The Liar

So...one time... I did a thing. In this case, that "thing" is a five-page script called The Liar, which was brought to life in the stunning art of the insanely gifted Peregrine Angthius. Though this story is a few years old, the pages have never been shared publicly- until now.

The Backstory:

A few years back, my friend and fellow writer Chris Meeuwes (The Naturals) called me up and invited me to be a part of a 24-hour comic jam.

For the uninitiated, a 24-hour comic is pretty self-explanatory. You complete an entire comic- script, pencils, inks, lettering, etc.- over the course of a 24-hour period. It's really a best of/worst of scenario... you are either hitting a groove and producing some amazing stuff, or you shit the bed. Either way, the results are oftentimes fascinating.

At this particular 24-hour comic event, there would be a twist- that multiple writers would each pair off with an artist and produce a section of the book- hence, the "jam" portion of the event. A collaboration of epic proportions. Full-scale nerd-out. If you've ever been in a room full of creative-types while they work, you'll understand why I immediately jumped on board- the creative energy just takes on a life of its own.

The night of the event, about a dozen total artists and writers met up, drew names from a hat, and began working with their respective partners. The process was really intriguing- blindly drawing a name more or less ensured that you would end up working with someone with whom you had never produced anything with before. In my case, it would be the first time I met my randomly selected partner.

Once partners were chosen, it was announced that the only limitations that we would have to follow (to keep the book relatively cohesive) were that each story had to involve a casino, and should only run about five pages. Other than that, free reign- superhero, horror, sci-fi... any genre was open, any story you wished to tell was fair game.

After settling in and taking a few minutes to get to know Peregrine, we began to hammer out the details of our story. I really felt that her style lent itself to a crime noir vibe, so I began pitching ideas around crimes that could happen in a casino- robbery, drug use, murder- until it just kind of clicked that we could use all three.

Because I like to "people watch" in public settings, I was really stuck on the idea that while you are surrounded by all these people in a casino, you never really know anything about them. Sure, you play a few games with someone, have a drink; enjoy shared success at the tables or bond over the bitter failure of coming up red when black proved to be the better choice, but you really don't know who they are. An acquaintance at the table could be an insurance salesman in real life, but pretend to be an oil tycoon while gambling. Maybe, just maybe, that guy you lost ten bucks with at the blackjack table was gambling the very last of his life's savings to pay for a child's medical bills... or a drug habit. The fleeting moments you spend together could never come back to haunt you if you were to misrepresent yourself, right?

After discussing these ideas, I felt like I had a solid story to tell: a guy- rough around the edges and down on his luck from gambling with poor life choices- finds himself at the end of his rope (and his cash flow) one night in a casino bathroom. Pushed to the edge, he does the unthinkable and attacks another casino patron (a well-dressed one, at that) and assumes a new identity once he has taken his victim's wallet, clothes, and life. The story is told from the point-of-view of our bedraggled villain, and begins with his plopping down at a table dressed in the other man's clothes. He then weaves a tale from a distorted point of view as to how he ended up at that moment in the evening- really hammering home the idea that what people tell you can't always be taken at face value.

I knocked out a quick script, titled it The Liar, and passed it off to Peregrine- who absolutely nailed the gritty, dirty world I was looking to create in just five short pages. Seriously, I can't even begin to describe how talented she is. If you aren't checking out her work, you should be. It. Is. Amazing.

Though I have seen most of the short stories completed for the 24-hour comic jam, they have never actually been collected into a finished product or published anywhere... and that is a shame. Remember when I said that some amazing work comes out of 24-hour comic events? The work done that night was truly inspired, and a lot of really tight friendships were born from it. I hope that one day, it will be assembled as originally intended and everyone can check it out in a printed format.

Until this point, I have never publicly shared any of the pages from The Liar. I was hoping to use it either in a compilation book, or as an ashcan, or see it printed with the rest of the short pieces from the jam comic... but each of those scenarios is not likely to happen. For now, it remains one of those "never went anywhere" projects... though it actually brings me a lot of joy knowing that these pages will finally have a home-right here in my little corner of the Internet- and have a chance to be read.

Obligatory First Blog Post

After putting it off for what feels like forever, I have finally gotten around to "building a web presence," as the in-the-know-type-folks say. Aside from my Facebook account- which I frequent- and my Twitter account- which were it a child, I would be imprisoned for neglect and abuse- I realized that all I have as far as places to go on the web is the website for Punching the Clock.

Oh, that's right... the first post is always supposed to be under the guise that every reader is someone just discovering you for the first time. So, for those of you who are new to me and what I do, let me break the news to you (and simultaneously let you down): I write comics. 

That's right, comics. Y'know, those things you see in the newspaper, at bookstores and in the hands of nerds and children all over the "civilized" world. And, just to be clear up front (because I know you're wondering)- No, I'm not making enough money to survive by writing comics. Yet. That's really where you come in. You see, this blog marks a rather interesting point in my life: the true start of making comics a career.

Up until this point, I have only really been self-publishing one comic series (the aforementioned Punching the Clock). I have been writing the strip since mid-2011, and have partnered with my pal and cartoonist extraordinaire Jeff Manley on art duties. It's been a cool gig- we've put out two collected editions in print, had a successful Kickstarter (of which I am still diligently trying to wrap up reward allocation), and have enough content for at least two more books. We've produced a LOT of merch, attended conventions, were nominated for a Comic Buyers Guide Fan Award, and have carved out an impressive and insanely loyal fan following. I feel truly lucky when I think about all that we've accomplished in just a couple of short years.

Up until this point, PTC has been my main focus. I have started a few other projects, but ended up holding off on them for one reason or another. At this point, however, I need to have more projects under my belt and have quite a few stories I need to tell... and you (if you choose to follow this little slice of Internet blogginess) get a front row seat to watch it all unfold, right alongside me. In fact, I am starting work on no less than three new comics, and picking up one that I had set aside for a short time.

So, here I am.

I plan on filling this space with random thoughts, promotion for upcoming projects, organizing past works, and sneak peeks- at stuff in the works, completely finished and dead in the water. If all goes according to plan, I will make it a point to post regularly and divulge the inner workings of my mind... and hope you don't run away screaming.

I love comics. The business, the artistry, the storytelling- all of it. Financial success be damned, comics are my way of life, and I hope that these posts in the upcoming days, weeks, months... years... really encapsulate my love of the medium and serve it up on a pedestal for you. I hope you enjoy the ride, because I plan on doing so.

-Rob-