104. Royal Send-Off

The Princess Planet guest strip, 2013, ink with digital color.

My friend Brian McLachlan is ending his beloved webcomic, The Princess Planet, after a long run—8 years! To give it an appropriately royal send-off, several friends of the comic, including yours truly, contributed guest strips. As implied in the byline, Brian scripted and I drew.

Princess Christi and the Robot, 2007, ink with digital color and effects.

Here's some TPP fan art from a while back. The snowman is most frequently seen in Princess Christi's company, but I have a soft spot for the robot (much due to this early strip).

I wonder what Brian's next project will be? Can't wait to see!

101. For the Love of Mice

Excerpt from For the Love of Mice, 2008, ink.

A few years ago I attended the annual PNCA comics intesive, instructed by Jessica Abel, Matt Madden, Daniel Duford, and Peter Bagge. Following the workshop, I contributed to a class collection of short stories we titled Intense.

I continue to be fond of my story (a couple of framed pages currently hang in my son's bedroom, in fact). I doubt I'll ever reprint the tale, though. Shall we post it here for posterity?

098. Barbaric Elf

Barbaric Elf, 2012, ink with digital effects.

This is a commissioned piece for indie RPG publisher Trey Causey. Trey had the good taste to request a savage elf in line with 1970s post-apocalyptic classics like Elfquest and Wizards.

096. Flexible Firecracker

Fannie Firecracker panel mockup, 2012, mixed media.

Here's a sneak peek at the next installment of Fannie Firecracker, based on a script by funny friend Brian McLachlan. If my drawings are half as amusing as Brian's words, it'll be a hoot!

095. Cat Comix

How Mittens Got Top Billing, 2008, mixed media.

Mittens character studies, 2008, graphite and ink.

A few years ago I was invited to submit a guest strip on a great webcomics site. As far as I know, it was never used—so let's have a look at it here!

Hmm ... Wine and certain liquors get better with age. Does the same go for comics?

093. Captain Codskale

Captain Codskale, 2012, ink.

Allow me to reintroduce Captain Codskale, a Mon Calamari free trader in a Star Wars tabletop game I ran monthly for a handful of friends. As outlined in a prior post, I felt the good captain needed some headgear and so I solicited opinions from you, my dear readers.

You can see I didn't go with the second, most popular, option. Admittedly it's the funniest of the three but it muddies the silhouette; the hat appendages compete with the face tendrils. The third option (starfish) hints at historical costume in a way I like but the first one (clam) ultimately looks the most Star Wars-y to me.

In any case, Nic Cowan, your response to the prior post amused me most, so shoot me an email message with your mailing address. The original drawing pictured above is yours!

STAR WARS™ and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates.

092. Darcy Dare Designs

Designs from Darcy Dare paper miniatures, 2002, ink.

Wow, this month marks the tenth anniversary of the Darcy Dare SPARKS paper miniatures set!

In middle or late 2001, I approached S. John Ross to express my interest in developing a set of paper miniatures for his SPARKS line of specialized fonts. For a couple of years I’d been drawing this heroine, "Darcy Dare," and I imagined she could be the central figure in a collection of modern pulp action characters. Ever the gracious fellow, S. John said he was down with the concept and so the fun began!

I tried to think of various characters that’d be at home in the adventure comics and cartoons I loved as a kid (and continue to love). I knew we needed ninjas, a jungle princess, various costumed goons and, of course, a robot gorilla. By the time we were done we had twenty-six characters, plus Darcy Dare in four alternate costumes, as well as several “flats,” various props appropriate to the genre.

Pictured above is “classic” Darcy Dare, along with rear views of three alternate costumes: Urban Commando Darcy, Arctic Action Darcy, and SCUBA Scout Darcy!

Sure, with a decade's perspective I see things I’d change; I think the designs could be more flavorful and each suffers the effects of my “wedge finger” period. Further, Darcy’s not quite the same character she was ten years ago.

Still, I’ll always have a special affection for these drawings and for the clever names, crazy concepts, and snappy descriptions that S. John developed for the collection.

I’m flattered that folks continue to stumble upon the product and make the purchase!

091. Fannie Firecracker

Fannie Firecracker study, 2012, ink with digital color.

I intend to release new Fannie Firecracker comics in 2012, so I've been gettin' reaccustomed to drawin' the gal. It's been a while! This one turned out pretty well ... Heck, I might simply rework it into one of the panels. "Waste not, want not," as they say.

Looking at her design with fresh eyes, I might try making her feet smaller (and maybe her hands also) to further exaggerate the ample parts of her anatomy. Thoughts?

090. Red Running Hoodie

Red Running Hoodie, 2006, mixed media.

I wonder, does this image sufficiently amuse sans awareness of Coppertone's classic branding?

