Rock In This Pocket (Song of David)

I just wanted to share another page from A. David Lewis' (and mine) EMPTY CHAMBER. Not much to say about it.

I think it's pretty good.

Actually, this page is a great example of the collaborative nature of which ADL and I have. The script called for 5 panels. After I worked on the rough layout for the page, I came to the conclusion that, for me, the page would be stronger with 2 extra panels (panel 1 and 4 on the page to the left) that helped pace the dialogue and added some variety in shots. ADL agreed and was very willing to adjust the script accordingly.

A. Dave is a treat to work with.


Last post's title was a song title from:
Hell To Pay by The Jeff Healey Band

Some good old boys from Canada. George Harrison contributes on their cover of While My Guitar Gently Weeps. Great stuff!

Full Circle

Jason Rodriguez asked me why the hell I am an Atlanta Thrasher fan. Well, it's a long story that starts when I was 7 years old.....

I'm one of those artists that started drawing at a fairly young age. One of my first loves was drawing. A second first love (is that even possible?) was hockey. All things hockey: playing it, watching it, collecting hockey cards, playing table hockey, etc. A friend and I decided to combined those two passions into a money making endeavour..... drawing hockey pictures...... and selling them for cash!

He drew the players. I drew the goalies (naturally!). We used our hockey cards as reference for the equipment, poses and team logos. I enjoyed drawing the goalies, but it was illustrating the logos that I really got a kick outta. Some of them were easy(Boston Bruins). Some were to hard(Chicago Blackhawks). But one was always fun to draw. The Atlanta Flames.

The Flames became my favorite team, based completely on my love of the logo. Sad, I know. But, cut me some slack.... I was just a 7 year old kid with a love of great graphic design!

So anyway, The Atlanta Flames were now my favorite team. They would be for 3 years until, due to financial troubles of the owner, they were sold and moved to Calgary, in 1980, to become the Calgary Flames. They had a cool logo AND I could follow them on the TV. I was now a Calgary fan. I got the jersey with my name on it. I went to some of the games when they came to town. I started to collect hockey cards, again. It was a great time.

My interest in hockey started to wane by the time I got to high school, though. There were other things that occupied my time. From about 1985 to 1995, I didn't follow much hockey. I know. Freaky, eh? By the time I was getting interested again, I was feeling disconnected to any one team, even my Flames. I will admit I became a fickle fan. After about a year of liking this team and that, I latched onto the Detroit Red Wings. They had some great players and they also had some great goaltenders. But, after a few years, I realized that they were buying Stanley Cups and became a fickle fan once again.

It was 1999 when it was announced that an expansion team would be entering the league. The Atlanta Thrashers. It was like the Hockey Gods pointed their collective goaltending sticks at me and said, "Jason, We have added a new NHL team that will address all your hopes and dreams." It was like coming home.

The Thrashers are entering their 6th season. They still haven't made the playoffs. Whatever. I'm still a fan.

Besides, they've got a great logo.

Last post's title was a song title from:
Rio by Duran Duran

Hold Back The Rain

Looks like the Thrashers are going to lean on Steve Shields for goaltending support. They've signed him to a 2-way contract that will pay him $575,000 if he stays with the NHL club, and $75,000 if he is demoted to Atlanta's farm team, The Chicago Wolves.

It's a start. Although, I don't think that this is going to help very much. He was never a first string goalie, even when he was younger. He could be a backup goalie, but I have way more faith in Dunham for that role. This may stop the bleeding for a while, but it's not going to work for the long run.

At least they did sign "The Cat"........(yet?)........

Last post's title was a song title from:
Cosmo's Factory by Creedence Clearwater Revival

CCR's 5th album in the span of 2 years. And all of them are excellent.

Who'll Stop The Rain

I haven't talked hockey for quite a while. The main reason is that the Thrashers are in the midst of a serious goaltending problem and are struggling. They've lost both no.1 goalie Kari Lehtonen AND no.2 goalie Mike Dunham to the dreaded groin injury.

Ouch.

Groins are a tricky thing to come back from. All you can really do is not do anything. Time heals all wounds and all that jazz. So, in the meantime, Atlanta has had to go with their 3rd and 4th string 'tenders and to say that the results have been unfortunate would be an understatement. Although Adam Berkhoel played a heck of a game against New Jersey on Saturday and got his first NHL win, I forsee some rough waters ahead. There is talk of Steve Shields signing on to help the Thrashers. That would be ok, I guess. Heck, it can be anyone with some NHL experience.... as long as it's not "The Cat", Felix Potvin.

