Work In Progress: Strange Heroes Samples, Part 3

And here are the final pencils for the page 2 & 3 double page spread. More samples tomorrow, including the inked page 1, and the rough pencils for page 4 of this story.

Work In Progress: Strange Heroes Samples, Part 2

More sneak peeks at the new art samples I've been working on, including the final pencils for page 1 of the "Strange Heroes" opening sequence (above), and the rough pencils for pages 2 and 3, which make up a big double page splash image (below). When I finish penciling the spread, I'm going to launch into the inks on page 1. I'll post the results of both when they're done, before moving on to the final two pages, which include an explosion. 'Cause, you know, drawing big exploding robotic octopus thingys is fun.

Work In Progress: Strange Heroes Samples, Part 1

Here's a sneak peek at the rough pencils for the first page of new art samples I'm working on to show editors at the upcoming New York Comic Con. Another slight variation in style from my DOCTOR WHO and SUPERNATURAL work, focusing again on more traditional superhero material. I'm currently working on a five page sequence from an old project of mine called "Strange Heroes" that I pitched a few years ago but never sold. The above is the first page from what I'd always intended to be the book's opening sequence. Tomorrow I'll post the final pencils and the inks.

Work In Progress: Wonder Woman, part 3

And finally, here's the inked piece I'm donating to the Wonder Woman Day V auction. I'll post all the details when I have them, but it's a great cause, and I highly recommend checking it out. In the meantime, a big thanks to Andy Mangels for inviting me to participate.

Work In Progress: Wonder Woman, part 2

And here are the final pencils for the Wonder Woman piece. I don't usually pencil this tightly, but I decided to use a slicker style for this pinup, a look I developed a while back for superhero projects, but rarely get to use. So I worked the lines a little harder in the final pencil stage then usual to get the look I wanted.

Next up, the inks...

Work In Progress: Wonder Woman, part 1

It's been a while since I've been able to post any of the art I've been working on, but I'm starting in on some pieces that I will be able to post, and here's the first of them -- a Wonder Woman pinup I'm doing for the fifth annual anti-domestic violence Wonder Woman day put together by Andy Mangels. Here's a sneak peek at the rough pencils for the piece. I'll post the final pencils tomorrow along with the inks.

Upcoming Appearances: New York Comic Con

Just a reminder that I will be appearing at the New York Comic Con on October 8-19 at the Javits Center in New York City, along with DOCTOR WHO Ongoing writer Tony Lee and WHO artist Blair Shedd.

I'll have a table set up in Artists Alley with some comics and original art from Doctor Who and other projects for sale, so stop on by if you're in the neighborhood.

There will also be two Doctor Who comic book signings at the IDW booth that weekend (Saturday from 1:00 - 2:00 and Sunday from 1:00 to 2:00) featuring Tony, Blair, myself, and hopefully a number of other Who creators.

On top of all that, IDW will also have a special Sneak Peek 2011 panel on Friday at 5:45 with lots of announcements about DOCTOR WHO and their many other projects.

Resurrections & Endings

With the news yesterday that DC Entertainment would be closing down the WildStorm and Zuda imprints, I wanted to say a few words about working with WildStorm and repeat some of the good things I've had to say about them on my Twitter stream.

Flash back to a few years ago - 2005, 2006, somewhere in there - when I was still struggling to find work in the wake of the collapse of Crossgen, where I'd been one of their stable of staff artists. The market was suddenly flooded with amazing talent looking for work, and a handful of us had fallen through the cracks in the race to sign up the big names who were now free to work at the Big Two again. Not a complaint, mind you, just the reality of the comic book industry.

(Given a choice between hiring Butch Guice for a book and hiring me, I'D even hire Butch.)

So I had gone back to working full-time in a bookstore while drawing projects for smaller publishers, and starting to think about developing my writing skills as a way to get out of the comic book industry and find a new way to be creative and make a living at the same time.

And then life intervened. After a string of calamities, I was in desperate need to pick up some paying comic book work to help with a flood of bills and expenses that the bookstore job just couldn't cover. Which is how I ended up sending emails to nearly every editor I still knew asking as calmly as I could manage if there were any fill-in issues or mini-series sitting around that they might be willing to give me a shot on.

One of the people I contacted was Ben Abernathy, who I'd worked with on the HELLBOY short stories I'd done with Mike Mignola. Ben had gone from Assistant Editor at Dark Horse to the head Editor at WildStorm. Like most freelancers I know, I really like Ben. He's always been very positive about my work, and an incredibly nice guy to boot.

I didn't know it at the time, but Ben was looking for an artist for a comic book based on the show SUPERNATURAL and he wanted someone who was a little different and not afraid of using shadows.

In other words, someone like me.

They tried me out on an issue of STORMWATCH:PHD first, and then asked me to draw the first SUPERNATURAL mini-series. And suddenly, my career was alive again, and stronger than ever. I've been working pretty much non-stop since that issue of STORMWATCH, even getting a chance to work on DOCTOR WHO, which has always been my dream job in comics. And none of it would have happened without Ben Abernathy and the rest of the folks at WildStorm.

So I'm a little sad to hear that WildStorm will be shutting down. I liked their books (some of which we're assured will be folded into DC's lineup), and I like the people who worked there (some which we're assured will be folded into DC's other divisions). They took chances with the material, whether it was putting an artist like Sean Phillips on WILDCATS, or giving creators an unprecedented amount of space to create amazing projects like PLANETARY. I sincerely hope the WildStorm spirit will continue on, even without their logo on the books, and that everyone who works there lands softly on a well-playing cushy job, whether at DC or elsewhere.

WildStorm is dead! Long live WildStorm!

So let me just say a public thank you to Ben and the gang for bringing my career back from the dead, especially Hank, Kristy, Scott, and of course, Jim Lee. They were all a pleasure to work with, and I hope to do so again.

FROM THE FILES: Doctor Who

The incredibly talented gang at the Comic Twart blog did a series of Doctor Who pieces last week which are well worth checking out. If you don't know about these guys, you're really missing out. They're some of the most talented artist working in the business right now.

In honor of their amazing takes on Doctor Who, here's a random piece from my files featuring both the 10th Doctor and the 11th. Just a quick pinup I did for fun while I was waiting to start work on the "Final Sacrifice" storyline that is currently on the shelves, but if memory serves, it was my first attempt at drawing the Matt Smith Doctor.

On The Shelves: DOCTOR WHO #15

DOCTOR WHO #15 hits the stores today, the second to last issue featuring the 11th Doctor, and the 3rd part of the "Final Sacrifice" storyline by Tony Lee, Charlie Kirchoff, and myself. Not to mention another cover by one of my heroes, Paul Grist. Here's a preview.