Archive for March, 2008
How about some painted comic book art? As always, no guessing if you’ve got the comic…
(click image to plug in, man)
(previous weeks: 9/12/2005, 9/19/2005, 9/26/2005, 10/3/2005, 10/10/2005, 10/17/2005, 10/24/2005, 10/31/2005, 11/1/2005, 11/2/2005, 11/3/2005, 11/4/2005, 11/5/2005, 11/6/2005, 11/7/2005, 11/14/2005, 11/21/2005, 11/28/2005, 12/5/2005, 12/12/2005, 12/19/2005, 12/26/2005, 1/2/2006, 1/9/2006, 1/16/2006, 1/23/2006, 1/30/2006, 2/06/2006, 2/13/2006, 2/20/2006, 2/27/2006, 3/6/2006, 3/13/2006, 3/20/2006, 3/27/2006, 4/3/2006, 4/4/2006, 4/5/2006, 4/6/2006, 4/7/2006, 4/8/2006, 4/9/2006, 4/10/2006, 4/17/2006, 4/23/2006, 5/1/2006, 5/8/2006, 5/15/2006, 5/22/2006, 5/29/2006, 6/5/2006, 6/12/2006, 6/19/2006, 6/26/2006, 7/3/2006, 7/10/2006, 7/17/2006, 7/24/2006, 7/31/2006, 8/7/2006, 8/13/2006, 8/21/2006, 8/28/2006, 9/4/2006, 9/11/2006, 9/18/2006, 9/25/2006, 10/2/2006, 10/9/2006, 10/16/2006, 10/23/2006, 10/30/2006, 11/6/2006, 11/13/2006, 11/20/2006, 11/27/2006, 12/4/2006, 12/11/2006, 12/18/2006, 12/25/2006, 1/1/2007, 1/8/2007, 1/15/2007, 1/22/2007, 1/29/2007, 2/5/2007, 2/12/2007, 2/19/2007, 2/26/2007, 3/5/2007, 3/12/2007, 3/19/2007, 3/26/2007, 4/2/2007, 4/5/2007, 4/9/2007, 4/16/2007, 4/23/2007, 4/30/2007, 5/7/2007, 5/14/2007, 5/21/2007, 5/28/2007, 6/4/2007, 6/11/2007, 6/18/2007, 6/25/2007, 7/2/2007, 7/9/2007, 7/16/2007, 7/23/2007, 7/30/2007, 8/6/2007, 8/13/2007, 8/20/2007, 8/27/2007, 9/3/2007, 9/10/2007, 9/17/2007, 9/24/2007, 10/1/2007, 10/8/2007, 10/15/2007, 10/22/2007, 10/29/2007, 11/5/2007, 11/12/2007, 11/19/2007, 11/26/2007, 12/3/2007, 12/10/2007, 12/17/2007, 12/24/2007, 12/31/2007, 1/7/2008, 1/14/2008, 1/21/2008, 1/28/2008, 2/4/2008, 2/11/2008, 2/18/2008, 2/25/2008, 3/3/2008, 3/10/2008, 3/17/2008, 3/24/2008)
Builders of a massive super collider are being sued to protect the planet from a machine that could produce mini black holes. Victor Von Doom was unavailable for comment.
Bob has sent out a group email that the Day Prize for next year has been cancelled.. sort of. Dave Sim has canceled his appearance at next year’s show along with the Day Prize. However Bob will be giving out a S.P.A.C.E. prize.
Bob- ‘I will review the books and pick 4 to 6 finalists and then have the registered SPACE 2008 Exhibitors vote for the winner. One of the few rules will be that you can’t vote for yourself (or a book you’re in). The winner will win a cash prize of $300.00 (sorry I can’t afford the $500.00) and a plaque (or figure, that’s not finalized yet). I haven’t figured out the time table yet but the plaque presentation will be during SPACE 2009.’
Anyone who wants their book(s) sent back, contact Bob and he’ll send them back.
Please note that this is not limited to just SPACE, Sim has scaled back all his appearances to just local shows. It’s been great having him at the show and I hope one year he’ll come back.
Brent just sent me this treat: the first page of our soon-to-be-webcomic. Apparently, he’s taken ill and farmed the work out to Gene Colan.
All kidding aside… I like this character because all she can do is fly, which should by itself be the coolest and most wonderful thing in the world; we comic readers are a bit jaded to that particular power, however. I hoped to depict the character in a fashion that returned a sense of wonder to that trait, which is something only a handful of artists I’ve seen can pull off. Brent nailed it here, in my eyes.
