Expozine Day One

In a rush, but I scanned these last night. Faces in a crowd, like petals on a wet, black bough. More later! Thanks, bye.

Giant Head

And here I was thinking I was the strange one. I'm drawing relatively normal items like those below, and then Rick Gagnon tells me he's drawing the people across from us, and comes up with the above little gem, which I inked. I still don't understand it, and I had to ask "What's this?" and "what's that thing supposed to be?" It's pretty cool, but totally demented. I seem to have signed it with my mother's initials rather than my own, which adds another layer of strangeness for me.

Below, I sketched in a friend for Nick, the old British guy who sits near us. We were selling our "Cock N' Bull Nights" zines ahead of time of Expozine at the bar, and they were going well. People who have been drinking make good customers. Don't think I can go into publishing, though.


This next one is simply a copy of two Love and Rockets characters, which Rick inked. But why is his hair white?


Anyways, I'll be at Expozine all weekend. Gotta go run and get some change for that.

Caught in a Jam -- the Monthly Montreal Comic Jam, that is!

My artistic life seems to revolve around bars, lately. Last night was the monthly get-together of French and English-speaking comic artists and cartoonists, at what we call the Montreal Comic Jam. This happens on the last Thursday of every month (except December!)

Above, that's Rick Gagnon making silly faces on the right. He was showing everybody his latest edition of "What the F...!" his sometimes annual zine of funny collaborative comics, which he will be selling at Expozine this weekend, (along with the book he and I did, which I talked about in the previous post).

He's the best guy to talk about WTF, and maybe he does, on his site. But that book had its genesis at the Comic Jams, where Rick found cool artists, such as myself, to collaborate with, and reel in to make fools of ourselves on paper.

The Montreal Jam itself has evolved (some would say shrunken) from big get-togethers taking over an entire room, with live music and dozens of pages done every session, to the small crowd you see here with occasional new people or semi-regulars showing up. Mostly it's people staying in touch, talking comics, even drawing things once in a while. I think it needs a bit more guidance to regain its former glory (not by me, no leader of men am I!), but still it's a pleasant time.


Gawrsh! Actual girls drawing comics. Woohoo! Hubba Hubba! (stop that!) I'm making a wolfish grin (and have green hair) between first-time jammers Joany and Cécila (r). They do a lot of Manga, so maybe with the hair I can star in their strips, if I also get a pair of magnifying glasses that make my eyes look anime huge.


These people should realise this is not a library, and start drawing things. I knocked off an entire story in pencils, which I hope Rick will ink sometime this decade. Sitting at the bar way in back was a nice old man who likes our group, and for the last two sessions has bought us a pitcher of beer. Cheers!

Otherwise, the place (The Bars Des Pins at 3714, Park Avenue in Montréal) was overrun by students behaving much as I did, back in college days. (Okay, I had much more decorum!)

And last, a stunning shot of people packing up and leaving. Three of my friends missed their last metro, and also their ride, who showed up earlier and didn't find them in the crowd. So they were forced to walk it (maybe catching the night bus) all the way from the university neighbourhood to East Montreal).
Maybe they're still walking as you read this.

Cats Approve New Zine

The cats check the new zine, Cock N' Bull Nights, arrived fresh from the printer for this weekend's Expozine Zine Fair in Montreal. They gave it their approval, but want the box when I'm done with it.



This is a self-published zine of sketches I've mainly posted on this blog, done in collaboration with Rick Gagnon, who was also instrumental in putting together the publication.



I think I know what to do, now, so if this is popular, maybe I'll put out a "Utopia Moment" zine of just my own drawings. The main trick is to get all the pages in the right order.

Oh, hi,

Drawing more stuff. The dip pen blotted on this one, but I thought it went with the drawing. Like a beauty mark. Below, more watercolour madness. Or just people standing awkwardly around.

Passel of cats

Getting all pen and inky, and practicing my chops. Below are a bunch of cat pictures. The tabbies are taking over the kitten's box, and she has to sleep on the couch, next to her painting.

Memorial

In lieu of drawings today, here's a photo from a memorial to a friend, Linton, which I attended yesterday, at the Cock N' Bull Pub. He was one of the regulars at the pub, and my friend Rick Gagnon and I were privileged to sit next to his table, and share magazines, and such.

So, instead of a sombre church service, we had an open bar and buffet. Here's to you, Linton!

