Sports Illustrated Kids - May

Geez, I've been so busy these last few months trying to get everything in the world of OilCan Drive in order that I totally forgot to post the newest Sports Illustrated Kids "What's The Call" pieces from May! Well, I guess there is no time like the middle of June to make up for that.

Here are the pieces I did for the May issue of SIK. See if you can figure out what is going on in each piece and how you'd make the call on the field as the official. Good Luck!

Out of Order

With two outs in the eighth inning of a 2-2 game against the Port Chester Pandas, shortstop Dale Osbourne of the Birmingham Beavers hits a RBI single to right field. Before the next pitch, Pandas manager Martin Collins out Osbourne should have batted at the top of the order to begin the inning to the home plate umpire. After checking the Beavers' lineup card, the umpire confirms that Osbourne batted in the wrong slot. The Beavers argue that the lineup card is incorrect. You're the official. Does the Beavers' run count?

Foul Trouble

In the final moments of a basketball game, California Caterpillars guard Ramona Flores pulls up for a jumper. She makes the shot just as a whistle is blown on her teammate, forward Karla McLean, and Delaware Ducks center Adrina Fisk under the hoop. A double foul is called on both players. The Ducks set up to inbound the ball, but the Caterpillars argue it's their ball. You're the referee. Which team has the possession?

Helmet Mishap

The Hartford Hounds and Willingboro Wildcats are making line changes during a hockey game. Hounds left wing Edgar Gleason forgets to strap on his helmet. As he leaps onto the ice, the helmet falls off his head and rolls on the ice. The Hounds are setting him up to score, so he doesn't have time to retrieve it. Gleason receives a pass, glides by two defenders, and buries the puck in the net. The Wildcats argue that the goal shouldn't count because Gleason wasn't wearing his helmet. You're an official. Does the goal count?

Denver Comic Con 2015

Whew! It's been almost three weeks since the end of the 2015 Denver Comic Con and I am only now getting around to finally writing about it. Sorry about that but, as they say, better late than never.

This year's con was absolutely crazy! I've been attending the big Denver con since they began in 2012 and they have just grown by leaps and bounds since that first year. I think the number of attendees the first time out was around 28,000. This year it topped out at a little over 101,000! That is a huge jump in attendance after only four years and you could really feel it this year.

For me, to be honest, this year felt a little overwhelming. I tried to wander through the convention a few times but I always ended up just running back to my table where it was safe. It was a very loud convention, both audibly and visually. If I had to describe it in some way I'd say it was like the internet had come to life and everywhere you looked there was something vying for your attention.

But, even though it was busy and very exhausting, I had a great time.

We had a booth at the end of the hall this year and, because I had no one beside me on the end, I got to build my space out a little bit and added Ryan's hockey jersey and guitar to the display to accompany my usual art. Although, I did learn, if you put a guitar that close to where kids can touch it, by the end of the weekend you're going to have one very sticky guitar. I had new banners created to sit behind me and I also had a kind of picnic spread banner to put over my table. The whole thing really came out nicely and I was happy with how our space looked.

I sold a bunch of books, both old ones like OCD #1 and the newest books like OCD #2 and a print copy of the book I created for the 24 Hour Comic Challenge. I was hoping to get a new album of music done before the convention but getting a really bad cold in the weeks beforehand put the kibosh on that plan. Ah well, there is always next year.

And, as busy as it was I had a chance to catch up with some friends, solidify some contacts I made last year, and meet a bunch of very cool people. Probably the coolest part was that Dave Dorman of Dark Horse Comics and Star Wars fame was seated in the table right behind mine. After peeking through my banners to see if he was free I had a chance to sit down and talk with him for a bit. That was really cool and he's a super nice guy.

And, yes, Monika had a great time as well. She dressed up as something different each day. The first two days she cosplayed as characters from my comic and on the third day she left my world to play Wonder Woman. I'd be jealous but, honestly, it's hard to beat Wonder Woman. It was great having her there and she made the whole weekend a lot easier. She's definitely the best convention partner I've ever had.

So, yes, I had a great time and I can't wait to do it again. Maybe by this time next year I can finally get another OilCan Drive album done. I can't be sick all the time!

Have a great one and I'll see you all soon!

Happy June and a bunch of process shots!

Happy June everybody!

Sorry again for being a few days late with the newest blog header. The month ends these days far quicker than I'd like and I find myself always struggling to get something new up for each month's header. Plus, I am still reeling from doing the Denver Comic Con a week and a half ago. I should definitely do a recap post about the con with some of the photos I took. Maybe later this week. It was a great time but it really left me exhausted.

This month I did a new piece of Lily that will be posted on the OilCan Drive web comic site later this month. Basically I am giving myself two weeks off before I run the next chapter of the book and I needed a little placeholder to let people know when the next story starts.

So, who better to fill the space with her lovely face than Lily?

Below are a bunch of production photos I took while working on the piece and you can see my process from pencils to inks to computer color to finish. And, finally, at the bottom, is how the piece will look on the OilCan Drive site. So, yes, if you're checking this post out from the OCD web page, you are getting a sneak preview!

Enjoy the new Lily piece, enjoy the month, and I'll talk to you all soon. The convention recap is coming up next!