My Two Lovely Little Ladies

Here's a christmas gift I put together for my wife, who's put up with me and my dysfunctional brain for almost ten years.

I had my girls pose for the camera dressed up, much like my brother and I had dressed when we pretended to be superheroes. I took some artistic liberty and such and totally blew off any detail or quality for the background. Right now, I'm just satisfied that I captured the feeling that I wanted. When we're kids, we're invincible. And it doesn't take much to bring us to the reality of our imagination. Perhaps I'll revist it at a later date and clean the background up. add some colors and all that.

Hockey game doodle

The Crazy Mental Distortion Fields of an Insomniac

Here is a sketch that I laid down tonight (this morning) at a frenetic pace. I was like a hound dog on the scent of some undisclosed query, but without the fur and quivering nose and yipping. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that I was manic in my delivery of ink from my pen to the surface of the paper. I had to be, I had been lying in my bed with the idea slowly revolving and surfacing and constructing itself right inside my head. While I was trying to sleep, damn it!

So, I put it down for all of you to see and clap your thunderous applause and bow in your humble adoration.

The basic idea is that wherever you go, you plant seeds of yourself (get your minds out of the gutter) for them to ferment and grow. You are important to the bio/culture/technosphere around in that you allow it to grow and cultivate itself and you actively contribute to that whether you like it or not. It's an idea that I'm still trying to shove into my own very stubborn brain.

Here's some of the text from the piece in case it's not legible: From his head: (from top to bottom.)

- Every day must be as important as the next or we loose ourselves in time.

- Allow others to appreciate you.

- The human being exists not for its manual labor but for the beauty of it's mind.

- Love yourself.

- My ideas are the only way I can justify my existance here on Earth. (doesn't quite fit the positive flow of everything else, but it's there, so deal with it.)

- Love what you do.

And then the little paragraph behind the walking dude: Regardless of whether or not you believe in god, take solace and pleasure in the fact that you are a jumble of atoms put together in a cosmic mistake and given the prescious gift of knowing you are here.

A Simple Little Panel

Sometimes, a simple little panel jumps out at me and I really like it. Here's one that contributes nothing to the story. Just an establishing shot leading to another establishing shot. Just a place for me to put my monologue.

But for some reason, I really like this panel. It's just cool.

Atomic Robo, Myers Style

Here's my contribution to Red 5's request for Atomic Robo pin-up's. Atomic Robo is awesomesauce. That's right. He's awesomesuace.

Created by Brian Clevenger and Scott Wegener and published by Red 5, he's full of attitude and the writing and art in this series is smart and crisp and phenominal. Highly recommended to all.

Other contributions and info can be found here on their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/red5comics?ref=ts

Me Not Lie. Hulk Chop Cherry Tree.

Here's my attempt at muscles. Based on a challenge put forth to me by my friend and fellow artist, Anthony (ANMPH) Hary.

I actually did quite a bit of research into this. Despite my background in life drawing, The emphasis was on the human form, not the exagerated human form, as is common in most comics. So, I pulled as many body builder images I could find and went to work. I didn't want to pull from other artists because I wanted the art to be my own style.

I'm really interested in what you think of Hulk. Whether or not you think his limbs look appropriate to the muscle mass and so on. Lay it on me artists. Don't be kind. I need to improve.

Fundraising Opportunity

Hi Everyone.

I am currently working on an art porject that is going to require some funding on my part and I'm coming up short. So I'm going to sell my services to help meet that goal.

I do pencil portraits of people and animals that have been used for gifts for the holiday season or any other time of the year. I'm charging $30 for an 8 x 10 black and white pencil portrait.

Just so everything is on the up and up, I will not charge you anything until the portrait is finished. I'll send you a low resolution image of the finished art and then, if you like it, you can make the payment to my paypal account and I'll send you the completed artwork complete with frame.

Attached are some samples of previous portrait work I've done.

Ohh, you can contact me at floatingislandstudios@gmail.com if you're interested.

