Contract Blues

[Noble Larimer]

Here's a few character sketches from series artist Danny

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-9/371835/kip.JPG

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-9/371835/pete.JPG

[billthomason]

I like the inking style. Reminds me a little of Frank Miller.

[Will Caligan]

The artist really has a nice grasp on his negative and postive space. What is the story about?

[Victor Cabanelas]

Yes, it reminds me of Frank Miller. And I truly hope that this one gets published in B&W, not in color (because that would kill all the magic).

Great work!!

[diabolikalskillz]

NIce stuff here...I like the use of negative space.

[Noble Larimer]

As is oft to happen in these situations, the creator decided to go with a different artist for the project.

So here is the new artist for Contract Blues.
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-9/371835/contractbluessketches.JPG

and yes this means Danny is now looking for a project ;)

[cancersashes]

Damn those are some great sketches!

[Mike Fugere Jr.]

Contract Blues is a crime comic that I've been kicking around for about a year. In the past month I've been trying to find the right artist for the project.

Here's the first few pages of it:

CONTRACT BLUES

PAGE ONE

Full page panel: A lanky kid lighting a cigarette sits inside of a car with black leather interior. The kid’s name is Kip.

KIP: Time is everything. It's the one thing you can't escape. It's the only thing that will last forever

CAPTION: He sounds so robotic. It's like he's reading from a note on his palm or something. But that's Kip for you. Always taking things way too seriously, God love 'im. After knowing him for five years, I've kind of gotten use to it.

KIP: Time is eternal. Only a higher power can control it. So we must make the best of what time we have.

CAPTION: Hopefully Kip’s almost done with his little pep-talk and we can get to what we came here to do: kill Sonny Sundaigo.


PAGE TWO

Three stacked panels.

Panel 1: Kip is taking a deep drag.

CAPTION: Now don't jump to any conclusions, people. Sonny is a bad man; a real slime ball. He's a killer (not that I'm trying to be hypocritical), a thief (not like I haven't stolen before), and a liar (let's not explore the lie department). And Kip, the man next to me blathering about time, has been the victim of all three of these - murder (of a loved one, not himself), theft, and lies - at Sonny's hands.

Panel 2: Kip exhales. The narrator/Pete is sitting in the driver’s side of the car.
I can tell Kip is ready to go.

CAPTION: He's ready to use the .38 special he bought less than an hour ago from a buddy of his. He's ready to put a bullet in Sonny's head for what he's done.

CAPTION: Now what happened between Kip Armstein and Sonny Sundaigo is a tedious story of emotions, so let me summarize as best I can. Sonny Sundaigo murdered - not just killed, viciously but murdered - Kip's girlfriend, Wendy.

Panel 3: Silhouette of a pole dancer, then a fat guy, then a blood stain behind Kip in the car creating a montage.

CAPTION: Wendy was a stripper at a local titty bar that Sonny attended quite frequently. One night she refused to fuck Sonny after a show. This didn't settle with him very well and being the hot-head that he was, Sonny proceeded to bludgeon Wendy's nose in with the butt of his gun until she started choking on her own blood.


PAGE THREE

Two big stacked panels.

Panel 1: Side shot of Kip. He’s surrounded by smoke. There’s another silhouette of a fat man laughing holding a bloody-butted gun over a woman’s dead body.

CAPTION: But Sonny wasn't done with Wendy at that point.

CAPTION: After her beating, Wendy was carted off to her place, where Kip was squatting, but unfortunately not home at the time. It was there that Sonny raped her and finished the job. Kip came home to find his stash of drugs and money raided and his girlfriend strangled to death in the bathroom. Needless to say, this didn't go over with Kip very well.

CAPTION: Word got around that Sonny had done these terrible acts. Kip started to ask around to confirm any accusations. All of Sonny's thugs vouched for his whereabouts that night, but Kip knew the truth. I did too. Sonny was as guilty as the sky was blue.

CAPTION
And I'm a poet, to boot.

Panel 2: Kip looking over at Pete.

CAPTION: So I guess Kip does have every right to be preachy after all…so excuse me all to hell.

KIP: It's over for Sonny-fucking-Sundaigo, Pete.


PAGE FOUR

Panel 1: Kip is looking down at his gun.

CAPTION: He strokes the gun like it was a cat.

KIP: Once we get out of this car and into that building, I don't plan to stop shooting until he's gotten what he deserves.

Panel 2: Pete is cocking an eyebrow.

PETE: Do you think you have enough bullets for that?

