Never-Before seen Sketches!

Last year, ONI Press did a talent search in anticipation of the 2005 San Diego Comic Con. They posted several scripts for artists to print out and they would judge the results at the ONI Portfolio review in San Diego. Even if it was just for spec, I thought it was neat Idea! You could choose from a few sample stories like Action, horror etc. I chose the horror script because it seemed like fun. I didn't finish the sample because I found some paying work. I got as far as layouts and composition. I am reminded of this because I am preparing for this years Comic-Con, and I am doing a lot of drawing in preparation for that!

I review Superman!

A scientist from an advanced culture in outer space sends his only son to Earth to live among them. His adoptive parents teach him right from wrong and he grows up to perform super feats and miracles. He is a symbol of truth, justice and all that other stuff. I am talking about Superman, of course, but you might assume that I were speaking about Jesus. That's the impression I got after watching the recent movie with Kate Bosworth and Brandon Routh.

So much Christian symbolism...Oh boy. Rouths' acting is placid. Not like the confidence and wit of Chris Reeves and Routh is missing the overboard geekyness that made the contrast between him and his alter-ego so entertaining. Bosworth is so pretty, you forget that her dialogue is weak. Kevin Spacey as Luthor had a lot to do, but he never seemed like the threat that he was supposed to be. The action is excellent and the effects top-notch but the symbolism too much. Superman is about an immigrant coming to a different land and achieving his full potential. It's the idea that Siegel and Shuster first gave us.

Spoiler Example: Towards the end of the movie, Superman is lifting a small island into outer space. It's infused with Krptonite and as he throws it into space, he succumbs to the krypton radiation. He falls to Earth, arms out stretched. Is he alive or dead? His disciples, Perry White, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Ma Kent wait for three days as he lays in a hospital bed. Then he disappears!

He has recovered and is still among us! Fighting crime and flying above us.

I have no problem with religion. I just think that original 1978 movie had a similar plot but less Holy Roman undertones. I recommend seeing the film if only to be prepared for the talked about follow-up. Batman versus Superman. I mean, The Devil versus Jesus.

KHAN

I drew a book for Moonstone Books called KHAN. It was written by Tom DeFalco and I was eager to work with the former Editor and Chief of Marvel Comics! I had known him during my NYC years when I did a lot of inking and it would be cool to draw a book with him as writer. We did the first book and we were approved for a second, but just as I finished the pencils for book two, we were cancelled! Bummer! So until the second issue of KHAN gets printed, I will show some pencil art from it.

Check out a new interview!

I did an interview for a really cool Jersey Boys website! It's a daily blog that follows the hit Broadway show! It's been up for a little while now, so I hope you visit this cool site!

www.Jerseyboysblog.com

Ever More Kolchak!

I am trying to do as much of this Kolchak book before the San Diego Con! Because I am working the Active Images booth, I won't have time to stand in line. Hmmm. Let me think about that for a minute. In the meantime, check out this pencil page.

Spider-Man on Broadway?

The filming of the third Spider-Man movie continues!
The set moves from New York, Ohio and back to NYC. This time for a visit to Broadway! Take a look at these images Courtesy of The NY Times. Peter Parker (Spidey) has an aspiring actress for a girlfriend, Mary Jane Watson. Peter takes in the show and if look closely at the last image on the bottom, you can see that Jersey Boys is playing across the street! How cool is that?

Related?

I think that this is such a nice photo. Taken at the Pirates of The Caribbean premiere.

More Kolchak

I am working on The Kolchak book for Moonstone and I have been busy.

I STILL remember the GO-GOs!

Don't you just love the passage of time? Take a look at two shots of My Favorite Girl-Group more than 20 years apart. They look fine, but you can't miss the obvious eye job on Gina Schock. Belinda looks a little pulled back as well.

Hell's Kitchen

I just finished watching a cooking show on FOX television and I am convinced that it's the best show in the world. Hell's kitchen is a reality show about a Master Chef who yells at a bunch of wannabe chefs. That's it! About twelve men and women work at the head guys restaurant and after 3 episodes, the restaurant has had to close early! The wannabes can't seem to work as a team and it takes 2 hours for an appetizer. Shocking! I have eaten in my fair share of restaurants and this show gives me an overdone, super-dramatic peek inside the turgid underworld of competitive sous-chefs!

