William Keops Ibanez - Pancho Villa

2019.05.18 East Coast Comic Con, Secaucus, NJ

William Keops Ibanez was born in Mexico and moved to the US to attend the School of Visual Arts, from which he earned his B.F.A in illustration. He then attended the Art Institute of New York to earn his associates in graphic design. He has provided work for Gap, Forever 21, Hot Topic, Target and Weras Records

I came across Ibanez' booth as I was getting ready to leave the show. I was only there the one day, so I requested my sketches early so I could pick them up as I leave. Ibanez had an interesting book he was working on, a self published book called Blazing Quantum, True Tales from La Frontera, about a group of Chicano punks in a South Texas border town. The story works in Mexico and America's shared history, which includes the Mexican Revolution, immigration, assimilation and punk rock

I noticed a block print, which Ibanez had created for the Comic Con, featuring Pancho Villa, a Mexican revolutionary general and one of the most prominent figures of Mexican Revolution. As a person who previously did some block printing I had to pick this up. This print was limited to 25 created for the convention.

Len Danovich - Joker

2019.05.18 East Coast Comic Con, Secaucus, NJ

For Len Danovich, every day is Halloween. Danovich utilizes mixed media skills to create colorful artwork of all things ghoulish and macabre. His credits include Mummies by Joe Books, Sublime Grotesque Beauty, IDW Popeye Classics #65 Popeye Zombie variant cover

The Art of Len Danovich 

Illustration Age

Stephen Blickenstaff - Weirdo Monster

2019.05.18 East Coast Comic Con, Secaucus, NJ

Stephen Blickenstaff has been creating monster graphics and illustrations since the early 1980s. He was inspired by the 60s monster culture. His work is often described as a twisted blend of horror and comedy. He had his first work published while still in high school in the 1970s. His work is heavily influenced by Basil Wolverton, Ed Roth and Bernie Wrightson

His work has appeared on album covers and posters for The Cramps, Dr Demento, Los Straitjackets, Southern Culture on the Skids, The Fleshtones and They Might Be Giants. A musician himself he performs with The Atomic Mosquitos and Killers From Space

Blickenstaff is credited with a variant cover for Dynamites's Gwar Orgasmgeddon #1

The ECC hosted several contributors to the Book of Weirdo, a comics anthology from Robert Crumb, published through Last Gap from 1981-1993. The book was a 'low-brow" vehicle for underground artists. The newest compendium, written by Jon B Cooke, is a definitive examination of Weirdo magazine.

pages of the book signed by contributors: Peter Bagge, Kaz, Denis Kitchen, Stephen Blickenstaff, Kim Deitch, Mark Newgarden and John Holmstrom