Chris' Comics and Art

My web site is up!

2010-04-17T08:43:00.001-07:00

Finally, after several weeks of working and planning, my web site has gone live. Check it out at chrisnyeart.com and see what you think. Thanks for looking.

In the meantime, I continue to work on the Brother Destiny project, as well as Action Age Comics "Monster Plus" character by Chad Bowers (you can preview some of Action Age's work at this year's Heroes Con in Charlotte, NC.... coming June 4-6). I'm sorry that I haven't been able to blog more, but life has me very busy right now. I hope to be back at it very soon. Stay tuned.....

Finally....a new post!

2010-01-22T12:45:00.000-08:00

Yes...it's been awhile. Life's been busy lately, but I haven't stopped working on my Brother Destiny project. However, the completion of the project is going to be later than I had anticipated, thanks to some unforeseen events in my personal life. But that's OK.....I still have a goal of getting this done and moving on to the second issue. I really feel if I can just get a story going, it can build momentum into something decent.

Here's the latest completed inked page. Probably a good one to post — as it briefly sums up BD's origin. I plan to do a more detailed version of that story down the road, but really wanted to get the main plot rolling first.

Thanks to those who are still logging into my blog and checking it out!

Some of my latest inks

2009-12-03T12:43:00.000-08:00

Here's page 6 of my Brother Destiny project. Pencils are all done and I'm fully into the inking process now.

I hope the resolution on this looks good to everyone. I'm experimenting with various DPI settings when I scan, doing what I can to get in as much line detail as possible. Let me know how it looks.

As for the work itself, well.....I'm gradually getting a feel for inking again. It's been awhile, and I've definitely confirmed that I prefer smooth finish bristol to regular surface — both for pencilling and inking. Several of the first few pages of BD #1 were pencilled on regular surface, and I found the inking process so frustrating, I decided to redraw this page on a smooth finish page. Thankfully, all of the pages after about the first 10 were pencilled on smooth finish.

(In case you're wondering, the purchase of regular finish bristol was a mistake on my part, but rather than waste the paper, I decided to give it a shot. Not good for inking details....not good at all.)

More to come....

Maddening Menace!

2009-11-12T07:02:00.000-08:00

The latest release in Marvel's excellent reprint series, Marvel Masterworks, is the type of volume that once only existed in my dreams. It focuses on a pre-code horror title Menace, which ran from March 1953 to May 1954. Menace was personally edited by Stan Lee for the first 8 issues and was published by Atlas (which was the name Marvel carried on their covers in the early to late 1950s — before they were known as "Marvel."). Lee's involvement on this title, along with top-notch artists, puts it a cut above other Atlas horror titles of the same era in the eyes of many readers. (Personally I think Adventures into Terror, Marvel Tales and a couple of others were just as good, but I understand why Menace has that extra edge for some.)

I have been a life-long fan of Atlas pre-code horror ever since I was a kid in the early 70s and used to buy various Marvel horror reprint titles, such as Monsters on the Prowl, Crypt of Shadows, Where Monsters Dwell, Beware and Vault of Evil, all of which featured Atlas reprints regularly. Even at that age, I could tell the difference between the pre-comics code stories and the stories that were reprinted which originally appeared after 1955. And there was an even starker difference between the pre-code stories and the stories from the early 60s by Kirby and Ditko, which tended to lean more toward fantasy and giant monsters on the loose.

Those post code tales were fun, too. But it was the pre-code stories which really got me as a kid. Some of those pre-code tales really scared me! Once I read the story behind the coming of the Comics Code Authority, whose logo began appearing on comics covers in 1955 after a ton of negative nationwide coverage on the effects comics were having on children, I began to understand why certain Atlas stories seemed scarier than others! The code banned certain forms of violence....and banned the appearance of classic monsters such as vampires, zombies and werewolves....and the use of certain words in titles like "Horror" and "Terror." (These policies were lightened in the early 1970s).

For years, I wondered about the old titles mentioned in the reprint credits in the 1970s comics (such as Menace, Mystery Tales, Adventures into Weird Worlds, Spellbound, Astonishing, Suspense, Mystic, etc.). When I came across my first Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide in 1977, one of the first things I did was look up all of these Atlas titles published between 1950-54 and find out more about them. I was stunned at the sheer number of them and how many of them featured quality artists and writers.

In the days prior to the creation of the Comics Code in 1955, stories were darker, grittier and edgier....and yes, sometimes more gruesome. Artwork by the likes of Joe Maneely, John Romita, Gene Colan, Bill Everett, Russ Heath and others tended to be even more realistic and horrific. Menace, of course, was one of dozens and dozens of horror titles in the early 50s which were attempting to compete with the EC comics line. EC, of course, was the publisher of Tales from the Crypt, Vault of Horror, Haunt of Fear, Weird Science, Weird Fantasy and other titles. EC is probably best known for going on to publish Mad Magazine. It should be noted that EC didn't invent horror comics. Nor was it the first horror comics publisher. But it was the trend-setting publisher of it's day (for good reasons) and it did inpsire many, many publishers to try and cash in on the trend.

In my opinion, Atlas came the closest to challenging EC in terms of art and story quality. Nowhere is this more evident than in this volume of Menace.

I won't give away any details about the stories, because it would be too easy to spoil the endings of them for you. And in these tales, the endings are everything!

I'm not going to even try to rehash the introduction to this book by "Doc V" — Dr. Michael J. Vassallo — who is an Atlas expert and a justified authority on the subject. I share his love for these comics and reading his intros are a big part of what makes these Atlas volumes a real joy. His intro will give you the back stories you need to enjoy this book, so I'll just add a few comments of my own....

The reproduction is fantastic. I had several of these stories in 70s reprint titles and they never looked this good.
Stan Lee's "O. Henry"-type endings for his later fantasy stories have their foundation here. These became second nature to him by the time Tales to Astonish, Amazing Adult Fantasy, Tales of Suspense and other early 60s titles were on the stands.
For some odd reason, every single one of the stories in Menace's entire run — every single one — is told in second-person narrative. "Your name is....you pick up the body.....you...you..." Not sure why this was done. I'm surprised Doc V doesn't address this in the book's introduction. The second person style is effective occasionally, but I would've liked to have seen more variation from Lee. This approach was used elsewhere occasionally in other titles and by other rival publishers of the day. But in Menace, it's used in every story throughout the title. It's the only title I can think of in this period that used only one narrative style in all its stories, including other Atlas titles. Strange to say the least.
Joe Maneely's artwork continues to amaze me. His work on "Your Name is Frankenstein," (there's that second-person again!) a tale featuring the title monster, is just incredible. I'd love to see the original art from this story. His pen work on backgrounds is very detailed and pain-staking.
Each tale features a splotch in the main panel which says "A Tale of Maddening Menace!" I love how Atlas did this. This was used in every Atlas horror title and it was always a tip off in any 70s reprint book which Atlas title the story originally appeared in. ("A Journey Into Mystery", "A Tale to leave you Spellbound," etc.)

Well, as always, I can't recommend the Marvel Masterworks series enough. It's so wonderful to see these comics getting into hardback format. If you have any interest in Marvel's Atlas period and/or horror comics of the 1950s, then this volume is a must for your bookshelf.

And next year it's only getting better, as the Masterworks series is slated to delve into the jungle genre from the same Atlas period with Jungle Adventure volume 1!

Pencils....one last time!

2009-11-10T07:03:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of more pages from my first Brother Destiny book. These are the last pages of pencils I'm going to share (pages 29 and 30 — there are 31 pages of story total). After this, it's all inks. My pencils are now completed for the first issue. So at least I'm making progress. Let me know what you think....(Again, I apologize for the shadow down the middle of the scans. But as I said, this won't be a problem when the final ink scans are created...).

