Beast, Green Goblin and Frankenstein's Monster

Luke Cage: Power Man

Done for a friend's birthday.

Columbo

I usually pay little attention when any kind of celebrity dies. It's not someone I knew personally. So other than the typical passing thought over the loss of a fellow human, it never goes beyond that. Something was different when I learned today of the passing of Pater Falk. I grew up watching Columbo and, even at a young age, was absolutely fascinated and drawn to the character and Falk's brilliantly idiosyncratic portrayal. I was compelled to draw something.

I wasn't sure how to approach it, initially. I had several ideas, one with involving his car, that old beat up Peugeot. Another with a horrified and panicky perpetrator interrupted in a desperate phone call by Columbo, poking his head back through the door to innocently ask "...one more thing..." Ultimately, I just went with something straightforward: an unadorned image of one of my all time favorite characters, standing there simply as himself.

Tunnel Rat, Wild Bill, and Batman

A few more "mini portraits" done for Summit City Comic Con.

G.I. Robot and Rocketeer mini sketches

Martin Luther King, Malcolm X as Prof X and Magneto

Summit City Comic Con report

I sit here, exhausted. I should try to go to bed early tonight. But it's closing in on Midnight already, and I've decided to start writing a little something about this weekend's events. I was up past 4am last night. Today on the drive home, I drifted in and out of consciousness. Thankfully, I sat passenger, as my rubberized limbs could not have grasped the wheel for the required 5 or so hours. What could have done this to me, broken me down into this pitiful lump who tonight tries to regain it's shape? A little thing called Summit City Comic Con came and went on Saturday, and left me flattened in the road, it's tracks across my twitching corpse. Only in it's second year, this one day con in the NE Indiana city of Fort Wayne has become a significant happening, where a diverse bevy of comic creators come to hock their wares and meet fellow fans of the medium. And I loved every minute of it.

Summit City is put on by the folks at Discount Comic Book Service and run by my buddy Zack Kruse. Zack did an amazing job seeing to the needs of the creators, exhibitors, attendees and making sure that everything was running smoothly. All done with an easy humor and dare I say: grace? Due to his untiring diligence, everything seemed to go off without a hitch. There was a good crowd all day. Not necessarily a sketch hungry crowd, but they were happy to indulge on printed matter. I did just a few sketches, but sold a good number of books. Almost as important as the con itself, or maybe even more so depending on priorities, is the social scene around the convention. That's where I got in trouble Saturday night by staying out way too late. Nighttime Dave hates Daytime Dave and treats him horribly. But it was a terrific time while it was happening, damn the consequences.

Here are some of the sketches from Saturday. I took a few more pics, not many. I really need to get better at setting aside some time for that. You can see the rest of the photos on my facebook and/or flickr gallery.

Amethyst

This weekend I'll be at Summit City Con in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This amazing one day show started just last year, but became an instant hit with fans and creators alike. If you're anywhere near the area, I absolutely recommend it. And I'll be there, so there's that.

Yoda

And just a quick promotional note: The first issue of That Hellbound Train from IDW arrives in comic shops today. From a Hugo Award winning story by Robert Bloch, adapted by Joe and John Lansdale, colors by Alfredo Rodriguez and art by yours truly. Please, check it out!

Batman Villain cards

Popeye

Magog

Six Million Dollar Man vs Bigfoot

Sketches from Heroes Con 2011

Another incredible Heroes Con has come and gone. Even being ill the first 2 days of the show couldn't spoil my time there. It was an incredible and exhausting experience. I wish I could individually thank every person who made this weekend such a memorable and worthwhile event, but this is all I'm capable of right now. I drew a ton of drawings, sold a bunch of books and prints, saw a boatload of old friends, made a multitude of new friends, ate heaps of delicious food. (All measurement amounts are estimates.) If you ever have a chance to go to Heroes Con, do it. But be prepared for that sultry North Carolina heat.

Here's pics of sketches from the show. You can see the rest of my photos at my flickr and facebook.

Godzilla vs Rhiahn