Krusty: Did you hear about the blonde who tried to make ice? She forgot the recipe! How come you don’t see many blonde snowwomen? It takes too much time to hollow out the head! Bart Simpson: [laughing] He sure got you pegged, blondie. Lisa Simpson: You’re blond too, you know. Bart Simpson: Blond boys aren’t dumb, they’re evil, like in Karate Kid or World War II.
If you’re as interested in storytelling as I am, you’ve probably read a of books on story.
Adding levity in a story is one of the many things one can do to make a story more fun. Today I’m going to be recommending my favorite books on comedy. I’ve found them to be very helpful, insightful and great reads.
You can either watch the video or read the post below. It’s basically the same information:
The links below are affiliate links. Thanks for your support.
Getting Better at Being Funny
I’m really interested in comedy. I like writing jokes. I’ve been doing it since I was in elementary school.
I’m really interested in improving my comedy, because I enjoy doing comedic cartoons and comics.
I’ve three recommendations for books that I’ve found to be very helpful when it comes to comedy. So let’s get to it.
This is the book fundamentals of comedy. This book is the book that gives you the foundations of what makes comedy work. It talks about funny words, reversals, the rule of threes,…just about everything you can think of when it comes to the traditional foundations of comedy. I say “traditional” because the view point of comedy in this book is very “retro.” It’s the kind of comedy you might hear Mel Brooks use. This book teaches very classic comedy troupes.
Don’t let that fool you though. What’s in the book is pretty essential to know. Great book.
This guy watched a bunch of sitcoms and come up with the eight common archetypes that seem to be universal in all sitcoms. INCREDIBLY useful to have if you want to have a launching off point when creating a comedic ensemble of characters that seem to universally work well together.
This book is the compliment to Comedy Writing Secrets. This is the application of comedy in a more modern way. It talks about doing stand up in the, “what the deal with…?” style. But not really like that. It simply gives you the foundation that most modern comedians use to write their routines, ways to test you work, and many many other things. I really think you should get this book and read it with Comedy Writing Secrets. You can get the fundamentals with one book and the modern application of those fundamentals with this book.
Serious About Comedy
So those are my three recommendations for books you should have if you want to get serious about comedy and get better at it.
If you have read great comedy books that you recommend, let me know, I’d love to know what they are.
If you get any of these books or even already own them, leave a comment and let me know what you think.
THE SIMPSONS NEWS – My Hiatus Ends and Dandelion Couch Gag
I came back to work this week. I’m currently working on the revisions for show 1 of this new season.
Meanwhile, one of the Couch Gags I scrambled to board last season is out and is being promoted. This is cool, so I thought I’d share it, so here you go:
VIDEO – Gaiman on Being Like Dandelions
Speaking of Dandelions, there’s this video making the rounds. It’s Neil Gaiman making a speech on many things. Mostly storytelling and publishing, BUT there’s also a bit on how to find the thing that will click with people. It’s very interesting and worth listening to:
For more comics and stories written by me: COMICS AND STORIESIf you like what you read, please consider signing up to my rss feed.
BOARD GAMES – Simpsons Studio Artists Worked on the Simpsons Monopoly Game
Simpsons Quote:
Monopoly Guy: There was a bank error in my favor and I’m spending it all on Oriental Avenue prostitutes.
I play a lot of board games…well, I used to. I like playing them but either I don’t have the time to play them or no one wants to play them with me.
So what?
Well, I happened to have worked on a The Simpsons Monopoly game and today I’m going to be talking about it.
You can either watch the video below or read the text under it. It’s the same information so it doesn’t really matter which you choose:
I Happen to be a Gamer
I’m really into board games, I’m a big gamer. I used to be obsessed with video games. I’m not so obsessed with them anymore. I prefer something more tactile. I prefer siting around in a group, playing a game.
Board games fit the bill. I’m not talking about mainstream games, like LIFE, Monopoly, Risk. I’m talking more about what are often called Euro games, hobby games, or designer games. They’re different kinds of board games that are becoming more and more popular.
A big dice game. It’s difficult to explain the game in sentence. Just follow the link and you can learn about it.
Or games like DreamBlade, which I wrote about a few years ago on this blog. Here’s the link:
A Board Game I Worked On
Although I don’t play mainstream board games all that much I did work on one and it’s Simpsons related. That game is, of course Simpsons Monopoly:
Now I’m not a huge Monopoly fan, in fact, I don’t like playing it at all. I think it’s flawed, but most people when they think of board games they think of Monopoly.
So what did I work on? What did I do in this games?
I worked on the board. BUT only a tiny bit of the board.
There’s these tiny little vignettes of people on the board. That’s what I drew. Things like this:
I really didn’t do anything else. The background of the board was drawn by Emmy Award winning Chuck Ragins. He does background designs on the show and he drew the background on that Monopoly board. He’s gone on to win an Emmy on one of the shows he designed backgrounds for on the Simpsons.
I’m not sure who drew the rest of the board.
The Chance and Community Chest cards, I believe where drawn by Shawn Cashman. Shawn is Simpons alumnus who has gone on to become a director in many other shows. Including King of the Hill.
It’s neat looking game. It has lot’s a very cool bits. The game pieces are Simpsons character. It’s even got Kodos as a playable piece:
The Story Behind the Game
Okay so, how did I end up working on the games?
Well, Bill Morrison from Bongo Comics called me up because he had been given the assignment to do the art on the game. He simply didn’t have the time to do it. He didn’t have the time to do the entire board.
So he decided to farm out the art to people he thought was going to be able to handle it while he managed it all. So he paid off the artist to do the bit of the work.
Unfortunately for him, I was one of the last people he asked to do the worked on the characters. It was a last minute job. Then he asked me how much I wanted for the work. When I told him, it turned out that, because of what I asked, he didn’t get paid.
He coordinated the whole thing and then at the end, there was no money left for him. I didn’t realize that, I wasn’t thinking. It was really screwed up.
He had the job, he farmed it out, he did he difficult job of coordinating the whole thing, and then paid all the artist which left no money for him.
That totally sucked. I’m sorry Bill, I didn’t know. I wasn’t thinking.
Do you have it?
That’s my little board game story. Maybe you can still find this game I’m not sure.
Do you have this version of Monopoly? Do you play it? What do you think of the art? What do you think of this version of the game?
Let me know, I’m curious. Leave a comment below.
BOOKS – My “Art of Book,” Angel Cowgirl.
Behind the scenes for some time now, I’ve been working on putting together a collection of my art and sketches.
I finally managed to finish doing this.
To celebrate, I’m giving way the digital version of the book for FREE. All you have to do is opt in to my e-mail list and you’ll be sent a link to download the book.
That’s it! It’s so simple.
Here’s a sample of the art you can expect to see:
For more comics and stories written by me: COMICS AND STORIESIf you like what you read, please consider signing up to my rss feed.
