Welcome to Hypersmash Studios!

52 pages of Pencils, Inks, and Grayscales are all completed! Plus, we have an awesome Letterer!

2011-11-28T00:21:00.005-05:00

I am happy to report that my good friend Marco D. Carrillo has sent me all 52 pages of Battle Team Omega -- pencilled, inked, and grayscaled! He has wrapped up the standard cover for the book (posted above), and is now working on the wraparound variant cover. Looking at the art from start to finish, I can't believe how incredible it looks! Holy smokes! He really went above and beyond to make this a beautiful, beautiful comic. I am completely blown away. Marco really knocked this one out of the park!

Adding his contributions to the project is the talented letterer, Brant W. Fowler. Brant has an exceptional portfolio full of published work, including a couple of comics that he lettered for Image. I've admired his work for awhile, and I was thrilled when he offered to join our creative team. It's great putting a project in Brant's hands, because you know he will bring out the best in the story. Man, what a great addition! It's a total blast working with such unbelievably talented individuals!

Once Brant gets things lettered, we'll post some preview pages on this blog, and we'll send the pages over to the printer. Second published comic, here we come!

Another Nice Review!

2011-10-19T16:00:00.005-04:00

Johanna Draper Carlson was kind enough to remember my work months after I sent her a review copy. She wrote up a nice review of Lightning Girl Loves Rocket Boy for her reliably excellent site, Comics Worth Reading. From the review:

"If you like the kind of superhero romance you find in comics like Avengers Academy or Young Allies, you should definitely check out this independent short graphic novel... the dialogue sounds realistic... The art is well-suited to the age group of the characters, with a slightly cartoony style that keeps things light and an interesting, thick-outline, almost layered look that makes the foreground characters pop..."

And maybe most importantly:

"It’s entertaining to read."

To read the whole thing and to check out the rest of the site, surf on over to Comics Worth Reading!

Progress Report: Rogue Agent Zed

2011-10-19T15:52:00.004-04:00

A lot of folks have indicated their great anticipation for the release of Rogue Agent Zed. I’m in the same boat! All of Jeremiah's preview art is breathtaking. I just want to reassure everyone that he continues to work hard on the book, and we are closing in on the finish line. I've seen some of his later pages and they look great. I would love to share all of them with you -- but they contain some blatant plot spoilers, and I can't figure out a way to post them without ruining parts of the ending! Hmmm. Here, let me show you a couple of works that don’t seem to compromise the integrity of the story. These are some more recent panels from Jeremiah, showing some unfinished pencils and offering a little insight on his work process.

We have been working on this book for four years now, and believe me when I tell you -- the project has truly been a labor of love for the both of us. Hope you enjoyed the quick snapshot, and let’s hope it will help sustain us all until the final product hits the stands soon!

Design Workshop: Marco D. Carillo works his magic on Battle Team Omega

2011-10-19T15:39:00.009-04:00

When Marco signed up to work on Battle Team Omega, he asked whether he could re-design the look and costumes of all the main characters. I immediately gave him full approval without hesitation because I knew from looking at his portfolio that he had a prolific and stylish design sense. Let’s check out a few of the highlights:

Velocity Hawk:

Korrgar Rex:

Silverbolt:Danger Ace:

Devil of Destruction:

I am completely knocked out by the designs. I really love the Danger Ace costume, in particular. (Somehow, it looks both retro and modern at the same time.) And it's great that Marco also happens to be a talented colorist -- because it's nice to see them in color!

In addition to his excellent design sense, Marco is also the fastest artist I have worked with, and that is truly an invaluable skill. The book is speeding towards completion (note to self: remember to find a letterer to put words into comic), and I'll keep everyone posted on the news as it approaches publication. Stay tuned.

Scott Arnold working for Image Comics

2011-10-19T15:38:00.002-04:00

Working with Scott Arnold on Lightning Girl Loves Rocket Boy was an excellent experience. Scott was the perfect collaborator -- patient, enthusiastic, and bursting with talent. So it wasn't a surprise to me when I found out that he transitioned from Hypersmash Studios to producing published art for Image Comics! How cool is that? And believe me, it couldn't happen to a nicer guy! You can check out the series here.

The Return of Fabio Nahon!

2011-10-19T15:37:00.000-04:00

One of the more disappointing earlier developments in the history of Hypersmash Studios came when artist Fabio Nahon had to step away and discontinue his work on Battle Team Omega after producing several excellent pages of finished art. Recently, Fabio left a message through the Comments Section of this very blog and we were able to establish contact for the first time in years. He generously offered to provide a free pin-up of my choosing, but after a couple of emails, we decided to get more ambitious and collaborate on something a little more substantial. So I am proud to announce that Fabio Nahon will makes his return to Hypersmash Comics as the artist on a new original title, Astro Crusader! He’s already re-designed the costume, put together layouts on a handful of pages, and produced finished pencils and inks for the story’s introduction. All the disappointment I used to have because of our interrupted collaboration has faded away and it is a pleasant surprise to be working with Fabio again years later on this exciting new project! Keep an eye out for Astro Crusader – I have a feeling it's going to be a good one!

Sample Sequentials: Marco D. Carillo

2011-05-04T14:51:00.004-04:00

I hope some of our previous posts have helped you develop an appreciation for the work of Hypersmash artists, Scott Arnold and Jeremiah Goldson. Now I wanted to introduce you to the wonderfully talented individual in charge of Battle Team Omega, Marco D. Carillo!

I have been unbelievably lucky in my choice of artists and collaborators. Not only are Scott, Jeremiah, and Marco all tremendously creative, skilled, and enthusiastic but they’re also really good people – very pleasant guys who are easy to work with. (Oh -- and I am also happy to report that Scott Arnold has moved on to big things since we published our book together, contributing to "L'il Depressed Boy" from Image Comics! Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy!)

Battle Team Omega has been a project that has run into multiple developmental setbacks. Jason Hoagland, Fabio Nahon, and Nel Angeiras all produced some excellent art before they each chose to step away from the project for varying reasons. But I feel confident that Marco is the man to help this comic see the light of day! His character designs and layouts look great, and I’m excited at the amount of progress he’s made so far!

Over the next few months, I hope to share some of the work he's been cranking out on Battle Team Omega. But to satisfy everyone’s curiosity and to provide a quick blast of instant gratification, here are a couple of pieces from his portfolio just to give you a taste of his awesome style.

For a full overview of Marco’s work, please check out his sites:

http://mdavidct.com/page1.aspx

http://mdavidct.deviantart.com/

To start things off, here are some character studies (click on the pics to make them bigger):

I'm sure you guys recognize a couple of familiar faces, right?

I think it's great that the characters in these studies aren't stuck in the typical, boring action poses, flexing their muscles. The sketches are very expressive, and the characters carry a lot of personality. Very, very cool.

Okay, let's check out some examples of Marco’s sequentials! First, a two-page story written by Craig McCutcheon called "Date Night?":

Man, I seriously love those pages! A lot of artists enjoy doing pin-ups and sketches, but the ability to tell a story is critical when you are trying to create a comic book. You can see from the sequentials in this post that Marco definitely has the chops to get the job done!

Here is an excerpt from a story called "Kill That!!"

(You know, I feel bad for those cowboys every time I read those pages...)

And finally, here's one of Marco's coolest original creations in action, Niebla Roja!

Niebla Roja is a seriously rockin' character -- I really need to see if I can talk Marco into letting me write a Niebla Roja story for him someday! (And there is plenty more Niebla Roja supplementary material on Marco's sites, so remember to click and check them out!)

One of the things I am always looking for when I recruit an artist to work on my books is their sense of total control. They can draw action scenes, but can they do quiet scenes? Facial expressions? Civilians? Backgrounds? A lot of artists try to work around their limitations in order to hide their weaknesses. But Marco (like Scott and Jeremiah) has a complete set of skills. Impressive.

It's a pleasure working with Marco, and I can't wait to see the pages he puts together for our comic! Make sure to stay tuned!

A Nice Review!

2010-08-25T13:41:00.005-04:00

The first review for "Lightning Girl Loves Rocket Boy #1" is in, courtesy of Mike Sterling and his excellent site, progressiveruin.com. Mike did a nice job capturing the spirit of the book, and I appreciate his kind words and support. As a writer, it's always nice to get positive feedback when a reader enjoys your work. Thanks, Mike!

First Issue of Lightning Girl Loves Rocket Boy now on sale!!!

2010-08-04T21:16:00.011-04:00

Hey! Exciting news! We've finally published our very first comic! Yowza!

