NO TITLE NECESSARY...

UNWANTED ART...

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

MORE PLASTIC MAN CARTOONS!!!

"Sorry, Archie--you and your Community Service Center didn't make make the new shorts." 

Buuuuut...even though Archie is a casualty from my original pilot from 2006, the pliable paladin survived and is indeed back--to be part of DC Nation's debut tomorrow, 10am on Cartoon Network!

Tom Kenny and I (and many other super talented people) did 6 brand new shorts, each a brisk 1:15 long. The first got a sneak peek via The Nerdist Podcast Channel here...

I will say one of the other (but not only) casualties from the pilot was my friend and artist extraordinaire, Stephen DeStefano. I would've loved to work with him again, but the timing and budget of these tiny 'toons necessitated a much more paired down, gorilla-style production (i.e. me cranking out all six over a weekend), but I hope I get to make more--and that I can invite all my friends to play. So please watch tomorrow (somewhere between Green Lantern and Young Justice I think)--if you like it, TELL PEOPLE YOU DID. Blog it. Tweet it. Tell Warner Bros Animation. More importantly, tell Rob Sorcher at Cartoon Network you want to see Plastic Man on their comedy lineup. If you do, there will be more! Or lawsuits. Either way.

"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

MY OWN PERSONAL "IMAGE"

It's IMAGE COMICS big 20th Anniversary as well as the debut of Image Expo this coming weekend in Oakland California (some would speculate to take the place of Wondercon, which decided to migrate down to Anaheim this year). To say Image Comics had an impact on the way we perceive and collect independent comics is an understatement--but it's the fact that it remains to be what it started off as: a safe haven for artists and creators to own their properties 100%. Well I might not be as fortunate as Robert Kirkman to have my comic creations bought, developed and successfully greenlit to series or film, but at least I get to live an die by my own sword under the creator-owned mantra. That being said, I would still very much welcome the former windfall of good fortune and mass appeal--but I digress...

In light of the occasion, I thought I'd take a moment via blog post and share my own long, diverse, almost two-decade history with the publishing company...

In 1996, just a few years after Image Comics was formed and several years before I grew back hair, there was the world's greatest magician named Rudy Coby and his uber weird, super unique altar ego named Labman! 

This sourcebook, along with a super cool poster were freebees at the 1996 Sand Diego Comic Con.

Only one issue was ever printed, although if memory serves, I inked to completion 5 issues--most of which while living in Berlin, or traveling wherever else the (eventual TV) show took us, in post war hotels or surviving pre-war apartments and almost always on some makeshift desk under poor lighting. I was young. I was an Elvis impersonator in a mad circus, Vaudeville review. It was romantic. 

Image's first all-company crossover even invited Labman to it's pantheon of hero martian resistance fighters!

Like the magician he is, the short-lived Labman series disappeared in a poof of smoke, paving the way for my very own (albeit also short-lived) series...

I did BIG HAIR PRODUCTIONS back in 1998-2000 if memory serves correctly, the first issue while still living in Detroit, the second after moving to Los Angeles and starting my career in animation. The best part about this title was getting to continue to work with Image and more importantly my good friend and then-art-director Doug Griffith. Everything was traditional, I even scoured art supply stores across the country for their picked-over, beyond dated sheets of Zipatone. I had aspired to make my own version of Saturday morning cartoon shows (remember those?), back in the days when cartoons were still on Saturday morning--but desired to package it like an easily accessible comic you would get free with a kid's meal at Bob's Big Boy.  The paper was cheap, the jokes bordered on tacky, but all in all this book holds a dear place in my heart. You can read a little bit more about it HERE.

Jump forward many years later with something a little different...but now seeing all the work together I can recognize familiar techniques...

Charlatan Ball was a collaboration between Joe Casey and myself (an introduction made by his wife, my then development executive at WB Animation Megan). It was and remains to be a pure visual expression of my Id. I hope to do more, because I know we've only begun to scratch the surface of our insanity.

Here's a glimpse of what one of our jam sessions looked like: 

And more wraparound covers...

After the first 6 issues were collected of that series, we decided to set aside our magic wands, trading in our book of spells for scalpels and syringes to play in another genre--with our own little touches and came up with Doc Bizarre MD:

I hope you enjoyed my little visual tour through memory lane--and more importantly hope you've enjoyed one or more of my books. I hope to continue publishing my ideas through Image. I am currently working on a few right now that will hopefully be seen in the light of day (or announced at another convention) soon! Until then, I will let your imaginations run with what those ideas might be and in what genre I decided to defile next...

"THIS AND THAT"

Look! I've got friends! Super, extremely talented friends...

Super excited to be a part of THIS LOS ANGELES Gallery's annual group show. Sadly, I will be in Oakland for the Image Comics Expo, but that's an announcement for another blog post. Just because I won't be at the opening doesn't mean you can't be (I'm a terrible conversationalist in person anyway). You should go and you should buy my piece (below)--it's super cheap!!

 My humble and rather grotesque contribution...

