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ordering info is up at the site…

canson color paper sketches volume one

enjoy the weekend!

-c

had a great time, but… man, is that a big show…
completely overwhelming ( i had my laptop with me so i was able to read what actually happened at the show since you can’t take most of it in there)…

always a pleasure to meet artists whose work you dig (like david peterson of mouseguard fame, who did me a sweet sketch i’ll post to the site next update), tad stones (hellboy animated producer and all around cool cat), jonboy meyers, and way too many more to mention… and that’s not even taking into account seeing those guys you get to see a few times a year at shows like this…

but now i’m home, hard at work on the ‘haps and other stuff… speaking of which, todd and i got preview copies of the trade this week… and i couldn’t be happier! can’t wait for y’all to get a chance to see it.

(and speaking of the trade, saw wizard reviewed it this month and gave it a fairly good write-up with a nod to a saturday morning cartoon feel, but only a B- … and complained that “nothing’s wrong with fun-loving stories, but from the softened fight scenes to the somewhat overly-sentimental dialogue, hardcore horror fans should beware – you won’t find buckets of blood in these pages.” ookay, so technically they were boxes of blood, so they’ve got us on that point… and um, yeah, hardcore horror fans might find a bit lacking in AN ALL AGES BOOK… kinda like complaining there’s not enough nudity in disney films… dunno what they’d be expecting, really… anyway, back to the blog)

got my sketchbooks in, and they look fantastic (much thanks, rico!)… i’ll post ordering info next week… in the meantime, that’s a sample spread above to give you an idea what it’s like…

okay, back to work…

whati’m listening to as i type this… plastic sseat sweat – southern culture on the skids

so, figured i’d try and get at least one more post before the madness that is … san diego comic con…

before i get into all the random comics stuff, a few quick things…

…the sox’d be completely screwed without papelbon…. i mean, come on, taveras?
… could deadwood be any better this season? (and for that mater, rescue me?) although i’ve learned the hard way to turn off hbo right after the always entertaining entourage – lucky louie = shudder.
… screw on head makes for a damn fine (and rightly odd) cartoon over at scifi.com (vote to make this one an ongoing show, folks)

okay, i’ll be finished with the first issue of the second ‘haps series before i go (should be in this month’s previews) so i can enjoy myself out there (and pimp the book to anyone that’ll listen… usually, i leave that to todd, but since he’s not going…)

i’ll be bringing the promo postcards for both the trade and the new mini, along with the soon to be infamous, hit of the heroescon “choopie butt card” … and doing a signing at the dark horse booth friday from six to seven…

besides wandering the ginormous convention center picking up cool sketch books and the like, most of my time will be spent at the beckett table in the image booth helping out and promoting THE COBBLER’S MONSTER, which hit shelves this week! (and thanks fort he compliments, brian!)

i’ll also have a few copies of my old sketchbooks to sell…. along with the limited BRAND NEW CANSON COLOR SKETCHBOOK! ( a manageable size of 4×5.5 full of 42 color images…) for those who aren’t going, i’ll have ordering info on the site when i get back…)…

whew.

anywhoo, if i don’t post early next week… i might see you in san diego.
i might even try and post from the road… we’ll see.

-c

(what i’m listening to as i type this… songs for goldfish – ben folds)

… had a great time at one of my favorite shows. plenty of time to hang out with ‘ringo and todd and scott (heck, we probably coulda just skipped the show and hung out all weekend and had just as much fun…) and catch up with folks i see once or twice a year (always a good time at the bar, and was great to just hang out with ralph and shoot the breeze), not to mention getting a chance to see “superman returns” … wow.

jeff amano had some advance copies of the cobbler’s monster, so i got a chance to see the final product (damn, wayne and guilia made my stuff look good!)…

was glad to keep real busy sketching ALL weekend (right up until 5.30 on sunday…. phew) doing both black/white and canson color pieces (wish i had scans of ‘m to post, some came out pretty good…) for plenty of great folks and friends…

did manage to get up and check out some of the art around the show… always inspiring/intimidating seeing all that great work… but it was great motivation to get back to the ‘haps… which is where i’m heading right now! (not to mention todd and i talked a few folks into doing pin-ups for the next trade… and beyond!)

hope everybody had a good fourth (and wasn’t TOO crazy, ray)

– c

so much for keeping up on a weekly basis… but lucky for you, dear readers (all 3 of you) i’ve just been so busy working on the ‘haps to post…

okay, i’ve also been doing other stuff, like the piece above for the heroes con program book (superman themed… and seriously, what’s cooler than beppo the super-monkey?), designs for a neat little choopie sculpture, trying not to get too wrapped up in the sox this early in the season (as he says every year)…

i have managed to watch 2 dvds that’ve been sitting here forever .. blade 3 (not horrible…kinda dug it, actually) and fantastic four (um, well… the effects weren’t … that bad… but … yikes.)

well, back to work.
-c

what i’m listening to as i type this … fast man raider man – frank black (got our tickets to see him down at the beachcomber on cape cod later this summer… wooohooo!)

