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Oddly Normal Production Journal

Work continues on Oddly Normal: Fignation Times.  Jess is knocking this book out of the park.  I wish I had more to say, but at this point it's just the daily grind of lettering and coloring.  But I hope to have a preview for everyone within the next couple of weeks, so hang in there. 

And now a couple of reviews.  One good, one not-so-good:

A blog called Vignettes wrote up a short review of Oddly Normal Vol 1:

"My first impression was wrong. It’s actually a quite intelligent and quaint novel, with a penchant for metaphysics and discourses into thought. An enjoyable quick read."

"A penchant for metaphysics and discourses into thought" . . . someone noticed!

And the Book Dweeb gives book 1 an uneven write-up.  Does she like it or not?  Can't be sure:

"This was a pretty cool graphic novel. It started as a web comic and later got published in print. Downsides: loose plot, repetitive images and some confusing scenes. Overall, I’m not sure if I liked it enough to check out the sequel, but not a bad effort."

Later!

-Otis

Oddly Normal Production Journal

Just a quick update on all things Oddly Normal . . .

Work continues on Oddly Normal: Fignation Times.  Slower than I'd hoped, but it continues.  It's my own fault, though.  Other projects and a bit of procrastination combined with a stumbling block in the script have slowed me down.  I only hope that Jess isn't too frustrated with me right now.  That being said, the book is gonna look fabulous.  It will be as different from book 2 as book 2 was from book 1, but I've already started to think of Jess's style as if it were always the way Oddly looked.  I love when that happens.

Speaking of Jess, check out this recent interview with her at Jazma Online!

Katie Cook (future Oddly Normal artist) also did an interview with Jazma.  She also did an interview with Comic Book Resources about her upcoming "Dark Horse Presents" short story.

In other news . . . Independent Propaganda recently reviewed Oddly Normal: Family Reunion and were very kind to me and Sergio!  Rambles.net also gave book 2 high praise!

The Kids Comic-Con is having their first awards presentation this year.  If you're an Oddly Normal fan, please feel free to download the nomination form, write in Oddly Normal: Family Reunion and send it in for the win!  Thanks!

There's a new color scheme at COLOURLovers called "Booger Bangs"!

And last but not least, I'll be receiving a new supply of Oddly Normal books from Viper Comics HQ very soon.  When I get them, I'll be offering them as free incentives for anyone who wins one of my personal sketch cards on eBay!

-Otis

Oddly Normal Production Journal

Just a quick update on a few Oddly-related items . . .

I've started inking Jess's pages.  Here we go again!  It's amazing how quickly I transitioned from a Book 2 mindet to a Book 3 mindset, but I'm not complaining at all.  One thing that's great about working with different artists on each book is that it refreshes my enthusiasm for the series.  I'm not sure I could maintain the same energy level if I were still doing everything myself.  Both Sergio and Jess have managed to recharge my Oddly batteries just when I needed them.  Here's hoping that feeling comes about with every new book.

I'll post some sample images of our work when I can.  Stay tuned.

Speaking of new Oddly Normal books, I thought I'd let everyone know that I have 10 books planned for the series.  I plan to return to the series as the illustrator for Book 10.  And if the recent sketchbook sketches I've done of Oddly are any indication, it will seem like a completely different artist is working on the last book.  It won't seem like the same "me".  I love that.  And if my style has changed that much in a few years, it will be interesting to see what happens when I return to the series as the primary illustrator sometime in 2014.

In Book 2 news . . . Sergio recently gave a very detailed interview to Silver Bullet Comics and there was some Oddly talk.  Check it out.  Oh, and Sergio created this very cool promo image for Oddly Normal: Family Reunion, so I wanted to show it off:

This is how I felt at the San Diego Comic-Con, by the way.  I was sitting directly under an air-conditioning vent and it was freezing.  Leigh had to buy me a sweater.  To wear in San Diego in July.  Bizarre.  I may have cursed myself, writing such a winter wonderland into the story.

And now for some recent reviews of the second book . . .

Jazma Online has some nice things to say about Oddly Normal: Family Reunion.  The Comic Fanatic is very kind to Book 2.  And GoodReads.com has some nice reviews of Book 1 and Book 2.   Thanks to the  good notices, folks!

And last but not least, I just wanted to point out that you can buy copies of both books at the Viper Comics Online Shop, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com and Buy.com.  So what are you waiting for?

Later!

-Otis

Oddly Normal Production Journal

Production on "Oddly Normal: Fignation Times" is in full swing!

After much head scratching about how best to color Jessica Hickman's linework, I decided to try inking her work myself.  These are some tests to see how my inks and colors would look over her pencils:

We like the results and are moving ahead with production on the book with this style as our guide!

Later.

