kickstarter update! stretch reward alpha!

hi all!

the kickstarter breached $6,000... and to celebrate i'm offering super-limited dare t-shirts!

only 11 days until the kickstarter wraps up!

EXTRA KICK!

hi all!
well the kickstarter is halfway through, but the misfits' manual has been funded! to celebrate, i've updated the campaign with more levels, and also some bonus rewards! so if you already pledged, chances are you are getting something extra. check it out, and later i'll be announcing the first stretch goal:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1652521341/the-dare-detectives-the-misfits-manual

THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR THEIR SUPPORT -- NOT JUST THE PLEDGES, BUT THE RETWEETS AND ARTICLES AND INTERNET STUFFS I HEAR SO MUCH ABOUT. IT NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT YOU!

and for that, i say

cheers!
ben c

ps - more from the book:

KICKSTARTER UPDATE

hi all!

well, the kickstarter is off to a great... start. 2/3 of the way there after just a week! there aren't any special stretch goals to announce yet, as the goal hasn't been stretched, but there are a few announcements:

1) after looking at all the numbers, i've decided to expand the misfits' manual from 48 to 60pages.

2) since i'm expanding it anyway... the manual originally focused on misfits (as the title so cleverly suggests), but i'm going to use the extra space to introduce some of the places that feature in the dare detectives adventures, too. especially since many of these locations were originally created as backdrops for gaming adventures, and the stories themselves often evolved out of these locations and misfits.

3) as mentioned before, dare was originally an RPG, and the book will have the misfits' game stats and attributes. i don't think i'll include anything about the rules in the book, since i doubt that the original game was interesting (or different) enough to merit it, but i will be posting some of the game details here this weekend or next week, for anyone who is interested.

so if you haven't checked out the dare detectives kickstarter yet, please check it out now! and don't be shy about spreading the word, there is almost no possible way that could lead to the end of the world.

cheers!
ben c

some SDCC commissions

still recovering and a lot to digest -- and a lot to post -- from SDCC. here are a few of the commissions...

scanned this before putting in the lettering. the caption is "jesus christ has risen from the grave and conquered death". which i think we can all agree is a reference to zombie-punching.

still some others to post eventually, plus some (especially some big inked ones) to wrap up...

KICK IT!

hi all!

as promised (or threatened), i have a kickstarter up to print my first ever, all-color art book! the goal is pretty modest, but if it is surpassed, i will be expanding on the book itself, and adding additional rewards!
and i hardly need add that, if it is successful, it will pave the way for me to do more art books, and a few original comics as well!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1652521341/the-dare-detectives-the-misfits-manual

so check it out, come back here for updates, and we'll see what happens in the next 30 days!

ps - i'm blasting through dare detectives #2 THE KULA KOLA CAPER right now, and every extra penny i make on THE MISFITS' MANUAL will go towards an inker, letterer etc for that book. so you'll really be helping in more ways that one! who says you can't multi-task?

no one.  but if they did, now you could point them to my kickstarter with a raised eyebrow (or two, if you're feeling athletic), and make them feel the slings and arrows of their own ignorance.

so really, it's a win for everyone!

cheers!
ben c

IN ONE DAY...

...it will be wednesday.

ALSO, i'll be launching a kickstarter for my new, ALL COLOR dare art book! (that's one of the many reasons i have been absent lately. also, stealing hubcaps.)

check back here tomorrow, and also follow me on twitter and facebook!

that's all the peek you get, you naughty thing!

scooby & daphne

another commission. between these and the daily doodle, i might have to put out ANOTHER sketchbook this fall...

hula girl

wrapping up some commissions before SDCC...

SDCC and commission reservations!

hi all! i'll be at BOOTH 1223 at the san diego comic con, from wednesday through saturday! i'll have 6 different sketchbooks to sell:

plus dare detectives #1 the snow pea plot:

as well as prints and original art.

i'll also have some sneak peek art from the dare detectives 2: the kula kola caper, and the all-action classics version of the wizard of oz (coming out this fall!):

COMMISSIONS:

as always, i'll be doing commissions, and as always, i suggest you hit me up before the con starts to save a slot -- i got a LOT of commissions at heroes con, and i'm just catching up now! i'm probably going to have to limit my SDCC commissions. so write me before the con, or show up as early as you can!

commissions come in 4 delicious flavors. 8.5x11" pencils are $80:

9x12" inks/markers are $150:

11x17" pencils are $150:

14x17" inks/markers are $250:

see ya soon!

ps - stay tuned for some additional dare detectives news next week!!!

recent doodles...

sorry it's been so crazy lately, some doodles i didn't get a chance to post...

