The "Hard Ei8ht" Graphic Novel Production Blog Archive

Closure.

2011-08-29T00:37:00.000-07:00

With the production of the first two Hard 8 books now a distant memory, and only one post since the Bush administration, it's safe to say updates on this blog have, for the time being, come to an end. Its intended purpose served, it will live on as an archive of awesome times.

A few points of interest:

• Hard Ei8ht Volume 1 is sold out, but is available in digital format from Graphic.ly.
• Hard Ei8ht Volume 2 is, at the moment, still available. 163 pages for $10! Links in the sidebar.
• The Art Of Hard Ei8ht is still available. Get it by itself for $5, or get it bundled with Volume 2 for $15. Links in the sidebar.
• The artists involved in Hard 8 also have lots of other cool stuff going on. Check out the sidebar for links to everyone's sites.
• Most importantly, we're not done. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates on what's next for Hard 8.

Thanks for your support!

Art of Hard Ei8ht debuting at the San Diego Comic Con booth 1034!!

2009-06-17T17:18:00.000-07:00

I just sent the files off to the printer last monday and the finished "Art of Hard Ei8ht" booklets should be arriving just in time for the San Diego comic con!!

The book is going to be 44 pages (that's a Hard 8 for those of you not paying attention) of full color eye candy! Featuring sketches, never before seen pin ups, exclusive artwork, and some brand new stories for your reading enjoyment! So come on over to booth 1034 and pick one up for yourself and some for your many friends! Don't forget to pick up a copy of Hard Ei8ht vol. 2 if you don't already have it, t-shirts and amazing prints from some of the Hard Ei8ht artists! We don't even mind doing sketches for those who ask! See you in San Diego!!

Also, don't forget to stop by our Hard Ei8ht poker nite and book signing at the Comic Bug in Manhattan Beach! Food! Comics! Fun! and Prizes! June 24th, 7pm!

Hard 8 Vol. 1 Sold Out.

2008-09-16T19:37:00.001-07:00

Just got word from Erich that we just sold our last copies of Hard 8 Vol. 1, which means the book is officially sold out. If you picked it up, thank you, and if you didn't, sorry. But we've still got some Vol. 2's left, so if you've got 15 bucks burning a hole in your pocket, give it a try.

Hard 8 Vol. 2 Photos

2008-08-02T22:47:00.000-07:00

Hard 8 Vol. 2 debuted at Comic-Con last week, and it was a great show. If you haven't yet purchased your copy, here are a few photos to sway you. Also, check out the beautiful special edition hardcover version (dubbed the "Harder Than Hard Edition"). There were only 20 of these made, and about half of them are gone. If you're thinking about picking one up, do it before it's too late.

Hard 8 Vol. 2 Special Edition

2008-07-21T16:29:00.000-07:00

Into Comic-Con Exclusives? We'll have a very limited SDCC exclusive version of Hard 8 Vol. 2 available at Comic-Con. The "Harder Than Hard" Edition is a deluxe hard-cover book wrapped in a beautiful dust jacket that feature photos from past Hard 8 events. The book is hand-stitched, features a special foil stamp, and is limited to 20 copies. Swing by booth 1034 this weekend and check it out.

Preview Some Pages And Order Now for Comic-Con Pick-Up

2008-06-26T15:06:00.000-07:00

Going to Comic-Con? We've added a special Comic-Con Pre-Order button to the right... Pre-Order Hard 8 Volume 2 now, then swing by Booth 1034 anytime during the show and we'll have your copy waiting for you! Pre-ordered books will include signatures and sketches by the Hard 8 crew. Lots of other Hard 8 story contributors and pin-up artists will be available to sign at their booths as well, including Mattesi, Mike Daley, Scott Morse, Matt Spangler (of The Those Guys), and Joshua Pruett (also of The Those Guys). If you can't make it to the show, don't worry, we've got a special Pre-Order button for you, too. Head to the sidebar to place your order, and we'll start shipping in July. Also, we have a very limited supply of Volume 1 left, so if you're gonna get it, get it now. In the meantime, check out a sampling of pages from the new book. Enjoy!

