Bad Good Not Bad

At the beginning of the year frequent collaborator and friend Lee Lawson asked me to illustrate and art-direct his latest album release cover art. He filled me in on this project that has been in the works since 2012, a video-game-music-sampled beat album, and he wanted me to create something that spoofs the  iconic as the cover art for the US version of the NES classic Mega Man. Like, the first Mega Man, Mega Man 1. I looked at him and asked, Are you sure? Have you seen the original art to the first Mega Man? 

 

That's the one. I actually had a copy of this as a kid.

 He proceeded to egg me on to just do it and see what I came up with. Well, after some sketching and then the adding of color to paper I have to say it wasn't such a bad idea after all. Take a look:

This is gonna go right in the center of the spoofed cover, just the like in the art above. I  intend to match colors and a similar design to hopefully capture the feel of that old box art, one that raises the question Just what in the hell is going on?

Lawson tells me he's in the post-production stages of this project, mixing and mastering, and he said he's gunning for a an Autumn release. You heard it here first! I don't think he's even leaked this to his followers yet. He said he's gunning not only for a digital release, but one on vinyl as well. Imagine a design like this on a 12" sleeve. I'd love to see that! Stay tooned.

Hotter Than Judy

 

That's what I call the piece to the new Screw Comics! 4 cover. That's right, it's here! Inspired by one of my favorite album covers from one of my favorite music artists, I set out to make a piece that is equally gripping and dramatic as this:

It's certainly an image that has stayed in my mind since I saw it as a kid. I'm not sure how the idea came to me, but keeping with the story that's set in a scorching hot level of earth I found it fitting. And how the shape the of her hood flowing off her head could be like the shape of Stevie's braids, how could I not try it out?

Having the cover finished is a big step. Once you have that the rest of the book layout really falls together. Right now I'm in the proofing process, going thru and rereading the text, editing, and making sure the art is stable within the boundaries of the pages. 

Heavy Duty Judy is back in this issue and it's gonna be a scorcher. Not sure who that is best to pick up issue 3, or pick up all 3 of the last issues here. I'll throw up presales once I send this to the printer and get a proof in hand. Yikes! It's coming together!

Past Grievances

Another book I'll have at Comicpalooza, on the Pulp 21 label...
The original format is to be in color, but it's a finished book in time for a convention so I had to throw down some limited edition single issues with bonus recycled stock paper. A color version will be out when I finished coloring the last 16 pages. Here's the cover with a look at some of the pages.

It's about a woman who time travels back to visit all the epic live music shows in history.

I hand-lettered this first issue will keep on for the rest of series.Unless there are some Comixology terms that require digital letters. I may have heard something like that...but anyways here's Rock in Time.

 

Black & White/ Color comparison

 

Get your copy, edition of 25. Get it here.

Yo it's the Frost, Girl

December 2018 was cold. I worked on some art here and there. Like the above piece, concept illustration for a pitch of a comic I've been developing called Sun Eaters.

And then all these other moments happened.

Date night, outside waiting for a table at a ramen spot.

#grunge

The first freeze, with all my plants inside.

Gogo Yubari sketch.

The day after hell froze over.

My backyard looked like Ice Man's stage.

A stow away. He clung to the plant for 3 days inside my studio.

March On

Big news for my friend Van:

Big news indeed. Of course my hand drawn cover had nothing to do with it. ;)

And now some sad news: Shane Patrick Boyle, founder of Zine Fest Houston has passed away this month. A man about town here in Houston, the only person I know brave enough to not have a car and get around on the Metro Bus, soft-spoken yet had a booming literary voice. The news came as a real shock. He moved to Arkansas to take care of his ailing mother who passed a week before he did. Known to ration out his insulin during tight times I guess he just ran out of luck. He had a GoFund Me page to raise money for his months insulin but sadly he didn't raise the money in time. So sad, and so needless, and quite eye-opening in a time where the American healthcare system is under a lot of scrutiny and debate, where our motto can literally be "Pay or Die."
Here's what i typed out on his wall:

 

From 2013 Moving-to-Arkansas Party at Rudz.

