Because if so, you'd better get in on the PRETTIEST PRINCESS DEATH TOURNAMENT:

[link]

You've got until May 30th to sign up and post your character sheet in the official thread. Anyone can join! You do NOT have to be an EnterVoid member, and you do not need an intro comic. All you need is a princess character and the will to destroy your competition. After May 31st, the mods will vote on character selection, and the official tournament will begin on June 3rd. You best believe I'm gonna get in on this, are you?

Apologies for my absence! These days, I'm more active on my Tumblr [link]. But truthfully, I've been quite busy. I finished my comics capstone and gave my presentation last week; I spoke with my advisors about the next step for my comics research; I finished my last final and turned in my last paper. All that's left now is graduation, and the rest of my life.

It's a little scary.

But that's okay. It's taken me the entirety of this school year to mentally prepare, but I feel ready. Mushiness will be had, and tears will most certainly be shed, but things are already lined up. I know what I want to do, I know how to get it done, and now all that's left is to take that first step and move forward. So much to see, so much to do, so little time. Thank you for following me, I promise I'll add more artwork as soon as it's ready.

Yesterday, I had a wonderful conversation with a couple very talented artists- Sephiramy, SynicalSel, and Kayzig, to be specific. After having lunch on the Fisherman's Wharf, we found a quiet set of steps to chat. Though it was as sunny and breezy as I imagine San Francisco ever was, we huddled around that microphone like the dying spark of a campfire. Around that spark for over two hours we shared four years' worth of memories, always leading back to the place where I met them all: DeviantDead.

DeviantDead was a zombie-themed Original Character Tournament officially held in the fall of 2009, my freshman year of college. I had entered Vaughn Von Vancouver and Dean "The Bean" Wilson, two scrappy teenagers in skinny jeans out to blog the apocalypse- hipsters before I'd ever heard the word. I came up with them after surveying the crowd of entrants, an impressive bunch of characters by equally impressive artists. There were more than a few badasses trying to escape the city alive, but there were also more unique characters: A monstrous amoral lawyer; a hobo with a bad case of amnesia; a doddering old professor and his dog (the latter being one of three Charlies in DeviantDead, which made for much amusement); a French chef; a mysterious figure in a plague mask known only as "Birdy". The list went on and on, but it was missing some comic relief. I decided my characters would fill that gap. Speaking with the other contestants many years later, I found that they thought the same when developing their own character. Each saw a niche that could be filled, and sought to fill it themselves.

As I said before, all three of the artists I was huddling with in 2013, I met many years ago in the DeviantDead chatroom. Before the tournament even officially began, we were already cracking jokes and sharing fanart. The beginning pool of contestants was 32 artists strong, and as friendly as one could imagine. Even Kayzig, who was at the time part of another mob-themed OCT called Yeah! Swing It!, joined in. Every single day, from that November on, there was always somebody in the chat. The conversation ranged from the absurd to the profound, the pointless to the therapeutic. We shared anything and everything in that little box, and grew closer for it. For some, it was an tentative step towards a future career. For others, it was an escape from a problematic life. For me, it was both, and on top of that it was a feeling I had sought for a long time: Community.

Growing up, I knew very few artists, and even fewer comic artists. My college was not a strongly arts-focused school, and being an art minor meant that I wasn't in the trenches as much as the majors. Add to that my general social anxieties and difficulties in making friends, and you had one lonely kid. But lo and behold, the internet offered me an alternative. I can't quite remember which artist it was that convinced me to join DeviantDead, but I jumped at the chance. Here was exactly the kind of thing I needed, a chance to meet other comic artists and really get going.
Alas, it was not to be; my skills and body were not ready for such a commitment. During that fall, I began developing a series of pains, such that made even the simplest drawing feel like knives were being driven into my arms. Despite my cries, the pains would be ignored by my family until the following spring, when I would make an appointment behind my parents' backs. Those pains slowed my work drastically during that fall. My Round 1 comic was too sloppy, too rushed, too unfinished to beat my opponent. My ambitious plans for Vaughn and Dean crumbled.

Though I ended up losing in the first round, my boys made it all the way to the semi-finals. They were officially killed off in that last comic, but they could have been slaughtered at any time by any of the artists who swiped them. Instead, they were carried like a baton from one round to the next, each artist providing their own vision of my boys. I'll admit, some visions I preferred to others, but I'm certain others felt the same about my takes on their characters. Seeing both sides of this exchange was an eye-opening experience, one I doubt I'd ever receive in any classroom. It's a feeling that'd persist as I was introduced to the wonderful comic battle site EnterVoid.
Despite dropping out early, I stuck around for the next year and a half. The chat was still where I went most every single day, to shoot the shit and encourage the remaining artists to finish their comics. The deadlines extended to months at a time, as the real world got in the way. We all laughed and said that the tournament was never going to officially end. How wrong we were.

