Chapter 2: Sketches

Just some sketches to show you all a glimpse of new characters/outfits you'll be seeing in Chapter 2. While Trevor and Ruby will be changing outfits, Michio won't. So I made this little sketch:

And here are some sketches of a character who will be introduced in chapter 2, Briana.

That's all I got for now. I don't want to spoil too much, after all. But before I go, I'll take this opportunity to let you know that Chapter 2 is going to be longer than chapter 1... I'm aiming for around 44 pages (twice the length!) but I can't give an exact count, since I tend to edit whenever the urge strikes me (case in point: Chapter 1 was supposed to be an even 20, then halfway through I decided to add on another 2 pages). Anyway, as Arnold says, I'll be back.

Book Debut

Purchase Chapter 1 on Lulu!

The book form of Bad Grammar: Chapter 1 includes all the comic pages I've shown here, in addition to some preview materials of chapter 2. If you enjoyed reading it on this blog, then perhaps you'd like a hard copy. Or perhaps you could give a review!

Remember, if you're attending SPX I'll be selling the books at a special price of five dollars each. One weekend only!

That's all there is to report for now.

Chapter 1, Page 22

And here we have it! The END. For now. What does all this mean? You'll see. Eventually.

Of course, this doesn't mean I'll be going on (another) blog hiatus. I'll be posting progress and such of chapter 2, until I have enough finished pages to start posting it. And, of course, news in the way of the chapter 1 book. Now off I trot.

Chapter 1, Page 21

And here you get a little peek at Michio's dad... Who is probably my favorite character in the whole comic. Also, I hope it's easy to see that he and Michio have the exact same evil cackle. (The same is true for myself and my mother, unfortunately). It was actually pretty challenging, trying to get the pacing right on this page, but I didn't want to have to extend it, because I didn't think it would work as well. Overall, I'm pleased with the result. Anyway, hope everyone has a happy labor day tomorrow-- I'll be posting chapter 1's exciting conclusion!

Chapter 1, Page 19 + 20

I think now would be a good time to mention that Bad Grammar is partially autobiographical... For instance, my first car was a black Camaro like the one on these pages. And the license plate "RUBZ" was something I witnessed in the emergency room parking lot when I sprained my hand back in the spring. Meanwhile, Ethel's Grave is based off a real "haunted" spot on Long Island called Mary's Grave. I actually drew the scene from my memories of my own visit there. Good times.

Anyway, we're approaching the end of the chapter! Exciting! I'll see you soon with another page.

Chapter 1, Page 18

I've run out of process-related things to say at this point. So I'm just going to let you enjoy this page for what it is, without my non-stop rambling. Peace.

Chapter 1, Page 17

This is one of my favorite pages. drawing the texture on these bricks was not the most tedious thing I have ever done, but it made me wonder why I had decided to give the bricks so much texture to begin with. There isn't much to say at this point, really. See you next page.

Chapter 1, Page 16 and SPX

Aaaand we're back. It was rough trying to figure out how to do a night scene with just black and white, but I think it turned out well. The following night time pages are actually some of my favorite in the chapter.

In other news, I will be touting fully tangible printed versions of Bad Grammar (along with other comics) at Small Press Expo in Bethesda, MD. That's September 26th and 27th. If you're in the area, drop by and see me! It's only 15 dollars for the whole weekend, or 8 dollars for one day. Just remember to bring loads of cash with you, because you're going to see a lot of wonderful comics there that you'll want even more than a new puppy.

I'll be posting more Bad Grammar related news here as I update, so if anyone's anxious to read about these exciting new developments, just keep your eyes peeled.

Chapter 1, Page 14 + 15

I thought it would be best to post the story of Ethel all at once, so here are two pages for you! These are actually two of the last pages I did in the chapter, and I also took great amusement in making the little girl's silhouette look like Michio. That's all I have on the commentary front, really. Seeya next post, then.

Chapter 1, Page 13

Another update so soon? I know, right? But I want to finish posting chapter 1. Anyway, not much to say about this page except that, despite the fact that the couch was a pain, it was also a life-saver time wise, because it filled up enough space that I felt I could get away with not having a background in the third panel. Also, I'm quite proud of the last panel, since perspective had escaped me for a long time (and probably still does, despite my newfound confidence).

Chapter 1, Page 12

I remember inking this page at 3am, bundled up in my sweatshirt and eating pizza. But I digress. Something of note in this page here is that I achieved the splatter effect in the volcano eruption with white acrylic ink and a stiff-bristled brush. You know, the cheap kind you get in a craft pack or something. Here we also see that Michio's english skills are not quite perfect, hence the title.

Also, that couch was a huge pain.

Chapter 1, Page 11

Here's the first page from the second half of the chapter! Well, slightly more than half... I did the rest of the pages in the chapter about a month after I finished the first. These were also done much more quickly than the first 10 pages, but then again they were already outlined. I switched to Speedball india ink for a little while, but I wasn't a huge fan of it and switched back.

Well, until next time... I'll be posting these a lot more frequently than I have in the past, so it won't be long.

