Vacation!

I am finished "Archie Snow: Snakepit", the three-part series that runs from Proof #26-28. That concludes my obligations to Proof until the start of Season Two later this fall. Alex and I have planned something cool for it, can't wait to get started.

Squeak! is, at long last, finished. I delivered the last of the artwork (including cover) to our letterer/designer. Time to kick back, I think. I will be visiting New York City for the first time, but I will be gone for a week so no blog update until I return.

Until then, here's two Archie sketches I did that never saw print anywhere. They're both practice for con sketches, the type I normally do at shows. I like the first one a lot, but the second one (a blatant ape of Tim Sale's default 'dude with a sword' pose) has a short, short arm. The Sword of Ten Destinies, Archie's blade, was obviously still in the planning stage at this point.

Something to tease... Here's Ernie, Archie's guide, saying something important in "Snakepit, Part 3". It will be out in five weeks. Cheers!

Ronnie James Dio

Ronnie James Dio is one of my favorite singers, and now he's gone.

Ronnie had the thankless task of taking over the lead vocals for the greatest metal band in history, Black Sabbath, after Ozzy got fired.  Dio broke up with (and rejoined) Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler not once but twice, most recently as the black-as-pitch supergroup Heaven and Hell. Together with Sabbath (and his own band, Dio) Dio's music was my gateway drug to heavy metal, which I love with no apologies. If it weren't for Ronnie, I wouldn't have discovered Judas Priest, Motorhead, White Zombie, Slayer, and Megadeth... And without them I wouldn't know anything about Angel Witch or Dokken or Brocas Helm or Testament or Anvil or 3 Inches of Blood.

Thanks, Ronnie. Every time I throw the horns, I'm throwing them for you.

Montreal Con sketch roundup

The latest Montreal Comic Con was this past weekend, and it was one of the busiest shows I've ever had. Between this and Calgary, I'm really impressed with the groundswell of support my work is getting. Thanks, everyone.

First of all, check this kid out. He was dressed as Altair from the Ubisoft Montreal video game Assassin's Creed. His suit was awesome, and he had tiny wooden versions of all of Altair's assassin weapons. His mom took a picture of him stabbing me to death in the neck with his little arm knife, which may have been a chopstick. Fantastic!

Batgirl!

Black Cat!

Apocalypse and the Four My Little Ponies of Apocalypse!

A luchadore (whose name escapes me)!

Lastly, Two-Face.

Montreal Comic Con, birthday cards

I will not be attending the mighty TCAF in Toronto this weekend. I will, instead, be a guest of the Montreal Comic Con here in rainy Montreal. Although my name doesn't appear on the website, I have confirmed my spot and look forward to seeing old and new faces. I'll have some prints and artwork for sale, as well as a bunch of Proof and Archie Snow pages.

Should be some big news about Squeak!: Werewolf! within a couple of weeks. Until then, here are a couple of birthday cards for my friends Tim and Jackie.