This one takes a little explaining. One of the few friends I've made out on the Indy Circuit is Clint Basinger of Cosmic Moustache Comics. We have a similar outlook on comics creation, and we've worked together before, most notably on the crazy cross over book, "The Cosmic Norseman vs. New Super Duper Fun Comix". We enjoyed working on that little book so much, that we decided to do another project. This time around, we decided to do an all new, original story starring an original cast of characters. We tossed ideas back and forth until we had a basic idea. Clint wrote the plot, I wrote the script, and then we split the book in half, with Clint doing half the pages, and me the other half.
Anyway, the book is a wild western set in a crazy hi-tech ancient Egypt. There's a Scorpion Cowboy, an Astronaut Mummy, and a Skateboarding Zombie Cactus Thingie. And that's only the first three pages. It's 24 pages in glorious Black, White, and Grey for $3.00 plus $1.50 S&H. You can score it from me at http://torcpress.com/store.html or through Snail Mail at: TORC Press, c/o Joseph Morris, 330 S 5th St SW, Clay City, IL 62824. OR, swing by Clint's site at cosmicmoustachecomics.com and buy it offa him (and check out his list of killer comics. I recommend "Haweszilla".).
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Redefining Mr. Dark
One of the earliest lessons I've learned as a creator is that you have to be prepared to change things if you want to make them work. If something doesn't work, you throw it out and try something new. When I started work on Volume 2 of Gulatta! I immediately knew there were some things that needed fixing. And the first thing I wanted to fix was Mr. Dark.
The main problem, in my opinion, of the first Volume of Gulatta! was the lack of a strong central character. The cast changed from issue to issue. I wanted to fix that and give the book a strong central figure to sort of hang the rest of the characters off of. I knew Mr. Dark had the potential to be that character, but I needed to do some tinkering to make him work. The first thing I had to fix was the name. Make no mistake, I think the name "Mr. Dark" is awesome, but recently I read a review of an issue of "Fables" (a book I've never read, by the by) and discovered that they've got a Mr. Dark. Groan. I suppose I could've just ignored it, but not being one to risk potential litigation, I decided to change the name. Mr becomes King and viola, you've got King Dark. Simple enough.
The second change was a little more integral. In the original series, Mr. Dark was a Living Costume made of Living Darkness. He would enter a fight by "putting himself on" one of the bad guys, and the bad guy would "become" Mr. Dark. It was a really cool gimmick. Unfortunately, if your main character only shows up halfway through the fight, it's kinda hard to give him sufficient screen time or develop his character any. So, even though it was a neat idea, in Volume 2 I abandoned the idea of Mr. Dark as a living costume, and basically turned King Dark into a Living, Corporeal Shadow.
The other problem with King Dark was that...well, he's not the most colorful or interesting character. He's one of those Strong, Silent, Tough Guy types. Those guys are cool. But... they're very hard to hinge an entire book on. King Dark needed something to perk him. Someone to talk to. So, I used one of my favorite tricks, the trick that transformed Cactus Joe the Clown from "Generic bad ass indie comic anti-hero" into "Character I can tell stories with forever". I gave King Dark a silly cartoon sidekick.
Finding a sidekick for Dark took a little while. When I had the idea originally, I was going to give King Dark a Red Penguin from the South Pole. This was because Pengy was a laid back, mute, Blue Penguin from the North Pole, while Dark's sidekick would be this talkative, extreme sports, Red Penguin from the South Pole, and eventually I would develop this odd little rivalry between the two penguins. I abandoned the idea because I decided having other "Special" Penguins would rob Pengy of his individuality. But I liked the red color, and I like the Extreme Sports theme, and I liked the bird idea. Just needed a different. Somehow I came up with Toucan, and thus, Tulo TooCan, the red, skateboard riding, ridiculous catchphrase spouting Toucan was born.
And so, for now, King Dark was fixed, and I finally had the foundation I needed to start a new version of Gulatta!, which is currently available for sale at http://www.torcpress.com/store.html. Check it out and help support extreme toucans the world over.
