I'm Back!

Well hello there! Wow it's been nearly 5 months since my last update. Lots to talk about! First off, a few months ago, I had the honor of being publishing in Lands and Legends Volume 1, a high quality, amazing coffee table tome full of art from the likes of James Gurney, Bill Sienkiewicz, Donato Giancola, Scott Murphy and so many others. It was exciting to see the book make its public debute at Spectrum Fantastic Art Live.

Here's the piece I contributed, the Wild Hunt of Odin. Odin is the Norse Allfather of the Gods, riding on the 8 legged horse Sleipnir and welding the spear, Gungnir. He is accompanied by his hunting hounds, Freki and Geri, and his ravens, Huginn and Muninn. Odin's hunting party consists of Valkyries, his favored warrior maidens and the Einherjar, the souls of Viking warriors slain in battle. 

Next, I just wanted to drop a quick update and express how pleased I am that my Jei Usagi drawing and print sold on eBay for $152 as part of the Help the Sakais project. This project is sponsored by the Comics Art Professional Society (CAPS) to continue to assist the Sakai family as they go through medical difficulties. Those who know me can speak of my long time admiration for Stan Sakai and his creativity, professionalism, example and humility as an independent creator.

Finally, on a personal note, my lovely lady and I have recently become engaged. :-)

Jei Usagi

I've finished Jei Usagi. It was a lot of fun and a learning experience. It's interesting what happens when you try speaking someone else's visual dialect...in this case, cartoon anthropomorphic animal samurai. Hope you like it!

Demonic Samurai Rabbit (and My Website)

I needed a break from another piece I was doing a while ago...actually I needed a break from my usual look and style. Somehow or other, I decided I wanted to do another piece for the Help the Sakais fundraiser.  I remembered a couple of years ago that Sakai released issue 101 with this startling cover:

I loved everything about this cover: it was unexpected to see Usagi possessed and even a casual reader would find  it startling (but hardcore readers knew exactly what was going on). It really uses Sakai's trademark skull of death icon, making it consummate Sakai. Finally, Tom Luth's colors are beautiful as always. I wanted to do my own homage to it.

I have yet to color the piece, but the ink drawing is on its way to North Hollywood as I type this. More exciting news on this front: Dark Horse has announced The Sakai Project, celebrating 30 years of Usagi Yojimbo. It's going to be a book of Usagi as interpreted by the greatest talents in comics. Although I'm not a comic book artist, it seems submissions are open to anyone, so I'm going to go for it. Deadline is February 20, so you'll see the finish soon!

And finally, I just wanted to announce that my website is updated. Check it out! It's my biggest website so far, containing much more art than I've ever put on my official site. That being said, the body of work is broken down into categories and easy to navigate. Hope you like it!

Usagi Yojimbo

This painting is my contribution to the Comic Art Professional Society's fundraising efforts to help out Stan Sakai's and his family. Stan Sakai is the creator, writer and artist of the one and only comic I read, Usagi Yojimbo.

I cannot overemphasize how much Stan Sakai's creation has affected my life. I proudly own every single UY graphic novel. Despite the fact that my style and subject matter is quite different from his, I strive to follow his example.

Stan Sakai is an exemplar of what we all strive to be: a creative artist and professional who has fed his family, bought his own home, sent his own kids to college, all through his own creations. He is legendary for never having missed a deadline, despite being responsible for EVERY part of the UY comic (right down to the lettering!) since 1986. 1986!!!!! His stories are still fresh and original even after 27 years. Usagi Yojimbo derives its quite power through well developed characters, great plots with tons of twists, lots of funny points and Stan Sakai's untiring enthusiasm and iron discipline.

Right now the Sakai family is going through a grave medical crisis that is not covered under their insurance. The expenses are considerable. This watercolor painting will be donated to a CAPS auction to raise money for the Sakai family. I am very proud of this piece, but I will gladly give it up, for it is a poor thank you compared to how much Stan Sakai's work has moved me.

If you are a creator who has even once read UY, I ask you.....no, I implore, demand and beg you to please consider helping out.