Leper

Okay, so here's pics of Leper my new Mini. It's another "silent" comic, told in pantomime, and explores the repercussions when a "Leper" suddenly intrudes and alters the path of ones life. Sound pretentious enough?It's 9 pages black and white, with a 2 color silk screened panel on the cover. It's 3 dollars. 

Kickstarted!

So, I should have announced on here by now that I reached my goal for my Kickstarter campaign! It was amazing. I didn't think I was gonna make it, but a ton of last minute help came through and remarkably, it all worked out! Burning Building Comix is finally going to be a collected Graphic Novel. The logistics need to get worked out and I'll post here with updates along the way, but needless to say I'm very excited to finally get this material out to a larger audience. 

Also I have a new comic that I completed to SPX it's called Leper, and I'll get more info on here about it soon, but until then here are some pictures of the silk screening process. Here's a shot of a couple of screens, and some of the prints from the first color.

Over the years I've done several silk screened covers and burning the screen is the trickiest part. I think I finally nailed all the variables though. You know distance of the bulb to the screen when you burn the image on. Length of time for when you burn, and all that other crap, but I think I finally got it cause the last couple I've done I nailed on the first try. Suck it silk screen demons. Oh how they try to screw you up. 

Plus, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that I'll be down in Minneapolis for MIX this November. 

I'll be hawking my wares down there and I'm really looking forward to it, cause I've never been in the area before and know there's a ton a good and nice cartoonists out there right now. So if your in the area, please do stop by. Thanks!

Da Links Da Tanks

Hey, should let everyone know that I'll be at SPX this year with a new book that I'm trying to get done as I write this. I'll also be trying to get more support in there for My kickstarter Campaign which has less than 2 weeks left!
So, if you've waited for whatever reason...Don't Wait Anymore! Go now and pledge your support before it ends and/or fails!
In that vein, I'd like to point out all the folks who've helped me get the word out.

Paul Hornschemeier. The incredibly talented cartoonist and fine gentlemen was kind enough to embed the video on his blog. Word.
http://blog.forlornfunnies.com/2011/08/kick-burning-building.html
Rob Clough. The brilliant comics critic and swell guy also blogged the project on his fantastic website High-Low
http://highlowcomics.blogspot.com/2011/08/another-worthy-kickstarter-effort-jeff.html
Elliot Serrano. The Red Eye's very own Geek was kind enough to interview me for his great column "Geek to me"
http://blogs.redeyechicago.com/geek-to-me/2011/08/08/local-indie-comic-creator-needs-help-to-kickstart-his-book/
Replaned. The comics blog where artists send in their renditions of existing comics panels, put up one of mine, featuring everybody's favorite greedy duck.
http://repaneled.blogspot.com/2011/08/jeff-zwirek-repanels-uncle-scrooge-400.html
The gang over at Quimby's has also been helping out, on the blogs and the twitters and such. I also did an interview for Chicago Artist Magazine, which I don't think is out yet, but I'll pass that along when it comes up.
Then, there's all of you who have helped through word of mouth or on facebook and twitter. Thanks so much.

Also, in case people have forgotten what the inside of Burning Building Comix, looks like, here's an old video I did of me "speed inking" an issue. Tanks all.

Repaneled

Hey, got some art up over on the repaneled blog. That's that cool blog where people re draw panels from comics that they like. Yours truly did an uncle scrooge comic. Check it here. Thanks to Anthony for posting this and helping to spread the word on the Kickstarter!

Help a brother out.

So everyone who's helped out on the Kickstarter campaign, thanks. And I mean it, cause I don't throw around the thanks haphazardly. No I only thanks those truly worthy, like you out there that took the time to contribute, and those of you who are going to.
In the spirit of supporting the arts, let me point out another worthy cause for people to peruse. Troy Little is the talented artist behind Chiaroscuro and Angora Napkin. This guy even made an animated pilot for Canadian television (which is awesome).
So, Troy is trying to get funding for his own project, this one for the next volume of Angora Napkin. He's over here on Indiegogo, cause he's Canadian and Kickstarter hates maple syrup.
Send some support over his way if you'd be so kind...unless it's money that would have come my way, in which case...these colors don't bleed.

KickStarter - it begins

Hey, everybody. I've just recently launched my Kickstarter campaign to get a graphic novel version of my mini-comic series, "Burning Building Comix" printed. Obviously, I encourage you to go the the website, look through the different pledge levels, and support the campaign.

I'm pretty jazzed about the whole thing, and very excited about the possibility of publishing my own graphic novel.

Below is a mock up that my printer sent me to prove that it could actually be produced. They may give you a better idea of how the final product will look.

There are a bunch of great rewards to choose from, and among them is a hand-crafted, stuffed pillow. Here are some picture of the finer points of the doll, to help nudge you in that direction.




Thanks so much for looking at the project, and if you decide to get involved and pledge, let me extend my biggest preemptive thanks. The only way this is going to get done is by your generous support, so thanks in advance. Here's the link. Please go and buy stuff. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/951895872/burning-building-comix-the-graphic-novel

Batman Flowchart: Making sense of the current Batman Continuity

So, for the last year or so I've been working a shift at The Comix Revolution on the weekends in Mt.Prospect. It's been years since I've read any real superhero comics, so I was a bit out of touch. The recent swapping of identities on the Batman titles left me completely confused, so once I sorted it out, I threatened to make a flowchart for the store to help customers make some sense out of the situation as well. Also see below the Black and White Line art and some preliminary sketches.