Joe Benitez Soulfire

Ello, ello!
Hope everyone isn't as stressed as we are around the holidays. Things have been very busy lately. Alé has been putting some love into his Fathom pages and Sana Takeda is making Soulfire: Shadow Magic (issue one just came out yesterday!) shine. Marcus is still cranking away and can't wait to show off his pencils. Francisco Herrera has taken his art to a new level and Micah has been working on something new and different. Also look forward to Eduardo Francisco's pages in Executive Assistant: Iris #0 out in March - they will make your eyes explode.

I really wish I could show you guys what all these talented artists have been turning in but.. I only got the "go ahead" to show you what Joe Benitez has been slaving on. Check out this killer dragon in an upcoming Soulfire issue!




I wanted to give a gift to those that check out the blog.
Remember...
Soulfire RETURNS March 18th.
Write it down, postit note it, ical it, entourage reminder it, oven timer it, or just repeat it every morning when you wake up.

Happy Holidays!

New Zealand Armageddon Expo Interview

Chris McMorran was nice enough to interview me at the New Zealand Armageddon Expo, so I thought it would be nice to share!



..and by "overnight stays" I mean I was working evenings as a waitress, days in production, and at night trying to color. Just felt compelled to clarify :P

Nov 15th Golden Apple Signing!

Join us at Golden Apple in our home state of California for a special signing of the Michael Turner Tribute issue!

New Cartoon I'm Pitching

Here is a new cartoon idea i'm pitching...



I pretty much just combined two of the coolest things in the world.

Sorry for the slacking on posts. We'll get some cool things up here soon. It has been a couple of busy months. We finished the Fathom Definitive Trade (a monster of a book) and the Michael Turner Tribute book (in stores now!) in addition to working on Fathom, Soulfire: Shadow Magic, and Shrugged. Garza and Steigerwald put together 4 connecting covers to issue #4 of Fathom. Have you seen them? So sick, we made it into a poster. Aspen Showcase: Benoist came out recently and the line continues with Aspen Showcase: Ember in January- which shows off Randy Green's sexy pencils.

Joe Benitez has turned in some Soulfire pages just recently... They look INSANE! This is hands down his best work to date. Maybe I should up some of those up? Whadduyathink?

Aspen Necklace found in France

Check out this Aspen Matthews looking necklace I found in Paris! She gets around :)

Boston - Like Art?

X-Men are Cool

Anyone get the Michael Turner X-Men #500 cover? They were sold out when I went so I just printed this out and glued it over the one I gots.

Robert Kirkman

Robert Kirkman Video on producing creator-owned work

This past Saturday!

Hey guys just wanted to come on and thank all of you who came out this past Saturday! It was an honor to share the experience with those of you who made it out. Some came and hung out till the end, while others just came by to pay their respects. It was all appreciated, and I know I had a blast! Hopefully I'll be able to coordinate more Fathom inspired events in the future. Thanks again!

-a

This Saturday! And today!

Hey guys Fathom Vol 3 issue one hits today! Go out and pick a copy up! Also if you're in the Bay Area, we're having a gathering in honor of Mike, and his character Fathom at 111 Minna this Saturday! If you get a chance come say hi!

-a

Micah Gunnell SDCC '08 Sketchbook

Artist Micah Gunnell's Sketchbook on sale at San Diego Comic Con 2008!

Chicka chicka yeah!

What're you laughing at?!

I just got back from seeing the Dark Knight... pretty awesome. I actually did this a while ago but thought it would be cool to wait till after I saw the movie to post it. I like to ride the wave.

FATHOM #1 - SDCC get ready!

Want Epic?

Nicest guy in comics...

Just wanted to take a second and express my thoughts as to the recent loss of Michael Turner. I luckily had the honor to know Mike as a friend, and colleague over the past few years. As a newbie to the industry he was always kind and supportive. I remember first seeing his work on Witchblade and have to admit it was quite stunning to me. He was a part of a generation of artists that helped craft many of the top talents you see working today. His skills will be missed. Working with him on Fathom for the past year or so, I have to look back and say that I am simply amazed at the work he managed to put out going through all he was. It's truly a lesson to be learned by all other artists in this industry to help realize what a gift it is that we're able to do what we do for a living, and that it should never be taken for granted. I know I have. I look forward to continuing his vision with Fathom Volume 3, and will do my best do his creation justice. A part of me knows I got a new editor over my shoulder 24/7 making sure I do the best work I'm capable of, and that's just fine by me. Dance on, brother!

