Summit City Ink Sketch Challenge

This week's sketch challenge is the Elephantmen!

Monday, October 25, 2010

BLACK ROSE Comics/Prints available NOW.



Hey All,
Aaron here. Just wanted to share the first two covers of the creator-owned "Fantasy-Steampunk" comic book series I’m working on. The first two issues along with cover prints are available for purchase online at the official website, BLACKROSECOMIC.COM
Check it out!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Another 24 Hours


A few weeks ago, I wrote about my experience with 24 Hour Comics Day back in 2006. And on October 2, 2010, I gave it another shot.

This time around, I created my book at Discount Comic Book service in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I was able to work alongside fellow Summit City Ink members, Zack Kruse and Ben Tiede, along with a handful of other talented individuals.

So how did it go? It went well. It went well indeed.

For starters, I ended up much happier with the final product this time around. I decided to do a comic based on my two cats, much like the ones posted on this blog. It's basically a superhero action romp, following Olive and Hazel as they fight off an invasion of dog-martians. My goal was to create a funny comic that people of all ages could enjoy, and I think for the most part, it works.

There were a lot of funny things that happened that day too. In the first hour, we had a small child come in to work on a book. He couldn't have been older than four or five and was brought in by his Dad. He kept a steady supply of funny lines coming like, "Dad, why do you make me draw all the time?" and "the boy's cat died ... the boy was sad." Needless to say, a child that young wasn't about to draw for twenty-four straight hours, and at roughly the one hour mark, he seemed to have gotten more than his fill and departed. I still applaud him for his effort.

The hours continued to pass as we pressed on. We seemed to keep each other entertained with a steady supply of impressions, which was great. Zack does a dead-on Stan Lee who's alway taking credit for big ideas while Ben does a really good Harvey Pekar who doesn't seem too thrilled with anyone's ideas. I pride myself on being able to imitate Christian Bale freaking out at the Director of Photography on the set of Terminator Salvation.

We also owe some credit to Stan Bush, whose music kept us going in those last few painful hours. If you're never heard of Stan Bush, just know that every song he's every written is about fighting, winning and rising to the top. If Chuck Norris had a theme song, Stan would be the man to write it.

Eventually, twenty-four hours drew to a close, and we now have a handful of books to share with everyone. The goal is to put them together in an anthology which will be available to purchase. I was able to catch glimpses of the other books as we worked, and what I saw looked great. I was even able to read all of Zack's book about Johnny Appleseed, and I have to say that it's one of the funniest things I've read in a long, long time.

I've also included a few of my favorite pages from my cat comic. I will have copies available at the Mid-Ohio Con in just a couple of weeks.







Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Artlink's Toy and Book Illustration Show



Going to be a fine show of art over at Artlink in Fort Wayne coming up.  They are sporting a Toy And Book Illustration Show.  Work featured in books and with books and toys as the theme.  I have some work from my RocketBoy book in the show as well as local illustrators and artists.  I'll be selling copies of the book at the show, too.


Also, check out the the installation show that will be there, too!

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

24 Hour Comics Day

I’ve never really been one to pull “all-nighters.” I would always hear guys talk about it in college and just assumed that they were spending too much time hittin’ the sauce and chasin’ the ladies, which then put them in an impossible time crunch. I tended to pride myself on good time-management, and while there were many late nights, there were never any all-nighters. Yeah, I know, I’m boring.


Then, a few years ago, I heard about 24 Hour Comics Day. The event in which you have 24 hours to create an entire comic. Holy crap. You stay up all night drawing comics? Sounds awesome on one hand, but kind of like a nightmare on the other. I decided to give it a try.


First of all, the event isn’t any easier than it sounds. I remember lots of guys showing up, getting burned out after several hours, and heading home with a partially completed book. But for those of us who stayed, it was awesome.


I was lucky in the fact that the store that hosted the event had a big-screen TV and a healthy pile of DVD’s to serve as background noise. Do you know how many DVD’s you can burn through in 24 hours? I lost count, but I can remember Serenity, the Back to the Future Trilogy, several Justice League episodes, some old Wonder Woman episodes and ALL FOUR of the old Superman movies. Ever watch Superman III at 4 a.m. while sleep deprived? It makes for one of the crown jewels of cinematic comedy.


