Silvani Art

Christmas gift commissions are open.

2011-12-11T18:37:00.000-08:00

Well, I’m back from vacation and as promised I’m going to open for a very small number of commissions just in time for the gift giving season.

Straight character art or your favorite DIsney/Star Wars/comic/Sci Fi mashups. Check my Tumblr or my portfolio site for my repertoire. Grey marker art starts at $40 per character and full color pieces start at $60. All art is done on 9”x12” bristol board.

Email me with your questions and ideas. I hope you all have happy and shark-free holiday.

Off to Europe

2011-11-21T02:48:00.000-08:00

Hey gang,

Finished this round of commissions so my wife and I are off to Europe for our first real vacation together. Now at this point you're saying "Shmuck, you live in Hawai'i. You're on vacation all year long!" Yeah, but even sun and poi gets old when it's 365 days a year. Plus I hear they have really good cheese in Europe.

So to tidy up...

-The final issues of my Kaboom duck titles are out as well as the 4th trade collection of Darkwing called "Campaign Carnage". The trade for the Ducktales/Darkwing crossover should be out before the end of the year.

-If you ordered a commission from me, they are being sent out this week (11/21). They might be a little late because of Thanks giving but you'll be in too much of a tryptophan coma to notice.

-I MIGHT be opening for a few last minute Christmas gift commissions when I get back around December 10th. Watch this space plus my Twitter and Tumblr for details.

Thanks again for all the support on DW for the last year and a half. I really appreciate it.

Now if someone could point me to the secret pin trading spot at Disneyland Paris so I can scope out a few rare DW pins, that would be great

Commissions are open! (Updated 11/2)

2011-10-22T01:52:00.000-07:00

It's been an interesting few weeks...

NYCC is in the books and I can't thank everyone enough who came by for books, drawings or just to say hi. Your beautiful New York! Don't let no one tell ya different.

Last week also saw the last of my work on the current Kaboom Darkwing Duck series. But believe me, we have a lot of plans for DW in the future. And if you want to see exactly what those plans involve, let Marvel and Disney know you wanna see more ducks in capes. (Hint; Those plans involve Negaduck, a car battery and 2 containers of sour cream)

*Update* I'm now closed for commissions. I may open up before Christmas for last minute gifts. Check back on this page in December.

One side effect of my current free time is that I am now open for a VERY limited number of commissions. If you didn't get a chance to make it to one of the conventions this year, now's your chance to pick up your own original piece of duck art. But if you have something else in mind be sure to check out my tumblr feed to get ideas for Disney, Pixar, Muppet, Warner Bros., Godzilla, Star Wars, dinosaur, superhero drawings or any mix of the above you can come up with. Just email me with your ideas.

All art is on 9"x12" bristol board. A single figure done in grey markers start at $40 and I'm now offering color figures starting at $60. Email me with your requests for multiple figures and I can quote the prices from there. Shipping and handling for US customers is $10 and European mailings vary by country. Paypal is the preferred payment method. Please note- I won't be taking requests for anything violent or sexual in nature. I also won't be drawing any Phineas and Ferb... 'cause frankly I just don't understand it.

I look forward to hearing your requests and being stumped by your obscure mashups. And keep watching this space for future duck announcements.

The Finish Line and NYCC

2011-09-18T21:02:00.000-07:00

The first half of the Darkwing Duck/Duck Tales crossover is in the bag. It's been a surreal experience pencilling over someone else's work on the Duck Tales side of things but Jose Massaroli's are so tight it's been a real pleasure.

Now I'll I need to do is get the next half finished before I head to...

I will be headed to my second New York Comic Con. Once again Amy "The Fifth Hologram"Mebberson and I will be sharing a table in Artist's Alley. You can find us in spot L4, where we will have books, sketchbooks, prints and we will be taking you sketch commissions all weekend long. But if you can't wait to order your sketch until then we are now open for a limited number pre-orders.

All sketches are done on 9"x12" bristol board and completed with gray markers. All mashups and obscure characters are welcome. Sketches start at $35 for one character and go from there. Paypal is accepted.

I can't drag ALL the Copics with me to New York so I will be offering full color on the pre-orders as well. The colored sketches start at $55 for one character.

You can email me here and Amy here with your requests. My Tumblr and Amy's Tumblr have a good selection of our sketch commission samples. I'm looking forward to another good convention and some superior calzone, New York!

D23 is the best Con EVER!!!

2011-09-01T02:48:00.000-07:00

Ahem, Pardon me while I regain my composure.

Allow me to repeat, the D23 expo was phenomenal. From the way the show was run to the people who came out to see us, we could not have had a better time. Allen Gladfelter, Amy Mebberson and I were busy from the opening on Friday to closing on Sunday.

Most of the show was spent doing commissions. I've posted most of the art on my Tumblr feed but I did save a few for the blog. Like....

An ancient Japanese Mickey and Minnie.

Scrooge McDuck and Angus Mcgonagle, the Gershwin Gargling Gargoyle doing their best to give Scottish stereotypes a bad name.

But sometimes you don't need a fancy scenario. Just someone's favorite character will do.

And even though this was Marvel's first dip into Disney's fandom, DC heroes were the most popular mash-up request.

But far and away the most fun commission ideas came from attending Disney cast members. The ride operators were especially creative. Like the sick folks from the Haunted Mansion.

At least the folks who operated the various Disney Railroads had a little more decorum.

Now I'm new to this whole phenomenon with the Disney pins. Some people offered us quite a few nice ones for trade or just really great gifts. As you can see my Darkwing Duck and Scrooge collections are off to a great start.

And what would a trip to Anaheim be without a stop by Disneyland. Amy, Allen, former DW editor Aaron Sparrow and former DW designer Erika Terriquez and I are giddy as can be as we are about to embark on the new Star Tours.

But all good things must... something, something. Now I am back at work on, uh... Duck Tales?!?!? That's right. I'll be inking and contributing pencils to Kaboom's final two issues of DT and I will be producing all the usual film-flam for DW. And if I survive all that. I'll be back with details on the upcoming New York Comic Con.

Next stop...D23

2011-08-08T17:05:00.000-07:00

While I'm hard at work finishing up the last issue of the current Darkwing Duck arc, it's time to get ready for the biggest Disney event of all- D23. We will be heading to the Anaheim convention center, August 19th-21st. For the uninitiated, D23 is a expo put on by Disney every other year to showcase all the parts of the family including Pixar, the Muppets, ABC television, ESPN, etc. This year will be unique for 2 reasons. The first being this will be the first year that it will include Marvel comics under it's banner. Everything you were hoping Marvel would reveal at Comic Con will likely be presented in Anaheim. Also this will be the first year where the Collectors forum area of the show floor will include a little group called "Disney Comics Artists".

Muppets/Monsters Inc. artist Amy Mebberson, Cars artist Allen Gladfelter and some yahoo that draws ducks will be located in booth C335. In addition to selling signed copies of our various titles, Allen and I will have original comic page art from Pixar's Cars and Darkwing Duck. But what we look forward to the most will be taking your original, one-of-a-kind sketch commission requests all weekend long.

If you'e never been to a comic convention before, it works like this... Drop by our booth and we will draw anything Disney related you could possibly want. Muppets, Pixar, princesses, fairies, Marvel Super heroes, Mickey, Mickey dressed as a super hero. Anything you want (and we love a good drawing challenge). Samples of our convention sketches can be found throughout this blog and on our Tumblr pages here and here.

Prices start at $20 for 5x7" "face cards". I can also provide art on a larger 9x12" board for full character art starting at $30 per character. All art is on bristol board and will feature a unique "D23" commemorative stamp that will only be available at the expo.

We are now taking preorders on these sketches for pickup at the show. Just contact Amy or myself here and we can have your unique piece ready for you when you arrive. Payment is in advance and Paypal is accepted. At this time commissions are only for those ATTENDING D23. I will make a note on the blog when commissions are available by mail. - 8/10 We are now closed on pre-orders. We'll still be taking commissions during show hours.

You can find us at the above spot in the collectors forum. Looking forward to geeking out with everyone there!

SDCC Wrap-up and the beginning of the end...

2011-07-30T18:57:00.000-07:00

Another San Diego Comic Con is in the books and it's time to get back to work. But first I want to thank everyone who made my first foray into Artist's Alley really spectacular. Amy Mebberson and I were swamped from preview night until 15 minutes after close on Sunday. Everybody who came by our table could not have been nicer. I really hope this is the first of many great years to come. We might even try it without the "Free Beer" banner next time.

Most of the time was spent on sketch commissions. I will be posting those to my tumblr feed as the weeks go on. This one of DW doing a "Tex Avery" take was one of my favorites.

We also had quite a few characters stop by the booth but none more impressive than the "Infinite Darkwing that got away". This was actually the young lady who bought our very last issue of last years' SDCC exclusive DW cover so you know she ain't fooling' around with her fandom. Plus her gas gun really worked. I might want to borrow that later.

But speaking of gas guns, tell me you ever saw a cooler sight than this. At one of our Kaboom signings, this cosplayer had the most authentic looking DW prop we'd ever seen. And who better to pose with it than DW creator Tad Stones. Somebody get this man a ratcatcher.