Here’s another character design he gave me earlier which I didn’t include in my previous post:
This is turning into a fun project.
Via CBR, comes this Nylon magazine blurb about Paul Pope’s new line of T-shirts for DKNY Jeans.
In the comments section, someone named “HA” shares their feelings: “Paul Pope is a total sellout. You suck, Paul”
Come on now, Gene Ha, no need to be jealous!
Doing it old school, in black and white:
(click image to murderize)
(previous weeks: 9/12/2005, 9/19/2005, 9/26/2005, 10/3/2005, 10/10/2005, 10/17/2005, 10/24/2005, 10/31/2005, 11/1/2005, 11/2/2005, 11/3/2005, 11/4/2005, 11/5/2005, 11/6/2005, 11/7/2005, 11/14/2005, 11/21/2005, 11/28/2005, 12/5/2005, 12/12/2005, 12/19/2005, 12/26/2005, 1/2/2006, 1/9/2006, 1/16/2006, 1/23/2006, 1/30/2006, 2/06/2006, 2/13/2006, 2/20/2006, 2/27/2006, 3/6/2006, 3/13/2006, 3/20/2006, 3/27/2006, 4/3/2006, 4/4/2006, 4/5/2006, 4/6/2006, 4/7/2006, 4/8/2006, 4/9/2006, 4/10/2006, 4/17/2006, 4/23/2006, 5/1/2006, 5/8/2006, 5/15/2006, 5/22/2006, 5/29/2006, 6/5/2006, 6/12/2006, 6/19/2006, 6/26/2006, 7/3/2006, 7/10/2006, 7/17/2006, 7/24/2006, 7/31/2006, 8/7/2006, 8/13/2006, 8/21/2006, 8/28/2006, 9/4/2006, 9/11/2006, 9/18/2006, 9/25/2006, 10/2/2006, 10/9/2006, 10/16/2006, 10/23/2006, 10/30/2006, 11/6/2006, 11/13/2006, 11/20/2006, 11/27/2006, 12/4/2006, 12/11/2006, 12/18/2006, 12/25/2006, 1/1/2007, 1/8/2007, 1/15/2007, 1/22/2007, 1/29/2007, 2/5/2007, 2/12/2007, 2/19/2007, 2/26/2007, 3/5/2007, 3/12/2007, 3/19/2007, 3/26/2007, 4/2/2007, 4/5/2007, 4/9/2007, 4/16/2007, 4/23/2007, 4/30/2007, 5/7/2007, 5/14/2007, 5/21/2007, 5/28/2007, 6/4/2007, 6/11/2007, 6/18/2007, 6/25/2007, 7/2/2007, 7/9/2007, 7/16/2007, 7/23/2007, 7/30/2007, 8/6/2007, 8/13/2007, 8/20/2007, 8/27/2007, 9/3/2007, 9/10/2007, 9/17/2007, 9/24/2007, 10/1/2007, 10/8/2007, 10/15/2007, 10/22/2007, 10/29/2007, 11/5/2007, 11/12/2007, 11/19/2007, 11/26/2007, 12/3/2007, 12/10/2007, 12/17/2007, 12/24/2007, 12/31/2007, 1/7/2008, 1/14/2008, 1/21/2008, 1/28/2008, 2/4/2008, 2/11/2008, 2/18/2008, 2/25/2008, 3/3/2008, 3/10/2008, 3/17/2008)
According to Newsarama, Panel fave James Robinson is taking on a new Justice League spin-off. It will include Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Batwoman (or were they kidding?), Starman (Mikaal Tomas), and Congo Bill.
The idea is to do a more proactive Justice League. How is this different from Outsiders, Justice League Elite or Justice League Extreme? Presumably by the inclusion of lots of flashbacks and lots of scenes of characters drinking tea.
A more active book be a welcome change for Robinson, whose last few arcs on Starman kind of laid there. Robinson does great character work, but unless he has a good plot he tends to meander.