So the hours passed, and we worked … and worked … and worked. Gallons of coffee were consumed, and hands became cramped. But the next day eventually came, and we were all alive. And we all had a book that we were really, really proud of.


My book was about dinosaurs. I’ll always remember my wife, Meghan (actually girlfriend at the time) coming to pick me up at the store. I flopped into her car like a pile of cooked linguine and closed my eyes. All I could see for the entire drive to my house was the dinosaurs I’d been drawing for 24 hours.


But I still have that dinosaur book. And I still think of that viewing of Superman III and how hysterically funny it was.


I guess what I’m saying is that if you’re thinking of giving 24 Hour Comics Day a shot this Saturday, I really think you should. It won’t be easy, but it’s not an experience you’re going to forget any time soon. And if you can pull through to the end, you’ll have an entire comic book with your friggin' name on it! That's AT LEAST as cool as all the Superman movies put together.



Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Seven years of Webcomic-ing





Today marks the seventh year online for "Bridgette's Belly" For those who might be new to me and and my take on comics, my name is Andrew Fraser. I do a webcomic called Bridgette's Belly. "A Rubenesque comedy about a romantic girl." Bridgette Ouvry struggles with every day life, friends, lovers, motherhood, her waist line, and having her parents arrested on national TV by federal agents and US troops raiding a cave in Afghanistan. Another detail worth mentioning is, Bridgette is a mouse. The house maid that cares for her is Bea, a giraffe, Bea's fiancee is Doug, a cat, Silvia (Bridgette's best freind) is a rabbit, Silvia's Autistic twin brother Georgie is also a rabbit, Cleo is a squirrel, Becca is a platypuss, and I have absolutly NO idea what kind of animal Jessi is (Cat-guinea pig-tiger-girl your guess is as good as mine). As you might have noticed, Yes. I do furry. Why? Ask Chuck Jones who said it's easier to humanize an animal than to humanize a human. So to sum up, Seven years, four kids (three fictional, one real), five books, two convention apperences, 400ish fans, and an animated short film in the works.

Find out why people say: "It's better than it sounds. No, really it is."


Friday, August 20, 2010

TALES FROM THE FRINGE #3: OUT AUG. 25TH


Just wanted to give you all a heads up that I have a new book coming out next Wednesday, August 25th, 2010. If you are fan of the television show FRINGE, you should totally check it out! I did some pencils and inks on this one.

Info:

Written by DANIELLE DISPALTRO and KRISTIN CANTRELL and JUSTIN DOBLE • Art by AARON MINIER • Cover by DIEGO LATORRE • 1:10 Photo variant cover

Based on the hit TV show! In the lead story, learn how Astrid Farnsworth solved her first murder and came to the attention of the FBI. In the backup, discover the lengths to which people will go to acquire the world's deadliest weapon.
  • Wildstorm
  • 32pg.
  • Color
  • $3.99 US

Order Online!

I'll try and send out an update with artwork next week if anything art-related gets released.

Thanks so much,

Aaron

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Draw, draw, draw!

I've been drawing a lot lately. A LOT!

Between my job, my cat comic and Mystery Solved!, things have been pretty busy, but I couldn't be more excited about the work that's coming together.

The script that Zack sent me for Mystery Solved! is awesome and exciting and I think the artwork is really coming together nicely. I might go so far as to say it's some of my favorite work that I've put out and I can't wait for everyone to see the comic we're creating for you.

In addition to that, I've found some time to devote to CAAATS! I was tossing around ideas for covers and came up with three that I liked. Most likely, I will end up using all three, letting the dear reader choose whichever cover tickles his or her fancy.




Do you have a favorite cover? Sound off in the comments!

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

CAAATS! (Again)

Hazel and Olive have kind of a love/hate relationship. They won't leave each others side, but they're never really getting along either.

This was made really evident to me one day when I was eating breakfast and noticed the two of them sitting together on the floor. Olive looked over at Hazel, grabbed her by the head and licked her affectionately. Seconds later, she looked over again and smacked her in the head.

I knew then that it must become a comic.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Mystery Solved! The webcomic of skepticism and adventure!



