Um..

So how did everyone else feel about the new JSA cover from the latest DC solicitations?
It was by Alex Ross.
And featured a character I'd never seen before..
Boner-Man.
I'm not even kidding.

Now what would you call him?
His erection is actually pointing at the above sentence.
I just don't know how I'm supposed to feel about this cover.
I mean, besides turned on.
It's like he's daring you not to look at it.
I had a friend in high school who would do the same thing.

Update: I added that speech bubble, which means The Boner-Man Meme has begun.


Click on the pics to .. God help you, make it bigger.
Josh is our first participant, but I fully expect this thing to spread like wildfire, so be one of the first to jump on the bandwagon.

Update!
Joel Priddy has joined the fray!


afp3683 gave us these two entries along with the quote, "This will forever be known as the Alex Ross cover that launched a thousand slash fics."




And ken-redtail has his own riff on that last one..


Update! Josh's boredom at work has led to another great entry.


I can just see this one in libraries across the country.

Update!

Shane remembers every teenage boy's worst fear.

Update!

Josh returns with another entry!

April had the best birthday ever.

Yesterday was April's birthday, as you might have noticed from the big pink and white notice below.
I don't know if she had the most fun she's ever had on a birthday (we're all going to do something about that part on Friday though), but I was definitely able to get her the best presents ever.


It's Guy Smith and Edie Sawyer (aka The Orphan/Mr. Sensitive & U-Go Girl) from X-Force/X-Statix go-go dancing by Joel Priddy!
These two are April's favorite comic characters and the fact that they're together and doing something cute like go-go dancing is right up April's alley ... so, you know, double extra special.


My girlfriend is a superhero!
It's April as Bizarra by Dean Trippe!
April gets to live the dream and be an adorable (but super-tough) superhero and fly through the skies all while not being dressed like a porn star.

I'll let Joel and Dean post the full pictures on their own respective sites since it's their art.
Giving her these presents was one of the most exciting and best things I've ever gotten to do, and her excitement and disbelief and overwhelmedness (not an actual word) was absolutely awesome.

It's April 16!

Today is April's birthday!
Drop by her blog and wish her a happy one!

To be continued...

COMICS!

So last night, Dean and I talked about what a great week/last few weeks this has been for comics and I asked if he was going to be doing a new Mainstream Art about it.
Lo and behold, I wake up this morning and there it is.
Go check it out.
Everything he says is true.

Speaking of comics, I'm thinking of giving some brand new ones away.
You know, like a contest or giveaway type thing.
Giving them away as prizes.
Anyone think they'd be interested in that?
Interested in free, awesome comics?
If you are, please leave a comment to that effect.
Or, if you know someone who would be interested, direct them this way, won't you?

ROUND 3. FIGHT!

So as you may have already heard, Team Awesome As Hell did not advance in the Fist-A-Cuffs Tournament, but I feel absolutely no shame in being defeated by a team as powerful and as good natured as Hackenslash.
Joel and Dean even did up some amazing post-match artwork that made me want to cry with good feelings over what great guys they are.
Do yourself a favor and check it out : Joel's. Dean's.
Tell me those didn't warm your heart.

Now that A.A.H. is out, it falls to all of us to throw our full support behind Hackenslash!

GO VOTE FOR HACKENSLASH RIGHT NOW!
They're up against Sam Hiti and Paul Pope's The Die-ities in this round, so they'll need all the help they can get.
Tell a friend and remember, voting only lasts through Saturday, so there's not much time to get those votes in and insure a win!
Also, while you're there, don't forget to vote for Team De-Nile, The Pain Brothers, and Skin & Bonez in their respective matches as they're all friends and good people too.

It's Iron Man Day.

So I'm sure a lot of you have seen this already, but I needed an excuse to post these pictures. I mean, they were just sitting there in my folder begging to see the light of day.

If you hadn't heard Jon Favreau is directing an Iron Man movie starring Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Ol' Shell Head. Gwynneth Paltrow (I can't be bothered to see if I spelled that right) is set to play Tony's gal Pepper.
So have a look at these pictures from Iron Man's first appearance in Tales of Suspense 39..


Now have a look at this newly released first picture from the flick..

That's a mighty impressive real life interpretation.
Of course, I'm sure it won't take too long before they have him in the Adi Granov inspired armor..


However, we can only hope we get to see a faithful recreation of this scene before he changes..


And while I'm here and talking about Iron Man, here are two sketches I did.

The second one was intended to be part of a review I wrote for Mighty Avengers #1.
The joke I wanted to draw though turned out to be a lettering nightmare, so I don't know if I'll ever finish it.
If there's a competent (or even semi-competent) letterer out there that'd like to help me out, by all means, drop me a line.
Okay, I think I'm all Iron Man-ed out.

