David Chelsea's Blog, page 35

Perspective Police!: Plastic Man?

Here’s part of the presentation I gave last Saturday at Stumptown Comics Fest:

My fellow cartoonist John Linton Roberson brought this one to my attention. It comes from a comic called Flashpoint: Legion of Doom #1, published by DC in 2011. (Superhero comics, like animated cartoons, are a group effort. The credited artists for this panel are Rodney Buchemi, José Marzan, Jr. and Artur Fujita.)

David Chelsea is reading:

Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal

by Mary Roach

This panel somewhat confused me at first glance, and not just because of the perspective. The central character resembles Plastic Man, the super-stretchy Golden Age superhero, with his dark glasses and striped belt, but he doesn’t have Plastic Man’s bare legs and lace-up decolletage. John informs me that this is because he is not the “official” Plas- he’s a darker, grittier version who is not a part of the central DC Comics continuity, but who lives in an alternate universe that exists only in Flashpoint (Alternate universes abound in DC Comics. The hoopla over Green Lantern coming out as gay last year was tempered for real comics fans by the knowledge that it wasn’t the Green Lantern who has his own title and appears in the movies, but a revival of the long-dormant “original” Green Lantern,  who only appears in a series where 1940s version of the DC heroes are still at work in present-day. Every few years DC cleans house and consigns the more tangential universes to the editorial dustbin.).

All right, something weird is evidently going on with the perspective in this one. To analyze it, I create a grayed version in Photoshop and import it into Adobe Illustrator:

On diagramming it out, it seems that things are not all that wrong after all. The view is a three-point perspective looking up (a “worms’-eye view”), and while some of the lines going to the vanishing point on the right don’t line up as they should, it wouldn’t take much tweaking to bring them all into line. My problem is with the implied viewpoint. Our worm is not viewing the scene from a spot on the floor- he actually seems to be BELOW the floor. Indeed, if you look at not-Plastic Man’s feet, you can see that he is standing on a black triangle that reads as the edge of a floor that has been cut off, and he’s dangerously close to the edge at that.  One more step and he’s liable to fall over. It is as if we are in a theater watching a play, and the prison cell is a cutaway part of the set above our eye level (and actors who work under such conditions really should be collecting hazard pay).

For such a claustrophobic scene, I would prefer we take a view that gets us inside the cell.  The best way to do that, I think, is to use fisheye perspective, as in the photograph below (which is, of course, taken from outside the cell, but you get the idea).

 

Fisheye perspective can be difficult to construct, but fortunately I have just the thing: curvilinear perspective grids included on the bonus disc which comes with my book EXTREME PERSPECTIVE!

I select a grid which roughly fits the existing scene and combine it with the panel in Illustrator. Following the rhythm of the existing grid lines, I add curved lines which define the floor and ceiling lines as well as the bunkbeds:

 

 

Now, I create a version of the panel that is just the background, with the figures removed. I see one more reason why the perspective looks odd- the artists have not given us any indication of where one wall ends and another begins:

 

The next step is to adjust the lines to conform to the fisheye sketch in Photoshop,  mostly by using the warp tool:

One by one, I add the figures on separate layers:

After erasing stray bits of background and overlapped figures from each layer, I selectively warp Plastic Man’s boots so they stand more naturally on the floor. I add some shadows and texture to the floor as well:

As a final, touch, I restore the word balloon and the type on the bottom, and the panel is complete. Our worm-level spectator is now right there in the cell with them:

Many thanks to John Linton Roberson. You can order his latest work, Book One of a multi-part graphic novel adaptation of Frank Wedekind’s Lulu, here at Amazon.

(BTW, judging from the background, Lulu looks like she might be in the cell with them. )

Got an example of iffy perspective to show? Be a whistleblower! Send an e-mail to me at davidchelsea(at)comcast(dot)net and include Perspective Police! in the subject line.

Perspective Police! At Stumptown

The Many Moods Of David Chelsea At Stumptowns Past

This year at Stumptown Comics Fest I’ll be presenting something new. Rather than the tried-and-true perspective drawing grid slideshow and demonstration that I have presented two years running, I am doing a slide show version of my irregular blog feature Perspective Police! in which I analyze published drawings by artists like Joost Swarte, Ivan Brunetti, and Alison Bechdel, and propose revisions to better bring them in line with perspective. Not that I am free from error myself; one of the images I police is an early illustration by a promising young artist named David Celsi.

