Saturday, November 17, 2018

Behold! Bovodar and the Bears in black and white


Character group portrait for the upcoming Bovodar and the Bears graphic novel by Jack Mikkelson! Front and center is our hero, Bovodar Yarkery! Soon will come this picture in color, and I look forward to announcing when the comic itself will be approaching!

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

T-Bird & Throttle mini-review

Art by Josh Howard
I just read Issue 1 of T-Bird & Throttle by Josh Howard, one of the many recent independent comic crowdfund efforts. This one caught my eye because of the clean, cartoonish style combined with violent and tragic subject matter -- read the first few pages here to see what I mean.

People often complain of comics, books, and shows being too dark, and they have a point, especially when the protagonist wallows in that darkness, being immoral and unlikeable themselves. But that's not the case here. I like stories dark as long the hero is fighting the darkness. Despite everything, Mitch Maddox, a.k.a. T-Bird, is striving with all his might to be a worthy hero and father. Awesome characters who are fathers are something there should be lots, lots more of.

I also really like "parasitically" super-powered heroes, the primary exemplar being the third Blue Beetle, my favorite superhero of all. The first issue already has a lot of dramatic threads going, present-day resonance without dated preaching, and character complexity. Really makes one want to know more!

The crowdfund stage is complete, but I think you can still get it with "InDemand," on Indiegogo.

Monday, November 12, 2018

Clockwork Dancer preview

Jon Del Arroz, author of the steampunk comic Clockwork Dancer on which I am working, posted this page as a preview, so I thought I'd show it off too!


Saturday, November 10, 2018

Adventurers' Guild Episode One complete!

Image copyright Phillip MacArthur

If you've been waiting to read Adventurers' Guild because there wasn't much of it up yet, now is the time, as there's a complete episode posted. It's really fun!

Friday, November 9, 2018

A dress for Mother

For festivities surrounding my sister's wedding, my mother asked if I could make her a dress along the lines of one she'd loved for years:


This one from I Love Lucy. I was fortunate to find that paper doll version, as it suggested what structure to look for. I eventually found this pattern:


What took longer to find was a floral border print in a suitable size. After a long time, we found this on Etsy:


We bought six yards, all they had. It turned out to be just enough!

It was the first time I've ever made a garment from a commercial pattern, as well as my first time doing a roll collar or lining, so I did a muslin first to make sure I could do it right:


That went basically okay. Keeping my mistakes in mind, I moved on to the real thing:


And the finished result!:


She wore it to the bridal shower and present-opening party and got many compliments.

Thursday, November 8, 2018

As far as I got in Inktober


So, I only got through 8 in this year's Inktober, (and I skipped 6) but that's okay, as my goal was to practice with the ink-filled waterbrush. I found also, it made me faster with a regular pen too!

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Last Aitkin Age column

I'm going to take the liberty of reproducing my last column for the Aitkin Independent Age in full, because the newspaper site doesn't work for Europeans, it's been a long time since it was printed, and because it is last in not just the sense of latest, but also final.
Aitkin-born 1930s movie star Warren William’s childhood home is up for sale! I won’t say which house it is for the sake of privacy of the current owner, (you can find out in the book Warren William: Magnificent Scoundrel of Pre-Code Hollywood by John Stangeland, available at the depot museum) but I hope whoever buys it knows what a treasure they’re getting!
It’s incredible how many deer there are. Seeing one used to be a rare occurrence. Until last year, I had never seen a buck. Now I see groups of deer, often including a spike buck, at least twice a day! Well, deer season is coming. The autumn coolness heralding it might be more enjoyable were it not so wet. Still, the fall mood reigns as leaves suffuse with red and football season is underway. It’s great that the Gobblers are undefeated as of my first draft … I’m leaving a space for once I know the results of the Stump game … and alas, we lost.
Football may be declining in popularity as you have, on one side, the NFL alienating many by political waffling; on another, growing opinion that injuries risked in school football cannot possibly be worth it. As culture becomes more utilitarian, it’s assumed that nothing is worth the risk of material suffering. But some practice of physical risk seems integral to development of healthy masculinity. A husband, a father needs to be ready to risk his life to protect his children.
On that note, concerning coming elections, I remind readers that not only does Tina Smith support abortion, she was vice president of Planned Parenthood of Minnesota and the Dakotas. Planned Parenthood is the biggest abortion provider in the country, receives billions in federal funding and donates hundreds of thousands to Democrat politicians. They killed 323,999 unborn children in 2014 alone.
Non-Christian Leftists frequently demand how Christians can support President Trump because he calls people nasty names. Leaving aside the fact that Christians worship someone who called His enemies nasty names, the alternative is supporting the ripping apart of human infants. That is far more incompatible with Christianity than namecalling is.
I continue to be astounded by all Trump is accomplishing in the economy, regarding North Korea, against illegal immigration and human trafficking, and much more. I feel something I never before felt, never believed I would feel: loyalty to a government personage.
For years, Democrat politicians veered further into international socialism and support of public perversion, while Republican politicians did not veer the other way but instead tried to appease people who would never vote for them anyway. This didn’t stop the Left from calling them extreme and comparing them to Hitler. Now we have a leader who is actually implementing some nationalist, anti-socialist policies and in response, several on the Left call for and even descend into violence. But the familiar accusations of racist, sexist, homophobe are losing their teeth for those willing to risk material suffering by standing up for traditional Western Civilization.
By the way, this will be my last column for the Aitkin Independent Age. I’m departing to pursue my illustration career full-time. In a year or so, if you like comics, fantasy or steampunk, I hope you may remember to look for Clockwork Dancer by Jon Del Arroz and other graphic novels drawn by me that have yet to be announced!
To the Age staff and readers, my gratitude for the past and best wishes for the future. God bless America. Viva Christo Rey.
Unfortunately, the Senate seat did go to Tina Smith, and Minnesota is further disgraced by this woman with blood on her hands.

But on a lighter note! As stated, I am finally taking up art as my full-time career, as I have aspired to for nearly twenty years. I made the choice to quit the newspaper because I was not able to progress on my freelance projects at a satisfactory speed. I currently have in production:

Clockwork Dancer, a steampunk comic book written by no less than the leading Hispanic voice in science fiction, Jon Del Arroz;

A graphic novel adaptation of Bovodar and the Bears, a young adult fantasy novel by Jack Mikkelson;

Another graphic novel, yet to be announced, written by an author of popular Christian dystopian fiction;

A religious children's book, yet to be announced; and

Another very big, very exciting project born from a familiar work of mine, yet to be announced.

I'm just now starting getting into the swing of working on these full-time, and organizing my schedule. Once I get going, there will be lots to share! I'm raring to go tell some great stories!