Let's check out the listing, shall we?

Lightning Girl Loves Rocket Boy #1

Writer: Roel Torres

Artist: Scott Arnold

52 page one-shot

Black and white with color covers

$5.95 US

IN THIS ISSUE: It's a good-natured romp as Marcus and Jodie start dating -- while teaming up to fight crime! What happens when they get recruited by the legendary super team known as The Liberty Patrol? And are they ready to face the terrifying menace of Dr. Straitjacket and his Madbots? Find out in this exciting, pulse-pounding first issue!

SERIES SUMMARY: A teenage Romantic Comedy with superheroes (imagine "Say Anything" crossed with DC Comics), Rocket Boy and Lightning Girl are a pair of teenage college students who try to juggle the demands of fighting crime with the difficulty of studying for mid-terms -- all while keeping the romance alive in their relationship!

Making this comic really was a labor of love for me and Scott. We're thrilled with the results and we hope you are, too!

Click HERE to order your copy from IndyPlanet today!

Ten Page Preview of Lightning Girl Loves Rocket Boy #1

2010-08-04T21:05:00.006-04:00

Click to enlarge the pages!

Sneak Peek: Cover

2010-08-04T20:59:00.001-04:00

Sneak Peek: Page One

2010-08-04T20:58:00.001-04:00

Sneak Peek: Page Two

2010-08-04T20:57:00.001-04:00

Sneak Peek: Page Three

2010-08-04T20:56:00.001-04:00

Sneak Peek: Page Four

2010-08-04T20:55:00.001-04:00

Sneak Peek: Page Five

2010-08-04T20:54:00.001-04:00

Sneak Peek: Page Six

2010-08-04T20:53:00.001-04:00

Sneak Peek: Page Seven

2010-08-04T20:52:00.000-04:00

Sneak Peek: Page Eight

2010-08-04T20:51:00.000-04:00

Sneak Peek: Page Nine

2010-08-04T20:49:00.000-04:00

Sneak Peek: Page Ten

2010-08-04T20:40:00.001-04:00

Ten Page Preview of Rogue Agent Zed #1

2010-08-04T19:59:00.007-04:00

(Content warning: Contains adult language and themes. Reader discretion advised.)

Click to enlarge the pages!

Sneak Peek, Rogue Agent Zed #1: Page One

2010-08-04T19:43:00.000-04:00

Sneak Peek, Rogue Agent Zed #1: Page Two

2010-08-04T19:42:00.003-04:00

Sneak Peek, Rogue Agent Zed #1: Page Three

2010-08-04T19:41:00.001-04:00

Sneak Peek, Rogue Agent Zed #1: Page Four

2010-08-04T19:40:00.001-04:00

Sneak Peek, Rogue Agent Zed #1: Page Five

2010-08-04T19:38:00.001-04:00

Sneak Peek, Rogue Agent Zed #1: Page Six

2010-08-04T19:09:00.001-04:00

Sneak Peek, Rogue Agent Zed #1: Page Seven

2010-08-04T19:08:00.001-04:00

Sneak Peek, Rogue Agent Zed #1: Page Eight

2010-08-04T19:07:00.004-04:00

Sneak Peek, Rogue Agent Zed #1: Page Nine

2010-08-04T19:06:00.000-04:00

Sneak Peek, Rogue Agent Zed #1: Page Ten

2010-08-04T19:05:00.001-04:00

Rogue Agent Zed sequentials

2008-03-16T01:03:00.009-04:00

A few posts back, I offered a tantalizingly brief preview of Jeremiah Goldson's interior art for Rogue Agent Zed. If your reactions were similar to mine, I suspect you were blown away by what you saw -- but also a little bit frustrated that there were only two panels to look at. Well, after a recent burst of discussions by the members of the creative team, I'm here to try and correct that imbalance.

And so, without further delay, please enjoy a selection of sequential artwork from the original Hypersmash project, Rogue Agent Zed. (And let me strongly encourage you to click on the images to enlarge them.)

I know I've said it over and over again, but Jeremiah's attention to backgrounds and details is really stunning. I love the grit and the texture in the panels above.

There's also a very deft display of cinematic lighting. The use of high contrast shadows creates a wonderful sense of mood and drama.

Jeremiah is not restricted to drawing slow, contemplative scenes of people standing around. He can also crank up the volume when the story calls for some action! (For example, a futuristic military unit unleashing their full complement of hi-tech weapons.)

Whether it's smoke drifting lazily from a cigarette, a fire blazing unchecked in the background, or raindrops splattering a car window, everything Jeremiah draws looks convincing and pretty damn cool.

The script basically asked for a random crowd scene without much direction on my part, and Jeremiah took the premise and ran with it. He really upped the ante, as every character depicted in the panels above has a distinctive look and is positively brimming with personality.

Looking at a comic drawn by Jeremiah Goldson is a rich visual experience that rewards attentive reading. As the writer and publisher of Rogue Agent Zed, I have to say that everything I've seen looks great so far and I can't wait to see what he's going to come up with next.

Progress Report: Lightning Girl Loves Rocket Boy

2008-03-16T01:00:00.004-04:00

THE DRAWING TABLE
As we've seen in the past, Scott Arnold is a crazy bugger who has an unhealthy obsession for taking photographs of his poor, unsuspecting Drawing Table (as demonstrated here and here.) It's been an interesting progression as Scott has shown us the first panel of the very first page, then the pencils for the first ten pages of the book.

And now, in it's full glory, here is Scott Arnold's most recent snapshot of his workspace. (He tells me that there are 24 pages stacked on there. Ah, I don't know. Personally, I would question anything this man tells you. But your mileage may vary.) Let's take a look!

Woo. Pretty nifty.

Twenty-four pages. That is some serious progress.

Oh, hey! Here's a novel idea! Let's take a moment to respond to some comments from the public!

Here's a message we received from young Aaron Trites, who provides useful feedback for the marketing team at Hypersmash Studios:

"Roel,

For maximum enjoyment I would recommend having the pages either stapled in the traditional pamphlet format or bound together as a graphic novel, rather than having them strewn about on a desk. Oh, and add words to the pages too."

Hi, Aaron! Thanks for the input! We'll certainly give your advice all due consideration!

Okay, so Lightning Girl Loves Rocket Boy is clearly humming along. I'll try to keep everyone posted as we approach our impending publication.

Four versions of a single page

2008-03-15T22:36:00.004-04:00

As you probably know, I'm sorta knew to comic book self-publishing. Sure, I've been a fan who has read and enjoyed comics for a long time, but I had no involvement in the creation or production of a comic. So it seemed unusual to me when I ended up receiving four different versions of Page 1 of my Battle Team Omega script. I thought I would share the various versions with everyone, as a interesting peek "Behind the Scene." (Click any image to enlarge.)

1) First is Fabio Nahon's lay-out for the page. As you can see, the thugs start out as generic tough guys:

2) Next is a detailed page with full pencils. Here, the mercenaries are now equipped with high-tech gear. Fabio obviously put a lot of time into this page, and it shows...

3)...which is why I was stunned to see that he made an independent decision to re-draw the page! That's a true sign of professionalism and craftsmanship when an artist takes a perfectly functional page and decides to go back to the drawing board (literally.) The improvements Fabio made are obvious, cleaning up the composition and making everything less cluttered. The page certainly reads better in this revision:

4) Unfortunately, I was informed that Fabio would be unable to continue on the book and Nel Angeiras stepped in to take his place. Which led to a fourth interpretation of the book's opening scene. It seems like Nel used Fabio's pages as a guide, while also bringing his unique artistic vision to the page. Check it out:

So there you have it! Four very interesting versions of one page! I think it offers a fascinating insight into the work process of these artists (while also serving as a handy guide for all the different ways Blade Superior can sneak up on a bunch of armed mercenaries.) Hope you enjoyed it.

Two versions of a double-page spread

2008-03-15T22:24:00.004-04:00

(Make sure to click to enlarge.)

Battle Team Omega Sequentials from Nel Angeiras

2008-03-15T22:21:00.002-04:00

Sample Sequentials: Nel Angeiras

2008-03-15T22:20:00.001-04:00

Inked pages for Battle Team Omega

2008-01-27T02:15:00.001-05:00

Scott's GIF

2008-01-22T13:48:00.003-05:00

Scott Arnold is a machine. A machine, I tell ya. He's shown me the pencils and inks for Page 25 (25!) of Lightning Girl Loves Rocket Boy, and they look really, really great. We both feel it might be his best work so far. Awesome.

