Brigid Allanson - Harley Quinn

2015.07.26 Garden State Comic Fest, Mennen Arena, Morristown, NJ

BrigidAllanson was born in Cleveland, Ohio and was raised in Northern New Jersey.

She is a graduate from The Kubert School in Dover, NJ, class of 2012.

She is currently employed as an illustrator for the indie game company AckkStudios. Brigid is a freelance artist and is working her way into the comic book world.

Her favorite thing to draw is pretty girls and she loves the colors pink, purple and orange. Brigid’s favorite super heroes are DC’s Power Girl and Supergirl.

Collecting dolls is her hobby and she plans to someday open her own doll company.

Morgan O Shay - Frankenstein

2015.06.07 Special Edition, NYC

When we stopped at Morgan O Shay's booth, my son noted that she charged more for not drawing monsters!! This is a woman whose heart is in the right place, possibly put there by some mad art instructor..

Morgan was born and raised beyond the edges of the universe, in a place hidden away beneath the blanket of the cosmos called Miami, Florida. She graduated from Pratt, and is currently a freelance illustrator.  Morgan is a horror film and monster enthusiast with a great vision in visual storytelling, animation and comics...

Her website is full of beautiful monster illustrations...

CJ Oechsle - Dumbledore

2015.11.07 superheroes for Hospice, Livingston, NJ

CJ Oechsle is a student at the Kubert School. His dream is a Superman fan who dreams of being a comic book artist...
CJ has done freelance artwork for Legionnaire Comics, as well as pencils for "Dances In Exile", coming out in 2016...

Dave DeVries - Amazon Warrior

2015.09.20 Clifton, NJ

Dave DeVries is an award winning illustrator with 20 years of experience visualizing high impact, high drama images. Dave has worked for many ad agencies over his 20 year plus career but specifically was instrumental in creating marketing strategies and campaigns for Mediasauce. Dave has shown nationally at many galleries.

DeVries is the author-illustrator of The Monster Engine, a book, a demonstration, lecture and a gallery exhibition. The premise for all three came from one single question: What would a child's drawing look like if it were painted realistically?

“It began at the Jersey Shore in 1998, where my niece Jessica often filled my sketchbook with doodles. While I stared at them, I wondered if color, texture and shading could be applied for a 3D effect. As a painter, I made cartoons look three dimensional every day for the likes of Marvel and DC comics, so why couldn't I apply those same techniques to a kid's drawing? That was it... no research, no years of toil, just the curiosity of seeing Jessica's drawings come to life. “

Amazon Warrior – Lorenz Hart FDC. Hart composed the score, with Richard Rodgers, for the 1942 musical By Jupiter, the story of a war between the Greeks and Amazons, where the greeks search for the Sacred Girdle of Diana..

The musical was based on the play The Warrior's Husband by Julian F. Thompson, set in the land of the Amazons...

While looking through DeVries sketch work, I noticed a sketch of Xena, and decided to request an amazon warrior, to reflect the musical play By Jupiter...

By Jupiter, 1943,  from the New York Public Library digital collection - Nanette Fabray (Antiope) Ralph Dumke (Hercules) and Ronald Graham ( Theseus).. Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library

Astronaut

In honor of Astronaut Scott Kelly, who returned to earth on March 1, 2016 following a 1-year space mission, on board the International Space Station, to study the effects of weightlessness on the human body, in a effort to aid future flights to Mars...

I picked this up on ebay. I do not know who the artist is, except for the initials AH. I purchased it because I liked the presentation of the astronaut. I can only guess that the use of the Year 2000 first day cover and the ancient figures moving from the stamp demonstrate man progression from early times to the space age...

I usually do not provide critiques but kudos to this unknown artist!..

I have been a collector of space related material since I a child. I can remember being ushered into the school auditorium watching a black and white TV that had been rolled into the room and set up in front of the students. As a group we watched John Glenn's ascent into space, and ever since I've wanted to be Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers and Commando Cody reaching out into space and finding adventures beyond the comic book and television screen. I will still choose to watch a space related movie or book over anything else...

I had the opportunity to meet US Astronaut Buzz Aldrin and Russian Cosmonaut Gherman Titov, when I attended the World Stamp Expo, Nov 1989 in Washington, DC.  I did bring covers with me to created first day covers, but I also brought a blank book to create a journal of the event. ..

each page of the journal had a stamp canceled from the respective country in attendance, to which I added appropriate art. The first page featured the Space Day cancel with the joint-issued US and Soviet Union space issues.

Second page from the book with the First Day cancel for the 20th Universal Postal Congress stamps showing future of mail delivery (e-mail, texting, twitter were not mentioned)...

Knowing Buzz Aldrin's aversion to signing philatelic mail I asked him to sign a blank page in the book, to which I later added his portrait. There were no stamps placed or postmarked on this page. This way even though the entire book is a philatelic item, the page he signed was not directly philatelic in nature...

Daniel Roman - Frank

2015.11.07 Superheros for Hospice, Livingston, NJ

Daniel Roman is a free-lance artist, whose work has been influenced by comic books, movies, cartoons, video games, anime and music. He goes by the name Onidarko.
I noticed a sketch of Courage the Cowardly Dog in his portfolio, which led to his showing me his tattoo of Courage and telling me how much he enjoyed the show. Courage has always been one of my favorite cartoons as well...

I also noticed his sketch of Frank, from the movie Donnie Darko. Roman has been heavily influenced by this movie, while I had yet to see it.  My son, Matt, was helping at the Hospice and standing by my side while I spoke with Daniel. When he heard I had not seen Donnie Darko he could not believe it. I will get my chance.

Since Daniel and Matt had both spoken very highly of this movie, I took this opportunity to have Daniel provide me with a sketch of Frank on an Arctic Hare FDC.

