C2E2 2016

Hello Internet!

This weekend is C2E2 (Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo) and I couldn't be more excited. C2E2 is one of my favorite conventions and always has interesting panels, creators, and exhibitors for new and old fans.

Taken from c2e2.com

Here are some things you must do if you go to C2E2 this year:

1. Support independent comic creators
2. Buy original art from artists
3. Buy comics and stories from writers
4. Party hard
5. Be safe

Taken from enmnetwork.com

I'm not tabling this year, but I will be walking around with a Pro Pass. Feel free to say hello and chat if you see me on the floor.

I look forward to seeing you all there!


Keep it wizard,

Kenny

Interrupted Podcast with Marshall Dillon

Hello Internet!

I'm a little late on this one, but I wanted to share the new episode of the Interrupted Podcast again. Marshall Dillon asked me to come on and talk about some of my writing history and process, and of course we went off topic in the best ways possible.

Check out Episode 9: "That's a bad idea, Kenny."

I had a great time talking with Marshall about writing comics and how I put a script together. I was also jazzed to talk about Barnstormers!, which I'm collaborating on with Renata Castellani.

Subscribe to the podcast through iTunes and give Marshall Dillon, Ben Hunzeker, and Chris Kirby a listen on your phone or mp3 player.

Talk to you soon!

- Kenny

Rewriting While Writing

Hello Comic Book Fans!

I wrote a new page of a script I'm working on called Hit 'em High this morning. I only had five to six panels to tell a complete scene and the shift from the character being in a hopeful state to going to a disappointed that he got what he wanted state.

Does that make sense? It's early and the coffee hasn't kicked in yet.

Coffee approved by the Comics Code.

I only got the one page done this morning, but I took extra time to make sure the scene worked (at least for this draft). I used to rush through drafts just to finish things, but I feel like my writing has improved by slowing down and making sure I do rewrites as I work.

Stephen King's On Writing had a few sections that talked about writing and rewriting. I haven't read the book in several years, but I remember him saying that you shouldn't do rewrites until you've walked away from the project for a little while.

Here's a related quote from On Writing from Business Insider:

Part of "22 lessons from Stephen King on how to be a great writer" businessinsider.com

This is the most direct quote I can find that talks about "identifying the trees" when it comes to character, but it applies to all aspects of the story.

My only problem with waiting so long to work on a draft is that your intentions and idea of the story can change after waiting. I might want to completely change what the story is about and undo the original intention of the piece because I waited to long to go back to the project. Rewriting while writing allows me to think about what's happening while I write instead of after I write the story.

Do you feel the same way?

Would you rather wait to rewrite a story until after you've completed the entire project?

Post a comment and let me know!

Thanks for listening to today's rambling on writing and comics and a bigger thanks for reading this blog post.

Talk to you soon!

- Kenny

Writing a Comic Book Memoir: Part 4 (Restructuring)

Hello Comic Fans!

It's been a few days since I've updated, but sometimes life finds a way to stop your blog. Sometimes its with hospital visits and helping family, sometimes its because someone created dinosaurs in a theme park by splicing frog DNA.

Well put Dr. Malcolm.
(You can find this on Etsy by sweetandlovely)

But I've still been writing and working on the memoir whether I've posted about it or not. Gale and I email frequently and talk about the project, as well as just check up on each other since we're both quality people. I'm going to say it a lot, but Gale is a fantastic collaborator.

Right now my challenge is breaking the second chapter. I have a general outline and a solid ending, I'm just discovering new recurring themes and elements in my true story that I didn't notice until now. It's like my life is a movie I've had on in the background a hundred times, but never sat down to actually watch and analyze the damn thing. Once you do you start noticing some pretty interesting stuff.

One recurring element in my life is prison or imprisonment. I'm kind of the black sheep of my immediate family, because I'm the only one that's never been incarcerated. But there's a period of my life that was very much like being in prison, and playing with that element in the story is going to be important.

At least I think it will be.

