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!

Last week I was in Anaheim, CA for Wondercon and let me just start off my saying: WHOA! I came to Wondercon with a blank slate, not having ever done the show before and knowing that it was moving to a different city than it usually was in, I didn’t know if I could base any assumptions on other people’s experience. So, let’s just suffice to say that it was AWESOME! Anaheim minions came out in full force and really brought it, even through the rains. In a weekend chock-full of highlights and general coolness one moment really stands out. Let me share with you:

I FINALLY MET WIL WHEATON! In person, and everything! People who have been following me for a while know that I have a bit of a history with Mr. Wheaton, yet had never met the man. Allow me to elucidate: At Phoenix Comicon 2007, he walked by my table and gave me a quick nod as he headed to his table; at SDCC 2010 he came to our table and purchased a few items, but I wasn’t at my table at that point because I had stupidly decided to wander the floor, leaving my friend Mari to watch the table for about 1/2 an hour so I missed him there; last year, he retweeted some of my artwork and paid me one of the greatest compliments I’ve ever gotten from a celebrity. And that brings us up to date. Until last Saturday, that is. I was at my table (as I do). It was getting late in the day, and I sat down behind my display briefly to check something on the iPad. I knew there was a small group of ladies at my table digging through buttons and such when I sat, leaving Ashlie to take care of them. That’s when I heard a commotion from out in front of my table: I heard a man’s voice say, “Excuse me! Pardon, I just need to get through here…” Thinking that there was some dude being a jerk and that Iwas gonna have to dress some dude down, I look up just in time to see Wil freaking Wheaton hip bumping this group of stunned young ladies out of the way and being really freaking charming the whole time. Everyone at my table just went silent when we realized that Nerd Royalty was present. It was like a cone of silence descended around my table and all we could hear was Wil’s voice. I was dumbfounded, but I was trying to play it cool. My heart was beating like I’d just run to the front doors and back. Then Wil broke the silence with these words, “I love everything you do.” It was like I had been slapped in the face with a salmon full of gold doubloons. How do you RESPOND to that?! I said the only thing I could manage to get out without stuttering: “Ditto, sir.” I was informed later by one of the ladies that was there when he showed up that she had to give me credit for trying to act cool but I apparently was failing at it. Oh well. He stood there for a moment and his eyes fell on our display of Crocheted Creatures and our Mythbusters ones in particular. “Have they seen this?! This is AWESOME! Anne come over here!” He shows his wife (who was quite charming in her own right) the MB’s and picks up a ninja and tells me that his cat and dog joined forces to destroy his last one (that he bought at SDCC 2010) and that he was still sad about that. He then introduces me to Anne as “The guy who drew the poster I have in my office!” (the Starfleet Academy print).  Just as he was getting ready to leave he said “Hey, do you have a card? I want to be able to tell people where they can find your stuff.”

HOW COOL IS THAT, I ask you.

So, next weekend is EMERALD CITY COMICON (which you know if you’ve read our convention schedule). We’re going to have all of our nerdity on display at Booth 407! ECCC 2012 will see the DEBUT of Captain Dan vs. The Kraken!! YAY!

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)

The Hobbit warmups I did for the past week or so combined into one big piece.

The Sauron piece is a new Valentine’s Day Card that is available RIGHT NOW

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!)

Sorry I missed my update last week. As you know, I spent the last week and a half in Dodge City, Kansas (yes, it is a real place and not just a made-up old west town) with my In-laws, and updating a blog on the ipad is a pain in the buttocks. I did however get 13 pages (YEAH, 13!) of the next Capt. Dan book penciled while I was there, so that’s awesome! So, here I am – a day later than I’d have liked to be this week. Grr.

Oh well. So I know I missed the New Year’s bandwagon by a few days, but bear with me. I’m not much on resolutions, usually. I find them to be a pain to deal with and who needs the extra guilt everyday? Not I, says I. So, what did I do this year? I set myself a resolution. Duh. But, I think it’s one I can keep up and one that my minions may get a kick out of. I decided that every time I sit down to draw, I’m going to start doing warm-up sketches. Fully-inked 5×7 sketches on bristol board that I can take with me to cons to sell. I’ll take suggestions and requests on my Twitter feed everyday, so make sure that you check that out.

