Here’s how this will work: I’m going to post some preview art from both stories here and everywhere. What you’ll do is go to my FB page and vote for whichever one you want to see first! Easy-peasy!

First up: A really cute story about an as-yet-unnamed kid gets turned into an alien! What adventures will he have? Will he stay an alien forever? Only one way to find out!

Second up, we have a cute little story about Kevin, a small child who also just happens to be a zombie! Kevin wakes up hungry one day and embarks on a journey of discovery… and of breakfast!

So there you have it! Now, all you have to do is go to the FB page and VOTE! Tell your friends to vote! Have your kids (if you have them) vote! We’ll leave the voting up for a few days. The character with the most votes by Tuesday, 4/24, will be declared the winner and will be the first book made. Yay! It’s all in your hands, minions; don’t let me down!

Talk to you next week, when I will talk about Stumptown Comics Fest.

So, with the convention season starting and the release of “Captain Dan vs. The Kraken,” I’ve been asked to write up a blog post explaining how I drew the arts for the new book. Now, I don’t often do this kind of thing (and I didn’t plan ahead for this one,) so bear with me and here we go! We’re going to tear apart the “Cantina Scene” from the beginning of “CDvTK.”

STEP ONE: The sketch.
Seems obvious, doesn’t it? All of my arts start out about like this. Blue and/or red pencil on paper. Seems counter-intuitive, I know, since all of my artwork is finished digitally. “Why would I draw it out on paper instead of working completely digitally?” Well, part of it is that I have much better control  over a pencil when sketching than I do a stylus, the other part is that I just really like drawing on paper. I think it makes my art seem a little more alive than it would be if I did it all digital.

STEP TWO: Redrawing it all.

So, the next step (and the one that takes the most time) is redrawing the entire image in Illustrator using the pen tool, patience and a lot of self-loathing. The idea here is kind of similar to inking a traditional comic book page; take the unusable scribbles from the pencils stage and make it readable. Here I tried to keep the general squishiness and life from the pencils, but even out and clean up the curves and make each character distinct. I also spent a lot of time dividing the image into separate layers for reasons that might become apparent at a later date. Doing this also makes doing the next step MUCH easier.

STEP THREE: Flat Colors

This step is probably the most “normal” step in the process: flatting colors. So, when I draw the art in illustrator (step 2), this makes each item a separate shape. So, this step is all about assigning colors to individual shapes, making them jive together within the character and with the whole image. I’m trying to sell the setting and characters as belonging in that setting and the colors are what help me do that.

STEP FOUR: Off to Photoshop/Art Corrections

Basically this step is me making sure that everything works. I noticed that there was a visibility issue in the lower left corner where the foreground character and bg character kind of melted into one. So, I had to adjust that a bit before continuing on.

STEP FIVE: Texturizing.

In this step, I attempt to better separate the important characters from the background characters, as well as give a sense of depth by applying a light texture over everything except the two foreground characters. I used a gradient set to dissolve on a multiply layer. (Was that too inside baseball? It was, wasn’t it? Sorry.)

STEP SIX: Shaping up.

Well, now things are starting to take shape! The nice thing about the flat colors is that I can use the wand tool in photoshop to select areas I want to apply shading to without it affecting anything else, which allows me to keep my art clean and neat. TECH STUFF: For the most part, I worked on a multiplied layer using a soft brush set to dissolve at a mid-low opacity. I used it kind of like an airbrush letting color build up by sweeping over it lightly. It’s a pain to get the technique, but I like the results.

STEP SEVEN: Shedding some light.

The last step for me is adding the lights/highlights to the image. I used basically the same technique on this step as I did for step 6 above, except instead of a multiplied layer, I used a screen layer and a brush with a light cream color. Aside note: I rarely use white or black to shade images. For shading, I try to use the color I’m darkening or a blue shade on an multiplied layer. For the lights, I try to use the lightest color that exists in the image, this way the bright spots don’t seem too out of place.

And that’s it! Fun, huh? Now you can go out and make art just like me! (please don’t, I’d never forgive myself for ruining your life)

So, I guess that’s about it, this week! Reminder: Don’t forget to order your copy of Captain Dan vs. The Kraken! There are still some free sketches available to the first 30 orders. Get yours today! Here are a couple of samples from some books that have already gone out the door: A cute commission of The DoubleClicks (who have a CD coming out that I did the artwork for) as Time Lords and a very proud Captain Dan (when you look as good as old Dan here, you can preen a bit, too). Anyway, so that’s it this week. Bye!

