Homemade light box

I always wanted a light box for tracing roughs, or backgrounds for the comics I make. The other day I priced one at the art store. For a 9 x 12 box they wanted $50.00. Well I thought I should be able to make a light box for less than that. So here is my light box project.


Materials: one 8 ft 1 x 4 $6.00

One 8ft 1x1 $$5.00


A lamp Kit $10.00


Two packages of plastic screen holders $2.00 each


A piece of Lexan left over from a previouse project. The Lexan dictated the size of the box


13 x 17


Below you can see the steps I went through to build my box. I am no carpenter, but it turned out OK!

Homemade light box

I scored a piece of scrap Lexan, that I had from another project, and bent it until it broke cleanly.( a rather scary process, but it worked great)

Homemade light box

Since My piece of Lexan was clear, I baught a roll of white contact paper, and cut it to fit the Lexan

Homemade light box

Next I applied the white contact paper to one side of the lexan

Homemade Light Box

These are the two side pieces with the rails attached that will hold the lexan sheet.

Homemade Light box

Here is the lamp installed in the top of the box. I used a kit intended for making a bottle into a lamp.

Homemade Light Box

This shot shows the box after all four sided have been screwed together

Homemade Light Box

The box with the Lexan installed

Homemade Light box

Here is the completed Light box with a drawing on it, ready to be traced

Comics from SPACE

Here is my haul from SPACE 2010. Also some pictures below.

A couple of photos from SPACE

Here are a couple of photos from S.P.A.C.E. 2010

Khaki Shorts #22

Khaki Shorts #22 is the latest madness from the guys over in Scotland. Titled " it's the end of the 00's. A.J. Smith gives us a new "Boy Mindless strip, Rob Miller includes another episode of Star Trudge, a John Miller strip from 2005, called " The Deevil is oot again" is also in this issue.

The issue rounds out with a couple more strips by Rob Miller, and A. J. Smith, along with "Franchise Goblin with art By Curt Sibling, story by Craig Collins, and " A Trashcan Full of Skin by Shug from 1990.

I think by some of the strip titles above you can get a pretty good idea of the craziness included in Khaki Shorts. Its half legal size, ( and probably half legal as well. lol) 20 pages Price? $2.00 at least. For purchasing info contact Rob Miller at: noahgendah@googlemail.com

I almost forgot Neil Bratchpiece has a strip called "Peapod Manure is Sadlad" (What did I tell you about strip titles?) Get some nonsense in your life, e-mail Rob!

A new year A new direction

Starting in 2010, I will only be working two days a week. So I intend to put more time into this blog, and my comic books. By the way the two days a week is voluntary, I did not get cut back. It is just time for me to let go of the daily grind, and enjoy some time off and travel.

With regard to my comics and posts here, my hope is to increase both. I am currently working on a comic that features the character that you see to the left. You Will probably see more of him on this blog.

I think that every cartoonist, at some time in his or her carrier will go through a phase of drawing a Cat similar to this. I have seen many over the years, they look a lot like the Cat in Ignatz, but take on a bit of the artists own influence. The one you see here is my version of that Cat.

For some unknown reason I cannot quit drawing this Cat, he pops up everywhere! So I hope this is a new direction for a new year for me. Keep checking the blog, and let's see how I do!!

WATUSI'S DOGHOUSE FUNHOUSE

Hey, Dale Martin, along with pals Tom Cherry, Mark Morhouse, Matt Levin, Ivan Martin, Drew Boynton, JB Winter, Mike Sullivan and Bill Hook, Have come up with a great kid friendly comic!

Along with regular Watusi strips, there are puzzles, a word search, things to draw and strips to finish. Along with Watusi, we also get a littlle, Dapper The Penguin, Walking man rubber stamp comics, Doggie and Jilly, a Library Fashion show, and Thunderdawg comics. Topped off by full color front and back covers.

This is a great package for the kids, It's 51 pages long, for only $3.50 From Dale Martin, creator of Watusi the Talking Dog jam comics. PO BOX 442612, Lawrence KS 66044

Khaki Shorts

Boy! It has been a long time since my last post! However one reason for the huge gap in posting is the fact that I just don't get many small press comics to post about anymore.

No excuse I know, there are a lot of things comic related that I should talk about here, and in the future I plan to to just that.

Now onto the new issue of Khaki Shorts, I just received from Glasgow Scotland. One of the more exciting things for me, in this issue is the fact that John Miller, who I consider a long distance friend, has a couple of strips in this issue. One from 2007, and a brand new splash page from 2009!

KS has some very strange strips, Float by Adam Smith, is one of the more bizzar comics included. Two fellows are floating around the room, they don't know why until they receive a call from " The Galactic Housing Association" informing them that the gravity has gone out for a while. Things get pretty messy when that happens, as you will find out when reading this one.

