wonderealm.com

2012 Banners

2012-02-12T01:08:00.000-06:00

Look out for these at an upcoming Con appearance!

Page 4

2012-02-09T12:56:00.000-06:00

From script to page.

Courage Logo

2012-02-08T17:46:00.001-06:00

A couple of logo designs for Caruso Comics. Which do you like better?

Character Sketches

2012-02-04T22:38:00.000-06:00

Here are the four main characters in the BULLETPROOF story.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-26T09:40:00.001-06:00

Best of the Season to You and Yours!

ONI KAI

2011-12-12T20:23:00.003-06:00

Some storyboards I did for an ONI KAI fashion shoot produced by wearewendel.

Radio Interview

2011-12-07T18:59:00.001-06:00

I'm going to be interviewed on http://w4cy.com/ radio tonight at 10:30 EST! Talking about comics, tune in and check it out!

Pining for the Fjords

2011-11-19T13:45:00.001-06:00

Golf Swing

2011-11-16T18:27:00.001-06:00

New Logos

2011-10-13T15:32:00.002-05:00

A new logo for "FireBrand Smokes"

A potential logo for a photography website

NEVER (November 1st, 2011)

2011-10-05T07:42:00.000-05:00

Comic Art Appreciation: Jim Steranko's "Frogs!"

2011-09-12T08:39:00.000-05:00

via Robot 6

Riddler sketch

2011-09-08T09:03:00.003-05:00

Here's a quick sketch I did as a little warm-up today.

Then I "inked it digitally (I think I need to practice with that wacom. Of course driving over the stylus when we moved probably didn't help. Time for a new wacom?) and coloured it in Photoshop.

No Quarter!

2011-08-29T13:11:00.002-05:00

Something Dino and I came up with for this anthology, so hopefully you'll see it there. If not, I'll post up the "untainted version" after September 15th.

Courage Pin Up

2011-08-12T12:33:00.003-05:00

Here is a quick Pin Up I did for Dino Caruso's Courage.

A selection of logos

2011-08-10T11:26:00.002-05:00

Here is a sampling of a few of the logos I've created over the years:

One Page Rough

2011-06-12T18:55:00.001-05:00

Well, it's only one page, I can't be giving away everything, can I? #FB

Uniform sketch

2011-06-11T06:28:00.003-05:00

Here's the uniform for the lead character in the new story with @carusocomics - I think I'll change the patch in the final:

Alien Design

2011-06-08T11:02:00.003-05:00

Here's a design for an alien I'm putting in a story with @carusocomics - more as it develops.

Bulletproof lettering

2011-06-04T17:22:00.002-05:00

Page One:

Story by the ingeniousDino Caruso.
Colours by the incomparable Dave Bryant.
Everything else by me.

Eleanor of Aquitaine

2011-05-17T00:23:00.003-05:00

Eleanor of Aquitaine (in French: Aliénor d’Aquitaine, Éléonore de Guyenne) (1122[note 1] – 1 April 1204) was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Western Europe during the High Middle Ages. As well as being Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right, she was queen consort of France (1137–1152) and of England (1154–1189). Eleanor of Aquitaine is the only woman to have been queen of both France and England. She was the patroness of such literary figures as Wace, Benoît de Sainte-More, and Chrétien de Troyes.

-from Wikipedia

This is a character illustration I did a few years ago, which is now looking for a good home. That could be your home by clicking the button below!

Foo Fighters "Dear Rosemary" Storyboards

2011-05-10T10:34:00.008-05:00

Here is the new Foo Fighters video that I storyboarded and some of the samples of the boards, below:

Courtesy of WENDEL.

Don't forget to like Wonderealm Graphics on Facebook!

Long time, no update.

2011-04-18T11:27:00.001-05:00

Juat a quick note to let everyone know I'm still alive. I'll be posting some more recent art (storyboards, along with an announcement!) soon!

Aviator

2011-02-23T17:07:00.001-06:00

Bulletproof inks Page 3

2011-02-16T14:35:00.005-06:00

This is a page that has yet to see publication, and in fact may never. Of course, I think it will, at some point, be published and that it will only rise in value. It's part of a series of pages that Dino Caruso wrote for a pitch for a series in pre-production called BULLETPROOF!

