Pill.

Panel from HERO Comics 2011 Charity Book. Out Today!

-Rob

Peek.

Panel from CHEW 20.

Yep.

My wall of Awesome. And Voltron protects them all.

For those who haven't heard, CHEW won the 2011 Eisner for Best Continuing Series last weekend. And that's pretty stinkin' awesome. Thanks to all you fans, creators and retailers that made this possible. You guys are awesome.

And YES, I know the blog's been pretty damn barren as of late. What can I say? Between having a kid and keeping an (almost) monthly comic schedule, things have been busy. A lot's happened in the last year, and I've sucked at covering all of it. So I've dedicated myself to posting more regularly from here on. Seriously this time. SERIOUSLY.

See ya tomorrow. (seriously).
-Rob!

Process Junkie: Coloring CHEW.

Alright, due to the positive response of my inking process post, I've decided to go forth with this short tutorial, outlining a bit of how I digitally color CHEW.

First, a Disclaimer. I am not a "Tech" guy. I have had several conversations with professional comic colorists, and they pretty much always degrade into me staring blankly at them while they talk about Photoshop Channels or whatever other crap that I have no idea how to use properly. Look, I took ONE Photoshop class in college, and it taught me NOTHING. What I've learned over the past decade of using the program is a cobbled-together mess of "Things I need to know to achieve the look I want." Truthfully, I have scratched just the surface of Photoshop's power, and I know how to do one or two things in it well. But I've dedicated my life to exploiting those one or two things until the day I die.

Step 1: Scanning!


First up, I scan in the finished inks at 1200dpi in B&W Lineart mode. It's crisp and the red graphite I pencil in doesn't show up on the scans. I use studiomate Kody Chamberlain's Epson 15000 scanner, and it's got the best scans I've ever seen. From there, I convert it to GreyScale mode, then CMYK mode, then drop the resolution to 600dpi. I drop the lineart into a pre-made template, then size it down to about 6.875 x 10.187. From there, I'm ready to go.

Step 2: Rough Shadows!


Next up, I'll roughly draw the shadows for the page. This is mostly an informative step, since I have a color assistant, S. Steven Struble to fill in color separations and clean up shadow work according to my guides. Also, I do this because I am ANAL. Several comic friends rib me for not just contracting all my color work away, but hey, doing it myself makes the finished product that much more rewarding to me. Maybe one day, after I have sufficiently worked myself to death, I'll stop coloring.

Anyway, below is the "rough shadow" layer without lineart.


Step 3: Separations!


Thank God for my color assistant, because I hate this stage. Struble goes into the lineart, and basically lays out the foundation that I will be building the rest of the color on top of. For major characters, he works from color guides I provide him with. For everything else, I generally just let him do whatever and change the color choices when I get around to it. Struble's contribution has been totally invaluable to the book's workflow, and we could never keep it coming out at this pace without him.

Step 4: Shadows!


Next, I drop Struble's flats into the lineart. I tweak the color choices, generally leaning toward more subtle colors. Then, I tweak the rough shadows, adding a darker shadow layer for extra depth. It's mostly detail work, really.

Also, I brush over some of the black lineart, turning it into color, for more depth and a fun touch. Note the green bubbles floating around Drunken Colby, as well as the backgrounds in Panels 2-3. Turning the background lineart a different color is an easy way to separate background from foreground. Easy, but I like it.

Step 5: Harmony!


An easy step. I drop in a couple Photoshop filters for color harmony. Generally, I have one Color Layer at low opacity and a Burn layer just to darken things a bit.

Step 6: Gradients!


Another shadow and lighting step. Using the digital airbrush I add gradual lights and darks. One Multiply layer for darks. One Overlay layer for lights.

Step 7: Highlights and Texture!


I drop in a texture layer in Multiply, just for a nice non-uniform feel. I have a crapload of textures, everything from sidewalk cracks to grease stains. All totally invaluable. Again, I lean on the side of using them in a subtle fashion.

