gobnobble -- the comic work of David Allan Duncan

ICAF 2011

2011-10-10T16:28:00.001-05:00

I've been doing so much that I haven't found time to post anything.

I was able to give a paper at the 2011 International Comics Art Forum. This year it was at the Center for Cartoon Studies, so I was finally able to visit that school. My camera is absolute crap, so I don't have any good pics.

I'll write more later.

Cleaning the lettering pens.

2011-09-09T21:57:00.002-05:00

It must be Fall--I'm cleaning my pens for my SEQA 386 Hand-Lettering and Typography for Comics class. A few hours soak in Windex usually does them pretty good.

I use two type of pens (primarily) for this class (excluding dip-pens and those horrid felt-tips).

Koh-I-Noor Rapidpgraphs (0.6mm, 0.7mm, 0.8mm), and Rotring Artpens (Sketch F, M, & B).

Neither are particularly easy to clean, but they're so much more reliable than felt-tip for even-weighted lines.

Ah. Back together again. Time to dirty them up again.

Hair Cut Guts Redux

2011-08-17T17:59:00.006-05:00

Since I reworked the cover of Playing to the Haircuts, I decided to throw some some gray tones over the inside pages. The story is really just a few pages of Julie and Fred vaudevillian banter. Everything looks fancier when you print it on cream off-white paper. Here's a page.

Playing to the Haircuts - screenprinting.

2011-08-14T16:56:00.007-05:00

Each year my Mini-Comics class picks a theme for which we all create a mini-comic. These go into a box set. In 2008 we did the Ology Anthology where each person chooses an area study; I created a comic called Nephology (the study of clouds). In 2009 we did the Hat Box where everyone chose a different hat to base a story; I did a comic called Herman's Dunce Cap.
In 2010 the class did a set of stories based on Rhyming Disorders (I forget the name right now). I was knee-deep in department chair duties, so I didn't get to make a book that year.

This year (2011) we did the Hoakum House Theatre, where everyone created a story of a Vaudeville act. I created a dinky little story called Playing To the Haircuts (which means that your act is so bad, the audience is leaving). A requirement for these sets is that the cover must be silkscreened. Here's what I did for my vaudeville cover. It's a plum-colored Canson paper (quite a tooth) with light mint ink:

That's what went into the set, but when I printed another round I wanted to add a second color to the print. Sometimes when I want a second color on a print but don't want to burn a second screen I'll just tape off certain areas on the under-side of the screen and print a transparent layer over a few sections. Here's the taped-up screen:

I blocked off the background so that the characters would have the yellow layer. You can see the blocked off areas from the squeegee side when I hold it up the window:

I printed it up and it looked like this:
I didn't like it, so I re-taped the screen opposite (so the background would get the yellow ink):

That's the final version.

Gobnob 036 - Much Less Twice

2011-07-27T12:45:00.000-05:00

SDCC Booth

2011-07-21T12:37:00.001-05:00

My SCAD booth-mates: Derek Larson, John Lowe, and Heather Dietzold. Come visit if you're at the San Diego Comic-Con! Booth # 5568.

Gobnob 035 - Not Excited

2011-07-16T22:30:00.000-05:00

Gobnob 034 - Letter of Rec

2011-07-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

Gobnob 033 - Trying To Avoid

2011-06-29T15:30:00.003-05:00

Gobnob 032 - When You're Done

2011-05-18T08:00:00.001-05:00

Gobnob 031 - Not That Late

2011-05-11T17:45:00.001-05:00

Gobnob 030 - Make It Count

2011-05-04T08:00:00.001-05:00

Gobnob 029 - Get That To Go

2011-04-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

Gobnob 028 - Brian Ralph Script

2011-04-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

Gobnob 027 - Something Hard

2011-04-06T08:00:00.001-05:00

Gobnob 026 - Let Go

2011-03-09T08:00:00.002-05:00

Gobnob 025 - Decisions

2011-03-02T08:00:00.002-05:00

Gobnob 024 - Laundry

2011-01-18T08:00:00.001-05:00

Gobnob 023 - Too Passionate

2011-01-13T08:00:00.001-05:00

2011.

