May 8, 2008, filed under: Sketchbook, by Lex

I’m trying to get back into the head-space of Kid Beowulf and the Song of Roland. Believe it or not, I’ve actually written and drawn 2/3 of the book, and I was working on the final chapter when I had to put it on hold and begin work on Blood-Bound Oath. That was a year ago and now, as I climb back into the driver’s seat for Roland, I’m realizing the first half of the book will have to be redone to fit the new continuity, tone and look that I’ve established with Blood-Bound Oath. The last few weeks I’ve been doing research for Roland and trying to break the story. My fingers do get itchy though, so I’ve been doing some sketches of characters to get back in the groove. Here are a couple…
En Garde: Beowulf’s first encounter with Roland, right before his beat-down by a better swordsman. Roland’s best friend Oliver looks on.
The Women of Roland: the Spanish gypsy Esmeralda, Brammimond the Saracen Queen, and Joan.
Roland Model Sheet

War of the Roses

May 1, 2008, filed under: News, Studio, by Lex

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Post Stumptown 2008 Report

April 28, 2008, filed under: News, Studio, by Lex

Stump1 So I’m back from a long and well-spent weekend in Portland where I attended the Stumptown Comics Fest. This is my third year attending and it just keeps getting bigger and better every year, the floor was packed with cartoonists and even better: attendees! Saturday was bustling with activity and Indigo Kelleigh (the mastermind behind the fest) did a great job balancing guests, exhibitors, panels and just the general flow of things (kudos Indy!). Stump2
Stumptown is also near and dear to my heart ‘cuz that’s where I met my publisher Bowler Hat Comics. They had the Blood-Bound Oath galleys on hand to show off and we got lots of folks interested in the book, handing out postcards and talking it up. The coolest part of the table was the Kid B. banner that got a lot of attention (”bigger than you even”). Stump4
Bowler Hat Comics: Marketing Director Allison Collins and Publisher Bo Johnson. LibrariansGetGraphic
Part of the pre-fest activities included a great shin-dig held for comic publishers, cartoonists and librarians in the Portland area “Librarians Get Graphic.” The idea was to get us to mingle and talk about our work (not an easy task considering librarians and cartoonists are notoriously shy people). There was liquor and little tasty things strewn about the place, so that made it a little easier. Both Charles Brownstein of the CBLDF and Douglas Wolk of Reading Comics spoke at the event, urging cartoonists everywhere to create a story that featured “robots, pirates, princesses, and ninjas.” Shortly after, Brownstein and Wolk fought to the death. BrownsteinVsWolk
And because there just aren’t enough comics to sate the truly obsessed, I took a trip to Excalibur Comics. Now THIS is a comics shop, long boxes full of floppies, wall to wall comics, and patrons going slightly mad at the enormity of choice laid before them… ExacliburComics
BANNER! Stump3
Finally, part of the weekend was spent at the Bowler Hat offices, putting the final touches on the book and going over the design one last time before it goes off to print. It’s rewarding to see the book come together (and I’m a little surprised that it looks so good), I’m totally jazzed about where the series is headed. The book is slated for a July release and it will make its debut at Comicon but if you can’t wait (and I know you can’t) then pre-order the book from Amazon today!

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Portland, A Comic Lover’s Paradise

April 23, 2008, filed under: News, Studio, by Lex

So claims the mayor of said city, as he pronounced April to be “Comics Month!” There has been a slew of comics-related activity for that rainy city (which is odd since rain + paper = soggy comics) which all leads up to the Stumptown Comics Fest this weekend. I’ll be there showing off the galley editions of Kid Beowulf and the Blood-Bound Oath (the final book will be out for Comicon) and hanging with the Bowler Hat crew.
Speaking of which, Bowler Hat Comics and Baker’s Mark Lit. Agency is throwing a pretty cool shin-dig this Thursday: “Librarians Get Graphic” to promote the ties between librarians and graphic novels, it will benefit the CBLDF. The guest list is pretty wild, including the likes of indie stalwarts: Craig Thompson, Douglas Wolk, Matt Wagner, Dark Horse, Oni, Top Shelf and others (me too!). It should be a good time and I’ll do my best to get as many photos as possible. If you’re in Portland be sure to check out the fest this weekend.

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Ogier the Dane

April 17, 2008, filed under: Characters, by Lex

OgierColor The work on Blood-Bound Oath is winding down (it’s set to ship to the printers in early May!) and now I’m making the transition to Book II: Kid Beowulf and the Song of Roland. The nice thing is that I won’t have to leave Oath far behind since the link between the two books is Ogier the Dane. First seen in book one, Hrothgar’s younger brother, Ogier sets out on his own and eventually winds up in France fighting for Charlemagne as one of his vaunted 12 Peers. To keep them safe from the Heathobards, Beowulf and Grendel are sent to Ogier (little do they know they’re walking straight into far worse danger).

Ogier has quickly become one of my favorite characters and I’m looking forward to diving into his story more. Although not as well known as Roland or Charlemagne, he’s got a lot of cred in the romances of chivalry, showing up in the Song of Roland, Bulfinch’s Mythology, and even Wikipedia. If anyone out there knows where else I can find stories about Ogier, please drop me a line!

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First Look: Kid Beowulf Sculpt

April 12, 2008, filed under: Kid B., by Lex

Last year about this time work began on the Hama Sculpt, after many weeks of sculpting and tweaking, molding and casting, I was rewarded with a terrific looking sculpt of Hama (which you can order right here in the shop!). Now it’s Beowulf’s turn and sculptor Pam Drucker is well on her way to crafting another gem. This is her first pass and already it’s coming together nicely. I’ll be sure to keep you posted on its progress. KidB_Sculpt1