Independent Comix

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Who is Sady Starkiss?

Simply put, Sady Starkiss was a product of a conversation and a single commission.

In this commission, the idea was to have what my friend referred to as a "Space Nubile." And that was as much information as he gave me. He wanted something with the '50s feel to it. So, I combined a classic Vargas girl pinup and a Wally Wood space girl.

I'm a sucker for old 50s pinup girls, to begin with. And Wally Wood had such a flair for the ladies of the time.

A questionable combination, but I needed the challenge of something new and not just my traditional superhero schlock. I ended up with an old-school control console and some deft gravity-defining clothing. The inside joke was Sady couldn't keep her clothes on.

Of course, this commission led right to the creation of Heavy Metal (an old-school robot based on the old black and white movie The Mysterious Doctor Satan).

Then there was talk of a crossover between the two. There have been a couple, but the best of the crossovers between the two was the piece called "Blast Off!".

Of course, there is also the crossover call entitled "Oh Yeah?" between heavy-metal and CD star kiss, dealing with a Fu Manchu type of character. Even mentioning that there was a Fu Manchu type of character would get me in trouble with people of today, so I will plan on redesigning my version of Fu with a slight change to color and look. He will be villainous, though. That's a mainstay of the character.

But back to Sady.

Initially, she was just eye candy, to be honest, but as I continued to draw her in different situations, I realized that I needed something more for her. I wanted a personality that would encompass her physically with some of her other mental attributes.

I wanted a strong woman who could fight when push came to shove and yet now always overpower her "detractors."

Another female character I found to be of interest is Una Persson from the Micheal Moorcock fantasy series. I felt she was someone I could base some of Sady on.

So I wanted her to be sexy and adventurous. She is the pinnacle of what my Fu Manchu character is looking for, and Heavy Metal always gets in the way. Of course, others want to be with her as well. Robot Monster is one; Corpse Cop is another.

And all of this chaotic craziness is going to be rendered in scratchboard.

What else?




A Week of Material

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A Week of Material

Hey, there sports fans, Al here with the latest:

The Watery Adventure of Richard Parker - as it stands has gone through another set of edits and additions to complete the wordless graphic novel.
While working on this project that has spanned years makes me wonder if Lynd Ward thought the same kind of thing when plotting out his wordless graphic novels back in the 30’ and ’40s? I can’t believe that he would have knocked it out of the park the very first time out.
This project is no different than a writer having numerous rewrites and edits on work before publishing.
Doing art is like that too. Lots of refinements and so on.


Well what I thought

Was the manna from heaven turned out to be a red herring - of a sort.
In between moving, art projects things got separated from each other so I had to go and dig in storage to find what I was looking for. But it came up short on a few topics.
Luckily for me, I left enough threads either written or visual to be able to make a brand new list of panels that are needed for Richard Parker and it's wordless graphic novel format. However, the biggest bonus on this was uncovering many images that were ready to be transferred were already set up for scratchboard. For me, this makes a huge improvement over what I already have. Once I have spent time working on the new list and have everything set up for what new images need to be completed, then Richard Parker can move into the final phases of being done.

Both illustrated, varnished, and framed.
Framing is going to be (I think) the most costly on my end.
Also, prints being made.

WHICH BRINGS me to another point, prints.

Now mind you, this is strictly my opinion for the following but humor me and follow the logic of it.
Since the worldwide pandemic spread like wildfire across the globe, having an art show seemed like, I dunno, a waste of time. I think that most people out there would think that because the buying public does not have the disposable income that they once had. At least as far as buying artwork goes anyway.
Artwork unlike food is a commodity, not a necessity. And with a lot of people out of work, there is no money coming in from showing and selling off art. Currently that I know of from galleries. But there is time for artists to work on their portfolios and build up work for some of those places that have opened up. Showing artwork at these establishments might require a physical place to show the work for longer periods of time since the foot traffic isn’t as heavy as it once was. Thank social distancing for this. This would be something that I think presenters need to be aware of any type of gallery situation.

ANYWAY
At least that is was I am thinking. But I do know this. With the cost being high showcasing originals showing prints might hook art buyers into buying framed pieces rather than the original. I know a lot of contemporaries might not agree with this stance but I'm being realistic (including how hard it is to sell artwork in the first place). Portland has been notorious for being a place where buyers like the artwork but can’t afford to buy the originals. But I think for the most part this is being realistic.
But this all the speculation on my part is based upon what I am seeing coming around. I do know that there have been more online sales of late than there has been in the past. So this is a hopeful sign that people are still buying art. There is a little more research that needs to go into this. And I am not the final say in anything outside of my scope of influence.

But as I said this was my opinion.

But today (23rd) was another break in the amount of preparation that has been done for Richard Parker. Seriously, that is no lie.

In one day after getting all the panels printed on edit sheets, I could see where I was lacking story bits that needed to be inserted into the visual story to make sense sequentially.

Now this is the second go-round on this and I am sure that this won’t be the last time either but I am sure that I can get the rest of the images needed to be jotted down to round out the story as it is.