BOOKS – A Good Inexpensive Resource for Artists to Learn About Marketing
The Simpsons quote:
“OLD SPRINGFIELD LIBRARY WE HAVE BOOKS ABOUT TV” ~Banner at the library
How do you learn to market yourself as an artist? Being a marketer is such a different skill set than being an artist.
Even though this is true, it’s a learn-able skill. Plenty of non artist have learned it, why can’t we?
The problem is, where to begin? There are so many options.
Well, I have a suggestion. I have a low cost entry point to start learning this stuff in the form of a marketing book which I will share with you in this post.
So you can either watch the video or read the post.
(All links to the book below are affiliate links. I appreciate your support if you decide to buy the book and use the links to do so. Thank you.):
This is a really good book that helps you start wrapping your head around marketing. It’s $15.00 but you can probably go the library and see if you can borrow it there. This is really a low cost entry point to learning about this stuff.
There’s really a couple of thousand dollars of information in the book for $15.00 (or for free if you borrow it from the library). You really let a lot of info.
As artists we’re always putting our stuff online. We’re on Twitter, we’re on Facebook, DeviantArt, and we’ve got our own websites. All these things are really good, BUT there’s a reason why we’re not getting more hits to our work. Why we’re often, not really making money off this stuff. There’s a reason why it’s not enough.
What’s In the Book
It’s because there’s a little bit more to it than that. A few things we’re not doing well.
Getting the right message to the right people via the right media and methods–effectively, efficiently, and profitably.
This is the core theme of the book. The beginning of every chapter emphasizes one of the sides of the triangle.
What We Tend to Neglect
For example, we’re pretty much obsessed with the “media” part: websites, social me
dia and the other thing I mentioned above. That’s fine but we often neglect the other things.
We might not be targeting the right Market (Who). We really should do some homework on that and the book shows you how to do it, what to think about. It gives you things to brainstorm and examples of what has worked. It’s really good about doing that sort of thing.
We often neglect what message we’re putting out there. What are we trying to say? What’s the best way to say it? The book gives you a marketing plan. It helps you think about how to plan this stuff so you can get the most out of what you do and how you do it.
I can’t recommend this book enough. I’ve spent more money on marketing material that has been less useful than the information in this book.
Now, a Warning.
The Ultimate Marketing Plan is a marketing tool for Dan Kennedy. As good as the info in the book is, it’s not absolutely complete. There isn’t such a thing anyway.
There’s still gaps in the information. Those gaps in the info require their own books. Well, what do you know, Dan Kennedy also wrote a book about the thing that he didn’t write about in this one.
The book itself is a platform he uses to market for something else.
Dan Kennedy is a business man who got wealthy helping to market products for other business and got really good at it. Now he teaches marketing so you can do it too. So he has a website where he does it from and it’s really great. His book does everything it can to get you to go to that site.
On the one hand, the information in the book is really great. On the other hand, you have to be aware of the “meta-learning” factor of the book, which is that, the book itself is a marketing tool. As you read the book, you can see where he markets himself and his products.
The book is a low entry item that he uses, to get you hooked so that he can then get you into the system and try to, up sell you into higher and higher tier items in his business. This is not a bad thing. It’s in fact showing you HOW he does what he does by example.
Just be warned that the book is a marketing tool. It’s not only going to teach you how to market yourself, but it’s also going to market TOO you.
But I really do recommend this book. Give it a read whether you buy it or get it from the library.
If you Read This Book
I hope you liked my review. If you liked it, let me know. If you read the book, tell me what you think. I’d love to hear from you.
This Week’s Opt In Surprise
This week I sent off a special drawing full of art that was done by the Simpsons Crew around the time I started on the show. They sat around and made fun of Jurassic Park, Simpsons style.
If you’d like like to see that art, opt in below before Thursday of next week and I’ll send you a copy of the e-mail just for you (yes, I’m totally marketing my e-mail opt in right now. Is it working?).
THE SIMPSONS NEWS – Why You Should Still Be Watching The Simpsons
Saw this article on Wired.com defending The Simpsons.
There are so many people online always bashing and attacking the show, it’s very nice and encouraging to see a positive view of it.
THE SIMPSONS NEWS – Increase your Value as an Artist by Increasing your Skill Set
I’ve been asked to speak about things artists can do to keep their jobs, and get more work.
This is a big subject, and I’ve got a lot of thoughts on the matter.
Besides doing what my friend Chris Oatley advices, which is:
“Do great work and be great to work with.”
I’d add this:
“Make yourself more valuable.”
There are many ways to do this and I’m only going to talk about one this week. In the upcoming weeks I’ll write about other ways.
You can watch the video or read the “transcription” below it. It’s actually not a direct transcription, it’s a cleaned up clearer written version of what I say on the video. It’s a little more to the point.
Please forgive any redundancies in the video and the pointless rant at the end:
Increase your Skill Set
One way to increase your value as an artist is by increasing your skill set. I know this because I’ve actually done it.
Why make yourself more valuable?
Simply put, it will give you more opportunities to keep your job or get more work.
It’s also a very competitive industry. The more skills you have the more value you’ve got.
If you’re already working in a studio and they need something you can provide, why not offer those extra services once you’re already there. That way they don’t need to go looking for someone else.
What I’m NOT Saying
I’m not saying that your portfolio should have EVERYTHING you can do. If your getting into the industry for any reason, such as storyboarding or animation your portfolio ought to be focused on those things.
So a storyboarding portfolio should have storyboards. An animation portfolio should have animation. For character design only have characters designs.
Don’t be putting background painting or animation if you’re trying to get a job as a character designer in your portfolio. It’s a bad idea.
When to Show Your Other Skills
Once you’ve got the position, once you have the job, once your in the studio or have the freelance job, THEN you can offer these other things. Then you can show you can do a little bit more.
Disclaimer
If you’re a freelancer, please take this with a grain of salt, because I only live off working purely off of freelance once. And it was only for a year. I don’t have a lot of experience with that sort of life.
Any other time I did any freelance work, I did it while still working at the studio on The Simpsons. My experience of living off of freelance is limited.
How to Increase Your Skill Set
One of the things I did while working on the show, was take classes on the side.
So after work, after working eight hours, I’d go and take a two, three or four hour class. I did this for about four years.
I was fortunate enough that, at the time, a lot of art schools had popped up that taught animation disciplines. Disciplines like character designs, animation, development art…things like that. And the teachers where actually, industry professionals.
So I took animation classes from Disney animators and Warner Brothers animators. I was TAUGHT by ANIMATORS how to animate. I was taught characters design by professional character design artists. I was taught feature development art by feature development artists.
I’ve taken painting classes, sculpting classes, a TON of figure drawing classes. And I STILL go to figure drawing to this day.
I’ve taken Storyboard classes, clean up classes, Maya classes, Photoshop classes, ACTING classes. I’ve taken classes for just about everything I could think of, just to increase the value of my skill set.
