Wonder Northwest 2011

Well sports fans, Al here with the latest:

WONDER NORTHWEST 2011




In a strange twist of fate when I thought I would he just pounding coffee next to my drafting table cranking out image after image for the crossover I got a call from an old friend of mine to help out at this show.  I had promised myself that I wasn't going to be doing anymore shows till I was done with the crossover but when I got the call to arms (strong arms carrying in comic book long boxes) I went.
  Royce Myers has been a long time of mine and has helped me out many times, here was a chance to pay back a little.
  Small venue it was but fun today I do plan going to help if I can and hopefully not spend a ton of cash on things that I want but should  not  buy.  With money being freaking tight and printing a high priority  I can't.
  
THE CROSSOVER CONTINUES:

  The rough pencils are nearly done.  Within roughly a weeks time I belive that all the rough pencils will be completed and the transfers can commence.   This will be a great opportunity to place the script into the frame and see how much background I really have to come up wIth.  Then inking should begin.

JOHNNY VEGA NEWS
  And though I had said that I was going to be focusing on scratchboard Pieces for shows later in the year the thumbnailing bug bit me and I have been in brief moments working on sketching the origin story for Vega.  The ACTUAL origin.  Thanks to Kat for prodding me to explane his beginnings I sat down and Texted myself the story outline. 
  And with the infusion of Jason's script on the crossover, I realized that I needed to add a lot more action to the existing story arc of Vega. 
  I think I have done that. And I'm very happy with the results of the work.

And that it for the kid as I head to the show for a time.

April is month of Change

Hey there sports fans Al here with the latest:

NEWS FLASH!  IT's Mother's Day you geeks.  Call your moms!  For some I already know the stories.  Even if you have bad blood appreciate those who are close to you and say thank you for a gift of life. 

NOW BACK TO OUR REGULAR SCHEDULED PROGRAMING:

TALE OF TWO JO(H)NNY'S



Kicks into gear this month As a third of the rough pencils are completed for the crossover.  This means by the end of this month I should be able to start finished pencils and begin inking as well.  Cool stuff for a smack down action book.
  I can't wait to start in on that process. 

AND SPEAKING OF VEGA....

While cleaning the studio I came back across the ORIGIN of Johnny Vega - Humble Beginnings.      As so much of Vega is a homage to the Sci-Fi I love so much (with just a hint of parody added) I plan on turning out a definitive Johnny Vega collection that tells of his actual origin up through the updated first four books of the Man of the Future.  All of this was at the urging of my latest editors from Darkslinger Comics, Kathryn Meyers and publisher Adam Watson. 
  They have been helpful with the sell out of the Scratchboard Corpse Cop in Seattle at the Emerald City ComiCon 2011 and the latest Stumptown here in Portland.     
The jpeg is a copy of the script with several notations off to the side to denote how many panels per page (pages 11 and 12) and which direction each page is facing. I love post its!

APRIL IS THE MONTH OF CHANGE!
  As I have said before once the once the Crossover of the Take of Two Johnny's was completed I would focus on the scratchboard galley pieces to work on.  One of the biggest issues with all art work is Presentation.  It's not just enough to have great talent and being humble of your work but it's also the ability to see beyond that creative process to let it go out into the World and be appreciated by others.
  Not always the easiest thing to do.

So there you have it.  A update for the box.  Keep watching as there may be more in the works as Black Box looks to redefine itself on the web with it's website presence.

Stumptown Comics Fest 2011: THE AFTERMATH

Hey there sports fans, Al here with the latest:

STUMPTOWN 2011: THE AFTERMATH
It has taken me a week to really go through the event and put into words and pictures what my thoughts were on the show.
It has come and gone and has  left a warm feeling in our belly.  It was a much better show than I was anticipating.  I had felt that many things might have gone askew but I have happily relived that changed when the first two hours elapsed.
Then the fun began.  My table mates of NEOtrash Comix (Jason, Ben and Dan) made the whole thing more than bearable they made it fun so you as a independent  wouldn't be just hoping that someone would stop and just look at your books better that they would buy them.    "That's not a pickle!" was a common thing being said at the table.  I'll let your twisted minds figure out what that means.
Regardless of that Vega kept up with the sales of Corpse Cop this show which was nice.  AND original small pieces of scratchboard sold off the table as well.  So even though "scratch box" sign didn't make it premier at the show because I forgot something at home that work sold itself.  To me this can be summed up in one word, awesome. 
It was unfortunate that War Ram mini wasn't ready for this show but next year we'll see how it turns out!
So many things to do so little time so little money. 

THE TALE OF TWO JO(H)NNYS crossover is kicked into high gear as we move towards the Jet City Comic Show this year.
Looking good so far.
And it back to the drawing table.

Stumptown Comics Fest 2011

Hey sports fans, Al here with the latest:
STUMPTOWN COMICS FEST 2011 is here! In less than a day and the reason I'm posting right now is because I will be at the show.
Along side NEOtrash Comix, our partners in crime this year.
Now of course we have been showing images of late of Corpse Cop and Johnny Vega.
But not enough attention has been paid to the cross over of the Tale of Two Jo(h)nnys recently.  I am hoping to change that.  With nearly a third of the rough pencils completed the story is really evolving from the thumbnail stage about a month ago.  I am planning by the end of April that final pencils and the beginning of inks will take place.
Here is to keeping fingers crossed.
And for a little coffee to kick it off!

A week away

Hey there sports fans, Al here with the latest:

Well guys it looks like we are less than a week away from Stumptown Comics Fest 2011.