In this process, other items will be needed to bring things into focus on the project. The remaining scratchboards need to be bought, the tools needed, matting for framing, and the printing of prints.

That takes money and time when you are doing it by your self and coordinating it all.

But in the end, all of it is yours. And that is what makes it worthwhile.

And I am outta here.

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Blog for 7-14-2020

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Hey, there sports fans Al here with the latest: In the last few years, I kinda stepped away from doing blogs because as I have said so many times that real life gets in the way of creativity. Well, these days as if that weren’t the case the world is caught in the grips of a virus that people understand little of and heed even less. Rioting and police brutality ringing in the news every day seems now to be the norm. I for one feel that I can create something entertaining and most of all - fun. The artwork has always been an immediate reaction kind of alchemy. Science Fiction I love and it rings of a future that hasn’t been realized yet. Of course, some of the things that I render do from time to time dip into the dark parts of imagination. Richard Parker and his watery adventure are like that. But after working for years on one project and finishing off an illustrative project like Last Monster on EARTH! Sometimes something different needs to be unleashed. And in a way that comes in the form of Corpse Cop #4 Death Walks the Stars”. It ties up loose ends with other comic book characters that I had worked on for the last 2 Decades with a bookend book that brings most of them altogether. I’ve been compiling several thumbnail storyboards for a finish to Corpse Cop. There are other art projects that I have lined up that still need to be plotted out but the first thing is first to finish Richard Parker and Last Monster on EARTH! But a storyteller sometimes needs a little break from what he is working just to be fresh when he comes back. And with that, I am outta here.

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Blog for July

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Blog for July

After a long break again and real life constantly throwing you a curve you gotta wonder what the “F!”
But for me the artist inside is loving the fact that I have been able to work on many old projects and finish finally the last couple panels of the Richard Parker saga. I swear to God that has been conspiring against (at first glance) me but as I have had the time to look back and re examine what has come before and maybe this was all the way things were supposed to happen.
With the free time of being furloughed but money still coming in art has jumped to the forefront to be completed. In this case a comic book graphic novel that had placed Richard Parker on hold is nearing completion and being prepped to be “handed off” to my editor leaving me free for time to re focus on Richard Parker. This makes me very excited! In a way we’re Richard Parker stated will be finished in the same household. That to me is great and a great accomplishment. The story and art of “Last Monster on EARTH!” was drawn and completed in the same household before I had move again so having Parker finished will be fantastic! Of course I will reference back to the earlier work to bring myself mentally up speed with where my head is at with the story. Once completed with that then it is back to comic book layouts and transfers for the the bookend series for Corpse Cop. Another project that started out as scratchboard and will finish with scratchboard.
AS A SIDE NOTE: the state of the comic book industry has taken some serious hits over the last couple months with the shut down over everything. Unfortunately at times like like in times of war, art and entertainment has always taken a backseat to the world at large. But as the major giants in that industry (that also spurred one of the greatest franchises in cinema history) find themselves scrambling for ways to infuse they books with personal politics and ostracizing other for having differing viewpoints, individuals with creativity have a prime objective in making their work known. This is the best time to strike with new ideas and styles of artwork that have not been seen by the mainstream public. Art should of all things be fun. And that to me is what completely lacking in books being produced currently.
I have a plan and where I want to go with that.
END OF SIDE NOTE.

So there you have it a new path is being forged and

Plotted. So watch here as new worlds unfold!
And I am outta here!

A July Statement

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A July Statement

Hey there sports fans, Al here with the latest:
Now as you have noticed that blogging has been excidedantly sporadic over the last year. 
Several factors have added to this least of all as far a blog and a website tied together. Atop that like I have talked about at the other Tales for the Scratchpad at Blogger.com real life gets in the way. No more true of that than changing jobs, moving out and in. All of it. 
But there has been definite image being produced for Black Box Visual Arts. 
There has been some push back from people who want a real cheep illustration. 
With an emphatic "NOPE!" That wasn't going to happen. 
As much as doing commissions for cash helps get things done and out of the way for debt, debasing myself from the years of doing illustration and getting screwed in the process of the work does not set well for me. 
Nor the the experience or this word which come up recently that is becoming one of the words I HATE.

The word is "EXPOSURE".


I think that a lot of people who use that word use it like bait. Now NOT all people use that word for ill but mean it for well intention young artists whom are starting out. BUT for the those practiced individuals who have been around the block a few times selling artwork the term exposure becomes a slap in the face so you can take advantage of a artist's talent that they have honing for years and in some cases decades to be where they are at - to save a buck.
If you want OK art work you pay mediocre, if you want kick ass, you pay high. 
Of course these are not always the norm but generally they are.
So, thank you. I got that off my chest!
There are a couple of images that I wanted to post about The Corpse Cop scratchboard comic book project. It of course like every other art project that I do takes a long time to work on. Just look at the time that "The Watery Adventure of Richard Parker" has been being worked on.
Anyway there you have it and I hope you enjoy it.
And.

I am outta here.

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