It was money well spent, investing in myself. That’s one thing that you should never quit doing: investing in yourself.
My Advice to You
My advice to you is, don’t be like I and my friends used to be. When we got in the industry we wanted to be animators so we didn’t want to DEMEAN ourselves by doing clean up or “finished our drawings”. We were ANIMATORS.
We just wanted to do gesture drawings and ACTING. We didn’t want to finish a drawing, that’s GRUNT work. People BELOW us do that, right?
No!
If you can’t finish a drawing, you don’t know how to draw. You’re just pretending to draw.
My point is, don’t be arrogant and simply learn the minimum amount of skills to get by. Learn to do as much as you can. You never know when the other skills will come in handy.
Done
Alright, I hope this helps. If it does, leave a comment, if it doesn’t leave a comment. If you have follow up questions, guess what, you can leave comment.
Better yet, if you like this, opt in to get the companion e-mails that go along with this blog. Sometimes I send stuff that compliments my post and sometimes I do very unique things on it that have nothing to do with the post but might still be entertaining.
BOOKS – Dark Rift
I managed to finish editing my wife’s book this week. I had a few more notes for her to take care of and it was off to the “printers” (a.k.a. Amazon and Create Space).
It’s such a good read, I can’t wait to see the reaction of the fans to this new part of the story.
Alesha put in a bit more of what people have been asking for, some background information of some of the characters in the story. More background information on Isabella (the protagonist). AND you get an up close and personal look at the Grey Tower itself.
This book gets epic and some nail biting stuff happens.
The book will launch soon at Amazon and the Kindle. When it launches, the Kindle book will be free for a limited time (about two days). If you want to know when this will happen, Click Here and opt in.
You’ll also get a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift certificate PLUS a signed hard copy version of both, THE TOWER’S ALCHEMIST and DARK RIFT. The offers ends on Nov. 27, so hurry up. Your chances are REALLY good right now.
WEBSITE – The Drawing Website
I had a heck of a tough time getting these posts ready to publish this week.
THE SIMPSONS NEWS – How to Sell an Animated Sitcom and Become Rich.
Simpsons quote:
Mr. Burns: What good is money if it can’t inspire terror in your fellow man?
So how do you sell an animated sitcom to a studio and make a lot of money?
Well today I’m going to answer this question.
You can either watch the video below to get the answer to the question or you can read it. It’s the same information:
The Pitch Fests
I’ve seen plenty of people pitch, and pitch, and pitch their animated cartoons to different studios all over the place for years.
I’ve heard all the stories. I know this not first-hand, because I haven’t done it myself, but I’ve heard about it from friend and colleagues. I’ve seen it, I’ve seen the process. It’s a job unto itself. It’s a lot of work and it rarely results in anything.
Yet, I’ve also seen people who never pitch anything have studios come over to them and offer to make an animated cartoon off of their ideas.
So based off all the stories I’ve heard, all the things I know about sitcoms, trying to sell them, trying to pitch them, all the conversations I’ve had with my friends that pitch, observations about how the entertainment industry seems to work and some understanding about marketing and business, I’ve come to the answer to this question.
Disclaimer
Now here’s a disclaimer: even if you do what I suggest, which I would say is just a suggestion and could even be considered theory, there are a lot of factors involved. Including an executive having a bad day or having a good day, or liking your face or not liking your face, or just not being in the mood to hear your pitch…that could be a factor.
So there’s an element of human chaos in the process as well. They IS an element of chance, so there’s still room for you to get lucky.
The Answer
So the answer to the question is very simple. It’s very simple, but it’s difficult to do.
The answer is this: if you have a proven track record of consistently selling your entertainment to an audience and making a lot of money off of it, then you can sell a sitcom to a studio.
Let me repeat that: if you have a consistent track record of selling your entertainment, the stuff that you’ve come up with, to an audience and actually make a profit off of it, good money, not just a penny or two, then you can actually sell a sitcom.
Why?
Because you have a proven track record, because you can say to them,
“This is the sitcom I’ve done…this is the cartoon I’ve made, or here’s the comic I’ve created and it’s selling and it’s actually making me more than enough money to make a living. And I can do that with not only this, but with other projects I’ve got. I’ve got this project over here, and it’s also making money. I’ve done this play over here, and it’s also making money. I’ve written this novel, and it’s making money.”
They’re not going to take a chance on you if you haven’t shown that your stuff can sell. Why would they trust you? Would you trust a random stranger that just showed up and said,
“Hey, give me a million bucks, I can make you money”? When they haven’t actually shown that they can? No, you wouldn’t do that, so what makes you think that they’re going to take a chance on you if you haven’t done it either.
What the Studios Want
All the studios want is to make money. They want to make entertainment that turns a profit–that’s their business. So you have to show them that you can do it. That’s it. That’s what you’ve got to do. And it’s a really easy answer, but a difficult thing to do.
But you’ve got to do it, because then you’ll have the experience to know and be able to tell them and show them,
“Hey, I can make you money.”
The Irony
And here’s the irony: that if you’re doing it, if you’re consistently making money off of entertaining an audience, and you’re making a good living, then you probably don’t need a studio.
When they finally show up, it’s like,
“Why do I need you? I’m making a good living,” or, “I’m actually getting rich off of my own ideas.”
The Major Factors
Because it’s not about the idea–it’s about the proper execution of the idea.
Where the successful are separated from the unsuccessful is not in the idea, but the execution. If you have a really skillful execution of an idea, then you’re increasing the chances that it will actually sell and make a profit.
It’ s not the idea itself because ideas are a dime a dozen. But the skillful execution of the idea is one major factor in making a profit.
Another major factor is marketing that idea. Finding the audience.
And the other major factor is how much value you’re putting onto the packaging of the idea so that it actually turns a profit.
So that’s the answer to the question. So I’ll repeat it again: have a proven track record of consistently making a good profit from an audience, from your ideas or your entertainment, and that’s it, that’s what you’ve got to do.
If you can’t do that, then no one’s going to trust you, because you’re not good at it. So you have to be good at it. No one’ s going to go and pay you for something you’re not good at.
Comment
So that’s my answer to the question, and let me know what you think. Do you think I’m full of it? Let me know, put a comment below.
E-mail
In this week’s e-mail, I sent out even more behind the scenes drawings, just like I did last week.
This time, there’s some crazy Bart drawings, among other chaos.
If you would like to see what was sent out to everyone, sign up to receive the madness. If you sign up before next Thursday, I resend you this week’s e-mail.
BOOKS – Dark Rift
I finished reading the manuscript for my wife’s book DARK RIFT. It’s the sequel to the THE TOWER’S ALCHEMIST and it’s really good.
I wrote some notes on it and she revised it. I have to go back and reread the whole thing in order to proofread it and to make sure everything is as clear as it can be.
