Forward

I haven't posted on this blog in awhile.  No time, really.  I'm only signing back on to this blog to say that I recently have rebuilt and simplified my website, www.torcpress.com.  There's a new Online Store with my new comic "7 Worlds" as well as a new Blog.  I've always found it's about impossible to run two blogs, so I'm officially shutting this blog down and moving all operations to the Main Site and the New Blog.  Trying to streamline a little.

Mr. Chaos

I've had this Quixote Coyote strip ready for a few days, but things have been crazy, so I only really got around to posting this one this evening.  The bright side is that I really like this one, unlike the previous one which was kinda bleh.  Anyway, Quixote Time...

Other than that, I'm currently in a state of Creative Flux.  As usual, just as I'm getting ramped up to do something, something else pops up.  It's freaking annoying.  Anyway, we'll see how things go.

Inverted Pac-Man

I think Mondays are gonna be Movie Nights now (Woo-Hoo!).  So, didn't get much done last night.  But I got a few moments today, so I hit the board for a bit and got a Quixote Coyote strip done.  Not particularly funny, but it's alright.  Anyway...

The Return of the Man from Nowhere

Welp, lessee...  I got Married to my Darlin Mei, we bought a house, moved into the house, and became commuters, all in the space of a month.  Crazy.  Anyway, it's time to get back to work (and no, I don't mean the Sawmill.  I've been back to work there for awhile.  Groan).  So, it's time for the return of Quixote Coyote!

Since it's been awhile, and this has been a very long storyline, allow me to recap.  Quixote Coyote is an adventurous Coyote.  After his Great Uncle died, Quixote inherited a big old mansion.  Two caveats:  1) Quixote has to spend three nights in the Mansion, and 2) The Mansion is Haunted.  It's Night Three in the Mansion, and things have gotten complicated.  Quixote's arch-rival Waldo Wolf and his Pack are planning on invading the Mansion and pummeling Quixote.  Waldo's sister Wanda (who might have a bit of a crush on Quixote) is aware of this attempted pummeling, and she has convinced Quixote's best friends, Sancho and Panda, to re-enter the Mansion with her in order to warn Quixote of the impending danger and, perhaps, even the odds. 

Welp, here we go...

Ahhhhhh, good to be back.

Quixote and Conventions

Here's a Random Quixote Coyote strip:

Welp, things are gonna be crazy for awhile.   I had this strip worked up earlier in the week, but I've been on pins and needles making phone calls and moving puzzle pieces, so I've been a little distracted.  I'll be doing some work here and there until the end of March, and then TORC Press will be on break for... well, pretty much the whole month of April.  I will be at SPACE, but that will be about it for awhile.

Speaking of SPACE, here's my Convention Schedule for the remainder of the year.  I'm mostly sticking to smaller, local shows where the tables are inexpensive or, in some cases, free.  Anyway, here's the rundown:

SPACE-- April 9-19-- Columbus, OH-- The Small Press Alternative Comics Expo is my favorite show of the year.  It's pure comics, which means I don't gotta bring around my crappy Sell-Out Portfolio.  Instead, I can push my comics that I love, and people will actually be receptive to them.  I love that.  Totally worth the six hour drive.

Free Comic Book Day at Comic Quest-- May 7-- Evansville, IN--  The Best Darn Comic Shop on the Planet hosts the Best Darn Free Comic Book Day on the Planet as well.  It's a great show, and I always have a great time.  As an added bonus, the people are surprisingly receptive to Small Press Comics (although I'll be bringing my crappy Sell-Out Portfolio with me).  If you are within driving distance, this show couldn't be more recommended.

CIL-Con-- August 19-21-- Mattoon, IL--  So, in theory, by the time this show happens, I will actually be living in Mattoon, so this show will actually be in my backyard.  After years of driving at least 2 hours (or more) to every single show I go to, it will be very cool to just travel across town to work a show.  Very cool indeed.  Anyway, this will be a bit of an interesting show, because it's a Paranormal Convention, as well as a Pop Culture/Comic Con.  So that's interesting.  I'll be curious to see how things turn out.  I'll need to beef up the crappy Sell-Out Portfolio for this one (Groan), probably add some (Groan) Batman or Spiderman or whatever.  It would really cool if there's a market for Small Press Comics at this show, but better safe than sorry.

Crawford County Comicon-- September 24-- Robinson, IL-- My friend and comics-comrade-in-arms, Micheal Kassinger is hosting this show, which is not too far from me.  There was a similar Con last year that was a pretty decent little show, so this should be fun.  I will definitely need some decent prints in the crappy Sell-Out Portfolio for this show though.  Art definitely sells better than Small Press Comics at this show.

NobleCon--  October 14-16--  Ironically, this show used to be in my backyard, but after I move it will be an hour away.  Ha!  Anyway, my good friends Deb and Dan Longoria are putting on a show in Noble, IL of all places.  I think it will be a very Gaming heavy show, so that will be a bit different.  I'm looking forward to it, as I may try a few different things at the show.  I figure this show will definitely require me to have my Prints on Point.

Anyway, that's the schedule for the rest of my year as of now.

DOLPHINWORLD!!!

So, we got dark this morning, and that made me uncomfortable, because I don't really do dark anymore.  But it's Seven Worlds Week, and my dark side had to come out, so there's that.  And it's time to wrap up Seven Worlds Week, so let's bring out the Brightest, Shiniest, Dumbest, Most Pointless, Most Awesomest World of them all.  I know you've all been waiting for this, and so I give you the Unrepentant StupiAwesomeness that is

DOLPHINWOOOOOOOORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ahhhhh!  That felt good.  There's a monkey with a tornado coming out of its head.  That's so nice.

