Friday, August 17, 2012

Remembering the Work of Joe Kubert

I must have been nine or ten when I first encountered a comic featuring a Joe Kubert cover. Truth be told, I thought it was some of the worst comic art I'd seen—and at that time, I considered myself an expert in the artform.

I'd been raised on a steady diet of Jack Kirby's statuesque demi-gods and John Buscema's powerful matinee idols. And most of my favorite work had been embellished with the slick brush lines of Joe Sinnot or Mike Royer, or occasionally inked with the lush rendering of Tom Palmer.

To my eye, Joe Kubert's work looked rough, sketchy and unfinished.

Flash forward eight to ten years: I found myself in my first life drawing class and experienced gesture drawing for the first time. Everything was about capturing a movement (hence the name, gesture drawing) and recording it. Motion, vitality and spontaneity were king.

It was around this time that the lightbulb went off.

What my untrained 10 year-old eye saw as "rough," was actually boldness. What I thought was "sketchy" was actually immediacy.  Where I had previously seen the work as "unfinished," I now saw it as fluid and dynamic.

From that point on, I checked out all the Kubert work I could find. I learned that he was more than just an expert at creating movement. Joe's compositions and storytelling were downright amazing.

I never met the man, but he was my guide on adventures on WWII battlefields, and through primeval jungles. Our expeditions took us from prehistoric earth to unknown galaxies in the far-future. And at every stop along the way, I learned something about art.

Thanks, Joe.


Monday, July 9, 2012

SDCC and Social Anxiety

Since I'm leaving for San Diego Comic-Con very soon, it occurred to me to address something that I experience every time I go to a convention: social anxiety.

I'm fine when I'm sitting at my table and interacting with people coming up and chatting. In fact, I love it. Small talk, comics talk, movie and TV talk, sports talk...I'll talk your ear off. But take me away from that comfort zone, and I clam up.

I suck at networking.

That's it; the bottom line. If I have to seek someone out,  I invariably worry about if they'll remember me (if I've met them before), if I'm blethering on too long or too much, if they're looking for an escape route...pretty much just worried that I'm imposing on their time.

So I end up feeling like Paul Schaffer as Artie Fufkin in this clip from This Is Spinal Tap:

http://youtu.be/cv5FwzRBc_Y

"Hi. Steve Bryant, Athena Voltaire." [shakes hand]

[puke]

This even extends to seeing someone I've met before away from the convention (for instance, I think I've run into comic artist Skottie Young about a half-dozen times and just looked away...and there are a bunch more examples, too)—all because I don't know what to say, or am afraid of imposing on someone's time, or because I'm afraid of being embarrassed if someone doesn't remember who I am.

So that's it; my deep dark convention secret. I'm going to try and come out of my shell a bit more, and interact more this year...but I say that every year. We'll see if it happens this year.

However, I'll be in the Small Press Pavillion, M-14, if you want to stop by and spare me the anxiety. ;)


Monday, July 2, 2012

SDCC Sketch Preorders

Due to a ton of work, and being behind on a couple of commissions, I'm not taking preorders for artwork done prior to San Diego Comicon.

However, I am taking preorders (limited to 10) for $50 9x12 single character inked commissions that I'll draw at the show. First come, first served.

More examples of my work can be found here.

Email me to reserve a sketch.

I'll be in Small Press, #M-14. Whether or not you preorder a sketch, please stop by and say Hi!

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Commission: Mary Jane Watson






















Face it, Tiger...

I was thrilled to do a commission of Peter Parker's gal, Mary Jane Watson—especially when the commissioner requested it by specifying the year 1977 (I love Ross Andru's work from that period).

Ink on 9x12 bristol board.

I'm still accepting preorders for C2E2 in Chicago. I'm not sure if I'll be doing more than penciled headshots at the show (stagefright), so please consider lining up a commission before the show. If you're an art collector that prefers to have commissions done in your themed sketchbook, you can mail me your sketchbook and I'll be glad to bring it to the show.

If you're not going to C2E2, but want a commission, feel free to order one now, too!

PRICING
$45 for an inked single-character piece on 8.5 x 11 (or 9 x 12...depending on what I have lying around). Additional figures, email me for a quote. Plan on $5 for Priority Mail shipping if you won't be picking up the piece at the show.

$80 for an inked single character piece on 11 x 17. Again, for additional figures, email me for a quote. And again, $5 for Priority Mail shipping if you won't be picking up the piece at the show.

(ink wash added at artist's discretion...let me know up front if it's something you really, really, really have your heart set on.)

I've been having trouble with my gmail account, so please contact me at SteveBryantArt at Yahoo dot com

Friday, April 6, 2012

Accepting Commission Preorders for C2E2 in Chicago































I'm accepting preorders for C2E2 in Chicago. I'm not sure if I'll be doing more than penciled headshots at the show (stagefright), so please consider lining up a commission before the show. If you're an art collector that prefers to have commissions done in your themed sketchbook, you can mail me your sketchbook and I'll be glad to bring it to the show.

If you're not going to C2E2, but want a commission, feel free to order one now, too!

PRICING
$45 for an inked single-character piece on 8.5 x 11 (or 9 x 12...depending on what I have lying around). Additional figures, email me for a quote. Plan on $5 for Priority Mail shipping if you won't be picking up the piece at the show.

$80 for an inked single character piece on 11 x 17. Again, for additional figures, email me for a quote. And again, $5 for Priority Mail shipping if you won't be picking up the piece at the show.