I'm looking forward to inking for awhile. It'll be a nice change of pace and I enjoy it. Inking sometimes is more relaxing, as the art is there already and you can focus on enhancing it. But make no mistake....inking is an art in itself and its tough. It takes a lot of concentration and I have a lot of admiration for the full-time inkers who are out there. They are true artists, and I hope my work can be half as good as much of what I see in print both yesterday and today.

As always — thanks for checking out my blog.

I'll try to get back to reviewing some Masterworks volumes as well. I've just been very busy with my artwork lately and am trying to stay in a groove. But I'd like to review the new Masterwork volume of Menace for you next. Menace was one of dozens of horror titles Marvel put out in the early 1950s prior to the comics code when the company was known as "Atlas."

Until then......

Action at last...and closing in on the final pages

2009-11-03T12:40:00.000-08:00

A couple of preview pages today. My paper finally arrived and I've gotten rolling again on the pencils to Brother Destiny.

I've now completed the pencils of 28 of the 31 pages. Here are pages 26 and 28. There's a lot of action in this climactic scene. I've been pleased with my work for the most part, and am not having to redo much. I think my thumbnails have served me well in keeping my anatomy sharp. I really want BD to look as powerful and as dramatic as possible....and I want to see the look of my work take a huge leap from where it was when BD was first published in 2004. This is a new setting and more dramatic character, and it's important the visuals support that.

Forgive the shadow down the middle of these scans, but I'm having to scan these pages in two parts. It won't be an issue when I scan the final inked images into the computer.

If you're wondering, these scenes take place in Mexico's Yucatan. What the heck is BD doing there? Well, that would be telling, wouldn't it?

Now all I have to do is pencil three more pages. Then ink them. Then color them. Then letter them. Then do a cover. Then letter and design the cover. Then market the book in some way and get it published somehow.

Yeah. That's all.

Whew....

Brother Destiny inks....and I'm back

2009-10-18T15:38:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the long delay, folks. It's been very, very busy lately for various reasons....but my project is still continuing.

Recently, I ran out of paper on my Brother Destiny project — and I only had 10 more pages to pencil. So while awaiting for the new paper to arrive so I could continue my pencilling, I took the time to go ahead and ink the first two pages of the book. Here's a look at the page 2 inks. It's been awhile since I had taken brush in hand, and I definitely felt rusty.

I needed a couple of tries to get warmed up again on the inking process. Still need to work on a couple of techniques here and there......but this is an example of the inking so far. Hope you enjoy.....

More Brother Destiny pencils....

2009-09-11T05:26:00.001-07:00

These are my latest pencils for my upcoming Brother Destiny book. I wish they were coming faster, but remember I'm doing this in addition to my day job as a graphic designer — so some days are faster than others. Rest assured, I'm working hard! I'm just over the halfway mark of the book — currently on page 18. Of course, I still have the inks, lettering and coloring to do. So quite a ways to go. Anyway, here are 3 pages I rushed to get on the blog today.....page 12, 16 and 17.

Brother Destiny visits an insane asylum.

Finally — some action. BD takes on a demon. Or is that truly a "demon"? We shall see.....

The "demon" is cured, as the victim's daughter and BD look on....

As always, thanks for checking out my work everyone. I appreciate the input!

Cause for worry?

2009-09-01T12:13:00.000-07:00

The big news in comics this week, of course, is Disney buying out Marvel Comics. I won't pretend to be any expert or have any inside knowledge, but can only give some opinions and observations as a long time reader and part-time creator. I'll just give some quick, bulleted "good and bad" points that come to me off of the top of my head......

GOOD

Marvel needs, in the print medium anyway, to become more "kid friendly," in my opinion. To me, the current product is entirely too dark, grim and gritty. Most pages look as if they have a giant ink spill on them, as black backgrounds and dark, morbid colors abound. I don't understand this current approach and it has basically been the trend since the late 1980s — and it's gotten progressively worse. The magic of old Marvel Comics, especially in the hands of genius writers like Stan Lee and Roy Thomas, was that any one of their stories could appeal to both children and adults. Children could enjoy them on the simplest of levels — but adults could look deeper into the story and find something for themselves as well. Perhaps Disney can encourage this sort of thing again. It would take a pretty major overhaul in styles and approaches. Honestly, I don't see it happening no matter who owns Marvel, but we'll see.
There should be great opportunities in film for Marvel in the future. With the right approach, this could be fantastic.
Widespread awareness of The Marvel Universe should increase. That means less of a "huh?" factor when the man on the street is asked "Who is Adam Warlock?"
Potential cross over of universes is actually not a bad idea. I'm not talking "Mickey Mouse vs. It, The Living Colossus" of course. But I'm speaking of things like Disney's "Gargoyles," a series which I always thought had a Marvel flavor anyway.
Disney owns the rights to Edgar Rice Burroughs' "John Carter, Warlord of Mars." Just imagine....

BAD

Disney decides to interfere with Marvel's publishing side of things TOO much, eventually shutting down the comic book and comic book-related operation and relying entirely on movies, games and other media to publicize them. Let me tell you something: I'm not a big fan of current comics, but this would be a grave mistake. Do that, and Marvel's characters become less visible. I know, I know.....there are other visual mediums out there. Well, maybe I really am "old school," but in my opinion, characters like those at Marvel need to be in print on a monthly basis to stay visible and current. Lose that, and eventually you'll lose them — period.
Disney becomes too stubborn and hard to negotiate with concerning future feature films. I really like, for the most part, the efforts that are being made to get Marvel characters on the silver screen. I'm not entirely satisfied with all of the results, but at least an effort is being made. Hopefully Disney won't pull a Time Warner at DC and make it difficult to get characters besides the big hitters on screen.
Disney decides to forego any respect for Marvel's history, slapping their logo on everything and dropping "Marvel"....and changes the Marvel Universe into something unrecognizable. Imagine not being able to recognize Marvel's characters any longer. Imagine current publishers taking your beloved characters and ruining them. (Oh, wait....)

Well, at this point all we can do is wait and see.

In the meantime, I'll be updating you on Brother Destiny's universe soon. I'm still working on the pencils, and am about halfway through the book, inching ever close to the inking stage. I'll post a couple of more pages in the next few days and let you see what I'm up to......

Marvel Masterworks is gradually entering "The Bronze Age"....

2009-08-25T13:02:00.000-07:00

1971-72 was a great time to be a 6-7 year old. Although I had "bought" comics off and on starting around 1968 or so, by 1971 I was old enough to begin to appreciate what I was picking up. My father wisely held me back on collecting too seriously prior to '71, knowing that by the time I was 6, I would have a better understanding how to take care of comics, keep them in order and not scribble all over them. And from what I remember of my collection, I did a pretty good job if I do say so myself. Most of my comics from 1972 on up were in very collectible condition, getting closer and closer to "mint" status as the 70s progressed.

I just received my copy of the 11th volume of the Marvel Masterworks "Amazing Spider-Man" series, and this volume contains the very issues I first purchased as a kid collector. Collecting issues 100-109, we start with Spidey's anniversary issue written by Stan Lee, and wind up with some of the best artwork and plotting that John Romita Sr. ever did — again, with writing by Stan Lee. In between, we get writings from Roy Thomas and art from comic master Gil Kane.

As always, I can't recommend the latest Marvel Masterworks volumes enough. Even if you don't have memories of this period of comics, this is a fantastic way to discover this material for the first time. Marvel's books were always intelligently written, but here they are beginning to take on an even higher level of maturity, as Marvel grows through the ages. Mint condition copies of these books can be had for hundreds of dollars. You can get his book for around 41 bucks, including postage, at the terrific Tales of Wonder.

The book starts with Spidey 100 and it happens to be the first Spidey book, chronologically, I ever had as a kid (I did have a copy of issue 52 — but seeing how I was 2 years old at the time, I'm not really counting that one...). The first book I actually had was issue 101, which introduced Morbius The Living Vampire.....and then I retroactively got my hands on issue 100 at an old newsstand that same year on a family vacation.

