Chris Howard's Writing & Art

Who wants one of these?

Really like the way this one came out. This is one panel from the next set of pages for Saltwater Witch.  It's about 12 x 16 inches, titled, "Oh, it's you again"  --that's the demon Ephoros referring to the character in the center--a not not very nice character.  Want it? All you have to do is spread the word--just a bit--about Saltwater Witch. 

Details here.

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Saltwater Witch promo and art contest

I recently posted the first set for chapter 6 of Saltwater Witch, and another set is going up this weekend.  I'm up over 120 pages of drawing, painting, layout-ing, cumulative months of figuring out what's going into a visual version of a novel that's complete--and what's definitely not. 

Contest!

Purpose: get more people reading Saltwater Witch.

Rules: Post one or more of the banner images (left and end of this post) with a link back to SaltwaterWitch.com on your blog, web site, anywhere on the visible Net.  Let me know about it in the comments on this post on my Typepad blog or on my LJ.

Copy and paste the code below for a vertical SaltwaterWitch banner (the one running along the left side):

<p><a href="http://www.saltwaterwitch.com" alt="Saltwater Witch - an online graphic novel" title="Saltwater Witch - an online graphic novel"><img src="http://www.saltwaterwitch.com/switch/SaltwaterWitch-165x610.png" border="0" width="165" height="610"></a></p>

Copy and paste this code for a horizontal SaltwaterWitch banner (the banner I've posted at the bottom of this post):

<p><a href="http://www.saltwaterwitch.com" alt="Saltwater Witch - an online graphic novel" title="Saltwater Witch - an online graphic novel"><img src="http://www.saltwaterwitch.com/switch/SaltwaterWitch-395x280.png" border="0" width="395" height="280"></a></p>

Next Saturday (September 19th) I (or some neutral 3rd party with no interest in you or me) will make a list of everyone who made a comment and select two random winners.  So, the more you post and comment, the better your chances of winning.

If you need a different size or shape for the banner, let me know.  If you want a version big enough for bookmarks or t-shirts let me know.  If you want one for a billboard--and you somehow manage to get that displayed…then consider yourself an automatic winner.

What's with the barcode?  I'm just silly that way.  I have a thing for barcodes.  This one is a QR code for the URL http://www.SaltwaterWitch.com making it easy for anyone with a QR code reader (many phones including the iPhone, Android, Nokia) to jump to the web site.

What does the winner get?

Two winners get a print of the work below, titled "Seaborn King" --7.5 in x 12.5 in (19.1 cm x 31.8 cm) printed on Somerset 100% cotton 255 gsm archival grade paper--this is bright and awesome mould-made art repro paper out of St. Cuthberts Mill in England.

So, who is this king?  He's the main bad guy in Saltwater Witch, Seaborn and its sequel.  Why him--he's not even nice guy?  I would go so far as to say there's no way on earth or in the sea that this king would ever be mistaken for a nice guy.  He's Kassandra's grandfather. He kills rivals and family members, starts wars, does all kinds of bad stuff. But he's definitely got the whole sea-king look down...cold.

Here's what you'll get if you win, only quite a bit bigger:

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Here's the horizontal Saltwater Witch banner:

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The Cure

Title: Armored Roses and Ashes.

I'm reusing some recent themes for this one, but with a fist and an open hand, and all around her the world is ash--trying for both sorrow and triumph--with pink being the central color.

This is my submission for the deviantArt PiNKiTUDE Contest supporting the Susan G. Komen For the Cure foundation and its mission to promote early detection as the key to breast cancer prevention. Pinkitude is MGM's program for breast cancer awareness.

Detail here.  Full piece below.  Click the second image for the large view.

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Modern Poseidon

Here's another one for the author appearance at Pandemonium Books on the 20th.  This one's called Modern Poseidon.  See my last painting for the appearance/signing.  (It's me, Joe Haldeman, and Jeff Carver).

Click the image for the full view.

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Productive week

Last week, that is.  I'm a bit late in posting.  I completed two short stories last weekend and had them in the mail and email by Monday.  One is SF, the other is...not sure. 

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Seaborn contest followup

Just a quick post to ask everyone who won something in the last two contests if you received your stuff.  Everything went out weeks ago, and should have reached you.  If by chance--or my mistake, forgetfulness, or tomfoolery--you did not receive your stuff, email me and please let me know:  chrishoward.author@gmail.com

Thanks!

Seaborn Contest, the Second

UPDATE:  I'm an idiot.  Yup.  Totally screwed this one up.  I didn't remember changing the closing date to the 10th, thought it ended on the 9th, and sent out a winning email to Wendy  (see comments).

WINNERS:

Wendy gets the Kassandra and Ephoros watercolor.

Julia gets another painting.  I'm working on something right now...should have it done by the weekend.

Wendy, Julia, email me an address, and I'll send you art!  (chrishoward.author@gmail.com)

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Simply put, I want more people to land on my blog.  I'd like more people to find out about Seaborn and anything I'm up to, but as a first step, I'd be happy to get more people here.

One contest rule and some details:

1. Get as many people as you can to come here and comment on this post.   You can be an individual, a blog, an entire web community.  Think big, join forces.

Detail: If this is your first time here, comment with the words, "Naught but nautiluses" and who or what referred you--you can be your own referrer, yes.  Then anything else you care to add, like maybe a caption to the image below (e.g., "Two doors down on the left, a big "M" painted on it" or "Bring me the head of Alfredo Garcia.")

Who wins?

The person/blog/online entity with the most referrals will get the original watercolor of the image below and a copy of Seaborn.

Description: watercolor of Kassandra and Ephoros (he's a sea-demon) for a graphic novel project I'm doing.  (A little more about that here, even more in some later posting).   

"Kassandra and Ephoros" --Watercolor and ink on 8 in x 7 in. smooth finish 178 gsm paper, signed, dated.

When does it end?

I'm going to let this contest run two weeks.  September 9th 10th, I'm going to tally up the referrals--hoping for more than 3 or 4--and send the winner a painting.

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Have you bought SEABORN yet?

UPDATED:

This was my first book giveaway contest, and I scraped up eleven copies of Seaborn.  And just this once, everyone's a winner.  I pulled your names from the comments on the contest post--here. Email me (chrishoward.author@gmail.com) a postal address and I'll send you a copy of Seaborn. Let me know if you want it signed, scribbled in, anything else.

 

Jessa Slade gets some super special Seaborn stuff  because she's already read Seaborn. 

 

Copies of Seaborn:

Alex D M

Chad Aaron Sayban

Shira Lipkin 

amoonzi

Wendy

~R.A

Justin McGuire

Justin Pilon

Andie

Karen Lee Field 

Michael Nunn

 

Cheers!

No?

If you haven't, I have four copies of SEABORN to give away.  If you'd like one, comment on this post, and I'll randomly select four of you and send you one. 

Yes?

If you already have SEABORN, I have something for you, too.  Comment on this post.  You can say anything you like--I would like to hear your thoughts on the story.  And you must include, "I have Seaborn" in the comment, and I'll send four of you Seaborn Schwag with art, bookmarks, preview chapters, and a couple cool surprises.  (Yes, you will be surprised).

COMMENT NOW!  (You are allowed to buy Seaborn and jump right to the Schwag line.)

Buy Seaborn here:
Barnes & Noble
Amazon.com
Booksense
Powell's

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