Well it's been a long while and I've been trying to get back into the whole blogging thing again. The trouble is I've been trying to maintain 2 blogs, a website, and trying to sell art on eBay. Hard to do while meeting deadlines and trying to maintain a family life. After much tearing of hair and gnashing of teeth I've decided to compress everything into one site.
artofpete.com
It contains a blog, galleries, and a small shop.
This means of course that I will be discontinuing my LJ blog. Fret not tho', I have set up an LJ feed that you can add to your friends list if you are so inclined.
pete_woods
I'll be posting previews and the like there.
Also, If you would like your website or journal added to my links list just leave me a comment here and I'll be glad to do it.

Thanks for reading!
-Pete

Okay, get this...

Seven weeks ago my iMac started behaving funny. Hard drive issues, I won't bore you with the details. Here in Portland we have several choices as far as Apple repair goes. I took it to MacForce who had done work on my computer in the past.

After a week of silence from them I called to find out what was up. The guy who answered the phone told me that THEY would call ME when they knew something. Hmmm, that should have been my first hint. A week later I tried again and left a message with the technician. He didn't call back. Four weeks and several calls later still nothing. I'm getting high strung. They won't return my calls. After five weeks I finally get in touch with the service manager via e-mail (he's on vacation after all). Lo and behold I get a response from the technician- suddenly my machine is fixed. They need to run some tests to verify it's okay and can I pick it up on Monday. Hell yes I can.

I did get an appology for the delay, but never for the fact that they didn't call me for 5 weeks. I understand that sometimes repairs can take a while- no big deal- but call me and tell me why dammit.

Rebecca had me call them before I go to pick it up in order to make sure they put in the wireless card and the RAM I had asked for. They got the wireless card in, but the RAM I asked them to install was out of stock. For 5 1/2 weeks?

Anyway, I get the machine home and 10 hours later it's broken again. The same damn problem.

And the moral of this story, children, is to stay the hell away from MacForce.

The End.

Hi. Checking in- did I miss anything?

So, for those of you that don't know the family upped stakes and moved to a bigger place in October. It's a nice roomy place with four bedrooms. We're renting and there's a "guest house" of sorts in the backyard. It's a one bedroom loft-like apartment that's pretty cool.

A guy named Jason moved into the place in the begining of December. We met him about two weeks ago- right before Christmas. He was going to Maine to spend the holidays with his family. He was a nice guy- a little reserved maybe, but nice.

Last night I was letting the cat back in the house- around 9:30pm- when a man on a cellphone approaches from Jasons place.

"Um, I'm ______- a friend of your neighboor Jason. I think he has killed himself."

....


He was calling 911. I didn't know what to do. Rebecca let him inside. I called the landlord. The police came. Our friend Daniel came over. _______ asked me to go pick up his partner so I did- not knowing that his partner didn't know. I always wondered how police or doctors handled being in the situation of telling someone that they've lost a friend or loved one, but I never wanted to experience it.

So, yeah. What do you do? How do you explain it to your 5 year old? Especially since she's already had the experience of a neighboor being murdered. She seems fine, but what is really going on in her head. She doesn't understand the concept of suicide- I doesn't make any sense to her.

Some of you will no longer be able to see my previous post... DC has requested I remove the images from public view :( I'll re-post as soon as I am able.



...Bad Pete- very, bad Pete...

PDX Magazine did an article on the Portland comics scene. The article is on page 38 and you can download it here

It features Mercury, jemale, and a picture of quirkybird sitting at my table.

It's actually pretty good...

Okay, today is the final step- the digital world!

This post is 15 screenshots at 1680X1050. Not for the faint of heart (or tiny of monitor). It is also the nitty gritty of getting things ready for DC's fabulous and very attractive production department. What I'm trying to say is that it's going to be big and boring for some. The carrot on the stick is that the final colored version the Brad did appears at the end of the post...

( Here there be tygers... )

Okay, lets move on to inking---

( Lotsa big images ahead- Beware!! )

I get asked quite often about how I work. From what a script looks like to how hard the lead I use is (a .5 mechanical pencil loaded with HB by the way.) In an effort to satisfy curiosity I'm going to go over my process step by step. Keep in mind this is a process I've developed over the years for myself. This isn't supposed to be a how-to, just a how-I-do.

There are lots to huge images ahead. I took a copious amount of screen shots which I didn't trim down. My monitor is set at 1680X1050 so these pictures are gigantic. You have been warned.

( Last chance to turn back---  )

I turned in the last page of Action Comics #843 yesterday evening. That means today- for the first time in ten years- I don't have a deadline hanging over my head. This is also the first time in seven years I've had a vacation. Four glorious weeks of no work resposibilities. Woot. We've decided to take a Hawai'ian cruise in a couple of weeks which will be cool. Rebecca and I also have about a million personal projects that have been languishing under the overwhelming demands of my Superman schedule for the past 9 months. And when I do finally come back too work I have what sounds to be the coolest, most fun to draw, and high profile book I've ever done. Can't say anything more about it yet other than it's an event book and it isn't 52. Looks to be hitting the stands early next year. I'm a lucky guy.

I told Rebecca recently I'm collecting pepperpot shaped robots. That limits me to Astromechs and Daleks. Yes I know Daleks aren't robots. I'm flexible.

Our good friend and studiomates Paul Guinan and Anina Bennet have their e-mail through Comcast. For about a month now Comcast has been kicking back nearly all the e-mail sent to hem. Anyone else with this problem? Apparently it's nationwide!

Here's a typical story
Sob story

Wizard Magazine did a phone interview with me last week. Here's the "do I sound that stupid in real life?" transcripted results. Also some art.

Wizard Online

Thanks jesshartley

Love me or hate me. I taste like Marmite. I am salty and sharp. My abrasive edge greatly upsets some people, but others will gleefully endure it. For those willing to put up with me, I am a great source of emotional health and stability. What Flavour Are You?

Nothing quite like a "Good morning. I assume you're Pete. I'm Detective Chamberlain of the Portland police. Your neighboor is dead, can I ask you some questions?" to make your morning nteresting. More powerful than a bowl of Cap'n Crunch.

Somebody let mudron know I've discovered his ultimate dream.

Click for bloody, bleepy entertainment

Thanks boogienights

For those of you in Oregon- especially parents- Oregon has fianlly gotten their sex
Offender site up. Here's the link-

State of Oregon Sex Offender Inquiry System

For those of you interested in this sort of thing there is an interview with me at Film Fever Radio. We talk about comics in general, how we make 'em, and Superman too of course.

Linky to FFR.

Today whicle on the phone with my buddy Daniel we had a conversation that went something like this--

Daniel- "This is the office of President George W. Bush. I can't take your call right now, but if you leave a message Dick will be sure to get back to you"

Me- "Yeah, him or the Secret Service."

At which point there were several clicks on the line. Now whenever we're using the phone we get those clicks at the beginning of the call.

I think they want to know what's gonna happen in the next issue of Superman.