Alex Saviuk - Spider-Man

2012.03.31 NY Comic Book Marketplace, NYC

Alex Saviuk started his professional career in 1977 at DC Comics, illustrating Green Lantern, the Flash and Superman. By the 1980's he was the regular backup feature artist on Action Comics illustrating stories that featured the Atom, Air-Wave and Aquaman. Saviuk and writer E. Nelson Bridwell introduced the Global Guardians in DC Comics Presents #46 (1982)...

Moving to marvel Comics in 1986, Saviuk became the key artist on Spider-Man, which included a 7-year run on Web of Spider-Man and 2-year run on Spider-Man Adventures. Since 1997 Saviuk has drawn The Amazing Spider-Man Sunday newspaper comic strip...

Saviuk has also illustrated Topps Comics The X-Files, 1997-1998...

Saviuk has co-created Sunburst, with Paul Kupperberg; Olympian with E. Nelson Bridwell; Tombstone, with Gerry Conway and the New Enforcers, with Terry Kavanagh...

Matt and I obtained matching Spider-Man drawings during the show...

Isaiah McAllister - Bear VS. Zombies

2012.11.11 Albany Comic Con, Albany, NY

So what does a bear do in the woods?
During a zombie apocalypse he kills zombies, aided by a yo-yo wielding rabbit!

Bear VS. Zombies is an action adventure, humor web-comic from Isaiah McCallister. He got the idea after reading The Walking Dead comic book series. Working with a previously created bear character, McCallister developed the story line of a zombie apocalypse from the view point of the animals.

I read a review of the web-comic that although the reviewer liked the story he had a problem with the pop-culture references being made by a bear and a rabbit. Really! Bear kills zombies with a bow and arrow and the rabbit, Duncan (get it!?), masterfully brandishes twin yo-yos better than Tommy Smothers!!  And he was concerned with their knowledge of the human world!!!

Bear VS. Zombie has been published in a comic book by Scrimmage Books.

McCallister has also provided sketch cards for Marvel Avengers, Star Wars, Vampirella, Warlord of Mars, Transformers, DC Comics...

As of this post McAllister has delayed further posts of Bear vs Zombies due to his busy schedule with sketch cards for various companies...

For this sketch I used a cover with a 1990 pictorial cancel which features a teddy bear. The cancel is from Clarion, Iowa home of the Heartland Museum, which features the Artist Teddy Bear Exhibit. 1990 was the first Teddy Bear Reunion, which is held every 5-years in Clarion...

Joe Orsak - Mia Hamm

2012.11.11 Albany Comic Con, Albany, NY - Mia Hamm pencil sketch

When I read the guest list for the Albany Comic Con, I recognized the name Joe Orsak. I had previously obtained a quick sketch of Elektra from Joe during a comic book and baseball card show at the Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY in 1992. While I was looking over his site Master Graphics I noted Orsak's work on sports related postal event covers. I thought this would be a great opportunity to obtain a sketch of US Women's Soccer star Mia Hamm on a 1996 Olympic Cover.

I had originally gone to the show, in 1992, to obtain autographs of the 1969 New York Mets and had hoped to meet Todd MacFarlane, but the line at his table was so long, I think there are a few people still waiting. Besides Orsak, I obtained a sketch of The Thing from Tom Morgan, who had worked as a penciller, inker and cover artist for Marvel Comics on Captain America, Punisher 2099 and Iron Man, as well as Action Comics and The Adventures of Superman for DC Comics...

and Jordan Raskin, who started his career in the 90s drawing "Predator: Race War" for Dark Horse Comics and "Ripclaw" for Top Cow, along with Tomb of Terror, Batman, Negative Burn, Spider-Man, Blood of Kali and other titles. Raskin has since moved on to animation working on "Courage the Cowardly Dog" as well as "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"... Predator by Raskin

Since tomorrow is home opening day for the NY Redbulls 2013 season and I will be at the game, I will complete this post with a recent acquisition of a hand painted World Cup Soccer FDC by Don Thompson...

