The Cat Book

Hey kids! Look what showed up at my front door! This is really cool, but it would be cooler if my name was on the cover.

Deflated

I caught a flat yesterday on the 110 freeway. I was taking my GF to the airport when the front right tire started giving out. It wasn't a blowout, It was just under inflated. It's my fault for not paying attention to the tire pressure, I am just glad that nothing horrible happened.

I was able to pull off the freeway and limp into a Chevron station. I considered changing the tire myself, but my GF had AAA and figured, why not learn from the pro. It was a hot day and he was working, so I think I ticked the AAA guy off with my questions.

So, the spare was put on, we got to the Airport with time to spare and I said goodbye to my GF. I should point out hanging out with a flat in a gas station was not fun, but at least I got to spend more time with someone very special.

I started browsing EBAY, looking for original art and I saw this. In the comics section, they put a cover of The Silver Surfer that I inked. I also inked the interior. I thought that was cool! So random! So cool!

Tropic Thunder

My GF and I saw 'Tropic Thunder' last night at the local Cine-plex. Very funny! I would recommend it to every one!

Cat Scratch Fever

How do you draw a black cat? You tell me!

Fun with a Brush!

I have re-discovered my long lost brush this morning and thought I would test it out.

Thunder in New Jersey

I came across a photo for the upcoming 'Tropic Thunder' movie. It's about a group of actors dropped into a tropical war zone. I remember acting in a film, where I was a Vietnam soldier! The movie was 'The Freelancer' and the photo was taken on location in New Jersey. I think the year was 1989 and you can see how similar the two movies are!

Cat Heads

The cover of Warriors: Tigerstar and Sasha has been put up on Amazon.com. It's exciting to see this first book come out but it's strange to read the comments made by fans. I know that since no one knows the story, they can only comment on the art. More than one reader commented on how Sasha's head looked weird. I agree! But I won't take the blame because my art was retouched by Tokyopop or Harper Collins or maybe both. Here is a before and after.

Watchmen Mania!

The new WATCHMEN posters are inspired by the original promo posters from 1986. I have 3 of the originals and the new ones for comparison.

Weekend Escape

I planned a weekend escape, but wouldn't you know it...

Return of the Cat King!

I have completed the second Warriors book and I am now working on the third. Here is a layout where Sasha has to return a sacred ring to Mordor.

Convention Comment

I remember walking on the comvention floor with my GF last Saturday, and we passed by Judd Apatow and his wife, Leslie Mann. Judd Apatow was the creative force behind "The 40 year old Virgin". They were checking out some collectables and a fan was talking to them, so I did not bother them. I occured to me then, There are dozens of stars who come to San Diego to promote. How many really like comics and hang out on the floor? I doubt Paris Hilton looked for Supergirl back issues when she came to promote her dopey event/product. I really admire the stars who walk the floor and enjoy the event.

Inside The OWLSHIP!

I was able to sneak a camera inside The WATCHMEN owlship!

Active Images? Yes!

What can I say about these two Eisner nominated Professionals?

LARRY HAMA Talks!

It must have been ten years since I last saw Larry. It's lucky for me that I brought my camera!

San Diego 2008-The Hotel

Yes, I went to San Diego like every other person on earth. The convention was so jam-packed and busy, I couldn't believe it. But before I blog about the weekend, I should start with the hotel. Steve Buccellato and I shared a room with two beds and we were lucky to get a place very close to the convention center. The hotel looks great! The bad part was the service. It felt like we were not as important as the people throwing the Hollywood party on Friday and Saturday.

The Punisher kills the Marvel Universe

A little while ago, I got a royalty check in the mail. I inked three pages over Doug Braithwaite for a rush job and they were for The Punisher Kills The Marvel Universe. I don't know what kind of fever dream inspired this story, but I loved Braithwaites' art and I jumped at the chance to ink him. I met him once at a Marvel picinic in 1994 (I think it was 1994...) and I knew his work from other books.

I managed to get a couple of copies of the pencils and the inks. You can see how loose the last page is. Also, you can see the knife going thru DAREDEVIL. That was something the editor, asked me to fix. He also blackened in the blood on the last panel where DD is bleeding out. Can't show red blood! Different era huh?

I got the royalty check because the book was reprinted over a year ago. I guess the older stuff is starting to resurface. I am waiting for MARVEL to put The Secret Defenders in a trade paperback. Until Then...

Coming Soon!

My first Warriors Manga will be out in september! I've gotten a copy of it and I am really excited!

Watchmen Mania!

Ok....I have been the biggest fan of WATCHMEN the comic since it came out in 1986. I know there were a bunch of dopey movie scripts making the rounds since then, but this completed 2009 release seems like it's the real deal. How can I say this? Visit this website and see for yourself.

David Gerrold Interview!