Anyway, the concept behind Ultra Dolphin World is that video games used to be so weird.  I mean, all of those old games were so trippy, y'know?  Why were ghosts chasing Pac-Man?  Why did Pac-Man have to eat those dots?  What the heck was going on with the Mushroom Kingdom, and why were two Plumbers the only people who could save the day?  They were all so weird and colorful and full of character.  The graphics may have been primitive, and the difficulty level may have been borderline impossible, but the sheer amount of inherent possibility in those old 8 Bit Games was amazing. 

Anyway, anyway, the idea is that, way back in the 80s, there was a bizarre video game no one remembers called "Ultra Dolphin Bros".  TORC Press, desperate for readership and realizing the appeal of licensed properties, purchases the Comic Book Rights to this game that makes absolutely no sense.  The higher ups at TORC Press then forced Joseph Morris to try to cobble together a comic about this video game.  And so we have Walking, Talking Dophins and Monkeys with Clouds on their Heads.  Oh it's so stupid.  Oh it's so wonderful.

Anyway, things are getting absolutely crazy, and I need to get ready for SPACE in a few weeks, so I probably won't post a lot next week.  If I get a chance, I'll hopefully drop a couple of Quixote Coyote strips.  I really enjoyed Seven Worlds Week.  It was a lot of fun.

BrokenWorld

VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.






Today, we enter the 6th World in our Seven Worlds Week tour, and, unsurprisingly, it is the world of darkness and horror.  The title "Pulp Horrorshow" has always served as either my testing ground for new concepts or for when I wanted to get down and dirty and dark again.  In this case, it's somewhat both.  For months now I've been trying to write a Horror story, but it's not been easy for me.  Monsters, Violence, and (until the last few years) Gore have always been a staple of TORC Press, but I've always written stories about the battle of Good vs. Evil, with Good usually achieving a hard-fought victory in the end.  But Horror, True Horror, typically doesn't work like that.  Not only does Good rarely triumph, but even if it does, the victory is usually hollow and short-lived.  Sure, you killed Jason, but he'll be back, and he'll probably kill you in the sequel, y'know?  More often than not, Horror is about the inescapable inevitability of Death, and the Fear associated therein.  That's why the Purge has quickly become such a Cult Classic Film series, because it introduces such a terrifying concept, in that for 24 Hours everyone could, potentially, be out to kill you.  From your coworkers that secret hate you, to that neighbor that can't stand the way you take care of your lawn, to that person you accidentally cut in front of at the grocery store, suddenly everyone could become a Grim Reaper hungry for your blood. 

I haven't really tapped into my inner darkness for awhile, either.  Not since the two issue "Death Moth" solo series where I (pardon the pun) attempted to Purge every last Toxic, disgusting, deranged, horrifying concept from my mind and put it all on paper, creating the single most disturbing, radioactive, unreadable comic in the history of the Universe (I made sure I was on a very solid footing relationship-wise with Mei before I showed her that particular comic).  I haven't really sunk to those depths in awhile, so finding a decent Horror story was hard for me.  Luckily, I also recently watched the absolutely brilliant TV series "Hannibal", which gave some concepts and visuals, and started the ball rolling on ideas for a new Horror series.  The concept I ultimately came up with serves as something of a compromise.  In BrokenWorld (World #6), things are much like they are in our world, but the walls between reality are thin, and horrible things are starting to seep in.  People are being slowly driven mad, and there a group of Monsters/Spirits that feed on those that have fallen prey to their inner darkness.

Anyway, I've only got one page done, but here's a page from "Pulp Horrorshow" Volume 5 set in BrokenWorld.  I apologize in advance.

Creepy, right?  It creeped me out a little just drawing it.  Anyway, if you want to know what one of those shadowy figures looks like, here's a drawing I did of him last week.  Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the Bandersnatch.

Anyway, one more world to go, and thankfully, it is quite literally the Polar Opposite of this one.

SuperWorld (Working Title)

We are up to our 5th World in Seven Worlds Week.  I'm calling this world SuperWorld because, quite frankly, I just don't have a better name for it yet.  SuperWorld sounds cool, but it also sounds like something DC would have a Trademark on.  Anyway, here's today's page:

Alright, honesty time folks.  SuperWorld is the least developed of all the Worlds I dreamed up last week.  It was the last one I created, and it's the one I see the least clearly.  It does feature SOL, I know that much.

I created SOL a few years back.  He's a Sun God from a Forgotten Pantheon.  Originally, he looked like a giant Beetle.  He was originally conceived to be a rough combination of Superman, Thor, and any Russian character created by Garth Ennis (I'm not sure why I wrote him like he was Russian.  Made sense to me at the time).  I always liked SOL's exuberant character, but I never quite liked drawing him.  I never could get his color scheme right either.  As a result, SOL sort of disappeared after Bad Rapture.

When I decided to play around with this whole Seven Worlds thing, I thought it might be interesting to give SOL his own world.  Much like AliceIsLost, SOL never quite fit in the world of HFSAC.  SOL's personality and his massive power level make him a very dominant character.  But in TORCWorld Prime, he was definitively stuck at #6 or lower.  By throwing SOL into his own world, though, he is free to dominate the scene as much as he wants.  I gave SOL a bit of a redesign.  I got rid of the Beetle-esque elements, but kept the ridiculous giant moustache and the head-frill (which I expanded to wrap around the entire face, creating a silly, sun-like look).  I decided that since since SOL is a Sun God (which he remains in this World), that I would give SOL a Golden, Armor-like body.