We’re hoping to start the pre-launch of the book by the end of the month.
If you want to be in on the pre-launch, go to THIS PAGE on my wife’s site and opt in. You’ll be informed about when the book will be available. You will also receive an exclusive sneak peek of the first chapter via a FREE pdf download.
I finished working on the cover.
Here it is, along with the description of the book:
Savior.
Monster.
A Time Wizard who will be the damnation of many…
The world already suffers a bitter taste of hell on earth, in a World War II where Nazi warlock vampires battle with Gray Tower wizards in the streets of Europe.
The Gray Tower, in its quest to stabilize a world that hangs on a delicate balance, has issued an order: Kill the Drifter.
Isabella George, an alchemist trained by the Tower, knows the identity of the Drifter and refuses to go through with it, because it hits too close to home. Instead of executing the Drifter, she protects the Time Wizard at all costs and ensures that the power to control Time never falls into the wrong hands. She sets out to lift the severe decree of the Gray Tower, and prove to the Master Wizards that the Drifter is the only way to win the war.
As Isabella unmasks traitors and embraces unlikely allies, her greatest danger may lie in her own heart–from the brutal desire for revenge, to the crushing guilt she carries…and the dangerous passion she tries to deny when she’s with one man in particular.
As she attempts to sort things out both in her heart and head–and not mix up the two, a figure from her past comes along and makes an enticing offer to solve all her problems. The only payment required is her soul.
THE SIMPSONS NEWS – Confessions of a Simpsons Assassin, Part 1
Simpsons Quote:
“I don’t judge Homer or Marge. That’s for a vengeful God to do.” – Maude Flanders
I’m not exactly sure why but Director Jim Reardon had me kill people. By people, I mean, Simpson characters.
I killed two Simpsons characters for Jim. One of them was Maude Flanders.
The Job
It wasn’t an assignment that was particularly different from any other I’d been given. He just handed me the scenes, gave me some direction as to what he wanted to see me do in them, and then I went to my desk and worked got to work.
Of course there where pretty girls in the sequence, but I spent most of my time making Homer’s belly fat, extra wobbly. Overall, that was the biggest challenge in working on those scenes aside from drawing a ton of crowds.
That said, I DO have a little anecdote to tell about the scene that isn’t known at all.
The Rewrite
There was a rewrite in that particular scene. A revision from what was originally there.
In the original version Homer does his little stomach wobble asking for the t-shirt. Just as the shirt is going to be launched at him, he looks down,
“Ooh, a gumball,” he reaches down to get it and Maude gets hit and goes over the rail.
After the animatic, Homer looks down,
“Ooh a bobby pin,” he reaches down to get it and Maude gets hit and goes over the rail.
It was a fun little assignment. I didn’t really think it would end up being such a big moment in Simpsons history.
E- mail Give Away
Anyone who is signed up to my e-mail list will get a free “thing”.
In this week’s e-mail, I sent out a sneak peek of what that thing is.
As soon as it’s ready, it’s going to be given to everyone on the list. Anyone who wants it can have it if you opt in, but the current group will get it before anyone else, once it’s ready.
If you want to be among the first to get it, sign up now. I’ll send you the e-mail revealing the “thing” if you sign up before next Thursday.
PODCASTS/WEBSITE – The Rotoscopers
How much into animation are you?
If your any kind of an animation nerd at all or WISH to be, your doing yourself a great disservice by not checking out The Rotoscopers’ podcast and website.
You want to know what’s going on in the animation world from a VERY well informed fan’s point a view? Follow:
and Mason Smith as they geek out about anything and everything animation related.
You’ll learn A LOT about animation.
I’ve listen to almost all of their shows and it’s really reminded me of how great the animation industry can be.
Believe me when I say that, when you’re sitting on this side of the fence, you can forget why you got in this industry to begin with. Listening to the passion The Rotoscopers have for animation, is a breath of fresh air.
I like it when there are things out on the net that educate extroverts on what it actually means to be an introvert.
I also like thing on the internet that help introverts have an easier time living AS an introvert in a world run by extroverts.
The video below does both and I love it. It’s also really well done. Check it out:
BOOKS – Dark Rift
I’m currently reading through the manuscript for DARK RIFT, the sequel to my wife‘s book THE TOWER’S ALCHEMIST. I’m half way through the book and it’s really an exciting read.
That said, I’m REALLY being picky about it and I’ve written tons of notes. I want her book to not just be a good read, but a read you can’t put down.
To that end I’m reading the book, looking for ways to really punch up what my wife has already put there.
Sometimes we discuss the book and the story over dinner. We talk about ways she can play things up in the story and make things clearer. It’s really fun.
Especially since I get to come up with ideas without having to actually execute them (which is the hard part).
I made sure my wife told me nothing about the story, so when I read it, I could read it as an audience member. That way, I could gauge whether or not the story was really working well.
The DARK RIFT manuscript has some gut wrenching intense parts in it.
I’m happy to say it is. I just read a part where something really crazy happens to some characters I really liked and I’m like,
“Nooo, that didn’t just happen!” Which I think is AWESOME. That’s the reaction I WANT to have reading the book.
My wife wants to have the book published by the end of October but I don’t think that’s going to happen. Even if I manage to finish reading the manuscript in a week or so, I still need to draw the cover and write the back of the book description.
Once that’s done, we have to plan a proper launch for the book so we can get as many eyeballs on it as possible.
All this stuff takes time do.
That said, keep an eye out for the book. Hopefully, I’ll be ready by next Month.
GRAMPA: I say we call Matlock. He’ll find the culprit. It’s probably that evil Gavin MacLeod or George “Goober” Linsay.
BART: Grampa, Matlock’s not real.
GRAMPA: Neither are my teeth, but I can still eat corn on the cob, if someone cuts it off and smushes it into a fine paste. Now that’s good eatin”!
When I first started out on The Simpsons, I was a cocky 18 year old with a big ego and crumby drawing skills.
A bad combination.
It didn’t help that I was just passable enough as a draftsman to get hired on the show. I strutted around as if I DESERVED to have gotten hired. If I could go back in time to talk to my old self, I’d smack myself upside the head.
The Second Simpsons Show I Worked On.
I literally owe my career to Director Jeff Lynch. To this day, I have no idea why put up with me.
If I had been a smarter kid, I’d of gotten his subtle hints that I really stunk and I should really not be so cocky. But, unfortunately for me, and everyone else, I wasn’t.
The second episode of The Simpsons I “officially” worked on was: LISA VERSUS MALIBU STACY directed by Jeff.
I worked on about five scenes in each Act. Mostly crowd scenes. Jeff would find scenes that I couldn’t possibly mess up or that would take me a long time to do and I’d do those scenes.
I remember drawing this scene. It’s one of my first memories working on the show.
The first scenes I worked on in this particular episode were, in fact, the opening scenes with the old people and Matlock.
