Sunday, November 25, 2007

Me, My self(-portrait), and I...

So, it's been pointed out to me (Hi Brian!) that it's been over a month and a half since my last post, so I thought I'd do a quick one today, while my son naps.

It's been a really crazy month or so. My wife and I both freelance out of our home offices, so when one of us is working, the other is doing the childcare. When both of us are working, well, things become somewhat problematic, and that's when all free time flies out the window. As we've both been really busy of late, the juggling act has been constant, and between her work travel, and my teaching, there hasn't been too much time for extra activities of any kind. Hence the delay here.

However, we did manage to sneak away for a weekend a couple of weeks ago, just for some quiet relaxation. We went to a place called Shelter Island, which is between the North and South Forks of Long Island, where I grew up. While we were there, we happened upon a small gallery called Wish Rock Studio which is owned by a guy named Peter Waldner, and his wife Sandy. Peter is a syndicated cartoonist, and does a very funny strip called Flight Deck, found in a number of major newspapers. He's also a heck of a nice guy. He and I talked about the possibility of having me show some of my work in his gallery next year. That would be pretty cool.

That night, I also did something I hadn't done in a while. I drew just for the sake of drawing. It's very hard to find time these days to draw just for pleasure. Most of the time, when I finish work I'm really not in the mood to do more drawing, as it feels like a continuation of my work day. About a year ago I was doing a demo of ink wash techniques for my students at DCAD, and started a self-portrait in class, which I always intended to finish but never did. Well, on this trip I spent a couple of hours finishing the piece, below, and also working on another portrait, which I'll post at a later date. Here's the self-portrait:



This piece will be the new homepage image for my website. That's another reason I've been slow to post lately. Any free time I've had has been spent on doing a much-needed revamp to my website. I'll be posting the update on that soon as well.

I'll try to check in again soon with new art. Thanks for stopping by!

Best,
Rich

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Groucho on my Birthday!

"Before I speak, I have something important to say."

"I must confess, I was born at a very early age."

Yes, it is my birthday, and no, I'm not going to continually quote Groucho Marx for the rest of the year...

However, here's a piece I did recently as an in-class brush and ink demo, featuring the great Groucho:



Now, before I go eat some cake, I'm going to end with two more appropriate Groucho quotes:

"Getting older is no problem. You just have to live long enough."

And on a more serious note: "I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it. "

Best,
Rich

PS: "Go, and never darken my towels again." Ok, ok, I'll stop now...

Monday, October 08, 2007

Kids Love Comics! Baltimore Comic-con Wrap

I just realized that I never posted the wrap of the Baltimore Comic-Con that I promised. Actually, it WAS in fact posted. Just not here. You see, for those that don't know, I'm a charter member of a group called Kids Love Comics! KLC is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting all-ages comics, and advocating literacy through the medium of comics and graphic novels. Click the above link to find out more about us!

Anyway, I happen to be one of the two people (the other being my cohort, John Gallagher) responsible for updating the KLC Blog. So, if you're interested in learning what we were up to in Baltimore, you can read all about it here!

Here's a picture from the show:



I'll be posting some more new art soon, so please check back often!

Best,
Rich

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Philadelphia Dragonboats!

I want to let people know about a cool event with which I've been fortunate to be associated. But first, a little background: Almost two years ago, I had a bad case of tendinitis in my left elbow, and my wife urged me to go see an orthopedic surgeon she had profiled in her career as a television producer. It turns out that Dr. Nick DiNubile is the Orthopaedic Consultant to the Philadelphia 76ers Basketball Team and Pennsylvania Ballet, so you'd figure he's a pretty good doctor (and you'd be right)! Well, as I do a lot of sports illustration work, and ever the enterprising businessman, I figured I would bring my portfolio to show him after my appointment, if he had time to look. Hey, one never knows where one's next client work might come from, and in this case, it was from a most unexpected source...

