Haunted Fire Studio :: Benjamin Hall :: Illustrator and Comic Book Artist

I updated all my programs to CS3 this week. I am now up to date with the cutting edge of super awesome graphics programs.... and I don't know how to use ANY of them. So I'm still working in Photoshop CS until I feel comfortable that I'm not going to royally screw something up.

I'll probably have it figured out just in time for CS4 to come out.

My digital inking is picking up speed though, my new chair/computer desk combo is working out well. My digital Ink lines are much sharper and more flowing than when I was sitting on the couch and I've even updated my custom brushes to speed up my work flow (Photoshop is a lot easier to use if you ACTUALLY learn how to use it). And yet I'm still slower than I want to be. Maybe I'm taking to many breaks or I look up at the TV too often, but even though I'm forcing myself to draw on a regular schedule, I'm still not producing work as fast as I'd like. At least I'm happy with the quality now and that is really important. Maybe speed will factor in later on.

The folding chair I'm now using is incredibly uncomfortable... that may also have something to do with it. I have an awesome Spider-man pillow for my butt that sort of helps, but when I eventually get up, there is a rush of feeling and pain straight to recently numbed tailbone. I'd like to get a comfy rolling chair, but there is just NO ROOM for it in our house. Every square inch of floor space that is not for set aside for walking has some sort of space eating baby apparatus in it. Maybe in a few months when our son starts walking we can store some of this stuff but until then all of my art will be brought to you by severe butt pain.... and the letter "F".

In any case, work on Filthy Habit is rocketing on and Thomas is turning in his pages so fast it's making my head spin. I will keep up!!!!! I must keep up!!!!!! The book is looking really great though! I'm super excited about it.

ON THE WEB

Hey look some news about actual comics came out of Comic-Con. I thought it was all about movies now. Well, What do you know?

It appers Dark Horse is starting up the horror magazine Creepy again. This isn't reprints either, it's all new stuff!!! I really hope it turns out as good or better than the original!

ON THE SHELF

Here's some cool stuff scheduled to hit stands today:


I've never read Little Nemo before, but I've always been facinated by the art.


I'm not as excited about Scorchy Smith as I am about Noel Sickles. If you have never heard of him, his illustrations are mind blowing.


I found some issues of Journey in a quarter bin as a kid and really enjoyed them, I looking forward to learning the whole story.

Popgun is an anthology of the newest talented folks in comics. The first book was really good, but I would have enjoyed more self contained stories. I'm not a fan of using your five pages in an anthology to give me the first five pages of a series that may or may not ever come out. Tell me a whole story dammit! Hopefully there is less of that in this one.