Angeles Crest Trail 1992

Ink and water color sketch of an overhanging manzanita bush over hanging a trail in the Angeles Crest mountains. The drawing was executed in the summer of 1992.

Lolly and Janet, Crescent Lake, 1992

I drew these at Crescent Lake, Alaska, while visiting that area on a camping trip with my family in June, 1992. The drawings are of my younger sister, Lolly, and my cousin, Janet.

Steve , Crescent Lake 1992

These are drawings of my brother-in-law, Steve Seimens, from a sketchbook I was keeping in the summer of 1992. I drew both of these during a family backpacking outing to Crescent Lake, Alaska.

Carrie , Crescent Lake 1992

These are drawings of my younger sister, Carrie Rader, from a sketchbook I was keeping in the summer of 1992. I drew both of these during a family backpacking outing to Crescent Lake, Alaska.

Keith, Crescent Lake, 1992

Here are two drawings of my nephew, Keith Seimens, from a camping trip my family went on in the summer of 1992. In this trip, we concentrated on the Crescent Lake area in the state of Alaska, where most of my family lived and still lives. Except for Keith, born and raised in Los Angeles. In these drawings he would have been 6 or 7 years old.

Silver Surfer, Bogart Night on TCM

The second Humphrey Bogart movie I watched Saturday night on TCM was “Dead Reckoning”, co-starring Lizabeth Scott. As with the first Bogart movie, “The Two Mrs. Carroll, it was a film noir release from 1947. It also was not particularly good, although Lizabeth Scott was inspiring in her graceful fluidity. In this case, the result was a drawing of a naked bald woman, chromed and on a surfboard in outer space. I’m waiting for Marvel Comics to do a distaff version of their popular hero. They can tap me for the art chores.

Dolphin 1969, Bogart Night on TCM

This is a sketch of Dolphin, a comic book character created and illustrated by Jay Scott Pike, in Showcase # 79, in 1969. I’ve never read the comic, but I remember being intrigued by the cover. I drew the character from memory while stoned, watching Humphrey Bogart menace Barbra Stanwyck in “The Two Mrs. Carrolls”. Not a very good movie, but it inspired 3 good drawings. This is drawing #2.

Noir Woman, Bogart Night on TCM

I was watching Humphrey Bogart movies on Turner Classics last night and got in the mood to sketch. The movies were “The Two Mrs. Carrolls” (co-starring Barbara Stanwyck) and “Dead Reckoning” (co-starring Lizabeth Scott).

Richard at San Jacinto, 040514

I sketched this while on my honeymoon with my husband, Richard Rangel. We had a civil ceremony in Los Angeles on April 4, 2016, and a long weekend vacation in Palm Springs. Richard had never taken the tram up the mountain to San Jacinto, so I prevailed upon him to join me there. We had a wonderful late-lunch in the restaurant overlooking Palm Springs. I drew this while we waited for our meal.

Mom, Crescent Lake 1992

Here are more sketches I did at Crescent Lake, during my family’s stay there in the summer of 1992. We spent 3 days in a state park forest service cabin on the shore of the lake. As I recall, it was a gloomy summer, so we spent a lot of time inside the cabin, playing various games.

Krista, Crescent Lake, 1992

Here are  two drawings I did at Crescent Lake, Alaska, during my family’s 3 day stay there in the summer of ’92. These are of my niece, Krista, who would have been 7 or 8 at the time.

Crescent Lake 1992

I’ve been looking at old sketchbooks/journals recently. I came across one from the summer of ’92, in which my family and I spent several days at Crescent Lake, Alaska (an hour or so drive from my family’s home in Anchorage, Alaska), from June 25th to June 28, 1992. As I recall one can either hike to the cabin from the trail head (about a 4 hour hike) or get to the cabin by canoe or whatever boat one has. On this trip I was with my Mother, Maxine, my older sister Wendy, her husband Steve, their son Keith, my younger sisters Carrie and Lolly, My cousin Janet, my nieces Lia, Heidi and Krista. (Did their parents, my older brother Robin and his wife Maggie, accompany us on this outing?

