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Klarion #3 (DC Comics)

I was asked recently to provide a little 'last minute' help on DC Comics new Klarion title. Working directly over blue printouts of (regular artist) Trevor McCarthy's layouts, I did quick pencils, in a similar way as to how I would on my own layouts. Though on this job I was asked to approximate Trevor's style as closely as possible, to provide some consistency in the issue's art. I did the best I could on that point, though mimicing other styles has never been my strong point, so really all I could do was to produce superficially similar material. When time got a bit tight, I dropped the pencilling stage, & drew directly in ink over Trevor's layouts, a risky policy for sure, but needs must at times.

As best as I could tell by looking as Trevor's own finished pages, he produces a lot (if not all) the final art digitally, including a few rather funky panel borders. Working on a fifteen year old computer, with all the performance shortcomings you might expect that would bring, producing similar borders was beyond my capabilities, so I handed that task over to the series colorist. As such, all I'm showing here are  selected bits of the 'analogue' work I did. If you want to see how the actual pages turned out, check out the issue for yourself, it's in the shops now (cover below).

By the way, this happens to be the two hundredth post on this blog...& it only took me nine years to get here, quite amazing really! I think a small celebration is in order......

Con sketches for sale.

Yesterday (November 30) I appeared at the Wales Comic Con in Wrexham. The event (as is usual these days it seems) featured a few comic pros & a whole bunch of celebrities from film, TV & sport. Despite it being extremely well attended (the queue went around the block more than once before the doors opened) it was something of a quiet affair for me personally, unfortunately. As a result, in the frequent gaps in activity, I took the time to do a few unsolicited sketches, a couple of which did eventually find homes, but the six shown here were left like wallflowers awaiting a dance..... So if anyone reading this (does anyone still read this??) fancies having one (it might solve the Christmas present dilemma for that one particularly awkward relative) they are available on a 'first come first served' basis for the paltry sum of £22 which includes postage (UK residents only, if you're a damn foreigner ask for postage rates). Just leave me a message in the comments, or at staz.johnson@yahoo.com. Given that there are three 'Hulk' images, you'd probably better specify exactly which one you want, if you have a preference.

Wolverine Private Commission

Something I did recently for a mate. First the pencil rough, & then the finished thing, done with markers & brush pen. If you want one of your very own, the price is £75- plus postage, email link on the right.

KnightConUK

I'll be making another public appearance this weekend... & no, I don't mean 'doing my shopping in the Asda',. I'll be at the KnightConUK show in Doncaster. I have to say, this is a bit of an odd fit for me, given that is almost entirely a TV/movie media event. However, hopefully there will be some crossover audience into comic fans. Personally, I'm hoping to get an up close & personal view of the Batmobiles!!

I'll be doing the usual business, if you're a regular reader of this blog you'll know what that means. In addition to sketches (charged at £25 for a single figure, like the example below) there will be signed comic & posters too.

Check out their Facebook page for more regular updates.

Riddle Of The Golden Sands promo.

As mentioned in the previous post, I'll be appearing at the Sheffield Film & ComicCon this coming weekend. While there, I'll be selling prints of the first official promo piece for my creator owned project, which will (hopefully) finally come to fruition next year.

There is a limited number of prints for sale & they will go on a first come first served basis. They are on high grade paper & A3 in size.

Here it is for your delectation.

Sheffield Film & Comic Con

Just a quick post to let you know that I'll be attending the Sheffield Film & Comic Con next weekend. I'll be there both days doing the usual (signing, sketching, solving the middle east crisis, ending world hunger.. you know the sort of stuff).

I'm not planning on taking lots of original artwork to sell, so if anyone is looking for something specific, it would probably be a good idea to let me know ahead of time so I can try to make sure I bring it along.

Sketches will be charged at £25-.

Hopefully see some of you there.

One, nil to the Arsenal.... apparantly.

So, apart from the fact that England were s#!t, I think we can all agree that the completely brilliant world cup should have left us all desperate for the new footie season!

Well Arsenal are starting things off with their now customary curtain raiser in the form of The Emirates Cup (August 2 & 3). With a stella line up of teams from across Europe, Benfica Monaco & Valencia (in case anyone is wondering, not inviting Leeds United was intentional, surprisingly. I know, I checked)

Aaaaanyhoo, this year I was asked to contribute in a small way. I couldn't say "Yes" quick enough & was already halfway through cleaning off my boots before I realised I wasn't going to be an 85 minute shock substitution, but instead I would help in the production of the promotional poster..... their loss.

