Thursday, December 8, 2011

Inked Page from Book Two

Here’s an inked page from the second Nordguard book–of which the title hasn’t been announced just yet. :]


(I actually did these inks ages ago, but considering things are moving forward again, I figured now was a good a time as any to post ‘em.)


Also, here’s a few Maguruq wolverine studies I did, since you’ve not seen the last of ‘em!


Lastly--you can still order a copy of Across Thin Ice and have it arrive before Dec. 25th! The official cut-off date for domestic orders from Sofawolf Press is Dec. 19th!

Order your copy here! | More info on shipping cut-offs from Sofawolf

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Nordguard Cast - Nickel & Geri


Nickel & Geri

In bits of my spare time, I've been working to compile a bit of a Nordguard "cast list" for the website. As soon as I have the majority of the main characters finished, I'll put it up!


EDIT:

Sold Out For Now!
Wow, those went a bit quicker than I thought they would! If you missed your chance to get a Nordguard patch or sticker, don't worry! I'll have some with me at RainFurrest later this month, as well as MidwestFurfest in November.

Thank you to everyone who picked one up!
===

And in other news-- Nordguard Patches and indoor/outdoor vinyl stickers are now for sale! Check 'em out over here! I'll only have them up for a week or until supplies run out, since after than I'm out of town again!

Saturday, August 27, 2011

For Coloradans, Canadians, and Everybody



For the Coloradans:

In the few days I've been at home this month, I've been rampaging around to comic-book shops in the surrounding area, with Across Thin Ice copies in hand. I'm happy to say, everyone who saw it was very enthusiastic about the book! Several comic book places will be ordering from Diamond (and have books hopefully in October,) but a some places picked up some copies on the spot. So if you're in Colorado, want to get yourself a copy of ATI, and would like to support some super friendly local businesses, check out:

- Kilgore Books, Located 624 E 13th Avenue, Denver CO 80203
- Calico Books, Located at 300 Nickel Street, Broomfield, CO 8002
- I Want More Comics! Located at 1020 W 104th Ave, Northglenn, CO 80234
- Time Warp, at 3105 28th Street, Boulder CO!

I plan on hitting a few more places along the road south tomorrow, namely the 'Springs, and I may stop in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. If you know of any good places to hit up, let me know! I'll try to post an updated list if any more places want to pick up copies on the spot. :]

For the Canadians:
Half of me has the utmost pleasure of being a GoH of Camp Feral next week! I'll be running a couple of workshops there during the day, and drinking by night (maybe by day, too.) With me, I will have a small assortment of prints, Nordguard patches, stickers, about a bajllion original sketches (been spending most of my time sketching, as it were,) and some Across Thin Ice copies in tow. There are good times ahead!

(In the Feral raffle, I'll be donating a copy of Across Thin Ice that I have lovingly defiled with a Nickel. ;] )

For Everybody:
If you want to see Nordguard: Across Thin Ice in your local stores, it's not too late!

If you haven't already, you've got between now and September 1st to ask your local comic purveyor to order it through Diamond. Let 'em know it's a Diamond Staff Pick, it's #318, and it's full of awesome! There's more information over here about what to do if you want to help!

Once again, thanks for everyone's enthusiasm and support!

(Also, I am over on LiveStream painting for a little bit on some Nordguard related things. I'm putting together a cast page of sorts and a few other things for the site, so if you're interested in seeing a growly Geri, come check it out!)

Cheers,
-Blotch

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Nordguard in Stores/Diamond Staff Pick

I’m very happy to say Nordguard: Across Thin Ice has been chosen as an August Staff Pick by Diamond Distributors! Take a look! Diamond is the largest comic book distributor in North America—essentially, Diamond puts out a giant catalog which comic book stores/retailers order the lion’s share of their product from.
So what does that mean?

It mean’s I’ve got a small favor to ask! If you’re interested in seeing Across Thin Ice carried in stores around the country, you’ve got until the end of this month to ask your local comic shop to stock it!

Ask for "Across Thin Ice," mention that it’s a staff pick on page #318 in Diamond’s August Previews Catalog, and that you’d love to order one or a dozen copies. ;]

If you have a copy already, bring it in to show them!

So, if you read the book and liked it, or just want to get a copy for yourself without shopping online, or just want to get the word out there--I’d be really appreciative if you ask for Across Thin Ice at your local comic store, anytime between now and September 1st!

