3 Otters Enterprises

Pencils and Inking for "Schism: Generations"

2012-01-30T09:58:00.000-08:00

Check out Brian Noble's music HERE.

Schism: Generations

2012-01-29T16:49:00.000-08:00

I just spent all of last week diving into my comic book “Schism: Generations”. I had such an adrenaline rush while working up my creativity. I finished penciling, inking, scanning and coloring twelve pages. I started to play with the text also. It feels so good to work on this story. This will be my main artistic focus now until I complete all 226 pages. I don’t have a team (like most comic book companies) working on this book. But you know what? I am enjoying every minute of it. The next comic I do will be just black and white, though. If I did not have specific color ideas for Schism, it would go much faster with just the inks. So here is my goal: Finish six pages (pencil, ink, scan and color) a week. If I can keep up on this, it will take me eight months to complete all of the art for the graphic novel. Then two months to do finishing touches, covers and text, and it with be done and posted as a pdf file right here to download by Christmas! Then 2013 I will launch a web site for 3 Otters Enterprise. This is just fun!

Click on the image to see the larger picture.

My Art Books Are Done

2012-01-13T16:52:00.000-08:00

The following books are a compilation of my artistic endeavors from my final days of high school, art school in denver, freelance work, professional jobs, hobbies, photo shoots, creative ideas and day dreams (22 years of creativity). These .pdf files include paintings, pen and ink, sketch books, pencil, comics, poetry, culinary, writings, creative ideas, digital manipulations and photography. I hope you enjoy my little books.

John Bursell

Click the links below to download free pdf art eBooks!

Warning: Artistic Content, Not Safe For Work or Children

The complete works of John Bursell 1989-2011 Volume 1 (113 pages, 79.7 MB)

The complete works of John Bursell 1989-2011 Volume 2 (129 pages, 89.8 MB)

The complete works of John Bursell 1989-2011 Volume 3 (118 pages, 88.3 MB)

The complete works of John Bursell 1989-2011 Volume 4 (121pages, 65.7 MB)

Pencils, Aquaman and Sin

2011-12-11T14:48:00.000-08:00

Well, I scanned in the pencils for pages 4 and 5 of “Schism: Generations” to post here. I threw them on the pages I created on Comic Life just to see how the art flows with the Text and page layouts. These are just rough pages, nothing finished. Now all I have to do is the simple task of penciling, inking, scanning and coloring 194 pages plus the 32 pages of “Schism” The Night Shelly Came Back”. I am very pleased with the direction the art is taking. I have never been happy with that until now.

I have always been a huge fan of Marvel comics. But lately, I just can’t get into them. Then something amazing happened. DC comics relaunched all 52 titles at #1. And I have to tell you, Aquaman and Swamp Thing have me hooked. They are so good, that I ordered subscriptions to the books. I never do that. The only time I ever subscribed to a comic was Terry Moore’s “Strangers In Paradise”. I love what DC is doing with the characters, and their marketing is superior to Marvel. I still love Marvel, but man, DC kicked it into gear. Art pictured below ©DC Comics.

“Sin is the Monster we love to deny. It is crouching at the door and it wants you, but you must overcome it.”

- Frank E. Peretti

I started reading the book “The Oath” by Frank Peretti. The two page introduction to the book was a very interesting commentary on sin. To sum it up, he explains how sin is the only predator that we willingly allow to bite and devour us, little by little. With that, I have been thinking about my creative life over the years. I never took a side. I see success being achieved by not being in the middle, where I have lived. People who are successful live either in the world, or in Christ. I skip back and forth, and I have done this my whole life. And with that life style of believing in Christ, but walking my own path, my art has not been fruitful. Never completely in the world, never completely with God. I am grateful for the talent that God has given me.

One Step Forward...

2011-12-05T23:05:00.000-08:00

I just finished penciling page #5 for my graphic novel “Schism: Generations”. I feel that everything is starting to come together artistically. I finally like the flow of my story and the art. I have also made progress with “The Complete Art Of John Bursell”, adding even more art, photography and poetry. I was just about to shoot more photos of my art including the penciled “Schism” pages to post here today, when my new camera crapped out on me. Just another hurdle to jump.

Conundrums, Conflicting Interests and Finding My Path

2011-11-28T00:12:00.000-08:00

Since returning to Libby, Montana, comics are very hard for me to find. So I have been searching the internet for digital comics. I’ve found lots of cool web comics. And I feel that my creativity is on fire lately.

I started to tackle my many projects by building a web site to house all of my art. But I have been conflicted about the whole process. I feel a calling as of late. A calling from God to get closer to him. So I have actually been going to Church and reading the Bible. I feel my heart has been changing, and my outlook on my work has changed. All of my art is very dark and gritty, and I am concerned about proclaiming myself a Christian, then publish art that is violent and contains nudity. There is a lot of responsibility here to set a good example, and not to lead people astray by saying one thing and doing another.

Then I fell off of the boat, and became selfish. I started to compile ALL of my life’s work into a PDF file (a sample is linked here on this blog). This will be “The Complete Art Of John Bursell 1989-2011”. So far it is 400 pages with more art and poetry still needing to be included. I felt a desperate need to package all of my art in one file. As I was putting all of this together in a PDF file, I decided against building a time consuming web site (for now).

Then there is the my comic book “Schism: Generations” that I am finally getting a chance to work on. But now my heart is changing. This was to be my baby, my greatest accomplishment. My life was building to this story I have to tell. And it is a very unGodly story. But I still feel it is a powerful one. So feeling conflicted, I put Schism away. And a new story started to form in my mind. A story I can be proud of entitled “My Walk”. I am still working out the details of the story (plot, characters and the beats). But to make it look great as a comic book, I need to practice my craft more regularly.

Then there is my autobiography “Spilled Ink: The First 40 Years” that I have been working on. This too is a disgusting piece of work that documents all the stupid things I have done in my life. Just as I was about to tuck it away with Schism and all of my other art, I felt a pull... a calling. An idea started to form in my little brain. My biggest struggle with this new idea was... is it from God or the devil? Is it God’s will?

The idea was simple and clear. My talent comes from God. All the good in my life comes from God. My dark and gritty art definitely has an audience. And there is not a lot of quality Christian comics out there. I am concerned about being rusty with my art while working on “My Walk”. It all makes sense now. I pray to God to let me know if this is not his will. Completing “Schism: Generations” will work out the kinks in my story telling so I can do a great job on “My Walk”. By publishing my complete art and autobiography, then Christian comics, it will show case the talent God gave my and show a contrast from darkness to enlightenment. And maybe that is what is needed to draw people interested in “dark and gritty” to thinking about God a little more. I just fear bringing in Christian readers and having them see my early work and lead them off their path.

So as of now, I am full throttle with completing my “Omnibus” to download right here on my blog (when it is finished).

Compiling my "Omnibus"

2011-11-16T11:10:00.000-08:00

Dear friends and fellow artists,

Well, I know I have been out of the cyber spot light since last spring. After my dad pasted away, work was tuned up to “11” all summer. But now I am finding artistic time again. Hours at work were cut, and I have gained a new focus for my work.

My comic book “Schism” is finally story boarded up (third and FINAL draft of my story- over 200 pages). I penciled the first three pages today. I have also started compiling a book of my work entitled “the complete art of John Bursell 1989-2011”. So far it is 400 pages of photography, art, poetry, writings and much more. I thought I would have it finished today so I could e-mail it out to all of my friends, but then I found a stack of drawings and two note books full of poems that I over looked. So some scanning and typing is in order. But until it is finished, I am attaching a link to a little sampler of the book.

click here to download a sample of my book

As I complete each project I will be posting it here with a link to down load it. The projects include "The Complete Art Of John Bursell 1989-2011", "Spilled ink, The First 40 Years" (My autobiography) and all of my finished comic books. Also, please note that the files contain artistic material and are not safe for work or children (nothing pornographic, just artistic). All files will be in the PDF format. Thanks for checking out my stuff. Enjoy!

John Bursell

Part Of The Process

2011-09-06T01:08:00.000-07:00

I have started to notice a “creative routine” that I always seem to go through. When I start thinking about creating (writing or drawing) I take at least two hours easing into it and getting inspired. I surf the internet, listen to music or watch a movie. I have noticed that if I get interrupted in this “filling my inspiration” I loss all drive to create. I have to set my mind in a different state. I need time to day dream first.

My All Time Favorite Comic Book Movies

SLC Punk

Mystery Men

Swamp Thing

Sin City

Hell Boy

Constantine

The Dark Knight

Superman 2

The Crow

Watchmen

Kick-Ass

Spider-Man

Iron Man

X-Men

Captain America

Thor

Green Lantern

Ghost World

Can’t wait for The Flash, The Avengers and Kick-Ass 2!

Songs That Inspire

2011-08-27T13:01:00.000-07:00

These are the songs on my iTunes play list that have inspired my creativity on my comic book “Schism: Generations”.

Joe Randolph- Main Theme (from "Schism")

Alanis Morissette- Crazy

Sarah McLachlan- Fear

Disturbed- Voices

Willie Nelson- Time After Time

Tori Amos- Silent All These Years

Penelope Project- Fall Apart

Björk- Hidden Place

Candlebox- Cover Me

Christina Aguilera- Soar

P!nk- Just Like A Pill

Eminem- Love the Way You Lie (feat. Rihanna)

Faith No More- Surprise! You're Dead!

