Posts Tagged ‘comic’

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Eben 07′s For the Love of Russia In Print

by JayZuck on June 22nd, 2009
Posted In: Blog

Eben 07 with Mountain Troll and Babe Hostage

As you might remember, I was a guest artist participating in the declassification of Operation: For the Love of Russia over at Eben07.com.  Let me refresh the memory of the uninitiated:Troll and Babe Hostage

And the corresponding finished pages:

Well, it is my privileged to announce the publication of the 52 page trade paper back of the complete secret agent comedy, Operation: For Love of Russia.  D. Bethel and Eben have created a fantastic book of which it was an honor to be a part.

If you are anything like me, you go to the comic book store once a week to browse the new releases and pick up a couple of choice books.  This week as you consider your comic book purchases please consider picking up your very own copy of Operation: For Love of Russia for the incredibly reasonable price of $10.

So whether you want to see yours truly, Jay Zuck, in print or you’re a comic book fan looking for a great read, consider supporting good art, good writing and this great finished product.

Buy it Now

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The Making of an Eben 07 Comic Part 4 of 4

by JayZuck on March 20th, 2009
Posted In: Sketches
The Making of an Eben 07 Comic Part 4 of 4

This is it, the Grand Finale, part 4 of 4.  I hope the comic was just as fun to follow as it was for me to create.  So far, if you have been visiting my site, you’ve already seen Prt1, Prt2, and Prt3 of The Making of an Eben 07 Comic.  So you already know how all this works.  Since I already had the character conceptualized, all I had to worry about was the page layout, at least to begin with.  Of course, as always I start off with my thumbnail sketches.

After making all four pages, I definitely had a system.  With my road map layed out ahead of me, I was ready to enlarge my thumbnail.  The little things that antagonized me in earlier iterations like to what degree I needed to enlarge my thumbnails by, I had down to the exact percent.  It was a great feeling to have so many process details figured out.  By in large, the guessing games were over.

I could hardly remember the arduous days of working on page 1 when I knew only vaguely what I needed to do to craft a full fledged comic.  By page 4, I felt I had it down to a science even though I have no doubt D. Bethel (The regular illustrator of Eben 07) could still give me a tip or two.

On the page above, I had no rough draft.  I tried to develop it as far as I could while still a thumbnail and for this reason I felt perfectly comfortable proceeding directly to the final draft.

The most difficult panel to render was the shot where the Mountain Troll’s head splits violently in two.  Being the sick and twisted individual I am, it was an image from the script that I was really looking forward to doing.  Still, there was some uncertainty in the execution.  I concluded in the end that I would just refer back to my thumbnail and stick as closely as possible to it while only adding more nuanced detail.

The bloody end of the Mountain Troll was the second to last image I drew.  The very last image I drew was Eben posing with the girl hanging off his leg.  I have to admit I was a little intimidated by this concluding pose.  This was going to be the last picture within the dream state and the stakes were high.  I wanted to go out with a bang and I knew a lot was riding on the panel to satisfy the viewer and frankly myself.

I took my time with the panel, almost too much.  Truth be told, I just stared at it a lot plotting my next move with incredible deliberation, but in the end I was pleased with the results.

When I peeled myself from the page in fear of overdoing it, which happens to me from time to time, I scanned the page in and decided it would be appropriate for the sake of transitional impact to color the last panel since O’ Seven was finally waking up.

I studied some of D.Bethel’s work and tried to stay true to his style of coloring.  There was certainly room enough to leave my own thumbprint.  It was a refreshing exercise in contrast to all the pencil work I had been doing lately.

I really appreciated the level of freedom both Eben and D. Bethel gave me while working with their character  (Note the herasay of showing Eben’s pupils).  Now, I absolutely insist that you journey on to Eben07.com to witness my concluding guest comic.  Give them boys over there much love.  They write and illustrate a kick ass webcomic that it was a pleasure to be apart of.