These were given to me because:
It was full of crowds and
it was all secondary characters
The reason he assigned me scenes with secondary characters was because the family is so tricky to get right, that it’s much more obvious when they’re off model. The secondary characters are a little more forgiving if you don’t get them just right.
It was prudent for him to give the stuck up rookie a scene full of secondary characters. This is the only time Matlock appears on the show. No one can tell how badly off model I drew him since no one had even seen what he was SUPPOSE to look like.
Exiled to The Little Dark Room
In order not to give me anymore work than he needed to, when I turned a scene in to Jeff, he would take one look at it and give it right back,
“Shoot it,”
“Oh, okay.”
This would send me to a little dark room, the size of a closet, where a video machine attached to a camera was set up. Here, I would sit in the dark, time out a scene, and then “shoot the scene”. In other words, put it on video, taking a picture of my drawings, one frame at a time. This was LONG before we had computers to do this in.
The Matlock scenes I remember spending the most time on were the one where you slowly see him coming up the steps with both canes, and the close up choking scene.
Choking Matlock
The choking scene in particular took me hours (or was it days?) to shoot.
I’d done the scene and turned it in, but Jeff had asked me to shoot it. So I did, and I showed it to him. It was stiff as a board and looked awful. So he sat down in that dark room and reworked the drawings. He sketched out new, better, but very rough drawings.
They had a LOT more energy and power than the ones I had made.
He then wrote some rough timing on the corner of the pages and asked me to expose the drawings accordingly. So I did.
I showed him the scene again, but it wasn’t quite right. It was MUCH better but not quite right. He added a few more drawings, took some out and changed the timing again.
I shot the scene again. I showed it to him and he adjusted the timing a little bit again. So I shot it again.
This happened for a while. I spent my day shooting the scene.
When he finally got what he wanted, I asked him if he wanted me to clean up his roughs,
“No, just touch them up a little bit. Erase some of the darker lines and rougher bits but keep most to the drawings as they are.”
“Okay.”
So I did as I was asked. I believe that I still have one of the rough drawings that he took out of that scene. One of my many Jeff Lynch mementos.
The Lesson
I was a complete moron and a lousy artist and animator, BUT those days, doing what Jeff had asked me to do and working under Jeff that way, where the BEST learning moments of my career.
My current understanding of timing and animation, EVERYTHING that I know now, has it’s foundation in those hour and hour of being in that dark little room. It was my own little cave of knowledge where the wise man taught the foolish young man what to do.
Yet I was so foolish, I was hardly aware it was happening.
Thanks Jeff. Lessons learned.
Get e-mails
In this week’s e-mail, I got a bit candid about my emotional reaction to watching LISA VS. MALIBU STACY, for the first time in YEARS.
If you missed out on this e-mail. Opt in below to join the fun.
BOOKS – Free copy of The Tower’s Alchemist Kindle book
Just a quick plug/update on my wife Alesha’s book.
I’ve been pimping this book ALL week.
If you haven’t heard, for this week and this week only, THE TOWER’S ALCHEMIST is FREE to download for the Kindle.
That means, if want to get yourself a FREE copy, you’ve got today and tomorrow to get it. Otherwise, you’ll need to*GASP!* buy it.
But seriously, most everyone reading this post will have missed this deal. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still pick up the book even though it’s now $2.99 (which is less then a Starbucks coffee and even a COMIC BOOK!).
If you don’t own a Kindle device, that’s okay. Turns out, you don’t need one. Amazon is in the business of selling books not Kindles.
As I’ve been telling people all week, if you have an iOS device, download the Kindle app for FREE. Also available for Android, Windows 7 phones and blackberry phones, FREE. Or you can download the Kindle program on your Mac or PC, FREE or you can read the book on Kindle Cloud, for FREE.
CLICK HERE for info about this from directly from Amazon.
In case you’re wondering, here’s what the book is about:
Wizard Vs. Nazi Warlock Vampires.
It’s a very different World War II.
The Nazis have unleashed occult forces throughout Europe and the Allies are forced to recruit and employ wizards to counter their attacks.
Among them is the battle weary spy, Isabella George, a Gray Tower dropout trained in Alchemy. Longing for retirement and a life of peace, she accepts one final job–extract a deadly warlock from Nazi occupied France and prevent him from unleashing an alchemical weapon that will devour the continent.
But France is crawling with the Cruenti, vampiric warlocks who feed off other wizards. When things don’t go according to plan, one Cruenti sets his deadly eyes on her.
Betrayal is everywhere. Even some of her closest allies cannot be fully trusted. Worse still, she finds, she can’t even trust herself. She becomes a woman torn between her charismatic spy lover who offers her what she desires most, and one of her closest confidants, whose soft seductive eyes hold deadly secrets about her past, and the Gray Tower itself.
Plans within plans. Plots versus counter plots. Heists gone wrong, sword-wielding Catholic priests, and the greatest manipulation of history that has ever been seen, is just a taste of what Isabella George is in for, in her final mission.
If this sounds cool to you, click the link below and pick up a copy. Also available in hard copy:
Thursday night I came home and only three of my four kids greeted me at the door. I asked where my 4 year old son Dante was and my wife informed me he was in bed. Seems he had been misbehaving and was put to bed early.
I went to see him and discovered he was still awake. I went over and kissed him good night. As I was leaving he stopped me,
“Daddy, my arm hurts right here,” and pointed as his arm. This is typical. He’s always complaining about something so I went over caressed his arm quickly and said,
“There, now go to sleep,” and walked out of the room. I didn’t think anything of it.
The next day at work, Alesha calls me from the doctor’s office. Baby Luke had an appointment that day.
“Dante has a fractured arm.”
“What?!”
“He was complaining about pain in his arm…”
“Yeah, I know, he did that last night.”
“Oh, he did? Well, he seemed really hurt because when he moved his arm around he would cry, so I told him we’d have the doctor take a look at it while we were there. The doctor checked him out and took x-rays. His arm is fractured.”
“HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?”
“I have NO idea. He told me he fell.”
“Maybe he through a big tantrum when you sent him to his room and hurt himself.”
“We’ll, he and Elizabeth were playing pretty rough yesterday, pulling each other’s arms. I told them to stop.”
“Yeah, I don’t know…I think he through a tantrum. You know how he is.”
Well, anyway we STILL don’t know how it happened but he had his arm in a sling for a few days before he got his cast.
He was sooo happy to walk around with that sling on his arm.
And now that he has a cast, it’s like he’s proud of it or something.
This is my last week of hiatus but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to be in the studio this week. I was asked to come in this Friday for a meeting. We’re going to be using a new program to do boards this season and the meeting is going to help us get up to speed on it. I’m curious to see what the program can do. So far we’ve been using Toon Boom’s Storyboard Pro. It’s a decent program, and it works for what it is, but we’ve had issues with the compatibility of the program and Toon Boom’s Pencil Check.
