Peter Bagge - Bat Boy

2014.04.12 Asbury Park Comic Con, Asbury Park, NJ

Bagge discovered underground comics in 1977 after being inspired by the work of R. Crumb. Bagge co-published three issues of Comical Funnies (1980-81), which saw the debut of the Bradley's, a dysfunctional suburban family. Buddy bradley would emerge as the main protagonist of the series Neat Stuff (1985-89). Neat Stuff would evolve into a new book titled Hate... 

Bagge would also contribute to R. Crumb's Weirdo magazine, taking over as managing editor. Additional work would be contributed to DC for Yeah! and Sweatshop, a Marvel one-shot satire of Spider-Man and a 2-year stint drawing the Bat Boy comic strip for the Weekly World News...

Bat Boy is a fictional character created by the Weekly World News editor Dick Kulpa in fabricated stories about a creature who is half boy and half bat in 1992. Scientists frequently capture the Bat Boy only to have him escape. An production the Bat Boy: The Musical debuted in 1997 (Los Angeles world premiere, 2001 Off-Broadway, 2004 West End)...

Bagge has also contributed to  several record and CD covers, as well as the magazines Hustler, MAD and Oxford American

Larry Hama - The original GI Joe

2014.05.24 Woodbridge comic Fest, Woodbridge, NJ

The original G.I. Joe

Larry Hama started drawing and/or writing the Marvel Comic version of the Hasbro military action figures G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero in 1982, continuing until 1994 for 155 issues.  Other titles included G.I. Joe: Order of Battle, G.I. Joe: Special Missions

For Devil's Due Publishing, which ran GI Joe stories from 2001 to 2008, Hama, returned to G.I. Joe for the miniseries G.I. Joe Declassified, G.I. Joe: Frontline, Snake-Eyes: Declassified, and Storm Shadow...

IDW began publishing the series in 2008, with Hama writing G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero and  G.I. Joe: Origins.

Hama also wrote most of the file cards that were printed on the action figures' packaging.

However during the second world war, a young cartoonist with the 45th Infantry Division volunteered to work for the unit's newspaper. Bill Mauldin would created Willie and Joe, modeled after his friend Irving Richtel and every other regular Joe in the army. The original GI Joe.

July 1943 Mauldin  began working for the Army newspaper Stars and Stripes. Given a jeep and the freedom to roam the front lines to gather stories for his work. Mauldin's cartoons often offended the Army officers for his portrayal of them, but this endeared Willie and Joe to the soldiers on the front line and around the world.

Mauldin was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Cartooning in 1945. His work has been published in several books and Willie and Joe were featured in the films Up Front (1951) and Back at the Front (1952).

Willie and Joe have appeared on 2 US stamps. The first as part of a 1993 set marking the 50th anniversary of the war and in 2010 honoring Bill Mauldin...

Charles M. Schulz, a WWII veteran regularly paid tribute to Mauldin in his comic strip Peanuts during  Veteran's Day...

Vanessa Seixas - Frankenstein's Monster

2014.05.24 Woodbridge Comic Fest, Woodbridge, NJ

Sharing a booth with Michal Brodka was Vanessa Seixas. A freelance illustrator, her art featured illustrated posters of pop culture icons like Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Jerry Garcia, Daredevil, etc... It was her portrait of Walken Dead (a frankenstein Christopher Walken) that inspired me to ask Vanessa for a Frankenstein sketch on an Abbott and Costello first day cover...

Thanks for not being afraid of a little rain...

Vanessa drew in a more cartoon style to match the feeling of the Abbott and Costello stamp. I had the idea of getting the Frankenstein sketch from Paul Castiglia, who is writing a blog Scared Silly as a companion piece to his upcomign book about the comedy based horror movies that featured Abbott and Costello, Laurel and Hardy, Bob Hope and the Bowery Boys among others...

Abbott and Costello met Frankenstein, along with Dracula and the Wolfman, in 1948 and would go on to meet Boris Karloff, the Invisible Man, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the Mummy and go to Mars...

Michal Brodka - the Batman

2014.05.24 Woodbridge Comic Fest, Woodbridge, NJ

Outdoor festivals always run the risk of bad weather. When I arrived at the Woodbridge Fest, there were 5 vendors set up. Larry Hama, Michal Brodka, Vanessa Seixas, a candle seller, robotics and a musician, along with a few cos-players. the threat of bad weather had kept many of the comic book vendors away...

I give credit to those who did brave the potential for rain (we all know what happens when comics and water mix)!

I was looking over the art at Michal and Vanessa's booth and taken in by both of their work. Michal had some amazing engraved and screen prints. Since I try to keep my collecting to first day covers, and there were only 3 artists are the fest I asked Michal if he would be willing to provide me with a sketch. His response was low key "sure". When I asked what his preference in drawing might be his response - "anything dark"... I love that kind of response!

Michal provided me with a quick Batman, that does not give full credit to his talent. His engravings are gorgeous.. From his Youtube video bio - Michal is one half of Celestial Bodies, a galactic collaboration between himself and the music artist Ruined Machines. I have been listening to them while writing this, excellent prog rock...

