I have updated my store and you can now purchase some of my original art from Marvel Zombies Returns issue #1.

I also have sketch books for sale and the latest book Howtoons: Tools Of Mass Construction from my creator own series called Howtoons, a series of comics that teach kids how to build things using everyday objects.

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Check out my latest comic book in shops now – Captain America: Forever Allies!  I think that the solicit sums it up perfectly.

From the Marvel solicits: “Captain America’s in a race across the world to solve a mystery from World War Two! James “Bucky” Barnes has led many lives. Once he was Captain America’s partner Bucky, a proud member of the Invaders, a founder of the original Young Allies. Now he is Captain America, the Sentinel of Liberty, and when an old enemy suddenly reappears, Jim must re-open the last, unsolved case of the Young Allies — to stop a menace that threatens the world! Roger Stern (AMAZING SPIDER-MAN) travels from World War II with Nick Dragotta (X-MEN FIRST CLASS) to the modern age with Marco Santucci (SIEGE: SPIDER-MAN) to tell a time-tossed epic tale of mystery, intrigue, and high adventure!”

Cover by Lee Weeks.

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Free comics!  Where?  When?

You can go to Alameda Sports Cards and Comics  on May 1st to get your free comics!

Also, Patti the storeowner, is having me and the legendary Ernie Chan as guest artists!  Ernie and I will be hanging out, and I’ll do free character sketches for anyone that stops by.  Should be fun.  Free comics, free sketches, who could ask for more?

Stop by on Saturday May 1st at Alameda Sports Cards and Comics from 11am-2pm.  Alameda Sports Cards and Comics is located at 1515 Webster St. Alameda, Ca.

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I haven’t done many cons in the past, but living in the Bay area, you have to do WonderCon.  For me this years WonderCon was terrific!  Thanks to everyone that stopped by my table in artist alley, it was great chatting with you all.  I did a bunch of sketches and of course forgot to take photos of most of them.  The ones I did are posted below this post.  At $150 bucks, Wondercon table space is easily one of the cheaper cons to attend.  When I did get to walk around I dug the diversity of artists from Sergio Aragones to David Finch.

Speaking of David Finch, he’s got to be the definition of fan favorite artist right now.  He brought the traffic to our aisle.  I was sandwiched between him and friend; Deadpool artist Shawn Crystal.  Do the con organizers think about strategically placing the big attractions to help the flow of traffic?  If not, they should.  Without David Finch sitting there, I could have easily been in a row with no traffic.

Outside of artist alley I did two Marvel panels.  Thanks to the Quincy Jones of comics Axel Alonso for the invites on the panels.  They were a blast and I was blown away by the passion of those in attendance.  For the first panel it was Axel, Shawn Crystal, CB Cebulski, Rob Liefeld, and myself.  I think the topic was Deadpool.  It was all we discussed.  I didn’t say much if anything during this panel, and I’m kicking myself because I didn’t share my Rob Liefeld story.  I didn’t even remember it until after the panel.

When I was 16 years old, Rob and the Image crew were easily my favorite artists.  I could draw Rob’s X-Force characters blindfolded, I dug that book.  How much did I like that book?  Enough so that when Rob started a fan club, I joined.  You have to remember this was before the internet; there weren’t any outlets I could get more Rob Liefeld.  And I needed more Rob Liefeld.  It’s also important to note that there were no comic shops where I grew up in New Jersey.  I bought my books off a spinner rack at Anderson’s Market and in a closet of a pet shop.  I kid you not.  This guy operated a tiny comic shop out of a closet in his parent’s pet store.  It was great, my brother would get his fish food and I’d get my comics.

I don’t remember exactly what we got as members of the Rob Liefeld fan club, but I do remember the newsletters.  I think they came quarterly.  Getting them in the mailbox was a treat.  I’d scour over them and soak it all up, Q&A’s with Rob, never before scene artwork, and all the latest Rob Liefeld news.  The mother of all newsletters came when they announced there would be a drawing contest judged by the man himself.  This was it.  My shot at getting Rob to see my art.  Maybe I could be the next superstar (little did I know it would take 10 more years to break into comics.)

Of course I entered.  I thought there was a real shot I could win this thing, be hand picked by Rob and have my art featured in the newsletter.  I think by now Rob was onto Youngblood, and I think that’s what I drew.  I remember the drawing composition more than the content.  It was literally an eye level shot of the Youngblood team standing side by side.  Imagine standing up a row of GI Joes on a windowsill and that’s what it looked like.  No foreshortening, no overlapping figures, just bad assess standing side by side.  I anguished over every character.  Making sure each had a unique pose, cooler than the one next to it.  They all had to look tough and gritty.  I think I inked it with rapidographs.

Another vivid memory I have about the drawing is how I mailed it.  I remember it being very important that the drawing not get bent, there was no way I was going to fold it up into a regular envelope.  Who knows what judging criteria Rob had.  I could have no flaws messing up my presentation, and back then all art was done on reams of computer paper, that stuff bent easy.  So I cut out a cardboard backing and mounted my masterpiece, put it in a manila envelope and mailed it.

The winner was to be announced in the next newsletter.

Finally the day came, I got the newsletter with the winners art printed inside.  My piece wasn’t in it.  I hadn’t won.  I’m sure I was a little disappointed.  Especially realizing that the winner was way better than me, he actually composed a dynamic composition.  But then…  I noticed my name next to the winning entry.  Huh???  Why was it there? I was the runner up!  Rob had deemed me runner up.

My prize, two issues of gold foil Brigade #1.

How could I forget this story and not share it with the world at WonderCon.  Oh well, maybe some day I’ll get on another panel with Rob.  I’d love to hear his reaction.  I wonder how many current pros were in the Rob Liefeld fan club.  Was I the only one?

Here’s a link to the second panel I attended.  http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=25610

WonderCon 2010 was a blast.

Some sketches from WonderCon.

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