Archive for October 26th, 2010
30 Characters Challenger: Rolando Garcia
Let me begin by saying how excited I am to be joining this challenge. I really look forward to this entire endeavor. It’s like my two favorite parts of grade school, recess and show & tell, all wrapped up into one.
I am a 30 year old raised in Brooklyn, NY and now living in Queens with my fiance. She’s so cool she’s letting my groomsmen and me wear superhero cuff links. I’ll be rocking Batman, they’ll be my Justice League: Superman, Green Lantern and The Flash.
My lifelong love affair with superheroes, mythology and serialized storytelling began as a toddler, watching reruns of the 60’s Batman TV show with my grandmother. That was followed by Star Trek (the original series) with my dad. But the real watershed moment came the day I first watched Back to the Future. My life was never the same after that one. Through it all comics have been omnipresent. Even when I wasn’t reading monthlies, I would have to pick up trades regularly to get my fix.
In college I spent most of my time writing and directing plays. My career path thus far has been steeped in movies. I have done everything from set work, to marketing at a studio, to producer on a documentary. But my passion has always been creating worlds and telling stories both big and small in them. Throughout the years I never stopped amassing ideas for stories in my head. This year I decided enough was enough and I have been bringing them to life on paper. I’m ready to share!
Unlike most of you, I am just a writer and thus all my entries will be written. Most of them will be coming from two projects and written in styles that play specific roles in those stories. They are:
CAPTAIN KERPLUNK. Despite the title this is not a superhero story. It is a story of a small town and the stranger that inadvertently inspires the young people who are tired of being marginalized for not conforming. The female lead, Lilly, leaves her job at the paper when they don’t let her publish the stories she believes are important. She begins a blog that becomes the voice of her friends. The entries from this world will be written in her voice, as her blog posts.
ILLUMINATIONS (working title). This is a superhero universe… only before the people with powers have realized their true value. They have all been hiding their powers, using them mostly in secret for personal gain. Each one thinks he/she is a singular fluke and alone. What happens, though, when someone figures it out and decides to start exposing them? These entries will be written as that person’s secret files. Except for one.
The rest of my entries will be one-offs, as I want to give myself room to play. Perhaps some of them will expand on THE OMEGA KID, an all ages cartoon series I have been writing (tweet at me if you’re interested in reading the first script  — I love feedback).
Thanks to Tyler and everyone else for creating this amazing opportunity to see new creators’ works and share mine with the community. See you all in a few days!
Rolando
twitter.com/roshow
roshow.tumblr.com
tothemthatsgone.com (aforementioned documentary)
30 Characters Challenger: Betsy Luntao
Hey there! I’m Betsy, a twenty-something freelance artist currently living in central California. 
Being raised on Disney movies, and loving to draw more than anything, I decided pretty early on I wanted to draw for a living.
Although my sights are set to work in the feature animation industry, I do have a love for the comic book storytelling medium. I’m working on an Old West set comic with my boyfriend, a Sci-Fi genre comic which takes place underwater, and have recently been recruited to work as illustrator for Children’s books.
I have a lot of projects up in the air which hasn’t left me with a lot of time to develop my Character Design portfolio. Once I heard about the 30 Characters Challenge on Facebook, I knew I wanted to participate and get that push that I’d need to get back to character design.
I’ve set up some guidelines for myself to keep me a little more on track with the challenge:
- I will be drawing 3 sets of 10 characters. Each set will be of one theme or “universe”
- Each set will include 5 males, 5 females, at least 2 seniors, at least 2 children, at least 2 turn around model sheets
- Each character will include at least one prop/weapon
- Each set will include at least 1 backdrop or environment
- Each set will include at least 1 protagonist and 1 antagonist
Unfortunately, I already have a vacation scheduled for the 13th – 17th of November and will have to either post those early or late, but otherwise I hope to keep on track with a character per day.
Other than drawing, I love training in Aikido, a non-violent martial art. Being an artist, keeping my hands in working order is a high priority, so I wasn’t about to train in anything that had me chopping, striking or punching. Aikido relies on physics and using one’s body weight and gravity to throw an attacker, so it was perfect for me. Plus I’m a gentle soul and don’t really want to beat up people.
I also looooove dancing!! I’ve recently started taking Swing Dancing lessons with my boyfriend, and it’s easily my favorite way to spend a Friday night.
