I have been running into Rudy Nebres for over a decade now. I think that I first got a con sketch from him at a show in Secaucus NJ, a Horror Chiller Theatre show I think. I do remember seeing an older woman from behind and being highly impressed; when see turned around and was revealed to be actress Tonya Roberts I knew why she was a star. But I digress.
It wasn't long before I realized that I lived fairly close to Mr. Nebres and when he invited me into his home to pick up a commission I decided that something was not right here. I was living within 10 minutes of a major comic book artist and even the local comic shop had no idea he was there. Relevant to this situation in my opinion is the fact that Mr.Nebres has no internet presence and no interest in changing that. I decided that I should do something about what I perceived to be an over-looked aging artist who was ready and able to produce excellent work right now but seemed to me to be lacking opportunity. I eventually wrote him a long letter offering to assist in the selling of his work in a variety of different scenarios but he never replied.
Then last year I saw him at a show. I was wearing a shirt I had made of the Doctor Strange vs Dracula commission he did for me and when I showed him the shirt he remembered the letter. I explained that I was fine with him not replying and I was only offering to help if he wanted...that it was all good either way. But to my surprise he told me that he would like my assistance in handling commissions; he explained that he had no less than three other people selling art or commissions in some capacity or another but that we could work together in a limited capacity. I thought that was great.
And now that I am into it a little I find that I have a lot of thoughts on the matter. So maybe I can share them here on my blog. I have been writing quite a lot in some of the emails to people interested in getting a commission from Mr. Nebres and will share some of that content in the next few days. I will also hopefully show the first finished commission that Mr. Nebres has done with my facilitation; that is en route right now and the owner should have it Tuesday. Maybe he'll let me share it here soon after.
But the process has made me think quite a bit and although some of these thoughts are best kept to myself I think sharing some of them will be productive for me and maybe help me better assist Mr. Nebres. So check back often if you'd like to see examples of Rudy Nebres' current chops or hear tales of how I handle the process of getting his commissions out to his fans. (I get to talk to this guy about art on a regular and specific basis!)
See you soon!
Showing posts with label Nebres. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nebres. Show all posts
Saturday, January 16, 2016
Monday, August 26, 2013
The Fifty - Rudy Nebres
Rudy Nebres lives about 4 miles as the crow flies from my home. From this desk where I type these words to his desk where he draws magic, 20000 or so feet away. I started seeing him at conventions regularly throughout the Northeast US in the 1990s and bought a blue pencil Dr. Strange from him at a horror convention that had Tonya Roberts as a guest, and she looked spectacular from behind! Even in her fifties. but Rudy didn't look so attractive as he made a funny face at me when I wanted him to draw a Doc for me then and there instead of taking one he had brought to the show in his portfolios.
(Rudy, accompanied by his wife as always, still takes these portfolios to shows. They are full of wonderful ink and colored marker pieces; you get that pure Nebres style on the characters he is best known for working with. Vampirella. Batman. Conan. Dr. Strange. John Carter and Dejah Thoris. You get the idea.)
So I had been seeing Rudy for a few years and then he kinda became invisible to me. I really stopped looking at him year after year. Artists like Rudy, Rich Buckler, Irwin Hasen, Joe Sinnott, Ramona Fradon, and Jerry Robinson (to name a few) became commonplace in my convention going experience and I began to pass them by despite their greatness. But after a few years I gained a shred of something related to wisdom, wisdom's inbred double first cousin shall we say, (or at least I said it. I imagine you may not have ever say that. At least there in that spot there.) and the wisdom told me to slow down at shows and look at everyone with fresh eyes. I had acquired 2 Nebres Doc pieces over the years and would eventually come to own a few more after rediscovering him. That renewel came at a Comic Geek Speak Supershow in Pennsylvania. I had been browsing his art and talking to Rudy and the missus.They shortly got to the "where are you from?" part of our talk when we learned we were essentially from neighboring towns. Piscataway NJ is between our towns to be more specific. I filed that information away and left the show for the 2 hour jaunt back to NJ. It is a nice ride, and I am sorry the Supershow will not be happening in 2014. hopefully back in full force in 2015 Geek Speakers!
Shortly thereafter there was a Wild Pig Comics convention. These small mini conventions have been in central NJ for a few years and are a good opportuntity for my daughters to get a quality sketch and be home within an hour or two. Rudy was at a show and we caught up again. This was actually 3 miles from my house, and at that show were Rudy Nebres, Walt Simonson, Joe Staton, JK Woodward, and Reilly Brown! So I decided I would spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars for a commission to be delivered later. Actually, Mrs. Nebres invited me to the home to pick it up and see Rudy's studio. Bonus! So 2-3 weeks later I was in my car for the 10 minute drive and Rudy, with his family around him, presented me with this:
I stared at them and at the art in stunned and awed amazement. Then I sheepishly underpaid the man given the art he produced, was sworn to silence, said my goodbyes and thank yous, got in my car and drove home, guilty of DUI - Driving Under the Influence, the influence of Rudy Nebres!
