More sketches for your viewing pleasure...

Another dose of sketches, more recent than the last batch, mostly random alien dudes. Drawn in a crappy blank book, hence the annoying creases. Apologies.

Have a couple more, a mercenary-type and some dude in his underwear (I apologize for my representation of feet):

Finish it off with a random pinup-y sketch:

Turkeys and Tutus for TBI

Today we're featuring a very special episode of Holly's Blog.

A few months ago I was contacted by Elizabeth Reininger, who sells these awesome pre-made and custom-made tutus on Etsy. She is organizing a virtual run for Zach, a young man with a Traumatic Brain Injury. 100% of the proceeds will go towards a Duet Bike for Zach so he can ride with his mom. Elizabeth and Zach are both superhero fans.

(Check out Facebook and Etsy for more details and how to donate)

So what we have here is a combination of superheroes, tutus and a fundraiser.

What it means for yours truly is that I am extremely proud and honored to contribute artwork to be used as prizes for participants in the virtual run. And it just so happened that I drew a couple new tutu-heroes at Boston Comic Con, just before getting an email from Elizabeth:

Along with a selection of heroes in all their graceful and balletic glory, I included a print just for Zach of his favorite superhero:

The idea that my artwork might be of real benefit to someone is quite rewarding and fills me with warm fuzzies. 

Big thanks to Elizabeth for inviting me to be a part of this fundraiser and best of luck to Zach who is the real superhero here!

...And for anyone who has a comic convention to go to and hasn't a thing to wear, Elizabeth does plenty of superhero-inspired tutus along with the custom ones and SPARKLY LIGHTS!!!

Boston Comic Con 2013 (#2)

So, I'm still riding the "Boston Comic Con" wave in terms of blog material. I've been pretty busy since the con. I'm working on Unpleasantpeople.com (there's nothing but a blank blogger page there at the moment) and re-designing my business card (which I will have handy for MICE) as well as more comics to be featured in Brain Parts #5.

Anyhoo, a few more of my favorite things:

Female Judge Dredd

Arthur Dent

Beast Boy

Female Empire Officer

Decked-Out Poison Ivy

Steampunk Mermaid

Blade

 

"Shut up and take my money!"

Tank Girl

Master Shredder

Steampunk Batman

Lady-Riddler

Sailors Venus, Moon and Jupiter

These are some of my favorite genders-swapped cosplays. I know they're pretty much the same costume as the male version, just more fitted, but I like that they didn't give into the pressure to make a conventionally sexy version of the costume. I mean, how many traffic-law-violaters can Judge Dredd blow away while wearing stilettos and a bikini? The guy dressed as blade made some very cool wooden reproductions of the hero's weapons, that I wish I'd taken detailed photos of, as they looked really cool. I was crazy-excited to see Tank Girl (who I would like to be when I grow up) and some classic Shredder and Sailor Shenshi. Oh yeah, and Steampunk Batman? Those wings are totally retractable!

This year I was rather print-happy. I've never really gotten into buying prints at a con, I'm so focused on the comics, but there was such beautiful work for sale, I couldn't help myself.

 

Top left: a print by Emily Smith. I was down to my last spending-bucks when I swung by her table, otherwise I would have gotten more of her stunning prints. She's definitely a watercolor-master, and when I've got the time, I'm looking forward to reading her webcomic, Acanthity. Should have asked her to sign the print. Dammit!

Top middle and right: pinups by Tracy Lee Quinn. I loved the first one I bought, I went back the next day to get another! Yes, that's Jem from Jem and the Holograms on the right. She was selling them for $5, and I wanted to get in there before she realized she could totally charge more for them!

The bottom print is by artist, inker and editor for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (the Mirage years), Eric Talbot. I swarmed his table twice and he was super-cool and signed some of my comics.

 I didn't buy much in the way of comics this year, and I kind of regret not spending much time checking out Artists' Alley. I did, however, snag a copy of "Diabetes is After Your Dick" by the ever talented Cathy Leamy! So, you know, if you have diabetes and a dick, you should probably read this. Even if you have neither, it's still an interesting read!

 Oh yeah, this is a just a little pic of me hangin' with my pal Mike Mignola. No big deal.

My girlfriend Sarah and I bugged him twice, but he was very kind and patient (totally keeping it cool despite the hat-wearing psychopath having a conniption fit in front of him), signing our books and throwing out some self-deprecating humor. In short, he was totally awesome-sauce.

We also met David Mack. I've only read the first couple trades of Kabuki, but he's done so much more, I'll have to raid Sarah's excellent comic collection for more of his work.

Closing out my convention ramblings: some more superheroes in tutus! Enjoy!

Ghostbusters circa 1775 or so

Well, I probably won't have much in the way of new one-page comics until I'm done inking Unpleasant People #4 (whenever THAT is...) since any and all spare time I devote to comics is being devoted to getting that done. In the meantime, I present color-experimentation from my sketchbook.

The four main characters done with watercolor and pens on sketchbook paper

I've been tossing around the idea of doing a supernatural-adventure webcomic about ghost hunters in late 18th Century Vienna.

Why Vienna?

Why not?

Portraits of three of the four main characters done with marker, colored pencils and brush pen.

I've bounced ideas off of a couple friends (thanks, Andy!) and so far don't have a complete script for the first chapter. At this point, I'm not even sure if I'm going to follow through with it at all. However, my almost manic love of ghost stories will probably push me forward on this. It's simmering on the back burner for now.

 

Concept sketches for various monsters. These vamps don't sparkle.