More Muck

Alright, so I've posted scans from my Swamp Thing sketchbook, and now I figure I'll throw in a sketch of the Swamp Thing that I did during dinner at the hotel bar, while I was on vacation:

Sketching Celebrities

It's probably fair to say that each of us could define the word "celebrity" a bit differently.

For myself -for the time being- I'm going to define a celebrity as being a person who has gained a rather widespread notoriety for having a productive and/or entertaining skill, which they use to say things of artistic & cultural value.

No, there is no way to quantify this.

This means that my definition of celebrity is, in practice, just famous & kinda famous people that I like.

I've been keeping a sketchbook of my bizarre little doodles of celebrities for some time now (I've been ignoring said sketchbook for most of that time), and I want to start showing some of those sketches to you... the three people who ever see this blog.

We'll start with the first in the book; Tom Waits (looking rather more like John Steinbeck)

And, hell, why not, a watercolor sketch of Ornette Coleman

What Would Tim Gunn Say?

This is inspired by (but should in no way be blamed on) my little homie, Kenny.

He's been working on a new, more rapid style of drawing, and this had led to a series of sketches of comic book heroes with tragic costumes.

I decided that I wanted in on this action, so I present a rapid sketch of Wolverine, in his original costume:

All apologies to Logan. I'm aware that someone else designed it for you, and that you would never have picked this absurd look for yourself.

Holy Crap!

I have not been paying enough attention...

Tomorrow is 24 Hour Comics Day.

I'd best gather my supplies.

Oh, wait... I can't. Tomorrow I'm visiting my grandfather's grave. Never mind.

An Interview With Harvey Pekar

I do hereby present the first follow through to my earlier post:

Some years back I was working for an online Pop Culture mag (that ended up dead before it even began), writing comic-book related articles. The mag had me covering Wonder-Con, in San Francisco, where I lucked into the opportunity to interview the legendary Harvey Pekar (who was in attendance to promote his book The Quitter, illustrated by Dean Haspiel and published by DC), whilst wandering the floor of the show.

Harvey wrote one of greatest autobiographical comic series, American Splendor, chronicling his life in stories ranging from epic graphic novels (Our Cancer Year), to single page accounts of encounters with characters on the streets of his home town, Cleveland.

Eventually American Splendor was adapted into a ground-breaking film, starring Paul Giamatti in the role of Harvey.

Harvey died in July of 2010, and I think it's long past due that people got to read this brief interview, where we get a good glimpse of Harvey's personality, and (perhaps more importantly) a true sense of what it's like to deal with some of the fans who attend comic conventions:

The Snob: It’s great to see you here. Thanks so much for taking the time to talk to me. I know you're very busy.

Harvey: Well I, San Francisco I, y'know, it's a nice town. I like it, but I'm not really crazy
about comic book conventions. I'm just here to do some signings and stuff,  & answer some
questions & I'll do that

TS: (laughing) Cool.

HP: I mean, I got paid pretty good money, so I'll do it, y'know. But, uh, In fact in my,
in this book I have, I just wrote, I wrote about how much I couldn't stand comic conventions

TS: You've been doing a lot more [conventions] since the movie, & actually since Our Cancer
Year, really. The first time I saw you at a convention was when you were up for the Eisner
down in San Diego.

HP: Oh yeah...

TS: You've been doing quite a few of them, or quite a few more.

HP:Well, not "quite a few," I did a San Diego convention, uh, after the comic book came out. Y'know, before the movie came out, I just happened to be down there so they, y'know,
they trucked me over from L.A.

[it is at this point that a large, ape-like man, whose intellectual capacity seems almost
entirely occupied with the problem of keeping the saliva in his mouth, approaches the table,
obliviously interrupting the interview. I allowed the tape to continue rolling. I have not edited the transcription in any way. You can not make up shit like this]

Ape Man: What character you do?

HP: Naw, I'm just... Actually, I do me. I write autobiographical comics. I'm like an
alternative comic book artist, and uh...

Ape Man: Which one do you do?

HP: American Splendor. I don't normally work for DC, I do stuff for Random House, But I'm
just doin' a special project for DC.

[Ape Man wanders away confused, and another man approaches. I become convinced that this is going
nowhere. However now the new interloper proves himself to be a very different sort of gem. An
enthused fanboy, with legitimate questions.]

