"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.

"GET BACK TO THE PAST--" and WONDERCON 2013

If you're down in Anaheim at WonderCon this weekend and happen past the IDW Publishing booth, take a gander at this banner...

 I can't confirm what my involvement in this upcoming title will be, but I did provide this cover artwork nonetheless. Here's the non-cropped full version:

Hope you like!

"DIRECT HIT!!!"

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

"M-I-C-K-E-Y-M-O-U-S-EEEEE!!!"

YAY! The official press release has rolled out and I can FINALLY say what I've been working on for the past year!! These Mickey Mouse shorts are under 4 minutes, look beautiful and are actually funny!

It was a sort of homecoming coming to Disney; working again with folks like Paul Rudish (who's the exec. producer on these shorts), Jenny Gase-Baker, Aaron Springer, Chris Savino, Derek Dressler, Darrick Bachman, Clay Morrow, Chris Roszak, Chris Hacker, Joseph Holt, Illya Owens, Alex Kirwan, Dave Wasson, Robert Lacko and Stephen DeStefano--all whom I've worked with over the past 12, 13 or so years (mostly on Samurai Jack, Star Wars: Clone Wars, etc)--as well as new, talented friends like Justin Martin, Justin Parpan, Narina Sokolova, Rae McCarson, Alonso Ramirez Ramos, Greg Levitan, Kali Fontecchio, Tara Billinger, Jasmine Bocz and Todd Popp, Steve Lininger, John Chang and Monica Mitchell.

Croissant de Triomphe on Disney Video

YOU CAN ALSO GET 1st MICKEY SHORT HERE!             

TURTLE POWER!!!

So, for over the past two years, I've been quietly working on a little known project people might not have heard of called...THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES. Yeah, I really hope it takes off. 

Anyway, along with doing a few mutant concepts and miscellaneous images for the new animated incarnation on NICKELODEON, I've been designing all of their consumer products stuff. I was tasked with establishing a 2d line look versus the CG wrap that's on the series. I pulled series producer Ciro Nieli's original sketches and tried to combine elements from the original comic series. 

This has been probably my favorite gig I've ever had--and after 2 years of drawing, it's been so fun to finally see all the products with my artwork on it rolling out. Since most of it is CG artwork OVER my art, I try and grab whatever I can that keeps the 2d line style (although I think someone else does a Livetrace over it in Illustrator).  Like my animation jobs, I also created model breakdowns and construction sheets for other illustrators to draw from, for them to reference for children's books, etc. 

I'm pretty sure I can't post any of my original art, so I scanned a few pages from an already published coloring book I found..."all right's Viacom, etc"...just thought I'd share--and if I can brag for just one second more, my art ALSO adorns little kid's underwear! Enjoy. 

 Yes, I tried to insert Kirby-isms whenever I could!

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...

"COME FOR THE ART SHOW, STAY FOR THE TRANYA!"

"Tranya"

12x16

Digital Media

It's been awhile since I've last post...I blame having two children! hahaha That, as well as the fact I haven't been legally allowed to share what I've been working on...SECRETS!!!

I am taking part in my friend and coworker KALI FONTECCHIO's STAR TREK themed art show down in Little Tokyo's Q POP GALLERY. The piece above is inspired by Clint Howard's character, BALOK from the original series episode "The Corbomite Maneuver". If you haven't seen it, I urge you to look it up, it's a CLASSIC.

Nice to see you all again!

A

SOME MORE, UNUSED DESIGNS...

These concepts are from a show that was (still is?) in development...ages ago. The powers that be didn't respond favorably...so not a chance I'm spoiling anything posting them. Hopefully you will like better!

VINCENT WALLER IS COOLER THAN YOU

A couple months back I had tweeted from the pediatricians waiting room that the only toys available for my 2 1/2 year old with pink eye to play with were a telescope, binoculars and microscope...

--about a half hour later VINCENT WALLER sent this drawing out.

Vincent Waller is cooler than you. Period.

DOODLING MYSELF...

Phone doodles...I love drawing with ballpoint pen.

 Meeting doodles...I love drawing Hulk penises.

COME SEE ME AT IMAGE COMICS BOOTH #2729 SAN DIEGO COMIC CON 2012!!!

...not booth #2012 at SDCC 2729...that would be cool, though!

I will have hardcovers, trade paperbacks, art books, teeshirts, original pages and prints--as well as doing sketches and commissions. I'll even "try"! 

HA!

See you there!!

A

"GET A (SHELF) LIFE!"

Watch SHELF LIFE!

My friend Yuri Lowenthal (the voice of BEN 10 y'all!) has a very funny web series called SHELF LIFE about action figures 'after dark', so to speak...

They have an ASHCAN/comic that I did the pinup/cover for (above)!

Yuri, his wife Tara and company will be in SDCC at autograph alley (AA20) Friday morning (10-2:30) and Saturday (2:30-7) afternoon giving away the comic and also be giving it away at their "Moving to the Web: Be Your Own Producer" panel (26AB) Friday night 7:30-8:30. 


Head on over to see them and they'll  give you a comic! Then come see me at the Image Comics booth (#2729) and I'll sign it too! 


See you there!!!

"THE BATTLE BALLAD OF CUMBERDUNST"

I've had this CHARLATAN BALL one-off spinoff idea since I first designed this character in Charlatan Ball #1.

Wondering if anyone but me wants to see it happen? Who wants to buy this as a print? I will have this 'rock poster' sized at SDCC!

MOTOR CITY COMIC CON, COMMISSIONS AND SAN DIEGO...

Detroit's Motor City ComicCon has come and gone--and despite previous warnings and negative reports regarding the show in years past, it ended up being AWESOME. Seriously. I feel very honored to have met the people I did--from the people who ran it (Miriam!), the person who suggested me (Dave Aikins!), my friends that came with me, old friends from home and especially all the new friends I met there! So many great people. I also was commissioned to do more pieces in Detroit than any other shows I've done before combined! I had such a blast, I wanted to share a few...

When con-goers discovered I worked on the Batman: Brave & the Bold animated show and comic (I sold out of all of my TPBs!), their requests were almost entirely of that show/style. LOTS of Brave&the Bold fans in Michigan (they must not have heard it's no longer on the air : (   ...) Unfortunately, no requests for my Demon Empty!? WTF!

The gentleman who requested this version of Superman had very specific requirements as far as the costume goes...

 Lots of Green Arrow fans!

 Here is the original B&W version of the piece at the top *(that the uber talented Dave Aikins colored)

Jonah Hex was probably my favorite request (although Elvira was a close 2nd...)

The world's biggest TMNT fan (and expert) also lives in Michigan...she and her sister were dolls. (Above is a shirt she wore depicting a pose from one of my designs/sketches!)

Also: "Fairly Oddparents" fans! *(ahem, I designed the whole 1st season as well as title/logo!)

The dude that brought a collection of all my work, past and present earned a big spot in my heart. (the way to an artist's heart = ego!)


I would love to share and show more from this great show, but for now wanted to let everyone know I will have a table at the IMAGE COMICS booth for the San Diego Comic Con next week! Not only will I be selling my goods, but would love to draw some more commissions--so let me know if you're interested ahead of time or come find me. It's a juggernaut of a show, so I'd suggest dropping me a line ahead of time through astrobug@hotmail.com or via twitter @wolfboy74 

DOC BIZARRE MD...THE ANIMATED SERIES!?

...I will neither confirm nor deny this is total BS. It's been awhile and I wanted to post something.