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

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.

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.

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.

Two for One

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

Richard

Richard Brautigan

Pen on sketch paper. Approx 5"x5".