FanBoy: The movie adaptation [of American Splendor], how did you feel about that?

HP: I liked it

FanBoy: Yeah?

HP: Yeah, I thought they did a great job. Very imaginative, y'know, I wasn't prepared
for it. It was an innovative movie, and, y'know, I mean I was just lookin' to get paid for the
thing.

FanBoy: Right.

HP: And I didn't care, y'know, I mean, well, I did care if it came out... y'know, I mean
I was hopin' it would come out good.

FanBoy: Yeah.

TS: I mean, you don't want to be made to look like an ass.

HP: (laughs) Exactly. You know, I mean it was worth the money for me if it did.

TS: (laughs)

FanBoy: Did you have any kind of, y'know, control over the cast?

HP: No, no...

FanBoy: Did you like Paul Giamatti in it?

HP: Yeah, he was great.

FanBoy: Cuz I mean we just saw his newest, his latest movie, the, uh...

HP: Sideways?

FanBoy: Sideways. It was wonderful...

HP: Y'know, he got screwed out an Academy Award nomination for the second straight year.

FanBoy: Right

TS: Yup

FanBoy: Right. Well, it was nice talking with you. I'm gonna let you get back to this.

TS: Well I appreciate your questions

[As if on cue the table is again deluged with geeks wanting to press famed flesh, so I said my
goodbyes to Mr. Pekar, in search of some sore thumb]

Note: I transcribed this several months ago, & I haven’t the faintest notion what I meant by “in search of some sore thumb”

It was brief, but I really felt that it deserved to be seen, unedited. One of those things you couldn't make up.

The sort of thing that Harvey would write about.

Remember; if you'd like to have your comics reviewed here, leave a comment & we'll get something going.

A Decision

I have decided that I am going to add a new angle to this blog, in part because the current angle of self-aggrandizement is a bit inconsistent (this does not mean I'm eliminating that angle), and in part because I just bloody well feel like it.

So here's the intent: I'm going to start using this space for purposes of review.

I intend to review comics, publish comic related interviews, maybe even review comic related media.

I am aware that there is no shortage of such things on the internet. However, I feel that most other review sites have three flaws: 1) Their writers can't tell an adjective from an asshole. 2) They aren't honest with themselves, or with the rest of us, that they really are just rants & opinions. 3) They aren't MY rants & opinions.

Alright, with that all decided, if you want me to review your book, just leave & comment & we'll work something out. If you're a friend, I want you to think really hard about whether you want me to review your comics, because if they suck it's going to really awkward for both of us.

Let's do this.

Batman & Robin

Working on improving with this whole "internet" thing.

As opposed to my last post, where I realized that I'd failed to mention a book I'd worked on until well after it was released, this time around I'm going to mention it the day prior.

That's right, tomorrow will see the release of Batman & Robin #1 (of New 52 fame), for which I assisted the Right Honorable Mick Gray with the inks.

Here is the cover to be looking for, when you walk into your local shop, with a fistful of cash:

And here is a sample page of the interiors (one of the pages on which I worked):

Buy it. Many copies.

Oh, and buy it early. Rumor is that it's already headed toward a second printing.

Thanks.

Jonah Hex

I am bad at The Internet.

It is a tool for many things, and I am -in theory- utilizing it here for self promotion (Scientifical Fact: This is the third most popular use for The Internet, after 1) pornography & 2) saying stupid, thoughtless and/or mean things about other people), but doing a terrible job of it.

Which brings me to my point (it's 6:23 a.m., and I'm baking muffins; I shall not tarry): I believe I mentioned a while back that I had done some work assisting the great & powerful Mick Gray on a couple of books. The release of the first of those came and went with the first week of this month, and I forgot to say anything.

See? I'm bad at The Internet.

I shall now attempt to make up for my earlier transgression:

Jonah Hex #70!

I did fills & background inks on page 2!

Go buy it.

Now!

Bonus Fun Time

YouTube is the fucking Devil. Let's just be clear on that, now.

Sure, it's not as sinister as "social networking" sites, but it's got a greater universal appeal, and it combines the glory of the internet's One True Purpose (everything at your fingertips, at all times), with an unparalleled capacity for feeding the two great human weaknesses for mind-numbing nonsense & anonymous cruelty.

