Earlier this year, Jeremy Baum ~madbaumer37 and I started developing a comic book project with the intention of submitting it to now-defunct DC Comics' Zuda label, for webcomics.

Last year I was thinking about making a series that started with a boy who lost his dog and had to leave home and get into adventures in order to find it.
I thought that was a neat idea, if very basic, to begin a story, but didn't have the time to develop it beyond that. And then I forgot about it.

Some months later, around January of this year I think, while talking with Jeremy about developing a story, I mentioned that idea to him, and he had a ton of ideas to work with, so the project started growing in a lot directions beyond the boy-who-loses-dog plan.

We started working on the story and characters, and got to come up with a story that we thought was pretty cool, and also a much longer-term project that what I believe both of us originally expected to come from this idea.


Once we had the basic story wrote down, I made a first cut where I tried putting into images many of the things that we intended to use to start up the comic. We needed to get the story into gear using 8 pages (screens), which was the Zuda limit, but as I tried putting in that original breakdown a lot of the ideas that we were handling, I ended up sketching 15 comic pages.



We had too much material for a relatively short amount of pages. And, as much as possible, we wanted to tell the story using only pictures and dialogue, no captions, even though they are a good device to save space, but with that plan in mind, we had to make it work editing scenes out.

At this point we divided tasks, while I started designing the look of the characters, Jeremy worked on a second cut of the story, and came up with this brilliant idea of having alternate narrative lines, and jumping back and forth from one line to another, which made it much more fast paced than the first cut. This seemed to work wonderfully well for our purposes, since we thought that for a webcomic, people wouldn't want to read too much, since it's not a situation as with a book, where one sits down to read a story, but people who check webcomics probably do so while they are doing something else on the computer-- so the more economic the storytelling was, the better.





After sketching up this second cut that Jeremy brainstormed, a final version of the 8 pages required to submit to Zuda was completed.

As things turned out, just after we submitted the project for consideration, Zuda Comics announced out of the blue that they ended their monthly contests for new comic series, so the project got left without a home.

Being arranged for a screen format, and meant to be read as a webcomic, translating it to an average comic format didn't work so well, so approaching other publishers and further developing it's currently put on hold. Until when and if we get the chance to finish the story, here's the beginning:

I've got a daily deviation today, woo hoo!

BIG thanks to for featuring it, and everyone who commented, favorited, and the new watchers. I'll get to reply to everyone during the week, thanks a lot!

A few years ago, I worked on a comic called "Bert Stroud", created and written by Mike Schwalke, that ran as a weekly strip in the LSUS Almagest (Louisiana State University in Shreveport) between 2006 and 2008. Mike had the idea of collecting all the Bert Stroud comics in a single volume, but passed away in late 2008, before completing this project.

A year later, Mike's friends, Austin Meyers, Mark Pernotto, and James Stewart, got to complete his project of the Bert Stroud anthology, and released it as book, and now they put it up online as a free PDF file, for anyone interested in reading the stories. It can be downloaded from this link (40 MB)

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Hace algunos años, trabajé en una historieta llamada "Bert Stroud", creada y escrita por Mike Schwalke, publicada en The Almagest, un diario estudiantil de LSUS (Louisiana State University in Shreveport), entre 2006 y 2008. Mike tenía la idea de compilar todas las tiras semanales de Bert Stroud en un solo volumen, pero falleció a fines del 2008, antes de completar el proyecto.

Un año más tarde, los amigos de Mike, Austin Meyers, Mark Pernotto, y James Stewart, llevaron a cabo este proyecto y editaron un libro con todo el material de Bert Stroud, y lo acaban de subir a internet en formato PDF, para quien quiera leer las historias (en inglés). Puede bajarse desde este link (40 MB)

Recently I've been offline for a couple of days while updating my computer, and when coming back to the matrix (!), I found that has given me a subscription.

Besides thanking Cathy for her kindness, I hugely recommend anyone who hasn't done yet, to view her beautiful works. Below is a small sample of some of my favorite images from her gallery.






Estos últimos días estuve desconectado mientras actualizaba la compu, y al volver a la matriz (!), me encontré con que me dio una suscripción.

Además de agradecerle a Cathy por su amabilidad, recomiendo que los que no lo hayan hecho todavía, miren sus trabajos, que son hermosos. Arriba hay una muestra de algunas de las imágenes que más me gustan de su galería.