Bob Burden - Flaming Carrot

2012.10.30 Flaming Carrot, posted Atlanta, Ga

While checking out Kickstarter projects I came across Bob Burden's Flaming Carrot Hardback & Digital Comics, which was successfully funded on September 9, 2012. One of the incentives for becoming a backer of the project was a Bob Burden postcard (8.5 x 5.5) with artwork to cheer up whoever it was sent to. The project backer could request any Flaming Carrot character drawn by Burden with a greeting. (I left it up to Burden to chose the character). I am not quite sure how an offer for a reverse home mortgage could cheer me up. Oh, wait there's no qualifying credit requirements!!!

There were several great incentives but I could not walk away from receiving a sketch on a postcard sent through the mails...

The postcard front features the Flaming Carrot cover for The Wild Shall Wild Remain, the project is a re-issue of the previously release stories (4-11) in a signed numbered hard cover edition...

Bob Burden created the Flaming Carrot in 1979, when he appeared in Visions #1 published by the Atlanta Fantasy Fair.  The Flaming Carrot has been published by Aardvark-Vanaheim, Renegade Press, Dark Horse Comics, Image Comics and has appeared alongside the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The Carrot's origin states that having read 5,000 comics in a single sitting to win a bet, this poor man suffered brain damage. He wears a giant carrot mask and is an original member of the Mystery Men...

Burden created Mystery Men and has written for Gumby, Cholly & Flytrap with Arthur Suydam and Robot Comics...

Gary Fields - Huckleberry Hound

2012.09.29 Asbury Park, NJ

Gary is heavily influenced by the cartoons he watched growing up, which works perfectly for the books he draws. His titles (as writer, penciller, inker or colorist) include:
DC comics - Cartoon Network, Dexter's Lab, Cow & Chicken, Billy & Mandy, the Jetsons, Sgt Rock, Scooby-Doo
Hanna-Barbera stories that included Peter Potamus, Yogi Bear, Wally Gator, Wacky Races, Augie Doogie...

Hellboy pin-up in Hellboy Weird Tales #8...

Image Comics - Popgun, Action Planet...

Rugrats newspaper comic strip...

Nickelodeon magazine gag cartoons...
Topps - Duckman
Marvel - Biker Mice from Mars, What If?, Earthworm Jim, Rocko's Modern Life (with Darren Auck)
Airwave - Mr magoo's Holiday Special
Spotlight Comics - Underdog, Mighty Mouse
Archie Comics - TMNT, Jughead's Pal Hot Dog
First Comics - Grimjack
.......and many others....

Huckleberry Hound is a laid-back blue dog with a Southern drawl, created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, making his first appearance in 1958 in Huckleberry Hound Meets Wee Willie. I have strong memories of the Huckleberry Hound show, as I remember watching Huck and Yogi Bear and all the H-B characters during my chidlhood..

"Oh my darling, Oh my darling, Oh my darling Clementine

Thou are lost an gone forever, dreadful sorry Clementine..."

The stamp honors Owney (1887-1897) a stray mixed breed terrier adopted by the post office in Albany, NY, traveling throughout the 48 contiguous states as a mascot of the Railway Post Office. Owney is the subject of an exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum and honored by the Postal Service July 27, 2011...

Words from Gary Fields

Darren Auck - Rocko's Modern Life

2012.08.04 The Great Allentown Comic Con! (Pa)

Rocko attending a The Great Allentown Comic Con!

After graduating from the Kubert School in 1983, Darren worked for Pacific Comics and DC Comics. He would then spend 10 years with Marvel Comics as a bullpenner, freelance writer and artist and art director. Auck has served a writer for titles Sgt. Rock, Elvira's House of Mystery, Talent Showcase... 

He has pencilled the Avengers: Galactic Storm, Generation X, Marvel Comics Presents, Marvel Holiday Special 1991, The Ren & Stimpy Show, Rocko's Modern Life, The Sensational She-Hulk, and many others...

Some of his clients include Rodal Press, Workman Publishing, New York Life Insurance Co., Nikelodeon, The New York Financial Writers Association, The Rock Ban AC/DC and varous trading card companies...

