My World is Funnier

Quick update

2009-07-24T11:15:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know I said I'd have a massive update soon (and I still plan to) but for the time being I am slammed with "The Wicked", "Joe Fable" and a very exciting project which I am not at liberty to divulge information about as of yet. I am so busy in fact that for the first time in 8 years I am not attending San Diego Comic Con!! I have to admit though, in recent years it's become so crazy that this is actually a welcome break. There's always next year...

Anyway, I will update soon with new art from "The Wicked" and much more! Have a good weekend everyone!!

Parker!

2009-07-15T22:58:00.001-07:00

Recently I stumbled upon a blog that's (almost but not quite) by one of my favorite artists Darwyn Cooke in which I found a contest to draw the main character, Parker, from Richard Stark's classic novels which Darwyn has adapted into a graphic novel. I couldn't quite pass up the opportunity to take a small break from "The Wicked", "Joe Fable" and other projects (that I must keep under wraps for now) and produce my own rendition of this anti-hero. We all know how I love them anti-heroes...

Anyway, here goes. Enjoy!

I'll be back soon with more news and updates than you can shake a stick at! Y'all come back now y'hear??

"The Wicked" Issue 2 is coming...

2009-07-10T10:43:00.000-07:00

You've been warned...

MASSIVE update coming soon...

2009-06-23T08:10:00.000-07:00

Guess I've already failed on my new year's resolution to be a better blogger. Jeez... Anyway, lots going on recently so expect news, artwork and more in the next few days!! Hope y'all are having a great summer so far!

-A

Free Comic Book Day Signing

2009-05-01T01:12:00.000-07:00

Hiya Folks! A lot has gone on with me in the past few months, both personally and professionally, which left me little time to update here. So for the 2 people that actually read this blog I apologize.

Anyway, I promise to return with a much more detailed rundown on just what has been going on but for now you need to know about September 23rd Studios' appearance at Metropolis Comics in LA this Saturday from 1-5 (or whenever they boot us). My cohort, Mark Peaslee, and I will be on hand selling copies of the book "The Wicked", doing sketches and signing autographs. If you or anyone you know in the greater LA area is interested there will be raffles, other creators and tons of FREE comics so come on by this Saturday and say hi! More information on Metropolis comics can be found @ http://www.metrohero.com/index.php.

Thanks and I hope to see some of you there!

3 more days...

2009-02-24T11:06:00.000-08:00

...until Wondercon descends upon the Bay Area with it's annual barrage of comics and all things pop-culture! Come by and say whaddup to the September 23rd Studios crew (as well as our good friend, artist Megan FitzRoy) in the small press section at table # SP04. Here are some of the goodies we'll have:

Advanced copies of issue # 1 of "The Wicked" for just $3!

Snazzy promo postcards for "The Wicked" and September 23rd Studios for FREE!

Plus our limited edition print (created exclusively for Wondercon 2009), sketches, autographs and a whole lot more! Hope to see you at Moscone Center South Friday February 27th - Sunday March 1st!

Joe update

2009-02-05T18:06:00.000-08:00

Well if any of you out there in internet land have actually followed this blog for the past 6 months or so you will be well aware of the fact that I not only am the artist for September 23rd Studios' "The Wicked" but also for Paul DeBerry's "Fractured Adventures of Joe".

With Mark and I taking a small break in the production of "The Wicked" to focus on preparing for Wondercon, I have once again begun to devote the majority of my time at the drawing board to the art for "Joe". Along with Paul and co-plotter Nick Aires, we are aiming to have a submission ready for Zuda comics (DC's online division) very shortly. While I still am not at liberty to divulge the plot I would like to share the first 4 pages of art from our submission. Enjoy!

Be sure to check back in a few days as I'll be sharing designs for a bunch of the swag September 23rd Studios will have at the con! Hope your week's going well and if it's not, don't sweat it, it's almost over!