Annoyingly enough, I missed issues 102, 104 and 106.....all the second parts of two part stories (actually 106 was the second part of a THREE part story). Distribution in certain parts of the country could be tricky in those days, and it certainly was in my hometown. Several years later, I finally obtained copies through an antique dealer. Beginning with issue 107, I bought Spider-Man monthly until 1993!

Roy Thomas steps in for Stan the Man and writes issues 101-105, bringing a nice fantasy element to the Spider-Man storyline (which usually featured more down-to-earth villains such as gangsters and costumed robbers). Thomas, who also writes a terrific introduction to this volume, touched on two traditional horror genres in the first four issues he wrote.

The first, of course, is the vampire character — which appears here in the form of Morbius. The comics code had just relaxed its standards in '71, allowing for the appearance of traditional horror creatures once again in comic book form. Marvel resisted (for the time being) jumping on the Dracula bandwagon and decided to come up with a science-created vampire. Thomas' writing is spectacular, considering Spider-Man was somewhat out of the ordinary as far as his territory went. Gil Kane designed Morbius' look. The sleek, skin fitting costume Morbius wore was a trademark of Kane-designed heroes....seen previously in his designs of Green Lantern, The Atom, Marvel's Captain Mar-vell, Warlock and many others.

Through a freak scientific accident in issue 100, Spider-Man has multiple arms throughout the Morbius story, but as Thomas points out in the introduction to this Masterwork volume, they almost become an afterthought. I remember thinking this very thing when I was a kid reading this story.

Next, Thomas tackles the King Kong/giant monster genre, having Spidey travel to Kazar's hidden jungle and encountering the giant monster Gog. King Kong, in particular, is used as a guideline here. J. Jonah Jameson, Peter Parker's editor, takes on the role of Carl Denham and Spidey's gal Gwen Stacy is a sort of Fay Wray. It's a great idea and it's nice seeing Spidey outside of New York City for a change. Gil Kane draws this two-parter as well, showing a real talent for dinosaurs and reptiles (which he often showed off on various Conan covers!).

Issue 105 I distinctly remember buying as a kid and remember the Spider-Slayer dividing up the Spidey cover into various pictures. Again, the art is by Kane and features the return of Professor Smythe's remote controlled "Spider Slayer".......This story suprisingly lasts three issues, ending with the Romita-pencilled 107.

But the capper and stunner of the bunch is the two part Vietnam classic from issues 108-109. In "Vengeance from Vietnam," Peter Parker's ol' school chum Flash Thompson is now a Vietnam vet, but is haunted by mysterious elements from his time fighting the Vietcong. Artist John Romita absolutely goes to town on this one, pulling from his strongest inspiration — Milton Caniff. Caniff was a master inker and made his mark creating and drawing the old Terry and the Pirates comic strip — a creation many consider to be the greatest adventure strip of all-time. Caniff was a master at illustrating a mysterious Orient and the Asian culture. He was famous for his many inking effects and amazing use of the brush.

Romita uses this inspiration to full advantage. His lush inks, dark shadows, thick outlines and white out effects are all on display. And his Spider-Man never looked more muscular or more powerful. What's more, Dr. Strange guest stars in #109, to assist Spidey in the more supernatural elements he must face. Romita shines on the Doc, too.

Lee deserves plenty of kudos as well for his masterful scripting, who was a much better writer than many modern comics readers seem to believe. In fact, he was great. And, as it turned out, issue 109 was the next-to-the-last issue of Spider-Man he would ever write. Kinda sad, really.

The reproduction throughout is terrific.....and the various inks, by Frank Giacoia or John Romita, are all crystal clear. The colors are reproduced faithfully....and once again, Cory Sedlmeier and his staff deserve a lot of praises for their current efforts.

This book normally, retails for $54.99, but can be had at Tales of Wonder for $38.49 (which means around 41 dollars or so with postage).

Apologies!

2009-08-25T12:59:00.000-07:00

Hey guys.....I finally got around to "approving" all comments on my various blog posts! I'm sorry about that!! I didn't realize my blog was set up that way......I've since changed the settings, so please feel free to comment in the future. Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to check things out here.

Coming next, I'll review The Amazing Spider-Man vol. 11 in the Marvel Masterworks series....

My first "favorite" artist

2009-08-17T07:21:00.000-07:00

I got into the art of the comic book early on in life — I mean by the time I was 5 years old I was already pretty serious about it — analyzing things, trying to figure out how this was accomplished or that was created. So it didn't take long for me to latch onto a particular artist — a favorite who just, for whatever reason, registered with me and whose work became instantly recognizable.

That artist was Marvel's "Jazzy" Johnny Romita. Romita was essentially THE image of Marvel throughout the company's marketing efforts in the 1970s. His illustrations were everywhere: comic book interiors and covers, parade floats, 7-eleven cups, Mego action figure box covers, puzzles, coloring books, Topps bubble gum cards, etc. You probably have seen his work even if you didn't know who drew or created it. His images of Spider-Man are nearly iconic.

Romita often inked himself, and his trademark Milton Caniff-influenced brush strokes really set him apart from many inkers. The thick yet graceful lines always had a great mixture of power and delicacy about them, which gave his figures life.

It took me years to figure out that he was creating this look with a brush! I remember trying to get my ball point pen to imitate those thick Windsor and Newton brush outlines!

Romita started working at Marvel long before the 70s, however. He graduated art school in 1947 and began work in comics in the late 40s. By the 50s he was working for Stan Lee at Atlas Comics (which eventually became Marvel in the early 60s). He studied under the great Joe Maneely for a time and drew all kinds of genres — horror, romance, superhero, war, western, etc. He did a brief stint at DC in the early 60s doing romance comics before finally being talked into returning to Marvel by Lee. Romita adjusted to the new Marvel style by studying Jack Kirby — but eventually it was Romita himself who began to define the "Marvel look." By the time I started buying comics seriously around 1971, Romita was peaking. His work made a huge impact on me.

I had the privilege of speaking to Romita on the phone about 5 years ago (which was a thrill!). The call was related to a freelance project I was involved with at the time, but most of the conversation was about comics in general, our likes and dislikes and me asking a lot of questions which I hope didn't annoy him too much.

But I never got the feeling it did. His enthusiasm for the work is tremendous, I think he genuinely enjoyed talking about it, as I know I did. And the thing that's so amazing about him is that he really believes his work is unrecognizable and generic. I laughed and told him that this statement was so ironic, because he was the first artist I was able to recognize as a kid and pick out on the stands! "Thanks, kid" he said when I told him about his impact on me.

He also said he really enjoyed the Spider-Man movies. And he especially enjoyed seeing one of his drawings recreated in Spider-Man 2 (the scene where Peter Parker throws his costume in the trash and walks away — a scene originally illustrated by Romita in the classic 50th issue of "The Amazing Spider-Man").

We were also in agreement about the state of comics today. I'm sure people would think we sounded like old fogeys, but I didn't care and I don't think he did either. We felt the art of comics — specifically storytelling and drawing skills — has been lost. It was wonderful to discover that we actually had a lot in common. It sort of validated my feelings, I suppose.

He also does not hesitate to give Stan Lee a ton of credit for Marvel's success, despite the arguments by many that Lee's role has been exaggerated over time. I tend to side with Romita on this one, as well — despite my love of Jack Kirby.

I've attached two cover images to this article. The first is a Marvel Tales #32, which was the issue which made the first huge impact on me where Romita was concerned. I wore this 64-page comic out as a kid, eventually rendering it tattered and coverless. But it reprinted Amazing Spider-Man #43-44, two classic early Romita Spidey tales from 1967 where Spidey meets The Rhino and then the return of The Lizard. Romita drew and inked both issues.....and when he inked himself, look out!! It didn't get better than that. If that's not enough, the issue also reprinted an old Iron Man tale from Tales of Suspense. And Iron Man was right up there with Spidey and The Black Panther as my favorite childhood superheroes! What a comic book!!

