Jackie Makes Comics

Play Ball article on CBR!!

2012-01-05T11:53:00.003-05:00

This winter break has been pretty exciting. I finished Play Ball (I can finally talk about it!!), it goes to the printers this month, and it'll be released April 25th! I'm really looking forward to this con season. I'm looking forward to going to cities I've never been to before, meeting new artists and writers, and chatting with con attendees.

Seriously, cons are the best. It's like a private party with all your best friends and you're all connected by your love of whatever fandoms or creators inspire you.

So, to the point! I'm really excited about Play Ball coming out. Christina Weir and Nunzio Defilippis were an awesome writing team to work with. Jill Beaton, my editor, worked so hard on this project, and I appreciate her so much for that. Oni Press is a great company, with excellent folks.

To see the Play Ball page on the Oni Press website, click here.

Also, I was pleasantly surprised by a sweet little write up about Play Ball on CBR yesterday. It's a nice overview of the story, and Nunzio, Jill, and Christina give their perspective on the story, characters, and genre. Honestly, it's really thrilling to see my name on CBR, and to have the gorgeous cover (designed and colored by Keith Wood) up on onipress.com.

My experience with this book was so good, and I'm really looking forward to delving into a new project soon!

Top Cow fan art

2011-12-01T10:28:00.003-05:00

Witchblade and Angelus, done for my ladybro Jessi, who is a Social Media Marketing intern at Top Cow. Congrats to her!! <3

BBC Sherlock Watercolor

2011-12-01T10:26:00.002-05:00

This show, you guys. OMG this show. It usually takes me a while to warm up to a show (Doctor Who for example), but BBC Sherlock is bananas awesome.

Avengers II

2011-11-28T00:51:00.000-05:00

The second half of my first Avengers watercolor.

James Potter is getting a bit too chummy

2011-11-14T10:58:00.004-05:00

And thus concludes Severus Snape's guide on how to get people off your back.
If you do the tumblr thing, follow my Sincerely, Severus ask blog!

Avengers in color

2011-10-13T11:20:00.002-04:00

Avengers Pencils and Inks

2011-10-11T16:50:00.002-04:00

Soon to be watercolored.

90's Beast

2011-08-13T11:23:00.003-04:00

A couple more

2011-08-01T13:27:00.004-04:00

Ron and Hermione, a gift for my friend, Courtney.

And a nature/squirrel commission for the same friend. Trees, you guys. Trees are awesome fun to draw.

I'm addicted to watercoloring things

2011-07-18T11:18:00.003-04:00

Albus Dumbledore (this is my favorite so far)

Voldemort

Fiona and Cake (and I totes see the anatomical error, and it's bugging the crap out of me)

Harry Potter Watercolors

2011-07-17T13:03:00.004-04:00

Bellatrix Lestrange

Rubeus Hagrid

Severus Snape

And more to come!

More Watercolors!

2011-07-07T11:51:00.002-04:00

Mei from My Neighbor Totoro

Marceline the Vampire Queen

Watercolors!!

2011-06-26T01:39:00.011-04:00

I have sat down and made a list of things to draw, learn and accomplish this summer. Things are moving smoothly with my Oni book and pitches I'm working on(accomplishments!), and I'm researching lots of different characters/stories for pinups I plan on doing over the next few months (draw!).

As far as what I've been wanting to learn, I took up knitting last fall, and I keep practicing my Photoshop coloring skills (and, one day, I'll spring for that parkour tutor). The big thing that I've been wanting to learn is WATERCOLORING. There are so many different watercolor styles and techniques, and some of my friends (Cara McGee and FalynnK, I'm looking at you two) are awesome painters, and their watercolors are so inspiring! Cara and I finally made a watercoloring date this past week, and it's been going pretty awesome.

I have been wanting to do some fanart of this anime called Puella Magi Madoka Magica that Cara turned me on to, and this was the perfect excuse.

My first watercolor EVER. History, guys.

Second watercolor EVER. Even more history.

Third watercolor EVER EVER. This will be on the test.

The last one I did (so far). This one's of Puella Mami, which if you watch the show you probably know. But, I hadn't written her name on there, so.

I am really pleased with my results so far. I've never considered myself to be much of a colorist, but I think watercolors may be the medium for me. Or, at least, they're a gateway medium into the crazy world of putting water on colors and colors on paper.

Interview up on Good Comics For Kids!

2011-06-14T13:26:00.002-04:00

Hey, guys! I've had the pleasure of getting to know Snow Wildsmith since I met her on FCBD this year, and she just posted an interview that she conducted with me. For some info on how I got into comics and my influences and whatnot, go here.

