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Papertoy Monsters is a collection of 50 cool paper monsters you can put together using scissors and glue. Each monster is rated by difficulty level,…

The post Papertoy Monsters, 50 Cool paper toy art crafts you can make yourself appeared first on RABBLEBOY - The Official Site of Kenneth Kit Lamug.

Voice is one of those elements in writing that could be a little confusing because it has a different interpretation depending on who you ask. Some people…

The post Finding Your Voice in Writing and Art appeared first on RABBLEBOY - The Official Site of Kenneth Kit Lamug.

This is a children’s picture book structure break down for THE MONSTORE by Tara Lazar and James Burks. This breakdown will contain spoilers. Once upon a time:…

This is a children’s picture book structure break down for Missuk’s Snow Geese by Anne Renaud. This breakdown will contain spoilers. Once upon a time:…

The Inspiring Lessons from Edward Gorey I have a confession to make… It might shock you to know that up until late 2010/2011, I was not at all familiar with the works of Edward Gorey (Gasp!). I wasn’t even really thinking about drawing back then. I was at the infancy of my artistic journey as […]

Doesn’t it just give you the feels?

I often hear people say that there’s not enough time to do anything — to finish that creative project, that book, or that art piece. And it’s often true especially for those of us who have regular jobs and must provide for our families. I do my 8 to 5 work day, get home, do some chores, and when everything […]

What is a book trailer and how can I get one?

Book trailers have become a popular part of modern book marketing campaigns. Just like movie or television show trailers, they are a great way of creating buzz and excitement for your soon to be best-selling book. There are many approaches to creating a successful trailer and I’ll be sharing with you some of my ideas.

But do book trailers really work?

Heck Yes, they do! Readers just don’t read… they watch, listen and immerse themselves in the audio-visual nature of popular culture.We live in a multimedia engulfed society, and neglecting visual-audio presentation tool is a big disadvantage to anyone working towards a career in writing and the arts. You are after all a story teller… and creating trailers is just one way of enhancing your audiences experience and emotional connection with the story. In addition, book trailers are great tools for sharing via social media due to its “stickyness” factor.

So let’s get on with it.

First thing is coming up with a plan for your trailer. What kind of trailer are you thinking of creating? What is your budget?

In this post we’ll talk about the different kinds of book trailers. I’ve broken it down into three easy to digest categories.

Let’s take a look.

Live action book trailer

These are the type of trailers that we typically see in movies. You’ll be working with real actors, directors, and video editors to create this slick production. This trailer works great if you want to create a realistic portrayal of your story. Just like a movie, you will have to cast the right actor to portray your characters and find a production team who will transform your vision from paper to screen. Bad acting and sloppy filming can negatively impact your presentation. So you might want to stay away from your nephew with a camera phone (Unless you’re going for that gritty camera phone look).

Think of your costs when producing a live action trailer… you’ll need to budget for actors, make up, equipment, costumes, video editing & production time and even location.

Try reaching out to your publishing company first and see if this type of production is in the budget. The alternative is to reach out to freelance artists or smaller firms who can create your trailer without breaking the bank. This usually means you have to slim down on your visual effects and only film the main scenes that will create the best impact with your audience.

Some writers like to go this route because they can also use the trailer as a tool for pitching their books to movie studios or producers. Not a bad idea, if you ask me.

Graphical trailer

These trailers are primarily composed of typographic and graphic animations with music and voice overs. Think of a slideshow on steroids. You can still create a fantastic trailer without having to blow out your marketing budget. I see a lot of books opting this direction and have done it with great success.

Going this route doesn’t necessarily mean that your trailer has to be a canned production. You can still personalize the trailer by using your own images, photography, and music. And if you’re working with a really good video editor, he can add motion that will make your trailer come to life as good as a live action trailer.

Keep in mind that audio plays a large part in creating the atmosphere of your trailer. Using sound and music properly can “mask” certain elements that you don’t show on screen. For example, in movies they will often use the sound of airplanes to create a airport scene… without showing the airplane itself. Think creatively!

Animated trailers

Animated trailers are a little in between live action and graphic trailers. It’s a mix of motion and movement with the use of animated characters… yet it doesn’t necessarily mean that it takes less time or money to produce.

It is also specialized in a way that it will probably be more effective for certain types of books (for example, children’s books or graphic novels and comics). Instead of actors, you now have to animate drawn characters and background scenes.

If you’re trying to create this type of trailer for a book that doesn’t utilize existing artwork (such as comics), then you will need an artist who will translate your stories and characters into a visual medium. Artists varying styles can also affect the atmosphere of your trailer, make sure to find someone who can portray the emotions you want.

