HOT OFF THE PRESSES

I present to you the latest in the masterful line of pages that have been birthed by the brilliant womb of Marc Borstel. The plot thickens...

Solid Gold Ear Candy

My good friends Matt and Brian from the Secret Identity Podcast have posted an interview I did with them during NYCC 2010. We talk about THE OUTER SPACE MEN, DIONYSUS WEPT, Arcana Comics and torture. Tune in for my interview at the 49:40min mark, but stay for the solid gold ear candy that Matt and Brian cook up twice weekly.

CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME

It's been a while since I've checked in with updates on my upcoming graphic novel DIONYSUS WEPT. The simple fact is, I've been focused on charity work. If you're like me and want to give to others, think about making a contribution to THE HUMAN FUND.

In the meantime, check out DIONYSUS WEPT illustrator Marc Borstel's amazing work on DREAM REAVERS, a 4-issue mini-series coming out from Ape Entertainment later this year.

DIONYSUS WEPT VISITS NYCC!

The creative minds behind DIONYSUS WEPT will be attending the final day of New York Comic Con. Get up to the minute details from the con floor by following me on Twitter. Or just check back here for all the groovy news.

A LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO...DEATH!

The murder-tastic graphic novel, DIONYSUS WEPT keeps chugging along. I've been getting images back from, master-illustrator Marc Borstel and I just can't keep them to myself! As you can see Marc is KILLING! Here we see some of the main players in this "urban tragedy of immense social significance." Look for this mind-assaulting comic from ARCANA STUDIOS early next year.

DIONYSUS WEPT SIGNED BY ARCANA STUDIOS!

It is with great excitement that I can officially announce the signing of my latest comic, DIONYSUS WEPT, to ARCANA STUDIOS. Slated as a two volume graphic novel series, with the first to be completed later this year, DIONYSUS WEPT seeks to expand the reader's internal universe with Nazi-era eugenics experimentation, murder and psychedelic mind travel. Upon reviewing my original story pitch it was clear that Arcana Studios was the only publisher capable of such a groundbreaking endeavor.
From Arcana Studios website:

Arcana began in 2004 as a studio. Since then Arcana has established itself as an innovative leader in developing content in various mediums. Working in websites, comics and graphic novels, video games, short-form animation and live action shorts, toys and merchandise, as well as feature length films, Arcana focusses on a transmedia approach to the the scaffolding process of developing brands and intellectual properties.
Arcana's primary method for establishing new brands has been through comic book publishing and in just over four years, Arcana Comics has published over 150 original comics and books, reaching sales of over 1,000,000 units. Arcana is found on 15 different countries and translated into seven languages across the globe. Winning the Shuster Award for Top Publisher, the Moonbeam Award for Top Children's Graphic Novel and BIV's Top 40 Under 40 Award are just a few of the accolades that Arcana has achieved.

And of course, DIONYSUS WEPT will feature the amazing draftsmanship of 2010 RUSS MANNING AWARD Nominated artist, Marc Borstel.

I'm overcome with joy to see that Marc's talents are being recognized by the industry that he loves so dearly. And it is with great anticipation that I await Marc's pages on this book, as he work has matured significantly since our time together on THE OUTER SPACE MEN Graphic Novel.

DIONYSUS WEPT ARTIST NOMINATED FOR THE RUSS MANNING AWARD

It is with great excitement that I learned my friend and collaborator on DIONYSUS WEPT, Marc Borstel, has been nominated for a prestigious MANNING AWARD. THE RUSS MANNING AWARD is an award presented to a comic book artist whose first professional work appeared within the previous two years. It was named after the famous American comic book artist Russ Manning. The winner is chosen from a list of nominees picked by judges from the West Coast Comics Club and Comic-Con International, and is given at the Eisner Award ceremony. Marc was nominated based on the stunning work he did for THE MISADVENTURES OF CLARK AND JEFFERSON published by APE ENTERTAINMENT. Art Adams, one of my artistic idols, won the MANNING way back in '86. For Marc to be included with a name like that must be incredibly flattering.

I'm truly fortunate to have met Marc in person during NYCC '09. And we have plans to put NYCC '10 in a headlock and punch it in the teeth this October. Marc's work on DIONYSUS WEPT is STUNNING! The feedback I've been getting from publishers is overwhelming. Stay tuned in the coming days for an exciting announcement regarding the publication of DIONYSUS WEPT. Hopefully, I will be able to include the quote "Illustrated by MANNING AWARD WINNER Marc Borstel" on the front cover. Good Luck Marc!

