Drawing for fun - DREDD!

I couldn't sleep last night, and got up around 4am (don't ask) so I took the extra time to chill out and draw FOR FUN! Almost never happens anymore.

Here's one of three things I started. I'll share more over the weekend. I have this not-so-secret desire to draw a DREDD story for 2000 AD someday, and couldn't resist trying my hand at Mr. Iyamdalaw himself.

DREDD is easily the most fun I've had drawing a character in a while. All that chunky armor, the cool helmut, and that crazy face. The folks at 2000 AD have decided to allow DREDD to age in real time with the series (unlike Batman or Wolverine who never age, ever!) which I think is a great idea. It allows me to give DREDD a grizzled, Clint-like feel.

Also, apparently I have a blue period. Who knew?

Anyway, enjoy.

mike

SALEM pt.II

Did I say I'd post more of these "next week"? I meant "tomorrow" :)

Seeing as Halloween is this weekend, doesn't make sense to post these horror pages AFTER the day has passed. So, here's the second half.







Enjoy!

Mike

SALEM pt.I

So, I was looking through my past work to find some cool Halloween related art to post for you folks. Then I remembered SALEM, a short horror comic I did a couple years back with screen writers Chris Morgan (WANTED, Fast and the Furious Tokyo Drift) and Kevin Walsh.

These fellas hired me on to illustrate an issue zero to premier at Comic Con in San Diego. They were new to comics, but really talented and eager to do this thing right. We hit it off immediately, and had tons of fun working on this short 11 page comic.

In the end the series went to BOOM! Studios, with Wilfredo Torres as the new artist. I was busy with a ton of new books and regretfully couldn't stay on, but after a really pleasant conversation with Mark Waid I agreed to let them use the first 11 pages as a spring board for the first issue. Wilfredo took it to new heights from there.

Anyway, here are the pencils for the first half of the comic. Stay tuned for the second half early next week.







Comments are always welcomed.

best,
Mike

Wolverine

I never draw this kind of stuff, but after JOE I wanted to try my hand at a superhero style using the color modeling I had for ORIGINS. Here's a Wolverine drawing I was going to color, but just never got to it. Too much to do, and no time to do little side pieces. I still hope to color this before too long, but who knows when? Anyway, here's the line art. Hope you like it.

mike

Inked Redcrow

Hey everyone. I finally inked that Lincoln Red Crow piece I drew last week. Hope you dig it.

best,
Mike

This art is available for purchase here.

Hey new followers!

Just wanted to say HI to all the folks following the blog. I appreciate it, and will try not to disappoint ;)

mike

Fear Agent on Newsarama.com

Check out the interview on Newsarama.com with Rick and Tony about the new Fear Agent arc.

And, since they showed the inked versions on there I may as well show the pencil versions on here.





Mike

Shifters - The One that got away

The Scalped sketch got me thinking of a book I was gonna do years ago with the amazing Mark Ricketts. A bad ass, insanely cool, hero comic called Shifters. I won't get into the details of why we didn't do it, but it was to launch with Image's old hero's line that they were starting way back when. INVINCIBLE and FIRE BREATHER came out of that line.

Anyway, it sucks cause it many ways Mark was really onto something. It had a crime element and was set in a Native American reservation and casino, much like SCALPED (not implying that Jason swiped it, as of course we NEVER made our book.). It also featured these normal folks who discover they have odd powers, WAY before HEROES came along (again, no way to swipe our idea as no one knew of it).

So, yeah, apparently I'm a dumb ass. We'd be RICH now, I tell you! RICH!...

Anyway, before I break down in regretful sobs let me show the original pitch art. Bare in mind this stuff is YEARS old, and predates Un-men, Machine Teen, G.I. JOE, even One Man Gang. So it's a little rough around the edges.








More on the amazing Mr. Ricketts.

Best,
Mike

Shifters - Copyright and Trademark 2009 Mark Ricketts & Mike Hawthorne.

I blame Chris Samnee

After drawing some layouts and a page and a half of comics, what do I do to relax? I F-ING draw some more!! Christ almighty I got it bad...

Anyway, I blame artist Chris Samnee for this. He drew this amazing piece of art that put the bug in my ear to draw some more before calling it a night.

Chris drew a character from my favorite comic, SCALPED. Now, I don't buy many comics. Especially since, you know, I get so many for free. But SCALPED is the exception. It's so crazy good. I haven't liked a comic like this since 100 BULLETS, CASANOVA, or SLEEPER.

But don't none of you tell Aaron or Guera I said this! I'm sure they got big enough heads already!

My favorite character from the series is Lincoln Red Crow, and after Chris' drawing I couldn't get the urge to draw him out of my head. SO, here you go.

I guess I gotta ink this now...

Mike

Fear Agent sneak peek PT2

Rick posted this on his Twitter feed, so I guess it's safe to share. Kind of a give-a-way spoiler on it, but what the hell...

Enjoy, and look for more news on Fear Agent's relaunch soon.

Mike

The chill out spot

So, you may remember an early post about York city - where I currently live. My new book takes place here, and I've been roaming around my old neighborhoods taking reference pictures.

The more I work on this book, the happier I am to have set part of the book here. This City is really ugly, crazy, and full of character. It's old, in that way that all Pennsylvanian cities are, but still trying to find it's way.

While out taking pictures I found this little "chill out spot" just a few blocks from downtown. It was just this old sofa thrown in this small, bricked in enclave. You'll notice an empty beer bottle is on the sofa. I can just see someone, or some people, sitting there getting bloody and just hanging out.

I found out later that there was a shoot out in this neighborhood where a young man died earlier that same morning.

I also ran into a guy that I grew up with, and found out his brother killed him self recently.

So, yeah...fucking York City. I love ya', but I wish you could be happier. :(

Mike

Fear Agent sneak peek

Fear Agent is coming along nicely. I have an issue in the can, and a good start on the second. Unfortunately, we're going so insanely balls out with this thing that I can't show any pages. Seriously, EVERY page has a major spoiler of SOME sort on it. I mean MAJOR. Fans of the series are gonna get their worlds turned up side down with what Rick is coming up with. This thing is gonna be the grand finale to beat all grand finales!

Technically, even this panel is kind of a spoiler but you won't be able to figure out with out the rest of the page.

Check out Dark Horse's page for more info on the series.

More soon...

Mike