Words from the Creator
Mon June 1 2020 Updates; Tribute; Lore; Adaptation; Thanks
Updates
Sat June 6 – 12:08 am – 12:28 am. I photographed interiors of 4 Eerie Magazines. Some great ‘Rulah’ type sequences, with pre-code horror elements; drawn like a 70’s improvement on Matt Baker’s style;*
* really inspiring quality. Many of the stories inside are pre-code horror themes that are frequent – and some stories repeat in other eerie magazines ( known for covers that are similar across titles ); which was a benefit, when the first short comic was not as clearly printed; in the other magazine when it was printed again, it was without printer error, and dark spots.
I had alot of ideas for costumes, which I marked down with freehand fountain pen in composition book. I photographed one of the Cgc’s , Rangers comics.
Photographing the Eerie magazines seems to provide the best reference material, to build a new wave of original comics, honoring pre-code horror and GGA. Each magazine has twice as many pages as the comics*
* and a special Eerie issue ( that I got 67 pages through photographing, and had to stop for the evening) has twice as many as the normal magazines ( 105 pages).
It’s a physically challenging, and tedious task*
* ( to carefully turn the pages, and photograph each page, wearing nitrile exam gloves; standing over 12 hours today; about 1 hour per comic, and 2 hours per magazine).
If I push for about 3 days, I should be able to have the oldest ( high value, precode ) comics, and key magazines, processed.*
* leaving the remaining ( GGA, approx 30 , and eerie magazines, approx 40, and modern comics approx 170 ) to process at a pace that doesn’t take up my entire day of studio time.
I discovered many intense, and dynamic panels. I am eager to get back to drawing for most of the day; beginning to study the covers and panels. Since posting all the interiors is time consuming*, I may post highlights, or lurid, pre code panels; rather than try to post the entire issue ( for now); so that I have time to draw ASAP.
*( because of the upload time per image)
It’s been raining daily* – an ideal time to photograph the remaining core of vintage references.
*I set up a new fish filter for a 50 gal tank, with a pet catfish. Picked fruit off a tree for several hours, climbing it to reach the top, center. Not enough hours in the day ?
If I post original art tomorrow, I can feature Apocrypha, composition layouts, that I haven’t posted before. And draw more on Tues*.
* ( when I finish processing the stack of high value pre-code comics/magazines, that have been stacked on my tracing light, and pads of paper, I will be able to more efficiently embellish, and prepare for doing paintings, and using my graphic tablet).
Thurs June 4 – 3:07pm
I uploaded 2 soundtracks.
10 more Vintage Pre -Code horror ( valued in hundreds each** ) remain to process.
I posted the ones I completed ( scans, vintage links on ‘Coming soon’) – glad to have them photographed; some comparatively raw lurid Pre-Code Horror panels*, in the 1950’s books; that I have never seen elsewhere.( Some of them are in TPB collections – but the scans they used are sometimes not as good: I was impressed at the high quality color, preserved in many of the vintage Pre-Code Horror comics I photographed, and put into 4mil mylar yesterday).
Fantastic Fears #8 ( Ajax/Farrell) & to , Zoot #10 (Fox Feature Syndicate) Vintage June 3rd Weekly,
Terrifying Tales #14 & Web of Evil #14 to Vintage June 4th Weekly, Tomb of Terror #3 to Vintage July 1st Week.
*which I can post over the weeks. Perfect comicbook panel work, that I can study, and material to reimagine, redraw, and detail with variations. This would be good core content, to base new pieces for social media posts.
** It seems like a lot to invest now – but I expect many have grew up with, and seen these at one time or other; to reimagine them, with detail, would be something of interest to many viewers; and likely not done by many artists: since a) most wouldn’t acquire these vintage Pre-Code Horror comics b) few can reproduce with reasonable accuracy c) few have the discipline to complete several stages, preparation for their pieces. And, being an established piece of the lexicon of Comicbook Art history, trolls are revealed for their hypocrisy, ignorance and maliciousness, in a way that destroys their credibility if they try to attack it; which seems like the strongest opening move, for Lurid Max, in the social media, ETA Sept 2020- Nov 2020; for Season three.
