1) Justice Society of America Special#1

Other than the fact that this issue will probably include every character on both Justice Society rosters, the main draw of this book has to be the fact that it’s both written and drawn by Scott Kolins.  And if you’ve followed the recent Kingdom Coming story arc that’s spread across the family of Justice Society titles you’ll definitely want to pick this one up as it wraps the whole story up.  Kolins has done some exceptional work for Marvel and DC in the past decade so it will be nice to see him illustrating a huge cast over the course of a 56 page issue.

2) Oz: Marvelous Land of Oz HC

Eric Shanower and Skottie Young deliver the second volume of their Oz adaptations.  I’m sure some of you have been waiting for the collected version of this title, and you won’t be disappointed.  As one who bought all the issues individually, I can tell you that Shanower and Young again reached the high mark they did   with their work on Wonderful Wizard of Oz.  This is a great all ages title but don’t think you have to be a kid to enjoy the book.  Skottie Young really is crafting the work of his career on this series of adaptions, and in a decade we’ll be looking back at his work on this book and still be holding it in high regard.

3) Kodiak One-Shot

This one shot comes courtesy of Locke and Key writer Joe Hill, co-writer Jason Ciaramella, and artist Nat Jones.  Hill has proven that his skills at writing the horror genre with much of his recent work.  Nat Jones, in addition to be a frequent Heroes Con guest and all around nice guy, is well known for his talent at crafting dark and moody art.  This story apparently focuses on a man vs. beast type story with plenty of the creators’ trademark horror in tow.  And as the title suggests, there are bears a-foot!

4) X-23 #1

X-23 is written by Marjorie Liu with art by Will Conrad. Liu wrote NYX: No Way Home and the recent X-23 #1 one-shot which makes her the perfect choice to launch this new ongoing X-23 series. X-23 has been in team books before and she has had mini-series but this is her first ongoing series. She has been a part of the X-Force team for a while now but she leaves them behind and discovers that she must take the place of Wolverine after the events of Wolverine #1. X-23 has an interesting character history. She was originally created for the X-Men: Evolutions tv show and was then brought into comics in the NYX mini-series. As a character, she was part of the Weapon X program and she is a clone of Wolverine. Like Wolverine she has claws, but she has them in her hands and feet.  This sounds like an interesting storyline and a nice addition to the X-titles.

5) Red Specials

Wildstorm is releasing four Red Specials, all of which are on sale today. Red is a new movie based on the comic of the same name by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner. The story is about a retired CIA agent who is viewed as a liability. It is action packed and pretty violent, but in a humours Warren Ellis way. If you haven’t read it you definitely should give it a try, especially before the movie comes out. These specials are based on the movie and each issue centers around one of the four main characters. Red: Frank Special #1 is written by Gregory Noveck with art by Jason Masters and it focuses on Bruce Willis‘s character Frank Moses (who is based on Paul Moses in the comic book). In Cairo, Frank must learn lesson number one: no personal attachments. Red: Joe Special #1 is about Morgan Freeman‘s character Joe Matheson and it is written by Doug Wagner with art by Bruno Redondo. Set in Moscow at the height of the  Cold War, Joe is sent to do personnel reviews of agents in the field. Red: Marvin Special #1 is about John Malkocich‘s character Marvin Boggs and it is written by Erich Hoeber with art by Diego Olmos. This special explores his psyche and explains why he is such a paranoid character. The final one-shot, Red: Victoria Special #1 is about Helen Mirren‘s character Victoria and it is written by Jon Hoeber with art by David Hahn. It is about how Victoria, M16′s top assassin, falls in love with her next target, a KGB agent. The original Red comic didn’t provide much background on the characters so it will be interesting to read about the characters’ pasts and I am curious how they will flesh-out each of the characters. Also, stay tuned for the Red: Eyes Only #1 which is a prequel to the comic (NOT the movie) and it is written and drawn by Cully Hamner!

A sampling from the most recent Previews catalog of what looks like a winner in the month of November! All books are available for pre-order at your local shop (that’s us)!