Plus, I draw in the Highlights in an Overlay layer. Two depths of lighting: A bright white for brightest points, a grayer white for not-so-bright spots. Again, gives the feeling of a nice depth that probably only I can appreciate. Did I mention that I'm ANAL?

Step 8: Vivid Glow and Effects!


Last step. This is literally polishing the page. I drop in a Vivid Glow onto Panel 1, just to simulate the sunny day feeling I'm wanting. Plus, I also airbrush in some Vivid highlights onto the windows, metallic substances, etc... Just a little extra something. I drop in a red color layer over Colby's red eye, just for a nice glow. Plus, I drop in a Zip dot texture into the background of Panels 4-5, just to busy the space a bit more. From there, I save the file as a Tiff at 600dpi, and I'm done!

And FYI, in the end I generally have no more than 20 Photoshop layers for a standard page.

Here's hoping this wasn't too mind-numbing and at least partially informative. My best advice: Just experiment. Try some stuff and see what you come up with. There's no better substitute for getting your hands dirty.

-Rob

Process Junkie.

Alright, people have been bugging me for what seems like forever to do a walk-through my process for doing a page of CHEW. Of course, being busy (and a bit lazy), I've been ignoring said requests until now. Short, sweet and simple, here's the making of a page of CHEW.

Please excuse the crappiness of my photos. I don't have the will to actually scan in each stage. Told you: LAZY.

10:30am: Thumbnail.



Step 1 is actually reading the script a few times, but for the sake of boredom, I'll skip to the thumbnail. Above is a reeeeally quick thumbnail of our page. I tend to focus more on mass, layout and pacing than much detail. It's not much, but it's all I need to get started.

11:00am: Rough Pencils



Next, I work up a quick, very rough layout of the page. I pencil using red graphite, because I find blueline's too waxy to ink on top of. Red's easier to see, plus it won't show up on a scanner. And it kinda looks cool under the finished inks. Again, focusing on layout and mass, but starting to flesh out character acting. I try to do these as quickly as possible, because Morning Rob tends to need a warm-up like a car in winter. I attack the blank page before it can intimidate me, really. These take, maybe, a few minutes.

11:15 to 1:00pm: Detailed Pencils



Now, onto the details. One panel at a time, I flesh it out, generally starting from the last panel, working backwards. I'm weird like that. I spend more time on body language and facial expressions than anything. As simple as they look, I agonize over the nuances of them.

Pencil Details: Click to embiggen!




1:oo-2:15pm: Fine Line Inks.



I think this might be the most important step of my process, mentally. This is the point where I commit to the page. Right or wrong, there's no turning back. Unless I f*ck up and have to use white-out, but that's rare. I tend to draw a lot with the pen, adding details without ever penciling them. Fairly improvisational. It's all cake from here.

More details:



2:30-5:30ish: Line Variation and Blacks



This is the part where I get to put a movie on and shut my brain off a bit. Simple stage. Adding thickness and variation to the fine lines, adding patches of shadow, etc... I usually add easter eggs and background jokes at this stage, mostly out of delirium.




And that's kinda it. Maybe one day I'll walk you through the Photoshop stage. Maaaaybe.

Peace,
Rob!

CHEW 15.

Poster Cover for CHEW 15, due out 11/10.

Post SDCC 2010.

My first shiny prize.

So, being that I've only posted a whopping 2 times in the last year, I figured it was time for a real update. The last year, not the mention the last week, has been one bit of madness on top of more madness. All in a good way.

1) CHEW wins the EISNER Award for Best New Series:
Complete and utter lunacy. Not to mention that the awards were presented to us by the great Dave Gibbons. Fitting, as I studied Gibbons' work on Watchmen for ideas on how to build the world of CHEW visually. A surreal experience, and an incredible honor. John and I have put a lot of hard work into making CHEW a consistently entertaining read, so it's great to have it pay off with the comic industry's most prestigious award. Thanks to everyone that supported our weird little endeavor.

