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| Complete series cover by Chynna Clugston Flores |
Sadly, this compilation of V1 and V2 will be the complete run for us. The license ran out, my editor moved on, and it's time for us to do the same. But first, let's walk through the second volume. If you didn't see my notes on my V1 art, click the tag for "Saved by the Bell."
I have mixed feelings about V2. I was crazy busy at my day job during the production of the stories, and the deadlines of everything combined was really stressful. But I look at some of the art here and think, "well, alright, still pretty good."
Overall, there are fewer inside jokes and bits snuck in, but here we go (page numbering from Freshman Year):
"Just Married"
This was my favorite SBTB story to draw. Loved Ox and Lisa; some homo-subtext with Zack and Screech. Just a joy to draw!
P157 P1: Screech is wearing a T with a Mayan symbol I had recently seen at a museum in Paris. Miss Wentworth came from Google image searching from the show--she was an actual character! Eames desk chairs and chairs throughout this story, too! Fred and Daphne from Scooby Doo in the back row next to Ox.
P158 P3: My recurring background character indie gay boy Jeff gets huggy in front of Fred and Daphne; Leslie and Herbert from V1 also still a couple and appear in the backgrounds throughout this story.
P160 P1: Far right, is a girl in a Betty (Bat-Girl) Kane dress, carrying a tennis racket (Betty's first love), behind Kate with her trademark umbrella in mini backpack.
P160 P5: My oft-used explosion effect.
P162: I really liked this page. I hated the Jesse character on the show, but I imagined her as a a lipstick lesbian when I drew her, so liked her more.
P163: More Eames in the library. I loved drawing Lisa and Ox; their dynamic (though exaggerated) reminded me of my sister and pretty much every BF she's ever had.
P164: P1 More touch-action for Jeff. P3-4 "twin sister" poster for my friend Matt, who has a twin sister.
P166: Miss Wentworth sports a dress inspired by Kara Zor-el from the 70s.
P167 P6: Jeff sports a "haifischbaby" T designed and sold me me.
P168 P6: hearts for Jeff and his skinny boy BF.
"Rumor With a View"
I hated this story, it was a lot of talking. From Jesse about Slater. Ugh. But still got kudos from my editor for making some interesting things happen.
P185 P1: another example of me compressing scripted panels 1-3 to make a half-splash. Here, the gang takes second place to Jeff and his skinny boy BF in the center. Happy with this page...though the perspective gave me a run for my money...
P186 P1: Jesse has a book titled Bra Town in her locker!
P186 P6: I haven't used the flower effects since Cavalcade in 2006!
P187 P1: Krueger fiberglass chairs.
P187 P4: Poster for the BBC show Do Not Adjust Your Set.
P188 P1: Kate with her backpack and umbrella.
P189: I loved this page with the shrubbery.
P190: I loved this page more...shrubbery plus shirtless Slater. Plus fun Kelly in P6.
P191: Jeff and his BF bicker.
P192 P1: poster for Slumbrew's comedy night (every Sunday).
P192 P2: poster for Race for the Cure...featuring Robert Smith. :-)
P192 P4: Ox, Leslie, Herbert in BG.
P193 P2: Rabbit book in the locker.
P191 P3: not sure what this poster was.
"Hats Off"
This is probably my second favorite story to draw. Lots of fun stuff going on with the cursed hat, and some fun splashy stuff to draw. Plus Ox. I love drawing him!
P199 P1: Bayside Chess team poster and I can't recall what the other was meant to be.
P200 P1-3: Several glimpses of Backpack Kate and Jeff. More Krueger fiberglass chairs.
P200 P5: McCobb Planner Group dresser 1509.
P201 P4-7: I had to scrap the first draft as the writer and editor wanted to invoke a feeling of a lots of time passing with Zack stationary. Here I drew the background once, and layer over several characters, some which recur over the 4 panels, others don't. A reasonable solution!
P202: I thought this was a prank when I read the script...Slater wrestling in a singlet?!? For me?!? It felt like a gift. Luxuriate on this page.
P202 P1: More Kate, plus Herbert and Leslie milling about.
P202 P5: My friend Scott is really "into" wrestling, and as tribute to him and our friendship, I asked him to send me a few of his favorite wrestling pics. This panel draws from one of them I thought worked best.
P203: Another fun page to draw, Kelly getting nailed by the basketball. I get to use my explosion effect.
P204 P3: Jeff wearing a Tin from Metal Men T; creepy stalker lurking too.
P205 P1:
P205 P2: McCobb Planner Group desk 1561.
P206: Among my favorite pages to draw of the series! I loved the way the bonfire in P3 turned out with the light and shadows. I think I managed to pull off the tiny panels well, against some big splashy stuff. Plus Ox! He may be the unofficially 7th Beller.
P207 P1: Poster is obscured, but it reads, "Cheer try outs and coffee house." Kelly wearing a 1976 Supergirl T & hotpants combo.
P207 P2: Ox carrying a Math for Jocks textbook. Last Ox I think :-(
P208 P1: Poster for my upcoming anthology, Love Street.
P208 P2: Joelle's script describes "a tall hot guy approaches Jesse." and his lines are attributed to "GUY" like so:
GUY: Are you Jesse Spano?
At the time I was drawing this, one of my co-workers, by the name of Guy, was leaving Boston for Seattle. I made this Guy look sort of like our Guy (tall, insanely broad shoulders and insanely narrow waist). One poster behind him is of a sneaker (Guy had/has a sneaker fetish); the other is a poster from the "we miss you club" with little drawings of my co-workers in a heartfelt tribute to Guy.
"Sandblasted"
By now I was slipping further behind deadline, and really stressed out. Fortunately, this script was much easier to draw with the beach-y backgrounds. Though is did limit the inside jokes and recurring background characters I was inserting. Fun to draw the guys in swimtrunks, plus lifeguards!
P213 P1: The only glimpse of Backpack Kate. Some weird layering of the title font over Zack's hand.
P220-221: For all you Kelly fans, I gave you as much bikini action close-up as I could!
P224-226: I drew the hospital scene first, since it was the toughest. Lots of talking in bed, but I I like the way it turned out.
***
That's all for Saved by the Bell! I'm both sad and relieved we're not moving on to sophomore year. I wracked up just under 100 pages in the series, and overall, I am pleased with my efforts. Since so much of the script was talking, locker scenes, the Max, and classrooms, I tried to take every moment to do my best layout and inking. And, when it came time for splapstick, I dove in there too. Plus I got to draw a few alt locations (the mall, the studio, the ski lodge, the beach, etc.). So the series wasn't my usual fare, but I 99% loved working on it and am grateful I had the opportunity! Joelle's scripts were spot on in series' tone; my editor Adam (mostly :) pushed me to better places; and it's an honor to be side-by-side with one of my favorite artists, Chynna.
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