Hellboy Double Feature of Evil One-Shot – Richard Corben on Hellboy is always the best and Hellboy one-shots are always a good way to hook the casual or curious reader (you know who you are). Pg 28

Batman – The Batman line gets a new revamp, launching two new Batman books.  Batman, Inc. continues Grant Morrison’s work on the character and seems to be about Batman as a superhero brand name within the DCU.  David Finch writes and draws his own title, Batman:  The Dark Knight.  Batwoman by JH Williams gets a preview issue #0.  Already established books get new creators attached to them in some way or another.  Lots of chances to get into a new comic here. An interesting note, Batman comics seem to be the only place in mainstream superhero books where you can find writer/artists.  Tony Daniels, JH Williams, and David Finch are writing and drawing their respective books.  A neat coincidence if anything.  Pgs 62-73

Assassin’s Creed: The Fall #1 – I’m not much of a video gamer person myself.  I know nothing about Assassin’s Creed at all except for vague memories of a pretty good commercial.  HOWEVER this caught my attention because it’s being written and drawn in collaboration by Karl Kerschl (who did that incredible Flash section in Wednesday Comics) and Cameron Stewart (Batman & Robin, Seaguy).  Two of the best artists in the industry blending there styles into a singular vision is more than enough reason to give this a gander. Pg 112

Darkwing Duck TP Vol. 1 – If you’ve missed the mega popular Darkwing Duck comic up to this point, this paperback collects the first five issues and along with issue #6 also coming out that month it is a good opportunity to get caught up all in one fell swoop. Pg 246

Acme Novelty Library Volume 20 HC – Even for something that’s been around for as long as Acme Novelty, there is such a thing as a new reader, to its credit Acme Novelty volumes work as independent stories as well as parts of larger stories.  Though as far as I can tell from the solicit this is NOT part of the longer Rusty Brown narrative of the past few volumes. Pg 274

Amazing Spider-Man #648/649 – Spidey changes up its formula again.  Twice monthly/one writer/three artists/double-sized, it looks like a heck of a value.  If you’ve been looking to jump in, jump here. Marvel Previews Pg 21/22

Captain America by Jack Kirby Omnibus – Jack Kirby came back to Marvel in 1976 and returned to (arguably) his most famous creation as both writer and artist.  The 25 issues collected all in one here are Kirby at his maybe most madcap and insanely creative, flipping the down to earth tone of before and going waaaay out.  Electric comics in a fancy hardcover. Marvel Previews Pg 96

I feel honored and privileged to be able to announce today that Dustin Harbin (sometimes known as Dustin K. Harbin) will be appearing in Indie Island at HeroesCon 2011. All of us at Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find are proud to have him on our guest list! He keeps churning out some great work. He does a (somewhat) daily web strip, the first six months were published through Koyama Press as Diary Comics #1 and is currently available at Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find. Or if you are headed to SPX this weekend you can pick one up directly from him! And in addition to that he is the letterer for Casanova. He is a busy, busy man! You should definitely check out his awesome work on his website and his Flickr page. While his new work is incredible, I think my favorite strip of his is still the three-part What Would Dharbin Do? The Skating Kazoo. Beautiful! Please stop by and welcome him to the other side of the table. I’m sure it will be a surreal experience to go from organizer to guest, so be sure and help make his transition a little easier!

That is a tough act to follow, but I think Mike Maihack has the chops! Maihack currently does a weekly webcomic called Cleopatra in Space. He is also the man responsible for Cow & Buffalo, which is another weekly webcomic but it is temporarily on hiatus. He is a super sweet guy and his commissions and convention sketches are fantastic! He has a great style and a wonderful sense of color. Just check out that print he did for this past HeroesCon! Wow! And it is for sale on his website! Go check that out and I’m sure you will get pumped for his appearance in Indie Island at HeroesCon 2011. Be sure you stop by his table and say hi! And maybe pick up a copy of Cleopatra in Space #1!

We have several new additions to the HeroesCon 2011 Guest List to announce today! The first is John Beatty! He has been a regular guest at HeroesCon since the second one! That is an impressive feat! Almost as impressive as his work as an inker. He has worked on some of the best comics around, like Captain American, Batman, JLA, Silver Surfer: Rebirth of Thanos, Secret Wars and tons more. Beatty currently works for the DC Licensing Department creating style guide art that is used in DC licensed products.