2011-01-11T19:36:00.004-05:00

So I'm out of excuses now--Holidays are over and school has begun. New strips start Thursday! Three week break is over.

Gobnob 022 - Easy Problem

2010-12-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

Gobnob 021 - Lost

2010-12-21T08:00:00.001-05:00

Gobnob 020 - Know More

2010-12-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

Gobnob 019 - Yard Sale

2010-12-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

The move to Tues/Thurs.

2010-12-12T23:56:00.002-05:00

I'm changing my Gobnob posting days to Tuesday and Thursday so that I can do one month at a time (I draw 8 on to an 8.5x11 page).

The last few have been done digitally (at least ink-wise) for expeditious purposes. I think that's going to be the way to go.

These little strips are meant to go quickly with as little fuss as possible, so I'm trying to keep from pampering them...

Gobnob 018 - Rational

2010-12-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

Gobnob 017 - Melancholy

2010-12-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

Gobnob 016 - French Fry

2010-12-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

Gobnob 015 - Sneaking Cake

2010-12-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

Gobnob 013 - Pooler

2010-12-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

Gobnob 013 - Together

2010-11-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

Gobnob 012 - Fun Without

2010-11-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Gobnob 011 - Under Control

2010-11-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

Gobnob 010 - Nice Visit

2010-11-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

Gobnob 009 - But Isn't

2010-11-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

Gobnob 008 - Cut Down

2010-11-10T08:00:00.001-05:00

Gobnob 007 - Better Care

2010-11-08T08:00:00.002-05:00

What are these cruddy little strips, yo?

2010-11-07T14:36:00.001-05:00

You may have noticed that I've started posting some strips lately. They are created particularly fast, very little editing (content or visuals). I just need something creative and simple to post on the blog. There's a new one posted each Mon/Wed/Fri.

These little Gobnob strips are done eight at a time, all on a single 8.5 x 11 piece of paper. The characters are old ones from previous strips and comics: Herman, the bald kid, Julie the girl with the bowl-cut, and Fred the alien. I'm sure other characters will creep in at some point.

These strips are hardly character driven. It's usually just some hateful thing I want to say. You can expect them regularly, just don't expect much.

Coming off of a two-year stint as Department Chair, I'm anxious to get back into the creative swing of things. I was having a tough time diving right back into The Moonshine Murders, though. Very daunting and a bit too heavy for my mindset right now. I'll be back into that story by Winter break, though. Hopefully with 2 new chapters by April.

I'm still writing that super-long story with my long-time collaborator Scott. It's coming along quite nicely, but there aren't really any visuals to share with you yet. More news after the first of the year, I'm sure.

Gobnob 006 - Want One?

2010-11-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

Gobnob 005 - Plans

2010-11-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

Gobnob 004 - Eat Yet?

2010-11-01T08:00:00.001-05:00

Gobnob 003 - Feels Late

2010-10-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

Gobnob 002 - Poem

2010-10-27T08:00:00.001-05:00

Gobnob 001 - Doing?

2010-10-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

A Halloween Ghost

2010-10-24T12:00:00.002-05:00

Dinner at the Goto's this weekend, what fun. Mark Geary was there too. Anywho, as part of the evenings festivities (which also included ham dinner) Ava distributed paper for everyone to draw on. markers and crayons were also provided.

Kristie's drawing of the little Ava as a monarch butterfly (based on her actual Halloween costume) found a prominent home on the dresser in Ava's room. My drawing found prominent position in the trash. It was actually thrown away by Andrea, who did help me dig it out so that I can present it here for your amusement:

OSU FCA 2010 pics from Ray

2010-10-22T13:37:00.007-05:00

My fellow SCAD SEQA professor Ray Goto has granted me these pictures from our recent trip to the 2010 OSU Festival of Cartoon Art. Thanks Ray!

