I woke up at around 2:30AM last night (this morning?) and devoured an entire brownie. Just shoved the thing in my mouth and gobbled it down. It was time to feed child who awoke agitated, and I found myself dozing off as I stumbled to warm up his bottle.

No time to fix myself coffee or tea, but I needed a hit of something to keep my eyes open, and that something ended up being the brownie.

It did the trick, and the crash that followed was most pleasant. I slept very well.

Sleep is something I'm looking forward to doing bit more of this week, now that the 5th chapter of THE SOLAR GRID has finally gone live!

What a journey making this one has been! Started it in Denver over a year and a half ago (!!!), interrupted by relocating to Houston, first to temporary lodgings before finding the place we're currently in, followed by pandemic and lock-down and finally birth of child! 🤯

Also, it's the first chapter that features color (which I also did myself), not for the sake of just wanting to do comix in color, but as an integral component of the storytelling. I also feel like the storytelling breakthroughs in this one are numerous and I'm really proud of how it all turned out. Also, Josh MacPhee's written supplement? A freakin' treasure!

All in all, a landmark installment that has me more excited than ever to dive right into Chapter 6!

Okay, well maybe not riiiiight into Chapter 6. I'd like to take a day or two to organize around the studio. The aftermath of each of these always involves a fair amount of debris. Also need to respond to a handful of emails I've neglected, and ship out a few ganzeer.garage orders.

#journal #work #comix #TheSolarGrid

Correction: I need a whole new page, not just a panel. Because look, this is how I originally closed the chapter (dialogue blurred to avoid spoilers):

Look at that mess. In planning it, I figured I had this big wide panel, I could fit in a bunch of dialogue easy. But it just doesn't land right that way at all! Especially for a closing panel that ought to have a bit of a punch to it.

To fix it, my first thought was to maybe crop the panel down to half, add another panel, and let the dialogue carry on into that one, but no, that just won't cut it either.

It needs to flow across an entire new page, and an entire new page is exactly what it's getting...

It'll have to go on the “inside back cover”, which is a little unorthodox but not entirely unacceptable. And that sort of thing doesn't really matter in digital formats anyway.

Should be able to finish this page up easy today, and hopefully work in the cover art too. 🤞

5 days left till the big drop!

#Work #Comix #TheSolarGrid

We could all probably use a double eklips on the rocks right now, it can't just be me, right?

6 days until THE SOLAR GRID #5 drops at [TheSolarGrid.net]

It's pretty much done, save for a few last minute finicky bits here and there. Reading through it this morning, I realize I may need to add just one last panel at the end of the chapter, more for mood than for “content”. Somehow it feels that one last panel will give impact to the entire thing, let it land right, avoiding the possibility of it feeling like an abrupt close. Will sit on it for a couple hours and see if I still feel the same way.

Looking forward to to treating myself to some icecream when it's actually finally done. Or maybe invent an actual double eklips on the rocks. I suppose it should probably include a little Moonshine.

#Journal #Work #Comix #TheSolarGrid

Only 8 days left until THE SOLAR GRID #5 drops! 🤯

A lot has changed since releasing chapter #4. Moved to a different state, global pandemic unleashed upon the world, and the wife and I acquired a new family member, who is now napping on my desk between myself and the keyboard like an overly possessive cat.

#Journal #Work #Comix #TheSolarGrid

One of the things I enjoy doing with THE SOLAR GRID is invite other artists/designers/makers to contribute non-comix material to the book. Usually something that contextualizes the speculative comix madness I'm doing and adds a ton to the world-building.

Proud to sat that Chapter 5 will bring the daft authorship of Josh MacPhee to the table, with a brief essay on the history of Martian street-art!

Excited to share this chapter with everyone, which brings forth a rich tapestry of interplanetary art, politics, and science!

Coming digitally on August 19 to TheSolarGrid.net

#Work #Comix #TheSolarGrid

I am awake. So I guess I'll do some lettering now.

Inbox at 186, and I haven't checked my feedcatcher in days. But I did manage to squeeze in a shave this weekend. Just my face though.

Too much info?

Psssht, it's my journal.

(Edit: Just noticed the date on my watch is one day behind. Crap. Okay, faster now.)

#Journal #Work #Comix #TheSolarGrid

We've all been there ☝️, haven't we?

THE SOLAR GRID #5 is now 87% complete. Exclusive preview will go out to press, reviewers, and fellow makers later this month. Anybody who wants to be added to the list can totally just let me know.

Good morning + onward.

#Journal #Work #Comix #TheSolarGrid

So late, but getting closer! Currently lettering, which is kept enjoyable by making the dialogue up as I go. I obviously had some idea what was being said in the drawing phase of these pages, but not in any detail and I kept it very loosely floating around in the back of my head without committing any of it to paper.

I didn't always work like this. Chapters one and two of THE SOLAR GRID I wrote full scripts for. But then I realized that only really makes sense if you're writing for someone else to draw (and letter and edit, etc.). It's not really necessary if you're doing the drawing yourself, might as well save on that scripting time. Also, from the standpoint of the craft of comix, unlike film where you can't really change the dialogue after a shoot (minor exceptions include scenes where you can't see an actor's lips), in comix you totally can! So why not save dialogue till last anyway? Seems odd to ignore a facet that is so specific to this medium.

Easier for makers who work all aspects of their comix though.

Of course, I cheat a little, because I've got the best assistant in town:

#Journal #Work #Comix #TheSolarGrid

The year is 949 After the Flood, and life on Mars isn't all it's cracked up to be.

From the 5th chapter in the award-winning graphic novel THE SOLAR GRID, coming soon to TheSolarGrid.net

#Work #Comix #TheSolarGrid

I used to color at a rate of about 2 pages a day, but now I'm lucky if I wrap up a single page every 2-3 days.

Look at this madness though:

Not gonna lie, quite proud of how it's turning out, and truth be told that's a pretty rare feeling for me.

#Work #Comix #TheSolarGrid