Comic Cover of the Week

New Site UP and RUNNING

2010-04-19T11:05:00.001-07:00

Hello all!

I've been neglecting this site a little to direct forces to my new updated site featuring reels, storyboards, and illustrations. (It's being populated as I type!)

Please check it out and let me know what you think.

ijart.blogspot.com

Thank you and Enjoy!

--I

Clipstick Book 3 is on it's way!

2010-03-09T23:58:00.000-08:00

If it's one thing that can feel the closest thing to achievement, it's finalizing a piece of artwork. I have yet to find something as similar and the only thing that comes to mind is finishing a chocolate doughnut from the local Phillips 66 gas station. Same kind of rush, less fingerprints on everything.

So I'm at a crossroads with Clipstick as the cover for book 3 is ready for display and the book itself is lively being inked to completion. I begin to wonder where the time went and where my future time lies. There is no time. I have an invented theory called "Reciprocal Time Displacement", but after I get some much needed sleep, I'll post for deliberation.

DETAIL:

CLIPSTICK BOOK #3 COVER

Please feel free to comment and constructively critique the piece as I'm hoping these become conversational upon release. At the Comic-Con I'm planning on having the ladies of the first three books on banners to help promote the book's event.

The images appear slightly darker here so I may need to lighten them for print, but all in all, I hope you're all doing well and let's get a chocolate doughnut sometime.

Enjoy!

--I

Suspense in the "Reveal" cover

2010-02-10T15:29:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone!

This week I'm going to discuss the "reveal" cover. I've played through some mental issues, (specific covers in my mind, for clarity), and remembered these illustrations that struck a chord.

Green Lantern #69: Cover Illustration by Gil Kane

Rule #1: Target subconsciously an emotion for what you're revealing.

Red can mean danger. Blue = calming. Green means, well you get the picture. . . High camera angle suggests dominance, low camera angle suggests being submissive. The first thing that attacks my subconscious is the cover features a predominant crimson red. We're immediately on alert.

Rule #2: Text usually pulls primary focus against most images. (In other words, it's best when the text is not giving everything away.)
In this case it helps deliver "THE SETUP". The first actual conscious "story reveal".
Visually we're cued by the foreground woman's sinister glance and bad dental work.

This by itself is a strong visual story. Our eyes jump to Green Lantern's expression, LEAD by the girl's eyes. His REACTION supports what we're thinking, the "reveal-deal" is sealed and a moment of suspense is captured. You feel a chill in this instance. This brings me to my third point:

Rule #3: Visually lead the viewer.
This cover engages you to investigate further. To look for more clues about the situation, to maybe even want to read the book. This can be done by composition, color, balance, size, and lighting to just name a few techniques.

Finally Rule #4: If the cover features a hero, allow your hero to be empathized by the audience.
Green Lantern is reacting how most of us would react to this situation. Our hero connects with us and we fear for him which helps build the suspense.

The best reveal covers surprise you with the reward of discovery.

This cover would fly off the shelf had I been around to catch it in the spinner rack. If you've never read the book, I suggest you let the cover speak for itself.

Here is another great example of a reveal cover:

Animal Man #5: Cover by: Brian Bolland

The same principles can be applied to this cover and a fresh perspective is achieved. This cover does feature an event that actually happens in the book, but it's been speculated to as the timing and meaning.

Obviously these are just a few points based on my experience and there are many more ways to make an enticing cover using the reveal.

Please feel free to submit ideas comic suggestions to discuss to my e-mail.

In the meantime, the next subject I'm going to cover is "Face to Face". A discussion on the formula of a hero directly facing the villains of the book, literally face to face.

Until then, ENJOY!

Latest Animated Commercial!

2010-01-13T12:33:00.001-08:00

Hello all!

I'm about to post a breakdown for Clipstick's 4th cover and would love to hear what you all think. However, in the meantime until I coerce my scanner to like my Mac, I'm posting my latest animated commercial.

This commercial is for Neways and will air in the next couple weeks.

The production schedule was tight, (as is the nature in advertising), but the client was unusually accommodating for a creative department to do what they do best. Create without any preconceived vision! With that breath of fresh air we took full advantage on the approach.

Alex Bell nailed a great watercolor look in concept and then I replicated his art style for my shots. During the commercial's creation, I was hailed by several other clients which continually pulled me on and off the project all throughout it's production. The animation was all created in After Effects and the scenes for animation were divided between Alex and myself. Please watch and let me know what you think!

Breakdown:
The scenes I created art for are 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 13.

The scenes I animated are 2, 3, 5, and 6.

In each of these shots I animated the woman, dog, weather elements, (clouds, wind effects, etc.), and camera.

Puppet animation already lends itself to a stylized look because of how it's approached. You essentially take photoshop images and dissect them into individual pieces and layers. From those pieces, After Effects retains separate layers from your photoshop file and imports them into your composition. You typically animate each piece individually, (roughly).

Puppet animation is beginning to lend itself to pose to pose animation for it's incredibly planned out approach with each pose drawing being created and animated. These scenes were animated with a "straight forward" technique utilizing what movement I could out of the art assets created because of budget and time constraints. I hope you enjoy the illusion of this poor woman's plight particularly in her facial expressions before she challenges the storm.

Alex also did a great job with his particle mastery in the piece and storytelling in the preliminary storyboards, which helped in bringing this commercial to life

Stay tuned for the latest Batman commercial which will be aired on Feb. 19th. If you have any questions regarding puppet animation or the processes there-in, please feel free to post.

Enjoy!

Freedom From Want. . . tribute

2009-11-13T23:57:00.000-08:00

JSA #54 features one of thousands of homages to Norman Rockwell's Freedom From Want, one of the highly renowned Four Freedoms series. These are done so often, I normally ignore them, but this one, pencilled by Carlos Pacheco and inked by Jesus Merino, successfully conveys the emotions of gratitude and brotherhood appropriate for the legacy superhero book featuring the world's first superhero team.

Comic Cavalcade #18 from 1942 features an E.E. Hibbard cover. Everett Edward Hibbard worked in comics for less than a decade, but worked on some of the most important comics of the golden age. Starting with Flash Comics #3 he was the main character's main artist until he left comics and is believed to have drawn the iconic cover of All-Star Comics #3, the first appearance of the Justice Society of America. This light-hearted cover accurately reflects the attitude of the golden age, with a playful image that likely has nothing to do with the interior comments of the book, and one has to smile at the idea of Flash, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman having a difficult time catching a turkey.

The idea of ducks eating turkey is an odd one, which the Disney artists seemed to ignore. This one's by Barks. One of turkey in the fridge comes to mind, but I couldn't find it. There have been an awful lot of Disney comics over the years.

L

Give thanks for giving. . .

2009-11-12T21:00:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Magazine Cover

As I sit here convincing myself this is the best show my satellite service has to offer, I reminisce about what I've done with my life as of 32 years. Specifically where I am at in my life vs. where I am heading. Does it really matter what unfinished projects we keep telling ourselves we need to finish? How long do we let them slide before they become abandoned and no longer good ideas?

