Comic Book Clutter

I didn't actually start collecting comics until I was well into high school. In fact, I had not read many comics up until that point. The first single issue that I ever owned was issue #12 of the current run of Teen Titans. That certainly explains my almost unwavering loyalty to the title for several years. As the years have gone on, I have amassed a rather sizable collection of comic books. Most of them sat in my closet for years collecting dust until finally, when I graduated college and moved out of my parents' house, I started to separate the wheat from the chaff.

I managed to cut about 40% of my collection, hauling the rest to my tiny Queens apartment where they again gathered dust. This week I decided that enough was enough. I was going to gut my collection, keeping only the titles that I absolutely HAD to keep, and work by artists that I admire. The rest were to find new homes.

Thankfully, I don't form the same sort of attachments to comic books that I do to other objects in my life. I had no problem putting 90 percent of my stack of current Teen Titans books, muttering about how burned I had been in the past by guest artists like Rob Leifeld, and lamentable storylines like "Titans East". I felt no sadness as I parted with them. The book will never be as good as it was when I was 17 years old and I was foolish to ever think that it would be. I don't know why I put up with it for so long.

This whole experience, as trivial as it may seem, has been akin to turning over a new leaf for me. Whittled down to only the essentials, I can look forward to adding only the best to my new collection.

WWW.ASHLEYQUIGG.COM

This is the First Day of the Rest of my Life

Okay, so that is a gross exaggeration. This is, however, the first non art-related post in a while.

For those who may have missed my previous post, my new portfolio website is up ASHLEYQUIGG.COM. Go there to see my best and my current work. I will be posting new stuff every so often here, but from now on this will function as more of a blog rather than a portfolio website. Keep checking back here and my website for more artwork in the future.

Moving on, I recently signed up for NetFlix in the hopes that I might catch up on some of the movies that people have been pestering me to see. A co-worker recently recommended David Lynch's 1990 cult classic "Wild At Heart". I am sorry to say that I found it a bit too bizarre for my tastes. Thanks to NetFlix, however, I simply returned it, and should hopefully be getting a new movie today.

Putting together a list of movies that I would like to see has certainly shed a new light on my own tastes in films. Up until now, I never really thought of myself as stuck in one particular genre. Looking over my queue, however, there is an awful lot of 1940's and 50's film noir as well as classic and foreign horror. I never thought of myself as a horror fan, and in fact I'm not. Strangely enough, though, most of the films that I have wanted to see for a long time happen to be thrillers. Granted, most of them were made pre-1970's (Val Lewton's "Cat People", "Les Diaboliques", etc.) I am interested to see how it all pans out in the end.

I was surprised at the LACK of musicals in my NetFlix queue. I was raised on a steady diet of Rogers and Hammerstein, and a good 25 percent of my DVD collection is comprised of musicals. So why, then, are there so few musicals that I really want to see? I don't really know.

In the interest of science (or not), here are two clips from two of my favorite musicals: 1950's "An American in Paris" and 1945's "State Fair". I always thought that if my life were a musical, it would probably be a mixture of those two films.

Portfolio Website!

My portfolio site is finally up and running. You can visit it at:

ASHLEYQUIGG.COM!

From now on, that's where most of my artwork will be. I will occasionally post it here, but from now on, this will function as more of a personal blog than as a professional website. Keep an eye out for more stuff from me, and be sure to check the website often for artwork updates.

Thanks!

Commissions and Recent Work

Hello all. In order to pay my rent, I have decided to start taking commissions. If you are in need of an illustration, or would just like me to draw something simple for you, please let me know! My prices are low, but my quality is high. My prices are on my DeviantArt page (Right Here). Feel free to email me with any questions or requests.

Here are a few recent items that I have been working on:



This was the original cover to "Space Case Sally and the Dubious Doppelganger", but I have since changed things around a bit in the style of the comic. That said, I still LOVE this piece. It's one of my favorites.


Originally an idea for a "geek" version of the Hindu goddess Kali, this turned into something totally weird. I didn't intend for it to be quite this strange, but I still like it.


The other half of my Fantasy Illustration assignment.


Starfire from the Teen Titans comic book. I always hated how revealing her costume was. She is one of the powerhouses of the team, and I always thought that her appearance should reflect that a bit more. Incidentally, I was watching "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" when I drew this. There is definitely a bit of Linda Hamilton in Starfire's face.

I'm Not Dead Yet!

This is just to let you all know that I am, indeed, not dead yet. I have just been crazy busy since school let out. You would think that I would be just sitting at home twiddling my thumbs, but I have managed to fill the time just fine. Unfortunately, Space Case Sally is on the back burner at the moment. I work on it when I can, but it is not my number 1 priority at the moment (much as I wish it were). I had intended to get the first story finished by September, but since that is out of question, my new goal is to finish the first story, have it printed, and ready for the MoCCA festival next year.

I should have some new things to post shortly. Because of problems with my "work" computer, scanning takes a lot longer than it used to. That said, though, I do have some new work and will make a concerted effort to post them.

Ta ta for now!

Into the Woods

As part of my updated version of "Fish Food" for the MoCCA festival in June, I decided to color a few of my best pieces for the comic. I am pleased with the end results. Rather than coloring "Woods" as the Mucha-influenced piece that it was originally intended, I decided to color it more like an old photograph instead. It was a departure from my default style of coloring/painting, but it brought a few welcome challenges with it.

Progress on "Space Case Sally" is slow, but steady. My (new) goal is to have half of it finished (or nearly so) by the beginning of September. Watch this space for updates!

Space Case Sally

It doesn't feel quite like summer without the looming threat of school in the fall. I am managing to fill my time alright, but am still looking for a full-time paying job.

Anyway, I am in the midst of writing Space Case Sally as a webcomic. My goal is to have the first story finished by the end of the summer. Keep a look out for it! I am very excited! For the first time since I created the character in high school (with the help of my dearest friend, Michelle) I know exactly who Sally is and just the kind of story to write for her. It is a great feeling.