New Toaster Guy shirt design

Hey guys 'n' gals! Been awhile! Here's the new Toaster Guy t-shirt design!

2014 is shaping up to be the Year of the Toaster! I'm wrapping up the last issue (yeah, yeah, I know) and have lined up a few awesome conventions! Keep checking back for updates, new art, etc... including the NEW Toaster Guy.com to be launching soon!!

Next Saturday - Taking Flight Comic Book Show in Charleston!

Me 'n' Toaster Guy will be putting in an appearance at the Taking Flight Comic Book Show 3 in Charleston, SC on December 14! It should be a great time! The admission fee is a new toy to donate to kids in need. Cumon out and see us!! Here's a sneak peak at the new Toaster Guy shirt (which uh... will not be ready in time for the show. Whoops!)...

Live on ComiXology!!

We're live on ComiXology! Go download it and share it with your friends - even better if you can find some way to pirate it and get it into the hands of millions! Here's the mobile link:

http://m.comixology.com/The-Strange-Adventures-of-Toaster-Guy-1/digital-comic/43502

Here's the web link:

http://www.comixology.com/The-Strange-Adventures-of-Toaster-Guy-1/digital-comic/43502

I know many of you reading this already own a paper copy of the first issue, and that's fantastic. Spread the word about the digital version to your friends and family and coworkers and random strangers. I don't know what my cut is of the 99 cents but I don't care - that's not the point. The work is done already. I want to get the work out in front of people! Consider yourselves officers in the Toaster Guy Army, and this is the battle of ComiXology!!

Thanks for everyone's support!!

Coming next week to ComiXology - Toaster Guy!

That's right - The Strange Adventures of Toaster Guy has been accepted by ComiXology, the comics reading app! I'm excited because one, I think it'll get Toaster Guy into the hands of more readers; two, maybe - MAYBE - I'll get an email! Getting feedback from readers is like pulling teeth. Literally, like removing bone from the jaw of a human being.

I'll post a direct link next week. PLEASE spread the word to your friends, family, particularly attentive pets, teachers... The mailman... The more coherent girls down at the strip club... Your boss and coworkers... EVERYONE!

The Convention Diaries Revisited

The latest comic con - PalmCon in West Palm Beach - was a rousing success! I sold out of my latest run of Toaster Guy comics! The next run is not anticipated 'til November - when I hope to finish out the series - so anybody desperate for copies, let me know! Here's a good clear shot of the giant cutout I handmade for the show. The best compliment I got was from an artist buddy who said "it doesn't even look like you drew it - it looks printed!" Yes, my goal is for my stuff to not look like it was made by human hands.

But seriously, if anybody else plans on taking their self-published comics to any cons - a custom cutout is a great way to attract attention, especially if your character is bright pink and has a toaster for a head. 'Cause them six foot retractable banners that everybody has... Well, everybody HAS 'em!

How To Draw Sexy Pinup Cartoon Art

...Practice, practice, practice!

So I've been sweating over Toaster Guy #4, trying to work out some parts that just weren't working (I'm a lover, not a writer! ...Actually I'm not much of a lover either) and working on freelance stuff. I've done a few comic book conventions, and while sitting at my table at a recent con it occurred to me that I did not know how to draw cute girls. I drew these two:

(No idea why she is so weirdly pink)

...And a guy asked me to draw a "sexy female X-Man" on a blank comic book cover. Pressure was on!! So I drew one, he loved it, and I took these two drawings home. But I wasn't happy with them.

 So I did some looking, and some research, and while I was buying some coffee a cute tattooed girl rung me up. Inspiration struck and I decided to draw her. So here she is!

Pretty good, huh? But not much of a pinup. So I drew a few more...

This one was very popular for some reason

And I think I got pretty good! It seems like the way to draw cute cartoon pinup girls (well, women) is to practice over and over! Here's my latest two:

Well? Whadaya think?? 

If anybody reading this is in South Florida, I'll be appearing at PalmCon this Saturday. I'm at table 13. OK - back to Toaster Guy!

Putting your work out there (and having it ripped to shreds)

I mentioned awhile back that I did the art for a zombie story which was produced for inclusion in an all-indie all-horror anthology called Skin Crawling Comics. Well, we got an article on Bleeding Cool! Except, uh, it's defeatist in tone, because it doesn't look like we're gonna reach our goal. Here's the article and a couple of the posts:

http://www.bleedingcool.com/forums/front-page-comic-news/74075-you-can-t-scare-apathy-even-if-you-can-scare-world.html

...You might notice Yours Truly posted a piece of art in the comments thread which was quickly responded to by a couple of comments insinuating it was "rapey." Sheesh! Based on a picture of a bunch of zombies about to chow down on some fresh meat!

This is the latest in a series of rough critiques I've had on the internet, most of which related to work I was paid for (and that the client was happy with). Very frustrating, especially since I try not to show stuff off that I'm not totally happy with.

But what can you do? You have to have a pretty thick skin, I guess, and be able to filter out the accurate critiques ("her legs are too long" or "the skin is green") from the baseless ones ("the dainty pinkies look like shit" or "this sketch is too sketchy"). So I'll keep putting work out there, and I'll read every response I get and try to figure out what makes sense and what doesn't.

But if you're gonna be a professional artist and put your work out for people to respond to... Gird your loins and prepare for the worst. Because you might be in love with something, but the nameless, faceless, unruly mob of the Internet feels it deserves to be ripped to shreds....!

But anyway - here's some art! It's the Unstoppable Stopwatch!