Wizard Chicago Photo Fest Part 1

This past weekend, fanboys and fangirls came to the great city of Chicago to partake in the geek-gasm that is the Wizard World Chicago convention. I was in attendance for my fifth straight year and it was a great time. I got to meet tons of awesome creators, bought a few things, and took a few pictures. So here for your viewing enjoyment, a few shots from Wizard World Chicago '07...

Outside the belly of the beast.


The craziness that is the con floor.


Wall-o-fanboy-apparel.


Large (but surprisingly light) statue promoting the upcoming BioShock video game.


Bernie

Galaxy Trio - Part Four

With all the characters inked and colored, I couldn't forget the Galaxy Trio's space cruiser, Condor One. Instead of actually drawing the ship, I did a quick, loose sketch on a scratch sheet of paper, scanned it, and finished it in Photoshop. So here's Condor One...Now for the background. Gravity Girl and Vapor Man may be flyers but poor Meteor Man is stuck on the ground. In my original thumbnail sketch for the pinup, I wanted the characters running dramatically towards the camera. So I painted a distant planet surface with a slight tilt to the ground...


After adding the three characters, Condor One, and working some Photoshop magic to make the separate elements come together, here's the final shot...


You can see a bigger version here.

I had a heck of a time trying to render Gravity Girl's powers. In the cartoon, she simply shot a pretty generic gray-colored ray but I wanted to level her up and show how cool looking her powers could be. In the end, I leaned towards an electric crackle, Jedi powers look. I think it came out pretty good. I also added a slight trail to Vapor Man's vapor trail to make it more organic.

The Birdman pinup was fun but this one was a good challenge. I'll have more retro animated pinups in the future but for the next few weeks, it's back to my projects.

Bernie

Galaxy Trio - Part Three

And for the final member of the Galaxy Trio - Gravity Girl.


Gravity Girl’s ability to control gravity allowed her to shoot energy beams to repel, lift, or attract anything that got in her way. Although it's only mentioned in a single episode, it turns out Gravity Girl is also the daughter of the king of Gravitas. Seeing that she's a princess, the first thing I thought of was Wonder Woman and the way she was characterized in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. Wonder Woman was depicted as being regal and powerful and that's exactly what Galaxy Girl should be like. So I gave her face a little more attitude, demonstrated through a strong jaw line and Betty Davis inspired eyes.

Here are the inks...


And here are the colors...


Tune in tomorrow for Condor One and the final pinup.

Bernie

Galaxy Trio - Part Two

Now onto the next member of the Galaxy Trio - Meteor Man.

Meteor Man was a combination of the Fantastic Four’s Mr. Fantastic and the Thing. Not only did he have super strength, Meteor Man could resize any part of his body. Considering I have to balance three characters in the pinup, I didn't want to go crazy with the stretching but I had to give him the huge fists!

Alright, here are the inks...
And here are the colors...
Tune in tomorrow for Gravity Girl.

Bernie

Galaxy Trio - Part One

With the Birdman pinup complete, I decided to take a shot at the super-powered intergalactic patrol known as the Galaxy Trio. As a kid, I didn't see the obvious similarities to the Fantastic Four. Not that it would've mattered. The Galaxy Trio was the perfect combination of superheroes and sci-fi; Superman meets Star Trek. So I was pretty hyped to see the episodes once again in the recent Birdman and The Galaxy trio: The Complete Series DVD release. Onto the pretty pictures...


Vapor Man could turn his body into any type of gas, allowing him to fly and turn into whatever substance was needed to get out of a bind. In my excitement to draw the characters, I forgot to scan in the pencils. But here's the inks....


And here are the colors...


Tune in tomorrow for Meteor Man.

Bernie

Birdman - Part Three

And now for the last part of my Birdman pinup breakdown...

With Birdman and Avenger drawn, inked, and colored, I began working on the background. I'd already thumbed out a few layouts so I knew exactly where the characters would line-up against a blue sky backdrop. Since I'd colored the characters in a very simple, almost flats-only style, I wanted the background to have a painted feel to make the pinup look like a screengrab from the cartoon.

So here's the first layer of the background...

And here's the second layer...


