BATMAN DAILY COMIC STRIP!

YAY!! JANUARY IS OVER!! Now we just have to get through February!!
Batman continues tomorrow!

BATMAN from 1944!

Continued tomorrow!!

FREE Saturdays at WAM! @worcesterart

At least I think they're free-- I've not been in lately.
Celebrate January coming to an end with a quick visit to WAM this Saturday, there is a lot of great stuff on exhibit-- go ahead get some culture!

New Comics Wednesday! CAPTAIN AMERICA

We've been showing you chapters from Captain America's Serial each and every Monday here at FishWrap Central-- so I thought maybe you'd like to see a Captain America comic book from around the same period?

Well here you go!

Yeah we got some snow.

What's been a particularly snowless winter-- I think we shoveled twice since November-- changed today.  31" of snow with drifts up to 5 ft in spots.  Luckily it's light and fluffy stuff but the challenge becomes where to put it.

Here's hoping this is it for the year.

Jellystone

Great print by an artist who's name escapes me-- maybe it's there on the print-- one more reason for you to look at it.
Great work!

MOVIE MONDAYS Bob Hope! Captain America Chapter 12

This is a good one-- Bob is a detective with a great cast including Peter Lorre and Lon Chaney (Jr).
Watch it.

And Captain America gets himself out of one jam and into another in Chapter 12 of CAPTAIN AMERICA (1944) - HORROR ON THE HIGHWAY!

Batman Returns Again

All right I think I have these back in order-- sorry for that!

BATMAN CONTINUES

BATMAN!

Continues tomorrow!

LAST CHANCE-- ONLINE COMIC / ART Class STARTS MONDAY! SIGN UP NOW OR REGRET IT FOREVER!

Final chance to sign up-- class starts this Monday!

Part ONE-- It'll be a foundation class, we'll be building the fundamental skills you need to continue successfully on your way to completing your own comic book or graphic  novel.

THAT MEANS THIS CLASS WORKS FOR ARTISTS OF ALL INTERESTS, NOT "JUST" COMIC ARTISTS!

So for this first class, starting at the end of January, we'll begin with intensive figure drawing workshops.

Each class will meet six weeks ONLINE and then TWO face to face sessions for a total of Eight Classes.

The final session, in the Fall, will meet the opposite way-- the first two will be face to face and the remaining six sessions will meet online.

Nice thing about an online class? It eliminates travel-- if you find you can't work in the comfort of your home, take your laptop or tablet to a coffee shop with a solid wi-fi connection and make a night of it.

You can participate at your leisure in the comfort of your own home or studio.  You can attend the "Live" session each Monday at 6pm or you can catch up with the class via the blog that will accompany it.  This allows you to continue your studies despite hectic work schedules.

Same goes for the Face to Face portion- if you can't make that you can still log in and follow along.

Descriptions follow;  Sign Up information at the bottom of the post.

Part I-  WINTER - Foundation 8wks  Jan 26 - Mar 30  (No class Feb 16th and Mar 9) $190

Jan 26 - Mar 16 - Online Classroom

March 23 & March 30th - Face to Face Class Location TBD  Mar 23rd includes a model for figure drawing.

Foundation involves extensive figure drawing and body language.  But don't misunderstand that-- it's not about learning how to draw realistically, it's about learning how to make figures work in whatever style you're using.

After figure drawing and body language we will move into facial structure and expression.   A lengthy look at CAPTURING emotion regardless of your style will encompass a good portion.  How to tell your story with pictures only (i.e. GET LESS WORDY) is also covered.

We will also parallel a lesson on the evolution of the comics industry with some limited amount of reading (don't worry-- it's comic books not WAR AND PEACE), because by looking at the creators from the Golden Age we can learn how the art form developed and grew.

Part II- SPRING Thumbnails and Pages-  8wks Apr 13 - Jun 15 (No class Apr 20 & May 25) $190

Apr 13 - Jun 1 - Online Classroom

Jun 8 & Jun 15 - Face to Face Location TBD

The Incredible importance of Thumbnails and Penciling-- figuring it out BEFORE you start taking the pages to finish.  Taking your plot or script and breaking it down into effective pacing.

Section of creative productivity-- how to work smarter and faster.

We will continue our study of the evolution of the comics industry with a look at the era post WWII when Horror Comics took over eventually leading to the birth of the Comics Code and the Silver Age.

Part III- Pages SUMMER Schedule 4 wks*  Jun 29, Jul 13, 20, 27th $95

Spotting blacks and inking.  Making your pages look (correctly) finished.  Giving them weight, balance, texture and impact.  

Heavy Convention schedule-- it might be fun to attend Boston Comic Con as a group.  We'll see logistically how to make this happen.

