Hi

sigh

2012-01-28T13:25:00.002-06:00

Well my hard drive dead and took a lot of work with it. Here's something obvious, back up your back ups! So if I can swing it I'll get the data through a retrieval service. The universe does not want this book done, maybe it's a sign I should have been a juggler.....Well, hopefully I'll have good news soon.

lil louie

2012-01-25T14:23:00.002-06:00

yooooooo. Don't know if I posted this in full. It's a short I did for Rory McConville waaaaay back. It's missing it's lettering but the gist is this; the little guy Louie looses his wife to something and has to borrow money to bury her right. The big guy loans Louie the cash but when Louie can't pay the big troglodyte says he'll dig the body up. Fortunately Louie out smarts him. Enjoy!

2012-01-21T15:01:00.001-06:00

another quick shout out, this one is not Ben comics related. I put a sort barebones album of my music up on Bandcamp. So....Let's meet back here in a couple days, deal?

Tugging along

2012-01-16T11:44:00.004-06:00

I'm barreling down on the end of chapter 10 of Tug. Between my second cup of Joe and an obligatory round of target practice with my spanking new BB gun I wanted to remind you of my existence.

Moar to come soon!

roar and comix

2012-01-11T10:32:00.002-06:00

Hennesy Youngman is single-handedly ruining my afternoon with his hilarity, but I wanted to throw our a quick update on Midnight Hours. I asked my good friend and comrade Erin Wilson if she'd take time from her new wonderful book Snowbird to color for us. So here's a preview page, I'm not supposed to leak these but let's just keep this between you and me....internet.

It's all over

2012-01-04T13:18:00.003-06:00

Not much to say this afternoon. I thought that it would be appropriate to start 2012, this year of the dragon, this year of apocalypse with a DAYGLOAYHOLE post. We all know it's coming and we may as well read comics and obsess about out heavy metal style end.

I've been playing with the illy portable water color set my girlfriend Kate gave me. There's a copy of some of Jean Giraud's comics rotting on my shelf and once and a while I pull it down and marvel at the crazy good coloring this guy pumped out. It might be nice, if I can muster the courage, to color the first official comic of DAYGLOAYHOLE in watercolor. We'll see....

I found this very nice review of DAYGLOAYHOLE: Movin on Up! by the folks at slingshot (Samara I think).

"When a porning oogle spills beer on his laptop, the computer morphs into an evil overlord that blows up half the world and enslaves most survivors. Out from the rubble marches a lone hero by the name of No Limitz: a katana-totting gutterpunk with a badass dog and his name tattooed to his forehead. No Limitz doesn't give a shit about saving the world--just about filling his belly--and perhaps it is his very lack of ideology that makes him immune to the evil computer's powers of enslavement. As No Limitz wanders the disseminated landscape in search of grub, he is forced to fight his way through roving bands of bloodthirsty cops, mutant scarbo 'rough bears, and various minions of the digital overlord. Created by the illustrator of the Raging Pelican, every page of this comic is statured with traveler jokes and hilarious details, inviting the reader to slow down and take it all in. I laughed my ass off at least five times while reading the fifteen pages--and I rarely laugh when I read. If you liked Brandon Graham's Multiple Warheads, you'll royally dig DAYGLOAYHOLE. (samara)"

Maybe I should put porning oogle on my bio from now on....

until next time folks remember, we're all going just pray it's not a lazer eyed polar bear.

breakin the beast

2011-12-29T17:22:00.003-06:00

new mini comic comin soon. I've been lousy busy for the holidays but I've been able to experiment with watercolors a bit. I did a little painting in college with them, but much like the key of C major, it's hard to make not feel sort of lame. I just think of geriatric nazi sympathizers wasting away on an Argentinean beach painting scrawly penguins on the beach...or is that peru with the penguins? So this is a cover, Kate and I sitting on some weird nest being folky. Moar to come!

scatter

2011-12-21T17:40:00.002-06:00

I've just been reading Cecil and Jordan in New York Stories by Gabrielle Bell. Her stories just make my mind explode. They're so quiet and painful, and beautiful.

I'm now officially a regular at the fuel coffee. I was dubbed so yesterday when the teenage barista greeted me with my order (before I asked!) and a wink that lets me know that my daily habit of ordering a 2 dollar thing and holing up in the corner of their store all day is A OK! As you all may know I'm rancidly (not a word) insecure, so I spent the next couple hours wondering if I'm that creepy, musty smelling guy you see at every coffee shop, screen pointing away from view, rapping and clicking away with chipped coffee stained nails, and swearing about socialism. You know, that guy.

Here's a couple more Girl With A Black-Hole For A Brain pages. I realized that I never really read cartoonists blogs that have pieces of their work, I much more prefer to see some completed pages and usually pass over the various sketches and wot not. The exception is Gabby Shultz, Joseph Lampert , and Sam Bosma, because everything they do it gold! There That's my weak attempt to make friends with them, flattery on the internet. Thus I conclude my scatter shot submission this week!

the real

2011-12-13T16:05:00.003-06:00

Here's the first Gospel Tug Benson anyone's seen in a while! So that's cool.