Although I used a few textures for the sky, I added the clouds to give the pinup a little more atmosphere and really push Birdman's and Avenger's positions in mid-flight. But when I dropped the characters into the shot, I realized that the clouds weren't enough. So I added the mountain range in the far distance to frame the characters in the air and, again, establish Birdman's and Avenger's flight.

Alright, here's the final pinup...


You can see a bigger version here. As you can tell, I added Birdman's solar energy blast into the final shot.

When you're drawing the characters separetely, it gives you the freedom to move them around to get the best balance. Think Colorforms. But if you don't have a clue what your background is going to be, composition becomes a case of trial-by-accident. Sometimes good, sometimes frustrating. In my case, my initial thumbnail sketch gave me all the guidance I needed to put the pinup together. And as I completed the elements and brought them together, the pinup really gelled.

Hope you enjoyed the breakdown. Next up: The Galaxy Trio!

Bernie

Birdman - Part Two

With Birdman complete, it's on to his loyal eagle sidekick, Avenger. I did a few head sketches to get him right and in the end, the best body and the best head turned up on two separate sheets of paper.

So here's both elements, already inked (sorry, forgot to scan in the pencils this time)...After some serious high-rez scanning and a little digital construction, our purple friend was in one piece. And here are Avenger's colors in all their Photoshop glory...Tune in tomorrow for the final image.

Bernie

Birdman - Part One

After watching a marathon of Space Ghost and Birdman episodes, I got the itch to draw up some retro animated goodness. I've already drawn my version of Space Ghost so now it's onto Birdman and his trusty eagle sidekick Avenger.

After doing a few quick thumbnails and working out some layouts, I started on the characters. As of late, I've been drawing the characters separately from the background and I've been getting some good results. Let's see if I can keep up the trend.

First the Birdman pencils...

Followed by inks...
As you can tell, I finished the left leg in the inking stage and also altered his right hand. At first, I wanted a strong fist emitting Birdman's solar rays but rather than giving him two blocky fists, I opted for the open right hand. While most of the line weights are thick and almost brush-like, the lines under his energy shield are meant to be thinner because I plan to make the shield slightly transparent.

With the inks in the can, I scanned the pic and added the colors in Photoshop...

Overall, I'm really happy with the way this came out. To coinside with the Kirby-ish inks, I kept the colors flat to give Birdman a real retro cartoon feel. This is also the first time I've employed a color hold (shield, wings) and it turned out pretty good. I'm definitely using this technique again.

That's it for Birdman. Tune in tomorrow for Avenger.

Bernie

Space Ghost and Dino Boy

On the fine Saturday morning of September 10, 1966, kids across America bore witness to the premiere of Hanna-Barbera’s newest creation - Space Ghost and Dino Boy. When you consider the viewing schedule, debuting a new show was quite a risky affair. CBS was airing Underdog, Frankenstein Jr., The Impossibles, The New Adventures of Superman, and the Road Runner. ABC was going strong with Porky Pig, The Beatles, Bugs Bunny, and Magilla Gorilla. And along with reruns of The Flintstones, NBC was broadcasting Atom Ant, Secret Squirrel, and The Jetsons. Tough crowd, to say the least. Nonetheless, Space Ghost and Dino Boy made enough of a lasting impression to endure for over forty years, host his own late-night show spoof, and finally receive a long overdue DVD release.

If you’re not familiar with the show, here’s a quick rundown…

Utilizing his famed Phantom Cruiser to travel the space ways, Space Ghost is an interstellar police officer with the power of invisibility and flight. He also has two potent arm bands that emit a range of energy beams (destroyer rays, ice force field, viso wall, electroshock, hypnoforce will, stun, sonic vibro). With the help of sibling sidekicks Jan, Jace, and their pet monkey Blip, Space Ghost would immerge victorious episode after episode against the threats of Zorak, Brak, Moltar, and the evil Sorcerer. Each Space Ghost episode ran half-an-hour and featured two 8-minute installments. Sandwiched between the Space Ghost sections was an 8-minute installment of Dino Boy in the Lost Valley.