-a

Team Kiani-Talent Caldwell!

Team Aspen-David Finch!

Team Grace-Francis Manapul!

Artsenal Round 3

In honor of Michael Turner, Artsenal still went on this past weekend in Chicago. Mike was definitely there watching as David, Francis, and Talent all put there artistic hands to his character, Aspen Matthews. The results were nothing less than phenomonal, as all three out did themselves! So without further ado we give to you, in Mike's honor, Artsenal Round 3, Aspen Matthews!!!

Good Bye, My Friend

I miss you already.

ARTSENAL ROUND 3 IS ON!!!

The largest comic book artist sketch-battle competition in history continues as the ARTSENAL 2008 moves into round 3 at Wizard World Chicago 2008 with the teams neck and neck in points! TEAM KIANI currently leads the pack with 61 total votes while team Aspen isn't too far behind with 52. Team Grace started round one strong with a W but has since slipped into third with 42 points. But no team is safe in the ultimate battle of lead and paper, so without any more delay here are your round 3 gladiators:



Talent Caldwell's made his name in comics on the hit titles Fathom, Gen13, and Wildcats--now he's looking to brand his name on the ARTSENAL 2008 Round 3 trophy! Tal's been steady training with a diet of vodka and HGH to strengthen his mind and wrists in order to drop his sweet science on his unlucky competitors!



Dave Finch is a superstar in the biz working on titles like Fallen Son and the New Avengers-and he's one hell of a nice guy also! But now he's cashing in his nice-guy smile for a can of ass whoopin' deluxe that he'll serve chilled to his Artsenal Round 3 foes!


Team Grace needed a pick-me-up after falling into third place in the voting, but now they've reloaded with the greatest sketch-battle competitor in history! The sketch battle legend himself--Francis Manapul! When asked about his legendary battle reputation on the streets, Francis humbly replied: "Aint no myth--it be fact, I'm the Great One."

*This quote or his obscene Latin mustache cannot be verified for authenticity

You know the deal folks! Cast your TOPIC SUGGESTION in the comments section below to help determine what these three awesome combatants will be drawing. If your suggestion ends up as the WINNING TOPIC, you'll win an exclusive 11 x 17 inch print of the winning team's round three entry. It's free to cast your vote, so DO IT NOW!!!

soon...

HULK GRAB PUNY HUMAN!!!!

I just saw the Incredible Hulk and had the urge to draw so here you go. TO SMASH!!!!!!

whut whut

thought i'd post my recent piece for the upcoming summer swimsuit blast... coming out soon... btw, no "swipe" here, lol LITG you caught me... I guess? since when is using photos for reference a swipe? either way rich j you fell into my trap, thanks for the press... a boy like me will take it where i can get it... funny thing is i used two photos for that there "swipe" good luck finding the other rich j.... peace i'm outta here....

-a
"BRANK!BRANK!"

Hey I Can Post Here!

That's cool!

Uh, now I just need something to say.

Heh.

Well, uh, bye.

Aspen Matthews and WWPhilly

Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth and attended our Aspen Panel at Wizard World Philly. It was great to hear that Fathom #0 was getting an awesome response from the fans and new readers.

Look forward to more Aspen Matthews in the new Showcase book due out pretty soon - 6.25.08.
For those of you that missed the panel - we showed off this page from the book.

Written by
C.B. Cebulski
Artwork by Talent Caldwell and John Starr...

Up, up and away!

Hey all, I was recently asked to contribute a piece to the Joe Shuster awards which will be held on saturday June 14th to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the first publication of Joe Shuster’s legendary co-creation, SUPERMAN, in 1938. It will be held in Toronto at the Lillian H. Smith Library Auditorium (239 College Street, east of Spadina Ave.) and, along with our evening awards event, we will have a day of programming called the SEQUENTIAL ART SYMPOSIUM that will include guest comic creators; signings; sketches; workshops; panels and an art exhibit called VISIONS OF AN ICON.

http://www.joeshusterawards.com/

This piece will be part of the art exhibit Visions of an Icon along with many other artists. These pieces will be auctioned off as part of a fund raiser for the Shuster awards and also part of the proceeds will be donated to the hero initiative. If anyone of you are in Toronto that day, check it out and enjoy the art.