Also, if you’re over seas and want to spare yourself shipping from the US - Across Thin Ice has already started to pop up in many comic book stores online—for you UK folks, Forbidden Planet has listed it as a pre-order! Same with Archonia in Belgium! (If you don't order it, they may not stock it--so if you've had your eye on a copy but want cheaper shipping, this is the time to buy!)

Alopex from Sofawolf Press wrote a longer explanation about Diamond’s role and what you can do to help! Check it out! :]

Thank you for the moment of your time, and once again, a big thanks to everyone who’s already gotten a copy of Across Thin Ice!

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Nordguard Reviews & ComicCon

Nordguard Reviews:

First things first! Have a couple Nordguard: Across The Ice reviews!

…And of course, you can still pick up a copy online from Sofawolf Press! Click here! ;]


ComicCon:
In a nutshell, ComicCon was fantastic! I haven’t been in a few years, so it was great to get a chance to run around, buy art and books, find cool comics, canoodle, break out some dice for a spot of gaming, be spoiled by San Diego’s weather and delicious sundries, and generally be entirely overwhelmed by the 150k+ people. I’m also pleased to say Nordguard: Across Thin Ice was very well received! Thank you to everyone who stopped by to pick up a copy and have it signed!

Also, Pi was roaming around a bit every day at SDCC!


Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Headed To ComicCon, and ATI Page 4

I have a few things to update today.

Firstly, tomorrow afternoon I'm headed west for San Diego and ComicCon 2011!



I'll be running around most of the time, but you can catch me at the Sofawolf Press booth various times during the weekend. I'm more than happy to sign anything, as always! I'll be using my @screwbald Twitter for the convention, and to alert folks to when I'll be at the Sofawolf Booth in case you wanted to swing by!

So stop by Booth #1236 (in the webcomic section, that orange one, on your map!)
You can grab a copy of Nordguard: Across Thin Ice, or Dog's Days of Summer, or any other fine Sofawolf books!

Sofawolf Press' will also have the last hardcover Across Thin Ice copies, so if you wanted one and missed out at either AnthroCon or the online pre-sales, now may be your last chance to get the first print/first edition hardcover!

Also, you might catch sight of Pi running around ComicCon!











Next, here's page 4 from Across Thin Ice.

You can order the comic right now from Sofawolf Press!
Once again, for any new-comers--softcover copies of the book are $19.95, 75 full color pages, and rated for audiences 14+ for language and violence.

(You can find more information on ordering the book online right here!)

Anyhow, in other news, it's been a perfectly lazy summer. I am enjoying the brief respite to loaf about and concentrate on important things somewhere between "nothing," and "very little." Time starts to speed up again in August, however, between a bit of travel, RMFC and Feral, concluded by returning to full time work on the next Nordguard book. Not bad, I say. :]


(And, for any one interested--I'm resuming a painting from last night over on LiveStream. Stop in, if you want!)

Friday, July 1, 2011

Home Again, & Across Thin Ice Available Now!

Just rolled in from the last (very long) leg of my journey home from AnthroCon! The way home was meandering to say the least, with family visits in Chicago, followed by a swing up north to stop by Sofawolf Headquarters to eat good food, relax, and sign a bajillion of the Nordguard pre-ordered hardcovers.


(Surprise Nordguard cake/wine glasses from the publishers Thursday before the book's release, & Signing ATI hardcovers at Sofawolf Press HQ after the convention, with the author of Sixes Wild: Manifest Destiny, Tempe O'Kun)



First things first!
Starting today, Across Thin Ice is available to order from Sofawolf Press' website!
(They've also rolled out their fancy new website, so you should check it out!)

Click Here to get your own copy of Across Thin Ice!
Softcovers are $19.95, 75 full color pages of arctic adventure, suitable for ages 13 and up! (There's some violence and language!)

Pre-orders of the signed hardcover ATI books also hit the post office today!
I also have some Nordguard patches and vinyl stickers left over, and soon as I'm settled back in, I'll see about making them available for sale online.

