otisframpton.com

The Words & Pictures Podcast Episode 3

Episode 3: Writing Stuff is now online!

Go get it!

-Otis

The Wii Scream

The Words & Pictures Podcast Episode 2

Episode 2: The Holiday Show is now online!

Go get it!

-Otis

Independence Day

Awesome.

Happy 4th, guys and gals.  Thanks for your continued service.

-Otis

Vlog: Free Comic Book Day 2008

Free Comic Book Day 2008 from Otis Frampton on Vimeo.

Thank You, Family & Friends

During the last Holiday/Birthday season (Leigh and I were born less than a month apart from each other in December and January), we received a number of Amazon gift certificates with the intention of buying a new TV for our home theater system (which we had previously upgraded with an HD-DVD player and a Blu-Ray player).  Well, we have outr new TV and it's amazing:

After much consideration (which included research and many trips to Best Buy) we ended up purchasing a Samsung FPT5084 50" 1080p Plasma HDTV.  And we couldn't be happier with it. 

So a big, BIG "thank you" to all of the family members and friends who helped us omplete our home theater!

-Otis

Thank You, Chris

What a wonderful gift.  Leigh and I are so very grateful.

-Otis

Caveman Mode

Once again, I'm deep into what I like to call "Caveman Mode" . . . deep into work on multiple projects, all with deadlines looming and coming within weeks of each other.  When project saturation hits, I usually let my beard grow out and the barber shop is not a place I make time to visit.  The picture to your left is but as slight exaggeration.

Here is what I have going on . . .

Work on Oddly Normal: Fignation Times continues.  Inking Jess's pencils are taking longer than I'd thought, so the process of completing pages is slower than it was on the second book.  And with Leigh starting a new full time job this month (congratulations, Leigh!), I'm not sure how much I'll be able to depend on her for help with color flats.  It might be time to find some eager intern to work on color flats in Photoshop.  If anyone out there is interested in that kind of position, shoot me an e-mail.  If not for this book, then the next one for sure.

Based on our current schedule, I'm hoping to have a 20 page preview of the third Oddly Normal book available sometime in February, so stay tuned!

I've also started coloring pages for Zeek!, and I plan to post the first chapter online when I have it completed.  I'm not sure when the book will be done (I'm hoping for a 2009 release, but that may be wishful thinking since it's my "free time" project), but I'm loving what I've done on the book so far and can't wait to show it off.  I've decided to do the book a little differently than other projects.  Except for the penciling, all of the work is being done entirely in Photoshop.  In other words, I'm inking the characters with the bezier tools and doing fully painted backgrounds (much like I did with Oddly 2).  A lot of people are probably wondering why I'm not inking in Illustrator.  Well, because I don't like Illustrator.  I prefer doing it all in Photoshop.  It's just a preference.  And using the bezier tools in Photoshbop has been so successful that I may start inking all of my personal pieces this way from now on.  It gives the work a crisp, clean, professional look that I like.  Hopefully, readers will like it, too.

Here are a couple of preview panels from the book (each from a different page, this is not part of a sequence):

The other thing that will set this book apart from my other projects is that I have intentionally chosen a very specific and limited color palette in which to work.  I did it as a challenge to myself, but it's making the finished project look very nice, I think.  Time will tell.

I'm also deep into the writing of a new original graphic novel called Spellbinder.  Yes, I know there was a comic called Spellbinders, but I don't care.  And neither does my publisher.  So there.  This is a story I've had sitting in the narrative hopper since I was in my early 20s, so I'm thrilled to finally be able to get around to turning it into a reality.  It's a western with fantasy elements, so it should be a little grittier than what I've done in the past.

As if that weren't enough . . . I'll be starting work on the Indiana Jones Heritage sketch cards sometime this month, in January I start writing an original graphic novel for the amazingly talented Nicc Balce and sometime soon I may be writing a new project for Viper Comics that I can't talk about yet, but if it happens it will be a big stepping stone in my career (trust me, I'll share more when I can).  Oh, I almost forgot . . . Leigh and I are moving to a new apartment later this month.  It wouldn't be a Christmas without a major move, right?

So if you don't hear from me much over the next few month, please know that it is simply that I am busy working on many, many projects.  In fact, I'd wager that I am entering the busiest working period of my life.

Okay, enough chatter.  Back to the grindstone, Cave Man.

-Otis

Valentine

-Otis

(Belated) Happy Christmas & New Year!

Howdy!  Long time, no blog.

Boy was December a crazy month for me.  It made me long for the simpler times when there was just my birthday and Christmas to contend with during the last month of the year.

Over the last month I've traveled to Japan, been married (in Japan, no less!) and moved to a new home in a new town.  I don't usually talk about my private life here at my website/blog.  It can be counter-productive and dangerous to put your private life out there for all to see and I've avoided it with an eye on keeping things strictly professional here.  But I've decided to open up a bit about these events and share them with you . . . some things are just too important not to talk about.

So with that in mind, I'd like to invite people to visit Otis & Leigh's Pad, the personal blog of me and my new bride (on which she is the primary author, so maybe it's time to change the title).  At this blog you can read about our trip to Japan and our adventures there.  There are many photos and videos and there is more to come, so head on over and check it out!

Here's a picture of Leigh and I after a 3 hour drive to Dulles, a 14 hour flight to Japan, an hour drive from Narita to Tokyo and a hearty meal of ramen and biru:

After getting back fro Japan, Leigh and I had to immediately shift into "move mode", pack up our things and relocate to a new town and apartment.  All of this during Christmas:

This is why I haven't posted here in a while.  It took me a while to get settled in and catch up on work.  I'm still behind, but things are basically back on track and I'm feeling at home here at the new pad.

That being said, I'll be re-opening commissions soon now that I'm finally catching up on the old ones.  Many thanks to those people who ordered commissions in early December, knowing full well that I wouldn't get to them until after Christmas.  Consider the money you spent as a great wedding gift to Leigh and I, as it was used during out trip to Japan.

I'll also be adding a new type of commission to my store:  Digital Commissions.  I've done a few of these in the past and would like to do more in the future if I can.  I enjoy doing marker work, but you'll get a more polished piece with these Digital Commissions.  Basically, a Digital Commission is just like a regular commission, except that I color the original drawing in Photoshop instead of with markers.  I would then send you the original drawing, a high-quality print of the final color image and a digital PDF file of your order so you can print out a new version anytime in the future!

As for what's going on in the world of Oddly Normal . . . work is proceeding on Book 2, and I think it's looking great.  Sergio continues to produce wonderful pages and I'm having a blast coloring them.  I wish I had more to show from the book, but it's too soon.  The deadline is approaching fast, so it's crunch time for me and Sergio.  The book has a planned May 2007 release date, so it won't be long before you'll have a new Oddly Normal book in your hands!

Hopefully, this year will be just as great or better than last year for me, my new family and my work.  Here's hoping the same for you and yours.

-Otis