The worst blogger in the world

2009-01-10T14:54:00.000-08:00

That would be me. Jesus... I'll try to be better in the new year as there will be much to share. In that vein I'd like to share some character designs for upcoming issues and story arcs of "The Wicked":

Also, Mark and I will be selling signed and numbered limited edition prints at Wondercon. This is the artwork for the print:

That's about all for now folks. More news on our appearance @ Wondercon, "The Wicked" and much more coming soon.... Happy New Year!!!

"The Wicked" characters and images © 2009 Mark Peaslee/Alex Schumacher

Some actual art!

2008-11-10T19:25:00.000-08:00

It's been some time since I've shared new art with you. Seeing as this is my art blog I thought it'd be a good idea to do just that this evening. First is a fun lil' piece I completed while attending APE. It started out as a picture of Mark's and my Jesus character from "The Wicked" and then descended into the funky doodle you see before you. To his credit Mr. Peaslee contributed plenty of visual ideas to this drawing. In fact, if it sucks blame him.

That about does it for me. Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Images © 2008 Alex Schumacher

Get out there and vote!!!

2008-11-04T11:55:00.000-08:00

Say yes to change people. One vote, your vote can make a difference!

APE recap

2008-11-02T15:22:00.000-08:00

It may have been an extremely wet day in San Francisco yesterday but that didn't dampen the spirits at this years APE! Mark and I had a great time hanging out with the crew from the Cartoon Art Museum's table and chatting with the folks who stopped by. As per usual, we also did some networking with Oni Press' Managing Editor as well as Mark having an impromptu meeting with an Exec from Cartoon Network! All in all it was quite a fun time.

Here are a couple pics taken by our good buddy Ron Evans:

Brian Kolm, Mark and myself

The very talented Michael Capozzola and the very candid me
(notice "The Wicked" postcards strategically placed on the table)

September 23rd Studios @ APE

2008-10-27T19:44:00.000-07:00

One week from now the Alternative Press Expo (affectionately referred to as APE) will settle in to it's newly appointed place in the yearly convention lineup, November 1st and 2nd! Converging upon our beloved bay next Saturday and Sunday is one of the premier gatherings of small press, self published and indie comic creators in the country, aside from SPX of course, and September 23rd Studios will be there. Mark and I will be on hand at the Cartoon Art Museum's table on Saturday to promote "The Wicked" and meet and greet anyone who is interested in meeting a couple of hooligans wallowing in obscurity but thriving on their own egos. I'm joking...we're not a couple of hooligans wallowing in obscurity.

We will also be attending the Cartoon Art Museum's Alternative Press Expo party following the con from 8-11 pm. Should be one helluva shindig! Hope to see some of you there...

Quick piece of advice

2008-10-11T18:45:00.001-07:00

I understand that the title may come off as somewhat pretentious and egotistical, believing that I am in some position of authority to be giving advice. Listen kids, I've been at this a looong time and while I am well aware of where my jurisdiction ends, I also am aware of which topics I know a thing or two about.

In that vein, I would like to offer the following: If any of you out there are thinking of pursuing a career in comics learn one thing...patience!! I say this for a few different reasons.

1. It takes years, and in some cases decades, to make a living in this field. That is if you are ever one of the lucky few to make a living as a creator. I still don't. So work hard, cut your teeth, get involved with your local artist's community and your day will hopefully come...as will mine :)

2. Projects don't just appear overnight. It requires a lot of work and time to complete (and/or even find) a worthwhile project. If the destination is all you focus on, you'll never enjoy the ride.

3.Editors take a long time to respond!! This is not to say they are lazy or apathetic. Quite the contrary as a matter of fact. Editors are extremely busy and while they would love to respond to everyone in a timely manner this is just not a possibility. Do not, I repeat DO NOT perpetually call or email an editor questioning the status of your submission. A follow-up is perfectly fine but nothing turns off an editor quicker than a nuisance.

