Sunday, May 18, 2014

MAKING POSTCARDS (and Crypticon 2014)


Hey there sports fans, Al here with the latest:
The New BBVA ICON 2014!  copyrighted 2014
 by Alan Bennett and BBVA 

Well like the title informs you yes that is exactly what I have been doing- making and formatting images of the past that would work well (in my opinion) as postcards and making the strongest images into prints.
Of course the focus has taken my attention away from the comic stuff but that's okay because at every show that I have ever gone to and tabled at the art Always outsells the comics.
That's unfortunate for me because I love comics and the illustrations.   It what got me to follow this path in the first place.
I guess that's why I continue to keep plugging away at Corpse Cop as a comic and Dreams of Elysium as that last great work of sequential Graphic Fiction.
But to support oneself as a working artist you have to transcend the people lack of picking up something new only to watch them put it back down on the table.   And it kinda get to you when you think "Man, I really thought I had a sale there."
Years ago about 5 to be exact and my friend Adam had heard me actually say "Man, if don't sell something today that's it.  I'm done with this."  
As it turned out I did sell and sold big (by that standard of selling anything ) And of course it wasn't even a comic book, it was a piece of artwork.
The caste was set.  But it kept me in the game for a long time.  But I realized (slowly)  that even though the art work was comic book themed it still was a secular piece. 
So here I am making merch that is based on comic book fantasy but no new comics to speak off.
I keep hoping that will change.


CRYPTICON 2014!

In in less than a week I will be at this event and blowing people away with the new material that I have made and brought to the show.  I had a blast with table mate George Leon last year while we sat and watched the parade of horror cruised on by the table. 

BUT that wasn't the only thing that was great about that show but the commissions that came in made up for half of my sales while I was there.  That to me was rockin'! I really look forward to this show.  And all of that mentioned above with cards and prints, t-shirts everything to get this kid making art work and making a living to doing it. 

It is true that I have had cut back on comic production but the ideas still proliferate my brain.
Even a re-launch of Corrax The Seeker is and has been running around in my head.  That ol' crow headed robust about might see another version.  A parallel universe character with his cosmic Ax and all.  But as a singular character.
Could be interesting.


AND ON THAT FRONT:
CORRAX THE SEEKER!

Strange that there had been draw back to the comics and Corvis was technically that last sci fi character I was really working on.  Even though I have a partial script for Future Cop and Corpse Cop always has something going on with me in my comic book universe or somebody else's AND Last Monster ON EaRTH for WERID ATOMIC TALES latest mini being worked on Sci Fi books just weren't really selling that well so what it is about this character I like so much?
The more that I began to think about the comic that I had created and started looking at the problems with the comic I had created that sits front of me on my wall as a proof that I did this.  
And all of all the sci fi characters I had worked on why this guy?  I have several characters that I could have worked on - in particularly Johnny Vega, why Corrax?  'CAUSE HE ROCKS! 


The originally idea was that Corrax was just a side kick for the Vega books.  But as I found Corrax had a strong following and funny enough from women too.  So I followed up with that  but the story began to get bogged down with a highly convoluted back story and all of it streaming from Vega and even further back with the Angry Robot story I had written and drawn up for Guilded Edges back in 1999/2000.  
So I had to gut the original story and see what good parts I could re-tool so I made a quick list while at work.

So the main points for the RE LAUNCH of CORRAX THE SEEKER- PLANETFALL.
1). As one friend asked when she got the book "What's he seeking?" He is seeking revenge.  Pretty straight forward for any character.
2). Revenge upon all A.I.'s across the galaxy for the destruction of his home world.
3). There are no Galactic Rangers to step in nor The HUB or JOHNNY VEGA.  NONE of that exists in this parallel version.
4). Is CORPSE COP involved?  Possibly.
5). Is DOKTOR PLUTARIUS involved in this parallel?  Maybe.
6). Is any of the previous history of the original Corrax from the Vega Universe going to spill over into this story?   NO.  I don't want the boggy version of that history coming over.  Keep it simple and straight forward.
7). Does he still have the Cosmic Ax?  Yes, but again this is a parallel version.

So there you go a stream lined idea for a relaunch of Corrax with a heavy purpose.



COMMISSIONS: 

I haven't had many since the beginning of February but ready to get back at it again.

I should mention that I do commissions. It usually depends size, complexity of the piece, varnished and framed.  I.E. Gilrandree Commission 11"x14" varnished, one subject, no frame- $175.00  Usually half down and half on completion of project.  Easiest way for payments is through Paypal  using my email address blackboxcomix@yahoo.com.
If you are curious about it please email me at blackboxcomix@yahoo.com

CORPSE COP NEWS:

Now like I said above, I have had to stand back from the comics but this does not mean I am done with CC by any stretch of my means.
There are still at least three different Corpse Cop stories that I want to do before I'm done with him.
"Inhuman Torch" is complete with the art being formatted into a comic currently.  The lettering and the content editing still need to be done for this book.  Hopefully it will be completed before to long. 
"Arctic Wolf"  still needs to be released nation wide but there is only a minor tweeks that need to take place there.
But if you wanta play catch up check out this link for the one CC's first adventures here indyplanet.com http://indyplanet.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4799

DREAMS OF ELYSIUM:


  The scale of this piece is looking good and the grand feel of this book is even better.  But I do have a sneaking suppision that the ending of this work could change.  After looking at the adventure I realized that there was a drastic change in the story line concerning Craig Lancher.
  But I am sure that I will figure out the right way to dispose of main characters that will satisfy readers and collectors. The work is making the book much larger but the Graphic Novel will be worth it.  Just looking at the marker comps for the book makes me almost wanta make a graphic novel with just the comps.

ALAN'S SOAP BOX THIS WEEK:

Nothing to bitch about but that can always change at the drop of a hat!

ODDITIES:

Fun stuff.  
More of this info can be found at  www.thevelvetcoffin.co.

OTHER NOTE WORTHY THINGS :
If your wanting to look at some of the older blog for Black Box Comix you can check them out here. Black Box Comix Blog.
There is also Twitter https://twitter.com/blackbox13 to follow and Tumbler The Other Scratchpad
blackbox13.tumblr.com/   as well 
Or if you're interested in purchasing something that catches your eye  check out here on the Big Cartel web site.  Big Cartel.
And of course is always the backlog of comics here at Indyplanet.
And the kid is out of here!

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