this is the cover to wonderland #2

the end result came on the third attempt. my editor first pitched the two characters facing off...facing each other both wielding weapons, his knife (idiot! who brings a knife to an axe fight??) and her axe. but i was not sold on this idea. i told him that i have to sleep on it for a day or three cause the idea didnt really click. i felt no mojo when i heard the idea. often times i get asked how i draw such cool covers or images...this is NO LIE...all the magic happens BEFORE i even pick up the pencil. its all in the idea. anybody can draw a cool image, but its the thought process that serperates the good image from the amazing. metaphore: imagine a house..anybody can build a beautiful house, with fancy tiles and a bunch of rooms...but if u build a house on a lopsided foundation, the whole thing will come tumbling down. for those lamans: the foundation is the thought process, the house is the drawing. no matter how much eye candy u put on it, if the foundation is wrong...the whole thing falls apart.

so having them not moving...arms down, facing each other. means that they are now profile...boring. maybe in a movie.

next idea i suggested to my editor was to have them already fighting, , he was like sure...i nibbled on that for awhile, but i was still not feelign it. i normally iron these things out in traffic on the way home. and if any of u live in LA u know how much time u have on ur hands. i thought fighting might make for a cooler image, but not suspenceful enough.

so i suggested having him already stabbing her. it jumped out at me and the mojo was begging to come out. my editor was optamistic when i assured him this was the way to go.

i have to be honest, i completely drew Kalie and was moving on to Johnny, and i was feeling NO mojo. i was kinda disappointed. all that thinking and medditating and i wasnt feeling anything, no chemestry or mojo. turns out the prob was that i didnt plan out the background or the lighting on johnny. once i layed those factors in, a smile come over my face. i was happy to say hello to mojo once again.

the composition was fine this picture for the most part. some experts might say that its too busy that i put too much detail in. might be true considering that the colorist is going to add rain to the whole image. these days u dont need to draw rain anymore. clutters up the original.

i try my best to delv into the essance of any character i draw. cant really say what a physcho would be thinking at this moment, as ive never stabbed anyone before. so i guess a good substatute would be keith ledger. he would smile after conquering his opponant. plus i think it makes for a more sinister effect. makes the reader feel like he's enjoying torturing his victums.

her expression is obvious. but i have to say, a lot of ppl, even pros, think that story telling ends with laying out the panels on a comics page. camera angles and pacing. NOT true, u also have to tell a believable story with body language. without that, there exist no emotion.

for added fun my editor the all mighty raven said, hey ebas, can u throw in a NYC skyline?? aaaarrrhh!!

when i was done, raven said to me...ebas, i FINALLY have a note correction for u...never good to hear. but i couldnt believe my ears when he said...are u ready for this?? he said " can u make her boobs bigger"?? can u believe that??