From the show’s intro: “Forced to parachute from a disabled plane, a young boy lands in a mysterious prehistoric valley filled with hidden dangers. When a saber-toothed tiger attacks he is saved by a giant caveman. And so begins the friendship and adventures of Dino Boy and Ugh the Caveman in the Lost Valley!” What they forgot to mention is Todd’s (the young boy’s name) pet dinosaur, a young brontosaurus appropriately called Bronto.

Like myself, fans of the series have only been able to get their hands on the series through comic conventions and ebay. Most of these fan-assembled bootlegs are plagued by bad quality, poor editing, and missing episodes. But thanks to this DVD collection, retro animation lovers can finally toss out the VHS-transferred DVDs and custom made cases for an official Space Ghost and Dino Boy release.

As I popped in the first of the two, double-sided discs in this collection, I quickly realized why I’d forgotten most of Dino Boy’s prehistoric exploits. Nothing against the kid, but his episodes are a little less than inspired. Although caveman Ugh did his best to keep his new young friend out of danger, most of the episodes saw Todd being kidnapped by the Spear Warriors, the Rock Pygmies, or the Worm People. Bronto also gets annoying with his yelping and moaning that sounds identical to Scooby Doo’s voice (which makes sense since both voices were done by veteren voice actor Don Messick). So for me, the real star of this set is Space Ghost.

Some folks refer to Space Ghost as “a space Batman”. I guess that makes sense. He’s got the secret base of operations (The Ghost Planet), a supped-up vehicle (The Phantom Cruiser), a utility belt, sidekicks, and a killer rogues gallery. However, as an eight year old kid watching reruns of the cartoon, I didn’t make the connection. Space Ghost was just, well, Space Ghost. He could fly, turn invisible, and he could shoot just about anything out of his arm bands; everything a growing boy needs in his regular imagination diet. Watching it now, the show comes off campy and somewhat silly, particularly when Blip saves the day. But the retro superheroic value is hard not to appreciate. Of note is the awesome six-part "Council of Doom" storyline where Metallus, Spider-Woman, Creature King, Brak, Zorak, and Moltar team up against Space Ghost. Luckily, our hero is helped by fellow Hanna-Barbera heroes Mightor, the Herculoids and Shazzan.

As far as extras go, disc two of the collection features the 96-minute documentary, Simplicity: The Life and Art of Alex Toth. Toth is recognized as one of the greatest animation desigers and had a significant hand in the creation of both Space Ghost and Dino Boy. The documentary details his career in comics and animation and helps explain why he is regarded as an “artist's artist”. If you’re barely a fan of Dino Boy and a Space Ghost enthusiast in passing, the documentary alone is worth the price of admission.

Technically speaking, it doesn’t seem that the folks behind the DVD made too much of an effort to remaster the picture quality as scratches and spots are visible throughout. But the colors are significantly more vivid than the dull, muted palette I’d been relegated to watching on VHS-quality versions of the cartoon so I’ll keep my complaints to a minimum. The audio is exceptionally clear, especially when Birdman employs his inevitable “Spaaace Ghooost!” call.

Finally, if anyone at Warner Brothers is listening, please stop releasing these DVDs in the impossible to open slim cardboard cases. You practically have to shake the inner DVD case out if you want to get to the discs. Warner Brothers did the same thing for the Batman Beyond: Season 3 and Justice League Unlimited Season 2 releases. If they just stuck to nice and simple, two-disc clam shell cases like they have for The Batman and Teen Titans DVDs, cartoons lovers and fanboys would be much happier. I know I would.

Overall, I'm beyond ecstatic to finally see Space Ghost and Dino Boy on my DVD shelf. And to show that Warner Brothers does know a little something about the audience for these animated classics, they’ve also released Birdman and the Galaxy Trio: The Complete Series DVD in the same week. If The Fantastic Four, The Herculoids, Thundarr, and Mightor are on the horizon, I’ll be in retro toon heaven. Frankly, if the first time you saw Space Ghost was on Coast To Coast, you may not be keen on this DVD release. But if you’re a fan of the classic cartoons, it’s a must buy.

