New Adventure!

Okay, I'll admit it -- I've not paid as much attention to this blog as I should have lately.  But I do have a rather snazzy announcement to make.  As of January 29, the art on the Sunday episodes of The Phantom newspaper strip will be by me!  Paul Ryan will continue to draw the daily strip (as he has for a good many years now) -- but the Sundays are mine. 

As a long-time fan of Lee Falk's  "Ghost Who Walks," this is a dream assignment for me and I'm thrilled to join writer Tony DePaul and colorist Tom Smith in continuing this classic feature.  I'll post links where you can see the strips once they start appearing.

I can't show you any of the Sunday strips yet -- but I can show you this quickly knocked out sample drawing I did, which caught the attention of King Features.  I'm drawing the strip a little "grittier" than this -- and while that's a good looking wolf -- I must admit it doesn't quite look like Devil -- but I'll make sure he looks right when he next shows up in the strip.

My original Batman Adventure samples weren't quite on model, either -- but that didn't keep me from getting it right once I was on the books -- and I stuck with that for eleven years.  I wonder how long I will draw The Phantom...?

In other news, I'm illustrating the next book in Max Allan Collins' "Jack and Maggie Starr" series for Hard Case Crime.  Glenn Orbik has painted the cover -- but I'll be doing the same comic-style panel chapter headings as the previous series entries.  More on that when we get close to publication.

Max and I are also hammering out the details of the Ms. Tree reprint series and new graphic novel slated to come from the new First Comics.  This has been a long time coming and we want to make sure we do it right.

In personal news, we are a few weeks away from adding a new member to our family -- and you can be sure I'll announce the details here when baby arrives.

For now -- see you in the funny papers!

New commissions -- Capt. America, Dr. Strange, Ms. Tree and Black Lightning

Here are several commissions I just finished today.  These will be winging their way to their new owners ASAP.  It seemed bittersweet to be drawing Captain America today after just learning of Joe Simon's passing.  Oddly enough I'm wearing a Capt. America shirt today -- just pulled randomly from the drawer.  Jack and Joe are now both gone, but Cap lives on....

RETURN TO PERDITION gets good ink!

 Return to Perdition has been getting great press and reviews since it's release Nov. 15.  Here is Lee Bermejo's cover illustration (above) and a promo illo by me (below).  Scroll down for links.  If you know of any more on-line reviews of the book, please contact me with links.  Thanks!

USA Today interviews Max Allan Collins about RTP.

Rave review from AICN (though the reviewer seems to think I'm a "her!")

The LA Times lists RTP in their holiday gift guide!

Publisher's Weekly review of RTP.

Review at the "Somebody Dies" blog. 

They like us at the "Bloody Disgusting" site.

IGN is excited about RTP!

Happy Halloween!

Here's wishing you all a Happy Halloween!  I celebrated the season by assembling and painting this gorgeous "Kimba the Witch" model kit from Tweeterhead Productions.  I stuck with an orange and black color scheme to evoke the look and feel of vintage Halloween holiday decorations.

Green styrene Lantern

Now that the Green Lantern model kit that I designed for Moebius Models is on store shelves, I thought I'd share some images here.  The first pic is my concept sketch with notes.  I wasn't convinced this pose would be possible, but sculptor Joe Laudati made it work!

 Here is an early draft of the illustration for the box top.

 And the final version of the box, as designed by Bob Plant - some art revisions by me.

 Finally, here are a few shots of my build-up of the actual model kit.  It was a thrill to be involved in the production of this piece. Reaction from collectors and builders has been very positive.

Come see me -- at KC Fan Con -- Nov. 6th!

I'll be making a personal appearance at KC Fan Con #32, Sunday, November 6th at the Clarion Hotel (I-435 and Metcalf) in Overland Park, KS.  The show runs from 10AM to 4PM and admission is free.  I'll have advance copies of Road to Perdition and the Green Lantern model kit at my table, along with the usual batch of comics, original art, sketch cards, etc.  More info on the show and the other guests HERE.  If you're in the KC area, please stop by!

Sketch cards are go!

I recently drew a big batch of "sketch cards" in order to have something new and fun at my FallCon table -- thinking (rightly) that I wouldn't be lucky enough to have my copies of the Return to Perdition graphic novel or Green Lantern model kit show up in time to take along (they arrived at my Missouri home the day after I left for the Minnesota convention -- of course!)

A few of these sold (Dracula, Wolfman, Creature and "Brave & Bold" Batman) -- but the rest are still up for grabs.  If anyone is interested, please email me for details -- you can find the contact link at the bottom of my webpage.  UPDATE: also sold Ms. Tree, Dick Tracy, Doc Savage -- and Comic book Capt. America, Phantom, Superman, Thing, Johnny Dynamite)

I simply drew a bunch of characters I like and enjoyed drawing -- so there are movie monsters mixed in with comic book heroes and Saturday afternoon serial characters -- and a few of my own characters (Ms. Tree, Wild Dog, Johnny Dynamite) as well.

 Note: The Urban Legends/Shock Stories artist proof cards in the top row below are repeated in another image further down the page -- but there is only one of each card -- they just got scanned twice...

 The following cards are authorized "artist's proof" original art cards from series for which I drew sketch cards that were included in card packs.  First off -- the Project SuperPowers cards featuring The Claw, the character once known as Daredevil, the original Blue Beetle, Green Lama, Skyman, and Black Terror.

The creepy creatures below are my artist proofs from the Monsterwax Urban Legends and Shock Stories sets.  My sketch cards were black and white, while these were done in full color.