Not two weeks after this piece came home I had decided to make it into a t-shirt that I could wear. I have gone on to make six or seven such shirts, all due to the awe inspring art you see above.
So now that the concept of The Fifty has been born, this great gathering will now be subjected to the influence of Dracula, Lord of the Vampires!
May The Vishanti Protect Us!
The Fifty
1 BWS Storyteller Young Gods page 4
2 Simon Bisley Dr. Strange vs The Mindless Ones 2007 commission
3 Dan Green Dr. Strange: Into Shamballa splash
4 Rudy Nebres - commission Doctor Strange comes upon Dracula & The Scarlet Witch
5 JH Williams 3rd / Mick Gray Promethea 24 double page spread
(Rudy, accompanied by his wife as always, still takes these portfolios to shows. They are full of wonderful ink and colored marker pieces; you get that pure Nebres style on the characters he is best known for working with. Vampirella. Batman. Conan. Dr. Strange. John Carter and Dejah Thoris. You get the idea.)
So I had been seeing Rudy for a few years and then he kinda became invisible to me. I really stopped looking at him year after year. Artists like Rudy, Rich Buckler, Irwin Hasen, Joe Sinnott, Ramona Fradon, and Jerry Robinson (to name a few) became commonplace in my convention going experience and I began to pass them by despite their greatness. But after a few years I gained a shred of something related to wisdom, wisdom's inbred double first cousin shall we say, (or at least I said it. I imagine you may not have ever say that. At least there in that spot there.) and the wisdom told me to slow down at shows and look at everyone with fresh eyes. I had acquired 2 Nebres Doc pieces over the years and would eventually come to own a few more after rediscovering him. That renewel came at a Comic Geek Speak Supershow in Pennsylvania. I had been browsing his art and talking to Rudy and the missus.They shortly got to the "where are you from?" part of our talk when we learned we were essentially from neighboring towns. Piscataway NJ is between our towns to be more specific. I filed that information away and left the show for the 2 hour jaunt back to NJ. It is a nice ride, and I am sorry the Supershow will not be happening in 2014. hopefully back in full force in 2015 Geek Speakers!
Shortly thereafter there was a Wild Pig Comics convention. These small mini conventions have been in central NJ for a few years and are a good opportuntity for my daughters to get a quality sketch and be home within an hour or two. Rudy was at a show and we caught up again. This was actually 3 miles from my house, and at that show were Rudy Nebres, Walt Simonson, Joe Staton, JK Woodward, and Reilly Brown! So I decided I would spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars for a commission to be delivered later. Actually, Mrs. Nebres invited me to the home to pick it up and see Rudy's studio. Bonus! So 2-3 weeks later I was in my car for the 10 minute drive and Rudy, with his family around him, presented me with this:
I stared at them and at the art in stunned and awed amazement. Then I sheepishly underpaid the man given the art he produced, was sworn to silence, said my goodbyes and thank yous, got in my car and drove home, guilty of DUI - Driving Under the Influence, the influence of Rudy Nebres!
Not two weeks after this piece came home I had decided to make it into a t-shirt that I could wear. I have gone on to make six or seven such shirts, all due to the awe inspring art you see above.
So now that the concept of The Fifty has been born, this great gathering will now be subjected to the influence of Dracula, Lord of the Vampires!
May The Vishanti Protect Us!
The Fifty
1 BWS Storyteller Young Gods page 4
2 Simon Bisley Dr. Strange vs The Mindless Ones 2007 commission
3 Dan Green Dr. Strange: Into Shamballa splash
4 Rudy Nebres - commission Doctor Strange comes upon Dracula & The Scarlet Witch
5 JH Williams 3rd / Mick Gray Promethea 24 double page spread
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Commissions and The Fifty
When looking at pieces for inclusion in The Fifty some are easy and some are a bit harder to place accurately. As I said in my last post, the Simon Bisley commission I have of Dr. Strange and The Mindless Ones is one of the best pieces in my collection. Therefore its' inclusion was not even up for discussion. Then I looked at it among the other pieces and realized it was the only commission I had moved into the gallery.
You see, I may have a few pieces on display in The Fifty gallery on my CAF page but I have many many pieces in the gallery not yet active as well. So when I went to make the Bisley piece active I realized that the rest of the pieces are published pieces, pages and covers and the occasional pinup.
