Tuesday, December 27, 2005

"Up Jumped the Devil" Update!

Things are really heating up in Onyx City.

As many of you who frequent my little thread of the World Wide Web know, for sometime now I've been trying to get Up Jumped the Devil off the ground since Robert "Hollywood" Swinton agreed to let me do my take on his hitman/jazz trumpeteer Big 'Fro Brown.

Up Jumped the Devil started out as a twelve page featurette to be squeezed into some publication down the line. My friend Joe Fuentes of Black Iris Comics was originally slated to handle the inks (Joe's colors can be seen on the picture posted above). But UJtD has since gotten bigger than the both of us. Joe has had to relocate to another town so, in order to give him a chance to get things together, I decided to ink it myself.

But, the more I toyed with the story, the more I came to the realization that I couldn't just leave it at twelve pages. After a few more emails to and from Hollywood, it was decided to expand it to a full twenty-four pages. But the good news doesn't stop there! I managed to wrangle in a few of my good friends to help out.

As it stands now, UJtD is going to be a two part story.

Part One, Sweet, Black Angel will be inksticated by the one and only Bill Wilkison! I've wanted to work with the Inkslinger for a long time and was thrilled when he agreed to it. Here's an unrelated sample of his inks on my scribbles. You can check out more of the Billster's work at his very own website.

Part Two, Down on the Killin' Floor will not only feature the inking skills of Mr. Satyr himself, Mike Indovina, but Mike's own pulp-style hero Chimera. On a lark, I asked Mike if I could use Chimera for the story and he was thrilled, so I decided to push my luck and ask if I could use a 1970's-style version of Chimera. Both he and Hollywood were okay with the idea. Check out Mike's website to see what he's been up to.

I would still like to have Joe's colors grace the cover, but haven't heard much from him lately. Joe, if you're out there, give me a shout.
Keep it here for more news.

Sunday, December 25, 2005

My Wife's Latest Work

Not long after the Christmas guests have left and the cleanup is all but completed, my wife Barbi, whom I let retire to our upstairs bedroom for some much-deserved rest, comes bounding down the stairs, begging me for one of my paint boards. "I just need one," she pleads. John Lee Hooker once said, in his immortal Boogie Chillin', "It's in him and it's got to come out," so who am I to impede anyone's (especially my wife's) creative jones?

Flash forward a few hours. Our dear friend Billy has come over, bringing with him Polar Express, which Barbi had wanted to see as well, so I go upstairs to let her know we'll be starting the movie soon. I open the door to find the painting in its final moments of creation.

Noticing my entrance, she looks up and says, "I call it, The Planet I'm From."

I was stunned.

For anyone keeping score, it's a 16"x20" acrylic on board and I'm not sure if it's for sale or not. She fell asleep halfway through Polar Express (No reflection on the movie, I assure you) and I don't want to wake her just to ask.

Peace!

Number Nine

Listen up, Boppers. I ain't gonna say this but once. Reason number nine as to exactly why TV was invented. Unlike many child stars, Reason Number Nine started out adorable and blossomed into the kind of woman most men would saw their arm off for.

One of Alyssa Milano's earliest movie roles was that of Aaaanold's resourceful daughter in Jeoph Johns' epic Commando, one of my absolute favorite movies and my favorite Aaaanold movies. People like to rip on the current governor of California's movie career, but, let's face it, everyone on this big, blue marble has, at one time, uttered the phraise, "Ah'll be back!" Hell, it even gets used in movies. How did this turn into an Aaaanold rant anyway?!

I could post pictures of her all day, but why waste your time here? Google her! It's what I did. She's only, like, the most Googled person in the history of the internet, much to her chagrin, I'm sure. Keep in mind, however, I mean no disrespect to any of the actresses I list in my little blog, but damn! I'm only posting this image to prove a point. Regardless of how beautiful a woman is, they look even better in black & white.

Monday, December 19, 2005

The Witch Is Back!

Big news, boppers!
Submitted for your approval, forget Sharon Stone's The Quick & The Dead, forget any Kevin Kostner western (with the exception of Silverado, of course), I give you Kerry Connelly, the gunslingin' witch of Salem, AZ.
Keep it posted here and here and here for further information!

Friday, December 16, 2005

Salem, AZ Pages!