Mark Roslan's Batman

This summer is going to be legen... wait for it... dary! There is a whole crap load of cool movies coming out. We were talking about which we were most excited about. Frank of course can't wait to see Hulk. Peter is a big Indian Jones fan. Vince loved IronMan. Josh said something about Hellboy. I personally can not waaaaait for Batman 2: The Dark Knight!

Sketch - all in photoshop - 25 min

Aspen Matthews

Talent Caldwell is hard at work on Aspen Showcase: Aspen Matthews #1. I'll try to get him to post up some of his sketches but he's a busy dude. The pages look absolutely amazing... and the story is beautifully written by C.B. Cebulski! I'll show off some interiors later, but for now, here is the pencils for the cover!



P.S. Look out for the Alé Garza cover too!
( we'll keep that one to ourselves for now :)

Inks a doodles

it's funny, i can remember way back before i actually got into comics, that for quite some time i wanted to be an inker rather than a penciler... when i got into the industry i realized inking was waaay harder than it seems and is truly an art form unto itself... in my days i've been lucky enough to know and work with some of the most talented in the biz, rich friend, sandra hope, scott williams, and most recently sal regla, heck even artist like carlos d'anda, dan norton, and jim lee, are some of the most amazing inkers to work with! it's only recently that i've been bitten with the inkin bug again, and have really been bustin my ass tryin to hone that skill... confidence with the tools is slowly coming, and i'm quite excited with each and every new piece i do! i guess my hope is to someday be able to finish my thought process from pencil to color all in one full comic books work! btw, if interested ive posted some new art for sale on my myspace page, www.myspace.com/lexlucrative check it out! thanks!

-a
merrgoo?

music suggestions! The Presets!

One of my favorite bands, the presets, just released their newest album, Apocalypso, on Itunes! Make sure to check it out! Also they're touring the US, woo hoo!!! Already got my tickets for the san fran show! peace out yo!

-a
"PSHOO!PSHOO!"

Kiani Commission

Hey peeps, here's a Kiani commission I finished recently. Definitely had fun with this one, especially with her hair. Hope you like!

gearin up

hey you guys..... how goes it? just wanted to pop this wonderland piece i did recently... really working on my inking techniques lately... studying i guess what would be considered more traditional inking techniques rather than the finesse dlines were all used to seeing on a regular basis... also ben workin on my photoshop colorin/paintin skills... with any hope my next project after fathom v 3.0, i will tackle all art chores! for now though still focusin on aspen, makin sure to make it sweeet!

-a
"pshoo!pshoo!"

Wizard 200 - Michael Turner draws Hulk

WIZARD 200 IS COMING! All-star jam cover by Bryan Hitch, Steve McNiven, Joe Quesada and Michael Turner!



Here is a scan of Turner's pencils for the cover. Wizard Magazine #200 is in stores this Wednesday!

Crazy Ol' me

Hey guys just wanted to pop in and say hi! been super busy over here on fathom and many of my many other under takings... artsenal has been a ton of fun sooo far... a great thank you to all of the amazing artists who have came out so far to participate... so whats goin on people? how have you all been? here's to an exciting year in comics... i personally am adding weapons to my own art senal every day here... peace out yo!

-a
"www.myspace.com/mistersistermusic"
pshoo!pshoo!

Aspen @ New York Comic Con

Guess what?!


Aspen will be in New York for the NYCC with an array of convention exclusive comic books, prints, and original artwork all weekend long at the Aspen Comics both #1445.
Show us some love!

Before and After: WWLA Program Cover

Here's a behind-the-scenes look at Turner's pencils and the finished product after Peter and Roz got a hold of it. A special cover with both Aspen and Grace together.

MVP

Cool Video

A friend of a friend made this - pretty cool huh?

THE ROUND 2 WINNER IS...

TEAM KIANI!

Round 2 took the young ARTSENAL competition to new levels as even more voters arrived to help crown one team the ultimate collection of sketch artists in 2008! In addition to the increase in the voting pool, there was also a bit of controversy in round 2 as we had to disqualify a number of votes for both TEAM ASPEN and TEAM KIANI due to foul play. Needless to say I've re-counted the total votes minus these disqualified votes. Don't waste your time commenting on the vote count as its not open for discussion. One additional note, let's keep the voting process clean of any prejudice or racism people in your posts. Any votes with these type of remarks from here on out will be subject to disqualification also!

