CROM Updates: 031 with Guest Artist Jason Schoonover
Artistic Collaboration and Reviewing the CROM Collected 2024 Revised Edition
In the 31st episode of the Crom the Barbarian Comics Collected Updates Podcast, host Kurt Brugel and guest artist Jason Schoonover discuss the recently completed Artist Proof of the CROM Collected 2024 Revised Edition. Kurt begins by giving a brief history of the project, explaining his journey since 2018 when he first compiled the original Golden Age comics of Crom the Barbarian, adding his own stories, and employing mixed media techniques. He highlights the contributions of five other guest artists, including Jason, whose work is featured as pinups and cover art in the revised edition.
Jason provides detailed feedback on the Artist Proof, commending the print quality, depth of blacks, and the overall coherence of the artwork. He appreciates the enhancements made to the original art, especially the high contrast and the creative use of grayscale. Jason suggests adding pull quotes to the back cover for promotional purposes and points out minor typographical issues, including inconsistent capitalization. He praises Kurt’s artistic style, noting the effective use of scratchboard techniques and the smooth transitions between different artistic elements.
Kurt and Jason discuss the collaborative nature of the project, emphasizing the importance of community building among independent comic artists. Kurt explains his intention to release multiple covers by different guest artists for a limited period in August, allowing each artist to sell their versions and benefit from the project's success. They also touch on their ongoing and future collaborations, including a shared comic story. The podcast concludes with a call for support and collaboration from the audience, encouraging them to engage with the project and its artists.
Watch the CROM Update 031 video on YouTube:
Here are a few educational highlights from the podcast discussion:
Understanding Artist Proofs: The podcast explains the concept of an artist's proof, a pre-production print run used for reviewing and making final adjustments before the official printing. This insight is valuable for understanding the stages of comic book production.
Feedback and Quality Control: Jason Schoonover provides detailed feedback on the Artist Proof, emphasizing the importance of print quality, depth of blacks, and the coherence of artwork. This highlights the critical role of meticulous review and quality control in publishing.
Artistic Techniques: The discussion covers various artistic techniques, including the use of scratchboard drawing, grayscale, and mixed media. These techniques enhance the visual impact of the comic and show how different media can be used to achieve specific artistic effects.
Community Building in Comics: Kurt and Jason emphasize the importance of community among independent comic artists. They discuss how collaborations, such as guest artists contributing pinups and covers, can enrich a project and build a supportive network.
Marketing and Promotion: The suggestion to add pull quotes to the back cover for promotional purposes is a practical tip for marketing comic books. It shows how strategic placement of endorsements can help attract potential readers.
Collaborative Projects: The podcast highlights the collaborative nature of creating comics, with multiple artists contributing to the final product. This underscores the value of teamwork and diverse artistic inputs in producing a rich and varied comic book.
Jason Schoonover is one of the few Artists who has been invited to create a pin-up for the Revised Edition of Crom Collected.
Use these links to find out more about Jason.
Use these links to find out more about Kurt inker Brugel.
