AT LONG LAST, A COMMISSION!..

It's been a while.  Probably, over a year.  Don't pity me.  I have a list of commissions to draw.  I just haven't been able to get to them.  There are some guys who've been waiting for quite some time.  Feel bad for them. 

Don't feel too bad though.  I never take money until I'm done.  I've heard horror stories about artists who take money up front, then drop off the face of the earth.  There's a lesson in that for all you collectors/commissioners.  Do NOT pay your artists up front.  If you absolutely must, you might pay them a percentage as a retainer, but not any amount you're not willing to lose. 

Now, I'm not saying all artists/cartoonists are flakes.  I'm just saying enough are you should be careful.  It's just good sense.

Well, enough with the dispensing of wisdom.  It's doodle time. 

This is a little doodle I like to call PROJECT PEGASUS POKER PARTY.  The commissioner asked for a shot of The THING playing poker with a table full of heroes.  I'm pretty sure (I said it was a long time ago) he said he wanted Wolverine.  He might have even mentioned Titana (the broad with the boomerang on her head).

Now, my being a card carrying (and paste eating) nerd, I remembered the old Marvel Comics series Marvel Two-In-One, which every month teamed The THING, from Fantastic Four with random heroes from the Marvel Universe.  In this series, he often found himself involved with an experimental and top secret experimental hi-tech research facility.  This facility hired a revolving door of d-list heroes as security. 

There were some characters I really wanted to include- not because I have any great love for them, but because they were just so dopey and obscure, I know it would be my only chance for the cheap giggle.  Alas, there was only so much space. 

I've always loved Ant-Man.  His power is so incredibly lame, but I love insects and his helmet is bitchin.  His power over ants, also, presented the opportunity for a visual gag.  If I can, I try to put stupid little details in a drawing to amuse me and the Viewer. 

I've always been amused by the need to have "black" in the name of black characters and the group needed a splash of color.  So, Black Goliath was a shoe-in.

Valkyrie has always been a favorite character I've never really read.  I've never really read Avengers or Defenders.  She has a great look, with her hair in her face.  I imagine she could be a really interesting addition to a team.  She's a mystical being from Asgard.  So, your most powerful character on an otherwise male team is a woman.  Cool right?  I'm, also, drawing a graphic novel involving  Norse mythology (sort of).  So, it's a nod.  I follow Debbie Harry on facebook. I thought of her while drawing the character.

I needed someone serving snacks and Jacosta sprung to mind.  I got nothin' else on her. 

I've had a few comments/questions regarding the HAMM'S BEER lamp.  I just wanted to use a more obscure brand (to fit the heroes) with a fun graphic/mascot.  The bear won. 

I'm considering having this thing colored and made into a print to sell at shows.  What do you think? 

INKING/DRAWING TIME SPLIT

I think I might have mentioned I picked up an inking gig.  I'm working on a five issue arc of Ultimate X-Men, starting with #29. 

There's a lot to like about inking.  It's much faster than pencilling.  It's, frankly, much easier.  The pay isn't as good as pencilling, but because of the previously stated reasons, I can ink more in a day than pencil.  So, it more than works out.  I'm inking an X-book.  So, there are residuals.  Free money is always a good thing.  It being an X-book, also, increases chances of selling originals. 

Aside from the monetary and laziness advantages I get to play around with other styles/techniques I wouldn't normally use.  So, it can be a learning experience- something I can take back to my own work.  Going back to the issue of speed, once I finish my ink work, I can work on drawing.  It's a win/win.  That's the idea, anyway. 

There's been a bit of juggling.  In order to get a good groove going with my inks- it always takes a bit before I'm able to find the happy zone when inking a new artist-, I was neglecting my drawing. 

Now, I don't know about you, but my drawing muscles atrophy, practically, overnight.  Once I got back to drawing, I felt as though my drawing hand had been replaced with a monkey paw.  I have no idea what animal part had replaced the part of my brain used for drawing.  Layouts were a pathetic struggle.  I scrapped half of the first page layouts AFTER drawing most of it.  I redrew the first page I worked on three or more times.  Not exactly the best use of time. 

