Wednesday, December 21, 2005

happy holidaze, and a cbldf update!!!

[ale]

Wow! People came out and bid our Aspen, Wildstorm, art battle pieces through the roof!!! We managed to raise an astonishing $4732.58!!! Once again it was a blast and all of us here at Wildstorm would like to once again thank Aspen for participating! It was all for a good cause, and those guys were amazing competitors!

Also I would like to say Happy Holidaze to all of you! I'll be heading out of town so I won't be posting for awhile but I leave you all with the above piece. It also will be auctioned off by the CBLDF, as Jim and I did it during the sketch duel in Chicago this past year. Voodoo, and Zealot for you guys! There's alot of big Wildstorm goodness just around the corner coming next year! For all you die hard fans, I just know it'll make you all very happy! So, till next time, I wish you all a special (insert holiday of choice) to all of you!!!

-a
" you got the look " WOOT!WOOT!

Monday, December 19, 2005

Does someone smell smoke?

I decided to post an image. I'm trying to get a hold of the different brushes in Photoshop. It's getting easier now that I'm starting to find the texture oriented ones. The difference is really refreshing because it allows me the freedom to get a more detailed look simply by making the unimportant areas less important.

I have been looking at Frank Brangwyn's work these days. I've definitely enjoyed his work in the past. I guess a lot of it has to do with the mixture of organic shapes with strong outlines. His work feels a bit like Baroque architecture to me. While I can appreciate the skillfulness and delicate quality of a Mucha or Klimt, I love the strong, bold silhouetted shapes and "stain glass" effect of Brangwyn.

-

Scott

Thursday, December 08, 2005

Iron Gelatomettista: Jim Lee!

Vote for Jim Lee here!

Iron Gelatomettista: Michael Turner!

Vote for Michael Turner here!

Iron Gelatomettista Battle!

Side-by-side! (Don't vote here.)

Iron Gelatomettista Challenger: Michael Turner!

It's with great honor that we welcome today's challenger, Michael Turner! Being one of the biggest names in today's industry, he is here to challenge our very own, Jim Lee! In what promises to be perhaps the biggest challenge ever showcased here, and maybe just one of the greatest battles of all time!

The studio battle between Wildstorm, and Aspen has been very close so far with Wildstorm taking 2 of the 3 battles, but to make it interesting we have decided to make today's victory worth 2 POINTS! Therefore, Aspen, under the pencil of Turner can pull ahead for VICTORY!

So remember boys and girls you decide the content of what will be drawn today in this thread, and ultimately who will win! WHO WILL IT BE WILDSTORM OR ASPEN!?

UPDATE: Nightcrawler and Harley Quinn starting at 2:30! Stay tuned!

Challenger: MICHAEL TURNER!

A little background info for those of you who may be unfamiliar with today's special guest of honor! Michael Turner began his career at Top Cow studios, co-creating the smash hit series, Witchblade. Doing an extensive run on the book he established himself as one of comicdom's brightest young stars! It was then that he went on to create yet another chart topper, his own series, Fathom! A book that would bring him the success to eventually enable him to start his own studio and company, Aspen!

Soon thereafter Mike took his first crack at mainstream comics and knocked it out of the park! Working on the hugely popular, Superman and Batman comic he and Jeph Loeb, brought back the much beloved Supergirl, and asserted himself as one of the most powerful draws in the comic book industry! He currently publishes his own titles under the Aspen banner, Soulfire, Ekos, and Fathom, and is preparing for what will be a huge event, working at Marvel Comics!

So prepare yourself kiddies, today's challenger is no slouch, and you can bet your bottom dollar that today's battle will be one of the all time greats!!! NUFF SAID!

For some up close looks at some of Mike's art click below:

Girls,

girls,

girls!

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

Iron Chef! WS vs Aspen, Main Event!!!

That's right guys it's on, and going down tomorrow, Thursday, December 8th, at 2:00pm pst! The one you guys have all been waiting for, JIM LEE vs MICHAEL TURNER! The battles up until have been hot and heated, here are the past results!

Round 1 - Alé Garza vs Marcus To
Winner: Garza!

Round 2 - Carlos D'anda vs Koi Turnbull
Winner: Turnbull!

Round 3 - Richard Friend vs Micah Gunell
Winner: Friend!

Wildstorm goes into the final round with a slight edge, but with the strength of tomorrows two competitors it could go either way! STAY TUNED!!!

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

A side note to my previous post

[ale]

I just realized something, and wanted to clarify as to what this site is all about. It's been about two years that I wanted to do a series of artworks based off of my wife's inspiration. The photo's posted are some of the reference that I will be using, BUT, I just realized that without the art, the site comes off incomplete, or "misleading". I will be posting art on there, alongside many of the photos in the gallery section, and hopefully they'll look pretty cool, and I can't wait to get em up.