Mike Daley and Mike Mattesi

Matt Roberts

Erich Haeger

Joshua "Lord Prosh" Pruett

Matt Spangler

Greg Rankin

Eric "The Gute" Gonzalez

Joe Burnside Graziani

Alex "Big Toon" Deligiannis

Flyers

2008-06-25T10:50:00.000-07:00

I just got word from The Gute that our flyers just came in! Keep an eye out for these puppies at your local comic shop!

Fit For Print

2008-06-10T23:38:00.000-07:00

164. That's the page count of this here mock-up, and it signals the long-awaited end of production for Hard 8 Vol. 2! It's been a long trek to get here, but the final product was definitely worth the wait. Joining the ranks of Hard 8 contributors this time around are some extremely talented folks, including the likes of Mike Mattesi (author of Force), Mike Daley, Scott Morse, and Matt Spangler (of The Those Guys), among others. The book is being printed even as I type this, and will make its debut at the Hard 8 booth (1034) at Comic-Con (next month)!

Nickelodeon Gallery Pics!

2008-01-16T09:21:00.000-08:00

The "Art Of Hard 8" gallery show was a great affair, and we all had a great time! Thank you to everyone who came out, and of course to Nickelodeon for putting on the event. If you weren't able to make it, I've got some photos from the show up on my website (click here), and Erich has some great ones on his blog as well (click here).

"The Art Of Hard 8" Gallery Show!

2008-01-05T22:35:00.000-08:00

Hey, fella! Do you like artwork? Do you crave Orange Chicken made fresh by the aging hands of an actual chinese man? If so, you're in luck! "The Art of Hard 8" gallery show opens next Friday (January 11th) in the Nickelodeon Animation Studios Art Gallery, right in the heart of beautiful, downtown Burbank. The show goes from 5 pm to 7pm, so if you're in the area, come thru and hang with the entire Hard 8 gang, check out some art, and feast on the best Chinese food in town.

Post ComicCon Madness!!!

2007-08-02T13:40:00.001-07:00

With the 2007 convention season over, it's time to move the few remaining items we have left. We did well this year, but we need to make room for all the cool Hard Ei8ht volume 2 stuff coming in 2008! So to help move our last box of Hard Ei8ht volume 1 and our few remaining t-shirts, we are now offering them through paypal with FREE shipping! It looks like there's shipping on the first Paypal page, but when you proceed to checkout, it isn't added into your final total. But that's not all, from now until August 8th we're also selling Hard Ei8ht vol. 1 at a discounted price of only $15!! That's $4.95 off the cover price! There's no better way to prepare for volume 2 than by picking up volume 1!

Preview a couple pages at our Flickr page
or just
Buy it here!

For our shirts, we offer a men's shirt design and a ladies shirt design. Both are silkscreened on high quality 100% cotton black shirts, the only difference are the men's shirts are a standard t-shirt cut and the ladies T's are cut for ladies. They are both double silkscreened for durability and to be long lasting.

For the guys:

For the Ladies:

coming soon- Prints!

San Diego Comicon 2007!

2007-07-23T14:06:00.000-07:00

Howdy Everyone!
The whole Hard Eight gang is going to be at the San Diego Comicon, July 25 - 29!
We'll be at booth 1034, right next to where we were last year. We have a bunch of new stuff to show everyone, including prints, sketchbooks, those ever popular poker chips, and brand new Hard Eight movie posters!! All gearing up for the exciting, upcoming release of Hard Eight Volume 2 !!!
So come on by, we'd love to see ya!

Some Chia Samples

2007-05-14T00:04:00.000-07:00

Here's a lil samplin of what my panels are gonna sorta look like for my Hard Ei8ht vol. 2 story.

And here's a lil "behind the scenes" stuff too.

Hard Ei8ht and Free Comics!!!

2007-05-03T00:33:00.000-07:00

If you missed us last week, now you have another chance! This Saturday at Metropolis Comics in Bellflower! and don't forget that it's also free comic book day! Please help spread the word!

Hard Ei8ht Signing this Wednesday, April 25th!!

2007-04-24T04:35:00.000-07:00

We will be signing copies of Hard Ei8ht vol. 1 this Wednesday (April 25th) at the Comic Bug in Manhattan Beach!! We will also bring along our famous poker chips and other fun stuff.
The Comic Bug will also be having a big fire sale in preparation for their move to a temporary location while their building is renovated. So now's your chance to pick up some great comics cheap!

