My Marvel Debut: Strange Tales #1

My last post touched on some uncredited work I did for Nick Bertozzi's story in the Marvel book Strange Tales.  Since that post, the editor asked Nick to do a last minute introduction page for the book for which I did the coloring (except for The Watcher's underoos which are tighty-whities, naturally).  The book hit stores today and you can see my credited work on the very first page!

The Learning Process

When I decided to make a career change a few years ago, there was a lot I didn't know about the comics industry.  For one, the creation-to-print time can span several years.  Some of the projects I first worked on are finally coming out, and it has helped me realize just how much I've learned in a little under two years!

Instead of going back to full-time school to get an art degree, I opted more for the "learn on the job" approach working as an intern.  Nick Bertozzi was my first teacher (whom I continue to work with!)  I've previously posted about my coloring role for the upcoming graphic novel, Stuffed!, and his online web comic, Persimmon Cup, but the very first thing I worked on for Nick was a short story in Strange Tales for Marvel due out this September.  (Pick one up at your local comic book store!)

The short story about M.O.D.O.K. introduced me to such exciting cartooning basics as: Cutting Paper! Ruling Pages! and the all important Erasing Pencil Marks!  While doing such work can feel trivial, it was clear that there was a "Wax On, Wax Off" method behind it (focus Daniel-san!) teaching me what dimensions to use, how to lay out a page, what type of line weight to use in certain situations, and how to letter a page.  It also allowed me to see the art as it was being penciled, inked, and on the off chance that there were mistakes, how to make corrections.  The Strange Tales story also gave me a first taste of coloring in Photoshop.

Not long after working with Nick, I also started working in the Deep Six Studio which introduced me to a wide array of styles and working methods. There, I did a some work on projects like The Alcoholic drawn by Dean Haspiel (and written by Jonathan Ames) and drawing city backgrounds for Simon Fraser's Nikolai Dante.

But by and large I worked most with Tim Hamilton.  Tim's high contrast style means there are lots of ink in the shadows which is perfect for his adaptation of Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 released this month in beautiful hardcover (available at bookstores everywhere.)  Tim would ink a page and leave the large areas of black for me to fill in which allowed me to hone my brush technique.  While I didn't help out with the whole book, I was happy to have a hand in such a fine piece of work (and I even earned a "special thanks" at the beginning!)  Here's an interview with Ray Bradbury that shows more of the inside of the book:

After a page was inked and the pencil marks were erased, I would scan in the artwork and begin the basic coloring (flats).  I'd learned to use Photoshop from coloring Persimmon Cup, but Tim used different techniques and would apply various effects to a page after I did the basics, so it all was a great opportunity to see things from a different angle.

Another recently-printed project I worked on was a short story drawn by Mr. Bertozzi (also written by Jonathan Ames) for the Next-Door Neighbor Series at Smith Magazine.  The comic appears in Jonathan Ames' recent book, The Double Life Is Twice As Good.  (Nick recently wrote a nice blog post about it.)

So while I didn't get any technical credit for working on all of these projects, I benefited greatly from the experience and still feel a sense of accomplishment when they finally are available to the public!

Cape Testing Poses

Every week, I have the pleasure of working a shift at the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co.  Anyone that has visited Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. can tell you that our Capery is one of the finest, and therefore, one of our main attractions.  So while I was proud to be employed by the largest supplier of super-heroic items in the tri-state area, I earned a real sense of accomplishment when I received my Official Cape Tester (OCT) License.  (As you may well know, only OCT License holders can operate Capery Machinery.)

While customers are trying on a cape, we like to recommend some basic poses to simulate how the cape might feel in certain heroic situations*.  In the past, the OCT might throw out some audible suggestions that could go misheard in all the excitement or fall into the cultural divide.  Therefore when I heard mention of a drawing of basic poses to be posted on the wall, I volunteered my resources.

Outside of figure drawing, I've never really attempted to draw muscular people.  As it turns out, this can be a challenge.  Fortunately, the direction I got was "generic superhero" which allowed me to cull from many excellent resources.  Below are the basic recommended poses and my first renderings.

Flying

A transport necessity for all caped heroes.  The arms are typically held outstretched at an obtuse angle from the trunk of the body.  Either the left or right leg can be raised.  In this pose, the cape should float freely behind the hero and place no constraints on his or her mobility.

Search and Destroy

This pose is used when searching for villains, especially on busy city streets, in a mountainous or overgrown-jungle landscape, and other situations where visibility is compromised.  Face front, the hero leans forward and shades his or her eyes with one hand as if in bright sunlight, scanning to the left and the right.

Front Page of the Newspaper

This is a pose intended for post-victory celebrations, after all evildoers in the surrounding area have been vanquished and the press is on the scene.  The hands are placed on the hips and the chest is puffed with pride and a firm sense of achievement and self-worth.  The hero smiles.

*Warning:  Any attempt at non-heroic poses will earn you a one way trip to the devillainizer.

Band Sketches

The folk-rock band I'm in is putting out a CD in a couple of weeks.  When we were brainstorming about album cover ideas, I did these sketches of Kyle and Corbett, the two songwriters of the group.  I was exploring a new style (a la James Jean's sketches) of simple line drawings done in pencil with a few areas done in delicate detail. Ultimately we decided to go in a different direction, but I'm still fairly pleased with these rough portraits. 

The album will be out on iTunes in a few weeks or you can come to our CD release show to get a copy - Sunday, August 9th, 10pm at Spike Hill in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.  We are revamping the website, but you can currently listen to some of the new songs over at Facebook.

Here are a couple photos of yours truly in the studio:

 

ACT-I-VATE Primer Cover

You heard it here first, but ACT-I-VATE officially announced its upcoming "Primer" book last weekend at MoCCA.  They also released an image of its cover (shown above) drawn by Nick Bertozzi featuring Persimmon from the Persimmon Cup story I colored. IDW will put out the book in October.  Until then, head on over to ACT-I-VATE to read thousands of pages of free comics!

Portrait Drawing 2

 

Charcoal on Paper, 17"x14"

Anatomy Study 2

 

  

Graphite on Paper, 24"x18"