I was born in Boston, MA. Grew up in Lexington, MA. Went to UMass Amherst, and I’ve lived in the Boston area for all of my adult life.
I started drawing comics when I was a little kid. I used to make hand-stapled comic books, magazines with comics. I drew with friends. I drew by myself. I drew comics when I should have been playing outside. I drew comics when I should have been doing homework. I’ve long been a fan of the classic daily comic strip format, and have sketchbooks filled with random strips that are two or three or four panels long.
I’ve been drawing a full-page comic called Rock School since 1992. Ages ago! While I love Rock School I feel the need to make comics that have nothing to do with playing in a band. So last year I started Small Blue Yonder. The concept: daily comics about whatever I feel like drawing. I can’t possibly get tired of a comic strip that’s about whatever I feel like drawing, right?
When I started Small Blue Yonder, in April 2013, the idea was: keep it fast and loose. Pen and ink, black and white wash, scan, save as JPG, done. Look at the early posts on this site and you’ll see what I mean. The comic has tightened up over time. In an effort to make each strip more legible, I started putting the text on a separate layer in Photoshop and tweaking it as needed. Then I started adding more layers, adding tones, editing the line work in each strip. I found myself spending hours on each comic instead of minutes. Eventually I realized, “If I’m spending this much time on each comic I may as well do them in color.”
For now, I’m still doing the line work on Bristol Board. I was using an old Rapidograph pen but have switched to Faber-Castell PITT artist pens.
Maybe there will be more changes. Maybe I’ll use a font instead of hand lettering? Maybe I’ll do all the art via my Wacom tablet, in Manga Studio?
And maybe the writing will change too, who knows. Small Blue Yonder features a few recurring characters. Use the site’s search and type in “Bendy,” or “Konkorr,” or “Bippi,” or “Santa,” and you’ll see what I mean. There are a few other characters that appear from time to time and there will probably be more.
What other changes will there be? Long storylines? First person “real life” blog-style comics? Probably not but I wouldn’t put it past me. As long as I’m drawing what I feel like drawing.
Small Blue Yonder comics are family-friendly. I guess they’re sort of G, sometimes sort of PG, maybe PG-13. Not R or NC-17.
Feel free to share these comics via Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, email, whatever. Provide credit if possible. Make sure to leave the copyright and signature intact. Please don’t use (post, distribute, steal) the comics for commercial purposes. If you’re not sure, feel free to email me.
Thanks for reading!
Crispin Wood
