Gregg Schigiel - Mermaid Man

2015.04.12 East Coast Comic Con, Secaucus, NJ

I purchased 2 sketches from Schigiel at the ECCC, which is not something I usually do. My first sketch from Schigiel was Pix, the obvious choice since it was his own character. I was at the comic con with my sone Matt, who was looking over Schigiel's work on the SpongeBob Comics. Both of my boys had grown up watching the SpongeBob TV show, and we still watch it.  After walking around the show for a while we went back to Schigiel's booth.

I had been saving my Wonders of the Sea first day cover for an Aquaman drawing... I knew I had to have a sketch of Mermaid Man.

SpongeBob SquarePants premiered in 1999 on Nickelodeon, and has shown close to 200 episodes. The character of Mermaid Man and his sidekick Barnacle Boy (voiced by Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway) made their first appearance in episode 6 (August 1999) as two retired superheroes. The character was created and  designed by Stephen Hillenburg, creator of the series...

Borgnine and Conway had performed together on the TV series McHale's Navy from 1962 to 1966. Hearing these voices come from these SpongeBob characters brought a little more excitement to an already good show. While my boys watched and enjoyed the show, I had recognized these voices from my childhood and was easily drawn in...

Matt had appreciated that Schigiel included the Mermaid Man catch phrase to enhance the sketch... EEEEVVILL!

The Wonders of the Sea postage stamp was designed by Charles Lynn Bragg, issued October 3, 1994 Honolulu, Hi

Doug Bratton - Frankenberry

2015.10.09 NY Comic Con, NYC

Doug Bratton's bio starts off -  After a brief and unsuccessful career as a nude model....Doug is the creator of the daily panel comic Pop Culture Shock Therapy, which have been collected into two books The Deranged Stalkers and Comic Re-Mix..

The single panel comics deals with pop culture stereotypes from Star Wars, breakfast cereal (Frankenberry), super heroes, Disney, Star Trek and everything and anything else he can poke fun at..

I asked Bratton to draw a Frankenberry (he was on the cover of his Re-Mix book, with Charlie Brown, Homer Simpson and Wonder Woman in a blender). Although I was a Count Chocula fan, I always enjoyed the monster cereal commercials...

Tim Vigil - the Mummy

2016.04.17 East Coast Comic Con, Seacaucus, NJ

Tim Vigil is best known for his work in the horror/adult genre.  His graphic novel Faust, co-created with David Quinn, was first published in 1987 through Rebel Studios and then by Avatar Press. Faust,  is a series that features strong violence and sexual situations, was developed into a film in 2001 by director Brian Yuzna as Faust: Love of the Damned..

The followup series Faust: Book of M was nominated for the 1999 Bram Stoker Award for Best Illustrated Narrative...

Vigil has also provided work for Grips (Silverwolf Comics), Caliber Presents (Cailber Comics), Zero Tolerance (First Comics), Champions of Hell (13 Flames Empire) and others..

I was a little hesitant to obtain a sketch from Vigil, due to the graphic and sexual nature of most of his work (it's not that I don't appreciate the art, but I have to bring this home and my wife might not approve!) I did approach Vigil with my request based on his background in horror.  His sketch for the above Mummy first day cover is exceptional. The detail he provided , especially in the left hand reaching out of the drawing, it's beautiful...

Tim Vigil's facebook page

Criss Madd - Marvin the Martian

2016.04.03 Jersey Shore Comic Con, Toms River, NJ

Hard to believe that in all my requests for astronauts and Mars Attacks sketches, I had never requested one of my favorite cartoon characters, Marvin the Martian.
While I was looking over Criss' art work I was very inspired, but a majority of his work was fantasy and monsters. He had a great Frankenstein drawing, but I did not have anymore Franksnestein covers to use..

Criss mentioned he did some work on a new toy line that had monster-astronaut characters, called Hell Screamers, you can see his work on Hell Screamers on his Facebook page... Criss has provided the pencils for the Kickstarter project New Cairo, written and created by Bradley Golden and Alex Barranco... Criss also provided sketch covers for the Kickstarter project Until We Sleep...

I left the Project Mercury first day cover and ask Criss to do whatever he felt like...and Marvin the Martian was his choice..

Marvin first appeared in the 1948 Looney Tunes cartoon "Haredevil Hare", and was created by Chuck Jones. He mission is to destroy the earth with the aid of his trusty companion K-9, his army of instant martians and the Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator...

Trevor McCarthy - Nightwing

2016.04.17 East Coast Comic Con, Seacaucus, NJ

Trevor McCarthy is noted for his work on such titles as Batman:Gates of Gotham, Nightwing, Batwoman, Blackhawks, Green Lantern and the Atom, Thunder Agents and X-Men.. as a cover artist his work has been seen on Nightwing, Green Lantern Corps, Batman, Birds of Prey, Justice League Dark and others....

