Obscura Estetica

I am participating in an exhibit along with Kristilyn that we have named Obscura Estetica at the Millenium Restaurant, 3094 Washington Street, Boston (Eagleston Square in JP). We're having an opening reception on Thursday, March 14, 6.00PM-8.00PM, so feel free to stop by! The restaurant is nice and informal and has good food. I will exhibit pages I illustrated for Dave Kender's The Ragbox, chapter 5 ("The Salon"). If you can't make it to the opening reception, the pictures are up now and until March 25, so you can check them out!

What else is new? I have stuff for sale at Society6 in case you are looking for some prints, phone cases, and even throw pillows, cards, t-shirts and hoodies. Here are some of the items you can find there:

Nemi and Night Music

I'm not big into the holidays, especially not this year. However, a package from my mom arrived today from the old country, and inside was a special Christmas issue of my all-time favorite Norwegian comic, Nemi, by Lise Myhre. Inside was also a poem by the late poet, Inger Hagerup (another favorite of mine) and her dark, moody poem, "Nattmusikk" ("Night Music"). In translation (instant-translation by yours truly) it would go something like this:

Night Music

The black angst
ascended from the deep.
I stood alone
and saw myself
and felt the pull
toward defeat:
You are from the abyss
after all.

        -Inger Hagerup

Depressing? Actually, receiving this comic brightened my day! Nemi is not depressing, even though she is a goth-girl with a dark and brooding side. Nemi is one of Norway's most popular comics, "everybody" reads it, and mostly for its humor. There is a Nemi in us all, or  if not, I am sure we all know somebody like her. Thanks mom, for your package! :-)

Fairy Tales

Earlier this year, I illustrated Troy Minkowsky's take on the fairy tale, "Hansel and Gretel," which in this version became "The Last Temptation of Hansel and Gretel," and which will appear in the anthology Once Upon a Time, to be published by Gurukitty soon. For some reason, we got listed in the credits as "Tony Minkowsky" and "line olssen," but it IS us! Though the anthology is not actually out yet, you can secure your copy now. Preorder it here.

                                                                                         

MICE 2012

 This year's MICE (Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo) was great! There were tons of vendors and visitors, but at its third show MICE was still local, friendly, unpretentious, and free! Here is a bunch of comics I picked up there: Catalina Rufin's The Summer of Aquarius in the back, next to Allie Kleber's Fruitless. Next row, left to right: Babka Remembers, by Marek Bennett, Eirik the Fed, by Will Clark (Laughing Boy Comics), Heartburn, by Allie Kleber, You're Never More at Home Than When it's Time to Leave, by Matt young, and Oo Pp Qq, Adventures in Substitute Teaching, by Anne Thalheimer. Third row: Free People, by L. Nichols (whom I was lucky enough to sit next to at MICE), Greetings, Brookline: I Am In You! by John Hilliard (a collection of his comics from The Brookline Tab), Zombre, by Ansis A. Purins (this comic was a big hit with my little boys of 8 and 6), Flocks, by L. Nichols, and Monarch Monkey, by Doug De Rocher. In the front: All Rumors Are True, by Laurel Lynn Leake, and the second issue of Inky Stories, by Dave Marshall. The books that didn't make it to this picture are: Nicaragua Comics Travel Journal, by Marek Bennett, and Comics as Poetry, edited by Franklin Einspruch, who also did the vibrant cover illustration and has a poem (as a comic) in there as well: "What Killed The Flowers."

 Above (top): a page from Allie Kleber's Heartburn. I really like her distinct line work! And check out Ansis A. Purins' front cover from Zombre. Pure awesomeness, or what?!

Dave Marshall, here with a spread from "Six-Year-Old Horsethief!" is a pro both when it comes to drawing comics and to teaching the art of drawing comics. He teaches a class at MassArt, The Art of the Comic Book. Outside of class, he often generously shares his knowledge of inking, lettering, etc., so we're happy he is still in our group (BCR) and not off somewhere signing autographs at bigger conventions.