Rocko's Modern Life was a Nikelodeon Nicktoons animated series created by Joe Murray (1993-1996). The story revolved around the surreeal advaentures of an anthropomorphic wallaby Rocko and his friends a steer, Heffer, a turtle, Filburt and Rocko's dog Spunky.

Marvel Comics published Rocko's Modern Life from June 1994 to December 1994 (7 issues). The comics contained stories not seen in the Nicktoons series...

Paul Abrams - Lady Blackhawk

2012.11.11 Albany Comic Con, Albany, NY

The Blackhawk Sqaudron was created by Will Eisner, Chuck Cuidera and Bob Powell, appearing in Military Comics #1, 1941...The Blackhawks were a team of World War II ace pilots, led by Blackhawk  (Bart Hawk). the original team featured an international group of pilots, Andre (France), Olaf (Sweden or Norway depending on the comic), Chuck (American), Hans (Dutch), Stanislaus (Poland) Chop-Chop later named Wu Cheng (China) and Zinda Blake known as Lady Blackhawk (American).

Other members who saw limited time were Zeg (Poland), Boris (Russia), Baker (England).

In 1987 Dc revamped the story line under Howard Chaykin making the leader Janos Prohaska (Poland), adding Chuck (NJ raised Italian), Ritter (Dutch) and Natalie Reed as Lady Blackhawk (America). Occasional members included Grover (America), Paco (Mexico), Mairzey (Malaysia).

Zinda Blake would reappear during Zero Hour: Crisis in Time (1994) and join Birds of Prey....

The aircraft used in the comics were actual jets used at the time the comic was published including the Grumman XF5F Skyrocket, Lockheed F-94 Starfire, Republic F-84 Thunderjet

The Blackhawks were first published by Quality Comics and then by DC Comics which ran the series for 243 issues, ending in 1968. 

I have not had any interest in the DC New 52. The only book I was reading was the Blackhawks which was canceled after 8 issues...

Paul Abrams is both a fine artist and comic book artists, often painting mystical still life and dramatic moody landscapes. He strives for beauty and mystery, translating into an art reflecting magical wonder.

Abrams has provided art for First Comics: Badger; Marvel Comics: Marvel Universe, Nick Fury Shield, Wolverine, The Avenger, Excalibur; DC Comics: TSR Worlds, Forgotten Realms; Malibu Comics: Mantra, The Strangers; Hero Graphics: Tigress, Flare Adventures; Warp Comics: Elfquest; Heavy Metal Magazine; Lightning Comics: War Party, Curse of Dreadwolf, Catfight, Hellina, Claire Voyant and many others.....

The first day cover features the US stamp honoring Gen Billy Mitchell, regarded as the father of the US Air Force. Mitchell fought in WWI and the Spanish-American War and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, WWI Victory Medal, Congressional Gold Medal...

Jeff Bellio - Denny (Finding Gossamyr)

2012.11.11 Albany Comic Con, Albany, NY

Jeff Bellio has provided cover art for the Th3rd World Studios comic Finding Gossamyr and art for  Darkstalkers Tribute...

When a brilliant young boy, Denny, solves the most perplexing math puzzle in the world, he and his sister, Jenna, are transported to the fantasy world of Gossamyr. A land where math is magic. Denny's ability to solve theorems that would drive anyone else insane makes him a target for the dark forces of the land...

I asked Bellio to provide a sketch of the main character, Denny, on this Classroom first day cover, and he did an excellent rendition. You can see more of Jeff's work on his deviantART page...brilliant!!!

Published by Th3rd World Studios, Finding Gossamyr is written by David Rodriguez, with art by Sarah Ellerton. I picked up a special edition of the book at the Albany Comic Con, which combines chapters 1 & 2, with cover art by Jackie Santiago. I usually do not provide critiques of books, but Th3rd World Studios has been producing some great work with Finding Gossamyr and one of my favorites Stuff of Legends...

Superbowl Sunday

1986 J. Adams of Dayton, Oh - hand drawn cachet

With Superbowl XLVII Sunday February3, 2013, New Orleans, La, approaching I thought I would post a couple of non-comic related covers. I know nothing about either artist, however the first cover honors Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne, who coached from 1918-1930 collecting 105 wins, 12 losses and 5 ties. 3 National Championships, 5 undefeated seasons and a trip to the 1925 Rose Bowl for a victory, very impressive... Rockne also played for Noter Dame from1910-1913...

