Grizzly & The Bear Patrol #8

[kybearfuzz]

I finished the cover tonight and gave the comic one last proofread in the hopes I caught all the errors. Issue 8 has taken a while to get moving. I started plotting this issue all the way back in April. Drawing and coloring take a lot more time, but this issue has been in progress for five months. Overall, I'm pretty happy how this issue turned out and it was good to bring back a familiar villain.

I hope you guys and gals like it. There are 24 full-color pages behind the spoiler cut below, all are "PG-13" and work-safe, but they might take a bit of time to load. I also put some notes about the issue at the end.


















































Notes:

• This issue took a bit longer to do because I created a few new characters based on friends: The Bear Runner (_decibel_), The Flying Scotsman (kybigstew), Dynamo (jeepdude_70), and Cloak (former LJ'er ronm). Only Monolith was completely new, but he's somewhat based, at least physically, on a co-worker of mine.


• I enjoyed bringing back The Bear Collector. I figured a six issue hiatus was long enough.


• As you read the comic, you might notice that the cover image and the story images don't match up exactly, in terms of how the team arrives and how the Collector tortures Center. This was pretty common back when I started reading comics in the 1970's. It occurred I think because often the cover artist was different than the story artist and the book and cover were often not done at the same time. When I was drawing the cover last night, I thought it would be fun to copy that idea.


• I've noticed that most comic book covers these days don't have speech bubbles on them, but it was pretty commonplace on comics in the 1970's and 80's. I looked back to my past covers and I'm about 50% on the speech bubble covers. I guess I'm a throwback in that regard.


• Most pages have at least one panel with backgrounds on each page. Some pages turned out better than others. I am trying to standardize the layout of the "On the Growl" bar at least.

Any questions or criticisms, just let me know. :)

Comments

[texwriterbear.livejournal.com]

Awesome job as always Mark!!!!

[kybearfuzz.livejournal.com]

Thanks furry bear! :)

[putzmeisterbear.livejournal.com]

You are rockin' it.

[kybearfuzz.livejournal.com]

It's a lot of work, but I do enjoy it. Thanks!

[bruinwi.livejournal.com]

Great work. Wish *I* could be a guest in a Grizzly adventure....but then, who doesn't?

[kybearfuzz.livejournal.com]

Well, you never know when someone may pop-up. :)

[barak.livejournal.com]

Has it been six months since your last issue already? Seems like just last week... I love the results of your efforts! Great job!

Why not do some smaller issues, if you want to release more frequently? Focus on smaller cast of characters, have a storyline that involves two or three at a time? The large number of characters to keep track of sometimes makes the story harder to follow.

I'm all about wanting to see more character development and slice of life in stories. For example, how do your superheroes spend their free time? What are their jobs? Pets? Odd quirks or funny mishaps? How does their powers effect their private lives? Are there any deep dark embarrassing stories they might not prefer to come to light?

Stuff like that makes a character feel more... rounded, real... more interesting to me.

Oh well, that's my late night ponderings.

[kybearfuzz.livejournal.com]

It has been six months! With all the work and family stuff this summer, I got a bit behind. I'm glad you're enjoy it.

I have thought about doing "vignettes" of sorts, but sometimes it's hard to get all the story I want in 24 or so pages versus say five or six.

The plot for the next issue has been floating about in my head while working on this comic and I think a lot of the things you'd like to see will be in it. No spoilers, all the characters will be in it, but it will deal mainly with just a few.

Big hugs!

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Really enjoyed it!

[kybearfuzz.livejournal.com]

Thanks Neil! I'm glad to hear it.

[champdaddy.livejournal.com]

A lot of work went into this and it shows... great job!

[kybearfuzz.livejournal.com]

Thanks handsome! It always seems pretty monumental when I look at all the work to do, but it does seem to fly by when I get into the mix of it.

By the way, you'd make a good character in a comic yourself! :)

[dr-tectonic.livejournal.com]

It feels very true to the way comics were when I was a kid. Nice work!