In any case, here are two drawings of the view from the cabin, of Crescent Lake itself, one executed at the beginning of the stay, in Prismacolor, and one at the end, using a fountain pen.

Richard in Healdsburg

In early 2014, my soon to be husband, Richard, and I were playing tourist in Healdsburg, California, staying with Richard’s ex, Tim, and Tim’s husband, Jerry. Tim said we’d gotten there at the perfect time, as recent rain had turned the brown, parched landscape verdant green. I wonder how they’re doing now.

I suffered with a super shitty ballpoint pen trying to execute this drawing. I had to press down really hard with the wretched stylus to get any line at all, and sometimes not even then. I find the result interesting; it forced abstraction and simplicity on me. I rather like it.

Surf's Up

Count Dracula as a Baby

This is a sketch portrait of the vampire as a cute little baby. Awww…

Naked Runners

This is a drawing of two naked guys, running and jumping, hence the title, “Naked Runners”.

Luke Cage, Hero For Hire

This is a portrait of Luke Cage, Hero For Hire, in his 70’s version. I drew it with a brush pen that I couldn’t squeeze enough ink into, hence the dry brush effect.

The Dragon Lady

This is my version of the Dragon Lady (from “Terry and The Pirates”, doodled from memory during a work meeting.

Sketches From the 08112016 CAPS Meeting; Naked Mon El

This is the second of 3 sketches I doodled while participating in the August 11, 2016 monthly meeting of the Comic Art Professional Society in Burbank, California, USA.

I call it “Naked Mon El” (from The Legion of SuperHeroes) because, after I drew him, I realized he was Mon El. I’ll clean him up later and put him in costume.

CAT TOT AND BIMBO!

This drawing was done in the same setting as yesterday’s Super Tot drawing: I was doodling while taking notes in “Blogging For Fun And Profit”, taught by Bob Cohen, at Glendale Community College, on July 30, 2016.

Sketches From the 08112016 CAPS Meeting; CAPS Members

This is the third of 3 sketches I doodled while participating in the August 11, 2016 monthly meeting of the Comic Art Professional Society in Burbank, California, USA.

These are fellow CAPS members (in clock-wise order) Sergio Aragones, Steve Wyatt, and Aidan Casserly

Sketches From the 08112016 CAPS Meeting; Zaftig Superwoman

This is the first of 3 sketches I doodled while participating in the August 11, 2016 monthly meeting of the Comic Art Professional Society in Burbank, California, USA. 

This is a sketch of Superman, as a woman, and as a zaftig woman. I call it “Zaftig Superwoman”

SUPER TOT!

He's Hot!! He's Tot!! He's SuperTot! I recall he had his adventures in Superboy Comics, back in the late 60's and early 70's.

All Crime Comics #3, Hat Trick, Page 37, August 13, 2016

COUNT DOWN! Only 1 day to go until the August 14th San Fernando Valley Comic Book Convention. I’ll be sitting all day at an Artist’s table, selling copies of my published work, original artwork and commissioned sketches. In an attempt to generate interest in my upcoming appearance  I’ll be posting (ending today) scans of my original artwork for “All-Crime Comics #3, which was published by Art of Fiction Press in 2014. I’ll be posting my version of the color art alongside the black and white. The publisher decide not to use my coloring. If you want to see the published version, come visit my booth at The San Fernando Valley Comic Book Convention in Granada Hills, on August 14, 2016 and see for yourself. Archives of this blog can be seen on my website, www.raderofthelostart.com

This is page 37 from the story, “Hat Trick”, the third installment in a story continuing from “All Crime Comics” #1 and #2.

This page is an add-on that the writers of “Hat Trick” allowed me. I felt that she needed a “With God As My Witness, I’ll Never Go Hungry Again” (“Gone With The Wind”) moment, rather than ending on the close-up at the bottom of page 36. She is framed by the setting sun which, presumably, she will soon be riding into, completely rid of familial entanglements.