I see SuperWorld as something of a spiritual relative to my old series Gulatta.  In essence, the series is much closer to a traditional Superhero comic than anything featured in the other worlds.  Even then, this is still the TORCverse, so you might notice the two "Police Officers" in the last panel look like robots, or at least men in robot armor.

Of course, for all of this Rambling, the truth is that I really just wanted to draw a dinosaur getting his teeth knocked out.

LostWorld (No, Not That Lost World)

Seven Worlds Week continues onward, cats and kittens!  We have entered our 4th World, which I call LostWorld (and there's no relation to Jurassic Park... although we will get a Dinosaur later this week, so stay tuned for that).  I only have one page from LostWorld ready to go, so here's that:

Lost World features the return of aliceislost, who we haven't seen for awhile.  aliceislost debuted waaaaay back in SDF: Crumpled Planet, my first comic I had professionally printed, and the first comic I publicly sold at a Convention.  alice was a changeling.  She could transform from a doll-like child form to a fully grown adult.  Her adventures (which were originally purely pantomimed) took place in a strange world that was like a Goth version of Alice in Wonderland (I would say it was like if Tim Burton did Alice in Wonderland...but he already did that).  Although alice kind of existed on her own, she was also a part of the greater TORCverse, and interacted with lots of other characters, most notably Cactus Joe & Pengy Penguin and the original version of Broken Tea Cup.  After I brought the SDF "series" to an end, alice continued to appear throughout the TORCverse, appearing in the Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club (the original version) and starring in a string of back-up stories where she actually got to talk for the first time.  Most recently, aliceislost rescued the Death Moth from certain doom in the final issue of Skull Mob, and she was set to serve as a member of Mango Habenero in the new version of SDF (which never got off the ground, which was, again, my bad).  After that she just kind of disappeared. 

That gave me a chance to reboot Alice.  I actually tried this once before, and we'll talk about that in a bit.  First off, for those of you that are new, here's what aliceislost originally looked like:

This is a more recent drawing, so she's not the Barbie-esque stickfigure she used to be.  Anyway, it was a pretty cool design.  Simple, eye-catching.  The problem I had with the design was that two-fold: 1) She was a little too simplistic, and 2)  with that giant hair and giant bow, it was really hard to fit her into a panel.  She's just so top-heavy, not just with all that stuff going on with her head, but also, that's where all her color is.  Also, the only clothes she's wearing is a tube top and a mini-skirt.  I mean, seriously, she looks like she was designed by a frustrated, lonely, 25 year old.  Ahem.  Anyway, I wanted to update her look and her story, so I did this:

This new version of aliceislost was called Lost Alice (worked really hard on the name there, didn't I?).  I made her a normal woman with blonde hair, gave her a slightly more modest dress, a hideous belt (seriously, what was I thinking with that belt?), and a red shawl/cape thingie.  It wasn't a great design, I admit it.  Sometimes you just roll with something and hope for the best.  Lost Alice's adventures were a straightforward adaptation of Alice In Wonderland.  I released an 8 Page Comic which sold a few copies at appearances and none online.  There wasn't any feedback on the comic at all, so I lost interest and buried the book.






So, last week, when I was thinking about Seven Worlds Week, I thought to myself, "Self, it's time to do aliceislost again.  Except, let's do it right this time."  So, she's called AliceIsLost now (again, worked real hard on that name), and I went back to the Goth look of the original.  I made some changes though.  She's got an actual dress this time, I flattened the hair, got rid of the bow, and modified the eyes and nose to make them more "Doll-like", which continues the Doll Theme that she kinda has going.  Anyway, here's the new design (which I unveiled last week):

I think she looks pretty good.  Oh!  On the page above, you can see what Alice's child-like Doll Form looks like.  Anyway, when I get a chance, I plan on doing more AliceIsLost and fleshing out this little story a bit more.

StoryWorld

It's time for our Third World.  It's pretty much a given that when you've got a Multiverse, at least one world is going to be a Fantasy World.  So, continuing with that age old trend, we have StoryWorld.

I present to you, Page One of "Bearskin":

I recently read an article where they claimed the four bases of "Speculative Fiction" are Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Horror, and (the more recent addition) Superheroes.  Of those four, Fantasy is definitely on the bottom of the list for me personally.  I don't have a problem with Fantasy, per se.  It just interests me less than the other genres.  So, it was really hard for me to come up with a decent Fantasy concept.  I ultimately scored a download of Grimm's Fairtales, and I dug around until I found something that interested me that hadn't already been done a thousand times before.  What I found was "Bearskin", a neat little FairyTale about a Soldier who returns home from the war, but because all he's ever been good at is being a soldier, he's bored and homeless.  Obviously, the Devil shows up and makes a wager with the dude, because that's what the Devil does.  The Soldier will be given a grimy coat which is magically enchanted so that whenever he reaches in the pockets, he can pull out gold.  The Soldier has to wear this coat, as well as a Bearskin, for seven years.  In that time, he cannot shave, cut his hair, trim his fingernails, or bathe.  In addition, he cannot sleep indoors or on an actual bed, but can only sleep outdoors on his Bearskin.  If the Soldier wins, he gets to keep the magic, gold producing coat.  If he loses, well, you can probably guess what the Devil planned to do then...