-Otis

Oddly Normal Production Journal

On the DVD supplemental material for The Fellowship of the Ring, one of the crew members says (referring to opportunity to work with Peter Jackson):  "I already know what I know, but I don't know what he knows.  So I'm going to keep my eyes open and learn."

That's how I view my collaborations with other artists on the Oddly Normal series.  When I first announced that I would be working with new illustrators on each Oddly book, people (usually other artists) would react with surprise.  Surprise that I would "give up control".  And I must admit, I was a bit worried that I was making a mistake.  But now that I have a collaboration under my belt I see my work with these artists as a wonderful learning experience, and I'm very glad that I took that leap of faith.  You see, I already know what I know (and it turns out that I know more than I once thought I did about making comics), but I don't know what they know.  And I plan to learn everything I can from the experience of working with them.

And I learned a lot working with Sergio and coloring his line work.  The first thing I learned is that I'm not the complete control freak that I thought I was.  And thank heaven for it, too.  Right at the beginning, when I received the first page from Sergio, I was faced with my first opportunity to compromise my vision for the book.  You see, Sergio sent me the first page (the first panel really, since I still do the chapter illustrations myself) with the background fully colored.  He did this to show me how he would like the book to be colored, with fully painted backgrounds like animation (as opposed to backgrounds with line work, the way I did the first book).  I could have sent it back to him with a big "veto" attached and insisted that he keep the work consistent with the working methods I'd used on book 1.  But I decided to accept his style proposal as a challenge.  I was incredibly nervous to work in this manner, since I had no experience doing this type of color work.  But I saw that his style would work better in the long run, that is if I could rise to the challenge and produce the kind of backgrounds that he wanted.

So I set to learning how to work in that style.  I went to school, reviewing the work of artists who do that kind of background work, screening certain animated films to get a feel for what works and what doesn't work.  But I didn't have much time for study, so basically it was trial by fire for me, learning as I worked.  Making mistakes, correcting them, learning from them and pressing forward.  And in the end, I'm very grateful that Sergio felt comfortable enough to press me on this style issue so early in out collaboration, because I learned a new skill and the book looks much better in the end (at least I think it does).

Hopefully, my artistic education will continue on book three, Oddly Normal: Fignation Times.  And now that I've started to give Jessica Hickman script pages, the Oddly Normal Production Journal will focus on that book and our experiences birthing a new graphic novel in the series.  I can't believe that we're jumping right into book 3!  Sergio and I just finished the second book two weeks ago.  I feel like I just finished a marathon and now I'm already into the training phase for an even longer run.  Hey, it could be worse . . . I could not be a working graphic novelist.  Yeah, that would be bad.

Anyway . . .

I don't doubt that I will learn a lot collaborating with Jess on Book 3.  During our initial discussions about how to best approach the artistic side of the third book, we thought we would work in a traditional style, having Jess or someone else ink her pencil work for the project.  But it didn't quite work out.  Part of the problem was that when her work is inked, it loses some of the beauty and energy that makes her illustrations so wonderful.  So in the end, another leap of faith was required on my part, another compromise to make in order to allow my collaborator's talents to shine the brightest.  That compromise entailed allowing Jess to do fully shaded pencils and I would use these pencil drawings as the final pages.  No inks.

You can see our first real test of this style above.  The pencils on this sketch are a bit loose, but I just wanted to see if I could color something that Jess drew without having inks to rely upon.

And it's a compromise that I'm happy to make if Jess is more comfortable working on the book and the book will be better for it in the end.

But this is yet another challenge for me, because I'm still not sure how I'm going to color that style of shaded pencil drawing.  It will require another round of research on my part to find a color style that matches what my collaborator is bringing to the project.  Hopefully, it will be another puzzle that I can solve and another working method that I can adapt to in time to start working on the book.

I'll let you know in a year.

-Otis

Oddly Normal Production Journal

A few hours ago I finished coloring the last page of Oddly Normal: Family Reunion.

The monkey is off my back.

It's a whole new world.

-Otis

Oddly Normal Production Journal

I'd like to start this journal update by thanking everyone who wrote to me about Oddly Normal Volume 1 being named as one of the American Library Associations Top 10 Graphic Novels For Youth.  The outpouring of support has been great!

Next I'd like to announce that the official Viper Comics site for Oddly Normal: Family Reunion is up and running!  You can now read the first two chapters there and also find links to recent Oddly press.  Thanks to Jim Resnowski for all the hard work on getting the page up and ready for viewing.

Now on to more recognition for Oddly Normal Volume 1 . . .

The kind folks over at Needcoffee.com have nomination the book for a 2006 "Goldne Chazzie" in the category of "Best Graphic Novel/Collection!  Needcoffee.com has been very kind to Oddly, making 3 out of the 4 original comics their "Comic Book of the Week" in 2005.  Thanks for the nomination, guys!  I'll let you know when they announce the winners.

