"Wednesdays" ("X3: The Last Stand")
Pencil Marks: There I was with a genius idea in hand for an “X-Men 3” picture. Conceptually the idea was sound, if a bit corny, but the joke would work. But only if it was pulled off precisely. If everything didn't mesh up right, then it would come of too cheesy. And as full of cheese as we are, there is a line we try not to cross. Or at least I think there is.
The idea was a play on X3's title of "The Last Stand". In the picture we would have our star Erik standing in the middle of a desert, in front of a Lemonade Stand, being charged $30 for a glass of lemonade. The joke of it would be that it was the "last stand" for 40 miles. Heh heh. There would be tons of in jokes ribbing on the X-Men franchise, and tons of characters waiting in line.
The problem was I could never quite get it out correctly. Every time I tried, things would be just a bit sour. Pun intended.
It got so bad that time was running out. In fact time had run out and I had nothing to give poor Jake. After only three weeks our Gallery was going to see a delay. Sure, it’s inevitable, but we tried to hold off until the end of Summer. You know, bad beginnings and all that.
Then like a breath of fresh air an idea hit me on Wednesday, three days before the picture was supposed to debut. I spent four hours penciling it, making adjustments, adding tiny details and the results are above for everyone to see.
Sure it isn't the lemonade stand; it’s something just a bit better. And hats off to by partner Jake. This one really was a miracle I didn't expect him to pull off. Kudos! - Tony
Ink Smudges: What did I have to do in only two days? Well, let's see. I inked and color three separate layers of drawings, create a couple of mock comics and posters, and get only five hours of sleep in the course of 42 hours. I also had to color various items from previous pictures using the exact colors we used the first time around, straighten and darken all the straight lines Tony originally penciled while cut myself off from all videogames and television even though it's sweeps weeks and all the season finales are airing. But wait, there's more. I had to shrink, crop, and paste various drawings and pictures from the last six years, show up and work at the hospital for my shifts so I can get a paycheck, but most importantly, do better than has ever done before.
And you know what? I F*@#&! DID IT!!! I kick serious ass! - Jake