Copybook Tales by Tim Levins

I happened upon the artists alley table of Tim Levins at a con in Toronto in 2002. He's best known for his work on various DC comics adapting the Bruce Timm-designed Batman cartoons of the 1990s (for which his style was ideal). But my favorite project of his was his first: The Copybook Tales, a Slave Labor Graphics title he did with writer J. Torres.

The Copybook Tales was a wonderful coming-of-age series. Jay, the lead character, is featured here in his middle-school years. The book celebrated comics culture and the 1980s, so Levins's decision to incorporate a Rubik's Cube into this sketch was a nice touch. It's one of several "bonked in the head" sketches in the sketchbook to ensure compliance with the "Ouch!" theme.