Jun 29-Jul 13th Live Online Class

Jul 27th - Live Face To Face

Part IV - Lettering & Publishing FALL 8 wks  Sept 14- Nov 2 $190

1st week Live demonstration of lettering

2nd week continuing Live with SFX Lettering & Cover Design

3rd week on online Classes closing out with cover design critique, marketing & publishing demonstrations.  How to price your book, how to publish your book for no money.  Digital Publishing options and techniques.

Class is running-- we only have one opening left for the first session.

If you have ANY questions, suggestions or comments give me a shout.

Choose Your Session

Session 1 $190.00 USD Session 1-2 $375.00 USD Session 1-3 $465.00 USD Session 1-4 $650.00 USD Session 2 $190.00 USD Session 3 $95.00 USD Session 4 $190.00 USD

NEW COMIC BOOK DAY! First Robin the Boy Wonder!

Batman started out as a dark and vengeful vigilante often dispatching his enemies with a bullet or a swift neck snapping kick.  Parents didn't like it so they added a sidekick to calm him down.

Here's the first appearance of Robin from Detective Comics #38 March 1940

Spooky Old Candle

Had this as a kid-- loved it-- probably explains more about my twisted psychy than anything else.  I found one from Wex Rex and Antiques Roadshow advisor Gary Sohmers but it had a bit of a bend to it, like someone left in near heat and it started to sag. 

I tried to fix it and ended up melting it.  So word to the wise, don't try to repair 45 year old candles kids!

Here's what it's supposed to look like

EXTENSIVE COMIC ART CLASS Starts next Monday!

WAM is no longer offering the comic class I wrote and designed-- so the only place you can take it is right here:

It's a foundation class, we'll be building the fundamental skills you need to continue successfully on your way to completing your own comic book or graphic  novel.

THAT MEANS THIS CLASS WORKS FOR ARTISTS OF ALL INTERESTS, NOT "JUST" COMIC ARTISTS!

So for this first class, starting at the end of January, we'll begin with intensive figure drawing workshops.

Each class will meet six weeks ONLINE and then TWO face to face sessions for a total of Eight Classes.

The final session, in the Fall, will meet the opposite way-- the first two will be face to face and the remaining six sessions will meet online.

Hear me out.

First, I know a lot of you are working on your own projects, and obviously that's great.  But I've built this course to make you a better and stronger sequential artist and writer, so if you follow along with the lessons it's more than just studio time (although that remains part of it).

Second, I'm sure you're reluctant to commit to an online class-- let me tell you why this works.  You can participate at your leisure in the comfort of your own home or studio.  You can attend the "Live" session each Monday at 6pm or you can catch up with the class via the blog that will accompany it.  This allows you to continue your studies despite hectic work schedules.

It eliminates travel-- if you find you can't work in the comfort of your home, take your laptop or tablet to a coffee shop with a solid wi-fi connection and make a night of it.

Same goes for the Face to Face portion- if you can't make that you can still log in and follow along.

1.  I think this will actually be more productive.  This is how comic artists work, alone in their studios.  This course will mimic that but we will incorporate the social aspect through online connections while we work.  Each class will have a minimum 1 hour lecture and discussion followed by an hour or two of social interaction while we work on both our own projects and the week's assignment.

2. The two face to face classes will allow us to crit the work in person, catch up and discuss our progress.  Obviously in the final session we'll be in the same room for demonstrations and then we'll go off on our own.

3. With vacations, work schedules, conventions schedules, the online option is ideal because all you'll need to participate is your laptop or tablet and each class lesson will be posted on a special private class blog which will allow you to catch up if you can't make a session.

4. I've been doing this model at Emerson (without the face to face aspect) for four years now and I've got successfully published students all over the world now.  It's a model that works.

Descriptions follow;  Sign Up information at the bottom of the post.

Part I-  WINTER - Foundation 8wks  Jan 26 - Mar 30  (No class Feb 16th and Mar 9) $190

Jan 26 - Mar 16 - Online Classroom

March 23 & March 30th - Face to Face Class Location TBD  Mar 23rd includes a model for figure drawing.

Foundation involves extensive figure drawing and body language.  But don't misunderstand that-- it's not about learning how to draw realistically, it's about learning how to make figures work in whatever style you're using.

After figure drawing and body language we will move into facial structure and expression.   A lengthy look at CAPTURING emotion regardless of your style will encompass a good portion.  How to tell your story with pictures only (i.e. GET LESS WORDY) is also covered.

We will also parallel a lesson on the evolution of the comics industry with some limited amount of reading (don't worry-- it's comic books not WAR AND PEACE), because by looking at the creators from the Golden Age we can learn how the art form developed and grew.

Part II- SPRING Thumbnails and Pages-  8wks Apr 13 - Jun 15 (No class Apr 20 & May 25) $190

Apr 13 - Jun 1 - Online Classroom

Jun 8 & Jun 15 - Face to Face Location TBD

The Incredible importance of Thumbnails and Penciling-- figuring it out BEFORE you start taking the pages to finish.  Taking your plot or script and breaking it down into effective pacing.