Halford- Silent Screams

Iron Maiden- Sea Of Madness

Joe Randolph- Dead Don't (From "The Night Shelly Came Back”)

Kiss- Almost Human

Korn- Right Now

Alice Cooper- Only Women Bleed

Lenny Kravitz- I'll Be There

Melissa Ivey- Everywhere And Nowhere

Metallica- Battery

Nine Inch Nails- The Perfect Drug (Original Version)

Joe Randolph- Forever After (from "Schism")

P!nk- Don't Let Me Get Me

Penelope Project- Three Sheets To The Wind

Plumb- Send Angels

Prince & The Revolution- The Beautiful Ones

Queensrÿche- Walk In The Shadows

Radiohead- How To Disappear Completely

Sarah McLachlan- Building A Mystery

Savatage- Strange Wings

Slayer- Hell Awaits

Iced Earth- Wolf

Snow Patrol- Open Your Eyes

The Sword- Winter's Wolves

Toad The Wet Sprocket- Pray Your Gods

Tori Amos- Tear In Your Hand

W.A.S.P.- Animal (Fuck Like A Beast)

Hepburn- I Quit

Bif Naked- Lucky

Alison Krauss & Union Station- It Doesn't Matter

Rasputina- Transylvanian Concubine

Skip James- Devil Got My Woman

The Cure- A Forest

Leah Andreone- It's Alright, It's OK

Motörhead- God Was Never On Your Side

Penelope Project- Carousel

Evanescence- My Immortal

Iced Earth- Damien

Mötley Crüe- Confessions

The Police- King Of Pain

Cyndi Lauper- Time After Time

Louis Armstrong- What A Wonderful World

Artists in Bold were on my original mixed cassette tape in the late 1990s.

Some Video Blogs

2011-08-25T12:11:00.000-07:00

Comics Part 1- Writing

Video Scraps

I Have Demons

2011-08-16T00:34:00.000-07:00

Coughing and sneezing

I have trouble breathing

I don’t complain, I’m too proud

Everyday I’m in this dark cloud

Talked behind their backs

My soul slipping through the cracks

They give me props, they give me credit

There are things this week I’d like to edit

Cramps, I sweat all night

I can’t seem to find the light

Nightmares

And no one cares

There’s a demon feeding on my soul

I can’t shake him, it’s taking a toll

“Thank you Lord”, that’s what I say

But that’s all I say to you everyday

Clarity is coming back

This dark cloud I will attack

Where this all came from I now see

It was you just hating on me

Vlog Number 5

2011-08-08T08:42:00.000-07:00

Inspiration Part 4

The Big Picture

2011-08-02T23:13:00.000-07:00

So what am I really doing here? If you scroll through my blog I my seem scattered. Am I a poet? Am I a photographer? Am I focussing on my comic books? Painting? What is it that I am trying to accomplish here? Ultimately, I am archiving all of my creative works (while creating new ones) to self publish on a web site and then slowly build a business. I have tried a number of times to put together a business plan and follow it. But my ideas change and morph into new and better ones. My focus shifts from one project to the next. So I am taking a new approach to my art. Instead of trying to find what types of paintings sell on eBay or what eBook people are wanting to buy, I’m turning this all around. No more will I market products I haven’t created yet (I’ll still talk about what I am working on, though). It’s time to do the work. This is no longer a business venture. This is my Art... Life... Love. If I approach this as a hobby that I love to do and work on my craft, I think I will produce more art. I just finished story boarding page 172 of my comic book Schism: Generations. I am playing with some new visual ideas for the book, like painting the backgrounds while inking the distorted characters. The big picture, well, it’s comic books. I need to make them....

So my business plan has been renamed my “Battle Plan”. This is it, nice and simple.

Finish Graphic Novels

Build web site

Grants

PRODUCTS---------

$0.99 Digital Downloads Comic Books(32 pages, PDF, jpeg and HTML formats in zip file)

First issue of every series free! http://getdpd.com/

Original art http://www.ebay.com/

CDs and Merchandise http://www.cafepress.com/

Graphic Novels, single Issues http://ka-blam.com/printing/front/

MARKETING--------

Facebook, Myspace, deviantART, Tribe, blogs, vlogs, e-mails, comic cons, comic message boards

post web comics http://www.thewebcomiclist.com/, http://topwebcomics.com/, http://www.keenspot.com/, http://www.drunkduck.com/, http://www.komikwerks.com/

Vlog Number 4

2011-07-31T00:12:00.000-07:00

Inspiration Part 2

Vlog Number 3

2011-07-23T23:22:00.000-07:00

Inspiration Part 1

Vlog Number 2

2011-07-16T23:55:00.000-07:00

Photo Shoot Revisited 2009

2011-07-14T19:05:00.000-07:00

Model: Christine Konvicka

Hair, Make-up, Fasion Designs and Photography: Chelsie Kuntz

Photography: John Bursell

Fashion Photo Shoot 1

Fashion Photo Shoot 2

Fashion Photo Shoot 3

Fashion Photo Shoot 4

Special Edition: Nitty Gritty Art Blog

2011-07-13T00:57:00.001-07:00

Vlog Number 1

2011-07-10T23:15:00.000-07:00

Check out the new series of video blogs. It's a reboot, and I'm starting over. I've got six finished, so check out Vlog 1!

Mountain Goat Part 2

2011-07-06T23:22:00.000-07:00

Update

2011-07-05T12:01:00.000-07:00

I haven’t posted much work lately, but I have been very creative in the past few weeks. I am working on a new series of video blogs with a fresh new look and direction. More to come soon, so stay tuned.

Passion

2011-06-30T00:15:00.000-07:00

Comic books are for kids. Comics are for nerds. If you read comics, you still live at home with your parents, you don’t have a job, you have no friends and you are emotionally immature. Heck, you don’t even read them. You just tuck them away into a little plastic bag to keep them in mint condition.

As I approach the check out line at my local grocery store with a few comic titles in my hand, I see all of this flash in the checker’s eyes. They are thinking “Aren’t you around forty years old? Grow up”. This, of course, is all my own inner dialog for my guilty pleasures. Then I think to myself, this is my craft, and I am studying what the professionals are doing in the field. The colors they use, that new font in the word bubbles, the page layout, the twist in the plot, the character development; this is my school. The thoughts I have and the type of creativity that comes out of me, comic books are the perfect outlet. It is the best platform for me to creatively express myself. If I were to make movies from my stories, you need lots of money and actors and lots of other people to make it happen. But with comics, I can make my characters act the way I want them to. I control the lighting, environments, pace and dialog.

With comics I can apply my writing, drawing, painting, poetry and even photography. When I work on my stories, it’s the best high I could ever have. I feel connected to God. I feel alive. And it’s like being on a roller coaster. I get chills and goose bumps as my tale unravels on the page. In a world where everything has been done before (and the movie industry is a great example with all of the remakes they keep pumping out) I feel that comics still have some uncharted territory for me to explore. Comics today (especially Super Hero comics) have worked them selves into a tight box with a ridged formula. I want to break out of the standard. I have things I want to say through my comics.

Productive

2011-06-28T23:08:00.000-07:00

I have decided to commit 2 hours every day to include all of the projects that I neglect every week, month and year. Two projects a day to keep me moving forward little by little. It’s what I enjoy, my craft and my life, and I need to purse it to the fullest.

The following 8 minute video is an acrylic painting that I am working on. Thanks again to Askimbo (now known as Grown Ass Man Band) for the use of their song “Flashlight”.

Destiney Moore’s poster is finished. I guess this sort of ties in to my “Letters From Libby” comic book. It’s just sad that the asbestos is still a problem here. I have an appointment to see CARD next month to check my lungs again.

And one of my friends requested that I post a funny story from my “Spilled Ink” autobiography. So here it is:

While working at Rosauers in 2011 for the fourth time, I was carrying groceries out for an elderly gentleman. He was very nice, and very old. He wobbled while he walked with his cane because he was very bow legged. I followed him out of the building to his car with my carry out cart, placing his three bags in his back seat. I told him to have a nice day as he shut the car door on my jacket. He then beeped his key chain, locking the doors. At this point, I did not realized I was trapped. I turned to notice that my cart was rolling away, out into traffic due to the slant of the parking lot. As I reached for my cart, I got jerked back. The elderly gent noticed me being stuck, and the cart rolling off, so he began to slowly wobble after it as I helplessly watched. I hope no one was watching me. How embarrassing!

Minneapolis Vlogs revisited 2009

2011-06-20T01:19:00.000-07:00

Video Blog

2011-06-10T12:30:00.000-07:00

A special thanks to my friend Brian Noble for lending me one of his tunes. He plays all of the instruments for his compositions. Check out his music page: Me, Myself & Bri Music Inc.

Lately I have been trying to get closer to God. But then I slip backwards. I think I know what my problem is (at least one of them). Every time I am in a relationship, I feel that my art and creativity is threatened. I have to spend my time with my loved one and neglect my projects. This is no different having a relationship with God. And does God approve of what I am creating? My comic “Schism: Generations” is more for adults, with nudity and violence. But to have the happy ending seem full of light and life, you have to show the darkness. At times I think creating this comic book is comparable to having a Catholic Priest stand over me and pull a demon right out of my soul. So I am putting these demons into this book and exorcising them from my body. But once the graphic novel is done, and I am free from this darkness, didn’t I just let it loose on the world?

This has been a very hard year. I lost my father to cancer (it was too far advanced to do any testing to see if his lungs had asbestos). He is missed and we all struggle without him around.

I have just completed story boards for issue 5 of “Schism: Generations”. That makes 160 graphic novel pages so far with 32 left to go. Once that is complete, I will finally start drawing up this story I started in 1992. This feels really good! I have to finish what I started.

Here's another archival scan from my box of photography:

Loaded Mac, ready for art...

2011-05-26T11:28:00.000-07:00

I have been spending some time setting up my new computer (MacBook Pro). I finally loaded all of my files from my old Mac (here are the numbers- 1026 songs, over 200 videos, 10,555 photos, 3 web sites that I built, 250 pieces of art and lots more). I have story boarded page 153 of my comic “Schism: Generations” and have recommitted myself to that project. It’s been a rough year so far, but I need to get back to being an artist and dreamer. Even if my art doesn’t go anywhere, I still need to be who I am. I found this pencil drawing I did in 1989. It was my senior year of high school and we had to copy an artist we liked. I picked Boris Vallejo.

I was asked to design a poster for a Libby native who has gone on to achieve some fame with modeling and staring on VH1’s “Rock Of Love 2”. I have to admit, not having television for many years, I had to google her for information. I had no idea who she was. The first thing that popped up about her was a video of her doing naked cartwheels across Bret Michael's lawn. Any ways, here’s a rough of her flier.

Renewal

2011-05-11T22:57:00.000-07:00

These last few months have been very hard on me. I moved, started a new job and lost my dad to cancer.

Myron “Bud” Bursell, Sr.