Hace poco tuve la oportunidad de trabajar en algunos fondos para una obra de teatro infantil, "Irupé, la Bella Durmiente" (una adaptación musical de la Bella Durmiente). Las imágenes de fondo fueron proyectadas por detrás de los actores. Fue divertido trabajar en este proyecto, y para alguien que dibuja lo que dibujo, nunca se me ocurrió que iba a trabajar en algo para chicos Pero al decidir no usar mucho negro y manchas como haría otras veces, salió todo bien. Acá hay algunas fotos de la función de la obra, en el Luna Park, el domingo pasado (30 de Agosto).

A few weeks ago, I had the chance of working on some backgrounds for a theater play for small children, called "Irupé, la Bella Durmiente" (which is a musical adaptation of "Sleeping Beauty"). The background images ran through a projector behind the actors, and there was some small animation going on as well, it was actually very fun to get to work on this project, and for someone who draws the stuff that I draw, I wouldn't have expected to get to work on something for children But once I figured I wouldn't use as much black and stains as I would usually do, things turned out alright. Here are some photos from the show, which took place at the Luna Park stadium in Buenos Aires, last sunday, August 30th.

















[link]

This morning I learnt that now I'm a senior member at dA, and while I'm not completely sure what that means other than seeing the " ` " next to my name, it was a great surprise! It's very cool-- not as cool as being a doctor out of the blue (there's nothing like being a doctor!), but it sounds much better than being an architect or an enginner, so thank you Mr. and Mrs. deviantArt! And happy birthday!

Seriously, I don't really know who I should be directing this "thank you" note to, but thank you very much!

Also today, the super-talented `Rubius became a senior member, too. If you haven't seen her gallery yet, now it's a good time to visit!



-Senior Tripodi


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Esta mañana me enteré que ahora soy "senior member" de dA, y aunque no estoy muy seguro de qué significa más allá de ver la " ` " al lado de mi nombre, fue una gran sorpresa! Está muy bueno-- no tanto como enterarse de la nada que ahora uno es doctor (no hay nada como ser doctor!), pero suena mucho mejor que ser un arquitecto o un ingeniero, así que gracias Sr. y Sra. deviantArt! Y feliz cumpleaños!

No sé a quién le tendría que estar dirigiendo esta nota de "gracias", pero bueno, muchas gracias de en serio!

También a partir de hoy, la super talentosa `Rubius es senior member. Si todavía no vieron su galería, ahora es buen momento para visitarla!

-Senior Tripodi

When I was writing the previous journal entry, commenting the comic-book anthology "Stripolis" that I had received from Serbia, I had asked editor Branko Djukic if it was possible to get the magazine from outside of Serbia, and he sent the following text and many photos of a colony of comic authors here in Zrenjnain who had their works appeared in Stripolis, so everything that is below is copied and pasted from Branko's e-mail.

Cuando estaba escribiendo la entrada anterior, comentando la antología de historietas "Stripolis" que me había llegado de Serbia, le había preguntado a Branko Djukic, el editor, si había alguna forma de conseguir la revista desde fuera de Serbia, y me mandó el siguiente texto (en inglés), y varias fotos de una exposición que hicieron en Zrenjnain, así que todo lo que está abajo está copiado y pegado del mail de Branko.

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How the « Stripolis » was created

NOSTALGIA

            Carried by the wings of nostalgia I have raised the force to realise my childhood dreams – the artistic cartoon.  The cartoon, as a media, has opened my mind and imagination, formed my personality and shaped my career as an artist. My desire is to share with others all this inner force and emotion which the art of cartoon created in me.

CHALLENGE

            Our challenge is to achieve the universal dimension of the cartoon which will cross all kinds of the frontiers. Have I been successful with only few enthusiastic collaborators, without a lot of means, which gave their maximum to realise the project – the question is open and there is a lot of work to do.  At least we proved one thing – our geographically distant place became closer to the world of the ninth art.

INTERNATIONALISM

            Our desire is to present the best artists from the Serbia and all over the world, whenever they are known or unknown to the public. Their talent is a guaranty of the quality of “STRIPOLIS” and his international character. The works from all over the world are included in our publication like, for example: Czech Republic , Poland , Brazil , Canada , USA , Italy , Belgium , Serbia …
   
STEP FORWARD

            Between 13 th and 18 th April 2009 our city, the centre of the ninth art for a few days, have given a warm welcome to a few artist which have participated in the realisation of this project. Different expositions, film projections, lectures and workshops have been organized. Their works are already published or will be published in the “STRIPOLIS”. Here are the names of some participants of the workshop: Boban Savić-Geto, Darko Perović, Zoran Tucić, Željko Pahek, Đorđe Milović, Dejan Nenadov, Šandor Gogoljak ...
            That is only a first step forward toward our aim – to become the member of the international family of the festivals devoted to the art of cartoon. To be able to enjoy in the ninth art in this area we need more then enthusiasm of few….