I thought it was a neat idea and a neat character, and I dreamed up all sorts of neat adventures for this grimy, hairy, ugly Soldier to have.  It was gonna be cool.  Except, it wasn't right.  No matter how hard I tried to bring myself to start a Bearskin comic, it just never got off the ground.  My Muse wasn't interested.  It just wasn't TORC Press enough.

So I sat on the idea for awhile, and then I had an odd thought, "What if, instead of a story about a man who looks like a bear, what if the Hero was just a Talking Bear in people clothes?"  CLICK!  Just like that, I had my story.

Anyway, this is a sample page of Bearskin.  I've actually inked a total of 5 pages, but this is the only one I've colored, and with things being crazy right now anyway, I thought I wouldn't stress over additional pages for now.  If you like this little sample, let me know, and I'll roll out more Bearskin in the future. 

TORCWorld PRIME

Since it's Seven Worlds Week, and I'm only doing this Monday through Friday, I figure I'll need to double up on a couple of days.  So, this evening, we have TORCWorld Prime, also known as the Central TORCverse.  This is the original universe I've built over the last 16 Years.  Currently, the Flagship of this Universe is Cactus Joe the Clown, Pengy Penguin, and the legendary Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club.  In addition, there's the perpetually in-over-his-head Octopus Jones, the brutal beast known as the Death Moth, and Prometheon the Firebringer (and we might see these guys in a later theme week.  Maybe).  SOL and aliceislost used to belong to the Central TORCverse, but... well, we'll talk about that later in Seven Worlds Week.  Anyway, the three pages we've got here I've already posted before.  I was briefly working on a Trade Paperback idea that was a little too big, and it was getting in my way, so I dropped it.  After that, I worked up a Streamlined version of HFSAC that I sent out as a Submission to a handful of Comic Book Publishers.  It's been well over a month, so I'm gonna assume my little Submission has been met with rejection.  Anyway, in that time, I've missed HFSAC, and I didn't really like my Streamlined Version (I reserve the right to change my position if a publisher picks me up (Insert Laughter Here)).  So, I thought I would pick up with the story I had left off on with the failed TPB idea, and turn that into HFSAC #7.  I'm not gonna be on a set schedule with this (in fact, as crazy as my life is right now, it could be months before HFSAC 7 sees completion), but I hope to put out a new page or two every so often.  Anyway, here's The Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club #7 Pages 1-3:

So, here's why I love the Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club so much, and why I missed being in this world so much.  And there's a lot of different reasons.  For starters, it gives me a Soapbox to stand on to preach my little messages.  Because the story is about a War between Community-Minded Individualists and a Massive Neo-Fascist Military-Industrial Complex Theocracy.  So I get to let my Lefty Flag fly without just bludgeoning people over the head with it (too much).  Which is good, because I think Art should have a perspective and a message.  I may not agree with Steve Ditko's Randian Philosophy, but I RESPECT the fact that Ditko had the Guts to present his message in his artwork, and attempt to present it in an entertaining and thought provoking manner.  That's supposed to be the point, otherwise, it's all just Shapes and Forms, really.

I also love the comic because it's an Epic, and I loooove Epics.  I love Star Wars.  I love the Lord of the Rings.  I love Jack Kirby's Fourth World.  I love the Infinity Gauntlet.  I love all of that stuff.  And HFSAC is EPIC.  I mean, check out that double page spread up there.  That's some Epic Biz, right?  So far we've had Epic Battles between Massive Armies.  We've had Epic Space Battles.  And we've had Epic Giant Monster Battles.  So, yeah, it's Epic.  Way Epic.  Heck, we even revealed the Secret Origin of the Universe Itself! 

One of the things I hated about the Steamlined version of HFSAC I worked up was that the cast was intentionally very small, to make it easier for new readers to pick up.  Well screw that!  I love the fact that HFSAC has a Huuuuuuuuge Cast.  I mean it is ridiculous!  The HFSAC group has... geez... 21 Space Gods in it?  That's insane!  What is wrong with me?  And then you throw in all the Ortex Bad Guys, and the Crimson Empire, and the Omni-Army, and Tsao & GEAR, and Zarathon, and the Mercenary Union!  It's so complicated!  And I love that!  All those epics I mentioned earlier have massive casts full of characters, and I love creating characters, and HFSAC gives me a massive tapestry to just keep creating all sorts of amazing and bizarre characters.  So I love that.

But what I really love, is that for all that bigness, the book is also really intimate.  Because at the end of the day, this story is the continuation of the friendship between Cactus Joe the Clown and Pengy Penguin, and this bizarre family they have built around themselves.  This is about the Clown's Courageous Bumbling.  This is about Pengy Penguin's Heart.  It's about Taco Parties and Penguin Dancing.  It's about Friendship.  And it's Pure Comics Joy, and I love that.

CoyoteWorld

It's Seven Worlds week (see the previous post for more details).  Although it's not the central TORCWorld, we're gonna start with Quixote Coyote, because I promised new Quixote Coyote on Monday:

CoyoteWorld is similar to our world, it's just full of talking animals and is a little simpler.  And, apparently, there's ghosts. 

Seven Worlds Week

I had a photo of this piece up on Instagram a few days ago.  Here's the finished color version:

Right.  As I'm sure I've whined about a bit by now, things are kinda crazy for me right now.  I'm getting ready to get married, trying to buy a house, sending out comics submissions, and trying to survive the last little bit of winter at the Sawmill.  So, I've been trying to find ways to keep myself sane during the week (I'm cool on the weekends, cause I get to hang with Mei). 