Rockne, elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951, is credited with popularizing the use of the forward pass. Prior to this, play consisted of runs and short pitches...

I enjoy this cover as the Notre Dame fan seems to be giving it all for the team!!!

I picked this cover up on ebay recently. Not great art but a fan event cover. Created by the addressee Chest C. Abel, the cover features a hand drawn football field and is postmarked Aug 1, 1981 Fort Collins, Co, where the Denver Broncos held their training camp at Colorado State University (from 1962-1964, 1976-1981)...

The cover, with admission ticket, commemorated a team scrimmage Chester attended. The Broncos would finish the 1981 season 10-6, 2nd in the AFC West, under head coach Dan Reeves. Notable players on the Broncos team include Craig  Morton, Rob Lytle, Rick Upchurch and Randy Gradishar.

I purchased this cover because I liked the fan-based art commemorating something he attended, something he enjoyed. I have created a few fan based covers myself over the years, but it gets tougher with lack of co-operation at some of the postal stations. It does not stop me, but has made the success rate smaller.

Here is one of mine with a football commemorative cancel from 1984, Milwaukee, Wi used for the UWMPSEX 84 stamp show. The cover is signed by Kyle Rote (NY Giants 1951-1961) and OJ Anderson (StL Cardinals 1979-1986, NY Giants 1986-1992)

Even if your team is not playing in the bowl this year (mine are not) enjoy the game, enjoy the event!

Charles Dowd - Lilith Dark

2012.08.04 The Great Allentown Comic Con! (Pa)

Charles Dowd is a Baltimore based artist and illustrator specializing in the darker surreal side of fantasy art. He is the creator of Lilith Dark, an all-ages graphic novel about a young girl with a wild imagination who discovers that evil beasties live in a tree in her backyard...

Hello Beastie. I do not fear you for I am Lilith Dark!

Lilith Dark is a web-based comic that has found it's way to print format. Lilith made it's debut September 2010. I had not read the web-comic, but after reading the book I have to see what happens next!

I enjoy the use of a child's imagination, like the stuffed Dinosaurus turning into a real dinosaur (a la Calvin and Hobbes, but that's ok becasue Calvin and Hobbes are great) that's what allows the story line to take what ever turn it wants. Watch out for the Beasties...

Lilith Dark

Robert McCall - Space Accomplishments

1992 US-USSR Space Accomplishments (Artmaster cachet w. McCall sketch)

Robert McCall (1919-2010) has done more than any other artist to enable the general public to envision the accomplishments of the American space program. His first illustrations were of Alan Shepard aboard his  Mercury space capsule, up to the launch of the Space Shuttle. His works are viewed by millions very year as part of the National Air and Space Museum displays in Washington, DC...

NASA invited many artists to capture history in the making and McCall was on site at the beginning of the US space program. Although photography was extensively utilized, NASA administrator James Webb first invited artist James Dean, in 1962 to create art inspired by the fledgling space program. The following year the first group of artists, which would reach about 350 artists, started recording the history of maned space flight. The list of artists includes Norman Rockwell, Andy Warhol, Annie Leibovitz, Paul Calle, Robert Rauschenberg. The concept was that different artists would view the same subject in different ways the mind sees, feels and reacts, as stated by Dean... The art collection would grow to contain paintings, sketches, sculptures, poetry, dance and song. The majority of the collection are housed in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum...

McCall would also design several stamps for the USPS. His first stamp design for the USPS was the 1971 Decade of Achievement twin stamp issue. Others include the 1973 Pioneer Spacecraft, 1974 Skylab, 1975 Apollo-Soyuz, 1978 Viking Mission to Mars, 1981 Space Shuttle (pane of 8 stamps)...

McCall has also worked on Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, the Star Trek movies and Disney's The Black Hole...