I'm experimenting with something new on here - You can now own my original art, via the magic of the internet. Just click on the button and you'll be taken to a paypal page where you can put in your shipping info and I can send you this baby to keep in your very own home!

Rain demo

2011-01-25T09:43:00.001-06:00

Just practicing creating some rain brushes.
before:

after:

Richter's art is simplistic...

2011-01-24T07:51:00.003-06:00

Hmm. Well, I think it's a bit like saying, "She has a really good personality!", but whatever, I'll take it. Maybe my art WAS too simplistic on that one? Overall, though, they really liked the book:

http://blogmonster.evilgeniuscomics.com/2011/01/comic-book-review-fisk-substitute-hero.html

As to the question at the end, yeah, when can we get more FISK, dino? ;)

Sikh Warrior

2011-01-12T21:48:00.002-06:00

Here's a new sketch - a proof of concept for a pitch:

A Review!

2011-01-03T21:18:00.002-06:00

Here's the link to a review on a book that I drew some time time ago - check it out:
http://fromthetomb.wordpress.com/2011/01/03/fisk-s-u-b-s-t-i-t-u-t-e-hero-1-review/
3.5 out of 5... not bad I guess. Damn, I knew I should have coloured it!

Reach for the Future

2010-11-13T13:15:00.003-06:00

A commision piece for a local childcare centre:

"Monograms" storyboards

2010-11-06T09:06:00.003-05:00

Some new boards for a monograms spec spot that wearewendel.com is doing...

Cover redux

2010-10-29T16:38:00.001-05:00

colours by the incomparable Dave Bryant.

Cover Final

2010-06-13T00:44:00.001-05:00

Cover flats

2010-06-10T00:01:00.002-05:00

What's the big idea?

2010-06-04T12:12:00.002-05:00

I had this thought. It seems that everyone is worked up about copyright infringement and illegal downloading, and I get that. It's their intellectual property and they deserve to be paid for it and I certainly wouldn't argue against that position. But for myself, and certainly because I don't have a lot of intellectual property out there to be pirated, I think that it would be better if, on the internet, the electronic versions should be free. So that's the direction I'm moving with my creator-owned stuff.

Anything I create will be free to view and/or store on your hard drive. If you make money off something I've created, then of course I would want a cut of that, but by and large, I'll make some money off the print edition. The way I could see it working - my model if you will - would be to offer it free as a web edition, and monetize that with prints, t-shirts, stickers, etc. Then, upon sufficient material being available, I'll collect it and offer a download version (say for $ .99) and a print edition, maybe in chapters (or "issues") followed by a hardcover collection (with lots of extras) and finally a soft cover graphic novel. Maybe eventually an "Absolute" edition (of course I think DC Comics might have that term trademarked...) if the material warrants it. Well, that's the dream, anyway, right?

Why give it away for free? Well, to help grow an audience, first and foremost. I also believe that if people aren't willing to pay for your product, they wouldn't be your customers anyway. The comics nerds out there who support their local comic shops and publishers want that tactile sensation of holding the book in their hands, and the pride of displaying the collected edition on the bookshelf. So that won't go away. And the ones who spent $400+ on their iPad aren't going to have a problem spending a buck or two on digital comics. So there's that.

Anyway, I have a couple of concepts kicking around that I'm dying to try this on... I just have to draw them now! Oh well, it'll get done...

Process...

2010-05-16T12:05:00.002-05:00

I liked this so much that I stole it from my Wonderealm fan page (where I had written it on Facebook):

Process is always something that fascinates me. So ok, you wanna draw comics - how do you do it? For me, it starts with a great idea. Maybe a writer is out there and we get into contact and he sends me something that I can really sink my teeth into, or maybe I think of something I want to draw. What comes next? I mean these things don't just magically appear, do they? No, now I have some words on a page, and a blank piece of paper in front of me.

The next thing I usually do is grab a sketchbook and start doodling. Very rough, I just start imagining what each panel will look like, where the character is situated, what they are wearing... just mapping out each panel. I don't even know how big the panels are at this point, or where they sit on the page - I just want the overall scene. Kind of a 360 view, maybe I start sussing out the angle of the shot. You know, bird's eye, worms, etc. Is the camera going to be tilted, how close or far away - this comes next. When i have a good understanding of where I'm going with a page, then I can really start doing the research that I need to make the page real.