My love for movement, fluidity and storytelling shows up in my art work as qualities of being gestural and filled with emotion rather than being precise and awe inspiring.
I’m really looking forward to seeing everyone’s posts for this challenge!!
30 Characters Challenger: Julie Leone
Hellu hellu!~
I am me!
And you are not!
Now that introductions are done lets continue! I work as an Assistant Manager in a Novelty Retail Mall Environment! (basically if you abbreviate that I’m an Ass.Man Ianrme? What a horrible thing D: ) I sell horrifying things to wackados and secretly judge them. Since November is a very busy time in retail and malls I shall probably be doing most of the things that shall be posted as quick doodles while on lunch break in the food court! I even got a new sketchbook, colored pencils and a sharpener that looks like a globe for this! =x
Doodling and Drawing mean two different things to me. To draw is to take the time to formulate what your doing, who you want to make, and what you want them to be doing. Doodling is more random, you sit down, maybe have a vague idea of who you want to make and just start! The picture forms as you go! I am more of a doodler!
The things I doodle are random, its very interesting because even I never know what I’m making. It can be influenced by a song, people around me, something someone said in passing, a picture on the wall, a crack on the floor, anything!
About me:
-I love randomness but adore storyline.
-Random battles make me angry but I get bored without them.
-Changing a word or two in a song to something entirely different is always fun.
-I have two cats that are mine, one is named Shana after a God of Death and Destruction from some game and the other is Nids, whose real name was Odin but that sucked so I changed it backwards and changed the O to an S.
-Listening to music and watching people move is very fun, also thinking up music videos in your head can be entertaining.
-I’m always up to trying a new craft just to see if I can do it!
-Pixelated objects make me happy!
-If I find two pieces of different figures I will try to combine them in some magically strange way.
I call this section “Other people might (this) BUT I (something to counter it)
Other people might have fancyness or specialness BUT I am rather odd and like silly things.
Other people might run a comic BUT I pretend to be publicist for one.
Other people might have art published in a magazine BUT I’ve sold randomly made things at convention’s.
If I could keep my attention span focused on one thing I would love to try and make a comic but it just never seems to work out most of the time. =x
I decided to join this because since I love making new random things I figured trying to do one a day in a row with a buncha people for a month would be a nice way to make the creativity flow very muchly so! I do have a SketchBlog thing that I always forget to update @ Kiwi’s Attack!
Here’s the type of things you can expect!:
30 Character Challenger: Mike Gallagher
I am here to testify!
Because of 30 Characters premiere season last November, I got a paying gig!
Closed System is being published in BullSpec magazine right now!
http://www.bullspec.com/
Time travel on an apes head? You betcha! Come experience the drama of learning the rules of time travel in Closed System.
I have been drawing all my life. I have been published in several anthologies, co-created Ruin, and am working on several new projects. I have designed tattoos, t-shirts, gated communities, and candy packaging.
I am also a frequent guest on the fabulous Comic Geek Speak podcast.
http://www.comicgeekspeak.com/
I am doing the Challenge again this year mainly because it was so much damn fun last year! I love being a part of all this crazy creativity. Everyone feeding off each other’s inspiration is phenomenal! I plan on working out some of my character designs for a new comic I am working on called CeltSpace. And throw in some of my patented wacky characters too. So look out! The fun is just beginning!
30 Characters Challenger: Bobby Timony
Thirty days. Thirty Characters. I’m in!
My name is Bobby Timony, and I like this sort of thing. I’m in it for a few reasons, but before I get to that, here’s a little bit about me. I’m a cartoonist and storyboard artist living in Brooklyn with my wife and two bunnies.
Earlier this year DC Comics published a creator owned comic book called The Night Owls, by me and my twin brother Peter. It’s about a trio of detectives that solve supernatural crime in New York during the roaring twenties. (The first issue is free on Comixology. I think you’ll like it.) Before that I’ve been drawing my own comics and stories for as long as I can remember.
Here’s why this sort of thing appeals to me.
1. The FUN.
Drawing is a ton of fun, but lets face it, sometimes when deadlines are looming or you’re forced to draw something boring, it can be a drag. A challenge like this is just the thing to reignite that love of drawing that drives us to ruination!
2. Pals.
Drawing is something we have to do by ourselves, and some people (some anti-social people) prefer it that way. Not me. having grown up drawing comics with my twin brother, I see the value in collaborating and sharing ideas. I’m looking forward to seeing what you guys come up with.