I love the way Flying Scotsman gets taken down. Hilarious! :D

[kybearfuzz.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I tend to read and read and read comic books from 1970's and 1980's and I try to make these like the ones I enjoyed as a kid.

And when I first posted the cartoon of The Flying Scotsman, everyone remarked that he wasn't wearing anything under his kilt. I thought I'd keep that idea going and I thought an icy blast to that area would take anyone down.

[bruinwi.livejournal.com]

The look on the Scotsman's face is priceless.

[kybearfuzz.livejournal.com]

I actually hung out with the real-life inspiration for the Scotsman tonight and he enjoyed the comic defeat quite a bit :)

[mort-83.livejournal.com]

Fun fun fun!

Love it. I bet this is the first time a villain ever got his junk frozen in a comic book!

[kybearfuzz.livejournal.com]

Lol. Yeah, I never saw Captain Cold try that trick on the Flash.

[eric-mathgeek.livejournal.com]

Very well done! (Though I have to admit, I wanted a score card -- I couldn't remember Center's power, how he got them, who John was...)

I really love your costume ideas.

[kybearfuzz.livejournal.com]

Well, thanks!

I think I need to do what a lot of comics do and somewhat over-describe things in dialogue. Stuff like:

"Your anti-gravity powers are weak," said the Bear Collector to Center. I also should have added footnotes to things.

LOL! This is why I need an editor :D

[eric-mathgeek.livejournal.com]

No, I don't think you need to do that -- unless you're really trying to be 1960s retro!

Well, yeah, actually, it would have helped.

But -- anti-gravity powers weak? Are you kidding me? Being able to change one of the most fundamental laws of physics? *boggle*

[kybearfuzz.livejournal.com]

I did things like that in some of the earlier issues, so it is just a sign of my getting comfortable and familiar with the story and forgetting that not everyone is at the same place.

Well, I don't know if you read Legion of Super-Heroes, but there is a character called Light Lass who could make things "super-lightweight," which was a elementary way of saying "anti-gravity." Her power was always treated as a bit weak and silly, but I'm like you and have always thought of it as a cool power that potentially could do so much. When I designed Center, I wanted to show how it could be very powerful and practical.

And Center's origin is found in issue #1, in case you were wondering. :)

[eric-mathgeek.livejournal.com]

HUGE LSH fan. There was an issue in the late 90s, I think (before Light Lass got her lightning powers back), in which Brainiac 5 admonishes Ayla for having such a tremendously powerful ability and not using it to greater effect. I think this was around the time that he got her and Star Boy to work together on something monumental.

I've read all your issues (and love them all), I just couldn't remember -- this isn't a criticism, but they come too far apart for me to be able to recall a whole lot from one issue to the next. Grizzly and Echo are the only ones whose hero names I can consistently recall -- hopeless for remembering their real names.

[kybearfuzz.livejournal.com]

Seems like I remember that story too. I've seen Star Boy get creative with his power, but Light Lass never seemed to make that leap.

And I didn't take what you said as criticism, but maybe as a needed adjustment, because I imagine you're not the only one who probably feels that way. I wonder if I shouldn't put a little "glossary" or something at the front or back of the book as a reminder. :)

[eric-mathgeek.livejournal.com]

Or a "cast of characters". OOOOO! Make a calendar! LOL You have almost enough characters in the main group! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!

Either include it with each issue, or just link to it when you make a new comic.

[kybearfuzz.livejournal.com]

LOL... I was thinking a cast of characters thing, but a calendar would be fun! I'll see what I can do :D

[eric-mathgeek.livejournal.com]

SQUEEE!!!

[maxauburn.livejournal.com]

That was awesome!!

Loved it! The art & writing are superb!

The story and dialogue= Fun!!

Thank you for posting this.

Wow........!!

[kybearfuzz.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you liked it. I actually started plotting out the next issue last night while doodling in front of the TV. :)