Heroes Con 2011

2011-06-07T13:03:00.013-04:00

I am going to start by saying that this was, by far, the best Heroes Con I've been to yet. I had a table on the corner between Evan Dorkin and Chris Schweizer, and right across the aisle from John Arcudi (who is writing B.P.R.D.) and Ryan Sook.

I got a lot of action at my table, got to talk to some of the coolest people in comics, and bought lots and lots and lots of stuff. I did lots of commissions and sketchbook pieces, and I sold a bunch of minis. I put some of the art I did this past weekend in this post, but I forgot to take pictures of everything, so there is a good chunk of art that's not here. To accommodate for that, I plan on doing a crazy amount of work this summer, so be prepared for lots of updates!

I did a Husk on the blank Avengers cover (pictured above) for a super nice guy named Jon.

I did this Hellboy (9"x12") for the art auction on Saturday. It was my first submission to the auction, and seeing all of the beautiful pieces this year inspired me to do something larger and with color for next year's auction (some of my favorite pieces were done by Brian Stelfreeze, Andrew Robinson, Eric Canete, Robbi Rodriguez, and Chris Stevens, but there were so many good entries that it's hard to remember them all.

A 4"x6" Harry Potter for my friend FalynnK's birthday!

I like me a scraggley Sirius Black.

Snape, being all Snapey.

Princess Leia holding a Happy Baby Rancor.

An Obi-Wan Kenobi sketch card that I did for Mark Brooks.

Arsenic and Old Lace.

90's Shark Dude, 4"x6" for Audrey Morris.

Yes, this is what you think it is.

If what you think it is is two superbros trying to relax after a hard day of fighting villains.

All in all, this was the best con ever. I can't wait to go back next year! I'm already excited about SPX and NYCC, so look for me walking around at both of those shows!

Heroes Con

2011-05-26T15:46:00.001-04:00

Hey, guys!

It's official! I have a table at Heroes Con! I don't know my table number yet, but I'll post it here as soon as I know!

Can't wait to see you there!

Rock Lee

2011-05-15T10:14:00.003-04:00

Diving into drawing Rock Lee! (Gift for my friend Dan, who also just graduated from law school.)

Lots of friends graduating from lots of schools.

Ramona Flowers

2011-05-14T00:20:00.003-04:00

A Ramona Flowers, done for my friend Tom as a graduation-from-law-school gift.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

2011-05-10T16:51:00.004-04:00

4 x 6" piece for my friend Hunter's birthday (which was a couple of days ago).

Ralph and Mikey were always my favorite. Also, why did the cartoon Turtles not have nostrils? Even when I was a kid, I was like, "I doubt that Ooze would make the Turtles' nostrils disappear. That's just unrealistic."

"Sad Baby Monsters" on Comics Alliance!

2011-04-26T15:34:00.003-04:00

Fluke was awesome. It's improved so much since I went two years ago. Fluke has grown, but it's still small enough that it's easy to meet people and talk comics.

One of the great people that I met at Fluke this weekend was Chris Sims, writer on Comics Alliance (This is my favorite "Ask Chris" article of his. Read it. It's awesome). Check out his website!

Remember that article that was up on CA about the "American" super hero redesigns? That was written by Chris. :D

Chris was nice enough to write up an article about my "Sad Baby Monsters" mini that I had at Fluke, which you can read here!

Thanks, Chris!

Fluke 2011

2011-04-20T13:27:00.006-04:00

Fluke is happening this weekend! For those who are unfamiliar, Fluke is an annual minicomics and zine con that usually takes place in a bar (which is great because that means that there are drinks). This year, it'll be at the 40 Watt Club from 11am-6pm, but I'm going to try to get there so that I can get a table. Visit the website at Fluke is Awesome and you'll know all the things you need to know.

I'll have a bunch of minis: Skein, when i was little, BC/CC, and Sad Baby Monsters and Build-a-Beast.

No Face

2011-04-19T12:49:00.002-04:00

American Heroes on ComicsAlliance

2011-04-12T15:29:00.003-04:00

I have to say, I am super excited. Comics Alliance is my favorite source of comics news, and they've posted an article about our effort here at SCAD Atlanta to transform characters with colors in their names into "American" counterparts (all of this has been spurned on by Marvel's recent announcement that Black Panther will be changed to "American Panther"). Please, enjoy (my American Skull is all the way at the bottom, so you get to read the whole article to get to it).

AMERICA ALL THE THINGS

2011-04-08T19:11:00.003-04:00

In response to Marvel announcing that it's changing Black Panther into American Panther, the SCAD Atlanta folks decided to re-imagine other characters with color names as American. Here's my answer to that (with super mega awesome foxy hot colors by Falynn Koch):

U.S.A. All the Way!!

2011-04-08T10:30:00.001-04:00

Pay attention to The Temple of Cartoon Mojo at noon today. Something pretty cool is going to happen.