===

AnthroCon--to be brief for now, since I have a fair bit of unpacking ahead of me-- was awesome! Dare I say... magical? ;]
As always, it was great to chat with folks, put some real faces to e-names, hang out with old friends, and become acquainted with new ones. A huge thanks to everyone who stopped by the table, and for those who picked up a copy of Across Thin Ice! And thanks for those who attended my Graphic Novel/Comic panel on Sunday--it was a pleasure to run, and hopefully informative! :]


The rest of the summer promises to be a pretty busy one:
-I'll be at ComicCon in San Diego at the end of this month, mostly just running around in a daze from all the awesome, but you will be able to catch me at the Sofawolf Press booth to sign stuff, if you so desire! They'll have Across Thin Ice, of course, and Dog's Days of Summer and the other things I may have had a hand in, plus all their other fine and furry publications! :]

-I'll be at Rocky Mountain FurCon in the middle of August, and I may or may not wear a cape.

-Half of me will be at Camp Feral August 31st-Sept 4th, generally up to no good, and teaching a workshop or two, and absconding with all your nice Canadian things (like Coffee Crisps.) Feral's theme is a wonderful theme: B-Movies! You can find the trailer for the "It Came From Camp Feral!" here!

-As August wraps up, I'll begin my serious work on the next Nordguard book, and resume posting development of the comic on the Nordguard blog, streaming stuff, and so on. In the meanwhile, I foresee barbeque's, concerts, beerfests, random art and other fun summer-related things!

Have a great weekend!

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Nordguard Patches and Stickers

With AnthroCon and the release of Across Thin Ice now less than a week away, I figured it's time to post these! :]



I'll have Nordguard patches and stickers for sale at my dealer's table (G15) at AnthroCon-- I'll have a few of the regular Nordguard 3.5" patches (ones on the left there,) and in the middle, some of the "special release" patches (3" in size) to coincide with the comic's debut, and last, there's some vinyl indoor/outdoor Nordguard stickers!

Also, just a reminder--to either pick up your pre-ordered hardcover copies, or just buy a hardcover or softcover copy of Across Thin Ice, you'll want to go to Sofawolf Press' island for that! I won't have any copies for sale. Afterwards, you're welcome to come by my table if you'd like them vandalized by a signature. ;]

If you're not making it to AnthroCon or ComicCon, Across Thin Ice softcovers will go for sale online ($19.95) right here: click!

And, I suppose, if I have any left over patches and such, I'll offer them for sale when I make my way home after the convention!

Sunday, June 5, 2011

The Books!

It's a pretty great feeling to finish a large project, in a kind of abstract and liberating way. It's an entirely different and equally wonderful feeling to finally be holding the physical final product in your hands. :]

The fellows at Sofawolf Press were kind enough to overnight us a soft and hardcover copy of Across Thin Ice, soon as they received them from the printer. They turned out great! The paper is high quality, the colors are nice, they are heavy, and smell like new stickers. The hardcover is especially meaty and I think I could fend off a hungry bear by using it as a club. Not that I intend to, but, you never know.


(Front and back covers)


The "world map" I made for the interior of the hardcovers turned out really cool. :]

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Across Thin Ice - Cover



Here is the cover for Across Thin Ice, Book One of the Nordguard graphic novel trilogy.

I can't believe I'm typing this, but...As of posting this, there's only 7 signed copies of the hardcover edition still available for pre-order! :]
(More info on the pre-order here!)

==Scratch that, looks like all the hardcover preorders have been sold!==

There will also be 200 or so hardcover copies, which are not part of the pre-orders, that will be available at Anthrocon, and ComicCon, while supplies last. Those will be sold first come, first serve, so if you miss out on the hardcover pre-orders and are attending AC, you still stand a good chance of getting one! (There will be plenty of softcover copies, this is just if you're interested in getting one of the first-edition hardcovers.)

And, last reminder, the softcover copies for $19.95 will first debut at AnthroCon, and go for sale online July 1st 2011, from Sofawolf Press's site, here!

Friday, May 20, 2011

Pre-Order Info for Nordguard Hardcovers

Tomorrow morning the pre-orders for the hardcover editions of Across Thin Ice begins!
(Not to mention the hardcovers of Kyell Gold's Out of Position and Isolation Play books!)


Sofawolf Press has posted information on ordering, how to get your copy and how to be kind to their servers. Give it a read, over here on the Sofawolf Press Livejournal!
In short, there's no need to slam their servers at 8am, since there should be plenty of books to go around--and if you want to slam their servers anyway, you can save yourself the time and make an account on their website before hand. ;]

Also in the Sofawolf post, there's a bit of information on international shipping options, and links to Sofawolf's German and Brazilian distributors, which may provide you a cheaper shipping option.


