On Monday afternoon, I received an email message notifying me that my comic strip, Above the Fold, has been selected as a semi-finalist for Comic Strip Superstar, an international search for the next popular comic strip artist, sponsored by Andrews McMeel Publishing and hosted by Amazon.com!
Monday just happened to be Thanksgiving here in Canada, and so I’m very thankful to seasoned Universal Press Syndicate editors, John Glynn and Lee Salem, who narrowed the pool of 250 quarterfinalists down to 50 semi-finalists.
I’m also very honoured (humbled, nervous, and proud) knowing that my submission will now be judged by popular comic strip creators Garry Trudeau (Doonesbury), Lynn Johnston (For Better or For Worse), Scott Hilburn (The Argyle Sweater), and Mark Tatulli (Lió and Heart of the City). Together, they will choose 10 finalists and post feedback for each on Amazon.com where customers will then have the opportunity to view the finalists and vote for their favorite.
Due to contest rules, I cannot post any of my Above the Fold comic strips that I submitted; however, here’s a sneak peak of the strip’s title design and synopsis for you and my other loyal reader to enjoy … (Hi, Mom!) ...
Above the Fold is a wise and witty comic strip that editorializes our world through the socially networked minds of media-savvy middle-schoolers. Equipped with cell phones, digital cameras, text and other devices, these young leaders of tomorrow don’t just passively observe what’s happening around them; they create, interact with, and report on it. They are the news! And they’re determined to rise Above the Fold!
...
In the spirit of the month, I’ll be sharing some sweeter goodies with you VERY soon, so please be sure to check back around next Monday.
In the meantime, you can click the following links to find a rough pencil sketch of “Ace” (one of the strip’s main characters), and a coloured graphic of “Ace” standing beside his best friend, Giles F-o-s-t-e-r ... Oh bother, I'll let "Ace" have the honors ...
2D Character Animation Skills Challenge - District School Board of Niagara (DSBN)
I've graciously accepted an invitation from the District School Board of Niagara (DSBN) to return as the judge for this year's 2D Character Animation Skills Challenge. This competition is part of the Board's annual technological skills events throughout the Niagara region, in which gold medalists advance to the Ontario Technological Skills Competition (OTSC), and potentially the Canada Skills Competition (CSC) and WorldSkills Competition.
This will be my fifth consecutive year volunteering as a judge for the animation challenges, and so I'm grateful to the Board for their continued confidence in my judiciary skills. You can download a copy of the 2009 Challenge Scope from DSBN's website to see what the 2D Character Animation competition is all about.
In addition to judging, I will also be the 2D Character Animation Tech Tuesday presenter in about two weeks. During this session, I'll be providing students with mentorship in Flash Animation, as well as general animation tips and advice.
2D Character Animation Date: October 27 Time: 3:30pm Location: Grimsby Secondary School Host Teacher: Scott Miller Presenter: Mike Cope
From the Board's website ...
TECH TUESDAYS SKILLS TRAINING SESSIONS
DSBN Tech Tuesdays provide students with opportunities to participate in after-school enhanced skills training sessions in the various Technology sectors. Sessions will provide students with opportunities for hands-on experiential learning and mentorship from people working in related industry careers.
Students will also benefit from extra training to develop and hone their skills in anticipation for this year's Skills Challenges.
To Register for a Tech Tuesday session, please see your Technology Teacher!
Some suggested sites of interest for students, parents, and teachers ...
I'm happy to announce that my comic strip, Above the Fold, has been selected as a quarterfinalist for Comic Strip Superstar, an international competition being hosted by Amazon.com and Andrews McMeel Universal in search of the next popular comic strip artist!
I received an email message on Monday morning, notifying me of the good news. By Tuesday, Amazon had posted a PDF list of the 250 quarterfinalists on the contest's website. Unfortunately, only the comic strip titles are identified (and not the names of the cartoonists); however, Alan Gardner of the cartoon industry news website,The Daily Cartoonist, is compiling a more comprehensive list as cartoonists are identified.
Due to contest rules, I cannot post any samples of my Above the Fold comic strips that I submitted, but here's a rough pencil sketch of one of the strip's main characters, who aptly goes by the nickname "Ace" ...
Rough Pencil Sketch of "Ace" from Above the Fold by Mike Cope
... That's an extremely poor caricature of President Obama that he's talking to on his iPod Touch :)
If you browse through my previous blog posts, you'll find a full-colour sample of "Ace" standing beside another yet-to-be-named character.
According the the competition's Key Dates, the Second Round Review Period has officially started. Universal Press Syndicate and UCLICK editors are now reviewing and judging each of the First Round Finalists. The top 50 Entries that will advance to the Third Round Semi Finals will be selected by October 11th...
The following image is an example of how I take a NetTrekkers comic from the rough pencil sketch stage, to inked, to final full-colour version with text.
This panel is from Page 3 of NetTrekkers in Swimming Upstream, which will be published by LesPlan Educational Services Ltd. in the October 2009 issue of The Canadian Reader. In this episode, students will learn about the life cycle of salmon, including some amazing facts about what happens when they spawn.