My new webcomic Mystery Solved! has launched! We're two weeks in and I'm really excited about it and I hope that you all give it a look.A new page will be released every Thursday and I will be updating the blog as is necessary on the other days of the week. The comic can be found at http://www.mysterysolvedcomic.com.

Mystery Solved! is the webcomic dedicated to skepticism and adventure! It revolves around the investigations of globe-trotting raconteur, Colonel Randall Thaddeus Winchester IV. The Colonel, for short. The Colonel's adventures square him off against gullible ghost hunters, phony faith healers, mysterious beasts, and all manner of paranormal happenings various and sundry. So join us every week for each remarkable installment of MYSTERY SOLVED!

The comic was created by me and features the incredible artistic talents of Jim Miller, Dave Dwonch, Dave Wachter, Daniel Logan, Vince Bonavoglia, and Summit City Ink members: Ben Tiede, Andy Jewett, Matt Gross, and many more.

So go check it out, tell your friends, tell your enemies, and tell your cat. Tell 'em all!

your pal,
zack

Monday, July 12, 2010

We Are Fercocious

Greetings! Jeremy here to shout about Ferocious, a new anthology of illustration and storytelling put together by local wunderkid Nate Utesch of Metavari and One Lucky Guitar.  It features images by an international roster of amazing artists, including a 6 page excerpt from my comic. This is quality, folks, pure and simple.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

More CAAATS!

The craziness continues with the latest page of my cat comic.

While the first page was pretty true to real life (minus the talking), I decided to get a little kookier this time around and put Olive in a superhero costume. Any similarities to existing superheroes are strictly coincidental. I can't go getting sued or something.

That's about all for now. As always, sound off in the comments and let me know what you think!

Monday, July 5, 2010

The Troll and The Giant is available online!

That's right, shoppers! Now you can score yourselves a copy of The Troll and The Giant from the wonderful Discount Comic Book Service. It's almost as cheap as stealing, but much easier.

Since I've blabbed about the premise in another post, I've just thrown up some interior pages from the book this time. If it looks cool to you, hop on over to the store and nab yourself a copy! http://www.dcbservice.com/category.aspx?id=6&catID=7zzr

Monday, June 14, 2010

RocketBoy

 



It's an "ABC Adventure Story" that tells a tale about an intrepid young adventurer that is aimed at parents who read to their kids and the big kids who like adventure stories.  The structure follows the basic "A is for..." format introducing more complicated words while telling an exciting story reminiscent of the the space adventure stories of the 50's and 60's.

 

The book is self-published through lulu.com.  If you decide to order it through them, they will ship it after your order is placed.  You could also hit me up with and email and a check for $15 and I will send you out one with a drawing!


Friday, June 11, 2010

CAAATS!


Cats do funny things. They scratch, they lick, they punch each other in the face at 3 a.m., and they steal food from each other (and from people). And when you have two cats like I do, the laughs keep on a comin’. So the other day, I made the decision to start chronicling the hijinks of the two furry ones in the form of an all-ages comic.


I had never thought too much about all-ages comics before, that is until Summit City Comic Con. The day was really successful, and a huge part of that success had to do with the number of kids swarming around my table.


It was great! The kids were excited and having a really good time. One little girl asked for a Deadpool sketch card – as I drew it, she stood there singing a song she made up about Deadpool. It went “Deadpoool, Deadpooooool. Deadpoool, Deadpooooool.”


At the end of the day, I thought, “Man, I should have had a book for those kids!” Sure, I had copies of “The Troll & The Giant” with me, which has a fun, cartoony feel to it. But it also has a shot of a guy with his drawers down, not to mention a brutal beating.


So here we are. Cats. They’re cute, they’re funny, and they’re mostly harmless. Right now, the plan is to keep creating these little one-shots and then putting them all together in a print edition later. I will definitely have one for the next Summit City Comic Con, but hopefully it will be done sooner. Hope you enjoy it!


P.S. Please feel free to sound off in the comments and let me know what you think!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Summit City Ink's Andrew Fraser on the Comic Related podcast!

At this year's S.P.A.C.E. Andrew had a table for his webcomic Bridgette's Belly and was interviewed by the guys from Comic Related. He's the second interview on the show.