I just got back from a brief trek to NOLA for some filming for the movie The East, a strange indie romp into the tofu and gasoline soaked world of a radical anarchist cell. Actually I think it might be slightly more well considered than that... They just filmed for a couple hours ranting about the state and the church, stuffed me full of hummus, and threw me back on to a plane. So what insights do I have about this my first foray into film? Have my deeply overcompensating convictions about capitalism in entertainment been shaken after rubbing shoulders with film stars and directors? Have I traded my spotless image as a @ by playing one on the bug screen? Probably. To honest I vowed to auction my authenticity the moment I shook Ryan Gosling's hand just to be near him. No no no, I feel a little dirty about the whole thing and will likely donate all my earnings to the Raging Pelican in penance. Feel free to do the same.

Speaking of reaches at the real, I wrote a small article the latest Raging Pelican about the struggle of ARA and people of color in the NOLA occupy movement to get issues around housing, police brutality, prisons, education, and whatnot, heard by the rest of the occupiers.

A lot's happened in NOLA since I wrote the article. The population of homeless folks spiked in the camp, the city kicked the occupation out and then was forced to let them back, and the radical black community seems to be working with the occupation more and more. That last bit is particularly heartening, since an occupation in NOLA is nothing without the hard working folks of color in the city. ANYWAY, if you wanted to hear by bleeding liberal cries you would've just read the article.

"Hey Ben aren't you an cartoonist, why haven't we seen a comic in a hot minute?" you say.

Well the answer is that I'm up in New England, surfing the tundra on my drawing table and swaying to the sound of npr born world music and mom's schemes to infiltrate the catholic church so that I can bring you a bevy of completed shining tomes! We're nearly done with the first issue of The Midnite Hours, written by the really amazin B Clay Moore. I've been slaving away (SLAVING!) on a mini series written by Rory McConville called The Girl With A Black-hole For A Brain, pages of which I will post soon. For now you must continue to bear with my spotty communication with you all and in time I will come through! I guess.

2011-12-01T14:30:00.003-06:00

It's been a couple weeks since I landed here on the far reaches of Western Massachusetts-ia, home of maple candy, shoe buckles, the eye-roll, and vague compliments. All things considered (also invented in Mass...that's right, NPR reference.) things are goin well, I have plenty of time to work what without NOLA's rolling black outs, biblical storms/environmental calamities, and dwarf directed cobra battles (you didn't know about those?). The thing is though I haven't seen anyone my age in weeks, there are teenagers and there are middle-aged and elderly folks exclusively. When I can get a hold of mom's twig and jesus clad wagon I spend my afternoon's making references that no one gets because I am a generation apart from EVERYONE!

So I stay in my tower diligently scrawling toons and writing songs, my only respite from the dull hallow Berkshires. More comix soon, Here's an interview incase you didn't catch it(LOVE ME!!!), and don't forget you can holler at a copy of NOBODIES, which is an ill anthology with some DAYGLOAYHOLE(in color:0) as well as several other great comics by amazing artists.

Okay okay, that's enough from me.

Oh wait, one more thing.

Walking after mid-nite

2011-11-21T12:15:00.005-06:00

I'm in the chilly Berkshires again for my annual "this is why I live in the south" tour. Someone pointed out that most artists are crap blog writers, so I promise to up my game a bit. Failing that I promise to continue to keep it brief.

I got a review in a punk magazine recently that described DAYGLOAYHOLE as full of "bone-head violence." This was said several words after the critic compared me to Brian Lee O'Malley, which was confusing enough, but was a punk magazine critical of mindless violence? I don't think I understand punk rock anymore, aren't we supposed to be into smashing junk? It may be time for me to readdress my identity as a waning bitter scenester on the fringes of post-punk tomfoolery. Pardon me while I burn a kennel full of doe-eyed fawns in contemplation.

ANYHIZZLE, you'll be hearing more of me as I have nothing to do but scrawl in a dusky corner and update the blarg. Above is a penciled page from the Mid-Nite Hours mini-series.

Daddy's Rich

2011-11-09T18:55:00.002-06:00

Ben spent a helping of his fest cash on a brand-new tenor banjo, because as it turns out I'd rather have a collection of silly instruments than teeth or a physical. It was nice walking around with a roll of cash for a little while, and by nice I mean terrifying. I think I blew it just to get the target off my back. Anyway, here's another page from the as yet unnamed comic Rory and I are calling Summertime.

livins easy

2011-11-09T18:50:00.003-06:00

Just finished working at Fun Fun Fun Fest. I know right? My buddies Nick and Shawn (I think that's how she spells it...) hooked me up with the gig. I spent almost a week in cloud city, sipping red bull and eating free meat. Needless to say I'm in recovery. Jay has me on strict diet of cool blue grass and hot sarcasm. I'm way behind on all my projects, but never fear, I will be hammering out comixness in a couple days when I get up to Western Mass.

summertime

2011-10-29T02:24:00.003-05:00

pluggin it

2011-10-21T20:08:00.001-05:00

quick plug, you can grab a copy of NOBODIES 1 from the drawmore inc. It's an anthology of comics by an amazing group of artists and myself.

