Please Buy Something

I don't like doing these posts, just blatantly selling stuff. However, it's part of the role of an artist. I have a few things that are ways you can show me some love and help my family pay bills, eat food, and the such. I am posting this now mainly because a little extra cash would be really useful right now. Really useful.

Original Artwork

I sell original art and other hand made items on Etsy. I mostly reserve my Etsy shop for selling the original art, and I tend to sell it rather cheap. I'm even selling the jet-pack I made and used to haul around to conventions.

Why do I use Etsy? Well, it's to reach a wider audience. I have sold artwork to people I don't know, and I'm pretty certain they found me through Etsy. There's lots of good stuff there as well, so browse it it if you haven't for a while.

The Art of Stan Ford: The first full-color collection of artwork done in the years spanning the run of Jet-Pack Jenny and the Factor of 01. It sports a dust cover and 36 pages of artwork, commentary, and sketches. Features an introduction by Brandon Padgett of Sketch Charlotte.

$10.00 w/ free shipping!

Commissions

I’ll do commissioned drawings. These will not be sketches, but fully rendered drawings, detail depending on the subject you request. All drawings will be on 8 1/2″ x 11″ card stock, making them easy to find a frame for. Depending on the subject matter, the medium will be charcoal or ink. Either way, you’ll have a nice darkly rendered drawing to show off. The price for a drawing is $25, as long as you’re not asking for more than three people in it.

I’ll also do 5″ x 8 1/2″ for $10, with the same level of detail as the larger drawings.

I hear you asking, how will this work?

First off, e-mail me at carpaltunnelpress@gmail.com, letting me know what you want. If you want a likeness of someone, send me a photo. I draw comics, but for you, I’ll draw just about anything. When I’m done, I’ll e-mail you a watermarked scan of your drawing, at a resolution of 72 dpi.

How do you get money to me? I prefer PayPal, but you can mail me a check, if you want. Once I have the money, I’ll mail you your drawing in a plastic sleeve and inside a reinforced envelope, clearly marked “DO NOT BEND.” If you have trouble with your mailman bending your large mail to fit, consider having it sent to a work address.

Other books I've done

I have a limited supply of these books. Once I sell out I'll take them out of this post. Until then, there's more here that you can buy and see what else I've done.

		Bunkee #4 collects the first part of the Jet-Pack Jenny and the Factor of 01, including a couple of nice, themed parody ads.Just $1.50
		Bunkee #3 is a sketchbook special, featuring sneak peeks at upcoming work such as wrestling, Jet-Pack Jenny, and some stuff that’s fallen to the wayside, but has not been forgotten.Just $2.00
		The Failure Anthology is an anthology from the five creators that made up Failure in 2003. Each creator gives their tale of a time in their lives when they felt like a failure. Five autobiographical tales in a full-size 32-page comic. Chris Allen of Movie Poop Shoot said about Failure,”Not a bad book overall, with a good theme, clever design and very funny cover idea; the refrigerator with the failing report card on it,” and had great things to say about the individual creators. He even mentioned it in his “best of 2003″ report. Steven Grant of Comic Book Resources said about Failure,”It reads pretty well, keeping the entries fairly short and tight, with most participants resisting the urge to explain themselves and demand sympathy. (A big problem with most autobiographical comics; if criticism demands ruthlessness, autobiography demands it in spades.) It’s good.” Other people love Failure, what are you waiting for? Just $2.00!
		Too Scared To Die I just stumbled across a print run of my first minicomic, Too Scared To Die. This is the last chance to get the autobiographical comic done as I was exiting the world of art school and setting my sail into the world of comics and all the anxiety that brings. A lot has changed since then, so this is the last chance to get this comic.Just $2.50

That's a lot of ways you can help me out by sending money and getting quality stuff in return.

Help Get Jet-Pack Jenny printed

The Kickstarter project to get Jet-Pack Jenny and the Factor of 01 printed has been launched! Go here to contribute at a level that gets you some nice incentives!

It took me five years to finish the story, but I'm very happy with it, and I feel like it's actually worth asking people to contribute to see it happen. I just need $400 contributed in order to meet my printing goals, but if more is contributed, I'll be able to print more copies. No money will go to waste.I will be printing these in July and shipping out as soon as I receive them from the printer.