 Doug De Rocher impressed everyone when he joined the BCR (around the same time that I did) and brought along his comics boards, created with cut paper. Monarch Monkey is a collection of his stories, and this one is from the upcoming anthology from Ninth Art Press (more info on that later).

Can you imagine a better gift idea for people who love comics, or who just have a sense of humor than these magnetic comics by Erik Heumiller? Below: three panels of whiteboard comes in a wooden frame with a stand, a marker and a wipe, plus a small bag of magnet people (right) to put in your panels. And voila! You bring the characters to life with your own word bubbles, wipe out the panels as you get new ideas, and have your friends play around with it too!

Left: characters from Charles Schneeflock Snow's new series, Oscar's Kitchen. I really loved his Sordid City Blues comics about a group of friends in Boston (sort of a romantic comedy from a male perspective), so I am looking forward to reading this one. As far as I can tell, it involves Satan and the restaurant business, so it sounds interesting!

The most powerful comic I encountered at MICE this year was L. Nichol's Flocks. Nichols sat at the table next to me, and I found her comics fascinating with their beautifully printed covers and intriguing mixed media technique. When I picked up Flocks, I expected it to be something good, but I did not expect that just from leafing through the pages, the story would throw me a punch in the stomach. This copy of Flocks, with the under title "A Paradox of Faith" is the first chapter of what Nichols intends to be a full graphic novel, and takes us into the world of a girl who realizes that rather than being a part of the "we" of her surrounding community in fact belongs into the category of "those others" who only seem to be defined in degrading, ridiculed and shameful terms. 

Here are some shots of Tofusqirrel's table, which of course caught my eye immediately, because of all the vibrant colors and intricate designs displayed there. I bought a button with a purple Boston terrier for my messenger bag, but could easily have spent more money at her table, it felt like a candy store and I felt like a little kid!

Finally, I picked up Anatomy for Artists (by Anthony Aspesos, illustrated by Karl Stevens) at Karl Steven's table. I needed one for the tutoring classes I am giving to kids, but I can't use the old (originally published 1896) anatomy for artists-book that I picked up in the Brookline Booksmith's used book cellar a while ago. I bought it because I liked the old black & white photos of chubby women with a silent-movie sort of look, but that was before I started reading the text. In the chapter on facial proportions, I realized that this was a book that operated with other theories and terms than we would expect to find in such a book today (it assumes theories of "highly civilized races" and that sort of racist nonsense, I wouldn't be surprised if this were the book Hitler used as a young art student). But Karl Stevens promises that there will be none of that in his book, thankfully! :-)

Of course, I have left out a bunch of awesome people whose tables I didn't get around to this year, or who I didn't buy a comic from this time. A lot of the BCR people were there of course, with their awesome stuff. I would list names, but then I would accidentally leave one or two people out, and so I'd rather not mention any. All the people who arranged the Expo and helped out at it (I regret to admit that I was not one of them this year) did a fantastic job and I am very thankful and impressed by their efforts.

One last thing: Hellbound III is out! I can't wait to buy a copy and read it!

Voyage Fantastica

This is my very latest illustration, designed by Troy Minkowsky to accompany his steampunk story, Voyage Fantastica, a brilliant adventure story about a boy genius and a cast of unforgettable characters.

Based on Troy's descriptions and mockup-version of the poster, I put this illustration together using a mixed media page as a base (old pages from a book, plus gesso and acrylic paint). I drew the stage part, including the characters, air ship, island and ocean, with ink, then colored it in with watercolor pencils and acrylic paint before I cut it out and stuck it onto the base page. I rubber stamped half of the stars, and then I scanned the whole thing. Because it was a large piece, I had the worst time trying to get it scanned using an oversize color scanner (not a flatbed, but the ones you feed the image into) on short notice. Some places would not let me do it myself, either because that was their policy, or because their scanner was broken. Since I was leaving for Denmark the next day, I didn't have time to wait the few days it would take the places to scan it, so I ended up scanning it in pieces on my own little scanner, then patching the image together in Photoshop.   I used Photoshop to create the rest of the image, including the altered clip-art horses, the color adjustments, ornaments, fonts and the rest of the stars. The original artwork is therefore very different from the finished illustration, as it remains very "unfinished."