Exhibition


Misho (the book designer: ), Branko and Ankica



About “Stripolis”

          I hope that you will like this temptation to revive cartoon as an art. Editorial policy meets a lot of difficulties, especially if we are aware that the authors made their contributions on a free basis.  Being artist myself, I’m very well aware what does it means to work without honorary, but as well, I know that artist is the man who lives in his own world of imagination, out of time and space, and that he is ready to sacrifice a lot in order to keep his art alive.   
       Some of my most beautiful dreams were fulfilled as I have been able to contact and to establish the cooperation with the great artists as Vittorio Giardino or Rick Veitch .
        The aim is, and it will be, to present in each number of “Stripolis” a great name of the ninth art. This time we presented Vittorio Giardino with an unpublished short story and Rick Veitch, veteran of the magazines "Epic" and "Heavy-Metal". As I’m a goer of Veitch's work I fulfilled his desire by publishing his lucid parody about Charles Brown named "Nutpeas".
        It’s not necessary to say that this just the begging of something better and bigger. I do not wish to promise impossible to cartoon goers, but I’ll try to do impossible. Magazine, with all his qualities, is not faultless. For example: clearness of presentation and the mixture of different genres which are not well balanced. Anyway, without false modesty, I think that “Stripolis” deserve attention of everyone who considers himself as a connoisseur of the ninth art. This is just a first step toward something better and more beautiful.









Promotion


Audience




Pages by Zeljko Pahek


Pages by Nina Bunjevac


Zoran Janjetov


Pages by Darko Perović



             "STRIPOLIS" with 130 pages of whom 36 are in colour is printed on the high quality matt paper ( 130 gr) with the excellent binding and impression.  Often I couldn’t buy my favourites cartoons because of their price so in the full knowledge of the fact I decided to make “Stripolis” affordable to everyone by his price which is more than modest - only 4,3 € ( 5,5 $ ) + postage and packing ( shipping) .

            All those information and many more you can find at our internet blog:  [link]
Please do not hesitate to contact me for any further information.
You can order “Stripolis” at this address:

     "Kulturni centar Zrenjanina"
     Narodne omladine 1
     23000 Zrenjanin
     Serbia
     e- mail: kczr@kczr.org

tel: +38123 535482  
fax: +38123 562 931
mob: +381(0)648116994
my e- mail : djukicbranko@yahoo.com

Yesterday I received a package from Serbia, with the first issue of a comic-book anthology called Stripolis.

Ayer me llegó un paquete desde Serbia, con el primer número de una antología de historietas que se llama Stripolis.



Last January I got an e-mail from the editor of the project, Branko Djukic, about collaborating with some story. I had liked the idea of an anthology that didn't have no restrictions of no kind and was done by people from many places around the world, so since I didn't have the time to work on something new for the project, I had sent him a comic that I hadn't been able to get published anywhere, and it's not included in this first issue. Still, he had the kindness to send me a copy of the book, and I sincerely thought it was fantastic, and that's why I'm writing this.

En Enero de este año me había mandado un mail el editor del proyecto, Branko Djukic, acerca de colaborar con alguna historia. Me había gustado la idea de una antología que no tenía ninguna restricción de ningún tipo y estaba hecha por gente de varios lados del mundo, así que como estaba sin tiempo para preparar algo nuevo, le había mandado una historieta que no había publicado en ningún lado, y que no entró en este primer número. Así y todo, tuvo la amabilidad de mandarme una copia, y sinceramente me pareció genial, y es por eso que estoy escribiendo esto.


Artwork by Nina Bunjevac

Except for the super-talented Nina Bunjevac, whom I had been fortunate enough to get to work with on another project a few years ago, and who put me in contact with Branko in the first place, I had no idea who else was going to participate. So when I first looked at the book, I was surprised seeing not only the works of people I don't know but I loved what they do, but also to see comics from authors like Rick Veitch and Vittorio Giardino.

Salvo la super-talentosa Nina Bunjevac, con quién había tenido la suerte de trabajar en otro proyecto hace algunos años, y quién me puso en contacto con Branko en primer lugar, no tenía idea de quién más iba a participar. Así que al ver el libro, me sorprendí viendo no sólo trabajos de gente que no conozco pero me encantó lo que hacen, sino que incluso hay historietas de autores como Rick Veitch y Vittorio Giardino.


