Thing sketch cards, part 2

Hey, let's take a look at some more of the Thing sketch cards I have!  WHY NOT!!

Puis Calzada - Like many of these cards, I grabbed this card on eBay, and if I think about it, I'd say that this is the card that really got me into collecting these things.  It's another example of a card with color, and it's a full body shot - two things I don't see too much of in the sketchbook.  It's a pretty cool image.

Roger Andrews - The art on this card might look somewhat familiar.  If you think you've seen it before, chances are that you just might, because Roger Andrews is an artist whose art can be seen on Marvel's Super Hero Squad-brand toy packaging.  This art is indicative of the style of the kids cartoon branding, and it's got a whole lot of action packed in to such a small space.

Ken Hunt - I ran into and harangued artist Ken Hunt into drawing me a Thing sketch at a recent Steel City Con.  Ken's been moving up in the comic book world recently; pay attention and you'll see his name attached to a big-time project coming up very soon!

Alan Gallo - Alan's name is a familiar one around these parts.  He's worked on such comics as Teddy and the Yeti and the two-page Franks and Beans story.  I recently bought a few pages off of Alan and, never missing an opportunity to put my friends in a tight spot, I managed to get him to send me a Thing sketch as well.  This is definitely Alan's style and I love it.

Rafer Roberts - Here's a classic Kirby-inspired Thing from Rafer Roberts.  Rafer is another familiar name around these parts as he's worked on previous volumes of FUBAR.  I picked up this sketch card after I pledged a few bucks to a Kickstarter project.  I love the look of this one.

There are more to come at some point!  This is all a part of my master plan to deluge the internets with images of the Thing!

Everyone loves handbooks!

Handbooks, while certainly not unique to the comic industry, have perhaps been embraced by comics more fervently than in any other field.  Teddy and the Yeti, you'll note, has handbook entries in the backs of every issue for no other reason than I like 'em (I have heard from at least one other person who enjoys them, too, to be fair).  When you think about them and realize that comic handbooks are simply statistical and historical reference guides for fictional characters and places, it's difficult to image why they're so prevalent in comics today, but they're here and I'd imagine that they're not going anywhere.

Dave Ryan, mastermind behind the War of the Independents series, is putting together a new handbook featuring characters from the series.  A big fan of handbooks myself, I of course made one for Teddy and the Yeti.  Much of the information is the same as what's listed in the issues of Teddy and the Yeti, but this time around I added a quote from Chet Raymo so it'd sound smart and meaningful.  How academic!

The Teddy and the Yeti War of the Independents handbook entry is posted above.  Below are some other pages that will, I'm told, be published both in print as well as electronically.  I'll try to keep up on it and let everyone know when it shows up in comic shops.

Original art from Alan Gallo!

I currently have a small collection of original comic art.  Most of it is from projects that I've worked on and from artists I know (plus there's a random Iron Man page that I bought for five bucks at probably the first convention I ever attended).  Even though I've got scans of all of the work - at multiple stages - of the stories I write, there's just something about physically seeing the art boards in front of you, the ink visible over the pencils and blue line.

Alan Gallo lives in the Philippines, and it's expensive to ship art internationally because of the size, but I had to add some of Alan's work to my own collection, and just a few days ago, I got a package with several pages of art and a few surprises.

Alan's a great artist and a heck of a guy in general.  I bought a handful of pages, perhaps the highlight of which is above: the Teddy and the Yeti promo page with Andromeda Jones and, yeah, my dog Rusty.  This is something worthy of a frame.

Nearly every time Alan has sent me a scan of a page, there always seems to be the tiniest sliver of the in-house logo left uncropped at the top, and I've never been able to figure out what it was.  It looked like a bunch of drawing of girls' faces.  Now that I've got some actual pages in my hands, I can unveil the mystery.  It turns out that the images are...a bunch of girls' faces.  Huh.  And the Glass House Graphics logo!  I didn't expect that.  Glass House is a studio that represents a lot of different artists, especially, from what I've seen, international artists.

