The Raney Room

KANG by Tom Raney

I have really fallen in love with the penwork of Tom Raney. For years, and I mean years...since I got a Bloodstorm headsketch during his run on Mutant X at least...Tom Raney refused to draw anything substantial at conventions. But about two years ago, or at least that is when I noticed, he started taking at home and advance convention commissions and then started seriously drawing at shows.

Oh, yeah.

The results have been impressive.I always liked his work back on Mutant X and Stormwatch especially, but these more recent pieces are outstanding. The crosshatching and detail are exemplary and Tom is really pushing himself with them. His deviant account is a good place to look for some of it.

It also turns out that I have been a fairly regular guest at his table over the years and usually say hello even if I am not buying something or asking for a sketch. And as I said, two years or so ago I started getting some commissions through deviant art and at shows.

So this morning I was scanning pieces for my 11/29 birthday sale and came across two Raney pieces not yet scanned. I decided they were too good to sit in the profolios and put them up on CAF.

In fact I decided I need to do something more...so welcome to The Raney Room.

As good as those pieces are (check out Kang, my favorite. It fills the page.), I have a real special commission lined up with Tom. I am still finalizing my instructions, but I know that I will want to show it off when I get it in a few months so I created The Raney Room.

Tom's linework is so clean and crisp. I am going to ask him to specifically try and be more like the style on the SS#4 homage, Jack Knight solo piece or the Kang than he was on the Starman / Grundy piece. His work has a fluidity of line and a nice edging on the characters that really appeals to me. We have been talking over my idea for a multiple character commission for a few conventions now, maybe 18 months or so. Well we finally agreed to a deal on characters and price so now I just have to give the final instructions and be ready to pay up.

I can't wait. The Raney Room will certainly face expansion in the future.