Billy Martin - Blue Meanies

2019.10.03 NYCC, Javits Center, NYC

Billy Martins is best known as the lead guitarist and keyboard player for the multi-platinum selling band Good Charlotte. Martin has a passion for music and art, and his art is featured on the bands' albums, stage designs and merchandise. Martin ran his own clothing line, Level 27, featuring his goth and horror art. Turning to books, Martin published the children's book titled Damious McDreary - A Boy and his Bat. He has also provided art for Disney, Upper Deck-Marvel trading cards, IDW Publishing, Image Comics, BOOM! and SLG Comics

Going to the NYCC, I had planned on requesting a sketch from Martin, so I brought several music related covers with me. When I explained that I would like to obtain a music related sketch of his design, I initially took out the John Lennon FDC to show him the work space. Martin quickly asked "Can I do something Beatlie" (not sure if that is a word or how to spell it, but it was clear he was a Beatle's fan) The next day I was handed a Blue Meanie from the Sgt Pepper's animation. The perfect choice considering the John Lennon stamp and the envelope were blue. The Lennon Stamp came in a rainbow of colors depending where on the sheet of stamps it was printed.

Martin pointed out that in his research he did not know the Meanies had 6 fingers, neither did I.

Billy Martin with Good Charlotte - 2016 Vans Warped Tour!

Mark Kistler - Commander Mark

2019.10.03 NYCC, Javits Center, NYC

I haven't been to a lot of shows recently, but when I was asked to help a friend at NYCC, I jumped at the opportunity to obtain some new sketches.

My first sketch of the morning was Mark Kistler. I know him as Commander Mark of the PBS-TV show Secret City and later on Imagination Station. Both of these were shows that taught drawing, but not like the old Jon Nagy style when I was a kid, or Bob Ross who focused on landscapes. Commander Mark drew in a cartoon style that kids enjoyed, while teaching the terminology like foreshortening, perspective, etc..

I used to look for Commander Mark's shows and sit down with my boys to draw. If they lost interest and go to do something else, I would continue watching the show and drawing. Without TV on demand or Youtube back then, it was not always easy to take the time to watch regularly. His drawing were always fun, featuring spaceships, dragons, monsters, the type of drawings kids enjoyed doing. Now Mark has his own Youtube show and is still teaching.

It was my pleasure to meet Commander Mark and personally thank him for many hours of enjoyment  and education. Draw, draw, draw. Draw 30 minutes every day!

This is a drawing of a dog I did while watching Commander Mark. Thank you Mark Kistler!

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

Toby Cypress - PunkRock*Jazz

2019.05.18 East Coast Comic Con, Secaucus, NJ

Toby Cypress graduated from the Joe Kubert School in 1997, and by 1999 he was working on titles for Dark Horse Comics' Predator: Homeworld, DC Comics' Batman Nightwing: Bloodborne and Wildstorms' Star Trek Deep Space Nine: N-Vector

In 2010 Cypress wrote and illustrated his first creator owned sci-fi comic Todd Racer, published by Image Comics. Other Image titles include The Gravediggers Union, Retcon a sci-fi horror book and Blue Estate a crime horror series

Cypress published his first art book PunkRock*Jazz. The title of this book intrigued me, so I asked its meaning. Cypress stated that during an interview about his work, the writer said it gave them a punk-rock jazz feel. As a fan of Jazz, Cypress quickly took to the title

I had this envelope from the Celebrate the Century series, which had both the Jazz Club and the 1920's Flapper, which I thought some day I might find a music related use for this. When I showed Cypress the cover, he lit up and agreed to provide a sketch. I gave him free rein to provide anything that he would be inspired to do. His love of jazz is freely expressed through his art

Barney Google 100th Anniversary

I missed the 100th Anniversary of the comic strip Barney Google and Snuffy Smith, which occurred yesterday. The above covers are examples of commercially produced first day covers for the Barney Google Stamp issued in 1995 as part of the Classic Comic Strip issue. (producers: Colorado Silk, Mayfair)

Barney Google was created by Billy DeBeck in 1919, but the popularity of the strip gained momentum with the introduction of Spark Plug, a racehorse with little momentum

By 1934, the strip needed an introduction of new characters to bring back viewers. With the popularity of Lil' Abner and the strip The Mountain Boys, DeBeck introduced Snuffy Smith and his wife Lowizie

In 1934 cartoonist Fred Laswell would become an assistant to DeBeck, eventually taking over the strip. 1998 Jose Rose assisted Laswell, taking over in 2001

To celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the strip, Barney Google would return to Hootin' Holler to visit Snuffy and Lowizie, only to get lost on his way through the comics

Kribbs Kovers created a hand colored cachet #/4 for the Re-opening of the Santa Anita post office. As the cachet states Snuffy is at the celebration, most likely the one held at the Santa Anita racetrack, with Barney!