After he diagnosed the tendinitis, and ordered me to rehab for my elbow (a story for another time), Dr. Nick took a look at my work, and gave me a few contacts that he knew. And since he was so nice to me, I feel I owe it to him to mention Dr. Nick's book, "Framework," as it will give you a brand new perspective on taking care of yourself and your body through exercise.

So, while Nick and his staff were looking through my portfolio, unbeknownst to me, there in the waiting room was a very nice lady who was not only a patient and friend of Dr. Nick, but who also happens to be the director of the Philadelphia International Dragon Boat Festival. And as luck would have it, she was looking for an Illustrator! So, when I arrived home from my doctor's visit, I was pleasantly surprised to find a message on my voicemail from Carol Lee Lindner, the Executive Director and Founder of the festival. Well, Carol Lee, my new client (and now friend), was looking for someone who could bring a new vision to the Festival and thought I'd be right for the job, based on Dr. Nick's enthusiasm for my work! She hired me to do the artwork for the Festival, and here it is:


It was a very ambitious project. The piece was done in pencil, and then colored digitally. All told, it took me about 120 hours to complete, easily the most time I've put into any one project in my career! All that hard work was worth it though, as I feel the end result really captures Carol Lee's vision. You'll soon see it available on the Festival's website for purchase. I'll follow up with info on that, as it becomes available.

The Philadelphia International Dragonboat Festival is this Saturday, October 6th, and takes place along Philadelphia's beautiful Boathouse Row (depicted in the illustration). If you're in the area, be sure to come by for this terrific event!

Best,
Rich

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Philadelphia Sketch Club - The Award!

As mentioned in my previous post, I recently entered and won first prize (Sequential Category) in the Philadelphia Sketch Club's "Phillustration '07" juried exhibition. Well, the opening was a lot of fun, and it was great to have my wife, and a few of my friends there. The range of work was very exciting, and it was cool to see my work displayed among so many talented Illustrators' work. Thanks go out to my colleague Rich Harrington, who invited me to be a part of the exhibition he organized, as well as to Bill Brown, the exhibition's juror, who selected my work. I thought the award certificate itself was pretty interesting, as it features an illustration of King Kong, by the very talented Joe DeVito. The work was included in the show, and it is actually the cover for a new King Kong comic book from Markosia Enterprises. Here's a scan of the award with the art:



And here are a few pictures from the event:


Me, along with my illustration of Salvador Dali.


Rich Harrington presenting me with the award.


The Roboy Red sequence that won. I was also able to put out copies of the actual "Buzz and the 'Bot" comic for people to take. There were a number of kids who were there and took copies, so that was a real highlight for me!


My Philly Phriends! Left to right: Echo, Mike Manley, Jamar Nicholas, and me!

This was a lot of fun, and I hope to enter next year's show too!

Special thanks to my lovely wife Traci, who took all the photos.

Best,
Rich

Saturday, September 15, 2007

First Prize!

It's been a very hectic week since returning from Baltimore, so I'm attempting to keep this brief. I'll write about the Baltimore Comic-Con sometime in the next few days, but in the meantime, I wanted to write a quick one about something cool that happened while I was away at the show.

A few weeks ago, my friend and colleague, Rich Harrington, a fellow adjunct at Moore College of Art and Design, where I teach Illustration, invited me to submit some of my work for a juried exhibition, called Phillustration '07, presented by the Philadelphia Sketch Club. As you'll read by clicking the links, the Philadelphia Sketch Club was founded in 1860, and has had some very prominent members, including two of my favorite Illustrators, N.C. Wyeth and Maxfield Parrish!

I submitted three pieces of my work in two categories last Friday, and when I returned from Baltimore, I learned that not only was each accepted, but that I'd won first prize in the Sequential Art category! Well, truthfully, I share the win, as I submitted two pages from Roboy Red, the comic book on which I collaborate with my buddy John Gallagher. So now, Roboy Red is an actual award-winning comic book! Here's one of the pages that won:



I also submitted this Illustration in the Self-Promotion/Non-Commissioned category:



If anyone is in the Philly area, and would like to come by, the reception is from 2-5pm on Sunday, September 16th, and the Exhibition runs until September 30th. All pertinent details are in the above link. I hope to see you there!

