Post-Heroes post

First chance I've had to post after the fun that was Heroes Con this year, as I took the family to Atlanta to check out the World's Largest Aquarium in the form of the Georgia Aquarium. Definitely worth the trip! Whale sharks(the only ones in the States), Beluga whales, hammerheads, cow-nosed rays, loggerhead turtles... we saw 'em all and about a million more.

Anyway, thanks to all those who purhcased a copy of Rhomble at the show. Was great fun hanging out with everyone, and catching up with old friends. Had some great down-home cookin' with me old studio-mates Jeff Parker, Casey Jones, Scott Hampton and Chris Kemple. Good times. Caught up with old pal and Doom Patrol inker Mark McKenna as well. It was Mark that encouraged me all those years ago to start trying out inking other pencillers to see if it would take while he was working on a Kelley Jones fill-in for DP. Looking forward to next year's show already!

Rhomble!

Putting together my first sketchbook for public consumption, to try and peddle at Heroes Con this weekend. If you're coming, come on by and pick up a copy. Free sketches for each copy purchased! How's that for salesmanship?

Some of the sketches in the book will be familiar to those who frequent this site, but chock full of goodies never seen elsewhere before. If I have some left after the show, I may well take orders online for those that can't make it to Charlotte. Time will tell!

Melancholic Dream

Watercolor study I worked up last week of Sandman. He kind of reminds me of a goth rocker who began to question what it was all about after the band broke up... but that's just me. Maybe I shouldn't psychoanalyze my own work.

Rise of the Silver Surfer

Getting prepped and ready for Heroes Con in just two weeks, and in so doing worked up this sketch for the program book. Went as far as inking it all up and adding some touches in photoshop, I figured I may as well color it up too.

Looking forward to seeing everyone who can make it to Charlotte this year for the show. Always a great time, thanks to people like Shelton Drum and the whole crew at Heroes Aren't Hard to Find, and Casey Jones, artist extrodinaire, former studio mate, and all-around great guy, who's coordinating the artists this year.

Angels on the Wing

Some recent concept work, which is actually the first of my concepts I've posted.

Dr. Strange ('s) Love

I figured after drawing Doc Strange that it'd be fun to sketch up his lady love Clea. Now, should I follow these up with Doc's trusty man-servant Wong, or his arch-enemy Dormammu? Hmmm...

A Strange 20 years

I realized the other day that this spring marks the 20th year anniversary of me landing my first professional comics gig, pencilling a story of one of my favorite characters, Dr. Strange. One of those moments that I'll always remember, painting the bedroom of the house my girlfriend (and future wife) was renting when the phone rang. Carl Potts was on the line, and wondering if I'd be interested in pencilling an 11 page fill-in featuring the good Doctor for an issue of Stange Tales. I tried to keep my cool, and sound professional in my response, but as soon as I was off the phone I couldn't contain my excitement and call friends to let them know I got this awesome gig.

So, in remembrance of that moment, here's a new rendition of the Doctor. It's been a strange 20 years.

Girl and her Dragon

Another sketch I did a while back in my sketchbook, and recently painted up in Photoshop. Created a custom "scale" brush for the dragon's scales that saved lots 'o inking time.

Not totally happy with the composition, largely the result of it being just a sketch and running out of room, so the cropping seems awkward to me, but it is what it is in the end, a sketch.

Tarzan

Recently finished commission piece of Tarzan and Jane. Also throwing up the original sketch I started with.

Hope to work up a color version real soon as well.

Spidey

Was asked recently to do a sketch of Spider-Man for a friend who works with Clubs in the City and Building Together Ministries- Christian, non-profit organizations that serve in Raleigh's inner city. Their After School Academy provides after school care for children in grades k-5th. In this cool program the kids get to participate in various arts activities- visual arts, dance, and music in addition to getting help with homework & tutoring. It turns out her most disruptive student is a big comics fan, so hopefully Spidey here can help in keeping the peace.

For more information check out http://www.btministries.com

For me it was a nice opportunity to revisit drawing Spidey for the first time in quite a while. I had think back for a bit on just how that darn webbing of his works on his costume, but it came back eventually. Might have to do some more now that I've gotten bitten by the bug. uh--sorry...

I was...Trying to Think.

Even doing an illo about a creative block can lead to a creative block...

Just 'cuz

Haven't posted in a bit thanks to a busy busy month, so I've got to post something just to flex my bloggin' muscles. You know how it is... you don't use it you lose it. And so, I present TurnipBoy.

Now, that I've got that over with, maybe I can get back on the blog train easier next time!

Happy Groundhog's Day

My buddy Dean started the time-honored tradition of sending Groundhog Day cards some 20 years ago, as either a rebuttal to the Xmas card fad that just won't go away, or as a way to buy himself a little extra time to get greeting cards out to all his friends. Anyway, I thought I'd finally give it a shot... with apologies to him for stealing his idea.

More studies of Bim

some fresh studies of Bim I did this past weekend to re-familiarize how I draw him,


...along with this wonderful sketch by my daughter Kaitlin...Pretty impressive for a six-year old I think! She was particularly proud of the curved line of Bim's belly that she made. Also, Easter eggs are really in with her right now, so Easter eggs we shall have!

Death becomes her

Copy of an image of Death (from Neil Gaiman's Sandman series) commissioned for a tattoo that I did recently...

Arachnastasia

Recently finished sketch of another character from Lorelei's Library of Curiosities, Arachnastasia. Along with another of the original pages...

Lorelei

Quick sketch of Lorelei from the "Lorelei's Library of Curiosities" story I did a couple years back, published in Negative Burn's Summer 2005 issue. For those that never saw the story, here's a page from it as well...

A Walk in the Woods

As a boy, I always enjoyed a good solitary walk in the woods from time to time. Nothing was more relaxing or captured the imagination quite like it. Happily, I think I've passed on the same sentiment to my kids... which was the inspiration for this sketch.

SNOW!

A couple of old sketches (of a much older Zozzle than I draw these days) in honor of the first snow to hit our area in about 2 years. Didn't last long, but lasted long enough for the kids to make snow angels, build a snowman and of course, have a snowball fight. Yay, snow!