Arms & Ether - Number 55 - Invasion of the Women!

It has begun. . . And the Arms and Ether-verse will never be the same. The women are coming. And hapless Blue Max experiences first contact! What the ramifications are for our adolescent testosterone-charged crew, we have no way of knowing. Get a harbinger and ring in the first days of summer with today's Arms and Ether!

p.s. yes a massive site redesign is still scheduled for the summer

p.p.s. yes, still going to be rolling in 3D as well. . . aieeee!

Making of Arms & Ether - Learning/Stealing From The Best - Dan Clowes

Shower Power: Arms & Ether (left) as cribbed from Dan Clowes' Ghost World (right).

In my first Arms and Ether comic I needed to draw a shower scene. To get a clue, I looked back at Dan Clowes' Ghost World. Ooh steamy. Here are a few of the many things I got from Clowes:

a. The tile pattern is not carried through the entire wall. If it did so, the tile would interfere with the shower curtain pattern.

b. That's a big expansive shower that they're in, and it's probably not a "realistic" depiction of what the shower in Enid's place would look like. The audience, however, won't notice this, and the bigger shower makes the shot easier to stage and "read." Clowes creates a shower that suits his visual narrative purpose without being distracting or cluttered.

c. The shower curtain reads very clearly as a shower curtain without being painstakingly rendered as a distracting, overly realistic shower curtain.

d. The water coming out of the shower head and onto the bodies is also very clearly and cleanly stylized.

e. If you look at the man's hands in Clowes' shot, they're surprisingly cartoony.  I've looked at this panel hundreds of times and only notice it when I'm analyzing his drawing method. I didn't notice the goofy hands when I was reading the book straight through. It's a great example of economy and method in drawing comics--staging and clarity first. No need to go all Albrecht Durer on us!

If you look closely (Highlights magazine!) you'll see I left out several Clowes details in my version -- the shower curtain rings, the shading on the shower head, the left hand wall, etc. I did this because my panel was smaller and was feeling cluttered. Since I have a looser, rougher style than Clowes, I scuffed my drawing up a bit to match my overall approach.

Arms & Ether - Day 25 - The End Of The Trail (sure it is)

 

Look at Molo in the midst of all that green! He must be idly unwinding in the wide-open possibilities of March! Better go and see if that's the case in today's Arms and Ether. Thanks to all of you who read and suffered through the 25-day Arms and Ether Marathon plus one. Hopefully we don't all regret it.

Arms & Ether - Day 24 - When Drawing Glands Deplete

 Weak tea? Sure, we've got that in abundance. And bugs. All in today's Arms and Ether!

Arms & Ether - Day 23 - Staggering To The Finish Line

Grumble, grumble. Today's Arms & Ether. Grumble, grumble.

Arms & Ether - Day 22 - The Cent-ur Cain't Holde None!

Look, you can eat a whole bag of Cool Ranch Doritos at midnight or go see today's Arms & Ether. It's really up to you. Either way, trust it'll be an insightful experience.

Arms & Ether - Day 21 - Historical Insignificance

No words, no colors, no calories, just 100% of the great taste and satisfaction you've come to expect from today's Arms & Ether. Like the Vollard Suite. Yeah. Just like it. So cool. So good.

Arms & Ether - Day 20 - Who Loves The Sun?

 

Anyone out there need gradients? Like, four solid panels full of 'em? Good, because we've gradients to spare in today's sunrise-oriented Arms & Ether.

ARmS & eThER - Day 19 - Complain, Complain, Me is a Grizzly Drama Queen

 

Apologies, but I'm sinking to self-referential 3D humor, and that's a sorry, sad thing. What can I say, I'm as misguided as THE MAKER in tonight's Arms & Ether.

Arms & Ether - Day 18 - Huff Puff, Huff Puff

 It's up, it's up. With a minute to spare. Today's Arms and Ether. Now, let's all get some sleep. Come on, people. It's good for you.

Arms & Ether - Day 17 - Wrath of The Lich King

 

What messages do the dead send us from beyond the grave??? More self-obsessed crap it turns out. Shoot. Listen in anyway at today's Arms N' Ether.

Arms & Ether - Day 16 - With All of its Attendant Sweetness

I need to get me a corncob pipe. Kind of like the guy in today's Arms & Ether. How y'all doin, tonight?

Arms & Ether - James At 15

 

Anyone for glorious experiences? I'm for it. I'm all for it. Just take a look at today's Arms and Ether, and see what it did for me!

Arms & Ether - Day 14 - But Who's Counting?

 

Me n' Grant Hart collaborated on this one. Or was it Bob Mould?? Hmmm, come to think of it, it was Gregg Norton. Definitely. I remember the mustache. No, no, wait, this is just another one of my "episodes," kind of like today's episode of  Arms and Ether.

And because embedding rollicking rock songs on the web is the 21st equivalent of writing lyrics on one's Pee Chee folder. . .

Arms & Ether - Day 13 - Over The Hump, But To What End?

 

Sensitive, mournful eyes. It can only mean one thing. A messed-up Redon drawing, or a lovingly painted portrait of, "Our Founder." See today's Arms & Ether and be spurred to greater profitability and sacrifice for the company.

Arms & Ether - Day 12 - Snakes, Not On A Plane

Oh, what the hell. Why not? Don't lament lost chances. Live for the now over at aujourd'hui's Arms N' Ether. And, as we've said here before, "Me and Caravaggio, playin' our guitars."

Arms & Ether - Day 11 - I've Got Some Ideas. Take 'Em Down.

Look at this. Look at this. Look what you made me do. At Sunday's Valentine's Arms & Ether!!!
:)

Arms & Ether - Day 10 - I miss my dog

Today's Arms and Ether is about an aspiration any self-respecting melancholy sap has had time and time again. So here's to cold February everywhere. I've internal grumbling and fatigue about this strip, hence the midnight posting. Ballz.

Arms & Ether Day 9 - Maker's Mark

 

Hmmm. Looks like a giant glowing head in the sky. Could those be The Three Wisemen? Not likely, but I'm sure they have something to say. What might that be? See today's Arms & Ether. . . and believe.

Arms & Ether - Day 8 - House Beautiful

 

Dang, this floral wallpaper is pretty. Seriously. Go see it on display at today's Arms and Ether.

I feel this damn decade congealing around me, already. Cripes.