The rust has begun to shake off.  Getting the first page done exorcised a lot of the bad spirits.  Confidence and routine are a huge part of doodling.  The layouts for the second page came much easier and I only drew it once.  Other than forgetting to draw one of the characters into the scene, there were few bumps in the road. 

I'm sure it's all easy-peasy from here on out. 

COMING UP FOR AIR.

This business of regular posts is harder than it looks.  I haven't been drawing much of late.  Landed a gig inking an arc of Ultimate X-Men.  So, that's been taking up a good chunk of time.  Also, hit some cons and visited family.  So, it's been about a month without any real drawing.  Boy, that"s depressing.

But who wants to read about that nonsense.  Hell, I don't even want to type it!

Good news.  I started Back on FOUR NORSEMEN yesterday.  Struggling a bit.  The drawing and layouts muscles were/are a bit rusty, but by end of day today started feeling better about things.  That's the key-confidence and a good groove.

Now, back to the inking thing.  I'm inking five issues of Ultimate X-Men, starting with issue 29.  Keep your peepers peeled.  Here's a link to a few pages.  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.368164969952284.1073741857.337516879683760&type=1


xox

CON SKETCH STAMPEDE!

Hey kids!  I don't get to many cons these days -a situation that will be remedied once I get back to NYC- but I recently went to two in as many weeks.  I enjoy pressing the flesh with funnybook readers- swapping tall tales and pimping projects- and earning a bit of jingle by drawing sketches.  I thought you might like seeing some of them.  Peel your peepers and get a load of these.

Deadpool is usually the most requested doodle at shows, but this go around Wolvie won by a nose.  Though, one guy got three of them.  The fix was in.

Surprisingly, not the first Vincent Price con sketch I've been asked to draw.

Kinda blew it on Loki's face.  Happy with the Thor pose, though. 

Not the best princess of power I've ever drawn, but not the worst.  I always like drawing her.

Another of my favorite characters to draw.  I prefer the sweet and innocent over the grim and constipated.  Crazy old bastard J. O'Barr kept trying to reach over and "correct" the breasts on the top one.  Finally, after much clanging of pots and pans and squirting of water pistols he decided to to chase a different rat. 

The all new 52 whorish Starfire.  Apparently, she keeps her tits covered with advanced alien technology.  Reach for the stars...

I hate drawing Spiderman.  The bat-shit crazy it would take to design a costume like that, knowing full well you'd have to draw it a hundred times a month, it surpised me not ione bit when I first heard he was a, Ayn Rand wacko.  Still, I was pretty happy with the way these turned out. 

And another Deadpool makes it one and a half.  So, even with the cheat of one guy getting three Wolvies, the Canuck wins by a nose. 

Such a silly costume, but I love Power Girl.

Game of Thrones something-or-other.  I haven't seen it.  Waiting for it to hit Netflix.

Crimson Sabre, the creation of the guy who got it.

I love Conan, but I think I kinda suck at drawing him.  Bat-shit O'Barr reached over and inked a bit of one arm.

Chaos Comics character, Chastity.  I don't think I'd ever heard of her and knew nothing about her.  Chaos published "Bad Girl" comics in the nineties.  It was a short-lived trend.  In all the pics I saw online she looked like a vengeful dominatrix.  Oddly, one of my favorite sketches of the trip.  My lovely wife, who abhors this type of thing, agrees.  so, it must be true.

SHAME ON ME!

Not too long ago I promised I'd post more often and regularly, and here it is a month since my last post.  I've been busy, but that's no excuse. 

What's been keeping me busy is a case of the same old same old.  I'm plugging away on FOUR NORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE, the graphic novel I'm doing with writer Matt Sturges.  Unfortunately, my production on this is like the trains in India- slow and smelly, but chugging along.  Hopefully, it's worth the wait. 

Here are a couple of my most recent pages.  Hope you dig em.

  Yes, my friends, this book is bat-shit crazy.