The Penguin

Hey gang, just real quick - I'm thinking of posting some sketches regularly, hopefully, um...weekly? Bi-weekly? Maybe Monday-Thursday-Friday. Or maybe whenever I damn well feel like it. Anyway, I think regular sketches will help spice up this blog a little bit. Keep an eye out. They will be accompanied by long, rambling explanations; if y'all are good and eat your veggies, I might even color a couple of them for you. No promises, though. Rick Out.

Howdy gang. Just another monthly update, to make it look like I keep up on this blog. Maybe someday I'll get back to regular posting. Maybe. Meh. At any rate, not much to report. I'm busy with my Portfolio class for my graphic design degree, and I'm actually doing some cool stuff. Aeolus #3 is slowly, ever so slowly getting done; just bummed out with the amount of work involved: doing all the penciling, inking, scanning, and computer-editing yourself is a beast. I mean, I did it all for the first two, but this next one is twice as long, and I've got a serious motivation deficit going here. Let's see, what else...have to do the next page for Fight or Flight ; looks like we may have a hard copy in the works at some point (not promising anything, here). Have some other projects I want to start, maybe, kind of. Just ideas bouncing around in the old noggin, things I'll get momentarily excited about. Perhaps it's better just to let them gestate for ...

Yes, faithful readers, the Schlaack is back. After a slight recess (involving a nervous breakdown - lots of fun, if you've never had one) as well as working at my summer job (no internet access), I guess I'm back in the Blogsphere. A quick update on things so far: Aeolus #3 is in the works - slowly - and at 20 pages, it's a doozy. I can't give any dates, because I'm working in fits and starts; but it's coming along. Fight or Flight is stalled. Hopefully I can squeeze out a couple of sheets this month. The amount of work involved in creating a single sheet (usually four pages) is monumental, and the results are inconsistent. I'm talking with Skippy (the author) about signing on another artist to do the backgrounds at least, and take some of the weight off my back. There are rumblings in certain Dark Corners about a new project coming out from Dark Corner Productions...I'm not sure how much I can (or should) say about the topic. Just keep your eyes peeled...

A DCP Comic Book Release Announcement! Presented by: Rick Schlaack Listen up, yokels! Announcing the release of Aeolus #2 from Dark Corner Productions... Aeolus #2 Copies are $3.00 (US ) a piece. And be sure to check out Aeolus #1, of course; otherwise Aeolus #2 won't make a whole lot of sense. Then again, it might...but it's best to be on the safe side. Aeolus #1 Also just $3.00 (US). And remember, if it's quality comics, it's gotta be... Rick Out.

Rick here. Just working through these grim last days of winter. Classes have been grinding me into the ground - I'm not really sure why; the workload isn't that heavy - and I'm currently plugging away at Aeolus #2 . Work is getting tough, too - between the patrons, stressed-out coworkers, and carts full of books and DVDs piling up in the back room, I'm ready to rip somebody's head off and wear it like a hat. Then again, maybe not. A hand puppet would be better. And if I have to smell another drunk, I swear ta God... On the other hand (playing the Pollyanna game, I s'pose), I am working more hours. And more hours means more dough. On top of that, I've gotten my comic books on the shelves at the library; I've already had somebody call up and ask when the next one's coming out (mid-March, it looks like). If I can generate enough interest, perhaps I can build up a customer base here in Howell that will help pay for DCP's Lansing efforts. Provided, of...

Howdy gang. Aeolus #1 is out, if you haven't heard (and you probably haven't, because my PR is absolutely lousy). It looks good, if I do say so myself. Not bad, and it cost a hell of a lot less than Ian's Dream . Firstly, it has only sixteen pages, as opposed to ID 's twenty-four; secondly, I made the cover material the same as the inside (28 lb copy bond, instead of 60 lb Bristol); and lastly, but definitely not least, I did my own InDesign work, which saved me sixty bucks! All in all, it came out to about $85.00 for sixty-two copies (twelve extra included) as opposed to $107.60 for fifty copies. And let me tell ya, the quality is awesome. Instead of doing the art completely by hand, I swallowed my pride (and every principle I thought I had) and did the hard stuff on the computer - shading and highlights, and mostly photographic backgrounds. Yep, it's cheating all right. And yep, I don't regret it one bit. Well, maybe a teensy bit...in some dark corner of my...

The launch of Fight or Flight also coincides with the release of my new solo effort, Aeolus. This was planned (or just happened to end up as) a three-parter: Part I is due out this month, Part II hopefully by the beginning of February, and Part III is coming out whenever the hell it comes out, so don't rush me. Yes, I know - your fearless blogger has, in previous posts, made the announcement that "Dark Corner Productions will get a comic out in December, so help us God!!!" And of course that has not happened. Why? Well, firstly, we - myself and the inimitable Joe Haines (everyone I know is inimitable) - are a couple of comic book moonlighters with little free capital. There's just no money, and there's just no time. Dark Corner Productions is currently hogtied by its artists' committments. As long as this continues to be the case, we can kiss any definite deadlines goodbye. Secondly, I've experienced a change in philosophy. I used to be extremely gung-...