To sum up, a lot of time has gone by and I haven't done half of what I've intended. On the side, secretly I would love to be a stand-up comedian or some kind of musician, but watching bad tv seems more important. Apparently. That and Rock Band. . .

Movie Quote time:

Just as in the movie Waking Life, "How would we answer someone on the outside looking in who asked us if humans were lazy or fearful?"

I would say lazy. Look at the inventions we've created. If you want to get rich quick, find a way to make someone else's life lazier. Self flushing toilets, remote controls, infomercial exercise equipment, electronic toothbrushes, Ty Pennington, . . .etc.

On a completely separate note, I painted more beer today. I had a lot of fun with the caustics in the ice, (though not realistically accurate), it stylistically creates the illusion. (I call this the blue ice cave because I believe this is what lingers in every airplane's basement.)

The rest of the ice cave was rendered before my time at 8fish.

When I've considered what has been personally achieved vs. what I believe still needs to be done, the finished work far outweighs my intentions. That being said, all we should consume are small chunks, until our large portioned goals suddenly disappear one day.

I'm heading to the CTN Animation Expo the 3rd weekend in November so if any of you are going, let me know. Hopefully I'll have a Thanksgiving comic cover before the big day.

In the meantime, enjoy!

More Illustration from the Ad bin

2009-11-09T16:04:00.000-08:00

Hello fellow artists that are hopefully working this time of year:

I wanted to keep in touch by creating a quick post of my latest exploitations. One of which is of the beer industry. Ahh advertising. . . thou art a drunken-hearted, chilled painting. . .

The surrounding environment was done before me, but I bought and painted beer for the first time and got carded. (I think she was just flattering me, but the bald spot should have covered the bill.) These two cold ones will be appearing at a Maverik mural near you, hopefully by Thanksgiving.

On a side note, I'm prepping for the CTN Animation Expo happening in Burbank this November. That being said, we have in-house assignments that are designed to remind us of what we try to achieve, culture-wise, here at the 8fish. This week being my 2nd week, my theme was "Always Offer to Help".

We only have a limited time to create these as the company foots the bill when we work on them. This was what I came up with in an hour and a half. Being in the animated mood, the worm, (because we're 8FISH), is representational of the work load we carry. It's a reminder to offer help to your coworkers so everyone gets home at a good time.

In the meantime I'm looking for a good comiccover that is indicative of the Thanksgiving spirit. If any of you have any suggestions, my blog door is always open. :)

Enjoy~

This is Halloween

2009-10-27T23:41:00.001-07:00

Hello all,

Happy Halloween to you and yours. If those crazy Irish hadn't brought all their crazy practices over who knows what we would be doing on Halloween these days. Probably still burning people like Joan of Arc at the stake because someone heard someone say that she possibly might be a witch.

Yeah. It's really about tangents.

So here's my cover pic for this Halloween post.

Batman 455. Cover art by Norm Breyfogle.

Norm is one of those artists that stood out to me because as everyone around him was trying to add sinew, and a perfect musculature to Batman making him virtually the Vetruvian Man, Norm went with motion. His comics flow with directional lines and anatomy plays a close second to where he wants your eye to go.

This cover has always struck me, pun intended, because of the sharp contrast of the death bride waging her war after being possessed by the book's villain. Batman's cape acting out of reality frames the action wonderfully while also creating a dark background for the book's title. A strong layout, easy legibility and BAM! another great cover.

If you're not familiar with Breyfogle, I suggest taking a book or two of his in. He plays with the shapes so much you can't help feeling motion in every panel he's plotted. Since he's been working professionally since he was 16, he's learned a few traits.

This is my Halloween submission and I wish you all a Happy All Hallow's Eve!

Enjoy!

Art update

2009-10-06T09:41:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

I haven't been around much lately with family life, career life, and personal life all swooshing about. Sorry for not keeping in touch like I have been. I wanted to update the blog with a piece of art I just finished. The layout was put down by a close friend Paul Linsley and he also worked on rendering the mountain range and dirt path.

This painting is going to be used for Maverik's fleet card and possibly a billboard or two in the valley. The truck was a lot of fun blowing out the perspective and rendering the tire / chrome parts were a lot of fun too. Gotta love the "create brush" tool.

That's all for today but I'll have another comic cover post hopefully sooner than later.

Enjoy!

Ian

Clipstick Cover 3 - pencils

2009-08-30T23:37:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

Here is a quick posting of the Clipstick Cover for book 3. This is being painted up to match the previous two. All comments welcome. This cover features the lovely Lana right as the security guard is being murdered by Darlene from behind. The hands at the bottom are going to be covered in blood. (No worries, it happens early so the main juicy part is a few pages into the book.)

Enjoy!

Bill? I didn't expect to get it from you!?!

2009-08-21T23:15:00.000-07:00

The Comic-con never disappoints even this year where I was working the other side of the table. It surprised me that sitting still for most of the con you see almost as much if you spend the whole time walking around. Just a different type of entertainment.

From meeting Jorge Garcia, (Lost's "Hurley"), to being nearly ripped off by Bill Sienkiewicz's agent, to shaking the hand of Dick Clark, (one of the four original creators of the San Diego Comic-con), my dream getaway wasn't going to disappoint.

I spent the majority of the trip promoting our animation company and by talking to passers by selling my product "Cardcitures". (A phrase I hopefully coined, but if not, oh well. There goes another one. . .) These are characters of comic-con visitors, drawn on the spot, onto card size canvases. They sold like wild fire and I'm bringing them back next year for sure.

Then there was Bill. An artist whose work I've admired since I remember comics. Him and his agent Eric ______. Now don't get me wrong, we're all starving artists, but I doubt Bill and his manager are losing sleep over the bait and switch they tried to pull on me.

Here's a book and art Bill's known for:

"Hi Eric. How's Bill doing today."

"He's doin' fine. Thanks for stopping by. Is there something I can get for you?"

At this point I'm thinking this is where I would like to spend a little to have an original piece from this comic great. Little did I understand that this relationship would affect the way I view one of the greats in about a day.

I ask Eric for pricing on original art and he quotes me $100, $200, and $300 dollar art. Because I don't want to spend all my Comic-con money, that and I need to eat in about 45, I settle on the $100 art. Knowing this wasn't going to be a mural I thought it was worth it.

I pay cash on the spot and meet Bill. He was nice. He was approachable. He was getting ready to leave for the day. I make my request be known and we all agree this was a great idea. Sleep was about to change someone's mind. . .

After returning multiple times to Bill's booth the next day, (which was facing the back wall of the convention center), I was met by Eric. Eric had news for me. "Bill has a habit of getting into his drawings and so I think the original sketch is going to cost $200."

My eyes rolled. I really would love an original, but $200? There goes burgers at Hard Rock and dinner at Little Italy.

"Okay, I'll get you $175 by tomorrow, but I'm hoping it's a great drawing." Eric looked uninterested in my financial disposition. For all I knew he was going to pocket a $100 and give the rest to Bill. Reluctant to pay, I returned the next day and decided to stand my ground.

"I think all I want is the $100 dollar sketch please."