The head guy does a lot of yelling and the contestants make a lot of mistakes. I recommend the show! Hell's Kitchen on FOX. Sundays at 9;00

Storyboards

This entry is a response to Allen! He asked if I could post a sample of some storyboard work that I have done. Most companies frown upon their ideas being shown in public, So I won't tell you what company this was drawn for or what they are trying to sell. This is an example of the type of work an Advertising agency would accept (and pay for) from a freelance artist. I used a light pencil, then did the half tones in Nuetral Grey Marker. I finished in brush and pen. Sometimes I might get a script, but I spoke with an advertising copywriter for this one and he let me do my thing. All the communication was done on the phone and I sent him E-mails with the artwork at all stages of the job.

Western cover

This is a great Marvel Western cover drawn by John Romita! It's packed with action! This was the Two-Gun Kid before the new series that's out now.

Modern decorating

The somewhat famous Model Janice Dickinson has opened up her home to InTouch Magazine. She has decorated her home and is obviously proud of it. And why not? She's got some nice comicbook reproductions on the wall! I recognize a Superman Annual cover Drawn by Gil Kane, flanked by two Lichenstein copies. Bold, yet approachable design!

Award winning!

I am starting Monday on a high note! Jersey Boys won a Tony for best Musical! I feel so happy for everyone on the show and I am proud to be a part of a Broadway success! That's something to put on may resume!

Tommy Lee can read!

I read the latest issue of GQ Magazine and came across a fashion photo shoot of Motley Crue drummer and infamous lover, Tommy Lee. He runs around in very fashionable outfits and leaps among the flora and fauna. What caught my attention was what he did by the pool! He reads comics! In the photo here, he's reading a Captain America book written by the Late Mark Gruenwald and penciled by Rik Levins (if memory serves me right). I knew Mark back when and he was into Werewolves. At one point the Cap book was overrun with Werewolves!

Anyway, All of the books that Tommy has with him were printed before 1996. Take a close look at the books on the ground. Are you a geek like me and can you identify who wrote and penciled those books?

My favorite Thing

Sixteen years ago, I was a young man trying to make a living drawing comics. I was on staff at Marvel Comics working for John Romita and one of the ways I made ends meet was to ink backgrounds for anyone who needed help. I was just starting to learn the fine points of comicbook inking and doing backgrounds for professionals was a great way to learn! Along the way I worked with many excellent artists. One name that stands out is Joe Sinnott. I was able to see how the long time inker of The Fantastic Four gave The Thing his trademark look. What does a background Inker do? He or she inks everything but the figures. Like cars and buildings. It saves time for the inker!

I did the backgrounds on FF issue 310. Joe had a regular guy working for him, but for whatever reason, he needed somebody fast and John Romita gave him my name. I really enjoyed working with him and I hope to see him at a convention where I can tell him how much I appreciate him.

I am posting scans of the issue I worked on! If you look closely, you'll see a guy in a cell that I inked. It's a very bad inking job.

Ordinary Hero

The latest issue of Los Angeles Magazine has some very disturbing images of your favorite Super-Heroes. It's a special Hollywood issue and it puts a spotlight on the neighborhood revival and it's people. If you were to visit Manns Chinese Theatre, you would see people in costume and you could have your photo taken with them. No different than any comic con I guess. The disturbing part is that they show the same guy in some dopey, everyday routine, but with his costume on! Ugh! Do I really want to see some guy in a saggy Spider-Man suit do his saggy Spidey laundry?

Well... I bought the magazine. So I guess I do!

Work in progress

As some of you may know, I am working on a Kolchak Mini series for Moonstone books. I am working away but I still take time to critique my own work. Shocking! Please take a look at the above artwork and comments.

CinemaRetro Magazine

I buy a lot of magazines. One reason is that I'm constantly looking for reference, Like an 18th century pirate ship or a photo of Genghis Khan or something. I will visit my local newsstand and go through Esquire Magazine to Marie Claire, and if I see a photo that I can keep as reference, then I will shell out my five bucks happily. A bonus is that I will read the articles within and learn something. If you read a few issues of Marie Claire you'll get good advice on body image...But that's another posting.

Anyway, while checking out the racks at Astonishing Comics in Burbank, I found a groovy UK import Magazine. Cinema Retro is a magazine covering A list and B list Movies during the 60s and 70s. They have really serious views on English Horror flicks as well as David Lean's lesser known efforts. A big draw for me was a photo essay on Frank Sinatra and his "Tony Rome" movies!
The latest Issue features Vincent Price and a movie he did in the Sixties called "Witchfinder General". Lots of photos of witch hunt era Salem and a few comments on how they had to edit the film for American audiences. I guess the English didn't have a problem with topless actresses.