Best,
Rich

Thursday, September 06, 2007

Baltimore Comic-Con Welcomes KLC at the Comic Book Diner!

Well, just two more days until the 2007 Baltimore Comic-Con! This is my favorite convention of all, and this year, I'm part of something really cool... The Kids Love Comics Comic Book Diner! I'm posting the News Release we sent out this morning, so all the info you need is just below. I hope I'll see you at the show!

Best,
Rich


News Release: Kids Love Comics hosts the Comic Book Diner in Baltimore!
Sept 8-9, Baltimore Comic-Con Welcomes All-Ages Comics Pavilion, featuring Kids' Comics Creators.



Baltimore Comic-Con is recognized as a star-studded, family-friendly show; one of the few major conventions still focused primarily on comics. Kids Love Comics is a non-profit organization made up of comic creators, publishers, fans, educators and journalists, as well as those involved in the marketing, promotion, distribution, and retail end of the comic book medium. Together the Baltimore Comic-Con and KLC have formed the Comic Book Diner, an all-ages comics pavilion, offering up comics that are cool for all kids, from age 6 to sixty!


All-ages creators will be on hand in "The Diner" include Steve Conley (Star Trek, Astounding Space Thrills), Jimmy Gownley (Amelia Rules!), John Gallagher and Rich Faber (Buzzboy, Roboy Red), Art Baltazar and Franco Aurleani (Patrick the Wolfboy, Tiny Titans), Scott Neely (Scooby Doo), Josh Elder (Mail Order Ninja), Dean Trippe (Butterfly), Mark McKenna (Banana Tail, DC Countdown), Scott Cohn (Krypto, Ben 10), and Jamie Cosley (Fearnots). Also, Disney artist Ted Tucker will be on hand to draw super hero caricatures all weekend!


KLC will be presenting panels on the subject of the kids comics industry, as well as a special Sunday HowYaGonna comics tutorial session, with cool stations designed for kids and parents to learn how to create comic books. Comic Book Diner creators will be on hand to give personalized instruction in the process of creating a comic book, from initial ideas through completion. Also, a unique Comic Book Diner print featuring all of the Comic Book Diner creators' characters will be available for fans to have signed. Baltimore Comic-Con promoter Marc Nathan has been working with local libraries, as well as the Baltimore County Boy Scouts to make sure the Sunday panel is well attended, even offering up free admission to kids with a paying adult (Sunday Only).

"This is a great way to showcase the large variety of kids comics available," said Comic Book Diner organizer John Gallagher, whose own Buzzboy will be a part of the Comic Book Diner. "Marc Nathan has always supported kids comics, and when he offered us the opportunity to create an entire section at the Baltimore Comic-Con specifically devoted to kids, we jumped at the chance! Oh, and I almost forgot... we'll have an actual diner booth set up too!

There are plans for the Comic Book Diner to hit many of next year's comic shows, including the New York Comic Con, Charlotte's Heroes Con, San Diego's Comic-Con International, and of course, back to Baltimore for next year's Baltimore Comic-Con. But first, we'll save a seat for you this weekend, at the 'Diner!!

Monday, September 03, 2007

One More For 'Ringo

Ok, I said I was going to get to my own work again, and this qualifies, but also ties into stuff related to Mike. For those not in the know, the Baltimore Comic-Con is this weekend, Saturday, September 8th-Sunday, September 9th), and I'll be attending again, as usual (I missed last year due to the birth of my son, but this year, he'll be there with me!). It'll be fun, but also a sad occasion, as this was to also be the first time I would have seen Mike Wieringo in two years, since the last Baltimore show we did.