Another factor to consider is how much control you want over the direction of your trailer. If your publishing house is producing the book trailer, they might want to hire a professional team who will create a script that works best to sell your book.

If you’re doing it guerrilla style (that means indie), then you have more control over your production. But at the same time you take on more of the burden and the responsibility for the end result — good or bad. Not everyone can be a director, yet with enough studying and dissection of existing trailers, you’ll slowly see the formula on how it’s done.

In the next blog post, I’ll talk a little bit more about the process of creating book trailers!

A long time ago, before I was telling my stories with illustrations and words, I was a telling them through the use of moving pictures, I was an aspiring filmmaker.

It all started when a friend and I decided we would be the next Tarantino; break out filmmakers, creating cutting edge film. But instead of spending thousands of dollars on film school, we took what little money we had and we were going to do it guerilla style, the indie way.

In the next few months, we drafted a screenplay, auditioned actors, scouted locations, purchased equipment and started filming. We even came up with a hollywood sounding name for our troupe, “The Yuzzi Brothers.” And since we couldn’t take a few months out of our day jobs to make the movie, we wrote a story that took place at night. It would be one of the most intense times of my life. We typically filmed from 8pm to 3am, with just enough sleep to go to work that same morning. Caffeine had become my best friend. A year later, we finally finished our movie and showed it in theaters, in all its flawed glory.

Looking back at the romanticized version of those events, I could honestly say that it was one of the best experiences of my life. We learned a lot about ourselves and about the industry, yet it was not without its challenges. We had actors & crew members who dropped out, our equipment was stolen, myriad of technical issues, schedule conflicts and even injuries. And when you’re on the 8th month of a production, you start to question yourself and your project (or your spouse would). We could have easily given up at any point, but we did not. We kept telling ourselves that we needed to finish.

Starting something new is exciting & fun. And let’s be honest, it’s probably the easiest part. The endless daydreaming of a new project gives us a sense of euphoria. But once the tire hits the pavement and the daily grind of our life gets in the way, that’s when we’re really tested. Self-doubt begins to manifest and we start looking for the off-ramp. We question our ideas, we procrastinate, we revise endlessly. We’re stuck in a never ending loop between unlived expectations and our limited abilities to meet them.

It’s only natural we should strive for perfection. But perfection is that golden goose that if you look at it long enough, it turns into an ugly duckling. That is, in fact, an important part of what makes us creatives. And as we grow and get better, we look back at our work and see the flaws. Yet it’s also important not to get stuck, to keep moving forward, to finish. That is how we grow. I know artists who actually don’t start anything, fearing that the end result will never live up to their expectations. It’s quite unfortunate.

When I feel dismayed, I go back to the reasons why I started. It’s much like reminiscing about my carefree childhood days. Everything seemed possible. I look for that seed of inspiration and use it to re-ignite my inner locomotive.

Sometimes, I realize that I am at that moment in my life incapable of telling the story or drawing that picture. I simply lack the life experience or skills to do so. This doesn’t mean that my idea is lost in the woods, never to be seen. It just means that I can put it in my back pocket and come back to it later. And trust me, I have many of those.

When we were working on our movie, there were so many variables that was ultimately out of our control. We relied on so many people, and to be able to keep it going for a year, and to finish was quite a miraculous thing.

Contrasting that to my current endeavor of writing and illustrating, where everything is really on my shoulders, gives me a unique perspective and set of expectations. I really have no excuse not to finish. It’s all on me. And If I have to spend time away from my family to work on my craft, then I better make it count.

Finishing is important. Once you’ve experienced completing a project that you’ve poured your life into, you stand among the few who have “made it.” You can tip your fedora to the naysayers and show them that you’ve done what you’ve set out to do. You’ve kept your word, your promise; even if it’s just to yourself.

Those who finish are the ones who inspire me the most, because I know how hard it is to get to that point. Not everyone can be a breakout overnight success, but we can sure break out of our walls and create something amazing, and it all starts with mastering the art of finishing.

So put on that thinking cap, adjust your monocle, get a jug of coffee, and dust off that manuscript or picture book. It’s calling your name.

Over a year ago, I worked and finished a whimsical macabre children’s story called The Stumps of Flattop Hill. It has been recently acquired by One Peace Books and will soon hit the bookshelves near you. Make sure to follow my twitter and facebook to stay updated on when this will happen. I’m very excited and looking forward to getting this to all the Stumps fan out there.