But with all the greatness that happened in San Diego a bit of sad news was finally revealed. Kaboom's Darkwing Duck comic will be coming to an end with issue 18. It was not for lack of sales but just the end of the contract with Disney. I can't thank all of you enough for sticking with the book. Believe me, we have as much fun making it as you have reading it every month. But at least we are going out with a bang with the afore mentioned Darkwing Duck/Duck Tales crossover "Dangerous Currency." The crossover will answer such questions as "Whatever happened to Fenton Crackshell?" "How can Launchpad be in two places at once?" and "Why isn't anyone wearing pants?!?!?!"

So I present the beautiful Amy Mebberson colored covers for Ducktales #5...

Darkwing Duck #17...

Duck Tales #6...

And Darkwing Duck #18...

I'll be back next week with the line art for the covers and details on the plans Amy Mebberson, Cars' comic artist Allen Gladfelter and I have to appear at the ultimate Disney fan experience, D23 this august in Anaheim.

Look out San DIego, I've got a pen...

2011-07-17T15:22:00.000-07:00

I'm on the road to Comic Con this week and here's the breakdown for those of you who want art, books or a golden opportunity to punch me in the face.

Where- Amy Mebberson and I will be in Artist's Alley space HH20. That might change if a larger table opens up but I will tweet if there is a last minute move.

Signings- I will be at the BOOM studios booth, #2743. DW Creator Tad Stones, writer Ian Brill and I will be signing on Thursday from 4-5 and Friday from 3-4. I will also be at the Ape Entertainment booth on Saturday from 3-4 and Sunday from 12-12:30 signing copies of their new Richie Rich comics.

Commissions- Amy and I will be taking your sketch requests all throughout the con. Prices start at $20 per character. I look forward to your feeble attempts to stump me with your mashup requests (But no anime suggestions. I'm too old for that stuff)

Books- I will have copies of the first and second DW trades from Kaboom. Any book purchased from me will get a free sketch bookmark.

Sketchbooks- Amy and I will have our first jointly produced sketchbook, filled with ducks, princesses, muppets, dinosaurs and babes. $10 for all the sketchy balderdash you can handle from Mash-Up Studios.

Prints- We will both have original prints for the show. Amy's are listed here.
I will be bringing "Darkwing Through the Ages" and "Dangerous" plus a special surprise print to be unveiled at the show.

Looking forward to meeting you all and sampling your tasty baked goods.

Site update, SDCC and Commissions...

2011-07-06T16:12:00.000-07:00

While I do most of my updating on my blog and tumblr, my silvaniart.com is the main hub for all my tomfoolery. So I'm happy to say I've updated my site with links to all my various feeds, contact info and newly updated comics section with a selections of DW, Muppets and Richie Rich comic art.

It is also time for Comic Con International in San Diego. This year Amy Mebberson and I will be in Artists Alley in spot HH20 signing, sketching with enough books and special edition prints to beat a rodeo clown with.

And speaking of sketches, I am now taking pre-orders on Comic Con sketches. If you are going to San Diego for the con, email me with your requests and pricing for pick up at the show. All art is done with gray markers on bristol board. Sorry, but I'm not taking commissions for mailing at this time. Also we will be at D23 and NYCC for sketches, so if you are attending either of those shows you can email me with your requests here. Paypal is accepted on all orders

Finally!!!!

2011-06-22T20:02:00.000-07:00

Don't you hate knowing something that you can't tell anyone else? Like when you got someone the perfect present for their birthday and it's 3 weeks away. Or when the girl who turned you down to go to prom has toilet paper stuck to her shoe but you want her to walk through the entire classroom so everyone can see what a stupid, cold .... but I digress.

This is the moment where I get to reveal the covers for Duck Tales #5, the beginning of the great Duck Tales/Darkwing Duck crossover! As I have proclaimed (to the point of annoyance), the Carl Barks Scrooge comics were one of my major influences as a budding funny book drawer. No more cameos and easter eggs for me. I gets to draw me some Scrooge and the nephews in a real story. The color covers are on the Kaboom site but as often like to do, here's the black and white art to take a gander at.

And also that month we conclude the DW Mayoral arc with issue 16

I also wanted to give you a link to my new Tumblr feed. I'll still use this blog for my main announcements but over there I can just post random sketches on a more regular basis.

I'll be back right quick with details on my plans for Comic Con International, New York Comic Con and the full scoop on what we have cooked up for for the official Disney expo, D23!!!!

Get back to work!

2011-06-09T01:46:00.000-07:00

I'm back from Heroescon and ready to dive headfirst into DW #14. But first a quick update on my shenanagins of the last weekend

As you can see, Miss Mebberson and I were hard at work at our Artists' Alley spots. We were right around the corner from my art dealer Cadence Comic Art and flanked by our new best art buddies Rebekah Isaacs (whom I duped into trading an awesome Black Canary sketch for one of my scrawled Launchpads) and Chris DiBari.

I apologize for the quality of the following pictures. The only camera I had was a Flintstones model where the little bird inside taps the image into a stone tablet. Wow, do I only think in cartoon metaphors?

Before the con I put together this piece for the Art auction. I'm not sure if it made it in or not. But otherwise, it makes a great coaster.

Catwoman proved to be popular. It's hard for old timers like me to get away from the Newmar version.

Having little to nil GI Joe knowledge, "Duckstro" turned out to be an interesting challenge

The TMNT fans were out in abundance this weekend.

I even broke out Casey Jones

When you think about it, how much can really be done with Gwen Stacey.

I always welcome a chance to draw Muppets

I'm glad I remembered the three stripes on the top of the leather gloves

The one alternate DW I forgot.

This was from a sketchbook that a father was putting together for his 5 year old daughter to give to her when she turns 16.

And after that I got a few more requests for the "What do you want to do tonight, Brain?" duo. One of the properties I worked on during my t-shirt career was Animaniacs, so it was fun to see if I could still draw them.

Having fun with my new markers.

The kids were out in force on sunday. And how could I refuse this face asking for a Stitch dressed as a Star Wars character.

So now it's back to the books. Comic Con is right around the corner. Hopefully next post I can show you the art to my favoritest cover ever!!!

Off to North Carolina...

2011-05-30T21:47:00.000-07:00

Yikes! Has it been a crazy month. What better way to relax than... head off to another con.

Yep, I am leaving my sheltered rock in the middle of the ocean to head to the wilds of Charlotte for the weekend of June 3rd through the 5th. I will be at Artists Alley booth 640 right next to fellow anthropomorphic attacker Amy Mebberson. We will be sketching, signing and have a whole mess o' books and prints for sale. And if you're interested in any of my original comic art, Cadence Comic Art is right around the corner from me in space 636 with a great selection of Darkwing Duck pages. Also on Sunday at 4 PM, Amy, the great Roger Langridge, Georges Jeanty and I will be on the panel "Adapting Licensed Properties to Comics" in room 209. Come early because by 4:08 the panel will surely have degenerated into a drunken brawl.

Speaking of DW here's a look at the cover inks for issue 15 as well as Duck Tales #4.

But as they say, man cannot live by ducks alone. So here is a quick look at the first 3 pages of my first full story for Ape Entertainment's Richie Rich #3.

Jake Myler (with whom I first collaborated on the variant cover for DW #1) did a slam-bang job on the colors(he gets a cookie). This issue will be out this summer just in time for... COMIC CON!

Why did I scream that last part you ask? Because Miss Mebberson and I are now confirmed for Artists Alley in San Diego this July. Details will follow in the next few weeks. I'll be back soon with my full Heroescon report.

Catchin' up

2011-04-25T10:33:00.000-07:00

Comic book conventions are slowing down for the time being so I thought I might actually draw some comic books. In the meantime here's a few things I've been meaning to post.

These are the inks for Darkwing Duck issues 13 and 14. The arc revolves around DW & Launchpad running against each other for the Mayor of St. Canard. I could make a comment about elections in general but I won't. I understand politics about as much as I understand quantum physics or Dr. Who fandom.

In this arc we get to introduce some new villains. these are the first roughs for One-Shot and Cat-Tankerous.

And here's a little sneak-peek at what I have in store for the summer conventions. Don't panic

Home at last (for now)

2011-04-07T22:28:00.000-07:00

...Aaaaaand we're back.

Wondercon 2011 is in the bag and now it's time to get back to drawin' ducks. But here's a few of the sketch highlights from the weekend.

As you may know I share booth space with my partner in crime and starchy foods, Amy Mebberson. We actually teamed up on a few sketches here and there. Scarlett Jessica and Roger Vision seemed appropriate.

The mashups spiraled downhill from there with M.O.D.U.K.

Harley Minnie

World's ...Um, Finest?

Longtime follower Rachel Faraday requested Nega-Ash. I think I did 3 more after this.

Zatanna DeSpell

Make up an Avengers theme song to the tune of the Mickey Mouse Club

Launchpad Hulk

"Duck sense tingling..."

Monster requests were coming in as well. The only instructions here were "Dragon, Viper, Cobra"

In celebration of IDW's great new "Godzilla" Comic by Eric Powell and Phil Hester

...And to a lesser extent...

My big regret of the weekend turned out to be missing the masquerade where I could have cheered on this...

But the real high light of the trip came the monday after the con. My loving wife arranged for lunch and a tour at Skywalker Ranch. Big thanks to Michelle Scott and Lucasfilm Animation's David Meyers for the tour and infinite patience while I had the biggest geek-out of my life.

