Sniper Rifle

This is a recent Missile Mouse commission I did. MM is armed with the Plasmatic CS-53*. The official sniper rifle of the Galactic Security Agency. It's a plasma based weapons system hence the coolant canister attached to the underside of the rifle.



*CS stands for Clean Shot and 53 represents the rifle's model number in that series.

Packin' Heat

I drew this as a type of model sheet for me to refer to as I draw Missile Mouse over and over and over again for the graphic novel. I pretty much have him down pat and could draw him in my sleep, but still it's good to keep this in front of me to make sure I don't stray too far from what the original design is.

Missile Mouse Graphic Novel

I'm excited to announce that I'm working on Missile Mouse's first graphic novel: The Star Crusher. Publishers Weekly has the details here:

Jake Parker Two-Book Pact
The Flight generation—cartoonists included in artist/editor Kazu Kuibishi’s acclaimed anthology of color comics—continues to prosper in the new graphic novel era. Cartoonist/animator Jake Parker has signed a two book deal with Graphix, Scholastic’s graphic novel imprint, to produce two graphic novels starring Missile Mouse, a cute crime fighting mouse character that will star in Parker’s two sci-fi adventure graphic novels.The deal was negotiated by agent Judy Hansen of the Hansen Literary Agency. Missile Mouse was introduced earlier this year in Flight Explorer, an anthology based on Flight with comics created for young readers, published by Villard. Missile Mouse: The Star Crusher, the first of the two graphic novels, will be published in 2010. Parker’s work has also appeared in Out of Picture, another color comics anthology that collects the comics works of animator that is also published by Random House/Villard.

So that's what's replaced my social life for the past 6 months, and why I've had Missile Mouse on the brain so much lately. I'm super stoked to be doing this book. The more I live in the Missile Mouse universe as I create and draw it the more I want to share it with everyone. I know 2010 is a long way off, but I'll be posting little works in progress, concept art, and few pages here and there as we barrel towards the release date. To start off here's one of the panels from early on in the book:

Ungulate

Sometimes a speeder just isn't a reliable form of transportation. In which case using indigenous creatures suitable for riding is the preferred alternative. Here MM has found some sort of double toed ungulate that seems to be part fungus and part slug.

Missile Launcher

Another Missile Mouse drawing. I'm going to have to start coloring these at some point.

Speeder Ball

A Galactic Security Agent is trained to be expertly proficient in handling all kinds of vehicles. From sophisticated fighter ships to your average commuter speeder there's nothing they can't turn into an efficient pursuit vehicle. However, if given the choice, I don't think Missile Mouse would have picked the Speeder Ball SB5 as a get away vehicle. It's handling is poor, acceleration rivals that of a Gorgonian sand slug, and it's noisy. But when you're in a pinch some things have to suffice.

Double Gun Jump

Thanks again to all of you who ordered the sketchbooks. You should have received them by now. They were fun to sketch in and I hope you like the sketch you got.

I did this drawing tonight to wind down. I was so tired I didn't want to draw it. But once my hand started sketching I couldn't stop and it gave me a little art boost of energy. I love it when I get those.