Tuesday, January 31, 2012

TEE DESIGN: A game of previews 2...

I posted the first rough lines for this Tyrion Lannister fan art yesterday, and today I'm back to share the next stage of the design process.
Here we've taken the original line art, and instead of just redrawing it, to get it more in line with Peter's likeness, I've beat it up a while in Photoshop, to get things more in line with what I'm looking for (re-positioning features, tweaking lines, etc). Instead of just digitally cleaning this up though, I wanted to redraw it, so everything could be clean and polished. So that will be the next stage (tomorrow)...

Monday, January 30, 2012

TEE DESIGN: A game of previews...

I've got soooo many t-shirt ideas I'm planning and working up, but here's the first of which I'm close to finishing, so thought I'd share the stages of production all week!

Starting with the original rough lines.
It's a fan art, and a likeness, which is pretty off the mark here in this first stage, but not to worry, that's what all the various tools in the arsenal are for...
Here's the reference I was working with...
With Game of Thrones set to return shortly, and it being an amazing show that both I and the wife just absolutely love, I've been working on a couple fan art pieces for it. This is the first one, a t-shirt design of fan favorite character Tyrion Lannister, aka the imp. Peter Dinklage is all kinds of cool at bringing this character to life, so it's also a bit of a fan art for him as much as it is the show and the character.

Tune in tomorrow for the next stage...

Saturday, January 28, 2012

More art on eBay

This marker sketch of Psylocke goes off tonight...
And there's also an Amazing Spider-Man 129 (first Punisher) homage AVENGERS X-SANCTION 1 sketch cover...

Check them out HERE

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Race to Redline!

I'd been waiting to see the just released (in the US) anime, REDLINE, for over a year. TwitchFilm.com had featured it back before it hit the festival circuit, and it was jawdropping. Insane design, technically flawless, drop dead sexy animation. It's also the directorial debut of Takeshi Koike, whom you may know from the amazing Animatrix "World Record" segment, and he was also a key animator on my all time favorite anime, the blisteringly cool DEAD LEAVES (with Redline sharing a fairly similar style). It didn't hurt that it's produced by renowned anime studio Madhouse either.

Got a chance to watch last weekend, and it does not disappoint!

The animation is sublime throughout, but where Redline maintains the next level cool is with the vision and scope of the story. Sure, it's ultimately a simple race tale, and for those amped up by it's high octane race visuals from previews and scenes online, it doesn't disappoint. However, there's more to this anime then just mindless racing action (not that it might not have been better served with more of that), but it offers a full story, on a few levels, with many sub-plots, character arcs... more than you'd expect from a title like this. Also, with it's intergalactic race circuit, it's of course rich with supporting characters of amazing variety. Basically, there's a lot to love, and that makes Redline utterly re-watchable. It did not supplant Dead Leaves at the top of my anime list though. Here's hoping we don't have to wait several years for another anime to challenge for the title!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Con wars! (zombie comic style)

Since I have lots of ideas for comics, concepts, characters, and stories, many get through various stages of development, from ideas, to plots, to production art, and beyond. It's often the case, where some time will go by, and I'll eventually see those ideas show up in other places, be it TV, movies, or comics (and I'm sure it's not an occurrence exclusive to myself). It's always frustrating to see new fun ideas you came up with though, creative gold, being mined by someone else, but I've gotten pretty used to it.

Well, it's happened again, but this time it's especially stinging for a few reasons.

 A couple years ago I had an idea for a zombie story centered around San Diego Comic-Con, that I quickly dubbed CON of the DEAD. Plotting a graphic novel, scripting, and actively looking for an artist to partner with (as, at the time I was still finishing Super Real, and also developing Pulp Girls). For a time there were a couple different artists even potentially attached, and I even promoted the title with flyers at Comic-Con, created a page on the SRG site/blog, and again a bit later with a nice poster at the inaguaral ZomBcon (I even ran an ad for it in the SRG Presents: Wolves of Odin GN). So with the various promotional materials and efforts, the concept has been pretty public - an independent comic company hires a booth babe to portray their bad girl comic character, Vampblade, complete with twin 30" replica blades, at Comic-Con International, when a fanboy zombie outbreak occurs, and the model is forced to fight for survival alongside some other rather unique equipped con-goers.

 Now, it turns out, as reported by BleedingCool.com, Boom! has a comic book coming soon called Fanboys VS Zombies, with the concept being that a group of fanboys band together to fight off a zombie outbreak at Comic-Con International. I'm not frustrated that the concept is so similar, as much as I am that it will likely come out before mine. I don't really think the folks behind this idea stole mine or anything. I mean, it's entirely possible, I've had it out there for the taking, but it's just a cool idea, that I think it was just a matter of time before someone else came up with or executed it. It does make it extra rough to know it's set up as comic book though, and that the cover art is so similar to the poster we created for Con of the Dead...

Their cover art (by Humberto Ramos no less)
Our promo image

Our image, to be precise, is from October 2010, just over one year ago, and was posted to DeviantArt as well as my blog. Notice how both covers feature fanboys and zombies pictured outside the actual San Diego convention hall... Again, I don't really think this is swiped or taken from our work, it's a pretty easy image to create for such a concept, but it is at least annoying to see such similarities.

 However, to further make this a tough one to swallow, the artist that's attached to the project also happens to be a good friend of mine in the industry!

 Sheesh!
 Rub it in fellas!
 LOL

 So yeah, I know this is all on me for not getting my project out there sooner, but unfortunately, it never came together like I wanted (anyone who follows me, knows I've been talking about this for some time). All that said, I by no means am throwing in the towel here, or conceding to this other nefarious doppelganger!! Con of the Dead is, beyond it's fun concept, a cool story and cast of characters, that stands on it's own (and also sounds somewhat different from this new concept), and I look forward to competing in the market with it. (And it should be noted, I'm not exactly a stranger to rolling out a concept that has rival projects breaking similar new ground... Super Real wasn't the first or only mash-up of reality TV and comic book superheroes to hit the racks in the mid/early aughts when it finally saw full release.)

I guess it should also be mentioned, that it certainly won't hurt to be clear up front that I've got a similar concept to this new one, should there be any eyebrows raised in a similar fashion on the other side of this zombie Comic-Con coin.

The lesson here is one I've known for far too long, get stuff out asap before someone else beats you to the punch! For once I just wish this didn't come true.

 More to come!

Friday, January 20, 2012

Not80sU UPDATE quatro

I bring more manic 80's zombie production art from my upcoming NIGHT OF THE 80'S UNDEAD comic...

Bill (the fabulous Mr McKay) gets just the right amount of motion and detail jumping off in this partial glimpse of a double page sprawling panel!
Can we outdo ourselves with preview cinco?!?! Stay tuned!!!

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Another week...

another batch of sketch cards and art on eBay!!
CLICK HERE


Another round of: Rantz Angels, Pulp Girls, and Galaxgals!


Uncanny X-Men 1 sketch cover (Emma Frost), and Wonder Woman sketch

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

More sketch cards on eBay!

Just listed another batch of ARTIST EXCLUSIVE sketch cards on eBay - CLICK HERE

Rantz Angels (from my buddies card set), Pulp Girls (from the 5finity series from my concepts), and Galaxgals (from the 5finity series)