Alan (because he's a great guy) also drew this Thing sketch for me on a Teddy and the Yeti sketch card!  It turned out great.  It's actually not the only Thing sketch card I got in the mail this week.  Below is one that comes from the magical land of eBay, and it's drawn by Puis Calzada.

I wonder if this calls for a new post devoted to the Thing sketch cards I have (as opposed to the Thing sketch book, which is entirely different and possibly more awesome).  I'd say it just might!

Franks and Beans: the Comic

Franks and Beans, the Internet comedy sensation show came about at a fairly unusual time: after moving to Wilmington, North Carolina, 600 miles from my hometown, I decided that it would be a good idea to create a show with my friend Larry, still living in Pennsylvania.  This, of course, made no sense at all, which just may explain how often logic comes into play during an episode of Franks and Beans.

The show is something I like to do and a creative outlet for some of my stranger ideas, and let's face it, it was only a matter of time before I did something comics related with it.  So I'd like to proudly present the two page comic, which is titled "Larger than Life".  Read it, won't you?  No, seriously, read it:

In this comic, I tried to keep the same feel of a regular episode of Franks and Beans while doing things that couldn't be done (without one of us striking it rich at random) in real life, thus the giant muscleman look for me and the wanton destruction that happens throughout; I also tried to squeeze as many jokes and references to actual episodes in these two pages as I could.  I'd like to think that I accomplished both goals.

Art for this beauty is by none other than Alan Gallo, who meticulously recreated Larry's kitchen on the page, not to mention capturing the likenesses of me, Larry, Larry's mom and superfan Mark Moncheck.  Colors were provided by Michael Wiggam, and it took me SO LONG to letter these crowded panels.

Beyond simply being a vanity project (which, I'll admit, plays a part in this comic's creation), Larry and I are going to include this as an insert in the third volume of Franks and Beans DVDs.  We're also going to print out copies of this comic, at full size, and hand it out at conventions.  I'm also posting it online for free.  The marketing push begins!  And this, apparently, is at the forefront as an advertisement.

Franks and Beans also has a new website...with exactly the same URL as before.  A while ago, when I was having trouble with the main Teddy and the Yeti website, the F&B site was experiencing the same problems.  It's since been wiped clean, and the long, tedious process of rebuilding it has begun.  As always, though, I've been given the opportunity to streamline and make some things better, so hopefully this is all for the best.

If you haven't (it's not like I haven't promoted it enough, a hem), check out the Franks and Beans website at http://www.franksandbeansonline.com and the F&B YouTube page at http://www.youtube.com/user/FranksandBeansOnline.  They're both good AND good for you!

finally complete: the Andromeda Jones cover

Karin Rindevall dropped this in my e-mail today - it's the final version of the Andromeda Jones cover that has been a work years in progress, and it's truly an international collaboration.  Those who've worked on it have been from North America, Asia and Europe.  Pencils for this beauty are by Chris Whetzel, inks by Alan Gallo, colors by Karin Rindevall and the background image by Jason Moser.  I think it's one of the nicest pieces of art I've ever been involved with.  The final logo for the cover is below...all in all it'll look very nice in print.

The slow, (relatively) steady progress of Andromeda Jones

A few weeks ago, Karin Rindevall sent me the colored version of this Andromeda Jones pinup/cover.  It's been a long time coming but it's not quite finished just yet.  Chris Whetzel pencilled this about eight years ago (eight!) and I recently sent it to Alan Gallo to ink it...I'm planning on using it as a back cover for Teddy and the Yeti #5.  I've got a background option for it - an image of deep space Jason Moser put together for me probably around the same time Whetzel's pencils were originally done, but I'm not sure how that'll come together (a blank background might work better in any case).  Hopefully it won't take eight more years for us to see further adventures of Andromeda Jones.

website maintenance

If you head on over to the main Teddy and the Yeti website, you'll find...well, nothing.  The same is true for the Franks and Beans website, and this may cause undo consternation and wild, speculative rumors regarding my personal life.  Don't worry, though, because this is all due to some much needed updates on the server that hosts both sites.

