Drumfish Productions

UPDATES AND WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON!

2012-01-27T06:05:00.001-08:00

I thought I’d give a few updates on what’s been going on.
NEVERMINDS #2
We had originally hoped/planned to have this issue done by last year’s NY Comicon. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen due to a number of reasons. But, Jamie Fay and Danielle Alexis St. Pierre are kicking butt with the pages and are hoping to finish in time for the 2012 Pittsburgh Comicon on April 20-22. Fingers crossed!!
BUGGED
Yes, it’s been almost three years since I first mentioned and began this graphic novel. To say it’s been killing me not having it out yet is an understatement. Believe me, it’s driving me crazy not having it complete yet! The artist on the book, Teyo, is doing really amazing work and I believe everyone will be impressed. The book should be done in the coming months and that would mean it will be out in the summer. Fingers double crossed!!
SENTINELS ANTHOLOGY #2
I mentioned a few times that we were toying with the idea of a second SENTINELS Anthology and hoped to get it started soon. We’re definitely doing it. For this one, we’re doing a few different things that I don’t want to mention just yet, but be sure that the book is being worked on and I already have some truly amazing art to show soon. Stay tuned!
SENTINELS RE-VISIONED
I’ve mentioned on here a few times about the possibility of re-publishing SENTINELS in color. We’ve had a few companies interested, but then things didn’t work out. We haven’t given up hope yet though and SENTINELS artist, Luciano Vecchio, is still re-working and coloring pages when he has free time (which isn’t often as he’s a busy guy and in demand!). But this project might be a way off and not this year.
DRUMFISH STATUES
These are definitely happened and being made as I type!! I should have the prototypes soon and will post them here and on the Drumfish Facebook page when I have pictures. As I mentioned, we’re doing TWO statues. One from SENTINELS (Firebomb) and one from NEVERMINDS (Alanis Munroe). We’re only doing a limited run on these and hope they sell well enough to do other characters. (Suggestions?) The statues should be ready in time for the 2012 Pittsburgh Comicon and we’ll post ordering info soon.
NEW DRUMFISH WEBSITE
This is still being worked on. This year for sure though.
WEBCOMIC
This is my solo baby and yes, it’s been taking me a while to get to this. I couldn’t decide on what type of webcomic I wanted to do, but I’ve found something I really like. I’m still developing the characters and story and want to have as much as I can worked out before I start showing things. I’ll be writing and drawing this, so I want it to be good!
COMMISSIONS
Yes, I actually do a few of these, lol. For a while, I stopped, but now I’m willing to open up my at home commissions. Just send me an email or drop me a note with requests. (I know some of you have written and I will reply today!) There are certain things I won’t do and there are certain things I don’t think I’m good at and would be best for another artist, but I’m open to doing some commissions again. So, let me know.
DC COMICS
And finally, lol, last year I was fortunate enough to get asked to write something for DC Comics. It was a short ten page story for their Cartoon Network Action Pack comic (the same comic that SENTINELS artist, Luciano Vecchio did a few issues of) and was a story on Generator Rex. I had a LOT of fun writing the story and even got to create new villains for the book. The story was drawn, finished and even scheduled to be printed in issue #68. Of course, with luck like mine, lol, the book was cancelled with issue #67. Oh well, what can you do? I’m happy to at least have had the opportunity and to have done something I was proud of. I still got paid at least, lol.

There are a few other things in the works, but those are the main projects. Be patient with us, working full time jobs makes it difficult to get things done as fast as other creators do. But our passion to get these things out there to the masses is just as great. Thanks to anyone still checking in here for hanging with us!

KID-DEVIL COMMISSION

2012-01-26T06:36:00.001-08:00

I've been a bit behind on my commissions and just now have caught up. This sketch of Kid-Devil was for a huge Titan fan who has been waiting a while for it. (Sorry!) Hopefully, the wait was worth it and they like how it came out. Pencil, inks and Prismacolors.

Kid-Devil (c) DC Comics

ILLUSTRIOUS BITS WEEK 9: MARROW

2012-01-23T09:03:00.000-08:00

Here is my contribution to Week 9 of Illustrious Bits. This week the character choice was picked by Ross Campbell and is Marrow from the X-Men. I decided to draw her in her original nasty evil look. Special thanks to Jamie for posing for this (just kidding, lol).

Marrow © Marvel

YOUNG JUSTICE AND BEN 10 BY LUCIANO VECCHIO

2012-01-20T06:14:00.001-08:00

Over the last two weeks, TWO DC Comics titles came out that were drawn by SENTINELS artist, Luciano Vecchio!!! Last week saw one of the last issues of DC's Cartoon Network Action Pack come out and it has a Ben 10 story in it drawn by Luciano (it's issue #66!) and this week Young Justice #12 came out drawn by him. Please check out both titles at your local comic store and see a preview of Luciano's Young Justice here.

ILLUSTRIOUS BITS WEEK 8: SHE-RA

2012-01-19T06:41:00.002-08:00

Here's my submission for Week 8 of Illustrious Bits. The subject this week was picked by fans over at Deviant Art and it's any character from the animated series, She-Ra. Since I really don't know much about this series or any of the characters except She-Ra, I decided to draw her. Fun character to draw!

She-Ra (c) Mattel

ILLUSTRIOUS BITS WEEK 7: BATMAN VILLAINS VERSION 2

2012-01-15T16:51:00.000-08:00

I wasn't sure I'd get this version done, but this is my original version of what I planned to do for week 7 of Illustrious Bits. I'm not wild about the background though. I actually imagined it a little differently, but this is how it turned out, lol. I hope to get it colored soon and make it into a print to sell at conventions.

Gotham Sirens, Catwoman, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy © DC Comics

FIREBOMB AND ALANIS MUNROE STATUES

2012-01-13T07:48:00.000-08:00

A while back I posted that we were thinking of doing some statues of some of the SENTINELS characters and that a place called Patchtogether was interested in doing them. Well, that fell through completely, lol, BUT we approached recently about doing statues by another company. We switched things up a little and decided to submit two designs, one character from SENTINELS (Firebomb) and one from NEVERMINDS (Alanis Munroe). Hopefully, we'll have news soon on these and maybe even a prototype to show. Here are the designs of what the statues will look like! Thoughts?

NEVERMINDS BY KING BOLA

2012-01-11T06:40:00.001-08:00

Check out these awesome "clunk" versions of the ladies from NEVERMINDS drawn by King Bola. A talented artist from the Philippines, King Bola, was commissioned by Jamie Fay (artist on NEVERMINDS) through Deviant Art. I've seen many different styles that are influenced by Manga that use similar techniques, but King Bola's "clunkworld" renditions of characters really are unique. Check out the detail he puts in and still makes the characters look stylized. I think King Bola could really be on to something with his technique and I hope to see him get his art out into the mainstream more! Please look at more of King Bola's work at http://clunkworld.deviantart.com/ .

ILLUSTRIOUS BITS WEEK 7: BATMAN VILLAIN

2012-01-09T07:06:00.001-08:00

So, week 7 of Illustrious Bits is my pick of any Batman villain. I originally hoped to finish a full figure drawing of the Gotham Sirens, but since I've been away for a week, I haven't gotten it done yet. I didn't want to rush it and I actually still might finish before the end of the week. But just in case, lol, I did this quick headshot type version of the Gotham Sirens, so I didn't miss out on my own week. :)

Gotham Sirens, Catwoman, Posion Ivy and Harley Quinn (c) DC Comics

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012!!

2011-12-31T14:27:00.000-08:00

This is my last post of the year and I wanted to wish everyone a happy and safe New Years Eve! It's been a very hard year here, but I'm thankful for all my family and friends who have continued to inspire and support me. I know a lot of this year, much of what I posted was sketches and pinups by artists of Drumfish characters, but next year promises to be much more productive. We already have a LOT of things done and I haven't been pumping them too much because I wanted to wait until they were closer to completion. So, 2012 will see more Drumfish comics out there then ever! More NEVERMINDS! The long awaited release of BUGGED! Hopefully a second SENTINELS Anthology! And the long promised webcomic written and drawn by myself. Yup, those are my resolutions and I plan to stick to them.

Happy New Year to all!!!

This awesome sketch of Alanis from NEVERMINDS was drawn as a gift for Jamie Fay by the talent Eric Guerrero (yes, the same artist who drew the Firebomb X-Mas card for me!). Go to his website and tell him to draw more, lol!!

ILLUSTRIOUS BITS WEEK 6: DEATH

2011-12-30T07:38:00.000-08:00

Here's my contribution to Illustrious Bits Week 6 - Death, from the Endless. I decided to cute her up a bit and play with the hair a little differently.

Death and the Endless (c) DC Comics

HARLETTE BY LYDIA BURRIS

2011-12-29T06:33:00.001-08:00

This sketch of Harlette from SENTINELS was drawn by Lydia Burris at the 2011 Mid-Ohio Comicon. I only got two sketches at this convention. Yes, only two, lol. I saw Lydia's work early on and knew that I had to ask her to draw something for me. I found her style very detailed and striking. I love the fantasy elements she puts into here work too (not in this sketch, but in her personal work). Please check out more of Lydia's work at www.lydiaburris.com.

