Memorial Day with Joe Kubert
What better way to spend part of Memorial Day, than reading an excellent interview with comic’s legend, Joe Kubert, brought to us by the fine folks at CBR.com?
Category: Art
Billy Fowler Got Carter
I met Billy Fowler at Heroes Con last year. I hadn’t seen Billy’s art prior to the show, but I really liked the sketches that he was doing. Luckily, I was just able to get on Billy’s sketch last. He worked up this really great take on Sly as Jack Carter.
Billy is scheduled to be at Heroes Con again this year. I wonder if lightning can strike twice. You can see more of Billy’s art at his blog.
HeroesCon: One Week to Go
In just one short week I’ll be heading up to Charlotte for my annual pilgrimage to HeroesCon. I can’t wait. It’ll be nice to get away for a “long” weekend… especially since I’ll be spending it at Heroes. There’s always plenty to do to stay busy and the guest list this year is the best ever.
If you’re planning to attend, here are some great tips [posted by Neil] so you can get the most out of the show.
Criminal Macbre/The Goon: When Freaks Collide
That’s Fiona Staples’ cover to Criminal Macbre/The Goon: When Freaks Collide. This one shot comic looks to be a winner. Fans of Steve Niles’ Cal MacDonald stories [both prose and graphic] and Eric Powell’s The Goon comics will want to order a copy of Criminal Macbre/The Goon: When Freaks Collide since it features both characters in a story where…
Criminal Macbre/The Goon: When Freaks Collide is cowritten by Steve Niles and Eric Powell with art by Christopher Mitten. In addition to Fiona Staples’ cover, there will be a variant cover by Eric Powell. This bad boy is going to fly off the shelves so get your order in early if you want a copy!
Mike Torrance Takes a Shot at Barney Ross
Mike Torrance aka The Krayola Kidd created the art above earlier this week. It’s his take on Sly as Barney Ross from The Expendables.
Mike Torrance can do it all – pencils, inks and colors. You can see more of Mike’s art at The Daily Sketch with The Krayola Kidd and his Deviant Art site. Mike is available for commissions and his prices are very reasonable. You’re also going to be happy to know that once a month Mike has a contest for someone to win a free sketchcard!
Niles & Wrightson Bring Frankenstein to Life Again!
Bleeding Cool scored an advance look at Steve [30 Days of Night] Niles and Bernie [Swamp Thing] Wrightson’s Frankenstein, Alive, Alive!
Bernie Wrightson drawing Frankenstein is reason enough to give the book a look… adding in Steve Niles makes it a gotta pre-order item.
Die Hard Re-Visited
Daniel Norris did a bang-up job on his re-imagined poster for Die Hard.
Jim Ivey Takes on Sly
Jim is a political cartoonist, author, publisher, teacher, owner/curator of one of the first galleries featuring cartoon art in the world [The Cartoon Museum], World War II vet and self-professed mellow curmudgeon. I’ve always loved the simplicity of Jim’s art.
The piece above is one of a series of three that Jim did for me a couple of years ago [at the tender age of 83]. Jim’s goal was to capture Sly as well as spell out S – L – Y in as few lines as possible. I think he succeeded.
Steranko’s Chandler is Back
That’s the cover to Dark Horse Presents #3 and yep, that’s Steranko’s classic private eye, Chandler. If you’re a fan of crime comics and haven’t read Steranko’s Chandler, you’re missing out. The great news is that Dark Horse Presents #3 will feature a 13 page preview of the soon to be re-released graphic novel plus a new interview with Steranko. The preview and interview alone are worth the price of admission.
[Via CBR.com]
New Conan Poster
The more I see of the new Conan movie, the more I think it might be kinda fun!
Mike Torrance Gets Carter
Mike Torrance aka The Krayola Kidd did this for me earlier this week. Mike Torrance does it all – pencils, inks and colors. You can see more of Mike’s art at The Daily Sketch with The Krayola Kidd and his Deviant Art site.
You’re also going to be happy to know that once a month Mike has a contest for someone to win a free sketchcard! This sketch of Jack Carter was what I chose when I won! What would you choose?
Mike is available for commissions and his prices are very reasonable. I just ordered four cards [three Stallone pieces and one for a friend so the subject must remain secret… at least until he gets it.]
Loose Ends: It’d Be a Crime to Miss Out
Loose Ends by Jason LaTour [writer]. Chris Brunner [pencils & inks] and Rico Renzi [colors] is described as…
- …a gritty, slow cooked, “southern crime romance”, that follows a winding trail down Tobacco Road, through the war torn streets of Baghdad, and into the bright lights and bloody gutters of South Florida…12-Gauge style.
It’s no secret that I love hardboiled crime stories and great art. Loose Ends is gonna have both. It’s the one comic that I can’t wait to get my mits on. Loose Ends will be the first comic that I’ll read [Yep, Criminal and Walking Dead will have to wait] when it hits comic shops in July.
Jason has set up a great story and Chris’ art with Rico’s colors are amazing. Truly. I think that Loose Ends is going to break big and I’m encouraging everyone who might like it to give Loose Ends a try.
If you like what you see, please order up a couple of dozen copies from your local comic shop. [The copies will make great Christmas and birthday gifts.] If you don’t like what you see, it’s time to get your eyes checked.
Howard Chaykin: 2 Out of 3
Normally when I post a piece of art:
1] I tell you who drew it…
2] What the art was for and…
3] Why I’m posting it.
Not today. Today, I can tell you that…
1] The piece is by Howard Chaykin…
2] I’m not sure what it was for. My guess is something to do with Cody Starbuck, but I’m not sure…
3] I’m hoping someone reading this will know and fill me in.
Neal Adams, John Beatty & Conan
The sketch above comes from the Zablo vault with a bit of a story. The sketch was a copy of a Neal Adams original. The colors [by John Beatty] were done on a copy of the sketch.
I was at an OrlandoCon back in the late 70’s. I was just starting to collect original art. I was approached by a guy about my age who had a pencil sketch of Conan by Neal Adams that he was offering me. The sketch was in a mat covered by acetate. It was a really nice sketch, even if it was a bit costly. I showed it to my buddy John Beatty. John looked at it and then took a closer look.
“It’s a xerox. It’s a good copy, but it’s definitely a copy.”
The guy acted surprised… with acting being the key word. I couldn’t swear that he knew the piece was fake, but you’d be hard-pressed to convince me otherwise. Needless to say, I didn’t buy the piece, but I think the guy gave me a copy because I’m pretty sure that’s it posted above. The colors were added to the copy on one of Beatty’s visits to my apartment in Orlando when I was still in college.
At least that’s how I remember it.
Dave Wachter’s Rocky
Dave Wachter joins us this week with his take on Sly pounding the beef from Rocky. I’m a huge fan of Dave’s art and own several pieces [and hope to get more in the future]. He’s a tremendous artist, but more importantly an all-around decent guy. You can see more of Dave’s art at his site. – Craig