As a tribute to our friend Mike, John Gallagher, through Sky-Dog Press, has decided to reprint a poster featuring the art we all worked on together for the cover to the Buzzboy: Sidekicks Rule trade paperback. It also features a dedication to Mike's memory, depicting his character, Flyboy. Mike had sent this art to John, along with some other beautiful work from his blog/sketchbook, with the intention that he'd be doing a kids' drawing tutorial for us in our Roboy Red comic. Obviously, that won't be happening now, but we wanted to do something to honor Mike at the show, and this is the poster:



Here's a detail of the tribute image:



And this, from the Sky-Dog press release:

In memory of the late, great Mike Wieringo, Sky-Dog Press will be offering fans at the Baltimore Comic-Con a limited memorial edition of the Buzzboy: Sidekicks Rule poster, as illustrated by Mike Wieringo in 2006-- with any donations given going to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. "Mike Wieringo was a good friend, and in many ways, an inspiration for the fun comics we do at Sky-Dog," said Buzzboy creator John Gallagher, adding, "Mike was generous enough to do the cover to our Buzzboy comic for free-- this is just a way for us to share Mike's generosity with his fans, and help out some cuddly critters as well."


Sky-Dog will be giving out the posters for free, but asks fans to contribute what they can-- a quarter, a dollar, five-- with all proceeds going to the ASPCA, as Mike's family has indicated as a fitting charity in his honor (Hero Initiative being another Wieringo family pick). On top of printing these posters, Sky-Dog is donating $500 in Wieringo's honor, on top of any donations received. A previous version of this poster was handed out at conventions across the country last year-- the new one is bordered in black-- with a tiny tribute box at the bottom, and utilizing one of Mike's favorite unrealized concepts-- Flyboy. "When I see that drawing, it has the same happy smile Mike always offered up," said Gallagher, "I have to think that Mike is up there, flying, with that same silly grin."


The Buzzboy poster depicts art drawn by Wieringo, inked by Rich Faber and colored by Gallagher, originally for the cover of Buzzboy: Sidekicks Rule #1. Gallagher and Faber will be on hand to sign copies at the show. Fans can find the posters at the Sky-Dog table in the Kids Love Comics All Ages Pavilion at the Baltimore Comic-Con on September 8 and 9, 2007.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's well-known that Mike loved animals, and I think he'd appreciate that donations for the ASPCA will be taken in his memory. I hope everyone will come by, take a poster, and donate in memory of our friend.

I'll see you in Baltimore!

Best,
Rich

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Hurricane Katrina - Still Drawing Strength, 2 years later


I haven't felt up to posting anything new, as I didn't want to knock the memorial post I did for Mike down, but I realized there was one thing I could post that would both help people, something Mike was well known for, and also add to the tribute, in a way.

Yesterday marked two years since the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, and since my last post mentioned it, I thought it would be a nice way to honor my friend Mike's generous spirit to remind everyone that the sketchbook we did with 'Ringo's cover is still available. You can find out more about the book, and order it here: http://skydogcomics.com/drawingstrength/

Oh, and ending on a bright note, I nearly forgot to mention that you should check out Mike's very talented brother Matt Wieringo's blog for some cool art too. Specifically, he just posted something called Torg, which is a comic he did a while back. I had no idea he could draw as well as his brother, and if you like fun comic books, you need to check it out! Seriously, this guy knows how to draw and lay out a comics page.

I'll get back to posting my art again soon, so I hope you'll come by again. In the meantime, stay well, and be good.

Best,
Rich

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Mike Wieringo




This week has been one of the most difficult of my life. My friend, Mike Wieringo died suddenly on Sunday night at the age of 44.

I've been trying to write this for three days, but have been having difficulty putting the words down, so forgive me if this rambles...

Mike and I were friends for 13 years, both having broken into DC Comics the same year. Just before I was hired to ink Steel, I was in New York, showing then DC assistant editor Ruben Diaz my inking samples, looking for work. During the first few minutes I was there, Ruben asked me if I wanted to see something really cool, and of course, I said yes. He proceeded to open a flat file drawer containing Mike's first several pages of The Flash #50, his very first monthly work for DC! Ruben told me the work had just come in that day, and he was so excited by the art that he decided to show some guy he didn't even know, who was only there looking for work. I was extremely fortunate, and immediately floored by what I saw. They were beautiful pages, and at that moment, I knew I had to ink Mike's work someday...

