Cartown Comics

Bizarre Bazaar!!

2010-11-15T22:52:00.000-08:00

Attention all Cartown Comics fans...i will be at the Atomic Comics Bizarre Bazaar on November 27th from 12 to 4pm! Stop by and see me if you have time!

Issue 2 Preview

2010-08-28T13:13:00.000-07:00

Here is the first half of my second issue for you to read over...and remember everyone that follows the blog gets a free issue!!! Just email me your address.

Issue 2 Complete!!

2010-06-15T01:44:00.000-07:00

I printed up an issue to see how it all flowed together and i had my friend Tony Billings run through it with a fine tooth comb for any mistakes and now for a final run through from him and i will commence with the initial print run! Man what a relief getting this book out! On to the 3rd issue!

Issue 2! from David Delloso on Vimeo.

...and the lettering continues.

2010-06-03T01:23:00.001-07:00

Lettering from David Delloso on Vimeo.

Issue 2 Cover Finished!!!

2010-05-05T02:21:00.001-07:00

Coloring Process

2010-05-04T02:35:00.000-07:00

Here is a snapshot about halfway through the coloring process.

Issue 2 Cover Inked

2010-05-03T03:21:00.000-07:00

Here is the inked version of the cover to my second issue...some changes made from the original layout because at the end of the day i didn't want the the cover to be misleading...so i stuck with all the characters who actually appear in the issue...now on to the coloring!!

...issue 2?

2010-04-24T01:04:00.000-07:00

Here is a rough layout of the cover to my second issue. Let me know what you think.

TSA Event!...update!

2010-02-24T23:14:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all who stopped by tonight...Thanks to Marcos at Pop Culture Paradise for hosting the event.
It was a great turnout...it sucks that the cops (who were actually really nice) pulled the plug on the second band over the noise complaints...great time had otherwise!!

Here's a quick video of the goings on.

TSA Event! from David Delloso on Vimeo.

...and here's a few shots of my little setup!

TSA EVENT!!

2010-02-22T01:27:00.000-08:00

I will be there showing artwork and doing some charcoal life drawings...hope your able to join me.

...it's sequencing time again!!!!

2010-02-02T00:27:00.000-08:00

Here are the the sequences for the other two short stories that will be in my second issue.
I am still working on finalizing the script for it all. The lettering is all i have left to do and then it is off to the printers.

97

2010-01-29T02:31:00.000-08:00

...more additions.

New Blog!!

2010-01-27T22:44:00.000-08:00

I created a new blog "DDsketchbook" for all things other than Cartown Comics. I wanted this blog to be more centered around Cartown Comics. I will be reposting most of the non-cartown related stuff there and removing it from this site....hope you check it out.

96

2010-01-20T13:04:00.000-08:00

Here is another panel add on for my "Morning Coffee" short.

95

2010-01-20T00:56:00.000-08:00

Here is another insert panel for the "Morning Coffee" short.

...more sequencing

2010-01-19T23:05:00.000-08:00

Here is a revised version of the "TYI" short. I added two new panels to it...which adds another page to the issue. Let me know what you think.

...and here are the panels outside the story.

...it's sequencing time!

2010-01-17T01:29:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite part of putting an issue together when i take all my individual panels and sequence them into the actual pages. Here is the one for the "Tag You're It" short...thing are shaping up for sure.

94

2010-01-12T01:33:00.000-08:00

93

2010-01-11T10:10:00.001-08:00

92

2010-01-10T01:07:00.000-08:00

Here is a new panel from me...it is the first of my "He Who Walks Among Us" short story.

91

2010-01-09T00:38:00.000-08:00

...getting everything in order for the second issue. Here is an added panel to the "Romeo Death" sequence.

...new layouts

2009-12-14T01:05:00.000-08:00

Here are some layouts to a new short story that i have worked out...titled..."He Who Walks Among Us"

Issue 2 (update)

2009-09-30T20:08:00.000-07:00

I spent the better part of the day at the park working on finalizing my script for the second issue. The weather is getting even cooler which gets me even more focused.