Concept drawings for Red Running Hoodie, 2006, graphite.

I sketched these prior to working on the colored image above. The lacy gal at left came along before I decided to insert the Coppertone gag. She's cute, yes, but banal also.

088. Agents of H.O.R.N.E.T.

Agents of H.O.R.N.E.T. costume concepts, 2010, ink.

These drawings were inspired by the campy concept of a super commando/spy agency (à la G.I. JOE or S.H.I.E.L.D.) devoted to exterminating all manner of monsters, creepy crawlies, etc. As I recall, H.O.R.N.E.T. was an acronym for the agency's creed, to "hunt and obliterate rascals native and extraterrestrial."

Rest easy, citizens.

087. Amethyst Fifty-Too!

Amethyst, Goddess of Gemworld, 2011, mixed media.

Above is my submission to DC FIFTY-TOO, a collection of covers for comics you won't be seeing during the relaunch of DC's entire line of comics this fall. The collection was conceived and curated by Washington-based cartoonist and fine fellow Jon Morris. Thanks for inviting me to the fun, Jon!

As you may know, I have a fondness for Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld, the DC fantasy title from the Eighties, hence the subject of my submission. It was tempting to take Amethyst back to her teenage "magical princess" years in my imagined relaunch, but I challenged myself to work more or less within her main continuity.

Here's the write-up that accompanied my submission:

Much time has passed since young Amy Winston was a mere Princess of Gemworld. In her desperate struggles against the tyrant Dark Opal, the Flaw and the Child, and the archsorcerer Mordru, Amy drew upon the planet’s limitless energies, becoming an avatar of Gemworld itself.

Now, a lifetime away from Earth, Amy shields the inhabitants of Gemworld from menaces beyond time and space. She is AMETHYST, GODDESS OF GEMWORLD!

Amethyst created by Dan Mishkin, Gary Cohn, and Ernie Colón. Original Amethyst logo by Todd Klein. Amethyst, the distinctive likenesses thereof, and related elements are trademarks of DC Comics.

Tatoo, 2011, ink with digital color.

Here's my submission for the current Bristolwhip topic, tattoo.

One panel gag, 2011, mixed media.

Have you heard about Bristolwhip, your new favorite art collective? I'm very flattered to be in the company of such fine folks.

The gag above is my submission for Bristolwhip's inaugural topic, cyberpunk. Gritty, no?

Drinking Deity, 2011, mixed media.

Here's my goofy take on a well-known god of adult beverages and hootenannies. I avoided the usual toga and wreath, hoping instead to imply a party guy displaced in space or time. Can you guess which mid-century comedian inspired his features?

Illo background elements, 2011, graphite.

Here's an in-process look at the background elements. Given how these were to appear in the final image, I inked them with a dead line. I haven't done that in a long while. Oof! I can't say I cared for them as standalone images. I have renewed respect for those folks who do great things with a dead line. Also, it makes me wonder if I lean too much on line quality to make an image interesting.

Holiday card design, 2010, mixed media.

Season's greetings! I hope 2010 treated you kindly.

Suburban Barbarian Princess Jennifer character turns, 2010, ink.

Here's a character of which I'm fairly fond. Also, here's a lively rendition by my pal Jesse Hamm!

I hope this post finds you well, enjoying the lovely autumnal weather.

Setsuko, 2010, mixed media.

Don't mess with The Intrepideers!

The savage swordswoman Setsuko is one of many zany, loveable characters in The Intrepideers, a series of comics by Brett Von Schlosser and Kelly Krantz (first installment) and Tim Sievert (second and third installments).

If you have a fondness for gonzo fantasy, give it a gander!

Skeletal Minion and Cleric of the Frog God, 2009, ink with digital color.

Think you can escape this batch of dungeon denizens? Think again!

Wererat Adversary, 2009, ink with digital color.

Behold another dungeon denizen, drawn for an upcoming game of Swords & Wizardry! Downright terrifying, isn't he?

Goblin Adversaries, 2009, ink with digital color.

As you may know, I have a lasting affection for tabletop role-playing games (RPGs). During the summer I was tickled to discover a number of do-it-yourselfers publishing games which emulate play of RPGs long out of print (especially versions of a certain well-known fantasy role-playing game).

For example, Mythmere Games publishes Swords & Wizardry, a game intended to approximate a simpler, mid-Seventies RPG. Other titles include Labyrinth Lord and Mutant Future, both published by Goblinoid Games. Works like these are permissible under something called an Open Game License (OGL). Neat, huh?

Now I'm itching to test one of these babies! To prepare for play, I'm drawing a handful of characters that I'll make into paper miniatures, hence the goblins pictured above.

Who's ready for fortune and glory?