Tuesday, January 29, 2008

COLORING KIRBY Part1

Ahhh. To color Kirby. What an honor. What a weight to shoulder.

As issue #1 of CHARLATAN BALL is currently being colored; I've attempted to provide the colorist with as much information in terms of my own personal color theorie(s) and "tastes", however tasteful, or palettable they may be. (hehe, get it?) Well, beyond my own scope of marker comps, digging thru older French Graphic Novels and such--nearly all my JACK KIRBY reprints and collections have been earmarked and flagged. Granted, some of these newer albums have been modified, colors and line adjusted (like in those DC ARCHIVE EDITIONS or MARVEL MASTERWORKS)--but some pages remained close enough, which saved any further damage to my old, original pages of the individual issues.

...and I know I may be in the minority; but I love the way color comics look on newsprint. Classic. Bold. Expressive when needed. Pure pop pulp.


I've always loved this page (I should scan the originals, I know--), I love the way the entire page is in complete chaos, ink darting all around, lines everywhere--but the colorist was able to bring it all back. The foregrand characters are grounded and simplified.



Before Magnola...





Such a great example how color can really set mood...


I know, I know, this is a modern coloring of a classic. But they didn't kill it--and I sort of like it:



This is a sample of the "classic" coloring. I LOVE the subtle blush on the cheeks, adds a bit of life--withought the horrendous "photo-real", FX-laden pages of today's books.





These next two are probably my favorites...


So simple. Brilliant.


Wednesday, January 16, 2008

STAN, THE (TAILOR) MAN, LEE!

Post (Sweet) Christmas has been a busy one. I'd love to actually post ALL of the work I've done from then until now--but some I want to keep under wraps for the time being.

The piece (below the guy with the 'piece') was a marker and pencil drawing JENSEN was kind enough to squeeze into the GALLERY 1988 show: "Under the Influence: Inspired by Stan Lee". My inspiration was all those amazing 60's comic books that depicted The Silver Surfer or The Thing (among every other hero AND villain in the Marvel Universe)--disguised only in a khaki trench coat, anonymously walking down the street like "one of us".

One instance...


This guy NEEDS a trench coat, stat!


My contribution...("Thank You, Jack Davis!"):


I was mere minutes too late to get a photo with Stan the Man; but intrepid boy reporter, TODD CASEY--sporting what could only be referred to as an uncanny likeness to Peter Parker; managed to snap THIS photo of the living legend, pointing and actually LAUGHING at my piece! How cool!



Peter Parker or Jimmy Olsen; guess that depends on if you're a MARVEL or DC guy.



'Nuff said!