The main problem, in my opinion, of the first Volume of Gulatta! was the lack of a strong central character. The cast changed from issue to issue. I wanted to fix that and give the book a strong central figure to sort of hang the rest of the characters off of. I knew Mr. Dark had the potential to be that character, but I needed to do some tinkering to make him work. The first thing I had to fix was the name. Make no mistake, I think the name "Mr. Dark" is awesome, but recently I read a review of an issue of "Fables" (a book I've never read, by the by) and discovered that they've got a Mr. Dark. Groan. I suppose I could've just ignored it, but not being one to risk potential litigation, I decided to change the name. Mr becomes King and viola, you've got King Dark. Simple enough.
The second change was a little more integral. In the original series, Mr. Dark was a Living Costume made of Living Darkness. He would enter a fight by "putting himself on" one of the bad guys, and the bad guy would "become" Mr. Dark. It was a really cool gimmick. Unfortunately, if your main character only shows up halfway through the fight, it's kinda hard to give him sufficient screen time or develop his character any. So, even though it was a neat idea, in Volume 2 I abandoned the idea of Mr. Dark as a living costume, and basically turned King Dark into a Living, Corporeal Shadow.
The other problem with King Dark was that...well, he's not the most colorful or interesting character. He's one of those Strong, Silent, Tough Guy types. Those guys are cool. But... they're very hard to hinge an entire book on. King Dark needed something to perk him. Someone to talk to. So, I used one of my favorite tricks, the trick that transformed Cactus Joe the Clown from "Generic bad ass indie comic anti-hero" into "Character I can tell stories with forever". I gave King Dark a silly cartoon sidekick.
Finding a sidekick for Dark took a little while. When I had the idea originally, I was going to give King Dark a Red Penguin from the South Pole. This was because Pengy was a laid back, mute, Blue Penguin from the North Pole, while Dark's sidekick would be this talkative, extreme sports, Red Penguin from the South Pole, and eventually I would develop this odd little rivalry between the two penguins. I abandoned the idea because I decided having other "Special" Penguins would rob Pengy of his individuality. But I liked the red color, and I like the Extreme Sports theme, and I liked the bird idea. Just needed a different. Somehow I came up with Toucan, and thus, Tulo TooCan, the red, skateboard riding, ridiculous catchphrase spouting Toucan was born.
And so, for now, King Dark was fixed, and I finally had the foundation I needed to start a new version of Gulatta!, which is currently available for sale at http://www.torcpress.com/store.html. Check it out and help support extreme toucans the world over.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
New Comic and Website Updates
Right. I've been trying to work on the website, www.torcpress.com. I'm not a "web guy", so I'm keeping things pretty simple, namely, a quick little homepage, and an online store (which, I honestly don't know whether it works or not...). Anyway, I've got a bunch of comics up in the online store now, including a brand new (well, sorta, I actually introduced it at SPACE...) book.
Announcing Gulatta! Volume 2 Issue One. It's an 8 page Black, White, and Grey book for a $1.50 plus $1.00 S&H. It's a brand new story, so if you didn't read any of Gulatta! Volume 1, then it's no biggie (in fact, there's a little bit of recap in there). The issue focuses on King Dark (formerly known as Mr. Dark) and introduces a new group called Eyenigma. It's a cool, quick, fun read. I'll hype it more during the week.
Announcing Gulatta! Volume 2 Issue One. It's an 8 page Black, White, and Grey book for a $1.50 plus $1.00 S&H. It's a brand new story, so if you didn't read any of Gulatta! Volume 1, then it's no biggie (in fact, there's a little bit of recap in there). The issue focuses on King Dark (formerly known as Mr. Dark) and introduces a new group called Eyenigma. It's a cool, quick, fun read. I'll hype it more during the week.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Back from SPACE
Right-o, I'll keep this short.
We're back safe and sound from Ohio and the 2010 SPACE Con. A big old thank you to everyone out there that came out and supported us at this year's event, and a big old mega thank you to Bob Corby for hosting and organizing my favorite show of the year. We had a real good time, met some cool people, and probably ate a little too much junk food.
I've got a TON of things to do now that SPACE has wrapped up, and a TON of things to announce, but for now I've gotta get to work.
We're back safe and sound from Ohio and the 2010 SPACE Con. A big old thank you to everyone out there that came out and supported us at this year's event, and a big old mega thank you to Bob Corby for hosting and organizing my favorite show of the year. We had a real good time, met some cool people, and probably ate a little too much junk food.