...testing

2009-07-24T20:52:00.000-07:00

...a few quick renderings trying to figure out the overall size of the graffiti in relation to the rest of the panel and in relation to the other panels.

...tag update!

2009-07-24T02:33:00.000-07:00

...i got the artwork from Cam tonight and am in the process of coloring it...here's a sneek-peek!

90

2009-07-18T06:23:00.001-07:00

...i am about to get some sleep but i wanted to post where i'm at in my latest panel. This one is following through on the intro story to the Hooli-Hooligan short.

89

2009-07-17T04:32:00.000-07:00

...i have started the sequencing for the second issue. Here is an add on to the "Romeo Death" story.
A few odd and end pieces like this and i will be pretty much done with the artwork part of the issue and will move on to the lettering.

88

2009-07-16T04:48:00.001-07:00

...again this would look a whole lot better with the graffiti inserted.
...The silhouetted Lurotiman is one shade off from black...still thinking of making it totally black. I am going to sleep on it and decide on it later...your thoughts?

87

2009-07-15T03:48:00.000-07:00

...this panel (as the others) will look a whole lot cooler when the graffiti is added.

86

2009-07-14T03:44:00.001-07:00

85

2009-07-11T06:54:00.001-07:00

...a little insight into my process.

83 and 84

2009-07-09T05:15:00.000-07:00

I finally settled on just a simple globulious jubilated stream to represent the paint in the spray paint can....after trying out several different effects for it in photoshop. I am pretty happy with how it turned out in the end. I also was thinking about doing some variations on opacity in the arms in motion but again decided to go with something more simple that i thinks fits the books overall look.

...conundrum

2009-07-07T01:43:00.001-07:00

...spelled right? Who knows. More worried about trying to figure out how to draw spray paint in action. Going to try some different things out for it.

82

2009-07-06T04:45:00.001-07:00

...another one from me.

81

2009-07-04T02:35:00.001-07:00

Here is a new panel from the last short story that i finished the layouts for and went ahead and started on. I saw some of Cam's early tag art for the issue and it blew me away! The cover is going to look really good this issue!

...some layouts

2009-06-30T02:14:00.000-07:00

...here are a few panel layouts on a short that i settled on to get the second issue finished. It will feature some graffiti from a friend of mine. I plan on using the artwork that he is producing for it in the comic and for the wrap around cover. I am really looking forward to this collaboration.

...the buttons are in!

2009-06-26T18:58:00.000-07:00

...get yours while supplies last.

...the fans have spoken!

2009-06-16T04:05:00.001-07:00

...update...i got the sample in and now its just a matter of days til they arrive!

Button Time!!

2009-06-16T01:29:00.000-07:00

I am about to get some Lurotiman buttons made and have narrowed it down to these two. Which one do you like better...the straight on one or the to the side one???

The D.I.Y. CON!

2009-06-14T05:30:00.000-07:00

I had a really good day today spending some time with some other local creators at the "Comic Zone" comic book store. I sold 7 whoppin-flopin-shapow issues!!! Thanks to all who stopped by.
Here are a few shots from the event.This is a sketch i did in this fan's sketchbook...which was a book of sidekicks...still fresh off the heels of reading Morrison's new Batman & Robin, i naturally chose the boy wonder.

D.I.Y-CON!

2009-06-03T01:07:00.000-07:00

I will be at the Comic Zone on June 13th with a few other local artists including my buddy Jeff Owens! Should be a lot of fun...can't wait for it! Hope to see you there.

UPC

2009-04-27T00:49:00.000-07:00

The little small press expo i was at over the weekend with my friend Jeff went pretty well. I sold a few issues and had a good time hanging out...thanks to all who came.
...now back to work on my second issue.

79, 80

2009-04-23T00:44:00.000-07:00

...two more finished tonight. Feels good.