A few notes of interest ... I've adjusted the brightness/contrast levels of the rough pencil sketch stage so that you can see the lines more clearly. The pencil marks are actually much lighter -- they're barely visible ink the inked stage, so don't strain your eyes too much!
Most of the inking was done with a dip pen, but I tried using a brush for some of the bear. I was trying to get a furry effect around the top of the bear's back and side of its face, so I kept my brush a little dry. I don't normally draw bears, so I credit any of the successful parts to beginner's luck!
Since the work is currently unpublished and done for a client, I can only show you a small sneak peak of the final comic pages ...
And finally ...
For any Canadian elementary school teachers who may stumble across this blog, copies of NetTrekkers Comic Yearbook #1 are being printed! Be sure to check LesPlan's website for ordering details.
I'll post some photos and more details about the books when they arrive. For now, you can click the cover to enlarge.
Exactly one month ago, Amazon.com and Andrews McMeel Universal announced the launch of the first Comic Strip Superstar, an international competition in search of the next popular comic strip artist.
The deadline for submissions was last Saturday night at 11:59PM, and I'm happy to say that I got mine in just before the clock struck midnight (and my Apple turned into a pumpkin!).
Due to contest rules, I cannot display any samples of my completed cartoons, but since I have about a month to wait before I learn the fate of my submission, I may post a few rough sketches or other goodies along the way.
Aw heck, here's one now ...
For now, I'm back at the drawing board working on other projects and "patiently" waiting ... :)
Inking a Comic with Mike Cope's Hand - YouTube Video
In my previous entry, I gave a sneak peak of the rough pencil sketch and page layout for September's NetTrekkers comic. I thought it might be fun to capture and share some of the inking process. I hope you enjoy the results ...
Watch the hand of Canadian cartoonist Mike Cope magically turn a pencil sketch into an inked cartoon character -- right before your very eyes!
Featured in this video is Page 1 from the September 2009 episode of the comic "NetTrekkers," in which Patrick travels to the Canadian prairies during the annual wheat harvest. The original comic art is drawn on an 11"x14" sheet of Strathmore Bristol board (smooth finish).
Prior to shooting this video, Mike Cope planned the text and page layout in Adobe Photoshop, and then rough sketched the panel illustrations using a regular 2H pencil. The inking process (seen here) is done using a combination of dip pens equipped with Hunt 102 and Speedball 513EF nibs, and Winsor & Newton's Black Indian Ink.
"NetTrekkers" is published in The Canadian Reader by LesPlan Educational Services Ltd. and is distributed to elementary schools across the country to help promote children's literacy. Each month's story is written by Canadian children's author, Vivien Bowers, and illustrated by Mike Cope.
This video may be freely shared and distributed in its entirety for educational and/or entertainment purposes only. For commercial and/or broadcast use, please contact mikecope [at] copetoons [dot] com.
Here's a sneak peak of page one from September's upcoming NetTrekkers comic. In this episode, Patrick (who is now sporting stylish glasses!) travels to the Canadian prairies during the annual wheat harvest.
After receiving the comic's script (written by Canadian author, Vivien Bowers), I create a rough layout of each page using Adobe Photoshop. This includes dividing up the pages into panels, deciding their sizes, as well as transferring all of the captions and dialogue text. I also draw some very quick thumbnail sketches to plan where and how the characters will be posed ...
I print a copy of the rough layout and transfer the panels onto my drawing board using a light table. Actual size of the original comic art is just under 11" x 14" and drawn on a sheet of Strathmore Bristol board (smooth finish) with a 2H pencil.
Click to enlarge ...
Next comes the inking and colouring stages, but I'm saving those for a future post :)
I've added some page samples from NetTrekkers to my portfolio section. The comic appears in 'The Canadian Reader,' which is published by LesPlan Educational Services Ltd. Each month's story is written by the talented Canadian author, Vivien Bowers.
I'm currently in the process of creating a mini comics treasury (what we're calling "NetTrekkers Yearbook: 2008-09"), and so, I'm finding it interesting to see how I experimented with different aspects of the illustrations over this first year.
Click the following graphic to view the samples ...
I'm a full-time freelance cartoonist and multi-media designer. My work has been published in a variety of print and online media, including books and magazines from publishers such as Reader's Digest Canada. (more ...)
About My New Book
The Last of the Funnies by Mike Cope
80 Pages of Iridescent Speculative Fiction That Magically Teleports Your Imagination Somewhere Over The Rainbow!
After a worldwide energy and economic crisis, newspapers have ceased production and nearly every form of art and entertainment is a digital simulation (more ...)
Do you cartoon? No matter what kind of cartooning you do, you could win the Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship from the National Cartoonists Society Foundation (NCSF).
On Monday afternoon, I received an email message notifying me that my comic strip, Above the Fold, has been selected as a semi-finalist for Comic Strip Superstar, an international search for the next popular comic strip artist, sponsored by Andrews McMeel Publishing and hosted by Amazon.com!