"No no no no. I'm sorry. Yeah, we can do that. That's fine. It won't be much. Like a a head and shoulders but that's it. We really would like to get you something nice, but you won't get it for $100. Plus Bill is a busy guy and I'm carving out of his schedule to do your drawing. He's a very very busy guy."

All I can think is, "busy enough to come to the comic-con and sell sketches. THAT busy eh?", but I didn't want to put it past the agent. He was only trying to pull the ol' bait and switch which, in my eyes, leaves no room for respect.

"Come back tomorrow, he'll have your sketch for you."

Since I was planning on leaving the next day I explained I would have a close friend come with the receipt and ship the art home for me. They agreed and I was off. Was this going to come true? Was I finally going to get the original I've been craving? Was the drawing going to suck after all the debating and appear insincere and heartless? Sunday would tell . . .

"$300. Bill got into it and didn't really stop, and now it's a $300 dollar sketch."

Now I'm pitchering this business guy trying to rape my wallet. Paul calls me over the phone and is kind enough to extricate my original $100, sans drawing, I was quoted for getting at that amount. He also saw the drawing and said it didn't look that great to him and it actually wasn't worth $50, let alone $300. Being a good friend I take Paul's word, sadly re-take my $100 and walk away.

This really killed my first impression experience and has tainted any connection I will have with the artist, be it in comic, or in person.

Bill, if you read this, what you did was shitty business practice and I warn all of you who want an original Bill Sienkiewicz piece: There is a whole lot of red tape made by Eric the agent you'll have to go around. Unless you're ready to dump $300 dollars for a simple / mediocre original sketch, save your money and invest in someone who wants to take care of their fans. Also, I recommend don't deal with anyone else other than the artist when it comes to their art. That's what makes the Comic-con incredible. Getting to meet people you only read about and prove they actually exist eye to eye.

All in all my experience at the con has got me excited for next year. I made some friends, made some fans, and made some great connections. Next year there will hopefully be a signing for "Clipstick" at the Ape booth, and if the time allows, perhaps greater things, like hiring an agent stuffer.

Enjoy!

Here's a link to the latest animations I worked on and Directed for PPL energy plus. Thank you to Alex Bell, Paul Linsley, and Andreas Peterson for your help on these as we had a blast and are looking forward to the next big animation project!

Comic-con Bound!

2009-06-22T10:54:00.000-07:00

Hello,

I know that it's been a couple weeks since this has been updated and I apologize (Paul). There is so much to talk about and no time to post. However, I have a bunch of wares I will be selling at the Comic-con. Some fun art stuff coming.

There are also a couple pitches that are going on and based on what happens Friday, I will post all my concept art for you to pick apart and let me know what you think.

In the meantime, there are more covers to discuss, but until we do, watch this and weep.

Here's some animation to color your world in the meantime. Incredible.

Beatles Animation

Enjoy!

Ian

Moving Forward. . .

2009-04-19T22:12:00.000-07:00

I would rarely choose a piece that has speed lines but Lee doesn't solely rely on them in this piece. I've always admired the moment caught in this great Ghost Rider cover where ol' flame head runs Punisher over while fighting with him. There are few Ghost Rider covers that sell me on picking up the book but Tex usually catches my attention, reels me in, and keeps me staring. Jim Lee's Ghost Rider covers are sporadic throughout the beginning of the series and he holds his own very well.

Lee's earlier work had so much energy and wasn't stiffened up like his later work. Works like his X-men run were the best and moving out from there.

Here is my cover pick of the week for "Moving Forward".

Enjoy!

More Drawings From Here and There

2009-04-16T18:08:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

One day before the due date for this week's challenge and here are some more images to stare at. I began sessions of figure drawings at 8fish this week and so every Wednesday I'll have more nudes to post.

In the meantime, while at the airport in Oakland I got this look from a guy passing by in the terminal. Playing with the dodge and burn tools, this was the result of this side ways glance.

Here's another sketch I'll call "Southwest Accommodations" because a 2-inch recline in an airplane seat is not considered "laying back" no matter how messed up your spine. Why is this recline so important to landing the plane I'll never know. The drag coefficient? The weight distribution? Just an illusion that you're allowed some comfort?

The last sketch I'll post is a character I did of some college student guy at the local Hoppers® restaurant. He was chillin' and I liked his yamaka pooft hair do.

If you would like to post for this week's comic challenge, please send your submission to me here with a description of why your cover fills the criteria.

Until tomorrow's "Moving forward" post. . .

Enjoy!

You can be sure there will be a brighter tomorrow - Shaggy

2009-04-10T11:34:00.000-07:00

Hello fellows,

This week's comic theme / challenge focuses on moving.

Forward to be precise.

There are a ton of Flash comics out there that may depict a perfect cover for this challenge, but among the myriad of comics, I challenge you to find others that capture this week's theme just as easily. I hope you've all been able to hang in there and because people have made the request I'll be posting images from projects and my drawings here between comic challenges for eye candy.

This week I'm posting some cowboy sketch I did and a page from my upcoming book Clipstick.

Enjoy!

Hope In a Nutshell

2009-04-07T16:41:00.001-07:00

Here's my comic for depicting this week's challenge for "Hope".
Wiki ref

After Superman leaves due to humanity's inability to enact justice on Magog, (who becomes acquitted for his murder), this story teeters on the reliance of old friends to coerce Superman to shed his solitude and return to establish peace to chaos. Having been cited as the DC version of the Apocalypse, hope is the perfect voice for these character's needs to realign their ethical boundaries despite a world having two major factions warring with each other.

This is a fairly quick read and should belong on the wall for Alex Ross's gouache technique that is a "Marvel" to behold.

Enjoy!

Escapism is cure for common Economy

2009-03-31T21:47:00.000-07:00

I'm getting tired of hearing how bad the economy is getting while also being made feel powerless over the fact. In reality, there is some level of control that exists, and that I do have choices to make. Sometimes those choices can be anticipated, or planned for, but when you have to make the difficult choices, there rarely is any given time.

What it comes down to is priorities. What do you value most? Stability? Insurance? Family? Self-sufficiency? Respect? or maybe just a non-questionable future, of limitless work, in a dream job you can master.

Me too.

So we need to break down how to get there. Whether we do it one day at a time in a spreadsheet, or set distant goals that seem like months away, there will be more opportunities to set these well laid out plans in motion for the rest of your life. I like living for the dream, but my big question is how can I afford to fund for that life style until it comes true?

Segue: This ties into this week's comic cover challenge. Find a cover that is based on hope. No frills or odd gimmicks. Just a straight up depiction of "hope".

Tough concept, but while looking, you may find some yourself.

Enjoy!

Thanksgiving to now?!?

2009-03-02T20:10:00.000-08:00

Hey all,

I realize it's been a while since I've written but I have a good excuse. Well, none that really encompasses 4 months worth of a delay, but with the economic crunch and times being tight you gotta be light on your feet and move when you feel the earth shift.

Since the last post I've left a job of two years to another job that will keep me employed for longer than that. My own business. Obama became president, the stock market proved to people it wasn't an international piggy bank, and kidney stones STILL leave a mark. (Some should leave stretch marks at least as war wounds.) All in all, life is on the up and up.