So, I hit the internets - I look for clothing reference, characters (usually based on actors, just for a sense of who they are - no tracing!), vehicles, locations, equipment, you name it. I want to see what it looks like in real life, so I can have a starting point t put it down on paper. I also take photos of myself in difficult poses, perhaps with a light source, so I don't have to make that up when I hit the page.

So now the hard part is done, I can start drawing. I'll lay out the panels on the page, to see where everything fits, adjusting the flow to the page, hitting the right beats - a big action splash might take up most of the page, or a long vertical panel on the right if someone is looking up at a building, or falling out of a plane, etc. Then I go to all the sketches and photo ref and start putting it down on paper - my drawing table is usually pretty cluttered at this point with rulers and pictures and sketches. But this is the fun part, and all the work will hopefully pay off in something that people will enjoy looking at.

Maybe I should try to work up a video for this... anyway, hopefully this brought some insight into what I do. If you have any thoughts or questions, please, feel free to share! Let's get the conversation going!

Wolverine "Disturbing Consequences" Sample Script (pgs 1-5)

2010-05-12T12:51:00.007-05:00

I don't know why I do these things!

2010-05-10T20:03:00.003-05:00

This is an in-joke around my place and recently I was given a shirt with this message on it. Which inspired me to come up with this t-shirt design:

If you want, I'll make you one!

A thought about the iPad.

2010-05-08T14:33:00.004-05:00

So the iPad, is by all accounts, a pretty swanky comics reader-machine. It may have other uses, I don't know. I just like it for the comics. The point is, you can pretty well buy anything that you can buy at the comic store via the iPad, and apparently it looks pretty damn sweet. Of course, all this talk of downloading comics apps has retailers sounding the death-knell of the industry, and causing people to wonder what all this means for the medium.

Ok, so here is my thought. The way my feeble brain understands this iPad thing, is that now you have a new mode of delivery. The old modes (singles, trades) are still there, and will continue to be there as long as there is a market. Of course, there will continue to be a market for some time, given that there seems to be a huge faction who "just can't get into reading comics on a screen." They crave the tactile sensation of the paper in their hands. I get that. One reason (besides not having found the right tech, yet) that I like to draw on paper, has to do with the tactile element. That's completely cool. But as for reading comics, I have no problem reading some comics on a screen. So, obviously, some people WILL switch. But others will buy both (I just HAVE to have Parker: The Hunter in print, but I'm happy to read digital versions of my favourite superheroes) and still others, who would have NEVER walked into a comic book store will buy them on their iPad - to me that's win-win.

Of course, I may be clearly drunk and on drugs. UDECIDE!

The Family Man Storyboards

2010-05-08T12:06:00.001-05:00

Just finished these. Can you tell what's going on?

In case you were wondering...

2010-05-07T07:28:00.003-05:00

Where can I buy more of Shawn's stuff?

Drive and A Trip to Rundberg are here:
http://overlookconnection.com/catalog/southard-nate-m-904.html

Also, you can contact Dino@carusocomics.com about Fisk and Against the Wall.

Oh and don't forget the UFO story that you can read for free:
http://apecmx.com/ufo/?p=252

Been a long time...

2010-04-20T12:22:00.004-05:00

...I shouldn't have left you. Without some dope storyboards to hopefully impress you...!

Pitch Page 4

2010-04-06T22:02:00.001-05:00

And here is the latest in the pitch process:

Dinosaur!!

2010-04-06T15:10:00.003-05:00

Although it kind of looks like Godzilla, a little. Done with chalk at the day job...

Two weeks!

2010-03-27T10:31:00.003-05:00

Wow, it's been awhile! Never fear, I'm still around - you can find me on Facebook:Wonderealm Fan Page or Twitter and of course, I'm trying to keep posting things here!! Why ANOTHER fan page you ask? Well, this one is more for just the studio work - I'm going to try to keep the personal stuff out of it, just keep it more professional. It might be weird to try to do that on a social networking site, and maybe it will be a glorious failure, but I thought, why the heck not? Also, I'm going to try migrating the fans from "Shawn Richter" over there, in an attempt to distance my personal life from my professional life - There's no point in having two Shawn Richter pages, is there?

