Closer to Angelborn Post Comics Forum

So, yesterday I spent the day in the MSU Comics Forum Artist's Alley.  Now I deliberately did not bring my computer in a serious attempt to spend some time with my Angelborn characters and push them forward.  As a result, I have a ton of new sketches posted today (and I don't desire to spam with separate blog entries at this point.

I'm pretty pleased with how Gavin has evolved now.  I need the rest of the cast to follow suit, organize more of the initial plot and I'll be ready to start drafting some scripts and pages.  I'm excited to finally feel like I've developed my art enough to do this story justice.  Now if only I don't gag at it a year from now.  I'm thinking of getting my feet wet with some character vignettes.

Anyways, new art:

Welcome Distractions

My ferret Paulie always knows how to brighten my day, even when there are other things I should be paying attention to.  Our special, nearly four year old bond is the showcase of this comic.   The Paulster provided plenty of opportunities for true-to-life reference during the making of this comic.  Ferrets are what they are--and I wouldn't change a thing about them!  And in case you missed it, I'll be at 21st Century Comics and Games on Grand River Avenue in East Lansing, Michigan for my class Comics Signing, December 14th, 5-7pm. Come check out a lot of great comickers!

Post Mortem for Wave: A Rhapsody in Cantando

You are a jellyfish, an outsider to your tribe. Sunken ruins call to you with a haunting song. You alone wonder what could lie waiting in this place of music.

You cannot understand why others of your tribe cannot hear its need. You feel compelled to return it to its glory. Therefore you leave your tribe in search of the city that pulls your spirit. What awaits you, you can only imagine.

I was the 2D artist (among other roles within a four person team) for this ambitious, experience driven game project in Brian Winn's TC455 class.  This was my first opportunity to push the limits of what my 2D skills could accomplish in a 3D game engine.

Read more to find out my game art and design lessons from Version 1 of one of the most ambitious game projects I've tackled yet at Michigan State.  Better yet, play WaRiC!

Praise

When I was a child, I didn't understand the great circle of life with our predator pets.  This comic shares why now I always praise cats.  This was an incredibly emotional comic to make, as I am still embarrassed that I scolded Maxine for her proudest act.

Omairi

An American tourist and a aged Japanese woman meet on the train as they travel to a shrine.  Strangers in culture and as people, the shrine brings them together. Written and illustrated by me. This is a wordless comic, so there is no talking, just pictures. Enjoy!

Crafting the Story of a Place: Omairi

Platform 12:  Waiting on the train to Ise-shi.

This week in my Comics and the Visual Narrative class, we finished our silent comic challenge.  In the silent comic, you may use no words (not language or sound effects) and must convey the meaning of the story through gestures, facial expressions, and body language alone.  I went through many ideas, but something that stuck with me was the idea of a story of a place and how that place can weave people into merging and diverging tales.

This idea has resonated with me since I traveled to Japan.  I think, that often the United States feels so new that as a culture we miss that places cultivate different patterns of behavior in us.  I think, often enough, there is a lack of the truly "sacred space"  and place so old and monumental you feel humbled simply by being there.  There are few places here that give the average population chills--few places that inspire silence.