Here they are, kids! Submitted for your approval, the first two pages of Salem, AZ #1 in full "letterbox" format. With the staples running across what would normally be top of the comic, we're creating a more dynamic look for the book. However, it is creating a few artistic challenges. My hat is off to all those guys who have been doing this "Sunday Funnies" style layout for all these years. It's harder than it looks.
As far as I know, this first issue runs about 38 pages and will be in color, but just as to who the letterer and colorists will be is as of yet not known to me.
More pages coming after the Holidays.

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Which Witch Is Which?

The following story is based on actual events.

So, there I was, talking to the incomperable Matt Feazell at this year's Mid-Ohio Con, when an exstatic Nik Havert, calls me back to our table to show me something. I can barely make out what he's saying due to his enthusiasm. In the time I've known him, I've grown accustom to such zealousness.

"Look!" he says, frantically flipping through my portfolio to settle on one particular page, a splash page to a preview of a story we're working on. "It's her!" he says. "It's our witch!"

I had to admit he was right, for there, strolling down the aisle, was the stunning Nicole McClain, every inch the vision I'd put on paper for Nik's and my up-coming comic Salem, AZ. I was rendered speachless, but we managed to beckon her to our table, where she was gracious and patient enough with us to pose for this picture. She claimed it looked more like Angelina Jolie (No offense to Miss Jolie, but as if!). She asked if she could have the picture and if I'd mind signing it. It was a photocopy so that wasn't a problem, but I probably would've given her the original just the same.

That coulda been the end of it, but Nik, God bless'im, wouldn't let it go. Miss McClain has agreed to be our "real life" Kerry Connelly. Exactly what that entails is entirely up to Nic and Nik, I'm just thrilled she's on board!

I'd like to take just a moment to thank Dave Nestler (like he'd read this little blog) for having the eye to spot her in the first place. You can check out his website here, but be warned, it contains adult material (Yeah, that'll stop the kids from checkin' it out).

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

Reason Number Eight!

Man, what was I thinking?! I've been doin' this whole "reasons why TV was invented" thing for a few months now, and I just now thought of this one! What the hell's wrong with me?! How could I forget her?! If the Tin Man had this heart, he'd need more than an oil can (I'm not even sure what that means). I hope I've vindicated myself with this particular entry and wait'll you see reason number nine! Here's a clue, she got her start in an Aaaaanold movie.

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Bond Girl Alert!

It's been brought to my attention recently that Charlize Theron, the hottest white woman in the movies, Monster* not withstanding, is slated to be the next Bond Girl in the remake of Casino Royale. Although I don't condone the remaking of movies, all I can say is It's about Freakin' Time! I was begining to wonder what this chick had to do!

*Maybe it's just me, but she looked a little too much like John Voight in that movie! I still get shivers...

Sunday, December 04, 2005

Some Friends of Mine

I've been wanting to post these pictures for awhile.

Over the summer, Dwayne (If you're any kind of regular to this little blog, you know who he is) got a visit from his boys Dylan and Alec. I promised to post some pictures for them to show off back home. Like last year, among other places, Dwayne took the boys to Wizard World in Chicago. I think it's safe to say all three boys had a good time.It's become increasingly obvious that there was a sale on Stormtrooper costumes this year as every show I've been to has had at least a battalion of troopers on the scene. Here's Dylan and Alec with just such an example at this year's Wizard World though I think he's a little short to be a Stormtrooper (with apologies to Carrie Fisher).Holy Spandex, Batman! It's the Dynamic dorks! From left to right: Nightwing (or possibly Robin), Alec, Dylan and the Dark Knight himself.Sometimes, to kill time at work, I grab a Sharpie and a sheet of butcher paper and see what happens. In the case of Alec and Dylan's pictures, something good happened.
Dylan's superpowers seeming manifest in this picture-in-a-picture shot as he inherits the same Speedforce that powers the Flash.

Friday, December 02, 2005

Photo Viewing Made Easy

It was brought to my attention that some folks out there Don't quite understand the "click on the underlined text" part of the internet. For those of you who haven't figured the secret out yet, you simply click on underlined text to see pictures, files, other websites, etc. Here are a few pictures that the rest of us are privvy to. Get with the program, kids. Remember, if the internet were hard to navigate, it wouldn't be so popular...

Green Lantern and Soloman Grundy Duke it out for Cleopatra's affections. Like a true queen, Miss Cleo (in the background) seems completely oblivious.
Meow...