I believe this concludes my post. Keep creating folks!!

Comic Con 2008 Pics..finally!!!

2008-09-21T13:45:00.001-07:00

The title of the posts says it all folks. Sorry it took me so long to post these. Without further ado:

In the Star Trek control chair (for my Aunt Sari!)

Scotty sizing up the Hulk

Lego Batman and his trusty ward...

The original Iron Man built to scale (look how small the folks in the back are!)

My version of "Bluntman" for the Sketch-a-thon

Caught off guard during the Sketch-a-thon

Making up for lost time...

2008-09-04T19:13:00.000-07:00

Here is the most recent model sheet for the lead character from the "Joe Fable" project...

Pics from Comic Con 2008 coming soon!

"Joe Fable" characters © 2008 P.B. DeBerry
Images © 2008 Alex Schumacher

Joe Fable

2008-09-04T15:43:00.000-07:00

It has been a crazy month (or so) since Comic Con!

I have been hard at work on September 23rd Studios' "The Wicked" as well as a side project I recently became involved with which is called "The Unfractured Adventures of Joe Fable". It is a lot of fun to work on and while I can't divulge too much info as far as the characters and plot is concerned, I would like to share some character designs that I did a few months back.

Enjoy!
"Joe Fable" characters © 2008 P.B. DeBerry
Images © 2008 Alex Schumacher

Back from San Diego...

2008-07-29T14:03:00.000-07:00

...and completely wiped! Comic con is always a blast but leaves you drained.

A more in depth report as well as pictures, and possibly some exciting news, soon to follow...

Official Comic Con info

2008-07-20T15:01:00.000-07:00

So here is the official info you will need if ya plan on coming by and saying hi to me this week in San Diego at Comic Con 2008:

Location: Cartoon Art Museum Table, Booth # MZ11 on the Mezzanine Level
Times: Saturday July 26th from 11am-12pm & Sunday July 27th from 1-2pm

Hope to see some of you there!!!

"The Wicked" preview!!

2008-07-12T19:09:00.000-07:00

Hello folks! You've been starin' at the same post for a while here so I figured it was just about time for an update. And away we go...

First, Mark and I did not make the top 50 of the Platinum Studios Comic Book Challenge. Something about profanity and violence. Oh well, let them censor other creators. We're doing this book our way! Unless of course someone wants to pay us loads of money to change it. Just kidding...kinda.

Next, as we still have a few publishing options open to us we are going to hold off on releasing "The Wicked" ourselves for the time being. However, in an attempt to tide over the viewing public we have posted an 11 page preview of issue #1 exclusively at our website september23rdstudios.com! Go there now!

Original Art from "The Wicked" Issue #1

It has also been confirmed that I will be appearing at the San Diego Comic Con on Sunday July 27th from 12-1 pm at the Cartoon Art Museum table. Come on by and say hi! If ya bring a bottle of Maker's Mark or Black Label I'll give ya a free sketch! Seriously...

And last but not least I've added a few more links. How could I have forgotten Bruce Timm or the Cartoon Art Museum up 'til now? Sad.

That's about all for now folks. Hope your weekend's swell!!

Comic Book Challenge/ "The Wicked" preview

2008-06-14T18:38:00.000-07:00

Hiya folks...

Mark and I have entered Platinum Studios' Comic BookChallenge 2oo8. For more info on the competition visit their site here. To that end we had to submit 3 pages of the book and I thought it'd be a nice treat if I shared it with y'all here.

Without further ado this is page 13, 14 and 15 of our upcoming issue 1.

"The Wicked" images and characters © 2008 Mark Peaslee/Alex Schumacher

For shits and giggles

2008-06-10T19:32:00.000-07:00

And because I don't want to post anything from the upcoming release of issue 1 of "The Wicked" just yet, I've decided to post the 1st page of a comic I was working on last year for a company that sadly went under before the book was released. It was called "Nocturna" and was about a man being recruited to lead a team of assassins.