Also new to the guest list is Marc Deering. His most recent work includes inking for Supergirl, Adventure Comics and Spike: The Devil You Know. He has also worked on Forgotten Realms and Grimm Fairy Tales. He is an incredibly talented artist (just check out the Joker piece that he posted on his deviantART page) and we are happy to have him back for another year!

And we have yet another inker to announce! Eisner Award winning Jose Marzan, Jr. is probably best known for his work on Y: The Last Man and The Flash but he has worked on about a billion other titles. He is quite a prolific artist and has been in the industry for over 25 years! His most recent work includes Jack of Fables, House of Mystery and Army of Two.

And now for a change of pace we have a penciller! Koi Turnbull‘s recent work includes titles for Marvel and DC like New Warriors and Terror, Inc. But he really made a name for himself with his work at Aspen Comics particularly on Fathom and Aspen Seasons. Currently he is a member of the Atlanta based HeadHunta’ Studios.

That concludes our Guest List additions for today, but stay tuned shortly for a couple Indie Island Guest List additions. AND keep checking back with us over the next couples weeks because we have some more announcements to make!

Due to the Labor Day holiday don’t forget that new books will arrive tomorrow, September 9.  Last week was a large publishing week, but if you peruse our new releases page you’ll see that there are several interesting offerings from Marvel, DC, and more.  Here’s a rundown of books you might want to consider.

1) Batman and Robin #14, Batman #703

With Batman and Robin, Grant Morrison has provided us with arguably one of the most enjoyable Batman titles in a decade.  In issue #14 he and artist Frazer Irving give us part 2 of their 3 part story that makes the new Batman and Robin have to work together in order to survive.  Irving’s done a nice job interpreting the character, and with only one issue left before Bruce Wayne’s return the tension should build in this week’s issue.  Bat-fans should also be aware of this week’s Batman #703 where writer Peter Milligan and artist Tony Daniel focus on Bruce Wayne’s return alongside several supporting cast members.

2) Amazing Spider-man #’s 641, 642

What?  Two issues of Amazing Spider-man this week?  That’s right, we’ll see the conclusion to Joe Quesada and Paolo Rivera‘s ‘One Moment in Time’ arc in issue #641, and the first part of the ‘Origin of the Species’ storyline featuring Mark Waid and Paul Azaceta.  Both issues also feature the continuing Spidey Sunday stories by Stan Lee and Marcos Martin.  Plenty of reasons to pick up Amazing this week, but if you need one more check out the fancy cover to #642 by cover artist extraordinaire Marko Djurdjevic!

3) Daytripper #10

The final issue of Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon‘s critically acclaimed Daytripper series hits the shelves this week!  The series has been a favorite of many of our customers and staff and has proven to be a title that stirs up lots of speculation and discussion.  If you’ve followed the story thus far you’ll want to make sure to pick this one up, and if you’re a fan of either of the creator’s other works you might want to hunt down some of the back issues.  For more on Daytripper, see my review of the series posted yesterday on the Heroes blog.

4) Invaders Now! #1

Spearheaded by Alex Ross, co-written by Christos Gage, and illustrated by Caio Reiss, this series brings the Invaders into the modern world.  With as classic a team as Marvel has produced, including members Captain America, Namor, the Human Torch, Toro, Spitfire, and Union Jack, it will be interesting to see how the original members interact with not only the modern world, but also new incarnations of their namesakes.  How do characters with so much history face the strange world of 2010?  Alex Ross is known for his work on classic characters but I’m especially glad he enlisted Christos Gage to help out with this book.  Gage’s recent work on Avengers Academy is some of the best of the Avengers line of books, and he should do a fine job working with these storied characters.

5) Weird War Tales #1

Another classic title gets revamped this week as DC’s Weird War Tales gets a one shot treatment courtesy of creators like Ivan Brandon, Gabriel Hardman, Nic Klein, and Darwyn Cooke!  Ivan Brandon and Nic Klein might be familiar to some of you as the creative team behind the popular Viking series from Image Comics.  If you’re a fan of that title you might want to give this book a look.  I was also excited to see that Darwyn Cooke not only provided the awesome cover art, but apparently provides some interior work as well.  Who wouldn’t want to see a Weird War Tale from Darwyn?

