Cross Panel Comics #2

Cross Panel Comics is a game my son and I play. There's a bit more info about it in my last post. It's more like improv than an actual game.

Martin kicked this one off with the strip starting with, "What's that smell?" Click to enlarge...

Cross Panel Comics

I recently had a dream about a comic strip that was configured like a crossword puzzle. I found it really interesting and told my son, Martin, about it. He said, "Let's make one!"

I drew a grid on an 12" x 18" piece of paper and decided we would play a game like Scrabble. I would draw a strip, and he would draw an intersecting one. Then it would be my turn, and we would continue until the page was somewhat full.

It was actually easier than I thought it would be! We completed three. I've traced off, and cleaned up, one of them. Here is it below. I've indicated the panels I drew with blue. Martin's are in green. The first strip drawn was the middle horizontal one, starting with, "What are you doing?" Click to enlarge...

Like Scrabble, the tough areas were where something had to work when two squares inconveniently touched, such as the "Love is the solution." touching "What about overpopulation?" There's a joke there, but it doesn't jump out at you.

I'm thinking this has the potential to be a fun challenge for cartoonists, much in the same way a "24 hour comic" is!

(Update! See our other Cross Panel Comics here.)

Batgirl Flaunts It

This isn't my normal kind of post. Usually, I rewrite dialog or such, but I found the following coincidence to be interesting...

Last week, I mentioned my old Merciless Destroyer character. Her only "super power'" was her ability to distract men as she fought crime. It seemed like a novel idea when I wrote it in the 80's.

A few days ago, I read Detective Comics #371 (1968). I had recently picked it up at a local comic convention. After seeing the cover, I was curious about the story. (Wow! The cover actually did its job!)


In the story, Batgirl's "feminine traits" kept leading to her crime fighting failure. She would get concerned about her appearance, or she would scream at the wrong time. In the end however, her striking a sexy pose is what helped Batman and Robin defeat the bad guys!



They don't write 'em like that anymore.

1968, Folks.

The Merciless Destroyer!

In last week's The Marvels Project #7, we saw the appearence of an old, Golden Age character called The Destroyer.

Back in the mid-80's, I had no idea this character existed when I created a character called The Merciless Destroyer. Like the Marvel hero, he had his origin set in World War II. His daughter later took up the mantle, as seen below on a page from my Directory to a Nonexistent Universe comic. (Read more about the Directory here.) Click on it to enlarge and read.

When I created this, Buffy the Vampire Slayer didn't exist. I named my character "Buffy" because the name was connected with traits of being very girly and delicate. It's probably why Josh Whedon also picked it for his movie, which later spawned the TV show. The title itself had an ironic hook. Today, I suspect many people connect the name with being tough! (Which kinda makes sense since it has the word "buff" in it.)

Anyway, I read somewhere that The Marvels Project writer Ed Brubaker wanted to bring the Destroyer back as a mainstream Marvel character existing today. I hope he does it exactly like I did.

What's Your Brotherhood Quotient?

(I almost didn't make this post. I've always been caught between "ignoring old attitudes of the past" and "never ignoring old attitudes of the past.")

I recently bought an issue of The Brave and the Bold #65, from 1966.


I enjoy old comics partly because of the ads, but I didn't expect to find anything like the following "public service" page. Click to enlarge, if you wish...


The most astounding section has got to be Section A.


Got give 'em credit for trying, I suppose. Still, something in me really wants to make fun of how random it feels...

Driving and Hand Signals

Several years ago, I was toying with the idea of doing a comic which would consist of short stories about random subjects. I drew a two-page ditty about driving, using myself as the main character. I really didn't enjoy drawing myself. I eventually decided that a comic with a more interesting character, or characters, would have more appeal. Soon, Halo and Sprocket was born. If you're a reader of H&S, you may recognize this story. I eventually redrew it with Katie as the main character. Click on images to enlarge.

Spectrum Fantastic Art

This weekend, I was honored to be one of the five judges on the Spectrum 17 jury, along with illustrators Iain McCaig, Rebecca Guay, Bill Carman , and publisher John Fleskes. It was a great group, both in the quality of judges and the content of entries. If you don't already know, Spectrum is an annual of the very best in contemporary fantastic art. We had some really tough decisions to make, but it was a joy to hang out with such fun, talented, and experienced people. I want to give a big thanks to Arnie and Cathy Fenner for inviting me to be a part of it all. This Spectrum link has more about the jury process. This link shows the winners!

It occurred to me that even though my full-time occupation is a Design Studio Manager (which involves developing concepts, art directing & evaluation, etc.), my web presence consists mostly of me just clowning around or goofing off. I thought I'd note that, just so you know my life doesn't only consist of things like noting how much Galactus's helmet looks like a frog.