I suppose this defies the principle of the sound barrier…

Live Interview w/ Tom Racine

If you missed it, here’s an interview I did with Tom Racine during an all day live broadcast marathon for the Tall Tale Radio, Indiegogo fundraising campaign. Tom was a very lively and enthusiastic host and made the whole experience quite enjoyable.

And you can find Tall Tale Radio at: http://www.talltaleradio.com

Interviews Two

Unexpectedly, Ralf the Destroyer is getting some press on two fronts. I was contacted by Todd McElmurry, who is a contributor for Webcomic Alliance, letting me know he had been reading Ralf the Destroyer and wanted to choose it for his “Pick of the Month“. The article is up now on the Webcomic Alliance website and is a very well written and entertaining summary!


The second interview has been in the chute for a while. Kurt Sasso of TGT Media had originally had me scheduled to do an interview with him on the TGT Media podcast in November but moved it up to September 1st! Kurt is a generous host and I very much appreciated the opportunity to join him on his show and talk about Ralf!

This was my first audio interview, so of course there were some technical issues and I sounded like I’d been drinking Mountain Dew by the pint with Cappuccino chasers, but Kurt was great about it and I would not hesitate to be a part of the show again. The Ralf the Destroyer podcast (#269) is available on the TGT site and on iTunes.

Newsprint

Is it Ralf on pulp or is it Memorex? Hey I just figured out the coloring effect that I like for Ralf the Destroyer. Everyone knows that Ralf the Destroyer was designed for newspapers, which is why I and many readers seem to prefer Black and white vs color. However, I am a huge fan of newsprint and I even like the effect it has on color comics.

This is the undithered version.

I found some Photoshop tricks that let me convert my color files to a pretty authentic pulp look. I’m not sure when I might use it but I thought I’d run it by you (the readers) to see what you thought of it. Just click the thumbnail to see the full size image. Maybe I’ll use it for the Sunday strips in the future, please comment and let me know if you think it looks cool or if it’s not your cup of tea.

These are for comparison.

Ghost House on iTunes

So a few years ago I did a targeted reading level graphic novel for Rubicon Publishing in Canada, they provide content to educational book outlets and schools etc… So I’m looking for a finished cover which I don’t have to scan (since I just have the illustration files) to pad my portfolio and I stumble onto a link that says, “Ghost House on iTunes”.

Well it looks like the Skyreader part of the company is publishing their books as learn to read apps/iBooks on iTunes in February. So if you’re a fan of my art and you have kids and an iPad, you might want to check it out! Also, at the time of the writing there aren’t any comments on the iBook/app page, so it would be awesome if someone left some good feedback there and happened to mention the artist as well 😉

Forward by Chris Yambar

I was able to attend the Pittsburgh Comic Con and found myself making a brief appearance on “The Chris Yambar Show”. Chris is the creator of “Mr.Beat” and the writer of numerous comics including “The Simpsons” comics.

Continue reading “Forward by Chris Yambar”

Tales From the Floating Vagabond

For those of you out there that don’t already know, I was hire by Lee Garvin who is the creator of the highly entertaining Role Playing Game, Tales from the Floating Vagabond. This has been a monumental project and if I seem like I’m not commenting as much it’s likely I am chopping away at the pile of assignments that are due with this project. So far it has been a lot of fun and has stretched my abilities, I think it may be some of my best work to date. So be sure to go check out his website, where he is posting updates and progress on the project.

Ralf’s TV Influence

I would like to thank Deb Wolfe for sending me this great fan strip of Ralf the Destroyer. Deb is a fan on Facebook and I had the pleasure of chatting with her there. She is also working on a strip of her own called “The Frenetic Adventures of Fred Barlowe” over at Comic Genesis. I think she did a great job and I do enjoy the gag having been a fan of all the Spielberg TV animation from the 90s.

Thanks Deb!

For Those in Deutschland

For all those German speaking readers out there (Germany ranks forth in visits according to Google Analytics) Ralf the Destroyer is being translated into your native tongue. So far the comic network site “Streifenhoernchen” is only in its Beta format and there are only a few “Ralf” strips up but the translator did a great job finding a font and justifying it to fit in the word balloons.

Comic Booked

Ralf the Destroyer got a nice mention over at the Comic Booked website for their “Webcomics Wednesdays”. Ralf got a mention in the “aliens category and listed second behind “Zorphbert and Fred” by Dawn Griffin who I had the pleasure of meeting at the Wizard Philadelphia Comic Con this summer. Feel free to stop by the Comic Booked site and comment!

Ralf at Baltimore

Ralf the Destroyer will be at Baltimore this year! After attending last year, on the advice of many who encouraged it, we will be returning to what looks like an even bigger show this year.

If you are going to be in the Baltimore vicinity on August 20th-21st, be sure to stop by the Ralf the Destroyer booth! We’ll have mini comics, softcover books, sketch cards, original art and will be taking commissions. Hope we see you there!

Guesting at Wizard Philadelphia

The Wizard con in Philadelphia is fast approaching and I am a guest! I will be attending the Philadelphia Comic Con June 17-18-19, 2011 Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. I am particularly jazzed since they have quite the guest list there, which now includes me too! Now not only is that cool but Wizard has also invited me to be a guest at the New England Comic Con running later this year in September (17-18, 2011 Saturday and Sunday) at the Hynes Convention Center, Boston MA.

If any readers are attending these conventions please be sure to stop by and say hello! I will have original art on display and for sale along with the new book and mini comic. Not only that, but it’s just cool to meet the people who enjoy making Ralf the Destroyer a part of their week. Hope I see you there!

( and a special thanks to Stephen Shamus for inviting me 😀 )

Norman Rockwell Museum

Here’s a little write up about what’s going on at the Norman Rockwell Museum this summer. The reason I mention it is that I will be teaching some classes about the principals of animation and cartooning there. I certainly feel blessed to be a part of any program the Norman Rockwell Museum would present and it is my hope to inspire those who sign up to be a part of it too.

Spotlight On Ralf the Destroyer

Today Ralf the Destroyer is being featured on the So Entertain Me Network website. The Spotlight on Comics article is featured on their main page for comics.

The highly flattering article is certainly appreciated and if you’re like me, you’ll find yourself heading back there again. The So Entertain Me site focuses on Sci-Fi, Gaming and Comics… what’s not to like?

Also, their site has been very supportive of Ralf the Destroyer (by sponsoring Ralf with ad space etc) so be sure to show them some love and leave some comments!

Pittsburgh Comic Con

Next weekend is the Pittsburgh Comic Con and for me it’s the first show of the year! This will be the launch of the Ralf the Destroyer booth 2.0. We’ll be sporting a new banner, table layout, soft cover books, manga sized comic books, original comic strip art and possibly some sketch cards.

Show Dates & Times
April 15, 16 & 17, 2011
Fri 1:00pm – 7:00pm
Sat 10:00am – 6:00pm
Sun 10:00am – 5:00pm

If you plan on attending, be sure to stop by and say “hello”. We will be set up in the small press area at booth SO45. Hope we see you there!

Don’t Pick the Flowers

I was recently contacted by David Hurley about doing an interview about Ralf the Destroyer for the blog section of his webcomic site, “Don’t Pick the Flowers”. I was (of course) quite happy to do so and it turn out well.

He asked some good questions and the article looks great so be sure to swing on over to the “Don’t Pick the Flowers” blog and leave a comment!