Fresh

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Have you heard about the mini comic I created for Movember? The mini comic features 30 cartoon moustaches and all proceeds for the mini comic will go to the Movember Foundation, the global charity focused on men's health. Please consider donating (you get a comic!) and telling your friends about it. Here is an example of the moustachy goodness you'll be getting: 

Burt Reynolds Moustache

This week's comic was a challenge in several ways. I'm not sure if it shows, but since starting Comic School, I've been trying to work on my figure drawing and draw better hands (check out Smith vs Smith Comics on Instagram to see more examples of my life drawing). I also forced myself to use the Pentel Brush Pen for this entire comic, something I've been avoiding because it's new and scary and different and weird and takes longer and requires a deft hand. I prefer to grind into my paper with tough markers, but I'm glad I took the chance and stuck to the brush pen for this comic. 

The other challenge was how to depict smell. I drew Emma smelling something before, but for some reason the nose twitch wasn't working this time.

I had a similar problem a few months ago with drawing a slow action when I had Emma creep backwards up the stairs. Once again, I sought help. I turned to my fellow students from the Comics: Art in Relationships Kadenze course (who recently put out a FREE Sci Fi anthology featuring a Smith vs Smith comic) and some classmates from the Camosun College Comics & Graphic Novels Program.  Having their feedback has been extremely helpful over the last few months. 

Cheez Pleezers

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This comic concludes a story arc that began over a month ago with Hungry. Eagle-eye readers may have noticed the aspect ratio of the comic changing a bit. We have the tall and skinny First Day and Eye Lashes and we have the short and fat, almost square aspect ratio for Vegetarian Lasagna and Catchoo. This is because at Comics School we have been making pages at the correct size for common comic books. However, I've also been publishing Smith vs Smith in the Camosun College Newspaper, the Nexus, which has been asking for almost square comics. Today's page was created over a month ago, but chronologically, it comes at the end, so it is still tall and skinny even though it follows a long run of short square comics. From here on out, expect consistency. 
I don't know if you're following @SmithvsSmithComics on Instagram, but if you aren't, you're missing out on my month length Movember cartoon moustache drawings. 

The Movember Foundation is the only global charity focused solely on men's health, so this Movember I got on board. I drew 30 cartoon moustaches and created a mini comic. All proceeds will go to the Movember Foundation. Find out more on my Movember Fundraising Page. 

Dinner & a Movie

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Make sure you check out the amazing Comic Chameleon App where you can now read every published Smith vs Smith comic! So cool being featured on the app with some of my webcomic heroes like the Perry Bible Fellowship, Nedroid and Nhoj. 

This is the second time I've played around with shadows. It's an old gag I remember from Mad Magazine by Sergio Aragonés. 

I try to avoid serialization in the webcomic, especially with Smith vs Smith being published every other week in the Camosun College Nexus paper (if you're in Victoria, grab your copy tomorrow to get an extra does of Smith vs Smith this week!), but this week's comic is undeniably a direct sequel to last week's Vegan Lasagna. This really continues a storyline that started a few weeks ago with Hungry. This storyline will wrap up next week with a comic I actually drew weeks ago, but I keep adding more pages before the finale. 

This week's comic was originally created for my upcoming graphic novel, You're Stuck With Me Now, but I didn't have an organic place for it. See the original below: 

 

 

Vegan Lasagna

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This comic continues an accidental storyline about eating which began a few weeks ago with Hungry. Or did it begin with my bad breath a week before that with Sigh? Or did it begin a week before THAT when Emma made me breakfast in First Day? You should probably read them all and make your own mind up. While you're at it, why not take a stroll down memory lane and read ALL 63 Smith vs Smith comics? Did you know this is the 63rd Smith vs Smith comic posted? Go read them all and double check my numbers!

And if you want to read Smith vs Smith from the start, why not read Smith vs Smith on the Comics Chameleon App? Comics Chameleon is an app that shares over 100 of the best webcomics on the web and from now on, Smith vs Smith will have a home on the app! It's never been easier to read Smith vs Smith on the toilet!

This week's comic was originally published in the Camosun College's Nexus Student Paper.  

Two comics & graphic novels students enjoying smith vs smith in the nexus newspaper.

For those who are interested in the process of Smith vs Smith comics, I am sharing the original pencils below so you can see how they compare to the finished comic. 

I tried this comic two years ago and originally saw it as a page in my upcoming graphic novel, You're Stuck With Me Now. Here is the original, unpublished version:

Catchoo

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I never thought I'd have a cat, let alone two cats. Mostly they are adorable, but sometimes they can be... less than adorable. Since September, I've been in Camosun's Comics and Graphic Novels program and so far we've done all our comics with pen and paper. To shake things up, I decided to draw a comic totally digitally for the first time in a while. Let me know if you have a preference between digital or analogue comics in the comments section! 
If you know a cat person who would enjoy this week's comic, please share Smith vs Smith with them!

Have a great week, 

Matt Smith!