Enjoy!
Characters and story © 2008 Bruce Christian Boudeville
Art © 2008 Alex Schumacher

Spend this Saturday helping a worthy cause...

2008-06-04T13:23:00.000-07:00

I (and other artists involved) have been asked to pass along the following information about an event I will be participating in this Saturday, June 7th:

Josh Medors Cancer Fund Sketch-A-Thon this Saturday at the Cartoon Art Museum

Cartoonist and all-around swell guy Tom Beland (True Story, Swear To God) will be at the Cartoon Art Museum this Saturday, June 7, from 11am to 5pm as CAM’s Cartoonist-In-Residence. While he’s here (visiting all the way from Puerto Rico), he’ll be selling sketches to raise money for Josh Medors, a professional comic book artist who’s been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. I’m sure that most artists can sympathize, but Josh’s medical insurance is not comprehensive enough to deal with the mounting bills that are piling up, so Tom Beland (and many, many additional talented artists) are rallying behind him in an effort to raise some much-needed money. All proceeds from this weekend’s Sketch-A-Thon will go to Josh Medors’ cancer fund.More information about the event can be found here:http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=20983364574&ref=nf.

If you are in the area and would like to donate artwork for the day-long silent auction (any items not sold on Saturday will carry over to the next fundraising event) or, better yet, you’d like to donate your time and join Tom at the drawing table, please drop me a line. If you can’t get a hold of me, check in with tom@tombeland.com for more information about the fundraiser and how you can help. Most importantly, please help us to spread the word about this event. We want to raise as much money as possible for Josh, and the best way to do that is to get a lot of people to visit the museum on Saturday and buy artwork. A donation as small as $5 will get you a sketch from a professional cartoonist—not too shabby. The event will be held in the Cartoon Art Museum’s lobby area, too, so please let visitors know that they don’t have to pay admission to our galleries to take part in the event.

Thanks,
Andrew--
Gallery Manager/Curator
Cartoon Art Museum

Rory Root

2008-05-20T14:06:00.000-07:00

I was saddened and shocked yesterday to hear of the passing of Comic Relief store owner Rory Root.

Though I've been here in the Bay Area and involved with artists and art organizations alike for the past 5 years, I never formally met the man. I never had more than a brief one or two minute conversation with him in passing at a convention or in his store. I never went to dinner with him, worked with him or had a drink with him.

How, you may ask, has someone who I never knew left such an indelible mark on my life? The answer is simple: Rory was a part of our community. The comics community. A brother in arms. The beauty about our specific community (and most artist communities I would imagine) is that you don't need to know someone on a first name basis for them to touch your life. He undeniably has touched mine.

Rory, in many ways, revolutionized the way comic stores were viewed and operated. He was a champion of the underdog, the indie artist and the aspiring creator. He always seemed to make time to speak with anyone who was interested in our beloved artform and took that opportunity to make them as excited about it as he was. He loved all aspects of the industry. He loved comics.

Most of what I write is drawn from the too few interactions I've had with him and accounts from those who knew him well. Unfortunately I am not one of those people. For that I am truly saddened....

The world has lost a great man.

I'm a pretty awful blogger....

2008-05-17T20:31:00.000-07:00

And I apologize for being so long in between posts. Very busy am I....

Anyhoo, here's a couple of teaser panels for the upcoming first issue of The Wicked due out at the beginning of next month. Enjoy!

September 23rd Studios now on Comicspace!

2008-04-22T08:36:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been so long since my last post but Mark and I have been hard at work on our current project "The Wicked" and promoting our creative venture September 23rd Studios! Speaking of promotion (like that transition?) you can now find September 23rd Studios on Comicspace, which is basically the comics world's version of myspace. See our page by clicking on the link below:

That's about all for now but I promise to return soon with lotsa news, sketches, ramblings, etc.!

Happy Earth Day!