Having made it to the end of my long fall convention trail, I’ve busied myself with getting back to producing pages for “The Volstock Payoff”, the current crime-noir-ish story running at trekkercomic.com. I still feel I’m getting used to the added task of coloring the series, but enjoying negotiating that learning curve. It remains a thrill to be back to telling the rest of Mercy’s long story after a far too-long absence, and I’m very excited for the tales I have lined up to follow this one. And don’t worry– while our adventuress Mercy will wear many different outfits as we move along, she will never opt to wear a short skirt like this while “on the job”. But sometimes in Mercy’s violent world, things just happen.
Meanwhile, I’m also attending to a few commission obligations, such as this Supergirl piece that’s destined for a watercolor treatment. I love producing watercolor pieces whenever I have the chance. It’s not a practical solution for coloring a full comic story– at least not with my process– but wonderful fun on an individual image like this. And, it’s a particular delight to be working on a Supergirl piece since I’m currently enjoying the new TV Supergirl show. I’ve been relieved that, while they take the series “seriously” and avoid making it feel slight or simplified, they have appropriately avoided turning it into yet another grim, murderous affair, as happens to so many of the “superhero” TV productions. I think this series hits the right note for this character– one of hope and inspiration. What a breath of fresh air. I’ll share the final product here when it’s done.
I had the fun task of creating this over-the-top superhero-style poster for the great local beer meisters Portland Brewery and their seasonal special S.M.A.S.H. Pale Ale. These big, splashy images are always a real treat– a chance to stretch out and “get loud” with the art. And Portland Brewery was a dream to work with. After just a few rough comps we struck on this high-energy design that puts the concept across effectively. Plus, I can’t wait to sample the product as the hot summer days head our way! Colors by the always-cool and refreshing Jeremy Colwell.