78

2009-04-22T03:31:00.000-07:00

I went over to Jeff's house tonight to borrow his long stapler and we talked a little bit about the small press expo "UPC" that we are going to be at together friday and saturday. I am really looking forward to it but i am more than a little disappointed in myself for not getting the second issue done for it. I have more than lost my way. Here is another panel....and a slight variation of one i did the other day.

77

2009-04-21T03:40:00.000-07:00

...and here it is.

76

2009-04-21T02:27:00.000-07:00

I should have another panel finished before i am off to bed tonight.

75

2009-04-11T01:51:00.000-07:00

Covered

2009-04-01T00:41:00.001-07:00

I did a cover of a cover of The Phantom a few weeks ago and it got featured on a blog that has some pretty decent artists contributing. I am glad to see that mine got featured. Here is a link to it if you are interested.

74

2009-03-27T00:38:00.000-07:00

...i started back working on my comic tonight...well actually for the past few days... I have been spending the last few at the park writing. It felt good to get an actual panel done.

...trying to get focused

2009-03-10T00:46:00.001-07:00

73

2009-01-24T03:27:00.000-08:00

...it's a late one for me but i just couldn't go to bed without getting this one posted.

72

2009-01-23T00:32:00.000-08:00

Not much to say except this panel went "Nice and Smooth". I went with a slightly thinner line for the buildings in the background. i think i have come up with a pretty good middle ground for the inking. I am not going to think to much about it. I want to get this issue in the can.

71

2009-01-14T23:11:00.000-08:00

Here is a new panel from me...back to basics and i am never going to question my instincts again.
I want to get back to the streamline process...anything else just results in artwork that i am never happy with or am unable to keep any kind of consistency...."sometimes i find it very hard to be...me"

...another test.

2009-01-14T21:40:00.000-08:00

...after spending most of the evening evaluating my approach to inking my comic book. I am pretty confident that i am going to be sticking to the way i have been doing it all along. I have a million reasons for it but the goal still remains to be just producing work. Though i will be using some thinner lines for a few things that make sense to me. I have come to realize that the real reason my inking stlye isn't working is more due to the fact that the panel itself isnt working....I will be going through them in the next few days making changes and redrawing them all together if need be, but i have come out of this feeling pretty confident (despite all the critiques) about my work.

...cartown corrections

2009-01-14T01:51:00.000-08:00

My friend Jeff and i have been talking a lot recently about our art and how to make it better. We were going over my panels the other day and really going through each panel seeing the ones that were working and the ones that were not. My real big change i am going to be making is not so much the actual characters but the backgrounds are going to be re-inked with thinner lines. It has taken me an entire issue to finally make this change...i think it is for the best without compromising my thick style...This has been my biggest critique...i am just working toward making the best comic book possible. Here is a panel that i reworked tonight. Let me know if it makes a difference.

Before...

After...
Before...

After...

..trying to get focused.

2009-01-10T03:32:00.000-08:00

I was talking things over with my good friend Jeff about my book and I feel pretty good about continuing on with my current format and style. I just have to let things go and try to evolve as i go. No looking back. Here are two doodles i did today.

Invisibles finished

2008-11-30T22:01:00.000-08:00

I finally finished coloring my Invisibles piece.

...invisibles process

2008-11-26T02:09:00.000-08:00

I am about half way finished with the coloring on this one...still trying to figure out which one to do next.

The Atomics!!! IN COLOR

2008-11-25T00:06:00.000-08:00

I finished coloring the atomics one and am about to start on the invisibles one.

...interlude 4

2008-11-24T21:02:00.000-08:00

I started an Invisibles one last night and i will be finishing up on the colors for these tonight and tomorrow. Let me know what you think.

interlude3

2008-11-22T04:09:00.000-08:00

I started a Madman/ Atomics one tonight. I will start coloring on it tomorrow.

...here's an update. i am about half way through with the coloring.