As a reminder, this is just pre-orders for the signed hardcover edition, which you can either opt to pick up at AnthroCon (with a valid ID), or have it mailed to you July 1st. The hardcover edition is $39, and the softcover edition will be $19.95. Both editions are full color, the softcover is 9x11.5 and the hardcover is a bit larger. The hardcover also has a snazzy map on the inside covers, which the softcover does not. ;]

There will be no pre-orders for the softcover edition and those will go for sale first at AnthroCon June 23rd, and be available online July 1st from the Sofawolf Press website. Later this year, you can also pick up a softcover copy at many major comic and fandom conventions that Sofawolf Press attends or distributes to, such as ComicCon and EuroFurence.

That's all, back to painting I go! :]

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Across Thin Ice, Release Date Announced

I am very happy to write this journal, and to have finally come to this day...



Across Thin Ice, first of the Nordguard books, is finished.

That small statement represents the culmination of two years of work: close to 3,000 hours of layout, sketching and painting comic pages, snow and sleddogs. I am excited, not to mention relieved, for it feels like the weight of the world has come off my shoulders. The last four months I was working on it were especially monotonous: rolling out of bed, pouring coffee, and painting for fifteen or eighteen hour stretches.

Some days (alright, a lot of days toward the end,) I'd catch myself wondering why I'd ever done something so stupid as pick up a pencil in the first place. I'd rather be a fish monger, or a cowboy, or wear a gorilla suite outside a car dealership than have to draw another comic panel. But, the desire to tell a good story won through and kept me motivated. Most days, the work came easily enough, and I loved the challenge of it. Here, at the end, I'm proud of the work. I feel like I've accomplished what I set out to do. I did it to the best of my abilities, and learned a whole lot along the way.

It's done. I can't say that enough. It's done. Well, I won't kid myself--the first book is done, but it's that first step that is usually the hardest.

Across Thin Ice will be released first at AnthroCon this summer, followed by ComicCon in San Diego. You'll be able to pick it up both places from Sofawolf Press, or, starting July 1st, you can buy a copy online.
With fingers crossed, ATI should end up in Diamond Distributor's magazine, and be available at a wider selection of comic book retailers either later this year or next.

And, to the information you really care about! ;]
the softcover edition of Across Thin Ice will be $19.95, and be 75 full color pages and 9x11.5 in size.

There will be a run of signed hard cover books at $39 and preorders for those will begin this Saturday and run through the week (or until all of them are sold)--check out the Sofawolf website for more information. Pre-ordered copies of the hardcover edition can either be picked up at AnthroCon from Sofawolf Press with a valid ID, or shipped to you starting July 1st. There are no pre-orders for the softcover editions, since there should be plenty to go around at AnthroCon, and online afterwards.

I’ll also be posting the cover for Across Thin Ice this weekend.


Thank you everyone for your patience and interest in the comic, and for the moral support, buying Nordguard patches, tuning into the LiveStreams, and for the kind comments and encouragements.

For now, I'm off to do some more non-comic-related things, like have a social life. I'll just leave with a skip, one more "It's done!" and a short excerpt from Nansen of the North.

Cheers!
-Blotch


11 July 1885

A monotonous life this on the whole, as monotonous as one can well imagine it - to turn out day after day, week after week, month after month, to the same toil over ice which is sometimes a little better, sometimes a little worse - it now seems to be steadily getting worse - always hoping to see an end to it, but always hoping in vein, ever the same monotonous range of vision over ice, and ice again...We do not know where we are, and we do not know when this will end. Meanwhile our provisions are dwindling day by day, and the number of our dogs is growing seriously less. Shall we reach land awhile we yet have food, or shall we, when all is said and done, ever reach it?

...It is hard to go on hoping in such circumstances, but still we do; though sometimes, perhaps, our hearts fail us when we see the ice lying before us like an impenetrable maze of ridges, lanes, brash, and huge blocks thrown together pell-mell, and one might imagine one's self looking at suddenly congealed breakers. There are moments when it seems impossible that any creature not possessed of wings can get farther, and one longingly follows the flight of a passing gull, and thinks how far away one would soon be could one borrow it's wings. But then, in spite of everything, one finds a way, and hope springs eternal. Let the sun peep out a moment from the bank of clouds, and the ice-plains glitter in all their whiteness; let the sunbeams play on the water, and life seems beautiful in spite of it all, and a worthy struggle.

