Ortex's Control. The Clown immediately fell in love with Dolly, while Dolly, conversely, seemed to barely have any feelings beyond mild gratitude toward her savior (in retrospect, this should have been a sign). At the first opportunity, she disappeared, leaving the Clown alone once again.
Voodoo Dolly briefly reappeared in "Super Duper Fun Comix: Strange Encounters", but wouldn't show up again until "SDF: Strange Patterns". With no money and nowhere else to go, Dolly turned to the only person she knew she could trust, the Clown. Cactus Joe, of course, let her immediately move into his place, which caused some tension between CJ and Pengy Penguin, who didn't trust Voodoo Dolly initially. For the remainder of Era Two, Voodoo Dolly was a companion to the Clown and Penguin, sharing in many of their adventures and troubles. But it wasn't exactly smooth sailing. The Clown kept making awkward attempts at romanticizing Dolly, but Dolly made it clear (repeatedly) that she didn't dig him that way. Groan. In the appropriately titled "SDF: End of an Era" Voodoo Dolly meets a "Nice, Normal, Handsome Guy", falls in love with him, and gets married. She exits as suddenly as she appeared, leaving only a little, handwritten note telling the Clown that She never loved him, never would love him, and that she never wanted the Clown's dangerous, rough and tumble life. Needless to say, that Hurt our Hero quite a bit.
And now, in Monster King #5, Voodoo Dolly is not only back, but she's working for the Ortex Corporation and trying to kill the Clown. Why? What drove her to this? We'll find out next week, as Monster King #6, the final issue of the series begins. Sometimes it's better not to know...
Voodoo Dolly briefly reappeared in "Super Duper Fun Comix: Strange Encounters", but wouldn't show up again until "SDF: Strange Patterns". With no money and nowhere else to go, Dolly turned to the only person she knew she could trust, the Clown. Cactus Joe, of course, let her immediately move into his place, which caused some tension between CJ and Pengy Penguin, who didn't trust Voodoo Dolly initially. For the remainder of Era Two, Voodoo Dolly was a companion to the Clown and Penguin, sharing in many of their adventures and troubles. But it wasn't exactly smooth sailing. The Clown kept making awkward attempts at romanticizing Dolly, but Dolly made it clear (repeatedly) that she didn't dig him that way. Groan. In the appropriately titled "SDF: End of an Era" Voodoo Dolly meets a "Nice, Normal, Handsome Guy", falls in love with him, and gets married. She exits as suddenly as she appeared, leaving only a little, handwritten note telling the Clown that She never loved him, never would love him, and that she never wanted the Clown's dangerous, rough and tumble life. Needless to say, that Hurt our Hero quite a bit.
And now, in Monster King #5, Voodoo Dolly is not only back, but she's working for the Ortex Corporation and trying to kill the Clown. Why? What drove her to this? We'll find out next week, as Monster King #6, the final issue of the series begins. Sometimes it's better not to know...
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Betrayal
I hate betrayal. I hate the idea, the concept, the act. I hate everything about it. But betrayal is a part of human nature. We often times betray each other unintentionally. "I didn't know that would hurt him so much." "I wouldn't have done it if I had known that would have broke her heart." "I didn't realize..." When I was a kid, I had an annoying habit of tattling on people, government sanctioned betrayal, if you will. Not a fond memory, but sometimes you've gotta face facts. I'm human just like everyone else, sad but true.
Betrayal is all over the Bible. By definition, the concept of Sin is a betrayal of God. Adam and Eve betray God by eating of the forbidden fruit. Cain betrays Abel by murdering him. Jacob betrays Esau by stealing his inheritance. Joseph's brothers sell him into Slavery. The Israelites repeatedly betray God by turning to False Idols and False Gods. Judas betrays Jesus into the hands of the Romans/Pharisees. Betrayal always has its consequences. Adam & Eve allow Sin and Death to enter into the world. Cain is marked and forced to walk the world as an outcast. Isaac spends most of his life on the run, desperately trying not to be slaughtered by his brother. Joseph's brothers, the fledgling Israelite Nation, end up become Slaves themselves under the command of their brother. Every time the Israelites screw up, they end up paying for it. And Judas? Hung himself from a tree while his 50 pieces of silver clanked about the ground below.
Looking at the bigger picture, though, sometimes a betrayal can have... unforeseen results. Jacob and Esau eventually reconcile, and Jacob's bloodline becomes the more noteworthy. The Israelites time in Egypt allows them to survive a time of great famine.