ALANIS BY ELIZA FRYE

2011-12-28T06:23:00.000-08:00

This sketch of Alanis from NEVERMINDS was drawn by Eliza Frye at the 2011 Mid-Ohio Con. Eliza's art caught my eye immediately with it's smooth style and bold colors. I asked her to draw any of the NEVERMINDS ladies and she picked Alanis. I really like what she did! I only wish she had purple paint with her that day for Alanis's costume, instead of her having to use red, lol. Check out more of Eliza's work at http://www.elizafrye.com/ .

SCORCH BY RAY-ANTHONY HEIGHT

2011-12-27T07:01:00.002-08:00

This sketch of Scorch from the 1st Gen SENTINELS was drawn by Ray-Anthony Height at the 2011 NYC Comicon. Ray is an amazing artist who has worked for Marvel Comics, Images Comics, Mirage Studios, Alias Comics, Hasbro and many other comic companies. Seeing his work, it's no wonder he is in high demand. Ray also happened to be a fan of SENTINELS, which made my day! I love his line work and coloring and also try to follow what he is doing next. Please check out more of Ray's work here.

PSYCHED BY ZIGGY BLUMENTHAL

2011-12-27T07:01:00.001-08:00

Following his tradition of drawing SENTINELS characters on kids playground rides, here is Psyched from the 3rd Gen SENTINELS by Ziggy Blumenthal. Ziggy is a hilarious guy and always put his unique brand of humor into his sketches. I love seeing what he will do whenever I get something by him. He never disappoints! Check out more of Ziggy's work here.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

2011-12-24T07:32:00.001-08:00

Happy Holidays to everyone who has supported Drumfish Productions this year! I hope you are all enjoying family and friends this weekend. I had to show this holiday pup pic with this post. She looks like the poor dog from the Grinch with the costume my family made her try on, lol. Feliz Navidad!! Happy Hanukkah! Merry Christmas!

HOLIDAY CARD BY ERIC GUERRERO

2011-12-24T07:26:00.000-08:00

BIG thanks to Eric Guerrero for this awesome X-Mas gift of Firebomb from SENTINELS holiday card he gave me. I love it, Eric. Thanks so much! Check out Eric's work here and drop him a note and tell him to draw more!! lol

SAMANYA BY PETER NGUYEN

2011-12-21T06:38:00.000-08:00

This sketch of Samanya from NEVERMINDS was drawn by Peter Nguyen at the 2011 NYC Comicon. I didn't get too many sketches at this convention, but Peter was one of the few artist I couldn't pass by without getting something. I love his light linework and the color wash he uses. He makes it look so easy! Peter has worked on various animated projects, including Wolverine and the X-Men, as well as many comic book series like Secret Six and Gotham City Sirens. Please check out more of Peter's work here.

ILLUSTRIOUS BITS WEEK 5: STARFIRE

2011-12-19T07:08:00.000-08:00

Here is my entry for the fifth week of Illustrious Bits. This week was Starfire from DC Comic's New Teen Titans and Red Hood and the Outlaws. I wasn't really happy with with sketch when I first pencilled it, but after inks and some color, I liked the final version. Starfire is always a fun character to draw. :)

Starfire (c) DC Comics

CASCADE BY ANDREW CHARIPAR

2011-12-15T07:36:00.001-08:00

Here is a fun sketch of Cascade from the 3rd Gen SENTINELS drawn by my buddy, Andrew Charipar at the 2011 NYCC. I'm a huge fan of Andrew's work and his comic "Tales From the Cornerstone" and can't say enough great things about him. And of course, if I do that, his head will get bigger, so I will stop, lol. Andrew was the mastermind of the new "Illustrious Bits" blog that I'm part of. It's been a fun exercise to contribute to and we've been getting more and more artists involved each week. Please check out Andrew's work here and don't forget to check out the Illustrious Bits blog!

ILLUSTRIOUS BITS WEEK 4: SPIDER-WOMAN

2011-12-12T08:58:00.001-08:00

Another fun choice to draw this week. Here is my contribution to Week 4 of Illustrious Bits! I really enjoyed drawing her and love her costume design and colors. I was hoping to do a full figure of her this week, but didn't have time. The background didn't quite turn out the way I planned either, lol. Still, I had fun working on this.

Spider-Woman (c) Marvel Comics

GAMBIT COLORED

2011-12-08T13:59:00.000-08:00

Here's my latest drawing for Illustrious Bits of Gambit from the X-Men colored by the extremely talented, Danielle Alexis St. Pierre. She makes my work look sooooo much better. Thanks, Danielle!

Gambit (c) Marvel Comics

ILLUSTRIOUS BITS WEEK 3 - GAMBIT

2011-12-05T06:45:00.000-08:00

Here is my contribution for Week 3 of Illustrious Bits! This week's pick was chosen by me and I picked Gambit for two reason. First, because we hadn't drawn a male character yet. And two, because I had wanted to do a print of Gambit for next years convention season. What you see here is my lineart and hopefully I'll have a colored version to show soon (hence why there are no faces on the playing cards, they'll be added digitally). Check out the Illustrious Bits blog here.
Gambit © Marvel Comics

GOSPEL BY CHANDA FREE

2011-12-01T06:50:00.003-08:00

Since I just posted a short plug about Chanda Free's "The God Machine" graphic novel, I wanted to share this awesome sketch she did of Gospel from SENTINELS for me at the 2011 Wizard World Philly Con. Chanda was super nice and did this sketch really fast for me. It was good to talk comics with her for a short while and I love her unique style! Please check out more of Chanda's work here.

READ IT: THE GOD MACHINE

2011-12-01T06:50:00.001-08:00

I'm a big fan of DeviantArt and a while back Chanda Free's amazing art caught my eye. I immediately started following her on DeviantArt and was excited to see her first book (which she had been working on for a few years) was coming out. Fast forward to the 2011 Wizard World Philly Con, and I saw that Chanda was schedule to be there. I found her table (one aisle away from mine) before the show even opened and introduced myself and got a copy of "The God Machine"! Just looking at the cover and interior art, you know this is a different type of book. The art is truly beautiful and powerful in tones and design. Published by Archaia Studios Press, "The God Machine" is a nicely bound hardcover comic that is "a modern dark fairy tale that deals with one boy's immediate reality changing into something fantastical". There are monsters, secret organizations, romance and adventure all mixed together in a dark setting that leaves you wanting more of this world. It also has a good deal of humor in it. It's rare that you find a great mix of story and art that totally sings it's own story, but that's just what "The God Machine" does. If you're looking for something different and new to read, I highly recommend this book! Check out http://www.spookychan.com/ to learn more about Chanda and "The God Machine"!

NEVERMINDS BY CHRIS WILLIAMS

2011-11-30T06:32:00.001-08:00

This sketch of the NEVERMINDS team (Alanis, Samanya and Nina) was drawn by Chris Williams at the 2011 Wizard World Philly Con. Chris has a real energetic style that makes his characters pop. His figure work and facial expressions are superb too! Check out Chris's Deviant Art page here and see how great his art is!

ELECTRON AND SPLASH BY JERRY CARR

2011-11-29T06:37:00.001-08:00

Here's another cool sketch I got at the 2011 Baltimore Comicon. This is Electron and Splash from SENTINELS drawn by Jerry Carr. I really like Jerry's clean linework and animated style. He added some color to this sketch for me, even though he usually colors his work digitally. His digital coloring rules! Check out Jerry's gallery here, you'll see how amazing his work is!

ILLUSTRIOUS BITS WEEK 2: ZATANNA

2011-11-28T06:31:00.001-08:00

Continuing with our weekly blog over at Illustrious Bits, this week's character is Zatanna! Here is my sketch of her. I miss the top hat and coat!

Zatanna (c) DC Comics

NEVERMINDS SKETCHES GALORE!

2011-11-25T06:37:00.001-08:00

Here is some really amazing art I've been meaning to post for a while now. These were all done by artists on Deviant Art. The first two are by Stephane De Caneva and finish out the previous NEVERMINDS team members Steph drew for the Drumfish Art Contest on Deviant Art. Here are Alanis and Henko! See more of Stephane's art here. These next two works are by Asia Kendick-Horton and are of Nina and Henko from NEVERMINDS. These were done for colorist of NEVERMINDS #1, Rey Arzeno. I was very impressed by them and love Asia's style. Please check out more of Asia's work here.

Next up is a colored version of the NEVERMINDS team drawn by Javier Cruz Winnik. Javier had entered this piece in the Drumfish Art Contest on Deviant Art but wanted to color it after the contest was over. He really wowed me with his rendition of the team. See more of Javier's work here.

Next up is Samanya drawn by May Wilson. She sent Jamie Fay and Rey Arzeno this awesome sketch of Samanya from NEVERMINDS looking tough!! See more of May's art here.

And last, but certainly not least, we have this fun team up of Alanis from NEVERMINDS with an original character created and drawn by Taylor Bryant. Taylor did an awesome sketch of Alanis previously in the Drumfish Art Contest on Deviant Art and we love this one just as much! Please see more of Taylor's work here.