Thursday, December 01, 2005

Mid-Ohio, Part Duex

Big news, boppers! Some new photos fell into my hands from Mid-Ohio by way of Nik Havert and I'm compelled to show them. Up first, we have Nik and me (the guy with the pencil in his mouth) about mid-show on Saturday. It's funny looking at the table from the other side. It seems so much bigger. I believe this photo was supplied by Dwayne or Nik's wife Mandy.
Clicking each image will enlarge them to a more viewable size.Up next was possibly my favorite sketch of the show, not because of the subject matter, that of a topless Lady Death, but it was this guy's meek approach to the request. The sketch turned out great for my first Lady Death (I still have no real idea who she is).

The crowning jewel of my sketch accuisitions at Mid-Ohio was this Batman Matt Feazell sketched on a memo pad for me.
Lastly and certainly not leastly, we have the lovely Miss Nic McClain showcasing our own Kelly Connelly of our upcoming weird western tale Salem, AZ. Miss McClain's resemblence to the six-gun witch is uncanny and she held us spellbound (there, I said it) as she posed for a few pictures.

Monday, November 28, 2005

The Stormtroopers Are Comin'!

Well, my first Mid-Ohio Con has come and gone and, I gotta say, aside from the drive there and back, it was a blast. I met a lot of really cool people, picked up some great comics (which I'll be reviewing later over at my other blog) and ate a great hunk of steak for supper. Seriously, I wasn't hungry till about eleven a.m. the next day. I guess this is the last time the convention will be held at the Columbus Hilton, which is a shame because it's a beautiful hotel.

I ran into a lot of familiar faces and met a lot of new people. Columbus is an awesome city. Too bad the weather sucked. It would've been fun to do a little exploring like Nik and I did when we went to S.P.A.C.E. earlier this year.

There were, of course, losts of folks in costume. Batman, Superman and Aquaman were the obvious expectations (well, maybe not Aquaman) but it seemed the most popular costume this year was Stormtroopers. Oh, my God! There were so many Stormtroopers, I was beginning to think we were being invaded!

The list of folks I'd like to give props too is virtually endless, but I'll give it a try: Peter David for Psi-Man, Matt Feazell for the groovy Batman sketch, Tom Scioli for carrying on the tradition of "The King," Craig Bogart, Margot Kidder, Mike Imboden, Uko Smith for not being our neighbor, Dave Nestler's model (& Kelly Connelly look-alike) Nicole for stopping by the Pickle Press table and turning us into drooling idoits, Steve Harrison for all the free comics, Art Baltazar because he's so polite, all the guys from S.P.A.C.E. whose names I can't recall just yet, Green Lantern, Soloman Grundy, Catowman (this one might end up a pin-up) and Stuart Sayger. If I forgot anybody and you're reading this blog, I apologize.

I did some pretty cool sketches (if I do say so myself). This guy is probably my biggest fan. All he wanted was two Marvel characters clashing and I'd just picked up an old copy of The Eternals where Ikarus fights an automoton of the Hulk, so it was meant to be. I've done a bunch of sketches for him, including a giant headless Mysterio, and I still don't even know his name. I've discovered "good girls" don't sell, but "bad girls" are like chum for sharks. This "devil woman" I did for the fun of it was gone in about an hour. As it turns out, the buyer has a collection of "devil girls," including one of the Powerpuff Girls in a devil costume. Die-hard indy comics fans will probably recognise Pam Bliss in the background. More sketches and pictures will be posted later as soon as Nik and Dwayne download/develope them and send 'em to me.

Sorry, no "Hot Girls with Candy" this time.

A good time was had by all!

Sunday, November 20, 2005

Ohio or Bust!

It's convnention time again!
This November 26th through the 27th, you'll be able to catch Nik Havert and myself at...


This is my first time at Mid-Ohio, but I hear it's what they call a "big little show."
Just click the banner above for more information.
If you happen to be there, stop by the Pickle Press table and say "hi."
I'll have plenty of candy cigarettes to share.

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

The Seventh Reason TV Was Invented!

I blame my wife for this one, or more to the point, her love of the GSN's Lingo and Chuck "Naturally Stoned" Woolery, but I've discovered what might be the number one reason TV was invented. I'll call her number seven, but that's only because I'm not doing the reasons in any order other than as they come to me.

Check here and here for the previous six reasons.