So after all was said and done, Peter and TEAM KIANI rebounded nicely from their week 1 loss with a total vote count of 40, bringing their total sum on the year to an ARTSENAL-leading 61 votes. TEAM ASPEN went head-to-head with TEAM KIANI with Lopez' playful piece garnering 34 votes bringing their sum to 52. Benitez and TEAM GRACE's awesome entry stunningly garnered only 9 votes and thus TEAM GRACE has now slid into 3rd place with their total of 42 points on the year. But, I for one am not worried, because in THE ARTSENAL 2008--it's now anybody's crown for the taking!

Artsenal Round 2 video

Here is a quick video of the three teams in action!..

ROUND 2 PIECES!

The pieces are in, now it's up to you to decide the round two winner! Will TEAM GRACE add to their leading total and continue to lead the pack, or will TEAM KIANI or TEAM ASPEN break through and claim the lead in the largest comic book sketch battle of the year!

To vote for your favorite team's piece, simply leave a comment/vote in their respective comment section below!

TEAM ASPEN

TEAM KIANI

TEAM GRACE

Round 2 Topic Is....

Wonder Woman and Ghost Rider!!!! The artists are getting ready to throw-down deep in the heart of LA! Stay Tuned for updates from the booth soon!!!

ROUND 2!!!

ROUND 2 BEGINS!
The first battle is over, a new one has risen! Round 2 will take place live this Saturday 2pm at the Aspen Comics booth in Los Angeles, CA at Wizard World Los Angeles 2008! The teams have grown larger now with the addition of the round two combatants...And, why wait any longer? Let's meet the newest ARTSENAL warriors!

TEAM ASPEN - MICHAEL LOPEZ


TEAM ASPEN is reloading with longtime penciler, master of the female form, and straight up dope guy Michael Lopez! Joining us courtesy of the Wildstorm gang, Lopez is ready to drop down on the city of Angeles with his pencil and pad and set the record straight! Lopez is currently producing covers for GEN 13!

TEAM KIANI - PETER STEIGERWALD


Hometown legend Steigerwald has been busy coloring the very best Aspen has to offer and now he's ready to drop his wacom pen and pick up the lead to go head to head! Plus he plans on distracting his opponents with "yo mama" jokes. Peter's work includes Soulfire, Fathom,DC's Identity Crisis, and Marvel's Civil War!

TEAM GRACE - JOE BENITEZ

But hold on people, TEAM GRACE is still sitting fat on their impressive round one victory and plan to add to their total with the addition of mega-artist Joe Benitez. Known for his awesome work within the pages of Batman and his impressive series Wraithborn! LA is Joe's stomping ground and he's not letting the other two out of the convention center without paying their dues--It's on!

Okay people, you know the drill. Drop your topic suggestions in the comment section below for what you wanna see these awesomely-talented artists sketch in a 90 minute sketch battle! And remember, whomever suggests the winning topic will receive an 11x17" print of the winning team's entry!

ROUND 1 WINNER: MICAH GUNNELL AND TEAM GRACE!!

The results are in and all the votes have been counted. Micah Gunnell brought home round 1 for TEAM GRACE with his winning rendition of the devil lad Hellboy! The battle was fierce and Ale Garza and Mark Brooks' Hellboys added up to 3 amazing pieces for everyone's viewing pleasure! The final voting went TEAM GRACE: 33 votes, TEAM KIANI: 21 votes, and TEAM ASPEN: 18 votes. All three teams will carry their point totals into the next round...

And speaking of round 2, stay tuned, we'll be announcing the ROUND 2 competitors....TODAY!!!

ARTSENAL ROUND ONE VIDEO

ROUND 1 VOTING CLOSES IN 48 HOURS!

Round 1 set the stage and will go down in history as the first ever Artsenal battle! Each artist came through with their own unique take, delivering three awesome Hellboy pieces (see below). Well, the polls are set to close on Wednesday at noon--pacific time. The winning team will be announced Wednesday and all three teams will take their point totals into round 2!

Congratulations to Mike Diesel for winning an 11x17 print of the Round 1 winning team's piece with his topic suggestion of Hellboy!

Con in Cow Town

Convention season hits west coast canada on April 26-27. And Calgary resident badass Marcus To will be there ;) and it appears that superstar Ale Garza will be there too! And the guest don't stop there. check out the details at http://www.calgaryexpo.com/

Hope to see you all there!