A memorial is being planned for May 6th, a Saturday afternoon. I'll tweet out the details when they're more concrete. Man, Shane, this year and all subsequent years at Zine Fest will never be the same. Journey well.

Wing and a Prayer

Did some cover art for long-time colleague and collaborator Van G. Garrett. He's got a new chapbook coming out in February entitled 49: Wings and Prayers. Be sure to check out his website for more info on that. Meanwhile, here's the principal art for the cover. Ideally I wanted to try an original woodcut print image but due to time and equipment restraints I put that on the back burner and went with basic pen and ink. I also wanted to have the image somewhat reprographic looking contrast so the face would be instantly recognizable. And that's where the pen and ink come in. After a faint tracing on an improvised lightbox I was able to add in the very wobbly, human-made hatching. I wanted this piece to be created as analog as possible and sure enough, I think I got it to work.

At first I tried to do a xerox transfer but I couldn't find a process that worked.

 


Peep the new book this February! Now lean back...


And Happy New Year.

The Coming of Gozer

We round up another year and I'm wrapping up another book. That's right y'all, Screw Comics #3 is ready to be sent to the press, barring a flawless pre-production proof and a final quote that tickles my fancy. This ish rounds out at 94 pages, and I plan to still slang 'em for 10 bucks a pop just to stick it to the man and the squares. Peep this new art and just try to tell me you're not the Key Master.

 

official cover for ish 3

CLICK HERE to ORDER YOUR COPY

 

the inside cover 'greetings' page, art in color, 

set to be printed with verbiage in black and white

Plus other art to finish out this year:

Portrait of a Lilliputian Reading a Magazine

 

and a Guy Fox sketch for Guy Fawkes Day last month

And I think that's it. Until next year, Toonsters, take care and try to see how high you can get!

F.Z.K.

or Fearless Zombie Killers! New commish I whipped up for my boy Jerry Carrillo. Do you remember the one piece I did with his son and nephews in a post-apocalyptic wasteland? It's right HERE to refresh your memory. Well, his nieces saw that piece and wanted one of their own. Except they wanted to be fighting zombies as Captain America and Bat Girl (Bat Girl originally wanted to be Batman but Bat Girl's outfit is a lot more colorful, so I added the gauntlets).

Khan Tuzion

Comicpalooza is here! Catch me in artist alley, table 1037. Besides sketches and original art for sale, peep these new comic covers!

 

Pretty cool eh? Come out this weekend and nerd-out with me.

Hell Hath No Fury

Just wrapped up the latest double-issue from Shotgun Blast Comics, the spanking new issue of Mr. Demon #2: The Kravinski Situation. Nearly 50 pages of original comic art from me wrapped up into a perfect bound double sized book, completed with chapter pages and bonus sketches at the end. Expect me to have it at this year's Comicpalooza. The digital version will be up soon, as well. As always, here are my SELECT pages, for portfolio-scouring purposes of course. Even though there's no text the images MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS for the story.

as always click the image to see it closer, in fuller detail.

And, of course, the full color wrap-around cover. This is two comic pages butted up side by side. 

For those who don't know, this is the completion of a package deal I do for upcoming comic writers: I'll turn your script and concept sketches into a full comic book, 24 (or more) standard comic size pages with black and white art plus a color cover (wrap-around optional but extra), letters, additional non-comic-art layout pages (like title pages, ads, etc.), and then all laid out for print, ready to send to the printer. I also make a digital version for you as well. All within a super reasonable time frame. 

I'm your one-stop comic producer, baby.

Let me do your comic.

...

In other news, the BAD first: I won't have Screw Comics #3 finished AND in print in time for Comicpalooza. BUT, the GOOD news is I will have the digital version ready by then as well digital versions of Screw Comics #1 and #2. I started a Gumroad account to get these to you and when it's ready the link will be HERE. As well as at the top of this page. This wraps up a portion of what I did in April, mainly cuz I've been traveling and then working. Follow me on Twitta for updates, plus sketches and other day-to-day musings.