So what will the printed collection contain? It will be 40 pages, containing all of the strips printed three to a page, with the book measuring  8" x 7 1/4", making every strip so much easier to read than if I tried to print this as a mini-comic and do two to a page. It also frees up lots of room for guest artwork, annotations giving you a behind the scenes peek at the making of the comic and sketches from the making of the comic.

Just in case you need more prompting to donate and make this book a reality, here are the donation incentives:

• Donate $10 or more and get a copy of the book with a free head sketch of the lead character, Jet-Pack Jenny. This head sketch will be inserted on a separate 5" x 8" card.


• Donate $25 or more and get a copy of the book and a free full body sketch w/background of Jet-Pack Jenny on 8 1/2" x 11" Bristol.


• Donate $50 or more and get the $25 reward and a piece of original art from the story. All original art is in strip format. I don't think I need to say that you'll get your choice of which strip, provided it's available. Two are no longer available.


• Donate $100 or more and you get the $50 reward plus an original drawing of Jet-Pack Jenny done to your requested subject matter, hand colored, drawn on 11" x 17" Bristol. In case you're counting that'll be two drawings and a piece of original art!

Your help in getting this published would be greatly appreciated, and hoping to have to draw a lot to show how much I appreciate it.

Free Comic Book Day

Another Free Comic Book Day has come around, and once again, I'll be at Borderlands Comics and Games in Greenville, SC for their event. Last year was a blast and if you're in the area, then you should make it one of your stops. I'll be doing free sketches along with many other artists.

I'll also have copies of the 2012 Sketch Charlotte Anthology that I have a four page story in. It's 24 pages of comics from some of my friends in Sketch Charlotte that are great cartoonists. To the left, you'll find a page of my story that you'll find in the anthology.

I'm also going to have copies of my 20 page Mall Preview for 50 cents each. Because my FCBD anthology story uses characters from it, it just seemed appropriate to offer it for sale. Details will be coming soon if you want to buy a copy from me through the web site.

FCBD looks to be very fun all the way around! I hope I get to see you there!

Got Some Drawing to Do

In the next few days, I've got a deadline to meet and I'm not as close to being done as I'd have liked to be at this stage. I'm starting by setting aside an hour a day to work on it. If that doesn't get me the progress that I need, then I'll stretch it out. Unfortunately, I can't share it as it gets done, but that's the way these things work out sometimes.

Also, I'm finalizing up my appearances schedule for May, and as soon as they're done, I'll let you know.

"Give Me A Needle And I Could Make It Work"

LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #54

February 1994

I've made it no secret that I'm a fan of the Legion of Super-Heroes. My absolute favorite incarnation has to the Giffen/Bierbaums era also known as the "Five Years Later" Legion. After they blew up the Earth, the Bierbaums left the writing chores up to colorist Tom McCraw and there seemed to be a struggle to find a direction for the Legion. The idea struck someone to put the team through some major challenges and put them on the run.

SYNOPSIS:

The Legion has just defeated Glorith, but at significant cost. Celeste Rockfish has apparently been aged to the point of death, Brainiac 5 has been advanced to a point where his body is riddled with age. Devlyn O'Ryan and Mysa have been reduced in age to teens, and Kent Shakespeare is a child. Jo is raving mad because he's learned that his lost love Tinya is still alive, displaced somewhere in time by Glorith. When Celeste's body vanishes, replaced by a green energy body. Brainiac 5 suggests that the team goes to Quarantine for tests on their changed bodies.

On Quarantine, we learn that for the most part the changes made by Glorith are not harmful, although Devlin and Celeste have trouble adjusting to their new forms. Celeste's new form is the result of her body merging with the Green Lantern energy years ago, and now that Glorith has destroyed her body, that energy is no longer restricted by spending most of its power just to keep Celeste alive. Brainiac 5 is now dependent upon an exoskeleton to remain mobile, but he needs to return for his files at the Legion HQ on Talus. They leave Devlin and Kent behind. Jo wants to go back in time and look for Tinya, Wildfire wants to leave as well for his own personal reasons, and while Rokk and Brainy can't convince them otherwise, they do welcome Spider-Girl to the team, as appreciation for her help.