About One Peace Books

We are a publisher that specializes in visually compelling literature. Our publishing model is to provide contemporary and unseen Japanese literature to the western world. We possess a commitment to strong design and create highly visual work that we hope will help impact our world.

We are backed by two successful Japanese publishers with a combined total of over 20 years in Japanese publishing. These companies makeup two percent of the entire Japanese market, and are ranked at number eleven in the industry.
We believe that quality literature should reach people all over the world, regardless of borders or race. Therefore we also provide management for international publication, not only of our own books, but for other progressive publishers from Japan as well.

Our president Ayumu Takahashi established One Peace Books is 2006, together with his friends from Sanctuary Books. Our titles are distributed thoughout North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. All titles are available worldwide.

If you’ve ever perused the online web comic community Tapastic.com, you’re sure to have seen the slice of life webcomic “The Danemen” featuring the DaneMan himself. The silent (word-less) comic transcends language through the use of visual queues that brings drama and comedy to the viewer. It’s like watching a classic Chaplin act and waiting for the finale, which never disappoints and is almost always unexpected.

In the video below, David shows us his work process and how it defines his unique style. Make sure to take notes, and don’t forget to support his Patreon campaign so he can make comics until the end of days!

http://www.patreon.com/DaneMen

http://danemen.com/

Even though Las Vegas hosts thousands of conventions and exhibits every year, it might surprise you to know that it’s a rare incident that we have a good comic convention. That’s why when the Amazing Las Vegas Convention came to town a year ago, it’s truly a big deal. And to see it come back again this year is an even bigger deal.

So if you’re within driving distance, I encourage you to check out the event, support the creative artists, publishers, and comic booths. There’s tons of things to do and look at… and afterwards, you can always hang out down at the strip.

https://www.facebook.com/AmazingLasVegasComicCon
www.amazinglasvegascomiccon.com

From hitRECord, the immensely popular open collaborative production company, and its founder, Golden Globe-nominated actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, comes The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories: Volume 1.

The universe is not made of atoms; it’s made of tiny stories.

To create The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories: Volume 1, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, known within the hitRECord community as RegularJOE—directed thousands of collaborators to tell tiny stories through words and art. With the help of the entire creative collective, Gordon-Levitt culled, edited and curated over 8,500 contributions into this finely tuned collection of original art from 67 contributors. Reminiscent of the 6-Word Memoir series, The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories: Volume 1 brings together art and voices from around the world to unite and tell stories that defy size.

Get the Tiny Book of Tiny Stories Series on Amazon

The very first graphic storytelling collaboration between two masters of the medium, Alexandro Jodorowsky and Jean “Moebius” Giraud. In a desolate dreamscape world, a man, a bird, and a cat interact in a unique, apocalyptic yet poetic fashion…

Get this on Amazon : The Eyes of the Cat: The Yellow Edition

Otto is a bear with a unique talent for racing cars. It’s a talent that requires drivers to be fearless. Otto has only one fear. A great fear — BEES! When he crosses paths with some very smart bees that love racing as much as he does, he might need to overcome his fear if he wants to win.

About the Author
Kip Noschese is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He has designed backgrounds for many award winning animated television shows, including Wild Thornberrys, Rugrats and Family Guy. Otto & the Grand Prix Bees (2013) is his debut children’s book. He currently resides in Henderson, Nevada. kipnoschese.com

Get this on Amazon Otto & the Grand Prix Bees

The Tall Tales of Talbot Toluca aims to reignite the all-ages comic genre with exciting hidden-object games and puzzles.

Las Vegas, NV April 24,2014 – Award-winning children’s book author and illustrator Kenneth Lamug makes a jump to comics while adding twists and turns to what is usually expected in a comic book.

The Tall Tales of Talbot Toluca – The Quest for the Ore Crystals combines the high-impact visuals of comics while engaging the reader with Where’s Waldo-like hidden-object games, mazes and puzzles.

The story follows a group of friends who discover an underground military laboratory underneath their school. Their break-in unleashes a series of events, which unravels secrets to Talbot’s past. In The Quest For The Ore Crystal, the evil scientist Dr. Kadoom makes a comeback to the lab with the aim of total world destruction. It’s now up to Talbot and the reader to complete the challenges in the book and stop Dr. Kadoom.

“My hope is that this unique format engages all readers to be part of the story,” says Lamug. “I take my readers on this wild adventure and make them solve problems alongside the characters. This is inspired by my fascination with puzzles as well as the classic adventure games of the 80s and 90s. Yet unlike one-shot puzzle-books, my goal is to eventually share many more of Talbot’s tales using this same format.”

