Christmas time always reminds of the Charlie Brown Christmas special, so while I finished up this project a few months ago it seemed like a good time to share it. I've kept a little collection of clippings of my favourite comic strips from the newspapers throughout the years... well back when there were actually comics in newspapers, and quite a few of my faves are Peanuts. I thought it would be fun to enlarge one as a decor item.

After picking one to go with (easier said than done) I had to find a canvas that would work. This rectangular one one wasn't perfect but I didn't feel like stretching my own. I then calculated out the scaled panel sizes so that it would leave even border spaces around the art. I have a strange history of enjoying conversion ratios while drawing. Then I roughed in the characters and the text in pencil. If I recall correctly, Schultz basically drew right in ink which is why his characters always seemed so spontaneous. After the layout was good, I tightened up the art by brush, trying to get the likeness right.

Certain things like Rerun's hair and especially hands became odd once blown up from comic size but I didn't really change anything. I mean, those hands are basically just a few brush squiggles, which really helped me to appreciate the economy of line in Schultz's work. Finishing the art off, I used  pencil shading over the canvas grain for the greys so that it would look dotted like the the strip's halftone pattern.

Usually when I read a comic I know a little of what to expect. With Daytripper, the ten issue Vertigo series by Brazilian wonder twins Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba, I was caught completely off-guard. But in a good way.

The book follows an obituary writer and aspiring author throughout the different stages of his life. Each chapter represents a specific age and a dramatic event like the death of his father, the birth of his son etc. What really lures you in, is the way each chapter ends, with an unexpected twist which leaves you questioning why certain things happen in life, and how the choices we make always have a reaction, whether it is immediate or at some point down the road. The writing style really is quite poignant and poetic has you stopping and thinking about deeper philosophic issues than expected. Just seeing life in a non-linear fashion is enough to get the wheels spinning.

Not to be outdone, the art is extremely solid in Daytripper...it's just unusual that the writing in a comic format is done so well. The artwork has the perfect balance of loose inks with moody colours and dynamic compositions. You really feel as though you've been thrown into the same mood as the characters, each chapter being an emotional roller coaster taking you from joy to regret. All in all, with superb writing and superb artwork you can't really go wrong so whatever your passion is, for a ground-breaking reading experience, Daytripper is your ticket.

A study in the philosophy that less-is-more, Tomine creates visuals with subtle yet highly competent brush work. His inking creates depth and emotion, all while not even seeming to be there. And his colour work isn't half bad either!

As the summer comes to a close, I thought a little tribute to the hot sun of '10 would be in order. An image that captures the spirit well, is this drawing of my buddy R.T., pulling off one of his infamous pool party gun shows.

Seeing how he is a huge Frank Miller fan, and I've always been influenced by Frank's carefully crafted film noir inking style, that's how I did up the art. Not to mention there is a strange resemblance to Marv, from Sin City. Since I'm big on adding textures, I also did another take as a vintage screen print.

I was recently in a comicky sort of mood and picked up the graphic novel Skim. Quicky, I found myself with a real page turner on my hands. The Canadian coming of age story written by Mariko Tamaki with art by cousin and illustrator, Jillian Tamaki proved to be a very well put together book, and worthy of the numerous awards it has garnered.

The content and feel of the writing is reminiscent of a female version of Craig Thompson's Blankets, as we follow the lives and heartbreaks of several teenage girls in high school.  Taking place in the mid 90's, full of drama and even a little witchcraft, the story offers an intimate and accurate look into being an outcast and adolecence. Mariko writes with a poetic flare, working in unison with Jillian's delicate artwork.

Having seen Jillian's colour illustration work, I was not surprised to find how well it translated into a black and white graphic novel. Her linework pushes the boundaries of loose sketchiness, while at the same time being entirely purposeful. Some of the female characters are full of unique life-like qualities but even more stunning are the double page landscapes that come up every so often. I think both the art and the writing do a quality job of recreating the feel of growing up in the 90's and would highly recommend Skim as a solid read.

Every year The New Yorker runs a contest for cartoonists around the world to submit their own version of the iconic Eustace Tilley character. Always entertaining, some of the submissions take full advantage of the wide open ended rules, and draw up some very creative stuff. Basically, as long as there is a character of some sort in a side profile, looking at something, it fits within the boundaries.

I decided to do a take on the old flying aces, with their distinctive goggles and leather bomber coats. Something about the New Yorker just reminds me of the days when intrepid adventurers would take on the world. Working on Eustace was a fun little break and allowed me to work on a subject matter I normally wouldn't have.

This is a quick little comic I did based on a whole conversation overheard on the bus. Public transit is just about the most entertaining thing ever, other than maybe watching the Toronto Maple Leafs pretend to play hockey, year after year. The conversation was funny on its own merits, but also reminded me of a time, camping and enjoying the quiet night wilderness, when a rousing acoustic chorus of Sweet Caroline burst out over the trees, proving once again, that no one is safe from neil diamond.