I've got a TON of things to do now that SPACE has wrapped up, and a TON of things to announce, but for now I've gotta get to work.
Friday, April 23, 2010
SPACE Time
Bro and I will be at the 11th Annual Small Press Alternative Comics Expo (or SPACE) all weekend long. Info can be found at http://www.backporchcomics.com/space.htm. I've got a ton of comics to sell, and as always, I'll be giving out free sketches with purchase. Later.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
On Deadline
I have a very, very tight deadline to finish the seventh issue of "The Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club. My deadline is Saturday, April 17, which is ten days from today, or a week from Saturday. I'm not even halfway through the issue yet, which means I'm going to have to complete over 12 pages in about ten days.
Woof. That would be a workload even if I wasn't working full time in a sawmill.
My problem is that I have a very demanding Editor-in-Chief. This guy is a no nonsense hard ass who sets improbable goals and then expects his peon underlings to live up to them.
Of course, as most of you know, I'm also the Editor-in-Chief of TORC Press.
That's part of the deal when you're your own boss. You gotta keep yourself moving forward. I intend on publishing a TON of comics over the next ten years and to do that I have to be like a shark, just perpetually swimming forward.
So, anyway, that's what I'm up to for the next couple of weeks. Drawing like a madman. Ta.
Woof. That would be a workload even if I wasn't working full time in a sawmill.
My problem is that I have a very demanding Editor-in-Chief. This guy is a no nonsense hard ass who sets improbable goals and then expects his peon underlings to live up to them.
Of course, as most of you know, I'm also the Editor-in-Chief of TORC Press.
That's part of the deal when you're your own boss. You gotta keep yourself moving forward. I intend on publishing a TON of comics over the next ten years and to do that I have to be like a shark, just perpetually swimming forward.
So, anyway, that's what I'm up to for the next couple of weeks. Drawing like a madman. Ta.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Levitone
The new demon that appears in The Horror story arc in "The Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club" issues 5 and 6 is not a new creation. I came up with the character back when I was in High School. In fact, it's one of a handful of my characters that predates Cactus Joe the Clown.
I created a lot of Demons when I was in High School. I was a horror film fanatic, and I was reading Todd McFarlane's "Spawn" on a regular basis. Throw in the fact that I had always had a mild obsession with the supernatural, and you end up with a kid that spends far too much time doodling monsters in his notebook. In retrospect, I'm surprised my parents weren't more worried about me than they were. Anyway, I drew a lot of monsters and demons. Around the same time, I was also obsessed with anything Clive Barker related. Which is where the concept of "The Leviathan" came from. Now, of course, traditionally, a Leviathan is a mythical sea creature that plagued sailors, and also could be used as a nickname for larger whales. But in Barker's worlds, the name took on a new significance. In "Hellraiser II" the Lord of Hell is revealed to be Leviathan, a rotating, diamond shaped, tower that shown of a horrifying black light across the endless labrynths of Hell. Whoa. I don't know why, but the combination of that name with that visual image haunted me. Then I read "The Great and Secret Show" and "Everville". In those books, there were these creatures that, I'm not sure if they had a name or not, but they were referred to as Leviathans at one point. And they were these gigantic, menacing creatures from another dimension that, if I remember correctly, their skin was constantly peeling away, revealing the rotten organs underneath, only for the skin to grow back. They were portrayed as being so humongous that the very idea of trying to combat them physically seemed futile. Again, the idea sent a visual spark right through my mind.
So, I found myself thinking about Hell Leviathans. Around this same time, I was also obsessed with H.P. Lovecraft, so I was also drawing Squid-type creatures a lot. So, I kinda crammed a lot of these ideas together, and what I ended up with was this gigantic, albino squid demon with cold, black eyes. I immediately knew that this monstrosity ate souls, and as such I designed his mouth to look like a cage, and you could see peoples souls trying futilely to escape. In the original drawings, this creature was so humongous that I never actually drew his entire body. I called this strange creation Levitone, which was a slight modification on Leviathan.
