The Previews Continue! Yay!

I promised ’em, and here they come:  more sneak peaks at the new TORONTO CARTOONISTS WORKSHOP comic that EVERYONE’S talking about in reverent awe.

As if the last blog entry wasn’t enough to send everyone into fidgety anticipation of Friday’s launch of the newest issue, I’m back again to give out the free samples of what awaits our legion of readers when the book gets published on Friday.  I’ve seen the whole book, so I know how wonderful it is, but I envy you people getting to see it for the first time.

Our next preview pages are from the delightful team of Mighty Mike Marano scripting, Gorgeous Grant Howarth layouts and grey tones, and introducing Killer Kellam Templeton-Smith on inks.   

There's nothing worse that having a computer come to murder you, just because of your name!

I wonder what that guy is going to look like when he crawls out of the computer core…I suspect it looks really cool.   I suspect the story is equally gripping! We never give you readers less than the best.

Next, the first of TWO entries by Racin’ Rob Pincombe, our assistant editor, and easily the hardest working man in comics, no matter what you hear about Tom Brevoort.

The MIND SPIDERS OF MADAGASCAR…written by Rob and beautifully illustrated by Dapper Dawnson Chen.   Warning: If you have a phobia about Mind-Spiders, you might want to look away, and latecomers will not be seated during the fight sequence with the SPIDER-QUEEN!

Wait…we’re stopping it there?  But…what  happens next?  What’s so extraordinarily BAD?

We’d like to tell you, but we have to move on to another thrill-a-minute mystery.  The script for this oceanic opus was written by the Amazing Yolanda Cheung, who intended to draw the tale herself, but was called away by a higher duty.  Racin’ Rob and Killer Kellam stepped in on the art chores at the last minute, and I’ll be darned if they didn’t knock it out of the park!  You heard me right- the writer of the last story, stepped in and drew this next one, and the inker for OLD WOUNDS, stepped in an inked another one.  This is the sort of dedication that you readers deserve.

Who doesn’t love an old man kicking ass in a transforming aquatic wheelchair?  Can I get a witness?

And wait until you witness THIS western tale.  Written by “Calamity” Kathleen Gallagher, with art by Dynamite Danny Setna!  Kathleen’s had a few stories under her belt, and we’ve come to expect genius from her (which she never fails to deliver), but this is Danny’s first time in print anywhere, and yeehaw, that boy surprised us editin’ hombres with his detailed line-work!

Is there anything more wonderful than a crime spree that just MIGHT involve non-farting cows?  I told you Kathleen writes a fun script.

Don’t forget, you can still download issue #1 (with stories by Rob Pincombe, Kathleen Gallagher, Mike Marano, and a host of other clever writers, teamed up with artists as impressively skilled as you’re seeing up above) all for free at a bunch of digital comix websites you can find HERE at the Holmes Inc Hompage on the Web.

Wait, did you say “FREE”?

Yes I did.  And issue #2 will be free in just a matter of days as well.  We want you to see these amazing, soon-to-be-stars before Marvel, DC, IDW and Dark Horse snatch them away from us and pay ’em what they’re worth.  (Note to Marvel, DC, IDW and Dark Horse editors:  Please snatch these guys away from us and pay ’em what they’re worth!)

And if you’re in the Toronto area THIS Friday evening, drop by to the TORONTO CARTOONISTS WORKSHOP,  587A College Street (at Clinton), and meet the creative team that made this issue great.   We might even find you a copy of the book in print form, and I’m fairly sure we’ll get you something to  snack on.

Don’t worry, the previews are still coming.  Tune in tomorrow for even more Holmes Incorporated sneak peaks.   We’re not even close to running out of talent!

Ty the Guy OUT!

Here now, your BONUS Holmes Incorporated Comics Moment:

Artwork by Daniel Wong with colours by Keiren Smith.  Where do we FIND these artistic wunderkinds?   It must be something in the water in Toronto.

The Sherlock Holmes family all goes to bed, and I say thank you.

Back from the final meeting of the Holmes Incorporated Team last night, where we all got to see the cover for the first time, and we sent the book in for lettering, final production, and printing.  All done.   So I get to show off a bit more of it here on my blog, and also link you to the Holmes Comic blog for more info about it all.

First off, here’s the just-got-finished cover by Leonard Kirk, coloured by KT Smith (aka Keiren Smith–kts).

Leonard has a frightfully busy schedule at Marvel Comics, but managed to squeeze in a perfect shot of our sword-and-gun-fighting family of sleuths for our latest cover.  And KT Smith’s schedule was no less busy, I promise, when she knocked those colours out of the park for us.  BIG thanks all around.

