Online for your perusal...

Well the comic preview has been submitted and on display at my end of year exhibition at college.
The opening went well with a decent turn out of people (out of the corner of my eye I kept checking to see if they were browsing through the comic).

As a companion to the exhibition I posted the website online. It's not only the comic but also an early indication of where I would like Interactive Comics to lead into. Regardless of my dreams for a mash-up between Comics an Animation, I though it best to share the site with everyone.

You'll find it at: http://art.tafe.vu.edu.au/sbreese/judas/

From here on I'll be posting some of the production art (as promised) but also hunting for funding.
The next part of the script is also being edited and re-edited and should be ready for illustrating in January. Wish me luck, and if anyone knows a patron who wants to support a new form of art I'm right here waiting...

Cheers!

Next up, Production Sketches!

Suce, shown here in a black and white inked sketch; is just one of the characters of the Judas Khemical story. In the next few blogs I'll cover some of the process behind going from rough pencil sketch to finished art. But for now I'll leave you with the delectable Suce.

Demonic in appearance, but canny enough in the cut and trade of the world that she could probably beat the Devil in the Soul Trade. Behind every stranded Alien and underground empire there's a brilliant and beautiful woman.

Credit where it is due in the Strange New World.

Every idea needs fertile ground to grow. That can come from a job on the side, friends and lecturers. Patient and loving Family members. Inspirational creators and fellow collaborators.
It's not a good ideas to forget these folks and I'm not going to start now. So thank you to everyone who has been interested of at least humoured me while I've tried to draw them into my strange new world.

Time to roll a Seven, Judas.

I'm really happy with Judas' narration on this page. When the audio gets added to the ICR (the Interactive Comic Reader) you'll be able to hear the sense of twisted pleasure and dark humour he gets when he says "But I'm broken..."

For a while I was torn between drawing a close-up of his mouth smirking, but I like the rhythm between panels that I got from zooming in on his eye. As your gaze focuses on Judas, the other panels move from the darkened hive of the Factory to the tunnel's promise of escape.

I'm going to hunt for funding so that I can finish the first story arc more easily. And answer some of the questions that the Preview raises. Why was he so beaten up at the beginning? Is it too late to find Xemos? Who has sent the Cyber-Swat Troops after him? If Judas is a Simulant why doesn't he follow orders? And who named him Judas anyway?

The Six Billion dollar mortgage.

Page Six starts with the mobile city state, New Utonia. I once described it to someone as "a model toy big enough for God to play with". Basically everyone wealthy and important enough gets to live at the penthouse level and everyone else gets crammed in underneath.

But even if you live in a pod with twelve other strangers. Spending half of your time in virtual reality just to stop the sense of claustraphobia from killing yourself (or everyone else around you). It still doesn't come cheap.

Citizenship to New Utonia is mortgaged at a genetic level. Six Billion credits have to be paid off individually by you and/or your descendants. If you die with no progeny to pass on the debt, then your genetic structure is forfeit. The management will decide if you are worth re-shelling into another body or just grown in pieces for replacement organs.

If you're really obstinate about it and dared turn your death into a political statement; they re-shell you into a security simulant. That's basically the nightmare of being aware, amphetimised and paralysed. Your job is to stare at security camera footage and have the brainwaves of your reactions fed to a computer that ascertains whether or not to send the Cyber-Swat Cops around.

Reality TV for the rest of your life with no interaction or freedom.

On Page Five the Earth is in pretty bad shape...

Any post-apocalyptic story needs to be after a disaster. Mine is set after a global environmental upheaval that occurs at the changing of the Mayan calendar. The Mayans had a lot of things worked out and some alternate historians surmise that the Mayan civilisation was coming to the collapse of a highly advanced society. A point where knowledge was being lost instead of increased.

Whichever theory you subscribe to, it is undeniable that their building, architecture, writing, astrology and astronomy were quite advanced. The Mayans measured time in not only days, months, and years; but also in Worlds. If the theory is correct then the world ends in 2012.

Then the New World begins. A new world that in my story heralds a shift in the permutative forces that make up our reality, allowing for esoteric energies to become as recognisable as scientific laws. By 2071 these energies are beginning to coalesce and focus. Opening this little science-fiction saga into other future pathways.

Page Four - meet Cougar Fernandez

Or as the caption reads "Gunpoint with the delightful Cougar".

Cougar Fernandez is a biochemically augmented bounty hunter. A mature and dangerous woman who is likely to bring you back in little packages if you give her any grief. Funnily enough I was unaware that Cougar is the fifties slang word for an attractive older woman on the prowl, but it fits.