Normally, blue-eyed, blond Barbie Dolls don't do it for me, but damn! My running joke is the only blonde I ever liked was the one I married, who just so happens to be named Barbi. Anyway, Miss Missouri, Shandi Finnessey, a 25-year-old graduate student who has published a children's book (I'm not even gonna touch that one!) and was crowned the 52nd Miss USA, is now doing time on the gameshow network's Lingo opposite host Woolery. Is there nothing she can't do?!

Saturday, November 12, 2005

"If They Film...Kill 'em!"

Hollywood does it again! Proving once and for all that the Hollywood movie machine has come up bone-freakin'-dry in the "orginal ideas department," producers, in their infanite wisdom, have decided that the world absolutely, positively cannot go on without remaking my favorite movie of all time. I'm speakin' of course, of Sam Peckenpah's masterpiece, The Wild Bunch, the very movie that this blog was named after (sort of). My good buddy Nik decided to make my day, or torture me to the brink of insanity, by bringing this unholy task to my attention. Thanks, Luddy!

On a lighter note, I've discovered the sixth reason why TV was invented. You can find the first five reasons here.
If you ain't figured out who she is, check out Two & A Half Men. Not bad for starting out as that weird-looking girl in Heavenly Creatures. Yeah, I know, I watch too much TV. It's a sickness.

Thursday, November 10, 2005

Revenge of the Sith

I don't go to the movies anymore. At least not like I used to. Back about the time Titanic and Godzilla were raking in the bucks at the box office, I began to get really particular about my movies. One big-budget craptacular after another finally made me realize there were damn few movies being made anymore that were worth my hard-earned cash. And when it came time for Episode One of the prequal Star Wars trilogy, I was utterly depressed. I wasn't too thrilled with Episode Two, either.

Such a thing wasn't the case with Episode Three. The special effects were mind-blowing. The plot, though a bit rushed, was true to Star Wars form. Lots of action, drama and, most important, Wookies! I was thrilled to see Chewbacca, in a tie with R2D2 as being my favorite Star Wars character back in the day. I love characters who could literally rip your arm off and beat you with it. Chewie's appeal I'm sure has something to do with my love for Big Foot, the Sasquatch and the Yeti, but that's a whole 'nother story.

The most valuable lesson to be learned in Episode Three? Never try to sneak up on Yoda.

I hope you weren't expecting too much out of this edition to the ol' blog, after all, I was the last person on the planet to see this movie so there's not a lot I can possibly say about it that hasn't already been said. I was pleasantly surprised by it and that's saying a lot for me.

Sunday, November 06, 2005

Why Was TV Invented, Anyway?

All this talk about TV, such as here, here and here, has made me ask myself just that question. Why was TV invented, anyway? So, I thought and thought and thought and for the life of me, I can only really think of five (in no particular order) good reasons:
Reason One
Reason Two
Reason Three
Reason Four
And last but not least:
Reason Five
I'm sure there are a few more reasons, but nothing comes to mind at the moment. Does this make me a bad person? I submit these lyrics from a Don Henley song in my defense:

"You yankies are so silly about matters of the heart,
Don't you know that women are the only works of art?"

Saturday, November 05, 2005

Watchin' Too Much Damn TV!

Free time is a valuable commodity to me, so when I'm not at work, playing with my kids, spending QT with the wife or working on my latest comic book project, I try to watch as little TV as possible. As I've said before, I'm particular about what I watch. For instance, I finally managed to talk myself out of watching Surface. I found a pretty cool show called Cinema Insomnia on my local public access channel. Hosted by a rather odd fellow named Mr. Lobo, CI plays some perfectly rotten horror/scifi movies, but it's not the movies that're worth watching. Like Svengoolie, it's all the stuff around it that makes this show interesting and entertaining, though probably not to everybody.
As for TV shows that've been around awhile, According to Jim is pretty damn funny in spite of the fact that it falls into the Home Improvement catigory of sitcoms (i.e. dumb guy with smart wife). The comedic chemestry between the cast is nothing short of brilliant. Plus, it has Kimberly Williams in it. I don't think I have to say more. The Office is another returning champion. Based on a British TV show, our American counterpart has one thing up on the original: Greg Daniels as one of its executive producers.
And as for new TV shows, I'm still a big fan of My Name Is Earl and Squidbillies and that's about it.
Now, I know what you're probably thinking: This guy watches a lot of sitcoms. Well, there was a time when I was all about the drama. I watched nearly every Law & Order out there, though my favorite drama was Third Watch, but since it was cancelled last season, I've pretty much lost interest in TV drama. My own life is drama enough thank you very much.

