ChrisMooneyham-migration

Hey everybody, Long time, no... type. I just wanted to stop by and say thanks for everybody's support. You guys have been great! That being said, Five Ghosts is not over! It's on pause. Frank and I just needed an extended break from that world; a chance to regroup, and work on other projects for a while. While the single issue sales haven't been spectacular for Five Ghosts, and the television deal not necessarily having the momentum we'd all like, neither of those factors have had that much impact on our decision to take a break. Trades 1-3 are still selling, along with the hardcover edition, not to mention dealings in international publication and other media ventures. There's still a lot of good happening with the project. It's exhaustion, plain and simple. It's tough making comics (not as tough as soldiering, or open heart surgery, but we're a dainty bunch). When you spend almost three years working on a project that means something to you, the last thing you want is for it to feel like work. Sometimes it's best to step back, take a breath, and focus on something else for a while. When we've had a chance to explore new projects with other creators (or each other, as may be the case), we'll start talking about what direction we want to take Fabian Gray and his spectral cadre. And if either of us gave the impression that Five Ghosts was dead and buried, I apologize. Cocaine is a hell of a drug, and can make you say anything (am I kidding? ...yes. Yes, I am). Nothing is ever off the table. Best, Chris

That... is... awesome.

Thanks, but no. This is just a concept/warmup sketch for the new arc. Things get rough for our boy Fabian.

Here's a little sneak peek for you guys.

To answer your question Access: Artists use reference all the time. We use our imaginations all the time, too. However, the two aren't mutually exclusive, as we try and mix our reference and our own idea when putting it on paper. For example: In this splash page, Garry probably got some reference for that building in the background, and even the little street scene in the foreground. Chances are he got several different shots and styles of both 'grounds', and mixed, matched, took, and discarded different ideas from all of them, until he came up with something wholly original. That's what we do to keep things believable. At the same time, our job as the artist is not to be as accurate as possible. Our job is to get the point across in a timely manner, so that we keep the story in a fluid motion. Constant movement is key. If a reader stops for too long to ogle one particular panel or drawing, it ruins the flow of the narrative and takes the reader out of the story. So while Nexus does have a good point in that finding reference is easy, it may not necessarily be the point of the piece to be as accurate as possible. Sometimes the point is to just get the idea across without being too specific. That idea applies in all aspects of narrative art. From a single line, to an entire scene.

To be fair, it's not supposed to be Chinese; it's Japanese. I don't speak or read Japanese myself, but Garry's wife is of Japanese descent, so I wouldn't put it past him to research it. Just saying.

I really don't remember how many we printed up for NYCC 2012. I want to say no more than a hundred, but even that may be more than what we actually did (Frank would know, he's my Rain Man when it comes to this stuff). But it's been so long, and so much has happened since then that it's hard for me to remember. We did sell out during the first two days of the show, though. That's when Frank and I realized we had something special on our hands. Of course, we had no idea it would get as much attention as it has (thanks in large part to you guys). Anyway, it's good to know people out there held on to them. Also, you guys are going to love #6, and I think it'll be worth the wait. Garry is producing some beautiful work on this one. Frank did a great job, too, I suppose. Also, also: for anyone coming out to Wizard World Chicago next weekend, I'll be at Table B31, next to some guy named Chris Claremont. Stop by and say hello!

Hey folks, If you couldn't tell by my display name, it's me: Chris Mooneyham, the artist/co-creator of Five Ghosts!! I just wanted to pop in and say hello, and thank all of you for your support!! As Frank has already stated on numerous occasions, we are tremendously thankful for everyone's support of Five Ghosts, and hope that you're with us for the long haul. It's fans like you who keep this profession worth it, by supporting non-standard books and the creators behind them. Thank you. Frank told me that he's getting a lot of questions about when OA will be for sale. The only answer I can give is: Soon. Like, probably within the next month. The reason for this is that I want original scans for my work, and in the rush to meet deadlines, I often save the finalized file instead of the original. That means I have to go back and re-scan just over a hundred pages, which takes a little bit of time. BUT! Now that I'm on these boards, you guys will be the first to know when everything is ready! And, like Frank, I'll be giving you guys sneak-peeks at thing to come, from preliminary sketches to fully inked panels/pages. Thanks again, guys! -Chris