Action Slamson, SPKO 3 Update, and Upcoming Cool Stuff

So in most of Super Pro K.O.!, Tomahawk Slamson has been running around shooting scenes for his movie National Disaster 3. Well, the movie finally comes out in SPKO 3 so I get draw some clips from it. The shot above was one of the first concept drawings I put together of what the possible National Disaster 3 movie poster might look like. I ended up going in a different direction all together allthough Slamson’s costume is pretty spot on. Oh, and his Skull Pellet Gun. I love that thing.

I’ve had to collect a lot of reference for this volume of SPKO (more so than v1 or v2). In this case, what better way to get in the mindset of action hero than to pose with my friend’s Nerf gun. Though some adjustments had to be made for the size difference of the gun barrels, it helped me get the point across.

A) Point Blank. You’re about to get “got”. I felt like Walter from Breaking Bad.

 

B) Spastic Shooting. You know, that panic mode shooting that happens when your nemesis just won’t stay down. This is also how I look playing any Resident Evil game. 100% petrified 100% of the time.

 

C) Bazooka Mode. Nuff said.

 I actually can show how that first shot translated into a penciled panel in v3.

Ultimately, I wish I could do a whole volume of Action Slamson comics. That would be a blast. But again, time isn’t on my side there.

That’s it for now! I'm on pretty strict deadline these days for SPKO 3: Gold for Glory! so updates will be a bit more erratic at the moment as I make sure to stay on top of things. I'm almost halfway through pencils on v3 (which is the longest part of the book making process for me). Once I hit inks, I'll have a bit more to show you. By that point I'll be in a much more mello space of mind :D 

I also just finished up some art for Chikara Pro Wrestling that you'll probably see real soon. It was a lot of fun. When they post it, I'll show you the process stuff here. 

I'm also working on some cool stuff with Lacey Micallef over at http://lulinternet.com/ . I'm actually pumped about this. You'll set the fruit of our labor in a couple of months. Can't wait. It'll mean some extra work on my end but her stuff's great. I'm hoping working with Lacey will open some hidden channel in my brain. Maybe I'll access some truly trippy zone in my mind and unlock a new way of working. Maybe things I learned at age 7 but forgot will somehow return to me.  I dunno. It's currently 4:09 am and these are the sorts of things I think about as I start shutting down.

Also, I’ve got some messages from folks trying to get their hands on SPKO 2. You can purchase a copy online or even request that your local bookseller order a copy for you. In some cases, they’ll get more copies after someone’s shown interest. As always, I appreciate the support!

SPKO #2: Chaos in the Cage!

SPKO #1

J

Twitter: @JarrettWilliams

SPKO Interview Over at Spandexless

I talked with Patrick Smith a couple of months ago over at Spandexless about Super Pro K.O.! and sort of what got me even thinking about drawing a pro wrestling comic. I also touch on a couple of my longterm ideals for the series. Check it out here! Spandexless is pretty committed to covering non-superhero comic genres so definitely check out their other reviews/interviews too.

Jarrett

Twitter:@JarrettWilliams



Afro Dynamics

I started fleshing out this fun scene in SPKO3 last week featuring "The Afro Thunder" , Sensational Sike. I watched a bunch of old 60s/70s videos for the outfit inspiration. I don’t want to spoil the lyrics, location, or fellow singers just yet so let that last panel let your mind wander…

 

Which makes me wonder, what’s up with the lack of dancing overall in comics? Especially when most of the artist/writers I know are music heads ???

Sike's afro has presented a number of technical concerns on some of my recent pages. Outside of giving him the convertible, I started thinking of how would he actually walk through door ways with his hair.

I had a conversation with a friend of mine recently about how difficult it can be finding a cool character design and then showing that "cool character" from different vantage points. Crown's nose and Sike's afro have created all sorts of non-fun problems in some scenes. I've pretty much decided to never show Crown Jr. looking straight on at the viewer because of his penguin nose. It's a little weird that I'm stuck on the logistics of such a cartoony comic though. If an elephant can walk down a ramp to the ring, I think the afro's not really an issue. But again, stare at something for hours and you tend to dwell on it. 

Here’s the final inks on that flyer I showed a screenshot of last week… 

I think this might be cool for the inside cover of SPKO 3. Then again, I might lean on something else. After awhile, your mind starts going all over the place, especially when the hours get longer. I’m pretty loopy as I type this.

Work time,

J

Twitter: @JarrettWilliams

Desk Shot: Super Pro K.O.! #3: Event Flyer

I’ve always loved typography. As a kid, I would copy fonts I really liked in my sketchbook. Spiderman and TMNT were one of the first ones I remember drawing. By hand. I have a pretty collection of fonts from all over the place these days and I usually am waiting to pull them out for something.  I originally planned to major in graphic design but took a few classes and hated it.  I was bored to death at the computer all day. It was just one more thing that pushed me in the direction of sequential art. However, I’ve always tried to incorporate lettering in interesting ways in my comics. There’s also something relaxing about hand lettering.  When I’m in the act, I feel like I’m truly one with my art.

What’s great about pro wrestling are some of the cool promo posters from back in the day. I stress that because some of the more modern flyers are pretty basic (usually featuring one or two wrestlers predominantly taking up the poster). I love how some of the classic posters had to get so much more information across, especially when organizations went to  towns without televised wrestling. The bold text was even more necessary then. I want SPKO to have the feel of an old school wrestling organization or traveling circus. This is just one of many that’ll be spotted over the course of this volume of Super Pro K.O.!

 Jarrett

Twitter: @JarrettWilliams

SPKO 2 on Comic Bulletin's Top 10 Best Graphic Novels of 2011

 

Comics Bulletin included Super Pro K.O.! 2: Chaos in the Cage! on their Top Ten Best Graphic Novels of 2011 list! Check it out here:

http://www.comicsbulletin.com/main/columns/graphic-novels-2011

It’s great to be included in this batch of artists and books. Seriously, thanks CB! You can get a copy of SPKO 2: Chaos in the Cage! here.

Jarrett

Twitter: @JarrettWilliams