This made me think about what I was going for with The Fifty and if commissions really fit into my plans anymore at all. Because I once spent a large portion of my collection budget on convention sketches and home commissions. Seventy Five percent I would think. But those days are gone and in the last two years I have decided on far far fewer commissions and only a few sketches at any convention. I used to target about 20 artists and spend thousands of dollars on sketches and arranged commissions two or three times a year. No more.
I still get home commissions though. I got one of the two spots when Carlos Pacheco opened his list this past year. I got Dr. Strange and I love it. It is not for sale. It was $400, plus the stuff. But it will never be in The Fifty. It is 11X14 and just won't cut it in the end. So eventually it will be for sale. Five to ten years, but eventually. I have had a few Pacheco pieces over the years, even a published cover wit hDoc on it!, but have not yet found the one, the one that will make The Fifty. I would love a commission from someone like Art Adams, Mark Chiarello, or J H Williams 3rd (all possible sometime in my future so I hear) and will continue to give repeat business to people who have handled our past exchanges in exemplary fashion. That list includes Darryl Banks, Andy MacDonald, and Rudy Nebres - who have all agreed in principle but not specifics to their next assignments from Les Galleries Fedres.
And the same is true for convention sketches. Their is no way that I will not give money to Sean Chen for a convention sketch, especially more of the 17X5 pieces he has been doing for me these last few (FOUR!) years. Some guys, and some ladies as well, will always get my money if they have the time to take it. Andy MacDonald is again in this category. Tony Harris will never leave this category, even if eventually he will only draw cats and fish as superheroes and heroines from the 30s. And he will be dressed as Steampunk Tony as he does it! (Just kidding Tony, I love ya'! I always will! Come on up to NYCC or at least Baltimore!) Mark Texeira full figure graphic pieces when Renee is not around. (HA!) The days when I shell out $100 or $200 or $300 or even $500 (it'll be watercolor and everything!) hoping for the best are over. I spent ten thousand dollars over the last 5 years on convention sketches worth a grand on the open market. No more of that. But the guys I know are a sure thing, the Tonys and Andys and Marks, will always see my money at shows.
So I now forego those pieces for the most part in the quest for the next great piece. Or at least the next serious contender. But the ones that pan out? The ones that turn out truly special? Those may indeed find a spot next to The Biz in my comic art Valhalla! They have a chance at least, and now that I have thought it through I have a few more moved into the gallery awaiting active status. And as I look at them there, I know that they belong.
You see, I may have a few pieces on display in The Fifty gallery on my CAF page but I have many many pieces in the gallery not yet active as well. So when I went to make the Bisley piece active I realized that the rest of the pieces are published pieces, pages and covers and the occasional pinup.
This made me think about what I was going for with The Fifty and if commissions really fit into my plans anymore at all. Because I once spent a large portion of my collection budget on convention sketches and home commissions. Seventy Five percent I would think. But those days are gone and in the last two years I have decided on far far fewer commissions and only a few sketches at any convention. I used to target about 20 artists and spend thousands of dollars on sketches and arranged commissions two or three times a year. No more.
I still get home commissions though. I got one of the two spots when Carlos Pacheco opened his list this past year. I got Dr. Strange and I love it. It is not for sale. It was $400, plus the stuff. But it will never be in The Fifty. It is 11X14 and just won't cut it in the end. So eventually it will be for sale. Five to ten years, but eventually. I have had a few Pacheco pieces over the years, even a published cover wit hDoc on it!, but have not yet found the one, the one that will make The Fifty. I would love a commission from someone like Art Adams, Mark Chiarello, or J H Williams 3rd (all possible sometime in my future so I hear) and will continue to give repeat business to people who have handled our past exchanges in exemplary fashion. That list includes Darryl Banks, Andy MacDonald, and Rudy Nebres - who have all agreed in principle but not specifics to their next assignments from Les Galleries Fedres.
And the same is true for convention sketches. Their is no way that I will not give money to Sean Chen for a convention sketch, especially more of the 17X5 pieces he has been doing for me these last few (FOUR!) years. Some guys, and some ladies as well, will always get my money if they have the time to take it. Andy MacDonald is again in this category. Tony Harris will never leave this category, even if eventually he will only draw cats and fish as superheroes and heroines from the 30s. And he will be dressed as Steampunk Tony as he does it! (Just kidding Tony, I love ya'! I always will! Come on up to NYCC or at least Baltimore!) Mark Texeira full figure graphic pieces when Renee is not around. (HA!) The days when I shell out $100 or $200 or $300 or even $500 (it'll be watercolor and everything!) hoping for the best are over. I spent ten thousand dollars over the last 5 years on convention sketches worth a grand on the open market. No more of that. But the guys I know are a sure thing, the Tonys and Andys and Marks, will always see my money at shows.