2) CHEW in Early Development for TV:
It's true. And so far Stephen Hopkins (Californication, 24) is attached to direct and produce it. Exciting, but I won't allow myself to smile about it until 1) I see it on TV, 2) It's GOOD and 3) The check clears. Maybe a lot to ask for, but I'd rather aim for excellence than mediocrity. Either way, things are looking good.

3) CHEW in Morgan Spurlock Comic Con Documentary:
Weird, but Layman ended up as a "character" in this thing. I ended up being his awkward, but incredibly handsome partner. Actually worked for me, as I hate being on camera. The camera crew managed to get all sorts of SDCC goodies on film, including our Eisner win. Should be a great time capsule.

4) CHEW/Threadless Contest Announced:
Yep, submit your best comic-related shirt design. If you win, your design will appear on a major character in CHEW #15. Lose, and Layman gets to pummel you to death with his Eisner. We'll be judging this personally.

5) CBR Interview on a Yacht Online:
We got limited edition CBR kazoos!

6) We got HARVEY Nominations:
One for Best New Series and I got one for Best New Talent. Honored to be nommed, of course. And of course, I wouldn't mind winning. Won't be able to make it to the ceremony due to a signing that same night.

7) CHEW Shirts:
The first CHEW apparel, featuring Poyo (below), was debuted at SDCC, and is available online. $20 plus shipping. Printed on American Apparel shirts, these are comfy and high quality. Expect more designs shortly. Email chewcomicsales@gmail.com to order.



And I guess that's it for now. Back to the grind. Below is an unreleased bit of CHEW art, created for the Image Comics SDCC Exclusive 2010 Yearbook. Enjoy, and see ya later.



Peace,
Rob!

Check-in 2010.

Damn, I've reeeeally been slacking on the blog-updating side of things.

But hey, it's been a crazy 2010. Went to Italy (as pictured above) for the release of CHEW's Italian version and enjoyed fine wines, fine cuisine and a much-needed nap. I also finished CHEW's second story arc, "International Flavor", and am knee-deep into the book's third arc, "Just Desserts". And even made time to impregnate my lovely wife April. Life is good...

Here's what's new:

1) CHEW #11 will be released on June 9, along with the CHEW Vol.2 trade paperback (both pictured below).

2) CHEW Omnivore Edition Vol.1 due out on July 21. Hardcover goodness collecting the first 10 issues of the book, along with tons of sketches and exclusive goodies.

3) CHEW nominated for an Eisner Award (Best New Series) and 2 Eagle Awards nominations (Favourite American Colour Comic and Favourite New Comic). Hells yeah. Pretty damn flattering to be nominated, but I must admit that I want these shiny prizes.

I'm looking to post a more extensive blog post later, but for now, here's a look at future CHEW covers (including a cryptic peek at the top secret CHEW 15 cover).







Peace,
Rob

2009: Year of the Crazy.

Happy Holidays, folks. Thanks to everyone who made 2009 such an unbelievable success in the CHEW camp. For me, things could not have gone any better than they went this year. Total dream come true, and a dream that I've been having for a long, long time. So, thank you. 2010 promises to be even bigger and better, as cliche as that is.

But first, 2009 wraps up with CHEW #7, which hits stores today. John and I are dedicated to making every issue better than the last, so hopefully we'll live up to that. We're both proud of how 7 came out, at least.

Notes and Press:

Newsarama has a new interview with John and me, focusing a bit on what's next for CHEW.
IGN names CHEW "Best Indie Series of 2009.
MTV Splash Page names CHEW "Best New Series of 2009.
MTV also did a nice feature, talking about why CHEW should be adapted to a movie, etc...

And then there's this:



The Image Comics Christmas card. I was really flattered when the Image guys asked me to do it, and pretty happy with how it came out. I have 25 of these to spare. And the first 25 original art orders will get one. If you're interested in CHEW art, hit chewcomicsales@gmail.com.

Catch you in 2010, suckas.
-Rob!

I, Slacker.

Spidey Commission.

Crap, I didn't even post in October, did I? Life moves fast on a monthly schedule...