Not only that, but the board artists have been asked to do Quicktime movies of their boards in order to pitch their Acts in a easier way. This has lead to trying to find a program that does this even easier than Storyboard Pro. Even though, I think, Storyboard Pro does a pretty good job of doing this.
I’ll give you my two cents of what I think of the program next week. Especially since I’m going to be using one of the two program on my personal project.
BUSINESS/BOOKS
Just a bit of an update on the books I’ve been reading this week when it comes to money management and business:
INVESTING ONLINE FOR DUMMIES:
I haven’t read further than Chapter two, but I like it so far. Hand holds you into the investing thing and it’s very informative about what goes into the process.
LINCENSING ART 101 3rd edition:
Good little book that gives you an overview on the art licensing world and what to expect. I’m reading this so that I can see about taking advantage of any webcomic or cartoon I put on the web. I also want to see if there’s a way to make a little money on the side with random personal art.
CREATIVE, INC.: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO RUNNING A SUCCESFUL FREELANCE BUSINESS:
Got this on my Kindle App. I started reading this at the doctor’s office on Tuesday while I was in the waiting area. At first I thought I had made a mistake getting the book. After all, I’ve done the freelance thing. I LIVED it.
Well, turns out there’s more to it that I hadn’t done, that, if I had, I would have probably been more successful. It really should just take out the word “freelance” from the title. It’s a really good book on how to start a creative business. I didn’t run my freelance career like a business when I did it. I should have. I think know, if I ever work on my own again, I’ll do what this book advices. Very informative, even for people who are working on their own now. It might give you ideas for things you hadn’t thought to do. I recommend it.
On top of that, I’ve also been thinking about selling a few things on ebay. Mostly stuff we don’t use around the house, but I’m also think of putting up a drawing or two. Mostly to continue to make some side money in order to pay off as much debt as we could. I’ll think about this some more. In the meantime, I’ve got to research a bit on how it’s done.
ART
Page 9 is done! One HALF page left to go! So excited. I’m gonna get done soon! Hurry for sticking to it:
MY WEB COMIC
I’ve been taking advantage of my time off to work on my webcomic. It’s all outlined out. I just need to fix up a detail here and there and it should be ready to script out. I’m taking a much more streamlined approach to the writing than I did with my cartoon above. I just want to get it done as fast I as can.
That said, there’s quite a few characters and stuff to design. It’s what’s taking up most of the time. I’ve very excited about it though. For more comic and stories written by me, CLICK HERE.
If you like what you read, please consider signing up to my rss feed.
I finished my work early last week and was put on a special project that may or may not see the light of day. I worked on it all of Friday and all of Monday. I was also put on the new episode I’m going to be working this week. Show 21. I was assigned Act 1 which I began on Tuesday. Then, about midday Tuesday, I had to do a little bit more on the special project before I was able to continue on the Act.
This would really be a problem if it wasn’t for the fact that they’re giving us three weeks instead of two to finish our work on this episode, so I’ve still got time to do my work. I hope I can make the most of the time.
It would also be nice to have that special project see the light of day so I can talk about it at some point.
ART/BOOKS
My wife’s book, THE TOWER’S ALCHEMIST, has a new cover:
Why the change?
Because the original cover had a swastika on it. Unfortunately we didn’t realize that anything with the image of a swastika is illegal in some countries in Europe. This meant that the book didn’t show up in some European sites, and it would be illegal to buy it. So we changed the cover so it was much more internationally friendly.
How do I feel about this after spending so long on the original? I’m alright with it. Enough time has passed that I’m not really bothered by the change. I got just as into creating this cover, as I did the last one. I also made sure that the symbol on the cover had to do with the themes and plot elements in the book. The symbol is actually three alchemical symbols combined.
The center most symbol, the one the looks like a swirly cross, is one, of many, alchemical symbols for silver. Historically, silver has been used by civilizations for it’s germ fighting properties. I put it on the cover because one of the plots in the story is about fighting off an alchemical disease.
The curved symbol with the circles on the end, is one, of many, alchemical symbols for sublimation. Which Alesha suggested because the main character does it so much. I thought it would be appropriate since it’s so unique to alchemists.
Finally, the big “x” looking symbol, is one, of many, symbols for time. This is there because of something that happens in the story that deals with time. But I can’t say exactly what it is because it would be a big spoiler. So read the book and find out.
To start reading the first five chapter for free, CLICK HERE.
The $2.99 Kindle copy of the book:
or…
The hard copy of the book:
For more comic and stories written by me, CLICK HERE.
If you like what you read, please consider signing up to my rss feed.
I started my week by finishing up a very special Couch Gag. It was 14 shots long and it took me all day to do. Lucky for me, the episode I started on this week has one of the smallest rewrites I’ve seen in a long time. It’s such a small rewrite that I might be done too early. If I do finish early, I hope I don’t get put on something that too high pressure. I hate that.
I was assigned Act 1 and the Couch Gag. The director is thinking that the last two Acts of the show might not even be given to us since it’s such a small rewrite on them. Still, I don’t know why not. We can still adjust whatever needs adjusting. It’s our job.
I’m thankful for these light rewrites. They help us recover from the heavier, high pressure weeks and give us a little chance to breath and go home on time.
ART
Continuing from where I left off last week, I decided to give the vampire bat skeleton a try. I left out the eyes and eye sockets and gave the skull a slightly more human shape:
I think this is it. I’m happy with how weird it looks. The final version might be a bit more “pushed” in it’s basic shape and design, but rather than fine tune the design, I think I’ll move on to last demon design. I want to get to the story board process as soon as I can.
BOOKS
Chapter 5 of my wife’s book THE TOWER’S ALCHEMIST is below. This is the last chapter out of twenty one, I’m posting up. The story is just getting started. If you’ve enjoyed the story so far, please feel free to download a digital copy or buy a hard copy from Amazon. We’d really appreciate it:
Penn Margaux bootlegged liquor, smuggled weapons, and proclaimed to be a spy from Orleans—but for what it was worth, he wasn’t on the Gestapo’s side. I’ve known him for as long as I’ve been working with SOE and he had always managed to obtain information for me when no one else could or hand me a passport at the last minute. I had even bought ingredients off him that I needed for some spells.
I would usually reach him through La Dame Rouge—the Red Lady, Jasmine Léon. She had become a wildly popular entertainer at the Éclat nightclub after moving to Paris. While some of the locals believed that the Gestapo didn’t shut down the club due to the threat of an utter uprising (they adored the Red Lady), the truth was that Éclat served as a useful tool for the enemy in the constant game of espionage. The danger lay in the presence of Gestapo agents, both uniformed and plainclothes. They knew half the spies in there and have blackmailed some into working for them or betraying employers when it suited their interests.
