Way back in August of 2009, I had the immense pleasure of being invited to participate in my first-ever webcomic podcast interview. I was thoroughly elated and honored to receive such a request that was made possible due to my creating ADDANAC CITY.

“Webcomic Reviews and Interviews” is the brainchild of Jamais Jochim. Whenever his rigorous schedule permits, he chooses someone associated with the webcomic field to ask questions and get down to the nitty-gritty of their comic series. Jamais contacted me via Twitter and we set up a time that was suitable for both parties.

We recorded this in August, but it wasn’t until now that the interview was edited and released for public consumption. I thought maybe Jamais had forgotten about me.

I haven’t heard this podcast in its entirety since my initial interview, but I’m sure that it’s entertaining and informative. So, won’t you please join me in checking it out and also go visit “Webcomic Reviews and Interviews” for Jamais’ next installment. To hear my podcast participation, click on the link provided below and select WCRI #75.

I’ve had a little extra downtime lately and I’ve been wanting to experiment artistically for quite awhile. Although I love creating ADDANAC CITY with a devotion that borders upon obsession, there are other types of drawings that I like to make.

Back in the day (80′s and 90′s), I was big into comic books and superhero art. I collected ‘em all, from the many adjectives of Spider-Man to Alpha Flight. Give me some Marvel and I was a dead-quiet chap for many an hour.

I had big dreams of working for Marvel, DC, and/or Image, but I was told by the powers that be that my superhero style was a bit cartoony. Mindy you, this was right on the eve of manga-style’s takeover. One editor told me that he couldn’t imagine seeing the X-Men with big eyes and cartoon noses. Sigh…it’s hard being ahead of my time….

Anyway, I put my comic book-creating dreams on the back-burner in lieu of making Addanac City, something that I could do entirely in a cartoon style. Plus, I was way faster at drawing Hank than Wolverine.

But now, in the spring of 2010, I want to get back to some of the other things I used to love. I decided to just sketch a little. If the drawing fleshed itself out and I ended up liking it, so be it. If not, back in the file drawer you go.

As many of you are aware, I like drawin’ wimmen. Chicks are great with their curves and various nuances. One of my favorite female characters in the Marvel Universe was Dagger from Cloak and Dagger (my comic-reading folks know who I’m referring to). So I decided to begin my trek back into superhero-dom with her.

It’s not my best piece, but I’ve been rusty for far too long. I didn’t use any photos for reference for this drawing. I just created it out of my head. I did Google to make sure I had Dagger‘s costume somewhat correct, but 98% of this sketch comes directly from my sick imagination.

I hope you all kinda like this one. There will be more to come as I get the inspiration and opportunity. If there are any characters you’d like to see me do, just rattle ‘em off in the comments section. I may tackle them. I’m better at taking assignments than just freestlyin’.

I created this lil’ thing a few years ago, waaay before I started doing computer coloring and using Photoshop. I inked it with a Flair felt-tip marker and a Sharpie, and I colored it with PrismaColor Art Markers (they were all the rage back in the early 90′s).

I also had a passion for ninjitsu in those days. I wanted to be one so bad, but my mom would never let me have any shuriken nor join the yakuza. I was the unknown ronin who led such a sheltered life.

Well, this drawing was my outlet for escaping the humdrum and kickin’ some ninja butt! Enjoy.

It's nice having a creative partner

Hank and I go back a long way, but it’s not always an easy road to travel. You know you couldn’t live with him.

Everywhere I go, people keep telling me that, as an artist, I need two specific things: a Mac and a graphic tablet. Well, I don’t have a Mac yet (although I desperately want one), but I was lucky enough to have my friend Ron Miller graciously donate one of his older Aiptek tablets to my artistic cause.

I forgot it and left it in Virginia when I moved to California last year, but when we went back on vacation, it was the first thing I packed. Graphic tablets scare me. I’m extremely uncomfortable using tools that I am not familiar with, and this tablet is no exception.

Last night, however, I grew a pair and decided to, at least, try a few things with it. Besides not having hardly any hand-eye coordination, I’ve found that I am easily frustrated.

Regardless, I kept at it for a few more minutes and the above and below are my results.

Not too pretty, but not too shabby for a guy who just got his art cherry popped. I’m gonna keep at it, and maybe my later tries will look infinitely better than these initial attempts. I am so envious of you guys who can just whip out your tablets and create instant masterpieces.

I’m practicing, though, and maybe I’ll catch up to you one day.

While I was in Virginia, I went back to my childhood home and ransacked a lot of the artwork I still had stored there. My room is a shrine consisting of not much more than comic books, “real” books, toys, and lots and lots of drawings. I’ve got artwork going back to 1976 (when I was three years old).

Throughout all of the things I reminisced over, I found the one piece I had been searching for: the very first ADDANAC CITY comic strip!

The first-ever ADDANAC CITY comic strip from early 1992

I created Hank and the gang way back in the summer of 1992 while I was a sophomore in college at Virginia State University. This drawing was created entirely by hand using Expresso felt-tip pens and Sharpie markers. I even hand-lettered the strip. As you can evidently see, I am so glad that I have a computer to do my lettering now. It’s no fun trying to be a left-handed inker.

So, I hope you dig this early look at Addanac City. Hank sure started out looking differently in those days. I think I like his hair better now. Mr. and Mrs. A have gone through some subtle transformations through the years too.

What do you guys think?

Last year, when I moved out here to sunny Southern California, I really needed some help keeping ADDANAC CITY afloat until I got acclimated to my new surroundings. I had to unpack my art equipment, my computer, scanner, and other electronic necessities, and turn my internet back on. I was definitely in a bind.

