ENDINGS AND BEGINNINGS IS NOW AVAILABLE!

The final part of the Forts trilogy is now available in both ebook and print editions. For all the links fit to link check out MY WEBSITE! The Kindle edition can be found by simply clicking the picture above. Let me just say that it feels great to finally have this series wrapped up. Could things have gone smoother? Sure. Would I have preferred to not have the issues with the original publisher of the series? Of course. In the end, I wrote three books. Me. I did that. That's nearly 600,000 words and three years of my life. Despite everything that's happened and the way things played out, it's something to be proud of. I like Forts. It was important to me to write it and even more important that I finished it. It was fun and it was therapy, and I learned a lot about myself and my work from it, and in the end I wouldn't change a word. That's a pretty cool thing. Steven

FORTS BOOK 2 - COVER IN PROGRESS

Well, book one is officially available everywhere. Book two is written, being edited, and the chapter illustrations are done.

So what am I missing?

Yep, a cover.

I did one a while back, but honestly it didn't quite sit right. The characters didn't work for me, and honestly it didn't capture the absolutely bonkers, surprise the poop out of you, and leave you shaking your head in disbelief nature of of the second book.

So I've started over.



I like this new version. I like it a lot in fact. Granted, it's still in the early stages, but I think it'll capture the intensity of book two much better. Things get much darker, much crazier, and much more unpredictable. I need the to make sure the cover reflects that.

If you haven't yet ordered a copy of "Fathers and Sons" I'm not exactly sure what you're waiting for.

What else are you going to do with your money? Pay bills? Save for retirement?

You're smarter than that.

Spend it needlessly on things you don't need.

Come on, all the cool kids are doing it.

Steve

P.S. Please ignore the messy desk - you know, because I'm messy.

I'm Such a Nice Guy

No, seriously...I am. I'm a really nice guy. I'm not saying that I should be given an award or anything, but the fact remains that I am a decent, nice guy. Don't get me wrong, if you want to give me an award, that's fine with me...I won't turn it down.

My wife is a teacher and she moved to a new school this year, and out of the goodness of my heart I designed the schools logo...for free. Want to see it? CLICK HERE. Would a jerk do that? Nope. Would a nice guy? You better believe it bucko!

Not too long afterward one of the students in her class writes something in her reading journal about having trouble drawing noses, which prompts my wife to ask me, "Steven, would you do me a favor and draw some noses in her journal?" So I did. Turns out not only does the girl love the drawing, but the rest of the class does as well and wants me to draw something in all of their journals.

She has 30 kids in her class.

Being the nice guy that I am, I agree. (Not all at once mind, you...but a few a week).

Sound like something a jerk does? I think not.

It feels good knowing that I'm a nice guy. Good, and a little strange, because in all honesty, I wasn't that nice of a kid growing up. Maybe I'm just getting soft in my old age.

NOTE: The above sketch is just something that I'm tinkering with. Trying a different method of computer coloring. I'm still working out the bugs.

A Busy Wednesday

It's going to be a very busy Wednesday for me. I've got a lot of work to do and will most likely spend the vast majority of my day hunched over my drawing table in my dark studio with the blinds drawn. I won't take a shower until well after lunch which will make my hair slimy, and my skin greasy, and my teeth still covered with that pasty morning tooth film for most of the day.

That's right...I'm a bridge troll.

I'd tell you to "ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS THREE" before you continue reading, but I'm much to busy to come up with three questions, so instead I'll just wave you through.

The above sketch is yet another rough from the very same recent project the last rough was produced for.

Steve

New Shirt Design

It's been a while since I put together a new zombie shirt (because I've been so busy) so I started on another design last night. I haven't even finished drawing it yet, but if you can guess what it is, I'll give you a gold star. (Which will actually just be me typing the words "GOLD STAR" in the comments...I know that's a bit of a let down).

Here's a hint: B.A.

Oh, and I've also (very slowly) been moving some of my designs over to zazzle as well, but that's taking a long time (you know, because of the whole "busy" thing again) I've included a link to the zazzle stuff in the sidebar.


make custom gifts at Zazzle

Steve!