New images to come soon!

2011-02-23T10:17:00.003-05:00

I've been working on a ton of stuff for my mini comics class, and there will be a massive post soon! With new images!! Lots of them!!! And you'll like it!!!! (I promise.)

Student Spotlight

2011-01-27T14:45:00.002-05:00

Hey, folks!

I've been diligently working on my Oni book, and trying to get back into the swing of things at SCAD. We had a weird week there when Atlanta got totally snowed in, but we're recovering with make up classes.

Aside from pro work, I've got several projects in the works in the form of mini comics (that I will most definitely have at Fluke and Heroes Con this year) and long-form story pitches. I will definitely keep you guys updated on all that.

ALSO! I am the focus of the student spotlight on The Temple of Cartoon Mojo, which is a blog/group dedicated to SCAD-Atlanta sequential art students. Go check it out here.

Here's the very nice intro that my friend and professor, Nolan Woodard (who is an amazing artist and one of the smartest people I know), wrote for my interview:

"Our latest student spotlight came to us without a background in drawing at all. Jackie's BA is in Theater Studies from Emory and needed to take some provisional courses to prove she was up to snuff and could make it in our graduate program (since we don't let just anyone in). Not only did she prove herself but she excelled. Jackie Lewis took to drawing and storytelling like a fish does to water. The transformation from newbie to literally everything to proficient and accomplished artist as one of our lead graduates has been an amazing thing to behold and we at SCAD-Atlanta feel blessed we got to be there when it happened. Editors have taken notice of her work too and even before she has completed her studies she has already been published in an anthology and is also hard at work on her first graphic novel with Oni Press. You can check out more of her work and follow her at her blog aptly named Jackie Makes Comics. And, boy, does she ever!"

Thanks, Nolan!

Wizard World Atlanta

2010-11-29T10:55:00.004-05:00

Alright, comics folks!!

It's time for another comic con! Wizard World Atlanta is happening THIS weekend, December 4-5, 10-6 on Saturday and 10-5 on Sunday at the Cobb Galleria Centre. You can find me at the Temple of Cartoon Mojo table on Saturday from 4-6 and Sunday from 10-12. I'll have some minis for sale and I'll be doing sketches and commissions.
There will be a ton of celebrities, including Vivica A. Fox and Adam West. The comics crew are bringing the awesome with guests like Cully Hamner, Cameron Stewart, and Shawn Crystal, along with many, many others. It's gonna be an awesome weekend full of geeking out about comics.

Be sure to stop by and say hey!

Put Baby Back

2010-11-22T13:59:00.006-05:00

Follow the Bouncing Thumb

2010-10-27T17:16:00.002-04:00

Riff Raff and Magenta, of course.

Why was Riff Raff so mad at Frank at the end? I never understood that. They were all from the Transylvanian planet in the Transexual Galaxy or whatever, and the partygoers (who I always took to be upper-ups checking on Frank's research) seemed pretty cool with everything Frank was up to, so how bad could Frank's behavior possibly be?

Well, I guess Frank was kind of a jerk to Riff Raff. Maybe RR was just jealous. Magenta was always pretty indifferent.

I'm going with jealousy. Sorry, Riff; you can't compete with a Charles Atlas man.

Dammit, Janet

2010-10-27T17:14:00.003-04:00

Oh, Brad and Janet.

I always had a crush on Brad. He was too cute with his pretty shiny hair and thick glasses.

That, and maybe because he was the first man I ever saw in his underwear.

Bless my soul

2010-10-21T10:40:00.004-04:00

I've been getting into the Halloween spirit this year by revisiting my love for The Rocky Horror Picture Show. I think I'll be doing some more portraits of the principal characters before Rocktober is over...

My favorite part of the movie when I was a kid was when Eddie busts out of the freezer. I'm pretty sure that the first time I saw Rocky Horror was the summer that I was obsessed with Elvis movies, and there was something about a dirty, zombie Elvis that really appealed to me.

I was probably a pretty weird kid.

Blacksad pinup

2010-10-19T11:33:00.005-04:00

Probably one of the most fabulously drawn books out there right now, Blacksad tops my list of Awesome meeting Awesome, and making awesome babies.

Blacksad is a riveting film noir-style comic book cast with anthropomorphic animals (which lends itself brilliantly to the casting) .

Created by Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido. Definitely pick it up if you want to be one of the cool kids.

Sketch challenge stuff

2010-10-07T08:56:00.002-04:00

A couple of drawings that I did for the Temple of Cartoon Mojo blog for the sequential art department at SCAD Atlanta. You can find the posts with more sketches from even more artists here!

The Scotsman from Samurai Jack.

And Zelda and that cute floating bad guy. I made him fuzzy.

I also love this inking-with-fingertips method that I totally swiped from Doug Dabbs and Sean Murphy.

