Saturday, November 23, 2013

I made a video!

Kind of:



Also if you haven't gotten a chance yet please check out my Kickstarter!  It's running until December 11th here:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1798486524/darwin-carmichael-is-going-to-hell-the-book

Monday, November 11, 2013

Darwin Carmichael is Going to Hell: The Book: The Kickstarter!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1798486524/darwin-carmichael-is-going-to-hell-the-book

Dear friends and readers, I am proud to announce the launch of the Kickstarter campaign for the print edition of my webcomic Darwin Carmichael is Going to Hell:


Darwin Carmichael is Going to Hell (dcisgoingtohell.com) is set in a world where mythical beings not only roam the earth, but also camp out on your sofa and raid your refrigerator.  In 21st-century Brooklyn, karma can be tracked like a credit score, and our protagonist Darwin Carmichael has a big problem.  Due to an unfortunate incident involving some intense snogging, an unbalanced high chair, and a framed image of the Buddha, he acquired a massive karmic deficit. Long story short, he’s going to go to hell...and he should probably do something about that.  

My writing partner, Jenn Jordan, and I began publishing our comic in January 2009, and we just finished it this past summer.  The print edition of the comic will include the complete, 360-strip saga of Darwin Carmichael is Going to Hell in beautiful, full color, and will feature behind-the-scenes commentary as well as concept art and a few other goodies.  

Our goal is to raise $12,000 to fund our print run by December 11th.  Please consider contributing!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1798486524/darwin-carmichael-is-going-to-hell-the-book

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Geek Room Artist of the Month!

Hey Guys! 

It was my distinct pleasure to be chosen as November's Artist of the Month on Geek Room! 


http://geekroom.jerrickventures.com/featured/sophie-goldstein-november-artist-month/

There's an interview and some pictures but alas the pin-up was very staid.  Anyway, check it out!

Saturday, October 19, 2013

New Story up on Study Group!



"Edna II" is up on the Study Group website in its entirety!  Go read it!

"Edna II" is part of Irene 3, which debuted this past weekend at APE and is available for purchase in their online shop.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

It's Here!


I am proud to be included in this year's edition of Best American Comics.  In addition to the normal level of head-inflating pride I feel, I am doubly flabbergasted to have been chosen by this year's editor, Jeff Smith, whose work has meant so much to me.

Congrats are also due to some of my friends who made the cut, my CCS thesis adviser Eleanor Davis and fellow CCS grad Joe Lambert.  Also a warm slap on the back to Jon Chad, Chuck Forsman, Luke Howard, Jason Lutes, Dakota McFadzean, Laura Terry and Andy Warner, who all got big shout-outs in the "Notable Comics" section.
 

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

How To Break Into Comics

Originally I posted this "how-to" on my tumblr but since it's proved so popular I'm reposting it here for those of you who follow this site.  My apologies to anyone getting a double-dose of pedagogy! 
 
This weekend at SPX I had a very nice fellow come up to my table and ask me if I had any advice on breaking into comics.  As someone whose only been in the game since 2009 I felt a bit unqualified to give him an answer, but as we talked I realized I do have some ideas in this department, and I wanted to share them and invite your feedback and thoughts.

1.  Forget about breaking into comics.
There are no gate keepers.  Or rather, there are so many gates that there’s no way someone can keep you out of comics if you truly want to participate.  As long as you are producing work and putting it out there you will find an audience and a place in the community.

2. Start small.
This may be stating the obvious, but if you don’t make comics you’re not a cartoonist.  Draw a bunch of short stories and FINISH THEM.  Once you have some short stories under your belt, maybe try some longer ones.  There are a lot of cartoonists out there with chapter one of their magnum opus.  Don’t be that guy.  If you can’t finish a short story, you won’t be able to finish a graphic novel.

3. Success doesn’t equal money.
Or rather, money is just one way of measuring success.  Absolutely artists should get paid for illustration work and comics drawn for clients, but if you are working on your personal projects and not making money it doesn’t mean you’re not succeeding.
This year I made the decision to stop pursuing paid work in order to focus on my personal projects and I feel really happy about it.  There’s no shame in having a day job as long as you are doing work you feel good about.

4. Go to conventions.
Bring a bunch of minis and trade with people.  Don’t be hurt if they say no.  If they won’t trade, just give them your comics.  Give your comics to people who you admire so much it scares you.  When you go back next year, give them your new comic.  Repeat until death.

5. Work hard.
You can’t control how much natural talent you have, or how good your luck is, but you can control how much time and elbow grease you put into your work.  It’s literally impossible to not improve if you work hard.  This thought has gotten me through many nights of self-doubt and despair.

That’s really it.  This may seem incredibly obvious to many people, but I really wrote it for that one guy, new to comics, who was kind enough to think I knew how to break into comics.  Thanks dude.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

SPX 2013

Here are some of the highlights of what I'll be bringing to the SMALL PRESS EXPO (SPX) this year!  I'll be at table N3 with the illustrious Jon Chad, so if you're there come see me.  There are going to be a lot of amazing people there and I am super psyched.