And finally, some new reviews!  Four reviewers at Indy Comic Review gave the book 4 out of 5 stars.  Thanks, guys!.  Here are the reviews.

-Otis   

Top 10 Graphic Novels for Youth 2006

The American Library Association has named Oddly Normal Vol 1 as one of the top ten graphic novels for youth that were published during that last twelve months.  I would have used an exclamation point in that previous sentence, but I'm still too numb to truly gauge my level of joy.  But you better believe it's made today a very happy day for me and mine.

Here's the announcement and the full list of all ten books.

I knew that libraries were beginning to review and even suggest Oddly to their young readers, but this honor was completely unexpected.   Thanks go out to the ALA and their judges for making me a very proud graphic novelist.  Here's hoping they enjoy the second book in the series just as much.  Thanks also to fellow Viper Comics creator David Hopkins for making me aware of Oddly's place on this list!

In other library review news, the book also received some very kind words from Lynn at Hypothetically Speaking.  Lynn is a librarian and recently wrote a thoughtful piece about the book.  Here is an excerpt:

"This is one of the few graphic novels for children I have read that really is for children. It is fun, full of color and imagination, and has a believable story line. Frampton nails the culture and language of middle school children; Oddly's droll sense of humor, irritation with her parents, and intrinsic need to have friends and belong are well done (not overdone). The illustrations and graphics are wonderful, especially Oddly's first view of Fignation. Various colors and hues are strategically present throughout the novel to designate mood (grey's, red's, and blue's) and the school scenes are priceless. Additionally, an "Oddly Normal History" is included at the end of the book for more information. All in all, I am ready for Oddly Normal: Family Reunion."

Thanks, Lynn!  And thanks again to everyone at the American Library Association!

And for those eager for a print preview of Oddly Normal: Family Reunion, be sure to stop by your local comic shop on Free Comic Book Day (May 5th, 2007) and pick up a copy of Viper Comics Presents 2!  There will be a 5 page preview in the comic, along with previews of other upcoming Viper Comics titles (including Josh Howard Presents: Sasquatch, The Underworld Railroad, Karma Inc. Vol. 2, The Middleman Vol. 3, and future excerpts of the Dead@17 ongoing series)!

Okay, back to work for me!

-Otis

Caveman Mode

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 may not be far off.

Luckily, I have a very forgiving wife who thinks all of this is "cute".  I think she's "odd".  But it's an arrangement that seems to work.

So, what is on my plate right now?

• Finishing Oddly Normal: Family Reunion is priority number one right now.  Luckily, the work that Sergio and I are doing makes me happier and more confident as we approach the end of the book.  I'm exceedingly proud of the work we're doing.  I only hope that Oddly fans will follow us into the new style of this new book and keep on reading as the style is altered for each new book.  As the creator, this variety of styles is exciting and keeps the material fresh and fun to spend time working on.  But I know that comic fans can be prickly about a change in style, so I can only cross my fingers, tell the best stories I know how to tell and hope for the best.  And based on the talent line-up for the next few books, I'm very hopeful.
• The second priority is the DC sketch cards.  I now have the blanks for DC Universe: Legacy in hand and I've started doing some sketching.  I've only done about 20 cards (out of 100), but I already feel like I'm going to have more fun working on this set than any other set that I've worked on.  These characters are simply fun to draw.  I wish I felt that way about every property, but sometimes it's more work than fun when it comes to these sketch card projects.  I've enjoyed them all to one degree or another, but the list that DC gave the artists is just pure gold.  All the major characters are involved and we can do any version we want throughout their respective histories.  I'll post scans of my finished cards when I can.
• I'm waiting for the blanks for another sketch card set that has a similar deadline to the DC set, but I have yet to receive them.  Bust considering how busy I am right now, I wouldn't have time to draw them even if I had them.  But I am looking forward to announcing my participation of this set, because it's a special one.
• I'm also trying to finish up some long overdue commissions.  I've already completed some of them and I'll post scans when I'm done with my entire list.
• I also have my entry in the Oddly Normal anthology comic to complete and I may be participating in two more anthology books for other writers, but I'm not sure yet.  Time willing, I'd like to do them.  But right now I have to focus on my own projects.  When more details surface, I'll post about them.
• If all of that weren't enough, I'm about 20 pages into penciling my new graphic novel, Zeek!.   I'll be posting a lot more about this in the future as well.  It's a very personal project and I hope to finish it by year's end.  The pages look pretty good so far (in other words, I don't hate them) and more importantly, I'm having fun drawing it.

Free time, I miss thee.

