Hermit Hill | #73 | 02/27/09

Choking Range.

I may have pushed Walter's rage a bit too far in the last panel there, but I thought it looked funny. That's what really matters anyway, I think.

Hermit Hill Comic Book #2 Now Available!

The second volume of the Hermit Hill comic book series is now available online through the online store! It's another 24 pages worth of ink and paper Hermit Hill goodness. With the HH comics volume one and two you can now collect the last 6 month's worth of Walter's adventures. Each book is of a very high quality. They are professional grade comic books with a full color, glossy cover. Each volume is only $2.95 and in this economy dropping just 3 bucks on some funny comic strips ain't a bad way to get your laugh on!

Hermit Hill | #72 | 02/25/09

It's a Gnome Run!

Ok, this is the last of the garden gnome strips for a while. I'm getting tired of drawing so many tiny little things in the panels. Bah!

Appearance at STAPLE! '09 Saturday, March 7th

I will be appearing at the independent comics show STAPLE! next weekend in Austin, TX. This show is a total blast for fans of the indie comics scene and there's a big contingent of webcomic creators as well. I was there last year and was able to meet a lot of great people and creative cartoonists, so there was no way I could miss it this year. You can find where my table will be on the STAPLE! site's exhibitor map. I will be in the "Hall" at table 40 B.

For this show I am premiering a bunch of new products. First and foremost will be the Hermit Hill comic books. Volume 1 and 2 will be on hand at my table and they collect all the Hermit Hill comic strips from the site in actual paper and ink. Each book is only $2.99 and signing the books with a sketch are free! As I mentioned here in the blog before, I will also have a new set of collectable pins featuring scenes from the Hermit Hill comic strip. These will be only $0.50 each or absolutely free with a book purchase. I have sketched up some artist trading cards featuring characters from my comic strip that show original artwork on collectible cards, each one will be just $2. I will be doing requests for the cards at no extra cost.

On top of the Hermit Hill merch I will also have original Hermit Hill strip artwork to show, all my comic books published under my Bramble Vine Comics label will be for sale, my popular 144 page sketchbooks (now back in stock!) and copies of the Dallas cartoonists anthology, Synesthetic. My table will be bursting with indie comic goodness, so please stop by and say hello! Looking forward to seeing everyone in Austin on March 7th!

Hermit Hill | #71 | 02/23/09

A Giant Among Them.

Gnorm the Gnome goes a long way to make a point, but really, what else has he got to do? Sculpting a bunch of small Walters keeps him occupied regardless of how irritating Walter may find that.

Hermit Hill | #70 | 02/20/09

The Replacements.

I like the idea that Gnorm has a little work bench where he's just making tiny statues of himself. Something creepy about that I think. Walter may be hamming it up in the last panel for sarcastic effect. That's just his brand of humor I suppose.

Collectable Comic Pins

Collectable Comic Pins
Originally uploaded by natebramble

I got my order of pins from Button Arcade. I'll be selling these at STAPLE! '09 next month and any other comic cons I attend this year. I have 10 new designs all with scenes of my main character, Walter. I think they came out really good.

Hermit Hill | #69 | 02/18/09

Evil Decorative Army.

You know, it isn't exactly easy to make a cherubic little garden gnome look sinister and menacing. They're just so darn cute! I gave it my best shot though. Hatching under-lit shadow was new for me and I like the effect. I should try to work that in more often.

Cartoonist Trading Card

Cartoonist Trading Card
Originally uploaded by natebramble

Here is something new I'm going to be doing for the comic conventions I exhibit at this year, artist trading cards. I have these bristol board pages cut down to the size of trading cards and I'm drawing directly on them. They're collectible cards of original artwork.

Hermit Hill | #68 | 02/16/09

Tiny Fugitives.

It's been a while since we had a look into Gnorm's world. Gnorm's strange, tiny world. On a side note, yes, I drew all those little gnomes. I could have easily succumbed to webcomic laziness by drawing one and then copying it over and over. I prefer to strive for craftsmanship in my comics.

Hermit Hill | #67 | 02/13/09

Make an Ass out of U and Me.

Walter doesn't really go in for clever word play, especially when he's grumpy ... which is all the time. That little phrase never did really make sense to me. I mean, you don't make an "assume", you make and "assumption". Duh.

Hermit Hill | #66 | 02/11/09

Flying Salesman.

Hermit Hill | #65 | 02/09/09

Thwap!

So, over the weekend I did some house cleaning on the site here. I've updated the store page with some new items. I have a couple books available now and some mugs with Hermit Hill comic strips on them. I fixed the grass background that everyone always complained about, I went with something a little more subtle yet decorative instead. The about page is updated and I have some new icons on the main page. I added a slightly fancier flash gadget for browsing the sketchbook pages and my photos as well. Just some spit and polish here and there. Hope you guys like it.

Hermit Hill | #64 | 02/06/09

Home De-fence.

Poor Walter. Sometimes I feel kinda bad about making him suffer so much, but after being mean to Francis he kinda deserves it.

Hermit Hill | #63 | 02/04/09

Edward 40 Hands.

Ok, so here's the deal. I was hanging out on Flickr.com when I came across these photos from a party. The party consisted of a group of young folk with 40 oz. bottles taped to their hands. Further investigation revealed a drinking game I had not heard of before called Edward 40 Hands (Get it?). Of all the drinking games I took part in during college and throughout my 20's why didn't we think of this? It seems so obvious after the fact. Oh well. It looked like fun so I made a comic about it. These crazy kids today, I tell ya'.

Doodles from office meeting

Doodles from office meeting
Originally uploaded by natebramble

I may be a cartoonist at night, but I work in an office during the day. I actually love my job, but one of the most dreaded parts of it are all the meetings I'm subjected to. Here's a page of doodles I did during a particularly long corporate gab session.

Comic strips on the drawing board

Comic strips on the drawing board
Originally uploaded by natebramble

Took a quick break from inking my latest comic strip to snap this pic of my work space. Hermit hill 63 is shown here almost inked. 62 is sitting complete at the top there.

Hermit Hill | #62 | 02/02/09

A Sticky Situation.

What's going on with Francis' hands is the result of hanging out on Flickr and discovering a drinking game that I had never heard of before. More on that later.