Many Hands Make the Load Lighter

Wow. Tonight I had the honour of having two cool artists inking my drawings. First, there's Rick Gagnon, who usually meets me at the bar for a Friday unwind. Above, that's a drawing inked by Rick of Vincent Price, being himself.

Then below, a drawing of mine of a guy at the bar, inked by Éric Theriault, who's doing lots of cool things these days:


Another drawing, inked by Rick. We're putting together a book of all of these, for sale at the end of the month. Stay tuned!

Surprise, more drawings.

Above is the small cat, who has been enough of a trial I've had to shut her out of my work area. She sits outside the door meowling, which is at least better than trying to sabotage my computer. Another slightly overwrought watercolour painting.

Below, a friend of mine, whom I haven't seen for a while, but was on the radio last night, so I tried to draw him, with one of my stock white male guys, a can of coke, and an airplane.



Below, I tried to just invent a chair, rather than get a reference. As a result, it looks like it was designed by Antonio Gaudi. Next time, I'll peek into my copy of The Styles of Ornament by Alexander Speltz, the old Dover book which is full of good filigree and frou-frou.

Gray Horse

This is pretty big: splashed on with a big wet brush, and then tightened up with a little, dark dryer brush.

Birthday Critters

These were made for the people who got them, not for me to put on my blog. But I think enough time has passed, and they've got the originals. So, here you are.

Yellow and Red

Just another watercolour guy.

Back to Jack

Little watercolour painting - maybe the wrong colours, but what the heck. Below, a sketchbook page with the Hunt 102 dip pen, and the brush pen.

Tons of Fun

I think my friend, R. Gagnon, has reached new heights in his interpretations of my pencil drawings during our weekly Friday evening bar meetings. We're actually putting together a little zine of these, which will be on sale at Expozine, Montreal's annual zine and small publication fair, at the end of the month. In the meantime, enjoy.





This last is my brushwork, with Gagnon's embellishment.

Morose Again?

Drawing last night while listening in bed to a fascinating radio documentary on CBC about the Jonestown mass suicide, produced right after the event a couple of decades ago. That was pretty shocking at the time, and I remember doing a facile cartoon for my university paper that made me a little notorious for a while, about "Mr. Koolaid Comes to Jonestown." Yuk yuk yuk, right?

Flipping through drawings like this, I'm noticing that a lot of them are slightly sombre, morose maybe even. That's okay. But I've been sending out postcards telling potential clients to come to my site, and I hope they aren't turned off by that, and the occasional searching around to find better drawing.

Most of the time I have been putting up something every day, basically what I was doing the previous day, often trying things out or just trying to relax, rather than only posting perfect, appealing, or always funny drawings. That's part of the process of the blog, and something I enjoy sharing.

I hope for the few people who come here, they get something out of it. Even if it's to compare, and find that oneself is in a different place. I like to look at all kinds of other sketch blogs, though must admit that good funny art is better to look at than bad clumsy art. Still, we're all searching. Some of us have different or greater talents than others. I'm pretty happy with my own process and type of art, though always wish I were more successful or accomplished.

Below, I was copying and elaborating on figures out of "Lil Abner" comics. It looked like Mammy was giving chubby bathing suit lady the eye, so I added in a lot of other figures which don't quite erase that impression. I feel like I'm too much of a "nice guy" to be comfortable drawing "sexy babes," (that's part of my conservative upbringing, which I've broken away from in many ways). Still, they're part of the comics vernacular, and I'd like to do them well when I do them. Though I'm not R. Crumb, Coop, or Frank Frazetta. But like them, I enjoy drawing rounder, muscular female types, though I also try the skinny model types, as well. Find most fashion or "erotica" pretty boring, however.



I think that guy in front is just holding up a vegetable steamer, rather than a period-appropriate folding flash-reflector.

Bob & Elk

Watching a documentary tonight about a guy living alone in Alaska. Looks nice, except for all that fish to eat. I like the little drawing of the elk here. He wouldn't shoot big game because one of those was too wasteful for one person. He also built his log cabin with hand tools. That's a cool guy.

Silliness, and Business

I had to cheer myself up a little this afternoon, after that last post. So, I'm putting up what I had originally planned.

Got my promotional postcards back from the printer's and they look very sweet. Hoping they drum up a lot of work for me, but I'm telling you: kids' illustration does not seem like an endless gold mine!