New business cards, kiddos!

2010-10-06T20:14:00.004-04:00

Just ordered them!! Should be coming in the mail soon!

Portraitdex Bandwagon

2010-10-06T10:17:00.003-04:00

Wanna know why I did this?

Go to Portraitdex!

Sleep is for Quitters

2010-10-04T02:42:00.001-04:00

I was just looking through some of my friends' blogs and I've officially decided to never sleep again. I'm just going to draw and draw and draw and never stop draw draw drawing.

supermegaawesomefoxyhot Generate!!

2010-10-03T22:00:00.010-04:00

Friday, October 1st:

9:15am: Doug Dabbs and I arrive at SCAD-Atlanta. I have a suitcase full of inking supplies, fruit, and snacks. We go up to the Sequential Art room on the 3rd floor.

10am: Cara McGee, Erin Gladstone, Julie Godwin and I set up workstations that will be our home for the next 24 hours. Why??

BECAUSE IT'S 24-HOUR COMICS DAY!!!!!!

Full of give-aways, door prizes (like a 1-terabyte external

hard drive), and juried prizes (some pretty freaking awesome ones, like CS5 a

nd a Wacom tablet), Generate is one of those events that I always make it to each year. They give us free food, we get a chance to hang out and socialize, and we are all working toward our individual goals (depending on which challenge we decide to take on).

I chose to do the 12-page sketchbook challenge. We had to pick a theme and create 12 finished, publishable pieces that followed that theme, as well as print up and assemble 12 copies before the deadline. I wanted to draw some mythological creatu

res, so I went with Sad Baby Monsters. I had a ton of fun researching and drawing all the cute babies, so I'm pretty sure there will be a Volume II.

Here are a few of the pieces that I did for Sad Baby Monsters:

A properly sad Chimera.

A thoroughly distraught Rancor.

And a woefully downtrodden Griffin.

Be sure to look for my sketchbooks, mini comics and more at future cons!

Some mythological creatures

2010-09-27T03:19:00.004-04:00

The cockatrice, hatched from the egg of a rooster that was sat upon by a toad. It's basically a rooster with a lizard/dragon tail that can kill you by looking into your eyes or breathing on you.

One of my favorites, the manticore. A lion's body with a human face and poison-barbed tail. So cuddly.

My favorite thing to draw are creatures; whether fantasy or cryptozoological. Awesome fun!

Marvel Cats

2010-09-21T13:00:00.007-04:00

I am absolutely loving Marvel Cats. I just yanked these from my sketchbook.
I love me a mopey Wolvie fat cat that meows like, "mer."
Chamber tabby!

And Penance, who is still one of my favorite characters to draw.

Let's go for a walk! I feel great!

2010-09-21T12:08:00.002-04:00

I've been watching My Neighbor Totoro for three days straight. Best three days of my life!

Fall 2010

2010-09-19T23:10:00.003-04:00

So very, very ready for cooler weather.

Fall semester at SCAD-Atlanta is kicking off nicely. I already have a ton of work to do, but it's all fun.

I went with Erin Gladstone, Cara McGee, and Falynn Koch to Japanfest at the Gwinett convention center this afternoon. We watched some guy put on a one man show, where he enthusiastically played all four roles (the princess, the villain, the hero Aishu Kamen, and False Aishu Kamen). He also did some juggling, tightrope walking, and quick changes in an onstage tent WITHOUT EVER CLOSING THE FLAP. It was the hardest I've laughed in a while, yo. Love! Justice!! Aishu Kamen!!! Had some delicious takoyaki and black milk bubble tea. I really really wanted some mochi and some onigiri what bad, but they were sold out. I wanted to buy everything!! So much cute Japanese stuff at the booths!!! Hello Kitties, Tare Pandas, other kitties, Totoros, Nintendo controller wallets, catbus hats, pencil cases, everyeveryeverything. I did end out getting a soot sprite and two books, but I could have spent a small fortune on all the stuff I wanted.

Today was also my first time to H-Mart. I feel like I can never shop at a regular grocery store again. I just want udon noodles, mochi, fresh squid and scallops, and onigiri for the rest of my life. And I want everything packed in a Hello Kitty bento box.

I will definitely have to go to Japan soon.

Heroes Con 2010

2010-06-13T22:33:00.002-04:00

Yeeeah, guys!

Sorry it's taking me so long to post about Heroes Con! I had an entire post typed out and then my computer froze up and I lost everything I had written. I decided to give myself a few days to properly forget what I wrote, so now I'm ready to type up an even better and more exciting report!

