MICHELE & BOB, CARTOONIFIED

I'm beginning to put together a new project that will feature my wife, Michele, and I as the protagonists. If Crumb can do it, why not me? Here are some quick prep sketches. Not sure about the approach yet, but I'm definitely leaning toward more cartoony. Now I have to figure out what kind of proportions. I like the four-head-high distortion, but sometimes I have a rough time maintaining that kind of thing. I've never been great about model sheets or stuff like that. Shorter figures look cuter. We'll see.



Here's a more straightforward portrait of Michele.

NEW PEN

Just a quick sketch to try out a new pen.

CONNECTIVE TISSUE

A few years back (in 2003, to be specific), I started a project called Connective Tissue, which was to be a free form, stream of consciousness, picture novel. I abandoned it after about 15 or so drawings, but waste not want not. Here are a few. I almost resurrected it last year in a revamped style, but once again lost steam (the drawings in my first blog here). Maybe someday I'll really get serious with it, but then what would the fun be in that?

THE HELL OF IT

These are some prep drawings I did for a graphic novel that I'd proposed, tentatively titled, The Hell of It. I've been nursing the idea for many years, and it keeps evolving. I might just write it as a prose novel, as has been my wont of late. Maybe I'll do an illustrated novel, like Mignola's latest effort, Baltimore. We'll see.

RAKOFF

Here’s a drawing I did recently of my friend, the writer David Rakoff. His books are great (as are his articles, should you happen across his byline in some tony periodical). This is the first of a series of drawings I’m planning to do of friends of mine who happen to be authors. Attention Jonathan Ames, are you ready for your close-up?

RECESS PIECES THUMBNAILS, PART 1

Here's the first of what might be a series of posts featuring some of my prep work. These are the first 20 pages of thumbnails for my graphic novel, Recess Pieces, which came out summer 2006.