Saturday, April 30, 2011
APRIL JURASCALS!
UPDATED 6/1/2011. For a limited time, the entire beginning of the Jurascals daily comic strip-April 2011 was placed online here in this blog entry for folks to catch up. However this posting was meant to be for a limited time only and now that May is over, it has been removed. Jurascals is found in the print edition of the Auburn Citizen, usually in section B and is located right above Peanuts! I am considering placing May's work on a blog similar to the April one. Feel free to provide some feedback and let me know your thoughts on that-email me at RASCALS@JURASCALS.COM
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Jurascals Looking Forward
The marquee of the Auburn Schines theater says Jurascals the Movie in this Jurascals postcard. Who knows what may happen in the next ten, twenty years or so. But for now May approaches (amazing it is May so soon!) May begins the actual first "story" as Lina and Dinosaur will learn about young Mr. Seward. My thanks goes out again to the Seward House and to Paul McDonald who provided an amazing tour for us while we were there!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Beginning to really blog
I made three other promotional items which I gave to the Citizen by hand and I hope they get printed as well-they don't reference a date but they do reference getting a subscription to the Citizen.
I referenced in an earlier blog how we had an amazing tour of the Seward House. This is an article about Paul McDonald who is retiring after a lifetime of service to this institution. Paul gave us an experience that we will cherish. Thank you Paul! http://auburnpub.com/lifestyles/article_4e91e2a2-6df5-11e0-9e7b-001cc4c002e0.html?mode=story
Jurascals begins its third week today. With that in mind, I have created the ability for folks to add comments to this blog. I thought I had done so before but I finally resolved the technical issue. As long as a reader clicks on the specific title of the blog, that reader can add a comment. I would love to receive your comments in the blog, or, if so you're so inclined, via my email: rascals@jurascals.com.
If you are a reader of the Auburn Citizen and have read the comic strip, please let me know what you think! I would enjoy hearing your thoughts, comments and suggestions.
Finally, I have been asked whether folks will be able to read Jurascals without getting the newspaper. I created Jurascals to be read in print or in the subscription based E-edition however I recognize some readers might not be in Auburn. So I will come up with a way that retains the integrity of the idea along with an ability for folks to read some of the already printed Jurascals. So keep posted!
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Many Wonderful Places in Auburn
Among the many wonderful locations my wife and I visited in Auburn, New York, we had the opportunity to see the Seward House, The Tubman Home, The Cayuga Museum of History (which includes the Ted Case laboratory) and the Seymour Library (which although is not a museum-it's a great building and wonderful folks there). Each location deserves its own blog entry and I'll do that over the course of the next week. But overall let me just say "wow".
Just going to these buildings is a treat visually. When you actually stand there in front of a structure with such significance, as an artist I feel compelled to capture it-first via photo, then I want to draw it. But more importantly, INSIDE the building, when taking the tours of the museums, listening to the stories and information from the directors of the tour, I was constantly amazed and in awe of the history. For these museums, Paul, Christine and Eileen are truly passionate and knowledgeable-they are clearly experts in their field of knowledge and we were priviledged to have them guide us in our understanding of Auburn history.
With each visit I came away with a very sobering thought:
I must do this right.
I resolve to make the Jurascals comic strip, which takes place in Auburn and celebrates Auburn, not just worthy of print, but worthy of Auburn. This has always been my intention but even more so now, I will redouble my efforts to get it right for you. For the art, I resolve to make May's work even better than April's (they are already drawn, I will ink it even better than I inked the April's work). But for June's I will solve the lettering issue (make it better-more consistent with the other comic strips on the page). However as I continue the story, I have one focus in mind: the reader of the Auburn Citizen who lives in and around Auburn- you deserve to have your story told in an exceptional fashion. You will get nothing short of exceptional.
In the first week, the reader has met two of the three main characters-Lina and Dinosaur. In the second week, they will discuss their plan for promoting the new nickname for the city and head home. In the third week, you'll meet the third main character-the Dad and the end of the third week sets the stage for the story that begins in May.
Just going to these buildings is a treat visually. When you actually stand there in front of a structure with such significance, as an artist I feel compelled to capture it-first via photo, then I want to draw it. But more importantly, INSIDE the building, when taking the tours of the museums, listening to the stories and information from the directors of the tour, I was constantly amazed and in awe of the history. For these museums, Paul, Christine and Eileen are truly passionate and knowledgeable-they are clearly experts in their field of knowledge and we were priviledged to have them guide us in our understanding of Auburn history.
With each visit I came away with a very sobering thought:
I must do this right.
I resolve to make the Jurascals comic strip, which takes place in Auburn and celebrates Auburn, not just worthy of print, but worthy of Auburn. This has always been my intention but even more so now, I will redouble my efforts to get it right for you. For the art, I resolve to make May's work even better than April's (they are already drawn, I will ink it even better than I inked the April's work). But for June's I will solve the lettering issue (make it better-more consistent with the other comic strips on the page). However as I continue the story, I have one focus in mind: the reader of the Auburn Citizen who lives in and around Auburn- you deserve to have your story told in an exceptional fashion. You will get nothing short of exceptional.
In the first week, the reader has met two of the three main characters-Lina and Dinosaur. In the second week, they will discuss their plan for promoting the new nickname for the city and head home. In the third week, you'll meet the third main character-the Dad and the end of the third week sets the stage for the story that begins in May.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
First thoughts!