So I now forego those pieces for the most part in the quest for the next great piece. Or at least the next serious contender. But the ones that pan out? The ones that turn out truly special? Those may indeed find a spot next to The Biz in my comic art Valhalla! They have a chance at least, and now that I have thought it through I have a few more moved into the gallery awaiting active status. And as I look at them there, I know that they belong.
Saturday, April 6, 2013
CGS Supershow...it was a quick one
I knew I did not want to spend all day at the Comic Geek Speak 2013 Supershow, but this is getting ridiculous. Almost 2 hours each way and I only stayed 2 hours total. I bought 5 tpbs - Alan moore Swamp Thing 1 and 2, Fables 16 and 18, and The Shade. I needed the Shade because my slack buying habits meant I missed out on the last two or three issues. Since I own the painted covers for issue 11 and 12 I should read it, dontchathink? Besides I really enjoyed most of the previous issues and wanted to see how James Robinson ended it all. I already had Fables 17 but not 16 somehow, and got 18 as well so now I can catch up on those. And I have many of the Alan Moore Swamp Thing issues, but to read them all (including the first one - issue 20 - that has not previously been collected) is too much to pass up. I can get the next volumes later on, as apparently there are 6. That satisfied one goal, cheap trades, even if the latest LoEG escaped me once again. Next week at the next show perhaps.
As for the other goals, I was able to get my pictures of Tim Truman and my Ratdog/Planet Drum/Hot Tuna poster painting right away. That was cool, and I also talked commission with Tim and he agreed to do a Grateful Dead inspired piece and I am really excited about getting that. It may be one in a series if I can get what I want with the first one. I can see them lining my hallway upstairs if it all works out well. Now I can get that painting framed and on the wall.
As far as talking commissions, I was able to do so with two other artists as well. Rudy Nebres was there with his lovely and demure wife, as well as one of his sons. He lives 5 miles from here in NJ but we all traveled 100 miles to talk in Pennsylvania. I was pleased to be able to wear my tee shirt with his commission on it and they seemed really happy to see it as well. I talked another commission with Rudy and he was all for it. I told him I know he will do it immediately and that I wouldn't order it until I had my money in hand. So that is on the horizon, and I really need to solidify my choice for the content. As I told Mr. and Mrs. Nebres, after I got my Dr. Strange/Dracula/Scarlet Witch commission what do I really need after that? Rudy mentioned a few times during the 5-10 minutes I was with them how he saw the commission online (he doesn't get online much but I assume a son showed him) and how a lot of people had mentioned the piece to him or ordered their own based on seeing it. That made me happy, as he really deserves it.
The other artist I talked commissions with was also the only guy I commissioned to draw for me at the show and handed money to - Tom Raney. I have had a few single figure commissions through Tom and his deviant art site but talked with him about something more. It may indeed work out but again I have to really think out my content as this will be the seminal Tom Raney piece for me I think. The Defenders are an easy choice but beyond that I am having some trouble. Hmmm, I just had an idea. As for what Tom drew for me today, you can't see it. I got restless and left before he finished it. It started out great, as did a Red Sonja he was doing for someone else. He will mail it out to me soon with my Jack Knight commission that I ordered his last time round. Groovy, 2 pieces of freakin' dynamite art coming my way. I am scaling down the convention pieces, but Tom Raney's work really blows me away. Wait until we all see the large and in charge KANG coming my way, guns blazing!
I was supposed to pick up a JK Woodward Michael Golden portfolio plate homage but he didn't get it done. So I got him to do a Batman head sketch on my big blue board instead. That is the fourth head sketch on this jam, adding to those done by Chandra Free, Robin Riggs (in pencil and so hard to see in the scan), and Jonathan Case. Here is a look at that piece - it is too large for my scanner bed so you get two pieces. I hope to add one or two next week as well.
These people are drawing fairly large heads on this thing. The board itself measures 20x16. I may start another one, brown with Wolverine, next week instead of adding to this one. We'll see I guess.
I said I only paid one person to draw for me, and that was technically true but perhaps misleading. I also had Katie Cook paint Hagrid, but it was for my daughter. Katie was sweet and kind enough to add Hagrid to a 17x5 piece she started in 2010. Now Harry, Hermione & Ron have company and the thing is done and ready for framing. Rather than pay for the painting, which would be weird as Katie always does it for free for my girl, I bought $30 worth of Gronk. Gronk rules Fridays.
So 3 at home commission arranged and pretty much accepted, but only one head sketch on a jam and one Kang in the mail to show for half a day. That is a far cry from 15 sketches per convention, but it really reflects my priorities now in the hobby. Those 3 home commission will cost quite a bit, easily as much as 15 convention sketches, but it will be worth it. And my girl got her Hagrid! Thanks Katie!!!