Myron Edwin Bursell, Sr., 71, lost his battle to cancer on March 30, 2011, at St. John’s Lutheran Hospital .

He was born on January 24, 1940, at Cambridge, ID, the son of Ralph Bursell and Helen Wilson Bursell.

He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1961 to 1967 and is a veteran of the Vietnam war.

In Myron’s younger years he loved fishing, hunting, motorcycles and working hard. Over forty years ago he built his home, shop and logging business with his father. He was an amazing person who was giving and caring with a great sense of humor and loved his family. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Myron and his wife Mary were married thirty-nine years on November 27, 2010.

He was preceded in death by his sister, Lois Bursell Amberman.

Survivors include his wife Mary Henthorn Bursell of Libby; children John Bursell of Libby and Myron Bursell, Jr. of Fairfield, CA; Daughter-In-Law Missy Larsen Bursell of Fairfield, CA; grandchildren Alyssa, Breanna, Cierra, Daymon and Eyeliyah Bursell of Fairfield, CA; Brother-In-Law Harvey Amberman of Libby; Nephew David Clarke of Eureka; and many other relatives.

Arrangements are by Schnackenberg & Nelson Funeral Home of Libby.

But now with Spring here once again, there is renewal. I am getting my artistic spark back, ready to get creative again. I finally purchased a new computer. It is so nice (and fast). I love Macs. I have also found a great church here in Libby, and I am trying to walk a better path now. Life is too short for all the drama I have lived in the past. God, love and art. That is my focus now. I will do good by others and work on my creativity.

My Autobiography

2011-02-04T20:15:00.000-08:00

There are two kinds of people in this world, the ambitious and those who annoy the ambitious.

Lately I’ve been jotting down bits and pieces of my life story. So far, the title is “Spilled Ink: The First 40 Years”. I think I am inspired to document the more exciting moments of my life from the autobiographies I’ve been reading. I guess I always have something to say. Here’s a sample:

“Jeremy was a simple farm boy who moved to Denver to go to The Colorado Institute Of Art’s Music Video program. He lived in the Denver University dorms (where I was staying because the art school had no housing of their own). He played guitar. We hit it off real well and hung out a lot. The guys on the third floor would make fun of us because we were always laughing. My friend Joe Diaz would impersonate us by saying “Hey Q Ball, you want to laugh?”. And then he would give my response of “O.K.” and rip out this really dorky laugh. I don’t laugh like that. So Jeremy and I would get drunk, get in the elevator at the dorms and wait for an unsuspecting young lady to get in. Then Jeremy would pry the doors opened with his bare hands between floors and we would roll out and drop about three or four feet to the ground. We would laugh so hard. And the elevator would be stuck there all night. That really pissed the chicks off, because they would have to roll out and take a fall like we did. Then one night we went to this girls dorm door. Jeremy couldn’t stand her. He was very drunk, and he just whipped it out and started pissing all over her door. One day, Jeremy brought me his demo tape. It was amazing. I felt he was going to go far in the music industry. Then Thanksgiving came. Everyone but Jeremy and I went home for the holidays. We were both too far from home (he was from Nebraska) and the cafeteria was closed. So for our Thanksgiving dinner, we walked down to Taco Bell. We talked and laughed the whole time, and filled up on luke warm burritos. Having real freedom for the first time in my life, I felt so alive. I had a good friend. It was the best Thanksgiving I ever had. A few months later, my friend Steph came into the school library where I worked and told me Jeremy had died in a car accident. I took the news really bad.”

So, I am still working on my comic books, I just started typing this project and couldn’t stop. I have over 200 pages of memoirs so far.

“Working the juice bar one night, one of our regulars came in for her usual beet juice. She was a nice, quiet elderly woman who was very hard of hearing. So I prepared the beets like I normally do and drop them in the blender. This particular night though, I must not have put the lid on tight enough. Just as I reach over to press the button to blend up the blood red drink, my customer bent over to pick something up off of the floor. There was a loud grinding noise as the lid of the blender shot into the air crashing into the ceiling. I felt a stinging sensation splatter across my forehead as parts and pieces of beat bounced off of me and my glasses were sprayed red. I thought the machine had come apart, flew through the air and chopped the top of my head off. As I pulled my glasses off so I could see my surroundings, I slowly turned around in shock. To my horror, all of the customers in line at the first four check stands had been pelted with clothes staining chunks of beet. And they were all giving me an evil stare. It was so quiet and surreal, like the one or two seconds hung there for an eternity. Why were they all upset with me? Couldn't they all see that the top of my head was taken clean off? They should be horrified watching some one die right in font of them so tragically. Just then, my beet juice customer peaked up over the counter after retrieving her item from the floor. I can't imagine what she though of the idiot behind the counter covered in her juice, staring blankly.”

This will be a very visual book as well. The following is the look and feel that I am going for:

Sequel Or, How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love Time Travel

2011-01-16T14:31:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/user/Brianfeist

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Schism: Generations

2011-01-04T19:01:00.000-08:00

I am back at it again, now that the hustle and bustle of the holidays are over. I am refocussed on my comic book ideas. I’ve been story boarding again and I am now on page 137 of my graphic novel “Schism: Generations” (page 9 of issue 5). I was going to scan some pages in to post here, but I don’t want to give too much away. Here are some other images that I will share with you though; some older character sketches and reference photos.

Click On Picture To Enlarge

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T20:15:00.000-08:00

Finding Inspiration

2010-12-20T21:43:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I get caught up in being a consumer. The new DVD set, the rare Iron Maiden CD on Amazon.com, Graphic Novels I need to buy or I will cease to exist. I am slowly turning this animal around to open my mind about all the products I should create. I need to Produce. I am feeling very inspired lately. I need to keep a tight grip on that drive.

I was starting to worry about repeating myself and my ideas in my comic endeavors. Like with my poetry, sometimes similar themes keep popping up. So I came up with a little exercise to keep later stories fresh (after my 5 graphic novels are complete). I tried it once with some interesting results. I wrote on a piece of paper eight names of close friends. This will be my characters personalities. Every friend has strengths and weaknesses, habits and all sorts of things that make them unique. then on eight slips of paper, I wrote down different roles those characters could take on. I mixed them up and drew one role for each character. Here was my results:

Tom Skelley- Hero’s Best Friend

Jes Adams- Holy Person

Joe Randolph- Elf

Natasha Martinez- Werewolf

Chelsea Clark-James- Drunk

Sheri Hockman- Hero/ Leader

Zach West- Sorcerer

This little exercise had results that I would never have thought to put together. Very interesting. This may never turn into an actual story, but it opened my creativity up a bit to new ideas.

I was sorting through old sketch books and found some characters to use in my Borpie Comics. This would be a running story about crazy animals in a magical forest. The Borpie would represent humans and they would be the antagonist. This would all be tong and cheek, of course. A little comedy amongst all the art, photography, poetry and other comics.

Blog Comics Reposted

2010-12-19T20:47:00.000-08:00

I have rebooted my blog with my comic book ideas as the main focus. With the relaunch, I deleted all my past blogs. After much thought, I decided to repost my writings that show more about who I am and my artistic side. No work blogs, no complaining about this or that, just me and my art.

Don't ask...

Comic Book DVDs

2010-12-13T19:26:00.000-08:00

After talking to my friend Tony on the phone the other day, he pointed me in the direction of some very fine comic book dvds that are now on my list of things I need. There are three all together: The Alchemy of Art: David Mack, Telling Stories: The Comic Book Creators and Terry Moore: Paradise Found. Click on the link below for more details.

http://www.herovideostore.com/

Writing and Goals

2010-12-12T23:36:00.000-08:00

The cd/dvd drive on my computer has crapped out (a few months ago). I was in the process of making copies of my 1989 Libby High School Senior video for a number of people when it stopped working. I had a realization today. I was previously writing in my blog about focussing on my projects for the first time in my life, rather than putting everybody else first. Well, I think the universe or God or what ever you would like to call it, pulled the plug on my helping others and got me to refocus. Helping others is great, don’t get me wrong. Giving is a wonderful thing. But after forty years of giving to others, I think I should work on me and my art now.

Lately I have had a flood of ideas for comic book stories. I’ve been busy typing away at my computer. I just hope I have enough time to complete them all (I’m not getting any younger). So far I have five graphic novel ideas: a horror/ love story (Schism: Generations), a space opera/ wrestling adventure (GWC- The Galactic Wrestling Company), a nonfiction account about the pollution in my home town (Letters From Libby), a misfit super hero group (Conundrum!), and all of my orphan stories along with art, poetry and photography (Borpie Comics).

As far as my future plans and goals with my graphic novel ideas, I plan on tackling each project in the order listed below.

“Schism: Generations” is a graphic novel dealing with fantasy, horror and a love story. It is a very layered tale involving many themes. Schism takes a close look at religion, family patterns that are passed on, love, ambition, abuse and the supernatural.

“Followers of sects, great pains to the informer, a beast on the stage prepares the scenes, the inventor of that iniquitous fact shall be famous, by sects the world shall be confused and schismatic.”

-Nostradamus

After I finish story boarding “Schism”, I plan on penciling and inking pages starting in the spring or summer of 2011. Once the pages are completed, I will scan and color the art adding all the text. Then it is just a matter of marketing my web comic and graphic novel.

The following nonfiction literature started out as a series of e-mails, newsletters, blogs and journals that grew into a web comic. The Environmental Protection Agency is calling it one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history. Criminal acts that were unspeakable, and unforgivable. The media lit up with the news story for a short time. But then the publicity died down and faded. Just as the small town of Libby did. Now this catastrophe is all but forgotten. But I won’t forget, or let go. Because I am from Libby, Montana.

Once “Schism” is story boarded, I will begin researching “Letters From Libby” and roughing out the story. I would also like to video tape interviews from people around Libby and their different views on the subject as part of my research in the summer of 2011.

“To betray you must first belong.” -Harold Philby

For this project I have a ton of work I can simply just put together. I do have new ideas I would like the draw up and add to it. But for the most part, after “Schism” and “Letters From Libby”, I just need to re-scan my old art (at a higher resolution) to add to “Borpie Comics”. I will try to start this whole process in the winter of 2011. Cold weather is always a good time for scanning and archiving.

