Day 21: Time for a cup!!

That's three weeks!! Yay!!

Here's Jon Pay getting his pot of coffee ready, while Jack Knightley has finally managed to calm down his girlfriend  Ella. 

If you want to find out what is going on in the panels or if you want to learn more about Jon Pay or Gus MacDugal, there are three comics available on ComiXology. 

(Jon Pay, PI, Gus MacDugal and Jack Knightley ™ & ©, C. A. Aabø, 2017.)

Day 20: don't ask!!

Who'd have thunk it?!? Day 20?!? Keep this up and I might actually finish one day...

Anyhoo, here's another Jon Pay/Gus MacDugal moment. I like these. As to what's going on here, it's safer not to know so don't ask...

If you want to find out what is going on in the panels or if you want to learn more about Jon Pay or Gus MacDugal, there are three comics available on ComiXology. 

(Jon Pay, PI and Gus MacDugal ™ & ©, C. A. Aabø, 2017.)

Day 19: ...aaaaaaand.....scene!!

More supporting characters!! Here we have Jack Knightley comforting his girlfriend Ella...

...at the same time as Gus MacDugal receives his marching orders. 

If you want to find out what is going on in the panels or if you want to learn more about Jon Pay or Gus MacDugal, there are three comics available on ComiXology. 

(Jon Pay, PI, Gus MacDugal and Jack Knightley ™ & ©, C. A. Aabø, 2017.)

Day 18: Halfway through page 16

Here is the upper part of yesterday's foot . This is just one more fresh character to be added to the ever growing gallery of supporting cast of Jon Pay PI: Prizefighters & Knickerbockers.

If you want to learn more about Jon Pay, there are three comics available on ComiXology (for a very reasonable price if I do say so myself... and I'm a cheapscape...)

(Jon Pay, PI and Jack Knightley ™ & ©, C. A. Aabø, 2017.)

Day 17: Run away!

What can I say, it's a small panel. But it is one panel closer. 

If you want to learn more about Jon Pay, there are three comics available on ComiXology (for a very reasonable price if I do say so myself... and I'm a cheapscape...)

(Jon Pay, PI and Jack Knightley ™ & ©, C. A. Aabø, 2017.)

Day 16: Small update

It's the weekend, so a little bit harder to get a proper update in. Anyway, here it is. All the gang, Jon Pay, Gus MacDugal and Jack Knightley, have all arrived at their destination that they've been charging towards over the last few days. What is going on may or may not have to remain a secret. At least for now.

If you want to find out what is going on in the panels or if you want to learn more about Jon Pay or Gus MacDugal, there are three comics available on ComiXology (sorry. Not included in any of the Black Friday offers. Then again, they're always cheap.)

Day 15: corrections and moving on

I finished making corrections to yesterday's panel. (These corrections didn't slow me down as much as panel one did, but you can see me working on them here.) What do you think? Better?

And I managed to continue. 

Raymond Chandler has been quoted for saying that whenever he was stuck in a story, he would have someone walk through a door with a gun. Not quite what happened here, but I like that little nugget of information and I like to refer to it every now and then, especially if I'm stuck in a story. 

If you want to find out what is going on in the panels or if you want to learn more about Jon Pay or Gus MacDugal, there are three comics available on ComiXology (sorry. Not included in any of the Black Friday offers. Then again, they're always cheap.)

Day 14: Editors...

Don't just hate when you finish something and you are really happy with how it turned out. You show it to people whose opinion you respect and you expect them to sing your praises. Instead they start pointing out things that are wrong and/or could be improved. And you know what's worse?!? Having to admit that they are right!!!

So here's the panel that Rob X Román, script-doctor and editor of Jon Pay, PI: Prizefighters & Knickerbockers and Frank M. Cuonzo, colorist extrodinare and also editor, had issues with. They felt I needed to make some changes to Jack Knightley. (Thanks, guys, for always pushing me to do better!)

And here's me trying heed their advice and make the suggested improvements. 

What do you think? Were the guys right?

Also, Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends and family.

If you want to find out what is going on in the panels or if you want to learn more about Jon Pay or Gus MacDugal, there are three comics available on ComiXology (for a very reasonable price if I do say so myself... and I'm a cheapscape...)

(Jon Pay, PI and Gus MacDugal ™ & ©, C. A. Aabø, 2017.)

Day 13: Established

Okey, so this ended up being a two-day panel.

One of many things I love about working digitally (I "ink" on a iPad Pro with ApplePencil), is the eraser. You draw the full background, making sure everything goes to the vanishing point. Then you just erase anything you don't need. Yes, you could of course do the same thing traditionally but you'd be left with bulky, blobs of whiteout. 

Here's Jack Knightley springing to action. 

