SKETCH FOR A FRIEND

I've so much I want to post, but too many projects in too infantile of states to feel comfortable--and all those other ones I'm not allowed to show. So, until then, please enjoy this sketch I did for Joe Keatinge.

"BULL$HIT!!!"

More playing. Less polished than the Hawkeye piece below, although similar line application.

STILL PLAYIN'...or "HEY HAWK GUY!!"

Still playing with line weights and style...

I'm getting a bit closer to where I'd like to be. It's a slightly tighter than the Prophet sketch below, but still expressive.

MY LOVE LETTER TO "PROPHET"

I just finished my freelance, but not the movie I was watching, so I spent the few remaining minutes drawing (one of) the new incarnations of PROPHET. For those unfamiliar, Prophet was an Image title way back when, now reincarnated and turned on it's ear by Brandon Graham--whom I have a mad artist crush on. It's incredible and so is his other creator owned projects. Check them out.

...In any event, I've been playing with several styles lately to help increase my cleanup speed while not losing or changing my pencils too much, which my previous brush style did. I felt my solid drawings underneath would always graduate over too much towards "animation" style--although still retaining energy, I would lose myself in the literal line work too much, slowing me down. Finished pages became much different beasts, no matter how much I drew realistic, stylistic or whatever, my inks always brought it back to Kirby or cartoons. Again, not bad, but regardless of my intentions that's where I'd always end up.  So this piece may look sloppy, but I'm pleased with how fast I can be with this looser style. I can live with the spontaneous lines and even the stray ones.

Thoughts? Discuss.

"DIRECT HIT!!!"

So...this happened at approximately 9:30 this morning...

SKETCHES FROM ECCC 2013

Seattle's EMERALD CITY COMIC CON was super fun and a huge success! I had a blast and am already looking forward to next year. Thanks to everyone that popped by the booth, said hi and got a sketch, book or prints from me--I nearly sold out of everything which was a first. 

Here's a few sketches I did up there--and of course forgot to take pics of some of the bigger ones (if you have any of those big SAMURAI JACK sketches I did for you, feel free to email me a pic or scan!). The requests were varied, which is good, because so are my drawing styles...

FOOM!!!

In my "WHAT IF--?!" fantasy, a baby Fin Fang Foom would be invited into Matt Fraction and Mike Allred's FF. Heh. Dragons.

MASH UP AND ECCC

Do you like SAMURAI JACK? Do you dig JACK KIRBY? Do you like MASH UPS??

(Was this a terrible idea?)

I just finished "play-drawing", this was the result. I'm thinking about printing a few of these and selling and/or giving away this coming week/end up at Seattle's EMERALD CITY COMICON--where I'll be in the ARTIST'S ALLEY section, BOOTH J-03. Come see me. Buy something!

"HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!"

In case any of you wondered just how romantic I can be...this is for you...

NO TITLE NECESSARY...

UNWANTED ART...

There's more to this story, but let's just say I couldn't even give this away...

"LET'S HANGOUT THIS WEEKEND!"

As I posted previously, the first ever IMAGE COMIC EXPO is happening THIS weekend up in Oakland, California! If you are coming up, come say "hi"--I will be in the Artist's Alley area, table 204. I'm looking forward to meeting new people and having my ego either stroked...or crushed. Please help it be the former! 

As a special treat, I created exclusive prints JUST FOR THIS CONVENTION!!!

Joe Casey and I will also be doing a special signing Sunday, 1-2pm at the Image proper island. Special giveaways abound like these exclusive prints below:

So please come on by, say "hi", get a sketch, original pages, prints, teeshirts and books...or rifle through all the neat stuff on my table, asking me where Robert Kirkman is.

Image Comic Expo
February 24-26, 2012
Oakland Convention Center
550 10th Street
Oakland, CA 94607

BOOK PLUG!

INTREPIDS TRADE PAPEBACK IN STORES NOW!!!