Vol. 2 Teaser Poster

2007-02-28T14:11:00.000-08:00

Update: Don't forget to visit us this weekend at Wizard World LA!!
Convention Hours:
Friday: 12pm -7pm
Saturday: 10am - 6pm
Sunday: 11am - 5pm

Booth 1305 A & B

Hard 8 Vol. 2 pin-up artist Julien Alday is not the first Frenchie to bless the Hard 8 project with his talents, but that doesn't make his contribution any less impressive (and after seeing how kind and generous every single one of our artist-brethren from the land of the "fritte" have been, I'm beginning to think that maybe the Frenchies have been getting a bad rap). Julien hooked up a piece so gorgeous that we decided to use it as the teaser poster for our upcoming appearances at Wonder-Con (this weekend) and Wizard World Los Angeles (in a couple of weeks). We'll be at Booth AA-76 this weekend, so swing by and say hello!

A huge thanks to Julien for his generosity (and remember, you can see his entire image, in all its un-obscured glory, in July's Hard Ei8ht Volume 2)!

A random Rankin panel

2007-02-27T15:34:00.000-08:00

Hey, all! I'm in the process of coloring "Hard Luck" and I thought I'd post a random panel.

(And never mind that font, it'll be changed to something more exciting as I finish!)

A CauCHAIRnary Tale: Final Busts

2006-12-22T17:20:00.000-08:00

"Fear denies a good father from being one." --Andrew Stanton

A CauCHAIRnary Tale: Solitaire Concepts

2006-12-20T03:40:00.000-08:00

"It is generally the trustful and optimistic people who can afford to retreat. The loveless and faithless ones are compelled by their pessimism to attack." --T.H. White

A CauCHAIRnary Tale: The Prestigitador Concepts

2006-12-14T23:10:00.000-08:00

"The destiny of man is to unite, not to divide. If you keep on dividing you end up as a collection of monkeys throwing nuts at each other out of separate trees." --T.H. White

A CauCHAIRnary Tale: Glitter Gulch Concepts

2006-12-12T00:19:00.000-08:00

"Never think it to be unbelievable. Never think that." --Mike Kunkel

A CauCHAIRnary Tale: Texas Holdem Concepts

2006-12-02T13:44:00.000-08:00

"A kiss may not be the truth, but it is what we wish were true." --Steve Martin

A CauCHAIRnary Tale: Adolph Presley Concepts

2006-12-02T13:40:00.000-08:00

"I'm a man who can cry. Now it's true it's usually when I've hurt myself but it's a start."
--Steve Martin

A CauCHAIRnary Tale: Lady Luck Concepts

2006-12-02T13:35:00.000-08:00

"Ordinarily I don't like to be around interesting people because it means I have to be interesting, too." --Steve Martin

Gallery Nucleus

2006-11-21T00:20:00.000-08:00

Hard Ei8ht vol. 1 is now available at Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra! So while you're there checking out the amazing 3 Flowers & 3 Trees exhibit (and I highly suggest you do), make sure to pick up a copy of Hard Ei8ht.
Here's a little more info about Gallery Nucleus from their website:

Nucleus is a gathering place for the art loving community. It 's a place that wishes to spark innovation and awareness of the current artistic culture and movement. Our manifesto is to inspire new ideas, gain exposure, create relationships and obtain interesting products. The purpose of our conception is to support and promote upcoming artists to have an obvious dedication and quality to their craft. Through our gallery space, retail space, and products, we act as a platform to help people to excel in their goals as an artist and expose them to the general public and art collectors alike. Nucleus carries a variety of art books, zines, underground comics, collectables, and a healthy selection of artist designed products. Located in Alhambra California, we cater to a much wider and general demographic of people, thus not limiting ourselves to just collectors or art districts but truly appealing to the general public.Come visit the store in person, or click here to purchase products through the Nucleus online store.

Location
30 West Main Street
Alhambra, CA 91801
Driving Directions

Store Hours
Mon - Thurs 12pm to 9pm
Fri - Sun 11am to 10pm

Contact Info
Phone 626-458-7482
Fax 626-458-7486
Email info@gallerynucleus.com

Also, please note that Golden Apple comics has moved. Go check out their brand spankin new store which is located right near Gallery 1988 and only about 3/4 of a mile from their old location.