Lamug’s previous book, A Box Story, garnered four awards in its first year, an unexpected accomplishment for a first title. He hopes that adults and kids alike will respond in a positive way to this new book and seek out comics as a new medium for interactive content.

Talbott Toluca’s Kickstarter campaign starts Monday, May 12^th, and will run through June 10^th, 2014, all funds raised will go entirely to publishing expenses.

To learn more about the comic and the author, visit www.talbottoluca.com.

Contact:
Kenneth Lamug
[email protected]
www.talbottoluca.com
www.rabbleboy.com

Being late to the game (as usual), I just recently decided to pick up an Xbox 360. I downloaded some games, TV show apps, and finally purchased and finished my first game: Southpark – The Stick of Truth.

After binging on some RPG I needed a new fix, a platformer. But this time I wanted to play something that something my kids could also enjoy. Enter Rayman:Legends.

Besides the fun game play, it has beautifully illustrated characters and backgrounds. There’s enough levels to give the Rayman world an enjoyable variety and depth. As an artist, it’s actually very inspiring to play this game, which made me wonder why they don’t have an art book out.

Here’s a small selection of images I found online. You should view these in full size to appreciate them, but you should really play the game to see these wonderful characters come to life.

Instead of giving you reasons, I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Get this on multiple gaming platforms: Rayman Legends on Amazon

Rings of seahorses that seem to rotate on the page. Butterflies that transform right before your eyes into two warriors with their horses. A mosaic portrait of oceanographer Jacques Cousteau made from seashells. These dazzling and often playful artistic creations manipulate perspective so cleverly that they simply outwit our brains: we can’t just take a quick glance and turn away. They compel us to look once, twice, and over and over again, as we try to figure out exactly how the delightful trickery manages to fool our perceptions so completely. Of course, first and foremost, every piece is beautiful on the surface, but each one offers us so much more. From Escher’s famous and elaborate “Waterfall” to Shigeo Fukuda’s “Mary Poppins,” where a heap of bottles, glasses, shakers, and openers somehow turn into the image of a Belle Epoque woman when the spotlight hits them, these works of genius will provide endless enjoyment.

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Sterling (August 1, 2007)
Get it on Amazon: Masters of Deception: Escher, Dalí & the Artists of Optical Illusion

Street urchins Black and White have skyscraper-sized chips on their shoulders, but are fiercely loyal to each other. Black is especially quick to avenge any slight against his dim-witted pal. The result? The citizens of Treasure Town are afraid of them, the police are afraid of them–even the local yakuza gangsters are afraid of them! But when the crime boss known as the “Rat” returns to Treasure Town, it looks like there’s gonna be a rumble…

The violence in this unique European-influenced manga title is more mindful than it seems at first glance, and the subtle relationships between its unique cast of characters are marked by surprising poignancy.

2008 Eisner Comic Winner!

Get the Book on Amazon: Tekkon Kinkreet / Black & White
Get it on DVD here Tekkon Kinkreet

• Paperback: 624 pages
• Publisher: VIZ Media, LLC (September 25, 2007)
• Language: English

The first graphic novel—a mesmerizing fictional chronicle of a universal American experience.
Through a quartet of four interwoven stories, A Contract With God express the joy, exuberance, tragedy, and drama of life on the mythical Dropsie Avenue in the Bronx. This is the legendary book that launched a new art form and reaffirmed Will Eisner as one of the great pioneers of American graphics.

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; Reprint edition (December 17, 2006)
• Language: English

It’s fair to say that Will Eisner invented modern comic art. A Contract with God has been called the first graphic novel, and its divergence from traditional comics themes and forms highlights Eisner’s foresight and brilliance. Dealing with stories and memories from his childhood in a Bronx tenement, he explores the brutality, fragility, and tenderness possible among people living in close quarters close to the poverty line. The four stories here are tough but funny, deep but finely detailed, much like the traditional Jewish stories he drew upon to flavor his own work. Ending reflectively (and perhaps autobiographically), A Contract with God shows us a young man peering out into his city as he decides whether and how to face adulthood. You won’t see that in the funny papers. –Rob Lightner –This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Get this book on Amazon toss a couple of crumbs over to the Rabbleboy:
A Contract with God

In a rare moment in time, I was able to chat with the guys from The Beige Planet Podcast.

A while back, I had the opportunity to chat with Paul Pate regarding his graphic novel Detective Perez Welcome To Rust City. His tenacity and perseverance in completing the book really inspired me.

