Mike Mongello - Adam Strange

Mike Mongello - Adam Strange 2010.10.02 Wizard-Big Apple Comic Con, NYC

Mike Monge is a freelance artist, illustrator currently writing and illustrating Jungle Women vs Dracula an Titans: Icons of Mystery through Supermonge Graphics.

Adam Strange was created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky, 1958 appearing in DC Showcase #17. Strange is an archeologist suddenly transported from Peru to the planet Rann by a Zeta Beam. There he becomes defender of the planet, fighting monsters with a space suit fitted with a jet pack for sustained flight and interstellar travel and ray-guns.

Adam Strange has been a member of the Justice League, R.E.B.E.L.S. and Seven Soldiers of Victory and has appeared in Mystery In Space, Strange Adventures and his self titled book...

Adam Strange is drawn on a World Columbian Stamp Expo cover with commemorative cancel for Space Day May 1992...

Robert J. Blake - Togo

2002 Barnes and Noble, Springfield, NJ...release of Togo the story who was part of a relay that carried a life saving serum to Nome, Alaska, having to run over 350 miles. Although Togo's team carried the serum for a longer distance than any other of the teams involved another dog received most of the credit. His name was Balto. Balto's team only carried the serum 35 miles, but brought the serum into Nome...

Robert J. Blake is a writer and illustrator who grew up in Springfield, NJ.. His first book illustration was for The Spiders Dance. Blake felt picture books were the most creative art form for him. He credits his experiences in working for newspapers learning the patterns of light and dark, with publishers learning about characters and creating art for odd shaped spaces...

Blake likes to travel to the locations of his stories, so he can write and paint where the story takes place, providing a touch of realism, while he tries to live each character as he develops them for his stories...

Other books written and illustrated by Blake include: Painter and Ugly (2011), Little Devils (2009), Swift (2007), Carousel Cat (2005), Fledgling (2000), Yudonsi (1999), Akiak (1997)...

Blake has also illustrated books for author other than himself: Dance of the Spiders (written by Joanne Ryder 1981), The Care Bears & the New Baby (written by Peggy Kahn 1983), Riptide (written by Frances Ward Weller 1990), The Angel of the Street written by Weller 1998) and many others..

Blake has received many awards for his work, and Togo alone has been awarded the TexasBluebonnet Award, Washington State Children's Choice Award, Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan), Golden Sower Children's Choice Award (Nebraska), North Carolina Children's Book Award, Land of Enchantment Book Award (New Mexico)....

Gary Fields - Rugrats

2013.03.31 Asbury Park Comic Con, Asbury Park, NJ

I had previously received a sketch from Gary of Huckleberry Hound. On his table he had several dailies from the Rugrats comic strip he had been involved with. When I got home I thought the next time I came across him at a show I would obtain a Rugrats sketch. Since both my boys are soccer players, having Tommy kicking a soccer ball seemed the perfect idea.

Rugrats was created by Arlene Klasky, Gabor Csupo and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon television, premiering in 1991. Tommy Pickles is the prominent character from the series, who carries a screw-driver in his diaper for emergencies ( probably a Dr Who fan).

The comic strip started it's run in 1998 through Creators Syndicate up through 2003. There were several writers and artists involved with the production of the strip, with Gary Fields providing pencils and lettering.

When my boys were young we regularly watched Rugrats, and as I look back I probably enjoyed the show more than they did...

No post last week as we were in Montreal for a short vacation, which included a visit to Stade Saputo to watch the Montreal Impact v DC United soccer game...

Webster Colcord - Mutagenic Man

Mutagenic Man by Webster Colcord

Webster Colcord started his animation career with the Will Vinton Studios in 1987 as a stop motion animator. While at Vinton Studios, Colcord's credits included the Emmy-winning Claymation Christmas Celebration, Michael Jackson's Moonwalker and commercials for Tang, Fuji and Nabisco...

As a freelance animator Colcord has produced music videos or Roger Waters and Wierd Al Yankovic, and commericals for Converse All-Star sneakers, Nickelodeon and Nick Jr., Warner Bros. television...

Colcord worked on Disney's "James and the Giant Peach", Henry Selick's "Monkeybone", Brisk Ice Tea commercials, NBC's Community TV series ...

I am a big fan of the Ray Harryhausen animation

I picked this cover up on ebay and contacted Colcord to ask about the character Mutagenic Man. His response:

Interesting!  I would love to know where you found it, or what the story is behind that.  It was probably a sketch I did at a sc-fi convention in the Northwest.  