Here are some rough notes: Space Opera- Pro-Wrestler on tour through the galaxy. “The Wrestler” meets “Star Wars”. Stopping at space stations, large luxury ships and other planets to square off in the squared circle. Some cultures script matches for drama and show, while others prefer the real thing. Wrestler is a “Triple H” type character. So he is the best of the best. Part of the climax for the story should be the pursuit of the Galactic Championship title. Women at every port. Manager/ pilot is a “Jimmy Heart” type and gets them into a lot of trouble outside the ring with his dirty dealings.

The “Galactic Wrestling Company”, along with the following ideas for “Conundrum!” will be put on the shelf until my first three graphic novels are complete, unless inspiration strikes.

This is the name of my supergroup, Conundrum! The members are The Mighty Wasp, Black Rainbow, Ashley Domore, their leader Blair Blackburn, Sneaker and Stutter Girl. In the first story, “I Used To Be A Super Hero”, the origin of the Mighty Wasp is revealed. “Black Rainbow” tells the tail of a gay couple that fall victim to a hate crime, and the surviving lover blazes a trail of revenge. Sneaker is a former thief and hates gays. Stutter Girl is small and petite but has the strength of Super Man. Sneaker and Stutter Girl are in a relationship and are the comic relief. More on all of this later.

Re-Posts #3

2010-12-11T14:08:00.000-08:00

PAINT BRUSH INFORMATION

Handle- The part of the brush you hold to paint with, usually made of wood.

Ferrule- The section of the brush that holds the hairs onto the handle.

Hairs or Bristles- These can be synthetic or natural.

Toe- This term is used to describe the tip of the brushes hair.

The difference between acrylic or oil bushes and water color brushes:

The handle on brushes that are used for acrylics and oils is longer than the handle on water color brushes. The reason for this design is most artists painting with acrylic or oils stand using an easel, thus needing a longer handle. Water color artists usually sit and are closer to their work, needing a shorter handle.

Using your paint brushes with a number of mediums:

It is acceptable to use your brushes for a number of applications, including but not limited to water color, acrylic, gouache and ink. Oils are the only paint that are an exception. Brushes used for oil painting need to stay allocated. Oil paint repels water. Some artists prefer to use separate brushes for varnishing, gesso and masking fluid.

Cleaning your brushes:

If your brushes have natural hair than investing in a good brush cleaner is wise. Your brushes will last longer when properly cared for. Much like your own hair, your brushes will need to be revived with a good cleaner and even a conditioner. A mild soap works nicely also.

First, wipe off excess paint with a cloth or tissue. Use lukewarm water to rinse your brush. Do not use hot water. It can cause the ferrule to expand and the hairs will fall out. If you are using oils, instead of using lukewarm water rinse the brush in turpentine. Now wipe your brush on a cloth or tissue again to remove excess pigment (paint). Put a dab of mild soap in the palm of your hand. Create a lather by gently scrubbing in the brushes hairs. Rinse in lukewarm water and repeat until there is no pigment remaining. You can soften the brushes with conditioner or baby oil.

Never leave your brushes (dirty or clean) toe down soaking in water. this will misshape your brush, damaging the hairs or bristles. Always store your brushes dry, handle down (bristle facing upward).

Shapes and sizes:

It is always a great idea to have a variety of brushes from large to small on hand. The size of a brush is usually printed on the side of the handle and ranges from 00 (being the smallest size), to 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and up (increasing in size).

Types of hair and bristles:

Soft hairs are better for thinner paint which spreads easily. They are also ideal for detailed work because they form a sharp point. If you would like to see the brush marks in the paint or are using a thicker pigment then you want a harder, stiffer hair.

Putting Your Pics On The Net

Many people often ask me about sending photographs and artwork in e-mails or posting them on the internet. The following information should help ease your pain and make this task fun and simple.

File Size

When measuring items or distance in the outside world, you may use inches, feet, miles and so forth. But on your computer, graphics are measured in dots per inch (dpi). This system is also referred to as points per inch (ppi). Both measuring systems are the same thing. This measures how many dots of color, black and/or white that fit into one square inch. Now, how do we work with this system to fit our needs. Let's say we want to create an image to send in an e-mail, and the same image to print as a poster at a copy shop. You would want to set the dpi differently for each use.

For the internet, we want the smallest file possible that will still look nice. All computer screens at this point in time can only read 72 dpi. So for viewing on a computer or the internet, never set your image higher that 72 dpi. If you make an image at 100 dpi, it will take up more memory (and be a larger file) but it will not look any different than the same image at 72 dpi. If you go smaller than 72, let's say you scan in a drawing at 50 dpi, the image will look fuzzy and pixelated and appear to be poor quality. Most photographs that I post on the web are about 4 inches by 6 inches with a resolution of 72 dpi. This is a nice size for e-mailing and it still looks sharp. Anything under 1 MB (see Computer Storage File Size bellow) is always best.

For printing, always ask your print shop for details on what works best for them. To be safe, I usually set my image at 150 to 300 dpi. For home use on my printer, I usually set my image at 150 dpi. This produces a nice, crisp image. Always keep in mind the size of paper you will be printing on, and fit your image accordingly.

Computer Storage File Size

A kilobyte (KB)- A unite of information equal to 1000 or 1024 bytes of computer storage.

A megabyte (MB)- A unite of information equal to 1 million bytes of computer storage.

A gigabyte (GB or gig)- A unite of information equal to 1 billion bytes of computer storage.

A Few File Types

PNG (Portable Network Graphics format) Great quality for printing, but check with your local print shop to see if their computers support this format.

JPG or JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) This format is great for photographs, but may cause distortion for graphics with solid lines. Great for web and printing.

TIFF (Tag Image File Format) This file is poor for uploading to the internet. It is useful for storing images that are line art or photographs with a high color depth.

GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) The small file size is good for use on the net with graphics, and is great for small animations. It has poor quality for photographs and poorer quality for printing.

Digital Cameras (megapixel conversions)

2 - 2.9 Megapixels = 4" x 6" Prints

3 - 3.9 Megapixels = 8" x 10" Prints

4 - 5.9 Megapixels = 11" x 14" Prints

The Bridge

2010-12-04T23:30:00.000-08:00


I WALKED TO MY BRIDGE WITH A SMALL CREEK RUNNING UNDER IT. I WAS NUDE, LOOKING AT THE WOOD IT WAS MADE OF. IT WAS PAINTED RED A LONG TIME AGO--- IT WAS FADED.

I BEGAN DUMPING MY WORRIES INTO THE WATER. THE FIRST WAS A BOX WITH A BOW WRAPPED AROUND IT. IT HAD MY FEELINGS FOR SHERI AND THE KIDS IN IT... ALL OF MY WORRIES FOR THEM.

THE SECOND BOX WAS SHERI'S FAMILY. IT WAS LIGHT, BUT SANK TO THE BOTTOM. THE THIRD WAS MY PARENTS AND BROTHER, THEN SCHOOL, THEN WORK. I RELEASED EVERYTHING.

THEN I WALKED TO THE END OF THE BRIDGE AND GOT DRESSED. THERE WAS A PATH LEADING UP TO A HUGE PINE TREE. I SAT UNDER IT FOR A WHILE. IT WAS A NICE DAY.

JUST WHEN I THOUGHT I WOULD MOVE ON, A HAWK FLEW OVERHEAD AND LANDED ON TOP OF THE TREE. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL BIRD.

THEN SHERI WALKED OUT OF THE BRUSH AND KNELT DOWN BESIDE ME. SHE WAS CRYING, AND SAID SHE WAS SORRY. WE EMBRACED AND KISSED, THEN I TOLD HER I FORGAVE HER.

SHE WALKED BACK TOWARDS THE BUSHES WHERE ANGIE PUT HER ARM AROUND HER AND THEY WALKED AWAY.

THEN I STOOD UP AND WALKED THROUGH A DENSE FOREST OF PINE.

I CAME OUT ON A BEACH AND WATCHED THE WAVES CRASH IN. I LOOKED UP AND SAW THE SUN SETTING ON THE OCEAN.

THE WATER WAS CLEAR AND I WENT IN TO RELAX, TO FLOAT ON TOP OF THE WATER. IT FELT SO GOOD. THEN I SAW A GIANT FISH UNDER ME--- LIKE A SUCKER FISH.

I WAS SCARED, SO I QUICKLY GOT OUT OF THE WATER. I WALKED UP THE BEACH TO THE FOREST AND CAME OUT ON A SIDEWALK. IT LED TO SHERI'S PARENTS HOUSE. I WAS SCARED TO GO IN, BUT I SOME HOW KNEW I SHOULD.

SO I WENT IN. SHERI'S MOM WAS NICE, AND JOSH RAN UP AND HUGGED ME AND CALLED ME DADDY. I HUGGED ALL THREE KIDS AND TOLD THEM I STILL LOVED THEM. I TOLD THEM MOMMY AND I JUST CAN'T LIVE TOGETHER, AND IT'S NOT THEIR FAULT. I STILL LOVE THEM.

THEN I WAS ON A SANDY BEACH AGAIN. THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE GROUND LIKE IN "ALICE IN WONDERLAND". I CRAWLED DOWN IT AND WAS INSIDE A CAVE.

THERE WAS WATER ON MY RIGHT THAT MADE SQUIGGLY REFLECTIONS ON THE WALLS. I WALKED AROUND THE CORNER AND SAW MARJORIE PAINTING A PICTURE OF SCRUFFS. SHE WAS VERY PLEASANT TO ME. SHE ASKED ME HOW I WAS DOING WITH GOD.

I SAID I LEFT HIM BEHIND, AND I TURNED AND WALKED AWAY FROM HER. I FELT LIKE CRYING. THEN, JUST PAST THE WATER I SAW A PILE OF BONES. ONE WAS A SKELETON ON A CROSS WITH A CROWN OF THORNS. I SAID "THANK YOU LORD".

THEN I CRAWLED BACK UP THE HOLE AND WAS BACK AT MY BRIDGE. THE END

Why Comics?

