The Legend of Bill continues...

Work on my forthcoming comic strip "Legend of Bill" continues, and here's a rough sketch right out of the ol' sketchbook...

Convention photos

As I prepare for my forthcoming 2008 convention appearances for my Star Trek, sci-fi and comics work, I always think back on the past ones as well... it is my pleasure throughout the year to attend Star Trek, sci-fi and comics conventions as a guest, from my official Star Trek work on STARTREK.COM and various other CBS outlets, to now my Roddenberry Productions work for the great Roddenberry.com. I LOVE conventions... I'm a shameless ham, love to get on stage and talk, love to meet fans and newfound friends and especially love to draw for these wonderful people. I'll post some photos here and there of some of my convention happenings backstage, the great people I've had a chance to meet, and maybe a story or two to boot. In the meantime, here are a couple of pix with just a few of the fantastic folks I've had the pleasure to talk to and meet, such as the smoothest man alive, Mr. Avery Brooks (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), the very cool and friendly Jonathan Frakes (Star Trek: The Next Generation and movies), the uber-talented Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica and The Bionic Woman) and a few borg to boot! Just a lil' sampling of how easy it is to get assimilated if you're not looking behind you at a convention!!

- David

"The Trek Life" creative process

I'm often asked about my working process for creating my comics, in this case, for example, "The Trek Life," my thrice-weekly webcomic at STARTREK.COM. My process starts out VERY rough. After the writing and super rough doodles are complete (always done in my sketchbook), I then enter into the sketch phase of the actual comic that is nearly incoherent in the beginning, and the drawings basically build and build, like molding clay, to the final product. Here you can see the creative process behind a Sunday format strip, from beginning to end... pencil roughs, to inks, to color, which I do in Photoshop. Enjoy!

- David

Comics Reporter

I was thrilled when I was reading one of my favorite sites, The Comics Reporter (http://www.comicsreporter.com/) and came across a mention of this blog! Pop over and check out Tom Spurgeon's fantastic blog on all things COMICS!!

New "Gene's Journal" comic at Roddenberry.com today!

Be sure to jump over to Roddenberry.com for today's new episode of "Gene's Journal" comic strip! Link: http://www.roddenberry.com/?action=site.comic

Legend of Bill sketch

Progress on my comic strip "Legend of Bill" continues, as I work on more strips. Here's a sketch out of one of the strips for funsies! More to come...

"The Trek Life" in IDW Publishing's Star Trek Comic Books

Here's one of the full comic book pages of "The Trek Life" strip that ran as a backup in one of IDW Publishing's excellent Star Trek comic books (an issue that focused on Wesley Crusher) - never before seen outside of the back page of that book! So, it makes its digital debut here. Here's a rare, behind-the-scenes shot of the rough sketch phase of the comic, the actual comic, and a picture of me and the very cool Wil Wheaton at the big Trek convention in Vegas in 2007. You'll note how I changed the punchline in the final piece. If you haven't already (and you probably have), be sure to check out Wil's awesome blog here: http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/

Ah... Memories...

So, I've been having fun working on more of my "Legend of Bill" comics strips, (more sketches coming soon! Watch this space!) and as such, have been inspired to thumb through my many fantasy "art" books, for inspiration and well, just 'cause I like to. And I came across something I hadn't seen in a LONG time ... my actual, original Dungeons and Dragons Players manual from the 80's. Yep, I still have it. But that's not all! Next to it was my original Star Frontiers Starter book as well, put out around the same time as this particular D&D starter kit (well, 1982 to be exact), as a sci-fi alternative role-playing game for sci-fi fans. Naturally, I was a hardcore fan of both. I remember getting the little thin box the books (and maps, character info and such) came in for Christmas one year (yes, while most kids were asking for stuff like Red Ryder BB guns, I wanted toy robots, Star Wars action figures and D&D!!!). I remember pulling out all the components, and immediately, I knew what I enjoyed the MoSt about the games... creating new characters. I LOVED to sit there and create all their abilities, their personality, and I'd ALWAYS draw them up of course. And I always loved the interior illustrations too. I immediately put up a radar for anything by Larry Elmore and Jeff Easley (and the radar is still up today for their work!)... and then Frank Frazetta, and Boris Vallejo, and Frank Kelly Freas, and well ... you get the picture. I remember sitting in bed at night with yep, the ol' flashlight, reading my game books and imagining my characters living out their lives. And I sought out other kids in school who did the same, and spent many a recess lost in imagination. And these games, their art, their imagination-sparking wonder, had a profound effect on me as a kid of 11 from Indiana... and my universe expanded, I started hunting out sci-fi and fantasy novels (mainly for the covers, haha), and I was naturally already a voracious reader of comic books and comic strips, and my love of fantasy and science fiction, and the endless stories and wonder they provided was solidified. Ahh ... memories.