> Other new releases this week worth a brief mention:  Daken: Dark Wolverine #1 by Daniel Way, Marjorie Liu, and Giuseppi Camuncoli, Cuba: My Revolution HC by Inverna Lockpez and Dean Haspiel, Justice League Generation Lost #9 by Judd Winick and Fernando Dagnino, Billy the Kid’s Old Timey Oddities and the Ghastly Fiend of London by Eric Powell and Kyle Hotz, and the Dr. Horrible TP featuring work by Zack Whedon, Jim Rugg, Joelle Jones, and Eric Canete.  Make sure you check our New Release section for a complete list of this week’s new titles!

I should start out by saying that I’ve wanted to write a review of Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon‘s Daytripper series from the first day it saw print.  Over the past few years I’ve appreciated the twins’ work on books like Casanova, Umbrella Academy, and B.P.R.D.: 1947 and was curious to see how they might follow their success on those titles.  What seemed most intriguing about Daytripper from early buzz was the concept and how it seemed to veer away from much of their previous fare.  Daytripper is a challenging, complex series that engages readers in a endless strand of reflections and possibilities.  Those avenues of interpretation only increase with each new issue.

In preparing to write my review there was a point where I  considered drawing parallels between this comic and works from literature like Edgar Lee Master’s Spoon River Anthology, where readers learn about a town’s residents via the epitaphs on their tombstones.  Thoughts then turned back to superheroes and the possibility that Ba and Moon might be using a non-costumed common reality to comment on the cyclical nature of death among comic book heroes and villains.  It soon dawned on me that this review is not being written for one of my old college English courses.  With the final issue (#10) set to be released this Thursday (September 9) we’ll see the close of one of the year’s most thought-provoking series.  Ultimately, the only issue facing us as comic readers (and me as a reviewer) is to ascertain whether or not a book does the job it has set out to complete; or, “Does it work?”  As with many things opinion-related this is entirely subjective.  My goal here is not to try to convince you that “Daytripper is better than [insert book of your choice here]“, but to let you know why some of you may enjoy reading it if you haven’t already.

Fans of the duo’s work on books like Umbrella Academy and Casanova can appreciate how their energetic art styles are appropriate for those genres.  What is most telling to me is that they are able to translate that energy over to a book like Daytripper. Ba and Moon consistently build momentum and drama with their characterizations and landscapes, and manage to do so exceptionally well in a book where there are no costumes or rayguns in sight.  Without the bombast of some of their previous work, Ba and Moon rely on their skills as storytellers to bring this very human world to life.  If you are a longtime super hero fan and are curious about getting into the ‘genre’ and ‘literature’ sections of our store, I think you might benefit from reading this book.

Reading like a set of vignettes on a common theme, Daytripper resembles independent films like Jim Jarmusch’s Coffee and Cigarettes, where viewers learn about characters through their brief encounters at a coffee shop.  In Daytripper Ba and Moon aim to explore the main character Bras’ life by using each issue to focus on a different potential day of his death.  Ten issues, ten days, ten different deaths.  This isn’t executed in a morbid way but one that attempts to bring to life the entirety of carpe diem by reminding us that each day is indeed a rare gift in and of itself.  While the comic itself isn’t darkly fixed on death, I must say that the subject matter is a bit heavy at times.  However, I don’t necessarily see that as a negative.  In a small way, Daytripper is reminiscent of one of my favorite comics, Chris Ware’s Jimmy Corrigan, where in spite of the difficult subject matter it’s nearly impossible not to be blown away by the beauty of the craftsmanship and the ambition of the book.