Perhaps you've noticed that Teddy and the Yeti's homepage hasn't updated in, oh, forever, and this is due in large part to said server issues (plus perhaps a small dose of laziness).  Once the updates are complete and everything is ready to go, there'll be a new - and get this, functional - Teddy and the Yeti page up to view.  And boy,  I hope I don't have to redo the entire Franks and Beans website again, but it's possible as all of those files are saved in different formats, as opposed to the T&Y site which is saved in the wonderful "iWeb" program for the Mac.

Andromeda Jones by Whetzel and Gallo, X-Men: First Class review, the Mourning Star and More!

- A little while ago I posted a pinup of Andromeda Jones by Chris Whetzel that I had forgotten about for a number of years.  I decided to actually do something with it and, if nothing else, have a finished piece of art, so I shipped it off to Alan Gallo to ink it...and he came back at me with just a fantastic rendering.  The original file wasn't of optimal resolution, but Alan really kicked it's butt completely.

The next step is to get it colored, which will hopefully happen soon.

- I went to see X-Men: First Class on Friday, and like a lot of people I was pleasantly surprised with how good the movie actually was.  There's one trailer that compares it to The Dark Knight, which is just a ridiculous claim, but it was still very enjoyable and right up there, in my opinion, with the second X-Men movie (which was the last even remotely good one before Friday).  It's a shame that Marvel is doing next to nothing to promote this movie.

I did go through the entire movie thinking that the "Azazel" character was just a renamed Belasco, but Newsarama tells me that he was actually from the comic, as well.

- Paul Tucker has been going over in some detail the process he went through to put the new "Oh! The Horror!" cover together on his website, including thumbnails, the title design and the above pencilled piece.  If you haven't yet, check out Paul's site at http://tuckercomics.blogspot.com/.  It's great.

A few days ago, I got the second volume of Kazimir Strzepek's The Mourning Star in the mail, and I am extra excited to break into it.  I bought the first book at a tiny comic festival in Olympia, Washington when I spent a summer a few years ago in nearby Shelton.  I absolutely love the first volume, which was nominated for an Eisner award.  It still doesn't get as much attention as it deserves, so I wanted to mention it here.

I bought the book for $13 from Bodega Distribution and got free shipping!  Anyone who's reading this (BOTH OF YOU!) should literally run right out and buy it today.  I mean, literally.  Put your shoes on!

- And lastly, because I apparently have to end with some kind of Franks and Beans reference/update, have you ever said to yourself, "where can I get a copy of that 'beard arrow' thing that I saw on that episode of Franks and Beans, my favorite irreverent Internet sketch comedy show of all time?"  I'm just saying, lots of words are said every day and eventually, even if at random, those words will be uttered in the proper sequence.

Regardless, on the main Franks and Beans website I've uploaded a few things recently, including the famous "Beard Arrow" graphic from the extended episode "Irony", as well as the great "Cha-Ching!" graphic from our most recent episode, "The Education Lottery Lottery Education", which is a more clever name than you could have come up with.  For real.

Look familiar?

This month, DC Comics is publishing most of their books with "theme" covers - simple, solitary shots of main characters in front of logos.  It's a cheap event that still manages to catch the attention of readers who might be scanning the shelves - and, if you ask me, it looks pretty neat.  I'd say that this is a win on the behalf of the DC marketing people.  Here's a look at some of the covers to the books, all of which are out now:

I'd be remiss, of course, in not pointing out that these covers looks strikingly similar to something done last year with the New Dimension Comics cover of Teddy and the Yeti #1 (by Alan Gallo and Karin Rindevall), seen here:

This is not to say that I'm trying to make any claim that DC somehow saw this and decided to copy it.  That'd be ridiculous, as it's a fairly simple idea.  I just think it's cool that Teddy and the Yeti #1 fits in with the above group pretty seamlessly.