Chapter 1, Page 9, 10, and New Cover

Apologies for the hiatus... Between graduation, moving, and trying to find a new job, I got pretty sidetracked. But I'm back now! And now I give you two new pages and a new cover for chapter 1:

Chapter 1, Page 8

Sorry that it's been so long since the last update. I got very sidetracked by my graduation (and also by finishing the comic and binding a sample book). Anyway, THE SAGA CONTINUES.

I don't have much to say about this page. However, I will announce that I'm starting to work on chapter 2, which will be amazing.

Well, that's it for now.

Chapter 1, Page 7

Michio is very passionate. I opted to omit the crazy dotty texture on this page in favor of excessive dialogue, and as you can see that girl in the background is still very angry. I also attempted to subtly reference ukiyo-e with the bottom left panel, but I think it turned out more subtle than I'd intended. Still, I'm pleased with how it looks. There isn't much else to say here, except that sandwiches are hard to draw. Until next time!

Chapter 1, Page 6

Long pauses are one of my favorite comedic tools in the whole wide world. There's not much to say about this page. These backgrounds were a pain in my sittin' part, but they were worth it in the end. That cafeteria, by the way, is my old high school cafeteria, complete with angry pregnant ghetto girls. Good times.

Chapter 1, Page 5

This is hands-down my favorite page of the bunch, entirely because of that top panel. In fact, that one image is the culmination of my entire artistic career. Well, I'm sure that was an exaggeration, but I will not retract the statement. I also think that panel was the biggest challenge of that page. For instance, that was the first nude male I'd drawn in a long time, but I think I he turned out quite glorious. Plus the ":/" face. Sorry about all that. Anyway, I used pretty much the same brushes and inks for this page as the rest. I think I also started going kinda crazy with the white lines in the black areas at this point. Well, that's about it for this installment.

Chapter 1, Page 4

Well, I'm not sure what to say about this page. By this time I had pretty much decided how I was going to work on the comic-- mostly with a number 2 white sable brush, using a number 4 to fill in areas. And there's dialogue now, oh my! It feels like kind of a lot after the last three pages, but it'll be staying there. I actually am doing all the lettering by hand, God help me. I minimized the possibility for huge mistakes by writing the lettering on a separate sheet of paper (just regular computer paper), with my #2 white sable brush, then scanning the lettering and laying it on the page via photoshop. Everyone around me said I was crazy to do the lettering with a brush, but look at me now! Kehkehkehkehkeh!

Well look at that. I actually found something to say about the page.

Chapter 1, Page 3

This was when I finally started working with some larger brushes. And it looks so much better, too! However, I think I'm going to redraw this sequence when I get some time, maybe in the spring. It was pointed out to me that it feels too rushed and compact, and now I can't unsee it. Obviously the only solution is to replace it with something completely new.

Chapter 1, Page 2

Page dos! The hand lettering on this one was a lot of fun. (It always makes me think of the Snakes on a Plane theme song-- Come on brrriinng it!). In fact, the only part that was not a lot of fun was the second-to-last panel. That was torturous, it took me forever to get it looking decent. I was still painstakingly working with the 000 brush at this point, along with the size 4 and then a size 2 (I think) rigger. And I think I forgot to mention before that I used white acrylic ink to separate/add texture to the black areas. Also, if anyone's curious, the panels are done with a gigantic Faber-Castell brush pen and a very reliable T-square and ruler. Well, that's all for now.

Chapter 1, Page 1

Let's get started, shall we? I apologize in advance for my overwhelming desire to comment on my own work, but self-control has never been my strong point.

I think the unique challenge with page one was that I had close to no experience with doing line work with a brush beforehand. I'd done maybe five ink and brush (very sketchy) comic pages a couple of months before starting Bad Grammar, and then I just dove right in. Not a technique for the faint of heart, but I recommend it to those who have a difficult time picking up new things. It's pretty much the only way I learn anything about anything.

Anyway, I had zero control with the brush compared to nowadays (a mere four months later), so I started off small; literally. The line work on this entire page was done with a 000 red sable brush, and the black areas filled in with a 4 red sable brush. I would also like to take this opportunity to say that I absolutely adore Loew-Cornell brushes, both red and white sable.

I promise my commentary on future pages won't be quite so lengthy.

Chapter 1 Cover

Here's the cover to Chapter One. I painted it in acrylic, then did the text and the black bars in india ink, scanned it all, and assembled it in photoshop. Don't ask me why I decided to paint the cover like this. Sometimes my thought processes are a mystery even to me. Still, I like the color variation that happened in the yellow.

About

Bad Grammar is a personal project I've been writing and drawing for a while now, and one day I hope to get it published.

Michio, a mathematical genius with absolutely no social grace whatsoever, is thrust from his home in Saitama, Japan, to his mother's hometown on Long Island, New York. He is befriended by two outcasts, Ruby and Trevor, and from there the high school (and supernatural) drama begins.

For those who wonder about materials:

Bad Grammar is exclusively black and white (i.e. no gray tones) with white and red sable brushes ranging from size 000 to size 4 and india ink. The paper is 11" x 17" smooth bristol.

Bad Grammar is copyright Marie Condenzio 2008/2009 and beyond.