Three is the magic number...

The simulant gestation tank in the first panel was based on the organic shapes of orchids and tulips. I've had that set in my head for more than a few years now. So when I saw Geoff Darrow's magnificently detailed pod designs for The Matrix I was both blown away and gutted. Even though there is a visual similarity I figured "bugger it, that's how they always looked in my head -that's what I'll publish".
I'm just glad that my brain was on a similar wavelength to Darrow. I consider him to be right up there near Syd Mead when it comes to concept art.

This page also introduces three major characters. Xemos Heck, the stranded Martian tourist. Fae, the ambassador for the Faelien species, and Suce, the enticeing and devilishly brilliant business woman. And 'the Makers' from the first panel? I'm not telling yet.

Attack of the Second page.

I was pretty pleased with how the Cyber-Swat troops in the first panel turned out. One at your doorstep would be imposing enough. With three coming you know it's not a good idea to stick around.

Enough talk - bring me the comic!

The next posts will show the completed interior pages and credits page for the preview.
It's not quite the same as hearing the dialog play with the page's soundtrack, but that day is coming. So far the preview can be read as a Flash based pageflip of a pdf slideshow.

Of the two I prefer the slidshow, each page lasts onscreen for ten seconds and is accompanied by a looped soundtrack. Still, I haven't given up on the magic of Flash or Java riddled XHML.

That's enough talk for now, you saw the cover at the last post. Now here's the first page...

Judas Khemical preview Art complete!!!

Despite death, plague and disaster the artwork for Judas Khemical is now complete. In the next 18 hours it will be combined with the ICR (or Interactive Comic Reader). In the meantime here's a view of the front cover artwork.

The final project will be part of the end of year exhibition for my interactive multimedia course. If all goes well the comic will be viewed with an interface that allows you to swap from page to panel views (and vice versa) with up to three pages or panels on screen at a time.

The reader will be able to listen to a soundtrack and/or dialogue to accompany the images. In this way I hope to allow readers to bridge the gap between comics and animation while being able to choose how they experience the story.

Fate willing...

First page artwork sans text

For those of you who've browsed my links you'll have seen the 'Playing with Text' earlier post.
But for those who came in late, and crave artwork here's a taste of the first page (free of lettering and titles).

It's a shot of Judas sporting the bloodstains and bruises of the recently beaten. He is in the process of scanning for his friends (Xemos Heck in particular), however he knows that he was the only one to escape.

Denial is a powerful thing after all...

How long is a piece of quantum string?

Recently I was asked how long it takes to make a page. I must admit I was stumped, effectively there's a big difference between when I'm in a groove and when I have to push things through.
Time wise I find that when the pencils, inks and photo-shopping are all working together then I can get a whole page done in less than two days.

But if the tornado you're trying to draw looks like a bad mechanical arm made of irish stew, then it holds up the inking. That leaves you with not much to digitally enhance and can stretch out a single panel into a three day stress-fest.

Still, the golden rule of the creative process is: There's no room for 'Can't'.

Paint my walls Vectroid

Thanks goes to the typographically skilled 'fontologist' Andreas Nylin who created the font 'Vectroid'. He created it as freeware, but I didn't think it would hurt to ask permission and give credit where it's due.

You can find the Vectroid font here at http://www.fontspace.com/dustbust/vectroid
As you'll see by the images from my comic book preview the font certainly helps add a certain element to a background or location. Attached is a panel with his font showing the exterior of Xemos Heck's Martian themed club and here's a link to a previous post that featured the Vectroid font (just in case you're not in the mood to search).

Thanks again Andreas.

Psimonic: Playing with Text

This is an earlier post from my Psimonic blog which features a look at the first page of the Judas Khemical preview.
Feedback and adulation is always welcome. Cheers!
Psimonic: Playing with Text

What a tangled web we weave...

I've made a blog dedicated to my comic book project, The Judas Khemical.
You'll find it hiding in the net at: http://judas-khemical.blogspot.com/
Come see.

So what the hell is Judas Khemical?

The Judas Khemical is a storytelling experience which utilises illustration, audio, and written elements. It is the pitch or preview for an ongoing multimedia comic book series.

An extended series based on an alternate Earth in the future, focusing around the development of the central character's personality as he integrates with his peers at both human and super-human level. The story also seeks to make certain observations at social and political levels. The story also focuses on the development of heroes and anti-heroes.

If you end up saving the world when you're just trying to save your ass, does that make you one of the good guys?

Welcome Citizen...