ILLUSTRIOUS BITS BLOG! WEEK 1: WONDER WOMAN

2011-11-24T12:07:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week a new blog started that was the brainchild of Andrew Charipar (artist on Serpenta's story from the 1st SENTINELS Anthology). Andrew approached Jamie Fay and I to start a project where we could all contribute sketch every week or so and post them. At first, we will each be picking a character, subject or theme for a week and then each post our drawing of it at the end of that week. Then we'll be opening it up to others to contribute too and eventually we'll be taking suggestions and do some kind of voting thing as to what we draw next. We hope this will be a fun blog and inspire each of us to draw more. Our first week's pick is Wonder Woman (my sketch is with this posting). Check out the blog here and join in!

Wonder Woman (c) DC Comics

HARLETTE BY JOSH HOWARD

2011-11-11T08:45:00.000-08:00

This sketch of Harlette, from SENITNELS, was drawn by Josh Howard at the 2011 Wizard World Philly Con. Josh is the writer/artist/creator of the Indie hit, Dead @17 , published by Image Comics. I've been a fan of Josh's for a long time and loved that he had time to do this sketch. Josh's style reminds me a bit of Bruce Timm's, but more crisp and clean with his lines. I also like the attitude he gave Harlette here, lol. Perfect. Please check out more of Josh's comic Dead @17 and see work here.

HENKO BY FABIO REDIVO

2011-11-09T08:14:00.000-08:00

This sketch of Henko from NEVERMINDS was drawn by Fabio Redivo at the 2011 Wizard World Philly Con. Fabio is a teacher at the Joe Kubert School as well as an inker for Archie Comics. Fabio's color work is really unique, check out the texture on Henko's jacket and hair here! See even more of Fabio's work here.

SERPENTA BY ALEX RIEGEL

2011-11-08T07:10:00.001-08:00

This amazing sketch of Serpenta from SENTINELS was drawn by Alex Riegel at the 2011 Wizard World Philly Comicon. As soon as I saw Alex's work, I was blown away. His sketches have a lot of energy and life in them. I love the extra detail Alex puts into his figures and background too. So cool! He's also a super nice guy and seems to love drawing. Please check out more of Alex's work here.

CLOCKSTOPPER AND IGNITE BY JOE HALEY AND T.J. DORT

2011-11-02T07:12:00.001-07:00

This sketch of Clockstopper and Ignite from the 3rd Gen SENTINELS was drawn by Joe Haley and T.J. Dort. I've gotten a few other drawings by them over the years, all of the 3rd Gen kids and this last sketch completes the entire team. I'm a big fan of Joe and T.J.'s work and their book, the Underburbs. It's a great all ages comic that everyone should check out. See more of their work and learn more about their comic here.

FIREBOMB BY NICOLE MCDONALD

2011-11-01T07:09:00.001-07:00

So, I have a bunch of sketches that I just haven't had time to post lately. Most of them are from earlier in the year and were gotten at various conventions. This sketch of Firebomb was drawn by Nicole McDonald at the 2011 Wizard World Philly Comicon. Before the show opened I was walking around the convention floor a little and as I walked by a table, I heard someone say something about Tyler School of Art. That caught my ear because I went to Tyler School of Art for my Bachelor's Degree. I stopped and asked the group of people if they went to Tyler and three of them said yes. It turned out that they had just graduated and it was there first convention selling their art. Even more odd was that their table was directly behind mine and then the artists one row over where also from Tyler too. Of course this meant I had to get a sketch from one of them. Nicole McDonald decided to draw Firebomb from SENTINELS in exchange for me drawing an original character of hers. I really liked what she did and was happy to have a Tyler Alumni in my sketchbook now!

JAMIE FAY'S "WHAT IF..." COVER

2011-10-29T04:09:00.000-07:00

A while back I posted about the DC Fifty-TOO blog. It was set up to feature different artists interpretation of what their n#1 of a DC Comic title would look like (In conjunction of their big relaunch). The blog got some great buzz and amazing talent involved (of which myself and Jamie Fay were honored to be involved with). Well, now the blog is featuring the same sort of thing, only now with Marvel characters in a "What If..." theme. I didn't have time to do something for the project this time, but NEVERMINDS artist, Jamie Fay, did.

Anyone who knows Jamie or meets him at conventions, knows his appreciation for X-Men and more specifically, the female characters of the books. So, when given the chance, Jamie jumped at doing his version of a "What If..." cover. He took the most recent storyline in the X-Men titles, the "Schizm" saga (which ultimated divided the X-characters between taking sides with Wolverine or Cyclops) and added his own twist to it by dividing the team into male and female characters. Since Jamie is a master at drawing the female form, it was a dream project for him. Take a look at Jamie's entry into the Marvel "What If..." project at www.dcfifty-too.blogspot.com and read about Jamie's vision for the team there.

In the past, I predicted big things in the future for SENTINELS artist, Luciano Vecchio. And now he's drawing Ben 10 for DC Comics and something else I'm not at liberty to talk about. But he's hitting the big time and I'm so happy and proud for him!!! Well, the same goes for NEVERMINDS artist, Jamie Fay. Mark my words, one day soon I'll be posting great news about him and hopefully reporting that he's drawing one of the X-books. Marvel needs to get him on a book asap!!

HARLETTE AND SAMANYA MUNNY STATUES BY CHARLES HOLBERT JR.

2011-10-28T12:21:00.000-07:00

These amazing Munny statues of Harlette from SENTINELS and Samanya from NEVERMINDS were done by Charles Holbert Jr.. Charles name might sound familiar to SENTINELS readers because he was the artist on Harlette's story in the 1st SENTINELS Anthology. I've always been a big fan of Charles work and keep waiting to read about him drawing Batman or some high profile book for DC or Marvel soon. It'll happen! I know it. In addition to being a talented artist, Charles also does these super cool Munny figures. I LOVE what he did with Harlette and Samanya. Aren't they cute too? lol. Please check out more of Charles work here (or in the 1st SENTINELS Anthology! lol). Thanks again, Charles!!

WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING....

2011-10-27T20:11:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks have been busy, busy, busy for me. There was NYCC and then Mid-Ohio Con a week later. I've never done back to back shows, so it was exhausting (or I'm just old now, lol). On top of that, I've been working my real job and running around getting other projects and things done. So, I haven't had much time to post a blog entry.

NYCC was such an amazing convention. It was truly one of the best shows in a long time. On the flip side, Ohio was an odd show. The first day there was really great and looked like it was a big success. Then the second day was the complete opposite. Weird. But we met some cool people and got to see the sites a bit. So, even though it was an event filled two weeks, it was great.

I have had a ton of sketches to post from the last four conventions that I really need to show off soon. Then it's back to work on NEVERMINDS, BUGGED and a 2nd SENTINELS Anthology (yup, we're definitely doing one, but still getting things lined up). But I wanted to write a quick something tonight and say thanks to all the amazing people we met at both NYCC and Mid-Ohio! We haven't had this much fun in a long time and it's all because of you folks! Over the next week, I'll be catching up on the sketches by other artists I got, then I plan to start showing more previews of what we've been working on, make some announcements and also share some of the cool books that I've been enjoying that people might not know about. Hope everyone is doing well!

NYCC AND MID-OHIO CON

2011-10-18T17:00:00.000-07:00

The 2011 NYC Comicon was this weekend and two days later, I'm still exhausted! The show this year was four days long and they zoomed by. I can't even begin to talk about how crowded it was, let's just say it was HUGE! I also don't think I've sold more at a show than this past weekend. It was a big success! Books, prints and original art were selling quickly and I was also getting asked to do more commissions than usual (see the pic of them with this post). I even had to turn a few down because I didn't have time. Each day I had to bring back more SENTINELS and NEVERMINDS copies and it was awesome! Thanks so much to everyone who stopped by our table. It was great seeing old friends and making new ones. But we're not done yet, this weekend (October 22 and 23) Jamie Fay and I will be at the 2011 Mid-Ohio Con. If you're in the area, stop by and say hello. We'll be in Artist Alley at table 915!

NEW YORK COMICON - OCTOBER 13-16!!!!

2011-10-13T06:32:00.000-07:00

I'll be at the 2011 New York Comicon this weekend (Thursday to Sunday) in Artists Alley at table T-12 along with NEVERMINDS artist Jamie Fay! We'll be selling copies of SENTINELS and NEVERMINDS, prints of both of our art and doing commissions! Stop by and say hello if you're at the convention!

GREEN LANTERN COLORED

2011-10-09T14:32:00.000-07:00

Here is the four and last new print I will have for NYCC next weekend. This was colored by colorist extraordinaire, David Delanty . He did an amazing job! Check out more of David' work here! Thanks so much, David!

Green Lantern © DC Comics

CAPTAIN AMERICA COLORED

2011-10-07T06:27:00.001-07:00

This is actually an older sketch I did during my "sketch a day" project, but I thought it held up well, so I asked the talented colorist of NEVERMINDS #2, Danielle Alexis St. Pierre, to color it for me. I think she did magic to it as she did with my Phoenix pic. Thanks, Danielle!

Captain America © Marvel Comics

2ND DRUMFISH ART CONTEST DEVIANTART RESULTS!

2011-10-05T21:19:00.000-07:00

We're proud to announce the winners of the 2nd Drumfish Art Contest on DeviantArt! We had a great turnout with 24 entries that made it really difficult to judge. And here are the winners....

In first place we had a tie!

Samanya from NEVERMINDS by Stephane De Caneva.