So the diamond geezers & all round nice blokes at top design & branding agency 'The Creative Arms', asked if I could come up with illustrations of key members of the star talent from the four participating teams (Luisão,  Diego Alves, Radamel Falcao & Jack Wilshere) but making them look like comic book heroes. I had done something similar for FIFA a few years ago, so I wasn't worried about the concept working, my problem was that on this job the artwork had to look like actual players... I always find likenesses tricky, plus the fact that these guys seem to change their hair styles at the drop of a hat (Luisao excepted, obviously), so squeaky bum time!

At he eleventh hour I was asked to do one last drawing of Arsenals major pre-season signing (Alexis   Sánchez) since he was clearly going to be a major draw for the event. That was a bit of a rush job, but ironically turned out to be my favorite of the lot.

Right, enough of the pre-amble bollocks, here's what you actually want, the artwork!

There was a little to-ing & fro-ing between the pencils & the final art, mostly revolving around the likeness & what kind of superhero character each player would be represented as, but these guys are 'brands' in their own right (let alone the clubs) so that was to be expected, no biggie.

There was some debate as the whether Alexis Sanchez would be represented as 'Super-Sanchez' hence the version with the decidedly 'super' cape, but ultimately it seems that wasn't the approach which was taken.

So next, the guys at The Creative Arms took this raw material, & turned it into press ads, web banners & window vinyls. All of which look pretty bloomin' brilliant, I think you'll agree. All together now..."One, nil, to The Arsenal, one, nil, to The Arsenal..etc etc".

All Star Western #33 preview.

DC Comics have released this preview of the art for All Star Western #33 (out this week). The cover is by the rather brilliant Dave Johnson (no relation :-)  )

This was my last work on the title, Darwyn Cooke will be handling the very final issue (#34).

EXCELSIOR!

Comics legend (there is quite simply no other word to describe him) Stan Lee, will be attending the London Film And Comic Con this coming weekend. As far as I am aware, this is Stan 'The Man's first appearance at a UK con in many years.

To mark the event, the show's organisers have put together a book of tributes to the Main Man, & I was asked to contribute. Now, I was never much of a Marvel Zombie myself but it doesn't take a genius to see that without Stan Lee the comic industry as we know it today simply would NOT exist. Which more or less explains my contribution, which is that the REAL secret identity of Spider-Man and all those other early Marvel superheroes is Stan himself.

Anyway, here's the promotions blurb from the organisers:-

EXCELSIOR: Steve Rude, Mark Buckingham, Alan Davis, Jose Delbo, Bryan Talbot, Mike Perkins, Chris Weston and Gary Frank are among the horde of artists from around the world paying tribute to Stan Lee on the occasion of his last European public appearance. Running to 68 pages in colour and black and white, Excelsior is a limited edition of 250 copies. It is available exclusively at the London Film and Comic Con, priced £10. If you can’t make it to the show, copies can be sent to you for £15 each (unsigned) or £80 (signed by Lee) within the UK . Email Mike Conroy at demigod@btconnect.com for full details, to enquire about price if you live elsewhere in the world and to obtain details of the originals that will be auctioned over the weekend as well as how to bid on them.

And here is my contribution, & the cover artwork (I wish I could tell you who did this, but I simply don't know.

All Star Western #33 sneak peek

Here's a look at a few panels from All Star Western #33 (out in just under a month, I believe), which will be my last foray into the world of Jonah Hex for the time being. The series will have one issue to go after this one, but that is drawn by Darwyn Cooke.

These art the art in it's 'raw state', before it's been cleaned up, & before I've added panel orders, which these days I do digitally in 'post production' to borrow a movie making term. All these are done over blueline printouts of my pencils, & inked with Uni-pin fineliners & my trusty Pentel brush-pen.

I've been careful not to choose images which contain any spoilers, so hopefully this should only enhance your enjoyment of the issue, not ruin it!!

All Star Western #32:Out now!

The latest issue of All Star Western from DC Comics to feature my work of Jonah Hex is out this week. Features a fabbo cover by Dan Panosian, a script by Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin grey, & art by Fabrizio Fiorentino (who drew the second half of the Hex strip).

Here's a few preview pages.