The Tablet Has Landed

HELLO, fellow Interneters. Just wanted to let you know that the drawing tablet arrived last week, just as was prophesied. I've been fiddling with it a bit, and it's been much easier to get used to than I expected. The biggest problem I'm running into is working the software properly, but that's not too bad.

I drew the above chicken yesterday for my wife, Emily. She's responsible for the clever title, as after I told her I was done with the chicken she exclaimed, "Chicken accomplished!" After I finished LOLing, I drew the words in. I know it's not a perfect drawing by any means, but I didn't intend it to be. It was just an exercise, and if I had spent more than a few minutes on it I'm sure I could make it look more professional. (I'm sure!)

As for the answer to the inevitable question, "Why a chicken?": Well, it's a character I've been drawing for years now. A lot of times I'll put the chicken in a specific pose or costume or scenario, and add some pseudo-clever title, like "2001: A Space Chicken" behind a chicken in a space suit, or "Congratu-chicken!" behind a baby chicken in a crib (For a new baby, you see? Never mind.) Anyway, if any of you loyal readers would like to commission a chicken from me, let me know. Aside from doing the comic, I'd like to someday launch a line of Chicken-themed products, like t-shirts and postcards, etc. If you have any suggestions, I'm 95% ears. (The other 5% is trans-fat.)

Here Goes Nothing

I've just placed an order via that lovable demon, Amazon.com, for a new Wacom tablet, what with to do my digital drawing.

But what's this? It's not made by Wacom? It's a drawing tablet not made by the world's foremost drawing-tablet manufacturer? How dare you. I mean I.

Well, here's the deal: It's cheaper than the entry-level Wacom Bamboo Fun (no, that's not a bizarre typo), and has a much bigger drawing area. I don't want to get technical here, but...bigger is better.

Of course, it does have downsides. It remains to be seen if said downsides will be a dealbreaker, ladies, but I figured I'd test out the cheaper, bigger product first. If it doesn't work out, I can always return it (hopefully), and get the Bamboo Fun Pen Silver (again, not a typo).

I know this is pretty boring stuff, but, hey, what else am I going to blog about?

Seriously...do you have any suggestions? Have you read any good books lately?

Hello?

Happy Future

IT'S 2010.

No, not two-thousand-ten. What are you, lame? It's twenty-ten. Not only does it sound cooler, but that's how we've been saying the date for, like, a thousand years. Remember when it was 1997? We didn't say it was one-thousand nine-hundred ninety-seven, did we? Well, maybe you.

Personally, I'm glad it's 2010. In sci-fi stories, the cool stuff always happens in twenty-something, not two-thousand something. Okay, unless you count Kubrick and Clarke. Okay, Orwell, too. And that classic TV show, Space: 1999. But other than that! I fully expect to see flying cars and teleportation devices in the next few months.

Anyway, this post wasn't meant to be a rant about how to properly say the date. It was originally meant to be a friendly hello, and an update to let you know that more comics are around the bend. In the next week or so I hope to acquire the necessary technology to allow me to draw Yellow completely digitally, which should speed up the drawing/publishing process significantly.

For all you naysayers who say nay--that making comics digitally is tantamount to cheating at life--well, I say...maybe. Who cares? I'm not looking to hang my stuff in the Louvre; I'm telling a story. If technology helps me tell the story in the most efficient, clear way possible then why wouldn't I use it?

Besides, there are many ways in which drawing digitally still requires talent and skill. Sure, it may be a slightly different skillset than traditional drawing, but it's not like you can push a button and have a program draw your art for you. OK, well, there sort of is that button...but you can only use it after you've drawn it yourself once.

Anyway, I believe that if I can get adept at using the computer to make Yellow from start to finish, the final product will be far better for it. Not only will I be able to complete issues in a more timely fashion, but the artwork will be clearer, crisper, and all-around better-looking. I think you, the reader, will benefit, and I think that the comic will be more marketable for it.

Yes, that's right. I said marketable. Am I doing it for the money? Hardly. Printing is ungoldy expensive, and I've given away more copies than I've sold, by far. All-in-all, the comics industry is not a money-making enterprise. Unless your Marvel or DC, and even then...

But I would like to at least not go broke doing this comic, because if I go broke I can't do it anymore. And then nobody wins. So if that means I have to make my book appealing to comic book stores, and more importantly comic book store customers, then so be it. I apologize for nothing.

Except for that one thing I did back in the third grade. I definitely want to apologize for that. That frog didn't deserve what happened to it, and neither did you, Mrs. Postlewaite.