26
Nov 08

Verona Red.

 

Part 26 of the “Occupational Hazards” Story Arc.

 

Three new characters in a brand new comic: Failure, Fortune, and Nigel’s occupational replacement to Randy, Verona Red. I figured I should add more angel/demon type characters (especially the latter).

So Verona Red, like the missing Randy, is a devil. She functions the same as Randy in the sense that both are meant to tempt humans and balance the universe between good and evil. Verona Red, however, has some feline-like characteristics to her look (like cat ears and whiskers). In terms of personality, she’s supposed to be sultry and somewhat seductive but, generally, with a good heart. If I can relate her to any celebrity, maybe Angelina Jolie or Madonna (how cliched is that?). And if I can give her a voice, she’d be portrayed by Kathleen Turner or Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (the voice actress of Julia in “Cowboy Bebop” or the lead role in “Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex”) — Verona Red would have a deep, breathy voice, like a porn star or phone sex operator.

Yup, Verona Red, Failure, and Fortune have been in development for a long time. I’ve even made a plushie of Verona Red for Renegade:

21
Nov 07

ZCC and the Deathly Deaths.

 

Part 20 of the “Occupational Hazards” Story Arc.

 

It’s been a long, long time since I’ve drawn ZCC’s real, human form and Death. Death has always been a fun character to draw, and this time I made her wings more bone-ish rather than just weird-looking spikes. Her character’s design has, in Project Runway speak, been “fashion forward,” and I like drawing her with today’s trends in mind. And don’t expect this to be her last experience; I have big plans for her and nearly all of the main cast in a future, very significant storyline.

As you might know from “The End Of The Road” story arc, ZCC’s body was blown to smithereens. I took notice of the fact that his body doesn’t exist anymore, making it impossible for him to return to his original form. Of course, that’s not going to stop him from being reincarnated.

I’m playing around with the concepts of physical death, the afterlife, and even theology a little, and ZCC’s storyline is just a way to fully express my creative writing skills.

19
Nov 07

The Death of ZCC / Assisted Suicide.

 

Part 19 of the “Occupational Hazards” Story Arc.

 

So what have I been doing in my month-long hiatus? Well, like my character Chris (who is very much modeled after myself), I’ve been searching for a job, namely a graphic design/web dev job. So there, I have a perfectly legitimate excuse. I actually drew this comic about a month ago, but I decided not to publish it right away. One of the main reasons was that I wanted to hoard a few polished comics so I can unleash them onto the public in one shot — like a squirrel hoarding nuts for the winter, or Jessica Simpson saving her virginity for that dood.

Now I thought it’d be funny if I put Destroyer — aka Dan Bejar of also New Pornographers and Swan Lake fame — on Indie Rawk Jeffro’s t-shirt. After all, he is destroying his friend/roommate, ZCC. I also thought it’d be nice to put Cloud’s Buster Sword, just because I don’t see a lot of references to Final Fantasy VII in comics nowadays.

To see what transpires next, wait for Wednesday. Another new comic will definitely be up by then.

23
Aug 07

Oh, Ceans!

 

Part 13 of the “Occupational Hazards” Story Arc.

 

Word of advice: always know the details of the job you’re applying for, especially if it’s in the mental health field. If Sigmund Freud is your interviewer, you know you need to be ultra-qualified.

It’s been a while since the character Lindsey appeared (I think since Halloween 2006). Like the real life character she’s based upon, I drew Lindsey with a cat named Shiar.

Lastly, I’ve drawn some sketches of what Chris would look like if he cleaned up a little and didn’t stuff his messy hair underneath a cap. I think he looks more professional. Now I don’t know if I did it subconsciously, but he looks eerily similar to Jim Halpert from “The Office.”

06
Aug 07

Their Reasons (Or An Introduction to IPAWD).

 

Part 11 of the “Occupational Hazards” Story Arc.

 

So here we go again after a week-long hiatus.

I wanted to have Joe Stalin, an old fan favorite, make an appearance after his departure as Chris’ roommate. I also wanted to further explore Chris’ rationale for getting a job and introduce IPAWD as an up-and-coming evil organization that will be the driving antagonistic force behind the comic.

In regards to the first panel, a friend told me she went to a shooting range that offered zombie targets. I think that is awesome.

26
Jul 07

Indie Snob.

 

Part 9 of the “Occupational Hazards” Story Arc.

 

I’ll be honest, I did this comic at the last minute (script and photoshopped, archived material) and had not originally planned to use it in the storyline. I was more focused on revising my portfolio and resume than drawing new comics (scripts are done for the week, don’t worry); coincidentally, I myself am looking for a job/internship (with some graphic design firms, incidentally), and I have some nice prospects lined up.

Even though I wasn’t planning on using this comic, I wanted this week to represent the various jobs and ways of thinking surrounding work that Chris’ roommates share. And although Jeffro and ZCC weren’t scheduled to have any significant speaking roles (don’t worry — they both play an important part later in this story arc), it’s nice to see them somehow fit in this week’s theme.

As far as the content goes, I’m thinking that I’m becoming a self-loathing indie hipster (sic). You can definitely thank some of my friends. Going to a concert recently only reinforced my moderate contempt. There just seemed to be an air of arrogance and a need to maintain a certain aesthetic in what I feel are clique-ish social circles, and honestly, that kind of mentality had always bugged me ever since high school (read old Bluegoomba stuff). Now I’ve never genuinely claimed my music is hipper than yours, nor the clothes I wear and the books I read and the bars I go to are better. And if I ever do make those remarks, fucking give me a kick to the head.

25
Jul 07

Drug Trafficking Is A Job, Too.

 

Part 8 of the “Occupational Hazards” Story Arc.

 

This comic is dedicated to a certain former roommate who happened to dread a certain drug test after being exposed to some certain second-hand marijuana smoke at a certain music festival.

I’m starting to think it’s time to give a sense of space and geography in regards to the comic, especially the space within Chris’ apartment. So yes, his roommate Aaron has a bunch of drug crops in his bedroom. Big deal. The real character he’s based on is apparently a drug dealer now, but you didn’t hear that from me. Especially if you’re a cop.

The “I Heart Drug” poster is a reference to a past comic. Originally, I couldn’t fit the “s” at the end of “Drug” due to a lack of space, but I think it’s exclusion adds a little charm to a poster that advocates casual to heavy drug use.

And lastly, I’d like to mention that I am absolutely in love with the band Voxtrot. I saw them live recently, and I strongly urge you to listen to them. Of course, I only mentioned them here to either generate discussion or successfully get some hits from wayward visitors searching for “Voxtrot” on Google.

24
Jul 07

Fuck This Shit, I Need A Fucking Cigarette.

 

Part 7 of the “Occupational Hazards” Story Arc.

 

Because Tourette’s and nicotine addiction are funny. And as for the title, “Fuck This Shit, I Need A Fucking Cigarette,” I was thinking of making that slogan into a pin (the second set of SF pins).

And if you don’t recall, the reason Aaron is stuffing sandwiches into ZCC’s toaster slots is this. See? Full circle.


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