Thank You for Your Support - 24 Hour Comic Day!

Tomorrow's the big day.  

When we test our mettle.  

When we run the gauntlet and count the survivors at the end.

When comic creators from around the globe, amateur and professional alike, to write and draw a 24 page comic in 24 hours.

I want to thank my supporters in advance for their help on the big day.

Usually here on my page I draw panels on 8.5 x 11 and you have to click on each one,  That's the quickest way that I can do what I do.  On 24 Comic Book day however, it's kind of assumed you will work in comic book format as above.  It doesn't matter what size...it's actually advised you work smaller...on 8.5 x 11 as the entire page or even 5.5 x 8.5.  I don't think I could draw that small and be readable though...not to mention, I can be a tad word balloony.

I'm gonna do my best to limit dialogue on whatever I do for the big day, but I know my style...and it ain't gonna like it!

I will be working on 11 x 14, like above.  Above was done with patching separate drawings together though, and I'm not quick enough on the math to figure out dimensions and proportions on the big day, so I will be drawings on full sheets.

This of course means I won't be able to scan them here at home either, so I'll take them to Kinko's to be scanned...and this of course cuts even more into my 24 hours.

There's going to be some interesting creative decisions made during the day...even MORE interesting as I get more sleep deprived.  

But that's the whole point.

I also won't be adding the time of coloring into the day.  I am a medium speed writer, an EXTRA speedy cartoonist (IF that's the style I choose to draw in) but a SNAIL at coloring.  My comic WILL be in black & white as most of the entrants will be...if I'm that into it when it's done, I may go back and spruce it up.

Typing that makes me just as anxious to see what everyone else is going to be doing for their comic as I am to see mine.  Should be fun.

Really, really fun.

To read more about the big day, click the below banner and read on about it and the tradition that's lasted a couple of decades now.  There are entrants who come back every year, and plenty of folks like me, doing it for the first time.

I plan on putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard at 0900 hours Pacific Time on Saturday and finishing before 0900 on Sunday.  See you along the day for updates.

Talk to you soon!

Jeffy Graphic Novel? hmmmmmmmmm...

By the time you read this I will be armpit deep in geeks and nerds and hot cosplay chicks at the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con International!

Of course just being armpit deep in ANYthing would be reason enough for anyone to go anywhere...but just suppose Jeffy had an ulterior motive?

Mayhaps to shop around his high-concept idea for a graphic novel????

Here would be a sample page of that fictitious work with the simultaneously specific and ambiguous name...

"4 Guys on a Porch Drinking Beers and Talking About 'Stuff'!"

Just kidding...I'm here for the cosplay chicks!

Talk to you soon.

"Cousin Frank & Bigfoot" - an interlude...again.

In the tradition of those 1/2  page blackout gags in humor comic of old, it's time for another visit with "Cousin Frank and Bigfoot"!

Talk to you soon.

"Another Interlude with Cousin Frank & Bigfoot!"

Another brief interlude in the tale of "What's Inside Jeff Overturf's Head".  Maybe I'll rename it "The Intermezzo of Cousin Frank & Bigfoot" instead.

I wanted to title this episode "Okie Dokie Smokey" in the great tradition of Hanna-Barbera Cartoon titles, but mostly in honor of all those one page gags in Archie/Harvey/Dell/Whitman/Gold Key comics I grew up with.  Long in rhyme or alliteration, but short in meaning or substance.

Just like me.

Oh...here's the theme song...

Talk to you soon!

"An Interlude with Cousin Frank and Bigfoot!"

While Jeffy is struggling with his own psyche, the rest of his world or course, keeps right on turning.  Let's take a brief interlude from his trials and peek in on "Ye Olde Drink Hole" and see how Cousin Frank and his best pal Bigfoot are doing.

Wait...there's even a theme song.  :)...c'mon, it's like 8 seconds long, it's not gonna kill ya!

                            

There's a closing theme, too.  C'mon...you're invested THIS far.

Back to our story next week.

Talk to you soon!

Where, Oh Where, Has Our Little Jeff Gone?

You know...it isn't just the cyber-space tour guides (see yesterdays post) who've noticed Jeffy's absence from regular postings here.  Jeffy's spiritual guides (Jesus, Superman and The Flying Spaghetti Monster) have noticed a vacancy on the "Contemplation Beach" as well...

AND, even at home, Jeffys roommate Mike, Mike's brother Mark and cousin Frank have noticed a gap in their lives as well...

Where, oh where can he be and what, oh what could have happened to our "little blogger that could"?

Talk to you soon.

All American Comics - "The Mighty Atom"!

"A 'Slight' History of Golden Age Comic Book Super Heroes" look at the heroes of All American (DC) 's "All American Comics" continues, as I present "The Mighty Atom"!


"The Atom" of the golden age was 19 year old Calvin College student Al Pratt, runty little guy (5' 1") who was put upon by everyone. Rather than get all pissy about it or develope a Napoleon complex, he devoted some time to honing his mind and his body to be the best he could be. Not to seek revenge of bullies, but to help defend all the other underdogs out there who needed someone to stand up for them.

He had no super powers, except that he was a good upstanding fella who wanted to make good. Not a bad person to exemplify if you ask me, and when you clicked on this h'yar blog you kind of did.

Premiering in "All-American Comics" #19 in 1940, The Atom lasted as a feature until the end of the run and in "All Star Comics" (we'll get to it, be patient dear reader) he was a charter member of The Justice Society of America and lasted with the team until their last appearance in 1951, the end of the golden age. In fact, other than Hawkman (we're GETTING there! Calm down!) appeared in more of the JSA's adventures than any other member.

The Atom has since been retconned into having some super powers, but I'll get more into my tirade about fan-boy comic book "writers" trashing whatever came before them to their own ends another time, for now it's time to check out The Atom in his very first appeareance by Bill Flinton and Bill O'Conner.

