DHARBIN!-The Original Inspiration

Friday Favorite #7
Dustin Harbin

Dustin Harbin was the original inspiration for My Skinny Jeans are Red.  Up until a few mouths ago, Dustin did a daily diary comic.  He was original inspirited to create his daily strip by Kate Beaton, the artist behind the brilliant comic Hark, a Vagrant!.  In Dustin's own words he is "the fourth product of a carpenter/seamstress union [and] a cartoonist and freelance illustrator who lives and works and loves in Charlotte NC USA."  Unlike the other artists I have done for Friday Favorites, I don't know a lot about Dustin other than what I've learned from his daily comic. 

http://www.dharbin.com/strip/diary-december-2-2010-important-preparations/

I love Dustin Harbin's diary comic and its cool that he is friends with Kate Beaton and Mare Odomo, two other artists that have been spotlighted as Friday Favorites.  

In addition to being an amazing artist, Dustin has been nice enough to get advice to new artists.  He recently has been doing blog posts about his process that have been really helpful.  Something I really appreciated that he said was:

"IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT TOOLS YOU USE TO MAKE COMICS.  It especially doesn’t matter early on. Do you know why? Because everything you do for the first couple of years you will one day hate with every iota of your being. They’ll probably be fine more or less, but when YOU look at them all you’ll see is mistakes and bad jokes and too many words and not enough black and so forth. The one thing you WON’T think is “hmm these would have been better if I’d used a #0 Series 7 brush.” I promise you. Save the important tools for when you make some important comics. Which, for most of us, will be never. So just have fun and relax." 

-Dustin Harbin

(source)

I recommend checking out Dustin's work, here are some links:
DHARBIN! (main site)
Daily Diary Strips
Flickr
Twitter
Facebook (who uses this anymore now Google+ is out?)
And if you like his stuff, why not buy some? Store

Hope everyone has a great weekend!
-Aaron

stupid, stupid rat creatures

Friday Favorite #7
Bone

This is the third Friday Favorite in a row that has something to do with rats.  Two weeks ago was the Portal 2 comic, Lab Rat, and the week after that was Ratfist, a superhero that dresses up as a rat.  This week however it is more of a stretch. 

This week I want to bring your attention to Jeff Smith's epic graphic novel series Bone.  I bought the first Bone book for my little brothers earlier in the term and immediately fell in the love with the comic.  And I just recently finished the last book in the 9 book epic and couldn't help and have it be the subject for this week's Friday Favorite.

A quick note, this is not a free online comic, so you have to either check out them out or go and spend money on them (if you want something free this week skip down to the bottom).  I read the most recent reprinting of them put out by graphix, an imprint of Scholastic.  The only difference between this version and past printings is that the graphix printing is in color.  I recommend reading them in color. 

I don't want to give too much away of the story, in fact I don't want to give any of the story away, it is that good!  But I will say this book series is apportaite for any age group.  The series starts out with a lot of humor, but by the thrid book it pulls you into this huge underlying storyline that you would think to find in a Lord of the Rings book.  There is a perfect blend of humor and drama. 

There is no foul language in this comic, neither is there anything sexual or inappropriate.  Towards the end there are some battle scenes but other than that it is completely appropriate for all ages. 

If you are reading this blogpost you have NO excuse not to go read Bone right now!

Time named Bone one of the 10 best graphic novels ever written (English).  Bone has also won ten Eisner Awards and 11 Harvey Awards.  These are really superior books. 

Order of the books:
1. Out from Boneville
2. The Great Cow Race
3. Eye of the Storm
4. The Dragonslayer
5. Rock Jaw: Master of the Eastern Border
6.Old Man's Cave
7. Ghost Circles
8. Treasure Hunters
9. Crown of Horns

-Aaron


I forgot to mention last week that Ratfist is colored by Katherine Garner.

A Friday Favorite wouldn't be a Friday Favorite without me sharing something with you guys that was FREE!   Valve just released a free download of the Portal 2 soundtrack called Songs to Test By.  You can get it by clicking on this link- > http://www.thinkwithportals.com/music.php

If you are a fan of  the Tron Legacy soundtrack, anything Daft Punk or Justice, then this album is worth a listen.  Oh, and you can download some of the songs as ring tones.  Hey mom, you should have 'Science is Fun' as the ringtone when I call!  