Friday, October 28, 2005

Birthday Girl!

For those of you who know me and my family, there have been some tough times of late. The happy times have been few and far between, so when my daughter Arlaux's fourth birthday came around, we decided to try our best to have a nice little party. It was our first official party since the accident, so we decided to keep it simple and small. Luckily, Arlaux's easy to please.
See it here!
A good time was had by all!
If you don't see yourself in the pictures & you were there, I'm sorry. It was hard to chose which pictures to post.
Hopefully this marks a turning point in our family's future.
We miss you Pony.
We'll never forget you.
Stay gold.


Sunday, October 23, 2005

Watchin' Too Much TV

Okay, so it's occured to me that with not a lot of creative duties on my plate, I find myself watching too much TV. Hell, I'm watchin' TV I can't even stand just because it's there. Surface, for instance, is a show I hate to watch and watch to hate. In my last little rant, I bashed a bunch of the new shows this '05 season, claiming there's little in the way of programming worth watching. I have however found two exceptions that are not only worth watching, but brilliantly executed. The first is NBC's My Name Is Earl, starring Jason Lee of Kevin Smith movie fame, about a bad guy trying to go good. It's funny, well-written and well acted, so I look forward to it being cancelled any day now. The second is one of Cartoon Network's fifteen-minute-long segments during their Sunday night Adult Swim format. I'm not exactly sure if fifteen minutes qualifies it as a show, but hell, it's good TV, so that's gotta count for something. Anyway, it's called Squidbillies and it's about, yeah, you guessed it, hillbilly squids. I don't think I need say anything more.



Saturday, October 15, 2005

Maybe It's Just Me

Maybe it's just me, but is there nothing worth watching on TV these days? I tried giving the new shows a try, but got little or no entertainment out of any of it. I had an english teacher who used to say that true entertainment had three tasks: entertain, educate and inspire. I've carried this around for years and apply it to everything from movies and music to TV and comic books. The new shows this season, thus far, have missed the mark.

There was no way I was going to watch the new Night Stalker. I grew up on the original. It would be like remaking Nightgallery. There are just some things you don't do! But, flipping through the channels, I came across it and the only reason I stuck around was because I saw Gabrielle Union on it! MeeeooooooooooW!
Ah-hem, sorry. Anyway, aside from the delovely Ms. Union's presence, there was nothing remarkable about this show.


Supernatural is another in the long list of, well, supernatural thrillers out there clogging the airwaves. All I can say about this one is, at least it's not a remake of Night Stalker. And although there was no Gabrielle Union to be found, we find two brothers carrying on in their demon-slaying father's footsteps. Wasn't there a show like this back in the 80s or something? It seems to me there was a rash of supernatural shows back in the 80s and what they lacked in SPFX, they made up for in plot. The same can't be said for Supernatural.

I gave Surface a shot and really wanted to like it, but here's what I got out of it. Single mom saves the world from the Beast from 20,000 Phathoms. If you haven't seen this one yet, you can probably catch it on Lifetime pretty soon.

So, if you want my advice on what to watch this fall season, stick to your video stores. At least there you can rent the original Night Stalker.


Monday, October 10, 2005

One Last Go Around

And so, another Michiana Comicon came and went. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. For twenty-three years, Michiana has played host to this fun, little show. I remember my first time there. I was still in high school. I met one of my heroes, Jeff Dee that day. In the shows that followed, I met a lot of people, some famous, some imfamous, which as we all know, means more that famous (thank you Three Amigos).

I met Nik there two years ago, bought a copy of his comic Rocket Girl #1 off of him (my daughter Arlaux's nickname at the time). Nik took one look at my online portfolio and we've been good friends ever since. "Great zombie Jesus!" I think was what his email read. "Why aren't you working for anyone?" Truth was, I'd given up. Thanks, Nik.

Along the way, I met Joe Fuentes as well. Most of you have seen his coloring work all over my website. I can't say enough good things about either of those two.

