Note Pad series#1

I've decided to upload one page a day from my little note pad comic I've started. I've been carrying a small 4" X 3 1/2" Note Pad in my pocket, to sketch in while waiting in the car, waiting for my food order at a restaurant (ok, ok, fast food joint), or shopping at Best Buy. Anywhere, anytime. I just keep my Dollar Store, Pentel/ EnerGel .05 pen, and wide tip Sharpie handy.

I started creating a little story, one page (panel) at a time, not fully knowing where I'm going with this little yarn. Its sort of like a little adventure for me. Anything can happen. Its also a challenge, to create scene after scene in such a small space. It really stretches the storytelling skills. I picked this little exercise up from the late, great, Alex Toth (my favorite comic book storyteller).

He'd draw these postage stamp size, comic panels, each containing an actual "scene". Like a small house next to the beach, a car parked in front of a house. Rolling green hills, with distant forestry in the background. ALL in this very "confined" space.

I realized what it was he was doing. Forcing himself to create these scenes with the least amount of detail.
He had to... there was no space for it! (He was a consistent practitioner of economy, when it came to drawing comic books) It was pure genius! Well, I'm not quite there.. to handle "postage stamp" size panels. So I'm starting out at 4" X 3 1/2"!

AND SO IT BEGINS.....