I’m in Studio Lock Down to crank out a short comic that I’m very excited to be drawing, but more on that later. In the meantime, I’ll just direct you to this extensive article on Forbes.com about 13th Age. “Say what?!” Don’t believe me…just check it out for yourself…Check Yo’self. They do not condone Lazy Bloggin’ at Forbes.com. (Their standards are slightly higher than mine, evidently\:-P)
Rob Heinsoo keeps releasing thumbnails for drawings I have yet to finish for 13 True Ways. Makes me nervous, but since it’s already adrift on the internet waves I’m owning it here. Read more about the Murder Pixies at Rob’s blog.
I’m in a state… Pixies No 13 Baby on Youtube
Some of my blog readers may know that my dad, Dan McConnell, inked Marvel Comics in the 90s, including X-Men #1 (thepizzahutedition). I worked on a few Marvel issues a couple years ago as an assistant (either assisting with background pencils or background inks), but never credited. However, this time assisting Karl Kesel on background inks for Fearless Defenders #4AU I will receive my first credit in a Marvel comic for some of my inking, further establishing me as a “chip off the old block.” I was hoping to get a glimpse of what the colorist did with the inks and today I was rewarded with this Preview on CBR. I had a hand in only two of the preview pages there, the rest of the credit goes to the extraordinary talents of Karl Kesel and the colorist, who appears to be unlisted in the preview. Phil Jimenez, the penciler, had something to do with it, too, and of course the writer Cullen Bunn. Anyway, check out that preview and I’ll proceed to curb my enthusiasm for being a small part of the corporate machine.
I met with Rob Heinsoo and Lee Moyer the other night. After enjoying a bowl of Lee’s chicken hominy soup we went through the “Art Order’ for 13 True Ways to see where we stand in the process. There’s a lot of artwork in this book, but a good amount of progress has been made and I will continue illustrating finished pieces this upcoming month. This weekend at Stumptown Comic Fest I’ll bring prints from the first book including many of the Icons and some interior illustrations of gnomes, elves and other high fantasy adventurers. Here’s an illustration that will be included in 13 True Ways:
And the thumbnail sketch:
…A New Website! But before I give you the link, I’m going to build up a little anticipation with the following process art from The Gettysburg Address: A Graphic Adaptation. This is how the magic happens;)
Now that I’ve revealed all my secrets, please go to graphicgettysburg.com to learn about the graphic novel with videos, visual annotations, essays, recommended reading and more!
I’m going to test the limits of my blog this week (but hopefully not the patience of my blog readers:p) in preparation for the upcoming Stumptown Comics Fest April 27-28, Sat-Sunday. I spent a good part of yesterday rifling through old drawings to put together a little collaborative sketch comic with my son. Layout is taking longer than I expected and I’m pruning out some stuff, but leftovers may as well end up here. This is a random page from a 2012 sketchbook. I think the pen was doing the thinking…
…and I nearly forgot. I’ve been wrapped up in a lot of scribbling lately, and eventually the results will show up here (and in print!), but for now I offer a random sketchbook page. Head studies. Some of these were drawn from photos (can you spot a celebrity or two?) and others were drawn from comic panels by Hugo Pratt, and still others appeared from the mind’s eye. My studio practice compressed in a page.
“But where’s the life drawing?!” you ask. Alright, it’s embarrassing, but here’s a self portrait drawn on the Odopod sketch site:
Now I feel naked.
I took my time finishing these, but I finally completed this set of character designs for S.A. William’s Ronin Revolver, a samurai/wild west mash-up story currently in development.
Just a quick post to say I’m backing a kickstarter project that ends today. P. Craig Russell has significantly influenced the way I think about comics and I look forward to learning more about his work through this DVD series. Take a look!
Aaron McConnell 