Oh, and...uh...you can still buy that copy of Teddy and the Yeti directly from the New Dimension Comics website!

art of the unknown

I got a page of artwork in recently from Leonardo Pietro (he of Yalta! fame) and I'm really excited about it. Paul Little colored it and I have to say, it looks really fantastic.  But I can't say what it is just yet...so I'll just post an obscure clip from the page.  EVEN A CLIP OF NOTHING FROM THIS PAGE LOOKS GREAT!

I'm hoping that I will be able to say what this artwork is for eventually, but one never knows.  I am getting close to (finally) being able to announce what this artwork from Alan Gallo is for.  So I thank the Lord for progress.

revisionist history

teddyandtheyeti.com is going through some updates, so this will serve as the homepage for the time being - most of what happens, happens here in any case, so it shouldn't be a big issue.  If you were directed here from the main page and are visiting for the first time, welcome!  If not...well, you can stay here, too, I guess.

A few days after the New York Comic Con, in which I handed out dozens if not hundreds of cards, flyers and books advertising the T&Y website, Google let me know that the site may be distributing malware.  The timing of this announcement was of course teeth-gnashingly frustrating, but things are taken care of for now.  While the placeholder (along with the "coming in 2011" story with Alan Gallo) redirects you to this lovely Blogger page, I'm busy streamlining the site before it goes back to full capacity operation.  I'm going to remove a few items, like the "links" section (they're all listed more efficiently on this page) and the message boards (again, they were redundant).  I'll also be adding a few things, like more comic previews and a section detailing the interviews I've done for the book and otherwise.

In all, it won't be a drastic revamp, but I think after I'm done, everything will look just a little bit better.  Naturally, I'll post a note up here once the website is up and running again.

Speaking of tiny updates, I've made a few to this site.  I've posted a link to the Teddy and the Yeti paper heroes patterns - the direct link takes you to the pdf files that you can save and print off on your own.  I also managed to get Teddy and the Yeti (including the new "Teddy and the Yeti's Back!" issue) into a comic shop in Longs, SC, and the link is to the right.  And because I love it, I've added a link to weekly NFL television maps - now you can find out if the Steelers are the national feed in YOUR area, every single week!  They probably are, because they are awesome.

Teddy and the Yeti trading cards

I wrote a while back about putting together some trading cards for the fast approaching New York Comic Con.  I'm happy to say that they're no longer just an abstract concept, because UPS brought the final products to my door a few days ago and boy!  Am I excited with how they turned out.

Here's the details: there are a total of 18 cards.  Cards one through nine are "story" cards, each highlighting the first two issues of the story.  Cards 10 through 17 are "character" cards, with pinup-style artwork of main characters (and, honestly, whoever I felt would look cool on a card).  Card 18 is a sketch card for...you know, sketches.  There's some great artwork by artists like Duane Redhead, Alan Gallo, Jorge Correa, Mario Wytch, Travis Sengaus, Leonardo Pietro, Karin Rindevall and Paul Little.

I'll be selling these at the show as a set, but I printed out extra copies of card one to give away.  And perhaps to practice throwing at watermelons just like they do on TV.  Check 'em out!  I'm proud.

Teddy and the Yeti's back!

I'm looking forward to the upcoming New York Comic Con for a lot of reasons, but one of the big ones is pictured above - at the show I'll have with me the first new Teddy and the Yeti story since April.  Titled "Teddy and the Yeti's Back" (get it?  Eh?), this short comic will feature a story with Alan Gallo that's never been seen before, the "Coming in 2011" story I posted here a little while ago, and a first look at the upcoming issue #4 with some artwork by none other than Duane Redhead.  Above is the pencil-and-ink version of the cover for this book - Duane also grayscaled it, but you'll have to wait until the show to see it (because I said so!!).

No matter how much I prepare, I'm sure it'll be a rush getting ready for the show.  But rest assured, this new book will be there.  Exciting stuff!

Here's what's next:

A few days ago I was asked if Teddy and the Yeti #3 was the end of the series.  It's not, of course, but I understand the question as it's been a few months between issues and everything that's come so far has had an ending to it - I haven't left too many "to be continued" questions (though there still is the issue of Ted's submarine abduction from issue #1...) and that was by design.  Even so, Duane and I are working hard on getting the next story finished so we can get it out to you, the discerning reader.  You are discerning, right?  Of course you are.