As for the Betrayal of Jesus, the Blood Sacrifice of Jesus Christ was necessary to open the pathway for the Salvation of Mankind (I didn't mean to turn this into a Sermon or anything...I was just trying to point out how betrayal is an almost primordial instinct. Also, if you don't believe any of the stuff above, don't worry about it, just view it as metaphor, right?).
It's like that one Conspiracy Theory about how Franklin Roosevelt knew the Japanese were going to bomb Pearl Harbor, but he kept the knowledge to himself to ensure it would happen, thus bringing the US into WWII to stomp some Nazi ass. Was it right? Was it wrong?
The more I think about it in the cold light of morning, there is nothing good about a betrayal. It's never a "necessary evil". It's ugly and horrible and wrong, and the only thing we can do is survive all the ugliness that follows and salvage what we can afterwards.
Betrayal is all over the TV right now. From Celebrity Divorces to Reality Shows that Reward you for Betrayal, there is no escaping the old Knife in the Back. We've been watching "Boardwalk Empire" on HBO, and that show is nothing but betrayal. People screwing each other over for the sake of greed and petty jealousy. It's pretty sad, really.
I understand betrayal quite well. My back is full of metaphorical scars. If you look closely enough, you can still see an old, rusty knife sticking out of my back, buried there by one of my closest friends. Decades later, we both try to pretend it's not there, but... we both see it. There's always this mild tension between us, barely palpable but still there. As if we're both just waiting. "When will he pay me back for what I did?" he thinks. "When will he bury another damn knife in my back?" I think. Like I said, we get along mostly by not talking or thinking about it.
I'd like to say I quit Church because of a betrayal. But I didn't quit Church because of A betrayal. I quit Church because of LOTS of Betrayals. When I was a teenager, we had this Preacher, and, long story short, we found out this guy was a Pathological Liar. That's right. We hired a guy to speak on The Truth, and he was mentally incapable of telling the Truth. How messed up is that? In the Baptist Church we're trained at a young age to believe that a Preacher is Chosen by God to serve as a Shepherd to the Church. Needless to say, I didn't really believe that after that incident. Two Preachers later, and we get a guy who was a Dangerous Sociopath with Rage Issues. When we FIRED him (another important note, Baptists almost Never Fire a Preacher. A Preacher's gotta pull a pretty stupid stunt to get fired in a Baptist Church. After all, we don't fire our Anointed Messenger of God lightly (rolls eyes in disgust)), we literally hid the womenfolk to ensure he wouldn't try to harm anyone when we delivered the news (I am not joking about this). When we did deliver the news, we went en mass, just to be safe. Yeah. The next Preacher? Screwed me over (and used another guy to do it). Screwed my Dad over. Publicly Humiliated my Brother (multiple times). Chased off several long time families. And when his tenure ended, he engineered a Civil War within the Church that basically destroyed us. And yet, still we few survivors soldiered on (Faith is funny like that). The next guy not only tried screwed me over, he tried to get My Dad to do his dirty work for him. I had to sit there and convince my Dad that A) I didn't mind the knife protruding out of my back and B) that he shouldn't quit going to Church. In retrospect, I wish I hadn't. Because the next guy was the straw that broke the camel's back. He is a lazy, greedy, liar and a thief and an idiot, and I just couldn't bring myself to listen to the garbage spewing out of his mouth anymore. So I quit.
I talked not too long ago about how my most recent relationship unexpectedly crashed and burned over the course of a single phone call. That one hurt. Still does. It's the suddenness of it. The unexpectedness. You think everything's going fine (even if you are covered in itchy bug bites that you got from going hiking with her, which was her damn idea in the first place), and then BAM! Someone you cared deeply for is now someone you despise, and there's this little piece of you that's dead inside, and all you can do is survive and move on.
So, yeah, Betrayal sucks. Just ask the Clown, as someone he has cared really very deeply for has just literally buried a knife in his chest. The last four pages of Monster King 5, featuring one of my least favorite moments in TORC Press History can be viewed at http://www.torcpress.com/mk21.html.
I should do something life affirming today. I'm kinda bummed now.
Betrayal is all over the Bible. By definition, the concept of Sin is a betrayal of God. Adam and Eve betray God by eating of the forbidden fruit. Cain betrays Abel by murdering him. Jacob betrays Esau by stealing his inheritance. Joseph's brothers sell him into Slavery. The Israelites repeatedly betray God by turning to False Idols and False Gods. Judas betrays Jesus into the hands of the Romans/Pharisees. Betrayal always has its consequences. Adam & Eve allow Sin and Death to enter into the world. Cain is marked and forced to walk the world as an outcast. Isaac spends most of his life on the run, desperately trying not to be slaughtered by his brother. Joseph's brothers, the fledgling Israelite Nation, end up become Slaves themselves under the command of their brother. Every time the Israelites screw up, they end up paying for it. And Judas? Hung himself from a tree while his 50 pieces of silver clanked about the ground below.