Michael Jantze, cartoonist and yet another SEQA professor takes a moment outside the Billy Ireland Cartoon Research Library to pose with me and my good friend Jim Davis.

Here I am at the FCA Opening Reception with comics scholoar David A. Beronä, and the renowned MSU special collections librarian Randy Scott. It was a delight running into both of these fellows!

Ray snapped this photo of Tom Inge and I in the OSU Union elevator.

Pics that never happened: Duncan with R.C. Harvey, Duncan with Tom Gammill.

I have a good camera--I promise.

2010-10-20T22:11:00.003-05:00

I have a nice camera, I just don't know where it is. I can't believe how horrible these cruddy images are. I sincerely apologize to everyone who's tried to look at them.

Eric Canete

2010-10-19T16:02:00.000-05:00

Dove introduces visiting artist Eric Canete!
- Duncan

Landing in ATL

2010-10-17T17:26:00.000-05:00

On the way back to SAV. It's already hot...
- Duncan

An Evening with Matt Groening

2010-10-16T19:38:00.000-05:00

Tom Gammil interviews Matt Groening.
- Duncan

Pizza time.

2010-10-16T16:32:00.001-05:00

Dinner. I guess.
- Duncan

Roz Chast

2010-10-16T13:47:00.000-05:00

Roz Chast discusses her experiences as a cartoonist for the New Yorker.
- Duncan

Gene Yang

2010-10-16T13:32:00.000-05:00

Gene Yang discusses American Born Chinese.
- Duncan

OSU Kids Playing Quidich

2010-10-16T12:32:00.000-05:00

Funny, right?
- Duncan

A Tribute to Jay Kennedy

2010-10-16T10:34:00.000-05:00

- Duncan

Paul Levitz Reception

2010-10-15T18:45:00.000-05:00

- Duncan

David Hill

2010-10-15T17:08:00.000-05:00

What are the chances that one of our SCAD SEQA student would not only be in the same hotel, but in the room next door!
- Duncan

OSU Pomerene Hall

2010-10-15T15:49:00.000-05:00

The OSU Art History building
- Duncan

OSU - Lunch on Friday

2010-10-15T12:22:00.000-05:00

After Dave Kellett's talk, the program broke for lunch.
Ray and I got to sit with Robert C. Harvey (whose discussions on image/text interdependence I use in all my classes) and Tom Inge.

Here they are discussion the effects of the web on the comics profession.
- Duncan

OSU - Day 2 - Kellett

2010-10-15T10:52:00.000-05:00

Dave Kellett speaks on The "Freeing of Comics", a response to Watterson's 1989 FCA talk: The Cheapening of Comics.
- Duncan

Opening Reception

2010-10-14T20:38:00.000-05:00

- Duncan

Naaman!

2010-10-14T18:55:00.000-05:00

Look who found us here in Columbus!
- Duncan

Opening Reception

2010-10-14T17:13:00.000-05:00

- Duncan

The Billy Ireland Cartoon Research Library.

2010-10-14T13:17:00.000-05:00

- Duncan

Wexner Center

2010-10-14T11:50:00.000-05:00

- Duncan

OSU - Mirror Lake

2010-10-14T11:42:00.000-05:00

Mirror lake on campus.
- Duncan

OSU Day 01 - Morning

2010-10-14T09:18:00.000-05:00

We're getting ready to head out!

- Duncan

On the way to OSU!

2010-10-13T17:40:00.000-05:00

Ray eats a sandwich and txts Andrea.
- Duncan

Fall 2010

2010-10-08T20:09:00.009-05:00

It certainly has been a long time, huh?

I've stepped down as chair of Sequential Art at SCAD (thank goodness), and I'm trying to get back into my own life. It's not been easy...