Welcome to the sister blog to The Judas Khemical Project. A comic book previewing the exploits of a renegade simulant on the run in the futuristic mobile city, New Utonia. Over the next few posts we'll introduce you to the cast, setting and reveal some of the process behind the execution.

Playing with Text

I've been experimenting with using Comic Life for voice bubbles, headings and sound effects.
It looks like it provides a good tool for the casual user and with a bit more tinkering provides a decent shortcut for those aiming for a more professional look.

Here's a preview of the first page's lettering.

I'm at RedBubble too

RedBubble is a site I heard about by word of mouth (that's one of the other ways of communicating when you're not using a keyboard). They kindly provide folio space, webpage and online shopping facilities for prints and t-shirts.

For a while I've been wishing that something like this would come along.
Now it's here, you can come along too if you want!

Page one artwork complete

My final project is swimming towards it's deadline, so i thought I'd start using my blog to keep tabs on it. So let's start off with a bang. This is the completed artwork for page one. I was aiming for the type of splash page that would make people want more...

So there's this forum about a dark Superman...

Before you wonder, it's about the idea of Superman having the same brooding dark tone as the Dark Knight.
This was posted at the_dark_superman which I stumbled across:

A Dark Superman? The Dark Knight's recent success has convinced WB the next pack of superhero movies should have the same brooding tone. The evil side to characters is now the key to unlocking some of their DC properties. "We're going to try to go dark to the extent that the characters allow it," Group Pres. Robinov says. "That goes for the company's Superman franchise as well."

Are we ready for this?

I think we are, and that we certainly will be after Watchmen carves itself into the general cultural psyche. Especially if he's compared in any way to Dr.Manhattan.

There's definitely more depth to a conflicted hero. More story.

Why wouldn't a near godlike entity with a belief in striving towards good get frustrated with us mortals?

Use BOTH sides. That way you can keep the values he was raised under and add in the frustration that he has sworn not to rule over humanity, yet we treat each other like crap.
How does the Man of Steel deal with the fact that he can hear family abuse, hate crimes and murder? Even from orbit.
Would he share his frustrations or bottle them inside?
How would the Superman be tempted to cure humanity of it's weaknesses?

Superman flailing would be like watching a Greek God fall from Olympus into the muck.
Hell, bring in Brainiac into the movie franchise. But give the guy some subtlety.
Bring him in as the man behind the curtain, who tests Superman's other powers. His legendary optimism and patience. His hope. And don't just give only one villain to take on. He's Superman, he can multi-task!

Superman has never been my favourite hero due to the sheer edge in power he has over most of his opponents. The last Superman film seemed caught and confused on where to go, it had great moments but then seemed restrained or illogical. The last thing you need to ruin that really good suspension of disbelief is a 'hang on a minute' moment.

psignature logo

psignature logo, originally uploaded by psimonic design.

I've made this for my sign off , signature and logo for correspondence.
It encompasses my profile picture, logo and icon all together.

A new folio site...

Recently I signed up to the free online folio site Finalcrit.

They use a pretty clean Flash interface that allows you to post and present your work.
There's only a few pieces in there so far, with many more to come.
Check it at:



Cheers!

Web 2.0 roundup part two...

So I've joined Librarything and I must admit it's kind of nice to see your books all in one virtual spot. I've just splashed the tip of the iceberg though, it'll take a while to get every book I've read in there. I'll keep trucking through the one's I love first. Which means there will be quite a lot of sci-fi and graphic novels to begin with.

I've previously posted a sci-fi book cover illustration of mine on my Flickr profile but I'll post it here too for good measure.

The picture was called the Nanite Trooper. Essentially a futuristic soldier/survivor enshrouded in a swarm of molecular machinery.
But whose side are the nanites on?
...

Web 2.0 roundup part one...

Well the Web 2.0 project is drawing to a close.
It's been fun, though I wish a few less real life demands had hit while it was on.
I'd already made a Flickr folio, which is not only a useful tool but is creating weird spin-off projects such as "Album Covers from a Parallel Universe" which is kind of a conceptual collage.

The point of play is to generate an album cover. Use the following ingredients:

* Wikipedia's Random Page [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random]: The article name is the name of your band;
* Random Quotations Page [http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3]: The last four words of the last quote are the name of the album;
* Flickr's Interesting Picture Page [http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/]: The third picture is your album cover image.

Mash them all together in your favoured art package and behold, a band is born.
I'd like to post my album cover mash-up, but I'm being good and respecting the artist's copyright. As soon as they give the all clear it'll be album cover time!