The other is an Avengers cover and is typical of the many cover designs and illustrations he did as Marvel's art director in the 70s. Bright, colorful, powerful.

I set out trying to imitate his style throughout my childhood and teen years — never succeeding, of course....but I tried! When Romita finally stepped down as the regular Spider-Man penciller in the early 70s, I was actually very upset. It actually took me awhile to move past that one. He was never again to return to that role — but as the years went by I began to realize that his new role as full time art director was extremely important to the success Marvel had over the years and the image it needed to maintain. Without Romita in this role, Marvel's look could've been very different. So I'm thankful for his work in that department.

I wish kids today could experience what I experienced when I visited my favorite spinner racks at the local Zippy Mart and Majik Markets. I thank John Romita and his many colleagues for making my childhood one of great memories and meaningful experiences. Only a true artist has that kind of power — and John Romita is all of that and then some.

Marvel Masterworks are not to be missed...or "Ok Axis, here we (kids) come!"

2009-08-12T06:32:00.000-07:00

About a year and a half ago I made a big decision. I decided to sell my entire comic book collection, and in effect, exchange them for hardback versions of much of the same material. I was convinced to do this once I realized that Marvel Comics was suddenly very serious about their Masterworks and Omnibus reprint projects. The Masterworks are a series of hardback books which reprint Golden and Silver Age Marvel titles in chronological order. The art and color is being remastered, so that in many ways, they are actually better than the originals.

For me, keeping "floppies" (as they call original comics these days) had just become impractical. The storage was always a hassle. The condition of the comics, some of which were quite valuable, was always a worry. And on top of that, the prices for back issues had become outrageous. By the late 90s, I had all but given up on ever owning complete runs of some of my favorite comic titles. But that's where the Marvel Masterworks come in.

And the big bonus in the Masterworks series, for me at least, is Marvel's long overdue efforts to at last give their Golden Age period (1939-1949) some valuable recognition. In fact, if this period had not been featured in the series, I'm not certain I would've gotten so involved in collecting the Masterworks series. WWII era titles like Marvel Mystery Comics, Captain America Comics, The Human Torch, Sub-Mariner, All-Winners, USA Comics and Daring Mystery Comics have all been featured in various volumes. This fall, Marvel plans to publish a Marvel Mystery Comics Omnibus, which will reprint the first three Marvel Mystery Masterworks into one large volume. These are titles I've longed to read, but could never afford...until now.

The latest Golden Age release is volume 1 of Young Allies Comics. Featuring a great forward by Hollywood screenwriter Michael Uslan, I can't recommend this volume (or any of the Masterworks Golden Age volumes) enough if you have any interest at all in the comics art form, history and our pop culture. There are two editions; the regular, which I prefer because of the spine numbering which is organized by title; or the limited editon which includes a gorgeous flag cover design, but features an overall numbering system for the entire Masterworks series.

The Young Allies, illustrated and written in the beginning by comic greats Joe Simon and Jack Kirby (though Stan Lee's stamp is all over this title too), were a kid's group, one of many early 40s kids groups in comics inspired undoubtably by Hollywood's own Dead End Kids, and possibly, to some extent, Hal Roach's Our Gang comedies.. The typical 40s kids gang featured various characters...many which seemed to appear in every kids gang: The street-wise kid from Brooklyn; the fat kid; the black kid; the boy genius; the tall kid; etc. Other comic book kid gangs appearing through the war years included Lev Gleason's Little Wise Guys, DC's Newsboy Legion and Boy Commandos (both also S&K creations), Harvey's western strip Boys' Ranch (yet another S&K creation; S&K specialized in kid gangs, in case you haven't figure that out by now!), and tons of others.

The reproduction in Young Allies is outstanding. The colors are bright without being overwhelming, and the line work is clear and detailed in the art. Kudos, as usual, to the Masterworks production crew for including many house ads and indicias, which add to the feel that you are actually reading a Golden Age comic book from 1941 (which, of course, you are!). The book opens easily thanks to the new binding system employed in the last few months, so you won't have to break your thumbs to keep the book open. Masterworks editor Cory Sedlmeier deserves a ton of credit for much of the success of this series, by the way. Since Sedlmeier took over as Masterworks editor a couple of years ago, the production and quality of the entire series has improved immensely.

You'll see many ads urging you to "Buy War Bonds and Stamps." Some of those messages might come from ol' Captain America himself! Imagine....Cap is talking to us!!!

Now, a few suggestions: When you read anything from the Golden Age of Comics, you need to acquire the ability to transport yourself back in time. You cannot realistically expect a comic book from 1941 to contain modern-day lingo and to have the type of "sophisticated" storytelling you might have become used to in modern day comic books. You'll have to remember that it was a different time and different place in 1941. Our country was on the cusp of war. People were scared.....and the news was an adventure unto itself. Understand that our country was facing some very real threats, and propaganda was one of many outlets for the average American. Many thought both our Atlantic and Pacific shores could face invasion.

Try to think about what people were into at the time. What did the average joe listen to on the radio? What music did he like? What movies did he see? Where did women shop? What kind of car did they drive? Put yourself in 1930s or 40s culture. One suggestion I always make is this: Find yourself a nice CD set of Swing or Big Band music from the late 30-early 40s. Put that on one evening as background music, then begin to read a Golden Age comic book. You'll feel yourself being transported back in time.

One of the controversies I've noticed come to the fore in anticipation of the release of the first Young Allies volume is the depiction of "Whitewash Jones", the black member of the Allies kid gang. Horribly stereotypical at times, Jones nevertheless represents an element of our past. You need to brace yourself for this if you aren't familiar with early 20th century culture. Note that the other kids are also stereotyped, as are the Japanese......so Jones isn't the only one. Now, of course, this doesn't make it right and I don't think any reasonable person believes that. However, I've long ago accepted that times were different in different periods of our history.

Are you going to let the mistakes of the past prevent you from enjoying the present? I choose not to. I choose to accept history, learn from it, and enjoy the parts of this Young Allies volume that were meant to be enjoyed — which is basically seeing American boys kick some Nazi butt!

And besides, in what other world could you find a Kid Gang foiling the arch-villian, the Red Skull by — get this — painting a real skull red and putting it over their heads as a mask! Never mind the illogic of putting a skull OVER your head (when skulls obviously are sized to fit INSIDE of our heads....and even a small kid couldn't defy physics to that degree!), this is comics! And it's 1941! And it's fun!

Marvel Masterworks: Young Allies volume 1, collecting Young Allies 1-4 *****

BTW....check out The Marvel Masterworks website for more information. "Gormuu" does a fantastic job running that site. It's informative and filled with many preview images of all Masterworks and Omnibus volumes. Several comics veterans post there, including Roger Stern and Mark Evanier, as well as Masterworks editor Cory Sedlmeier and Masterworks introduction writer "Doc V." And yours truly posts there as well, under the handle "Chris of The Old School People."

New Brother Destiny pencils

2009-08-06T04:54:00.000-07:00

Here's a look at why this Brother Destiny project is, at times, taking so long. In addition to doing this outside of my day job as a graphic artist at a magazine, I'm putting my heart and soul into this project. I'm very hard at work – throwing in as much detail and effort as possible – at least until my eyes give out by day's end. But I will say I think I'm doing my best work – ever. It's just tedious.

Anyway, this is an example of what I'm doing....and proof that, yes, I really am working! This is page 9 (only 22 pages to go!). Here we see Brother Destiny flying above London — and a damsel in distress in the bottom panel, which will give BD a chance to flex his muscles and give readers a demonstration of his abilities.

Of course, this is all just the beginning of the work ahead of me. Once done with the pencils, I will have to back and ink all of this — then color it — and then letter the script on each page. Wow. Not to mention a cover design and figuring out how I want to go about trying to publish this! Of course, I'll have to jump right into the second issue to stay ahead....