Here are some t-shirts that I tested some new ink on:

I've also been working for the past two years on a story with my long-time creative partner Scott Rickels. We don't have a name for it yet, but we're both really excited about it. I'm not even sure how to describe it. It's the story of a young girl uncovering the past of her father who died when she was young as she and her friends defend their town from an evil cult. There are mixed-up animals, amateur cartography, talking beavers, and a robot named Jon 3-16000. It's pretty fun; and it's pretty massive. We've nailed down our rough outline and we're about 3/5 of the way through the first draft of the script. There are over 40 scenes written so far.

MOONSHINE UPDATE: I feel like I've given up on the Moonshine Murders. I've got a mess of thumbnails and script breakdowns for the next chapter, but I think I'm just tired of it.
I did all my research for it before I became chair--then once that took over my life I didn't have the time or energy to put into it. 3 chapters in 2 years is pretty lame. Now I feel like it's time to move on even though I barely got that one off the ground.

AT SCHOOL:
I'm trying to work on a website eJournal focusing on critical and analytical writing from the SEQA department. I've been gathering things for it for the past year. I've also spent that long on trying to come up with a name for it. It's got to be memorable, but not too pretentious.

I'm back teaching SEQA 100 Intro to Sequential Art, SEQA 386 Hand-Lettering and Typography for Comics, and SEQA 701 Theories and Practices for Sequential Art. My classes are good this year, but it's tough getting back into teaching 2 classes a day.

Next week I'm headed to the OSU Festival of Cartoon Art. I'll be sure to post updates while I'm there. It seems that it's actually easier for me to post while I'm traveling. Probably because I just do it from my phone.

I also just turned 31. Ugh.

random sketches

2010-10-07T21:03:00.000-05:00

Visionary Museum

2010-08-06T12:49:00.000-05:00

Baltimore

2010-08-06T11:29:00.000-05:00

While up in Maryland, for Kristie's show, we just spent a couple hours in the Geppi Entertainment Museum. What fun!

More pics later.

Robin movie at SDCC

2010-07-23T23:55:00.000-05:00

We're at the premiere showing of Batman: Under the Red Hood.
Nancy got us into the reserved seating. Right up front--one row behind Bruce Timm. Nice.

Robin movie at SDCC

2010-07-23T22:00:00.000-05:00

We're at the premiere showing of Batman: Under the Red Hood.
Nancy got us into the reserved seating. Right up front--one row behind Bruce Timm. Nice.

LA to San Diego

2010-07-21T11:53:00.000-05:00

Gettin' on a train.

Animation shangra la

2010-07-20T15:21:00.000-05:00

Dreamworks

2010-07-20T15:18:00.000-05:00

This is where Dreamworks animators have lunch.

Dodgers vs Giants

2010-07-20T12:32:00.001-05:00

Ray's sister Annie got us great seats for a Dodgers game.

WB Animation.

2010-07-19T18:45:00.000-05:00

A cool little visit to Warner Bros. Animation.

Nucleus

2010-07-19T13:37:00.000-05:00

A visit to Gallery Nucleus and Kazu's studio.

I'd like to thank the Academy

2010-07-19T11:44:00.000-05:00

We went to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts ans Sciences to see the Chuck Jones exhibit, which was awesome.

Also there: a cool Ray Harryhausen show.

A view from the hike...

2010-07-18T14:04:00.000-05:00

I forget the name of the park.

Day 02

2010-07-18T11:11:00.000-05:00

Here's the view from Ray's sister's house. Now we're off for a hike somewhere.

Ray and Ralph

2010-07-17T21:09:00.000-05:00

Here's Ray and the Potty Ditcher.

The Summer 2010 California Adventure.

2010-07-17T20:34:00.000-05:00

Just landed in LA after a horrible day of missed flights.

Also: I was potty ditched by Brian Ralph. While I peed, he hopped on the plane, took off, and left me stranded in Jacksonville.

Dark Horse Article for ACRL.