New Product Design at Roddenberry.com!

Hey, friends and neighbors, pop on over to Roddenberry.com for this brand-spanking new design I created for their new humor line of products - all guaranteed to make you 35% sexier!

Here's the link: http://www.cafepress.com/roddenberry/4379357

Friday morning superhero fun!

Some superhero silliness out of the ol' sketchbook ... (with a touch of a Star Trek doodle)! And hey, for some REAL superhero coolness, head over to my pal Brad Guigar's webcomic "Evil Inc" at www.evil-comic.com - you won't be disappointed!!

Barbarella sketch

I've been researching some 60's sci-fi material for a project I'm working on, and came across some old Barbarella pictures... so, inevitably, she made it onto a sketchbook page!

Editor & Publisher!

Dave Astor at Editor & Publisher has added an article about my new blog opening up! Check it out at: Editor & Publisher's Website(http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/departments/syndicates/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003701579)

From the Sketchbook: Fantasy Sketch

A quick sketch of a more "heroic" look for a barbarian ... but, alas, I prefer the look of Bill in the last "Legend of Bill" comic strip post!

Legend of Bill - the comic strip!

Here's my fantasy comic strip, "Legend of Bill," that I've been toying with for my own amusement, and this is the first strip I created, as a practice piece, to see how the main characters look in their setting, and how they interact. What I love about creating a new comic, is sometimes just going for it and starting the writing process, and watching characters begin to interact and "talk," and react to one another. In "Legend of Bill," you have Bill the Barbarian, his lil' blue dragon sidekick/companion Frank, and the beautiful princess Gina, who's no slacker herself when it comes to being tough as nails. Not sure what I'll do with this just yet, but it sure is fun to play with, (I've written several more) and I had a blast making this first comic, so thought I'd share it here. If you wanna see more Bill, drop me a note and let me know!

Legend of Bill comic sketches

I'd been toying with a fantasy-themed comic strip, as I've always loved fantasy ... here are a few sketches I was toying with that I had put on my website's homepage...

Random page out of the ol' sketchbook

Well, this being a sketch blog, and a place where I'd like to unload some of the rougher side of things, as in rough sketches and conceptual work, here's a page right out of the ol' sketchbook. I'm addicted to my sketchbooks, I'm never without one. I use a few different kinds. As you can see here, everything that goes onto a page isn't always pretty, but it's a healthy thing for a cartoonist to be able to tip his head to the side, and let all these sloppy little doodles spill out of his brain and onto the page! Enjoy!

"Gene's Journal" launches today at Roddenberry.com!

Well, the day has finally come! "Gene's Journal," my new webcomic at Roddenberry.com begins today. I'm very excited, and have already had a lot of response to it. "Gene's Journal" follows young Eugene Roddenberry, just a regular kid trying to make his way through school, friends, life... only now, he's suddenly being abducted by aliens. A lot. And he keeps a journal about it all, so he remembers it all when he's older. Hmm ... coulda been some influence there, ya' think?Pop on over and check it out! Look for a new strip every few weeks to start things off. And some more content too!

Your Trekkin' pal,

David

David's Reddickulous Blog open for business!

Well, it's about high-time I started this blog. I've been wanting to do this for some time, and I'm glad I finally did. You can expect fun things here... rare sketches, artwork I'm working on (and lots of stuff just for fun), news about upcoming work or conventions, and lots more. But mostly - FUN!

So, don't be a stranger -drop me a line anytime!

Your bloggin' pal,

David