Fast forward a year or so, to 1994's San Diego Comic-Con. I had been inking Steel for DC for nearly a year, and attended the Con for the first time. I knew Mike was going to be there, and I made it a point to seek him out to tell him how much I admired his work. I was surprised to find this gray-haired guy with a young face and a great smile, sitting with his cohorts from Artamus Studios, a North Carolina based comics studio. Jeff Parker, Chuck Wojtkiewicz, Craig Gilmore, Casey Jones, Chris Kemple and Mike were all together at a table along the far end of the exhibition hall, and to a man, they were all great guys who made me feel so welcome in their midst, Mike especially. He invited me to come sit behind the table with him and talk, and to park my heavy portfolio. We spent a lot of time together that weekend, and it never ceased to amaze me how such a talented guy could be so humble. I had told him about seeing those first Flash pages, and knowing I had to meet him, and he was just embarrassed by the praise. Mike was like that. He was never satisfied with his own work, although it was always of the most professional quality, and more important, always fun looking, no matter what he was feeling.

Back then, I spoke with Mike about once a week or so, by phone, and we always spoke for no less than an hour. I don't remember any of what we talked about then, but we always had a good time, and I always looked forward to the next convention, where we could meet up again and hang out. I don't recall if the next time he and I saw each other was at a New York show, or at San Diego again, but I recall going to an art dealer, looking to trade some of my Steel pages for some original comics art, and I was very excited to find a page and a cover by Mike available. Well, I made that trade, and excitedly ran over to find my pal Mike to show him. He cringed when I showed him my prizes, and asked me why I'd wasted my work trading for those. That was Mike though. Never liked his own efforts. I told him they were great, and I just wanted to own some of his work. The cover was beautiful, of course, but I told him that the reason I got the interior page was because on it, Mike had drawn a character that to me, looked like him... and I thought that was neat. Mike said he didn't even realize he'd done that, but we had a laugh about it. Here's a detail of that page, showing the comics version of "'Ringo.":



I asked him if he would sign the cover for me, so he did, but he seemed surprised that I wanted him to make it out to me, rather than just sign his name. I told him I wasn't planning to ever sell it, and it would mean more to me to do it that way, so he did. The cover is below. You'll note that this was before Mike started signing his work with his now-familiar "'Ringo" signature.


When DC Comics did their Zero Hour event, Mike and I were still talking by phone pretty regularly. I was (and still am) a big Flash fan, and I admired the double page spread Mike drew for that issue. I went so far as to tell him that if he ever wanted to part with it, I'd love to buy it from him. Well, the next time we saw each other at a show (probably San Diego, as usual), Mike just gave it to me. He wouldn't take anything for it, despite my protests. I know he could have sold that spread for a lot of money, but that wasn't what Mike was about. Again, if it made someone else happy, Mike was determined to do it. Below is a scan of the spread.


Over the years we spoke less frequently by phone, but continued our friendship via email, and by seeing each other periodically at shows. I remember when Mike's cat Butch died, I called him to offer my sympathy, as our cat Tucker had died not too long before. As anyone who knew Mike knows, he was a huge animal lover, and Butch's death affected him greatly. We wound up talking for a couple of hours, and it was probably the most profound conversation he and I ever had. Mike and I shared a lot of thoughts that day, and I'll always treasure that memory, sad as it was.

