Max Ink's Open Salon Blog

Monster Move

Sat, 10 Jul 2010 22:07:02 -0400

I was going to write something down here about LeBron James' move from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Miami Heat, but since Linda Holmes already wrote such a good post (which mirrors my own thoughts on the subject), I figured I'd just send you over there.

BLINK: Why Bother

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:06:22 -0400

I'm back.

Sorry that I've been away for so long (2 months? Really??). I think the problem was that I was taking myself WAY too seriously for a while (which is a poor frame of mind for a cartoonist) and that caused some problems with how I perceived my world.

Kinda like what Sam is talking about in this strip, in fact.

I wrote "Why Bother" about a year ago with an artist friend of mine, Jonathon, who was wanting to draw my characters. We collaborated on the story & script, he penciled the pages and I inked & lettered them. Overall, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, but I learned that I'm way too possessive when it comes to "my girls," so I'll never put another artist (or writer) through the turmoil I put Jonathon through!

I like the summery feel of this comic (and as I post this, it's a beautiful 74 degree day) and also the playful nature of Blink as she builds her sandcastle. Sam's launch into bitching about her childhood sandbox experience is very abrupt on page 2 and could've been handled in a more adroit manner, but we had a limited amount of space and time to work with. I'm not complaining, I'm just pointing out that I see the weakness there.

Oh, and aren't those quotes awesome? I love a good quote.

Anyway-- I am looking forward to playing in the Open Salon sandbox once again.

~~~

(I'm presenting the above cropped image for the editors to use on the front page if they determine this comic is up to snuff for a Cartoon Saturday Editors Pick. I must say that seeing my full sized pages shrunk down so small makes me feel a bit odd.)

Also remember, I have an ever-replenishing supply of free Blink mini-comics ("FYI, IDK"), so contact me through Open Salon or you can email me directly (mail.max.ink[at]gmail.com) about getting one signed, sealed and delivered to your home (or PO Box).

Spring Shopping

Fri, 7 May 2010 05:05:27 -0400

Holy Allergy Season!

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 20:04:23 -0400

I've been drawing Blink comics for seven years and in that time, I've amassed quite a few sketchbooks full of rough illustrations, unfinished scripts and various incomplete ideas. One of the ideas that has stuck in my head (although I don't remember ever writing it down) is for my characters to comment on the superstitions that surround saying the phrase "God Bless You" (or the like) after someone sneezes.

While I was recently on vacation, it finally hit me how to approach the subject and I was thrilled to finally have that idea "off my chest" (or, more accurately-- out of my head and on the page). The key bit of dialog that did it for me was that we "bless" people who sneeze because it's become a "socially conditioned response." I imagine that most of us rarely (if at all) think of the rationale behind our actions. I could go on, but if you're really that interested in the trivia behind the history of "Gesundheit"/"Bless You," you can read that elsewhere.

However, for those of you who appreciate those behind-the-scenes parts of DVD releases, I've decided to include my sketchbook notes, rough script and layouts of the comic strip. You can see the fuller-sized versions of these pages on my Flickr site.

One of the sweetest things about this strip (for me) is that I finally got to include one of my favorite Columbus landmarks, The Bookloft--it's an independently owned, city block long 32-room bookstore. (The store itself is way cooler than their website.) I'll be sure to eventually set a longer story in the `Loft eventually... but this will do for now.

Thanks to those of you who participated in the "Crossword" contest. I'll be sending out the winners' books once they get back from the printers (early next week, I should think).

Also: you can contact me through Open Salon or email me directly (mail.max.ink[at]gmail.com) and ask for one free Blink mini-comic signed, sealed and delivered to your home (or PO Box).

BLINK: 38 Across

Thu, 8 Apr 2010 06:04:12 -0400

Hey, hey, hey! Do you likes crossword puzzles?

I am SO like Blink when it comes to crossword puzzles. Same with Trivial Pursuit. Ugh. Speaking of trivia, I've got TWO trivia contests for this strip:

1) This is an easy one-- the first person who can correctly tell me what the headline "38 Across" is in reference to will receive a complimentary BLINK Strips: Volume 1 (Woo!). This book collects the first year of Blink comic strips (from 2008) that originally ran in my local arts newspaper, The Short North Gazette (and where they still appear every month).

2) This trivia tidbit is a hard one- the first person who can correctly tell me what bands (there are two) and what songs (there are four) are referenced in this strip will receive a complimentary copy of the the comic book this strip originally appeared in back in 2005.

~~~

(I'm providing the above excerpt in the hopes that if/when this strip gets an Editor's Pick, they can use it for the front page.)

Remember, I have an ever-replenishing supply of free Blink mini-comics, so contact me through Open Salon or you can email me directly (mail.max.ink[at]gmail.com) about getting one signed, sealed and delivered to your home (or PO Box).

**Postscript** I'll be on vacation until next Wednesday (goin' to NYC!), so please be patient when waiting for a reply from me.