This wonderful non sequitur was sketched up by Chris for his friend Bridgette and her cowboy-loving son, Liam.

Although made for a very young child, I believe this carries solid advice for everyone.

Have a great week folks!

- Shane

P.S.

Chris and I have a brand new comic we’ll be debuting right here later this week! You guys are going to love it! I can’t wait!

The folks over at Nerd News and Reviews were kind enough to post about Reed Gunther on their fantastically fun site!

They say stuff like:

“Shane and Chris Houghton (no relation) (just kidding they’re brothers) have created one of the most fun and unique comics I’ve read in a long time.”

“…it’s great to read a book that unabashedly knows how to have a good time.”

“If you enjoy The Goon, Atomic Robo, or The Crogan Adventures, this isn’t just up your alley, it’s already been camping there (unbeknownst to you) for months.”

Wowee! Thanks Nerds!

Be sure to read the whole juicy article here!

So you enjoyed Moon Gloom and you’d like to see Reed Gunther in color?

Help us raise enough funds to hire a colorist by purchasing the original page from our new short comic, Moon Gloom!

These 11″X14″ bristol board pages have been scribbled on and inked by both me and Chris. You can see the blue pencil sketches on the original page that is not picked up when scanned in to the computer, so you get a chance to see some of the earlier steps right on the page!

The lettering is also hand drawn by Chris right on the page, so as it’s hanging in your living room you can read exactly what’s going on (unlike Reed Gunther who’s lettering is all done digitally).

The only extra effect on the digital page that is not on the drawn page is the blue shading you see in the pdf. Chris added that in the computer to add a little depth to the pages.

There are only 15 pages (14 comic pages and the title/cover page) and will be sold on a first come, first served basis. The first page is technically the cover, and the page with the Earth blowing up is page 1.

Take a look at your pdf and let us know what page you would like to purchase by emailing us at mail@reedgunther.com.

The signed original art is only a measly $50. Fifty bucks to have original art?! What a steal!

Whether you need a great gift, are an avid art collector, or just need some more kindling for the fire, these pages will help us make more comics for you to enjoy.

Thanks for your support and we look forward to hearing from you!

- Shane

We’re going to steer away from Reed Gunther, just for a moment, as Chris and I would like to present to you a brand spankin’ new comic book…

MOON GLOOM!

When the Earth is destroyed, the lonely Moon must find a new planet to orbit. Filled with gags, adventure and silliness, this 14 page comic by the creators of Reed Gunther is a goofy ride for all-ages.

Here’s the only catch… we’re selling digital copies of Moon Gloom for $0.99.

Why you ask? (Here’s where I bring it back around to Reed Gunther…) Chris and I are very hard at work on trying to create as many Reed Gunther stories as we can. Issue #5 will be coming out this winter which means the first story arc of Reed Gunther will be coming to a close which means… trade paper back collection! Since we don’t want to sell you the same thing twice, what do you think about seeing Reed Gunther in COLOR?!

With the funds we raise from the digital downloads of Moon Gloom, Chris and I are saving up to hire a colorist so all of our adventures can be in glorious and exciting CMYK (color, that is)! Check out the colored example posted above and tell me a whole issue of Reed Gunther looking like that wouldn’t be AWESOME.

Plus it’s only 99 cents for 14 pages of fun comic adventure, plus 5 extra pages of sketches, concept art, and our rough sketched out “script”! So instead of buying that new Lady Ga Ga song today, buy a comic!

Still not convinced to check out Moon Gloom? Here’s a 4 page preview to get you started!

Download Moon Gloom right now for only $0.99 via paypal and help us get Reed Gunther in color!

*UPDATE* Once your payment goes through at paypal, a pop up window will show you the page where you can download the comic. If your browser blocks popups, simply click on the link on the paypal receipt page that says “Return to Reed Gunther Comics” or “Return to Merchant” and that will bring you to the correct page. If you need any help getting the download, email us at mail@reedgunther.com.

If you really would like to help us out, you may want to consider purchasing one of the original pages from Moon Gloom for only $50! Check out the next post for more details.

Thanks for all your support and be sure to let us know what you think of Moon Gloom in the comments below!

Happy Reading!

- Shane

The reviews for Moon Gloom are coming in… and they’re not gloomy at all!

(See what I did there?)

Thanks to everyone who already downloaded our goofy 24 14 Hour Comic. But if you haven’t read it yet, maybe these reviews might sway you into taking a peek!

Steven Surman from BrokenFrontier.com says stuff like:

“… Moon Gloom is friendly, charming, and touching.”

“As (the Moon) treks along on his silly adventures, I was struck again and again by pangs of memory that I can only identify as inspirations derived from the golden age of Nickelodeon…”

“… I’m once again moved to smile at their end product.”

And over at ThePullBox.com, Eric Anderson wrote:

“(Moon Gloom) is nothing short of a fantastic, zany yet moralistic children’s book.”

Moon Gloom is available for download right here on this site for only $0.99! Whoo-Hoo!

Happy reading!

Howdy folks!

This weekend, October 29th-31st, Chris and I will be at the Long Beach Comic Con in (currently not-so-sunny) Southern California! We’ll have all sorts of fun Reed Gunther goodies, some original Moon Gloom pages, free zines, and TRICKS and TREATS!

Only in its second year, the Long Beach Comic has a pretty impressive guest list. If you’re in LA, Long Beach is too close to pass up! I hear Stan Lee’s going to be there shouting “EXCELSIOR!” at every con-goer.

