Monday, March 30, 2009

Thinktankcomics.com moving to a new server

Oh, heads up. You may see that thinktankcomics.com is spotty. No worries, we're just switching servers.

Best,
Mike

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Great Star Trek review!

I have a new favorite comic book reviewer! Patrick Hayes! :)

"The art and colors: Okay, now I'm on fire. I loved the look of this book."

Mr. Patrick Hayes, aka PatBorg, is clearly a man of impeccable taste! A true gentleman and scholar!

For the record, Mr. James Brown came in and colored the second half of the book (11 pages) so I could jump back to G.I. JOE and keep it on time. He was a huge help.

Best,
Mike

Friday, March 27, 2009

OMG mess up


If you're one of the three and a half people reading Hysteria online, you may have noticed there were no new pages this week. I got so wrapped up in two different deadlines that I clean forgot to update the site.

Sorry bout that.

Look for new pages starting Monday.

Mike

Star Trek: Alien Spotlight - Tribbles preview 2







A bunch of random pages from the Star Trek: Alien Spotlight - Tribbles comic I illustrated. In stores now.

Best,
Mike

Thursday, March 26, 2009

G.I. JOE: Origins #2 reviews

Couple of reviews.

http://comics.ign.com

This review exposes a problem I keep having with reviews of this comic. Whenever someone dislikes something about the book, it's attributed to me, but when they LIKE something they attribute it to someone else! Even if I did the work! I saw a bit of that last issue with people mixing Tom's work with mine. I understood there, as it wasn't clarified who drew what.

However this issue the problem is with the "reliance on color". When the reviewer likes the work they credit my buddy Erik Swanson. Now, Erik is like a brother to me and his help here has made it possible for me to do this book on time. BUT, he's just doing the flats, not the full colors. Basic flat colors outlining the forms under the line, and I come in and alter the color to fit what I need and do all the modeling.

Here's an example of how we're working

Flats, by the awesome Erik Swanson



Final page by me



Many people look at comic artists like a piece meal job. Like you're not supposed to create a complete image. Look, it's all drawing. There is no "penciling" and "inking". Those jobs are the invention of editors, not artists. As an artist, I'm purposely leaving areas open for color so i CAN do more painterly modeled artwork. Create some light and atmosphere with the color. I'm not being lazy with the line and let it "fall on the colorist to provide many of the finer shadows and highlights"! That makes anti-sense! Why is that so difficult to understand?

I've written a script to illustrate how that might play out -

Me - Fuck this! I aint gots no time to be drawing all this shit! I'll leave it for the colorist to do! Now, where's my scotch!?

Logic - Uh, Mike...YOU'RE the colorist!

Me - So,I can't...uh....leave the work for some other guy to do?!

Logic - ...no...

Me - ...because?...

Logic - Uh, you're the "other guy" Mike.

Me - BOB SAGET!!!

I hope this helps people understand. :)

BTW, and here's another review - http://www.hisstank.com

This issue is a tad slower then last, but believe me when I tell you it's so that Larry can show us just who all these characters are. OH, and he's setting up some great action in the upcoming issues.

Best,
mike

PS - I drew the lines too, just in case someone wants to attribute that to the pencil or Dixon Ticonderoga or something.

PSS - I'm in no way complaining about getting a BAD review. It's actually not a "bad" review, as we get a 7.5 out of 10. Honestly, it is everyone's right to not like my work - even if my awesomeness should be as clear as the brightly shining sun of a new day. BUT, if you don't dig it then you don't dig it. No sweat.

Just get your reasons correct.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

G.I. JOE: Origins #2 out today!


Didja' get it? Shoot over to my forum and discuss it!

Mike

Friday, March 20, 2009

G.I. Joe: Origins #2 preview


You can see a few pages from issue 2 of ORIGINS here.

Although, it's mistakenly attributed to Tom Feister :(

Mike

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

CRAZY busy!


Hey everyone!

Wow, these last few weeks have been insanely busy! Problem is that everything I'm working on can't be shown here yet. Just wrapped up G.I. JOE: Origins #3, and I WISH I could show you some of it. You really get to see the JOES as a team for the first time, and there are some amazing character moments Larry has written. You're really gonna dig it, even if you're NOT a JOE fan. I have to confess I've never read a G.I. JOE comic before this, but Larry's writing is making me wish I had.

Plugging away at Fear Agent too, which is crazy fun!

Anyway, I'll share soon....when I can.


In the mean time, enjoy yourself some Hysteria!

mike

Monday, March 09, 2009

New Hysteria up for 3/9


Still crazy busy, but did get new pages up at ThinktankComics.com

best!
Mike

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

In the thick of it!



Insanely busy right now! Will post more art and news soon!

Best,
mike