Mike was always giving of his time and efforts, and because of this, I was fortunate to finally work with him on a few different projects. The first was for a custom comic, of all things. My pal John Gallagher, was doing a comic book for a shopping mall chain's kids club, and wanted to have Mike do the cover, so we asked, and Mike came through. He happened to be between assignments at the time, so he was happy to do it, even though it wasn't anything big-name. He always thought it was cool to be able to do something for kids, and thought it would be fun for us to work on it together. So, after ten years of friendship, that was finally my first opportunity to ink Mike's work. Here's the cover, which will soon be framed and hanging in my son's room:


When Hurricane Katrina hit the south in August of 2005 it was just before the Baltimore Comic-Con, and con organizer Marc Nathan, John Gallagher, and I decided we wanted to do something to help in the relief efforts. So John and I put together a sketchbook to sell at the show, with profits going to charity, and John called Mike to ask him if he'd be willing to do the cover of the book for us. Mike said he'd already been thinking of an image all day, and within the hour, John had a sketch from Mike in his email, and after another 45 minutes, he had a fully inked and colored piece. Just another altruistic 'Ringo gesture. Here's that cover, as Mike sent it to us:


A few months later, when John and I were doing our 2006 Buzzboy Free Comic Book Day comic, John again asked Mike if he would do the cover, and as usual, Mike came through. Mike routinely did covers for indy comics he liked, and would never take payment for them. If you read all the 'Ringo tributes online, you'll find virtually every small press creator who asked Mike to do a cover got one, and Mike did them all for free. Between his paying assignments. He felt it was his way of supporting the independent comics community. Below is a scan of Mike's pencils and then the finished inked version of the Buzzboy cover. You'll see that Mike's work was so perfect, it really only needed to be traced, and so that's essentially what I did. It was the last time I was lucky enough to work with Mike. The poster of this also hangs framed in my son's room.



I mentioned above all of the tributes that people have posted online, many from folks who were far closer to Mike than I was. But then, Mike made everyone feel like a close friend. I'd urge anyone to seek all of those tributes out, and take the time to read about what a wonderful person Mike Wieringo was. You can start here with the Newsarama announcement of Mike's death. Be sure to look at the 20 pages of follow up posts, from almost 500 people. Then, please go read my good friend Todd Dezago's blog. Mike was his best friend, and I know Todd would appreciate the support. Finally, make sure to look at Mike's own blog, where you'll find some of the most beautiful sketches, and thoughtful insights around.

It's incredible how many lives Mike touched, and I'm certain he'd be shocked to see the outpouring for him, being the innately humble guy he was. The services are this Friday, and my wife and I will be driving down to North Carolina to say one last goodbye, and to be with those that knew and loved Mike, and remember our friend.

We lost a wonderful human being this week, and I'll miss my friend. We all will.

Sincerely,
Rich Faber
August 15, 2007

Friday, July 27, 2007

San Diego Comic-Con 2007

Well, it's been another eternity since my last post, so obviously, things have been busy. I'm going to edit this post again to include some more info and piuctures, but in the meantime, if you'd like to come by to see me at Comic-Con, I'm at the Kids Love Comics booth #1732, from now until Sunday. I hope I'll see you here!

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Back So Soon?

Wow, I must be setting some new posting records... well, for me, anyway. Three posts in the same month!

In an attempt to post on a more regular, if not consistent basis, here's a piece I previously posted as a greyscale image: Originally, I created this piece for the charity book Drawing Strength, which John Gallagher and I produced to help in the relief effort after Hurricane Katrina (incidentally, that book is still available here). As noted in the posts previous to this one, John and I recently published the first chapter of our Roboy Red graphic novel for Free Comic Book Day in Buzzboy/Roboy: The Buzz And The 'Bot, and I wanted to rework the illustration in color, to use in that book. For a larger version, please click the picture.

Also, here is the cover for the retail edition of the book, scheduled to be in stores this summer, if you missed the FCBD edition:

Pencils by Drew Johnson, Inks by me, and colors by John Gallagher (over my flatting). You can click the image for a larger version.
That's it for now, but I'll be back soon with more art!