Friday was great; getting to the con, scoping out where everything was, and saying hi to friends I haven't seen in forever. I didn't go to any panels or anything, but I had a good time buying some books I knew I wanted and getting a few things signed. Julie Godwin brought Scott Adsit over to the table to meet us, and that was pretty damn exciting. I was also excited to see and talk to guys like Matt Kindt and Sean Murphy, who both have come to SCAD-Atlanta to do artist workshops for the Sequential Art students.

Do you guys understand how much Sean Murphy rules? Do you?? His arts make me want to be a better artist and experiment with my inks a lot more. I'm definitely going to be following Sean's work.

I finally got Super Spy by Matt Kindt (I was waiting to buy it directly from him so that he would stamp it with his little Super Spy stamp), and I started reading it this week. You should read this book. It is smart, subtle, and designed beautifully.

Dinner Friday night was pretty exhausting, and as soon as we (finally) sat down to eat a band started playing, so we couldn't hear each other. I'll be sure to try and plan something a little more low-key for Friday night next year.

Saturday was a long day of buying more stuff, starting in on my original art trading cards that I started selling, and watching Mark Brooks (sitting two tables down from us) work on a beautiful Black Cat painting for the auction that night. The auction itself was way more fun than I ever thought an auction could be. Mix alcohol, smoking jackets, and sexy Zatana chicks parading around original art pieces by excellent artists, and you'll have fun.

Sunday, I sold several trading cards and met and talked to some pretty nice comics enthusiasts. We also met people looking for Tim Sale's booth. It was a really good day that went by way too fast, but I was more than ready to go home that evening.

I'm really looking forward to Heroes Con 2011, gonna have more stuff to sell, including original art, prints, and Play Ball!!

HEY! Don't forget to pick up JAM! on the 23rd (that's just 10 days from now, folks!)!!!! I have a 3-pager in there, and there are a ton of other artists representing the noble sport of Roller Derby. It's gonna be pretty kickass.

2010-03-25T09:03:00.003-04:00

I'm just dropping in for a sec to show off a few sketches that I just sent to CB Cebulski at Marvel. I've been putting in most of my time with my Oni book, and little bit of time with Jam! (getting released by Oni in May), and I'm not sure how much I can really say about either of those two projects at this point, so here's some X-Men!

I'll probably upload some creature sketches soon, so keep checking back if you wanna be all up on the awesomes with me.

Post-Heroes Con

2009-06-30T01:49:00.004-04:00

I'm sure that we're all familiar with the best (and my personal favorite) comic con for artists, writers, and fans alike: Heroes Con in Charlotte, NC. Last summer was the first time that I attended this show, and it was a wonderful way for me to dip my toes into the world of comics from a creator's point of view. I got to feel out how I fit into the industry, and the direction that I needed to take my art and my ambition. I got to meet Bryan Lee O'Malley, Hope Larson, Chris Brunner, Robbi Rodriguez, and Nicholas Gurewitch, all of whom I am a huge fan (though I totally fan-spazzed all over O'Malley). I may not have done the best job of promoting myself that first year, but I think that I managed to do an even poorer job this year.

I almost didn't even make it to Heroes this year, due to a severe lack of funds and a lot of discouraging, complicated life stuff. However, good won out over evil and John and I landed at the Con on Saturday, just in time for Chris Schweizer's panel discussion with Roger Langridge, David Petersen, and (***super-gasp***) Jeff Smith. After that, I worked the SCAD booth from 2-4, spreading the love of learning about comics to the masses. I reached out with all my feminine charms and promoted the hells outta SCAD, its awesome students and its double-awesome professors. At 4:15, I went to check out the line for Jeff Smith's booth (he had a signing scheduled for 5, but I knew that I'd have to be there early to make sure that the line wasn't cut off before I slipped my way into it. Lucky thing I got there early, too, because I was only about eight people from the front of the line, and they cut it off only about eight people behind me in line.

Meeting Jeff Smith was the ultimate of awesome. I held it together, unlike last year when I met O'Malley (still kicking myself for blurting out "I'M A HUGE FAN!"--ugh). Jeff Smith is such a pleasant dude, and I was really delighted that he recognized me from the crowd (and by "from the crowd," I mean that I was sitting with my fellow SCADians in the front row as close to center as I could, because I didn't want to miss a word of the panel discussion). He signed my big One Volume Bone and my Rasl issues, as well as issue #4 that I bought from his booth. While I was in line, I kept eyeing the trade for Monster Society of Evil (I really want it and I really wanted to get Steve Hamaker to sign it, too), but my super-tight budget wouldn't allow for it. Golly, I also wanted Bone and Beyond so incredibly bad. And I want The Art of Bone. And Stupid Stupid Rat Tails and Rose. Gimme more BONE!!!

Well, meeting Jeff Smith was obviously the highlight of this con for me.

