JOLT! ON THE HORIZON

I can't give too many (or really any) details on it yet, but my next project is beginning to take shape.  Old pal-o-mine and damn fine writer, Mark Finn, and I have been cooking up something every bit as retarded as you might expect from us.  The plot is hammered out.  The first script is written.  Once our current obligations are met, we'll dig our teeth into it.  That last bit is what we creative types call foreshadowing. 

You can sample Mark's particular affliction here. http://marktheaginghipster.blogspot.com/

WARBIRDS OF MARS!

Here's an illo. i did for an upcoming prose anthology companion piece to the online comic, warbirdsofmars.com

JOLTIN JOHNNY IN DEEP DOODOO

Every now and then (ie. often) a page will give me fits.  As often as not, it's not even anything you'd think would cause a problem- a facial expression- a tilt of the head or hand.  This is just such a page. 

Beginning with the thumbs I thought it was going to be easy-peasy, and if I was worth a damn at this doodlin' business it might have been.  My first clue that it was going to be trouble should've been, and often is, when I can't get the scale of the figures right.  See, the guy at bottom left.  He's supposed to be in the panel above him, not at the bottom.  I just couldn't put him where I wanted.  Brain fart.  Crossed wires.  I don't know.  Things weren't flowing. 

For the record, the bird doodle on the left margin of the thumbs is way better than the final on the page.  See how i torture myself? 

I didn't take any photos of the doodling I hated.  I mean, why would I?  Do you go around showing of pictures or your thinrd nipple?  well, maybe you should.  There could be some coin in it, for you. 

Enough about your pain and suffering and back to mine.  After much erasing and swearing and self-pitying tweets and facebook posts, I took to my sketchbook.  I don't do much drawing in my sketchbook.  I should.  I'd be a much better artist if I made the time.  It's, mostly, a place for working out problems. 

The problems on this page, were the first two panels.  I could not for the life of me get them down in a way that pleased me.  my first attempts at panel one looked like a hieroglyph- flat, boring lifeless.  To the sketchbook...

The second panel was a problem of body language and facial expression.  I kind of like what I had in the thumb, but it wasn't making the leap to the page.  So, again, to the sketchbook...

So, what I do with these images once I have them how I want them is, I Make copies on my printer, resizing them as needed, and lightbox them onto the page.  The same goes for the thumbnails.  In theory, it saves time.  After all me redrawing, I need what help I can get. 

So, there's the final page.  Still a bit of a ham-fisted mess.  The rendering behind the figures at top left of the first panel is a mess.  When I'm struggling I tend to over-render.  I do like the guy in the bed.  He was the bit with which I struggled most.  He's now my favorite part of the page.  Go figure.  Some of the rest of the page suffers from tense inking.  Don't ask me what that means.  It's part of the cartooning disease. 

You're right if after reading all this you're thinking this post is pretty pointless.  But then, what about this page isn't.  I just took the gamble that someone who's into pointless things might like to see the step x step of my pointless doodles.  It's, also, an opportunity to extoll the virtues of the sketchbook- a lesson I should learn.  Sometimes it's great to just change the view of the field.  If the page becomes a problem, get away from it.  Grab your old pal the sketchbook.  The fresh page, without the sense of finality, is a wonder. 

BACK SO SOON?

Yer darn tootin!  In the spirit of renewed dedication, yer ol Uncle Jolty is back. Tried as I might, I was unable to manufacture news in the last nine hours.  So, you'll just have to feast yer peepers on con/signing sketches.

ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO JOLT!

Hey, kids.  It's been way too long since my last update.  I shall endeavor to do better.

Things have been busy at Castle Joltinstein.  FOUR NORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE, the original graphic novel I'm doing with Matt Sturges, creeps along at a glacial pace.  I should have the art finished by May/June.   Here's a recent page. 

 

I've also squeezed in the odd doodle for shits and giggles.  The following is for the anthology Bad Karma.  My pals B. Clay Moore and Jeremy Haun are a couple of the big brains behind it. 

The next one is for a funnybook, Man of God, created by a group of Arkansas creators.  It's to be used as an alternate cover.  I think it's cute they think an alt cover by me will mean two shits to anybody but my wife and my mom.  It's my understanding dogs don"t recognize two dimensional images.  So, my best pal, Rocko, won't even by one. 

 

This next little gem was done for Fort Worth Burrito Project.  They sell burritos to raise money to feed and clothe hobos.  Why they don't just give the burritos to the hobos is beyond my understanding. While I'm knit-picking I'm not crazy about the name.  I'd call it Hobo Trough. 

 That's all for now.  If you'd like to see w.i.p. images, you can follow me on facebook http://www.facebook.com/JohnjoltinJohnnyLucas?skip_nax_wizard=true or twitter @himwhatjolts