I'm trying to keep in mind a quote from comics great John Romita Sr., where he stated he had to learn not to try to make every panel a masterpiece, because you'll kill yourself doing that! One day at a time......

A most fascinating web site

2009-08-03T11:55:00.001-07:00

While I'm in the midst of working on my new Brother Destiny comic book project, I do a lot of reading for inspiration and information. Follow this link to one of the most interesting websites I've ever encountered:

http://www.thekeyboard.org.uk/

British writer Keith Mayes expands on many theories and just things we all think about from time to time where astronomy is concerned: Is their life on other planets? What started the Big Bang? How big is the universe? Is time travel possible? etc., etc.

The website isn't fancy — but it gets straight to the subject matter at hand and will hold your attention if you have any interest in science, physics, astronomy and even deeper spiritual matters. I love all of that stuff because it keeps us — we humans — in our place. And it gets my creative thinking going in a zillion new directions.

An example of my reworked pages

2009-07-23T18:47:00.000-07:00

This is what I've been doing.....just in case you thought I might've been wasting time (OK...maybe some!), but for the most part I have been making an effort nightly after work and early in the a.m. to stay on my Brother Destiny project. Not easy outside of a day job as a graphic designer, but I'm hanging tough.

I have finished reworking pages 3-6 as planned. I'm currently beginning pencils on page 8 (only 23 more pages to go!). But I had to go back and rework pages 3-6. The scenes needed more detail and more atmosphere. I wont show everything I've done (there need to be some surprises, right?), but here's an example of what I've been doing. This is page 3.....the top half of the page is the same as what I had done previously. But the bottom half was completely reworked to include the highly detailed scene of Brother Destiny's library and abode. The two visitors now appear in awe of their new surroundings, whereas before it was a little bland.

What do you think?

Dick Ayers, Westerns and a Pharaoh

2009-07-19T14:26:00.000-07:00

Probably the best thing to come out of having my Brother Destiny character published in 2004 was the opportunity to meet, talk to and even work with a couple of former Marvel Comics greats. The most extensive of these experiences was with legendary Dick Ayers, who is most known for his masterful inking of so many great early Kirby stories for Marvel in the late 50s/early 60s. This meant Mr. Ayers was in the middle of the transition at Marvel, from mystery to sci-fi to the superhero boom of 1961-62.

But Dick Ayers is a great penciller in his own right — his work dates back to the 40s.....always showing a particular skill for westerns and horses. Yes, Frank Frazetta's stunning work graced several of the covers of those great Ghost Rider westerns for ME (Magazine Enterprises) Comics in the early 50s. (No, not the motorcycle Ghost Rider known to many through the recent film.....He was originally a western character and is currently known as "Phantom Rider" in Marvel Comics' continuity. If you didn't already, now you know the inspiration for Sam Elliot's movie character!). However, Dick Ayers drew the interiors of those ME Comics and they are nicely done. And he did dozens and dozens of other titles......His style was never designed to be flashy, but was simply to tell a story. Imagine that. Genuine storytelling — a rare commodity these days, huh?

By the time Ayers was inking comic legend Jack Kirby in the late 50s, he was a master with the Windsor and Newton brush....adding depth and lines of varying weights to the already spectacular pencils of Kirby. And, as a penciller, he had a nice run on Marvel's Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos.

When I heard Dick was in line to pencil a story for the second issue of Brother Destiny, and I was to write this story and ink Dick's pencils, I flipped. The story was to tell the origin of a late-addtion character simply called The Pharaoh. I had no idea where such a character was to come from, so I created a tale that took things back to Ancient Egypt and would quickly explain The Pharaoh's immortality, allowing him to function as a present day character. I knew Dick was used to Marvel-styled plots and layouts, and I wrote the plot breakdown with this in mind. I nervously sent the plot off to Dick via e-mail and awaited the result. I was relieved to hear him say he loved the story, and was excited about illustrating it.

He turned in a magnificent job.....drawing the story just as I had pictured it in my mind. His storytelling was as great as ever. I threw in many elements I knew he would excel at, such as horses, landscapes and various characters.

Now came the tough part; I was supposed to ink the pencils of Dick Ayers. Gasp. Anyone who's been a long-time comic reader can appreciate what an intimidating task loomed in front of me. But somehow, I just shook off any negative vibes, and started inking the work. Like Dick and other older comics pros, I've always preferred the sable brush for inking, with some pen work for detail. The brush, once I got comfortable, began to glide over Dick's pencils with more and more ease....and as I got more confidence in what I was doing, I added more and more "stuff" to the backgrounds and costumes, trying not to overpower what Dick envisioned. But all the credit goes to Dick Ayers for encouraging me through the process. He liked my varying lines here and there and told me to do more of that. Spotting blacks, as I mentioned in a previous post, were important to comic veteran Joe Sinnott, and Dick was no different. He emphasized their importance. He was simply a joy to work with — a real pro and I treasured every moment. Me....inking one of the all-time inking greats. Wow.

Let me throw in a few words here: Lately, I've noticed how fashionable it has become for many current comic fans to denigrate former mainstays of the comic business, such as Dick Ayers, Don Heck, Sal Buscema, Don Perlin, Bob Powell, Herb Trimpe and many others, because their work isn't considered "flashy" or "trendy." Well, if anyone tells you that someone like Sal Buscema or Dick Ayers can't draw, go ahead and file them under "have ZERO clue as to what they're talking about" and forget it. These guys were masters at their craft....they knew exactly what they were doing...and they knew their anatomy, perspective and storytelling as well as anyone. Heck, Dick Ayers studied under anatomy master Burne Hogarth, for cryin' out loud! But telling a story was always their primary goal. If only we had more guys like that today — well, I'd probably be a heckuva lot more interested in what comics graced the stands these days. Unfortunately, such skills seem to be a rarity. I can only hope to eventually develop 1/100th of the talent these guys utilized in their careers.

I've attached in this post some of my work with Mr. Ayers. The black and white comic pages were pencilled by Dick Ayers in Brother Destiny no. 2 (2004) and inked and written by myself. The black and white pin up is of a never-published Native American character I created called Thunderhawk, and was done the other way around. I pencilled it, and Dick returned to what he is known so well for — inking. (I even threw in an Easter Island-styled structure in the background, which is something Dick Ayers inked so often during his Kirby years....and, for what it's worth, that was sort of a little tribute of mine.)

Now that I'm starting a new Brother Destiny character and series, I'm on my own! No help from any comics pros this time around! But hopefully I'll remember the lessons Dick Ayers and other great people taught me.....

In the future, I'll try to remember more comic legends I've met and relate the experience. But next, I'll share more previews of pencils for the upcoming new Brother Destiny.....Stay tuned! I'm working hard on 'em!

At last.....some new pages!

2009-07-10T05:27:00.000-07:00

Yes....at last some completed Brother Destiny pencils. The first two pages to be exact. As I've said, I'm re-doing pages 3-7. Then I only have 25 more pages to go — and a cover! Anyway....here's some evidence I really am hard at work on this thing.......

The next 4 pages I'm reworking because I'm not entirely satisfied with them. These first two are at least tolerable, so I'm giving them a pass. See what you think. I still have to ink them, which will change their look slightly yet again.

In this scene, we see two characters who will be regulars approaching Brother Destiny's abode for his assistance at a secret military lab in the states. It is all a big prelude to a coming apocolypse for the planet Earth....a prelude which may last 4-5 issues.

Finally....a facebook page....

2009-07-09T09:44:00.000-07:00

Hey guys.....I have the pencils pages 1-2 done for Brother Destiny. I will post those as evidence that, yes, I am working on it! I am busy redoing pages 3-6 (because I wasn't satisfied with the first versions). More to come...

