Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Accidental Cartoonist: The End Is The Beginning

Wednesday would normally be a release day for a new comic, but instead today comes with an announcement.

Monday's Brain Teaser, Do I Have to Spell It Out? is the final comic of this iteration of Brain Teaser Comics.  In Brain Teaser Comics, I have completed three years of what began as a side project.  I've written about how Brain Teaser was born, and for a time it was the comic I wanted and needed to do.

These day's I'm taking stock of all my projects and of late I have dialed everything back. I am no longer doing 3 podcasts every two weeks and am instead only producing one podcast every two weeks. I was at a point where all these fun side projects were becoming a stress inducing chore. Changing work schedules and a child entering middle school have also been contributing factors to this period of reflection.  As I've freed up some time it has allowed me to evaluate how I spend time working on my creative pursuits.

Brain Teaser Comics drew its inspiration from the likes of Gary Larson and Gahan Wilson, great creators of weird humor in the single panel format. I've had a lot of fun working in that style. I may even occasionally revisit it if I get a particular inspiration to do so, but at the moment I feel it is tiime to move on to some new things. One of the reasons I started doing comics, and the project that Brain Teaser was accidentally born from was a newspaper-style continuity strip.  That has always been my comics dream.

Over the last year of making Brain Teaser, I've thought more and more about a more narrative comic with a regular cast of characters, and telling long form stories.  I currently have such a project in its infancy and we'll see how it goes.  When the time is right, you'll see it here.

I'm going to be doing a lot of sketching, writing and character design, and may share some of that as well.  I'm going to do some painting, which I dabbled in a little last year, greatly enjoyed, and want to explore some more. I may also put together a few more mini-comics and zines, which I also dabbled in over the last year.  Keep an eye on the Blank Tape Comics site for any of that stuff. I've done some logo and poster design for a friend's new band and will likely be sharing some of that at Blank Tape as well.

In the mean time I want to extend my deepest thanks for everyone who read, shared, reblogged, retweeted, upvoted, starred, liked or favorited any Brain Teaser Comic here, on Twitter, Facebook, Reddit or Tumblr.  I appreciate all your feedback and comments.  The smallest thing like a retweet or a fav can truly make an artist's whole day. It seems like an inconsequential thing, but it lets them know someone cares about the work.  Take a second and click one of those buttons on a comic, article, blog post or whatever. It means a lot.

Bruce

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Click to Vent

I have, on occasion, made the mistake of getting embroiled in comment section exchanges. I really try to avoid it, but sometimes human nature overrides my rationality and I dive in. It never goes well. Do you ever take the plunge into these senseless battles?

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Traffic Sham

I'm pretty sure those buttons aren't actually connected to anything. What would your personal hell look like?

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Some Gander in Chief

If only we could get a cartoon duck in the White House. I hear Howard might be available...

Monday, July 27, 2015

Spare Thought

I think it would be nice to outsource my social media and other distractions to a secondary brain. I'd also let him handle my stress and worry.

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Hero for a Zero

I am really squicked out by spiders. Something about the way they move fills me with unease. Do have any critters or creatures that freak you out?

Monday, July 6, 2015

Block Party

I was always a wallflower and looked more like a victim of electrocution than a dancer.

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

The Reason for the Sneezin'

I'm allergic to ragweed and late summer always kicks my butt. Do you have any seasonal allergies?

Monday, June 29, 2015

Be All That You Can Bee


Would you consider uploading your consciousness or enhancing your intelligence in a posthuman/transhuman future?

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Accidental Cartoonist: Zine Fest Part 2

If you are visiting the site for the first time due to meeting me or picking up one of my mini comics at Denver, thank you and it was awesome meeting and talking with you at  Zine Fest!

Brain Teaser updates Mondays and Wednesdays every week and you can find me on many of your preferred social media platforms.

I always post comics and/or links to new comics at Brain Teaser's Official Facebook Page, on Twitter (I'm @otterdisaster) or at my Tumblr (also otterdisaster) or right here at Brain Teaser Comics.

Please check out past comics in the archive: HERE
Everything is categorized and tagged including comics about:

Love and Relationships
Mad Science
Human Nature
Animals
and even Work The tag cloud at right has even more.