Anyway, here's a new sketch:

Here's what happens next

2010-03-14T22:55:00.000-05:00

"Bulletproof" page 3:

Bulletproof page 2

2010-03-09T07:35:00.001-06:00

Here's the second page of a pitch I'm working on with Dino:

Whiffen's Trick Online!!

2010-02-25T19:40:00.003-06:00

Hey good people - looking for some quality comics? Check out this link:
http://apecmx.com/ufo/
It's a new offering by the team of Hurtt and Richter - that UFO comic I've been blabbing about! It updates every Thursday and Sunday, so check back again then. Also, if you want to leave a comment, it'll let us know how we're doing (and might get us into the print edition, if you shower us with your love!!!) Alright, enough blather - go read, comment! Thanks a million!

A few quick notes

2010-02-19T12:21:00.001-06:00

After a bout with some mysterious cold type virus (still on the throat lozenges as I type this)over the last week, I've finally succeeded in finishing the lettering on FISK! Undoubtedly, there will still be some minor edits, but otherwise, that sucker is in the can, so to speak.

Also, we have a release date for the UFO short that I did with CJ; "Whiffen's Trick" debuts on the 25th of February on APECMX.COM. Currently showing is "The Shot Heard 'round the Worlds", written by none other than my good friend Dino Caruso!!

Well, now that I'm feeling better and I've gotten some old things finally off the slate, I can focus on those other projects that are still in production, such as "Welcome, Welcome" the children's book I'm putting together with Mike Lawrence. I think that should be wrapped up this weekend. We'll see...

Back in the saddle

2010-02-12T06:42:00.002-06:00

I started relettering FISK last night - got two pages in. It's very exciting to be finishing up this project, finally. Poor Dino's had to wait for, well, awhile anyway...

What's really exciting, though, is that as I knock off some of these older outstanding jobs, I'll finally be able to move forward to some new stuff, like that bulletproof pitch I've been back burning for so long....

hmmm.... seems as though I really like this progress thing, after all!

UFO anthology

2010-02-05T12:46:00.002-06:00

For the last six months, I've been teasing with pages from the story that CJ Hurtt and I contributed to the Ape Comics online UFO anthology, and the good news is, I finally finished it up last night. I'm not sure when it'll be put into rotation, but as soon as I know, you'll know. In the meantime, why not check out the other stories that HAVE already dropped - they are available here:

UFO ANTHOLOGY

Enjoy the stories, and watch this space for updates! Oh, and let me know what you think of the stories so far!!

Here's the deal...

2010-01-26T15:31:00.002-06:00

My brother, who did that excellent video that I showed you a few weeks back ("Your Heart") is doing it again, but this time he needs some special gear to make it happen. Please check out the link and show him a little love - every bit helps!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wearewendel/songs-to-wear-pants-to-your-heart-musi-0?ref=email

Not only are you helping to make some incredible art happen, but you also will receive some fabulous swag if you do. Ok, enough shilling, go, look, and spread joy!

Late January Update

2010-01-25T10:59:00.003-06:00

What's new? Well, I'm still hard at work on the last few pages of that UFO story, I have to finish colouring a children's book, I'm really behind on lettering the "Fisk" proposal and pencilling the "Bulletproof" one and then I'm looking forward to getting back to "One Last Song" and starting my own original graphic novel, detailing the myths and legends from the region I live in... so not much.

Oh yeah, add the day job and the rest of everyday life and you get an idea of where I'm at.

No one said this was going to be easy, did they?

Windigo concept

2010-01-21T13:48:00.002-06:00

For an upcoming project:

Page Three

2010-01-05T10:48:00.008-06:00

Only three more pages to go!

Happy New Year

2010-01-04T10:54:00.002-06:00

Aaand we're back! I haven't posted any art in, well, ages, but I'll try to get on that tonight. The holiday was good, Vegas at the beginning and a little more time off as well as a New Year's Eve party with friends - and now all sorts of resolutions, including being more productive and healthier. Should I make one for the blog? Well, I do every year, and every year it seems to slips, so nah, never mind. If I owe you art, I haven't forgotten. I am just slow.