...interlude 2

2008-11-20T23:46:00.000-08:00

Here is another pin-up that i finished tonight...i am going to be doing a series of these. These might help me get work in the future. I added ELECTRO for my good friend Chris...hope you dig it man.
...also i really feel for the first time since i started drawing comics that i have finally found my "style". I have been searching for a long long time for this and it kind of hit me when i finished the Fantastic Four piece...feeling it even more with this Spidey piece.

...interlude.

2008-11-19T03:32:00.000-08:00

I got side tracked this evening trying to do another pin-up of classic comic book characters. This one features my take on the Fantastic Four. Let me know what you think.

70

2008-11-15T23:22:00.000-08:00

I reworked a panel that i did earlier that i wasn't really happy with. I am going back through this short story and making some other changes...then finalizing the script and putting it to bed. Getting close to getting this issue finished.
I also did a pin-up of old school x-men that i am pretty happy with and want to share with you.

69

2008-11-13T01:50:00.001-08:00

"...!@#*" ...is what the caption will read. I really like the way this one turned out. I really think i captured Romeo's anger and frustration...which is...you know...what i was going for.
Every so often everything comes together perfectly.

68

2008-11-06T00:11:00.000-08:00

...time to get focused.

Jeff...Here is that pic of my sculpture i did of Lurotiman back in the day.

66 and 67

2008-10-28T00:58:00.000-07:00

Here are two panels that i did for the Romeo Death short to add a little more dymanitisation to the opening sequence...one more to go for it and then i might go back on a few and re-ink them but this one is pretty much ready to be lettered.

65

2008-10-24T01:17:00.001-07:00

64

2008-10-22T23:56:00.001-07:00

...i felt pretty productive and went ahead a got another panel finished for tonight.

I also wanted to let you know that i got little plug for my comic book in on the Geekland Podcast (episode 56). They do their show every saturday at Comics & Collectibles in memphis where i used to live.
I am still good friends with the people who work there and through their help i got some issues of my comic book on the shelves there. ...which really makes me feel good.

63

2008-10-22T19:20:00.000-07:00

...i really like this one as well.

...madman interlude

2008-10-22T04:23:00.000-07:00

...I was trying out some different coloring techniques out in photoshop and did this little Madman doodle just to have something to work with and i really dig how it turned out.

61,62

2008-10-20T01:58:00.001-07:00

60

2008-10-15T10:57:00.001-07:00

59

2008-10-15T01:30:00.000-07:00

...here's a new panel from me tonight. I am pretty pleased with how it turned out.
I got more than a few layouts done tonight as well as the revised the script for my "Romeo Death"short story.
I also set up a store over at Cafe Press for Cartown Comics merchandise. Look to the upper right for the link.

58

2008-10-13T01:06:00.001-07:00

57

2008-10-12T13:58:00.000-07:00

...here is a new panel from me.

...3D rendering

2008-10-12T03:22:00.000-07:00

I went ahead and made a quick 3D model of the coffee stand to get a better refference point for the panels i am working on. Here is a snap shot of what it looks like.

Cartown Comics...in stores now!

2008-10-09T23:55:00.000-07:00

I dropped off a few issues at two local stores on wednesday and am about to ship an order to the comic book store i used to frequent in Memphis. I made a few promo pieces for the stores to hang on the wall or window.

...progress

2008-10-04T00:25:00.000-07:00

I finally got a groove going with putting together my comic book. Jeff came over to drop off the long ended stapler for me to borrow so i can yep...you guessed it...staple the book together. Together we worked through the best way to go about the assembly and cutting of the book, which at first i didn't think it was going to work out, but it is all coming together now. I have 15 books(of the planned 50) ready for consumption at this time. About 20 will be going to comic book retailers and the other 30 will be available to purchase directly from me. They will be sold for $3.50 (which will include shipping) all orders will come with an exclusive Cartown Comics sticker!!!...i am going to take a break from the assemlby line to try and finish up my video for tomorrow.
Thanks again to Jeff Owens for helpin' me out!

1st Issue!!!