I sent out a call to all of my fellow webcomic friends, peers, and associates, and a vast majority of them answered my whiny plea. I was blessed with more than enough guest-comics to help me get back on my feet.

Well, I enjoyed receiving and reading the different interpretations of Hank and the gang from many talented and diverse cartoonists, that I wanna do it again.

It’s time to put a call out for The 2nd Annual Addanac City Guest Strip Weeks Extravaganza!

It doesn’t matter whether you’ve contributed a guest-strip before or not. I love what all of you do and it would be an honor to see your take on my characters. I’ve met many new cartoonists over the past year, and I can’t wait to see if they’ll bless me with something divine.

The Many Faces of Hank Addanac by last year's guests

But, first, there are a few minor lil’ rules:

1) The Guest-Strip must feature at least one Addanac City character. You can try your hand at more than that (feel free), but in order to be an AC guest comic, it must have an AC citizen somewhere in the strip.

2) Feel free to use your flagship character in the comic too. I love a good crossover, and it may make you feel more comfortable while creating an Addanac City comic.

3) The guest-comic you send to me must be no larger than 850 pixels wide if it’s in strip format, and no larger than 500 pixels wide if it’s in page format. And try to make sure the panels fit within screen-view so readers won’t have to do too much scrolling, please.

4) The guest-comic must be sent as a jpeg.

5) The strip must be somewhat funny. Also, keep in mind, that I stretch the envelope of taste around here, but I try not to destroy the package. I normally keep it somewhere around PG in these parts.

6) I’m gonna start running the strips I receive somewhere around the beginning of June, so you have time (although not too much). Most likely, I’ll run them in the order I get them, so you early birds can get started now.

Email your finished strip to me at addanaccity@gmail.com

If you have any questions whatsoever, feel free to contact me via email or in a comment, and I’ll be happy to reply to your query. Thanks again to all who will participate this year!

Occasionally, I will submit some artwork to other companies in hopes of making it big or gaining a few extra dividends. Years ago (2006, I believe), The Wayans Brothers created an animated television show called the Thug-A-Boos. To date, there are only two videos out featuring these characters, but at the time, I figured why not try out? Especially since they were looking for artists to do character models and such.

Thug-A-Boo DVD set

I had just gotten my hands on Photoshop and wanted to try new and different things with the program to see what would happen. I sent in the designs below based upon their pre-existing characters.

D-Roc

Lissette

Soo Young

I was pretty proud of these drawings in 2006. Regardless of how much I liked them, I received a form rejection letter from the editors-producers (whomever was in charge).

It was quite disheartening, but I have learned that you’ve gotta dust yourself off and get back to the drawing board. Everyone’s not gonna like what you have to offer, but that doesn’t mean that you’re not a good artist or designer. It just means that, at that given stage, you’re not a right fit for what they have in mind.

Don’t let it vex you; just keep honing your craft, and who knows? You may get your foot in that door quicker than you think.

I just thought I would share a lil’ something with ya. Let me know what you think of this.

I just wanted to share a few pieces of art from the past that I was commissioned to do for some connoisseurs of cartoon art. I had fun with these characters, but I don’t expect to see these versions on TV anytime soon.

I have never attended an actual full-fledged comic book convention before, but since I am currently residing in Southern California, it would be almost blasphemous if I didn’t make the three-hour trek to be a part of the world’s largest collection of fanboys & girls.

I wasn’t expressly invited, I don’t have a table, and I’m not there hawking wares. The SDCC has been sold out almost since last year’s festival ended. My wife was online a bunch of months ago and read somewhere that they were looking for volunteers to work the convention. She signed us up stating that if we worked three hours minimum, we would receive free admission for that day.

Hmmm…. you don’t have to ask me twice (well, sometimes you do, but in this instance…)

I readily agreed. Besides, what could be so difficult about working three measly, little, miniscule hours? Then I started reading a few of the blogs about how to prepare for the Con. ZOINKS! This event sounds like it’s gonna be total chaos!

I’m the kinda guy who avoids large crowds, intense heat, exorbitant prices, and waiting. SDCC sounds like the complete opposite of the way I prefer things. As a newbie, I have no idea what to expect other than what I’ve read online or heard from a few associates.

I know a few people who attend the Con faithfully every year so there must be an extraordinary upside, right? To hear them tell it, there is. So, now I’m caught between being filled with Christmas-like excitement and wisdom-tooth-extraction dread. I’m not going necessarily to promote ADDANAC CITY (although I will have on my AC t-shirt and I’ll be loaded down with business cards cuz ya never know). I just want to be in an environment inundated with folks who are as passionate about the world of comics and cartooning that I am.

Granted, it’s been awhile since I’ve bought an actual comic book. I don’t even know how much they cost nowadays. I stopped buying comics right around the time Spawn hit 50+ issues. The debacle that resulted when DC and Marvel chose opposing distributors and shut down many a Mom N’ Pop comic shop did it for me. My town was so small that my local shop (and our only carrier of comics) decided to go the video rental route.

My main desire this weekend is to maybe meet some of my fellow webcomic authors and artists. We all correspond nearly everyday, but we’ve had no personal interaction. It will be interesting to see how some of these talented people behave live and in person. That’s my main lure.

I’ve heard that there are freebies galore to be had, but experience has shown me that I never really do anything with freebie stuff anyway other than to lose it, step on it, or simply throw it away sooner or later. I doubt if I’ll be fortunate enough to get any “big name” autographs, but I will have my pen and paper handy just in case. I’m a good Boy Scout like that.

I’ll be taking pictures and you can best believe I’ll be blogging about my cherry-popping experience upon my return. This may actually turn out to be the most fun I’ve had in ages. I’ll just have to see.