The weather is heating up. . . (You can wear shorts again. Trust me I've tried and succeeded), and there is a silver lining to today's grim terrace. This brings me to my next point. Comic cover is back on and is about to post it's first actual link to a site with pazzaz! This and a few other features in a list of things to come. So in the meantime, sit back and enjoy this great cover which is featured in a motion picture to be released this Friday. My week's pic is this great cover by Dave Gibbons.

This issue is pretty dark considering the subject matter as a whole. This issue is the revealing backstory of the comedian's rape story and the breakdown of Laurie's mother with his antics. From attending Blake's funeral and the oppositional forces that drove the team to it's knees, I felt the cemetary cover where Blake is laid to rest carried a tremendous impact for it's metaphorical illustration.

Here's the cover to Watchmen: 2 of 12

Enjoy!

OH WHERE, OH WHERE

2009-02-23T18:23:00.001-08:00

has that Ian guy gone? Oh where, oh where could he be?

Slackin dude, slackin.

Gobble!

2008-11-27T18:12:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving all!

It's been 2 weeks and this blog has been quiet during this nasty economy while we all shuffle our priorities in order to make responsible decisions. Some require sacrifices that hurt, while other sacrifices are forced upon us. These times are so low that the state in which we feel is compounded and compromised by disillusion, smoke and mirrors, and shuffled information that makes mature decisions more difficult to make now more than ever.

I want to make sure that you all, whatever your situations may be, are able to take comfort with family, friends, and the like that these issues may melt away for the holiday.

I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving, and would like to ask for your help; to help those less fortunate than ourselves this season.

For this week's comic submission I propose a cover that features a hero getting a leg up. Hero helping hero, villain helping villain, or mix 'em up!

Enjoy!

Happy Halloween All!

2008-10-31T02:05:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

Happy Halloween to you and yours! I wanted to debut the preliminary cover to issue 2 of Clipstick by posting on this day. The cover seemed to fit the mood.

Have a great one and Enjoy!

Ian

Pulse-pounding Covers!

2008-10-22T20:28:00.000-07:00

Happy October everyone!

Welcome to this installment of the comic cover discussion forums! This challenge was a "no-brainer". . . You would have to be "up in the night" to not get what the challenge is this time around. So don't "give up the ghost" and let this challenge "bleed you dry".

Make a "sacrifice" and submit your eeriest, creepiest, spookiest cover that fits the forum to us. This should be fun so "don't lose your head" about this entry.

We just expect one foot in the grave. . .

BWahahahaha!

Enjoy!

Two machinas for every deus.

2008-10-12T21:02:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

Thank you for the submission Rob. An interesting pick and a creative take on this week's challenge. Windsor Smith's renderings are always distinguishable and his knowledge on anatomy makes most of his images unique. I haven't read this series yet, but I imagine you'll put me on that track soon enough!

Here's my pick. I have to thank Lynn for this one as my appreciation for what Ditko's contributions to this series has grown exponentially with every conversation we share. This classic cover showcases Spidey at his lowest in these early issues. Our hero doubts himself on top of being crushed alive and about to drown. What more for a Deus Ex Machina situation than this piece. Ditko's unique stylization of water flows like molasses and Peter's demeanor, his head's position, elude to a troubled psyche above all in this mess. This is a great read. Even the text seals Pete's doom with the word "Final".

Some days feel like this. Calvin has days like this. Today, fortunately, I don't, but art and stories like this remind me they can. It's how we deal with these situations that people will judge our character.

This is my submission for the Deus Ex Machina competition.

Enjoy!

Machina ex Deus?

2008-10-08T21:17:00.000-07:00

A deus ex machina (lat. IPA: [ˈdeːus eks ˈmaːkʰina], literally "god from a/the machine")is an improbable contrivance in a story characterized by a sudden unexpected solution to a seemingly intractable problem.

Considering that 95% of Comic books are primary examples of the "deus ex machina" principle. I have chosen to narrow my field down considerably by taking a more literal translation... "from the god, the machine". With that in mind I submit a excellent example of classic Barry Windsor Smith with the Marvel Limited Series- Machine Man, issue 2. As soon as Ian mentioned this weeks submission this series immediately sprung to mind. I have always enjoyed this series, with it's many plot contrivances, and classic Windsor Smith artwork. I think it illustrates the point beautifully.

Enjoy,

Rob

Deus Ex Machina?

2008-10-02T22:41:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

Great suggestions and posts for the last week! This week is in itself possibly it's own Deus Ex Machina, and you guessed it, we've got to find or post our favorite covers that feature this timeless ideal.

Best representation of Deus Ex Machina, pre-solved, done well, and solved in the book!

Enjoy and good luck!

This little villain didn't last that long. . .

2008-09-20T09:47:00.000-07:00

Great submissions you guys!

Although I agree that by today's standards of realism, McFarlane's characters do feel a little inflated, but still are strong enough to make you believe in them. The McFarlane Spidey will always hold a place in my heart because it was the first time I realized you don't have to draw everything the same way it's always been drawn. You can draw it your own way. Todd taught me that lesson with my first McFarlane Spidey in Amazing Spider-Man 318 vs. the Scorpion. The flight to Mexico was never shorter!

Great Skrull cover too Mr. Dirt. I need to get caught up on my comic current events sooner than later, but in the history of Skrull covers, from Kirby to Keown, they always seem to get the upper hand when on a cover.

My submission is a little less contemporary. I dug into the memory banks for this one because there was a villain that never went anywhere, but most creative artists have contemplated the possibilities. It wasn't until issue 49 they tried it out and history has spoken for itself. Also being the first appearance of Giant Man adds a little weight to this story.

Remember "Dimension Z"? Remember how the were referred to as "pixies"?
Yeah, neither do most comic readers. . . for a reason too. However, this cover, by its own merit gets my vote for a great rendering of the villain getting the upper hand. I bring you "The Eraser"! Yeah, we all thought of it, but Looney Tunes made it plausible.

Enjoy!

2008-09-17T08:33:00.000-07:00

I'm going to have to go pretty recent on this one. Recreating the cover for Avengers: The Initiative #1, issue #15 (in the thick of the Secret Invasion) now has all the heroes as skrulls. The villains haven't just won, they've completely taken over. Sweet mama's sassafrass!

Rob's Post of Choice - Villain getting upper hand

2008-09-12T20:44:00.000-07:00

Ok, here it is in a nutshell...

When I read about this weeks post the first hero that jumped to my mind was Spidey. Has any other hero (in the history of superhero comics) ever been shown getting the crap kicked out of him more than our dear friend Peter Parker... on the cover of his own comic books no less. As a child I was never a big fan of Amazing Spider-Man because I liked my heroes a bit more, well, heroic. It just seemed that Peter Parker was never going to come out on top... EVER. Everyone beat him up, and even when he would prevail as Spider-Man, then something tragic would happen to his Peter Parker alter ego. This guy could never catch a break. Those sadistic writers could be extremely Machiavellian in their plots to take down our beloved web-slinger. Which is probably the reason why he is one of the most popular characters in comics today.