I'll be sharing some layouts and character sketches in the next post, as well as a more solid synopsis. I wanted Gale's permission before I started posting stuff, because this is her project just as much as it is mine.

I'm also willing to share script pages and talk about the writing process if anyone is interested. Just leave a comment with any questions you have and I'll make sure to answer them!

Thanks for reading and keep on writing!

- Kenny

Writing a Comic Book Memior: Part 3

Hello Comic Fans!

I've been having a bit of a crazy week dealing with some family stuff, but I'm back on track with writing now. I actually recorded an episode of a podcast on writing, which I'll share when it gets posted.

The memoir is coming along on schedule. I was sent some updates by Gale and she asked me if it she was good to start working on the layouts. I told her to go for it, so now I'm waiting for those sweet pages to roll in! She's a delight to collaborate with and I couldn't be happier with the process.

I still don't have anything that I can share just yet, so please enjoy this little snippet of writing advice from Brian Clark that I completely agree with.

Makes sense to me.

I'm revising the outline for the rest of the story and coming up with the pitch for the book. I plan on submitting to both comic book and regular book publishers. I might even send it to some literary agents, since comic book memoirs tend to be a bit more popular in the literary world. At least when it comes to academia.

The projects I'm spending more time on while I work through these next steps are a manga inspired title that I talk about on the podcast, as well as the edits of the chapters of the novel I wrote this past summer.

Studying Comic Book Craft

Studying Comic Book Craft

Writing every single day is only half the battle for someone looking to create their own story. It doesn't matter if it's a comic, a novel, or a screenplay, the only way to get better at something is to constantly expose yourself to elements of your craft.

Despite being in school for the past umpteen years, I've found ways to learn a little more about creating comic books and the comic book industry nearly every day of the week. They might not be big leaps or bounds, but even the littlest bit of information or exposure keeps me excited about writing and making comics with other creators.

Podcasts

I spend a lot of time in the car, so listening to podcasts that talk about comic book craft helps me feel like I'm less of a road zombie between errands and classes.

Right now one of my favorite podcasts about creating comics is Decompressed by Kieron Gillen (Young Avengers, Phonogram). Gillen talks to other creators about creating and crafting comics, and the guests always provide deep insight and methods for producing great material.

Decompressed Podcast Cover

Books

I try to read a book on comic book craft at least one every week or two weeks, even if it's just a chapter a day or every other day. There are a ton of books that you can get on the subject of making comics. So here are a few that stand out on my shelf:

• Make Comics Like the Pros - by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente
• The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics - by Dennis O'Neil
• The Insider's Guide to Creating Comics and Graphic Novels - by Andy Schmidt
• Making Comics - by Scott McCloud

I'd personally recommend starting with The DC Comics Guide, because O'Neil goes into detail about setting up a plot, character arc, and a resolution to a single-issue comic book script.

The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics - O'Neil

Reading Comics

This is a big one, and it's not always easy to do. I try to read at least a single comic book every day of the week. I'll often read it once for fun, then go back and analyze how panels were paced, where the cliffhangers and page turns were used, and how the story played out over 20-24 pages. Having apps like Marvel Unlimited and Scribd help a lot for this, since it saves me serious money on a daily basis.

You can't really write if you don't read.

Just make sure not to replace all writing with reading - I'm guilty of that sometimes. Haha

Finally

I try to remember that some days I'm not going to find anything new, and that's fine. Even if I do one of these things it feels like I'm making steps in the right direction. I'd suggest adopting any of these habits if you want to keep your motivation up and deepen your knowledge of comic book craft on a daily or even weekly basis.

Comic Book Script Archive and Formatting

Comic Book Script Archive

One of the great things about writing comics is that there's no set format for writing a script. Unlike screenwriting, where there are lots of set rules that have to be applied to formatting. I've been playing around with my own template for writing comic book scripts in word, and I've been getting inspiration from The Comic Book Script Archive, which is a part of Andy Schmidt's Comics Experience.