Now I couldn't take pictures of the inside where all the cool stuff was. I did get a shot of me and the green guy outside of the main animation building where they are currently working on season 4 of "The Clone Wars."

The land that the ranch encompasses is amazing. Beautiful rolling hills as far as the eye can see. And they all belong to George. The film business must be good.

This is the main house where the flanneled one lives. It also houses the book and film library. Plus where else can you find a foyer that contains the headpiece to the staff of Ra, an Imperial Walker and a piece of the space shuttle.

See ya next week with more nonsense

Return to Wondercon

2011-03-30T01:45:00.000-07:00

Warm up the Boudin bread, Pour the Anchorsteam and save me a seat at Tommy's Joynt, I'm coming back to San Francisco. As a proud alumnus of San Francisco State University I look forward to any excuse to return to the city by the bay. I always had fond memories of Wondercon while I was in college and now I'm pleased to be returning as an exhibitor. Amy Mebberson and I will have a booth just off of Artist Alley in space 1338. We'll have plenty of books, sketches, original pages and our first ever Con exclusive prints. Saturday and sunday I will also be taking some time to sign copies of Darkwing Duck at the Kaboom booth.

"But wait, didn't that clown just go to a convention?" Yes I did and C2E2 was so much fun I decided to do it again a week later (Don't worry about me. I can always sleep in november.)

While most of the sketch requests I got were DW, a few took the gang to a new level...

I think we created a monster with the Quackerjack/Joker crossovers.

"Whosoever holds this hammer..." Uuhh, yeah.

Because Gosalyn really needs another superhero personality.

Newmar, Meriwether, Kitt, Morgana. And yes, for the second time in a month, Morgana has feet.

The alternate Darkwing parade continued with Rorschach DW...

And the unique "Lady Gaga DW and Bowling Ball DW do quantum physics."

Other requests were a little more straight forward. This husband wanted a bride and groom Donald and Daisy as a gift for his wife

My first Ludwig von Drake

And what would a con be without a return to the Muppets with Gonzo Dr. Strange.

But by far the most popular requests were the Disney superhero mashups. Such as the Scrooge Orange Lantern...

The rage of the Red Donald Lantern

And the power of the Star Sapphire Daisy

Mickey made his debut as the "First Avenger"...

And his team mate Thor Goofy.

Dammit Jimmy Olsduck! Can't you stay out of trouble?!?

Gawrsh!

Ever wondered what he really looked like under that mask?

... Does whatever a spider can.

What else would LP Wolverine use his claws for?

Definitely not the same things as Stitch Logan.

And Ace the Darkwing Hound was a great way to round out a very good show. Thanks to everyone a C2E2 for a great show. Looking forward to next year.

Now let's see what all them folks in SF can come up with.

Out of the frying pan...

2011-03-15T03:25:00.000-07:00

Yep, just back from the consciousness-losing chill of Emerald City Comic Con and then I think to myself "Hey idiot, you want cold? Let's go to Chicago!"

So here I am headed to C2E2, the Mid-west's finest comic and pop culture convention. You can find me in Artist Alley at table B5 taking up space from my talented boothmate, Amy Mebberson. For the first time I'll be offering original page art from Darkwing Duck and Muppet King Arthur, as well as covers from DW, Rescue Rangers and Duck Tales. And if you haven't picked up your copy yet, we will have copies of the first DW trade and Muppet Sherlock Holmes. And when you get your collection at the show it comes with a free original sketch bookmark. In addition we will both be taking commissions for original art.

And if you need a few ideas for what kind of art you'd like to request, here's a few highlights from the Kaboom booth at ECCC. All told I think I did about 32,000 covers at the show but these were the ones who didn't say "Just draw Darkwing" or "I don't care, just dance for me monkey boy"

It seems like the Guard Dog/Guard Flamingo's had a bigger impact on our culture than I first thought.

Barks' work is still my biggest influence so I never pass up a chance to do Scrooge.

This guys saw there wasn't enough space on the cover for the two of 'em, so he bought 2.

First sketch cover for someone who hadn't been born yet EVER!

This guy likes his villains good and sloshed. I also sketched him a Magica for being original.

These girls wanted DW fighting a sea monster and DW doing something French. Who am I to argue?

The Infinite DW's came fast and furious. I knew I'd fit in a Sailor Moon DW somewhere.

Fan Favorite Splatter Phoenix made a return appearance to my sketch pad.

We were pretty close to Oregon. Go Ducks!

But my favorite request all weekend came through the friends of someone who was home sick in bed. All she wanted was a sketch of "Zombie Darkwing fighting Megatron." I couldn't refuse.

And what's a Comic Con without a few regular super heroes. Here's a Black Canary (with assist from Amy) and Spiderman.

I hope to see you all in Chicago. If frostbite hasn't removed most of my typing finger, I'll be back with a report next week. Hey, I live in Hawaii. I'm allowed to bitch. (sound of snowball covered brick whizzing past my head)

Seattle here I c-c-c-come!

2011-03-01T14:52:00.000-08:00

I hope somebody remembered to turn on the heater 'cause I'm headed to Seattle this week for the Emerald City Comic Con. I will be at the KABOOM (formerly BOOM Kids) booth #402. I will be taking your requests all weekend doing DW sketch covers. Or if ducks in capes ain't your thing (...and if that's the case, I'm not really sure why you're here of all places) Shelli Paroline and Travis Hill will be doodling on The Muppet Show and Pixar Cars sketch covers.

Of course I hope you all picked up this week's release of Darkwing Duck Annual #1 By Tad Stones, Ian Brill, Sabrina Alberghetti, Andrew Dalhouse, Lisa Moore, Amy Mebberson and some other schlub. The above is the "C" incentive cover laid out by Tad and finished by Lisa and myself, available at your local shop if they ordered lots of copies.

When BOOM first approached Tad about doing a cover he knew he wanted to try something a little different. What we have here is his initial sketch for a "What's-Wrong-With-This-Cover?"

Not that I could ever improve on what Mr. Stones does, but we tweaked the layout a bit and added a background. I loved incorporating my style with Tad's original vision of the characters.

And from there I finished up with the inks and sent it off to Lisa to make it look all pretty. Look on Tad's blog in the coming weeks for a complete list of all the "mistakes"

Lastly these are the inks and colors (by Amy) for the cover to #12, the last chapter of "F.O.W.L. Disposition", coming to you in May. I'll be back next week with my ECCC wrap up and details on my first artist alley table at C2E2.

Raw Cover-age

2011-02-17T12:12:00.000-08:00

In my mad attempt to try and get 2 issues in the can before Emerald City Comic Con I wanted to acknowledge an upcoming project I'm very excited about. If you've been around the webimathingies today you'll see that BOOM Studios has announced it's latest addition to it's Disney Afternoon comic line-up; DUCK TALES (Woo hoo. It's okay everyone does it automatically anyway.)

If you've read my blog you know what a big influence all things Carl Barks and Scrooge was on my work. And while I'm on DW for the foreseeable future, I knew I had to contribute at least SOMETHING to this book. I had a chance to meet writer Warren Spector of "Epic Mickey" fame at NYCC and his vision and passion for the Disney Ducks was infectious. Luckily I had an in with editor Chris Burns and he was able to throw a couple of cover bones my way. Since the color version is all around for public view, I thought I'd give you a look at the inks.

And as long as I'm showcasing the black and white art, here's a few more of the inks for the upcoming DW 10 and 11 covers as well.

And here's the inks for next month's annual covers.

I will post again before the end of the month with details on my plans for ECCC in Seattle and C2E2 in Chicago. I hope to see you there. Bring cake.

Sketchbook Shishkabob

2011-02-02T03:35:00.000-08:00

So this month is going to be absolutely Bonkers (and don't take that as some kind of hint that the next Boom Kids/Disney Afternoon comic is going to be Bonkers 'cause it ain't. It's actually "Recess").

I just put Tad Stones' and my part of the annual to bed. And starting tomorrow I have exactly one month to Pencil and ink issues 10 & 11 of DW before I leave for Emerald City Comic Con where I will be doing sketch covers at the Boom Booth. I'll post more details on that as we get closer.

Otherwise this will be a very light month for posting here since I will be drawing approximately 43 hours a day. But I thought a little dip into the sketchbook would hold everyone over until I can make a proper post.

Once in a while you gotta get your superhero ya-ya's out

I watched "Mulan" the other night. Wouldn't a scene like this have been cool?

Still one of my biggest influences. the ORIGINAL Segar strips and the Fleischer cartoons. Anything after that was a neutered imitation.

See above about getting fanboy fetishes out of your system. Man that movie Megatron design really sucked pus.

A little bird wanted me to draw this.

What we cartoony-types do when we think our colleagues aren't working hard enough. This is what happens when Amy Mebberson gets mouthy. But she's keeping real busy with her new Fun-Size blog. Make sure to check it out.

And for my Twitter Follower and new best friend Janice... Is this better?

Something a little different

2011-01-17T02:13:00.000-08:00

Life can't all be ducks.

We'll I suppose if I want to eat it could. But I can draw other things on my own time.

