Honestly, I’ve no idea. But you can see what mine is wearing right here…

For those of you who aren’t regulars here, this is Steve Collins, a.k.a. The Victory Streak. He is the title character of my upcoming comic-book, and naturally the protagonist of the story.

I’m going to be posting character designs for this and many of the other recurring characters in the book, with the exception of a couple whose appearance in this blog would reveal a major plot point that I don’t want to telegraph.

I’m leaning toward dispense with the idea of the costume altogether, as I’m kinda fascinated with the idea of a hero who runs around in street clothes. There’s something about normal clothes that grounds a character, at least for me, and makes the fantastic all the more believable. I’ve also thought about using the tee-shirt as a running joke, placing a different logo there in each issue (or at least in each story).

Can I pull it off? Ultimately, I think it will depend on my drawing skills. If my drawings are dynamic enough, I think I can make it work. I think this drawing represents an improvement over the last two I posted. But there is still enormous need for improvement. For example, I did a lousy job rendering the character’s hair, hands, and sneakers. And while I’m getting better at drawing folds in clothing, I still have a ways to go in that department.

I’ll be aiming for completing at least three sketches a week, all of which will be posted here. Feel free to leave a comment below. I’m eager to hear your thoughts!

It’s time for me to change my blogging habits to better reflect my current interests and ambitions. As of this moment I am exiting the business of commenting on current events and politics. Instead, “The Bill Myers Creations Blog!” will be solely dedicated to, perish the thought, promoting Bill Myers Creations and my upcoming self-published comic, The Victory Streak. (more…)

Okay, while I’m putting the finishing touches on the first issue’s script, I thought I’d play around with different looks for The Victory Streak and market test them with you all.

Here he is with a jacket: 

What do you think?

UPDATED: I redrew the figure to correct some problems with the construction, lighting, and folds, and to make it more legible when scanned. Enjoy! 

Hey kids, sorry I’ve been gone awhile. To make up for it, here is the first ever sketch of The Victory Streak in action!

I’m afraid the scan is kinda crappy. After I scanned the drawing, I tried inking it and remembered that my inking skills are waaayyyy behind my meager penciling skills. I’m going to “recover” it by tracing over it on a clean sheet using my lightbox, and see if I can tighten it up with a darker pencil that will scan better. If it’s appreciably better, I’ll post it.

Gotta go. I understand a friend is having a crisis of confidence and I need to set him straight.

Wow. When I announced that I’d be posting something that had “significant implications” for “The Victory Streak” and my life in general, I guess I should’ve realized that would have created a bit of buzz. I suppose I should be happy about that. But it wasn’t my intention to: a.) worry anyone, or b.) oversell this post. This isn’t a discrete announcement, per se. I’m not joining the circus, becoming an astronaut, moving to the moon, nor dying of some terminal case of Cucamongaphobia. (more…)

Jerry Chandler, Sean Scullion, and Micha Roded have been kind enough to critique the script for The Victory Streak #1, and in so doing have helped me get past the creative logjam that was getting in the way of finishing the story. (more…)

I recently was inspired to make a big push to get my comic back on track. For the better part of two weeks I cast everything else aside, hunkered down and plowed ahead. Unfortunately, during that time I neglected everything else: my day job, the housecleaning, everything. I’ve been spending the last month trying to recover. Worse still, I’m not that much further ahead on my comic.

I clearly need a new plan, one that is sustainable and avoids repeating my past mistakes. I’ll be posting about that in a bit. But right now I’m extremely fatigued from three weeks of sacrificing sleep to the overtime monster. I’m going to bed.

I have whined, begged, pleaded, cajoled, and nearly bribed a number of people to read my script. In return, I have promised to read the work of a handful of other people and as of now, I have met not a single one of those commitments.

If you’re one of those people, do NOT even bother trying to tell me it’s not a big deal. It is a matter of honor. I am going to make the time you made for me. It’s that simple.

I need about a month.

Oh, and Sean Scullion, if you’re reading this, I lost the file for your script again, damn it! Would you mind re-sending? This time I will PRINT IT OUT. Paper doesn’t crash.

The script I posted for the first issue of The Victory Streak? Crap. Complete, utter, stinking crap. So I pulled it from the site.

Before anyone decides to try talking me off the proverbial ledge, you might want to make note of the fact that I’m not ON that proverbial ledge. I believe in myself, and I believe in this project.

But I shouldn’t have posted that script to begin with. That’s what I did in January 2006, when I initiated this project. It was a mistake to post the first version back then, and it was a mistake to post this latest version as well. Both times I was giving into a deep-seated fear that I would never finish the comic. I wanted to get everyone’s attention with what little I felt I could do.

Well, I am through repeating the mistakes of the past. The only way this will work — the only way it should work, and the only way it CAN work — is for me to do things in this order: pencil, ink, letter, post. Repeat 24 times and I have an online comic. Send those 24 files to the printer, and I have a printed book.

Really simple.

I know exactly what was wrong with the script I posted, and how I can fix it. And NO, I am not wasting time tinkering with adverbs as a way of avoiding finishing this comic. If that’s what you think, well, you’re entitled to think that but you’re just plain wrong. I know that the best script I’m capable of writing today is going to look like junk to me a year from now. But when I finish the script and five minutes later realize it’s not REMOTELY close to the best work of which I am capable, yeah, I’m revising it.

It doesn’t hurt that this is an amateur, self-published venture and I have some grace time.

Well, except for that $250 grant offered by Colleen Doran. I have to have something to show for by September 15. And I will.

I just posted the script for the first issue. If I don’t sound jubilant it’s because, well, I’m not. I’m just tired. Moreover, I’ve decided it’s time to stop trying to get people excited about “previews.” I’m either going to do this comic or I’m not. Going forward, I’ve decided the drill will be as follows: take blank page, pencil, ink, letter, and then post. Repeat 24 times = finished comic.

If anyone wants to read the script and comment about it here, I would certainly welcome the input. But the script is behind me now, and my sights are set squarely on the finished project.

In between finished pages, I’ll probably post the best drawings from my sketchbook. I think that’s legit. “Real” comic artists do that all the time.

Thanks to everyone who has supported this project so far. Please understand that without that support, I don’t believe any of this would be possible.

I am now going to bed.