Project Superior

Adhouse Books makes good books. Quality, I mean. Joel Priddy's Pulpatoon Pilgrimage, Scott Morse's Southpaw, James Jean's Process Recess, Project Telstar, and now, Project Superior. I was very impressed by Project Telstar's collected stories and the book's physical qualities were high end. Of course when Chris Pitzer invited me to contribute to Project Superior I agreed readilly. There's been a lot said about the collection that's very positive. Okay, I'm soft-pedalling that, I demure when it comes to declarative self reference-even though I'm a mere one among many in the book. I could go into my favorites but..here's a sampling of opinions on the book and the individual stories.

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No wonder I jumped on the chance to be part of it, check out the names of the creators in it. Being sandwiched among these names is quite the honor. My offering was a larger story that I cut down to the six featured there. "No Prize" is indeed somewhat autobiographical--I can only wish then that I had explosive lazers shooting out of my eyes. Growing up in the my Philippines of typhoons, floods, scary catholic priests and nuns, uncertain family fortunes, political upheavals in a dictatorship, coalescing into something more benign: A benign memory. I one can hope at least.

The house represented was our house and I approximated the streets (they were much narrower). I can still see the new owners in my mind but to tell you honestly, I don't have any memory of leaving the house at all. I've tried to summon the mind pictures but all I have are forced images that's more invention than recall. Singed those cells good. So, what better way to honor the childhood than with a few comic book pages about it, eh?




I think the collection is pretty much sold out and Adhouse will likely not reprint this anthology or the previous one. Those of you who got a copy, well, yer lucky. It's rare now. Chris Pitzer will be at San Diego and we'll be holding a panel of some of the creators on the book on Thursday, July 14, 2005, 1:30-2:30 p.m. Scott Morse and I will be there among others from the book who've signed up for it. Come by and say hi.

Adhouse Books

Blokes I work with to dive in at San Diego Comic-con

Fresh New Books! From fresh new guys (well, except for Mark. He's been at it). And they all happen to be working alongside me in the trenches at the studio. Story, Art and Animation, Layout...they all want to go to market and had been very busy crafting their offerings for this summer since last year. I hope you all like the books from these fine brothers similarly addicted to sequential art, fargone enough to want to make one of their own.



Mark Andrews. You know and love him as the hollering head of story in The Incredibles. He's back with a an entire re-do of his epic "Colossus." No-slow-button-Andrews kicked into gear and it is a foregone conclusion. What results is a 200 some pages of mayhem, carnage, mystic metal behemoths and one ornery firebreathing dragon. And that doesn't even include the villain of the piece. Check out his blog for more images here.



Ted Mathot. I worked with Ted while we were at another studio languishing under improbable deadlines making interminable feature reels. He also worked with the above Andrews as a premier story guy in that there Incredibles movie (can you remember The 100-mile Dash?). Well, he's got one story burning a hole in his proverbial story pocket and wouldn't you know it but he done and finished one. Rose and Isabel, "A story of two sisters who join the American Civil War to save their three brothers..." Shot like a movie and drawn to loving sensitivity, it is an impressive debut. Check out choice pages on his blog here.



Sanjay Patel. There was a furor over this book at APE comic convention held this year. People just loved the cute rendition of Hindu gods and just like that "Little India" was a hit. A cautious fellow by nature, Sanjay was overwhelmed by the response to his little book. Once the word got out, the blogosphere ran with it. He has sold out of his first printing soon after APE. But worry not. He is reprinting as we speak. And I hear tell of a t-shirt featuring one of them lovable HIndu gods. Save yer pennies for this one, kids. Website here.



Louis Gonzales. He is the resident After Effects guru on a production I can't name and the nicest guy you could meet (although he looks like he can put you and your frat brothers in world of hurt all by himself) but this guy also can DRAW! I mean it. "Dumping Grounds" is a collection of his drawings that can show what I'm talking about. You open this book and you tell me I'm wrong, I dare ya. Website here.



E-Ville Press. An all-star team of star players in feature animation productions have banded together to present their initial collective foray into comics via "Afterworks," an anthology that features tales from Simon Dunsdon, Robert Kondo, Nate Stanton, Max Brace, Kevin O'Brien, Sanjay Patel, Louis Gonzales and Jay Shuster. They just got their books back and it looks very impressive. Well done, guys! Blog featuring sample images from the book here.

Enrico, Bill and I will have more of our comrades from work to share the majesty and terror that is the San Diego Comic-con. We also did pin-ups for above books here and yon. Congratulations to all for making your deadlines and sharing in our singular madness of creator-owned and published printed stories and art. And all of youse out there who are going to be at the con come by and see all of us at our respective booths and tables. You can cheer, heckle or just say hi. It's not much of a con without that, ain't it? All I know is that after Preview Night on Wednesday I'm having tequilla shots. And buying a round. Hooray!

Drawing post for today

My apologies to everyone who've written and not received a reply from me. I've been terribly busy and it's just the deluge of all manner of urgencies that my poor, disorganized self can bear. People who've ordered books, I am looking to a clearing of schedules around next week. People who are asking about advice and such requests all and sundry...don't be surprised that long after you've cursed my name to a snob list I reply a long ago email. Or not. I am hoping to plead simple human frailty here.

And I haven't been able to post anything since the last Sketchcrawl. Sheesh. I can't wait to win the Lotto and be free to do only the things that are about...well...me!

I'm also hoping to finish a small project of the printed variety. I'm in the niggling, detail stage of small adjustments and corrections. All I can say is that it's inspired by a storybook amphibian.

No, not Godzilla. But that's not a bad idea. Maybe down the line.

Drawing above done in Photoshop and Cintiq. Oh, and Enrico's up to something, too. Needle him about it. As well as a bunch of people around me who've gone to press with their work for a certain comic-con this summer. Productive lot.

Be well, all.