Alright, more later. How was your New Year's Eve and what are your plans for this year?

Viva Las Vegas!

2009-12-23T16:52:00.002-06:00

Well, here we are... photos later. Merry Christmas if I don't see you before then!

How are your holidays going?

My brother directs music videos.

2009-12-05T13:11:00.000-06:00

Oh and also:

In the Sun from wendel on Vimeo.

Off to Vegas!

2009-12-05T11:54:00.016-06:00

...In two weeks, I'll be heading to America's Playground - the Legendary "Sin City"- ...LAS VEGAS!! I know, I know, don't get caught up in the glitz and the glam, but I can't help but be excited - I love the ambience of a city, especially during the Holidays (I can't help but think Vegas will be extra Christmas-y, despite being in the dessert...) and you can't beat the temperature! Plus the particular architecture and design of Vegas is truly unique, so that will be fun to take in. I expect we will be taking in a few shows and exploring the different locales, but the majority of the time I will be spending taking it all in - new places are always exciting!

In any event, it will be interesting to see the city that the first Graphic Novel I illustrated was set in, especially from close up. I'll be able to see how close (or NOT) I got it, and you can too if you read DRIVE! DRIVE was a fun crime caper gone awry, in the vein of Criminal. I thought the story was really strong and had a frenetic pace.

I of course was a complete novice and have never felt that I did the story justice. Well, there's no point in dwelling on it - I got an experience from it that I otherwise may never have and it stands as a testament of my ability at that time.

That was my very first foray into comic art, especially something so long form, so you can start to track my evolution as an artist. I did another one directly following, with the same writer (the fantastically talented Nate Southard, who has since gone to become a well respected young author in the prose horror field) which was not set in Vegas, but rather small town Indiana, called A Trip to Rundberg. Oh and it had Zombies...

Las Vegas is also the home of my friend and collaborator CJ Hurtt (we worked together on the six issue miniseries ONE LAST SONG by BRAIN SCAN STUDIOS. I hope to be able to see him while we're there, and get some tips on the best places to go in town.

I can't say there won't be something missing, however. Even in the midst of desert spectacle, I'll still be dreaming of a white Christmas - of course it'll be there when I return, so that will make up for it! What kind of plans do you have for Christmas?

New Commission

2009-11-25T07:39:00.003-06:00

Mmmm.... Coffee!

2009-11-23T10:10:00.001-06:00

Here's a strip I did for the local coffee shop...

A few more Hallowe'eners...

2009-11-09T23:15:00.002-06:00

Here were a couple that we got at the Convention...

The Ewok celebration was a blast. Of course, Lena has been telling everyone that this is our new family (She thinks they take after me...):

Aaand We ain't afraid of no ghosts. except I look terrified. Lena on the other hand is seeing something WONDERFUL...!

I think that is all from this Hallowe'en...

This is what inspires the Christmas music...

2009-11-04T10:58:00.003-06:00

...because I probably couldn't get through it if I didn't have something cheery to listen to (and seasonal too!).

Con Report

2009-11-03T13:05:00.006-06:00

Heh, well this'll probably be fairly vague and disoriented, but based on my recollection, here goes:

I missed the Friday night preview, as I was driving... but got in bright and early Saturday. The con was bustling with dealers and others setting up trying to beat the crowds due at the 10 A.M. opening. On the way in I bumped into Marc Wolfe, Lucasfilm illustrator extrodinaire (amngst other things) and Matt Mohammed of Black Bastard fame (sorry Matt, I'd link ya, but I can't find your site!). I'd had some sketchbooks printed, as well as my latest OGN "Against the Wall" and the "Hard Words" anthology I'd taken part in for sale. I'd also brought along some old sketchbooks and prints, to round out the table.

To my rear was Joe Combs the intrepid creator of the web-comic "Business Casual" and all-around good guy. To my right there was Jan Micheal Veldman, creator of the "Vanzyp" zine - very fantastic, detailed art and also a hoot to sit beside. And at the end of the row was Lucie Broulliard, an amazing body artist! All in all it was a great environment to be in.