From IMDB: Donnie Darko is plagued by visions of a large bunny rabbit that manipulates him to commit a series of crimes, after narrowly escaping a bizarre accident. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Mary McDonnell.. written and directed by Richard Kelly....

2016 Deadpool - Veldhuisen and James

 Alexia Veldhuisen

 Josh James

2016.02.13 Dewey's Comic City, Madison, NJ

I went to see Deadpool on Friday morning (2016.02.12) 10am showing with my son Matt..

I had seen the poster with Deadpool making a heart with his hands. I don't think it is a spoiler, but he does this in the movie. It is after all a love story masked by extreme violence, rude humor, naked women and bad jokes..

Dewey's held a Deadpool Day on Saturday Feb 13, hosting Alexia and Josh, who were providing sketches to customers. I had the idea to use Valentines first day covers from 2013 (heart in sealing wax) and obtain companion pieces from Alexia and Josh. I figured they could each draw Deadpool with one hand forming the heart shape, so when the envelopes were put together, the drawing would complete the heart.

They both did excellent work and readily accepted the challenge.

Alexia Veldhuisen originally comes from Amsterdam, and attended the Kubert school to refine her drawing skills. Graduating in 2014, Alexia is pursuing her career while still dreaming of becoming a master samurai...

Josh James is currently a student at the Kubert School..

Deadpool was originally created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Leifeld in 1991, when the character appeared in Marvel Comics' The New Mutants #98.  Deadpool (Wade Wilson) is a mentally unstable mercenary, who started out as a supervillian.  Deadpool is a takeoff on DC Comics Deathstroke (Slade Wilson). Deadpool's wisecracking attitude and comments have made him a fan favorite...

Zack Viola - Winged Victory

2015-Nov-07 Superheroes for Hospice, Livingston, NJ

Zack Viola is a student at the Kubert School. Zack has been influenced by video games, as he is an avid gamer. Besides character design, Zack also likes the storytelling telling aspect that his art can deliver...

I liked the design on Zack's business card, which led to a discussion of his sketching a steampunk  styled rocket-pack flyer...

Interview at Gilbert Curiosities

Kim De Mulder - Nick Fury

2015.07.26 Garden State Comic Fest, Mennen Arena, Morristown, NJ

Kim DeMulder is an artist with over 30 years of experience having worked at Marvel, DC and others. He has inked several top comic titles including Swamp Thing, Nick Fury, SheHulk, Defenders, Superboy, Hellblazer, Green Lantern, Transformers, Punisher, RoboCop...

I had asked DeMulder for a sketch of RoboCop, but he asked for a reference image which I did not have. He threw out Nick Fury, which was good for me. He said he did not need a reference as he would just draw Clint Eastwood and throw an eyepatch on him!

DeMulder is an award winning painter and fantasy artist. He also paints landscapes..

DeMulder provided this illustration for the Bettie Page Private Collection trading card #5

Alejandro Bruzzese - Space Adventure

2015.06.06  NY Special Edition, NYC

Alejandro Bruzzese's table was next to Colin Lawler, and I decided to keep working the space theme. Bruzzeses' approach was to take on the look of a comic book panel, with an astronaut fighting a couple of aliens..

Alejandro is a cartoonist, graphic designer, write and teacher. Originally from Uruguay currently residing in Brooklyn, NY

Largely self-taught, his work has been influenced by Wayne Barlow, Pete Fowler, Stanislav Szukalski, Junko Mizuno and Grant Morrison.. He has developed an illustration style which focuses on character design, dynamic movement and sparse settings.

Aljeandro's work has appeared in God Hates Astronauts, Feral NYC, Dracula: Son of the Dragon, Bartika.....

Alejando Bruzzese website

Anthony Ojeda - Frankenstein

2015.11.07 Superheroes for Hospice, Livingston, NJ

Anthony Ojeda is a student at the Kubert School. One of my joys of meeting artists trying to make their way into the industry is they have passions about what they enjoy drawing. When Ojeda mentioned he enjoyed monsters, I requested Frankenstein.  I looked over his portfolio, but still that is never an indication of the sketch I will receive. I was very impressed with Ojeda's take on Frankenstein.

Paul Renaud - Cavewoman

2015.06.06 NY Special Edition, NYC

Paul Renaud is a French comic book artist who broke into the US market with Cavewoman from Basement Comics. He has also worked on Fear Agent from Image, Red Sonja and Athena from Dynamite...

A popular cover artist, his titles include Vampirella, Flash Gordon, The Green Hornet, Danger Girl and the Army of Darkness from Dynamite, and Star Wars, Mass Effect, Kull, Dungeons and Dragons...

Working for Marvel Comics, Renaud has worked on Uncanny Avengers Annual, Secret Wars (FCBD), Shield and CaptainAmerica.  He has produced covers for Uncanny Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Iron Man, Hawkeye and Mockingbird, Black Panther and many others...

For DC comics Renaud was worked on Convergence: Justice League International and Suicide Squad...

Cavewoman was created by Budd Root and published by Basement Comics, Caliber Comics and Avatar Press

The Jurassic Park stamp was issued by the USPS as part of their Celebrate the Century 1990's series...

Fraim Brothers - Batman

2015.04.12 East Coast Comic Con, Secaucus, NJ

One is a penciller, the other an inker...

Brendon and Brian Fraim have worked on Knights of the Dinner Table, and the Hackmaster and Champions RPG systems and the comic book sections in the novel, Wolf Boy...

They have also illustrated the Harvey Award nominated Antiques: The Comic Strip from Gemstone Publishing and the award winning daily web-comic America Jr, which was collected by Image Comics. The Fraim brothers have also illustrated The Odd Squad, a three issue limited series published by Devil's Due Publications and the horror comic Vampire, Pa from Moonstone...