-Otis

Oddly Normal Production Journal

Okay, things are a-hoppin', now . . .

Book 2, Oddly Normal: Family Reunion, is approaching the delivery deadline and I have to say, I'm immensely proud of the work that Sergio and I are doing.  It's going to be a great book and I think that Oddly fans are going to really enjoy it.  Working on this book as a single volume as opposed to a 4 issue mini-series has been very rewarding as a storyteller.  It's allowed me to tailor the narrative more for a single reading experience and I think that it's a better, tighter story for having been executed in that manner.  I can't wait for people to read it.

I'm planning to post a preview of the book online sometime this month.  The preview will feature the first two chapters of the book (just like the free preview of Book 1) and I think the end of Chapter 2 is a great tease for the rest of the story.  Every time I look at that last page I smile with anticipation.  I can't wait for people to see what we have in store for them.

Oddly Normal: Family Reunion will be be available for pre-order in this month's Diamond Previews catalog, so remember to tell your local comic shop to order a copy for you (Diamond Item Code: MAR073765)!

And things are finally moving on a new Oddly-related project that I can finally talk about . . . Oddly Normal Tales!

Oddly Normal Tales is going to be an anthology comic featuring five stories written by me and drawn by some of my favorite artists (and friends) working in the biz;  Katie Cook, Bernice Gordon, Grant Gould and Maryn Roos!  Oh, and I'll be drawing one of the stories, too.  :)  The cover will be by none other than Paul Gutierrez, the artist on Mike Bullock's excellent Lions, Tigers and Bears!

The anthology should be out sometime this year.  I'm aiming for sometime around Halloween, but it may be closer to the end of the year.  Time will tell.  But the artists are working on their stories and I'm confident that this comic will be a great companion piece to the regular book series.

And last but not least . . . some new reviews of the Oddly Normal Volume 1 Trade Paperback!  The first two are from libraries, which is great.  It's nice to know that people in the business of putting books into the hands of young readers are recommending Oddly!

Framingham Public Library Blog writes:

"When your father is human but your mother is a witch, you have green hair and pointed ears, and your name (somehow) is actually and truly Oddly Normal, it's a sure thing that your life isn't going to go smoothly. And if on your birthday, you wish away your house and your parents and suddenly become a citizen of Fignation to live with your aunt while she tries to track down your missing parents, it's another sure thing that life will never be normal. And if you discover that the teacher in your new school actually knew your mom and is the essence of evil, well surely there are secrets and puzzles to be solved. Delightful! This is great graphic novel for the preteens and the tweens. I can't wait for the next volume! Oddly and her friends make up a great menagerie of characters in a great tale of magic and mystery."

Brandy Danner, The Library Ninja writes:

"Back in November, I noticed a listing for the first volume of Otis Frampton’s series Oddly Normal. I scribbled out an order card very excitedly—I read the beginning of the series when it was posted on Girlamatic, but then Frampton took it down when he got the print deal. But as time went on, I fully expected the order to be cancelled, with a note about how the distributor couldn’t acquire a copy; so sorry about your luck. But then! Last week, as I picked up all of my newly-arrived-and-processed books, what should top the pile but Oddly  Normal Volume 1? To say I was excited doesn’t begin to cover it.  Oddly Normal is a 10-year-old half-witch (her dad’s human; her mom’s a witch) who accidentally wishes her parents away at the end of a lousy birthday. With her parents gone, Oddly goes to live with her great-aunt in her mother’s homeland: Fignation. It’s an adventure, a fantasy, and a great example of how much fun all-ages comics can be. And the art is amazing—I love his coloring in particular. I’m very excited for the next volumes."

And James Jobe of Popthought.com writes:

"No comic fan could possibly be in complete ignorance of the horror genre. We’re all familiar with Frankenstien and we’ve all known vampires, witches, zombies, mummies and ghosts in forms of all kinds. The first thing that usually comes to mind is something scary and intimidating. We don’t always associate horror with comedy. Somehow, in this series it seems ‘oddly normal’. Sticking these types of characters into situations that might be trivial everyday life for the rest of us is exactly what makes this series tick. The classroom scenes absolutely clenched it for me.          

The characterization is absolutely perfect. There’s just something about a single person’s ability to not only write a story but also illustrate it too. Even the best writer/artist team can’t communicate things that effectively. Creator Otis Frampton is a perfect example of this. The story flows from issue to issue in exactly the way it needs to in order to draw you in for the next installment. I’m sure that those people who had the opportunity to purchase the new issues off the stands were drooling in anticipation.  I sincerely hope that there will be a second volume. I wouldn’t hesitate a second to read the next series and also add the trade to my bookshelf."

Thanks to the reviewers for those kind and thoughtful pieces on the book that launched Oddly and thanks for reading!

-Otis