2010-12-01T20:59:00.000-08:00

I just saw the new Green Lantern trailer. The movies with all this new technology coming out just blows my mind. From the seventies up to the present day, the world of entertainment has come a long way. It’s very inspiring. When I started writing “Schism: Generations” in 1992, I saw the whole thing in my head. It was a movie like no other. But now it could actually be made into a decent movie. Not with my budget though.

So here’s the question: Why comics? I remember in the very early seventies traveling with my parents from Libby, Montana to Spokane, Washington to visit my Grandma Henthorn. This is my earliest memories of drawing pictures with my crayons. I would set at my grandma’s kitchen table with my Star Wars action figures and The Flash comic books while she cooked very large meals. She would ask me what I was drawing and I would tell her about Speedy (because I was too young to read yet and did not know the main character’s name was The Flash) and how he could run really fast. I used the red crayon the most. I developed a love for comics. Maybe because they were readily available at the grocery store, or maybe they were too colorful to pass up, or maybe it was the fantastic stories and characters inside the books. The comics I liked the most usually involved someone insignificant making a huge difference in their world. That’s what I wanted to do. Make a difference in someone's life. Be a hero. Other titles that I started to get into were Devil and Moon Boy, Spider-Man and Star Wars.

My next big goal is to recreate 1996. That sounds funny, I know. But at that time, living in Denver, Colorado I had no room mates and no relationships. I was also very broke (something I do not wish to recreate). I was living on my own and working at a restaurant. All of my time was spent on me. I would stay up until four in the morning and just draw and paint and write. I would loose myself in my art. It was a high that I can never fully put into words. And I produced so much art. I really loved what I was doing. So I am looking to capture that spark again.

After I finish the final touches on my comic books, I plan on publishing them in several different ways. Possibly single comic book issues, graphic novels, cd rooms and web comics. Here are a handful of web comics I like:

The Dream © 1996

2010-11-30T22:46:00.000-08:00

(click on image to enlarge)

upon a mushroom ©1996

2010-11-29T22:49:00.000-08:00

my life
primal
my action
animal
my freedom
mystical

unseen
unknown
unloved
unwelcomed

fly free
run wild
instinctualy
child

endangered
my heart
feelings injured
make art

sit
upon a mushroom
bit
of bitter gloom

wings
that take me
nowhere

Borpie Comics

2010-11-20T20:05:00.000-08:00

I just finished story boarding page 134 for the graphic novel “Schism: Generations”. The story is coming along nicely and I am very excited about my book. I hope that when it’s finished, others will enjoy it as much as I am.

Yesterday I started to mess around with a program called “Comic Life”. Here are examples of some pages I threw together in a matter of minutes (click to enlarge):

After piecing several pages together, ideas fludded my mind about what I could do with this program. Back in the 90’s I had an idea for a comic book series entitled “Trip Comics”. It would have short comic book stories (2-6 pages) in the front of the book, followed by poetry, sketches, artwork, photography and written stories. This would be a place for me to put all of my artistic endevers.

Intead of “Trip Comics”, I’ll call it “Borpie Comics” named after the little mascot on the cover. This project will also be in the form of a graphic novel (one convienent package instead of a number of single issues) and will go on the back burner until “Schism” is compleated.

Schism Update

2010-11-11T20:35:00.000-08:00

This is a cover for chapter 1 I did years ago. I am not going to use it, but I thought it looked interesting.

Older art work that will not be used (click to enlarge).

I spent most of the day working on "Schism". So I thought I might blog about the creative process involved in putting my little book together. This is the third and final draft of my graphic novel. The first step I do is the "plot" or the "beats". I jot down notes so I know exactly what action or dialog takes place on every page of the comic. I am happy to say, after brain storming all day, I have the entire book (including the bonus material) plotted. That's a grand total of 230 pages. Here is an example of a "plot" page (click to enlarge):

The second step is to story board each page so I can see exactly where each panel, character and the dialog will go. At this time I have four chapters completed (that's a total of 128 pages). Here's two examples of my story boards (click to enlarge):

The next thing I do is type up all of the narration and dialog. Here's a few pages for an example:

Schism: Generations is a graphic novel dealing with fantasy, horror and a love story. It is a very layered tale involving many themes. Schism takes a close look at religion, family patterns that are passed on, love, ambition, abuse and the supernatural.

Chapter 1 Troll (32 pages)

Chapter 2 Turning (32 pages)

Chapter 3 Red Curtains (32 pages)

Chapter 4 Flight (32 pages)

Chapter 5 The Talking Board (32 pages)

Chapter 6 The Healing (32 pages)

Bonus Material

Schism: The Night Shelly Came Back (32 pages)

Schism: The Howler Diaries (6 pages)

Art, poetry and photography galleries

-Nostradamus

Page 1

Befana intro. Tells her story of love triangle. God, Goddess, St. Lucifer.

{Notes: Opening visual: Deep black outer space. A large rock is floating closer and closer past a broken moon. The rock is all that is left of the Earth. It is a strip of land from the Canadian boarder to southern Colorado.}

1) “It saddens me to see the remains of my world. I was here from the beginning, when the earth was healthy and natural. There were cycles in the year; fall, winter, spring and summer. Like the phases of the moon, I was apart of them all. I was in love with the land, the sea, the air and all of the creatures that were apart of it.

2) “I nurtured it, and watched it grow. I am Befana, the Great Goddess. But I was not the only one watching. For with my kind, we come in threes. The Great God, Lord Almighty and Saint Lucifer also looked upon the earth, both plotting and planning as if they were playing a game of chess. They amused me occasionally but disgusted me most of the time. I believe that nature should take it’s course, uninterrupted. The Lord, my husband, gave his message to man. Man then changed his words to suit their needs (with the influence of Saint Lucifer). Wars broke out, and carried on through the centuries.

Page 2

1) “As the ages passed, the Great God became more focused on his followers. The Christians sought out to destroy those worshiping the Goddess. My people grew fewer in numbers. I became lonely with the absents of my husband.

2) Then Saint Lucifer appeared, and for a moment in time I felt loved. For this is my way, the way of nature. We made love that shook the universe. But he deceived me. His act was out of lust, not love. I gave birth to Saint Lucifer’s son. This act deeply hurt my Lord, making him a jealous God. He gave to his people Ten Commandments, one of which stated ‘Thou shalt not commit adultery’. I was taken out of his great Bible for one night of passion, and he forgave me not.

3) “Instead of having a child with me, the Great God blessed a virgin mortal to have his son. And his son, Jesus, was a true blessing. The love and understanding that I had towards the people was renewed through him. Lucifer left the heavens to hide our son. If my heart were ripped from my chest, it would have felt the same as losing my child. Lucifer’s plan was to then unleash the Antichrist upon the Earth.

4) “Man’s technology advanced, honing their skills to kill one another. They destroyed the Earth with their final war. The great democracy launched an assault to the assassins in the deserts of the east.

5) Saint Lucifer unleashed his army. Swarms of Hell Hawks dove in to add to the destruction.

Page 3

1) BLAM!

2) Befana- NO!

3) This broke the Earth, sending a chunk of rock hurling through space. And with my tears, I healed what I could. But with such hate and destruction, little of the natural world returned. This new age gave birth to the unnatural, the beings that lurked in shadow.”

Then comes the finished art. Here's a look at a page I started (click to enlarge). I have decided to try a different style for my book, so I did not complete this piece. I plan to write and get the story tight this winter (as well as write for some other projects also) and work on the finished art in the summer of 2011.

Past Photography Projects

2010-11-09T16:02:00.000-08:00

Christine (Minneapolis, MN)

Sonya (Denver, CO)

Katie (Denver, CO)

Sally (Denver, CO)

Ellie (Denver, CO)

Tori (Denver, CO)

Letters From Libby

2010-11-08T19:48:00.000-08:00

My next project after the graphic novel "Schism: Generations".

“To betray you must first belong.” -Harold Philby

The following nonfiction literature started out as a series of e-mails, newsletters, blogs and journals that grew into a web comic.

A horrible tragedy happened. The Environmental Protection Agency is calling it one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history. Criminal acts that were unspeakable, and unforgivable. The media lit up with the news story for a short time. But then the publicity died down and faded. Just as the small town of Libby did. Now this catastrophe is all but forgotten. But I won’t forget, or let go. Because I am from Libby, Montana.

Living in Denver and being removed from the immediate problems in Libby, I still have waves of anger and sadness. It will be intensified dwelling in the belly of the beast. I will document, to the best of my abilities, the story of the victims from a small town poisoned by asbestos. It will be a journal of feelings and fears, facts, stories and information on a small town in the mountains, sixty miles south of the Canadian boarder.

Libby Montana is my home town. It is a place of fond memories and harsh lessons. Libby is nested in a valley surrounded by thick pine and towering mountains. It is a community of simple people with big hearts and battered lungs. The mine on Zonolite Mountain extracted vermiculite used in insulation. The vermiculite was laced with asbestos. The Zonolite mine started operations in 1924. The very same year a study by the British Medical Journal sited asbestos as a cause of death.

The company knew in 1963 that tremolite (asbestos) was a contaminant.

In 1969, workers from the mine were X-rayed with horrifying results. The miners were never told of the findings. Tests that very same year showed that twenty four thousand pounds of dust a day were expelled from the large stack on the dry mill. The dust was twenty percent asbestos. This not only harmed the miners, but affected the entire valley. And nothing was done about it. The company withheld this information for the sake of profit. W.R. Grace, the owner of the operation, built a new mill in 1975. This doubled the mills production. Half a million pounds of asbestos a day were produced. Libby's miners and families have filed one hundred and seven civil actions against W.R. Grace since 1984. The mine finally closed in 1990, with the Environmental Protection Agency left to clean up the mess and witness first hand a beautifully wooded valley populated by the dying.

A Tribute to my former web site sBs

2010-11-07T12:33:00.000-08:00

This little tribute is for the web site www.swingbabyswing.com. It was online for many years, and I enjoyed creating the pages and galleries that featured over 30 of my artistic friends as well as myself. I started to realize that my whole life, I have spent all of my time giving to others. This is not a bad thing, but as a result, I never finished any of my projects (namely my comic book ideas). So by deleting the site from the internet, I have allowed myself to refocus. I need to spend my time on my dreams. With that being said, I do miss working with my friends in Denver CO, Portland OR, Minneapolis MN, Libby MT, Boston MA among other places. We had some fun and creative times putting this site together.

