Scarabian Concepts

Concept art is always fun. Coming up with ideas, drawing them out and extrapolating even more ideas from that point. Last night I decided to sit down and do some proper concept art for the Scarabians, which are kind of a major part of the latter half of the first series of Ambrose. Way back in the day, when I first started drawing Ambrose, they looked like Egyptian Zombies, pretty much.

Yeah, I know. That art is SUPER LAME. That's Ambrose circa 2008 by the way (eagle eyed people will notice that the colors of the gloves are reversed)

Anyway, I went with a more bug-like theme for the scarabians this time. I thought it would be cool to have these skinny, undead bug guys mucking around in floating pyramids across dimensions. I also worked a little bit on the background story for them as well. Before, they were just a race of interdimensional zombies trying to find a new home.

I worked from that origin point a bit more, and played up the zombie curse part, so that whichever dimension they do enter, their very prescence causes decay and ruin, forcing them to travel from one dimension to another to find a place to stay.

Also, the cool thing is that now that I have the concept and the story for these guys, I can start putting little nods into the earlier parts of the story, which would make for a pretty cool reveal eventually when they do...what it is this they're going to do.

Oh, I am such a huge tease, aren't I?

Zigga Zow!

Ambrose 2: Electric Boogaloo

Just a short post, been working most of the week on Ambrose, so I thought I'd post up a stand-in cover that I did for Issue 2. Despite many people's insistence that the cover art should be the same as the art on the inside pages, I want this to be a real comic. That means that other people will be doing the cover art for me and I get to relax on a bed supported by mountain maidens.

Do you want a Banana?

Ah, bananas. The most awesome of all fruits.

Yes, a comic about boners. Which I personally think are awesome. In most situations. I'm pretty sure I ripped that joke off from somewhere though. Also, speaking of bananas, you need to watch this clip. It will probably make your mind wobble a bit.

This weekend really was a bit of a blur, so there are no stories there. In fact, the boner comic was drawn on Friday evening, just before things got blurry.

Moving on, I was thinking about Lydia last week, and how she affords all her equipment and stuff. Reality Unlimited of course has government funding, but there are some things that would just break that budget. However, Lydia is also independantly wealthy, thanks to her best selling book on relationships.

That's right ladies, I can design book covers!

And finally, while we're on the subject of Ambrose, Wilson finally sent me the first draft of the cover that he was happy with. I warn that this still needs tweaking and stuff before we consider it print ready, but it was just too awesome for me not share.

So full of win that it magically puts
bananas into peoples pockets.

This week is the week that I have decided to throw even more effort into Ambrose. Mainly because it's almost July, and The Plan that Ms. Manager and I have put together has a big red mark next to July.

EXCITING!

Adventures in the Magical World of RL

An homage to wobbly-headed Bob.

For some reason I was feeling a little down today, but making that comic helped! It really did! I fully recommend drawing depressing comics as a cathartic way of getting rid of the blues.

Today was pretty full on, I must say. I had a ride in a government vehicle at some point, managed to get my immigration woes sorted out and had an EXAM (the order of these events might be a little mixed up). Speaking of exams, here is scan of one of the exam papers!

OMG I totes forgot that trolls can be priests.

Yeah, I answered the religion question though, so don't worry. University is SERIOUS BUSINESS.
After the paper, since I was in the neighbourhood and had some time to kill, I decided to finally pick up a few copies of the Wansolwara, which is the universities paper.

I was entitled to a few copies because I did a cartoon for them. I have included it here. They raped it a little bit (thanks Ed.) and I would have included an original scan of it, but 1) the comic they used was drawn at a coffee shop on the day they needed it and 2) I don't have the original.

Also, although not included in the scan, they credited me as Elbert Rolls. I don't know whether to be upset or be happy that I know have yet another nom de plume.

The vomit was the editors idea.
I mean, I draw things with a little more class usually.

And then I had the aforementioned ride in the government vehicle. Which is a story I will probably save for my memoirs (Coming out in the summer of 2012! Reserve your copy NOW!) but I can say that it was good fun.

Todays blog post was written to the sounds of Pomplamoose. YOU MUST LISTEN TO THIS BAND. Their cover of "I don't want to miss a Thing" is particularly win.

Achievement Unlocked: Chaperon Young People!

So, it was the sisters 18th birthday this weekend. She was fortunate in that she had her actual birthday on a saturday, unlike some people who will have theirs on a tuesday. Seriously, that's a lame day for a birthday. I guess if you were an optimist you would say that it would brighten up an otherwise dull day. Silly optimists.

The lazers were useful for keeping the kids in line.

She had a pretty cool party, with balloons, much sangria and merry making with friends. I had to don the role of chaperon for the evening, you know, make sure that the kids didn't do anything crazy like try to dance on the tables or do vodka shots with their eyeballs.

Highlights of the evening included one of her silly friends skidding a lit candle across the table onto my lap, yelling at a very silly individual who decided to make a mess all over the table and generally watching all these kids get progressively tipsy.

And now, for something completely different.

This picture was on my hard drive for some reason.

Remember when I had that weird trip about getting a job in the service industry? It appears I have relapsed due to repetitive insistence by family and friends for me to find a "real" job.

Actual quote: "You need to just go and get yourself a shitty job, preferably with bad pay and working conditions. Something traumatising, you know?"

