Reviews and Pin-Ups!

Our second review for Ham and Eggs is IN! Thanks again to Adam for such a wonderful review! You rock!

In addition, why not post some pretty pictures, eh?

The color version of Jay Piscopo's hilarious Strudel pin-up!

This awesome pin-up is by Kevin Dixon! Check out
his cast of crazy characters at his ComicSpace!

Our First Reviews!

The fine folks over at the Intelligence Cleaner Agency have posted a pair of reviews of Ham & Eggs.

Reviews are always scary since you never know if it's going to be positive or negative... so when one is brought to my attention, I always read it through my fingers like a little kid watching a horror movie.

Luckily, these reviews are overwhelmingly positive!

Check 'em out here.

More Ham Hilarity!

Greetings pork fans! We got us another hilarious Ham and Eggs pinup!
This one is brought to us by the awesome Stephanie Monohan AKA Slacks!

Check out some of Slacks' stuff at www.the-reconquista.deviantart.com and check out her
zombie portraits at http://www.comicspace.com/comic_book_jones!

I get to post pin-ups!

In a dramatic turn of events, I get the opportunity to post some pin-ups this time instead of Lauren! Why do I receive such an honor, you ask? why, because it's my turn in the blog posting rotation! :)

Anyway, it always puts a big 'ol smile on our faces when we receive pin-ups from folks, and these 2 latest are no exception!

First up is from Carly Monardo:

If that doesn't warm the heart, nothing will!

And next up is from Jay Piscopo. The tone is a bit different from Carly's, but it's equally as awesome!


Thanks to Carly and Jay for rocking these out for us!
Enjoy the fruits of their labor, everyone!
~ Stephen

A History of Violence...

Yep. Violence. Some comics avoid it all together, some are all about it. I like to think we're somewhere in the middle...okay but probably closer to the latter than the former.

Even though this project is basically a 100% collaboration between Stephen and I, there's still that exciting moment for me as an artist to see what lunacy Stephen's cooked up and made worthy of the written page! So when I get the next wave of script from my esteemed partner in crime, and it says "Rabbit soldier kicks the kitten hard sending it with a SPLAT into the wall" or something similar, one might wonder my reaction!

Well the fact of the matter is, this is one of the first pieces of art I did for Stephen:
Back only about a year or so when we first collaborated on Jesus Hates Zombies: Those Slack Jaw Blues. This was my first panel of page 1 of the first story I did. While that image may just about sum it up for some folks, if further clarification is required, well here it is.

With certain details that come to my table as it were, ie a splattered kitten with a speech impetiment, I have two initial reactions. And they are pretty much simultaneous:

1. Oh dear lord what have we done? Are people going to be turned off by this?
2. That is absolutely hilarious, I hope I can draw it as funnily as Stephen's pictured it.

So the only logical choice after that is, draw the damn thing, and draw it as best you can!! I guess one reason is like what Stephen said, it's Looney Tunes level violence with just the right amount of gore that would follow. Think about it, a decapitated whore is going to bleed a lot, a head wound is always messy, and a splattered kitten....well doesn't "splattered" sort of speak for itself? Plus, if Stephen and I both find it funny, funny enough to go through with it, chances are other people will too. We're not pop-culture zombies but we're not exactly floating on an island of cultural isolation either, so when all else fails, go for what you enjoy. Eventually a few others will agree :)

Let the blood flow!

Wow... Ham & Eggs is 11 pages in and we've already got--

A decapitated whore:
A sheepdog with a knife buried to the hilt in his skull:

And a kitten splattered up against a wall:

We're kinda violent, huh? Yeah, yeah we are. Blame it on Cable TV, Video Games, Gansta Rap, or Catholic School... any of them are good scape goats. But what it boils down to is this - violence, when used to a ridiculous excess, is funny. Really funny. Especially when you pair it up with cute, cartoony images.

Hell, Looney Toons did it for years. Granted, they didn't use the same level of blood that Lauren and I enjoy. But the violence was still pretty brutal.

But you know what? I don't go around killing people. I don't cook puppies in an oven in my basement. I don't lay a finger on my children. Hell, I don't even kill flies - I try to catch them and release them into the wild since the poor bastards only live for like 1 day anyway! Violent comedy in my writing is an outlet for me. And Lauren's beautiful artwork increases that outlet even further because these goofy images aren't relegated to my mind... she breathes life into them on the page!

So, while I certainly don't recommend children ever view Ham & Eggs, I certainly hope that other semi-adults out there like myself enjoy seeing cute characters, reading absurd dialogue, and watching the body-count rise!