Our apocalypse ended with the saddest of whimpers. The final round never completed, the DeviantDead tournament officially ended on May 21, 2011. The last I heard, one of the three remaining artists was still sketching her final work. The final epitaph of our saga. Whether I'll see it completed in my lifetime, I don't know. I'm not sure how important it is to me now to see it finish. As it is, all of us gained something special from that OCT. Our own stories are not yet complete, either. The artists that I met there, I still know and love. Some I grew closer with than others, but I try to keep up with all of them, as they are all going to do great things. That I was able to have a conversation, four years later, with three artists I met online, is a miracle to me. That I am doing this as part of a larger research project into the changing culture of comic artists is beyond incredible. It really is thanks to DeviantDead, and the people that were a part of it, that I continued pursuing this passion.

The rubble still stands. You can search for the page, even now. Some links are broken, some accounts have been moved or otherwise deleted, but the rest is still there. The city has been evacuated; the sirens worn into silence. And all that's left of the beautiful, thriving community I was a part of is a hollow chatroom, vacant except for the sign:

WE ARE THE DEAD, THE DEVIANTDEAD

A group of artists asked people to reblog a post and add their own advice. Mine wasn't exactly art-specific, but I think that makes it even more useful. So here are some of the most important things I've learned:

Everything is useful. Everything you see, taste, touch, hear, feel, know- it's all material for your art. This is doubly true for the people you meet and all of the experiences they can share with you.

Make sure you have a hobby and interests outside of your art. There's lots to do in this wide wonderful world, so get out there and find something.

Style is an outward expression of an inward mindset. Knowing yourself is key to finding your style, but remember that you are always changing and so is your art.

Originality is grossly misunderstood. There is nothing that will be 100% original, because all creative works, like everything else in this universe, build off of what came before them. What makes a work original is the particular blend of creative influences and ideas.

That being said, the originality of an idea is less important than how it's executed and how well.

Ambition is great, but if you're stuck, find stepping stones and stick to them. If you want to write a 50,000 word novel, start with short stories; if you want to make a movie, start with a 5-minute film or a webseries. The important thing is to keep moving towards whatever goal that you set for yourself, a little bit at a time.

You yourself are a unique mix of influences. Your hometown, your friends, your family, your favorite movies, TV shows, ice cream flavors are all variables that make up who you are. No one else in this whole world has the same exact set of variables; no one else can make the same art that you can make.

Love yourself. There's no one else who can do it for you.

Happy 2013, everybody! I hope you all have had a wonderful holiday season. If you have a new year's resolution, I wish you the best in luck at achieving it. One of the things I'm trying this year to make mine happen is something called the Once-A-Week Project. A bunch of people from around EnterVoid and myself will be posting videos on a weekly basis, talking about what we want to work on and what we've already accomplished. You can hear my dorky voice talk about my 2013 goals in my first video, on my channel right here: [link]

Also, I need some super-important advice. My four-year-old Dell M1330 is making scary crunchy noises and doesn't know what a battery is anymore, so I'm worried it's gonna kick the bucket soon. Given that I am an almost entirely digital artist, this is bad news. The problem is, I have no clue what kind of computer I should get yet. Currently I'm leaning towards another laptop, but post-graduation it might make more sense for me to get a desktop tower and possibly a netbook. I need something that can run Windows 7, Photoshop Elements, and Manga Studio 4 EX with no trouble and has decent durability. Gaming isn't a high priority, but it'd be nice. Ideally it'd also come with a touch-sensitive monitor that'd work well enough to draw comics on. Any suggestions? Also, if you have a new year's resolution, what is it?

If 1 picture= 1,000 words, and a novella is typically between 17,500 words and 40,000, could it be said a graphic novella is between 17.5 pages (1 page equalling one concise picture) and 40? If this is indeed the case, and a prose novel is somewhere upwards of 50,000, then a graphic novel needs at least 50 pages... but that still seems too short to me. A standard comic book issue these days is around 20-30 pages, and that's if there are no ads. And I can hardly think of a standalone graphic novel 50 pages. So what about...

Graphic novel- 80+

Graphic novella- 40-80

Graphic novelette- 20-40

Graphic short story- 1-20

Why am I asking this? Mostly, I find classification an interesting subject. The near-futility of trying to organize the universe endlessly delights a primitive part of my brain. But as a comic artist, and one who is currently interested in writing and drawing self-contained stories, knowing what lengths are expected with a given label is useful.