So for now the site may be coming down for some restructuring. However the messageboards will stay up.

Das all!

-a
WOOT!WOOT!

Monday, December 05, 2005

New forums for me :)


New forums fo rme :)
Originally uploaded by Gelatomettista.
[ale]

Hey guys wanted to give a quick heads up. I have a new forum located over at my wife's site, silly I know, but come by and check it out. There's a forum for comics discussion, and all kinds of other crap. I know I should have my own site, but I just don't want to have to do updates, lol! So for now I'll be squatting over there.

CarlaMichelle

-a
WOOT!WOOT!

Ale Garza...The Matador


Alé Garza...The Matador
Originally uploaded by Gelatomettista.
[ale]

In a bold move I've decided I may try my hand as a world famous bull fighter. It's always been a secret dream of mine to stare the beast in the eye, and I figure there's no better time than now! I've been practicing weekly, using both Rich and Carlos as my bulls. Only once has Carlos got me with one of his horns, he's quite wooley! It's a bold career move, but you only live once! Beware bulls, there's a new matador in town, and he goes by the name of Alé!

-a
WOOT!WOOT!

Saturday, December 03, 2005

update for yo moms yo!


update for yo moms yo!
Originally uploaded by Gelatomettista.
[ale]

hey guys wanted to let you all know that our grand finale studio art battle of Jim Lee vs Michael Turner will take place next Thursday! Mark your calendars! Also wanted to let you all know that Skye Runner is coming along swimmingly! I'm going to get some stuff up this coming week for sure! Next week will be a good one to be on the blog so make sure and check in regularly!

-a
WOOT!WOOT!

Saturday, November 19, 2005

Some mo doodles fo yo noodles...

[ale]

Anotha little sketch. I only give myself an hour on the lineart, and an hour in photoshop. Oh how I want to learn to color, lol! Paint Friday went well! I realized just how crappy I am, doh! I think Scott probably took first, Jim a close second, Sandra's was very nice, and Carlos, well Carlos likes to start over too much, hehe! Mine? Blehhh. I'd really like to learn how to use those tools though, and this definitely won't be my last attempt. Hopefully I can absorb some knowledge from Iwahashi. We should be able to get them scanned, and maybe posted. Till next time, have a good weekend!

-a
WOOT!WOOT!

Friday, November 18, 2005

guess i'm back for a bit...

[ale]

been gettin' work done, and then some. So i figure i could post a little more often. Show some of my recent little warm up doodles. Above is a batgirl i did with dyes. Came out a little janky, but hey, it's a learning process. Today is painting day! We're all gonna jam out with our paint out! Maybe we'll post our attempts :) . Peassss!

-a
WOOT!WOOT!

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Belated Birthday Treats

Belated Birthday Treats Originally uploaded by Gelatomettista2.
[jimlee]

I've had this scan since the summer. It's a birthday gift for a bud of mine; we celebrated during the SDCC but I wanted to get the piece framed so it sat in the office til we saw one another again (couldn't well post it before he saw it in person). We finally got together again so now I can post this sucka online.

He's a big Wonder Woman fan; so much so that his fiancè even resembles Wonder Woman. Some guys get all the luck, right? Anyway, this is the version of Wonder Woman I prefer--big helm, skirt instead of the tights, cape for a more regal pose. And everyone looks cooler standing on a mountaintop.

Here's a closer look.

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Quick note


Quick note
Originally uploaded by Gelatomettista.
[ale]

Hey guys, wanted to let you all know that it appears as if our main event Iron Chef battle will happen after Thanksgiving week. Please make sure to stay tuned and I'll make sure to keep you all informed. :)

-a
WOOT!WOOT!

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

For Yesterday


For Yesterday
Originally uploaded by Gelatomettista2.
[jimlee]

Just got this link recently but some of you may recall during last year's Halloween when a gal up north carved up some pumpkins using my art as reference. Well, she has 2 more very cool carvings up on her blog from this past Halloween. Check em out--they are one of a kind pieces of glowing art and a testament to the power of creativity.

Iron Chef update!


Iron Chef update!
Originally uploaded by Gelatomettista.
[ale]

Hey guys wanted to pop in give a quick update. I'm hoping to get our main event up and going sometime this week! With two guys at the level of Jim and Mike, thier schedules make it a bit harder than usual to line up. But trust me, it will all be well worth the wait!