Ambition is one thing unto itself but is it possible that Ba and Moon were over-ambitious with Daytripper?  I’ve heard a few readers ask why the twins made the series ten issues in length.  Couldn’t they have picked the 4 – 6 most poignant issues to focus on and then get back to their higher profile mainstream work?  Indeed they probably could have done that and still had a successful series, but the numerologists among you might suggest that the significance of the number ‘ten’ among numerous cultures and faiths.  In most cases this number represents the completion of a cycle, so one might infer from that common thread that the final issue of this title will wrap the whole story up in a nice bow.    Who knows, maybe we’ll see the series end like the ’80′s drama St. Elsewhere, with Bras’ son shaking a snow globe of a Rio sunset (a gift from Bras’ old friend Jorge), as Bras smiles in observation.  Or maybe the final issue will act as a bookend to issue one with Bras coming out of his writing room, greeting his dog Dante (symbolically named for the hellish poet) and deciding to spend a quiet birthday evening at home rather than be present for his father’s award presentation.

At the end of the day it seems likely to me that the series will end as quietly as much of it has proceeded.  I wouldn’t necessarily refer to this book as subtle since it has essentially done exactly what it said it would do.  It is probably a bit more accurate to call Daytripper ‘restrained.’  I doubt that anyone expected Ba and Moon to capitalize on their recent success with a book like Daytripper.  It’s possible that they could have gone further into the superhero realm and created a bright, flashy world full of action and archetypes.  The fact that the duo instead chose to create a book like Daytripper speaks volumes to me.  Relying more on soft watercolors and pastels (from the palette of genius colorist Dave Stewart), it falls upon Ba and Moon’s skills as storytellers to convey very simple, human truths through characters with whom we can relate and empathize.  The fact that Daytripper has been so highly regarded among critics, creators and customers is a clear indication that they are highly skilled artists who have a long history of comics work ahead of them.

Regardless, each issue of Daytripper has been up to this point about finality in one form or another.  Yet while each issue is essentially an exponent in the series necessarily rigid formula, the real complexity of the series lies in how Ba and Moon slowly elaborate on Bras as a character and how they wring empathy from us as readers.  We relate to Bras because we too have walked the precarious path dividing our need for self-provision and self-expression.  We, like Bras, have sabotaged relationships that we knew we should have fought to keep.  We have devalued the momentum of maturity and lost sight of the fragility of innocence.  Daytripper won’t change the world; it might not even change someone’s mind about the vast potential that still exists in comics.  But if you’re open to it, Daytripper might just make you appreciate truly good comics and see that they, like life itself, are something to be valued as a gift. 

We’re pleased to announce that we will be hosting Jonathan Hickman and Steve Epting on Wednesday, September 22 from 3-7 pm for the debut of their new collaboration on Fantastic Four #583. 3 starts here. The much talked about new storyline begins and Jonathan and Steve will be here talking about the much hyped mystery.

Relative newcomer Jonathan Hickman, after his early success with Nightly News, has become an important architect for the development of the greater Marvel Universe. With such titles as Secret Warriors and SHIELD gaining acclaim throughout the comics industry he has helped successfully transition Marvel out of it’s Civil War and into a new Heroic Age. And with his old school sensibilities Jonathan has guided Fantastic Four back to it’s rightful place as the worlds greatest comic magazine. And with super-stud artist Steve Epting joining him, the sky is the limit. Steve is one of our oldest buddies. From his run on the Avengers 20 years ago to his award-winning runs with Ed Brubaker on Captain America and Marvels Project Steve has established himself as one of the most consistent and essential pencillers in Marvel‘s long history. We are thrilled to host these two marvels for a special New Comics Day release party for FF #583. The beginning of yet another amazing epic from these talented noggins.

Stop by and get your copy of Fantastic Four #583 signed on Wednesday, September 22! They’ll be in the store from 3 to 7 pm so, be sure to plan YOUR New Comics Day shopping trip to include a moment with Jonathan and Steve. And don’t forget that these two powerhouses have deep catalogues of great work still in print. And if it’s in print, we’ve got it in stock! So look for the massive in-store display and get caught up on all the marvelous stories Jonathan and Steve have given us!

We’ve all be reading superhero books for a long time. Is there anything more exciting than a change to the creative team that breathes new life, new energy into a book that has been published every month for fifty years? If the creative team delivers as promised, it makes everything old new again.

