Art and Shirts Colliding

I took a recent sketch of mine and made it into a t-shirt. I'm quite pleased with it. So far it's one of a kind, unless of course someone can get me to make another.

The image is made from die cut vinyl and looks crisp and slick on the garment. I toyed with adding more colours, but I like the simplicity of the black and white. Keeping that sketchy feel felt right. Except for Ghost's eyes. Those are red.

I've also made a shirt of my Evil Eddie piece I created for Base Camp X. It's a gift to my buddy Graeme, who for the record is awesome.

BATMAN #0 @ Stadium Comics

Today I sketched on blank Batman covers from 1 - 9pm at Stadium Comics in Brampton. Quite honestly, it was the busiest I've ever been at such an event.

Big, big thanks to Ricky, Kevin, Eric, Kevin, Rob, Matt, and everyone who came to show support. It was a killer time and I really hope everyone enjoyed me defacing their comics!

I always want to congratulate my buddy Rob from Stadium Comics, on the birth of his son, Clark. Yippee!

Now here's a bunch of photos of stuff I drew...

News and Events

Teuton Review

Recently Teuton Volumes 1 & 2 were reviewed together over at ComicAttack.net. The review is largely positive, although I'd still totally post about it if it were negative.

Sometimes I think a negative review would make for good reading. I give myself negative reviews all the time. Perhaps it would be nice to read something that validates my self deprecating. Or maybe not.

That's not to suggest there's an overwhelming number of glowing reviews of my work. Just the fact that a handful exist blows me away. Big thanks to Mike at Comic Attack for taking the time and finding some enjoyment in our books.

Teuton Reprint

We're out of Teuton Volume One. There may be a couple copies kicking around the odd comic shop in Mississauga, but our official stance at Big Sexy Comics is that the first printing is all gone.

This posed as a potential problem when launching Volume Two at Fan Expo, since so many people would be unfamiliar with the property and unlikely to buy the second installment of something they haven't read. So we Fred made a downloadable PDF of V.1 available to anyone who bought a copy of V.2.

I'm still receiving e-mails from folks looking to pick up a copy of either book. While I'm gradually contacting shops about carrying V.2, you can still order both books from Indy Planet, or you can download the PDF of V.1 at this link: http://db.tt/HE82tiyT

In the meantime, we're working on a reprint of V.1, complete with a new cover and 15 brand new pages by Yours Truly. That'll be out in November.

Toronto Thumbs

During the course of Fan Expo I spoke briefly with Toronto Thumbs on the subject of board games. I had little to say about the matter, truth be told, and was put to further shame when my compadre, Fred, went to town with his own memories of board games.

You can read the exchange of words at their site: http://www.torontothumbs.com/2012/09/03/fan-expo-2012-comics-and-board-games/

I played it off like I was too cool for school, but those that know me are highly aware that's not the case. All the people I admire either play board games or used to, and I've never had enough friends to play something like that. Boo-hoo.

Holmes Inc. #3 Launch Party

The Comic Book Lounge & Gallery is hosting a release party for Holmes Inc. #3 this Friday, September 7th. The event starts @ 7pm, so stop by and hang with all the creators and many other fantastic folks from the Toronto comic scene.

I was honoured to draw the cover for issue three and I'll be happy to be in attendance with all them fine folks. Join me there: http://www.facebook.com/events/478946852123019/

Batman #0 @ Stadium Comics

Wednesday, September 12th I'll be appearing at Stadium Comics in Brampton for their kick-ass Batman event. DC Comics is releasing #0 issues all month long, and from what I understand Batman #0 will be the publisher's first blank sketch cover. It's a gimmick Marvel has done for a while now, but this means you can have me draw Batman on your Batman.

No, you're not reading this while taking LSD. This is can be your reality and all you need to do is come visit me at Stadium Comics on Wednesday, Sept. 12th!

My Batman prints will be on sale as well, and I'll be doing sketches and commissions and that old bit. So be there: http://www.stadiumcomics.com/2012/09/03/batman-0-blank-cover-release-party-september-12-2012/

Yoroku Saki

A few years ago my pal Yoroku Saki hired me to paint his album cover well before he finished the music. When asked why, he explained he wanted our creative forces to mesh. In other words, he wanted me to inspire him. Or whatever.

Anyway, three years later he's got a sample of music out for all to hear. Check it out!

Even More Fan Expo Coverage

My daughter Rosalind has come to love Star Wars at a very young age.

That's my doing. I had A New Hope playing while inking one day and she seemed into it. I thought it might be neat to sit with her and watch the rest of the trilogy a little bit each night. After watching The Empire Strikes Back she was recalling names and plot points. It was unprecedented at the time.

It's been several months but her interest hasn't waned. When Rose was told she'd get to dress up for Fan Expo, there was only one character she wanted to be: Princess Leia.


At the convention she asked repeatedly where Darth Vader was. That's who she wanted to see most--or so she thought until she crossed paths with another Leia. Then shit got real.

Look into the innocent eyes of petrified joy.

It was wonderful carrying her around the convention floor and introducing her to friends new and old. Heck, I was proud. I wanted something to really meaningful to mark the occasion, so I retained the very skilled Agnes Garbowska.