You can see more of Steph's art here.

and

Serpenta and Phazer from SENTINELS by Sean Izaakse.

You can see more of Sean's art here.

In second place:

Firebomb and Phazer from SENTINELS by Joman Paras Mercado.

You can see more of Joman's art here.

In third place:

Alanis from NEVERMINDS by Gavin Michelli.

You can see more of Gavin's art here.

HUGE thanks to all of the artists who entered the contest! You all did amazing work!

2ND DRUMFISH ART CONTEST ON DEVIANT ART ENTRIES

2011-10-04T09:56:00.000-07:00

Our second Drumfish Productions Art Contest on Deviant Art has officially ended!
We really can’t express how happy and proud we are of all the entries that were submitted.

For our first contest, we had 8 entries submitted. For this second one we had a whopping 24 entries! Unbelievable!!!
All of the artists made us feel so great with their work and before we announce the winner, I thought it would be nice to show all the entries here on the blog. Each and every entry was amazing and each of them showed something special to us. I think about each of the artists who submitted and I want to thank them all for their time and dedication. I know how hard it is to sit at your drawing table and begin creating on a blank piece of paper or look at a blank screen on the computer and begin to design. It’s tough! But each entry showed what true artists they all are.

It was great to see others become inspired by our characters and have fun with them. We are truly impressed by all of them and each of them have, in turn, inspired us to be better creators and artists!

Deviant Art is a great place for artists of all levels to interact. We are the past, present and future of creators there and can all learn from each other. If you’re a creator and not on Deviant Art, you should be!

Soon, we will announce the winners of the contest (as soon as we have all finished voting, it’s a tough choice with all these great entries!) and we will then contact all participants and post the winners! HUGE thanks to all the artists who entered. We hope they had fun! See all the entries below this post!

2011-10-04T07:15:00.000-07:00

IGNITE AND CLOCKSTOPPER BY TJ DORT AND JOE HALEY

2011-09-29T07:51:00.000-07:00

This sketch of Ignite and Clockstopper from the 3rd Gen SENTINELS was done by TJ Dort and Joe Haley. TJ and Joe are the two masterminds behind the Indie book, Underburbs. I really love their book and the art on it is amazing. It's a great all ages comic that I highly recommend. Over the last few conventions, I've had TJ and Joe draw all of the 3rd Gen SENTINELS and this is the last of the pairings they've done. Awesome, huh? Check out more of their work at http://www.underburbs.deviantart.com/ .

LUCIANO VECCHIO ART IN DC COMICS CARTOON NETWORK ACTION PACK #64

2011-09-28T09:22:00.000-07:00

My old partner in crime on SENTINELS, Luciano Vecchio, has his THIRD Ben 10 story in DC Comics Cartoon Network Action Pack #64 out in stores today. Luciano art is amazing as always and this is the perfect kind of book for readers of all ages! I believe he has two more Ben 10 stories coming up. They should make him the regular artist! Check it out when you visit the comic store this week!

MORE ART FROM CONVENTIONS

2011-09-27T06:38:00.001-07:00

I'm way behind in posting some of the awesome art I got at conventions this year. So, I'm posting a few with this blog post. First off, we have Samanya from NEVERMINDS by Chris Vance. I posted another great sketch I got from Chris a while back of Serpenta from SENTINELS. I got both of these commissions from Chris at the 2011 Pittsburgh Comicon. I really loved Chris's style and couldn't believe how fast he was. Check out more of Chris's work here.

These next three artists are friends of mine and the next two did their sketches at the 2011 Baltimore Comicon. The first is Ziggy Blumenthal, who did this sketch of the Coil from the 1st Generation of SENTINELS. Everytime Ziggy does a sketch for me, he does a SENTINELS character on some sort of playground ride, lol. I really love his theme and think it's very funny and different. There is no telling what he'll do! Check out more of Ziggy's work at http://www.fakemccoy.com/ .

The second is Eric Guerrero, who drew Electron from SENTINELS. I have loved watching Eric's style change and grow. Each sketch I get from him is better than the next. He's really developed into a great artist. This sketch was part of a sketch trade, as Eric asked me to draw his character in exchange for doing this.

And last, but certainly not least, here is a colored version of the awesome sketch of Samanya from NEVERMINDS that Andrew Charipar drew a short while back. This sketch was colored by Armand Strange. Excellent work in my opinion! Check out more of Andrew's work here and Armand's work here.

RAVEN COLORED!

2011-09-26T05:06:00.000-07:00

Here is the second of my new prints I'm doing for conventions. This time it's Raven from the New Teen Titans. My lines were colored by the amazingly talented Rey Arzeno. Rey really made everything on this pic shine. The background was all his idea and I LOVE it! Thanks so much for making my art look so good, Rey!!! And okay, I have to say this, totally on a high because George Perez himself liked this on Facebook.

Raven and New Teen Titans © DC Comics

DRUMFISH DEVIANT ART CONTEST!

2011-09-23T06:43:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure how many people who check out this blog are on Deviant Art, but we're having a second art contest over there. Check out the Drumfish Productions Deviant Art page here. So far, we've gotten eight excellent entries! The deadline is next weekend on Sunday, October 2, 2011. It's going to be a hard vote to pick the winner!

PHOENIX COLORED!

2011-09-20T06:54:00.001-07:00

Now that I'm feeling more confident with my art, I decided to step it up a notch and do art that I can use as prints to have at conventions. Here's the first (of many I hope)! I had the talented Danielle Alexis St. Pierre (colorist on NEVERMINDS #2!) color this for me. She took it to a whole different level! Thanks for the amazing colors, Danielle!

Phoenix © Marvel Comics

HENKO BY ANDREW CHARIPAR AND REY ARZENO

2011-09-19T07:52:00.000-07:00

Here's another awesome surprise by Andrew Charipar! This time, Andrew decided to draw Henko from NEVERMINDS. And a second surprise to this sketch, after seeing it, Rey Arzeno said he had to color it. How great is this collab?! I love it. I don't know if I would have thought that Andrew and Rey's style would merge well, but the result here shows that it totally does! Henko looks badass! Check out Andrew's art here and Rey's art here!

PROPHET BY DAVE RYAN

2011-09-12T06:37:00.001-07:00

This sketch of Prophet, from SENTINELS, was drawn by Dave Ryan at the 2011 Wizard World Philly Con. I've known Dave for a long time now, but had never had the chance to get a sketch from him. Dave is the mastermind behind the massive independent cross-over, War of the Independent. The series mixes many different genres and characters, Bone, Madman, the Maxx, Cry for Dawn, the Tick, Shi, Cerebus, Gumby, the Pro, Badger, Faust, Zot and many, many more are all featured. Templar from SENTINELS is Drumfish Production's representation in the series. And even though he hasn't appear yet (except in the big two page spread from issue #1), I've been promised he will appear. There are big time independent characters there as well as lesser known ones, so it makes this series even greater for all independent creators out there that are involved. In addition to organizing all this and writing it, Dave is also the main artist on the series. Does he ever sleep? lol. As you can see in the sketch he did for me (for free even!) and from his two page spread I'm reposting now, Dave is an excellent artist. I look forward to seeing issue #2 of the series which should be out soon.

Check out the War of the Independent Facebook page here!

Also, check out the Templar trading card that we did for the trading card set they released. I posted it a while back, but it's worth a second look! :)

MY COVER FOR THE DC FIFTY TOO!

2011-09-07T16:41:00.000-07:00

My cover for the DC Fifty Too project at www.dcfifty-too.blogspot.com went up today! I decided to do Hawk and Dove as they've always been a favorite of mine. It's kind of cool that the real Hawk and Dove #1 came out today. I picked it up and Sterling Gates and Rob Liefield did a great job! I look forward to seeing what they do next. I know what I would have done! :)

INTERACTIVES IN STORES TODAY!

2011-09-07T07:15:00.001-07:00

Luciano Vecchio's new OGN Interactives came out today and is available in most comic stores. Please check it out! It's been getting great reviews. Written by Pete Rogers and drawn by SENTINELS artist, Luciano, it seems a must for any fans of Luciano's art!

SAMANYA BY ANDREW CHARIPAR

2011-09-06T06:55:00.001-07:00

This super cool drawing of Samanya, from NEVERMINDS, was drawn by my good friend, Andrew Charipar. Anyone who follows this blog knows that I'm a huge fan of Andrew's work. I love his comic, Tales from the Cornerstone, and think it's a great book. Andrew was also a contributor to the first SENTINELS Anthology and drew Serpenta's story in the book. This year, Andrew started his own "sketch a day" project and has drawn a ton of characters (even a few SENTINELS!). He began working on a special "secret" new project and had to stop doing the "sketch a day" thing, but that doesn't mean he stopped sketching at all. He surprised me with this awesome portrayal of Samanya. I really love the energy he put into it. But then again, Andrew puts that much work and energy into everything he does. Just check out his work and see what i mean at http://www.misfitcorner.blogspot.com/ or http://www.misfitcorner.deviantart.com/ .

DC FIFTY TOO!