Anyone but The Cat.......

Last post's title was a song title from:
Green by REM

Orange Crush

It's official. I've given up carbonated cola beverages and their like. I'm on day 4. Well, technically, I'm back on day 1 as I will confess that I had a Slurpee yesterday...... but, I'm going to give them up, too. That's right, Jackie, I'm giving up Slurpees, too!

I'm at work, on lunch, as I write this and I'm having water with my food! Now, this may not seem like a big deal to most of you but, for someone like me who lives on this stuff, this is indeed a big deal.

It's going to be hard to keep from breaking down....... but I want to be able to set a good example for Stewart and drinking this crap continuously is not the way to do it.

Looks like the Cola War has ended!

Last post's title was a song title from:
Tommy by The Who

An excellent concept album.

Go To The Mirror!

I was looking through some old file folders on my computer and found this drawing. It's a sketch I did for the BRAIDS OF THE GORGON book that I was working on, with writer Ken Faggio. We got the first 2 issues done, and I was starting to layout pages for issue #3, when I got sidelined with other projects (MORTAL COILS, WESTERN TALES OF TERROR and EMPTY CHAMBER) and had to stop. I really want to finish the series.

I still like this drawing very much.

Last post's title was a song title from:
Powerslave by Iron Maiden

Still my favorite Maiden album after all these years.

Flash of the Blade

What ever happened to the ELRIC: The Making of a Sorcerer mini series by Moorecock and Simonson? The first 2 issues, of the 4 issue series, were released eons ago, with little word as to why/when the rest of the books would come our way. Has anyone got any news about this revoltin' situation?

Actually......Has Simonson done anything since those 2 issues? I may just be having a brain fart, but I can't think of anything.........

EDIT: I just found this bit of info here

Elric: The Making Of A Sorcerer #3
The Third Dream: The South Wind's Soul is on it's way to production. There has been a noticable amount of time between the second and third chapter, the problem, as was hinted at above is addressed directly by Walt, "Here's the short story. I've just begun working on Elric 4. And Elric 3 is virtually finished--I'm referring to the coloring here; I finished the inks a couple of weeks back. I think the color will be in DC's hands, complete, Monday or so. The individual issues are taking me about 5 months to complete which is a lot longer than I ever anticipated." The outlook for chapter 4 is some four months. It's unclear at this time when DC will release chapters 3 & 4.

I guess that's what Simonson has been up to these pass months! Excellent!

Last post's title was a song title from:
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap by AC*DC

That's right. 2 AC*DC song titles in a row!

Ain't No Fun (Waiting Round To Be A Millionaire)

I only have one page of original comic art..... and I don't even know who the artist was! It's a Superman page that I got for $30 at a con in Toronto years ago. But I've been wanting to get some nice original comic artwork to hang in my drawing area as a source sort of inspiration.

This Ashley Wood drawing would do the trick! This splash page from POPBOT #4 is going for $250. A fair price for such a wonderful drawing.....

Unfortunately, I don't have the dough to make that a reality. One day. One day........


Last post's title was a song title from:
Blow Up Your Video by AC*DC

This Means War

It's hell out there. With Diamond Comic Distributors enforcing their benchmark sales rule, Indie comic creators need preorders on their books like never before. I want to hi-light a few Indie books that are listed in the current Previews catalogue that, in my opinion, deserve your attention (and your preorders!). Please take a moment and consider these books.......


LONE AND LEVEL SANDS HC
by A. David Lewis, mpMann, & Jennifer Rodgers
Pharaoh Ramses II hasn't seen his long-lost cousin Moses in nearly forty years. Yet while pressed by the Hittites to the North and construction delays in the South, Ramses must make time for this ancient desert rascal, the long-ago mystery he represents, and the impossible demands of an alien deity. Drawing on the Bible, the Qur'an, and historical sources, writer A. David Lewis (Mortal Coils) and artist Marvin Perry Mann (Arcana Jayne) present a retelling of the Book of Exodus through the eyes of the man who is either its greatest leader, or its worst villain; a man trying to rule wisely, love his family well, and deal justly in the face of a divine wrath.
Product Code: OCT052775