I transcribed over 2 pages of ideas* ( names, titles, themes, sequences) from text messages I stored on my phone since the Road trip ( where I didn’t have daily access to a computer).
*This can be applied to the pending scripts, and lore ( for html game, comics)
Tues June 2 –
7:39pm – I could have drawn or finally put some of the many high value vintage comics, in stacks, in my studio; to be efficient, I processed several stacks ( taking most of the day).
Listening to the news periodically.
Once every week, I spend several hours with the family in the early day. Currently, that is Wednesday. Then from Thurs to Tues, I work ( 6 days) on content related to the projects I feature on this website.
I will try to get some composition book images posted today, apocrypha, and some photos of interiors, covers, in the meantime.
As I process the recent comics, I have new cover references I can study, and new inspirations. It also makes space in the studio, so I can get to all my stacks of art, and equipment. The idea, was to have quality Pre-Code horror vintage scans, and Golden Age Good Girl art for weekly posts, and later to post articles I write on the topic ( for DA). As well as cover studies, and reimaginings. A couple weeks of processing comics, periodically, improving content for the rest of the year. I definitely look forward to being done photographing, scanning, putting into mylar, the over 130 vintage items [ Today 2 rare Cgc’s – pre-code horror, and a 70’s first appearance ] and resume the New Comic Book Schedule.
I wrote my reaction* to the George Floyd case, and repercussions across the world.
*Its my humble opinion – at best, sharing similar sentiments of humanity in the face of injustice. I am certainly not the expert, and am experiencing the events second hand through social media ( internet). Some thoughts and observations.
Mon June 1. 11:58pm Setting up website content in advance: vintage scans ( 6, mainstream) through July 4th weekly. Picked out ( resized cropped) composition book layouts – from folders of chosen ( lurid) for redrawing. Deliveries ( unbox, photo): Weird suspense ( Atlas/Marvel) Tarantula 1 -3; Inferior #5 DC ( I was a Guillotine Age hero) 6.5; Creepy Magazine #76 ( 8.5)*.
*BCW graded archivals ( 4mil, mylar, sleeve for CGC’s)
Mon June 1. 2 pm – Got some good drawing done ( H pencil – can be either colored with pencil, or inked – then digitally) outdoors. Completed a physical task, that now gives me a week or more uninterrupted studio time. I processed 20 comics*
*( photo graphed some interiors, scanned covers – put in 4mil mylar; in preparation to study the cover – in toploader; seated at a drawing stool outdoors; for some key images I had planned).
**( I am posting the 24 MP photos, so you can see what is taking up some of my studio time; which I can later scan, and post in the weekly vintage gallery – which was the purpose of ordering them; I got so many at once, because the best deals – quality, price and scarcity; come from estate auctions, and people selling the collections of others, who aren’t professional collectors themselves; these collections, tend to have hundreds of comics, at a third of the market price, for a fourth higher quality condition, for items that are often relatively scarce.
***I do physical labor from time to time, that leaves my arms less nimble than usual for about a half hour or so, weekly, – which is the best time to type, and not the best time to flip through and photograph panels; from these old comics, that once I tape in 4 mil mylar, is not convenient to get open again; pull out and look at. So, when I am most nimble, rested, and least sweaty from exertion, is the best time to process some of them**.
ETA for colored pieces. I prioritize getting ideas ( new ideas- before I forget) down on paper, in pencil, then longstanding ( challenging, / key reference) studies ( so I can add to WIPs), then making sure I have content posted in a timely fashion – and recent family events ( that I intervene for improving it as much as I am able). When I have uninterrupted time, I prepare for coloring/ink (and look for any pencilled objects, that can be improved before adding ink and color). Or go back to a staggerred posting schedule*
*; so that I am not always feeling behind schedule, or posting less than before. In the staggerred posting, I limit each week to a certain quantity, and post many weeks in advance; unlocking each week ; allowing me to work at a pace, unconcerned about deadlines; and thus create the most detailed work I can ( which in addition to skill, requires ‘time’).
