Tag Archives: Kayless

28Dec/21

A Review of 2021 (Year 3 of Silverline 3.0)

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Crowdfunding

Despite the fact that 2021 was still a Covid-year for many, it was a good year for Silverline Comics. We crowdfunded and shipped (on time!) 12 comics! Twilight Grimm #3 and White Devil #1 will ship in early January but funded in December…so I’m not sure which year to put them in.

The complete list is:

Teen Beetle #1 and Switchblade #1 ReMix, funded in January and shipped in March. Twilight Grimm #2 and Friar Rush #2, funded in March and shipped in May. Divinity #2 and Steam Patriots #1, funded in May and shipped in July, our biggest to date. Beah #1 and Silverline Team-Up #1, funded in July and shipped in September. Kayless #3 #4 and TPB, funded in September and shipped in November. Silverline Christmas Special, funded in October and shipped in December.

Twilight Grimm #3 and White Devil #1 (in Nov/Dec—will be shipping in a few weeks)

That is 13 total comics.

THIRTEEN TOTAL COMICS.

Whew!

Yeah, yeah, I get we could point to a lot of indy comic makers who do more than that, but considering we did seven in 2020 and two in 2019…well, color US impressed! I don’t expect us to do considerably more than that next year—but that’s for next week to talk about.

Streams grow to three weekly!

We started streaming in March of last year (2020) with the one stream. In a matter of months, we grew to two streams weekly, adding Sunday. Well, in 2021, we added a third weekly stream geared more for a west cost audience as it runs 8-10pm PST. THAT SILVERLINE SHOW ON TUESDAY is hosted by Tim TK (who does most of these weekly blog posts!). Tim is generally joined by Quinton Bedwell, Jose Fuentes, and Aaron Humphres (every other week).

Here are the links for you:
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/SilverlineComics),
Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/silverlinecomics)
Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/silverlinecomics).

You can find us Sundays 8-10p EST, Tuesdays 8-10p PST, and Wednesdays 8-10pm EST. It’s free to watch!

Discord

We’re still trying to push more social media content over to Discord…but haven’t had a lot of luck with that. If you’re already on Discord, here’s an invite link for you…come help us populate it!

https://discord.gg/EvnuRVE2Yd

Podcast

For those of you who prefer just audio, we posted audio versions of our streams…a bit behind in schedule, but still you can get the content. You can find those on our website on Apple iTunes, Spotify, etc.

New Projects

We are absolutely not actively looking to grow the line…but sometimes, things just happen. We mentioned last year a project by scribe Ron Fortier. Well, it’s too early to talk about yet, but we’ve got a handshake for another one! But also, SIX OTHER mini-series! What are they?

Obsoletes, written by Wes Locher with pencils by Aaron Humphres (Friar Rush) and inks by newcomer to Silverline Jose Fuentes. The first issue is written and pencilled. Jose is busy inking! Haley Martin (Beah) is lined up to color it.Backers of the Silverline Christmas Special got a sneak peek at this one.

Knight Rise, written by Mackenzie Wertman, with art by Quinton Bedwell. Backers of the Silverline Christmas Special got a sneak peek at this one, too.

Shadow Ghost, is the brainchild of Silverline Creative Director Kurtis Fujita. Kurtis is writing, pencilling, inking–he’s doing it all. It’s a kung-fu comic by a kung-fu master!

Rochelle. Silverline has agreed to publish the 3rd volume of the tale about the teenage cockroach by creator John Crowther (Teen Beetle). Art will be by Teen Beetle artist Dell Barras!

Silver Blade, will be written and pencilled by Dean Zachary. Backers of the Silverline Christmas Special got a sneak peek at this one, too.

Sol Ascendant, will be written by Silverline Associate Editor Tim Tk. Art will be by Cem Dayioglu.

Project status

This is gonna be a long list. Basically, what we’ll do here is try to give you a status update of where the titles we’ve crowdfunded are production wise. Everything is current as of the writing of this blog (initially, mid December). (in alphabetical order)

Beah

Roland is putting the finishing touches on the script for #2. Feel free to chastise him for not having it ready!

Page from Cat & Mouse #4 pencilled by Wubba Fett

Cat & Mouse

Wubba has pencilled 9 pages for Cat & Mouse #4…we’re waiting on more pages from him as he completes a household move! The next issue (#1 of volume 3) is already pencilled!

Divinity

There are six pages of #3 complete. Alex is working on the pencils. #4 has been scripted and is ready!

A page from Divinity #3, pencils by Alex Sarabia with inks and colors by creator Barb Kaalberg.

Friar Rush

#3 is the final issue of the mini-series. It is completely pencilled and lettered and we’re waiting on the inks from John Martin.

Kayless

As all four issues of Vol 1 are now complete and in your hands, #1 for volume 2 is already in the works! The script is done and Luis has pencilled/inked about 6 pages!

Silverline Team-Up

Pete has pencilled about 10 pages of #2.

Steam Patriots

#2 script is still being written.

Teen Beetle

Script for #2 has just been delivered to Dell Barras.