Although I have a subscription to the Auburn Citizen, we have been away from the house so my first look at the Jurascals comic strip in print was today. I went to a newspaper vending machine a few blocks from Hoopes Park and grabbed the last newspaper in the rack. Turning to B6, I saw it on the top of the page just above Peanuts. What an honor!
I loved seeing it in print. As a special moment, I also saw on page A5 a promo for Jurascals that I had drawn specifically for the paper and that looked fantastic-it fit the space perfectly!
Seeing the comic strip in print, I noted that it is the only non-editorial daily comic strip that is clearly made for the Auburn community. Over the course of the story, I will be celebrating Auburn in what I believe will be a special way. Consider the first three weeks to be the "preface" to the entire rest of the comic strip, with a unique story beginning 5/2. These first three weeks set the stage for that and for all other stories so even though there is banter between Lina and the Dinosaur, the banter will have a larger context later on in the strip.
For the art, I recognize certain things of the comic strip that appear different than the originals. For one thing, it is always better to draw DARKER. More solid dark ink (such as on Lina's shirt) will make the comic strip pop out more. My background (of the Phoenix building today) has more definition in the original than the print version. For the artwork in May, which I have pencilled but not inked, I will ensure that the ink makes the art stand out even more. So rest assured, I like the way it looks but I know that the art will only get better and better now that I see how it turns out on the page (and this is being drawn specifically for the page!)
Let me know what you think!
As always you can email rascals@jurascals.com with any thoughts and comments on Jurascals!
I loved seeing it in print. As a special moment, I also saw on page A5 a promo for Jurascals that I had drawn specifically for the paper and that looked fantastic-it fit the space perfectly!
Seeing the comic strip in print, I noted that it is the only non-editorial daily comic strip that is clearly made for the Auburn community. Over the course of the story, I will be celebrating Auburn in what I believe will be a special way. Consider the first three weeks to be the "preface" to the entire rest of the comic strip, with a unique story beginning 5/2. These first three weeks set the stage for that and for all other stories so even though there is banter between Lina and the Dinosaur, the banter will have a larger context later on in the strip.
For the art, I recognize certain things of the comic strip that appear different than the originals. For one thing, it is always better to draw DARKER. More solid dark ink (such as on Lina's shirt) will make the comic strip pop out more. My background (of the Phoenix building today) has more definition in the original than the print version. For the artwork in May, which I have pencilled but not inked, I will ensure that the ink makes the art stand out even more. So rest assured, I like the way it looks but I know that the art will only get better and better now that I see how it turns out on the page (and this is being drawn specifically for the page!)
Let me know what you think!
As always you can email rascals@jurascals.com with any thoughts and comments on Jurascals!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Thank you Auburn!
I will make a full post later on in the week with photos of Auburn and drawings etc but I wanted to make a quick post just to thank the good folks in Auburn who are giving this new comic strip, Jurascals, a chance!
This is a unique opportunity. Madeline may live in an old house in Paris and Spiderman may swing through the city skyline of New York city but Jurascals are specifically from Auburn, NY. Lina and Dinosaur will learn all about what makes Auburn a pleasant city. I look forward to developing this story and celebrating the history and people of Auburn, New York!
-J Timothy Quirk
This is a unique opportunity. Madeline may live in an old house in Paris and Spiderman may swing through the city skyline of New York city but Jurascals are specifically from Auburn, NY. Lina and Dinosaur will learn all about what makes Auburn a pleasant city. I look forward to developing this story and celebrating the history and people of Auburn, New York!
-J Timothy Quirk
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Jurascals had already made the newspaper on 3/31 with a mention!
On 3/31/2011, Jeremy Boyer, the editor of the Auburn Citizen, documents all of the new and exciting features occurring in the Auburn Citizen and one of them is JURASCALS!
http://auburnpub.com/news/opinion/columnists/article_af170b3e-5b30-11e0-87e1-001cc4c03286.html
Here is a promo I made for the first week!
http://auburnpub.com/news/opinion/columnists/article_af170b3e-5b30-11e0-87e1-001cc4c03286.html
Here is a promo I made for the first week!
Monday, April 4, 2011
ONE WEEK BEFORE JURASCALS BEGINS!
Jurascals will begin on 4/11/2011 in the Auburn Citizen, a wonderful newspaper in Auburn, New York!
Looking forward to the premiere of the comic strip, just one week away! I want to thank the Cayuga County Office of Tourism and the Seward House for their assistance and permissions that have allowed me to do the story I want to tell! In the pages of the Auburn Citizen, Lina and Dinosaur will learn why Auburn is History's hometown. If the reader collects the comic strip over the course of the year (or more), they can read the story of William Seward as Lina and Dinosaur learn about him!
Remember: William Seward's birthday is just around the corner! (May 16th)
The Cayuga County Office of Tourism's website is:
http://www.tourcayuga.com/
And the Auburn specific website is:
www.historyshometown.com
The Seward House museum's website is:
http://www.sewardhouse.org/
As always, my email is rascals@jurascals.com. I look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions!
Remember: William Seward's birthday is just around the corner! (May 16th)
The Cayuga County Office of Tourism's website is:
http://www.tourcayuga.com/
And the Auburn specific website is:
www.historyshometown.com
The Seward House museum's website is:
http://www.sewardhouse.org/
As always, my email is rascals@jurascals.com. I look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions!
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