Of course, he's put me in a difficult position because I am dying to post the art on the blog so that I can share it with all of you. But, unfortunately, that's not going to happen. Grrr.

Here's the scoop. Just taking my enthusiasm into account, I would love to post everything Scott has sent to me. But -- trying to keep the Big Picture in mind -- it's not sensible to post 25 free preview pages of a comic book. It oversaturation, and it's counter-productive.

Um, yeah. So we're not going to see a lot more of Scott's pages on this blog.

I'm sorry, guys! Gah! Total bummer.

So, in a creative way to allow us to showcase his art, Scott was kind enough to put together a GIF for us. I have to say -- in my opinion, this is probably the coolest feature on the blog so far!

Scott takes us step-by-step through his artistic process for every panel of the comic. Here, we can see the amount of time and effort it takes an artist to create a finished product. We can watch the lay-out, pencils, inks, grayscales, toning, and lettering as they develop. Check it out!

Aw, yeah... That's the stuff...

Thanks, Scott! That was a blast!

Breaking down Scott's GIF

2008-01-21T12:13:00.000-05:00

Rogue Agent Zed interior art

2008-01-20T11:49:00.001-05:00

As I’ve probably mentioned before, Jeremiah Goldson draws with a very time-intensive style and his attention to creating detailed, moody backgrounds is one of the more impressive aspects to his artistic arsenal. While I’ve posted some sequential pages to Lightning Girl Loves Rocket Boy and Battle Team Omega, I wanted to share a more minimalist glimpse of the interior art on Jeremiah’s project, Rogue Agent Zed. Instead of giving you a couple of pages, I want to show you two panels of the work. That’s right. Two panels. How’s that for a tease?

So, without further ado, here is a look at some interior art for the Hypersmash title, Rogue Agent Zed.

Pretty cool. Jeremiah is one talented cat.

Trust me, there’s more to come.

And I feel pretty confident that it’s all going to be equally fabulous.

Battle Team Omega pages 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8

2008-01-19T12:26:00.000-05:00

Battle Team Omega page 1 and 2, plus layouts

2008-01-18T12:22:00.000-05:00

Sample Sequentials: Fabio Nahon

2008-01-17T12:16:00.003-05:00

There are some interesting prospects for the different Hypersmash titles we’re developing, and I can’t talk about things in too much detail right now, but I just want to say that I’m excited by the idea of multimedia possibilities. I’ve started preliminary discussions with some very talented and very successful old friends, and even if nothing comes from it, it’s a really cool experience.

One of the surprising results of these discussions is that Hypersmash Studios has been generously loaned a skilled artist named Fabio Nahon! Man, how did that happen?

I’ll be honest with you – I know almost nothing about Fabio. I have no biographical info on him. From what I’ve been told, I am operating under the strong impression that he doesn’t speak English. So I’ve never been in contact with the man, never communicated with him except through intermediaries.

An old college buddy told me that he saw Fabio’s portfolio, and suggested that we work together. So Fabio is helping out, and drawing up his own interpretation of my script, in order to provide a useful sample of the story and its general shape. Huh. Pretty cool.

At this point, I want to make clear that Jason is the co-creator, co-owner, and permanent lead artist to Battle Team Omega. The nature of collaboration is based on mutual and shared success and that’s always been the approach I’ve taken with all my artists. The story, characters, and designs of the book are every bit as much the work of Jason, as they are mine – if not more. Nobody will ever be able to draw our creations the way he does, and the defining visual style of the book will come from his pencil, his brain, and his artistic skill. From a creative, moral, and legal standpoint, I firmly believe that Battle Team Omega is a creation that Jason and I share 50/50. And that’s the way it should be.

Jason has generously agreed to give Fabio an opportunity to create his alternate interpretation of our story, which is a really cool situation. In the next couple of posts, we'll get to see Fabio's take on the title.

And now, having said that, let’s take a moment to welcome Fabio Nahon to the Hypersmash family.

Here are some of the sample sequentials from his outstanding portfolio. I get the feeling that these pages will give you a pretty good indication of his abundant talent. (Translation: if you're not impressed by these pages, then might not be any hope for you...) Enjoy!

World Premiere: The First Five Pages of Lightning Girl Loves Rocket Boy

2007-11-27T22:23:00.000-05:00

This is the most exciting post we've had so far. Thanks to the talent and hard work of Scott Arnold, I am very proud to present: a full preview of the first five pages of Lightning Girl Loves Rocket Boy. Enjoy!

page one

2007-11-27T14:45:00.007-05:00

page one, originally uploaded by rrutorres.

page two

2007-11-27T14:45:00.005-05:00

page two, originally uploaded by rrutorres.

page three

2007-11-27T14:45:00.003-05:00

page three, originally uploaded by rrutorres.

page four

2007-11-27T14:45:00.001-05:00

page four, originally uploaded by rrutorres.

page five

2007-11-27T14:40:00.001-05:00

page five, originally uploaded by rrutorres.

I am so excited by how these pages are turning out. How about you?

If you enjoyed this free preview of Lightning Girl Loves Rocket Boy, please consider picking up a copy when it goes on sale in early 2008. Your support would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Finding Our Identity

2007-11-20T20:46:00.000-05:00

There are a lot of things to keep track of when you're a self-publisher trying to launch multiple projects from scratch simultaneously. I've got one artist located three time zones away from me, and another one situated in a different country -- the frozen, barren wasteland of Canada -- and it's my responsibility to make sure everything stays on track.

One of the details that eventually needs to be attended to is the creation of logos. We're going to need at least four: one for the company (Hypersmash Studios) and another three for the books (Battle Team Omega, Rogue Agent Zed, and Lightning Girl Loves Rocket Boy.)

In order to get the blog up and running, I slapped together the placeholder logo for Hypersmash Studios that you've seen a couple of times on the blog. It looks like so:

Not bad. It's heavily dependent on a free font I downloaded off the net. But at least I had an image I could use to launch the blog.

Now my brother, Ry, is a graphic designer with a strong background in typography and I've asked him to take charge of the design aspects of our books. He's got a pretty heavy workload these days, but he found some time to whip out a couple of cool new ideas for creating our sense of identity. Let me present two of his design ideas for the new Hypersmash Studios logo.

Now we're talking. Pretty nifty, huh? Ry said we can focus on choosing the right colors after I've decided what direction I want to pursue. But it's tough, because I would really like to use both...

Hypersmash!

Cool.

Progress Report: Rogue Agent Zed

2007-11-19T14:01:00.000-05:00

In our previous posts, Jeremiah was kind enough to lend us artwork from his earlier projects to give us all a taste for the scope and magnitude of his talent. But this post will be the first one to highlight multiple sketches that he's created for a Hypersmash-specific title (in this case, Rogue Agent Zed.) Let's go ahead and take a look at the character designs he's worked up so far.

These first two images are of our protagonist, Rogue Agent Zed. I really like these portraits. He appears confident, capable, and imposing. All in all, he cuts quite an impressive figure. I would say that he looks like this, oh, about half the time. The other half, he is drunk, or maybe completely incoherent due to some massive drug intake. (Please note: despite his well-documented ability to save the world from utter destruction on a regular basis, Rogue Agent Zed is not a good role-model for your children. End note.)

The lovely gal that Jeremiah has sketched to the far right is Agent Wyatt, who is the co-lead in the story. She is sane, reasonable, and very professional. For these reasons, and many more, we should all pity her for being assigned to work with Zed. Poor, poor Wyatt.

When Zed isn't wearing a jacket, we notice that he is a scrawny little thing distinctly lacking in the muscles and physique department. Which is okay. He doesn't succeed on the basis of his physical attributes. Instead, he relies on his intellectual gifts and his uncanny insights.

And the occasional violent use of very big guns. (A reminder: once again, not a role-model. Thank you.)

Every story needs a bad guy, and Jeremiah was kind enough to provide a sketch of one of our antagonists. I don't want to say too much about him, in the interests of preserving some of the story's suspense so I guess I'll withhold all vital information (specifically his name and occupation) while strongly encouraging you to pick up a copy of the first issue to see how he ties in to the story! (Man, I can be such a shill sometimes...)

Hope everyone enjoyed that brief glimpse into the world of Rogue Agent Zed. Jeremiah told me that he can't wait to dive into the project, and he's already made arrangements with his work schedule so that he can devote more time to the project. So hopefully it won't be too long before we start seeing pages for the book. I don't know about you, but I can't wait to see how great those will turn out (prediction: very great...)

