Kiss Me, Deadly: A Retro Reject Returns!

This is a cover concept I had that went unfinished for a number of years. It dates from probably the early 2000s, and I was apparently pondering taking the Megaton Man Weekly Serial strips and collecting them into a print comic (newsflash: print has been a problematic prospect since the late 1990s!). For whatever reason, I inked only the Megaton Man and moll figures and completed the lettering at the time; I left the generic bad guys on the periphery uninked until just recently.

"Stella's Story": The First-Person Narrator in Megaton Man #5

It had completely slipped my mind until now, but I realize I did an unusual thing for the fifth issue of Megaton Man (Kitchen Sink Press, August 1985): I told the story entirely from Stella Starlight's point of view. Throughout the issue (except for "George Has a Gun," a "back-up feature that features Stella but takes a more objective view of her and her affair with Martian Anton Drek - yes, you read that right), we see events, including flashbacks, from her perspective.

Hembeck's Man of Molecules and the Boys of 'Summer'!

Fred G. Hembeck has been a presence in the comic book industry since the 1970s, when his distinctive interpretations of every single character ever created began appearing in fan publications and trade journals like the Comics Buyer's Guide and Amazing Heroes - he also destroyed the Marvel Universe, as I recall!

2002 Sketchbook: The Origins of the 9/11 Storyline

These thumbnail sketches date from late 2001 and early 2002, in the wake of the September 11 attacks. Finished art was complete sometime by the mid-2000s, and has been serialized on this blog as Atomic Aftermath (what I am also calling The New Megaton Man #1). The sketches utilize Uni-Ball pens, ballpoint, colored pencil, and graphite pencil.

New MM #2-3 Splash Pages in Progress

Here is the last page of what I'm calling The New Megaton Man #2 and first page of #3 (currently being serialized as Atomic Aftermath on this blog). I'm using my new method of Clearprint Design Vellum, Elmer's Repositional Picture and Poster Stick, and rough pencil layouts. Both pages were drawn from scratch this morning (Monday, May 19, 2014). The glue-and-vellum combo allows me to ink with less worry about holding the material down as I ink (although you can still see some flubs I will have to correct with Pro White). On the right, you can actually see the pencil layout underneath the vellum fairly clearly.

Spoiler Alert: Big changes that will alter the Megaverse forever! Left: Stella Starlight looks on as Liquid Man floats off from the Megatropolis Quartet headquarters; Right: The Really Dead Angel of Death, Colonel Turtle, and X-Ray Boy video conference with The Lens to determine the destiny of The Devengers. (Hint: The future of both megahero teams are inextricably linked!)

(For more on inking of The Devengers splash, see this subsequent post.)

A closer look at the pencil rough (left) and the inked vellum (right), side by side, of the last page of The New Megaton Man #2. Who the heck are The Doom Defiers?! Stay tuned!

Over Ground Zero: Too Soon No More!

Since there is a new building there now, perhaps its not "too soon" (as it was a decade ago, according to a few discouraging voices) for me to finish up my 9/11 storyline, including this tier I inked today of Megaton Man flying over Ground Zero, before it was even a construction site. This makes a total of some 50 contiguous pages of unpublished (in print form) Megaton Man material, which I have been serializing on this blog, with another dozen pages ready to be inked (roughly two print issues). Will this be collected, printed, published at all? TBD.

Further plotlines I have in mind will see a quickening pace that will bring the character current to today. Needless to say, events therein will change the Megaverse forever! Stay tuned...

Hot Off the Drawing Board: Inking Tier #43

This shows what I'm up to right this very minute without giving away too much of the storyline (see Atomic Aftermath, the 9/11 storyline I am serializing on this blog). Above is the rough layout and below the finished ink, inked today (Monday, May 12, 2014). See previous posts for an explanation of my working process.

Above: A rough layout, approximately legal size. Below: ink on Clearprint vellum.

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An all-new YA prose novel - new chapter every week: The Ms. Megaton Man Maxi-Series!