After that, the con was pretty much about to close, so I think that I stopped by the 12-gauge booth and said hey to some of my Gaijin buddies, then headed to dinner with John and my fellow hungry SCAD folks. That night highjinks ensued; I had a blast talking to everyone, hanging out with Brunner and Rodriguez again, chilling with John and Rachel and Doug Dabbs, and being slightly embarrassed when a certain chick made a certain comment that made it quite clear that her man was unavailable. Which was just kinda weird.

It was fun watching Brian Michael Bendis put up with the hordes of fans grouping up to take a picture with him in the lobby of the Westin. Bendis is someone that I suppose I'd like to meet, but I don't honestly have a clue what I'd say to him.

Sunday, me and the millions of SCAD girls that piled into our hotel room (Cara, Julie, Erin, Areta, Rachel, Irene, and...I think that was all....) got up relatively early to pack it up and check out of the hotel. We dragged ourselves to the Con, probably getting there about 11:30 or so, and I hung around with John buying a couple of discount trades, grabbing polaroid art from Brunner and Rico, and trying to get the rest of the books I had brought to the Con (most notably Tattoo; notable because it's like carrying around one of those cement blocks that you prop a car up on when you're ripping it off) signed and stuff. If you've ever wondered what Eric Powell looks like, he's basically Jonas but quieter. I still love Stuntkid's art, but was once again unable to buy a print from him. I hung around the Temple tables, trying not to cramp their style before wandering off again.

John and I left Heroes Con a little after 1pm so that he could make it back to Atlanta in time to celebrate Father's Day with his pops, so I hope that the rest of the Con went really well, and I hope that everyone had a swell time!!

In preparation for next year's Con, I've decided to save money each week that I will save in an "exclusively for HeroesCon" jar, so that I can just spend gobs and gobs of money to my little heart's content.

If you've read this whole thing, you either really love me or you really love comics. And I love you for that.

2009-03-08T19:27:00.000-04:00

I found the best website.

picturesofwalls.com

More Speed Sketches!

2009-03-03T19:51:00.004-05:00

A lazy Yoda
Nearly-complete Skydoll

and Usagi Yojimbo!!

Temple Submission from last week!

2009-03-03T19:49:00.001-05:00

Tank Girl is the queen of my McAwesome!

Speed Sketching Awesome

2009-02-20T13:17:00.004-05:00

These are some images from my speed sketching class. Basically, we are given a story or character and 90 minutes to complete a 9x12, finished (meaning inked) illustration. Not as easy as it sounds, believe me.

The above illustration is of the Thing from the Fantastic Four, and the next one is Katara from Avatar.
Calvin & Hobbes:
There will be more sketches to come, I promise.

Choose Your Own Adventure

2009-01-19T01:21:00.001-05:00

This is a poster that I did for my friend Geoff's Choose Your Own Adventure-based play. It was super funny (especially the Geoff parts).

blog design

2008-12-20T20:38:00.002-05:00

I almost forgot to mention: I'm in desperate need of knowledge on how to redesign my blog page. It's just so...well, you can see how bland it is. It wants to be personalized, dammit! Any (detailed--remember, I am a suck at computer stuffs) tips will be greatly appreciated, I assure you.

Loves!

Holiday-time

2008-12-20T19:57:00.002-05:00

In case you haven't heard, I'm moving. Again. We still have to finish emptying out the storage unit (which is FULL of Trek's stuff; mostly collectible toys and comics) and putting it all in the attic (attics creep the bejeez out of me) of the new house. I've been constructing furniture, making a floor in the attic, and preparing to paint several rooms in the new house. The babysitting jobs this time of year are much more numerous (due to all the Christmas parties), so I've been busy watching all the little children for the past few weeks as well.

Just like my fellow comic artist, Cara McGee, I was really looking forward to the winter break. I planned on improving my inks, finishing up a short story I started last semester, and working on WM. I haven't been able to do much of this, except for a few character studies and solidifying the scene breakdown for WM. There are several other projects that I want to work on, and some that I just won't let go (yes, Jonas, I still have The Inspired on my mind).

Also:

I've lately been very inspired, if not intimidated, by the skills of a fellow SCAD-Atlanta student. I'm trying to channel this into working harder on my art and developing my particular style. I grew up in the age of the great Jim Lee, so I always strived to replicate his way of drawing people. I find much more compelling, however, the way that Chris Schweizer designs characters or the way that Shawn Crystal works his inks. I have to find the style that speaks most to my sensibilities and way of seeing the world, and how to inject that into my comics!

I've obviously been thinking a lot lately. But I have to DO it!

The last time that James Lucas Jones visited SCAD-Atlanta, he said that my ink lines look reluctant, so the firsty first thing that I'm going to hardcore work on will be my inks. I want to make my art as awesome as possible!!

