coloring live tonight till I crash, working on a page from the official Flobots webcomic, and probably Take a Chance #5.

Watch live video from jembury’s channel on Justin.tv

Watch live video from jembury’s channel on Justin.tv

So, there’s a great new superhero comic debuting this month from author C.E. Murphy and published by Dabel Bros./Del Rey (coincidentally the same Del Rey where C.E. has multi novel deal) The are is amazing, penciled by Ardian Syaf with colors by yours truly. You can order directly online from HeavyInk.com for a discount on the book, subscribe to it as well and it will be shipped each month with your order.

So head over to HeavyInk.com and order your copy today.

That is all for today, I’ve got a busy day here getting 4 more pages of the Grimm Fairy Tales 2008 annual colored for Zenescope. I will leave you with the cover art to Take A Chance #3 which you can preorder right now as well though. I think Ardian and I did this cover in under 3 hours all things considered. Not too shabby!

forgive the spelling mistakes today. just finished an all nighter, literally, and I could care less about how many spelling errors I make right now.

just wrapped up colors for Beyond Wonderland #4 with Nei Ruffino, Garry Henderson, and Blond (who came on at the last minute to save all our butts) The issue is made of complete AWESOME in my opinion, Dan Leister did an amazing job on the art for the book.

Put on a pot of coffee for my wife who’s waking up in about 5 minutes now, thinking of cooking a huge breakfast, and then crashing till the afternoon once these high rez files finish uploading. I probably won’t take off the entire day today, I’ll squeeze in another page or so I think likely as not. Strangely, not too tired right now, so if I can’t fall asleep I may just stay up all day and dork around.

this week, have to get the rest of our xmas shopping done, for the kids. I have a couple things left to get my wife, but I think we’re planning on heading into town on Friday to do shopping. then I’ll probably take the kids either Saturday or Sunday to pick up gifts for her.

It’s pretty apparent that I’m jumping all over the place right now too. It’s been really refreshing to have so much work lately, regardless of how busy it seems I am. I’d much rather be swamped right now, than be out of a job like so many other people. I think I’m doing some good work too, at least it seems that way to me I’m pretty happy with what I’ve been cranking out, and I’ve been cranking out a LOT of stuff. The first issue of my Dabel Bros. comic, Take A Chance is out this month. Can’t wait to get a copy of that and check it out, the art is fantastic, and I love the concept of the story (and the writing)

K, I’m losing it, it’s time to wrap things up, and get something to eat here, I’m starving!!!!!!

Was a long day yesterday. Took my daughter to get her braces on yesterday morning. It was probably the LEAST stressful appointment I’ve ever taken her to for anything. She did a really good job of not getting too worked up, and she seems to be taking the right approach to getting braces. She likes them, and isn’t all upset about having to get them either, which is a good attitude to have considering she has to wear them for almost 2 years She toughed it out at school yesterday, and is still a little sore today as well, but she’s doing a good job handling it, and I’m proud of her.

It was a late night last night. Went to see the MSU/N. Carolina game at Ford Field with my son and his friend and his dad and brothers. Was a good time, and the kids had a blast. MSU got TRUCKED by 35 points, and they embarrassed Detroit, the auto industry, MSU and the LIONS on ESPN this morning when they played the highlights of the game, but the kids enjoyed going and staying up so late on a school night. My son was dragging this morning heading to school, and I won’t lie, I’M tired myself this morning too. I took some pictures, and shot a couple of short videos as well.

I finished a painting commission yesterday that I’ve had for a couple of weeks, and it turned out good I think. I’ve got 4 days less to finish my Grimm Fairy Tales annual here, but I’m DONE with prior commitments and stuff now until I’m finished with the book, so I’m looking to knock pages out like nobodys business the next week here. Then I have 6 pages left to finish up issue 3 of Take a Chance, then I MIGHT be tackling Grimm Fairy Tales issue 35 before the end of the year as well. So things are definitely busy on the work front. Somewhere in there, I have to find time to take the kids xmas shopping for their mom too.