Progress Report: Lightning Girl Loves Rocket Boy

2007-11-17T10:49:00.000-05:00

THE DRAWING TABLE
As I mentioned before: because he lives up in the frozen, barren wastelands of Canada where I can’t keep an eye on him, sometimes Scott likes to send me digital pictures of his drawing table to prove that he’s working on our story. He’s crazy like that.

So.

That's a photo of the first ten pencilled pages of Lightning Girl Loves Rocket Boy. (Click to enlarge and see the art in its natural, massive glory.)

Yowza.

I've mentioned to Scott, whenever I look at the photo, I see eleven or twelve pages on that desk. He assures me that (as much as he would love to take credit for it) there are only ten there. I guess that I have to take his word for it, since he would know best exactly how many pages he's drawn so far. I mean, he's not accidentally drawing pages without realizing it, right? Right?

Yeah. So apparently, I'm just not very good at counting. (Which does not bode well for the fact that I am a Harvard Financial Officer. Huh.)

As a tease, I should mention that I have also seen the first five pages of the book pencilled, inked, grayscaled, and lettered. I have to say -- they look really sweet. Scott has managed to outdo himself once again. I fully intend to post those pages on the blog as a full preview of the comic in due time. That's right, I'm emulating the exemplary business model of schoolyard drug dealers across the country: I'm hoping to convince you guys to buy the book when it eventually comes out by giving away the first five pages for free! Can you feel the anticipation building? I sure hope so.

(You know, when I first posted a pic of Scott's drawing table, I had no idea that it was going to turn into a series. But we're all about rolling with the punches here at the Hypersmash Studios blog. Be like water, my friend.)

Okay, things are hoppin' around this old juke joint! In our next post, we feature Jeremiah Goldson's design sketches for Rogue Agent Zed. And this time time, he's not taking a leak. (That should really be the tagline for the book: "Rogue Agent Zed is back. And this time, he's not taking a leak!" That one's a keeper, right there.) See you soon!

Updates, including BeaucoupKevin.com plus the Greatest YouTube Video Of All Time

2007-11-07T18:00:00.000-05:00

"The script reminds me of the X-Files, written by a mid-80's William Gibson, commissioned by Marvel Comics." --Jeremiah Goldson, giving a pretty fitting description of our collaborative project, Rogue Agent Zed.

Hi, everyone. Thanks for stopping by. Just wanted to take a couple of seconds to do some housekeeping. Let's hit some bullet points:

1) First off, I think I've successfully activated the Comments function for the blog. I know a couple of you folks let me know that you tried to leave comments unsuccessfully. Yeah. That's my bad. I am a blogging neophyte, and I'm "trying to build the plane while it's in the air," as I like to say. I apologize for any frustration you may have run into, and I'll do my best keep an eye on the matter. (As always, please do try to remember that I may not be all that clever, but I really do mean well...)

2) I want to thank my pal (and comic blogging uber-stud) Kevin Church for featuring Hypersmash Comics in one of his recent online posts. It's a nice shot in the arm, and it's always good to have a guy like Kevin in your corner. Make sure to visit BeacoupKevin.com on a frequent basis to get his refreshing take on the world of comic books. And Battlestar Galactica. And the Pet Shop Boys.

3) Jeremiah's cool quote that led off this post is taken from something he wrote recently. He had a couple of interesting insights on our project and -- in an exciting development -- he snuck in the first ever design sketch of Rogue Agent Zed. As he's urinating. Which, uh, I like to think off as a metaphorical representation of the story's irreverent spirit. Or something.

Anyway, here's our first look at our hero:

Yup. That's our Zed.

4) Also, Scott Arnold sent along a sketch for a character from the comic he's not assigned to draw. Because, I would argue, he's easily confused. So let's all humor Scott and check out his nifty drawing of Velocity Hawk, the fastest member of Battle Team Omega, which is scheduled to be published in 2008 (written by Roel Torres, drawn by Jason Hoagland And Not Scott Arnold.):

You know, it's pretty easy to forgive Scott for his (numerous) faults because he draws such pretty, pretty pictures. Dammit. Man, that's a rockin' sketch. I seriously get to work with some tremendous talent.

5) Jason is also keeping busy, and we've gotten together frequently over the last couple of weeks. We watched the Celtics play on opening night, and as we were keeping track of the game, I showed him some reference designs he requested (including an architectural sketch of our fictional high school, and my concept for a small-town flea market.) In return, he showed me a lot of his recent artwork, but -- because he bought a laptop and he isn't sure that his scanner is compatible with the new computer... I don't have any recent scans of Jason's work. You just have to trust me when I say that I've seen firsthand evidence that he's working hard and making progress. And I'll see what I can do about getting our hands on a functional scanner to capture his stuff.

6) Some of you might have missed the recent series of interviews I did with the three current artists of Hypersmash Studios -- Scott, Jason, and Jeremiah. I decided to embed those discussions at different points of the blog, in order to break up the predominantly visual posts with some text-heavy ones. The drawback was, if you read through the blog at one point, you might not have had a chance to come across them. So, to amend that, you can click right here to read some infomative responses from Scott, Jason, and Jeremiah. Personally, I enjoyed learning more about each of them and it was also very cool to have someone else's voice represented on this blog for a change!

7) I would just like to mention that I don't plan on being prolific in terms of updating this blog. I would rather wait for moments of genuine progress that I can share with everyone (as opposed to posting just to make noise and turning myself into a general nuisance. Like usual.) Expect updates when I get my hands on some new artistic content -- design sketches, character pin-ups, thumbnail layouts, or finished pages. Oh, and I will also post once we get some solid information on how to order copies of the actual comic books. Definitely. See, those will be exciting moments that will hopefully help generate some positive momentum for the projects -- and that is really the only purpose of this site. I suspect that if you good folks check out the blog maybe once a month or so, that should work out just fine. Cool? Cool.

7) And finally, if I ever write anything as groovy as these final 10 minutes from the classic movie "RNRNM", I will dominate the known universe for extended stretches at a time. Check out the YouTube clip and see what I mean. (Warning: just when you think it can't possibly get more awesome -- it gets more awesome! Enjoy! And yes, you can thank me later.) --RT

The Very First Page

2007-10-18T11:52:00.000-04:00

Hypersmash Studios proudly presents: the first finished comic book page in our short, unassuming history. It's a notable development, and I'm a little bit at a loss for words...

It's pencilled. And inked. And grayscaled. And lettered.

It's finished!

Without further ado, posted for your consideration, here is page one of the upcoming Hypersmash book, Lightning Girl Loves Rocket Boy (Story: Roel Torres, Art: Scott Arnold.)

Wow. That is so sweet. What a lovely four-panel composition. I can barely contain my excitement when I look at that page! Nice job, Scott!

The assembly process continues. We are gradually moving towards our goal of publication. Ideas have become scripts. Scripts have become sketches. Sketches have become layouts. And now layouts are becoming finished pages. We are producing tangible, concrete results, and it is very gratifying.

The first page is done. 49 pages remain. There's no stopping us now!

Lightning Girl Loves Rocket Boy one-shot (52 pages) by Roel Torres and Scott Arnold is scheduled for release from Hypersmash Studios in 2008.

Sample Sequentials: Jeremiah Goldson

2007-10-16T01:13:00.000-04:00

I try to write a little text and offer a couple of insights on every post. But in this instance, I almost feel like it would be better if I stepped out of the way and let Jeremiah Goldson's abundant talent speak for itself. There are so many different aspects to his work that I admire -- his level of detail, his use of backgrounds, his cinematic layouts, his sense of dramatic pacing, his ability to create mood, his action sequences... It's all off the charts. His kung-fu is strong.

But don't take my word for it. Go ahead and see for yourself.

(Note: As much as I'd love to be partially responsible for the pages below, all the credit belongs to Jeremiah. These pages come from his online webcomic, Monica Furious, and Hypersmash Studios had no involvement in their creation. Jeremiah has graciously agreed to share them with us so that we can build some excitement for the release of the new book we're creating together, Rogue Agent Zed.)

(click on each image to enlarge.)

C'mon, you have to admit -- that's pretty impressive stuff. I don't know about you, but I'm blown away.

I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that Jeremiah Goldson is an artist destined to do great things in this industry.

I'm just glad that Hypersmash Studios gets a chance to work with him first.

Rogue Agent Zed one-shot (52 pages) by Roel Torres and Jeremiah Goldson is scheduled for release from Hypersmash Studios in 2008.