My 2006 takedown of the last Starman arc is here:
http://www.ferretpress.com/weblog/2006/02/www-starman-boy-i-hate-to-do-this-one.htm
And I partially blame him for LXG here:
http://www.ferretpress.com/weblog/2006/03/www-lxg-movie-ok-lot-went-wrong-with.htm
You know, I’m neither a prude nor an elitist. In fact, I follow a very live-and-let-live philosophy when it comes to life. But sometimes the anonymity of the Internet affords some social rejects a level of exposure that just grates on my nerves. Case in point, this regular Newsarama “reader” (who goes by the classy handle of SMARTASS8) commenting on a story about IDW’s new comic based on the Jennifer Love Hewitt TV show Ghost Whisperer:
I like how this guy’s user icon and signature file reaffirms every single stereotype about comic book fans being mouth-breathing pubescent boys living in their parents’ basement. But I suppose there’s a bright side to all this: Jennifer Love Hewitt can rest easy at night, knowing the aforementioned pubescent boy won’t “kick her to the curb” should she ever show up at his parents’-basement-comic-book-lair-of-love, looking for some hot comic-book-message-board-commentator action.
We’re first, so we win.
So our envelope for PANEL XI wasn’t red, but we went to press first, right? Even though our press is a copy machine, we still win, right? They have 45 mags to our 11 books…do we win? What am I ranting about?
Arkitp is putting out their 45th issue and they are releasing it in an inter-office envelope. They do some really hot stuff, so technically, they may win. Or perhaps winning is a non-consideration. I’m tempted to order a copy just to peak inside. I wonder if Panel XI has the same effect on our audience?
Here’s a look at their finished product. Go here to check it out…
I couldn’t stop looking at David’s feet.
Like I said, I saw Michelangelo’s David last week. I swear to god, it is so realistic you think it’s going to turn and speak to you.
I don’t think the sculpture is exactly photorealistic. I heard the hands and feet are slightly too large, but that was done on purpose so it looks in proportion when seen from the ground. That is craftsmanship.
I did not realize that was meant to be David, as in David and Goliath. I wonder if Michelangelo just wanted to do a massive male figure, and making it a biblical figure was the only way to get backing. I can’t hate on that. Marble don’t grow on trees.
I can’t imagine how you would work on marble, especially one that big. I assume you’d spend weeks chipping away at a tiny piece. But you’d have to keep the whole thing in your head at all times.
I couldn’t believe the details. Michelangelo got the little dents on the knees. You can see little indentations where his trapezious connects to his shoulder blade.
And then there were the feet. Each individual toe is clearly defined, and they’re flexed to grip the ground. In comic books, one of the signs of a mediocre artist is an inability to draw feet. Michelangelo did photorealistic feet — in stone.
I feel like I’m overusing the word “amazing,” but it’ll have to do until I find something better.
Ok, here’s another page that’s not quite from a “big name” artist, but it’s too damn gorgeous not to post. So have a stab at it…
(click image to UGGHisize)
(previous weeks: 9/12/2005, 9/19/2005, 9/26/2005, 10/3/2005, 10/10/2005, 10/17/2005, 10/24/2005, 10/31/2005, 11/1/2005, 11/2/2005, 11/3/2005, 11/4/2005, 11/5/2005, 11/6/2005, 11/7/2005, 11/14/2005, 11/21/2005, 11/28/2005, 12/5/2005, 12/12/2005, 12/19/2005, 12/26/2005, 1/2/2006, 1/9/2006, 1/16/2006, 1/23/2006, 1/30/2006, 2/06/2006, 2/13/2006, 2/20/2006, 2/27/2006, 3/6/2006, 3/13/2006, 3/20/2006, 3/27/2006, 4/3/2006, 4/4/2006, 4/5/2006, 4/6/2006, 4/7/2006, 4/8/2006, 4/9/2006, 4/10/2006, 4/17/2006, 4/23/2006, 5/1/2006, 5/8/2006, 5/15/2006, 5/22/2006, 5/29/2006, 6/5/2006, 6/12/2006, 6/19/2006, 6/26/2006, 7/3/2006, 7/10/2006, 7/17/2006, 7/24/2006, 7/31/2006, 8/7/2006, 8/13/2006, 8/21/2006, 8/28/2006, 9/4/2006, 9/11/2006, 9/18/2006, 9/25/2006, 10/2/2006, 10/9/2006, 10/16/2006, 10/23/2006, 10/30/2006, 11/6/2006, 11/13/2006, 11/20/2006, 11/27/2006, 12/4/2006, 12/11/2006, 12/18/2006, 12/25/2006, 1/1/2007, 1/8/2007, 1/15/2007, 1/22/2007, 1/29/2007, 2/5/2007, 2/12/2007, 2/19/2007, 2/26/2007, 3/5/2007, 3/12/2007, 3/19/2007, 3/26/2007, 4/2/2007, 4/5/2007, 4/9/2007, 4/16/2007, 4/23/2007, 4/30/2007, 5/7/2007, 5/14/2007, 5/21/2007, 5/28/2007, 6/4/2007, 6/11/2007, 6/18/2007, 6/25/2007, 7/2/2007, 7/9/2007, 7/16/2007, 7/23/2007, 7/30/2007, 8/6/2007, 8/13/2007, 8/20/2007, 8/27/2007, 9/3/2007, 9/10/2007, 9/17/2007, 9/24/2007, 10/1/2007, 10/8/2007, 10/15/2007, 10/22/2007, 10/29/2007, 11/5/2007, 11/12/2007, 11/19/2007, 11/26/2007, 12/3/2007, 12/10/2007, 12/17/2007, 12/24/2007, 12/31/2007, 1/7/2008, 1/14/2008, 1/21/2008, 1/28/2008, 2/4/2008, 2/11/2008, 2/18/2008, 2/25/2008, 3/3/2008, 3/10/2008)