Now it feels like a real comic book.

Something else that makes it feel like a REAL comic book:

A panel by Danny Setna from Kathleen Gallagher's western tale of the Holmes Family. EAT up that detail work, fun-seekers!

And this:

A pin-up by Christopher Yao for our sword swinging teenaged version of Sherlock Holmes the Third. You can call her Trey. And yes, she's in the a different coloured-suit, but that's getting fixed in production...

And that’s not all the fun that was had at the latest get-together of the creative team…

Our final meeting was filmed for an upcoming episode of The Electric Playground, which is doing a segment on Holmes Inc. and the group responsible.  Our host for the segment, Shaun Hatton, interviewed a handful of the creators for their first even TV interviews, and shot the bunch of us as a full tribe as we gathered round the artwork and said praising things about each other in general.

none of these attractive people is me, but the one on the right is Shaun Hatton.

And finally, a big thanks to Rob Pincombe, who has done so much heavy lifting on getting this issue ready to go that it defies belief.   As our assistant editor, AS WELL AS as a surprise penciler, and writer, collaborator with my son, and co-ordinator of the Holmes Blog, he easily put more man-hours and creativity into this project than any three other contributors combined!  It’s as much his baby as anyone’s and may he now take an internet bow!

Rob Pincombe and a school chum. Rob is one of those multi-talented people that would annoy you for all his abilities, if only he wasn't friendly and likable.

So lovely evening all about and good work shown around, and apparently hours of enjoyable drinking in the pub across the street right after I left.

Go HERE to visit the Holmes Incorporated homeblog, and read tons of lively behind the scenes bits about the making of this comic.

See you around here with more Bun Toons, and some fun silliness when I get a chance to breathe.

Ty the Guy OUT!

Here now, your putting Sherlock Holmes To Bed Bonus Moment:

Nah, I’m kidding, here’s the REAL putting Sherlock To Bed bonus moment:

It's the one you demanded anyway.

MORE Hoverboy Radio Excitement!

So I’ve been offline for more than a week, half because I’ve been swamped with work, and half because my computer had a minor problem with the inner workings and had to be repaired.  BAD electronics!  Bad!

I think it's fixed now, but no sudden moves...

While I was away, the magnificent Marcus Moore and the gang at HOVERBOY ARCHIVES has put up the next THRILLING installment of Hoverboy’s olde tyme radio show.

Of course, these old shows are very close to my heart as they were written and produced by my grandfather, and the grandparents of many of my friends.  This episode features the grandfather of my pal, 70s rock star BOB SEGARINI, as well as the grandfather of my son TAYLOR, who performed in the commercial segment as the deeply confused boy, “BILLY”.  It’s a seminal role in my son’s grandfather’s career, as he was only 13 at the time it was recorded.  And of course, the episodes continue to feature the grandparents of Steve (Ed the Sock) Kerzner and Liana K,  Rick Green (from History Bites, Red Green Show, The Frantics) and Rob Pincombe (from Kid vs. Kat)

We’ve also found more of those exciting HOVERBOY vs. ROBOT HITLER daily strips, and scanned ’em for your enjoyment up at the Hoverboy Museum!

Because Robot Hitler is still pretty cool, right?

Even with all this FLOOD of new Hoverboy material that we’re bringing you today,  I’m at work on a cool, secret Batman-related project that’s going to own me for the next few weeks or so and will be out next year.

But now that my computer is back, I’ll be hanging around here a little more regular-like.

Oh, and the next issue of Mad Magazine has some work in it that I did.  Go buy that when it’s out on December 22, 2010….like you just bought the Northern Guard and Strange Tales issues that came out yesterday….RIGHT?  You can see a preview page I did from the MAD DUMBEST 20 MOMENTS from 2010 issue HERE.

But first…go listen to the latest installment of the Hoverboy radio show.  It’s funny, I promise.

Ty the Guy OUT!

Here now, your comic book/radio moment of Zen.

 

Seriously? This is a real comic?

A Spectacular Discovery in the World of Super-Heroes Radio

I have been waiting for this for months now, and I’m not going to wait until Friday this week, I’m too bursting with excitement.

The Hoverboy Radio series has finally been cleaned up, remastered, restored, and is up online for your listening pleasure!  These historic radio performances from the War Years are NOT TO BE MISSED!

A Hoverboy comic strip from 1941. Like radio, only quieter.