As you can tell by earlier blog posts, this is by no means my first project with Troy Minkowsky. Another piece of good news is that Troy's version of the Hansel and Gretel fairytale, which I illustrated earlier this year, has been selected for Gurukitty's next anthology, Once Upon a Time, and will likely come out at the end of this year/beginning of 2013. More on that later!

Another piece of information: my drawings at the Brookline Town Hall will stay up for one more week, as the next exhibitor in room 103 has scheduled to put up her work on August 7th. In this way, there won't be a gap in the continuing exhibits on the Town Hall walls. So if you still want to see the drawings, but just haven't gotten around to it, there is still time!

Mixed Media: A Few Quick Thoughts, Illustrated

Lately, I've been having some fun experimenting with mixed media techniques. It seems to be the new craze right now; I've found numerous blogs, websites and magazines offering advice, materials, community and other resources. I absolutely love the stuff I find out there, it is all so very inspiring and shows what you can do with relatively inexpensive materials and a lot of imagination! 

The challenge of this is to make something uniquely different, something which stands out. A lot of mixed  media art does not seem to reflect the artist's unique style, and there is a tendency among creatives to adhere to a certain "look," often very feminine-looking hybrids of Victorian and modernist non-figurative. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely dig this style, with all its lace and flowers, shabby "found objects,"vintage yellowed pages with brightly-colored rubber stamps, splashed paint and so forth. I have also found artists who do let their personal style shine through. I am just still looking for more variety in contemporary mixed media illustration, an area where everything is permitted and thus possible. 

Don't look at me, though! I am still just experimenting, as I mentioned earlier. These two pieces are the ones that I have liked enough to keep around so far, and as it often happens with the things I make, the comics influence seeps in everywhere...

Hellbound and More Comic Art New England

Happy Halloween! Above is the result of some playing around with pens, paper and Photoshop last night.  Otherwise, I have not been very involved in Halloween preparations this year. However,  several members of The Boston Comics Roundtable got together to create a horror anthology, Hellbound 2, which is out now. To purchase a limited art edition, order your copy here. To read some Hellbound 2 press coverage, click here.

The Comic Art New England exhibit (the art exhibit that opened in connection with MICE and went through October 16th) has been extended until November 19th. This time, the works are on display at NEIA Gallery 303 (New England Institute of Art) right here in Brookline! I am very excited, because this is literally right down the street from me. Opening reception happens this Thursday, November 3, 6-8 PM. New England Istitute of Art is that ahem...modern building across from the Brookline Village t-stop, 303 Boylston Street in Brookline. BCR has a write-up on the exhibit on their web page.  I hope to see you there!

This is Where You'll Find Me Tomorrow: MICE 2011

I will greet you in the front lobby of University Hall between 10AM-1PM. Later, I participate in my first panel on writer/artist collaborations. 4-5PM, I think. Should be fun! I am looking forward to all the great new stuff this year, I can't wait to get inspired! I only have one thing at MICE this year, which is a page in Leann Leake's zine, Hot Tea, Cold Water, #3. I also have a few framed comic book pages in the exhibit. Follow the link to see a list of exhibitors, then come to Porter Square tomorrow and secure some copies of their awesome work! It's free, it's fun, and you'll be supporting local writers & artists in your community too!

MICE, The Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo

September 24, 2011 10am - 6pm

1815 Mass Ave., Cambridge MA (Porter Square)
Illustration by Jerel Dye

Bad Hair Day? These Ladies Can Help...Chapter 5 Of The Ragbox!

Finally...or almost! Chapter 5 of Dave Kender's graphic novel, The Ragbox will be out soon, and there will be more on that at this year's MICE. I really took my time illustrating this chapter, since I've been pretty busy this last year, but I did enjoy every minute of the process.