Enjoy!

Meantime...it seems our little hero has heard there's free beer at "Ye Olde Drink Hole" for anyone who wants to earn it, so he's horning in on Doiby (Green Lantern's pal( Dickles' stage space...

Talk to you soon.

All American Comics - "The Green Lantern"!

Adrift in the sea of my "A 'Slight' History of Golden Age Comic Book Super Heroes", we sail past "Action Comics" and "Adventure Comics" both from National (DC) Periodicals, and onto All American's flagship title "All American Comics"!

This part's a little confusing, you see All American and National Periodical were sister companies, sharing some of the same owners and...well...even sharing the same characters. By 1945 (still in the thick of the Golden Age) they officially merged, so for the duration of my "slight history" I will be referring to them as one and the same. Only some lawyers pen separaes them anyway.

All-American Comics hit the stands in April 1939. Another great anthology book of the periiod, sporting lots of different types of features, it's first anchor strip was "Gary Concord, the Ultra Man"!


Don't let the title fool you, Gary Concord was just another Buck Rodgers knock-off, and the "Ultra Man" subtitles was a little ploy to capture the new Superman crowd. The first real and lasting star of the book was "The Green Lantern"!

NOT the Green Lantern that is soon to be hitting movie screens, that's the silver age Green Lantern, I'm talkiing about the original power ring wearer, Alan Scott!

Created in 1940 by Bill Finger and Martin Nordell, he would wear the ring all throughout the golden age (and even a little beyond).

I've hit on this Green Lantern once before and even posted his origina story from All American #16 here. This Green Lantern's power ring, was just like his better known successor, powered by the wearers will power. Alan Scott's ring was more magical in nature than the sci-fi version of years to come. With it Scott could walk through walls, read people's' minds and all sorts of stuff.


He was ably assisted for a good chunk of his carreer, not by a kid costumed side-kick like so many of his contemporaries, but by a street-tough Gotham City cab driver named "Doiby" Dickles. Why he had a Brooklyn accent in Gotham I can only guess.

"Doiby" was dumb as a stump but loyal and true as all get out.

And here's a little Green Lantern story highlighting our forgotten helper of the golden age of comics, from "All American Comics" #46.

Enjoy!

Talk to you soon.

Drink Hole Loyalties Shift Like the Sands!

Bigfoot and Jeffy happily make up, but then Jeffy's heart turns to meloncholy oncle again!

Awww, come on Jeffy. YOU know better than that!

Talk to you soon.

Bigfoot Knows His Feminine Side

Jeffy, his nephew Scott and Frank slowly soothe Bigfoot's jangled nerves...

Sigh! I'll finally get the habit of meeting deadlines down, but it'll be a week after I'm dead.

See you tomorrow for "OTR Friday", followed by "Unca Jeffy's Toy Box Saturday", "Sunday Funnies", "Mad Monday" and we'll get back to more of whatever this nonsense is I do with my cartoons on Tuesday.

Talk to you soon.

Meanwhile, Back at The Drink Hole...

Nephew Scottie drops by the Drink Hole for a visit with his Ol' Unca Jeffy...



"Well...." said Jeffy, "I tell ya Scottie...it ain't been an easy road!"

"Lay it on me, my brotha! Rest your worries on MY shoulders for a while!" replied the sympathetc and empathetic nephew.

And so Jeffy explained.

Jeffy continued, "You know I have quite the wide spectrum of friends that I hang out with."

"And how!" answered the enthusiastic and caring younger family member. "You said a mouthful there!", he added.

A somber-toned, grim-visaged Jeffy began his tale of woe, "It all started back in October of last year, when my old buddy Mark…



“…announced out of nowhere that he was leaving Southern California for the wilds of Austin, Texas."

*See here for the full post*

*here for his goodbye*

“Wait a minute, Jeffy!” interrupted the listening Scottie, “Isn’t this a strange new narrative style you’re using?”

“Shut up and listen!” said the perturbed and forlorn Uncle with impatience, “I’ll do the story telling around here!”

Scottie sat back, took a sip of his beer and let the story wash over him in the manner it was meant to be.

“This”, Jeffy continued, “Was just before a rogue Superman who had been exposed to red kryptonite from Rusty’s fillings, dressed up like Herbie and tried to kill me!”



“…but that’s another story for another day.”

They both took long pulls off of their beers, wetting their pallets AND their minds for the fascinating story to continue to unfold.

“I took it kind of hard,” resumed Jeffy after taking a deep whistly breath through his nose, “and I decided to do some reorganization in the blog. Maybe it was just too much heartbreak to have friends….maybe I just wasn’t cut out for it.”



*see here for the full post*

“Where I made my big mistake . I was singing the praises of only having imaginary friends, rather than real ones…



*see full post here*

“…and when Bigfoot overheard me…” Jeffy stopped his flow for another question from the confused listener.

“Bigfoot?” queried the young buck, his shock of dirty blonde hair striking a quizzical poise atop his head.

“Yeah, Bigfoot.”, retorted Jeffy, somewhat nonplused. “Back when The Mysterious Shadowy Figure wanted to abduct me on behalf of The Illuminati, he brought Bob the Alien and Bigfoot with him as hired muscle. Luckily Willie Nelson intervened, and afterwards, Bigfoot stayed on as a bouncer here at ‘Ye Olde Drink Hole’ and Bob stayed on as a bar-fly”

*See here for…ah nevermind, just hit the “Illuminati” label to the left, you can read it all*

“Anyway”, the by-now weary story-teller finished, “long story short is, I made Bigfoot cry and now Jesus and Superman are all mad at me.”



*See full post here*

More tomorrow.

Talk to you soon.