Rokk's wife and child have been brought to Winath by Garth Ranzz signalling some troubles the Legion is having with the Science Police. When the team get to Talus, they find it guarded by the SP's and the newly enlisted Subs waiting to arrest the Legion for conspiracy against the United Planets. In the battle that follows, they find themselves captured, being taken off guard by the Subs and their new members.

Former Earth President and Legion member Jacques Froccart protests the Legion's innocence despite holos showing the Legion aiding the Khunds. Using his invisibility he discovers that Universo is behind the charges in a plot to take over New Earth. He assists the Legion in escaping while he works to clear the Legion of the charges.  The Legion escape with the help of Loomis, who has operated as their mechanic on Talus, although Violet seems to be taking charge and giving orders during the escape.

After being safely away from Webers World, Rokk argues with Vi and gives leadership over to her. She decides to use one of Jo's hideouts on Rimbor as a base. Vi orders everyone to come up with new uniforms and identities, using what they have on hand.

After arriving on Rimbor, Laurel and Mysa fence unneeded supplies to gain credits, but are getting the short end of negotiations until Mysa uses a little sex appeal to get a better deal. As the Legion finish off their new costumes, Spider-Girl returns hurt badly  and informing them that she and Jo have been attacked.

REVIEW:

This was one of those transitional issues of the Legion that took the team in a different direction. With only minimal exception, this has been done to boost sales. Usually it doesn't work.  I'm unapologetic in my love for Giffen's "five years later" Legion, and I find this new direction just a punishment.

Tom McCraw does an adequate job of writing the Legion, and he keeps the voices pretty much the same, with the exception of Mysa and Rokk. Rokk gets explained in later issues, but Mysa never does. The concept of the Legion being framed as traitors is not a new one, and I sigh at the lack of originality in it. Universo's motivation doesn't make sense in that he was practically the hero that masterminded Earth's liberation. If  his desire was to take control of New Earth, he had every opportunity to do so. The new uniforms we see in the story are slight, but the cover does feature them prominently, in a nod to the cover of Giant-Size X-Men #1.

Which transitions me to the art. Stuart Immonen is, in my opinion one of the best comic book artists around today. His style in these early days was very naturalistic, with an excellent use of black in his composition. The colors are adequate for the time, albeit a bit flat and some cutting to denote shading would have helped Immonen's artwork immeasurably. The costume designs are for the most part, forgettable. Wildfire's looks like a bad flame job that you give a car. Laurel's actually reminds me of the cape that Laurel Kent used to use to cover up with around the dorms at Legion academy way back in LOSH #304. it lacks something to make it stand out as Laurel, though. I really like Timber Wolf's outfit, as he really doesn't require a whole lot to discern his personality and identity. Brainiac 5 is the other standout for me, since Brainy has always been rooted to wearing coveralls instead of a formal costume. I can completely do without Ayla and Vi's costumes, though. I do question the logic behind Violet's choice. If the point is to conceal their identities, why isn't she wearing a disguise?

NOTES:
This issue has not been collected to the best of my knowledge. Do not be surprised if you can pick up a copy of this in a bargain bin as most fans completely write off this version of the Legion, as DC practically has.

FINAL RATING: 6.0 (out of a possible 10)

Without Stuart Immonen's art, this would score much lower. If I were reviewing this book as it was a half year later, it would most certainly be almost as low as that Spider-Woman issue I reviewed.

Frequently Asked Question

So are there plans to collect Jet-Pack Jenny in print format?

Yes, yes there is. The delay in doing so and in starting a new comic are that when I started Factor of 01 a few years ago, I drew it two strips to a page of Bristol, because, when that's how it would print anyway. Then I stepped away for a little while. In that span of time I discovered the Bristol board pre-cut to comic strip dimensions, and so I started using that. The only problem is that I could no longer draw the strips at the same height I'd been using which made the proportions completely different.

I dismissed it as something I'd fix later, and promptly forgot about it. Now I started assembling the strips I was very pleased with for the inevitable print version and was horribly reminded about the change in dimensions. That means that the first half of Factor of 01 needs to be re-drawn. That's OK, I tell myself, because I was never really happy with the fight scene, and I still have to get rid of  Tom's glasses.

This also gives me room to play around with format. Whenever strips are assembled in comic form, usually they are either stacked vertically (meaning for really small formatting of each strip, or sideways, which unless you change the way the book is printed and stapled, means awkward flipping of pages. Well, I find it awkward.