Alright, I haven't been much for long-winded internet ramblings these days (except on Twitter, and that keeps me to 140 characters), so I'm gonna keep this short. Here's the news:

1) CHEW Vol.1 debuts this Wednesday!:
Yep, seems like just yesterday I was blogging about starting issue 1, doesn't it? And now a full trade is hitting stands on Nov.25, collecting the full "Taster's Choice" arc (Issues 1-5). Craaaazy. And even crazier? It's all for $10. 128 pages of full color madness for a measly 10 bucks. And John and I have already gotten advance copies of this thing, and it's beautiful. VERY proud of this. And on the same day, we also have...

2) CHEW #6 in stores the same day!:
This is the first part of the new "International Flavor" arc, and along with the trade, is a perfect jumping-on point for new readers. Check it out.

There's a new interview with Layman and myself that features a nice preview of CHEW #6 here.

3) Signings!:
Yep, I'll be heading out to Boston this weekend for what should be a fun time. Then, a week later, I'll be signing with John in Texas. Pop in and say "What up". I'll be signing comics, shilling original art and hanging out. Here are the details:

11/29
Rob Guillory in Massachusetts
Larry's Comic Book Show
9 a.m.-3 p.m.
at the Westford Regency Hotel

12/5
Layman AND Rob in Round Rock, Texas, outside Austin:
Rogue's Gallery
Starting at 7 p.m. until close.

And I think that about does it for now. New pages are a-callin', so it's back to the grind. But I'll try to keep this damn thing updated more often. Art prints are still coming, as are t-shirts when I find the time.

In the meantime, here's a peek at the covers to CHEW #8 and 9.
Peace,
Rob!

More Original Art Info.

Above is a framed page that my buddy Tofuguns bought at SDCC.

Still got pages from #2-4 available, and ONE page left from #1.

These suckers have been selling great, so if you're interested or want to inquire about a price list, shoot an email to chewcomicsales@gmail.com.

I'll be posting an updated price list on the site shortly and trying to keep it as up-to-date as possible each month as new issues debut. Speaking of which, we're pricing the #4 pages this week, so they'll be available for sale soon.

And on the subject of future issues:



Above is the cover to CHEW #7. Enjoy!

Peace,
Rob!

What's New?

Has it really been a month since my last post? Time flies when you're grindin'. I haven't looked up from my drawing table since SDCC...

Without getting too long-winded, here's what's new on my side:

1) The CHEW Sellouts continue.
Yep, as of now, we've sold out of everything that we've put out (which is insane). So on September 2, look out for CHEW #1 (fourth and Final printing), CHEW #2 (third printing), CHEW #3 (second printing) and CHEW #4 (first printing). Whew...mouthful.

2) CHEW Trade release on Nov. 25....for $10!
That's right. 128 full color pages, collecting the Taster's Choice arc (Issues 1-5) for a measly $10. Not only that...but on the same day, CHEW #6 will be released (cover below-SPOILER ALERT). Perfect jumping on point. Check out the trade cover above and you can Pre-Order the trade HERE.

3) Art Sales Stuff:
Thanks for the patience of all the folks that have been inquiring about original art. We're finally getting on track and getting organized. I'm adding an Original Art page to the site where you can check in for updated price lists for CHEW. I'll be debuting that this week.

4) CHEW Limited Prints:
This is something really special that I'm particularly excited about. These are oversized (think 11x17) full color, extremely high quality prints of CHEW printed on fine, fine cotton paper and signed and numbered. The guys at 1of1Printing did a sample print of the CHEW #1 cover for me at SDCC, and I'm completely in love with it. These things are frame-able pieces of art, and honestly are the best reproductions of my art I've ever seen. I'll be posting more info, including sample photos and price in the near future. I may do on-demand interior pages or just do limited runs of each cover. We'll see.

5) Press Bits:
NPR.com did a cool write-up on the book.
IGN.com did a pretty extensive interview with Layman.
iFanboy did a short video interview with Layman and me at SDCC, a cool podcast review and gave us their Pick of the Week. Very cool.
AICN had some nice things to say.
And ComicsPriceGuide.com posted one of the more bizarre CHEW-related news bits. Weird...