I thought I’d never get to hear these audio dramas in my lifetime, but a box of old reel-to-reels found in a flea market in Des Moines turned out to be a treasure trove of lost Hoverboy radio shows.    They were badly damaged, but the curators of the Hoverboy Museum spent the money to get them restored, and they’re done!

Once, advertisements like this dotted the landscape.

The first episode is up online at the HOVERBOY YOU TUBE CHANNEL.   These actors spin a swell yarn, let me tell you, and there’s some fine ukulele singing near the end that makes the episode timeless.

You'll be looking at this image a lot, as there are no pictures in radio.

As many of the long time blog-readers know, my grandfather worked on this series, as the copy-writer and announcer (That’s grand-dad’s voice you’ll hear all through the episode, moving the adventure along).  You might  recognize the voice of Rick  Green’s grandfather in there, who co-wrote the episode with my grandfather and performed some of the characters.  The grandparents of both Steve (Ed-the-Sock) Kerzner and Liana K were actors for this war-era show, as well as the great grandfather of Robert Pincombe, who played Hoverboy for this early series, and Marcus Moore (co-curator of the Hoverboy Museum), whose great uncle produced and edited the whole thing.    It’s damn odd that all these grandkids turn out to be friends of mine, but I’ve chosen not to pay attention to the coincidence.

Another Olde Tyme Hoverboy toy, because the internet requires pictures to keep you youngsters paying attention.

That’s enough of my yakking.  Go listen to the first  show, and let me know what you think of our restoration work.  I think it sounds pretty good–  Like it was recorded only yesterday…

And head over to the Hoverboy Online Museum, which has been putting up NEW Hoverboy Comic Strips for weeks now, as well as other surprises.  The Bucket Rocket Ride is heading up into the sky.  HOVERBOY AWAY!

(and join the Facebook Fan Page to let these fine folks know how much you appreciate the work they’ve put in to restore these shows:)
Hoverboy |

And Ty the Guy OUT!

Here now, your comic book moment of zen:

Hoverboy - battling science in the months before he went on the radio!

More Holmes Inc. Magnificence!

The shameless promotion of the new Holmes Inc comic continues.  I have no shame.  None whatsoever.  I often wander naked into a church and start belching loudly,  just to prove it can be done.   But for this project, I have no reason to be ashamed…this stuff is actually darn good, and here’s more proof.  Another sample of the kind of top flight stories you’re gonna get in this new series…this time, script by Roarin’ Rob Pincombe, pencils by Glorious Gibson Quarter with inks by the lovable schmuck who writes this blog.  Letters by the magnificent K.T. Smith (the only one of the three contributors I’ve ever showered with).

When you see comics this exciting, try not to drool on your motherboard, as it’s not good for the electronic bits under the keys.

Solved the case?  On page one….oh, I don’t think so.

Ah, the plot thicks…

If you’re in Toronto at the end of the months, show up at FANEXPO Canada and get your pre-release copy…as I imagine you CANNOT wait after seeing these pages online.  I know I can’t wait to see how it turns out, and I edited and inked the darn thing.

Ty the Guy OUT!

Here now, your comic book moment of zen:

The Joe Shuster Hall of Fame Awards

Rob Pincombe has written several blog entries and posted video on Comicanuck with each of  Hall of Fame awards given out at this year’s Joe Shuster Canadian Comic Book Creator Awards.  One of the vids features Ty introducing Deni Loubert, publisher of Aardvark-Vanaheim and Renegade.  Check out the entries over at Rob’s blog,

Joe Shuster Hall of Fame 2010 – Deni Loubert (intro’d by Ty Templeton)

Joe Shuster Hall of Fame 2010 – Richard Comely, George Freeman and Claude St. Aubin (introduced by Ron Kasman, Lesley Livingston and Kalman Andrasofsky in order)

Joe Shuster Hall of Fame 2010 – Dave Darrigo (introduced by Joe Kilmartin)

Joe Shuster Hall of Fame 2010 -Serge Gabourey (introduced by Rob Pincombe)

For a list of all winners, and more information on the awards, check out The Joe Shuster Awards site, run by Kevin Boyd.

Aaaaand…check out the entry on 2010 Outstanding Cartoonist, Michel Ragliabati as Kevin transcribed Ty’s introduction for the award in which he explains what he thinks it means to be a cartoonist.

"borrowed" this from thejoeshusterawards.com...hope Kevin forgives me!

Keiren

To share address:

Ahhh…(Ty’s blushing)

Rob Pincombe says nice things about Ty over on his blog, Comiccanuck….  Figured I’d post this quick while Ty’s out so he can’t stop me–he hates people saying nice things about him.

Keiren