Section of creative productivity-- how to work smarter and faster.

We will continue our study of the evolution of the comics industry with a look at the era post WWII when Horror Comics took over eventually leading to the birth of the Comics Code and the Silver Age.

Part III- Pages SUMMER Schedule 4 wks*  Jun 29, Jul 13, 20, 27th $95

Spotting blacks and inking.  Making your pages look (correctly) finished.  Giving them weight, balance, texture and impact.  

Heavy Convention schedule-- it might be fun to attend Boston Comic Con as a group.  We'll see logistically how to make this happen.

Jun 29-Jul 13th Live Online Class

Jul 27th - Live Face To Face

Part IV - Lettering & Publishing FALL 8 wks  Sept 14- Nov 2 $190

1st week Live demonstration of lettering

2nd week continuing Live with SFX Lettering & Cover Design

3rd week on online Classes closing out with cover design critique, marketing & publishing demonstrations.  How to price your book, how to publish your book for no money.  Digital Publishing options and techniques.

The class will run if there is enough interest.  Give it some thought.

If you have ANY questions, suggestions or comments give me a shout.

And as an aside-- good luck to whomever they get but ask them what their resume looks like-- here's part of mine:

Not sayin' my class will be better. Okay, yes I am.  Make the right choice. Choose Your Session

Session 1 $190.00 USD Session 1-2 $375.00 USD Session 1-3 $465.00 USD Session 1-4 $650.00 USD Session 2 $190.00 USD Session 3 $95.00 USD Session 4 $190.00 USD

MOVIE MONDAYS! MAD MONSTER and CAPTAIN AMERICA Chapter 11

Captain America played by short pudgy Brooklyn style actor Dick Purcell, sadly Purcell died just a few days after finishing this serial after a round of golf.

But don't let that bring you down, Cap's on a mission!

MST3K Version of a George Zucco movie about a guy who wants to make an army of Werewolves!

BATMAN! BATMAN!

Continued Friday!

BATMAN

What happens next?  Find out tomorrow!

Batman Comics from the 1940s

Continued Tomorrow!

There might be TV Channels you don't even know about!!

I dumped Satellite after the introductory $20 a month price jumped to $80.  A little unknown fact about Satellite companies is that if you call them and complain your bill is too high they will lower it-- why not just offer a lower price?  Because most people don't call.

So I had 500 stations and I spent most of my time watching the same five channels.

I did some research and discovered that whole thing about digital signals and how the government was funding switches for people who couldn't afford new TVs meant that signals for TV stations are still being beamed in the sky.

Cable came along in the late 70s and offered us all commercial free TV but we now had to pay for it.  Before this we all just bought TVs turned them on and watched them.  Two generations later and we pay for TV and that's just how it is.

But it doesn't have to be.

ANTENNA FROM AMAZON $12

I live 40 miles outside Boston-- I did some research and found this indoor antenna-- there are many available including CLEARTv which is often on an infomercial but this one is the best.  It picks up about 27 stations for me including MeTV which was the deal sealer.   MeTV is easily my favorite channel with actual classic shows like Batman, Get Smart, Hogan's Heroes, Andy Griffith, Gilligan's Island, Wonder Woman, Star Trek and best of all SVENGOOLIE who shows classic horror films on Saturday nights!

So the channels I get?

2.1- PBS Channel
2.2- PBS Channel
4 - CBS Affiliate
5.1- ABC Affiliate
5.2- MeTV
7.1- NBC Affiliate
7.2- Movie channel
25.1- Fox Affiliate
25.2- Movie Channel

I also get four channel 44 stations, which offer everything from BBC Broadcasts to Craft channels.  Cozy TV which is sort of a poor man's MeTV and about a dozen other stations.

Now if you have a newer TV you'll need to hook up the antenna, and then go to programming and choose SELECT CHANNELS-- it'll take anywhere from 2-3 mins to 10 and it'll give you a list of channels it found.

Yup, just like the old days you'll need to move your antenna around to find the best signal.  You'd think it'd be near a window but you'd be wrong-- mine is actually in the middle of the house right at the edge of my studio-- so I mounted mine to a lifesize Frankenstein which is nice because now he has a purpose.

And best of all the cost?  $12 and that's all there is.  Tear up your cable or satellite bill and be shocked at how many channels are already available.   Of course that doesn't include the cost of your own Frankenstein.

NEW COMICS WEDNESDAY: MYSTERY COMICS 4

Wonderman was a character who came along in the mid 1940s as superhero comics were at an all time high-- legendary creator Will Eisner had something to do with him, or at least his studio did.  DC Comics thought he was a little too much like Superman and put them out of commission.  But they were great while they lasted.

Check that cover! Wonderman takes on the KKK while jumping out of a casket!  WHEW!  How could you not buy this as a kid?

Today this book will cost you about $700 (I know because I'm looking for it), but you dear readers need pay nothing--because here it is for you to read for FREE!