Superman vs. The Death Star!

Just as awesome as it sounds.
HowStuffWorks.com has a neat article up that's essentially Superman versus the other big fiction franchises. Star Wars, X-Men, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter. You get the idea.
Kryptonite Lightsabers are discussed.
Do I really need to say anything else?

Last call for votes.

Shane whipped this up last night.
In 30 minutes no less.
Whatta guy.
Today is the final day of voting for Round 2, so if you or someone you know haven't made it to the polls yet, now is the time.

Pulp (Not So) Secret.

Fist-A-Cuffs is catching people's attention all over the webbernets!
Pulp Secret's latest episode had a feature on on FAC just in time for the start of Round 2, and Team Awesome As Hell scored some sweet screen time. (I will use any excuse for shameless alliteration.)
Many thanks to Joel for pointing this out to me. I should also thank Joel (once again) for getting me to enter something to begin with. That's bad grammar.
Here's the episode, watch it, then go check out Pulp Secret..

First things first.

GO TAKE THIS SURVEY!
Warner Bros. is actually asking us what DVDs we'd be interested in seeing them release.
Let's not blow this opportunity.
If you have absolutely no interest in DVDs of awesome animated shows, then just go take the survey anyway.
I've gone ahead and made you a cheat sheet..


You can mark whatever you want on the other ones, but "1" on those is imperative.

In FIST-A-CUFFS news, the battle between Team Awesome As Hell and Hackenslash is raging, and with only one day left, we need all the votes we can.
So rally the troops, kids, and let's rock the vote.
Sometimes I worry people don't know when I'm joking on here.

Ladies & gentlemen.. "Cool whip."

ROUND TWO!

Well, my thanks to all of you who helped Shane and I move on to ROUND TWO of the Fist-A-Cuffs Tag Team Tournament.
This is where things really get tough though, because we are now in mortal combat with our friends Hackenslash.
What happens next is completely up to you fine people.
Voting for Round 2 only lasts 3 days, so get those votes in and tell a friend.

While I've got you here, I'd also like to mention the additions to the links list over there to your right.
As I promised, there is now a link to Shane's blog, and as soon as his real site is up and running there'll be a link to that as well.
Also, you'd be doing yourself a real disservice if you didn't check out my internet super-friends Joe Quinones and Maris Wicks.
Apparently, Joe has been stalking me in secret (from far, far away) and decided to put me in one of his awesome drawings..

It's easy to not be scared when he draws such pretty pictures, and now that we've talked about it everything is cool.
Be sure to vote for Maris and Joe's team Skin and Bonez as well!

Okay, that's all I've got for now.

Better than I was before..

This is cheesy and goofy and lame and cute and sweet all at the same time.
What can I say, I'll use any excuse to post footage from the Superman movies.

Also, seriously people, today is the last day to vote for my team (Awesome As Hell) over at the big Fist-A-Cuffs battle so please make it happen!

You know what?
While I'm throwing video code around, I might as well put this one up too.

That's for real.
Seriously.
Who says the 90s weren't fun?
Did I say "fun"? I meant, unbearably awful.
Can you believe this was trying to pass for a decent comic/superhero cartoon at the same time Batman : The Animated Series was on the air?
Stan Lee must have been spinning in his grave.
What's that?
Oh, I've just been told Stan Lee's not dead.
Good for him.

Oh, it's on!

The Fist-A-Cuffs Tag Team Battle Royal is finally underway, and Round 1 voting ends SATURDAY!
Team Awesome As Hell is facing "The Maliciously Merciless Monarchs of Misery" in EAST-MATCH 7 and we need your help to move on to the next round, so if you've got a Blogger or a Gmail account get on it and vote for us so we can move to the next round.

While you're there, check out all of the awesome art and combatants, but be sure to vote for our friends who have also come to get down..
Joel and Dean's Hackenslash facing The Gigantipithicators.
Cody Barnhill and Derek Dent's Team De-Nile against The Bah Team.
Paul Conrad and David Rubin's The Pain Brothers (featuring Ragnarokker) squaring off against The Fur Brigade.
Maris Wicks and Joe Quinones Skin and Bonez versus Fandango Fray.

Just so there's no confusion, the teams I mentioned first in all of those links are the friends for whom you should be voting.

So tell a friend or twelve and let's make it happen, whaddaya say?
V FOR VICTORY!

Underwater friends!

This here is a birthday present sketch I did for James a few weeks back.
I did this in the bar while I was waiting for everyone to show up.
I knew they were on their way, so I really didn't have time to over-think things or panic about how I was messing up, so it was a fun exercise.
I hope he liked it.

Horribly wrong.

This was one of my alternate ideas for the Fist-A-Cuffs Tag Team Battle.
If you click on him there are little notes via the magic of Flickr.
This was done quick-like on a post-it at work a few weeks ago.