Birdman and the Galaxy Trio

It’s hard to believe that Birdman and the Galaxy Trio originally debuted forty years ago on September 9, 1967 on NBC. Not that I’m old enough to have seen the show during its initial run, (I watched the reruns during my youth), but just the thought that these cartoons have been around for four decades and have maintained a strong following is pretty amazing.

Think about all the Saturday morning and weekday afternoon cartoons that have come and gone, forgotten by generations and generations of kids now adults. So why is it that a sun-powered superhero with wings sporting a sidekick eagle and a trio of super-powered space patrolmen have not only survived but merit a DVD release? Well, believe it or not, Birdman and the Galaxy Trio are classics. Cinema has Citizen Kane, Gone with the Wind, and The Maltese Falcon. The literary world has The Scarlet Letter, Huckleberry Finn, and To Kill a Mockingbird. And somewhere between Max Fleisher’s Superman, Popeye, and Space Ghost, Birdman and the Galaxy Trio have a place in the in the animation hall of fame.

Back in 1967, after the success of the Space Ghost and Dino Boy cartoon, Hanna-Barbera produced a new series featuring the winged hero known as Birdman. Bestowed powers by the Egyptian sun god Ra, Ray Randall used flight and solar rays to fight criminals, evil masterminds, and super villains. Alongside his loyal eagle Avenger, Birdman received assistance from an eye-patch wearing government agent named Falcon 7 in his weekly battles against the ill-famed likes of Murro the Marauder, Shado the Brain Thief, Nitron the Human Bomb, and arch nemesis Vulturo. Each Birdman episode ran half-an-hour and featured two 8-minute installments of the winged crusader. Between each Birdman sections was an 8-minute installment of The Galaxy Trio.

The Galaxy Trio was made up of Vapor Man, Meteor Man, and Gravity Girl. Vapor Man could turn his body into any type of gas, allowing him to fly and turn into whatever substance was needed to get out of a bind. Meteor Man was a combination of the Fantastic Four’s Mr. Fantastic and the Thing. Not only did he have super strength, Meteor Man could resize any part of his body. Gravity Girl’s ability to control gravity allowed her to shoot energy beams to repel, lift, or attract anything that got in her way. Together, the trio patrolled the universe and maintained law and order. When innocent aliens were terrorized by baddies such as Computron, Plateaus the Pirate Planet, and the enslaving Cave Men of Primevia, the Galaxy Trio were never too far thanks to their ship, Condor One.

Like myself, fans of the series have only been able to get their hands on the series through comic conventions and ebay. Most of these fan-assembled bootlegs are plagued by bad quality, poor editing, and missing episodes. But thanks to this DVD collection, retro animation lovers can finally toss out the VHS-transferred DVDs and custom made cases for an official Birdman and the Galaxy Trio release.

Having watched the two, double-sided DVDs, the episodes are as great as ever. Certainly, the episodes maintain an extraordinary level of camp and cheesiness but it’s all in the name of good, old fashioned superheroics. I was immediately transported to my days as a kid, sitting in front of the television and enjoying a good Birdman thrashing before heading off to school. It sounds cliché, but they just don’t make cartoons like this anymore. Not that they could; children would laugh the show out of ratings and its time slot. But for fans of pure “good guy wears wings and bad guy has a pointy nose” entertainment, you can’t get much better.

Technically speaking, it doesn’t seem that the folks behind the DVD made too much of an effort to remaster the picture quality as scratches and spots are visible throughout. But the colors are significantly more vivid than the dull, muted palette I’d been relegated to watching on VHS-quality versions of the cartoon so I’ll keep my complaints to a minimum. The audio is exceptionally clear, especially when Birdman employs his inevitable “Biiiirrdmannn!” call. In addition to the episodes, there’s also a short featurette. Titled Birdman: The Forgotten Hero, the featurette is an interview with one of the co-creators of Harvey Birdman at Law (the comedic Adult Swim spoof where Birdman is an attorney who represents and prosecutes other Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters) as he goes over the show’s history and highlights Alex Toth’s amazing design work.