Golden Apple Comics
7018 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038

Hard Ei8ht vol. 1 is also available at the fallowing locations:

House of Secrets
1930 W. Olive Avenue
Burbank, California 91506
(818) 562-1900

House of Heroes

18214 Prairie Ave 90504
Torrance, CA

(310) 516-7800

Meltdown Comics and Collectibles
7522 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 851-7283
meltcomics.com

ComicKaze
55178 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117
(858) 278-0371
www.comickaze.com

And of course Hard 8 is available for online order 24/7 right here! Just click on the "Add to Cart" button to the right!

More Frenchies!!

2006-11-14T20:08:00.000-08:00

Most people who know me know that I'm virtually on the nuts of anything related in any way to French comic book artists, which is why I'm again making a french-related post and sharing with you the news that Erich shared with me (which was in turn shared to him by Hard 8 Vol. 2 contributor, and french illustrator, David Barkmann). David sent a quick message to let us know that artists Gomes, Komorowski, and Tiburce Oger (a "real star in France") have all signed on to contribute artwork to Hard 8 Vol. 2! Add that to writer Phil' Chanoinat, and that's more Frenchies in one stupendous volume of Hard 8 than Hard 8 himself could could count on one stubby hand! Let's celebrate with some crepes!

A CauCHAIRnary Tale: Snake Eyes Concepts

2006-11-10T02:50:00.000-08:00

Hey look! Explorations for my first henchman--Snake Eyes (a man with dice for eyes! Oooh, scary!)

"If there's only one nation in the sky, shouldn't all passports be valid for it?" --Yann Martel

More CauCHAIRnary Concepts!

2006-10-22T23:44:00.000-07:00

Here's the rest of my Chairman(s)!

"There is no condition one adjusts to so quickly as a state of war." --Alice Sebold

A CauCHAIRnary Tale Concept Art

2006-10-22T23:36:00.000-07:00

Heyall chil'len! It's your loving uncle Osgood here to share his first passes for the main character of his Volume 2 story--The Chairman (aka Ol' Blue Eyes!) Enjoy!

"Those who feel themselves despised do well to look despising." --Aldous Huxley

Hard 8 Contributing Artist Sketchbooks now at Stuart Ng!

2006-10-09T00:05:00.000-07:00

In case you missed em at the San Diego Comic Con, you can now find individual sketchbooks from some Hard 8 contributing artists at Stuart NG books!

Here's what to look for:

Anatomy of an 8 Page Story by Alex Deligiannis
From Alex's blog, "The sketchbook I sold at Comic-Con, Anatomy Of An 8 Page Story, is up at Stuart NG. It's full of all my roughs, concepts and designs from Hard 8 Vol. 1 (virtually every drawing I did for that story), and it had a print run of only 50 (the majority of which sold at Con). I had a bit of a hard time finding the sketchbooks on Stuart's site, so if you're interested, the direct link is here (my book is about halfway down the page)."

Speed Lines 2 by Brian Growe
2006. 1st. 5.5x8.5, 24pp, b&w, wraps. S&N to 150 copies. “A collection of quicksketches” Some nice Betty & Veronica-style drawings. [21197] $5

The Art of Erich Haeger vol. 1.5 by me
2005 and 2006. 1st. 8vo, color, wraps. Signed. VF. A color portfolio by this young artist-cartoonist (Hard Eight). [21565] $5

Also look for books from contributing Hard 8 vol. 1 pin up artists David Colman, Richard Pose, Justin Ridge, Mike Roush, and Stephen Silver!

Don't forget to stop by Garrett Shikuma's blog and ask him where to find copies of his awesome book Dead Ink

Eric "The Gute" Gonzalez's blog and inquire about his internationally acclaimed prints that were the hit of Comic Con
and
stop by Eren Blanquet-Unten's Cafe Press store for gifts for the whole family!

Hard 8 video teasers

2006-09-29T03:41:00.000-07:00

The super talented Ben Pluimer recently uploaded the Hard 8 video teasers he put together for us on to youtube. Thanks Ben and also thanks to Jason Makiaris, Chris Tallman and Derek Wallace who were kind enough to lend their amazing voice talents to the videos!