The first day was pretty busy - I'd come up with the what I thought at the time was the most clever idea of doing free sketches for people to get my art out there a little more and to get a few new fans (hopefully!) - so of course I was busy!! I talked to a great bunch of folks passing by the table and didn't really get a chance to look up from the sketchbook. I did, however, have a lot of fun and left the con on Saturday feeling tired and happy.

Sunday arrived with more sketches and some brisk business at the table. I'm not going to lie - I don't get rich from the Winnipeg con, but there are always a lot of good people there and I like to see all the fabulous costumes. And were there ever - Batman, Batgirl, Green Arrow, Scarecrow, Joker, Boba Fett, Masterchief, Ghost Rider and even a female Deadpool, just to name a few. I should have had my camera, but alas, I had forgotten it! Maybe next year...

By the end of the con, I was really pleased with the weekend (except for the hotel, but that's something I don't even want to remember!!) and I finally got a chance to really walk the floor and meet some other folks like the incredible Tommy Castillo and Chris Quilliams who both had some kind words for me and some good advice. And I saw a couple guys from Sioux Lookout there as well, so I have to send a shout out to Scott and Stu... I also got my photo taken with my wife and some Ewoks and the two of us in the Ecto-1! How great is that?!

I guess that's about it, other than checking out "Zombieland" Sunday night (highly recommended!!) and going to the Apple store on Monday. No, I didn't buy anything, but I know what i want for Christmas. Mom and Karl, you think you can make it happen ;) ?

Anyway, enough foolishness for now... let me know if you went to the con and what YOU thought, k?

At the Apple store

2009-11-02T10:28:00.002-06:00

So, the Central Canada Comic Con is over, it's Monday and I'm still in Winnipeg, checking out the Apple store. I'm actually typing this from a touch Ipod, which is awesome.

I so want one.

Alright, more later...

Hanged man

2009-09-17T21:31:00.001-05:00

Mmmm, more sketchbooky goodness!

Hallowe'en sketchbook

2009-09-15T00:07:00.001-05:00

Hey! It's the cover for the Hallowe'en Sketchbook I'll be debuting at the con in Winnipeg. If there are some left I'll be selling them here.

Whiffen's Trick Climax!

2009-09-13T21:49:00.003-05:00

Monday morning and I'm back in action. Here's a new page to take a gander at:

Sick. ugh.

2009-09-03T21:39:00.001-05:00

I've gotten some sort of bug and it's completely knocked me out. Come back again tomorrow. Thanks!

Star Wars

2009-09-01T01:01:00.004-05:00

The pen and ink portion of a new table banner:

What's new?

2009-08-31T22:07:00.002-05:00

I'll see if i can dig up something interesting for you....

Oh yeah, I made up a t-shirt design. I'm thinking of selling these at the October Winnipeg con... let me know if there's any interest, or if you think it's a decent design.

Vol Ranik screens 1 - 3

2009-08-30T17:35:00.003-05:00

Well, I haven't been posting much lately - but then again, it's been a busy month. It's time to get back to it, however, and let you know that we did not get accepted to the Zuda competition. So, here for the first time, I can show you some screens that "would've been"...

Of course, the jury's still out on what we're doing with this project... we might ship it around to some publishers or it might end up on the web... stay tuned and let us know what you think!!

Whiffen 01 colour

2009-07-17T00:23:00.001-05:00

Whiffen 01 colour, originally uploaded by Shawn Richter.

Whiffen Pg 07

2009-07-15T23:10:00.001-05:00

Whiffen Pg 07, originally uploaded by Shawn Richter.

Welcome to Rachel, NV

2009-07-10T22:10:00.001-05:00

Welcome to Rachel, NV, originally uploaded by Shawn Richter.

Whiffen inks pg 01

2009-07-08T23:19:00.001-05:00

Whiffen inks pg 01, originally uploaded by Shawn Richter.

Whiffen pencils pg 04

2009-07-08T23:17:00.001-05:00

Whiffen pencils pg 04, originally uploaded by Shawn Richter.

Whiffen's Trick page 03 pencils

2009-07-06T22:53:00.001-05:00

Whiffen's Trick page 03 pencils, originally uploaded by Shawn Richter.

