And thank goodness the reception he got in Glendale was warmer than the one he received back in Austria in 1939. Maybe it’s that sunny California weather.
The Monster Walks is a mixed-media diorama that Michelle and I put together for Gallery1988’s latest show, The Golden Age of Hollywood. The show features all kinds of artwork celebrating the films of Hollywood’s most storied era, 1915 to 1963. Michelle and I chose 1939’s Son of Frankenstein as inspiration.
We kept a lot of the elements you see in the film — Karloff’s neck-bolts, the scar on the forehead, even the furry vest he wore. But was also added our own storytelling elements. Most notably, this terrified little rat who shares a dungeon space with the monster, and is startled by his sudden appearance.
We were happy to see the piece sold on the first day, but you can still see images of it and all the other amazing art at Gallery1988’s site. Maybe there’s something there you want to pick up! And if you haven’t seen our process video on making this monster, it’s posted down below.
This is the latest post for the members of the Long Lost Friend Studio Patreon, but gathering the photos and talking about what we’ve done in just the last three months was so much fun, I figured I’d share it here too. If you like the projects you see here, please subscribe to our YouTube channel and consider becoming a member of our Patreon.
_______________________________________________
“Looks like a cold, cold winter. Plenty of ice and snow. But, we’ll keep the work-lights in the studio aglow.”
Now that I’m done mangling the lyrics to a Bing Crosby classic, Michelle and I will be taking a short break from YouTube videos for the next couple months. We’ve been posting to YouTube for a couple years now and it seems like, starting near Thanksgiving, folks are just too busy with the holidays to tune in. But don’t worry, loyal patrons. It’s not like we ever actually take a break from making and crafting and learning. So we’ll still do our best to keep posting updates and videos for our Patreon members.
In the meantime, take a look at all the fun stuff we made in just the few months since our last break. And this first photo is just the sculpting!
What a giant pile of fun stuff we worked on! We’re hoping you had as much fun watching those projects come together as we had making them. And maybe, like us, you learned a little along the way. Since September, this is some of the stuff Long Lost Friend Studio accomplished:
Needle Felting and Foam Carving Michelle showed us how to breathe new life into an old design for her owl feltie, and dropped some great needle-felting tips while she was at it. And I took the opportunity to learn how to carve foam with hot-wire tools so I could sculpt that rock base the owl sits on. Teamwork.
Foam Clay Mask-Making I worked with two new types of sculpting materials for the first time. I used foam clay (Foam-Mo and Model Magic) to sculpt three creepy masks. Weird and spongy, but lightweight and perfect for the job.
Mixed-Media Scooby Doo Diorama And I tried Apoxie Sculpt to build that Captain Cutler diorama. It air-dries in two hours, so plan ahead or you’re stuck with a lump of junk as hard as a rock. Other parts of this diorama were made with CosClay, XPS foam, and wood. I enjoyed working with Foam-Mo and Apoxie Sculpt. They have their advantages and drawbacks, but I still think basic polymer clay (like Sculpey) is my favorite. We’ll be doing some sculpts with that in the new year.
2-D Illustrations I continued working on my inking and watercolor skills. I’m happy with my progress and look forward to experimenting more with these mediums.
Fall Diorama Of course, Michelle and I used all of our burgeoning sculpting and diorama-building skills to put this fall diorama together. There were a few exciting firsts with this project — Pumpkinhead is my first art doll, those crows were the first figures I sculpted with foam clay, and those leafy vines were a successful experiment crafted with EVA foam.
Along with all of that, we’re proud to have also done ten Patreon-exclusive blog posts and eight Patreon-exclusive videos in that timespan. And that was our ‘fall season’ in a nutshell. September through November. Looking back over these photos, it seems like a lot of stuff to learn and make and do in just three months, but I can’t remember a minute of it when we weren’t having fun. Hope you did too. And if we inspired you to try some new things yourself, that makes it even better! Now it’s back into the studio to figure out more stuff and create some exclusive Patreon content. We both thank you very much for your continued support and enthusiasm. -v
I’m no mazologist (is that a word?), but I was asked to create a puzzle page for the National Cartoonists Society Activity Book. If I had to do it on paper, I might still be working on it. But Clip Studio Paint made it easy and quick. Oh, and I’ve added a link at the bottom letting you know where to download your own copy of the activity book!
Inking
This maze is packed with illustrations of my Untold Tales of Bigfoot characters. And since I know how to draw those guys, that’s where I started. I sketched in their shapes roughly in digital pencil, then used the Layer Color function to turn that sketch a light blue.
Then, on another layer, I inked with a brush tool. Doing it this way is low pressure since I can fix errors on the fly and get the work done much faster than I’d be able to with ink on paper.
Halftone Greys
Since this activity book will be a black-and-white publication and not color, I use Clip Studio Paint’s halftone dot patterns to add screen tones. The first step is to create a selection of where you want your dot pattern.
Then, from the pop-up menu, select the second-to-last option, New Tone. This brings up another pop-up that gives you options on the density and type of dot pattern you’d like to drop into the selection.
Once you pick one, click OK and the pattern appears on another layer, in a MASK that you can add to or subtract from— giving you the option to paint in (or remove) the dot pattern with ease.