The Ragbox is unique in the sense that a different artist illustrates each of its chapters. Kender published the the three first chapters in one volume, but printed chapter 4 as a mini, as will be the case with chapter 5. You do not have to have read the first volume to enjoy the subsequent chapters, as they also stand alone as slices-of-life stories, but it is fun to compare the different illustrators' individual style.

Kender has matched illustrators with chapters that would specifically interest them, and I really enjoyed drawing the people (stylistas, both young and not-so-young) and the setting (dilapidated hair salon) of this part of the story. I am not quite sure why, as I don't really follow fashion trends (I'm much too cheap to pay the price of designer stuff ), and don't spend much time in salons either (once or twice a year, just to get some peace and quiet, and because my hair has reached the point when it's so bad, it's not even funny). However, I do love looking at stylish people, and all the going ons of the salon are sort of fascinating. Also, my artistic mentor in the 1980's, combined his studio with a hairdresser salon in the basement, so I guess I have sort of spent time in that environment after all...that's an entirely different story, however, that I'll tell you all about later. Maybe. For now, get your first four chapters of The Ragbox at MICE and familiarize yourself with the characters of this neighborhood (which is loosely based on San Francisco's Mission district). To read more about The Ragbox, click here. For information on MICE, click here.

Enjoy!

Destination: Thieves Paradise

This is the last page for now. What meets Captain Scarlet and the crew at this eerie place? Stay tuned, cross your fingers and find out!

Overboard

Roman Scarlet, Dandy Long Legs & Doktor Sock

Bloody Mutiny

This is page three, and when I drew this one I learned the following about myself: 1) Drawing blood & gore is not as disturbing as I had thought it would be, but actually a lot of fun. Probably because it's really just ink... 2) I kind of like drawing men, when they're as handsome as Dandy Long Legs (according to Troy's script he is very dandy, and I modeled his appearance on a romantic portrait of one of my favorite English poets, John Donne).

More Pirates...

Open Fire!

This is the first page of the pirate fantasy comic, Open Fire! (Written by Troy Minkowsky) Is the editing in photoshop done? Is this the final look? No, probably not. But it will be something along these (crosshatched) lines.

The Pirates Are Coming!

Here is a cover and a preview/promo page for the upcoming comic, Open Fire! It is not a new project for the writer, Troy Minkowsky, but it's a new one for me. In fact I don't think I have ever drawn a comic about pirates, zombies and other fantasy figures before (except mermaids). I definitely have not drawn a comic that features a sock puppet, that one is a first! I really enjoy doing the artwork for this story, though. The characters are interesting, and there are at least three female characters in the story, which appeals to me. I also enjoy drawing seascapes, sea creatures and all that good stuff, and it's always fun to do something that is entirely new to me. I hope this won't be the last you hear of this story! There will be more to follow...

An Education

This the first page of a 3-page story that I submitted to an upcoming anthology on education. The anthology should be published in time for a conference on comics and education (for more info check out this website: http://necac.net/46/)

I chose to do a story set at Balfour House School, a British private school in Wales that I attended for a few years in the late 1970's. I was the only non-native English speaking student at the time, and although I learned English quite quickly, I would not recommend anyone to learn a new language in that sort of setting. Balfour House was a very strict school where corporal punishment was practiced regularly, an aspect of the school that I tried to work into my comic.

A few years ago, I learned that Balfour House no longer exists, and that the building is currently falling down. It is too bad about the building, it is an old stone structure, and originally a monastery (or so the rumor went back in the 70's). I saw some pictures posted online, where the iron gates were rusty and the windows boarded up. Weeds and grass grew up through the exterior staircase. On the other hand, part of me is relieved to have outlived that institution, because although I remember most of the students and many of my teachers fondly, I really, really did not like that school with all its rigid rules, traditionalist gender views and violence against kids.

Comics in the New Year!

In 2010, I started a new project, to illustrate chapter 5 of Dave Kender's graphic novel, The Ragbox. This is a really fun assignment that I love working on, but I also hope to finish up quite soon (it always feels good to complete assignments!).

The chapter is set in a beauty salon in the Ragbox neighbourhood, the setting for the novel. I love the characters in this chapter, especially Angel, the beautiful twentysomething hairdresser who I really enjoy drawing!

