These Things Are Getting Later And Later...

And maybe smaller and smaller...

Well,
Exciting news:
Issue 4 of Cat and Crane is printed!!
The cover was done by Stan Yukinaga!
And it is amazing! I won't ruin the surprise by posting it but everyone should check it out!
THANK YOU, STAN!!!

I have been busy this week and don't have a lot else to report. So I will just put some random work up.

Here is a little water color concept sketch I did for balthrop, Alabama. (What?! You've never heard of balthrop, Alabama?? I can't believe it! Go check out pascal.com to find out more... Go! Right now!) This sketch is not going to be used but I kinda liked it. The scan is pretty terrible.



Last week was my birthday and here is a photo of me on that special day. I'm trying to imitate my Threadless "Pillow Fight" t shirt. If you don't know Threadless.com, you should check them out. The sight is super fun! I took a bunch of photos that day. But Candice took this one of me. I figured since it is my blog there should be a picture of me some where on here.


That's all for now. New and Better Blog next week, okay kids?
If you scroll down, you can check out last weeks widely unnoticed blog.
relatively speaking.

Thanks everyone,
-mo

Another Friday (week four)

Hello!
It has been a busy week!
Valentine's Day was great and my birthday was wonderful!
Mostly because of Candice. Also because my friends are so wonderful. (particularly Chris and Kimberly, but also everyone who went out of their way to call or send a card or wish me a good birthday or send some good vibes my way.) Thanks to everyone! And happy birthday to you all when it is your turn!


So as for art work, I have been doing quite a bit. I am trying to master my digital camera. I'm not really succeeding. Candice and I went out on the 16th around Williamsburg and took photos of graffiti and interesting neighborhood things. Some of them came out ok. Mostly what I seem to be good at it taking very moodily lit, sultry pictures of Bippi. I'm good at those. I also took that sultry, moodily lit picture of tulips you see above.




















This month on the drawing board (http://drawingboard.org/) there is a Wonder Woman "jam". Everyone does their interpretation of Wonder Woman. Here are mine.












And Just to throw some Madam X in to the mix. Here is one of the first Madam drawings (circa 2002). Madam had already taken form in this one, but, as you can see Sawl was still in the early stages of development. He came a long way in personality and looks. I don't think he looks as nervous or as studious in this picture. He doesn't seem intelligent here. Madam X was always very tough even though her appearance changed over time. In the beginning I also toyed with her having a very open personal life. A side that the audience saw even if the other characters did not. Now I realize that she lets very few people in and even that takes a long time (for reader and for friends). It seems to me that Cat was always Cat but Madam X and Sawl took some tweaking. I thought y'all might like to see what they grew up from. I have a few more preliminary sketches hanging around but I will save them for another time.

Don't forget the Madam X Newsletter comes out next week! If you want to sign up to receive it just contact me (via the comments section of this blog or my email address). The same goes for questions comments or requests.


Until next week cats and kittens,
-mo

ps- Happy Birthday Alan!!

Week Three ~ Better Late Then Never

Okay, well, I've been a bit sick this week. So, I was late starting this blog and late getting it out but here it is.

I've started inking Madam X: The Hunt #2. And let me just say, it's not going so well. I started right before I got sick, so maybe that had some thing to do with it. I have put it aside for now because I'm having real trouble. I actually might have to REDRAW some pages. YUK! I have never had to do that before. See, I had all these elaborate backgrounds but they are just not working out. The panels are altogether too busy. Tell me what you think:






Remember this is still rough. I haven't erased the pencil marks or white outed the bits that need it.



And here is a wee sketch of me fucking inking.




Many people have already voted for Octo Vs City. As it stands now blackocto#1 is in the lead with blackocto#2 close behind. whiteocto is far far behind in third place.
THANK YOU to everyone who has voted! SUPER SPECIAL THANKS to Patrick who mocked up this amazing image of blackocto#2!



It looks completely amazing! What does everyone think? These are not the finished colors but they are food for thought, don't you think?

Some people have been confused about how to vote for the t shirt designs. You know me, there isn't a high tech bone in my body. The only way to vote and have your vote recorded is to email me at madamxandcrew@gmail.com. It doesn't have to be a long email or anything. Just the number 1, 2, or 3 is fine. Thanks again to everyone who has already voted and/or looked at the Newsletter and Blogs.


You can also leave comments on this here blog. I'm not sure how that works but I have confidence you'll figure it out.
I think that covers the week. Pretty much.

Love and rayguns,
-mo

Week Two!?

So, the internet went Batgirl crazy this January. A lot of artists that I follow did their own version of the lady Bat. Here is mine.




And another take.


Also, My friend Finkenstein, aka littleegypt, (www.jessfink.com) started a gay boys thread over at the drawing board.
http://www.drawingboard.org/viewtopic.php?t=40341. If you scroll down you will see a Cat avatar and that's me. If you can't see them or you would rather see them here in this venue, contact me.

Lately, people have noticed the dedication in Madam X: The Hunt issue one. That issue was dedicated to Tia Carrere. Many people have been confused by this and have asked "What's all this about Tia Carrere?". Now, I have always been a fan of hers, but from 1999-2002 she starred in a little show called Relic Hunter, and I might say, iced the cake. I thought she was also a producer or something but, no, she had no other (credited) influence on the show. Relic Hunter was close on the tail of the Tomb Raider video game craze. Tia played Sydney Fox, a hot professor by day and a hot treasure seeker by night (think Indiana Jones, b/c she basically is Indiana Jones). It was quite a terrible show. But the best kind of terrible! Now people are saying "What does this have to do with Madam X?". Well, Tia Carrere and Relic Hunter were the inspiration for The Hunt story line! Madam X and Tia, two great ladies great together! (Oh jeez, I can just hear the dirty jokes now....). ps- congratulations, Tia, on the birth of your second child!

The first t shirt from Madamxandcrew T-Shirts is going to be Octo vs. City, but which one? Here are the three choices:




So far people seem to be leaning towards blackocto1. Here is what people are saying:

"Definitely the first one- he sort of looks like he's coming from back behind the buildings, I like that." -Kate

"As for the T-Shirts, my vote is # 1. I like the city structure..." -Hannah

Which would you prefer? Please email me your vote.

Until next week,
Love and Rayguns,
-mo