From The Vault - Exit 6 #1 Cover Pencil 1997

I am nearing the end of writing the first draft of the Exit 6 Collected book. Just a few more chapters and then I can go back over the whole thing and make sure it all makes sense, flows right, and there isn't too much "fat" in there.

So far, I'm pretty happy with the book overall. It took some time to get through a few of the traumatic parts of what happened with the comic. It wasn't easy to go back and live through those events again. And, I had to put together a timeline for some of the parts where I couldn't quite remember what order stuff happened. But, it's getting there. Only a few chapters left.

So, here is the penciled page of the cover of Exit 6 #1 from 1997. This is the one I actually used for the published book. And, if all works out right, this will be in the collected book along with a bunch of other art no one has ever seen.

It's not done yet. But it's getting there.

Have a great weekend!

More Angels and Airwaves LOVE Videos

The band Angels and Airwaves have released a few more videos and, since I don't have much of my own stuff that I can really show right now, I thought it would be fun to put a few of them up here.

The first video is a short piece of film from the upcoming movie LOVE. Apparently there are going to be four short vignettes of characters who will appear in the movie and this is the first.

The next three videos are live performances from the band in the Red Bull Studios. Not only do they play a few songs from the album LOVE live but Tom also talks about the movie and the ideas and themes behind it. I think it's a great way to promote the movie. Play live somewhere where you know your fans will want to see you and then sneak in some information about the movie so people will want to check it out.

Tom's voice does sound a bit rough in the live songs but, for me, it's fun to see the different instrumentation taking place throughout the performance. I like seeing David go from banging on a giant bass drum, to playing keyboards, and then settling into guitar. Stuff like that fascinates me.

Okay, I hope you enjoy the stuff I've been enjoying for the last few days. Have a good one!

Clever Love



The Moon Atomic



Epic Holiday



Hallucinations

To The Rescue!

I've been working most of the week on a super hero kid and I went through a few versions before I came up with something the client liked.

Since the finished version is so radically different from my initial sketch I figure it would be okay to show off where I started from. I like the version we finally settled on but I also like this version as well. It's all a matter of taste.

And, he does make a very cute looking little super hero.

Have a great day!

August 10, Baby!

Whew....things over the past few days were so busy that I didn't have time to update the blog at all. Not only have I been busy doing client work but I also spent Saturday night heading down to Denver to celebrate a really great friend's birthday. I haven't seen her in over a year so it was great to catch up with her, her boyfriend, her family, and her friends.

While on the way back up to Boulder from Denver I stopped off at the movie theater in Westminster that I reserved my tickets at for the Angels and Airwaves movie "Love" playing for one night on August 10th. I wasn't sure if the ticket kiosk would work at 2:30 in the morning but I swiped my card and got the tickets I ordered with no problem at all.

It feels good to have the tickets in hand and it gives me something fun to look forward to on August 10th. As I've said before, I've been waiting to see this movie since I heard they were working on it over four years ago. I just hope the people I'm dragging along to see it like it. That I'm a little worried about.

Actually, I was so worried about it that I had a dream the night I picked up the tickets of actually going to see the movie. I don't know if the movie was bad or not but the conditions were horrible. The movie was shown in a little white rec room with folding chairs for seats. Tom Delonge and the rest of the band Angels and Airwaves was there to promote the film but he kept stopping the movie and interrupting just to start talking about things. It was really weird and I didn't enjoy it at all.

So, I'm hoping it's a better experience than that.

I did find these two videos to promote the night's event and it just makes me want to see it that much more. So keep your fingers crossed that it's a good film and a fun night. Now I just have to wait a few more weeks.

Sorry for being quiet for so long. This week shouldn't be nearly as busy. Have a great day!

From The Vault - Exit 6 #2 Alternate Cover 1996

Much like the first issue of Exit 6 that I showed last week, the second issue also had an alternate cover that I didn't use for the printed book.

Looking back I think I chose the cover I did use because I knew the orders for the second book would drop to almost half what the first book did in sales. I was given advice, and it made sense to me at the time, that if I put a sexy pin-up type shot of Courtney wearing next to nothing it would draw more attention than my original idea. Maybe it worked and maybe it didn't but, as an older and wiser man now, I'm sad to say I tried to use sex to sell an issue of Exit 6.

I really like this original cover and I wish I had used it. I love the way Frank looks all menacing and how Keith is protecting a sleeping (or passed out) Courtney. I think it would have made a great finished cover once I inked and painted it.

In the end, yes, the sales matter, but I wish I had taken a different route with the cover of Exit 6 number two and kept things a bit more classy. Yes, the sales matter, but so does the art itself.

And the art lasts a lot longer than those initial sales do.

Have a great weekend.

OilCan Drive T-Shirts

I just went down to my mailbox and picked up the package containing the new OilCan Drive t-shirts.

I chose to put them all on dark colored t-shirts but now I'm wondering how they might have looked on a basic white tee. I may have to order one or two more in the future.

But, for now, I'm looking forward to giving these things their first wash and softening them up a bit so I can wear them.

Have a great day!

Busy Times

I've been having one of those weeks where it seems like everyone needs something from me all at once and right at this moment. So it feels like I'm juggling a bit more than usual trying to get everything done.

Amidst the client work this week I'm also trying to get more of the Exit 6 book written as well as more of the OilCan Drive music recorded. And then there are the favors that people ask me to do as well. The music seems to be suffering as I haven't recorded anything in about five days now. I actually spent the weekend trying to fix one of my guitars who's neck got a bit warped in the high humidity we've been having. After fixing it completely wrong I spent another night righting everything and now it's back in playing shape. At the end of the day, though, I just run out of time.

But, things are getting done. Here is a piece I worked on earlier this week that I actually won't be using for the finished piece. So I figured it was safe to show it off.

And, how do I feel when something I pencil isn't going to be used or need some changes? I don't mind at all, actually. It's why I pencil things first before I being inking.

You can always erase a pencil.

Have a great day.