DC Comics Meeting

So, yesterday I attended a DC retailer meeting along with Stormwatch Comics, which had the wonderful side effect of giving me a chance to meet/talk to Jim Lee! He was incredibly nice and approachable, and gave me some suggestions on where to take my artwork.

I also got to hang out with Bob Wayne (the other man in the photograph), who is another major player at DC Comics. We spoke of conventions and The Prisoner and all manner of delightful things!

If retailer meetings are ALL this enjoyable, then I can't wait for the next one!

Lady Loki Commission

Enough of this Bluewater ridiculousness!

Let's focus on something positive for a change.

I just completed a Lady Loki commission and I must say... She's lookin' good!

This was one of those projects where I fell in love with it as soon as it was finished. I wish I could've been there when the client picked it up (I would've loved to see his reaction first hand), but judging from the voice mail he left me, I think it's safe to say that he was just as pleased with the finished product as I was. It's always extremely gratifying when one of my custom pieces finds a good home.

The Bluewater Fiasco, part 39

For those of you still following the story, Amber has published another article in which Jerome Maida has his say about Bluewater's take on the whole affair.

I really can't express how frustrating it is that Bluewater's various representatives have listed reasons for why they pulled my cover off the book at the last minute- Totally glossing over the fact that they did not remove my cover from the book.

Instead they paid someone else to trace over my illustration so that they could continue to use my image without crediting me. That is beyond spiteful. And to claim that the two covers are as different as “night and day” is insulting and obviously untrue.

Amber's article also appeared on Bleeding Cool today, which is wonderful news. The more people hear about this fiasco the better.

The silver lining to this whole mess has been the outpouring of support I've received from friends and family. The comic book store I work at (Stormwatch Comics in Berlin) will no longer be purchasing any of Bluewater's titles, unless a customer specifically requests it. People I don't even know have offered their condolences and disgust over the whole situation, and I have been informed that Bluewater has received several unhappy letters on my behalf.

I'm sure I don't need to explain that, for someone who is just starting out as a freelance artist, to run into a company like Bluewater and suffer such a dramatic disillusionment right out of the gate is devastating. When I first cut ties with Bluewater back in January, it really took the wind out of my sails and it was quite a while before I was able to find my direction again.

I can't take it back, but if I can prevent another fledgling artist from entering into an agreement with this company as blindly as I did, then this whole mess will not have been in vain.

The Bluewater Fiasco, part 21

The lovely wonderful Amber Love has been using her blogger gravitas to help me get the word out about how Bluewater screwed me over. If you haven't already seen it, stop by and read the article she wrote about me.

I’ve come to the conclusion that I really can’t do anything legally. They own the image and technically can do whatever they like with it. I will never see a cent of the royalties, because the number of books that would have to sell before I could collect on it 10,000- A number that the most popular titles barely reach.

The best I can do is make sure that I tell as many people as possible about what happened to me so that they can avoid a similar fate.

Also, it is worth mentioning that I did get paid for this job.

This isn’t about money.

It's about ethics.

Even though they hired someone to trace over my “unprintable” cover, I should have been given credit for designing it. Everything from the composition to the color choices is the same as mine, so to say the difference is like “night and day” is a falsehood that anyone with eyes in their head can detect.

The Bluewater Fiasco, part 17

I am almost too frustrated for words right now, so I'll let the facts speak for themselves. Here's the (highly-simplified) timeline of events.

This is the part that makes me angriest.

This right here.

Why don't we look at it together, hmm?

HE SIGNED HIS NAME WHERE MY NAME SHOULD GO

For some reason I find that unforgivable in a way that the rest of it is not.

If you have any artist friends, warn them to STAY AWAY FROM BLUEWATER PRODUCTIONS. I didn't find out until it was too late and I'd hate for anyone else to have to find out the hard way.

Hillary Clinton Addendum

So, I just took a look at the Hillary Clinton book via Amazon and apparently, Bluewater didn't think it was necessary to credit me for my artwork.

Thankfully, my signature is still visible on the front, but there's no mention of me on the inside cover… which means I can't send it in as proof that I'm a published comic book artist when I attend conventions.

Unfortunately, there's not much to be done at this point, since it's already been printed up and I doubt there'll be a second printing. Even so, it's still a jerk move on their part.

Just one more reason that I won't be working with Bluewater again.

Hillary Arrives on the 8th!

Apparently, that Hillary Clinton book I worked on back in 2010 is finally getting shipped out!

I've had pre-orders in for months, since it was originally solicited in December. It's been a LONG time coming, and I'm really psyched about being able to legitimately call myself a professional comic book artist!

It'll be exciting to see my artwork up there on the shelf with everyone else!

Secret Project - pt. 3

Finally getting back to work on Project GG:

My first attempt at the giant lizard's design wasn't right at all.

It had the creature crawling around on it's belly and was sort of emotionless and bland.

The second version was MUCH more successful!

It's visually interesting, and it's got personality, without feeling human.

I like it a little more each time I look at it.

I really want to complete the first issue by the end of the 2011.

It's already JUNE, so I need to get on it.

More updates as they become available!