UMBRA up for two Harvey Awards!!

Hey all,

Sorry for the lack of posts here lately, just been busy getting The Un-men ready for the launch of the series in August (ask your local comic shop to order it for you in the new Previews).

BUT, I got some great news this week! My Image book, UMBRA, is up for two Harvey Awards this year!!

BEST WRITER

• Ed Brubaker | DAREDEVIL | Marvel Comics

• Grant Morrison | ALL-STAR SUPERMAN | DC Comics

• Steve Murphy | UMBRA | Image Comics

• Don Rosa | UNCLE SCROOGE | Gemstone Publishing

• William Van Horn | WALT DISNEY COMICS & STORIES | Gemstone Publishing

• Brian K. Vaughn | Y: THE LAST MAN | DC/Vertigo

BEST CONTINUING OR LIMITED SERIES

• DAREDEVIL | Marvel Comics

• LOCAL | Oni Press

• THE SPIRIT | DC Comics

• UMBRA | Image Comics

• WALT DISNEY COMICS & STORIES | Gemstone Publishing

http://www.harveyawards.org/index.html

Thanks to everyone who supported the series, and if you're voting this year please remember us. We're up against some stiff competition and can use all the help we can get!

Best,
mike

Portraits and Color

My last blog post had a couple of paintings I had done in college. They got me thinking about how I've essentially stopped painted after I graduated and have focused almost exclusively on illustrations. I don't have many paintings from those days, most of which I just abandoned or trashed, so I can't look back too much and examine what I was doing. I did find an old study I did of a room mate I had while in college. This was done on a small (about 8.5" x 11") piece of masonite, as was just a study for a larger painting I never got to finish. It's interesting to look at and wonder at what I'd have done had I gone to the actual painting. I loved pushing paint around on a surface, making it describe forms, and I can see that joy in this small piece really clearly. Takes me back...


Then, an old filmaker/photographer friend of mine came to visit from NY and we talked all night about projects we're both working on and ones we WISH we were working on. One of the subjects we touched on was how I need a headshot for the back of all those fancy pants books I make. The idea of posing for them makes me uncomfortable,...just makes me feel fucking vain and dirty. After he rolled back to NY, I began thinking about how much of my painting career was focused on portraits and how I did many self portraits during that time.

That made me starting thinking of my work now, and how most of it is in black and white. I think black and white works a different part of my brain then color work, but it still feels like I can push ink around like I used to push paint. I did this little ink study between pages.I'd like to get to work with more color this year, and that reminded me of this short style test I did a few months back. I wanted to see if I could do a fully fleshed image in under a half hour using rough inking and computer color. Not perfect, there are PLENTY of drawing and color problems with this, but it was an interesting exercise.

Think I got this done in under 20 minutes, not including scanning.

Anyway, no more rambling. Back to he grind.
Mike

Happy New Year!

Best,
mike

How to make a Christmas card pt.I

Worked on our annual family Christmas card this weekend. He's some of preliminary sketches, and a first run at the final.











Not done, yet. Some stuff I still have to tweak.

Mike

The chase

In keeping with the "works in progress" title, here are more roughs from Hysteria: One Man Gang. I'm keeping it as fluid as possible, to try and avoid the trap of a very rigid/slick car chase.









Unfortunately, I can not give an answer as to when this will be done. I have to do it on the side, when not working on Un-men. I also refuse to just rush it at this point. To date, after six+ years of working in Hysteria stories, both self published and for various publishers, I've NEVER seen a DIME of profits from the book. So if it aint for money then it's for love. And you don't rush love ;)

mike

Umbra trade cover fight

I usually end up fighting for a long time with a cover for a trade paper back (I did something like 8 revisions for the trade to Queen & Country, Vol. 6). Umbra is no exception. PLUS, we have offers from 3 other countries to put out translated versions so I want a really strong, iconic cover.

Anyway, here are a few initial attempts. The bit on the left side is the spine. Normally I try and design the entire book cover at once (front, spine, and back) but I'm only showing the front and spine here for now.

You may not be able to tell, but on the first version the light source is a head lamp the figure is wearing.

Many, MANY more revisions to go through and new ideas to cook up.




Best,
Mike

I'm thankful for...

... all of you guys. Seriously. I don't have as many fans as some artists, but I can really count of a small, devoted group to follow me from one hair brained project to another without missing a beat.

Thanks to you, folks. I loves ya' all.

I'm also thankful for my family, especially my wife. I had dinner at my father-in-law's small diner today. Just us, in a booth, eating the normal Turkey day stuff, after the place had closed. While we're eating we see this homeless guy walking up, and my wife jumps up (without any hesitation) and says to me "tell him to come in, we have food for him". So, he sat two booths down, eating quietly, and would mumble "thank you" softly every so often. She even warmed up his coffee with a refill and a smile.

I'm lucky to have her.

Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you all had your self a great time with who ever is important to you.

best,
Mike

Un-men preview

Sneak peek for Un-men, from Vertigo. I'm just about finished #1, and starting #2, and trust me this is going to be a great series. John's writing some fantastic stuff.

Check out the interviews/previews-
Newsarama
CBR

Best,
Mike

My OTHER book...

When not working on The Un-men, and wrapping up Hysteria, I'm working on my OTHER book... Sturgeon, with Umbra writer Steve Murphy.

This'll be a small format graphic novel, and will run about 120 some pages. Set in the 70's, it's a coming of age book Steve's been cooking up for years.

Hope you dig it.

Best,
mike

This one's for you. Bill!

Preview of Exterminators #12. Hope you all got #11 ;)





Mike

PS - This preview is dedicated to everyone that ever wanted to see a guy with a mole in a comic... I'm looking at YOU Bill! ;)

Exterminators #11 out this week!

Apparently the first issue of The Exterminators (from Vertigo/DC comics) comic I drew will be out this coming week, so be sure to check it out. Great, great story Simon wrote up.


Mike

Portent pin-up

Did this pin up for Peter Bergting's book, the Portent. If you haven't seen it, it's stunning. Peter's a fantastic artist, and could keep up with ANY of us working the big two. Great guy to boot.

Had to hack this out a bit, pun intended ;), cause I ran out of time.

Mike

PS - Check here for more on The Portent - http://web.mac.com/bergting/iWeb/Portent/News/News.html

Making of the Un-men San Diego Promo art

The Un-men promo art for my new series at Vertigo. Done @ 18" by 24". I wanted to paint it, but alas there was no time.












Lots of time went into this piece, which may very well never see print.

Mike

Un-edited page from Tales of the TMNT #24

The guys at Mirage turned a double page spread I did into a splash for the final comic. Here's the original.

Mike

DOOM!

Did this sketch a while back, in between comic pages, and noticed it's not in the online sketchbook. So, I'll post it here till I can update the sketchbook.

Love me some DOOM.

Mike

Hysteria: One Man Gang #3

Yes, I'm STILL working on Hysteria. It'll be out soon, sorry for the hold up.

Best,
Mike

Online Sketchbook update

Damn, almost a year since I updated the sketchbook! That'll change, promise.

Sneak preview of my fill-in on Tony Moore's The Exterminators, and a few designs from my Vertigo book - The Un-men.

Best,
Mike

Welcome!

Hey all,

I hope to use this space to post works-in-progess as well as news on my new books, art, website, and shows. It's bare bones now, but I'll have this thing humming in no time.

Check back soon.

best,
Mike