Category: Comics

Jason Latour is an Artist to Watch

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Jason Latour was named one of 2014’s Artists to Watch.  That’s funny, not because Latour isn’t an artist everyone should keep an eye on, but rather because I’ve been a fan of his art for years.

Latour was recently the subject of an interview at Newsarama.  If you check out Latour‘s interview you’ll learn everything from his college days (and popular 4 Seats Left strip) to Latour‘s soon to be released mini-series Southern Bastards.  If you’re not already a Latour fan, you’ll at least have a better understanding why he made the Artist to Watch list.

Thomas Boatwright’s Rocky Balboa Watercolor

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Thomas Boatwright is back again this week [just as promised]!

Thomas recently ran a watercolor sketch sale and I jumped on board for a couple.  Thomas came up with the idea of bookending the Rocky series.  Here is his take on Rocky.  The watercolor above is his riff on Rocky Balboa.  Great idea by Thomas and I love the way the art turned out.

If you’d like to see more of Thomas Boatwright’s art check out his blog and his DA site. Send him some love.

If you get commissions, you should consider a piece from Thomas. He keeps you totally in the loop on his progress, finishes his commissions on or ahead of schedule, has very reasonable prices, is a fantastic artist and always gives you more than you’re expecting!   – Craig

Parker, Shaner & a New Flash Gordon Series

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Although I’m not a Flash Gordon fan, I will check out the new Flash Gordon series from IDW.  That’s because Jeff Parker [writer] and Evan Shaner [artist] will be at the helm of Flash’s new adventures.  Jeff Parker says…

“We’re bringing Flash back for a new audience.  It’s over-the-planet high action and adventure where Flash’s spirit and optimism are as powerful as anything the forces of Ming the Merciless can dish out.  We also have some of my favorite artists contributing covers – make no mistake, this book is going to absolutely kill!”

LaTour & Aaron Preview New Crime Comic

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I’m a long-time fan [as in before he went pro] of Jason Latour’s talent.  

LaTour is a writer and an artist.  LaTour drew the page above and all the art in his DA Gallery.

Now LaTour has teamed up with writer, Jason Aaron to create a new crime comic called Southern Bastards.  USAToday recently previewed Southern Bastards, and Aaron summarized the series saying it is a…

“…love letter/hate rant to the South” mixed with the 1970s “redneck cinema” that gave pop cultureWalking Tall… It’s more a dark version of The Dukes of Hazzard if it was done by the Coen brothers…”

 LaTour posted the Southern Bastards preview at his site.  I’m getting my pre-order in to my local comics shop.  If this looks like something you’d enjoy, you should too.

Thomas Boatwright’s Rocky and Adrian

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Thomas Boatwright is back!

Thomas recently ran a watercolor sketch sale and I jumped on board for a couple.  Thomas came up with the idea of bookending the Rocky series.  Here is his take on Rocky.  I’ll be back next week with his riff on Rocky Balboa.

If you’d like to see more of Thomas Boatwright’s art check out his blog and his DA site. Send him some love.

If you get commissions, you should consider a piece from Thomas. He keeps you totally in the loop on his progress, finishes his commissions on or ahead of schedule, has very reasonable prices, is a fantastic artist and always gives you more than you’re expecting!   – Craig

Jeremy Treece’s Live ArtCast 10 For 10 Friday

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 From Jeremy Treece…

Starting up my 10 for $10 show again to generate a steadier income for the month. Every Friday at 8pm EST –

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/jeremytreece

Here’s how it works. –

There are ten slots open each week for $10 sketches. Price doesn’t include shipping. Shipping in the U.S. is anywhere from $3-$5. Elsewhere is $5-8.

You get to choose the subject as I draw it live on my streaming artCast on uStream.

Paypal is accepted and your piece will be mailed to you the following Monday.

Nexus by Mike Baron & Steve Rude

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That cover of Nexus #1 brings back a ton of good memories.  I picked up the magazine because of the Paul Gulacy cover, but it was the Nexus character and stories created by Mike Baron [writer] and Steve ‘The Dude’ Rude that kept me coming back for more.

A couple of years ago there was a push to get a Nexus animated series going.  Below is the promo reel that was used.  I think I would have tuned in.

Z-View: “Gravedigger: The Scavengers”

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Gravedigger: The Scavengers #1 of 1

Original comic published by Rorschach Entertainment

Free Web Comic published by Christopher Mills at GravediggerComic.com

Script, Tones, Letters: Christopher Mills

Pencils and Inks: Rick Burchett

Cover A (shown): Rick Burchett

In his world, there are only two kinds of men: the Dead and the Deadly.

Gravedigger: The Scavengers  is available in two forms: a one shot comic published by Rorschach Entertainment and as an ongoing free web-comic.  The paper comic is worth tracking down, but if you can’t get your mitts on a copy, the web-comic contains the original one shot and more.  The comic is printed as you see it online in a widescreen format.

Gravedigger McCrae (Digger to his  friends) just got out of prison after serving three years of a five-year bit. Digger’s feeling old and looking for that one final score that he can use to coast into retirement.  He may have found his golden ticket when a crime associate that he’d worked with one time before brings him in on a $800 thousand caper.  All they have to do is hijack a gunrunner’s deal.  Digger and the crew can keep all the guns and the cash… of course they’ll have to kill everyone not in their crew to get away clean.

Digger is not sure who he can trust.  Bunny was brought in by Digger, so he should be okay, but how good is okay with 800 large on the line?  B.T. is good with a gun, but looks more like a punk than a shooter.  Goodis is the pilot that’ll fly them out of there, but will he stick around if things go sideways?  Red is the one who set things up.  He seems a bit jumpy… perhaps because he’s brought Angel, his hot looking wife, in on the deal.  That doesn’t sit well with Digger.  He knows a sure way to queer a deal is to bring in a dame.