And lastly, I just wanna say THANKS to you folks that keep supporting this crazy-ass book. It just gets more fun from here.

Peace,
Rob!







*********SPOILER IMAGE BELOW!!!!!***********

Comi-conquered.

SDCC was a blast. A blast that I am still reeling from. Thanks to everyone that came out and supported the book. You guys rock.

See ya after I get some sleep,
Rob!

New Art Inquiry Email.

Please send any art inquiries to Chewcomicsales@gmail.com.

-Rob!

Art Sales.

Alright...I've been avoiding this post like the plague, but here goes.

Thanks for everyone that emailed about original CHEW art. The response was not at all expected and totally overwhelming. I've been organizing these sales as best as I can, making sure everyone gets a solid page at a decent price that's fair to you and me. I avoided selling via eBay, mainly because I really feel like having you guys fight for the art would be annoying, greedy on my part and a major turn-off to potential fans. I'm not looking to make a fortune here. You guys have made this book a hit, and the alternative to getting these pages in your hands is for them to be stuffed under a pile of crap in my file. So it's a no-brainer.

So bear with me as this really is my first time selling originals of my comic work. It's quite strange. Sale details are as follows:

Price: Every interior page is priced starting at $150, and varies depending on complexity. Covers generally go for $400-ish.

What you Get: Each page is a black and white composition done with red graphite, inked over with pen and brush on a custom RobGuillory.com bristol page (Fancy!). Certain pages are not for sale (or may go for cheaper) because they have blank panels, which I leave for adding digital elements. Just pick up the book, and email me which pages you like already!

And to answer the question I've gotten more than anything: NO, I'm not selling the cover to CHEW #1. Keeping that baby to pay for my kids' college, or to sell should I be banished from comics down the road. But be sure to check back in about 10 years or so :)

Monthly Sales: I'll be selling a new batch of pages every month as new issues debut. Lotta pages equals a lotta chances to score one. So check back monthly. I ship out pages as their respective issue hits stands.

Commissions: Headshots go for $100, and price goes up per complexity. Allow a couple months for me to do them. I DO sleep from time to time. Sporadically.

Payment: Still working out the best way to do this. More than likely, Paypal. To be continued...

I'll be posting new info as I think of it. I'm refining this process as I find what works for me and doesn't interfere with the monthly work. Bear with me, you lovely, lovely people.

Peace,
Rob

In the Manner of Hotcakes.

Page from CHEW #3.

Alright, if you haven't heard, CHEW #1 (Second Printing) and CHEW #2 are both sold out. In the case of the second issue, you might be able to find a few at a local comic shop if you're reeeeally lucky. But as for the second printing of #1, this is a case of the readers blowing our expectations. We set out to print a certain number, did it, then the demand for the issue totally dwarfed what we were prepared for. Which is friggin' fantastic for us, but you those who still haven't snagged a copy, it kinda sucks.

But, don't panic. On August 5, the first 3 issues of CHEW will be in stores. This is a PERFECT opportunity for new readers to jump on, and for others to catch up. So again, on that date, we'll be releasing:

CHEW #1 Third Printing
CHEW #2 Second Printing
CHEW #3 First Printing

That's a mouthful.
Also, don't forget, Layman and I will be hanging out at the Image booth at San Diego Comic-con. We'll be selling and signing books, doing sketches and generally shaming the Image brand, so stop by and say "Hey!"

And again, THANK YOU to everyone that has made this book such a huge "WTF?" success. Seriously. You guys took a chance on a total madman writer and a no-name artist, and we're dedicated to delivering the best damn book in comics (mainstream or otherwise). John and I think it only gets better from here.

Later for now. Pages to ink.

-Rob!

CHEW News and Art FAQs.

First look at the cover of CHEW #4.