I need another pot of coffee today for sure, and maybe another piece of the AWESOME peanut butter/chocolate fudge my wife made. mmmm, mmmmm good!!!!

Was a busy weekend decorating the house, setting up the xmas tree and working here. Wanted to take as much time AWAY from the studio as I reasonably could with a deadline only 2 weeks away here. Still a few things on my mind this morning as I prepare for another LOOOONNNNGGG day in the studio here.

First off, I didn’t get a chance to sit down and really express what I was thankful for this year, even though I may have done that in my head the last few days. So here goes…I’m incredibly thankful for such a beautiful, loving wife (even though when I say that out loud it always sounds like kissing up or sarcasm it’s not, I genuinely mean it) I’m thankful for the 2 kids which have caused me to age prematurely, start losing my hair, turn the hair I DO have still to gray..just kidding. I’m incredibly thankful to have 2 very intelligent, well mannered (when they want to be) talented, loving children. It makes the difficult job of parenting that much easier, because everyone knows I’m unfortunately not the most patient person in the world, even though I try to be.

I’m also very thankful for the job that I have, even WITH all of the ups and downs that come with being a freelance artist. I’m afforded the luxury of working out of a beautiful home, having my own studio right off the upstairs living room, and being able to spend my days coloring comics, creating artwork and painting. It’s been a hectic, rollercoaster ride of a year here, however I am looking at my 5th straight year of growth since I started freelancing, and I’m actually making more money than I have at any other job I’ve ever had before. It’s encouraging to keep setting the bar higher and higher, and somehow finding a way to get over it. It’s not easy by ANY means, but it is rewarding.

other things that I’m trying to file away this morning….I’ve got 14 days to get 41 pages of comics colored here for 2 different books, and a painting to finish before Wednesday. Lots of work. I can do it, but thankfully we got the house decorated for Christmas over the weekend, the tree is up, and all of that is out of the way. The only other real tricky part over the next 2 weeks is this Wednesday. Taking my daughter to get her braces in the morning (which won’t be nearly as bad as she thinks), then am headed down to Ford Field with my son to catch the MSU vs. North Carolina basketball game which doesn’t start till 9pm. Going to be a LATE night. Then it’s JUGGERNAUT mode until I’m done with deadlines and hopefully, HOPEFULLY, a little time off this year for the holidays. I’ve got a staircase and railing in the basement that needs painting, and some other things I’d like to get done around the house, in addition to being able to just relax with the family this year.

k, time to get things going this morning, finish the page I started at 7:30 and find a groove.

I’m groggy this morning. I have a bit of a headache as well, which doesn’t mix with being groggy very well at all. The good thing is, that I don’t have to go anywhere today to get to work. The roads are a mess my wife informed me after dropping the kids off at school. So once I imbibe enough coffee this morning to actually start functioning I’ll be set.

Flipping through a book I just sold on ebay as I was getting it ready to mail out, I came across a great little quote by Normal Rockwell. It went something like this, “Painting is like throwing a ball against a wall, it never comes back to you as hard as you throw it. So throw it hard!” Such sage like advice there.

Colored the cover for issue 4 of my Dabel Bros./Del Rey book Take a Chance yesterday, in addition to more pages from the Grimm Fairy Tales Annual. Superheroes and fantasy in the same day, it doesn’t get a whole lot better than that I’m hoping to get a great deal of stuff accomplished today as well, since I was planning on taking all day Thanksgiving off. Which means I have to work that much harder before and after to make up for that of course.

I’m trying to ignore the news lately, as it manages to frustrate, depress, and anger me all at once. Hard to escape that sort of real life stuff though. What would help is if checks would come in the mail on a more regular basis. Speaking of just such a thing, there SHOULD be a rather sizable check in the mail today, which would make me happy. So I’m hoping when I walk the 100 feet down the driveway through the snow to the mailbox, there’s actually a check in there. Because freezing your giblets off to get the mail, and having it not contain anything to warm you up like money (or the new Victoria Secret’s catalog) feels like a waste, you know?