Trumps

Both #3 and #4 are well into production. 16 pages of #3 are pencilled and inked by Quinton Bedwell. Peter Clinton has pencilled about 10 pages of #4.

Twilight Grimm

Issue #4, the final issue of the mini-series, has been pencilled and inked by Rob Davis and is off to Mickey Clausen for colors and Mike W. Belcher for letters!

White Devil

Issue #2 is in the hands of Phil Leon for color! #3 & #4 are also ready for color! #4 needs letters.

ReMix

Switchblade

Switchblade #2 and #3 are complete and ready for crowdfunding/printing.

Sirens

Some of you remember Sirens from the early 90s. Issue #1 and #2 are colored and ready for crowdfunding! Divinity creator Barb Kaalberg is busy coloring issue #3! Here’s a sneak peek at her color work on it!

Pendulum

We know you remember the classic series published by Malibu in the early 90s. Roberta Conroy is working magic on the pages pencilled by John Drury and inked by Ted Slampyak. Don’t believe us–take a peek below. Issues #1 and #2 are done and ready for crowdfunding!

Demon’s Tails

Three issues are colored and ready for crowdfunding! Dave Rios is working on issue #4!

SilverStorm

One issue is ready for crowdfunding! Scott Gordon is working on issue #2!

Whew! So see…2021 was a decent year for Silverline!

Next week we’ll talk about about 2022 has in store for Silverline.

#makeminesilverline

 

06Jan/21

Silverline: Looking Ahead to Year 3

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2021!

We finally made it out of 2020!

Whew! Many of you thought we’d never make it, yet—here we are! And Silverline is ready to tackle it…nay, we’re psyched that’s it’s here so we can get back to convention going!

We’ve definitely got some exciting things lined up for the coming year. Much of this is going to happen whether we get out of plague-world or not. So…just what do we have planned? Thank you for asking!

Crowdfunding

KS exclusive cover by Ben Dunn

We know that’s at the top of your list of questions: What’s next? What comics are we going to put into your hands? On January 14th we’ll launch our first for 2021. We’ll launch Silverline Double Feature: Teen Beetle #1 and Switchblade #1 RemiX. Both of the issues are complete and ready to print and ship as is the Silverline way (we’ve got a thing here or there on a cover or two, but the interiors are finished!)!

Teen Beetle is the new mini-series by Rochelle creator John Crowther. You’ve probably also seen John’s work in a whole slew of wrestling comics from Inverse Press. With art by long time industry veteran Dell Barras, Teen Beetle is a 3-issue mini-series and is part of the Rochelle universe. Teen Beetle is colored by GeriLou Smith and lettered by Hector Negrette. Ninja High School and Warrior Nun creator Ben Dunn provides a kickstarter exclusive cover.  

KS Exclusive cover by Mike W. Belcher and Aiden Belcher

Switchblade is the RemiX version of Switchblade #1 originally printed in black & white and on newsprint back in the late 90s. It has been digitally remastered and has been colored by Aiden Belcher (Man in the Mask). It was written by Roland Mann, pencilled by Leonard Kirk (Supergirl), inked by David Rowe, and lettered by Brad Thomte.

Here’s the link if you would like to sign up to be notified on launch: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rolandmann/teenbeetle1switchblade1

Beyond that, we know the kickstarter schedule, if not the exact titles. We know, we’re stinkers like that, not telling you what’s when. So, we plan to have crowdfunders run: March 9-28, May 4-23, July 6-25, Sept 7-26, and Nov 9-28. That’s six total kickstarters for the year—one every other month—bringing you what should be TWELVE comics! (unless we do another double like Trumps—then it will be MORE!) So…start socking away your pennies so you can get in on these. They’re always special.

While we can’t tell you the exact titles for specific dates, what we CAN tell you, though, is what you should be seeing. (remember, not necessarily in this order!)

All these Silverline comics are VERY close to being done:

panel from Kayless #3

Kayless #3 and #4 (of 4); Twilight Grimm #2 (of 4); Divinity #2 (of 4); Silverline Team-Up: Champion and Ms Fury #1 (of 4).

These are pretty close:

Friar Rush #2 (of 3); Rejects #1 (of 3); Steam Patriots #1 (of 4); Beah #1 (of 4); Wolf Hunter #1 (of 3); Cat & Mouse #1 (volume 3!)

These are still early in production…but we’re still excited about them.

Cat & Mouse #4; Trumps Book 2; Capetown #1.

Streams

We’ll continue doing the Silver Sunday and Wednesday Wham streams every Sunday and Wednesday night at 9pm (EST). While we’ve got a short list of topics, what are some thing YOU would you like to hear us talk about? Don’t be shy, speak up!

In case you have forgotten (or never knew), we stream on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/SilverlineComics), on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/silverlinecomics) and on Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/silverlinecomics). Free to watch! 😉

Roland has pitched some ideas out to the Silverline team and there’s very likely more content coming on the Silverline channels! Stay tuned.