An open invitation to all artists

2007-10-16T00:01:00.000-04:00

If there are any prospective artists out there who are interested in working with Hypersmash Studios, drop me a line at roeltorres@post.harvard.edu and I’d be happy to look at some of your sample sequentials to see if we can work something out. I have a million stories that I want to tell, and I’m always looking for good, reliable artists to collaborate with, to help make those stories a reality.

As you can see from the samples on the blog, I am open to working with artists of all influences including indy-punk, manga, realistic, mainstream superhero, and animated styles. I take pride in writing in order to feature an artist's strengths, and giving everyone an opportunity to shine. I specialize in original 48-page self-contained one-shots and I can provide sample scripts upon request.

So if you're an artist who would be interested in having your work published, why not follow in the talented footsteps of Scott Arnold, Jeremiah Goldson, Jason Hoagland, and Ryan Torres? We've all agreed to work together to try and create some fun, enjoyable comics.

Why not join the fun?

Progress Report: Lightning Girl Loves Rocket Boy

2007-10-15T14:21:00.000-04:00

I thought that today's post would be a great time to look at Scott Arnold's excellent designs for the cast of the Hypersmash comic, Lightning Girl Loves Rocket Boy! Allow me to introduce this lovable bunch:

This is Marcus Joseph Marshall, also known as the teenage crime-fighting hero, Rocket Boy!

In real life, I'm a little old-fashioned so, at first, I wasn't all that crazy about his sideburns. But then I gave it some thought, and decided that I'm basically out of touch with the youth culture of today, so it's fine if he has a hairstyle that I don't really understand.

(Click on each image to enlarge.)

Here's a model sheet for Marcus, in and out of costume. He's got a fin on his head and a jetpack strapped to his back. That, my friends, is pure, classic Superhero Design 101!

(And please note: in case you are wondering what to get me for my birthday, I have just added "Rocket Jetpack" to my Amazon wishlist. Hint, hint. Thank you in advance!)

Here we have a look at some preliminary colors for Rocket Boy. Both Scott and I have taken a couple of shots at picking out his costume colors. We haven't really settled on anything yet. Stay tuned.

This is Jodie, also known as the power-packed dynamo, Lightning Girl! She's your typical college sophomore. She runs track, practices yoga, and has brilliant instincts as a tutor. Oh, and she flies around and shoots lightning bolts out of either hand. Like I said, typical college sophomore.

In a tribute to surefire comic book logic, Jodie hides her secret identity by letting her hair down and putting on a pair of transparent goggles when she's in superhero mode. Foolproof, right? (Take that, Clark Kent!)

Here's the first sketch Scott ever sent me of Lightning Girl's costume. I liked it, but I thought she needed a chest insignia to help make the costume more dynamic visually. And I also pointed out that those big, mitten-type gloves seemed a little impractical if she wanted to do something esoteric like -- oh, I dunno -- write down some notes, or use a keyboard while surfing the net, or something.

And Voila! Problem solved.

Chest insignia, brilliant.

And big, clunky mittens -- gone.

Spiffy, no?

(Note: Scott has a decidedly different approach to designing a costume than fellow Hypersmash Studios artist, Jason Hoagland.)

This is Owen, Rocket Boy's best friend. When the comic gets published, we'll make sure to experiment with some grayscaling options to properly indicate Owen's skin tone.

And what kind of a superhero comic book would we have without a good villain? This is the mad scientist known as Dr. Straitjacket! Jason came up with the cool name. And it was Scott's idea to indicate that our doc would probably perform some type of radical home surgery on his own brain. (I think both ideas are awesome.)

And, of course -- Madbots! Everyone's mad about Madbots! Indestructible combat machines, they pose a challenge for any hero that has the misfortune of running into their path.

Madbots!

And there you have it! I hope you get the same jolt of excitement that I do when looking at Scott's work. I can't wait until we can finally publish copies of this book and get it into the hands of you, the faithful reader. This has truly been a labor of love, and I think that it's a story people out there will really enjoy.

Lightning Girl Loves Rocket Boy one-shot (52 pages) by Roel Torres and Scott Arnold is scheduled for release from Hypersmash Studios in 2008.

5 Questions with a Hypersmash Artist: Jeremiah Goldson

2007-10-14T20:07:00.000-04:00

This is the third and final installment in a series of snapshot interviews with the artists of Hypersmash Studios. (You can catch up on the first two here and here.) Taking the time to answer our questions is the artist on Rogue Agent Zed, Jeremiah Goldson. We hope you enjoy his responses.

1) Please tell us a little bit about yourself. Where do you live?
What do you do for a living? And what is your artistic background?

I was born in Columbia, South Carolina. Currently I reside in Missoula,
Montana, with my wife Robin, after spending a year or so in Calgary,
Alberta, drinking copious amounts in a vain attempt to stay warm. Am
currently working as tech support at a webhosting/design company called
Modwest.

I spent most of my school years drawing, in lieu of schoolwork, social
interaction, girlfriends, etc. Started drawing around the time I
discovered I could pick up pencils. My original influences were the Star
Wars films, as well as Transformers and G.I. Joe; pretty much anything
with guns or robots, as they were my primary area of study while growing
up. In the 7th grade, I discovered Todd McFarlane (who is from Calgary,
hence all of the hockey toys, I suppose) and Spider-Man, and haven't
looked back.

I'm about 95% self taught, mostly due to my near-complete inability to
listen to anyone, ever.

2) Who are your artistic influences? Could you name a couple of your
favorite comic books and comic characters?

Alongside the aforementioned Mr. McFarlane, I had also discovered Marc
Silvestri and Uncanny X-Men, followed by Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld (oh what,
like YOU didn't like his art before you knew better?), all of whom I
copied endlessly, so all of my bad (artistic) habits, I blame on them.

My illustration influences fall mostly outside the realm of comics these
days. Visually, Bladerunner, David Fincher films and anime by Production
I.G. fill me with a desire to create. As does the music of Underworld and
Chemlab, Burial and a few others, and books by William Gibson, Bruce
Sterling, and Neil Stephenson, which have always filled my head with
imagery and are big influences. Anything with edge, that conjures images
of rain and skyscrapers.

As I've not picked up many comic books recently, I am not so familiar with
comicdom's current landscape, though I am really enjoying Jae Lee's work
on The Dark Tower. Warren Ellis's Transmet/Planetary/Authority work is
pretty brilliant, too. I'm also a fan of Bryan Hitch and Frank Quitely
and their cinematic "widescreen" panels, and Katsuhiro Otomo's
storytelling makes the hair on my arms stand on end.

3) What were your first impressions when you saw the art of the other
Hypersmash artists?

I dig both these guy's work. Scott's style is expressive, dynamic, and
cool. He brings a lot of energy to the page, which I think will be a
great compliment to a title like Lightning Girl Loves Rocket Boy. Jason
has a classic style; it reminds me a lot of guys like George Perez. His
character sketches are badass, and I'm looking forward to seeing what he
brings to Battle Team Omega.

4) How would you describe the title you are working on? What is the
most appealing part of working on the title? And are you working on any other projects?

I would describe the title I'm working on as a fast-forward freefall, dark
and slick, towers of luminous black mirrored glass disappearing into low
clouds. Which is also the project's most appealing part, to me. Roel's
script is grimy, darkly funny and cool, a dingy warren of cyberpunk
dystopia. I'm chomping at the bit to get started on it.

5) Is there anything you would like to say to the readers of the blog?

It's entirely possible that I've already said too much, so I'll just say,
listen to Burial if you don't already, and stick around. I forsee great
things happening with Hypersmash, and it's going to be fun!

Design Workshop: Jason Hoagland creates a Hypersmash Universe character (2nd in a series)

2007-10-14T01:03:00.000-04:00

CHARACTER DESIGN: THE MYTH

Today's featured character is the Valyrie Warrior, The Myth! She's a member of the premiere supergroup in the Hypersmash Universe, Battle Team Omega. Click on each image to enlarge to get a better appreciation of Jason's detailed art.

Jason and I are still trying to lock down some of the fundamental aspects of her character. In many ways, she's still a work in progress.

Jason has made an effort to incorporate authentic Norse armor into her costume, to help distinguish her from other characters wearing your standard superhero gear.

I like the way Jason spots blacks on the image to the right, using dramatic lighting to give the character a very solid feel. The strong use of shadows makes this pic look different from the rest of his work.

This modern-day Valkyrie is a character with a strong sense of mystery to her, and she has many layers still waiting to be revealed. (Even to me and Jason. And we're the guys who created her...)

Hope you enjoyed this brief glimpse into Jason's different design ideas for The Myth. I'm just as curious as you are as to what she eventually looks like!