Years passed, and I waited for my chance to bring this demon into the TORCverse. Levitone's first actual appearance is in "Truth or Consequences Monthly" #4 page 12, when his demonic spirit is summoned to the Earth Plane (along with a bunch of other demons). You can see him on Panel 3, right in front of Old One Eye. He is openly identified by Toldos and Rakor on page 21, who claim that he is the strongest of all of the demons that have been summoned. Levitone would resurface on the last page of the Cactus Joe story in "SDF: Crumpled Planet". There is a scene where a group of men are at a hotel in Faunatown, IL. All of these men are well dressed, and one casts an ominous shadow. Levitone is the one on the far left. (Funfact: The demons in that scene, from left to right are: Levitone, Old One Eye, Luther Dirge, Toldos, Rakor, and Zarathon) Levitone would bide his time, consuming souls and becoming stronger, waiting for his chance to kill the Clown. That chance has now come.
Issues 5&6 of "The Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club" are now available from TORC Press. They are $2.50 plus a $1.50 S&H each, and can acquired by sending a check or money order to: TORC Press, c/o Joseph Morris, 330 S 5th St SW, Clay City, IL 62824. Or you can Paypal me at: cactusfnjoe@hotmail.com. Demon Fight!
I created a lot of Demons when I was in High School. I was a horror film fanatic, and I was reading Todd McFarlane's "Spawn" on a regular basis. Throw in the fact that I had always had a mild obsession with the supernatural, and you end up with a kid that spends far too much time doodling monsters in his notebook. In retrospect, I'm surprised my parents weren't more worried about me than they were. Anyway, I drew a lot of monsters and demons. Around the same time, I was also obsessed with anything Clive Barker related. Which is where the concept of "The Leviathan" came from. Now, of course, traditionally, a Leviathan is a mythical sea creature that plagued sailors, and also could be used as a nickname for larger whales. But in Barker's worlds, the name took on a new significance. In "Hellraiser II" the Lord of Hell is revealed to be Leviathan, a rotating, diamond shaped, tower that shown of a horrifying black light across the endless labrynths of Hell. Whoa. I don't know why, but the combination of that name with that visual image haunted me. Then I read "The Great and Secret Show" and "Everville". In those books, there were these creatures that, I'm not sure if they had a name or not, but they were referred to as Leviathans at one point. And they were these gigantic, menacing creatures from another dimension that, if I remember correctly, their skin was constantly peeling away, revealing the rotten organs underneath, only for the skin to grow back. They were portrayed as being so humongous that the very idea of trying to combat them physically seemed futile. Again, the idea sent a visual spark right through my mind.
So, I found myself thinking about Hell Leviathans. Around this same time, I was also obsessed with H.P. Lovecraft, so I was also drawing Squid-type creatures a lot. So, I kinda crammed a lot of these ideas together, and what I ended up with was this gigantic, albino squid demon with cold, black eyes. I immediately knew that this monstrosity ate souls, and as such I designed his mouth to look like a cage, and you could see peoples souls trying futilely to escape. In the original drawings, this creature was so humongous that I never actually drew his entire body. I called this strange creation Levitone, which was a slight modification on Leviathan.
Years passed, and I waited for my chance to bring this demon into the TORCverse. Levitone's first actual appearance is in "Truth or Consequences Monthly" #4 page 12, when his demonic spirit is summoned to the Earth Plane (along with a bunch of other demons). You can see him on Panel 3, right in front of Old One Eye. He is openly identified by Toldos and Rakor on page 21, who claim that he is the strongest of all of the demons that have been summoned. Levitone would resurface on the last page of the Cactus Joe story in "SDF: Crumpled Planet". There is a scene where a group of men are at a hotel in Faunatown, IL. All of these men are well dressed, and one casts an ominous shadow. Levitone is the one on the far left. (Funfact: The demons in that scene, from left to right are: Levitone, Old One Eye, Luther Dirge, Toldos, Rakor, and Zarathon) Levitone would bide his time, consuming souls and becoming stronger, waiting for his chance to kill the Clown. That chance has now come.
Issues 5&6 of "The Hot Fudge Sundae Adventure Club" are now available from TORC Press. They are $2.50 plus a $1.50 S&H each, and can acquired by sending a check or money order to: TORC Press, c/o Joseph Morris, 330 S 5th St SW, Clay City, IL 62824. Or you can Paypal me at: cactusfnjoe@hotmail.com. Demon Fight!
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