Discord

Yes, we’ve got a Discord server. Yes, it’s live. No, it’s not terribly active, but we’re working on fixing that. It came as a result of our recent foray into gaming. “Gaming?” you say. Yes…but more on that later. For now, here is your invite to join our discord server: https://discord.gg/4SFwhtUJz8

Podcasts

Silverline Sunday stream producer Brett is hard at work turning the streams into podcasts. The goal is to have them start hitting around February. So, if you prefer podcasts over visual streams, this might be a way for you to get your Silverline team fix.

Special items for ‘21

If you supported any of our kickstarters with a physical reward, you should have received the first ever Silverline Christmas card. We were SO excited to make that happen as just something small to let you all know we appreciate you so much.

The other thing you may not have seen yet is the very first ever Silverline poster! Yes, that’s right, it’s 18X24 and needs a place on your wall! They’ll be available live at conventions or you can have one mailed to you. It’ll be available through the Facebook Store…very soon.

The Silverline Signature Book will be available soon on IndyPlanet and at conventions near you. The twenty lucky Mystery Box winners got the 20 first ever limited run, but now everyone else can pick up a copy.

Project news

The addition of John Crowther’s Teen Beetle led to additional talks, and while nothing is solidified yet, we’re happy to announce that Silverline will be the home for a new volume of Rochelle the Teen Cockroach! More to come on that later.

What’s the status of the other titles?

Cat & Mouse

Alex Gallimore is working on pencilling issue #4, the last issue of Cat & Mouse volume 2. Just a few pages in, this will be the final issue and will be the first of the series started to finish.

Several of you Cat & Mouse fans asked me if that was it, though, and I’m happy to tell you that it is NOT it for Cat & Mouse. In fact, Wubba Fett is already about half-way finished with the pencils for #1 of volume 3! My pal Jeff Whiting will be inking and you’re going to absolutely LOVE what you see.

art for volume 3 of Cat & Mouse by Wubba Fett (p) and Jeff Whiting (i)

Fans of Alex, don’t fret, though. While #4 (v2) is Alex’s last issue of C&M, Alex has fallen in love with Demon (haven’t we all?) and is actually chomping at the bit to tell a new Demon story. He’s so excited, he’s already recruited Thomas Florimonte on to ink it!

Kayless

Kayless #3 is nearly done. It’s completely lettered (by Brad Thomte) and a little more than half colored. Kayless #4 has about 10 pages of pencils and inks, so it should be the 2nd series to wrap up this year.

Divinity

panels from Divinity #2 by Alex Sarabia (p) and Barb Kaalberg (i, c)

Alex Sarabia has just started pencilling issue #3 of Divinity while creator Barb Kaalberg finishes up the colors. Barb took on the colors when Steve Mattsson had to step aside. Barb is doing a bang-up job on the colors!

Twilight Grimm

Rob Davis has finished the third issue. Yes, you read correctly, the third issue! And he’s working on #4 as we type. Issue #2 is still being both lettered and colored, but we anticipate completion literally any day now. Twilight Grimm will likely be the third completed mini of Silverline thanks to Rob’s blue collar work ethic in getting the work done!

Friar Rush

Friar Rush #2 is a little over half inked by John Martin, but it is completely lettered.

work from Friar Rush #2 by Aaron Humphres (p) and John Martin (i)

Trumps

Thomas Hedglen is working on a special Trumps…”thing” before beginning issue #3 (or the first part of Book 2)…and we think you’re going to like the thing he’s working on! Hopefully within just a few weeks he’ll be starting on issue #3.

Rejects

C. Michael Lanning has completed the pencils for the first issue and WOW—you’re going to be blown away by what he’s done. Rebecca Winslow is just getting into the inks, but hopefully we can start showing you some of that soon, as well as C. Michael’s pencilling on #2 (which he will likely do some of during the live stream!).

work from Rejects #1 by C. Michael Lanning (p) and Rebecca Winslow (i)

Silverline Team-Up: Champion and Miss Fury #1 (of 4)

Started out as a Champion solo comic…then Roland decided to add Miss Fury (she’s public domain AND he did the first “new” work after Tarpe Mills in the early 90s Miss Fury mini-series by Malibu)…and the title became what it is now. Peter Clinton has done a bang up job on the first issue. Keep you eyes on Pete—he’s a shooting star! Roland has finished the script (done Marvel style), and Thomas Florimonte is working on the inks. Roberta has colored a single page and the cover and should get on more of them as Tommy finished the inks. Meanwhile, Peter has already started pencils for issue #2!

work from Silverline Team-Up: Champion and Miss Fury by Peter Clinton (p), Thomas Florimonte (i) and Roberta Conroy (c)

White Devil

White Devil #1 is being colored by Phil Leon. We hope to have the first issue complete VERY soon. Issue #2 is lined up and waiting for him to complete #1, and Issue #3 is in the hands of inker Chuck Bordell.

art from White Devil #1 by Jaxon Renick (p) and Mike Keeney (i)

Steam Patriots

Issue #1 is being colored and lettered and should be done soon.

Beah

Haley Martin has finished roughly 6 pages of full pencil/inks/colors—she’s doing all the art! Be sure to catch her working on the pages during the Wednesday live stream.

art from Beah by Haley Martin

Wolf Hunter

pencils for Wolf Hunter by AJ Cassetta

AJ Cassetta is nearly done with the pencils for issue #1.