2009-12-15T01:55:00.003-05:00

This summer I met with Kimberly Willson-St. Clair of the Portland State University Library and we talked about their acquisition of the Dark Horse Comics Archives. I'm quoted about 2/3 of the way into the article.

Click here to read the article.

TOKYO 09 - Day 16

2009-12-15T01:50:00.004-05:00

Time to go back...

Ray sleeps in the ATL airport--the second of two particularly long layovers:

I'm still jet-lagged...

TOKYO 09 - Day 15

2009-12-15T01:34:00.005-05:00

I was super sick and had not even planned on going on today's trip. I thought that I should stay in so that I wouldn't get even worse. But I went anyway. We were going to a place that I had never been before, so I had to go, in spite of the rain.

I was so sure that I wasn't going on the trip that I forget to get my camera. I had to steal all of these from Ray.

Here's the ride to Odaiba:

We went to Miraikan, the Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (future museum)

The View from Decks & Aqua City:

Little Hong Kong:

Dove takes a ride:

Dove and Jason pose for Ray from inside an odd mexican restaurant (that had neither beans nor cheese):
That's Rainbow Bridge in the background.

TOKYO 09 - Day 14

2009-12-15T00:12:00.005-05:00

We took the student to the Zoo in Ueno Park.

We then walked around Ueno.

Here's some high school students drawing:

TOKYO 09 - Day 13

2009-12-15T00:01:00.005-05:00

The Tokyo National Museum, which has always been cool, was a complete bust. There was no special exhibition while we were there, the awesome tea gardens were closed, and 75% of the permanent collection was closed. It was in this museum that I first found my favorite Japanese ice-cream treat: Coolish.

A second story hot-dog shop in Akihabara with a traditional Japanese Christmas Lump.
At about 4" high, taking up about 1/4 of the entire restaurant, the Christmas Lump was actually closer to our table than I.

TOKYO 09 - Day 12

2009-12-14T22:45:00.008-05:00

It's a free day for the students (except for the Visual Development for Theme Design students--they have gone to Tokyo Disney: a sort of replica of DisneyLand), so Ray and I walk to the Japanese Sword Museum close to Yoyogi Park.

Then we walked around, finding several temples.

This was outside the Bunka Gakuen Costume Museum.

Shinjuku in general:

In the Bathroom at the Tokyu Hands in Takashimaya Times Square:

In the Bathroom at KiddieLand in Harajuku:

Decorations in Harajuku:

TOKYO 09 - Day 11

2009-12-07T20:28:00.005-05:00

Today we visit animation studios. We were very fortunate to be invited along with Stan to these studios. We couldn't take many pictures inside, so images are few today.

Over around Mitaka:

We visited TMS animation studio.
Things that they did (that I know): Moomin, Akira, Little Nemo, Animaniacs, Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, Gummi Bears, DuckTales, Heathcliff, The Littles, the Real Ghostbusters, TMNT, Wuzzles, etc.) That's like half of my childhood there (the other half was Nickelodeon).

Animator at work:

We then went over to Studio Ghibli ( probably the most important 2d animation studio in the world):

Here we are outside Studio Ghibli: L-R Youichi Watanabe (of Studio Ghibli), and Koji Takeuchai (president of TMS Animation), Dove McHargue, Ray Goto, Sharon Sakai, me, & Stan Sakai:

Just around the corner: Gainax!

This is on the tv in the hotel:

TOKYO 09 - Day 10

2009-12-07T09:09:00.009-05:00

Off to the Sengaku-ji Temple, which is the burial site of the 47 Ronin.

Afterwords, we go to the Imperial Palace Gardens:

After that, Ray, Dove and I travel up to Kitanomaru--a park that we'd never been to before.

Eventually making our way to Shibuya:

TOKYO 09 - Day 09

2009-12-07T08:43:00.005-05:00

We got up at 4:30am to go to the Tsukiji Fish Market--It's the biggest in the world:

Ray's favorite ice-maker in the world:

Be careful not to be injured all the time:

Then after a bit of breakfast and a nap, we're off the Mitaka:

To the Ghibli Museum:

Later on, after getting Bernard off to the Airport, Ray and I go to Shinjuku:

It was raining--perhaps this why I'm so sick now...