The signing at The Comic Bug was fun! I got to meet David Gerrold and we chatted. Did you know that he worked on the Sci-Fi show 'Sliders'? He has been writing for over 30 years and he was 19 when he wrote the 'Trouble with Tribbles' Star Trek episode!

Signing To-Nite!

I am going to tear myself away from the drawing board and attend a special signing! I will see you at the Comic Bug and I will bring my brush pens. Buy a book and get a sketch!

Quasar Pages

I have been enjoying Mike Manleys' blog and his posts about working on the Marvel book, QUASAR. My friend John Heebink pencilled Issue 53 and he was coming off of the last issue of SHIELD. I think it was in 1994. I inked John on SHIELD and I wanted to see his latest work.

The best thing about these pages were the notes on page 19. I don't know who inked him on this issue, but I hope he did not screw it up!

Half-Inked Pages

In an effort to distance myself from yesterday's posting, I would like to talk about something Steve talked about in his last blog post. Half inked pages. I did not draw or ink these two pages. They were pencilled by Dale Keown and inked by Joe Rubenstein. They are from The Hulk issue 387, Back in the early 90s.

I remember hanging around the Marvel offices looking for work and hanging out with friends( I did that a lot back then). I am near the copy machine when the assistant to the Hulk editor at the time, C. Cooper, stopped to make some copies. I was excited by the half state of the artwork and I had him make a few copies for me as well. I don't know why anyone else would want copies in an in-between state like that.

So I have these copies and I keep looking at them to see how Joe changed the pencils. How he added depth and weight. I am sure he did most of his work in brush at this point, with a pen for hands and faces. There was some great work on those pages and I am lucky to have this Half-inked example of a great page.

Bad Day Today

I banged my left toe REALLY badly last Saturday. It was late at night and it was extra painful and even bled. I figured it was just an awful stubbed toe and went back to sleep. It throbbed on Sunday but I thought that it would improve. It did not. My left front toe was silly looking. After consulting with my GF, who has had a similar injury, I called my family doctor. Things went wrong the moment I saw him today.

After checking it this afternoon, Dr. LF recommended a Podiatrist and recommened I call for an appointment. "He can see me today?" Sure! Why not! With all this deadline stuff, I could get a persciption for an antibiotic and call it a day. My family doctor tried to prepare me and the Podiatrist set me straight. He would have to remove the busted toenail and let it heal properly.

EEE-YOW! I have never had a nail ripped from a toe before and I would not recommend it. I needed an extra shot for pain before the pulling could be completed. I closed my eyes for the procedure that I'm sure must have been just another nail avulsion for the Podiatrist. I did not open them until he was dressing the toe with a professional looking bandage.

I have to clean and dress the wound and return in 10 days for a check up. I hope I will able to walk my way thru San Diego this year.

Say it with Color!

I believe that my best drawing is my NEXT drawing. That's why I tend to throw out my old drawings. I look at the older stuff and I want to redraw it. That being said, I am trying to learn how to color with Photoshop and it's a big mess. I can't expect to learn everything in a weeks time but it's uncomfortable for me to be sucky. There you go.

I think my biggest problem is learning how to prepare the darned stuff for color.

All Done

I finished inking my Next Generation story and I dropped by the Tokypop offices to deliver it. My old editor on the book was let go, so I had a chance to meet the new one. Nice guy. The office seemed quieter than in the past and a lot of friends were no longer there.

Previews AD

Star Trek:The Next Generation Manga has been solicited in the July Previews! I guess I should finish my story then.

Next Generation Inks!

I posted the layout to this page a month or so ago and I have finised inking the page. I usually take the sketch and enlarge it to original art size. I lightbox the photocopy and make any changes then. The biggest change was Deanna Trois' smile in panel 2.

I have Bees!

My kitchen vent was replaced a few months ago. So with a new grease-free vent, some Bees decided to build a hive there. I think I have discovered it just in time. With the help of the vent fan and bug spray, I may have made the vent uninhabitable. What should I do to prevent any new infestations?

Next Gen- Part 2

Did I tell you that I am all about The Next Generation?

Next Gen

I will get back to finishing the Next Generation job soon. I want to have it done before the end of the month, so wish me luck!

The Cats will Continue

There is a great bunch of Warrior fans and I think that they are the coolest! With all the nonsense going on at Tokyopop, I was unsure about the future of the book. After speaking with the new editor of the book, I have returned to work!

Saturday at Pachanga!

I spent the afternoon with my GF in Chula Vista and we decided to swing over to the Pechanga reservation Casino. It looks like any Vegas casino except for the absence of Craps tables. I did not miss it so much because I wanted to try my luck at Blackjack. I am no fool when I play 21, but the tables there were rough! You may have beaten me this time, but I will return to defeat you!

I won!