Above you'll see a preview of the next few issues/stories we'll be telling.  This page is going to be printed in the short promo book that I'll be taking with me to the New York Comic-Con, but I want to make it as available as possible for anyone to see, which is why I'm posting it here and will soon have it on the main website and Teddy and the Yeti's Facebook page.  So, hey - tell a friend and help me get the word out, if you would.

The art on this page is provided by Alan Gallo, who did a great job all around as usual.  I've included clues to the next three issues of Teddy and the Yeti (yes, Rusty will be in a story), even touching on some of the backup stories that appear in each issue.  I think the Andromeda Jones story, drawn by Nick Acs, will run in issue #5 as long as I get the art in on time.

Look for the special promo issue soon!  And issue #4 will be soon to follow!  Exciting stuff!

It's time for more random notes! DEAL WITH IT!

It's time again for me to tell the world about various things that are going on in the world of Teddy and the Yeti...and other comic stuff that I feel like talking about.  And Franks and Beans.  Let's get to it!

- I posted a picture of the soon-to-arrive Teddy and the Yeti sketch cards the other day, mentioning that I'm working on a total of 18 trading cards for the series.  Several of the cards will be "character" cards, similar to the old Marvel Universe series from the early 1990s.  A number of artists are working on these cards, and I delegated the character Craxl (from the "Seeing is Believing" story in issue #3) to superstar Alan Gallo, cover artist on the New Dimension Comics version of issue #1.  He sketched a couple different versions before we settled on a pose, all of which you can see below.  They're all pretty good - though I do think the bottom right looks a bit like a deranged Dr. Zoidberg.

- So, the economy is currently in the toilet.  Times are tough, I know.  One good thing to come out of these economic times is the bevy of deals to be had on eBay.  I recently bought Fantastic Four annual #2 - the origin of Dr. Doom! - for less than 20 bucks.  Twenty bucks!  Holy crap.  I was happy to see that, upon inspection, the book did not feature characters with penned-on mustaches, as has happened before. I also got issue #32 for around $17.

- I'm currently trying to organize my entire comic book collection, which is a real pain in the butt.  All of the comics I've bought for the last seven years or so have been placed in their own bags with boards, but any comic I got before that time is another story.  So I'm alphabetizing and trying to get all of the comics packed away like a good obsessed collector should.  Right now I'm on "N", and I want to gouge my eyes out.

- A friend recently send me a link to one of the strangest blogs I've yet to come across, comic related or not.  The site is called "Dateline: Silver Age", and it's devoted to posting newspaper headlines from stories in Silver Age comic books.  There's no editorial content, no contextual information beyond the issue title, number and date.  It's just the picture.  So bizarre.  I find that I go there at least once a week, and I have no idea why.  It's strangely intoxicating.

- A little while ago I mentioned that the Franks and Beans website had crashed.  I did my best and managed to get it up and running again, only to find that the site might have been hacked and - oh no! - there might be a virus imbedded in its code.  So for all that is holy, don't go to the main website!  At least until I get THAT problem worked out as well.  For now, though, you can console yourself by watching the videos on YouTube, which is almost as good.  In fact, I've uploaded a ton of new episodes in the last week.  Here's one of my favorites:

There will be a test.

It's been a while since I've posted any new art around here, so...hey!  New art!

This clip is from the short story "Final Exam", and the stupendous art you see is by none other than Alan Gallo, the man who drew the New Dimension Comics cover to the first issue of Teddy and the Yeti, among other things.  The plan is to publish this, along with a look at issue #4, in a black and white "preview" book to have for the big New York Comic-Con show.  I did something similar before issue #1, and I think it helped make some people aware of the series, so let's hope that this does the same.

