NYCC and Other Assorted Chaos

The Shakespeare Shaken book signing at Stormwatch was a moderate success. I didn't sell as many books as I was hoping to, but most of that was because there were customers who had purchased copies before the event and were bringing those in to be signed. It was a bit slow, but I managed to sell enough prints to keep me from getting too disappointed about the turn out.

By the next morning, we were back on the road again- headed out to New York this time. NYCC was absolutely wonderful for me this year! I kicked off the weekend by landing a book cover job with a legitimate publishing house! I can't say about it much yet, but I am super excited about this project and I hope it's the first of many!

Photo Credit: Robert Hoskins

The first day of the con was spent showing my portfolio to every book publisher I could find. I got a lot of positive feedback, so hopefully some of those leads will turn into new projects within the coming months. After I finished making the rounds as a professional, I was free to kick back and act like a fangirl for the rest of the weekend.

I'd been adding some extra details to my Poison Ivy costume, with the intent of turning it into a Queen Titania costume for Halloween. After I saw another Ivy wearing a velvet cape, the temptation to take my dream cloak for a test drive was too strong to resist and I unveiled it a few weeks early. I am SO proud of how this whole get up has turned out. There are a few things I'd like to add, but the area around my face (the hood and clasp and the way my wig just pours out of the cowl) is exactly the way I wanted it.

I found out about a graphic novel adaptation of the Book of Revelations, illustrated by Chris Koelle. It's GORGEOUS and it does a really good job of staying true to the original text, while at the same time, making the story as coherent as possible. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy.

Photo Credit: Jason Torse

I must've stopped by the Jersey Jack Pinball booth at least twice a day. They had a new Wizard of Oz game that they were letting people try out for free.

As far as I know, there are only two pinball machine companies still in existence, so I'd never even seen a brand new pinball machine before! It was SO shiny! It had a gorgeous video display and surprisingly good voice acting! If I ever win the lottery, I'm definitely buying myself a pinball machine. ...And a copy of Magical Truck Adventure.

While at NYCC, I learned about Red Bubble, which enables artists to sell their work in new & interesting ways and customers to obtain some seriously cool items. I now have a brand new online store that's chock full of lovely prints, as well as some t-shirts and even iPhone cases! There's something about seeing my own work on a cell phone cover that is indescribably cool to me.

On Sunday, I worked a one-day comics show
at the International House in Philadelphia.

While there, I did this Batwoman sketch cover for a customer and reconnected with my contact from Dynamic Forces. You should definitely keep your eyes peeled for new LG sketch covers on their front page!

All in all, not a bad way to spend a weekend.

 

Upcoming Events:

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! This year's Punk Rock Flea Market will feature a table manned by yours truly! It'll be in Philadephia on Sunday, December 9th in the "Punk Rock Flea Market Dome", which is a fancy way of saying "the old FedEx Warehouse across the street from The Starlight Ballroom". The building is at 9th and Spring Garden and the event will be open to the public from 10 am to 5 pm.

ALMOST FORGOT! For those of you who haven't seen it yet, here's a mini-comic about the thoughts that went through my head while waiting in line at NYCC.

Batwoman - Pt. 4

I had the chance to talk to the super talented Jenny Frison at last year's NYCC and ever since then I've been waiting for a good opportunity to try out her technique. My recent Batwoman image was a perfect guinea pig for digital/traditional experiments, but I'm just not sure how I feel about the results... 

Alice looks good and Batwoman is decent, but I can't get Kate Kane (the center figure) to look right- which is unsurprising, since she's given me trouble since the beginning. It was certainly a lot faster than using wholly traditional methods to color a tonal work, but I still feel like there's something missing. I'm just not sure what it could be.

I suspect that some my discontent is due to the fact that I'd half
expected the finished product to be more... Frison-esque, I suppose.

It really shouldn't come as a surprise to me trying out someone else's technique would still result in an image that was 100% Guzzo. But, whatever. Being able to use different techniques while keeping my own style is a good thing. It's always better for me to be a first-rate version of myself than a second-rate imitation of someone else.

Batwoman - Pt. 3

 

FINISHED! And just in time for Baltimore Comic Con! 

Speaking of, I hope to see some of you there. 

I'll be in Artist's Alley at booth A309

Batwoman - Pt. 2

Spending this rainy day in
my studio, working on the Batwoman image.

I've moved to the final and it's progressing at a satisfyingly rapid pace.

After it's done, I might actually try out Jenny Frison's traditional/digital technique to color it...

We'll see.

Batwoman Sketch

Working on my contribution to the annual Wonder Woman Day art auction. It's a part of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and all the proceeds go towards SAFE, a local women's shelter in Hunterdon, NJ.

This year, I'll be sending a Batwoman piece.
Can't believe I hadn't drawn her before now.

Also, while searching for reference photos, I found this AMAZING Kate Kane painting by Ashley Helling!
It's called "We Soldier On"

C2E2 Show Sketches

I always feel "show shy" when it comes to doing commissions at comic cons. I'm fine sketching the day away in my studio, but for whatever reason, if someone asks me to do the same thing for money while I'm out at a con, I get all flustered. Which is silly, because when I actually do show sketches, they turn out just fine.

So, in an effort to end this nonsense, I decided that I was going to accept every commission that came my way in Chicago. The result of this experiment? Show sketches are slightly less scary now and I've discovered how incredibly fun Linsner's Dawn is to draw. Oh, and I now own a super cool handmade sketchbook.

 

I did two mini-sketches, one of which is pictured above. Somehow I don't have pictures of the other sketch- So if you're reading this, guy who makes tiny zebra print sketchbooks, EMAIL ME.

I have a feeling these Linsner ladies will be the first of many.

 

Also, for those of you who are curious:

The verdict on Chicago deep dish pizza - Meh. 

Put enough melted cheese on a thing and I have to like it, but it's nothing special.

The verdict on Chicago-style hotdogs - 

Weird looking, but surprisingly delicious. 

You have to eat them quickly or they'll get soggy and fall to pieces.