~ Fridtjof Nansen

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Painting the Last Page

Tonight, I am very happy to begin work on the 'last' page of the first Nordguard book, Across Thin Ice. It marks the culmination of a lot of time and effort, and I'm excited and proud to have finally arrived here at the "end."

I'll be painting on it through the night until it's either finished, (or I fall asleep with the paint brush in my hand, again.) I’ll be streaming the painting on LiveStream for a while, so stop by if you want!


In a couple of weeks when everything has made its way to the publisher, I'll get back with a longer post about the official releases and other pertinent information!


And until then, back to painting, one more time...!



Sunday, April 10, 2011

Odds and Ends, before the End

Despite the radio-silence, the last few weeks have been a flurry of one thing or another—the “one thing” being comic pages, and the other being caffeine. However, the end might just be in sight. I will have more exciting news on that front, very soon. In the meantime, a few photos of painting progressions, dog sketches and stray cougars!


Saturday, February 26, 2011

More Patches, and Lee the Pine Marten


First thing: Yesterday, the second batch of the Nordguard Patches came in! If you missed out on the first ones, now is your chance! :]

They are 3.5 inches in diameter, 50% embroidery with a merrowed edge. Patches are $6.50 per, plus shipping!
More information, photos and how to order are up on: www.nordguard.com/patches



Second, here are a few of my initial character studies for Lee, the pine marten. He's a character in Across Thin Ice, though he's only in this first book for a few pages.



And finally, this is a quick sanity painting I did late last night. Working on the comic day in and day out can get a little tedious after a while, so now and then I need to paint something else. It's based off a photo I took at last years Iditarod.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Across Thin Ice: Pg 30



Here is page 30 from Across Thin Ice. In the wake of adding and shifting a couple of pages, all of the older pages and their corresponding page numbers are a little askew, and essentially meaningless! ;]

You can check out the recorded sessions of painting this (and several other) pages from Across Thin Ice over on my LiveStream channel. (And speaking of LiveStream, I'm painting on there right now!)

Some progress photos of page 30:







And something from Page 31:




On another note, I put in an order for more of the Nordguard patches. So if you missed out on the first batch, no worries! I suspect I'll have them up for sale again later this month. :]

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Nordguard on Livestream



A few people have asked me over the last couple years, so I figured I'd give this whole Livestream thing a go!
Check it out, here: http://www.livestream.com/blotch

For the next few months, I'll be working pretty steadily on Across Thin Ice.
I'll be streaming off and on when I'm not working on pages rife with spoilers.

To minimize spam, I'll brush the dust off of my ol' screwbald Twitter account (here,) and finally put the thing to use. It'll update when I plan to be streaming for a fair period of time. (However, most of my waking hours are spent on art--a good portion of that painting--so you can always tune in to check if I'm up to something.)
From time to time, I will also announce when I'm streaming on the Nordguard Twitter, depending what I'm working on.

Since I'm painting and not really watching the chat, I probably won't be very responsive to questions.

From past experience, ones that come up often are:
What paint/paper do you use?
Winsor & Newton watercolors, and Arches 140lbs watercolor paper.
What ink do you use?
Speedball ink, and a small paintbrush
What is this comic thing?
Check out the rest of this blog, or www.nordguard.com

Thanks, and if you decide to tune in, I hope you enjoy! :]

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Nordguard Patches! -- All Gone!

Wow, those went quicker than I thought!
I will still have some at FurtherConfusion in a couple of weeks if you missed out! :]
If there's any left over from the convention, I'll put them for sale online. I may make more down the line, but the earliest would be sometime this summer.

Thank you all very much! :]

=====

I'd been wanting to get a Nordguard patch for myself all of last year, so I finally broke down and made it happen. I figured some other people might like one too, so now's your chance!
I don't have very many, and I'm not sure if I'll make more anytime soon. I'm putting about half of what I have online, and taking the rest with me to FurtherConfusion in a few weeks--so if you're headed to the convention, you can spare yourself the shipping and get one there! :]





Thanks for looking!