Music "Waylaid" by Joe Randolph © All rights held by Me for Joe RanOff Tunes.

"Although many of us have other outlets for our creations, swingbabyswing.com has all of us together, the friendly and freaky, the depressed and the pressing of artists, writers and musicians with nothing to lose. We may be different, with different experiences that formulate our opinions in life; still we respect each other and recognize each person for their respected talents. I'm in no way speaking for anyone else on this web site, but at the same time wish to give the props to the people who deserve them most."
-Israel Bayer

Welcome to our web site! You will find thirty plus artists featured here on Swing Baby Swing. This humble art gallery floating in cyber space is the entertainment portion of 3 Otters Enterprises.

The artists presented throughout this site have a wide range of styles and are very talented. I am proud to call each and every one of them my friend. It all started with my friend Joe Diaz and myself putting together a little web site. At the time Joe was working on a comic strip for his character "Bondage Baby". This cute little rag doll star, with a zipper mouth, button eyes and a sewing needle stuck in his head would soon become the sites mascot. Joe and I were hanging out one day when he excitedly told me his great idea. It was something like this: How about on the home page Bondage Baby is hanging from a noose swinging back and forth, with the title "Swing Baby Swing" above this animation. That sounded good to me, and we ran with it. We did not have an animation program at the time when the site was first launched, but that is something we will add to the site as soon as we can.

There were two reasons the site came to be. The first inspiration manifested out of a need to publish my yet unfinished comic book "Schism: Generations". I was trying to come up with the cheapest plan to get my story out to the world. After a lot of thought and research, I felt the best way to achieve this and be in control of my work (without a publisher owning the copyright to my baby) was to put it on the World Wide Web. The other reason for this monster lurking in cyber space is a little restaurant on 6th and Washington in Denver, Colorado. Angelo's Pizza was staffed by a group of amazing people that inspired me daily. I worked there for five years with political activists, college students, poets, musicians, photographers, writers, painters, potters, herbalists, film makers and Broncos fans. So I started to wonder how I could bring all of these artists together to showcase their talents. We needed a community. Some of the people I worked with then have been featured on our site at one time or another. We now have artists from Oregon, Illinois, Montana, Wyoming as well as Colorado featured here.

So that's us in a nut shell. Thanks for stopping by! Be kind to one another and be creative!

John Bursell 1.15.07

"People come first at 3 Otters Enterprises. Our main focus is to create a community among artists while bringing quality products to the public. We receive great enjoyment from giving and providing above and beyond customer service."

"You rock, like an electric guitar played by a coked-up demon on a mountain of skulls in iceland-"
Tom Skelley, Sun, 4 June 2006

"John, Time has passed so quickly and soon you will be gone. But before that we have to party. This Saturday is officially your going away party from me n the boys...n the horn, especially the horn-ED goddess we all love . So i want you to let your hair down (sorry i couldn't help my self) and have a great time and be celebrated for the great human you are. We have you on the guest list so you can buy more beer and we will treat you like a king... A KING!!!! Thanks for all of the sweat and labor you have done for us and with me barking over your shoulders and drinking up your Dew. Hell, we love ya. See ya saturday night!"
Melissa Ivey, Thu, 12 Oct 2006

3 Comic Book Projects

2010-11-06T22:33:00.000-07:00

I have just completed story board page 128 (completing issue 4) for the graphic novel “Schism: Generations” and 2 story board pages for the bonus material to be included in the same graphic novel entitled “Schism: The Night Shelly Came Back”. The “Shelly” story will be 32 pages when complete. I really enjoy working on this project. It’s as if I’m not even writing it. This whole world is unfolding right in front of me. This is quite exciting.

Here is a video I shot in Minneapolis 2009 at Gallery 13. Check out Virtual Warrior Ink here.

I have found an amazing program called “Comic Life” for my Mac (available for Windows also). It has everything I need for creating clean looking layouts for my comic book ideas for only $40. I down loaded a free trial copy here.

The Galactic Wrestling Company

For the longest time I have been wanting to write a space opera like Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers or Star Wars. But I wanted to wait until I had somewhat of an original idea. I also have a passion for professional wrestling. With “Schism” I took a lot of different ideas, plots and characters and squished them together. Then I came up with “The Galactic Wrestling Company”. It’s about a pro wrestler on tour through out the galaxy. I jotted down six issues worth of plots (just rough notes). I think this will be a fun project to tackle, after “Schism” and “Letters From Libby”. So I’ll put it on the back burner for now. Here are a few rough notes I typed up:

Space Opera- Pro-Wrestler on tour through the galaxy. “The Wrestler” meets “Star Wars”. Stopping at space stations, large luxury ships and other planets to square off in the squared circle. Some cultures script matches for drama and show, while others prefer the real thing. Wrestler is a “Triple H” type character. So he is the best of the best. Part of the climax for the story should be the pursuit of the Galactic Championship title. Women at every port. Manager/ pilot is a “Jimmy Heart” type and gets them into a lot of trouble outside the ring with his dirty dealings.

Portfolio Post #2

2010-11-05T13:18:00.000-07:00

Portfolio Post #1

2010-11-04T09:05:00.000-07:00

Several pieces from my portfolio:

Paintings

Pen and Ink

Re-Posts #2

2010-11-03T23:33:00.000-07:00

Video Blogs from Minneapolis, MN.

Vlog2 12 09

Vlog3 2 09 (10 min)

Vlog3 05 09

Re-Posts #1

2010-11-03T09:40:00.000-07:00

January 21, 2009---------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday 6:53 pm

About this art: The year was 2006. I was working the coffee bar with this cool girl, Leia, at the Denver Cherry Creek Whole Foods. I mentioned that I was a web designer and her girlfriend was in a band that needed web help. So over the next year before I moved back to Libby, Montana in 2007, I became their designer and I felt like I was one of the gang. I created posters, cd covers, fliers as well as the web site. I went into the recording studio and video taped them in action as well as a few live shows that they put on. One of their shows they opened for comedian Josh Blue, and I got to hang out with them backstage. The last show I saw before I moved was at the Oriental Theater and they dedicated a Zeppelin song to me. That was an amazing feeling being a part of the “Ivey” scene. Melissa Ivey and the Gentlemen were pure talent. This was a great band. The poster featured above is a photo of a stained glass window I took when I worked at Angelo’s Pizza. The photo of Melissa was provided by the band.

January 22, 2009---------------------------------------------------------

Thursday 6:44 am

About this art: This is a piece entitled “Gigi”. I was working in a grocery store (Rosaures) in Libby, Montana in 1992. I was trying to put together a portfolio to get into the Institute of Art in Seattle, Washington. There was a photo studio in town, the Lighthouse Photo, where I was taking my art to be made into slides and 8 x 10s. I was always chatting up the owner about my ideas and dreams, and how I really wanted to improve on anatomy for my art. I was into Boris Vallejo and wanted to do more work like that. So the owner of the studio volunteered himself to shoot models in various poses for me. I was very shy at the time, so he asked around for me. This was a small town, and it made me feel a little awkward. But he got four different girls and took tons of photos for me. This is one of the drawings that came out of those photographs. Looking back now, I think the photographer used me as an excuse to take these shots. But this whole situation gave me some art to put into a portfolio. So my next step was to call the school in Seattle. When I did, they said they were completely booked, and transferred my call to the Denver Institute of Art. Denver? Where the heck is Denver? The recruiter on the phone talked me into moving to Colorado, and the rest is history.

January 28, 2009---------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday 5:15 am

About this art: “Voodoo” was an acrylic painting I did back in 1996. I can’t believe that was thirteen years ago! I was living alone in a studio apartment and working at Angelo’s Pizza. This art stands out for me on a personal level. I remember it was my day off and I stayed up until five in the morning just painting and drawing. In one night I produced a stack of work. It all just flooded out of me. And now, I am searching for that “spark” again; the right ingredients to make it all happen.

January 30, 2009---------------------------------------------------------

Friday 6:44 am

About this photo: Since I started archiving and scanning in all of my photography a few weeks ago, today I have scanned in photo number 100. That feels like quite an accomplishment when I only scan three a day, four or five days a week. It was January 2005 and Chelsie and I moved in together for the first time. It was a very small apartment on Vine Street in Denver. The building was in the shape of a “U” and had a fenced court yard in the middle. It was a very stressful place to live. In the winter we froze, and in the summer it was so hot that Chelsie would just pass out. And I could not believe my neighbors. Mostly a group of twenty something female party animals, some days coming home from work I would catch them sunbathing nude out in the open. And the parties went all night. This may sound like a fun and exciting environment to live in, but honestly, when it’s your home and you are surrounded by drama and skanky girls, it sucks. I always felt like a peeping Tom. But I was just trying to get to my apartment. Chelsie hated her job and the office bullies, and I was a supervisor that needed a vacation. Chelsie and I were having a lot of problems communicating. She was always angry from work, and I was still living like Chelsie and I were individuals. I was loyal to her, but I always had my own thing going. My stuff was my stuff, my money, my bills, etc... So Chelsie and I were not on the same page. It is a completely different story now.

For several years, I had compiled a number of ideas for art, stories, photography, and web site that required a model. I had shared these ideas with Chelsie and she was o.k. with the idea of me working with a model. Looking back at it now, I think she wanted to be a part of the process. At that time, I felt I was loosing my artistic spark. So I found a model on the internet who wanted to work with me. She agreed to come over and pose for me the same day Chelsie was out of town for work. Because of our fractured relationship, I was looking forward to a little break and actually working on something creative. I picked Sky up at her house and brought her to our apartment. We ran through the ideas and went to work. I was using my 35 mm camera (this was before I had a digital) and it crapped out after a couple of hours of shooting film. It hasn’t worked since. So I took Sky home and thanked her, and dropped the film off at the grocery store. When the pictures came back, Chelsie was home from her trip, and she stumble across them. It really upset her; she didn’t know what to think. This damaged our relationship even more. I wasn’t thinking that it was a big deal (I didn’t even know where our relationship was going). It really hurt her, and I never want to do that again. We are closer than ever now, and it pays to be on the same page and communicate everything. I feel more free with myself and my art now that Chelsie and I are closer.