Capetown

The script for the first issue is done, and JW Franklin is waiting on Roland to release a final script to him so he can start drawing!

Teen Beetle

Issue #2 is just starting production.

Sniper & Rook

Should see the first issue of the new volume ready very soon!

RemiX

Several books are part of the RemiX line from Silverline. Switchblade is the first to see the light of day. These titles were originally published in the 90s in black and white and on newsprint. They have been (are being) digitally remastered and then colored to be released in the new RemiX format.

Jeremy Kahn is wrapping up coloring issue #5 (of 5) of Krey; David Rios is coloring issue #4 (of 4) of Demon’s Tails; Roberta Conroy is coloring #3 (of 4) of Pendulum; Barb Kaalberg is coloring #3 (of 4) of Sirens; Scott Gordon is coloring #3 (of 4) of SilverStorm V2; Eric Rossberg is nearly finished with #1 (of 4) of Scary Book; and Rebecca Winslow is slated to color Marauder.

Like we said, we’ve got a lot of fun stuff coming your way…and that’s what comics should be: FUN!

Remember to #makeminesilverline

29Dec/20

Silverline: Review of Year 2

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Silverline: Review of Year 2

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to one and all. From all of us here at Silverline, we wish you and yours a very happy and safe holiday season! Love up on and cherish your loved ones!

So, despite the fact that the Plague raged over the earth, 2020 was a pretty good year for Silverline. We ran AND FULFILLED 4 successful kickstarter campaigns and we started the Silverline live streams…which has been more successful than we had imagined.

Crowdfunding

In March, we funded and shipped Kayless #2. We’ve had problems getting the art because this campaign was at the beginning of the global lockdown and the art sent from Luis got held up in Argentina…then it came to the US…and went back to Argentina…and went back to the US…then it went to Panama (why? We have no clue)…then it finally made its way back to Luis. Luis will be in the US shortly and is going to ship the art to me from wherever he is. Kayless is the brainchild of writer Brent T. Larson. It’s drawn by Luis Czerniawski with colors by Leandro Huergo and letters by Mike W. Belcher.

This would be the last of the “single issue” kickstarters of the year as production of comics ramped into high gear!

May saw the Silverline Double Feature Divinity #1 and Twilight Grimm #1. Divinity is the creation of long time industry inker (she also inks Silverline’s Cat & Mouse) Barb Kaalberg, her very first creator owned projects (we’re pretty sure it won’t be the last, judging by your responses). Barb was joined by penciller Alex Sarabia, colorists Steve and Sage Mattsson, and letterer Mike W. Belcher. Twilight Grimm reunited a creative team from the 1980s in hooking up writer R.A. Jones with artist Rob Davis. Mike W. Belcher lettered and Mickey Clausen supplied the colors. Again, based on your comments, you’re glad we made that reunion happen!

July saw Silverline Double Feature #2 with Bloodline and Friar Rush #1. Both projects written by Sidney Williams, Bloodline is the comic adaptation of the short story written by him and horror writer Rob Petit. Bloodline was pencilled by Zombie art specialist Rob Sacchetto with inks by veteran industry inker Terry Pallot, letters by Brian Dale, and colors by Jeremy Kahn. Friar Rush #1 is the first of a three issue mini with pencils by Aaron Humphres, inks by John Martin, letters by Brian Dale, and colors by Rebecca Winslow.

September saw Silverline Two-Fer with Cat & Mouse #3 and Trumps Book 1. Trumps was essentially TWO issues, so it was too big to do the double feature flip book…so it was a Two-Fer instead. Both titles are written by Roland Mann, and Cat & Mouse #3 is pencilled by Alex Gallimore, inked by Barb Kaalberg, lettered by Brian Dale, and colored by Kevin Gallegly. Trumps was pencilled by Anthony Pereira and Thomas Hedglen, inked by industry veteran Thomas Florimonte, lettered by Brian Dale, and colored by Sid VenBlu.

If you missed them, they’re both available with our friends at IndyPlanet! www.indyplanet.com/silverline

Streaming

We started weekly streaming on Wednesday March 18. We hadn’t anticipated the Pandemic (who did, right?), but it was something we’d talked about a bit. We launched on three different platforms live: Facebook, Youtube, and Twitch. Our numbers grew and we enjoyed it so much—and you seemed to enjoy it as well, that just three months later we added a second and third stream.

On Sunday June 8, we started streaming weekly on Sundays, effectively splitting our stream team in half. Scott Wakefield, co-writer of the upcoming Steam Patriots, took over as host of the Wednesday Wham, and Roland started hosting the Silver Sundays. For several months there was a mostly-weekly Monday 1on1 stream where Roland talked one on one with Silverline team members. That went on for about 2 months and then the Monday stream went to once a month and teamed up with OCD for a “Silverline Spotlight.”

Conventions!

Well…Plague.

In November, however, ComiConway in Conway Arkansas decided to take their show virtual as well as very limited on the spot. Silverline participated in a big way virtually, doing a four-hour block of panels each of the three Saturday mornings! One of the days we were streamed AT the convention itself! We absolutely had a blast doing them and we were very happy to help the convention bring geeky-goodness to those who support them. We’re hoping we’ll be able to get a gaggle of us there live in 2021!

