Celebrating the Green with Ajax (and Simone)!
almost 3 years ago
– Thu, Mar 17, 2022 at 04:31:11 PM
Hi, Everyone!
St. Patrick's Day or not, we're always celebrating the green (of Ajax!) here at Spicy Tomato Studios! But on this greenest of days here's a color preview of the final story in the new Simone & Ajax book, "Puttin' On the Ritz," featuring green Ajax as a hardboiled private eye and colors by Jason Millet.
You can see not only this page but the first 4 pages of this story in color now posted on the Simone & Ajax website at: https://www.simoneandajax.com/previews
Meanwhile, I'm wrapping up the final pages! The book is finally almost done!
Remember, the Simone & Ajax book is also still available through Indiegogo, if you want to tell your friends about it. Click here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-adventures-of-simone-ajax-by-andrew-pepoy/x/703045#/
Speaking of Indiegogo, I'm backing a couple campaigns there, and I hope you'll check them out:
The complete collection of Thunder Bunny! https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/thunderbunny-by-martin-greim/x/703045#/
Plus a celebration of the 50-year comics career of the great P. Craig Russell: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/p-craig-russell-s-anniversary/x/703045#/
Plus you can still back my next project, Phantastes, for which I'm doing art on the 2nd half (as soon as I finish S&A): https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/phantastes-graphic-novel--2/x/703045#/ https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/phantastes-graphic-novel--2/x/703045#/
Now back to work here! More news soon!
Yours in adventure, Andrew
PS Please remember to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more about what I'm doing and enjoying.
A New Sneak-Peek at Simone & Ajax!
almost 3 years ago
– Wed, Feb 23, 2022 at 07:46:57 PM
Hi! I hope you're all weathering the winter well! Or summer for those of you in Australia! It's been cold and snowy here in Chicago, keeping us all indoors, which means lots of progress on Simone & Ajax. "Monster Mia" is finished, with the last colors from Jason coming in a few days ago. The majority of the book has now been turned over to book designer Marshall Dillon (best known as one of today's most-popular letterers), who yesterday got me a rough draft of the book so far. And me? I'm working away on the final, short story in the book, featuring Ajax, Private Eye. Here's that sneak-peek at page 1 in pencil form:
Remember, the Simone & Ajax book is also still available through Indiegogo, if you want to tell your friends about it. Click here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-adventures-of-simone-ajax-by-andrew-pepoy/x/703045#/
So, as we go into the final stretch, I'll keep you posted with news as things happen. Thanks, as always, for your support and patience!
Yours in adventure, Andrew
Simone & Ajax and 2022!
about 3 years ago
– Fri, Jan 28, 2022 at 01:02:56 PM
Hi, Everyone!
I hope 2022 is already treating you better than 2020 and 2021 did! I've been pondering an update for the last few days. The work on the Simone & Ajax book continues well, with more inked pages with Jason for colors, more pencilled pages sitting next to me waiting for inks, and the boards cut and ready for the last pages. There's not much left! But there's also not much I can show without giving away the plot, and I want that to be a surprise. Here's a panel I think it's safe to share.
I've been in touch with the book designer, the printer, and the fulfillment service, and they're all standing by as soon as I'm finished, which is getting closer every hour.
Remember, the Simone & Ajax book is also still available through Indiegogo, if you want to tell your friends about it. Click here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-adventures-of-simone-ajax-by-andrew-pepoy/x/703045#/
I didn't hear from anyone with thoughts on the potential title change, so, since I've come up with another book title if I do end up doing a Simone & Ajax take on "The Wizard of Oz" in the future, I'm going to leave it as is.
It is currently 0 degrees fahrenheit outside in Chicago, so I'm happy to be staying in and getting these last pages done. I'll be back soon as soon as I have some more news for you. Thanks for your patience and support!
Yours in Adventure, Andrew
Happy Holidays from Simone & Ajax!
about 3 years ago
– Fri, Dec 17, 2021 at 07:28:53 PM
Hi! I hope everyone is having a good Holiday season, whichever ones you enjoy! I remain on the home stretch on the book and will soon have it done. Yes, you've heard that before, but it really is coming along well now. The health has been stable and work on the freelance jobs has wrapped up, so all I'm working on is these final pages and the cover. So much of what I'm doing now would give away too much of the stories that I have only a little I can show you, but here are some fun panels:
Speaking of the freelance jobs, one that I did in recent months was inking work on The Masters. Its first Kickstarter didn't reach its goal, but its new one already has. In this now just the first issue version, I inked my teacher of 40 years ago, Mike Gustovich, on a 5-page sequence. If you want to back it, you can here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/themasters/the-masters-1-a-classic-super-hero-vs-super-villain-comic
And the freelance job I'm doing after Simone & Ajax is the graphic novel adaptation of George MacDonald's "Phantastes" for Cave Pictures Publishing. Their Kickstarter was successful, and I'll be working with writer Meredith Finch and my usual colorist, Jason Millet. If you missed the Kickstarter you can still pre-order it through Indiegogo at: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/phantastes-graphic-novel--2/x/703045#/
The Simone & Ajax book is also still available there, if you want to tell your friends about it. Click here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-adventures-of-simone-ajax-by-andrew-pepoy/x/703045#/
One thing I'm not including here in this update is this year's Simone & Ajax holiday card, like I sent you all last year, because there isn't one this year. No, I'm dedicated to wrapping up the book, so I'm not going to take the time it would need to draw one and then address and mail the physical ones I also send besides the electronic ones. Maybe I'll draw a New Year's card once the book goes to the printer.
Also, I'm thinking of changing the title of the book. While there is a reason for the title, "Lemmings and Tigers and Bears! Oh, My!", which you will see once you get the final part and the whole book, I'm playing with the idea of doing a Simone & Ajax/Wizard of Oz mash-up in a future S&A adventure and saving that title for that book. What do you think? If you have a thought on this please leave a comment or send me a message.
In the meantime, it's back to work here on a cold winter's night (well, it will be night by 4pm here in Chicago) making more Simone & Ajax. I hope you all have a good next few weeks, and I'll be back just after New Year's Day with an update. Thanks, as always, for your patience and support!
Yours in holiday adventure, Andrew
Special Convention Update! C2E2!
about 3 years ago
– Thu, Dec 09, 2021 at 03:00:14 PM
Welcome to a special update! Just a quick note to let you know I'm doing my last convention appearance of the year this weekend, the 10th-12th, at Chicago's C2E2. Click their logo to go to their site. I'll be at Artist Alley table U-8 with art, prints, and comics by me, plus I'll be doing sketches. I hope you'll stop by and introduce yourself and check out the Simone & Ajax book so far. I'll have the pages I'm working on with me.
I'll be back in the next week or so with a bigger update with more art from the last part of the book, as I get close to wrapping it up.
Yours in adventure, Andrew