As you probably know, if you’ve been following me here or on twitter, the past few weeks have been completely taken over by work on my next book, Captain Dan vs. The Kraken. Well, good news on that front: I’m done! (with the artwork, at any rate) YAY! So, let me regale you with a new preview image from the book. Be sure to let me know what you think over on twitter or on facebook.

Today, I’d like to announce my candidacy for Pres… Oh wait. I’m getting ahead of myself. I can’t do that for a minimum of 5 more years. No, what I’d really like to talk to you all about is THIS:

Yep. This is the cover of our newest book, Captain Dan vs. The Kraken! It’s set to be debuted at Emerald City Comicon at the end of March. I’m just about done with the final art and then I gotta do the final text edits, but we’re close! I’m so excited! This book is going to be great! It has everything that you loved about the FIRST Capt. Dan book, plus MORE! We’re also going to have pinups by some of the illustration world’s greatest (and my friends), including Spencer Brinkerhof III, Robin Robinson and Rebecca Hicks!

So yeah. Stay tuned for more info (and maybe some more preview art, if you’re nice)

I am sad to report that I do not have much to report this week. I know, I know – I’m sad, too. This week was a week of playing catch up, trying to get ahead on this book we’re working on, in addition to other projects. This week, I did finish up a T-Shirt design that you can check out here and here, if you’re into that kind of thing.

This week also saw me do some more warmup sketches. However, unlike weeks past, these I did digitally. I may turn these into a print or something at a later date, but you can check them out individually right here.

Also, I wanted to remind you guys and gals that this is the season of lovin’! In that vein, we here at MMP want to faciltate the nerd-love and are offering a GREAT DEAL on our Zombie Valentine’s Cards! They’re available here and here, so go get them before time runs out!

So, I don’t have much to say this week, to be honest. I am severely behind on the next Capt. Dan book (shocking, I know) because I spent a lot of my time out and about working on something really big that I can’t share yet. Murph.

So, instead let me share with you this:

HOBBITSES! I’ve recently been re-reading the Hobbit at night before I go to bed and for my warmups this week I decided (inspired by my friend, Robin) to draw some scenes from my favorite kid’s book. Yeah, I said kid’s book. I know a lot of people want to see great big Boris Vallejo pictures based on this book, but it was initially meant as a children’s book. So, I wanted to do some Hobbit sketches with my kid’s book style. I’ve re-read the Hobbit every year since I was 10. I freakin’ love this book. I might work these up digitally once I get caught up on the next Capt. Dan book, just for fun. Is this something you’d like to see? Let me know in the comments.

Well, that’s all I have for you this week, minions. Go outside and have an adventure this week. Keep in mind that you can get a hold of me on Twitter or Facebook or buy stuff from me at my Store! (Don’t forget the Zombie Valentines Card sale going on RIGHT NOW!)

I’ll be honest, today being Friday COMPLETELY took me by surprise. This week just sailed by without so much as a ‘by your leave.’ Just rude, I say.

Anywho, today’s blog post is gonna be short. It’s not that I don’t have a lot to say (because I do), I just can’t spill the beans on most of it just yet. Suffice to say that there are big plans afoot for MMP this coming con season.

One thing I CAN spill the beans about is that today is a pretty special day. (No, not Friday the 13th, altho it is that) Today is my mom’s b-day! Yay! A little while back, I wrote a post about my dad’s b-day and how he is such a big influence on why I do what I do. Well, my mom’s the other big part. While my dad may have inspired me with his work and ability, my mom was my main source of encouragement and drive. My mom drummed into me at a young age that if I set my mind to something, then I can make that happen and that’s been my guiding light for my whole life. It sounds cliche, I know, but it’s one of the few I put stock in. So, if you like what I do, make sure you thank my mom, because a lot of it is her fault.

“Onto the pictures, Monkey!” I hear you saying. Ok, ok. Here you go. These are the warmups I did this week.  (The Avengers pic was a little more involved than a normal warmup, but I liked where it was going, so I followed it.) For the most part, I’m trying to spend less than an hour each on these every time I sit down to draw. Again, if you have ideas for characters you’d like to see me sketch, let me know on my Twitter, FB Page or brand-spanking new Tumblr!

