During the Christmas season, I was asked to draw a DOCTOR WHO-inspired illustration as a gift. As the recipient would be getting the original art, I tried to do the whole thing in natural media…  I’ve mixed feelings about the results.  Maybe something to get a better handle on in the coming year.

I’ve also been helping to compile the Viet Nam Literature Project comics I drew about Lucy Nguyen-Hong-Nhiem into a book.  The above are some spot illustrations that will appear in the collection.  The comic will be available to VNLP donors.  You can also read the comics (along with past strips) at the VNLP website.

After long last, I’ve posted the comic I was working on for SPX on the site. Click the above image to read BOATFUL OF HINDUS: DECEMBER FOOLS. I assure you it is completely violent and tasteless, and maybe– just maybe– it will spark some early holiday spirit.

So SPX was a month and some change ago.  I’ve been meaning to write a post about it since getting home from Bethesda, but I’ve had trouble crystallizing my thoughts into something that wouldn’t be a total bore to read.  It wasn’t the best of times, and events before and during the con have led me to question my goals and intentions as an artist.

The positive takeaway from the con were the people I got to see and meet. It’s always a pleasure to hang out with my tablemate Jeremy Massie, and I got to meet some of his friends: Matthew Smith, Katie Omberg and Shannon Smith. I also got to chat a bit with my old college professor Ted Stearn. I also got to meet up briefly with old internet and/or convention acquaintances like Joey Weiser, David Yoder, Greg Means and Alec Longstreth.  I also traveled to the con with Jonathan Hill, who was debuting his new book AMERICUS with collaborator MK Reed.

Above is a pile of my minicomics as I was assembling them the morning of the convention.  I still have some copies left, and am considering putting them up for sale, though I’m thinking of re-doing the cover since it was a rush job.  I’ll try to have news on that soon.

Jeremy should have his new minicomic BEE STING available, as well as his graphic novel THE DEADBEAT. As for myself, Im finishing up my own minicomic, GET OFF THE STAGE, which will feature my BOATFUL OF HINDUS stories and a handful of other short comics.

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As some folks may have guessed from the images I showed last week, I’m redrawing my first BOATFUL OF HINDUS story.  For those who’ve never read it, I pretty much made it up as I went along and drew it straight-to-pen.  This version will not only be a better representation of my style, but I’m trying to tighten up some of the writing as well.  Only a few more pages left to go, and then it’s time for the real fun– printing and assembling the minicomic!

In the meantime, here are some more preview panels.

I had hoped to start this new site off with regular updates, but SO IT GOES! I’ve been keeping busy though, drawing comics for SPX.  Which is less than two weeks away!  Time to chain myself to the drawing table!!

Here are a couple more panels from the story I’m drawing.  If I have time I’ll try doing another preview post before I leave for the convention.

A couple weeks ago I finished my final comic in a series about Lucy Nguyen-Hong-Nhiem for the Viet Nam Literature Project.  Lucy came to the United States in 1975 and eventually became a teacher at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

The previous comics in this series were based on her memoir A DRAGON CHILD: REFLECTIONS OF A DAUGHTER OF ANNAM IN AMERICA. However, Lucy had recently taken her first trip back to Viet Nam since being forced to leave, and my editor wanted to have this last comic to chronicle her experience.

Lucy was also kind enough to provide me with photos from her trip. Finding visual reference can sometimes be the hardest part about drawing strips for the VNLP, so these were especially useful in helping to tell her story.

       
Photos used with permission.

Each of my comics about Lucy Nguyen can be found at the VNLP website, along with editor Dan Duffy’s comments about the series.  I’ve also added the final comic to the “Shorts” section of the COMICS page.

The other bit of news that I have is that I will be exhibiting at the SMALL PRESS EXPO this year. I’ll be sharing a table with my good mate Jeremy Massie.  I’m very excited to see him and get a chance to see the other side of the country for a few days.  In the meantime, I have a lot to do to get ready for the show.  Below are the projects that will be keeping me busy between now and September:

• I’ll be putting together a compilation of short stories I’ve done for various anthologies that I’ve done over the years.  I’ll be redrawing some of the pages for this book.  Some comics I’ve lost or thrown out the original art and don’t have the high-resolution files.  One story I’m redrawing to better fit the format of the book (and while I liked the story, I’m not crazy about the art).
• I also want to make a silkscreen print to sell at the show.  I’m still brainstorming what I want to do.  I’m debating between doing one large print or a few small prints.

I’ve also recently finished a comic for the Viet Nam Literature Project.  I’ll post the comic here once it’s gone live on their website.

Well, time to work on some of the things I mentioned above.  Future posts will hopefully have more artstuff for your eyeballs.  Thanks for reading!