3. Showing off.
My characters are gonna be awesome, and I’m gonna force you all to be awesome too. Bring it!
4. Woodshedding my axe.
You gotta work those skillz everyday if you want to improve, and we all want to improve, right? RIGHT? Right. This is great practice and a good way to warm up in the morning.
5. The Payoff
At the end of the month I expect to be rewarded with a fulfilling sense of pride and accomplishment. I’ll also have 30 new character designs in my back pocket. Maybe they’ll inspire a new story or series. Maybe they’ll show up as supporting characters in future stories. Maybe I’ll never use them at all, but I will have them, and they’ll provide me a bit of insurance in case I’m stuck for ideas in the future.
Okay, enough Jibber-Jabber! Lets do this!
#30Characters on TGT Webcomics PODCAST!
Hey, there #30Characters Challengers! I was recently on the TGT Webcomics podcast. I kick off the interview with a nice plug and discussion of the origins of the #30Characters Challenge. Give it a listen. Kurt Sasso of TGT does a great show, and his guest co-host Jules Rivera, is participating in the Challenge.
PLAY Podcast
| LIVE PODCAST October 24, 2010 : 9PM EST | |||||
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Podcast Summary:
Host(s): Kurt (â€VertigoXâ€)
Special Guest Co-Hosts(s): Jules Rivera (“Marsh Rocketâ€)
Special Guest(s):Â Tyler James Comic
Discussion Topic: The 30 Characters Challenge, Tears of the Dragons, EPIC, Over Comic
Length of Podcast:
Guests in Channel:
VertigoX, Jules Rivera, Tyler James
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
30 Characters Challenger: Joe Cook
Hey Everybody. I’m Joe and I’m a challenge rookie from the Kansas City, MO area.
I’m the creator of the webcomic Shattered Myth that has been running for just over a year and a half now. Standard webcomicker bio pretty much. Grew up on comics, wanting to draw comics (Marvel/DC style), went to college and got a degree in commercial art. As always, somewhere along the way I got sidetracked with paying bills and starting a family. After 10 years as a graphic designer without picking up a drawing pencil or doing anything creatively interesting, I discovered the whole webcomics model. It took me a while to dig up my old stuff and get my nerve back up but then I dove back into it with the intention of learning on the fly.
I’m taking on the 30 Characters challenge because feel like I work so much better under pressure. I intend to create 30 Gods in 30 days without missing a single deadline on Shattered Myth. Because I draw 99% of my cast from various mythologies and cultures, I decided to let my readers decide which Gods I would give the Shattered treatment (ie robotic). They suggest the God, I take it from there.
I’m also taking part in this challenge because I’ve got some webcomic buddies participating and I’m looking forward to meeting more.
30 Characters Challenger: Warren Frantz
My fave Deadpool doing the yardwork
Hey! My name is Warren Frantz. I am a school teacher by day, cartoonist by night. I have had a love of drawing cartoons since I was a kid, but just scrounged up the courage to start publishing them about a year ago in a webcomic called “Off Season”. The strip follows the off-ice adventures of Gully Golz (a hockey goalie) and his friends and family. You can check it out over at www.wevolt.com/Off_Season/ I would eventually like to collect the comics into a book (that way less techie folks like my gramma can actually read my stuff!)
Cartooning isn’t my only love. I’m a huge fan of sports (especially hockey). I have two daughters who are hockey players/ballerinas, a wife who is a nurse and runner. 5km, half-marathon, it doesn’t matter, she runs it. I also have two large dogs who drag me around the local football field every morning. My family is the core of my cartooning inspiration… although memories of college roommates, hockey road trips and golf course antics are always on the tip of the pencil as well. You can expect a lot of my characters to be slanted toward the sports side, but I have always been a big fan of superheros, and I’d like flush out a few more heroes and villains in the sports world.
Gully and Sammy fighting green cancer monsters
Mole Man on the attack!
I tried the 30 Characters Challenge last year, but did not publish on the website. I was successful in completing it, though. There was a lot of learning along with a few duds, but a feeling of pride for finishing the challenge. This year, I plan on sharing the experience with students at my school by running “Cartooning Club” at recesses and have them come up with their own new and exciting characters. I have run the club before in the past and it is a beautiful and positive place to bounce ideas off peers.
Good luck to everyone involved in the 30 Character Challenge!