McCarthy has also provided work on the David Hine and Kyle Higgins character Nightrunner, featured inDetective Comics Annual #12. The character is an Algerian Sunni Muslim French citizen working for Batman Incorporated as the Batman of Paris...

McCarthy signed Nightwing #65

Bob Petrecca - Capt Cold

2016.04.03 Jersey Shore Comic Con, Toms River, NJ

Bob Petrecca, has worked on titles such as Dr Strange, Justice League Unlimited, Captain America, Superman and several other titles as an inker, penciller and cover artist.  This is my second drawing from Petrecca, and he always does beautiful work...


Captain Cold, Leonard Snart was created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, as the fist super villain to face the Silver Age Flash, Barry Allen. Listed as #27 on IGN's list of Top 100 comic Book Villains...

Jeff Maksuta - Mr Freeze

2016.04.03 Jersey Shore Comic Con, Toms River, NJ

Jeff Maksuta is a champion among men, and though he holds the belt for conquering universes and destroying worlds, his true passion lie in creating cartoons and comic art. While he flexes his muscles across the land, he enjoys drawing very shapely characters and creating stories in a humorous nonsensical fashion.  If you don't believe this check out his site where he tells you the exact same thing...

Mr Freeze (Victor Fries) is a super villian from the DC Comic universe. Created by Bob Kane, David Wood and Sheldon Moldoff, the character first appeared in Batman #121 (1959) under the name of Mr. Zero. He is one of Batman's most enduring enemies, having faced Batman in the comic, televison, movies, and cartoons. the character was played by George Sanders, Otto Preminger, Eli Wallach, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nathan Darrow and voiced by Clancy Brown, Michael Ansara and Maurice LaMarche..

IGN listed Mr Freeze #67 on the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time

Jacquelyn Elio - Killer Frost

2016.04.03 Jersey Shore Comic Con, Toms River, NJ

When the Geometric Snowflake stamps, designed by Antonio Alcala and Leslie Badani, were initially reveled, I was not inspired by the simple design. A couple of days later I started thinking of the various comic book characters with cold-related powers that would complement the stamp...The common fact was to maintain the snowflake design.  I asked each artist to be sure to include a snowflake as part of their sketch...

The first sketch in the snowflake series comes from Jacquelyn Elio, her facebook page states she studied art at Sussex Community College. I wish you all the best in the field, thanks for the great sketch...

Killer Frost, created by Al Milgrom and Gerry Conway, is the second Frost character in the DC universe. Louise Lincoln was a friend of the original Frost, Crystal Frost, also created by Milgrom and Conway. Upon Crystal's death Lincoln recreated the accident that gave Crystal her powers and became the new Killer Frost to seek revenge against Firestorm, who she blames fro Crystal's death...

Paul Harding - Star Wars - Rancor

2016.04.17 East Coast Comic Con, Seacaucus, NJ

From Marvel Legends to DC Collectibles' Icon line, sculptor & illustrator Paul harding had left an indelible mark on the action figure and statue world.  That being said I usually glance at tables with statues and figures trying not to make eye contact with the vendor, so I don't get their hopes up thinking I might buy something.  I simply do not collect statues or action figures. I appreciate the work that goes into them and the beauty of the piece, so when I turned the corner and saw Paul Harding's table with a few figures in boxes I had planned on passing him by. Then I noticed he was working on a wash of Kylo Ren. He had a couple of sketches on the table he had been working on.

I stopped and watched him work and asked about his doing sketches. He stated he was, but preferred to draw villains. Since he was working a a Star Wars sketch, I asked if he could draw a Star Wars related character on the C3PO first day cover. He agreed, but wanted to do a villain. My response is usually a simple go for it.  And he did with this excellent Rancor

Harding has created figures for Batman Black and White, Sideshow Collectibles, Hasbro, Gentle Giant (Star Wars, GI Joe, Star Trek, Pacific Rim)

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)

Matt Gaudio - The Joker

2015.05.02 Dewey's Comic City, Madison, NJ

Free Comic Book Day

Another Joker sketch from a Kubert School student, in attendance at Dewey's Free Comic Book festivities...

Matt has started lending his talents to Outpouring Comics...

Matt Gaudio

Cam Adams - The Joker

2015.05.02 Dewey's Comic City, Madison, NJ

Free Comic Book Day

Another Joker sketch from a Kubert School student, in attendance at Dewey's Free Comic Book festivities... From Cam's DeviantArt page: I've been reading and drawing comics my whole life. Around age 23 I decided to take it to the next level and pursue comic book illustration as a career. After "How-to" books at home and the Kubert School, I am drawing comics and lovin' it... 

Cam Adams

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.