This first clip is a teaser of the Hard 8 vol. 1 story by the dynamic Deligiannis duo, Alex and Eman!

This next clip is a videoization of my own Hard 8 story from Vol. 1.

This last teaser is one I edited together hours before the San Diego Comic Con. I just wish my amateurish after effects skills were better so I could've better shown off the Hard 8 story by the talented and down right cuddly Matt Roberts and Eren Blanquet-Unten.

I would also like to thank David Hartman who provided voice work for Garrett Shikuma's Hard 8 vol. 1 story but the video is still a work in progress.

Hard Ei8ht Signing!!!

2006-09-15T15:57:00.000-07:00

We will be signing copies of Hard 8 on September 20th, from 3pm-7pm at the House of Heroes in Torrance. In addition to Hard 8 the book, we'll also bring some poker chips and decks of cards with us as well. So if you missed out at comic con, now's your second chance!
We hope to see you there, but if you absolutely can not make it, we will make sure to leave plenty of copies at House of Heroes so pop in and pick one up!

Hard Ei8ht vol. 1 is also available at the fallowing locations:

House of Secrets
1930 W. Olive Avenue
Burbank, California 91506
(818) 562-1900

House of Heroes

18214 Prairie Ave 90504
Torrance, CA

(310) 516-7800

Meltdown Comics and Collectibles
7522 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 851-7283
meltcomics.com

Golden Apple Comics
7711 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 658-6047
(323) 651-0455
goldenapplecomics.com

ComicKaze
55178 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117
(858) 278-0371
www.comickaze.com

And of course Hard 8 is available for online order 24/7 right here! Just click on the "Add to Cart" button to the right!

"A 200% French Affair!"

2006-08-26T19:34:00.000-07:00

That's what french illustrator David Barkmann called it when he announced his contribution for the upcoming Hard 8 Vol. 2.
For those that don't know, David contributed a gorgeous pin-up to Hard 8 Vol. 1, and has been a huge supporter of Hard 8 from the first moment he learned about it. But more than that, he's an incredibly talented artist and a super, super nice guy (you can see some samples of his work below, and make sure to check out his blog at www.davidbarkmann.blogspot.com). So of course we would have been more than thrilled to have him return as a pin-up artist for the upcoming Vol. 2... but imagine our excitement when David announced that this time around, he would contribute a full story! And it doesn't end there... David will be illustrating a story written by his friend, writer Phil' Chanoinat (who David referrs to as "a french specialist in gangsters stories"). The whole Hard 8 gang extends a warm welcome to both David and Phil', and we can't wait to see what they come up with. Welcome aboard, gentlemen!

Buy it now!

2006-08-02T01:10:00.000-07:00

Missed Comic-Con, did you? Or, maybe you made it to the show, but you couldn't get past the hordes of Hard 8 fans to score your copy? Or, perhaps you're just plain too lazy to head on over to House Of Secrets or House Of Heroes to pick up your copy? And so now, there you sit, a pathetic, sad, depressed, and defunct shell of a human being, right? Well slump no more, friend, for today is your day! Hard 8 Vol. 1 is now available for purchase right here at this very blog, from the comfort of your own couch! Just click the "Buy Now" button on the right, and in mere days, you too will have your own copy of the 8. Rejoice and enjoy!

Hard Ei8ht is in the "House"!

2006-07-30T18:50:00.000-07:00

If you missed out at the San Diego Comic Con, you now have a second chance! Hard Ei8ht is now available for purchase at two southern California locations, House of Secrets in Burbank and House of Heroes in Torrance!

House of Secrets is located at:
1930 W. Olive Avenue
Burbank, California 91506
(818) 562-1900

and

House of Heroes is located at:

18214 Prairie Ave 90504
Torrance, CA

(310) 516-7800

Contact Us!

2006-07-25T12:38:00.000-07:00

Missed the Con and want to find out where you can pick up a copy of Hard Ei8ht? Send us an email!
If you have any questions or need to contact us, you can reach us at hard8comic (insert "at sign" here) gmail (insert "dot" here) com!

Friday Con Report: If HE can buy one...

