A video of A. Kaviraj taking some students to school.

Had a bad virus that killed my computer.

Killed it.
I was able to bring it back to life, but like that one character in Uncanny X-Force, it has no memory of who it was or what it had done.

I am very glad that I have been archiving my scripts here and on Scribd, otherwise, they would have also been lost.

What WAS lost was many of my story notes and the work that I had already done on issue 29. This sucks, but I can re-create that stuff. The hard part was pulling out of my head in the first place. That is done. Now all I need to do is re-create it.

The script for the 28th issue of my supervillain drama Rapid City has just been posted. Read the full script here.

Panel 1. Later that night, Icicle walks along the side of concrete bridge where a main road is crossing a set of railroad tracks. She is carrying the gym bag. Her clothes are in rough shape after running through the brush.

Caption: The cold never bothers me. But hunger does. Exhaustion does.

Caption: Cars just pass me by.

Panel 2. We can see a hint of the bridge she was crossing in the background. In the foreground, she is hunkered down behind a long-unused set of newspaper boxes. She is sliding a few bills out of the cop’s wallet that she took. The way it is flopped open, we can see the cop’s badge.

Caption: Twenty six bucks. That’s it.

Panel 3. Icicle is caught in the lights of a passing car, she raises her arm to shield her face. We can see rips and smears of dirt on her sleeve.

Read all of my previous Rapid City scripts right here.

At 17 minutes before midnight I finished the last panel of the last page of issue #28.
That makes it just two days late.

Not super happy with that, but not terrible.
I will try to get it posted tomorrow.

Got this issue almost all the way done.

Two pages left to do. I know what’s going to be on them…generally. I have to write a monologue that will propel Icicle from Act I into Act II. I know the general content, I just have to make her sell it.

Maybe I can get that done tonight.

Surely by tomorrow. And in that case (worst case) it is onby two days late. I am not completely satisfied with that, but when you consider the late start, it’s actually pretty good.

I was already under the gun on this issue. Making good progress, but pushing it.

And then my computer got sick in the middle of the week. A virus!

Well, it’s gone now and that deadline is looming even closer. I might be able to pull it, thanks to some well timed trouble. Wish me luck.

Kav just showed me this beautiful cover for Rapid City #2.

It’s so damn noir. I just love it. I can’t wait to see it with color.

Rapid City artist A.Kaviraj has been sharing his wealth of art knowledge and experience online. Check out what he wrote for Comic Related.

You have to be able to draw well AND tell a clear story with your images. You have to know how to depict in an interesting yet clear manner the story which the writer has scripted. You have to think like a cinematographer, using interesting camera angles, and close ups when the drama requires it. You may have to choose to draw something less awesome, yet more clear. Always choose clarity over anything else, even if you have an awesome picture in mind.

The whole article is great if you are interested in the artistic process. Also, you can get a sneak look at pages from Rapid City #1.

Tomorrow is my first day back at work after the x-mas vacation, so I tried hard to make this day a really nice one.
So, along with relaxing, hanging out with my girlfriend, doing some shopping, and working on some custom toy projects, I also did some writing.
I specifically asked my girl to join me and she did. We both sat down and wrote for just about two hours straight. It was really nice and I got some good work done.
Nothing amazing, but I got a good chunk of pages taken care of.
It was a really good start on issue #28…. which I need as I am already behind the curve after last issue’s delays.
Plus, it was really nice to sit around writing with my girl.

The script for the 27th issue of my superherovillain comic book, Rapid City, has just been posted. Read it here.

Panel 4. Shot of Icicle trying her hardest just to hold it together.

ICICLE

Piledriver’s dead.

Panel 5. Small panel of the milk hitting the ground and busting open.

Panel 6. As large a panel as the page will allow of Katy grabbing Icicle into an awkward hug. It is awkward because Katy is carefully keeping her spiky hands from poking Icicle.

KATY

Oh, Steph. No. You poor…

KATY

Come here.

ICICLE

He’s dead, Katy. He’s dead.

Read Issue 27 and all of the previous Rapid City scripts right here.