…great outing by schilling tonight for the sox (even with giving up three home runs)…

been working hard on the first issue of the next ‘haps mini, but i’ve also had some time to get to other things –

– ‘haps promo stuff for the summer conventions and beyond
– redesigning the ‘haps site (including the guest artist pin-up gallery)
– updating my site
– doing a few canson sketches (i was planning on just bringin’ ‘m to charlotte, but figured why not post’m on the site in the art for sale section as well for all the folks who aren’t going … so head on over to see what’s new) … i’ll be getting to do a few more of these, so if there’s something you’ve been itching to get, drop me a line and get on the list!
– building some bookcases to use as built-ins under the eaves in the studio room…

okay, back to work…

-c

really enjoying this season of “rescue me” on fx (always love me a good denis leary show… man, i miss “the job”) and looking forward to this week’s return of “deadwood” on hbo…

that was a ROUGH ball game to watch tonight… i get the feeling it’s gonna be a loooooong season with both the sox and yankees neck and neck for the next few months…

besides that, work is moving along on the first issue of the “second chances” series of the ‘haps… and i’m dangerously close to finishing my new studio space so i can finally get outta the basement and see out a window (and finally using the surround sound we put in won’t hurt, either)…

hope to get a few canson sketches done before the charlotte show in a few weeks (it’s not too convenient to bring all that stuff with me)… as you can see above, i did get to one that’s been in the queue for a while… invincible (and if ya don’t read that book, do yerself a favor and pick up the first trade and see what you’re missing)…

back to work.

-c

and congrats to jon and fran on the arrival of janie elizabeth … and belated congrats to kieran and jill, that jeremy is hellacute… and another very belated congrats to aaron and ann, julia rose is adorable… phew. kids everywhere, i tell ya…

gahhh, we haveta wait until january for more of the jack bauer power hour?!? and what was in that case that kept keith mars from meeting veronica?! and only one more sopranos until 2007?! and only 2 more hours of dharma initiative/others conspiracy craziness on lost? and i’m gonna miss michael’s relentless belittling of toby at dunder mifflin until the fall (that scene in the finale, among countless others, had me in stiches)…

at least we’ve still got deadwood and rescue me coming up (and we haven’t even started watching the final alias episodes we’ve got on the tivo)… and we just managed to watch all the episodes of love monkey that vh1 recently aired (too bad that it wasn’t called csi:love monkey , then cbs might not’ve given it the ax so quickly…)

so, can ya tell that with all that crazy deadline stuff gone by, i’ve finally had a chance to relax? (and get back to work on finishing work on the house)… not to say i’m not getting work done, like the covers for the next ‘haps series coming out at the end of the year… (above is the cover for the first issue, in case you’re wondering), getting through a few commissions and more…

-c

so, above is the piece i did for one helluva nice guy and great artist, guy davis (who, i’m sure you all know, does phenomenal work every month on b.p.r.d. as well as such fantasic stuff like the nevermen and sandman mystery theater)…

guy was kind enough to contribute a pin-up for the ‘haps trade ( we signed off on some minor design changes the other day, so i guess we’re good to go!) in trade for a pin-up of his character “the marquis”…

the b/w series came out a few years back from oni (and i believe is still available in 2 trade paperbacks… go get ‘m)… his work is rich with texture and energy, and lotsa creepy crawlies … and the story’s pretty wild, ta boot!

wish i was heading out to the motor city show this weekend to buy him a drink (or three) for the pin-up, but this’ll haveta do.

thanks, guy!

-c
(so, i bet you’re wondering about his pin-up, huh? keep checking over at todd’s blog for him to post it there… )

random tv thoughts… 24? so ridiculously unbelievable this week, but oh so good … veronica mars? wow, what a way to wrap up all those dangling plots… and leave us hanging! the office? dwight’s complaints about jim had me howling (and michael’s photoshop expertise as well)…

what i’m listening to as i type this … red hot chili peppers – stadium arcadium

so, i’ve never really had the opportunity to color anybody else’s work but mine… until yesterday.

with the deadline for the perhapanauts trade looming over our head, we needed to get one last pin-up colored up asap…

but not just anybody’s pin-up, mind you… but kevin friggin’ nowlan! i certainly hope i did the piece justice, ’cause the original is absolutely stunning (and sitting right here next to me)…

anyway, it’s a beautfiul day out there… and the boy, the dog and i are gonna go enjoy it!
have a good weekend –

-c

what i’m listening to as i type this … pearl jam – pearl jam