FRIDAY BY THE SEA

seagirl.jpg

I have to say I’m very surprised at how widely my thoughts on Bart Allen’s death were carried/linked around the web this past Wednesday. I suppose the event in FLASH #13 had a greater impact than I assumed, since it became such a big topic of discussion the past couple of days. I also posted Wednesday’s sketch on my DeviantArt gallery and made a comment about Bart’s passing, and the sketch got more comments in just two days than any other sketch/comment I’ve posted there since I joined DA. I didn’t know that little Bart made such an impact on folks. Or maybe it’s that death of any kind– fictional or otherwise– stirs up peoples’ emotions. Anyway– I’d like to also say that I don’t think that the entire industry is going down into the morass of death and darkness. There are still tons of wonderful books being created by tons of talented folks. If it were otherwise, I wouldn’t still be spending some 50 bucks or so each week on the things. I don’t want to make this site into a den of negativity. So… just take whatever I say about such things as death and destruction in comics with a grain of salt.

OK.. that’s it for another week. Today’s sketch really has no connection to anything… it’s just something I decided to play with … and it came out OK, I think.

Have a great weekend, folks.

This is Entry 394.

Mike

14 Responses to “FRIDAY BY THE SEA”

  1. Bill Nolan Says:

    Even tho’ it feels like I’m totally disconnected from whatever huge crossovers are going on this week in DC and Marvel, I still read a lot of comics, too. Each company does a pretty good job offering decent alternatives as well as fringe books I enjoy. Well, DC, not so much, but I do enjoy the ‘toon spin-offs like Teen Titans Go! and JLU. Marvel puts out some great stuff in the Marvel Adventures line. Really great stuff. And your Spidey/FF book is definitely filling a huge void in Marvel’s output these days. Then there’s Spider-Girl, She-Hulk, Antman, all of which I enjoy. Of course, none of the stuff I read usually makes it into the top 100 or even the top 150 every month, so I’m way outside the mainstream, I guess. Throw in Fables, The Walking Dead, Invincible, Godland, Jack Staff, Kane, Y the Last Man, Astro City, Conan, and a few more, and I’m happy enough with the comics I currently collect. I just stay away from the DCU snuff books and I’m happy.

    And don’t sell Impulse short. A lot of us have fond memories of the character and his series. Heck, I have quite a few pieces of original artwork hung up in my house, but I only have one poster. It’s in this picture:

    http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Page=1&Order=Date&Piece=149919&GSub=23067&GCat=0&UCat=0

    I’m curious to see what Waid does with his new run on The Flash. Probably not curious enough to actually read the book, but I’ll try to check out the reviews. I just have my doubts about the DCU’s direction these days to ever make that much of an emotional investment in a series/character again. I flipped through Flash #13 at the store yesterday. Not my bag. Never was.

    Sorry for rambling again…

  2. todd Says:

    hey!

    you can title that sketch, “my new girlfriend.”

  3. megan Says:

    Cute little critter on her back. As always, like your costuming– the sandals and bracelets are a really nice details.

  4. Mafus Says:

    Mike, your comments were probably paid so much attention to because you were the “co-creator” of Impulse. That means a lot.

    Bill, you made me laugh with the “snuff books” comment. I think you just coined a phrase I’m going to be using a lot. With your permission, of course. šŸ™‚ And that photo of your art wall has me salivating.

  5. Royce Says:

    It seems to me that the Flash is simply a jinxed character…no matter who puts on the red suit, their days are numbered…

    WAIT..that is Star Trek.

  6. Benjamin Hall Says:

    Holy COW! That drawing is greatness, I love her pose, especially the way her arms hang!

    The Flash is my favorite mainstream character, and I really liked Bart Allen. I guess I should go buy the latest issue. šŸ™

  7. Brian Says:

    Great sketch today Mike and it illustrates what I like most about your art, the varied body types. This gal looks like a youngster just getting ready to come into her own while your Sue Storm looks like a gal who could have had a couple of kids. I also like that when you take on teen heroes, they actually look like teens and not professional wrestlers.

    Have a great weekend.

  8. Mike Says:

    Great picture Mike!!! This is why I love your work. As Brian said, your ability to draw varied body types, as well as varied subject matter, and knock it out of the park. Do you ever consider offering any of these sketches to us fans at all? Just wondering. Have a great weekend!

  9. Erik Burnham Says:

    Y’know what, Mike? Whenever you post something like this, the first thing that springs to mind is ‘I want to know their story.’

    They say you’re one of the nicest guys in comics while you cruelly taunt us with worlds we don’t get to know! Stop it! Immediately!

    …On second thought, don’t.

    (All silliness aside, I really like this piece. It speaks to me. Thumbs up!)

    -E

  10. Bill Nolan Says:

    Mafus wrote: “Bill, you made me laugh with the ‘snuff books’ comment. I think you just coined a phrase Iā€™m going to be using a lot. With your permission, of course.”

    Consider it my gift to the world… šŸ™‚

  11. Trick Says:

    Well here in Texas I’ve worked a few cons ( okqy three) and i’ve seen 8 Impulse only sketch books. I’d say the little guy was pretty damned popular.

  12. COMIKXGUY Says:

    NICE! AND DITTO ON WHAT YOUR BRO SAID šŸ™‚ AND BILL šŸ™‚

  13. Josh Says:

    I think I miss the way comics were in the early nineties, like around 1992. I was just thinking about how the characters in the current JLA are great, but I’d like to see the early nineties JLA, with the lesser known characters like that one that appeared to be a DC version of Captain America. His suit looked pretty similar to Cap’s. That was about the time they wrote stories like Cap-wolf. My first comics were either some Superman comics in the early eighties or Batman in the late eighties, but I didn’t really get into comics big time until The Flash live action tv series debuted on CBS. My mom or dad bought me a Flash comic that had Grodd in it and I ended up buying the rest of the issues of that storyline. And I got into collecting various comics from there. Comics weren’t as dark and serious as they are now.

  14. jamie baker Says:

    that is a beautiful drawing. What is the inspiration for that? I would like to see more of her…