As for the other goals, I was able to get my pictures of Tim Truman and my Ratdog/Planet Drum/Hot Tuna poster painting right away. That was cool, and I also talked commission with Tim and he agreed to do a Grateful Dead inspired piece and I am really excited about getting that. It may be one in a series if I can get what I want with the first one. I can see them lining my hallway upstairs if it all works out well. Now I can get that painting framed and on the wall.
As far as talking commissions, I was able to do so with two other artists as well. Rudy Nebres was there with his lovely and demure wife, as well as one of his sons. He lives 5 miles from here in NJ but we all traveled 100 miles to talk in Pennsylvania. I was pleased to be able to wear my tee shirt with his commission on it and they seemed really happy to see it as well. I talked another commission with Rudy and he was all for it. I told him I know he will do it immediately and that I wouldn't order it until I had my money in hand. So that is on the horizon, and I really need to solidify my choice for the content. As I told Mr. and Mrs. Nebres, after I got my Dr. Strange/Dracula/Scarlet Witch commission what do I really need after that? Rudy mentioned a few times during the 5-10 minutes I was with them how he saw the commission online (he doesn't get online much but I assume a son showed him) and how a lot of people had mentioned the piece to him or ordered their own based on seeing it. That made me happy, as he really deserves it.
The other artist I talked commissions with was also the only guy I commissioned to draw for me at the show and handed money to - Tom Raney. I have had a few single figure commissions through Tom and his deviant art site but talked with him about something more. It may indeed work out but again I have to really think out my content as this will be the seminal Tom Raney piece for me I think. The Defenders are an easy choice but beyond that I am having some trouble. Hmmm, I just had an idea. As for what Tom drew for me today, you can't see it. I got restless and left before he finished it. It started out great, as did a Red Sonja he was doing for someone else. He will mail it out to me soon with my Jack Knight commission that I ordered his last time round. Groovy, 2 pieces of freakin' dynamite art coming my way. I am scaling down the convention pieces, but Tom Raney's work really blows me away. Wait until we all see the large and in charge KANG coming my way, guns blazing!
I was supposed to pick up a JK Woodward Michael Golden portfolio plate homage but he didn't get it done. So I got him to do a Batman head sketch on my big blue board instead. That is the fourth head sketch on this jam, adding to those done by Chandra Free, Robin Riggs (in pencil and so hard to see in the scan), and Jonathan Case. Here is a look at that piece - it is too large for my scanner bed so you get two pieces. I hope to add one or two next week as well.
These people are drawing fairly large heads on this thing. The board itself measures 20x16. I may start another one, brown with Wolverine, next week instead of adding to this one. We'll see I guess.
I said I only paid one person to draw for me, and that was technically true but perhaps misleading. I also had Katie Cook paint Hagrid, but it was for my daughter. Katie was sweet and kind enough to add Hagrid to a 17x5 piece she started in 2010. Now Harry, Hermione & Ron have company and the thing is done and ready for framing. Rather than pay for the painting, which would be weird as Katie always does it for free for my girl, I bought $30 worth of Gronk. Gronk rules Fridays.
So 3 at home commission arranged and pretty much accepted, but only one head sketch on a jam and one Kang in the mail to show for half a day. That is a far cry from 15 sketches per convention, but it really reflects my priorities now in the hobby. Those 3 home commission will cost quite a bit, easily as much as 15 convention sketches, but it will be worth it. And my girl got her Hagrid! Thanks Katie!!!
Monday, December 17, 2012
Some thoughts nearing year's end
I have to tell you, I have really had a good year. Many blessings have come my way. I started this entry to talk about my comic art, surprise surprise. But I would be remiss if I did not comment on my wonderful wife and my equally wonderful daughters. They really make each and every day better. We are entering the teen years, and I know it won't always be so easy to get along but it has really been a blast so far.
I coached soccer again this year, and that was fun. We had the year end dinner yesterday, a few weeks later than optimal. Only 6 of the 14 kids attended, but it was good to see those kids again. I look forward to coaching again next year.
Okay, comic art. I had a great year. I sold more art than I ever have in one year before (I think) and I bought a bunch of really nice things. Maybe nothing to compete with last year's BWS Storyteller splash page, but what year could compete with that? I usually place my better pieces in my CAF Lowry, and looking at it now, I think it was a good year. Only one of those five things is on my comic art want list but that is really because I could not have anticipated the others. But they absolutely fall right in my collection wheelhouse. This is the one on my want list, a page from Dracula 44 by Gene Colan and Tom Palmer
Although not in my Lowry, I also got a page from Dr. Strange 14 this year. This is the issue of Dr. Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts that crossed-over with Tomb of Dracula 44. Gene Colan was pencilling the art for both books at the time, and this issue is again inked by Tom Palmer.