ARTIST MARC BORSTEL TALKS DIONYSUS WEPT!

Argentina born artist Marc Borstel has spent the last 20 years working in the comic book industry. But he's always looking for new ways to tell killer stories through his art. I had the pleasure of meeting Marc last year at NEW YORK COMIC CON '09 for the launch of our collaborative effort on THE OUTER SPACE MEN Graphic Novel. Marc was kind enough to shed some more light on the creative process involved in DIONYSUS WEPT.

Eric C Hayes: So Marc, give me an idea about the steps in the creative process.
Marc Borstel: I start sketching the page (On the computer, using Photoshop, with a Wacom Intuos 3 Tablet) on a virtual blueline white artboard, after the storyboard is done, I do all the panel borders, and I make a cheap copy I use as reference, then, I skip programs, enter the 3D modeling. I use Poser 7 for the characters and Lightwave 3D for the objects. when I do all the renderings, I come back to photoshop where I build every panel using 3D renderings, my own thumbnails and photo references (if needed), when I mesh all the objects in the panel, I add some photoshop filters to melt the artwork.

Eric C Hayes: The story starts out with some character development before business starts to pick up. Tell me how you can change the story's mood through your artwork.
Marc Borstel: Here's when the things get interesting: At this point, I start toying with the images, retouching, getting dirty, erasing, doing whacky things with all the tools I have at hand. this is the reason for getting something new (and fresh, I hope) in every page, because every panel has a different finishing process. If you like the artistic evolution in every page, but to me, this fact is great, because the story starts in a very specific way, moody, dark, and elegant, and after the page 5, it comes darker, chaotic, sick, very dramatic and moodier. I'm very proud of it.

Eric C Hayes: You're also doing the lettering on this project. Can you give me some information on your lettering decisions?
Marc Borstel: I'm trying to always keep the same color scheme for the lettering, I tried to make it controlled, because in such chaotic artwork, you need to be grounded with all the captions, to make the message clear for the reader, the only part where I made the lettering different was in the last panel, trying to increase the transformation on the main character.

Thanks Marc. If you're interested in Marc's art and the comic, make sure to follow this blog for the latest news on the progress of DIONYSUS WEPT.

BACKSTAGE PASS TO INTELLIGENT DESIGN

Here's your opportunity to take a "behind the scenes peak" at the creative process behind DIONYSUS WEPT (the revolutionary exploration into the internal universe told through sequential art.) This collaborative effort between the muddled mind of Eric C Hayes and the supreme pen of Marc Borstel is in the final stages of preparation for submission to the world of comic book publishing.

But it all starts with the script. The completed script is merely a collection of my disjointed thoughts jotted down in notebooks, book margins and on burrito receipts. Hopefully this witch's brew of musings ends with a cogent story. This blog post will focus on the artistic maturation of PAGE 6 from DIONYSUS WEPT.

This information is transported through a system of tubes, called the interweb, to Mar Del Plata, Argentina. By way of "electronic" mail, it is read by master draftsman, Marc Borstel. And even though English is Marc's second language, he nails the script every time. Often sending me back art that is head and shoulders better than I could have imagined myself. Using a Wacom tablet, Marc starts with a blue-line "pencil" sketch.

After viewing Marc's sketches, I typically have to, first put my socks back on. Then I green-light the coloring phase. For some time, I've been taking notice of the coloring styles specific to non-superhero comics. I've really been digging the look of today's noir comics. This has been quite a departure from Marc's preferred style, But after some experimenting, it's clear he's created an atmosphere that is both evocative of a crime/noir story while presenting a completely original work of art.

Lastly, comes the lettering. The only problems in this area arise from my misspellings in the script.

Hopefully, the end result is an entertaining story that doesn't bum too many people out. Everyone should now take a moment and thank Al Gore for creating the World Wide Web. Without him, and it, this process could last decades of frustrating delays. Make sure to follow this blog for further insight into the craft of making comics. And get yourself prepared for DIONYSUS WEPT, the nexus of Greek Mythology meets Nietzchean Philosophy meets Psychotropic Spelunking. See more of Marc's work at his DeviantArt page.