Finally, if anyone at Warner Brothers is listening, please stop releasing these DVDs in the impossible to open slim cardboard cases. You practically have to shake the inner DVD case out if you want to get to the discs. Warner Brothers did the same thing for the Batman Beyond: Season 3 and Justice League Unlimited Season 2 releases. If they just stuck to nice and simple, two-disc clam shell cases like they have for The Batman and Teen Titans DVDs, cartoons lovers and fanboys would be much happier. I know I would.

Overall, I'm beyond ecstatic to finally see Birdman and the Galaxy Trio on my DVD shelf. And to show that Warner Brothers does know a little something about the audience for these animated classics, they've also released Space Ghost and Dino Boy: The Complete Series DVD in the same week. If The Fantastic Four, The Herculoids, Thundarr, and Mightor are on the horizon, I’ll be in retro toon heaven. Frankly, if the first time you saw Birdman was in a courtroom, you may not be keen on this DVD release. But if you’re a fan of the classics, it’s a must buy.

Harry Potter

I work part time at one of the big chain bookstores. And in the event that you didn't know, the final installment of the Harry Potter series was released at midnight. The store hosted a number of activities before the clock struck 12:01 and the books could officially be sold. So after dealing with over a thousand rabid Potter fanatics nonstop for quite a few hours, I wasn't surprised this is what came out.

Brush lines...

Colors...

Bernie

Space Ghost: My Hero

Originally, this essay was printed in the San Diego Comic Con '06 souvenir book. They also published a pinup I did for the book. But with this Tuesday's release of the Space Ghost/Dino Boy: The Complete Series DVD, I figured I'd pull this piece from the archives and share a little about one of my favorite animated heroes...

It was probably around the late 80s, when I was nine or ten years old, that I saw my first episode of the 1960s Space Ghost cartoon. Before heading off to school, I’d already formed the bad habit of watching television as I ate breakfast. Fortunately, for me, instead of being forced to watch Sesame Street or Mr. Rogers Neighborhood due to a lack of viewing options, a local station aired reruns of various Hanna-Barbera cartoons. My morning menu? A bowl of cereal and milk with a healthy dose of Dino Boy, Birdman, The Herculoids, and The Galaxy Trio.

And while I grew to love each of these shows, I must admit that Space Ghost was always my favorite.

At the time, I didn’t know who or what Hanna-Barbera was. I didn’t know that the show ran before my time on CBS back in 1966 through 1968. I didn’t know who Alex Toth was. And I didn’t know who the voices behind the characters were. That didn’t mater to me.

But I knew that Space Ghost had two red wristbands with yellow buttons that he used to electroshock/hypnoforce will/stun/sonic vibro the bad guys. I knew he had a button on his belt that made him invisible or created a force field. I knew that he could fly in space on his own or in his Phantom Cruiser. And I knew that by the end of the episode, with the help of Jan, Jace, and Blip, Space Ghost would immerge victorious against the sinister threats of Zorak, Brak, Moltar, and the Sorcerer.

In retrospect, I didn’t know much…but the little I knew has made for great childhood memories. It’s also in retrospect that I write this article. You see, 2006 was Space Ghost’s 40th Anniversary.

You may not have known that…and that’s okay. I’m sure few were even aware of this milestone beyond the few faithful Space Ghost followers in the crowd. But I feel guilty in admitting that while I’ve loved the character for over 20 years, I was completely ignorant of his birthday.

I’ll leave it to other articles and the various fan websites to document the history and particulars of the show. Why? Because this article is personal. Space Ghost isn’t just another superhero to me; he’s the superhero. Before I met Captain America, Spiderman, Batman, or Superman, I knew Space Ghost. He became (what they call in psychology) my hero archetype. To be completely accurate, he became my superhero archetype.

I didn’t collect comics as a kid, so I didn’t know about the adventures going on with the Avengers, the Incredible Hulk, the Legion of Superheroes, or the Justice League of America. Anything happening in comics was on paper. The stories were good enough to keep me entertained, but even the best giant-sized annual couldn’t compare to an 8-minute Space Ghost episode.

