Kolchak meets Barnabas!

It's been a long time, but the Kolchak story I worked on has come out. It's the first story, and I am liking it so far! It was a little hard to find. I found this copy at Meltdown comics. I hope that everyone looks for it and you can see the cover at the Moonstone site!

Full Moon Station

The second issue of Comiculture Magazine featured 2 stories written and drawn by me. The first was a little 8 page story about a Werewolf in a hostage situation. I thought it was a neat premise when I wrote it, but It needed a rewrite and some editing. As for the artwork, my pencils were inked by Klaus Janson! Great stuff!
This is my sketch and pencils for the last page, then the inks.

Concept Art

I did a job recently for an theme park ride designer. It's a middle east kinda concept.

Man of La Mancha

My GF and I had a wonderful time at the Freud Playhouse at UCLA Last night! We caught 'Man of La Mancha' together and it was as good as any Broadway production. The entire cast put on a wonderful show, but one name added some marque value. Brent Spiner, best known as Data on Star Trek, The Next Generation. Can you make it out to UCLA before March 1st? See the show before it's too late!

More Before, then After!

A couple of years ago, I drew a book for Moonstone called 'KHAN' based on a fictional account of the Asian conqueror. It was written by my old boss Tom DeFalco and the first issue was a lot of fun. We were asked to do a second issue and I pencilled all 24 pages. But as soon as I finished pencilling, the book was cancelled! Bad times. I could ink the pages and maybe the book will see print one day. Until then, take a look at my layout to page 7 and the finished pencil page.

When I ink myself, I draw looser. Maybe I will tighten up the art and find someone else to ink it.

Ranting and Raving

I have a problem with the new Disney movie, 'Race to Witch Mountain'. Judging from the AD on the side of this bus and the movie trailer, you could get the idea that this is a Dwayne Johnson action movie. Sure he may have to hang out with some blonde kids, but you can expect some butt kicking action! My problem is that this film is a remake of a Disney film from the 70s where the there was no big action star. The two kids provided the action and all the charm. The original was another low budget Disney movie that you enjoyed late at night. I guess someone wanted to find something exciting for Mr Johnson to do.

My rave for today is the Watchman promo ADs being posted up all over LA. Who watches the Watchmen? I will soon!

Really good Art

This has been a good week for books about art! My GF bought me a present for Valentine's Day and it was a gift that was delayed from Xmas. The collected art of Norman Saunders published by The Illustrated Press is a big book. It was delayed for the longest time and I thank my GF for chasing it down. If I ever get back to my watercolor work, I will keep this 368 page book close by.

Watchmen...still waiting!

I know that the film is still a month away, so I have to wait. I have however picked up the 'Art of the film' photobook! I recommend it and it's fun to compare the Graphic Novel to the Film!

Lettering

In my last post, I got a comment about the lettering on a page I worked on. The question was, what makes lower case comic book lettering 'yucky'. I should point out that I am not a professional letterer, but I have bounced around the business a few years and I know what I like. As for why the lower case style sucks, lets take a look at a before and after. I took a page from an issue of SHIELD that I inked years ago and re-did the lettering.

My lettering is a bit clumsy, but the smaller lower case letters are harder to see. Plus the lower case style kills the drama from art.
I don't know why MARVEL changed lettering styles in the first place. You used to find the lower case in self-published or independent comics, but not the larger companies. It was for a short time and I am glad that fad is over.

Before, then After! Part 4

The last job I did for Marvel was ghosting 3 pages on THOR. My friend Scott Koblish was inking the book. He was in a bit of a bind and he gave me 3 pages so I helped him out. The penciller was Scot Eaton and I was really familiar with his stuff. I do like the color on this page, but hate the lettering!

Tree Burning

It's the tree burning time of year! I love spending time with Rob, Kevin and all my cool friends as we destroy last years' Christmas trees!

Warriors News!

The cover for the third issue of my Warriors book has been revealed and I think it's turned out well! There is a great story about this cover that I will write about at a later date. Amazon has posted it on the web. Also, I have received a good review on my second Warriors book! I think this review was written by an adult, instead of a pre-teen. Read it!

Visual Storyline

My friend Jason colored the Warriors covers for me! He has started his own Storyboard/Animatic shop and it's going at full speed!Check it out! In an effort to help, he's included a few pieces from my portfolio. He took one of my marker drawings and added some sweet color. I think it looks great!