Summerime

2011-10-14T19:07:00.002-05:00

Here's a character sheet for a new 12 page short I'm working on with writer Rory McConville. The story follows a poor farmer, who steals summer from the rest of the world for himself.

More later

2011-10-09T00:21:00.001-05:00

I've been participating in occupy nola for the last couple days, I'll have more previews and junk later.

Nobody's interview

2011-09-21T12:18:00.003-05:00

Here's some pencils from Girl With A Black Hole For A Brain that will never be inked. I like to see an other artist's pencils sometimes, so I thought this might interest somebody. I particularly like to see pencils for artists working with a writer. I always feel like my penciled pages look like a shit storm in a hell hurricane (wow am I caffeinated.) and they'll never be able do figure out what anything is supposed to be.

Here's an interview of me talking about comics for the Drawmore website, which is the same crew putting out the nobodies anthology I submitted to.

Hopefully I might have something cool to report about Tug, well see.

Mid-Nite

2011-09-17T10:34:00.002-05:00

As promised here's a preview from The Mid-Nite Hours mini-series written by B. Clay Moore.

The Girl With A Black Hole For A Brain.

2011-09-16T14:26:00.003-05:00

Long title for a short four part mini-series I'm working on with writer Rory McConville. I thought I'd post a few pages from issue one. Obviously they're not lettered yet, I think we're looking for a snazzy letter. PS, I'm usually looking for a snazzy letter. I like to letter my personal projects, my crappy lettering usually works for DAYGLOAYHOLE but lacks the proper polish for something like this or the Mid-Nite hours. Speaking of the Mid-Nite Hours, I'll be posting a little preview of that as part of my new effort to post almost everyday if not everyday. Hopefully this effort won't devolve into a ramblethon about the crack down on bandit signs in the gentrified neighborhoods or such some business.

woops

2011-09-15T19:24:00.001-05:00

Forgot to include this page in the comic below.

I'm gonna have some previews from a couple other projects tomorrow. See you then.

movin on up complete

2011-09-14T16:28:00.002-05:00

OW man

2011-09-07T10:16:00.002-05:00

Kate got me a small watercolor set so I'm committed to getting good with paint. I'm not really much of a painter, it's a bit of a source of shame (not really.), here's not being more legit.

DAYGLOAYHOLE at NYC Comic Con

2011-09-06T13:29:00.003-05:00

hell-oh folks

As faithful readers (as I'm sure you all are.) know I got a couple pages of DAYGLOAYHOLE in an anthology called nobodies. Other than myself this is large squad of fantastic artists contributing to the book. Anyways I wanted to let ya'll know that the nobodies table will be at booth number 3040.

Toronto: because you care despite yourself

2011-08-29T00:28:00.003-05:00

Hey folks, I finished up my travel comic from my trip to Toronto a couple weeks or so ago. You can check out some pages on my esty.

Crescent City Comics

2011-08-25T01:27:00.004-05:00

I did this for Crescent City Comics for a tshirt. It was pretty satisfying doing something for an awesome comix shoppe.

I've been working on finishing up the script for the Gospel of Tug Benson, so there will be new pages for that soon!

As always you can holler at book 1 and 2 on my etsy.

A Hostel Comic

2011-08-19T16:44:00.003-05:00

I just got back from T-Dot, and man, do I live in a hot ring of heck! Haven't been posting a bit in part because I've been workin on music, but the other day I found this band Other Lives . It turns out they're making the music I wanna make. I happily burned my guitar and went back to NOLA. So, forget music, it's back to comics! I'm reading the above comic tonight at the Antenna Gallery, I'm sure faithful readers have already seen these. It's last minute I know, but if you're in the neighborhood you should check it out.

The mini-comics from my Toronto trip will be done soon, I'll ket ya'll know about when the time comes.

toronto

2011-08-12T17:56:00.003-05:00

Hey folks,

Sorry that it's been a while since I've posted anything. I'm in toronto for a couple days and I decided to make some travel zines.
I'll post more about it later.

movin on up

2011-07-21T16:15:00.005-05:00

hey hey hey

I made a poster for an event here in NOLA, it's like ah Sailor moon/ goony guy. I'm sure I'll see one of these next parade season.

I'm selling the original ink drawing of this on my etsy, I'll probably color this and have some prints of that available soon.