"O Cap'n! My Cap'n!"

Acrylic and Mixed Media on Illus. Board

11x14

*framed

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!

"IF I TOOT MY OWN HORN TOO MUCH, WILL I GO BLIND??"

What some nice folks are sayin' about yours truly...

From BIF BAM POP'S COMIC STOP:

Truth is, I got some laughs out of Casey’s story of a seemingly inept doctor to all sorts of monsters and things that go bump in the night, but the main reason I think you should pick up this psychedelic spook story is for Andy Suriano’s trippy artwork. It felt like reading a Ralph Bakshi film on the page – and not one of his lesser films, like Cool World (sorry animated Kim Basinger and wooden Brad Pitt). Zombies, ghosts, man made monsters – if you like any of those, you’ll probably dig Doc Bizarre, M.D.

From a MULTIVERSITY COMICS.COM article:

Andy Suriano's art on Doc Bizarre is a sort of Silver Age blender. He's not as specific in his influence as, say, Tom Scioli's Kirby-ism in Godland -- a Kirby troll or shout here, a skewed and stilted Ditko posture there, a general ambience straight out of old pre-Code E.C., et cetera. Where a lot of retro-comix artists strive for a simplified, smoother, easier digested "retro" aura, Suriano's style is harsh and full of ragged edges. It's perfect for the craggly story Casey gives him, and it gives an uncomfortable physicality to a story that's about, uh, uncomfortable physicality.

You can read the reviews in their entirety by clicking the links.

*(some lucky recipient will get this original sketch!)

FACES OF DOC...

Thanks to Twitter, not only do we know the inner-most workings of Justin Bieber's mind, but our collective world's are that much more connected...and thus more easily able to prod, poke and pester fellow artists into submitting pin-ups! I was fortunate enough to gather a collection of some of the most talented--and eclectic comic book artists and animators and have their work published side-by-side. I guarantee you won't find these folks together in the same book ever again. But I for one, thrive on diversity and think each artist brought their own unique vision to my character in a way I never--nor could ever think of! That's what made these so much fun and felt like Xmas every time one of my friends sent me their image. I love each and every one of their pieces.

I cropped out only their heads above for a small sampling. For a complete look at the final pin-ups, visit each respective artist's sites--as well as pick up your own copy of DOC BIZARRE MD!

Big sloppy kisses to:

Brianne Drouhard

Doc Shaner

Thomas Perkins

Stephen DeStefano

Tony Fleecs

Bob Boyle

Dan McDaid

Mike Allred

PJ Holden

Chris Houghton

*For those of you keeping score at home, that's 60 pages of story, PLUS 60 pages of bonus extras: sketches, development, page process, unused art, covers, pinups and guest pinups all wrapped in a beautiful hardcover!

"THEY'RE HEEEE-EEERE!!!"

IN STORES THIS WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30th!!!

"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).

"DOC BIZARRE AND THE SICK SPIDERS FROM SPACE !"

DOC BIZARRE MD will be out in shops on 11/30--exactly 2 weeks away. I thought I would offer up some original pages for rent and/or sale in the days leading towards the books release!

Until I set up another blog/site devoted solely to Doc Biz pages, here's a sampling of one of my pinups. Below is the original inked page, on standard comic book paper--roughly 11x17. I have 8 original pinups, unused covers and final cover. Once the book is released I will have available 50 or so original story pages for sale as well. Just in time for Christmas!

If interested, lemme know at astrobug@hotmail.com

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?

MASTER LEGEND

While I'm paaaaaainfully waiting for the printer to complete our respectable order #'s for DOC BIZARRE MD (the latest in store date I have now is 11/30. Yeah, I know. Sigh), as well as the remaining 4 PLASTIC MAN shorts to come back from being animated at TOON CITY in the Philippines (the first 2 are back and turned out GREAT, btw)--AND I'm finishing up my storyboarding duties on MOTORCITY for Disney XD, or, more accurately Titmouse Inc. (or even MORE accurately whatever payroll company they use!), I wanted to update this blog with SOMEthing. Below is more than just something--but a few comic pages I did for the above mentioned Titmouse studios for a Live Action Documentary called SUPERHEROES, about--you guessed it: real-life superheroes. I've only seen an early cut, but from what I gathered it's an awesome documentary. Last I heard HBO picked it up and aired it. I'm not sure what work of mine made it, but was really proud of the pages I did--some of my favorites in this medium, I think. All in all, I did 10 or so--and all were done entirely digitally. I typically don't share work stuff on here (not true), but I've been sitting on these for over a year, so hopefully it's ok if I share a couple images. This was one of my favorite freelance gigs. Enjoy.

As time gets nearer, I will try and post updates about Doc Bizarre's delivery, Plastic Man and a few other things I've got cookin'. T-M-N-T anyone?

"SNEAK PEAK!!!"

Amazing digital paint by 'Stretchin' Steve Nicodemus!

"THE EEL AND THE BAT"

You all will either love or hate what I've done to ol' Bats.