Hairy Eyeballs Press! No! I'm not kidding!

I'm mulling around some considerations and thoughts and decisions, as writers tend to do and, although I can't reveal some of the considerations and thoughts and decisions here, I can reveal a few.

First off, I have a new logo I'd like to share without comment:

Second off, I have a new Web site that only has a domain name at this point, but I'm going to keep it to myself until it actually has some content. Just know that it's getting thought about wildly.

And third off, as the "First off" and title of this post may have given away, I'm making plans, but I won't be able to share them officially for a couple of months.

So right now, just consider yourself sort of in the noose — I mean loop. Loop. Did I say noose? I meant loop.

The Ax Man second go-round

So I finished sketching the background idea I had for Robot (I'll post the final version with the background when it happens), and decided to draw everything in layers; Robot first, then the background by itself. That way I can control the light and blur of the background separately, and I'll also be able to move it around behind Robot to a spot where it doesn't interfere with the foreground.

Here's Robot pre-tattooing:

Here's the original sketch.

You Know What Else Children Don't Know?

This story started with the writing prompt:

"You know what else children don't know?"

which seemed a likely candidate to be its title. So it is. Not sure where the prompt originated, but consider this my "Thank you, you twisted writer's prompt person, you" to the twisted writer's prompt person who thought that up.

You can click on the image to see the whole thing full screen biggie-sized.

Brainy pumpkin pie

Here's the finished version of the pumpkin pie sketch I posted last month. I'd like to play a little more with the steam wafting in the air, but the problem I'm running into is creating steam, not smoke. It may stay as-is, don't know yet. It all depends on how much it really wants to change.

I'll see what it says.

In the meantime, do you remember the classic throwing-up pumpkin?

Yeah. I think a lot of people do.

And have you ever seen Ray Villafane's work? Just amazing.

The Ax Man Cometh

I originally sketched this little guy one day at work. I thought he was cute.The first version (at the top) was pretty simple, just Robot and his custom-designed ax. I liked him, and I wanted to include him in the book somehow, but he just wasn't fitting in. Maybe a little too cute.

So I spruced him up a little. Now he's happy.

Nightmare clown

O.K. I may have gone a little over this time. (Hee hee.) I needed this one scary and creepy, and I think it turned out pretty close. I'm not going to tell you the story this one goes with because it happens to be the punch line, and it would totally ruin the page turn if you already knew.

All I'm saying.

If clowns give you the creeps

I'm working on an illustration for a twisted little story for the book. (Wait, they're all twisted, aren't they. Sorry.) Here he is on my drawing desk.

The drawing on the left is the sketch I'm working from, and the one on the right is the final version in progress.