New Projects

We think we already had a pretty impressive lineup of comics with Cat & Mouse (v2), Kayless, Divinity, Twilight Grimm, Bloodline, Friar Rush, and upcoming Sniper & Rook.

We gave the okay and put into production EIGHT new projects!

Steam Patriots, Beah, Silverline Team-Up: Champion and Miss Fury, Teen Beetle, Rejects, Wolf Hunter, Capetown, and Satin’s Ways. If you’ve been watching the streams, you’ve seen several of these in the actual production process. We’ll talk more about them in the upcoming 2021 Silverline Preview!

ReMix

We’d been working on getting some of the classic Silverline comics colored to give them a second life, but there was really no solid plan other than to just “do them.” Silverline Creative Director Kurtis Fujita conceived a plan for our Silverline REMIX that will present some of the older Silverline titles, but in color. There are still details to work out, but it’s exciting to be able to bring this closer to life.

As noted, 2020 has been a pretty good year for Silverline…we’re excited to see where 2021 will take us!

#makeminesilverline

13Oct/20

Craft: Brent Larson – Subtext in Dialogue

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Since I’m a screenwriter, and movies offer more in shared experiences than comics, I ask you to consider this scene from Pulp Fiction. 

JULES (Samuel L. Jackson) and VINCENT (John Travolta) drive down an LA street. Both wear identical black suits.

VINCENT: Where are we going?

JULES: To find this guy who stole our boss’s briefcase, which has something weird and glowy in it.

VINCENT. You think we’ll have to kill this guy?

They pull up to an apartment building. They get out and open the trunk, where they have an assortment of weaponry.

JULES: Probably.

VINCENT: How many guys you think are up there?

JULES: Four, maybe five? But I’m not worried. Life is meaningless. I just try to plus it up by being dramatic.

VINCENT: Aw, don’t be so gloomy. I enjoy life, especially when I’m taking drugs. 

JULES: Yeah, I guess. You know, we go back a long way, don’t we? I enjoy our friendship, mother blankity-blank.

They walk into an apartment, surprising several young guys lounging about.

VINCENT: Don’t be afraid, we’re not here to kill you… haha, kidding! We’re both psychotic!

If Quentin Tarantino had written that, he’d be running a Payless Shoe Source in Bakersfield and we would never know his name. His masterful ability to craft dialogue definitely applies to comics. I’ve tried to incorporate several principles into my comic Kayless, but I’ll expound on just one because it’s such a pitfall in my own writing… using subtext and avoiding the information dump. 

For those who haven’t seen Pulp Fiction, in their actual opening conversation, Jules and Vincent talk about, in order, drug laws in Amsterdam, how Europe is different from the US, the Royale with cheese, their boss’s wife, and what a TV pilot is. After they burst into the apartment, they discuss burger joints and Jules’s favorite Bible verse. All the information I wrote into the example is covered, it’s just barely said in the dialogue. Meanwhile, the audience is asking, Who are these guys? What do they feel about this horrific act? How is Jules fundamentally different from Vincent? All these questions are answered in a conversation that seems inordinately centered on nothing.

Movies, and comics, are a visual medium. That means we have an entire palette of information presentation apart from words. Facial expressions, postures, and random actions all communicate something. If a man tells his wife, “My mom wants to visit this weekend,” and his wife says “Oh, good,” and starts cleaning the silver candlesticks, this says a lot – her mother-in-law stresses her out, makes her feel inadequate, is maybe nitpicky. And the dialogue, albeit brief, complements this. She doesn’t feel free to tell her husband how she feels, which then tells us something about him, too. Maybe he’s oblivious or compares her to his mom. So many things you can use as a writer, all of which would have been stifled if, instead, she’d said, “Oh, great! Not again!”

Upcoming cover to Kayless #3: Thomas Hedglen, Ryan Brooner, Mickey Clausen

Here’s a personal example. In the upcoming Kayless #3, Scott visits his father in prison. They talk about Scott’s military record, why his dad is in prison, and how he feels about it. That’s the information side of things. But what’s really going on is a battle for power. Scott’s dad has kept him under his thumb his whole life, and Scott desperately wishes to tell him he can’t control him anymore. Comic real estate is smaller than a movie, so I had to be choosy with my words and move things quickly, but that didn’t mean the conversation had to be info-heavy. I’ll let you read it and tell me if I succeeded. 

Whenever I write dialogue, I then go back and check if it’s solely conveying information. If so, I look for ways to rewrite it as subtext, or present other visual elements to communicate what’s needed. Writers are often obsessed with their own cleverness, and I am no exception (neither, I suspect, is Tarantino). If I detect any of those self-serving impulses in my dialogue, I rework it so it sounds organic to my characters. Ultimately, I want my readers to think my characters are clever, not me. I’m always happy to share the credit.