I guess the competition is over for that extra slot in Beasts 2. To those that didn’t get in, well don’t feel so bad. Why? Well to some degree, I think the editing /selection process was flawed. So much so that I never bought the book. I like to call it the Sophie Crumb factor. With most of Fantagraphics new output from the past decade, you’ll have what looks to be a gem till you get to the Sophie Crumb portion. Theeeeeeen you cry. So is the case of Beasts. I checked it out from our library instead after flipping through a store copy. Don’t get me wrong, there are some wonderful pieces inside. Sam Weber, Jeff Soto, James Jean, Ronald Kurniawan, Josh Cochran stand out in my head right now. There are a few phoned in pieces and then there’s the cringe inducing badness that made me drop the book. As most of Covey’s packaging, this book is great looking package.
What stops the book from being a slam dunk is the inclusion of some work that either A) was taken from some Jr. High kid’s notebook B) was taken from an Art Therapy class of seniors or C) left to the fingerpaint/crayola stylings of a preschooler. In two pieces, there seriously was crayola marker used. I realize Picasso once said that we should all draw like children. I don’t think he meant that literally. This is why I don’t buy a lot of group show books like this.
The straight up worst piece is painted by Esther Pearl Watson. A style reminicent of Grandma Moses done by a woman who holds a BFA. I suppose one can wag the finger at the primitive scene from the nineties. Where galleries were combing the backwoods and county fairs for the untrained folk artist. A movement that apparently still holds some charm or shock value. It would be one thing if this were painted by some hilljack farmer out in Tennessee. She holds a BFA?? WTF! I should have thought of this scam years ago. Maybe I would have my college debt payed off by now. I wouldn’t be suprized if Covey pulls out a quilt piece in the next Beasts.
What would be fun is to redo a few of the duds. Here’s a list to fill your portfolio..
???
Katy Horan- Banshee
Mizna Wada- Kudan
Justin B. Williams- Mimic Dog
Foi Jimenez- Sphinx
Chris Silas Neal- Werewolf
Jason Robards- Encephalitis
Keith Andrew Shore- Centaur
Alan Mooers- Puk
Straight up bad-
Esther Pearl Watson- Aitvaras
Marvin Kirschnik- Beast of Bray Road
Friend of the Ferret, and fellow Columbusite, J. Caleb Mozzocco has a long, detailed write-up of SPACE, including a pseudo-review of PANEL: Work.
“Sean McGurr and Brent Bowman collaborate on a mini-comic called Pyramid Scheme, which is a piece of clever packaging within the clever packaging of the envelope…”
Not to mention this very accurate statement:
“Kish draws excellent dragons, skeletons, bats, and spouts of flame.”
I had heard of the remarkable Mile High collection before and seen plenty of ads for Mile High Comics in my Marvel Comics from the 70s, but didn’t know the story of how the collection was acquired until I read this article from Chuck Rozanski, the owner of Mile High Comics. (thanks BoingBoing for the link)
The circumstances leading to the find (luck, hard work, racism on the part of the heirs trying to dump the house containing the comics, indifference to the collection, lack of knowledge of the worth) combine to create a perfect storm for this Holy Grail of comic collecting. It can never happen again and is a fascinating story.
I’d love to hear how much he paid, but he keeps that under wraps. But the result of the find and how it indirectly led to a greater knowledge of the collecting culture to fans across the nation and the direct market is very interesting.