dent found

Wow, I totally thought this image was lost to the ages. I recently resurrected my old Powerbook and while rummaging through the drive, I found a small folder of Peck images. This drawing just really catches the atmosphere of fictitious Sactown and the coolness of Dent.

balance

"In the immortal words of Pat Morita: Balance, Billy-san. Balance …" 

~Cornelius Bacon

the way of the can

Cornelius is the Master of Gar Bag Do (in kanji it is traditionally called "Cando" or Way of the Can). This martial art involves becoming one with the discarded, using it to one's advantage when required to defend oneself in battle. It also gives Bacon the uncanny ability to speak and/or emerge from any can or receptacle in the city. This comes in handy when he needs to communicate with Dent/Peck. 

meet cornelius bacon

Cornelius Bacon is the unlikely mentor of the Dent (aka Peck). A highly educated man, Bacon attended Oxford and Harvard, securing doctorates in Eastern Studies, Philosophy, Literature, Linguistics, Physics, Chemistry, and PE. He traveled the world extensively for two decades, but spent the majority of the time in a Tibetan monastery. Eventually he found his way back to America, securing employment at an obscure state college known as Sactown University. He retired from SU when his obsessive pursuit of Gar Bag Do (the Way of the Can) began to overtake his academic career. He currently works and resides in the Sactown Landfill with his teddy bear confidant, Billy Trudare.

baby sketch

Here's a 30-second Peck sketch on a 2x2 inch post-it—I call them "baby sketches." It's interesting how quick thumbnails can have so much energy. And sometimes the enlarged, finished versions lose some of that soul in the transition.

peck issue 2 begins (again)

Okay, I'm feeling a bit sheepish about this. I'm commencing with Issue #2. Again. Only after a mere four year break. I won't bore you with excuses, but I can account for at least one year of delinquency: I was editing and contributing to a cool anthology graphic novel known as Yarns and recrafting a single-panel cartoon called Incompatibles. But I digress. This post is about Peck!

Above is the opening page to Issue #2. If you're new to Peck, go ahead and recap issue #1 here. Remember from the previous installment: Dent was found by Cornelius Bacon in the Sactown dump, broken and plagued with amnesia. Short of a full restoration of memory, Bacon and Billy (his teddy bear) are able to nurse Dent back to relative health. But they know there's more beneath the surface of this soft-spoken one-armed transient. In this issue, Bacon continues to unfold the mysteries that explain Dent's past. He also reveals the tipping point at which Dent—a mild-mannered waste management engineer by day—becomes a wraith-like crime fighter by night …

heinrich kley

One of my favorite influences is the German caricaturist Heinrich Kley. His work was just so dynamic and free. It's amazing what he could do with a line. If I can bring an inkling of the energy he brought to his drawings, I'd be satisfied. Check out some of his work here.

yarns this month

YARNS, the Yowling Anthology of Random & Neato Stories, will be making its debut this month at Sacramento State University near the end of April. It's been fun editing the pub and gathering the friends for this endeavor. The reception for the show is on May 2nd, 6pm–8pm in the University Union Gallery. Come out and view the "making of" the book and meet the artists that put it all together. For more info, go to  http://www.union.csus.edu/gallery/.

yow!

Apologies for being derelict in my Peck duties. I will post up soon. In the meantime, check out YARNS, the Yowling Anthology of Random & Neato Stories. It's a comic collaboration between six other friends and myself. 

http://yarnscomics.blogspot.com/

back peck

Tonight's drawing. I need to add a prosthetic device to his arm here …

night sketch

Quick sketch before bed.

billy at kintoki-con

Here's a little piece I did while exhibiting at Kintoki-Con yesterday.

kintoki-con approaches

Here's a new local con I will be exhibiting at on Saturday, June 18th. If you have time, come on by and check it out. You can register for the event at http://kintoki-con.com/. You will find me listed in Artist Alley under the nickname Choko. Cheers!

wondercon shout out

My buddy, Mark Machmann, got a shout out in a WonderCon comic photo album by Comic Booked. Thanks, Nicole!

peck's up on comixpress

You can now purchase your very own copy of Peck at comixpress.com. Click on the image above to transport yourself thither.

issue #2 / page 1

Okay this page has been done for a while, but I wanted to start posting the successive pages of Issue #2 now that there are people who actually have Issue #1 at home. I need to get switched over to Comicpress (on top of Wordpress) to make an archive gallery. I appreciate your patience.

wondercon 2011 post mortem

Believe it or not, I sat in my Wondercon booth on Friday and thought, “What am I doing here?” One sale the entire day. Arg. But then Saturday comes along and the book starts jumping off the table. My inner voice comes back a second time, but this time says: “Heck yes!” Peck sold well in Artist Alley and it was so exhilarating to finally get this book out to the public. My table buddy, Mark Machmann, and I learned plenty at our first WC (at least the first time being on the other side of the table). All the exhibitors we spoke with were so nice and helpful. I'm definitely going to do this Con again next year. Thanks to all who came out to support us!

wondercon 2011 pics

Dave Metran, the proud new owner of a comic book.

Nicole Sixx of Comic Booked liked Peck #1. She also sports a Solo postcard from Mark Machmann.

Made some new friends like artist Ian Walker, his wife, Wrennie and son, Jaylon.

Laura O'brien of Double Fine game co was my booth neighbor. Thanks for the girl scout cookies, Laura!

Rebecca Spencer fills in at the booth whilst I wander about Artist Alley. Thanks for all your help, Rebecca!

Mark Machmann ready to take on the Saturday madness at WC. Great event, Mark!

peck in SF this weekend

If you make it out to WonderCon this weekend, please come by and visit me in Artist Alley (AA#142). I will be there on Friday and Saturday with some nice crisp issues of Peck.

peck link soon

I will be posting a link for the mass release of Peck Issue #1 as soon as I can get Comixpress to list it. Stay tuned!