21Jul/20

Craft: Luis Czerniawski – Why I Keep Coming Back to the Shadows

Craft of comic creating, , ,

Hey Silverline Family, I reached out to one of our outstanding artists and asked him to tell us a little bit about his process. Luis Czerniawski is a prolific artist that has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to both penciling and inking. In this month’s entry, Luis talks about his thought process when he first approaches the shadows on a page.

Why I Keep Coming Back to the Shadows

Hello everyone, my friends at Silverline have asked me if I could tell you a little about the process of how I work, so here we are. I hope you don’t get bored.

When I start a job, I always try to imagine what the inking will look like in the end, since it is the part that I like to do the most. That is why sometimes it varies a lot from job to job or sometimes even in the same book.

I always start by tearing through the script and imagining what would be the best way to show each panel. When I start, I never make a very finished pencil. I always sketch and start to shape it with the ink. It’s a habit that I have.

However, I always recommend making a good and neat page in pencil first. Here I show a very old page where I made the pencils in detail and the inks were all worked in brush:

My favorite tool is the brush, it can be Winsor and Newton, Pentel etc, or any good round tip brush. I’m currently using markers from size 04 to 07 and I make shadows with the brush.

Here below we can see two examples not so old from a couple of covers where the shadows are loosely made and are more impressionistic.

As you can see, sometimes I use a dry brush and I usually finish the job with some washes. I love the grey tones. I think it’s part of my nature and I can’t stop doing it.

I‘ve done work for different companies and they were not all were looking for the same style. Maybe that’s why my approach has changed throughout the years, or maybe one morning I woke up with a clean line and the other week a dark line. 

It must be my karma, but I always go back to the shadows since it is beautiful to see how those shapes appear with the brush. Some production companies hire me simply to correct and beautify their work with these kinds of details.

Some ask me why I don’t draw and ink digitally, which is much faster etc. I have the tools and I’ve tried it, but the truth is that I like the traditional method and in some cases, it comes out faster by hand than by machine. It is beautiful to see and feel when I apply the ink on the paper and, obviously, while listening to good background music.

Here I show you some panels made in different ways and styles, almost all made with markers and only the black ones made with brushes, such as wrinkles, funds, etc.

Well, I hope you are not bored by the many examples I brought to show you. 

I walked this whole road alone. I learned on the go, and this is how I learned.

I learned by ruining hundreds of drawings but it helped me to understand a lot of things. Experiment with different tools and inks, and never stop looking at art. We’ll always be learning or discovering something new.

Now it is easier since they have everything on the internet but still, you have to sit down and stain your hands. So, draw, draw, and draw, don’t get mad, and be very patient. I still keep doing it and am learning every day.

I would like to continue saying many things and giving many tips to help you all. Maybe this little note can be the first part, and I’ll do another. Everything will depend on you and conquering your doubts. If I can help, I’ll be here.

Below are some other inking examples:

05May/20

Silverline Creator Spotlight: Luis Czerniawski

Creator Spotlight, ,

Each month we’ll be shining the spotlight on a Silverline creator and sharing their secret origin story, learning what makes them tick, and giving you the scoop on how they came up in the comics world.  

Up this time is Luis Czerniawski, a comic book artist who has worked for such companies as IDW, Image, and Amigo Comics…as well as Silverline Comics, of course.

Now, without further ado, we present to you…

12 Questions with … Luis Czerniawski

SILVERLINE: So, who are you and where do you hail from? 

I’m a simple man (like the song) with a lot of dreams. I’m from Buenos Aires, Argentina, but still trying to find my ship to return to my planet.

SILVERLINE: What would you say it is you do here at Silverline?

Here I am, working with good people and doing interesting and fun things for readers, those people like us who wait there trying to read something new every day… oh, and trying to dominate the world.

SILVERLINE: Where might Silverline readers have seen your work previously?

I’ve done a lot of things, IDW publishing, Zenescope entertainment, Mohak media, Avatar press, Amigo Comics, SQP, and  hundreds of pages and covers with James Heffron and many many independent jobs.

SILVERLINE: When you’re not making great Silverline comics, what do you do in your spare time? What are your hobbies?

Draw and draw things for me. I also take care of my plants. I like to be surrounded by green and cats. I also watch TV series, etc. … simple things can also be great.

SILVERLINE: Many creators at Silverline have been in the comics industry for years — what’s kept YOU plugging away at comics?

It’s a beautiful road but sometimes difficult. Most of the cases work like in soccer leagues, big and small: some arrive, others don’t … but there they are. In my case, I never stopped being. It’s one way and I’ll never lower my arms.

SILVERLINE: What was the first comic you remember reading that made you think, “Hey, I could do this!”

I was very young. I don’t remember exactly which one was the first, but I remember the drawings were from Kirby and other title of Batman with Deadman maybe from the ’70 by Neal Adams. My mother still keeps my version of that inked cover imitating Neal.

SILVERLINE: What’s on your playlist? Who/what music do you listen to, and do you listen to it while you work?

Love music and I can’t be without it. In fact, I sang in heavy metal bands. Yes, please don’t laugh. And I still listen to some classic bands like Queensryche. I listen to a lot of progressive rock, old and new, from unknown bands or underrated ones, like Road, that maybe they have only one disc but they are great, to Opeth. I also listen to Neil Young, Patrick Watson (Love song for robots),White Buffalo, etc ,uffff a lot !!!