What I like about the archive is that has lots of scripts from some of comics' greatest writers, as well as a template from Comics Experience for newcomers to use for their own scripts. While picking the same scripting style as another writing won't make you a better writer yourself, sometimes it just helps to see how some writers tackle different panel descriptions and how they communicate to the artist.

Some of the writers that are featured are Warren Ellis, Jason Aaron, Matt Fraction, Neil Gaiman, Mark Waid, and Brian K. Vaughan.

I actually used the Comics Experience template as a jumping off point for my own script format, which is pictured below.

Kenny Porter's Current Script Template

If you want more information on how to format scripts or create your own template I'd suggest reading Make Comics Like the Pros by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente. They lay out how to create your own template in a very simple, concise way.

Bluster - Progress Update & Bonus Kamandi Inspired Cover!

Just wanted to let everyone know where Andy Budnick and I are with Bluster right now.

1. We've got almost all the artwork for Issue #1 finished!

2. We're rewriting the series to be a bit leaner and meaner.

3. There have been some unexpected delays due to "shit happens" related stuff, but we're back on track.

In the meantime I thought I'd give you the Kamandi inspired cover that I whipped up during a homework break. Just playing around in illustrator. In no way would this be a finished product, but I thought it was a good way to kill a half hour.

Thanks for being patient everyone!

- Kenny

P.S.

I didn't put a date on it in the right-hand circle because I didn't want people thinking that's when the book was coming out, haha.

The Importance of Writing Every Day

I've been off the radar for a little while. I haven't been slacking off... not completely. I've just been really bogged down with school. I'm in my senior year of college, and although I've been going long enough to be a doctor I'll only have a bachelor's degree in Writing.

I wanted to write up a blog for a couple of reasons. First, it's been way too long. Second, I wanted to remind everyone how important it is to still write every single day, no matter how busy you get. My time has been severely cut lately. While I might be able to count academic writing as part of my actual "writing" I don't do that. Why? Because I don't get the same joy out of the process.

So if you're facing a serious lack of free time I suggest trying some of these methods to revamp your writing schedule:

1. Pick a new time of day to write

If you find your usual ritual of waking up early and hitting the keyboard isn't cutting it anymore then try finding a new ritual or method. My big change was afternoon writing. I was used to going to the coffee shop or library and sitting down with my scripts or pitches and not being interrupted for hours. That's not happening right now, so I've had to switch to writing between classes and in the evening. It sucks for consistency, but at least it gets done.

2. Don't be too hard on yourself

You should still be hard on yourself, but not at the jump off a bridge level. I used to set a word goal every day that I would try to hit. For a while it was 2,000 words minimum. I just don't have time to do that right now. So usually, especially with scripting, I set a minimum page requirement. With scripting that's pretty easy. I give myself a goal of three to five script pages a day. Not terribly huge work, but not that small either.

3. Just write -- even if you feel like you can't

I've never really had writer's block, but when I'm stuck on a story and can't figure out what to do I just start working on something else. That way I don't lose momentum and when I work my way out of the problem in the first story I can jump back in. Now this might not work for everybody out there. I know lots of writers who can't switch back and forth. I just know that it works for me, so it might work for someone else.

4. Do a warm-up

This has helped quite a bit. I tend to write something else first before diving into my bigger projects. I write the Alternative Comics Beat article for Cosmic Book News. That's a great warm-up because I get to talk about comics without actually writing scripts. I get my head in the mindset of what I think a good comic book can do and then jump off that springboard I've built for myself.

I hope this helps someone who is stuck in any kind of writing rut and has had their free time cut short. Feel free to drop me a line if you have any other good suggestions or any questions. I'm going to try to post daily or at least every other day from now on.

Thanks for reading!

Comics Experience Make Comics Podcast Ep. 71 - Guest Appearance!

I was asked to talk on Ep. 71 of the Comics Experience Make Comics Podcast to talk about works inspire me to make my own comics. The other fantastic guests are Paul Allor, Amy Chu, Rich Douek, Bryan Richmond, and Joe Sergi!

