Video Blog Teaser

Hi all!

This week marks the 100 page milestone for Dust Bunny! Only 70 more pages to go before the book is ready to see some hard copies! As a preamble to the 2-part (yes, 2-part) celebration vlog that Joshua David Matthews and I shot over the past couple of days, take a sweet minute and enjoy this completely irrelevant shred of story telling, delivered by yours truly.



The complete 2-part vlog is going to span a myriad of topics surrounding Dust Bunny, as well as the process of the book both on and off the pages. I've tried to switch up the visual formula for every video update, and I think this one really stands out. I'm extremely eager to get it all cut together, which will hopefully be over the next week or so. It was a blast to shoot!

Also, if you'd like to see smaller, more frequent updates to the book's process, you can follow me on Twitter or Like the Dust Bunny Page on Facebook!

In the meantime, enjoy the teaser!

Spinning a Truer Story.

There are a lot of fun surprises throughout this book. Knowing that, I've tried to be very selective in what I showcase in these updates. Initially, I had no intention of showing any work from the most recent (spider) segment of the story. But there's so much subtext involved here (for me, as an artist), that I think the insight supersedes the need for secrecy on this one. Plus, this panel doesn't give you any spoilers.

This graphic novel has transcended a lot of ground, and it has nothing to do with the artwork. Nothing. It's wandered into subversive, autobiographical territory and has still managed to maintain an independent paradigm from this artist's life. I have no idea if that's a difficult balance to achieve or not, but it's happened organically with Dust Bunny. And that's how I know the story is honest. That's also how I know that it's no longer a story. It's my story.

I'm an arachnophobic. I hate spiders. I know "hate" is a strong word, but I only choose that word because I can't think of a stronger one to fully encompass my disdain for these infinitely intriguing, yet terrifying monsters. So, to allow them to carry the weight of a scene for about 7 pages in the book leaves me at a crossroads of understanding myself. Incidentally, it wasn't until I was nearly finished with this page that I realized this particular panel is a snapshot of a recurring nightmare that I have, at least once a month. The dream is always a little different, but the nightmare always ends with one...then two...then ten...then fifty spiders descending upon me just before I wake up. I don't care what the subconscious reasoning is behind it. But somehow, it managed to regurgitate itself onto my page. I thumbnailed this 9 months ago, and that realization just clicked last night.

This book began as an entertaining, surface 'whodunit'. It still is. But since its inception, it's found a new voice - one I could have never scripted. It's become important to me, not only as an artistic achievement, but as a milestone of my life (in its currency). Dust Bunny's story would have been completely different a year ago, or a year from now. And I can't help but latch on to the idea that this book is being produced at a time when it's meant to be produced. Though I put my best efforts forward in every line that I draw, the artwork has become submissive to the story...maybe even the theme. They work together wonderfully, but since I've discovered the purpose of this story, and why I'm telling it, I've had to work harder at making the visuals acutely convey that purpose. I've been tuning these creative instruments my entire life. But this is the first mouthpiece that's fit. Maybe that's why the song is pleasing. Or maybe that's why it feels like I'm playing for the first time.

Either way, it's important to understand that I'm not an expressionist. And you will not be reading Brett Brooks' life story, vicariously told through the eyes of a rabbit and a dust mite. But my life - my trials - are definitely in there...which leads me to wonder if I'm finally starting to understand what it means to be an artist. Or even more than that, a purist.

Art is not my salvation. But it is a truth I believe in. And if honesty can be found inside a city hidden in a basement...what sort of truths will break the surface above it once the story is finished?

Steps to The Basement...

I received some very positive feedback from a few of my backers regarding my newest process vlog. If you haven't seen it, you can check it out in my last post.

So, in response to such encouraging words, I posted a preview/process page that outlines some of the actual thought behind my design choices for Dust Bunny.



Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Thinking Inside the Box: Video Blog #4

Greetings, all!

Apologies for the recent hiatus. It's been a juggling act of pages and freelance as of late, so I'm hoping to find a new groove here soon.

Speaking of grooviness, check out my new vlog! It departs a bit from the previous videos, and showcases my process for creating a page...as opposed to a full minute of my self-proclaimed nicknames (by which no one calls me), or a shot of me dancing in an elevator. Constructively contrary to either of those examples, we actually see Gumshoe's debut as he and Dust Bunny discuss the pressing matters of my musical taste. And though the thoughts and opinions of a shape shifting piece of bubble gum and a dirty rabbit do not necessarily reflect the views of this artist, it's really exciting to finally be bringing ol' Gums into the mix, as he plays a really cool role in the book later on.