In the meantime, I finally got a Facebook page up and running:

Chris Nye | Create Your Badge

New pages coming

2009-07-06T07:54:00.000-07:00

Sorry for another delay. My previous scanner/printer broke down and I finally have a new scanner connected and ready to go. In the meantime, I continue to work on the new Brother Destiny pencils. I've completed a few and I'll post a couple of 'em either tomorrow or the next day.

And yes, the promised Dick Ayers experience I was going to relate is still coming. So once again....stay tuned!

Back to the drawing board

2009-06-24T06:06:00.000-07:00

Well, with this year's Heroes con has come and gone, it's time to get back to work on my upcoming Brother Destiny comic. The good news is that yesterday I completed the first page of the final pencils (after spending the last couple of months working on the preliminary layouts), so it feels like the ball is rolling.

This is the fun part. The annoying perspective and tough anatomical problems have basically been solved and laid out, allowing me now to focus on the rendering and pencils themselves. That's the stuff most artists enjoy the most. And why not? It's when your vision begins to take on life.

After I've completed several pages, I'll post some of 'em here on the blog. I'll do the same when I get to the inking stage. And the coloring stage. And even the final lettered product. Hopefully I can provide a decent preview for you that will spike your interest.

The story itself has been stripped down from the previous 2004 version (you'll need to pretend that story happened in an alternate universe!).....as I plan to develop a cast of characters slowly, methodically and correctly. This was my original vision. "Keep it simple, stupid" and gradually build depth. It's the only way to go.

And yes. I still plan to relate my Dick Ayers story soon. Stay tuned...

SIDENOTE: I hated to see the passing of Ed McMahon this week, which once again brings to mind how many of the "old classy pros" have left us. He and Johnny Carson made a classy team. The news put me in a wistful mood, and brought to mind Johnny's two favorite songs — "I'll Be Seeing You" and "Here's That Rainy Day." The lyrics of both are very touching, and if you lived life at all, you can relate to both songs.

Well, "I'll Be Seeing You" in my next blog post...

This year's Heroes Con in Charlotte displayed a parade trying to pass me by

2009-06-23T06:34:00.000-07:00

Hmmm. I'm not sure how to say this and have it make a whole lot of sense to many people. I returned Sunday from Charlotte, NC after attending this year's Heroes Convention — which typically gathers some of the best artists and writers in the comics business, as well as the biggest back-issue comics dealers anywhere. I've been attending the Heroes Con regularly since the mid to late 1980s. Over that time it has gradually grown into one of the largest comic cons in the nation, perhaps second only to San Diego's gargantuan Comic-Con show.

As much as I hate to say it, the 2009 edition of the Heroes Con has to be the most disappointing of any I've ever attended. I'm not sure exactly why or if I can put my finger on it. And I'm almost 100% certain fans of current comics will wholeheartedly disagree with me, and that's fine. But I'll make an attempt to explain my feelings, by bulleting several possible reasons for my let-down mood.

There is, and has been, over the last 15 years or so, a gradual changing-of-the-guard in the comics business. This would be fine, and certainly expected. But I personally have little taste for the new wave of comic styles that are gradually encroaching on the comics scene, so it's kind of tough to see. What I saw was a lot of manga/anime, a lot of abstract styles, a lot of photo-realism, and a lot of strange alternative ideas — but not a lot of the basic illustrative styles of yesteryear, not to mention the basics of telling a good story. Where are the great illustrators of the past? Well, it's simple really. They are older, retired and rested. And there's no one to take their place. When you find yourself asking a young comics creator "Where's Roy Thomas' table?" and they have no idea who you're talking about, you know you're in trouble!
It's possible the economy has put a damper on things. People seemed less full-of-life, and the dealers didn't seem as active. The crowd to see even the most current of comics creators was smaller than usual. There was just a lifeless atmosphere in the convention center that I can't quite explain.
The loud car show next to the convention didn't help. The noise of rumbling engines was distracting and annoying — not the greatest environment for creators and artists.

Beyond all of that, I just don't know. Most disconcerting to me, of course, is the changing comics scene. My number one reason for attending this year's con was to scout around, because next year I hope to buy a display table, do sketches for folks at a normal rate, and publicize a couple of completed issues of "Brother Destiny."

The one encouraging thing about the new-fangled styles is that I believe my approach can stand out amongst the crowd. I know I'm going to look old-fashioned and out-dated in my approach, but I have to hope that there's still a place for basic anatomy and storytelling in today's comics world. I hope to have some modern trappings associated with my work, of course (such as a website) — so I'm not totally "ancient."

One other positive: It's good to see that Heroes has seriously cracked down on the adult (i.e. porn) comics displays at the convention. Several years back I saw this in San Diego, and thought it was completely inappropriate at such a family-oriented show with kids running around. Even some of the above-ground publishers were pushing the limits of decency. But this is no longer an issue, so "bravo" Heroes Con officials! Parents should be able to take their kids to these shows without worrying about such nonsense.

My second reason for attending the con was to gain some artistic inspiration, but I must say I got very little of that. There just wasn't enough of the old guard in attendance. Mainstays like George Perez and Roy Thomas were there of course, but beyond that, there wasn't much. I also noticed E-Man creator Joe Staton and Donald Duck artist Don Rosa at their respective tables — but still, something just seemed to be missing. It may have been the fact that, even amongst the old pros who were attendance, there wasn't a lot of their work on display or being created. But of course, they don't need to do that! They are all at a point in their lives where they've made their mark, and they want to take it easy. I can't blame them for that! They've earned it.

I did take the time to go up to comics-master Dick Giordano and thank him for a lecture he gave me in 1990 at the Heroes portfolio review....a critical talk which blasted my work and basically told me that I needed to buckle down and start learning my anatomy. Until that harsh talk he gave me, I had no idea what I needed to do or learn. Oh sure — I could always render and had some natural inclination to draw — but I had no foundation of anatomy knowledge to carry it through. Mr. Giordano changed that when he shook me up that day. Without him taking the time to be critical of my work and to be blatantly honest, I more than likely would've never had any of my comics work published....and never would've had the chance to work briefly with Dick Ayers and Al Milgrom back in 2004.

Mr. Giordano and his wife seemed very appreciative of my thanks, which was nice. I sought no autographs or anything like that . . . . I simply wanted to thank him. Dick Giordano represents exactly what is missing from many comics these days — professionalism.

Well, with any luck, this time next year I'll be returning from the convention having garnered some new publicity for my own comic project, and perhaps some profit from working on sketches for anyone interested. I have a lot to do between now and next year's con to prepare. I'd like to complete 2 full-color Brother Destiny comics (ranging from 32 to 20 pages each), try to solicit them or publish them on my own, get my own website up and running and prepare display materials for the 2010 Heroes convention....all within the next year. So I'll be a busy guy over the next 12 months. And I'll be making quite an investment money-wise as well. And did I mention I still have a day job as a designer with a magazine? Whew!

Here's to better days ahead.....and to the 2010 Heroes Convention!

Delays, delays, delays

2009-06-15T09:06:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay in the Dick Ayers blog entry, folks....but I've been extremely busy over the last couple of weeks working on the Brother Destiny project as well as meeting deadlines at my day job. After this week I should be back to bloggin' and I'll continue with the "pros I've met" theme for a bit....and as I'm now beginning the serious final pencils on BD's first issue, I'll share some completed pages with you as I progress.

I'll be attending the Charlotte Heroes Con over the coming weekend — at least on the Saturday and Sunday days. I've attended as an artist on "indie island" a couple of times in the past, and hope to do so again next year. The idea this year to check out the tables and see what's out there in the professional world these days. To be honest, I don't follow a lot of current comics because many of the modern approaches and styles aren't really what I'm about. However, I always believe you can learn something from everyone, and it pays to occasionally see what other publishers are doing in this day and age.