I once knew a spy from Madrid who claimed he was sent to gauge how things were going in France. Though Spain claimed neutrality, the Gestapo didn’t like General Franco sticking his nose where it didn’t belong, and so as the spy left Éclat one night, two agents followed him to a woman’s house—his French sweetheart. The problem was that the spy had a wife back in Spain. They used this information against him and forced him to spy on the Spanish government and even other spies who came into Éclat. I guess he couldn’t take it any longer because one day his Gestapo handlers found him hanging from his necktie in his hotel room.
This taught me to keep a low profile and carefully craft a persona that blended in easily with the many young women who patronized the club. This also reminded me to remain aware of the fact that people still watched me just like the others at the club, which meant that I would have to be careful when leaving, and I certainly wouldn’t leave with a man. But as foolish and single-minded as many men were, I’ve seen several leave with women from the club without a thought.
When evening fell I hailed a taxi to take me down to Éclat. Well, I had to stand near the chapel and flag one down. I kept brushing off my dress and feeling like something was crawling down my back. I swore that I’d find a workable invisibility potion so that I could just go straight to Renée’s front door instead of through that creepy underground tunnel. I felt I needed the cab because it would’ve been awkward to approach the club on foot, and nothing screamed I’m a Spy Who Doesn’t Belong Here like pulling up on a foldable bike and trying to get into a swanky Parisian nightclub.
I wore a slinky purple gown and a black sequined wrap—and of course, my Agate stone ring, which I never took off. Renée had to beg me to wear full eye makeup but I must admit that I liked the rouge on my cheeks and lips, and my hairstyle. I looked damned good if I did say so myself. I checked my makeup in a compact mirror one last time before tossing it into my purse and instructing the bloated taxi driver to halt.
“If you leave that club alone tonight,” he said facing me, “out of compassion I will take you home with me.”
“Go to hell.” I threw him a few francs and slipped out. Maybe I looked a little too good.
I strutted toward the entrance like I was a Hollywood starlet, making sure to give the doormen a wink and a smile. They readily admitted me and I came in just as Jasmine began singing Blue Moon up on stage. People swayed to the music, oblivious to the haziness created by cigarette smoke. The scent of perfume wafted toward me and I narrowed my eyes as I silently critiqued or approved of some of the ladies’ choice in shoes.
I acknowledged a group of handsome guys at one of the tables with a smile, but kept it moving since most of them were spies. I could taste the essences of silverware, gold jewelry, and even guns. There were about twenty tables in there, and those closest to the stage were reserved for Jasmine’s most ardent admirers and paramours—or those pretending to be.
I nearly stumbled when I saw him sitting at one of those tables. At first I pretended not to see him, but then my gaze met his and I headed straight toward him like a moth to a flame. I probably shouldn’t have made a move to join him, but sitting in that area made it easier to keep an eye on who entered the club; besides, it looked like both of us had business with Jasmine tonight.
“Fancy seeing you here, Emelie.”
“It’s good to see you again, Drake.” His real name was Kenneth Aspen. He knew mine as well. We had obtained illegal copies of one another’s files after we first met, which wasn’t quite your typical romantic gesture.
“How long are you in Paris?” He pulled out a seat for me next to his and gently brushed his thumb against my cheek. I forced myself not to smile.
“I’m here long enough to enjoy the scenery.” I clapped along with the audience and gazed at Jasmine as she finished her ballad. She came down and stopped at a nearby table where an enthusiastic man with a thick mustache greeted her with flowers.
“The Boss sent me to take a look at some cars.” He took his seat and offered me some of his pochouse. I couldn’t refuse the stewed fish as it smelled delectable, having been cooked in red wine and flavored with a savory spice.
“Then I’m glad your Boss sent you.” I grabbed a knife and fork and dug in.
By “Boss,” he meant the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the American counterpart to SOE, and by “looking at cars,” he meant sabotaging factories that produced machinery and weapons for the Nazis. I thought I heard him say that I looked beautiful, but I was already on my feet welcoming Jasmine into my arms. We planted kisses on one another’s cheeks and gave each other a tight hug. As befitting her stage name, she wore a red rose in her hair and a scarlet dress.
“Well, look who’s in town!” She accepted a cigarette from a waiter passing by and asked for a lighter. Apparently both Ken and I had messages to slip her (conveniently hidden within our cigarette lighters) because we eagerly asked for her to keep them as gifts. She wiggled her way between us, lighting her cigarette with her own lighter and giving a rich, sultry laugh.
“I’ve missed you, Emelie…you too, Blondie.” She patted Ken’s cheek. I glanced toward the front entrance to see who entered and left before facing them again.
“By the way Jasmine, there’s another gift waiting for you in your dressing room.” He gave her a knowing look. It was probably the stipend OSS paid her for her services.
“Is it five thousand, like I asked?” She blew out a thin stream of smoke, her deep-set eyes watching Ken like a hawk.
“Would you mind telling me why you needed an extra two?”
“Things are getting tough around here.” She shifted toward me and lazily eyed the band that had started up a tune.
Ken leaned in. “I know about your side operation. For goodness’ sake, Jasmine, don’t get yourself killed.”
Not satisfied with just being an informant, she also took it upon herself to hide and smuggle stranded Ally soldiers across the border, Maquis resistance leaders with bounties on their heads, and Jews who’ve fled the slaughter in Czechoslovakia…anyone who needed it. I had always been meaning to ask her how she did it and who helped her.
She rolled her eyes and faced me. “How are you, Emelie?”
“I’m doing well, and I love being in Paris. Do you miss New York?” She acknowledged my code phrase referencing Paris, which meant that the city would be ripe with action within the next week or so, and that the Maquisards should be on alert. This time Ken watched the door.
“I’ll tell you what, I don’t miss performing in New York.” She faced Ken and I turned to watch the front. “Tell that to your Boss. Tell him as long as I can’t walk through the front door of a New York club that I’m performing in, then he can kiss my black ass and keep paying me my five grand.”
I smirked.
“Jasmine…” Ken began blustering.
“I know, I know—times are changing.” She fell back into her earlier jolly mood, welcoming the glasses of cocktails another waiter had brought over. “But I just love that Eleanor Roosevelt. Remember that incident a couple of years ago where she left that women’s organization and told them off because they were talking about being whites-only? Ha! We need more people like her!”
“Yes we do.” My cocktail glass chimed with hers in a toast and I drank.
I always hated when people told me not aspire to certain things because I was a woman. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be told this simply because of my skin color. One of the many things I’ve learned is when you’re holed up in a safe house with someone who doesn’t look like you or speak the same language, but who’s ready to break bread with you and even fight by your side, or when you’re alone in a foreign land and feel lost because you could barely communicate but by chance you run into someone who looked different but grew up in the same city as you and could talk with you for hours, you quickly realized that there were a lot more important things to gripe about, and at the end of the day people were just people—blood, sweat and tears, heart and soul.
