Give me some SKIN!

My new best buddy from Cali asked us to undertake to task of doing some iPhone skins. So after a quick debate Anthony and I decided to each do a fan favorite…Slayers and Zombies. It was a tough call because we have quite a number of characters to choose from. I guess no matter who we chose, some one will always want someone else. I figure we might as well do someone WE enjoy. The other two skins were some I did at last minute just playing around. The one of Dawn is one I really enjoyed but Anthony said it was gay of me to do a “chick” skin and then he beat me severely…so I will not be using that one. I'm still not sure the final result for this little project but we think it might result in some skins for sale at the next con!!!
-Jesse

Read the Signs!

As I was working on an iPhone Skin, I started to play around with several different designs. One thing lead to another and I had the idea to do signs. Though I couldn’t come up with too many that I really liked I did get a couple. Zombie Crossing is not an original idea. However, I do think that the bloody Cropone hand does add its own unique touch to it. It was a small challenge to replace the typical human print with that of a four fingered Cropone. I think it came out fun and adventurous and I believe it should be mounted on my wall….somewhere.

The second idea that I had was probably one I enjoyed the most. The basic zombie silhouette could have easily been used as a Zombie Crossing sign as well BUT by adding a little pizzazz (and by pizzazz, I mean a bullet through the head) to it, it gave the whole sign a new feel. After all, who didn’t smack their friends in the forehead when driving past a Stop Ahead sign? This sign was just begging for some alterations. Next we just got to look into getting these babies done!

-Jesse

Book II: Storylines

Here is a list of some of the stories that will be appearing in Berona’s War Book II Storylines. Some of these are working titles and will have been changed before the book is finalized. And just to be clear…when I say that these are some of the “stories,” what I mean is that these are some of the TITLES is Book II. Some of them cant really be called Stories because they are so short. R&D for example is a 3 page joke as well as several Armor-Krios skits are only one page each. We have some of these titles broke down into something you might see in the Sunday Funnies while others have a “far Side” feel to them and then there are the ones that are written comic book style with panels. Anyway, I just wanted to put some of what we have been working on to give you a look into some of the titles from the next book.
-Jesse

1. The War
2. R and D
3. Bigger game
4. Troop 82
5. Denial
6. Armor Krios Intro
7. What’s in a Name?
8. Ruthless
9. Dawn of the Nance
10. Dune Dog Saints
11. Whatever it Takes
12. Broken promise
13. A New Dawn
14. Flag Bearer
15. Self-Les
16. Slayer
17. Fallido
18. Stronger, Faster, Young
19. How Kurt Almost Died
20. Dawn and the Dead

1st vs 2nd!!!

As you know we’ve been working on getting Book II ready to hit the stores but what you might not know is that we are also revising the first edition as well. Berona’s Hundred Year War (the second edition) will also be hitting shelves across the nation this year.

When Anthony and I were first working on it there were several things that we wanted to change or tighten up before we printed it, but because we were short on time we had to go ahead and send it off to the printers. But now that we are published and are re-releasing it, we have the chance to go back and do the things we wanted. For the most part the book will be identical but there will be subtle changes throughout the book.

There will be a lot of names added to characters without them as well as some character changes every now and then…not to mention ALL the grammar corrections!!!
You can see from the picture above some of the changes that were made. Not all the pages (not even a quarter of them) will be this drastic of a change. But come on…that Cropone looks like a fuzzy potato! SOMETHING HAD TO BE DONE!!!

-Jesse

Zombies and Blue jeans (things that will never go outta style)

panel from How Kurtrell Almost Died.

“How Kurtrell Almost Died” Is done. The 4 page story is done and for the most part turned out the way I hoped. It’s fun, funny and all about the zombie hoard! What more can you ask for?
Did the 3 Alarm Illustration Gathering yesterday and had a pretty good time. Got to see a couple of guys I enjoy sketching with, so that’s always a good day for me. Another good thing was I had the opportunity to sell several “Knowing Your Zombie!” posters. They sold better than I thought they would.
The next step for me will be to start on the next story…Denial (story of the Shaman)

-Jesse

just goofing off at the table.

Wade and I with our mummy.

Kurtrell Presents: Zombie Knowledge

From the Mouth of Kurtrell comes ZOMBIE KNOWLEDGE! Kurtrell has become my face of the undead. He’s an expert on the subject. I needed one so I went ahead and drew one. Why? Because that’s how my world works! I, like many others, am a fan of the Zombie so I whipped up a little goofy character who can share my geekism of the subject. I present to you Kurtrell. The ultimate Farmer…the Ultimate Foe! These are his words, not mine.
Anyway the character is based after a friend named Kurt, who, believe it or not, loves zombies too! Little Kurtrell is featured in the first book as well as holds a couple of pages in book II, Storylines.
This weekend I will be attending 3 Alarm’s Illustration event and wanted to bring something new to the table so I spent some time designing something I thought might be appreciated by others. It’s an 11X17 mini poster, “Knowing Your Zombies!” It will be a full color poster printed on cardstock and also come in a Toploader protective case. I will be selling them for $10. If they sell ok, Anthony and I will probably design a matching poster, “Know Your Local Slayer!”
-Jesse

One Step Close

Thought I am still working on stories that are not quite done and stories that NEED to be done, I am finding myself going back and forth from story to story making sure they are all up to par.

I have recently revisited "Bigger Game" which is done but needed proper word balloons as well as proper text. Once doing those corrections I realized that the cover was not done yet….ooops!

I had Cooper reach into his bag of goodies and pull out some prologue text for the cover page and I finished up the illustration. So what you see now is the (hopefully) final look for the cover to “Bigger Game.” It’s a 12 page short story from Berona’s War Book II Storylines.

I will try to get a list of stories that we are expecting to be in the book as soon as we lock them down…which shouldn’t be long!

-Jesse