Creator Owned Day

It's Creator Owned Day today, which means comic creators such as myself are talking up their books. I'm currently lettering a creator-owned book called Bedlam (which you should be buying!) but I don't own it... But I do own Archie Snow.

Archie, for those of you who remember, appeared in nearly thirty issues of Proof back in the late 2000's. In 2009, I was contacted to produce a mythology-based story for an anthology that never quite took flight. I released the story (relettered with a fancy cover) as a digital download at the Montreal Comic Con last year. But for those of you who missed it...

Here it is. Happy Creator Owned Day!

Archie Snow: Milarepa

Here's the cover: it was drawn by me and inked by the great Riley Rossmo. It appears for the first time ever. I hope you enjoy it, I hope you dig the story, and I hope you go out and buy some fine creator-owned books (like Bedlam) from your local merchants.

Montreal Mini Comic Con

  Memo Man! His weapon is Post-It notes.

 Azazel gets good news

Zombie caricature (this dude was totally into it) 

The Red Hood 

Rebel Blood-style zombie moose

The Montreal Mini Comic Con was yesterday! The show went very well; it was the best mini-con I've had in a few years. Thanks very much to everyone who came to my table. I sold out of most of my books and did a bunch of sketches (many for new fans, which is great). Met Marvel artist Nick Bradshaw, who was very cool. We had a nice chat about N.C. Wyeth, and Wolverine.


Now comes the big push before Christmas; finishing up freelance design and illustration work, clearing my commission list (thanks again, everyone!), and finishing up letters for the next issues of Bedlam, Dia de Los Muertos and a new unannounced book.

It's been a hard year, but it's been a very good one. I am very grateful for my fans, my students, my friends, and my family; I really couldn't do any of it without you.

Johann Kraus / brief update

Wow, what a month. I'll do a proper writeup of what I've been doing for the past few weeks. It hasn't been fun and it hasn't been easy and I hope you never have to go through any of it.

Decided to get back into the groove after reading the terrific B.P.R.D.: The Long Death #1 this week. The only active superhuman member of the team, Johann Kraus, takes center stage yet again as the B-plot involving Captain Ben Daimio, Daryl the wendigo, and a certain 15-foot jaguar god begins to wind down. I eagerly anticipate issue #2 as much as I dread it.

Johann got snazzy new duds in the recently-concluded B.P.R.D.: Russia and I was itching to draw it.

Since it's been awhile, here's where you can find me elsewhere on the net:

• My website (with portfolio)
• My deviantArt page
• My Tumblr
• My recently-concluded webcomic That's So Kraven!

As far as other news: I lettered and coloured Green Wake #10, the final issue, which comes out very soon. It was daunting taking over from regular colorist Riley Rossmo for an issue but he's also drawing something like five books so he needed a breather. The issue is very good; Kurtis and Riley wrap the story up very effectively. Fans will not be disappointed.

I'm also lettering Riley's upcoming book Rebel Blood (the first issue comes out in March) and I hope you check it out. It's Riley's first work as writer as well as artist and it's a surprisingly sophisticated book (considering it features zombie wolves and men with deer heads and rats with eyes growing out of their backs).

I made a cameo in today's Princess Planet (written and drawn by internet buddy and fellow new dad Brian McLachlan). I am the unlucky fellow in panel one. Thanks again, Brian!

Sherlock Holmes

I've loved Sherlock Holmes my entire life. I love the books, I love Sidney Paget's fantastic illustrations (which these are based loosely on), I love Holmes appearing in other stuff (like League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, my favorite comic, or Batman: Brave and the Bold). I love the movies (even the blockbustery new one w/ R. Downey Jr.), and I really really love Jeremy Brett as Holmes.

I don't know if I did the old genius justice, but here he is.

For those who are wondering: I've been working very hard on things I cannot yet show off. I hope to have news very soon. The fifth issue of Green Wake (which I lettered) is coming out next week; I highly recommend it as it's some of the finest work from my good pal Riley Rossmo.

As always, you can check me out elsewhere on the net: my webcomic That's So Kraven! just passed the one year mark and I'm revamping my main website. I will be at Fan Expo in Toronto in about a month; definitely come check out my table, there'll be plenty of new stuff to show.

I Love The Intrepids

For the last few months, I have been lettering the (excellent) Image Comics/Shadowline comic Green Wake, drawn by my fantastic friend Riley Rossmo and written by the great Kurtis Wiebe. Kurtis also writes another super-popular Image title called The Intrepids (formerly Rat Bastards) which is drawn by the charming Scott Kowalchuk.

I met Scott at the Calgary Fan Expo in 2010 and immediately took a shine to him. I was thrilled to hear that his book had gotten picked up and I was also flattered when he asked me to contribute a pinup to the book. I whipped up something for him and sent it off, and was soon surprised to find it had made it into the third issue!

Issue #3 of The Intrepids came out about two weeks ago, so I thought it was time to show the pinup to anyone who hadn't seen it. I was originally going to do something with the purple cyber-bear (the book's breakout villain!) but I thought that he'd already been seen enough... Then I thought I'd reference the old Janet Jackson cover from Rolling Stone in years past, and this was the result. I'm really happy with it.

As for the book itself, The Intrepids is about a group of mad scientists that hunt down and destroy other mad scientists. If that doesn't start your engine, I don't know what does.