Sample Sequentials: Scott Arnold

2007-10-13T00:38:00.000-04:00

It’s important to match the right artist with the proper project. You don’t want to work with an artist who has a style that clashes with your script, no matter how talented he is. It becomes distracting and detrimental to the story. As a writer and aspiring publisher, I’m always conscious of trying to play to an artist’s strengths and hoping to let them do what they do best.

There are a lot of comic book artists out there who can draw amazing fight sequences (featuring ridiculously muscular superhumans flexing as they punch each other out in their capes and spandex) with great flair. But when you ask them to draw a scene where two college students sit around a table and eat lunch, they can’t pull it off. And that can be a problem.

Scott Arnold can draw everything with ease. Equally comfortable portraying quiet moments from real life as well as the most absurd scenes you can imagine, he’s a fantastic choice to draw a book full of everyday acts and natural conversations.

Scott has a playful quality to his art that makes his characters instantly likable. His lines are so clean and relaxed, that they really help propel the story with a strong sense of natural momentum. It’s a great fit for a comic like Lightning Girl Loves Rocket Boy, which is basically a teen romantic comedy with a little superhero action thrown in.

I think Scott Arnold is the perfect artist for Lightning Girl Loves Rocket Boy.

Please take a look at some of Scott’s sequential pages, posted below. He often uses material from his own life in an understated and thoughtful way. And once you’ve enjoyed these samples, don’t hesitate to see more of his art over on his site.

5 Questions with a Hypersmash Artist: Jason Hoagland

2007-10-13T00:01:00.000-04:00

This is the second in a series of snapshot interviews with the artists of Hypersmash Studios. (If you missed the first one with Scott Arnold, you can check it out here.) Taking the time to answer our questions is the artist on Battle Team Omega, Jason Hoagland. We hope you enjoy his responses.

1) Please tell us a little bit about yourself. Where do you live? What do you do for a living? And what is your artistic background?

Jason Hoagland - My full name is Jason Dean Hoagland. I was born on October 31, 1976 in Norwich, Connecticut, where I also spent my first 17 years, and I'm the oldest of my parents' three children. I currently live in Somerville, Ma, right across from Tufts University, and I work for a small company called Avian Securities where I do what I like to call "investment research", even though I really just eat fake sushi and surf the net all day. As for my artistic background, my high school had several excellent art teachers, and I attended the Massachusetts College of Art, majoring in illustration.

2) Who are your artistic influences? Could you name a couple of your favorite comic books and comic characters?

Jason Hoagland - I've had lots of favorite comics artists over the years and I love to talk about them all, but I'll try to keep this short.

I'm proud to say that my very first comic was Master of Kung-Fu #117, which was extremely well drawn (and inked) by Gene Day. I think very highly of issues #114 through #118.

Michael Golden's stuff has always been on top of my desk, especially the first issue of the Micronauts, Doc Strange #55, his early issues of The 'Nam, and several of his stories that appeared in Batman Family.

I loved the Fantastic Four as a kid and so most of the artists associated with that comic were a big deal to me, particularly Jack Kirby and Keith Pollard. I used to get pissed if Joe Sinnott wasn't the inker on my FFs.

John Romita Jr's issues of Daredevil were a big influence on me when they came out in the late eighties. I look at his dad's Spider-Man stuff all the time. Steranko's pop-art/psychedelic imagery resonates with me. Issues 22 and 25 of the original Nova series with art by Carmine Infantino, and only those two. Batman and the Outsiders #26- art by Alan Davis.

In recent years some of my favorite artists have been Chris Sprouse on Tom Strong, Frank Quitely on X-men, Takishi Miyazawa on Mary Jane (the comic), Adrian Alphona on Runaways, Alberto Dose's issues of The Flash, Kevin Maguire's Justice League stuff. Seth Fisher's Flash, Green Lantern, and Doom Patrol stories are cool and wierd. I recently discovered that I had really underappreciated how awesome Curt Swan was. Kurt Schaffenberger too. I'd love to get a hold of CC Beck's Captain Marvel stories from the forties. The collision of National Geographic with the newspaper cartoon in TinTin always makes me feel like I'm reading something worthwhile. I'm thumbing through Jesse Hamm's "Good as Lily" right now. My misremembered idea of what Saturday Morning Cartoons of the early eighties were like kinda inspires me. I also feel really intellectually stimulated after watching spaghetti westerns. Musically, Stevie Wonder, Arthur Lee, and The Kinks.

3) What were your first impressions when you saw the art of the other Hypersmash artists?

Jason Hoagland - Jeremiah looks like he will add a really cool atmosphere and a lot of cinematic verve to Rogue Agent Zed. Scott's style is perfect for Lightning Girl loves Rocket Boy in that his art is so in tune with the modern youth culture that those characters live in. And yeah, that Doctor Straightjacket would perform brain surgery on himself is an awesome idea.

4) How would you describe the title you are working on? What is the most appealing part of working on the title? And are you working on any other projects?

Jason Hoagland - I would describe Battleteam Omega as being about an elite team of superheroes who collectively adopt a teenage girl, not realizing that stewarding a teenager to maturity is a lot more demanding than fighting robots or aliens. What makes the comic interesting to me is that there is this huge divide between our teenage protagonist, who is trying to assert her own individuality and make her own mistakes, and our heroes, who desperately want to reign her in and provide her with some direction but who have widely divergent ideas about how to do that. Hijinks ensue. So, I think there's this interesting dynamic where the reader will be able to subjectively relate with both sides of the teen/adult rift in a way that he or she couldn't when they themselves were teenagers. And all of this drama is set against the popart backdrop of alien invasions, robot uprisings, and zombie outbreaks. I'm not currently working on any other projects except for this, as I want to make this a success.

5) Is there anything you would like to say to the readers of the blog?

Jason Hoagland - Red Sox rule, Yankees Drool? Also: Let There Be Lasers!! Plus, Don't Eat Yellow Snow. P.S. I Love You.

Design Workshop: Jason Hoagland creates a Hypersmash Universe character (first in a series)

2007-10-12T00:12:00.000-04:00

CHARACTER DESIGN: VELOCITY HAWK

I wanted to take a moment to examine the visual evolution of an original Hypersmash Universe character -- in this case, the speedster known as Velocity Hawk. Sitting in my office at Harvard, I have a stack of designs with literally hundreds of variations of the hero, with some interpretations looking wildly divergent from the others. This is Jason Hoagland's approach to creating a character: he strives for perfection. And it's a fascinating process to witness firsthand. (Click image to enlarge.)

This is intended to show the chronological development of the character's look. But you'll have to forgive me if the order isn't completely accurate, because it can be pretty hard to keep track of all the changes.

Jason and I are both fans of the iconic Japanese hero, Ultraman. At this stage of development, the costume borrowed heavily from that influence.

The original art for the costumes above are done in color with markers, trying out different color combinations for each one.

Some logo ideas.

Because he's a speedster, it's important to take Velocity Hawk's footwear into consideration.

Can't forget the gloves, the back, and the side of the costume.
That's a very nice model turnaround sheet, isn't it?

And this is what the character looks like today. more or less.

Man, Velocity Hawk has a killer booty. Huh. Who knew?

And that wraps things up for now. In a couple of posts, we'll have a more abbreviated look at Jason designing a different character -- our Valkyrie Warrior, The Myth! Hope you enjoyed this exclusive first look.

And coming up next? A look at some of Scott Arnold's rockin' sequential work. Definitely check back for that because Scott does some amazing work on those pages (which isn't surprising in the least, since he's one talented dude!)

5 Questions with a Hypersmash Artist: Scott Arnold

2007-10-11T23:55:00.000-04:00

I started this blog in order to promote the comic book projects that are scheduled to be published in 2008. I wanted to showcase the talented people involved, and maybe build some positive buzz. That was the idea.

One of the amusing, unintended consequences of the blog was that each of the artists I work with suddenly realized that there were other people out there drawing my scripts. This blog was their first opportunity to learn about one another and to be exposed to each other's work.

When I asked them for suggestions on how to improve the blog, Scott said:

"One other thing that could make for interesting reading would be a brief
bio on each of the artists, or a "5 Questions" - you send us each 5
questions and get the answers up from each of us. Just a thought... I know
I'm always curious about background on artists (years drawing etc, other
projects etc)..."

I thought that sounded like a swell idea. So I pieced together 5 pretty standard questions for our art crew, and gave them the option of writing as much or as little as they chose.