Listen to the podcast

A big thanks to Joey Groah and Andy Schmidt, as well as the whole Comics Experience team!

Bluster #1 - Project Update

Bluster Update

Andy Budnick and I are working hard to get the first issue of Bluster done and ready for digital release. While we do plan on doing some pitching with the story, the main goal is to put all four issues online for consumption on our own. After talking about the project we’ve decided we want complete creative control and would rather get the comic out there for people to read than wait for someone to pick it up.

Before we release the first issue we want to have a minimum of two issues in the can. That’s just because we don’t want any delays and want to make sure that, once the first issue comes out, we’ll be able to release one each month until it’s finished.

We’ve discussed a release schedule, and I’d expect a first issue somewhere in September or October based on my writing speed and Andy’s ability to crank out incredible pages. After the four issues are released we plan on doing a collected print version, which will more than likely be achieved through a Kickstarter.

Thank you to everyone for supporting the project so far! We’re excited to get it out there and into the world ASAP!

Writing Goals for the Summer

Things Are Happening...

This summer I've got a lot going on in terms of writing projects. I just started my internship at Cosmic Book News, where I'll be rebooting/restarting my "Alternative Comics Beat" column. If you missed it the first time around it's a place where I recommend comics you might not be reading if you only read the standard superhero fare. Even then, I still find some superhero gems that might have slipped out of your reach.

I've also got three comic book projects I'm currently working on. Bluster is the public project, the one I'm working on with Andy Budnick, but I've also got two secret projects going on right now. Once the scripts are done and there's artwork to show for it I'll gladly put it out there for the world to see.

On top of that I'm also slowly working on a novel. It's with a character that I've developed over the years, and admittedly is just a version of myself with black magic and a mean streak. But since the story is a personal one about the past and how people perceive you based on things that have happened to you, I think it's fitting to just openly admit that the character is heavily influenced on my life experiences.

What I've Been Pondering

I've been thinking a lot lately about self-publishing comics, especially with Bluster. Everyone who got a sneak preview of the comic at C2E2 this year really enjoyed what they saw, and it made me more excited than ever to produce creator-owned content. While I would love it if a bigger company picked up Bluster, I plan on releasing it first as a digital run and then collecting it in paperback or hardcover afterwards. There's something rewarding about doing everything yourself and being completely in control of the material, especially if you have a fan base. While we don't have one yet, the positive feedback we got tells me that Bluster is a story that people are going to be excited to read.

But For Now...

For now I just want to say that I hope anything I post on this blog inspires others to create. I don't care if it's comics, novels, music, web series, or even a blog or personal journal. Sharing and creating art, in any form, is best when someone connects with your message. So if you've got something to say, or an experience to share, don't hesitate. More than often someone else is looking to share that experience and can find it in your work.

Project Update: The Dominoes #1

Hey everyone! I just thought I'd share these awesome pitch pages that I worked on with artist Jim Towe and colorist Jon Alderink.

The pitch is for a mini-series I developed with Jim called The Dominoes.

Here's some of the info on the project as well as a cover and pages 11 - 15 of the first script.

The Dominoes

“Life is strange, evil is stranger, don the mask, and face the danger!”

A 4-Issue Mini-Series by Kenny Porter and Jim Towe

Premise:

Roxy Shultz, a young college girl, wants a life outside of her mother’s shadow. But when a creature bent on ridding the world of free will attacks her city, Roxy is enlisted by a group of cosmic avengers called The Dominoes in order to save reality.

Main Characters:

Roxy Shultz: A community college student and aspiring painter, she’s conflicted about her future and is pressured by her mother to follow in her footsteps of academia. She just wants her freedom and to do something that matters.

Martha Shultz: A tough as nails English professor who wants her daughter Roxy to have a stable life, by force if necessary.

Slate: A demonic creature with a grin that can never frown. He’s determined to take away free will from the Earth, then the universe. He has a deep hatred for The Dominoes and a mysterious past.

The Dominoes

They’re a group of supernatural masked avengers that travel by dimensional gateways and fight threats to reality.