David Chelsea is watching:

Sealab 2021 – Season 1

Most of the show will consist of images I’ve already covered in my blog posts, but here’s one that hasn’t been- a panel featuring stretchy superhero Plastic Man:

This is my first time doing this particular presentation, so I’m not exactly sure how long it will take, but if there’s time afterwards I’ll do a bit of perspective policing on pictures brought in by members of the audience. I’ll be at my table the rest of the weekend, signing copies of old books and the new SNOW ANGEL one-shot from Dark Horse. and if you haven’t done it yet, don’t forget to stop by my one-man show at Fotoeffect Gallery, which includes original art from SNOW ANGEL, THE GIRL WITH THE KEYHOLE EYES, and other recent comics.

Perspective Police! post revising Alison Bechdel

Perspective Police! post revising Ivan Brunetti

Perspective Police! post revising David Celsi

Perspective Police! post revising Joost Swarte

Perspective Police! Presentation by David Chelsea At 10th Annual Stumptown Comics Fest

Saturday, April 27 5-5:45pm Room B113 Oregon Convention Center

David Chelsea One-Man Show at Fotoeffect Gallery

625 NW Everett St, #107, Portland, OR, United States, 97209

Up through the month of April.

I’ve Got Mine

An advance copy of my latest book arrived from my publisher last week. EVERYBODY GETS IT WRONG! (AND OTHER STORIES): DAVID CHELSEA’S 24 HOUR COMICS VOLUME 1  collects my first six (of fifteen so far) 24 hour comics between hard covers. The book will not be in stores until June 5th, but you COULD beat the rush and pre-order it from Amazon today.

David Chelsea is reading:

The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman

by Meg Wolitzer

Previous post about EVERYBODY GETS IT WRONG!

Everybody Gets It Wrong! And Other Stories: David Chelsea’s 24-hour Comics Volume 1 HC

Published by: Dark Horse

Written By: David Chelsea

Art By: David Chelsea

Cover By: David Chelsea

152 pages, black and white, $14.99, in stores on June 5.

RIP, Jonathan Winters:

Cross your eyes to see the stereo effect.

SNOW ANGEL: The Latest Word

The other day I posted a selection of SNOW ANGEL reviews from when it was serialized in DARK HORSE PRESENTS. Now, the recent publication of the SNOW ANGEL 32-page comic book has attracted a host of new comment. Here is some of what the critics have to say:

David Chelsea is listening to:

Citizen Steely Dan: 1972-1980

by Steely Dan

David Chelsea has a wicked sense of humor and a wicked way of conveying it in his comics. The stuff here in this Dark Horse One-Shot, “David Chelsea’s Snow Angel,” is prime Chelsea, served to droll and surreal perfection. This is a guy who loves to draw comics and can whip up a snow angel as easily as he can William Henry Harrison.



-Henry Chamberlain, COMICS GRINDER

Definitely a must-read, especially if you’ll be reading alongside someone else. Again, the content and aesthetic are truly All Ages, and it’ll be fun to keep an eye out for all of the pop cultural references and in-jokes (not to mention a bizarre tangent about William Henry Harrison)! Young readers will empathize with the heroine; older readers will instill the story with metaphor and meaning. David Chelsea seems to desire both results. Whimsical comics like David Chelsea’s Snow Angel are a rarity on the stands today, and I can only hope that the teased second issue comes to fruition someday!

-Joey Braccino, TALKING COMICS!

David Chelsea knows the mind of a child well. I read this with my little one and she giggled at the shenanigans of Snow Angel. The crime is on a small scale and very age appropriate for children. She laughed even harder with The Kids Movie. There was never a dull moment. We were met page after page with bold colors and sharp lines. Chelsea’s style is perfect for this issue and is sure to be a favorite.

All in all, Snow Angel is a great comic. This issue is made to be read out loud. The little one and I both recommend it for families everywhere.

-Sandy, UNLEASH THE FANBOY

Although the art isn’t perfect in Snow Angel, the story itself is unique and playful, and the issue is a very easy, fun read that would be enjoyable to be adults and to children. If you have a young daughter, then definitely give Snow Angel to her to read (or read it along with her), as it’s sure to be inspiring, even if it does condone some defiance (which can be perceived as independence).



-Empress Eve, GEEKS OF DOOM

If you have young kids, get the book, they’ll probably really enjoy it, but if you don’t, steer clear. That’s really all I have to say about this one, because I spent half the issue trying to figure out what the hell I was reading.