This is a page from a 5 page short I'm doing that's going to the nobodies anthology. It should be out for New York Comic Con, so it will be there even if I won't. (frown)

The Gospel of Tug Benson Book 1 reprint

2011-07-11T19:57:00.003-05:00

I did a new run of the beginning of the Gospel of Tug Benson. I combined chapters 1 and 2, as well as a full colored version of the introduction. There it's for sale along with some posters, a DAYGLOAYHOLE mini comic, and Book 2.

movin on up

2011-06-28T10:08:00.003-05:00

here's the cover for issue 1 of DAYGLOAYHOLE, check out my etsy tomorrow I'll have copies for sale there.

DAYGLOAYHOLE IN DAS INK!!!

2011-06-26T10:32:00.003-05:00

new mini-comic comin, I thought that I'd preview some pages from it. Also, I'll have some pages in a anthology coming out this october called NOBODIES, you can see some preview pages of mine and the other really talented contributers at drawmoreinc.com.

Three Years and counting!!!

2011-06-14T17:06:00.001-05:00

Run When We Come

2011-06-03T02:37:00.003-05:00

I might color this later when I've got some time.

I just spent a whole day running off some reprints of issue two.

there's copies and some posters for sale on my etsy site.

Kill Kill Kill The Poor!

2011-05-28T00:20:00.001-05:00

2011-05-21T14:47:00.003-05:00

I've been wailing away on some other projects. One that I'm pretty stoked on is a series I'm working on called the Mid-Nite Hours, that's written the the very talented B. Clay Moore. The story follows a group of creepy people fighting creepier people. As a totally unsatisfying preview I posted a couple pages of thumbs for ya. These are tighter than I usually do, they'realmost ready for ink.
Anyway, shameless plug, I have an art show at Fuel in Great Barrington, MA. It's all DAYGLOAYEHOLE stuff! WOWEE ZOWEE!!!
The snow should be melted by now, so you can save on sled dogs.

2011-05-07T18:04:00.003-05:00

Here's a couple of the latest pages from Tug this month.
This is part of Delia's back story. There's more to Delia than simply being Darsey's abused girl.
Go here to read from the start of this chapter. For Delia's first appearance go here.

And for a little more Delia magic go here. To learn all about Darsey's "fun" antics you'll have to start from chapter one and read through, he's a joy, and by "joy" I mean he enjoys making people suffer. So there's that.

crazy horse

2011-05-02T14:31:00.002-05:00

This might be the last DAYGLOAYHOLE post for a bit. I'm going to resume Tug pages, so I can be all done for 2012.

on ice

2011-04-28T22:53:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure if these are best left without an established context. I guess I should say that the guy with "NO LIMITZ" tattooed on his face is called NO LIMITZ, and it looks like his girlfriend lives in an icicle with a lot of faceless dudes, but he doesn't know that yet. This explanation probably raises more questions than answers.

Hopefully I'll have these last pages and more compiled into a semi-cohesive narrative, and with any luck, in print. Until then, thanks sticking in there.

The Wurm

2011-04-22T05:11:00.003-05:00

a couple new things from the mini.

Attack Kate

2011-04-20T23:58:00.003-05:00

A couple pages from the DAYGLOAYHOLE mini comic.

d@y

2011-04-20T18:21:00.001-05:00

Worked to Death

2011-04-19T19:03:00.002-05:00

Sean Fahey and I are working on a single panel comic series called "Worked To Death," where members of the white-colored proletariat do away with their bosses. Here are a few preliminary character drawings.

DAYGLOAYHOLE No Limitz' girl

2011-04-15T18:08:00.001-05:00

I feel like the colors in these really border on offensive.

DAYGLOAYHOLE the beganing

2011-04-13T13:34:00.002-05:00

I've been doing these pages all out of order. Here's the page where the world ends.

2011-04-11T14:34:00.002-05:00

It's very very very hot out.

I've made a bunch of head way on five new DAYGLOAYHOLE pages. They still need all sorts of gaudy colors splashed on them before I post them. All of the DAYGLOAYHOLE comics will be hanging up at this coffee shop in Great Barrington, MA for all of April. So if you're down for seeing stuff in the interlife and you're some how marooned in western Mass, check check check it out.

Up top is a snippet from a story that I'm working on with Rory McConville. It's the rare panel that encapsulates how I'm feeling right now. Though, given the heat I'd probably lose the comforter.

More to come later.

Click on the thing to make it big.

Got it covered

2011-03-28T10:52:00.003-05:00

Looking back at older posts I realize I think of the corniest title names. I've decided to own it, instead of improving myself. If you follow my webcomic, gospel of tug benson, you're probably wondering what gives with the no posting. Well, rather than give an excuse I'll post another black hole related image. This is a cover I did.

Black hole, son.

2011-03-26T14:43:00.000-05:00

A page from a new book I'm working on with Rory McConville.

