City Sickness

Are you ready?

This is a cool one, format-wise, because it's basically split in half. Doesn't everyone love having characters split up like this? This issue also has my favorite front page ever --- minimal and good-looking. I was finally becoming able to draw Mirabelle in different poses without making her look like a football player. Also, all the townspeople. And the shading. Good fun. Lots more work, but worth it.

I think this chapter marks the point where I finally arrived at a solid artistic style that was ambitious (for me), yet consistent and replicable. From here on out, the issues more or less look like this one, visually. Once I get around to doing Volume Two of the Mime Hunters, I'd like the whole thing to be in this style from Chapter One. That will be deeply satisfying for me.

L'Etranger

Alors, qu'es-ce qui ce passe ici! Ça va pas, non! Si vous croyez que nous allons rester gentilment silencieux pendent que vous nous representez comme des mimes ansi, il faut vous dire que NON! Jamais! Allons, les gars! Trouvez-moi l'artist! J'ai quelque chose a lui dire -- en silence absolue.

Bad Guy Stuff

Good evening, readers

Chapter Seven. We're about to cross the halfway point. This is a fun one. Some villains get fleshed out a tiny bit. The comic shows its first partial nudity. There's a flashback. Olympian feats of agility. Background gradients continue to pop up more and more frequently. I hope you like it.

This was a fun one to draw. Emily was photographing a wedding in Tarrytown, NY; I was holed up in the hotel all day. I drew this one while watching music videos. I put in the equivalent of a full workday and managed to finish the drawing for the entire comic. There was still a lot of work to do in the computer when I got back to Brooklyn, but still, fun. I like spending an entire Sunday doing these, because then I get to pretend that drawing comics is my full-time job.

As Bruce Willis might say: fasten your seat belts. Next week this comic goes into overdrive. In the meantime, tell all your friends! Awesome!

Get On The Good Foot

Hi gang,

Here's a new chapter. Chapter six! We're blowing through these faster than anticipated; I need to kick up my production rate if I want to be able to run these weekly through the end of the series. Luckily, Richard just gave me an awesome gift: a "non-photo" blue pencil! Now I won't have to waste precious time erasing!

This is the first episode to feature a lot of dialogue. It was an experiment in trying out some actual storytelling, with characterization and jokes and conflict and so forth. It's also the first time we get all four heroes interacting together.

On the visual side of things, this also pushes things a bit further than before. I really like the gradient on the cover; you'll see that technique a lot more as we go forward. We're at the point now where nearly every panel has a background, and I'm starting to use the computer to fill in black spaces, which I find pleasing on the eye.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this one as much as I do. Tell all yer friends!

The Comeback

Good evening, gang!

Welcome to Chapter Five. I'm extremely proud of this one. Last week the comic started to kick into high gear; this week, it arrives.

I'm especially happy with how the artwork for the new characters came out here. One of the most fun parts of putting together this comic was actually learning how to draw faces and bodies and stuff. Not that I'm a great artist, by any means, but it's a big improvement from where I was when I started.

I drew this issue while on vacation in Maine; the pencil sketches for the early pages were done in the hotel we stayed at when we spent two days in Acadia National Park. The rest was finished in a marathon session next to the river in Solon, Maine, one of my favorite places. Naturally, then, this issue brings back a lot of good memories for me. I think that was the last time I was in Maine! It's been too long.

Anyway, enjoy the comic! As always, tell your friends!

The Awesome Escape

Hi everyone,

Here's chapter four! By my estimation, this is where the adventure really takes off. It was during this comic that I realized that this project was actually turning out to be something kind of cool, and that I would probably finish it. As such, I started paying a little bit of attention to the plot, making sure that it was fulfilling and devoid of holes.

Also notable: from this point on, the artwork is all done by me. Prior to this, Emily had helped out with under-sketches every once in a while. I'm proud of the art, because I've never excelled at drawing... prior to this project, my experience was pretty much limited to stick figures. I think these comic strips are actually cool looking. Hooray?

Trapped in the Prison

Hi gang,

Another week, another chapter of MIME HUNTERS, for your enjoyment. This week's chapter is more transitional than many of the others, but (I hope!) still awesome. We were trying out a new, more loose drawing style here, which shows up in the early pages. I think the stylistic shift is pretty exciting!

This chapter introduces a mysterious new character. There's no blood in this one, for the first time. There is an explosion though. So don't worry!

As usual, stay tuned for next week and tell your friends!