4 Things I Learned From All of the Comic Con Coverage

Firstly: Comic Con is really not about comics anymore. Granted, most of us have known that for a few years now, but every time it comes around again you see all the Hollywood crap that has nothing to do with comics taking center stage. How does the biggest comic convention in the world shrink how much comic book related events it holds? I think it'll make the New York con more and more attractive to the industry.

Secondly: Megan Fox is ANNOYING. Attractive she is, but she opens that mouth of hers and ugh, what a turn-off. Yes, this is me in my judgment chair, sitting from afar and passing judgment on somebody I have never met. But, c'mon, I listened to three diferent interviews while I was trying to draw & ink, it was irritating. She dared one reporter that she'd go walk the floor, like it was some kind of fight or something. I'm going to see Jonah Hex, because I love the character and like the whole Horror/Western sub-genre, but I'll be seeing it in spite of her being in it, not because she's in it. She might be my new John Travolta.

Thirdly: People are throwing money at comics books and memorabilia, even in our recession/depression. Now I, like a lot of people on the business side of comics, have not been too worried about the faltering economy and its effects on the comic book market. One, people always want entertainment - especially when the world around them is crappy. Second, comic books are a low price item. Its not a big deal for a fan of comic books to spend $3-4 on a book, or $20 on a trade. People seemed to be throwing money hand over fist there. Which is good...for us.

Lastly: I don't know... Iron Man 2 is going to kick ass? Yes, we should most all be of that mind. Uh... How 'bout this: Comic Con is continuing to grow, get more expensive to exhibit at, but be worth the exorbinate cost due to the ridiculous volume of people there with money burning a whole in their collective pockets. Yes.

I hope we all learned something at least from Comic Con this year.

-Joe Out.

Help pick the Cover for Khozos #1

The art for Khozos #1 will be wrapping up at the end of this month.
Help us pick the layout for the cover.
Click the thumbnail here to see the art, then enter your choice on the poll to the left.





The first installment of our series Seven is also coming along nicely. We're also picking away at modifying the Manic Repressive site, so keep checking back through out the month to see all the minute tweeking we do.

I have the subject matter for the con art for RoundCon '09. Once I get the layout decided, I may give everybody here a sneak peek at that as well.

-Joe

MR Site Updates - Store Front is Go!

Hello to all the halves of dozens of my blog readers!
The Manic Repressive site has got some serious make overs this month, and its not even the 15th yet. fists in the air!
Most important is the new store that is online now. Now you can get your hands on our first three publications without waiting for us to come to a show near you. Sweet!
You can even get to it from here, just click on the "store" link to the left.

We've also brought all of the old news updates over here to the new blog and tweaked the navigation buttons a tad. Those of you who already swing all over the site won't know any difference though.
New additions to Joe's main gallery page

We've also been tapped to create the artwork for RoundCon '09. A great gaming con in Columbia, SC.

More fun and excitement to follow!

5 things noticed from drawing comics all day:

1: After working out perspective points on multiple panels I start looking at the rooms in my house different. Am i seeing two point, three point...crazy stuff like that. Outside is even worse sometimes.

2: High-tech space ships and vehicles are way cooler to look at than design and draw. Ugh!

3: Making characters that look very different from each other can cover small amounts of inconsistency in your work. If all my characters wore the same outfits and only had facial and build differences, the art would be much weaker.

4: I need to practice drawing animals more. Way harder to draw than people, only because I'm not USED to drawing them.

5: This is way better work than anything else, even when it isn't paying.

Money of course is the goal and a necessity, but I am way more content spending my days drawing comics.

New Software: what a byte in the @$$!

All puns aside, I feel like an old man. Granted, I'm in my thirties, which is ancient by some standards, (miserable young punks!) but sometimes it feels like I've got the mentality of a 60 year old.
I can't be the only one who doesn't want to learn a bunch of new software, right?
Fortunately, this distaste for expanding my horizons is fairly limited to technology. Books are still fascinating, as well as "educational" TV shows.
As the so-called head of Manic Repressive I am responsible for keeping up with the website, all the marketing, licensing, and production stuff, which all leads to learning more and keeping myself closed up in my little world of doing-nothing-but-drawing, less.
Which, sigh, is good for me. Just like vegetables. But I still feel the need to fuss.

Wah, wah, I don't wanna learn anymore web based software.

There you have it.

Hello Cyber Peeps!

I've just been introduced to the blog and now have a much easier time slapping down anything I think of, if I like.

I'd like to update you all since we don't seem to be putting alot on our website nowadays.

We are, in fact, crazy busy with artwork. I've decided to give Seven a narrative art try. That is, I am drawing up some comic pages for the first chapter in the story: Gluttony. Then I want to move into drawing up a short story, Opus 3, dealing with a fantasy type world. Joe is drawing up Khozos: Chapter 1 and will move quickly onto Chapter 2. We want to get the artwork completed before October 2009. Then we'll be digitizing, coloring, and preparing for production. The beginning of 2010 will be the roll out of these comics, stories, and a webcomic that we'll be hiring someone else to draw (based on the world of Khozos). So, though the website may be a bit barren for a few months we hope to have a great deal to show for our quietude come January. Currently we are both 1/2 way through our respective stories.

The NEW news

Hello, you who probably aren't seeing this. I'm putting down this post, just to have something here.
Over the next few days I'm going to try and bring the old Manic Repressive news posts over to the new format. Not sure how, but boy do I love learning new things...man.

From now on, this will be where we share all things Manic Repressive with you the world-wide web. Expect more frequent postings now that we have an easier template to update.

When not trying to totally redesign the MR website, I'm drawing the first installment of Khozos, our new space fantasy comic book. Should be finished drawing & inking in July sometime. Then on to drawing the next while coloring & lettering the first. I'm a regular one-man gang, without all the old wrestling moves.

-Joe