Also, I can't believe these two games are actually happening...

but I'm psyched for both of them.

Round 2!

Garrison Ghostsinger and The Trampoline
by Chris Haley and Shane McDermott

So since Joel and I's Fist-A-Cuffs fight team had to be scrapped due to some pesky rule issues, a new Team Awesome As Hell was forced to rise.
Shane's The Trampoline strikes an even greater twinge of terror up your spine if you've actually ever gotten caught in one of those trampoline springs... which I have.
I've been a huge fan of Shane's for a long time (I've got stuff of his cut out of the paper and glued in my sketchbook.. no lie) so getting to team up with him on this was a real thrill.
I'd hook you up with a link to his site, but he doesn't have one put together yet... even though I've bugged him about it more than once. As soon as he gets it up and running though, I assure you, I'll let you know.

The Top 25

My 25 most played songs as of 03.28.07.
It makes me laugh, but I'm proud of it as well.

SHAZAM!

The original Captain Marvel. One of my absolute favorite characters of all time.
So this page layout crops the picture a little, so if you want to see the whole thing, and see it bigger, feel free to go ahead and click on it.
Though I've done the half-tone bit plenty in the past, I decided to try Adam Koford's version of the technique to see how it would go.
Turned out okay, I guess.

Yeah, that's right. Zok.

Ye Olde Comick Booke Blogge has a Kirby meme going on that's pretty fun. I couldn't think of anything funny to add, but maybe you can. Do us and all your fellow Hip Todayers proud.

Does whatever a spider can't.

http://knuttz.net/2007/03/27/venom-spiderman-3/
I won't post any of the pictures here for those of you who don't want anything spoiled, but if you're interested in checking out a veritible cornucopia of Venom pics from the upcoming Spider-Man 3 click on that link.
The production sketches were my favorites.

I guess I'll die another day.

Garrison Ghostsinger and Gunther Girlhead
by Chris Haley and Joel Priddy
The original "Team Awesome As Hell" or "Team Oh, Geez!" (get it? I'm hilarious.)
Joel was kind enough to ink my half for me since my drawing arm is currently vacationing in Slingville, USA.

This was Joel and I's entry for the Fist-A-Cuffs Tag Team Tournament Battle.
I say "was", because it turns out you can't have more than one entry per person, and since Joel had already submitted a team with Dean that meant I was up the proverbial creek.

To be continued...

Just stay still...

I tell no lies.

I don't know if you guys have ever heard it, but "Abra Cadaver" by The Hives is like the perfect song to listen to if you're reading Jack Kirby New Gods comics featuring Orion.
I'm dead serious.

Flying high again!

Since my arm is still in a sling, I'm having to rely on stuff I've had scanned and waiting in the wings for a little while for updates.
I'm sure no one will notice the difference or care.
So here's a post-it Silver Surfer I did a few weeks back.
He's kinda weird looking if you ask me.
I probably did this after seeing the latest F42 trailer. I don't know about you guys, but I'm looking forward to it. The first one was pretty fun (though mindless), and I imagine this one will be much the same.
Any thoughts?

Ask and ye shall receive..

From Marvel's June solicits released today...
AVENGERS BY ART ADAMS POSTER
24X36 Color Poster...$6.99
Final Order Cut-off 5/24/07 (On-Sale 6/13/07 )

Clearly I should insult Marvel's intelligence and demand things more often.

This bird likes mixtapes.

Everyone go help Jon Morris get his shirt printed, won't you?
I mean, I want one.

5 Questions from Dean Trippe

Dean gives me the 5 Question interview treatment...

1. What's the dumbest thing that happened in comics in the last year?
Wow. What a year to ask that question. If you'd asked me a week or two ago, I'd probably have a different answer, but I guess since it's so fresh on my mind I have to go with Marvel "killing" Captain America. Wait, I take that back, I think what they've done to Speedball is a lot dumber. I mean, come on.

2. Who is your favorite non-superhero fictional character of all time?
Wow. That's another tough one. There are so many. I'm going to keep it simple and say either Bugs Bunny or Calvin & Hobbes (inseperable).
If I could though I'd include characters like Robin Hood, The Simpsons, Peter Pan, Daffy Duck, "The Last Martian" from The Martian Chronicles, I could go on for hours I'm sure.