Curve Rulers
Again, I’m not a maze-maker. So it took me a few (dozen) tries to digitally pencil out a path for Scout to take through the woods in his quest for Bigfoot. Doing it digitally made it easier to start over when I screwed up. But once the paths of the maze were set, I clicked the Layer Color option so I could turn the pencils blue and ink over them on another layer.
The lines of the maze aren’t ramrod straight or particularly smooth curves, but I used the Curve Rulers anyway because, besides helping you follow a designated path, they also help you keep a consistent line weight.
Drawing these lines freehand would’ve resulted — for me, at least — in inconsistent, bumpy lines that wouldn’t look very good. The Curve Ruler helped make the lines smooth and evenly weighted, but with a natural, hand-done feel.
Text Tool
For very simple typesetting like adding a title to this page, the Text Tool in Clip Studio Paint is a breeze. Just grab the text tool, plant the cursor where you want your text, and type it out. You can resize with the point size dropdown, or just grab a corner of the bounding box and stretch it to fit.
Eventually I used the font dropdown to change the font into something I thought fit better.
Finally, I used the Rounded Balloon tool in conjunction with the Text Tool to give Bigfoot and Scout something to say.
So that’s about it. Nothing too difficult. Just some very simple tools in Clip Studio Paint that make a relatively basic job a little easier and a bit quicker.
Now, the NCS Activity Book is packed with all kinds of puzzle pages from some of the most well-known cartoonists in the world: Sergio Aragones (MAD Magazine), Mo Willems (Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus), Jeff Keane (Family Circus), Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman (Zits), and many more. The pdf download is a pay-what-you-can deal of a lifetime and the proceeds go toward the NCS Foundation. You can find out more about that in this video as well as watch me put this Untold Tales of Bigfoot Maze together in Clip Studio Paint.
Sure, it was designed to encourage kids who have an interest in comics, but the Haverford Kid’s Comics Fest is for fans of any age interested in comics, storytelling, and comic creators. That’s where I’ll be this upcoming Saturday. And so will a bunch of comic-making friends who want to share their skills and enthusiasm for the art form. A nice way to spend an afternoon.
Coincidentally, that’s the same day as the NCS Reubens Banquet in California where Untold Tales of Bigfoot has once again been nominated. And yeah, sure, I could be in California that night, uncomfortable in my tuxedo, crossing my fingers until my hands go numb. But as much fun as that would be, I’m gonna have a blast in Haverford, PA with Pat McCuen, Crispin Wood, Dawn Griffin, and a bunch of other folks sharing their time with kids who want to make comics too. Besides, Bigfoot doesn’t own a tux.
For more information on the fest, what goes on, and who’ll be there, just click the link. Hope to see you there! -v
The fine folks at Phantom of the Attic in Oakland have invited me back to participate in their Free Comic Book Day festivities on Saturday, May 4th — which, for those in the know, also happens to be Star Wars Day (May The Fourth Be With You)!
What Goes On Here?
Jeff and the rest of the crew always put on a great FCBD, and the shop is top notch. Here’s a link to Phantom’s Facebook page for the event. I’ll be there between 10am(ish?) and 3-ish? / 4-ish? And I’ll be joined at the table by some local comics luminaries —
Dave Wachter, an amazing artist whose current work on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a feast for the eyes.
Thomas Scioli, an award-winning comic artist who’s worked for Marvel and Image and is currently turning out great stuff with The Gobots.
What Am I Doing There?
I’ll be there doing some affordable sketches, selling some reasonably-priced books, and debuting a couple cheapity-cheap mini-comics. Oh, and my friend Michelle @runredrun will be piloting Puppet Bigfoot this time out. Should be a great time! Hope to see you!
This blog isn’t just my process blog. It’s also my news blog. And today I realized that I still hadn’t posted that Untold Tales of Bigfoot has earned another Reuben nomination from the National Cartoonists Society in the category of Online Comics: Long-form. This is the comic’s fourth nomination (it won in 2012). The 73rd Annual Reuben Awards are in Huntington Beach, CA this year at NCSFest on May 18th. Congratulations and good luck to all the nominees.
My sincere apologies to anyone who’s heard this news fifteen times now in my other social media feeds. I don’t mean to beat you over the head with it, just trying to cover all my bases. Thanks for your patience. -v
If you’re headed to New York Comic Con this week, you’ll spot me sitting in with the National Cartoonists Society (Booth #304) on a couple days:
• Saturday, October 6th 1 – 4
• Sunday, October 7th 10 – 1:30
I’ll have the new Untold Tales of Bigfoot: Fall Special with me, as well as my other books. And if I can manage to get him onto a crowded train without starting a riot, then lug him to Javits Convention Center, I may also have my furry buddy, Puppet Bigfoot (he’s a long shot, though. It’s like lugging around an unconscious badger around the city).
Anyway, stop by and say hi. I’ll be sharing the table with some really talented cartoonists. -v
The Untold Tales of Bigfoot Fall Special books are in — and they look great! I’ll have them with me at New York Comic Con this October when I sit in with the National Cartoonists Society. I also have some copies in my online shop (just $6 plus s/h/tx)!