And here's another Gus MacDugal Moment. 

 If you want to find out what is going on in the panels or if you want to learn more about Jon Pay or Gus MacDugal, there are three comics available on ComiXology (for a very reasonable price if I do say so myself... and I'm a cheapscape...)

(Jon Pay, PI and Gus MacDugal ™ & ©, C. A. Aabø, 2017.)

Day 12: Strike one!

Couldn't finish this one. Don't know why it's taking me so long...

This is going to be a tough page. Lot of backgrounds in most of the panels, but I'll do my best.

If you want to learn more about Jon Pay, there are three comics available on ComiXology (for a very reasonable price if I do say so myself... and I'm a cheapscape...)

(Jon Pay, PI and Jack Knightley ™ & ©, C. A. Aabø, 2017.)

Day 11: Page 15 in the can

Well, who'd'a thought?!? Page 15 done bang on schedule!! I promised yesterday I'd show the last three panels and as I said on day 5, Gus MacDugal would get some screen time. 

And just for a bonus, here is one of my favourite Gus scenes from Jon Pay, PI: Bullets, Babes & By-Lines. 

If you want to find out what is going on in the panels or if you want to learn more about Jon Pay or Gus MacDugal, there are three comics available on ComiXology (for a very reasonable price if I do say so myself... and I'm a cheapscape...)

(Jon Pay, PI and Gus MacDugal ™ & ©, C. A. Aabø, 2017.)

Day 10: double digits

Sorry I'm a little. Busy Sunday. But it is still today, so I'm still on time. 

One panel off finishing this page. I'll show the last three panels tougher, just cause I like them. So today, here's are some details of panel 11. (Yes, you read that right: 12 panels in this page. I just can't help myself...)

Let me know what you think or if you have any questions. 

And, as always, if you want to learn more about Jon Pay or Gus MacDugal, there are three comics available on ComiXology (for a very reasonable price if I do say so myself... and I'm a cheapscape...)

(Jon Pay, PI and Gus MacDugal ™ & ©, C. A. Aabø, 2017.)

Day 9: Just sitting on a bench

Told you this was one of Gus MacDugal's "moments" and a sequence I've been looking forward to. Granted, as I discovered, I was not looking forward to the background. One of those background that is a LOT of work to get right, because if you have one line wrong, it ruins the whole effect. And in this case it was three times as important to get it right (you see why over the next few days...). I do think I pulled it off. What do you think?

And speaking of Gus moments, here's one of my favorites ones from Jon Pay, PI: The Comedy is Over. It was written by my partner-in-crime, Rob X Román and this scene is pure Gus. TCiO was a first in so many ways: the first JP that was produced fully digitally, the shortest production time, the most noir-ish to date, and the first one where I did not write the script. Up on till this story, I would write the script and Rob would iron out some kinks (or tell me everything I'd done wrong...). This time around, Rob wrote the script and I tried desperately to find something, ANYTHING, he'd done wrong. It was one of the must fun and educational comic-productions I've had. Look forward to doing it again, either with another Jon Pay adventure or we may go Steampunk Western. When Rob's involved, you don't always know where you'll end up. I had never thought Jon would be investigating muder under the Big Top.

And, as always, if you want to learn more about Jon Pay or Gus MacDugal, there are three comics available on ComiXology (for a very reasonable price if I do say so myself... and I'm a cheapscape...)

(Jon Pay, PI and Gus MacDugal ™ & ©, C. A. Aabø, 2017.)

Told youTold youTold youTold you

Told you

Day 8: Time for action!!

Time for some running around. Jon Pay and Jack Knightley rush to the rescue, but someone might be slowing them down. I wonder who...

Hope everyone has a great weekend. 

And, as always, if you want to learn more about Jon Pay, there are three comics available on ComiXology (for a very reasonable price if I do say so myself... and I'm a cheapscape...)

(Jon Pay, PI and Jack Knightley ™ & ©, C. A. Aabø, 2017.)

 

Day 7: face to face

Another panel done. Sharing some close ups so I hope that is confirmation that the panel is actually done. This is Jack "the good guy" Knightley. He is at the center of the entire series of events in Prizefighters & Knickerbockers. 

I don't know who is more shocked, Jack or Jon?

And, as always, if you want to learn more about Jon Pay, there are three comics available on ComiXology (for a very reasonable price if I do say so myself... and I'm a cheapscape...)

(Jon Pay, PI and Jack Knightley ™ & ©, C. A. Aabø, 2017.)

Day 6: "oh! Oh! Pick me!!"

I was doing so well last night, I thought I was gonna be able to finish two panels. Then I had a major technical issue with FlickNex and before I knew it, two hours had gone by and the technical issue was still there... ain't technology swell?!?

