Stories

NOBLE FAILURE #5 (May 2007)

HUZZAH!!

At last, a full 24-page comic. It took 32 hours to complete. The extra time included a much needed nap and two — yes, TWO — trips to the orthodontist. Without the various interruptions, the book would have clocked-in at 26 hours, so it was going to be noble failure either way. Still, I’m fairly pleased with this effort.

Scanning/rescanning, sizing, and uploading all these pages has eaten-up all this week’s hours allocated for blogging. Rest assured, though: there will be more details soon on the overall process, this particular issue, and what was done differently to help me finally hit the standard page count.

Meanwhile, enjoy!

Have a safe and happy holiday weekend.

 

NOBLE FAILURE #4 (April 2007)

READ! the stunning conclusion to TOPOR: THE THING THAT SLEPT — Can the diminutive Dr. Riley and his sexy, cycloptic, assistant survive the tired trespasser from space?

GUFFAW! at the antics of those mischievous MONKEYS ON AN ELEVATOR!

WONDER! why I can’t do 24 pages in 24 Hours!

(scroll beyond the art for more sly commentary)

(Sincere apologies to the great Jack Kirby for misappropriating some of the artwork from Fantastic Four #1. The King is dead. LONG LIVE THE KING!)

[Read more…] about Noble Failure #4 (Another 24-Hour Comic)

NOBLE FAILURE #3 (March 2007)

Installment the third of my monthly attempt at a 24-Hour Comic. The page count fell this time around: only eleven, plus the cover. But they’re all quality.

Some people (who shall remain nameless, but you know who you are) suggested I forget the covers and concentrate on page count. An understandable argument, though I can’t agree. Even if I was near finishing in the prescribed time, that last page would still get sacrificed for a cover. There’s something sad and incomplete about a coverless comic.

exemplum gratis: Somewhere in my collection (currently in storage or I’d scan it) is a copy of INCREDIBLE HULK #181.

For those of you not in the comic book know, this is the first appearance of Wolverine — one of the industry’s most popular (i.e., $$$$$$$$$) characters .

You may remember this guy

from such films as X-Men, X-Men 2: The Revenge, or Swordfish as plain ol’ Hugh Jackman.

(The wife says, “He’s dreamy.”)

Anyway, nice copies of INCREDIBLE HULK #181 currently sell for between $680 and $2000 on Ebay.

HOWEVER . . .

Before it came my way, somebody colored the masthead with green crayon and cut the small Hulk circle out of the upper-left. Then he proceeded to bend, fold, spindle, mutilate and otherwise defile the rest of the book.

The point is: mournful though it may be, it’d look downright tragic without a cover.

Anyway, that’s my cover story and I’m sticking to it.

Other items of note for #3:

• More “Monkeys on an Elevator”
• Part II of “Topor: The Thing That Slept”
• And a letters page

(Apologies for the large type on the bullet points. It’s probably something in the default formatting. I’d fix it except Web Master Mike has forbidden me from even looking at the code. There was a lot of swearing and something about chopping off my hands. So, no touch-y.)

I’m still tinkering with the image sizes, trying to find the ideal pixel count for your viewing pleasure. Meanwhile, click as always on the thumbnails to get a bigger image, then mouse over the picture. If a magnifying glass appears, click again. The image should get a bit bigger and easier to read. This will be handy for “Monkeys on an Elevator” and the letters page.

As always, your comments and suggestions are welcomed.

Next week, NOBLE FAILURE #4, a book review, and maybe a few other surprises.

NOBLE FAILURE #2 (February 2007)

Ah, yes. Scans for my mythical second attempt at a 24-Hour Comic. The February edition has more content — 16 pages, plus this snappy cover — though the overall tone has taken a dark and brooding turn.

There’s blood.
And some swearing.
And a couple of dead bodies.
And monkeys.

In fact, unless you’re 18 or older, or have expressed written consent from your parent(s) or legal guardian, it’d be a good idea to skip February. Don’t say I didn’t warn you, kids.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: The events in this comic do not in anyway reflect my emotional state, then or now. I am not, nor have I ever been, suicidal. I don’t believe I am friendless or that my family has abandoned me. It’s just a story.

That being said, I DO believe those rats at the International Astronomical Union poked a dirty stick at Pluto.

“Dwarf Planet” my achin’ eye!

As always, your comments are welcomed and encouraged.