I just read the third Scott Pilgrim book: Scott Pilgrim & the Infinite Sadness.  It wasn't as well written as the second book and there wasn't enough of Kim Pine in it, but it was still good.  I did enjoy the flash backs and back story.  It made it seem more real, verse Scott just beating up one of Ramona's random ex-boyfriends. 

Finally, the reason there wasn't any comics this week was because I am working on a new secret project.  But don't worry, there will be some comics next week.  My Skinny Jeans are Red will start being my warmup drawing for this secret project.  So there should be more updates more often. 

-Aaron (again)

Rat Themed Superhero

Friday Favorite #6
Ratfist

A very quick Friday favorite.  This webcomic is by Doug TenNapel.  You may know him as the creator of Earthworm Jim.  His webcomic is about this superhero called Ratfist.  It isn't terribly serious, but he does throw his opinions on religion and government in there once in a while.  I don't agree with him on a lot of it, but the comic has a very sweet looking superhero, time travel, humor and drama.  What more could you ask for?

Anyways, it's worth a look into.  And he updates every weekday. 
-Aaron

now you're thinking with portals

Friday Favorite #5
Portal 2: Lab Rat

As GLaDos would say, It's been a long time. . .how have you been?

If you don't know who GLaDos is then you obviously haven't played the game Portal. In that case you might not want to read this comic because it will give away the ending to the first Portal.  But if you can spare $9.99 and a couple hours I highly recommend playing Portal.  You can buy it online through Steam--> click me!

For those of you who haven't heard of Portal it isn't your usual video game.  It isn't a bloody first-person shooter like most popular games.  It's a rated E, puzzle game where you solve puzzles with portals.  The trailer below is for the second game's co-op mode, but it shows what the game play and puzzles are like:

If you have played the first Portal game then the comic I'm going to talk about today is just the thing for you.  It is a free online comic that Valve released that fills the gap in-between Portal and Portal 2 and it explains the origin of all those weird paintings and secret rooms that were in the first game (along with a whole lot of other stuff only people who have played the game will understand).

It is really an excellent comic! You can read it at http://www.thinkwithportals.com/comic/ or download it in a PDF at http://www.thinkwithportals.com/comic/extras.php.

Once again I highly recommend playing Portal.  It is one of those games that will take you by surprise and actually make you think.  I haven't played Portal 2 yet because I don't have fifty bucks or the time to spare to play the game, but it too looks amazing.  Just look at these reviews!

 The cake is a lie!

-Aaron

P.S: Next week there will some Scott Pilgrim fanart posted and maybe a new vlog or two.  There are some new My Skinny Jeans are Red comics in the works so make sure to check by.

dang holograms!

Friday Favorite #4
Scott Kurtz

Scott Kurtz is best known for his webcomic PVPonline.  Kurtz posted the first PVP comic on May 4, 1998.  I was first introduced to PVP through my favorite webcomic artist Tyson Hesse.  Hesse did a guest strip for PVP and is huge fan of PVP (check on the guest strip here).

I have to admit the first time I looked at PVP I didn't like it.  I honestly don't know what was wrong with me!  I must have jumped into a story arch at the wrong time or just was too centered on Hesse's work (Boxer Hockey was the only comic I read for a while).  But I have since repented of that sin, and have been reading PVP off and on for the last year and have just recently started to become an avid reader of it.  I haven't had time to go back and read the entire archive yet, but the most recent story lines have been self contained enough that I don't feel lost.

http://www.pvponline.com/2010/09/16/imaginary-friends-2/

PVPonline started out as a video game comic, hence the name Player vs. Player (not Protoss vs Protoss).  But Kurtz's comic has evolved to be much more than a comic about video games to an office comic of sorts.  PVP follows the lives of the employes of a video game magazine company.  In addition to his change of story, Kurtz 's art work has grown and improved massively over the years and so have his characters.  You will care and love these characters!  Kurtz is definitely a master when it comes to the art of webcomics and storytelling.

For those of you who want to read PVP but don't know where to start I have a suggestion for you.  Kurtz recently opened a new story arch with the company moving out to Seattle.  I feel like this is a great place to start, and if  you're from the Northwest you'll no doubt enjoy the local humor!  Just make sure when you've finished you go backwards and read more!  There are so incredible comics you don't want to miss.