Check out Michal's work at his facebook page and RSI apparel...

Louis Small Jr - Vampirella

2014.04.12 Asbury Park Comic Con, Asbury Park, NJ

Louis Small Jr is best known for his work on Harris Comic's Vampirella.  Small has also worked as a writer, inker and cover artist on titles for  DC Comics (Supegirl); Marvel Comics (Ka-Zar); Defiant Comics (Michael Alexander, Dark Dominion; and Vertigo Comics (Codename: Knockout), which Small co-created with Rob Rodi...

Small has also provided sketch work for Breygent Marketing Cards (Golden Age Heroes, Cartoon Sketch cards and Sci-Fi Horror cards)...

updated 2014.06.26 recently came across this site for Vampirella related covers

H. R. Giger

H.R. Giger, Swiss painter, sculptor and set designer passed on May 12, 2014. Giger was known for his fantastic designs for the movie Alien, as well as album covers such as Emerson, Lake and Palmer's Brain Salad Surgery. Meticulously detailed, his paintings show a biomedical style that combines flesh and machine...

Giger Museum

comic strip - Eek! by Scott Nickel

Chris Calle - Moon Landing

2014.05.07 postmarked

Oh my GOD!!!

The voice was that of a 10-year old girl - the body it came out of was a 50+ male. That was my reaction when I saw the above sketch from Chris Calle.

I had the opportunity to receive a correspondence from Chris Calle, when I had posted one of the Peter Max moon landing covers I had on e-bay. Since I had a few copies of the cover being offered, I suggested a trade of several space and Peter Max related covers for a sketch of his. His e-mail came back "I usually do not do quick sketches...    let's trade!"

Apparently Calle had visited my site previously and was impressed with the covers I had presented. The note he sent with the above cover "My cover to add to your very cool collection - All the best, Chris."

Chris Calle is the son of Paul Calle (1928-2010), two of the most talented artists to put pen to paper. Their specialty is space art. Paul designed the 1969 Moon Landing stamp, as well as the Gemini Space twins, Douglas MacArthur, Robert Frost, Clara Maas, Vietnam Veterans all for the USPS. Paul also designed stamps for the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Sweden and the United Nations.

1962 - NASA set up their art program for the purpose of recording the history of space through the eyes of artists. These artists included Paul Calle, Norman Rockwell, Robert Rauschenberg, Annie Leibovitz and several others. As part of the program, Calle was given exclusive access to the astronauts during the mission and his sketches are on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.

Chris Calle followed in his father's footsteps as he designed the 25th anniversary Moon Landing stamp with his father. Chris has also designed many issues for the USPS including issues for Bessie Coleman, Theodore von Karman, Edward R Murrow, Connecticut Statehood, and others. Chris Calle also produces his own first day covers...

Chris Calle also specializes in wildlife and nature sketches due to his concern for the environment and the plight of endangered species...

As for the Moon Landing envelope, this was given to me by my Uncle Bob, who was President of an envelope manufacturing company, the same facility where my parents worked and met. Uncle Bob was in Washington for a conference on Sept 9, 1969, when the stamp was issued. He attempted to obtain a first day cancel, but found he did not have an envelope in his possession. He had to borrow one!

Because of this I have always held on to this cover, never realizing that one day it would carry Chris Calle artwork.

As far as the trade I made with Chris - I win!

Terrell Jefferson - Harley Quinn

2014.04.12 Asbury Park Comic Con, Asbury Park, NJ

Terrell Jefferson (JTonz) had a small table at the Con, yet he was totally comfortable with that. His work displayed on the table showed skill and a style that called to me. We talked briefly about his style, which I referred to as having sharp angular features with a soft touch. His subjects included Hellboy and Michael Jackson.. when we discussed a subject for his sketch, he suggested Harley, to which he provided a great sketch with Harley mimicking the Fanny Brice stamp. 

Looking at his deviantart page, I was really taken by his drawing of The Horseman of Death (wish I had seen that at the con!)...

Fanny Brice in 1910 became a headliner for the Ziegfield Follies, was a comedian, singer, actress, radio personality (The Baby Snooks Show) and was the subject of the Barbara Streisand film Funny Girl. (Never thought I would be including Streisand in this blog)...

Harley Quinn was introduced into the DC world in 1992, created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm for the  Batman: The Animated Series television program...

Bob Fingerman

2014.04.12 Asbury Park Comic Con, Asbury Park, NJ

"Will kids of 2025 ever know the Dewey Decimal system?"

Bob Fingerman's titles for Fantagraphics include the acclaimed Minimum Wage (semi-autobiographic) and White Like She (a 1993 graphic novel about a black man who has his brain transplanted into a teenaged white girls body). Image Comics issued Maximum Minimum Wage in 2013 which is a deluxe reissue of his defining comic series...

Starting in 1984 Fingerman produced work for Harvey Kurtzman on the young readers anthology "Nuts!" During this time Fingerman produced a series of parodies for the French L'Echo Des Savans and Spain's El Vibora...

Other works included Cracked magazine, Screw magazine, Penthouse Hot Talk, Heavy Metal, National Lampoon, High Times, The Village Voice and Business Week. Comic books include Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and short stories and cover work for Dark Horse and Verigo Comics...