If you enjoy B movies, do yourself a favor and get this mag. Cinemaretro.com

X-Men movie REVIEW!

The X-men movie surprised me. If you have not seen the movie yet, turn away from the screen. What shocked me is that so many important characters die! I liked the movie and it was very entertaining, but action and special effects won over character development. The Colossus guy had maybe one line and the Kitty Pryde character could have been focused on a little bit more. The actress Ellen Page is the cutest thing!( I had to point that out!)

Some noteworthy parts of the film was the nice Danger Room sequence, the Moira MacTaggart Cameo and the introduction of the Bolivar Trask character. That sets up a sentinel sequel idea. Gosh, I am such a Marvel geek...
I spoke with The Bucce about the movie. He hopes that the DVD will add some more quality footage and help flesh out the characters a bit more. That would be an excellent Idea.

I remember The GO-GOs

I called my friend Vince the other day. We had a chat and he mentioned that his wife Laurie had gone out with some friends to a concert. She went out to see the GO-GOs! I love that band! I first saw them with Laurie almost 12 years ago at The Academy in Times Square. Before the makeover in Times Square, it was the place to see good bands at a sweet price.
So many cool memories of that show. I hope the band still rocks!

E3_Revisited!

Three more E3 photos that shows a favorite activity at the show! Being interviewed! Right over here Mr. Cameraman!

Work in progress

I am working on an issue of KOLCHAK for Moonstone Books. The character is a reporter that chases after bizarre stories that involves monsters or weird creatures. One of the things that makes the this project interesting to me, is the chance to work with David Michelinie. When I did IRON MAN backgrounds for Bob Layton all those years ago, he was the writer on the book. That was a long time ago! This is page one pencils and inks.

Jersey Boys NOMINATIONS!

Excellent news from Broadway! Jersey Boys, the Musical I worked on has been nominated for 8 Tony Awards and I am so happy for the cast and crew. I hope I can add "Tony Award winning Musical" on my resume!

E3_Day three

What do I do at E3? I stay near the entrance of the Sony Online Entertainment booth and keep out the riff raff. That's it. It's not really violent but it can be confrontational. Theres a lot of "What's going on in there?" or "Why can't I go in?" Most people understand. Sometimes I make a mistake and block someone who is supposed to be there. Oh well. It helps to have a who cares type of attitude. It keeps me from getting personal, and now that I have a chair to sit on, I'm in a much better mood!

Good news today! Lauren The Medusa Girl is on the front page of the LA Times Calendar section! It's a beautiful photo that stands out! The entire booth was abuzz! Medusa girl spent a lot of time on her cell phone before getting into costume, calling friends and family. You can see a lot of photos taken with the paper. Maybe this is not what I should be bothering with, but it happens right in front of me! I must say that I am happy for her. She really is pretty and If you have to wear a foam rubber snake costume with a snake headress, you deserve some positive press.

The last day is a little slower. The previous two days were filled with meetings and camera crews going in and out. Not mention the open bar in the afternoons (No, I didn't drink). Today with the meetings over and done with, the booth opened for the average Sony employee. Ugg... The one thing I will say is that some of those guys should eat a salad or something. Bigger is not better. I took a lunch hour to get as much swag as I could. T-shirts, Magazines and a cool poster. I could not play many games because I couldn't wait on line.

The managers started to leave around 1:00. I stayed at my post until my supervisor let me split around 4:00. Another job well done! I stood around checking badges and got senses stimulated for three days. Was it worth it? Well, nobody took a swing at me, so I guess it was!

E3_Day two

I love walking around E3 before it opens to the public. Very early, like around 7:00. The hall is well lit and there is security standing around but in comparison to the rest of the day, it's like an abandoned Times Square. I can walk around and enjoy the effort the corporations put into getting my attention. I'm not a big gamer but I love great design. And some of these booths are gorgeous! The N-Gage booth was sherbert colored with groovy chairs. The Final Fantasy area had the best trailer playing and a great game set-up. The SEGA booth with Virtua Fighter knocked my socks off. My favorite is still the PSP booth with the cutaway subway car!