Also at the Reed Gunther table we’ll have copies of our SPOOOOOOKY short horror comic, Blood Brothers! Perfect for Halloween goosebumps!

Blood Brothers follows the tale of two bickering brothers as they investigate a local werewolf legend.

Chris and I created Blood Brothers to see if we could pull off a different style from Reed Gunther. Now it is a little spooky so I don’t think we can recommend this one as all-ages, but most folks should get a kick out of it.

Blood Brothers is only available from me and Chris in person (and for only a buck!), so be sure to catch up with us at a convention to snag one of these puppies!

If you’re in town, be sure to swing by and say hi to us! We’ll have candy! … Unless Chris eats it all.

See ya there!

-Shane

photo by Liz Ohanesian

Hey you!

We’d like to have a big ‘ol thanks to all the folks who came out to the Long Beach Comic Con and swung by our table. We are very appreciative of all the people who listened to us shout over the noise of the neighboring wrestling ring.

Chris and I made the LA Weekly Slide Show, as you can see above, but there were way more interesting people at that con than us. Click here to see a wide variety of costumes, cos-play, and the most bizarre part of the con… OTHER CREATORS! OooooOOOOohhhhHHH!

You may have already seen the links if you’re a fan of Reed Gunther on our Facebook Fan Page, but Chris and I were barraged with questions last week in the form of INTERVIEWS!

Read as Chris and I answer TEN DEADLY* QUESTIONS over at NerdNewsandReview.com! We had a really goofy time answering questions like:

“Which one of you would win in a fight?”

But we also answer real and though provoking questions about Reed Gunther, comic book production, and what kind of media we’re currently into!

Hate reading? Then read the much shorter ONE QUESTION interview over at AvoidTheFuture.com! In this interview, we talk about what a hypothetical Reed Gunther Movie would/could look like!

Enjoy!

- Shane

*interview not actually deadly. Like, at all**.

**unless you’re allergic to words.

Chris has constantly knocked the front and back covers of this series out of the park. One measly front cover could not contain all the awesomeness in store for the fifth issue, so Chris spilled the awesomely epic image onto the back cover as well!

Check out Chris’ amazing new double cover for Reed Gunther issue #5, Reed Gunther in Freak Show Showdown!

(click the photo to see all the detail!)

In Reed Gunther in Freak Show Showdown!, Reed and Sterling locate the Idol-swiping and Starla-napping fiend, Mr. Picks. Within Picks’ Freak Show Theater, Reed must save Starla and hide the mysterious monster-making Idol in a place where no one will ever find it!

We’re hard at work on Freak Show Showdown and we’ll be releasing some concept art and sneak preview bits in the next coming weeks.

We hope you’re as excited about this one as we are!

- Shane

Hey Folks!

While Chris is slamming away at finishing all 32 pages of the new Reed Gunther story, we thought we’d give you a little peek into what the new issue will contain.

I really bogged Chris down with tons of new characters and locations for him to design. Although it’s a lot of extra work (drawing New York back grounds takes WAY more time than some mountains and cacti) it will definitely be worth it.

Here are Chris’ first designs for the dreaded Mr. Picks’ Weird and Wondrous Oddities Theater!

What kind of action do you think will go down in this creepy theater? Speculate in the comments below!

- Shane

Hey Los Angeles Folks!

Come on out this Saturday to a super fun event at Meltdown Comics from 1-3! Chris and I will be there with copies of Reed Gunther, and will also be leading a couple “Learn to Create Comics” sessions for kids! It’s gonna be a hoot!

Here’s the official press release:

Join local comic creators for a day of family fun to learn about creating comics and all-ages comic books from the creators of Fraggle Rock, Darkwing Duck, Penguins of Madagascar and Reed Gunther!

LOS ANGELES – Kids love comic books, and comic books love kids! A new renaissance of all-ages comic books has energized young readers like never before. To celebrate, a group of comic book creators in Los Angeles have teamed up to host Kids Comics L.A. – a unique (and free!) one-day event on Dec. 4 at Meltdown Comics in Hollywood to spotlight kids comics and engage a new generation of future comic creators!

At Kids Comics L.A., kids will meet and interact with comic creators and learn how to make their own comic books! Writers and artists of kid-friendly comic books starring familiar characters will be in attendance to sign books and talk about comics with fans. Two unique comic seminars will help budding creators understand the basics of making their own comics, with one session focused on creating characters and one focused on comic book storytelling. These interactive seminars are open to everyone attending the event and families are encouraged to learn together!

The creators participating in Kids Comics L.A. include Sam Humphries (Fraggle Rock, Archaia Comics), Ian Brill (Darkwing Duck and Rescue Rangers, BOOM! Kids Comics), David Server and Jackson Lanzing (Penguins of Madagascar, Ape Entertainment), and Chris and Shane Houghton (Reed Gunther, Independent).

Los Angeles’ own famous Grilled Cheese Truck will be on hand all day to feed comics lovers of all ages with their cheesy delights!

This event is all ages, open to the public, and free! Come hang out with the comic book creators of today AND tomorrow!

For more information, including creator bios, please see the Kids Comics L.A. page: http://bit.ly/aatqRe

When: Saturday, Dec. 4, 2010, 1-3 p.m.

Where: Meltdown Comics

7522 Sunset Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90046

Phone: 323-851-7723

www.meltcomics.com

Hope to see you there!