Hopefully, by the 2010 Heroes con, I'll be able to buy a table at the convention and set up a promotional scene for Brother Destiny. I hope to have a couple of completed issues by then, so I'll have something to show. It would be tremendous if they have actually been published by then (either by a publisher or by myself), but I think realistically the hope is to have things in a solid promotional state by this time a year from now.

If I ever do get the series going, it's not something I'll do for a few issues and quit. I would love to make it an ongoing series that I could produce regularly. I am going to do my best to make that happen! That much, I can promise!

See you at Heroes Con!

Brushing up with Joe Sinnott

2009-05-29T06:58:00.000-07:00

As I continue to work on my Brother Destiny project, I'm going to try and keep this blog alive with a few recollections. My previous post on Gil Kane got me to thinking that it might be fun to relate some of my few encounters with great comics pros, as all have been very pleasant and inspirational in one way or another. I wish I had more of them to relate, but there have been a few and I'll tell you about 'em.

I think my favorite has to be Joe Sinnott, who I met at the 2004 Heroes Convention in Charlotte, NC. At the time, I was involved in producting the second (and final) issue of the first Brother Destiny series. My first issue had already been published and distributed through Diamond. I was attending the convention as an artist in "Indy Island" (the section for us poor independent publisher artists!) and trying to help promote the book. I honestly had no idea Joe Sinnott was in attendance! What's more, I had no idea he was only sitting a few tables away from mine!

Now, anyone who has seen my work over the years knows that Mr. Sinnott is a huge influence on my inking. I really believe in the sable brush....I believe in the look it gives and the smooth finish it provides. It's professional....and it's comics done the way I like 'em!

Well, Joe Sinnott may be the greatest master of the sable brush to ever walk the Earth. In his hands, worlds are created through india ink and sable! It really is amazing. Mr. Sinnott made his mark for 40-something years at Marvel Comics, and was very much responsible for helping to create Marvel's "house" style. His finishes over the pencils of Jack Kirby, John and Sal Buscema, etc. are legendary. He could even make a mediocre artist look great. And he was a great penciller himself, as well.

Can you imagine my excitement (and slight intimidation), when I found out he was sitting a few feet away? Wow! The guys at the table around me knew my style was rooted in Sinnott's approach, and they encouraged me to go see him. I had several pages of original art I had done for the second issue of Brother Destiny. I admit I was hesitant (how could my stuff look good to him?), but I picked up my portfolio and off I went.

Turned out when I got to the table that Joe Sinnott had been looking at my work already! Someone else had showed some of my stuff to him and.....gasp....he LIKED it. Or at least, he was being very nice. Whatever. For that moment, I could say Joe Sinnott liked my work! Wowee!

He was glad I had come over to see him. He seemed genuinely enthused about my "traditional" approach, and he flipped through my pages and he said, "yeah, this is good stuff here. I wish I had the time to really sit down and work with you on this....I like this...yeah.." Man, I was glowing from that!

But he did try to help me out anyway with some pointers......"Look here," he said, preparing to bless me with some needed guidance. I squatted down beside him to observe his technique. "When rendering a face, always give them a little shadow under the chin," and he spotted a black under a face he had quickly drawn. "And everyone has one of these," and he gave the face a dimple between the nose and eye. Then he started showing me how to do some of that great classic Sinnott texture work, as if he were drawing The Thing's rock skin. I told him I loved that kind of stuff and he said, yeah, he did too.

Then he just told me to not be afraid to use a ton of ink and throw a lot of blacks onto the pages, because it would give it depth and bring things out.

We talked for awhile and we agreed on everything when it came to comics. I think he was genuinely happy that there was someone out there in the current scene keeping the traditional approach alive and well. He was clearly not thrilled with some of the direction of the current industry, and we agreed 100% on that as well.

This was a case of a famous comic book artist living up to everything he was supposed to be and then some. Meaning, he was a genuine person and a great guy. Just what I would've expected! What was I afraid of? He was a real person, and it was great to find that out! Plus, he was a San Franscisco Giant fan, and wore his SF cap (as in the picture above). So he had to be an OK guy, right?

Before heading back to my table, he offered to autograph the first issue of Brother Destiny. Of course, I said "yes, please" and I still have that issue at home (with no intentions of ever parting with it).

There were so many things I meant to ask him (such as how he does those fantastic splash lines around explosions......I can do 'em, but man they are a real challenge and I would love to see him demonstrate his technique on those! I'll bet he makes them seem easy!). But my mind was racing and I just tried to absorb all I could.

To this day I still look back on that afternoon in Charlotte very fondly. It was, honestly, one of the great moments of my life. As a kid, I would've flipped if someone had told me that one day I'd be sitting beside Joe Sinnott getting pointers and hearing praise for my own work. Whenever I get frustrated or stuck on anything at the drawing board, I look back to that day and Mr. Sinnott's words for inspiration.....

"More black! More black!"

(In my next post I'll write about another inking great, Dick Ayers, who I had the unbelievable honor of working with very briefly.)

Monster Plus vs. The Futuristic Dracula

2009-05-13T05:13:00.000-07:00

Hi, folks. Finally returning from a mini-vacation and had just enough time today to post a new illustration. As promised, here is the Monster Plus illustration, done for Action Age Comics and creator Chad Bowers. Monster Plus is a character that is part werewolf, zombie, vampire, mummy and Frankenstein Monster! And I'm told the concept just gets wilder from there.

To see a larger version of the illustration, simply click on the drawing.

Here Monster Plus is meeting up with a Dracula from the future. I had fun with this one, and feel I was able to implement many of my strengths.

Well, OK..... the one exception to the "fun" is coloring. Coloring is really not my forte, but I gave it my best shot. Photoshop coloring is not fun and is very tedious work! But it is something I will eventually have to do on my own "Brother Destiny" project in order to get it published, so I'd best suck it up and get in gear!

A word about modern day comic book coloring: I am not a big fan of it. The look of most modern day comics is distasteful to me, because I feel the photoshop tool has gotten completely out of hand. The end result is a dark, muddied look which, in my opinion, hurts the overall look of the comic book. It's like a toy that is very hard to resist playing with. I understand and have to watch out for that temptation myself. However, I really believe in the "flat" coloring styles of yesteryear. I believe the pencils and inks should define the drawing, and not the coloring. That's quite the opposite from today's thinking.

Here, I tried to balance the old with the new. I added a few shading effects to the drawing, but tried not to overdo it. I want my work to remain bright and colorful, and want to avoid the darker, overworked look of many modern comic books. If I ever can afford to hire a colorist for my work, this would be a requirement. He or she would have to resist coloring in today's style. Some modern touches would be OK (some of the covers of the Marvel Essential reprint series, in which modern colors are added to drawings from 30 years ago, are decent examples). But I wouldn't want that to be overdone.

In any case, my strengths are more in the pencilling and inking areas, and I enjoy that. I had fun with the anatomy of the characters, too. Overall, I'm happy with the piece, and feel like I'm reaching a peak in my capabilities.

Hope you like it!

Monster Plus......plus some improving work!

2009-04-29T07:48:00.000-07:00

I've been asked by Chad Bowers of Action Age Comics to illustrate a pin-up of their Monster Plus character squaring off against a futuristic Dracula! Sound wild? I think it probably does but it comes at a great time for me.

While I'm busy creating my first issue of Brother Destiny (which coming along gradually, but pretty well so far!), my skills are continuing to develop and sharpen. I once sat about 2 feet from comic legend Gil Kane listening to him speak about his career and his development. He was amazingly intellectual and well-spoken. I could've listened to him all day. This was probably around 1997 when I was still evolving as an artist. I was around 32 at the time. I've said many times that he reminded me of my American Literature professor when I attended The University of South Carolina. They had the same facial expressions, gestures and clear, smart speaking style.