It means a bigger venue this year as things have moved from the Doubletree Hotel for the last three years to the Convention Center.
Check out Stumptown @ http://www.stumptowncomics.com
Hopefully we wont run into the same problems that happen last time when we were there 5 years ago back in ‘07. BUT without sounding like a downer Black Box Comix will be sharing a table again this year with NEOtrash Comix.
Jason and I have had a real good time working with each other behind the table up ECCC and looks like we will be having another good time this event!
It also helps that we are working together on the crossover “A Tale of Two Jo(h)nnys” at the same time. It always helps when there is a little down time between rushes at the show. Good times to be sure of.
Please check the fantastic art of Dan DePaulo and Ben Perkins for the The Brass Knuckle Rituals and Professor Ozarks Secret Medicine Redux. Both penned by Jason Z. Pott.
Check out NEOtrash Comix @ http://www.neotrashcomix.com
He’s a madman I tell you, mad!
Black Box Comix will be representing Darkslinger Comics to best of our abilities for this show. Adam of Darkslinger is taking a step back from the shows a wee bit to focus on the business side of things for his company and the potential collaborations between other small comic companies like Black Box Comix and others.
And if you make it to the show (and I hope you do) also check out Gunbaby Graphics @ http://www.gunbabygraphics.com as well. Tony’s work will blow your socks off with the latest painted images he has been working on as well as the Covers he has been doing for Darkslinger’s “Chronicles of Von Helsing”
For all new Darkslinger Comics things check out Darkslinger Comics @ http://darkslinger.com

NEW IMAGES FOR SUNDAY:
Occasionally as an artist you have to take a break from the drawing table and the imposed deadlines (remember I said occasionally) to drawing something that is not related to your current work schedule well these are the most current
The first is the latest bus ride illustration of the Man of the Future, Johnny Vega Soaring the Spaceways. It’s too bad that I didn’t really render this one in pen and ink on bristol like I normally do but this was a fun stand alone image for him.

The other is Corpse Cop! You’ve seen it in black and white , you’ve seen it in color. Now you get to see a sample of the work in Scratchboard! Still a work in progress but fun nevertheless.

And a new sign for the show. As I realized Black Box Comix has delving into a lot of scratchboard this last couple of years with gallery work and the success of the Scratchboard Corpse Cop Special “Corpsecile” so I needed a sign that represents! And this is it. I can’t wait to see how things turn out for this show.

And that is it for the kid!
I got a meeting to get to.
Alan

In Memorandum to Ty Wakefeild

Well sports fans, Al here to bring you up on the latest news.

A hero was lost yesterday in the state of Idaho. His name was Ty Wakefeild, and he was a friend of mine.
As my association with several people in the comics community I have been introduced to quiet a lot of people that have left a impression on me some have been other creators working for both the big three at the time (Marvel, DC and Dark Horse), others working for them selves and the smattering of people who like to rub shoulders with the creative types.
My awareness of Ty first came through a mutual friend of ours, Adam Watson of Darkslinger Comics.
A business minded man with a charisma to match. And when Adam told me that this guy was like a brother to him I wondered if the world could handle that much power. I mean after all I had told Adam once that if there was a apocalypse it would avoid him because he was Adam Watson.
When I met Ty he and Adam and Paul (Adam's Brother in Law) had been invited to have dinner at a place that I had been living for about less than a year. We had a good time but by the end of the night he had to take off to get ready to head back to Lewiston Idaho.
I had wished he had more time to hang out.
He had told me of his character named Captain Cure based upon his own experience dealing with cancer and to give hope to children who shared the same affliction. A non profit book. What a fantastic idea. No one was tackling this kind issue
I had my chance a few months later heading over to hang out during the year of shows over in Spokane. Yes, the weather was hot and humid but Ty hospitality and opening his house as well as the food he had prepared was a real sign of his character. The following day a trek to Spokane.
We were all kind squished together into a small table and had a blast.
When it came right down to it, when Adam told me that Ty was going to be in the area or someplace moderately with traveling distance I went.
We always had a good repose with each other.
We all have our own personal issues that we share with each other in the hopes that something might be resolved out it. With Ty he resolved this by sharing it with his readership and making his own company Alternate Reality the spear point with dealing with Sarcoma. He fought and fought. Showing that there was reason to fight to live by giving children a personification of this disease that was eating away at them from within. And that within each of them was a hero like Captain Cure.
I will say that when another creator like Ty asks you to do a commissioned piece for him. To me, to render his character was a big deal. For him I tried my best to make sure I adhered to the character I had seen. I think I did a pretty good job. I never took a payment for it either. He was my friend.
I was not as fortunate to be able to see him on Adam's last trip to Lewiston. But I do know that if I could have gone I would have.
I may not have had chance to know him for a long time and like some others but I feel like I had gotten my chance to.
Rest well buddy.
Your presence will be missed.

The First Comic Show of April

Well Sports fans, Al here with the latest!
April is here and only a few weeks away from the Stumptown Comics Fest 2011 is around the corner so things have to be kicked into high gear. And there is no better place than to do it in. If you don’t know anything about comic illustrators and the like Portland Oregon is a mecca for the comic book demi gods. The only place that has a larger amount of these talented individuals is New York City.
For me that is a impressive thing, since I only used to live down the road in Eugene.
But now I made the move to the City it has been nothing but a slow rise up with the new books characters and shows.
I have also found a lot of camaraderie here with people of like people. Good things.
But back the shows.
The Globe was the first featured Comic themed Art Show. And of course for comic creators there is nothing better than having you art being shown while you can drink beer and hang out with your buds.

Always a blast.
But I have to get back to work on Cross overs and Prep for other Corpse Cop antics.