But as is the nature of all good things, fall '05 marked the end of an era and the last Michiana Comicon. The shows were kind of like family reunions. It was fun to see familiar faces twice a year, catch up on things and, when it was over, shake hands and say, "see ya' in six." Was it a great show? Not on a national standard. But it had it's own character. Will there ever be another comic book convention in Michiana? Probably. Will there ever be another one like the Michiana Comicon? Probably not. Thanks, Jim, for everything.

Looking very much like a police line-up, myself (your left), Nik & Joe strike a pose for the camera.



Bizzarro Nik gives the old "hang loose."

Do not attempt to adjust your perscription lenses. I flipped the picture hust for fun.















Don't let Joe's toughguy look fool you. Like all good fathers, he's a softy around his daughter. Watch the purple sunglasses hanging from his collar.


Joe, seen here with his daughter Isabel (with sunglasses) & his wife Deb, brought future comic book geek, one-week-old Joe IV (mini boxing gloves and all).

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

"Tennessee Tuxedo Will Not Fail!"


A slogan I still find myself using when I'm pretty sure I don't stand a hope in Hell. I don't know about anybody else, but I'm really depressed. I just found out Don Adams died. He was 82, I think. What's really sad about the whole thing is I thought he already was dead. Many people know and love Mr. Adams for what he did as Maxwell Smart in that old 60s TV staple get smart, and as much as I enjoyed that show, I'll always remember him for being the voice of the one and only Tennessee Tuxedo.

In the 60s, there was a rash of cartoons that were ahead of the game that both kids and adults could enjoy for different reasons and Tennessee Tuxedo, who was sandwiched between the adventures of Underdog, was one of my favorites. I'll watch them today and they're still funny. I watch the shows my kids watch these days and, at the risk of sounding like my father, they're pretty much crap by comparison to what was on TV in my day. I doubt if they'll even be remembered. Time'll tell, I suppose, but I'm not betting on any of 'em.

Don Adams will be missed, but never forgotten...

Monday, September 19, 2005

The Conventions Are Comin'!

October 8th, South Bend, IN plays host to its bi-annual Michiana Comicon, a fun little show that's been going on for over two decades. I've been going to this show almost since the first one and love the fact that Nik and I now set up at it!

Over the years, I've met a lot of cool people, some who've moved on to big things, like Jeff Dee, Don Simson, Ken Holewczynski (I think I spelled that right) and Bill Loebs.

Located at Holy Family Hall on the NW corner of Mayflower and Western, tickets to get in are $2 and it's open to the public from 10 am to 4 pm. Door prises abound! For info, contact Jim @ (574)232-8129 Recite the original Green Lantern's oath and impress the crap out of him!

Nik and I'll be there with all the latest Pickle Press books, previews of things to come, plenty of free suckers and candy cigarettes! Stop by and say "hi!"

Hasta!

What's Lyin' Around the Studio This Month...

Having recently wrapped up my penciling/inking chores (like it was work!) on The Three Keys for Pickle Press has freed up some time to pursue other artistic interests, including a Big 'Fro Brown story for Robert Swinton. I'm currently muddling through a script for the story with Robert as I write this. The working title is In the Dark and I'm totally stoked! Robert has been instrumental in getting me up off my creative ass. Thanks, buddy.

Another project is a pin-up for Rafael Navarro's amazing Sonambulo (not to be confused with Bill Wilkison's Amazing Walter)! To your right is a character study of Rafael's paranormal investigating lucha Sonambulo done by yours truly. If the picture looks familiar, that's because it's a total (and shamelesss) tribute to the famous photograph of Robert E. Howard. Joe Fuentes is currently working on an inked version of this picture. I swear, I could scribble on a coctail napkin and the guy'd want to ink it! I'm going to start posting some of the stuff of mine that he's colorized on my "Art of Studio 831" page soon.

As many of you know, back in November, Barbi and I lost our ten-year-old daughter Arissa in a terrible car accident. I'm currently putting together a comic book deticated to her memory and featuring Ursala the Dream Fairy. Arissa, who was blessed with a vivid imagination, was also cursed with vivid nightmares, so Barbi, in a total burst of inspiration, thought up this dream fairy who took away the nightmares of little children and replaced them with good dreams. After that, Sissy never had a nightmare again. Ursala the Dream Fairy (as it's currently being called) is a labor of love. I'll soon be posting pages.

I haven't painting anything lately, maybe I should start that, huh?