Also, if you'd like to keep slightly closer tabs on the book's progress, I do soft updates about once a week through the Dust Bunny Facebook page as well as my own Twitter account. If you're not following one or both of those, hip-hop on the train! The updates are usually small process snippets, but they absolve me of any crimes of laziness. Or at least, the real artist that I pay to do all of this stuff.


Living the dream.

Halfway there!

First, this!

Danielle Feliciano is one of the most talented, free-thinking illustrators I know. We both graduated from SCAD and I esteem her, and the brush she wields, very highly. Her art has a crystal clear voice, and it's beautifully amplified through its execution. This is different than the past 2 projects I've plugged, which is why I think you should take a minute and watch the video. Support her if you can. This is going to be a brilliant project to follow! Click the image to watch!

So, I hope everyone had a great holiday break. I really wanted this announcement to be a video update, but couldn't make it happen. Maybe next time!

The past couple of months have been quite the trek for me, artistically. The holidays never seem to perpetuate productivity, and these past two months have been no exception. But, with only a couple of days left in 2011, I'm extremely pleased to announce that Dust Bunny has finally hit the half way point! With (roughly) 80 more pages to go, plus a handful of revisions, this story is well on its way to actually being told. I've read this thing more times than I can count, and at the end of the day...I'm really pleased with it. So, here's a snippet from the (in-progress) midway point in the book.

With that being said, I wanted to once again express my gratitude to everyone who has financially backed this project. Because of your support, I have been able to dedicate 5 months (interruption free) to the production of this book. Truth is, I don't know if this story would have ever taken its first breath were it not for you. That's a blessing I still can't get over, folks. So, here's to Dust Bunny's 160+ adoptive parents!

Subsequently, the start of 2012 marks my leap back into the freelance world. In order to keep the book going, I have to keep myself going by taking on work. It's hard to tell how this will affect the book's progression. But I have every confidence in its completion in the beginning months of 2012.

So, thank you all, again! Here's to being half complete! Or...half incomplete, depending on your outlook on life. But really, isn't it all about what's in the glass that counts?

$#!& with a capital $

Frustrating week for the novel, I'm afraid.

This isn't worth a full update. But it's probably a healthier way to handle my frustrations than putting my head through a computer monitor...

Getting my fix...

Growth as an artist is a wonderful feeling.

From time to time, you'll have that 'eureka' moment right in the middle of your process, acknowledging to yourself that you just learned something new - whether it be a coloring technique, or just the way you decide to hold the pencil. But for me, more often than not, I find that my journey is lived in hindsight. I rarely know what I've achieved until I go back and look at where I might have missed the mark the first time. That's what creative development is all about. And it's what this post is all about.

Above is a snippet from page 15 of Dust Bunny. Incidentally, this is also Mite's very first appearance in the book. When I first illustrated this panel, I was happy with it. Excited, even. But as nearly 80 pages have come and gone, I've found myself becoming more and more invested in these characters. Subsequently, I've become more intimate and familiar with how they work, both physically and emotionally. And though the script was done before a single stroke was made, each character has found an individual voice throughout the evolution of this book - void of any script. And it's amazing to watch.

Just in this one panel, so many things have grown from first run to revision: the perspective on the goggles, a cleaner skull structure, better black placement, a tighter pose. Even Mite's "burst" that you'll often see him contained within has become cleaner. He just seems to better encompass my original vision for the character at this point.

As rewarding as this small change is to me, the challenge is to keep myself from going into a complete overhaul with my first 30 pages. This panel was a glaring exception in my mind. And there are a handful more that I plan on revising. But I have to be very selective. Part of the joy of this book is witnessing its inception, its vitae, and ultimately its end. It's the terminal nature of the whole thing that makes it so precious to be a part of. I want the life of this book to be real; imperfect. I want to look at page 1 and then at page 101, and see a clear advancement in my craftsmanship. As it has already proven to be, I want this to be a visual diary of my growth as an artisan. White-out and spilled ink have little to nothing to do with the oversights of story telling, or graphical aesthetics. And as Dust Bunny has gone completely digital at this point, I'm realizing that more and more.

I hope you're all enjoying watching this baby brave the world as much as I'm enjoying holding its hand while it does so. This has been an incredibly satiating experience for me so far, through both the first-run successes, as well as the lip-biting frustrations. I'm eager to see what this child of mine decides to be when it grows up. And I'm glad it has such a great starter family to encourage and nurture it through its growth. You all have been amazing platforms of inspiration throughout this whole process, and I can't thank you enough.

After all, it takes a village...