Tizzles and Updates...

Firstly, sorry for the lack of updates, but September has been a hectic month, with the finishing of a five-part series for one publisher, the scripting of Robin Hood - Outlaw's Pride for Walker Books, and most importantly finishing adapting the sequential parts of The Tizzle Sisters & Erik for Markosia - editing down G.P. Taylor's original book into a 50/50 mix of prose and sequential pages (art by Dan Boultwood) - which comes out in a month.

So the Tizzle Sisters & Erik has gone to print, and the cover has finally been released to the public.

Created by Harry Potter artist Cliff Wright, the picture shows the two sisters in wait for Erik on a cold morning - and the back cover has the more familliar depiction by Dan Boultwood.

Click on the image to see a bigger version...

Expect to see this in your bookstore sometime in late October / Early November.

I'll update soon with a better idea of what's happening elsewhere in Tonyland.

David Slade on Storyboarding, and the comic book medium.

I think the importance directors place on storyboarding is really one of the keys to why comics work as a medium. The visualization of a story on paper is very pure and direct. In this new clip, David Slade talks a little about his views on storyboarding and how it solves the major creative problems of making a film. This is where the decisions are made and this is where the real creativity happens.

I'm not sure if comic fans are fully aware of the link between storyboarding and comic books, but the two art forms are very closely related and many storyboard artists are also comic book artist. The connection is important and really deserves a closer look by students of either art form.

I think the glamour of modern filmmaking is in effects and digital animation, but for the most part, the effects teams are simply recreating and expanding on ideas, characters and compositions originally created by the storyboard artist. Pop in one of your Pixar DVDs and have a look at the storyboards in the special features.

Pencil on paper. This is where the magic happens in almost every creative industry. Graphic novels and comics, one of the few industries that delivers a visual story in it's purest form.

Phoenix Cactus Comicon this weekend.

I will be at the Phoenix Cactus Convention this weekend... oddly in Mesa, Arizona. Some of the guest: Amanda Conner, Justin Gray, Marat Mychaels, Brian Pulido, Steve Niles, Tim Bradstreet, Terry Austin, Nat Jones, Steve Rude and Tim Vigil... should be one hell of a show. I'll have some copies of I Am Spartacus for sale and maybe more.

If you're goin to be in the area, come by and say "HI".

New 30 Days in Previews

30 Days of Night: Spreading the Disease #1
Dan Wickline (w), Alex Sanchez (a), Jones, Sanchez (c)
Crawling from the wreckage of 30 Days of Night: Dead Space is this latest five-part continuation of the 30 Days of Night saga. In part one of Spreading The Disease, Agent Michael Henson had all the evidence he needed to prove to the world that vampires exist... until the government took it all away. Now, urged on by a mysterious "friend," Henson must follow a path of carnage and gore in hopes of finding the answer to why anyone would want to put a vampire into space, with his only lead being to follow the fangs. Dan Wickline (30 Days of Night: Dead Space), Alex Sanchez (Doomed) and Jay Fotos ( Clive Barker's The Great and Secret Show) bring you this stunning tale of mystery and horror, with alternate covers provided by Nat Jones (30 Days of Night 2005 Annual).
*Covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio.
*Retailers: See your order form for special incentives
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Book Signing--Shreveport, Saturday the 23rd

If by chance any of you good chaps tuning into our evil broadcasts live close to Shreveport, Louisiana, Kody and I will be signing comics this Saturday, the 23rd, at Excalibur Comics. The shop is located at 802 E. 70th street. Rob Guillory will be there too!

A.C.T.O.R. changes name to The Hero Initiative.

Probably a good idea. The acronym A.C.T.O.R. does seem to indicate the organization helps actors. Thought I'd help spread the word on the name change.

LOS ANGELES, CA (September 4, 2006) – After five years of serving many deserving men and women within the comics industry, A Commitment To Our Roots (A.C.T.O.R.) Comic Fund is changing its name. The new name, The Hero Initiative – complete with new logo – will open its doors to operate in all markets, both comics fans and general consumers alike, in its mission to raise funds to deliver assistance to comic book creators in need.

"I think we did a very good job of establishing 'brand identity' for A.C.T.O.R. within the comic market. But as soon as we took the mission outside the village of comics, you'd see confusion in people's eyes,” said Jim Mclauchlin, president of The Hero Initiative. “The 'Hero' concept is one that ties very, very closely to comics, and resonates well. It lets everyone know what we're about."

MORE INFO HERE

More ACTOR COMICS Presents...

ACTOR Comics Presents...

Check out the Newsarama boards for a peek at the ACTOR Comics benefit book, previewing my six-page collaboration with C.B. Cebulski of Marvel and Image Comics fame. Oddly enough, I'm the only artist whose art is previewed, so get on over and check it out. It was fun as hell to do.

The ACTOR benefit book is hitting shelves on Sept. 13. It's loaded with tons of legendary talent, including Stan Lee, Paul Dini and Mark Waid just to name a few. So, appearing in the same book with those guys is an honor in itself.

Peace,
Rob!