Alright, not a whole lot else on my mind, it’s sort of cluttered still a bit, and as I said, groggy. I may have to make a second pot of coffee today after I get around here. It just feels like a 2 pot of coffee sort of day today.

busy week, busy MONTH coming up here. here’s what I’ve got brewing inside my head this morning.

The new Cure album, 4:13 Dream, might be my favorite album in the last few years. It might be the best Cure album since Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me or Wish actually. Which is saying a lot because I’m a huge music fan, and I’ve loved a lot of albums that have come out the last few years. But I have a special place in my heart for Robert Smith music

It’s dawned on me the last couple of weeks here, that the work I’ve been doing might not actually SUCK. Which is, you know, a GOOD thing. It’s that time of year again where things are starting to get crazy, especially with kids and the holidays coming up. So to be doing good work, have PLENTY of work to do, and headed into winter which is a traditionally slow time for freelancing is a good feeling.

Starting to wonder, worry and think on what I’m going to get my wife for Xmas this year. Won’t be anything NEAR like the diamond earrings she got LAST year, that’s a given, but I need to get creative and find something that will get me those extra brownie points nonetheless.

k, lots of cool things to lose myself in this morning, like coloring this fantasy story for the Grimm Fairy Tales 2008 Annual, and also a splash page with the JABBERWOKY from Alice in Wonderland to break out the painting skills on.

going to drop some quick thoughts more frequently here as a way to sort of stay on track. so here goes.

Mondays usually suck in general, but I’ve been plugging away at things all day today, and have accomplished a lot of things to make this particular Monday not suck quite as much. I’m semi-happy with that.

I’ve been doing some great work the last month here, stuff that I’m actually pretty proud of. Just wrapped up a Mary, Mary short for an issue of Grimm Fairy Tales by Zenescope, and I’ve started in on the Grimm Fairy Tales 2008 Annual which is looking great so far if I do say so myself. Excited about this book, because it’s a fantasy type of story, and I’m at my best working in that type of genre I think. Raven Gregory has been a really GREAT editor to work with, and I’m glad he likes my stuff enough to keep throwing work my way Also finishing up the last half of issue 3 of my book Take A Chance from Dabel Bros./Del Rey, issue 1 is out next month and I’m super excited to see what that will look like in print. I originally colored that back in 2006, and this year I went in and sort of revamped each page just because I decided that it wasn’t anywhere near as good as the stuff I’m doing this year so it couldn’t possibly go to print looking subpar.

I’m on my second pot of coffee here, it’s about 7pm. I need to get back into the routine of getting about 6 hours of sleep, maybe 7 each night, and maximizing my work time each day. I’ve finally got a steady work load for a while here and I want to keep on top of everything and keep myself busy all winter, and that isn’t accomplished by lazing around. I’ve decided that I’m going to land a coloring gig at DC Comics in the next year here, and now I have to start cranking out the work to garner that kind of attention

Alright, have a cover for Herbert West #6 to make a TINY change to, and get that over to Raven here in the next hour. Also have to finish up the page I have going here tonight before bed, maybe do one more. BUT….Chuck is on at 8 tonight, and I love me some geek squad goodness (not to mention hot blonde spy chicks)

What’s a better gift to give than custom art. I’m offering custom sketch cards for a limited time here over the next month, in addition to a select few commission slots (pencil, pen and ink, or digital painting commissions) Sketch cards are $20, and commissions for original art will depend on subject matter so get in touch if you’re interested. Also I’m offering my comic coloring abilities to color your pinups or covers for a limited time at $35 for single character pinups, and $70 for cover colors. Payment can be made via paypal, 50% upfront, 50% upon completion. If you’re interested in something, get in touch today!!!!