-Matt Eurice, COMIC BASTARDS

But my favourite of the week? Snow Angel from David Chelsea, a very fine cartoonist with the most delicious style somewhere between Frank Quitely and Jill Thompson. And, for some reason, featuring Helena Bonham Carter and Peter Dinklage…



-Rich Johnston, BLEEDING COOL

Hands down, the funniest review has to be this lengthy pan from Chase Wassenar, aka MaristPlayBoy, at RED SHIRT CREW. It really deserves to be read in full, but warning- it contains major spoilers! The excerpt below should give an idea of the tone:



Snow Angel is not worth the $3.50 cover price. It is not worth a $0.50 cover price. If someone offered it to you in the street for free, I would have to stop and think for a moment whether “The Kids Movie” is worth a minute of your time, or recommend that you use the comic for kindling the next time you need a fire in your house. In short, it’s not recommended. I haven’t read any of David Chelsea’s other works (though Amazon tells me they might be worthwhile), but this is not worth your money.

I wonder what he REALLY thinks?

And now for something else SNOW ANGEL-related: some photos from last Thursday’s opening of my one-man show at Fotoeffect Gallery, which includes original art from SNOW ANGEL. Photos are by my friend Gena Renaud, who owns the Asian-inspired dessert caterer Yume Confections.

The first is a family shot with of me with Eve and Rebecca (Ben was off at a robotics competition in Spokane and couldn’t attend):

SNOW ANGEL Lands!

The long wait is over- today, Wednesday April 3rd, you can march into your friendly local comics shop and purchase your copy of my very first 32-page comic book, SNOW ANGEL!

David Chelsea is reading:

The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail �But Some Don’t

by Nate Silver

Here are some of the nice things the critics said about SNOW ANGEL when it was serialized in Dark Horse Presents:

“I’m not even sure I know how to properly talk about this comic. I probably can’t convey how and why I like it so much. This tale stands out from the rest because the art style, and narrative tone, is so drastically different. This is a child’s fantasy as thought by the child, or at least that is my very liberal interpretation. It is a picture book wrought to life through comic pages. It is the glee of imagination.

Snow Angel is about a girl who can do a snow angel and become a snow angel. She then does good deeds. It’s amazingly simple, almost too much so, and it’s so sweet you won’t need a snack for the rest of the day.”

-Ryan K Lindsay, The Weekly Crisis

“It’s a fun all-ages story with really enchanting and colourful artwork.”

-Edward Kaye, Hypergeek

“I love the almost wordless approach to storytelling he takes here; no dialogue is needed to carry the story to its final page, and it has such a mix of joy and wonder as we watch Snow Angel make her imprint in the snow and chase after a bicycle thief. It’s quite different from anything else I’ve seen from Chelsea, and I’m dying for the next chapter.”

-Greg McElhatton, Comic Book Resources

“It’s cute.”

-Danny Djeljosevic, Comics Bulletin

David Chelsea’s “Snow Angel” is probably the most memorable contribution; it’s a largely silent, brightly coloured piece about a girl who literally turns into a snow angel, and it hovers somewhere in a grey area between dreamily peaceful and gentle superhero pastiche.

-Paul O’Brien, House To Astonish

Snow Angel, de David Chelsea, parece tener los elementos suficientes como para convertirse en un comic atractivo para todas las edades. Lamentablemente ese es un mercado cada vez más reducido en el medio, pero creo que habrá que estar pendientes del desarrollo de la historia y de su creador.

-Alberto Calvo, Comic Verso

And don’t forget THE KIDS MOVIE, a four-page, all-rhyming backup story, never seen anywhere before:

Just in case your local comics stop doesn’t carry SNOW ANGEL, you can order it online from the Things From Another World website.

And if you’re in Portland, you can see a one-man show of original art from SNOW ANGEL and THE KIDS MOVIE at Fotoeffect Gallery, opening tomorrow and remaining up through April.

First Thursday at Fotoeffect

Happily timed to coincide with the publication of SNOW ANGEL, I am having my first ever one-man show, opening this Thursday at Fotoeffect Gallery at NW 6th and Everett in Portland.

David Chelsea is reading:

The Entertainer: Movies, Magic, and My Father’s Twentieth Century

by Margaret Talbot

Fotoeffect Gallery

The show features original art and thumbnail sketches (at very reasonable prices) from several recent comics stories published by Dark Horse; SNOW ANGEL, THE GIRL WITH THE KEYHOLE EYES, THE KIDS MOVIE, and a still-in-progress story, SANDY & MANDY. Stop by and have a cup of wine or a nibble of cheese on your way to one of the many other galleries taking part in Portland’s First Thursday gallery event. Copies of SNOW ANGEL, the newly published comic, MAY be available to buy.

Many thanks to gallery owners Vilem Stosek and Kristina Koenig, and to Kaebel Hashitani of Stumptown for setting it all up.