Whiffen 02 colour

2009-07-06T00:43:00.001-05:00

Whiffen 02 colour, originally uploaded by Shawn Richter.

Whiffen 08

2009-07-03T22:57:00.001-05:00

Whiffen 08, originally uploaded by Shawn Richter.

Whiffen 02 inks

2009-06-28T23:16:00.001-05:00

Whiffen 02 inks, originally uploaded by Shawn Richter.

Whiffen's Trick Pg 2

2009-06-25T07:56:00.001-05:00

Whiffen's Trick Pg 2, originally uploaded by Shawn Richter.

Whiffen's Trick Pg 1 finished pencils

2009-06-24T06:02:00.001-05:00

Whiffen's Trick Pg 1 finished pencils, originally uploaded by Shawn Richter.

Dr Strait re-imagined

2009-06-23T21:32:00.001-05:00

Dr Strait re-imagined, originally uploaded by Shawn Richter.

Disco Dan

2009-06-22T20:30:00.001-05:00

Disco Dan, originally uploaded by Shawn Richter.

Timex

2009-06-22T00:19:00.001-05:00

Timex, originally uploaded by Shawn Richter.

Update June 2009

2009-06-21T11:26:00.000-05:00

I figured it was time for a change around here, hence the newish layout. I had too much going on with the site anyway - this is simpler and cleaner, and I like it for now. Anyway, it is what it is.

So, I'm finishing up a few illos today, maybe I'll post them later, then working on mike's book some more. I have some sample pages and a short story to get cracking on as well. Looks like it's gonna be busy.

Still no word from Zuda, but when I hear, you'll hear. Promise.

Ok, back to it, then. Talk to you later.

In progress

2009-06-21T11:20:00.001-05:00

In progress, originally uploaded by Shawn Richter.

Sneak Peek

2009-05-29T09:28:00.009-05:00

Sneak Peak, originally uploaded by Shawn Richter.

Page 5 inks

2009-04-07T22:40:00.001-05:00

Page 5 inks, originally uploaded by Shawn Richter.

more vol ranik

2009-04-07T01:28:00.001-05:00

more vol ranik, originally uploaded by Shawn Richter.

Downloading comics

2009-04-02T11:47:00.002-05:00

Hmmm, time to get controversial I guess. I don't know, I know a lot of people who download stuff, and while I don't know anyone personally who downloads comics, I can't say I am against the idea. Yes, I agree that it is stealing, but I think it does some good, too. For example, I don't have a comic store in my town, so if I want to read comics on a weekly basis, I either have to mail-order them, wait until I go to a larger centre or I could download them. Well, the technology is there, right? Morally and ethically, it might be wrong, but to keep up with all of the storylines going on out in the world, I guess that's one way to do it. It could be a good way to keep up on "current events" of the comic world, and to preview material that, if you only read collections, like I do, you might want to pick up once it's collected.

Furthermore, I think the majority of stuff that gets downloaded wouldn't have been purchased by those downloaders anyway. I'll cop to having watched a lot of downloaded television and movies, and most of it I still would never have bothered to buy if I hadn't had the opportunity to download it. I just plain wouldn't have watched it. Of course, there are movies that I WOULD have bought, and so far haven't, but I keep a list of ones I'd love to have, eventually. Being in school right now, money is a bit tight, so I'm waiting to pick up a copy of that DARK KNIGHT DVD, you know? I do want it though, and that hasn't been dulled by having seen a ripped copy. The stuff I've seen that's been downloaded doesn't come with any special features or anything, so you know...

None of that makes it right, of course, but hopefully there will be a brighter future to all of this. Maybe these new trends will really make the companies sit up and take notice, and offer digital versions of their stuff, in a format that everyone wants. Also, maybe this will work as word of mouth and people will pick up on stuff that's available for free and buy it once they see a print version. The distribution system in comics is probably at odds with this idea, though, but we'll see. I think Warren Ellis is doing alright with Freakangels, but then again, he's Warren Ellis.