Providing us with our first set of answers is the artist for Lightning Girl Loves Rocket Boy, Scott Arnold. Strap yourselves in, and here we go:

1) Please tell us a little bit about yourself. Where do you live? What do you do for a living? And what is your artistic background?

Scott Arnold - artist since I was old enough to stand (literally). I live in the frozen tundra that is Toronto (it's not really frozen - and I don't own a dog sled... honest!). I'm a graphic designer for a living, but have done everything from managing a record store to technical writing to an interesting four years as a staff ad designer and illustrator for a small community newspaper. Artistically I'm a mutt. I've been reading comics since I was 9 (with fervor, anyways) and have been influenced by that. I have a BFA from the University of Toronto and a diploma (specializing in photography and illustration) from Sheridan College. I've been doing professional work in any form I could since high school - and continue to be inspired by the art I consume - from gallery shows, to newspaper work to (obviously) comics of all sorts - with an emphasis lately on indie stuff.

2) Who are your artistic influences? Could you name a couple of your favorite comic books and comic characters?

Scott Arnold - I'm influenced by everything from newspaper strips I read as a kid to the music I listen to. Influences range from everywhere - early New York graffitti to modern comics... my cat's named after Walt Kelly's Pogo so that's something of a touchstone, I guess... erm... Fav books? My list probably looks like a lot of peoples, so I'll mention a few oddities that are well worth people checking out... most recently has been Jeff Lemire's Essex County series. He's 2 volumes into a trilogy of graphic novels, and his work is mind-blowingly good. I also recently read (and really dug) Sentences - the auto-biography of hard core hip hop MC MF GRIMM. He wrote it, Ronald Wimberly drew it - and it's a great story. Takes a lot to make me genuinely sympathize with a gangster... GRIMM did it. I'm also a sucker for some of the mainstream stuff and have been really enjoying Runaways lately (those little portable trades are so hard to pass over).

3) What were your first impressions when you saw the art of the other Hypersmash artists?

Scott Arnold - Surprise. I had no idea there WERE other Hypersmash artists... LOL! Seriously, though, I thought it was nice to see diverse styles, and people doing interesting things WITH their styles. I'll be curious to see how the shared world we're playing in unfolds (and what happens when one of us first has to draw the characters created by the others).

[Roel says: the Hypersmash titles don't actually exist in a shared universe, but you can't blame Scott for not knowing that because I certainly didn't make it clear.]

4) How would you describe the title you are working on? What is the most appealing part of working on the title? And are you working on any other projects?

Scott Arnold - Lightning Girl Loves Rocket Boy pretty much describes itself... A John Hughes film with super powers. And robots. Madbots, in fact. As for other projects... I do a weekly political cartoon, regular illustration for a horse-racing magazine and freelance where I can find it (having recently done some design and art for a Spanish drum group from Chicago). I draw constantly, and spent some time this summer working on the start of what may turn into a long form auto-biographical series of vignettes.

5) Is there anything you would like to say to the readers of the blog?

Scott Arnold - Enjoy the work - there's a great mix of stuff here, and if you (the readers) want to know anything - post questions. This is a promotion for a series of books we're all throwing ourselves into 100% - so if you want to know more... just ask!

--And there you have it! I want to thank Scott for coming up with the 5 Questions idea, and also for taking the time to share his answers with us. I have to confess, I actually learned a lot about him myself. For example, it turns out he doesn't own a dogsled. Huh. My bad.

I told Jason and Jeremiah that I'd welcome responses from them as well. If they take the time to write some thoughts down, you can be sure that I'll pass them along to everyone courtesy of this blog. Keep your fingers crossed!

Progress Report: Lightning Girl Loves Rocket Boy

2007-10-10T23:50:00.000-04:00

THE DRAWING TABLE
Because he lives up in the frozen, barren wastelands of Canada* where I can’t keep an eye on him, sometimes Scott likes to send me digital pictures of his drawing table to prove that he’s working on our story. He’s crazy like that:

Interesting bit of trivia: until I saw that shot of his sketchbook, I always assumed that Scott inked his work digitally. But from the image above, it’s pretty obvious that I was wrong. As usual.

Second bit of trivia: If you look at the center of the table, I believe that may be the very first panel ever drawn in Hypersmash Studios history. Pretty cool!

*Toronto is considered a frozen, barren wasteland, right?

Sketchbook: Jeremiah Goldson, artist on Rogue Agent Zed

2007-10-09T22:35:00.000-04:00

This week, I'm going to post eight pieces from each artist's portfolio to help showcase his individual style and considerable skills. It's Jeremiah Goldson's turn to make our jaw drop with his collection of gorgeous portfolio pieces. (Click on each image to enlarge.)This is an excellent signature piece, and features many of the cyberpunk elements characteristic of Jeremiah's work -- dark, moody, with the sinister atmosphere of technology gone unchecked. (Make sure the contrast on your monitor is fine enough so that you can appreciate the level of detail at the top of this illustration!)
One thing that separates Jeremiah from his peers is his use of the backgrounds and surroundings to really enhance the mood of his art. In his work, the environment takes on a life of its own, and the scenery is almost as noteworthy as the human subjects he's drawing.
When you look at this sketch, it’s obvious that Jeremiah’s not looking to take any shortcuts. When he draws a city, he wants to tackle the challenge of making it feel busy, dense, and disorganized. It's a true testament to his dedication to craftsmanship.

Even without any words or narrative, Jeremiah is able to tell a story and give you a sense of character through the stylistic choices he makes. By examining this man in his surroundings, looking at his posture, and noting the indication of his vices, we immediately develop a distinct sense of his personality. (Note: Jeremiah's character looks like he would get along just fine with the protagonist in our collaboration, Rogue Agent Zed.)
Jeremiah's manga roots are on fine display in this piece, which leaves a lot of open space that would be very nicely complemented by the work of a good colorist.

The thing I love about this drawing is that it clearly demonstrates that he's not a one-trick pony. Stripped of his characteristic style choices, he still manages to create a wonderful image that’s cute, sweet, and memorable. This is an artist with a full arsenal of skills in his toolbox, and I’m excited to see the work he will produce on Rogue Agent Zed. Aren’t you?

Looking at this incredible work, it would be perfectly natural if some of you were suspicious that Jeremiah was one of those artists who only specialized in pin-ups and splash pages (and we all know a couple of artists who fit that description.) But I'm happy to report that his talents extend into the realm of sequentials and panel-to-panel continuity. A couple of posts from now, we'll feature Jeremiah's work again, highlighting his ability to tell a story and lay out a page. It's exciting stuff, I promise. See you then.

To see much more of Jeremiah Goldson's stunning artwork, please visit his site. You won't regret it. Tell him I sent ya!

Sketchbook: Scott Arnold, artist on Lightning Girl Loves Rocket Boy

2007-10-08T22:08:00.000-04:00

This week, I'm going to post eight pieces from each artist's portfolio to help showcase his individual style and considerable skills. This time out, we take a look at the fantastic work of Scott Arnold. Enjoy! (Click on the image to enlarge.)

You’ll notice the excellent detail on Batgirl’s boots. Scott does a nice job rendering them, despite having a traumatic experience drawing boots in high school. True story.

Let’s face it, nobody does spot illustrations for horse racing trade magazines like our man, Scott!

I don’t remember the actual title for this piece, but I believe it’s called “The Justice League of Emo.”

I like this drawing a lot. The only suggestion I would make to Scott is that he needs to make the thumbs a little bigger. (Ha! Just making a joke there. I kid Scott because, well, to be honest – he’s an easy mark.)
This is one of my favorite pieces by Scott. I think this image has a lot of soul, which is a quality that is very difficult for an artist to capture and convey. That is quality work right there.

I think that this is a very effective re-design. Check out the way Scott takes Luke Skywalker out of the seventies and modernizes him, giving him a fresh, contemporary feel while keeping him recognizable. This image makes Luke look like a bad dude you wouldn’t want to mess with.*

I am genuinely in awe of Scott’s prodigious talent. His design sensibilities are so much fun to look at, and everything he does has a natural and relaxed feel to it. His art frequently brings a smile to my face, and I'm ecstatic that he's producing fantastic pages for the Lightning Girl Loves Rocket Boy 48 page one-shot. When that project gets published, everyone will get a chance to see Scott's talent on full display. It's gonna be sweet!

The next time that we visit Scott's art, we're going to take things to the another level as we go over some of his sequential pages. His work only gets more impressive from here. I know -- hard to believe, but true. So make sure to keep checking in.

