Don Simpson - Megaton Man

2016.04.17 East Coast Comic Con, Seacaucus, NJ

I can honestly say I have read very few Megaton Man comics, however I enjoy the drawing style that Don Simpson utilizes to portray this over-bulked hero. When I heard he was attending the East Coast Comic Con, I knew I wanted to attempt to get a sketch.  I was presented with my usual problem, which stamp do I use to match up with this hero... I did not have any Michigan state issues, nor any Atomic Energy issues, so I presented my case to Simpson. He suggested something patriotic, leaning toward the Statue of Liberty (probably why he drew it on the cover)..

I had the opportunity to watch Simpson work, while we spoke about various subjects, from work to art and teaching. He started with the blue pencil, drawing circles that would become muscles. Adding in yellow and red, light blue and pink in the sky. Outlining Megaton Man after the colors had been laid down.. A pleasure watching Simpson work and seeing Megaton Man take shape (the scan does not do justice to the colors)...

Megaton Man Return to Megatropolis ashcan preview with a Kozmik Kat sketch

Simpson was seated next to Dave Ryan and the Red Anvil Comics table, to which Simpson provided the cover art to War of the Independents #4 (a finger flicking battle between Megaton Man and the Tick)

 War of the Independents #4 (Red Anvil Comics) cover art by Don Simpson and Wilson Ramos Jr signed by Dave Ryan (script) and Nilda Ryan (lettering). Signed on the first page by Simpson and Paul Castiglia (script)

Back cover art by Rick Parker (signed)

Dave Ryan - War of the Independents

2011.07.16 Superheroes for Hospice, Livingston, NJ ...the Wizard Mathonway, from Ryan's Penance looking at the Sorcerer Mickey with some doubt "What kind of Wizard is this?"

The cover is from Pushin' the Envelope limited edition cachets. The cachet portion is actually placed on the same side as the Mickey sorcerer stamp, and features the dancing brooms from Fantasia. The cancel is a digital color cancel, not one I usually choose, but I liked the cover and wanted to get a wizard sketch to go with it...

David Ryan, creator of Penance, has embarked on an undertaken an adventure known as the War of the Independents..."Who didn't like to see their favorite heroes band together in an unbelievably big event". As Indie crossovers were uncommon, Ryan felt the time was right to bring the Indie heroes together. To Ryan this was not about him reinventing each character, but bringing them together and use each of their strengths in the storyline...

Featured in the story are: Penance, Zippy the Pinhead, Captain Canuck, Johnny Raygun, The Tick, E-Man, Usagi Yojimbo, Fem Force, Too Much Coffee Man, Flaming Carrot, Bone, Gumby and Pokey, Mr. Monster, Cerebus, Shadowhawk, Mad Man, Captain Action, Megaton man, The Maxx and many others....

Zippy the Pinhead, is a comic strip created by Bill Griffith in 1971 starting out in underground publications before being syndicated. Zippy is unusual in that the comic strip features literary nonsense, an a near-abscence of jokes. Griffith's artwork is more intricate than the majority of daily comics. I am curious to see how Zippy can fit into this story. Zippy can be seen on the cover above the Flaming Carrot.

www.zippythepinhead.com

Captain Canuck was created by Richard Comley (artist) and Ron Leishman (writer) first appearing in Captain Canuck #1, July 1975. Tom Evans, a Canadian secret agent gains superhuman powers from contact with extraterrestrials. Captain Canuck was reincarnated in 1993 as Darren Oa to fight global conspiracy. A third incarnation was known as the West Coast Captain Canuck was created by Reil Langlois and Drue Langlois, story edited by Richard Comley...

www.captaincanuck.com

Captain Canuck was honored by Canada Post in 1995, October 2, along with Superman, Nelvana, Fleur de Lys, and Johnny Canuck