Outside of Star Wars, Batman and all things Disney, my obsession is Godzilla. A Thanksgiving was not Thanksgiving if my mom didn't have to drag me kicking and screaming away from the all-day Godzilla marathon to have dinner with the family. So when I saw that there was going to be new Godzilla comics produced in the U.S. written by Eric Powell (creator of my favorite comic, The Goon, which all of you should pick up after DW), I thought I'd see if I could draw guys in big rubbery suits. Not that I'd ever leave Darkwing, but it could be fun to help out with some daikaiju.

Maybe I'll just stick to the ducks.

"Crisis" Finale

2011-01-13T10:28:00.000-08:00

So I feel like I've been sitting on this cover forever. But since the preview for issue 8 is out I thought it was pretty spoiler-free at this point. I always love seeing those George Perez/Art Adams-throw-everything-in covers and I thought this was appropriate for this storyline. Thanks again to Andrew Dalhouse for making this so Infinite-ly pretty.

And next time I try to make a pun, someone just smack me with one of my own rulers.

Darkwing Duck #8 is at your local comic shop on January 19th.

Caught in the moment...

2011-01-12T10:15:00.000-08:00

The moment being this few minutes I have between issue 9 and issue 10.

Things are very nuts right now, but in a good way. Not in a I-have-a-tribe-of-near-sighted-Belgian-cannibals-trapped-in-my-pants sort of way. I just have a lot of work to do. The afore mentioned Darkwing Duck issue 10, covers galore and the eagerly anticipated Tad Stone's written story for the DW annual. Believe me. too much work is a good thing for a freelancer.

But just for a quick update, I thought I'd post a few commissions I did recently to let everyone know I am catching up on their requests. This week I got a whole slew of books signed that people sent me and I'm just about done with my sketch list. I really appreciate everyone's patience. I'm very grateful to everyone who's reading DW and liking my work. I'm also more than happy to stick my name and a sketch on stuff. Just please understand that the book needs to get done first. We're in the middle of a F.O.W.L. story line and I got a couple'a thousand Eggmen to draw.

FInally, I caught this on John D. Moore's great DW blog. I think we've found the winner of this season's "St. Canard Idol".

Happy New Year and other nonsense

2011-01-04T02:17:00.000-08:00

Welcome to 2011. I hope everyone has their pull lists set for the year with DW at the top. Or at least just under one of those Lady Gaga bio comics. Seriously, who reads those?

Just a quick note to start off the year. Robot 6 Apparently scooped me again and had a couple of covers that I kinda forgot I did. Rescue Rangers #5 and Darkwing Duck #11 will both get my arts and crafts treatment. Amazing Amy Mebberson colored the DW cover and Jaunty Jake Myler colored RR. Hit their site for the covers with the full titles.

Also, if you follow my tweets I had the great privilege of having my DW artwork featured on Jim Hill Media, a site I followed long before I started with Boom.. Actually it wasn't so much my Darkwing art but more everything I stick in between and behind Drake and crew. I'll be the first to admit I'm a huge Disney nut. So lucky for me Disney gives us a lot of leeway on the book allowing me a great opportunity to satisfy my OCD and fill every little nook and cranny with whatever obscure feature, short, Pixar, Muppet or TV reference I could come up with. The story features a nice pictoral guide to a good chunk of my easter eggs. A good chunk but by no means all of them. There will be a quiz on the rest.

And I wish a speedy recovery to Jim's wife Nancy who broke her ankle over the holiday while wrestling bears, or something like that

End of the year BLOW-OUT!

2010-12-29T17:22:00.000-08:00

Here's a little something to keep everyone warm until spring. And by "keep warm" I mean some of my artwork to throw on the fire.

(Apologies to Brian Bolland)

First we have the worst kept secret in DW fandom, the first Darkwing Duck annual from Boom Studios. Unfortunately my duties on the regular series will keep me from illustrating the main story but Ian Brill's words will be in the more-than-capable hands of cover artist and #1 DW fan, Sabrina Alberghetti.

Now while most of you might be thinking "Thank God. A break from Silvani's crayon scribblings." You would be wrong. Not only will I be contributing the A & B covers with colors by the witty and wenchtastic Amy Mebberson, but I will also be inking a special incentive cover by DW creator Tad Stones! And if that wasn't enough to put your persimmons in a pickle I will have the honor of illustrating the first ever Darkwing Duck comic book story written by Mr. Stones. 8 glorious pages of flapping terror colored by our very own Andrew Dalhouse.

But let's not forget our regular dose of DW in March. "F.O.W.L. Disposition" continues in March with a cover that was colored by Amy Mebberson. We also collaborated on the B cover for the 4th issue of Rescue Rangers.

Now since most of the art here can be seen in one form or another around the intranets, here's a special end of the year present to all of you who have made this the best year of my professional career ever. These are some of my sketches for the many alternate Darkwings that appeared thought the soon-to-be-wrapped-up "Crisis on Infinite Darkwings" storyline. When I first got the script, the story called for about 10 or so alternate DW's. But with a title like "Infinite Darkwing's" now could I not go a little overboard. I think when it was all said and done, I had created over 12,522 alternate DW's. Hey Kids, collect 'em all!

Happy New Year! Thank you all for checking out my site and for not using my comics as just a coaster.

...And to all a good night

2010-12-24T15:18:00.000-08:00

From my family to yours.

Sketchbook Shenanigans

2010-12-09T10:49:00.000-08:00

Darkwing Duck #8 is in the bag and it's time to move on to greener pastures.... Like Darkwing Duck #9. But in the 5 minutes I have between issues, I thought I'd share a few pages out of my sketchbook.

Now if you've paid attention to this blog at all you know I hate keeping sketchbooks. I can fill up a book with great stuff and do one lousy drawing at the end and the whole book is ruined for me. But lately with my work on DW I've actually found it pretty useful to keep all my sketches for the series all in one place.

I'm not really a Marvel guy but I remember reading The Defenders as a kid. I just thought the idea of a team of non-team players was kind of cool.

I really hope if we get to shoehorn Glomgold into DW he's the Afrikaner version. That just seems more evil.

Clayduck. Just in case there's a Batman/DW crossover

Or Manroot, in case you know fear.

Epic Mickey get me thinking of the possibilities....

Not to forget my Muppet roots...

...or my Ninja Turtle roots. My first job out of college was doing merchandising art for the turtles. Of course that was the FIRST time they were popular (God, I'm old)

Always gotta throw in a little Star Wars Love. By the way, when did Jabba go from 3 fingers in ROTJ to 4 fingers in everything else?

Of course a little cheesecake for desert.

DW #9 Cover

2010-11-24T10:39:00.000-08:00

I know what most of you who read my tweets are thinking..."What is this guy doing posting the #9 cover? That yahoo hasn't even finished issue 8?".

It's true, I'm in a mad dash to finish the art for the finale of "Crisis on Infinite Darkwings". But here's a better look at the the opening image to "F.O.W.L. Disposition"story arc that runs through issues 9 to 12.

And yes, this is our little tribute to "Mad Men", a show which I have only recently discovered the brilliance of. Hopefully we can get a little "Walking Dead" parody in the next arc.

Rescue Rangers from Boom!

2010-11-13T18:31:00.000-08:00

A man cannot live by ducks alone. So I'm helping out on some of the covers for Boom Studios upcoming "Chip 'n Dale's Rescue Rangers" book. Just a quick preview of my "B" cover for issue 2. I promise the coloring will be better when the issue comes out in January. I can't even get a Light-Brite colors right.

Now get back to work!!!

2010-11-10T09:39:00.000-08:00

Long Beach Comic Con, The last con of the year for me is over and It's time to get back to the serious work of funny books. The above sketch is a little pencil sketch I did on the plane ride home. This should by no means reflect the actual incomprehensible pencils I do on the comic.

My adventures in my old stomping grounds of SoCal were, as always, a blast. The night before the Con was spent at my first "Drink n' Draw". Every thursday night, comic pros from all over the LA area meet to... well I think you get the gist. I started a new sketchbook that night and I'll post some of the inebriated scrawlings in my next post.

The next day it was on to the Con. Boom convention madam Kate Hayden took very good care of all our prissy artist's needs. DW editor Chris Burns and writer Ian Brill were on hand for a little face to face strategy sessions. Fellow Boom art monkey Amy Mebberson and I were manning the kid's end of the booth and churning out both Darkwing and Muppet sketch covers. LBCC was not as frantic as the New York or San Diego cons so we really had time to chat with everyone who came by the booth. It was really great meeting everyone.

But the best thing about DW fans? They know better than to ask for straight Darkwing sketch covers. As you can see we did quite a bit of mashup work over the weekend. Even throwing that other companies duck in there.

But the best sketch covers done all weekend were for me by Amy and our special guest Tad Stones. As always, the handsomest man in animation was gracious and quick with a story. Plus he was nice enough to introduce us all his friend Mike Mignola.

But enough of this con talk. It's time to hunker down for the winter and get some ducks drawn. But while you're waiting for your next Terror-That-Flaps fix, the trade paperback collection of "The Duck Knight Returns" is available now at your local comic book shop and at regular book shops and Amazon next month. Chock full of extras! I got mine!

Getting Dangerous in Long Beach

2010-10-27T14:42:00.000-07:00

DW #7 is in the can and I am on my way to the Long Beach Comic Con.

