My Mini MegaCon Report

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Last Saturday I made my way over to Orlando to the first ever Mini MegaCon.  Here’s a batch of photos I took at the show.  Although I was only there for one day I made the most of it.  It was great catching up with folks like Gene Gonzales, Jeff Parker, Casey Jones, Bill Marimon, Ron Salas, Joel Carroll, Pat Briderick, Mike Kott, Frank Dollar, Mark Dail and his fiance who can draw, Tim Gordon, Shawn Surface, Derec Donovan and so many others.

I picked up for Stallone sketches: Casey Jones did Rocky [and added a neat touch], Jeff Parker riffed on Nighthawks, and Bill Marimon worked up a Jack Carter and Barney Ross from “The Expendables.” I’ll post them in the coming weeks. I also was also able to talk a bit with Darwyn Cook as he signed my “The Hunter” book. Not bad for just having one day at the show!

Next up TampaCon in November!

Mike Zeck Week: Day 2

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Hey!  Glad you could make it back for Mike Zeck Week: Day 2.  Isn’t that a cool Zeck Iron Fist splash [from RBCC 132 December 1976]?  Yeah, it kind of goes without saying, but you know I had to. 

If you’re a Mike Zeck fan, you know Mike hasn’t done a regular comic series in years and no longer attends conventions.  His workload for DC licensing keeps him too busy for private commissions so it can be tough to get Mike Zeck original art.  When I first met Mike [through my best bud, John Beatty], Mike was selling his originals for seven dollars a page!  In fact there is a blurb in RBCC 132 which says that this Iron Fist original is 12″ x 15” and is available for $20.00.   Man, those were the good old days.

Speaking of days, tomorrow will be MIKE ZECK WEEK: DAY THREE.  Hope you can make it.

Mike Zeck Week: Day 1

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Digging around in the ZONE vault today, I found some vintage issues of RBCC. There was a period of time durring RBCC’s run when you could count on Mike Zeck having at least one piece of art in each issue [and sometimes more].  Yep, that’s Mike’s art above that graced the cover of RBCC issue 132 [from December 1976] which also featured a profile of, you guessed it, Mike Zeck.

If you’re a Mike Zeck fan, you’ll want to check back here daily for the rest of the week.  We’re going back in the ZONE time machine and, just to make it more official (sounding), we’re calling it MIKE ZECK WEEK at the ZONE.  And yes, this is DAY ONE.

Andrew Charipar’s “Nighthawks”

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This is the second piece of Stallone art that I’ve gotten from Andrew Charipar. You may remember the Cobra piece that he did at FX. A few months later, Andrew was sketching at the Florida SuperCon and so I hit him up for another piece.

Andrew worked up this very cool shot of Deke from “Nighthawks.” Love the design and how Andrew went back in with the colored pencil for highlights. When I picked up the piece Andrew said he already had an idea for his next Stallone drawing, and I can’t wait to see what it is. Until then we have Andrew’s blog and his DA site to hold us over.

The World’s Most Dangerous Man

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“What if the most dangerous man in the world looked like someone you’d see at the tractor pull on Friday night?”

That was the pitch that sold editors at Wildstorm on the new two issue mini-series by [writer] Jeff Mariotte and [artist] Francesco Francavilla.  If the pitch didn’t pique your interest, perhaps knowing that the first time we see Garrison [the most dangerous man in the world]… 

“he’s walking away from a town that he has just burned to the ground, with everyone inside.  And he’s the hero.”

Want to learn more?  Then click here or here.

“Last Days of American Crime” Preview

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CBR.com has a great preview of Rick Remender’s “Last Days of American Crime” mini-series. I’ve been a fan of Rick’s work for years and have been hoping to see this mini-series for almost as long.  The 17 page preview showcases some really great art by Greg Tocchini, but before you click over on the link be aware that some of the images are pretty violent and the language raw.  If you’re okay with that then click on, Leon.

“Avatar” Teaser Hits

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I’m a huge James Cameron fan, and have been waiting a long time to see what his Avatar  would be like.

This first teaser gives glimpses of some really cool stuff… along with other scenes that make me go “uh, okaaay…”

Hopefully the really cool will greatly outweigh the “okay.”

I Choose Flickchart

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My latest addiction is Flickchart.  It’s a website based on a simple premise: it is possible to create a definitive ranking for your favorite movies.  But you’ve tried without success, you say.  How can you choose between “The Wizard of Oz” and “Enter the Dragon” or “Aliens” vs “Terminator 2” or… 

But it can be done.  The site simply posts two movie posters and you choose the movie you like best, it then ranks the movies based on your choices and repeats endlessly with different movies.  If you like movies and rankings, give it a try.  Just be careful… a few times and I was hooked… and loving it!

Dick Giordano: Demolition Man #2

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To comic book fans, Dick Giordano is a living legend. During his fifty plus years in the biz he’s done everything from ink all the greats (including himself) to serve as Editor-in-Chief of DC Comics, to co-founding his own comic company. Mr. Giordano also has a great sense of humor.

I recently had the good fortune to pick up six model sheet headsketches of Sly that Mr. Giodano did before starting work on DC Comics adaptation of “Demolition Man.” That’s the second posted above.