So I take my sketch and move the camera a bit to remove the flatness. I decided to change Tommy's head tilt for another effect than sadness, more looking down in frustration. You'll notice that I still have some fleshing out to do, as well as working more with making the perspective work. This will all be done in the inking stage. I can leave some things vague since I'm inking it. Earlier in this issue I explain the changes in the basement room. So you'll just have to wait to see why things look different a bit.

Step by step approach.
Detailed layout sketch. I do these to get a feel for what the final pencil could look like. Straight on shot, not camera movement.  Finished pencils next.

Before I get too far into this, hello Chubby Wizard listeners. My interview with them went live with their latest podcast this past Sunday. I'm sure you didn't get too much of an idea from my responses to their questions. That's my fault, not theirs. Hopefully the website helps you out. But if not, here's the way I wished I'd answered what the book is about.

MAN IN THE MASK is about family. Masks just happen to be a part of it. It's based on the relationship I had with my grandfather, Tommie Belcher. It's a story about growing up with the idea of legacy and trust. It's a attempt to do a fun masked man story filled with hope without miring it down with a lot of modern attempts to deconstruct the genre.

If you want a copy please go to the contact page and I can arrange that.

Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

The big job I talked about last week is now history. It was a nightmare and I won't do that type of turnaround again. However, there was one major positive that came out of it. I am now full time finishing #3 and will then go straight into starting the next book without break. That was the only reason I took the job on with the crazy deadline. This is now my full time job for the next month or so and the graphic design is the part time, when I get a chance stuff. Call it my early Xmas gift to myself. But sometimes you just have to make a sacrifice to finish something you believe in.

Thanks so much for the patience. Stay tuned. Color previews coming this week!

Had a big job hit my desk on Friday which has pretty much brought the production of issue #3 to a halt. I try to schedule two weeks at a time, but this came out of nowhere from a really good client. I had things going smoothly on getting issue #3 scheduled. Even got a friend to draw a guest pin-up to add to my gallery. This new work shouldn't affect too much, but it will be bringing the blogging to a halt till at least Friday or Saturday.