Above is a little doodle i did of ol bats. Did this one with brush pen, ink wash, and some doc martin dyes. Never really worked in color so this was a good test. My trusty colored blindness makes color very daunting for me. I should be getting some Skye Runner quicktime clips up soon also, so keep an eye out fo that! Talk to ya soon!

-a
"http://aleninja.vidiLife.com" WOOT!WOOT!

Thursday, November 10, 2005

Absolute Joker and Clear View auction update

[jimlee]

Here is an image of the Joker I added into an Absolute Hush for a buddy of mine who was celebrating his 30th birthday (the dedication has been Pshopped out). Joker seems to work especially well here in the endpapers since the color of the paper fits so well with the color of his hair.

Also wanted to add something to the Clear View School auction which is happening this Saturday (scroll down for more info). One regular on the blog--Warren--has offered to throw in an All-Star Batman and Robin RRP edition to anyone who outbids him for the Batman piece below (filed under " 20th Annual Dinner Auction for Clear View School"). So not only do you get the Batman headshot, an additional headshot of your choice from me, but also an ultra-rare RRP edition of All-Star Batman!

Now that's what I call drawing a line in the sand...thanks, Warren

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

D'wahashi...


D'wahashi...
Originally uploaded by Gelatomettista2.
(entry: Carlitos)

...here's yet another piece I had originally done in black and white just for fun about half a year ago, then Scott (Iwahashi) added inkwashes recently, mainly so I could see and learn from his approach, him coming from a painting background and all.

I've been having A LOT of fun lately just messing around with ink-washes, practicing my 'forms' as far as 'greytones' and 'values' are concerned. I consider this to be the same as when you take a photography class in high school or wherever, first you just want to take photos in black and white so you can get used to good composition, exposure, value structures, etc. Once you have a semi-decent understanding of Black and White photography, THEN you can start messing with color ...same thing goes for painting I think, the variations that come with it are waaay to overwhelming to take in all at once, so I find it better, and easier to 'digest' (for me anyway) to understand the 'black and white' aspect of it first.

It's interesting, but since the advent of 'digital coloring' and computers and software becoming more and more affordable, you start to see more artists take on the 'whole job' lately (meaning penciling, inking, and coloring) ...with the 'conventional' method of doing a 'painted' comic, it would have just been 'time-prohibitive' to do this on any kind of regular basis, not to mention that if you screw up, you can't just hit "command Z", but you gotta 'redraw or repaint' whatever you screwed up ...ahhh, computers, you gotta' love 'em :)

...still, as much as I love my Apple and Photoshop, NOTHING will be able to beat the 'feeling' of putting pencil to paper, or paint to canvas, or a hybrid of the two, as some artist have started to do ...sky's the limit I guess, and that's a pretty damn good thing (^_^)

p.s...aaaaand if anyone is interested, this piece is available over at www.ComicArtFans.com (^_^)

20th Annual Dinner Auction for Clear View School

 [jimlee]

Quick heads up for those who collect comic art--I just donated a piece of art to benefit the Clear View School in Briarcliff Manor, NY. The image is pen and ink with wash and whiteout on 11x14 artboard.

Proceeds go to benefit the school which was incidentally co-founded by the late, great Harvey Kurtzman and his wife, Adele. This year, they are honoring Adele for her continued support and good work at the school, which by the way is a day treatment center for autistic and multiply disabled children. They can use every dollar we can offer so please check it out.

Below is the address; the auction starts at 6pm EST this Saturday and the charity dinner runs $100 but I do believe you can call in with a bid in advance or perhaps even during the event. I am not 100% sure but the contact person to call who can you give the info is Anna Hlotyak at 914-941-4653.

Just to make it more interesting...if the winning bid is from a regular poster here on the Metti (yes, we do keep track of who's who), I will throw in another free headshot of a character of your choice. It may take a long time for me to get to it, but I do have a list and you will get it...

So call in with your bids and inquire about other art that is being auctioned off. Apparently, there are a number of high profile names who have contributed such as Frank Miller and Terry Gilliam and Jack Davis. It's all for a great cause.

