Status Quo Ante Bellum Pencils

This is the 8 page comic I am creating as an introduction to a larger work. I hope to have the bigger book completed by next year. The pencils aren't totally finished but I really wanted to post an update since it's been awhile. I will have these at the Philly Alt Con this August 14th in Philadelphia. I will be at the Small Press Expo and Alternative Press Expo with these and some other tiny silkscreens and etchings. I see much adventure traveling in my future. Yee haw!

 

Status Quo Ante Bellum Pencils, Page One

It was so hot this weekend I strategically maneuvered my light box directly in front of the little window a/c in the living room and stayed there most of yesterday and the day before. All of my pencil sketches are on bristol now, just have to fill in the missing parts and then I can do the fun stuff with ink. Really excited to finish this one!

Shooka Shook Shook

Real Fancy

status quo ante bellum

Status quo ante bellum, according to dear old Wikipedia, can be translated thus: "The state of things as they were before the war". Additionally, "The term was originally used in treaties to refer to the withdrawal of enemy troops and the restoration of prewar leadership. When used as such, it means that no side gains or loses territory or economic and political rights." I'm interested in how this archaic phrase relates to our growing group of wounded war veterans today. (What war veteran is not wounded?)

Reading Alan's War by Emmanuel Guibert, it is gorgeous. Alan was a G.I. in WWII and went to Fort Knox like Clif. I have only read the first few pages so far and plan to read it over the weekend. There's also a interesting video Emmanuel and First Second (the publisher) put up on YouTube that shows his interesting inking style. Very fun.

Looking for Clues

Listening to: "I Won't Back Down" performed by Dawn Landes

Yoga Birthday

Our yoga instructor at Yoga Union, Lou, is turning 31. Happy birthday! (Note: I haven't attempted any of these poses. Maybe next class...)

Clif and A.A. Bondy

'Nother drawing of Clif. I will be doing more, I think. This one came out a little squished but I still like it.

I found a drawing I did a few weeks ago of A.A. Bondy when I was listening to his music at my desk. He sounds kinda sad, I want to give him a bowl of soup or something.

Not related, but I have been drinking chocolate milk like it is going out of style. 

Soothe

A drawing from a photo of David eating a malt at Creole Creamery in New Orleans, May 2011. That arm looks weirdly small now that I've posted it.

Listening to: Otis Redding "You Don't Miss Your Water"

Tanked

Listening to: A.A. Bondy: "The Mightiest of Guns"

How to Draw a Gun

I'm still not too sure...

Clifton Hicks

This past weekend I went out to the Brooklyn Folk Fest and saw some really great musical performances by a bunch of talented folks. (I need to get out to Jalopy more. You should check them out, too if you haven't yet). At the folk fest, I had the opportunity to meet and chat with Clifton Hicks, who is an incredibly talented and down to earth guy. I am working on a comic with the lyrics to an old time song he plays called "German War". You can see him play the banjo and sing it here.
The first drawing posted here was done from life... I like it better than the others I did, which were done from photos from the internet.
I'm taking a comics class and it's pretty great; the instructor, Sungyoon Choi, (American Widow) is really smart and subtly funny. Non-fiction comics by ladies, totally awesome.
So, I better go get to work!