Looking at the bigger picture, though, sometimes a betrayal can have... unforeseen results. Jacob and Esau eventually reconcile, and Jacob's bloodline becomes the more noteworthy. The Israelites time in Egypt allows them to survive a time of great famine.
As for the Betrayal of Jesus, the Blood Sacrifice of Jesus Christ was necessary to open the pathway for the Salvation of Mankind (I didn't mean to turn this into a Sermon or anything...I was just trying to point out how betrayal is an almost primordial instinct. Also, if you don't believe any of the stuff above, don't worry about it, just view it as metaphor, right?).
It's like that one Conspiracy Theory about how Franklin Roosevelt knew the Japanese were going to bomb Pearl Harbor, but he kept the knowledge to himself to ensure it would happen, thus bringing the US into WWII to stomp some Nazi ass. Was it right? Was it wrong?
The more I think about it in the cold light of morning, there is nothing good about a betrayal. It's never a "necessary evil". It's ugly and horrible and wrong, and the only thing we can do is survive all the ugliness that follows and salvage what we can afterwards.
Betrayal is all over the TV right now. From Celebrity Divorces to Reality Shows that Reward you for Betrayal, there is no escaping the old Knife in the Back. We've been watching "Boardwalk Empire" on HBO, and that show is nothing but betrayal. People screwing each other over for the sake of greed and petty jealousy. It's pretty sad, really.
I understand betrayal quite well. My back is full of metaphorical scars. If you look closely enough, you can still see an old, rusty knife sticking out of my back, buried there by one of my closest friends. Decades later, we both try to pretend it's not there, but... we both see it. There's always this mild tension between us, barely palpable but still there. As if we're both just waiting. "When will he pay me back for what I did?" he thinks. "When will he bury another damn knife in my back?" I think. Like I said, we get along mostly by not talking or thinking about it.
I'd like to say I quit Church because of a betrayal. But I didn't quit Church because of A betrayal. I quit Church because of LOTS of Betrayals. When I was a teenager, we had this Preacher, and, long story short, we found out this guy was a Pathological Liar. That's right. We hired a guy to speak on The Truth, and he was mentally incapable of telling the Truth. How messed up is that? In the Baptist Church we're trained at a young age to believe that a Preacher is Chosen by God to serve as a Shepherd to the Church. Needless to say, I didn't really believe that after that incident. Two Preachers later, and we get a guy who was a Dangerous Sociopath with Rage Issues. When we FIRED him (another important note, Baptists almost Never Fire a Preacher. A Preacher's gotta pull a pretty stupid stunt to get fired in a Baptist Church. After all, we don't fire our Anointed Messenger of God lightly (rolls eyes in disgust)), we literally hid the womenfolk to ensure he wouldn't try to harm anyone when we delivered the news (I am not joking about this). When we did deliver the news, we went en mass, just to be safe. Yeah. The next Preacher? Screwed me over (and used another guy to do it). Screwed my Dad over. Publicly Humiliated my Brother (multiple times). Chased off several long time families. And when his tenure ended, he engineered a Civil War within the Church that basically destroyed us. And yet, still we few survivors soldiered on (Faith is funny like that). The next guy not only tried screwed me over, he tried to get My Dad to do his dirty work for him. I had to sit there and convince my Dad that A) I didn't mind the knife protruding out of my back and B) that he shouldn't quit going to Church. In retrospect, I wish I hadn't. Because the next guy was the straw that broke the camel's back. He is a lazy, greedy, liar and a thief and an idiot, and I just couldn't bring myself to listen to the garbage spewing out of his mouth anymore. So I quit.
I talked not too long ago about how my most recent relationship unexpectedly crashed and burned over the course of a single phone call. That one hurt. Still does. It's the suddenness of it. The unexpectedness. You think everything's going fine (even if you are covered in itchy bug bites that you got from going hiking with her, which was her damn idea in the first place), and then BAM! Someone you cared deeply for is now someone you despise, and there's this little piece of you that's dead inside, and all you can do is survive and move on.
So, yeah, Betrayal sucks. Just ask the Clown, as someone he has cared really very deeply for has just literally buried a knife in his chest. The last four pages of Monster King 5, featuring one of my least favorite moments in TORC Press History can be viewed at http://www.torcpress.com/mk21.html.