I'm looking into it, who knows, this could lead to my writing improving from real world experience. You know, dealing with actual human beings instead of the imaginary ones in my head.

More on this as it develops. Full story at ten.

It's NOT a flowchart.

Okay, it is kinda, just finished up the inks and colors for the second issue (episode? chapter?) of Ambrose. I was going to just update the old cast page, but decided to do something a little...different.

Different? WHAT DO YOU MEAN DIFFERENT?

I'm pretty happy with how the second issue came out, but I will wait for responses from the test audience before I pay myself awkwardly on the back. (Yes, you gang I emailed it to, read it, please)

Also, I'm sorry for being a bit of a tease when it comes to this comic, but there are things in the works! I promise!

Blank post title is blank

Many exciting things have happened to me in the last few days, most of which I am not at liberty to discuss at the moment. I will link back to here when I do discuss them though, so that you have some sort of time stamp for reference.

Also, I am between freelance jobs at the moment so I've taken to being quite thrifty with my monies. Walking to town, spinning out a cup of cheap coffee for hours, taking shoelaces out of shoes that I don't wear to replace the shoelaces of shoes I do wear. Speaking of cheap coffee, I spend quite a lot of time drinking it and I've noticed that there are also a few occasions when attractive young people of the female gender do as well.

Sometimes I wonder what the etiquette is on talking to people who are drinking coffee by themselves. Do you stand there and exchange meaningless banter, and then go and sit down to drink your coffee by yourself? And if you do, should you try and get a seat so that the person doesn't have line of sight to see that you're drinking by yourself too?

This requires more study, I'm sure. And gosh darn it, I'm going to be on the forefront of this scientific endeavor. Because, after all, it's for science.

Getting a little Ahead of Myself again

OMG Sneak peek. And yes, I still use CS3.

Even though I've finished (basically, still some extra tweaks to do here and there) the first issue of Ambrose, I'm halfway through coloring the second one. Now, why put so much effort into something that might not even get printed, you ask? Sit down, go on, right there and I'll explain.

When I get an idea, be it for a story, a comic or a giant laser cannon, it is very rare for me to finish it satisfactorily. The difference with this is, I have the whole plot in my head for the first season (or volume, whichever), which has been simmering away for the past couple of years. Also, my art isn't completely disgusting right now, so I'm not worried about it looking bad.

Ambrose needs to be finished, properly, or I won't be able to consider myself a proper writer and artist. Heck, I've even got ideas for crossover comics and a main storyline that spans several dimensions and thousands of years. My favorite thing about this project though, and the part that excites me the most, is that it's sci fi.

Be prepared for some outlandish shit, ya dig?

What is this I don't even?

What the heck kind of advertising is this?

Well, That's the Easy Part out of the Way

So, I've completed pencils, inks and colors on 1 (one) issue of a little comic I will call "Are you Ambrose?"

Yes, again, because it never got published the first time. No hint of bitterness in that sentence at all, although I was looking at my old pages recently and yeah, it's probably just as well :P

Like the title says, drawing and coloring this thing is the easy part, it's getting the work out there that will be difficult. But! I've mentally put myself down as proactive about this project (see, that helps!) and so after I post this I'll start working on some proposal letters.

Dear Sir,

I have an awesome comic that you should totes advertise in. The kids will love it, we'll be rich beyond our wildest dreams. Yes, even that one you had where you had a harem full of nubile young mountain maidens.

Yours,
Albert.

In further news, Wilson has finally put up the production diary for the shoot we had last week saturday. As much as I hate directing traffic away from here (seriously, stay a while, and listen) this is the LINK. Further required reading is Mr. Directors blog, which you can find (I'll even link to the post!) HERE.

CLICK IT OMG WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?

When there is no more room in Hell...

The Z Team

Principal photography on Kania na Yalo Bula has, as they say in the business, wrapped! And because it was my camera that was used for photographing the production, I get to release the first photos IN THE WORLD!

I'll save the best ones for Wilson to put in the Production Diary though, since thats where the life of this little project has been documented.

Me and the Director (before the Zombie madness)

Personal thoughts? I have never been so tired after doing anything in my entire life. At some point, when we were shooting the running scenes I felt like I was going to be sick, and running through shots multiple times in the hot sun while trying to act the same way each time was exhausting.

At the same time, I've never had so much fun.

One of the many smoke breaks.

I just want to say thanks to everyone who was involved in the project, you guys went above and beyond, and I'm proud to call you my friends.

"See, eh? Don't muck around!"

Oh, except you Mike, for taking this photo of me. It had been a long day and I was exhausted. That, and I've learned that I can't drink rum for shit.

Why is the Rum always gone?

Woke up this Morning

Only to find that my arms were covered in Pentel Pen writing. On my right forearm were the words "Thug Life" and on my left was a list of instructions to myself. Mostly in regards to not killing everyone in the room.

/shrug

This is a short post! To let you know that Wilson has an update on the Production Diary over at Failed Paradise, and that the George Fiji Veikoso gig last night was...okay. It wasn't the worst five dollars I've ever spent, thats for sure. That ubiquitous honor goes to that time that I bought five dollars worth of week old gummy bears. Protip: Old Gummy Bears do not = Vintage.