DAYGLOAYHOLE2 colored

2011-03-16T18:54:00.000-05:00

DAYGLOAYHOLE #2

2011-03-03T17:43:00.003-06:00

Working on more of these, but parade season is dragging me down.

Circle Be Unbroken

2011-03-01T09:43:00.003-06:00

Ink on scratchboard, with mixed results.
I really got into Durer this winter, more for compositions and content than line.
He crazy metal, I suggest you look him up.

Savannah Blues

2011-02-22T14:35:00.002-06:00

Another T-shirt Desgin for therethere.com. It reminded me of the old saloons on the east side.

epic valentine

2011-02-21T03:44:00.001-06:00

Kate swears she dreamed this.

bombin stuff

2011-02-17T11:08:00.001-06:00

Another shirt image for therethere.com of the Tybee bomb.

Colored my DAYGLOAYHOLE

2011-02-04T22:58:00.000-06:00

BAH! Color.

DAYGLOAYHOLE #1

2011-01-29T16:41:00.000-06:00

I've been reading this great book on the craft of making comics called Drawing Words and Writing Pictures. They have a really great section on one-page comics. I'm making a poster that'll fold-up to make a CD jacket, when it's unfolded it'll be this comic.

This is the first of hopefully a series of comics featuring an aged gutter-skunk in a post apocalyptic Gulf Coast, who scraps through mutants to get some hostess and spacebags.

It's really a tale about the human condition, if that condition is alcoholism and indifference.

More later.

2011-01-26T19:16:00.000-06:00

Here's the finished versions for T-shirt designs.

2011-01-26T19:13:00.000-06:00

Here's a poster I did for this new venture (seems like the wrong word.) a bunch of folks are trying to pull together.
It's a free school were anyone can attend and hold classes and workshops. On top of that it's going to be a center to help people to programs throughout New Orleans.

2011-01-17T23:54:00.001-06:00

So I managed to slam my hand into a hard metal refrigerator and cave one of knuckles into itself. In my defense he was crowding my king cake. Now my pinky and ring finger get sore after I've inked for a while. Shortly after my fight with our old fridge I noticed two weird tusk things growing in my mouth. God may have seen how I handed Ol Cooley the Fridge and deemed me fit to wield the power of the mighty elephant, or I have some a serious medical problem. It made me realize how much I enjoy my body being in working order, as opposed to now, which is jankier (is that how that's spelled.) by the day.

Anyway, I've been doing some stuff for T-shirts. I like doing art for them but I'm not totally stoked on the silk screening. It's not that I hate the process of burning screens and inking blank shirts, I love all this. I don't have the cash to get the gear to do at home and I'm not really handy enough to make a DIY shop for myself. So I go to the community print shop and get into these really embarrassing situations. The first time I was there this woman with spider web tattoos covering her face almost made me cry when I stole her screen by mistake. Sorry Train-track Princess. So I was pretty happy when this T-shirt company offered to pay me to do art for them. They do the printing and they pay me per piece. Thank you capitalism...

2011-01-13T11:23:00.000-06:00

Here's some final pages for a story I'm working on with Sean Fahey.

I thought it might be fun to show some process once and an while. Here's some thumbnails. They're tighter than I normal since they were Sean to look at and not just myself. Mine look like bad Matisse sketches.

Anarchists Against The Wall

2011-01-03T00:32:00.000-06:00

Funny pages and anarchist promos on the same blog. You only get it here folks.

sneak peek

2010-10-27T11:49:00.000-05:00

Occupy Louisiana

2010-10-24T17:05:00.000-05:00

I've been doing some poster for OccupyLA, which is a group of students at UNO working against the large cuts UNO has been subjected to.

Sunday Sunday Sunday!

2010-10-20T23:00:00.000-05:00

What do we do at an anarchist picnic? Whatever we want.

Saints VS Cardinals

2010-10-09T15:01:00.000-05:00

Hey folks!

I whipped up this flyer for a CCAA run event. We're showing the game as a way to talk about SB 1070.

2010-10-07T12:49:00.000-05:00

Some pencils for a writer. The story follows a journalist for a daily newspaper that reports on the extraterrestrial sightings.

2010-09-28T12:28:00.000-05:00

Three pages for writer McConville, for a UK anthology.

2010-09-27T17:24:00.001-05:00

Here's a couple pages I did for Moore.

Lil bit

2010-09-19T17:04:00.000-05:00

here's a small of one of the pages I'm doing for Rory. I don't think he'll mind. I based the cemetery on Bonaventure in Savannah, GA, where I lived for four years.

Lil Louie

2010-09-18T19:43:00.000-05:00

Here's some character sketches for a three page comic I'm doing for writer Rory Mcconville.

It's about a Tom Thumb type fella, who out wits a thug and his toady.

goin native

2010-09-13T18:58:00.000-05:00

during my jaunt into Canada I whipped up a few ink drawings for a show coming up in November.
Here's a few of them, I'll post more later.

1st page of chpt. 6

2010-08-23T21:54:00.000-05:00

In Tha T!

