My new 24 hour comic this weekend
I'm posting the first 4 pages to my story "Sasquatch", my contribution to 24 Hour comics day for 2006. I actually went over my time limit by 3 hours this year. I suppose it makes up for finishing an hour early in the previous 2 years. This year I did the entire piece in photoshop and added tone to the whole thing. I'm very pleased with my piece this year. I feel like I made some kind of breakthrough. I recommend the 24 hour comics challenge to any cartoonist, but especially to those of us who can never seem to get their books finished on time. It's an incredible learning exercise that forces you to face your bad habits and overcome them. I've found that if I pace myself with the goal of completing 1 page every 45 minutes, I can usually finish the book on time. I found that if I allow myself an hour per page I will fall behind ( as I did this year). I usually become a bit discombobulated by around the 19th or 20th hour. The pages that you build up in the beginning when you are fresh will make up for that. I've also learned this year how to better compose with simple shapes. It made the panels look better AND go faster. Anyone else out there done a 24 hour comic? Had any similar/different experiences or suggestions?
posted by benton jew @ 9:51 AM
17 comments
17 Comments:
Sheez, that's incredible.
Great ideas on moving fast.... I was given a fan script this year that I committed to try to do a comic strip on and just doing layouts alone....ough... S-L-O-W!
Curious.... when did you switch to all-computer? Did it take long to switchover?
(I just bought my first tablet last week, but have yet to actually test it out)
I've been using photoshop since the late 80's, early 90's. Used it mainly to composite photos and do concept paintings. All my paintings ( the Hulk and Swamp Thing for example ) all started with at least a minimal pencil drawing that I scanned in before I started painting. I always had a hard time sketching with a mouse or stylus. It's just too "slippery". So anything with linework in it, I tended to do using traditional tools. I've only recently started doing the actual drawings and sketches on the computer, although I suppose I could have started doing that LONG ago ( as many of my colleagues have ). My first really 100% computer line drawing was that Silver Surfer piece. Sure I've done a few quick sketches before, but that Surfer piece was the first one that could be called a finished line drawing. My next step is to buy a cintique ( eeek! $2500.00) so I can actually draw on the screen. I've played with my friend's cintiques and it feels so much more natural. I've gotten a pain in my neck/shoulder from using my tablet. I think it's the combination of looking up at the vertical screen and drawing at the same time. I'm hoping the cintique helps alleviate this.
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ooops! Actually I meant to say the Superman piece was the first all computer line drawing, NOT the Surfer one.
this looks really cool -
pbdstudios-Thanks -I'll be sending you a dog drawing for your blog soon!
Where is the Sasquatch!!! These are beautiful!!!but where is the Sasquatch!!!!
"pbdstudios-Thanks -I'll be sending you a dog drawing for your blog soon!"
AWESOME!! thanks!
benton, you are an absolute MASTER of spotting the blacks... wow.
bko- Thanks for the enthusiasm over the pages! However, if I give EVERYTHING away, nobody will get the book! I will, however, be posting a few more pages soon. Maybe Sasquatch will appear in some of those pages. Keep watching this space...
Jamie- Thanks for the kind words! I've been overdosing on Alex Toth and all the other great black and white cartoonists a lot lately. Maybe some of it's finally sinking in--
You're...not bad.I notice that most of your camera angles are 3/4 verticle looking down...is that on purpose?
czarmangis- ?? Most of the shots in these examples, the camera has been eye-level. In fact, most are slightly lower than eye-level. Most aren't head on (except page 4 ) to give a voyeuristic impression.
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awesome work this! I agree with what you say on moving fast. Most interesting to me when I was doing my 24h comic was to see that I have a very limited set of ready-made-compositions. I suppose starting from tone-based compos does help in creating a broader range, but I definetly need to work on variety of vieuwpoints and camera angles. By the looks of it, you have got that sorted out pretty well. Respect.
Randall C.--Love your comic! Simple but well thought out. You have a nice variety od compositions and angles. I liked the way you used the brush--particulary
the effects inside the submarine and the storm. Great expressiveness with the main female character with just a few simple lines. Great work!
I *love* the Chick Comics treatment on the cover!
We just got twenty 20" Cintiques for one of our classrooms. They are awesome...especially when someone else is paying for them :)
HI benton,
I am a NY Times bestselling author/artist. want to talk to you bout a job. love your work,
gan
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