Time and time again, I’d seen Space Ghost rocket through the galaxy, marvelously brought to “life” through the power of animation. Sure, Silver Surfer could fly through space, but he would always be stuck in the panel. He may have been the herald of Galactus, but in the end, the Silver Surfer (and any other superhero for that matter) could never compare to Space Ghost. Maybe it’s the difference between reading a book and watching a movie? That’s probably a logical parallel. But if you’ve seen those nature documentaries where the newborn animal patterns their behavior based on the first thing they see, you may have a better understand of what I’m trying to say.

But if you don’t, that’s okay.

Recent incarnations of Space Ghost have seen him going “Coast to Coast” on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim's spoof on late-night television shows. In 2004, DC Comics also released a six-issue miniseries covering his origin and the tragic circumstances that led to his becoming Space Ghost. But if these are the only interpretations of the character that you know, I implore you to watch a single episode of the 1966-1968 series. Just one 8-minute episode. I’ll admit that the animation comes off somewhat dated and the stories are certainly not without a solid measure of camp, but you’ll get to see Space Ghost as the superhero he was originally intended to be. And as the superhero I saw back when I was nine or ten.

Space Ghost is 41, and I’ve been a fan for half that time. I still watch the episodes. I’ve managed to collect some rare Space Ghost merchandise. And I’ve learned who William Hanna, Joseph Barbera, Alex Toth, and Gary Owens are and what they mean to the character.

But it still doesn’t matter that the show ran before my time.

Space Ghost will always be my first superhero.

Bernie

The Damned

I’m becoming harder to impress in my old age, specifically when it comes to comics.

The Big Two keep putting out mega-crossover after countdown crisis, further alienating me from the cape and cowl set. Sure, Marvel and DC don’t represent all of the funny-book sales pie, but there’s no arguing they’re the Goliaths when compared to Dark Horse/Image/Devils Due’s David.

It’s not that I have anything against superheroes. Really, I don’t.

Superheroes represent the largest and most popular genre in the comics landscape. And while I can enjoy the occasional Superman, Batman, or Spider-Man romp, the spandex-clad boys and girls just don’t do it for me like they used to back in the day.

I equate it to the first time I saw a Marilyn Monroe pinup. Dear God, she left me speechless. I’d never seen a woman like her, ever. But after watching Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and The Seven Year Itch a few dozen times, I stumbled onto Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, and Ingrid Bergman. They became my new Marilyn Monroe. Each of them was a screen beauty but they were also great, classy actresses. My standards escalated a few levels. You might say the same happened to me with comics.

After stomaching poly-bagged, chrome, die-cut #1’s with more style than substance, I’ve come to demand more than just a pretty face. I want a good script and solid, consistent artwork that fits the story. Consequently, while my pull list has gotten smaller and smaller over the last few years, the books I do buy I tend to enjoy a great deal. So coming from a picky comics reader with a pretty high standard, it’s few and far between when I buy a book that simply floors me. But I’ll be damned if The Damned didn’t make this jaded fanboy stand up and take notice.

The Damned: Three Days Dead is a new trade paperback from writer Cullen Bunn and artist Brian Hurtt. It was originally released as a five-issue miniseries through Oni Press. I picked up the first three issues but ultimately employed the “wait for the trade” approach. So when the trade was announced, I quickly snatched it up. And now that I’ve read the entire story, I’m ready to shout down from the mountain on how amazing this book is.

The story follows Eddie, a hothead gangland enforcer that happens to be caught in the middle of a mob war. However, instead of featuring Corleone versus Sollozzo, Bunn and Hurtt’s version of mafia hostilities involves demons, ghosts, and devilish half-breeds. And while Eddie is most definitely a tough guy, he also happens to be dead man. That’s dead, as in, not alive. That doesn’t prevent demon boss Big Al from bringing Eddie back from the grave to finish a very important job. If it wasn’t enough that he can’t die, Eddie has to uncover a conspiracy of deceit and murder that runs through all the families and straight to hell.

The combination of prohibition-era gangsters and the supernatural may sound like a bizarre pairing but Bunn and Hurtt pull it off in spades. Cullen Bunn’s script is tight and well-paced. His dialogue is right out of the best crime/noir fiction without sounding contrived or derivative. Everyone talks like a tough guy but Bunn never gets lost in the sarcastic back-and-forths. Through Eddie, Bunn gives us a wise guy main character and an insider’s view into this strange world; a world where monsters run rackets and souls serve as currency. As we follow Eddie on his precarious journey towards the truth, Bunn keeps us on our toes. He hits us with double-crosses, betrayal, a femme fatale with a twist, and a giant demon hitman. The plot gets dirtier and dirtier but the writing remains spotless.