But enough about my thoughts, what do you say?

I've been awarded $800 from the Frances Zalla Scholarship to go towards my Honors Capstone trip! That's $800 to help pay for a trip to American cities and study local cultures and their comic scenes. I am just over the moon right now, this will be such a huge help.  I still need to raise a bit more money to make this happen, but details about that will come later. For now, I'm just happy somebody believes in my project enough to give me money for it. ;u;

Is there any sort of comprehensive guide to comic-making subcultures in North America? If it does not exist, would you have interest in one? Were one to exist, what  areas would you consider to have the most prominent or distinct subcultures? Would you be interested in aiding the creation of said guide?

First off, holy crap, thank you for gifting me a year-length subscription. It looks like they just joined today, so I don't know who they are, but I am very grateful.

Second off, the last couple of weeks have been incredible for me. I finally got my copy of the EnterVoid Anthology in the mail, and it came out wonderful! So many cool stories and some very nice art, and on top of that I finally get to see my own story right in the front of the book! I spent three months collectively working on that story- it's the single longest creative project I think I've ever done- and to be able to hold it in my hands is nothing short of mind-blowing.

[Quick plug: You can now get the Anthology on both IndyPlanet ([link], as well as on Graphicly([link] if you prefer digital comics and/or saving money. Tell your friends, support awesome comics.]

Third, two weeks ago I got to attend the Derby City Comic-Con. It's a relatively small convention in Louisville, and last year it was pretty fun. But THIS year, I wasn't just an ordinary shmuck. Naw, I was a part of the New Talent Showcase, and got to have my work on display AND get in the con for free! I spent nearly all of my time running around to all of the booths and talk to the AMAZING artists there. To top it all off, I was interviewed by Completely Comics, a weekly podcast based in Louisville. The interview was delightful, and you can now listen to the whole thing online here: [link] My bit starts at 21:54, but you really should listen to the whole thing. These guys do great work in spotlighting creators.

I also wanna thank you guys for following my work- it really is great to hear from you all, especially when I can have some lovely conversations about art and business. In due time, I'll have some more exciting news for you all, as well as more art. Stay tuned, and don't let the summer heat fry your brain!

(everything copy pasted from Claire Duffy, because i am a lazy jerk.)
The Rules:

Be one of the first 9 people commenting on this journal entry, and I'll put your avatar and three deviations that I think are the coolest in this "Share the Art" feature.

IMPORTANT: If you do comment, you're expected to do the same in your own journal; putting me on the first place!

The idea behind this is NOT to get a free feature, but to help spread art and artists around for everyone. So be a nice guy!

If you post and don't join in I'll move to the next person, simple as that.

1. [link] [link] [link]

2. [link] [link] [link]

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(everything copy pasted from Claire Duffy, because i am a lazy jerk.)
The Rules:

Be one of the first 9 people commenting on this journal entry, and I'll put your avatar and three deviations that I think are the coolest in this "Share the Art" feature.

IMPORTANT: If you do comment, you're expected to do the same in your own journal; putting me on the first place!

The idea behind this is NOT to get a free feature, but to help spread art and artists around for everyone. So be a nice guy!

seriously im a jerk about these things. If you post and don't join in i'll move to the next person.

~Dirk

Like, a jacket with patches of artwork from Robert Crumb, Art Spiegelman, Alison Bechdel, Lynda Barry, James Stokoe, Jeff Smith, all kindsa cool shit. And then on the back, in fancy letters, this quote:

"Cartooning will destroy you. It will break your heart."

That'd be punk as fuck.

Woah, lord, I'm almost at 20k views- awesome! I really wanna thank you guys for watching me and liking my work. It really does mean a lot to me. I apologize for not posting as often, but once summer rolls around I'll have more to show you, and maybe even some special offers. c;

I did have a long-winded blog typed up about why I can't sleep, but I'll summarize it like this:

I know what I want to do, I know how I can get it done, I just need the time to do it... but I also am worried that by not taking the path that my parents want me to take, I'm potentially shooting myself in the foot. At the same time, I feel like I'm putting off really working on what I actually want to do, and somehow that seems more important to me. Sometimes I worry about choosing the college that I've attended, but I don't think it will ultimately matter, so long as I put forth enough effort. I'd also like to find a nice city full of creative types where I can get around with just a bicycle and my own two feet and where the sun is always shining and the air smells like warm root beer, but that still feels too far away to really consider.

Now then, what's everyone's plans for the summer?

Happy new year, everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful end to 2011, and am as excited as I am about 2012. This January I'll be keeping myself busy with the 31-Day Worldbuilding Challenge, but I'll posting everything on my Tumblr.

