comic collection

[standard]

Hey there, everybody. I don't want to overly self-promote, but I am very pleased to announce that I've just released a collection of my old comic strip Whiskey! Tango! Foxtrot!, a weekly I ran from 2007-2008. 52 pages, 8"x10.5"

If ya care, here's a link to a PDF preview, 12 sample strips, and a lil' PayPal button: http://www.standard-design.com/WTF/

That's all. Tom.

[Lee Nordling]

This one REALLY cracked me up, Dan...and how did you know this what I do every five seconds after posting an entry?

--Lee

[Jesse Cline]

Lee, you are crazy. your posts are my favorite! You should write more, or maybe even have your own blog. I would totally read it.

Good stuff Tom!

[Ross K.]

Totally read it and then not comment? :D
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Those are some really nice strips and the book title is also amazing. The banjo ones hit a little close to home, though... ... for a friend of mine... more of an acquaintance, really.

I'll try check out your book later. That little paypal button reminded me that my debit card just expired...

[Joshua Skurtu]

Go ahead and over-self-promote. It's good for your blood. It works the same as red wine.

Hey, can I also ask: How do you do your backgrounds? I like how they are all pixelated. Is that a pattern in photoshop just dumped in and erased to whatever you need?

-Josh
www.theohnozone.com

[standard]

That's an old Chartpak texture pattern I scanned in and used with a mask in Photoshop. I'm drawing/erasing on a solid fill layer, which is masking the pattern layer, allowing me to do stuff that you could never do with the ol' Exacto knife (like the scribble edge in the sample below). It's nice because it's an originally hand-drawn pattern that Photoshop could never duplicate with a logarithm (and I could never duplicate with my lack of patience), so it's a nice high-tech/low-tech solution.


Upside: The final strips got converted to vector for delivery, so the pattern looked awesome on paper.

Downside, it looks like hell compressed/sized for the web. heh.

t

[Joshua Skurtu]

Interesting approach. I might try it. Either that, or I will take the time and learn to shade. I'm OK with it in pencil, but I've never really tried to shade using ink. :-P

Also, you would NEVER make it that big, even for the web. It looks much better when it is smaller. :)

-Josh

[standard]

Oh, yeah, the 3-panel strip was published online at 1000 pixels wide... it would sort of crap up the pattern at that size. The oversized panel above I actually like looking at. BIG DOTS. ha.

My other favorite go-to pattern is the zig-zag, which I think I might've gotten out of a Dover book:

[Joshua Skurtu]

Heh. I like shampoo commercials like that... It doesn't make me want to buy shampoo, but that isn't the point!

[ZingerSteve]

I think they look great reduced for the web. It creates a gray tone, which is the point in the first place. Cool technique!

And I really enjoyed the strips too. The writing and characters are solid!

[Lee Nordling]

Nice creative approach to blending old and new technologies.

--Lee