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Category: Art
Insignares’ “Expendable”
Miguel Insignares gifted me with this cool shot of Sly from “The Expendables”. Miguel said that once I send him a high-res copy, he’ll color it and add Sly’s tats. Miguel always has several irons in the fire and he’s currently developing a very cool concept for a comic/movie. I can’t say any more about it at this time, but believe me, I’ll keep you posted as it develops.
Big thanks to Miguel for hooking me up!
Steranko, Hercules & Homages
Bill Black, who I was just talking about the other day, popped in with some info about this Steranko Nick Fury sketch. Bill also provided a jpg of the Steranko Hercules cover above. It’s obviously a homage to Steranko’s own classic Hulk cover.
Ever wonder how many other homages to that cover there have been? Wonder no more.
Other Eye on Bill Black
Evan Bryce wasn’t the only artist profiled on Newsarama today. My buddy, Bill Black, got the same treatment! It’s kind of cool that Evan is just breakin’ in, Bill is a 40 year veteran of the comics biz and their interviews both appear on the day.
An Eye on Evan
You’ve heard me talk about Evan Bryce’s art for a while now. I’ve been crowing that he’s an artist to watch. Today Newsarama came to the same conclusion.
Congrats Evan!
Chaykin Departure with Bruce Lee
Yesterday I posted the cover to The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #14 published by Marvel back in 1975. Today we have the front piece to the same mag, again featuring Bruce Lee, but this time drawn by Howard Chaykin. One of the interesting things about this is that it’s a departure from Chaykin’s usual style.
I wish that the scan had come out better because the pencil work was much more delicate than it appears here.
Two Legends – One Cover
Two legends grace this cover of Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #14 published by Marvel back in 1975. Who’s the other legend, you ask? Well, it depends on which you see.
Action fans immediately know that it’s Bruce Lee shown on the cover. Comic art fans just as quickly see that Neal Adams did the art. My guess is, if you regularly read the ZONE you recognized both,
Dan Panosian “Gets Carter”
Dan Panosian gifted me with this Jack Carter drawing at the recent FX Show. Dan is a Stallone fan and decided on “Get Carter” with no prompting from me. I love Dan’s work, so to get a piece from him was a thrill. I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.
Check out more of Dan’s art here and here. Plan to spend some time, because everything he draws is worth a look!
Sub-Mariner Layin’ the Smack Down
Time for another dip into the ZONE vault and this time we score a fanzine spot illo done in the late 70’s by Kerry Gammil. The Sub-Mariner is about to lay a final backhand to Tiger Shark. Although I think the Sub-Mariner is a cool character, I never really read a lot of “his” comics. And while Tiger Shark is a perfect villian for the Sub-Mariner, he really isn’t one of my favorite bad guys. Kerry Gammill is a fine artist, but would be down a ways on my favorite artist list.
Yet, I’ve always dug this piece. I must like it to have kept it in the vault for nearly 30 years.
Chaykin’s Fortune
Dippin’ into the ZONE vault today we find a drawing by Howard Chaykin of his Dominic Fortune character. Chaykin is best known for his groundbreaking work on his American Flagg comic series. And while all honors and praise that came Chaykin’s way for it was well deserved, the series was just one of his many milestones.
Howard Chaykin is one of those artists whose work I will follow on just about anything. His track record is pretty amazing. Cody Starbuck. The Scorpion. Dominic Fortune. Monark Starstalker. American Flagg. The Midnight Men. Black Kiss. That’s just off the top of my head and just listing the characters that Chaykin created.
The last I heard, Howard Chaykin was working on a very cool sounding graphic novel about the last days of the wild west and the start of modern society. Man, I can’t wait to see it.
Guess Who Dropped In?
Another item from the ZONE vault. This time we have one of my favorite Master of Kung Fu covers. It’s from issue 80 cover dated September 1979. Penciled by Mike Zeck and inked by Gene Day. Nearly 30 years later and I’m still diggin’ it.
Frank Miller “Daredevil vs Bullseye”
Another dip into the ZONE vault finds this ultra-rare pencil sketch that Frank Miller did for me back in the early 80’s. Meeting Frank was cool and because, at the time, not as many people wanted sketches, and Miller wasn’t as well known then. I was able to sit and talk with him as he sketched it out.
I told him I wanted something iconic with Daredevil and Bullseye. Frank thought for a second and then asked, “Do you care who’s winning?” “Not at all,” I replied. Frank then proceeded to draw the piece above.
A year or so later I saw that Klaus Janson was going to be at a show within driving distance. I made it a point to also be at the show. I spoke to Klaus about inking the Miller sketch. He agreed, but wanted to wait until he had returned home to ink it. He was in Florida for the con and staying with his buddy, fellow inker, Bob McLeod. About a week went by and then I received a call from Klaus. He couldn’t find the sketch. He profusely apologized and offered to pay for the art or replace it. I could tell that he was truly upset. I told him, that perhaps the art would turn up and not to worry about it.
Flash forward a bunch of years later. I had long since gotten out of collecting original art [and had yet to start on my Stallone art theme]. I got a call from my buddy, John Beatty. John had gotten a call from Bob McLeod. Bob had been preparing to move, or doing some major spring cleaning or something… and guess what he found. Yep. My Frank Miller sketch. Bob was sending it back to me by way of Beatty. Since I was no longer collecting original art I decided to sell the piece and buy a laser disc player. Truth be told, I think I’ve gotten more enjoyment out of this xerox of the Miller sketch than I did out of the laser disc player!
Ron Salas’ “Expendable”
This is my fourth Stallone sketch by Ron Salas. Obviously I’m a huge fan of his work. Of course when he does pieces like his take on Sly from “The Expendables” who wouldn’t be? You can check out more of Ron’s art here.
Gulacy’s Master of Kung Fu
While we were diggin’ around the ZONE vault yesterday, I came across this drawing that I commissioned from Paul Gulacy back in 1980. Unfortunately it was stolen/lost in 1983. Oh well… at least I have this copy…
Marshall Rogers’ Bruce Lee
Time for another dip into the ZONE vault. This time we come up with the front piece to “The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #26” published by Marvel and cover-dated July 1976. Ah, that was a great time. My senior year in high school had yet to start… ah, but I digress.
The front piece is a tribute to the legendary Bruce Lee as drawn by Marshall Rogers.
