Arsenic Lullaby- first page ever compared to recent page

First, I found this old scan the other day you might wanna see...it's my first published page from a comic called Harvest Moon, which was a crime/horror anthology

That's more black ink than I use on an entire issue now. Using large black areas in a composition just isn't something that appeals to me. It's for sissies who can't draw details. Actually...I just never competently learned how. And when I try it, just always feels off to me. Maybe I'll start trying to learn how to deal with large black areas. But...probably not.

Use of blacked out areas aside, the panel composition is a bit more surreal/abstract than I do now, mostly because that was a crime story and Arsenic Lullaby is a comedy book which relies on using the panels for timing as opposed to mood. BUT...I think I might play around with more abstract panel use again.

Compare that page to a more recent page...

Full of details, backgrounds, clutter, wild movements, a range of expressions, and panels all set for a specific purpose on top of just overall composition. In a way they were done by two different illustrators. The first was a guy who didn't know what he was doing, and knew he didn't know what he was doing. It's all impact and punch, visually. The second is all precision and subtle skill. The only clue to my mind, that they were done by the same guy is that the trees in the first one are hunched over like a lot of my figures often are nowadays.

And using the backgrounds in the horizon to funnel the eye towards something is a technique I still use a once in awhile...( note panel five below)

If these illustrations were stand up comedy routines, the first page would be more early Sam Kinison where he was relying a bit on shock and power of his on stage persona and the second and third would be more mid career George Carlin, where he was using off the wall complicated premises and expert delivery and joke structure. Not a perfect analogy...but better than the football analogy I was going to use...

anyhoo...

SEE ME A CINCINNATI COMIC EXPO THIS WEEKEND!!!

Everyone involved in this show should be very proud of themselves. I was a guest at this show
when it first started. Back then is was one small room and a wide hallway lined with tables. This is a six hour drive for me and that is a good distance to drive for to set up in a hallway, but David Wray recommended it and David is a guy who always knows what time it is. He's one of the few people in this industry that I don't second guess. I went and it was great. Fast forward to now and it's one of the mid west's best shows! It is big, full of premier comic book pros, TV and Movie people and chuck full of contests, events, panels and things to do. They grew this F*cker into a really really solid comic con!

this link here is their instagram page which has all sorts of updates and info.

https://www.instagram.com/cincinnaticomicexpo/

Frankly, they have too much going on for me to keep track of and plug. I know they had a geek prom and/or geek blind dating thing. I don't know if they still do because, like I said, they have too much to keep track off. Plus...I'm a bit old to get in on a "geek prom". I'm at that unfortunate age where if you've got a 20 year old on your arm it's a bad look. Like, you just seem like you're in the middle of some pathetic mid-life crisis of something. People see you with 20yr old and think " get a load of this creep". It'd be bad optics, at this point. I've got to sit on the sidelines as far as dating 20yr olds for a decade or two until I'm solidly in that age where people see you with a 20yr old and think "get a load of him..that's a guy who making sure he gets as much as he can out of every erection he's got left!" ...which is dangerously close to being the age where they think "that girl's sleeping with him hoping the next orgasm kills him and she gets all his cash".

Don't get old, kids.

...what the F8ck was I talking about?

...

Oh yeah! Cincinnati Comic Expo! Good show, worth going too!
after that, I'll be at Grand Rapid Comic Con. and that is my con schedule for the fall.

http://www.cincinnaticomicexpo.com
Sept 20-22
Duke Energy Convention Center
525 Elm Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202

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