Best,
Rich

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

FCBD 2007 - Seeing is believing

I would have liked to have written this up just after Saturday, but due to the quick onset of a bad cold, I'm doing what I can now. So, here's the wrap:

Free Comic Book Day at Captain Blue Hen Comics was a booming success! Joe Murray, the owner of the store, reported that attendance was up by 500 people, for a total of about 1500 people walking through the door between noon and 5pm on Saturday! As far as I could tell, it was mostly families, and especially kids! As an all ages creator, nothing could be better, as far as I'm concerned. I walked into CBH at exactly noon, sat down at my table, and began sketching, along with my cohorts, Jamar Nicholas, Mike Manley, Scott Neely, and Neil Vokes. The next time I looked up, or rather stood up, it was 5pm, and I had drawn approximately 75 to 100 head shots of various characters! I can't believe how quickly the time went, and I never took a break! Frankly, I was completely unaware of the passage of so much time. As a result, I never had a chance to take any pictures of the crowds, but for a good glimpse of that madness, check out the pictures on the CBH MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/captainbluehen

Of all of the sketches, I believe every one except one was for a little kid. I actually had a line that stretched from the front of the store, where I was seated, to the very back... I looked up at one point, and estimated that there were 30 kids on my line! Of course, I gathered that there were so many people on my line because I was drawing so slowly... ;-) My fellow artists all reported similar amounts of people lining up for them, so obviously a lot of kids were walking away happy.

Here are some shots of a small sampling of the free sketches I did:


Of course, Buzzboy was my most-requested (closely followed by Roboy Red, although I have no pics of the Roboy sketches). This was only appropriate, as our Buzzboy/Roboy - The Buzz and the 'Bot #0 was (thankfully) a pretty popular book at the counter. I signed quite a large number of these.

Above is one of my favorite sketches of the day, Zoomer, Buzzboy's super-fast buddy.

Speaking of super-fast, above is one of the first sketches requested of the day, and also, one of my all-time favorite characters, the Golden Age Flash.

Of course, Bone is always popular with the kids, and although I had never drawn the characters before, I did this one of Smiley, liberally swiping from the Jeff Smith reference provided.

I received a lot of requests for Star Wars characters. I drew this Scout Trooper in about 5- 10 minutes... actually, when looking at all of these, please bear in mind that I took no more than that for any of the sketches. It was a terrific exercise, from an artist's perspective. I kept telling people what a great challenge it was!

Appropriately, for the day, above is Captain Blue Hen, a character we created to use in Buzzboy, and obviously named for one of our favorite comic book stores!

Here's my buddy, Mike Manley, towards the end of the day... still sketching! For Mike's take on the day, along with a lot of great photos, check out the report on his blog:

http://drawman.blogspot.com/2007/05/free-comic-book-day.html


And this is my good friend, Jamar, who is obviously delirious after completing a sketch for another happy young fan.

This one is my favorite picture of the day. These are my pals Ben and Chris, dressed as their "favorite characters, Buzzboy and Roboy Red" (their words, not mine), respectively! What a thrill it was to see characters I helped create come to life, particularly with such enthusiasm. This, my friends is why I do what I do!

All in all, it was a great day. Joe and Danielle Murray, and their crew at Captain Blue Hen, couldn't be nicer or more supportive. They really made this event an incredible experience (as always!), and I want to publicly thank them for their friendship and support! I'll be back next year!

Thanks for reading, and I'll post again soon(-ish).

Best,

Rich

Thursday, May 03, 2007

Free Comic Book Day 2007


It's been a while since I last posted, so obviously, things haven't changed. Work has been extremely steady, and family life has been taking the rest of my time. So, I'll be keeing this one brief.

In support of Buzzboy/Roboy: The Buzz And The 'Bot (mentioned in the last post, below), I'll be appearing at Captain Blue Hen Comics, in Newark, Delaware, this Saturday, May 5th, for Free Comic Book Day. I've been there for the last few FCBD events, and it's been a great experience every time. Captain Blue Hen always has a terrific turnout, with lots of enthusiastic kids (not to mention the incredible support team of Joe and Danielle Murray and crew!). I'll be appearing alongside my friends, Jamar Nicholas, Mike Manley, and Scott Neely. For details on this year's event, check this link:


