New Francis Manapul Webseries Airs Tonight: Murdoch Mysteries-The Curse of the Lost Pharaohs

Are you a fan of CityTV’s Murdoch Mysteries? After tonight you might be. On June 7th (after the television premiere of their new season) the first webisode of Murdoch Mysteries: The Curse of the Lost Pharaohs, will debut online.  Here’s the best part: The artwork for the series has been done by Canadian comic book artist, Francis Manapul. Manapul has worked for Aspen, Top Cow, and signed an exclusive deal with DC comics.  His artwork has been featured in Witchblade, GI Joe, Superman Batman, and Adventure Comics, and well…it is stunning.

Murdoch Mysteries: Curse of the Lost Pharaoh Promo Art by Francis Manapul

Don’t believe me?  Check out his gallery.

The Murdoch Mysteries follows Detective William Murdoch as he solves crime in Toronto in the 1890s.  But unlike other detectives, he uses unusual methods, including fingerprinting and blood testing.  He’s a man before his time. For more information about the show visit their website at http://www.murdochmysteries.com/  In fact, visit the site anyway (if you have Flash).  The visual layout of the site is entertaining on its own.

Murdoch Mysteries: Curse of the Lost Pharaohs was producted by Smokebomb Entertainment and financed by Bell Broadcast New Media Fund and the Canada Media Fund. A new webisode will be available every Wednesday morning (and following tonight’s premiere) for 13 weeks. 

Head over to CityTv to watch the TRAILER and visit The Nerd Vortex each week for our Curse of the Lost Pharaohs recap. 

Murdoch Mysteries: Curse of the Lost Pharaohs by Francis Manapul

Canadian television paired with a Canadian artist, what could be better?

We Want to Shine a Light on FanExpo’s Artist Alley: Submit Your Profile Today!

The Nerd Vortex wants to do what we can to support struggling artists and writers. That’s why we’re putting out a call to all of you who will be manning a table in Artist Alley at this year’s  FanExpo Canada. The Nerd Vortex wants to shine a spotlight on all of you who’ve paid for a table to hock your hard work because, let’s face it, anyone who has been to a convention knows some of the best (and most surprising) things are found in Artist Alley.

Just fill out our form (and by all means, add anything you think we’re missing) and send it to nerdvortex AT gmail DOT Com.   Depending on the number of submissions, we’ll be posting our Artist Alley Spotlights daily during the weeks leading up to FanExpo Canada, and will also have a companion piece featured on www.comicbookdaily.com. 

You’re worked hard and deserve the recognition. Hopefully we can get people excited about this year’s Artist Alley, and a little advertising never hurt anyone.  Spotlight Form after the cut…

HOLMES INC is Here!

Whatever happened to the Holmes family?  HOMES INC features the descendants of the Holmes family, in the year 2010.  In the many decades since the Master Detective died (back in 1935) the great-grandchildren of Sherlock, Mycroft, and Watson, have managed to keep their family together for generations, serving King, Queen, and country for nearly a century, as the agents of HOLMES INC.

Special preview copies of HOLMES INC. will be available at the Toronto Cartoonists Workshop booth at Fan Expo 2010 on August 27th-29th. Meet the comic artists and writers behind each of the stories and find out how their experience with the Toronto Cartoonists Workshop has helped make HOLMES INC. a reality. Cover Art by Ty Templeton.  Visit http://holmesinccomic.wordpress.com/ for a sneak preview.

Cross-posteed at http://www.comicbookdaily.com/daily_news/holmes-inc-is-here/

Creating Comics Tips 1: Perfecting Prologues

How can you get people to read your story?  It doesn’t matter if you have the most clever twist ending, the best characterization, or the prettiest artwork, if people aren’t hooked after the first couple pages they won’t care.  Your hard work will fall through the cracks like all those other struggling artists (like you).  You need to wow the readers from the start.  A good PROLOGUE can help.

What is a Prologue?

Comic Book Bootcamp: A Little Out of Joint

I can’t seem to get over this mental block. For the bast 4 weeks we’ve been drawing boxes and tubes, and circles in perspective. I just can’t visualize looking up at an object. My eyes go crossed and by brain starts to weep. It’s insane and I don’t know how to fix it (yes, yes practice, practice practice). It’s always been like this. I need to go in and reprogram the matrix and try to get past this becuase it’s really very annoying.

Ty has worked up through knees, elbows and wrists, and I think I finally understand how the arm works. His shortcuts to anatomy are wonderous. Once I figure out my left and my right I should be good to go. It’s funny how a simple rotation of the wrist or slant of the hand can add so much to your drawing.

Comic Book Bootcamp: Back to Basics

No, I’m not talking about the marching and shouting, drill sergeant type of bootcamp. This is the Ty Templeton’s Comic Book Bootcamp, from the people who brought you Ty Templeton’s Writing for Comics and 4 perspectives on Inking, The Toronto Cartoonist Workshop.

I meant to write up my trials and missteps after the end of each class but between life and trying to find a job so I can continue life, I’ve fallen a little behind. Today I bring you class 1 (and hopefully by tomorrow class 2), for your enjoyment, and perhaps to my embarrassment.Some of these recaps were previously posted on www.pagesandponderings.blogspot.com.