The Complete 4 Part Eben 07 Dream Sequence Illustrated by Jay Zuck:

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The Making of an Eben 07 Comic Part 3 of 4

by JayZuck on March 18th, 2009
Posted In: Sketches
The Making of an Eben 07 Comic Part 3 of 4

Eben 07 is a great character and I can say without hesitation he was an honor and a pleasure to draw, but more than anything else I was very excited about drawing the menacing Mountain Troll which I teased you all with a while back as I was promoting my guest declassification for the Intelligence Cleaner Agency.

I liked my original impression of the Mountain Troll a lot, but I felt that he had to be made to look a little meaner if I was to do him justice.  I went through numerous iterations thereafter as I tried to figure out this all important villain.

Let me tell you that the declassification of mythological figures is no easy task.

Once I had the character design behind me, I started in on my thumbnail sketches which so often serve as my tried and true guide.  I often explain to people that they may look like squiggles to you, but they are a detailed road map to me.

From my initial loose thumbnail, I made a few refinements which yielded something of sufficient quality I felt I could blow up and start getting down to work.  A rough draft of the page followed:

The final pencil sketch of the page is above, but I urge you onward to the final completed comic at Eben07.com.

Finally, don’t forget to tune in next time boys and girls for the exciting conclusion on Thursday.  Will Eben get the girl?  What does fate have in store for the evil Mountain Troll?  Of course, my final making of sketches shall follow.

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The Making of an Eben 07 Comic Part 2 of 4

by JayZuck on March 13th, 2009
Posted In: Sketches
The Making of an Eben 07 Comic Part 2 of 4

This is a continuation of my making of series as a guest illustrator for Eben 07.  You can see the completed page at Eben07.com.

After the cracking of his reality, Eben 07 has found himself whisked away to a cold and mountainous destination.  He looks surprising grizzled and ripped like a cross between a Mongol and a Viking.  His clean shaven look from the prior page has given way to this bearded warrior.

He is in search of a cry for help not knowing what lies ahead.  All the while, he is being warned by signs of doom as he continues into the heart of the snowy mountain cave.

For those of you who have not read the previous post, I was recruited by the Intelligence Cleaner Agency (ICA) for my talents in remote viewing into the dream state of secret operatives.  Having previously zeroed in on Eben 07′s state of mind, images continued to stream in.

My first impression was the sensation of cold as I could feel Eben’s exposure to the elements.  I found myself so sympathetically frigid I had to have my brother drive me to the neighborhood Starbucks for a little warming up.  However, the new found warmth of my cup of coffee quickly gave way to dread as I could sense the peril of a dark presence hovering over Eben 07.  It was a hint of things to come.

Initially, the information coming to me was rather vague.  As I started to perceive more and more of Eben’s dream state, I began to witness more concrete imagery.

These impressions were flowing over me like a mist.  My trance produced the above 2” X 3” thumbnail sketch which I hurriedly took to Kinko’s to blow up by the precise factor of 378% so that I could commence rendering the final image.

I had to finish with all due haste while I was still connected to 07′s psyche.  There was no time for a rough draft.  Old images were receding fast and just as quickly I was bombarded by new surprising ones.  I knew Eben was headed into dangerous territory.

O’ Seven’s mind was racing and I had to keep up.  I rushed with my freshly xeroxed copy in hand to set up a workspace with 10 sharpened pencils, comic book paper, and a light box.  The rest is chronicled above and at Eben07.com.

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The Making of an Eben 07 Comic Part 1 of 4

by JayZuck on March 12th, 2009
Posted In: Sketches
The Making of an Eben 07 Comic Part 1 of 4

This is the pencil drawing for my first comic presented for public consumption.  It is a dream sequence for Agent Eben 07 who has been sleeping ever since an unfortunate encounter with Russian literature.  Ninja Dan has dragged Eben through a Gypsy camp, up a mountain, and into a castle, but despite a yeoman’s effort he remains mysteriously asleep.