February 10, 2009--------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday 5:25 am

What’s new: I finally joined Facebook yesterday. I have been avoiding it, because I am on MySpace and I just wanted to keep everything simple. But I was amazed at how many people that I am friends with on Facebook that are not on MySpace.

10 weird and random things about me...

1 I can’t stop listening to “Live Your Life” from T.I. featuring Rihanna

2 I have a high tolerance for pain and bull shit (I’m still standing)

3 I watch Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Pro Wrestling

4 I would rather walk than drive

5 I like smelly cheese

6 I’ve been married (now divorced)

7 I have Alice Cooper’s autograph

8 I only see beauty in the hearts of people, not the outside

9 I blame Nirvana for my hair loss (ask me sometime)

10 I was a hooker in Montana (an actual work title for logging)

February 23, 2009--------------------------------------------------------

Monday 11:54 am

I had a funny thought today. Sometimes when my music becomes too predictable, I’ll make a mixed cd just to hear the songs in a different order. It somehow makes it sound fresh and exciting again. So I was thinking that would be awesome if my dvd player had a six disc changer with a shuffle feature that would play random scenes from each movie. I’ve seen all of my dvds so many times, but I like having a movie on when I work on my art. I know, A.D.H.D....

As of late, I have been rethinking my goals. I want to narrow my focus even further to encompass only the things I truly want and need to accomplish with my art. Comic Books. If an occasional painting pops out that I was truly inspired to do, that’s great. But my main focus is Comic Books. I feel I am a decent photographer, painter, poet, writer, web designer, etc... I have a need to become more than “decent” at something. I want to master an art form. I want to say something. And I want to say it loudly! Sure, I can write an eBook about making money on eBay that has already been written many times before (and probably better). But I see worlds in my mind, and adventures and rich characters. I have my own tails to tell through graphic novels, web comics and cd-roms.

March 08, 2009--------------------------------------------------------

Sunday 11:29 am

What’s new: I woke up this morning thinking about photography. I don’t know why. But I was thinking of my work in a different light. There are some people I want to shoot pics of here in Minnesota. I realized that I would rather take pictures of friends (with all of their flaws) than people who look perfect on the outside. This thought started with a realization that people who stay in my thoughts from my past, are people I have photographed. So do they stay in my thoughts and in my heart because I took their picture, or did I take their picture because they are in my thoughts and in my heart? I think it is both. I think in a strange way, I connect with friends and family through my camera. I incorporate all that I love into my art.

Schism: The Night Shelly Came Back VIDEO

2010-11-02T20:42:00.000-07:00

Schism: The Night Shelly Came Back

2010-11-02T00:55:00.000-07:00

Describe a project: The Night Shelly Came Back

Back in 2003 I wrote a little script for a zombie movie. This was inspired by a past relationship. A group of my friends were finishing up a movie they shot entitled “Sequel, The Movie”. I had a lot of fun working on it, so I showed them my script. I wrote the story so it was mostly contained in the house I was living in with my roommates Joe and Connie. They seemed to like it and we began assembling a team. I was going to direct it, and my friend Brian was the camera guy. Brian worked with a girl at PBS who love designing costumes. He asked her if she would like to help us out. Her name was Chelsie. I had met her a year before at a New Years party at Brian's house. Cute girl. Any ways, I had all of my actors lined up except for the lead- Shelly. This was a hard one, because we were all broke and the Shelly character had a sex scene and was nude through most of the film. Who would do that for nothing? My roommate Connie suggested a girl she knew from school, Natasha. She was beautiful and had a great personality. She was really wild and open about sex, and couldn’t wait to be naked in a movie. So we all met on the weekends and worked on our lines, monster make-up and building sets. It was a lot of fun.

One night Natasha stopped by to visit my roommate Connie. Connie had a huge crush on this girl. One thing led to another hanging out with them and Connie volunteered Natasha to model for a series of photographs. Connie’s excuse was that she had never seen me work (photographing) before. So Natasha, much to Connie's delight, was topless and ready to pose for the camera when my phone rang. It was our fashion designer, Chelsie (there were two Chelsie/ Chelseas working on this movie). She had a few drinks and was talking dirty to me over the phone. I really liked Chelsie (she was soooo cute!) but felt awkward having this much attention all at once. I was hanging out with my roommate, I was shooting a model and had a cute girl on the phone... That’s just too much for me to handle.

Natasha was always changing her hair style and/ or color. One day we bought a black wig so her character would look the same in every shot. My friend Chelsea (Peaches), Natasha and I went shopping for props at a sex shop. Natasha was showing me all the things she had at home while both girls were completely entertained with my embarrassment.

At this time in my life I worked at Wild Oats as a supervisor. And I felt that there was so much pressure coming from work and my friends to step up and take charge. I think I just got burnt out, and the movie wasn’t fun anymore. I have had this problem in the past were if say I have a friend who is a poet (and it inspires me), then I find myself trying to be a poet also. And at that time I was hanging out with a group of film makers. So I wrote a script. I am more geared towards creating comic books, and should have put my energy into making a comic out of “The Night Shelly Came Back”. I am adding the script to my “Schism: Generations” comic book.

32 pages One Shot “Schism: The Night Shelly Came Back”

Setting-

A small neighborhood on the outskirts of the city, ten months before The Breaking.

All scenes take place inside a house. It is the middle of the night.

Characters-

-Shane

Owner of the house. He is a musician, sculptor and a kind person.

He has been married to his wife, Shelly, for two years now.

Mild mannered at beginning, angry at end.

-Shelly

Works as a waitress at unnamed restaurant. She flirts with

guys and makes Shane jealous and uncomfortable.

Jovial, loving but flirty.

-Bruce

Shane's best friend. He is a party animal.

Stoner, joker, sarcastic.

-Jay

Works as a cook with Shelly. He has his eye on her.

Selfish, arrogant.

-Claire

Shelly's best friend. Naive .

Opening credits with song "Tempted" by Joe Randolph with exterior shots of neighborhood.

(It's the middle of the night. Ted and Bruce are in the kitchen talking.)

Bruce

Man, I am so pumped up about this. Can you imagine hearing one of your tunes on the radio? That would be so cool.

Shane

Don't jinx it asshole, it's not a done deal yet. We still have to cut the demo.

Bruce

Don't jinx yourself punk. You guys deserve to be on the radio.

Shane

Shit, I thought you liked us.

Radio, humph?

Bruce

Yeah, I like checking out your wife too, but I don't think she should be on t.v.

Shane

Fuck you, that's not cool.

Bruce

You know I'm just fuckin' with you.

Shane

I know, just lay off the wife jokes.

Bruce

What songs you guys going to cut?

Shane

We were thinking "Donkey Love On The Highway" or maybe "Dead And Didn't Know It".

Shelly

Don't forget about "My Best Friend's Girl"/ "Beat Around The Bush".

(Enter Shelly and Jay. Shelly is holding a Ouija board in her hands.)

Shelly

Hey honey (kisses Shane). Guys, this is Jay.

Shane

Yeah, you're the new guy? What's up?

That damn kitchen hot enough for you?

Jay

Hell yeah, and that stupid fan was broken, too.

Shane

So what's all this?

Shelly

It's a Ouija board. Tony brought it in tonight. I thought it would be fun to borrow it. Jay's used one before, so I invited him along.

Bruce

(To Shane) Fuck man, remember what happened to the Johnson brothers? They were all fucked up on acid and they thought it'd be funny to use the Ouija board. After that night they both spent two years in an institution, and had a pig infestation for three weeks!

Shane

Come on Bruce, you don't honestly think that thing will work?

(Shelly puts Ouija board down and stands next to Shane, her arms around his waist.)

Jay

Maybe if your fucked up on acid, but I'm not that stupid. Any ways, I've got something better than acid. Check this out. (he pulls flask out of back pack).

Bruce

What the hell is that?

Jay

My cousin works at the museum down town. They got this exhibit from Italy last week. Just a bunch of gypsy mumbo jumbo. So my cousin always gets me behind the scenes, so to speak. They had a bunch of potions all labeled up. So this one potion looked so intriguing, I had to snatch some.

Bruce

So what was on the label?

Jay

It had only one word on it (holds up bottle showing "Resurrection" label).

Shane

No disrespect or anything, Jay, but that's a crock of shit.

(Jay gives angry smile. Shelly lets go of Ted and slowly walks up to Jay. She smiles as she runs her finger up Jay's stomach to his chest, then grabs the flask out of Jay's hand. Shane looks jealous.)

Bruce

(to Shelly) What the hell are you doing? No, wait...

(Shelly drinks all contents of flask -camp performance. Jay and Bruce laugh.)

Shelly

Now there's your crock of shit!

Jay

(Smiling) Hey, I just told you what my cousin said. I never said anything about believing in it.

Bruce

Well I'm just going to stick to this (Holds up a joint). Who's in?

(Everyone shakes head in disproval.)

Shelly

So are we going to Ouija or what? Who's in?

Shane

Count me out. I'm going to bed. (Ted exits)

Shelly

(talking to Shane behind her in an uncaring manner) Good night.

Jay

(pulls up chair) I'm in.

Bruce

I think I had better head out. I've got to get up early tomorrow for work. It was good meeting you Jay, I think. (heads out door)

(Jay gives him a dirty look.)

Shelly

(to Bruce, but not breaking eye contact with Jay) 'Kay, bye.

(Jay puts his hands on Ouija board, as if to begin playing it, when Shelly puts her hands over his. They both stair at each other, smiling, while holding hands. They lean in to kiss. Fade out.)

*(The very next night. Shane is sitting at the kitchen table, sweating and looking nervous. There is a gun o the table. Bruce bursts in door into the kitchen.)

Bruce

I came as fast as I could. What happened? You sounded so crazy on the phone (he notices machete on table).

Shane

Look in the bedroom.

(Bruce looks around the corner and peeks into the bedroom. Jay lies motionless in bed, while Shelly's body is on the floor.)

Bruce

Holy shit, Shane! Oh shit!

Shane

(staring blankly) I was going to go cut those demos today.

I left early.

Bruce

Oh shit. Shane, man, this is serious.