Strut: The current leader of the team. He’s more worried about others than himself and his ability allows him to take massive amounts of damage. His ability to lead is waning, and he’s worried their next fight could be their last.

Gavel: Strut’s right-hand woman and a hard brawler. She’s exceptionally strong, both in mind and body.

Gritty: The moral compass of the team, Gritty can see the truth in the universe and can read people’s auras.

If I had to compare the book to anything it'd be like a mix between Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and a rock album with mod blended in there.

This scene picks up right as the main character, Roxy, first meets The Dominoes face-to-face when they confront Slate in a clothing store.

Cover

Page 11 of Issue #1

Page 12 of Issue #1

Page 13 of Issue #1

Page 14 of Issue #1

Page 15 of Issue #1

Hope you all enjoy the pages!

Project Update: BLUSTER #1

Things are coming along nicely with Bluster, the mini-series I'm putting together with artist Andy Budnick. The inks are coming back with a gorgeous finish, and I'm trying my hand at lettering. Once I get some sample lettered pages I'll post them here for the world to see.

We plan on pitching after the first five pages and the cover are finished. But Andy and I have solid plans to finish the whole series, even if it doesn't get picked up.

Why?

Because, as a writer or an artist, it's important to finish the things you start. I've written horrible novels and then tossed them in the dumpster afterwards, but I was proud that I finished them.

I'm happy to say this won't be one of those projects.

And so, sleepy and fueled by coffee, I carry on. I just hope college doesn't get in the way of making comics too much.

Biggby and MMPR are not official Kenny Porter sponsors

The Dominoes - Pitch Pages

The Dominoes

"Life is strange, evil is stranger, don the mask, and face the danger!"

These are pages 11 - 15 of the first issue of The Dominoes. A story about a young college girl fighting for her free will alongside a group of cosmic masked avengers.

If I had to peg it down and compare it to anything I'd say it's sort of like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles meets Doom Patrol.

We have a version with letters, but I just wanted to go ahead and showcase the artwork here.

Written by: Kenny Porter

Art by: Jim Towe

Colors by: Jon Alderink

Birthday Artwork

This weekend I got some fantastic art from my friends Jim Towe and Leslie Gauthier for my birthday.

Gavel (The Dominoes) commenting on Craig Farmer's (Craig Farmer: Astronaut) career. - Jim Towe

Kenny Porter as an Olympic Figure Skater with Leslie.

 

In The Works -- Craig Farmer: Astronaut! OGN (Kenny Porter and Jim Towe)

This is a project I'm working on with Jim Towe, an artist from Grand Rapids, Michigan. It's about an astronaut who has essentially become a glorified space bully and wants to redefine himself as an explorer. But if he wants to explore space like the men and women before him then he'll stand against the military organization that sponsors him and a crazed space tyrant bent on taking Farmer's head as a trophy.

We're doing the story as an OGN at the 6 x 9 size.

Promo Images

A Big Thank You

I want to say a big thank you to everyone who supported Artifacts #33 being released last week. I'm just happy to have produced a comic that so many people enjoyed.

I promise more projects in the future, but for now enjoy your Wednesday pull lists!

Artifacts #33 (Final Cover) -- Releases January 1st, 2014

They've just released the final cover for Artifacts #33, which comes out January 1st, 2014.

Artifacts #33 -- Written by Kenny Porter, Artwork by -Rom-, Published by Top Cow Productions.

I can tell you that this is going to make my New Year's Day. I hope that the rest of you feel the same when you pick up your comics for the first day of the new year!

Ink Ribbon -- New Print Edition!

Ink Ribbon

Visionary Comics published my one-shot crime noir comic on digital platforms a couple of years ago. Now I've reformatted the book for print and it'll be available at conventions and signings I'll be doing during the 2014 convention season.

Printed Version

The printed version features a modified cover.

Here are some images:

The new cover

Some interior pages

And some more interior pages

This is just the test print, but it turned out really well. I'm hoping that everyone will enjoy this manga-inspired story when it makes its con debut!