Old Tainted Pages

Okay, so lets take a moment to look back. These were my first four original pages for Tainted Book One. My art style was different back then and I had a different coloring style. I think. M'not sure. At any rate, I started these back in 2007, but because of changing circumstances I had to put the project on the back burner, and then I kinda lost interest.

I got nudged into looking at them again by my friend Star. So I pulled out my notes and spent an entire night reading over all the material I'd scribbled around various sketch books and note pads. I decided half of it was crap and threw it all out and started from the beginning.

I have already finished the first page. (Except lettering, I'll do that once I get the art done.) The layouts for the comic will be staying the same for these first four pages, but I made a decision to keep the panel count down because I am working on an 8.5x11 page. I don't have a large enough scanner for anything bigger, and I am pretty bad at piecing things together in photoshop. Even with a Cintiq, I still cannot seem to do it right. I am just lame.

I have glanced around at comic hosting, since I have decided that I'll make it a web comic. Comic Genesis looks the most promising since their only stipulation is no spite comics and their rating system goes up to NC-17. I have been going back and forth with uploading to dA. It would be great for exposure, but I'd have to completely cover it in copyright stuff. Meh, I suppose it wouldn't matter so much.

So, I think it'll be updated once a week. I am going to get 25 pages (at least) ahead before I start uploading, just so I can go ahead and take a week per page so it won't interfere with work.

First thing is first, get these pages re-done and whatnot. I have up to page 12 sketched, and I have been able to get several done over the last few days. The longest part will be coloring. My pencils are sloppy, but I can afford them to be since the Cintiq allows for inking to be a million times easier.

Alright, gotta get back to work. Moo/

Colored work?

I am a dirty liar.

Oh well! Updates.

Ahahaha...

Yes, yes yes, I know.

I have been drawing, I really have. Actually, I should check and see if I have a few things to upload here first.

I was hammered with work, then went a week waiting for files and whatnot, and am once again being hammered. Which is fine, I'd rather be getting hammered than not getting anything at all. I am also looking for a part time job because (as most people in the industry know) February to June is a pretty dead season for freelancers. All the companies are waiting for SDCC where they release all their new titles and whatnot.

Here is to hoping I might get some work around that time. Part-time jobs in this area more or less mean retail, and when it comes to retail... *sigh* Lets just say Flint isn't the kindest to their retail workers.

I actually planned on doing a comic about that, just a weekly short comic. I still do, I have a long list of experiences that I can write about. My only fear is that a lot of it (When I was working in a worse part of town) has to do with racism (reverse racism actually) and I don't want to be viewed like I am causing a rift. Really though, that was one of the huge hitches when I worked at Big Lots. It is hilarious now, but at the time it was actually a very hurtful and frustrating experience. (Lets make it clear that it WAS NOT the WORKERS causing the problems, but the CUSTOMERS.)

So... is it worth it? Should I ignore the racist experiences? Would that cause too much of a problem you think? I know some people have built up their comic-ing reputations on racist stereotypes, but is that still acceptable now-a-days?

Because I have been blocked with my Darkness Binding idea, I trashed it and combined it with Tainted. Star actually pushed me to pull out my notes and art. After a few sketches (and I noticed a huge improvement in my art from back then) I decided that maybe I needed to revisit the concept. I had a couple pages done, colored and submitted to dA. They got... decent reception, I am sure if I had done more it would have caught on. Unfortunately I get swamped with work, so I would need to be a chapter ahead in order to keep with a weekly update. (1 Chapter= 24 pages and 1 splash art page.)

I had to keep rules. Nothing more than 5 panels per page, no breaking the panels either. I may break that second rule at some point, but I noticed that a lot of colored comics, when you break the panels, you get a bit of a messier transition. At least, its messy when I do it. Maybe I am just doing it wrong.

At any rate, it is officially half off chocolate day. So after a trip to the bank (got paid! YAY! Most of it goes to taxes, buuuuut at least I got paid, YAY!) I will have to hit up Wallie World or Rite aid to cash in on some of those heart shape boxes filled with deliciousness.

Scans and updates later tonight. Promise.