The Master of Time and Space?

Welcome back!!  I hope you had a fantastic holiday!!

This being my first column of 2010 I thought I’d take a little time out from our typical Tribal Council to reintroduce myself to you.  Some of you may have been following me for a while but I know that a lot of you are relatively new to Master Digital Color, Hue Doo and the Tribal Council.  I hope to share with you a bit into my background in comics, color and life.

If you’ve read any of my interviews with comic professionals you know that my first question is always, “What is your favorite color, and why?”  What kind of a column writer would I be if I couldn’t answer my own question? My favorite color is a deep, cool forest green. There’s just something mysterious and sophisticated about that color. I find myself using it when I color ALL the time.

Over the months I have gotten a lot of questions from readers and tribe members on how I fit into the big picture here on MDC.  Am I an instructor? Do I work on a title for Marvel or DC? Am I some sort of executive or publisher? No. None of those things are true.  I’ll come right out and tell you all right up front; I am NOT a professional comic book colorist. In fact…I have colored surprisingly little.  I work as a full time graphic designer for a University in my home town of Omaha, Nebraska.  I also work part time for a small advertising agency as a graphic designer. I also work about 40 hours a week as a flatter. I also draw, ink (though poorly) and letter comics. I’ve also recently edited and published 2 books (there’s a plug for that later!).  I’m also currently working on a comic that will be hitting the shelves (in limited release) in April.  I also moderate the www.huedoo.com forums which includes hours of fending off porn bots as well as scouting artists for and coordinating pages for the coloring challenges. I also write this here weekly column. Oh, did I mention that I have a wife I’m putting through nursing school and two young daughters (4 and 1) which basically means an endless pile of laundry, dished and toys!!  That’s a lot of work?  I must be the master of time and space!!!  Well…maybe we shouldn’t go that far quite yet.  So…why am I telling you all this?  Two reasons.

1) To let you know how much I love every aspect of creating comic books and how seriously I take my future in it.  I don’t have all the skills that I wish I had at this point technically nor artistically…but I’m learning SO much every day. I have some lofty goals for myself when it comes to my art but I know that no one is just going to hand it to me. I have to make it happen for myself.

2) I want you to know even though you may not (yet) posses all the skills you think you need to be a professional artist, even though you have a job (or two…or three) and kids and a million other responsibilities…it CAN be done.  You can carve out your own little niche. You can learn new skills. You CAN turn yourself into the successful comic book creator you want to be.

From time-to-time here in the Tribal Council I’m going to share with you little pieces of my journey through comics.  I’ll share art and concepts, triumphs and failures, lessons and knowledge.  You’re still going to see all the fabulous art that I can possibly show you.  There will still be interviews and critiques. But I’m adding a little bit more of me into the column.

You’ve been given fair warning!! Mwaa-haa-haa!!!

Lastly this week…I’m going to put in a shameless plug for my comic book that has just this week been listed for sale on Indy Planet.  The book is called CGS3 Issue #1.  It’s an anthology edited and published by myself with writers and artists found on the Comic Geek Speak forums (www.thecomicforums.com or www.comicgeekspeak.com) The book is just $4 with all proceeds going toward the Comic Geek Speak Super Show which is coming up here at the end of March. Please go check out some sample pages and pick yourself up a copy today! CGS3 on IndyPlanet.com