I probably should have turned this job down; I don’t think I did it justice. I hate and am not very good at drawing guns and disfiguring mutilations, a special obsession of the All-Crime Comics series. I was working outside of my comfort zone and it shows, I fear. Oh well, you can’t nail ‘em all.

My Collection # Rude Nexus, Executioner's Song #2, Page 1

This is my latest acquisition, my first original page by Steve Rude (inked by Gary Martin). I bid $100 on it in the Heritage Weekly Comics Auction without examining it too closely, and walked away, being surprised on Sunday evening when I was alerted that I won.

It’s a pretty cool page for what it is (exposition, mood building, setting up the beginning of the story). I like the echoing design elements in the first 3 horizontal panels (the diagonal architectural members on the gulag wall in panel 1, the ore conveyor belts in panel 2, continuing the diagonal motifs of panel 1, and the close-up on the diagonal ore lifters in panel 3). The first 3 panel have a very cinematic “long take” feel; with each panel we get closer and tension builds, until we get to the staccato rhythm of panels 4 through 6, which culminate in an off-panel explosion which, presumably, we’ll get a better look at on page 2.

I especially like panel 3, where we have three slaves separated by the two conveyor belts, each with a terse word balloon, ending on the equally terse word balloon of the guard. Mike Baron (the writer) and Rude use the reader’s left-to-right eye read like a camera panning across the full figure silhouettes of the slaves, ending with a medium close-up on the guard. My only niggling caveat is that the guard’s word balloon falls between those of slaves two and three; I would have preferred it lower in frame, perhaps (to continue the left-to-right eye-read pan) over the guard’s chest.

The page is almost casually brilliant,  an off-hand, function demonstration of facile storytelling ease by two creators at the top of their game.

All Crime Comics #3, Hat Trick, Page 36, August 12, 2016

COUNT DOWN! Only 3 days to go until the August 14th San Fernando Valley Comic Book Convention. I’ll be sitting all day at an Artist’s table, selling copies of my published work, original artwork and commissioned sketches. In an attempt to generate interest in my upcoming appearance  I’ll be posting (over the next 3 days) scans of my original artwork for “All-Crime Comics #3, which was published by Art of Fiction Press in 2014. I’ll be posting my version of the color art alongside the black and white. The publisher decide not to use my coloring. If you want to see the published version, come visit my booth at The San Fernando Valley Comic Book Convention in Granada Hills, on August 14, 2016 and see for yourself.

This is page 36 from the story, “Hat Trick”, the third installment in a story continuing from “All Crime Comics” #1 and #2.

Tracy  calls out to Marko, seen hobbling to some unknown destination in the parking lot below.Too bad he didn’t hear; if he’d looked back he might have seen the approaching SUV full of surviving members of the Solniev gang. They catch Marko  unawares as they drive past, finishing the job of their deceased compadres.

The page ends with a close-up on Tracy; is she looking at Marko’s corpse or the key he gave her on page 33? Whichever it is does not induce her to further tears.

All Crime Comics 3, Hat Trick, Tracy

I designed Tracy for the story, “Hat Trick”, which appeared in the story, “Hat Trick”, from “All Crime Comics #3, published by Art of Fiction Press in 2014. Actually, that statement is inaccurate. Tracy had already been designed; she is the mascot for “The House of Secrets”, the comic book store in Burbank, California, USA where I buy my weekly comics stash. I had about 4 house ads and  poster designs that I worked off for this story. As with the other cast members, (Dodge, Carla, Maddy and Ruslan) I didn’t do formal models as work directly from photos of stars suggested by the writers. This was probably a bad strategy on my part, as I’m fairly unhappy with the drawing I did of those characters for this story, especially Dodger, who doesn’t look like Clive Owen (the actor in mind) or much of anything.

I did this drawing a couple weeks later than those posted previously. It’s not so much a design as an attitude drawing. It’s different than how I portrayed her in “Hat Trick”; based on closer study of the source ads and posters, she became more angular, slightly gawky than here, where she’s more zaftig, curvy.