Somewhere along the line, I started really thinking about the idea of Multiverses.  Maybe it was from watching too much of The Flash, maybe I was getting nostalgic for old Hannah-Barbera cartoons.  I dunno.  I just found myself thinking about the idea.  Interestingly, the TORCverse has never been an actual Multiverse, it's only ever been a singular universe.  Everything that happened, from Cactus Joe fighting demons in a grimy back-alley, to the Cosmic Fool racing through space, to aliceislost exploring the Lost Lands, to a cartoon cat and dog (Walt & Sped) having silly little adventures, everything was happening in the same universe.

The events of Bad Rapture kind of ended the possibility of the old version of the TORCverse.  Ortex taking complete control of the Earth made it a little hard to continue doing things the same old way.

When I started doing Quixote Coyote it was obvious from the onset that the series didn't take place in the classic TORCverse.  Quixote Coyote takes place in its own world (or Universe, if you will) populated exclusively by talking, anthropomorphic animals (and ghosts that look vaguely humanoid, apparently). 

So, I got to thinking, what would a TORC Multiverse look like?  Instead of everything being crammed into a singular universe, what would it be like to have different Universes, each with its own individual flavor?  So, I meditated on that a bit, and I came up with SEVEN WORLDS, which led to the creation of the drawing above.  All seven worlds are represented in the drawing.

Anyway, this week is Seven Worlds Week, where from Monday through Friday, I'll put up on the blog at least one page from each different world.  This is just a fun little exercise for me, and not my usual thing where I try to drive myself crazy doing seven books all at once.  I'm just messing around a little, trying to have some fun.  I'll be taking the week after this off so I can start getting ready for SPACE.

Having said all of that, if you're out there reading this, and you like one of the pages from Seven Worlds Week, LET ME KNOW, either here on the blog, or via email, or on Facebook.  Positive Feedback is always, always welcome, and will often help direct where I put my attentions.  Quite honestly, I would have stopped producing Quixote Coyote if I hadn't received positive feedback from a few people, so if you like something, let me know.

The Aftermath

Here we go:

That wraps up the "Quixote Coyote vs. Mr Skullface Man" section of Night Three.  I've decided to go ahead and take Friday off, because I'm old and tired.  There should be a new strip on Monday, and I might try something a little different next week.  Maybe.  Haven't decided yet.  Anyway, our ridiculous Haunted House shenanigans will continue on Monday.

Big Boot!

Here we go again:

When I think of Quixote Coyote's fighting style, I often find myself thinking about how Mario fights in the Super Mario Bros games.  A lot of it involves not getting hit, jumping at the right time, and hitting the enemy when the time is right.

AXE SMASH!

Things are rather calm in the Haunted Mansion right now... NOT!

This is such a weird page.  I'm glad I'm not worried about trying to make every strip funny, because today's strip is honestly just kind of creepy.  It's weird to be doing what I consider to be an All Ages strip, but that a lot of people nowadays wouldn't consider even remotely All Ages.  I'm playing by Old School Rules, though.

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life...er...Death?

It's a Good Thing I don't really torture myself trying to maintain a schedule anymore.  Last week was a bit on the light side.  As I've said before, I don't have the endurance I used to have, and last week was a rough one.  If you've never worked outside in a snowstorm, it's not something I'd recommend.  Here's hoping this week is a little easier.  Anyway, here's a new Quixote Coyote:

The Haunted House's moods are almost as Mercurial as my own.  One minute it's trying to kill Quixote, then it's just messing with him, then it's almost being friendly.  Now it's back to trying to kill him.  Pft.  Crazy days.

I miss the TORCverse.

Mr. Skullface Man 2.0

Rut-Roh Raggy!

I never really intended for Quixote and Mr. Skullface Man to ever really develop any sort of relationship.  In fact, I never really intended to do anything with Mr. Skullface Man, period.  But like most things, it all just kind of happened, and here we are, at the absolute apex of the duo's bizarre friendship/antagonism. 

Also, I'm very happy I got to use the line "Big Honkin' Axe".

Night Three Begins

It is time for Night Three, ladies and gentlemen.  Let's Roll:

Oooooh this is gonna be crazy.

Speaking of crazy, man, my head lately.  I'm in one of those modes I get in where I am constantly shifting and moving ideas and characters around, over and over again in a continual pattern of chaos.  Build.  Destroy.  Rebuild.  Repeat.  Every time I think I've got a good idea, it's almost immediately replaced by another idea.  Crazy.

Sigh.  I live in fear of the day when I have Writer's Block.  But, man, Inverted Writer's Block is almost worse. 

Lawyers... Boooo!!!

Welp, got pinned down with some stuff.  Anyway, let's wrap up the week as we wrap up getting ready to wrap up the freakin longest Haunted House story in the history of what was I talking about again? 

As mentioned earlier in the week, I have very little control over my comics.  I just comic.  For today's example, I give you the subjects of today's strip:  The Weasel/Shyster Brothers.  I was done with these guys.  Done.  Never gonna use them again.  And yet, here they are, trying to find some way to scam Quixote Coyote out of inheritance, again.  And they've hired a Fox Mercenary to do their dirty work.  Franko Fox didn't exist right before I ran this strip.  He just popped into existence.  Why?  I dunno.