2006-07-21T16:28:00.000-07:00

I'm blasting a quick Con update your way directly from our booth. That's "Booth 1032" to you, or "The Hard 8 Booth" if you're nasty. Seems a one "Matt Groening" found his way over and happily purchased a copy. I've never heard of the guy myself, but I'm told he's kind of a big deal. So if HE can buy one, you can too. Booth 1032, kiddies.

It's HERE! And you can get it at...

2006-07-15T16:21:00.000-07:00

...BOOTH 1032! San Diego Comic-Con!

Art and stories by a host of your blogger regulars, including Matt Roberts, Eric Gonzalez, Erich Haeger, Eren Blanquet, and more! Plus pin-ups by the likes of Stephen Silver, Eric Robles, David Barkmann, Justin Ridge, David Colman, Joel Carroll, and Mike Roush, among others!

And in addition, we'll have Hard 8 poker chips and playing cards, prints, sketchbooks, and all that other good stuff.

BOOTH 1032! See you there!

No, its in the cards.

2006-07-12T20:21:00.000-07:00

Look for these badboys at the San Diego Comic-Con next week.

In the Chips!!

2006-07-11T00:51:00.000-07:00

Keep an eye out for these bad boys floating around the San Diego Comic Con and don't forget to stop by our booth 1032!

Proof Positive!

2006-06-28T23:03:00.000-07:00

Well, if things have been a lil quiet around the ol' 8 blog, it's because we've been in a bit of a scramble the past few weeks. Our original printer decided to fleece us and we needed to find somebody that could print our books in time for con and still at a reasonable price. Thankfully our good friend Gurjit stepped up and has been running the printers at his work overtime so we can have our books ready for Con!

If you see this guy, give him a big hug.

Thanks G!!!!!

Proof!

2006-06-06T13:03:00.000-07:00

I woke up to a phone call from our printer early this morning; our proofs were ready! I'm looking over the final pages now, but thought I'd take a quick minute to share a few pics. We should have final books back in a couple of weeks, just in time for 'Con!

The Cover!!

2006-06-03T11:58:00.000-07:00

Here it is folks, the Hard 8 FRONT COVER!
The cover was a real undertaking, with lots of great collaboration amongst the group. We should be seeing the book in its final printed form very soon and the group is buzzing with energy!

Done!

2006-05-27T00:43:00.000-07:00

So, all the lines have been drawn, all the colors have been tweaked, and every last page has been completed! It's been a verrrrrry long couple of months, but this thing came together pretty nicely! I know we're all looking forward to a few nights of good sleep before the bug bites again. But then again, now we've got to get the word out. So, updates...

Garrett hooked up a great cover for the book, and I'll leave it to him to post it up if he wants to. But it looks beautiful; very simple and to the point, yet eyecatching at the same time. In the end, we received pin-ups from a host of super-talented folks, some that you've seen here and many that you haven't. Also, we've got a full section of roughs and sketches sure to please everyone's "inner animator."

I think we'll be posting more work here soon; we're going to be getting other stuff together to promote the book, so I'm sure some nice art will turn up from that. In the meantime, I'm glad to be done and I am ready for some much needed rest, so I'm off to catch 8 x 8 / (1/8 x 8/1) + (1/8 x 8/1) + 8 winks ! Until next time...

A sneak peak...

2006-05-19T00:07:00.000-07:00

Browe's story...

David Colman Pin Up!

2006-05-11T12:32:00.000-07:00

Thank you very much David for contributing this awesome piece to our Hard 8 comic pin up section! This is just a sample preview of course. For more of David's work check out www.davidsdoodles.com or www.davidcolman.blogspot.com

Chia's Page Sample

2006-05-10T00:20:00.000-07:00

Since there hasn't been an update in about a week, I thought I'd throw one of my pages in progress up on the blog.

DAMON GENTRY PINUP!

2006-05-03T20:57:00.000-07:00

Mr. Damon Gentry of Florida was awesome enough to contribute this super cool Hard 8 pin up for us! Damon is a modern day renaissance man and is not only talented in art but is also a very talented musician, writer, actor, alchemist, director and honorary Planeteer. Damon also used to have a moustache.
You can find even more of Damon's amazing artwork, music and whatever else interests him at his website. And make sure to check out the full color version of Damon's pin up in July!