While I have to give a nod to Amazing Spider-Man #293 (what I believe to be the greatest "Villain Triumphant" storyline of all time... "Fearful Symmetry") I honestly have to pick a classic Spider-Man/Venom confrontation as my favorite cover. Venom has to be one the greatest Spider-Man villains ever conceived, and no one exemplified this classic Spidey/Anti-Spidey confrontation better than Todd McFarlane.

So here it is... Amazing Spider-Man# 316.

Until a later date,

Rob

Life Happens. . . 9/11/08 - 9/20/08

2008-09-11T20:43:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

Sorry all for the long delay. It has been almost a killer couple of weeks that have hindered any progress on the site. I hope you're all still interested because I have some treats coming up with interviews among working professionals in the comic industry discussing their comic memories, what comic covers they favor, as well as pieces of their work and where it can be seen.

Summation of delay: Anniversary, hit and run (victim), baby 1st birthday, quit job, got new job. Any questions? Let's get this week's cover challenge underway!

This week's challenge is:

Post your favorite cover featuring a villain getting the upper hand!

There are a myriad of choices and genres this bleeds into. If the villain actually gets the upper hand in the book, that would be great too!

I can be contacted at merbou77@yahoo.com if you need to get a hold of me.

Enjoy!

Alright... now your talking my language! - Rob

2008-08-09T08:54:00.000-07:00

As someone who grew up on the classic Bantam (pulp reprint) paperbacks of Kenneth Robeson's Doc Savage, I have an especially warm place in my heart for the Man of Bronze. I used to read these books like most kids read the Hardy Boys growing up, and there were more to choose from! Unfortunately in the field of actual comic books there's not much to choose from out there. Gold Key (in the 1960's) was the first to do a Doc Savage comic book and it only lasted one issue. Then Marvel's short lived magazine (followed by the comic book) series in the (70's) with two comic issues crossing over into Marvel Two in One and Giant Size Spiderman. Skylark's one issue in 1979 is hardly worth mentioning (and even harder to find... I'm stilling missing it). DC gave it a go in the 1980's with a futile attempt to update the character into the modern world (Doc's son & Grandson) before bringing back the classic (original) Doc. Millennium Press had the rights through the 90's and unleashed some promising comics that never made it anywhere due to delays between issues and low print runs. Then Dark Horse did an excellent 4 issue series and a crossover with the Shadow (after they had revitalized that franchise as well). Sadly there has been nothing done since then.

The classic Bama covers are the one's that I enjoy the most, unfortunately they are not available on any of the comic books.

The notable exceptions being Bama inspired covers on Gold Key and Marvel's Doc Savage magazine from the 70's. Steranko and Kane did some excellent covers on the Marvel series and Kubert did some classics for the DC comics. Stelfreeze did extremely stylized Art Deco stuff on the Millennium runs, and there were some incredible covers that hearkened back to the original pulps of the 1940's on the Dark horse stuff. In terms of composition and style I have to say that I am waxing nostalgic with this one...

Happy 75th Doc!

Rob

Comic Con 2008 - but I was in Mexico

2008-08-05T10:10:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

Sorry for the delay in this week's topic / challenge. I just got back from a lengthy trip to Mexico with the family and only saw one computer that was running Windows '98 so I thought, umm. . . I'll wait to get back to catch up.

If any of you have any particular experiences at this year's Comic-con, I invite you to share them, whatever they may be, so we can live vicariously through your eyes.

This week's challenge is based on one of the themes at this years Comic-con.

What is your favorite Doc Savage cover! The man of bronze turned 75 this year and his early painted covers landed an iconic image. These covers really facilitated a different technique in order to capture the feeling of the noir series.

Enjoy!

Adam Hughes!?! No Wonder!

2008-07-18T20:22:00.000-07:00

Here's my official submission for the cover of the week - Adam Hughes. Wonder Woman 184. If only Hughes drew the interior. (I understand he's drawing a Wonder Woman book and it won't be released until the run is finished so we'll have to do with this for now.)

This cover not only demonstrates the skills Adam possesses, but it's a testament to his creative take on the story. This actually happens in this book! (Though Hughes took some liberties with the interpretation and art style.) Wonder Woman finds herself trapped in the past after following a portal which led her to an alternate history where her mother is actually Wonder Woman. She, (the original Wonder Woman), disguises herself as Miss America and helps her mother thwart the Nazis.

Hughes' take on this cover is a metaphor of new finding old by re-creating a dilapidated issue of the Golden Age Wonder Woman to resemble the modern day Wonder Woman's mother. The fact he draws it style for style with how she looked in the Golden Age mixed with his take of today's Wonder Woman is an excellent juxtaposition. It also allows us to see just how far she's come. The surrounding Nazis are done in 30s fashion and the very human expressions seals the deal for my favorite Adam Hughes cover.

Enjoy!

UPGRADE!

2008-07-16T08:16:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

As an upgrade to the site, I'm beginning to put together a questionnaire / interview for professionals to tell us what they like to see in a cover. They will talk about their favorite covers, and discuss what they believe makes a book jump off the shelf.

Please leave comments as to what questions you think should go in the interview and I'll pool the results putting together them together. Also, please leave comments as to who you would be interested in seeing a cover interview with!

LET'S DO THIS THING!

I'll post these interviews amidst the weekly challenges so we can tie them together with who is being interviewed!

Hughes submissions will carry through to the end of this week.

ENJOY!

Rob's Submission - Hughes Week

2008-07-10T08:54:00.000-07:00

Okay, we all knew it was coming with Ian's God like worship of Hughes artwork, but the day has finally arrived.

After gratuitous butt shots and breasts aplenty I finally narrowed it down to 3 covers.... which is difficult to do when your talking Adam Hughes.

I really enjoyed the cover to Legionnaires#13 because I have a deep appreciation for the Adam Hughes's humor. They harken back to the classic Romance comics covers with their overly expressionistic faces and ridiculous "blurbs". There is almost a Lewinski tone to the artwork and subtext. This one had great composition, bright colors and told the story perfectly.

Then I remembered his rampantly sexual covers that caught your eye because you could not believe that there was such an erotic image on a comic book cover... classic example, Voodoo#2. OMG, who cares what was on the inside because the cover sold the book to more horny teens than anything else on the shelves that month.

Surprisingly enough my favorite cover is not from a regular comic book series or even character. It was from an issue of Spoof Comics Presents#5. I love the cover of Daredame, because it has the right amount of humor, sex and the colors and composition are a classic homage to the Daredevil covers of old (all the way down to the Frank Miller style action sequence at the bottom). I find it to be a surprisingly well balanced cover, and just enjoy every aspect of it.

-Rob

3 Who Know

2008-07-07T20:47:00.000-07:00

When at the Comic-con in San Diego of '07 I had the pleasure of sitting in a room with some of the greatest comic artists in the industry. They were discussing what they believe makes a strong comic cover. On the panel were George Perez, Neal Adams, Adam Hughes, Basil Gogos, among others. Revealing an artist's secret to success, Adam had a creative way of making his covers stand out.