I hope you're getting your requests together beacause DW cover artist Amy Mebberson and I will drawing on the first ever Darkwing Duck sketch covers. Simply come by the booth, buy the exclusive LBCC of issue #5 and you can get your own personalized cover with DW or any other citizen of St. Canard that your heart desires. And no idea is too crazy. If you've ever wanted to see Megavolt dressed up as Boba Fett or Launchpad in a cocktail dress, it's your cover and we'll draw it for you.

Also this weekend DW creator Tad Stones, writer Ian Brill, editor Chris Burns, Amy and I will be signing any and all copies of Darkwing on saturday from 1-2 and 4-5. We should have most of the series available at the booth.

I gotta catch a plane. I'll have a full report when I get back.

"Crisis on Infinite Darkwings" begins...

2010-10-20T15:51:00.000-07:00

In the nuttiness of trying to crank out the latest issue before I head to the Long Beach Comic Con, I forgot Darkwing Duck #5 comes out this week. You can find a special extended preview at Newsarama and a guest review by... Negaduck(?) at the Negaverse.

BTW, I just got a look at the layout for the trade collection. I hope you guys don't mind the double dip because it is all sorts of Dangerous!!!

Back from NYCC, aaaaand gone again.

2010-10-19T05:06:00.000-07:00

Just so you wouldn't think I wasn't drawing while I was gone...

I am back from NewYork Comic Con and I'm attempting to break a world record by pencilling and inking an entire issue of Darkwing Duck in 2 weeks. All while battling the NYCC-borne nerd-flu. It seems that I, as well as many of my fellow Boom-ers picked up a nasty bug on the way home from New York. I say it was either a nefarious plot to weaken our freelancers or something to do with us all getting no more than 2 hours of sleep a night.

Regardless, this had to be one of the best Con experiences I've ever had. Not only did I meet up with old friends and colleagues like artistic ally Amy Mebberson, Editors Christopher Burns and Aaron Sparrow, Boom-Mistress Kate Hayden and DW writer Ian Brill but I finally got to meet alot of people I've waited a long time to talk to face to face.

First and foremost was DW colorist Andrew Dalhouse and his wife Brandi. We probably spent 2/3rds of the show together at the booth signing. I know I say this alot but Andrew really deserves a lions share of the credit for making each issue look so good. It was great to finally meet the man who's life I've added so many headaches to.

I also had the pleasure of meeting and drinking with "Cars" artist Travis Hill, "Epic Mickey" writer Warren Spector, "Muppet King Arthur" co-conspiritor Paul Benjamin, "Cars" writer Alan J. Porter. And of course who could forget "Toy Story" writer and human blur Jesse Blaze Snider. I hope to work with and have lunch bought by each one of you in the future.

It was also Interview Central in NY. Reporters from MTV, Ain't It Cool News, Newsarama, Tough Pigs and others were asking me everything from my thoughts on DW's place in Disney history to what my favorite pizza was in NY so far. Guess which one I was more qualified to answer.

But the best part was meeting the fans of the book. It was so great hearing all the stories of the people who grew up with Darkwing and how happy they were that we were able to carry on the stories of their hero without missing a beat from the original show. It was also great putting faces to the names of the online folks who have supported us from the beginning. Special big thanks to Sandra (all the way from Germany), Melissa and Angeline for coming to the show. It was also a pleasant surprise to meet the lovely girl who is responsible for all those filthy Negaduck tweets.

But enough of the past. I got Ducks to draw and no time to do it in (Jerry Reed could totally make a song out of that). I'll be headed to the Long Beach Comic Con on Halloween weekend but I'll be back here before I go to give you a breakdown of the happenings including how to score the first ever Darkwing Duck sketch cover and where and when you can meet DW creator Tad Stones.

Off to NYCC

2010-09-30T04:00:00.000-07:00

Well it's a week earlier than expected but I'm off to my first New York Comic Con. New York City, home to the Comics Industry and bed bugs. Coincidence?

First I'm making a stop in LA to see family and drop in on the Disney Television Animation Reunion and Panel where DW creator Tad Stones and many of the other stalwarts of the Disney Afternoon will be offering their stories and ramblings of the heyday of TV animation. (seriously, I just can't get into this Phineas & Ferb stuff)

Then it's off to the Empire State. If you are in the tri-state area please stop by and join us at the Boom Studios Booth for the exclusive NYCC Darkwing cover. Just look for the newly unveiled Darkwing Duck banner

I will be at the booth for most of the time signing and sketching but we will have set times to sign with writer Ian Brill and colorist Andrew Dalhouse on friday from 1-2, saturday from 12-1 and from 5-6 and Sunday from 12-1 and 4-5. Plus the Boom Studios/Boom Kids panel is from 1:15-2:15 to give you the latest scoop on all the current and upcoming titles. Also make sure to get a sketch cover from Muppet Siren Amy Mebberson or any of the other handsome Boom artists who will be at the booth as well.

I'm looking forward to meeting all the east coasters. Full report when I get back to my island.

Issue 4 Preview and the Kover Kookiness Kontinues

2010-09-17T13:06:00.000-07:00

Colorist Andrew Dalhouse once again has saved my bacon...and my home fries (criminy, I gotta stop blogging before breakfast) and colored up my issue 7 cover. I guess the cat's outta the bag on who some of the featured players are for the next arc. Sorry to all you you readers who were hoping for Horace Horsecollar.

And if you're interested on how we're getting to the next arc, CBR has a preview of next week's exciting conclusion to "The Duck Night Returns" which you can find here.

I'll be back soon with updates on my convention filled October

It's a helluva town...

2010-09-14T11:52:00.000-07:00

It's Comic Con time again. But this time it's all about the east coast. The New York Comic Con takes place from October 8-10 and Boom! Studios will be there with a whole mess of exclusives.

And to put you Empire Staters in a St. Canard state of mind, we have an exclusive Darkwing Duck #1 cover that Andrew Dalhouse and I whipped up for the show. So if you're in NY stop by the booth where writer Ian Brill and I (and hopefully Andrew) will be signing for most of the weekend. I'll be posting a more detailed schedule in the coming weeks as sleep allows.

Lastly, the fine and funky folks at the Flickcast posted an interview I did with them about all things DW. You can check out my SDCC hot dog induced ramblings here.

Sketch stretch

2010-09-09T00:47:00.000-07:00

I should be practicing form, lighting, texture and expression but what fun is that.

By the way, what the hell is going on with that Leonardo

Canard Crossover Conniption

2010-08-30T16:37:00.000-07:00

Good friend and fellow Boomer Amy Mebberson is always coming up with these wonderful Muppet mash-ups. Piggy Wonder Woman, Gonzo Captain America, Kermit Dr. Who (Dr. Who, is that a show? I think it's on at the same time as "Kate Plus Eight").
As you might have guessed from my previous post I'm getting a bit of the mash-up mania. And what better to mix than the thing that pays my bills and the thing that has taken so much of my money over the last 30 years. I confess that I am a total child of Star Wars. The first year that it was out I spent every weekend at the Big Newport Edwards Theatre watching that ferkakta movie over and over again. Hopefully this set of sketches will get Star Wars out of my system until the Blu-Rays come out next year.
Actually, no. No it won't.

Now this is just getting silly

2010-08-28T17:41:00.000-07:00

Never let me sketch while I'm watching TV

I gotcha covered....

2010-08-25T21:27:00.000-07:00

So I've been a little lax in my posts lately. But I'm sure you'd rather have me hard at work on issue 5 than posting the usual nonsense I slap up here.

In the mean time, here's a the covers for issues five and six that I've been sitting on. Next is the cover I did for the Uncle Scrooge/Ducktales # 396-it has Launchpad so that was a gimme. If you're a regular reader of my blog (it beats reading books) you know what reverence I have for the works of Carl Barks so getting the chance to do this was a big thrill for me. Like a double helping of cake after dinner.

And if you missed the second issue of DW the first time, Boom has JUST ANNOUNCED reprint of issue two. And let me tell you how hard it was to draw that first issue spread in reverse.

Back on the Rock

2010-08-12T01:54:00.000-07:00

Yes indeed, I am back on island and hard at work on issue 5. Writer Ian Brill has found even more ways to get me to lose not only sleep but also any hope of my hair returning from the brink of grey.

But before I lose myself in the next story arc I wanted to post my final thoughts on Comic Con and a few pics as well.

Editor Chris Burns was the first to greet me at the Boom! Studios booth. And by "greet me" I mean "catch me red handed while I stuff as many of the exclusive Darkwing #1 covers in my bag as possible".

But what started off a quick stop at the booth turned into a weekend long marathon of signing. And it wasn't just books either, I was surprised that among the DW fans that stopped by, a few of them had the good fashion sense to wear some of the TMNT shirts that I had provided the art for. Important safety tip: Always ask before you sign a shirt.

But it wasn't entirely about DW. I also signed quite a few copies of my first effort for Boom, Muppet King Arthur. One of my closest friends, James Patrick Stuart (the voice of "Private" on THE PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR and "Dr. Zee" on GALACTICA 1980) tries to work the "friends' discount" angle on a copy of the trade paperback.

Saturday was when the real wrist workout (?) happened. Ian Brill, DW creator Tad Stones and I signed copies of issues one and two. I really can't thank everyone enough who came by the booth. Everyone was really nice and I want to buy each and every one of you a corn dog.