I should do something life affirming today. I'm kinda bummed now.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
A Dark Day for Cactus Joe
"No."
She was always going to betray him. Deep down inside, I always knew it was going to happen. I wanted them to live happily ever after. To get married and have kids. Nice house, picket fence, the whole nine yards. That was what I wanted.
But at the same time, I knew better. She was always so cold and distant. So self centered.
So, yeah, I knew this was gonna happen sooner or later. Doesn't mean I gotta like it.
The last four pages of Monster King #5 are available for viewing starting at http://www.torcpress.com/mk21.html. The worst day of the Clown's life to date starts now.
She was always going to betray him. Deep down inside, I always knew it was going to happen. I wanted them to live happily ever after. To get married and have kids. Nice house, picket fence, the whole nine yards. That was what I wanted.
But at the same time, I knew better. She was always so cold and distant. So self centered.
So, yeah, I knew this was gonna happen sooner or later. Doesn't mean I gotta like it.
The last four pages of Monster King #5 are available for viewing starting at http://www.torcpress.com/mk21.html. The worst day of the Clown's life to date starts now.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
New Book, New Con, New Updates
So, I got the Print Version of "Monster King" #4 in yesterday, and I thought, "Screw it. Let's just add it to the online store." So I did. Issue 4 of MK is now available for sale in the online store at www.torcpress.com/store.html. There's no preview or anything, since it was available for free viewing online, like, a month ago. For those of you that didn't read it in its original form (or are forgetful), the plot's pretty simple: Luther Dirge, the Lawyer from Hell, attempts to Corrupt the Clown's friends and allies. While everyone's stuck in the belly of a Giant Monster. That looks kind of like a red version of the desert from the Roadrunner cartoons. It's 24 Pages of full Color Mayhem for $5.00 plus $1.50 S&H. You can score it at the store at the link above, or just mail me a check or money order at: TORC Press, c/o Joseph Morris, 330 S 5th St SW, Clay City, IL 62824. Also, the Inside Back Cover is Blank, so if you order a copy, please include the name of a character that you would like a head sketch of.
Don't forget that "SDF: Pulp 2011 Edition" is also currently available.
I'm official for the Murfreesboro Anime and Comic Con in Murfreesboro, TN on January 21-22, 2012. So, if you're reading this, Cousin Rachel, clear me out a spot in the guest room. This will be my first Convention of the year. Details at http://www.comiccitytn.com/Nashville_Comic_Con.html. The only other Con I'm currently confirmed for is SPACE, which is April 21-22, 2012 in Columbus, OH. Details on that one can be found at http://www.backporchcomics.com/space.htm. According to my little notebook, I've got Seven other possible Conventions I may attending next year, but I may delete a couple (and a few may not go through after all...), so there's no telling how many shows I'll be working next year.
Production Updates: "Cosmic Love" #4 went off to the Printers on Sunday. The "Super Duper Fun Comix 2011 Bowling Special" went off to the Printers last night. Both should be available in December. Currently working on "The Clown & Tea Cup Show" #3. "Monster King" #5 wraps up on Saturday, and I'll be sending it to the Printers ASAP. "Monster King" #6 starts next week. I may prep the whole book and send it to the printers before I have the whole comic solicited online. Not sure.
Don't forget that "SDF: Pulp 2011 Edition" is also currently available.
I'm official for the Murfreesboro Anime and Comic Con in Murfreesboro, TN on January 21-22, 2012. So, if you're reading this, Cousin Rachel, clear me out a spot in the guest room. This will be my first Convention of the year. Details at http://www.comiccitytn.com/Nashville_Comic_Con.html. The only other Con I'm currently confirmed for is SPACE, which is April 21-22, 2012 in Columbus, OH. Details on that one can be found at http://www.backporchcomics.com/space.htm. According to my little notebook, I've got Seven other possible Conventions I may attending next year, but I may delete a couple (and a few may not go through after all...), so there's no telling how many shows I'll be working next year.
Production Updates: "Cosmic Love" #4 went off to the Printers on Sunday. The "Super Duper Fun Comix 2011 Bowling Special" went off to the Printers last night. Both should be available in December. Currently working on "The Clown & Tea Cup Show" #3. "Monster King" #5 wraps up on Saturday, and I'll be sending it to the Printers ASAP. "Monster King" #6 starts next week. I may prep the whole book and send it to the printers before I have the whole comic solicited online. Not sure.
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