All Crime Comics 3, Hat Trick, Carla

I designed Carla for the story, “Hat Trick”, which appeared in “All Crime Comics #3, published by Art of Fiction Press in 2014. I designed her in the same sitting as the 3 thugs.

I was constrained in her design as she was a featured player in “All Crime Comics #1 and #2. I wasn’t happy with this pass, so I did an image search on line and settled on Diane Lane, who is exemplary of a woman still beautiful in middle age while not mutilating herself to look young. I also wanted a character different than Tracy, who, as it turns out, was the star of the episode. I didn’t know this starting out; the back half of the story wasn’t delivered to me until I’d already started on the front end. I was disappointed; I wanted to do more with the character than I was allowed by the script.

All Crime Comics #3, Hat Trick, Page 35, August 11, 2016

COUNT DOWN! Only 3 days to go until the August 14th San Fernando Valley Comic Book Convention. I’ll be sitting all day at an Artist’s table, selling copies of my published work, original artwork and commissioned sketches. In an attempt to generate interest in my upcoming appearance  I’ll be posting (continuing over the next 4 days) scans of my original artwork for “All-Crime Comics #3, which was published by Art of Fiction Press in 2014. I’ll be posting my version of the color art alongside the black and white. The publisher decide not to use my coloring. If you want to see the published version, come visit my booth at The San Fernando Valley Comic Book Convention in Granada Hills, on August 14, 2016 and see for yourself. Archives of this blog can be seen on my website, www.raderofthelostart.com

This is page 35 from the story, “Hat Trick”, the third installment in a story continuing from “All Crime Comics” #1 and #2.

Marko waves goodbye to cam/binocular matte in panels 1 and 2, continuing the camera POV Hitchcockian audience identification games from previous pages. This is retroactively shown to be Tracy’s POV in panel 3, as she lowers the binocs from her mascara tearstained face. I continuing the police siren started in page 34, panel 6. The script doesn’t call for sirens, but it seemed to me there ought to be some response to all the mayhem of the past few pages. it doesn’t pay off though; we never see any cops arriving.

In panels 5 and 6, Tracy follows the curious crowd to the top tier of the stadium, looking down from the railing at the top of the stands. Notice, in panels 5 and 6, cast members from the “King of the Hill” TV series, i.e, the Hill and Gribbel families. 

I had fun with the sunset colors in panels 5 and 6.

Christmas in August, Maxine Rader

This is a portrait of my mother, Maxine Rader. The drawing has a notation that she’s conversing with my “off-camera” husband, Richard Rangel.  He and I were visiting my family in Alaska for the 2013 Xmas holiday.

My choice of words (“off camera”) is interesting (to me, at any rate). I stopped bringing a camera with me on vacations about 10 years ago, even before I got a smart phone. I realized that if I didn’t care enough about something to draw it, there was no point in taking a picture of it. I hardly ever take photos with my smart phone, and am so unpracticed that, when I try, it doesn’t go well at first, so I usually miss out on the event I wanted to snap.

All Crime Comics #3, Hat Trick, Page 34, August10, 2016

COUNT DOWN! Only 4 days to go until the August 14th San Fernando Valley Comic Book Convention. I’ll be sitting all day at an Artist’s table, selling copies of my published work, original artwork and commissioned sketches. In an attempt to generate interest in my upcoming appearance  I’ll be posting (continuing over the next 4 days) scans of my original artwork for “All-Crime Comics #3, which was published by Art of Fiction Press in 2014. I’ll be posting my version of the color art alongside the black and white. The publisher decide not to use my coloring. If you want to see the published version, come visit my booth at The San Fernando Valley Comic Book Convention in Granada Hills, on August 14, 2016 and see for yourself. Archives of this blog can be seen on my website, www.raderofthelostart.com

This is page 34 from the story, “Hat Trick”, the third installment in a story continuing from “All Crime Comics” #1 and #2.