I almost forgot to web 2.0 myself!

No, whatever you're thinking it's something else...

My Local Library has a promotion to get in and blog, play, express and explore.
And they're offering an ipod to each branch's lucky winner.
What can I say, I'm only human (well, sometimes sub-human, sometimes meta-human)...

Anyway I realised that while I had links to flickr, deviantart, myspace and madman.
I'd neglected to mention my profiles at Youtube, Delicious and a fairly recent browsing tool called Stumbleupon. Both of which will be able to provide hours of distraction, I mean inspiration!

More glorious information on the Library's Web 2.0 program can be found 'here'.

Cheers!

Osisris has arisen

Osisris has arisen
Originally uploaded by psimonic design

I thought I'd post an older piece. This is my aquatinted etching of Osiris, the Egyptian God of the Dead.
I miss etching, it was easier at art college when I had plenty of access to the presses and a lot more time on my hands.

Sometimes this planet is like a bleak Kafka novel with commercials.

At first this sad event was a distant ripple, Thomas M. Disch died on the 4th of July. He was an author of science-fiction and poet of both tender and scathing work and attitude. I purposefully make that distinction rather than 'science fiction author' as it is often said that way in book-stores as something to scoff at.

Well the world has had it's cruel laugh now. After the slow death of his lover, Disch was facing starvation and eviction. According to reports he was under threat of being evicted from his rent-controlled apartment as the lease was in his lover's name.

I saw his name six months ago, picked up a copy of 'Camp Concentration' and immediately thought "bloody hell I'll have to read this". Now I'm saddened to say that the author no longer walks this world, casting a defiant suicide in the land of the free on the fourth of July.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_M._Disch
http://barista.media2.org/?p=3490
http://tomsdisch.livejournal.com/
http://www.speakeasy.org/~rubel/disch/
http://www.the-underdogs.info/game.php?id=53
http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/010413.html

This'll take more than those biblical 7 days...

Well I'm in the final semester of my course and gearing up for the big project.

In the next few weeks I will become even more of a digital hermit (but hopefully not as cranky).
Still, onward with Judas Khemical and the ICR...

It's just like the older 12th Dynasty banner but smaller!

Reworked a friend's banner for our Heroes group.
I had my own group for about 3 days but joined the 12th instead.
It was called 'The Chrysalids' after the John Wyndham novel.
Since mutation is a pretty big theme in both stories it seemed to make sense at the time...

I'm not addicted to Heroes - I can stop at any time... really

To fill the awful void that lingers in my heart until the return of Heroes, I've been playing My Heroes Ability. I swear it hasn't taken over my life yet and it does serve as a good mind-shift while I change assignments.

Anyway.

The group I'm in is called 12th Dynasty. The founder has created a great banner, but I love Frank Miller's Ronin as well as Heroes. So here's my shameless grab of his intense first edition cover from the collection. Come to think of it the next blog will be on Ronin, I owe Frank Miller all that homage and more...

If you haven't read Ronin yet...

Do so.

This is the best comic book on apiology in the universe.

I thought that might get you thinking what the hell is apiology?

It's not about gorillas. It's a sneakily scientific tale of a bee named Nyuki told by Jay Hosler. If you see a copy around have a read, I'm hoping find somewhere with a second hand copy some day. It's currently out of print but here's a url for the book nonetheless.

http://www.jayhosler.com/clanapis.html

Clan Apis By Jay Hosler

ISBN: 096772550X

Because books tend to expand the mind... part one

World of the Dark Crystal By Brian Froud

This book is so remarkable in it's design and execution. It's reads like a lost relic from the Dark Crystal's realm.

Visually stunning, this book attracted such interest that it was regularly stolen from two of my childhood libraries. It's a damn shame when someone gets greedy about art like this, think of all the people who missed out on stumbling across this book.

The isbn is listed below to help you find it; when you do remember to share instead of swipe.

ISBN: 0810945797 Published in May 2003

More feedback vicar?

I've just posted my first thread on Conceptart.org so if you're feeling lucky (or constructive at least)feel free to give me critique.

Cheers!

Comic book nostalgia

Anti-heroes: Usually disturbed engines of fury with confused motives and epic powers of destruction. At least that's what Haywire was, and as I remember it as being magnificent.

Guess what I found in the backyard?

Who's a pretty boy then?
While turning over some compost I found these little critters (at least seven in all).
They're wichetty grubs, normally found in outback Australia and seen as a bushman's delicacy. Needless to say my eldest Daughter had something remarkable for show n' tell at her school on Monday.