That said, it gives people an outlet for some really funny ideas, however pointless. In the following video someone handed over a combination of two of my all-time favorite monsters, Cookie Monster, and Tom Waits:

SDCC '11: The Aftermath, Pt. 2

And in this chapter, I shall present Con Sketches.

As recently as recently I picked up my first sketchbook that was intended to be a Con Sketchbook. I finally figured, "Hell, I'm old enough now to not be so cool as to think I'm above this sort of thing."

Quite by accident (kinda through the fault of some new friends who have "themed" sketchbooks) my Con Sketchbook ended up becoming a Swamp Thing sketchbook.

That said, before I post the images I feel it is important to note that Swamp Thing is the property of DC comics, was created by Len Wein & Bernie Wrightson, and was absolutely dominated by the genius of Alan Moore, Steve Bissette & John Totleben.

Now, I present the glory that is my Swamp Thing Sketchbook, up to now:

The opening salvo of the book, and the man largely at fault for the glorious theme, my dear friend, Rafael Navarro:

Next we have the creator of Blue Estate, Viktor Kavalchev, who claimed to have never heard of Swamp Thing, then looked at a couple of images & whipped this out:

Third in is one of Viktor's co-conspirators on Blue Estate, Mr. Toby Cypress

Next in is none other than Jason Shawn Alexander, whose most recent work graces the cover & interiors of Dark Horse's Creepy #6. 

I hate this guy. He's way too handsome to be this talented.

Then we face the might & glory of Barron Storey. If I need to tell you anything about him, then I'm not certain that I can talk to you.

And finally (for now), is something I never thought I'd have, from a man I never thought I'd get to meet. A man who was at the forefront of redefining the possibilities of art in the comic medium, in the 80s, Mr. Michael Zulli.

That's all for now, and good lord, it is more than I ever thought possible.

SDCC '11: The Aftermath, Pt. 1

Alright, let's just get this out of the way: This blog has not yet found its voice. I know this. I'm working on it.

It frustrates me, frequently. As I was handing out business cards at Comic-Con I found myself hesitant, regretting having put the URL on the cards, because of this lack.

Never fear, we'll find our way. This will not be another 40 years in the desert.

Now, for the bits to which the title of this post referred.

I have only two words that can accurately summarize this year's San Diego Comic-Con International, and those words are: Holy Shit!

The retelling of Con will come in chunks. There was a lot worth reporting, and you can't do justice to this sort of madness by blurting it out in one breath.

We'll start with the fact that the whole fucking thing is a massive fire hazard. 126,000 people in attendance, and I'd say less that 1/4 of that number knows their ass from a hole in the ground when it comes down to crowd dynamics & crisis management. The fire marshal almost shut down the Fox booth, because a massive crush of people couldn't pull their shit together & behave like reasonable human-beings when the Fox people trotted out yet another celebrity (seriously, Fox people, you need to find a better system, and request a booth in a location more suited to your shenanigans). Artists' Alley has been condensed down to less than 1/3 of the space it used to occupy, though it would appear that the number of artists in the space has not changed. This condensation means that the artists are cramped into unreasonably tiny spaces, with their only mode of egress from behind their tables being to move down the row, behind everyone else between their table & the next available aisle.

This is both uncomfortable & unsafe.

I've become concerned that the organizers of the convention have become a bit too attached to the success of the show. This is understandable, but the flaw is in overlooking that exponential growth is not an interminably supportable system. Sooner or later a thing will collapse under its own weight.

Don't take me wrong; I'm not one of those who is upset that "Con isn't what it used to be." Things change. This is the way of the world. This is how things work. Hell, this is why things work. Physical evolution; emotional evolution; social evolution. These are the keys to progress. This is, in fact, entirely my point: The show is changing, but there doesn't appear to be any attempt at balance & temperance.

It's like a localized version of the Dot Com boom, and without temperance & balance it will continue to zoom toward the same fate.

More soon.

SDCC 2011

Comic-Con 2011 is breathing down our necks. Just around the corner. Lurking in the shadows. Other metaphors, as well.

I'm walking into Con this year with a renewed sense of excitement, having just scored a gig writing a mini-series for Committed Comics, and having just come off a stint working as the inking assistant for the Great & Powerful Mick Gray on issue one of DC's new Batman & Robin relaunch, and on Johan Hex, over the pencils of the Almighty Ryan Sook.

I'll be out there looking for new gigs, & doing sketches.

See you there.