In Teuton: Volume Two, Agnes brilliantly illustrated an Epilogue tale that closed the book nicely. Her style was an excellent contrast to mine, and added depth to our little world. It was that same style I wanted for Rosalind's memento.

Many thanks to Agnes for the impeccable work she's known for.

More Fan Expo Coverage

Two interviews from Fan Expo. I find both amusing. The first features Yours Truly for Capsule Computers. I'm as bumbling and befuddled as ever, and the chap in the scarf looks to be very distracted. My thanks to Jamie Tsui.



This second features Fred giving the low down on the latest books from Big Sexy Comics. I make a cameo and Fred smugly displays why I love him so.

FAN EXPO 2012 Post Game Wrap-Up

The Big Sexy Comics table: where expectations meet disappointment!

  So that happened.

The past four days were a success for Fred and I on many levels. We are both really happy with how Teuton Vol.2 was received. Half of our stock was sold! My thanks and gratitude goes out to everyone who bought a copy.

There are so very many people who showed me kindness and made me feel super. Tony and Kara Moore were badass and extremely kind neighbours. Bob Layton is fucking hilarious and shared with me his brand of cynical wisdom. Convention nights are made spectacular by the company of Phil McClorey, Brian Evinou, Jeff Brown, Fred.

I'm grateful to Michael Walsh and Ed Brisson for the best stroll down Spadina Avenue in memory; to Marcus To for always making me feel welcome; to Ty Templeton and Keiren Smith for treating me like a peer; to Gibson Quarter for being Gibson-fucking-Quarter; to Kris Johnson for praise I'm working hard to be worthy of...

The list goes on. There are more people to thank and stories to tell, but it's all too much to chronicle here all at once. I'll say that I'm left with a whopping new set of memories. With past conventions I was plagued by regrets. This year my only regret is not being able to spend more time with everyone who made this year uh-mazing.

Now here's a series of convention drawings...

Thor: in ancient viking garb.

The Joker in prison for Katya.

Captain America: to whittle away the hours.

Jonah Hex: had Westerns on my mind.

Prelude to Fan Expo 2012

Tomorrow marks the start of Toronto Fan Expo, which as of last year is a four day event. I'm already packing my stuff and cooking chowder (an incidental detail that has no bearing on the event, but it will be tasty.)

Overall I'm excited. However this will be the first time I've gone to a convention without having already seen my printed book. They arrived while I was in Montana and I still haven't seen the finished product. I'm on pins and needles!

What's more, the stellar Marvin Sianipar (artist of Mal & Lot) has returned to contribute a gorgeous pin-up. Behold:

At the risk of sounding like an infomercial, that's not all, folks!  

Craig Yeung, inker extraordinaire, has illustrated a kick ass piece of Andrus and Asura in battle mode. We'll be selling prints of it at the table. These are super, duper limited, yo.

Mind you, Teuton is not the only book debuting at Fan Expo that bears my work. No sir! This year I've had the pleasure of contributing to several great projects.

One of them is Horror In The West, a horror anthology I supplied a pin-up for. All the preview art at Furious Comics has been great and the variety of folks involved promises to be a great read.

The other is Holmes Incorporated #3. The latest installment of Ty Templeton's league of Sherlockian do-gooders boasts excellent work from TCW veterans and newcomers alike. I was given the privilege of drawing the cover, brilliantly coloured by Ty himself.

I encourage one and all to pick both books up. In fact, anyone who brings both books to my table will be given a free ink sketch!

How's that for incentive?

Finally, I'll be selling my limited Batman prints. There are three to choose from, but why should you choose? You know you want all three.

Resist not!

Spectacular Views

Hunting fossils in the Blair Sand Dunes.

Little Clint Dig as seen from Camp.

Camp as seen from Little Clint.

The start of an evening hike.

Prospecting at sunset.

Another foreboding horizon.

Another day done and gone.

Taken from the badlands of Montana. The landscape was too expansive and breathtaking to capture it in one single photo, so here are some panoramas.

Homecoming

I've been away these past two weeks. While I am preparing to write all about my experiences abroad, I'd first like to acknowledge some awesome things that happened in my absence!

The very night before I left town I was feverishly at work on the cover for Holmes Inc. #3, which was a nice return to a property I played a small role in establishing over two years ago. Most of the same people I worked with on issue one have returned for this third installment, and I really wanted to come through for them.

Unfortunately, I did not have time to colour it myself, as was my ambition. However, since I was handing it over to the very capable hands of Ty Templeton, whom I trusted implicitly to make it even better, I was I not so much surprised as I was totally blown away by his finished colours nailed what I envisioned

Thanks so very much to Ty for the opportunity and his excellent. I'd also like to thank all the cool cats and kittens from the Holmes Inc. team for their valuable input.

The book will be on sale this weekend at the Toronto Fan Expo, and you should absolutely grab a copy. I mean it. Do it.

I've also learned from reading my backlogged Twitter feed that TEUTON Vol.2 has arrived from the printers, and since I haven't received any panicked e-mails from Fred I can only assume the book is problem free! Here's a peek courtesy of Fearless Fred: http://instagram.com/p/OH5CnlqZFa/

The book will be available at Fan Expo this weekend. Come have it signed by Fred and I, get a nice ink sketch by Yours Truly, and maybe even a free smile.

My Batman print will also be on sale, so, you know. Buy one.