"SKY PUP" - Locally Illustrated and Distributed Muncie Comic Book

VORE UPDATE 10/13/26

Over the summer, SKY PUP saw a slow revival thanks to the VORE ARTS FUND of Muncie, Indiana. Portions of the funds went to assisting in cover studio space costs, research materials from local sources and tools to complete the first issue. In these three months, I have been able to take steps back into this project with a vastly updated set of skills and hands-on experience to render it in a digital format. Struggles sprung up by the change of creative styles. Leading to new decisions needing to be made on a project started almost seven years ago. In this warm-up period I was able to get two major, yet unrelated, projects wrapped up or stabilized. Clearing the rest of the year for SKY PUP.

The largest gap I've been working to fill these few months is the technical understanding of creating a digital illustration. Using a Wacom tablet and pen is a alien to me, as a pencil & paper user. So the time spent on these two other digital projects - a film poster and set of storyboards - is taking the brunt of 'teeth cutting work' in becoming more familiar with the tools/software. I feel the time has been well spent. The Vore Funds have helped cover valuable time I would have otherwise not been able to commit to closing that gap.

What I've learned about the steps going further - I need to revisit original sketches and recreate some of that same vibe in Photoshop. Rather than trying to strongarm the completed pencil pages without some kind of updated priming exercise. Simple flash sheets to generate elements freehand and then dropping those into frame as needed. It'll be interesting to see the 'clear image' for these relatively old sketches at long last. I've learned that SKY PUP is one of the more 'precious' projects I've taken on and am not treating it as a commerical art project like I've filled my portfolio with. It's a genuine expression and capturing of a vision/method I've been working towards for years. Hopefully opening the 'digital canvas' will remove some of the perceived limitations that have kept this particular project on the back burner for so long.