Indie Pulp

Although my original intentions for this blog have changed, I try to post on a regular basis to keep the creative writing juices flowing. I'm working on a few kick ass projects at the moment but it's a nice escape to write up a quick post about an upcoming comic/graphic novel/movie/DVD/animation/whatever that happens to draw my attention.

Most of the time I just jot down a few sentences and share some of the same links I've found. And other times, I get on a 200-300 word soapbox and put together a review. So, when I was asked to be a contributor to a new website focused on comics/graphic novels/movies/DVDs/animaition/whatever, I couldn't say no.

Although it's still a work in progress, the site is called Indie Pulp. Make sure to check it out in the coming weeks/months for more info. And if you'd like to contribute your two cents, contact the Indie Pulp's editor at editor@indiepulp.com.

Anyway, outside of a few graphic novel and DVD reviews, one of my first contributions to the site is the main masthead image. The editor is going to feature different interpretations of "Indie Pulp" by different comic artists and mine is the first to go up. And considering that I know some of the artists that'll be putting pen to paper for their own version of the masthead, it's very good company.

For my rendition, I took the word pulp to heart. Thinking about those sweet 50s/Hitchcock/Saul Bass movie posters, I put down a few Post-It note sketches and came up with this...


I blew up the thumbnail and 30 minutes later, I came up with this tighter drawing...


And then it was onto the magical land of Photoshop. After scanning the drawing, I dropped in a dirty yelow/green background to set a gritty tone. I added some noise and scratches to play up the wear and tear. And a quick search through my font library got me the pulp-styled look I wanted for the "Indie Pulp" title. The final step was bringing in some much needed red to create a good contrast with the heavy black inks.


After another 30 minutes in Photoshop, 90% of the illustration was complete. But the design felt a little weak. I started tinkering with the layout by situating the guy between the alley walls. Centering him cleared up the right side of the drawing and drew attention to his black silouette against the red smoke. But the left side was still weak. So I started thinking about who wrote the words on the wall and realized that it'd be much more menacing and shocking if a half-lifted arm popped out of the corner with blood dripping from the fingers. Here's the final shot, in it's full pulp-era poster glory...


Bernie