2011-09-02T07:52:00.000-07:00

I'll be contributing to DC FIFTY TOO! in the next month. What is DC Fifty Too? Well, in light of DC Comics major rebirth and publishing 52 new #1 issues this month, Jon Morris (a Washington-based cartoonist, decide to contact many different and talented artists to contribute their take on a DC character if they were given the chance to do a new #1. Each artist then designs and draw a cover for what would be their first issue. Cool, huh? Well, I think it is and you can see all the many entries he received and posted already. Check them out at www.dcfifty-too.blogspot.com. Who will I be drawing? Hmmmmmm.

BREAKERS ON KICKSTARTER!

2011-08-31T06:18:00.000-07:00

One of my oldest friends (I can say that because he really is older than me, lol) and one of the writers from the first SENTINELS Anthology (he wrote the Splash story!) is Noel Short. And after writing his story for the Anthology, Noel was bitten by the writing bug and along with his writing partner, Andrew Reaves, they created their own story called Breakers. Breakers is an underwater epic focusing on a race of mer-people. The protagonist, Gundred, strives to learn the secret of the legends of the "surface world" as he also becomes entangled with the evil "River People". The original art designs were drawn by NEVERMINDS awesome colorist, Rey Arzeno. Rey helped create the look of all the characters and provided Noel and Drew with inspiration to develop the entire story. Later, they found artist, Ashish Joshi, to become the regular artist on the series. I'd really love to see this series come to life, but self-publishing does not come easy and takes a lot of money. That's why Breakers has a Kickstarter page at www.kickstarter.com/projects/756391117/breakers-an-original-graphic-novel . Please head over there and learn more about the series, see some amazing art and check out the promo video that they did. They only have 10 days left to make their goal. Help support them in whatever way you can!

ANOTHER NEVERMINDS #2 PREVIEW

2011-08-29T07:24:00.000-07:00

I promised to show more previews from NEVERMINDS #2 and here are two panels. We're trying not to show too much, but I think it's quickly obvious that the tone for this issue is different. With issue #2, we focus on

NEVERMINDS team member, Nina Hartley (yes, the name is explained, lol). Nina's story is much darker than the first issue and I hope it will show that we are aiming for something different with this series. I also love showing off the amazing art by Jamie Fay and colorist Danielle St. Pierre!

NEVERMINDS #2 BACKCOVER BY ROSS CAMPBELL

2011-08-28T07:33:00.000-07:00

We're proud to show off what will be the back cover for NEVERMINDS #2. This beautiful drawing of Nina was drawn by Ross Campbell and colored by Danielle St. Pierre. Ross is an extremely talented writer and artist, who has been nominated for multiple awards (including being nominated twice for an Eisner Award!). His work includes Wet Moon, Shadoweyes, The Abandoned, Water Baby and Mountain Girl. Ross work has a truly unique style to it. It's expressive in so many ways. His use of body language and facial expression really make his characters come to live. He also creates a very believable world with his writing and makes you care about each and every one of his characters. That's not something many creators can say. So, when Ross agreed to draw the back cover for NEVERMINDS #2, we were very excited! I love his rendition of Nina from the main part of the NEVERMINDS team and it's fitting that he's drawn her as she is the main focus of issue #2. Please check out more of Ross's work at www.greenoblivion.com and www.mooncalfe.deviantart.com.

Also bringing this back cover to life is our very talented colorist for NEVERMINDS #2, Danielle St. Pierre. We're super excited to see each page Danielle has been turning in and can't wait to show off her work. She did a knockout job on Ross's art and wait until you see what she's doing with Jamie Fay's! Check out more of Danielle's work at www.witchysaint.deviantart.com. We'll show more previews of issue #2 tomorrow!

SANRIA BY RHINANNON OWENS

2011-08-26T06:25:00.001-07:00

This sketch of Sanria, from Neverminds, was drawn by the extremely talented Rhiannon Owens. I love Rhiannon's work! The amount of detail and color technique put into each commission is amazing. On top of that, Rhiannon is a blast to be around and funny as hell. Check out more of Rhiannon's work at http://www.dangerous-beauty778.deviantart.com/

FIREBOMB BY BILL WALKO

2011-08-26T06:24:00.000-07:00

This sketch of Firebomb, from SENTINELS, was drawn by Bill Walko at the 2011 Baltimore Comicon. Bill and i go waaaaay back and earlier this year, he decided to jump into the self publishing world with his own comic. I really love Bill's style and his version of Firebomb looks great! I love the border he made around her and the sleek lines. The only problem Bill had with it is that he left the sketch book open on a chair and his table neighbor knocked Bill's own coffee over on it. Doh! Luckily, only the one page was damaged and it scanned perfectly. :)

2011 BALTIMORE COMICON REPORT

2011-08-25T06:13:00.002-07:00

So, this past weekend was the 2011 Baltimore Comicon. This is only a two day show, but it gets a very good turnout. We arrived bright and early Saturday morning to the show, eager to be there, only to discover that our table was cornered with two other artists. Unfortunately, this lead to some problems as we weren't able to put up both of our banners due to their table and ours over-lapping. I got someone from the convention to try to help us and they said they would be back quickly, but they had Stan Lee entering the building and needed to take care of him. No problem, Stan is a legend and deserves the attention and to be taken care of. So, we went about our business and only put up the NEVERMINDS banner. I was totally scrunched into my half of the table and shadow by another person's display on the right of me and no banner behind me. This made it hard to see what I had on my table and really show the books off or get attention. Needless to say, Saturday was not a good day at the convention for me. Sure, I sold a few books and art, but not the volume I usually do. Jamie Fay on the other hand did great and was completely book the entire day and even had to take commissions back to the hotel room to finish. Near the end of the day, I realized that nobody had come back over to us from the convention to help us with our problem. I went and found the person in charge and although he was very nice, there was basically nothing they could do. Sigh.

That night we got to have dinner with a great group of people! One of which was our friend from down south, Rhiannon Owens. Rhiannon is an extremely talented artist and came to the Baltimore Con mainly because we, and a few other people, told her it was a good show. She said the show went well for her, so I'm glad she made the trip up. We love seeing her and she's hilarious to hang with.

After dinner, we went to have fun at one of the hotel bars. We ran into the amazing Amanda Conner, who was very happy to see us. Amanda is one of the best creators in the biz (in my opinion) along with Jimmy Palmiotti. Amanda is working on a ton of things right now and I can't wait to see what she has out next. Whatever it is, you know with Amanda its going to be good!

Sunday was a really different day for me. For some reason, I was selling a ton of art. I sold a lot of books too, don't get me wrong, but it seemed it was totally and art day. I ended up selling over 20 of my pre-made headshot sketches and then did 4 commissions. Add that to the volumes of books sold on Sunday and I ended up okay for the weekend despite Saturday and the table prob.

Eventually, the guy running the Con offered to give us a break on next years table due to the problem we had. I'm not sure we will be returning next year though. We have to check our schedule.

We want to give a HUGE thanks to everyone who came out and supported us the Con! You guys are the best!!

HARLETTE BY TIM LASKEY

2011-08-25T06:13:00.001-07:00

This sketch of Harlette, from SENTINELS, was done at the 2011 Wizard World Philly Con by Tim Laskey. This was one of two sketches I got from Tim at the convention that weekend (I posted the other one a few weeks ago, check below!). Tim was seated a table down from us, so we chatted a bunch of times and I lucky enough to get him to do these sketches. I love his interpetation of Harlette! His use of color and the background only add to the already dynamic pose. Tim is currently working on his own comic series and hopes to have something out soon. I will definitely be looking out for it and post more about it when he gets it out to the comic world!

BALTIMORE COMICON!

2011-08-16T06:21:00.003-07:00

I know I'm a little late getting this info out, but this weekend (August 20 - 21) I'll be at the Baltimore Comicon in Artist Alley at table A-128. I'll be there sharing a table with NEVERMINDS artist, Jamie Fay. We'll both be doing commissions, selling prints and selling NEVERMINDS and SENTINELS. As we always do at conventions, we'll have an awesome deal on the entire set of SENTINELS books. Stop by our table for details!

ELECTRON BY TIM LASKEY

2011-08-16T06:21:00.001-07:00

This sketch of Electron, from SENTINELS, was drawn by Tim Laskey at the 2011 Wizard World Philly Con. Tim is a super nice guy and very, very talented. Tim puts a lot of thought into each of his sketches and it was great seeing him working on them throughout the day. I liked Tim's art so much, that I actually got two sketches by him at the convention, lol.

ALANIS MUNROE BY NEI RUFFINO

2011-08-11T06:44:00.000-07:00

This sketch of Alanis Munroe from NEVERMINDS was done by Nei Ruffino at the 2011 Wizard World Philly Convention. Wayyyyy back when we first started NEVERMINDS (and when it was a completely different story), Nei was the colorist on the book. Anyone who has seen her coloring knows how amazing she is and it wasn't long before she was coloring multiple books for Zenoscope and DC Comics. Currently, she is coloring Birds of Prey and one of the Green Lantern books for DC Comics. In addition to being a professional colorist, Nei is also a talented artist. As you can see her she has a really unique and soft feel to her style. I also love her crisp linework and the expression she gave Alanis. Please check out more of Nei work at http://www.bakanekonei.deviantart.com/ .

NEW HEADSHOTS AND COMMISSIONS

2011-08-08T06:59:00.001-07:00

I haven't posted any of my sketches in a while, so i figured I'd post a few today. Here are some recent ones and two commissions (Indiana Jones and a sketchcard of an original character, Serenity Star).

