Up From Genre City

Lines Only

So, there are several things different about this week's installment, and the same will go for future installments for a while.

1) The color is gone.  Convention season is fast approaching and I've got several things that need publishing, and losing the color temporarily has saved me literal hours in post-production.  Also, I really like how my new inking style is turning out, so now you can enjoy it unfettered.  Do so.

2) Everything Is Illustratored.  Yep, Borders and Lettering Balloons are now all done with the cool clear hand of a mouse and an Adobe Computer Program.  I figured my haphazzard attempts at drawing those things would just be too distracting.  And darn it, just plain unprofessional.  So, while the color will some day return, expect #2 to be pretty much the status quo around here.

Just thought I'd let you guys know.

Note: The installment in question is only available for free at the above link until the morning of 3/30/2005.  After that, it's subscribers only.

Chibi Chow Brand Dog Food

This week in Genre City: My favorite drawing of Kid Insomnia, hell probably my favorite bout of cartooning, ever.  In the panel where he catches Mister Peripheral, I don't know, everything just balanced perfectly on his head.  I could just stare at it all day.  Unfortunately, it's also a "Fresh Nib" page, meaning I just switched to a new nib as of this page and since it's so sharp, it tears into the page at regular (but microscopic) intervals, causing a lot of inconsistent line weight.  Which does not gel very nicely with my new Light Touch Inking Ethos.  My pencils are still tighter than ever, especially on the wee panels, which I used to draw with hardly any detail at all, and that's helped with damage control on this "Fresh Nib" Minefield.

You'll be happy to know that as if this page, I know exactly where KA's chapter is headed.  More depressing sentiment all around.  Christ, when is something nice going to happen to these people.

Also, for those of you on Genre City Boston Terrier Watch, that is indeed a Boston Terrier hocking Chibi Chow Brand Dog Food.  I ought to copyright that, it's such a clever idea.  Hey, I think, technically, I just did!  You rule, America!

Note: The installment in question is only available for free at the above link until the morning of 3/23/2005.  After that, it's subscribers only.

Using Metal Things Just To Settle Things

This week's Genre City, I have to say, is sort of the perfect encapsulation of the Genre City ethos, if such a thing actually existed.  You've got our main characters, you know, sorting their stuff out, while in the peripheral, your average superfantastical goings on are taking place.

This particular chapter is being written almost completely on the fly.  I have no earthly idea what's going to happen after the first panel of the next page.  Of course I know where Genre City is headed.  I've had the final ten pages locked in head for over two years.  I've got an amazing sequence in the middle.  But this here is the smack middle of the approach.  I've got to get everyone from here to the dance floor, and how they get there is sort of up to them.  All of our other protagonists have pretty defined arcs by necessity.  Kid Insomnia is sort of the wild card in all of this.  It's kind of fitting, though, that I came up with his exact design, which has not been changed at all, when I was fifteen.  He's the oldest member of our little Genre City family, and, at this point, the one most filled with surprises.  This ought to be a fun five pages coming up.

I am heartened in this predicament by all the lovely behind the scenes press Deadwood has been getting lately, which talks by and large about how much David Milch flies by the seat of his pants almost 80% of the time, creating new storylines on the fly when the characters warrant it.  You can expect a shitload of this in Genre City.  If you're not invested in the characters at this point (and this is perfectly possible, considering the screen time they've gotten as individuals), if you're just sticking around for the arcane pop culture references, well, I won't disuade you.  But know that Genre City isn't really about those things.  It's about these five strange and lovely people and the meandering way in which they get on with things.

Fair warning.

Note: The installment in question is only available for free at the above link until the morning of 3/16/2005.  After that, it's subscribers only.