And in case you're wondering, yes, this story was hell to letter.  Probably the most time I've spent per page on any story I've worked on...ever.  But I suppose that it takes some time to look as awesome as it does.  And oh...it does.

the new art mystery

Hey, look!  It's new art featuring Teddy and the Yeti!  Keen observers will note that these pencils are done by none other than Alan Gallo, the artist for the New Dimension Comics exclusive cover of Teddy and the Yeti #1.  No, Duane hasn't left the book - this is a one-page story that I don't want to get into too many details about right now.  But everyone appreciates new art, right?  Right.  So I wanted to post this - a clip, anyway - for all to see.

And hey, check out the Yeti's sleek new wristwatch!  Shiny.

guest appearance

Take a peek at the cover posted above.  I'm willing to guess that the hidden Teddy and the Yeti covers aren't the first things people are going to notice.  Or the second, etc., but since this is a Teddy and the Yeti-centric blog, it's my duty to point them out to readers and general passers-by.

This image was just passed on to me by my good friend Todd at New Dimension Comics.  The folks at NDC are working with the creators of Hack/Slash, the Devil's Due horror/monster title that recently made the switch to Image Comics, to put out this exclusive cover.  If I'm not mistaken, this will be a special cover to the first issue of the miniseries Hack/Slash: My First Maniac, which will be the first issue that Image is releasing.

To say that I'm thrilled is an understatement.  Obviously, the image of the NDC version of Teddy and the Yeti #1, with cover art by Alan Gallo and Karin Rindevall, is a minor aspect of the cover that I'm sure most people will skim right over (because, hey, there are sexy girls on the cover, and one of 'em has a knife), but seeing my work in this regard, on the cover of an Image book that has a movie in some form of production, is really fun to see.  Beyond this, I can now make the claim that the Teddy and the Yeti comic book exists in the Hack/Slash universe along with Invincible (#46, bottom left, next to the pizza box).  Perhaps we'll have a crossover or something.

I'll keep an eye on the release date for the book and update this blog when it shows up in stores.  And if you STILL can't pick out Teddy and the Yeti on the above cover, I've cropped the images out for you.  Now that's service!

What is that, a bent corner?  Man, you gotta be more careful with those things.

Issue #3 preview

The time is almost upon us - Teddy and the Yeti #3 will go on sale this Friday, April 23rd, at the Pittsburgh Comicon - I'll be at booth S088 with all three issues, the Josh Howard Presents: Sasquatch anthology, a few copies of Strip Search and a few other things.  Below is a preview of the issue; as I've mentioned before, this issue features three stand alone Teddy and the Yeti tales, including a colored version of their origin story, as well as a short backup story with the Ultimate Hero.  The following is the cover and the first pages of all four stories (so if reading them in succession doesn't make sense, don't worry - you're not stroking out).

The cover is by Godland's Tom Scioli, with Alan Gallo providing inks and Karin Rindevall on colors.  The interior pencils and inks are all by regular series artist and co-creator Duane Redhead, and there are a bevy of colorists in line for the Teddy and the Yeti stories: Giuseppe Pica, Karin Rindevall, Omi Remalante, Jr., and Paul Little.  The short Ultimate Hero story is penciled by Travis Sengaus, inked by L Jamal Walton and colored by co-creator Mike Adams with help from Paul Little.

The official solicitation info is after the preview.  Hope to see you at the show!  Look for the me there - I'll be the one shamelessly promoting this book.  Also, I'm very attractive.

Solicit info:

Thrill to three titanic tales in the third issue of Teddy and the Yeti!  Discover the origin of Teddy and the Yeti!  Witness an undersea battle!  And marvel at the one villain who could turn Teddy and the Yeti against each other!  Plus: Ultimate Hero with Travis Sengaus and an interview with cover artist Tom Scioli!

issue #3 cover

Karin Rindevall recently sent me the colored version of the cover to Teddy and the Yeti #3!  How Kirby-esque!  Pencils for this beauty are by Tom (Godland) Scioli with inks by Alan Gallo, who drew the New Dimension Comics version of T&Y #1.  In the meantime, I am hard at work at actually putting issue #3 together...so I'm going to get back to that.  The end.