The Fantastic Four became famous under Stan Lee and Jack Kirby because the innovations they introduced each month simply took our breath away. This explosion of creativity was cemented by the wonderful characters that we grew to love. The FF wasn’t just a family on the comic page, they were a family in the hearts of their readers.

So, it is high time we sit down and take a long look at the flagship title of the Marvel Universe. And I can’t think of a better place to start than the first story-line by the current creative team of Jonathan Hickman and Dale Eaglesham!

Call the sitter! Set the TiVo! Keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times and make plans to join us on Tuesday September 21st at 7:00pm for our Twenty Third Discussion Group where we will examine just how Mr. Hickman requests that Professor Richards and the rest of the FF SOLVE EVERYTHING by reading Fantastic Four by Hickman TP Volume 1!

The amount of topics in Hickman’s version of the World’s Greatest Comic Magazine is as numerous as there are dimensions in the Marvel multi-verse and there will be plenty of topics to discuss. We will mainly focus on Hickman’s vision for the Fantastic Four and Eaglesham’s visual interpretation, but if a few questions about S.H.I.E.L.D, The Nightly News, Pax Romana or any of Hickman’s other published books manage to slip in, I doubt if anyone will mind.

So be there on Tuesday, September 21st at 7:00pm. It is going to be great! And if you need to pick up a copy of Fantastic Four by Hickman TP Volume 1 (SOLVE EVERYTHING!) Heroes is offering a 10% Discussion Group discount, but remember, you need to notify the clerk when you check out.

One of the best artists working in Charlotte right now is John Hairston, Jr. His work reminds me of John-Michel Basquiat but more dynamic and accessible. They have similar aesthetic sensibilities particularly with their graffiti elements and paint drips. Basquiat explored themes of iconography and race using imagery from literature and high art. Hairston explores similar themes but uses images from popular culture. Same ideas, different lens.

Hairston’s new art show, Children of the Atom, opens tonight at the Baku Gallery. It is superhero themed and features all new works. If you bring school supplies you get a limited edition Children of the Atom print. Hairston deserves a lot more press than he gets, but I was glad to see that Creative Loafing did an article about this show. He seriously deserves a lot more attention and praise. His work is amazing. Do yourself a favor and spend an evening in NoDa admiring the art work of John Hairston, Jr. That way when he blows up, and he will, you can say that you knew him way back when.

Children of the Atom
Art Show Opening Reception
Friday, September 3 from 6 to 10 pm
Art on display until October 3

Baku Gallery
3200 North Davidson St
Charlotte, NC 28205

Hellboy by Terence Hoskins.

We have already learned about Sketch Charlotte and the interests of the members: Rich Barrett (RB), John Da Costa (JDC), Tom Davidson (TD), Derek Davis (DD), Henry Eudy (HE), Dan Morris (DM), Brandon Padgett (BP), Eraklis “Herc” Petmezas (EP) and Bridgit Scheide (BS). In the third and final part of the interview each artist explains their process, talks about their projects and discusses the Charlotte art scene.

Can you tell me about your process? Do you have a set drawing schedule? Do you use specific tools?

RB: I draw all my pages on paper and have recently started inking with a Pentel brush pen. Then do a lot of clean up and production work in Photoshop. I try to fit in a little bit everyday in order to try to maintain a page-a-week schedule but I’ve got a job, a freelance web design business and two kids so I really can’t keep to a set schedule.

HE: I do try to draw every day, at least in my sketchbook or just doodling around while on the phone or something. In reality, I should have a set schedule but generally I just draw in whatever downtime I have at work or when there’s nothing good on television. I pencil with an old fashioned wooden pencil with a hard lead, normally an H, and ink most often with either a Pentel brush pen or a Winsor & Newton #2 round sable brush. Occasionally I’ll use a Niko 357 Japanese nib to ink or a .5 Copic pen. I tried for a while to break in a Hunt 22-B nib but kinda gave up.

JDC: No set drawing schedule for me, but I use 2 tools exclusively: my Wacom drawing tablet and Adobe Illustrator. I like illustrator because I can do the majority of my comics work in the one application. So I do my roughs, then inks, flats and rendering all in Illustrator. I also use Photoshop for final image sizing.