So, I have AN ANNOUNCEMENT! For the Valentines Day holiday we’re having a sale on all of our Zombie Valentine’s Day Cards. Yay!! I’m fixing the prices in both my Etsy and Storenvy stores and this should be live by about 2pm (Pacific) today!

So that’s all I have for you this week. I need to get back to work on the next Urban Wild strip and the second Capt. Dan Book.

So this is a few day’s late, and I apologize for that. Unfortunately, not much happened last week, so there wasn’t much to talk about. Still isn’t I suppose. Today’s my dad’s 63rd Birthday, though so I guess there’s that.

A bufflehead duck my dad mounted.

It’s a little crazy to think of my dad being 63. My dad, for those of you who don’t know, is a big part of why I do what I do. My dad is a taxidermist by trade and all through my childhood, I got to watch my dad create life-like sculptures from these birds and animals and breathe a new kind of life back into them. Even after helping him do it for a number of years, as a teenager, it still seemed like magic to me. The level of realness that he’s able to achieve is pretty amazing. My dad drew throughout my childhood too and it’s because of him, that I was drawn (get it) to the pencil and paper. He also instilled in me a love for the outdoors, which has recently been helpful in my work on the Urban Wild webcomic. Anyway, so yeah – My dad’s old. Which is awesome. Happy Birthday, Dad. If you’re into that kinda thing, swing by his website and take a look around.

So what did I draw this week? Well, I did this thing, I suppose. I calls it Jurassic Cluck! Inspired (obviously) by my deep and abiding love of the original JP book and movie and an article I read recently about a Chickenasaurus. I thought it was pretty funny.

So, that’s it this week. While you’re here, go check out the Press Page and see what kind of nice things people have been saying about the stuff we’re doing. If you have a blog or podcast and want to fill some space (and Wil Wheaton isn’t free), I’m always available.

On the art front this week, I want to share a drawing I did recently. It’s of Jean Grey as Phoenix. I don’t do a lot of large-scale drawings anymore, but every so often I get an itch and need to scratch it. This is 11×17 drawn in ink. she’s not quite done yet, I might color her. I’m trying to start doing more sketches to take to shows, so if you have a character request, let me know (in the comments, perhaps?), and maybe your idea will make it onto the blog.

Be sure to keep checking out my new webcomic, Urban Wild, which updates bi-weekly.

PS – The last day for (as close as I can get to) Guaranteed Before X-Mas Delivery of stuff is Monday, Dec. 12. I’m mailing every other day in preparation for the holiday rush, so PLEASE get your orders in soon, so you don’t have to be mad at me when your posters/books don’t get to you before X-mas and your kids are all disappointed (that’s happened).

This weekend in Portland is a very special weekend: this weekend in N. Portland is Geek The Halls, a small 2-day geeky art show, put on by the PDX Browncoats. I’m very excited about this show, as this is our first official year showing there. (We were supposed to be there last year, but I got pretty sick right beforehand and couldn’t make it. It promises to be a ton of fun with a lot of the local nerd herd being in attendance, so if you’re in the area, please swing on by. This is also the second-to-last (maybe the last, depending on the application of another show) show we’ll have this year, so help make it a good one to end our season.

So, last week I debuted our FREE SHIPPING SALE that’s going on right now until 12/9 (GET ON IT!), where all you have to do is buy a poster, pendant or book and I pay your shipping. It’s all taken care of, couldn’t be easier. This week, I wanna debut some new products! YAY! As some of you know, Ashlie and I recently went crazy and bought another button  machine. It’s bigger than the old one, which means I can put arts on them that I couldn’t put on the tiny 1 inch buttons. WHICH IS EXCITING (shut up, it totally is), because it means I can do THIS:

Click me! Click ME!

Me Too! Click!

ROBOT BUTTON PACKS! I’m really excited about these. The picture really don’t do them justice. The buttons themselves are 1.5 inches across and each pack comes with 4 buttons. They are pretty durned cool, if I do say so myself.

So, those are neat. Onto the artworks for this week: This week, I got an itch to draw a new Propaganda style art piece and thought, “you know who’d be cool on a propaganda poster? DOOM.” So here he is. I like the idea of Dr. Doom as a world-dominating bad-guy, who thinks that he’s the only person in the world who can fix all the world’s problems, if only he were running EVERYTHING.

The Bots Buttons and the Doom print will be added to the stores after this weekend, so keep your eyes peeled!