I don't know, it's a sticky situation. On the one hand, I understand the idea behind wanting to make money off your Intellectual Property - so do I. On the other, realistically, Downloading isn't going away, and maybe it's time to stop swimming upstream and try to see what opportunities it presents. Some food for thought I guess. What do you think?

New Fiction from Nate!

2009-04-01T09:07:00.003-05:00

Check it out - My buddy Nate has a new short story available here. Nate's a great horror writer, with a new collection of short stories you should order; full disclosure requires me to add that my first two graphic novels were written by him, so if you liked those, check out his prose!

Vol Ranik Page 05

2009-03-31T14:11:00.001-05:00

Vol Ranik Page 05, originally uploaded by Shawn Richter.

Still rough in patches - I need to fix up his hand and a few other
things.

Page 4

2009-03-26T17:21:00.001-05:00

Page 4, originally uploaded by Shawn Richter.

Vol Ranik Page 6

2009-03-25T16:17:00.002-05:00

Vol Ranik Page 6, originally uploaded by Shawn Richter.

The greatest thing I have seen today

2009-03-25T09:24:00.002-05:00

Special thanks to Rob over at Authentic Impostor.

Colour Vol

2009-03-12T20:38:00.001-05:00

Colour Vol, originally uploaded by Shawn Richter.

The economy sucks...

2009-03-04T13:26:00.002-06:00

This is not a deep and analytical post regarding a larger issue that I know anything about. It's just some things that have been rumbling around in my brain for awhile, so I figured I'd put them out there, for other people to chew on. I don't really know squat about the economy, like most people I suppose I only know what I've been told. The economy sucks and people are losing jobs and homes and that sort of thing. The weird thing is, I'm pretty insulated from it, I guess. I'm in school right now and I'll be graduating soon, with hopes to get a job locally in the field I've been working in (which up to now has only been as a supply teacher). So that means, I'll be a full time early childhood educator, and I'll still be a struggling comic artist. I'm trying to make the leap to a full time comic artist, and I keep telling myself that this will be the year, but my wife and I recently bought a house, so I'd have to start out by making at least as much as I will be as a teacher (which is actually not all that unsubstantial). I hope that those people who have been affected by the poor economy don't think I'm trying to rub their noses in it, remember this is just one personal testimonial. That's all.

2009 is shaping up to be a pretty cool year, I think. I'm on the verge of putting out a new graphic novel (which was an old graphic novel, that we tweaked and are re-releasing, actually.) as well as starting up some new properties, trying to finish up some old properties and finding homes for some pitches and such. I'll be done school as I said, and most likely working full-time, which hopefully will provide some scratch for a con or two (I know I'll be doing Winnipeg, but also would like to make it to Chicago...) and will be hammering down the doors of Marvel and DC. Who will hopefully be in the position to hire new folks... So, we have to see how the failing economy will figure into all this, won't we?

Anyway, I hope everyone can batten down their hatches and ride this storm out. It seems that people are hopeful - there's a weird mix of optimism and dread out there. Maybe things will look better in the spring?

It's just around the corner, after all...

Ten Days without a post

2009-02-28T12:45:00.003-06:00

That's terrible. But I guess I just haven't had anything to really talk about. So instead, i'll tell you about the new thing I've got going on...

"Vol Ranik and the Scourge from Beyond the Stars" is the title of a new webcomic writer Chris Jones and I will be launching soon. So stay tuned for that. We've set up a facebook page for it, so if you do that, check it out! It's some high-octane outerspace action, so if that's up your alley, you should give us a try. I've posted some art in the gallery section to give you a little taste of what you'll be getting.

I'm also still working on "One Last Song", written by CJ Hurtt, (hopefully pencilling a new page later today), and my children's story with author Mike Lawrence "Welcome, Welcome!" is about six pages of painting away from being finished. Finally, I've been slowly colouring pages from "Fisk: S.U.B.S.T.I.T.U.T.E. Hero" with hopes that we can get that out this year, while waiting for writer Dino Caruso to come back with the final dialogue to start lettering.

I'm a month and a half away from finishing School, and of course I have at least another half-a-dozen things on the back-burner or in various stages of completion, so there should be lots of fun stuff going up in the Gallery over the course of the year.

Alright, I'll try not to be so long between posts from here on.

What's going on with you?