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"COPRA"

C O P R A # 9

 01

Ready to be bought and curled up to: COPRA #9 is here!

So is Dy Dy; look at her up there in her cracked bubble with her tiny hat. So majestic, so sick, so irresistible. Well, she’s back in full effect in this issue, picking up where we left off. The tension builds as our Copra team is fighting their way back into Earth’s dimension.

09.GUTH

Last month I showed a couple of process pics but felt slightly guilty that they were next to nothing, basically prison wall scribblings on paper. And that’s not fair to you folks,; I love sharing the few modest details I’ve developed. I vowed to at least document a few extra steps in my art making process this time around, so here’s the first page of Copra #9, as tightly as I will ever pencil a page (with some boxed in lettering) within a 10 x 16 diameter, which I believe is standard  mainstream comic book size.

DY DY pencil

Lettering follows, naturally, as do the inks. One of my cleaner pages, especially with all of the open spaces…

DY DY ink

 …which I then fill up with color pencil or watercolors. Same thing with the pencil shading and additional details. Having art that is directly applied with color on the original boards takes longer because it leaves little room for mess ups. I have to nail it on the first go and although I do minor touch ups after I scan the originals, I do most of the heavy lifting during the initial hands-on phase.

Check out the final result below, followed by the subsequent pages, for a preview of Copra #9.

01

02

03

04

There you go: the next chapter in our off-world adventure. And for our bloodthirsty set, worry not. The calm, diplomatic discussion found within these pages doesn’t last very long.

*****

Just in! Here are a couple of thorough Copra reviews, where the entire series gets summed up as a whole.

1. The Killray suggests “You Need To Read…”

2. Adventures In Poor Taste! asks “Is It Good?”

*****

Bring the summer to a close with Copra #9, so buy it with confidence! (issue seven and eight are still available as well in case you missed out)

Check in next month to see who survived, who didn’t, and what Copra’s endgame mission is. Hint: it will involve a bullet or two.

–Fiffe

09.CLINK

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"COPRA" Comics I Make

C O P R A # 8


COPRA EIGHT cover

COPRA #8, it has arrived.

It is ready to be ordered and read and held close to your beating heart.

Remember last issue’s breather? We chucked that plan out the window with “Otros Mundos”, our latest multi dimensional adventure.

But wait… here’s something I don’t do enough of: process pics!

ROUGH.1

These are probably the tightest layouts I’ve done in a while… and only for a mere 2 pages, for the most basic staging purposes (the rest of the issue was planned out in a series of notes, not thumbnails). I make the majority of the decisions while I’m pencilling, then I quickly commit to those decisions when I ink (usually on the same day, which is why I don’t get a chance to scan that particular stage).

ROUGH.2

That was a two page spread. This is what the pages look like before they get colored:

A

B

C

As for this month’s guest art spot, it features the work of Adrian Johnson, illustrator, cartoonist and 1/3 of the great Sidebar comics podcast (I direct you to their immense Barchives).

ADRIAN

I’m diggin’ this fauX cover, Adrian. Believe me, I wish I could charge fifty cents an issue!

* * * * * *

Attn: Readers in the UK and abroad! Impossible Books is now open for business and they’re carrying all of your future favorite small press books.

* * * * * *

So there you have it, folks, your midsummer funnybook. Flexible enough to be rolled into your back pocket and sturdy enough to survive beach conditions. Whatever you do, you must get it first, so do precisely that!

See you in August.

–Fiffe

Categories
"COPRA" Comics I Make

Copra Compendium 2

COMP 2

The second Copra Compendium has arrived and you can buy it here! Bergen Street Comics Press has collected Copra issues four, five and six, coming in at 76 pages colorful, loving brutality.

See that group shot up there? I bet you can tell that’s new art for the cover… and it is (the compendium also includes the original covers, but I wanted to do something new).

WIR

Also available is the new printing of the first Compendium (collecting issues one, two and three). That one’s also a 76 pager and includes a new back cover, too.

So catch up on your Copra and check back in for further issues (#7 is already on sale). The eighth issue will be available very soon, it just needs to get printed and shipped right after I color it! Here’s a brief look at the home stretch.

Thanks to the established readers of the series – I hope you don’t get tired of me saying how much I appreciate your support – and thanks to those of you trying out Copra for the first time. We think you’ll love it, but let us know what the verdict is.

–Fiffe

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"COPRA"

C O P R A # 7

01

So this is what happened: a bunch of boxes were waiting for me this morning, boxes full of Copra #7, and now I have no choice but to get them out to you. COPRA #7 is waiting for you!

I really appreciate your interest in this comic

You’ve made it this far… six issues of carnage, fisticuffs and shoot ’em ups. Our first arc is behind us but the story is far from over. This time around we take a chance to find out a little more about our Copra guys and gals. The story’s called “Personal Files” and it’s… well, I hate to describe it as quiet because someone gets shot, someone gets burned, and someone is violently choked (as opposed to gently choked). You get the idea: the title says it all.

Here’s a new bullet:

Gracie Bullet

An aside: take a gander at these awesome versions of Vitas and Man-Head by Dieter Van Der Ougstraete! Too good, Dieter VDO is! His latest, Big Pink, has unfortunately sold out but please contact him directly and see if you can get any of his work, be it prints, comics, or t-shirts.

DIETER COPRA

So now that every member of Copra has been patched up and some have even swallowed their survivor’s guilt, the crew is ready to finish out their objectives in the next issue. Grant them this brief respite because it’s only going to get worse.

But why harp on the negative, huh? Kick off the summer with Copra #7 and I’ll see you back here in July.