Sancho & Panda Return

Hey-ho, let's go:

Anyone who knows me, knows that I have trouble sticking to a plan.  For example, when I first conceived of this series, I had no intention of introducing any of the characters on this page until after the "Haunted Mansion" story arc concluded.  In fact, Sancho wasn't even supposed to show up until the 3rd or 4th Story Arc.  But, the Haunted Mansion arc has been going on for quite some time (what can I say, I'm enjoying it), and I wanted to go ahead and introduce these guys, so I did.  They were all introduced during the break between the First Two Nights.  And Sancho and Panda somehow stumbled into the Mansion during Night Two, which I didn't have planned at all. 

Anyway, after they left the Mansion, I was planning on not using them again until after the story arc was over (actually, after the Mansion arc, I plan on having a short arc that doesn't involve either of them).  And yet, here they are.  I truly have no control over any of this, do I?

Also, today's strip cracks me up quite a lot.  Heh.  Birdnapping.

Quixote Returns

Hey everybody!  Quixote Coyote's back!

I honestly think I love drawing Quixote snoring more than I have loved drawing just about anything else.  Actually, I take that back... Here's my Top 10 Things I Love to draw:

10.  Kirby Crackle
9.  Big Punches
8.  People Launching Themselves into Battle.
7.  Octopus Jones when he's surprised.
6.  OMNICHRONUS.
5.  Quixote Coyote Snoring (guess it was No. 5)
4.  When the Clown does virtually anything.
3.  Pengy Dancing.
2.  The Clown eating Tacos.
1.  Monsters.  Always Monsters.

Wrapping up the Special

Ha!  Made it!  Feeling good.  Feeling good.

Welp, that wraps up our impromptu, out of nowhere, fast paced, completely bizarre 5 page episode of The Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club.  While I've been busy doing other things, it was a lot of fun this week to just knuckle down and work and create and then just put it up online.

Comics are fun.

Still debating whether Quixote Coyote will return next week or whether I'll be taking next week off.

HFSAC Special 4 (of 5)

Normally, I put these strips on the blog in the evening, and then hype them in the morning.  But I've been working in sub-freezing temperatures all week, so I ran out of gas early last night.  In other words, I'm posting this in the morning before work, so I have no time for a commentary track, outside of, Today's Page is just freakin' weird.

See, what did I tell ya.  Weird.

HFSAC Special 3 (of 5)

Page Three Baby!

I'm not like a lot of artists, where I am super critical of my own work.  I know I'm not the best, I know I'm not the worst, and for the most part I just try to be Zen about the whole thing (obviously, this perspective can vary wildly from day to day, or even hour to hour... but I digress).  I acknowledge my weaknesses (poor backgrounds, weak perspective, dubious anatomy, a primary focus on plot over character, don't give a crap about light sources), but I also acknowledge my strengths (naturalistic dialogue, hi-speed plotting, strong storytelling, high energy artwork, great facial expressions).  One of my better strengths is that I have a strong sense of Character Design.  I make cool looking characters.  But sometimes, this strength can become a weakness.  Let's say, for example, I design an ancient evil monster from the Dawn of Time.  And I decide that this monster has a giant GoatSkullFace.  And then I'm like, Hey, wouldn't it be cool if it actually had three interconnected GoatSkullFaces?  That would be cool.  And then the Goat Horns in the middle could intertwine, that would be so rad!  Yeah!

So, I draw it, and it looks cool as all get out, and I slap a Sauron Eye between the Horns just to really hammer the whole Ancient Evil Theme home.  Great!

One tiny problem though.  I have to draw this stupid, ridiculously complicated monster multiple times from several different angles!  Noooooooooo!!!!  I'm an Eediot!

The lesson for today children is this:  Just draw stick figures.  Stick figures are quick and easy to draw and look good no matter where you put the camera.

HFSAC Special Page 2 (of 5)

Right.  More HFSAC Fun.  Today's page kinda looks like the cover to a Heavy Metal Album.  Heh.

Alright.  Now, let's make something very clear.  This is a comic book.  It's not a movie or a TeeVee Show or even a Book-Book.  It's a Comic Book.  Comics don't gotta make sense, they just gotta be awesome.  I don't gotta worry about physics or logic or any of that other boring nonsense.

But, having said that, that doesn't mean I don't think about how things work and why.  So, if for some reason you're reading this and wasting time wondering how any of this stuff works as our heroes float and fly around the asteroid belt fighting a giant monster with a triple goat head, here's your guide to, well, everything:

1) So, how do they survive in space?  A:  Cactus Joe and Pengy Penguin were evolved into cosmic beings by Lord OMNICHRONUS.  That means they are specifically designed to live in any environment, especially space.  Death Moth is a War Homunculus, and he's pretty much the same.  Instead of being a cosmic being, he's basically a really jacked up zombie on crack.  Super crack.  Octopus Jones wears a Super-Suit made of Nth Dimensional Materials.  The Suit routinely breaks the laws of physics, and also offers him unlimited life support and protection in space.

2) Uh, Sound doesn't travel in a vacuum, so how are they talking to each other?  A:  All of our heroes possess low grade telepathy which they use to communicate in a vacuum.  The word balloons are just there for effect.

3) How is Death Moth flying?  A:  Death Moth does have moth wings on his back, and they are capable of flight in a planet's atmosphere.  Obviously, that don't work so great in Zero Gravity.  Handily, the Death Moth's wings produce a cloud of dust around them.  This dust has powerful magnetic qualities that allow the Moth's wings to lock onto the magnetic field of nearby planetary bodies.  In open space, this basically just means that the Death Moth can only be pulled toward the nearest planet.  On the other hand, in an asteroid field, where there are thousands of asteroids in every conceivable direction, well, obviously, the Death Moth's manuverability is almost limitless.