To see more Scott's cool creations, please visit his site. Make sure to check out the extensive collection of political cartoons he's archived over there. It gives you an insight to a very different dimension of his work.

*Most jedis are bad dudes you wouldn’t want to mess with.

Sketchbook: Jason Hoagland, artist on Battle Team Omega

2007-10-07T21:52:00.000-04:00

This week, I'm going to post eight pieces from each artist's portfolio to help showcase his individual style and considerable skills. Getting us off to a hot start is Jason Hoagland. Check it out! (Click on the image to enlarge.)

What I like about Jason’s rendering technique is that every line has meaning. He’s creating a sense of form and substance, as opposed to adding extraneous lines to make a piece look artificially busy. It’s almost from the classical school of cross-hatching, and it displays his excellent fundamental skills.

You can really see Jason's ability to portray textures in this image. Denim, cotton, metal, leather, and even fur all given a different feel that helps make the drawing more realistic and, in turn, makes the character more convincing.
Note: all of these illustrations are original characters from the upcoming Hypersmash Studios book, Battle Team Omega.

I like this sketch because I think it shows that Jason’s art looks great in a clean, open style as well. Jason doesn’t use cross-hatching to cover up a flawed understanding of anatomy, but rather as another aspect of his art that he can use to great effect.

In might not be immediately obvious, but images 1, 5, 6, and 8 are all of the same character (Battle Team Omega member, Devil of Destruction.) The reason that the four drawings don't look all that similar to each other is that Jason loves to constantly tinker and re-design each character until he feels that they're perfect. It's one of his defining characteristics.

The next time we visit Jason's art a couple of posts from now, we'll take a look at his meticulous design process in the creation of an original character, Velocity Hawk. But more immediately, our next post will feature the sweet indy-punk art of Scott Arnold. We'll see you then!

Meet the artists of Hypersmash

2007-10-06T20:34:00.000-04:00

Okay. That’s enough about me. For the next several posts, we’re going to shift the spotlight to the true superstars around here and the folks who really deserve all the attention – the tremendous artists of Hypersmash Studios. I realize that I’m extremely fortunate getting to work alongside these guys, and once you see their work, I’m sure you’ll see why.

We’re very proud of the scary collection of talent at our disposal. They are really, really, really good. No, really. (To be honest with you, I don’t know why they’re working with me instead of raking in the big bucks. Now that I think about it, did they maybe sign on by mistake? Huh. Well, you know what they say about not looking a gift horse and all that…)

Bringing a diversity of styles and approaches to their work, we try to match each project with an artist’s respective strengths. Things have worked out pretty well so far, so let's go ahead and meet this inspiring collection of talent. (Click on the images to enlarge.)

Jason Hoagland: Jason is a friend, a neighbor, and the first artist to join the illustrious Hypersmash Studios stable. Simply put, the dude is a machine. He has been known to crank out thousands and thousands of character designs in preparation for drawing a comic. An art chameleon capable of switching styles with ease, Jason brings a kinetic power to everything he draws. He is currently the lead artist assigned to Battle Team Omega and you can bet that once he decides to take the step to putting pages together, he’s going to be totally ready for anything.

Scott Arnold: Scott is an icon designer for a leading wireless communication company in Toronto. He brings a fluid, street graphics-influenced vibe to his work. His linework is very clean and his art exudes a sense of lively, playful energy. As the lead artist on Lightning Girl Loves Rocket Boy, his knack for blending goofy humor and touching drama will be put to good use as he continues to work tirelessly to help my material shine. When he’s not helping me out on art chores, Scott also runs his own shop, Industri-Studios.

Jeremiah Goldson: Jeremiah works for a webhosting company in Montana. His art is astonishingly detailed, often featuring futuristic themes with a heavy cyberpunk and manga influence running through it. Using a labor-intensive process that seamlessly blends multiple stages of pencils and inks, he’s an expert at creating landscapes populated by violent loners at odds with a world full of chaotic technology. Probably best known for his comic creation Monica Furious, Jeremiah is a breathtaking talent and a proud addition to the Hypersmash Studios roster. He is also the mad genius responsible for Lead Salad Studios.

Ryan Torres: I like all the artists working for Hypersmash Studios, but I have to admit that Ry is far and away my favorite in the bunch. That’s because he happens to be my brother. So that helps!

Ry is currently a full-time student at the Art Institute of Boston (AIB) where he is concentrating on graphic design and typography. He is equally comfortable with traditional and digital art, and his computer skills make him a great resource whenever I have any technical questions. Ry and I are only separated by 1.5 years and we’ve grown up sharing a mutual love of comic books. We’ve always talked about working on a project together, and Hypersmash Studios is the perfect vehicle for us to fulfill those aspirations. He has always been a source of support for me in all facets of life, and a constant inspiration in everything I do. He is the co-creator and original artist of Rogue Agent Zed. I flat-out love the guy, and I’m looking forward to whipping up a dream project with him once his course schedule clears!

Alright, in our next post, we’ll take start taking a look at some of the sketches that make these guys so great. Batting lead-off will be Jason Hoagland, who will give us our first look at the characters of the Hypersmash Universe. Come back and check it out. Until then, take care and see you next time.

Demo

2007-10-05T00:35:00.000-04:00

I’ve played in bands for most of my life. And even from the very beginning, it was always important for a band to put together a demo. People needed them in order to figure out if you were any good or not. You would showcase your talents for the folks who made the decisions, and they were either impressed, or, you got a rejection. If you wanted gigs, or if you dreamt about record contracts, that’s how it worked.

So I’m hoping that the comics I write and publish under the Hypersmash Studios banner can serve the same purpose. These can be my comic book demos. I’ll try to write a handful of solid stories that I can hand out to the editors at Oni, or Boom!, or AiT/Planet Lar, or Image, or DC, or Marvel, and maybe someone will give me the benefit of the doubt and decide that I have some potential. Maybe.

I feel like you need to prove yourself, you know? You can't just ask for a shot. You need to earn it. You need to put your money where your mouth is, and let your work speak for itself.

So here we go. I’m going to write my stories until someone out there decides that I might be allowed to write comic book scripts for their company. That's the plan.

I don’t know if it’s a realistic notion. I don’t know if there’s an editor out there who will finally take a chance and give me a shot. I have no idea. This might all be a colossal waste of time, effort, and money. Realistically, my odds aren't all that good.

But, hey pal, we all need a dream, right?

Hell, yeah…

A quick introduction

2007-10-04T14:32:00.000-04:00

I figured I should take a moment to introduce myself. As I mentioned earlier, my name is Roel Torres, and I am the founder and staff writer for Hypersmash Studios. I have loved comics my entire life, and founding Hypersmash Studios is a dream come true for me.

I was born in Boston, grew up in the Philippines, and moved to Worcester at the age of nine. I was an undergrad at Harvard University where I completed an Advanced Standing accelerated degree in English and American Literature, finishing in three years and graduating with Honors, Cum Laude.

I've always had a strong creative writing background. It was an academic focus for me at Harvard, and an important aspect of my professional career when I worked as a copywriter in advertising in Boston, and a literary publicist for a publishing house in New York City. I've also written over half a dozen travel documentaries that were broadcast to 128 countries around the world.

These days, I work full-time as a Financial Officer for Harvard at the Institute for Quantitative Social Science (IQSS bio), the Harvard-M.I.T. Data Center (HMDC bio), and the Center for Government and International Studies (CGIS.) It’s a cool place to work, and I enjoy spending the time with the people I work with. The job definitely helps pay the bills, but I still have the urge to write. The comics we publish at Hypersmash Studios will be the direct result of that urge.

This blog will be a useful place to track the progress of our upcoming comic book projects (Battle Team Omega, Rogue Agent Zed, and Lightning Girl Loves Rocket Boy), all scheduled for publication in 2008. Thanks for visiting the site, feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions, and I hope you enjoy what you see.

Thanks!
--Roel

And so it begins

2007-10-03T16:55:00.000-04:00

Howdy, folks! My name is Roel Torres and I will be your host here on the Hypersmash Studios comics blog! Thanks for stopping by.

Stick around because I promise you that we'll have some big news coming your way over the next couple of months. We've got a fantastic stable of artists working together to bring you some really cool stories, so keep an eye out for the fine talent of Scott Arnold, Jeremiah Goldson, Jason Hoagland, my awesome bro Ryan Torres, and yours truly. You'll get updates on projects like Battle Team Omega # 1, Rogue Agent Zed # 1, and Lightning Girl Loves Rocket Boy # 1.

Hoo-boy. Let's rock and roll. It's going to be quite a ride...