Since that time, Paul and his long time friend Alfred Laurence has started a fresh new podcast and I was lucky enough to be a guest. We talked about the trials and tribulations of being an artist, a little bit about my film making experience, creating comics and what I’m currently working on. Hopefully, you’ll have fun listening to our wacky conversation and find a little bit of inspiration for your own journey.

Compressed visual narratives are Tomer Hanuka’s stock-in-trade. He s an illustrator by occupation, but his book covers, comics and editorial renderings transcend that title. In Overkill, he’s selected some of his most vividly drawn and intensely colorful work, juxtaposing intense imagery with a truly unique palette. Hanuka is the winner of gold medals from the Society of Illustrators and the Society of Publication designers, and has been featured in numerous magazines. In 2008, a book cover he created won the British Design Museum award as part of the Penguin Classics Deluxe Editions. His image was used for the cover of the bestselling survey Juxtapoz Illustration. Not to be contained by the print medium, this versatile artist also contributed art to the Oscar nominated, Golden Globe winning animated documentary Waltz With Bashir. Tomer Hanuka lives in New York.

Get this book on Amazon and help out Rabbleboy.com : Overkill: Tomer Hanuka

• Hardcover: 104 pages
• Publisher: Gingko Press (September 16, 2011)
• Language: English

Check out Tomer’s web site at thanuka.com

After a tragic encounter with an artifact known as “The Dreamstone,” infamous treasure hunter Fabian Gray is possessed by five literary ghosts and granted access to their unique abilities.

Get this on Amazon Five Ghosts Volume 1: The Haunting of Fabian Gray TP

From Booklist
Thanks to a popular Kickstarter campaign, comics fans can enjoy a story so unique yet so familiar it’s like slipping on a pair of old slippers worn by a stranger. Famed treasure hunter Fabian Gray has the remarkable ability to channel ghosts of five archetypal figures—the wizard, the archer, the detective, the samurai, and the vampire—a power that comes in quite handy in the midst of his swashbuckling exploits. Barbiere’s writing and Mooneyham’s art are reminiscent of classic adventure comics, crammed with rubies to snag, helicopter ladders to lunge after, and biplanes that crash into deep jungles full of magic-wielding cults, all wrapped up in a plot dripping with revenge, regret, greed, and deep hubris. But Barbiere and Mooneyham aside, it would be a mistake not to acknowledge the book’s colorist, S. M. Vidauri, whose muted tones and deep purples mix the nostalgia of iconic adventure tales with the rich, heavy visuals of contemporary comics, such as Alan Moore’s League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Scott Snyder’s American Vampire, and Jeff Lemire’s Animal Man. –Ben Spanner

Hollywood’s hardest working animators bring their blockbuster talent to comics to tell stories too big for the silver screen in this jam-packed, jaw-dropping, just-plain-fun compendium of illustrated awesomeness! Hilarious and moving, undeniably innovative, and stunningly beautiful, each tale transforms the page into a lushly realized world of imagination – a surefire prize for any fan of illustration or anyone looking for a great yarn spun in a whole new way.

Get Scrambled Ink on Amazon.com

You’ve researched your character extensively, tailored her to your audience, sketched hundreds of versions, and now you lean back content as you gaze at your final character model sheet. But now what? Whether you want to use her in an animated film, television show, video game, web comic, or children’s book, you’re going to have to make her perform. How a character looks and is costumed starts to tell her story, but her body language reveals even more. Character Mentor shows you how to pose your character, create emotion through facial expressions, and stage your character to create drama. Author Tom Bancroft addresses each topic with clear, concise prose, and then shows you what he really means through commenting on and redrawing artwork from a variety of student “apprentices.” His assignments allow you to join in and bring your drawing to the next level with concrete techniques, as well as more theoretical analysis. Character Mentor is an apprenticeship in a book.

Professional artists from a variety of media offer their experience through additional commentary. These include Marcus Hamilton (Dennis the Menace), Terry Dodson (X-Men), Bobby Rubio (Pixar), Sean “Cheeks” Galloway (Spiderman animated), and more. With a foreword by comicbook artist Adam Hughes, who has produced work for DC, Marvel Comics, Lucasfilm, Warner Bros. Pictures, and other companies.

Grab this book Character Mentor: Learn by Example to Use Expressions, Poses, and Staging to Bring Your Characters to Life on Amazon.

• Paperback: 180 pages
• Publisher: Focal Press; 1 edition (April 24, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0240820711