3. Who are your major artistic influences?
I guess "heroes" and "influences" are two different words.
I think there are definitely people who have influenced me in a big way that you'd never be able to see in how I draw. I chalk most of that up to them being so many light years above me. The first names that start leaping to mind are Art Adams, Mignola, Kirby, Ben Caldwell, Darwyn Cooke, Jon Morris, Adam Hughes, Mike Wieringo, Ed McGuinness, Mike Allred, Frank Cho, Cory Walker, Nate Bellegarde, Jeff Smith, Bill Watterson, Bruce Timm, Alex Ross, Bryan Lee O'Malley, Ryan Sook, Gabe from Penny Arcade, Scott Kurtz, .. I could keep going.
Like I said, none of those names probably show up too obviously in the quality of my work, but they're the people who inspire(d) me.
I'd also like to add that honestly, Dean and Joel are probably the people I've tried to learn the most from over the last however long. Anytime they put something new up, I try to see what I can learn from it and how I can somehow better myself from their awesomeness.

4. What was your first comic and what happened in it?
Oh, wow, again. These are great questions, Dean.
I'm not sure if I have any idea aside from it being a Superman comic. For whatever reason, my parents got me started on Superman right away. My first birthday cake was one of those kind that's like a bust of Superman (Anyone know the kind I'm talking about?), "Superman" was my third word (No kidding) after "mom" and "dad".
I think the earliest ones I remember having was one where he fought someone called "The Yellow Peri". I remember one where he went crazy from some kind of Kryptonian fungus and was fighting with Swamp Thing and had a beard. I had some of the "Super Powers" comics. I specifically remember these two..


5. You have a cool girlfriend. High five. I realize this is not a question.
And how. High five!

Continuational!

Incredibly, another site took notice of our (April & I) Supergirl in talking about Supergirl Week at Project Rooftop.

This article from Long Story Short Pier actually speaks directly to the Scott Pilgrim comments on my approach to the drawing... which in case I haven't said as much before, was very intentional.
I don't know how much of a demand for me to get all explanational on my own art there is, but Bryan Lee O'Malley's artwork on the Scott Pilgrim books is a perfect example of fun, approachable artwork. Girls I know who don't care one iota for comics love the Scott Pilgrim books, so I figured that was a good angle to approach a fun, girl-friendly Supergirl.
I don't know if that makes sense in writing, but it does in my head.

Of course, at the moment my head is full of prescriptions for my hurt shoulder so this may all be a far cry from comprehensible.

Assemble!

Now here's a Marvel comic that I have no problem buying as it doesn't conflict with my boycott stipulations and is obviously covered in awesomeness.
Art Adams really shows that he's still got the goods and isn't afraid to blast us with them.
If there's a single brain cell firing anywhere at the Marvel offices this cover will be made into a poster I can sit and stare at for hours at a time.

Even more!

Another of the places that's talking about Supergirl Week!
Click here to check out One Diverse Comic Book Nation.
I can't even tell you how exciting it is to see my name mentioned in the same sentence as the other amazing artists that have been a part of this.
I'm incredibly lucky to have a girlfriend that is so cool and supportive and full of good ideas and awesome at coloring.

Is it still ink on the internet?

Project Rooftop's Supergirl Week is getting press all over the internets!
Even more exciting is the fact that there are places using my art for the story!
Check out Comic Fodder's article.

I've made the big time!

From Project Rooftop : "...Project: Rooftop is teaming up with Super. Girl., a Girl-Wonder.org project, to bring you a week-long Supergirl appreciation event! Here at P:R, we’re going to be reviewing our top picks from last month’s Draw Supergirl meme throughout the week, and on Friday, S.G. will be posting a comprehensive article on Supergirl’s costume history.

Our reviewers for this event include Project: Rooftop regulars Chris Arrant, Dean Trippe, Joel Priddy, and Vito Delsante, and special guest reviewer, Jessica Plummer from Super.Girl."

In case you couldn't guess why I'm posting this, the Supergirl that April and I came up with has made it to the big show!

For no reason.

So Matt found a company that lets you design your own custom made parts for arcade machines.
This seemed like a neat idea so he and I started designing some controller console boards yesterday.
Here are a few of mine.

Two variations on the X-Statix theme.


Several various comic themed.

It's worth noting these were all done in no time at all.

Don't make me a target..

This is how I stay motivated at work.


Has anyone seen one of these in their area?

Captain America Owns.

5 pages from this week's Civil War : The Confession that everyone needs to read.
I mean, needs to read if they want to see Captain America handcuffed and in a hi-tech superhero jail cell still make Iron Man look like a little bitch.. and that's putting it softly.
And get this... he does it with words.
Whoa.

For fun.

The Justice League can't defeat the "Super-Villains" without your help.
Apparently literacy isn't one of the pre-requisites to join the League.


Now you too can stink like the Hulk or one of your other favorite super-characters.


You know, I met Captain America once, and as much as I love him, I don't think it'd be wise of me to want to smell like him.

Vote for the Yeti!

Just Click To Vote!
I had nothing to do with this shirt, other than I want it to win so that I can buy and subsequently wear it.
Go! Go! Go!