What’s Inside
35 pages of fall-inspired art and story from the Untold Tales of Bigfoot webcomic, including Devil In The Details and the Reuben-Nominated Heading For A Fall!
Two pages of story not published online (I added a couple pages to give Scout a little more room to babble and complain.)
Devil In The Details (published online in black and white) is now printed in full color!
Review: Comix Well Spring/Greko Printing
You may or may not recall, I had a negative experience with Ka-Blam Digital Printing that sent me looking for a different printer for this project. A friend recommended Comix Well Spring, so I thought I’d give ’em a try. How’d they do? Let’s see…
Colors Look Good
Comix Well Spring did a great job of matching my CMYK colors. The brights are bright, the darks are dark, and the subtle gradients all came out the way I wanted them to.
Mind you, I opted for the hard copy proof to be mailed to me (a nominal fee of $10) so I could adjust my files before going to final print. And I’m glad I did. There’s always a possibility that what you see on your screen won’t match what the printer puts out. So using a hard copy proof to help make your adjustments is a good idea.
I opted for the heavier paper (80# gloss text) and the pages feel substantial, with no bleed-through (unless you hold the pages up to a light). The cover was standard (80# gloss cover) and it feels durable and looks great.
Quality Packing and Shipping
With Ka-Blam, it was damaged books and poor customer service response that led me to look for a new printer. How did Comix Well Spring stack up?
Comix Well Spring packed my order in a sturdy box, lined with a thick layer of packing paper. The comic books were then shrink-wrapped and packed (in bundles of 25) into padded, sealed UPS envelopes. Did that protect the corners? Darn tootin’!
I unpacked every shrink-wrapped bundle of my comics and every one of them looks like this. Pristine corners, no dings, no folds, no spine damage. I couldn’t be happier with the packaging.
Customer Service Is Excellent
Ka-Blam Digital Printing dropped the ball with their customer service. In contrast, Comix Well Spring was more than happy to answer a ton of questions for me before I even ordered. I wanted to make sure my colors and templates were set up properly, double check their shipping methods and return policy — they answered all my questions before/during/and after our transaction promptly and politely.
Final Review
I give Comix Well Spring a solid A and happily recommend them to anybody who wants to get their comics printed. Their prices are competitive (especially in larger quantities) and their product is impressive. They also have a handy price quote calculator on their site so you can see how much your project might cost before you order. -v
Here’s some fun news (for me, anyway). Untold Tales of Bigfoot has been nominated by the National Cartoonists Society for a Silver Reuben in the Online Comics: Long Form division. This is Bigfoot and Scout’s third nomination (they won in 2013).
We’ve been buzzing about this here in the cave for the last few days, feeling very honored and grateful. Congratulations to my fellow nominees, John Allison and Ru Xu. Bigfoot and I consider the nomination itself a win, thrilled to be recognized alongside some other very talented creators. Scout, however, really wants the wall plaque and he won’t shut up about it.
Either way, we’ll be having a great time rubbing elbows with all the other cartooning professionals at the 72nd Annual Reuben Awards, May 25th-27th in the City of Brotherly Love, good ol’ Philadelphia, PA! Whether we go home with the bauble or not, it is always a sincere pleasure to spend the weekend hanging out with some of the funniest, creative people I know. -v
For a complete list of the nominees in all the divisions, CLICK HERE!
Hey, I’m emerging from the cave for a few upcoming events in the next month or two. Here’s a short list (more to be added):
April 7th & 8th: MoCCA Festival This Weekend in NYC
If you’re in New York this weekend and plan to attend MoCCA (Manhattan’s largest independent comics, cartoon, and animation festival) I will be sitting in at the National Cartoonists Society table on Saturday (3:45 to 7) and Sunday (3:45 to 6). MoCCA is a 2-day event with all kinds of cool stuff, and there will be other cartoonists at the NCS table throughout the weekend. Admission is only $7 a day!
“Held at the luxurious and modern Metropolitan West located on West 46th Street between 11th and 12th Avenues, MoCCA’s host venue will encompass two floors of exhibitor tables, a gallery of original art showcasing the work of special guests, and pop-up cafés throughout the space.”CLICK FOR DETAILS!
May 5th: Free Comic Book Day at Phantom of the Attic, Oakland
I’ve done Free Comic Book Day at this amazing comic shop before and had a blast meeting people, selling books, and doing quick commission sketches. It’s a wonderful shop with a great staff and it’s stocked floor to ceiling with fun. I’ll be sharing a table with Jim Rugg (Street Angel, Afrodisiac) so stop by and say hi. PHANTOM FB PAGE
May 19th & 20th: 3 Rivers Comicon in Pittsburgh
I did this con last year, had a great time, and so I’m doing it again this year. Saturday and Sunday, May 19-20, I’ll be at my own table at 3 Rivers Comicon in Pittsburgh. There’s always a great guest list of talented artists at this con. CLICK FOR DETAILS
I’ll add a few more notable events as the details shore up, but this is a good start for now. Hope to see you out there! -v
vincedorse.wordpress.com 
You must be logged in to post a comment.