The only official appearances that character has made are in a short comic story for a Pacific Northwest underground comic publication and in the opening credits of a show that I tried to sell as a series: Extreme Man & Insane Boy

- Webster

Webster Colcord

Edwin Vazquez - Batman

2013.07.26 mailed from Elmont, NY

I met Edwin at the Superheroes for Hospice show on July 20, he was one of the guests promoting his Kickstarter backed comic "The Werewolf of NYC". I had the opportunity to look up his website before going to the show and was taken by his project called "Egghead Codex". After discussing his art I told Edwin that although I did not fully get the Egghead Codex, I really enjoyed the art, a mix of Mayan style and modern heroes (Captain America, Batman and Spiderman on page 2). I liked the way these superheroes of today would have been represented by an ancient culture. for this reason I had brought along a Cinco de Mayo first day cover in hopes of getting a sketch in the Mayan style, and he does not disappoint with the Batman! This was part of Edwin's thesis for school so the style is very different from his latest project...

Edwin is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts and has been influenced by the settings of NYC. He was inspried by his studies with Joey Cavalieri of DC comics and assistant work with Jerry Robinson on the "Human Rights" art show. 

I missed Edwin's Kickstarter for Werewolf, which ran in November 2012...Beware! A Werewolf lurks terrorizing the citizens of New York City in the streets of Hell's Kitchen.

Suggested for Mature Readers !!!

Edwin's style is unique as he uses a scratchboard to create the art for Werewolf. A signed copy, #1 of a 4 part miniseries, is featured on the left.

Being a fan of Marvel Value stamps, which have been duplicated in Marvel Spidey Stories, Bongo Comics Simpson and several others, it was a pleasant surprise to see a letters page at the back of the comic with a Werewolf stamp. As posted on Edwin's blog "Included in the Werewolf of NYC will be a letters page. Similar to the classic comics features above (an image of a Marvel letters page with Marvel Kull value stamp). Send me your letters with questions, statements and I will print them."

Wolfnews with a review of The Werewolf of NYC...

Paris Cullins - Captain America and a duck!

2013.07.20 Superheroes for Hospice, Livingston, NJ

So Paris Cullins returns for another visit to the Superheroes for Hospice comic book show to meet fans, provide sketches, tell stories and lecture on his experiences in the comic book industry. Last time I met Paris he did a great sketch of Blue Devil, so this time I wanted to have hi draw whatever he liked. I used a first day cover of the "Volunteer Yourself" postal stationery envelope, since I also volunteer at the show.

Paris and I had a brief discussion about his previous sketch and I told him to draw whatever he wanted to. I thought for a minute and said I have an idea. My response was that I would what to see what it was when he was done.

Captain America and a duck! Ok so why a duck? Paris said it was easier than an eagle. How can you not love this! Cap is holding one of the flags on the flag stamp and the duck has a Captain America head piece. Great perspective on Cap! Unique!! Awesome!!! 

Mindy Indy - Aer Head

2012.11.10 Superheroes for Hospice, Livingston, NJ

Mindy Steffen creates independent comics. Mindy always had a passion for drawing cartoon characters, so she went to art school and earned her degree in graphic design. Moving to New York to pursue her dream of creating comics, she has created the Misfortune Cookie and Aer Head, the story of Aeryan Zephyr, a surfer who appears to have a mysterious future ahead of him. Mindy has also colored Marvel's Deadpool Max assisting Kyle Baker

Mindy's blog shows the process she uses to create the comic Aer Head, in great detail

Mindy has taught workshops for "Make It On Myrtle" and has provided lectures on getting started in the field of comics for the Barnabas Health Superheroes for Hospice. Mindy has also created a weekly comic for the Familial Dysautonomia Foundation Facebook page, called "No Tears: Life with FD"...

Chris Flick - Rocketeer

2013.0.06 Comic Geek Speak Supershow, Reading, Pa

Chris Flick started his career with a comic strip called 525 Calhoun Street, which ran in a college alternative newspaper, while at Radford College. After college came several graphic design jobs before landing his big break as a newspaper production artist and drawing an occasional editorial illustration.

Furthering his career by learning web design, Flick co-wrote two books on web design and partnered a company that assisted others in developing web designs. From this experience the weekly web-strip CMX Suite was born.

Currently Flick is drawing the web-comic Capes 'N' Babes, about hanging out in a comic book store in a strip mall with the many characters who work and shop there, including a werewolf. Capes 'N' Babes premiered on November 11, 2007. To date three books have been published. 

John Holmstrom - Bosko

2013.03.30 Asbury Park Comic Con, Asbury Park, NJ

John Holmstrom is an underground comix writer and artist. Known for his Ramones album covers

Rocket to Russia and Road to Ruin, as well as Bosko "America's LEAST Favorite Cartoon". Founder of Punk magazine (1975-79) he has also worked for the Village Voice, Video Games magazine, K-Power, Heavy Metal, Spin magazine, Screw magazine and High Times.

Holmstrom started his career as an assistant for Will Eisner and Harvey Kurtzman.