To read more about this graphic novel--the first three chapters have already been published--check out the blog for The Ragbox: http://www.theragbox.com/

Scenes From The Holiday Season in Boston

This Saturday, I tabled at Bazaar Bizarre in Boston, an alternative arts/crafts fair that draws a huge crowd of holiday shoppers. Above are my pink ladies, which I displayed on one corner of the BCR table.

Eric Boeker planned and arranged the Boston Comics Roundtable presence at Bazaar Bizarre this year.

Things at our table: Independent work by Dan Mazur, Aya Rothwell and various contributors to the Left-Overs of the Living Dead, put together by Jay Kennedy.

A little untraditional holiday cards by Eric Boeker.





Bazaar Bizarre was held inside the Cyclorama, which is a gorgeous building. This is the ceiling in the middle of the hall.





Above: panel 2 of a short comic strip I worked on with Troy Minkowsky. Below: panel 1 of a short comic strip I worked on with Roho. Both may show up on some BCR holiday wrapping paper this season.

The Cyclorama is in the beautiful South End neighbourhood of Boston.

To be honest, I don't have a lot of skills as a salesperson (none, in fact), but I enjoy working at the holiday fairs--all fairs and conventions--nevertheless. It's fun to see what other vendors have to offer, and to be inspired. It's a great place to people-watch, and to chat with people who approach the table. I hope to be at the Holly Fair in Cambridge next weekend.

Canada, Comics & Cheesecake

Cheesecake pen & ink drawing w/ pink frame

View from our hotel window in Montreal

Mural in Montreal

Expozine 2010

On most Friday nights (after the worst rush traffic has subsided), we drive up to Vermont for the weekend. Last Friday, we decided that we would stretch the weekend out a little, so we went on to Montreal on Saturday, spent the night there, then drove back to Vermont on Sunday afternoon, and finally came back to Boston Monday night.

Montreal is one of my favorite cities in the northeast for several reasons: it's in Canada, and since it's also in Quebec, where most people speak French, you really get the sense that you have gone abroad. Otherwise, going to Canada from the U.S. feels a bit like crossing the border from Norway into Sweden. Yes, you're in a different country, but it's not a drastic change (I know many Canadians--not to mention Swedes--will be offended by this statement. Try not to take it personally! :-).

Other things I really like about Montreal is good restaurants (French and Indian are among my favorite cuisines), the old part of town, even though it's touristy, and Chinatown, which seems bigger and has a lot more stores than the one in Boston. It is also the city of Leonard Cohen, Julie Doucet and Drawn & Quarterly :-)

When I was a kid, we sailed up the St. Lawrence river on the bulk carriers my parents worked on (for more information on this see my Inbound 5 story, "The Sardine's Tale") on our way to the Great Lakes. I don't remember much of these trips, except stopping further up the river, at Niagara Falls, where we went to see the falls and the surrounding kitch. I also remember falling down from one shipdeck to another, a fall from which I still have a scar on my chin. But that's all a different (comic book?) story.

This time in Montreal, I decided to go to the Expozine for a few hours, with a box of Inbounds, Outbounds, Hellbounds and some of my own minicomics for trade. I was only there for about 4 hours, but it was a really cool experience, and I got to meet a lot of nice and interesting people, and on my trading spree I ended up with some neat stuff (for example an illustrated version of T.S. Eliot's poem, "The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock," by Julian Peters, a local artist. The drawings are really beautiful and accompany the poem really well. In addition, Peters used buldings and street scenes in Boston as references for his drawings, so it just couldn't be more perfect! :-)

Back in Boston, I am working on a project, which I should try to get done pretty soon (illustrating a chapter of someone's graphic novel), and otherwise drawing cheesecake drawings of pretty ladies (preferably with some pink involved, the color I love to hate, or maybe hate to love...), which has been my favorite hobby for as long as I can remember. There are lots of crafts fairs and shows coming up this holiday season, you might see me at one or two, if I'm tabling for the Boston Comics Roundtable.