Because, trust me, you ain't seen nothin' yet!
~ Stephen

More Hamtastic Pinups!

Okay, so I lied, it's one pinup....but one's in color and one's black and white!

The original inks by Jordan Dalton

and now in brilliant color! Thanks Jordan!

As we've said, we LOOOOVE pinups, so keep em coming!

A Call to Action!

Dear faithful readers,

Ham & Eggs need your help. We'll be 10 pages into the story come tomorrow, and we've got a healthy reader base... but we need more. The only real way that online comics gain readers is through word of mouth -- or in this case, word of web.

So here's what we're asking. While you're out there surfing the 'nets, why not drop the name and a link to the comic in some of the message boards you frequent? A few kind words here and there and people will start catching on.

I think we've got a special comic working here. Lauren's art is second to none, and I've never had more fun writing something in my life. Sure, it's a little twisted, but that's what gives it its charm!

So join the HnE Army and help spread the word! Oh, and feel free to use the logo if you'd like.

Thanks,
Stephen

Slightly Askew Pinups!

It's a good day to be Ham and Eggs and an even better week! With one awesome pinup earlier this week and two today, I am honored to present to you three amazing new pinups! First of all, we can't forget our first official pin-up by Stephanie O'Donnell featured earlier on this blog! Now she's in great company!

Ham n Eggs cast by Chris McJunkin!

Baron Von Blackforest and Colonel Strudel by Paul Eldridge!

Ham, Eggs and the Baron by Danilo Beyruth!


Thanks to all! Remember, you can send yours to colonelstrudel@gmail.com!

A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' for NYC Con!

For those who don't already know, Lauren and I will be hitting New York City Con April 18th thru the 20th. We don't have a table, but we'll be bouncing around a few friends' tables throughout the course of the weekend. And one of the things we'll be doing is handing out nice little 8 page "Convention Exclusive" previews of The Slightly Askew Adventures of Inspector Ham & Eggs.

They're going to be full color mini-comic style previews. I've put a few of them together already, and I they look awesome!

Also, we've come up with a nice little Captions & Balloons.com logo to through on the previews, the backs of the t-shirts, and hopefully on more schwag we'll be passing out!

Pretty damn cool, right?

Oh, and don't forget to check out Page 7 which was posted this morning!

~ S

Would You Take Me Home?

So I'm big into marketing and merchandise, more to the point I'm a sucker for marketing and merchandise! This being the case it's fun for me to develop ideas and designs for merch from Ham and Eggs! Eventually we will be selling t-shirts, that's for certain. But while Ham and Eggs are still in the beginning stages of it's release and public awareness, Stephen and I wanted to toss some designs around and see the reaction. So what do you think, folks? Would you take them home?

"Ham It Up"

Ham in Cream on Brown or Pink on Brown?
Wearer's left hand side towards the bottom of the shirt.

"Deviled Eggs"
Black on Cardinal Red
Most likely centered on the shirt or on the lower right hand side.


"Sneaking Strudel"
Strudel in Cream on Black, Cream on Green, or White on Maroon?
He'd be 'crawling' over the wearer's left shoulder on the shirt.

The Big Reveal...

So, now Page 4 is posted. And even though we can all agree that Lauren's figures are all adorable, this is by no means a children's story. Not by a long shot.

This is the page I've been DYING to show off. Lauren's gruesomely gorgeous artwork just shines on this page. It's horrific and adorable and compelling all at the same time. I just love it.

It's the page that I'm really hoping is going to hook people into coming back twice a week to read what the hell we're going to do next. And believe me, we've got quite a lot planned!

But don't go thinking Ham 'n Eggs is a one trick pony. We're not about being shocking for shock's sake... Everything we do, no matter how outrageous or off the wall, is for a reason.

So keep checking back. The goodness is only just beginning.
~ S

Our First Pinup!

Proud to present to you our very first official Ham and Eggs pin-up!
Stephanie O'Donnell of The Original Nutty Funsters does it again
with this hilarious image of H&E doing what they do best!

We love getting pin-ups so please send us yours!!

colonelstrudel@gmail.com!

Back from S.P.A.C.E.

Phew... what a weekend! Lauren and I attended S.P.A.C.E. (Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo) in Columbus, OH. A great time was had by all! Chuck, from over at ComicRelated.com was there, and he took a bunch of pictures for his coverage of the Con. Here's Lauren (and part of me to the left) showing off 2 original pages from Ham 'n Eggs:


Speaking of Ham 'n Eggs, you no longer have to wait a full week for a new page. (not that you ever DID have to wait a full week for a new page...) That's right, now you can get a double helping of Ham 'n Eggs each week! A new page will be posted every Tuesday and Thursday! In fact, Page 3 was just posted today! What are you waiting for? Get over there!