2008-10-03T17:12:00.000-07:00

Here's what 50 issues of my first issue looks like uncut. I am going to cut and staple them all myself to try and cut costs....we'll see how that goes. If it turns out to be more trouble than its worth then I am just going to have Kinko's do it and pay the extra $38.00 that it will cost.

50 Issues! from David Delloso on Vimeo.

56

2008-10-03T00:18:00.000-07:00

...here's one of my last panels for the Romeo Death short that i have been working on for what seems like forever ago that i started on it...the tone and conversation of this piece has shifted dramatically...some of the earlier panels are going to be re-inked...more to come. I am going to try and finish up the video montage before saturday.

...off to the printers

2008-10-02T21:53:00.000-07:00

I went ahead and sent my book off to the printers this evening. They will be ready for pick up at noon tomorrow. I am going to be cutting the book myself though to save on printing cost. ...can't wait to go pick them up.

...more video stuff

2008-09-30T00:15:00.000-07:00

Catrown Comics Promo2 from David Delloso on Vimeo.

Cartown Video Promo

2008-09-29T05:18:00.000-07:00

...here is some test footage of a video promo I am putting together for my comic. I am going to be playing it at the publishing party on saturday.

Cartown Comics Promo from David Delloso on Vimeo.

55

2008-09-29T02:09:00.000-07:00

...well Jeff if you're up here's a panel for you. I am going to be getting my comic printed up in the next few days. I am going to be back on track from here on out.

New Layouts

2008-09-22T22:41:00.000-07:00

Here are some layouts i have been working on while in NY. I am going to try and get focused back on turning out panels these next few weeks. I have more than enough money to go to the printers with for the first issue but i am going to still try and workout a better price on it.

54

2008-08-20T02:33:00.000-07:00

I got another one done tonight that i am pretty happy with though there are some things i'd change in it if i allowed myself to go back on it...but i just accept it and move on.
Though i might go back and recolor it a later date because i think there is something wrong with the pressure sensitivity on my WACOM pen. I will try and figure it out later...i just wanted to be able to post this one up tonight...two in a row feels pretty good.

53

2008-08-19T00:53:00.000-07:00

I got a panel done tonight and have been trying out different ways to ink. On this one i inked with a smaller pen on a few background pieces. This is the start of a happy compromise for me in my work. i feel i am getting more detail without losing that spontaneous look i am after. Let me know what you think.

...some layouts

2008-08-14T01:23:00.000-07:00

Here are a few panels i am working through this evening.

...moleskin

2008-08-07T00:24:00.000-07:00

I was at the art store today trying to find some different pens to ink with and came across those moleskin sketchbooks that i have always been hearing about in the art community...so i bought one and am pretty happy about it...i hope to be able to really fill it up with some good and hopefully interesting stuff...my first day with it yielded a masterpiece...

...i was so happy with it i started messing around in photoshop with it and it really came toegether. I am incredibly pleased with how it turned out.

SDCC'08

2008-07-30T03:21:00.000-07:00

I just got back from kalifornia where earlier today i felt the earthquake that hit near LA. The whole building swayed back and forth for about 5 or 6 seconds...very surreal.
I gave my book out to a few people and had the good fortune to meet up with Dean Trippe...who is a real inspiration to me.

San Diego Comic Con

2008-07-26T12:48:00.000-07:00

Well i will be leaving tonight to go visit Josh in kalifornia and from there we are heading to san diego for the last day of the comic con. I printed up a few issues and had them cut for the show just in case. It will be a much needed vacation for me.

MADMAN!

2008-07-16T03:36:00.000-07:00

It is pretty common knowledge that Mike Allred is one of my biggest influences in terms of my comic book art. I go on his message board a lot and the other day i decided to post the "Epiphanies" short story up to get some feedback and Mike responded himself which pretty much doesn't get any cooler in my world. what he had to say is pretty much what everyone else has said all along about my thick line work and it really made me kind of stop and thing about the artwork i have produced thus far and what i wanted to to.
I then drew this little Madman pinup and thought to myself this is where i am at and that any other way of drawing has not yielded anything i was happy with...i was happy with this little drawing of one of my favorite characters and it took my all of 5 minutes to do.
I think i am just going to continue on and make a few concessions to my line weight in my backgrounds in the future...i will be reworking the new panels to kind of fit this approach...we'll see how thing look.