I got a whole lot of Gene Colan this year; in addition to those two pages, I got the only page pencilled by gene Colan that Walt Simonson ever inked; a cool page from Dr. Strange 38 inked by Dan Green; and have paid off a little over 50% of a nice splash.
The Chris Stevens watercolor was a real treat. How I could expect he would start painting and I would get one of the first ones? Look at that piece of art.
I got a Mike Mignola cover. It was a bit of an impulse, and I would trade it for the right Starman/Hellboy/Batman piece, but it is a wonderful piece of art. It may not have hellboy, but it has so much more that you want in a Mignola than many Hellboy panel pages. Check that shit out.
I have a few collecting themes. Well, that may be overstating it but I like to get a few specific things. I now have gotten a second artist to recreate an image I can no longer find, online or in the real world. But Andy MacDonald was nice enough to take on the challenge and make this homage to a John Buscema poster of Mephisto drinking souls from his chalice. Frank Brunner did it once for me as well, and Andy was right there with his execution like the old pro! (Go buy Andy's latest masterpiece, the adaptation of James Patterson's ZOO)
This year also found me finally getting a commission from Eric Canete. I once bought, and have since sold, a Silver Surfer from Eric's portfolio. But this year Eric joined a few other comic artists and stopped sketching copyrighted characters. There are many reasons for this, and not every artist has the same reason as the next guy. But if it is a reaction to the Gary Friedrich case it is a total over-reaction. But Eric is taking that position and talking to him in the past made it clear he is a genuine man. So when NYCC came around in 2012 I decided to get Eric to do an underwater Valkyrie. He was all over that shit. Check out the insanity he put on paper for me.
The next piece I have here represents another want list acquisition. This is the fourth page from issue 170 of Dr. Strange that I now possess. This is page 18. I think that may be enough now that the Tomb of Dracula 44 pages and Doc 14 pages are surfacing, but you never know.
And this year was also the year I got my Mike Allred commission, another want list item. I initially wanted to get the Valkyrie, Dr. Strange, Clea and other Defenders playing volleyball on the sand. After thinking about characters and cost ($200 per after the first four characters) I decided to get Doc and his posse: The Ancient One, Clea, Wong, and Rintrah. Simon Miller was a keen facillitator and Mike Allred just killed it for me. I may have stripes added on Clea's suit, and The Ancient One's shirt is supposed to be a Hawaiian shirt and I will have that added soon enough digitally. I also wish there were a few creatures, seagulls and crabs and such, but I did get the cute beachgoer in the background.
One of the best pieces I got this year is this cover by Kevin Nowlan.
That is a thing of beauty. It may not be his best of that period, but it is a great representation of those covers and is a very strong cover by a master artist. I loved Mr. Jyp so when this cover was made available to me I was glad to see him and Cloak & Dagger, plus Doc as well! The Doc only covers are my favorites, but MAN look at what I done got!
I also was able to score a major coup when I commissioned Rudy Nebres early in the year to do another one of my themes, Dr. Strange vs. Dracula. Rudy and his lovely, and patient, wife have been at quite a few conventions in my area in the last few years and I got to talking with them on quite a few occasions. It turns out they live 10 minutes from me, two towns over. I arranged to pick up the commission at their house and look at what Rudy Nebres presented to me.
I had given Rudy five different heroines to put in the commission and he chose The Scarlet Witch. This is right up their with my Simon Bisley, Paul Smith, and Jae Lee commissions as one of the best I have received from an artist. I loved it so much I sought out the means to make it into a shirt and now wear it proudly. I wear a comic art shirt, or more than one, every weekend and that Nebres commission started that whole trend for me. It is that great a piece of comic art.
Let's see, I also got a Starman cover this year. Issue 3.
What can be said after that. Thanks be to God, I am blessed.
...to be continued.
I coached soccer again this year, and that was fun. We had the year end dinner yesterday, a few weeks later than optimal. Only 6 of the 14 kids attended, but it was good to see those kids again. I look forward to coaching again next year.