At any rate, here's my panel. I told you Gus MacDugal was only biting his time. The rest of the page is pretty much all him. 

I love having Gus in a scene. He is just such a fun character to work with. More than once he'll pretty much write himself and I am forced to cut jokes that I find hilarious but have nothing to do with the story and actually slows things down. At least he has several chances to shine in Prizefighters & Knickerbockers as he also did in Bullets, Babes & Bylines. 

And, as always, if you want to learn more about Jon Pay or Gus MacDugal, there are three comics available on ComiXology (for a very reasonable price if I do say so myself... and I'm a cheapscape...)

(Jon Pay, PI and Gus MacDugal ™ & ©, C. A. Aabø, 2017.)

Day 5: half a page done

Ok, I will honestly say I wasn't sure I was gonna make this one;a bit of background, tiny bit of foreground and three characters on different levels. Granted compared with some of my other backgrounds, this is nothing, but still.

Can't show everything this time around, so here's the background WIP and a young man patiently waiting his turn. 

I also accidentally did a close to a full time lapse of the inking of the characters. However, I don't think anyone would sit through seven min, so I will see if I can't edit in to a vlog-episode (of which I have made a whole ONE of...so far...). If you feel otherwise, let me know and I'll post it later.  

And, as always, if you want to learn more about Jon Pay, there are three comics available on ComiXology (for a very reasonable price if I do say so myself... and I'm a cheapscape...)

(Jon Pay, PI ™ & ©, C. A. Aabø, 2017.)

Day 4: Mix it up

That's four days in a row. Maybe I will be able to keep this up.

Here's a bit of a time lapse and the finished panel. Out of context, it gives nothing away, so I felt safe sharing. 

If you pay attention to the video, you may spot  how, thanks to inking digitally now, I am actually able to edit or change my pencil. I was once taught by a very prominent inker that "the reader will see my work, not the pencilers". Granted I'm nowhere near as brave as he was and don't think I would give anyone the same advice, however it has pushed me to be looser with my inks and to not always stick a 100% to the pencils. Then again, I am inking myself, and I am a very forgiving individual.

And, as always, if you want to learn more about Jon Pay, there are three comics available on ComiXology (for a very reasonable price if I do say so myself... and I'm a cheapscape...)

(Jon Pay, PI ™ & ©, C. A. Aabø, 2017.)

Day 3: something a little different

As promised I will try to mix it up a little. That being said, here is a time lapse of my latest panel. I have been looking forward to this one. Just thought Jon Pay looked cool in it.

As you can probably see, I try to stick to the rule of doing the outline of the character first, followed by all the details after. It's not so important in a panel like this but in a busier panel with things happening on several (visual) levels, it makes the panel work better if you can separate the different levels solely by the outlines. At least that was what I was taught and it works for me, so again, I try to stick to it.

As always, comments and feedback is more than welcome.

And if you want to learn more about Jon Pay, there are three comics available on ComiXology (for a very reasonable price if I do say so myself... and I'm a cheapscape...)

(Jon Pay, PI ™ & ©, C. A. Aabø, 2017.)

Day 2 Here's this guy!

If someone's gonna say something about when I've posted something, I will point out A) it's not tomorrow until I've had at 15 min of sleep and B) the time difference, I'm sure we're in different zones. At least I am sticking to my new commitment (at least for day 2...).

At any rate, here is a whole new panel. If you have picked up Jon Pay, The Comedy is Over, available from Comixology, you may recognize this doctor from the news page. This is how my script doctor used to portray himself in cartoon form. The character has developed a bit over time but that just goes to show how long it's taken me to get here. At any rate, I needed a doctor so why not use one that I actually trust.

As always, any comments or feedback is welcome.

(Jon Pay, PI ™ & ©, C. A. Aabø, 2017. Doc Monster ™ & ©, Rob X Román, 2017)

New commitments

Well, that year flew by. My apologies. This has been a bit of a tough year for my family. I won't go into details but we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel (far far FAR ahead...). 

I have done quite a bit of progress on Prizefighters & Knickerbockers and the plan is now to have daily ink updates. I'm not sure I'll be able to be as consistent as I was with my  642 Things To Draw challenge but the plan is to finish a panel a day or half a page a week. I am not working on this full time and with my daily life (and my basic 12-panel layouts) it seems a fairly realistic goal. I won't be able to post every panel as it might ruin the story, but I will do my best to keep things interesting. 

Here are my latest two panels to be finish. 

If you wanna see some of what I have been up to, please check out the Jon Pay Facebook. And if you want to learn more about Jon Pay, there are three comics available on ComiXology (for a very reasonable price if I do say so myself... and I'm a cheapscape...)

Thanks for checking in and feel free to let me know what you think!!

Have a good one.