(ink wash added at artist's discretion...let me know up front if it's something you really, really, really have your heart set on.)

I've been having trouble with my gmail account, so please contact me at SteveBryantArt at Yahoo dot com

Thursday, March 1, 2012

March 1: Creator-Owned Comic Day!










































I love the fact that there's an official day for my favorite kind of comics: creator-owned ones! So, naturally, today's entry centers on my book, Athena Voltaire.

A globetrotting aviatrix battles Nazis, occult science, and mythical creatures against the backdrop of the pulp era. It’s Indiana Jones by way of Hellboy, starring a Joss Whedon-style female pilot. The series originally launched online at the Modern Tales family of webcomics sites, and earned an Eisner Award nomination.

Below is a teaser short story, The Isle of Death. The "red" cover (above) is for a short that was featured in Double Feature Comics (you can read it in its entirety for a mere 99¢).

I'm currently working on a new AV mini-series The Volcano Goddess, as well as remastering the existing AV material (200 pages or so) into an Omnibus edition (also pictured above).

Contact me for more info on Athena Voltaire, or publishing/rights inquiries.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Commission: The Shadow






















The weed of crime bears bitter fruit!

Here's the first piece from my current "Buy an 11x17 commission, get a free page" sale; pulp hero The Shadow!

11x17, ink and Copic marker on bristol board.

And if you're curious about the sale I'm currently having, here's the skinny:

In an effort to start building up funds for convention table space, and tackle a chunk of Buddy's outstanding surgery costs , I'm having a commission sale.

Buy an $80 inked 11x17 single-figure commission, get a free page of original art (any of my pages that my art dealer, The Interior Pages,
priced at $40 or less). Add in $5 for shipping and you're set. 2 pieces of 11x17 inked original art for $85 total!

I'm currently planning to limit this to 10 customers.

Examples of my commissioned work can be found here.

Order your 11x17 Commission NOW! Be sure to mention which original art page you'd like to reserve!

For a full listing of the pieces available, click here and scroll down (link intensive!).

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Athena Voltaire and the Wings of Death!






















Wow. This year marks a decade since Athena Voltaire originally launched as a webcomic. So it's only fitting to celebrate that auspicious anniversary with a return to digital!

Athena Voltaire and the Wings of Death is an 8-page story for Four Star Studios' Double Feature app.

If you're not familiar with Double Feature (or the studio), it's the brainchild of Mike Norton, Tim Seeley, Sean Dove and Josh Emmons (the four stars of 4 Star Studios). Every month, they release a digital comic with two 8-page co-features for only 99¢. Genres range from Action, Horror, Science-Fiction and Fantasy. This month's release is Action, issue #3.

The iPad app allows you to do more than just read the comic. You can strip away the word balloons, the color, and the inks—allowing you to see each stage of the comic's production. Additionally, you get a cool director's commentary that gives insight into the process, the characters, and other stuff!

Not an iPad owner? No prob. The geniuses at 4 Star Studios release every issue of Double Feature in PDF format, too!

It's a great bargain and 100% creator-owned!

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Commission: Marshall Law






















This one isn't part of my current "Buy an 11x17 commission, get a free page" sale...I drew it a few days before. Marshall Law is a character I was familiar with, but hadn't read. The costuming presented a challenge to balance all of the details with some fun leather textures inked loosely with a brush. Overall, a very enjoyable piece to draw!

9x12, ink on bristol board.

And if you're curious about the sale I'm currently having, here's the skinny:

In an effort to start building up funds for convention table space, and tackle a chunk of Buddy's outstanding surgery costs , I'm having a commission sale.

Buy an $80 inked 11x17 single-figure commission, get a free page of original art (any of my pages that my art dealer, The Interior Pages,
priced at $40 or less). Add in $5 for shipping and you're set. 2 pieces of 11x17 inked original art for $85 total!

I'm currently planning to limit this to 10 customers.

Examples of my commissioned work can be found here.

Order your 11x17 Commission NOW! Be sure to mention which original art page you'd like to reserve!

For a full listing of the pieces available, click here and scroll down (link intensive!).

Monday, January 9, 2012

Commission Sale!

In an effort to start building up funds for convention table space, and tackle a chunk of Buddy's outstanding surgery costs , I'm having a commission sale.

Buy an $80 inked 11x17 single-figure commission, get a free page of original art (any of my pages that my art dealer, The Interior Pages,
priced at $40 or less). Add in $5 for shipping and you're set. 2 pieces of 11x17 inked original art for $85 total!

I'm currently planning to limit this to 10 customers.

Examples of my commissioned work can be found here.

Order your 11x17 Commission NOW! Be sure to mention which original art page you'd like to reserve!

Following is a full listing of the pages available for free with the purchase of an $80 single figure 11x17 inked commission:

Flight of the Falcon #1
Page 13
Page 16
Page 17
Page 19
Page 20
Page 24
Page 40
Page 41

Flight of the Falcon #2
Page 2
Page 3
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7 SOLD
Page 8 SOLD
Page 9 SOLD
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22

Flight of the Falcon #3
Page 2
Page 4
Page5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 16
Page 19

Flight of the Falcon #4
Page 8
Page 11

Terror in Tibet (Collected Webcomics)
Page 3
Page 4

Wrath from the Tomb (Collected Webcomics)
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 5
Page 8
Page 20
Page 21

Athena Voltaire FCBD 2008
Page 3

Isle of the Dead (AV story from Athena Voltaire/Black Coat one-shot)
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 5
Page 6