~ Stephen

The phase of a page...

From Stephen's keyboard, to my hands, ladies and gents I give you: The Journey of a Page!

Once Stephen sends me the script, I get to sketchin! In the beginning I
had tried to scan all the pencilled pages of Ham and Eggs, but for some reason
or another the scans were never very good. Luckily the first page had a decent scan
so I'm able to show you all how it looked!

Of course, next once the pencils were approved I went on to inking!
I wanted to give enough black and detail work so the page could stand out
either in B&W or full color, and I think it came out nicely :)

The second to last step is the color, and then Stephen letters it!
That about sums up the process for a page of Ham and Eggs! Keep checking back for new pages every week!

Launch Week Extravaganza Special!

Due to the excitement of "Launch Week" here at the Ham 'n Eggs studios, we just couldn't help ourselves... we had to post Page 2! So hop on over to Captions and Balloons.com and check it out!

Next Wednesday we'll begin our regular schedule of 1 page per week.

And if you'd like to leave us a comment on any of the pages, please do so right here!

3...2...1... LAUNCH!

The Slightly Askew Adventures of Inspector Ham & Eggs is LIVE!
Check it out!

Introducing, the Colonel...

I apologize for my lack of post yesterday! Even now, Blogger seems to be taking an attempt at foiling my post. Why, I re-typed that sentence about four time now! Any-whobee, here is the adorable, the devious, the stoic and curious Colonel Towsta Strudel! (you'll have to imagine an umlaut over the 'u' in Strudel)
This was the first and only design drawing I did for Col. Strudel. The character was so vivid in my mind as to what I felt Stephen and I both wanted to see from him that it just spilled right onto the page!

With the uniforms, it was tricky. As previously stated, there was an obvious influence of Waffen-SS, and SS in the design for the uniforms. For example, Baron Von Blackforest's uniform was influenced by Himmler's uniform. The goats and rabbits were regular SS-inspired, if I recall correctly, and Strudel here was based off Waffen-SS.

** Now these characters are not at all nazis, nor do Stephen and I respect, admire, like or even tolerate nazis or nazi-esque behavior! **

Ha ha, all disclaimers aside, the point is, since they were design based only, and not copied exactly, it was difficult in a way to establish rank through uniform with these guys. Even if I were to have staunchly followed the designs I used for reference, there wasn't really much of a difference in rank uniforms, aside from the applicable chevrons etc.

So in order to set the colonel apart from the rest of BVBF's army and the Baron, himself, I placed the BlackForest logo on his helmet and gave him a strap across his shirt. I suppose when he goes out for a skirmish he could attach a MP34 or MP40 to it, but right now it probably just keeps in his belly! Apart from that, his belt buckle is an ornate metal buckle with the BF logo and two engraved leaves on either side, somewhat mirroring the pattern on Blackforest's belt.

So, yeah, that pretty much wraps up Col Strudel's design, and the Blackforest army uniform! Keep checking back for more, and remember to check Captions and Balloons tomorrow for our first page!

Everyone Needs a Good 'ol #2!

I'm going to introduce you to another character today, even before Lauren posts the design for him. Why? well, because Lauren and I have been alternating posts, and it's my turn, and crazy people like us need structure, dammit! Without structure, we'd simply fall into the chaotic chasms of our own minds! Is that what you want to happen? Is it? IS it? ANSWER ME!

See, I told you... crazy.

Today's character we're learning about is Baron Von Blackforest's right hand man, his #2, his most trusted adviser - Colonel Strudel. As you will see once Lauren posts the design, Strudel is a raccoon. Why? Because raccoons are devious little bastards, that's why! And Strudel is no different. His loyalty to Blackforest is his greats asset, and quite possibly his biggest foible. (nobody uses the word foible anymore... why is that?) There is nothing he isn't willing to do for the Baron. No lengths he won't go to. But please don't think of this raccoon as just another 'yes man'. There is far more to Strudel than meets the eye.

In our original stream-of-consciousness chat about this comic, Colonel Strudel was General Strudel. Then, I believe, for a brief time he was Captain Strudel. And I'm positive that at one point I threw out the name Commandant Strudel, simply because I remember the Commandant from the Police Academy films and it made me laugh... Oh, Steve Guttenberg... how I miss you so!

But it was finally decided upon that Strudel shall forever be a Colonel. Why? Because I perosnally think it's more fun to say with a hockneed German accent. Come on, try it with me -

Colonel Strudel.

Colonel Strudel.