2010-08-08T11:18:00.000-05:00

Just gorged myself on all you can eat sushi and club soda!

The Berk

2010-07-31T13:05:00.000-05:00

After two long car rides I'm in Mass for a couple days to see mom and wander around my hometown for a day or two.
Mom's let a lot of the indigenous flora grow up on her property so it's covered in sunflowers, wild carrot, raspberries, Strawberries, thistles, and heaps of plenty other forgeable plants. It looks like a wild fairy land, an I don't use that phrase lightly.

Fairies are no joke.

I remembered that she had a stone dulcimer that Nana had given her and she wanted Kate and us to have it, so I might add it to our ever expanding pile of noise makers that we can't really play well. God help us when we move again.
If I can get a ride up to Stockbridge, a rural town of Rockwell fame, I'm going to sneak around my old reform school campus. It's bee abandoned and torn up, but as some of you know my next book is set there so I have to snap lots of pictures before they tear it all down.

Chapter 5 of Tug Benson is really stumping me. It's going to feature Willy Pickens, the busker from chapter one and a new character (yes another one, my writing teacher is cursing my name somewhere.) that was introduced a little in chapter four. Most of the book has been a downer and at chapter 5 it starts to pick-up when this new character starts to monkey wrench Whitworth and Gompers. I want it to really look and feel different from the first five chapters.

I'll post some sketches in a bit, as I've committed myself to doing lot's of mock-ups of the chapter until I'm satisfied.

until then ride free!

board

2010-07-27T13:21:00.001-05:00

I know, terrible photos. I just wanted to show it off real quick before I sent it off to the gallery.

deleted scenes

2010-07-26T23:54:00.000-05:00

So I spent all day yesterday reformatting all my big hooking comic pages and dropping them into my mini-comic template, which just involves buckets of wrist cramps and watching the rainbow pinwheel spin. At the end I realized I had miscounted the page amount when I made the dummy copy so I had three blank pages in the middle of my comic. So basically I spent 12+ hours on my book and in order to fix my mistake I’d have to spend another 12. So I did some quick coffee fueled thinking and decided to just add three brand new pages in the middle and keep it all formatted as is.

What I did was add a short scene of Eddie in his room. It’s after he walks defeated from Whitworth’s mansion. The three pages start after this one.

I don’t think I’ll include these pages into the final book, but it I think they’re kind of cool for the mini-comic.

Zine almost done!

2010-07-23T19:08:00.000-05:00

cover

cooking cooking cooking.

We spent ten hours yesterday waiting for Kate's hand to get stitched up and then it turned out that it had been way to long and they couldn't stitch it anymore! ARGH!

So we're a little baked today. On the up side I got to use my wilderness first aid book (well actually I stole it from Brand-on. Thanks buddy!) and do some sketches for the new book. I'll post those in a bit maybe.

inset for cover-page.

new zine comin.

2010-07-22T13:29:00.000-05:00

Cooking along on a big Tug zine for prospect 1.5 that's going to be going on in September here in NOLA. It's great that despite the scarcity of a lively art scene in many southern cities New Orleans maintains large events and tons of galleries.

The image up top is the cover page for the new zine, it's based off of Norman Rockwell's painting Freedom From Want. Of course the plates and food have been changed to the town, Whitworth's mansion, the hooverville, and the factories. The drawing also depicts the social and economic hierarchy, with the bosses and police at the top and the workers at the bottom. It's the most conceptual drawing I've done in a while. I know going to say, "But Ben, Freedom From Want was painted in forty three, that's ten years after your story. Rockwell started painting professionally well before the 20's and his subjects have always depicted romanticizations of american life, so it still seems appropriate to spin of his visual themes.

Something I'd always wished I touched on was the disparity between the depiction of america in entertainment and the harsh reality during that time. Maybe it's not too late.

they'll be lots of these.

2010-07-20T23:06:00.000-05:00

Here's another drawing that accompanies an article for our Bp spill news paper. Basically the author is pointing out that the BP Logo looks like a green buttonhole. Trust me, there are also hard hitting pieces of journalism in the newspaper as well.

Shaw looses his winker.

2010-07-16T21:32:00.000-05:00

I'm working on the last page for this chapter now. I managed to be only four pages over my goal finishing at 29 instead of a 25.
I'll be taking a month long break to go on the road for a bit. Nothing to ambitious, we're planning to go up to Canada and see some friends. Though we'll have the cats in tow. I'd feel bad leaving them if a storm hit, wiped out our house and covered the kitties in toxic sludge. So, um, Canada will be a hoot!

The Struggle Continues

2010-07-09T16:07:00.000-05:00

There were for an article about the 11 dead rig workers.

Things are coming together here in NOLA around actions against BP, there's a lot of groups chalk full of active members. We're seeing more and more people coming in from out of town, that want to use their skills and experience to help take direct-action against corporate control and government negligence. This is cool as long as their here to help and not assume we need them to run the show. NOLA is our city.