The Intelligence Cleaner Agency asked me to assist D. Bethel in the declassification of the “For the Love of Russia” file.   My recruitment was predicated on my unique ability to peer into the dream state of secret operatives.  My techniques for remote viewing remain highly classified, but I will give you the following glimpses into my process.

I first began by zeroing in on Eben 07 through a series of sketches.

I really wanted to see how far I could push the character to make it my own and have it still be recognized as 07.   I have found it essential to the remote viewing process to visualize the subject as one’s own mind’s eye visualizes.

As the character of Eben 07 began to emerge clearly in my mind’s eye,  I started working on my concept sketches to detail the images I was receiving remotely.

My initial sketches were very rough, but a coherent image of Eben 07′s dream was beginning to emerge.  I refined my concept sketches into a thumbnail sketch that I felt adequately represented Eben 07′s precise state of mind.

Once the thumbnail was complete, my remote viewing session ended and the artist in me took over to develop the following rough:

Eventually, after some additional effort, I completed the final pencil sketch above.  I then took the project into the computer where I cleaned it up, darkened the lines in Photoshop, and added the word bubbles, dialog and sound effects.  Originally, I was planning on digitally coloring the dream sequence, but I realized through much scrutiny in my remote viewing that Eben 07 was dreaming in black and white.  I felt obligated to stay true to 07′s state of mind.  You can see the completed version at Eben07.com.

For those of you who have made it all the way down this post, I provide for your reference and mine, some photographic evidence of my brother and I being possessed by the spirit of Eben 07 during my remote viewing experience.

First my bro Adam (aka madhollywood):

And finally yours truly:

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Recent Indications Comics are Taking over the World

by JayZuck on March 9th, 2009
Posted In: Blog

1. The New York Times is introducing a graphic book bestseller list. There will even be separate categories for hardcover,  softcover, and manga.

I don’t think I will give up my Wizard magazine just yet and what’s the deal with calling my graphic novel which itself is just a collection of comic books a chimerical graphic book.  Baby steps…

2. The Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian has opened an exhibit entitled “Comic Art Indigene.” That’s right comics are indigenous baby!

The origin of sequential art is depicted with rock art, ledger art and ceramics as its evolution toward the modern comic is revealed.

You see comics aren’t just taking over the world in their primal way they have always exerted more influence than they are given credit.

3. With a comic book fan in the White House, the geek-in-chief and hero of hope President Barack Obama helped Spidey release the best selling comic in over a decade.

4. Drawing from another New York Times headline, the financial crisis has a solution rooted in comic superheroes.  Rob Cox and Antony Currie declare,  “Citigroup, Turn on Your Bat-Signal.”

Here comes the Justice League to spare us a continued financial meltdown by being recruited as the first ever superhero board of directors.

5. The Watchmen

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Eben 07 Declassification Continues

by JayZuck on March 2nd, 2009
Posted In: Sketches
Eben 07 Declassification Continues

“Hibernation is a covert preparation for a more overt action.” ~ Ralph Ellison

My declassification work for the Intelligence Cleaner Agency continues.  I reiterate that I can still neither confirm nor deny the existence of Mountain Trolls. Sadly, much of my work remains classified  for now and you as my readers are on a need to know basis.

In an effort towards transparency, I can only offer the above sketch at the moment.  For more clues as to what in the world is going on, visit Eben 07 and read the “For Love of Russia” Operation.   It is your mission should you choose to accept.

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Kindling a Comic Apocalypse

by JayZuck on March 1st, 2009
Posted In: Blog

I only put such an absurd headline to paper to highlight by ridiculous overstatement the sheer madness of viewing a Kindle 2.0, 3.0, or a future Apple e-reader as a potential killer of the print comic as suggested in the article by the equally absurd headline “Could Kindle Kill Comics?” which was recently featured on Yahoo News.