Because I'm thinking about printing these myself, and I have a stash of 11" x 17" paper laying around, I have a novel solution. If I trim the paper to be 8.5" x 11", it'll fit through any of my printers, especially my color one. folded over, the book would be 8.5" x 8.5" and be able to fit three strips per page, giving me a very manageable 24 pages, if I remember my math correctly. After a trim, it would come across quite nicely, and not seem like an awkward read.

However, the redrawing is on hold while I work on a contribution for the Sketch Charlotte anthology. It's a story that goes back to some ideas I had when I was doing the Mall, and recently that story kept coming back into my head. I'm holding off of doing a full version of it, because I've promised myself that I'd work on Hanamori's Circus next.

Of course, my time is about to be really taken up. I gotta get this print version of Factor of 01 done.

Same Thing We Do Every Night...

So, there's this sketchbook running around with Heather Peagler of Sketch Charlotte and Exile on Plain Street that is various artists drawing pictures of Cartoon legends Pinky and the Brain. Some time ago, she asked me to contribute a drawing to it, and what we have here is the result.

Every artist puts their own twist on the theme, and since I'm partial to drawing jet-packs, I incorporated that into my sketch. I shaded with a grey Faber Castell brushpen, which I've been partial to for a while. Call me a heretic, but I just can't warm up to Copic markers.

I like drawing in people's sketchbooks, and I've done quite a few, and if you see me somewhere, a convention, Free Comic Book Day event, or some such, and you have a theme sketchbook, just ask me and I may just draw in it. So far, I've done Krypto, Beetlejuice, and Pippi Longstockings.

Oh, Perspective, How's I Eyes Ya

The advantage to re-drawing about half of the Factor of 01 to be consistent in print format means I get to completely rework things I have not been entirely happy with. Originally the first panel, while it worked, wasn't entirely what I wanted. This is closer, and while I don't think I've got the handle on 3 point perspective that it demands, I think it's good enough to serve the purpose.

I also won't be replacing this on the web site until the next strip is redrawn. I've completely changed the beat of the action. That's the worst part of the original artwork. I really do not like staging fight scenes in my comics, so I do it badly. In the first Jet-Pack Jenny comic, there's actually two strips that were all black as a cop-out, albeit done on a dare. That second panel is also the second part of my lesson in how harsh a mistress perspective can be. Never ever say you can fix perspective in Photoshop, it will still not look 100% right.

Wonder Woman

I did this drawing of Wonder Woman in my spare time, just so I could work on that costume. I used to hate this costume; call me a traditionalist. I don’t hate it as much now, but I still feel like it’s more complicated than it needs to be. Wonder Woman has one of those iconic costumes that only a few redesigns have managed to pull off. I could probably have silhouetted Diana in mostly shadow and have her still be recognizable as long as enough of her costume is visible. I wish the metallic elements were gold instead of silver, as that's just part of the color scheme. I still don't like the choker though. It just looks dangerous.

The trickiest part of this drawing  for me was retaining her femininity, but weird things happen to your drawing style when you watch a two day marathon of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Fortunately, Wonder Woman has black hair, so I could fix her face to get her  femininity back. I had to reference the hands so that Diana didn’t end up with man-hands.

By the way, you can buy the original drawing by going over to Etsy and purchasing it there. I also have some other stuff for sale there, but that's going to be another post.

2011 - It's a meme

It's a meme now for cartoonists and comic artists to do a collage of their 2011 work to represent the year. Well, lots of squares didn't work for me, so I did it in my own way.

My Work Is On Exhibit

From Friday, Jan 6, 2012 - Friday, Jan 27, 2012, I'll be part of an exhibit at the Caldwell Arts Council in Lenoir, NC.Lenoir is located in the foothills of North Carolina just about 20 miles south down US Hwy 321 from Boone, about an hour north of Gastonia, NC on the same Hwy 321. Lenoir is about 2 hours at the most from most parts of Charlotte, NC, and Winston-Salem, NC. Visit this link for more on the Caldwell Arts Council. They are open Tuesday-Friday from 9am - 5pm. The Opening reception is on Friday, Jan 6 from 5pm-7:30 pm. I'll be there schmoozing since I'm a part of the show, so if you can make it, I'll be glad to see you.  Here's a preview of some of the work you'll see in the show.