4) You really don't think we're gonna buy this nonsense, do you?  A:  That's up to you, not me.

HFSAC Special Page 1 (of 5)

Alright Cats n' Kittens, it's my Birthday Week, so it's time for me to do some stuff.  So, after a bit of internal debate, I've decided to do a 5 Page HFSAC strip this week.  1 Page a day, for 5 days.  Because I'm me.  So, here we go with Page 1 of The Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club Special:

So, if you've never experienced the unending joy that is The Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club, then, well, you're like just about everyone else.  Anyway, if you're new to the comic, don't worry about it.  This story is completely stand alone, and is mostly just a crazy epic action romp.  There's been another one of my annoying Time Jumps, so this story takes place some time after HFSAC (v2) #6.  There's been some new additions to the Club, as Octopus Jones and the Death Moth have joined up, somehow.  At the very least, this has given me another opportunity to do my Mickey/Donald/Goofy trio of Cactus Joe, Death Moth, and Octopus Jones.  There's been a few other times where this trio has been together, namely TORC 100, TORC: AMIGOS, and the Bad Rapture Crossover.  I always get a kick out of how these three interact, with CJ serving as the straight man, Death Moth playing the Heavy, and Octopus Jones being the guy who is perpetually in over his head.  Pengy, of course, plays Pengy (to continue the metaphor, Pengy is kinda stuck in the Pluto role).  It's a great combo that I like working with.

You might also notice that Cactus Joe has a different, more streamlined design (kinda looks like he's wearing a spacesuit of sorts), and Death Moth has gotten a total makeover (Death Moth bears the distinction of being a TORC Press character who has survived long enough (well, been resurrected enough times) to get several redesigns).  I kind of miss the proboscis though, but I think the "teeth" work better.  Makes him more menacing.

Other than that, Reality Ruptures have been a fairly common occurrence in the TORCverse since... Volume 1 of HFSAC, maybe?  Usually, our Heroes end up getting drawn into a Reality Rupture, and crazy, crazy things happen.  This time, something horrible is using a Reality Rupture to cross dimensional boundaries.  The Founders have been hinted at a few times over the years, but this is the first time we've actually really seen one.  I've never really had the opportunity to really do much with these Cthulhu-esque Horrors, but with this little 5 Pager, I figured now was as good a time as any to let one loose.  Hopefully our Hot Fudge Heroes can handle it.

Anyway, Page 2 rolls out tomorrow.

Night Two (FINALLY) Ends

Ahhhhh.  Another Night is done.

Welp, that wraps up Night Two in the Haunted Mansion, only One More Night to go.  This has been a very long story arc.  Anyway, I'm gonna take a week or two break, but I think I'll put some stuff up next week.  Maybe.  I dunno.  I'm all over the place lately.

Crashing Skull

Why does it always seem like my system is fried when I'm trying to come up with witty stuff for these entries?  Anyway, here's a new Quixote Coyote strip:

Heh.

Yorrick. That's the name of the Skull in that one Shakespeare play, right?

Today's Quixote Coyote:

Sigh.  Technology.  Why?

Anyway, I really never intended to turn Mr. Skullface Man into a character.  but like most comic things, stuff I didn't expect to happen, happened.  I love how crazy the comics writing process is.  Is it obvious my brain is fried?

That Thing Where You Can't Come Up with a Decent Title Because It's Late and Your Brain is Shot

New Quixote Coyote:

Hey!  Mr. Skullface Man is back!

Gonna be a crazy busy week.  I have no idea how much Quixote is going up this week.  At least I got this one done.  It's a nice little strip.

Skull Ball

I had something that had to get done yesterday, so no Quixote Coyote yesterday.  But today is today, so here's new Quixote Coyote:

My gal and I love bowling.  Unfortunately, we have two problems: 1) We never have time to go, and 2) We are probably the worst bowlers to bowl in the history of bowling.  Still, it's fun.  I also like to make comics about bowling, but much like real life, I never really have the time to make comics about bowling.  I did one several years ago, and it was a hoot. 

Ten Bones

Today's Quixote Coyote Strip:

Today's strip is so weird.  But the weirdest part is that the whole "Bowling for Bones" concept came from the original Fairy Tale that inspired this arc.  How odd is that?  Them Grimm Brothers were messed up.

Legs

Today's Quixote Coyote Comic Strip:

Ah, such a silly gag today.  It's fun making silly little comics.

And We're Back

So, I've been quiet for a bit.  Yeah, I've been plugging away on some stuff that I don't really wanna show off yet.  That's been my focus.  I'm not quite done with that work yet, but I'm getting close.  And as I've been getting close, I've been thinking about how I've left poor Quixote Coyote behind, and how much I miss the little guy and his world.  So, I thought, screw it.  I'll pick back up on Quixote Coyote because my name is Joseph Morris and I make Comics.

Anyway, here's a new strip, and yes, we're still stuck in that dang Haunted House.

As I started Night Two, I kind of forgot how Night Two went in the original Grimm's Fairy Tale that inspired this arc.  As a result, I just kind of meandered around.  Which was fun, but now that I'm back on task with the strip, I decided to get back on track with the actual Fairy Tale.  Believe it or not, this whole sequence is straight up taken from the the Fairy Tale.  I mean, a half of a dude just falls down a chimney.  Which beggars the age old question:  What the crap were the Grimm Brothers on when they wrote this story anyway?