When it comes to the artwork, Brian Hurtt brings the pain. In a good way. Having seen his early work in Oni’s Skinwalker and Three Strikes, it’s easy to see that Hurtt has matured as an artist. His arcs on Oni’s Queen and Country, DC’s Gotham Central, and DC’s Hard Time provided the refining stints needed to bring his skills to the next level. In The Damned, Hurtt’s linework is terrific, bringing to mind shades of Mike Hawthorne and Guy Davis. The book may be in black and white but the lack of color compliments the story. Hurtt’s use of grayscales is spot on, adding a gritty, film noir texture to the pages. If anything, my only criticism would be that the visual pacing is sometimes rushed. This may be a simple matter of page restraints (remember, this was originally released as five, 22-page issues). Classic hard-boiled cinema like The Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep, and The Third Man let the characters fill the screen to heighten the noir atmosphere. I’m not talking about decompression; I’m talking about letting the pacing breathe a little longer and heavier, page constraints be damned (which I guess in this case would fit perfectly). But I’ll bite my tongue from further comment because, truly, Hurtt has outdone himself on this book.

If you can’t tell, I loved The Damned. And lucky for me, this October brings a three issue sequel titled The Damned: Prodigal Sons. But if you’re a still tentative about checking out The Damned: Three Days Dead, you can read the first 23-pages absolutely free at the Oni Press website. If you enjoy the preview, go to your local comic shop, run to Barnes and Noble, or order it over at Amazon. But more importantly, spread the word.

Link: The official The Damned comic website

Link: Online interview with writer Cullen Bunn and artist Brian Hurtt

Link: Around Comics episode #74 - Podcast interview with writer Cullen

Bernie

Indie Pulp

Although my original intentions for this blog have changed, I try to post on a regular basis to keep the creative writing juices flowing. I'm working on a few kick ass projects at the moment but it's a nice escape to write up a quick post about an upcoming comic/graphic novel/movie/DVD/animation/whatever that happens to draw my attention.

Most of the time I just jot down a few sentences and share some of the same links I've found. And other times, I get on a 200-300 word soapbox and put together a review. So, when I was asked to be a contributor to a new website focused on comics/graphic novels/movies/DVDs/animaition/whatever, I couldn't say no.

Although it's still a work in progress, the site is called Indie Pulp. Make sure to check it out in the coming weeks/months for more info. And if you'd like to contribute your two cents, contact the Indie Pulp's editor at editor@indiepulp.com.

Anyway, outside of a few graphic novel and DVD reviews, one of my first contributions to the site is the main masthead image. The editor is going to feature different interpretations of "Indie Pulp" by different comic artists and mine is the first to go up. And considering that I know some of the artists that'll be putting pen to paper for their own version of the masthead, it's very good company.

For my rendition, I took the word pulp to heart. Thinking about those sweet 50s/Hitchcock/Saul Bass movie posters, I put down a few Post-It note sketches and came up with this...


I blew up the thumbnail and 30 minutes later, I came up with this tighter drawing...


And then it was onto the magical land of Photoshop. After scanning the drawing, I dropped in a dirty yelow/green background to set a gritty tone. I added some noise and scratches to play up the wear and tear. And a quick search through my font library got me the pulp-styled look I wanted for the "Indie Pulp" title. The final step was bringing in some much needed red to create a good contrast with the heavy black inks.


After another 30 minutes in Photoshop, 90% of the illustration was complete. But the design felt a little weak. I started tinkering with the layout by situating the guy between the alley walls. Centering him cleared up the right side of the drawing and drew attention to his black silouette against the red smoke. But the left side was still weak. So I started thinking about who wrote the words on the wall and realized that it'd be much more menacing and shocking if a half-lifted arm popped out of the corner with blood dripping from the fingers. Here's the final shot, in it's full pulp-era poster glory...


Bernie