ROOT & BRANCH PART 1 PAGE 3

Ok, I'm not gonna chat for hours here. If I do daily posting to catch up, I just don't have the time. That is, unless you don't want to read any more HEROES comics from me as I deliver part 3 late and get fired.

I'm loving this story arc. Ollie and Zach have totally pulled out all the stops here. I'm finding it really easy to draw too. I think having a character as interesting and as easy on the eye as Sabine makes it a lot of fun too. I just read part 2 and the dialogue and art just came together to create something greater than the sum of its parts. I love part 1, but it doesn't hold many surprises for me when I read it lettered, as there's minimal lettering.

I read on the boards somewhere that people are getting tired of not reading stories with any consequences to the show. Let me say this:


<- This guy saved my ass later and brought in a HEROES magazine! I like this style of Claire that I draw. It's cute.

1. I was given a bunch of character designs from Peter Steigerwald to work from. Of which I used four. I was told that some of these characters are going to be cast. Maybe it's some of the characters in this story? So there! You're possibly reading back stories on characters you will soon watch.

2. Bennet is in the story!

3. Zach and Ollie are part of the writing crew on HEROES and have delivered a great story. Read the story! Enjoy the story! Stop trying to judge it solely on how it fits into continuity.

<- Yay! Another Hiro. I never get sick of drawing Hiro.

Some random notes and thoughts:

In my haste I flattened all my layers! I can't show you the step by step for this page. Sorry!

Panel 1: Donna is carrying a beretta 9mm rather than the standard issue company gun (the Infinity). I later contacted Ryan and he told me what they actually used. I made corrections in part 2.

Also, no one will ever notice, but I actually found photo reference for a young Eric Roberts to draw Thompson Jr.

<- Not my best Sylar. I just went totally blank on Zachary Quinto when I drew this.


Panel 2: This panel also ends all the shout outs I did. I got some emails from a bunch of people wondering why they weren't included in these shout outs. There's a couple reasons:

1. I can't abuse this opportunity I have. I can't go saying "hi" to everyone I know. I would love to, but not only would it make the ones I do meaningless, but the more times I do this, the more chance I have of them being caught by NBC and squashed. Did we learn nothing from Spiderman and season 1? Say after me now, "With great power..."

2. I specifically thanked all the people who helped me promote my recent Orbital signing. I firstly put the word out to Lee Ann (Ororo) who then conscripted Ashz to do a mail out and got Kurt (themightytruk) to do an official admin's post on 9th Wonders. Nat and Noo also offered to take photos and video. So this was my special "Sarmy/Orbital" thank you issue.

I also decided to do a Merv Hughes homage in panel 2. He's a famous Australian cricketer known for both his skills on the field and his drinking ability. I'm not a cricket fan, but his face is an Aussie icon.

<- Peter. I'm still trying to remember what he looks like. It's funny, I think almost everyone wanted season 1 Peter. Poor Milo hit the gym and got a haircut for nothing.


Panel 3: I screwed up here. I thought it would be obvious that his bullets are just missing all around her and that she's just shooting wild with the taser but such was not the case. People on the forums thought that she has her hand up extending a forcefield. She does not have a forcefield. If she did, I'd make it bloody obvious. So obvious, you'd be like, "Hot damn! That's one serious forcefield!"

Panels 4-6: While I tried to keep to the character sketches that Peter sent me, I do have a nasty habit of "prettying" people up. Julien was not as good looking as I eventually drew him. I also (accidentally) probably made him look a little younger than his 44 years.

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