Rough Character Sketch

Not much to report today. The wife is down and out with back problems again. Things have slowed down a tiny bit as far as work goes, which has allowed me time to get some of my personal projects started...that, and lay around lazily. Nothing really changes around here.

I'm starting work on something new (that I can't really go into detail about just yet) and I decided to post one of my really early, really rough character sketches above.

Steve~

Gator / Monkey Sketch

Here's a little sketch I whipped up last night. Nothing really remarkable. A monkey riding a gator. I've been working on ways of cartoonizing (which I'm pretty sure isn't a word) animals.

My back is pretty much healed up. I don't think I even really get out of bed this weekend and I did the ice/heat thing almost constantly. The wife is still down for the count though (sort of) which sucks for her because she's got an exceptionally long day today. I tried to convince her to take the day off work, but she's dedicated and decided that she couldn't.

Yet another reason why I like working out of home. ;)

Steve~

Lets Make This Quick

Since I'm going to be gone for pretty much the whole of this week, I thought I would keep things short and sweet.

Here's a logo I recently did for someone.

There, I'm done.

Okay, so maybe it wasn't that sweet, but you can't argue the short part.


Steve~

Been a While

It's been a while since I've had the time to post anything. Been busy. Which is good because busy means money and money means me not having to live out of a box behind the local Wal-Mart. (Where I would no doubt have a hard time finding a WI-FI signal.)

I'm going to attempt to do it on a more regular basis, but I'll likely fail. (At least I'm honest.)

Above is a couple grasshopper girl sketches I recently did for a project I may or may not be working on with someone else. Nothing has been finalized.

Below is another zombie shirt I recently put up over at Redbubble. I've gotten into a "movie/tv character" phase with these things and I'm having fun making them. I've got some really good ones lined up as well, some Star trek stuff, A-Team, Star Wars, the Godfather, a bunch of really fun stuff.

Steve~

Extremely Busy

I've been extremely busy lately doing work that actually makes me money, which enables me to pay my mortgage, buy comic books, and occasionally take the wife out to dinner (to a restaurant of moderate pricing), that I haven't had a heck of a lot of time to work on other stuff, or even just dust off the ol' sketchbook and sketch a bit.

Which sucks.

Sucks harder than an N'Sync reunion concert. (Which is an amazing amount of suck'age.)

Anyway, today's sketch is from a line of zombie/holiday cards (because zombies and the holidays go together like milk and cookies) I'm doing for the fun of it. They'll be available at redbubble.com. I have no idea when I'm going to get them all done, but it will more likely be sooner then later.

Which again, sucks.

Man, a lot of stuff sure does suck today.

Enjoy the weekend,

Steve~

New Book Idea

I recently came up with what I think is a pretty darn good idea for a picture book, grabbed by pencil, my sketch book, and the result was this.

"Giant hairy monster squashes a kid under his rancid, stinky foot."

Don't worry, that's not the title (though it might be a funny title). In fact, it's not even really what the book is about (sort of). I've still got some stuff to work out as it's more of a concept at this point rather than a story, but I like the concept, which is more than I can say for a lot of the stuff that comes from the black hole that doctors seem to think is my brain.

More to come on this later,

Steve~

Work in Progress - Finished

I was able to fight off the laziness demons and put the big ol' kibosh on this one last night. (I know, I know, I should never type the word "kibosh" again.) Anyway, it's done. Is it the greatest thing I've ever done? Nope, but it's done. Leaving it unfinished would have bothered the crap out of me more then the world's most powerful laxative.

Steve~

Work In Progress

Still working on this one. Not completely sure what I'm going to do with it either. I'm thinking that I might lose the idea of kids behind him in line, in favor of an empty street. Maybe early morning? Maybe kind of dark out? Maybe I'll just vignette the top bit somehow? I'm not sure just yet, which seems to be the case more often than not these days. Ideally I'll try and get some work done on it this afternoon, but I have a sinking feeling that lack of available time, as well as my incredible laziness might just prevent that from actually happening.

Steve~