Panel 3: Kip looking very dead-pan.

CAPTION: I was hoping he'd smile at that. Nope. Kip is everything but smiles today.


PAGE FIVE

Five stacked panels.

Panel 1: Over head shot of the car. Kip is stepping out of it.

CAPTION: It kind of hurts to watch Kip get out of the car and approach the warehouse door.

Panel 2: Pete getting out of the car as well.

CAPTION: I have no other choice but to follow him. The proverbial shit is about to hit the fan, and I know that there's nothing I can do about it. Even though I can't relate to his pain, I understand completely.

PETE: Here we go.

CAPTION: In Kip's mind, Sonny Sundaigo has to die today.

Panel 3: Kip is talking to Pete. Pete is nodding.

KIP: Now, listen, I want you to cover me. You're strapped, right?

PETE: What do you think?

KIP: Good. On the count of three, we're going in. You go left. I'll go right. Shoot any piece of shit that gets in your way. Understand?

Panel 4: Pete smiling.

PETE: Yeah.

Panel 5: Kip and Pete are at the warehouse door. They have their guns up in the air like the way cops have them on NYPD Blue.

KIP: Good. Ready? One...two...three!


PAGE SIX

Five stacked panels.

Panel 1: The door explodes open.

Panel 2: Kip and Pete rush in and point their guns. The joint is a ghost town.

CAPTION: The place was dead.

KIP: What the fuck?!?

Panel 3: Kip is scratching the back of his head. Pete is shrugging.

PETE: Are you sure you got the right place?

KIP: Yeah. I’m pretty sure.

Panel 4: Pete pointing his gun at Kip.

PETE: Well are you sure you in the right company?

KIP: W-what?

PETE: Sorry, buddy.

Panel 5: Kip is getting smashed in the face with the butt of Pete’s gun.

KIP: But Pete I-ungh!


Let me know what you guys think.
-MF

[Mike Fugere Jr.]

You should check out Lee's other stuff. www.leeoconnor.com ;)

[Lee O'Connor]

Yeap, that'll be me, then... :)

(Thanks, cancersashes)

[whitenoise]

I really liked the first guy's work, but leebone's fits the story much better.

Is there a realease date for this yet? I want to read more. The comic world needs more noir/gangster books. Keep this one up!

[Mike Fugere Jr.]

Thanks for the kudos! :) I hope more people find it as interesting as you do. And if you like Lee's stuff...a link to his site is on the page. Check it out.

[Mike Fugere Jr.]

There should be a Contract Blues short story in the Jan/Feb issue of Ronin Illustrated. I'm stoked about it! I hope more of you are. :D

[whitenoise]

There should be a Contract Blues short story in the Jan/Feb issue of Ronin Illustrated. I'm stoked about it! I hope more of you are. :D


That's cool. Hey, where can I buy Ronin books? The store link on the homepage doesn't seem to work.

[Noble Larimer]

http://206.51.231.154/~ronin/forums/showthread.php?t=21 :)

[Mike Fugere Jr.]

That's cool. Hey, where can I buy Ronin books? The store link on the homepage doesn't seem to work.

Check out Scar Tissue...it's awesome! Dude, you live in Norfolk? PM me, let me know where! :) I only know of two other locals on the forums. One of them I'm friends with (G.M. Cox).

[Mike Fugere Jr.]

The script for the Contract Blues short story for the upcoming Ronin Illustrated # 9 has been posted on the witty writers link.


Check it out!

Let me know what you think.
:sgrin:

[Lee O'Connor]

'Ello, everybody! Lee, the Contract Blues Artist here. Thought I'd wake up this thread with a little 'C.B.' promo image/pinup:

http://www.leeoconnor.com/preview/cb_promoposter.jpg

Whaddya reckon to it..?

[Thomas Mauer]

Really nice, Lee.

[Bong Abad]

nice one, lee.saw your stuff somewhere before or was it here?

and hey, we should meet, man. so i can steal your talents:lol

[John Schlim Jr]

Awesome as usual, Lee. That actually looks like a slightly different style.

[Chris McCay]

Damn it all to hell Lee, you've gotten better. :rant

Now we have simply GOT to do another book together. It's a must. An absolute. It point blank will happen.

Oh, and the art looks good too. :D Can't wait to see the sequentials.

