Script/Layout

I had this one-page story to do and I usually draw a thumbnail and think just on the key sentences and dialogues. But I realized this one would have so much text that I needed the full text in order to see how much space I'd have left for the art.

So first I wrote all the text for the story. After that, I divided it in small blocks that would end up being the captions and balloons (that column on the left).

Then I started laying them down on the page. At first I wanted to do big panels, some "narrative panels" only with text (just like in Casanova), but I decided it would be best for the story if I did lots of small panels, even if a little art just to make it a real comicbook, you know?

I drew some panels there for guidance and now I'm gonna print this and draw on the remaining space.
I really don't do it like this very often, but sometimes you gotta go with what you get.

I gotta finish it by tomorrow. I'll miss the All-Star game to do it.

PIXU, Buffy, and the fight.

We love comics, but they can be brutal. Working against the clock, racing deadlines, juggling everything we're currently doing, nothing is easy separately and together they're particularly difficult.

But that's the fight. That's the life. You can't expect everything to be easy, specially when you won't settle for the ordinary, for the most common road. You can't expect the bumpy road to come without bumps.

Our dear friend Becky Cloonan was interviewed at CBR during the NYCC weekend, and she talks about two very exciting news regarding Buffy and, most importantly, our PIXU story being collected in hardcover by Dark Horse. We do our independents projects because our love for the comics world not always fits with what the publishers might want or need at the time, and we believe every good story can become a good comic. It's nice to see that sometimes our love projects can be appreciated and understood by bigger publishers, and it's great that these projects get the support and the chance to be found by a much bigger audience.

Like the entire comics, the new PIXU cover was a collaboration, this time between Becky, Vasilis and me.



The two individual issues of our independent limited run are still available through Khepri.com, and they contain material that won't be collected (plus they are rare, limited and the first issue is signed), and Becky will be around during the convention season selling it as well, so for those who like the specialness of our original PIXUs, you're not too late to catch on the PIXU train.

Now, let's go back for another round. Our comics are looking at us fiercely.

I think they want blood.

Gemelli di Meraviglia

De:TALES in Italian, published by Comma 22.
But I want it in my hands. This doesn't feel real enough.

Casanova cover doodle

I today ran into the script I had for the first Casanova issue I did the artwork, and on its cover page, I found this first cover doodle for the idea Bá and I were talking about.

Neil Gaiman loves Umbrella Academy

Neil Gaiman, who needs no introduction, was being interviewed on NPR yesterday and said his favorite comic at the moment is Umbrella Academy, from Dark Horse comics.

Here's the link to the interview. Go to time marked 10 minutes and 25 seconds.

Quote: "I loved Umbrella Academy, which I enjoyed [to] no end."
- Neil Gaiman

This is pretty awesome.

Dallas #3!

While I'm deep in the jungles of issue #5 (yeah, I'm kinda late), Umbrella #3 comes out this week.
There's a preview here.
this is the cover. It's one of the covers I like.

Fight sketch

2009

Let the season begin.

Let us all find more time to work on what we love, to spend time with our friends, family and lovers, let us read more and learn every day something new. Let us all start the new year in a new way. Let's just make something we're proud of.

Let us all do something that matters.

Let's hunt our dreams with our art, let's put down our fear with our love for challenges. Let's challenge ourselves. Let's grow.

Dallas 2 preview, and the guest.

There's a preview of Umbrella Academy - Dallas, issue 2 at CBR. Here's the link. Check out one of Bá's great sequences in terms of character acting, "carema placement" and page layout. All that enhanced by Dave's suberb coloring and Nate's sharp lettering.



In other news, I've been invited to be a guest at next year's San Diego Comic-Con, which will happen from July 22nd to July 26th. You can view the current guest list at this link. I was asked to provide a picture of myself or a self portrait to include in adversiting programs and sites and such, and I couldn't resist the opportunity to do a new drawing so, even swamped in work, I did this watercolor to send them. I even liked this one, and I like it much more than any picture I have here. Once I have more news about that, I'll post them in here.

Back to work, and thanks for reading.

BOOM!

Counting down and looking ahead.

This past weekend, surrounded by the dearest of friends in the comic world, we talked about our work and what drives us forward. Our little circle was surrounded by a bigger circle, of interested fans, and during two hours we were in a bubble of greatness.

I left certain I'm on the right path, and that I'm not alone in believing in what I do.

This year's countdown has begun, and soon we shall celebrate another year well spent, working hard and opening doors. We've been working more and more, as we should, and the work never felt more gratifying. If this is what my life will be, working in comics 24/7, writing and drawing and creating and putting out great stuff, than I look forward to the future. If the future is like now, it will be glorious, but we should always aim a little higher, so I expect the future to be even brighter. And so should you.

It seems like ages ago since the last issue of Casanova hit the stands (even more since I finished drawing it). It also seems like forever since we finished PIXU. Bá finished the first Umbrella series almost one year ago, and the new series just started one weeks ago. This notion of never-ending work leaves little room in our lives for our work to breathe and exist, as we very fast have to turn to the next project. And then, when we're working on several projects at once, the ones recently finished have to vanish from our routine as fast as we have to keep producing pages. Some projects come back to mind every once in a while, and those are the ones I think are not over yet. Those are the stories I think are still incomplete, and sometime in the future these stories shall continue.

We are still searching for our place in this medium, telling our stories and drawing other's, and our quest has taken us to very interesting places. The future points to new and exciting ones, and some familiar ground.

Back to work, and thanks for reading.

Wizard names PIXU Best Self Published comic of 2008

The indie collective of Becky Cloonan, Vasilis Lolos, Gabriel Bá and Fábio Moon upped the ante on the self-publishing end with this minicomic chronicling the lives and deaths of the residents of a haunted house. With each horrific chapter created by a different artist, PIXU (Pee-shoo) holds together incredibly well and has us salivating for the second volume.

-Wizard #207

PIXU is still available at Khepri.com, so get'em while they're still around!

New Umbrella Academy series starts TODAY!

The first issue of the new Umbrella Academy series hits the stands today.
I've been working on it since May and it will finally be seen. There's a lot of crazy stuff on this series, much more than the first one.
Go grab your copy NOW.



And take a look at the most amazing thing Paper Action Figure Man sent me:



And while you're at it, what about pre-ordering the PVC Figure Set, due to hit the stores on April 2009?

Sketch

Faces

Looks.

Watercolor studies is about all I have time to do these days besides drawing our awesome new comics. It's a good break from the daily routine of the pages, and a good way to warm up as well as cool off.

When

PIXU and 5 at Floating Wolrd!

Floating World Comic, in Portland, will host this amazing exposition of original art form all the awesome creators of the Eisner Winner 5 and the new face of terror, PIXU!
Can't miss this event!
And if you haven't ordered PIXU yet, do it while you can. Our very limited 1000 copies print run WILL END FAST.
Click HERE and guarantee your copy!

PIXU 2

Click HERE and order your copy TODAY!

Watercolor at the garden.