BUGGED COVER!

2011-08-04T07:54:00.000-07:00

I'm very proud to show the cover for our third title, BUGGED. This original graphic novel has been a long time coming, but we're finally getting very close to completion and plan to have the book out before the end of the year. Soon, I'll post more previews and give some hints as to what the story is about. But for now, I hope the cover, by uber talented artist, Teyo, is intriguing enough. :)

NEVERMINDS #2 PREVIEW

2011-08-03T06:17:00.000-07:00

Not to give too much away just yet, but here are two preview panels from NEVERMINDS #2 which we hope to have ready for the 2011 NYC Comicon! This issue tells the back story of Nina and explains a lot of things about her. We have a new colorist for this issue, Danielle St. Pierre! Danielle is a very talented artist and was one of the winners of our first Drumfish Art Contest on Deviant Art. We're extremely happy to have her on board and believe that everyone will be very impressed with her coloring. Please check out Danielle's work at http://www.witchysaint.deviantart.com/ .

SAMANYA BY FRANCO AURELIANI

2011-08-01T07:23:00.001-07:00

This sketch of Samanya from NEVERMINDS was done by Franco Aureliani. Franco is half of the amazing team (along with creative partner, Art Baltazar) that produces Tiny Titans every month for DC Comics. The book has won many, many awards included an Eisner (which is the Oscars of the comic world) and continues to be a great read for young children. I really admire Franco and all the work he's done on that book and many others. I love that their work can cross all ages and helps to bring young readers into comics. I saw Franco at the 2011 Wizard World Philly Con and even though i have gotten sketches from him in the past, how can I resist getting a super cute sketch like this when he's doing them for only a dollar? Check out more of Franco work at http://www.blindwolfstudios.com/ and if you have or know any young kids, buy them Tiny Titans to read!

TWO GREAT PROJECTS ON KICKSTARTER

2011-07-29T06:24:00.000-07:00

Please take time to check out the following two kickstarter pages!

The first is Breakers by Noel Short and Andrew Reeves. Breakers is the story of an underwater world and it's inhabitants. The story focuses on the heroic, Gundred, as he struggles to discover the truth about his people's past and also change his life. The art for the story was first done by NEVERMINDS colorist, Rey Arzeno, and will now be drawn by Ashish Joshi. You can see all kinds of preview art and a cool video on their kickstarter page. They are offering some nice incentives for donating to their project. Check it out here!

The other project I wanted to mention is No Sweets For Santa by John Gramhan and Mark Mariano. This is a fun holiday themed book that promotes positive eating and still entertains kids! The art is very cute and, just like with Breakers, they are offering some nice incentive packages for donating to their project. Please check it out here!

ANOTHER DRUMFISH CONTEST ON DEVIANT ART

2011-07-27T06:21:00.000-07:00

Since we had such a great turnout and so fun with the first Drumfish Productions Art Contest that we had on DeviantArt, we decided it was time to do another. Go over to our Deviant page at http://www.drumfishproductions.deviantart.com/ and check out the info. You'll see the rules, prize info and deadline date. You do need to be a member on DeviantArt to enter, but it's a great site that I highly recommend any aspiring artist or creator to check out. We're doing this contest to coincide with the release of NEVERMINDS #2.

I also thought I should mention something that I posted earlier this year. There is a cool site called Patched Together that makes statues and toys. On there, Firebomb and Harlette from SENTINELS have been submitted for consideration to be made as statues. I spoke with them and they really like the designs, but because the costumes are so detailed, they need more interest. I know any fan of SENTINELS would love to have these, so, if that's the case, please head over to the site and voice to them that you support seeing these made! VOTE! Check it out at link and link.

ALANIS MUNROE BY GEORGE PEREZ

2011-07-25T06:19:00.001-07:00

This sketch of Alanis Munroe, from NEVERMINDS, is the last sketch I got at the 2011 Pittsburgh Comicon and it was done by the maestro himself, George Perez! It's no secret that George has been a big influence into my comic life and anytime I'm able to catch up with him or get a commission, I jump at it. This time was especially nice as, later in the show, George came around and chatted with me at my table for a little while. He stopped and looked at all the books I've done and said to the people around how proud he was of me and how great it was to see Drumfish's second series out. It was really great to hear him say that and it made my day. After the comments I got from Phil Jimenez, this sent me over the top, lol. Since I had gotten all of the SENTINELS team drawn by George in the past and he drew Samanya from NEVERMINDS at Megacon this year, I figured I should get another of the main characters from that team. I decided on Alanis this time and I love his rendition of her. She looks beautiful. Her eyes draw you right in! Then again, that's no surprise, George makes every character look amazing!

RAPTURE BY ZIGGY BLUMENTHAL

2011-07-21T05:58:00.001-07:00

This sketch of Rapture from SENTINELS was drawn by Ziggy Blumenthal at the 2011 Pittsburgh Comicon. I've known Ziggy for a while now and let me tell you, he's a real pain in the a$$, lol. He'll throw drinks at you if you're not careful, lol. Seriously though, Ziggy is a super funny guy (again, when he's not splashing drinks around) and a very good artist. Last year, he did a funny sketch for me of Bolt from the 1st Gen SENTINELS and had him riding a kid's hip-hop horse and being struck by lightening. We both thought it was a funny theme to continue and he did another this year with this sketch of Rapture going down a sliding board. I love this idea and hope to get him to do more as time goes by. Check out more of Ziggy's work at http://www.fakemccoy.com/ and watch your back if you run into him at a convention! (Just kidding! lol)

MORE PITTSBURGH SKETCHES

2011-07-18T06:49:00.001-07:00

Since I'm way behind in posting the sketches I've gotten, I'm putting a few up here that I got while at the 2011 Pittsburgh Comicon. The first is of the three ladies from NEVERMINDS drawn by the very funny, Phil Juliano. Phil always puts a fun twist on his sketches and I love his interpretation of them. His Samanya cracks me up. Phil's cartoon strip, "Best in Show", is awesome and is featured in many newspapers across the country. Check it out at http://www.bestinshow.com/ .

This sketch of Heartache, from the 3rd Gen SENTINELS, was drawn by Phil's cartoon partner, Mike Cole. Mike is the creator of the cartoon strip, "Dragin", which is about a guy and a...dragon, lol. It has a lot of the same wit as Phil's 'toon and I liked Mike's cartoon style. Check out more of his work at http://www.dragincomics.com/ .

Last, but not least, is this sketch of Crusher from SENTINELS was drawn by James Q. Nguyen. James was stuck way back in the second room at the Con, but I was still able to find him and get this energetic sketch. I really like James's sense of motion here and in all the sketches I saw him doing. He also works super fast! See more of James's work at http://www.jamesq.deviantart.com/ .

BUGGED PREVIEW PAGE

2011-07-13T06:18:00.001-07:00

It's been a long time since I posted anything concerning the other book I've been working on, BUGGED. I didn't want to keep posting or mentioning things until we had more work done. Well, it's looking like we'll have this OGN done before the end of the year. I really, really can't wait! It's a very different type of story from what I've ever done before. I still don't want to talk about the book too much, so I figure I'd show a page just to give a taste of what it is. More soon....

NINA BY CHRIS MORENO

2011-07-11T06:28:00.001-07:00

Everytime I see Chris Moreno at a convention, I always try to get a sketch by him. Chris always put extra effort into every sketch he does and never disappoints! Since he's drawn a few of the SENTINELS characters already, this time at the 2011 Pittsburgh Comicon, I asked him to pick of the NEVERMINDS team this time. He choose Nina and did an awesome job on here. I love the effects he added to her and the watercolor wash really makes her pop! Check out more of Chris work at http://www.chrismoreno.org/ .

ELECTRON BY PHIL JIMENEZ

2011-07-07T05:59:00.001-07:00

It's often hard to stay positive in the comic biz, especially as an Independent publisher. You get knocked around a lot, back-stabbed a lot and snubbed sometimes for no reason other than your not friends with the right people. Believe me, I've been there and still am, lol. But whenever I get to the point of just throwing in the towel and admitting defeat, I try to look at the good things that I've accomplished and the great people I've met. One of those people high up on the list is Phil Jimenez. Phil is a huge name with the comic industry and rightfully so, he's one of the rare talents who truly lives up to his image. Not only is Phil an incredible artist, but he's one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. He works very hard at his craft and it shows. I had met Phil a few years ago, but hadn't seen him in a long time. This year though, Phil was at the 2011 Pittsburgh Comicon and only a few tables away from me. All weekend long, Phil was drawing free sketches for people. His one rule - you had to wait there as he drew it. This meant, lol, you had to talk to him. Well, I mean you didn't have to, but why wouldn't you? It's rare to get time to talk one on one with a big name creator. I didn't bother to get in line for a sketch on Friday or Saturday, figuring that I didn't have time to wait in line, even though I wanted to and wanted to say hi. But when Sunday came around, I learned how quick Phil was drawing and had an opportunity to wait in line for a short time and get a sketch. Phil remembered me and we chatted for a while as he drew the sketch posted here of Electron from SENTINELS. But what was really cool was Phil stopping by my table later and chatting more and saying how great SENTINELS and NEVERMINDS looked and how impressed he was with the work. As we spoke, Phil mentioned how he also taught art classes back in NYC and he was teaching a superhero class in June. When I returned to NYC, I signed up for the class and ended having a great time and learning a lot of great tips. It's creators like Phil who I try to think of whenever I need to get back into that positive state of mind. He's a class act and incredible artist!