The Early Access New comic book schedule, was something, possible, with no significant studio interruptions. I anticipate more studio time* this month.
* ( now that several family events, holidays, celebrations, chores, are completed**).
Honoring Legends
**I recall the words of Joe Rubenstein: ” I get alot done, when I am drawing, but there is always something that needs to get done “( in the household). As a full time artist/creator, it seems, that any time I spend helping others, puts me in a position to do art in all the remaining time. So the chores are like free time, and the drawing, is the easy part, which I could easily do all day. Taking time to get significant chores done; cooking, exercising, studio efficiency ( arranging, sorting references, works in progress; periodically getting a new influx of comics and books to study from ) feels like time taken from my art.
What I might try to do, is plan for 1 week to not create new ideas, or supplemental content, and simply pick a piece * to ink/color. Then have 2 weeks spent on pencilling new compositions, redrawings; and one week preparing the supplemental content for months in advance***
* ( either an already scanned piece of ‘inked ‘ apocrypha, or a WIP that has most of the basic elements; I can always draw again to improve – though it takes up more time; approx 2 days. )
***( videos, video game animations, scripts, voice overs, – splicing; soundtracks) .
I am working through processing* the deliveries of comics – which ultimately enrich the project quality for the longterm- and can be used as content to support Lurid Pre-Code horror, on social media, such as Deviant Art ( the Pre-Code Horror Group).
* photographing, scanning, and storing ( in mylar, acid free fullbacks , 4 mil mylar, Micro chamber interleaving paper.
This creates a museum like archive of comics from present to the golden age, for me to study, and share with you – once they are all processed, my studio will be very efficiently arranged, so that I can work on pieces; and have quicker access to top quality references*.
* ( for expressions, poses, drawings, illus, art books, prints, videos, video game animations, scripts, audio, and visual novel).
Story Telling
Watched the news about riots, protesters, and read comments for a couple hours- I had not been following it much since the road trip began in late Oct 2019. Lots of violence, concerns me for my family members who travel often, and have been lately. Definitely brings martial arts proficiency into meaningful aspect of daily activities, to spend time on, while organizing the many tasks; weapons of self defense ; and scenarios, with multiple attackers, armed, unarmed; and repercussions, on being caught on cell phone video, if appearing to pursue someone; even if they attacked, assaulted, harmed you first. And how various groups are spinning minutia, lies, or out of context excerpts, to promote their viewpoints, for political agendas.
Adaptations
That’s the powerful appeal, granted to subjects, that are censored. With Luridmax, the Pre-code renaissance is an assertion, in the face of the censorship era at present, and the mediocrity of the taboo offerrings. Lurid pre-code horror has been done, often better drawn in the past, and with much creativity. The vision, that I work toward, is tribute the lurid Pre-code horror, studying, and presenting content informed by that which was done well, and in the styles of legendary artists. Reimaginations of implied scenes; from media, including film, tv, comics, and literature. To use with art, what CGI doesn’t ( as it ever encroaches, the dominion of the traditional artist)
ETA for working on a comic book type schedule – I’ve been processing the many deliveries, to get key comics interiors photographed before I store them in mylar. Once I get them in storage boxes, my studio will have space for the efficient inking, and coloring; sorting and stacking of many works in progress. I anticipate getting alot of fresh art done this month.
The comics are inspiration, and a source of form reference. I would like to have a gallery with the reference material, studies and redrawings side by side and labelled, eventually. The only reason to process*** some regularly ASAP, is because the comics from the 1950’s are perishable (especially in humid climate);
Gratitude
Warmest Regards – Be safe, Take Care!