Preview Art for MALICENT BLACK, The Closet That Ended The World and more…

This newsletter sort of snuck up on me…

Let’s blast some caffeine, fire up the SINNERS score and see where we end up!

Since getting home from Heroes Con, everything has been a bit of a blur. I’ve had pages to draw, stuff to write, pitches to finalize, and, uh … I also decided the closet in my office needed cleaned out. So many comics, and I can’t believe how many of them are comps! I look at the boxes of comps and wonder how I’ve drawn so many funnybooks over the years. And also … why did I think this closet needed cleaned out?

That was a … well, let’s call it a miscalculation. See, I thought it needed cleaned out. What it really needed was to be LEFT THE HELL ALONE.

Ah, well. Maybe my office will be back in some kind of order by the time I’m working on the NEXT newsletter.

But thanks for taking some time out of your day to read what I’m writing. As always, I truly do appreciate it. Let’s start off with a peek at some inks for the next MALICENT BLACK book…

I’m having a lot of fun with these pages. I’ve changed up my inking approach a bit, and I like the organic feel I’m getting here. I can’t wait to start coloring this stuff.

If all goes as planned (does it ever?) I’ll have the inks for this one wrapped up about a week from the time I send off this newsletter. We’re getting closer to launching the next campaign. Meanwhile, Drew and I have talked a lot about the third book, and it’s bonkers. Easily the most intricate story we’ve planned, and just wait til you see what ELSE is in this one. I can say no more.

But speaking of Drew … this week is his birthday! He’ll be 94 years young. He looks so good for his age! It’s all the time he spends hunched over his desk writing by candlelight. Please find him on social media and wish him a good one.

Beyond working on Malicent, prepping for the next project Chris Ryall and I are working on, and a couple of things I can’t talk about yet … well, I’m sitting here looking at this stack of comics I came across as I was starting to clean out my closet.

Jim Shooter … you know, I’ve heard all kinds of stories about the man. That he could be both brilliant and difficult. He was gone from Marvel long before I started getting work there, and I never worked for any of the companies he was a part of after his time at Marvel. I never met him at a con. All I know is … man, I LOVED those Marvel comics in the late 70’s and 80’s. Secret Wars? It’s a crappy toy tie in? Okay, whatever. Say what you want, but I loved it. I couldn’t wait to snag the newest issue at the drug store each month. Heck, I was terrified I would miss one! And that’s just one book he was writing. I think about all the great stuff Marvel put out in that stretch, and while yes, of course the creators deserve the lion’s share of praise for the work they did then (Simonson on Thor? Claremont and Bryne on Uncanny X-Men? Stern and JR Jr. on Spidey? So much more) the fact that it all happened with Big Jim in the EIC chair counts for something, I think. That era of Marvel really did set my course in life. Rest in peace, Mr. Shooter.

Otherwise, really looking forward to seeing SUPERMAN this week. I have high hopes for this, and feel like it’s the kind of movie a lot of us could maybe use right now. We went to see 28 YEARS LATER last week (which was, I thought, fantastic) and my copy of SINNERS arrives this week (my favorite movie in a loooooong time), so it’s been a nice run of movies here lately. Hopefully Supes and the FF keep it up.

One last thing before I head out … I got this page a few days ago, from the amazing Cully Hamner.

Man oh man do I love this one. Not only does it showcase some really nice technique stuff in the inks, but damn … just look at the storytelling and composition! It’s a page from Wonder Woman #800, but obviously … it’s a primal take on Batman’s origin. Can’t wait to hang this up…

Except for, you know … that mess from the closet. It’s everywhere!

See you in a couple of weeks. 🙂

LF