Brainstorm!

2008-07-15T03:35:00.000-07:00

After pondering what to do about my current design flaw in the production of the book i realized that i could move all the images to the top of the page eliminating one of the three cuts necessary for the book. This will put the book at a total cost of $2.37 an issue. I am going to change the cover price to $3.50 to compensate for it. Though i will be loosing money by selling issues to comic book stores because they will usually buy them outright for half the cover price...which means i will only be making $1.75 an issue, but the upside to this is that the book will reach a wider audience which makes it worth the hit....i want to thank my buddy Josh for staying up late with me working through the numbers.

...CARTOWN COMICS A GO!GO!

ISSUE 1!

2008-07-13T03:55:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a pretty interesting evening at the local Kinko's. I just put together my first issue of "Cartown Comics". I couldn't be happier with myself at this moment even though i realized a few mistakes I made on the actual design and dimensions of the book itself. I want to share all of this with you in this post so bare with me.

First off I went with a thicker card stock for the cover and went with what Kinko's uses to print their color stuff on a laser printer...which has a little more weight to it than normal copying paper. I was worried that the staples wouldn't go through but whatever they use to at the store worked just fine. The book looked and felt exactly as i imagined it.

One of the mistakes I made was on the dimensions of the book as stated earlier not that i didn't like the aesthetics of it, but the problem was a question of cost. 3 cuts for the book would have to be made which would be for 50 issues about 75.00for all 3 cuts. putting the book at costing more to create than i would be selling it for.

My solution for this is that i am going to rework the cover so that the book itself is half the size of an 8x10 sheet of paper turned sideways. which will now be the actual dimensions of the book and no cut will be necessary except for the front edge which totally makes the book look more professional so I am going to go ahead and spend the extra money for that cut. You see when you put your book together each page is folded over onto another one and so on and so forth in my case it is a total of 7 pages. This pushes the page behind it back a little so the edge of your book will not be straight...so i have them cut it all evenly.

So the pages for this issue at least will have wider borders than anticipated around the outer edges of the panels. I can live with this because the alternative is to redo all my pages...which isn't going to happen.

All said and done the cost for each issue comes out to $1.93 which leaves profit margin of $1.07...if i sell on my own...which i can live with. Most local retailers will buy issues from you outright for half the cost so i will be making a $1.50 each book...which puts me in the negative but more people will have access to my book...so i can live with that as well. I am not fooling myself i really doubt i will ever even break even on this first print run. I am looking to print 50 issues my first run which my estimate for which is $93.14...if they all sold at $3.00 i would make $150.00.

Well I have my issue out in front of me as i type this...I think I am going to get it cut to its intended size....you know just to have.
Live and learn....but right now...like i said... I couldn't be happier.

"Issue 1" from David Delloso on Vimeo.

...enough screwing around.

2008-07-08T05:09:00.000-07:00

...i am pretty much finished with the lettering for my book. I am going to be finalizing everything tomorrow.

...inking with a brush

2008-07-07T05:18:00.000-07:00

I decided to go back and re-ink one of my panels with a brush...just to see how i like it and if i can get a more varying line weight that is pretty much my biggest and only critique about the artwork that i am turning out....let me know what you think.

...in the works

2008-07-06T03:04:00.000-07:00

...i am too tired to color these....but i wanted to post something.

51 and 52

2008-07-05T01:23:00.000-07:00

I finished two of the three panels i penciled out last night. I am almost done with all the panels for this short story. I think the next one i will be working on is a short that will introduce "The Hooli-Hooligan"

...the process.

2008-07-04T01:44:00.000-07:00

...here are a few layouts for some panels i am working on.
...and here is a corrected version of one of my earlier panels where i wasn't really happy with how Lurotiman was coming in on the panel, so i redid it.