And Then There Was... James!

Page 13 pencils for upcoming Pretty Vacant: Final Repose


Working with an artist is never easy. If John Lennon and Paul McCartney ultimately could not get along, what chance do the rest of us have?

I was sad when Oscar informed me that he would not have time to pencil my latest script, Pretty Vacant: Final Repose. Oscar designed the Gigi character and helped me guide her through two comic book adventures. He just couldn’t be replaced, yet the project had to move forward.

Finding an artist was the main reason why I decided to share a table with my friend/inker Robert at the Long Beach Comic Con last Halloween. It wasn’t nearly as busy as the San Diego Comic Con, giving me the chance to ask fellow comic creators about working with me. Yet all of the artists were busy with their own projects. Aside from my friends Sandra and Josh willing to do covers, I still needed an interior pencil artist.

The brainstorm hit me two weeks later: I would advertise for a pencil artist online!

Penciller/Artist Wanted (Los Angeles/Ventura area)

Pencil artist wanted for upcoming 48 page action/sci-fi/damsel-in-distress comic book based on the premise of how mad scientists make money to fund their evil experiments! This is a PG-13 comic but does have provocative situations.

Pay is small, but there is full artistic credit and assistance in obtaining professional status at Comic-Con ($125 value per year)!

I uploaded the ad believing that I would get perhaps three responses in 15 days.

I got 15 in three days!

Five thought the small pay was too little and immediately dropped out, but how was I going to pick from the last ten? By e-mailing the rest asking for art samples of Gigi. Four sent samples. They were all very good, but I had to tell Dave, Pepe and Bianca that I would go with James.

Lennon and McCartney’s partnership lasted twelve years. As for James and myself, can't we all just get along for 48 pages!