Okay, so I finish walking around the convention floor and I get ready for the show. I was so busted from yesterday and I have all kinds of anxieties. I worry that I can't finish the day. Then a surprise! A few hours into the show, my boss walks up and asks me if I'd like a chair to sit down in! What a shock! She says"It must be tough to stand up all day." I respond, " I didn't think that I was allowed to sit down." Silly old me. I now have a chair to relax in in between telling some Korean guy that he can't come inside the exclusive booth. Ever been to E3? There are a lot of Korean people walking around, believe me.

You will find a beautiful girl at every booth at E3. They could be working reception or just standing around in a costume passing out T-shirts. They exist to get your attention. You are allowed to look but not touch, but they are not fragile artifacts, just a normal beautiful girl being paid to pose for photos. I have spent two days listening to their unfiltered thoughts in the break room and this what they think about YOU!

They hate the guy that puts their arms around their waist and hugs! Gross! The outfit that they wear shows a lot of skin and they don't need to be that close to you buddy. If you smell, they will make a face after you leave. That's Guaranteed. They start seeing double after 3 or 4 hours because of the constant camera flashing. When they take a break, they take the costume off and relax. They will chat about the next job or where they are headed next. If you were the weirdest guy at the convention, they will goof on you. One last thing. They LOVE a TV camera. If someone with a mic and a camera shows up, Get out of the way! I wonder if Jennifer Aniston started out posing in an iron brassier?

Next time- "I'm on the front Page! It's all about ME!"

E3_Day one

I attended The Electronic Entertainment Expo last year. It's basically a video game convention. I was not an attendee or an exhibitor, but hired security! I got a call from a friend who runs a west coast talent agency. She needed someone to work the door at Sony booth at E3 and I was the only black guy she knew(or something like that). I had never done anything like that before! I'm tall and I can be menacing if I need to be, but I'm a lover not a fighter. The pay was alright and it was something different, so I said Yes!

Jump ahead one year and I get a call from my friends talent agency. E3 is coming up again and the Sony people want me to reprise my 2005 performance. How nice! The biggest change between then and now is this Blog and a digital camera, so I will tell you of my three days and of standing for 9 straight hours.
Day One

So I get there early but the person with my badge gets there late. I wait for about an hour and enjoy the point of entry promotions. Stuff like an artist drawing a 10x10 pastel illustration on the floor or some live cable broadcast shot in the lobby. Lots of people waiting to enter and I'm starting to remember the worst thing about this job. Standing around and my aching back. More on that later.

I get inside and WOW! The booths are so extravagant and you can see that video games make a lot of money. The Sony booth was larger with a better location. Most of the people were the same and my duties were unchanged as well. Make sure that the geeks and clowns did not enter the VIP booth. The booth was meant for meetings and smoozing, and you can get a beer or a vodka shot if you get in. E3 is an industry only con, so only adults are permitted inside the hall. Most of the companies there have some kind of comfort station for their clients.

My job consists of standing in one place for hours at a time. This was a problem last year. On the third day, my back felt like somebody had been kicking me with steel toed boots on. Horrible pain. I'm not as young as I used to be! By the time my lunch break came around, I had to walk to get the blood moving in my feet. I thought about eating lunch. The booth has some sandwiches sent in, but it's all picked over by the time I get to it. The Convention Center food service is a ripoff so I decide to take a look around instead of eat.

Every booth looks like a million bucks. They want you to notice, so the booths are like small fantasies that engage you. One place was dressed up like a battlefield and another had a skateboard half pipe built for skaters to perform on. My favorite was the PSP booth with a partial subway train built with mobile games installed in the seats! Take a look at the photos.

I did not have time to see what I wanted to. By back was aching and I had another 5 hours to go. I also had a birthday dinner to attend later that night, so I was wilting. This was just the first day and I was thinking about calling in sick.

Next Time: Booth Babes, the stuff they don't want you to know!

X-men Movie

I had a chance to see the latest X-men 3 trailer and I am looking forward to it!

I also have a quick review for MI-3: It's quick paced to the point of being frantic. The story is less important than the energetic camera angles and the wide eyed chases. The slowest part of the film was funeral scene and the camera panned across the mourners like they wanted to save film or something. I would have enjoyed the film much more if they had not blown up the screen so much.

Spidey's Wedding

I recently read an interview with Joe Quesada on the Newsarama website. He made a comment that Peter Parker marrying Mary Jane Watson was not a good idea. I disagree! The wedding was so much fun, and I know because I was there! It was in 1988 when they tied the knot at Shea stadium in NYC. Everyone was given tickets to the game and a reception afterwards. The party was at The Tunnel, it was a trendy place at the time and I was just old enough to drink!