No, no.. you've got to allow the uuuuuu sound to linger a bit more. There you go!

Launch Date Part Two!

Don't mind Ham's cautionary ways,
he's just as excited as the rest of us!

Launch Date!

On Wednesday, February 27th, Lauren and I will officially be launching page 1 of The Slightly Askew Adventures of Inspector Ham & Eggs!!

We will be publishing 1 page per week, on Wednesdays, over at Captions and Balloons.com.

I'm absolutely in love with this story, and it's some of the most amazing artwork I've ever seen Lauren produce, so y'all are in for a real treat!!

So don't forget... this coming Wednesday - Ham & Eggs shall be released upon the world!

~ Stephen

Zee Greatezt Army In Zee Vorld!

So once we started actually plotting out H&E, and the concept of Baron Von Blackforest was figured out, we realized he needed an army! With the obvious nazi-esque influence in his uniform, we figured a funny idea would be an albino army of sorts. So we came up with the idea of albino rabbits and goats!



From a Boar General's perspective, rabbits are perfect soldiers! Well...as far as numbers anyway!!

Run, Piggy! Run!

So I'm writing this chase scene... Everybody loves a chase scene. Regardless of the medium used (books, TV, movies, comics, etc.) chase scenes - when done correctly - are awesome. They add energy and vitality to a story that is unmatched by any of type of action.

But dammit, they're hard to write. Hard, I say!

I mean, there are certain beats I know I want to hit. I want this character here and I want this to happen here, but beyond that, it feels like I'm writing "so-and-so runs down an alley with hoozy-what closely in tow..." over and over again.

You see, as a comic writer, I try to offer enough description in my scripts to give the artist a clear blueprint of what I'm trying to accomplish while still leaving it open enough to allow the artist room to create. I mean hell, that's what they do! They breath LIFE into the simple words on a page I put down! But on the other side of the coin, I don't want to write "The next 3 pages are a chase scene. Make it tense and kinetic and fun." What the hell is an artist going to do with that?

So, yeah... writing a chase scene is hard.

A City and it's Porkers...

Well, what is a city worth without its people? Not a whole lot! In that light, it's my privilege to introduce some of the Pigs and Piglets that make New Pork City run as smooth as the creamy white fat on a strip of bacon! First off is The Mayor, no official name as of yet, just "The Mayor".
The Mayor, like the most of other subsequent characters that were designed, didn't really go through any visual development stages. As previously mentioned by Stephen, we talk extensively about the details of the characters and story of Ham and Eggs. So when we mentioned the idea of a Mayor character, we decided a tall, more slender built pig would be more interesting than the typical pig, and incidentally, typical mayor design of a fat balding man with a sash that said "Mayor" across his torso. And so it was...

Another thing we discussed, since the nature of Ham's work is investigation, was the police department of NPC. Stephen had mentioned the funny idea of tough-talking piglets as the cops. The idea was just too funny to me to pass up, so of course I agreed! Being somewhat familiar with NY History and NYPD history, the next logical thing I added to the mix was having them be of Irish and Italian heritage. So I present to you, respectively, Police Officer Rashers, Police Officer Bologna, Sargent Salami and Sargent Bangers!


Well that's enough talk for today! Have to leave some stuff to talk about :)

Welcome to New Pork City

Every comic needs a world for its characters to inhabit. Hopefully it's a world that feels lived in... like it's been there long before the reader discovered it, and it's going to continue to be there long after. It needs history and the erosive passage of time. Without at least the feeling of all of these things, the reader is never going to be able to fully invest in the story. Why? Because it's never going to ring as true to them.

With The Slightly Askew Adventures of Inspector Ham & Eggs, we're trying to transport the reader into New Pork City, a place obviously inspired by New York City. It looks and feels like a long past version of New York City, only it's not. The buildings are tall, but not very modern. The streets are lined with citizens dressed in clothing that is at the same time familiar and foreign... as if something out of an old magazine or news reel. The manner of speech may feel a bit dated, but not quite so much as watching a 'period piece' movie. Basically, New Pork City is a bit of old world, and a bit of new.

This purposefully anachronistic approach allows me, as the writer, total creative freedom in representing the dress, speech, technology, and even social values of the world in and around New Pork City. It also allows me to keep things familiar, yet slightly off kilter, for the readers. Granted, that only works if I'm on top of my game as a writer. If I'm off, it plays out more like I just don't know what the hell time period I want this story to take place around!

It feels like it's working so far. Here's hoping I can keep it up! Of course, I won't really know until you guys start reading it... Until then, enjoy this sneak peek if New Pork City Harbor. (Yes! I got a chance to post some art!)