Thanks Damon!!

Rankinstein page 1

2006-05-01T11:34:00.000-07:00

Here it is, sans monologue and title.

Chattin' with the king...

2006-04-30T19:38:00.000-07:00

Here's a double-pager I finished earlier today. I'm finishing up one more page whilst blogging this message, which'll bring my pencilling to a wrap (save for the few panels I'm going to go back and re-tweak). After that, its back to colors! Whoo-hoo, the home stretch!

Color Goodness....

2006-04-28T04:23:00.000-07:00

Here are a few color samples from my Hard 8 story. Right now, as you can guess, Im in the midst of coloring. All my pages are hand inked, scanned into the computer, then colored in Photoshop. A very long process, but definitely and enjoyable one!

What a great morning!

2006-04-27T11:24:00.000-07:00

Sooo...If things keep going this way, the pin-up section of Hard 8 is going to be better than the book itself. I had talked to Stephen Silver briefly about Hard 8 last week, and yesterday evening I gave him some reference material for a possible Hard 8 pin-up. Stephen's quite the busy guy, so I didn't expect anything (but secretly, I was really hoping he'd find the time to do a lil' something). "You've got a few weeks before the deadline," I told him, "but no pressure." So this morning I'm sitting in my cube, finally awake after my second cup of coffee, and he pops in, cheerful as ever... "Hey, man. Here ya go!" He hands me a gorgeous original color drawing of Hard 8, and needless to say, I was ecstatic. Here's a sneak peek (you can see the whole thing in the Hard 8 comic, after I clean my drool off of it).

A HUGE HUGE HUGE thanks to Stephen for being a part of the Hard 8 project!

Weeelllllllllllllllll???!!!!!!

2006-04-24T03:14:00.000-07:00

One more: wwwwwweeeeeeeeeeeeeeellllllllllllllllllllllllll??????????!!!!!!!

DAVID BARKMANN PINUP!

2006-04-22T19:32:00.000-07:00

Here's a beutiful Hard 8 pinup that David Barkmann was nice enough to make for us. David is a very talented comic book artist and writer and has already published several comics in France (under the name David Cerqueira). Some of his French titles include "L'Ombre de l'Echafaud" (Shadow of the Scaffold) published by Delcourt - "Wyrd" and "Les Morsures de l'Enfer" (Hell's Knights ) published by Panini Europe. David has also worked in the game industry and anime too ... (Belphégore, Providence, Iron Grip, etc ...). Currently David is working on several American titles including "SchlashtHaus" with writer Dwight MacPherson, on "Bridgetown" with Iain Gibson, "Hope" with John Bamber and with Ricardo Porven on "3DDD", so look for these on your comic shop shelves soon! You can also find some of his work featured in Heavy Metal magazine. David's interest in American comics started with MamTor comics and he recommends that everybody go to their local comic book store and put in a request for the latest issue of Event Horizon.
You can also find more of David's amazing artwork here and at his brand new art blog!
And make sure to look for the full color version of this pinup when the Hard 8 book premieres at the San Diego Comic Con in July!

Thank you David!!

A Rankinstein panel

2006-04-22T01:22:00.000-07:00

Taken from page 2 of the comic, this is Hard 8 with a post-apocalyptic twist.

More Hard 8 from Big Toon...

2006-04-21T12:56:00.000-07:00

I'm fighting against deadlines something fierce right now (in addition to getting my Hard 8 pages, I've got to have the cover for the new Kurupt/DPG album done by monday). I want to get nervous, but there's no time for that, so I'm just gonna keep it movin'! Here's a few more Hard 8 sketches from my story.

Another sample

2006-04-12T12:08:00.000-07:00

A Page in Progress

2006-04-12T01:02:00.000-07:00

ugh.

Doing It Right The Second Time (or, How Not To Work).

2006-04-11T00:26:00.000-07:00

I posted some art earlier today, and immediately afterwards I started to second-guess myself. I knew that I didn't feel good about parts of it. The main thing bugging me was the Elvis character; I've always been a fan of supporting characters because usually they don't get as much screen time as the star, so they've got to shine that much more. But looking at that elvis, he was just... boring. The character's supposed to be a fat, lazy lop, but he was looking like a regular joe wearing an elvis costume. I was tempted to just forget it and leave well enough alone, but it was driving me crazy (I'm OCD and when something bugs me I can't get past it without doing something about it). Sometimes I regret second-guessing myself; this time not so much.