Well, that pretty much sums up things around here. I'd like to thank Nik, Bill, Joe, Rafael and Robert for all their help, support, inspiration and for just plain being there. All you guys are champs! If you don't know who they are, go to my "Friends" page. Tell 'em I sent ya.

Peace!

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Git Ready For The Big Payback!


As many of you know, last Spring at S.P.A.C.E., I met Robert Swinton whose comic "Blow" literally blew me away (every pun intended). "Blow" features the no-nonsense life and times of professional clean-up man and jazz trumpeteer Big 'Fro Brown. Thanks to the internet, over the past few months, Robert and I have gotten to be pretty good friends. Good enough that he has trusted me to share his dream. He and I have begun collaborating on a Big 'Fro story to be published later. If you haven't checked out Big 'Fro or Robert Swinton, first of all shame on you, secondly, go to my "friends" page and give him a look. The Big 'Fro story is still in its infancy, but keep it here, suckers, for all the latest news. Posted here is just a taste.

Saturday, August 27, 2005

HAWKMAN!


There's a lot to be said about a small town. I have to travel twenty minutes to the next town to buy art supplies, but a trusty pack of candy coffin nails is just a few short blocks away at the local "mom & pop." This particular pack is brought to you by the fine folks at Necco (www.necco.com). That's right, 85 calories per serving, (serving size: 1 pack or "box" as they like to call it), total carbs: 15g, total fat: 0%, total guilt (on their part anyway) 0%!

I found them by accident in the cigarette section behind the counter while picking up a gallon of milk and a few other household sundries. At nineteen cents a "box," I thought about buying the whole carton (which I'm pretty sure the necco people don't call that particular type of packaging just so they can sleep at night) with what change I had in my pocket, but decided to let my daughter get a toy from the machines instead.

They come in assorted packaging from jetplanes to dinosaurs, but it turns out I'm a "hawk" man. I'm in Flavor Country...

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

Jim Aparo Dies At 72


Unless you're into comics, I mean really into comics, the name Jim Aparo probably doesn't ring a bell, but as far as I'm concerned, Mr. Aparo was the Batman artist. Some would say it was Neal Adams, but my earliest Batman memories are of Jim Aparo. A mostly self-taught artist, Mr. Aparo was an inspiration to me as I've had little in the way of formal training. His work on the original run of DC's Batman & the Outsiders was a particular favorite of mine. The man could draw anything! Mr. Aparo, who was 72, died July 19th, 2005 of complications from illness, the family says. There'll never be another like him.

Friday, July 22, 2005

The Final Frontier

Born March 3rd, 1920, James "Scotty" Doohan met the Final Frontier July 20th, 2005, solidifying his immortality not only as a great character actor who, week-after-week coaxed the Enterprise into "Givin' it all she's got!" but a true Hollywood legend. I say character actor not as a bad thing as some of the most memorable Hollywood icons were portrayed by character actors. After all, they have all the best lines! Generations to come will shout out in their best Scottish burr "She canna take much more, Cap'n!" or "She's gonna blow!" Actors of the day will come and go, but guys like Scotty will live forever...

Sunday, July 17, 2005

The Face


Here's a picture I didn't ad to my convention photos section on my website. "You're still gorgeous" my wife Barbi told Mr. Dirk "Face" Benedict. "Then why am I still alone?" he replied.

Saturday, July 16, 2005

"I'm Not A Smart Man...

...But I know what a Blog is."

Okay, I never claimed to be a smart man. If you don't belive me, consider this: I forgot the pass word to my previous blog! How dumb is that?! And after all the times I've told people, "write it down," I somehow managed to fail in taking my own advice.

Anyway, here's my new blog, hope you like it. All the latest news in my life and the goings-on at Studio 831 will be posted here at irregular intervals. I'm not even going to attempt monthly updates, that's just crazy!

So, what's new?
1. I've almost finished the second issue of The Three Keys#2! I gotta say, it's better than issue one. It seems being comfortable with the characters allowed me to focus on other artistic aspects such as panel layout, contrast, hot chicks, etc. Issue one was a study in how not to do a comic. Hopefully I've learned a few things since then.

2. The Three Keys#2 contains a preview to another comic Nik Havert (check out the Pickle Press link on my homepage) and I are working on called Salem, AZ. All I can say about that one is, it's a long, long road from Columbus, Ohio to Nappanee, Indiana.

Well, that about sums things up. See you soon. Don't worry, I wrote my password down this time.