Holmstrom also produced covers and posters for the Dandy Warhols, Murphy's Law, Animal Records record label lettering for Iggy Pop. He has designed posters and programs for the New Fillmore East Theater

Holmstrom asked for a first day cover with the postal service's most disgusting stamp. Since I didn't have anything disgusting with me I had to opt for the generic Patriotic Pen cover.

Dave Wachter - The Guns of Shadow Valley

2013.04.06 Comic Geek Speak Supershow, Reading, Pa

Franklin "Breakneck" Kelley

The image Wachter posted on his site did not have the official Dave Wachter commission stamp...

when Wachter saw the cover he stated - "Roy Rogers, I have that stamp..." what cowboy wouldn't...

Dave Wachter began his career as co-creator of the critically acclaimed independent comic Scar Tissue, with Jim Clark. In 2009, Wachter and Clark created the web-series The Guns of Shadow Valley. In 2010 the web-series was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Digital Comic and a Harvey Award for Best Online Work...

Wachter has also worked on numerous anthologies and as guest artist on the web-comic Mystery Solved, IDW Publishing - Robert Bloch's That Hellbound Train with Joe and John Lansdale, and notably the horror fable Night of 1,000 Wolves with writer Bobby Curnow...

The Guns of Shadow Valley - somewhere in the mysterious Shadow Valley lies a secret that could forever change the face of the frontier. To protect that secret, a posse of gunmen with special abilities must come together and defend against a tribe of ghostly warriors...

As of this posting Dave and Jim are running a very successful Kickstarter campaign for 200+ page hard-covered edition of the web-comic Guns of Shadow Valley. One of the rewards is a very cool wooden sherif's badge (only 40 available and all gone very quickly!)...

Tom Raney - Batman

2013.04.06 Comic Geek Speak Supershow, Reading, Pa

Tom Raney has worked with every major publisher over the past 2 decades including titles such for DC Comics - Action comics, Batman: Shadow of the Bat annual, Outsiders, Gen 13, Stormwatch...

For Marvel Comics Raney's work includes Alpha Flight-Inhumans, Avengers Academy, Captain America, Incredible Hulk, Hawkeye, Silver surfer, X-Factor, X-Men, Thor, Deathlok and Double Dragon.

Raney pencilled Star Wars #7 for Dark Horse comics

Tom Raney blogspot

deviantArt page

John Trumbull - Batman

2013.03.30 Asbury Park Comic Con, Asbury Park, NJ

John Trumbull is a freelance cartoonist-illustrator. A graduate of the Kubert School, Trumbull has worked for DC Comics licensing department working in the coloring books: Batman: Swinging Into Action, Superman: Jailbreak and Krypto the Superdog: Test Pilot Puppy.

Trumbull is regular contributor to The Line It Is Drawn on the Comics Should Be Good website

Excellent Blue Bealtemania print on his deviant website

Mike Norton - Battlepug

2013.04.06 Comic Geek Speak Supershow, Reading, Pa

To be honest I don't remember how I heard about Battlepug, but I quickly became a fan. When I heard Mike Norton was going to be at the Supershow, along with many other great artists, it helped make my decision to attend easy. 

Battlepug is a web-comic written and illustrated by Mike Norton and colored by Allen Passalaqua. The web-comic was launched in February 2011 after Norton created the characters for a t-shirt design. The story revolves around the last surviving member of the Kinmundian tribe, "The Warrior". His steed is the larger than life Battlepug.  The story is narrated by Moll, who tells tales of the Warrior to her dogs, a Pug named Mingo and a French Bulldog named Colfax. 

The first year of comic strips was published in a hardcover edition by Dark Horse, and Norton received an Eisner Award for Best Digital Comic in 2012.

Mike Norton has worked in the comic industry for many years on books like Queen and Country, Gravity, Runaways, All-New Atom and Green Arrow/Black Canary, Billy Batson & the Magic of Shazam, Young Justice, Fear itself: Youth in Revolt....

The Warrior is clearly influenced by Cimmerian Warrior Conan the Barbarian, a sword and sorcery hero, created by Robert E Howard in pulp fiction magazines. Conan first appeared in Weird Tales 1932. Howard would publish 17 stories in Weird Tales, along with 4 Conan adventures published after his death in Space Science Fiction, Fantasy Magazine, the Magazine of Horror and The Coming of Conan. 4 additional stories unfinished by Howard would be completed by L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter...

Most notably Conan would garner the publics attention when Arnold Schwarzenegger portrayed the character in two feature films. This would spur both Marvel (1970-1974) and Dark Horse (2003) to publish further adventure stories. A newspaper comic strip from Marvel would also be published from 1978 to 1981 (Roy Thomas and John Buscema)

Robert E Howard is from Cross Plains, Texas, where they hold an annual celebration and a pictorial postal cancellations is available.