Two for One

It's O.C.F. time again. Two at once, because I haven't updated in so long.

Evolution of Style & Methodology

Way back when, I did a comic strip called Emcee Square. I didn't do it for long, but I really enjoyed it.

I recently came across the old strips, and it is absolutely hilarious to me how rapidly & drastically the style tightened up, and the method of producing the strip changed, taking us from a primitive cartoon to something far more slick (but no less a cartoon).

Here is the first of the Emcee Square strips:

& here is number 6:

Maybe it's time for me to take up doing a weekly strip again...

Billy's Turtleneck

Another O.C.F.

The Scam

An album cover I did for (now defunct) Boston-based band, The Scam. The album was called The Buried Secret, and contained an INXS cover, which makes me so very happy.

It was done by scanning a watercolor painting, and just having a party with it in Photoshop. The lettering was done by hand, & given a similar (though far less extreme) treatment.

Richard

Richard Brautigan

Pen on sketch paper. Approx 5"x5".

All We Can Do

A page from a short story I did a few years back, for a small-press showcase called "Undercore Comix."

Ink on 11x17 bristol.

The Desert

Another O.C.F.

The Butt of the Obvious Jokes

Another O.C.F.

A Leg To Stand On...

Another O.C.F.

Roscoe

Several years ago I took to this personal challenge I called One Cigarette Funnies (O.C.F., for the sake of brevity). The idea being (as the name suggests) to do a one-panel, comical drawing, with caption, in the time it takes to smoke a single cigarette.

I've been coming across some old ones recently, and they are of uneven quality (much like the rest of life), but the high points really do tickle me.

They're bizarre, often even impenetrably weird,  but they are honest. The speed & utter lack of premeditation lends an absolute Purity of Weird.

I think they're hilarious.

I've started scanning them. The only changes made are cleaning up the whites & adjusting the contrast (scanning often perverts the flow of original drawings) & typing in the captions, for purposes of legibility.

So, without further blathering nonsense, here is the first public appearance of One Cigarette Funnies.

24

On the theme of my last post, discussing my grandfather, I thought about this past 24 Hour Comics Day. In 27 hours (ah well... maybe next year) I went from, "What am I going to do?" to dusting off an aspect of a rather long story I started cobbling together in my late teens, to transforming that aspect into a 24 page exploration of human motivation & a fictionalized account of my grandfather's death.

Most of the pages amount to little more than scribbles with dialog, but it had its moments. I wanted to share one, rapidly sketched from a photo taken by my brother in my grandfather's hospital room.

I was not aware of my brother taking the photo, but he tells me that I was laughing at something my grandfather had said, which reads in the photo to be a moment of total collapse, and something entirely different from what it actually was.

Why am I telling you all of this?

Gramps

In April of 2009 my grandfather ended up in the hospital, and after three days the team of doctors, specialists, exorcists & janitors surrounding him determined that he was afflicted with being 93 years old.
A little over a month later he ended up back in the hospital, after a series of small strokes.

I spent the next several months living with & taking care of him, until his death on the morning of September 29th.

He would spend many of his waking hours working jigsaw puzzles in the dining room, and a rotating cast of weirdos, myself included, would participate in the hunt for pieces to interlock.

He would often have a bowl of snacks in there with him - Cheez-Itz being a favorite - and on one occasion he was terribly flustered, trying to find a missing piece. We looked for it in all of the boxes, on the floor, on the table, and finally, struck by a mad inspiration, I asked him, "Is it the piece you have in your mouth?"

"What?" And there it was, having been confused for a Cheez-It. "How the hell did that get there?"

This is a lengthy preamble to a painting I did of my grandfather, during that summer, using colored inks on watercolor paper. The image quality is not so hot (a quick photo taken a year-and-a-half ago), but I was just thinking of him, and wanted to put something out there for him.

I am working, slowly & carefully, on a graphic novel about the experience. Because he deserves it, and because the story deserves to be told.

It won't be done any time soon, because it deserves to be done well.

Tom For The Barron

Two quick paintings of Tom Waits I did for Barron Storey:

  

I thought that the first came out looking rather more like Mark Sandman (front man for Morphine), but I ran with it.

Both are colored ink on watercolor paper.

Behind Us

The original drawing for the (current) background image:

We Have To Start Somewhere

Why not here?

A Sepia wash, sketched from a live model, using quill, brush & Sennelier ink.