The Clear View School 550 Albany Post Road Briarcliff Manor, New York 10510

...a day at the studio (cue theme music)

(entry: Carlitos)

...yup, looking busy as ever :) ...heheheh, this was Rich and I probably discussing such important matters as Monkeys, Ultimate Fighting Challenge, documentaries about cannibals (History channel), or who's gonna get up and buy the next set of Cokes ...or it could have also been the most important topic of the day "where to go for lunch?!?" ...maybe Alé in the office next to ours doing some kind of dance jig, Jim eating, drawing, and typing all at the same time, Sandra in her office with her headphones on working away (probably listening to Death Metal or hardcore gangsta' rap, who knows!) and Scott Iwahashi probably typing away or doodling weird creatures with trees coming out of their heads ...yup, trees! ...all in all, another typical day at WS. (^_^)

Thursday, November 03, 2005

Bat Treat

Bat Treat Originally uploaded by Gelatomettista2.
[jimlee]

Was in Frankfurt recently for the Frankfurt Book Fair. Was great to be back in Germany and hear the language and see the sights, if only the hotel where I stayed at since I spent most of the 2 days locked away in the convention hall. Bumped into Jeff Smith tho and got caught up and saw once again the power of manga as there were literally hundreds of fans dressed up as characters roaming the site the weekend the Book Fair is open to the public.

Afterwards, I went to Paris for a few days to take a break from all the traveling (San Diego>New York>Frankfurt>back home out of Paris) but dropped in on my friends at Album, one of the best comics shops in the world imo. I finally delivered a sketchbook back to Olivier, the manager there...a sketchbook I had with me since February of this year. It's not something I generally do, mostly cause I am worried that I will lose their sketchbooks (I meant this one had a sketch by Eisner in it!) but he's gone above and beyond many a time for me...

Here is a larger shot; it was done across 2 pages so the middle gutter is a bit blurred and messy but you get the idea. This is sort of the view from the hotel I was staying at, IF you removed the 2 rows of buildings blocking this potentially wonderful view. Here's a closer look.

peace...i'm outta here...


peace...i'm outta here...
Originally uploaded by Gelatomettista.
[ale]

Hey guys, rather than just dissappearing, I wanted to let you know I won't be around fer awhile. I really have to commit myself to my work. Trying my best to do some solid, enjoyable work for all of you. Rich, and Carlos will keep you all entertained. They're both doing some amazing work! I will post the Iron Chef battles but that's about all the extra time I'll have, and an occasional Skye Runner update as well. So, with that I will leave you with a little bonus Daddy Cool it may take awhile to download but hopefully you'll get a good laugh! PEACE!!!

-a
!OOHSP!OOHSP

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

...how to ruin a drawing 101.

(entry: Carlitos)

heheh, just kidding, 'retouching' the "Solid Snake" piece I posted last week (or was it two weeks ago?) was A LOT of fun, and I learned quite a bit from it, so it got me thinking about some other drawing I could mess around with, and this time, mess it up with COLOR!!! :) This is a character from the OUTSIDERS called SHIFT (he's 'Metamorfo's' clone or something like that) and this was originally drawn (in it's black and white form), for a "Secret Files" book. This is the first time I've EVER colored with "Doc Martin' dyes (those bastards are BRIGHT!!!), and also the first time I've colored 'non-digital' in a looooooooong, long time, so it was 'pretty interesting' to say the least :)

I was pretty happy the way that this drawing had come out in just black and white, and it was never meant to be colored on the actual board, so when I applied paint to it, and I had to go 'opaque' on the highlight areas, A LOT of the 'line' detail was lost, same happened with the shadowed areas. The whole time I was painting I felt I was just one step away from TOTALLY screwing it up... STILL, when it's all said and done, for the most part, I'm pretty happy the way it came out.

Invariably, there are always a number of things that you wish you could have done differently in a drawing after it's done (damn hindsight!!!) :), and appling color only adds to the complexity of a piece and choices you have to make, but if anything, this has just made me want to practice painting much, much more ....like a wise man once said: "If you're not learning and getting better, you're only getting worse"

so once again I ask, which one do YOU all like more?!?

Saturday, October 29, 2005

yes...we're dorks!


yes...we're dorks!
Originally uploaded by Gelatomettista.
[ale]

Happy halloween weekends everybody! As you can see, I love halloween. Got the woman to dress up as Zatanna, and I threw together my old bats! Hope you guys have a good weekend!

-a
"woot, woot!" PSHOO!PSHOO!

Friday, October 28, 2005

SNIKT!!!


SNIKT!!!
Originally uploaded by Gelatomettista2.
(entry:Carlitos)

... I did this some months ago pretty much just for sh*ts and giggles (heheh, and with the intention of selling it at "San Diego Con" for some 'toy money' ...or 'beer money', whichever came first and both equally important! (^_^) )

It was one of those "gotta scratch that itch" kinda' things ... I LOOOOOVE Barry Windsor Smith's "Weapon X"!!! It's still is my favorite Wolverine story, so this was me kinda 'sorta' doing a "Weapon X" Wolvie.