The Definition of Insanity

"You're going to drive yourself crazy with this, aren't you?" Mei said.  There wasn't judgement in her voice, just a weary knowledge of who I am, and how I operate.

"No.  It'll be fine.  I can handle it," I replied in that voice I use when I try to sound nonchalant and confident at the same time.

Sigh.

This whole "TORC PRESS COMIX!" thing was a mistake.  And it's the same mistake I make over and over and over again.  The root of the problem is my Sawmill Job, and yet time and time again I do the same things, trying so hard to create some crazy new thing to get attention, to try to break through, to provoke a response...

Sigh.

I never learn.  This was too much.  It's all too much.  I work 45 Hard Fought Hours Every Week, and I spend my weekends on the road.  I have to change my way of thinking, or I really am gonna end up working as a Janitor somewhere (no offense to any Janitors out there reading this... but if you know me, Janitorial work would probably be my personal Hell).  The focus has to be on either making it in comics somehow or finding some sort of job I can enjoy.  The focus has to be on submission work, nothing more, nothing less.

Anyway, I know it's pathetic that I'm closing up shop on TORC PRESS COMIX after a week, but I can't be focused on a Graphic Novel that only makes sense to me.  I might still be running Quixote Coyote strips on and off.  We'll just have to wait and see on that.

TORC PRESS COMIX! 1/7/16

COSMIC PULP - 1/7/16

THIS WEEK'S CROSSWORD PUZZLE!

ACROSS:
1.  The Clown is God of _______?
2.  Octopus Jones's first name is _____?
3.  The Moment When Everything Clicks.
5.  Duck Amok craves this.
6.  Quixote Coyote's Tall, Awkward Friend.
8.  Tea Cup's Power.

DOWN:
1.  Another Word for Space Epic.
4.  The Force that moves the Universe.
5.  Quixote Coyote's Roadrunner Friend.
7.  The 5th Dimension is the Realm of ____.

Answers for Crossword Puzzle in Friday's Edition.

QUIXOTE COYOTE - 1/7/16

EDITOR'S NOTES - 1/7/16

First off, this is my first attempt at a Crossword Puzzle, so I apologize in advance.  They're much harder to come up with than they seem.

Second off, with regards to Cosmic Pulp, I am not now, nor have I ever been on drugs.  That is all.

Third off, I'm not sure whether the Action in today's Quixote Coyote makes sense or not.  The point of the strip is twofold:  1) Panda would never willingly harm anyone or anything else, and 2) Panda's so dim-witted that he doesn't really get pain.  Like I said, I dunno if the strip works or not, but it was what my Muse told me to put down, so blame her. 

TORC PRESS COMIX - 1/6/16

CROWN COMICS -- 1/6/16

QUIXOTE COYOTE - 1/6/16

ULTRA DOLPHIN BROS - 1/6/16

EDITOR'S NOTES -

I don't have much to say about the Crown Comics entry.  We'll see more of that one next week.  I will say though, that the thing I used to yellow up the page looks pretty neat.  I'm hoping when it's printed it will look way cool.  I hope.

Not much to say about today's Quixote Coyote either.  I do enjoy Panda's sheer obliviousness to the obvious danger he's in.  I also think it's funny that Waldo's Wolf Pack shows up at the exact same time that Sancho and Panda are leaving.  Comics!

Now... I do have some stuff to talk about about this last thingie, so let's talk about that.  If you haven't been able to tell, what I'm trying to do with this TORC PRESS COMIX thing is create a sort-of Newspaper Style Comics/Funnies Page.  Except it's kind of a Bizarro World version of a Newspaper Comics Page.  To heighten this Newspaper Page style feeling, I've included some stuff that you typically find in a Newspaper's Funny Pages.  So, on Monday we had The Weekly Horoscope and on Tuesday we had a (Totally Bogus) Advice Column.  On Thursday, we're gonna have a Crossword Puzzle.  The problem was, I didn't have anything for Wednesday.  Nuttin.  Now, I know some papers have Sodoku... but I have no idea how to make one of those... and why would I want to.  And some papers have a Word Jumble, but I thought that would be redundant with the Thursday Crossword.  I considered doing a Political Cartoon, but, I mean, aren't my Politics blatant enough?  Seriously, I write a comic where the Bad Guys are a Massive Corporation that pollutes and destroys entire planets and just to make sure I've hammered my freaking point across, the Massive Corporation is, in fact, from Hell.  Sooooo... there's really no need for me to have ham-fisted drawings of Donald Trump's Hairpiece taking up space on this blog.

And then, a light shown down on me from the Heavens.  And a Voice Rang Out, like the sweet hosannas of a choir of Angels.  And that Voice said unto me...

"It is time for Dolph and Porp."

And I fell down upon my knees, and cried out, "YEEEEESSSSSSS!!!!!!"

And lo, I give unto you the one thing you've always wanted, but never knew you needed.  I give you your Wednesday Exclusive Comic Strip.  I give you the most beautiful thing I have ever created with my Head Meats.  I give you...

ULTRA.  DOLPHIN.  BROS.

You're Welcome.

(Assistant Editor's Note:  It has come to our attention that Joseph may have gotten hit in the head at work and may be suffering from severe delusions.  Please ignore most of today's Editor's Note, as it is probably generated from head trauma.)

((Assistant Assistant Editor's Note:  Mei, Joseph didn't actually get hurt at work.  Don't worry about him.  He's good.))