CROM Update 069 | Anthology #1 | LIVE - Final Pages, Full Color Cover, and Brutal Blade #3
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In this episode, Kurt Brugel updates the Crommunity on his progress toward completing CROM Anthology #1. He explains that the anthology currently sits at 228 pages in mock-up form, with some sections finished and others still requiring his personal art contributions. Kurt shows off recent work, including the story Lalla & the Time Machine, adapted from Gardner Fox and Bob Powell’s Cave Girl comics. He also shares his “skeletal inking” process—structural linework, lettering, liquid masking, graphite washes, and layered textures using pencils, gouache, spray cans, and paint markers.
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Kurt digs deeper into three key updates. First, he discusses how Lalla & the Time Machine experiments with time, space, and recurring characters like Ralph Norkelander, blending Fox’s science fiction roots with Crom’s mythos. Second, he talks about CROM Jr., his comic relief series that serves as a color experimentation project, drawing inspiration from Calvin & Hobbes and Saturday morning cartoons. Though the anthology will print it in black and white, he intends to later release a color collection. Third, Kurt reveals the full-color cover art he'll be creating for the anthology, inspired by psychedelic poster art and produced with Sharpie paint pens, pencils, and overlays.
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Kurt also announces that Brutal Blade of Crom #3—the indie anthology spearheaded by Jamie Barrows—will be released on September 21, 2025. He encourages listeners to purchase it and other Crom-related works via cromthebarbarian.com
Looking ahead, Kurt is preparing to finalize CROM of Klarn, expand Crom’s world with maps, and invite more contributors into CROM Anthology #2. His closing message emphasizes community involvement, collaboration, and keeping Crom alive as a public domain character for new creators.
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Watch the CROM Update 069 video on YouTube:
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Educational Highlights
Process Insight – Kurt details his “skeletal inking” method and mixed-media experimentation, showing how comics can evolve through layering and texture.
Public Domain Creativity – The podcast demonstrates how a public domain character like Crom can be reimagined through both homage (Fox/Powell roots) and new contributions.
Anthology Curation – Kurt explains the importance of sequencing, continuity, and layout when curating multi-creator anthologies.
Use these links to find out more about Kurt inker Brugel.