"I would go to the local shop and walk in, and stand back from that week's rack by about 10 feet and look at all the comics on the shelf. Seeing all the colors and which comics stood out at me against the sea that didn't. I would then make note of the similar color schemes the other books were using. If everyone was using a blue theme, I would go home and paint a cover using bright oranges, yellows and pinks. The next month I would walk back in and see them using browns and cremes so I would go home and paint a cover in purples, blacks, and grays."

The audience applauded with laughter. Going against the current is another great technique for making your cover stand out. Which brings us to this week's challenge:

This week's target cover is going to focus on your favorite Adam Hughes.

He has so many!

He's won an Eisner for his covers! Which one to choose!?!

Be prepared to defend why yours is better than the others submitted. It's going to get ugly.

Enjoy!

Rivalrys Go 'round - Feuds are Forever

2008-07-03T08:53:00.000-07:00

Rob and I were talking about what the definition of the word "rival" actually meant. So, here for reference are the 3 definitions that are applicable to this week's comic cover submission:

Rival:
1 a: one of two or more striving to reach or obtain something that only one can possess

b: one striving for competitive advantage or

3: one that equals another in desired qualities:

The terms rival and feud almost go hand in hand. A rival, or two trying to obtain one thing and, feud, having it going on for a period of time, are cliches of most comic unverses.

To clarify the definition of a feud according to merriam webster:

Feud:
1: a mutual enmity or quarrel that is often prolonged or inveterate;

We then came to a point where we each asked: "Can one still exist while another has evolved or taken it's place?" Can you still have a rivalry between two or more people when a murder has been committed?

I say yes.

Case in point: Whenever a villain gets the upper hand over our hero and is about to dispatch him, near the end of a battle, the villain always brings up the one or two moments the hero neglected them, got the upper hand in, took something away from them, (like an opportunity), or has some reason to exact their revenge based on some prior circumstance.

Some immediate examples I can think of would be Syndrome from Incredibles, Mr. Fantastic and Dr. Doom starting from their college years, Professor X and Magneto, to Space Ghost and Zorak on Coast to Coast.

Rivalries can evolve from feuds and vice versa. A rivalry can be two friends fighting alongside for a common goal as well.

I present this cover as a great visualization of rivals:

This cover plays to the viewer beautifully. If you know history of the X-Men or not, this cover entices you to rip it open and find out what's happening to Wolvie.

The Brood, featured in this and subsequent books, are a vicious alien race that are about dominance and control. This book is about a Brood hatchling and Wolverine fighting over the control of his body unbeknown to the rest of the team until. . . well, I suggest picking it up!

The rich purples and cool blues are complementary to his normal costume colors and play an integral roll in depicting a losing Wolverine. This is a book from Mark Silvestri's run on the series and I believe showcases his greatest work.

This scene does take place in the book and is handled very well.

One trick to a good rivalry cover is to keep ALL the art elements in mind and at your disposal to suggest a "teeter totter"-ing of the cover pitch. Utilize hue, shape, negative space, and temperature to create a slightly imbalanced composition until an edgy suspense is achieved.

Do these things and your only rival will be comic shops charging too little for the book!

Comic Cover Rivalry Submission - Rob

2008-07-02T09:19:00.000-07:00

This was a tough one because I'd love to be able to use the Mike Zeck's cover of Captain America with Wolverine's claws going "one on one" with Cap's Shield. Although it was an amazing cover it isn't what I would consider a rivalry. On a stretch I could even go for Wolverine vs Hulk, but that is still nowhere near the realm of Hulk vs Thing... now there was a true rivalry. Who is the strongest? A question asked and answered multiple times over the course of Marvel History. I would also have liked to use a classic Daredevil vs Bullseye cover, but again it wasn't a rivalry. It was your classic arch-enemy battle (Batman/Joker, Starman/Mist).

After a tremendous amount of waffling I came across a cover I remembered from my youth (Kudos to you Lynn for the all the classic inspiration).

Ladies and Gentlemen... I give you World's Finest Issue 199... a classic Superman vs Flash race.

Talk about a rivalry that spanned decades, I think this qualifies. Art by the incomparable Neal Adams and as a bonus it also has a subtext theme at the bottom of the page (look at the disappointment and elation on the kids faces). I missed last week's blog cause I was slammed at work, but I thought this would kill 2 birds with one stone.

What do ya think? -Rob

Comic Book Cover for June 30 - Feb 4

2008-06-30T00:53:00.001-07:00

Hello all!

This week's comic cover is going to be focused on a staple comic subject. Go through your mental collections, dust off the comic boxes in your basements, and put on a new sleeve and board to show your favorite comic rivalry cover!

The one rule is that it must follow our guidelines for a cover. (For new comers, the cover scene must appear within the interior of the book in some fashion.) With your submission, please describe what in particular about this cover caught your attention, why, and if it changed who you favored as your favorite hero or villain.

Can't wait to see what comes in and let the comic cover submissions begin!

Enjoy!

Comic Cartoon - New Wolverine and X-men!

2008-06-27T09:42:00.001-07:00

Looks like they're trying again with the whole animated X-men thing. Judging from the video, it might carry merit as long as the story and animation maintain the status quo set by the Batman animated series quality. Enjoy!

Subtext Posts for the Week

2008-06-27T07:33:00.000-07:00

Lynn's comments on the Justice League cover:

This probably isn't the best subtext, but it's the issue I thought of when the topic was mentioned. The reason I say it isn't the best is that the subtext isn't reflected in the story, and so was probably unintentional. Nevertheless, it's definitely there, and somewhat intriguing. I'll say no more until somebody identifies it.

L

What's Lies Beneath Subtext?

2008-06-25T09:39:00.000-07:00

It's a fact of communication that you can say one thing and mean something completely different.

For instance saying "What did you say?" to someone who has just threatened to kill you doesn't carry the same subtext as saying the same thing to someone handing you a piece of cake.

With the first example you might be thinking, "I need to buy some time!" while your face contorts and your heart races, your breath shortens, your body language becomes defensive, and you begin to mentally prepare yourself for the next few moments of your life.

In the second example you might slightly bow forward with a smile, think "this looks good!", breathing naturally, hands held out as a receiving gesture, enjoying the moment, maybe making eye contact depending on your personality.

In both instances the phrase didn't change, but the thought changed dramatically. The same form of communication is a powerful tool in illustration, but it requires a mind invested into the character's personality, thoughts, imaginations, desires, etc. . . You ever looked at a painting and related to the image saying, "Yeah! I know exactly what s/he's thinking!"

The trick to creating believable subtext in an illustration is to distinguish what you want to say in subtext first, and then decide what you want to be said verbally. Of coarse the expression should follow the nature of the subtext. Voila! A character that appears to be self motivated!

It's a technique I find too few and far between with any given comic illustration which is why there are the greats. If they can guess what I'm thinking, there's a good chance I'm going to relate to their characters and that's a mouth full!