David Chelsea One-Man Show at Fotoeffect Gallery

6-10 pm 625 NW Everett St, #107, Portland, OR, United States, 97209

Opening Thursday, April 4th,

Up through the month of April.

Some More Pictures From Facebook

Trying out the new copier, 1995

David Chelsea is reading:

Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, and Me: A Graphic Memoir

by Ellen Forney

Bye, Bye, Benedict

For No-Tobacco Day: Some memorable censored cigarettes

Karen Lynn Gorney in Saturday Night Fever- not beautiful, not a name, not a particularly good actress or dancer, not even a native New Yorker, and a decade too old for the part. Most inexplicable casting choice ever?

New York Notes

The many moods of David Chelsea on the streets of New York with Anny Celsi and J. Todd Harris

The main purpose of my first trip to New York in nine years was drawing my 15th 24 Hour Comic at an event at the Theater for The New City, but I also found time to show my work to some possible illustration clients, meet with a lot of old friends, and eat some fine meals. Among the people I saw in New York were a couple of folks from Los Angeles; my sister Anny happened to be in Philadelphia that week for an AFTRA event and took the bus up to meet me, and I unexpectedly encountered film producer J. Todd Harris on 34th street, near the Empire State Building.

David Chelsea is reading:

Ike and Dick: Portrait of a Strange Political Marriage

by Jeffrey Frank

New York is full of interesting textures, some of which inspired me to take snapshots that I later turned into kaleidoscopic tilings, such as this ripped-up wall of posters in the East Village:

This graffiti-covered wall in a stairwell at the Theater For The New City:

And this very rusted-out bathroom stall:

Apart from the time spent on my 24 Hour Comic, I didn’t do a lot of drawing during my trip, but I did manage this sketch of my friends Libby and Stefan’s Brooklyn kitchen:

…as well as this view from a nearby Starbucks of the Astor Place Cube:

Compare it to this old flyer from 1980s performance art days, which provides my potential audience members pre-Google Maps directions to a show at Sophie’s Bar on East 6th street:

Thanks for the memories, New York. I’ll try not to stay away for nine years next time.

24 Hour Comic #15: Are You Being Watched?

I drew my fifteenth 24 Hour comic at the Theater for The New City in New York City on Saturday March 2nd and Sunday March 3rd. Here are some photos from the event:

David Chelsea is listening to:

Future Perfect: The Case For Progress In A Networked Age

by Steven Johnson

The other participants were Jim Ryan, Rachel Nabors, Adriano Moraes, Lindsey Morris and Arlen Schumer. Here I am with Arlen:

Jim Ryan inking. His comic was based on stories he tells his five-year-old daughter:

Adriano. His story is about a guy who is hired to evict a nest of ninjas:

Four of the stories from the session are up online, including Arlen’s autobio comic, drawn with an increasing number of frames per page (Arlen aimed for 24 pages, but only reached sixteen, after taking an extended nap. In 24 Hour Comic parlance, this a “Gaiman Variation”).

Adriano’s The Evictor in “Take Out”

Rachel Nabors’s Battle Princess part 1

My own story “Are You Being Watched?“, is another Gaiman Variation, with 21 pages completed in 24 Hours. Part of the reason I failed to meet my goal was a constant stream of visitors through the theater, some of whom I had not seen in decades (and all of whom I was delighted to spend time with, don’t get me wrong), but mostly it was that the story was particularly dialogue-heavy, and there are few things in comics more time-consuming than filling in a lot of dialogue balloons with tiny lettering, especially when you write it all in pencil first.

I borrowed the structure from the old Peter Cook and Dudley Moore movie Bedazzled (itself based on the Faust Legend), but most of the content satirizes current Reality TV shows (all of which me and the family watch). Without giving away TOO many spoilers, Mugg (my interlocutor from the perspective books) falls for a girl who only has eyes for Reality TV (Mandy from the Sandy & Mandy strip I’m currently drawing for Dark Horse Presents):

Mugg trades his soul to the Devil (me) in exchange for seven wishes, all of which land him on one Reality TV show or another:

…. among them, Hoarders, Storage Wars, What Not To Wear, and Survivor:

You can read the entire story at the Comics Lifestyle website here.

Blog post about my upcoming 24 hour Comic Collection, Everybody Gets It Wrong!

Many thanks to Brad Smith and Jennifer Jones for organizing the event, and to all the other participants and visitors (Sarah, Robin, Clare, Dan & Adele, Madi, Jorge, Martin & Barbara,  Randy & Susann,  Jill & Slim and anyone else I’ve forgotten), and everyone at the Theater for The New City.