Normally, I’m all about doing everything in service to the story. That’s the writer in me. However, the artist in me sometimes says, “To Hell with formalism,” and just wants to draw cool stuff. There are about three or four easier ways that Pastor could have gotten to the driver’s door of the Lincoln that would have kept him out of harm’s way. However, I just wanted to draw him vaulting the hood of the car. Blame Starsky & Hutch and them Duke boys.
- JEP
Blaxploitation, or any sort of “exploitation” is all about exaggeration of scenarios. Frankly, your stylistic choice shows your growth as a storyteller as you balance your written narrative with your visual narrative. So what the hell, Hurt jumps over the hood of a car…like Shaft, Starsky and Hutch and Parker. No shame in the game. Well done sir.
Bigheadscientists-
Thank you. It was the first panel I drew for this strip and it felt like the right choice to spice up the scene. Also, with your name, I’m imagining this quorum of scholars in a darkened room, like the Kryptonian Science Council from Superman: The Movie. You could have easily pronounced me, “Guilty!”
- JEP
I’m glad you cited the Duke boys! I was remembering getting into trouble with my Mum and Dad when I was a kid once. I wound down the windows and climbed out like the Duke boys used to…I never had the guts to slide across the bonnet.
Great episode once again. Vonetta’s proving her worth and (not that I know what it means) is that her being “sassy” calling them suckers
(Pardon my overseas ignorance heheh). Artistically; the centre-frame guy’s hands are really convincing…cue car chase, yeah?
Tons to like. Pastor sliding across the hood is sweetness, but I also like the grit of the second panel.
Avoiding a personal pet peeve, I love that Vonetta acknowledges a handgun can’t do much from that range. (Yes, “Smokin’ Aces,” I’m talking to you. We have much more to discuss, oh disappointing film, but that’s a good place to start.)
I also demand that any car chase be narrated by Clevon Little as a soul DJ delivering the play-by-play. “The last American hero! The electric centaur. The demi-god. The super driver of the golden west!”
Sliding across the hood is boss, but “spak” and “ptang” “ptang” is also pretty great.
Great hood action. I can hear the theme from Starsky & Hutch playing in the background. Oh yeah and Vonetta ain’t no “punk.” She has Pastor’s back when he needs her! BTW your work reveals a dignity to “blaxploitation” that I never knew existed. The films were always a guilty pleasure of mine. After discovering World of Hurt, though, they’re now just a pleasure. Here’s hoping you offer a collection of your strips in trade paperback form one day…
Wait…there’s another way to get to the driver’s side door? Hmm…no wonder people look at me funny!
Great work, Jay!
-Dave
I just hope Pastor doesn’t snag his bell bottoms on the antenna or side view mirror!
I just had to tell you Jay, I came across Wold Of Hurt for the first time today and plowed through the whole story (thus far) in one sitting. I love it man, great stuff. Love your style too, reminds me of a cross between some of the classic Italian cartoonists with some Alex Toth tossed in for good measure. Can’t wait for more.
MAS-
I can only imagine the “world of hurt” you would have been in if you had slid across the bonnet/hood. (Heh. Couldn’t resist.)
Language and its usage really interests me, so it’s interesting to hear, and share, the idioms and jargon used by different groups of people, whether they’re regional or international. I think you nailed it.
Thanks!
- JEP
Doug G-
That middle panel was a bear to pull off. I re-drew the sniper about four times, because I just couldn’t get his recoil and surprise just right. Ultimately, I went back to the original pose with some slight alterations to the head.
Like I promised (and as you guessed), the pistol I introduced a few strips back would come into play. However, I’m glad that I was able to emphasize how it was only good as a distraction from that distance. I think it underscores another reason why Pastor doesn’t carry one.
- JEP
Brian McLachlan-
People don’t use the word “boss” enough. That’s a helluva cool word.
- JEP
Jay Kelley-
Lot of great compliments in your comment, man. Thank you very much! I felt a little bad about Alicia Patterson’s role boiled down to “victim” in The Thrill-Seekers, so I wanted to balance that out with a more active, assertive female character in The Black Fist. Vonetta’s got her own agenda and life, but she’s still a ride-or-die chick for Pastor. My template for them when they’re together is John Steed and Mrs. Peel from The Avengers. She was originally going to be a “MRS. Foster,” and in some ways, I wish I had stuck with that.
I’m almost evangelical in my zeal to help folks see Blaxploitation in a new light. Run a search for “Blaxploitation” on Twitter and every mention is about how hi-damn-larious it is.
“Paperback?!” I’m going for hardcover, baby!
- JEP
Dave-
Tell ‘em to get bent. As long as you don’t carry your keys on a chain, ain’t a damn thing wrong with that!
- JEP
Guess Who-
It’s in the blooper reel.
- JEP
Chris-
Thank you very much for the kind words. I’m always excited when new people discover the strip. Lately, I’ve been trying to incorporate more mass and volume into my work a la John Paul Leon and less fussy rendering and texture. I’m getting closer to where I want in the more recent strips, but I have a long way to go. I still think Alex Toth would beat me with a T-square for over-rendering.
Thanks again!
- JEP
I’m fairly certain Toth could have found a reason to beat MOST artists with a T-square on any given day. I think (personally) he wouldn’t have much ground to stand on since you do a good job of defining planes with the way you’re your spotting blacks in the panel. I love the fact that you maintain depth in the panel without resorting to using grays or screens.
If you don’t mind my asking, what are your tools? I’m gonna guess a size 1 sable brush on bristol for most of your linework.
Chris-
Close. For figure work, I use a #2 Kolinsky sable brush. I tried synthetics at first, but nothing allows the fluidity and control of Kolinsky sable. They’re worth the price. However, for quick, rough touch ups on big areas or when I’m not looking for control and need to suggest a shape, I’ll pull out one of those brush pens. For technical work, I use Micron or Staedtler technical pens. However, when it comes to brushes, I’m still sorting out the best ink to use. Right now, I use Doc Marten’s Black India ink, but it’s a little too thick and tends to dry a little fast.
- JEP
I have a budy who just tried out the Doc’s and he said the same thing. In October I participated in a 3 week long residency under Paul Pope and we did an ink “taste test” amongst our group. I always used Yasutomo Sumi ink, which is also what Paul uses for the most part, but a lot of the other artists in my group were all about Speedball’s India ink. What I found that worked the best though was Rapidograph’s 3084 Film Ink. Dries super fast, and is black as night. If you’ve never tried it, you might give it a shot.
Hey Jay
sent you several emails, they comes back as undeliverable – I am curious do you draw and then place the work in panels or do you draw in that confined space.
Dre-
I draw it pretty much as you see it. Well, I ink it pretty much as you see it. My individual panels, or its components, may be drawn on separate sheets of Bristol board or paper, but I place them on my lightbox and ink on a single sheet of vellum. Once I scan them in, I’ll use the Photoshop erase tool to make nice, clean edges and delineate the gutters between the panels. Because of this technique, I will sometimes draw more than I need to. For example, in the original inks, altogether there’s about 3/4 of an inch more on the left and right sides of that car in the final panel. I erased it in Photoshop to keep the strip’s dimension’s consistent with last week’s. I hope that answered your question, but if not, let me know.
Sorry about the bouncebacks. Are you doing worldofhurtonline@yahoo.com?
- JEP
yes that is the address I am using.