8x11", pencil. $40 if you want it.

8x11", pencil. $40 if you want it.

day 76 and 76B

getting back to daily doodles... first is toby and sarah from DD: the kula kola caper.

8x11", pencil. $40 if you want it.

and of course, wonder woman.

8x11", pencil. SOLD.

another black canary commission, then off to bed...

black canary / batgirl commission

sorry the photos are blurry...

quick shadow commission

and a quick mole man

heroes con! 2

hi all!
heading off to the con, a few quick things:

i will be on 2 panels sunday, 11am wonder woman (rm 208 AB)
3:30pm manga influences (rm 203A)

also, i had been planning to make a kickstarter/dare detectives announcement at the con, but after consultation, i'll be holding off on that while i make some improvements! stay tuned!

almost-finished zatanna commission:

lots more to come!

HEROES CON!!!

howdy all!
as i've mentioned ad nauseum, i will be at table AA609 at heroes con this weekend. here is a map:

doesn't that nice red circle look inviting? yes. yes it does.

so stop by and... do whatever it is people do at cons? dress up as belle epoch dames and sip tea, i assume? that's a con thing?

it's been a while for me.

but while you're doing _________________, check out my new SB16, and of course i'll have ALL my old sketchbooks too, plus original art and commissions. you can also stare at me while i draw DD2 (i love staring at other people while they draw, so turnabout is fair play).

let's just assume this pic has to do with the subject. because this movie rocks.

also, feel free to show me your portfolio or ask for advice or whatever. just don't ask for good advice, because you get what you get at casa AA609!

i'll also be donating some art for the silent auction!

see you there!

the hell with you, judgy mcjudgerson. ima go watch it again RIGHT NOW.

SKETCHBOOK 16 AVAILABLE TO ORDER!!!

hi all!

sketchbook 16, "action! sketchbook", came in early, so i'm taking orders for it now. and of course i'll have plenty of copies at heroes con, SDCC, and NYCC.

the book is 8.5x11", 80pp black and white. $15 if you want one!

All domestic (US) orders: include $2.80 shipping,

plus $.75 per book for  paypal purchases.

International orders: write me for shipping etc charges,

ben(at)daredetectives(dot)com.

my paypal acct as bencaldwellart(at)hotmail(dot)com.

cheers!

ben c

FOR HEROES CON:

I WILL BE AT TABBLE AA609, IN ARTISTS' ALLEY.

I'LL HAVE COPIES OF ALL MY OLD SKETCHBOOKS,

PLUS PRINTS AND ORIGINAL ART.

73 maria dare! (now with more RGB)

thought it'd be fun to try and draw one of my regulars in a more caricatured way. i've done this sort of thing before, but always as a very graphic treatment. this is more like classical caricature that could be painted or even sculpted.

tried a few versions of this, and really liked this one for maria, who is supposed to be pretty, just not in the same way sarah and bleu are. (so in other words, "tv ugly").

it's easy to smile when your "ugly" could still make magazine covers

also wanted to really individualize her expression, give her a smile that is part wolfish (the canines and the jutting lower jaw) and part sheepish (the uncertain brows and wrinkled inner lids and nose bridge).

-EDIT-

i colored the hell out of it, just because you told me i couldn't.

ben, 1; invisible voices in ben's head, 0.



ps - if dirty old limericks are to be believed (and by god we can all agree on that), then "nil desperandum" is latin for "never despair".

pps - blogspot tried to change "now with more RGB" to "now with more RUB". cheeky bastard.

71b catwoman

doing whatever it is catwoman does.

12x5.5", pencil/ink/markers on bristol. SOLD

commission: studio bueno

andrew wilmore's jen & bueno.