INTREPIDS by Kurtis J. Wiebe and Scott Kowalchuk from Image Comics was one of my favorite new mini-series of 2011--it was first and foremost FUN, had secret island lairs, mad scientists and cybernetic grizzly bears! Did I mention the colors? Amazing color theories happening inside as well. Scott Kowalchuk has easily become one of my favorite artists--so I was more than eager to donate a pinup. Check out the book and tell me different. I dare you. Double dare you!

"GET YOUR FREE ORIGINAL SKETCH ON!"

Along with GOLDEN APPLE COMICS in Hollywood, CA, HOUSE OF SECRETS in Burbank, CA and geeky hipster online shoppers Valhalla THWIPSTER.COM-- 2 More prestigious shops have joined my "Free Original Sketch Incentive"! For those midwesterners, ALTER EGO COMICS in Marion Iowa and my favorite New York City comics shop: JIM HANLEY'S UNIVERSE!

Those are a lot of options, so this Wednesday (11/30), go pick up your DOC BIZARRE MD HC and get your free sketch on!!!

MADMAN!

Cards on the table: Mike Allred is one of my favorite artists out there. MADMAN has been a huge influence on me and my work ever since the first issue of Grafik Muzik. So you can imagine the tingling in my testicles I got when he suggested we trade pinups in each of our respective books coming out--so here's mine for his what's sure-to-be beautiful oversized 11x17 Madman Super Spectacular 20th Anniversary Monster HC coming out at Christmas!

You can see Mike's pinup in DOC BIZARRE MD, out next week!

"FREE SKETCHES!!"

In an effort to market myself and as part of an incentive for you good folks to purchase DOC BIZARRE MD, I took it upon myself to bust out about 50 original sketches, done on comic book backing boards--to be slipped into the inside (hard)cover. So far, GOLDEN APPLE COMICS in Hollywood, HOUSE OF SECRETS in Burbank and the online deal-givers THWIPSTER.COM are all participating!

If you don't live near any of these places, then the on-line route is for you--OR, you could alert your local comic shop and have them contact me and I would be more than happy to send them these little "treats". But they need to act fast!

Here are a couple samples. As you can see they range from floating heads to more intricate compositions....

The boys at House of Secrets asked for their sketches smaller, as to be easily slid inside books (above) and full pages (below).

CHARACTER CONCEPTUAL DESIGN OF A DIFFERENT COLOR

Most people are familiar with my character design work on more humorous or "cartoony" (Ahh! Bad word!) projects. I recently came across a few old files of conceptual work I did in a more serious/action tone. This was a project I worked on a year or two back that shall not be named yet, but I hope it makes it's way into your boxes soon. I really loved the concept. These designs weren't even CLOSE to the final character design--so it should be safe to post. I have more, but thought it would be fun to show two designs of the SAME character--and (CLASS, PAY ATTENTION), just by adjusting proportions, you can transform the character's personality. Personally, I would LOVE to revisit the bottom character sometime. He reminds me of a Caniff character in an old adventure strip. Anyone game?

AND NOW SOMETHING TOTALLY UNRELATED...

Wow. Not sure when the last time I just drew something "for fun"...okay. Now, back to work...

"AVENGER TIME!"

I'm usually savvy enough to not post freelance--for a number of reasons, but I thought these were too fun and eventually revised so much they don't appear too similar to the final products, thus hopefully legally off the hook for posting.

The job required parody's of Marvel Super Heroes. Needless to say, it was probably my most favorite job--less any work Marvel wants to throw my way....? *crickets* No? Okay, moving on...

Below, a slight twist on a classic (I think the hat was a nice touch).
The HULK parody below was probably my favorite--as I have a fondness for the sort of hillbillyness of it's design.
And these two, well...
You can see the actual short here: http://www.cartoonbrew.com/tv/mads-marvel-superheroadventure-time-mash-up.html

SKETCHY SKETCH

...another sketchbook sketch.

Enjoy.