I bought a lottery ticket last Saturday in North Hollywood. I was feeling really happy driving and shopping with my GF. We stopped at a gas station and spend 5 dollars on a quick pick ticket. I did not worry about the drawing until I checked it at a local 7Eleven. I won ONE dollar! It was just enough to get me blogging.

Movie Review

I caught an IMAX showing of 'Kung-Fu Panda' at Universal City this afternoon! I recommend it highly. I won't spoil it for you. Jack Black voices the title character and he was great. It was kid friendly but not a dumb kids movie.

Milch AD

I did some drawings for a european agency. It was for a milk AD! It's called milch in German.

Homeless Hulk

Yes, I CAN spare a dime....

Next Generation Pencils

I blogged about an old book I drew and I relized that I have a new book that I am working on! I have a story in the upcoming Star Trek Next Generation Manga from Tokyopop. Here are two pages from that story.

The latest thing

I like hair and I like dogs, but this too much. Click Here

Tokyopop Rocks

If you have not heard, Tokyopop laid off about half of their staff. Two of my friends were among them. Rob Tokar, who I have known since the old Marvel days and Luis Reyes, my editor on the Star Trek Manga. When I heard the news from Steve, I made some calls and got a few gory details that I should keep to myself.

Tokyopop has pulled out of the San Diego con. I am working on two projects for the company and it's sad that I won't be promoting them the way I would like. I have not heard from the new editor of my cat book as of yet. Is it still on?

Forever Amber

Ten years ago I started writing Forever Amber. It was a Four issue limited series published by Image Comics, that I wrote, penciled and Inked. I could not have done it without the encouragement of The Bucce, Richard Starkings and the support of my friends at Mad Science Media. I was part of the Mad Science studio in Marina Del Rey and I can remember dropping in on my lunch hour when I worked in Culver City and working at the studio in the evenings. It was a really great and supportive place for me when I felt under utilized working for Sony Animation.

Back in 1998, I had years of experience, but not that much confidence and Forever Amber would be my first attempt at creating a comic book instead of just inking one. Now that some time has passed I'd like to review the first issue. I will keep my comments short for those who have never read the book. You can find a more objective review here.

Steve colored the cover! Excellent work but I insisted on the yellow logo. There was an alternate cover I drew that Steve colored as well. Thanks Steve.

The story was about a near future where everyone had a job, but no one was allowed to quit. If you did, your company would send someone like Amber to bring you back. She had super powers and everything was kind of easy for her. She was at a position in the company where she could see the average employee getting screwed over, but she did not think it could happen to her. When it did, she fought back in dramatic fashion.

Of all the ideas I had for the story, having Amber run around in a bikini top was not the best one. I'll try to make up for it in the sequel. I was also kind of chatty in the first issue. I was not comfortable enough in my storytelling at that point to let the art alone tell the story. As for my art, my stuff was all over the place. All of the characters were lost in shadows. I should have kept it simple and It did not help that the first took place at night. Ugh. Enough review.

I have to mention that this is my 500th post on this blog and I have not run out of things to say.

iTunes Envy

I have downloaded a bunch of songs onto my iPod today! My iTunes list is growing longer thanks to Steve and Babyphat.No more iPod envy for me.

Behind Bars

I did a couple of sketches a few days ago. This is one!

Indy 4

I had a chance to see the latest Indiana Jones film today. I liked it! I won't spoil it, but I will say that the ending is familiar to the first movie.

Hot Link Excitement!

Check out these great internet places! The NYTimes has some funny content! Click Here
And If you enjoy beautiful art, visit theJames Jean website.

Star Trek Manga-Vol.3

The third Star Trek Manga should be on the stands by July. Just in time for San Diego! I hope do the same type of promotion like last year. Signings at book stores with other creators! This clip is from the April issue of Previews and it mentions David Gerrold. I wish they could have mentioned that I drew the Gerrold story.

Special Iron Affects!

I found this at the NYTimes website and it has some great commentary. Don't worry... No spoilers!

Selling TV

I found an old AD for a TV set. A couple of days later I found a more recent AD and I noticed how similar they both were. They both show the product and we see the back of the viewers heads. Both ADs show sports and the group having fun, but the more recent one feature younger people and a black guy and a girl. I guess middle age white guys were the only ones who could afford a big screen TV back in 1983.

Your Mother!

I got a call from my friend Steve this morning. He offered me a pair of Dodger tickets for this afternoon! Sweet! My GF was at the apartment and she was up for it. Why not? Mothers Day at the ballpark was a good idea. Steve dropped off the tickets and a parking pass and we made it to the excellent seats. As we entered the stadium, we were given a red rose and a free lip gloss. I thought my gal could make better use of that stuff. It was warm and sunny and it almost made up for the Dodgers losing the game.