Nights at the Con were just as much fun as the days except in the evenings there was gin. Here I am testing that theory with editor extremis Aaron Sparrow,Muppet Goddess and fellow artistic conspirator Amy Mebberson and the most dapper man in comics, editor Chris Burns. Things got surly from here.

On the last day of the con was the Boom Studios Get-A-Sketch panel where Incredibles' artist Ramanda Karmaga, Wall-E artist Morgan Luthi, and I drew a few for some folks in the audience. Even moderator Tad Stones got in on the action and whipped out a couple original DW drawings. Unfortunately my ticket didn't have the right numbers for those.

But I will say this panel was the highlight of the con for me. As you can see we had a full house. I really appreciate all those who came and the ones who were lost but stayed anyway.

But the fun didn't end when the convention did. Chris Burns, Ian Brill and I were lucky to have one last dinner with Tad Stones the following week. When the conversation was not about all things DW past and future, Tad had all there great stories about his life in the industry. Of course I'm afraid we all swore on a gas gun that said stories would never leave that table.... So you'll have to wait until I'm B.W.I. (blogging while intoxicated) to hear those.

Lastly I thought I'd include a few sketches I did at the con. I didn't have a lot of time to draw but some of folks walking around were too good not to sketch.

And don't forget, the second collection of DW is available for preorder at Amazon. I'll buy yours if you buy mine.

.

Issue 3 preview and Comic Con thoughts....

2010-07-31T15:13:00.000-07:00

I am a pooped cartoon-guy. Comic-Con, starting a whole new story arc and a preview for issue # 3 all in the same week. It's Darkwing delerrium around here.

To give you guys a little taste of what's to come, Newsarama is offering a SIX page preview of issue 3 which you can find right here

I'm writing this on my iPhone so I need to keep this short but I couldn't post anything without thanking everyone who made this Comic-Con the best ever. I will post my sketch diary of the convention in the next week or so.

My first shout out ( or whatever it is you kids are saying these days) goes to all you nice people who stopped by the Boom booth and either picked up a copy of The exclusive Darkwing Duck #1 or the regular issue # 2. Both of which sold out before the end of the show. Luckily I was able to fit a few copies down my pants before they were gone. I also really appreciated everyone who visits my blog that stopped by to say hi. It was really great to put faces to the made-up screen names.

It was really great to finally meet and hang with to hang with my Boom colleagues. Writer Ian Brill and editors Chris Burns and Aaron Sparrow were as cool as I hoped. Fellow Boom artist and master of all things Muppet, Amy Mebberson will forever be my best con-buddy. All the other staff and interns were very friendly and accommodating while I was at the booth. Whether I needed a bottle of water or a pillow while I napped under the Muppet trade paperback table, everyone at Boom was a class act.

Speaking of classy guys, I can't think of a better example than Darkwing Duck creator Tad Stones. Whether signing comics at the Boom booth or hosting our sketch panel, the guy was a great sport. Plus the behind-the-scenes stories he had about DW were classic. One day when I'm in a strawberry wine cooler fueled blogging rage, I might share them with you.

Finally a big thank you goes out to my patient wife for
being there for my first big convention on the other side of the table. Hopefully the next convention will be in Italy or Tanzania or someplace cool like that.

A peek into the process...

2010-07-19T04:26:00.000-07:00

Well I'm off to Comic Con so I won't be posting for a few weeks. But for a little fun, I thought I'd give a demonstration as to what it takes to put together a page of DW. Or as I like to call it, "They Let THIS Guy Draw a Funny Book?"

Once I get Ian Brill's Biblically epic script, I layout the 22 pages in a VERY rough form. As long as I get a general idea of where the characters and backgrounds are supposed to be, I'm good. Then I take a nap.

After my nap and possibly a sandwich, I go to pencils. I chose the spread as an example just to show you that I have absolutely no business just being a penciller. There's no way an inker could make anything Disney-approvable out of this. For me, the pencilling is just another level of laying out the page and the inks are where the real organic process happens. Sorry to get all hippy on you.

Now we're getting closer. I think the best compliment I get on my work is when someone notes how "clean" my stuff is. That is exactly what I'm going for. I never got the hang of cross-hatching or those other ferkakta lines that so many (Image influenced) artists use for dimension and weight.

To get my line I use different size Staedtler and Pigma Graphic markers. I wish I could say I use a brush or even a computer to get the line I'm trying to achieve, God know it'd be easier, but until I can really sit down and practice with those for a good 16 to 34 month, I'll continue to fake it with the pens.

Here we go. Out of my hands and lookin' good. I can't say enough about colorist Andrew Dalhouse. He really takes the whole book to another level with his palette. For my entire freelance career, I've colored my own stuff out of necessity. But now it is so exciting to have my work brought to life by someone who really knows what they're doing.

So I'll be back in a few weeks with stories of the con and hopefully some new sketches. Providing they let you have paper and pencils at the Tijuana Central Jail.

"So where do you suppose all these weirdos are going?"

2010-07-14T13:19:00.000-07:00

It's San Diego Comic Con time again (I've been going for 30 some-odd years. I'll never call it "Comic Con International") and the Darkwing crew and I will be there in full force.
Boom Studios will be set up at Booth #2743 where you can pick up the first 2 issues of DW (Including the special SDCC cover of the first issue) as well as the individual issues and trade paperback of Muppet King Arthur.
Friday at 11 AM is the Boom! Studios/Boom! Kids panel where I'm sure the future of the Masked Mallard will be discussed.
Saturday at 3 will be the Darkwing Duck signing at the Boom! booth. Writer Ian Brill, DW creator Tad Stones and I will be scribbling on your copies. I might even spell my name right this time.
And on sunday is the first annual "Boom Studio's Get-a-Sketch" panel. where myself and "WALL-E" artist Morgan Luthi, "Incredibles" artist Ramanda Karmaga and a few other special guests will be drawing our stuff to give away to a few lucky (?) audience members. Of course this last panel wouldn't be so nerve wracking if I wasn't drawing DW in front of panel moderator Tad Stones. ""Sorry Tad, don't mind me while I butcher your baby."
Otherwise I'm there to enjoy the show. If you can't make it for the signing on Saturday let me know and I will make sure to get your book signed. You can usually find me at the concourse level hotdog stand.

For those who have had trouble getting Darkwing Duck... (Updated)

2010-07-07T02:46:00.000-07:00

Good News!!! If you're in the US and your shop was sold out of DW#1, Diamond and Boom are now taking reorders. So head to your local comic shop and demand your duck! And while you there, demand a couple of Jolly Ranchers. The grape ones.

And even better news for our international fans, Boom is now offering an international subscription for the first 8 issues. You pay shipping on the first issue and the rest will be shipped free of charge for the rest of your subscription. Who needs the World Cup when you can have the Masked Mallard delivered right to your door. Click here for details.

And if your quest to find issue one wasn't enough, I just got word that issue 2 will be out July 21st, Just in time for Comic Con. Or if you're not going, just in time for wednesday Taco Bell night. Either way, it's a win.

Anyone going to Comic Con?

2010-07-05T13:01:00.000-07:00

Well if you are make sure to stop by the Boom Studios booth and pick yourself up one of these bad boys. It's our exclusive Comic Con cover of Darkwing Duck #1. With pencils by some yahoo and painting by Jake Myler, this printing is limited to 500 copies and at some point there will be a signing at the booth and the gang will be appearing at a Boom Kids panel. I'll fill everyone in with details later this week.

If DC published DW...

2010-07-01T14:42:00.000-07:00

It seems that DC is really coming down hard on their pantless characters. A few years ago Robin the Boy Wonder lost his little scaley short-shorts. now comes word that Wonder Woman's going through a less revealing update to her look as well.

Of course it looks like her outfit was only updated as far as 1993 and she looks like she's leaving the Justice League to join the X-Men cartoon.

So I use this post to give props to the clear thinking folks at Boom Studios for bringing you 100% pure, original Darkwing Duck every month. A publisher that stands by their trouser-free franchises.

Let's just be thankful all this Jim Lee makeover madness stopped before it got to the sidekicks....

Order yours now...

2010-06-23T14:56:00.000-07:00

So if you go to your comic shop and grab the guy behind the counter by the shirt and tell him to order you Darkwing Duck #4 NOW, you won't get thrown in jail for it. The last issue of the first story arc in now available for preorder.

From Boom!....

DARKWING DUCK: THE DUCK KNIGHT RETURNS #4

Written by Ian Brill, art by James Silvani, covers by Giorgio Cavazzano, Joe Macasocol Jr. and Amy Mebberson.
Now an ongoing series! No exaggeration, no hyperbole... this is not the last issue of the series -- just the end of the first story arc! As the villain behind Quackwerks' takeover of St. Canard is revealed, the events he's set in motion may be too much for even the Masked Mallard to overcome! This is the one fans will be talking about for years to come, and leads directly into next month's Darkwing Duck #5!

The reviews are in....

2010-06-23T13:12:00.000-07:00

...And it looks like we're a hit. I can't thank you all enough for picking up our little project. And all the cake that we shipped with the review copies paid off. Here's a little sampling of the kind words...
(If there's any I missed or you would like your link posted here please let me know.)

IGN
Multiversity Comics
Examiner.com
Comixtreme 1
Comixtreme 2
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And if that wasn't enough, CBR has a preview of issue 2 which is due to get Dangerous on July 28th. Now excuse me while I go make colorist supreme, Andrew Dalhouse's life miserable.