Iron Man

Here's my first attempt at Iron Man, as suggested by my friend and partner at ANA Comics, Anthony "ANMPH" Hary. The reason he suggested it is a lot of my art is organic and filled with curves and soft lines. We thought it might be a challenge to draw something mechanical.

I'm happy with the way it turned out. All though I think it still looks more organic than mechanical. I've managed to turn Iron Man's armor into something a little more streamlined.

Darkseid

Here is my first blog sketch request for Jamie Gambell, via Twitter.

I'm going to try to do a sketch request once a week for people. If I don't get a request, then you'll just have to settle with what I want to draw. :) And if people want them, I might just send out the original sketch to them.

I have to admit, Darkseid is a character I know almost nothing about. I know he's a Superman villian. I personally think he looks a bit like Mongul, or vice versa. So, I had to do some image searches on Google to get a good feel of the guy. I tried to capture the feel of all those pictures and of the character. Anyway, here's Darkseid.

Children of Osiris

Here's a page from a project that I'm working on with... myself.

It's a follow up to Harijan with the same central cast. It takes place a few years down the road as you can see from Virgil's new look and older appearance.

Skeksis from the Dark Crystal

The Dark Crystal has always been a HUGE inspiration to me and I had just gotten a book called The World of the Dark Crystal. So, I decided to draw my own Skeksi. I'm feeling a bit ambitious and I might even attempt a sculpture of the Uru, or Mystics as they were known in the movie.

An Attempt at Technicolor

Here's the second page of Harijan in my attempt to color. I might have a colorist working on this right now, but I need to see some of the pages before I can determine whether or not they'll work out.

The Sandman Cometh

Inspired by a fellow artist's version of The Sandman, I decided to work up one of my own. I went with Neil Gaiman's version of The Sandman as that was one of the books that really inspired me to strive for good storytelling in my comics and not just rely on action.

On to Brighter Things - or - More Old Stuff

Warning, some nudity below as these are some Life Drawing pieces. Really want to get back into taking some classes whenever I get the time, which will be never. :)

Fighting the Beast

At times, talking to people about my depression is such a trivial matter. The main problem is that there's no "real cause" for it. I've got a great job, a wonderful wife, 2 beautiful and funny girls. I've got an incredible support group of friends and family. But the Beast still sits there. Waiting to chew me up whenever it feels like it.

There doesn't have to be a trigger. I'm taking medication and I've seen a counselor. I'm well aware of how illogical it is to think of myself any less of a human being. But the Beast doesn't care about logic. That's one of the reasons people have issues with depression. Rational and logical approaches don't matter. It doesn't care.

I perfectly understand how it affects others around me. I understood before all the pharmaceutical ads told me it did. I don't like talking about it because I don't want it to feel like I'm fishing for compliments but at the same time, if you ignore it, it grows and festers inside you like a cancer.

So, I deal with it. I deal with it wit hthe help of my family and friends and a some Prozac and some counseling. I try and address it as rationally as I can and use every weapon at my disposal to keep it at bay. But sometimes, sometimes, the Beast just doesn't give a fuck what you try and do.

Bridging Generations

Here is my daughter's contribution to my web comic, The Precarious Adventures of Newton Von Brisby. The largehand in the center is actually a hand tree from a poster in my office. There is a rather large daddy long leg and New is plying up into the air to battle his nemisis who is surrounded by a dark force field. This is my first piece of fan art. I think I will actually include it in a print collection of the series if we ever get around to collecting it.

I'm very proud of her work, as any father should be, and plan on ecouraging her to write her own stories and draw her own pictures to expand that sponge-like 6 yr old brain.

Dusting off the archives part duex

To prove to folks that I am not only a comic book artist, I present to you some paintings that I've done over the years. Most of these I did with the help of my girls as they helped me brush in the backgrounds or use their handprints. It makes the experience that much more incredible with their jpy involved, even though I do tend to be a bit controlling at times.

I don't know where you would classify my art. I don't really want it to be classified as a matter of fact.

