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Ray Frenden
Ray Frenden is a boy, has been a member since July 19, 2007, has scored 481 submissions, giving an average score of 2.17, helping 18 designs get printed.
Alumni Club Member
I'm getting to the point where I won't be able to live with myself if I don't start making comics. I think I've spent the better part of adulthood pretending I wasn't a giant motherfucking alpha nerd. It's not right. I feel a lot better when I just let myself be and stop judging what comes out. I'm-a start drawing some superhero comics I think.



Some old stuff of mine in the vein of where I want to go (the first are some character designs for a friend's Spider-Man pastiche script. Someone else is drawing it, but I did the costumes.

Character Designs

A lot of miscellaneous comic character ideas of mine...

Brickjaw Supporting Cast

Brickjaw Sketches

The Bald Eagle

Digital Sketchbook Page

Character Sketches

Scrap

Screen shot 2009-12-17 at 12.28.59 AM

Space Mouse

Space Mouse WIP

Two comic pages from a narrative corpse in '05 - only two pages but I think they tell you exactly the sort of goofy comics that come out of me:

Two Comic Pages from '05.

Two Comic Pages from '05.

I'm just not happy NOT making this stuff. I think my actual creative desire stems from creating characters and worlds and stories. That's what I did when I was a kid - not draw some clever pun for Brand X.

Anyone else jumping into comics? Anyone else already landed? How's it treating you?

tobasco
tobasco on Nov 25 '10 at 12:24am
This is freaking fantastic!

I especially love Cantankerous Cat! Hahaha, he speaks de funnyness.
mike bautista
mike bautista on Nov 25 '10 at 12:32am
This is really awesome! That first pic looks very golden age.

I actually just started a 365 comic thing today! I suck at drawing, but I'm hoping that doing it daily will help me out with that. And it's just fun to do. I don't think I could ever draw a legit super hero kinda comic, but I'd like to write one someday.
francobolli
   francobolli on Nov 25 '10 at 1:08am
Dude... it would be an absolute utter waste to not tap into your talent for comic illustration. Just do it.
SJ27
SJ27 on Nov 25 '10 at 2:40am
Cool!
RicoMambo
   RicoMambo on Nov 25 '10 at 3:03am
Well,I am (was) working comics in the Croatian magazines, but simply there is no money. Love is always on the side of comics, but I'd like to earn something and i constantly switch between illustration, cartoon and design.
I published about 100 pages of comics... and ill be back, for sure with my grafic novel. I have great publisher, but only for croatian market.
I know people, they say: do comics, its great, but fck, i must eat something.
RicoMambo
   RicoMambo on Nov 25 '10 at 3:10am


The Paper Crane
   The Paper Crane on Nov 25 '10 at 3:14am
I have never been a real comic reader but I do appreciate the amazing artistry in them - great work you!
Gar0
   Gar0 on Nov 25 '10 at 3:35am
Rico, you're a real talent, dude. Brilliant work.
Goldendust
Goldendust on Nov 25 '10 at 5:08am
... You should definitely be giving this a shot, I'm sure you'll succeed.

BTW, I saw your tutorial in Digital Artist Magazine. It was really informative :)
yeohgh
   yeohgh on Nov 25 '10 at 10:35pm
U R SUPER SUPER SUPER TALENT artist, really really good
Ray Frenden
   Ray Frenden on Nov 27 '10 at 4:44pm
Nice, Rico. I'm looking into Kickstart and Xeric as possible funders of comic ventures. You're right - there's seemingly no money for comic chaps.

I've got two cooking. One bigger, novel-esque, more serious in scope, sci-fi-dystopia comic and one smaller, silverage-feel, banter-and-battle superhero comic.

The latter's synopsis goes something like: The old gods used to have greater strength and acted in the day-to-day doings of man. Their monstrous proxies on earth (werewolves, zombies, vampires, warlocks, witches, fairies, goblins, ghouls, yetis, etc) no longer strike fear, or have adequate mindshare, to keep the old gods powerful. They’ve been turned into pop culture and entertainment and the old gods’ powers have waned as the ages of reason plowed them under.

The old gods combine efforts, using the last of their strength, to create a new generation of monsters on earth. Combining their powers of creation in such a large way sapped them and banished them from the realm of man as result. Through the fear and chaos created by these new monstrous demigods, each of the core old gods is reawakened in reverse order of magnitude (small gods require less men to resort to superstitions and faith in order to be resurrected).

One exceedingly naive, meek, and pure of spirit man who was converted during the great last-ditch monster creation of the old gods rebels and finds some part of his humanity (though not a heap of it). He seeks others like himself and vanquishes his ilk in the process.

He, and the other super-powered (by comic book standards) monster-men and women form a pact of revenge for their lost lives and loves and strike back against the old gods. They come to learn that their own notoriety for good also strengthens the old gods and must themselves be forever lurking in the shadows and disconnected from the realms of man.

I'm doing this book as my first 'cause the format allows me to play with superheroes, monsters, '60s style (think Kirby and Lee) episodic plots, and hammy dialog.
RicoMambo
   RicoMambo on Nov 28 '10 at 1:47am
i like it, very much.
And your style will be cool for this.
Just tell us news here:)

I have my synopsis, not on paper yet, but this story i will draw one day for sure. It is Fiction about .my experience of war in Croatia 1991.-1995. my days on field and shit.
when normal people from childhood take a rifle in hand and become what they become.
Comic book should have elements of personal experience, fiction, action, drama , and above all love.
I even got some money from ministry of culture a few years ago, but I gave up because of my real work.
alexmdc
   alexmdc on Nov 28 '10 at 2:21am
so damn good!!!!
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Check me out, I got printed!



My gallery photos

I haven't submitted any photos. I guess I don't want free money.

My designs


All about me

Ray Frenden is a self-taught illustrator with a penchant for monsters and the macabre.

Drawing from a childhood weaned on horror comics, detective novels, trashy films, and retro sci-fi, his brush and ink work hearkens to an older era.

That juxtaposition of old sensibilities for crafting line and a footing in current color and design trends make Ray’s work unique.