2004 by John Rose - Snuffy and “Lowizie” Smith first appeared in the Barney Google comic strip on November 17, 1934

Daily Cartoonist

Abel Toledo - Astro Pikachu

2019.05.18 East Coast Comic Con, Secaucus, NJ

As you walk through he Con, there is always someone trying to get your attention to look at their books, art whatever they are creating. Abel's was making an offer that was hard to refuse. $5 sketch of Pikachu and only Pikachu, how ever you wanted. I watched him draw a Batman Pikachu for a very enthusiastic young lady who loved Pikachu. I was hooked and the above Astro Pikachu was born. I like when a piece is handed to me and I can not help but smile, from the joy it bring

Abel's a very outgoing person with a big personality, who has done work for Marvel comics, as well as hosting his own Youtube Channel InkIt, where he demonstrated art technique

inkit Youtube

Richard Maurizio - Super-Rabbit

2019.05.18 East Coast Comic Con, Secaucus, NJ

Richard Maurizio is a veteran artist who has produced work for Warner Bros, turner Entertainment, Universal Studios, Sony Signatures and Archie Comics

His credits include development of educational and children's books, along with production of a Tom & Jerry comic strip for 5-years. He has provided work for Looney Tunes, The Animaniacs, Underdog, Thunder Agents, Jetta, The Munsters, Godzilla sketch cards and the Wizard of Oz licensed productions

When I meet an artist like Maurizio, my mind swirls with possibilities, since I enjoy all of the characters he has worked with, how can I pick one. He offered to do Bugs Bunny and we discussed a few of the possible Bugs characterizations. It was his idea to go with the older Bob Clampett styled Super Rabbit from the 1943 Merrie Melodies animated short

Ken Wheaton - Popeye

2019.05.18 East Coast Comic Con, Secaucus, NJ

Ken Wheaton has worked on comics for Bongo, IDW, DC, Image, Moonstone and Airwave.

He has worked on Futurama, Bart Simpsons Comics, Simpsons Winter Wing Ding, Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror and Radioactive Man

Additional work includes the Official Adaptation of Mr Magoo's Christmas Carol, I Dream of Jeannie, The Phantom, Kolchak: The Night Stalker and Buckaroo Bonzai and IDW's Popeye series

As a freelance illustrator, Wheaton has worked on local and national projects which include designs for television advertising for Toyota, McDonald's and Wegmans

He recently served as editor of Munster Memories: A Coffin Table Book with Butch Patrick

Christian Espiritusanto - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

2019-04-06 New Jersey CollectorsFest2, Secaucus, NJ

Christian Espiritusanto started drawing at a young age, creating stories as early as age 5, and he has not stopped. Christian attended the Joe Kubert School of Cartooning, and currently works as a freelance artist

Pronto Comics

Christian was looking through my stock of envelopes for a potential sketch and saw the Rudolph. He became animated, since Paul Soles the voice of Hermey was sitting in the room next door. I don't think I could have stopped christian from providing this sketch. I did give the idea some thought on my way to the show, but wasn't really going to pursue it. Christian's enthusiasm sold me on the idea that this had to happen.

Paul Soles is an voice actor and television personality, providing voices for Spider-Man (1967), Bruce Banner and the Hulk in The Incredible Hulk (1966), Hermey the misfit elf in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) as well as the animated series Rockeet Robin Hood, The Trolls and the Christmas Express, Take Me Up to the Ballgame, The King Kong Show and many others.

As an actor Soles' appeared in The Incredible Hulk (2008) as the pizza shop owner, opposite Kevin Costner in The Gunrunner (1989). Won the 2006 Gemini Award for his role in the television series Terminal City and a 2017 Canadian Screen Award for Best Performance by an Acot in a Digital Production for My 90-Year Old Roommate

a quick shot of Larry Storch (F-Troop) and Paul Soles (wearing a Spider-Man jacket)

Brendan Shaw - Baseball Bugs

2019-04-06 New Jersey Collectors Fest 2, Secaucus, NJ

I had been looking for someone to draw a baseball Bugs, so we discussed the possibilities. I suggested a robot pitching arm, or throwing a Dragon Ball. Brendan liked the idea of the Dragon Ball. 

If you ever saw the cartoon "Baseball Bugs", Bugs Bunny faces the Gashouse Gorillas single-handed. One of my favorite scenes is when Bugs, as the pitcher turns to the audience and says "Watch me paste this pathetic palooka with a powerful paralyzing perfect pachydermas percussion pitch!"

In another time and place bugs could have throw a Dragon Ball pitch, and the look on his face says "Dare Me!"

Matt Parton - Captain Marvel

2019-04-06 New Jersey CollectorsFest2, Secaucus, NJ

Matt Parton (Partoonz)is a comic and children's book artist and illustrator
studied at the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and sEquential Art Design
Currently working on several projects including two of his own books: "The Atomic Thunderbolt Returns" and "The Atomo Squad". Has also worked on the book series Zoey Saves the Universe published by Zeamba Comics
Matt is the author illustrator of the children's book "My Closet Ate My Homework"

Captain Marvel. I had just seen the movie prior to attending this show and was delighted to be able to pick up a sketch