Fingerman looked through my available first day covers and chose the Libraries FDC to draw his self portrait, since his works cross the boundaries of comic books, graphic novels and prose novels...

Novels  - Pariah, Bottomfeeder...
Graphic Novels - Minimum Wage, Beg the Question, From the Ashes (I picked up this book and found it to be very humorous), Recess Pieces, You Deserved It...
Illustrated Novella - Connective Tissue

Kate Glasheen - Harry Potter

2014.04.12 Asbury Park Comic Con, Asbury Park, NJ

I was looking over the work on Glasheen's table and was taken by her style, especially a drawing of Link from Zelda II. Before leaving for the Asbury Park Comic con, I grabbed a Harry Potter FDC, not thinking I would get to use it. I thought Glasheen's style would be perfect for the subject, and I was not disappointed...

Glasheen has contributed to Archaia Entertainment's Hybrid Bastards, Seven Story Press' Graphic Canon: Volume 3, Affect Production's Constance, Kickstarter backed Bandage...

Katie Crime Spree

Begining in 2012 the USPS made the decision to honor living people on postage stamps, previously persons being honored had to be deceased 5 years, exceptions only to Presidents. The USPS felt the decision allowed persons being honored to enjoy the honor while they were able to enjoy the honor. Of course this opened the door to increased marketing especially in the area of pop culture. The Harry Potter series was honored in 2013 and featured all of the headline characters - Harry Potter, Harmoine, Ron, Bellatrix (Helena Bonham Carter above), Dumeldore, Hagrid, Severus and others. The series marks the first time non-American citizens were honored by the USPS...

Mark Schultz - Xenozoic Tales

2014.04.12 Asbury Park Comic Con, ASbury Park, NJ

Mark Schultz's first published comics work was The Sea King, featuring King Kull in Marvel Comics Savage Sword of Conan, inking over the pencils of Val Semeiks.

Schultz would later develop his own storyline Xenozoic Tales. A story where a catacysm has wiped out human society. When the survivors emerge from their underground bunkers, they find a world tranfromed to a prehistoric age dubbed the Xenozoic age.

Xenozoic Tales has been published by Kitchen Sink Press, Dark Horse and DC Comics. The story would also be turned into a Saturday morning cartoon series (which I am watching while I write this). The 13 episodes ran from 1983-1984. A video game was also created based on the series...

Schultz created the underwater adventure SubHuman for Dark Horse, contributed illustrations for Wanderin Star Books reprinting for Robert E, Howard's The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian, writer for the DC - Dark Horse crossover Superman and Batman versus Aliens and Predators.

In 2004 Schultz began writing for the comic strip Prince Valiant, created by Hal Foster in 1937. The Sunday only strip has always been one of my favorites...

John Cullen Murphy

Murphy began his collaboration with Hal Foster in 1970. When Foster retired n 1979, Cullen's son took over the writing of the strip. Shortly before his death in 2004, he turned over the illustration duties toGary Gianni.

Tim Yates - Anne Bonnie

2013.11.09 Superheroes for Hospice, West Orange, NJ

Tim Yates was a first time attendee to the Hospice show, but has previously appeared at NY Comic Con to promote his work...

A graduate of the Kubert School, Yates has been the colorist for Spike's 1000 Ways to Die, Zenescope's Grimm Fairy Tales, Jabal Entertainment's Jinnrise and  Blue Juice Comic's The

Accelerators, written by P.F.I. Porto and penciled by Gavin Smith (Joker FDC), signed first issue by Porto and Yates..

Yates was the colorist on Anthony Marques' "Katyusha", self-published in EPiCs Anthology comic book...  

Yates has also produced a web-comic titled Failhunter, about an inept bounty hunter...

Now Yates is promoting his own project Anne Bonnie - The Journey Begins, a high seas pirate adventure set in the Great Seas. Follow the adventures of Ariana during an ear of change following the Great Sea War and the disappearance of the Pirate Queen, Anne Bonnie. Ariana is thrust in the middle of this chaotic time...






Updated 2014.04.12 - One of the first people I ran into outside of the Asbury Park Comic Con was Tim Yates.  Anne Bonnie has been published and is getting great notice. I picked up my copy and had it signed by Yates and writer Lelan Estes..
I have just read the fist few pages and I am enjoying what I've seen so far... If I can borrow form the book -

"There are many tails in the world: rat tails, cat tails, skinny tales and fat tales --
But the only ones worth speakin' of...
The only ones worth tellin'...
are the tall tales.
The Legends.."

Adam Kubert - Superman

2006.12.02 Dewey's Comic City, Madison, NJ

Adam Kubert has provided art for all of the major comic publishers on titles including Action Comics,  Superman, Ghost Rider, Spider-Man, Ultimate Fantastic Four, Ultimate X-Men, Wolverine, Incredible Hulk...

The son of Joe Kubert, Adam started his career as a letter at age 12, and would earn his degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology in medical illustration...

Kubert received The Eisner Award for best inker on Batman versus Predator, 1992...