Warren
30 Characters Challenge: Tim Mrozek
Hi all! I’m Tim and I’m new to this here challenge. I watched it a bit last year as my friend Dan (@Saulone) , the Azure man, was participating and I always enjoy watching his work.
So I think I’m a bit different from some of the artists here as I am not really a comic artist. I’m currently working as a medical/scientific 3D illustrator and animator for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). While this is my day job, characters modeling and design are my passion. Though I’m not a comic artist, I figure that a challenge like this is just as applicable to any practice involving characters. And, like a lot of you I’m sure, I know that a challenge like this is just perfect for keeping me motivated to spend every waking hour working on my stuff while networking with a great community of artists.
So my plan. I’ll be doing 30 zbrush sketches, or at least that’s the hope. I may do a few models in maya depending on how things are going, and if I get tired of zbrush for a day or two. My interests are all over the board, but a huge part of my motivation and inspiration comes from film and games. I don’t have any particular story or world towards which I’m making these characters, I just plan to use this as a sort of open concept outlet, hoping to find new inspiration every day to create something different. I will admit now, there will probably be a fair few creatures and aliens as I enjoy creating them and they’re a bit more forgiving than humans in terms of accuracy. I’m hoping this challenge will really help me to loosen up with my concepting, and push me to try some new styles. Hope I can keep it interesting and on time.
Feel free to follow me on Twitter. Here are a few things I’ve done.
30 Characters Challenger: Kevin Maher
Hey everyone, this is my first time around for the 30 Characters Challenge. So here’s a little background: I went to school for Illustration and Graphic Design. I have been working as a Graphic Designer in Corporate America for the past 10 years. I also do illustration work on the side and I have been interested in drawing comics and cartoons my whole life. Recently I’ve decided renew my efforts in trying to break into the industry. I love graphic design but when I’m old and gray I want to have a history of published comic work behind me. My work has made immense improvements over the last couple of years and with the technology of twitter, facebook and webcomics there is no better time for me to show what I can do. I’ve had some decent reviews of my work and I am currently working on launching my own webcomic. So what do the 30 Characters Challenge? Well it gives me a good chance to show my work, network with artists, and just have some fun. I doodle new characters all the time anyway. Why not put all those goofy creations to some good use!
Feel free to check out my other work at www.kevstees.net
Or go on http://irishguyartist.deviantart.com/
Oh and follow me on Twitter, let’s talk some comics @Kevstees
30 Characters Challenger: Crystal M Rollins
what I look like
Hi There everybody!
Unfortunately for you all, I’m as boring as mud. Anything I might have that’s interesting, I try to shove into my comics and my stories. I’m not a professional comic artist, nor a professional writer. I’m not even really a “professional creative”. I work as a printer monkey for a company in the Northwest USA that produces fabric. In the last year, I’ve spent a lot of my freetime once again reviving a comic story about teenagers discovering super-human powers.
I don’t want to specifically classify it as a “super hero” story, nor as a Harry-Potter-esc “magic teenagers” story. It’s more about them growing up and using their newfound abilities, and about trying to understand where those abilities come from, then about fitting into an unknown counter-culture society or saving the day. Because honestly, you’d have to sit around at night for a LONG time to catch one of those rare juicy muggings superheroes seem to live for.
Chapter 2 Cover for Aspect
So what got me into this 30 characters thing? My friend, rival, and creative-partner-in-crime, Emily Gillis. She writes and draws a comic called Jikoshia, and pointed me at this site. I’m hoping it it’s a challenge and a good brainstorm. We shall see.
I’ve also written a novel, and this is the fourth attempt at Aspect (previously given other titles). I’ve been drawing since I could hold a crayon and working on comics off and on in my free time for the last ten years. I have a few short stories, story ideas, etc, in mind that I’ve been thinking of developing, and that’s probably where I’ll draw inspiration from for the characters in the upcoming month.
A short word about the art: I work mainly digital now, but I’ve worked before in markers, pen-and-ink, pencil, chalk, and paint. Aside from comics, I also sew, garden, bake, and make fine jewelry. Did I mention I can cut stones? Lapidary work is a blast. I haven’t won any awards or published on dead tree yet. And I graduated school with a degree in Graphic Design.
A short word about me: I live in the Seattle area with my husband, my roomate/friend Techaune, and our four combined cats.
Aspect
My Deviantart Gallery
My “Professional” Gallery
Wayward Studios: me and Em’s joint project site
#30Characters Chatter…