Character Cards from All Rocky Films!
I really like these Rocky character cards. It seems like they might be for a role-playing game but I’m not sure. Anyone know?
Source: Romu Philippe’s The Rocky Saga.
Category: Art
Michael Batista’s First Artist Alley Kickstarter
Michael Batista did the art above and if you like it (I do!), then you might want to consider backing Michael Batista’s First Artist Alley Kickstarter.
If you want to participate you can simply make a donation or pony up for a digital or physical copy of Michael’s sketchbook or the sketchbook and any of several original art options. If you do join in, you’ll be helping an artist and getting some cool art at the same time!
Steranko Nick Fury to Make Your Day!
Sometimes all you need is Steranko art to make your day. This Nick Fury piece will do just fine.
“John Wick” Poster by Eric Gomez!
Check out this cool John Wick poster by Eric Gomez. If you like what you see you can check out a much bigger version at Movie Poster Moment.
“Calvin & Hobbes” Trivia
Sean Cubillas and CBR.com present 9 Things You Didn’t Know About Calvin & Hobbes. Calvin and Hobbes is my all-time favorite humor strip, and odds are it is yours too. Here are three of my favorites from Cubillas’ list, then click over and read the rest…
EVERYTHING STARTED OFF IN THE DOGHOUSE
Right before Watterson would finally receive syndication, he went through quite a bit of rejection. One rejection, in particular, showed the early designs of Calvin and Hobbes. Originally pitched as The Doghouse, a strip that would be described as a hard sell, “Marvin and Hobbes” were on-sided characters that the United Feature Syndicate caught and told Watterson were selling characters.The United Feature Syndicate, however, would go on to reject his next draft. The Universal Press Syndicate would, fortunately, be a little more welcoming. Despite telling Watterson after his first strip to not quit his day job, Calvin & Hobbes would soon become the best seller that the world knows today.
THE STRIP ENDED BECAUSE WATTERSON WAS FINISHED WITH IT
If anyone was wondering why there are no more Calvin & Hobbes strips after 1995 despite only having a decade run and Bill Watterson still being alive to this day, it’s because Watterson just got tired of it. Simple as that. He already had two long running sabbaticals preluding his departure in 1995, but Watterson has gone on to say that he achieved everything that he ever wanted to out of a comic strip and didn’t want to spoil anything by forcing any more out.It’s genuine and protective to the legacy that he already created, but also a little disappointing to the fans who may have wanted more. But, considering the decline of Garfield and even Peanuts, it’s hard to blame someone trying to go out on top.
BILL WATTERSON REFUSED MOVIE TALKS
Three years into Calvin & Hobbes’ run, Stephen Spielberg contacted the Universal Press Syndicate, wanting to talk about a movie deal. Universal Press would excitedly bring the deal to Watterson, who would anticlimactically definitively declare his disinterest. Learning from #6 on this list, Bill Watterson wholeheartedly believed that the magic of Calvin & Hobbes solely remained in its strip format, so much so that he would even turn down toys, animated series offers, and even a multimillion dollar movie deal with the guy who made the Indiana Jones movies.Despite having a net worth as of this writing of $100 million USD, Watterson is a man of artistic integrity through and through, proving that success is not always about the money but protecting the experience for the audience, which is something that one can’t exactly say for the guy who made Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Jason Copland Goes “Full Tilt” with his Sketchbook & Newsletter
It was just a little over a year ago when I posted about Jason Copland and his crime-scifi-noir graphic novel Full Tilt featuring Massimo Miller. I loved the look of the series and the synopsis pulled me in…
Massimo is the Consigliere for the Chessa Family, a position bestowed upon him by the syndicate’s boss, Russo Chessa. As Consigliere, Massimo acts as advisor and liaison in all matters that pertain to the family business giving him meaningful influence over syndicate affairs. Holding this position of power is all the more remarkable due to the fact that most of Massimo’s life was spent as a slave of a rival crime organization. Chosen for his loyalty and integrity, Massimo is no yes man. He is a heavy smoker, however, much to Russo’s chagrin. Massimo’s preferred brand is Marlboro XXV Kings.
After seeing some preview art for Full Tilt, I followed Jason on Twitter and signed up for his newsletter. At that time I suggested you do the same. I hope you did because then you’ve been able to see Full Tilt updates, have a chance to get a Full Tilt sketchbook and be entered into drawings for free art.
The art I’ve posted today is just three of the 21 original art covers that Jason created for fans who ordered his Full Tilt sketchbook. Folks, as you can see, these aren’t just quick head sketches. PLUS Jason had a drawing for a free sketch (congrats to winner Robin Morley).
As you can guess, I’m going to end this post by suggesting that you follow Jason Copland on Twitter and sign-up for Jason’s newsletter. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did.
Criminal Macabre: The Big Bleed Out – A Noir Tale of Mysteries, Vampires, Love, and Betrayal
Criminal Macabre: The Big Bleed Out – A Noir Tale of Mysteries, Vampires, Love, and Betrayal… If that doesn’t get your interest then you can stop reading right here. If it sounds like something you’d enjoy, then read on…
Criminal Macabre is back and bloodier than ever! Series creator Steve Niles (City of Others, 30 Days of Night) and newcomer artist Gyula Németh are teaming up to bring you the next chapter in the Cal McDonald saga: Criminal Macabre: The Big Bleed Out.
Criminal Macabre: The Big Bleed Out starts when supernatural detective Cal McDonald, found wandering the streets as a disheveled vagrant, is ripped from his self-imposed retirement to resume his monster-killing career.