I had originally done this in just 'black and white' line art, but it seemed a little flat, and I decided to do some 'ink washes' on it to make the figure 'pop' a little more, THEN, Scott Iwahashi, who must have been a little bored that day :), asked me if I'd let him do the ink-washes instead. ...HEY, this guy's a damn good painter, 'OF COURSE you can do the washes' I said! :) ...I love the subtleties he pulled off, specially on Logan's face ...I gotta' say, I've learned A LOT from that talented bastard in the short time he's been with us at the WS, so I give major major 'props' and thanks to Iwa' ! ..heheh, damn painters!!! :)

... as a 'side note': for any aspiring comic artist out there; It's always a very very good thing (and opportunity) to talk to artists that come from a different 'place' or 'discipline' (sculptors, painters, graphic designers, etc) Many of us can sometimes make the mistake of only learning from people in our 'area' of interest, in this case, COMICS!!! ...nothing wrong with this over the short-term, but long-term, IT WILL only HURT YOU!!! ..why?!? because the whole thing just becomes too 'incestuous,' and we all know how 'well' that works out (^_^)

I think our imagination is like our stomach, it will only work as well as you feed it, so don't be afraid of giving it a more 'balanced diet' of different kinds of art. Learn from anyone or anything, that's the only way you can make your art stand on it's own two legs, and not be a 'poor-man's' version of someone else's art and vision. :)

peace'

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Iron Gelato studio battle! 2-1!!!

Looks as if if going into our final week that Aspen will be one win behind! Surely if anyone could balance out the score Michael Turner is the man to do it! Jim will surely have his hands full! So make sure to stay tuned here for more info leading up to our grand main event, Michael Turner vs Jim Lee!!!

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Look what happens when I'm out...

[ale]

I was delighted and suprised to see what happened while I was out of town this weekend! Great job to both competitors! Looks like another close race! Wish I had been here to razz Rich while he did it, lol! A quick reminder, voting closes tomorrow at noon, so be sure to get all your votes in!

Posted above is a piece I did recently for a commission. It's huge! 22" x 17"!

It was a doozy, hope he'll enjoy it! I really dig drawing that Spidey guy with all his villians. So till tomorrow good luck to both contestants!

-a
"I'm octopussy larry" PSHOO!PSHOO!

Thursday, October 20, 2005

...Pizza and Hot Rods ... delicious!!!

(entry: Carlitos)

I had moved back to Texas for a little while a few years ago, and while I was there, my friends Eddie and Joe (old highschool buddies) were working at this pizza joint called "Double Daves' (more like a BAR that happens to sell pizza, it was GRRRRRREAT!!! :) ) ... anyway, I used to spend A LOT of my time there, it was pretty much the 'official hang-out', and they used to organize these small 'rock shows'.

I would sometimes 'volunteer' to do some of their posters and fliers (for the noblest of reasons, free drinks!!!). I have really good memories of that place, I think it eventually closed down 'cause the owner of that particular location was doing some 'shady' deals (it's a Texas franchise I believe).

...anyway, this drawing here was for one of those 'mini-concerts'. I had colored it and added text and all that, but can't find that damn file. Some of the local 'hot rod' clubs were invited there to show off their muscle cars, hence the Rod ...uhhh, and I think the bands invited were mostly Rockabilly, hence to 'pompadour' (^_^)

ahhh, the good ole' days at the Double D's ... I REALLY miss this hard-cider they used to have called 'woodchuck' ...good stuff, good stuff

... anybody from Texas gone to the Double D's on here?!?

oops, i killed a gang of ninjas...

[ale]

Hey guys, just wanted to drop some quick notes. First off, I forgot earlier, but I'd like to thank Mark Walters for having me out for the Dallas show. My wife and I had a blast! And we both really appreciate it! Second, I just received some notes from our last Iron Chef challenger, and winner, Koi Turnbull. Here's what he had to say:

"Thanks for all the support and kind words. Carlos did an awesome piece and his Darkseid was amazing. It was a shock and an honor to find out I won and a great big thank you goes out to all the fans and the Iron Chef crew! Can't wait for the next one!"

Third, I need a halloween costume idea! So I'd thought I'd let you the fans give me some pointers. Try to remember, I do make one sexxy chick! Lol! Serious though, gimme some sugg's! Fourth, Rich Friend is cool! Fifth, I miss Jim, especially his video games :P!

So that's about it! Posted above is a little Spidey I did for a fan in Dallas. Went a little different from what I normally do. A bit thinner, eyes a bit smaller. Nuff said!

-a
PSHOO!PSHOO!

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

SNNAAAAAAAKE!!!


