First Post Of 2016

Princess Leia

Wow, 2015 is over. So, that's it?

2015 had a lot of ups and downs. Things started out really good, and as the year went on, things got  difficult. Sometimes, artists go through down-slides. They doubt their skills as an artist. They think that no one likes their art and they suck and no wants to buy their book. And all of a sudden, it's hard to get up in the morning and force yourself to be creative. Just like me! Yay.

Bluestreak

My favorite part of 2015? definitely all the great people I get to collaborate with on new projects!

First, I get to work with Si Spurrier, Emma Price, Simon Bowland, Matt Wilson, Nick Filardi and Lee Loughridge on the upcoming Cry Havoc! Cry Havoc debuts this month from Image Comics (I'll be making a massive post about it soon). Working with this team is a dream. I'm very excited for this book!

Survivors Club sketch

I get to work with Lauren Beukes, Dale Halvorson, Clem Robins and Eva De La Cruz on the ongoing series Survivors' Club from Vertigo comics. This book...wow. It's definitely the most jam-packed-with-creativity book I've ever worked on. It's big, sprawling, and creatively challenging. For a book that references horror movies and stories, it feels like the most original, bizarre and unique thing I've ever done. I'm proud to be a part of this monster!

Broken Frontier

I also got to work with some writers on other things: Charles Soule on Letter 44 and Joshua Hale Fialkov on an anthology story. I love working with new writers. I want to work with them all!

Poison Ivy

Another highlight...and lowlight...of 2015 were the conventions and commissions. I went to my first Emerald City Comic Con (ECCC)! And...it was mediocre. I mean, it was a great show, but I felt like an unknown quantity there. I think 6 people came to my table all weekend. I saw two big-time editors come to the tables of artists near me and overheard them say they wanted to work with them. And I just...sorta sat there. It was humbling.  But at the same time, it reaffirmed my position in the comic industry. Not indie, Not mainstream...I'm sorta just flailing about. Still. Hmm, something to think about. One good thing about that show is I met a writer I'd like to work with some day. So, that. Conventions are always good for that!

Survivors Club

Next up, was my first Heroescon in Charlotte, NC! That show went a little better. It felt a little more like "my scene". I loved the show, overall. I sold a fair amount of artwork, which was great. I loved seeing everyone that came by my table. YOU WERE GREAT.   The best part of that trip was that I took my 9-year old son Harold. We had a great time!  Best memory was getting ribs from the food truck on that first hot day in town. It was so hot there!

records

I did a LOOOOOT of pre-show commissions for those shows. That was great! Overall, sales of prints, books, and original art have been down. But commissions have been way up. After the first half of the year, I started to have less and less time for commissions, and sadly, a few people have been waiting for months. Getting two new books off the ground this year took a lot out of me. 

Cry Havoc

In September, I was invited to the FACTS convention in Ghent, Belgium. That was great fun. And best of all, I took my other 9-year-old son Jax along for his first European trip! It's an experience he'll never forget and I'm so happy we were able to do that together.

Here's looking to a maybe-almost-as-good 2016. I hope!