Prints Now Available!

Now you can get prints of some of what I consider my most successful pieces. Each one is $7.00, printed on heavy weight, photo quality paper and are suitable for framing. For a limited time, I'm throwing in free shipping flat in a rigid envelope to help thwart malicious mailman upset at Postal Service budget cuts and taking it out on you.

Buy my artwork on Etsy

I've started to add drawings to my Etsy shop in an effort to make it available to as broad an audience as possible. You can go over there and buy original drawings I've done and posted here, at Sketch Charlotte or Big Dog Studio.

Here is a sampling of what I've got available on Etsy.

I'll Draw Anything For You!

(Note: This post is an exact copy of the Commissions page. I'm copying it here, because I seriously want to supplement my income.)

Want some original art?

Got a character that you love?

Need a unique gift for someone?

I'll do commissioned drawings. These will not be sketches, but fully rendered drawings, detail depending on the subject you request. All drawings will be on 8 1/2" x 11" card stock, making them easy to find a frame for. Depending on the subject matter, the medium will be charcoal or ink. Either way, you'll have a nice darkly rendered drawing to show off. The price for a drawing is $25, as long as you're not asking for more than three people in it.

I'll also do 5" x 8 1/2" for $10, with the same level of detail as the larger drawings.

I hear you asking, how will this work?

First off, e-mail me at carpaltunnelpress@gmail.com, letting me know what you want. If you want a likeness of someone, send me a photo. I draw comics, but for you, I'll draw just about anything. When I'm done, I'll e-mail you a watermarked scan of your drawing, at a resolution of 72 dpi.

Here are some samples:



How do you get money to me? I prefer PayPal, but you can mail me a check, if you want. Once I have the money, I'll mail you your drawing in a plastic sleeve and inside a reinforced envelope, clearly marked "DO NOT BEND." If you have trouble with your mailman bending your large mail to fit, consider having it sent to a work address.

Do You Like T-Shirts?

On Deviant Art, this is my most popular drawing. What most people don't realize is that it's available as a t-shirt through Printfection, which does some great quality tees. I have one that I wear from time to time, and almost without fail, I get a conversation with someone that likes it.  at Printfection, you can get it in any color you want, but I prefer it in Red. As the shirt ages, the color adds to the aging feel of the image. In red and the other dark colors, they sell for $23.99. In lighter colors, you can get them for as cheap as $18.99

I also have a Jet-Pack Jenny t-shirt available and because of the image, I only offer it in white, which means it's just $18.99.  It's also available in ladies and kids sizes, a ringer tee, and a totebag!

Apparently we're back to the 90's at DC

It didn't take four months until we saw the worst art cliche of the 1990s show up again in a DC Comic. In Batgirl #3, I could complain about the giant moon that while incredibly large was entirely inaccurate or the complete ignorance of Physics that lets Batgirl ignore inertia and swing into a subway car going around a sharp curve. The problem I have is with the use of an extreme closeup of the eye.



Let me say this again, it doesn't add to the drama to go right into someone's eye. The eye doesn't look that different when you're shocked except in its relation to the rest of the face. The face conveys so much emotion, that getting closer on one eye actually takes away from the drama of a scene. In this case, reflecting Nightwing's costume motif dds nothing since the entire last half of the book is Batgirl interacting with Nightwing. This is horrible, and absolutely bad art, and I'm hoping that they get a better artist on this book, especially if you're going to use Adam Hughes on the covers.

What Comics Are Capable Of, Part Three

Apparently, all the criticism is getting to Tom Batuik. This is just too meta.

Anyone want a jet-pack?

About ten years ago, I built a jet-pack as a life-sized model of the jet-pack that Jet-Pack Jenny wears. From day one, people went nuts for it. It's followed me through numerous moves, from convention to convention, and now the time has come to let it go. You can own my jet-pack by purchasing it on eBay.

Batgirl

A couple of weeks ago at Sketch Charlotte, I drew this Batgirl in my way big sketchbook as I've come to call it. I really don't like the new Bat-Family costumes as they're just a little too busy, with a lot of extraneous details that seem to be there for no reason other than look more realistic.