-Chris

[Lee O'Connor]

Thanks, everybody! :oops

Thomas: Thanks, I'm glad there's at least a few Europeans here. Hopefully they'll mention every once in a while to the superhero fanboy massive that continental European comics are in fact the best comics in the world...
Bong: 'ow do! I've done a bunch of U.K. small press stuff so maybe you've seen me somewhere in there. And, if and when we do meet up, I can steal some of your talent as well. And your wallet. (Cough!) Sorry, where was I...?
John: Yep, that is a slightly different style. You need variety. I was in a deliberate Mignola/Eduardo Risso/'Interesting' Colouring mood when I did that.
Chris: Working together again? I'll never say never to anything. Say, you ever get a comp copy of The Confessional (http://www.leeoconnor.com/confessional.htm)? I've been waiting a couple of years for mine...:scared

[Chris McCay]

Yeah, I bought a bunch off Steve to peddle at cons over here. I'm sure he's still got some, so if you drop him a line you could get a copy or two.

-Chris

[Lee O'Connor]

'Ello! The interiors are being bashed out as we speak, here's pages 2-7 of Issue #1:

http://www.leeoconnor.com/preview/contractblues_01_02.gif

http://www.leeoconnor.com/preview/contractblues_01_03.gif

http://www.leeoconnor.com/preview/contractblues_01_04.gif

http://www.leeoconnor.com/preview/contractblues_01_05.gif

http://www.leeoconnor.com/preview/contractblues_01_06.gif

http://www.leeoconnor.com/preview/contractblues_01_07.gif

As this is an ongoing series, I'm looking forward to getting settled into it... So, what you lot think so far..?

Cheers,

- Lee.

[matthew_spatola]

Wow!! Beautiful!!

[Thomas Mauer]

Continuity error: If he holds the gun on fatso all the time, he can only count the money with one hand. ;)

[Lee O'Connor]

Ach, blame the word monkey, I'm just drawing it... ;)

- Lee.

[RudyVasquez]

Lee, man this is awesome! Reminds me of 100 Bullets. Cool.

[Mike Fugere Jr.]

Continuity error: If he holds the gun on fatso all the time, he can only count the money with one hand. ;)

In page 7, panel 1, Pete is pulling the gun away from Mr. Riggs (the fat fellow). With the text it makes more sense.

[Thomas Mauer]

Really? I never noticed that. And I do remember the dialogue. ;)

[Mike Fugere Jr.]

Lee, man this is awesome! Reminds me of 100 Bullets. Cool.
I know that's a huge compliment for Lee!

[Lee O'Connor]

I know that's a huge compliment for Lee!

Thanks for the praise, all. :D

Eduardo Risso IS your daddy. And just one of many Argentinian artists who have the proverbial mad skills... If my work even looks a little bit like his, it means I'm doing something right...

We continue,

- Lee.

[Mike Fugere Jr.]

BTW gang! We are looking for a new design for the Contract Blues logo. Lee came up with this one for our promo poster: http://www.leeoconnor.com/preview/cb_promoposter.jpg

If anyone is interested, post you logo here or e-mail them to me at mikefugerejr@yahoo.com

-Mike

[Noble Larimer]

Man I can't wait for this book :)

We're putting out too many good books!

I'm in the po' house!

But at least I have lots ta read :D

[Chris McCay]

I too am super siked for this myself! I love Lee's stuff, and the noir style is so awesome. Whoo hoo!

-Chris

[Mike Fugere Jr.]

I'm very proud of this book. Lee is doing a bang-up job!

[Lee O'Connor]

A doodle of the main character, Pete, I drew for the board at Warren Ellis' http://www.the-engine.net 's Oekaki Board (http://www.the-engine.net/oekaki):

http://www.leeoconnor.com/preview/peteoekaki.png

Aaaaand, Mike F and I accidentally discovered we're both SNK (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SNK) and 2D fighter game maniacs. So, here's Pete in sprite form (what those kerazy kids call a 'Sprite Edit') to celebrate:
http://www.leeoconnor.com/preview/petesprite.png

Yes, I realise this is plumbing new and undiscovered depths of nerdishness. However, I'm past caring.

Back to work...

Cheers,

- Lee.

[Mike Fugere Jr.]

http://www.leeoconnor.com/preview/petesprite.png

Yes, I realise this is plumbing new and undiscovered depths of nerdishness. However, I'm past caring...

Nerdishness or no...this is amazing.:hail Hello new icon! :boogie

[Mike Fugere Jr.]

Contract Blues issue 1 is almost done. Look for a early/mid-December released!

I hope you guys are stoked. I know I am!:boogie