Okay, comic art. I had a great year. I sold more art than I ever have in one year before (I think) and I bought a bunch of really nice things. Maybe nothing to compete with last year's BWS Storyteller splash page, but what year could compete with that? I usually place my better pieces in my CAF Lowry, and looking at it now, I think it was a good year. Only one of those five things is on my comic art want list but that is really because I could not have anticipated the others. But they absolutely fall right in my collection wheelhouse. This is the one on my want list, a page from Dracula 44 by Gene Colan and Tom Palmer
 |
| Tomb of Dracula 44 page 22 Gene Colan / Tom Palmer |
Although not in my Lowry, I also got a page from Dr. Strange 14 this year. This is the issue of Dr. Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts that crossed-over with Tomb of Dracula 44. Gene Colan was pencilling the art for both books at the time, and this issue is again inked by Tom Palmer.
 |
| Dr. Strange 14 page 10 Gene Colan / Tom Palmer |
I got a whole lot of Gene Colan this year; in addition to those two pages, I got the only page pencilled by gene Colan that Walt Simonson ever inked; a cool page from Dr. Strange 38 inked by Dan Green; and have paid off a little over 50% of a nice splash.
The Chris Stevens watercolor was a real treat. How I could expect he would start painting and I would get one of the first ones? Look at that piece of art.
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| Storm of Asgard by Chris Stevens |
I got a Mike Mignola cover. It was a bit of an impulse, and I would trade it for the right Starman/Hellboy/Batman piece, but it is a wonderful piece of art. It may not have hellboy, but it has so much more that you want in a Mignola than many Hellboy panel pages. Check that shit out.
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| Mike Mignola Witchfinder 4 cover |
I have a few collecting themes. Well, that may be overstating it but I like to get a few specific things. I now have gotten a second artist to recreate an image I can no longer find, online or in the real world. But Andy MacDonald was nice enough to take on the challenge and make this homage to a John Buscema poster of Mephisto drinking souls from his chalice. Frank Brunner did it once for me as well, and Andy was right there with his execution like the old pro! (Go buy Andy's latest masterpiece, the adaptation of James Patterson's ZOO)
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| Mephisto Drinks The Defenders by Andy MacDonald. |
This year also found me finally getting a commission from Eric Canete. I once bought, and have since sold, a Silver Surfer from Eric's portfolio. But this year Eric joined a few other comic artists and stopped sketching copyrighted characters. There are many reasons for this, and not every artist has the same reason as the next guy. But if it is a reaction to the Gary Friedrich case it is a total over-reaction. But Eric is taking that position and talking to him in the past made it clear he is a genuine man. So when NYCC came around in 2012 I decided to get Eric to do an underwater Valkyrie. He was all over that shit. Check out the insanity he put on paper for me.
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| Eric Canete underwater valkyrie convention sketch - my idea, his execution |
The next piece I have here represents another want list acquisition. This is the fourth page from issue 170 of Dr. Strange that I now possess. This is page 18. I think that may be enough now that the Tomb of Dracula 44 pages and Doc 14 pages are surfacing, but you never know.
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| Dr. Strange 170 page 18, art by Dan Adkins |
And this year was also the year I got my Mike Allred commission, another want list item. I initially wanted to get the Valkyrie, Dr. Strange, Clea and other Defenders playing volleyball on the sand. After thinking about characters and cost ($200 per after the first four characters) I decided to get Doc and his posse: The Ancient One, Clea, Wong, and Rintrah. Simon Miller was a keen facillitator and Mike Allred just killed it for me. I may have stripes added on Clea's suit, and The Ancient One's shirt is supposed to be a Hawaiian shirt and I will have that added soon enough digitally. I also wish there were a few creatures, seagulls and crabs and such, but I did get the cute beachgoer in the background.
One of the best pieces I got this year is this cover by Kevin Nowlan.
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| Strange Tales 11 cover - Kevin Nowlan |
I also was able to score a major coup when I commissioned Rudy Nebres early in the year to do another one of my themes, Dr. Strange vs. Dracula. Rudy and his lovely, and patient, wife have been at quite a few conventions in my area in the last few years and I got to talking with them on quite a few occasions. It turns out they live 10 minutes from me, two towns over. I arranged to pick up the commission at their house and look at what Rudy Nebres presented to me.
I had given Rudy five different heroines to put in the commission and he chose The Scarlet Witch. This is right up their with my Simon Bisley, Paul Smith, and Jae Lee commissions as one of the best I have received from an artist. I loved it so much I sought out the means to make it into a shirt and now wear it proudly. I wear a comic art shirt, or more than one, every weekend and that Nebres commission started that whole trend for me. It is that great a piece of comic art.
Let's see, I also got a Starman cover this year. Issue 3.
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| Starman 3 cover painting by Tony Harris |
What can be said after that. Thanks be to God, I am blessed.
...to be continued.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Rudy Nebres commission - colored by Gerry Turnbull
Well, I usually don't go for digital coloring but have made exceptions once or twice before. But that awesome Rudy Nebres commission that I got last week was so good I wanted to see what it would look like in color. And this time I decided I would contact a fellow Dr. Strange fan, Gerry Turnbull, because I thought he would really enjoy working on it. Gerry has been doing some coloring and showing off his mad skillz (yes, I did that!) on the comic art fans website. I may be wrong but I do not think he does it professionally, although his work is certainly of a professional quality. So I emailed Gerry and he agreed to take it on. And that same night I got the results. I think they are wonderful, but see for yourself.