A little catch-up

2010-06-21T15:33:00.000-07:00

This was just a quickie requested sketch that I thought was kind of fun. Not that I'm any kind of real superhero artist but he's in the background and mostly covered by a hat. So it came out okay.
But enough of the foolishness. Pencilling begins today on DW#4 and I must do my best to contain all of Ian Brill's epicness into 22 pages and give Andrew Dalhouse's mastery of color strong lines to be contained in.
That's why I draw, descriptive writing is not my strong suit

IT'S HERE!!!!

2010-06-16T12:48:00.000-07:00

Why are you looking at your computer when you could be out at your local comics shop picking up the first issue of Darkwing Duck?

Yes it is finally here. Ian Brill, Aaron Sparrow, the VASTLY underappreciated Andrew Dalhouse and I put a lot of blood, sweat and coffee into making this project all it could be. So far the reviews have been positive, but as Pope Pius IX once said "You ain't seen nuthin' yet".

And if that isn't enough, Comic Book Resources threw out a round of questions for me on the occasion of today's release. You can find my musings here.

Now, go get dangerous.

Guess what happens on June 16th.......?

2010-06-10T14:48:00.000-07:00

Many of you know that I live on a rock in the middle of the ocean. And this particular rock has no comic book shop. So I hope all of you will have fun reading these next week before me.
(I live on Maui and have no comic shop. Wwaaaaahhh. I'm so pathetic.)

I am the Tweet that goes right over your head...

2010-06-03T15:58:00.000-07:00

So for some reason I set up a twitter account a few weeks ago and failed to mention it here. But that's not really surprising because, well... quite frankly. I'm not really that smart. I shouldn't even legally be allowed to own a computer.

Regardless, If you'd like to follow my wit, wisdoms and 2 A.M. blatherings while I'm trying to meet my deadlines you can go HERE

I am the variant cover that escapes your pull list...

2010-06-02T17:21:00.000-07:00

Well, whaddaya know, it's the final art for the upcoming Darkwing Duck #1 cover.

As you may have read in one of the interviews I did, The first version of this cover was done before Boom even got the Greenlight to proceed with the miniseries. It was probably my first Darkwing drawing in 15 years. Now that I have a little more DW experience under my belt, my debut art looks a little less like Darkwing Pelican a little more like the Masked Mallard himself. And now it's even more newer and improveder...er with series colorist and all-around stylin' dude Andrew Dalhouse providing the pop. (Which helps 'cause I have trouble staying within the lines let alone coloring a comic book cover)

So hopefully you now now what to look for come June 16th. Buy cover B for yourself and cover A for your podiatrist.

I am the new title to your wednesday pull list...

2010-05-18T14:23:00.001-07:00

The duck is out of the bag. The brave and easily fooled folks at Boom and Disney given the go ahead to a Darkwing Duck ongoing series.

Check out the press release HERE

And if you want to wait and pick up the graphic novel (cheapy) I've attached a handy-dandy link.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to work. I have masked waterfowl to draw

If I was a better blogger....

2010-05-14T03:20:00.000-07:00

I would update more. But no, I am merely an illustrator who can barely color within the lines.

Speaking of coloring, I thought it might be time to post a few covers that I've been sitting on for a while. The Darkwing cover has been out for a while and it will be getting a better color job but at least this is a taste.

Muppet Snow White debuts Wednesday May 19th and here's the issue 4 cover. Curl Up with a nice apple and enjoy.

Muppet King Arthur 4 Preview

2010-05-03T09:48:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have been waiting to buy comics or go back to work until the last issue of Muppet King Arthur comes out, you're in luck. Part 4 of the medieval Muppet saga hits comic shops everywhere this week.

The first five pages

2010-04-27T18:14:00.000-07:00

Well those fabulous and funky people at Newsarama are giving me and Darkwing Duck nothing but love.

The first five pages are up for a preview. Hopefully it will interest you in page 6. Thanks to colorist Andrew Dalhouse for taking my stuff from etch-a-sketch to DaVinci. I hope to meet everyone who worked on the Book at Comic Con so I can buy them all pie.

Click here for the pretty pictures AND words

Newsarama Interview

2010-04-23T15:41:00.001-07:00

Well apparently I haven't opened my big mouth enough. The bold and jaunty folks at the top comic book website Newsarama posted a quick interview with me about the upcoming Darkwing Duck mini series from Boom! Studios.

Click here for all the Mallardy Madness.

I am the deleted post on your blog...

2010-04-13T13:56:00.000-07:00

So how 'bout some new DW?

Comics Alliance has the scoop on all the Darkwing Duck action that Boom! Studios has to offer. Pages from my sketchbook (well, not really a book. Readers of my blog know I can't keep a book going to save my life), plus the reveal of my 2nd issue cover as well as the cover provided by Jake Myler.

Now follow this link to get dangerous...... But bring a sweater. You can get dangerous without catching a cold.

An Apology and a Cover

2010-03-31T13:02:00.000-07:00

Some of you may be wondering "what happened to all the Darkwing Duck art?" Then again some of you may be wondering "How do they make Cottage Cheese?"
After chatting with the handsome people at Boom! Studios we decided to take a different route in previewing the art. Don't worry there'll still be plenty of DW art on my blog in the coming months. Believe me , I never had so much traffic to my site as when I had that stuff up. I'd also like to thank everyone for the nice comments. I owe all of you a Pony.
I the meantime, Muppet King Arthur #4 has been put to bed and Muppet Snow White #3 (featuring my covers) has been solicited. Enjoy!

The Knights who say "Wacka-wacka"

2010-03-16T13:59:00.001-07:00

So this is what we like to call crunch time. Trying to finish up Muppet King Arthur #4 as well as put the finishing touches on Darkwing Duck #1.

Since I have no time to write anything clever (why start now), I thought I'd give you some quick inspiration to head to your comic shop this wednesday and pick up Muppet King Arthur#3

Let's get Dangerous!

2010-03-14T01:17:00.000-08:00

Well God bless the folks at Boom! Studios. Not only do they publish fine comics but they are doing their best to keep me from any shenanigans by chaining me to my drawing desk. Their latest bid to suppress my freedoms comes in the form of the Terror That Flaps in the Night.... Darkwing Duck!

For the uninitiated I've attached an interview with the writer, Ian Brill HERE

And if your still confused here is the press release from Boom!

He is the terror that flaps in the night. He is the super-hero that is about to make his return. He is…DARKWING DUCK! This June, Disney and BOOM! Studios herald the triumphant comeback of the beloved Disney Afternoon star with DARKWING DUCK: THE DUCK KNIGHT RETURNS. Lanchpad McQuack, Gosalyn Mallard, and the fiercest of Darkwing’s rogue gallery all join the daring duck of mystery in an all-new, completely original four-issue mini-series: DARKWING DUCK: THE DUCK KNIGHT RETURNS!

Whether you’re a Darkwing fan from the hit TV show or want to discover this cherished character for the first time, this new mini-series delivers all the madcap adventurous spirit that made a fan out of millions!

Written by Ian Brill (ZOMBIE TALES) and James Silvani (MUPPET KING ARTHUR), the mini-series sees Darkwing’s city of St. Canard under the control of a mysterious corporation. Darkwing’s been out of commission for a while but when his friends and family are under attack…you better watch out you bad boys! Darkwing fights new villains as well as old, for Megavolt, Quackerjack, Liquidator and Bushroot are on the loose!

“It’s such a dream to bring back Darkwing, a favorite of mine and millions of other’s,” says series writer Brill. “Everyone involved in this book are working tirelessly to make sure this comic has the same feel of anarchic fun of the TV series, while still presenting a whole new adventure in the life of Darkwing.”

Debuting in 1991 as a spin-off of the hugely popular DUCK TALES, DARKWING DUCK brought super-hero action and excitement to the Disney Afternoon animation block, captivating viewers for years. Shown around the world, DARKWING DUCK is still a fan-favorite of pop culture fans everywhere.

DARKWING DUCK: THE DUCK KNIGHT RETURNS #1 is written by Ian Brill with interior art by James Silvani. The debut issues features two covers in a 50/50 split by Magic Eye Studios and Silvani respectively and a 1-in-10 incentive cover by Silvani and
Jake Myler.

Nice to see my name in a press release that isn't followed by the words "Being Sought"

60 Minutes, here I come...

2010-03-02T10:47:00.000-08:00

Earthquakes. Tsunamis. An interview with me. It's just one disaster after another this week.
The nice folks at The Muppet Mindset blog posted an interview with my thoughts on art, passion, integrity and other things I know nothing about.

http://themuppetmindset.blogspot.com/

Muppet King Arthur #2 preview

2010-02-22T12:42:00.000-08:00

This wednesday marks my big premiere with Boom! Studios, so I thought I'd tickle your...um...hasenpfeffer with a feather and preview the first five pages courtesy of the nice folks at Boom! and the great Muppet Fan site, Toughpigs.com. Intrigued? Only $2.99 for the rest. A bargain at twice the price.
And as I finish up MKA I am proud to say I have started my next SUPER SECRET project for Boom! See this space on March 31st for the big reveal

Bonus Covers!