For my art this week I figured that I’d go ahead and post my first few sketches.
Featuring Spider-man, The Huntress and The Goon and Frankie!

Dear Mr. President,
Recently the Obama for America campaign ran a design contest “Art Works” that asked designers, artists and illustrators to submit designs and ideas for posters that, once chosen, would be sold through the OFA website to help raise funds for your re-election. This contest provided no compensation to the artists. As a self-employed designer and illustrator, I found the idea of a design contest distasteful, but after receiving the email from one of your campaign staffers which basically told everyone who spoke out angrily about the ‘contest’ to shut up about it, I mostly did. Then the contest kind of faded away (as so many things do in the political arena), and I didn’t think too much more about it.

Today, I was reminded of your campaign’s disrespect for (and willingness to take advantage of) artists when I got an email from Josh Higgins announcing the “winners” (I use that term loosely) of the design contest. Winners who, in the email, aren’t even identified by full name. Winners who, on your website, aren’t even given the dignity of a link back to their portfolio or website. The only incentive these people had for entering this SHAM of a contest in the first place was recognition and the ability to use this to gain themselves PAYING work. Paying work that Art Directors and ad agencies might give these artists if they had a reasonable way to find them. Since you didn’t even link to these artist’s websites, how will any ACTUAL job-creators find these people to give them work? You called these artists “winners” and that’s not true, and you know it. These people were marks to your campaign. Your campaign conned artists into giving you the fruits of their labor for free with the carrot of recognition. They didn’t do this for the signal honor of getting your autograph. They didn’t do this for the heady pleasure of seeing their work on the President’s website. They did it for exposure. Exposure your campaign can’t even deign to give them.

Writing this wasn’t easy for me. As a staunch liberal, a supporter of your 2008 campaign (I was a volunteer AND donated money), and a working artist, seeing your 2012 campaign’s complete disregard for the artistic profession (a profession that your candidacy greatly benefitted from in 2008, as I recall) hurts me personally and professionally. This “contest” (and all others like it) only serves to further the idea that artists and designers aren’t true professionals and that paying them for their work is largely irrelevant. It hurts more since, as the President, you are spectacularly influential. Your example shows the rest of America that it’s ok to benefit from the work of a talented designer or illustrator, but it’s not necessary to pay, or even properly credit, said artist for their artistic contribution. People are going to see this as the President’s tacit approval for ripping off creatives across the board. This is not “change we can believe in”. This is the prelude to a very bad time in America for artists, designers and illustrators. A time that you could help prevent just by giving the people who worked so hard for you credit on your site (since paying them is obviously out of the question). Please do the right thing by these people.

Sincerely yours, Dane Ault – Monkey Minion Press

Doc Letter

This second letter is by my wife, Ashlie.

Dear President Obama,

I am writing today in response to the choice made by your campaign to run a contest soliciting free poster designs. As a supporter of your last successful campaign, I am appalled at what is being done in your name. As a thirty-something American who isn’t totally ignorant about the state of the economy and the jobless rate here in Oregon, I am outraged that this contest preys on people looking for work by paying nothing. As a craftsperson married to a freelance graphic designer and illustrator, I am personally insulted that your campaign calls this contest “Art Works.”

So you understand where I’m coming from, let me tell you a story about us, Mr. President. My husband and I are in our thirties. We’ve been married for more than seven years and both have college educations that we are still paying for. We’re normal people with some pretty normal goals and plans for our futures. This fall, after signing a mortgage on a very modest condo, my husband quit his job with a local ad agency and went freelance. It was the next step on a path leading to his dream and our long-term goals. Times are harder than we originally planned, however this isn’t a poor me or us letter.

We are young, tough and smart. We have savings and plans and my husband is excellent at what he does. We are going to succeed. But this is where you and your 2012 campaign comes in and sort of crashes the party.