I've done more paintings that I'll eventually get imaged and uploaded but these are the acryllics I have digitally archived at this time. More to come.

Dusting off the Archives

I figured I'd try a change of place here on the ol' Blog for a while and revisit some of my older work. Some things from college, some things from doodle pads, some stuff from late night coffee and cigarette binges at Denny's. So here's my first contribution, 4 pieces of art from an Applied Art Class I took at Kendall College of Art and Design. Think they are mostly Tombo Pen with colored pencils for highlight and texture.

My frustrated manifesto

Why is it so wrong to hope and strive for a world where people take care of one another instead scratching and clawing in a vain attempt to get to the top of a worthless pile of dung, only to be pushed aside by the next ruthless, soulless being to climb up. How did our world get to the point that the only way to support your family is to grab and claw and fight for every little crumb. What satisfaction am I supposed to take from supporting my family if the work that I do isn't noble?

I was recently in a meeting where one of our higher ups from my day job used the phrase "What we do is a noble thing." No. It's not. Far from it. What we do, and I include all of Corporate America in this, is the opposite of noble. To be noble is to sacrifice yourself for the betterment of others. To be noble is to suffer so that others don't have to. There is nothing noble in grabbing for your chunk of the market share.

That's one of the reasons why I was and still am, excited about what we;re doing at ANA Comics. It truly isn't about making money. It's about creating an environment that encourages others to meet their potential and rise above it and beyond. It's about creating a company that lowers themselves to the ground to pick you up and dust you off and send you on your way with our support.

I need the opportunity to find a "job" that fits that bill. Does that job even exist? Something where you can support your family and still be proud of the work that you've done? Where, at the end of the day, you can wipe the dirt off your hands and step back and look at what you've done and HONESTLY say that it's a good thing? Am I just being the stubborn ideologist? Am I being ignorant to the ways of the world? Would it be better for my family if I just shrugged my shoulders and said "that's the way of the world" and proceeded to tear my neighbors throat out to make the money that I need?

We've become a society of thieves and vampires and we've been told to accept it. We've been told countless times that THIS is the way the world works. I can't bring myself to accept that. I can't bring myself to rape and pillage just because it benifits my family. If that makes me a bad father and husband, then so be it.

There needs to be a change in this world. A drastic change. We need to find a way so that we don't have to tread on our neighbors face and hands to advance up the mountain of dung. We need to find a way so that we don't have to punch and gouge and scrape our way to the top. We need to find a way so that we can provide our own broad shoulders for the foundation of others to climb up and maybe, just maybe, they'll retunr the favor and allow you a chance to climb up and see over the horizon.

This tirade doesn't come near to satisfying the frustration that's eating away at my insides but I hope it's a start. I hope that anyone reading can walk away and maybe, just once in their day, stop and help someone out. Grab that taxi for the man next to you instead of leaping in front of him. Give that stranger on the bus the extra 50 cents they need to get the ride. Offer up your seat on the subway to the stranger standing in front of you. Buy the coffee for the guy behind you in line at your favorite coffee shop.

I can't tell if I'm screaming in vain to the empty heavens or if this rant will have any effect on the world. And I know that my primary responsibility is to the welfare of my girls and to my wife. So I will continue to do what I have to to keep them safe and secure and comfortable. But I WON'T stop railing against a system I see is corrupt.

That's it for now. Thanks for reading.

Nicholas P. Myers

The Contradictions of being an artist

I hope this doesn't come across as some sort of selfish rant, but I needed some way to let my frustration leak out in the ethosphere. There is a definite duality to life if you're one who is considered an artist. You are expected to be the one with the creative answers. You are expected to have an opinion regarding any type of design aspect in other people's lives. And you are expected to present yourself as a normal, fully functional human being.

At the same time, you have to pretend that your emotions do not rule your life. You should put forth the false notion that you can behave rationally in any situation. As an adult, you are expected to handle your life exactly as every other rational human being would and fit in.