SNNAAAAAAAKE!!!
Originally uploaded by Gelatomettista2.
(entry: Carlitos)

...here's a bit of a close-up of that 'Solid Snake' piece I posted yesterday, since the previous scan was fairly small and someone made the good point that 'Snake's' face looked less defined in the 'new version' (which I agree with, judging from that particular image)

...so here's this one, that way you can see a bit more of the work that went into his face and torso area.

Someone had also asked if this piece was 'available', and the answer is , so far, yes! :) ...I am just now starting to make some of the work I've done available online over at: ComicArtFans.com, so go check it out and help out my "I-need-to-buy-new-toys-fund" ..heheheh :)

peace'

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

"old new stuff" ...uhhh, or something like that...

(entry: Carlitos)

...I was going though one of my 'old art' boxes recently, and I 'rediscovered' this lil' piece I did back when the first "METAL GEAR SOLID' game came out for the 'PS1' (geeez, at least six or seven years ago, or longer?). I can't remember exactly what magazine this was used for, but I kinda' remember it being for "Game Pro", or "Game Fan", maybe?...I don't know, one of those gaming magz.

...anyway, I was bored and decided to practice some 'washes' on an old piece, and at the same time, try and bring some of my 'newer sensibilities' into it. :)

...the original piece had been penciled by me, and inked my Mark Irwin, one of my old buddies from WS (very very good brush inker), BUT for this particular 'experiment', I wanted to go back in and 'roughen' it up a little bit, (Mark is very clean and slick) so I went back and re-inked some parts as well to make it look a little 'sketchier'.

Getting to draw 'Solid Snake' when this game was first coming out again was awesome, and kinda 'intimidating' since I really liked the character, AND I knew Travis Charest was doing work for it as well (hell of a 'shadow' if you ask me :) ), but tons of fun, regardless...in hindsight, I wish I would have done something 'dirtier-looking' for this piece though, and this 're-working' was sorta' my attempt to do that...oh well, 'learn and move on' I say (^_^)

...now the question is, which one do you all like better?

Monday, October 17, 2005

I'm back b!@#e$!!!


I'm back b!@#e$!!!
Originally uploaded by Gelatomettista.
[ale]

I'm back and trying to get a little bit of rest before I finish up this month. Dallas was a blast! Got to hang with some good friends, Mark Brooks, and Cliff Chiang. We were the three of the comic book artist draws, I guess. It was fun though! From the store signing at Comic Asylum, Mark Hay's store, to meeting some great fans, and having dinner with Kenny (r2d2) Baker, everything was really cool! Also wanted to give a shout out to Joe for driving us around and making the city of Dallas accessible to me and my wife, thanks yo! So, back to the grind, get some work done!

Above is a doodle I did over dinner for one of the guys helping out at the show's son. Medium of choice: blue crayon, red crayon, yellow crayon, all on a paper table cloth!

-a

PSHOO!PSHOO!

Saturday, October 15, 2005

Jetting today...


Jetting today...
Originally uploaded by Gelatomettista2.
[jimlee]

Traveling further east today, over the Atlantic in preparation for the Frankfurt Book Fair next weekend. A working trip, I will be once again back in Studio Gioco Duro with my studiomates italiani Lee "Hellboy" Bermejo and Cammo "Captain Atom" Comeondaiyoucan. It's only 9 hours from JFK and I will be snoozing all the way or checking out my new PSP which I just bought for the trip.

In the meantime, here is a file I found on my laptop--it's a sample of the kind of cover layouts I do. This time it was for the All-Star Wizard jam cover I did with Frank Quitely. I laid out the cover and then he did All-Star Superman and I did Batman. The two images were then composited by the magicians at Wizard to produce the cover which came out just several months ago. BTW, they went with layout C. If you were an editor, what would you have run with?

Friday, October 14, 2005

Midtown Madness!


Midtown Madness!
Originally uploaded by Gelatomettista2.
(jimlee)

Here I am at 40th and 7th at Midtown comics and it's pouring. But still the first fans were here 6 hours ago and the line extends down to 8th Ave. I really expected a muted turnout cause of the inclement weather but I guess nothing stops the incredible fans our small business is blessed with. Great store...even greater people and fans. More later after...

Store Signing at Midtown Comics Today

[jimlee]

Just a quick note for those in the NYC area, I will be at Midtown Comics (Times Square) from 5-7pm tonight signing anything and everything. Shake hands at your own risk...I'm fighting off a very bad cold--damn NY cold and rainy weather! Apparently Crisis #1 shipped this week. Curious to read it; the reaction has been pretty positive; even read 'Best Comic Ever' type stuff. Only thing is I know how the story goes...= D

I'm out yo!