The principle argument suggesting a print comic apocalypse surrounded a quote by a DC comics executive who declared at New York Comic Con that, “[Comic books are] a business that is very low margin and very low print run, so if 10 percent of the readers migrate to an e-device, that is going to throw off the economics for 60 percent of the books that are published in this country.”

First off, color e-ink is not right around the corner and is still somewhat in its infancy.  Given that the low power e-ink is a principle selling point for the Kindle, the notion of offering color comics in the near term is just not on the table at least yet.  Four shades of grey are just not going to cut it.

At the same time, the Kindle might offer an interesting outlet for existing Indie Comics and webcomics which happen to publish in black and white.  Zero printing costs and a means of distribution sounds like an awfully sexy niche even while it won’t turn the comic world on its head.

It is equally ironic that the likes of DC and Marvel are suggesting that future e-readers would distinctly effect the economics of low margin smaller run print comics. It could just as easily be argued that a true color e-reader would offer a more economically sound means of distribution with lower costs for these marginally profitable books. There is nothing to fear inherently from changing economics if you are willing to adapt. Learn from the stupidity of the music industry will you?

Big time comic books have increasingly become about creating a base of support for a blockbuster picture that later grosses hundreds of millions.  Marvel and DC are exploring new avenues in webcomics, motion comics, and subscription models any of which may forever change the economic landscape for print comics. I actually view it as a very positive sign that they are doing so.

However, in the end nothing will replace my print comic: its feel, the reading experience it provides, or its collectibility.  It is a false choice to present this kind of either or scenario. I enjoy the prospect having my comic experience enriched and supplemented by motion comics, films, eBooks, or whatever the latest and greatest that comes along.  I may keep a wary eye on the future of comics lest my weekly pilgrimage to the comic book store be rendered a quaint tradition of a bygone era, but us comic fans are early adopters after all and on the balance I choose to embrace the future rather than be threatened by it.

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The Raftman’s Razor

by JayZuck on January 30th, 2009
Posted In: Blog

I spent so many of my adolescent years reading and admiring comic books.   I delighted in my weekly trips to the comic book store and  I devoured the latest books with an unrivaled enthusiasm.  I often wondered if anyone else cared about the art, the characters and the stories like I did.  In fact, a well-drawn tale would sometimes take on such personal significance I could hardly believe that anyone could care as much as I did.

Maybe it was because I was a visual person and never much of a reader, or maybe it was because like most adolescents I was in search of meaning in a world that all too often felt like it had little, but I genuinely felt that I had uncovered something profound in these comic books and graphic novels which others dismissed.

It was interesting to revisit this part of my adolescence in the existentialist short The Raftman’s Razor (2005) created by Keith Bearden and Joel Haskard with illustration by Tim Lane.  Somehow a very confusing part of my life was made a bit clearer.

Adrift in the sea of adolescence in search of meaning, it is often all too easy to project significance, meaning, and purpose on to anything:  even to find meaning in meaninglessness.  Some might argue that this is a fruitless exercise, but nothing could be further from the truth.

Is life a series of meaningless poses?  Will I ever know anything?  Every thinking person must resolve an existential crisis of sorts at some point in their lives and the truth is that nothing and nobody matters as much as we think it does.  As the great existential thinker Kierkegaard once said, “the thing is to find a truth which is true for me, to find the idea for which I can live and die.”

I still read comic books.  I still find meaning in them and the point really is that I have used them as a tool to find meaning for myself both in my art and in my life.

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5th Dimension Remedy

by JayZuck on November 6th, 2008
Posted In: Blog

Fifth Dimension Remedy is a short comic by Tatsuyuki Tanaka who was my inspiration for a previous sketch of the day.

This comic got me realize that sometimes a tooth ache is more than just tooth ache.  Get ready for a reality bending comic.

I would say more, but I don’t want to ruin it for you.  Just trust me, if you are anything like me, you will enjoy this.

Let me know what you think.

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