Back-Breaker….
I broke my back…. Not exactly how I wanted to start the 2025 year off.
In a nutshell; I had an accident around New Years resulting in a fractured spine. Then being a boy of the 80’s/90’s I tried to apply the proverbial “walk it off.” Tough it out; business as usual; nobody needs to know…. Turns out, that’s not really a great way to handle such an injury (admittedly this was not the smartest course of action on my part). So after some doctor mandated time off, I’m back in the studio and ready to get some work done. Still broken and behind the eight ball of the always evolving industry, but at least I’m back functioning.
I’m here. And it’s time to make the donuts, once again.
With the ever-shifting tectonic plates of the comic industry (good, bad, and in-between) it has been my method-of-madness to have an ever constant of multiple irons in the creative fire. One of the current projects that’s being currently released and re-released into the wilds of comic shops everywhere is “The First Americans” from L.A. based publisher Critical Entertainment.
Written by Chris Reda, with myself on art; F.A. is a survival/adventure series that’s rooted in speculative prehistory. It follows the first peoples who chose to take the long arduous migratory walk from Asia, across Beringia, and into North America. Braving the wilds of new lands and reaching the very limits of the human condition.
Issues #1 and #2 are being rereleased with a series of variant covers (the carousel above) while I’m finishing the double sized issues of #3 and #4 over the next couple months.
Illustrating the series there was a very specific goal in mind. I wanted the book to have a very different feel from my usual interior work. The story concept is very unique for the casual American comic rack, so the line execution needed to exhibit just that. I looked to artists like Serio Toppi and Michael Zulli. Two artists who maximize the atmospheric experience through ink on the page. They achieve an organic affect that sucks in the reader in with a visual narrative that flows like a wild river. Always smooth, but always unpredictable. I don’t know if I’m necessarily hitting that vibe especially at their level, but the reference seems to be having an effect on my own results. So something is definitely happening at my end of the pen.
“First Americans” is currently being distributed everywhere comics are sold and can be ordered through your local shops.
Note: It’s been a long time since I maintained a blog. It was how I got my career going way, way, back. With the algorithms and trends of social media always in constant a state of change this might be a better avenue to reprise a voice for my work once again. So here’s to more.
Gnar the broken pig.