Planetary #26-Posted by Miles

2008-06-24T16:49:00.000-07:00

Seriously one of the best series of all time. Even though it did a lot of 'swiping' friom classic comics literature, it was an insane ride, by the best writer in comics...That would be Warren Ellis. Just my opinion, don't anybody freak out or anything.
It's pretty obvious what the cover itself means, but how does Mr. Snow feel about it?
Not usually a huge John Cassaday fan, I love his stuff on this series.
Thoughts?

Spidey Cover - Posted by Rob

2008-06-24T14:07:00.000-07:00

Here it is... finally!
One of my absolute faves. I always had a soft spot for the Hobgoblin (have his first appearance), and nobody made the Hobgoblin (in Demonic form) more menacing and terrifying. I just always loved the action and flow of this cover. I'm sure if I scrutinized I could find a couple dozen to submit to this post (the first Man-Wolf cover in Amazing comes to mind as well), but this one is definitely high up in the top 10.

Enjoy,

Rob

Cover for Week June 23 - 27

2008-06-23T12:19:00.001-07:00

CHALLENGE WEEK!

This week we'll be looking for a challenging subject that our covers should feature.

A cover in which, you think, has the strongest form of subtext. More specifically, an image that provokes you to believe the characters are thinking, be it differently or not, from the situation they are in.

Sincere subtext is one of the hardest messages to convey as an illustrator, I believe, because it's a one step difference from creating a stagnant image, to establishing a believable, living character. Subtext haunts actors on stage because not only must they use it regularly when performing, but effective actors have to make it relatable to a wide audience.

I would like our covers for this week to be submitted without telling us what you think the character's thinking, at first, so we can ascertain our own subtext messages. Then we can compare our thoughts after all the posts have been submitted.

Please submit no later than Thursday so I can have time to post, and we can have a week to discuss.

I'm looking forward to your posts.

Enjoy!

At Death's Door - posted by Lynn Walker

2008-06-22T10:53:00.000-07:00

Browsing Spider-Man covers, I noticed that even after Ian's stalker, John Romita Sr. left Amazing Spider-Man, the covers still looked like they were done by him for a long time.

One of the first artists to start really breaking that mold was Ed Hannigan over on Peter Parker The Spectacular Spider-Man. Al Milgrom, not normally one of my favorite artists, inked those covers and then ended up doing some entirely by himself.

This cover from the March 1983 issue of Peter Parker (#76) isn't drawn all that well, but the design and subject matter are so strong and dynamic that it doesn't matter. Spider-Man holding a bloody Black Cat was a shocking cover at the time, and Milgrom did this image a couple of years before Perez put it on a cover of Crisis On Infinite Earths when Superman was holding a dead Supergirl.

member comic submission by Lynn Walker

Spidey Cover of the Week

2008-06-20T15:49:00.000-07:00

Here's my favorite Spidey cover of all time. This book nailed my eyes open the day I saw it and I absolutely had to own it and the subsequent comics that finished this great chapter in Kraven's life.

With this cover you get suspense, mystery, tension, and the black costume all wrapped up in a dubious setting that is unconventional for Spidey. It's also darker than your typical Spidey book, but for the time, it was a refreshing perspective.

I had a hard time picking from a few McFarlane covers to some classics, but all in all, Zeck has achieved something more so early on in the series. If you haven't ever read this story about Kraven, this story will blow your mind. (Pun intended.)

Clipstick issue 1

2008-06-17T20:34:00.000-07:00

Hello all! I just wanted to upload the latest rendition of Clipstick #1 with a mock UPC and the official Ape Logo! This cover features Janet of the bunch in a bit of peril and ties directly with the story.
How do I know?! Pick up the book and you'll see for yourself!

Enjoy!

Cover for Week of June 16 - 20

2008-06-17T09:58:00.000-07:00

Welcome back!

Well, here we go with a new weeks comic submissions! Since we missed out the first time he came around and hit the silver screen, this week's cover is going to feature everyone's favorite web head.

No, not Spider-Ham!

Spidey himself!

Please keep in mind the cover guidelines and I'll post everyone's entries by Thursday with their comments!

Why Isolation Works

2008-06-13T09:29:00.001-07:00

Being alone in a life threatening situation is, safe to say, one of our major universal fears. The feeling that there is no one coming to save you. Where silence and estrangement are married with your senses while your thoughts turn against you.

In a desert with no food or water. In a dark alley where shadows play leap frog and street lamps are shattered. In the middle of the ocean on a piece of drift wood. These are text book cases that imbue a "fight or flight" syndrome in each of us.

So how do we put a character on a cover, with any myriad of formulaic situations to stimulate "fight or flight", and have the viewer empathize in a way to evoke fear?

I think the answer lies in the character depicted.

Can you relate to the character? So much that you feel they are an extension of your same thoughts? Brilliant writers do this on a daily basis to empathize with millions of people at a time. Some with a first person tone, while others from a 3rd person perspective.

Out of all the comics I've read, there are literally a handful that I can relate to when comparing the day to day situations they are placed in, out of costume. If a writer can achieve that, then when they are IN costume, their situations are emotionally more dire for us, the reader. When they get bruised, we feel the punches, when they get dropped of a cliff, we get the rush of the freefall. If they bleed, we feel the cut.

Speaking of blood, if that's what you're afraid of, then I suggest this frightening reality. I present Marvel's Kiss Super Special which features actual blood from the band members mixed with the ink. Now THAT's something
to be afraid of.

Beware of What You Fear

2008-06-11T09:42:00.000-07:00

After much deliberation and thinking, there really wasn't any cover monster that I could think of that has scared me. At least enough to prevent me from buying the book, or if I did, to warrant nightmares thereafter. Comic monsters are a little hokey by today's cinema standards. Hands raising through floorboards of a decrepit house to an alligator headed man monster were a couple that came to mind, but pale in comparison to "The Grudge" ghost or a certain child in "The Exorcist". (The latter which I'll never own a copy of nor bring 'cross my threshold.)

However, it is possible to create a visual tie-in with our innate fears and exploit those fears. If your greatest fear is an unknown threat, then covers that feature bystanders about to become eviscerated by a monstrous creature may be your forte. House of Secrets, House of Mystery, and The Witching Hour were able to capitalize on great suspense covers in this particular fear.

If your fear is necrotic driven, then Zombies, being buried alive, and being eaten alive may be closer to what sends you running.

My personal fears of drowning or dying of some unknown disease have also been exploited in some fashion, but don't keep me up at night.

What, then, can we put on a good cover, that affects us personally? How are our personal fears being exploited and did it merit buying the book in hopes of our own personal salvation?

I guess some fears are more universal than others and thus get more ink time.

Though a cover of someone breathing their last minutes, dying of cancer, with no loved ones around is horrifying, give me space zombies about to devour lovers in the park, at night, anytime.

Covers that make you go EW.

2008-06-10T10:22:00.000-07:00

I want to encompass this weeks competition with an updated rule or two. The monster on the book cover no longer has to threaten the viewer or have threatened you, but rather is a cool monster idea that you appreciate. I also think we should open up this week's cover to also include humans portrayed as being monstrosities themselves. Be it an image that affected you with an ew feeling.