Shane

But when I got there, the rest of the band had already left.

Bruce

What are we going to do? I think they're dead, dude.

Shane

The lady at the front desk said the sessions were canceled because the rest of the band didn't pay their share.

Bruce

Oh, Shelly... And that scum Jay.

Shane

That's just like them. This was our chance to go in and record some really tight songs. If they didn't have the cash, they should have told me.

Bruce

Shane, you're babbling. What happened?!

Shane

(still staring blankly) Well, I got home earlier than I thought I would. So I walk into my own home looking for my wife, and what did I find? Shelly was fucking that asshole cook she works with. So I came into to kitchen and calmly picked up the machete.

Bruce

Shit, man. I knew there was something between them last night... just the way they were acting. But I didn't think...

Shane

(interrupting, calmly) It doesn't matter.

Bruce

We need to get rid of the bodies some how. We could bury them in the back yard.

Shane

That's no good. We're in the city. My nosy neighbors would see. Besides, the sewer guys are coming next week to dig up my back yard.

Bruce

Whatever happens, man, I'll always be your best friend.

Shane

(puts his head down) Thanks man. That means a lot.

Bruce

O.k. Let's at least put them downstairs until we can get this figured out.

(Show Shane and Bruce carrying bodies down stairs.)

(On the way back up the stairs, Shane sees picture on wall of himself and Shelly, looking happy. Camera focuses in distance, at the bottom of the stairs- Shelly sets up.)

Shelly

(Loudly) Diiiiiick.....

Bruce

What the fuck was that?

(Bruce and Shane both look down staircase with eyes wide open. Just then Claire walks through kitchen door.)

Claire

What's up guy's !?

(They both jump and scream at the same time.)

Shane

God damn it, Claire! You scared the shit out of us!

Shelly

Dick...(Shelly crawls over to Jay's body and starts gnawing on his crotch.)

Claire

Sorry (sarcastically). What is wrong with you two? By the way you're acting I'd say your up to no good. Does Shelly know what you're doing (says with a smile)? Where is she anyway?

(Show Shelly eating a wiener )

Shane and Bruce

Ah...

Claire

She said I could stop by and pick up my cds she borrowed. They're downstairs...

(Show Shelly chewing on cds)

Bruce

Wait... (he turns her around and starts to passionately kiss her, just as Shelly makes it to the top of the stairs. Shane, looking shocked, pushes Shelly down the stairs and slams the door. Lots of thud noises.)

Claire

(they stop kissing) Oh my God... (Claire and Bruce smiling at each other).

Shelly

Need Dick!

Claire

Was that Shelly?

Shane

I didn't hear anything.

Claire

Just now, down in the basement. (Claire pushes past both guys and runs down to the basement) Shelly?

Bruce

No, wait. (Shane grabs him just before he follows Claire)

Claire

(Now downstairs) Shelly, what are...(she sees Jay's dead body then screams)

(Shelly looks up at her friend and smiles, blood all over her face)

Bruce

Shane, we have to do something!

Shane

What? That's a zombie down there!

Bruce

It was that damn gypsy syrup Shelly drank! That's what happened. But what are we willing to do about it. And what about Claire?

(Downstairs, Shelly jumps up and grabs Claire, shaking here violently)

Shelly

Dick! (Looks Claire up and down, then throws her to the side)

Bruce

I can't let her die! (He takes off running to the basement. He goes to Claire's side. She looks frightened. Just then, Shelly pops up from behind them.)

Shelly

Dick, Now! (As Bruce turns around, Shelly quickly unzips his pants and tears his dick off, then eats it. Blood squirts. Bruce falls to the floor in shock.)

Claire

You bitch! (Shelly grabs Claire's head, turning it quickly to break her neck. She falls to the ground, dead.)

Shelly

More dick...(looks around basement, sniffing, then looks up stairs where Shane is pointing a gun at her.) Dick?

( as Shane fires gun. Shelly's brains explode onto wall. Shane leans against wall, then sits, gripping gun tightly.)

Shane

Oh, God. (Sigh of relief)

(Camera focuses from Shane to basement, where Bruce and Jay sit up. Then Shane looks downstairs as his eyes grow wider.)

The End

Photos by Tom Skelley

Cast and Crew

Shane (formerly Ted)- Joe Randolph

Shelly- Natasha Martinez

Bruce- Zach West

Jay- James Romine

Claire- Chelsie Clark-James

Camera Man- Brian Feist

Costume and make-up- Chelsie Kuntz

Photography- Tom Skelley

Music- Joe Randolph

Script- John Bursell

Director- John Bursell

New and Old Art

2010-02-05T09:21:00.000-08:00

New "Amanda" character sketch

Old "Amanda healing Moccasin" sketch

"Amanda and Emily" sketch

Schism: History

2010-02-04T11:30:00.000-08:00

So What is this comic book all about?

This comic book idea came to me back in 1992 when I moved from my home town of Libby, Montana to go to art school in Denver, Colorado. Living in the city and seeing homeless people on the streets was the original motivation for the “Amanda” character (originally “Lisa”). At that point in my life, I felt like every good intention I had turned into drama. I think you call that being in your 20s. So this idea sparked in my mind for a story about a homeless teen who had the power to heal people and do good by others. But for all the good she did, an equal amount of evil came from her actions.

One example of that in the original script is a scene involving a homeless Native American named “Moccasin” who is deathly ill. Amanda stumbles upon him in the night and puts her hands on his head. A glow surrounds them both, and the Indian looks up in amazement. He is completely healthy. A few pages later in the story, Moccasin is gunned down in a drive by shooting. This is the structure of Amanda’s powers/ curse. She has a big heart and wants to save the world, but ends up causing more harm than good.

I started writing this story much like you would write a novel. I did not care about how long each chapter was, I just wrote it. Now I am working on converting the story and each chapter into a comic book containing 32 pages. The original story was a total of 16 chapters, so this may turn into roughly 16 issues (32 pages each).

The Evolution of a Story

Over the years as I continue to flesh out my world and the message I want to communicate, several major changes in my story have altered its course. The setting has changed from “present day” downtown Denver in the summer to Denver after an apocalyptic catastrophe that has shattered the Earth, sending it into an eternal winter. With this devastation, all of the evil that was thought to be myth returns to plague what is left of humanity. Vampires (Shadows), Werewolves (Howlers) and Zombies (Creakers), along with many other unnatural creatures roam what is left of the planet. Changing the setting altered the direction of the story, and opened it up for new possibilities and a stronger, more emotional ending for the book. I no longer have drive by shootings and things of that nature involving my characters.

The themes that I have tackled have increased immensely. I feel there is more depth to the characters and the plot with this final rewrite. I guess I am trying to relay in my story my core beliefs on how the world works (or could work) by plunging my characters into the worst of hardships and seeing how they overcome these challenges. Some of these themes involve religion, relationships, how we see our world, the environment, the hero’s quest, how we pass on our strengths and weaknesses to our children, addiction and abuse.

Why is it titled “Schism: Generations”?

The word schism is generally used to describe a church or religion that is divided. Buddhism has a story about a church that became split down the middle concerning their beliefs. Not being able agree on the argument or come to a compromise, the church split into two separate houses of worship. A similar story is told in the Christian Bible. That theme on a religious level is evaluated through the characters “The Lord”, “Befana” and “Saint Lucifer” (representing God and Christianity, the Goddess and Wicca, and the evil antagonist that causes a divide between the religions).

I decided to break the word down further into something divided. A division. Amanda is divided by her power/ curse. She wants to help, knowing that if she does, it will cause more hurt. Also, there is a division and breaking in the relationships in the story involving multiple characters.

I like to think of “Schism” as my brand, a title for many other stories to come (for example, “Schism: The Night Shelly Came Back” and “Schism: The Werewolf Diaries”). These stories will all take place in the same world that I have created for “Generations”, keeping the continuity in tact for the history and time line.

The “Generations” tag represents the three main female characters in this story. Starting with Emily and pieces of her broken life, the story continues with her daughter Amanda. Later in the story, after tragedy strikes, the story moves forward with Amanda’s daughter Jen.

A Work In Progress

2010-02-01T17:39:00.000-08:00

I have been reworking my "Schism: Generations" graphic novel. Previously I wrote the story in a random fashion, much like you would right a novel. Each chapter varied in size. I decided to do a rewrite and fit each chapter into 32 pages (a single comic book issue). I have completed the refined script and story boards for the first issue, and I feel the story is much stronger now. There is a better scenes of setting, character and plot development.

I started to sketch out some pages for the book, then decided that it would be better if I complete the script first.

Inspiration

2010-01-05T07:17:00.000-08:00

FALLCON ‘09

I went to Fallcon, a comic book convention in Saint Paul, MN. I spent hours looking at artwork, talking to comic creators and taking pictures. It was very inspirational. One of my favorite moments was talking to creator Anthony Hary. At the Minicon he drew a picture of Wolverine for me. This time I picked up a copy of “Brethren -Beginnings”. This is a great book. In the video, I used a song from my friend Joe Randolph. Thanks Joe!

Connnected

2010-01-03T11:58:00.000-08:00

2009 is now behind me, and it is time to move forward. The later half of my year did not go so well. The new year brings a fresh start with a recommitment and refocus on the things in my life that are truly important to me.

Connected

This new year I will be focussing on the connections that I made in 2009. These connections include key people to network or work with on my business and art ideas, my previous scattered business plans that are now coming together as one connected plan and my new sense of direction.

3 Otters Enterprises will be divided into three sections. Services, Products and Teaching will all be connected and feed into one another.

1) Services will include Freelance Design & Art. You know, the usual business cards, web sites and illustrations. I am working up a price list per item or an hourly rate (depending on the project).

2) Products. These include Schism: Generations Graphic Novel, Letters From Libby Graphic Novel, Art Supplies, Merchandise and How To eBooks for art, computers and online business.

This video is the beginning ideas for the Graphic Novel “Schism: Generations”

3) The third part to my company will be Teaching. I will offer art classes and instruction.

There are a lot more details to this business plan, but for this blog at this time I will keep it simple. My first items to tackle will be the “services” (freelance work) and graphic novels. After these have been established, then I will move forward with the next items (the rest of the “products” ideas).