TOKYO 09 - Day 08

2009-12-05T07:04:00.013-05:00

For his last workshop, Stan did a lovely watercolor demonstration for our students. It was exciting to see so many of them watercoloring later in the day--clearly inspired by his demo!

We're going to visit the Ghibli Studio on Monday, but we don't have enough room for all of the students to go--so we held a contest. Students created an illustration based on their experience/reference at the Edo Tokyo Museum, the artist chose the best and those will get to go. To notify those students I drew up 40 little tickets (whew!) that either said "Let's Go!" or "Sorry."

We then took the students to the Imperial Palace, but it was closed... oops--closed on fridays. We'll have to go another day.

Jaques had a great idea instead: Let's go to the Gokoku-Ji Temple and Cemetery. Nice save, Jaques! I'd never been before, so I took lots of photos.

Stan taking a picture of a lazy cat:

There's a cat:

There were quite a few cats at this temple:

Later on we took the artists (Stan, Bernard, & Mark) to Akasaka.

To have dinner at the Ninja Restaurant:

Crazy foods!

Tomorrow: Fish Market, Ghibli Museum (not studios), and Shinjuku.

PVP Interlude...

2009-12-05T06:56:00.003-05:00

I'm about a day behind on my posts--which I hate. Ray and I both got sick today--perhaps it was inevitable. We both hope to shake it quickly--otherwise the rest of the week will be even rougher than it would be otherwise.

In other news:
Over the past few days the beloved Scott Kurtz has a character in PVP named Marcy that is interested in applying to SCAD. Her strip landed on my desk today. See here:

http://www.pvponline.com/2009/12/04/autoscad/

I'm so very honored.

TOKYO 09 - Day 07

2009-12-04T08:08:00.006-05:00

Quick post! For some reason the videos don't work in Firefox, so use Safari if you're interested... I don't know about Internet Explorer...

Here's Bernard on Thursday:
Stan Lettering, then inking:

Off to Ueno Park (in the rain).

Rain:

We make our way to the National Science Museum... It's really cool:

Japanese students watching our students draw in the museum:

Dove made friends!

Tomorrow: The last day of classroom-time with the artists, A Buddhist Cemetery/Shrine, and Ninja the restaurant...

TOKYO 09 - Day 06

2009-12-03T09:43:00.006-05:00

Stan working with the students:

Stan's pencils:

Edo Tokyo Museum:

Outside the Museum:

No partying on the escalator:

TOKYO 09 - Day 05

2009-12-02T17:26:00.017-05:00

I'm falling behind on my posts.
Here's Stan teaching on Tuesday:

Then it's off to Disney Sea:

Getting on the Disney train:

Dove speaking about the park (today is the most important day for his Visual Development for Theme Design class.

Entering the park:

Me:

Tower of Terror:

Indiana Jones:

Tomorrow Land:

Aladdin:

Little Mermaid:

Entering Mystery Island:

Journey to the Center of the Earth:

20,000 leagues Under the Sea:

More Indy:

And then my Phone died.

TOKYO 09 - Day 04

2009-12-01T08:16:00.007-05:00

We're finally into the courses proper now. Here's Stan Sakai teaching the first of his 5 workshops:

Bernard Chang:

I don't suppose that anyone else here is more excited about studying cartooning with Stan Sakai in Tokyo than I am. It's an unbelievable experience.

On the way to Asakusa:

Walking to the Sensō-ji temple:

At the temple:

Stan and his wife Sharon:

After the Temple, we took the students to Akihabara. After be ditched a dozen times, Jason, kyle and I ate some gross food. Here's rice with raw egg. ugh.

Happy Birthday Jason.
Here's where we ate:

Tomorrow: Disney Sea.