and speaking of MONSTEROUS books...

if you haven't picked up your copy of COVER RUN: THE DC ART OF ADAM HUGHES, well than I'm just ashamed of you. ashamed.

It's without a doubt the best, most jam-packed book EVER published on a comics creator. Sketches, designs, full-page color reproductions, all with Adam's hilarous commentary to keep you warm at night.

remember: ashamed.

attack of the 50-foot comic book!

towering over the competition...it's WEDNESDAY COMICS: the collection!

We made it to Barnes & Noble, ma!

billie holiday...finally...well, not really.

I keep putting off the third jazz painting that I've planned. It's of my favorite female vocalist ever, Billie Holiday. I'll start it soon, I swear. At least I did a tiny color sketch for it this afternoon.

That's a start!

the Empire decides not to strike back...

I was recently invited to be a guest artist at the upcoming Star Wars Celebration 5 con in Orlando.  I attended it a few years back and had a great time producing a limited edition Stormtrooper print (see my earlier post).

I've decided to skip this year's con, even though I did a sketch for a new print.  On top of all of the hoops that Lucasfilm makes their artists jump through (don't ask!), I just ultimately wasn't 'feeling' the sketch.  I thought it was a neat idea and would make for a cool visual, but the sketch just leaves me 'blah.'  Oh, and I couldn't figure out where to put R2.

File this sketch in the sad 'unused ideas' folder.

It happens.

the great american (comic book) novel?

I FINALLY just finished reading every issue of Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso's epic and brilliant "100 BULLETS." all I can say is wow.

I had been meaning to sit down with the entire 100 issue run, and finally did so. wow. ok, I already said that.

Also, a monumental tip of the hat to cover artist extraordinaire Dave Johnson. I turned down this gig years and years ago and regretted the decision for a long time. Eventually I realized the only thing to regret is that Dave did twice as good a job as I ever would have!

Well, at least I was sorta part of the team, as I did a pin-up of cool character Cole Burns for issue #26...or was it issue #25? My memory aint what it used to be.

sneak peek...

i'm having a blast illustrating a kid's book called "Tyger lilly", written by good friend Lisa Trusiani. It's absolutely the most beautifully written children's book I've read in a long, long time.

whatever i want...

my brother recently asked me how i decide what type of stuff i put up on my blog. Was it purely an art blog or was it about your life in general, he asked.  I told him there was no rhyme or reason, and that I put up 'whatever I want.'

With that in mind, check out this photo from 1951 of aspiring comic book artist Martin Landau.