ELECTRON BY ANDREW HARMON

2011-07-05T08:10:00.000-07:00

This sketch of Electron was done by Andrew Harmon at the 2011 Wizard World Philly Con. I met Andrew a few years back in Florida at the 2009 Megacon and also knew him through Deviant Art. Andrew is primarily a colorist and does amazing work. His coloring style is unique in that he does it all in many different layers and uses different levels of flat color to achieve a very original look. In addition to coloring, Andrew also draws and was kind enough to do this sketch for me for free! I love all different types of styles, but lean a bit to the more animated stuff, so naturaly, I really like Andrew's work. Andrew also created a group called the Dynamic League, which helps children with Type 1 Diabetes. In order to help promote awareness and education about the disease, the Dynamic League gives children character sheets which allow them to create their own hero. Different artists then draw the hero and the character gets to join the League. I think it's a great and inspirational idea that I hope people look into it more at http://www.thedynamicleague.com/ . And please check out more of Andrew's work at http://www.charactersink.deviantart.com/ . I've also included an example of his awesome coloring that he did on linework done by artist, Jamie Fay.

FIREBOMB BY JOE PEKAR

2011-06-29T07:24:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite artist to get something by at conventions is Joe Pekar. This sketch of Firebomb from SENTINELS was done at the 2011 Pittsburgh Comicon and was done in addition to the Rapture pic I posted a while back. Joe is always drawing away at Cons and has a long list. Seeing his work, that's no surprise. His female rendition of characters are always amazing! I also love the way Joe colors and even though it looks like he's using watercolors, this is all done with markers! Please check out more of Joe's work at http://www.joepekar.com/ .

A COUPLE MORE HEADSHOT SKETCHES

2011-06-27T10:13:00.000-07:00

Here are a few headshot sketches I forgot to post. Don't have much time to write on here today, so I figured this would work as something fun to see.

ALANIS MUNROE BY GENE GONZALES

2011-06-24T06:35:00.000-07:00

Here's another of the great sketches I got at the 2011 Pittsburgh Comicon. This sketch of Alanis Munroe from NEVERMINDS was drawn by Gene Gonzales. I love Gene's clean and smooth style and his linework is perfect! Gene excels at drawing beautiful women and as you can see here, he did an amazing job on Alanis. On top of being such a great artist, Gene is a super nice guy and very friendly. He seems to love what he does, and how could he not when he's so good! Check out more of Gene's work at http://www.genegonzales.blogspot.com/ .

FIRST GEN TEMPLAR BY DAVE WACHTER

2011-06-23T06:31:00.000-07:00

I truly LOVE this sketch of the first Gen SENTINELS leader, Templar, drawn by Dave Watcher at the 2011 Pittsburgh Comicon. Dave always puts so much time and energy in to each of the sketches he does at conventions and it really shows here. Something that really impresses me in this sketch is that it's in black and white yet has a feel of color around his sword and shield. I also love how much this looks like a painting. Anyone who catches Dave at a convention shouldn't think twice about getting a sketch from him, it impossible for him to do a bad sketch! This year, Dave's talent was recognized (along with co-creator, James Andrew Clark) with an Eisner award nomination for his webcomic "The Guns of Shadow Valley" http://www.gunsofshadowvalley.com/ . I hope they win! Check out more of Dave's work at http://www.davedrawscomics.com/ .

WIZARD WORLD PHILLY REPORT

2011-06-21T07:22:00.001-07:00

Wizard World Philly was a mixture of good and bad. Overall, the Con was great! The attendance was very high and the crowd was super nice and enthusiastic. But what made for a semi-difficult convention was the organization. The Con was run horribly. People were waiting outside in line for hours from what I was told. Apparently, they sold a HUGE amount of "one day" tickets, but I was told by someone that there was no date on them and everyone seemed to pick Saturday for their "one day" which leads to a wait getting in. Not sure if that is true or not, but it was packed Saturday. In addition to that, Artist Alley was a complete mess. Names of people were not on programs (a sheet of paper handed out at the door) or on all tables. Certain people were allowed to set up wherever they wanted and the people who originally had the spot were moved. We never got badges even after being told they would bring them to us two days in a row. Same with name banners on table. It was just overall a mess in terms of treatment and organization.
On the plus side though, the crowd and other artists really helped make this a great show. All around people seemed to be in good spirits and feedback on NEVERMINDS has been great! We sold all of the copies we had except three. And I also sold all the sets of SENTINELS that I brought except one. I always love when I can go home with little to no books, lol. It was great! I also sold a lot of my pre-made headshot sketches and did 5 commissions (shown with this post) at the show. I'm getting more confident with my art and have been able to draw more while at the table. This is something I've been trying to work on for a while now. Hopefully, I'll keep getting better at it. It was great seeing old friends and making new ones. I really appreciate everyone who stopped by to say hello! I don't know what it is about Philly, but everyone is always super nice. I even ran into three fellow Tyler School of Art alumni who were sitting behind me. I think there ended up being six graduates from there at the show. It was great to see others who went to the same school as me selling their work. I really enjoy attending this convention and hope that next year they organize it better! Again, HUGE thanks to everyone who stopped by and supported us. We couldn't (and wouldn't) do it without you all!

WIZARD WORLD PHILLY - JUNE 17-19

2011-06-15T06:35:00.000-07:00

I'll be at Wizard World Philly this weekend at table# 1705 with NEVERMINDS artist, Jamie Fay. We'll have NEVERMINDS #1 and all 5 SENTINELS trades. I’ll also have copies of my sketchbook and our collab comic COMICON ON MONSTER ISLAND.

Jamie will be selling prints and doing commissions and I'll also be selling my colored headshot sketches and doing commissions!

Stop by and say hello!

TEMPLAR BY MIKEY WOOD

2011-06-13T06:46:00.001-07:00

Here's another of the great sketches I got at the 2011 Pittsburgh Comicon. This sketch of Templar, in his costume from SENTINELS Book 4: Hope, was drawn by friend and talented artist, Mikey Wood. Mikey is always drawing up a storm at conventions and his energetic and animated style really shines in his art. I love the way he add color to his pieces too. Mikey draws the uber cool comic "Hate your Friends" and "Love in a Time of Super Heroes. Check out more of Mikey's work at www.facebook.com/SpaceMonkeyComics .

READ IT! ANDREA GRANT'S MINX

2011-06-10T07:03:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since I've done a "read it" plug on here (September 2010 to be exact, lol), but I have been reading a lot of new books that I really enjoy and want to share them with people. The first of which is Andrea Grant's "Minx". I've known Andrea for a long time now and when she started I was able to give her whatever advice I could. She didn't need much though, because she hit the ground running when she started and published her first issue of Minx. It wasn't long after the first original issue #1 came out that Andrea met NEVERMINDS colorist and super-artist, Rey Arzeno. After working with him for a while, Andrea decided to revamp Minx and start over. This time with Rey as the artist and publishing through a new company called Ardden. The results are really amazing and the story and art have never been better. Filled with supernatural and Native American themes, Minx is a unique and interesting start to what I believe will be an exciting story. The main character awakes after being in a coma, only to find much time has passed and things are no longer the same. She is torn between the real world we all live in and the dream world where she spent so much time. Rey's beautiful rendition of the title character (and writer) is on the level of Adam Hughes and Terry Dodson in my opinion. I'm sure before he knows it, Rey will be drawing a book for DC and Marvel (just like I predicted for Luciano and Jamie, lol. And Luciano already is!). I believe comics need more strong female characters who have their own books and Minx is definitely one of those. Find out more about Minx at www.copiousamounts.com/minx .

A FEW NEW HEADSHOTS

2011-06-08T07:24:00.001-07:00

I haven't been able to do as much drawing as I'd like to lately, but here are a few new headshots in preparation for next weeks Wizard World Philly Con. I was on an X-Men kick because of the movie, lol. I have a few commissions to complete before the convention too. Staying busy!!

INTERACTIVES BY LUCIANO VECCHIO

2011-06-07T06:34:00.000-07:00

SENTINELS artist extraordinaire has another new project coming out, Interactives. Written by UK writer, Peter Rogers, Luciano brings to life the OGN describe like this: "The public is obsessed with reality and the creatures from fantasy fiction fear extinction. Dragons, giants, orcs, goblins, and trolls - one by one they're breaking through from The Realm to The Real. War is coming to London and only geek blogger scallywag and his online followers stand in their way. Let your imagination run wild and get ready for some action!" I've seen a few pages and in typical Luciano fashion, he excels at creating a believable and interesting world with lots of detail and character development. But anyone who knows Luciano's work knows that he's not capable of doing anything otherwise. Interactives is available for pre-order through Diamond Comic Distributors and other sites. Check it out by googling 'Luciano Vecchio' and 'Interactives', lots of ordering sites will pop up!