Old Wine Skins: Inking More Vintage Megatropolis Quartet

Here is some inking in progress (done today, May 5, 2014) for an upcoming installment of Atomic Aftermath (essentially the post-9/11 storyline I am serializing on this blog). The rough layouts date from 2003 or 2004, and I probably lettered them on Clearprint a few years ago. One reason to ink them now is that if I wait any longer, the drafting tape might never come off! No kidding.

Two panels partially inked on Clearprint Design Vellum, with the layouts underneath. This gives a good idea of the translucent quality that the material affords. It greys out the original enough so that I can concentrate on the linework I'm lying down, and it eliminates erasing. I have to hold the vellum down to keep it in contact with the layout, which is a challenge (I usually use a burnisher), but generally I enjoy working with this method and am pleased with the results.

Update: Here are the other two panels in the scene, completely inked.

The layouts and inked finishes, side by side.

The two panels below occur between the two panels above, sequentially, to complete the scene:

Two tiers lettered some time ago but inked today, next to the rough layouts done in 2003-4 in marker. Note the lettering on the layouts, which was done using a computer font I designed in Fontographer based on my lettering. I was never really happy with it, and used it only on a few commercial freelance jobs. Here I've traced it using Rapidograph 2.5 and 3.5 pen points to give it more of a hand-lettered feel (in fact, exactly a hand-lettered feel). The layouts are actually photocopies of the originals, slightly blown up.

Megaton Man Meets Connie Carlyle

Here is the panel that precedes one already posted, in which Trent Phloog returns to his New York apartment only to find a tenant who is subletting. See previous posts for more the identity of this mystery roomie!

Left to right: Light blue Col-Erase and graphite pencil on layout bond, with lettering on canary yellow tracing paper, traced from a blown-up sketch (see below); ink on Clearprint 1000HP Design Vellum, April 29, 2014

Below is the original 2003 sketchbook page from which the original thumbnail derives:

2003 sketchbook sheet working out a couple of related scenes (Megaton Man discovering the Megatropolis Quartet headquarters is closing, and finding Connie at his old apartment). Note the loose fitting yoga pants Connie is wearing, replaced by the ubiquitous tights girls wear these days. Note also that I'm changing her name from Colleen to Connie!

Roomie Do-Over and Rex Rigid

Here are a couple more pieces from today: A refined pencil and simpler ink rendering of Connie Carlyle (see a previous post; the first try was too liney), and the same for Professor Rex.

Ink and pencil, both on Clearprint vellum. See a prior post for the rough sketch.

Professor Rex Rigid in his lab coat, in pencil on clear tracing paper, and ink on Clearprint vellum. I'm particularly proud of the stethoscope and rubber gloves in his labcoat pockets. One never knows when one will need a full figure of Rex Rigid for a fan club or something (one in this case being me).

The original pencil page in my current sketchbook, 11" x 14". Rex looked a little cramped in there, so I redrew him separately and will place him back in digitally. The rest of the sheet I intend to ink pretty much as is.

Megatropolis Tech: The New Roomie Revealed!

Here is the pencils and inks of a new panel in which Megaton Man arrives at his old New York apartment, only to be greeted by Connie Carlyle, student at Megatropolis Tech, who has been subletting the place. With the Stella Starlight android, will three be a crowd?

Left to right: Light blue and graphite pencil on bond layout, with canary yellow tracing paper; ink on Clearprint 1000HP vellum; refinement of Connie's figure on clear tracing paper.

Below is the sketchbook sheet from 2010 which includes the thumbnail for this panel:

See previous post for further developments from this sketchbook sheet.

New Megaton Man Pencils and Inks

New Megaton Man panel with Yarn Man, penciled April 19 then inked on Clearprint vellum April 20. Happy Easter! (See also my Ms. Megaton Man blog for more views of work in progress...)

The Long Return to Megatropolis

This is the complete post-Megaton Man Weekly Serial storyline that I have posted thus far, all in one place so that you can read it continuously using Blogger's "lightbox" feature. Click on an image, and a scroll of images will pop up; you can advance through the images without stopping. For more glimpses of this work in progress, see other postings on this blog.