2010-02-18T12:31:00.000-08:00

2 posts in one week? Just a quickie to show my Muppet King Arthur # 3 cover and the bonus cover I did for Muppet Snow White #1. Buy one for you and your dog.

Sound Effects

2010-02-18T00:34:00.000-08:00

Let's see... Work art done for the day? Check. Dinner made? Check. American Idol on? What? Not for another half hour? What am I going to do?!?!?!? Either I throw cocoanuts at the neighbor kids or I sketch.
I present you with my "I'm all out of cocoanuts" sketches.
Two of my biggest influences in my formative cartooning years were Mad Magazine's Don Martin and Cracked Magazine's John Severin. Oh sure their cartooning skill were beyond compare, but more than anyone else, those two knew their way around a sound effect. Their enhancing exclamations were characters upon themselves. Martin had a way of making the visual gag that much funnier by making a sound effect out of the most mundane action. And Severin, who originally came from the world of western and war comics just had a knack for taking a serious and beautifully etched scene and dropping in the the most ill timed sound effect and turn the somber piece in to comic gold. Now pardon me while I practice my "KERSPROINGOINGS"...

A little switcheroo...

2010-01-29T02:29:00.000-08:00

Earlier in the week I posted this art for the upcoming Muppet Snow White series for Boom! Studios. In the solicitations for April's comic releases I was listed as the interior artist. Unfortunately my duties on Muppet King Arthur and another secret Disney project will keep me out of the enchanted forrest for now. The crazy-talented Shelli Paroline will be handling the interiors. I will still be contributing covers (I will post the second one as soon as I get the okay) and hopefully I will return to Muppet interiors later this year.
Be sure to Head to your local comics shop this April and pick up Muppet Snow White from Boom! Studios. You remember comic book shops, it's where you used to take your kids to pick up their Pokemon cards.

Hittin' the ground running...

2010-01-26T15:27:00.000-08:00

So my big news (That all... what, three of you have been patiently waiting for?) I got me a steady gig. If you remember those posts I made about trying to get work with Boom! Comics on the Muppets. Well I was able to hornswaggle the right people in charge and they actually hired me.
Boom! publishes several Disney licensed comics featuring general Disney characters as well as Pixar properties. Also in the Disney fold are the Muppets. Boom! runs 2 Muppet series.
The first is "The Muppet Show" based on the 70's series, brilliantly executed by writer/artist Roger Langridge. Langridge was a favorite of mine before this book and this series is incredibly drawn and written as if it the show never went off the air.
The second is a series of Muppet fairy tales. Already published are "Muppet Robin Hood" and "Muppet Peter Pan" (the later illustrated by the wonderful Amy Mebberson who apparently recommended my work to the editor at Boom! I owe her a pony.) You can pick up these 4 issue series in collected form at your local bookstore, or Amazon for the lazy.
My first project is to finish up the "Muppet King Arthur". I'm illustrating issues 2-4. As soon as Disney throws out their approval I will post a few pages. After that I will be handling all the art chores on a soon to be revealed Muppet Fairy Tale project. Enjoy the quick preview and I will update as soon as my fingers uncramp.

Happy New Year

2010-01-09T15:33:00.000-08:00

A little late but....

Big news to come this month.

And of course what better way to start the New Year than with a newly complete JLU collection.

I can't believe you got me monologueing!

2009-12-18T15:25:00.000-08:00

In my neverending quest to one day be a real boy... I mean a grown-up, I look for new venues to do artwork. A few weeks ago I posted some of my art to get involved with doing Muppet Comics. Seeing as how the fuzzy-foam-frog-funny-book biz is a bit slow at the time, I asked the editor if there was any other projects I could work on on the mean time. And since they license Disney and the House of Mouse has the mighty Pixar under it's wing, the subject of doing a cover for The Incredibles monthly comic book came up. So....

If you're feeling hungry...

2009-11-30T14:42:00.000-08:00

How 'bout a little cheesecake?

I try not to work from pictures but if I try to draw something difficult like a building or a landscape or a straight line I like to use some reference. Sometimes I also come across some reference that just inspires. Pictures of large piles of cash, plates of cake and naked former "Law & Order" stars will do the trick.

The details are sketchy...

2009-11-13T21:14:00.000-08:00

I am one of those illustrators who do NOT keep a sketch book. Lord know I've tried. If I had kept them all I'd probably have a pile of about 75 sketch books that I've started. About ten pages into it I draw something that's absolute crap (as opposed to the vague crap I usually draw) and I lose interest. The rest of the book could be filled with my 199 Mona Lisa's but that one Thomas Kinkade is going to make the book not fit for the fireplace.
Sometimes when I'm flying and I'm bored (or I'm trying to impress the girl in the seat next to me. Ask my wife if it works) I'll sketch on a pad. If I like it I can post it here for posterity. like so...

T-44 Delivery Scoop

2009-10-30T18:18:00.000-07:00

So I'm hard at work on my graphic novel. While I can't give away too many details. it involves a delivery vehicle of the future. THe only problem with that is I HAAAATE drawing vehicles. I'd rather draw the pus-filed carcass of Bambi's mother than draw a car. But this isn't so bad because it's FUTURE vehicle so no one can really tell if I fudge the logistics a bit.
The real problem came from trying to think of an original made-up vehicle. Every time I came up with something it was always "That's too pod-racer" or "That's too batmobile" or "That's too Vroom Broom"(5000 points for the person who gets that reference).
As opposed to my usual suggestion of keeping it to your own damn self, if you have an opinion on the look of this vehicle. I would love to hear it. After all, you're going to be tripping over the small plastic version of it in a few years.

Shark Week (in Maui)

2009-10-22T14:50:00.000-07:00

So we had a shark attack right down the street from me. A surfer found himself as part of the sunrise buffet down at Kalama Bowls.
More than likely it was a tiger shark. The attached is actually a drawing of a great white. Great whites are more fun to draw than tigers.... just don't tell them that

Justi... I mean Little League

2009-10-16T17:08:00.000-07:00

I'm not really a fan of putting up works in progress but I'm getting a frying pan to the head about keeping consistent with my blog....
Anyone who has known me at some point in my life know I have the athletic ability of a kitchen appliance. Me and non-water sports don't mix. AYSO, flag football, 6th grade presidential physical fitness test... each one a more epic fail the the first. but little league was a disaster of Final Crisis proportions (Dorky comics fans will get the reference, sports people will not).
But since the rest of the country finds the right of passage of moderately supervised children swinging wooden bats to be the national pastime and since we are also in the middle of the playoffs, I give you....

Can you picture that...

2009-09-30T19:52:00.000-07:00

As you can see, I have a theme going on here. More of my samples to get me some work on the Muppets. You'll be the second to know when I have something to report. I have to call my Dad first.

It's time to get things started...

2009-09-23T18:35:00.000-07:00

Now I'm assuming most of the people reading this are around my age (but unlike me have done something useful with their lives). And when you take one of those ferkakta Facebook quizes about the TV shows you most identified with when you were growing up, most of you will enter things like "Brady Bunch" or "Scooby-Doo" or "Love Boat". But I'm here to tell you that these examples are all just a lie you tell yourselves to be hip and kitchy. No show had more influence and guidance on the lives of the children of the 70's than "The Muppet Show". I can guarantee that all of you are humming the theme song in your heads right now. You all wish you were sitting in a theatre box saying "Live theatre has a definite advantage over television" and the old man sitting next to you replies "Not really, the television you can turn off!" And you both laugh gleefully.
So you can imagine the joy I felt when I saw Boom! Studios was going to produce Muppets comics. And when I saw that they had a message board for artists to one up each other for work, I thought I'd better get me some of this. So I picked the most obscure muppets I could think of and threw them together for my samples....

2 weeks in and I'm already flaunting the rules...

2009-09-14T16:35:00.000-07:00

I know I said I would only use this blog for my hand drawn stuff but I figured this didn't really have anywhere else to go. As I experiment more and more with illustrator I'm gonna have to post some of this crap here.
I also have to let my geek flag fly. Not that I read a lot of comics anymore since the only comics stand on Maui closed.

Character Preview

2009-09-09T00:48:00.000-07:00

Between work, trips to the mainland and trying to drink in the rich complexities and subtle nuances of the new "Melrose Place", I'm writing my third graphic novel. I've attached some preview images of a few of the characters. The main character is "Leeway", the guy in the helmet. The other 3 are bullies from his executive training classes. Not that they're (*cough*tay*cough*) based on any (*cough*moe*cough*) particular person or persons that may have (*cough*drew*cough*) harrased me at any point in my life.

Girls

2009-09-03T07:09:00.000-07:00

I should draw more girls. They're so cool. Also very fun to draw. This was inspired by a Lily Allen video I saw the other day. I had my sketch pad out and the TV was on..... Okay I was actually watching TV and my sketchpad was somewhere in the room. But the video inspired me to draw none the less. I always loved that 70's big-banged-Cher-arty-rocker-chick look. But I had it when I was in college and I think I was just going through a phase.

Welcome

2009-08-27T02:34:00.000-07:00

As I produce more and more artwork in Adobe Illustrator, I thought it might be a good idea to have someplace to display whatever I might be drawing by hand. Since the art galleries tend to frown on the "lower" arts and most of the local gas stations have banned me from their restrooms I thought a blog might be the way to go.

For those of you who might have known me since El Moro Elementary School, you can see my subject matter has not matured.