Digger’s worries about Red’s wife screwing things up take a turn when she comes on to Digger. Three years in prison, a hot young babe and opportunity make Digger’s decision easy.  Angel offers Digger a plan that will leave the two of them with the cash and a smooth getaway together.  Sure, Digger will have to kill Red and maybe a few members of the crew, but isn’t she and $800 k worth it?  Digger is in deep.  He needs the deal and the money it will bring.  He’s enjoying Angel, but knows she can’t be trusted… no one can be trusted.  The cards are dealt, so he might as well play out the hand and see who wins.

Chris Mills and Rick Burchett have created a crime comic that is a treat to read.  Gravedigger: The Scavengers is like a love letter to fans of Lee Marvin, Richard Stark Parker novels, crime movies, crime novels and crime comics.   This is one of the best one-shot comics of any genre that I’ve ever read.

Chris Mills has created a unique character in  Gravedigger.  Digger’s not a good guy.  He knows and accepts this.  Mills has a feel for all the characters, a love of the crime genre and a way with words.  I hope someday to read a Gravedigger novel or book of short stories by Mills.

Rick Burchett is the perfect artist for this comic.  His art compliments Mill’s prose.  Burchett is truly amazing in that he knows where to focus the readers eyes for the most impact. Should anyone ever do a Gravedigger: The Scavengers movie, the storyboards are done thanks to Burchett.

I am glad that Mills and Burchett are deep into their second Gravedigger story –  Gravedigger: The Predators.  My hope is that the two Gravedigger stories will lead to a Kickstarter so that we’ll get a hardcover worthy of showcasing these stories.

Gravedigger: The Scavengers is a comic for mature audiences due to adult language and situations.

Rating: 5 out of 5

 

James Robinson & J. Bone: The Saviors

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After just one issue The Saviors became one of my favorite comics currently published.  

The Saviors is a fun story with great art, so why wouldn’t it be?

In case you’re late to this party, let’s catch up.  The Saviors is about a slacker who discovers that evil aliens are secretly among us.  He doesn’t have the skill set to deal with the situation, doesn’t know who he can trust or who will believe him.

James Robinson, the writer of the series says that he wanted The Saviors to have…

… elements from the old “Invaders” TV show and “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” but also (had) enough gore and violent horror and scares that it would also feel like John Carpenter’s “The Thing.” As I began to develop the idea, some other aspects came to mind like the idea of it having a large cast. You won’t know who lives or dies

You can learn more about The Saviors in this interview with the series’ creators, James Robinson and J. Bone.

Source: CBR.com.

Facts About the Batman TV Series

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Although the Batman tv series is close to 50 years old (!), it’s still popular and shown regularly throughout the world.  

Neatorama recently posted Facts You Might Not Know About the TV Series Batman.  If you read the piece, you’ll learn…

  • Batman was originally conceived as a serious take on the cape crusader.
  • Lyle Waggoner was up for the role of Batman.
  • Batgirl was added in the third season to increase female viewers, but actually ended up increasing male viewership.
  • Frank Sinatra was a big fan of the show and actually expressed interest in playing the Joker.

Click over if you want to learn even more!

Z-View: All Crime Comics #1

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All Crime Comics #1 published by Art of Fiction.

Writer: The Art of Fiction

Penciler / Inker (Chapters 1 & 3): Ed Laroche

Penciler / Inker (Chapter 2): Marc Sandroni

Colorist: Tony Fleecs (Chapters 1 & 3)

Colorist: Andrew Siegel (Chapter 2)

Cover: Bruce Timm

Cars, murder, revenge. Not recommended for children of any age.

All Crime Comics #1 leads with a beautiful Bruce Timm cover that is sexy, provocative with an undercurrent of bad things to come.  The design of the cover makes All Crime Comics #1 look like a beat-up pulp from the 50’s.  It definitely sets the tone for things to come.

Chapter One starts: Marko, a big Russian enforcer, beating a group of men to death in an effort to obtain information for his partner, Dodger.  Marko and Dodger stop to torture a dopehead before going on to meet up with a Dodger’s associates.  Dodger lays out his plan to kill his old partner Louie despite the fact that Louie has become a big time mafia boss and is currently doing time in a federal prison.

In Chapter Two we flashback 23 years.  Louie and Dodger are in high school.  We learn how they became friends and drifted into a life of crime.  They both fell for the high school hotie, Carla Blackman.  Carla was out of their league until Louie became a big man in the crime syndicate.  Carla then falls for Louie which of course drives a wedge into Louie and Dodger’s friendship.

Chapter Three brings us back to Dodger and his crew as they execute their plan to get into the prison and kill Louie.  Unfortunately for them Louie knows they’re coming.  A lot of people are going to die and not according to either Dodger or Louie’s plans.

All Crime Comics #1 is a comic for mature audiences due to extreme violence.  The story covers a lot of ground and spends about a third of the book with Louie and Dodger in high school.  That’s not the crime story that interests me.  It was hard to get Dodger’s fascination with Carla.  Sure, Carla was the school fox, but she had time for everyone but Dodger.  Twentythree years is a long time to carry an obsession and deciding to break in to a federal pen to kill a crime boss is a bit outlandish.  With that said, there are a couple of cool twists of plot at that point.

The packaging is great, the cover is awesome.  I liked the idea of the story.  The art was well done.

With all that said, if you think I didn’t like All Crime Comics #1, you’d be wrong.  I did.  I just didn’t like All Crime Comics #1 as much as I wanted to.

Rating: