Zombies Love Comics

MIHO

2012-01-29T06:27:00.000-07:00

CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON

2012-01-20T14:25:00.001-07:00

IF SOMEONE ASKS YOU IF YOU'RE A GOD...

2012-01-14T04:53:00.000-07:00

YOU SAY YES!!!

TALISMAN

2011-12-24T07:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Holidays everyone!

THE GRINCH

2011-12-17T09:57:00.000-07:00

Well now, can't let this place sit around forgotten forever. I give you...THE GRINCH!

THE SHEENA THAT WASN'T

2011-08-25T00:23:00.004-07:00

Not much to see without my weekly themes to prod me to create but I went back to work at one of my local casinos slinging cards so the dust is still settling from that. Once I'm comfortable with my new daily structure and routine I'll start doing more personal sketching that's not gig/project related. I'm a bit behind on things so it's nothing but catch-up for this old bastard for the next few weeks.

I don't want to just post about my daily ho-hums though as I'm sure the majority of the folks that come here regularly do so (hopefully) for the art. A while back I was asked to do a cover for an upcoming Sheena book. In the end my ideas didn't seem to click with the folks calling the shots so I never moved beyond the thumbnail sketch stage with it. I really wish something in this batch had worked for them because I would've loved to have a Sheena cover under my belt but some things just aren't meant to be I guess. Just as a sidenote: This is the MOST thumbnail sketching I've ever had to do for something that didn't see completion.

A TIME OF CHANGE

2011-07-31T07:46:00.004-07:00

For the wonderful handful of folks that follow my blog and the occasional stray that happens upon it on their digital travels I have nothing but appreciation for the support and attention. You cats and dolls are all right and it's very cool of you to stick around.

I'm putting the theme days on hold for a bit. Could be a week, could be forever. Things are changing and happening. I'm turning a new page in my book of life.

Speaking of turning a page, here's a peek at what my sequential breakdowns can look like. These are for a Bloodrayne story done quite a while back on a sheet of regular copy paper with a template I printed out. Each thumbnail is about two by three inches small.

WOMEN OF WEDNESDAY: COOKIE

2011-07-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

I was waiting in line at the store and I saw this girl with nothing else but a pack (bag, container, sack?) of cookies. Since I didn't have any real solid ideas for today's post here she is.

MARVEL MONDAY: TIGRA

2011-07-18T19:59:00.003-07:00

Swamped with work and I almost forgot it was Monday so I took a few minutes to scribble something out. Tigra has always been one of the characters that doesn't get much of the spotlight but always had a spot in my heart.

Also, more jazzed than I thought I'd be when I saw that Avengers movie leaked clip online yesterday. Hope it lives up to the hype.

FANART FRIDAY: MOUSHKA

2011-07-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

An old shot of Dan Sehn's mousy character Moushka. You can learn all about her and the rest of the Argo Comics lineup here: ARGOCOMICS.COM

WOMEN OF WEDNESDAY: BLOODY VALENTINE

2011-07-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

Peek at the process of an old commission.

BLOODY VALENTINE - how to create a free slideshow

RANDOM

2011-07-12T21:48:00.002-07:00

It's late Tuesday...I know. Not one of my usual posting days but I had a few things cross my mind and computer screen that I felt I needed to share. Of course the fact I chose my sketchblog to do this rather than Facebook or DeviantART is probably telling of how important I think folks will consider all this to be.

I decided to look up the meaning behind my name. In doing some research for my own stories and characters I've renewed my interest in names and their meanings. This isn't something that factors or directly effects the story, just a little bit of extra for me. So then, the meaning of my name:

The name Daniel means worshiper of god.

Dan.-Hebrew. "judge." Also used as contraction for Daniel. Humorous, wise, conscientious. Strict in his principles. Invariably to be relied upon. Daniel.-Hebrew. "God the judge." Sentimental, affectionate, strong and keen-minded. Can display a powerful temper when roused, but quickly relents and forgives.

Traits: Daniel is pictured as a good-looking, strong, all-American Boy Scout who is athletic, brave, kind, friendly, trustworthy, well-bred, intelligent, and easygoing.

Daniel:

•Although the name Daniel creates the urge to be reliable and responsible, we emphasize that it causes an emotional intensity that is hard to control.

•This name, when combined with the last name, can frustrate happiness, contentment, and success, as well as cause health weaknesses in the nervous system, worry, and mental tension.

•Your name of Daniel has created a most expressive nature, idealistic and inspirational, driven with a strong inner urge to be of service in some way that would uplift humanity as a whole.

•However, there is a tendency to assume too heavy a burden of responsibility for others, which leads to worry and undue concern.

•People with problems are drawn to you as they recognize you as one who has understanding and gives not only sympathy and comfort but provides also some constructive advice or assistance.

•You have a generous quality to your nature, but you must guard carefully against giving more than you receive or you will find yourself doing without because you have helped someone else.

I have to admit that after I was done reading all this I had to take a moment to compose myself. This is so scary close I couldn't believe I had just read it. This explains so much, especially since for the longest time I remembered reading in a baby book of names that my name meant the Red Earth of Mars which I always figured stood for war and anger. Heh, the things you learn. Who says the internet is only good for pron.

Here's two quotes I read online that really clicked for me:

Unknown: "Good enough and ticked off is far better than perfect and never finished."

Constantin Brancusi: “To see far is one thing; going there is another.”

I took some time for myself and re-read John Shirley and William Gibson's The Belonging Kind in the Burning Chrome collection. It's a great book and read if you like sci-fi and cyberpunk or just damn good writing. I first read The Belonging Kind quite a few years ago and it really struck a chord with me. It always seemed strange that other folks were so worried about fitting in to cliques and being accepted in high school. My life was a bit....complicated during my formative years so I can't relate to wanting to make the football team and dating the head cheerleader (though I did have a crush on one, of course). When most of my fellow students were worried about the school dance or if pops would lend them the car on Friday for the big date I was sleeping in ditches and drawing comic books on a friend's kitchen table.

Now don't misunderstand, even though at that age I was a bit envious of how care-free and fun everyone else's lives were it wasn't for the standard reasons. Unlike the dejected and dark youth of my time I wasn't angry at the jocks or the cool guys, I had more important things to occupy my emotions. I didn't feel anything about them other than how much easier my life would be if I could be like them. Not because I'd be stong, handsome, popular, or great at sports. I've always been confident and even cocky, but I wanted the ease of life that seemed to come with it. That Leave It To Beaver facade that, having put years between that time and now, I know may not have been what it appeared. That however does not change the fact that The Belonging Kind hit home with me on multiple levels.

Basically the short story deals with a character that is not exactly happy with his station in life. Not in a directly fixable way like getting a better job or dating someone nice but more along the lines of not feeling like he fits in. He's a man of decent knowledge and education and feels like he can't connect with the people that surround him in his day to day activities. He spends time in bars trying to drown out the world before going home and starting it all over again the next day. Without giving away too much he makes a discovery at one of these bars that forever changes his life. The title should give a pretty good indication of what he finds.

Reading it again, my mind now tempered by another decade and change of age and experience, The Belonging Kind still resonates deeply. I can relate to the feelings the character has of being out of step with the rest of society. Not really being part of the collective. Not belonging even though he exsists right alongside everyone. It also makes me wonder at what cost would I or anyone else that feels this way would want to change in order to belong. What would be the one strain, the one motivator that would make someone want to change. To fall into another life, another world without giving everything else you leave behind a second thought.

Would I be able to? Given that chance to belong, regardless of the price to do so, would I take it? Talk is cheap and easy and why blogs like this exsist. Anyone can clack away at a keyboard and boast to no end with no ramifications except the occasional sour comment or ban from a forum, board, or chat. But is this a form of belonging? Would the new Belonging Kind be a digital variation rather than a physical one? After all, here online anyone can be anything and even though you can track IP addresses there's always someone out there that can baffle them to appear to be posting from anywhere.

It's now after midnight here and a short little post turned into this. It feels strange posting like this without one of my scribbles to accompany my silly words. That's why I try to draw for a living because as a writer I'd starve.

MARVEL MONDAY: SPIDER-MAN

2011-07-11T10:00:00.000-07:00

DOES WHATEVER A SPIDER CAN!

FANART FRIDAY: VAMPIRELLA

2011-07-08T22:46:00.003-07:00

The Warren magazine black and white stories are where I first found the lovely horror that is Vampirella. The work in those issues was as gorgeous as it's sanguine-clad star.

WOMEN OF WEDNESDAY: CYBER CHIC

2011-07-06T21:38:00.003-07:00

A look at the promo artwork I did for the upcoming PINK sketch card set.

CYBERCHIC - how to make a free slideshow

...

2011-07-05T22:00:00.003-07:00

So this is what it feels like to be irrelevant? Same old, same old.

MARVEL MONDAY: CAPTAIN AMERICA

2011-07-04T22:39:00.004-07:00

Thought this would be fitting seeing as how it's the Fourth of July and all. I hope everyone had a great Monday!

FANART FRIDAY: SNAKE EYES

2011-07-01T12:44:00.002-07:00

Bleh. Still trying to catch up on stuff so another oldie but goodie which hasn't (I think) been seen yet. Snake Eyes from GI JOE is probably a fan favorite for most. The recent GI JOE: Resolute animation really did a great job of making Snake Eyes a badass again. Just between you, me, and the monitor though I always liked the Cobra forces better. They just had the coolest uniforms.

WOMEN OF WEDNESDAY: NIRVANA

2011-06-29T10:00:00.001-07:00

A while back I drew up a basecard for the FemForce set released by SADLITTLES.COM. The character assigned to me was Nirvana and from the ref she looked like quite a bit of fun to illustrate. Played around with the dominatrix/torturer aspect of the character since I didn't really know much about her. Must've worked because I've seen her card floating around eBay and collector's sites.

FEMFORCE NIRVANA - slideshow maker with music

MARVEL MONDAY: THE WASP

2011-06-27T10:00:00.001-07:00

A while back I drew up a little gift for the ever-awesome Riki Le Cotey inspired by her amazing cosplay of one of my favorite Marvel heroines:

_{photography by Bryan Humphrey}

Riki just does some truly spectacular work when it comes to her costuming and modeling. Young lady definitely has some skills. The Wasp outfit above is just one example of the cosplay goodness you'll find in her gallery on DeviantART and her other online sites.

To check out the finished piece take a click over to it on my DeviantART page: RIDDLE IS THE WASP. Here's a special bonus pic Riki sent me of herself with my art which I thought was really cool of her to do:

FANART FRIDAY: OPTIMUS PRIME

2011-06-24T10:00:00.001-07:00

I really liked the Transformers as a child. The idea of stuff turning into robots (pronounced rowbutts) always intrigued me. Of course growing up money was tight so I never actually owned any of the rowbutts in disguise. It's okay because Cy-Kil and Leader-1 were just as groovy if not as impressive as 'ol Optimus here.

Campos fact #6249: My favorite Transformer as a child was the military Jeep Hound.

WOMEN OF WEDNESDAY: KICKBACK CATWOMAN

2011-06-22T10:00:00.001-07:00

Done for the ever-lovin' Fitzy, master of disaster and all around awesome guy. Now most times when I get asked to draw a shot of Catwoman it doesn't involve loose jeans and a flannel shirt but Fitzy is unique like that. I admire a man who knows what he likes.

MARVEL MONDAY: CLOAK AND DAGGER

2011-06-20T10:00:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite Marvel couples. I got into the series mainly due to guys like Rick Leonardi and Bret Blevins on art chores with slick inks from Terry Austin. Good stuff.

And yes, I know the pose is wonky and suggestive so get'cher minds outta the gutters! Hurr hurr.

FANART FRIDAY: TASK FORCE X COMMISSION

2011-06-17T22:00:00.004-07:00

It's not every day I get to draw Mechani-Kong or the members of the original Suicide Squad: Task Force X so you can imagine how much fun I had knocking this commission out. Thanks for the awesome request, Bill!

TASK FORCE X COMMISSION - slideshows

WOMEN OF WEDNESDAY: CASEY

2011-06-15T00:23:00.004-07:00

With all the stuff I have going on right now I'm unable to do much personal sketching but it gives me a reason to share some older pieces that I haven't posted yet.

This is Casey of Jules Rivera's comic Valkyrie Squadron. I really liked her "tough as nails, shoot first, ask questions later" character so it was a cinch to draw her up for Jules. For more info pop on over to the VALKYRIE SQUADRON site or visit Jules over on her DeviantART page.

MARVEL MONDAY: MAGNETO

2011-06-13T22:09:00.003-07:00

Not really happy with how this turned out but what can you do in a couple of minutes.

FANART FRIDAY: TERRA

2011-06-10T22:04:00.003-07:00

Pencils and inks to the finished Terra piece that you can see here:

COLOR COMMISSION: TERRA

WOMEN OF WEDNESDAY: HARLEY QUINN

2011-06-08T11:00:00.003-07:00

I love drawing Harley semi-out of costume for some reason. I guess you could say she's had a long day.

MARVEL MONDAY: M.O.D.O.K. & SUE STORM

2011-06-06T17:01:00.004-07:00

Just some old card work while I catch up on commissions and pages and other stuff I have piled up on my desk. Always good to keep busy.

Bonus pic: Iron Man doodle on some colored paper. Having fun while playing with a white paint marker and Prismacolor pencil.

FANART FRIDAY: BATMAN

2011-06-05T09:26:00.002-07:00

What do you mean it's not Friday? o_O

Okay, okay, it's not but let's just pretend it is since I've had this done since then but couldn't share due to my internet connection being a total and complete piece of shitake mushroom.

Anyway, here's Bats or my take on him as it is. I'm a fan of Kelley Jones' impossibly long-eared version but since the majority of Batfans like the stumpy non-threatening ears I tried to go for an image that vibes as the Dark Knight without showing much of him. I also experimented with a combination of watercolors, Prismacolor markers, and ink wash with some white out for kicks. Artsy Dan is...uh...artsy.

Little know Campos fact 8112: I'm one of, if not the only, person on this ball of mud and rock that did not, does not, and will never like the Nolan Batflicks. I tried watching Batman Begins twice fell asleep both times and what I did see was bleh. Only ever seen one clip from Dark Knight rises or whatever it's called and it was the scene where Joker and Bats have a confrontation then there's some really crappy fight choreography (not in how it's shot but I mean like I've seen street punks fight with more flair) then it ends with Joker tossing a female character out a window...okay yeah, that's not cliche or anything. I mean I could write a series of books on why the flicks suck but since I'm the only person who would read 'em I don't.

And just so everyone keeps their torches off and pitchforks in the haybarn where they belong I do love and I do believe that the best translation of Batman from the comic ever is Batman: The Animated Series. Now those cats knew how to craft a tale. They did more in half an hour of tv than all the other Batmedia put together. I ask why someone didn't get them to make the live action movies? One can only imagine how awesome they could've been.

WOMEN OF WEDNESDAY: LADIES OF SCI-FI

2011-06-01T19:26:00.004-07:00

Had a really rough afternoon so I'm just going to share an old piece for this entry. Here is a shot from a long overdue commission dealing with three lovely ladies of sci-fi: Wilma Deering from Buck Rogers. Princess Leia from Star Wars. Elle Bishop from Heroes.

SKETCHBOOK HEADSHOTS

2011-05-31T02:30:00.003-07:00

Just a sampling of the headshot work I do in the back of my sketchbooks for folks.

MARVEL MONDAY: COLOSSUS

2011-05-30T01:36:00.003-07:00

And we're back! The Blogger site has been having a few glitches and that coupled with my workload has kept me from my regular updates. Things appear to be getting back to normal though so I'm kicking it off with a shot of the X-Man Colossus.

There's something to be said about being able to shift into a form with organic steel for skin especially if you need to stop a train or trade punches with the Juggernaut.

Happy Monday folks!

WOMEN OF WEDNESDAY: LEIA IN BESPIN GOWN

2011-05-04T22:33:00.003-07:00

Empire Strikes Back is one of my top five favorite movies of all time. Just a whole lot of goodness packed into one film. Princess Leia rocks the Hoth Gear but one of the outfits she wore that doesn't get a lot of mention is her Bespin Gown.

I know it can't compare to a half-naked woman in a metal bikini but really, what can?

MARVEL MONDAY: NIGHTCRAWLER

2011-05-02T22:53:00.003-07:00

Last minute quick sketch. I've always dug Nightcrawler especially in Claremont and Davis' run of Excalibur.

SHERMAN, SET THE WAYBACK MACHINE TO...

2011-05-01T04:06:00.012-07:00

Just some old pages for poops and grins.

FANART FRIDAY: MONKEYMAN & O'BRIEN

2011-04-29T08:41:00.003-07:00

Out of all the Dark Horse Comics/Legend books my fave was always Art Adams' Monkeyman & O'Brien. I really wish there was more material out there involving these two characters and their adventures.

WOMEN OF WEDNESDAY: GUESS WHO?

2011-04-27T01:33:00.003-07:00

This is an easy one.

SUNDAY DOUBLE FEATURE

2011-04-24T17:32:00.004-07:00

Okay so I'm a bad monkey and the real world has kept me from the Wired for a couple of days now. I'm not going to bore anyone with details but to make up for my tardiness I'm going to post up not just my missed FANART FRIDAY post but an early MARVEL MONDAY post as well.

We begin with FANART FRIDAY: MATHILDA. Léon: The Professional is one of my favorite movies and I originally envisioned moody shots of Léon creeping in and out of shadows or firing guns blazing. Having only a few minutes to scribble this post out I went with the final scene where Natalie Portman's character Mathilda plants Léon's aglaonema.

I think we'll be okay here.

I played around with the imagery a bit opting to put Mathilda in her "cleaner" outfit to make up for the fact I didn't draw Jean Reno.

MARVEL MONDAY: HULK is my Monday entry for this week. I have a love/hate relationship with the Hulk. He's one of those characters that I think only a select few folks actually draw right and I'm not one of them. I'm a fan of the more beastial, force of nature, massive Hulk as opposed to the cut, exaggerated fitness model type Hulk who looks like he weight trains and pops in P90X every day. Cool Hulk images:

Hulk
The Incredible Hulk issue #1
The Hulk vs The Thing

One of these days I'll get him right though, he's too groovy of a character not to.

MONKEY HULK SMASH!!!

WOMEN OF WEDNESDAY: ASUKA

2011-04-20T04:57:00.003-07:00

For all the Evangelion fans out there. I know Rei is practically everyone's fave but I was always more partial to Asuka. Maybe it was all the red and shouting and anger. You can see Asuka in action here: Asuka's Last Fight

Before anyone starts to grumble, I know the suit and look isn't 100% faithful but the reason for that is two-fold. One: I don't really draw in a manga/anime style and Two: I "drew" inspiration from this awesome Asuka cosplay: Xbenihimex as Asuka

MARVEL MONDAY: DAREDEVIL

2011-04-18T21:49:00.004-07:00

Who is that? That is what Daredevil looked like before going all red. I was tempted to do the Iron Daredevil from his armored 90's day but opted for old school instead.

My favorite Daredevil artist is John Romita Jr. Slightly because he was on the book when I first started picking up issues here and there at the local 7-11 but mainly because he made DD look cool and his art felt real.

It didn't matter if DD was trashing street punks harrassing an old lady or standing toe to toe with Mephisto's son, Blackheart, Romita Jr. made it all look awesome.

FANART FRIDAY: G'MORK

2011-04-15T20:23:00.003-07:00

So who remembers the Neverending Story? I'm sure somewhere in some office in Hollywood sits a pitch for a remake of this great flick as well.

Little Known Campos Fact #232: I had the BIGGEST crush on the Empress.

"COME FOR ME, G'MORK! I AM ATREYU!!!"

WOMEN OF WEDNESDAY: CHRISTINE SPAR GRENDEL

2011-04-12T23:43:00.003-07:00

Another oldie from the archives. I was always a fan of Matt Wagner's GRENDEL series. I'd love to see more books with the Grendel character especially if it's drawn by someone like Travis Charest.

MARVEL MONDAY: NICK FURY

2011-04-11T18:43:00.002-07:00

I must apologize to all the folks out there that clicked the link here and thought they were gonna catch a glimpse of Samuel L. Jackson. He was busy fighting muther-F'n snakes on a muther-F'n plane. Instead you get the original muther-F'n Nick Fury.

FANART FRIDAY: LEONARDO

2011-04-08T06:44:00.002-07:00

Days are kinda running into each other and I'm not feeling all that well so you guys get an old sketch today.

Done sometime during last winter, I wanted to try and do a few Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle roughs for more finished pieces later on down the road since TMNT is one of those childhood things that I love. Of course the paying work gets the priority because as of this writing we don't live in a perfect world and these ideas just sit in a drawer or on a disc somewhere.

Here is Leonardo, my favorite of the turtles, stalking through some sort of brush.

WOMEN OF WEDNESDAY: SHEILA THE THIEF

2011-04-06T22:47:00.002-07:00

The 80's had some of the best cartoons and the animated ladies were very, VERY well drawn. :)

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS

MARVEL MONDAY: IRON MAN 2020

2011-04-04T07:09:00.002-07:00

Took an old digital sketch and slapped some color on it.

FANART FRIDAY: ALIEN

2011-04-01T20:58:00.002-07:00

Well I missed my WOMEN OF WEDNESDAY entry so here you get a two-fer: Ripley in her skimpy spacepanties trying to squirm into a spacesuit while the coolest creature design ever, the xenomorph from Alien, lurks outside of the storage locker.

In space no one can hear you scream.

MARVEL MONDAY: VENOM

2011-03-28T19:09:00.002-07:00

The true tragedy of Venom is that he is his own best friend yet he's all alone.

"We are Venom...and we are sad."

FANART FRIDAY: ROWLF

2011-03-25T04:28:00.004-07:00

My wife and I were cuddled up on the couch yesterday morning watching The Muppets Take Manhatten on cable and it hit us just how sad it is that Jim Henson is gone.

This one is for Henson and all the amazing and talented folks who we've lost over the years.

Saying goodbye, going away
Seems like goodbye's such a hard thing to say
Touching a hand, wondering why
It's time for saying goodbye

Saying goodbye, why is it sad?
Makes us remember the good times we've had
Much more to say, foolish to try
It's time for saying goodbye
Dont want to leave, but we both know
Sometimes it's better to go

Somehow I know we'll meet again
Not sure quite where, and I dont know just when
You're in my heart, so until then
Wanna smile, wanna cry
Saying goodbye
La la la la la la la la
It's time for saying goodbye

WOMEN OF WEDNESDAY: ZEALOT

2011-03-23T21:17:00.004-07:00

I really liked Jim Lee's WildC.A.T.s. Between them and Marc Silvestri's CyberFORCE I was in geek heaven when the books came out. I used to sit in my Geometry class and slide them out of my backpack and just stare at panel after panel, splash page after splash page.

Say what you will about the 90's comic book industry but this guy was having a blast being a fanboy back then.

MARVEL MONDAY: BOOM-BOOM

2011-03-21T13:45:00.003-07:00

Anybody remember the New Mutants? You know that book that came before X-Force and Deadpool and Cable? No?

That's okay, I do.

My favorite issues were all drawn by Bret Blevins. Anywho, here's my take on Boom-Boom who was really cool in Nextwave and all but I missed that groovy 80's look she was rockin' way back when.

TWO FER: WOMEN OF WEDNESDAY: HOLLI HOXXX AND FANART FRIDAY: ROCKETEER

2011-03-18T01:47:00.003-07:00

Sorry folks, internet has been out here at the homestead so you get two entries for the click of one today!

First we have my Women of Wednesday entry featuring Holli HoXXX from the great book of the same name. My thanks go to Austin and Adam Tinius, and Stefano Cardoselli for crafting such a rich world with only the first issue that takes me back to a time when Heavy Metal was at it's best.

For more info on this title pop on over to Holli HoXXX on Facebook and make sure you've got your boots charged up!

Today's Fanart Friday entry goes to the ever-cool Rocketeer. This is actually the inks over loose pencils of a sketch card commission I did for a pick-up back at the Wizard World Austin show.

I know, I know-not really a "new" entry but if it's new to the web it's new to you! :)

MARVEL MONDAY: CAPTAIN AMERICA VS THE RED SKULL

2011-03-13T23:33:00.004-07:00

Anyone looking forward to the new flick? I'm just hoping for one scene where Cap gets off of a car, walks a few steps away luring the driver from the vehicle, then bolts back and drives off leaving the driver behind.

Don't worry if you have no clue what I'm talking about. If you do, you are a TRUE Cap fan!

FANART FRIDAY: THE DARK CRYSTAL

2011-03-11T01:36:00.003-07:00

When single shines the triple sun,
What was sundered and undone
Shall be whole, the two made one,
By Gelfling hand, or else by none.

WOMEN OF WEDNESDAY: PHANTOM LADY

2011-03-09T00:00:00.005-07:00

There have been a few versions of the Phantom Lady character. My favorite is the DC design and it was tough to choose between this one and the updated newer outfit. I really didn't know where I was going to go with it until I started laying down the lines with a black colorpencil.

Just because I've been asked a few times, these pieces don't take very long at all. The longest I've spent on one of these types of blog entries is maybe thirty minutes. I usually scribble them out while listening to a tv show and I'm always done before the end credits roll. The part that actually takes up the most time is scanning the sketch in and doing some simple color adjustments to make them pop a bit more.

I do have a list of ideas for future entries but I jump around it so from idea to quick rough to rough finishes is the process I go through to get these done. I don't really worry about getting stuff spot on or get too hung up on trying to make them look perfect. These are just for fun, a self-indulgent little excercise to either help loosen me up before attacking the more involved work or help me wind down after a long day at the table.

MARVEL MONDAY: OMEGA RED

2011-03-07T19:55:00.003-07:00

Taking it back to the 90's with Omega Red. Here's a snippet of info about this wacky russian from the Wiki:

Little is known about the past of Arkady Rossovich except that he was a serial killer born in Russia. He was captured by the Interpol agent Sean Cassidy and turned over to the KGB, which wanted to experiment and attempt to create a super soldier similar to Captain America. Omega Red is the end result.

FANART FRIDAY: METALUNA MUTANT

2011-03-04T23:56:00.004-07:00

For all my old school sci-fi peeps, the Metaluna Mutant from This Island Earth.

WOMEN OF WEDNESDAY: SLAVE JESSICA RABBIT

2011-03-02T02:28:00.003-07:00

I've been in a weird headspace these last few days and this is the result of my mind wandering and mashing things up. I'm sure if you Google it this has been done before but I thought it would be a wacky idea to see Jessica Rabbit all dolled up as one of Jabba's dancing slavegirls.

If it helps just imagine Roger is holding the other end of the chain. PATTYCAKE! PATTYCAKE!

MARVEL MONDAY: DEATHLOK

2011-02-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

The original Marvel cyber-zombie sadly inspired by the passing of Dwayne McDuffie.

FANART FRIDAY: THE CROW

2011-02-25T08:33:00.003-07:00

"Don't look don't look" the shadows breathe.

James O' Barr's The Crow...

WOMEN OF WEDNESDAY: TAARNA

2011-02-23T00:02:00.003-07:00

Taarna is most well known from the animated Heavy Metal film. I liked all the segments but her's and the B-17 short are my personal favorites. Good stuff from a time when Heavy Metal had a bit more edge to it.

MARVEL MONDAY: DOMINO

2011-02-21T15:00:00.001-07:00

Today's Marvel Monday suggestion comes from Garry "I love bacon!" Henderson who is one heck of a color artist and a groovy cat.

Garry expressed that he wanted me to draw up a Domino and I hope this is what he meant. If not...fark it, I tried. JOOSE! :D

FANART FRIDAY: PRISS

2011-02-18T02:46:00.003-07:00

Not the Priss from Blade Runner (though that's a great idea for a future fanart) but from the old 1987 OVA Bubblegum Crisis. BGC borrowed heavily from Blade Runner but still managed to make itself an original and very fun concept. I still treasure this animated series not just for the great memories but because it's a very well done story that is short and sweet and doesn't drag on and on.

Not to mention it has some of my favorite things like gorgeous women fighting monstor robots in cybernetic exosuits set against a dystopian future backdrop. Yup, I'm a simple man.

WOMEN OF...THURSDAY?

2011-02-17T10:45:00.004-07:00

No excuses folks, I done lost track of time and the date and so you get WOMEN OF WEDNESDAY a day late. On the bright side it's a shot of Aeon Flux from the old MTV Liquid Television shorts and her own series.

Just between you, me, and the monitor I liked the Liquid TV shorts a lot more and my perspective here while jacked up was done totally without planning.

MARVEL MONDAY: SPAT AND GROVEL

2011-02-14T23:44:00.002-07:00

So this happened last minute! I was planning to do something else today but I have the toys of these two perched up on a shelf in my studio and I just had to draw 'em up. Are Spat and Grovel still lurking about in the X-books? If not, they should be!

FANART FRIDAY: VOLTRON

2011-02-11T05:44:00.004-07:00

Gonna set the Wayback Machine to a few months ago, Sherman. Here is a peek at the pencils behind my finished Voltron piece that can be found in the book VOLTRON: UNITED AND DRAWN. The book can be ordered directly from the Official Voltron Website or on Amazon. If you want to see the finished piece just click this link: INFRACELLS UP and enjoy!

My first actual love of giant combining robots was the Mighty Orbots cartoon that was on so early on Saturday morning it was still dark out as I sat munching on cereal watching it. Voltron however was the show that motivated my chubby little ass to run home from school every day just to make sure I caught the opening credits. So let's see, I've drawn Voltron, GI Joe, and KISS...so far the "drawing cool stuff from my childhood" bucket list is going okay just gotta land a gig drawing Sectaurs, Silverhawks, Starblazers, or Tigersharks next.

WOMEN OF WEDNESDAY: NOODLE

2011-02-09T11:54:00.002-07:00

IT'S DARE! Noodle from da Gorillaz! So sleepy....

MARVEL MONDAY: SURGE

2011-02-07T10:45:00.003-07:00

Surge from the X-books is another suggestion by Richard "Crausse" Still who has thrown some great requests in the ring so far.

These are not your daddy's X-Men as I had no clue who Surge is or was. Turns out there's like all new X-kiddos running around aside from Wolvie's cloned spawn X-23. Huh, I guess I missed some stuff these last couple of years.

ZAP!

FANART FRIDAY: MICHONNE

2011-02-04T23:38:00.004-07:00

Another suggestion from Richard "Crausse" Still this time of the Walking Dead's own Michonne. I'm curious to see how they're going to introduce her (if at all) on the show come October.

WOMEN OF WEDNESDAY: THE MAGDALENA

2011-02-02T21:38:00.004-07:00

Here we've got a groovy suggestion by Richard "Crausse" Still of Top Cow's fighting nun, the Magdalena. I'll admit that she's a bit more involved than just a quick sketch but I was cold and needed to focus on something to keep from shivering too much. Also, her outfit is waaaaaay detailed so it's no wonder most of the reference images I found of her have the cloak billowing across her body most of the time.

MARVEL MONDAY: GUESS WHO?

2011-01-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd mix things up a bit and draw a Marvel character that not too many folks may remember. Don't ask me if he's still around, that's why Google was invented and that's only if you can guess who this is. I'll even give ya a hint, it ain't Random from the old X-Factor books.

FANART FRIDAY: LADY JAYE

2011-01-28T23:35:00.004-07:00

My good buddy and long time partner-in-crime Ian Ascher got it into his head that he would like to see me take on some of the characters making up the GI Joe universe. Always looking to challenge me in some way he made it a point that while Scarlett, Snake Eyes, and the Baroness are always cool characters to draw he wanted to see what I would do with someone like Lady Jaye.

So...there ya go.

WOMEN OF WEDNESDAY: DANGER GIRL ABBEY CHASE

2011-01-26T03:53:00.003-07:00

Today's WOMEN OF WEDNESDAY comes to you via special request from Jessica Steele Allen. Give her a visit, she's a talented artisan, model, and cosplayer. A fan of J Scott Campbell's Danger Girl she suggested I try my hand at drawing up lead Danger Girl herself, Abbey Chase.

Now I know that this piece might be a little disappointing to most DG fans. I know you guys are used to seeing her jumping around or running or swinging on a vine, rope, etc. You're used to seeing her firing her gun and posing seductively showing whoever her would-be attackers are that she is more than just a pretty face with a killer bod and definitely someone with whom you don't want to be messing.

So here's my take: Abbey waking after a nap. She's had a long night of doing all of the mentioned above and was in for some much needed snooze time. Yeah, yeah, I know....booOOOring. :)

Thanks for the suggestion, Jess. I'm always open to hear if you guys reading here have something in mind for future entries of either WOMEN OF WEDNESDAYS, MARVEL MONDAYS, or FANART FRIDAYS. Just comment and we'll see for I make no promises but most of this stuff I just do on the fly in a couple of minutes so...

MARVEL MONDAY: X-23

2011-01-24T03:39:00.003-07:00

Really quick six minute sketch sloshed out with brush of Marvel's X-23. I was definitely trying to channel some of Yildiray Cinar's mojo and failing miserably by then adding some splashes of Prismacolor and correction pen. His sketches make my take look like the mad scribblings of a pre-schooler (and an untalented one at that).

Don't believe me?

Check out this cat's Green Lantern and be astounded. His gallery is chock full of awesome examples of what a great sketch should look like.

FANART FRIDAY: HALO

2011-01-21T00:22:00.003-07:00

Halo commission work in progress.

WOMEN OF WEDNESDAY: PRINCESS DAPHNE

2011-01-19T00:42:00.002-07:00

MARVEL MONDAY: PSYLOCKE

2011-01-17T15:00:00.001-07:00

FANART FRIDAY: THESE AREN'T THE DROIDS WE'RE LOOKING FOR

2011-01-14T15:00:00.004-07:00

WOMEN OF WEDNESDAY: THE BRIDE

2011-01-12T21:14:00.001-07:00

I've had a craving for Count Chocula cereal for the last couple of weeks and can't find a box of it anywhere. What does this have to do with today's WOMEN OF WEDNESDAY?

Well, nothing I guess.

The Bride (no, not the blonde, sword swinging, Bill killing kind) is a really underused "monster". I imagine her as now being a jet-setting, fashion model/secret spy working for the government and defending us against the dark terrors of the night.

That or adorning rockabilly jackets in the form of patches or iron-ons.

MARVEL MONDAY: CHAMBER

2011-01-10T03:49:00.003-07:00

Jonothon Evan Starsmore aka Chamber. I have an old GENERATION X ashcan with Bachalo preview art and I remember this character's design really struck me as unique in the world of tights and capes. He's a tricky one to draw and I don't think I did the groovy design justice but for a quick sketch, it'll do.

FANART FRIDAY: IN SPACE NO ONE CAN SEE YOUR LAZER BLINK

2011-01-07T00:42:00.003-07:00

"I've set my lazer from stun to kill."

Disney's Buzz Lightyear versus the Alien xenomorphs, who do you think will win?

WOMEN OF WEDNESDAY: LEELA

2011-01-05T00:07:00.002-07:00

Turanga Leela! Tried to see what a cyclopian female would look like if I drew one up and here is the result. How did I come about this choice for Women of Wednesday? A ToyFare send away ad I found while looking for Halo reference. Just as a side note one of my favorite Futurama episodes is the one where Fry finds his fossilized dog Seymour. The ending gets me every time.

MARVEL MONDAY: WEAPON X

2011-01-03T20:29:00.006-07:00

Happy New Year everyone!

For my first Marvel Monday I scribbled up good 'ol Weapon X himself, Wolverine. Yup, that's Weapon X not ten or whatever goofy ideas are floating around out there.

From the first time I picked up Barry Windsor-Smith's neat little serial running in Marvel Comics Presents I knew that this was something more than another simple origin tale. No silly Howlett bone claws stuff, no Roman numerals Weapon Plus jive, just a simple straight-forward and sad story of a man stripped of all that makes him human. A story of rage and manipulation and a cold look at how science can be perverted in the quest to create the perfect killing machine.

Wolverine has always been my favorite Marvel character. His ambiguous nature, not quite a good guy, willing to make the tough choices other Marvel heroes can't and having to live with those choices make him appealing beyond just the cool mask, healing factor, and adamantium claws.

Yes he's overused but that's because he's just that damn cool everyone and their mother wants him in their books, their stories. If you look past all the silly history they've bogged him down with lately he's a perfect character for readers to identify with. No past, no memory, just the here and now of what is in front of him and how best to deal with it be it with skill or the slashing of claws. You can be ten or seventy and you can still get into his head and be the little runt bezerker ready to die for his friends and win at all costs.

*SNIKT*

I still get chills whenever I see that sound effect, bub.

"GREETINGS PROGRAMS!!!"

2010-12-18T22:52:00.005-07:00

Well after all the build-up and an-tici............pation, the day of Tron: Legacy has come and gone. I went into it not expecting much beyond the cool visuals but I found myself really enjoying this flick just not for the reasons I thought I would.

This isn't really a review per se and if you want something well written and concise I suggest you search elsewhere. Dammit Jim, I'm an artist not a writer! What this rambling missive will be is just a stream of thought, just shooting out my views on the flick. Fans of tangents rejoice, I will probably often veer off topic because that's how I roll. Also, if you haven't seen it yet don't cry to me about spoilers because now is the time to click BACK and get your ass to the theatre.

Let's start with why this flick clicked for me. The story. *pause for effect* I know, I know-everyone out there is gasping because from the sound of it everyone is down on Tron: Legacy for a lack of a story or something along those lines. I'll admit that the writers did dumb down a lot of stuff but with modern audiences I can't really blame them. Yeah, I'm talking about anyone that thought Inception was "deep" live with it. The thing that stuck with me the most wasn't the whole "trapped in a computer world" storyline which is really the whole point of the Tron universe, but the story of Sam and his loss. As you read on you might think that I hated the story or lack thereof but the truth is I liked Sam's part in this which was the welcome surprise for me.

I can hear some nervous shuffling out there, I know it wasn't used as a shovel and you didn't get hit over the head with it but you can't tell me that the scene where Quorra takes Sam to his father and they see each other for the first time in twenty years didn't jerk a few heart strings. It was a bit short-handed with Sam just being the rebellious youth striking out over being abandoned by his father but the way it was his only driving force during the course of the flick was well handled. I don't know why this resonated so with me. Being a bastard myself and never having known my father I usually don't empathize with this sort of storyline but for some reason this clicked. We'll just chalk it up to some decent acting and straight-forward writing.

Overall the rest of the story was your basic action driven plot but there were some things that I wished the writers had either put in or even thought of. I loved all the little nods to the original Tron and was surprised at how many there were. Dillinger's hipster douchebag son, the "now that's a big door" quote, Bit in it's YES and NO postitions as decoration in the Flynn hideout, all these were cool and nice to see. For me though I wanted to see where Yori was. Now I'm talking as if you've seen the first Tron, but if you haven't and are lost-go check it out and all this will make sense. Based on the previews I wanted Yori to turn out to be Rinzler. When I finally came upon the notion that Rinzler was Tron (the "T" pattern on his chest gave it away) it killed me. That was so cliche and then I saw it in the flick and it was even more cliche.

For me it just would have worked more if Yori had been repurposed and killed Tron while he was protecting Flynn from Clu. Since Tron was such a badass that's the only way Clu could've beat him from my point of view. Rinzler seemed small, compact, lithe, and fast in the trailers I just figured it was Yori and she had derezzed Tron and taken his Identity Disc which would have been even more tragic in the end. Since we're on the subject of Rinzler, his "death" was just sad. He went out like a chump, but based on his circuit pattern reverting from the orange of evil to the white of good in the Sea of Simulations he may just be back if there is a threequel.

The things that did bug me a bit were surprisingly enough, the special effects. I know everyone and their mother is raving about how "nice Tron looks" or how "awesome the digital world looks" and it is visually pleasing overall. For me though, while a cool idea, the CGI Flynn failed. I could accept a plastic looking Clu as he was supposed to be a non-living program (I thought it was neat that Clu didn't blink a lot onscreen whether on purpose or by accident) but they could've pushed it a bit more for the real world young Flynn. This is one of the reasons I think Avatar fails in the CGI dept, there are some scenes where the CGI just works and looks impressive. Others not so much. It all comes down to the teams doing the animation for certain scenes and it's too apparent to ignore but like Cameron, they get points for trying something new.

Didn't it also seem like the action in this was a bit...well, slow? The Lightcycle sequence in the original Tron was just fast and furious. Breakneck angled turns and quick cuts made those scenes feel dangerous even though the bikes looked cartoony and fakey. Even the SDCC promo footage from '08 or '09 seemed faster, flashier, deadlier. The actual footage from the flick was just too slow. Same thing with the Discwar game since the Jai Alai sequence in the first Tron was more interesting than what was filmed for Tron: Legacy. The fight with Rinzler was decent with Clu using the chinese relaxation balls to rotate the game floor and alter gravity. My only caveat was that it was too short and again, too slow. I never really felt Sam was in any danger of getting derezzed even by Rinzler. Then there was the blood but I'll let other more intelligent folks ponder on whether or not the Flynns are really flesh and blood humans in the digital world or if the digitization process is so good their simulacrums are recreated that precisely. Or maybe that's the only way the writers could think of to show that Sam wasn't a program but a user instead.

As for the characters themselves I loved the fallen son Clu. He is one-dimensional but let's not forget that he is a program and in the end regardless of the means his one task was to make a perfect system. Bad thing about that is that perfection is not so easily defined especially from differing perspectives. Quorra was another welcome surprise since based on the trailers and net-chat I figured she was just going to be the token eyecandy for the flick. Granted she could have had a meatier role as Sam's guardian/host to the world of Tron but her innocence and synergy with Sam really endeared her to me. When she asks Sam if he knows Jules Verne, that's a laugh out loud moment that had a bittersweet effect when I realized that only my wife and I did in a theatre full of people. I think one kid even pulled out his phone to Google who Jules Verne was.

There was some doubt there for me with her, especially when she's listening to the Flynns talking outside and she's crouching by the pool. I figured at that point that Quorra was going to end up as some sort of betrayer/double-agent but gladly I was proven wrong. The scene where she asks Sam to describe the sun, that was really touching and heartwarming and acted perfectly by Miss Wilde.

Touching on betrayal, Castor/Zuse and Gem's time on screen was fun and enjoyable. His Bowie-esque antics and her striking looks and beauty really made the scenes in the End of Line bar unique. For those folks who are losing sleep as to why programs hang out in bars here's the answer you seek: BECAUSE FREAKIN' DAFT PUNK IS SPINNING THERE, THAT'S WHY!

The soundtrack to this flick was A-mazing! Very well done and executed and really the key element to this movie. I found myself tapping my foot along with each song regardless if it was on the official soundtrack or not. My only gripe with the sound of the flick was the sfx itself. Everything from the signature rumble of the Recognizers to the reen of the Lightcycles just wasn't there. The vocoder effects on some of the characters was a nice touch but the fact that not everyone sounded like that or that some really had alot of distortion took me out of the experience on quite a few occasions during the flick. So soundtrack great, sound design...not so great.

These things for me are more from a technical aspect so some of you out there may be rolling your eyes. I can't blame you, I'd probably do the same if I didn't pay so much attention to stupid details in movies like this.

Jeff Bridges. What can I say, he was perfect in this. I loved his take on the older Flynn, his sense of Dudeness that he brought to the role. Very well done. Again my gripe is with the writers and their choice to Stephen King it and wrap up the ending quick by just having him re-integrate with Clu and seemingly blow up. Of course we all know the old adage of any entertainment media of this nature: no body, no death. As long as they don't bring him back as a new MCP in the threequel I think we'll be okay. That and WTF is up with his kickass old school Lightcycle just being onscreen for like five seconds and then Sam giving it away as a diversion AFTER he drives right into the city? Damn writers, you're killing me here!

As for the ISOs, I thought they were a neat touch and yet another fail on the part of the writers to do something really cool with them. Let's face facts, the human DNA code is just like a computer program. Information in sequences that define a person in the physical sense. A program in the Tron world is no different aside from the materials that make it up. The blood of Sam shows that even that line is blurred so then come in the ISOs. It's a bit sad that the writers chose to just touch on them and maybe they're saving something for the next installment concerning them but seeing as how they were purged and the only surviving ISO is now in the human world well I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

For me it was a neat comment on the way the digital world is now. It is assumed that the Tron world is exsisting in it's own space in the ether. Growing and changing unaffected by the outside worlds of man. However I propose this: What if the ISOs are the outside world of the internet bleeding into Flynn's little creation. What if ISOs are the next evolution not directly influenced by Flynn or the happenings of the Tron world? Confused? Okay, most people that are online for more than 80% of the day and aren't working are doing what? Playing games like World of Warcraft, hanging around Second Life, checking and updating their Facebooks and Myspaces and even blogs such as this one.

My wife and I came to the conclusion that ISOs are the digital echos of these people. You take a person who almost literally lives on the computer, in digital worlds, and you have ISOs. Also for beings of infinite wisdom they sure got punked by Clu and a few well placed laser blasts? Yeah, I guess they were lasers given the advent of the Lightgliders. The Lightglider sequence was too slow as well. By that point I got the feeling that the CGI guys were just trying to show off their work by slowing the action down so much. I would've liked to see that flying chase replayed at a faster pace and maybe more usage of the lightwalls in relation to an aerial dogfight.

Where is Alan in all this? Did he lose interest after Tron got repurposed? I guess Flynn never told him or Lora of his adventures in Tronworld. Did he just figure that with the MCP out of the way he would just let Tron wander around without purpose since his main goal was to bring down the MCP in the first Tron? His lack of interest in all this aside from Sam's well being made me question why he was even in this flick. Writers, writers, writers...help me out here. I kept hoping Tron would pop back up even if it was as a Deus ex Machina to save everyone and then the shot would cut to Alan sitting at his desk looking at code for a new Tron and pleased that he had helped his old friends. That kind of cliche I could've lived with.

My final gripe: WHERE WERE THE GRIDBUGS!?! If you don't know what I'm talking about and claim to be a Tronfan then you fail so miserably I'm sorry you even read this far.

So I guess it's down to this: I liked this flick because it's Tron for one and no matter what my complaints it did more for me than I'm stating here. It also made me think about the world of Tron and the hows and whys of it beyond just the story I was shown up on the big screen. If a movie doesn't get me thinking even if it's just to inspire me in my own crazy ideas then it just doesn't work for me. The beauty of all this is if you've read this far I love you and you must love Tron more than I to sit through all my babbling. Unless you don't know what a gridbug is, then disregard the above. :)

End of line.

WOOOSH!!!

2010-12-06T03:48:00.003-07:00

Been busy as heck since coming back from WWAustin and just now did I notice this headshot of a vampire...thing sitting on my computer. I did this for my wife's office decorations back during Halloween and I was kinda happy with the old school Creepshow colors I slapped on it.

Ah, vampires that don't sparkle...damn I'm old.

The year will probably end and I won't update this thing as usual before then. Before this year punks out on us I'd like to mention that while the beginning of 2010 had it's hardships it's shaping up to end on a really great note. I'm happy to say that the freelance artist gig is working out better than I expected and while it was scary at first I'm feeling more at ease and in my element now. Hopefully the end of the year finds all of you reading in good spirits as well.

I'm bouncing between sequential pages, sketchcards (more Marvel stuff), and commissions so I can't complain. Picked up the Jim Lee ICONS book and it's a great book but bittersweet for me. Bitter because I realized just how much of a fan of his I am especially since about 90% of the stuff in this book I've seen to some extent already in other places and even some stuff the book claims has never been seen before.

Hehe.

It's also bitter because I wish it could've included his Marvel work especially since that was when he was at his peak and doing some really nice stuff. His X-Men will always kick the crap out of his JLA visually.

It is a sweet book though and for the casual fan there is a ton of behind-the-scenes stuff you'll love. Even though the new stuff for me was small in amount it made up for in sheer coolness. If you collect art and sketchbooks run out and get this baby, you won't be sorry.

I also picked up Mad's DARKSIDERS book and was shocked at how little actual Mad artwork is in it. Still what is in there (while having been seen online in some form or another already) is still cool and the other concept guys working on the game have some sharp stuff. In some cases better than what Mad did so that's something to look out for.

I found Hughes' book, COVER RUN left me wanting but Riki LeCotey is in it so I have to love it. Don't know why I threw that in there...just felt right seeing as how I'm rambling on about artbooks in the middle of a sketchblog...bleh.

Speaking of the sketchblog, next year I'm going to try some new stuff here. Maybe even as early as the first Monday in January. I want to do theme days such as Marvel Mondays (anyone that has spoken two words with me about my fave comics knows I'm a Marvel Zombie from before Kirkman made it trendy) where I doodle up a character (maybe suggested?) from the Marvel Universe. Then I want to start doing a Women of Wednesday theme where I randomly doodle up one of my favorite subjects to draw ever: women. Finally I'd like to close the week out with Fanart Fridays where I slap down a sketchy piece of fanart from anything ranging from shows to music to cartoons to comics to movies and books.

Well those are my intentions anyway but we all know what road good intentions paves so for now I'll just keep my lead to paper and let's see what happens.

If you don't hear from me again until the first monday in January, have a safe bunch of holidays, Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year to one and all.

Much love and peace
-Dan

WIZARD WORLD AUSTIN

2010-11-06T13:49:00.004-07:00

WIZARD WORLD AUSTIN is happening in a few days (Nov 12-14 to be exact) and I'll be hanging out in the Artist Alley somewhere. I don't have the exact table number yet but you will all know as soon as I do. If you find yourself there and you stumble across me stop on by and say hi.

I will be doing commissions at the show including sketch cards (got my stock from Versicolor and it is awesome!). I'll also have some affordable prints, comic books, and my 2010 sketchbook D'COMPOSE which is filled with 100 pages of art both old and new, seen and unseen.

I'm only lugging a few down to Austin with me so get 'em while ya can! Bring your themed sketchbooks so I can scribble in 'em and any of those Marvel blank cover things too. Whether you're a local or attending from out of town I hope everyone has a great time at the show and I can't wait to see you all there!

After the show on Friday from 8:00-10:00 p.m. is the Drink & Draw w/Uncle Staple.

Join Uncle Staple of STAPLE! Independent Media Expo, and some of comics’ top artists and newcomers, as they join forces to raise cash and art for the HERO Initiative to benefit comic creators in need of financial assistance. (Club Deville - 900 Red River St.) Come drink some brews, experience some art, and help out a worthy cause!

HAD BETTER DAYS

2010-10-11T22:24:00.002-07:00

Had better days, Lois. Had better days.

SO WHO RUNS THIS MONKEY SHOW AGAIN?

2010-09-18T16:26:00.003-07:00

Work, work, work...that and an old busted up computer = not much in the way of updates around this joint.

Speaking of work, got a few free moments coming up so here's a quick run down of my commissions prices:

8 1/2 x 11
Pencil: $20.00
Ink: $30.00
Grey: $40.00
Color: $50.00

9 x 12
Pencil: $30.00
Ink: $40.00
Grey: $50.00
Color: $60.00

11 x 14
Pencil: $40.00
Ink: $50.00
Grey: $60.00
Color: $70.00

11x 17
Pencil: $50.00
Ink: $60.00
Grey: $70.00
Color: $80.00

If you're interested you can drop me an email at stalk_dcampos@yahoo.com and for more info concerning what a commission entails check out my complete listing over on my DeviantART page:

COMMISSION PRICES

As for the picture below, just a doodle of Ecstasy from Marvel. You get fifty whoopie-whoopies if you know who she is without the help of Google.

_{Yeah...whoopie-whoopies, that's right!}

ASS KICKED

2010-08-17T19:44:00.003-07:00

Groovy flick. Not as gory as I imagined and I can't get over how worked up folks got about Hit Girl's language. Based on all the hubbub I was expecting every other word on screen to be "F@CK" this and "S#!T" that. She was so cartoony and dare I say cute. It was sooo fake when she cussed but I guess it's the idea of it that just grinds people up.

Am I the only one who realizes that it was just a movie and beyond that a movie based on a comic book? Oh wait...I forgot, comic books are just for kids.

Nevermind.

FROM SKETCH TO FRAME

2010-08-08T18:27:00.003-07:00

Did this for a friend that hooked me up with a year long subscription to my DeviantART account.

For some reason I always think that when I draw stuff for folks it usually ends up at best in the back of some old, musty closet or worse-lining the bottom of a birdcage or kitteh's litterbox.

When he sent me the shot of it all framed up (nice and professional like) it made me take pause and realize how much it means to me when folks appreciate my work enough to go to these lengths for it.

Believe it or not this is the kind of sappy stuff that makes my hours toiling away under the lamps at the drawing table totally worth it.

SNEAK PEEK

2010-08-04T21:00:00.003-07:00

I'll give ya candy, give ya diamonds, give ya pills, give ya anything ya want...hundred dollar bills.

DON'T TOUCH THAT DIAL

2010-08-03T00:48:00.003-07:00

But you can twist the s#!t outta a tank barrel!

This is what happens when you give an old fart Photoshop and twenty gallons of Dr. Pepper.

Underwhelmed viewers are...underwhelmed.

WA-WA-WA-WA-WONDER

2010-08-02T17:42:00.004-07:00

I know it's been a while since the whole Wonder Woman/Jim Lee redesign hubbub happened but I had this idea kicking around in my head so I figured I'd take a minute and slap it down on paper.

Don't ask me why she has the groin hate (looks like she's socking her femjunk), or why she's got that gimpy left leg, or why I didn't put any blue in it...

I was going to throw some Cable-sized shoulderpads on her but I'd rather bring back the 90s slowly. Baby steps.

YOU'VE GOT RED ON YOU

2010-07-27T14:07:00.003-07:00

I was going to throw another SNEAK PEEK on here but I got it into my head to doodle up some Battle Chasers boobage instead.

Enjoy!

SNEAK PEEK

2010-07-18T09:08:00.003-07:00

Well Damn.

Guess I'll just change the name of the flippin' blog to Zombies Love SNEAK FREAKIN' PEEKS, huh?

Sorry folks, busy with a ton of stuff and most of it I can't share just yet. Might be a LOT more Sneak Peeks coming up in the near future because of that.

To the forty-one folks that actually follow this blog, I love you guys and dolls! Thanks for taking a peek and sticking with my silly posts. I must apologize for such bleh content as of late.

Ashamed artist is ashamed.

UFO ME, UFO YOU

2010-07-17T00:36:00.003-07:00

My brother in law turned me onto a nifty old sci-fi series called UFO. I did this for him a few months back as my way of saying thanks!

There's just something about a hot woman in a shiny silver space suit with purple hair that gets my motor running!

SNEAK PEEK

2010-07-06T23:46:00.004-07:00

It's hard growing up. On one hand you lose alot of the magic that makes being a child so fun. You lose that suspension of disbelief that children always have and that edge that also makes them a million times smarter than any adult because they CAN believe that the fantastical does exsist and there is a monster lurking under the bed. On the other you gotta deal with all the "real world" bullcrap of surviving life on your own that can drain and deter you from what your heart truly desires.

sigh

Of course growing up has it's perks too. You get to actually draw all the cool shit that used to make you jump up and down, spilling your Coco Puffs all over the carpet in front of the living room tv as a child. You have fun doing it and it transports you back to a much simpler time in life.

Sometimes that's worth way more than a paycheck.

If you...huh? Something just made a noise under my bed...

A SWORD IN HAND...

2010-07-05T01:20:00.003-07:00

...is worth two in the bush.

Uh...wait...that's not right.

VERSUSING?

2010-07-01T04:06:00.004-07:00

Behind the scenes peek at what went into making the cover for 5finity's great series, Zombies vs Cheerleaders.

I was pretty satisfied with the girl in the first blueline pass but her lower half, her legs looked jacked up so I elongated them a bit and went with a more solid pose.

Here you can see how I work once I block out what I'm doing with a scene, panel, or in this case a cover. The blueline is just my starting point to give me an idea of what I want to do with the finished piece. You can see the oval zombie head shapes floating around in the background. That's about as detailled as I dare get because my pencils tend to be so heavy to begin with and the less graphite there is on the page for me to smear the better!

Want to see the finished piece along with all sorts of inked and colored goodness from some of my partners in crime? Then...

CLICK HERE!