Designers and illustrators depend on people understanding that art has value. Not just historical or museum-type value, but real, honest to goodness, yea-I-get-to-eat-now value. By creating a contest where people do real work for no return, you are telling the world that Art has no monetary value. You are saying that even really good artists, people who create work that is excellent enough to stand for the President of the United States, should be the starving kind.

Worse, by calling this contest “Art Works,” you are letting us (artists, graphic designers and the people who depend on them to bring home the bacon) know that you understand that Art indeed works for you. You know that the art on those posters can create an instant rapport with those you are trying to reach and communicate with. It can crystalize an idea more clearly than ten speeches. But you know who that art didn’t work for, Mr. President? All the artists and creators who provided you art in that contest. They got nothing for the real work they provided. Not only did they all work for free, but your campaign couldn’t even be bothered to pay the winners. They don’t even get credit in a way that will help drive other (hopefully paying) work to their inboxes.

Mr. President, every single day my husband and I are working to convince people and businesses of the value that our work, creativity, and yes- ART provides. This entire contest episode has left us with a bad taste in our mouths and a very poor idea of you. While there is no way to change the contest (and I doubt your campaign will suddenly do the right thing and pay a decent wage to those artists who have certainly earned it), there is one thing that can and should be done. It would be easy and cost you nothing.

Mr. President, please make absolutely sure that the artists whose work you will be making so much money from get proper credit. A name and home state doesn’t cut it. Please ensure that the dubious “honor” of working for you for free at least allows them the hope of future paying jobs. Provide proper credit by announcing their full names, email addresses, or perhaps a link to a website so that the Art can Work for them too.

Letter to Obama

In other news, this week, I started a new tumblr page at http://monkeyminionpress.tumblr.com/. There’s not much there, yet, but I’m working on it.

As far as art goes, I only have this picture of a kitty playing with a 20-sided die I drew for The DoubleClicks for a concert poster. Let me know what you think! That’s all I have for this week. Next week, I’ll be in Kansas for the holiday, but I’ll try to post something, provided the internet cow doesn’t wander too far east. Since I won’t see you before I leave, have a happy holiday, Minions!

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).

So, I wanted to start this post off with something cliched like a Black Friday Deal or something, but thought better of it (that’s coming further down, I promise). Instead, I want to talk about you guys and gals and your awesomeness. As I mentioned in past posts, I recently decided to take MMP full-time. (2 months ago this week, actually) This wasn’t a rash decision and it wasn’t something I could’ve done even a year ago and it’s largely due to you, the Minions. Since I made the choice to strike out on my own, you guys have been awesome with your support, and I wanted to let you now how much I appreciate it. Without you I’d be back in my cube at my job, killing time until I got to hop a bus and go home. Brain dead and soul-weary, I’d be forcing myself to try to get ‘extra’ work done for our convention appearances, and it would be lacking. Since I moved to MMP, though, I’ve completed 4 new prints, which beforehand would have been a 4-6 month long process at least, started a new webcomic (which goes live on 11/29), and begun production on the next Captain Dan Book (not to mention all the awesome freelance projects I’ve been able to take on and other items we’ve been making).  And it’s all due to you. So, in keeping with the season I’d like to say Thank You to all of you.

And now, for the commerce! Last week, we released our Pirate Gift Pack and today in keeping with the holiday sales season, we’re starting our “Black Friday Shipping Sale!” It’s easy, just go the either our Store or our Etsy shop and buy a Large Print, a Pendant (or Keychain) or a book and I’ll cover the shipping (if you live in the contiguous US) and I’ll cover half of your shipping if you live outside the us or in AK & HI. Because I’m nice like that. All you need to do is place the order, the shipping is already fixed for you. So go ahead, you know you want to.

This week, I also want to share some arts with you. It’s been a while. Again thanks to you minions, I find myself with some spare time at night, so instead of rotting my brain in front of the tube, I’ve started doing some sketches and original art pieces again. Most of these will probably start appearing with me at conventions for sale, but if you happen to see one you want, let me know and we can work something out. This one isn’t finished yet, but it’s almost ready for inks. There are some problems with it that need to be addressed before I do that, though. But I wanted to show you something I’ve been working on. So that’s all I have for you today. Go out and have a nice weekend and I’ll see you again next week! – D