So, yes, if you haven't already heard the news, CHEW #1 sold out in 48 hours. Incredible. Thanks to every single person that picked up this book, and extra-special thanks to every person that blogged, tweeted or messenger-pigeoned about it shortly after reading. You guys rock, and we hope you stick around for the rest of the ride because it only gets crazier from here. CHEW is the most fun on comic shelves today. And I say this as someone that's read the first 6 issues.

Next up, on July 1, the second printing of CHEW #1 (with a crazy green logo) will be hitting stores side by side with CHEW #2. So be sure to pick both up. Issue 2 is Tony's first day on the job in the FDA, and it's a crazy one. As I said, there's more to being an FDA Agent than meets the eye. And there's friggin' ninjas.

Now, onto some FAQs.

1) Commissions: Yes, I do take on commissions from time to time. Generally, I charge $100 for a 9x12 headshot in pen and ink, and it goes up depending on complexity. For any inquiries, hit me at rob@robguillory.com.

2) CHEW Art for Sale: Yes, I will be selling every page of CHEW art in the coming months. Can't sell any just yet, but I'll be having a whole lotta pages to get rid of soon. Check back here for updates on that.

And San Diego Comic-con! John Layman and I will be parked at the Image booth, selling copies of the book as well as other assorted goodies. So stop by and say "Yo". I'll be doing commissions all week.

Later for now,
Rob!

THANK YOU!

"CHEW is a great comic book – the type that grabs you by the ears, takes a bite out of your nose, spits it in your face and still leaves you laughing and hungry for more. After only one issue, it might be my favorite book on the stands. 9.5/10."

-IGN.com

"The most unsettling, most awesome piece of comic book material that's been published in quite some time."

-COMIC PANTS.COM

"How do I describe Chew? The perfect recipe for your comic book appetite: a healthy helping of police drama, a dash of humor, sprinkle in some action, and throw in some cannibalism for good measures. Chew has it all, just be sure not to read it on an empty stomach."

-COMICS ADDICTION.COM

"...One of the most innovative and all-around successful ideas in the market today."

-COMICS WAITING ROOM

"Layman offers a story so flawlessly distinct amidst a bombarding and suffocating genre without any pretense; he has given this genre a much-needed gasp of air. Beginning to finale, Layman prevents CHEW from festering in clichés and presents readers a refreshing, provoking and entirely entertaining new comic. Bon appétit."

-COMIX411.com

"Chew blends a dark, compelling crime-fiction atmosphere, biting political satire and over-the-top, absurdist humor to arrive at an entertaining and surprisingly compelling bit of storytelling that almost defies description."

-EYE On COMICS

Damn.

What a crazy-ass day yesterday was. I'm still processing it. Seriously, I've been grinding for the last decade, trying to break into this friggin' industry in some meaningful way. And from the moment John Layman put this project into my hands, it's been unreal ever since. And I just wanna take a second and show some love to you guys. Not in a cheesy, I just-won-an-Oscar kinda way. But you guys have been so great, and I feel so incredibly blessed that I feel "Thank Yous" are in order.

Thank you to everyone that picked up this book and tried something different from the norm. I love this industry and think that despite all the weird creative recycling that its been prone to lately, the best days of the comic industry are still ahead. There's still room for new, crazy ideas, and you picking up CHEW is proof of that.

And in a Soapbox moment: Who's to say that CHEW is a crazy idea anyway? This industry was built on grown men crawling walls in spandex, blue men with their blue penises flopping around and hairy midgets with metal shooting from their hands. It's only a crazy idea until someone chooses to accept it. Then it's all fair game.

And thank you, John friggin Layman. For bringing this unbelievably brilliant thing to a total newbie like me and trusting me with it. Seriously, I can't imagine a better collaborator, and I am completely spoiled now.

Now here's the thing: If you dig what we're doing here, then we need you to show love.

Spread the word. Post blogs. Share links. Twitter it. If you only have messenger-pigeons, then let them fly. We're putting all we have on the page to make CHEW the best book on the stands, indy or mainstream. But we still need you to sustain our little creator-owned baby. So if you dig it, why not tell somebody else about it?

Deal?

Thanks again,
Rob!