I had written to McCall on several occasions to obtain an autograph on a space fdc, for which he signed and return. I was never lucky enough to have obtained a sketch on cover. When I found the above on E-Bay, I had to bid and feel very lucky to have this as part of my collection...

Issued May 29, 1992 in conjunction with the World Columbian Stamp Expo `92 the block of 4 stamps feature most of the significant moments of the previous 35 years of both the American and Russian space programs. The stamp above features a Russian cosmonaut and the US space shuttle...

Mike Royer - Green Arrow

2012.12.28 mail-commissioned Green Arrow

Mike Royer career has covered many aspects of comic art. Starting out his career as an assistant to Russ Manning, on comic book titles Magnus, Robet Fighter and Tarzan, as well as inking the Tarzan and Star Wars newspaper strips. Continuing on various comics including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids, Speed Buggy, Space Ghost, Creepy, eerie and Vampirella. Providing layout work for the Spiderman animated series...

Worked for 14 years on staff with the Walt Disney Company creative department designing and directing the Dick Tracy and 3D Rocketeer read-along books. He created the new-look Winnie the Pooh in 1993, and a 43 minute video "How to Draw Pooh" tutorial...

The DC comics Green Arrow is credited as having been drawn by Jack Kirby and inked by Mike Royer. Royer provides a different story about the image used on the stamp....

Portion of an interview from the Silver Age Sage, by way of Cartoon Philately and Mike Rhodes (thanks):

Bryan D. Stroud: Did you get credit for the postage stamp that features your Green Arrow?

Mike Royer: No, no. What really gripes me about that…I tried to set the record straight in the Jack Kirby Collector, but I don't think it ever resonated with anybody. Everybody talks about the "Green Arrow stamp inked by Mike Royer." DC sent me a scan of a photo-copy of a western Jack Kirby 1950s character named Bullseye. He was in fringe, leathers, a cowboy hat with a feather, pulling back on a bow and inked by somebody who inked his own personality over Jack's pencils, rather than inking it the way Jack would have inked it. DC asked, "Can you take this pose and make it an early 1970's Jack Kirby/Mike Royer Green Arrow?" Which is exactly what I did. It's his pose, his stance, his dynamics, but I made it Green Arrow with his entirely different costume, all the folds, etc., and everything else the way I believe Jack would have penciled it in the '70's, so I don't think it's fair to just say that it's "Green Arrow inked by Mike Royer." It was printed on a comic book (used on the cover of The Jack Kirby Omnibus, volume one starring Green Arrow); a special one-shot reprint of Kirby's '50's Green Arrow and then a few years later it winds up being on a postage stamp.

© 2012 by B.D.S.

Jack Kirby's Bullseye compared to the Kirby-Royer Green Arrow stamp.

In 1954 Joe Simon and Jack Kirby started their own company called Mainline. One of the titles from Mainline was Bullseye, Western Scout. Bullseye is born during an indian attack, escaping with his Grandfather, Deadeye Dick, who along with an Indian scout, Long Drink raise the boy to become a master marksman. The first issue was drawn by Jack Kirby and inked by John Prentice...

JK Woodward - Doctor Who

2012.08.04 The Great Allentown Comic Con! (Pa)

JK Woodward has been recently working with IDW Comics on the Star Trek Next Generation  - Doctor Who Assimilation2 crossover.

Signed copy of issue #3 which features Doctor's #4 and #11, Capts Picard and Kirk...

IDW started the Assimilation2 crossover in May 2012, written by David Tipton, Scott Tipton and Tony Lee, with art by J.K. Woodward and David Messina, as a 8-issue series...When the Federation's most terrifying enemy strikes an unholy alliance with the Doctor's most hated antagonists, the result is devastation...a partnership between the Cybermen and the Borg...

The issue pictured featured the Doctor remembering back to a time when he (as Doctor #4) visited Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise for the first time...

Issue #3 Woodward cover variant.

First Day Cover art provided by Woodward is Matt Smith - Doctor #11.

The Royal Mail - will be issuing a series of Doctor Who stamps in 2013....

The 50th anniversary of this strange traveler stepping out of a police box is being honored by the Royal Mail with each of the Doctors being featured on his own stamp issue...