DETECTIVE BOOGALOO: HIP-HOP COP DAILY | WHAT'S THE HAPS?

One thing that changed from the original strip to the new dailies was Boogaloo's 'voice' which originally was a font made out of my handwriting, became my handwriting--freehanded right on the digital strip.

Boogaloo is the only character in this universe with a different font for their dialogue--a small visual cue that he is different, so don't compare him to another.

Cuz' they can't hang! Word to the mother.

DETECTIVE BOOGALOO: HIP-HOP COP DAILY | LET IT YO LET IT YO LET IT YO

One of my favorite sequences, where we get to play with some mood and play in the snow. E did a great job setting the tone in this arc of strips.

DETECTIVE BOOGALOO: HIP-HOP COP DAILY | SHE WATCHES CHANNEL ZERO

One of my favorite strips - I really wanted to take a peek into BLING CITY from the perspective of a Man on the Street--What does a citizen of BLING CITY think about Ice Tre', or better yet, have you noticed how quickly some people want to jump in front of a camera? Fame comes any way you can get it sometimes.

Also, peep my man BRENT BROCKENSMITH, my favorite newsanchor, rocking the BLING CITY GLACIERS jersey. Ice Tre's reach is far-reaching.


COLOR NOTES FROM E:

I always got excited whenever there was snow in a strip because figuring out how to layer it was a really fun process. And this strip had so many textures in it! The camo jacket, the emergency lights in the background, the snow – it was really busy color-wise, which is the sort of challenge I really like dealing with. Especially the camo – I freehanded that pattern off a couple of different references and ended up kind of winging it. It’s also the only color in that panel that isn’t a variation of blue or red (or purple) – besides the gold ice cube tray on his hat, of course, which really helped center him as a focal point despite the chaos around him. I ended up doing a lot of red/blue color schemes throughout the strip.

DETECTIVE BOOGALOO: HIP-HOP COP DAILY | BOOM BOOM BOOM LET'S BLOW UP THE ROOM

This is the first place we see a glimpse of ICE TRE's powers. E and I went back and forth over the third panel for the longest time. This was probably the most leaning I did when we got started on the project.


Color comments by color-aide, E:

From the beginning I was playing a pretty tricky balancing game between how I personally approach coloring and the vibe of the original Boogaloo strip. I wouldn’t say this one is the turning point – it’d take me a few weeks to really get the hang of what I was trying to communicate, personally – but it was, I think, a definite stepping stone. Mostly though I wanted to note that I did like almost 10 totally different variations of the BOOM sfx, which was silly but I was still a little nervous about the gig. Boom.

DETECTIVE BOOGALOO: HIP-HOP COP DAILY | THE GRAVY MAKES THE SAUCE

DOSSIER NOTES
(After the jump!)

DETECTIVE BOOGALOO: HIP-HOP COP DAILY | IN THE BOOTH TRE SPEAKS TRUTH

DOSSIER NOTES:

(After the jump!)

#boogalooboomboxselfie | Last METRO Ridealong w/ DETECTIVE BOOGALOO

memories from the METRO Newspaper run. Love it!

Here's some reader love from the last day of the paper. Will post more from the summer. Go see my dude Jesus Marquez' cartooning at his Tumblr.

DETECTIVE BOOGALOO: HIP-HOP COP DAILY | COLD AS ICE

DOSSIER NOTES
(After the jump)

DETECTIVE BOOGALOO: HIP HOP COP DAILY | WELCOME TO BLING CITY

DOSSIER NOTES:
(Behind the Jump)

(DETECTIVE BOOGALOO) HIP-HOP COP / YOU DON'T STOP

I have spent the last three seasons creating a daily comic strip. Its name is DETECTIVE BOOGALOO: HIP-HOP COP.  It has run daily in the US Metro newspapers, which are available for your morning commute if you live in Boston, Philadelphia (my hometown), and/or New York City, and also online.  A lot of you live online.

I created this property in 1999 and it ran on a website of filmmaker Kevin Smith for several years, taking on a few forms before, and after that.

In the beginning of this year, I began talks with METRO to feature my property, where I would update remix and retell the Detectives' origin story as a daily, full color strip. I am very proud of this undertaking, and also very proud of my assistant, E Hetrick Jackson, who provides dazzling color for the strip. It is a perfect marriage of my color theory and E's fresh approach to my style, giving it the offbeat care it demands.

After November 11th 2015, DETECTIVE BOOGALOO will cease to run in the METRO. The paper has decided to move in a different creative direction and thus, that's that. 

I have enjoyed the fact that my work has been seen by over 4 million readers a month for close to six months, but we end on an amicable agreement, and I thank all the great people who helped give Boogaloo (or "Hip-Hop Cop" as the paper tagged the strip) the attention and audience I have worked to attain my whole professional life as a cartoonist. I am forever grateful.

The great news is, that the Detective will continue on. Look here for more news and art and strips, and also on Boogaloo's Facebook Fan Page which you can LIKE right now. or the Twitter page, but we'll keep it simple and you can Follow me on my studio account. 

This has been a year of amazing highs and crushing lows, but I will continue to find joy in creating and growing with properties that are mine and alone.

Please, please, join me and seeing the detective off in the Metro tomorrow, and look here for the next dossier briefing of the Long Arms of the Law. I hope to see a healthy portion of those 4 million readers again.

DON'T TAKE HIP-HOP FROM STRANGERS!

Jamar Nicholas
Philly
2015

DETECTIVE BOOGALOO RETURNS!

WACK EMCEES? YOUR TIME IS UP!

My comic strip, DETECTIVE BOOGALOO: HIP-HOP COP is now running daily in the US METRO line of newspapers, NYC, Boston and Philadelphia! You can grab it from the green paperbox if you live in one of those cities, or ONLINE. Don't miss a day as I remix/retell James Lee Boogaloo's origin story for a new generation of readers!

DON'T TAKE HIP HOP FROM STRANGERS!
#DTHHFS

GREETINGS FROM JAMAR NICHOLAS STUDIOS!

HELLO AWESOMECON FRIENDS AND FANS! Thanks for the great time in Washington, DC!

Follow LEON: PROTECTOR OF THE PLAYGROUND on Facebook here!

--JN

Jamar Nicholas | STUDIO BLACKBOSS