SILVERLINE: Who were some of your earliest influences on your art ?

As I said before, it was definitely Kirby. I read too many horror magazines with lot of great artists from the 70s that I don’t remember the names of … and then Moebius.

SILVERLINE: What was the first comic you ever worked on professionally?

My first professional comic was for IDW, a long time ago; a miniseries called CVO, African Blood.

SILVERLINE: Can you still read that comic today without wincing?

Oh, yes I can read it but not look at it, hahahaha. It’s a good story, like the one El Torres writes.

SILVERLINE: What are some non-Silverline independent comics you would recommend to readers? (no Marvel or DC, please)

I wouldn’t know which ones exactly, there are many new and interesting things to read. Amigo Comics has many interesting things, or look for something old.

SILVERLINE: If you could go back in time and give your younger self one piece of advice that would help them better navigate the comics industry, what would it be?

Ohhh, it’s a good question. I would say come out, not to stay behind the hidden curtains, that nothing matters to you, show what you do!!!

Luis is penciling and inking Silverline’s Kayless!

14Apr/20

Silverline starts a Facebook “Group”…and other news

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Join the chatty fun!

After last week’s stream, it was determined that Silverline Comics needed more than just a Facebook “page,” it needed a Facebook “Group,” so all interested parties would have greater opportunity for interaction with readers, fans, and creators. Thus, the Silverline Group page is here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1065603887155592/. Please go join and chat with us there!

Kayless #2 kickstarter a success!

Thanks to all who helped bring Kayless #2 to life! We’re simply waiting on the funds from kickstarter, then we’ll get it printed and shipped! As a reminder, remember, it’s done! And we can’t wait for you to see it!

Covid-World

Most of us are living under quarantine in this Covid World. It’s just flat strange. That does give a lot of folks more time to read, and it gives many of the Silverline creators more time to MAKE AWESOME COMIC BOOKS FOR YOU! Stay safe!

Tune in to Silverline Live stream

Whether it’s just timing and strange luck, SILVERLINE LIVE started about the same time as the quarantine orders began. Tomorrow will be our fifth straight week. Just to let you know some of what we’ve been talking about:

  • Issue #1 was just a general chat and introduction (we’re calling our episodes “issues.” I know, I know…but we’re COMIC folks, whaddaya want?).
  • Issue #2 we started our “Craft” segment and discussed PLOT. The craft segments will hopefully go hand-in-hand with the craft segments on this page that Silverline Associate Editor Tim Theissen has been doing a great job on! This issue also featured the debut of Silverline Indy Comic Reviews as Silverline friend Martin Pierro of Cosmic Times did his first crowdfund comic review. Martin reviewed the kickstarted Broke Down and 4 Dead bodies. Martin should return for another crowdfund comic review in two weeks.
  • Issue #3 was part 1 of the Craft segment PROTAGONIST.
  • Issue #4 featured a gaggle of us talking about Covid and how it is and has affected the comics industry.
  • Issue #5, tomorrow night, will be part 2 of the PROTAGONIST segment.

You have 3 options to watch us live:

  1. On twitch:  https://www.twitch.tv/silverlinecomics/
  2. On Facebook live:  https://www.facebook.com/SilverlineComics/
  3. On Youtube live: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD_wuBxQzysURBxKkW-T5wg

Whatever your viewing choice is, please considering liking, subscribing, following, etc…and sharing! Come watch us live if you can—ask us some tough questions!

Silverline month at Comic Chat Authority

Comic Chat Authority head honcho, Cody Johnson asked Roland if there would be any interest in a Silverline month. Dedicated followers here might remember that CCA gave Silverline a pretty good review not long ago (https://youtu.be/d7VGh8AIfR8) sparking their interest in talking with a bunch of us. SO, Silverline month start this coming Saturday!

April 18 = Sidney Williams
April 25 = Alex Gallimore
May 1 = ME (Roland Mann)
May 9 = Barb Kaalberg

Upcoming Silverline Comics!

May will see the kickstarter for Divinity #1 and Twilight Grimm #1. Divinity is created, inked, and co-written by Barb Kaalberg, co-written by R.A. Jones, penciled by Alex Sarabia (this guy is going to be hot—you heard it here first!), and colored by Steve Mattsson.

Twilight Grimm #1 is written by R.A. Jones, penciled and inked by Rob Davis, with colors by Mickey Clausen! It’s veteran comic writer R.A.’s return to comics after several years. R.A. has been writing several novels—you should check them out! Fans of his Protectors work will read some familiar names.

July will see the kickstarter for Bloodline one-shot, and Friar Rush #1. It’s the Sidney Williams month as Sid is the writer for both comics. Bloodline is penciled by Rob Sacchetto, inked by Terry Pallot, and colored by Jeremy Kahn. Friar Rush is penciled by Marc Thomas, inked by John Martin, and colored by Rebecca Winslow. Sid’s been cooking up a lot of great rewards for these and we can wait to get the May and July books in your hands!

Until next time, Make Mine Silverline!