The local anti-authoritarian group is making a newspaper dedicated to distributing info on the spill and the issues surrounding it, as well as the anarchist perspective on corporate occupation of the gulf and our community. It'll be called the Raging Pelican. There will be a wordpress version eventually here: http://ragingpelican.wordpress.com/. There' nothing there yet so don't bother looking.

I've been helping out the mag by doing some spot illustrations.

This was for an article called "Lessons Learned," that surveyed the many insistences were BP has chosen to avoid taking responsibility for crisis' it has created.

Here's a video of a little 70 person protest/rowdy walking tour/water-balloon fight that was put together July 6th.

other than that, I drew my first explosion!

Oh tyrannicide, will you never not be edifying?

doin stuffs

2010-06-19T18:10:00.000-05:00

Soz I don't have much to tell you, but it's been a while since I last posted some stuff so here it goes.

Heroes Con! It was a hoot. Kate and I slept on floors and in backyards, ran around back alleys, and even managed to fit the convention in. I meet Ken Dahl(aka Gabby Shulz) for the first time. I knew his work was sweet, but who knew he was such a nice guy? We talked to him for while trying to get him to visit us in NOLA, which is a hard sell due to the oppressive heat, a crime rate that leaves Juarez in the dust, and our biblical style disasters. Anyway, it's crazy awesome here and everyone should come before we're over run my mole people or lazer-eyed vampires or magma rain. I gave AD house one of my zines to consider, not holding my breath waiting for their call though. I also met Joseph Lampert, who is all types of badass. I foresee myself ripping him off in the near future. I also got to look at Guy Davis from over the steep sweaty humps of fan-boys and gals, no hope in getting to talk to him though, sigh. One day my prince will come.

Also I've been doing a short for B. Clay Moore of Hawaiian Dick and Battle Hymn, which has been going real well. Here's a tiny tiny sample of a panel.

There's a lot going on here in NOLA around the spill. Like most disasters two groups emerge, those reacting to the spill as a single event and those reacting to the dynamics around the spill as well as the spill itself. I've taken this opportunity of sorts to apply my limited skills to a group comprised of activists reacting to the dynamics around the spill. New Orleans is scrappy and seems to ban together fairly easily (save for the handful of moneyed folks of course.). We've had one very successful event. I sense the world famous american indifference creeping in though. Our group is planning many other public participatory actions but I fear this won't be very well attended. The gulf fills up with black goo and people just want to go shopping, eat, and fuck in peace, business as usual. I don't know what's a harder fight, the abolishment of indifferent selfish government and companies or of indifferent selfish people.

Anyway, expect more fun stuff from Tug. I was thinking today that my book is comprised mostly of assholes in various forms.

for example:

what a dick! If it's an conciliation most of these guys get what's coming. That's the "fiction" part of this historical fiction comic. ha!

colored some pages.

2010-06-09T22:51:00.000-05:00

Here's a couple pages I colored for a zine I pasted around at the Heroes con. Had a lot of fun, slept in a tent, saw a lot of great art, and met some awesome artists. I spent the night before we made the long drive putting together zines to give to publishers. as it turns out there aren't many publishers at Heroes, so now I know.

new favorite quote.

2010-05-19T02:41:00.001-05:00

"There is but one way to know the truth, and that is not a golden one. It is fraught with toil and sacrifice and perhaps ridicule. The seeker of the truth must be fearless, he must not be afraid to enter the innermost holies of holies, and to tear down the veils of superstition that hang about any human and so-called divine institution. It is the truth that makes men free. If the truth tears down every church and government under the sun, let the truth be known and this truth only will be known when men cease to swallow the capsules of ancient doctors of divinities and politics; and when men begin to seek the truth in the records of history, politics, religion, and science."

Charles Austin Beard, 1898

Killruso inked

2010-05-16T13:37:00.001-05:00

killruso

2010-05-15T00:41:00.000-05:00

Oh the magic hot mess that are my pencils. I'm working on a drawin of Robinson Coruso killing a coconut for a bud.

Missing the west coast. Anybody want to drive me there? Will provide all the drool.

Zounds.

2010-05-11T10:39:00.000-05:00

Just finished the page at the top, which'll pop up a little while later. The bottom page is the latest as of Monday.

The great New Orleans hot-press bristol drought of 2010 is finally over. For some reason the only art supply stores like to pull all the 14x17 pads from the shelves just to raise my blood pressure. I went to my usual paper spot and the owner told me they'd decided to buy this kind of gimmicky stuff that was vellum on one side and, I dunno, some kind of bullshit on the other. Sons-a-bitches. This is my life people, sitting around in my underwear and ranting online in the morning about paper. I got to get outta here.

Anyway, if you're keeping up with Tug let me know what you think of it. I'm always looking for critiques.

Goar!!!

