Every once in a while, I like to go through a big binder full of copies of stuff I’ve done through the years. It’s kind of fun to look back and see how my work has changed over my time working in the comics biz. And it’s also neat to refresh my memory on some of the more obscure and odd things I’ve done through that time. Today’s post deals with one of those oddball items. Years back– I can’t remember the exact year, but I’m guessing it was in the late 90’s– I was asked to draw a prize for a contest Marvel had held. I don’t know how Marvel got the word out about this contest. It could have been in a magazine or through their own comics (if that’s the case, I must not have been paying much attention to the ads in their books, because I never saw it)– or it COULD have been an online contest– although I doubt it, since the internet wasn’t as huge as it is no, at least as an entertainment medium…. but I could be wrong. The contest was for kids to design a bad guy that could take on SPIDER-MAN– and the contest winner would win a drawing of their villain (with SPIDER-MAN in there somewhere) done by a SPIDEY artist. I was chosen to be that artist. I think that the piece was digitally colored, and the original B&W and the colored image were framed together and presented to the winner in the Marvel offices. I seem to remember seeing a photo from the presentation of the prize to an excited and very happy looking kid. It was fun to take a kid’s drawing and turn it into something that looked like it could end up in a Marvel comic.

Thinking about it makes me realize that young kid must be a young ADULT by now.

This is Entry 224.

Mike

Tomorrow is May 6th– FREE COMIC BOOK DAY. Last year, I took part in FCBD at HEROES AREN’T HARD TO FIND in Charlotte, NC. I had a fantastic time meeting excited and enthusiastic fans. I think that FCBD is a very worthwhile endeavor and I support the industry’s program to make more folks aware of comics and to promote them as the wonderful entertainment medium that they are. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to make it to this year’s FCBD anywhere….. I’m under too much deadline pressure and have to work tomorrow. But I hope that everyone goes out and enjoys the day at your local comic shop. There’s a lot of wonderful stuff being offered this year. Go check it out and enjoy the festivities.

This is Entry 223.

Mike

I often write about some of the wonderful artists I’ve come across in my travels through the internets. One of those artists, who’s work I first saw on DRAWINGBOARD.ORG (see last post for a link) is Dean Trippe. Dean has a wonderfully open and inviting style and it connected with me immediately. His level of craft and ability is incredibly impressive… and there’s an authority to his simple line work that’s really striking. Dean does a very delightful strip on his site called BUTTERFLY . It involves the adventures of the young sidekick OF a sidekick. It’s a sweet and funny take on the superhero genre. Recently, Dean started a contest calling for entries for alternate universe versions of young BUTTERFLY. He’s going to be doing a story arc that involves several of these various alternate versions making their way into BUTTERFLY’S world. Being a fan of Deans, as well as a HUGE fan of the strip– I thought I’d take a shot at coming up with something to submit to him. I’m not sure how successful it is— but it was fun to do, and I think she turned out to at least be pretty cute.

Go check out Deans site– and read the archives of his BUTTERLY strip. It’s really wonderful, and I’m sure you’ll fall in love with it as I have.

This is Entry 222.

Mike

Today’s post was a warm up sketch that doubles as a contribution to yet another jam thread over on DRAWINGBOARD.ORG– this time devoted to THE ROCKETEER. Cliff Secord– THE ROCKETEER– was one of those characters that was, to my mind, a very special part of the creativity and energy of the mid-80’s comics scene. I remember when his adventures began as backups in, I believe, Mike Grell’s STARSLAYER comic published by Pacific Comics. I, along with so many other fans, immediately took to the pulp-inspired character, as well as Dave Stevens’ amazingly gorgeous artwork (and his sexy depictions of Bettie Page, the 50’s pinup girl). Later, the character got his own book with THE ROCKETEER ADVENTURE MAGAZINE first from Comico and then later with Dark Horse. The publication was always sporadic for THE ROCKETEER’S adventures– but like a highly polished gem, or an incredible gourmet meal, it was always well worth the wait. I’ve always been disappointed that there weren’t more adventures of Cliff and his girlfriend Bettie published– but as Euan over at the jam pointed out, perhaps it’s better that the character be left as something that’s a special memory of something brief but wonderful rather than something that was run into the ground and ultimately diminished.

I guess that’s a good point.

This is Entry 221.

Mike