San Diego Here We Come!

Ta daaa!

I'm hoping it's a little different to most of the comic covers you will see. It really has to stand out as this is one of Image's major releases for San Diego. It's been sent off and they've got a really good feeling that it will make the con booklet! (Comicbookresources.com link and San Diego Con booklet - can I bat 2 for 2?!! *crosses fingers*)

Roger was blown away (and I got the impression he cc'd his reply to everyone which was just the coolest). David loved it. Apparently there's some thumbs up over at Top Cow too. I'm one step closer to living my dream of having an army of devoted fanboys lining up lines of coke on the bellies and butts of booth babes while I snort them with a rolled up copy of Detective Comics 27 (first appearance of Batman worth about US$45k).

Hey, whatever crumbles your cookie, you know?

Ok, now the commentary. If you hold it up the sketch you can see there are some changes:

1. Not as much colour on the left: It just became too distracting. It was like this muted rainbow and had too much weight on the eye. Your eye was drawn to the left not the logo nor the figure.

2. Got rid of all the pink/red crap in the background. Did we need a third Ying Yang (one on her skateboard one on the logo)? I didn't think so. The splotches of Japan were unnecessary also. I did like how I turned the circle on the Ying Yang into the Japanese flag but I'm sure I will use that idea in the future if they want another cover out of me.

3. The black scratches became film edges. I just liked this look. Helped break up the organic lines and scratchy whites over everything. It also helped popped the logo forward.

I will try and post the other sketches of the girls. AIR/WIND (last post) is my favourite design, but now that I look at her, not the best picture.

Now, for those who care... Here is what happened.

So I'm done by about 2am last night. I'm showered in my pajams ready to upload this baby and head to bed. I check worldclock.com and it's 9am in LA. Perfect. I start uploading when I realise I've forgotten an integral step to colour work (for me). I ALWAYS print out colour work before I approve it. I've been working with Annette for so long that I'd gotten out of the habit. When you see a hard copy there's so much stuff you notice that you can't see digitally. I upload what I've got and rush out the door.

Cut to me at 2:20am standing outside Kinkos in South Melbourne. I'm reading a sign on the window saying they're closed. It's 8 degrees outside.

Cut again to 2:35am I'm at the Kinkos on Exhibition St. The poor graveyard shift dude is subjected to an onslaught of ignorance from me. 20minutes later I have a print out in hand and smiling. Amazingly, it's all good. But I'm hungry.

3am I'm leaving Stalactites (this is on a freaking wednesday night!) giro in hand. I'm spitting chunks of fat into nearby bins. Out of the entire souvlaki I think I got a portion of meat that made servings in American Psycho look like a buffet table.

330am I'm home and get an email from David. I messed up the credits. One quick fix later and the piece is uploaded. I retire to bed and read about 4000 Preachers before my eyes fall down.

I'm such an idiot.