Dead Man at Devil’s Cove, Chapter 4, page 96A
Edit 8/31: Final colors are up! Whew! Hopefully back next week, but I’ve got a lot of work I’m still catching up on.
Edit 8/30: Here’s the flat colors tonight, and I’ll have the finished colors up an hour or so after I get into my studio tomorrow morning! Gosh, the last couple pages have been taking a long time. Lots of detail and perspective. I think there are another 5 pages (gulp!) with this level of environmental detail, then I’ll be moving into a scene that requires less perspective!
BLAAAHHHH
I hate to say this, everyone, but I need to take a couple weeks off to catch up on the other projects I’ve got going on. This strip is taking too much time and I’m falling behind on other stuff that people are expecting from me. Until this is my full-time gig, it’s going to have to take a back seat to paying work.
Here’s the pencils for the strip I wanted to have up today. I’ll have the finished version up on August 31st, and if all goes according to plan, I’ll continue weekly from there. I expect there may be a few more hiccups on the way, since I’m about to start a very labor intensive project (that is also very exciting!) and that’s going to take most of my attention for the next eight or nine months.
In any case– see you back here on August 31st!
What, you’re taking a break to do other stuff? In that case, I want my money back! I demand a full refund!!!!! I’ll report you to the BBB! This kind of behavior is utterly unacceptable from any business that expects m
I’m sorry. The nice lady who gives me my medicines has just informed me that I have not, in fact, paid any money at all, so I can’t get a refund. Well, how do you like that? Carry on.
Hi Les,
As much as I’m saddened to hear this, (and I’m sure all your other loyal readers are too), we completely understand. We come here because we love your characters/story/art that you have over here at JonnyCrossbones and are grateful for your creation and that you choose to share it with us. Your efforts in producing everything that goes into this comic is truly appreciated by your fans. Thank you.
However long it takes, know that we will be here when you come back. And all the best with your other exciting – and paying! How nice! – gigs that you have going on.
Eh. Having you in my RSS feed, I’ll see when you post new stuff anyway, so no stressing out on my part. 🙂
Theres no rush! Compared to waiting a few years for the comic to take off again, this is a breeze. And seriously, your work is good and thoughtfull, it would suffer if you rushed to reach story milestones. So take it easy and keep up the good work. We dont want burnouts nor rushjobs.
Godspeed, Les! Totally understand. Can’t wait for the return. 🙂
Just found this again, and I’m glad I did! So excited to see Johnny and the gang again, but yeah, paying work comes first. Maybe a kickstarter to get this published when it’s done? But a patreon to keep you going, too. Good luck with everything! Your work is amazing.
Thanks! Glad to have you back! I’m sorry you found it again just as I’m stumbling on the updates, but I hope to be back on schedule soon. I’m looking into a few options for getting this done faster, but it’ll be a while as I figure stuff out. I hope you stick around!
You hope I stick around…?
Know it, Les, know it! To the bitter end (if I have to)! To the sweet end (if at all possible)!
Make that: ‘You hope WE stick around…?’
‘Course, the end of “Devil’s Cove” will no doubt be both.
Don’t worry too much– I’m already writing the next story. I don’t have a title yet, though. I’ve got a minimum of four Jonny Crossbones stories this length I’d like to get to, eventually.
What, me worry? (and thanks for the setup; those three words are ALWAYS fun to say!)
You don’t have a title? What about ‘The House on Halloween Row’?
FOUR stories?!?! NOW I’m happy. (Not that I wasn’t before!)
I /was/ going to do that one next, but then I realized that was the third story and I had another one to put in between.
Dave! Carly! How you doing? Almost didn’t see you there! Oh! It just came to me: there may be a way for you to get rid of that camera. You can unload it on a couple of local college professors — their names are Andrews and Forsythe. Tell them that if they develop the 32 exposures, it’ll lead them straight to Bill Strangler’s treasure. (Be careful; they’re smart — and armed.) Go talk to the tall, older eye patch, the skeleton mask and the blonde girl; they’re standing next to the monument. (Chances are that where those three are, Andrews and Forsythe won’t be far.)
Better hurry, though; they’re on the move! They’re looking for the same treasure Andrews and Forsythe want so desperately.
Good luck!
http://evilspacerobot.com/post/120631080098/ive-finally-managed-to-finish-this-comic-i
Ha ha! I mentioned them on the stream while I was inking, but I’m pleased you recognized them. They also appear teeny-tiny on the previous page, far in the background (but way too small to recognize.)
…and I just realized their clothes change color from page to page. I’ll fix that when I get a chance.
Heh, of course I’m sticking around!
“Exposures” was, what, H.P. Lovecraft himself drops in on the Cheers bar at the same time as does Spider Robinson’s Michael “Mick of Time” Callahan (he might almost resemble Bull — big Irishman, and a time traveler)? I could be wrong, but I figure you’re paying homage to all three.
Bars/saloons are/have a well-established niche in pop culture (be it horror- or sci-fi novels, or TV sitcoms).
Oh, and OF COURSE Rollo’s bar in Westlake’s Dortmunder series.
I haven’t read those! I’ll have to add them to my reading list. You’re spot on with the other stuff, though, completely! I initially wrote that story (with very minor dialogue changes) back in 1999, right after I finished college and was reading the Callahan series again. I also had just read the entire Fantasy/SF output of Anthony Boucher, who dealt with similar ideas in more than a few of his stories.
Cool! Maybe hopefully at some point I’ll check out Anthony Boucher!
(I’m SURE you’ve heard of Lovecraft.)
I’m pleased, too — that you know about Spider Robinson.
Donald Westlake’s Dortmunder is damn good, but you HAVE TO read Robinson’s Variable Star. (Unless you have already.)
Any of those
I love Robinson, but I’m not a huge Heinlein fan so I haven’t read that one– it’s on Audible (I do most of my fiction in audio these days, since I can listen while I work) so I grabbed it, I’ll give it a go!
I’ll check out Dortmunder when my credits refresh at the end of the month!
I’ve also got a nice leatherbound complete works of Lovecraft volume at home, yes.
Boucher wrote mostly mysteries, but I got this volume collecting all his SF work back when it came out, it’s worth it especially at the used prices Amazon has: https://www.amazon.com/Compleat-Boucher-SF-Fantasy-Stories/dp/1886778027
… Will any of those four Jonny Crossbones stories have a J.C./Bar Sinister crossover?
I don’t think so. Aside from the cameo I don’t think they take place in the same universe.
…and/or: will ther ever be any more Bar Sinister stories?
I hope so! I’ve got an issue where I come up with ideas way faster than I draw, so it’s always a struggle. Plus I spend a ton of time drawing other people’s ideas…
I wanna hear (more) about ‘that trouble out west’.
Variable Star’s not Heinlein, to speak of — maybe 1% (10% at most). It was someone else (I don’t recall who) told Spider to use his own writing style, not (try to) imitate Heinlein’s.