05Apr/20

Kayless kickstarter ending

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Kayless kickstarter ending

Kayless ends in about 2 days and we still need your help. We’re pushing hard to try to beat the kicstarter for #1, but we’ve got a ways to go. $2000 is the final stretch goal we would really love to achieve. So, share share, and back/support if you can.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rolandmann/kayless-1-and-2

17Mar/20

Two big announcements!

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Kayless #2 kickstarter is live!

Many of you have raved about Kayless #1, successfully kickstarted several months ago, and we’re happy to let you know that Kayless #2 is live on kickstarter NOW! #2 picks up right where #1 left off. If you missed #1, don’t worry, you can still pick up a copy.

The creative team of Brent T. Larson, Luis Czerniawski, and Leandro Huergo return and the book looks stellar! How do we know? Well, we’ve seen it. Yes, the entire thing. Mike W. Belcher joins them as letterer! In keeping with Silverline’s crowdfunding policies, we won’t kickstart a comic until the creative work is finished. Of course, the books still have to be printed and shipped, but in general, we always intend to start fulfilling crowdfunders within approximately 6-8 weeks. We’re batting 1000% so far! So please, back with confidence because Kayless #2 is finished and ready to print!

The kickstarter features an Alex Gallimore exclusive cover. The only way you’ll get Kayless #2 with that cover is to support the kickstarter, so what are you waiting for? Go back!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rolandmann/kayless-1-and-2

Silverline Live!

The second big announcement today is that starting tomorrow night, Silverline will be doing some LIVE streaming. We want to do it, yes, of course, to promote all the very cool projects we’re doing, but to also make the creators behind the awesome Silverline titles more real and accessible to you. Assuming we get questions, we’ll definitely be there to answer and address them; we’ll have regular indy comic reviews, complete with grades, and not just a summary of the story. We’ll get to discussions about the craft of making comics, and lastly, we’ll have artists drawing and working on Silverline projects while we talk.

We’ll be streaming live on three places tomorrow night (Wednesday) at 9pm:

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD_wuBxQzysURBxKkW-T5wg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SilverlineComics/

Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/silverlinecomics/

So, hop on over at 9pm tomorrow night and give us a listen—say hello—ask a question.

And go support Kayless!

Make Mine Silverline!

02Jan/20

Silverline: Looking ahead to year 2(020)

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2020 looks to be a busy year for Silverline…and that’s pretty exciting to all of us!

Panels from Friar Rush #1

For non-comics, we’ll be launching a weekly live stream. Current plan is for them to be Wednesday’s at 8pm EST. We’ll have a couple of different segments, including an indy comic review and a segment on the craft of making comics. Stay tuned for the exact launch date for it.

We’re still working on appearances for 2020, we’ve already been invited back to Daytona Beach Comic Con—and have accepted. Just not sure exactly which ones of us will be there. Roland will be at Three Rivers in Pittsburgh, his first show ever in the state of PA! More dates and appearances to come, be we hope to see a bunch of you at a bunch of shows!

We’ve got a big slate of books we’ll be releasing in 2020, so many that we may experiment with some Silverline crowdfund “packages.” Meaning, more than one book per crowdfund. Honestly, it’s exciting to look at this list to see all the content will be delivering to you—we know you’re gonna like them!

Mentioned last week in title only, the projects that are nearly complete and should ready to crowdfund very soon:

*Bloodline, 1 shot: by Sidney Williams (writer), Rob Sachetto (penciller), Terry Pallot (inker), Brian Dale (letterer). This one is finished except for the colors, which is being done by Keith Wood.

*Friar Rush #1, 3 issue mini: by Sidney Williams (writer), Marc Thomas (penciller), John Martin (inker), Rebecca Winslow (colorist), Brian Dale (letterer). The first issue is being both colored and lettered at the same time.

A page from DIVINITY #1

*Divinity #1, 4 issue mini: Created by Barb Kaalberg and co-written by R.A. Jones. It also features Alex Sarabia (penciller), Barb Kaalberg (inker), Steve Mattson (colorist) and Mike Belcher (letterer). It is nearly complete.

*Twilight Grimm #1, 4 issue mini: by R.A. Jones (writer) and Rob Davis (artist), Alex Gallimore (colorist), and Mike Belcher (letterer). The first issue only needs color!

*Kayless #2, 4 issue mini: by Brent Larson (writer), Luis Czerniawski (artist), Leandro Huergo (colorist), Mike Belcher (letterer). This issue needs colors and letters.

A bit later in the year, these should be ready:

A page from WHITE DEVIL #1

*Cat & Mouse #3, 4 issue mini: by Roland Mann (writer), Alex Gallimore (penciller), Barb Kaalberg (inker), Kevin Gallegly (colorist).

*White Devil II, 4 issue mini: by R.A. Jones (writer), Jaxon Renick (penciller), with inks by Mike Keeney and Chuck Bordell. The first issue only needs color!

*Trumps book 1; by Roland Mann (writer), Anthony Pereira and Thomas Hedglen (pencillers), Thomas Florimonte (inker), Sid VinBlu (colorist), Brian Dale (letterers).