Chris W.'s blog

My new comic experiment, Perkins, now has its own gallery. You can read about what it is on the "About Jim Page", and you can view the first 3 pages right here. I don't think there's anything quite like it. But then again, it's not really the kind of thing I go looking for.

One of the biggest problems with inking my comic was getting the blacks to be black enough, and much of the blame can be leveled at the Micron pens and Sharpie markers I use for everything. Blacks were coming out blue, needing multiple coats, and things generally weren't looking that great saturation-wise. Also, Microns tend to be pretty glossy when they're used for solid black areas, meaning you get a fair bit of distortion when your work gets put through the scanner. But now I've got a brand new bag:
The Sharpie Acrylic Poster Paint Pen.
Much like the oil-based creature I use as white-out, these fast-drying black markers are loaded with nice, beefy poster paint, and the tone saturation and opacity are perfect. I never need more than one coat and the result holds up beautifully under a scanner. The latest comic, The Mitzvah of Jim, is my first attempt at using one of these things and I'm thrilled with the result, which you can see for yourself in the later panels--mainly in Benjamin's suit and the background of his big rant. And they're flat finish, meaning there's none of that troublesome gloss. Juicy, beautiful blackness. Aw jeah baby, that's the sugar daddy likes.

Testing the waters. Enjoy, and be excellent to each other.

First it was a massive essay. Then it was Christmas. Then New Years. Then, a grad school application process so intense that if you told someone about it, they wouldn't believe you. Will I get in? Will I get to write my super-rad thesis on aesthetics?? Depends on how much they're willing to spend on me. And they'll take whatever excuse they can get to NOT HAVE TO DO THAT. We'll see how it goes.

In the meantime, there will be two new comics coming. The fine folks at the campus print shop botched the cropping on one of them, and the other has just a few panels to go. I also attended a local art show/party, where I blew up a few of my best strips and mounted them onto foamboard. It was a fantastic night and I met some wonderful people. Also, a little bird told me something related to an art auction happening sometime this month, which could be my ticket to...PAINTING?!?!?!??? Maybe. It's something I know a lot about, yet have never done. Well, okay, there was that one time, but the canvas wasn't primed and I made it in like 30 minutes so I CAN'T WORK LIKE THAT, PEOPLE. But this time things will be different! Really!

I'm taking figure drawing classes once every few weeks with some amazing folks downtown. I'm really the baby in the group, given that everyone is like 30+, but they're all super-cool people with way more talent and skill than me. I wish some of it would rub off.

But whatever. Moping tomorrow, comic tonight!

Have fun, don't hurt yourselves.

Holy hot balls in a bowl of balls topped with a sprinkling of balls, the past couple of weeks have been truly balls for updates. Stan and Rich will appear as soon as I can tear myself away from my solidly booked schedule of conferences, appointments, and crippling mental blocks that are destroying me as we speak. The last Jim took a lot to make, and I'd hate to upload something that wasn't at least just as good.

--Chris

The newest Jim is finished and will be uploaded tomorrow. By this point, I think my style's developed to where I can consider the comic officially "started". Although I've already made 4, I tend to think of them as prototypes, leading up to what I want to make, here and now. The characters aren't going to be "different" in terms of personality, but they'll definitely look slicker, the composition will be more ambitious, and the settings will be more detailed. I'm really satisfied with this latest comic, and things can only go up from here.

Two cats and two fish, and two very different ways of preparing for dinner. Check it out in the Collaboration gallery. Major kudos to my excellent friend Andrew for his wicked art skillz.

The first four, original, old Jims are up, along with a wonderful new collab piece drawn by Sarah. Check the old stuff if you're new, and the new stuff if you're old (you'll appreciate it more).

New Jim a-comin', forums are on their way. The Advanced Forum and Author Pane modules are little trickier than expected, so expect those further down the road.

Almost ready. Advanced forums and first comics coming soon.