63 - What's in a name?
"&" = "and" thus &erson
Check it out! New Cyber League Art! I met some cool fans at C2E2 who love CLB and they got me really amped to make new pages. I have some time in June and I plan to crank out the next issue post haste.
I’ll be sharing my process in a paid subscription post next week.
C2E2
We finished up the HNTSI tour in Chicago. Here are my commissions from the week.
SCAD VISIT
I visited SCAD as the Alumni Mentor a few weeks ago. This was a follow-up to my visit last fall. I got to chat with students about their goals and portfolios as well as share experiences and horror stories. Ayo, a student, did this drawing of me. He has a great webcomic called Knuckleheads.
I also got to visit the Special Collections of Don Bluth art in the SCAD Library. I had a great time. Here are some pictures of original art from the collection.
ANIMATION CLASS
I wrapped teaching at Metro Academic Studies for the 2024-25 school year. My animation students worked in teams of three, and they blew me away with their creativity and production value on their final animations. Take a look!
PROJECT: Coal
I am in the final stages of coloring this book. Almost wrapped.
PROJECT: Drill
I just finished penciling the book, I have a meeting next week with my collaborator to get approval and start the fun part, Inking.
MomoCon is in Atlanta, GA, next weekend, May 22-25.
I will have a limited number of Cyber League Baseball posters. Each one purchased goes towards the production of the book.
COMMISSIONS
I will be taking commissions at the show, but I always prefer to take requests before the show. If you want a commission from me, please shoot me a message, and I will get you set up.
Base Rates: 4x6 $80 - 8.5x11 $100 - 11x17 $140
PANELS
Here is my panel schedule for the weekend.
You can find all the details on the MomoCon app.
WATCH: Ted Lasso
Obviously late to this game, but my wife and I just watched season 3 and really enjoyed it. It is a big inspiration for CLB and how to tell ensemble stories around a central figure. My favorite character is Nate the Great. Great character arc.
LISTEN: The Search
Basically my inner thoughts.
READ: On Writing
How have I not read this before?!?!? Friend and Collaborator, Andrew told me I needed to read this and he was right, it’s incredible. King cuts through hacks, cheat codes, and tricks and gets to the core of creative work. Sit down, and create. Frankly, King should be Nike’s spokesman
“Just do it.”
PLAY: Soccer!
At our Superbowl party I was talking to a friend about Futbol and mentioned wanting to play again (last time I played was probably five years ago) He mentioned a pick up game he joins every Tuesday. Well, I have been playing ever since and loving it! So much so that I am attending a tryout for an adult amateur team this Sunday. I’ll keep you updated.
NAMES
Yesterday was a wild day in my extended family. Two of my sisters gave birth to their sons on the same day!
Of course, the question on everyone’s minds was “What are their names?”
For privacy, I won’t share their names, but it did get me thinking about names and their importance in storytelling.
Consider the following names:
Luke, Peter, Sam, Paul, John, Steve, Harry, James.
Other than being majority biblical names, these names are one or two syllables, easy to say, and common everyday names. Usually, it’s the last name that does the heavy lifting, giving more depth to the character.
Luke Skywalker, Peter Parker, Samwise Gamgee, Paul Atreides, John Carter, Steve Rogers, Harry Potter, James Bond.
Contrast that with the names of villains:
Hannibal, Voldemort, Vader, Sauron, Lex Luthor, Hans Gruber, Keyser Söze, Freddy Krueger.
Generally, more syllables, harsher consonants, and often more complex.
Now, the question arises: Are these names heroic and villainous names because they sound so, or is it because we know the stories that accompany them?
For example, let’s make a story with Kraxon Steelboot and Tom Poppy.
Tom grew up on a farm, simple living for simple people. He dreamed of more, but being surrounded by forests full of playful nymphs, pastures of frolicking unicorns, and skies bustling with colorful griffons. More just seemed gluttonous, and so he was content.
But a glutton did arrive, Kraxon descended with his horde over the hills sounding like stones falling from the skies. The Steelboots conquered the valley, burning the forest, razing the fields,and culling the sky.
Tom hid, he felt like a coward. But wisdom told him to wait, to build alliances, to shore up hope. For after the fire comes the greatest bloom of all.
Makes sense, right? But let’s try flipping it.
Kraxon was born in the soil pits of south Beama. The Steelboots were one of the first three families to begin mining soil 34 generations ago, ever since the upper crust was corrupted with microplastics and waste. The only viable soil is now 10 miles down near the bubbling mantle, where the intense heat purifies the soil which is collected and returned to the surface for the floating gardens of the oppressive Flower Guild.
On the surface, Tom lives a life of bliss. He knows of the terror beneath him, but what care should he give to an ant that he happens to crush, when there are in fact millions more in the hive. What is one less? It’s true that millions might rebel. They might swarm and sting and overcome. But he worries not about rebellion. House Poppy controls the Opium. And Opium turns thoughts of rebellion to dirt.
I guess the point is, our names are important, and connotation means a great deal, but it’s not the end of the story.
“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”
Should you name your kid Adolf in hopes of reclaiming the name for history? Probably not, but it also doesn’t mean that if your daughter is named Theresa that she’s destined to be a saint.
Your story matters most, your name is just the title.
Cheers,
&