I'm out yo! Originally uploaded by Gelatomettista.
[ale]

Hey guys, I'm heading out to Dallas in the morn'. Rich, you and Carlos behave, no fighting! I'm looking forward to meeting any of you who may show up at the Expo. I know I'll have fun just because I know Mark'll (Brooks) be there, and he's fun to tease, lol! So, once again, great challenge, Rich lovely pics! And Carlos stop looking at monkeys! Peace out yo's!

-a
"my blood hurts" PSHOO!PSHOO!

Thursday, October 13, 2005

... the shame, the shame I tell you!!!

(entry: Carlitos)

heheheh ... man o' man, I knew this whole 'undefeated' thing was lasting too damn long! :) ...awesome job Koi, it was an honor 'battling' you, AND getting my butt kicked in the process! (^_^)

... I gotta say, 'Darkseid' came out of my head in two seconds flat, BUT the friggin' Surfer didn't want to cooperate from the get-go.

I must have drawn the little silver-bastard a good three or four times, and made the HUGE HUGE mistake of 'leaving' him 'till the end, hoping something better would come out then, and THAT my friends, was a pretty dumb idea! ...why? because at the end, my brain was already FRIED from inking 'Darkseid' (not to mention out of time, since filling in the blacks took it's sweet time) ....so in a desperate attempt to finish the piece, I laid out a 'Silver Surfer' ala' MOEBIUS, just standing there on his board, and looking '"too powerful to bother getting in a battle-stance!!!" ...that was the idea anyway, I'm not sure if I 'quite' pulled it off. :) ...then Alé brought up the good point (after the fact, damn you!!! :) ) that most people are much more familiar with Kirby's and Buscema's (or Ron Lim's) Silver Surfer's attitude, which is totally different than Moebius'.

...anyway, the lesson of the day was; "drawing TWO character fighting, in ONE hour, is DAMN hard!!!", I'm pretty sure Koi knows what I'm talking about .... it just takes it out of ya'. I feel more 'tired' after drawing one of these mo'fos than I do after drawing a whole page!!! no lie, it's not 'how much' you draw, but 'the speed' at which you have to do it that just draaaaains you!!!

good battle Mr. Turnbull, good battle. (^_^)

Carlitos.

Iron Chef results: Round 2!!!

Wow, what a contest we have going! Koi brought it on, and evened out the score! Who knows if we end this thing in a stalemate we may have to do a royal rumble battle for all the marbles! Everyone versus everyone! Way to go Koi, and congratulations! I had a feeling Koi would be a challenge and he definitely rose to the challenge! So make sure to check back in a bout 2 weeks for round 3!!!

Wildstorm: 1
Aspen: 1

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

.... definitely!!!

.... definitely!!! Originally uploaded by Gelatomettista2.
(entry: S. Iwahashi)

The attached image in this post was created a while back before I came on as a staff artist. Jim wanted me to do my rendition of the Gen13 characters. It was a great deal of fun and I took the opportunity to play with the way I was drawing things and what I was choosing to emphasize. I was also attempting to get a better handle on the way that Jim composes things versus my own process.

Previously, I tended to use abstract shapes to create compositions that led to my reads whereas Jim's route seemed far more direct because, as I see it, he composes around his reads. Its the difference between using another object or gesture to point to say the faces of the characters versus using the characters faces as the actual objects/gesture itself. I definitely took a lot away from the experience and my work has definitely changed as a result.

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Iron Gelatomettista: Carlos D'anda

Vote for Carlos' entry here!

Iron Gelatomettista Challenger: Koi Turnbull!

Vote for Koi's entry here!

Iron Gelatometti Battle! Carlos D'anda vs Koi Turnbull!

Here are our two entries side by side! Both came out quite amazing for the time given to these two dedicated competitors!

Iron Gelatometti Battle! Carlos D'anda vs Koi Turnbull!

All right boys and girls, make sure to post your suggestions here! The battle will start a little late today. It will run from 2:30-3:30 pst! So act now and get your suggestions in!

Iron Gelatomettista Challenger: Koi Turnbull!

Today's challenger is Aspen's very own Koi Turnbull! For our second round battle, Koi will challenge Iron Chef Carlos D'anda! Surely this battle will go down as a knock down drag out slug-o-rama! Make sure to check out Koi's work on Fathom, released by Aspen comics!

Sunday, October 09, 2005

I'm open!