As always, my weekly webcomic with Trina Johnson, That's So Kraven! has been updated. Check out the most recent strip right here. You can also find me on deviantArt, Tumblr, and Twitter.

Portrait-Dex

Whoa, this year is screaming by at a tremendous click, don't you think?

Nothing particularly new to show right now (news soon!) but here's my contribution to Steve Wolfhard's super-cool Pokemon parody Portrait-Dex. The site hasn't been updated since Scott Kurtz's addition so I'm using my entry for my own sketchblog. I hope Portrait-Dex comes back soon.

Last week's That's So Kraven! has been up for a bit, and I'm very pleased with it. Nice emotional ending to the most recent storyline.

Also, I have been named as letterer for the upcoming Image Comics/Shadowline series Green Wake. It's drawn by my old Proof chum Riley Rossmo (and written by the super Kurtis J. Wiebe) and it's very fantastic work. I think it's Riley's finest work to date. Go add yourself to the Facebook page right here. Check out this great cover:

Green Wake is a five-issue series; the first issue comes out in April. Can't wait for you to read it!

Archie Snow

In 2007, I started my career as a cartoonist by writing and drawing an awful little mini-comic called "Archie Snow: The Gorgon". Since then, I have been publishing the further (and progressively better writter-and-drawn) adventures of Archie Snow, ninja snow leopard, in the back pages of the excellent Image Comics title Proof, by Alex Grecian and Riley Rossmo.

I decided to take a break from my regularly-scheduled freelance and spice up my Twitter page a bit, and this was the outcome. I'm proud of Archie... He's come a long way in the last three years, and I'm excited to tell more stories with the weird old man with the head of a leopard.

Interview at The Fabler; first SQUEAK! preview

I did an interview for the Calgary-based blog The Fabler. Click here to check it out. There's a two-page preview of Squeak! (featuring a brown snake) and another page from the new Archie Snow adventure.

It was a lot of fun. I love phone interviews, you can ink at the same time.

Be nice to each other, everyone.

Labour Day

Extra 'u' due to Canadianism. I'll be spending most of the day on Squeak! pages.

I've had a week to chew on Hobbystar Fan Expo '09 this year. Generally a very positive experience, I'd say. The fans were great, the commissions were a lot of fun (I get Hellboy a lot, which makes sense), and sales were surprising. My two regrets: no time to shop on Sunday (so I still don't have a copy of Age of Reptiles 2 AND missed Jeff Lemire completely), and I didn't get a chance to rectify my oversight from last year and buy a piece of art from Eric Talbot.

I did, however, buy a Turtles commission from Jim Lawson. Jim was a hero of mine when I was a kid... The turtles were a massive part of my childhood and Jim was a massive part of the turtles.

Thanks, Jim.

I also bought a Lobster Johnson page from Jason Armstrong, who was the first to welcome me out east and has been a constant source of support and advice. The jewel of the show, bookwise, was Kathryn Immonen and David Lafuentes's wicked Patsy Walker: Hellcat. My wife and I both loved how surreal and crazy and clever it turned out to be. I've also got the most recent Ultimate Spider-Man trade (with Stuart Immonen's tasty artwork) on my nightstand. Kathryn and Stuart both have a tremendous amount of talent, wit, and integrity and it is always a pleasure to speak to either of them. I always wear out my welcome.

Big thanks to Riley and Alex (and their girls and little ones) for coming out east. I miss them both. Other folks for whom credits are due: Cameron Stewart (he's going to have an unbelievable 2010), Ray Fawkes (his growth as an artist embarrasses me with its fullness), Gibson Quarter (a good man to share a table with), and Kim Belair & Rebecca Stacey (for drawing a crowd and preventing me from talking with them for even one second).

Enough of this business. Who else is thinking about Batman today?

Fan Expo, roller derby, etc.

I love roller derby! My girl and I went to the finals a couple of weeks ago and saw our new friend Heidi (AKA Beater Pan-Tease) co-captain Les Filles de Roi to the championships! I'm so proud of them. I'm also stoked that there's a team sport I like to watch. It's taken me decades to find one I like!

Congrats, girls!

In other news, I will be at the Toronto Fan Expo this weekend, kicking it with Proof bros Alex Grecian and Riley Rossmo. We will be at tables P56-P57 (by the Rue Morgue section) so come see us and say 'hi'. I can't wait, it's going to be so much fun.

PROOF #18 special guest star artist

Hey,

Proof #18 comes out today; first issue with Dave "Kelly's awesome buddy" Casey on colors. The Archie Snow backup is only two pages long, it's called "Rodomontade" (Google it, it's my favorite word) and it's drawn/colored by Riley Rossmo to thank me for drawing Proof #17 for him.

Proof #18 preview at CBR.

(Guys, guys, did you see the trailer for Where the Wild Things Are? DID YOU SEE IT)

PROOF #17 back cover

The back cover for Proof #17, coming from Image in February. This is the third book I've worked on that is due in February besides I Saw You and the Spearmint anthology.

Going to ECCC

I have been added to the guest list of the Emerald City Comic Con.

I will be there with Riley Rossmo and Alex Grecian, the creative team behind Proof, to help hype the book as well as Squeak!. The convention takes place in Seattle on April 4th and 5th.

I'm quite excited.