Also check out Blank Tape Comics for non-Brain Teaser strips, longer form comics and other nonsense.

Thanks again for stopping by my table, leave a comment and 'Like' or follow on social media for all my latest updates!

The Accidental Cartoonist: Denver Zine Fest

Yesterday I attended Denver Zine Fest 2015 put on by The Denver Zine Library and Denver Art Society. This was a fantastic event, I met tons of cool local creators, and there was a steady crowd over the course of the whole day. I stayed busy talking with other zinesters, cartoonists, and fans of the whole zine/minicomics DIY ethos. I really want to commend Kelly and the rest of the crew for putting this together!



It wasn't a large convention by any stretch and that was its great strength as an event. Everyone there was very into what the creators were doing and promoting. No celebrity photo ops here, just people making things, and putting them into the hands of readers. I had a table and was selling mini comic compilations of Brain Teaser as well as some minis of material at Blank Tape Comics.  I also had some of Larry King's stuff for sale and one of his pieces was seemingly irresistible to the crowds. We'll talk about that more on this week's Media Montage Podcast!




I had great neighbors, including Chris from the Uncommon Futures zine, Zak from Midspace, and a bunch other stuff. The event gave me a lot to think about, as it was the first time I've ever had a table. Talking with other creators, and seeing how they promote, design and distribute has me rethinking some old approaches and considering many new ones.  I'm really glad I went for the table instead of just attending as a visitor. Getting the 'behind the table' perspective was eye-opening.  I will definitely be attending next year if this becomes an annual event.


Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Multiversal Pictures: Out of Time


Out of Time (1969) Three women, all... Out of Time. They are connected by a single link - Blood. 

Ms. July (Yvonne Craig) is a time agent from the far off future of 20XX, whose own bloodline becomes threatened by time assassin Mr. Ram (Terence Stamp) who's plotting to kill her ancestors!

Traveling back in time to Nazi Germany she meets her great, great, great grandmother Helga (Julie Newmar) and eventually ventures back to 10,000 B.C. to fight Mr. Ram alongside her ancestor Ta'roon (Helen Mirren). Can Ms. July save her future by traveling to the past, before she's out of time?

Produced by William Dozier (TV's Batman) and Sergio Leone (Fistful of Dollars) with script by Lorenzo Semple, and directed by Tonino Valerii (Day of Anger). The film premiered at the 22nd Cannes Film Festival in 1969 it wasn't well received, and has gained cult status over the years due to overnight showings on local and cable TV.

Art and Write up by Larry King

Special Thanks to Larry King for helping me with some fill-in material over the last few weeks while I prepare for Denver Zine Fest!

Monday, June 22, 2015

Multiversal Pictures: Ladyhawke


Ladyhawke (2012) In this hilarious, self-aware reimagining of the 1985 fantasy favorite, youthful thief Phillipe Gaston (Jay Baruchel) befriends Capt. Navarre (Chris Hemsworth), a man with a strange secret. Navarre and his lover Lady Isabeau d'Anjou (Kristin Bell) were cursed by the wicked Bishop of Aquila (Jeremy Irons), who desires Lady Isabeau for himself. His dark magic prevents the pair from ever being in each other's presence except at twilight, so they enlist Gaston and Imperious the Confessor (Seth Rogan) in a hilarious plot to overthrow the Bishop and break his evil enchantment.


Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Multiversal Pictures: RacquetSlam


RacquetSlam (2012) When tennis pro Alex 'Ace' Anderson (Kevin James) is framed for cheating by rival Gary Helman (Allen Covert) he's forced out of pro tennis.  Alex ends up working in a rundown neighborhood rec center when a chance encounter with brothers Walter (David Spade) and Benny (Rob Schneider) leads Alex to the strange world of underground extreme tennis. 

Walter and Benny are The Demolishers, two-time doubles champions of World Xtreme Tennis, trying to mount a comeback.  They need help and Alex needs the money.  He only agrees to train them, but before you know it he's burning up the courts in WXT singles competition as 'The Ace' and getting on the nerves of WXT's megalomaniac owner Lance Vanders (Vince Vaughn). 