Scott Kurtz is an artist you need to follow.

Scott Kurtz links:
PVPonline
twitter (language warning)
webcomics weekly (a podcast about the art of making webcomics) (also language warning)

PVP is what I wish My Skinny Jeans are Red was.  Great solid characters with interesting relationships and issues, amazing artwork, beautiful colors, and just overall a genuinely unique and touching webcomic.

-Aaron

P.S: I have been receiving remarks that the Friday Favorites are too long.  Tell me what you think in the comments section below.  Would you rather have long Friday Favorites (i.e.Mare Odomo & Tyson Hesse) that really go in depth on the artist and all his/her projects, or would you rather have them short and sweet (i.e. Scott Kurtz & Kate Beaton)?

Friday Favorites-- Hark! A Vagrant!

Friday Favorite #3
Kate Beaton

So there's this artist named Kate Beaton.  She draws comics about history, or maybe makes fun of historical characters, or literature, or something along those lines.
She's also done art for Marvel's "Strange Tales II" series, which I kind of like because it's about superheroes living normal lives and having to deal with the same exact crap as everyone else... superheroes are people too, you know!
But yeah, enough talk.  Let's see some of my favorite ones!
Oh, and I need to preemptively apologize for a lot of the language.... She doesn't exactly have the cleanest mouth in the world....

I got all these from www.harkavagrant.com, they are property of Kate Beaton, so be nice and don't steal them. Okay?  Thanks.

Okay, first off, I have to say I like how these comics are not as focused on the realism of the art or even the style of it (some comics drive me crazy because they are too focused on a certain style).  They are art for the sake of art, and the characters are meant to show expressions and be funny!  AND they look like who they should look like.
Plus her jokes are legitimately funny!  If you can stand the language, I suggest you go check out all of her comics RIGHT NOW.  It's that important.
Yup, that's all I have to say about Hark! A Vagrant.
--Alton Campbell

I play hockey in my boxers

Friday Favorite #2
Tyson Hesse

Tyson Hesse earned his BFA in animation at Savannah College of Art and Design.  He is the creator of the successful webcomic Boxer Hockey and his print-only comic Diesel.  I first found Tyson Hesse's work on deviantart back in my senior year of high school.  I immediately fell in love with Boxer Hockey.  Up until that time the only webcomic I knew about was Penny Arcade.  The world of webcomics was a mystery to me that I didn't know even existed. 

Boxer Hockey is. . .well I'll let Tyson explain:

"Boxer Hockey can be played anywhere, by anyone.  In your backyard, in a park, on the roof of the quick stop; anywhere that you can run around and have a good time.  Professional class boxer hockey is played in WBHL certified stadiums.  Stadiums can be designed to include any number of hazards or conditions [. . .] A professional Boxer Hockey team is comprised of four players, or boxey hockers.  Three runners and one goalie.  Runners are allowed to bring one "stick" on to the field, each.  A player's "stick" can be any kind of blunt object.  A baseball bat, hockey stick, pipe, broom, large rock; anything the player wishes.[. . .] The runners try to get the "ball" into the opposing team's goal, scoring a point.  [. . .] Oh, and most importantly, the "ball" is a genetically engineered frog.  [. . .] splicing the frog's DNA with rubber offers a longer-lasting frog, with less gory pauses to replace broken units.  In fact, a regulation WBHL frogs lives an average, healthy 6 years."  (Hesse, Tyson. Boxer Hockey. Vol. 1. 2010. 1. Print.)

The comic follows the lives of a Boxer Hockey team, the Mekpens.  I love all of the characters in this comic.  None of them feel fake or are lacking personality.   The character's relationships with each other is complex and real.

Tyson started Boxer Hockey in 2006 and the comic has seen a huge amount of improvement and growth in this time. 

A good place to pick up Boxer Hockey is with, in my opinion, the most heart warming and emotional story arch in webcomics, the story of how Rittz and Skip met. After that it won't be a bad idea to go to the first comic and read through. Most of this comic is PG in nature and Hesse himself has said he likes to keep the art in that rating.  