Spidey getting married put him on a different path and showed the character maturing. I think the people at Marvel need to try harder to explore the drama of married life instead of lamenting over his single days.

Work in progress

In my ongoing efforts to not suck, I am posting some more of my artwork with self-criticisms included. If you have any comments, let me know!

Time to VOTE!

If you have received your ballot for the Eisners, don't forget to check the appropriate box! Vote for Richard Starkings for best Letterer! It's really cool that my book GunpowderGirl and The Outlaw Squaw was included on his nomination, it's a first for me having something I created recognized by the Eisners. Vote early and often!

Another Computer AD

I saw this AD and it tripped me out! It's the Commodore Amiga 2000 computer. This looks like one of the first computers to offer a Photoshop type of tool. It's from 1988 and if I remember correctly, magazines were still using photostats and rubber cement to paste-up their magazines. The monitor looks about 12 inches wide and the mouse looks like it would be uncomfortable to use. Can anyone tell me what happened to the Commodore Amiga? Did you own one and how much memory did it come with?

Art auction!

I went to an art auction last night here in Los Angeles. I thought it was neat! The Martin Lawrence Galleries had their auction at the Luxe Hotel in Brentwood. The room was filled with prints and originals that included works by Keith Haring, Warhol and Picasso. It was reasonably priced stuff like Linocuts and etchings. It was a lot like a museum except for the auctioneer. He had an engaging personality and did his best to keep the bidders interest in the art for sale. But he didn't sell himself short; If a particular work didn't make an already set reserve, he'd quickly shuffle it off the stage!

There was one piece I let escape me. I didn't buy anything, but this one was within my budget. A Salvador Dali Wood cut that had a lot of energy and nice composition. Not too big and in a classy frame. Take a look at this scan. It sold at auction for $750.00!
Do you think I made a mistake letting it pass?

Essential Wolverine

I visited my local comic book shop and took a look at the newest "Essential Wolverine Vol. 4" published my Marvel Comics. I have to say that I was really disappointed. One reason is that they must have scanned a copy of the actual comic instead of using the original negatives. Did they misplace them? Anyway, the book looked muddy on that cheap paper they're using for the Essentials series. This newest collection covered a lot of Silvestris' work, Issues 70 to 90. It should have looked better.

John Severin cover!

Isn't this the best cover? A huge logo near the top, dramatic cover copy and Excellent Artwork by John Severin! I am a big fan.

A nice place to visit

This is a vacation spot near Lake Tahoe. Lots of snow! Except in the summer, of course.

My Opinion

I do not believe that anyone who manages to evade the Border Police, find a job and continue to live here illegally should be granted immediate citizenship. I get the feeling after watching all the LA demonstrations, that anyone who accomplishes those things should be given amnesty right away.

It's been said that many immigrants take jobs that even black people won't take. As a black man, I have worked in fast food, hauling boxes, mopping, sweeping and serving coffee. I have always thought that any honest job is a good job. If all the undocumented workers were to disappear, businesses would have to offer a higher wage to find the next worker. I'm not anti-immigration! I believe in Legal Immigration.

If I am too Republican on this issue let me know.

Work in progress

As I continue drawing my Western book, I run into interesting panels. (maybe they are interesting only to me...)
Anyway, I thought I would share.

Nominations

I took a look at the Eisner nominations for this year! It's a great awards ceremony because up until his passing, Will Eisner would hand out the awards and so many excellent creators were nominated. This year, Rich Starkings and Ladronn were nominated for Best Letterer and Best Multimedia Artist Respectively. Included in the Best Letterer nomination were a few books that Richard worked on. Gunpowder Girl and the Outlaw Squaw was one of them.

I was very happy to see that Ladronn and Active Images were recognized for excellent work! I will wish them luck!

Gallery opening

I took a trip to Culver City this past Saturday. The company I work for has some art on display at the Billy Shire Fine art Gallery. It's a new gallery, you can tell by how the floor shines. Most of the work at the show was by students with a few exceptional oil paintings. The space is a part of The Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles and it seems to me that Culver City is being taken over by the Fine art crowd! The transformation of that part of town is astounding. I visited two more art galleries on Washington Blvd that night. I think in a few years the auto parts shop or the mom and pop store on the corner will be replaced by the trendy bar with a ten dollar cocktail. If you've never been to Culver City, CA before, go now! This is a neighborhood in transition