Another page!

2006-04-10T23:18:00.000-07:00

I love doing action stuff. Here's a more refined page including the inital pencil roughs.

More from Alex and Eman's "A Dog's Life"

2006-04-09T23:20:00.000-07:00

A few panels from our story...I've been jumping between pencilling and coloring, mostly so I can keep myself going and not lose interest. The printing deadline is approaching fast, and I'm getting close to burnout but its still too early in the game. Working full-time in Burbank and then commuting home to Anaheim takes a lot out of me, and I still try to put in 4 or 5 hours before bed, only to be up at 6 the next morning to do it again. By Thursday and Friday it's realllly a struggle to come home and draw. But them's the rules of this game, so that's how it's got to be. Man, it used to be that I could pull all-nighters with ease... I'm getting old.

A more finished panel

2006-04-07T20:22:00.000-07:00

Page 1 (still wip)

2006-04-06T09:42:00.000-07:00

Here's the first pae of my story "The Hit".

I'll be adding more effects and dialogue later.

Drawings from Hard 8 "A Dog's Life"

2006-04-05T00:33:00.000-07:00

Here's a couple of sketches and character designs from my pages. I'm trying to get a little more simple with my designs for this story than I normally do; hopefully the final product will show that I'm still putting in a lot of work. My brother's witten a cool story and I want to do it justice!

Sample teaser

2006-04-04T21:11:00.000-07:00

No, that is not the real dialogue.

So what is this all about...?

2006-04-04T10:57:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!
Hard 8 is an exciting new graphic novel anthology which
revolves around the adventures of a central
character named... Hard 8. Here on the blog, we will
be chronicling the production of our graphic novel
over the next few months.

This collection will be comprised of 8 different
stories each told in 8 pages, showcasing the artistic
tallents of:

Eren Blanquet
William Buckley
Alex Deligiannias
Emmanuel Deligiannias
Eric Gonzalez
Brian Growe
Erich Haeger
Greg Rankin
Matt Roberts
Garrett Shikuma
Mike Williams

Although each tale revolves around the same central
character, each artist has their own creative
interpretation and adventure for Hard 8.

One Character
Eight Artisitc Visions

We hope you enjoy the artwork here and please check
back often. As we get closer and closer to the San Diego
comicon, we'll be sure and keep you updated!

My Demo 8

2006-03-29T03:17:00.000-08:00

Here's a quick Hard 8 I made for my illustrator/ photoshop tutorial. This was just a demo piece and not my exact finished design.

Anne Walker Pinup!

2006-03-28T17:27:00.000-08:00

Here's a Hard 8 pinup that the amazing and talented Anne Walker was nice enough to make for us.
You can see more of Anne's work over at her blog and make sure to leave her a nice message!

Thanks Anne!!

El Apache y El Gallo

2006-03-27T11:45:00.000-08:00

El Musico

2006-03-23T16:40:00.000-08:00

Brian's Eight Sketches

2006-03-22T23:25:00.000-08:00

El Soldado, El Borracho, El Alacran y El Nopal.

2006-03-22T18:25:00.000-08:00

El Arbol, La Muerte y La Calavera

2006-03-16T14:58:00.000-08:00

El Negrito by The Gute

2006-03-13T22:03:00.000-08:00

The Gute's Hard 8 Background Designs

2006-03-08T09:45:00.000-08:00

These are just the bare-bones backgrounds, they still need a lot of stuff like people, cars and signs.

The Gute's Hard 8 Character Designs

2006-03-08T09:27:00.000-08:00

Here we have from top to bottom: Hard 8, El Mundo y La Rana, El Valiente, El Diablito y El Catrin.

Hard 8 Logos

2006-01-27T02:35:00.000-08:00

These first two were made by The Gute I believe and the last one is the logo i threw together.

Hard 8 Blog Up!

2006-01-26T17:46:00.000-08:00

Hard 8 is coming... stay tuned....