~ Stephen

The World's Most Boar-ing Villain!

Yes that was a horrible pun, thank you! Well how can I properly follow-up that lovely post from Stephen? How does introducing our villain sound? Hmm?

Baron Werner Von Blackforest was the third character to be created in the cast. We knew as soon as this was more than a conversational joke that our hero needed a villain! And since the whole thing was inspired by cold cuts and pigs, an evil black boar named Blackforest seemed the logical choice!

the very first visual incarnation of Baron Werner Von Blackforest!

As you can see the above sketch was later morphed into the more sophisticated and final design here:

The final design for BVBF

And if you're excited about this little guy, wait until you meet his friends later on!

I hope you look forward to reading Baron Von Blackforests misadventures as much as Stephen and I have making them come to life! Check back soon for some more insight and designs of Ham and Eggs!!

A Writer's Post - Not as Exciting as an Artist's Post!

I've gotta say, I feel like I'm at a bit of a disadvantage here... Lauren gets to post all the cool art, and I get to say things like "I wrote 3 more pages today! Whoop-i-dee-do!" Ah well, such is the writer's life!

But this post isn't all about me complaining... No, this post is about how the first story arc of Ham 'n Eggs is all fleshed out, and it's called All in the Family! Lauren and I have all of the beats worked out to get us from the beginning of this story arc to the end. And what an end it has! I'm so excited about it, I can't wait to get to that point in the writing. In fact, I've don't something I never do when it comes to my writing... I made an outline! We've bantered so many hysterical ideas around that I got worried I was going to forget them all. So I decided I should do what real writers do and work up an outline.

Typically I'm not a fan of outlines. I feel like they stifle the story I'm trying to tell a bit. I like to let the characters, pacing, and plot dictate where the story goes. If I try to pigeon-hole the story into the established outline, I find I'm just going through the motions, writing to get from bullet point to bullet point.

That said, why the hell would I outline this story, essentially crippling my creativity? Simple - Lauren. The daily communication I have with her about this story keeps it fresh and new and exciting. The way we create together energizes me and never allows me to feel like I'm writing to fill int he gaps from bullet point to bullet point.

Because of that, the story is moving along at a great clip. We're nearly ready to launch it. Here's how it's going to work: One page of the story is going to be posted each week on CaptionsandBalloons.com, kinda like a webcomic. Once the first story arc is complete, we'll collect it and publish it! So keep your eyes peeled here and at CaptionsandBalloons.com for the official launch!

Ok, enough boring writer diatribe for one day... But don't worry, Lauren will be posting more art soon!

~ Stephen

And here we meet our heroes...

Greetings, one and all! Welcome to Makin' Ham and Eggs! I suppose a proper first post from me, the artist half of our team, would be to show you our two heroes:

Inspector Serrano Ham, and his plucky sidekick, Eggs Benedict

So I suppose a little of how this all started is in order! Stephen and I had been diligently at work on our other project, Jesus Hates Zombies/Lincoln Hates Werewolves, and I was wrapping up work on Venture Bros Season 3 while trying to figure out what job I could get between seasons. Jokingly, whilst talking with Mr. Lindsay one day, I said that I might pursue a spy or detective career, and that perhaps Boars Head brand would hire me to look after their competition and make sure they stay ahead of the game. In this silly fantasy I decided I would take up the moniker of Inspector Ham (The Serrano was later added by Stephen) and the idea for our new project was planted!

the original 'concept' quickie for Inspector Ham based off the name

Soon Stephen suggested a sidekick, an idea I had originally opposed, but when Stephen said the sidekick would be a little chick named Eggs, I simply could NOT resist! Thus the team was born!!

The first quickie of Ham and Eggs

Since it's inception, we've been working and developing on Ham and Eggs with 100% cooperation and team approval on all we do! It's been a great ride so far and I hope you continue to join us on The Slightly Askew Adventures of Inspector Ham and Eggs!

Welcome to a New World Order!!

Wow... it feels good to be posting this inaugural post on Makin' Ham 'n Eggs - the production blog for the new comic co-created by me (Stephen Lindsay) and Lauren Monardo called The Slightly Askew Adventures of Inspector Ham and Eggs.

I'm handling the writing and lettering duties while Lauren handles all of the art (pencils, inks, and colors). And together we're coming up with the story. Both of us will be posting here, so you'll get insights into the entire process, from outlining and writing to character designs, page layouts, and finished art.

We're both really stoked about this project and really proud of the stuff we're creating along with it. So hopefully you'll stick around and join us for what looks to be a pretty wild ride!

~ Stephen