Wait, we're not done! When I had Tom Smith color a Jae Lee commission (also of Doc, and Tom did great work as well) he was nice enough to throw in an alternate coloring scheme. Well, I must have been correct about Gerry enjoying the piece because he did the same thing and I soon got this as well. A little more of the night music in this one.
And we are still not done. In the morning I got another and it is a beaut!
The flourishes are all Gerry, even the ripped edge on the top! Masterful. He really outdid himself and I could not be happier with his work.Now I can't promise that you will get all these extras, but I can promise that you won't be disappointed with his work should you choose to employ him. Check his gallery on CAF (http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryDetail.asp?GCat=3603) for other examples of his coloring skills, as well as a stellar Dr. Strange collection that rivals my own for sure. In fact, between Gerry, Robert Turner and John Sisson I better keep acquiring these Doc pieces or they will leave me in the dust. Keeping up with the Jones' has never been so fun!
EDIT: It turns out I was wrong and that Gerry Turnbull does have professional colorist credits. He was one of the colorists on John Byrne's FX (IDW) and has colored the official posters for the Mid-Ohio Con and Cincinnatti Con for the past few years. Sorry about that Gerry!
Wait, we're not done! When I had Tom Smith color a Jae Lee commission (also of Doc, and Tom did great work as well) he was nice enough to throw in an alternate coloring scheme. Well, I must have been correct about Gerry enjoying the piece because he did the same thing and I soon got this as well. A little more of the night music in this one.
And we are still not done. In the morning I got another and it is a beaut!
The flourishes are all Gerry, even the ripped edge on the top! Masterful. He really outdid himself and I could not be happier with his work.Now I can't promise that you will get all these extras, but I can promise that you won't be disappointed with his work should you choose to employ him. Check his gallery on CAF (http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryDetail.asp?GCat=3603) for other examples of his coloring skills, as well as a stellar Dr. Strange collection that rivals my own for sure. In fact, between Gerry, Robert Turner and John Sisson I better keep acquiring these Doc pieces or they will leave me in the dust. Keeping up with the Jones' has never been so fun!
EDIT: It turns out I was wrong and that Gerry Turnbull does have professional colorist credits. He was one of the colorists on John Byrne's FX (IDW) and has colored the official posters for the Mid-Ohio Con and Cincinnatti Con for the past few years. Sorry about that Gerry!
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Rudy Nebres commission - Dr. Strange vs. Dracula
I have been seeing Rudy Nebres at conventions for about 20 years now. My first purchase from him was at the SuperMega Show in Seacaucus NJ in the late 80s/ early 90s. I asked him to draw a Dr. Strange and he seemed a little frustrated that I didn't just buy one from his portfolios, but truth be told they were more money than he was charging for drawing at the show. Since I returned from exile in Indiana in 1998 I have seen him much more frequently, getting a few more Dr. Strange pieces along the way. Well, I eventually opened my mouth and chatted with Rudy and his ever-present and lovely wife Dolores and learned that we were in effect neighbors; we live about 7 minutes from one another. In fact Dolores invited me over one time if I wanted to see some art. I decided it would be a nice offer to take her up on, but only if I was picking something up at the time. So in May when I saw Rudy and Dolores again, at the Super Wild Pig show in Piscataway I set up a commission. I gave Rudy reference for 5 different Marvel heroines and asked for Dracula draining a heroine and being surprised by Dr. Strange. I have one other commission along these lines by Norm Breyfogle, with Clea in the role of "woman in distress" and I love that one but I thought it a good idea for more commission. Rudy got a choice between Clea, Moondragon, The Valkyrie, Scarlet Witch, and Captain Marvel/Photon/Pulsar, Monica Rambeau. Well, last week I got the call that the piece was complete and I was able to meet up with Rudy today at his home. Dolores was there, as were sons Ed and Melvin. A quick tour of the studio later and I was in possession of my commission. As much as I love it I must say the colored pieces in Rudy's studio really made me regret not going all out and getting this one colored as well. maybe next time, and there WILL be a next time. Why? Well, take a gander at this and you'll see why I am so confident about getting more.
So thank you to the Nebres family for welcoming me into their home. And thank you to Rudy Nebres for this wonderful piece of art. The Scarlet Witch may not like it, but I love it.
So thank you to the Nebres family for welcoming me into their home. And thank you to Rudy Nebres for this wonderful piece of art. The Scarlet Witch may not like it, but I love it.
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