HARLETTE AND ALANIS BY ERIC KODA

2011-06-06T05:10:00.001-07:00

Check out this amazing drawing by Eric Koda of Harlette from SENTINELS and Alanis Munroe from NEVERMINDS. This sketch was gotten by Jamie Fay through Deviant Art and it's the first time characters from both of Drumfish Productions books have been drawn together. Cool, huh? I really love Eric realistic style and coloring technique. His work is truly beautiful. See more of Eric's art at http://www.executiveorder9066.deviantart.com/ .

HENKO BY REY ARZENO

2011-06-01T06:57:00.001-07:00

Here's a fun sketch of Henko from NEVERMINDS drawn by NEVERMINDS colorist, Rey Arzeno. Henko is a fun and interesting character we're developing and, as a writer, it's cool to see sketches like this from the artists. It helps me make decisions about what does and doesn't work for the character. I'm not sure how many people are familar with BatBoy, but this sketch was inspired by that. Rey is always doing funny things like this, it's part of his charm, lol.

RAPTURE BY JOE PEKAR

2011-05-30T08:05:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite artists to get something from at conventions is Joe Pekar. Joe is a super nice guy and an amazingly talented artist. At this years Pittsburgh Comicon, I got not one, but two beautiful sketches by Joe and they turned out to be two of the best I got there. Joe's strong point is definitely women and I don't think he can draw an unattractive one even if he tried. I love his use of color and his marker technique makes it look like he painted them. If anyone ever has the chance to meet Joe and get a sketch from him, you have to! But don't take my word for it, just look at his rendition of Rapture from SENTINELS here with this post and look through his gallery at http://www.joepekar.com/ .

SERPENTA BY CHRIS VANCE

2011-05-27T08:38:00.000-07:00

This sketch of Serpenta from SENTINELS was drawn by Chris Vance at the 2011 Pittsburgh Comicon. A friend recommended that I check out Chris work while at the Con and I'm really glad I did. Chris work really impressed me with the body language he puts into his figures. There a depth to his figures that not all artists achieve. I also love the way he applies color and loved his portrayal of Serpenta so much that I got another piece by him that I'll post later. On top of all that, Chris is a very nice guy who works very fast. I think he did this within a half hour. Check out more of Chris work at http://www.comicninja.deviantart.com/ .

WHAT'S GOING ON AND UPDATES!

2011-05-26T07:04:00.001-07:00

I know that I haven't been posting on this blog as much as I used to, and I apologize for that. I didn't really even realize until I got a few emails asking why I wasn't posting. And to be honest, I have seen many comments on here for a while, so I wasn't even sure who was checking in or not. I've been extremely busy with work, projects and of course, the puppy, lol. But that's no real excuse to not post on here more. I will truly try to post more from now on.

Next month I'll be at the 2011 Wizard World Philly Con. We've always done very well there and I love going to this convention because it's where I'm from (even went to Temple's Art School-Tyler School of Art- in the city). So, for anyone planning to attend the Con, stop by and say hello. We hope to have our table number soon and will post it here asap.

And just because I haven't been posting much, I don't want anyone to think we're not working on stuff. I've done quite a few commission recently (thanks to all who commissioned me!!) and I'm still doing headshot sketches to sell at Cons whenever I get a chance.

We're working hard on issue #2 of NEVERMINDS and it's going to be a good one! Wait until you see the art! (Previews soon, I promise). I'm also hoping to have the long talked about BUGGED original graphic novel done soon (formerly titled Roach). Teyo, the artist on the book, hopes to be finished the art by the end of the summer. So, we might have it premiere at the 2011 NYC Comicon! It's really a different type of book from me, so I hope people will like it.

And lastly, I sold my first story to DC Comics a few months ago. It's just a short story, but still very cool and as soon as I can say something about it, i will. I think it's okay for me to say that it's for Cartoon Network and not the mainstream DC Universe. I just thought I'd clarify that for anyone wondering. :)

So, hang in there with us and post on here or our Facebook page. We'd love to hear from you all and know what you thought of the first issue of NEVERMINDS!

SAMANYA BY DAVID QUILES

2011-05-11T06:32:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite artists to get a sketch from is David Quiles. David always knocks it out of the park with every sketch that he does, and his rendition of Samanya from NEVERMINDS is a homerun. David did this sketch at the 2011 Pittsburgh Comicon and it was one of my favorites from the convention. I love the way David builds upon his art but applying layers of paint and highlights. It can't really be seen in this scan, but there is some really nice texture to this piece. Usually he works strickly in black and white, but with this sketch, he added just a little bit of color to really make Samanya pop! I can't say enough about David's work and how nice a guy he is. If you ever have the opportunity to get something by him, do it! Please check out more of David's work at http://www.davidquiles.deviantart.com/ .

MOCCA CON SKETCHES

2011-05-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

I only got three sketches at this years Mocca Con in NYC. It was an unusual convention for me as I ended up getting a lot of books and only a few sketches. The Con was MUCH better than it has been in the past. There was truly a lot of great work there. Among the highlights are the artists who did the following sketches, but also it was great to meet new and returning creators. One creator who's work I really enjoy and was happy to see was Charles Soule. I had met Charles a while ago at a convention and he showed me his comic "Strongman". We chatted for a while and I gave him some advice on publishing (not that I know tons, lol). Little did I realize that years later, Charles would be writing his own Image comic book! Charles is the creator and writer of 27 from Image Comics. It's a great story about a rockstar who tries to survive his talent and live to make it to his 28th birthday. Many famous rockstars (Jimmy Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison) have all died at age 27, so it's a really great idea to use historical facts and tell an intriguing story. Congrats again to Charles! Follow Charles on twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/charlessoule .

Another interesting creator I met was Justin Madson who writes and draws the webcomic "Breathers". Justin was at the convention selling the first printed collection of Breathers. I really loved this book and how different it is. Basically, the air outside is not safe to breathe. A virus has been unleashed and is deadly to humans. The story follows different characters within this world including one of which can breathe the air and not die. The comic is hosted online at Mtv Geek (and Justin was even interviewed by Mtv while I was there!). After I chatted with Justin for a while he even did a FREE sketch of Harlette from SENTINELS for me in my sketch book. Cool, huh? Check out Breathers at http://www.justmadbooks.com/ .
Another awesome creator I met was Agent Agnes. Agent has a really soft style that caught my eye and I got her book "Disconnect". It's really a wild read and is about a man who creates a robot that looks human. He slowly gets programming that allows it to began feeling emotion and making its own choices. I think in this day and age, it's an interesting idea and executed very well and realistically. I also asked Agent to draw something in my sketch book and let her pick who she wanted to draw. She choose Gospel in her look from SENTINELS Book 3: Echoes. Yes, that means there is a little nudity here. Please be of age to look at larger version. Check out more of Agent's work at http://www.agentagnes.com/ .

Still another creator who's work I really liked at Mocca, was Annie Wu. Annie was working feverishly on a sketch and it was the way she was drawing that caught my eye. Upon looking at her work, I really loved her style. Especially the way she drew female characters and their eyes. Annie was kind enough to draw this sketch of Alanis Munroe from NEVERMINDS for me. Please check out Annie's work at http://www.anniewuart.com/ .

Since most of my time was spent chatting with creators, these are the only sketches I got at the 2011 Mocca Con. In addition to these talented folks, I also got to meet a cool group of artists who put together a joint book called the Anthology Project. The book was beautifully printed and the stories were all great. So far, they've done two hardcover books and I eager await the next. Also, I got to meet Spike again. Spike writes and draws the hit webcomic, "Templar Arizona". She had the latest collection of Templar, Arizona there. I know I'm forgetting people, but since it's been a few months now since the Con and I am getting old, I can't recall everyones name. I appologize for that. The 2011 Mocca show really turned out to be a great show. I can't wait for next year and to meet even more new creators and see their work!

ELECTRON BY JORDANA BITNER

2011-05-05T08:53:00.001-07:00

Here is the last (but definitely not the least!) of the sketches I got at the 2011 Megacon in Florida. This sketch of Electron from SENTINELS was drawn by the talented Jordana Bitner. Jordana was sitting at one of the tables near mine and it wasn't until the last day of the Con that I was able to get a good look at what she was doing. Jordana's art blew me away with the energy and detail she put into it and I really like her anime-ish style. I asked her to do a sketch of Electron for me and I knew she'd do a superb job. I love the slight amount of color she added to the sketch and think it really makes the figure pop. Please check out more of Jordana's work at http://www.witheringmoon.deviantart.com/ .

HEARTACHE AND WICKKID BY ERIC MORIN

2011-05-04T07:16:00.001-07:00

Here's another of the cool sketches I got at the 2011 Megacon in Florida. Eric Morin was an artist who's work immediately caught my eye because I thought it had a lot of energy and humor in it. I asked him to draw Heartache and Wickkid from the 3rd Gen SENTINELS. I love that he had her using her powers on him and changed him into a bird, lol. Very cute and funny. Check out more of Eric's work at http://www.spookyco.com/.

ALANIS MUNROE BY CELINE CHAPUS

2011-05-03T07:09:00.001-07:00

This sketch of Alanis Munroe from NEVERMINDS was drawn by Celine Chapus at the 2011 Megacon in Florida. I really love Celine's soft line work. There's a real sensitivity in her art that gives it a unique look. On top of that, Celine is super nice and truly takes her time on each sketch she does. Check out more of Celine's work at http://www.purpletophat.com/ .