I'm open!
Originally uploaded by Gelatomettista.
[ale]

Thought I'd comment on tomorrow night's showdown! The hometown Chargers vs. my team, the Steelers! Now I'm not one to make predictions, but..... I think my boys are gonna take this one! Not only are they practically perfect on monday nights, but they'll have The Bus, and Deuce back! Sadly though however, living in San Diego as long as I have, the Chargers have become my second favorite team. I even got to meet Ladanian Tomlinson at the local Applebees, lol! It was kinda funny because he wasn't even getting any special treatment. I mean here's arguably the best running back in the NFL, and he's outside of Applebee's waiting to be seated alongside me! He was very cool, very humble, great guy! So for me tomorrow night's going to be a BLAST!

Some other updates... We may be moving our next Iron Chef up a day. Not sure yet but just maybe. I'll post tomorrow just to confirm. Also I'm going to be bringing a new Chef into the forray for our third battle. Should have the announcement soon! Other than that, hope all is well, peace!

-a
"that's the spirit..." PSHOO!PSHOO!

Thursday, October 06, 2005

Keeping suit w/Rich...


Keeping suit w/Rich...
Originally uploaded by Gelatomettista.
[ale]

Wanted to keep up on Rich's previous post. We need to be giving more love to the books we're putting out. I wanted to give a little notice to another recently released, phenomonal looking book, Wildsiderz! Jeff has always been an amazing artist, and he just continues to top himself with his latest venture! Both he and Andy Hartnell are crafting a breath of fresh air in comics with this new title! Being an artist I just wanted to comment on some of the mind numbing stuff I see Jeff doing. It's fantastic! And a treat to see comics like this coming out!

This and the previously mentioned Wraithborn, are exactly the kinda books I get excited to see! I'm not gonna say that I don't enjoy some of the books with the art going more towards the realistic side these days. But for me, I love books like these! Books that capture all the imagination, creativity, and originality that can be achieved through comics! I can only hope my soon to be released ditty will be half as good. So hats off to both Jeff, and Joe, I look forward to the future issues of both these titles. And to you the fans, and maybe some of you who may even be retailers, show these books some love, and give em a nice push :)

-a
"i'm a boy" PSHOO!PSHOO!

Tuesday, October 04, 2005

Something New/Old


Something New/Old
Originally uploaded by Gelatomettista2.
(entry: Scott Iwahashi)

Attached is the tryout image I sent to Wildstorm before initially getting work. I was asked to depict Zealot and Warblade and given free reign from there. Posting this old image, ironically, marks a new shift in my work. After getting a taste of penciling, I have really come to realize I am not suited for it.

That isn't to say I'm not suited to drawing, but that my process is far more nebulous. To compartmentalize my thought process into penciling, inking and coloring is counter-intuitive to me. When I create an image I think about the finished printed page and as a result the amount of penciling, inking and coloring I will do varies tremendously.

My perspective on comic book art is that every step should plus the last. In many cases, when I see the finished linework of someone like Michael Golden I feel that color is superfluous. It might separate objects from one another more, but it can also lose the depth, contours and gesture accomplished in line.

For that, at any given stage beside the final product, my work doesn't look complete. My pencils don't look finished, my inks look simple, but once the color is added the entire piece comes together in a way that incorporates every part and hopefully, rounds out the product. When I attempted to pencil, I couldn't fully separate penciling from inking and inking from coloring to get a sense of the leeway that each step requires. In that way, I feel that there were missteps as well as achievements that forced me to really reevaluate where my work should go.

Monday, October 03, 2005

Skye Runner exclusives! Glyph!

[ale]

GLYPH…is a vigilante alchemist carrying specially designed God-hunting weaponry and numerous pouches and vials filled with powerful potions. After his family was killed by a shadowy stranger and an erratic-acting God, he asked the council for permission to seek revenge, but was denied due to fear of a backlash, and apathy. Traditionally his people keep to themselves, and avoid getting involved in human affairs. Glyph was furious with their uncaring attitude and left his world forever to live amongst the humans, who look down on him like he’s trash. He makes his living trapping Gods and hunting their hideous offspring as he searches for the shadowy stranger and vengeance against the Gods.

[ale's notes]

Glyph for me is perhaps one of the most exciting characters Allen and I have ever came up with! I tried to capture all the elements of characters like Wolverine, Batman, and Grifter, and put them all in one little package, no pun intended, lol! Seriously though I think you guys are gonna really enjoy this little guy!

So there you have it. The image completed! This first set of exclusives have been a blast! I'm so glad I can share with you all the growth experience involved in the process of creating a comic. Over the next few months the exclusives will hopefully get more exciting! As not only I, but also look for Rich, Jim, and Allen to chime in on their thoughts about this little book called Skye Runner! Expect contests, quicktime clips, and a lot more art, all to what will hopefully get you all excited for what I'm hoping is to be one of the biggest releases of next year, Skye Runner #1!!!