You can download the episode here: http://comicrelated.com/news/6754/the-related-recap-199

Check out Bridgette's Belly here: http://bridgette.comicgenesis.com/

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

The Looking Glass


The Looking Glass is a collection of art inspired by Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. With over 30 illustrations by 17 talented artists, including myself, this book is an explosion of vivid color and striking imagery. Gaze as each artist guides you down the rabbit hole and through their whimsical visions of wonderland. Read small biographies on all the contributing artists and find out what makes them tick. Will you be able to answer "Why is a raven like a writing desk?" You may just find that answer in... The Looking Glass. The book is on sale now and will have a special release at this years Motor City Comic Con in Michigan where myself and many of the artists will be on hand to personalize your copy.




You can check out and order the book at......
www.thelookingglassbook.blogspot.com

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Summit City Ink at S.P.A.C.E.

Hey! What are you doing this weekend? Nothing? Great! Be sure to get down to Columbus, Ohio April 24 & 25 for S.P.A.C.E.! The Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo.

S.P.A.C.E. is a good show, with lots of great creators in attendance. People like Tom Scioli, Guy Davis, Jon Kulczar, Sean McKeever, Nate Powell, Jim Rugg, and it will also be host to our very own Andrew Fraser from Bridgette’s Belly! Be sure to swing down there and check out Andrew’s table and say hello, and spend some money with him. If you’re lucky you may even spot a few other Summit City Ink members roaming around the convention floor on Sunday.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

The Troll and The Giant


Trolls are grumpy, smelly creatures who dwell in basements and are online at all hours of the day.

Women in particular are terrified of Trolls and will have nothing to do with them.


When Trolls aren’t online finding out about the next superhero film before everyone else, they’re online criticizing superhero films that have already come out.


There is nothing a Troll hates more than a Giant who has created a bad superhero film.


This is the premise of The Troll and The Giant, a book I’m in the process of writing and illustrating. The particular Troll of my story is so angry about the last superhero film he saw, he has decided to do more than just write angry blog posts or light up message boards with colorful rants. This Troll has decided to be the first of his kind to confront his target in person.

I won’t spoil the results here, but if you’re a fan of comics and are at all familiar with how passionate we geeks get about the medium (and the movies based on them), you will enjoy this story.

The Troll and The Giant will make its debut next month at the Summit City Comic Con. Along with the book, I will be selling sketch cards, prints and sketches. And I can draw other things besides Trolls. Like that Batman character people are always talking about.

So if you’re at the show, stop by and check everything out. Hope to see you there!

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Welcome!

Welcome to the Summit City Ink Blog!

Summit City Ink is a collective of artists and writers in the Fort Wayne/Northeast Indiana area. Contributions to this blog will include updates on our current works, convention appearances, art, and so on.

We are a dedicated group of professionals who are passionate about comics as a community and as an art form. This blog is designed to help you, reader, find our works and share your thoughts with us in an effort to grow and solidify the comics community.

Our roster currently includes:

Aaron Minier -- Artist: Push, and several upcoming titles from Wildstorm Comics
Andrew Fraser -- Cartoonist/creator: Bridgette's Belly
Andy Jewett -- Cartoonist/Creator: SICKO, In This Corner, Artist: Zombie Crisis, Awesome 2: Awesomer
Ben Tiede -- Artist: Scuba Frog, Mystery Solved!
Kevin Meinert -- Sketch Card/Pin-Up Artist
Matt Gross -- Cartoonist/Creator: The forthcoming The Troll and The Giant
Zack Kruse -- Writer/Creator: The Contingent, Mystery Solved!

That list will absolutely grow as our group grows. In fact, there are three to four members that I anticipate will be added within the next few days/weeks.

You'll see intermittent posts from each of us, and you'll be able to find us working collectively at conventions, on projects, and so forth. You'll also see this page update with an eventual logo, and ads and links to our individual sites.

We're all here because we love comics and we have a mutual respect and admiration for each other. If this blog helps to share that love with you and build our individual and collective audiences, then we have done what we have set out to do. We hope that you subscribe to the blog and stick with us for a long time to come!

your pal,
zack