My printer gave me some interesting test prints for Lone Pine. These are pages that have run through the press a few times. Images are printed on top of other images. The result is neat juxtapositions of images throughout the book.

Photos:

Available this November!



I guess this is a good time to announce this:

Lone Pine is being distributed to comic book stores by AdHouse Books. Woo!

AdHouse’s Chris Pitzer is helping me deal with Diamond (the main distributor for comic shops) and navigate my way through the world of self-publishing. Thanks, Chris!

Lone Pine will be available in stores this November. The book should be listed in the current Previews along with AdHouse’s other books. If you want your store to carry it, please give them the following code:

Diamond order code: SEP10 0742

Check out the Lone Pine page on the Adhouse Books site.

PS – I urge you to explore AdHouse Books' other offerings, including works by friend and super cartoonist Malachi Ward. They also have awesome books from Joshua Cotter, Jim Rugg, Paul Pope, and on and on.

Lone Pine is being printed in Pasadena, CA by Typecraft Wood & Jones Lithography, a print shop that has been in business in Pasadena since 1911. They're awesome. Because I chose a local printer (rather than a printer in Canada or China), I'm able to visit the print shop for press checks. It's been a great pleasure to tour their facilities, look at their equipment and learn about printing.

Yesterday I took some pictures of my press check for Lone Pine.

The book is being printed on a Heidelberg. I believe it can print up to six spot colors.



Aluminum plates are made.



Paper is fed into the Heidelberg.



As paper passes through, each of these towers (not sure of the technical term) prints one color. I'm only printing black and one spot color.



The white you see through the grate is a piece of paper.



Here's the end result.



Once all the pages are printed and cut, the book is sent to a bindery to be put together.

After that, I'll have a nice little blue book to show you, friends.

Look at this amazing book from James Jean (watch all of it):



A beautiful piece of book-making art. It's like Elvis Road made 10 times more brilliant.

I've been listening to this song with headphones while doing other work:

Music Video for Techno by Coconut from The Heap on Vimeo.

And why not take a moment to watch some Norman McLaren?

I’ve been given a Xeric grant to help self-publish my debut graphic novel Lone Pine. This is fantastic news and I am very grateful to the Xeric Foundation.

This means Lone Pine will available to read in book form later this year. Stay tuned, friends!


Also, I’m participating in an artist residency led by “Master Artist” Craig Thompson at the Atlantic Center for the Arts this October. Over three weeks, I will meet with Craig and my fellow “Associate Artists” (I think about 7 other cartoonists), receiving feedback on my brand-new, in-progress graphic novel, tentatively titled Not My Brother.

The Atlantic Center for the Arts looks like an amazing place, and it’s hosted some great artists, including Charles Ray, Merce Cunningham, Terry Riley, and lots more.

I’m still in shock I get to do this. I have huge admiration for Craig Thompson, and I’m curious to see how this experience and new working method will affect my comics.

Come to the Echo Park Film Center this Friday, June 4, at 8PM for "Experimental Acquisitions!" -- a screening of animated shorts.

I recently finished an animation workshop at the Center, and I'll be showing my final project. You'll also be treated to the work of my classmates and many local animators. It should be a fun evening, and you should go.

Echo Park Film Center
1200 North Alvarado Street
Los Angeles, CA 90026

I’m back from last weekend’s Stumptown Comics Festival. It was fun!

I’m reading through the books and zines I picked up (see last photo below).



It was a nice trip.

I'm drawing every day. A story is coming together. I hope to share soon.

Something else:




Gag comic?

I'm going to Portland's Stumptown Comics Festival April 24 and 25. I'll be sharing a table with Malachi Ward and Matt Sheean. You should say hello.

Also, I have work in a group show at Portland's Pony Club Gallery. You should check it out. I think they are having a party after Stumptown too.

I'm looking forward to seeing some friends, making some new ones, and walking around the forest.

That's my book--now called Lone Pine. If you read the earlier online version (Bluesy Face), you'll notice I've made a lot of changes. Dialogue has been rewritten, panels have been redrawn, about 30 pages have been added (for a total of 170).

I had a very small number of copies printed, and I'll be sending them out to various people soon. What will happen is a mystery. I am curious to find out.