Now anyone who's familiar with comic book history knows the name Gil Kane. Mr. Kane, who passed away in 2000, was an absolute master of anatomy, persepctive and how to use it most effectively in storytelling. He is one of my idols, along with Jack Kirby, John Buscema, Sal Buscema and John Romita Sr. Few had a better handling on dynamic anatomy than Gil Kane.

But interestingly, according to himself, Mr. Kane wasn't always the master he eventually became. His earlier work shows this to be true. But he said that, sometime in his late 30s/early 40s, he suddenly began to "get it." Things began to click. To flow. To pour from his hands. This time in his career coincides with his move to Marvel and his work in the early 1970s, when he turned out tons of incredible covers as well as many interior stories. His mastery was undeniable, and the work supports his claim that he was on a serious roll. For years he had been weak in certain areas of his art — and now they were suddenly strengths.

I make no claim to be on Gil Kane's level of mastery. If I can even achieve 1/100th of what he did, I'd have to be pretty happy. But I am now 43 years old and I finally do understand exactly what Mr. Kane was talking about. The same phenomenon has happened to me to a certain extent. About 5 years ago things began, at last, to click. I suddenly understood what "knowing your anatomy" was all about. It almost has become an obsession. I suddenly began to see perspective for the complex and challenging problem that it is. I suddenly began to figure out techniques for storytelling that I had not tried previously. This was after 20 years of working and studying and practicing.

A life drawing class last year seemed to tie it all together a bit.......and even in the last few months I've learned something new. I learn something new everyday. I finally realize that this "development" is a lifetime thing. It really never ends. But that's where the fun comes in, right?

So that brings me to the Monster Plus pinup — which will allow me to take a break from Brother Destiny and have a little fun. In addition, it gives me a chance to use some new skills and see what comes of it all. Monster Plus, as I understand it, is part Frankenstein Monster, part vampire, part werewolf and part zombie. Top this off with such a creature in conflict with a highly advanced Dracula from the future and you begin to get an interesting picture!

The image will be pencilled, inked and colored by me (of course). Once done, I will send it off to Action Age Comics where they can use it any way they wish. But I promise to post it here, too. Visit Action Age and give 'em some support! There is some fun material over there!

The Doctor is still in!!

2009-03-19T07:11:00.000-07:00

Was taking a look at the Action Age Comics website, which my friend and comics writer Chad Bowers is a big part of.....and was happy to see the feature "Impossible" and it's current development online. It is there for anyone to view, read and/or download. Formerly known as "Doctor Impossible," this is a feature created by Chad which I pencilled and inked....and really enjoyed it. I believe my artwork has improved much since then, but looking back at it, my work isn't too bad.

The character is essentially a modern day pulp character — a combination of Doc Savage, Superman, Jonny Quest and even the old 12-inch G.I. Joe action figures. I always dug Chad's concept, and had a lot of fun doing this — so please go to the website and leave some comments.

Again, my style is very grounded in the "old school" approach.....I try to observe good storytelling techniques along with solid anatomy and perspective. It has never been my intent to pay "homage" to a previous era by emulating a certain style. Rather, it is simply the way I know how to do it. Does this make sense? The whole manga/anime thing sort of passed me by and I never got on board with that style. So a lot of modern illustration styles aren't really part of what I do. I really believe in the old style of illustration and enjoy doing it — going back, not just to comic artists like Buscema or Adams or even Frazetta — but the pioneering Brandywine illustrators like Pyle, Schoonover or Wyeth. Those guys knew what they were doing — and it worked. They are my source of inspiration.

Also, I was very happy to read that Tony Isabella (a former Marvel comics writer whom I greatly respect), gave "Impossible" a favorable review. Back in 2004, Mr. Isabella came down pretty hard on my first Brother Destiny tale. He liked my art, but wasn't crazy about certain aspects of the story. Namely, he felt there were way too many characters in the first book — and honestly, I agreed 100% with him. This was my contention with the publisher of the book at the time — I wanted to strip the story down, but the publisher insisted on more characters. It was a disagreement that left me pretty powerless. (It is one of many reasons why I eventually took my leave and decided to revamp things on my own).

But the criticism by Mr. Isabella was constructive and I really did appreciate his frankness. There were a couple of positive reviews from other folks, but Mr. Isabella's comments were the ones that interested me the most because he DID criticize and he DID see where improvements could be made. I exchanged emails with him asking him more about his thoughts and he was very helpful. It was great to talk with him. I never got to read his "Impossible" review, but hopefully he saw that I took his comments to heart and made some strides.

Tony Isabella wrote several brilliant "Ghost Rider" comics in the early 70s that made a huge impact on myself. They were unashamedly religious and moving — and I wish HIS editor had allowed him to continue on the course he was taking at that time. He is one of several writers from that period I greatly admire — and I thank him once again for taking the time to review my work.

Enter: The All-New Brother Destiny!

2009-03-02T14:50:00.000-08:00

Brother Destiny ©2009 by Chris Nye. All rights reserved.

Well, this is he! This is the final costume for the new version of Brother Destiny I hope to unleash on an unsuspecting public in the near future. On his chest is a symbol based on the old Celtic cross. In his hands he carries his deadly Necrolance. The updated boots and flashes of red add some bright color. And he symbolically wears seven stones of spiritual power (the number 7 carrying many old biblical connections and stands as a symbol of good). The origin of that power? Ahh...that is the key question, isn't it? Stay tuned.

I don't want to give away too much of the coming stories, so I'll leave it at that and let you enjoy the image. In the coming weeks, as I continue to work on the first tale, I'll try to post entries which will outline BD's powers (which, will in turn, help me keep things straight for myself by putting things down on hard record!).

Bear with me!

2009-02-27T06:00:00.001-08:00

OK folks......now that I'm finally getting very serious about my Brother Destiny project, this blog is going to become active again. I have a new image of BD I'm going to post.....with a finalized costume and "new look." I've finished the coloring on it and just have to add some final touches, and then I will post it.

After that, I won't post anymore images until I begin to complete some actual sequential art for the book itself. At that point maybe I'll upload some finished ink preview pages for your inspection. Comments are welcome of course.....

In the meantime, I have much work to do to get this project underway. The idea is to finish about 3 complete issues (stories), so that when I take this project to a publisher, I will already be ahead of the game (after all, I need a head start since I do have a day job!). And it will show I'm serious about this being an ongoing series.

Look for the new Brother Destiny image very soon now! Possibly today, or at the very least within the next few days! See you then!

Brother Destiny Redeux

2008-06-29T13:49:00.000-07:00

Brother Destiny ©2008 by Chris Nye. All Rights Reserved.

Several years ago, I created a character called "Brother Destiny." He actually saw the light of day and was published by the now-defunct "Mecca Comics" — lasting two whole issues. The good news is that the two comics were nationally distributed through Diamond (the nation's one and only comic book distributor) and that, in turn, gained him national publicity and a few reviews. Unfortunately, disagreements between myself and the publisher dictated that the good Brother's adventures come to a screeching halt.

Looking back, it was for the best. The character was not coming together as I had envisioned (as I made changes to accomodate the wishes of the publisher) and I wasn't happy with the results. Ever since, I've heard more than one person that they'd like to see the return of Brother Destiny and see him published again. I have been gradually revamping the character in my head and have come up with the above design — the new look Brother Destiny.

So who is this "Brother Destiny"? Brother Destiny was one Kevin Kells....a WWII soldier who stumbled on a mysterious monastery in war-torn Europe. His lethal wounds are healed by the monks and he his empowered for a greater coming war — a war to decide the fate of all mankind. Thus the name "Brother", signifying he is part of the brotherhood of mystic monks. Pretty heavy, eh? Well, that's me for you. It got more complicated than that, even (if you can believe it) — which was the problem. So hopefully, the above look signals more than just a different appearance...but a whole new concept. See what you think...comments, good and bad, are welcome. Maybe we can get our hero off the ground again one of these days through some self-publishing and a little effort. Stay tuned.