Marko kills Solniev (after having dispatched the other thugs) by ramming the Russian crime lord’s face repeatedly into the thick plate glass of Solniev’s skybox until the glass gradually cracks and finally shatters with one last thrust. Solniev’s momentum carries him through the glass onto the unsuspecting bystanders in the foreground.

All Crime Comics 3, Hat Trick, Thug #3

I designed Thug 3 for the story, “Hat Trick”, which appeared in “All Crime Comics #3, published by Art of Fiction Press in 2014. I designed him in the same sitting as Thugs #1 and #2, going for maximum variety in shapes between the 3 incidental characters. 

All Crime Comics #3, Hat Trick, Page 33, August 9, 2016

COUNT DOWN! Only 5 days to go until the August 14th San Fernando Valley Comic Book Convention. I’ll be sitting all day at an Artist’s table, selling copies of my published work, original artwork and commissioned sketches. In an attempt to generate interest in my upcoming appearance  I’ll be posting (continuing over the next 5 days) scans of my original artwork for “All-Crime Comics #3, which was published by Art of Fiction Press in 2014. I’ll be posting my version of the color art alongside the black and white. The publisher decide not to use my coloring. If you want to see the published version, come visit my booth at The San Fernando Valley Comic Book Convention in Granada Hills, on August 14, 2016 and see for yourself. Archives of this blog can be seen on my website, www.raderofthelostart.com

This is page 33 from the story, “Hat Trick”, the third installment in a story continuing from “All Crime Comics” #1 and #2.

FINALLY, in panel 1, I did what I should have done on the previous 2 pages, i.e., put the reflection of the opposite side of the arena  on the f.g. window pane (including the reflection of Solniev’s skybox in the upper center of the panel, with Solniev’s  silhouette looking “at cam” with binoculars. This shot become’s Solniev’s POV, even though I didn’t superimpose a binocular matte).

Marko and Tracy stand over the corpses of her mother, Carla, her mother’s boyfriend, Dodger, and Thug #3.  Marko hands Tracy the key to the locker where Dodger stashed the winnings, thereby financing Tracy’s further adventures (not yet written as far as I know). Tracy doesn’t cry until she has to say goodbye to Marko.  Very strange, but who can figure kids these days, especially little sociopaths.

"Hat Trick", Page 32, August 8, 2016

I’m posting (continuing over the next 6 days) scans of my original artwork for “All-Crime Comics #3, which was published by Art of Fiction Press in 2014. I’ll be posting my version of the color art alongside the black and white. The publisher decide not to use my coloring. 

This is page 33 from the story, “Hat Trick”, the third installment in a story continuing from “All Crime Comics” #1 and #2. Dodger meets his unceremonious end. I don’t know why, in panel 4, I didn’t put the reflections of the opposite side of the arena stands on the foreground glass plane, especially since it has that big bloody bullet hole on it . I can’t imagine that it didn’t occur to me to use that design element. Perhaps I thought it would make the panel too difficult to read. On the other hand, I didn’t show the opposite side of the stands in the  reverse angles in panels 1, 2 and 3. Perhaps I wanted to give Dodger and Carla some privacy in the moment of their deaths.

Panel 1 of this page is meant to be the second panel in a sequence starting in panel 5 of page 31, i.e., Carla is shot in panel 5 of page 31, sinks out of frame in panel 1 of page 32, Thug #3 steps into frame (panel 2), shoots Dodger (panel 3). It’s not perfectly done; the angle in pg 31, pnl 5 should be more straight on, but I cheated it slight to left/right for readability; Thug #3’s shadow should have covered Carla’s face in pg 32 pnl 1 as it did in pg 31, pnl 5, but I left her clear for readability.

All Crime Comics 3, "Hat Trick", Thug 2

I designed Thug #2 for the story, “Hat Trick”, which appeared in “All Crime Comics #3, published by Art of Fiction Press in 2014. I designed him in the same sitting as Thug #1. Basically my design strategy is to give myself as much variety as possible between the various character, so that one would be able to tell them apart by seeing the cast in a silhouette line-up.