“Jasmine,” Ken said, gazing at the front entrance, “get your things and go lock yourself in your dressing room. Emelie, I think our covers are blown.”
I looked toward the front and saw four Gestapo agents heading through. Ken covertly drew his pistol as Jasmine hid the cigarette lighters beneath her flowers and rose from her seat; she wasted no time in leaving the lounge.
The music died and people shied away or headed toward the exit. For a moment, I had hoped that the Gestapo were after someone else, but sure enough they came straight toward Ken and me. I felt the presence of other wizards as easily as I could detect metals, and despite the fact that the agents all wore black gabardine jackets with swastika armbands, I knew one or more of them were warlocks in disguise.
I turned back toward the table and immediately retrieved my golden knife from my purse and began carving the alchemical symbol for the sun on the table’s smooth surface. It was a simple circle with a dot in the middle, and since it dominated gold, any spells I performed would be amplified. I then carved next to it the zodiac sign for Libra, which would set off my Sublimation spell, which turned solids into gas. I charged the symbols with magical energy until they glowed and held off the effects until I was ready.
I looked at Ken. “Remember that crime lord in Cairo?”
“You mean the sadistic wacko who wanted to sell a ship-load of grenades up here to the Nazis? Yes, vaguely.”
I had to steady my hands from shaking. “And do you remember when he and his goons confronted us in that bar one night?”
In one smooth move he jumped away from the table and took a shot at one of the Gestapo agents. All remaining employees and patrons had finally broken into an open panic and evacuated the building. Two of the Gestapo officers shot back at him as he dove behind the bar for cover, while the other two agents—the warlocks—came after me. I used more of my energy to create an invisible shield with my Agate stone ring, which helped deflect bullets.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood when I saw the warlocks approaching with searing red daggers. I had seen less fortunate wizards hit with those, and as soon as it touched a person’s flesh, the skin would tear and fold, and blood would sizzle and spill forth. Though my stomach churned and all I could hear was the distant sound of gunfire, I reassured myself with the fact that at least these two warlocks weren’t Black Wolves.
With a swift move of his arm, the warlock on the right sent a red-hot dagger flying toward me as he charged. I dodged the blazing weapon by dropping to the floor and then grabbing hold of him. I flipped him over and made him land on the other side of me with a thud. I quickly rolled in the direction of my table where I had carved my symbol. The other warlock flung another fiery dagger toward me and I released the Sublimation spell, letting the flames mingle with the gas accumulated in order to create an explosion. The building shook as I dashed away to avoid the blast, and I took cover behind the bar where Ken had been. One of the Gestapo agents that had engaged Ken lay dead by a doorway that led to an emergency hall exit. I could hear a physical fight ensuing in the hallway.
I began coughing from the smoke that filled the room from the fire and knew that I had to leave the lounge if I wanted to keep breathing. On hands and knees, I peaked around the corner of the bar and saw only one of the warlocks still standing. The bastard had been waiting for me and spun a pestilential black mist that flew straight toward me. I didn’t jerk back quickly enough to completely escape it and grunted in pain when my eyes burned. My vision blurred and darkened to black—I had been blinded.
In a panic I rushed toward the doorway, tripping over the dead agent’s body and bracing my fall with my hands. I crawled in the direction where I remembered the door to be and heard the warlock’s footsteps and heavy breathing. I stiffened and timed the swing of my leg just in time to kick him. I didn’t know where my stiletto landed, but the kick stunned him and I got back onto my feet and rushed through the doorway and staggered down the hallway.
Believe it or not, I began to worry. I wondered why the warlock hadn’t blasted me with another spell since I was vulnerable and running blind. When the obvious answer dawned on me, I started running even faster. I cursed when I stubbed my toe against a utility box against the wall in the hallway and nearly lost my balance. The warlock caught up to me and I swung my knife and drove the blade into him. He cried out in pain and struck me; I hit the wall with a smack and tried to pry his forearm away from my neck.
I quickly froze when I felt the blade of my golden knife sweep across my cheek. I could hear his harsh breathing and felt the heat of his breath near my neck. I squirmed when he made a cut across my shoulder with the knife.
“God, no…” My voice grew hoarse and I was sick to my stomach. With revulsion I felt his mouth on my wound, lapping up the blood flow.
A single gunshot reverberated throughout the hallway and I jolted. I felt the pull of his body as we both slid down and hit the floor.
“Isabella! What happened?” I heard footsteps and knew that it was Ken who rushed to my side. I heard a rustling of clothes and felt his jacket being wrapped around me as he helped me to my feet.
“Ken…” My darkened sight seemed to spin in gray and red colors all about me. I tried to speak but my throat burned with every syllable uttered.
“That’s a nasty cut you have. We need to get you patched up quick to stop the bleeding.”
“Ken…”
“What is it?” He held me with a firm grip and pulled me along down the hallway.
“Cut his head off.”
“What?”
People in the normal world called them vampires. To wizards, they were a nasty bunch of warlocks called Cruenti. Blood Magic was one of the most powerful forms of magic, and Cruenti fed off of other wizards. They drank wizards’ blood to cast spells, enhance their own powers…and to regenerate from gunshot wounds.
“Hurry up and do it before we both die.”
I imagined that he must’ve looked at me as if I had gone crazy, but he didn’t bother to argue. I gripped the extra pistol he pressed into my hand and was about to tell him that I couldn’t see anything, but decided to say nothing so as to not delay him. I heard him go over to what sounded like the utility box and he opened it, probably grabbing an axe, and stalked toward the Cruenti.
I heard his nervous breaths, and then a pause. “He’s dead.”
Suddenly I heard Ken shout in disgust and shock, and the Cruenti roared as repeated thuds filled the hallway. I visualized the sickening tearing of flesh and crushing of bone, and forced myself to speak when I heard Ken’s attack cease.
“Did you get him?”
He breathed heavily and the axe clattered against the floor down the other end of the hall. “Yeah…I got him.”
“Do you see my knife?”
“Erm…do you still want it?”
“Please? I’d get it myself but he blinded me with a spell.” I heard him make a low grunt and grab my knife, and then he walked back toward me in quick strides. My legs grew weak and my head throbbed and grew feverish. I sank to my knees and pressed my hand against the wall for support.
“Let’s get out of here and get you healed.” Though his voice shook, his hold on me remained firm. Under any other circumstances I would’ve refused to let him carry me, but my legs felt like rubber and I could barely stay conscious.
“Got a first aid kit in your car?” I hissed through clenched teeth as the cool evening air stung my exposed wound. I heard sirens blare and fire trucks pull up toward the front of the club.
“Yeah, but baby…you’re going to need a lot more than that.”
“Renée Apolline…my jade powder.”
“I’ll get you there.”
“Thank you.” I shut my eyes and leaned into him as I closed out the spinning gray and red colors. I hoped that the jade powder would completely restore my sight.
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Simpsons Quote:
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by Dan Kennedy.
