Thursday, November 6, 2014

An Interview with M. Austin Bedell



M. Austin Bedell is treasure of the local cartooning scene. He is a regular member of sketch group, a contributor to Rocksalt  Magazine, an accomplished web cartoonist and longtime staple exhibitor.  He took some time out this summer to do this interview with us. He is most noted for his Skweegie Kolache stories but has a side project called Vidyagame Libary,  as well as GROG with cartoonist Chris Sweet of Effing Decaf. My personal  favorite is a pantomime story he did called Warm Fuzzy.

When did you start cartooning?
Bedell:  I was very young and childlike. Like, a very young child, I was.
Who were your early influences?
Bedell:   I drew a lot of Super Mario, Ninja Turtles, and Simpsons as a kid--not because I was special, but because that's what was popular back then (Weird that all three of those things are still pretty popular today...). Matt Groening's name was the first I really clung to and mispronounced--my dad gave me a copy of Childhood is Hell and it was my favorite book. Then I got into the Far Side, and always had to wear one of those shirts. I was the coolest awkwardly-developing kid in the world in those one-size-too-big Far Side shirts!

Whose work do you admire now and how has it changed?
Bedell:  I went through a Crumb phase right after college and started branching off of that. Basil Wolverton, Jim Woodring. I like cartoonists who seem to put a lot of work and detail into such simple designs. Then I steal their techniques and try to pass them off as my own. I found this book of Drew Friedman's black and white stuff a few years ago with all the Tor Johnson comics. Man, what a stippler!



How long have you been doing Skweegie Kolache?



Bedell:  I started drawing the characters 20 years ago, did a few comic strips in high school 15 years ago, threw together my first book called "Skweegie Island" 5 years ago, and, uh... To answer your question, I don't know.

In addition to Skweegie Island and Vidyagame Libary, how many projects are you juggling right now?

Bedell:  I started drawing a new Skweegie Kolache story recently, but besides that, I'm in the planning stages on a bunch of stuff that may or may not ever happen.  Chris Sweet and I are talking about doing another colab. And there's always my super-epic magnum opus bullcrap I'll never get started on. 

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Free eBook Download This Weekend

Hello Fellow Staple enthusiasts!

I am offering free downloads of my A CAPPELLA book 1 this weekend, through midnight on Sunday 28th Sept. 2014.

Direct link --> A Cappella eBook 1

Author page --> www.amazon.com/author/christinepointeau

 
Enjoy!

Cheers :)

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Interview with Dan Price




 

Dan Price is the writer and co-creator of Masters of the Obvious he also created the Latex Avenger. Recently, he started a web strip called Excelsi-ish! You can find his work at www.mastersoftheobviouscomic.com and buy his stuff at the Hound Comics Store.


Was Latex Avenger your first Comic Book project?
It was the first thing I did that saw fruition. I did the first issue in 2007, but really got into it in 2010.  
http://houndcomics.com/images/webcomics/webcomic_moto_pic.jpg
Who are your biggest influences?
Keith Giffen, Bob Burden, Lee/Kirby, Mike Allred, Don Simpson, Harold Ramis, Alex Toth Cartoons (Space Ghost/Herculoids), Dave Chappelle, Kurt Vonnegut, Groucho Marx, Woody Allen, Norman Lear. Huge fan of comics back in the nineties, so I blame the Image founders for me wanting to make original comics. 
http://static.wixstatic.com/media/b277ad_e18f0df49eb64d03b6a66c71fc5b4017.jpg_srz_166_250_85_22_0.50_1.20_0.00_jpg_srzYou met your collaborator Bonn Adame at a 24 hour comic day and you have been involved in the monthly sketch bomb. What would say role of community has been on your work? It's been huge! When I first got into this, I didn't know anyone or what I was doing. In 2010, when I really started making a go of Latex Avenger and doing shows, I met a lot of people in and out of Austin.  By 2011-12, it seemed like Austin's comic scene became a family of sorts. People getting together and talking turned into collaborations and new ideas.
 