–Fiffe

Your support means everything to me

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"COPRA" Los Press

Fan Art, Comics Alliance & More Sell Outs

First of all, how excellent is Tim Hamilton for employing his drawing skills for a couple of my Copra characters, Gracie and Dy Dy?

Tbone Gracie

 

S E L L – O U T 

Copra #5 is officially sold out! That means all I have left in the warehouse known as my studio are a few copies of #2 and the latest #6.

Rest assured; not only will the print run will go up starting with issue #7, but a second compendium is in the works. The first Compendium, collecting the first 3 issues, is still available through Bergen Street Comics Press.

I’m trying to make these books as accessible as I could, so if you’ve come around looking for Copra and found that some issues are missing, it shouldn’t be too long before they’re here.

C O M I C S      A  L  L I A N C E

In related news, I wanted to mention my recent interview with Chris Sims over at Comics Alliance. It was a great chance for me to ramble on about why I liked Russian prison fights when I was 9, but especially about Copra related stuff.

CA recently closed its doors, and I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge how extremely supportive of my comics that site has been for a number of years. From running my art to featuring reviews and articles about Zegas, Deathzone!, and Copra, the Comics Alliance crew definitely introduced a slew of new readers to my comics. For that I will always be grateful. I wish them all the best.

I S S U E    S E V E N 

I’m about to start drawing it. That’s all I know, all that’s locked in my sights.

See you then.

–Fiffe

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"COPRA"

COPRA #6

Copra 6 Cover

Copra #6 is now available! This is the second part of our Tokyo adventure, the brutal climax to the crew’s main mission: stop Vitas. Call it a boiling point, call it endgame, call it a reason for me to draw a lot of broken glass, but this concludes the first Copra story arc with a bang.

C6.BURL

C6.RAX

C6.WIR

C6.XENIA

Things don’t stop there. I have plenty of stories lined up, characters to introduce and established ones to explore: more comics in 24 page color bursts every month or so. For now, I’m very happy with the way this first arc turned out and I can only hope you feel the same.

Quick reminder: be sure to get the Copra Compendium (released by Bergen Street Comics Press); it collects the first 3, out of print issues.

Now back to the boards. See you in May.

–Fiffe

MAN HEAD

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"COPRA"

Copra Compendium & Bergen Street Comics Press

Copra.Compendium.Cover

Copra Press is proud to announce that we have teamed up with Bergen Street Comics Press to present the Copra Compendium! I couldn’t be more excited about combining forces with Brooklyn’s own Bergen Street Comics in this new publishing venture.

The Copra Compendium [BSC001] collects the first three issues of the new nearly sold out action series, 72 full color pages with a couple of new bits of extra art. It’s the perfect jumping on point and a good chunk of comics in one solid package. It will be making its official debut at this year’s MoCCA on April 6th & 7th, so make sure to visit Bergen Street Comics at Table F179 and Copra Press (Kat & myself) at Table F178.

Update: The Copra Compendium is now available for purchase directly from Bergen Street Comics Press!

–Fiffe

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"COPRA"

COPRA #5


Copra #5 was delivered to me, box after box filled with the Tokyo issue, which leaves me little choice but to put it out in the world. So here it is!

BUY COPRA NUMBER FIVE.

This issue is why Copra came together as a team of misfit mercenaries –  a hunt, a showdown, a step closer to clearing their name. If you like rooftops and fistfights, this comic may have been made specifically for you.

Quick note: I’ll be attending MoCCA on April 6th & 7th in New York City. Drop on by and say hello if you’re in the area. I’ll have some new comics, some old comics, a little merchandise and a big debut. Also, it’ll probably be the only convention I’ll be able to attend for a while.

About Copra, this issue was beyond fun to work on and I hope that comes through. Thirty more days will pass, and I will see you then with the arc’s conclusion in hand.

–Fiffe

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"COPRA"

COPRA #4

Copra #4 is here, ready and waiting for you! I’m really glad to see this one make it to my doorstep, completely ignoring the snowstorm we had recently. Not only that, but we finally get to see our Copra gang together, working in tandem to solve their problems more efficiently, the way friends are meant to be.

Great news! More stores are carrying Copra, so check them out if they’re in your area: Copacetic (Pittsburgh), Locust Moon (Philadelphia), Orbital (UK) and Nobrow (UK).

Copra #4. It is here. HERE.

–Fiffe

 

Categories
"COPRA"

COPRA #3

The third issue of Copra just showed up on my doorstep and is ready to go without a minute to spare! You can buy it here!

Continuing where the adventure left off, we meet some new characters who finally complete the Copra line-up to be reckoned with, as well as the next step in their on-the-run scramble. Bullets! Parades! Dimensional portals! Demolished bodegas! Colors! Ink lines! What more could you possibly want out of a comic?

Some of you have asked about a collected edition or about digital distribution. Those are distant concerns, faint possibilities that may or may not happen. I’m concentrating on putting these issues out on time, having them retain the quality I’ve set for them, and making each hard copy as special as possible. That much I am certain of.

I hinted at this last month, but Copra will very soon be carried by a few shops overseas. I’ll let you know the sordid details as soon as I get them. For now, these wonderful comic book stores are happy to carry Copra: Bergen St. Comics (Brooklyn), Floating World (Portland), Zanadu Comics (Seattle), and Mission: Comics & Art (SF).

Oh, yeah… and I also have the second printing of the first issue available! Grab it if you didn’t the first time around.

Don’t forget, pick up Copra #3 and I’ll see you next month, unless I end up posting about the art of the fight scene (or something that’ll give me an excuse to scan old comics) first.

–Fiffe