Artwork by Vittorio Giardino

In this blog there are samples of many of the works published, and it's worth checking them out

En este blog hay muestras de muchos de los trabajos publicados, vale la pena verlos.


Artwork by Jim Rugg

From what I read in the last page of the book (it's in Serbian), I think that it says that it's a limited edition of 500 books, and at the moment of writing this, I don't know how or if it is possible to get a copy from outside of Serbia, but if I get to know about it, I'm going to update this and put the info here in case someone's interested. Sincerely the whole book is great: the cover, the design, the diversity and quality of the works (which I couldn't read because of the language... but it's a pleasure to look at)... and even the quality of the edition, super deluxe!

Por lo que leo en la última página del libro (está en serbio), creo que dice que es una edición de 500 ejemplares, y al momento de escribir esto, no tengo ninguna información de como es posible conseguir una copia desde fuera de Serbia, pero si me entero, voy a actualizar esto y poner la info por si a alguien le interesa. Realmente todo en el libro es genial: la portada, el diseño, la diversidad y calidad de los trabajos (que no pude leer por el idioma... pero es un placer mirarlos)... e incluso la calidad de la edición, super lujosa!


Artwork by Marselo Lelis

While I find it wouldn't have much sense to write this saying "the book is great, too bad I've got no idea how you can get it", I find it very admirable how it was done, so from this humble space I applaud the editor and all the artists who collaborated, and I hope this project gets the success it deserves and more issues can be published in the future
That said, I think it's an example worth following of how things can get done with minimum economic resources, but with people determined to make things work. Bravo!

Si bien me parece que no tendría mucho sentido escribir esto diciendo "el libro es genial, lástima que no sé como se hace para que puedan conseguirlo", me parece más que admirable cómo fue hecho, así que desde este humilde lugar aplaudo al editor y a todos los artistas que colaboraron, y espero que el proyecto tenga el éxito que merece y se puedan editar más números en el futuro.
Dicho esto, me parece que es un ejemplo a seguir de cómo pueden hacerse cosas con mínimos recursos económicos, pero con gente dispuesta a que algo salga adelante. Bravo!


Artwork by Pau Rodríguez

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The following text is copied from Stripolis' blog, where there is more information on how this book was done:

This is the post regarding all the people not speaking serbian, namely the authors who have participated in this project
I think you deserve some words about all of this, about history of comics in Serbia, and why we decided to do go on with this project.
First of all I wish to thank all of the authors for participating in this project and finding good will for sending your work. No one received a dime or any other mean of monetary compensation for working on this project. We had some funding from Vojvodina's secretariat of Culture and from our local Cultural center of Zrenjanin. Those funds were spent for printing this 1st issue of Stripolis.
This kind of publications are very rare in our country, but there is no lack of interest for sort. Simply, it's the lack of money.
Our country was devastated by the long economic sanctions, civil war and NATO bombardment back in 90's. People were deprived from every luxury, and comics were only one of them.
We had rich culture of comics back in the 80's, when we had comics published daily. There were gnerations growing up reading comics like Alan Ford, Dylan Dog and Zagor. Italian published comics were very popular. There were several magazines that published mainstream European and American comics like Stripoteka, Strip Art, Spunk and EKS Almanah. Domestic authors were presented in publications like Yu-strip, Mladost, Vidici, Glas omladine, Patak etc. The only magazine that survived all these years is Stripoteka. We had several atempts from some publishers back in 1995 who tried introducing american format in our market but due to the distributors these attempts failed (Luxor comics).
After the changes in politics back in 2000. publishers started reviving the scene, bringing them out from pirated editions of mostly american comics and some classics European comics like Corto Malteze. Publishers like Beli Put started printing graphic novels which were welcomed by the eager public.
Me as a part of this collective, together with my teacher Mr Branko Djukic, decited after publishing a one shot with the works of local authors form our home town (Zrenjanin), that we should do something similar but with the foreign authors which works haven't been printed in Serbia and with some of our acclaimed authors who haven't printed in their own country for ages. The sole purpose of this was to show that this kind of comic book storytelling hasn't died in Serbia.
We didn't know what kind of reaction we would get from the authors and from the readers.
I was overwhelmed! Every single e-mail and letter was answered! Branko couldn't belive the response he got from the people he wanted involved in all of this. Everyone wanted to help and pitch in.
The result is this first issue of STRIPOLIS. It's soft covered, printed in cyrillics, it has 130 pages and designed by me. It has got that retro look of those 80's publications.
We also started a festival, which is a sort of an art colony. It starts in several days and I will keep you informed of what's going on with some pictures and drawings.
Hope you will endure