2010-05-10T18:54:00.000-05:00

I got burned out drawing klan members so I did a few quickies for my buddies daily music site. Teh brutal no? I'm most proud of the rainbow scream.

When It Comes:p4

2010-04-29T15:52:00.000-05:00

tugospel.com

When It Comes:p3

2010-04-24T19:35:00.001-05:00

another page.

After a little while, a new page.

2010-04-22T11:36:00.000-05:00

Alright second page of chapter 4 is UP! woot woot.
tugospel.com

the start is finished.

2010-04-19T17:31:00.000-05:00

Okay folks!

I finally added all the pages to the beginning, so check those out! So starting thursday I’ll probably start posting new pages of chapter 4 on Thursday. A couple things might prevent that though: 1.) I may have finally found a publisher for ol Tug and 2.) I’ve been learning how to play the ukulele in and planning a saw, chord harp, banjolele ragtime trio and I’ve been a little distracted. Don’t take it too personal, even Kate is sore at me for spending all through the day and night. Who new a laughably small instrument would be so much fun? Now I know.

Anyway, thanks for reading and keep the faith!
first pages.

working for the weekend.

2010-04-14T14:46:00.000-05:00

some sketches for a new project.

Praline!!!

2010-04-12T01:56:00.000-05:00

Working aka procrastinating on a bunch of work. I'm going to have lots to post in a few. Meanwhile here's a huge bag of praline I got from the dumpster. My buddy Owen got a slab of solid praline that was 12 inches by 8 inches! It was the end of a solid dump excursion out to St. Bernard Parish, bags full of donuts, veggies, some corn bread, and a bolt house chia tea. BAM!

once again, new pages.

2010-04-08T19:54:00.000-05:00

boom!
tugospel.com

into the night

2010-04-07T19:19:00.000-05:00

Visilife

2010-04-05T13:02:00.000-05:00

So as many of you guys know myself and a couple guys comprise the fearsome touring bike gang called The Wander'n Visigoths. I've been meaning to draw up a back patch for our wicked denim jackets and here it is. I colored it for fun but the final patch will be in black and white.

Tug Benson: Chapter 1

2010-04-03T12:42:00.000-05:00

Hey folks I'm selling copies of Chapter 1 on my Etsy Shop right now. It's 5 for a copy and I always include posters and postcards in the package as well for free! So get you a copy!

revisions of Tug Benson

2010-04-01T11:45:00.000-05:00

So I'm making some changes to the book. I decided to add more to the beginning.

Follow the link for details.

character sketches for new book.

2010-03-31T14:43:00.000-05:00

I've been bouncing two different book ideas around. One was another 30's era supernatural story involving athenian and african mythological figures and Robert Johnson. The other is a murder mystery in a rusty, snow covered, rural massachusetts town, where only a washed out ex-paper mill employee can figure out who done it. Above is some preliminary sketches for the murder mystery, which is the idea I'm going with.

The murder mystery story sounds bland compared to the Robert Johnson story, or compared to the book I'm working on. At the face of it the new book will seem in stark contrast to the new book because it's not overtly political, the plot is straight forward, there is a small cast of characters, and the style of the art is going to be far simpler than Tug is. In way this is the point. After working on Tug for almost two years I realized that some fundamentals were lacking in it that made Tug a strong book. I had started with the idea of making a comic in an older narrative tradition, specifically like the Brothers Karamazov, with many characters and subplots, as well as a lumbering and slow moving main plot. I thought it be refreshing because the books content and style would stand in contrast to prevailing expectations of graphic novels today.

It's been a big undertaking and I'm honestly a little burnt out on it. Also I often find it hard to properly maintain my skills as and artist/ writer while working on a project I'm emotionally and politically invested in. I think a basic issue among artist activists (not claiming to be an activist here.) is that quality is often shaky when trying to transmit an opinion through a piece. There's a kind of adage that relates to this that goes something like "never write (or draw) when your upset." This seems contradictory. It would seem that someone railing against injustice would want to maintain a feeling of outrage, I think however, that it is very hard to edit in a hyper emotional state. It's hard FOR ME to edit in an emotional state.

There's a point when I need to hit the RESTART button so I can get my bearings and re-sharpen my tools. I did this a couple times in school while working on my comic strip. I opt to work on none political work so I can easily stand back an rate myself on narrative and skill. So I figured the best way to recharge my batteries as well as continue to be productive is to start a new book (while continuing to edit the old one.) that would help me develop and strengthen basic comic narrative structure.

It's not going to be a fluff piece. The intention of the book is to deal with certain dynamics of race and power in a small town, but not as head on as in Tug Benson. I think it would be hard for me to make something apolitical.

I've had a long debate in my head about this and I'm still not totally sold on it. I am certain that the issues of forgotten history, labor, racism, and power are best served by artists and writers that can create top quality works and I don't feel like that is what I was making.

Anyway rant over. More to come.