Boxer Hockey is a must read!  I bought the first volume of Boxer Hockey when it first was published and had it signed by Tyson Hesse himself because I was one of the first 100 to order.

Besides Boxer Hockey, Tyson Hesse has made another comic called Diesel. 

"Diesel is my first comic developed exclusively for print. As I look to get into comic books
as a career I am finding that many publishers don't want to print material that people can get
for free on the internet already. Boxer Hockey is to stay free for as long as possible, so I
developed this new property over the past few years to shop around to potential interested publishers.
There is a slight possibility that Diesel could end up online in the future, but it will only be available
in print form for at least 6 months.

Diesel is a garbage girl who sails aboard a traveling airship garage. Her heritage begs that she one day become a great engineer, but all she wants to do is learn to pilot her late father's ship. A ship which she believes is rightfully hers. The ships current captain however, Diesel's childhood friend, doesn't want her anywhere near the helm. Adventures ensue. Call it steampunk, or fantasy, or sci-fi or what have you. It's a pretty fair departure for what you may be used to in Boxer Hockey. It's a bit more dramatic, but still light-hearted enough for few good gags here and there." (Hesse, Tyson. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://dieselcomic.com/)

Regarding Tyson Hesse's art, it is quite impressive.  The one thing I hear over and over again is people talking about how good Hesse is at drawing emotions and faces.  You'll see what everyone is talking about when you start reading Boxer Hockey.  Long story short, Tyson Hesse is my favorite webcomic artist and you should all read his comics and support him!

Let me know what you guys think of Tyson Hesse's work and Friday Favorites in the comments below.
--Aaron

contest winner and pokemon

Of the hundreds of you that entered the contest I would like to congratulate the winner: Rohan!  Late last night, Ken walked in after just having his brain blown by finishing Ender's Game for the first time, and drew Rohan's name from the hat.  Just to see what would happen, we put Rohan's name back in the hat and picked again. . .Ken drew Rohan's name a second time, so I guess it was meant to be!  Congratulations Rohan and thank you to all of you who entered this contest and made it a success.  

In other news, today is the first Friday Favorite!  This is a segment where either Alton or myself pick an artist or comic to showcase.  This Friday's artist is: Maré Odomo

Friday Favorite #1
Maré Odomo

Maré Odomo is an artist based in Seattle, Washington.  He earned his BFA in Visual Communication from Cornish College of the Arts. I was introduced to Maré Odomo's work through Dustin Harbin's jounral comic.  Maré Odomo had done a guest strip for Dustin's comic.   Dustin had posted a link to Maré Odomo's website and a link to a comic Maré Odomo did called Letters to an Absent Father. 

Letters to an Absent Father is probably one of my favorite comics on the web right now.  Growing up I never bought any Pokemon cards, never played any Pokemon games and never watched the show.   But there is something about Maré Odomo's comic that makes even people like myself who know nothing about Pokemon absolutely love it!  Apparently in the games and show Ash's father is never shown or talked about.  Maré Odomo doesn't try to answer what has happened to Ash's father, but he puts us in the shoes of a kid who just wants the love and respect of his father.  I don't think there is anyone who does not want that from their father, no matter how horrible they may seem.

Maré Odomo's art style in Letters to an Absent Father is simple and clean and goes perfectly with the narrative.  There are 12 parts to this mini-comic online.  You can buy Letters to an Absent Father for pretty cheap too!  There is a $5 and a $10 version.

And the refreshing thing about Maré Odomo is he isn't a one act show.  He does lots of things besides Pokemon comics.  Another of my favorite things he has done is a poster called GIRLS<PIZZA which is also up for sale.  If you haven't heard of Maré Odomo until now he is worth the time to check out!

He also seems to be a pretty nice guy.  I asked him what he thought of My Skinny Jeans are Red and he said, "I like these, dude! Your narration sounds really natural and has a good flow [. . .] I have a box of my ex's stuff too. I call it "my ex-box"(link).  He also gave me some great advice that I have been using on newer strips!  He didn't have to reply to me, but he took the time to look at my comic and respond.  That says something about the type of person he is.

Maré Odomo links:
website
Letters to an Absent Father
girls<pizza
Store (mini-comic and poster)
flickr
twitter

Let us know what you think of Friday Favorites and Maré Odomo in the comment section below!
--Aaron