"The Good Wife", 10 pages full color with a glossy cardstock cover.

Below is the cover for "The Good Wife", one of the comics I will be bringing to SPX this weekend which also had the great honor of being included in Best American Comics 2013.

Funny side note, this is the first time I've been able to do a large print run of this comic since two printers REFUSED to print it due its content.  One company objected on grounds that it was a "Christian company" and the other on the grounds that "the owner's children might wander into the shop and see the contents" of my filthy comic.

Anyway, it all worked out in the end, so muchos gracias Rcbrayshaw.com and Moxicopy.com for that lovely experience.





"House of Women, Part I," 56 pages, B&W with a double die-cut cover on gold paper. Interior pages on ivory stock. Limited edition of 100.






SPX DEBUT! "Edna II", 21 pages B&W with a B&W cover on silver cardstock.



 If you are not lucky enough to be attending SPX, all these and more are available in my online shop, at redinkradio.bigcartel.com.



Thursday, July 4, 2013

RIP "Darwin Carmichael is Going to Hell"

Two days ago my long-running webcomic, "Darwin Carmichael is Going to Hell" ended.  It was a day of mixed emotions for me and my writing partner Jenn, but our spirits were buoyed by the outpouring of appreciation from our readers.  It was deeply appreciated.

If somehow you've come to this website and are not familiar with DCiGTH, you can read it from the beginning here!

In other news, I illustrated a book review for Seven Days, Vermont's leading independent newspaper (or whatever).  You can also read the rest of the issue on their website.

ALSO, I'll be in Best American Comics 2013!  I've known about this for awhile and I'm super stoked that I can talk/brag about it now.  It's a great honor to be between the same covers as some of my comics idols (Including my thesis adviser, Eleanor Davis!), as well as being selected by Jeff Smith, whose epic fantasy series "Bone" I have read cover-to-cover many many times.

But more on that as the pub date, October, nears!  Hugs y'all!

Monday, July 1, 2013

"The Sleep of Reason" Horror Anthology!

I'm happy to say that I'm a contributor to an upcoming horror anthology spearheaded by C. Spike Trotman of Templar, AZ fame.  Spike is also the mighty hand behind the successful erotic anthology, "Smut Peddlar" and "Poorcraft", a book about living well on the cheap.

Right now "The Sleep of Reason" is two-thirds of the way into it's kickstarter campaign.  It's already been fully funded, but there are plenty of great incentives kick-in and get your own copy of what promises to be a solid anthology.

Here's a page from my contribution "Anniversary" to wet your appetite.  You can also find a four-page preview of my comic on the Kickstarter site, as well as previews of many other comics that will be included.  Enjoy!


Thursday, May 16, 2013

Mathematical!

Look what came in the mail!


Woo hoo!  I'm super pumped.  This project was totally a dream job.

ADVENTURE TIME FOREVERRRRRRR.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

TCAF Round-Up!

Hey Guys!  I don't mean to make everyone jelly, but the Toronto Comics Arts Festival was amazing!  If you weren't there, you missed out.

I had a great tabling experience with my compadre Jon Chad.  Here we are looking fuzzy in this photo:



Best of all, I came home with a lot of great comics, which I then proceeded to lay out on my bed and roll around in.  Here are a few pre-rolling shots of the comics:





Big shout-outs to caravan buddies Carl Antonowicz and Rachel Dukes, host with the most Josh Rosen and (additional) fellow CCSers Josh Kramer, Andy Warner and Dakota McFadzean.  It was really awesome to hang with you guys.

I can't wait for TCAF 2014!


Monday, May 6, 2013

Everything All At Once



It's here!

After many months of labor I'm excited to announce the arrival of "House of Women, Part I".  Fifty-six pages of Victorian/Sci-Fi/Psycho-Sexual mayhem!

I'll be premiering the book at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival this coming weekend (May 11th & 12th)and then putting it up for sale in my store.  I'll be tabling with my comrades in crime, Jon Chad and Carl Antonowicz

In other news, I got a couple reviews since my last post which I am happy to share with ya'll:

Lauren Davis on io9.com
"Zainab"on the Forbidden Planet International Blog
Rob Clough on High-Low


I've also got to do a cover for Boom Studios' "Adventure Time" comic book! I am a huge fan of Adventure Time, of course, so I was totally stoked to get this opportunity and even more excited that the editor was down for a tribute to Klimt's "The Blood of Fish".

 Check out the Boom website for details.



 There's probably a lot I'm still forgetting but that's enough for now!  Thanks so much for reading guys and I'll be posting some preview pages of "House of Women" for y'all soon!

Monday, February 4, 2013

Let's Make A Thesis


This is what my desk looks like these days.  Scripting in InDesign on my laptop, reference pinned up to my board, my Buffy glass and mug of tea within easy reach... I'm a happy camper.

I'm still feeling out my characters and setting but I feel like I'm finally moving forward with this project.  Hopefully I'll have some more images to post soon, although right now I'm just doing pencils and those are no fun to look at.

Words of encouragement are appreciated, if you got 'em!