For a free preview of the book, with a really cool page flipping feature, go to:
I hope I'll see you Saturday in Delaware!
Best,
Rich

Thursday, February 15, 2007

New York Comic-Con/News Release

I'll be exhibiting at the New York Comic-Con from February 23rd-25th, at the Kids Love comics/Sky-Dog booth. Please feel free to come by, and check out the cool new stuff John and I have. Here's one example, a card that's part of a set (see news release below for details):





Both Buzzboy and Roboy Red will be featured prominently at our booth. Here's a News Release we put out to promote the appearance with all the info you need to know:

News Release: It's Valentine's Day, and Kids Love Comics... Cards! All-Ages Comics Creators launch national tour at NYC Comic-Con!

Kids Love Comics, a collection of all-ages creators and publishers promoting literacy through graphic novels, is gearing up for next week's New York Comic-Con, the first stop in a year of spreading the word on the power and magic of the comic art form. And just in time for Valentine's Day, many of the creators' sites house hidden Kids Love Comics collectors cards, which can be traded in for a signed and limited print at the New York Comic-Con. Appearing at Booth 939 (KLC/Sky-Dog Booth) at NYCC will be:

• Jimmy Gownley, award-winning creator of Amelia Rules, offering up his newly reprinted color Amelia Graphic novels, featuring the super cool kid with an attitude, Amelia Mc Bride. (
www.ameliarules.com)

• Mark McKenna, an artistic inking force in the world of comics, will be unveiling his first all-ages character, Banana Tail, about a monkey who loves bananas so much, he starts to turn into one! Mark will have FREE Banana Tail coloring books for the first 50 attendees. (
http://www.bananatail.com)

• John Gallagher, creator of Buzzboy, the "World's Coolest Super Sidekick!" Gallagher will be handing out FREE Frank CHO Buzzboy poster, depicting the cover to the upcoming Buzzboy: Sidekicks Rule! #3 (
www.skydogcomics.Com)

• Jane Fisher, writer/creator of WJHC, the tale of a teen-run radio station and the fun hi-jinks that ensue. A native Long Islander, Fisher will be offering up both WJHC graphic novels at the show. (
www.WJHC.Com)

• Rich Faber, another mainstream comics inker (and also a native Long Islander) joins the all-ages creators with the Roboy Red sketchbook, featuring a behind the scenes look at the upcoming Roboy GN. (
www.RoboyRed.Com)

Each of these creators' websites (as well as the
www.kidslovecomics.com site) feature printable KLC character cards-- anyone collecting and handing in at least four of the cards will receive a limited edition, signable print featuring all 6 KLC cards. All creators will be on hand to sign comics show off sneak peeks, and meet the ever growing all-ages fans, including parents, librarians, and educators! See you there!



Below is the poster we'll be giving away at the show:





Pencils and design layout by Gallagher, inks and colors by me. Click on the image for a LARGE version!

Hope to see you in New York!

Best,
Rich

Friday, January 19, 2007

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles... sort of...

So, it's been nearly a month yet again, but I'm back posting. I've had a lot of work lately, which is good for a freelancer. The downside though, is that I get very little free time, and what little I have, I spend with my family. So, that means less posting, unfortunately.

However, I do have something to show for the time away at least. On that note, thanks to Patrick Kendall, for all the nice words in the comments section. Since you mentioned it, Patrick, finally, here are a few of the Turtles pages I wrote about last time:


To see larger versions of the art, please click on the pictures.

The "sort of" in the title of this post is because I didn't actually ink any Turtles on this job, but as you can see, I was able to do a nice sequence featuring Casey Jones. Incidentally, the pencils were done by a guy named Andres Ponce. You can see some pencils from the previous sequence of this issue on Andres' blog. It was a lot of fun to work on this stuff, and I'd like to thank my pal Sean Parsons (a very talented fellow in his own right), for bringing me in on this.

I'm hoping to have some new work to post soon, as time allows. As always, please bear with me, and hopefully, you'll be reading and seeing more soon!

Best,

Rich