Also wik:

I haven't posted any images in a while. This is mostly due to the fact that, since getting my iMac (it's the sexist machine ever!), my scanner seems to connect to my computer only about 30% of the time, which is just weird. I bet that there's some totally hot computer dork who'll come over to my house and work out what the hecks is wrong.

Which reminds me: In my new house, I'll have an actual studio. This means that I'll have a room (totally separate from the room that keeps my bed and all my clothes) dedicated to my computer, my art, and my video games. There'll be a futon and an attached bathroom, so you're totally welcome to sleep over.

Et, viola.

2008-12-17T12:38:00.001-05:00

texturestexturesdetailstextures

I need to movemovemove.

2008-10-13T11:07:00.002-04:00

Epic Blogger Fail

2008-09-28T00:57:00.002-04:00

I tried uploading some files, but blogger experienced some sort of error.

Try to eat your pears within one week of purchase.

2008-08-15T19:01:00.003-04:00

Hey, guys. I'm throwing up a band poster that I did for my friends' best fake band ever, Bullet-Bill Time. They rank in the top 100 online Rockband bands, so I'm pretty proud of them.

Summer classes

2008-07-15T19:18:00.002-04:00

I'm heavily immersed in summer classes, my internship at Gaijin, and trying to see my friends on a regular basis.

In my Writing for Sequential Art class, we're building characters and stories that will (hopefully) grow into full-fledged and fully fleshed-out story ideas. I finally have a structured way to get these characters out of my head and onto paper where they belong. Needless to say, this class has been awesome. My undergraduate education focused on breaking down stories (in the form of plays) and analyzing them. This is the first class in which I get to study storytelling from conception to realization.

Gaijin is super awesome. I get to hang out with and learn from some of the coolest people on earth. Brian Stelfreeze, Doug Wagner, Cully Hamner, Laura Martin, Karl Story and Tony Shasteen are all amazingly talented and inspire me to work harder and improve my skills. I've already learned so much from Brian, it almost makes my head explode. The Gaijiners are super funny, super laid back, and super patient. They're willing to share all their knowledge and skills with us, and I'm incredibly grateful for all that I've learned so far.

Courtney and I actually got to hang out this past Friday. We grabbed dinner and then went out to see Hellboy II (super cheesy, but still bearable fun...I think). As always, Court and I had a blast, we got a chance to catch up with each other, and she told me the awesome news: she and Darold are getting married!!! I'm so happy for them!! They're a great couple and they're gonna be so good together.

I also got a chance to hang out with Takkun, Danielle, and Corky on Saturday. Dan made a cameo early in the evening, which was super unexpected and a great breath of fresh Dan. After dinner, we went to see Iceberg Slim at the Beep Beep Gallery in Midtown. Getting to see John and Tom again after HeroesCon was great, and I hope that I'll get a chance to see them more often now that I quit my job.

I plan on seeing Geoff's Murder Mystery show on Friday, so maybe I'll see you there!!

Here at HeroesCon!!

2008-06-21T20:46:00.002-04:00

Hey, everybody!! I'm back from LA (actually, I got back into Atlanta this past Thursday, but I've been so busy running around and such that I haven't had a chance to post)!!!! Actually, I've been here at HeroesCon in Charlotte since Friday (I haven't stopped driving for two weeks). I'm having the best time meeting people and hanging out with my fellow SCADians. I finally got to meet Chris Brunner and Hope Larson and Bryan Lee O'Malley (eep!), among others, and they're all so nice and cool and stuff.
I'm working on some pages for my Gaijin Studios intern assignment, and I'll be sure to post more images once I get back to Atlanta (again) and scan some arty art.

Love to all!
Jackie

The next two weeks

2008-06-06T17:04:00.002-04:00

I know that I haven't posted in a super long time, dear reader, but you will have to wait still longer for a proper entry. I'm driving from Atlanta to LA and back again over the next two weeks. I'm going out there to see my brother, and my mother and I are going to see the country as we go. I am completely and utterly excited about the whole thing, and I know that I'm going to have a good time.

Wish me luck and fun!

I swear that I'll post more...but it may all be classwork...

2008-04-12T23:35:00.005-04:00

Hey, look out for monter fish! You never know when they might try to eat you (shown actual size)!

So, I'm stomping on through Contemporary Art and Materials and Techniques of Sequential. I'm lovelovelove-ing it all. I would stay in school forever if it was free. I've decided to go with Roy Lichtenstein for my research paper, but I haven't decided on a good enough thesis that will keep me talking for 12+ pages. We're working on different techniques of rendering comic panels in M&T, and with each technique we produce one panel that is part of a cumulative 8-part storyline. I'll wait until I'm completely finished, and then I'll shove all of them into one post. However, just to stave your hunger for stuff, here's a brush-technique exercise that's due this wednesday:

I know you're asking yourself, "Who is that guy?" Well, it's Tarzan, silly! We also did an excercise with the pigment pens using a film noir-style still of Robert Mitchum and one using nibs of Veronica Lake. It's very cool (to me, at least) to take this info and apply it to my particular style.