But Cal is reluctant to return to the fray. What has the hard-bitten investigator so shaken? It’s a long story that begins with a beautiful woman who happens to be a vampire … and ends with a bang.
“I’ve been writing Cal McDonald since I was in my 20’s and to this day he is the most fun to write. I couldn’t be happier to see him come back with Gyula Nemeth doing the art. I think fans of Cal will be pleasantly surprised and hopefully a little horrified.”—Steve Niles
Criminal Macabre: The Big Bleed Out #1 (of four) goes on sale December 11, 2019, and is available for pre-order at your local comic shop.
I’m a big fan of Steve Niles and his Cal McDonald stories. I’m on board. If you’ve read this far, you probably are as well.
The Secret Door by Tom Lovell
Does it get any better than Tom Lovell’s The Secret Door?
Lovell was an American artist whose early work appeared in pulp magazines and then when the pulps faded out, he transitioned to slick magazines and advertising art. Lovell was inducted into the Society of Illustrators’ Hall of Fame in 1974.
Lovell said he considered himself a storyteller with a brush. The painting above is an excellent example of that. If this was a movie poster, I’d want to see it and if it was an illustration for a story, I’d want to read it.
If you’d like to see a larger version (and you should) click over to I Can’t Stop Thinking About Comics!
Howard Chaykin’s Solomon Kane!
One of the first characters I associated Howard Chaykin with was Solomon Kane. Kane was created by Robert E. Howard (best known for Conan the Barbarian). Kane may have created him but when I think of Solomon Kane I always think of Chaykin first.
Thanks to Black & White and Bronze you can read Rattle of Bones by Roy Thomas and Howard Chaykin which first appeared in Savage Sword of Conan #18 (April 1977).
Ms. Tree: One Mean Mother
I love this cover to Ms. Tree: One Mean Mother. Ms. Tree was a comic series created by Max Allan Collins and Terry Beatty that first appeared back in the 1980’s!
I have to admit I didn’t get the title’s pun until my buddy, Jim Ivey pointed it out to me: Ms. Tree = Mystery. He thought I was messing with him, but I truly missed it. At any rate, Ms. Tree tales are being reprinted by Hard Case Crime. Here’s how the first is being solicited…
When her private detective husband is murdered by the Muerta crime family, Ms. Tree takes over the business! Cold, calculating, and tough as nails, no case is too small, no violence too extreme, so long as a mystery is solved… and Ms. Tree is paid.
The creation of award-winning crime and comics writer Max Allan Collins (Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer, Road To Perdition, Quarry’s War), illustrated by co-creator and pulp legend Terry Beatty (Johnny Dynamite, Mike Danger, Rex Morgan M.D.)!
Collects five classic Ms. Tree stories for the first time since the ’80s, plus the rare Ms. Tree prose story “Inconvenience Store”!
“Arniegedon: A Schwarzenegger Triple Bill” by Ben Turner
Each week JoBlo.com posts a feature called Awesome Art We’ve Found Around the Net. I always enjoy what JoBlo finds because with each post they list the artist’s name and a link to more of his/her art.
That’s where I found this cool Arniegedon poster by Ben Turner. You can see more of Ben’s art here.
Tony Moore’s Vampire State Building Variant Cover!
Check out this Tony Moore variant cover for Vampire State Building! It’s a retailer variant cover limited to just 300 copies. You can see a larger version and learn more about the cover and the series at Bleeding Cool News.
Paul Gulacy’s Bruce Lee and Quentin Tarantino’s Bruce Lee
The art above is a rarely seen, vintage Bruce Lee painting by Paul Gulacy. I wanted to post this today for two reasons:
- It’s a cool piece of art that I think many of you will dig.
- Bruce Lee has been in the news quite a bit lately due to his portrayal in Quentin Tarintino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.
Many people have gotten upset because in OUATIH, they believe that Bruce Lee comes off as arrogant and it appears that Brad Pitt’s character gets the best of Lee in a fight. Initially, I felt that the scene was disrespectful to Bruce Lee, but as I thought about it a bit more I came to the following conclusions:
- In the movie the scene in question unfolds as a memory by Brad Pitt’s character. Of course Pitt’s character is going to remember things that put him in a better light than the Bruce Lee character. That’s human nature.
- The movie isn’t a documentary — think about how the movie ended. Obviously Tarantino took a lot of liberties and his portrayal of Lee was one of them.
- The fact that so many people have objected to Tarantino’s portrayal of Lee shows that this film isn’t going to harm Bruce Lee’s legacy in the least.
- I liked Tarantino’s OUATIH. I am a huge fan of Bruce Lee. Nothing has changed that. Not even Brad Pitt’s character’s memory of his fight with a fictionalization of Bruce Lee.
Rocky Balboa on a Mexican Bingo Card by Brad Woodward!
If you’ve ever wondered what Rocky Balboa would look like drawn on a Mexican Bingo Card, well, wonder no more. Brad Woodward has created just that. Not only did Woodward create the card, he shows us how he did it in the video below.
You can find more of Brad Woodward’s art and process videos on his Brave the Woods YouTube channel and his Brave Outpost.
Thanks to John Beatty for the heads-up!
The Black Diamond and Bumper by Gil Kane
This Black Diamond and Bumper art by Gil Kane is just too nice not to share. I strongly suggest you click over to The Bristol Board to see a much larger version.