ELK'S RUN #5
by Joshua Hale Fialkov, Noel Tuazon, & Scott Keating
John Jr. and his friends are still on the run and trying to combat their current crisis while the town of Elk's Ridge digs in and prepares for the upcoming war. The kids aren't the only ones thinking about escaping, however, as a betrayal by an old friend proves to have grave consequences.
Product Code: OCT053177



ROBOTIKA #1
by Alex Sheikman with Joel Chua
A steampunk sushi samurai western about loyalty, honor and revenge. In a world populated by silent samurai, fast-talking geisha, deadly mecha-betsushikime, digital djihits, morphing butterflies, and corporate corruption, Niko, a member of the elite bodyguard corps dedicated to protecting the queen, is sent on a mission to recover a stolen invention that, in the wrong hands, could trigger a bloody civil war. The ever-present violence and chaos that exists on the fringes of this 'civilized' society couldn't care less about Niko and his mission… The first issue features a cover by Ryan Sook (Arkham Asylum, Hawkman).
Product Code: OCT052776



DIGITAL WEBBING PRESENTS #27
by Various
Is it the dawn of the evil residents walking like the dead for 28 days in a land looking for Shaun? Nah... it's the return of Zombie Highway. The gang from last year's hit graphic novel appear in a brand-new full-color tale! Also: Chris Eliopoulos' Sherman's Room, Bob Zombie, and Sack-'em-up Gentlemen. Cover by Nick Bradshaw.
Product Code: OCT052941


Last post's title was a song title from:
Country Life by Roxy Music

The Thrill Of It All

I got a small shipment from DCBS yesterday! Man I love getting these packages! Here's what the Postal Carrier brought to my front door:

• WARMAGEDDON #1
• Y: THE LAST MAN "RING OF TRUTH" TP
• CEREBUS "FORM AND VOID" TP
• SLEEPER "OUT IN THE COLD" TP

The WARMAGEDDON book is something I've read a lot about on the Digital Webbing site. I was intrigued by the format, mostly. Magazine sized comic on newsprint with 64 pages. I've ordered the first 2 issues to see if I like it. Although, I just read on www.warmageddon.com that Diamond has dropped them because of low sales....... hmmmmmm......

The Y: The Last Man is a frickin' great book! The penciller, Pia Guerra, is a local talent, to boot!

Cerebus..... I collected CEREBUS up until "GOING HOME". I lost interest for a while, but recently I decided to finish it up. Please, don't tell me how it all ends, though! I've been buying the last few trades and saving them to read in one big go. I just have to wait for the last one, which should ship in December. I can see how my Christmas vacation is going to be spent!

Sleeper was one of those books I decided I would get later, if the book was well recieved. And it was well recieved. But, it took me a 50% discount to finally throw down some hard earned cash for it. I'll let you know what I think shortly.......

Last post's title was a song title from:

Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury by The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy

Television, The Drug of the Nation

Since, Jackie and I don't have cable, the only schedualed TV watching that goes on in the Copland home is Hockey Night In Canada. But, the money we save by not subscribing to cable still seems to end up being spent on TV. Instead of it going to the cable company, it gets invested into DVD box sets of certain television shows that we love and know we will watch multiple times. Two of our most resent purchases are the 4th season of SOAP and the 2nd season of THE BOB NEWHART SHOW.

That's the last of the SOAP sets. It only lasted the 4 years, but what a 4 years!

Money has never been better spent!








Last post's title was a song title from:
In Through The Out Door by Led Zeppelin.

I'm Gonna Crawl

It was only a matter of time before I broke down and posted a picture of Stewart. Here he is with his Mom.

Not crawling yet, as he is only 3 months old tomorrow, but still stylin' in his alligator shirt!

Last post's title was a song title from:

The Man Who Sold The World by David Bowie

Width of a Circle

Since I showed you the scan of the pencils for this page, I thought I'd bring you some closure and show you the finished inks of that page.

Closure is good.

Turning Japanese

I won a RONIN poster on Ebay a while back. It's a cool Frank Miller drawing of the Ronin character with a sword. Although I've seen other RONIN posters in my journeys , I had never seen this particular poster before. Unfortunately, my search for an image of my poster came up with nothing......

But, while I was looking for a scan of the poster, I came across a few nice scans of interior pages from the book! This page is from the 6th book, very close to the final showdown against Virgo.