...I guess this'd be a good time to mention that I have a Tumblr now:

[link]

I haven't done much else with it yet apart from some reblogging and the WBC, but I'm hoping to have sketches and other special stuff here and there to make it worth everybody's while. Anybody else have one of these things? I'm still pretty new to it.

I got featured by the lovely so now it's time for me to return the favor!


RULES
1. For each of the 20 first people answering this journal, I will put their avatar and the three deviations I like most from their gallery on the list!
2. If you answer, you have to do the same in your journal, putting the tagger on the first place. The idea of this is not to get a free feature, it is to spread art around for everyone!

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Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouuuuuu~

That is all.

The other day I was in one of my classes aimlessly daydreaming when I thought to myself how awesome it'd be to do a 30-day worldbuilding challenge. I've done visual research for comic stories before, but I always stumble when I'm trying to draw the thing and come up with the props and background simultaneously. A challenge like that'd be fantastic prep, not to mention a good source for conflict. I found a couple worldbuilding challenges through google, but I wasn't able to find something that was what I had in mind. So, I wrote up my own. These are the days and their challenges:

1. The World- the general setting that this will all take place in.
2. Geography- the specific landmass you'll be focusing on, the Morrowind to your Tamriel. Talk about weather patterns and the general lay of the land.
3. Landmarks
4. Resources- How do the people get water? Food? Are there rich minerals nearby, or mystical ley lines that power magical energy?
5. Flora
6. Fauna
7. Races/General Culture
8. Clothing- detail differences in outfits between genders and ages as necessary
9. Food- describe an example of a daily diet, however it's divided up (breakfast, brunch, elevensies, etc.), along with any other noteworthy foods for special occasions
10. Arts
11. Trades- Smithing, Carpentry, Dragon-taming, etc.
12. Education
13. Tools- for use in Arts and Trades, or something yet unmentioned
14. Weapons
15. Transportation
16. Politics/Officials- Describe the system of government or leadership used in your society, and who if anyone is in charge. What are the relations between your society and others nearby?
17. Currency/Economy
18. Religions
19. Warfare- How is war handled in your society? Do they fight at all, and if so, who do they send? How do they fight?
20. Housing
21. Businesses
22. Political Buildings
23. Religious Buildings
24. Social Groups- these can be classes grouped by caste or by cultural boundaries (Upper-classes, undesirables, punks, jocks, etc.)
25. Language- for use in naming all of the things you've designed. Establish phonetic patterns with particular cultures (Example: All of the Kokiri people save for Saria have names using Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti-Da)
26. Folk Traditions/Holidays
27. Toys/Games
28. Legends
29. History
30. Life Cycle- create an entirely new character. Based off of everything that you've already written, give them a full life story, describing how they grew up, what games they played, whether their family was rich or poor, if they were religious; whether they married or stayed celibate, if they became famous or not, and if they die with honor in battle or maybe in their home surrounded by friends and family. Describe how people react to the person's death, and what if any impact their life had upon the land.

I've already spoken to a few others about it, on other forums and in person, about trying this out. Making the official month October feels like it'd be a smart move, as it'd be a perfect warm-up for NaNoWriMo, but I'm itching to do this sooner. If anyone else is interested in doing a January edition of this, please let me know and we can begin planning how to sort this all out. I recently set up a Tumblr for myself  [link] and I've done very little with it so far, but I see how it could be useful for a challenge like this. A simple addition of hash-tags would make it very easy to find entries for the challenge, but of course I can't expect everyone in the world to have one of these things. Any other suggestions for a central meeting place would be greatly appreciated. So, who's in?

Then get your ass over to and get a commission!

[link]

Unlike other fancy shmancy blogs, I can't show thumbnails in my journal, but trust me, they're a killer artist. Or, y'know, you could not trust me and then just check out his profile and see the awesomeness for yourself. Your choice.

[link]

is one of the hardest working comic artists I know, and to see her and countless other artists get ripped off by disgusts me. I'm reposting this to spread the word, in the hopes that less people will get cheated out like this. Godspeed to you all.

[link]

Good lord, I can hardly believe that's stop-motion animation. LAIKA's quickly becoming my new favorite animation studio. I have yet to see Fantastic Mr. Fox, but I loved Coraline to bits, and I'm so excited to see that the studio is getting to make original stories of their own. It makes it all the more painful to see that "August 2012" at the end. That's so far away! D:

So long as I'm making a new blog post, what are your all's plans for Halloween? I've been to a couple parties and made a Richard Simmons costume on the cheap, and I'm planning on watching The Nightmare Before Christmas. How about you?