Because of these things, I am ashamed of my artistic impulses. I am ashamed that I think it's funny to have colorful toe socks, which are actually very comfortable. I worry that I'm not presenting myself as the proper father figure because I am given to emotional ebbs and flows.

I am frustrated by the fact that I have to come and sit in the tan cubicle day after day in order to provide for my family. I am frustrated that I have to do this instead of pursuing my passion properly. I understand the necessity of it but I am still frustrated by it.

I wish people would understand that life hurts me and pleases me to much more of an extent than the rational mind because I don't have a true filter for it. My life is a sensory based life where every pleasure and pain is amplified 10 fold and it can have a physuical affect on me. Causing anxiety and depression. And I would love to have someone tell me they understand how I feel instead of telling me I need to find a better way to deal with it. I know I have to find a better way to deal with it. I am not ignorant of my position as a father and a husband.

I'll get off my soapbox now. Thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope I didn't push too many buttons. But I feel better now. :)

Nick M.

I found a wonderful site out there for some great reference photos that will be perfect once I visit The Harijan series again. Lots of great photo references from run down Detroit areas that I think can give me much more detail and character that I could get from just pulling it out of my head. The trick is going to be able to use these photos as references in the pages without making them stand out too much in comarison with the rest of the page. Anyway, here's the link for the site:

http://www.marchandmeffre.com/

Being able to look back and smile.

This is a very important part of my life. My childhood and my family. Some people, unfortunately were not blessed with the childhood and family that I had when I was growing up. I think these were very important in shaping who I am today, so I'd like to share something with you today. My uncle put together a website with some old pictures of my grandparents when they were young and he also included some old home videos that my family made.

Now, I'm not talking about boring home videos of hours of kids unwrapping presents, but actual scripted movies with plots and brilliant acting. Well, maybe it wasn't brilliant acting. And the soundtrack was a boombox played by my other uncle.

So check the link out if you've got the time and let me know what you think!!

http://blandinghistory.shutterfly.com/

Mikey from TMNT. Hockey game sketch #2.

Here's a quick sketch I did of Michaelangelo from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. A kind of first time warm up sketch as I've drawn the Turtles before and from the fun I had on this one, I'm kicking myself for not doing it sooner.

A picture that blows my mind.

A while ago, while immersed in the mind numbing data of the internet, this photo came to me. I was searching for some reference photos of the Garthim from The Dark Crystal and the artist who created this photo was named Garthim, apparently.

I am simultaneously in love with this photo and afraid of it. The story or the world that this image opens up is both terrifying and fascinating. I think that's an integral part of any artwork. It needs to play on both sides of the human experience.

I want to make this picture part of a writing workshop through http://www.anacomics.com/ and just post the picture and make the goal be to write a story behind or inspired by the photo. I have a story that has been building in this world but I don't want to put it out for fear of changing your experience on viewing the picture. Perhaps I'll post it a later date?

10 min sketch during Wing's game

Threw this on my sketch while I was listening to Larry Murphy break down the second period of tonight's hockey game. Felt good to just sit and let something flow out of my pen instead of trying to think about what to draw.

First Impressions

Imagine that this blog doesn't feel like your first date in high school, with both you and your significant other akwardly feeling along in the dark for something familar to hold onto. Imagine instead that this a chance encounter with a stranger on the street who just happens to catch your attention. With that in mind, I want the opportunity to hold that attention for a little while longer.

I've got outlets such as Twitter and Facebook and my own comics company which I run, partnered with two other great individuals, Anthony Hary and Adrian Wilkins. http://www.anacomics.com/. But I want this blog to exist as a seperate entity from those other outlets, as well as an extension of them and myself.

So, this is my first attempt at a blog and I will try many more. I will consider this place a dump site for all the data that builds in my head. All the ideas and images and stories and worlds that swim to existance out of the chaotic grey mist of my mind. Right now is just a clumsy introduction. Hopefully, later, you'll give me the opportunity to wow you with my mind.