Michael Grassia - Doctor Fate

2013.11.03 Jersey Shore Comic Show, Forked River, NJ

Often when I request a sketch, I do not have the opportunity to watch it being drawn, and I like the surprise and anticipation.  My surprise on Doctor Fate, was that I thought I had posted this!

I was going through my files and realized I had never posted this cover from Michael Grassia, creator of Plunger Pup. Grassier has worked in illustration, graphic design, web design, video production, photography and puppetry. He can be found at all the best NJ based shows.

Doctor Fate is a DC Comics character appearing in several incarnations. The original Doctor was created by Gardner Fox and Howard Sherman appearing in More Fun Comics #55, May 1940.

Sorry I missed this one!

Mike Leeke - X-O Manowar

2016.08.27 Monsters and Robots, Somerset, NJ

Mike Leeke is a comic book writer, penciller, cover artist and inker. His titles include X-O Manowar; Robotech -The Macross Saga; Psi-Lords; Deathmate; H.A.R.D. Corps; Solar, Man of the Atom; Turok, Dinosaur Hunter...

X-O Manowar (Aric Dacia) was created by Jim Shooter, Bob Layton and Jon Hartz for the Valiant Comics label in 1992.  Aric is heir to the throne of the Visigoth, who were colonized by the alien race the Vine. Leading a revolt against the Vine, Aric stole their most powerful relic, Shanhara, the sentient X-O Manowar armor. Bonding with the armor Aric turned this powerful weapon against the Vine...

Charles Thurston - Sam Eagle, The Muppets

2015.06.06 NY Special Edition, NYC

Charles Thurston, a former puppeteer at Disney World now creates a series of pop culture parody books based off popular culture and classic children's stories...

Going through Thurston's portfolio were many fantastic drawings...Doctor Who's K-9 with Pluto's facial features, Good Boy K-9 where K-9 mets the Iron Giant, the Not Gonna Happen series where Pikachu meets various other fantastic characters including Figment, monsters from Where the Wild Things Are, Groot and others...

Sam the Eagle is a Muppet originating on the Muppet Show, and operated by Frank Oz. Sam is overly patriotic, stuffy and pompous...

Happy 4th of July !!!

Jacob Chabot - Skullboy

2015.04.11 East Coast Comic Con, Secaucus, NJ

Jacob Chabot is a NYC based illustrator. His comics have appeared in various publications, including Nickelodeon Magazine, Mad Kids, Savage Dragon, TMNT, Hello Kitty, X-Babies, Ultimate X-Men, Spongebob, Voltron Force, Black Widow, Captain America, Young Avengers and many other titles...

Chabot is best known for his comic The Mighty Skullboy Army, published by Dark Horse Comics, which was nominated for an Eisner Award in 2008 for Best Book for Teens.

Brazen robots! Hostile corporate takeovers! Ill-fated interns! Criminally insane turnips! Distinctly unhelpful helper monkeys! All await the readers ready to enlist in the ranks of the Might Skullboy Army! -  Dark Horse Comics

Chabot has also worked for American Greetings, The Princeton Review

Jim Salicrup - The Thing

2015.04.12 East Coast Comic Con, Secaucus, NJ

Jim Salicrup has served as editor at Marvel Comics, for twenty years, working on titles such as Uncanny X-Men, Fantastic Four, Avengers and Spider-Man..

At Topps Comics Salicrup edited Bram Stoker's Dracula, X-Files and Zorro..

Salicrup also worked for Stan lee Media and currently at Papercutz, which publishes Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys. He is also a trustee at the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art in New York City...

At comic book shows, Salicrup has a sign at this table promoting "Lousy Art $5", and his table is littered with half-decent drawings of superheroes. I am not sure if this is a direct poke at the artists that surround him.  After passing Salicrup's table at many events I finally stopped to obtain some lousy art.  Upon receiving my sketch, I told Salicrup that I was disappointed, this was not lousy as advertised, it was good!!!

Dean Kotz - Krampus!

2014.10.11 New York Comic Con, NYC

When the bones of Saint Nicholas are stolen, the Secret Society of Santa Clauses must call on their old friend Krampus, a child-punishing demon. But things are not so friendly as they must release Krampus from their jail cell and convince him to help...

Dean Kotz was the artist on the Kickstarter project for The Black Coat ...Or Give Me Death, with Francesco Francavilla and Ben Lichus.

Kotz has also worked on Zenescope's Charmed; Poe from Boom! Studios and Mask of the Red Panda from Monkeybrain Comics...

Merry Krampus to all...

Donny Cates - Batman

2014.10.11 New York Comic Con, NYC

After leaving artist alley, I ventured to the main floor to check out the comic companies. As I walked past the Dark Horse booth, I noticed a creator drawing a Batman sketch in a fan's book. The sketch was not great but the artist was having fun and the collector did not seem to mind. When he was done I questioned the book he was signing "Buzz Kill". He told me he was the writer, Donny Cates. I picked up a copy and asked him to sign it, and questioned why he was drawing a Batman. He stated some collectors ask him to draw even though he is not an artist.

We discussed my collection and that I had one previous writer draw a sketch (Erica Shultz) and had asked Chris Claremont if he would write something (he did not, but after some thought). 

I opted for a Batman sketch from Donny, which is not that bad for a writer. I enjoy collecting and it is fun to watch someone create a drawing even if it is not their specialty.

Buzz Kill is the story of an alcoholic superhero who derives his power from massive amounts of alcohol. Written by Cates and Mark Reznicek, art by Geoff Shaw.

Cates is also writing The Ghost Fleet for Dark Horse Comics...

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

Ziggy Blumenthal - Sidekicked!

2014.01.26 Garden State Comic Fest, Ledgewood, NJ
"Kinetixx"

Ziggy Blumenthal, along with Cory Harris and Brad Smoley created the brand Fake McCoy Comics

Sidekicked, from Blumehtal and Harris, offers a comic with an unique story line.While the heroes are out of town, saving the town, their sidekicks are taking care of the mundane every day problems. The townspeople see their work and promote them to hero, demoting the heroes to sidekicks. A very interesting and funny concept. The character drawn on the first day cover is Kinetixx, sidekick to Brigadier, who can only fly feet first!

Operation Pajama Pants, a successful 2012 Kickstarter project, the story of a man in search of an ancient magical pair of pajama pants belonging to an Egyptian Sun God. The cover art to this book was drawn by Amanda Connor..

As Blumenthal told me, these books are meant to be fun and they offer some good laughs with the witty dialog by Cory Harris...

Blumenthal also publishes a web-comic called Chris Wnuk: Secret Jew