You can find out more about KS by going to their Facebook Page or MYSPACE. You can also email them at khakishorts@gmail.com

Tales of Fantasy no. 45

It's time to give another shout out to Larry Johnson's Tales of Fantasy. Let me point out, as I have done before...NUMBER 45. please note these comics average 40 pages an issue, so publishing issue 45 is no small accomplishment. And Larry sees no let up in the future!

Issue 45 features Larry's long time leading character, Lew Brown. This time Lew encounters "TIBERO" a tree monster! I would have called this issue " A Tree Grows in Brookston", but that's why Larry does the series and not me.

As with all the monsters in Brookston, the tree attacks the homeless community first. Lew is writing for View Magazine and sees an opportunity for a story after talking to some of the homeless folks.

There is no need for me to go into detail here, because when you purchase a copy of Tales of Fantasy, you get 'Mails of Fantasy". Mof is Larry's letter section, and each letter examines the previous issue in detail, offering insights you may not have thought of in your initial reading of the comic. Writers like Perry Lake,Larry Blake,and Mike Tuz, along with others, make the letters of comment very interesting reading.

Full Color covers

digest size

black and white interior

$3.00 from

Larry Johnson

9 st. Peter st

#4

Jamaica Plain, MA 02130-4907

Playing Sims

2009 is only a few days old, and I may have received the best comic of 2009 already! I am talking about Daniel Nauenburg's Playing Sims. Daniel sure knows how to produce a great comic, PS is a standard size comic with color covers and a grey scaled interior. Of course excellent production won't help if you don't have a good story, and Daniel does not disappoint.

His character Sid, may be my new favorite comic character. I'm sure you all have a mental picture of a video game geek, well that's Sid, just as you pictured him. Sid is just about out of money for his "Dew" habit, when he stumbles on to a video game contest featuring the "Sims" video game. Sid thinks with his gaming skills he can't lose, and will pick up some much needed cool cash. Enough said, buy the comic, as I said it is professional in every way, and like Sid you can't lose!

Playing Sims is available from DanialNauenburg at 13741 Mercado Dr Del Mar CA 920104, the cover price is 2.95

Tim Corrigan's Comics & Stories #28

Here is the latest from Tim Corrigan's monthly comic series. It arrived right on time as does every issue of Comics and Stories. This one features one of Tim's earliest creations, ELASTICWORM.

A character that Tim came up with at the ripe old age of seven!

A kid named Billy finds Elasticworm, and decides to take him to the local comic shop. The clerk in the shop sends Billy to The comic company that publishes MIghtyGuy. Otherwise known as Fred Schmurt. Fred of course sees dollar signs all over this Elasticworm guy, as the story winds down to a "to be continued" ending.

This issue also contains a TYRAN episode.

You just can't go wrong at $1.50 an issue. Tim Corrigan POB 25 Houghton NY 14744

Tim also has a brand new web site at: mightyguycomics.tripod.com

Comics on Fire #1

One thing we like around here is first effort comic books. It never ceases to amaze me how clever first effort comics can be. Comics on Fire is just such a comic. Paul Hack ( Hack, an unfortunate last name for a cartoonist)lol, has put together a series of one or two page strips that are original and funny. Now I won't say I understand all of the gags, but you may be more hip than I.

The artwork while not highly polished, certainly fits the strips. Paul does not seem to allow influences from other cartoonists to creep into his work, and that is a good thing.

The comic has full color front and back covers, sells for $3.00, 24 pages, and is available from Paul at

6307 Heritage Landing Ct. Burke, Va 22015 You can contact him at phack47@gmail.com

Or read his blog at paul-hack.blogspot.com

As a side note to Paul, always put your contact info in your comic. Reviewers lose envelopes, and inserts.

Tim Corrigan's Comics & Stories #25 & 26

The only monthly small press comic book that I know of is Tim Corrigan's Comics & Stories. It arrives at my mail box right on time at the beginning of each month. With full color covers and top notch art work. By that I mean fully rendered back grounds in each panel, no short cuts.

Issue 25, titled, "First Contact", even features a written story at the bottom margin of each page.

Number 25 spotlights good old Fred Schmurt as the unwilling recipient of Marge the restaurant owner's romantic advances. In the end Fred sees a way to possibly take advantage of Marge's affection for him. We will have to wait for another issue to see how Fred manages to take advantage of Marge for his own selfish purposes.

Issue 26 "The Ferbles Yesteryear and Toupee" A MightyGuy story. Marvin decides to write a MightyGuy theme song. Of course he is completely awful at it,...... and, well you get the premise .

As usual Tim Corrigan can make a very funny comic out of just about anything and he does it in both issue 25 and 26. Each comic is digest size, 11 pages, with a cover price of $1.50 Send for your copies today! Tim Corrigan POB 25 Houghton NY 14744