Before, then After! Part 3

This page is from the fifth issue of "Cosmic Powers". A Marvel book pencilled by Tom Grindberg and inked by Me. I think that Tom did a great job on this book. A lot of big figures and strong lines. He was a chameleon, and I think he may have copied every popular artist in comics at one point. Some of his 'styles' were hard to take, but I liked inking him on this book.

Before, then After! Part 2

This is the cover to XO Manowar. Pencilled by Scot Eaton and Inked by Me. This is an Acclaim book and this cover never saw print! At the time,around 1998, Acclaim was going out of business and the book was cancelled at issue 21. I was working in Los Angeles at Sony Animation at the time, and there was a lot of stuff going on back east that I missed out on. I think Acclaim published Turok, but ended all the other books. If anyone knows more, I hope you can fill me in!

Before, then After! Part 1

This is the cover to Spider-Man Adventures, issue 4. Alex Saviuk did the pencils and I inked it. Al did a great job on this cover and I think it's dynamic! He's a real pro. I think the person coloring it must have been in a rush. I have to admit that I am looking at all of my older work and re-evaluating it in terms of color. What choices would I have made? Thinner lines or heavier? I can't say.

Defenders Splash

I did this splash page for The Secret Defenders in 1993 and I was happy with the black and white art. I was not so happy seeing it in print. The typeset title copy is horrid and the color is really ridiculous. Pink captions and knockout orange buildings? I could not ink it and color it too.

Truck Ad

This is a board for a commercial that I did recently. The homeowner admires his living room. Then he sees cement flowing on the floor. We pan to see workmen spreading cement from a truck and we realize that it's really a construction site! Our truck is a hard working vehicle! The end.

Get this Cover!

You can get this cover on ebay!Click Here!

I am a Specialist!

I few years ago, I met with a movie producer and we went over a scene that she had a problem with. I brought my sketch pad and we had a short lunch. She could not visualise the scene and I helped with the camera angles. I am glad she got the movie made and I even got a neat credit out of it!
Click here!

Looks like...

Recent likeness art. If you recognize the girl then I am on the right track.

More WARRIORS Pages!

Hey there Warriors fans! Did you miss the last Ebay auction? The first book original art has gone to an excellent new owner. Do you want to take the second one home? Don't miss your chance!

Japanese Trailer!

I can't help it! I have to see this film.

Farewell Old Stereo

This is my old Sony Mini-System. It was top of the line when I bought it in 1993. It had everything I needed to help entertain me as I inked thousands of pages of comic-book art.
It used to sit to the right of me during all-nighters. I would tune in my favorite radio stations with the tiny buttons on top. I would tape my favorite shows on the dual tape deck and repeat my favorite songs with the CD Player on the bottom. It has not been next to me for a long time now. The radio works, but the tape player is now hostile towards audio tapes and the CD player has not worked since the Clinton Administration. I have gone on to other entertainment devices.

I only listen to CDs in the car and I use my ipod everywhere else. My old mini-system could never search the Internet like the latest ipod can.

I bid you farewell mini-system. Hopefully, you can bee recycled into a $100 laptop that will serve a third-world school child as well as you served me.

Saturday

I spent the day with my GF today. We had lunch in Silverlake and even visited a few antique shops! She did not buy anything, but I bought a nice postcard.

Cute Photo!

I helped a friend paint a few walls last night. Her cat had kittens recently and I could not resist taking a snapshot. Kittens for sale?

Even MORE fun with Photoshop!

So I am still trying to work on my likenesses. I feel comfortable with my 'Marker' style.

Holiday

My Christmas Day was wonderful! I visited with my girlfriends family and ate all day. There was a lot of driving between homes but it was still a great day! The best presents were a pair of UCLA sweatpants and digital picture frame. I also got an excellent hardcover book that I will have at the drawing table for the next few months. I hope everyone had a happy and healthy holiday!

More Fun with Photoshop!

I am still learning the basics of Photoshop. I won't get a job doing touch-ups for playboy, but I am having fun with celebrity likenesses! if you can recognise the person, then I'm on the right track!

Warriors Sighting

I picked up a copy of Amazing Spider-Man and found a Warriors AD inside! I usually stay away from MARVEL books these days, but I saw that Lee Weeks did the art for this issue. It's good to see that HarperCollins will promote their top book!

Funny photo

Ever since I have been working on a book that features cats, I have been distracted by cute pet photos and videos. I am trying not to be obnoxious about it. That being said, I will post one last cute snapshot with my own cute comment: This is one hot dog that bites back!

More fun with Photoshop

This is another old drawing that I have taken into Photoshop and played with. I love the atmosphere in those old british movies. I thought I would give it a try in color.