Alex also catches the eye of WXT Women's Champion Valerie Vixen (Anna Faris). Lance has his own designs on Valerie and he vows to destroy Alex, The Demolishers and anyone who sides with them.  It all comes to a head at RacquetSlam the Pay Per View that will make or break WXT! 

With cameos from the worlds of both Tennis and Sports Entertainment, RacquetSlam serves up  Xtreme action and Xtreme comedy!


Monday, June 8, 2015

Multiversal Pictures Presents: Karate Mann (2015)


Karate Mann (2016) - In his youth Eddie Mann (Danny McBride) learned all about being a man from his karate teacher and mentor Mr. Lee (James Hong). After Mr. Lee's death Eddie's life is in shambles. 

He's losing his business, his wife Judith (Jane Krakowski) and what's left of his self respect.

His dojo is losing students to the corporate run Kobra Kool Dojos owned by Mr. Lee's creepy rival Franklin 'the Kobra' Cohenburg (Henry Winkler). Eddie suspects his wife is cheating on him with his former best friend Alan (Ken Marino) who now runs the Kobra Kool Dojo in Eddie's neighborhood., and he has no idea what his last loyal employee, Jack (Al Leong), is up to in the dojo after hours. 

Haunted by near constant, taunting visions of the late Mr. Lee, Eddie has to put his life back together before it's too late, using the only thing he's ever known - karate!  

Clever fight sequences meet hilarious comedy in the sleeper hit of 2015 Karate Mann!

Art by Larry King

Friday, June 5, 2015

Coming Soon: Denver Zine Fest & Multiversal Pictures


I am currently busy preparing to attend the Denver Zine Fest at the end of June, and much of my time has been diverted away from drawing Brain Teaser to getting mini-comics and other stuff ready for my first ever convention! I'm really excited about this and if you are in Denver on June 27th, I hope you'll stop by and say, 'Hello'!

With that in mind, over the next couple weeks I'll be presenting a side project done in conjunction with Larry King, my talented partner on the Media Montage Podcast. Larry kindly agreed to help me out with some fill-in materials while I get ready for the Zine Fest You should check out his awesome art and comics at his Deviant Art page. I'll also have a bunch of Larry's comics for sale at my table, so come check it out!

Larry and I frequently look at movies on the podcast and we began imagining movies that seem like they could or should exist. We figured in an infinite multiverse, any movie that could exist, does exist in the Universe Next Door. So in the tradition of Comics That Never Existed, we present:


Movie Posters for Movies From the Universe Next Door.
Look for them starting next Monday!

Monday, May 25, 2015

How Now, Cow Town


Another Comic That Never Existed!

A Gem of the Bronze Age, Cowtown Comics was a team up book featuring Cow Puncher, an invulnerable brawler, teaming up each month with another hero. Frequent partners included the Kansas City Rattlesnake, Jet Star, The Jade Jack, and Rumble Bee.

The stories were modern takes on western themes featuring our heroes protecting small towns, car thieves as cattle rustlers and of course, showdowns at high noon.

Cowtown Comics ran in this format for 94 issues before being re-titled as Cow Puncher & the New West Heroes, a team book featuring Cow Puncher leading a group of young upstarts including The Sketch, Diamondback, Kid Cryo, and Jackalope.


Monday, May 18, 2015

Spouting Flies

My contempt for politicians is well known.  With a presidential election right around the corner I'm contemplating locking myself in a remote shack until about August of 2017.

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Dual Cassette

I loved the cassette format. Portable, durable, and the first audio format that allowed you to make your own mixes of music.



Wednesday, April 29, 2015

The Devil You Know

I'm not big on social gatherings, parties and such. Do you enjoy getting to know strangers in social situations?

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Sole Mates

Do you believe in love at first sight? I think it's possible in a certain way. I dunno, maybe that's just lust.

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Monday, April 13, 2015

Bottle Nose

Bozo, Pennywise, Krusty, The Joker. Who is your favorite Pop Culture Clown?

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Work I.D.

Do you ever feel like your day job consumes your entire being? It is all too common, and one of the reasons I like to draw silly cartoons.

Monday, March 16, 2015

Space Hole

I'm a big fan of the X-Files, Alien conspiracies, and UFO Stuff. I've even seen a UFO. What about you? Have you ever seen a flying object you couldn't identify?