The Square's Burden

This comic was inspired by a great many things. I imagined a scene on my way to school, whilst sitting on the c-train, and the rest of the story settled rather quickly.

Influences:

• 1984 and Animal Farm by George Orwell
• Exodus by Anti-Flag
• Flatland by George A. Abbott, although I've never read the book, I was aware of it and I'm sure its influence crept its way into this story.

I wrote the script at 24 Hour Comic Day last October, penciled it on my Christmas break last December and wrapped it all up this evening. Feels good to have finished another story!

Enjoy!

Heads, I Win...

Here are some random pics, some drawn months ago, another drawn today, all of them tightened up with a splash of ink and color.

The first pic features my next big project, an 8 page comic featuring Andrew Foley's The Absurdist. I read the script again after abut a year and I love it even more than before. It's gonna be a gooder, folks.

Have I mentioned recently that Daredevil is the Bees Knees!? Well, he is.

That two-headed dude is from a novel I've been working on for the last year.

And the Joker was drawn today at my new job: I am a scan monkey for Riley's reprographics at the moment, working during the summer to survive as an art student. It didn't take too long for me to remember why I spent loads of money every Friday on food and booze after working in an office all week.

Just helps reaffirm that going back to school was the right thing to do.

It appears I have been accepted into the 2nd Year Design Program at ACAD, but I'll only allow myself to get excited when I'm holding the actual letter in my hot little hand. Once I get the portfolio back though, I'll post the whole damn thing online. A shining testament to an entire year's worth of hard work.

Ooooooh...

The Simple Joy of a Frightened Child

This comic started off as most of my inside jokes tend to: a misunderstanding on my part. I misheard my friend Katherine say the words "fountain in the front yard" and instead heard "phantom in the front yard." And that's all it took for my brain pan to concoct this spooky little story and its hero, a proper young English boy, Quincy.

People will probably ask "But why, Nick? What's the point of this story?"

"We've all got phantoms in our front yard," I'll say, as my cold eyes stare into nothingness, lost in my own dark memories, and sipping away at the tumbler of scotch that I fully intend to chuck into the fireplace to add to the dramatic tension.

It's going to be glorious.

Tank-ety Tank-ety!

GRIMZEN, the unstoppable Metal Machine of Malice from High River, commissioned me to do another piece featuring their War Buddha dude. The tank was way fun yet kinda tough to draw and I actually got to use some of the perspective and color theory knowledge that I unwittingly gained from my first year at ACAD.

At least that's where I think it came from. The CIA doesn't beam sweet-ass knowledge directly into the brains of the random public anymore, do they? Cuz I suddenly know how to dis- and reassemble an M-16 too.

Here's a sneak peek at a one page comic I'm working on. It's an inside joke that got wildly out of control. (Thanks Katherine.)


His name is Quincy. And he needs your help.

Expo Peep Show

Not only did I attend the spectacular Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo last April, but I also had the good fortune of being featured in their beautiful art souvenir book. The theme was sci-fi, so I fell back on the only sci-fi story I've ever done, Space Ninja Monkey Face, from Rocket Juice.

Like with all my pinups, I tried to mash as many characters and story points onto one surface as possible, I guess to ensure that people always get their money's worth and are able to spend some quality time with the page.

Quality sexy time.

Summer Dresses and Job Distresses

I have officially survived my foundation year at ACAD! My portfolio for the VC program has been submitted and I now have stories, and scars, and stories written in scars to tell all. I had to drop off the grid to finish things up, but once I get my portfolio back, I plan to scan the beast to show what I've been up to throughout the year. And to see if I've improved. At all.

But until then, summer is nearly here! And I need to get this art blog back on muthafuckin' track, right?

SCORES OF ENTHUSIASTIC CHILDREN ACTORS: Right!

A FRESH FACED AND REINVIGORATED NICK: Go team!

So while I'm looking for some work this summer to keep my bad self fed and off the streets, I'll also be updating more regularly. Let us begin with some Drink n Draw sketches:


(This character was created by Fiona back in High School.)

And now, because Fiona and Rebekah have started a revealing Show-All of High School Art via Facebook, I have decided to bare all and reveal my knobby kneed illustrations from junior to high school. I wear my influences on my sleeve:



(These 2 were my first full length comic, The Mist, drawn in Junior High.)



(And this was High School!)

That's all for now. Updates soon!