Greenpoint is Dirty

I used to live in Greenpoint, Brooklyn maybe 19 years ago. I have fond memories of the good times and good friends, but do remember the cold weather and stinky smells. The last time I visited NYC, I took a quick trip to the old neighborhood and I blogged about it.

Recently, I caught an article about how toxic the place is and how it's affecting the property values. Maybe I should even get a check up.Click Here!

Close to the End

I am closing in on the end of book three of the 'Warriors'. Meanwhile, please enjoy this entertaining video.

I wonder what happened with the Auction?

My ebay auction will end soon and I will post my reaction in this postings comments!

Warriors Fans are Abuzz!

I seems like my ebay auction is the talk of the Warriors online community! It's clear that they all have a lot to say. Read their many opinions HERE.

Cut the Trees

It's a bit dark in my backyard, But you can get the gist.

Twin Princes

In 2004, I helped a friend with an animation job. He was storyboarding a movie called 'Twin Princes' and I drew out a bunch of boards. The plot involved a kingdom under the sea and all kinds of battles. Kinda cool. It was an Asian production and I think they wanted a western take on the story, but I don't think the project ever saw the light of day.

The Best Of 2008

The January 2009 issue ofWizard Magazine has a Best Moments in comics section. I guess this is the time of year for it, but included with the best Artist and best Hero section, there is a Best Moments of 2008. "The Best Moments" include exposed private parts and dead infants. I know that there were much more to read this year and I would like to tell you what I consider the best comicbook story of 2008.

The Astro City Character Special published this year really got to me. It told the story of Beautie, a robot hero with no memory of her origins. She has spent years looking for answers, not understanding why she feels so sad. Beautie has friends but she does not know how to relate to them and often makes others uncomfortable. We come to discover that she was created by a young girl to be her companion. When the girls' robot making father discovers the child's creation, he orders her to get rid of it. Angry and hurt, she yells at her own 'child' to go away and 'forget'. Beautie leaves, spending years trying to remember and understand.

I could relate to the sadness of the little girl and the confused offspring trying to understand a parent. It was a good story. I recommend it.

Art for Sale!

I had to do it! I am selling all 80 pages from my first Warriors Manga. If you like the book, click the link to see the listing on ebay. Where? Here!

More Watercolor...Kinda.

I took an old watercolor illustration that I did in 2000 and gave it the photoshop treatment. I am learning some tricks of the program, but having fun.

Vince Evans!

I am not the only one with a children's book out right now! My friend Vince Evans illustrated a series of books called 'Humpty Dumpty Jr.' Excellent art and you can find it at Barnes and Noble kinda next to mine.

A return to watercolor?

I love working in watercolor, but I stopped doing it a few years ago. No special reason, I just didn't have enough time to focus on it. I think I was moving past the really sucky stage, to the halfway OK stage. This is a piece I did a while ago.

Escape From The Forest

Hey everybody! Take a look at my second Warriors book!

Hey kids! Let's Jazzercise!

This photo has to be ten years old. The jazzercise people hired the Mad Science Media people to provide content for their new Cyberstretch CD-ROM! It must have been 10 years if it was a CD-ROM. Find out more about Cyberstretch HERE.

We all look so young. That was me in my Do-rag period.

Take a look at my JEEP!

I found the black and white line drawings to my old JEEP commercial. If you would like to see the entire commercial, click here.

Gone, Goodbye

I started collecting comics at 10 years old. I still have the first book I bought, in horrible shape of course, but I will never get rid of it. After 32 years of collecting, reading and enjoying comic books, I have sold my collection.I took my longboxes down to the local shop, seven at a time. a total of 32 boxes. I went through them to make sure I did not let go of the sentimental ones, but I had to let all the others go.
Today, the comic shop I sold my collection to is having a big parking lot sale and I am sure that they will find good homes.

3 years on Broadway

Jersey Boys has been on Broadway for three years! I did not realize it until I got an invitation to a party in NYC. I can't make it, but it feels good to know that I was a part of it. Read my review of opening night HERE!

Of course I did!

What do you mean, "did I vote?" I have the sticker to prove it!

Good News

The second Warriors manga will soon hit the stands! How do I know? I visited the TokyoPop website and checked out the first 21 pages for free!

THIS Halloween

So my costume this year was Don the Genie! My GF and I went to the West Hollywood Parade and met up with some friends. This was the first time for her while I am an old pro. My catch phrase for the night was, "May all your wishes come true!"
And that my friends, is a wish I wish for all of you!