I had an interview for an intern position at Gaijin studios on Friday! I got to meet Cully Hamner, which was super exciting! The guys were so nice; it would be so cool to be able to work with them and get some real hands-on experience seeing what they do.

I almost forgot! Geoff's movie premiere, Loaded Guns the Movie,was awesome fun last Friday. I laughed harder than I have laughed in a long time, and I was more grossed out than I have been since Narissa and I had gross-out wars. I just have to have my own copy of the dvd. It's so Upright Citizens brigade-meets-Kids in the Hall, and it stars my friends. How much better can it get? Here's how much better:

Is it wierd that I'm posting a picture of just me? I swear that I was there with a bunch of other people (you can see the Hen on the right there), but we didn't get any photos together. Geoff took this one, bc he's a photo ninja.

I make this face all the time, by the way.

School has forced me to put a big fat pause on writing my first graphic novel, but that's alright. I'll get back on that real soon.

I made ramen today.

Completely random (but delicious!)

2008-03-26T21:43:00.006-04:00

Thought that I'd throw up a couple of things.

Here's a triptych that I did for my Methods class in the fall:

And here's Lord Voldemort, graciously representing my first stab at watercolors outside of Hung's class:

Abe fights a basilisk

2008-03-08T02:34:00.002-05:00

Yet another submission from the Temple's weekly sketch challenge!

Dusty Star images

2008-02-22T00:16:00.005-05:00

Dusty Star sketch challenge for the Temple this past week:

I took the simple line drawing, Then I just dropped some color on it:

I obviously still need some digital design/coloring classes.
Also, I realize that I left the star off of her shirt, but it would have been placed so close to the edge of the large star, that I feel like it might have looked strange. So, I left it off.

I always look back at whatever I've done and I keep thinking of how to improve. There's always room for improvement, you just have to give each project all you've got!

A few of my favorite things:
High collars
Goggles
Gas Masks
Big, chunky gloves

As evidenced by this cute little ballpoint sketch that I did when I got home tonight.

Thinking about posting...

2008-02-18T22:11:00.004-05:00

A quick graphite sketch of the main character from one of the graphic novels that I'm working on:

I love drawing different types of characters. Paper and pencil are so maleable. You can make them do whatever you want! Simply by changing the angle of a line, you can affect direction, mass, motion, anything! I still have problems with foreshortening, etc, but I love to think about how art gives you complete freedom!

Am I rambling? Perhaps.

Here's an old old self-portait from when I had long hair. But I still like it:

Happy late V-Day

2008-02-15T01:30:00.005-05:00

I know that it's perhaps a bit late to wish the world a happy Valentine's Day (well, unless you're on the west coast, so maybe my brother will get to read this in time), but I've just been too busy for love! *sigh*

Anyway! Here's my submission to the Temple this week:

I can't wait to find out what the challenge is gonna be for next week! I really like these mini-assignments each week because, even though they're not for a grade and I'm not getting paid (if I was, I'd spend much more time on them, obviously) , they help me branch out of the subject matter that I'm used to tackling. They also kinda force me to learn about another little bit of pop culture that I don't know much about. I always knew that Iron-Man was a drunkety drunk and a bit of a womanizing jerk (info that I pretty much derived from Jonas talking about him), but this challenge inspired me to go to the Marvel website and actually read up on Iron-Man's history.

So, I'll....go back to...um.

I think I'll go to sleep now.

Just an update

2008-02-09T23:13:00.000-05:00

I just got home from work after a day of running around like crazy nuts. I'm about to start working on some Life Drawing homework, then I'll either get to work on my Iron Man submission for the templeofcartoonmojo.blogspot.com, or I'll try to refine specifics in the opening scene of my book.

Just thought I'd throw something at you guys thatI did a few years ago:

I did this for a very good friend of mine who is a huge Hellboy fan. I think that it was a birthday present, if I'm not mistaken. I had to borrow it back so that I could scan it...I should probably give it back.

Temple submission this week

2008-02-07T02:27:00.000-05:00

I just finished up my Blade Runner sketch challenge submission for the Temple of Cartoon Mojo. Believe it or not, I had never seen the film, but I am incredibly happy that this assignment has more or less forced me to see it. I love it when "research" consists of seeing an awesome flick.

The Kickoff

2008-02-02T12:06:00.000-05:00

Hello! I'm Jackie, and I'm starting this blog so that I may better chronicle my rise into the wide, wondrous world of sequential art. Keep checking back, and I'll keep on blogging.