Artist Alley is a strange sales environment, you selling work that is very personal while surround by dozens of other creators attempting to do the same. What have you found works and why?
The battle for an independent comic creator is that no one knows you or what you do, so you have to stand out. I have an elevator pitch for both Latex Avenger and Masters of the Obvious that I say to everyone who walks by (much to the chagrin of the people tabling next to me) and gauge their attention level. In the case of Latex Avenger: 
"Latex Avenger and Spermicidal Foam Lad! Repelling crime 99.9% of the time!"

http://static.wixstatic.com/media/b277ad_87ad6e5d2a984d69ba56825042ca3514.jpg_srz_166_250_85_22_0.50_1.20_0.00_jpg_srz If they laugh, I hand them a comic and start blathering. 
 
Do you have any production or distribution advise you learned from putting out Latex Avenger and Masters of the Obvious?
I lettered my first comic in Photoshop and then flattened the pages, causing my vector fonts to raster and never look right.  Don't do that. 
 
How far ahead do you plan convention appearances and what do you do to get ready?
Depending on the show and the goals of that convention, prep can take a while, but it's not usually a grueling experience unless I have a book coming out for a certain show. When that is the case, I usually spend the week before watching UPS's tracking website like a hawk. Until the book arrives, it's four small heart attacks a day and constant anxiety.

What has been your best experience after taking Latex Avenger and Masters of the Obvious to conventions all over the state?

I am so passionate about the characters and stories I am creating, it's really exciting when you meet people who really get what it is I've been doing for the last 4 years and are just as passionate. Latex Avenger and Masters of the Obvious are not the typical fair seen at the shows and it takes a certain, special, beautiful person to gravitate to it. So, to those people, thank you for supporting the cause!

http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/5/59893/2891900-episode1_usethefarce_part1.jpg

Monday, February 17, 2014

2014 Table Assignments

Hit "CTRL-F" to search and find your name. Tables 1-47 are in the Hall, 48-83 are in the Annex.