Miller was soooo on his game for this project. This series single-handedly made me want to draw comics.

Help Is On The Way

Well lookie lookie.......
From ESPN.com :

Kovalchuk-gate ends: Winger signs with Thrashers
ESPN.com news services
The Ilya Kovalchuk holdout is over.
Sources familiar with the negotiations said the restricted free agent signed a five-year deal with the Thrashers late Friday and the pact is being sent to the NHL for league approval later in the day.
The contract is worth $6.5 million the first year, then $5 million, $5.5 million, $7.5 million and $7.5 million in the final year, agent Jay Grossman told ESPN.com.
The new contract is expected to be approved by the league Saturday. Pending that and his immigration status, Kovalchuk is expected to be in the Thrashers' lineup either Wednesday against Montreal or Friday against Toronto.

This news makes the loss of Kari Lehtenon a little easier to stomach. I just hope Ilya is in good physical shape and doesn't fall victim to injury.

The CBC lockout looks to be ending. I've been told that Hockey Night in Canada will be showing both games tonight! I wonder if they will have play-by-play announcers....... I hope not. I tell ya, if the CBC wants to save money, they should send all the on air "talent" packing.... except Ron McLean and Don Cherry. Those crack me up.

Take Me To The Pilot

It's offical. I'm going to San Diego Comic Con International 2006! I have booked my plane tickets and have worked out hotel accommodations with friend and (soon to be) collaborator, Michael May. I've been trying to make it to SDCCI for a few years now but life has had a way of keeping me from it. So, barring any unforseen problems, I will be there. With a book (or two) to show around! EMPTY CHAMBER will have been completed (well, my part of it will), although it may not be in it's final printed form (A. David and I still have to iron out the details of it's final look..... black and white, grayscale or colour...... it will depend on a few factors, but that's talk for much further down the road......) and I'll be working on a couple of smaller projects that may be in good shape by the time July 19-23 rolls around. We will see. I don't like to count my chickens and all that.

It will be very cool to finally meet some of you people in person! So...... is it too early to ask who else is going?

Don't Bring Me Down....... (Bruce)

The 2005-06 NHL season has begun. All 30 teams were in action on the openning night. The big game for me was the Atlanta vs Florida game. I knew going in that the story would be written by the goalies.

Kari Lehtonen vs Roberto Luongo

Turns out I was right.... sorta..... Although the Thrashers goalie had stopped all 6 shots that came his way in the first period, he was not to be seen in the net for the remainder of the game. Apparently, Kari hurt his groin again. Mike Dunham stepped in and played out the rest of the game. He played well, stopping 21 of 23 shots.

Unfortunately, Luongo played better. MUCH better. Luongo made 34 saves (10 stops during a five-minute shorthanded stretch during the third period) for his 24th career shutout.

Luongo couldn't have written a better story.......

It's In The Way That You Use It

Well, I'll be. Two posts in a row that have artwork from yours truly! I was trying to find some cool art to post that showed another side of my artistic sensibilities. This is the style of drawing I used to do while going to art school. Loose and messy! I love it.

But, when I sit down to draw comics, I get all tight and start trying to make things look "right". My realistic style is a way of working that I enjoy, for sure, but I long for the opportunity to draw a comic in my loosey goosey style!

Kel, would something like this suit NothingFace ........?

Anywho, I whipped this off while trying to come up with a character design for my rs153 book. Pen and ink on paper.

Back In The Saddle Again

It's here! It's here! My new large format scanner is hooked up and working like a charm! I'm so excited by this turn of events that I'm going to share the very first scan of artwork with you.

This image is a penciled page from EMPTY CHAMBER. I still have to add some clouds in the 4th and 7th panels. But this puppy is pretty much ready for inking.

Woo Hoo!! Time to go scan some more!!

Oh Yeah, Baby.......

As stated in a CBR piece :

Tommy Lee Edwards reports that he and his "The Question" co-collaborator Rick Veitch will be working on a Daredevil series for Marvel, which should come out next year.

This is music to my ears! The QUESTION mini that just ended was the best drawn thing I've seen in years. By any artist. I've always been an admirer of Edwards' work......but, this mini was amazing. I'm not talking outta my ass, here. You owe it to yourself (and the creators involved) to track down the 6 part series. Barring that, if/when this gets collected as a trade, BUY IT!

I'm sure DCBS will have it at a great price!