Still, I'm sending a lot of these out, and it's cool to cover ground and not have to work too hard. Trying to organise myself, so I know whom I've sent to, and can follow up, and all those good things. I'm not naturally an organised type, so I have to work at it.

Emru Townsend is Dead

Saddened this morning to hear a radio report that freelancer Emru Townsend, who was battling bone marrow cancer, "took a turn for the worse," as they say, and died this week. The last I had heard, they had found a donor after much searching and an online campaign. The transplant operation was done, but it was touch and go. Still, the prognosis I had heard last month was positive.

I was expecting to be reading his account of the story, and many articles to come on computer topics, and animation. I've only once met Emru personally, but have read his articles and commentary for years in places such as The Computer Paper, (now called Hub, I think), and online, even before the World Wide Web became popular, on Montreal BBSs such as Juxtaposition.

This is awful, especially when it was seeming things might have a happier ending. Anyhow, check out his site, and think about his family and friends. Sad day for the Montreal freelancing community.

Here's a blog link with more.

Stock Broker

Watched this documentary last night about the 1929 Stock Market Crash. Very apropos!

Hairy Rocker

He's the hairy, sweaty god of rock n' roll.

Skull Wall

Large scary skulls are always a fun decoration.

Beat Gator

All I did was draw another beatnik and gator under the other day's drawing.

Back to the Bull

After a bit of a break, I'm back at the Cock N' Bull for a Friday meet with my friend Richard Gagnon. Back to drawing strange collaborative sketches such as the above. This one began with my (slightly leany) figure in the middle. Gagnon added the crocodile asking for tourist help, and I inked and put them in St. Mark's Place in Greenwich Village, which we both filled in. Haven't been there for a while.

Below, a cool guy with a British accent, whom I think did location scouting for films in Montreal, back in the Day. Done by Your Humble Servant with that sex-toy-looking multicoloured ballpoint pen I've been fooling around with.


More collaboration with Rick, this time with my dinky little black ballpoint pen.

Pink & Blue

Don't Cry

Drawing people out of the 1977 Writers' Union of Canada members' book. Well, the bottom one is out of my head, and not really a Canadian writer. Him and the second one were drawn with ball point pen without pencil lines. Lots of beards back then, and clunky glasses.

I decided to be archival and careful in this portrait above of a notable hellion, the late Gwendolyn MacEwan, and use pencil, real ink and a dip pen. But I had an excellent ink accident this early morning. Screw top unsecured, stuck just enough that when I picked it up from the top, the bottle came with it an inch or two before releasing, and falling to the table. I blame this all on the kitten, of course.

Most of it's cleaned up, but there are some new little spots on the carpet.


Robt. Harlow. Still alive and working.



Imaginary bald guy, yelling at you.

Sorry!

Too busy! No drawings today, only cats!




You come back tomorrow!

Work

A lot of scanning things today. Also a lot of frustrating work with the computer. I hope it's got me ahead. Did these pictures today. Will have to do a value study or pencil sketch next time I try a painting-type thing.

The above turned out all right in the end, but it's hard to see drawing errors in a light pencil sketch, and also work out the values to make things stand out and end up lit correctly. Because it's all out of my head, lots of drawings have light coming one way on one thing, and another on another. But I get bored doing a lot of studies and tests. If I want it to be perfect, I might do that, but rarely.


This one actually started out as Julia Roberts, but she doesn't look like herself unless she's smiling.

The Blog Rolls On

This is most of the stuff I drew, mainly yesterday. I've got stacks of sketchbooks. Don't know what benefit this is, except as practice and therapy.



I imagine it's at least fitfully amusing, to a few people.



I could try to put myself out of my own head and imagine what I'd think if I were someone else, coming upon this on the web. Would I want to come back? I suppose. This hypothetical character at least draws like me, and maybe he'll put out something funny, or startling, or interesting.



I'm simply dumping it out here, and letting viewers sort it out for themselves.



In a vague way, that's my theory of art practice. I certainly don't plan much ahead of time. I'm also following R. Crumb's advice, to play around a lot. Sometimes fun or useful things happen.



I really can't tell at the time, and I don't try to plan, or censor very much. Not that it's too extreme. I don't have a secret cache of really outrageous drawings. Most of it's up here, for better or worse.

It's Now November

Actually saw this guy walking down the street yesterday. Could have been a mask after all.