1 After Midnight  
2 EC Printing  
3 Daily Texan  
4A Del Wieding  
4A Vanessa Gelvin  
4B Mark Nasso The Underground Forest
5 J. Micheal Stovall Stovepipe Curiosities
6 Jessica Grundy  
7 Emily Rose Romano Death's Pale Horse
8 Molly Black Rather Dodgy
9 Henry Melton Wire Rim Books
10 Fabian Rangel Jr. , Ryan Cody Believe In Comics
11 Jamie Kinosian, Robert Kinosian  
12 James Ferry, Sasha Blaschka Ambergris Productions
13 Isaiah Broussard, Zach Q Brass Comics
14 Grant Sutherland Greetings From Wonderland
14 Nate Bramble Bramble Vine Comics
15 Andy Hirsch, Natalie Khan  
16A Amanda Kluck Amanda Michael Design
16B Kim Scoulios Nancy Nebula
17 Anissa Bryant Anissa Art
17 Diana Steig All Switched Up
18 Dennis Last  
18 Monica Gallagher  
19 Bram Meehan, Monica Meehan 7000 BC
20 Shane Walker Rotten Pumpkin Studios
21A Richard Alexander  
21B Chad Hopper  PALFLOAT
22A Andy Warner,Olivia Warner  
22B Trent Kollodge Sinister Merriment
23A Chelsea Hostetter Koumori Comics
23A Katie Bauer  
23A Sarah Abraham  
23B Shannon McCormick Presidential Losers
24 Kris Kidd, Gary Orosco, Nasser Rodriguez Texas Comicon
25 J Hause Studio Ghosthause
26, 27 Chris Sweet Effing Decaf
26, 27 Jason Poland Robbie + Bobbie
26, 27 M. Austin Bedell Skweegie Island
26, 27 Zach Taylor Gnourg Press
28 Kennon James  
29 Cornace Davis Ghostwerks Commics
29 Samax Amen GhettoManga
30 Toni Shelton Art by Toni Shelton
31 Kris Kramer The 4th Realm
32 Jose Esquivel, Ferddy Fred  
33 Jeanie Bryan, Mike McCubbins Big List of Dead People
33 Matt Bryan  
34 Ben Butler The Art of Benstigation
34 Mary Golding Hellmouse Studios
35A Bruce McCandless III, Pati McCandless Ninth Planet Press
35B Justin Schaffer, Robert Garza  Terra Nova Games
36A Matthew Wolf The Ronin Saga
36B Leo McGovern Crescent City Comics
37A David Lamplugh Bivage Salvage LTD
37B Jeanne Thornton Rocksalt Magazine
38, 39 Tim Doyle Nakatomi
40 Paul Hanley  
41 Robert Wilson IV  
42 Stoic Studio  
43, 44 Rob Harrell, Wayne Beamer Top Shelf Productions
45 Chip Zdarsky  
46 Francesco Francavilla  
47A Paul Benjamin  
47B Chris Cox oneofus.net
48A Amber Terrell  
48A Will Terrell Will Terrell Illustration
48B Brandon Adkins Cartoonist
49 Jessi Jordan, Matt Gordon  
50A Sarah Becan  
50B Steve Statham Statham Communications, LLC
51 Jason Salas Fine Line, LLC
52 Kevin T. Chin  
53 Calvin Johns Anthropos Games
54 Austin Tinius, Robert Salinas Bogus Publishing
55 Gabriel Dieter Ghostfish Publishing
56A Drew Edwards, Jamie Bahr Halloween Man
56B Alyssa Laraine Steele Comic San Seraph
56B Derek Kampa  
57 Dexter Wood, Logan Ganshirt  
58 Miguel Aguilar Miguel Aguilar
59A John Myers Typo'd Mary
59B Tony Franklin Jr. , Michelle Millette, Regina Franklin, William Penson Chantilly Mace
60 Diana Nock Jinxville/The Intrepid Girlbot
60 Josh Lesnick You Suck/Slipshine
61A David McGuire Gastrophobia
61B Greg Means Tugboat Press
62 Lillian Butler by Lillian
63 Nathan Limon Nathan Limon Arts
64A Jamie Hernandez Crayonblood Studio
64B Alex Teich  
65A Jeff Hernandez Sensational Adventure Club
65A Brad McEntire, Ruth Engel-McEntire Dribble Funk Comics
65B Nathan Rice The Daily Compulsion
66 Mike Moreno  
66 Will Rodriguez Mangeld Sudios
67 Devin Kraft Cheshire Cat Art
68 Cody Schibi, Lance Schibi  
69A Brian Parker Brian Parker, Independent Author
69B Matt E. Patterson Digimonkey Studios
70 Jamel Jones  
70 Jessica Madorran  
71A Morgan McBride Muggs Clay Studio
71B Ben Humeniuk  
72 Ben Snakepit Snakepit Comics
72 Mitch Clem Turnstyle Comics
72 Nation of Amanda Nation of Amanda
73, 74 McLain McGuire, Sam Lofti, J. Anthony Hernandez CCP Comics
75A Abby Vassallo  
75A Shauna Hawkins  
75B Maria Mealla Sad Clown Productions
75B Robert McGee Check This Out, Babe
76 Tim Wheeler Microcosm Publishing
77 Morgan Thomas, Jordan Gurley, Nathan Woeber, Monica Garcia, Madeline Collins Texas State Graphic Novel Students
78 Robert Bienvenu, Erik Van Buren Baton Rouge Cartoonist Society
79 Chad Townsend, Paul Rigg  
80A Nathan Cheatham, Thomas Robinett  
80B Ashley Davis  
80B Victoria Elliott  
81 Jeremy The Artist  
81 Taffeta Darling  
82 Gabrielle Faust Nightshade Vampire Boutique
83A Gillian Rhodes, William Cardini, Brendan Kiefer Rough House Comics + William Cardini
83B Jennifer Zehler, Alisha Ashley, Victoria Goodman Line by Line Beta Reader