Iron Man Review

I was able to see the Iron Man movie last week at the Cinerama dome in Hollywood. Great place to see a film and the film did not disapoint! The origin story stayed consistant with the original comicbook and Robert Downey Jr. was a great choice to play a frivolous billionaire.The armor looked great! I should say that I saw the film on a Tuesday and it was a great date movie. I think the inclusion of Gwyneth Paltrow may have something to do with that.

The verdict is Yes! You should see this movie and you will enjoy it.

A Lot Older

I am looking forward to the newest Indiana Jones Movie. I can't help but notice that the star of the film has gotten a bit older. This poster is a good one, but I don't recognize the guy in the hat.

Kolchak Art

It took a long time, but I have sent the remaining pages for my latest Kolchak story. I hope the book will be out by San Diego.

Festival of Books

I spent most of the day at The LA Festtval of Books with my GF. It's always a good time and this year was even better. The day was so hot! I was able to cool off in the afternoon.

Basketball Win

Last night was good night for the B.A.T.S Basketball team! We won by about 10 points and we are 5 and 1. I was able to contribute too!

More Layouts!

In between worring about Jeneane Garafalos' tattoos and losing basketball games, I am trying to complete my Next Generation layouts.

Tattoo?

I just noticed that Janeane Garafolo has a big tattoo on her shoulder. I wonder what it means.

Deanna Troi

I found myself in conversation with my GF not too long ago and we talked about Deanna Troi. She's a character from Star Trek and I am drawing her for a Next Generation Manga. The writer of the story wants her in her season 3 dress and I could not recall of her wearing any dresses. As I did more research, I found all kinds of outfits, including a dress uniform. It seems that my GF was right.

I am working on sketches and Layouts for the story. The character will only wear one outfit in the story, but which one do you like?

Color Cat Cover!

The color for the next cover of WARRIORS looks great!

Iron Man

The Iron Man Movie has premiered in Australia and South Korea. I Hope it shows up here soon.

Tax Time

It is getting close to the tax deadline and I have been noticing the commercials. Is it some kind of holiday? There are Tax Time sales and specials, as if this is a good time to spend money. Not cool. I say save your dough and spend your cash on the next holiday... The 4th of July!

Next Generation

I am working on the newest Star Trek job! It's a Next Generation story and i get to draw Jean-Luc Picard and Deanna Troi! I am posting some layouts and still working on the likenesses.

Bad Cover

This is the new cover format for The Fantastic Four. This issue is the third with this format and I hoped that it wouud grow on me. It has not. I think the guys at Marvel are going for a magazine format, but the result looks boring. I bought the book because of Bryan Hitch, the penciler, but I have to say something about this ugly cover. Take a good look at the cover posted and follow my points.

A- The Fantastic Four logo looks like Fantastic 'A'. And it's been white on a dark BG for three issues now. One of the reasons for having a readable, open logo with different colors each month, is that it lets the buyer know that this is a different book from last month.

B- These days, you rarely see a word balloon on the cover. I think that a sensational piece of dialogue on the cover can get people excited about the interior, but it looks like nobody remembered how to do it over there. "Cap, please! Don't kill us!" are you kidding? I would imagine The Thing saying something a bit more heroic. To be honest, I really hate that dumb balloon. Check out a cover balloon from the 70s. The Golden Age of cover copy.

C-The Thing with chicklet teeth. Ugh. The teeth make him look like a muppet. I perfer the classic look.

D- Exciting copy can add a lot to a cover. This boring type is just information.

E- Finally, this book is rated Tplus. I guess a kid under 13 should not read The Fantastic 'A'. That is too bad.

I bought the last 3 issues of this book so I am as guilty as they are.

itunes envy

I am so jealous of everyone with more songs on their ipod than I do. I love when friends send me mix CDs. I try not to go overboard with buying songs, but I might have to go on a spending spree soon.

Passport

I took the first step in renewing my passport. The photo! I bought 2 regulation snaps at the Burbank Costco and I will now go to the local Post Office to take the next step. I would post the shot here, but I think I look like a corpse.

More Home Improvement!

The appliance installer came by Thursday and spent 3 hours in my kitchen. It was time to replace the oven, the stovetop and the overhead fan. Gosh! The old oven must have been installed in the Nixon Administration.

The new one freaked me out because of it push-button ease. Instead of checking the pilot light and twisting the plastic nob to ignite the broiler, I can now press a button! My food preparation has gone from Analog to Digital.

I am happy to see these improvements. Let the landlord fix the place up while I'm still living here, instead of when I move out!

Injury

I was struck in the jaw by a big forward at Thursdays' basketball game. It kinda re-aligned my bite and I was kinda concerned. Concerned enough to spend 3 hours in the ER and get X-rays made. I am told that it could be no more than a jaw muscle strain and there was no fracture visible on the X-ray. I should expect soreness in the days ahead.

By the way, we lost our third game in a row. :{