BP: I’m rather traditional in my methods. I start out in pencil (4H) and pretty much render everything as I want it. I then ink over what I’ve drawn using Copic or Prismacolor art pens and markers. I do use Photoshop for cleaning up the drawing after I’ve finished. I’ve also used it to fix major problems without redrawing the whole piece. I’ll erase what’s bad and print out what I like and then redraw it. I tend to use smooth Bristol more than anything else.

EP: I tend to draw after my wage slaving job is over. So I draw mostly at night and on the weekends. I use anything to draw with. I usually do my roughs in pen and then blow them up. I then place them on my light box and ink right on the board with a brush pen. It varies though for each story.

TD: I always start with story first, which is what I think great comics should be. It’s all about the story and the art is there to serve it. I usually start drawing on a piece of paper. Just odd things. And then I create an outline based on what it is I was drawing. Once I have my outline, broken down page-by-page, then I start drawing. I wish I had a drawing schedule (it’s on my to-do list, which is broken up on a ton of mental Post-It notes scattered about here and there), and honestly it’s something I need to create and stick to. Tools include a Kuretake #40 sable brush pen. Hunt pen nibs, usually a #108 and a #102. Sometimes Scratchboard. Sometimes Pebbleboard. Every now and then a toothbrush. Anything I can get my hands on, really.

Sketch by Tom Davdson.

BS: I have two desks, one is a drawing table where I do my illustration and traditional tool stuff, and the other is a desk for my laptop and tablet. I usually do pencil work and then ink over it, then scan it in and use Photoshop Elements to color it. For my comic Kindle, it’s all pencil, which I scan in. I’ll create a background layer and play with grayscale gradients to give it a fuller look and slightly minimize the graininess. I always get excited about my desks. It’s just really nice to have that much space to do stuff, to research and idea building in one area and the technical stuff like drawing in another. Plus it keeps the internet out of reach when I know I need to be productive!

DD: I look at other comic strips or read comic books. I listen to music to get inspiration and use experiences from real life. I try to make time on the weekends and draw and at least 2-3 times during the week. I use Canson comic strip paper, Faber-Castell pens, Sharpies, whatever I need to get the look I’m going for. Sometimes I want bold lines and other times I want delicate lines. Anything to make my art style look unique.

DM: When I draw comics I generally tend to go from a very basic idea. I’m a much stronger writer than I am an artist so if I have a strong idea, I’ll then start making sketches for characters. After I’m comfortable with that, I’ll write down the idea and then go straight to thumbnails. I’ve tried going from an actual written script in the past but I tend to get bored really easily and I like the idea of being surprised where a story can take me. Also I think this just makes for better visual storytelling not being tied to a specific script. When I do thumbnails, I try to do at least three different versions of those thumbnails. I had several teachers hammer it in to me that the first idea you have isn’t necessarily your best so I try to do as many thumbnails as I can before I feel I’ve hit on a really good page layout that communicates what I want to get across in my story. After that I pencil out the story on Bristol. Other things, I do that while won’t get put onto paper the general public sees are warm up exercises. This is really important because it’s really obvious, at least to me, when I’m working on something without having warmed up and none of my stuff looks as loose as it should be. My drawing schedule is generally, since I now have a day job, mostly in the afternoons and evenings anyway which suits me. I don’t know what it is but I have a hard time working in the morning. As for my supplies, it’s a pretty simple list.  I use lead holders with F lead after years of using mechanical pencils and regular pencils. I draw on 500 grade Strathmore Bristol that’s already pre-cut. I use the 500 grade over other grades because it takes ink better which is great for me because I like to lay on huge black spots. As for my inking tools, I’m still trying to figure that out. I’ve been using Faber-Castell Pitt Pens lately but I’m not really satisfied with how that’s making my pages look. I need to make time to go back to practicing with a brush or a nib. However, one of my professors at SCAD told me I should experiment with my making my inks look dirtier in contrast to how clean my line work is so I might stick with a combination of tech pens and brush pens and just mess things up.

Hellboy sketches by Chrissie Zullo.

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