After pondering the possibilities, I realized that most of the covers that terrified me belonged to Fangoria and magazines of the like, but not being a comic per se, wouldn't qualify.

I hope this helps some as this weeks competition has a wider spectrum now.

That being said here's my pick of the week. Ew, fff--fff-f-f-ffreakin' EW! You know there is something wrong when someone can render fairly realistically what being shot in the face with a shotgun might look like. My cover for this week's monstrosity is the Preacher cover featuring Arseface. Here's a character that would be allowed to eat at Clive Barker's dinner table.

A troubled youth with a neglectful family, his mundane life tries to make a turn for suicide, a la Cobain, but he survives. He's not a villain by the traditional sense of the word, but does seek vengeance for a portion of his story.

The abonimation that remains on this cover gave me a while to get over the first time I saw it. Glenn Fabry makes skin feel thick and bulbous with his rendering technique. You almost don't want to know about this character from his visage, but there lies a hint of curiosity in his back story. Not really a protagonist, Arseface gave me a new appreciation to Fabry and of disgust.

I've read rumors this character was based on a factual event.

Twisted? Yes. Own the issue? No.

Cover for June 9th - 13th

2008-06-09T08:53:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the new week!

I noticed a trend in the media dealing with Vampiric activity. From new game trailers, to hot books, to new movies to be released. This week's cover is going to focus on your favorite monster rendering. One that struck terror into you as a child, or one that galvanized you into collecting a certain artist.

You can go with any movie monster to comic cult favorite. Wrightson's Swamp Thing to Frazetta's cover trolls that graced the covers of Creepy. Neal Adams Dracula to Arthur Adams Mojo. If it's a monster in any way, it's legal.

Please make sure it follows the guidelines for our code of what dictates a strong cover.
I know there may have been many so just pick one of your favorites.

Until I figure out how to work this blog, please send me your entries and I'll post them here for all to see!

Variations on a Green Theme

2008-06-05T12:45:00.000-07:00

I went online to try and find some of the other originals to Rob's and Lynn's covers to compare and contrast, but the best I could do was find some great renderings of the HULK from both artists. I even found an interpretation by Alex Ross of Hulk 1.

What separates exemplary from mediocrity when drawing an image based on realistic principles? Knowledge of the subject of coarse!

What Keown can create just proves you can never stop learning about anatomy, how it works together, and the myriad of contortions you can create with it. You can smell his studies in his works. I believe this is the same reason Frazetta cornered his market too. While other artists "faked" what anatomy they understood, Frazetta was laying it down as it actually existed. Where Hulk is concerned, having this plithora of muscular knowledge is what allowed Keown to take Hulk to a new level. He helped to develop an iconic form of a character that's been around longer than 40 years.

For 3ds sake, here is a great video of an ideal Hulk. (Sometimes I prefer him stupid and strong but I still appreciate the intelligent one Peter David ushered in.)

Above are a few more pieces by Keown, Ross, and Kirby.

Enjoy!

Your Line Work is Showing!

2008-06-04T08:21:00.000-07:00

If anything shows us how a technique is used, an approach to how an effect was created, or how even the artist team thinks, we can look at their pre-finished work-in-progress. I found this posted by an anonymous owner of the HULK 340 original pencils and inks.
(Click for larger image.)

Notice the feathering of the HULK's hair in the original inks to allow the light blue color to show through in the final rendering so not to oversaturate the blacks in the reflection. You can tell the inker worked mostly with technical pens when rendering McFarlane's pencils. The constant line width and even in the feathering. Maybe he used a sharpee for the solids. I also enjoy the small nuances such as the over rendering of the black that crosses over the cover border line on the left. Wycek's small ruler smudge on the lower right corner also adds a tangible proof of human error whereas today's pieces are perfected so much in Photoshop you can never tell anymore.

Circular composition so your eye wanders from Wolvie, up his claws to Hulk's face, to the title of the book and back down to Wolvie. Nicely done. One last choice I enjoyed about this piece was McFarlane's choice to have Wolvie's left hand cross in front almost giving him that running toward feeling.

There's something revealing about just the black and white image. My college professor often said that if the piece doesn't work in black and white, then it won't work in color. This piece clearly works in black and white defining that statement.

Feel free to comment on what you see and ENJOY!

HULK NO LIKE COMIC COVERS

2008-06-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

Rob and I were discussing about the HULK covers on the way into work this morning. Turns out I found out a couple personal preferences about HULK covers in general as far as handling the character goes.

Not very many people have handled the hulk on his covers very well especially when the entire character of the HULK is portrayed. He's usually seen with various other heroes and villains, that end up dwarfing the HULK making him look squatted, shrunk, and in ill proportion. He's as inconsistent in size as Megatron is in gun mode.

Why haven't very many talented artists, beside a couple, been able to maintain a well drawn HULK on their covers without him looking almost insignificant? The only artists we found out that can handle a HULK cover well were a couple of art moguls that were solid from the get go.

Dale Keown, Neal Adams, and Jim Sterenko to name a few 3.

Personally, I think HULK is too big to fit on a cover. The less focus the HULK gets, the stronger the cover for some reason. He needs that touch of enigma, mystery, all the while making the HULK feel HULK-ish without giving us the farm every time we see another book. Look at any HULK comic post-Sterenko and pre-Keown.

Dale's HULK is HULK as far as I'm concerned. The status quo he set for that character, his anatomy / proportion, in the quantities he did it in can't even begin to be rivaled by another HULK artist in my opinion. From the sinew to the density, he made the HULK incredible to look at and a bit frightening.

McFarlane's HULK is the ugliest and that wins it's own special reward.

Cover for June 2 - 6 HULK

2008-06-02T13:47:00.000-07:00

Monday Monday,

Welcome back everyone!

Ahhhhh, yes the early Kirby rendition Lynn. I almost picked cover 1 myself because of its history alone and it says everything the Hulk storyline is about in one drawing. Although I have to say the second cover you submitted, safe to say and though redone, doesn’t lend itself to the interior story and doesn’t fit the original scope of a solid cover via this group. (As far as I know.) Shouldn’t stop you from being a fan though!

If you can’t guess, this week’s cover was suggested by Rob to be a Hulk week in lieu of it’s, well, redone attempt at movie masterpiece. After the Ang Lee debacle, which is debatable as being good or bad, the new film almost could be attached to the end of the first attempt. Forget what the characters looked like and BAM! Continuation. I do however have to agree with my friend Brent in that Hollywood has already made a big no no for the marketing of the new Hulk film.

They already showed the Abomination in the trailer and now everyone knows what to expect. If the Hulk villain was shrouded in media mystery, it might have helped sales. The Cloverfield tactic.

That being said, here is my choice for this week’s cover. My favorite Hulk cover.

I can’t deny McFarlane’s ability
to capture my attention and a sense of tension is this GRRRRREAT cover. I almost went for Hulk 181, the first Wolvie appearance, but this one has Wolverine established as a feral creature. Even the reflection is subdued suggesting the claws aren’t chrome which I always liked as well. This battle does ensue in the book and is quite visceral.

Enjoy!