Tag: matt young

Beyond Mode 7: Deadline Approaches!

Posted on February 18, 2014 by admin

This update has been a long time coming! It’s time to officially get excited about Beyond Mode 7 as the final art submission deadline is just a mere 2 weeks away! To whet all those video game art loving appetites out there, today I’m going to share a few nibbles of some of what has already come in from our STILL GROWING list of contributors!

First off, I’d like to announce that the book will officially launch at MeCAF 2014, in Portland Maine on May 18th! Jesse and I were accepted for the sixth year in a row to table at this amazing, growing and evolving indie comics show! It’s got a great history of solid attendance and being great for the whole family, exactly the intended audience for the anthology.

Second, if you missed any of my Post-MAGFest Reports (read them here and here) then I’ll once again announce the addition of the amazing Kevin Bolk, 8BitMaximo and Hex Martinez to the Anthology roster! Each brings something unique and powerful to the table and we’re overjoyed to have them on board! Hit those links up and check out their work!

Now, for the newcomers to Beyond Mode 7, let me introduce the anthology real quick: The brain child of my table mate and fellow ink-slinger Jesse Durona (artist behind the popular Despondent Mega Man comics) Beyond Mode 7 came to be after MAGFest 11 in January of 2013. The book will be a full-color, 6×9″, perfect-bound homage to all things Super Nintendo.

With more contributing artists than the system had Bits to work with, it will cover a broad spectrum of experiences, games and memories from arguably the 90’s greatest video game console and game library. It will feature comics, illustrations, essays, and other works of art all honoring a device that brought interactive art and creativity right into our living rooms every day of our childhood!

Some of the games covered by Beyond Mode 7 include: (Art represented are works-in-progress!)

Super Mario World


© Scott Baer

Kirby’s Dreamland 3


© Matt Aucoin

Super Metroid


© Amanda Ruddock

TMNT Turtles in Time


© Bill Volk

Mega Man X


© Michael Ruggia

The Legend of Zelda: LttP


© Matt Aucoin

Earthbound/Mother2


© Randall Drew

…and many many more!

As a note to creators still working: The deadline for final art submissions is the end of this month! As of March, Jesse and I will be compiling the artwork together and preparing a Kickstarter for April! Then it’ll be a Super Nintendo Blitz to get as many people contributing to the campaign as possible! We want to put your art in as many hands as possible, so keep and eye out for requests to help spread the word!

Thanks, and game on!
-RD

Above original artworks are © their respective creator, all rights reserved!

MICE 2012 Report

Posted on October 6, 2012 by admin

MICE: the Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo was held last Saturday the 29th of September at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA. It was the show’s third year and by far it’s best! Here’s my short but quick review!

Note: I actually didn’t get any of my own photos this year outside of my sketch card commissions I did at the table, so I’ll be using photos taken by my co-tablers!

Here’s Chris “Radical” Warren, Matt Young and I at our table…Oh My God WHAT’S WRONG WITH MY FAAAAACE?! The cameraman unfortunately caught me stuffing said face.

The event this year was held in the same location as last years space, with almost an identical layout. One long hallway of tables and three adjoining rooms of various sizes. We happened to be in the very end, and smallest, room. At first one would think this would be detrimental to any one placed in that location, but it turned out to be a bit of a blessing as the small space tended to create traffic jams, trapping potential customers to salivate at your wares, and eventually cave to buying.


THIS face was made a lot at MICE! Smiles courtesy Colleen AF Venable and Stephanie Yue!

Sales were brisk when the crowds were thick, slowed significantly when people managed to find their way out. I sold a ton of sketch cards, no comics. My table mate Jesse DuRona on the other hand sold several copies of his Despondent MegaMan comic! Financially, this show was a success for us both! I heard similar tales from the few other cartoonists I had time to chat with. The attendance was a nice mixture of kids, teens and adults of all generations. Boston really came out to support it’s local creators and I’m very glad to have been a part of it yet again!

The after party went something like this:

Yes, that’s Deadpool at the end of the bar. Photo by Roho!

Despite losing my phone at Charlie’s Kitchen in Harvard Square, the Art School Fraud crew had a great time recording, losing, then re-recording a podcast whilst merrily drinking and eating with our fellow toonies. We also got a visit from our convention floor neighbor “Rampage” Warren! Her comics are hilarious, by the way! Oh, my phone did return to me, thanks to Chris’s Mother in law Margaret! Thanks Margaret! The only mar on the after party was the fact that the space was too small and several groups did end up finding another venue to get their drink on. The search for the perfect post-MICE party space continues!

-RD

NOTE: Now that my site is up and running again in some capacity, I’ll be re-uploading my sketch cards, two a week again, starting from scratch. Don’t worry though, I’ll start with my most recent additions from MICE! Then I’ll fill in the back-log as I go until we’re completely caught up some time in 2013! Every time I do a show however, I’ll break the chain and upload the newest ones right away so you all can stay current!